Lost Star

by Hawke, Morgan

  Aubrey looked around, but there wasn’t anything to see. They appeared to be sitting in a very small oval room that consisted of silvery curved walls, a mattress, and nothing else. “Where—” His voice came out very hoarse, and it was surprisingly painful. He winced and coughed. “Ow…”

  Seht pressed his fingers over Aubrey’s lips. “Don’t try to talk. You’ve damaged your vocal cords.”

  Aubrey blinked up at him. “I have?”

  Seht shrugged. “Apparently, you like to scream when you fight.”

  Aubrey rolled his eyes. “Oh.” He frowned. “I thought I was supposed to heal fast?”

  Seht nodded. “You do, and you are. However, your entire body is currently undergoing cellular reconstruction, plus you’re malnourished. This will slow the healing process somewhat.”

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  A hole appeared in the wall behind Seht, and Syrhus leaned in. “Is it finished?”

  Seht sighed. “I’ve administered the third dose and given him a full battery of vitamin boosters.” He reached up, and a tube formed from the curve of the ceiling, then dangled down. Seht lifted a cuff from his side and attached the tube to it. “I’m setting up the protein drip to feed him.” He looped the cuff around Aubrey’s wrist. “This should hold him until we can get him properly fed.”

  Aubrey felt the tiny pins stabbing into his wrist, then the slight chill from the liquid feeding directly into his veins.

  Syrhus nodded. “Good.” He waved a hand, indicating that Seht should leave.

  “Come.”

  Seht looked back toward Aubrey. “I just dosed him, I haven’t…”

  Aubrey’s face heated. He knew exactly what Seht was talking about; they hadn’t had sex yet.

  Syrhus shook his head. “There will be time for that later. You have a report to deliver. Now.”

  Seht scowled but backed out of the tiny room. “Yes, Syr.” He patted Aubrey’s hand and delivered a small smile. “I’ll be back soon.” He stepped back, and the opening in the wall spiraled closed.

  Aubrey settled back among the cushions and closed his eyes in an attempt to take a nap. Unfortunately, his body had other ideas, namely, his bladder. He scowled. Damn it. He sat up and pulled off the cuff around his wrist.

  Something beeped.

  Seht’s alarmed presence was suddenly loud and clear in his mind. “Aubrey, is something wrong?”

  Aubrey winced while his face warmed with embarrassment. “I need to…pee.”

  Humor skittered across their link, but along with it came a sudden daydreamlike vision showing a pale hand pressing against the wall to open the door to his little room, then the ship’s narrow hall. Two doors down on the right was the tiny facility.

  Aubrey didn’t hesitate. He slapped his palm on the wall to make it spiral open and dashed out into the silver hallway on legs that didn’t quite want to work right. He really needed to go.

  The facility room was small with a tiny anti-grav toilet and hand washer alongside the glass doors to a sonic shower that took up fully half the space.

  Aubrey relieved himself, only to have his dick suddenly pulse to erection so fast his head went light and his knees very nearly buckled. He grabbed onto the wall to keep from keeling over and stared down at himself. What the—

  The swelling increased until even his balls ached, painfully.

  Aubrey hissed and grabbed himself. The sensation from his own hand was so intense, it practically burned. His head emptied of all thoughts but one, the need for relief. Hastily, he spat on his hand and started stroking lightly but quickly. Tension Interstellar Service & Discipline: Lost Star

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  built ferociously fast—and held and held and held… He was riding on the crest of explosion but couldn’t go over the edge.

  Practically whimpering in frustration, he spat on both hands and tried again.

  Nothing.

  He tried stimulating his cock in every way his hands and fingers were capable of.

  He couldn’t cum.

  Trembling, and very close to tears from the raw agony of frustration, he slid to his knees and set his head against the wall. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

  The door opened, and Seht stepped in. “Aubrey.”

  Aubrey looked up at him from the floor with his pants down around his knees and his swollen cock fully exposed and dripping.

  Seht opened his pants, releasing his fully erect pair.

  Aubrey’s gaze focused on Seht’s twin cocks, and his mouth actually watered.

