by Lace, Lisa
"No," croaked Rev.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Leave. Her. Alone."
"I'll take that as a disinterest in breaking the bonding."
"What are we going to do with them, Captain?" said Tul.
"Well, I could turn them in to the Aligned Worlds for the bounty, but I know someone who is seriously interested in this tracker. Ar-Reven, right? Just recently testified against Jaal and company? You did some damage there, tracker, and the boss of that organization has a price on your head that is triple the normal bounty. That means serious profit for us, and I can keep the pretty pink one for myself."
"Lay a hand on her and I'll tear you apart," Rev growled.
Kor made a dismissive wave of his hand. "Lock him in the brig. Get this ship trim and powered up, and take the female and prepare her the usual way.”
He picked up the golden Jer'hym who had been knocked to the floor by the laser blast. "Ennhr, Ennhr, how many times have I told you it is useless to resist? We have another to keep you company, so you won't be as lonely. I do what I can for you."
Ennhr trilled weakly in his hands.
"Here, Jenno, take Ennhr to my quarters and chain him this time. I don't know why I listen to him. I guess I may have a soft spot, and you"—he gestured at Tracy—"will keep him company until I return. I have some communications to make."
"You hurt her," said Rev, "and I'll end you."
"Tracker, how little you know of my people. We have a high regard for females. I would never hurt your lovely mate. In fact, I plan to show her pleasure such as she's never known."
"Bastard!"
Kor shook his head. "So rude. My mother wouldn't like it that you insulted her. She'd beat you stiffly if she were still alive. She was so very good that way."
He sighed then gave Rev a cold hard stare. "Take him away."
As Tracy was taken through the ship, she felt her body become heavy. Behind her, Ennhr trilled plaintively.
"Shut up," said his handler. "I don't know why the captain puts up with you. If it didn't mean getting spaced myself, I'd stuff you out of the airlock to get rid of your damn chirping."
"You've turned on the gravity," said Tracy, "and his people live in a weightless environment. You're hurting him."
"He does look flat and a little green around the gills. Well, no matter, the captain has accommodations fixed up special for the little twit. Here we are."
The pirate holding Ennhr pressed his thumb to a panel at the door, and it slid open. The other one pushed Tracy roughly inside. The first pirate walked in behind them and went to a large transparent box on a stand in the middle of the cabin. Opening the door, he put the Jer'hym inside. Immediately, Ennhr beat his wings and flew around the box, batting against the clear panes.
"Stop it. If you hurt yourself, the captain will punish me."
"That’ssss what I count on."
"Little fucker." He looked at Tracy. "Strip.
Chapter Thirty-Five
"I will not!"
The pirate slapped Tracy hard on the face. "Take off your fucking clothes or I'll rip them off you myself and enjoy every minute of it."
Glaring at the him, Tracy took off her space suit and clothes.
The pirate shook his head at Tracy's naked body. "I don't see the attraction, but who am I to say? Kneel."
"What?"
"Are you fucking stupid on top of ugly? On your little pink knees."
Tracy, face burning red, dropped to her knees. The pirate tied her arms behind her back and to her ankles.
"There, that will do. Now, stay in that position until the captain returns. Once he's had his entertainment, he'll most likely send you to the brig with that tracker of yours. On the other hand, he might keep you for a spell. We'll see. He usually doesn't keep his playthings long, but there can always be a first time."
The two pirates guffawed and exited the cabin, leaving Tracy shaking with anger.
The Jer'hym settled in his cage and regarded Tracy. "I'm sssso ssssorry. I tried to warn you; I did. But you didn't underssstand."
"I'm sorry we didn't too. Are there any others like you captive?"
"No, he killed my femalessss when he took my ship. He only kept me alive for hissss showssss."
"What are his shows?"
"You sssseee. Sssssick."
With that, the door to the cabin opened, and Kor walked in. "You're all ready, I see! I'm looking forward to this."
"Don't you fucking touch me," said Tracy.
Kor looked at her with disdain. "I wouldn't dream of touching you, Kerdim whore."
