A Hero’s Welcome (9 page)

Fear blossomed in his chest. “I know this is too fast. What I
’
m asking of you is something you should think about for awhile, but we don
’
t have time. I don
’
t want to leave you behind when I go. I won
’
t. “

“I told you, you can’
t escape. It
’
s not possible.”

Desperation slammed into his guts.

“Anything is possible, Annie, when you set your mind to it.”

“You don’
t seem to understand what
’
s happening here, Joe. You
’
re very…well endowed. The women want you. You don
’
t know what I had to do just to get one day with you.”

“What did you have to do, Annie?”

She didn’t look at him. Instead she traced another lazy circle around his nipple.
“
You only need to know that the women want you. Bad.”

“And what about you, Annie? Do you want me?”

“Yes.”

“How bad?”

She
didn
’
t answer.

“Not bad enough to help me escape?”

Her lush body stiffened against him. He realized immediately he
’
d said the wrong thing.

“Is that what this is about? You’
re having sex with me to soften me up? To use me? To get me to help you escape?”

“I’
m sorry, I
shouldn
’
t have said that. It
wasn
’
t fair.”

“If you
hadn
’
t said it, you
’
d be thinking it, Green Eyes.”

“What do you want me to do, Annie? Do you want me to stay? I will if you want me to. I will fuck all those women just so I can be with you.”

He’d never been one to scare easily in his lifetime. That
’
s why he
’
d been so laid back about getting caught by a handful of naked women. He’d figured he’d find a way out of this problem somehow. But now as he saw the tears shine in Annie
’
s eyes, he was suddenly scared. Very scared he would lose her.

“After today, we can never be together. Ever.”

Her words crushed him. Made his head spin. “Why not?”

“Because of the Queen. It’
s tradition she can only have sex with females. She
’
s had her eye on me for quite some time. The other day she approached me. Her female mate is
Cath
and they decided they want more spice in their sex life. They want me as their next mate. I will only have sex with the two of them and any other females the Queen decides to bring into the arrangement.”

Joe
’
s mind whirled. The Queen and
Cath
wanted Annie for themselves? They wanted to fuck Annie?

“That was the agreement you made? You agreed to have sex with them? Just to be with me? God, Annie, why the hell did you do that?”

The tears in her eyes overflowed and Joe reached out to her. She rolled away from him and sat up. Her bare breasts heaved as she inhaled a sob.

“Don’
t touch me, Green Eyes. It
’
s over. Tonight, we will have sex and they will evaluate how you perform.
Cath
will begin to train you…and I
’
ll
be going with the Queen. She
’
s promised me that I can get the job I
’
ve
always wanted.”

“What job?”

“Helping the women in the Breeding Prison give birth. The doctor they have right now is almost ready to be put down.”

Joe inhaled sharply. “What do you mean put down?”

“She’
s going into menopause. When that happens she will be killed. Just like all of us when our time comes.”

“But why kill you when you reach menopause?”

“Because we will have outgrown our usefulness.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Our hubs are kept alive by producing a certain amount of female and male children. These children are produced in the prison system. If a woman breaks the law she is sent to prison. Our sentences are based on the number of children she must produce. If she can’t produce any children, there is no sentence available for her, so she’s useless.”

Joe closed his eyes and shook his head. This
couldn
’
t be happening. It was like something out of science fiction. Like the ancient movie
Logan
’
s
Run
.
People being executed once they reached a certain age, or in this case, menopause.
It was obscene.

“This is crazy! You are not going to be fucked by some damn Queen. Not if I can help it. And no one’
s going to kill you when your time comes.”

“It’s too late. I’ve already accepted the rings.”

“The clit and nipple rings?”

“It’s our tradition. When a female becomes a mate of the Queen, she must accept the rings. I already went through the ceremony. After the ceremony the new mate is blessed by the Queen with whatever presents she wishes. I asked for my dream job and for you. But the Queen only agreed to allow me one day with you.”

“I’m a free man. She doesn’t have the right to give me to you. I made love to you of my own free will. And I sure as hell won’t let you go to the Queen.”

“I gave her my word!”

“Then undo your damn word!”

“You don’
t have a say. You
’
re a captive of the Queen now. A slave! You have no rights!” Hysteria edged her voice.

Before Joe could stop her, Annie stood and looked down at him. She placed her hand over her left breast, covering her heart.

“I will keep today in my heart forever, Joe. It was magical. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever experience something so beautiful, but it’
s over. We have to return to reality. I
’
m going back to the cabin. Please don’t try to escape.”

Joe watched in stunned numbness as she padded naked through the tall ferns and disappeared into the forest. He clenched his jaw in frustration as something tight clamped around his heart. She’d sacrificed herself to the Queen so she could have a day with him? He didn’t know what to make of it. Didn’t know what he should be feeling.

He did feel numb. Shocked. He didn’t understand the need for Annie to have to bow to the Queen to get her dream job. Sleeping with the boss to get a promotion. It was akin to sexual assault back on Earth. Evidently here on Paradise things were different.

He wished his logical scientific mind would take over. Wished he could make himself separate his emotions and put Annie into the same category as the other women on this planet. But Annie wasn’t like the other women. She was different. He’d known it the instant he’d first seen her. The instant she’d made love to him in the clinic. Oh boy, he had it bad for her.

