Chapter 1
CHAPTER
ONE
Kai Mexr was not in a good mood. He had a killer hangover and, due to a government error, was back in his least favorite place in the world—the Tribute training facility.
Because of Solly’s death he still had one more trainee to get through the program.
Kai had been allocated a trainee, which meant he’d get the worst of the bunch: a loser destined to fail on the first day, who would either be executed or kicked out depending on his incoming status.
And then Kai would have to do it all over again.
“Stand up!”
Kai flinched as the overseer’s bracing tone rattled through his headache, and forced his gaze to the viewing screen, which displayed an image of the trainees being lined up to enter the facility.
From what he could see, it was the usual collection of death row inmates, no-hopers, and—worst of all—patriots who were stupid enough to actually volunteer for this greez .
He nudged Malke, who was sitting beside him. “Which is mine?”
“Not sure. He’ll be in cage eleven.”
“It’s a male?”
“Most of them are. The females just can’t take it. You know that.” Malke grinned. “And there aren’t that many females up for execution to choose from.”
“Or in our military.”
Kai pictured the lithe form of Anna Lee.
Ex-trainee, Ungrich survivor, and the female of his best friend Rehz Akran.
Occasionally, when Rehz was in a generous mood and shared himself with Kai, Kai got to fuck Anna too.
He envied them their closeness. A partnership formed in the unlikely setting of the halls of the training facility where he now stood.
He was glad it was a male. It was easier. And in his current mood? The man was in for a lot of pain.
He watched the trainees file into the cages and then followed the rest of the staff down through the labyrinth of tunnels to the holding center.
Nodding at the trainers he knew, he strolled along to cage eleven, opened the door, and went in.
The tall man immediately stood to attention and saluted him.
He had dark red hair, pale skin, and unusual light blue eyes that held a hint of gray and reminded Kai of Anna.
“Sir.”
Oh good , it was a patriot.
He’d looked like that once. Eager and willing to lay down his life for the super-secret mission his superiors had dangled in front of his patriotic little heart.
“I’m Kai Mexr.” He didn’t bother with any pleasantries. “Name?”
“Aled Price, sir.”
“Doesn’t sound Mitan.”
“My great-grandfather was a refugee from planet Earth, sir. The names have been passed down through the family.”
Kai fought down his surprise. Anna Lee also claimed to come from Earth, but he’d never heard of it before. Twice in one year seemed something of a coincidence.
“You were military?”
“I am proud to serve in our military, sir.”
“You’re not serving anyone but me now, Aled, baby. Strip.”
“I beg your pardon, sir?”
“I said strip.”
The man’s throat worked. “I don’t understand.”
“Then listen up,” Kai drawled. “I’m not going to repeat myself. When I give you an order, you comply. If you don’t, I will punish you. Got that?” He held the trainee’s bewildered gaze. “Strip.”
He leaned back against the door as the male complied. Price was slender but well muscled, with reddish hair at his groin that matched his head. His cock looked nice and long even when at rest. Kai would enjoy playing with him, watching him come, making him scream.
The orders from on high, which he had begun to suspect came directly from the Ungrich , insisted that the trainees weren’t just learning to endure marathon sex sessions, but experiencing every possible emotion along the way.
Something about the combination of sexual arousal and panic seemed to interest the Ungrich immensely.
Kai fought hard to desensitize his trainees, but it was an impossible task.
No one could face what happened in Ungrich space without fear.
“Kneel down.”
Again, Price did what he was told. Kai sauntered toward him, buckled the leather collar around his throat, and attached the leash.
“Now open my pants, take out my dick, and suck it.”
There was silence, and then Price shot to his feet, his expression furious. “What the hell are you playing at? Suck your own fucking dick.”
He swung at Kai; with a smile, Kai avoided the blow, offered one in return, and brought Price crashing to the ground. He straddled him, one knee in the small of his back, one hand wrapped around the leather leash, and yanked hard on it, making the male’s head jerk backward.
“I said to obey my orders.”
“Fuck off, sir .”
“Every morning I’ll come into your cell, and you will kneel down and suck me off. Do you understand?”
“I will fucking not, sir.”
He tugged harder on the leash. “Then you wish to walk out? You are free to do so, but say good-bye to any future promotions, sonny .”
