by Sadie Marks
No one looked in her direction, not even Trev, whose attention was focused on one of the interlopers. The leader, she assumed, so she focused on him too. "Did you hear me? I want to know what's going on right now! What right did you have to drag me out of my room!"
Finally, she had his attention but immediately regretted it when he turned an intense gaze on her and looked her up and down slowly before speaking, "I am General Tal'aav. Your name?"
"S-Samantha Durand."
"And you're human?" It was a question, but he didn't sound like there was any doubt.
"Yes."
"Are you a Pain Receiver?"
She scowled, lips pursing. "None of your business," she snapped.
But the general just offered her a cold smile. His hand shot out; he grabbed a fistful of her hair and used it to pull her up close. He held her there as he forced her head back and stared down into her face with those merciless black eyes, and then he grabbed the fur and yanked it from her body.
She gasped in shock and rage. Her hand flew up and slapped him, but he ignored it as he found one of her nipples and pinched it between his fingers, giving it a painful little twist.
She couldn't help it. She didn't want to react, but her body took charge as the bolt of pleasured pain went straight through her. She inhaled sharply and a needy whimper escaped. That was all it took and all the evidence he needed.
"I could check between your thighs, but I think we both know what I'd find," he commented. Such a relaxed tone, like he was discussing the weather and not how he'd just humiliated her in front of a room full of alien men.
She had no words. Her mouth was dry, and her face was bright red as he pushed her into the arms of another male and turned back to Trev.
"Just 'Trev', is it?" He seemed to sneer the short name like there was significance there. "You're aware that the regulations on collecting humans changed two years ago? Pain Receiver or not, taking her from Earth could hurt our chances to negotiate with them. Whatever you were going to sell her for wasn't enough to risk that," the general said in an icy voice.
Trev's eyes flicked to Sam nervously. "I wasn't going to—"
"Sell me?" Sam interrupted. All the arousal dried up in an instant as she fixed her shocked expression on Trev.
"Pain Receivers are valuable. Didn't he tell you? On our planet, there are people who would pay a fortune to play with one just for a day, so it's become a popular way for these…" He paused. "…renegades to make money. They visit Earth and troll your BDSM clubs, and when they leave, they try to take a human or two home with them to sell."
"I wasn't going to sell her!" Trev shouted, and then he turned his eyes to Sam with a desperate look. "I swear, Sam. I love you. I would never—"
General Tal'aav snorted. "You have a record, Trev. This isn't the first time you've been caught smuggling. You've been fined twice, but if you'd been caught by the council, they would have levied penalties against our entire planet. Lucky for all of us, you weren't. She'll be confiscated, of course. But since I have a use for her, I will forgo the fine this time. I'll even let you keep your ship if you leave this quadrant now and stay away from Earth permanently."
Trev swallowed hard and stared at the floor as if he didn't seem to know where to look—not at Sam, who was glaring at him in hurt betrayal, and not at the general, who seemed to find him contemptable. "I promised her she'd be safe with me. I won't let you pass her around like a toy the way you do with the others," he said. The words were soft but determined, and Sam looked down to see his fists clenched at his sides. She wondered if he'd fight for her if it came down to it. She looked at the general and then at the other Sadecs.
The odds were far from even, and everyone in the room knew that there was no way Trev would win. But she didn't want him to fight for her. She didn't want him to die for her so she could feel guilty over a man who had lied to her about everything. She'd forgiven the earlier evasions because she understood rules, and even she could admit that her reaction to him being an alien might have been extreme back on Earth.
But there was so much more he was holding back from her, and she hadn't been ignoring the guilty expression that had flashed across his face when the general had talked of selling her. This time, she was going to have the truth, and this group of soldiers, or whatever they were, was going to help her.
"Trev, look at me," she said, demanding his attention in a way that would have gotten her ass smacked when she was playing the submissive girlfriend for him. She wasn't playing right now.
He looked up slowly.
"Were you planning to sell me?" The question was blunt, and she kept her eyes on his as she willed him to answer. She watched the myriad of expressions that flowed across his face. The alien features she once found difficult to read were now an open book to her, so she knew the instant he decided to lie.
He reached out, and she turned her face away. Something inside of her broke. She could feel it physically, like a punch to the stomach.
It had been so hard to trust again, so hard to open her heart and let someone in, for any reason. To allow herself to submit to his dominance had been a whole different level of difficulty. But losing that carefully built trust had only taken that one question. She remembered now how he hadn't told her where they were going until after they'd left.
The way they'd had to rush off planet so suddenly without time to even think, and then once they were in space, they'd gone nowhere. Parking in the nothingness while they played their sex and BDSM games as if he was hiding her—or maybe he was just waiting while he tried to set up a sale.
He knew she knew, and a low sound of misery seemed to bubble up from his throat. "Sam, it wasn't like that. I promise you. I was never going to sell you. He's right. Humans who can turn pain into pleasure the way you do—they're worth a lot on my planet. I told you I was an outcast. I've got nothing but this ship, and I thought maybe, if I brought home a Pain Receiver, I could—"
Her head snapped up. "You could what? Pave your way back into their good graces with a slave?"
