Krygor’s Hope: Braxians 3

by Abel, Regine

  “That’s so awesome!” Siona shouted running up to meet him.

  The reaver spun around again before untangling Krygor. He extended a hand towards Siona who eagerly accepted it and allowed him to lead her to the smallest of the three reavers.

  “Is it safe for her alone?” I asked, my stomach knotting with anxiety.

  “Mama! I can do this. I’m not a baby!” Siona exclaimed, sounding betrayed before casting a worried glance at Krygor for fear he would side with me.

  He caressed her hair reassuringly before turning towards me. “It is the safest activity she could perform on Braxia. First, this is a simulation. Should any harm come to any of us, it would immediately end,” he said in a gentle tone. “Second, the reavers—both here and in the real world—will never let their passenger get hurt. Their dorsal fins and tail prevent us from falling into the water, even if we let go. Should she lose her footing and be unable to get back up, it will make her lie down onto its back and return her to shore. There is nothing to fear, my Vaya.”

  My face heated, feeling silly for forgetting we were indeed in a simulation. But then, I’d never set foot in a holodeck for entertainment. They had always been scenarios focused on training me to be the perfect, submissive, and demure mate to a wealthy Guldan.

  How low I’d sunk since those days.

  Not fazed in the least by the tentacle-like fin of the reaver wrapping around her arms and its tail securing her midsection, my Siona listened religiously to Krygor’s instructions before he finally set her free. To my relief, the creature started swimming away at a slow pace, giving my daughter a chance to adapt and learn how to ride it. She burst out laughing, her long, silver-white hair blowing in the wind and her black horns gleaming under the sun as the creature gradually accelerated.

  Closing the distance between us, I rested my hands on Krygor’s sides, and locked gazes with him.

  “Thank you for this,” I said in a soft voice filled with all the gratitude that burned bright in my chest. “I can’t remember the last time she’s been this happy and has had so much fun. You do not owe us any of this, but it means the world to me.”

  Krygor cupped my face with both hands, his thumbs caressing my cheeks. He examined my features as if I was the most precious treasure in the world, making me weak in the knees and fanning the flame that had lit in the pit of my stomach.

  “Pleasing you pleases me, Hope. You have no idea just how much,” Krygor said with an intensity that made me weak in the knees.

  Leaning forward, he crushed my lips in a brief but passionate kiss before luring me towards my reaver. Back tensed, I took position and extended my arms, dreading the moment the dorsal fins would bind me. To my surprise, instead of the slimy, slithering sensation I’d expected, the fins were unusually soft, almost spongy as they wrapped around my forearms—although a little cold. The tail circled my waist, right below my navel, with a firm but not choking hold. Siona’s joyous squeals in the distance also helped distract me from my discomfort.

  “Race you,” Krygor said teasingly before giving my bum a gentle caress and ordering my reaver to move.

  My stomach lurched as the creature moved and, for a minute, I feared getting struck by a severe bout of motion sickness. It was both uncanny and unnerving to stand on such a wobbly surface. Yet, it quickly became clear that the reaver was paying close attention to me, adjusting its speed and position in a way to help me stabilize. In turn, I began focusing on its responses and the pattern of its movement as it swam over the water. I couldn’t say how long the creature and I spent learning each other, but by the time my gaze met Krygor’s a couple of meters away from me, we were a good distance from the shore, surfing at dizzying speed.

  He gave me a provocative grin, pushed his reaver a little faster. Tapping my foot gently on the back of my creature, I prompted it to accelerate as well. But before we could go all out, my little hellion zipped passed us.

  “CATCH ME, YOU SLOWBIES!” Siona shouted.

  As one, Krygor and I gave chase.

  * * *

  “Krygor is going to keep us forever on Braxia,” my daughter said with conviction as I tucked her in bed.

  “Siona—” I said, in a warning tone.

  “No, Mama,” she interrupted with a mulish expression. “I’m not going to be reasonable. I know it. I can feel it in my bones. Why else would he show us his home and his world? Why would he take me along for a family outing? Even the hostess thought we were his family, and he didn’t correct her. He’s going to keep us. He has to,” Siona repeated forcefully.

  I couldn’t say if it was more to convince me or herself. Either way, my heart broke for both of us. It also made it clear that the conversation with Krygor needed to happen sooner rather than later before more damage could be done.

  “Siona, we already talked about it. Whether or not he keeps us will be the Goddess’ will,” I said sternly. “Enjoy the good times he is offering us and be grateful for these experiences we would never have had otherwise. Whatever comes afterwards, we will face together, you and me, like we always have in the past.”

  “I want him to be my Papa,” Siona whispered. “I don’t want to be scared anymore that bad men will hurt you or take me away.”

  Tears pricked my eyes. I sat at the edge of her bed and pulled my baby into my arms. I kissed her forehead and gently rocked her, whispering reassuring words. But how could I properly console her when the same fears gnawed at me incessantly?

  Siona finally settled down, and I remained by her side until she fell asleep. With a heavy heart, I walked out of her room, carefully closing the door behind me not to awaken her. As I padded along the short corridor leading to the common area of the suite, Krygor’s rumbling voice reached me. Muffled at first, I quickly realized he was talking on his com.

