Owned 1

Bound by Pleasure

Only pleasure could destroy his pain…

When an alien race saves humanity in exchange for a few healthy human
males, Hunter Wilkes is terrified to be selected. Those who are chosen
are never seen again. Worse, no one knows their fate. Still, Hunter vows
to face his destiny like a man, but he’s shocked when he finds himself
owned by a terrifying alien.

Kian Lachlan might have a terminal disease that keeps him in constant
pain, but that doesn’t mean he believes the hype about Earthlings having
curative powers. When his father buys him one anyway, Kian is furious
and determined to prove Hunter is as fake as all the other cures he’s been
subjected to.

What neither one of them was expecting was discovering a shocking
sexual affinity. True roles of master and slave translate perfectly in the
bedroom, but Kian’s father didn’t buy Hunter to pleasure his son. He
wants a cure and won’t settle for anything less. If Hunter fails, he’ll be
sold.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), BDSM, Science Fiction
Length: 36,873 words

BOUND BY PLEASURE

Owned 1

Anitra Lynn McLeod

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove
BOUND BY PLEASURE
Copyright © 2013 by Anitra Lynn McLeod
E-book ISBN:

978-1-62740-164-7

First E-book Publication: June 2013
Cover design by Les Byerley
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Bound by Pleasure

by Anitra

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BOUND BY PLEASURE

Owned 1

ANITRA LYNN MCLEOD

Copyright © 2013

Chapter 1

Hunter Wilkes expected the official summons to be something

spectacular. Not marching band and parade spectacular, but
something grander than the thoroughly understated way he found
out his life, as he knew it, was over. Rather than fanfare and
trumpets, the command came in a plain white envelope. It wasn’t
even festooned with a fancy script. It was just an utterly boring
number ten envelope with his name, address, and social security
number in the most standard typeface in the universe. For some
reason, Hunter found it odd that the Eoeans used something so
mundane for their hideous lottery.

There wasn’t a stamp on it because they didn’t use the postal

service. Hunter thought they didn’t trust that the orders would be
delivered. Or if they were received on time by the right man, he
might claim that he never got it. So they sent an official. Hunter
had seen the pale-blue van in his neighborhood before.
Whenever anyone saw one they all stopped, stared, and prayed
to whatever god they believed in that the van wasn’t coming to
their house. Hunter hoped his mother hadn’t been at the window
when the van had come. Although, as soon as she opened the
door and saw the man in the crisp, white uniform with the light-
blue trim, she would have known. Everyone knew. She would
have confirmed that Hunter Wilkes was her son, that he lived in
the house, and that he would present himself according to the
instructions inside the envelope she’d been given. Hunter didn’t
have to see her perform those actions to know that was exactly
what she would have done. Because if Hunter knew nothing else
about his mother, he knew she was a law-abiding citizen.

about his mother, he knew she was a law-abiding citizen.

“It came today.” His mother clutched her hands together and

held them to her chest. She was struggling not to cry. Worse,
despite the fact she was terrified, she was forcing herself to
smile. In her determination to appear positive, she looked
maniacal. Had he not known her, Hunter would have thought her
crazy. But he did know her, and he loved her. He realized she
was desperate to appear unaffected even though she was losing
her only son. “I didn’t touch it. I mean I did to put it there on the
table, but I haven’t—only you can open it.”

Actually, anyone could open it. From what he’d heard from

other guys, the envelopes weren’t booby-trapped or anything.
But no one wanted to open them. Not even the man the
summons was intended for actually wanted to open the envelope
and read what it contained. But the men always did. Because
that was the deal. The Eoeans saved Earth from a deadly virus,
and all they wanted in exchange was a few young men.
Desperate, the powers that be decided it was a fair trade.
Without the Eoeans’ help, everyone would have died, so giving
away a few hundred men every year seemed like a bargain.

Seemed like.
Hunter wondered if any of those powerful people had asked

what happened to the young men who were sacrificed. Someone
probably had. But the Eoeans didn’t answer. Even now, after all
the men they’d taken, no one knew what happened to them. The
only thing anyone knew was that once a man left, he never came
back. There were no calls, e-mails—nothing. It was almost as if
the young man had never existed at all. Except for the shattered
families left behind. Too bad they didn’t have some kind of a

families left behind. Too bad they didn’t have some kind of a
cure for that.

Hunter and his mother stood in the surprisingly bright and

cheerful kitchen looking at the envelope. The table it sat on was
old pine that his father had stained a dark brown. So many
birthdays, holidays, and everyday meals had happened on that
surface. It was as if all of those times before were to give him
some kind of strength for what was on the table now.

“Is Dad home yet?” Hunter didn’t know why he asked.

Whether his father was home or not would have no bearing on
what would happen next. Just last night Hunter and his friends
were talking about the odds of one of them getting the summons.
Hunter figured his chances were less than the other guys. He’d
had a terrible fever when he was a kid. The doctors thought for
sure it was a variant of the virus, but they were wrong.
Erroneously, Hunter had assumed that the Eoeans would only
want the healthiest adult males possible. He was wrong.

“Your father will be home in an hour.” His mom turned away

and pretended to do dishes. He knew she was just desperate to
give herself something to do when she washed the same bowl
repeatedly. “There’s leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

“I’m good. Thanks.” Usually when Hunter got home from

class he was positively ravenous. Finding out he was going to die
sucked the appetite right out of him. “I’m going to go call
Dalton.”

She spun away from the sink, spilling water on the floor. The

dots looked like tears against the light-blue area rug. How
strange that he’d never noticed the patch of carpet was the same
color as the Eoeans’ van and their strange alien skin.

“Dalton?” she asked, clutching the bowl so tightly it was

almost as if that piece of ceramic could stop what was
happening. “That’s good. That’s a good thing to do.”

“Yeah.” Hunter stood there in the kitchen he’d known since

the day he started having memories. He’d spent his whole life
living in their house on Charles Street. Twenty-four twenty-six
Charles. He’d probably remember the address until the day he
died. He swallowed hard. That was apparently coming at him far
faster than he wanted to consider. Nineteen years old and he’d
not even finished his first year of undergraduate studies. He
remembered turning nineteen and thinking he was mature
because soon he’d be out of his teen years altogether. Twenty
seemed so very adult.

Seemed so.
Until he was looking down the long tunnel of his life and

realizing he was barely an adult. In legal terms he was, but in life
experiences he really wasn’t. Hell, he couldn’t even buy booze
yet.

“Hunter?” His mother called his name without turning around.

She’d been washing the same bowl the whole time he’d been
standing there.

“I’m okay. Really. I’ll just go call Dalton. Let him know. Let

him know that I—yeah.” Instead of dwelling on his own fear, he
wanted to say something to his mother. He may be only nineteen,
but he was going to act like a goddamned man. Hunter might
have felt manlier had he not still lived at home, but that didn’t
matter right now. What made a man was his actions. He wasn’t
going to cry, and he wasn’t going to duck his responsibility. He
would go where they told him and do what they said so that

would go where they told him and do what they said so that
everyone on Earth could keep right on living their lives. It was
the right thing to do. Him for all the rest? It seemed like a fair
enough exchange.

Hunter stood there, racked by indecision. Just how the hell

could he comfort his mother when he was falling apart inside?
Rather than make her tentative control of herself worse, Hunter
turned away from the kitchen and moved swiftly up the stairs to
his bedroom. Once there, he closed the door and tossed himself
onto his bed. The walls were the same light blue that they’d been
since he was little. The cowboy banner around the center line of
the walls was gone now, but the pale powder blue remained.

“Why the hell is everything in this house Eoean blue?”

Actually, a better question was why hadn’t he noticed until now?
A good portion of the décor in their suburban house was blue.
“Maybe that’s why I got called. Anyone who grows up around
that particular shade is destined to become a slave of the
Eoeans.”

Or not. No one knew what happened to the humans. The

Eoeans could be enslaving them. Or they could be eating them.
For all anyone knew they could be skinning the men alive and
then turning them into freaking lampshades.

Hunter jammed his hand into the front pocket of his jeans,

fished out his phone, and called Dalton. He answered before it
even rang once.

“Hello?”
“Dalton?”
“Yeah. Whoa, talk about weird, but it didn’t even ring.”
“Because I was calling you,” Hunter said. Dalton Boyd had

“Because I was calling you,” Hunter said. Dalton Boyd had

been Hunter’s best friend since Dalton’s family had moved into
the neighborhood almost fourteen years ago.

“I was calling you.”
“We’re so connected it’s scary.” Hunter closed his eyes,

unsure how to tell Dalton what had happened to him today. He
toyed with the idea of not telling him, but ultimately decided
against that. They had a relationship that had gone far beyond a
simple friendship. All it had taken was one night of tongues set
free by a little bit of booze. Dalton told Hunter his darkest secret.
In exchange, Hunter told Dalton his. It was a moment of perfect
and complete synchronicity. And then they’d taken their mutual
interest to the next logical level.

“Talk about scary,” Dalton said. “I got a letter today.”
Hunter sat up so fast he almost catapulted himself off his bed.

“You, too?”

“Too? You mean you got one?” Dalton sounded as stunned

as Hunter felt.

“Yeah. Plain white envelope with my name, address, and—”
“Social security number.” Dalton finished the litany with a

quiet kind of jocularity. “We were just talking about this.”

“I know.”
Last night they’d gathered around a table at Mario’s to

devour pizza and talk about school, girls, and what Dalton
dubbed The Loser Lottery. Dalton called it that because being
the recipient of such a letter sure as hell didn’t mean the poor
bastard was a winner.

“It’s not like they’re taking guys to put

a crown on their heads and toss worshipers at their feet!”
Dalton had been a little drunk. How he’d managed to get the

Dalton had been a little drunk. How he’d managed to get the
booze was a mystery, but Dalton seemed to have a magical
backpack. Whenever they needed something, it could almost
always be found in Dalton’s battered pack.

There was a long stretch of silence on the phone, but Hunter

knew Dalton was still there. He could hear him breathing rather
haltingly in the background.

“Do you think it’s because they know?” Hunter asked.
“How could they possibly know? I sure as shit didn’t tell

anyone. Did you?” Dalton’s voice was a little harsh, but only
because that was the way he always was. If something needed to
be said, he up and did so without pulling any punches. Dalton
didn’t like to pussyfoot around.

“I don’t know. But don’t you think it’s strange that both of us

were called up at the same time?”

“It’s coincidence.”
“Didn’t Smitty calculate the odds of one guy from our group

getting the summons as a million to one?”

“Smitty was high, and he’s not nearly as good at statistics as

he thinks he is.”

“Don’t dis the Smit. You know he’ll only make you…”

Hunter trailed off because neither one of them would ever see
Smitty again. “I didn’t even open mine.”

“Coward.”
“Yeah, I know.” Hunter laughed at himself and maybe a little

at Dalton. He had a way of calling him out on his shit that no one
else could ever match.

“I should come over there and spank your ass.”
“That’s probably what got us into trouble in the first place.”

“That’s probably what got us into trouble in the first place.”
“I seriously doubt the Eoeans are picking guys because they

like to play rough together.”

Playing rough

was what Dalton called their occasional

interludes. Hunter called them the ultimate stress relief. But much
like Shakespeare’s observation, a rose by any other name was
still a rose. Whatever they called their times together, they each
had gotten exactly what they needed without any shame or guilt
or head trips. It wasn’t sex. At least it wasn’t sex in the classical
sense. It was a power exchange that was surprisingly
satisfactory. Anyone could get Hunter off in the physical sense,
but so far, Dalton was the only one who could get him off in the
mental

and

physical sense. With Dalton, Hunter had experienced

his first full-blown orgasm. He’d ejaculated plenty, but what
Dalton did for him was unique because it was body and brain
and probably a part of his spirit as well.

“I could use some stress relief right about now.” Just thinking

about being tied up was turning Hunter on.

“So could I. But I’ll bet if either of us tries to leave our

houses a bunch of pale-blue vans will descend.”

“Yeah. Probably.” Hunter looked out his bedroom window.

“How can the world still seem so fucking normal?”

“Because this is the new normal.”
“Why here, why now, why us?”
“Because we’re prime specimens.” Dalton sounded

inordinately pleased with himself.

“Leave it to you and your overinflated ego to put some kind

of a positive spin on this.”

“What alien wouldn’t want me?”

“What alien wouldn’t want me?”
Hunter didn’t have to see Dalton to know he was flexing his

big, beefy body.

“Well, that explains you, but what about me?” Hunter turned

away from the window and peered into the mirror over his chest
of drawers. He wasn’t too tall or short. Six two and about one
ninety, he supposed. It had been a long time since he’d weighed
himself. He had longish brown hair that his mother insisted
needed to be cut and boring brown eyes. Today he was wearing
jeans and a— “Fuck.”

“What?”
“I’m wearing a goddamned light-blue T-shirt.”
“Could you be any gayer?”
“Fuck you.” Hunter dropped the phone on his bed, wrenched

off the shirt, tossed it aside, then picked the phone back up.
“There. Now it’s gone. Too much blue.”

“I’m telling you, it’s because you’re a queer.”
“Only with you.”
The comment hung there between them. So far, the only one

Hunter had done anything with was Dalton. He’d never asked if
it was the same the other direction because he was pretty sure it
wasn’t. All through high school and right on into college, Dalton
always had chicks hanging off his massive shoulders. Dalton was
fond of saying he was a stud with a big pud. Or he’d said that a
lot in junior high. He stopped in high school. Somewhere in the
middle of that timeline Hunter supposed they’d all grown up.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Dalton said. “But I’m going

to miss you.”

“How could I possibly take that the wrong way, you girl?”

“How could I possibly take that the wrong way, you girl?”

Hunter gave Dalton’s crap right back to him, earning himself a
laugh that he would remember forever. No one laughed quite like
Dalton did. It was deep and rumbling, like rocks tumbling slowly
through a water-swollen creek.

“I wish we could go together.”
“God, wouldn’t that be great?” Hunter wouldn’t be nearly as

afraid if he could go with Dalton.

“What time does your letter say they’ll come for you?”
“Remember, I didn’t open it.”
“Right.” Dalton was silent for a moment. “Well, go get it.”
Hunter kept the phone to his ear as he jogged down the

stairs. His mother was still at the sink, and still washing the same
bowl. He snagged the letter off the table and scampered away.
There was something different about her this time. Since his
mother thought she was alone, she’d allowed herself to cry.
Hunter saw the tracks of her pain via her reflection in the
window. Rather than bother her, he thought it best to just leave
her be. His father would be home soon, and he would know
what to say to her. Hunter certainly didn’t.

“Got it?”
“Yeah.”
“Well?”
“Give me a second, okay?” Hunter closed his bedroom door,

but he didn’t open the envelope. He didn’t want to. Somehow, if
he never looked inside it wasn’t really real. He could still go
back in time to the moment right before he entered the kitchen. If
he could just do that part over, he could come in and there
wouldn’t be anything on the old pine table but the centerpiece his

wouldn’t be anything on the old pine table but the centerpiece his
mother changed based on the seasons or the holiday. Since
Thanksgiving was coming, she’d put out the cornucopia with the
fake fruit and vegetables. Hunter realized he wasn’t going to get
to eat the big dinner with his folks and a handful of assorted
relatives. This year, he wouldn’t have to struggle to say
something he was thankful for. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a lot
to be thankful for, because he did, he just wasn’t very good at
putting it all into words. And then he thought of what Dalton had
given him. However, he could just imagine what their faces
would look like if he confessed he was deeply appreciative of
learning about BDSM. Shortly after that thought made him smile
another made him frown. His parents would have to dig down
deep to find something they were thankful for this year. Losing
their one and only child to a sick, alien lottery was certainly going
to ruin the holiday.

“Geez, dude. I could have whacked off by now.”
“That’s only because you’re a Quick Draw McGraw.”
“I’ve not heard any complaints.”
“That’s only because you stuff a ball gag in your partner’s

mouth.”

“Or a pair of socks.”
“Yeah.” Hunter had wished they had all the gear to really act

out that fantasy. Dalton’s seemingly bottomless pit of a
backpack held a lot of things but not real BDSM gear. “I would
give just about anything to do that one more time.”

“Me, too.” Sincerity twisted Dalton’s voice until it was almost

loving. “You were a good partner.”

“So were you.” They had given each other exactly what they

“So were you.” They had given each other exactly what they

needed to release the stress and strain of college, grades, family
expectations—all of it. “It seems like such a rip-off that after all
that agonizing we don’t actually have to worry about getting
jobs, supporting ourselves, or even becoming adults.”

“Yeah. Had I known, I would have fucked off a lot more.”
“I know, right? I would have done all kinds of things.”
“I guess that’s the trick with life.” Dalton sighed hard enough

to make his breath whistle across the faceplate of his phone.
“You just never know.”

“And now it’s too late.”
“Yeah.” Dalton paused. “So, what does yours say?”
Hunter realized that putting off opening the envelope wouldn’t

change a thing. All he was doing was amping up his own fear. He
noticed it wasn’t glued all the way along the edge but only where
the point touched the backside of the envelope. One thrust of his
finger popped the seal. Feeling the fear but moving forward
anyway, he pulled out the lone sheet of paper and unfolded it.

“Well?”
“It just says eight p.m.”
“That’s what mine says, too.”
“But what does that mean?”
“I guess we’ll find out at eight tonight.”
“Or tomorrow. Who’s to say that it means tonight?” Hunter

was furious that there wasn’t more. He didn’t know what to
expect but something beyond just a goddamn time that seemed
to be perfectly centered on the page.

“Dude, it’s tonight. It’s not like we’re going to be given any

time to run away.”

time to run away.”

“We could try.”
“Where would we go?”
“I don’t know.” Hunter wanted to go anywhere that wasn’t

here. “Mazatlan.”

“What? In Mexico?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I just like the way it sounds. So let’s go to Mazatlan, and

you can tie me up on the beach while all the tourists watch.”

“Fuck. That would be good. I’d love to do my thing in public.

It’s the exhibitionist in me.”

“Yeah.” Hunter would enjoy being on display by Dalton’s

hand. He dropped onto his back on his bed and closed his eyes.
“And in my fantasy we have all the gear we would ever need.”

“All I really need is a ball gag and my hand.” There was a

sound of flesh hitting flesh, making Hunter think Dalton either
clapped his hands or slapped his thigh. If there was one thing
Dalton loved to do more than anything else, it was to spank ass.
“And maybe a nice flogger. I always did want to learn how to
use one.”

“But I want the full thing.” Hunter had loved the makeshift

items Dalton had used to bind him and silence him. But what had
really made him utterly crazy was the way Dalton talked to him.
He didn’t shout or scream, but spoke in a low silky voice that
shivered Hunter down to his toes. That tone of voice, the way he
would talk right into Hunter’s ear and fill his head with filthy
words and raunchy situations… God. Dalton was a master of
such play. Hunter realized he was getting hard despite his fear.

“You’d look so good in black leather. Your perfect pale skin

“You’d look so good in black leather. Your perfect pale skin

shows every mark no matter how slight.”

“And chrome. Don’t forget the chains.”
“It would be hot on the beach.”
“In reality, sure, but this is fantasy, baby. In my dreamland,

it’s the perfect temp for some bondage at the beach.”

“And spanking. Don’t forget the spanking. Damn, your

fucking ass made the nicest jiggles.”

“From fat?”
“What the fuck, dude? Are you serious? Your ass is all

goddamn muscle.”

“Are you palming your cock?” Hunter only asked because he

was. Maybe they could comfort each other one last time.

“Fuck no. I’m fisting it.”
Hunter laughed.
“Don’t you dare laugh at my cock.” Dalton’s voice dropped

down almost an entire octave and took on that wicked bossy
tone. “If I was in your room, I’d make you get down on your
knees and worship at my feet.”

“You know I would.” Hunter would do so eagerly. He was

on the verge of telling Dalton they could act out a scene over the
phone when he heard his mother scream. His erection deflated
so fast it was almost comical.

“What the hell was that?” Dalton asked.
“My mom.” Hunter was up and running down the stairs,

babbling to Dalton that he didn’t know what was going on.

When he entered the kitchen, his mother was staring at the

table. She looked up at him and smiled. This time, it was
genuine. Relief wiped away all the lines pain had etched so

genuine. Relief wiped away all the lines pain had etched so
deeply into her skin. “It was just a mistake. There isn’t a letter.
You don’t have to go.”

Hunter realized what had happened. When he’d snuck down

earlier and taken the letter, she hadn’t heard him. Turning around
and finding it gone must have made her literally scream with joy.
He felt like a total ass for having to crush her renewed spirit.

“I took it upstairs.”
“Oh.” Her face fell, and she turned back to the sink. She

opened her mouth to say something, or perhaps ask what was in
the letter, but nothing came out. She swallowed hard, picked up
a coffee cup, and began to drag the sponge around and around
the rim. His dad had offered at least a hundred times to buy her a
dishwasher, but she preferred to wash the dishes by hand so she
could enjoy the view out the window. Pikes Peak was almost
perfectly centered and it never looked quite the same twice
because of the way the light played over its features. It was that
view that led his mother to convince his father to buy this house.
She was fond of saying they had the best view in Colorado
Springs.

With tears streaming down his face, Hunter plodded his way

back up the stairs and into his room.

“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.” Hunter didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t even

have to ask how Dalton knew he was crying. They’d been
friends for a long time. Almost fifteen years. They knew one
another very well. Hunter picked up the blue shirt he’d tossed
off, used it to wipe his face down, and then threw it back on the
floor. He kicked it for good measure even though he didn’t see

floor. He kicked it for good measure even though he didn’t see
how abusing a shirt was going to harm the Eoeans in any way.

“I know that we give each other a lot of shit, but I’m sincerely

going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you.” Hunter had toyed with the notion of having

something more with Dalton, and Dalton probably had with him,
too, but ultimately they’d decided to just do scenes. Bringing sex
into their game would have ruined it. During their scenes they
each got off, but they did so by their own hand. Dalton said that
was the only way he could keep some perspective and Hunter
had to agree. What Hunter regretted was never trying to find a
guy he could have everything with. Friendship, sex, love, and
maybe even a little playing rough. Just because Dalton wasn’t the
right guy for all of that didn’t mean the right guy wasn’t out there
somewhere. But now it was too late. Still, he’d always
wondered why Dalton held himself back. Hunter hadn’t wanted
to go deeper with Dalton because he didn’t want to lose their
friendship, but Hunter had suspected there was something dark
to Dalton’s side of that story so he’d never asked. But now that
they would never see each other again, if he wanted to know the
truth, this was his very last chance.

“I sometimes wonder what might have been if we’d gone

further together.” It was a lame way of asking why they’d never
taken the next logical step, but it was the only way Hunter could
think to ask why Dalton had never even tried anything. Dalton
had told him several reasons when they were setting up the limits
of their game, but he never answered directly. Hunter had just
assumed Dalton wasn’t really interested in being with a guy in the
same way he was with a girl.

same way he was with a girl.

“It wouldn’t have gone beyond where it did.”
“No?” Hunter asked.
“No. I don’t think I could have fucked you even if you

wanted me to.”

