* * *
It must have been nearly dawn by the time Eva finished examining her and instructed the two women to lead her to a small room off another of the endless dimly lit corridors. Unlike some of the naturally occurring caves she’d seen, this one looked like it had been chiseled out of the bedrock. They pointed to a heap of furs in the corner, more of a nest than a bed. But it was soft and warm and Lexi was exhausted. She sank down and fell asleep almost immediately.
Hours later, she woke to the distant echo of drums. She had no idea how long she’d slept. Inside this series of caves, it was impossible to tell whether it was night or day. Mara was curled up at the other end of the room, snoring gently, blocking the doorway even in her sleep to make sure Lexi didn’t escape.
Nadina appeared soon after she awoke, bringing a platter of food. The texture was odd, as were the colors—bright orange and purple. She took a hesitant bite. Soft, spongy, like some kind of fungi. But it tasted good. Up till now, they hadn’t given her any food. She’d had nothing in her stomach since she left Earth and by now she was hungry enough to eat almost anything.
From Nadina’s conversation with Mother Eva yesterday, she’d gathered that as well as being wrapped in the gooey green substance, part of the treatment for exposure to the dangerous rays of their twin suns was fasting while flushing the body with that bitter herbal drink. She hoped this meal signified the treatment was over.
After she’d eaten her fill, the women escorted her to yet another bathing room. This basin held clear water, sprinkled with fragrant flower petals. She was allowed to wash herself this time. But both women watched her every move. Lexi tried not to flush with embarrassment. She’d been kept nearly naked during her confinement, given no privacy, and the feeling of violation was horrid.
Once again they insisted on helping her from the tub. Leading her to a small bench, they worked a wide comb through her tangled hair, then wove strands of glowing beads into twin braids that started at her forehead and wrapped around to the back of her head like a crown, leaving the rest of her hair to billow out beneath it. She’d seen many of the people here wearing similar beads and stones in all different sizes and shapes, some around their necks, others fashioned into bracelets. Mother Eva’s were made of a phosphorescent crystal, nearly transparent, with soft lights in shades of turquoise and green and rose emanating from deep inside.
After fussing with Lexi’s hair for what seemed like hours, Nadina reached for a small jar on the table in front of her. She dipped her fingers in and they came out coated with a reddish paste. Hesitantly, Nadina stretched out a hand, stroking some of the substance onto Lexi’s cheeks. When she didn’t protest, Nadina dipped her finger in again and then ran it over Lexi’s lips.
She’d seen other women in the Tryb, their faces daubed with color here and there. Back on Earth many women had permanent cosmetics applied, but she’d never seen the need to alter her body in such a frivolous way.
The two attendants seemed bent on adorning her and Lexi had learned by now it was easier to simply allow it than to fight back in any way. She wanted to keep up the pretense of being a docile captive as long as possible. They’d be lulled into a false sense of security, making her eventual escape that much easier.
But she shrank back when Mara tried to rub the reddish paste on her nipples. Mara pleaded with her, near tears, even though as far as she knew, Lexi couldn’t understand a word.
“Please, we only want you to look your best. How can you attract a strong hunter to provide for you if you don’t display your charms?”
Lexi hadn’t tried out her ability to speak the language yet, but she longed to shout out, “I’ve been taking care of myself all my life. I don’t need some crude warrior staking his claim on me as though I’m a piece of property!”
Still, it wouldn’t do for Mara to go to Mother Eva and complain. So she gritted her teeth and allowed the woman to coat her nipples bright red.
They tied a wide strip of brightly patterned cloth around her waist that left her body entirely bare along one side except where it came together in a knot on her hip. The fabric barely reached her knees, exposing one leg completely and offering a glimpse of her private parts with every step she took. Nadina wrapped another cloak over her shoulders, fastening it together loosely around her neck.
Horrified, she realized they planned to display her at the feast wearing only the short sarong-type skirt and open cloak tossed over her shoulders. She already flushed with embarrassment every time Nadina or Mara looked at her. Now her naked breasts would be on display in front of all those leering men.
