Lark

by Emma Cole

  My heart breaks for her being so young and innocent only to be caught like an animal. If there is ever a reason to not blow the guys’ cover, this is a great one. I can't let this continue if I can help stop it.

  A soft tap on the door sounds before it opens enough for a hand to slide a terry-cloth robe in. I take it, draping it around the girl and helping her get her arms in it. She moves stiffly, sore, I’m sure, from her ordeal.

  When she's sufficiently covered, I open the door to lead her out, and she starts to panic at the sight of the group of males waiting for us. She must have not noticed them when we found her, and I reassure her the best I can.

  "It's okay. They're friends of mine, they won't hurt you." She looks at me like I'm nuts. Not that I can blame her. I just hope my words are true in Apollo and Marcus' case as I don't know what all their duties entail.

  I coax her out and down the hall, leaving Apollo to lead the way and the other guys to follow. I take her straight to the bathroom, closing the door on Apollo and Brent's surprised faces when they try to follow us in.

  Apollo tries to protest through the barrier. "It's not safe, and Brent needs to look her over."

  I know he could force the issue as there still isn't a lock on the door, but the fact that he doesn’t, tells me more about what kind of person he is.

  "If you think I can't handle one beaten female after you've seen what I'm capable of, you're not as smart as I thought you are. And Brent can check her after she's clean. Get her some painkillers, too, please." As I speak, I'm turning the water on in the shower. I see a small smile on the girl’s face at my dressing down to the males outside. At least her spirit isn't completely broken after her mistreatment.

  I help her get cleaned up, and most of her injuries seem to be superficial. She hisses at the showerhead when I direct it at her private parts, but they have to get clean too. I explain that Brent is Apollo's personal doctor and he'll be careful with her. That I'll stay with her the entire time. When she divulges a piece of information that infuriates me, I stalk out to the bedroom.

  "She was a virgin!" Apollo has the grace to look away in shame. I shouldn't be surprised that this happens— and yet I am. And disgusted it hasn't been stopped sooner. Abruptly, Apollo pales.

  "She's the new one Robert was in negotiations over. Fuck, he's going to flip out. We have to get her out of here. Now!"

  I try to protest that she needs to be seen to by Brent, but he just keeps repeating she has to go, now. I shut my mouth and help her as quickly as I can into some yoga pants and a tank— apologizing profusely for being unable to help her— I barely get her hair brushed out before Marcus and Apollo hustle her out and disappear.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A Hard Truth

  It's hours before they come back, and I'm the only one still awake waiting.

  They don't have the girl. Not that I'd expected them to. With disappointment in my voice, I ask, "What happened to her?"

  Apollo motions with a finger to his lips for silence, before reaching into his pocket for his phone. After he taps the screen a few times, he glances at Marcus. He defers to him a lot, I'm noticing, in social interactions.

  "She'll be seeing a doctor and going into general rotation like the pets you saw at the party. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Lark." Yelling at him must have struck a guilty nerve because I’m honestly shocked that he used my name. "That girl was supposed to replace you. Her buyer wanted you after he saw you with all of us. He owns a stud farm in Ecuador and has certain–tastes." He finally finishes after searching for a word.

  I wait for him to go on, and instead, Apollo picks up for him. Guess it's too distasteful for even Marcus to talk about.

  "If he couldn't have you, he wanted a virgin to train himself. I didn't ask why, but I'm sure we can all speculate. When I refused to let you out of training for him to purchase, Robert appeased him with the girl." My hand slips up to cover my mouth in horror even as my eyes prick with tears. I hadn't known that poor girl was taking my place. "Now Robert is moving up the exhibition date yet again. Before the buyer leaves the country."

  I stiffen legs that want to give out in weakness and terror. The urge to vomit is so bad I have to force down the saliva pooling in my mouth.

  I'm being sold.

  In a whisper, I ask the only thing that matters. "How long?"

  Marcus, head down, mumbles, "Not long enough. Four days."

  I shore up my ragged emotions, nodding. "I won't go. That's all there is to it."

