While investigators were put on to the case, the only true lead, the only witness to the crime was Sophia. And it all came down to the fucking mark she’d seen on the fucker’s forearm. Only the true Masters would have the mark. That meant the group of possibilities was small, considering the lead, but too many to be able to identify someone immediately. And so my plan to keep Sophia from being involved in finding the traitor was not going to happen. We—the entire planet—needed her.
Fuck, I needed her, and not just to find the bastard. My cock ached for her. Being so far away, my being in Central City while she was safe on Viken United with Rolf and Erik, was almost painful. I was sure they were taking good care of her, that she was safe, ensuring that her craving for cock was filled. The seed power had been impressively strong, but our mate was a passionate woman and I had to think she would still have craved our attentions—from all three of us—without it.
Her craving was my withdrawal and I was eager to have her beneath me again. Just… with me. She was able to break through a wall I'd put around my heart, a little at a time. What I'd shared with Loren had been… love, but this, what I had with Sophia was something else entirely. It had to be the match, for we were so perfect a fit. It hurt, the knowledge that I could lose her. But I wanted her more.
And so it was with mixed feelings that I used my InterCom and connected with the others. I wanted to hear her voice, to know that she was safe, but did not wish to tell her of my findings. I wanted to shield her from anything bad. She would need to help, and be put in danger.
After sharing my findings, Sophia spoke. I got hard at just the soft sound.
“I’m ready, Gunnar. Take me to the club. I’m the only one who can identify him.”
I knew the latter, so I disregarded it. “You’re ready?” I asked. It was more than just being prepared to track down a killer, but for a night at the club.
“Yes. Erik and Rolf have…oh God, I can’t say it over the phone. Or whatever this communication thing is.”
I had no idea what a phone was, but I assumed it was an Earth contraption.
“Sophia.” I deepened my voice to the tone I’d use on her when we were in the club. “If you are going to go to Club Trinity with me, saying what your mates did to prepare you should not embarrass you. Trust me, I will push you farther than you can ever imagine.”
She was quiet for a moment and I heard a little breathy sigh. “Yes, you’re right. They shaved me, put me in a swing and they…they fucked my mouth and pussy.”
I almost came in my pants, thinking of her spread between them, taking them both. Of how they had pushed her.
“What else?” I asked.
“And a plug.”
I couldn’t help it, I had to adjust myself, my pants now much too tight.
“I’m ready,” she repeated.
So was I.
“Transport here,” I said, my words rough with need and eagerness. Yes, then I could touch her, feel her, know she was real and safe and mine. “I will meet you at the transport station.”
“I do not wish to transport alone,” Sophia replied. I could hear the thread of fear in her voice. I could only imagine she was afraid of traveling unaccompanied. Her first experience with this kind of travel had led to near disaster.
“Do not worry,” Rolf murmured. “We will be with you.”
“That’s right, love. There’s no fucking way you’ll do that again by yourself. Not for a long time,” I all but growled, thinking of how close we had been to losing her. Even before we ever had her.
“Not until the VSS is wiped out,” Erik added. “We need an hour.”
“I’ll meet you then. Don’t be late.” I didn’t want to take Sophia into the club, but my duty was to protect the royal family. And Sophia. If, no, when the man who’d ordered her death discovered she was alive, he’d come after her, too. Therefore, I’d protect her with my life, all the while finding the bastard and saving the royal females. “Be prepared, Sophia. Tonight we go to Club Trinity.”
***
Gunnar, Central City, Outside of Club Trinity
I escorted Sophia into the heart of the entertainment district. We walked down the glittering walkway less than a block from the inconspicuous entrance to Club Trinity, my hand on her back. There were no trees here, no wilds. This was the most urban place on the planet. Central City was a megacity on the northern continent of Viken. Also called simply “Central” or “The City”, it was the one place on Viken where our people embraced the most advanced technologies that Viken’s membership in the Interstellar Coalition had afforded. Transport stations, food synthesizers, advanced communications and simulator systems, entertainment and music, food and drink from all over the galaxy could be found in the city.
