by Corin Cain
Torelli leads us off the stage and down a darkened hallway. At the end of it, he throws open a door to another room – where droves of women are gathered, all offering themselves to us.
There are at least a hundred women gathered here, each in a various state of undress. None have their breasts covered. However, I feel nothing…
Torelli might as well be showing me a collection of couches or tables to choose from – not nubile, fertile female flesh.
But while these women would have been beautiful to me a month ago, that was before I’d ever received the case file for Allie. That was before I’d seen her in the flesh.
Before I’d sunk my cock deep inside of her – and become Bonded to her for eternity.
Now, now other woman catches my eye. None. Only Allie holds any interest to me.
It takes only a moment to scan every face in this room, and to confirm that her sister isn’t here.
I feel the raw, angry disappointment surging through the Bond from Allie. Her hopes have been dashed.
I know she’ll never feel whole again – not until she finds the truth of what happened to her sister. I’ll do whatever I can to heal her of that trauma – to find any and all traces of where her sister might have been taken, and what ultimately happened to her.
Daccia sweeps his head left and right, pretending to be interested.
“This is a good crop,” he tells Torelli, “but when I said ‘serious business’, I meant serious business. I don't want to buy just a few girls."
Torelli's eyes narrow, but he isn't nervous. I know he has countless hidden weapons and guns all over this place.
No, he’s plotting.
"Go on," the Aurelian says – but it’s obvious he's not happy. He’s gone from thinking we were Aurelian agents to thinking we were going to buy a whole crop of women. Now, he doesn’t know what to think.
"I want to get involved in the trade,” Daccia murmurs. “I hear you can make a fortune working with the pirate crews.” He turns to Torelli. “We want to join your existing outfits. How much can you make per head?"
Torelli’s eyes widen as he considers the question.
"First,” he eventually growls, “you come in here saying you want to buy girls. Now you're saying you want to sell them. Which is it?"
Daccia shrugs. "I'll be honest – these are all fine-looking women, but none of them do it for me. I have a... type.” He gestures towards me and Kitos. “…as do my triad. We're specifically looking for girls who look just like her."
Then Daccia motions towards Allie.
"If you don't have any, we're going to have to find some more. But what would we do with all the others? I'd rather have an outlet for sale – so we can move the merchandise we don’t want. Girls, and men – even labor workers for the mines and factories."
"Alright,” Torelli nods. “I understand what you mean. We can talk specifics in my office."
Daccia laughs. "…and here’s a racket we’ve been thinking of getting into…” He rubs his hands together, as if scheming. “When we acquire new merchandise – from raids, or kidnappings, I know you’re not squeamish – we have an idea of trying to get even more money by offering them up for ransom. We’ll offer their safe return to their families and loved ones for ten times the standard rate – and watch those poor cretins go crazy trying to acquire all that money. Then, even if they do pay, we’ll sell them anyway.”
Finally, like a poker player revealing his Royal Flush, Daccia turns to Torelli and boldly states:
“I mean, that's how you guys work, right?"
Torelli goes cold, and I instantly realize that Daccia has made a mistake.
He pushed Torelli too far, too quickly.
The club owner pauses for a moment – and then motions with his hand, as if to signal for someone to stand down.
I suddenly realize that this whole time, there have probably been soldiers and rifle turrets trained on us.
They probably still are.
Torelli holds up a warning finger to Daccia.
"I’ve considered your proposal,” he says coldly, “and I'd like you to leave."
Daccia narrows his eyes. "We go through all this? And you just want to kick us out?"
"I don't do business with strangers,” Torelli warns. “You want to buy a girl? Buy her. You want to sell a girl? Bring her to me. Until then, though – get the hell off my property. Understood?"
Daccia is silent for a second – and I wonder if he’s suddenly going to launch himself forward – turning this negotiation into a bloodbath instead...
...but, no. After carefully considering Torelli’s words, Daccia nods.
"Understood."
We leave, heading to the elevator, retrieving our Orb-Weapons, and getting into our waiting shuttle.
As soon as we’re out of the earshot of Torelli and his men, Allie bursts out: "He knew something! The moment you mentioned the word ‘ransom’ he knew you were onto him."
Daccia pilots us back to the hotel.
"Maybe,” he nods, “or maybe he's just paranoid – and he realized he couldn't trust us. Either way, we're in trouble now. There's actually video footage of us fucking you now – footage that's going to be passed all around this planet. We can't stay. We're going to have to take that Reaver from those Aurelians and just get the fuck off this planet before they find out what we’ve done.”
Daccia’s eyes narrow.
“We'll come back for Torelli later."
Allie's anger flares through the Bond. "We can't come back later! We have to investigate now! Or tomorrow, at least! We need to take him down!"
Daccia looks away from the controls as he touches down at our hotel.
"This isn't up for discussion, Allie. We're leaving tomorrow. When the hunt dies down – when it’s safe to – we'll return."
For a moment she’s silent – angrily crossing her arms.
Then, finally, Allie snarls: "Fine."
