by Jaci Burton
"Let's see what we can find out," he said, maneuvering them toward the tall brunette who was dancing with her eyes closed, her head resting on her Dom's shoulder.
"Greetings," Kaden said to the fat Zartelian. Tall, he was also extremely wide, his face covered with a yellow pall that made him look like he was ill. He was also very sweaty.
Marina swallowed, grateful to be with Kaden in more ways than one.
"Well, hello," the Zartelian said, his gaze trained on Marina. She kept her gaze on the floor, not wanting to show the man her revulsion at his appearance. She supposed on Zartel, he'd be considered attractive.
"Your female is very beautiful," Kaden said, motioning to the brunette who now stared submissively at the floor. "May I have a dance with her?"
The Zartelian licked his lips, a bit of drool seeping out of the corner of his mouth. Marina shuddered, and Kaden tightened his grip reassuringly.
"I'd be delighted. This is my sub, Louisa, and I am Mok."
"Greetings, Mok. I am Kaden and this is my sub, Marina."
Kaden gave her hand a squeeze and moved her toward Mok. She'd do what she had to do so Kaden could speak with Louisa, but damn this wasn't going to be fun.
Mok wrapped his thick arms around her and pulled her close to his chest. For once she was grateful for her submissive posture, so he wouldn't see the distaste in her eyes.
"You are one handful of woman," Mok said, rocking what she supposed was his cock against her upper thigh and squeezing her buttocks with both hands.
"You are too kind, Sire," she said, searching the dance floor for Kaden. She found him, his head bent toward the brunette's ear. His arms were wrapped tightly around Louisa, and she smiled when he said something to her.
She hoped the woman was smiling because Kaden had just informed her who they were and what they were going to do.
He'd mentioned when she first arrived that he'd fuck one of the missing women if necessary to get close enough to speak with one.
Marina hoped that wouldn't be necessary.
"You are an Earth woman," Mok said.
"Yes, Sire."
"And how do you like being a submissive?"
"I am enjoying it very much, Sire."
"Yes, I'm sure Kaden keeps that sweet pussy of yours filled regularly, doesn't he?"
She refused to answer, considering it wasn't any of his business.
"I might wish to fuck you myself, Marina. Or perhaps Kaden and I could fuck you together while Louisa pleasured you. Would you enjoy that, my sweet?"
Not in this lifetime, or any other. "Yes, Sire." She tried not to gag as she spoke the words.
"Perhaps I'll mention this to Kaden."
The music ended and Kaden brought Louisa back to Mok. Bowing his head, he said, "It was a great honor to be allowed to dance with Louisa, Mok. Many thanks."
"You are most welcome," Mok said. "I had a very enjoyable conversation with Marina. I will be speaking to you later about the possibility of fucking her."
Kaden had been slipping his arms around Marina's waist when Mok spoke of having her. He went still, his fingers curled into the small of her back and his body tensed.
So, he didn't want Mok to fuck her. She fought back a smile.
"Yes, we will speak later." Quickly maneuvering Marina away, he took her outside the palace for a walk.
When they were out of earshot, he said, "Enjoy your dance?"
"No, Sire. I did not."
Her honesty seemed to satisfy him. "Good. What a slovenly, fat fucker. I'll be damned if I let another man touch you."
She couldn't help her smile and squeezed his hand tight, beaming inside and out. Perhaps he did care for her after all.
"Louisa admitted to being kidnapped, and obviously she's more than a little relieved at the thought of being rescued from Mok."
Marina snorted. "I don't doubt that, Sire. He's quite...revolting."
"She's also made contact with one of the other women from Earth, who is still here at the palace. That woman wants to be freed, also, and admits to being kidnapped."
"We must hurry then, Sire."
He nodded. "I agree. The sooner the better. But they're both well, and their Doms do not mistreat them. Louisa does not want to stay here a moment longer than she has to."
"I'm glad we found her, Sire. Let's hope we can get her home soon."