The city served as Viken’s main trade port with the other member planets. As a result, the city was vibrant and full of life. Any appetite could be sated here, good or bad. The dark underbelly of the sparkling lights and fast-paced lifestyle had once held singular appeal for me. As a young man trying to bury the pain of my past, I’d drowned my grief here, in sex, drink, power and the pursuit of every pleasure.
Now, returning here with Sophia by my side made me physically ill. I did not want her here, where the scum of the planet sat at the table next to sector leaders and council members, selling secrets and loyalty as easily as a piece of ripe fruit at market.
I’d been around the noble warriors of the Coalition Fleet for long years, fought alongside the most noble soldiers from every world. Upon my return to Viken, I’d served only the three Kings and their new mate. All honorable men. All worthy of my respect.
Coming back to Central City felt like a betrayal of everything I fought to protect.
But I was a realist. I knew how things worked. The city was as necessary to Viken’s survival as the atmosphere that protected the planet. And there were honorable people here. They fought and scrambled against the constant tide of greed and corruption that opposed them.
It was a struggle that would never end, and one I tired of. Now that I had a mate, my brothers Rolf and Erik, and a royal family I respected, I had no wish to return to the loneliness of my past. For once, I did not want to be alone. I wanted my mate, my family.
I wanted to track the bastard who’d tried to kill my mate and gut him so I could go home and enjoy Sophia. Protect her. Care for her. Make her fall in love with me. I wanted her to love me. I wanted her to look at me, not with fear or anxiety, but with love. Trust. Longing.
Fuck. I sounded like a woman, but perhaps it was worth it.
I squeezed Sophia’s side with that thought and she jumped, her gaze darting quickly to mine, then away.
“I know you told me what to expect, but I’m still nervous.”
Sophia was covered completely by a long cloak with a hood. Beneath, she wore nothing. While the dress of females in Central City was different than the long garments of those in the Sectors, neither was appropriate for going to the club.
A submissive or slave at Club Trinity, whether male or female, did not require clothing. “Good.”
She glanced up at me, her face not hiding her surprise.
“You should be nervous. If you weren’t, people would begin to question,” I clarified. “As long as you’re not nervous about being with me, then everything is fine.”
I stopped outside the large door. By looking at it, no one would know what was behind it, the mix of depravity, sensuality and submission that was within. Only a small plaque with the club’s mark, placed discretely to the right of the entrance, identified its location.
Leaning down, I murmured in Sophia’s ear, “Whatever you see, whatever you feel, remember, I will never leave your side. If you hear the man’s voice, you will give me the signal. Nothing more.”
We’d decided on a way for her to communicate that she’d heard the Viken responsible for her attempted murder. When she mentioned an interest in having a woman touch her, I would know the bastard was close. It was a complete
lie since she had three men to touch and please. If her proclivities leaned toward an encounter with a woman, we would not deny her, but we knew this not to be the case. The matching proved it. And so it was the perfect signal. If she spoke the words, found the man we hunted, I would take care of the rest.
While she nodded, I repeated, “Your only job is to obey me, listen for his voice and signal when you hear it. Your part will be done. Nothing more.” I repeated the last, more for my benefit than hers since the four of us had gone over it again and again all day long. Erik and Rolf most likely felt like caged animals waiting for us to return.
Unfortunately, only members were allowed inside the club. Neither Rolf nor Erik would make it past the security check just inside the front door.
“All right,” she replied.
I arched a brow. “Have you forgotten so soon?”
She frowned as I waited patiently for her to remember the need for a formal address inside the club. “Yes, Sir.”
I gave one quick nod. “Good. From this moment on, you obey. If you don’t, the consequences will match the club’s protocol.” Spanking. Flogging. Humiliation. She was mine, but if she insulted another Master, with or without intending to do so, I would be forced to punish her accordingly.
