by Rachel Clark
He stood then, levering his hulking, over-inflated body out of the throne. Keytark tugged at the Pendarian women’s leashes as they struggled to gain their balance. Ben and Trey both stood as a sign of their feigned respect, and Keytark smiled at them in arrogant approval.
“Tell chef to prepare meals. I am certain that our guests will prefer to eat in their rooms as they sample our finest slaves.” He laughed again, and then every soldier in the room followed Keytark at a discreet distance, except for the newest arrival. He turned to Ben and Trey.
“I will show you to your quarters. Do you have a preference on which slaves I should deliver? We have several species, mostly female, and all of them very well trained.”
Ben watched as Trey pasted a lascivious grin on his face and made a show of considering their options.
“I admit to curiosity over the two Pendarian women Keytark had with him. Are they available?” Ben and Trey both watched as the soldier shifted uncomfortably.
“They are still in training. We have many slaves who would give you far more pleasure than those two.”
“Ahh, but I do love a challenge.” Ben dropped his hand to caress Tee-ani’s face as she knelt beside him, her face pressed against his thigh. “I haven’t needed to discipline this one in such a long time and I find that I miss the chance to redden a woman’s ass until it glows. Perhaps Keytark would consider it a personal favor. My brother and I would be more than happy to take over their training for this evening.”
“As you wish.” The soldier nodded stiffly. “If you would follow me, I will show you to the guest rooms and then organize the slaves.”
Ben nodded at Trey, pulled Tee-ani’s leash, and then the three of them followed the soldier from the room.
* * * *
It seemed like they’d only just closed the door when it opened again and a pale, gaunt woman pushed a trolley into the middle of the space. Delicious smells wafted into the room, but all Tee-ani could think about was the woman who delivered the food. She looked human, and it appeared obvious that Keytark fed his slaves only enough to keep them alive.
A soldier stood in the doorway as she unloaded plate after plate of food. Her task complete, the woman quickly turned the trolley and scurried from the room. Tee-ani glanced at Ben and Trey, almost forgetting about the soldier who stood in the doorway. She wanted to cry for the woman and now, more than ever, she knew that they couldn’t leave here without rescuing all of the slaves.
So much for simple plans.
Before the door could close for a second time, the soldier from the throne room stepped through. He held the leashes of four women—a human, the two Pendarian women, and G’baena. Tee-ani barely managed to swallow the outrage expanding in her chest. She hadn’t been able to see G’baena in the throne room because of the way she’d been pressed against Ben’s leg, but the sight of her now filled her with agony. G’baena was even thinner than the last time she’d seen her. No longer the fresh faced child she’d seemed on the slave ship, G’baena’s posture and expression telegraphed a loss of innocence and a loss of all hope. The three women with her didn’t look much better. The doctor in Tee-ani itched to get her medical equipment and heal their scars, but a sensible part of her realized that she couldn’t blow their cover without getting them all killed…or worse. Silently she vowed that soon, very soon, these women would once again know freedom.
Trey stepped forward, gathered their leashes in his hand, and pulled the women into the room. “Ahh, thank you. I look forward to continuing their training.” He closed the door with a final click, keyed the locking code, and then squatted in front of the women to undo their leashes. Tee-ani watched as G’baena kept her eyes lowered to the floor and noticed that she didn’t so much as flinch at the sound of another G’trobian’s musical voice. She seemed so withdrawn, so lifeless, that for a brief moment, Tee-ani wondered if they weren’t already too late to save her.
“Pet, take these slaves into the bathroom and make sure they are cleansed thoroughly.” He said it with the authority of a slave owner, but his eyes showed his distress, and for a moment, Tee-ani feared he was about to blow their cover. Surely, Keytark was paranoid enough to be monitoring their every move. They’d discussed it before they’d left the ship. They knew that there would be recording equipment everywhere. They couldn’t afford to let down their guard, not even for a moment.