“You would have made love to me?” Hunter asked teasingly.
“Fuck you!” Dalton laughed then sobered. “That’s probably

what I’ll regret. That I never had the guts to try.”

“I thought you didn’t want—”
“Not with you. Sorry, but we were always best as friends

and I sure as shit didn’t want to ruin that. I mean with anyone.”

“You never…” Hunter couldn’t finish the question. He’d

always thought Dalton was getting laid left and right.

“I thought…ah, what does it matter now?”
“It matters to me.” Hunter wanted to know. Dalton had never

even kissed him. “Was it that you weren’t attracted to me?”

“No, it wasn’t that. You’re fucking hot, Hunter. Trust me on

that. You are way more handsome than you think you are.”

Hunter sat on the bed across from the mirror. He didn’t see it

at all. He looked like a million other guys. There just wasn’t
anything special about him. Nothing that he could see, at any
rate.

“I guess I just didn’t have the balls.”
“You’ve got plenty of balls.” Hunter knew this for a fact since

he’d seen them more times than he could count. “I can literally
attest to that fact in a court of law.”

“Stop making me laugh. My roommate’s gonna think I’ve lost

it.”

“What did he say when the letter came?” Dalton had chosen

“What did he say when the letter came?” Dalton had chosen

to live at the dorms rather than at home.

“Fucking freaked out until he realized the envelope didn’t

have his name on it. I swear when I saw it on the door I thought
it was for him. I about shit when I realized it was my name.”

“They left it on your door clip?” Each dorm room was shared

by two guys and each room had a large clip on the outside of the
door for notes and important info. “I can’t believe they just left it
there like that.”

“They didn’t. The guy in the blue van of doom gave it to the

resident advisor, and he put it there. He was too freaked out to
have it in his room, and he knew no one was going to touch it.
When I came home, there was a semicircle of guys around my
door staring at it.” Dalton paused. “Is your mom okay?”

“No. She washed the same bowl enough to rub the little

flowers right off the rim.” Hunter had a feeling she was now
doing the same to the coffee cup.

Silence stretched around them but was oddly comfortable.

Hunter was just glad to know that Dalton was there on the other
end. They didn’t have to be in the same room or even speaking
to one another to comfort each other. But eventually, Hunter
couldn’t take it anymore.

“What do you think will happen to us?” Curiosity killed the

cat, and it was apparently destined to drive Hunter insane. He’d
always wondered what the Eoeans did with the men they took. It
seemed fitting somehow that he was going to find out, but tragic
that he wouldn’t be able to tell anyone else. Knowing would
soothe his curiosity but being able to share that information with
the world would make him a hero of sorts.

the world would make him a hero of sorts.

“I don’t know what will happen to us. It’s like the greatest

mystery on Earth right now.”

“Smitty’s idea seems to be a good one.”
“Good?” Dalton asked sarcastically. “You want to be used

for experiments?”

“Well, no, but it seems like that’s what they’d want us for.”

Just mentioning that idea amped up Hunter’s anxiety.

“Talk about a throwback.”
“Throwback?”
“To the dark days of the past.” Dalton laughed. “The idea of

the Eoeans wanting us for experiments just reminds me of guys
back in the nineties who swore up and down they got abducted
and probed, but they were probably just trying to cover up the
fact they were out butt fucking all night.”

“Maybe that’s what they want us for.”
“Butt fucking?”
“Well, that makes as much sense as everything else the guys

suggested last night.” Hunter wondered again if he and Dalton
were taken because they’d been kicking the idea of being
selected around. It just seemed too coincidental.

“I still think it’s for something totally stupid. I’m telling you,

we’ll end up as pets to some uber-powerful alien. He’ll groom us
and feed us and watch us get boners and then get us fixed when
we can’t stop humping the furniture.”

“I really hope you’re wrong.”
“So do I.”
“I hope it’s something wonderful. Maybe we’ll be taken

somewhere strange and exotic. The people there will worship us

somewhere strange and exotic. The people there will worship us
like gods.”

“That would be nice.”
“Yeah.”
“But not very likely.”
“I know. But it’s a nice idea.”
“It is.” Dalton sighed. “It’s almost eight o’clock.”
“What?” Hunter sat up so fast he pulled a muscle in his waist.

“You load! It’s not even six.”

“I just wanted to see what you’d do.”
“I almost wet my pants.” Hunter tossed himself back on the

bed. “So why did you never go all the way with anyone?”

“Go all the way. Christ! Are you sure you’re not a girl?”
“Positive. I banged your mom.”
“You know, those mom jokes only work if I actually care

about my mother,” Dalton pointed out. “Me banging your mom
is funny because you like her. You fucking my mother wouldn’t
be a shock since she apparently will fuck anyone. Well, anyone
except my father.”

Hunter knew the horrible situation with his parents was what

had driven Dalton to move out of his parents’ home and into the
dorms as soon as he possibly could. Dalton swore he’d rather
live in a cardboard box than spend one more day in his house.
His parents fought nonstop and constantly cheated on one
another, but they refused to get a divorce. There was something
about their relationship that they clung to. For the life of him,
Dalton said he couldn’t figure it out and had since given up
trying.

“That’s why I never had the guts, you know.”

“That’s why I never had the guts, you know.”
“Wait, what? Your fucked up parents are why you couldn’t

go all the way with anyone?”

“Yeah. Stupid, right?”
“No. Not really.” The more Hunter thought about that

particular motivation, the more sense it made.

“I just figure that my relationships will turn into what my

parents have. No matter what I do, I will end up with someone I
love to hate.” Dalton chuckled a little. “I’m so fucking glad I
won’t ever see you and the guys again after that confession. The
stud with the big pud is a goddamned virgin.”

“You’re way too hard on yourself.”
“I know. I think that’s why I like to be in that power position

for a scene. I feel so fucking powerless all the time that being in
charge of you…yeah. It got me off in a million ways that weren’t
sexual.”

“Same here. But in reverse. I feel that everything is all up to

me, and I don’t want to take control, so being in a place where I
don’t have to make a single decision is just fucking heaven.”

Again, they fell into companionable silence. There were so

many things that Hunter wanted to say, but there were no words.
Besides, Dalton knew. There wasn’t anything he could say to
him now that he didn’t already grasp. Lifelong friends were like
that. In many ways, Hunter probably knew Dalton better than he
did himself and vice versa.

“My phone is dying.”
“Then plug it into the goddamn wall,” Hunter said. “I don’t

—” When tears came he tried to choke them down but failed
miserably.

miserably.

“I’m here, man. I’m here.” Dalton sounded on the verge of

losing what control he had. For some reason, Hunter thought of
his mother and her determination to look happy despite her pain.
Dalton always managed to look indifferent even when he was
being eaten up inside. Hunter showed everything he was feeling.
He’d tried to learn some kind of mask that would spare him from
everyone knowing his feelings, but he’d never been successful.
What he felt, he showed. No matter how he’d tried to man up,
he was a sensitive sort, and that was never going to change.

“I don’t want it all to be over.” Hunter barely managed to get

the words out before he almost choked himself on his agony.

“It’s not,” Dalton soothed. “We don’t know what will

happen. Maybe we were all wrong and it’s something amazing.”

Hunter wanted to believe that with a desperation that was

almost painful. In all their ponderings, no one ever came up with
a scenario that was pleasant. The humans were always taken for
nefarious reasons. Experiments, pets, slaves, organs—ugly and
horrible situations awaited them. As Smitty had pointed out, why
would the Eoeans keep quiet about the whole thing if the humans
were being taken for a pleasant experience? What made the
situation intolerable was not knowing. Ignorance was supposed
to be bliss, but in this situation, it was stone-cold terrifying.

Chapter 2

“What do you expect me to do with an Earthling?” Kian

Lachlan was not having a good day. His entire body felt as if it
were on fire. His agony was normal, but that didn’t mean he had
come to accept or enjoy his state of perpetual torment. Rather
than answer him again, his father turned away and left Kian
standing in the middle of the enormous courtyard.

Kian didn’t blame him for abandoning the conversation. No

one wanted to deal with Kian for long. Even his mother, who
loved him more than life itself, had grown increasingly weary of
his ill temper. Rather than spend any more time in his presence,
she had gone to Cadolia and taken his siblings with her. Kian’s
father had only tarried long enough to tell him he was bound for
Cadolia, too. Kian would have command of the house, the
grounds, and the entire staff. It would be as if the palace were
his, if only temporarily.

“I don’t believe in them!” Kian cried, but his father, if he

heard him, didn’t stop or even slow down. His father had said
what he needed to say and that was the end of that. Within
moments, the aircar was up and then gone.

Kian was alone.
He stayed in the courtyard and watched as the twin suns

rose, turning the land crimson and orange. For a moment, he
realized how beautiful his home planet was, and he was grateful
that unlike most of those afflicted with

dwicia, he still had his

vision. His gratitude was short lived. Pain slammed into him with
a violence that dropped him to his knees. Without the protective
padding, he would have shattered his bones, but he’d grown so

padding, he would have shattered his bones, but he’d grown so
weary of injury he wore a shielding suit almost all the time.
Sleeping and bathing were the only two activities where he went
without his armor, but there he didn’t have to worry. His bed
was enormous and right on the floor. His bathing area was the
same, and there was always an attendant nearby to pull him out
of the water should he start to drown.

Kian had tried every kind of therapy his kind had to offer

from the latest technological advances to the truly bizarre. None
of it did anything but raise their hopes and lower their funds. His
family was desperate, hence his father buying him an Earthling.
Kian shook his head. Earthlings as some kind of curative. That
idea was equal to the notion that eating the rare Aderamma horn
would give a male an almost permanent erection.

Another wave of pain collapsed his upper body, dropping

him flat to the cool, blue stone of the courtyard. Since his father
had wanted to chastise him in private, none of the servants were
near enough to rush to his side. In a way, his aloneness was a
relief. There was nothing they could do. Eventually, the pain
abated, and Kian regained his proud stance. That was one thing
he’d refused to lose. He might be in almost constant agony. He
might not have any control over the fits of his body, but if nothing
else, Kian clung to his pride. Nothing, not even the most rare and
dreaded disease in all the galaxy, was going to rob him of his
self-worth. Most thought he was haughty and self-important, but
Kian didn’t care. They didn’t know him. Only his family knew
what he suffered. To the outside world, he was the arrogant and
eccentric son of the emperor. It wouldn’t do to let the inhabitants
of the empire know that their ruler’s only son, the one destined

of the empire know that their ruler’s only son, the one destined
to rule, was afflicted with a disease that would destroy him.

What made

dwicia

intolerable was the fact there was nothing

that could mitigate the symptoms. The pain came, and the pain
went. Nothing precipitated the agony, and nothing could abate it.
Relief came out of nowhere and lasted anywhere from a brief
moment to several sunrises. There had even been a time when
Kian thought he was in full remission because the brutal torture
subsided for almost an entire cycle.

Even as he rejoiced, there was something in the back of his

head that told him his trial wasn’t over. It would never be over.
Every being who contracted

dwicia

died the exact same way.

They ultimately couldn’t handle the excruciating and relentless
agony and killed themselves. That fact was what made his father
desperate. It was also why Kian clung to his pride so fiercely.
He would be the sole survivor. No matter if he had to cry himself
to sleep every night for the rest of his existence, he would not let
his disease dictate his life or his death. He couldn’t beat

dwicia,

but he could defy it and keep going despite it.

“I’m better than that.”
To show his disease that he didn’t fear what it would do,

he’d taken to finding other ways to heighten his sense of pain.
The medical personnel told his father it was a perverse kind of
treatment, something about using pain to fight the pain, but that
was just what Kian told them to tell his father. As angry as he
was at the need to keep up appearances, Kian loved his father
more than he would ever be comfortable telling him.

Oddly, the more Kian embraced his pain, the more they

made a wary kind of truce. Before their armistice, death had

seemed so beautifully compelling. Ending his life ended the pain.
Intellectually, Kian understood that was why the handful of
dwicia

sufferers chose that option. But Kian had never rushed

into anything. Looking at death from a strictly intellectual stance
gave him a clarity that most beings probably never had. Kian
saw beyond the alluring façade. Death meant everything would
stop, not just the pain. That was why he simply couldn’t take that
option. No more pain would be a blessing, but no more pleasure
or anything else seemed to be an awful lot to give up for just one
thing. If he could only find a way to end the pain, he would be…
not himself. Kian almost laughed. Without his constant
companion, he wouldn’t be Kian Lachlan. He would be another
Koronian who had friends and did all kinds of interesting things.
Perhaps he would even be the one to disprove the tales about
Earthlings.

“I don’t believe in them.” Kian whispered the words to

himself. His father had spent a fortune to buy an Earthling, but all
Kian had to do was look into his father’s eyes, and he knew he
didn’t believe in them anymore than Kian himself did. More
myths were passed around about Earthlings than all other species
combined. All of it was certainly nonsense. To his surprise, a
small bundle of hope settled in his head and clung to his brain.
No matter how valiantly he tried to rid himself of that feeling, it
remained. As small as it was, it was still there, and if he didn’t
formulate a plan of action, it would grow until he started to
believe only to have his hopes dashed. Kian had maintained his
pride, but he didn’t think he could take much more of false hope.
Since Kian couldn’t reject his Earthling, he decided he would
prove he was as worthless as every other cure he’d been

prove he was as worthless as every other cure he’d been
offered.

“I will humble him from his arrogance, and then send him

back to his world with his tail tucked between his legs.”

Chapter 3

“A door?” Hunter stood looking at the innocuous doorway.

At precisely eight p.m. the doorway had appeared in the living
room. He was sitting on the couch with his parents while his
phone was still open to Dalton. No one had been speaking. The
letter was sitting on the coffee table. Every few seconds one of
them would look at it and then forcefully away. It was like a train
wreck with broken and battered bodies everywhere. Hunter
knew the sight would burrow into his brain and pop out in his
nightmares, but he simply couldn’t stop looking. The macabre
held a curious fascination for humans. Idly, Hunter wondered if
Eoeans were the same way. Did they feel compelled to look at
horrible sights against their better judgment?

“That’s what I see, too.” Dalton’s voice came over the phone

with a clarity that was a little disturbing. It was almost as if he
was standing right behind Hunter.

“It’s fucking blue.” Hunter couldn’t believe that just like

everything else the Eoeans created, the damn thing was light
blue.

“Did you change your shirt?”
“Yeah.” Hunter had put on a red T-shirt and a gray hoodie

and his favorite faded jeans. Unsure what he could take, he’d
stuffed a backpack with a collection of random items and then
thought they might take that away, so he also filled his pockets.
Since the letter didn’t say what was or wasn’t permissible, he
took everything he could think of from basic necessities—
toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and a razor—to paper and pencil
in case he needed to write a note. Dalton was the one who had

in case he needed to write a note. Dalton was the one who had
told him it was likely it would all be taken away, but Hunter
didn’t care. He’d rather try than not bother.

“What if you take something that they kill you for?”
“I seriously doubt my dime-store razor is going to get me

executed.”

“You never know.” Dalton laughed suddenly. “Besides, we

both know you only shave to make yourself feel like a man. It’s
not like you really need to.”

“Fuck you.”
“I wish, brother. I really do wish I had.”
After lapsing into silence, they’d tried to get off over the

phone, but the heat just wasn’t there. Dalton had laughed that he
was pretty much hard all the time since puberty, but he’d finally
found a way to calm his raging hormones. Nothing like death to
put a damper on lust. Eventually, Hunter’s dad had come home
and Hunter had gone downstairs. They’d all been sitting on the
couch not talking since then. Oddly, his parents didn’t mind that
Dalton was on the phone, symbolically sitting there with them.
He’d always eaten Thanksgiving dinner with them because his
parents always forgot or were fighting. Dalton was like a part of
the family, which made it doubly tragic that he had to go away,
too. Bad enough for them to lose their only son, but to lose their
pseudo-son as well just seemed impossibly cruel.

“I say we go through the doorways at the same time.” Dalton

made a noise that made Hunter think he’d stood up, so Hunter
stood.

“Okay.”
“On three?”

“On three?”
“I just—I love you, Mom and Dad.”
They rose and hugged him. His mother didn’t let go until his

father pulled her away. There were no words. All of them knew
this was the end. He couldn’t call or send messages. He couldn’t
do anything other than turn away so they didn’t see him cry. As
Hunter stepped up to the doorway, he held the phone tightly to
his ear and whispered, “I love you, Dalton.”

“I love you—”
And then Hunter wrenched open the door and stepped

through before he lost his nerve. Instinctively, he closed his eyes,
but then almost immediately opened them back up. For some
reason he was expecting a vortex of wind, light, and chaos, but
he seemed to have hardly moved through time or space. With
one big step, he went from his parents’ living room to an
enormous area that was tiled in deep-blue stone. Finally, a blue
that wasn’t the powder blue the Eoeans favored.

As Hunter looked around, desperate to get his bearings, he

realized he wasn’t on Earth. Not when he was casting two
shadows. When he turned, he got a blast of sunlight from two
suns that was so harsh it almost dropped him to his knees.
Whirling around, he realized he was still holding the phone.

“Dalton?” Hunter wasn’t sure what he expected to hear, but

he wasn’t surprised when all he got was silence. When he pulled
the phone away from his head and looked at the screen, he
realized the battery was dead. Whatever he’d stepped through
had sucked the rest of the power right out of it. He almost
laughed when he realized he’d brought the charger. The
likelihood of this place having compatible outlets was pretty

much slim to none.

“I am Kian Lachlan.”
Hunter spun the other direction and saw a metal man at least

seven feet tall and three feet wide. He gleamed in the sunlight,
causing Hunter to lift his hand to block the glare. Recalling his
manners that had been drilled into him since he was a boy, he
offered, “I’m Hunter Wilkes.”

“Do not bother to tell me who you are. I do not care.”
His voice was lower than Dalton’s and even more

commanding. Hunter swallowed hard and nodded. “Where—”

“You will speak when I tell you to.”
Hunter closed his mouth so fast his teeth clicked together.

Swallowing hard, he tried not to shake, but he did anyway. No
matter how often he was told to stand tall and take up the space
he deserved, Hunter had an innate need to make himself as small
as possible. Hunching his shoulders now gave him a submissive
stance, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want this guy or robot or
whatever he was to even remotely consider him a threat.

“Give me that.” Kian extended his hand.
Unsure what he wanted, Hunter offered out his phone, which

the guy took, but he followed that up with his backpack. Instead
of holding it out, he placed it on the ground near his feet. While
he stood there, terrified, Hunter tried to look around without
being obvious about what he was doing. Everything was so
bright he wanted to reach into his pack and put his sunglasses
on, but he figured any move he made would piss off whoever this
guy was.

“Unbelievable. This is your computer?”
“No. Well, yes. It’s—”

“No. Well, yes. It’s—”
“The answer cannot be both yes and no.” Kian took a step

toward him, and Hunter almost pissed himself. This thing,
whatever he was, was fucking huge and clearly angry. “Try
thinking before you speak.”

Hunter felt his anxiety hitting a level he’d never felt before. He

was shaking so badly he was practically vibrating.

“Speak!” Kian took another step toward him.
Terrified that he would be struck and killed, Hunter blurted,

“It’s my phone.”

“Phone?”
“To talk to people. To communicate.”
“It’s archaic.” Kian held the device up and then crushed it

with his metal fist.

Hunter almost burst into tears. He’d mowed lawns for an

entire summer to earn the money for that smartphone. Even if it
didn’t work here, he wanted to keep it because it represented
everything he’d left behind. Somehow, watching this monster
destroy his only link to his prior life told him more clearly than
any words ever could that he would never go home again.

“You will have nothing but what I give you.” After turning the

eight-hundred-dollar phone into a fifty-cent pile of rubbish, Kian
tossed the mangled mess on the ground. He reached for the
backpack, but Hunter grasped it and backed away.

Despite the fact he had a smooth metallic shield over his face,

Hunter still clearly saw Kian’s surprise at his defiance.
Apparently, he wasn’t a machine, but he did expect to be
obeyed in all things at all times. Kian’s attitude made Hunter
think he was supposed to be this creature’s slave. How ironic

think he was supposed to be this creature’s slave. How ironic
that Dalton turned out to be right.

“Give that to me.”
“No.” Hunter took another step backward. Desperate to get

away, he darted his gaze everywhere, but all he saw were oddly
shaped buildings encircling the blue-tiled area. The best he could
figure was they were in the courtyard of some massive complex.

“You dare to defy me?” Kian’s tone was so similar to

Dalton’s voice when he was playing the part of the brutal master
that Hunter immediately wanted to obey any and every
command he might give.

“No.” Yet Hunter clung to the backpack. Everything he had

left was inside. He didn’t want to stand there and watch this—
this—whatever he was destroy what few possessions he’d
managed to bring with him.

“Give me that. I won’t ask again.” Kian extended his hand.
“Are you my owner?” Hunter thought if he could get some

information about their relationship he might be able to figure out
what to do. Since the damn Eoeans hadn’t given him any clue at
all, he was struggling to determine his role in this place and with
this being.

“I am your god.”
Hunter felt an insane urge to laugh. What Kian had said was

so similar to something Dalton might have said that he was
compelled to chuckle, call him a load, and then tell him to piss
off. Mercifully, his common sense kicked in before he could say
something that would get him completely annihilated. Unlike
Dalton, this guy didn’t have a sense of humor. What he did have,
though, was one hell of a big ego. From the way he was standing

though, was one hell of a big ego. From the way he was standing
and his demand for complete and unquestioned obedience, it
was pretty clear Kian thought he owned him. But Hunter knew
something this guy didn’t know. He knew exactly who he was
and that no one could ever make him feel like dirt unless he
allowed it. The words that Dalton had taught him came to mind.
Those same words tumbled right out of his mouth before Hunter
could hesitate.

“I might be submissive, but that doesn’t mean I’m a

doormat.”

Kian’s big metal head tilted ever so slightly to the side. It was

such a human gesture that Hunter found it oddly reassuring.
Somewhere under all that metal was another human being. He
felt so certain of it he grinned.

“This is a joke, right? Some kind of elaborate prank that the

Eoeans play on unsuspecting humans?” Hunter felt tension seep
out of his shoulders so fast he practically sagged to the ground.
“How the hell did you get everything to look so real? I mean the
dual sun thing and this rock.” He tapped his foot on the dark
blue stone pavers. “I’ve never seen this color. It must be
something from the Eoeans’ home planet.”

“You think I am a joke?” Kian took two steps toward him

with a slowness that was almost hypnotic.

Hunter had to crane his head back to keep looking up. Quite

suddenly he realized that by attempting to look Kian right in the
eye, even though his gaze was hidden behind a shield, he was
inadvertently showing aggression. This wasn’t a joke. And
whatever was behind the gleaming faceplate wasn’t human.

Before he could open his mouth and stammer out an apology,

Before he could open his mouth and stammer out an apology,

Kian grasped Hunter by the neck. He didn’t squeeze, just held
his massive hand there, letting Hunter know that all Kian had to
do was draw his fingers and thumb together and he could mangle
his neck even easier than he’d destroyed his smartphone.