"It's time," he whispered. "Let's go put on a little show for Zim."
She nodded and Kaden led her toward the slave master.
Zim was dressed in fancy robes, beaming as if he expected personal gratitude for bringing in the new crop of slave women. He grinned as Kaden approached.
"Good evening, Kaden. I trust you are satisfied with your purchase?"
Marina fought the shudder as Zim's gaze raked over her body.
"Indeed, I am. Marina has taken quite well to the lifestyle here. She is much more than I could have hoped for. You did well in meeting my needs."
Zim continued to watch her. Marina stayed in her submissive stance, head bowed.
"Yes, there was quite a bidding war over her. I wish we had many more like her."
"As a matter of fact, I have a proposition for you, if you're interested."
Marina could imagine Zim nearly drooling over Kaden's statement.
"What kind of proposition?"
"May we have a moment of privacy with you?"
"Of course. Come with me to my offices."
Zim could smell money and a deal. Marina was certain of it. He practically ran toward his offices, hurriedly closing the door behind them and motioning them to sit.
"Now. What kind of proposition do you have in mind?"
Kaden motioned to Marina. "My submissive has grown to love it here on Xarta, as well as the lifestyle. She has offered to alert whoever brought her here to other potentials from Earth."
Marina wished she could read Zim's expression.
"You may raise your head and look at Zim, Marina," Kaden commanded.
"Yes, Sire." She lifted her gaze to Zim's and nodded at him. "Master Zim."
He pursed his lips. "Marina. If possible, you are lovelier now than when you first came to us."
She bowed her head. "Thank you, Master Zim. I am honored by your words."
Zim nodded. "What makes you think that we wish to bring other women here?"
Kaden grinned. "I know how much I paid for Marina. If there are others like her, you stand to make quite a sum."
The slave master steepled his fingers. "Very true. What's in it for you, Kaden?"
Kaden settled back in the chair and draped his arm over Marina's shoulders. "A cut of your profits, of course. I plan to stay on Xarta now that I have Marina." He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "My traveling days are behind me."
"Excellent," Zim said. "I'm pleased you are taking me up on my long-ago offer. I thought several years ago that you were going to take my head off when I suggested you and I work together. Now, we are honored that one of our own is coming home to stay."
"Thank you. Several years ago, I didn't really know what I wanted. I just knew I needed to get out and explore other galaxies. Now that I'm back on my home planet, with an excellent slave such as Marina, I am anxious to get started on a joint venture with you. I find that I will need an income, though. And since Marina has been so desirous of bringing her own people here, this could be a winning situation for both of us."
Well that explained how Kaden could get their idea across so convincingly. Zim had already wanted him to take part in the slave trade.
"Very true. But how do I know I can trust you?" Zim asked.
Kaden crossed his arms and arched a brow. "You mean because women like Marina are not brought here of their own accord? That, in fact, they are kidnapped?"
Zim paled, if it were possible for him to blanch any further than his natural white pallor.
Kaden waved his hand. "Relax, Zim. If I wanted to turn you in, I'd have done so by now. I believe what you and your partners
have here is quite a lucrative business. Since Marina can supply us with women, we can quickly make a lot of money, I think we can strike a deal that would be mutually beneficial."
"You make a very tempting offer, Kaden." His gaze turned to Marina. "How many women are we talking about?"
Marina looked at Kaden, who nodded. "At least a dozen that I can think of, Master Zim. Possibly more." To add emphasis, she asked, "Master Zim, may I add to my statement?"
He nodded. "Go on."
"There are a lot of lonely women on Earth. Many are friends of mine, who haven't been able to find the right man. Before I came here I didn't even know what I wanted. I would never have thought myself submissive." She turned to Kaden and showed him the honest emotion she felt in her heart. His eyes widened and she looked again at Zim. "But now that I'm here, I know my friends could be equally as happy, Master."
"I see."
She read the dollar signs in Zim's dark eyes and knew they had him.
