A Rebel's Rules (Dark Star Doms Book 1)

by Ivy Barrett

  Major Caperelli dragged him off her ship at weapon’s point moments after they docked on Halley Prime. Danette watched their departure while her heart cried out in anguish. Would she ever see him again?

  Her father waited with his customary entourage. His embrace surprised her. Admiral Tiptonn wasn’t one for public shows of affection. The relief in his expression was destined to be short-lived however. She had refused to press charges, swearing Korbin was her lover and she was a willing participant in the rebellion. Outraged and humiliated, her father demanded a complete physical and psychological workup.

  She was scanned and questioned, poked and prodded, and it had all been for naught. Nothing she said or did had protected Korbin from the coalition. They intended to make an example of him. To discourage other would-be rebels.

  Her mother met Danette at the front door as she was escorted into her father’s estate. After a quick hug, Danette went to her bedroom and found all communication capabilities now required an access code. A code she had been denied. Her cage might be more comfortable, but she was still a prisoner.

  Say my name.

  The words echoed through her mind, tearing at her heart and drawing her thoughts inward. Fantasy was the only escape left for her now. She closed her eyes and leaned against the window frame. Their separation had been so abrupt. He’d told her he wouldn’t return, but part of her hadn’t believed him. She hadn’t been able to prepare herself emotionally for the prospect of living without him.

  Her surroundings faded and an image of the holding cell formed within her mind. She stood in the center of the room, her arms stretched overhead and secured with manacles. Her naked body trembled and ached, waiting for the brush of her Master’s hands.

  “Say my name.” Completely immersed in the fantasy, she welcomed the velvet command. He stood behind her, close enough to warm her skin with his body without actually touching her.

  This is how the interrogation had ended in reality. She’d objected to his manipulation and Korbin had vanquished Pleasure Master Nine. But what if it had been the other way around? What if her Master had sent away the rebel?

  Needing the bittersweet glimpse of possibility, she held on to the images and moved to the chaise lounge situated beside the window. She didn’t care if her rooms were monitored. This ache was unbearable. Reaching under her skirt, she slipped off her panties and lay down on the lounge.

  She cupped her mound and whimpered. Her pussy was hot, her folds slick and sensitive from thinking about him. Keeping her touch light and teasing, she reconstructed the fantasy.

  Naked, bound and waiting, she was his captive again. His arm circled her waist, his mouth nibbling the side of her neck.

  “Who is touching you?” he whispered into her ear. “Who is going to fuck you until you beg for sleep?”

  “My Master. Only my Master.”

  “They will come for you soon.” He cupped her breast and rolled her nipple, keeping his voice soft and low. “What shall I do with you then?”

  “Anything you please. I am yours to command.”

  “Would it please you to escape with me? I’m moving my base of operation. Would you like to accompany me?”

  Danette curved two fingers into her core, keeping pressure on her mound. Tears slipped out from under her closed eyelids. Why was she torturing herself with things that could never be?

  Her fantasy Master pinched her nipples and rubbed his erection against the small of her back. “I asked you a question.”

  “I want nothing more. But they will never let us be together.”

  “It’s not their decision to make! If you want me as much as I want you, we will find a way.”

  “I do. You know I do, but…”

  “Show me with your cries of pleasure and the eager grip of your cunt. Offer me everything without reservation. I will tolerate no hesitation in my slave.”

  She pressed her lips together, fighting back her sobs. Her imagination was cruel in its accuracy. She could picture the scene perfectly, each sensation, each emotion taunted her mind and titillated her body.

  “Spread your legs. Let me feel how much you want me.” Her Master’s voice drew her deeper into the fantasy.

  Opening for him, she made room for his hand between her thighs. His fingers pushed into her slick pussy and she cried out. “Yes!” He rocked her forward with each forceful thrust. Her breasts jostled and her wrists strained against the cuffs. She welcomed the discomfort, desperate to feel anything but this agonizing loss.

  He reached around her and rubbed her clit as he had in the shower. She rested her head against his shoulder and tightened her inner muscles. His skilled touch drove her quickly toward release.

  Danette moved her legs to either side of the lounge and moaned as pressure gathered in her abdomen. The shallow slide of her fingers would never feel like his. They had just begun to explore their connection when fate ripped them from each other’s arms. They needed more time. She needed more of him.

  Cream soaked her fingers and made her inner thighs slippery. Still her orgasm remained just out of reach. Perhaps if she imagined him here…

  Her fantasy Master knelt at the bottom of the lounge, his gaze ravenous. “I want the taste of your cream on my tongue for as long as I can keep it there.” He grasped her knees and pulled her down along the padded surface until her legs draped his shoulders. “Your thighs are slick and shiny. Is all this for me?”

  He slipped his hands beneath her hips and raised her pussy to his mouth. She tried to simulate the skillful stroke of his tongue with her fingers, but the sensation wasn’t the same. He licked and nibbled, sucked and flicked. All she could do was rub or gently tug.

  With a frustrated curse, she concentrated on the fantasy, abandoning her attempt to make them correspond. She was bound again, naked and helpless as he slowly circled her.

