“What is the cargo?”
“That you don’t need to know.”
Rone took the admonishment in stride. He didn’t really care and assumed it was minor contraband. This was a test. Kuren essentially had said as much. Rone would take this opportunity and hope that when he completed it, he’d be brought into the more important part of this male’s business—the armaments feeding the traitors. While he couldn’t be sure that Kuren was at the center of that traffic, it was a safe bet, given what he knew and saw so far. Regardless, whatever he did for this male would put him in a better position than he was in currently.
“Fair enough. When and where do you need me?”
“I’ll let you know shortly. Keep yourself handy.”
“Of course.”
“And I can’t say I like the idea of your dragging these pets of yours along on the work you do for me.”
Rone’s heart skipped a beat in alarm before he reminded himself that he’d accounted for this problem already, although, at the time, only Preen had been an issue. The fetching Frey hadn’t been part of the equation, and the human did attract attention. No matter. Rone’s excuse made even more sense when the boy was factored in.
“My name places me in the most elite caste of our people, and everyone knows the Na caste has its affectations. What’s more natural than my traveling with pets? One is for amusement and one for fucking. I must come from a wealthy and powerful family indeed to be able to indulge myself so. Hardly someone to take too close a look at if one is worried about less than legal activities, wouldn’t you say?”
Rone could see Kuren work through the theory and knew the moment when he’d succeeded in convincing the male. “A good point. I can see the uses of these things, so long as you keep a close rein on them.”
Grabbing a fistful of Frey’s hair, Rone pulled the boy closer. “Not to worry, sire. I always do.”
Instead of dismissing them, Kuren eyed Frey with renewed speculation. The scrutiny of his pet worried Rone in a way he couldn’t quite put into words. Before he even realized what he was doing, he pulled the boy closer to him. It didn’t stop Kuren’s intense gaze.
“Arpell insisted that his decision to keep that pet was justifiable and offered it up for my consumption to prove his loyalty. At the time I declined, as I have my own boy who keeps me well satisfied. Seeing it now, I can see its appeal, but is it really as pleasurable as a Travian would be? I wonder if thesecurity team at your destination would believe that it is worth all the trouble you take to keep it?”
Rone heard the underlying command in the male’s musings. His gut tightened, as did his grip, until he heard a soft hiss of distress. He loosened his hold on Frey’s hair immediately, yet nothing could do the same for the knot forming in his belly. Kuren wanted a sample. It was not an unreasonable request, since he had just become Rone’s superior. Sharing boys to bond with fellow officers was a typical custom. The boys themselves didn’t mind. He could remember in his own cadet days competing with other boys in making the officers happy. It was a game and a way to make allies and help advancement. He’d also done the same with his house brother, Narith, requesting the use of Mac. And, even though Narith had hated sharing his beloved pet, he’d still done it. To refuse would have been strange and insulting.
The stakes were higher than any quaz game now. He had to get in with Kuren, and denying him the use of Frey would likely lead the male not to trust Rone. There was really no choice at all, and his reluctance made no sense. Frey was a captive, his pet to do with as he wanted. Why should the thought of the boy servicing Kuren bother Rone so much? He was being foolish. There was no choice here and his hesitation endangered the mission. Hardening his resolve, he pushed the boy forward.
“Please avail yourself of its service, sire. I think you’ll find its mouth quite pleasurable.”
There, he’d done that at least. He’d invited Kuren to receive a blow job and hopefully that would be enough. Rone wasn’t sure his steeliness would hold in the face of Kuren bending Frey over his desk to fuck him. When the human didn’t move right away, Rone pushed him again, more firmly this time and with no small amount of regret. This time, Frey obeyed, dropping down on his hands and knees to crawl toward Kuren.
Rone hadn’t intended that amount of humiliation for the boy. Maybe Arpell had trained him to approach other males in that fashion. The sight struck Rone as so pathetic that he almost didn’t drop the leash. A compulsion swept over him to hold on tight and pull the pet back before he got too close to the dangerous male avidly watching his progress. The mission came first, so Rone did his duty and let Frey make his slow journey to the other side of the console. He couldn’t bear to watch, though, after Kuren grabbed Frey by the hair and pulled him between his legs. Absurdly, he also wanted to cover his ears with both hands to block the obscene sounds of Kuren feeding Frey his cock. Knowing that would hurt his image in the eyes of the other male, he affected instead a bored air, looking away and trying not to hear his pet choking and gagging.
He balled his hands into fists on top of his thighs. A small, furry hand brushed against one of them. He didn’t dare look at Preen, either. The quick show of sympathy almost bothered him the most. He’d been raised to be a strong male like all of his caste. He shouldn’t be so affected by the use of a subspecies, especially when he did the very same thing himself. And he would use the boy far more than Kuren currently did. The urge to spend himself on his pet as soon as possible vibrated within him. Kuren’s scent needed to be obliterated at the first opportunity.
Thankfully the blow job didn’t last long. With a grunt, Kuren finished and shoved Frey away. “I can appreciate it has a certain charm,” he said while he closed up his pants. “I will contact you when it’s time for you to be of service.”
Rone knew a dismissal when he heard one. Jumping up, he inclined his head. “I shall await your instructions, sire.”
He met Frey halfway on his return journey across the floor and pulled him up to a standing position more abruptly than he’d intended. With both of his pets in tow, he left Kuren’s office,retrieved his weapons from the guards then returned to his quarters quickly. He said nothing along the way, his emotions too hot for him to trust his voice. The moment the doors to the private space closed behind them, he dropped Preen’s leash and yanked Frey’s off. Then he ordered a strong fruit drink from the processor and shoved the glass at a subdued Frey.
“Drink this. All of it.” With a frustrated huff, he turned away the moment the boy took it.
“You did what you had to do.”
Rone glared back at Preen and answered with an angry slash of his hand.“I know!”With a shake of its head, Preen squatted and folded its arms across its chest.
“Thank you, master.” Frey’s quiet voice, utterly cowed, pricked at Rone’s growing anger. The boy had drained the glass and stood fiddling with it, his gaze cast toward the floor.
Tamping down his ire so that the boy wouldn’t feel as if he were the cause of it, Rone plucked the glass from Frey’s hand and tossed it into the processor. Then, with a quick move that made Frey jump, he yanked the boy’s tunic over his head and pulled down his pants.
“Go take a shower.”
His pet didn’t hesitate to obey that order. Of course, he’d been forced to wander around with Rone’s dried cum in various places. He must be desperate to clean himself. Not that Rone’s scent had stopped Kuren from using the boy. Among the riffraff on this station, Kuren ranked far higher than Rone did, regardless of their birth castes. That male took what he wanted, and Rone supposed he’d been lucky that the guy hadn’t insisted on Rone gifting him with Frey permanently. His stomach clenched at the thought, and he shoved away the reason behind it. Allowing himself to be distracted by a pet was insupportable. He balled the cloth in his hands and squeezed.
Preen stood up and held out its hands.“Allow me. I’ll put them in the processor to clean them for the boy.”
