Strength in Numbers Read online

  “Pataryio,” Eterin said, looking at the man holding his arm up. “I claim my prize, the female to be my personal sex slave.”

  Pataryio nodded and his gaze moved to Eterin’s ass. “I told you I would one day know the feel of you as I found release within you. Did I not?”

  Something dark passed over Eterin’s face. “Yes, you did. Now I wish for you to acknowledge my prize.”

  “Patience, my lord.” Pataryio put his hand out to Sempia and she took it. He pulled her to her feet and cupped her chin. “I found her to be most delightful. I am not so sure we should let her go so easily. I had no idea a virgin could fuck as well as she. She was certainly trained properly.”

  “Pataryio,” Eterin said, his tone warning.

  Sempia stared at Eterin, her chin beginning to wobble as her chest tightened. She’d been raised with the knowledge she would do nothing more than please audiences who came to watch a sex show before going off to be a personal sex slave for someone, but the moment Eterin revealed himself to her she wanted no one other than him.

  Pataryio winked as he leaned in close and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Worry not, beauty. I am merely here to assure it looks real.”

  The owner of the arena and the man currently in charge of her slip came forth. They talked amongst themselves, seeming to argue at first before nodding. The owner of the arena neared the microphone. “Ownership of slave number 763-A has been transferred in accordance to policy 2190.”

  Eterin neared her and swept her up and off her feet. “Then she is mine.”

  “She is,” the owner of the arena said, giving the man with her slip a shove. “Give him the slip.”

  Reluctantly, the man did.

  Eterin seized hold of the slip and motioned with his head to Pataryio. “Now, we go.”

  “Of course, my lord.” Pataryio bowed to the women and the Mantovian. “It was certainly a pleasure.”

  “Pataryio,” Eterin scolded, whisking her out of the arena in the direction of the exit.

  Chapter Three

  “Remain here,” Eterin instructed. “Do not move. We must ensure the vessel is ready for takeoff and that we have not been discovered.”

  He and Pataryio ran off, leaving her in the dimly lit corner of the hall. She backed up, reaching for a piece of tapestry upon the wall. Anything she could use to cover herself. So much had happened so fast that she could scarcely wrap her mind around it. She eyed the preparation room, knowing clothing resided within. Quickly, she crossed the hall to the room and pushed the door open. Varying lengths of material of all colors were thrown about. She selected red silk and wrapped it around her body, fastening it with golden cord under her breasts and around her waist. She stepped before the mirror and did her best to tame her wild tresses.

  As she turned to exit the room and return to the hall, she spotted the man who had been reluctant to hand over her note of ownership. His dark gaze locked on her. Anger flashed over his face. “What a pretty little whore,” he said.

  She took a tiny step back, bumping the mirror. “I should go. My master awaits me.”

  “Your master?” he mocked, moving toward her. His hand went to his side, just under his toga. A glint of sliver flashed and she knew he was armed. “Because he fucked you, that makes him your master?”

  She pressed herself to the mirror. “Because he owns my note, sir.”

  He snickered, still coming toward her, crowding her space. She thought of calling out for help, but fear that something would happen to Eterin as a result of her foolishness kept her lips sealed tight. She would take whatever punishment was laid out before her if it kept Eterin safe.

  The man lifted the dagger, putting it close to her face. “You were to be mine. I’d been planning for months to purchase you. What will he say to his goods being damaged, huh? What will he think of his pretty little whore bearing scars upon her face?” He pressed the tip of the dagger to her cheek, his eyes holding madness. “Will he still want you then?”

  “Yes,” Eterin said, his voice booming through the room. “I will.”

  “I’d step away from her if I were you,” Pataryio added, sounding almost amused with the ordeal, as if it happened on a regular basis. Perhaps it did. “I’ve watched the man kill for less reason than you’re giving him now. Harm that beauty before you and your end will come in the form of long, drawn-out torture at the hands of a skilled warrior and assassin. Oh, and I’ll lend a hand too, because where is the fun in not?”