Tugging on the door, I escorted my mate into my world. My old world.
The building was three stories tall. The main floor was meant for members to meet and mingle. With rich banquettes for seating that surrounded a dance floor in a semicircle, it was easy to watch and be watched. It was only when a connection was made that the new lovers might venture to the other floors.
Those from Sector One, where men liked to claim their mates while others watched, only need escort their lover through a doorway that led to the play area on the other side of the large room. There, floor-to-ceiling glass walls allowed everyone in the main room to see into three sizable playrooms. Within, members did anything they wanted while being watched. If that wasn’t enough, the room contained every possible tool or device for making anal play fun and wild.
I took a breath, imagined my mate bent over one of those benches as I inserted a plug in her ass and fucked her into submission.
As we entered the black-walled foyer to the club, the three-headed serpent, the same symbol burned into my flesh, rose as tall as I, the dark red outline shining like fresh blood on the floor as we approached the security checkpoint. The giant Viken warrior guarding the inner door was not one I recognized.
He looked at Sophia, his eyes lingered on my mate’s perfect pink lips until I stepped forward, breaking his eye contact with my beautiful mate.
The guard just grunted and grinned at me, without apology.
That was Club Trinity, every carnal desire not just openly shared, but embraced.
“She’s beautiful,” the guard said.
“I know. And she’s mine. I don’t share.”
The guard shrugged. “Let me know if you change your mind, or tire of her attentions.” He held out a small scanning device and I lifted my wrist to expose the mark there. Beneath the mark was a small chip embedded in my flesh, marking me as a member of the club, as one of the elite.
Sophia and I were checked for weapons by two other guards before the man with the scanner cleared us to enter the club. “Welcome back, Master Gunnar. It’s been a long time.”
“Thank you.” A long time? Twelve years. It felt like a lifetime ago.
With my hand around Sophia’s waist, I led her into the main ballroom. Dozens of unmated men and women mingled, looking for partners, for sex, for pain. Any appetite was welcome here.
The low light level in the main room ensured the level-one rooms were on prominent display. On the other side of the glass, brightly lit participants carried out every sex act I could think of.
I could only imagine Sophia’s thoughts when the first sex scenes she witnessed were public fucking, exhibitionism and anal play.
She leaned into me, her small hand searching for mine and I gently entwined my fingers with hers. Squeezed. I had warned her, had, in fact, described the club , and its three levels in great detail.
The second floor catered toward the likes of those from Sector Three. It was one large room, bacchanal style, for anyone to touch or suck or lick, kiss or fuck any other. It was decadent and occupied with those who wanted to focus on oral pleasure, with anyone and everyone within reach. Sector Three was known for their love of oral sex, their tongues quite skilled, and anyone seeking that kind of pleasure knew to seek someone from that region of Viken, and on the second floor.
The third floor was where I felt most comfortable. It was the darker floor, with soft lighting, dark red leather everywhere. It had restraints and toys, whatever anyone needed to dish out pain along with their pleasure. Level three was about control. But that was for later.
We circled the lower two levels for over an hour, my mate walking discreetly behind me, never more than a single step from my side. I’d forgotten the intensity of the carnal temptations offered by this place. Everywhere I looked, men and women played and screamed, fucked and bled. I was not into true pain, I was not a Sadist, but I did not judge their need. Nor the needs of the submissives quivering with desire as their asses were struck by the crop or cane.
But I could not deny the seductive nature of the club’s atmosphere, my cock hard and ready the entire length of our tour. The place was created for fucking and the air exuded an essence of need. Harnessed power. Desire. I felt it and I knew Sophia had too. But we both had to wait.