"How quickly can we begin?" Zim asked.
Got him! Now it was up to Kaden to set the trap.
"Immediately. After you tell me who else is involved and how the transportation is handled. Marina and I will handle things on the Earth side."
Zim regarded Kaden for a few minutes, as if he pondered whether or not Kaden could be trusted. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. Telor is our contact on Earth. Others handle the various galaxies. He'll be happy to move somewhere else, though, since he's not fond of the Earth planet any longer. We were afraid the portal would have to be moved."
So they were right! It was a portal rather than a transport ship. That explained her lack of vertigo when she woke.
"Where is the portal now?"
"We can move it within a several click radius of a few clubs in one of the major cities in your North America," he said to Marina. "Once we finish there, it can be closed up and relocated somewhere on another planet. There are only a few locations on Earth where it was stable enough to be used. San Francisco was one of them."
She nodded.
"Can you lure the women to a specified location?" he asked her.
"Yes, Master Zim." What a sick, greedy bastard he was. Dealing in human flesh as if these women were not individuals with minds and choices of their own. She fought to keep the loathing from showing on her face.
"So, we begin tonight?" Kaden asked.
"Yes, if you're willing. The sooner the better. After the excitement over Marina, I want to strike while we have enthusiastic buyers still in attendance. I will guide you the first time and fill you in on how it's done. After that, you will be able to handle the tasks alone."
"Very well. We'll come back after the party is over."
"Excellent!" Zim rubbed his hands together while Marina fought back the bile rising to her throat. She hoped she'd have an opportunity to see him rot in Earth's prison.
Kaden negotiated payment, percentages of profit and other matters, then they left Zim's office and went back to the party, acting as if nothing had happened. Marina stayed close to Kaden while trying to spot more of the kidnapped women. By the time the evening had wound down, they had identified at least three, but unfortunately didn't get a chance to talk to any of them. Their sires guarded them too closely, and unless either Kaden or Marina could get the women alone, the opportunity to obtain any information was lost. But at least they knew the women were alive. Kaden whispered to her that he would identify the Doms and their current locations and they could get to the women after they closed the portal. It was important not to call too much attention to themselves now that they'd played their hand with Zim. Seeking out the kidnapped Earth women would surely have alerted him to their plot.
Kaden led them back to their room before the party ended, drawing Marina into his arms before the door had even fully shut. His lips covered hers, his tongue diving inside and searching deeply for her response.
A response she was all too eager to give. She kissed him with a desperate passion, realizing this could very well be the last time. Now was not the time for games of submission and dominance. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she was going to have to ask him for it.
She whimpered, desperately needing to speak.
"Say what's on your mind, Marina."
"Sire," she whispered breathlessly. "Make love to me, please."
He'd left the lights off, but she felt his shuddering breath as his mouth once again descended on hers. Clothes were discarded like the slide of silken sheets along soft flesh. They fell into bed, caressing each other's bodies and whispering heated words of passion.
Kaden rolled Marina onto her back and spread her legs, reaching for her swollen slit to test her readiness. He needn't have bothered. She'd been wet from the moment his lips had touched hers. "Are you ready for me, Marina?"
"Yes, Sire. Oh, yes. Please, Sire, hurry."
He situated himself between her legs and drove into her with one quick thrust. She cried out and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeply inside her.
They moved against one another, taking, giving, caught in an emotional moment where no words were necessary, only the silent cries of passion and the touch of mouths to skin.
Marina fought the tears, refusing to acknowledge this would be the last time she'd hold Kaden close to her. Instead, she focused on the driving thrusts of his cock as he took her to peak after peak of sensational orgasms. She came hard and fast each time, emotion mingling with passion as she poured out her love to him in the only way she could.
Kaden finally joined her, roaring out loud as he climaxed within her.
They lay there for a few quiet moments, stroking and kissing each other. Then, Kaden withdrew, mumbling about needing to dress so they could meet Zim.