“You belong to me.”
Since he was too afraid to speak, Hunter nodded. His

progress up and down was impeded by Kian’s grip, but he was
pretty sure he got the message.

“You will do what I say.”
Again, Hunter nodded ever so slightly.
“Should you displease me, I will kill you.”
Hunter was so terrified he couldn’t even nod. And then, the

absolute worst thing that could happen did. To his utter shock,
he got hard. He couldn’t believe that his body was reacting to
Kian’s control the exact way it always had to Dalton’s. The
difference was, this was no rough interlude or stress-relieving
scene. This was a life-or-death situation that Hunter realized he
had absolutely no control over. But his body didn’t see the
difference. His body got off on surrendering to power and
control, and Kian exuded plenty of both. Somehow, even the
idea that he could kill him almost effortlessly turned on some
twisted part of Hunter. It seemed the more Kian restricted his
movement and his ability to breathe, the more aroused he
became. He was so shockingly stimulated he thought he was
going to climax if Kian didn’t release him.

As Hunter stood very still, trying desperately not to do

anything that would further his bizarre and utterly inappropriate
excitement, he realized he was leaking pre-cum like crazy. He

excitement, he realized he was leaking pre-cum like crazy. He
could feel the slick liquid wetting his briefs. Soon, it would make
a wet spot on the front of his jeans. Dalton had always teased
him that he seemed to make enough pre-cum for six guys. But
where Dalton would tease him with words and the power of one
probing finger, Hunter had no idea what Kian’s reaction would
be.

He knew the precise instant when Kian noticed because his

head tilted to the side in that familiar and utterly human gesture.

“You have wet yourself.”
Hunter shook his head, but he couldn’t get enough air to

explain. To his simultaneous shock and delight, Kian reached
down with his other hand, cupped Hunter’s bulge, and squeezed
just hard enough to push him over the edge and make him
climax.

Chapter 4

Kian had never thought he would enjoy having command of

another being, but there was something about Hunter that
instantly called to him. When Hunter laughed and thought the
situation was a joke, fury sparked so strongly inside Kian that his
pain actually abated. Something about this creature, this pale and
oddly beautiful creature, engaged him so completely he forgot all
about his illness. Hunter’s lack of fear had prompted Kian to
terrorize him, and to his surprise, he found the sensation
pleasurable. He didn’t want to injure him, not grievously, but he
wanted to make it clear who was master and who was slave.

When he thought he’d gone too far and made Hunter wet

himself, he realized just as he cupped his hand to Hunter’s
genitals that rather than fear causing him to urinate, he’d aroused
the Earthling to the point of climax. Stunned by the turn of
events, Kian kept his hand around Hunter’s neck and the other
against his quivering cock until his release ended.

Gasping, Hunter kept his head up, exposing his neck, but his

eyes were closed. Long brown lashes rested against his cheeks,
making him look vulnerable. Yet by his very stance, head up,
neck so fully extended, he showed a curious kind of strength.
Hunter seemed to innately trust that Kian would not go too far.
After witnessing what he’d done to the handheld computer,
Hunter shouldn’t want Kian’s powerful hand anywhere near his
tender neck, yet he’d not fought at all. Instead, he’d submitted
and found pleasure in doing so.

What made the encounter even more astonishing was the fact

that Kian found his cock pressing hard against the unforgiving

that Kian found his cock pressing hard against the unforgiving
metal of his protective suit. He’d gotten aroused before, but he
rarely had the chance to enjoy his stiffening member. Pain always
came and made the sensation depart before he could find
completion. Even when he had the cycle-long break from agony,
he hadn’t been able to take his arousal to a natural conclusion
because he feared the pain coming back right at the moment of
release. But now, Kian was standing in sharp agony, hard, and
ready to have his first release.

“You will now satisfy me.” Kian freed Hunter from his hold

and slid back the front panel of his suit. The device was to make
the process of urination easier, but now it would be used so that
he might experience his very first climax. Instead of telling Hunter
what he wanted him to do, Kian simply grasped his hand and
cupped his fingers around his shaft. It took all his will not to utter
a cry of relief. Pain was still pulsing through his body, but where
Hunter touched him he was miraculously free of agony. The only
sensation he had on his cock was one of pleasure.

Without prompting, Hunter stroked up and down, twisting his

fist around the base then the crown. He seemed to intuitively
know how to please. Perhaps the information he’d gotten was
wrong and Earthlings were built remarkably similar to Koronians.
Or there was something to the rumor about Earthlings being
intuitive. Regardless, Kian let all his concerns evaporate. All he
wanted was release. The pain was there, just like it always was,
but somehow, Hunter’s touch sublimated his agony to bliss.

Faster and tighter Hunter’s fist moved along his cock. Kian

heard Hunter’s excited, panting breath. He felt his heat. He could
smell the sharp tang of Hunter’s fear and then the rich musk of

smell the sharp tang of Hunter’s fear and then the rich musk of
his pleasure. Each stroke brought him higher. Desperate for the
moment to continue, Kian grasped Hunter, pulled him close, and
held him against his body. He’d give just about anything to have
his suit out of the way so he could feel their flesh pressing
together. Since no one could know about his disease, Kian had
just assumed he’d never be intimate with anyone. But now,
through some cruel streak in his own twisted psyche, he had
found his perfect match.

Again, he wondered if the rumors might have hidden truth.

There were so few Earthlings in the universe it made sense that
the tales of them would be exaggerated. Anything rare was
considered valuable. Kian had chalked it all up to grand tales
and a way for the Eoeans to increase the price they received for
their most unusual stock. But now that he’d found something
with Hunter that he’d never had even a hint of with anyone else,
Kian was suspecting that rumors had obscured the truth.

“Can you remove your faceplate?” Hunter’s voice was

plaintive. Had he been rude or demanding, Kian would have
automatically told him no. But he wasn’t. Hunter sounded…
hungry.

“Why would I do that?” Kian was leery of fully stopping his

masterful stance toward his Earthling. What if this behavior—the
subservience, the willingness, even the sudden ejaculation—were
all part of some elaborate scheme to get Kian to relax his guard
so the human could take advantage of him in some way?

“So I can kiss you.”
It took a moment for Kian to grasp the full meaning of the

word. His parents were not demonstrative. Most Koronians

were only affectionate behind closed doors, so it wasn’t much
wonder that Kian had such limited knowledge about sexual
congress. Curious as to what it would feel like to kiss, Kian
lowered the shield.

Hunter gasped.
For a moment, Kian thought Hunter was repulsed by his

appearance. Since he was so rarely around other beings, he had
no idea if he was handsome or not. Anger was quick to fill him.
His fury allowed his perception of the pain to alter. Agony
slammed into him, but before he could fall to his knees, Hunter’s
grip tightened and he leaned up into him. If his new and alien
possession were truly revolted, he wouldn’t wish to continue
their liaison.

Pleased, Kian lowered his head and kissed his Earthling’s

mouth. His lips were soft. When the contact came, Hunter made
a sound of need that burrowed right into Kian’s body. He had
suffered from curious dreams that he didn’t understand. Now
that odd shiver in his form upon awakening made sense. He
wanted to fuck. Unable to control himself, he thrust blindly,
thrilled when Hunter used both hands to provide a channel for his
cock.

And then his most curious alien opened his mouth.
Flavor exploded across all the surfaces of Kian’s mouth. To

his shock, Hunter had only one tongue. The curiosity of the
difference excited him. As Kian’s dual tongues engaged and
quickly subdued Hunter’s, he flared his nostrils to take in more
of Hunter’s unique essence. Somewhere, buried in the most
basic elements, was something familiar. Kian couldn’t pinpoint
what, but it called to him. Each time he breathed more of

what, but it called to him. Each time he breathed more of
Hunter’s scent, he felt his arousal going higher and pushing the
pain aside. It was still there, burning his nerves, but it was
sublimated into something new.

When his climax hit, Kian wasn’t prepared for the profound

pleasure that engulfed him. He held his Earthling so tight Hunter
uttered a cry into his mouth that Kian crushed with his,
deepening their kiss until he feared he would somehow swallow
his companion whole. Breaking away, Kian gasped as his body
felt the first total immersion into pleasure. For that brief, shining
moment, he didn’t hurt anywhere. Every part of him was alive
with sensation, and all of it, even the tender area on his knee
from where he’d fallen earlier, was rocked with bliss.

Kian allowed his head to go back and a cry of triumph to

emerge. He had found a way to beat

dwicia. Earthlings

were

magical creatures. From this moment forward, Kian would be
able to have a life. He would be able to go places and do things
and meet people and someday he would rule over—

Red-hot agony teased along his nerves.
“No.” Kian pushed Hunter away.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter’s face twisted with concern, but

Kian wasn’t fooled.

“It’s an illusion.” More pain wrapped around his nerves,

almost as if pleasure and pain battled. While pleasure had won
for a moment, the victory was short lived. Pain would always be
the true victor in Kian’s world. The only truth about Earthlings
was that they were very good mental manipulators. His father
had spent a fortune on what amounted to a hoax.

Chapter 5

Hunter was still shaking from his own release when Kian’s

hit. To his astonishment, Hunter felt Kian’s pleasure radiating into
him. He would have sworn he climaxed a second time, but he
didn’t think it was humanly possible. Although, considering he
was with an alien, maybe there was something about Kian that
allowed them to share pleasure. But just as Hunter was enjoying
the afterglow, something changed in Kian’s demeanor. Being
pressed against his metal suit didn’t allow Hunter to feel his form
directly, but he didn’t need to in order to literally feel his posture
stiffen. Something had changed in the split second between
release and reality. Hunter knew that with Dalton, the end of the
scene was a huge letdown of sorts. It was like being on top of
the world then suddenly cast into a pit. Dalton said it was
normal. He gave Hunter what he called aftercare, and then in a
few hours, Hunter felt returned to normal. As rough as that
descent was, Hunter had no desire to stop those sessions. The
brief foray into heaven made the time in hell worthwhile.

Kian stepped away from him so abruptly Hunter almost fell to

the ground. After stumbling, he righted himself.

“Did I do something wrong?” Hunter could only wonder as

Kian turned away. When he turned back around, his face shield
and groin panel were back in place. In many ways, it was as if
the last few minutes had never happened. If his perfectly clear
ejaculate hadn’t darkened the sleeve of Hunter’s gray hoodie, he
might have believed he’d imagined the whole thing, but that mark
was an obvious indicator he’d just pleased his alien master.

“You are a lie.”

“You are a lie.”
The words didn’t make sense. Hunter had barely spoken a

dozen words to Kian, but nothing he’d said was a fib. But then
he heard exactly what he’d said. Kian had said

Hunter

was a lie,

not that he’d told one. “I don’t understand. How am I a lie?”

“All of that money wasted on an illusion.” Kian shook his

head. Again, Hunter found the gesture oddly human, but after
seeing Kian’s face, it was clear he wasn’t from Earth.

“Please tell me what you’re talking about.”
“I owe you nothing.”
Baffled, Hunter could only stand and try to piece everything

together. He still didn’t know where he was or what kind of
creature Kian was. He knew he wasn’t an Eoean. He also knew
he wasn’t human. When he’d lowered his face shield, Hunter
had gasped because Kian was strangely beautiful. His features
were humanoid, but just different enough to give him an exotic
appearance. In some way, it was as if Kian’s features blended all
the differences of Earthlings and then smoothed them out. Big
eyes, high and wide cheekbones, a slender nose turned up just a
bit at the tip, all capped off with full lips. But what had really
made Hunter gasp was that his skin was green. Not an ugly
sickly green but a stunning florescent green. And it glowed.
Hunter wasn’t sure if it glowed from something inside or perhaps
just as a reflection of the sun, but whatever caused the
luminescence, it made Kian unique and riveting.

But that was before Hunter kissed him. A surge of lust

heightened his awareness of his body when he recalled Kian’s
dual tongues. Just like his masterful voice, Kian’s tongues
completely subdued Hunter’s. It was a kiss that no human could

completely subdued Hunter’s. It was a kiss that no human could
ever give him. Feeling compelled by the strangeness of his
master, Hunter had surrendered. He had explored Kian’s mouth
and his oddly smooth cock with a combination of lust and a
strong desire to please. Unlike his interludes with Dalton, this
was more about intimacy than playing shifting power games. Not
that Kian hadn’t taken command, because he had, but there was
a different motive driving his actions. Despite his clear authority,
Kian had been desperate. But for what? Almost as soon as the
shakes were over, Kian seemed to return to a rage that was
pinpointed at Hunter. Even though Hunter had never met him
until today, Kian clearly had strong expectations that Hunter had
failed to live up to.

“What did you expect me to do?” Hunter thought he’d done

exactly what Kian had wanted, but maybe he was supposed to
resist him or pretend to be uninterested only to be ultimately
swayed by Kian’s appeal. Hunter wasn’t opposed to acting out
Kian’s fantasy, even if it was a ravishment fantasy, but he had to
tell him what it was since Hunter wasn’t a mind reader. “I’ll do
what you want, but you have to tell me honestly what that is.”

Kian startled back. It was a slight movement that might have

been imperceptible but for the fact he was wearing that gleaming
suit. Tracking his subtle bodily shifts was easier when all Hunter
had to do was pay attention to the light around Kian’s powerful
form. Given that the dual suns made everything almost twice as
bright as they would be on Earth, Hunter had to squint, which
made him far more attentive to shifting light patterns.

“I enjoyed what we did.” Hunter kept his voice as even as he

could. He didn’t want to be too submissive or too demanding.

Neither a doormat nor a hammer be, Dalton had said once. At
least not until one worked out the deal. Hunter felt he and Kian
were a long way away from having any kind of meeting of the
minds. “I like being helpless, and it’s just as clear you like being
in control. All we have to do is set up some boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” Kian stepped into him. “I will tell you what

you will do, you worthless Earthling.”

“Worthless?” Hunter had no idea what the hell was up with

this guy, but he had a feeling if he didn’t put a stop to this crap it
was only going to get worse. Unlike last time, Hunter didn’t look
away. He looked right into the face shield where he knew Kian’s
black eyes were. “You’re confusing a sexual interlude with who I
am as a person.”

“You are nothing to me.”
“Liar.” Hunter moved just a bit closer. “You can’t kiss

someone like that when you think they’re nothing.”

“I will kill you.”
Now it was Hunter who flinched back. Obviously, this wasn’t

kinky alien sex at the behest of the Eoeans. Hunter had started to
think that he was picked for the strange lottery based on what he
enjoyed doing with Dalton. How the alien collective had found
out didn’t enter into his explanation, but then he realized, why
would they want to hook him up for pleasure? This wasn’t about
him and what he enjoyed. This was all about the alien the Eoeans
had apparently sold him to. No wonder Kian had all these
expectations that Hunter wasn’t able to live up to! Who knew
what the Eoeans had said to get this guy to buy him?

“The Eoeans didn’t tell me anything.” Hunter moved away

another half step. His backpack was abandoned on the blue

another half step. His backpack was abandoned on the blue
pavers. Before this moment, he’d been overly concerned about
retaining the contents, but now he no longer cared. “All I know is
they picked me to come here. But I don’t know how, or why, or
even what they or you expected me to do once I got here.”

Just about the last thing Hunter was expecting was for Kian

to spin on his heel and walk away. Despite his suit appearing to
be made of metal, it didn’t clink as he walked along the stones.
There wasn’t even the whisper of hydraulics. The only thing that
Hunter could hear was his own unsteady breathing. Unsure what
to do, Hunter grabbed his pack, slipped it over his shoulder, and
then followed behind his alien master.

Eventually, he’d understand what he was doing here and

what was expected of him. Odds were good that he wasn’t
going to get that information from Kian. At least not in any
upfront way. Just about the only thing Hunter knew for a fact
right now was that Kian had expected something phenomenal
from him, and Hunter had utterly let him down. Still, he refused
to beat himself up over that. Kian’s expectations were his own
damn issue. Hunter had simply gone with the flow. Also, he
knew that he had been bought, which finally gave him an answer
to what the Eoeans were getting out of the exchange. Earthlings
got the vaccine, and Eoeans got valuable slaves to market across
the galaxy. Ironically, it was Dalton who suspected they were
gathering up young men to sell as slaves.

“Oh, God. Dalton.” Hunter stopped in his tracks. What

would happen to Dalton if he were forced to be submissive? He
would never go along with that. Dalton would fight back, and if
he went to someone as unstable as Kian seemed to be, Dalton

he went to someone as unstable as Kian seemed to be, Dalton
would probably be killed. A part of Hunter’s heart broke. It was
bad enough that he’d had to give up everything in his life, but
now he couldn’t even indulge in the fantasy that Dalton might
have found his way to a better situation. Getting away from his
toxic parents was probably a good thing, but becoming some
alien’s bitch boy was just about the worst thing that could
happen to Dalton. Hunter wouldn’t mind that scenario happening
to him so much, not as long as he was treated decently outside
the bedroom. He had to find a way to make that clear to Kian.

When Hunter looked up, he realized how far ahead Kian was

and hurried to catch up. The last thing he wanted to do was piss
this guy off any more than he apparently already had. Even
though it was through no fault of his own, Hunter just couldn’t
see Kian grasping the logic of that. Kian was going to take his
disappointment out on him whether he liked it or not. Hunter
couldn’t suppress a little grin. “What he doesn’t know is that I’ll
probably like taking his abuse, depending on how he chooses to
deliver it.”

He’d liked what Kian had done before. Maybe he just

needed a little help to turn his natural nastiness into becoming a
full-blown Dom. Hunter’s smile faded. Or maybe he’d become
so enraged by Hunter’s inability to do what he expected that
Kian would kill him. That wouldn’t be good. Hunter would much
rather find a way for each of them to get what they needed.
Either way, Hunter realized he had very little control over the
situation. Bondage for a scene was vastly different than being
held captive for a lifetime. If he was going to survive, he had to
make figuring out what Kian wanted his number one priority.

make figuring out what Kian wanted his number one priority.

Rather than go into the nearest building, Kian strode over to

the farthest one and then walked right through what appeared to
be a wall. It was only now that he was looking at going into the
buildings that Hunter realized there weren’t any doors. At least
not in the classical sense. For all he knew they weren’t actually
buildings. Or maybe they weren’t even really there. He was only
doing his best to process the visual information in context with his
own version of reality.

Hunter kept on going, but rather than trust that the curious

doorway would open for him, he reached out. When his hand
slipped through effortlessly, he continued. The best he could
figure was that it was some kind of electronic doorway or maybe
holographic. He opened his mouth to ask Kian, but then his jaw
dropped at least another inch once he got a look within.

Everything inside the building was stunning. Within the

massive structure, the rough rocks that had tiled the outside were
now smooth and polished to a high gloss. That small change
offered a big transformation in that he could now see subtle
threads of gold, purple, and the same florescent green of his
master’s unique skin tone. There was no artificial light, but some
kind of translucent ceiling that dimmed the outside light. On
Earth, engineers had ways to make interiors brighter, but here,
with two suns beating down, they had to find a way to dampen
that intensity while still providing adequate illumination. They’d
succeeded by making the ceiling out of an opaque substance.

Even though the floor was the rich blue stone, it didn’t

dominate the color scheme of the place. The massive ceilings
were held up by gleaming metal pillars. It was impossible for

were held up by gleaming metal pillars. It was impossible for
Hunter to tell what kind of metal they might be because each
step he took altered what color was reflected at him. If nothing
else, the room and everything within was designed to disorient
him. Not that he believed the effect was intentional, just that his
human eyes had a very difficult time taking everything in at once.

“Finally, my nerdy science lust pays off.”
Hunter had always been fascinated by eyes. Not just human

eyes, but all eyes from insects to animals. The idea that every
creature on Earth could look at the same thing and literally see
something different captivated him. What further fueled his
interest wasn’t that the creature’s brain interpreted what it saw,
but the idea that the very structure of the eyes themselves
mutated the information that the brain took in. Just the fact that
this place had two suns altered Hunter’s visual input. If he had
eyes like a fly, the visual input might have literally overwhelmed
him. As it was, he was discombobulated, but he was able to sort
out enough information to retain his balance.

As he looked around, he felt an urge to go and touch

everything. He wanted to know what formed the pillars, what the
curious little bowls on the floor were, and why there seemed to
be so much open space without any furniture. But that was
something he would have to do later. What he had to do now
was keep up with Kian and find a way to make himself
indispensable to him. Hunter didn’t know a lot about wherever
he was, but he sensed a need to ingratiate himself with Kian. For
whatever reason, Kian was furious that he’d paid a fortune for
Hunter, and then didn’t get what he wanted. Asking straight out
what that might be had gotten him exactly nowhere. What he had

what that might be had gotten him exactly nowhere. What he had
to do now was tread lightly and do his best to be what his master
needed.

“The problem is, what he needs might be completely different

than what he wants.”

One good thing about knowing a fortune had been spent to

obtain him was that Hunter knew he was valuable. Kian only
called him worthless because he was angry. No one paid a lot of
money for something or someone and then destroyed it. If Kian
continued not to like him, then it might mean he would sell Hunter
to someone else. In a way that was good to know because he
wasn’t going to damage him beyond repair. Yet in another way
that was bad because Hunter didn’t want the rest of his life spent
being tossed around like some kind of alien sex toy.

He frowned as he followed Kian through the seemingly

endless room. Was that what he was here for? Sex had just sort
of happened between them because Kian inadvertently pressed
Hunter’s buttons by grasping his neck. From Kian’s point of
view, he’d been trying to subdue his slave. Perhaps Hunter
wasn’t bought for sex at all but something else. But what? What
in the world could a human do for an alien who clearly had vastly
superior technology?

Chapter 6

Kian refused to turn and look at the disappointing human. He

knew Hunter would follow him because if nothing else, Hunter
knew he was a slave. Of that, both of them were clear. But the
questions Hunter had asked…those questions made Kian’s
position more precarious. He’d thought the Earthling knew
exactly why he’d been sent here and what he was supposed to
do. Kian didn’t know how to activate the human. Not that he
believed there was a way. He ruthlessly reminded himself that he
didn’t believe in humans as a curative. Each time something
seemed to be working, he opened himself up to hope only to
have it destroyed. This time he hadn’t believed until the actual
moment when his pain had sublimated into pleasure. In that short
span of time, Kian literally lived the rest of his life in his mind and
saw himself accomplishing great things. But just as it became
possible, just as he embraced the magic, it was yanked away.
He’d never been so thoroughly disappointed in his life.

Kian blamed Hunter.
Hunter had somehow manipulated him mentally to make him

believe in a miracle but couldn’t maintain the illusion for any
length of time. Once the fantasy fell away, reality returned right
along with the agony. Kian had been mortified that for even an
instant he’d believed. He felt like a fool, but he wasn’t going to
let that show. Again, his infallible pride refused to allow him to
show any vulnerability. For all he knew, the human was just
pretending not to know what he’d been purchased for.

But then again, the Eoeans were one closemouthed race.

