J nodded slowly as if she was lost in a trance, and it pained Brale to see her being manipulated by Farr like that. How often did they inject the memory serum into her?
The J he and Dyos had fallen in love in wasn’t this sad and impressionable beautiful creature. Their J was strong-willed and craved freedom. What Farr was offering her was just another form of slavery. She just didn’t know that.
“And you don’t want to displease your master, right, little one?” Gael asked.
She shook her head, her voice and movements mechanical. “No. I serve to please.”
“You know us, J. You just have to remember. Deep in your memories, we’re still there,” Dyos said tightly, but the soldier beside him stuck him hard in the jaw, kicking him again and again until he fell silent.
At his pained cry, J’s head snapped to Dyos again, but Farr took her arm and gently led her to the waiting priests. The memory altering drug Farr had injected into her was failing, Brale thought with some semblance of hope, because J seemed less certain, less sure of herself.
J looked dazed during the entire ceremony. She snuck occasional glances at them, only stopping when Farr rested his hand against the back of her neck. Brale hardly heard the monotonous voices of the priests, or the primitive drums still thumping somewhere nearby.
He trained his eyes on the line of J’s back, fervently hoping she’d come to her senses, but even if she did, what could one helpless Terran female do?
Too soon it seemed, the thumping drums stopped, changing rhythm, and a joyous cry tore through the watching crowd. Dyos let out a sound of protest beside him. The priests had stopped speaking. The ceremony was finished. Farr and his retinue were heading to the stone table. He lifted J by her waist so she sat at the stone table, and then began unzipping the oversized flight suit she wore, exposing her creamy skin.
Chapter Nine
The sound of the distracting drums and the almost-fanatic cries of the crowd dimmed down once Farr reached for the zipper of J’s flight suit. The stone beneath J felt uncomfortably cold and hard. Farr licked his lips with every inch of skin he uncovered, looking less of a noble prince and more of a lecher.
Beside him, Gael and his men stood, expressions intent, but no less similar. There was bestial hunger in all of them, reminding her of animals denied their need for so long. They weren’t going to be the least bit gentle with her, she knew. Once, the thought would’ve sent a thrill down her spine, but only unease settled inside her.
Where are these thoughts coming from? Isn’t this what I’ve always wanted? All I have to do is let them take me on this table. Then I’m free. I’ll no longer just be a Breeder, a property of Genesis Inc., but the mate of a proud warrior prince.
“Farr,” J began.
He growled in response, as if he was no longer capable of stringing entire sentences together. J instantly knew whatever she had to say would be futile. After coming this far, Farr wouldn’t accept any form of hesitation or resistance from her. Her breasts spilled out from the flight suit, and Farr paused to lick one of her nipples, sending a shiver down her spine.
Someone cleared his throat. Gael. “My prince, you can take your time with her later.”
Farr grunted, pulling his mouth away, and jerked the rest of the fabric away until J was completely naked. The wind teased her exposed pussy, and she became unconsciously aware of the crowd and the hundreds of alien eyes watching her. This isn’t the time for modesty. This is what your new master wants. Farr wants to show you off, so let him.
“Don’t be afraid, little one,” Gael coaxed, beginning to stroke her back. “Lie flat on your back.”
J obeyed, and Farr parted her legs, his erection painfully visible under his suit. He took his cock out, and ran his hand across the inside of her thighs. By her side, Gael leaned down to suck her left tit, while his other hand thumbed her right.
Why does this feel so wrong? Despite that, her body quivered and shuddered, reacting to the touches of the two men.
Farr rubbed his hand over her wet glistening pussy lips while his thumb circled her clit. Someone nearby let out a hoarse cry of protest, but Farr and Gael paid the sound no mind. J almost panicked, but Gael easily pinned her wrists above her head. The urge to fight and flee rose in her, but she calmed down at his reassuring voice.