"No! No, I don't want to go back. I never wanted to go back. I just thought it would give me the chance to get away from all of it. I'd have enough funds to build a new future somewhere else. And you don't understand the way Pain Receivers are treated by my people. You're more like treasured pets than slaves." The last line sounded weak, and he must have realized that it wasn't going to be received well.
"Great. I always wanted to be a fucking pet! Thanks, Trev. So, you were going to drop me off at the kennel and then off to your new life?" Earlier, her cheeks had been flushed with embarrassment, but now they were hot with anger. She wanted to hit him so badly, her hands were shaking. The strangers watched with interest but said nothing, and she wasn't sure if that was for her benefit or for their entertainment.
"You're not listening to me. It was never you, Samantha! Stop being so damn stubborn and listen!" Trev snapped, and just for a second, there was that hint of dominance in his voice that she'd come to love. But it wasn't enough, not now, not for this.
"You were hoping for a two for one deal then? You'd keep me and sell the other one? How does that fit in with your monogamy? Didn't you say you weren't a fan of sharing?" She was spitting the words at him, trying to make her mark verbally. She didn't expect anyone else to react, but the general interrupted with a sound that she couldn't even describe, but it seemed to imply incredulity.
"So, not just a renegade, Trev," he said, dragging out the one syllable name as if it was an insult. "You're rebelling against our whole culture. We share what is precious to us as a way to distance ourselves from our barbaric past. Or would you have us go back to fighting each other to the death instead of standing strong together so we can take our place among the leaders!" Every word dripped with disgust, and she could see a look of pure loathing on the general's face.
She had no idea what any of that meant. All she knew was that she'd apparently exposed Trev as some kind of pervert, or worse. Quick glan
ces at the silent soldiers ringing the room showed similar feelings, and she felt a surge of pity for Trev. She suppressed it immediately, of course; he didn't deserve anything from her right now, but with his possessive streak, she could see why he hadn't fit in at home.
"This is all beside the point," she said sharply, taking the floor back from the general. He gave her a startled look which turned into amusement as he gestured for her to continue her conversation with Trev. It was more than a little condescending, but that was the last thing on her mind just then.
"You didn't answer me," she said as her eyes settled back on Trev.
He wasn't being physically held. There were no chains on him, but the stiff way the Sadecs on either side of him stood made it clear that he was a prisoner. She ignored them and pulled away from the one who had been holding her too, so she could approach her lover. "Answer me."
His face was a cold mask, suppressing his emotions, as he looked at her, but he couldn't keep what he was feeling from his voice. "It's not as bad as it sounds, Sam. I was planning to find a Pain Receiver who was unhappy. One who wanted more. You know how many unhappy submissives there are on Earth. I was going to find someone who would enjoy the life they'd receive on my planet, and then I'd place them with a Sadec who would appreciate them and use the money to start a new life for myself—but then I found you." His expression softened, and he reached out to touch her.
This time, she let him, and just for a minute, she relaxed into the gentle caress. It would be so easy to believe that it made it okay, but it didn't. And in the end, it didn't matter anyway. The general didn't seem like the type to walk away. She was being 'confiscated' like a piece of property.
"And now, you've lost me," she said. She stepped back, bent to pick up her fur with as much dignity as she could manage, and left the control room without wrapping it around herself. She had too much pride to let them think being naked embarrassed her. Back stiff, head held high, she strode from the room like a queen.
Chapter 6
She wasn't sure if her abrupt departure had confused the aliens or if they just knew she wasn't going to get far, because no one followed her. She heard Trev shouting her name and the pain in his voice made her want to turn back, but she couldn't.
She paused just long enough to wrap the fur around her body, and then she went back to the bedroom and got dressed. As soon as she was clothed, she began packing all of the things she'd brought from Earth. If she was going to be forced to leave, and she obviously was, then she at least wanted to be ready to bring her belongings with her.
She was still finding clothes and pushing them into the bags when she heard a noise behind her. The same silent man who had dragged her out from under the bed was standing in the doorway. At least she thought it was the same one. It was hard to tell them apart when they all had the same black, shoulder-length hair, black eyes, and golden skin. But it did appear he could speak when he chose to.
"The general says it's time to go," he said.
"I'm just finishing." Her response was sharp, clipped, and then she ignored him as she took one last look around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. On a whim, she snatched up a shirt that belonged to Trev. He didn't wear them on the ship, but she had fond memories of him wearing it on Earth, and for whatever reason, she decided to take it. It didn't bear thinking about, and she shoved it into the bag and sealed it.
It was a task, bundling up all her bags by herself, but the watching Sadec didn't seem inclined to help until she blew out an exasperated breath and glared at him. "Can you help?" It was less of a question and more of a demand, but he took all the bags from her without comment. The smirk, she suspected, was because he was able to handle them all with one arm and no sign of effort.
