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  But as I look at the ship, I spot that the cargo doors are open at the side – easily big enough for a whole squad of oil rig workers to enter two by two.

  I don’t waste a moment. I wriggle out of Leon’s arms and rush forward. The Aurelian Law Enforcement Agents ignore me as they concentrate on battling the rogue Aurelian triad.

  I dodge a piece of broken glass on the floor, and I suddenly realize that if I take even a moment to think about what I’m actually doing, I won’t be able to make it.

  So, instead, I just do it. I jump forward, out of the shattered window of the penthouse, and as I sail through the air I look down and see the dizzying abyss that stretches between the penthouse of the Aquamarine hotel and the ship that Jenna is attempting to pilot.

  Miles of emptiness looms below – but I sail across the abyss, and suddenly I’m in the ship.

  I look back, and part of me dies as I see through the shattered window that Raekon has been skewered by an Orb-Sword. He looks out of the window at me – his eyes filled with betrayal, as if he didn’t buy me at a slave auction and I’m abandoning him, rather than escaping.

  I can’t keep looking. I know that I should hate this triad of Aurelians – for treating me like an object, their property…

  …but I already feel loss at the thought that they’ll be disappearing from my life. Killed in this battle, or executed – I don’t know which.

  Only that they’ll be gone.

  Jenna pilots away, then looks at me with shock. She sees my naked body, and I know she can’t even ask the question…

  Did they claim me already?

  A pile of my clothes are on the seat next to her. I grab a light dress and pull it on, relieved to be clothed for the first time in what feels like forever. The leash is still around my neck, and I fiddle with the collar of it – but I can’t figure out how to get the damn thing loose.

  I unclip the leash, at least, and drop it to the floor. That makes me feel somewhat freer, but the tightness of the black collar is still tight around my neck. It’s the mark of the Aurelians’ ownership of me.

  “I’m okay. They didn’t… They didn’t rape me,” I murmur, shuddering as I remember all the things we did do… Things I’ll never be able to get out of my mind. I’ve secretly craved Aurelians for as long as I can remember – and I nearly had them.

  I can’t believe that I feel guilt at abandoning the triad.

  The Aurelians bought me at a slave auction! They treated me like a possession, and they just killed Aurelian Law Enforcement Agents right in front of me!

  There’s no going back for them. They’re doomed – as would I be, if I’d remained with them. And yet, I still feel guilt – and part of me wants to take the controls from Jenna and pilot the ship back to the Aquamarine in a desperate attempt to save them.

  “You came for me,” I gasp, and I look up at Jenna with adoration. While my father stood back and did nothing – even as I was sold like livestock to those three brutal, alien warriors – Jenna took the reins and mounted a rescue mission that could have cost her everything.

  But then the truth worries me…

  If the Law Enforcement hadn’t shown up, would I have even wanted to be rescued?

  I shudder as I remember the moment when Raka pressed his huge dick against me. He was so thick, I don’t think I could even wrap my hand around his entire cock – and I know it would have hurt to be claimed by him…

  …and yet I crave it so badly I wish I could travel back in time to that exact moment, and finish what we’d started.

  But that moment is gone now – just like the three Aurelians. If they survive the battle with Law Enforcement, they’ll still be executed promptly. There’s no future for those three gorgeous, alien warriors.

  No one comes back from what they did.

  I’ve read my histories. In the Early Aurelian Empire, human females were viewed as the possessions of Aurelian warriors – owned like cattle.

  The current Empire, led by Emperor Raegon and Queen Jasmine, have enacted strong laws against slavery. Some traditionalist Aurelians are leaving the Empire to follow the old ways – and Raka, Raekon, and Leon will be treated as renegades and traditionalists; punished for their rebellion.

  But here’s the thing… They weren’t!

  They were just trying to protect us…

  Raka, Raekon and Leon hadn’t abandoned the Empire to seek slaves for themselves… They’d done it to rescue the people of Tear from that Scorp invasion.

  I don’t know what to think. My mind spins. Are they heroes? Or villains? I can no longer even tell.

  “Where to?” Jenna asks nervously. I have no idea. If we go back to my father’s estate, I don’t tell if he’ll be ecstatic that I’m still alive…

  …or furious that I disobeyed the Consortium and escaped.

  I’ve learned one thing through all of this – that my father would willingly sacrifice his own daughter if he thought it would get him more prestige and power.

  At least with those three Aurelians, I’d felt like they would do anything to protect me. I felt like they’d even die for me if it came down to it.

  That’s so different from my father – or from a man like Kendrick Dulloth, who ran away with his tail between his legs when the egg-sacs dropped, leaving me to die facing those Scorp warriors.

  “I… I don’t know. I guess we have to go home. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  Jenna pats me gently on my thigh. I feel the first wave of grief for the Aurelians. They are probably lying bleeding on the ground right now, if they’re not dead already.

  I look through the glass of the ship, back towards the Aquamarine, my brows furrowing as I watch the police forces of Tear taking off. Ship after ship beelines towards the Aquamarine hotel.

  Then, slowly, the wheels begin turning in my head.

