Enslaved by a Rebel [Sold! 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (13 page)

“Hey.” Jarrett turned him so they were facing one another.

“I don’t want you to go!” Ranic flung himself into Jarrett’s arms.

“Everything is going to be okay.”

“It’s not! And how dare you say it’s better that we had time together when you’re leaving and I’m the one left standing here alone!”

Jarrett met his furious outburst with commiseration. “I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s easier for me.”

“No, that’s not what—I’m just—I will miss you more than—” Ranic was abruptly cut off when their door opened without warning. He lunged for the golden cloth and pulled it over his face. Since the weave was somewhat open, he was able to see out, but he didn’t think people could see him, not clearly, especially since his skin was almost the same color as the cloth.

“It’s time.” The officer who had brought them here was leading them out.

“Where are we going?” Jarrett asked as he took Ranic’s arm.

“Down to the surface of Krase, but that is all I know. My job was to get you and bring you here.” He stopped midstride in the hallway, forcing Jarrett and Ranic to stop several paces behind him. Lifting his finger, he held perfectly still for so long Ranic feared he was going to be given orders to kill them here. But then he lowered his finger and turned. “You two were running away together?”

“Yes.” It was Jarrett who answered with a simple affirmative. “Why?”

“I have never heard of Earthlings until I was sent on this mission. Your kind is fascinating. Brave, foolish, and yet there is something elusively compelling that makes me admire you.” The Krase warrior did not meet his gaze. Perhaps he found it easier to make his odd confession without having to look them in the eye. “And I have heard of the Finocs, but I’ve never seen one outside of a trooper suit.”

Ranic pulled the cloth off his head. “You can look at me. If you want.” His kind words to Jarrett softened Ranic’s heart toward him.

The officer turned slightly and looked Ranic right in the eye. “No wonder your kind stays hidden. You are very beautiful.”

Ranic wanted to thank him but found he couldn’t speak. He wasn’t certain what this Krase officer wanted. If he might be their unexpected ally, Ranic certainly didn’t want to say anything that would put him off. But if he was only taunting them to delay their moment of pain, Ranic didn’t want to seem hopeful and thereby unknowingly fulfill some cruel streak in his soul. All he’d heard about the Krase was their war lust and their hunger for interesting slaves.

“If I offered to buy him, this one”—he pointed to Jarrett—“would you sell him to me?”

“You want to buy me?” Jarrett tried to contain his utter shock, but he was fairly certain surprise was clearly etched all over his face. “I thought I was a dead man walking?”

“You are.” A look of confusion crossed the Krase’s hardened features.

“So you would buy me and then secret me away somewhere?” Not that Jarrett was actually considering it. Or was he? Just how far was he willing to go to be with Ranic? Could he submit himself to this massive creature and then find solace in Ranic’s arms? It was madness to even consider such a situation. Certainly, Ranic would never want to share him with another.

“I realize you are very outspoken for a slave, but I am speaking to your owner.” The Krase’s red eyes had a touch of black to them that seemed to deepen when he looked at Ranic. Jarrett wasn’t certain what that meant, but his gut told him this was a situation that could get out of hand very quickly.

“He’s not for sale.” Ranic’s voice was calm but curious. Jarrett got the distinct impression that, like himself, Ranic was wondering what this officer’s interest might mean for them. They were both listening without judging because if he could get them free from here, they might be willing to do all kinds of things for that dangling possibility.

The officer nodded slowly, but he didn’t seem terribly surprised by Ranic’s reaction. “Have you considered renting him?”

“Oh my fucking God! I’m not some intergalactic whore that can just be bandied around to a bunch of horny aliens.” Jarrett had always had some overinflated, lofty notion about alien life. He thought they would far surpass humanity in technology, the arts—everything—but it turned out they were just a bunch of randy perverts. Maybe it was a good thing he was going to be put to death. Better that than to become a universal rent boy.