“Yes, master,” she said quietly as she moved toward the women. They followed her into the large bathroom, none of them even trying to make eye contact with the woman charged with their care.
Once inside the room, Tee-ani wanted to close the door but suspected that it would look suspicious to whoever monitored their movements. She knew what Keytark expected from Ben and Trey. She just hoped they could find a way to disrupt the live recording without alerting anyone. It was essential that they find a way to reassure these women, and they couldn’t do that under constant surveillance.
A quick glance around the room revealed a bath big enough for a party. It had been so long since Tee-ani had seen running water that it took her a moment to realize what it was. Twisting the taps, she listened intently to the conversation between Ben and Trey in the other room. They were laughing and joking about the discipline they would practice on the women, but Tee-ani knew they were carefully examining the room to figure out where and how they were being monitored.
“Please undress and get into the bath. My masters wish for you to be thoroughly cleansed before they proceed with your training.” One of the Pendarian women flinched at the word “training” and Tee-ani’s soul cried out to her to comfort this woman. Grinding her back teeth against the impulse, Tee-ani turned to check on G’baena. The woman was looking at her, her eyes as wide as a star burst. She looked like she was about to say something, so Tee-ani stepped forward and touched the younger woman’s cheek.
“My masters have traveled far to find you. Show them that you are worth their effort, slave.” Hell, that sounded so wrong. Tee-ani desperately wanted to let her know they were there to help, but to say so out loud would jeopardize everything they were working for. Tee-ani held her gaze for a moment longer and then nodded slightly. She had no idea if G’baena had identified Ben and Trey, but it was obvious she recognized Tee-ani.
As the four women undressed and slid into the warm water, Tee-ani wanted to cry. They all carried scars and bruises that spoke of their mistreatment. The doctor in Tee-ani wanted to grab her medical bag—to hell with the consequences—but until Ben and Trey could find a way for them all to leave safely, she could only close her eyes against the horror. Soon…very soon, she vowed, she would be able to explain and help these women recover, but for now, she needed to stay quiet.
“Pet.” Trey’s deep voice from the doorway startled her, but she quickly moved toward him and dropped to her knees at his feet. “You will service me now. Undress!”
Shit. This was not good news. The only explanation—that they hadn’t been able to interfere with the surveillance—raced around and around in her head with dizzying speed. If they couldn’t get rid of the audience, then Ben and Trey would need to follow through on their offer to discipline these slaves. Tee-ani couldn’t let that happen.
She didn’t dare raise her eyes to see his face, but she needed him to understand what she was thinking. She snaked her hand around his leg, digging her fingers into his calf muscle. Tee-ani almost melted in relief when Trey barked another order in a loud, irritated voice.
“Service me immediately or you will be punished.”
Oh, thank the universe for empaths. She pretended to lose her balance as she tried to stand, and Trey grabbed her arm in a tight grip. He flung her toward the large bed in the middle of the room, and she threw herself into the action so that it looked like he’d manhandled her far more roughly. She knew what the other women must be thinking in the bathroom, but at this moment, she had no way to explain. She just hoped that she and Trey could put on a convincing enough show for whoever watched the survei
llance.
If Trey and Ben could spend the night disciplining her, they wouldn’t have time for the others and it would be a plausible excuse for not following through on their offer for the Pendarian women.
Trey stood over her, fury written on his face. He seemed a damn good actor, and for a moment, her time on the slave ship roared into her mind and her system flooded with the all too familiar fear. He must’ve sensed her spike in terror because he dropped onto the bed and pinned her beneath him. His words of love and reassurance were soft, barely spoken close to her ear, but she heard them and found her courage.
Chapter Nine
Trapped. He’d known it from the moment they’d discovered the sophisticated surveillance system. There seemed no way around it. To keep their cover, they needed to follow through on their discussion with Keytark. If they didn’t discipline the women Keytark sent to them, they were all in very grave danger.