Given how they said so little about themselves, it really wouldn’t

Given how they said so little about themselves, it really wouldn’t
be surprising that they would just ship Earthlings around the
universe without any clue as to what they were expected to do.
Perhaps his father had even been told this fact yet neglected to
tell his son. That would be just like his father. He was forever
forgetting to share details. Much like the Eoeans, Kian’s father
was extremely circumspect. He rarely spoke. However, when he
did, everyone listened.

Taking a cue from his father, Kian thought that he shouldn’t

speak to Hunter unless he absolutely had to. Letting him be
confused and unbalanced might give Kian more details about
him, his kind, and if Hunter truly was ignorant about his purpose.
Just as Kian was congratulating himself on his plan, he
remembered the look in Hunter’s eyes. He’d been thoroughly
into the moment when he’d cupped his hand to Kian’s cock and
leaned up to kiss him. He’d wanted that more than he seemed to
want his next breath. Could a human fake that kind of reaction?
Since Kian didn’t know hardly anything about humans other than
the rumors he’d heard, he had no idea if the reaction he saw was
genuine.

Kian refused to continue wondering about that. He didn’t

want to feel a connection to Hunter the Earthling. If he did, he
might care, and that would make what he had to do impossible.
What Kian had to do was reject Hunter. This was a matter of
pride. Whether Hunter knew his purpose or not didn’t matter.
Kian no longer held any hope that Hunter could help him. Just as
he became determined to send the Earthling away, Kian thought
of the release he’d given him.

Something Kian had done aroused Hunter. Something about

Something Kian had done aroused Hunter. Something about

holding his neck. Hunter had admitted that he liked to feel
helpless and observed that Kian enjoyed being in control. He’d
sworn to do whatever Kian wanted. All Kian had to do was tell
him. But how could he tell him when he didn’t know? Well, he
knew one thing he wanted, and that was for his pain to go away
for good, but he didn’t think Hunter could fix that for him.
Worse, if he told him, Hunter would then know Kian’s greatest
vulnerability. But how was he going to keep that secret?
Eventually, he’d be hit with another wave of agony that would
drop him to his knees. If he didn’t say something, Hunter might
use that moment to hurt him.

Kian almost laughed. Hunter could stand over him and kick

at him forever and he wouldn’t do any damage to the protective
suit let alone Kian’s body inside. But that would mean he
couldn’t have Hunter in his bed or in his bath. Those were the
only two places where he didn’t wear the suit. What he’d done
in the courtyard with Hunter had been very, very good. What
would it be like to have their bodies pressed together without
anything between them?

“Is this your bedroom?”
Kian looked at the bed then back at Hunter. Was he that

stupid? Rather than answer, Kian moved over to the control
panel and locked his door. He wanted to be alone with Hunter
to see if he could figure out just how much he really knew about
why he’d been sold.

“No chairs, huh? Can I sit on your bed?”
“What is a chair?” The word was utterly unfamiliar to him.
“You sit in it.”

“My kind doesn’t sit.”
“Oh.” Hunter clung to his bag and looked around with a wary

eye. “What is your kind called?”

Kian crossed his arms.
“Look, Kian. I don’t understand what you want from me. I

really don’t. But if you do have some kind of an agenda, or
something you desperately need from me, I’m not going to be
able to guess. You’re going to have to talk to me.” Rather than
wait for permission, Hunter went over to the bed and settled on
the surface with his legs crossed. The position looked horribly
uncomfortable to Kian, but then again, it seemed perfectly
natural when Hunter sat that way. “I don’t know what you’ve
been told, but I’m not psychic. I can’t read your mind.”

The thought had never entered Kian’s head, but it did now.

What an utterly terrifying idea. He couldn’t imagine being around
a creature who could simply read his brain waves.

“I’m just a normal guy. On Earth, I had a really normal family,

we had a pretty average house, and I went to college. I was
trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was
scared to death that I just couldn’t figure my future out. All that
changed when I got sent here.” Hunter peered up at him with his
unusual gaze. He was so different from anyone Kian had ever
seen, yet there was something undeniably familiar about him, too.
“I got sent a letter that just had the time written on it. At that
precise time, a blue doorway appeared. I stepped through and
ended up here.”

Kian felt a pang of sympathy. How would he have liked to be

told he was going away without any information? “They didn’t
tell you anything?”

tell you anything?”

“Nope. On Earth, guys my age sit around and wonder if

they’ll be chosen. We speculate about what being selected
means. No one knows because those who are picked never
return.” Hunter took his bag off his shoulder and now cradled it
in his lap. “From what my great grandfather said, a few
generations back we went all over the planet. There were
airplanes, and people had cars that could take them just about
anywhere. But the Eoeans put a stop to that. Now we live in little
enclaves. We are born, live, and die all on the same patch of
ground.”

“You can’t travel?”
“Not very far. There are border checks. Or so I’ve been

told. The furthest away from my house I ever got was when we
went up to the top of Pikes Peak. It’s a mountain near where I
live in Colorado Springs. I don’t even know if that’s the name it
used to have. I think it is, but a lot of information got lost when
the virus hit. Without the Eoeans, we might have fallen into total
barbarian states, but they managed to restore us to civilization. A
moderated one. College used to mean exploring all known
topics, but now it’s about training for a specific job.”

“Do you get to choose what you will do?”
“Within certain parameters, yeah. I have a strong science

mind, and I’m good with math. That means I have a choice of
occupations that use those two things. Deciding between my
options was just overwhelming.” Hunter slowly shook his head.
“Or it was until I got selected for this.”

Kian sensed Hunter’s pain. Not until this moment had he

thought about what this had cost him.

thought about what this had cost him.

“But I’d rather talk about you.” Hunter looked around the

room. “What are you?”

“I do not work.”
“No, I mean, what is this planet? What is your race called?”
“This is Koron. I am a Koronian.”
“How is it that I can understand you?”
“I do not know what you are asking me.”
“How is it that we both speak the same language?”
“The doorway that you came through is a pandimensional

conduit. Eoeans probably used that to alter you so that you
would speak my language and be able to tolerate the conditions
here.”

“Oh.”
“You seem disappointed.”
“I thought knowing would make me feel better or something,

but it doesn’t really change anything.”

Kian considered. Would knowing the truth about Earthlings

really change anything for him? Probably not. If one of them
couldn’t cure him, then what did it really matter?

“Why do you wear that suit? Do all Koronians wear one?”

Hunter’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh. My. God. Am I going to
die from radiation poisoning now?”

His panic seemed genuine and further softened Kian’s

attitude toward him. Hunter genuinely had no idea about Koron
or the myths about Earthlings. “You will not die from radiation
poisoning.” Kian left it at that because he didn’t want to explain
why he wore the suit. Not yet. He had a feeling that he would
have to eventually, especially if he decided to keep Hunter, but

have to eventually, especially if he decided to keep Hunter, but
not just yet. “Are you hungry?”

Hunter shook his head and swallowed hard. “I don’t think I

could eat. I mean I guess I could, but I’d just barf it back up.”

“I will not hurt you.” To Kian’s surprise, Hunter looked

disappointed. “What was it that happened to you in the
courtyard?”

“You mean when you were throttling me?”
“Yes. It aroused you.”
“Yeah.”
“I do not understand.” Kian didn’t know how his own kind

engaged in sexual activity so Earthlings were even more of a
mystery. “I was trying to frighten you.”

“That’s kinda what turned me on.” Hunter’s face changed

color from pale beige to a soft pink. “Like I said, I really enjoy
feeling helpless.”

“Helpless?” Kian hated feeling that way. When his disease

first struck, he’d been helpless to do anything about it. The
feeling of impotence had practically made him lose his mind. “But
you are clearly sad and angry that you were sent here against
your will.”

“Yeah. It’s not like I want to feel helpless all the time. There’s

a huge difference between letting you take control of me for a
brief interlude and having some alien guys I’ve never met dictate
the rest of my life.”

Kian understood that. Perhaps he and this Earthling had far

more in common than he’d thought. For a moment, Kian toyed
with the idea of telling Hunter about his illness.

Dwicia

made him

feel helpless, and he hated it. Perhaps that was why he’d so

feel helpless, and he hated it. Perhaps that was why he’d so
enjoyed being in control of Hunter.

“I get that you own me. I also get that you apparently paid a

lot of money for me. I’ll do what you want, really I will, but I’d
rather not feel helpless all the time.”

Kian understood the distinction, but he wasn’t so sure he

should allow Hunter to have any freedom. What if he decided he
didn’t want to be with Kian at all? Rather than get into that
discussion, Kian shifted the conversation elsewhere. “When you
first saw my face, you gasped.”

“You’re so oddly beautiful.” Again, Hunter’s face changed

color.

“Beautiful?”
“Your skin color is unlike anything on Earth. The Eoeans are

pale blue, like our sky. But you have a color I’ve never seen in
nature. You glow.”

“Glow?”
“You did outside.” Hunter looked up at him and frowned.

“Why are you wearing that suit?”

“Why do you care?”
“I’d like to be able to see your face. It feels weird to sit here

having a conversation with my own reflection.”

Since he was in his bedroom where the floors were fashioned

of a material that would give him cushioning if he fell, Kian felt
safe removing his helmet.

“Whoa.”
There was no such word in Kian’s language. The human

seemed to make a lot of sounds that simply didn’t translate. Still,
Kian didn’t need anything but his own eyes to tell him that

Kian didn’t need anything but his own eyes to tell him that
Hunter was fascinated by what he was seeing.

“Your eyes are just…”
Kian waited for him to finish, dreading Hunter would say

something he wouldn’t understand.

“They are just so big and deep. It’s like looking into space.”
“Space?”
Hunter nodded and set his pack aside. Kian took that as a

good sign since he’d clearly been clinging to it for comfort.

“On Earth, I would sneak up to the roof of my house and lie

there looking up at the stars. My great grandfather said that in
the city you couldn’t see the stars. But that was before the
Eoeans came and changed things. We don’t have as many lights
in our cities anymore. Or rather we don’t have giant cities like
we used to. Anyway, I’d look up and see the stars. They’re
pretty and all, but it was the blackness that interested me. All the
stuff that was around the stars was what held me riveted. What
was up there that I

couldn’t

see? That’s what really interested

me, you know?”

Kian didn’t know. He didn’t think he’d ever looked up at the

night sky. He’d always been too focused on dealing with his
pain. Even now, as he spoke with Hunter, the agony was in the
background like a dull hum. It startled him to realize how distant
it seemed to be at the moment. It was there, just as it always
was, but it wasn’t as powerful. Tentatively, he took a step
toward Hunter. No sharp pains shot up his leg. Had his
encounter with Hunter given him this reprieve? Or was it just a
normal variation in the cycle? Kian simply couldn’t tell.

“I guess your night time is different with the two suns?”

“I guess your night time is different with the two suns?”
“Your world doesn’t have two?”
“We have one.”
“Just like your tongue.”
Hunter turned pink, but this time he didn’t break eye contact.

He continued to look into Kian’s eyes, and then he slid his
tongue across his upper lip. Kian was ill prepared for that simple
gesture to arouse him so completely. He’d just had a fantastic
release—his first—and his body was already clamoring for
another?

“I like that you have two tongues,” Hunter said.
“Good. I have no intention of having one removed.”
“What’s with you?” Hunter frowned. “I try to say something

nice and maybe flirt with you a little, and you have to turn it into
some kind of an opportunity to display your amazing power to
be a total asshole.”

“I thought you liked feeling helpless?” Kian moved over

toward the bed, forcing Hunter to have to crane his head back to
maintain eye contact.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to be a dick to me all the time. I

like being tied up and spanked occasionally. Not all the time. I
don’t want you to treat me like something nasty you stepped in.”

“I’ll treat you however I want.”
“Yeah. Go ahead.” Hunter looked away. He put his pack

right back in his lap, holding it as if it could perhaps shield him
from Kian’s wrath. “Just don’t be surprised if I run away.”

“You would not dare to run from me.” Kian didn’t know

everything that a human could do, but he knew enough to realize
that he liked Hunter. Maybe he wasn’t magical, but he was

that he liked Hunter. Maybe he wasn’t magical, but he was
similar in some respects to Kian himself, and marvelously
different in others.

Rather than answer, Hunter hung his head. His posture was

submissive, but there was a stern cast to his shoulders that told
Kian very clearly that he meant what he’d said. If Kian refused
to treat him with some modicum of kindness, Hunter would find
a way to leave him.

Chapter 7

Hunter didn’t want to start a fight, but he wasn’t going to let

Kian be abusive toward him. There was a huge difference
between bedroom games and day-to-day life. “When we’re
having sex, I’d be more than happy for you to tie me up and
make me be your bitch boy. But when we aren’t fooling around,
I expect you to treat me like a human being. Or another
Koronian.”

Kian said nothing.
When Hunter finally braved a look at him, he wasn’t certain

what he was seeing. Kian seemed to be considering what Hunter
had said. The more he was around him, the more he’d probably
be able to read his features. Or at least Hunter hoped it would
work that way. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell what Kian was
thinking by the expression on his face.

“Do you have to treat me like shit? Is it like a rule or

something?” Hunter was desperate to figure out what was
motivating Kian. He didn’t think direct questions were going to
work, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“I am not treating you as waste.”
“Right. You’re treating me only marginally better than the way

you treated my phone.”

A slight wince told him that Kian was probably ashamed of

what he’d done, but when he peered at Hunter and remained
silent, Hunter realized he probably wasn’t going to apologize.

“Are you like super rich or something?” The lower portion of

the house had been excessively decorated. This room seemed to
be less garishly decked out, but it was still plenty plush. Hunter

be less garishly decked out, but it was still plenty plush. Hunter
didn’t think he’d ever sat on anything so cushy. The bed was
literally cradling his ass. On his bed at home his butt would have
been numb by now, but he felt he could sit here all day.

“My father is the emperor.”
“Really?” The question came out high-pitched and squeaky.

“So you’re like a prince?”

“I am not like a prince. I am a prince.”
“Wow.”
“What are you?”
“Nothing.” Hunter balked at that. If he wanted Kian to treat

him with respect, he had to give it to himself first. “What I mean
is I’m not from royalty. In terms of titles I’m just a guy. But I
guess, if I had to put a label or two on me, I’m a son, a student,
and a submissive.” Right when he said that, he looked up at Kian
and noticed that his eyes flickered. It was hard to describe how
the muscles around both eyes contracted ever so slightly. If he
hadn’t been looking directly at him, he would have missed it.
Hunter wasn’t certain, but he thought that was evidence of
Kian’s desire. “You really are a born Dom.”

“What is that?” Kian turned his head slightly away. Hunter

thought he did that to brace himself, almost as if he were
expecting to be made fun of for not knowing.

“Dom is short for dominant. It’s a man—or in your case a

Koronian, who likes to be in charge.” Hunter lowered his voice.
“You liked what happened in the courtyard.”

“I did.” Kian faced him directly. “I’m sorry that I ruined your

phone.”

Touched, because he didn’t think Kian would have

Touched, because he didn’t think Kian would have

apologized in a million years, Hunter nodded. “It’s okay. It
wouldn’t have worked here.”

“I won’t ruin any more of your possessions.” Kian pointed to

the pack in Hunter’s lap. “I was simply trying to make you be in
awe of me.”

“I am.”
“You are?” Kian sounded baffled. “How can that be when

I’ve shown weakness?”

“Being kind isn’t showing weakness.”
Kian seemed dubious.
“You’re very strong, sexy, and rather than freak out that I got

turned on by what you were doing, you just went with it.” Hunter
considered. “You’ve never done that before, have you?”

“No.” Kian glanced away.
“I’m glad.”
Kian’s mysterious gaze returned to Hunter.
“I can show you,” Hunter offered.
“You have done that type of thing before?”
“On Earth, I had a friend who taught me things. I didn’t know

either until he showed me.”

Kian seemed conflicted.
“I won’t think less of you if you let me show you.” Hunter put

his backpack aside and stood up. “Remember that I like when
you’re in control. I’d just be showing you how to do it in a way
that doesn’t hurt me.”

Kian looked down at the floor.
“What? Just ask. Whatever it is just ask me. I won’t make

fun of you. I won’t think less of you.”

“What if I wanted to hurt you?”
Hunter felt as if the flooring below his feet shifted ever so

slightly. His initial impulse was to say

absolutely not

in no

uncertain terms, but he’d sworn to be open-minded. He would
have been devastated if Dalton would have mocked him or
dismissed his desires. So Hunter swallowed his fear and asked,
“Hurt me how?”

“Not—never mind.”
It was clear that Kian didn’t want to drop the subject, but he

was too embarrassed to say what he really wanted or needed.
Considering how terrified Hunter had been about his own needs,
he was extremely sympathetic. He’d had to be drunk when he
told Dalton. And then, he’d only fessed up

after

Dalton told him

what he liked. Perhaps, if Hunter told Kian about his desires
first, Kian would feel more comfortable.

“I was really lucky that my first time was with a really good

friend. I told him that I had dreams where I was tied up and this
man, this man that I couldn’t see, was touching me.”

“Touching you how?” Kian leaned a little closer, displaying

his keen interest.

“He would stroke all over me. Not lightly, but strong,

possessive even. I belonged to him. And him alone.”

“He was your master?”
“Yeah.” Hunter felt his cock hardening as he described those

wickedly arousing yet very confusing dreams. “I was helpless
because he’d tied me up.”

“What did he want to do to you?”
“He spanked me.”
Kian tilted his head to the side, clearly not certain about what

Kian tilted his head to the side, clearly not certain about what

Hunter had just said.

“He would take his hand and slap my ass.” Hunter reached

back and gave himself a whap. It excited him but not the way a
blow from Kian would. “While he was spanking me, he was
telling me what else he wanted to do to me.”

“Give me an example.”
“He would tell me that he was going make me suck his

cock.”

The muscles around Kian’s eyes contracted again, displaying

his interest.

“He described in detail exactly what he wanted to make me

do to him. All of it was very rough, totally dirty, and extremely
explicit.” Hunter reached out and stoked his finger down the
center of Kian’s metal suit. Even though there wasn’t direct
contact, Kian still drew a deep breath, puffing out his chest. It
seemed more and more that there were some things that were
simply universal, like a powerful male’s reaction to being teased.
“He was going to make me be his slut.”

“Slut?”
“It’s an Earth word for a person who can’t get enough sex no

matter how many people fuck him or her.” Hunter saw a flash of
disappointment twist Kian’s features. “It’s pretend, Kian. I never
even went all the way”—abruptly, Hunter realized that particular
euphemism wasn’t going to make sense to Kian so he switched
expressions in midsentence—“had actual intercourse with him.
Not with anyone.”

“I don’t understand.”
“When we played master and slave, it was pretend. He

“When we played master and slave, it was pretend. He

would tell me all these things he was going to make me do, but
he would never actually force me to do any of them.”

“But then why would he say them to you?”
“Because it excited me.” Hunter thought he was making a

mess of his explanation. “I don’t actually want to be used like
that. I don’t want a bunch of guys I don’t know fucking me. But
being tied up and told that no matter what I did he was going to
make me do his lustful bidding…” Hunter trailed off while he
took a deep breath and tried to get his desire in check. “It’s
about the idea of it.”

“It’s like having sex with your brain.”
“Yeah.” Hunter grinned. “That’s the best explanation I’ve

ever heard. Acting out a scene like that is a way to have the
wildest mental fuck in the universe without any of the danger of
actually acting it out. There’s a huge difference between fantasy
and reality.”

“So the idea of actually being penetrated by many males

doesn’t interest you?”

“No.” Hunter stepped closer and looked up at Kian. “I only

want one male to do that to me.”

“The man you left behind?”
“No.” Hunter had loved Dalton in many ways, but he

recognized that they were much better friends than they would
ever be as boyfriends. “You.”

“Me?”
“You.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“Not yet.” Hunter peered up at him, loving the way the light

“Not yet.” Hunter peered up at him, loving the way the light

played over his features and his stunning florescent skin. “But I’d
like to.”

Kian tilted his head to the side, but not in consideration of

what Hunter had said. Not this time. This subtle movement was
so that he could angle himself for a kiss. Hunter practically
jumped upward. When their lips met, Hunter placed his hands
around Kian’s shoulders and hung on. Slowly, seductively, Kian
opened his mouth and then used his dual tongues to make Hunter
literally whimper.

“I like that sound you make.”
“This?” Hunter let out a low hungry cry.
Rather than answer with words, Kian slid his hands down

Hunter’s back, pressing him tight against him while he kissed him
again. And again. Hunter felt weak in his arms and thought he
could go on kissing Kian for the rest of his life.

Kian pulled back, breathing heavily. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
A look of longing mingled with fear twisted into something

Hunter couldn’t identify. Whatever Kian was feeling was so
complex it made his expression totally unreadable.

“Kian?”
“I want you to feel what I do.”
“I don’t understand.” Hunter sensed there was a lot more to

Kian than he was willing to admit.

“I want to see you.” Kian’s gaze went from Hunter’s face to

lower on his body. “I felt you, but I couldn’t see.”

“I want to see you, too.”
“You first.”

“You first.”
“Okay.” Hunter stepped back and pulled his hoodie off. The

air felt cool, but he was certain that was just because of his
jacket. Next, he pulled his shirt off. Even though Dalton had told
him he was handsome, Hunter still wasn’t very confident.
However, when he finally braved a look at Kian’s face, he was
pleased to discover his eyes had gone all soft and dreamy.

“Your skin is so pale.”
Hunter almost asked if he should get a tan, but he realized

Kian had made the comment with a voice that could only be
taken one way. He liked what he was seeing. Just as Hunter was
fascinated with Kian’s utterly unique skin tone, he seemed to feel
the same.

“Take off your pants.”
Hunter toed off his sneakers first, then his socks. He didn’t

want to be standing before a prince wearing nothing but briefs
and socks. He’d feel silly. Once he had his footwear out of the
way, he popped the button on the waistband of his jeans. Feeling
suddenly shy, he turned away just slightly from Kian.

“You wish to tease me.”
Hunter laughed lightly. “Yeah.”
“Your form is very powerful.”
“It is?” Hunter was so surprised he turned back around.
“Your musculature is easy to trace with my gaze.” Kian

seemed to be visually drinking him up. “Please hurry.”

“Nuh-uh.” Slowly, Hunter unzipped his jeans. All the while he

kept his attention on Kian’s face. His eyes, which were already
big, got slightly bigger, and he leaned forward as if he simply
couldn’t wait. Taking a deep breath, Hunter felt the fear and

couldn’t wait. Taking a deep breath, Hunter felt the fear and
moved forward anyway. He let go of his jeans, shivering as they
fell down, stroking his body along the way. Once they pooled
around his ankles, he stepped out of them and kicked them
away.

When Kian frowned and tilted his head to the side, Hunter

instinctively covered up his junk.

“You are blue.”
“What?” Horrified, Hunter looked down and realized he was

wearing dark-blue briefs. “Oh, my underwear.”

“It is clothing?”
“Yeah.”
Now it was Kian who looked relieved. “I thought your

genitals were very oddly shaped.”