  Under his balls, something pulsed, hard. A fresh dribble of precum slid from the head of his cock.

  Seht lifted one brow, but the feelings shimmering along their link were those of expectation.

  Aubrey swallowed hard, then leaned forward onto his hands and turned around to face the wall on his hands and knees. He didn’t give a shit about how humiliating it was. He knew to his bones that Seht would give him the relief he needed.

  Soft steps sounded behind him. Fabric rustled. Cool fingers brushed along Aubrey’s ass, then dug in, the nails scoring welts on his flesh that added to his urgency.

  A hot, thick brand slid down the part between his cheeks and stopped, positioned against the tight ring of his anus.

  “Yes, yes…” Aubrey ducked his head and pressed back onto Seht’s cock, while straining to push outward and open himself. The ache of stretching to encompass the broad head felt damned good. “Gods, yes!”

  Seht reached out to fist Aubrey’s overlong hair and jerked his head back. He growled from his chest. “My pace, not yours, pet.”

  Trembling with desperation, the smallest of whimpers escaped Aubrey’s throat.

  “Please?” His throat burned. He winced. Talking hurt.

  Seht slammed in, hard, fast, and perfectly on target.

  The impact forced the air from Aubrey’s lungs, but the stretch of fullness and the feeling of delicious pressure against that screamingly exciting spot deep within had him gasping for air just so he could moan it right back out in voluptuous, carnal pleasure.

  Seht groaned. The echo of pleasure burned across their link and rolled back and forth between them.

  Aubrey shuddered, unbearably excited by the shared sensations. His interior muscles clenched greedily, and he writhed. “More! Please, more!”

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  Seht hissed in a breath, pulled back, and thrust, just as hard, just as fast, and just as on target. Barely a heartbeat passed, and he pulled back and thrust again, then again, and again, his hips slapping against Aubrey’s ass in a fast staccato.

  Aubrey panted while shoving back to meet him, but he couldn’t quite keep up.

  Desperate hunger kept knocking him off rhythm.

  Seht fell over his back and shoved Aubrey’s head down onto the floor, forcing his body to hold still and merely receive.

  Within Aubrey’s belly, excruciating tension rose to a fever pitch, tightening his balls and swelling his cock to painful urgency, forcing harsh gasps and moans from his throat. On the verge of screaming, his entire body tensed and released in a cascade of violent shudders. A howl spilled from his throat even as his body pumped itself out on the floor. His knees gave out under him, and his body collapsed into his own spending.

  Seht slid free of his body with a pained groan.

  Panting, Aubrey turned to look up at him.

  Seht stood to fasten his pants over his still-erect cocks. “That should hold you until I get you back to bed.”

  Aubrey tried to rise from the floor, but his trembling arms wouldn’t lift him from the floor. “You didn’t…cum?”

  “Relax, pet.” Seht turned away to grab a disposable towel from the dispenser. He wet it carefully and turned back to Aubrey. “You’ve done enough for one day.”

  Smiling, he knelt to clean up Aubrey’s mess.

  Seht wrestled Aubrey up from the floor and half carried, half dragged him back to the tiny round room. In what seemed to be the blink of an eye,
Seht had them both undressed and under the covers. He fastened the cuff around Aubrey’s arm, then pushed him over onto his side so he could spoon against Aubrey’s back.

  Aubrey sighed, more than ready to pass out.

  Seht’s hand closed on his upper thigh, pulled to lift it, and slid his legs between Aubrey’s. The hot brand of Seht’s cock pressed against Aubrey’s anus.

  He turned his head to get a glimpse of the pale boy behind him. “What…?”

  Seht thrust. His primary cock slid into Aubrey’s body without a trace of resistance, even as his secondary cock slid under Aubrey’s balls. He wrapped his arms around Aubrey, snuggling tight against his back. “Go to sleep, pet.”

  Aubrey frowned, shifting slightly against the fullness in his ass. “Sleep? But you…?”

  “Do not worry.” Seht pressed a kiss to the base of Aubrey’s neck, then slowly pressed deeper into him until something hard and round passed the loosened ring of Aubrey’s anus. “I will find fulfillment. As we rest, your body will comfort mine, draining me slowly and extremely pleasurably.”

