by Alta Hensley
"It is a surprise."
The night air was calm, though cool as they strolled through the palm trees and down a narrow pathway. Donte held her hand tight, helping her over and through fallen tree branches and large leaves with coconuts still attached. Gravel crunched under their shoes and echoed through the darkness. Water flowed in the distance—the sound grew louder into a deep enchanting noise as they approached. The closer they came to the sound, through the towering palms, the moonlight shone down onto a beautiful flowing creek, a perfect refuge.
"Is this the place? Our home?" she asked, searching for a house or structure of some sort nearby. She couldn't believe this oasis existed.
"Possibly." He winked. "Can you hold this for me? I would like us to enjoy the night air before going inside."
Donte handed her the lantern and gathered a few pieces of wood for a fire. Briar's doubt and fear seemed to vanish watching him work. Comforting, protective, he desired to take care of her with patience and devotion, qualities which she'd never witnessed in a man.
"You are lost in thought," Donte said, sitting down next to Briar who had already made herself comfortable on the sandy beach by the creek.
Briar dug her fingers deep into the beach, letting the grains of sand fall through her fingertips. "Our journey has come to an end."
"I highly doubt that, Briar. I wish I could tell you it will be easy from this point on, but I can't. We are just beginning."
Briar smiled. "It's amazing what we'll settle for. I just want a clean place to fall asleep at night without worrying if I'm going to be attacked. I am not thirsty, I am not hot and drying up under the desert sun. So right now… my awful journey has come to an end." She drew circles in the sand, lost in her memories. "I dreamed of a life different than the nightmare I had been living. The nightmare of a nomad. I feel like we can wake from this nightmare. Or come close."
"That is my goal." Donte's fingers grazed her arm, sending a small shiver up her spine. "We will fight to make that happen."
Briar continued to play with the sand, a distraction from imagining his soft hands caressing, and his lips kissing places where she longed them to be.
Fortunately, focusing on the water of the creek reflecting the glow of the full moon shook the thoughts from her head, bringing her back to this lovely night. It was nice to be away from the barracks that housed the soldiers. Donte had spent hours in heated discussion with them, while Briar was forced to rest in another room. She realized he was needed, but she still hated being alone, cooped up in a small room. Fresh air, and time with Donte alone, revitalized her beaten soul.
Donte moved the logs he had collected on the fire. The wood sparked and popped, and orange-flecked ashes scattered, dropping in the sand as their amber glow flickered, lighting brightly only for a few seconds in the breeze before their radiance expired.
"I never want to leave this place," she said.
"You have not seen it all yet. But I promise you, you will love it. It is not the palace, but we can make it a good home for the time being."
"Is it where the rest of the harem will be staying when they finally arrive?"
He nodded, his eyes darkened. "Yes, there is plenty of room for them all. But…" He reached for her hand and caressed the top with his desert-worn hands. "I no longer wish for you to stay with the harem."
Briar's head snapped up, and she looked into his eyes with worry. Confused she asked, "Why? Do you feel I am not submissive enough? I know I haven't done the best at it, but I promise you I can find my ability to submit again. I suppose I lose it when I have to be strong." Tears cascaded down her face. Fear of having to leave the commune and become a desert nomad once again, set a panic in her very soul. "Please, Donte. Don't make me leave the harem. I'll be better, I swear. I can find the balance between submission and strength. You can teach me," she pleaded between her sobs.
Donte wiped at her tears and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her hair and kissed her cheek. "Please do not cry. I would never ask you to leave." He rubbed her back, comforting her fears. "If you desire to remain with the harem, you may. I was just hoping you would prefer to remain with me instead."
Briar lifted her head and looked into his eyes through her tears. "I…I thought…well I thought you meant you wanted me to leave altogether. You want me to stay with you? In your quarters? Just you?"
"Yes. I want you, and only you. But the choice is yours." He rose and walked a few steps away from the creek with his back facing her and hands on his hips. Without hesitation, Briar followed him and grabbed hold of his arm.
She nodded with full enthusiasm. "Yes! Yes!"
"I will still expect submission."
"Of course."
"But most of all—"
"Anything," she interrupted.
"—I will expect you to retain your strength, always." He placed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You will always be my harem girl, but you will always be my fighter."
The End
About the Author
Alta Hensley is a multi-published author whose Domestic Discipline/Spanking erotic romance novels have become some of the bestselling books in the genre.
She finally followed one of her dreams, and one of the dreams her Nana always had for her. Alta always wanted to be a writer from the time she could spell, and now she gets the privilege of saying she's an Author.