The warrior moved so fast Jarrett hadn’t even realized he was attacking him until it was too late. He found himself pressed against the wall with the officer’s hand cupped around his face. The officer was pinching his cheeks in like he was trying to make them meet in the middle of Jarrett’s mouth. He rammed his lower body into Jarrett, and whatever in the hell that squirming thing was he’d seen yesterday, he now felt it stroking side to side like it was gearing up to slide out of his trousers and wrap forcefully around Jarrett’s cock.

“You are very interesting to me, but if you insult me again, I will kill you.”

“And get in a shitload of trouble with your government.” It was a guess, but apparently a good one because the officer lightened his grip. Not by a lot, but enough that Jarrett was able to take a full breath without wheezing through his mouth.

“Let him go.” Ranic touched the Krase’s arm, which caused the officer’s eyes to go from red to black and back so fast it was almost like a trick of the light.

“What does it mean when your eyes turn black?”

He smiled, displaying his terrifying teeth. “I am aroused.” He pressed close. “Do you feel that dancing against your cock? That is my
strosan
. It braces my cock for fucking, which is what I would like to do to the both of you.”

Jarrett had never had anyone be so frank while right up in his face. He was alternately flattered, terrified, and deeply disturbed. He had a feeling that Krase warriors took allegiance to their rulers very seriously. That this officer had let his lust get the better of him could surely get him into trouble if it were known.

“He isn’t my slave.”

The Krase’s eyes darkened with lust. His long, pink tongue licked over his bottom lip.

“He’s my mate.”

Disappointment wiped all the black out of the officer’s eyes. Apparently, if black was for lust, then the red must be for anger. Jarrett thought that about summed up what he’d seen of the Krase race so far—horny and pissed.

Ranic reached up and gently but firmly pried the officer’s fingers off Jarrett’s face. “I love him.”

At that, the warrior let go and stepped back. “I thought you had bought him as a sexual slave?” He couldn’t have sounded any more upset if he tried.

“I thought that’s what I had bought him for, too, but apparently fate had other ideas.” Ranic smiled lightly at the officer. “Please, can’t you help us? I would do…anything.”

“No you won’t!” Jarrett stepped in front of him.

“If he will help us to escape, then we should consider a trade.” Ranic was earnest, and Jarrett swore he could hear the Krase warrior licking his lips again while his dick-bracing snake slithered around in his pants.

“Not with your body or mine. I can’t—no. I just can’t do that.”

“But you could live. If I gave him a night…”

“You’re the one who told me what these guys are packing in their trousers. Neither one of us would survive him fucking us.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you.” The warrior considered them, and the thing in his pants seemed to stretch out like it wanted to inspect them.

Jarrett took a step back and kept Ranic behind him. “No. The answer is no. Besides, I don’t see how he can get us out of this mess.”

“It is true that I don’t know specifically why you were called here. I just wanted to know…”

“What?” Jarrett asked then edged away a bit. It was just scary how fast he moved for such a big guy.

“I saw the look in your eyes when I put you in that room. I know what you did.” The officer’s gaze bounced between them.

“Did you watch?” Ranic sounded utterly repulsed, and Jarrett had to admit the creature’s interest in them was pretty abnormal. Or maybe not. He was an alien after all. According to Ranic, sexual slaves were pretty common on Krase. Maybe watching alien porn was common, too.

“Despite what your human thinks of me, no. I did not invade your privacy. But I wanted to know what it would be like to feel what you felt.”

“I don’t understand.” Jarrett found the whole universe was slightly crazy.

“There is another Krase warrior, who bought one of your kind.” The officer reached out and trailed his finger lightly down the center of Jarrett’s chest. “It is said that he fell in love and freed him.”

“That is what I wish to do.” Ranic again gripped the officer’s wrist. Jarrett swallowed hard because Ranic’s rather large hand didn’t come close to encircling the Krase’s thick arm.

“They didn’t kill his slave?” Jarrett asked. Had they somehow gotten everything wrong?

