Rone stilled his petting hand and gripped Frey’s hair. “None whatsoever, sire.”
Kuren sat back. “Good. Go to your quarters, relax for a while. I’ll contact you with your new assignment when I’m ready. In the meantime, keep your head down. I don’t like my males attracting attention.” Kuren’s gaze flicked down to Frey. “Keep that thing out of sight. Too many males covet it, and I don’t need my new best runner to end up killed in a fight over possession of a pet.”
Rone got slowly to his feet, dragging Frey up at the same time by that hold on his hair. “As you say, sire.”
Rone didn’t let go of Frey, pulling him along tightly to his side, until they reached the guards. Once he’d rearmed, Rone reached for Frey’s head once more, but this time, he merely petted him a few times before leading him and Preen away by their leashes. Frey figured his master had meant the touch as a form of apology for the cavalier treatment. More and more, Frey noticed the difference between how Rone treated him in front of others and when they were alone with no one to observe besides Preen. It was as if the guy was putting on an act, pretending to be a badder-assed Travian than he really was. Then there was that weird statement back on the shuttle that kind of made it sound like Rone, himself, was in a position he didn’t want to be in and couldn’t control.
There were times like this that Frey’s world seemed to go farther down the rabbit hole. Already living in a strange and frightening place, Frey felt as if he were being led down even more mystifying paths with invisible ends. The game Rone played with Kuren had just changed, that much was clear. What it would ultimately mean was another story, although Frey was sure of one thing. The next step he took with his master would be a more dangerous one.
As soon as they entered their quarters, Rone removed the leashes and slapped Frey on his ass. “Go take a shower, pet.”
Because he badly wanted one, Frey hurried to comply, except something made him look over his shoulder on his way. His steps faltered.
Preen was gesturing to Rone.“This is it.”
“One can hope so. Send the signal, then prepare to wait. Kuren does nothing in a hurry.”
Preen scampered off to his room, and Rone glanced over at Frey. “Why so slow, pet? Do you want company?”
Because his choice was to admit that he’d stopped to eavesdrop on their conversation or go along with Rone’sobviously facetious question, Frey went with the lie. “Yes, master.”
Not waiting for a response, he continued into the bathing area, stripped, then walked into the shower unit. He wasn’t surprised when Rone joined him, nor when he found himself leaning against the wall impaled by the Travian’s cock. But that wasn’t all. Rone’s body pressed against his while Rone worked Frey’s own dick with a hot and heavy fist. Every one of Frey’s breaths hitched, the rising pleasure too fast, too intense for him to get more than a bit of air in his lungs with each jerk. Rone twisted up the rigid shaft, then stroked down to the base. Each time he reached the top, he flicked his thumb across the sensitive glans. Frey gasped and shuddered, shaking his head like a dog getting wet.
A yank on his hair forced his head back. Frey gasped, giving Rone a chance to plunge his tongue down Frey’s throat. Kissing had become Rone’s new favorite way to play. He did it every time he fucked Frey, and Frey had to admit that the alien had truly mastered the art. His tongue twined with Frey’s and left no crevice in Frey’s mouth unexplored. Given their size differences, it was easy for the larger creature to bend his body in order to fuck Frey’s mouth and ass at the same time, even from behind. All the while, he pumped Frey’s cock, never missing a beat until he wrung an explosive orgasm out of him. Frey automatically clenched around the thick rod lodged deep inside him.
They came together. They always did now. But, while Frey wilted, spent by his climax and done for the moment, Rone was just getting started. It didn’t matter. Frey knew that his master would hold him safely upright until he’d finished. And, strange though it was, he felt safe in those alien arms.
Just when Rone thought being cooped in his quarters would cause him to explode, Kuren commanded his attendance, told him to pack up his belongings as he wouldn’t be returning this time to the same station. Having decided when his mission started that he could obtain anything he might need on any station he visited, Rone carried little with him. It all fit in one small hand-held container. Preen had nothing at all. As for Rone’s other pet, there was only the pathetic remnants of his old clothing in a shrink-wrapped package. He held it up to the human who’d quietly been sitting on the sleeping platform watching Rone.
“You wish to keep this still?”
The boy dropped his gaze to stare at where his fingers plucked at the bedding. “Yes, please, master.”
