His to Command (Alien Masters Book 1)

by Kallista Dane

  She tuned out his words, knowing she deserved to be punished. She’d been foolish and vulnerable, allowing the human weakness called love to make her lose sight of her duty.

  It was only when the onslaught slowed that she became aware that his voice had changed. He sounded—there was only one word for it—sad. How strange. He had nothing to be sad about. She was the one with the broken heart.

  Finally his hand stopped whaling on her backside. He spoke again, his voice barely a whisper.

  “It angers me to think of any other man touching you. But it tears my heart in half to think you may have taken pleasure in it. I thought what we had was special. I thought you had grown to care for me.”

  His voice broke then. Stunned, AJ thought she heard him choke back a sob. He shoved her off his lap and got up to stride across the room with his back to her.

  AJ didn’t stop to think. She spoke from her heart. “I lied. There were no other men. There has never been another man. You are my first. My only…”

  She struggled to go on, unshed tears forming a lump in her throat. “I…I do care for you. And I thought you cared for me too. Why did you do it, Kaden? Why did you take Dianna to your bed the other night?”

  “Take her to my bed?” He whirled around. “Have you gone mad?”

  “Don’t try to deny it. I saw you… with her. Holding her. Kissing her. Stroking her hair with the same gentle touch you use on me.”

  He laughed. The sound stabbed AJ anew, a spear straight to her heart. She let go then, sobbing as she threw herself at him, pummeling his chest with both fists.

  “You laugh? My soul is crushed and you laugh? You’re worse than I thought. You’re a…a heartless beast!”

  His arms closed around her like a vise, crushing her to his chest. “Tajina. My Tajina,” he crooned.

  AJ struggled against him. “Shut up! I’m not your Tajina.”

  He laughed again. “I named you well. You’re a little wildcat.” She took a swing at him and he grabbed her fist, pulling it to his mouth and kissing her clenched fingers. “I’m flattered to see how much I mean to you. You wouldn’t be this angry if you didn’t care about me. Now come here.” He pulled her to the bed and sat down, cradling her on his lap. AJ turned her head away.

  “Listen to me, Tajina. What you saw was not a romantic tryst. It was a reunion, long in coming. Dianna is the reason I came to Petra.”

  AJ couldn’t hold back a cry of despair. Kaden hurried on. “No, my love, it’s not what you think. Dianna is my sister, my youngest sister. I tracked that worthless cur who stole her away from us all the way here—to Petra. I was afraid he’d sold her to Tok but I couldn’t ask any questions or admit that I knew her. Tok has spies everywhere. I’ve been watched ever since I arrived here and I feared that if I began making inquiries about Dianna, he’d lock her away somewhere and I’d never find her. Or worse, it might endanger her life.”

  He held her close and went on, stroking her back as he spoke. “I planned to tell you about her and ask your help in finding her. But that was the night you shared your mission with me. We talked for hours, laying out plans. Before I could tell you my secret, you kissed me for the first time… and everything else flew out of my mind at that moment. Except for how much I wanted to kiss you back.”

  He slid a finger under her chin and tipped her head up. “I want to kiss you now.” His lips came down on hers. Gently. Softly. Then he drew back. “There’s something you need to know about me, Tajina. I’m a one-woman man. When I find a mate, I claim her. She’s mine to protect, to cherish…” His voice deepened. “To ravage. I love you, Tajina. I love your fiery nature. I love your fearlessness. Gods be praised, I’ve even come to admire that calculating, rational soldier who lives in your head.”

  He kissed her again, longer and deeper, then put his hand over her breast. “But it’s the woman in here that I want with all my heart. The warm, gentle soul.” He moved his hand lower, stroking between her legs. “The hot, passionate lover. The one who screams my name as I thrust into her.”

  He slid a finger in. AJ moaned. “The woman who wraps her legs around me, grinds herself against me. Takes me deep inside.” He slid his finger deeper, began pumping in and out. “The woman who squeezes my cock with her pussy… yes, like that… until we both explode.” He slid in another finger. Rammed into her, found that sweet spot, stroking it with his fingers until she cried out, shuddering in his arms. “…and then she kisses me.”

