Tribute

Chapter 4

CHAPTER

FOUR

“I’ve already told you, Mexr. Those four and no others.” Palk slammed his hand down on the desk. “Now get out before I call my security team and have you removed from this program.”

Kai set his jaw. “I . . . apologize, General.”

“You do?” Palk gave a bark of laughter. “Well, that’s a first.”

Kai came around the side of the desk and fell to his knees in front of Palk. He stared down at the man’s well-polished boots, bent his head and kissed them.

Palk’s hand closed cruelly in his hair.

“I know what you’re doing, Mexr. You’re trying to distract me from having Price again.”

Kai said nothing, his gaze now level with Palk’s groin. Despite the pain, maybe because of the pain, he leaned in and licked the bulge of Palk’s cock.

Palk’s breathing hitched. “If I accept your offer, I’ll expect your complete obedience.”

“Yes, sir.”

Palk pushed him away, and for a second his heart stuttered.

“You’re not afraid of me, are you?” Palk’s cold gaze searched his face. Incredibly, he smiled. “You like this, don’t you? You’re even looking forward to it. That’s why you fought so hard the first time, because you didn’t want me to know what a little pain slut you are.”

Kai licked his lips and returned his gaze to the floor.

“Come then.”

He meekly followed Palk into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. His cock was already hard. Whatever happened now, he could only hope he survived it.

Where was Kai Mexr?

Aled looked over his shoulder one last time as he and the other three trainees were marched into a different part of the training facility that was further underground with much tighter security.

He knew better than to ask. Malke’s face was stony as he led them through to better quarters and separated them out.

Aled eyed the narrow bed and then explored the bathroom.

It was like living in the lap of luxury compared to his cage.

By the time Malke came back, Aled had found the nerve to have a quick shower. He was still reluctant to lie down on the bed in case he went to sleep and never woke up.

“Price.”

He followed Malke, Graif, and the two other guys, Farn and Wrantz, into a much smaller training arena. The lighting was dim, and it took him a moment to realize that Palk and his entourage were standing at the front of the room. His skin prickled with remembered revulsion as he approached the dais.

Behind Palk, someone shifted his or her feet. It took him a long moment to recognize Kai, whose face was so bruised and bloodied it was like a mask. Malke shoved him hard in the back.

“Keep moving, Price, and say thanks to Kai for saving your ass from Palk, won’t you?”

“I didn’t ask him to do that.”

“Well, he did, so you’d better get down on your knees and thank him real nice.” Malke pushed him into a seat. “Sit here.”

Palk nodded at the trainees. “You four have been chosen to go on to stage two of the Tributes training program. Your training routine will now intensify as you strive to prove yourselves worthy of representing your great nation.”

At what? Aled wanted to ask, but he kept his gaze down.

Palk saluted. “Carry on, Kai Mexr.”

Kai moved forward as Palk and his entourage left. “We have four more weeks of training to complete. We will start tomorrow.”

He sounded exhausted. Aled was marched back to his new quarters, and the door was locked behind him. There was a blanket laid out on the floor, so he went and sat on it. Within a few minutes, the door opened and Kai came in. Aled jumped to his feet.

“Sir.”

Kai barely looked at him. “Put the shower on.”

“Yes, sir.”

He slipped past Kai into the tiny bathroom and started the shower. When he turned back, Kai was stripping off his clothes. His movements were uncharacteristically slow and his body was a mass of cuts and bruises. Aled sucked in a breath.

“Are you . . . all right, sir?”

“Shut the fuck up, Price, and get out of my way.” Kai stumbled toward the shower stall and Aled pressed himself against the sink to allow him to pass. Kai groaned as the water sluiced over his skin, and spoke without turning.

“Get my medical kit from under the bed and have it ready when I come out.”

“Yes, sir.”

He found the kit and put it on the bed, his fingers trembling with anger or fear—he wasn’t sure which—as he unlocked it.

Kai came in and sat heavily on the side of the bed, his towel beneath his ass. He peered into the box and took out a spray bottle.

“Start with this. Spray it all over me, concentrating on the cuts.”