A sudden chill surrounded her as she lost the warmth of his body around hers, and she felt a loneliness that she hadn't felt since before she met him.
A loneliness she never wanted to feel again.
Chapter Twelve
Marina and Kaden arrived at Zim's offices, dressed in appropriate Earth clothing. Marina was once again dressed in what she must have been wearing when she arrived, a short miniskirt and tight-fitting top. Zim smiled when they walked in. Well, he leered at Marina, and smiled politely at Kaden.
Kaden made a mental note that at some point, Zim would have a fist in his mouth for the way he ogled Marina.
His reactions to other men around Marina had seemed more and more like jealousy with each day that passed. Very unlike him to worry about other men looking at his sub, yet with Marina it was decidedly different.
He knew why, hadn't wanted to lend voice to his thoughts, and now was not the time. Later there'd be time for self-examination and decisions. Now, he needed to close this portal and put an end to the slave ring.
"I see you're right on time," Zim said. "Shall we get started?"
He led them through the hallways to the preparation rooms where Marina had been taken after her arrival on Xarta. Behind the tables was a hidden door, made visible with the wave of Zim's hand. Zim opened it and led them down a dark hallway toward a small shimmering light.
"The portal?" Kaden asked.
"Yes. We must hold hands and enter together. Otherwise we could be separated."
"Why?"
"The portal moves a bit each time, so you don't arrive in exactly the same spot. If we go through separately, we could be lost."
Great. An unstable portal. He grabbed Zim's and Marina's hands and Zim led the way into the mass of shimmering waves.
Instantly, they were standing in an alleyway on Earth. He looked to Marina to be sure she was okay, and she nodded.
"Not too far from one of the nightclubs," Zim said.
It was evening and fog slithered around them. A chill filled the air and Kaden drew his coat tighter around him. The fog was like a cloak over all sounds, lending a quiet eeriness to the location.
"If the portal moves each time, do you doubt its stability?" Kaden asked.
"No
, no, it's stable. It just hovers within a few clicks, location-wise. Trust me, we haven't lost anyone yet."
"Good. I'd hate to be stuck on Earth with an unwilling captive and no way back to Xarta."
Zim laughed. "No fear of that. We have people on this side who help us, so even if the portal wasn't locatable for a short period of time, there are those who would hide you."
And those were the people he and Marina needed to uncover, to put an end to the entire ring of slavers. At least on Earth. Then he could start working on the other galaxies.
"I'll need to meet those contacts, then. I want to be covered in case something happens."
Zim nodded. "Of course. But you needn't worry. I can recall the portal at any time."
He lifted the sleeve of his shirt to reveal something glowing under the skin of his inner wrist. "This is the controller to the portal. I can move it, delete it, or recall it at any time with the simple touch of a button. This is also a defense weapon in case of attack."
Not good. If Zim had weaponry embedded in his skin, he'd be difficult to take down.
"Let's go meet our contact," Zim said, leading them down the alley to the back door of a club.
Kaden reached into his coat pocket for his combination tazer/laser, feeling comforted that if he had to, he could take Zim out before he had a chance to do anything to the portal or to Marina. They stepped into the club and were immediately greeted by a burly looking guard. He nodded and allowed them to pass. Kaden memorized the guard's face since he obviously knew Zim.
Zim introduced them to the man behind the bar, informing them he was the owner of the club. His name was Lars, and Zim informed them that Lars also owned the other three clubs where the girls were taken from.
That was a revelation. No one knew Lars owned all of the clubs. He must have put the other two in another name so there'd be no way to connect him to the kidnappings from all the clubs he owned. Perhaps he had multiple businesses under various names, and was able to hide his identity. Kaden would do a little research on that as soon as this was over. He didn't want any strings left hanging.
Kaden had no intention of doing anything to Lars or the guard tonight. Right now he wanted to get that controller from Zim, and had to figure out a way to do that. Once Zim was neutralized, they could come back and deal with the others.