  He stopped and looked down at her, fingers still buried deep inside her pussy. AJ wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in, her mouth capturing his. Kaden kissed her back. But there was no tenderness in his kiss. It was wild. Rough. Desperate. He poured out all his need, his hunger. AJ met his desperation with her own savage desire, taking his tongue in her mouth, sucking on it as though it was his cock.

  Kaden pulled away long enough to twist them both onto the bed and roll on top of her. “Yes. Fuck yes.” He slid his fingers out of her pussy and rammed his cock in. AJ came, the orgasm tearing through her as Kaden took her, then came again as he rode her to his own shattering climax.

  Chapter Ten

  They chose the perfect night. Tok had a huge banquet planned to welcome the men who brought him enormous wealth, followed by a night of revelry in the Lyceum with his honored guests. All the Harlots were commanded to attend, serving at the feast and later providing entertainment for the buyers as well as for the group of soldiers they’d brought along to assure safe delivery of the precious cargo.

  Sophia had been preparing for days, collecting herbs and preparing a special potion she created from them. It was easy for her to walk right into the storeroom that afternoon with a basket piled high with fresh fruit. She hid the flask with the potion underneath, drugging the wine when the guard went back to his nap outside the door. Sophia assured AJ that after one glass, the men would barely be able to stagger to private rooms with the Harlots before falling into a stupor.

  Dianna enlisted the help of a dozen Harlots, all eager to do whatever was necessary to win their freedom. They planned to seduce the soldiers Tok assigned to guard duty as well. It would be a simple task to convince a thirsty, bored sentry to enjoy a glass of wine while having his cock sucked.

  Kaden hand-picked a small group of men to cause a distraction. They planned to create a breach in the dam at the far end of the valley. While all the available manpower rushed to repair the damage, Kaden and the rest of his band would lead the caravan loaded with rare earths deep into the mountains, then unload them in a cavern that Kaden had discovered on his journey to Petra. Some of the camels would be set loose, scattered in all directions to throw the men off their trail, while they used the others to make their escape across the mountains to Olympia.

  Meanwhile, once the men in the Lyceum were unconscious, AJ would lead Dianna and the other Harlots safely out of Petra through the narrow mountain pass, meeting up with Kaden and his men outside the city.

  At first, all went according to plan. The Harlots flirted and teased, all the while pouring flask after flask of drugged wine. By the time the meal ended, several of the men were already struggling to stay awake. The Harlots led them one by one to private rooms, stripped them naked, and tied them up. AJ saved Tok for herself.

  The general could barely stand upright by the time she led him to the lush suite reserved for his use in the Lyceum. But he had her tail in an iron grip. He wrapped his other fist around her braid and forced her to her knees.

  AJ tried a coy giggle, like the ones she’d heard the other Harlots use. “General, am I finally to experience your legendary Mastery? The Harlots all speak of the impressive gift nature has endowed you with.”

  “You talk tooo mush.” He slurred the words. “But I know how to shut you up. Open your mouth, Harlot, and I’ll give you a taste of my gifted nature.” He let go of her tail and fumbled to open his long gown. Pulling out a cock already as purple as the robe he wore, Tok yanked on her braid to force her head down.
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  Despite the amount of alcohol he’d consumed, the general had a massive erection. AJ wrapped her fingers around it and heard Tok grunt with satisfaction. His grunt turned into a howl when she took his sac in her other hand, digging her fingernails into the delicate skin as she tightened her grip.

  “You just earned yourself another session in the square with Thelo… if you live through this night.” Tok jerked hard on her braid and the band around her neck began cutting off her air supply.

  She gasped, then stared up at him defiantly and squeezed harder. It became a contest of wills—Tok slowly strangling her as she did her best to crush his scrotum with her bare hands. The man had an iron constitution. He showed no sign of passing out, despite the amount of drugged wine he’d consumed. Or maybe the pain she could see in his eyes had shocked him into sobriety.

  AJ knew she couldn’t hold on much longer. The room was growing dim. She barely registered the sound of the door crashing into the wall. Kaden’s voice rang out.

  “Let her go, Tok!”

