Surrender [Coalition Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Sarah Marsh

  “I’m certain I’m up to the challenge, Guild Master,” she purred back at him. “I’ve no doubt that whomever you assign to mentor me will work wonders.”

  His wide smile at her answer had her leaning back a little in surprise.

  “I’m glad to hear it, Sally. I’ll have your things moved into my suite tonight. We’ll begin your training immediately,” he said with a smug tone as he rose from the chair and strode over to Lady Samal.

  Sally’s eyes were still wide, and her mouth hung open in shock. “Fuck me. That did not play out how I would’ve liked it to. Goddamned bucket of bullshit and bravado strikes again,” she mumbled to herself when she managed to finally close her mouth.

  Chapter Six

  By the end of the day, Sally had had enough time for the information to sink in. Her mouth had really screwed her over this time. She had been certain that with how important and busy she assumed the guild master to be in his duties that he’d never be the one that would take on her training. Any man but him would have been better. Her immediate weakness and traitorous body when she so much as looked at him did not bode well for her ability to keep her walls firmly up and secure around her much-battered heart. Even Devyn had noticed how distracted she was, and when the other woman asked about her conversation with the guild master, she almost wanted to confide in her, but that, too, was a weakness she was hesitant to show.

  “So you get to live with him while you’re training?” Devyn asked with wide eyes. “Wow, he’s superhot but a little bit intimidating, don’t you think? Holy crap! You get to have sex with him, I bet! Wow, I bet he’s really good with those massive hands of his!”

  Devyn’s nattering abruptly brought into focus exactly what she had been trying not to think about since she’d agreed to the deal with the big sexy devil. She would indeed be having sex with him, and she tried not to admit to herself how wet she was just thinking about it. Or how fast her breathing got when she thought about his smooth naked skin and his hard, muscled body…

  “Argh, you’re not helping my mood, Devyn. I don’t want to talk about this. I’m certain he’ll be just like every other man. It’s no big deal. It’s just sex,” she said back in a short tone. The problem was not even Sally believed her own words.

  When they’d walked down the hall after the dinner meal to go back to their rooms, there was a man standing beside Sally’s door. He was striking young man, in his midtwenties, she assumed. He had a slight build with more of a swimmer’s body. He was wearing only the loose-style pants the men here seemed to favor, and his tanned chest was perfection. When he raised his head, his bright-green eyes gave away his Sirotian heritage, and his shoulder-length messy blond hair highlighted his youth perfectly.

  “Sally Owens?” he asked in a surprisingly deep voice for his age.

  “Yes, that’s me,” she answered with a big smile. A man this young she definitely knew how to handle.

  He smiled back, immediately picking up on the flirty tone of her voice.

  “My name is Apprentice Benic. I am here to escort you to Guild Master Quinn’s suite. All of your belongings have been moved already,” he said with a short bow.

  “Oh, that’s great,” she said out loud with a saucy wink while her inner voice was cussing a blue streak. “Well, let’s go, handsome. I can’t wait to see my new digs.”

  “See you tomorrow, Sally!” she heard Devyn say in an overly cheerful manner as she took the arm he offered and they walked down the hall.

  Then a quiet, “Wow, another hot guy,” followed them as well, and she could feel Benic trying not to laugh as she tried to control the mild panic bubbling inside of her.

  “So, Sally, are you looking forward to your training time with Guild Master Quinn?” Benic asked casually as they continued into a part of the building she’d never been in before and into an opulent elevator. Her eyebrows rose in silence when he pressed the button for the top floor.

  “Absolutely,” she said, still trying to sound excited, but from the knowing look on Benic’s face, she thought he may have noticed her discomfort.

  “You should. The guild master is the most accomplished courtesan Sirus has produced in over a century. Before he took over his father’s seat, there was a waiting list for his contracts for years. There is no finer teacher to be had,” Benic said as he released Sally’s arm and relaxed back against the wall. “Plus he’s superhot, if you hadn’t noticed, and quite a treat between the sheets.”

  When he gave her a knowing wink, she was a little surprised. In the cultural orientation, they’d been told that most species in the United Coalition did not adhere to the Earth standard of heterosexuality. It was a much broader point of view, in that beings were sexually attracted to whomever they were attracted to. There were no biases on gender or race. So she could only guess it was her hardwired upbringing that she assumed an alpha male like Arkenon would be attracted only to females, but as she looked back to Benic and her mind began to imagine seeing both Arkenon and him together, the reaction in her lower regions certainly proclaimed that she had no issue with it!

  “So you’ve been with him then?” she asked, hoping that it wasn’t a rude question.

  She saw when his stance went from professional to friend, and she was relieved when he softly smiled at her.

  “Yes, but probably not how you think. I’m a third-year apprentice. It’s guild policy that anyone under the age of twenty-five cannot yet accept independent contracts, and I’m only twenty-four, so my mentor is Master Galen, who is Guild Master Quinn’s closest friend. I assist in any training procedures or contracts that Master Galen may take on. I also act as a consort for any social engagements. Master Galen and Guild Master Quinn have been known to share their companions when the mood strikes, but I’ve never been with the guild master alone. In general he prefers a softer form. Most of his contracts are with females,” he answered. “I just happen to be harder to resist than most males.”