Reassured, Hunter took another deep breath and then

removed his briefs. He was hard, and as he slid them down, his
cock

sproinged

against his lower belly. Once his briefs were

down and off, he looked up at Kian.

Unable to read his expression, Hunter finally asked, “Is

something wrong?”

Kian shook his head. He never took his attention off Hunter’s

cock. Or maybe he was staring at his balls. Hunter didn’t really
know. The only thing he knew was that Kian was gazing at him
without saying or doing anything. Worse, he couldn’t even tell if
Kian was aroused because of his metal suit.

“Kian?”
“You are so wonderfully different.”
“Yeah?” Hunter still wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. All

he knew was that Kian simply couldn’t look away.

he knew was that Kian simply couldn’t look away.

“You make me feel…”
Breathlessly, Hunter waited. The last thing he expected was

for Kian to drop to his knees. For a moment, Hunter thought he
was being dramatic, like the sight of him naked was simply too
much for him to bear, but the look on Kian’s face wiped that
idea away. He was in pain. Things went from bad to worse when
Kian’s features seemed to crumple up and he fell forward, face
planting into the floor.

Chapter 8

Kian was hoping to have a reprieve from pain long enough to

get a good look at his Earthling. But just as he’d always known,
there was no controlling his disease. Anguish struck with a
viciousness that took his consciousness away. The last thing he
remembered before the wash of agony became his world was
the look on Hunter’s face. Horror turned his brown eyes dark
and made his lips thin as his mouth came open.

If he screamed, Kian didn’t hear it because he was shouting

in his own head. He was furious that he hadn’t been allowed just
a small moment to have some peace. Worse, his descent into
pain meant that there truly wasn’t any truth to the rumors about
Earthlings. It was a bittersweet way to confirm what he’d
believed but also it crushed the last bit of his hope. And then he
lost consciousness altogether.

When Kian came to, Hunter was on his knees, holding

Kian’s head in his lap. His skin was soft and his worry evident
by the expression on his face. Kian was surprised. He’d thought
Hunter would use that moment to take advantage of him in some
way.

“Why didn’t you run?”
“Because I like you.” Hunter smiled and then stroked his

hand over Kian’s head. He didn’t know why, but he found the
gesture remarkably comforting. “Is that why you wear the suit?
You have seizures?”

“You’re not disgusted by my weakness?”
“No.” Hunter sounded shocked that Kian would even

consider such a stance. “Why would I think badly of you for a

consider such a stance. “Why would I think badly of you for a
disease you have no control over?”

“Because I should.”
“I don’t understand.” Hunter continued to lightly brush his

hand over Kian’s bald head. “You should have control by taking
medication?” When Kian didn’t answer, Hunter asked, “Is it like
epilepsy?”

“It’s called

dwicia.” Kian clenched his eyes closed, expecting

Hunter to gasp, push him away, or make some overt showing of
revulsion. When Hunter didn’t react the way he thought he
would, Kian realized that as an Earthling, Hunter wouldn’t know
anything about the disease. “It’s extremely rare. No one knows
what causes it.”

“And someone thinks you should be able to just tough it

out?” Hunter leaned over and kissed Kian. Since their heads
were going the opposite direction, it was an upside-down kiss
that put a whole new sensation on the act. “Is it your father?”

“My father?”
“Is he the one who thinks you should be able to overcome an

illness you can’t control?”

“No.” Kian would love to blame someone else, but the truth

was no one was harder on him than one person. “It’s me. I think
I should be stronger.”

“Oh, Kian.” Hunter shook his head, but not mockingly or

with disappointment. It was a gentle kind of reprimand. “You are
way too hard on yourself.”

Kian struggled to get up. Once he did, he moved away from

Hunter. Something about his compassion rankled, but he didn’t
know what. “You don’t even know what it is or what effect it

know what. “You don’t even know what it is or what effect it
has on me.”

“I don’t need to in order to offer you comfort.”
“Is that your game? You make me feel weaker and thereby

you get to feel powerful?”

Hunter’s shock was clearly displayed by his widened eyes

and parted lips. Just as suddenly, his expression hardened. He
rose to his feet. “I don’t know what in the hell you expect from
me, but I can’t keep putting myself out there for you to step on.”

“Don’t.” Kian stood. He reached out and grasped Hunter’s

shoulder. He wished he didn’t have his protective gloves on. He
would love to feel the texture of Hunter’s body. “Please don’t go
away. I don’t know how to be.” It was probably the most
honest thing he’d ever said. “I spend most of my time alone
because I don’t want anyone to know. I’m ashamed, but I don’t
even understand why.”

Hunter sighed, but he didn’t try to move away, so Kian took

his hand off his shoulder.

“Please let me try again.”
“Can’t you just talk to me?” Hunter turned and faced him. “I

know that might be just crazy, but that would make things a lot
easier.”

Hunter had been honest with him about his thoughts, his

feelings, even his very private sexual needs. If nothing else, Kian
felt that he owed him the same consideration. “Dwicia

makes my

entire body hurt. I don’t know how to explain, but it’s like being
set on fire.”

“Does the suit help stop the pain?”
“It’s so when I fall, like I did just moments ago, I don’t hurt

myself.”

“Oh.” Hunter’s features were sharp with concern, but it was

just as clear he was holding himself back from saying more.

“I’m sorry I was mean to you.”
“I know.”
“I lash out because…I don’t even know why I do that. Most

of the time I just do things without thinking about why.”

“I think I know.” Hunter peered up at him. “I think it’s the

same reason you want to hurt me when we have sex.”

Kian waited, curious and a little afraid.
“If you can hurt other people, you give them a taste of your

pain. It’s like misery loves company.”

“I don’t understand you.”
“You want to hurt other people as a way of sharing your

pain.”

“But that won’t make my pain any less.”
“Maybe in a weird way it does. When you’re cutting to me,

it’s like you’re so focused on seeing my reaction for that split
second you escape the pain.”

Kian had never considered that idea, but now that he had, he

would pay more attention to himself the next time he had the urge
to be mean to someone.

“Can I see you without the suit?”
“You’re not hard anymore.”
“Yeah, I know. I got scared when you collapsed. It’s hard to

be hard when I’m that worried.”

“You really were concerned about me.” Kian made it a

statement rather than a question because he was almost afraid of
the answer.

the answer.

“Why does that surprise you so much?” Hunter took a step

closer, allowing Kian to peer down at him and breathe in his
unique alien scent.

“Because the few people who know me and should love me

have given up on me.”

“Are you sure they gave up, or did you push them away?”
Kian startled at the thought. Was that what he’d been doing?
“You push them away because you figure they’ll leave you

eventually. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

“How do you know all of this?” Kian wondered if perhaps

Earthlings had some ability to look into the minds of others and
pull out their most basic truths.

“Believe it or not, I know this from school.” Hunter grinned

suddenly. “And my dad. He’s a therapist, which meant there was
a lot of healing talk in our house. But also, like I told you, I love
science. Eyes in particular but also how brains work. Distancing
them before they abandon you is a way of protecting yourself
emotionally.” Hunter took another half step closer. “It’s why you
keep pulling me close then pushing me away. You want to see
how many times I’ll put up with that shit before I walk for good.”

Kian would have denied everything, but he couldn’t. No one

had ever confronted him so directly or summed him up so
succinctly. More and more he wondered if Earthlings really did
have powers. Not magical ones or anything even remotely
paranormal, but just keen insights that might seem like some kind
of special ability to someone who wasn’t a critical thinker.

“So. Are you going to take off this suit or what?”
Challenged, Kian unhooked the gloves first and set them on

Challenged, Kian unhooked the gloves first and set them on

the floor. His hands felt a rush of cool air wash over them.
Always, when he removed his protective gear, he enjoyed the
taste of delicious freedom. Normally, he was alone and it was
night, so doing so with another during the day added a touch of
doing something illicit.

“What was that grin for?” Hunter asked. “It looked playfully

wicked.”

“I feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be.”
“Something naughty.”
“Yes. Why is that?”
“Because you’re about to do something you’ve never done

before.”

“And what is that exactly?”
“Showing yourself to someone else. Possibly having sex.”
“Possibly?”
“I’m not a sure thing.” Hunter’s grin was probably a mirror

image of the one Kian himself had flashed earlier. Playful and
wicked all in the same breath. “You’ll have to seduce me.”

“I could order you to your knees.”
“You could.” Hunter swallowed hard, clearly not opposed to

the idea. “But I don’t think we should play that kind of game the
first time out. Do you?”

“No.” Kian had had enough of master and slave for the

moment. He wanted to look at Hunter and explore him with
more than just his gaze. He found his alien appearance
surprisingly arousing.

Hunter watched attentively as Kian removed the sleeves.

“This is like the slowest strip show in the universe.”

“This is like the slowest strip show in the universe.”

“I’m only following your example.”
“Ah, yes. Payback is such a bitch.”
Sometimes the things Hunter said didn’t translate well or he

strung words together in a way that was new to Kian’s ear. That
saying, however, made perfect sense. Kian was going to pay
Hunter back for teasing him earlier. As he continued to remove
his suit, he watched as Hunter’s cock returned to the hardened
state it had been in earlier. Just like his own prick, when he was
fully aroused, it stood away from his body, almost as if it were
pointing.

When Kian removed the chest plate, Hunter gasped, moving

closer. Without asking, he reached out and stroked his fingers
over the marks on Kian’s chest. His touch shivered a new and
profound kind of pleasure over Kian’s skin.

“You have tattoos.”
“They are my marks of oblivion.”
“What does that mean?”
“Getting the marks is very painful.”
“I’ve heard that.”
“You have these marks on Earth?”
“Yeah. Well, not these marks exactly.” Hunter pulled his

hand away as if he’d just realized he shouldn’t assume he was
allowed to touch them. “We have tattoos. Other people do. I’m
too chicken.”

“You talk too much and too fast when you are frightened.”
“I’m not scared. I’m in awe. Almost your whole chest is

covered.” Hunter tilted his head. “Why would you want more
pain when you already have plenty from your disease?”

pain when you already have plenty from your disease?”

“That’s the oblivion part.” Kian mastered Hunter’s hand,

tracing his finger over the intricate patterns that spanned a good
portion of his body. That curious rush of pleasure was back and
even more delicious. “When the artist works on my skin, I’m so
focused on that pain that I don’t feel the other. It’s as if there is
so much pain I actually have peace. Or as I’ve come to call it,
oblivion.”

Hunter split his attention between the marks and Kian’s face.

“It’s like fighting fire with fire.”

“I do not understand.”
“On Earth, when there’s a forest fire, sometimes they contain

the original fire by encircling it with another ring of fire. The main
fire hits the secondary area that’s already burned, it has no more
fuel, and it dies. It’s like you’ve found a way to do that with
pain.”

Kian considered.
“It also means that maybe I should be the one giving pain to

you.”

Chapter 9

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hunter wanted to call

them back, but it was too late. He honestly didn’t know if he
could actually inflict pain on another, even if it might be helpful.
All he really wanted to do with Kian was give him so much
pleasure the pain had too much competition and went away.

“You would do that for me?” Kian’s hand tightened on

Hunter’s, and he stopped tracing the slightly raised edges of his
body art.

“I would do almost anything for you.” Again, Hunter spoke

without allowing the words to go through any kind of internal
filter. Maybe this was the right place for him. He’d never felt this
safe on Earth. He’d never felt such an instant and overwhelming
attraction to another. Perhaps when the Eoeans altered him in
their little blue doorway tunnel they literally changed his body and
brain to be more fascinated with Koronians. Altering him in that
way would make sense. He’d be a lot more likely to be a good
little slave if he was physically attracted to the being who would
master him. However, that begged the question if anything had
been done to Kian. Given that he was an emperor’s son, Hunter
found that prospect a little unlikely.

“I am pleased to hear that.” Kian released Hunter’s hand and

continued to remove his gleaming suit, revealing that almost his
entire body was covered with stunning black tattoos. The
designs were exotic and intricate, drawing Hunter’s gaze
everywhere. Until he removed the legs of the suit. Once he did,
Hunter’s gaze was riveted on his groin. He’d seen and felt his
cock, which had been so amazingly smooth in his hand, but he

cock, which had been so amazingly smooth in his hand, but he
hadn’t been able to see the rest.

At the base of his cock were three lumps. Reaching out,

Hunter almost touched them, but then didn’t know if that would
be painful to Kian or not. Hunter pulled his hand back and just
stood still, looking and longing to explore.

“That’s why I kept staring at you. We are built very

differently.”

“But there’s more about our bodies that are the same.”
“You strive to be very positive.”
“I do.” Hunter grinned. “And I positively want to touch you.”
“Without my suit on, I am more vulnerable to injury.” Kian

seemed utterly horrified to have to make that confession.

“Then you should lie down on the softest surface.” Hunter

took Kian’s hand and pulled him over to the bed.

Kian settled on his back, and Hunter took a moment to peer

down at him. “That was easy.”

“What?”
“I got you into bed with hardly a struggle.”
For a split second, Kian looked concerned. But then he

realized Hunter was teasing him, and he grinned. “Just what are
your intentions?”

“To touch, tease, and please.” Hunter settled next to Kian

and picked up where he’d left off. He was in the center of his
chest, tracing one of the designs when he realized the marks
were made right over and into his nipples. Tentatively, he
brushed a finger over one. The skin didn’t contract and pebble
like his own. However, he knew Kian’s were sensitive because
he moaned softly and reached for Hunter. “Not yet. Let me look

he moaned softly and reached for Hunter. “Not yet. Let me look
at you, and then you can do me.”

Kian struggled to remain passive.
“Are you in pain now?” Hunter didn’t want to add to his

agony.

“It’s always there. But it’s in the background now. I—” Kian

abruptly cut himself off and pressed his lips together.

“Humans do that when we’re trying to stop ourselves from

saying something that will tell more about us than we want
known.” Hunter teased both nipples at the same time then leaned
over and kissed the center of Kian’s chest. “Please tell me.”

“Your touch is—when you touch the marks, the pain recedes

and all I feel is pleasure.”

“Why would you be afraid to tell me that? Isn’t that a good

thing?”

“Anytime I feel good, I fear that it will be taken away. Out in

the courtyard, when you were stroking my cock, I was free of
the pain. Or if it was there it was pushed so far in the
background it was unnoticeable.”

“And this scares you?”
“Whenever the pain goes away, it comes back with a

viciousness that’s almost devastating.”

“Like what happened earlier.” Hunter now understood at

least part of Kian’s fear. He’d had a big dose of pleasure
outside, so his pain made up for that reprieve by dropping him to
his knees. “If I give you too much pleasure here and now, you’re
afraid you’ll have to pay for it later on.”

“Yes.” Kian hissed the one word then put his arm over his

head, using his forearm to cover his eyes. To Hunter, it looked

like a posture of defeat or maybe he was bracing himself for the
punishment that would inevitably follow his confession.

“But we don’t know that it will happen that way.”
“It did before.”
“It could be coincidence.”
“I’ve lived with this disease long enough to know that it’s

vengeful and spiteful.”

“You talk about your illness like it’s a separate entity.”
“Because I think it is.”
Hunter almost laughed, but didn’t when he realized Kian was

serious. Extremely serious. He literally thought of his disease as a
separate being that had invaded his body. As crazy as it sounded
to Hunter, he couldn’t honestly say that it wasn’t. There was a
time not too long ago when humans thought they were the only
intelligent life forms in the galaxy. Then the Eoeans came. Now
here was Hunter in bed with a Koronian. Clearly, there was
more to the universe than he could conceive of.

“Dwicia

is very rare. So rare that there isn’t a lot known

about what it is exactly.”

Hunter continued to idly stroke the lines over Kian’s chest.

“It’s not viral, bacterial, or of some other organic origin?”

“How do you know so much—science. Yes. I forgot that is

your field of study. It makes you seem old for one so young.”

“I’m nineteen.”
“I’m twenty-five.”
“An older man.” Hunter whistled lightly.
“You are teasing me.”
“Yes. Now tell me about your disease.”
“I’ve never told anyone, but I think

dwicia

is an alien life

“I’ve never told anyone, but I think

dwicia

is an alien life

form.” Kian pulled his arm away from his head, leveling his gaze
at Hunter. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

“No. Actually, I don’t.” Hunter had always thought when he

got the chance to have sex he would be so focused nothing could
distract him, but here he was, slowing his roll because he was
utterly fascinated by the person he was with. He was turned on
like crazy, but he also wanted to know more about Kian. So
much about his behavior became clear now that Hunter grasped
his thought process. “I’m not that old, but I’ve learned there’s a
lot more that I don’t know than there is stuff I do know.”

“And you feel no shame admitting that?
“No. One of the best ways to learn is to admit you don’t

know.”

“I don’t know anything about Earthlings.”
“I can teach you. I’m kind of an expert.”
Kian’s smile was positively beaming. “I also don’t know

anything about sex.”

“Me, either.” Hunter traced his finger down to the edge of the

last tattoo above Kian’s cock. “I know a little of the games we
can play, but I’ve never actually had sex. Except for what we did
in the courtyard.”

“That was very good.”
“It was.” Hunter darted his gaze from Kian’s face to his

unique cock. “Tell me about the structure of your body.”

“You mean my internal organs?”
“Let’s start with your genitals.”
“That seems a curious place to begin.”
“Humor me.”

“Humor me.”
“My testicles are internal.” Kian lightly touched the three

lumps that were evenly spaced around the base of his cock.

“You use the same word?”
“The word you’re using is our word. Just like with the

increments of time. Does it matter?”

“No. I’m just curious.”
“Yours are out in that sac?” Kian pointed downward.
“Yeah.” Hunter got to his knees so Kian could have a better

view. “I only have two. But they are kept away from my body,
so the temperature is lower.”

“My body temperature seems to be slightly lower than

yours.”

Back and forth they went, exploring the differences, noting

the similarities. Hunter was fascinated over and again. And then
there was a subtle shifting away from scientific observation to
pointed arousal. Kian’s flesh was smooth without any hair at all.
He had lashes, but they were thicker than Hunter’s and not
actual hair, more like flexible cartilage. The more Hunter
explored him, the bigger the lumps around his cock became.

“I do not know why that happens.” Kian looked chagrined.

“I have never been aroused enough to care about how my
reproductive organs work.” He shook his head. “Actually, I was
too afraid.”

“Afraid?”
“I didn’t think I would ever have the chance to have sex, so I

didn’t bother to learn.”

Unlike humans with their very structured education system,

the Koronians were more flexible, allowing their children to

the Koronians were more flexible, allowing their children to
explore their own interests. Rather than a state or federal system
that mandated what they would learn and when, the parents
were responsible to educate their children. Given Kian’s unique
status, he’d been left to his own devices.

“Well, let’s find out together.” Hunter touched the base of

Kian’s cock lightly, but by trial and error they discovered that
what felt the best to Kian was when Hunter rubbed hard enough
to push his testicles into flattened ovals. This was doubly pleasing
when he sucked at the tip of Kian’s cock. Just when he was
certain he had pushed his master to the point of climax, Kian
pulled him up, rolled him over, and pinned him to the bed. Kian
managed all of that in one smooth move that impressed and
aroused Hunter.

“I do not want to climax outside of your body again.” Kian

kissed him hungrily with his dual tongues. “I have this urge in my
brain that is screaming at me to penetrate you and flick my hips
until I find release inside you.”

“Primal mating urges.”
“But I cannot impregnate you.”
“No.” Both of them were real clear on that concept. “But

your body doesn’t know the difference. That urge is just as
strong in me, but rather than drill into another, I have an urge to
part my legs and surrender.” Hunter shrugged, which was
difficult to do below Kian’s powerful form. “It’s not necessarily
normal for a male human, but it’s totally normal to me.”

“That urge is part of your need to be submissive?”
“I think so. Just like fucking is part of your need to

dominate.”

dominate.”

“I like when you say that word.”
“Dominate?”
“No.”
“Fuck?”
“Yes. It is a very rough word.” Kian looked right into

Hunter’s eyes. “I would like to fuck you until you climax.”

“Okay.” Hunter grinned. “There’s only one problem.”
“What is that?” Kian was kissing Hunter while parting his legs

around his hips. Hunter loved the way Kian took charge and just
followed his instincts.

“We need lube. And lots of it. You’re big, and I’ve never

been penetrated so, well, two things. Lube and as horny as you
are, you’ve got to go slow.”

Chapter 10

Kian sincerely doubted his ability to restrain himself. In the

courtyard, when he’d felt the urge to rock his hips, Hunter’s
hands had been there, giving him an excellent channel to fuck.
However, if Kian did that to Hunter’s ass, he would hurt him. As
much as Kian wanted to share his pain, he did not want to
traumatize Hunter. If he did, they wouldn’t have sex again. Even
though they had yet to complete the act, Kian already knew it
was something he was going to want to do with great frequency.

“I have oil that I put on my skin after I bathe.”
“That’s why you’re so silky.” Hunter grinned as he stroked

his hands over Kian’s shoulders. “That should work.”

Kian was up and moving toward his bathing unit when he felt

the agony toying with his nerves. He was so desperate to get
back to Hunter that he screamed in his mind for the pain to go
away. What stunned him was that his furious cry worked. As he
plucked up the bottle of oil and returned to the bed, he tried to
remember if he’d ever tried to master his pain by simply bossing
it around. He honestly couldn’t recall. Perhaps just the act of
sharing his most bizarre supposition, that his pain was caused by
an alien entity trying to take over his body, had actually given him
more control than he’d previously had. Since there had never
been any consistency to his symptoms, drawing conclusions was
difficult if not entirely impossible.

“Kian?” Hunter called, his voice concerned.
“I’m fine.”
“Indeed you are. Very, very fine.” Hunter grinned. “Bring a

towel, too, so we don’t make a mess all over your bed.”

towel, too, so we don’t make a mess all over your bed.”

Kian grabbed a towel and returned to Hunter. He watched

with interest as Hunter spread the towel out then centered
himself on it. With the oil in hand, Kian proceeded to lube up his
cock, but he realized there was more that he needed to do.
Instead of getting back on top of Hunter, he laid down by his
side and worked his hand between his legs. Earlier, they had
compared their bodies and told each other what they liked and
didn’t. Kian had listened intently to Hunter as he described how
sensitive the skin around the opening of his inner channel was.

With tender slowness, Kian now stroked his oily fingers

around that taut ring while he watched Hunter’s features for any
hint of pain. What he saw surprised and pleased him. Hunter was
clearly in a state of bliss. He had parted his legs wide for Kian’s
exploration, but Hunter also angled his hips back, giving him
plenty of access. Hooking his leg over Kian’s hips, Hunter was
able to gently flex his leg, crushing Kian’s cock with his buttock.
It wasn’t enough stimulation to make him climax, but it was
plenty to keep him close to the edge.

“Go inside.”
“I will.” Kian was enjoying Hunter’s squirming and the soft

cries that he tried to hold back. “You are stunning in your
torment.”

“It’s like I want more but—”
Kian chose that moment to insert his finger. He did this

slowly, carefully, and swore he felt the sensation in his own ass.
Hunter’s eyes rolled back. He exhaled slowly, twisting his breath
into a moaning sigh that caused Kian to flick his hips.

