The Bid

by Jacquelyn Frank

  THE BID

  THE BID

  JAX

  KENSINGTON BOOKS

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  THE BID

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  1

  “3,000 jewels!”

  The offer snapped out above the din of the auction patrons’ drinking and conversing, immediately earning an appreciative murmur of response. The bid was high and a large jump from the previous offer. The sense of excitement in the room spiked palpably.

  “A fine offer, sir!” Rhou Mas Hin chortled as he paced the length of the stage in broad, showman’s strides. The long, hide-wrapped crop in his hand zipped sharply, like the high note of a song, as it cut through the air and pointed to the object up for auction. “But not nearly fine enough for so prized a specimen! A slave of such amazing form and health, such fine lines and coloring! Guaranteed to be clean, disease free, and utterly perfect breeding stock if that’s your need. Why, this versatility alone makes this one worth so much more. A house servant, perhaps? Clearly strong enough for fieldwork. Or, as I would much prefer for myself, a trained sexual servant.”

  “3,100 jewels!”

  The counteroffer made Rhou grin slightly. He’d known instantly how valuable this captive would be, and he was prepared to push the reasons why in order to drive up the price. He also knew his market very, very well. He knew what the inhabitants of this planet needed, and he knew even more what they craved.

  “A wise woman you are, mistress,” he complimented the bidder. “Have you ever seen this coloring before in your life? Hair so fair it is white, like the virgin snow of the Yemm mountaintops. How prized and lucky a child born to a noble House would be considered if they bore this fascinating coloring! Or think of how envious your peers will be when they come to a party and are served by such a gorgeous tidbit. They might trade valuable favors with you if they could coax you into sending the slave to their rooms after they retire. This alone will repay whatever cost you extend to acquire such an asset.”

  “3,200!”

  “3,500!”

  “I say a good 4,000 jewels ought to do!”

  Rhou laid his palm against his chest and bowed to the High City official making the offer, knowing he’d just broken into a whole new territory of bidders. Once one of them coveted something, then they all began to covet it. Now it was time for the hard sell. Rhou stepped closer to his product, touching the crop to the slave’s chin.

  “The stasis field keeps this male docile, but I promise you there is great prowess and power packed into this physique. Take note that the broad shoulders and chest are thickly muscled, and here we have a lean waist with lovely definition and no visible fat. Long, powerful legs. Just look at those thigh muscles! This will allow for speed and flexibility. Undeniably he is a powerhouse, my good friends. He’s been outfitted with the latest in micro-translators and tagged with a tracker/locator. All the standards, including pestilent homeworld deterrent. There are a few scars”—Rhou glossed over quickly—“but they are merely proof of his fighting skills and his ability to take injury and survive. I guarantee there is no lameness or defect to be found from the visible to the cellular levels.” Rhou studied the nude body of his inventory carefully for a moment. He clicked the small remote in his hand and the platform began to turn slowly. The stylized display also ran an enhancing light over the contours of the slave’s warrior build, highlighting his fitness. “Now, I make no promises of docility or even the beginnings of being broken in. He is fresh from the wild places, a barbarian at heart. My supplier says he captured this one from Jheru Afrat, the wildlands of a planet called ‘Wite.’ I don’t need to tell you of the lusty and bloodthirsty ways of the planets along the outer rim, now do I? But don’t let his wildness put you off. The breaking in of a slave is the very best part, is it not?”

  The remark elicited a fury of bids, covetous laughter, and envious excitement from those in the rear of the room who had long ago found the bidding to be out of their means. Rhou hardly paid attention to the amount of the rising bid anyway. All he knew was that it could and would go higher. He was best served by focusing on his next selling point. His slave was positioned in stasis with his hands cuffed wide apart at the wrists, and his feet braced and cuffed similarly at the ankles. The added safety measure of a torso restraint had been added for this one because he was known to fight free of his stasis if it wasn’t balanced just right. Still, in spite of the extra restraint, the position made for a perfect showcase even when Rhou stopped the revolution of the stand.

  “And did I mention…?” He paused for effect as he used his remote to send a stimulant pulsing through the stasis field, causing muscles to bunch and flex, and his commodity’s eyes to flicker open. “He has eyes as green-yellow as a bellcat!”

  White hair and green-yellow eyes. Rhou didn’t blame his audience for their exclamatory reactions. He had hardly believed it himself, not even when he had first seen it with his own eyes. Bids were flying now, coming closer and closer to the stage. The nearer the stage, the wealthier and more powerful the patron. Only the highest-paying patrons, those with special invitations usually extended by the auctioneer himself, would sit in these expensive seats just for the privilege of viewing prime goods close up.

