Authors: Jordan Summers
“She’d fetch a fair price on Farn,” the man said.
Fear swept through Opal. Farn was known for its skin trade, exotic pet market, and sex slavery. Was Hawk planning to kill her and sell off her parts? Or did he have something else in mind for her, something far, far worse than death?
Blood roared in her ears. Opal tried to catch Hawk’s response to the question, but the thick metal door and the distance muted his words.
How long would it take to reach Farn?
She didn’t know, which meant she’d have to come up with a plan fast. Unlike Hades’ new mate, Opal would do whatever it took to survive...even if that meant seducing the enemy.
Opal pictured Hawk lying naked on a rest pad and quivered. The shape-shifting Slaver had featured in far too many of her dreams.
Nightmares, never dreams. Nightmares.
On the surface, seducing him wouldn’t be a hardship, but the captain was no fool. He wouldn’t trust her no matter what she claimed, which was good since Opal didn’t trust him either.
Her cat might be ready to lift its tail up to his beast, but Opal would never allow her instincts to override her good sense. Not anymore.
The only thing working in her favor was that the Slaver desired her. Oh sure, he needed her to give him directions to Earth, but his lust was a strong motivating factor behind his daily visits.
Heat practically rolled off Hawk’s hard body when he was around her. Opal smiled coldly. She would play on his attraction. Convince Hawk that she wanted him, then the first opportunity she got, Opal would betray him and escape.
She glanced around her cell. There were only a few boxes of clothes and the basic necessities, but they were enough to work with, enough to catch a Slaver’s attention. If need be, she’d wear nothing.
After all, men were men. And if Opal knew anything, it was how to manipulate male shifters. She’d been doing it her whole life. She’d had no choice but to in order to get ahead in the Phantom patriarchal society.
She heard footsteps coming toward her containment pod. Was Hawk returning so soon? She dropped her head so she wouldn’t be caught looking his way if he peered through the viewer hatch.
The door to her cell opened suddenly, sending glaring light into the room, temporarily blinding her. When her vision cleared, Opal saw two men standing outside the door. Neither of which were Hawk.
The tall and lanky of the two had fair hair and violet-colored eyes. He smiled at her, flashing two-inch fangs. Despite the color of his eyes, Opal inhaled, expecting to catch the scent of a Phantom Blood Clan member. It wasn’t there. Whatever he was, he wasn’t from Zaron.
Her gaze shifted to the man beside him. Ice green eyes with snake-like pupils stared back at her. The man’s head was shaven and had been imprinted with a multitude of symbols. None of which she recognized.
“Come with us,” the fanged one said.
“Where’s Hawk?” she asked.
The symbols on the man’s bald head shifted and his green eyes narrowed. “That’s Captain Hawk to you, slave,” he snarled and his body pulsed with power.
The small wave hit her and Opal spasmed. Her eyes widened and her hearts began to pound. There was only one being that she knew of with that kind of power—a
Sorce
.
She’d never met one in person. Most people who did ended up dead. Opal tried to hide her fear, but wasn’t sure she succeeded. Magic wielders were some of the most lethal beings in the galaxy. Their skills as assassins were legendary.
“Where are we going?” her voice cracked.
Had Hawk ordered his men to kill her?
“Just get on your feet or we’ll bind you and carry you,” the fair-haired man said.
Opal reluctantly climbed to her feet. She wasn’t a coward and she wasn’t stupid. Fighting these two men would most certainly lead to her death, but warriors didn’t just roll over and die without a fight. If they planned to kill her, she wouldn’t make it easy for them.
Her fists clenched at her sides. “I’m standing. Now what?”
“This way.” The man’s violet-colored eyes began to glow.
As she watched, Opal’s head grew fuzzy and she found herself wanting to comply with his order. Her muscles strained to resist the compulsion, but it was no use. It was too strong. She walked into the cargo hold. A quick glance told her no one was around.
“Where are you taking me?” Opal clutched her temple and tried to focus. There was a reason she didn’t want to go with them. What was it?
“You’ll see.” The Sorce put a hand between her shoulder blades and shoved.