But she's clearly bitter about it – and if we’ve learned nothing else, it’s that a bitter woman is one of the most dangerous creatures in this universe.
23
Allie
I try to keep my bitterness buried deep inside.
Hadrian, Daccia, and Kitos needed to push Torelli harder! I didn’t trust him from the moment I saw him. The way he reacted when Daccia said the word ‘ransom’ confirmed it in my mind. I’m convinced he knows something about my little sister’s kidnapping – and he’s hiding it.
I’ve been bitter for almost half a day now. It’s already the morning after our visit to The Rhino, and Hadrian and Daccia have just left for the prisoner exchange with Dantus and the other two Aurelian Law Enforcement agents.
Daccia and Hadrian are planning to knock out those poor, naive rookie agents, then steal their ship. They’re planning to bring me off this planet for ‘my own protection.’
But is that true? I suspect that that was always their plan. I don’t believe my triad was ever planning to stay here for a full month while their Reaver was repaired.
But it doesn’t matter what their plan was. I’m not going to be their little toy. I can feel their auras growing stronger in my mind – and last night, when I slept, I could barely mute my emotions from them. One more coupling and I feel we’ll all be fully linked.
And, as much as I enjoy the protection of the powerful triad… as much as they turn me on…
Well, I know it isn’t right to become their little toy. I’ve spent my life avoiding becoming a man’s property. I’m not going to submit now.
Kitos sent up for more clothes, because all I had was that prison uniform and the pleasure dress – plus the bra and panties from Spur’s joint. That’s not exactly a versatile wardrobe, so in order that I don’t look like either a whore or a convict, I insisted on new clothes.
I chose simple items – nothing flashy or expensive. They’ll be good enough for what I need them for. Athletic clothes were my first choice – tight-fitting outfits that will let me move freely
.
"We'll be safe here, don't worry," says Kitos, misreading my anxiousness as fear. I can feel him even clearer through the Bond, and it’s more and more difficult to conceal my true emotions from him. It terrifies me that every mating will bring us closer together; until I feel like the lines between my mind and those of my triad will be blurred indistinctly.
I look up at Kitos. He’s a strong, dedicated man who’d do anything for me. I can see the light green of his eyes again – grown brighter after our coupling at The Rhino.
The green color is hope. It’s the color of spring, of new life – of a new future.
Kitos’ features are more delicate than the other two Aurelians. More elegant and regal. He looks like he could lead an army, or be immortalized in the marble he so resembles because of his striking looks. He’s a perfect specimen of manhood – and seeing how he looks at me, with such adoration and protectiveness, makes the guilt flare up inside of me at what must come to pass.
I know my presence turns Kitos on so deeply that it’ll be easy to fool him. Just as I’ve done so many times before, I’ll use this man’s body and desires against him.
I look up at Kitos, and he leans forward. There’s a moment of purity – a moment of perfection before our lips touch. It’s a moment in which everything hangs in the balance – and it would be so simple to just let him have me.
It would be so simple to let Kitos’ tongue invade my mouth, and to melt into his being. I could just let go and unite with him.
But I break off the kiss, breathless. His eyes flash a deeper green – as if just the touch of our lips linked him even further to me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around his neck…
…and then activating the hidden weapon in in my right forearm.
The bright, blue electric shock is so powerful that it makes my own body convulse.
Kitos gets hit with the full force of it – 600 volts. He stumbles back instantly, his legs turning to jelly as he falls to the floor with a huge thud.
A feeling of deep shame floods me and I instantly mute the Bond as hard as I can, forcing out the auras of Hadrian and Daccia so they won’t be able to feel that same flood of emotions, or follow me. Now feeling utterly alone in the hotel room, I reach down and press my fingers into Kitos neck. Thank the Gods, feel his slow, stable pulse.
I knew the weapon wouldn’t be lethal to an Aurelian – but I still didn’t know if it would be strong enough to knock him out completely.
As Kitos lies there, I grab his Orb-Weapon – knowing I could sell it for a small fortune wherever I finally end up. Then, I go to the safe. I watched carefully out of the corner of my eye when the Aurelians loaded their money into it, and I memorized the code.
The safe opens up. Inside are the two, small Orbs that the Aurelians purchased using all their combined funds. I take them, secreting the eerily glowing, blue-black balls in a bag.
I also grab two handfuls of the local currency – easily enough to book a transport off this hellhole world and find a new life.
Kitos groans. He’s coming too already. He’s even stronger than I realized.
I jump past him, opening the door.
As I stand in the doorway, I take one last look back at the groaning, barely-conscious Aurelian. He forces his head up weakly, his gaze unable to focus on mine.
“I… I love you,” he gasps out – and as he does, I slam shut the door – unable to look at the face I’d just betrayed so horribly.
As the door slams shut, I realize I’ve also shut the door to any kind of future with those three gorgeous, devoted alien men.
I take the elevator to the landing bay and walk straight up to the concierge’s desk.
“I need a shuttle. Now.”