  Apollo's head jerks up. "Don't say that. Don't breathe a fucking word of that. You'll do whatever he says."

  "The hell I will! Watch me." Arms crossed, I refuse to give in.

  "He'll make you choose." I don't understand Apollo's meaning. "I had a brother once. He'll make you choose."

  Marcus tries to stop him. "Apollo, no. We can't have you off the rails right now. Please. Master, for their sake."

  My curiosity is piqued even with the dire conversation. I'd wondered if that was the relationship, but never heard Marcus address Apollo in such a manner.

  Apollo holds up a hand to stop Marcus. "I'll be fine. Nightingale, here, has my full support. I won't jeopardize her safety." Turning his attention my way, he explains, "My mother wasn't technically a slave, but her father did sell her out, so she might as well have been. She was his trophy. Had all the etiquette classes, designer clothes, the works. He would trot her out to every social function. My father wasn't particularly loving, but he was civil... until my brother was born. He'd knocked up one of his pets. Made Mother take him in, pretend he was hers. She went into seclusion with the excuse of a difficult pregnancy, and no one was the wiser. She hadn't asked questions about where, or how, he earned his money, until my brother was six or seven. It was when Robert found out he had another child on the way. Another boy. Robert only allowed 'accidental' pregnancies to be kept if the child was male to continue his legacy. Later, I found out dear old dad had started shooting blanks more often than not. Thankfully, that meant my mother never had the misfortune of getting pregnant by him again. I suspect she'd have faced the same decree of an abortion, were it a girl. The pet had a stillborn toward the end of her pregnancy. Now, after being in seclusion, Mother now had to be in mourning for a child that wasn't hers.

  She decided to take a spa week as that was acceptable society-wise. Except she hadn't told Robert, and it was one of his exhibition auctions. One of the members let it slip where she could overhear, and she went investigating. She knew he wasn't on the up and up but hadn't imagined what was really going on. She was horrified to find out and that he was grooming me to join in. I was fifteen by then and there to shadow him. He caught her trying to take my brother and I to leave him, and she refused to give in. He gave her a choice. She could continue to be a proper wife and keep her children, or she could leave. Without us. I think we all knew he'd never let her leave alive since he was a sadistic bastard even then. She attacked him with a knife she'd gotten from the kitchens, but she didn't get far before a guard stopped her. You've met him, Robert’s assistant. My brother tried to help her, and it enraged Robert even more. Once more, he told her she had to choose. This time between her or my brother’s life.

  At that, I found my courage and protested. Robert cracked, spewing about breeding with common whores and ungrateful children. Mother refused to choose, and I don't blame her for what happened that night. Robert is insane. He took her stolen knife and slashed my brother's throat. Had me held by guards even as the one holding her back let go at a signal from him. He told her again to choose, and his assistant held a gun to my head just like he did Braeden's. My mother was on her knees, sobbing over my brother who had bled out in front of her, when she told me she loved me and used the knife on herself. I lost the two most important people to me that night and had to go on like nothing happened. An hour later, Marcus was escorted to my rooms as my 'present'. He was sixteen and captured from overseas. I was told to choose a symbol for my mark, and I did—
he got a brand— while I got a tattoo.

  Apollo looks at me with hollow eyes." Now you know how monstrous we both are. Don't make the same mistake my mother and I made."

  I don't have any words of comfort for him, but Marcus pulls him in, mumbling in a language I can't understand.

  I make a decision. I'll get through Robert's debauched parade, and that's it. As soon as the guys are safe, either someone from the FBI or elsewhere intervenes, or I'll take care of it before I leave the States. It'll be me or my new owner— one of us won't make it past the border. I won't end up like the poor girl we found in the closet.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Practice Makes Perfect

  Lark

  Apollo goes over the extensive list of requirements and works out a game plan. The first portion of the training list is up— double and triple penetration.

  I make my way into the training room, the last to arrive. My skin is still sore from the full body waxing I received yesterday. At least I won't have to worry about shaving for a while. Everyone is here, even Brent. Marcus will be directing as usual. I’m nervous as I requested to forgo the drugs that make it easier to handle.

