by Grace, Viola
Fiona looked toward the rectangle of light that appeared on the far side of the stage and followed the handler back into the light.
“That was exciting. Two Hmrain are never seen together, but here they were.” The handler was nearly giggling.
Fiona clenched her hands together, and they shook while she followed the handler through the halls and toward the docking bay.
“You are to go with your patron and fulfill your duties until the end of your contract. He is in possession of all the details. Good luck, Fiona.”
She could feel that she was white with panic, but this was what she had agreed to. She whispered, “Thank you.”
The handler handed her off to two crewmembers wearing grey and silver. It didn’t give her any clues as to the identity of her patron.
Protocol demanded that she didn’t ask anything of the crewmen who were escorting her, so she had to wait until she saw the Hmrain who had possession of her bond.
There was one thing that she could be assured of, Earth was going to be a fading memory the moment that she entered that shuttle.
“Very funny, gentlemen.” Four crewmen in green and silver appeared from around a corner, and they approached with fists clenched and their posture tense.
Her two guards halted and put a hand across the path through them. “We have been given instruction to take her.”
“And you bribed the handler. This is not going to be well received. Aarak was the high bidder; he will have her. We have the contract to prove it.”
Fiona backed up and got clear of the crewmen in grey.
The collision of the crewmembers was violent, and the fight was short and brutal. The green representatives stood, and one bowed to Fiona. “Mistress, I have your bond contract, the proof of payment, and the name of your patron, Aarak.”
She smiled. “Please, show me.”
He lifted a tablet, and the projected contract with all the seals of the education station made her sigh with relief. “Please, get me off this station, and get that handler a short, sharp kick.”
“That will be taken care of. Semak is filing a report right now.” He smiled, his light mint features were shades lighter than his rich green tunic, the same colour as Aarak’s skin.
“So, your colours are the same as the Hmrain you serve?”
He grinned. “You would have no way of knowing. Very nice move backing away. They were going to grab you and make a run for it.”
“I guessed that when you showed up. Who were they working for?”
“Another Hmrain. Karus. He is a good sort, but his last companion passed, and he is looking for a new one. He arrived too late to introduce himself, so he decided to snatch you.”
“When did you figure that out?”
“When Lord Aarak shouted in our coms and told us what was going on. He was very specific on outnumbering the guards of Karus. He was not taking a chance on losing you.”
“I will have to ask him when he figured it out.”
The guard chuckled. “That is your prerogative, Mistress.”
As they talked, she was being marched to a shuttle where more green and silver uniforms were waiting to take them in and get them settled. The release from the station was smooth, and Fiona’s skirt flowed up and away from her for a moment before the ship’s gravity kicked on.
“We will be on the ship in twenty minutes. After that, we are heading home.”
She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Right. Twenty minutes, then a ship, and then a long ride through space.”
“In the utmost comfort. Your wardrobe arrived with the other bondservants this morning, and you are the last passenger scheduled.”
“Wardrobe?”
“Clothing, Mistress. You are coming to us with your skin and the gown you have on. Lord Aarak ordered a wardrobe for you, and it was delivered to his quarters this morning.”
“Oh, I guess that is a good thing. Naked is not an option.”
He gave her a strange look and shook his head. “Yes, Mistress.”
The rest of the twenty minutes were spent with her looking at the view screen and watching the huge shape of the wide and sleek craft that had to be the main ship get closer and much larger.
She fought the urge to hyperventilate as they pulled into the wide entryway that had opened for them. This was it. When the door to the shuttle opened, she was officially a bondservant. Of course, she was one now, but Aarak wasn’t here, so it didn’t count.
When her guard unclasped his harness, she did the same.
“Come along, Mistress. He isn’t to be feared. He is not always kind, but he is fair. You have nothing to fear.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You can smell it?”
“And see it. You have wadded your dress into a ball of creases.”
He eased her out of the shuttle, and her escort of four assembled around her. They began a comfortable pace through the ship and led her through an endless wave of corridors out and up.
When they reached a more formal area of the ship, she noted the security and the gazes that focused on her. She whispered, “Why are they staring?”
“They are looking at you, so you are recognized if they need to come to your assistance. As Aarak’s personal guards, we need to know what you look like, Mistress. We can act as intermediaries with the other members of the population and guides when needed. Anyone wearing his lordship’s livery is trustworthy.”
“It is a nice thing to know. Are you also here to keep me from running?”
The men around her laughed, and her primary escort said, “No. If you want to run from his lordship, he will find you. There is nowhere you can go that he will not sense you and seek you out. We are just an interim measure to keep you safe from others. Your own impulses are your own business.”
That was succinct, but it also made her wonder how many of Aarak’s companions had made a run for it. The guards were aware of the possibility but knew escape was unlikely. That spoke of previous events. At least she knew that Aarak was fair. That was something.
