Moon Mark (6 page)

I wasn’t wounded by the man’s words. If his emotional outburst had caused their removal from this horrid scene, then I would thank him later. This wasn’t anything I wanted anyone to see, whether it was my death if the rebellion leader didn’t press his button or if it ended with us having sex if he did. Neither were outcomes I wanted anyone to observe.

The prisoners continued to watch, though—the clock still ticking.

The fucking scientists hadn’t paused the countdown.

As they finished lining up their detainees, a guard opened the door to herd them away…

Geo stepped beside me. He pressed his button.

The red numbers stopped at one minute, thirty-four seconds.

My hands shook down by my sides, horror and panic holding me captive.

This was going to happen.

Neither one of us looked at each other, our attention solely on the Kireg scientists.

This man standing next to me had better be worth it. I was saving him. I would eventually expect a return on my investment. And the deaths of the fuckers before us would be a decent start.

The scientist in charge kept his back to us until all the prisoners had been removed from the room. Then he turned around to face us. The crazy bastard wasn’t hiding his excitement, making me wonder if none had pressed the red buttons before. On each side of him, the two lab coats were essentially grinning.

It was sick as fuck.

I bared my teeth at their obvious delight.

The rebellion leader took a large step forward and punched the glass hard enough to make it shake. I flinched and peered at his fist, gauging the damage. His knuckles were bleeding, but no bones were sticking out of his skin.

He stated in a cold, calm voice, “I’m going to enjoy killing each of you.” He bent at the waist and placed his hands on his knees, his face even with theirs. “I’ll do it slowly. And remove your scarves so you can truly
see
—since you’re perverse enough to find two people being forced together appealing. And I’ll leave your tongues intact, so I’ll have your screams to remember you by long after you’re dead. But I’ll take your brains at the end and shit on them.”

I held perfectly still, his very calmness alarming.

He was the first to threaten them. Our situation didn’t allow us to do so.

They could do whatever they wanted in retaliation.

But, seemingly, instead of an instant acid shower, they simply disregarded him.

The two Kireg scientists on the sides peered down to their tablets while the lead scientist pressed a button on his microphone. He pushed his cloth up again and presumably, peered down his nose at the rebellion leader. His voice heard again, he explained clearly, “If you try to escape during this experiment, the acid will be activated, and both of you will be eliminated.”

Geo gradually straightened and rolled his head on his shoulders. He took another step forward and placed his forehead against the glass, glaring ice-cold daggers at the scientists below him. His fists clenched down by his sides, itching to break through the barrier.

The muscles under his shirt tensed.

Mother Joyal.
I hadn’t thought the situation could get any worse.

My voice was small inside the room, but it was still a warning. “Don’t. Kill. Us.” I growled quietly under my breath in the face of his silent fury. “I did not just lose all honor I have for you to fuck it up now, Kireg, before I can earn my respect back from my people. You want to kill them? Do it later.”

He let loose his own soft growl. It was his warning to me, cold and in control. He relaxed his fingers, and then clenched them again into fists. “I’m just memorizing their faces, Human. I’ll kill them when it’s the appropriate time.”

They stood evaluating us as they tapped notes on their tablet, unfazed by his statement. Then the rebellion leader took a significant step back. Another. One more. He was aligned with me now. He turned to give them his back and crossed his arms as he stared at the back wall, unable to look at them.

He groused over his shoulder, “What now, perverts?”

“One moment,” the lead scientist mumbled. He didn’t even look up from his writing.

My hands started to tremble anew. The rebellion leader stood near—so close I could feel the heat coming from his body. And we were about to get even closer—too close. My shoulders hunched when the scientist finally spoke.

“Remove your clothing. Both of you.”

The tears that formed in my eyes burned and my vision blurred. I turned my head to the side, away from him, when the rebellion leader began to remove his gray shirt, his back still to the scientists. My chest pumped too quickly, my lungs working overtime. My eyelashes fluttered when another tear escaped.

I winced when his shirt hit the floor between us, his hands moving to the waistband of his pants. I kept my attention off any flesh that might now be on display and quickly wiped the tear away that dangled on my jawline. My hands went to the hem of my shirt. In silence, I removed my top with shaking hands, fighting to stay where I was when the rebellion leader’s pants landed on the floor.