  He managed a laugh. “Let her go? Look again, Atlantean. Your Harlot is determined to turn me into one of her Sacred Sisters!” He jerked the braid again. AJ swayed, but never let go of her death grip on his private parts.

  Kaden drew his sword. But instead of attacking the general, he sliced through her braid, leaving nearly a foot of it dangling from Tok’s fist. AJ slumped over, retching and gasping for breath as she used both hands to tear the golden collar away from her swollen neck.

  The general never hesitated. He tore off his robe and grabbed his own sword from where he’d dropped it on the bed when they came into the room. Then he let out a roar and charged at Kaden.

  AJ had trained as a soldier for years. But she’d never witnessed true mortal combat. Two foes battling to the death with primitive weapons. Broad iron blades honed to a lethal edge, clanging together over and over with a deafening crash. Both men fought with a vicious intensity that shocked her to the core. No clever twirling of blades. No thrusts or parries. They struggled, inches apart, ceaseless attacks of brute force.

  Kaden was bigger. But Tok moved in close, using his lower center of gravity and impressive upper body strength to his advantage. He drew first blood, slashing at Kaden’s chest. Kaden twisted, taking the blow along his side. AJ caught the glint of a rib bone through the torrent of blood welling up. But she was powerless to intercede. Both men moved around the room as swift as lightning, performing steps they’d perfected since boyhood in this perverse dance of death.

  Bodies dripped with sweat. Kaden’s blood smeared over both of them, slick and dark, gleaming in the candlelight. They battled grimly, silently, neither of them wasting breath on taunts or threats.

  Tok backed away. But before Kaden could move in for the kill, the general whirled around, grabbed AJ, and pressed the blade of his sword against her neck.

  “Drop your weapon.”

  “Don’t do it, Kaden! He’ll kill us both.”

  Tok dug the edge of the blade harder into her skin. A thin red stream trickled down her neck.

  “Drop your weapon or watch her die.”

  Kaden looked into her eyes and smiled. “My fiery, cunning wildcat. My Tajina.”

  AJ reached down with her left hand and grabbed her tail. Twisting it around her palm to protect her hand, she seized Tok’s sword by the flat of the blade and shoved it away. At the same time, she rammed the elbow of her right arm into Tok’s groin.

  He bent forward, grunting in pain. Those precious seconds were all Kaden needed. With a roar, he plunged his sword into Tok’s chest.

  The general crumpled to the floor. Kaden ignored him, sweeping AJ into his arms. “How badly are you hurt?” He grabbed a corner of Tok’s discarded robe, pressing it to her neck to staunch the flow of blood.

  “I’m all right. It’s just a shallow cut.” She pushed him down onto the bed. “Let me see to your wound.”

  Kaden looked down, as though realizing for the first time that he’d been injured. “No vital organs have fallen out. I’ll be fine.”

  “How can you joke at a time like this?” She tore the general’s robe into strips and began wrapping them tightly around his chest, pulling the edges of the wound together.

  “You’re safe, Tajina. That’s all that matters.” He stroked her head as she worked over him. “I’m sorry I had to cut off your beautiful hair.”

  “I’m not. You saved my life. Besides, I was growing weary of that braid. Maybe I’ll wear my hair like yours—falling in waves to just below my jaw, tossed by every breeze.” Gently, she brushed a stray lock off his sweaty forehead.

  “We must go.” Kaden struggled to a seating position, trying to stifle a groan. “But first, let me divest you of this.” He pulled AJ across his lap, face down, and unfastened the red tail. “This I’ll save—for the memories.” His voice held a note of playfulness as he tucked it into his belt.

  Then he tore off the leather harness. His fingers were gentle as he took hold of the base and removed the metal probe. He threw it across the room. “We have no need of that,” he murmured, running his rough palm over her bottom. “From now on, when your ass is aching to be filled, I’ll use my own device.”

  Despite his pain and weariness, AJ felt the familiar swelling of his cock against her mound. She slipped off his lap, smiling. “I’d love nothing more than to pleasure my Master right now. But I’m afraid there’s no time for that. You’re right. We need to go. Have some wine first. A small amount will dull the pain without putting you to sleep.” She handed him a flask and coaxed him to take a few swallows. “We planned to meet outside the city,” she said as he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth and handed it back. “Why did you come back?”