Aled took the bottle and Kai closed his eyes, his shoulders gradually relaxing as the spray worked its magic on the small cuts and bruises on his arms and chest. Aled went on his knees spraying lower, making Kai’s breath hiss out.

“Sorry.” Aled smoothed an apologetic hand over Kai’s knee.

“Don’t be.”

Ignoring his well-learned lessons not to speak unless spoken to, he continued. “Did you do this for me?”

“No. I like the way Palk fucks.”

Aled stopped spraying to look up at Kai’s face. “I don’t believe you.”

“You think I’m some kind of hero?” Kai’s mouth twisted. “Well, fuck that. Heroes don’t do what I do.”

“Sometimes they have to, if it means that others will survive because of their sacrifice.”

“You are such a fucking . . . patriot.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” He got off his knees and walked around to the other side of the bed to spray Kai’s back. “And you are a hero.”

Kai stood up so suddenly that Aled flinched and almost dropped the spray. “I’ll finish the rest, Price.”

For a moment Aled held his gaze until Kai reached across and grabbed the can. “Go to sleep. You’ll have a busy day tomorrow.”

Picking up the medical box, Kai retreated into the bathroom and quietly shut the door.

Aled sighed into the silence. Whatever Kai said, he knew his trainer had literally saved his skin.

He wished Kai hadn’t. It was much easier when his only aims in life had been to complete the training and kill his trainer.

Now he felt like he had an obligation to Kai Mexr, who would probably laugh at the very idea.

Almost two weeks later, the idea of killing Kai was again a top priority for Aled.

He and the other three trainees had been transported into the equivalent of hell.

And he’d wasted his opportunity to murder anyone.

Now he was restrained and being either physically or sexually challenged to the limits of his endurance.

At the end of the last session, he had been taken back to the quarters he shared with Kai, chained to the bed with a cock gag rammed down his throat, a dildo in his ass, and a fricking pump on his dick, and left there to suffer in silence.

He wanted to smash his head repeatedly against the wall and scream his frustration to the world.

Instead, he set himself to endure. One of the others had mentioned that all the trainers had been Tributes at one time. If that was true, then Aled had to survive as well. The sound of the door opening and more than one voice made him tense up.

“Price.” Kai slapped him on the ass and started unbuckling all the straps and restraints. Malke appeared on Aled’s other side and helped out. “Lie on your back.”

He was rolled over and found three sets of eyes on him, including Graif’s. Judging from the red marks on Graif’s skin, he’d been subjected to the same torture as Aled.

Malke knelt at the end of the bed and pushed Aled’s knees wide, making him groan. “I’m gonna fuck your tight ass while Kai has your mouth and Graif gets to fuck himself on your cock. Any objections to that, Price?”

He knew it was pointless to protest. It didn’t matter what he said.

His body had learned to respond whether he wanted it to or not.

Even now his sore cock was twitching and readying itself for Graif.

He didn’t understand why he needed to be constantly hard, but he was certainly capable of it.

If that was all Kai Mexr wanted from him, then he’d succeeded.

Malke didn’t need lube, as the dildo had already done its job, and Aled was able to take his cock without too much effort. Graif smiled as he straddled Aled’s hips but didn’t speak.

Kai touched Aled’s shoulder. “Hold the base of your cock steady for Graif.”

He did what he was told as Malke pushed deep into his ass and held still, setting all his nerves jangling.

“Gods,” Aled breathed out as Graif took his cock, squeezing and releasing each inch of his flesh as he rocked his way down.

The mandatory stage two metal piercings in his crown jarred against Graif’s flesh as he was engulfed.

When he was fully sheathed, Graif leaned forward, planting his knees on either side of Aled’s waist, Malke looming behind him.

“Don’t worry, Graif,” Malke said. “I’m gonna work your cock good once Kai’s settled in to Price’s mouth, so don’t feel left out.”

A tremor ran through Graif and he lowered his gaze but not before Aled had seen the intense excitement in his eyes.

“Now stay put.” Malke wrapped one muscular arm low around Graif’s hips, catching his pierced cock against Graif’s belly and within the circle of Malke’s arm. He pressed Graif down on Aled’s cock. “I’ll do the fucking.”

