Hawk's Slave (4 page)

“See that you do,” Hawk said, then disconnected.

* * * * *

Opal was going out of her mind. Hawk had come to her the past two days and each time he left, she was even more frustrated than she’d been the day before.

What did he want from her?

At this point, she was ready to give him anything he asked for. Which was probably his plan all along. They had to be getting close to Farn, but Hawk hadn’t mentioned the planet since their first conversation.

She’d tried everything she could think of to get him to lose control, but his will seemed ironclad. The metal scraped as the lock disengaged on the door. The sound brought Opal’s body to instant awareness. Even now, she could feel the moisture gathering between her spread thighs. It was embarrassing how well he’d trained her to respond in such a short period of time.

Opal let her chin fall a second before Hawk appeared in the doorway. “Back again?” she asked. “I thought perhaps you’d grown as bored with this game as I had.”

He arched a brow and a smile played around his sensual mouth. “If you’re bored, I must not be doing my job right,” he said. “We’ll have to see what we can do to change that today.”

Hawk shut and locked the door behind him, then pressed the button on the walls that controlled the chains. The chains groaned as they loosened, lowering Opal to the floor.

Her legs shook as she felt solid ground beneath her feet. Opal watched him, wondering what the Slaver was up to now.

Hawk pulled a key out of his pocket, along with a jewel-encrusted thick leather strap. He placed the strap onto the table and slowly approached her.

The heat of his big body touched her first. Despite her resolve to remain detached, Opal’s skin prickled and parts she’d rather ignore began to throb. She saw his nostrils flare, then a smile ghosted that savage mouth.

“What now?” she asked.

Hawk kneeled at her feet and slipped the key into the shackle encircling her ankle. With a snick, the lock opened and the shackle fell away. He rubbed the abrasion caused by the clamps, then moved to her other foot.

The second she was free, Opal stretched her legs and twisted her body. Her muscles were stiff from staying in the same position for so long.

He waited until she’d finished, then grasped her hand. The key opened the shackles around her wrists. Opal rubbed her arms and flexed her fingers.

Standing in front of her, Hawk was even more imposing. His long, black braided hair and sinewy muscles only added to his aura of danger. He reached into a different pocket and pulled out what looked like a whip.

Opal slowly backed away. Was he going to beat her? So far he’d tortured her by withholding sexual gratification, but he’d never purposely hurt her. What if he was changing tactics? She kept her limbs loose and spread her legs in a fighting stance.

Hawk’s gold eyes narrowed. “That won’t be necessary,” he said. “I’ve only come to take you for a walk.”

Her chin shot up. “What’s in your hand?”

His beautiful mouth tilted into an amused smile. “Insurance that you comply once you’re out of the room,” he said.

Opal examined the object. It wasn’t a whip as she’d first thought. “Is that a leash?”

Hawk held it up for her to see.

Her gaze immediately moved to the bejeweled item on the table. If that was a leash in his hand, then that meant that the jewel-encrusted strap was a collar. Her body stiffened. “I am not an animal.”

He looked at her from beneath thick lashes. “Yes, you are,” he said. “We both are.”

Opal’s jaw clenched. “You can’t expect me to wear that.” From the amused expression on his face, the answer was obvious.

“Only if you’d like to stretch your legs,” Hawk said.

It had been several days since she’d been out of the pleasure chamber. And weeks since she’d left her last room. The walls were beginning to close in on her. Opal wanted out of here more than anything, but she wasn’t sure if she could stomach being collared.

Hawk’s smile widened. “I promise it won’t hurt a bit.” His big hands fingered the hide and jewels lovingly.

Opal’s body quivered and her breasts became heavy. Even though he hadn’t touched her, she could practically feel his fingertips gliding over her skin.

“Your choice,” he said, all but daring her to put it on.

She sauntered forward, adding an extra sway to her hips. Hawk’s heated gaze followed the movements and he swallowed hard as she drew nearer.

Opal held out her hand.

Hawk stared at it, his expression incredulous. “Turn around. I want to put it on you.”