“Oh, God. That feels so fucking good.” Hunter tried to touch

“Oh, God. That feels so fucking good.” Hunter tried to touch

Kian, but he refused to let him.

“I want you to put your hands up over your head.”
“But I want—”
“Submit to your master.” Kian was careful to say this without

any harshness in his voice. He discovered that when he spoke
softly with calm assurance, Hunter was much more likely to
respond. And he did.

“Like this?” With a groan of surrender, Hunter clasped his

hands together and lifted them over his head.

“Perfect. Now keep them there until I tell you otherwise.”

Kian proceeded to tease his finger in and out of Hunter’s bottom
until he seemed to be on the verge of crying out from frustrated
denial. Just at the moment he opened his mouth, Kian inserted
another finger, effectively cutting him off. He repeated this unique
form of torture twice more until he had three long, slender fingers
working in and out of Hunter’s ass. But there was more he could
do to make him hungry for completion. Just as Hunter had
showed him, he pressed his thumb against the spot between his
hole and his balls. The reaction he got make Kian smile with
possessive pride.

“Oh, God! I’m going to climax if you don’t stop!”
“And what would be the harm in that?” Kian had kept his

distance so he could watch Hunter’s reaction, but now he moved
closer.

“I want to feel you inside me.” Hunter moved his head closer

to Kian’s. “I want to come and clamp down hard on your cock.”

Kian had thought he could maintain his distance and stave off

his own orgasm, but Hunter’s words brought him perilously close

to the edge.

“Kiss me. Please.” Hunter kept his hands up, but he moved

his head just a little closer.

“You like to kiss.”
“It’s sexy, and it feels good, especially with your double

tongues.”

Indulging him, Kian moved closer and covered Hunter’s

mouth with his own. As the passion of their kisses increased, so
did the pace of his thrusting fingers. When he couldn’t take
anymore, Kian climbed on top of Hunter without breaking their
hungry kiss. Working together, they got into position, and Kian
lowered himself down until the tip of his prick touched Hunter’s
now well-lubed hole.

Hunter made a noise of longing and parted his legs a fraction

wider. It was a way of begging Kian inside without actually
saying a word. As carefully as he could, Kian pressed against his
tender Earthling. His skin was hot, slick, and as Kian moved
forward, Hunter’s ass pulled at his cock.

“Your body is trying to hasten me within.”
“I know. Ah, God, trust me, I know.” Hunter squirmed and

then lifted his hips, but Kian moved back. “Please, please, please
stop teasing me.”

“I love how hungry you are for me. How needy.” Kian

dipped his hips, giving Hunter a quick taste of his prick, but he
just as swiftly moved away. Each time he did this, he caused
Hunter to emit more sounds of need. Eventually, it was Kian
who simply couldn’t take anymore. Hunter’s channel was snug
around his cock as he slid inside. Engulfed by his heat, Kian
struggled to maintain his discipline, but he was failing. “I can’t. I

struggled to maintain his discipline, but he was failing. “I can’t. I
can’t.”

“What’s wrong?” Hunter’s gaze locked on Kian’s, his

expression concerned, almost scared.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Kian withdrew entirely.
“You won’t.” Hunter tried to pull him back down, but Kian

was stronger.

“You don’t understand this pounding in my head.” Kian

dropped onto his back and glared up at the ceiling. He wanted
Hunter almost desperately, but he was too afraid to continue.
“The pain could hit at the worst possible moment. Agony could
drop me on you or make me buck violently.” Kian turned and
cupped Hunter’s face. “I won’t let my disease make me hurt
you.”

“You won’t.” Hunter rose to his knees then straddled Kian’s

hips.

“What are you doing?”
“There’s more than one way to fuck, my sensitive master.”

Hunter’s smile was warm and welcoming, not superior. “Lie
back and let your more-than-willing slave show you a thing. Or
two.”

Reluctant, but also extremely aroused, Kian watched as

Hunter reached back, centered Kian’s cock, and took him
slowly within. Enraptured, Kian watched Hunter’s face. As he
took his prick, Hunter closed his eyes, his head went back, and
a smile of profound bliss altered his features. In the moment,
Hunter was beyond beautiful. Kian was unable to think of any
way to describe him because just as he was indulging in the
visual treat of watching his tender Earthling claim him, he was

visual treat of watching his tender Earthling claim him, he was
also subjected to the intense feel of his snug channel encircling his
cock. Hunter kept going until he had taken all of Kian inside
himself. Together, in perfect sync, they uttered low moans of
pleasure.

Hunter’s buttocks settled against Kian’s body. Kian now

struggled to simply stay motionless. He still had the urge to ram
his hips, but his need was tempered by the sheer joy of watching
Hunter literally fuck himself on his body. Kian had never dared
to imagine the moment when he would have a lover. It was
something that he felt was so far out of his reach he would never
even come close to experiencing such bliss. But this with Hunter
was worth everything he’d suffered so far. Kian could not
remember anything in his life being so all consuming. It wasn’t
just the physical sensations but the way Hunter looked, smelled,
felt—all of that was very good, but the most arousing aspect was
that they were mutually in a state of overwhelming pleasure. Kian
didn’t have to ask if Hunter felt the same. The truth was written
all over his face.

Slowly, Hunter opened his eyes. He looked down at Kian

with an expression that was so open and engaging, Kian
wondered how he had ever gotten along without him. Such a
short span of time and so much had changed.

And then, as if to prove to him that his disease would always

come first, agony slammed into Kian with such violence he lost
consciousness.

Chapter 11

Hunter had never felt anything as sublimely wonderful as the

feel of Kian’s smooth and slightly cool cock sliding into his ass.
He had imagined the moment of losing his virginity about a million
times, but none of those fantasies came close to this wicked
reality. Below him, Kian was passive but taut, as if he was ready
to bolt at any moment. What drew Hunter emotionally closer to
him was the fact that Kian didn’t want to hurt him. He’d
considered the notion of letting Kian hurt him so that he could
share his pain, but in the end, Kian had decided he couldn’t.
Ironically, Hunter was slightly disappointed. He’d talked with
Dalton about pain play, but he’d never had the courage to try.
Hunter was still afraid, but he would be willing to give it a go if it
would in some way help Kian.

Just as he rose up to start riding his sweet and fascinating

master, Hunter noticed that Kian’s features scrunched up. He
was gritting his teeth and puffing sharply through them. In a flash,
Kian’s big hands were on Hunter’s hips, holding him firmly to
him. And then Kian was thrusting blindly.

One buck was so violent it caused Hunter to fall forward. He

would have crashed into Kian’s chest, but he flung his hands out
on either side of his body, cushioning the blow. As Kian
continued to writhe in agony, Hunter forced his hands under
Kian’s shoulders so he could cup his hands against him and hold
on.

“Oh. God.” Hunter closed his eyes as Kian’s grip tightened

on his hips, holding him close as his body thrashed. What
stunned Hunter completely was that he felt the agony that was

stunned Hunter completely was that he felt the agony that was
twisting around Kian. He didn’t know how or why, but each
pulse of pain that wracked his master spilled over into him. What
shocked him even more than his odd ability to directly feel what
Kian was feeling was that Hunter liked it. Pain turned to
pleasure. Conflicted by enjoying something that was harming
another, Hunter almost broke away from Kian. He thought there
was surely something wrong with him. How could he enjoy
himself while Kian was in agony?

But Kian held him so tightly Hunter wasn’t able to do

anything but hang on and absorb more of the pain. Each pulse
caused his cock to smear more pre-cum across Kian’s belly
while his ass clamped down hard on Kian’s prick. Each sharp
shock of torment brought him closer to the edge of release.
Horrified, Hunter struggled to sit up. When he finally managed,
he found himself now riding on top of Kian’s body like a
cowboy desperate to tame a wild bronco.

Kian’s eyes came open, and he looked up at Hunter. “The

pain.”

“I can feel it.” Hunter struggled to speak while he was jostled.
“I can feel it in me and in you. I can feel that it’s in both of

us.” Kian’s grip tightened to the point he would surely leave
marks on Hunter’s skin. “I’m sorry. I can’t stop.”

“Don’t.” Hunter found the rhythm of Kian’s movements and

matched him. The more he surrendered to the pulse of pain, the
better it felt. “I don’t understand why, but it feels good.”

Kian shook his head, but he didn’t look away.
“Give me more.”
“Hunter, don’t.”

“Hunter, don’t.”
“I want more.” Hunter wasn’t sure what had possessed him

but there was some kind of answer hovering just on the edge of
his awareness. If he took all of Kian’s pain into himself, he might
be able to free him from his agony. “Give it to me.”

Kian struggled below him and seemed to be trying to throw

Hunter off of his body, so Hunter clenched his legs around
Kian’s hips and lowered his upper body against Kian’s chest.
Using his arms, legs, hands, and feet, Hunter clamped onto Kian.
He had no intention of going anywhere. To his shock, Kian
flipped him over so now he was above Hunter.

“You want to feel what I feel?” Kian snarled as he lowered

his mouth to Hunter’s. He kissed him roughly as he slammed his
hips into Hunter, drilling his prick so deep Hunter felt utterly
owned.

When he finally broke the kiss to gasp a breath, Hunter said,

“I want to feel everything.” Hunter continued to hold onto Kian
as he thrust so violently he moved them around the top of the
mattress. Since they were so closely bound, there wasn’t a lot of
movement, but Hunter didn’t need over-the-top stimulation.
Pleasure and pain rose in tandem, swirling around his nerves like
fire and water taunting one another.

“Are you sure?” Kian was clearly having the same conflict

that Hunter was. Kian had wanted to inflict his agony on another,
but he didn’t want to truly hurt Hunter. That dual need and fear
was just like the conflict between pleasure and pain. Neither one
of them was certain if he should be ashamed or welcome
something that seemed so utterly perverse. By his question, Kian
was leaving the decision up to Hunter.

“Yes. I’ve never been more sure.” Hunter eased back a bit

on his fearsome grip so he could look at Kian more directly.
“This is what we’re supposed to do. I can feel it right down to
my soul.”

“But you were afraid when I talked about hurting you.”
“That was then. This is now. It’s like your marks of oblivion.

Fighting pain with pain but this way is twisting it into pleasure.”

Kian gritted his teeth, struggling to hold back, but his hips

seemed to know better. Each thrust bounced Hunter away from
him a little bit more until his cock was now pulling almost all the
way out before slamming back in.

From a distance, their aggressive sex would look violent and

frightening, but to Hunter, it was everything he’d never allowed
himself to think too deeply about. The twisted dreams that he’d
shared with Dalton were only the tip of what he experienced at
night when his unconscious mind had the freedom to play without
his conscious mind or his intellect coming in and shutting things
down with labels like wrong, vicious, or shameful. This was his
hormones and needs set free. What made it even better was that
his wants dovetailed perfectly with Kian’s. Hunter hadn’t really
believed that he would find his perfect match on Earth, let alone
out in space with an alien life form, but this was everything he’d
ever wanted.

Harder and faster Kian worked until his body was wet with

sweat, just like Hunter’s. Their combined slickness allowed them
to add more movement to their rough fuck, but eventually, it
became too much.

“I’m going to come.” Hunter struggled to hang onto his

release, wanting to time his with Kian’s, but as soon as he

release, wanting to time his with Kian’s, but as soon as he
spoke, the need became too great. There was always a moment
when Hunter knew his climax was inevitable. Before that
particular moment happened, he could do all kinds of tricks to
hold it back, but once that feeling of the moment being
inescapable hit, he knew he had to surrender.

“I want to feel it. I want to know you.” Kian slammed into

Hunter hard enough to rattle his teeth and then dropped all his
weight on him, pinning his body to the bed.

No restraints had ever held him so thoroughly. Hunter

couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, and his cock could barely
twitch as his release pulsed up and out, struggling to make room
between their compressed bellies. It was that added layer of
restraint that pushed Hunter into an even higher bliss point. But
then Kian used his head to push Hunter’s head to the side, and
he bit him on the neck.

It was a hard, sharp bite that broke the skin, delivering the

final push. Hunter tumbled into oblivion. He was so lost in
pleasure and pain he couldn’t tell if he was ascending or
descending. In a most curious way, it felt almost as if he was
doing both simultaneously. He was breaking apart into molecules
that were scattering all over the universe. He was everywhere
and nowhere. Alive and dead. Human and animal.

And then he was reborn.
Kian lifted up and Hunter drew a deep breath. He struggled

to return to that moment where he was all and nothing, but as
soon as he filled his lungs with air, he lost touch with that state.
But then, he looked up into Kian’s eyes. They were somehow
blacker than black. Hunter saw a tiny reflection of himself, but

blacker than black. Hunter saw a tiny reflection of himself, but
then he saw that same image going into Kian’s eyes as if they
were an infinity mirror.

Unable to speak, Hunter lifted up and kissed him. He tasted

blood on his lips but didn’t care. He had never felt so grateful in
his entire life. And then Kian did something he wasn’t expecting.
Rather than continue with the violence that had pleased Hunter
so deeply, Kian now took an entirely different path. Slow, even
thrusts barely moved Hunter on the mattress. What it did do was
make him keenly aware of the way Kian’s cock felt sliding in and
out of his ass. Moreover, Kian never looked away from
Hunter’s gaze. He was locked onto him but not in a predatory
way. It was as if he wanted to see himself reflected back in
Hunter’s eyes.

There were no words needed between them. Hunter knew

without asking that Kian was in a different place now than he had
been just moments ago. Something had shifted. The pain might
be gone, or Kian might have sublimated it into something new.
Whatever it was, Hunter was able to let go.

Relaxing into the bed, Hunter allowed most of his body to go

limp. The only area of tension was in his abs so he could hold his
legs up and parted around Kian’s hips. But even here, he kept a
loose grip on him. This was more of a tethering so that Kian
didn’t completely float away. Or maybe it was Hunter himself
who had become lighter than air. He couldn’t say. All he knew
was that he was now firmly and forever bound to Kian in a way
that no creature could ever destroy. Something irrevocable had
happened in that moment that couldn’t be undone.

Slowly, Kian moved over him, keeping his weight off of

Slowly, Kian moved over him, keeping his weight off of

Hunter’s still overly sensitive body. The only point of contact
was around his hips. And then Kian was kissing him. Unlike the
rough tongue fucking before, this was a gentle exploration that
almost brought Hunter to tears. Kian’s sweeping movements
were so sweet they made Hunter’s soul ache.

When Kian pulled away and gasped, Hunter was concerned,

but a split second later he felt him slide deep and hold steady.
His release was startling because it was slightly cooler than his
internal temperature. But also, with Kian pressed so deeply,
Hunter was able to feel what happened as Kian climaxed. All
three of his testicles released and shrank, but they also
simultaneously moved up from the base to the center of Kian’s
shaft, making a firm ring around his prick and locking him into
Hunter’s ass.

Hunter gasped and clenched around Kian’s cock because the

firm ring was right where his prostate was located. It was the
most wickedly intense feeling he’d ever had. Even though he’d
just climaxed so hard he thought he’d be dry for a week, he
managed to come again. There was very little fluid remaining in
his balls, but the sensation was even stronger.

Together they squirmed and gasped as the pleasure

enveloped them. Eventually, Kian rolled onto his back, taking
Hunter with him, keeping their bodies locked together. The only
sound disturbing their silence was their gasping breaths. Hunter
could not remember ever feeling the way he did now. He
wondered if Kian had felt the binding nature of their interlude,
but he couldn’t summon the strength to ask. Hunter was
exhausted. Going by his clock back on Earth, it was well past his

exhausted. Going by his clock back on Earth, it was well past his
normal bedtime. Exhausted, he tucked his head against Kian’s
shoulder and fell asleep.

Hunter awoke in a panic. He didn’t know where he was or

how he’d gotten there until he realized he was still on top of
Kian. Lifting up, he discovered that Kian appeared to be
sleeping. His cock was still firmly wedged in Hunter’s backside.
It didn’t hurt. Rather it felt good. But Hunter wondered how
comfortable Kian could be with a hundred ninety pounds on top
of him.

“I’m quite comfortable.” Kian cupped each of Hunter’s

buttocks into his hands and gave them a little squeeze as he
rocked his hips up. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up so I
can fuck you again.”

“I’m awake now.” Hunter rolled his hips, eliciting a low

hungry growl from Kian. “Wait.”

“What?”
“How did you know what I was thinking?” Hunter was

almost afraid to hear the answer.

“I don’t know.” Kian lifted his hand off Hunter’s buttock and

cupped his chin. With even pressure, he turned Hunter’s face so
they were now looking at one another. “I just knew.”

Hunter swallowed hard, then asked, “Can you read my

mind?”

“I don’t think so.” Kian frowned and tilted his head to the

side. “I can feel that you’re scared of that idea.”

“Wouldn’t you be? It’s difficult enough for me to figure out

myself sometimes. I don’t need anyone else in there looking
around.”

around.”

“I think I’m just more sensitive to your moods.”
“Oh.” Hunter couldn’t help but feel relieved. “Are you sore?”
“I was just about to ask you that.” Kian smiled. “I have never

felt better.”

“I feel good, too. Great actually.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Hunter honestly didn’t. “It was pain and

pleasure. It was heaven and hell. It was just everything I’ve ever
wanted, and I just—I’m almost afraid I will never feel anything
that profound again.”

“I struggled to resist.”
“I know.” As Hunter looked at Kian now, he was able to

more deeply feel that conflict in him. “You wanted to give your
pain away, but you wanted to keep it, too.”

“I have never been so perverse.”
“Not really. Not perverse. It’s like you wanted to keep it all

for yourself.”

“But that’s what I mean. Wouldn’t a normal being jump at the

chance to get rid of his lifelong agony?”

“Not if you thought your pain was what made you you.”
“Me me?”
“I mean that the pain has been with you for so long, you might

have felt you would no longer be you without it.”

“Actually,” Kian began, cupping Hunter’s face tenderly, “I

was afraid that if I was right, that my disease was actually some
kind of invader, he would somehow go into you.” He kissed
Hunter’s forehead. “I would rather suffer pain three times as bad
than take the chance of inflicting that on you.”

than take the chance of inflicting that on you.”

Chapter 12

Kian wasn’t prepared for Hunter’s tears. His kind did not

cry, but he knew of other species that did. “Have I hurt you?”

“Tears of joy.” Hunter wiped them away and smiled wanly.

“Nothing says you care quite like that did.”

“I do care.” Kian wasn’t sure how he’d become so attached

to his Earthling so quickly, but rather than worry about that he
simply accepted it and moved on. “I don’t feel any pain.”

“That’s wonderful!”
“But it might be short lived.” Kian refused to hold out hope.

He’d had moments like this before. Even though there was
something clamoring inside him, trying to tell him this was
different because of what he’d shared with Hunter, there was a
stronger part that simply refused to believe. He didn’t think he
could take another tragic loss of what little hope managed to stay
alive pressed way down in the back of his brain.

“You need to learn to celebrate the good things when they

happen. If it comes back, it does, but the pain is gone for now,
so be happy, or I’ll have to…I don’t know what, but I’ll do
something.”

Kian laughed. “You are a true warrior, just as your name

implies.”

“Am I?”
“You are.” Kian brushed his hair back, loving the way the

strands tumbled right back into Hunter’s eyes.

“My mom said I desperately need a haircut.”
“I think it is quite becoming.” This time, rather than pushing

the strands back, Kian draped them sideways so that the ends

the strands back, Kian draped them sideways so that the ends
lined up with Hunter’s eyebrows. “It’s very soft. While you were
riding on top of me, I enjoyed watching your hair bounce.”

“That and my cock.”
“Yes. That, too. I enjoyed watching you.”
“So, um, is your cock stuck in me?”
“I did not know what my body was capable of doing since I

never anticipated taking a lover. But while you were asleep, I
had my assistant provide me with answers.”

“Assistant?” Hunter looked around Kian’s bedroom.
“It is a virtual assistant, not a corporeal being.”
“Oh. Whew. I really am not into exhibition. Or, hell, maybe I

am. I didn’t think I was into pain, but I just proved myself
wrong.” Hunter settled himself on Kian’s chest. “So, what gives
with your cock?”

“Apparently, it is difficult for Koronian females to conceive.

So my testicles fill up initially with a cleansing fluid for both my
penis and her vagina.”

“Like pre-cum.”
Kian had no idea what that was.
“Human males make pre-cum to clean out the way for our

sperm. It’s a way of making the environment more, uh, sperm
friendly.”

“Ah. That’s the clear, sticky fluid you were leaking while

riding on top of me.”

“Yep. I make a lot of it. I don’t know why. Every guy is

different. So, the first gush wasn’t you climaxing?”

“It is in a way. I eject that, which causes my testicles to shrink

and move up, creating a firm ring around my shaft.”

and move up, creating a firm ring around my shaft.”

“Yeah. I can feel it.” Hunter swiveled his hips and his eyes

rolled back. “It’s hitting right on my prostate.”

“That is what I found so fascinating. You see, in a Koronian

female, there is an internal cluster of nerves, the Ocoikithen
cluster, named after the scientist who discovered it. Ironically,
Koronian males have a smaller cluster, possibly a residual from
when we were in the womb. It is similar to what you told me
about your inner…” Kian trailed off, trying to remember what
Hunter had called it.

“My inner sweet spot.”
“Yes.”
“So I could tease yours?”
“You could. If I allowed you to.” Kian wasn’t so sure he

wanted anything inserted into him. “But as you pointed out, my
natural instinct is to fuck, not submit.”

“I was teasing.”
“Ah. I was trying to be delicate in saying no.”
“You did very well.” Hunter kissed him. “I know it’s hard for

you to be nice.”

“I’m learning.” Kian laughed. “I have now forgotten where I

was in my explanation.”

“You have a nerve cluster and so do your females.”
“Yes. Once I am locked into the female, I stimulate her

Ocoikithen cluster with my ring, which causes her to clamp down
on my testicles, forcing out the rest of the ejaculation.”

“Now it makes sense.”
“It does?”
“You’re designed that way so you can’t just bang away at

her. Or him, considering the cluster of nerves is in both sexes.”
Hunter chuckled. “You’ve got to make your partner happy.”

“Yes.” Kian laughed lightly, loving the way the action made

Hunter’s insides tremble ever so slightly around his cock. He
realized rather suddenly he’d laughed more in one day with
Hunter than he probably had in his entire lifetime. “This is why I
was unable to finish with you.”

“You made me happy. Trust me on that.”
“I am pleased.” Kian could not believe how much Hunter’s

praise meant to him. “But I needed to time your happiness so
that it occurred

after

my first ejaculation.”

“Ah.”
“That is why, despite my release in the courtyard, I was still

so desperately keen to fuck.”

Hunter clenched and unclenched his channel in rapid

succession.

“You would not believe how delicious that feels.” Kian

closed his eyes which somehow intensified the feeling of having
his testicle ring gently massaged by Hunter’s delicate internal
movements.

“I think I can imagine since it feels good to me, too.”
Kian opened his eyes to watch his Earthling enjoying himself.

Hunter’s grin turned positively wicked. “What?”