“This isn’t what I expected when I volunteered, sir.” Price sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth.
“Poor little you.” Kai yanked again until Price started to cough. “Make a decision right now.”
“I’m not a quitter!”
“Then prove it.” Kai eased off the pressure. “Get back on your knees and suck my dick.
Aled Price wiped a shaking hand over his mouth and went back on his haunches, staring up at the implacable face of Kai Mexr. This was so far out of his expectation and experience that he felt like he was speaking a foreign language.
“Do it, Price.”
He instinctively reacted to the command, kneeling up and fumbling with the closure of Mexr’s pants.
“Make sure you don’t bite.”
He stared at the man’s cock, which was already filling out, and swallowed hard.
“Get on with it.”
He leaned forward and gave the shaft a tentative lick, then yelped when his tormentor grabbed hold of his head and simply shoved his cock down Aled’s throat.
“Suck me.”
He breathed through his nose, and did his best to comply with the order.
It was hard not to, as the male standing over him simply fucked his mouth regardless of what Aled wanted.
The sudden hot wave of come that blasted down his throat made him cough and choke, but he managed to keep swallowing until his head was released from the painful iron grip.
He fell forward, gasping for breath, and tried not to retch.
“Welcome to the Tribute facility, Price. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
The leash was unclipped but the collar remained on.
By the time Aled opened his eyes, his clothes were gone too.
There was no water to wash out his mouth, so he sat in the corner, wrapped his arms around his knees, and wondered what the hell he’d gotten himself into.
Volunteering had seemed like an important thing to do.
Hell, he’d been asked to step up! He’d never expected to be sitting in a cell naked, sucking dick.
But it was too late to complain. He straightened his spine and looked down the line of cages.
Everyone else looked traumatized as well.
A couple of the trainees were even crying.
He tried to find some excuse for what had just happened.
Maybe it was like most military facilities and he’d just been through a ritual hazing.
Tomorrow would probably be better. That thought comforted him enough to help him fall asleep on the thin blanket.
Next morning, he was given basic army rations and water and ate everything as fast as he could, aware of the noise of approaching men and the beginning of a new training day.
He spotted his trainer coming toward his cage.
The male had dark skin, white close-cropped hair, and the lean, muscled body of a superb athlete.
He wore a tight black T-shirt, military-style pants, and heavy boots.
He looked amiable but bored as he talked to the other trainers when he went past them.
His smile disappeared as he unlocked the cage door and stepped inside. Aled put his water bottle down and stared at the ground just in front of his trainer’s combat boots.
“Come on, Price. You know what to do.”
The sneer in his trainer’s voice made Aled stiffen and glance covertly along the line of cages at his fellow inmates, who were all currently either sucking dick, about to suck dick, or being yelled at for refusing to suck dick.
He couldn’t fail. His family bled military, and they’d not care for any excuses he would make. He’d signed up for this mission. He might not like the reality of it, but that didn’t make him a quitter.
Setting his jaw, he crawled over to the motionless figure and knelt up, his fingers fumbling with the opening of his trainer’s pants.
“Good boy.”
“I’m not a fucking dog,” he muttered, and was rewarded for his sarcasm with a savage hand twisting in his hair and shoving his face onto a hard dick. Again, he didn’t have much to do except breathe and swallow as he was basically mouth-fucked.
“Yeah, that’ll do.”
The grip on his skull lessened and he was allowed to pull away, his breathing uneven.
“Get up.”
He was more than happy to get off his knees.
“Are you hard for me?”
The question drew his attention down to his own dick. “No! This is just normal . . .”
He yelped as Mexr wrapped a fist around his morning erection.
“You’re going to learn to be hard for me. To beg for my mouth or my dick.”
Aled met his trainer’s vivid green gaze. “I will fucking not, sir. I’ll do what you order me to do, but I can tell you right now, I will never enjoy it, and I will never beg.” His breath hissed out as the grip on his cock tightened.
“You’ll do whatever I tell you, Price. If I tell you to get on your back, jack yourself off, and offer your ass to every fricking male in this facility, you’ll damn well do it.”
Aled had nothing to say to that. He wasn’t stupid. He’d pick his battles, and sensed Mexr would like nothing more than to have some resistance so he could demonstrate the power he held.
So he’d shut the fuck up.
For now.