He paused at the end of the corridor and bowed to her. “These are your quarters now. Knock and begin your contract.”
Her guards melted back down the hall, and she turned to the plain metal door. She knocked politely, and the door opened, sliding to her right and leaving her framed in the opening.
“Come in, Fiona. I am very glad you made it. My brother has been chastised, and the handler has been removed from her position before she could leave with her bribe.”
She held her breath as she crossed the threshold. The door closed behind her.
Aarak was standing near a desk and reading a complex visual display. He glanced over at her and smiled. “Welcome to the Aura Breaker. I have some business to attend to, and I know they didn’t feed you, so the meal dispenser on the wall has a selection for you.”
Fiona blinked. “Okay. Thank you, patron.”
“Aarak. Don’t make me remind you. You are the only one who gets to call me by my name, so use it.” His tone was no-nonsense.
“You don’t eat?”
He smiled. “We will discuss that later. Now, have a meal. You look positively grey.”
She looked at the space that was twenty times larger than it would normally have been on the ship. “I will be fine. You don’t mind my eating without you?”
His lips twitched. “No, while I can consume food, it is not required on a regular basis.”
She didn’t understand, but she nodded and went to the panel that he had referred to. Being busy seemed a better way to pretend she wasn’t freaking out inside.
The dispenser had a smaller version of all the selections that she had had the night before. He had been paying strict attention. Only the foods that she had enjoyed were on the platter.
She held the platter and looked around, trying to find a safe place to set it down.
She saw Aarak move, and he stroked something on his desk. A table and chai
r emerged from the wall and slid into place near his desk.
“Have your meal here. This will be your study station.”
“Study?”
“I have nineteen worlds under my care. You are my assistant and constant companion from this day forward. You will need to learn about them.”
She blinked. “I have homework?”
“There is more to being an intimate servant than sex. You are my companion in all aspects of life. That includes my control and guidance of the worlds under my care.”
The tray was warm, and she moved to set it down quickly. “I am not quite sure how this is supposed to work.”
Aarak worked on a handheld tablet while the display fluctuated with weather patterns and topographical details. “It will unfold as we go along. The more duties you take on, the sooner you will be out of bond.”
She snorted and started eating. “I saw what you paid. I am going to be dead by the time I get out of bond.”
“Maybe, maybe not. We will discuss that once we have consummated the intimate part of your bond contract.”
Fiona focused on her meal and didn’t respond to his absent observation. He knew something she didn’t know, and sex was the price to finding it out. That was fine; she could do that.
The worst that could happen was that she would be in the same situation that she was on Earth, but only with one partner to please. How hard could that be?
Chapter Five
After her meal, she went exploring. Her wardrobe was next to Aarak’s, and the bed was huge and self-explanatory. The bathroom was larger than the average one had been on the station, but then, the occupant of these quarters was not petite.
She was flicking through the entertainment options when Aarak paused, flexed his fingers, and turned off the display. “Apologies. Karus started a weather system on one of my worlds, and I needed to take steps to fade it out before lives were lost.”
“He did what?”
Aarak walked toward her, and he caressed her cheek. “He was trying to distract me so that I would not notice that he had stolen you. My brother urgently needs a companion, but he cannot have mine.”
His kiss was soft, warm, and remarkably chaste considering what it was doing to her body. Her pulse quickened, her vaginal muscles tightened reflexively, and she felt a flush cross her skin.
Fiona put her hand on his wrist, feeling the slow, steady pulse that was no indication of the effect he was having on her. He appeared completely unmoved.
The only points of contact were his fingertips on her cheek, and his lips, but she felt that she was at the mercy of escalating foreplay.
“Hop onto your desk, please, and raise your skirt.”
She blinked in the haze of heat and did as he said. The first time with a lover was always awkward, so it was best to get it over with. She told herself that it was what was motivating her as she settled herself with her skirt raised.
Aarak moved toward her, and to her shock, he knelt in front of her. Her desk placed her at the precise height for him to lean forward and examine her private area in detail.
He didn’t ask but gently raised his fingers to her, sliding two digits through her folds and pressing against her opening. His fingers dipped into her, and she inhaled sharply. He slowly moved his digits, testing her stretch. When he removed his hand from her and resumed his light stroking, his lazy exploration found her clit.
Fiona yelped when the zing of pleasure bolted through her. Aarak didn’t smirk; he continued his investigation with thorough intensity.
Fiona felt her thighs clench, and he moved between them, holding her splayed wide while placing his lips against her opening. She fell back and braced herself on her hands as the silvery-white head licked and sucked at her while his finger taunted her clit until she let out a choked shriek as her opening clenched on his tongue. He switched the position of his fingers and mouth, flicking her clit while two fingers drove into her.
The hot burst of her orgasm continued on and on. She dropped to the back of the desk and twisted helplessly as the pleasure threatened to become pain. Fiona gasped and whimpered softly.