To her surprise, the women tied her wrists together in front of her with a long strip of leather. They walked out of the room, leading her down the hall by the other end, like a dog on a leash. Every twist and turn in the passageway brought them nearer to the compelling drumbeats—and to the source of her humiliation.
* * *
She cringed against the smooth stone wall in a corner of the main hall, wishing she’d never had the chip installed at all. At least she’d be blissfully unaware right now of what the coming night had in store for her.
Flames danced in front of her eyes, flickering remnants of the enormous fire that burned all last night, heating the large flat stones lining the bottom of the pit. Wrapped in a plant that looked like seaweed, the narliphant meat gave off a mouth-watering aroma as it roasted over the hot stones all day. Now, only a few hunks remained in the pit, all that was left after everyone ate their fill.
Around the edges of the fire pit, the clay pots that simmered for hours were nearly empty too. The thick vegetable stew cooked in a broth of narliphant bones and fragrant herbs was a big hit. Lexi could understand why. She didn’t think her stomach would hold down a bite of food, but once Nadina urged her to try a little of the dish, she’d ended up eating every last spoonful.
The children had been fed first and taken to bed long ago, watched over by older siblings while their mothers came back to enjoy the adult portion of the evening’s entertainment. Now drums beat out a savage rhythm. Men and women twirled and danced. Voices rose in song. Kegs of sweet-smelling liquor stood here and there, surrounded by rowdy groups of people filling their cups.
Strong spirits had long been outlawed on Earth for the volatile effect they had on human behavior. Now Lexi could see why. Apparently drink lowered inhibitions. Many of the women had already shed their upper garments completely. Naked breasts of all sizes and shapes swayed and bounced to the rhythmic pounding of the drums. She’d seen quite a few couples locked in embraces far more lustful than the one she witnessed back home.
These people exhibited so many strange behaviors. Earlier in the evening, several women had bared their upper bodies and allowed infants to suckle at their breasts. Lexi knew this was a primitive form of feeding one’s offspring. But now she’d seen more than one grown man bend his head, take a woman’s breast in his mouth and suck it like a babe. Not only did the women allow it, they even seemed to take pleasure in the act—throwing their heads back, moaning, grasping the men in a tight embrace the whole time.
Lexi could see everything from the shadowy corner where she’d been kept all evening, watched over by the ever-present Mara and Nadina. From what she’d gathered, the two women were apprentices to Mother Eva, being groomed to one day take over the role of matriarch of the Tryb, as they called themselves. Eva had an heir and a spare, just like a monarch of old back on Earth.
For the last few hours, she’d been crouching in this shadowy corner, the other end of her leash wrapped tightly around an outcropping of rock. She could see and hear everything, but no one in the crowd could see her. Her attendants took turns keeping watch over her, one of them staying nearby at all times while the other joined in the festivities for a while, coming back with plates piled high with meat or savory treats.
This time it was Mara’s turn to leave. She returned carrying three cups overflowing with the potent liquor.
They persuaded her to
try a little of the brew. It tasted sweet at first, like a mixture of honey and crushed fruit. Lexi drank deeply. But as it worked its way down her throat, the drink ignited a streak of fire all the way down to her belly. After only a few sips, her head was spinning. The drumbeats vibrated through her bones and as she stared into their depths, even the flames seemed to dance along to the hypnotic beat.
Suddenly the drums stopped. The crowd fell silent. All eyes were on Mother Eva as she stepped up onto an outcropping of rock that served as a natural stage. She raised her arms high. Her voice rang out, loud and strong despite her advanced age.
“Children of the Tryb, let us give thanks to all the gods for this bounteous feast.”
Shouts rang out and many in the crowd threw their hands up in the air as well.
“Our skilled hunters have brought down this mighty beast, the largest we’ve seen in many a year. Let us thank them as well. Ayron. Khan. Nazery. Eli. Balek. Come forward.”