  The man stayed close to her, still pressing the dagger to her face. “She was to be mine. You had no right to her.”

  “I am the only man who has rights to her,” Eterin said, sounding calm yet fierce.

  “She is a trained whore,” the man snapped harshly, spittle flying about.

  “She is my whore now,” Eterin stated. The pain of his words was greater than any the man before her could inflict. Tears welled but she held tight to them, refusing to show weakness.

  Sempia, Eterin said, his voice pushing through her mind. On my mark, drop down and tuck into a tiny ball.

  “I will not,” she stated firmly, still hurt by his proclamation.

  The man before her tipped his head curiously. “You will not what, whore?”

  Rage and a good deal of hurt consumed her as she stomped on the man’s foot before driving her knee up and into his groin. Her years in training had taught her much more than just how to please a man. They had taught her how to cause him the greatest pain as well. He doubled over and she reached for the mirror and tugged hard upon it until it gave way and fell upon the man. He crashed with it to the floor and she stood above him, glaring down, a hand going to her hip. “Have you anything to say now, sir? Wish to call me a whore again?”

  “I think I like her,” Pataryio said with a snort. “A lot.”

  “Silence,” Eterin bellowed. “Sempia, come quickly. His guards will notice his absence and seek him out.”

  She crossed her arms under her breasts, holding her ground. If she were going to throw caution to the wind and run off with a man from her past rather than the one who had intended to purchase her, she was going to make sure he heard her speak her mind at least once. “I will do no such thing. You are not the boy I once knew.”

  “You’re right,” he acknowledged. “I am a man.”

  “One I find myself not liking very much at the moment,” she returned with a look of indignation.

  “Sempia?” Eterin asked, appearing taken aback by her behavior. He moved forward, assuring the man on the floor and his knife were truly separated. He hoisted the man up and tossed him toward the wall as if he were no more than a sack of dry goods. He then shoved him into a cubby hole of sorts, making it impossible to see his body lying there unless one specifically entered the tiny offshoot of a room. When Eterin turned his gaze upon her, it was heated. “Did I not tell you to wait in the hallway? Were my instructions not clear enough for you? Should I have used smaller words for your feeble mind to wrap around?”

  Pataryio lifted a hand in an attempt to stop what was going on. “Boss, I think she wanted to get dressed.”

  “Where she is going she needs no garments,” Eterin said sharply. “She only needs to understand how to please me. For that, she does not require clothing.”

  “You don’t mean that,” Pataryio protested, casting a sympathetic look in her direction. “You’re upset with her and you were afraid for her when you saw him with a knife to her. Don’t lash out at her because of that.”

  “Mind your tongue and your own affairs,” Eterin replied. His expression was hard. Unreadable. “This is between me and my purchased companion.”

  Sempia lowered her head, the fight leaving her body. Eterin had promised long ago to come for her, to take her from a life of servitude, only to be the very man who in the end enslaved her. She began to loosen the cords holding the cloth to her body. If he wished her to be attired in nothing so be it.

  Strong hands clamped over hers. “Leave it.”


  “As you wish, master,” she said, refusing to look upon him.

  Eterin lifted a hand and grazed a knuckle over her cheek. The act was tender, unlike his words had been. “Sempia.”

  She continued to stare at her feet, unwilling to face him. “Yes, master?”

  “Well, you went and did it now,” Pataryio offered from the sidelines. “You bitched and moaned nonstop about what she was going through, about what she’d be forced to do for her master once purchased, and then you become the very thing you hated. Glad we spent all this time and money for you to be a complete and utter space cack.”

  “Pataryio,” Eterin stated coldly. “Wait for us in the vessel.”

  “Or what? You’ll treat me like a slave too?” Pataryio stormed past his friend and offered a hand to Sempia. “Come on, beauty. I promise to be civil to you, and you have my word being with us is better than being with the other guy.”