  For his last trick, Rhou added an aphrodisiacal stimulant to the mix, allowing it to flood the tissues of the unconscious male. Predictably, the slave’s penis began to fatten and fill with his now adrenalized blood, becoming quickly and impressively erect. Rhou took his crop and ran it up along the underside of the thrust-out cock, assuring all attention was on the awesome piece of flesh. Slaves and sex most always went hand in hand in some fashion or another. It wouldn’t be a proper sell if he ignored displaying this slave’s finest asset.

  “Now here,” he practically purred, “we see this slave’s best aspect.” The lurid remark made his enraptured audience titter, men and women alike pretending they weren’t thinking their most deviant of thoughts in that instant. “A grand cock and sac. He has been tested for fertility already, and I have the paperwork to prove these testicles are full of ripened seed and capable of manufacturing much, much more over the years…if that’s your focus. But you must confess, this rod would be worth its weight in jewels even if he were barren! I have rarely seen so mighty a tool on a slave. Thick in circumference…long enough to send its seed to root deep in even the most stubborn of wombs. The foreskin was removed some time ago, perhaps in a tribal ritual when he came of age. I would allow the stimulant to continue until he ejaculates, but the slave has proven himself very potent and it might bring him out of stasis.”

  The disappointed moan of the audience lasted only as long as it took for him to discontinue the stimulant. Then bids flew like birds up to him. Rhou managed them with smooth expertise.

  “Damn me, I say 6,000 jewels and be done with it!” the Baron Majum burst out, slamming his fist on his table as he outstripped the last bid by 1,000 jewels. The handsome baron’s predilection for gorgeous males had made him the perfect invite to the auction, and Rhou had known he would be unable to resist so tantalizing a treat. It was all over now. Once Majum decided he wanted something, no one dared gainsay him. The Baron might have the beauty of vit
ality and looks all in his favor, but necessary doses of tolerance and sanity had been sorely neglected.

  Still, crazy or not, the man’s jewels shone just like they should. Also, the Baron liked to tip Rhou an added surcharge whenever he brought “special” auctions to his attention.

  “Excellent taste, Baron,” Rhou praised him, watching the avarice that swept over the man’s face as he stared up at his prize. “Six thousand jewels going once…going twice…?”

  “The House Drakoulous bids 2 gems, milord auctioneer.”

  Rhou almost fell off the edge of the stage. Two gems?! Surely he hadn’t heard right! No slave in history had ever sold for 2 gems! But he watched the shock rippling through the other buyers and the red fury exploding over the Baron’s face and he knew it was a legitimate bid.

  Rhou’s eyes quickly sought out the representative of House Drakoulous. In a mélange of classes and a crowd of races, he still stood out in relief against the rest of the room. His height alone was impressive, and there was no way to discount the fact that he was an outstandingly beautiful male. However, it was his coloring, just like the merchandise at Rhou’s back, that truly astounded. Only, he was as blond as gold, rather than white. The curtain of his long, golden hair was left to settle freely about his huge shoulders, the length ending just between the blades. A long string of priceless jewel beads had been strung onto a slim rope of the gleaming hair from the top of his left temple all the way to the ends. He stood back casually against a rear wall, not up front where the prestigious House Drakoulous would have been expected to sit, his thick arms crossing a massive chest and a slave band connected around his biceps. The rich garments he wore, the sparkle of exotic embroidery, all lent voice to the wealth of his Master and his House.

  Rhou would have gotten a pretty penny for that slave as well, were he up on his block tonight. His fair hair and handsome visage alone would have done. But alas, he was already owned and protected, according to that thick band around his arm, and now he would be coupled with the slave his House was about to purchase. They would make a nearly matched set and would be the envy of every House in the city. Two fine stallions in the Drakoulous stables. At such a price! This would be talked about for ages, and it would solidify Rhou’s reputation on this planet as a merchant of the finest slaves for the rest of his life.

  “Sold!” Rhou blurted out, not even bothering with the formality of offering for more. Everyone there knew the bid was beyond exorbitant, and even with the High City’s notorious House rivalries, no one would counteroffer such a price. Not even the furious Baron, who went apoplectic before dumping over his chair and storming out of the auction house. Rhou quickly waved forward his assistants to prepare the slave for transport as the room broke up into a buzz of excited whispers. The Drakoulous slave pushed his way forward through the crowd, ignoring all questions and wheedling for gossip as the Rhou hurried off the stage to meet him.

  “Master Drakoulous will want the promised paperwork proving fertility,” he demanded instantly as the Rhou scanned the slave’s band and downloaded the payment in full. He was shocked the slave would have access to so much wealth, but it only proved how high he was held in his Master’s esteem.

  “But of course,” Rhou said, reaching into his documents bag and extending an insert chip to the slave. “You have a good eye for flesh, and your Master will be pleased.”

  “Of course,” the blond male murmured as he accepted the gems for the documentation. “Have him delivered to House Drakoulous immediately. He has not been abused in any way, I take it?”

  “No!” Rhou sputtered, aghast that a slave would be so bold as to question him in such a way, question his reputation!