Aled cried out as Malke slammed the full length of his cock in and felt the answering tremor in Graif, who used his internal muscles to squeeze Aled’s shaft. Kai was watching it all, his gaze remote and impersonal. Gods, Aled hated the way Kai did that. It was if he suddenly didn’t exist.

On impulse he turned his head and licked down the front of Kai’s pants, earning him a savage growl and a painful hand in his hair.

Kai yanked down his pants and Aled sucked him into his mouth, used his teeth and his tongue to make sure Kai was paying attention.

With a hoarse sound, Kai loosened his grip, and for the first time let Aled do what he wanted.

Did Kai like it rough? Did he crave what Aled hated?

And then Aled forgot everything because Malke was ramming him so hard and Graif was . . .

He cried out around Kai’s cock and held on and swallowed as everyone seemed to climax at once, leaving him shattered and exhausted.

Eventually, Malke and Graif disengaged themselves and left.

Kai disappeared into the shower. Aled stretched out on the bed, wondering if he would ever be able to move again.

The sound of the water made him get up. His head hurt as he stood, and he had to grab on to the wall for balance.

He walked like an old man, his feet wide; his ass hurt, as did his cock, and he was covered in the leavings of the other men.

In the small bathroom, Kai had just stepped out of the shower; his dark skin gleamed as he toweled off. He glanced up at Aled.

“What do you want, Price?”

“May I shower?”

Kai considered him as he dried his muscled chest. “What if I want to keep you like that? Smelling of come and sweat?”

Aled briefly closed his eyes and leaned against the door. “Please let me shower.”

“How about we trade?”

“What?”

Kai raised his eyebrows. “You do something for me and then I’ll let you shower.”

Aled turned back toward the bedroom and walked over to the already rumpled bed. “How do you want me, sir?”

Kai followed him, the towel now wrapped around his hips. He took the only seat in the room and studied Aled.

“Sit on the bed, facing me with your knees spread wide.”

His hips protested but he did as Kai asked.

“Now, use your hand to make yourself hard.”

Aled set his jaw and wrapped his fingers around his shaft. Gods, he was sore. He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to get hard.

“Do it, Price. I want to see you touch yourself.”

There was a note in Kai’s voice that he had never heard before.

When had he started to notice such small things or even care about them?

When had he decided he wanted to please this man and make him proud?

He reminded himself that it was a classic hostage response to a figure who had the power of life or death over him.

It didn’t matter. In some way, he just wanted Kai to see him.

His fingers moved up and down his cock as he sought out a familiar rhythm that wouldn’t make him hurt too much, but was guaranteed to make him come. Opening his eyes, he stared at Kai.

“If I survive whatever it is that is coming, Kai Mexr, I’ll never forget you.”

“Trust me, you will be glad to.”

“I don’t think so.” Wetness now coated his fingertips. “You’ve taught me a lot about myself.”

“I’ve taught you to endure.”

“And to sit here in front of another man, getting myself off.”

“Yeah?” Kai moved abruptly and Aled’s fingers froze as he threw something on the bed. “Fuck yourself for me too, then.”

Aled stared at Kai. “Do you want me to come? Or do you want to keep me hard?”

“I want . . .” Kai stood, almost overbalancing him. “Go and shower when you are ready. I have to make the final arrangements for tomorrow.”

Releasing his cock, Aled shoved his palm flat on Kai’s chest. “Don’t walk away from me.”

“Get your fucking hands off me, soldier boy.”

“You made me like this. You can fucking well stand there and watch me finish.”

Kai moved so suddenly that Aled was on his back before he knew it, Kai’s hand wrapped around his cock. Kai also took possession of the dildo.

“That’s what you want? Well, you’re not doing it hard enough for me. Take it like a man.”

Three hard yanks and Aled was coming all over Kai’s fist, the dildo jammed deep inside him as he fought to breathe. So much for honesty. So much for letting Kai know how he felt. He might as well have been talking to himself.

“Now go and shower. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”