  “You can’t escape through the pass. My men did too good a job sabotaging the dam. It ruptured. A raging torrent is pouring into the valley. The pass is already flooded and the lowest part of the city will soon be under water. It’s chaos out there. Most of Tok’s army has deserted him, refusing to stay here and risk drowning at their posts. The overseers from the mines are fleeing, climbing high into the far end of the valley to try to find a way out. They fear that without Tok’s guards to protect them, the miners will take revenge for the working conditions they’ve been forced to endure. Despite all his rhetoric, Tok’s regime has treated the male workers in Petra almost as cruelly as he’s treated the women. Only those in his inner circle actually led the life of gods he promised to all the men who came here.” Kaden struggled painfully to his feet. “We have to find another way to get you and the Harlots out of Petra.”

  AJ looked down at Tok’s lifeless body. “I know a way. I saw it that first day, when I was dragged through the streets to the general’s office.”

  With AJ leading the way, they ran to the Great Hall, where they found the other Harlots waiting in a frightened cluster. Kaden calmed the women, explaining there’d been a change of plans. “We’re heading for the Citadel,” he announced. “Stay together.” Then he looked them over. “Get rid of those high sandals. Find a guard your size and take his shoes. Take their clothes as well. It will be easier for you to move quickly without those long gowns.”

  AJ had already taken off the hated platform heels. She wore a pair of flat leather sandals, laced up to her calves, and a short belted tunic, both stolen from one of Tok’s guards, now lying naked and asleep in the hall outside the general’s suite.

  Dianna led the way as the other women obeyed, scattering through the Lyceum to gather clothes. Once dressed, they made their way through streets crowded with frightened people swarming in every direction. It was only a short distance to the Citadel but they had to detour several times to avoid squads of soldiers running through the streets. A man in a dark alleyway tried to grab one of the Harlots, but the tip of Kaden’s sword against his privates convinced him to back away. The rest of the panicked citizens of Petra were too busy trying to save their own lives to worry about a handful of women loose in the street.


  A throng of people poured into the square. Kaden and AJ muscled their way through the crowd, leading the Harlots up the steps to the Citadel. Inside, chaos reigned. Praying that she’d remember the way, AJ led them down the twisting halls, passing whole families bent on taking refuge in the warren of empty rooms there. The Citadel was the highest point in Petra, safe from the torrent of water pouring into the valley.

  AJ stopped in front of the ten foot high entrance to Tok’s office. Kaden grabbed a torch off the wall outside and kicked in the door. One quick glance told him the room was empty. He ushered the women in and barred the door from inside.

  Meanwhile, AJ swept the books and ledgers off the wooden table Tok used for a desk. She dragged over a small chest. Kaden lifted it onto the table. He took off his sandals, tucking them into his belt, climbed on top and reached up. “More. I need something more,” he called out. AJ grabbed a pile of thick ledgers and handed them up.

  The additional height was all he needed to boost him into the narrow shaft carved out of solid rock leading up to the skylight. The soft glow of Neodyma’s purple moon poured down over him, back braced against the smooth rock wall as he inched his way up the shaft with his bare hands and feet. It was at least fifteen feet to the top and he stopped a few times, gasping for breath. AJ could see that his strength was nearly gone. Blood seeped out through the bandage around his wound, dripping down onto the ledgers stacked on the chest.

  Finally he stopped, fumbling for the sword in its sheath around his waist. “Back away,” he called. She heard a crash. Shards of glass rained down. Moonlight disappeared as he heaved his bulk through the opening. There was silence for a moment, then she saw the end of a rope drop. “Send Dianna up,” he shouted.

  AJ swept away the jagged shards of glass and helped Dianna tie the rope around her waist. Then she climbed onto the table herself and boosted the young woman up, balancing Dianna’s feet on her shoulders to take as much of the burden off Kaden as she possibly could. Dianna was light and slender, easy to lift. Soon she grabbed the edge of the skylight and climbed through the top.