  His kind explanation and cheeky smile at the end had her relieved that she seemed to have found an ally in Benic. Going into such an unknown situation had her a little scared, if she was going to be perfectly honest with herself…which she rarely was.

  “Honestly I’m a little nervous about all this, but he’s a good guy, right?” she asked, her instincts telling her that she could trust him to be a friend.

  “Don’t worry, Sally. Arkenon is a kind man, and he will know what you need even if you don’t know what that is. It’s his job to know. If you can find the courage to open yourself up and let go, he can open your eyes to an entirely new universe,” he said, sounding much older than his twenty-four years.

  “It’s not easy for me to trust,” Sally said back quietly, her courageous façade slipping, leaving her unable to meet the young man’s eyes.

  “We have a saying here on Sirus: ‘The hardest path leads to the greatest rewards,’” he said, taking her hand gently as the elevator finally came to a stop.

  “We have that saying too,” she answered back quietly before building up her courage to step out into the lion’s den.

  “Well, then it must be true,” Benic said in a cheeky tone, the playful smile back on his face as he pulled her toward the opening doors.

  Chapter Seven

  Arkenon and Galen were having a drink, waiting for Benic to collect Sally. It was utterly ridiculous how excited he was to begin her training. He felt anticipation like he was a newly graduated apprentice going on his first contract off planet. There was something about the fierce female that appealed to the very beast in him, the warrior that longed to claim her for his own and strike down any male who dared to take her from him. His father had warned him and his brother, Roan, when it was clear through puberty that they were more aggressive and physical than most other Sirotian males. Because of their ancestry, they may have stronger mating urges than most when they met the right female for them, but he’d never experienced anything like this before and had assumed his father was exaggerating. Ark was so used t
o being in complete control of everything around him that it was startling to have sudden irrational thoughts when it came to this woman. After all, he was supposed to be training her to join the guild and become a courtesan, which would mean she would eventually be taking on contracts with others. But the thought of a stranger putting their hands on any part of Sally, and mastering her, had his blood suddenly boiling with rage. He heard the crack of the crystal glass in his hand and put it down so suddenly it had Galen giving him an odd look from the chair next to him.

  “Are you all right, Ark?” Galen asked with a raised eyebrow, clearly noticing the crack in his discarded glass on the table. “I’ve never known you to not enjoy Adoan ale before.”

  Ark looked up at his friend, wondering if he should admit his weakness for this particular female. He was starting to wonder if his renowned control would be enough to train her properly without giving in to the temptation having her available in his home would be. Imagining her kneeling, naked, wanting…the very thought of it had his cock so hard that he had to drop his arm to hide the evidence from Galen’s curious gaze.

  “What’s got you all tied up in knots? I’ve never seen you like this before,” Galen asked with a concerned look, putting down his own glass.

  Letting out a loud sigh, he decided that if he didn’t enlist Galen’s help with Sally’s training, he was definitely going to end up taking her before he should, and he couldn’t take that risk. As guild master, he was supposed to be doing this for Sally’s benefit and training, not for his own selfish desires because he’d found a woman he couldn’t resist.

  “The truth is, my friend, that I’m undeniably drawn to this female, and I’m concerned that deciding to train her myself was perhaps a mistake, as I want her more than I’ve ever wanted another. She will fight the submission with everything in her. She’s so strong, Galen. As you know, to get her past her fears, my resolve needs to be stronger than hers. I’ve just never been tempted before like this. But the thought of handing her over to someone else, even you, awakens a fury in me I’ve not experienced before,” he answered, sounding like a tormented man.

  “I never thought to see the day where I would ever hear those words come out of your mouth, friend. Of course we’ll figure out a way to make this work. Perhaps your father was right. Have you met your match then?” Galen asked, a smile breaking out over his face.

  “It would seem so,” Ark answered. Looking at it that way, perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. He would get Sally through her training, and if she really was all he hoped she was, then perhaps she wouldn’t be taking on any contracts after all. Perhaps his mother would finally get the retirement she’d been hinting for.

  * * * *

  When the doors opened and Benic tugged her out into the lavish apartment, Sally was in awe at the view. The entire wall of the living room was glass windows, floor to ceiling, and the double red suns were setting over the mountains in a spectacular show. Then she noticed the two large men sitting in the chairs casually, and her pulse jumped up at the magnificent sight of Arkenon with the sunset bathing his already golden skin. When her gaze finally wandered to the second man sitting next to him, she immediately noticed the knowing smirk on his face. Damn it! He must have caught her drooling over his buddy. Sally knew she would have to be more careful than this if she wanted to come out in one piece. The unknown man was almost as large as the guild master, but not quite as muscular. He was quite handsome in a more classical way, his layered blond hair giving him a playful air, but the mischievous twinkle in his green eyes couldn’t disguise the intelligence behind them. He was one of those charmers that would sneak up on you, pretending to be harmless…Then bam, next thing you knew, you were in bed with him, it would blow your mind, and then he would be putting on his boots, thanking you for the fun times. Sally had already learned that lesson once…okay, maybe three times, but damn had that guy had a talented mouth!