“Relax, J.” Gael kept her wrists pinned with one large hand while he stroked her hair with the other. “When Farr plunges into your maidenhood for the first time, it will hurt, but we will make it better later on.”
J knew this. Pain didn’t frighten her. In some ways, she even liked a bit of it during pleasure. So why was she reacting like an ill-trained female? She forced herself to relax, but when Farr placed her legs over his shoulders and teased the tip of his cockhead against her cunt, the feeling rose again.
The fading marks, the odd imprint of teeth on either side of her neck tingled like a brand. She remembered figments and snippets about those marks, but frustratingly not the entire piece of the puzzle. J recalled phantom touches capable of making her body sing, and faces she couldn’t place names to.
Her memories may be murky, but J was certain about one thing. She didn’t want Farr to take her maidenhood.
“You know us, J. You just have to remember. Deep in your memories, we’re still there,” said one of Farr’s captives.
“Hush, little one,” Gael said in a soothing voice, and J realized she had been making pleading and whimpering noises. “Farr is going to make you feel so good in a moment. Allow me to distract you.”
The moment he let go of her wrists, J moved. She pulled back her legs from Farr’s shoulders and got off the table. Farr was too surprised to react. By the time he recovered, J pulled the tiny plasma revolver on Farr’s belt. Her hands trembled. She had never shot or even threatened anyone else before, and she never thought she’d ever need to.
Some part of her brain told her this was folly. What she should do was toss the gun away, apologize profusely, and tell Farr she’d made a mistake. No. It’s not just a matter of what Farr wants, but what I want. The marks on her neck irritably itched again, and distant voices whispered in her ear, telling her being truly free meant being able to make her own choices.
“J, what are you doing?” Farr asked. “Please put the gun down before you hurt yourself.”
He sighed, and J didn’t like his condescending tone.
Her gaze slid to the two bound prisoners kneeling a few feet from them, their expressions a mix of shock and worry. Why would they be worried about her? A Hadarian and a Cobrini. What an odd pair, she remembered thinking when she saw them in the cruiser’s holding cells. There was something familiar about them, too. She had met them before, she was certain now, despite Gael’s claims she had not.
“J, while I admire your boldness, you are simply confused,” Gael said, holding out a hand. “Hand over the weapon and we shall talk.”
Most of Farr’s crew drew their weapons and pointed them at her, but J saw their hesitation. They might be fearsome warriors, but she’d spent time with each of them and by doing so, knew their individual personalities, likes and dislikes as well as they knew hers.
“Put those down,” Farr told his men angrily, and they did with noticeable relief. “J, let us discuss this. Besides, do you really think a female Breeder untrained in the arts of fighting or war can fight her way through an entire race?”
J licked her lips. Farr didn’t know how Gael and his men almost swayed her to reconsider. They were only soldiers after all, acting on the behalf of their commander, but Farr’s words grated on her nerves.
“I never intended to fight anyone, and I’m well aware I’m no warrior,” J told Farr, lifting the gun. The men pointed their weapons back at her, but she didn’t point the revolver at Farr. J pointed it to her head. “But I can do this.”
Chapter Ten
Farr’s lofty expression became panicked. Tension rippled through the air. No one spoke for a while. J could almost hear the other warriors br
eathing hard. She knew resorting to such a threat was cowardly, but it was the only option left to her. Hadarians valued their females, and Farr couldn’t afford to lose an expensive Breeder like her.
“Let’s all calm down,” Gael said. “We understand you are serious, but please, let us talk.”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Gael. Let those two go and I’ll consider talking,” J said firmly.
Gael looked up to Farr for direction. Farr gritted his teeth, and his face betrayed all of his emotions at once—fury, desperation, and panic.
“Do it,” Farr said, his eyes not straying from her. “You’re going to regret this, J. Once I get hold of you, I will need to discipline you.”
For the first time, she glimpsed Farr’s charming façade slip away, and madness peeked beneath his glowing eyes. J couldn’t believe she’d let herself be deceived by him.