  “What do you want most in all the world?” His tone was more growl than whisper.

  “I want you inside me.”

  Bending slightly, he wrapped his arm around her thighs, just below her behind, and raised her up until her breasts were level with his mouth. He suckled her nipples, leaving one wet and rosy while he enjoyed its twin.

  “Wrap your legs around my waist. I want your pussy and I want it now.”

  He held her up so she could make the adjustment then slowly lowered her onto his cock. She squeezed him, caressing him the only way she could. For a long moment he stared into her eyes, those beautiful green eyes that she remembered from the Pleasure Palace.

  The fantasy started to fade and Danette whimpered. They had never made love like that. Their encounters had been stolen in the dark and tainted by the knowledge of how soon it would end. Would he take her hard and fast or tease her to dizzying heights before he finally let her come?

  With stubborn determination, she circled her clit, needing what little relief she could find. She would see him again. If there were no other options, she would pay criminals to break him out of the detention center. She would not let it end like this!

  She bit back a cry as she came, her orgasm sharp and sudden. A bit of the tension drained from her aching body. Several seconds passed in languid silence then she snatched her damp panties off the floor and retreated to the bathroom to compose herself.

  After splashing cool water on her face and running a comb through her hair, she donned a fresh pair of panties and returned to her bedroom.

  About twenty minutes later, a firm tapping drew her attention toward the large arched door. “Sweetheart, it’s me,” her mother called through the barrier. “May I come in?”

  She unlocked the panel with a voice command. “It’s open.” Locks weren’t really necessary when a full security contingent waited to ensure her welfare. One guard was posted outside her bedroom door and the other three patrolled near the exits.

  Her mother pushed open the door, hesitating in the archway. “You have a visitor.”

  “I know Father told you I’m not to see anyone. So, why
are we having this conversation?” The only person she wanted to see was locked in the detention center.

  “Your hostility is only making an awkward situation worse.” Disappointment filled her mother’s eyes. “I’ve never seen you behave like this.”

  She narrowed her gaze and raised her chin, unwilling to pretend, even with her mother. “I’m through being his puppet. He’s not trying to protect me. This is about control.”

  Janice didn’t argue. Her mother avoided conflict like the plague. “Elaine VinDerley is waiting in the drawing room. Shall I send her away?”

  Why would Ashton’s mother be here? Danette’s heart gave a little flutter.

  “What does she want?”

  “She wants to speak with you. I told her you weren’t seeing anyone, but she insisted I ask.”

  Danette hadn’t been allowed to speak with anyone without her father present. “Send her up.”

  “I think it would be better if you came down.”

  Danette crossed her arms over her chest and blew out an exasperated breath. Stubbornness urged her to refuse while curiosity cautioned her to bend.

  “Fine.”

  She followed her mother down the front stairs, one of the guards trailing in their wake. When he attempted to enter the drawing room, her mother stopped him with a disapproving look.

  Elaine rose from the sofa and hurried across the room. “I’m so glad you agreed to see me. I need your help.” She pulled Danette into a surprisingly tight hug and whispered in her ear, “If you want out of here, play along.”

  “What can I do for you, Mrs. VinDerley?”

  The picture of elegant composure, Elaine took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. “I know this is painful for you, but I don’t know where else to turn. Ashton hasn’t been the same since he returned.”

  Danette waited for a clue. Elaine had urged her to play along, so what was the strategy?

  “Elaine mentioned that he is refusing to press charges,” Janice said. “I told her you said the same thing and it gave us an idea. Were you coerced into saying those things?”

  “Of course she was,” Elaine said emphatically. “What other explanation could there be? I think they threatened Ashton to make Danette cooperate and threatened Danette so Ashton would make his ridiculous claims.” She looked at Danette, her brow arched meaningfully. “Am I right, Danette? Did they threaten you?”

  Brushing her hair off her forehead, Danette tried to figure out what Elaine wanted from her. How would this get her away from the guards?

  “Oh Danette.” Her mother sat down on her other side and tenderly rubbed her back. “You’re safe, darling. They can’t touch you ever again.”

  She nearly laughed at the irony. It was the thought of Korbin never being able to touch her again that frightened her the most.

  “I don’t think either of them believes it,” Elaine went on. “That’s why they’re acting so out of character. Danette hasn’t seen Ashton since his return. I’d like to bring the two together. If they see each other face-to-face, they might understand that it’s really over; that those horrible rebels can’t hurt them now.”

  “Can you bring Ashton here?” Janice asked.

  “That’s out of the question. He’s being positively unreasonable. He refuses to say or do anything that will incriminate his captors.” Elaine paused, eyes narrowed in concentration. “I can send Danette to him, but she’d have to go alone. If he realized what we intended, he would refuse or even take off.”

  Elaine wanted to send her to Ashton, without her armed escort. “I’d love to see Ashton, Mrs. VinDerley, but Father would never allow it.”

  “She’s right. The guards have orders to follow her if she sets foot outside the house. Not even my word would keep them from doing so.”

  “They don’t have orders to follow me.” Elaine held up her hooded cloak. “The navpanel in my shuttle is programmed with his current location. All you have to do is walk out the door.”

