Hawk's Slave (5 page)

Several shuttles were parked on the outside perimeter of the tents. The sheer number spoke to the amount of craft orbiting the planet.

“Looks like we have a good crowd,” Fallon said.

“Yeah,” Hawk replied. “Let’s hope they’re ready to part with their credits.” He glanced at Mars. “I want you to lead negotiations.”

“Yes, Captain.” Mars grinned. Echo’s furry head popped up from beneath Mars’ collar. “Get back inside. There’s nothing here for you to see.” He stroked his familiar, then gently pushed him back down into his shirt.

Hawk wandered through the stalls, checking out the merchandise while Mars rounded up potential buyers. His ship didn’t need anything, but it never hurt to look.

Rare jewels and fine swaths of fabric draped one of the stalls near the credit exchange. Normally, with items like this there’d be a force field around them, but the merchant obviously felt safe to display such expensive goods without one because of the nearness to the guards positioned around the credit exchange.

Hawk ran his hand over a particularly vibrant red fabric. He pulled it off its hook and held it up to examine the length. The color would look good on Opal with her dark hair and fair skin. The unbidden thought had him shoving the fabric away.

Fallon glanced at him and arched a green brow in question.

“What are you looking at?” Hawk snapped.

“Nothing, Captain,” he said, but amusement lit his yellow eyes. “Think they have any horn sharpeners here? I could use a new set.”

Hawk pointed down one of the rows of tents. “Cas normally carries them. If he’s here, he’ll be in the last stall on your left.”

“Thanks,” Fallon said, then wandered off.

It bothered Hawk that he’d become so attached to his Little Cat. He should sell her and be done with it before it was too late.

His beast yowled inside his head, reminding him that the time to dispose of her had already come and gone. Besides, he wasn’t about to let her go anywhere until they’d lain together.

Hawk noticed the changes happening in Opal’s body whenever he was around. They’d always been there, but the few days she’d spent in the pleasure chamber had increased them.

Opal could deny their attraction all she wanted, but Hawk hadn’t missed the anticipation in her eyes or the heavy cream that flooded her channel whenever he was near. It wouldn’t be much longer before she offered herself to him. And when she did, Hawk would be ready.

* * * * *

The door to the pleasure chamber opened and the two men who’d brought her here a few days ago stepped inside the room. The blond one pressed the button to loosen the chains while the Sorce crossed the room to release her.

“What’s going on?” Opal rubbed her hands and feet.

“Captain wants the cargo prepared,” he said.

Opal frowned. “Prepared for what?”

“Market,” he said as if that were obvious.

Opal’s stomach dropped. Hawk had given her the impression that he wasn’t going to sell her. She thought he’d been grooming her for his rest pad. Obviously, he’d been toying with her again. Opal felt a sharp sting of betrayal, then viciously shoved it aside.

“Come on,” he said. “We don’t have all day.”

They led her into a large chamber where a crowd of naked women huddled together. The blond shoved Opal inside and shut the door behind her.

“Close your eyes,” he shouted.

The words had barely died, when a strong scented mist rained down from the ceiling. The mist covered their skin and began to foam on contact.

Opal rubbed the cleanser over her body, then ran it through her hair. Most of the women around her didn’t move at all. Instead, they hugged themselves and cried.  A refreshing rinse came next, washing away all the grime that had accumulated.

She heard a click, then a burst of heated wind entered the chamber. Some of the women gasped, others cried louder. Opal did neither. Cold had settled inside her. A cold so deep that the warmth couldn’t reach it. She’d wanted off the ship, had schemed how to accomplish such a feat, but now that the time had come Opal found herself oddly disappointed.

He’s a Slaver. What did you expect?

“Step out one by one and take the clothing you are given,” the Sorce said. “Then walk into the scanner.”

The women formed a line and slowly made their way through the door. They were herded through a health scan, then directed into a large circle in the center of the room. When the last woman crossed the line, there was a loud hiss, then the floor began to lower.

By the time it finished, they were standing in a deep pit. Opal judged the distance to the top but knew she couldn’t make it in her human form. She wasn’t even sure her cat could without a running start.