She discovered the other reason when she passed him, and he used his free hand to land a hard swat across the back of the leggings she wore. They were fashionable and molded to her curves, but the thin fabric was useless at protecting her ass and the swat surprised a yelp out of her. She scuttled forward quickly and made an effort to stay out of his reach until she got to the docking area where the general and his people waited.
She didn't see Trev, and that concerned her. "Where is he?" she asked. She tried to sound unconcerned, but she knew she wasn't fooling anyone, least of all herself.
The general regarded her for a few moments and then gave a slight shrug. "He's unharmed, but he resisted so he's now unconscious. He will wake in an hour or so, but the ship has been programmed to take him out of the system before then. If he returns, I can't promise his safety."
"He has no reason to return. His payday just got canceled," she snapped. It came out harsher than she meant it to, but she was still dealing with the pain of finding out her lover wasn't who she thought he was.
"Perhaps not. At any rate, we won't be here if he does, and I doubt a one-syllable like him will see any sense in chasing a fleet ship." That tone again. There was something she was missing.
"What does that mean? One-syllable? Why do you act like his name is shameful?" she asked.
"In our culture, you receive a one-syllable name at birth. The name changes as you mature through certain rites of passage. Trev still carries his baby name; he never earned a longer one, which makes him a coward with no honor. That's why he is a renegade."
"But what do you—"
"Enough questions. It's time to go, girl." He motioned her to step through the airlock, and he had nothing else to say to her no matter how many times she tried to ask.
Once they'd all passed through, the lock closed and there was the slightest sound as they disengaged. Trev's small ship hadn't prepared her for the immensity of the military ship with its long corridors and cavernous spaces. It was the size of a city, she realized, as she trotted along trying to keep up with the general.
At some point, it occurred to all of them that they weren't sure what to do with her and they stopped to confer. "We'll have to put her in a guest apartment for now," the general said finally. He scowled at her like she'd become a major inconvenience. Which seemed unfair since she hadn't wanted to be here in the first place.
She could see that he really wanted to wash his hands of her and go off to do whatever important officer business he had to take care of, but with a heavy sigh, he realized he couldn't. He dismissed all of the others back to their work, picked up her bags, and started walking away briskly. It was only when he got several meters away that he realized she wasn't following.
He turned back, staring at her. "Well?"
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what you're going to do with me." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her best stubborn look.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with you yet, but I'm not leaving you free to wander around my ship. You look like trouble on two feet and space is no place for that, girl." His expression was equally stubborn, and she thought, for a second, that they were at an impasse.
They weren't.
He waited for her to catch up to him, but when it became apparent that she didn't intend to, he dropped all of her bags against the wall and went back to get her. One second, she was standing there feeling determined, and the next, she'd been tossed over his shoulder and was hanging upside down with a great view of his ass. While it wasn't a bad view, it wasn't the most comfortable position and she struggled to get down.
He left her bags right where they lay and started walking with long strides that ate up the distance quickly.
"Hey! My stuff!" she yelled, slapping her palm against the bare skin of his back to get his attention. "I want my bags!"
"Then you should have walked so I could carry them. Now you'll have to wait until I send someone to get them for you," he said simply. And when she slapped at his back again, he returned the favor by landing a mighty wallop across her upturned ass.
It turned out that the position she was in was great for spanking because he didn't stop, even when she gave up struggling because the blood rushing t
o her head was making her dizzy. In fact, he continued to land one swat after another on her wiggling backside until they finally reached their destination, and then she was set on her feet with a face as red as her ass had to be, while he opened the door to her new home.
Trev's ship had doors that weren't much different from what she was used to, but this ship was something else. A circular portal opened in the center of the wall and slowly expanded until it was big enough for them to step through. He put a hand on the middle of her back and pushed her inside the room, followed, and the door promptly closed behind them as she watched with interest and tried to figure out how it worked.
Only when the opening had vanished entirely, did she turn around to look at her new quarters. A guest room, she assumed. It was painted in warm tones but sparsely decorated, aside from the furniture and the usual furs that the Sadecs were so fond of. The general didn't stop her as she investigated, and she soon discovered that there was an attached bedroom and bathroom, or a 'refresh room' as Trev had referred to it.
She eventually made her way back to the main room to find the general sitting on a low-backed couch, waiting for her. "So how long am I going to be stuck here?" she asked.
"In this room? Or on the ship?"
"Both. I want to go back to Earth," she said.
"That's not a possibility right now. I'm sure you know that your planet has just been introduced to the rest of the universe. In time, negotiations and trade agreements will be put in place—sending you home to tell stories could jeopardize that." His eyes followed her as she moved around the room, pacing off her nerves.
She stopped short in front of him. "I won't tell them anything; I just want to go home!"
"That's not an option." The way he ignored her attitude and kept his calm reminded her of Trev. His unnatural stillness as he sat there and watched her did too. She was suddenly filled with the urge to piss him off, to make him lose his cool, but that was her bratty side and she tried hard to rein it in.