  “…much better than expected. I even have some good news for the Magnar regarding new trade opportunities for Braxia. There’s nothing left keeping me here. I want to be home yesterday. Have the ship refueled and fully stocked, ready for departure within forty-eight hours, sooner if possible,” Krygor said in a commanding voice that hinted he was likely speaking to one of his two crewmates.

  My heart seized in my chest, and my steps faltered.

  “There’s nothing left keeping me here.”

  The words felt like a bucket of acid had been poured over me. With a will of their own, my feet continued to carry me forward when I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and cry. Luther’s face flashed before my eyes, and my stomach cramped painfully at the thought of the verbal abuse and physical humiliation he would subject me to for having ‘betrayed’ him. But worse still, a horrible sense of dread descended on me every time I thought of my boss. It went beyond his avowed desire to ‘lend’ my daughter to some rich perverts. My subconscious knew and felt terrified about something. Something I couldn’t name.

  “Anton requested I drop by Venus Hive to see his children on the way home,” Krygor continued. “So, plan a two-day stop on our itinerary.”

  With a strength I didn’t know I possessed, I schooled my features before entering the room. Krygor’s gaze flicked towards me. His eyes instantly smoldered, and a predatory smile stretched his lips.

  “I must go,” Krygor said to his interlocutor. “Contact me as soon as we’re ready.”

  He listened for a couple more seconds before ending his com then prowled towards me, naked lust written all over his face.

  “I’m going to do some very naughty things to you, Hope,” Krygor said in a growling voice that sent a shiver down my spine.

  For a second, I considered stopping him and demanding answers, but Krygor claimed my mouth with a voracity that made clear he had no interest in deep conversations right now. Slipping his hands beneath my bum, he lifted me up, and my legs automatically wrapped around his waist. He carried me to the bedroom on the opposite side of the living area and kicked the door closed behind us.

  For the next eternity, Krygor took me with a passion
bordering a feral frenzy. But even as he made my body sing and my throat scream his name, my heart shattered at the thought I might be losing him. I gave him my all that night and prayed it had been enough to sway him—if needed.

  Still, in light of his rabid hunger for me, a sliver of hope continued to burn deep within. Tomorrow, at first light, I would confront him. Even if I had to beg and grovel, I would make him keep us.

  After wresting a fourth orgasm from me, Krygor gathered me in his arms, holding me close.

  “You are mine, Hope,” he said possessively in a barely audible whisper.

  “And you are mine, Krygor,” I replied boldly, snuggling further against him.

  His arms tightening around me gave my heart a jolt. Yes, come what may, in the morning, I would make him keep us.

  * * *

  A distant chime pulled me out of my deep slumber, and my eyes snapped open. As if going through an out of body experience, I watched myself carefully wiggle out of Krygor’s embrace and whisper something about needing to use the hygiene room when he tried to prevent me from leaving.

  Horrified by memories of Luther and a Sarenian flooding my mind, I tried to turn around to warn Krygor of the twisted plans they had set in motion, but my body kept moving towards his belongings. In the next few minutes, I helplessly watched myself execute the orders that had been imprinted in my mind by Faolen’s power. Tears poured down my cheeks to be thus trapped in a body that no longer responded to my will while plotting the demise of the one man to have shown me kindness and given me a glimpse of what a happy life could be for my daughter and me.

  My task done, I went to the hygiene room, and forced my bladder to cooperate although I didn’t really need to pee. After finishing my nearly non-existent business, I stood before the sink and washed my hands. The chime resonated again. This time, I clearly heard it coming from my collar. I raised a hand to touch it, but halfway through, I stared at my wet fingers, wondering what I had intended to do. Blinking at my reflection in the mirror, I gaped at my cheeks covered in tears. More confused than ever, I dried my hands with a towel before wiping away my tears.

  Had I been crying over the uncertainty of my situation with Krygor?

  An uneasy feeling lingered as I made my way back to bed. My giant greedily pulled me into his embrace as soon as the mattress dipped beneath me while I climbed back on.

  He purred with contentment. “My Vaya,” he whispered half-asleep.

  I snuggled against my giant, but for the next couple of hours, sleep eluded me. Something was wrong, very wrong.

  Chapter 7

  Krygor

  Roman flipped through the couple of pages of the contract before projecting the terms on the giant screen hanging on the wall of the cramped room he called his office. He knew how much I hated this room, but for the sake of expediency, I sucked it up.

  “The debt is three million credits, including my fees,” Roman said, casually. “The proposed terms are one year with the standard exclusive Indentured Sex Slave clauses; that means, she’s indentured to you only. No sharing her or lending her to other men.”

  I snorted and gave him a disbelieving look as if that was an even remote possibility. Ignoring me, Roman carried on.

  “Furthermore, you will pay an allowance of one thousand credits a month to Hope to be spent at her discretion either on herself or on her child, or for her to put away in a savings account as starting money for when she is released from this contract.”