  “You will all double up, but not complete that way. You can finish each other or yourselves off after your turn. There are two days left until the exhibition to run the gauntlet on that list. We can’t take the chance of accidental injury beforehand.”

  Following his instructions, we all strip down. Since I’ve already tied my hair up, I get in the chair while Marcus takes the guys to line up on the wall next to me. Poles extend from the walls like checkmarks in between the rails I noticed the first time I was in here. “You four will stretch yourselves twice daily regardless of other activities. This will keep those areas limber.”

  Marcus has each guy straddle the poles facing the wall and then adjusts the pole’s height. He brings a box and begins affixing black rubber dildos— all the same large size. “These will be standard, I’ll show you where they’re kept later. I’m sure you can all handle your own lubrication now. I’ll leave three tubes and a bottle on each tray. Just ask if you need more. After each of you reaches full penetration, I’ll start the counter. You’ll start with fifty strokes. I modified some step counters with a sensor that your ass has to pass over to trigger. The counts will be on the screen right here so you can watch for being done. These are all eleven inches in length and eight inches in circumference. Get them in at your own pace, and join us for Four’s training when you are finished. Oh, and full removal will be necessary to complete the stroke, there’s a sensor at the top too." That brings a groan from them all. With that, the guys are left to lube up and get started.

  Marcus and Apollo are both going to be working with me. They’re starting out with three tubes of lube in each hole and progressive stretching of width and depth. I’m sitting partially reclined with my legs open and knees bent high, getting the best exposure and angle. As the lube is applied, I watch the guys. Braeden and Emmett get their tubes popped in and out quickly and line up almost simultaneously on their dildos. Spreading their asses on the wet silicone, they get just the tip pressing on their holes before sinking down onto them. With slow presses forward and back, they're soon seated fully on them. I look over, and Brent and Rex are both about halfway— panting. I almost laugh at their expressions. They both kinda deserve it— Brent after that lovely first meeting, among other things— and Rex for the night we were kidnapped.

  The finger-like trainers Marcus and Apollo are using are long. They’re sliding them in one at a time as far as I can take them, then holding them pressed in with the opposite hand. They’re marked for Braeden’s length and counted out for Marcus’ width. Marcus is working on my rear while Apollo takes my front. I had asked why not stretch them separately, but with one of the tasks on the checklist being taking Marcus and Braeden at the same time, Marcus said this will be most like that. By the third in each hole, my attention is mostly pulled away from the guys.

  I hear Rex muttering that taking Braeden the first day hadn’t been as bad as this, with Braeden retorting that he told him he took it easy on his ass. I think Rex finally believes him, and he must push down too hard because I hear him yelp again. This time I can’t hold back the chuckle until Marcus matches Apollo for the fourth and starts working it in my now-filled anus. Marcus tells me once they get several in, they can place them in the center of the others so the edges of my openings aren’t hurt by being pried at, just all the other sticks expanding outward. The fifth comes, and I’m afraid to move. I feel stuffed and still have three to go in each place.

  They pause as a beep sounds with another following a few seconds later.

  Apollo turns his attention to the guys. "Did you two have a race?" He sounds amused, and I’m not surprised to see that it’s Braeden and Emmett.

  I look fondly at Emmett now— after the last week we've grown close— and at least today, they’ll be the first up. I groan as they resume with six. By the time they reach eight I almost sound like Rex did a few minutes ago, who's also finished now, and has come over to observe.

  "Holy, shit." Is of course what comes out of his mouth when he sees me so full. Dick.

  Eight makes it in my pussy, but my ass is rebelling and I’m panting at the pain. Marcus frowns at me.

  "Four, are you sure you don't want the drug? It'll help take the edge off."

  I shake my head. "No, I don’t want it." I ignore him calling me Four again. He's explained, that even with Apollo using the hammer, they need to try to stay in character as much as possible to avoid slip-ups.

  He sighs in defeat and turns to gets the tubes— slimmer than the rods he’s using— filled with gel, and I eye them in trepidation. Pulling a rod out of each hole, I breathe a little easier. He picks up one tube, explaining when I balk, "It's only got lidocaine mixed in for numbing."