He was bare next to me. And I was swiftly naked next to him, my shirt and pants in a pile in front of me. I kept my right arm over my breasts, and my left hand covering the juncture between my thighs. My breaths were mere gasps as I kept my attention down on my clothing pile, studying the threading on the collar of my shirt to keep from passing out. I didn’t think they would give us a free pass even if I fainted. The bile that rose in my throat eventually helped my breathing, my constant swallowing calming my airflow—or near panic attack.

The scientist simplified, “You have two minutes to begin sexual affairs.” The numbers on the clock altered to show a two-minute countdown, already ticking away. The Kireg didn’t explain our deaths would come at the end if we didn’t do as he ordered—that much evident. “I might remind you, in this instance, sex is the male penis and the female vagina, coupled. Both of you must reach your completion—at least one orgasm per individual during sex—for your lives to be spared.”

I swallowed slowly once more, my body quivering where I stood. I knew enough about sex from the literature on Joyal. But…

What was an orgasm?

The rebellion leader snorted and rotated to face them completely. “Thank you for explaining what sex is. I hadn’t realized it involved my dick in her pussy. We really would have been fucked—more than we will be soon—without that clarification.” He lifted both hands and waved them in the air. “Where is the shield protector? Or do you expect me to impregnate her, too?”

I blinked slowly at the floor. It
could
get worse.

The scientist replied, “We won’t be allowing protection at this time. Perhaps in the future, we will if you please us.” He peered down to his tablet and typed. “Are you worried about creating a baby with a Human, Subject 8?”

King Jordan lowered his arms. “Fuck you. And fuck your beliefs.”

“Is that even possible?” I gasped.

The scientist hummed quietly. “We don’t believe so. A Kireg’s deoxyribonucleic acid is much different from a Human. The probability is almost zero.”

My eyes widened. “Perhaps you should give him one of those shield protectors he wants?”

“We’ve already given our answer. It is no.”

The rebellion leader stepped in front of me. And my lowered gaze got a clear shot of his ass.

My lips curled. A bastard like him shouldn’t have a fit, tan butt like that.

I quickly looked up, though when he turned to face me, only my pile of clothes between us. I didn’t need to see his dick, even though my body was going to become too intimate with it soon. My attention stayed higher than waist level. My blue eyes stared at his chest, and I took a quick step back. He was massive. His pecs were enormous, no hair on the smooth flesh, his stomach a ripple of muscles. The mere size of his body was intimidating compared to my smaller frame.

The rebellion leader surprised me, though. He didn’t mock my show of fear.

Instead, he asked calmly—with a frown, “You’re not untouched, are you?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “I’m a Human. We don’t have sex to procreate.”

“Sacred Moon,” he cursed and rubbed at his chin.

I nibbled on my lower lip to peer up—a little—to his strong chin. “Are…” I cleared my throat and tried again. “Will you be able to become hard, as a male will need to be in the act?” It was a valid question, and I needed to know how much I would have to work to pull this off.

He lifted his right hand and ran his fingers through his white hair slowly, his bicep flexing with the motion. His head tipped down, and his cold eyes flicked down my body, pausing on the parts I was covering with my arms. The rebellion leader lifted his gaze and grunted, his tone quieting. “I’ll manage.”

Thank Mother Joyal.

I tilted to the side and glanced around him to the clock. “Fourteen seconds.”

“Time to start then,” he hissed. My eyes widened as my gaze flew to his when he came right at me, trampling my clothing. His purple eyes were frosted with determination—and loathing. His warm palms landed on my bare sides, his body still moving, pressing me backward until my shoulders hit the rounded wall behind us. “Stop covering yourself.”

I jerked my hands away from my body and fluttered them in front of his, not sure where the hell to touch him. Not wanting to touch him. “Uh…”

He snorted. “Just let me handle this, and it’ll go a lot smoother.”