“No. Why would they?”

“Because he’s a dead man walking like me.” Jarrett thought it stood to reason that if the slave trader had taken one human right before his death, he would have taken more in the same way. By taking them moments before they were to die, he could cover his tracks and no one on Earth would be suspicious. Especially if he chose means of death that left no body behind.

Again, the officer made a face and tilted his head. They were using the same phrase, or at least it was being translated that way, but Jarrett had a gut feeling they had two very different meanings. Just as Jarrett opened his mouth to clarify the phrase, there was movement at the far end of the hallway.

The officer turned and started walking as if nothing had happened. Ranic pulled his golden cloth over his face, and then he took Jarrett’s hand as they fell into step behind him. They were able to use his bulk to hide behind so they could get situated. If they were very lucky, they might get another chance to plead their case and sway the Krase officer to help them. As perverted as it was, Jarrett wouldn’t be above trading sex for freedom, but he wasn’t going to go all the way. He might be desperate, but he had his limits. Maybe the horny officer would be happy with a dual hand job provided by him and Ranic. They could do that without totally selling their souls. Maybe.

Jarrett looked over at Ranic. He saw the glint of his beautiful blue eyes under the golden cloth and in that instant he realized he couldn’t do what he was thinking. He couldn’t give some randy alien a stroke on the half-assed promise of freedom. Jarrett had been willing to go to his death thinking that Ranic would be free to pursue another, but now he was worried that some unscrupulous creature would try to trick him or take advantage of his grief.

Ranic was kindhearted, and last night he’d shown Jarrett just how amazing they could be together over the long haul. Both of them were willing to bend and accommodate the other. They were each willing to try something new, and even something old, in the hopes of rewriting what was with what could be.

“I can’t do this.” Jarrett stopped. “I am not just going to walk into my death like I’m going to the goddamned mall.”

“I don’t know what that means.” Ranic pulled the golden fabric off his head.

Jarrett discovered that he was crying. His tears glittered down his cheeks. Just as he’d suspected, his husband had sparkles in his tears and managed to look beautiful in his grief. Reaching out, he touched the edge of the moisture, feeling it flow toward his finger as if even his tears knew Jarrett would do anything to comfort Ranic.

“It means if they want me, they are going to have to come and get me.” Jarrett couldn’t fight the Krase officer. He was too small and had no weapons at all but his hands and feet. They were useless against the massive warrior. But Jarrett had the benefit of his people’s history. There was something to be said for passive resistance. Jarrett sat down right in the middle of the hallway.

“What are you doing?” Ranic leaned over and then flashed a worried look at the officer.

“I’m resisting without fighting.” Jarrett offered out his hand, and Ranic peered curiously at him. “I cannot fight and win. If I continue to walk forward, I go willingly to my death when I am not willing. So I am going to sit here and make them drag me. It’s called passive resistance. It’s been rather effective on Earth.” Jarrett didn’t mention that this particular strategy was generally used in situations that weren’t life or death.

“I will join you.” Ranic settled down cross-legged right across from Jarrett.

They clasped hands.

“I will cling to you until they forcefully pry me away.” Ranic tossed the golden fabric into his lap. “And I will do so with my face proudly showing.”

Jarrett already knew he loved him, but in that moment of sheer defiance, he loved him even more.

In perfect sync with one another, they both turned and looked up at the looming Krase officer. His face was guarded, but the black had encroached on the lower portion of his eyes. It was clear that he craved what they had. And maybe that was enough to sway him to take their side.

“We will not move unless you drag us.” Jarrett waited for him to hit him or for him to lash out, but instead, he laughed. It was a low, vibrating chuckle that was oddly intimate and somewhat envious.

Lifting one hand in what seemed almost like a salute, the Krase officer said, “I will not touch you.” He dipped his face in a curt kind of nod. “I have performed my sworn duty by bringing you back to Krase. The rest is up to them.”