“Put your clothes on,” the Sorce said. “We don’t want to disappoint the buyers.”

Opal held up her gown and stared at it in disgust. The material was sheer, giving her no cover at all. But she supposed that was the point since they were here to be sold.

She pulled the gown on and leaned against the wall. No one spoke to her. It was as if they knew she wasn’t like the rest of them. Opal didn’t care. She needed to focus on her next move.

She may not be able to stop from being sold, but she could try to manipulate the buyers. She glanced up at the men who’d brought them here. The Sorce glared back at her.

“Lex, are you sure the captain meant all the women?” he asked, glancing at the man with him.

“You heard him,” the blond said.

The Sorce shrugged. “That one’s worth more than the lot of them. She should be in her own pen.”

“The captain didn’t make any special requests when it came to her, so she goes in with the others,” Lex said.

“I’m just saying she’d fetch more on her own,” the Sorce said.

“Not our call,” Lex said. “We have our orders.”

“Fine,” the Sorce said. “Let’s get on with it then.”

* * * * *

It took most of the afternoon, but Mars finally rounded up five solid buyers for their cargo. Hawk surveyed the men. Three of them were familiar to him, but the last two he’d never seen before.

The one on the end had large scales covering his skin and bright blue hair that fell over his shoulders before following a ridge down the center of his back. He was dressed in tight animal hides and had the body of a fighter. The man kept watching them in a way that made Hawk nervous.

Hawk signaled for Mars.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Are you sure they all checked out?” he asked.

“Aye, Captain,” Mars said. “I ran the proper credit checks and pulled up their records. They’re all legitimate dealers.”

Hawk’s gaze scanned the group once more. His gut clenched once more when it landed on the man at the end. “Who’s that?” he asked Mars.

Mars looked at the potential buyers. “That’s Captain Zeth. He’s from the Zion quadrant and has been trading for twenty years.”

“Keep an eye on him,” he said. “I don’t like how he’s watching us.”

Mars gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

“Gentlemen, I am Captain Hawk,” he said in introduction.

The men rattled off their names. Hawk didn’t pay any attention to them until it came time for the last man to speak.

“I am called Zeth,” he said. “Where is the cargo the dark one speaks of?”

“It’s safe,” Hawk said, then added, “and secure. Now come this way.” He led the men toward their shuttle. They were scanned for hidden weapons before they were allowed to climb aboard.

Hawk’s gut continued to protest. He surveyed the shuttles and tents around them, but nothing was amiss. He shook his head and shut the hatch.

“Secure,” he said.

With Fallon at the controls, the shuttle rose swiftly. Within minutes, they were docking with the main ship.

The hatch opened. Lex, Shadow, and Reaper approached, then spread out in a tactical formation.

“Is everything ready?” Hawk asked.

“Yes, Captain. The women have been bathed, scanned, and dressed,” Lex said.

“Good,” he said. “Then let’s get this over with.” The sooner he got Zeth off his ship, the better.

The men took position in front of the buyers, while Hawk, Mars, and Fallon fell in behind. They escorted them over to an open pit in the center of the cargo bay.

“Take your time gentlemen,” Hawk said. “Examine the merchandise for as long as you like. If need be, we have rooms specifically designated for you to test the product out.”

Zeth scanned the females. His sharp gaze missed nothing. Suddenly, he focused on something near the wall. Hawk leaned over to see what held his attention and cursed.

“What is she doing in there?” he snarled. His gaze speared Lex, pinning him in place.

Lex paled. “You said to prepare all the women. That’s what we did.”

Hawk’s fists clenched. “Get her out of there now!” he bellowed.

“I want that one.” Zeth pointed directly at Opal. “I will give you one hundred thousand credits for her.”

The other buyers gaped, along with Hawk’s crew.

Even Hawk blinked at the enormous sum. No one had ever offered them that much for a single slave. It was unheard of. With that kind of money, they could do whatever they wanted.

The crew turned as one to Hawk, waiting for his response. His lip curled, revealing his lengthening incisors. “She’s not for sale.”

“Is she not in the pit?” Zeth asked.

“Yes,” Hawk hissed. “But her being there is a mistake.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “Two hundred thousand credits.”