  * * * * *

  By the time Danette reached Ashton’s apartment complex her stomach was tied in knots. Why had Elaine VinDerley arranged for her escape? Why should a grown woman need to escape from her father? The situation was intolerable. She would find a way to be self-sufficient, even if it meant leaving Halley Prime.

  Ashton met her at the door with a secretive smile. “The other guests have already arrived.” He stepped back and ushered her inside.

  Other guests? She followed him across the foyer and paused in the archway leading to a spacious living room. Danette’s apprehension mounted as she saw the other “guests”. Was this a hostage reunion? What was Palmer doing here?

  Her gaze shifted to Corry and she spoke the question out loud. “What is she doing here? There’s a warrant out for her arrest.”

  “Ashton disabled the surveillance on the roof and brought her in through his private entrance.” Palmer chuckled. “She’s been explaining the principles driving their rebellion.”

  “Revolution,” Corry spontaneously corrected him.

  The rooftop entrance was activated by a palm scanner and there was no surveillance in the penthouse corridors. Had Corry been with Ashton this entire time? If the heat arcing between them was any indication, it was a distinct possibility.

  “I’m willing to listen,” Palmer said. “Are you?”

  “You were the one cheering when Major Caperelli blasted her way off Borrelly. What brought about this sudden change of heart?” Dazed and wary, Danette sat in a chair facing Corry as Ashton joined the rebel on the sofa.

  “I’m not ready to enlist,” Palmer stressed. “I just want to understand what is really going on. What makes a mother hunt down her own son and why did the rebels risk so much?”

  “Those are two very different questions,” Corry said softly.

  “Is it really that bad?” Danette asked.

  For three and a half hours Corry explained. She started with the horrible choices her father had been forced to make and worked her way through countless examples of injustice.

  “Father completed the prototype and thought the council might be willing to barter,” Corry continued. “It infuriated him that the leaders needed an incentive to do their jobs, but nothing else had worked.”

  Danette scooted to the edge of her chair. “This prototype, was it a teleportation device?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “My parents had a horrible argument the night before your father died. Father went on and on about some sort of transportation device. He said it would revolutionize short-range travel and he couldn’t figure out how to develop the device without compromising the treaty they were working to finalize. Mother accused him of stealing the technology. I’d never seen Father so angry.”

  “I know nothing about a treaty, but your mother was right. My father was murdered when he refused to turn over his prototype.” Frustration sharpened Corry’s tone.

  “I’m so sorry.” Danette looked at Ashton. “This treaty affects everyone. Why would the council… I don’t understand.”

  “This is another example of their indifference.” Corry drew Danette’s attention back to her. “We’re expected to pay taxes and obey their laws, but we have no input into how our government is run.”

  “Taxation without representation,” Ashton said thoughtfully. “A war was fought on my mother’s homeworld over these same principles.”

  “Is that what you want to see happen?” Danette shot Corry a challenging glare. “You want to rip the coalition apart?”

  “Not unless they leave us no other choice,” Corry answered.

  “I’m open to reforms, but I’m opposed to separation.” Danette eased back in her chair and crossed her legs. “We’re all descendants of Shardrake. We should remain together.”

  Corry fidgeted as silence expanded within the room. “We have to get Korbin out of that detention center.”

  “It might work to our advantage to leave him in custody.” Ashton’s gaze lit with calculation and cunning
. “Any reform movement needs a focal point. Korbin can be ours.”

  “I’ll flood the social networks, rally support,” Palmer said, joining the conversation. “It’s probably better if we keep Corry out of this. We don’t want to belittle the principles by making this into a personal vendetta.”

  “It is personal,” she objected. “My life has been—”

  “This can’t be about you,” Palmer cut her off. “Korbin will be a sort of figurehead for the cause, but this has to be a cause, not retribution.”

  “Is Korbin safe in custody?” Corry persisted, and Danette’s heart lurched. The question had crossed her mind more than once in the past few days. “Isn’t it possible another ‘accident’ could be arranged?”

  “The detention center is under continual surveillance,” Ashton reassured her. “I’ll file a report indicating our fear for Korbin’s safety and request permission to randomly review the video record. Considering the suspicious way in which your father died they’ll have no choice but to agree.”

  “Video files can be altered,” Danette’s pointed out, her gaze averted from everyone.

  “If they wanted him dead, he’d be dead. They’ve had plenty of opportunity.” Ashton stood and rubbed the back of his neck, his movements tense and anxious.

  Palmer stood as well, facing Ashton. “I’ll report to you once a day. We need to organize protests and inundate the council with demands for reorganization. We’ll speak in a voice so loud they won’t be able to ignore us.”

  Ashton smiled. “This is a good start. But make sure everyone understands the protests must be non-violent. I really don’t want to start a war.” Ashton saw Palmer to the door.

  “I can’t go back there,” Danette said softly when Ashton returned. “I’m not sure why you guys are helping me, but I’m never going to allow my father to control my life again.”

  “That’s why we’re helping you,” he assured. “There’s a commuter shuttle on the roof next to my schooner. On the pilot’s seat you’ll find a security code. The destination is already programmed into the navpanel.”