She also writes under the pen name Mila Kerr for all her books in the genre of F/F Romance.
You can find out more about Alta on her website at http://www.altahensley.com and she can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Other Titles by Alta Hensley
Ruby Rose
Of Yesterday
Traditional Love
Traditional Terms
Anthologies:
Coming to Terms
Milestones
Deep in the Heat of Texas
Indulgence: Tales of the Cirque Romani
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~Sneak Peek~
Conquering Lazar (Harem, Book 2)
By
Alta Hensley
Trekking through the utter ruins of a world squeezed dry, Elbi Vostok dreams of returning to her once cherished Palace of Lazar. Seeking refuge in a temporary commune, Elbi and the rest of the harem girls are forced to adapt to a new way of life. Once being schooled in the art of submission, the women have no choice but to learn a new art— the art of war.
Feeling weak, Elbi wants to be cared for. Feeling scared, she wants to be protected. Feeling alone, she wants to be loved. And she wants it all from one man… Malachi Lazar.
With a war between Lazar and Jaden, can Elbi hold on to her ability to surrender when forced to be stronger than ever before? With the post-apocalyptic struggle all around, is it possible to be victorious without having victims?
Chapter One
Elbi Vostok stood third in line to have her virginity stolen. General Rhys, the leader of Jaden, loomed ahead as he wiped off his sword soaking in blood. The wailing cries of terrified harem girls not ready to meet with the sharp edge of a blade, echoed against the backdrop of the brutal desert. They had no choice but to give up their virtue or suffer the same fate of the first girl who refused to willingly sacrifice her body to Rhys. In the corner of her eye, Elbi caught a glimpse of her friend— limbs slack, throat slit, tossed into a pile of sand. This brave woman refused to be taken by General Rhys and lost her life because of it. Elbi wished she too could be undaunted by the face of death. But her shaking body and labored breath revealed her paralyzing fear. She knew her body belonged to the brothers of the Palace of Lazar… but she didn’t want to die.
The Jaden soldiers barked their orders to the crying women— ordering them all to remove their clothes. No amount of sobs, pleas, or wails softened the stone-cold hearts of the soldiers. And each time a woman hesitated or tried to conceal their body, the distinct crack of a fist to flesh sounded in the sweltering desert air.
A gaunt faced goon, slightly bemused, gave an order. “Strip for your new leader!” He walked up and down the row of women and sneered. “Where is your precious Palace of Lazar now? I don’t see any of the brothers here to rescue you.” An evil laugh stopped his speech before he continued on. “When we are done with you all, you will be nothing but used up whores.”
The soldier’s depraved disregard of women reminded Elbi of her birth-commune of Vostok. It had been ruthless, but nothing compared to what she now witnessed of this Jaden army. Vostok sold their women like cattle at the age of eighteen to the highest bidder. Luckily for Elbi, she was purchased by Lazar. Her life changed that day for the better. Being sold to the harem of Lazar, although terrifying at first, proved to be the answer to her prayers. She became safe, protected, nurtured. Everything she could ask for until the day Jaden arrived and conquered. Now she lived in a nightmare, far worse than anything she endured at Vostok. The commune of Jaden possessed a thirst for power that fueled an evil she never knew existed.
For decades the people of earth survived off a wasteland of dried up lake beds, desiccated rivers and what little water the world still possessed. Communes formed around whatever water resource remained. No one understood what caused the massive disruption, but all suffered the consequences. Without water, civilization fell into anarchy. Roves of people combed the desert of death seeking fertile land in the hopes of survival. Some communes thrived, while others eventually succumbed to the sun.
General Rhys, a man who wore nothing more than heavy boots and all black, became the leader of the Jaden army. He spoke with such vile in his scratchy voice. “Don’t worry, ladies. We promise to give you back to the brothers. But not until you are nothing but desert dirt to them.” His words made the soldiers laugh and the women cry harder. “You should all be angry with your beloved men. They sent their precious harem off to the dangerous desert to fend for themselves. Did they really think you would all be safe?” He crossed his arms and studied the naked women shivering before him. “If I were you, I would blame them for your misfortune.”
He was right. The brothers should have never sent the harem away. Sending them out to a barren landscape in the hope that they would find safety, always screamed of insanity to Elbi. She had cried, even begged to remain in the palace. She would rather take her chances there, than be split up like the brothers dictated. It only took two days wandering the desert until the Jaden soldiers found them. They came out of nowhere, and in a surprise attack, snatched Elbi and the harem, holding them hostage just as the brothers had originally feared. Now their virginity would be taken to send a message to the Lazar brothers. Elbi readied her mind for the inevitable.