His gaze fell back to the ankle bracelet. He didn’t know why he’d offered to stay here and service a whole town of women just to be with Annie.

Temporary insanity.

He was a man who needed his freedom. Needed to make his own decisions. And he needed to get the hell out of here.

By the looks of the setting sun, he
didn
’
t have much time left.

* * * * *

The instant Green Eyes was out of earshot, Annie allowed the sorrow to fill her heart. Tears blinded her as she stumbled along the trail.

His comment about her loving him enough to help him escape had angered her and she
’
d lashed out, trying to cut all ties with Green Eyes.

It had hurt to see the utter look of devastation shadow his face. It hurt so bad she thought her whole body would explode into tiny splinters.

But his words of love were just that. Words. Words he
’
d used to get what he wanted from her.

She shook her head in denial. Deep in her heart she knew it
wasn
’
t true. He did have serious feelings about her. She
’
d seen the emotions churning in his eyes. Felt it in the possessive way he touched her. The way he
’
d made love to her…

He
hadn
’
t fucked her. He had made love to her.

It had been in the gentle way his hands had caressed her body. The way concern had ripped through his eyes when he
’
d seen her nipple rings.

Annie wiped the tears away from her eyes and chuckled to herself as everything suddenly made sense. What they had together had been more than physical. She knew that now. She must have known it too when she
’
d made love to him that first time in the clinic. It had surfaced in the way she
’
d ached to set him free.

Heck, something had clicked into place the first time she
’
d looked into his eyes and seen the intelligence brewing there.

Oh God! What was she going to do? How was she going to help Green Eyes?

Anything is possible, once you set your mind to it.

Joe had said those words not more than a few minutes ago.

Hope soared in her heart. She would have to think of a way to help him. Hopefully an answer would come to her.

Her mind was still searching for answers to find a way to help Joe when a few moments later Annie opened the door to her cabin and stepped inside.

“Hello Annie.”

Annie froze as the young Queen
’
s seductive voice curled through the room.

She lay on the bed. Long muscular legs spread wide open. Her shaved pussy exposed and eagerly waiting for her.

Chapter Eleven

“Where’
s my slave, Annie?”

Annie cringed at the harsh sound of
Cath
’
s voice as she stepped out from behind the open door.

Oh God! They were already here!

When she saw the two giant black double ended dildos in
Cath’s
hands, her legs began to tremble.

“You’
re early,” Annie whispered.

“Where the fuck is my slave?”
Cath
shouted.

“I’
m right here.”

Annie jumped at the harshness in Joe
’
s voice as he stepped through the open doorway behind her.

Both the Queen and
Cath
froze, their eyes wide with shock. Obviously they were having the same reaction as she had when she
’
d found out Joe could speak more than a few words.

He
didn
’
t waste any time taking advantage of the situation. Grabbing
Cath
, he wrapped a muscular arm around her neck. For a moment, Annie thought Joe might choke her, but he
didn
’
t.

Cath
looked horrified. Pale. As if she were about to faint right on the spot.

Annie could only imagine the fear coursing through
Cath’s
veins as she most likely thought there was another Slave Uprising going on.

“Where’
s the key for the ankle bracelet, ladies?” he demanded.

Cath
, too stunned to speak, could only shake her head in disbelief.

“You!” He nodded toward the naked Queen. “Are you the Queen?”

“I am. My name is
Jacey
.”

To Annie
’
s surprise the Queen
’
s voice sounded dangerously calm, despite her pale face.

“Where’
s the key to the ankle bracelet?”

“He can speak? How is this possible?” she asked Annie.

“The key!” Joe’
s shout made both Annie and
Cath
jump. But the Queen remained unmoved. Her eyes narrowed with curiosity as she studied Joe.

“Who are you? Who educated you? Where did you come from?”

“Listen, lady. This is no time to break out the tea and biscuits and chat. I asked you a question.”

“And if I don’
t give you the key?”

“Then I break your lady’
s neck. And I
’
ll
enjoy doing it.”

“And I’
ll
enjoy watching.”

At her answer a frightened whimper escaped
Cath
’
s lips.

The Queen casually slid her legs together, then slowly got off the bed. Her wide hips sashayed and her heavy breasts swayed as she padded toward Joe.

“Easy does it. Don’
t try anything funny,” he warned.

The Queen smiled seductively and stopped. “I
’
ve
read about men like you in the Ancient Books. Talking men who demand. Fight. And kill. For no reason at all. For nothing more than…for sport.”

“Sounds a lot like the way you run this place,
Jacey
. Now about the key?”

“She keeps it in her belly bag,” Annie said. Ignoring the Queen’
s surprised look, she gazed around the room for the item and saw it hanging on a nearby hook.

“Get it, Annie,” Joe ordered.

Annie bristled at his command. The urge to slap him was strong but she caught herself.

He was a free man. Not a slave. She needed to remember that.

Rushing over to the bag, she reached into it. When the cool metal of the key touched her fingertips, Annie sighed in relief.

“Get the cuff off, Annie.”

Another order.

Annie prickled.

The Queen tilted her head in curiosity as she watched Annie.

But Annie knew she had to do as Joe said. She wanted him free.