Opal stumbled forward but kept her feet under her. They didn’t go far. The men walked her to the other side of the hold and opened the lone door along the hull.
“Get in,” the Sorce said, watching her closely.
Opal poked her head in the door and saw a table with straps anchored to it and chains secured to the wall. Below the chains were...she squinted...various instruments.
It took her a moment to recognize what they were. Oh no. Not that. Opal took a step back. She didn’t get far before a strong hand came down upon her shoulder.
“I’m not going in there,” she snarled. Death was preferable to what Hawk and his men had planned for her.
She struggled, but the men simply picked her up and tossed her into the room. The one with the violet eyes looked at her.
“Stop,” he said.
One word was all it took for her world to fade to black.
* * * * *
Lex pulled the chain down from the wall. “Get her clothes off,” he said to Shadow. “The captain wants her properly prepared.”
Shadow waved a hand above her prone body. The symbols shifted on his skin until they formed words. The second they stopped moving, the woman’s clothes disappeared.
“I see why the Captain likes her,” Shadow said.
Lex glanced nervously at the open door. “Keep your voice down. You don’t want him to hear you say that,” he said cautiously.
Shadow snickered. “It was simply an observation.” His gaze lingered on Opal’s nude form. “She would fetch a lot of credits. Cat shifters are rare in females.”
“Captain would never sell her,” Lex said.
“Pity,” Shadow murmured.
Lex tossed two of the chains to Shadow, who caught them without looking. “Help me get these on her. She won’t be out long.”
Shadow clamped the chains on her hand and foot, while he took care of her other side. “You worry too much,” Shadow said in a bored tone.
“And you don’t worry enough,” Lex retorted. He’d seen the way Captain Hawk looked at her. It wasn’t the way a Slaver surveyed his cargo. There was want in their leader’s eyes. Want that ran far deeper than simple desire.
Lex was concerned. So was the rest of the crew, since this woman had betrayed her leader. Shadow was the only one who seemed oblivious. He would do well to give Opal a wide berth.
* * * * *
Opal came awake with a start. Chains encircled her wrists and ankles. She pulled at them and her skin prickled. A quick look confirmed her worst fears. She was naked and she wasn’t alone. It took Opal a second to figure out where she was and what was happening. When she did, her anger returned with a vengeance.
She was going to kill Hawk the next time she saw him. No one did this to her and lived. The two men who’d transferred her from her containment pod into the pleasure chamber surveyed their handiwork.
“You’re both dead,” she snarled.
“That should hold her,” the fair one said as if she hadn’t spoken.
He stepped back and hit a button on the wall. The chains retracted, lifting Opal’s body off the ground. They didn’t stop until she was flat against the wall, arms and legs spread wide.
“There’s a drain on the floor if you need to relieve yourself.” The Sorce pointed to a stained slotted circle beneath her dangling body.
Opal wrinkled her nose in disgust and glared at them, but they ignored her as they checked the chains once more.
“The wall you’re secured to will tilt back automatically in a few hours so you can sleep,” the blond said. “You should probably rest while you can.” He chuckled knowingly.
Opal tugged at the shackles. The chains rattled and creaked, but held.
“You cannot escape,” the Sorce said. “I personally prepared those chains for the captain.”
She glanced at the chains and noticed a light green sheen to them.
Magic...
The Sorce grinned, then stepped out of the room. His friend followed and shut the door behind them.
Gooseflesh rose on Opal’s arms and legs as she looked around the space. It was filled with phalluses of various sizes and shapes, along with whips, clamps, inserts, and feathers. Opal shuddered.
She’d heard about rooms like this. They were created to break people. Had she been brought here for preparation? Did they intend to get her ready for the slave market? A flash of disappointment washed over her. Opal ruthlessly brushed it aside, focusing instead on her anger.
Only one person on this ship could’ve ordered her transfer to this vile room. Hawk! She intended to make that blue-skinned, muscle-bound Slaver pay for this one way or another.
* * * * *
Hawk sat in his seat on the bridge, staring out the viewer screen at the vast wilderness of space. Stars twinkled in the distance, their golden light beckoning his wanderer’s soul.