“I might regret doing this, but this was my choice.”
She couldn’t lose her resolve now because she made her decision and she had to stand by it. She defiantly glared back at Farr. While her wrist ached with the effort of holding the revolver, she held it steady while she took cautious steps backwards, slowly moving towards the prisoners.
J shivered when Farr’s lips curved into a lazy smile that made her skin crawl.
“You’re truly a prize worth hunting down and owning. Mark my words, I will put my brand on you and make you mine, body and soul.”
The chains binding the two prisoners clattered loudly on the ground. J stood so close to them now her back hit the Cobrini’s hard, warm chest. He steadied her shaking shoulders with large, but sure hands. Hands she knew would never hurt her.
“It’s okay, baby. You’ve done your part, and now it’s our turn.” He continued to soothe her, stroking the length of her spine until she calmed down.
“Do you trust us?” the Hadarian asked in a soft voice.
He didn’t appear concerned by the chaos occurring in front of them. None of them were. Farr’s harsh voice and the concerned murmurs from the crowd faded away. The only sound J heard came from the harsh thudding of her heart as the Hadarian gently touched her. He brushed the curve of her left cheekbone, the line of her jaw, and the column of her throat with his fingertips. His fingers shook, betraying a hunger he obviously tried to hide from her.
These two wanted her, J realized with shock, wanted her with a consuming hunger so stark it was almost painful. Worse still, the way her body leaned and hungered for more of their touches told J her own hunger was a haunted reflection of theirs.
“I trust you,” J whispered, surrendering the gun to the Hadarian.
“Thank you.” The Hadarian relieved her of her task of pressing the gun to her forehead. For a moment, fear clouded J.
“You wouldn’t dare kill her,” Farr sneered.
The Hadarian didn’t look daunted one bit. “Shall we make a bet, Farr? Will you risk losing your expensive captive in front of your entire people for the sake of your pride?”
Farr looked like he’d been struck. Gael whispered something furiously in his ear while his men looked clearly unsettled.
Gods of the Galaxy. Did she horribly misinterpret the situation and the prisoners planned on using her as a means of escape?
Another painful migraine pounded at her head again. The Cobrini dispelled any inkling of panic by molding himself against the curve of her naked back. Fog-like memories slipped into her mind, still all smoky and insubstantial, but J realized she did know the touch of these two men and the sound of their voices.
“I can see through your ruse, traitor. I’ve watched your sordid little moment in the holding cells. You and your Cobrini lover value this Breeder as much as I,” Farr said, his tone a mixture of distaste and something else J didn’t expect. Jealousy, and not of the mild variety either. Farr’s usually handsome face became contorted with fury.
The pressure of the metal barrel on her forehead increased, but fear and worry no longer misted J’s mind. She swore she’d see this episode through the end and finally unravel her mysterious connection to these two men no matter the cost.
The Cobrini behind her spoke. “Like you said, Farr. We space pirates don’t have many morals to begin with. When you shove a man in a cage and leave him there to rot, he can grow really desperate, and men without options learn to be creative.”
His voice dropped, so only J could hear his next words. “We’re going to make a run for it inside the temple. Sorry, we’re going to use you as a shield again.”
J understood. She made sure her voice sounded shaky and terrified but loud enough for Farr to hear. “Please, you’re not really going to kill me?”
“Sorry, but you’re collateral damage, female.” The Hadarian’s steady hand clicked the safety of the plasma revolver.
“No! She’s mine,” Farr howled, ignoring the protests of Gael as he broke from the safety of his men.
“Time to go,” the Cobrini announced, and without warning, tossed her over his broad shoulder like a sack of flour.
“Don’t shoot! You might risk shooting her!” Farr shrieked.