  While she had been sizing up her adversaries, she hadn’t noticed that Benic had dropped down to kneel beside the second man’s chair, his hands in his lap, his head down. The man was now casually running his hand through Benic’s soft golden hair while he looked her up and down blatantly.

  “Hello, Sally,” Arkenon said, drawing her attention back. “Welcome to my home. This is Master Galen, and of course, you’ve already met his apprentice, Benic.”

  Sally didn’t know how she was supposed to address either man, so she simply smiled and nodded to the master.

  “I know you must be tired, so we will actively begin your training tomorrow morning. Benic will be staying with us through the first phase, until I feel you are ready to progress. He will be escorting you to your other classes throughout the day and back here when they are finished,” he continued as he stood and motioned her to follow, giving her a tour of the apartment. “This is where you will be sleeping, and your things have been put into the wardrobe beside your pallet.”

  When they walked into the lavish huge bedroom, Sally was impressed with the rich dark colors of the fabrics and walls. The large bed in the center faced yet more picture windows, giving a view of the mountains that was spectacular. The bathroom was more of an open extension off the bedroom. It was without a doubt the most luxurious bathroom she’d ever seen, with a built-in water feature for the shower that looked like a natural stone waterfall, and a bathing pool large enough for four people easily. There was a small area with a privacy wall, which she assumed was the toilet, and a long stone counter with sinks where she noticed her toiletries had been set up. All in all it had her salivating to have a long soak and relax, but when she spied another low single bed in the corner with a wardrobe beside it, her mood went south quickly.

  “Is this your room?” she asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible about the thought of sharing a room with him.

  “Of course. When you contract, many of your patrons would expect you to share their beds, so it’s best to get used to being in close quarters with someone else,” he answered casually, but she could tell he was paying attention to her reaction.

  “But I won’t be sharing your bed. I’ll be sleeping there,” Sally said, pointing to the smaller bed. This somehow felt like a trap. Her brain was doing flips in relief that she wouldn’t have to be sleeping next to the version of male perfection, but her body was screaming in disappointment.

  “For now, until I’m satisfied that you are ready to move on to the next phase of your training, I thought you’d be more comfortable sleeping alone,” he said as he opened the wardrobe and showed her a multitude of silk slips in various colors. “When you are in our suite, you will wear only these shifts. You may dress as you like for your classes. Any events we attend, I will provide you with appropriate attire.”

  Sally bristled again at his assumption that she would need time to adjust, but really she should have been thankful he was being so thoughtful. She did notice, however, that the slips were extremely short, and the thin straps would not give her much coverage, but she supposed that, again, that could be worse. She remembered reading in some romance novels back home that in the BDSM lifestyle, the submissive was frequently expected to remain fully naked at the behest of her dominant. Since that was the closest reference she could compare her current situation to, she’d take the tiny slips in a heartbeat.

  Chapter Eight

  “I’ll leave you to relax for the evening then. I will be out with Master Galen and return later. But before I go, I do want to ask you one thing, Sally. What do you think is the most important skill a courtesan can acquire in their training?” he said, sitting down on the end of the bed, motioning her to do the same on hers.

  Sally thought for a moment as she sat, trying to navigate to the answer he wanted to hear. It was a good question, though, and since he knew she hadn’t begun her classes, she could only assume he wanted to hear what she really thought and not what she had been told.

  “I would think, sir, that a good courtesan would be able to give each contract w
hat they wanted, perhaps without having to be asked,” she answered hesitantly, relaxing slightly when she saw him smile.

  “Clever girl,” he said back. “But in everyone’s reality, there is usually a large difference between what someone wants and what someone needs. To get what someone wants, they could go to many places. If they want sex, they go to a brothel. If they want comfort or advice, they may go to a loved one or a friend. But there are no guarantees that they will leave with the solace they were looking for. A truly gifted courtesan can see what a person needs before they themselves even realize it, and is able to fill that need. However, in order to achieve the level of self-awareness it requires to know what others need, you first have to know what you yourself need. I see so much potential in you, Sally, but I know that you are hiding a hurt that makes you close yourself off from others. That fear is holding you back from being the person you were born to be, and it is holding you back from truly connecting with other people. Without connection, there can be no love, and that is a lonely life to have. I can help you to get past that fear if you open yourself up and trust me, but that is a decision that you will have to make on your own. When you are brave enough to ask for what you need, I’ll know you’re ready.”

  With that, he turned and left Sally there, sitting on her bed in silence. She had heard every word he’d spoken—hell, half of that speech she’d made to herself over the years—but would she have the courage to follow through and trust him? What if she did and the worst possible scenario happened, she fell in love with a man who was just doing his job? A man who would then send her out into the universe to take care of other random people’s needs? Had she made a huge mistake in thinking she could do this job long-term without feeling anything?

  She brushed the tears pooling in her eyes away and got up to run a bath. If Sally was going to be forced to re-examine her entire life, she was going to do it in the most luxurious bathtub in the universe, damn it!