"What did you call me?"
"Kerdim. You don't even know the name of the species of that tracker. Pathetic. Whore, as in anyone who would mate with a creature outside her own species."
"Purissst asssss," said Ennhr.
Kor turned to the Jer'hym. "Shut up, you! You are here for one thing only."
Ennhr laughed, a strange sound between a trill and a cough. "You sssee, Kor hassss a problem. No female of hissss ssspeciesss will have him, but he can't fuck anything elsssse becaussse to him it’sss racial sssin."
"Shut up!"
"Ssso we have thesse little showsss."
"Dim lights," said Kor, glaring at Ennhr. The lights lowered, and little flames danced up in sconces around the room. Soft music started playing in the background. Kor stood in front of Tracy and stripped his clothes slowly. Tracy turned her head away.
"Look at me!" he commanded.
"Fuck you!"
"Wouldn't you like that, you little whore?" He bent down and smacked her cheek hard enough to spread a burning feeling through it. "Look at me!"
Tracy looked ahead, not acknowledging him, but she couldn't help seeing a thick, long cock so deep red it was almost purple hanging between his legs right in front of her.
"Sing, Ennhr, or you know what will happen to you."
A soft trilling filled the room.
"Ah," said Kor putting his hands to his cock. "Do you know what the song of the Jer'hym does, Kerdim whore?"
"Yes," choked Tracy.
"What does it do?" Kor’s voice grew husky as his cock stiffened under the ministrations of his hands.
"It is said to bring orgasms."
"Correct, it does. For the male to sing, there must be a female present. The females inspire the intensity of the song, you see. So you will watch as Ennhr sings and I come to completion. If you inspire him to sing prettily enough, I may let you live."
The trilling grew louder and more intense. It turned into a complex weaving of notes and sounds. Tracy thought it was beautiful and got swept up by the alien music. It also began to have a curious effect on her. She felt desire curling through her body. Her breasts tingled, and her nipples hardened into tight nubs. Her surroundings fell away, and she completely forgot where she was. Each note seemed to touch her directly, unlocking a different sensation.
She remembered the feel of silk against her nipples, the taste of chocolate in her mouth, and the feel of the hot sun warming her wet body after a cold swim in the ocean. Her muscles relaxed in a delicious way, and the only thing that kept her upright was how her hands and feet were bound. She strained against the restraints, which gave her a different pleasure of wanting and needing to do more.
Tracy moaned. The trilling become louder and sweeter, a delicious promise of things to come. She was so desperate for stimulation of her sensitive places, she groaned. The singing became long notes, almost like a flute. Tracy started breathing harder, and the notes became more intense.
"Yes, yes," gasped Kor. The sounds of his hands working his cock like slaps against his flesh were audible along with his moans of pleasure. "Good, good."
Tracy whimpered, the sounds of the Jer'hym's song filling her mind and body, strumming it like the strings of a guitar. In her mind, Rev was touching her. Rev was the one igniting her passions. Every memory of every touch of his body washed over her, how he sucked her nipples, lapped her pussy with his tongue,
and filled her with his marvelous cock. She swayed back and forth, moaning loudly. Her nerve endings begged for release. The Jer'hym trumpeted long, deep blasts of low sound that slammed against Tracy, and she burst apart, fire exploding in her body. The Jer'hym trumpeted three more times, sending orgasmic shocks through her.
Kor let out a long groan, and Tracy opened her eyes to see his huge purple cock pointed at her. With horror she thought he'd dump his cum on her, but at the last second he turned away towards Ennhr’s cage. His semen splashed on the pillar that held the cell, jetting several streams of his jizz on it before he shuddered to a stop. The room was nearly quiet then, the only sounds their gasps as their breathing slowed. Finally, their respiration settled down, and Kor looked at Tracy.
"Well, you acted like a proper whore, enough to inspire Ennhr to a spectacular show. I might keep you around." He walked behind her and undid her ties. "Get dressed. I don't want to see your slut body now."