“I have an idea.” Hunter rose up and then rather awkwardly

turned himself around so that he was facing away from Kian but
still kept his cock buried in his ass.

“I do not understand what you are trying to accomplish.”
“Doggy style.”
There was no corresponding word in Kian’s language, but

There was no corresponding word in Kian’s language, but

after a brief explanation from Hunter, Kian found himself
becoming aroused all over again. The thought of being able to
watch his cock sliding in and out of Hunter’s body would be
both visually and physically stimulating. Working together, they
got into position with Hunter down on his hands and knees and
Kian kneeling behind him. Just looking at the contrast of their
skin tones excited him. And then, as he carefully drew back, he
realized his digital assistant had missed explaining a key point to
him.

“The ring doesn’t move once it’s settled inside you.” Kian felt

the hard cluster holding firm within Hunter as if it were anchored
in his snug channel. As Kian moved backward, he felt the stroke
of both the ring and Hunter’s opening. Dual stimulation proved
almost too much for him to take. Climax was so close that every
nerve in his body began to vibrate.

“Oh. Fuck.” Hunter arched his back, tightening his ass

around Kian even more.

“I do not think there will be any issue with making both of us

happy again.”

“Not at all.” Hunter tried to look over his shoulder, but when

Kian surged forward, he hung his head and dug his fingertips into
the mattress. He then spewed out nonsensical words at a furious
pace.

“Am I hurting you?”
“God, no. Fuck, no! I’ve never felt so good in my life.”

Hunter rocked back, forcefully taking all of Kian’s cock into his
body. When he hit the flat of Kian’s belly with his buttocks,
Hunter lifted his head and uttered a cry that twisted something

Hunter lifted his head and uttered a cry that twisted something
inside Kian. In answer, he matched his call. Together they made
a curious kind of music.

“Stop,” Kian begged as he struggled to master Hunter’s

movements.

“But I’m so close.” Hunter kept right on edging backward,

forcing more pleasure into Kian than he thought he could take.

“That is why you like this position. You have almost as much

control as I do.”

“Almost?”
Kian grasped Hunter’s hips, holding him still as he slid in and

out. No matter how much he squirmed and struggled, Hunter
couldn’t move. “You said you enjoyed being bound and
helpless.”

Hunter whimpered.
“I shall have to have many mirrors put in so that no matter

where I put you, I will be able to see your face.” That was the
one aspect of the position Kian did not like. There was a
profound intimacy in being able to see Hunter’s face. Not that
looking at his bottom was a tragedy, not at all, just that reading
his emotions on his expressive features was easier when he could
see him. But then, the more Kian paid attention to the subtle
movements of Hunter’s body, the more he was able to read his
form. He couldn’t read his Earthling’s mind, but he didn’t need
to. Hunter seemed to make his feelings very clear by the way he
moved.

“I will not be rushed,” Kian swore, but he realized he was

reminding himself not Hunter.

“Take your time.” Hunter wasn’t able to move back and

“Take your time.” Hunter wasn’t able to move back and

forth, but he was able to rotate his hips in a circle, making the
ring wobble around Kian’s shaft. The sensation was simply
indescribable.

“Please do not move.” Kian struggled to hold onto Hunter’s

hips.

“I guess next time you’ll have to tie me up.” Hunter kept right

on with his subtle but devastating manipulation of Kian’s prick.

“I will bind you so firmly you won’t be able to move even

inside,” Kian threatened.

Hunter laughed and kept right on tormenting him.
Determined to make his wanton slave do as he commanded,

Kian released his hips and reached underneath.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asked.
“While my assistant gave me information about my body, I

also took the time to learn about yours.” Kian made a tight ring
with his forefinger and thumb, encircling the base of Hunter’s
cock. “My understanding is that with this”—he shook his hand
—“you will not be able to climax.”

Hunter’s struggles caused the ring to wobble and twist, giving

Kian wicked pleasure but not enough friction to actually make
him climax.

“Oh, fuck. Let go.”
“I will when you still yourself.”
Hunter struggled, but he was no match for Kian’s strength

and determination. Eventually, breathless and frustrated, Hunter
submitted. Arching his back, Hunter lifted his ass high and held
still while Kian stroked leisurely and smoothed his hands over
Hunter’s form. Kian never would have understood that having

Hunter’s form. Kian never would have understood that having
complete control over another fed something inside. He couldn’t
name what. He could barely grasp why. All he really knew was
that he had every intention of exploring all the ways he could fit
their bodies together.

“I can’t hold still much longer.” Hunter was clearly struggling

to remain motionless. His fingers dug into the bed so tightly they
were white.

“I swear that I will make your surrender worth your while.”
“I know you will.” Hunter lifted his head, making his hair fan

out around his shoulders. The color and texture of his slave’s
form was arousing for many reasons, one of which was that he
was so different from everyone Kian had ever seen. But there
was also enough similarity that he wasn’t utterly alien. Kian
supposed it was a fine line between interesting and terrifying. He
was only thinking of it now because he didn’t want to surrender
just yet. “All my life has been nothing but unimaginable pain. For
this moment, it is all sublime pleasure. I find that I’m afraid to
reach the pinnacle because I don’t want—” Kian cut himself off.
He couldn’t even say it lest he caused it to happen.

“I will stay still as long as you want me to.” Hunter seemed to

intuitively understand what was driving Kian. He arched his
back, dug in his fingertips, and held so perfectly steady it was
almost as if he were prepared to stay that way for the rest of
time. “It’s like being bound without a single piece of rope.”

And that was when Kian discovered the most powerful

restrictor in the world was Hunter’s own mind. Knowing that he
would hold to his word allowed Kian to explore the physical
sensations. Dipping his hips pushed his shaft up, rubbing the ring

sensations. Dipping his hips pushed his shaft up, rubbing the ring
along the topmost part of his cock. Rolling his hips while slowly
thrusting in and out gave him crushing strokes all along the length.
When he pulled back as far as he could go, he managed to push
the ring almost all the way to the head of his cock. Once there,
he was able to flick his hips, drilling his cock into the tight ring
over and over.

“Oh, God. I’m going to come!” Hunter sounded utterly

shocked. “I’m not even touching my cock.”

“Should I stop?”
“No. Hell, no. I’ve heard about a hands-free climax. I’d like

to know if it’s possible. Keep going. Keep—ah!”

When Hunter climaxed, he crushed the ring, which in turn

tightened it so much that Kian had to thrust violently to get
through. The sensation was wickedly intense. In that moment, he
lost his civilized veneer and returned to an animal state. Faster
and harder he thrust, gripping onto Hunter’s hips to hold him up
for his brutal pounding. A flare of concern about possibly hurting
him was put out by Hunter’s cries for more.

Snarling and swearing, Kian reached his second release. He

was unprepared for what happened. Just as he climaxed, his
body seemed to become almost too hot for him to endure. All
the heat gathered low in his belly then shot out the tip of his
prick, filling Hunter.

Hunter’s head came up, and he clamped down around

Kian’s cock again. Kian was literally blinded by pleasure. For a
moment, he thought he was floating far above the surface of his
world and able to look down on everything and everyone. He
saw his planet was vast and beautiful. There was so much for

saw his planet was vast and beautiful. There was so much for
him beyond the palace walls. So much he hadn’t allowed himself
to see because he was too afraid of his disease. But no more. He
was ready to face anything, even the pain and the potential
shame it might bring. All he needed was the power of knowing
that as bad as the pain could get, he would be able to have
moments like this. Once he recognized that stunningly basic truth,
Kian realized he’d found one of the most sacred secrets to
existence.

Carefully, Kian wrapped his arm around Hunter and

maneuvered their bound bodies backward so that Hunter was
now lying on top of him with his back to Kian’s chest.

“Hunter?”
“Yeah?” Hunter’s voice sounded pleasantly dazed.
“I wanted to make sure you’re not hurt.”
“I’m not. I’m so high on pleasure right now I don’t think I’ll

ever come back down.”

Kian laughed. Unfortunately, he dislodged himself from

Hunter. Together they let out disappointed moans.

“I guess all good things have to come to an end.” Hunter

rolled over but almost immediately was pressed right back
against Kian’s side. “You look almost dazed. Are you okay?”

“I realized something.”
“Profound insights during sex? You wouldn’t be the first.”
“You’ve realized things during intercourse?”
“You’re my first, remember? But I did have astonishing

insights when I was playing rough with my friend. It was like I
would go to some other place and realize things that I kind of
knew but didn’t want to really admit to myself. Like my need to

knew but didn’t want to really admit to myself. Like my need to
be submissive in bed but not everywhere.” Hunter kissed Kian’s
chest. “So tell me what you learned.”

“I realized it’s not about making the pain go away.”
“No?”
“No. It’s here, with me. It was with me while we were having

sex.”

“I thought it vanished?”
“It only seemed to disappear because I was attentive to

something else. But I’ve realized it’s about making the pain just
another part of who I am. Not the only part. Not even the most
important part. But simply one of the many aspects of me. I’ve
let my pain dictate to me for way too long.”

“You grasped all of that from a wild bang with yours truly?”

Hunter laughed. “I always knew I was destined for greatness.
But who knew through the power of my amazing sex ability I
would be able to cure the world?”

“The world?”
“Well, okay, one very hot and sexy alien.”
“You realize that here, on Koron, you are the alien?”
“Right.”
“And it’s not really a cure. More an understanding between

me and the pain.”

“Do you still think your pain is a separate entity?”
“In a way it is. Metaphorically. But not an actual separate life

form. I think I told myself that in an attempt to make peace with
it.”

“And now?”
“Since I am at peace, there is no need to make peace with

“Since I am at peace, there is no need to make peace with

myself.”

They spent the rest of the day in Kian’s room, splitting their

time between the bed and the huge bathing tub. They also ate
until they simply couldn’t eat anymore. The pain came and it
went, but it didn’t dominate Kian’s thoughts. He had Hunter,
who was infinitely distracting. If they weren’t talking about the
differences in their worlds, they were discussing similarities, and
then they would turn to sex. Having more to his existence than
himself made all the difference in Kian’s world.

Had Kian been allowed to be alone with Hunter for longer,

he was certain they would have formed an unbreakable bond.
Each time they came together physically or emotionally, they
grew ever closer. But as Hunter had said, sadly, all good things
came to an end. What made the matter even more tragic was
that it was Kian’s own father who crushed the few fragile strands
of first love.

Chapter 13

“If the pain is not gone, then he serves no further purpose.”

Kian’s father was standing on an elaborately festooned square of
metal. Since the Koronians didn’t use chairs, they stood for all
official functions. Apparently, dressing down his eldest son was
just such an occasion. It was clear from half a glance that Kian
was most definitely the emperor’s son. They had the same skin
tone and the shape of their eyes was startlingly similar.

“The pain isn’t gone, but it has been altered significantly.”

Unlike his dad, Kian had to stand on a square of the polished
blue stone.

“Explain to me how your illness is any different than it was

when I left.”

“It’s completely different.”
Hunter stood by Kian’s side feeling utterly useless. Kian had

tried to explain to his father that he wasn’t free of pain, but that
the nature of his disease, or at least his reaction to it, was
profoundly altered. As much as Hunter had wanted to know
what the hell Kian was expecting from him, finding out like this
was not what he would have wished for. Hunter wasn’t prepared
at all, but he didn’t blame Kian. Hunter also couldn’t blame his
father.

While they spoke, Hunter let his attention wander. He could

see the writing on the wall even though Kian was still vigorously
trying to argue in his defense. As much as he loved that Kian
would go to such lengths to defend him, Hunter knew his efforts
wouldn’t matter. His father was sending Hunter away. He was
only allowing his son to speak so that he wouldn’t be completely

only allowing his son to speak so that he wouldn’t be completely
crushed when he ultimately did what he wanted to do anyway.

Had Kian continued to wear his metal suit, his father wouldn’t

have had the shock of joy that led him to believe his son was
cured. That situation reminded Hunter of his mother’s reaction to
seeing that the envelope was gone. She had screamed with joy,
only to have that momentary reprieve yanked away. Without that
—Kian’s father having his relief ruthlessly yanked away—Hunter
didn’t think the emperor would have gotten as angry as he did.
Now that he knew his son wasn’t healed, he was almost
inconsolable. Rather than express his disappointment in an
emotional way, the emperor had chosen to become angry that
he’d been swindled.

Hunter and Kian were just starting to get very close when his

father returned. They had about two weeks together all told. Just
enough time for both of them to grow firmly attached. It wasn’t
love, not yet, but it was close enough that Hunter knew love
would come. He couldn’t remember ever feeling happier.
Knowing he had something so wonderful within reach had been
glorious.

Kian was able to meet all of Hunter’s needs both in bed and

out. Kian could go from romantic to wild in the blink of an eye.
They had explored the entire palace and then the grounds.
Everywhere they went, they found a way to mix learning about
Koron with deepening their feelings toward one another. But
then Daddy came home and fun time was over. The emperor
didn’t seem to care how Kian felt. His father saw Hunter as a
means to an end. He wanted Kian cured. He would settle for
nothing less. Since Hunter hadn’t been able to do that for his

nothing less. Since Hunter hadn’t been able to do that for his
son, the emperor deemed Hunter worthless. He announced that
he was going to sell Hunter to another. Hunter could almost see
Kian’s heart breaking. It was then Hunter found out exactly what
his father had expected when he’d bought a human in the first
place.

Earthlings were said to be capable of creating a soul

resonance. When this happened, all kinds of fantastical things
were supposed to occur. The sick were healed, the blind could
see, and probably the crippled could walk. Hunter would have
told them the tales were utter malarkey had they asked. But they
hadn’t. There were so few humans out in the greater part of the
galaxy that those who traded in Earthlings—a commodity owned
almost exclusively by the Eoeans—could say what they wanted
and then be long gone by the time the truth was revealed.

Even now, with the advances of the Eoeans on Earth, there

were still humans who believed in the healing power of certain
individuals. They were called faith healers, and they offered
miraculous cures provided one was willing to pay. It seemed the
Eoeans had turned Earthlings into nothing more than intergalactic
snake oil.

“I paid a veritable fortune for a cure, not for you to have

someone to fuck.”

The harsh words yanked Hunter’s attention back just in time

to see Kian wince. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who
found his father unduly crude.

“He’s more than that. Hunter is my friend.”
“I will gladly buy you a dozen more appropriate slaves.”
Hunter wasn’t surprised. He thought that Koronians might be

different from Earthlings and have no hatred of same sex
couples. But here was the same prejudice. Hunter found it odd
that the way a Koronian showed disgust was almost exactly the
same as the way a human displayed the emotion. That flickering
upper lip that twisted the mouth into a snarl was apparently
universal.

“If you were worried about the appropriateness of my sexual

partner, then why did you purchase a male?”

“Because the Eoeans only sell male Earthlings. I offered them

ten times as much for a female, but they refused.” The look of
repugnance on the emperor’s face was something that would
probably stay with Hunter for the rest of his life. “But I did not
think you would be so perverted that you would have sex with
him.”

“What did you think I was going to do with him?”
“I did not know!” The emperor clapped his hands three

times. Twice fast and then one more after a brief pause.

“Father, please. Do not do this. I have shown remarkable

progress.”

“This has happened before without me suffering the

embarrassment of having a son who will not be able to follow in
my rule.”

Hunter got it now. As the eldest son, Kian was expected to

become emperor one day. If he was romantically tied to Hunter,
a male of another species, he couldn’t provide more potential
emperors and the family line would stop with him. Idly, Hunter
wondered if his dad would feel any differently if Hunter were a
female and capable of giving him grandkids. Probably not. He
seemed like the sort who wouldn’t want any half-breeds in his

seemed like the sort who wouldn’t want any half-breeds in his
family line.

When two enormous Koronians clamped their hands on

Hunter’s shoulders, he realized what the three claps had been
for. The emperor was calling for guards to take Hunter away. He
wanted to fight, but what could he do? He was only one little
Earthling in a palace filled with literally thousands of guys like the
two beside him. While he and Kian had been exploring, Hunter
had seen them everywhere. They reminded him of the guards at
Buckingham Palace in that they were stoically on guard no
matter what antics he and Kian got up to. As long as there
wasn’t a threat to Kian, they stayed where they were stationed.

“Father, please do not take him away.” Kian reached out for

Hunter but the guards stepped between them. The look of agony
on Kian’s face eclipsed the look of disgust on his father’s, but it
was no less heartbreaking for Hunter to think it would be the last
look of Kian’s that he would ever see.

Desperate, Hunter blurted, “If you take me away now, the

pain will get much worse.”

Everything seemed to come to an abrupt stop. Instead of

dragging him away, the guards exchanged curious glances then
looked to their leader for guidance.

Kian’s father made a flicking motion with his right hand,

which apparently was a signal for the guards to release him
because they took their hands off Hunter’s shoulders and
stepped aside.

“You will explain.”
Hunter brushed his clothing in what he hoped was a fastidious

way. Kian had kindly offered out dozens of Koronian outfits,

way. Kian had kindly offered out dozens of Koronian outfits,
which Hunter had been wearing, but today he was back in his
gray hoodie, red T-shirt, and faded jeans. Koronian clothing was
nice but kind of blah. Frankly, they looked like elaborately
decorated scrubs. Since Kian had always gone nude under his
protective metal suit, he chose to go mostly without clothing.
With a powerful form like that, Hunter didn’t blame him. The
plain trousers Kian favored were like pajama bottoms. Hunter
had enjoyed running around in nothing but a pair of pants, too,
but once the emperor came home, Hunter felt inhibited and
returned to his regular clothing. And perhaps, even then, Hunter
had known what was coming. Maybe he wanted to wear his
clothes because he knew he would eventually be taken away.

“Explain.” It was clear from the emperor’s tone that asking

twice was something he rarely did. If Hunter didn’t think of
something, he was going to be dismissed and probably never
allowed to see Kian again.

“The bond takes longer when there’s pain involved.” Hunter

was just winging it, but that sounded plausible.

A new look consumed the emperor’s features. This was a

curious yet guarded kind of hope. How many times had the man
worn that look when he took his son for yet another cure? In that
moment, Hunter really couldn’t hate him. He was a father who
was only trying to find a way to give his son peace. He wasn’t an
evil man, only a desperate one. On that score, the emperor and
Hunter were even. Hunter vowed to do anything he could to
mitigate Kian’s pain.

“I don’t know what you were told. I know Kian had a lot of

curious ideas about how the soul resonance works. But it’s not

curious ideas about how the soul resonance works. But it’s not
so simple to achieve or even to explain.” Frankly, Hunter had no
idea where he was going with his little fib. All he knew was that
he didn’t want to be torn away from Kian. Just the thought of it
hurt him terribly. Through their pleasure they had found a way to
assuage Kian’s agony. Hunter believed that someday, with
enough time, they might very well achieve the mythical bond that
everyone seemed to believe was possible. But until then, Hunter
had to find a way to make himself indispensable to Kian’s father.
The only way to do that was to do something for his son that no
one else could. Hunter was fairly certain he’d done that in the
bedroom, but there had to be more.

“Already, after such a short time in his presence, I am out of

my suit.” Kian moved closer to Hunter. The Koronians didn’t
hold hands or show any kind of affection in public. It was one of
the reasons why Kian had so little knowledge about his own
sexuality. As much as Hunter wanted to touch him to show him
that they were in this together, he respected their cultural
differences and kept his hands to himself. “I think with more time
we’ll only have more progress.”

The look on the emperor’s face was easy to read. He was

pleased that his son had a measure of freedom. He’d been elated
when he returned and found him out of the suit, but he’d
slammed down hope when he discovered the disease wasn’t
cured. The emperor didn’t want progress. He wanted the

dwicia

gone.

“If you let me stay, his situation can only get better.” Hunter

believed that with all his heart.

“You will swear to this?”

“You will swear to this?”
Before Hunter could answer, Kian spoke out. “No, Father. I

will not make him swear to that, and you shouldn’t either.”

Since Hunter had no idea what swearing to something on

Koron meant, he let Kian take the lead. For all Hunter knew, he
could be making a guarantee that he could never live up to.

“Hunter’s ability to heal me is in direct proportion to my

ability to let him.”

Hunter contained any outward showing of surprise, but he

wondered if Kian actually believed that. Given the look on his
face, he thought that he probably did.

“Earthlings do have an ability to bond with us.” Kian’s voice

was marvelously persuasive. Hunter believed that Kian was
actually speaking the truth as he supposed it was. “Perhaps it is a
soul bond. I don’t know because we haven’t been allowed to
finish.”

“How much longer will it take?” By contrast, the emperor

was impatient and clearly guarded. After all the potential cures
he’d put his faith into, it wasn’t any wonder that he wanted some
measurable show of success.

“I cannot give you a definitive answer. But I do know that it’s

ongoing. You can’t use him to heal me then take him away. If
you do, whatever progress I’ve made will be destroyed.”

Hunter wondered if that was true, too. Since he was on the

outside looking in, he might never know. But he did know that
Kian believed what he said. His posture was tall, his voice firm,
and his gaze direct. Again, he was telling the truth as he
perceived it. Hunter realized he, himself, had been telling the truth
as well. Kian

had

improved since Hunter had been here. When

as well. Kian

had

improved since Hunter had been here. When

they were together, Kian had something other than himself to
focus on, and that made him far more able to handle what was
going on inside. The pain might very well be the same, but Kian’s
reaction was altered and that could make all the difference in the
world.

“I cannot let you become any more attached to this creature

than you already have.”

“Why? What harm is there? You will live for a very long time,

father. Given the drain the disease has already inflicted on my
mortal form, you might very well outlive me.”

“Do not say such a thing.” The emperor didn’t yell, but when

he was pissed, his voice seemed to fill up the cavernous room.
Hunter wondered if the special patch of floor he was standing on
might amplify his voice. And then he thought that explained the
bowls on the floor. They must be some kind of speaker. It would
make sense, Hunter supposed. That way the emperor would
always be heard no matter how many people were in the room.
Petty of him to use such a device on his child, but megalomania
was probably just a part of being the most powerful guy on the
planet.

“Father, please. You know very well you never expected me

to follow in your reign.” Kian was careful to keep his tone
respectful, but there was a distinct edge to his comment. Had
they not talked so much of so many things, Hunter wouldn’t have
known that Kian’s father had continued to breed with his first
wife long after she had passed her best years just to get himself
several more sons. Kian referred to them as backup heirs. There
were other children from other mates, but they were concubines,

were other children from other mates, but they were concubines,
not wives. The distinction was profound. Even if all his male
children with his wife died, his concubines’ children would never
rule. Hunter had a feeling this was to prevent anyone from getting
the bright idea of killing those who stood between him and the
throne. Or rather the patch of excessively festooned flooring.

“You will rule long after I am gone.” As the emperor spoke,

he thrust his finger into the air with a kind of gesture that
reminded Hunter of his great grandfather. Whenever Gramps
wanted to note something for all time, he would stick his finger in
the air to symbolically mark his own words. Perhaps the
emperor thought if he was emphatic, what he said would come
to pass.