She motioned for the men to join her on the platform. They were dressed as warriors tonight. Chests bare, displaying powerful bodies packed with muscle. Gold chains bearing glowing gemstones and animal claws hung from their necks, gleaming in the firelight. They all wore short dark cloths slung around their hips, showing off the powerful thighs and calves needed to track a huge beast for miles, with flat leather sandals laced halfway to their knees.
Each man wore his hair in a distinct style. Khan gathered it all into a towering topknot, tied with leather thongs strung with shards of bone. Eli’s black hair hung in two long braids, interwoven with glowing stones on fine gold wire. Nazery rubbed a dark red paste into his hair and wore it cropped close to his skull, while Balek’s bald head had been oiled until it gleamed in the firelight. He sported a headpiece made to look like two dark, pointed ears that fit over his own. When he smiled, showing off those teeth filed into fangs, he looked even more like a dangerous jungle cat.
Ayron stood apart. He hadn’t given way to vanity, adorning himself the way the others did. His long dark hair shot through with a few streaks of gray flowed down to his shoulders, held back once again by a simple band of leather tied behind his head. Around his neck was the glowing green stone he’d worn when she first saw him. His only concessions to vanity were the matching wide gold cuffs he wore around his wrists.
The men stood on the platform, alternately preening and clowning around, playing to the crowd. A roar went up, echoing off the stone walls of the cavern. Eva let it go on, then waved them all to silence once again.
“Our brave hunters brought back another prize as well. A female creature, rare and strangely beautiful. In all my years I have never beheld such a sight.”
She clapped her hands. Nadina and Mara had been waiting for the signal. They had already tossed aside Lexi’s cloak and untied the leather strap holding her in place, replacing it with two long ropes fastened around her wrists. The women each took one and dragged her reluctantly out onto the center of the platform. Lexi stumbled once. Then she drew in her breath, pulled herself to her full height and stepped forward out of the shadows, determined not to let them see her embarrassment at being paraded in front of these savages half-naked.
The crowd went wild. For many, it was their first glimpse of her, one they’d been eagerly anticipating. Her attendants had no idea she could understand them so they’d been speaking freely in front of her. Based on their gossip, she’d been the main topic of conversation in the Tryb for the last twenty-four hours. Rumors flew. Some said they knew for a fact she was a mutant with both male and female sexual organs. Others swore she’d been found alone in the outlands because she’d killed and eaten her mate. The hunters simply hadn’t bothered to bring back his carcass.
Nadina and Mara led her to stand between a pair of massive stone pillars placed about ten feet apart. They sat squarely in the middle of the platform, each one easily twice as big around as Lexi’s whole body. The women pulled the ropes taut and fastened the other end of each one around a pillar, leaving Lexi bound between them, her arms stretched high in the air.
Mother Eva stepped in front of her, raising her hands again. Once more silence descended. “These men before you have risked their lives over and over for the good of our Tryb. As a tribute to their valiant service, I have a special treat for all of them,” she announced. A low hum ran through the assembly. She raised her voice to be heard over it. “A contest, a competition to see which of these men deserves the title of Master of the Hunt. They have hunted together in a pack for years, each one depending on the skills of the others to bring food to our people. Never seeking personal glory, always putting their own ego aside for the good of all.”
She stopped and looked at each one of them, smiling. “But like every mother, I know my children. Strong men have always been driven to test their mettle against their peers. They need to satisfy their manly urge to prove who is strongest. Fastest. Smartest.”
Her tone grew solemn. “Long ago, when these urges were not satisfied, our males sometimes waged war on each other, driving a wedge between the members of our Tryb and ultimately bringing destruction down upon our people. I vowed this would never happen under my reign as mother. So from time to time, after a feast, I hold a competition, a game where the strongest and most powerful among us can vie for the title of Hunt Master.”
Eva waved a hand over Lexi’s body. “As befitting the slaying of the mightiest of beasts, this will be a very special competition offering a very special prize.”