  She couldn’t help but glance at Eterin. “Is it?”

  He tensed, his lips drawn tight.

  She placed her hand in Pataryio’s, allowing him to lead her from the room. He moved quickly, just shy of jogging down the long hall and past the guards stationed at the event. He thumbed backward toward Eterin when the guards raised brows at their sudden appearance. “He carries her note.”

  Sempia stayed close to him, fearful the guards would somehow refuse her exit. They stepped aside, permitting passage. Pataryio kept hold of her hand as he weaved through the crowds of people on the moon’s surface. The Mantovian they’d been intimate with was there, putting his mark upon people’s personal handhelds. He was famous in their eyes—the star of the show. One of the people near him spotted Sempia and came toward her, halting Pataryio’s progress.

  “May I have your marks?” the man asked.

  “We fucked her,” Eterin said, his voice thundering around them. “It was not mark-worthy.”

  Sempia gasped and Pataryio pulled her into his embrace before moving her past the man requesting her autograph. He kept her tucked in near him until they were at the docking stations. He made his way to a vessel that was medium-sized and appeared to be in good condition. “This way, beauty.”

  She boarded the vessel and turned to find Eterin stepping onto the ramp.

  Pataryio leaned in close to her. “We could leave him. Would serve him right and teach him one hell of a lesson.”

  She giggled softly and then hid it quickly before Eterin stepped into the vessel. He closed the doors behind him and stood facing her. He held his head high. “I spoke without thinking. Forgive me.”

  “For which time, master?” she asked, her voice like syrup. “For the bit about me being your whore, your paid companion, or for the remark on how utterly unworthy fucking me was?”

  He winced.

  Pataryio chuckled. “I’ll get us out of here. You can stay with her and try to make this right. Good luck.”

  Eterin grunted, and the next thing Sempia knew, his mouth was over hers. His kiss was rough, demanding. She whimpered and pushed at his chest even though she didn’t really want him to stop. He seemed to read her actions as such because he tugged at her hair, forcing her head back more as his tongue commanded hers. When he was done, she was limp in his arms. He held her tight, caressing her back gently.

  “I was…” he paused a moment, “…concerned for your safety when you were not where I last left you, and when I found the other attempting to harm you, I lost myself. My temper loosened my tongue and lies fell forth from it. I crossed a universe for you, Sempia, and I would gladly do so again.”

  She whimpered against him and their gazes collided. “Eterin?”

  He put his forehead to hers. “Forgive me for my foolishness.”

  “You came for me,” she whispered, kissing his lips tenderly.

  He kneaded her hips with his hands. “Sempia, nothing could keep me from you.”

  “Because I am your whore?” she asked with a teasing note in her voice.

  He actually blushed slightly.

  She gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Eterin, I am honored to be yours.”

  Chapter Four

  Eterin leaned against the wall of his chamber aboard his personal vessel, watching as Sempia slept. So beautiful, her long hair spread out around her and her breasts rising and falling with each breath she took. He and his cock, which seemed very much to have a mind of its own at the moment, vividly recalled the feel of her cunt and hardened. He slipped a hand beneath his loincloth and stroked his shaft. When she was fully rested, he would enter her again and claim each hole as his own. No man but he would ever lie with his woman again.

  Pride welled.

  He had done as he set out to. Months ago, when word had reached him of the plans set forth for Sempia upon completion of her training, he’d embarked on a mission to find her. The desire to do so had been present for years prior, but it had taken him longer to establish a name for himself than planned. A skilled warrior, trained by the best, he’d used what he’d been taught to start his own intergalactic bodyguard agency. They protected those others wouldn’t. The high-risk clients. The crew he’d put together consisted of wanted felons and ex-warriors such as himself.

  Pataryio had been part of the business from the start. In all their years together, the man had had to listen to Eterin go on and on about the woman who’d stolen his heart long ago when he was but a child. There wasn’t a detail that Eterin could recall of Sempia that he’d not shared with his best friend and trusted comrade. He’d painted a vivid picture of her with words, and when the time had come for him to act, Pataryio hadn’t batted an eye. He agreed to help.