I finally smacked my hands down on his shoulders, my fingers trembling on his flesh. His skin was hot and hard beneath my palms. I nibbled on my bottom lip and swiftly peered around him again. The clock had stopped at two seconds. My chest—my bare as hell chest—heaved in relief. Nevertheless, I held perfectly still when the rebellion leader invaded my personal space, placing his body flush with mine.

I blinked furiously when his cock touched my stomach—already hard. “I guess that really won’t be an issue.” His size might be though…since he was huge as hell. “Whatever you do, Kireg, do not just ram that thing into me.”

“I wasn’t planning on it, Human,” he growled under his breath. I trembled against his body as he dipped his head and placed his mouth against my neck. “I’d prefer not to have my dick rubbed raw.”

I had no idea what he meant, but I locked my muscles down when his lips began a slow glide against my tender neck. He wasn’t hurting me, his full lips actually very gentle, but it was
him
. My fingers tightened on his shoulders, my nails pressing against his flesh.

And I could see the Kireg over his lowered head watching us, not missing any detail, occasionally tapping absently on their tablets—not glancing away.

A small whimper escaped past my lips and tears burned again in my eyes.

The rebellion leader pulled his head back and glanced up at me. His cold eyes evaluated my features in an unhurried study. I couldn’t stand it and turned my head to the side, not looking at anyone, my gaze wholly on the round silver wall. He jerked his head to stare over his right shoulder at the scientists.

Gradually, he rose to his full height, and my jaw clenched when he released my sides to cup my face. He tilted my head in his direction, waiting until I peered up into his purple eyes.

His voice was so calm. “I don’t care what you have to do to make this work. Just do it. Pretend they aren’t there. Or close your eyes and act like I’m someone else. Do you understand?”

I nodded with a shudder, and my jaw worked against his palms. “Yes.”

“Good,” he muttered and held my eyes with his for another second. He lowered his hands, and on their descent, the backs of his knuckles brushed my nipples. My nostrils flared as the peaks of my breasts hardened, my eyes narrowing on his—unshed tears instantly drying. He lifted a white brow, his eyes straight on mine, and his question blunt. “Your nipples are sensitive. Do you like when someone sucks on them? Uses their teeth?”

My mouth went dry. I swallowed hard, my gaze darting back and forth between his eyes, unsure if he was taunting me…or serious. When he didn’t comment further, I mumbled, “I have no holy idea.”

He nodded in an efficient manner and then ducked his head again. His palms landed on my hips this time while I continued digging my fingers into his shoulders. A small, shocked gasp flew from my mouth when he pressed his right leg between mine, his thigh tight against my intimate flesh. The bastard leader ran his lips repeatedly over my neck, occasionally nibbling at my skin.

Goose bumps popped up on my flesh, and I tipped my head back, giving him more access—and to keep from making eye contact with the studying Kireg. I closed my eyes and instructed my body to relax. I pushed any guilt and revulsion to the back of my mind.

He’s just a man.

Just a man. That’s all.

It was a constant reminder I had to repeat inside my mind.

This is only a man pressed against me. His body is keeping me warm.

He ran one hand up my back and made me arch when his lips landed on my right breast.

The tiniest of a kindling flame flickered low in my gut, surprising me.

The literature had said this was necessary. Rinse and repeat inside my mind.

Just a man.

He paused momentarily as he inhaled…and then grunted softly. His tongue peeked out, and he licked in a slow glide, taking his time to thoroughly examine each of my breasts. His white hair brushed down around his cheeks as he switched every so often, giving my flesh equal amounts of attention.

My body eventually trembled against his for a different reason. And I tried valiantly to convince myself this wasn’t a sin—against my love for my people.

Just a man.

Geo lifted, running his lips over my collarbone and aiming for my neck again. I tentatively placed my arms over his shoulders and ran my fingers up the top of his spine, dipping them under his hair. He stilled at the action, his mouth on my left earlobe. His deep exhales warmed my ear when I faltered, freezing in the act.

He growled, his words quiet. “You may touch me. Right now. In this goddamn room.” He tilted his head further, running his nose up the back of my ear and his voice turning whisper soft. “Currently, it wouldn’t hurt either of us if you reciprocated.”