She walked dramatically down the row of hunters, stopping before each for a moment as she spoke. “Tonight these men will celebrate their victory. Each of you may choose a hunter, declare yourself a part of his team. Give him a blessed talisman or a secret weapon. Tomorrow night, they hunt again. The creature will be taken deep into the outlands and set free. The man who tracks her down and brings her back will claim her as his own, here in front of his team of supporters. From then on, she will belong to him, to do with as he pleases.”
The crowd let out a deafening cheer. Lexi tried hard not to react but she was horrified. Tomorrow she’d be dragged out into the hostile wasteland above ground and turned loose to be hunted down like a wild animal. If she survived, one of these savages would haul her back here and then do unspeakable things to her while his team watched and cheered him on.
Despite what she’d just heard, Lexi felt a grudging admiration for the old woman. She knew how to keep her Tryb under her thumb. Instead of giving them bread and circuses, like an ancient Roman emperor, she let them gorge themselves on a fresh kill and an endless flow of strong drink. Then, a battle between her finest warriors, with a live sex show as the finale.
“Men, I invite you to inspect your quarry before you agree to compete. Take your time. Investigate her charms. See for yourselves if this prize is worth facing the dangers of an epic hunt. The Tryb awaits your decision.”
All five men turned as one and began advancing on Lexi. The crowd cheered them on. She strained against the bonds holding her in place as she looked from one arrogant face to another, seeing only dark eyes burning with lust.
Chapter Five
Eli got to her first. Running a hand down her body, cupping a naked breast, pinching and squeezing her nipples between his fingers. All the while staring into her eyes with a mocking smile on his face, reminding her that this time she couldn’t resist, couldn’t attack him. He involved the crowd, looking to them as if for approval before he ran one hand up her inner thigh to disappear under the scrap of cloth tied around her waist that passed for a skirt.
Lexi tried not to show any emotion. But it was impossible to disguise her body’s reaction. Her reddened nipples jutted out in hard little peaks. Despite her revulsion for the man, his probing fingers between her legs made her breathing quicken.
Meanwhile, Balek stayed true to his feline character. He rubbed his body sinuously against hers, then swept her hair off her neck. Sticking out his long tongue, he wiggled it suggestively and then started licking th
e spot just below her ear. He worked his way down her neck, all the while making low rumbling sounds like the purr of a tiger.
Balek dipped his head lower, running his tongue in lazy circles around her breast. Nazery and Khan tried to shove him away, but Balek growled at them, baring his fangs. They both backed off. To save face, Khan stepped behind her, lifted her skirt to her waist and began running his hands all over her bottom.
Lexi closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear the sight of the crowd any longer—their eager faces watching everything these men were doing to her made this ordeal all the more humiliating. She wished she could make their voices disappear too. The raucous cheers, the lewd cries of approval when one of the men did something to make her squirm or jerk.
Worst of all, though, was the shameful way her treacherous body responded. Despite her embarrassment, the sensation of multiple hands running up and down her body sent shivers all through her. Balek’s hot tongue laving her breast made her nipples swell. She dreaded the thought that he might fasten his mouth over one of them and suck it. She was powerless to stop him. Yet a part of her she’d only discovered tonight ached to know how it would feel.
All the while, Eli’s insolent fingers stroked between her legs. She’d never been touched there before she came to Iridia. Now everyone seemed bent on violating her most private places, poking and probing, setting off wild cravings deep inside her.
At first his fingers had been rough. Lexi didn’t know whether it was the unfamiliar effect of strong drink or all the stimulation she’d had, but now his hand slid smoothly over her vulvar folds, eased along by the wetness flooding her vagina. When he slipped a finger up inside her, Lexi gasped. He made a harsh grunting noise and drove it deeper.
Behind her, Khan ground himself against her backside. His penis had grown hard and she could feel it poking at her between her bottom cheeks, even through the thin garment he wore.
His to Claim (Alien Masters Book 2) Page 6