Reduced to a spectator, J watched the commotion from the Cobrini’s shoulder as they ran into the confines of the temple. Inside, torches lit a cavernous hall supported by vast columns. J spied towering marble statues of Hadarian deities. They passed stunned golden faces of acolytes, priests, and armed temple guards. The guards probably hadn’t been prepared to deal with escaping prisoners and a naked female Terran.
“Don’t just stand around!” Farr thundered. “Sound the temple bells. Apprehend those criminals immediately, but make sure the female is unhurt.”
“Are you sure this is the best direction to take?” J yelled.
Seeing more guards joining Farr’s retinue dismayed her. She noticed that apart from Farr and his crew, none of his men carried modern weaponry. Some of the guards carried bows, but with Farr’s strict orders, she doubted they’d risk shooting at them while she was on the Cobrini’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head off, J,” the Cobrini said, amazingly not short of breath. He reached out to pat her ass. Did he think the gesture would reassure her?”
J scowled. “We’re being chased by an entire squadron and the first thing you do is grab my ass?”
The Cobrini laughed. “If memory serves me right, there are underground passages leading to the city’s sewers.”
“Oh joy, the sewers,” J mumbled. They began navigating through a series of confusing corridors now. “I suppose it’s a shot. How certain are you? Because if your guesswork is wrong all we’re running to is a dead end, and they’ll have us surrounded in no time at all.”
“You worry too much, love,” the Cobrini said in a disapproving voice.
Love. Oh gods. Why did the nickname make her body flush? The genuine affection there puzzled her.
“I think I have the right to worry. I just gave up the opportunity of being a depraved prince’s mate and took my chances with two dodgy space pirates.” J pondered on her words. Why did it feel like this hadn’t been the first time she took her chances with these men?
“I am about fifty percent certain,” the Hadarian answered. “The last time I’ve been here was decades ago, when I apprenticed as a priest’s acolyte.”
The Cobrini nearly dropped her. J cried out, but he easily shifted her back to position. “Sorry, J. You planned on becoming a priest?” the Cobrini asked his mate, his tone incredulous. “You never told me that.”
“I was a very confused young man. It was long ago, before I became a soldier,” the Hadarian explained.
For the life of her, J couldn’t comprehend how they were capable of holding a conversation while running for their lives. It seemed they were familiar with situations like these. Hadn’t they met in a similar situation?
J licked her lips. Her headache worsened at the strange thought, but instead of trying to clear her mind, she dug deeper.
“You know us, J. You just have to remember.
Deep in your memories, we’re still there,” said one of Farr’s captives.
Faint conversations replayed in her mind, except they came with more clarity. This time she heard the words and saw the men’s faces clearly in her mind, and suddenly she knew. The marks on her neck flared this time, as if someone had sunk his teeth right into her skin. She remembered Brale and Dyos’s serious faces, asking her to sit down between them like an equal, offering her choice and freedom, and asking her over and over again if she was sure.
“Brale. Dyos,” she whispered. Saying their names felt like a trigger, unearthing forgotten memories.
Brale halted. “Oh gods, J. Did you just say our names? Did you finally remember?”
“Don’t stop running,” Dyos hissed, and Brale began sprinting again.
“I—” J clamped her mouth shut.
Tears gathered in her eyelids. How could she forget? More memories assailed her, and one in particular stuck with her, that of Gael looming over her, pinning her hands and asking if J’s heart had been stronger than her mind.
J clenched her fists. Uncertainty and fear gave her startling clarity. Fury. J was pissed.
Brale placed her down, holding her waist until she found her balance on the dusty floor. Then he tugged off his shirt, and despite her muddled state, J appreciated the play of his hard muscles.
“Lift your arms, sweetheart.” Brale helped her into his shirt, which had been reduced to rags. J sniffed. He continued, stroking her cheek, “It’s okay to cry.”
“You don’t have to coddle me like some defenseless female, Brale,” J snapped. He looked surprised and a little tongue-tied.
“But you were crying just now. I felt your tears on my shirt.”
“Now I’m pissed. What would I give to knee Gael in the balls.”
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