Tracy stood on shaky legs, picked up her clothes, and put them on. Kor disappeared behind a door at the back of the cabin.
Ennhr looked spent. He floated weightlessly in his cage, but he opened his eyes to look at Tracy. "He wasss wrong. He'sss alwayssss wrong."
"What do you mean, Ennhr?"
"I felt what isss in your heart. It'sss beautiful, a true union. That isss why, why my sssong the way it wasss. I'm sssorry. I'm sssorry I defiled it with…that."
"That," said Tracy, "was not your fault. You didn't defile a thing. You gave voice to the passion I have for Rev. It was beautiful."
The Jer'hym bowed his head. "You are too gracious."
The more Tracy listened to the alien, the more normal his speech sounded. "Besides, you are as much a prisoner as I am. You do what you have to survive."
"Yes," said Ennhr with a hard glint in his eyes. "I do what I can to survive and get revenge for my females. One day I'll be free, and I think you can help me with that. It might be even today."
"How can I help you?"
"When Kor comes back, think your most passionate thoughts about Rev and hold on to them. We will see if a theory I have about the captain is correct. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, I'll try, but I don't see how it will help."
"We'll see. Sit and start thinking. He won't be in the convenience long."
Tracy sank to the floor and started thinking the sexiest thoughts she could about Rev. She thought back to that night at the Staukub mining camp, where she and Rev started their lovemaking in the hot springs deep in the miners’ caverns. That passionate night started with her easing herself on Rev's cock as her arms wrapped around his neck. She proceeded to the thought of him taking her again and again, pounding her against the wall of the pool and sinking his fangs in her neck. They ended up in some bed. She didn't remember all the details, but what she did remember was one orgasm on top of another with Rev sinking his fangs into her each time, his venom heightening her ecstasy.
Ennhr started trilling then, much as before, and Tracy was swept with another wave of intense emotion, including her feeling of love for Rev.
The door of the convenience opened, and Kor stepped out wrapped in a towel. He stopped when he heard the song of the Jer'hym. "Again? The slut really does inspire you."
With that, Ennhr let out a long, low blast of his trumpet sound, but this one lasted longer than the other ones. Tracy felt her heart thump hard in her rib cage, straining against her body. She heard Kor gasp, and she saw him clutch at his chest. With horror, Tracy saw the blood leave his face.
"Stop," he gasped. "Stop!"
But Ennhr would not. He let out another long blast directed right at Kor, and the pirate captain stumbled, grabbing at the wall for support. He failed and fell to the floor.
Ennhr's wings fluttered as he lifted himself with effort in his cage. "Good," he said weakly. "Check him. Is he dead?"
Tracy, still breathing hard, bent over and checked for a pulse but could find none. She stood. "I think so."
"He had no love to protect him, so his heart failed when I blasted the frequency of love. His body would have failed soon; he had no heart, and his behavior damaged his soul. This way, I got to see it with my own eyes before my body fails me. Thank you, mate of the Kerdim." He shuddered then, his wings faltering, and he slumped unmoving, suspended weightless in his cage.
Tracy stood in the darkened cabin of the pirate captain with two dead bodies. She had no idea what was the right thing to do. All she knew was that she had to get to Rev, and they both had to get off this ship somehow. She hoped Rev had some idea of how to get them out of this mess, because there, in the middle of space, surrounded by aliens, she had no clue.
Tracy’s thoughts were interrupted by a strange voice in the room. "Captain? Captain Kor?"
Tracy looked around and saw small speakers in the ceiling.
"Captain, please answer. Zywth is here to pick up the tracker. He wants to see you. Captain, is something wrong?"
Someone was going to check on the captain when he didn't answer, and there were two dead bodies in the room with her. Tracy didn't understand everything that had happened, but she knew one thing: as the last person standing, she'd be blamed for their deaths.
Running was out of the question. Her last experience on an alien spaceship taught her that she was no good at trying to navigate ships she knew nothing about. There was a light knocking at the door. Well, so much for sneaking out of here.