  It was a wise clause that I hadn’t even considered. Without it, she likely would have been left at the mercy of a predator at the end of her contract, stranded with her daughter in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

  “Regardless of that allowance, you will cover all expenses pertaining to their lodging, feeding, and basic standard needs,” Roman continued. “Any outings and activities you perform together will be entirely at your expense. Should such activities require specific attires or equipment, the cost will also be borne by you.”

  I glared at him. “Do I look like the type of male that makes a woman pay when I take her out?”

  “You don’t look like the type of male that takes a woman out, period,” Roman deadpanned, before pursuing his droning, indifferent to my annoyance. “The Appendix lists everything she specifically objects to, and a non-exhaustive list of those she agrees to. Anything not listed in the Appendix but that falls within the category of light to medium kinks will be deemed acceptable. Anything else will need to be formally agreed upon and not automatically implied as agreed to.”

  I waved a dismissive hand in aggravation. “This isn’t necessary. I’m not a freak. I will not make any disturbing demands to my woman.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but a contract is a contract. Better safe than sorry for all parties involved,” Roman said matter-of-factly. “Hope learned that the hard way.”

  That sobered me, and my protective instincts flared up. It still annoyed me to be going through this step, but presenting my Vaya with a contract that would give her peace of mind that this time, this man, wouldn’t take advantage of her justified putting up with this inconvenience—not that it really mattered in the end. I had no intention of ever letting her go; Hope and Siona were mine.

  You’d said the same about Marla.

  I squashed the uneasy feeling that made my stomach roil. Hope was nothing like Marla who had not only thrown herself at me but also stated early on what she wanted: for me to buy her out of debt as an Indentured Servant. It had been a reckless move considering my tight financial situation at the time. But I’d been too mesmerized by her beauty to think clearly, and she’d immediately sensed what power she would hold over me.

  So, what did it mean that Hope—whose situation was far more dire than Marla’s had been—still hadn’t flat out expressed what she wanted from me? I’d been waiting in vain for her to ask me to buy out her contract, just like she’d proposed me retaining her services as an Escort. Did she have enough of me? Was she eager to move on to something—someone—else? That mere thought made my blood boil with rage. Yet, I couldn’t give it any credence. The way she looked at me, touched me, cuddled with me… Hope cared for me, and so did her daughter—our daughter. The longing in Siona’s eyes and adorable little face as she gazed upon me clawed at my heart. I hadn’t missed the hopeful way she’d peered up at me when the Avean had not so ‘mistakenly’ assumed they were my mate and daughter. In my heart, I’d already claimed them as such.

  “Fine,” I said at last in a grumbling tone that only made the wretched broker’s smirk broaden.

  Listening to him go through the list of things Hope would consent to not only had my pants feeling uncomfortably tight, it also made me want to just rush back to the hotel and try out a few of them. Watching the reaver binding my female with its fins and tail had already given me plenty of naughty ideas. The thought of my female bound or shackled, helpless but to submit to my every whim as I ravished her had me squirming in my seat to alleviate the dull throbbing between my legs.

  Roman finally ended his endless speech by pointing out the standard rules of an Indentured Servitude contract whereby the owner committed to free his slave in the same physical and mental state he’d received her.

  “Are we done yet?” I asked, more distraught by the confined space in his office than I’d ever admit, which only increased my impatience of putting an end to all of this.

  “If you are in agreement with all the terms, then you can press your thumb right here, and we’ll indeed be done,” Roman said, tauntingly.

  “I am in agreement except for one clause,” I said, leaning back in the far too flimsy chair beneath me, which whined under my weight.

  “And that would be?” Roman asked with obvious curiosity.

  “The duration,” I said in a neutral tone. “Two years, not one.”

  The broker slightly narrowed his eyes at me, pursing his lips as he carefully chose his response. “For someone of your wealth, one-year fo
r three million is a reasonable duration,” Roman argued.

  “My wealth is irrelevant,” I countered, in the same neutral tone. “The standard is two million per full-time year.”

  “So then that would mean a year and a half,” Roman replied.

  “Two years, non-negotiable,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument. “After all, I will be looking after her child as well.”

  My cheeks heated at the lame justification, but I stood my ground. If I had my way, it would have been a ten-year contract. Seeing right through me, Roman snorted and slowly shook his head.

  “Two years it is then,” he mumbled amending the contract before extending a datapad for me to sign. “Somehow, I suspect the duration will not matter in the end.”

  I didn’t reply, content to hold his gaze before for a few moments signing the contract.

  “I’m happy for the three of you,” Roman added in a surprisingly soft voice. “She’s a good woman, and stunning. Had you been foolish enough to let Hope go, I might have pursued her myself.”

  He burst out laughing at the menacing look I gave him. If the fool knew how possessive and jealous I was, he wouldn’t joke on such matters. Even though I trusted him not to backstab me, his interest in Hope was genuine, maybe more than he was willing to admit to himself. He’d never gone to such lengths to help a ‘damsel in distress’ as the broker often said when referring to some of the people coming to ask for his help to wiggle their way out of a bad contract.

  “If you’re done irritating the fuck out of me, please transfer the damn funds so that I can tear the keys of Hope’s collar out of that vermin’s wretched hands,” I grumbled.

  “Such hatred!” Roman said teasingly, while typing away on his keyboard to make the transaction.