* * * * *

Opal watched desire war with greed. Hawk’s expression kept changing so rapidly that she had no idea which one would win out.

Until that moment, she had thought for sure that Hawk had told his crew to place her in the pit. But one look at the fury lighting his gold gaze told her otherwise. However, that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t change his mind and take the credits. Only a fool turned down that much treasure.

Opal held her breath as fear mingled with excitement. She’d waited for an opportunity like this, but now that the chance to get off the ship was here, she wasn’t sure how she felt.

Hawk’s face seemed to sharpen, along with his teeth. Opal recognized the signs of a shift coming on. She couldn’t tell if he’d reached a decision, but she knew he wasn’t happy.

The scaly, blue-haired humanoid stared at her with hunger in his eyes. Opal shivered under his regard, unsure if the craving came from lust or something far more sinister.

If the scaly one bought her, it might be easier to escape. Her gaze moved to the dark, golden-eyed beast beside him. Hawk was scanning the pit. Opal felt her body soften the moment their eyes met and cursed silently.

Hawk shouldn’t be under her skin, but he was, thanks to the pleasure and punishment he’d been administering over the last few days.

“You!” The scaly giant pointed at her. “Step forward.”

Opal glanced at Hawk to gauge his reaction but did as the humanoid asked.

“Turn,” he snarled.

She arched a brow, then made a slow circle, knowing the gown hid nothing from his view. She glanced down and saw her nipples peaking the front of the material and the shadow of curls that covered her sex.

Hawk’s body trembled beside the man. Aggression radiated from every pore.

The humanoid’s nostrils flared. “Yes,” he hissed. “I want that one. She will make the perfect pet.”

“I said she’s not for sale,” Hawk snarled.

Not one to be denied, the man’s head swiveled toward him and his red eyes narrowed. “Everything on Farn is for sale. How much for the shifter? Name your price.”

Hawk seemed to go preternaturally still. His gold eyes began to glow from within and his big, muscled body shifted into a loose fighting stance.

Sensing imminent danger, the crew fanned out.

“My mistake,” Lex said. “I’ll take care of it right away, Captain.” He dropped down into the pit and grabbed Opal by the arm, then hurried her across the space. Lex pressed a spot on the wall and a hidden door opened. He shoved Opal inside and shut the door behind her.

Without a hint of light, she couldn’t see anything. Even her cat was blind. Opal’s body continued to tremble with a mixture of excitement and relief. Hawk wanted her. They both did. She wondered which one would ultimately prevail.  A moment later, Opal heard a loud roar.

* * * * *

Hawk was so angry he could barely speak. He’d managed to unload half of his cargo, but gained an enemy in the process. He turned to his crew after they’d finished putting the rest of the females back into their containment pods.

“Which one of you put Opal into the pit?” he asked, his voice dangerously soft.

Lex swallowed hard and stepped forward. Shadow followed.

“I did,” Shadow said before Lex could speak.

Lex’s head jerked in Shadow’s direction and his violet eyes widened in surprise.

Hawk’s gaze narrowed on the Sorce. “You are not the only one at fault here.”

Shadow shrugged. “We followed your orders to the letter. You did not indicate that she was to be spared from the sale block.”

Hawk’s jaw clenched. He wanted to rip them to shreds. He wanted to sink his claws into their backs until the pain and anger he was feeling faded. But he couldn’t, if he wanted to keep his crew and prevent a mutiny. “You are both docked one hundred credits. Now, everyone get back to the bridge. I want us out of orbit and away from Farn within the hour.”

The men scrambled to follow his orders.

He waited for them to leave, then walked over to the transport cylinder. Hawk climbed in. “Down,” he snarled.

His body continued to throb with fury and possessiveness. The anger he could deal with, but the possessiveness worried him. He never allowed himself to get attached to females. It was bad for business. In this case, very bad. Hawk scrubbed a hand over his face and tried not to think about the outrageous sum he’d just turned down.

She’d better be worth it or he’d end up with a mutiny on his hands.

The transport cylinder stopped. Hawk stepped out and crossed the hall to the first door on his right. He pressed his palm to the side of the door and it opened with a hiss.