Tracy's eyes lighted on the restraints the captain had used to tie her up and got an idea. The bindings didn't have to be tight; they just needed to look tight.
The gentle tapping turned into a loud pounding.
She hated to do it, but Tracy tore off her clothes. She grabbed the ropes that had once restrained her and started wrapping them around her arms and ankles. She looked at her limbs skeptically. The cords were a little loose, but it was the best she could do. She tucked her legs under her body and held her arms behind her back.
With a bang, the cabin door was forced open. Halc, the tall alien who had prepared her for Captain Kor's show, and Tul, the short, hairy alien, finally pushed their way inside. The first thing they noticed was their captain sprawled on the floor.
"What happened here?" shouted Tul.
Tracy kept her head down and said nothing.
Halc moved over to the captain and put his hand on Kor's neck, checking for a pulse. "He's dead."
Tul moved past Tracy to the Jer’hym’s cage. "The flappy little twerp isn't doing much better," he said. "It's hard to tell, but I think he's dead too."
Tul went to Kor's body and gave it an experimental kick. The body of the red-skinned captain barely moved. "Yep, dead all right."
Tracy kept her head down but rolled her eyes. These guys weren't the best examples of extraterrestrial intelligence.
"Well," said Tul, "I guess that makes me captain."
"Says who?" said Halc.
"Says me," said Tul.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Tracy forced herself to remain still, refraining from any movement that would draw their attention. She was glad they were wasting time arguing, but she needed to find a way to get out of there alive.
Halc finally realized that there was one additional, living creature in the room. "What happened in here?" he said, finally turning his attention to Tracy.
"I don't know. The bird guy there was singing his head off, and the captain collapsed. I'm just happy to be alive."
“Are you as stupid as you look?” Halc gave Tracy an incredulous stare. " Aliens."
Tracy couldn't stop herself. "You know what they say," she said, "it takes one to know one."
Rage flashed across Halc's face. He raised his hand to smack her, but Tul grabbed his arm. "Watch it, Halc. Don't damage the merchandise."
Halc reluctantly dropped his hand while glaring at Tul.
Tul stroked his beard. "Facts is facts. The captain, rest his blackhearted soul, is dead, but there’s still business to take care of. Lock her in
the brig while I handle the exchange for the tracker."
"Who died and made you captain?" complained Halc, starting the argument all over again.
"Idiot! The captain did. I am the first mate. Well, I was until this terrible tragedy happened." Tul grinned. He didn't seem too broken up about his promotion.
"You can't be captain until the crew approves it," Halc whined.
"Fine, but in the meantime, let's lock the female in the brig."
"Wait a second," said Halc, his face brightening. "Maybe Zywth will want her too. That way we can get more money. And we won't need to share it with anyone, because no one else will know about it."
"We can sell her ourselves later," Tul said.
"Yeah, but until then we'd have to feed her. You remember what Kor said about feeding extra people."
Tul started pacing the room, thinking about what to do.
Tracy was rapidly becoming alarmed at the turn of the conversation. Being stuck on this ship was bad, but at least it was a known problem, and she thought she might be able to outwit these guys. She had no idea who they were thinking about selling her to, though. If her new handlers were intelligent, she would have a more difficult time escaping. Watching the two pirates discuss her fate like she was a piece of meat was the last straw.
She looked at Tul carefully as the space gnome walked closer to her. A laser pistol hung from his hip. The handle stuck out from the impossibly large beard that draped his torso. Tracy eyed the pistol as the hairy little alien moved closer to her. She carefully slipped one wrist out of the loose binding, eyeing the distance between her and the weapon. If he got close enough, she'd grab the pistol. She didn't know what she'd do after that. Hopefully, she would be able to figure out how to fire it.
"What is going on here?" A rough, deep voice broke her concentration, and her head turned to the source of the disruption.
In the doorway of the cabin stood a tall man with dark blue skin whose eyes and lips were black as coal. His jacket and slacks looked like black leather, though there was a pattern that reminded Tracy of snakeskin. She felt queasy.