  I nod and he applies it to the ring of muscle at the entrance before moving further in. Sighing with relief before he’s even finished, I start to feel better. Two more of plain lube follow in my ass as well as three in my vagina. Finished, they both start twisting the rods and moving them back and forth, spreading the lubrication, and getting me worked up in the process.

  The rod that was removed is replaced more easily, and slowly, my ass takes it. I get nine in my pussy without any pain— it's the last— even though Apollo has to work it in with effort. I see all the men have gathered and are staring at my crotch, palming their dicks.

  Marcus goes for the center of the group in my backdoor but can’t get it started. Braeden suggests pulling them all out halfway, together, spreading the ends so they're not grouped so tightly, and inserting it to the same depth, before then sliding them all in at once so it doesn’t get hung up. They feel like one piece sliding out like that, and when the other rod sinks in, it spreads them out even more, making me gasp at the strain.

  Before Marcus pushes them back in, Apollo gets a wand vibrator and starts rubbing it over my clit. Soon I’m getting into it, and Marcus starts pushing the rods in together. As he does, the vibrator on my clit kicks up a couple notches, and I moan while my pussy and ass spasm. My ass is spasming so much, and with the rods already being so far in and with pressure on them, they start sucking in on their own, making me arch and emit incoherent noises at the insane fullness and pinching pleasure I’m feeling.

  Abruptly, much to everyone’s surprise, I come hard. As I calm from my orgasm, I become aware of the desirous expressions around me. I’m slightly embarrassed, but then I remember I just watched them fuck themselves on dildos.

  Marcus starts pulling out rods and throwing them in a basin to be washed later. As the last of them come out, I feel oddly empty and still slightly open. The guys are all staring— fixated— at the space between my legs. Marcus waves his hand forward, and that’s all it takes. Rex drops to his knees and starts eating me out. Licking and sucking like his life depends on it I feel his tongue spear deep until he withdraws a minute later to carry me to the
swing. With Marcus helping, I’m secure in minutes. It’s disorienting to be in it. I can be in virtually any position while suspended with the height adjusted for whoever needs it. Braeden hangs back with Marcus. I know they’ll be doing their thing together afterwards, and I get nervous goosebumps imagining it. Rex and Brent get in the two remaining swings, and Emmett and Apollo bring them closer on their tracks before Apollo tips me back into Rex’s arms. He immediately starts to play with my tits, twisting and pulling at my nipples the way he knows I enjoy.

  “Are you wet for me, baby?” he whispers in my ear. I nod my head yes, choosing— for now— to ignore our status as a non-couple. Emmett comes up to me with something held behind his back.

  “I think she likes that, Rex, but she’s going to like this even more.” It’s now become a competition as to who can get the best reaction from me. I feel something cold and slick probe my entrance. Trussed up in the straps of the swing like I am, absolutely everything is on display and easily accessed. It sinks in about an inch and is decently wide. At that point I feel another wet probe on my other entrance, and I tense some in nervousness.

  “Relax, baby, you’ll like it. I promise.” Promises from Rex are honored until it suits him differently, I’m sure. He starts rolling my nipples instead of pulling on them, and brings his head down to lightly bite the space between my neck and shoulder. He knows that’s a hot spot for me, and I moan, distracted as he'd obviously intended.

  While I’m busy trying to remember why I’m mad at Rex, the second object penetrates me. It’s thinner than the one in front, but not by much. I feel stretched and very turned on. As both pieces move up into me, I feel little rubbery strings that are slightly stiff tickle across my clit. Once the toy is seated fully, the base of those strings is pressed under it where it’s extra sensitive, and then they come up, surrounding it in a vee shape.

  Emmett does something, resulting in a click, and my ass comes alive with vibrations. Another click, and what feel like small beads begin to spin inside me. The third click brings the strings around my clit to life. Emmett grinds it against me, rolling it in a tight circle. I’m moaning in pleasure in minutes, and right before I come again, he pulls it out.