  Aubrey found it very difficult to keep his eyes open. “Okay.”

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  * * * * *

  The sound of loud claxon jerked Aubrey from a deep sleep. The bed shuddered under him.

  Seht scrambled upright, his cock sliding wetly from Aubrey’s body. “Stay here.”

  He dragged on a pair of pants. “I will go see what is happening.” Barefoot and shirtless, he slapped the wall to open it and lunged out from their room.

  Alone in the small bed, Aubrey gripped the sheets under him, trying to keep his heartbeat under control. He knew exactly what was happening. The ship was under attack. “Moribund…”

  At the other end of the link, Seht’s thoughts blazed with confidence. “Trust me, pet.

  Trust me to protect you.”

  Trust wasn’t something that came easily to Aubrey, but he wanted to believe in Seht. He wanted to. “Okay.”

  Twenty agonizing minutes later, the shuddering stopped.

  Seht returned, radiating with triumph and smiling with his fangs bared. “The pest that stupidly followed us is no more.” He climbed into the bed, looked up, and tapped the ceiling right by the tube. Buttons appeared under his fingers. “No need for you to worry.”

  Aubrey felt something tingle in his wrist under the intravenous cuff he still wore.

  Syrhus appeared in the room’s small doorway. “Did you give him the sedative?”

  Aubrey frowned. Sedative?

  Seht turned to frown at his uncle. “Are you sure he needs one that strong?”

  Aubrey felt lethargy begin to steal into his limbs.

  Behind Seht’s back, Syrhus lifted what appeared to be an extremely modern vapor syringe gun. “Yes.” Viper fast, he reached in and grabbed Seht under the chin, tilting his head back.

  Seht gasped and grabbed for Syrhus’s wrist.

  Syrhus applied the vapor syringe to the side of Seht’s neck. There was a hiss marking its release. “I’m giving you the same dose.” He pulled back, releasing the young prince.

  Seht whirled around, but it was very plain to see that Seht’s reflexes were already dragging. “Uncle?” He blinked, and his knees trembled. He slid down the wall.

  “What—”

  Syrhus took a deep breath and looked over at Aubrey. “I’m sorry, Seht, but you can’t have him. He must be returned to his rightful owners.”

  Seht’s eyes widened, and his hands gripped the mattress under him. “Not to Moribund!”

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  Aubrey felt his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. “No…” He would not go back to killing ships. He would not!

  Syrhus shook his head. “No, not Moribund.”

  Aubrey felt the oddest wave of chill slide down his spine. If not Moribund, then who…?

  Seht growled, low and vicious. “I’m his rightful owner! I caught him. I saved him!

  His life is mine!”

  Syrhus shook his head. “He has a transmitter implanted in the back of his neck.

  Imperial Intelligence is already on their way to collect him.”

  “A transmitter?” Aubrey stared wide-eyed at Syrhus. Did he mean his penal chip?

  Seht glared at Aubrey. “You knew you were wearing a transmitter?”

  Aubrey frowned at Seht. “Moribund told me that he’d removed it…”

  Seht shot a scowl at Aubrey. “Apparently, he lied.”

  Aubrey frowned. “Then how come the Agency didn’t come after me before this?”

  Seht rolled his eyes. “A ship can easily block or scramble an outgoing signal.” He turned his scowl back on his uncle. “When did you find out about this?”

  “Just before the attack.”

  Seht shook his head. “A transmitter isn’t that difficult to remove.”

  Syrhus shook his head. “It’s explosive.”

  Seht stilled utterly, his eyes wide. “Explosive?”

  Syrhus nodded. “I’ve also been informed that he possesses a semiactive sleeper program in his interneural computational.”

  Aubrey frowned. “But I don’t feel anything unusual.”

  Syrhus snorted. “Of course not. It is a sleeper program.” He crossed his arms and casually leaned against the side of the oval doorway. “Diagnostics says that it is several years old and very deeply embedded.”