  Sempia turned on her side and her shift lifted high, revealing her thigh to him. He continued to stroke his cock lazily, his gaze trapped on the sight of her upper leg. Everything about the woman drove him mad with lust and need. She had the body of a goddess sent down to tempt mortal men. He fisted his cock, working it, up and down, slow then fast. He wanted more. Needed more.

  He needed her.

  He moved closer. “Sempia, wake. I wish to enter you.”

  She opened her eyelids slowly. “Eterin?”

  “Yes.” He climbed onto the bed. “Are you too sore to receive me?”

  Her eyes widened and she touched her backside, swallowing hard.

  He grinned. “As much as I wish to know the feel of your ass, I understand you will require more time. I would very much like to enter you here,” he said, his hand going to her pussy. He dipped a finger into her wet, tight core.

  “You are my master,” she stated. “You do not have to ask permission. I’m yours to do with as you please.”

  Using his free hand, he touched under her chin, forcing her gaze higher. “Sempia, because I own your slip does not mean I own you. I only took hold of the note to protect you and to ensure you were with me. By universe laws, you, because of your station, are not permitted to be a free woman unless you have served ten terms or are wed to a man who grants you independence.” He held his tongue about his plans to marry her at the first sanctioned docking station they reached for refueling. She would be his wife—of that he had no question.

  “It’s been a long time,” she whispered. There was something amiss with her stare. “Since we last saw one another. I know you promised back then to come back for me, but, Eterin, we were only children. I never thought you’d really come.”

  “I keep my promises, Sempia.” He dipped his head, his lips meeting hers. His kiss was slow at first, tender, as he suspected she needed. “I will wait until you are fully ready for me.” With that, he slid off the bed, but she darted out her tiny hand and grabbed his wrist.

  “No. Stay with me, Eterin. Please.” She stared up at him with desperate eyes. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. I just don’t understand why you would risk so much for me. That’s all. You’re a warrior of the first class. You can have any woman you want. Why select me? A lowly slave?”

  Anger rippled through him. “You are not a lowly slave! Y
ou are Sempia. My Sempia. I will kill those who put such foolish thoughts in your head.”

  She slid her palm over his abs. “Eterin, please. Lay with me. I wish to feel your cock in me again. It gave me much pleasure before.”

  Sweeter words she could not have spoken.

  He hooked an arm around her waist, and when he rolled back onto the bed, he did so in a manner that left her pinned below him. He smiled as surprise lit her beautiful face. “Are you at least pleased to see me, Sempia?”

  Her mouth formed an O as she cupped his face with her hands. “Words cannot even describe what it is I feel for you.”

  They could, but Eterin knew neither was quite ready to say them just yet. When he’d been but a boy he’d told her often of his love for her. It was innocent then, as were they. When he’d left and taken up arms as a warrior for the Intergalactic Federation of Planets, or IFP for short, he’d worried he’d lost his ability to feel any emotion beyond rage. He’d lived for the next thrill, the next kill, the next danger. His sword had become his most trusted companion and he’d lost himself in the lifestyle. All the while, thoughts of Sempia lay just below the surface, forever there to keep him going.

  Now, here she was, with him, as it should be.

  A knock sounded at his chamber door. He didn’t move. “What?”

  “It is I,” Pataryio called.

  Eterin relaxed somewhat. “You may enter.”

  He made no move to roll off Sempia. When her legs seemed to ease automatically around his waist, he grinned.

  Pataryio entered. “Ah, busy already, I see.”

  “What do you want?” Eterin asked, glancing over his shoulder at his long-time friend.

  “I was curious as to how our woman was doing.”

  Chapter Five

  Our woman?

  Eterin growled and rolled off Sempia, suddenly toe-to-toe with Pataryio. “She is mine. I was clear on as much prior to the mission. Yes?”