“Of course,” the concierge nods. “In fact, there’s one available just outside. Did you forget your mask? Here, we have extras for our esteemed guests.”
I smile and take the breathing mask he offers. I can’t believe I forget such an important detail in the heat of my escape. The mask is a simple affair – fitted with a small filter that covers the mouth, providing necessary protection against the acrid smoke of this industrial planet.
I glance down at the bag I’m carrying, laden with the two Orbs.
Gods… I’m rich. For the first time in my life, I’m rich.
But I also don’t have any weapons any longer – except for my fists and Kitos’ stolen Orb-Weapon, although that I only intend to see.
I still have my fists, though. The Bond has made me infinitely more powerful. I’m now stronger than most human men –more than a match for anybody foolish enough to try and take advantage of me.
Through the Bond, I can feel the Aurelians desperately struggling to latch onto my aura. I fight it off – muting them from my mind.
I don’t need the Aurelians any longer. My muscles are now much stronger than those of an average man. I was already in good physical shape. Thanks to the hardships of my life, I already know how to fight – and now I’ll have the strength of a man, while still resembling a ‘weak’ and helpless woman.
I’ll take those fuckers by surprise.
The doors of the hotel open and I step through them – out into the wild world beyond.
I’m finally free.
I’m not safe.
I’m not anything.
I’m just free.
But at what cost?
I betrayed those three devoted Aurelians. I stole from them.
But I had to. Now, at least, I can live my life on my own terms. I’ll finally have the resources to launch an investigation into my sister’s disappearance. I will find her - or, at the very least, I’ll find out what happened to her… Who took her…
When I do, I’ll take his balls from him.
I truly believe that triad of Aurelians only wanted me to believe they were obsessed with finding my little sister. I don’t think they were really focused on it. They just needed me to believe so I’d truth them. So I’d fall deeper for them – mating with them the one or two more times needed for the Bond to take full effect.
For our connection to be so strong that I couldn’t make my own choices any longer.
But now, my body is free – and so is my mind.
A sleek black shuttle is waiting in front of the hotel. The door opens and I get in, sliding across the sleek, fake leather seats. The door of the shuttle closes and the air vents power on. The acrid smoke and smog from outside is quickly replaced by cold, fresh air.
That lets me peel off my mask and breath clearly.
The chauffeur turns to face me through the partition window.
“Where to, ma’am?”
“Where can I book the next flight off this planet?”
The driver nods. “The interstellar port is forty minutes away. The price will be seventy local credits.”
“Do it in thirty minutes and I’ll give you an even hundred.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The drive beams, and the shuttle darts forward.
Just thirty minutes later, my wad of bills is only slightly lighter – but I’m at the interstellar spaceport. Huge ships are slowly taking off, firing their engines and punching off into the atmosphere. I watch them as they climb – until they disappear into the shroud of smog and smoke that hangs perpetually over this dingy planet.
One of those vessels, I think to myself, will be my ticket off this rock.
The Aurelians will come for me, I’m sure of that – but the machines that dispense tickets show twelve different options for leaving this planet all within the next hour. This is a busy spaceport, and the Aurelians won’t know where I’ll go – because I don’t intend to know myself.
They’re skilled agents. They might be able to figure out my next move if I let myself chose a destination.
So, instead, I pick at random.
I just press a button, and for half of my remaining credits, I learn I’ve booked a ticket on the next ship out to Losa.
It will be two O
rb-Shifts away in a transport vessel that houses tens of thousands of passengers. I’ll just be a nameless face among them.
I’ll get off this planet, I’ll arrive in safety, and then I’ll plan my next move.
I take the plastic ticket. It’s a small square that I’m expected to scan to get on board the soon-departing ship. The spaceport is bustling and full, but I make my way to the correct line through the crowds and stand in line, my brain churning and working on overtime as I consider my next moves.
Did Torelli really know something about my sister? Or was that just my suspicion? Is he really the only link I have to her?
But I can’t go back there. Going back to The Rhino alone would be suicide. I’d be snatched up instantly – kidnapped just like my sister was. I might be forced to work there, or more likely I’d be sold – just in case Daccia, Kitos, and Hadrian came back looking for me.
No, I have to get off this planet first – away from those Aurelians. I can come back later, and I can hire men to escort me to The Rhino next time.
Like it or not – this is the only way.
But what if she’s there? What if you missed her last night?
What if Lilac’s in The Rhino right now?
The thought keeps tugging at my brain. It keeps grabbing something deep inside of me – something I just can’t shake. It’s like it’s a wound, festering in my soul.
Suddenly, I step out the line and pocket my ticket. I don’t care how much it cost. I need to get a closer look at The Rhino.
The service door, on the underground level. I remember it from the holographic projection. That’s the one Daccia told me to escape through, if it came down to it.
I’ll sneak in through there and do a quick investigation. It won’t take long – and it’ll quell that insistent voice in my head. I just have to know for sure.
Then, I’ll leave on the next flight. I have to do this, though. I must – no matter what the risk is. Something tells me Lilac’s there – and I’ve learned I have to trust my instincts.