Trey had demanded Tee-ani’s presence, hoping somehow to explain the situation, but his beautiful lover had already worked it out. Her compassion and fear for the other women had been very clear, and he believed that even without telepathic skills, he would’ve understood her thoughts. She put herself in the middle, willing to receive punishment in the other women’s stead.
Goddess, he loved this woman.
A moment ago her fear had spiked, so he dropped forward, pinned her to the bed, and risked three words—I love you. Tee-ani’s fear abated quickly, but he still had no idea what to do. He’d never raised his hand against a woman in his life, yet here he was, undercover as a slave owner and trying to convince any number of unknown watchers that he was genuine.
He rolled off her, stood beside her prone form, and tried to portray menacing authority at the same time that he tried to privately convey caring and respect for the woman he loved more than life. Ben stepped forward and tore the skimpy, barely-there clothes from her body and then pulled her to a standing position. He could feel Ben’s fear as well as his own, and he was grateful when Ben pulled Tee-ani over his lap, ass in the air, and slapped her hard.
Tee-ani’s skin showed a deep pink hand print before Ben rubbed a soothing hand over the abused flesh. He could feel his brother’s anguish as he raised his hand to smack their woman again, but most surprisingly, he could feel desire unfurling in Tee-ani’s emotions.
With everything that was happening, Trey had the insane urge to giggle like a little kid. How fucked up could a situation get? They were here to rescue G’baena, but somehow, without discussing it, they’d changed their plans to include rescuing all of the slaves, and now they were exploring kinky sex with an audience instead. Considering the predicament, it was probably a good thing that Tee-ani liked being spanked, but they could really use a plan B.
Another loud smack sounded through the room, Tee-ani’s high-pitched squeak reaching him at the same time as the spicy scent of her arousal. Trey groaned as his cock thickened and a myriad of kinky ideas flashed through his brain.
Plan B. Concentrate, for fuck’s sake.
* * * *
Ben silently thanked the old girlfriend who’d taught him the pleasure of a sensual spanking. He kept his blows short and sharp so that he got maximum color, but minimum pain. Tee-ani’s ass practically glowed, but he could feel her arousal and silently thanked the goddess. It would’ve been a thousand times harder to stay undercover if Tee-ani had been frightened or hurting. As it was, he barely held back the urge to spread her on the bed and take her hard and fast. It sure didn’t help his peace of mind that he felt the same urge coursing through his brother.
Tee-ani’s thighs glistened with her juices, so he pushed three fingers inside her and pumped quickly. The action looked rougher than it actually was and would’ve been painful for her if she hadn’t been so slick with her desire. He finger fucked her a few more times and then resumed the spanking.
Tee-ani melted against him, her head hanging low, her legs bent and doing nothing to hold her up.
“Who is in charge?”
“You are, Master.” Her voice was husky, the erotic need in it sending an urgent pulse of desire to his groin. Goddess, audience or not, he really needed to fuck her. Judging by Trey’s frozen posture and rampaging emotions, he did too.
Ben pushed her off his lap and let her slither onto the floor at his feet. Tears streaked her face, but her emotions were pure sin. She wanted them both, their audience be damned.
He shook his head, trying to clear the sensual haze. Hell, there had to be a plan B.
* * * *
Tee-ani panted at his feet. God, just a stroke or two against her clit and she was going to go off like a Kenplirkian flash explosive.
What a time to realize she had a kinky side…
She knew Ben was hard and wanting, and a quick glance at Trey confirmed he felt the same. She no longer cared if they had an audience. If her men wanted to fuck her right here, right now, even without the need to keep their cover, she would submit wholeheartedly. She only hoped that the slavers watching wouldn’t think she enjoyed it too much.
The loud squawk of Ben’s communicator was so unexpected that she barely controlled her urge to startle at the noise. How would the ship know to contact them now?
“What!” Ben barked into the instrument. He sure sounded like a man interrupted during intense sex. A deep, familiar voice laughed through the connection—Judge, G’ntriel’s husband. G’ntriel must’ve been monitoring their emotions. Was there anything the G’trobian female couldn’t do? Tee-ani almost shook her head in wonder. How far could Tee-ani’s empathic skills stretch for people she knew and cared for?