I knew she focused on listening to the voices of those around us, particularly the Masters marked with the Trinity Serpent, as I was. I took her to every dark corner, every lounge and bar. And she listened, she followed behind me like a shadow. Once or twice, when we passed a woman being fucked or spanked, usually both, her gentle hands would settle at the small of my back. Even through the black leather I wore, I could feel her trembling. But with desire or fear, I could not say.
Not yet. When I knew we were safe, knew the bastard who’d tried to kill her was not here, only then would I look into her eyes and see the truth. If her gaze held fear, I would take her from this place and whisk her away to the safety of our private quarters in the city where Erik, Rolf and I would see to her needs. Strangely, this place held no pull for me when judged against my mate’s desires. She came first. There had been a time when this club had been a second home to me, a place I belonged. A place where I would not be judged but accepted for who and what I was.
A demanding Dominant that sought control. I needed it almost on a cellular level. A warrior’s life was not guaranteed to be long. Fighting the Hive, many Vikens didn’t return. Somehow, Erik, Rolf and I had all survived, outlived the horrors that engaging and defending our home planet from the insidious Hive wrought. It never ended. Even with us no longer on the front lines, the war continued.
With our service complete, we’d taken roles as the Kings’ guards. While it was less deadly than the front lines, there was still the threat. The VSS. Who needed the Hive when the VSS would destroy our own planet? Life was always tense, constant danger, imminent death. And so the club was an outlet to purge the darkness.
For me, I could wield a crop, a flogger, my hand, or even my cock to give a submissive what they needed. I took control from a lover to ease her burden, to provide a safe haven for her pain or pleasure, her rage or despair. I needed to break my lovers’ boundaries, free them from the cage of their own minds.
It was a fine dance, the balance between me and the female I dominated. But that was all it had been, a dance. One carnal song, and then it was over. Without a backward glance, I moved on. I’d soothed the part of me that needed taming, needed control, at least for a prescribed amount of time. When finished, I’d be sated, mentally and physically. Nothing more.
Now, with the little hand warming my lower back, there was more. Too much more. I couldn’t dominate and fuck Sophia and walk away. I knew what she wanted, what she needed, how
to push her to take even more, but I would never allow her to walk away. She was mine.
She would give over all her secrets, yet so would I. And that was the difference. The club was filled with bodies, with people desperate for connection or release, and yet it was so empty of soul, of intimacy. Of love. There was nothing here, no connection deeper than a quick fuck.
The air we breathed was tainted with shallowness. Just having Sophia see this, to know how empty I used to be, had me wanting to whisk her from the building, scrub her clean of the tawdry filth and sink into her. She was good. She was everything I’d never known I was missing.
I didn’t need the casual acceptance the club offered. I had found the bonds of brotherhood with Erik and Rolf, and now, with the desire and trust I’d witnessed in Sophia’s dark eyes. I just had to hope she didn’t think less of me, see me with jaded eyes.
When this hunt was done, I’d look there, in her eyes, and see if they held lust. Desire. Longing. Could she see past the veneer of the club to understand what I’d needed from it? Would she want the same? I had to hope the mating, the match, would ensure it. I didn’t wish to bring her here. It was duty that forced us to walk the club floors, not desire. But if she looked up at me with longing and need, if this place pulled a deep-seated fantasy from her that had to be fulfilled, I would not have the strength to deny her. Not here, with naked bodies writhing all around us.
If she needed, I would provide.
Because of this, the hope that she would need my hand, my mouth, my cock, eagerness filled my steps as we made our way to the final room, the last place we had to search. I’d chosen to save it as last for a reason.
If our prey were not here, it was the room where I would take our mate, bend her over a bench and mark her as mine for all the world to see. I wanted to show her off, to tell the planet, “She’s mine.”
Erik and Rolf had their fun with her, fucking her while I worked to solve this mystery. They’d given her pleasure and taken her body while I hunted. I would never deny them their pleasure in our mate, nor could I deny myself. And I found myself to be greedy indeed.
Mated To The Vikens (Interstellar Brides Book 8) Page 10