Aarak leaned back and slowly drew his fingers from her. “Your taste is astonishing. This explains Mero’s fascination with his companion.”
It was a fight to sit up from the prone position she was in, but when she was sitting, she watched as Aarak licked the last bit of her honey from his fingers. The sight sent another tremor through her, and she cursed herself for being so easy.
He glanced up at her and smiled. “Don’t worry about your reactions. I have many years of practice behind me, and as pleasure is my primary food source, it has behooved me to make sure that I am an excellent hunter.”
He stood up and gently caressed her cheek once again. “We will get used to each other. I will learn you, and you will learn me. It is a fair trade.”
She licked her lips. “It seems fair, but is it fair?”
He chuckled. “That will be for you to decide.”
“And if I decide no, then I am still stuck.”
He kissed her lightly, and she could taste herself on his lips. “You decided to pursue life versus death and a constrained freedom over slavery. You can’t have everything, but I promise you will have experiences that you never imagined.”
He left her wet and rumpled on her desk, and she blinked slowly. She closed her thighs and went to the wardrobe on wobbly legs, grabbing a change of clothing before she went to the bathing room.
The sonic shower took care of the sweat and left her hair staticky. She found a brush set and got dressed in a simple button-front gown that had a fitted bodice but flowed around her feet. It was a rich green and black sundress.
She had forgotten to get slippers, so she wadded the auction dress up and looked around for the refreshing unit.
Unable to find what she was looking for, she came out of the bathing room to get some slippers that would match the dress.
“Did you get rid of the feel of my touch on you?” Aarak’s voice was wry.
“No, I just got rid of the sweat and stickiness. And the fear sweat residue from the auction, and the panic from watching the guards come to my rescue. It isn’t all about you, my lord.”
She bobbed a curtsy and smiled as she met his gaze.
He laughed. “The dress looks good on you, but you appear to be looking for something.”
“I was looking for the refresher unit, so I could put the bond auction dress in it.”
“Take it back to the lav and drop it on the floor. There are bots that take care of it.”
“Really?”
“Yes, they also change the sheets, make the beds, and repair damaged articles.”
She looked around and didn’t see anything. “Where are they?”
“They have cubicles in the walls and emerge when there is no one in the room or on a schedule.” He gave the shrug of someone who was used to the marvels of technology that he had access to.
She returned to the lav and dropped the gown on the floor. She backed away as far as she could and watched, but no bot emerged.
“They are not going to come out while you watch.”
She wrinkled her nose and backed out of the small space. When the door closed, she counted to three and stepped toward it. The dress was gone.
“What the hell?” Fiona looked back at her patron with shock on her face.
“They are quick. They are designed not to get in the way.” He gave her a sober glance from his silver eyes. “Now, come and start studying. We will be at our home before you know it. You might want to know what fruits and vegetables not to eat.”
She sighed and headed to her desk, blushing as she looked at the surface that she had so recently been pleasured on. Aarak handed her a tablet with data on it, written in Heniahk. It occurred to her that they had been conversing in in that language since she met him, and she had been so struck by his appearance, it had slipped her mind.
The tablet showed her the planets that Aarak was responsible for, as well as their satellites, moons, and the uninhabitable planets in their systems. She gave him a dark look as she got to work. There was surely going to be a test later.
She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes burned, and her brain was numb after being bombarded with facts.
“If you are tired, go and rest. The only true rule is that there is to be no clothing in the bed. I require contact with you when you sleep, so please, honour this.”
She blinked and looked at him. He wasn’t leering; he was serious. She got to her feet and stumbled over to the bed, undoing each little button on the way. When she was down to the skin, she folded her dress and set it on a bedside table before she pulled the sheets back and crawled inside.
She hadn’t slept the night before the bond auction, and her nerves were raw. Sleep came shockingly quickly.
Aarak’s silver eyes were facing her when she woke. He was crouched next to the bed, and his hand was stroking her shoulder.
“It is time for dinner. The captain has invited us to join him. Please dress.”
Fiona bolted upright and reached for the dress she had folded on the bedside table. It was gone.
“I will place your clothing at the foot of the bed so that you may be properly dressed for my daily plans.”
She nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. “Right. Of course, patron.”
She looked at the dress at the end of the bed and raised her brows in surprise. It was similar to the one she had been wearing, but there were sleeves on the new one and a slightly thinner fabric. It would still be opaque but only just.
She flipped the sheets back and got up, stark naked and inches from Aarak. He smiled slightly and tilted his head.
“We shall repeat this moment after dinner.”
She blushed but gathered her clothing and pulled it on. Slippers were on the floor next to her, and she stepped into them while she did up the two dozen fasteners. She was near her midsection when dark green hands pushed hers away, and she looked into Aarak’s eyes as he slowly fastened her dress with his knuckles pressing against the inside of her breasts.