  “Very well. See that it remains that way. My Master is very particular about the treatment of slaves.”

  “Yes, yes, so I see. You’re kept in a fine style.”

  Rhou knew he was sneering simply because his pride was bent at this slave’s audacity, but there was something that flashed dangerously in the blond’s eyes that told him it would be best not to push his luck. Besides, it was always best to stay friendly for the sake of future sales, if he was the one who routinely did the selecting for the House slaves. It was never wise for a merchant to alienate anyone, no matter what their station.

  “Tell them at the gate that Najir has sent you and they will accept the delivery if I am not there myself,” the slave instructed. “I expect you no later than sunset.”

  Rhou kept silent and simply bowed his head in acknowledgement. This Najir may be a slave, but he was a powerful slave and it was clear that he knew it. So long as he lived under the protection of the mighty House Drakoulous, he was to be shown respect and all courtesy. The intricate metallic band around his upper arm with its ruby encrusted symbol announced it to all who encountered him.

  As Rhou turned away, though, he secretly got pleasure from the idea that House Drakoulous might have taken on more than they were bargaining for. The new slave had been difficult to maintain. He balked against his captivity with a fury, threatening to kill his captors if ever he became free. Luckily, today’s technology could prevent that so long as one was careful. But as he had mentioned, in spite of technological superiority, the slave had fought his way out of stasis sleep more than once on the power of sheer force of will.

  Anyone who fought like that was going to be quite a challenge to train.

  Najir made only a quick stop at the bazaar before hurrying home. He was on foot, as he preferred whenever given the chance, so he lengthened his stride to improve his speed. He shot past all manner of pedestrians that shared the walkways with him—slaves, servants, and other commoners. Nobles and aristocracy out shopping for the high touch merchandise in the merchant shops. Clothing told the tale of their origins and their position on the rungs of society’s ladder. Jeweled adornments told a different story. One of wealth. Nobility and wealth did not always go hand in hand, but it was a fact that those with money earned far more respect than those without.

  Najir was no fool. He was aware how lucky he was to be from a House with both wealth and class behind its name. When he had been sold into House Drakoulous ten years earlier, he hadn’t known a single thing about this society he now called his own. He had come from a completely different planet and a different culture altogether. Now he knew everything about this beautiful but deceptively dangerous planet and he still shuddered to think of all the other fates that might have befallen him. The worst, he believed, was to be bought and used by a man like Baron Majum. Slaves had died under his cruel hand. So had others. Free men and women. The stories of his notorious penchants for violence and humiliation were the stuff of nightmares, especially for those who could be bought and sold at the whim of their owners.

  It had given Najir great satisfaction to buy the new slave out from under the Baron. Normally, he didn’t like to draw attention to himself, his reasons good and many, but he’d known the instant he had seen the white-haired male on the auction platform that the Master of House Drakoulous must have him. If for no other reason than that he was by far too superbly savage to tolerate any other master in the city. Certainly not the Baron. The price was high, but he wasn’t concerned with that. His Master would have paid twice as much and better.

  Najir reached the gates of the grand estate of Drakoulous and they were already opening for him, the guards recognizing him on sight. Najir broke into a loping run as he hit the main drive, following it up the hill for a good distance before finally reaching the mansion itself. The pneumatic gates were automatic here, scanning his retinas without his even stopping. Access was instantaneous as he crossed the front gardens and lawn, entering the main doorway after yet another scan. The technology was standard, every home and shop capturing the identity of its patrons automatically.

  Najir cut directly through the grand foyer, exchanging a brief greeting or two with staff and servants as he passed them. He hit the main stairwell, taking the sweeping mosaic steps all the way to the top floor where he
knew his Master would be hard at work, earning the money that kept the household in such comfort and esteem. He finally came to a halt at the wide double doors leading to the main offices.

  “Enter, Najir.”

  Najir smiled and did exactly that, throwing open both doors and advancing. Hearing his entrance, the Master of House Drakoulous rose from her table and faced him as he dropped to a single knee and bowed his head.

  “My Lady.”

  “Najir,” she greeted him, rounding her worktable and reaching out to stroke fingers through his hair. “You are bursting with news, I see.”

  “Yes, my Lady. I have found what you have needed for so long.”

  It took her a moment of thought and a lightly crinkled brow as she considered his meaning. Najir couldn’t resist a chuckle, and he knew it was the cause of her instant understanding. She drew in a soft, shocked breath and took his face between her hands. Searching his eyes, she demanded, “Tell me! Tell me everything!”

  Najir did so quickly, leaving out no detail of the auction and its central commodity. He watched with great pleasure as his description of the new slave made her pupils dilate with excitement. To his surprise, she also dropped to her knees and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly he couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her supple body and hugging her in equal measure.

  “You brilliant boy!” she praised in a whisper against his ear. “And better still that you set Majum back on his ass in the process. He must have been livid!”