Rone tossed the thing in, even though he couldn’t imagine ever letting the boy wear such worn, ugly clothes. He paused briefly at the thought. When had he lost sight of the fact that his ownership of the human was only part of the role he played on his mission? Once he brought down Kuren’s operations, he would be able to send the boy to that damn ball of nothing that their people still fought over—politically, if not physically. Frey could go back to being free, even if he’d be living within an occupation. Unlike the other human pets within Travian ownership, Frey had never done anything wrong to merit pet status. If anything, Arpell had violated the law when he’d attacked the human ship. It was one thing for High Command to order such a thing and another for a privateer to do it.
He snapped the container shut, ignoring the sudden tightness in his chest when he thought of letting Frey go. What did it matter to him? Yes, the human had provided unexpected pleasure and a welcome diversion from the alternating stress and boredom of his mission, but that was hardly a reason to fret over his loss. Any fuck boy would have accomplished the same,and once he returned to Travia Prime, he could find himself a nice, eager cadet to play with until he took his next assignment. So, yeah. No need to think twice about cutting the human loose.
“Come,” he said in a voice sharp enough to cut glass.
Frey jumped up to stand beside him. Rone reached for the leash, but ended up pulling the boy into his arms and kissing him. That was the word his pet used for this fusing of their mouths, and Rone found he liked it. He let go only when he felt his pet struggle for breath. The boy looked up at him with wide eyes, his lips swollen and shiny from their combined spit. Rone bent down and swiped his tongue across them.
“Come,” he said again and attached both leashes. “Kuren is not someone to keep waiting.”
For the first time, he didn’t go to the male’s office. His instructions led him to a docking bay. Kuren and his ever-present guards stood talking quietly with the bay crew. He didn’t stop whatever conversation he was having when he spotted Rone. Instead, he gestured for him to board the craft. It was smaller than the one Rone had used for his runs. This one was designed to shuttle crew quickly to nearby larger ships that idled outside the station. It was a good sign that Rone was truly being included in more important endeavors. He waited patiently by one of the four seats in the tiny bridge. He didn’t have long.
Kuren strode in and gestured to one chair. “Sit, and keep those things out of our way.”
Rone did as told, maneuvering his pets into the far corner and having them sit with his container perched on Frey’s lap. One of the guards took the pilot seat, while Kuren sat beside him. That left the other guard next to Rone. No one said a word more than was necessary to get them disengaged from the station. The shuttle hurtled away, and the speed added to the excitement coursing through Rone’s blood. He knew now that his long efforts to make some meaning out of his life after hismate’s death would come to fruition. He didn’t let his feelings show, of course. He let his mask of indifference fall into place for the short journey.
A larger ship loomed into view, the kind of ship a wealthy female might use for the pleasure of cruising around the universe. It held no obvious outward armaments, but Rone knew better. It was likely laden with all manner of weaponry, suitable for the ugly business the male conducted. He tried to estimate the number of crew, always on the lookout for trouble. He figured the ship would require at least twenty and probably had more, given Kuren’s business. It would require muscle as well as weapons.
They docked smoothly into an internal shuttle bay. Rone stood up, along with the others, as soon as the pilot powered down. He motioned for Frey and Preen to stand, then he followed Kuren out. More guards, armed to the teeth, met them in the bay. They didn’t seem particularly menacing, yet Rone kept an eye on them—not that there was anything he could do about it if this all turned out to be some kind of trap. Although for the first time Kuren’s guards hadn’t stripped him of what they thought were all of his weapons, he knew he stood no hope of taking out so many males, should it come to that. And his pets would be right in the line of fire, too. He knew that Preen was probably the most resourceful of the three of them if it came down to a fight, but he worried about Frey. The human seemed to have no combat training.
He worried for nothing. Kuren gave a subtle signal, and the guards relaxed. He waved Rone forward. “Tell me what you see when you look at this ship.”
Clasping his hands behind his back, Rone made a show of thinking about it. “A pleasure craft. I expect a high-born female uses it to flit about, maybe to visit with her children who serve onstations. I expect she has more than one mate, as females of her station usually do—males to dance attendance on her.”
Kuren looked pleased. He clapped one hand on Rone’s shoulder. “Exactly, except that female allows her equally high-born mate to use it when she’s ensconced on her estate. He’s so full of himself, he travels with two pets—one to fuck and one because it amuses him.”