His men positioned themselves in front of the bank of instrument panels that lined the curved walls, running diagnostics to ensure the ship was ready for its next jump. Hawk watched their fingers fly over the buttons and screens. Other than an occasional beep, they worked in silence.
Hawk had gathered the motley bunch over the years, handpicking them one by one to work by his side.
Fallon, his friend and First, had joined him when Hawk was just a homeless shifter out for revenge against the beings who’d blown up his planet. Reaper, a wraith-like being with a twisted sense of humor, found them while they were raiding a planet. He’d never had much opportunity to use his unique ability to lose form, so he’d jumped at the chance to be part of the crew. His gift had come in handy in more than one fight. Nothing Reaper passed through survived for long.
They’d discovered Lex and Mars drinking in a cantina. They were on the verge of being apprehended by the Authority, so they were more than happy to sign on and catch a ride off planet.
Lex was as fair as Mars was dark. Together the men made quite a striking pair for a couple of thieves. Not that many people remembered seeing them after Lex used his mesmerism abilities on them.
If that failed, Mars’ gift for diplomacy normally succeeded. His unique abilities had gotten them out of quite a few tight situations and his skill for languages helped with negotiations.
A loud squeak shattered the silence on the deck, effectively distracting everyone from their jobs.
Mars glanced down at the ferret-like creature circling his feet and quickly picked Echo up. He gently stroked the creature’s wedge head and cooed softly. Its red eyes glowed and it chirped contentedly.
When they’d first met, Hawk had thought the creature was a pet, but it turned out that Echo was Mars’ familiar. One didn’t go anywhere without the other being close by.
Hawk’s restless gaze moved over the crewmen.
What was taking Lex and Shadow so long to secure Opal?
They should have been done by now. Hawk’s imagination got the best of him. Sheer will was all that kept him in his seat.
A moment later, the transport cylinder opened and the men stepped out.
“Everything go well?” he asked.
“Aye, Captain,” Lex said. “As well as can be expected, but you may want to give her time to calm down.”
Shadow nodded in agreement.
“Did you have to use magic on her?” Hawk asked.
“Only enough to prepare her for you,” Shadow said.
The green-eyed assassin’s body was covered in odd symbols that no one understood but him. Even his shaven head displayed the marks. He possessed magic so powerful that it could rip the ship apart. So when he said he’d only used a little magic, Hawk tensed.
Shadow noticed his reaction and added, “She is well, but very angry.”
Hawk grinned. He had no doubt that his Little Cat was spitting mad. “Set course for Farn,” he said.
A holomap popped up, displaying planets, solar systems and galaxies. Fallon touched one of the bright points on the map and Farn came into view. The arid planet was the perfect spot to unload their precious cargo. It would only take a few suns to reach it. Soon he and his men would be swimming in credits.
Until then, Hawk planned to make good use of his pleasure chamber. He thought about the wild Phantom woman enslaved below. Why did he want her so much? Was it because she didn’t immediately fall at his feet? Hawk had a feeling his Little Cat would rather stab him with her sharp claws than do so.
His body’s relentless demands wore on his patience. Hawk yearned for the backstabbing beauty. She presented a challenge. One he could not resist. If that weren’t enough, her feline called to his beast, tempting his cat. Hawk hadn’t been with another cat shifter. His planet had been destroyed before he got the chance.
He’d tried to capture one over the years, but had been unsuccessful. Shifters were not easy prey. And female cat shifters were rare. But now he had one, had her.
Hawk wanted Opal’s long legs wrapped around his hips. He wanted her fingers curling around his thick shaft. Most of all, he wanted to bury himself inside her until her beast submitted. Once it had, he’d take her in both forms. Then he’d take her again...and again.
He wasn’t used to denying himself any kind of pleasure. Like all cats, Hawk was insatiable by nature. If he hadn’t thought Opal would be worth the wait, he would’ve had her already, but he didn’t want to force his Little Cat. Hawk wanted her to give herself to him willingly—though he had no doubt that would take some persuasion.
“Captain.” Fallon’s address shook Hawk from his carnal thoughts. “The coordinates for Farn are set.”
“Good,” Hawk said. Tomorrow would be soon enough to start Opal’s first lesson.