The next woman in line, no older than eighteen, crawled forth. Smudges of grime and sweat smeared her once porcelain skin. One of the watching soldiers lifted her to her feet to stand before General Rhys.
“Don’t crawl like an animal. Stand before the General. Well… at least until he fucks you like an animal,” the soldier spat.
Mad laughter echoed all around them. The woman stood fully, straightened her shoulders and spit in the soldier’s face. Pride and fear mixed as Elbi watched the woman stand with renewed indignant courage. “Kill me. I will never let that poor excuse of a cock enter me,” the woman declared.
Elbi couldn’t help but watch, with tears in her eyes, the proud woman face the devil in the sand. The only saving grace was she never saw it coming the second they slit her throat. Horrified, Elbi hooked her arm against her mouth to stifle a scream. Soon afterward, Elbi’s turn was up.
“Next!”
Elbi didn’t budge. She refused. Her body stiff, she couldn’t move an inch.
A disfigured eye leaned in inches from Elbi’s pale sunburned cheek. “Must I repeat myself?” he asked, raising a bushy brow. His breath smelled like rotten flesh and spittle formed in the corners of his lips.
Elbi’s heart gushed blood to her face, not certain if one wrong word would be her last. Could she be brave and die with her virtue? Should she just allow Rhys to take her? It could all be over in moments. Elbi started to cry. She wasn’t as strong as the other ladies.
She turned her head to search the girls for an answer. They all stared at her with terror in their eyes. It wasn’t until she stared at Mistress Tula that she knew what she had to do. Mistress Tula made eye contact and softly shook her head. Silently she was instructing Elbi to not let the man touch her. Could she die with honor as the two other women before her had?
General Rhys nodded at his soldier. “Kill her.” His command was quick and simple.
His henchman placed the knife at her neck, but his arm stopped just as it pinched Elbi’s skin. The sickly looking man staggered back, gasping for air and fell down to his knees.
Bewildered, Elbi craned her neck, seeing right into his once life-filled eyes. Was he dead?
She shuffled forward at a cry in the open desert. Elbi clutched her nude body, peering out through her scraggly, matted hair. Men with axes, swords, and knives rushed out from behind concrete rubble, moving in a wave across the sand.
“Goddamn, Lazar...” General Rhys cursed as he pulled his sword from his belt, ready to take a stand.
The Jaden men charged, leaving the harem girls alone in the sand. A haze of death, screams and bloodshed blurred around them. Elbi kneeled on the ground, huddled with the women, and wished for the best. Helpless by the ties around their hands, the women could do nothing but watch the battle around them.
Elbi then saw a man running toward her as she sat on her knees. Briskly, he brandished his knife and ripped through her flimsy restraints. The shooting pain Elbi felt was only an afterthought as she looked up into the man’s deep brown eyes. She remembered those eyes.
She had only seen them once before, but she knew them. Malachi. Malachi Lazar was here to save them. When she tried to stand, he grabbed her frail arms and pulled her to her feet.
“We need to cut them all loose,” he shouted. “Get them out of here now!”
General Rhys, and his Jaden army, retreated back into the desert abyss. It was hard for her to believe anyone would save her—save any of them. As the other men hacked free the captured women, she pressed her hand on Malachi’s sleeve. Elbi honestly didn’t know if she could remain standing. A faint darkness threatened to overcome her as a ringing buzzed in her ears.
“You saved me,” she said, her voice quiet and grateful. “They were going to kill me. Kill us all.”
“You look pretty damned shaken,” he replied. “Did they hurt you? Are you able to walk?”
She tried to take a step and her legs buckled underneath her. In that exact moment, he reeled her in close to his chest. The heat of being held so tight made her skin prickle on her arms and legs. Being bundled like that eased her violent trembling and allowed her to breathe at a normal cadence.
Running footsteps approached as one of Lazar’s men flew up and stood before them. “Sir, it’s all clear.”
“How many dead?” Malachi’s breath was warm against the side of her face as his embrace remained strong around her small frame.
“Two girls and seven men in battle. We killed ten of their men before they ran off like cowards.”
“Help these women get dressed and covered,” he ordered. “Make sure everyone is taken care of and ready to travel.”
He looked down at Elbi, scanning her face and body. Elbi couldn’t help but feel self conscious that her once long blonde hair now hung in gnarled tangles around her head, and dirt coated her entire body. “Are you going to be all right for now?” he asked.