  While the other noblewomen look down at me for having common blood, it at least meant I’d paid attention when it came to my studies…

  The Aurelians have no jurisdiction here.

  I blink, like seeing the light for the first time.

  Aurelian Law Enforcement had no jurisdiction here on Tear.

  We declared Independence! And yet the Aurelian Empire have the audacity to send their Law Enforcement Agents to Tear?

  It suddenly occurs to me that the police forces of Tear are rushing off to help my triad of Aurelians, not Law Enforcement! So, there is still hope for them!

  But that jubilation dies as soon as it blossoms – because if those three Aurelians do survive…

  …then I’m going to have three very pissed-off aliens chasing after me!

  9

  Raekon

  It was them or me.

  The Aurelian Law Enforcement lie dead on the ground of the penthouse, while a human medic patches up the Orb-Blade wound I’d received.

  The human police are taking trophies of the Orb-Weapons of the Aurelians. All nine of the Agents are dead, while my triad survived long enough for the police forces of Tears to come and rescue us.

  I hate that we needed rescue – but three against nine is bad odds, even for my triad.

  I feel a surge of anger through the Bond from Leon.

  “Such a waste,” he says, looking at the dead members of our species.

  Raka nods. “They moved faster than we’d expected. We thought we had a few days head start… It was my mistake that cost these men their lives.”

  There’s a black tendril in his aura. Raka feels self-hatred. As the leader of our triad, he bears the weight of responsibility for the decision we all made.

  He’s right, of course. His mistake cost nine Aurelian officers their lives – cut down in their prime, with their only crime being following out their orders.

  Two of them died by my flail, and their blood is still staining my skin and my conscience.

  And then there’s Lezena to think of.

  She ran away - but I’ll catch her.

  I ache for that sweet little human woma
n. I never felt such bliss as when my cock was deep in her throat. She’s naturally submissive, and she craves deeper, darker dominance…

  “My property is out here. She must be returned!” My voice emerges as a snarl, and the medic treating me jolts back in fear.

  The Orb-Blade of the Law Enforcement Agent punctured through my chest, but miraculously it missed my lungs and spine. Thanks to the ministrations of this medic, and my natural Aurelian strength and vigor, I’ll be as good as new in a few days. In fact, I’ve had worse wounds in my time serving under the Aurelian army. This is nothing.

  The Captain of Police comes and stands in front of me. Unlike his lessers, he stares me in the eye – regarding me as an equal. His gaze is unblinking. He has balls, this one – unlike most humans.

  “You’ll get her back,” the Captain promises. “My daughter was out in the streets when the Scorp came. If it wasn’t for you three, she’d be dead right now. So, you’ll get your woman back, just as you gave me my daughter back.”

  I extend my hand and shake his. While my grip might dwarf the Captain’s, his is as steady as his eyes. I respect him.

  And Lezena? I still respect her. True, she tried to escape us – but I know what she needs runs deeper than her desire for freedom.

  I’ll get her back – and together my triad will train her never to want to run away again.

  10

  Lezena

  We touch down at my father’s estate. He’s waiting there with an army of guards. Only a few wear our light-green family colors. Most are dressed in the deep violet of the Dulloth family.

  My father is fuming, but he doesn’t say a word. Instead, Kendrick steps forward, his lips a thin line.

  “We were already planning our next move to protest the Consortium’s decision when your maidservant took things into her own hands. It was a risky move, but the bold decision worked.”

  Kendrick Dulloth is one of the nobles, but he does Jenna the ultimate service by giving her a respectful nod.

  Planning their next move? What does that even mean? Were you planning on calling another vote? While I was fucked like a breeding bitch by those three Aurelians?

  I shiver at the thought.

  That’s the problem with men. They just talk and talk. Only Jenna actually did anything.

  “I’ve had a really tough day. I just need to be alone.”

  Kendrick shakes his head. “The Consortium will be after you. They don’t know who rescued you, but they still view you as the property of the Aurelian triad. I’ll take you off-world, instead.”

  I bite my lip. Being alone with Kendrick Dulloth, off the planet of Tear, would have sounded appealing a week ago. It would have meant that he was serious about wanting to wed our two families together. Not only would my father be proud of me, but I’d finally be out of his control and welcomed into a new family that – at the very least – couldn’t possibly be worse than the one I was escaping.

  But now, I look at Kendrick’s refined, thin features and compare him to the triad of Aurelians. Compared to them, he’s just a boy.

  “I don’t…”

  My father steps forward, raising his hand. “You’ve had a rough day. The Dulloth family will take care of you.”

  I understand that I have no choice – and that’s truly heartbreaking.

  I was owned by the Aurelians. I was their property. And yet, at least with those three dominant aliens, I know that I could have said something, and they would have let me free. Deep in my heart I’ve come to believe the words that Raekon murmured to me – that they don’t want to force me to do anything… They want me to beg for it. They want me to want the sweet subjugation…

  …but Dulloth’s grip on me is unyielding. He just wants my obedience.

  “I’m coming with you,” Jenna insists.

  I shake my head. “No. I don’t trust him. I don’t want you in any danger.”