Judge’s voice sounded gravelly and menacing. If anyone monitoring the room got a good look at the man framed in the window of the communicator, they would see the ugliest, most dangerous-looking human this side of the galaxy. Judge often instilled fear just by a single glance. But Tee-ani knew better. Judge was one of the kindest, most generous souls she’d ever met, and he truly loved his wife, G’ntriel. He used his appearance to his advantage when he needed to, but he never lived up to it.
“Have you managed to locate the toy you sought?”
“Yes,” Ben groused impatiently. “We were getting ready to play with several new toys when you interrupted. What is so damned important that you would disrupt us?”
Again, the harsh laugh. “Sounds like I’m missing all the fun, but I have a job I need done and you and your brother are the only ones who I trust to do it right. Put your cocks back in your pants and get back here pronto.”
“Oh, you impatient Quintarkian fucker, can’t it wait a day?”
“Bring your toys with you. Grab a couple for me while you’re at it. It’s a long time since I had some fun myself. Maybe we could make it a party.”
“Fine. We’ll speak to Keytark and leave the planet shortly.”
Ben closed the connection and threw the communicator across the room in feigned annoyance.
“Pet,” Trey spoke loudly. “Prepare the other slaves for transport. We leave in twenty standard minutes. Be ready or your ass will be so red you won’t be able to sit for days.”
God help her, even the empty threat had her pussy pulsing.
“Yes, Master.”
* * * *
Less than a standard hour later, Ben and Trey barked orders at Tee-ani and six female slaves as they boarded the small craft. An obscene amount of money had changed hands, but for the first time in days, Ben felt like he could take a full breath.
With the women shackled together, it had been necessary to secure them in the cargo area until they could safely explain the situation. Tee-ani stayed with them, her concern for the soon-to-be former slaves very clearly conveyed in her emotions. Ben closed the door to the small craft and then started the ship and prepared for takeoff. They only waited for clearance to leave this place and hopefully carry their passengers to a safer future.
The next words through the ship’s communications system made Ben’s heart beat much harder. “Ple
ase power down your ship. Master Keytark requests your presence.”
Ben glanced at his brother. Stay or go? Stay and keep their cover or run and risk pursuit and possible attack? Jordan and the rest of the pirate crew were close, but were they close enough to assist them in time?
“Fuck.” Trey breathed the word as he leaned over and killed the ship’s start-up sequence. Ben knew they could help more people if they managed to keep their cover, but the knowledge didn’t stop his heart from beating double time. Taking a deep breath, he moved to the cargo area.
“Pet,” he barked, “Master Keytark wishes to see us. You will stay here and keep the slaves under control.” And fly away from here if our cover’s blown. Goddess, he needed to say the words out loud, needed to hear her agree to run without him if they couldn’t get back. He felt her fear and her apprehension, but he also felt her strongest emotion…determination. Thank the goddess. She would do what was necessary.
He stepped forward to touch her face lovingly, but his words were for anyone else who listened. “Keep the slaves locked up and stay with them or your punishment will be severe.”
She nodded and kept her eyes on his.
“Yes, Master.”
* * * *
Guards led Trey and Ben back into the throne room and not for the first time, Trey wished he carried a weapon. Anything would do. A phase pistol, a Pendarian laser sword, hell, even an ancient Earth projectile pistol like the one that had almost killed Sarah recently. Anything that would make him feel less vulnerable. A quick glance at all the guards in the room suggested that hand-to-hand combat would not be a good idea.
“Ah, there you are.” Keytark’s voice sounded friendly enough, but his eyes spoke a different story. The man was suspicious. “It is a shame that you couldn’t stay longer, but I wanted to give you a parting gift, a gesture of goodwill for our new business arrangement.” He clapped his hands sharply and a young man dashed into the room and dropped at Keytark’s feet. “This is one of my finest slaves.”
