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.

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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
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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McLeod from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you.
Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

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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

8

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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.

“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 cure for that.

Bound by Pleasure

9

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

10

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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 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

Bound by Pleasure

11

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 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.”

12

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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 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.”

Bound by Pleasure

13

“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?”
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

14

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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?” 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

Bound by Pleasure

15

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 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

16

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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

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

Bound by Pleasure

17

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.”

“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

shows every mark no matter how slight.”

18

Anitra Lynn McLeod

“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 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.”

Bound by Pleasure

19

“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 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.

20

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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.

“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

Bound by Pleasure

21

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 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

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Anitra Lynn McLeod

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 like
gods.”

“That would be nice.”
“Yeah.”
“But not very likely.”

Bound by Pleasure

23

“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.”
“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.”

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Anitra Lynn McLeod

“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.

“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

Bound by Pleasure

25

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.

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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 weary of injury he wore a shielding suit

Bound by Pleasure

27

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 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

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Anitra Lynn McLeod

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

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29

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
offered.

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

his world with his tail tucked between his legs.”

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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 told him it was likely it would all be
taken away, but Hunter didn’t care. He’d rather try than not bother.

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31

“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?”
“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

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Anitra Lynn McLeod

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.

Bound by Pleasure

33

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—”
“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

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Anitra Lynn McLeod

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 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 and his demand for complete and

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35

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,

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

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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 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.

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37

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 metal of

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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 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

Bound by Pleasure

39

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

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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 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.

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41

“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.

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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.”

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43

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 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

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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

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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 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

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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 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

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47

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.

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 Hunter to tell what kind

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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 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

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49

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?

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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 be

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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

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

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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.

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“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?”

“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,

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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.

“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 not just yet. “Are you hungry?”

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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 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

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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 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

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57

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?”
“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.”

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“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 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.

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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 didn’t think

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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 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.”

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61

“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,

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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

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.”

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“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 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?”

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“You.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“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.”
“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

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65

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 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?”

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“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.

“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.

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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 disease you
have no control over?”

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“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 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.”

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“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.”

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“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.

“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

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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 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.”

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“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?”

“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

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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.”

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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 hadn’t been able to see the rest.

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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 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

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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

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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 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,

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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.”
“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.”

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Unlike humans with their very structured education system, 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.”
“I like when you say that word.”
“Dominate?”
“No.”
“Fuck?”
“Yes. It is a very rough word.” Kian looked right into Hunter’s

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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.”

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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,

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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

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

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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

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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 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

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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 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.

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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 twisting around Kian.
He didn’t know how or why, but each pulse of pain that wracked his

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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.”
“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

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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

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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 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.

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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 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 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

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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 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

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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.”

“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

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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.”

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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 lined up
with Hunter’s eyebrows. “It’s very soft. While you were riding on top

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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.”

“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.

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“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.”

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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 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

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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 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 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.

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“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 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

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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 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

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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 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.”

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“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 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 myself.”
They spent the rest of the day in Kian’s room, splitting their time

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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.

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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 crushed when he ultimately
did what he wanted to do anyway.

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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 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

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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

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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 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

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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, 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 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

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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?”
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

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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 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

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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, 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

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to mention the final fate. Sadly, suicide 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 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

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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.

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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 interpreted what he was
looking at. Hunter had told Kian all about his fascination with vision.

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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 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

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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

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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 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.”

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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.

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“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
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

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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

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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 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

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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.

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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.”

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“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 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

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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

126

Anitra Lynn McLeod

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.

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

Bound by Pleasure

127

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,

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

www.bookstrand.com/anitra-lynn-mcleod

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com