  My voice is low enough that only Jenna can hear it. She gently grabs my arm and I know that she’s going to insist on staying with me no matter what. It means I have one true friend in this world, and perhaps it’s more than I deserve.

  Kendrick walks forward with a large coat in his hands. He coldly drapes it over my shoulders.

  “You’re safe now, my sweet,” he says, and I remember how nervous I was to see him in the garden before the Scorp attack. Back then, I was deeply worried that he’d not like what he saw in me. Now, I understand the truth. There must be some huge financial gain for our two families to be joined together. Perhaps it is the industries that they both work in, but despite the veneer of sweetness, I realize I am just a pawn in Kendrick Dulloth’s hands.

  “My family will protect you now,” he promises. “Come with me.”

  And them, just like that, Kendrick turns his back on me and walks towards his huge, luxury transport ship. I can do nothing but follow – knowing that if I try to escape, I’ll be forced to go with him for “my own good.”

  Ironically, I’ve escaped ownership by the Aurelians, only to be trapped in an even more restrictive prison by my own family.

  Jenna follows after us, and I feel like I’m leading us into a trap. My father doesn’t even give me a hug. He looks pleased that I’m back – but only because that is what the Dulloth family desires.

  We enter Kendrick’s transport ship. It’s so very different than the sparse, spartan interior of the Reaver that the Aurelians piloted. This ship is a luxury cruiser, built for interstellar travel. The Dulloth family spared no expense. Everywhere I look drips with sleek opulence, and as Kendrick snaps his fingers a servant with champagne appears, and hands me a glass.

  “Something to calm your nerves. I can’t even imagine what was going through your head when the Consortium treated you like some commoner.”

  He says the word with scorn – but just years ago, I was a “commoner”. I would have been the object of the same contempt.

  It’s ridiculous. Somehow, my family going from commoner to low-noble has changed me in his eyes; while no such change occurred in real life.

  I’m the same Lezena as I was when I was a commoner – albeit with a more polished accent and better clothes.

  I get a crawling sensation as Kendrick hands me the glass. His fingers touch against mine, but whereas it felt right to be touched by the Aurelians – even those hard, brutal spankings that Raka subjected me to, which still leave my bottom still red and sore – it somehow feels utterly wrong to have even the slightest, grazing touch with Kendrick Dulloth.

  “Thank you,” I force myself to say, trying to get a deeper understanding of this grim situation.

  It’s all as simple as money and power. That’s all my father cares about, and I imagine Kendrick is no different. By wedding us together, the Dulloth family will get access to huge stores of Liquidium, and my father will get his deepest wish of becoming a true noble family.

  “Come with me,” Kendrick demands. “Your servant will prepare your room.”

  Jenna gives me a look and I know she doesn’t want to leave me alone. I give her a tight nod, reassuring her that I’ll be okay.

  Kendrick takes me to a large dining room. The inside of this ship is the picture of luxury, with no expense spared. As a noble-family, the House of Dulloth has more money than they could possibly spend in a lifetime; but luxuries like this custom-built ship are their attempt to do just that.

  Kendrick sits me down in a chair at the table, and then he takes a place across from me.

  Kendrick motions at the champagne and I dutifully sip. The bubbles tingle my tongue.

  “The police reports say that you were found… naked.”

  How does he have a police report already? Oh, of course. His family must have connections in the force.

  He looks at me with an expectant gaze, and I see something dark in his eyes – as if Kendrick is judging me.

  “They didn’t… They didn’t do anything to me,” I lie, not wanting to mention the things that I had enjoyed so sinfully.

 
; Instantly, Kendrick’s expression softens. I realize with a shudder that he merely wants his property untouched. His family must have told him that he is wedding me, whether he wanted to or not, and he was horrified of the thought that I’d be taking a bride who’d already been claimed and despoiled by brutal aliens.

  Kendrick had probably had to come to terms with the fact that I’m not tall, slim, and elegant creature like the other noblewomen. I’m sure that if the Aurelians had ‘tasted his wares’ before Kendrick could have a chance to claim my innocence, then it would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. I wonder what would have happened if I’d answered that the Aurelians had raped me…

  …or, even worse, I’d submitted to them willingly.

  Would he have put me back down on the estates? Or would he have directed the ship to fly to the Aquamarine, where he could have given me back to the Aurelians and gained favor with the Consortium?

  The Aurelians might have bought me in front of a crowd, but Kendrick Dulloth believes he is buying me all the same. He views his family’s influence as granting him rights to me; and by extension my body.

  But Kendrick is a master of veiling his contempt, if nothing else.

  “You suffered a trauma tonight,” he murmurs. “I can barely stomach that the noble families voted so overwhelmingly in favor of slavery – and then voted to make you a part of it.”

  He sounds so self-righteous and noble, but I know he’s merely playing the part of the hero.

  Suddenly, it all clicks in my mind. Kendrick’s family is one of the top producers of automation in the Liquidium mining industry. Slavery is directly against his interests. The noble families of Tear would stop paying for the Dulloth family’s expensive robotic automation solutions if they could purchase a cheap and disposable commoner to do the work instead; and throw them into the dangerous jobs knowing that the cost of human life had become cheaper than that of expensive robotic automation.