  What the hell could the Agency possibly have running in his head? He tried to think, but it was getting increasingly hard to hold his thoughts together. He was just too damned tired. His eyes drifted closed. He jerked them back open. This was no time to fall asleep! But he really, really wanted to.

  Seht scowled at his uncle. “There has to be something we can do.”

  Syrhus shook his head. “He must be returned.”

  Seht’s eyes widened and panic began to shimmer under his thoughts. “No…”

  “Yes.” Syrhus’s brows lowered, and his gaze narrowed on Seht. “Until the Imperial Intelligence removes the transmitter and the program, your stray is too much of a danger to keep.”

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  “He’s mine.” Seht’s eyes drifted closed, then opened. He took a deep breath and spoke as firmly, but his body was already relaxing into a sprawl. “Properly registered.

  My pet. My…Aubrey.”

  Syrhus nodded. “Fear not. In thirty days your stray will be safe enough to collect.”

  He leaned in and reached past Seht to lift Aubrey’s head.

  Aubrey took a slow breath and spoke carefully. “Collect?”

  Syrhus’s brows rose. “You’re still awake?” He smiled, showing his long teeth. “We have an entire division, one might say, devoted to the recovery of lost…pets.”

  Aubrey felt a strange buzz at the back of his neck, and a slight tug around his throat. Suddenly there was an…absence in his mind. Seht was gone. He couldn’t feel him among his thoughts. A cold wash of panic washed through him. “Seht?”

  Seht stared back at him with wide, unfocused eyes. “Aubrey?”

  Syrhus leaned back, holding the silver collar. He shoved it into his belt, then caught Seht under his arms and lifted him from the small alcove.

  His blue eyes wide and moist, Seht moaned and struggled weakly, reaching back into the alcove. “Aubrey!”

  Aubrey fought to raise his arm and reach for Seht, but it was just too damned hard. A whimper escaped his throat.

  Syrhus smiled. “Don’t worry. The two of you won’t be separated for long.” With the moaning Seht cradled against his chest, the long white mane falling over his arm, Syrhus turned to stare directly into Aubrey’s eyes. “A rehkyt cannot hide among humans for very long. Not even one that is only half-turned. His eyes, his teeth, his very blood will give him away.” He strode away, taking Seht with him.

  Pain swelled in Aubrey’s heart, and his eyes burned. He was bein
g turned over to the Agency. His indenture was complete, so he’d be sent home. He’d be able to see his dad again. He should be thrilled, but all he could feel was the absence in his mind and his heart where Seht had been. He stared down the empty hallway until his eyes became impossibly hard to keep open.

  * * * * *

  Aubrey awoke to bright lights, loud voices, and a strange, burning hunger in his belly. “Seht?” His throat no longer hurt, but exhaustion dragged at him, rendering his voice to barely a whisper.

  Someone patted his shoulder and spoke in a soft, deep voice. “Relax, you’re going to be all right, son. You’re on the Agency sweeper, Machiavellian. You’re safe now.”

  Aubrey looked up and saw beeping and flashing equipment everywhere. He was in some kind of hospital bay.

  A man with a chiseled face smiled down at him. He wore a plain black uniform, and his pitch-black hair was pulled back into a severe braid. He was quite obviously an 92

  Morgan Hawke

  Imperial Intelligence agent. “You’re healing very quickly. We’ve already downloaded the information and lifted the block on your memories. A few good meals and some thorough rest will have you back to…eh…” His smile faded, then reappeared. “You’ll be up and around very soon.”

  Aubrey tried to concentrate on what he’d been told, but he was so tired.

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  Chapter Fifteen

  Aubrey snapped awake in a very small room on a very small bunk. He sat up slowly, the blankets rolling down his chest. On the fold-down bunk across from him was a battered black duffel bag that he recognized. It was his dad’s.

  Memories crashed down on him. Suddenly, his head was crammed full of things he hadn’t recalled in several years.

  The hijacking programs in his mind were his own design, but he hadn’t used them to steal ships to joyride; he’d made them to help his retired marine father in his salvage operation.

  His father was dead, killed by the Moribund Company when they’d hijacked his freighter.