“I likely will not live past my sixtieth year.” Kian lifted his

hand imploringly. “Let me have what time I do have to be
happy.”

Hunter had no idea that

dwicia

so shortened the life of a

sufferer. When he tried to get Kian to speak about the disease,
he would tell him anything, but not how those who suffered from
it generally died. Hunter had assumed the pain eventually killed
them with a major trauma like a massive heart attack. But now,
something about Kian’s voice told him there was a much worse
ultimate fate for those who were struck by the disease.

“You would not take your life.”
The emperor’s words almost dropped Hunter to his knees.

Was that why Kian hadn’t wanted to tell him? If sufferers of
dwicia

killed themselves, that would be a damn good reason

why he wouldn’t want to mention the final fate. Sadly, suicide
made a horrible kind of sense. Eventually, the endless parade of

made a horrible kind of sense. Eventually, the endless parade of
pain would grow so wearisome that the only escape would be in
death.

“I would not even contemplate such an act with Hunter by my

side.” Kian looked to Hunter and then to his father. His glance
was quick, but it spoke volumes. It was as if he was trying to
honestly say that in the short time they’d been together, he had
not once thought about ending his life. That filled Hunter’s heart
with hope. If he could give that small measure of peace to Kian
every day, he would have his own portion of harmony.

After exchanging a glance that conveyed their feelings, the

two of them stood very close and suffered the intense stare of
the emperor. His eyes were so like Kian’s, but the difference
was his were darkened with suspicion. There was still that small
sliver of hope, though. Hunter thought that all they as a family
had been through had peeled away at that. Eventually, there
would be nothing left. On that day, a part of Kian’s father would
die. Hunter would do anything to prevent that from ever
happening to the father or the son.

Rather than speak, the emperor dismissed them with a flick of

his fingers. Hunter felt joy surge through his body as he turned in
perfect sync with Kian. They had time. Just as relief made his
tension seep away, the realization that they would have to show
some kind of progress brought it back threefold. Just how the
hell was he supposed to create a soul resonance when there was
no such thing? Living with the threat of being separated over their
heads would always strain their relationship. Any day at any time
Kian’s father could say that he didn’t think Hunter was working
and send him away. The longer Hunter stayed, the more

and send him away. The longer Hunter stayed, the more
attached he would become. Love wasn’t too terribly far away.
How devastating would it be to both of them to be parted?

When Hunter darted a sideways glance to Kian, he realized

that Kian was probably coming to the same conclusion. His
brow was furrowed and his eyes narrowed. And then, to
Hunter’s horror, Kian’s eyes went wide, and he lurched
forward, flinging out his arms in a desperate bid to balance
himself. They were on the threshold of leaving the room when a
massive bolt of pain ripped into Kian and stole his command of
his body.

When Hunter realized Kian was going to fall, he screamed his

name and jumped in front of him. His goal was to break his fall,
but all he did was get tangled up with Kian. As the two of them
went down, Hunter hit his head and knocked himself out cold.

Chapter 14

Kian woke up in his room. For a few blinks of his sleepy

eyes, he thought he had dreamed the entire encounter with his
father. But when he looked down and discovered he was once
again clad in his metallic suit, he knew the only dream was the
one where he got to stay with Hunter. If he had been capable of
crying, Kian knew he would have flooded his bed with tears. But
he couldn’t so he didn’t. Dry eyed, he looked up at the ceiling.
When he asked about Hunter, he was told he was gone. Those
were the last words he would ever speak. Kian went numb.
Hope had taken the final and most brutal beating. There was
nothing left.

Servants came and servants went. They cleaned his room,

cleaned his person, and when he refused to eat, they forcibly fed
him under his father’s orders. Kian didn’t struggle. In order to
fight, he’d have to care, and he simply couldn’t summon the
strength. Nothing that was said to him prompted him to speak
back. Before, he’d always had his pride to bolster him against
crushing depression, but now even that stalwart strength was
gone.

What shocked Kian was that the emotional pain eclipsed the

physical pain. His body seemed free of the debilitating agony, but
now it was his mind that suffered grievously. How could the loss
of one person from his life literally suck the color from his vision?
Everything Kian looked at, things he’d seen his entire life,
appeared to have lost their luster. Even the gleaming metal of his
suit seemed dull. He knew there was nothing physically wrong
with his eyes. What had changed was the way his brain

with his eyes. What had changed was the way his brain
interpreted what he was looking at. Hunter had told Kian all
about his fascination with vision. There were creatures on
Hunter’s world that were able to see in spectrums neither he nor
Hunter could conceive of. Somehow, the hole in Kian’s world
had literally changed the chemistry in his brain.

“You have to get up and carry on.”
Kian had heard the same words from several family members

at one time or another. He felt no need to answer back now
when he hadn’t bothered before. To carry on, he’d have to have
a reason. If Kian thought he could track down Hunter, he would
bound out of bed and travel to the ends of the known universe—
beyond, even. But there was simply no way his father would
allow there to be a trail for Kian to follow. He had undoubtedly
sold Hunter in an effort to recoup what he’d lost. But it wasn’t
about the money. Not really. His father had more than he could
ever spend. No, his father was embarrassed that he’d been
swindled. Despite the fact that they’d had failures with treatments
before, none of those were as crushing as this one. Getting an
Earthling was like a guarantee that all would be well. That the
mystical soul resonance hadn’t taken place was the final crushing
indignity.

In many ways, Kian’s father had suffered the same fate as his

son. Both of them had their hope completely obliterated. After a
time or two of seeing Kian, his father came to him no more. On
the rare occasions when Kian left his room, his father made a
point of avoiding him. Kian wasn’t surprised when his younger
siblings were groomed to one day take over his father’s rule. It
was as if everyone in the family had finally accepted that, though

was as if everyone in the family had finally accepted that, though
Kian had fought long and hard, he was ultimately going to lose
his battle with

dwicia. Soon enough, he would die. Not by his

own hand, not directly, but by the fact that he’d given up. Each
day his heart labored just a bit more. Each day his muscles
dwindled just a bit more. Each day his vision darkened just a bit
more. The only respite he had from the emotional pain was when
he managed to dream.

Hunter came onto that stage and shined. He smiled and

sighed. Hunter’s hair gleamed, and when he found his ultimate
release, he tossed back his head and made a sound that caused
Kian to shudder in mock climax. He awoke and pulled the groin
panel back only to discover he had not actually orgasmed. Kian
found that so strange. His body felt everything but didn’t actually
act out what he’d managed to do in his dream.

Kian had no idea how much time had passed since Hunter

had been taken away. All he knew was that he was being
summoned to stand before his father. Kian was pretty certain
that he was about to be officially cut from the line of succession.
When he refused to go, he was told by his mother that he had
been disowned.

She implored him to speak, and though her pain was plain to

see, Kian wasn’t moved. He loved his mother, but she had no
idea what true pain was. No one on the entire world of Koron
knew complete and utter agony the way Kian did. When he
refused to say or do anything, she slapped him hard enough to
rock him back on his heels.

What shocked Kian was that he felt nothing. He literally felt

nothing. There was no sting of shame or regret, but also, there

wasn’t any physical feeling beyond being moved by the sheer
force of the blow. His face was utterly numb. Frowning, he
stood there, trying to comprehend what was happening to him.
This feeling, or rather lack of it, wasn’t at all like the reprieve
from pain he’d had before. This was an utter void of sensation.

“Kian?” His mother approached him, her tone one of

confused conciliation. Had he not so pushed her, she never
would have lashed out at him.

“I can’t feel anything.” Kian removed the sleeve of the suit

and poked at his arm. There was no sensation in his bicep or his
finger. He didn’t even feel pressure.

“You’re cured?” Hope lifted her voice while suspicion

twisted the tone.

“I am numb.” What stunned him even more was that his

emotions were gone, too. There was no joy, but there was no
sadness. To his horror, Kian realized he was a shell. He had
become like his protective suit, an empty husk that was utterly
indifferent to everything that happened to him. He couldn’t even
summon his prior feelings of depression that Hunter was gone.
Kian felt nothing at all.

His mother wasted no time in summoning doctors. Kian

allowed them to run their tests, and he answered their questions.
His voice was flat, indifferent, and lacking in anything that
expressed more than the most basic awareness.

The doctors were baffled. There was nothing known to

science to explain what had happened to him. When his mother
told them about the Earthling, they dismissed the potential
explanation with hardly any time to even consider it. Just like him
that long ago day, they didn’t believe in the restorative power of

that long ago day, they didn’t believe in the restorative power of
Earthlings.

“Where is Hunter?”
His mother opened her mouth to speak but then slowly

pressed her lips together. She was clearly torn between wanting
to do what was best for her son and following the orders of her
husband. Kian had no doubt in his mind which was the stronger
of the two. While she loved her son, Kian’s father was both her
husband and her ruler. Only a very foolish woman would betray
the emperor. Kian knew his mother wasn’t a fool, so he did not
press her for an answer that frankly didn’t matter. Hunter was
alive. That much Kian knew. Since he was no longer considered
worthy to rule once his father passed, Kian was free to do as he
wished.

“I will find him.” Even though he no longer had any feelings,

he wondered what had become of Hunter. Had he, too, become
a shell?

His mother shook her head and then implored him to leave

well enough alone.

“He has taken away the pain of my disease. Had we been

allowed to stay together, Hunter undoubtedly would have cured
me. But since father couldn’t believe or simply didn’t wish to see
his son mated to a male of another species, he stripped me of
everything. I am cured of

dwicia, but I have also been stripped

of all my feelings, both physical and emotional. I won’t be whole
until I have Hunter back.”

Chapter 15

Hunter woke up in a hospital bed. His leg wasn’t in a cast, at

least not any type he was familiar with, but it was completely
immobilized. He had no clue how it had been managed, only that
no matter what he tried to do he couldn’t move from his position
of flat on his back with his left leg raised. His head hurt, his eyes
were gritty, and he was so high he was practically able to touch
the ceiling. Hazy images filled his vision but disappeared before
he could process the information. He swore he saw his own
mother at one point, but he realized that simply couldn’t be right
because she was laughing at him. No way would his mother ever
do that. When he blinked, he saw something entirely different. It
seemed his sense of time was so distorted everything ran
together into a montage of images.

Eventually, they stopped giving him whatever drugs were

whacking him out of his skull. Hunter’s relief was short lived. As
soon as he had clarity, he remembered what had happened with
Kian and wished to find oblivion again. He now realized he’d
broken his leg in an effort to break Kian’s fall. When they went
down, Hunter had hit his head so hard he’d knocked himself out
and mercifully missed being carried away from the palace. His
first clear thought was of Kian.

“Where is Kian?”
The medical personnel avoided eye contact and pretended

not to have heard him, or perhaps they were trying to act as if
they didn’t understand him. Hunter realized the emperor had
undoubtedly told them that they were not to speak of his son to
the worthless Earthling who had failed to cure him.

the worthless Earthling who had failed to cure him.

“If I knew how to fix Kian, I would. I would do anything for

him.” Pain slammed into Hunter’s body. He screamed and
screamed until they gave him another dose of the mind-bending
drugs. Oblivion descended, giving him freedom from agony but
also breaking him from reality.

Hunter wasn’t sure how many times they tried to bring him

back to consciousness only to push him back below. Each time
he came up for air, the agony returned. Now he understood
exactly what Kian had suffered. There was no stopping the pain
now that it had latched onto him. The only way to give him any
relief was to put him into a drug-induced coma. There, in that
hazy timeless place, Hunter found peace. Now he understood
why those who suffered from

dwicia

killed themselves. Such an

act had seemed terrifying and almost cowardly, but now that
Hunter felt the horror firsthand, he commiserated and begged to
be put out of his misery.

His pleas were ignored.
In one of the few lucid moments Hunter had, he caught a

snippet of conversation and realized Kian’s father was trying to
heal him so he could sell him to another unsuspecting fool. Why
should he take the financial loss when he could just pass Hunter
on down the line to another desperate person? But that couldn’t
happen if his Earthling was screaming in pain. When the doctors
told the emperor that it appeared Hunter had contracted

dwicia,

he had peered so intently at Hunter that he literally called him
back from the depths of oblivion.

When the nurse tried to give Hunter more drugs, the emperor

waved her off. He moved close to Hunter’s side, standing there

waved her off. He moved close to Hunter’s side, standing there
looking at him with his beautiful eyes that were so similar to
Kian’s that Hunter was able to almost picture him by his father’s
side.

“Why did you take his pain into yourself?”
Hunter could only look at the emperor and try not to drool.

Since he had little control over his muscles, he was able to
swallow but found speech was beyond him. Still, what the
emperor said gave Hunter a burst of joy. By his question, Kian’s
father was saying that his son was healed. If they had traded out
the disease, then perhaps there was some truth to the rumor
about Earthlings. Not that Hunter cared. He was just glad he’d
been able to help Kian.

“Tell me why you would do this? Why take the disease into

your own body?”

“Because I love him.”
A confused kind of shame altered the emperor’s features.

Though he loved his son and was relieved he was cured, he
obviously regretted that the treatment resulted in the demise of
another.

“When he fell, your first instinct was to protect him.” Now he

looked impressed by Hunter. “Most would have looked out for
themselves.”

“I love him.” It seemed to be all that Hunter could say.

Moreover, it was the only thing that explained everything. He’d
taken the brunt of the fall to protect Kian when he was
vulnerable, and he’d taken the horrible disease because Kian
had suffered long enough.

“He is still not cured.”

“Bring him to me.”
“You would finish what you’ve started?”
Again, the only answer Hunter had was three simple words.

Right after he spoke them, he was blinded by agony. Despite the
emperor’s wishes, the nurse doped him up, and he was back in
the land of nothingness once more.

When he next came to, Kian was by his side. Hunter

struggled to sit up but couldn’t. Instead, he reached out for him,
but was prevented from making contact when his father stepped
forward to protect him. The look on Kian’s face brought tears to
Hunter’s eyes. He looked utterly blank. And then Hunter
understood he had somehow taken everything from Kian.
Physical and emotional pain was utterly gone, but that left Kian in
a far worse position than he had been in before. Still, deep
down, Hunter believed that Kian didn’t want Hunter to have his
disease or his misery. Without exchanging a single word, Hunter
knew that Kian would do anything to free Hunter, just as he’d
been willing to do for him.

“How do I know you won’t simply give back what you

took?”

“Because I love him.” Hunter offered out his hand. After a

moment that seemed to stretch for hours, the emperor stepped
aside, and Kian took Hunter’s hand in his.

Contact caused him to close his eyes and toss his head back.

Profound pleasure radiated throughout his body, chasing away
the pain with such vigor Hunter realized their joining had literally
healed his leg. He laughed because he had mocked the idea that
soul resonance could heal a cripple yet here he was, a cripple
healed. As more pleasure rushed into his body, Hunter

healed. As more pleasure rushed into his body, Hunter
understood what had happened. When Kian had been falling,
Hunter had been so determined to protect him that he’d pulled
the

dwicia

from him, but he’d gone overboard and took his

emotions as well. Had they been allowed to be together
afterward, Kian would have given Hunter the strength to cast the
disease from his own body, and they would have equalized their
emotions. The emperor’s interference trapped the illness in
Hunter’s form while stripping Kian of his ability to feel. As the
information filled him, he knew that Kian now grasped what had
happened, too.

When Hunter finally managed to open his eyes, he found his

gaze locked with Kian’s.

Kian was smiling with a stunned kind of joy. “I tried to take it

back from you, but it seems you wouldn’t let me.”

The emperor reached for their joined hands, but this time,

Kian cut him off by turning his body protectively toward Hunter.
“You can’t stop what we’ve started.”

“It’s true then. There really is such a thing as soul resonance.”
Kian nodded. “I wouldn’t believe, even when my entire body

was crying out for you. I was afraid.”

“I was, too.” Hunter leaned up as far as he could, and Kian

was there, pressing his lips against Hunter’s. Each new layer of
contact deepened the bond. As Hunter was healed by Kian’s
love, Kian was healed by Hunter’s. By the time they finished the
kiss, they were inextricably bound, and the disease that had
plagued them both was gone.

Epilogue

“I wish there was a way I could help you find him.” Kian

pulled Hunter to him, wrapping his arms around his wonderfully
familiar form.

“Thank you.” Hunter kissed Kian’s chest and sighed. “But

Dalton’s a survivor. Wherever he is, I know he’ll find a way to
make the best of it. He has a knack like that.”

“I would have liked to have met him.”
“You just want tips on playing rough.”
Kian laughed. “Do I need assistance?”
“No.” Hunter made a sound that was so content he

practically relaxed into a puddle. “I loved what you did with that
phallus.”

“I thought you were more impressed with the restraints?”
“Oh, trust me. Those were excellent, but blindfolding me and

then convincing me you had a string of men that needed to be
satisfied by me? That was a stroke of genius.”

“You were so turned on I didn’t think you’d ever stop

climaxing once you started.”

“I almost hurt myself. But I knew it was just you teasing me

with that toy.”

“What gave it away?”
“How could half a dozen guys all have the same cock?”
“Ah.”
“Besides, there was no ring around the wiener, so that kind of

gave it away, too.” Hunter pulled back just enough so he could
look up. “As much as you love me, there’s no way you imported
a bunch of humans to Koron.”

a bunch of humans to Koron.”

“I shall endeavor to find a toy that is fashioned after my

cock.”

“Why?” Hunter palmed his prick, bringing him very quickly to

a state of arousal. “Nothing beats the real thing.”

It didn’t take long for Hunter to prove his point. He had Kian

on the bed, on his back, and he was kissing all over him. They
had discovered a natural sexual affinity for one another but
completing the soul resonance gave them even more. They were
attuned and aligned in ways that most couples could never
understand. But that didn’t mean they knew everything about
each other. Hunter thought they would have a fast and furious
joining, but Kian surprised him.

“I’m not in a hurry.” Kian maneuvered his body over

Hunter’s and proceeded to tease him into a slow rising need.

“You never cease to amaze me.”
“I don’t?” Kian asked, sliding his dual tongues around the tip

of Hunter’s cock.

“You can go from wicked and wild to slow and seductive.”
“And this is good?” Kian brought his tongues together and

urged Hunter to thrust. The sensation of penetrating his mouth in
this way would have pushed Hunter right over the edge but for
the little trick Kian had learned. With his forefinger and thumb
encircling the base of Hunter’s cock, he couldn’t climax.

“You being a versatile and inventive lover is beyond good.”
When Kian worked his other hand between Hunter’s legs,

then thrust his fingers inside while he kept up the other torment,
Hunter thought he would literally go mad. The urge to climax
pounded in his brain. But Kian wasn’t remotely close to being

pounded in his brain. But Kian wasn’t remotely close to being
done with him. He kept right on pushing Hunter higher. Half the
day was gone by the time Kian finally, mercifully, penetrated
Hunter.

No matter how many times Hunter felt Kian slip his cock

inside his ass, the feeling of rightness, of stunning completeness,
was always as beautiful as it was the first time. It was as if his
body would never allow that sensation to become boring. Not
with his soul mate.

Still, Kian wasn’t quite ready to surrender. Though he was

gritting his teeth and breathing heavily, Kian refused to rush. He
worked his hips slowly, giving Hunter plenty of time to stroke
over his powerful shoulders and his flexing buttocks.

“Please,” Hunter begged.
“You are so greedy for release.”
“It’s been half a day.”
“Has it?” Kian lifted his head and seemed to notice that the

light falling into their little villa had shifted dramatically. “I lose
track of time when I’m with you.”

“I’ve noticed.” Hunter wrapped his legs around Kian’s hips.

“Not that I’m complaining just that I don’t think I can hang on
much longer.”

While looking right into his eyes, Kian increased his pace.

Right at the apex, Kian kissed Hunter, and then whispered, “I
love you.”

“Oh, Kian. I love you.”
While balancing on one arm, Kian grasped Hunter’s hand

with the other, holding onto him firmly as if he would help to hold
him to the bed and the moment. They reached orgasm within

seconds of one another. Their mutual cries of bliss practically
shook the roof off the tiny villa they’d rented. Breathless, they
collapsed on top of the bed, bodies still entwined. Kian was
playing with his hair while Hunter traced his fingers over Kian’s
marks of oblivion.

Once he was healed, Kian’s father had tried to rescind his

official disowning, but Kian refused. He was free of that
particular obligation, and that was fine with him. He had no
desire to follow in his father’s footsteps. However, since he was
still the man’s child, and a potential target for criminals, Kian was
not permitted to leave the palace grounds. His father said it was
the only place he could keep him safe.

It was Hunter who had convinced the emperor to allow Kian

a wider latitude of freedom. Since Kian had always worn his
protective suit, no one would look twice at him out in public. Not
wearing the suit allowed him to blend in. Since Hunter was of an
extremely rare and valuable species, Kian feared taking him out,
but again, Hunter made him realize he had no more desire to be
locked up than Kian had. It was Kian’s mother who had
provided them with the perfect clothing to obscure Hunter’s
species. When they went out, he was dressed in a curious
garment that covered him completely.

Hunter had compared it to a burka, but the clothing was

actually made for sun-sensitive Koronians. Not all of them had
Kian’s glowing florescent green skin. Some were very pale,
almost the color of Hunter’s skin. Since the light of two suns
could be overwhelming, it wasn’t uncommon to see people
dressed in the flowing but sun-blocking outfit.

With their disguises in place, they went exploring the world.

With their disguises in place, they went exploring the world.

However, being the son of the richest man on the planet
definitely had advantages as they had plenty of money to travel in
style. Their villa was alone on an island surrounded by pristine
beaches of deep-blue sand and green water. Hunter had called
the colors of the word trippy. Once he explained the reference to
something psychedelic, and then explain that term, Kian had to
agree. Koron was an extremely vibrant world.

“Are you sad that you can never return to your planet of

birth?”

Hunter drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I will

always miss my parents. I wish I could let them know that I’m all
right. But I’m not angry at the Eoeans. I’m still not sure that
money is really what’s driving them to sell human males.”

“You do understand how much my father paid for you, yes?”
“I know. A fortune bigger than anything I could ever amass in

a thousand lifetimes. But my gut tells me there’s something more
to their lottery. It’s not just about the money.”

Kian agreed, and for a moment, he wondered about the

motives of the Eoeans, but then he was so happy to have Hunter
in his arms that he no longer cared what they got out of the
transaction. He didn’t even care if the other rumor—immortality
—was true. The only thing that mattered was that he got Hunter.
And that was more than enough. Had he not been able to cure
him, Kian still would have been happy to simply be with Hunter.
However, being with him and able to live life to the fullest made
their relationship even stronger.

“I went shopping while you were trying on sunsuits.”
“You did?” Even though he’d just had a powerful release,

“You did?” Even though he’d just had a powerful release,

Hunter’s body responded with a stiffening of his cock. “What
did you get?”

“I can’t tell you.”
“No?”
“Oh, no. I’ll have to show you.” And Kian did just that.

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Reading, writing, and white-water rafting are the three things

Anitra Lynn McLeod enjoys the most. You can visit her at
www.AnitraMcLeod.com.

For all titles by Anitra Lynn McLeod, please visit

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