It took every fiber of Opal’s being to do as he said. She turned slowly and lifted her hair out of the way. At first, Hawk didn’t touch her, which only added to the tension rising between them.

The warmth of his breath bathed her skin as he stepped closer. When he finally did reach for her, the heat from his fingertips scorched her.

Opal sucked in a breath as Hawk slid the leather collar around her throat. His fingers lingered lovingly over her collarbone, stroking her fevered flesh before he fastened the clasp.

She wanted those strong hands to move lower. Opal wanted them to cup the fullness of her breasts while he ran those calloused thumbs across her nipples. She nearly groaned aloud, when he turned her to face him. There was a loud click, then the leash dangled between her breasts.

“Beautiful.” Hawk trailed his fingers over the gems and along the edge of the collar, then grabbed the leash.

His body radiated like the fire of a thousand suns. It was almost as hot as the molten gold of his eyes. The musky aroma of his skin surrounded her, making her lightheaded. Self-preservation kicked in and Opal took a step back.

“Ready?” he rasped.

Opal couldn’t seem to find her voice, so she simply nodded.

Hawk let the leash slide through his fingers until he had a tight grip on the end. He tugged, and Opal tensed. Her hands automatically reached for the leash. He shot her a warning glance, then tsked and pulled it away from her.

“That’s not how this works,” he said. “I lead. You follow.” Instead of yanking the leash, he waited.

Opal took a deep breath, clenched her small fists, and followed him out of the room. It felt good to stretch her long legs. She’d done her best to keep in shape, but there was only so much she could do in the confined space. And even that luxury had been taken from her once she was transferred to the pleasure chamber.

Her gaze traveled over the cargo hold. Other than a few extra containers, the large cavernous space hadn’t changed. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

Hawk glanced at her. At first he didn’t say anything. She thought he might not answer, then he took a breath and said, “Unlike the others, you’re used to regular exercise.”

Opal wasn’t sure what she’d expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. “So you let me out to keep me limber?” Heat flooded her face.

Hawk perused her lithe form. “I’m not worried about you being limber. You’re a warrior. You are not about to allow yourself to get out of shape.”

“I don’t need to leave the room to stay in shape,” she muttered. “I just need to be unchained.”

“Would you like to go back?” Hawk stopped and the leash grew taut.

“No,” Opal bit out. “I’d like to walk for a while longer.”

Whimpers came from inside several of the sealed containment pods along the wall as they strolled by. The whimpers turned to hopeless cries as their footsteps faded. How many women had Hawk and his crew acquired since leaving Zaron? Opal glanced at the locked doors and shuddered.

“Cold?” he asked.

She glared at him. “No, just disgusted.”

“You don’t approve?” he asked.

Opal stopped. “Do you want the truth? Or would you rather I lie?” she asked.

Hawk shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter. It’s not like you can say anything that would change my mind.”

His harsh confession struck her in the gut. Opal made certain not to show her reaction. Slavers didn’t like weakness. When she was convinced that she could keep her voice from shaking, she spoke.

“What do you intend to do with me?” she asked.

Hawk glanced at her. “I haven’t decided yet,” he said then looked away.

His scent hadn’t changed, but Opal knew he was lying. “You can’t keep me prisoner forever,” she said.

That dark brow arched again. “I can do whatever I like,” he said. “I’m the captain of this ship. You are my prisoner. If I want to keep you in the pleasure chamber forever, then in that chamber is where you’ll stay.”

“My skills are being wasted,” she muttered.

He grinned. “I’m only interested in one of your skills, and soon, I plan to make good use of it.” Hawk’s fingers brushed her shoulder.

Opal gasped and her nipples hardened.

“Very soon indeed,” Hawk said.

Disgusted with herself and with him, Opal crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s the least impressive skill I have,” she said. “You should consider allowing me to join your crew.”

“You want to join my crew?” Hawk threw his head back and laughed.

Opal’s face flushed. “What’s so funny?”

He kept laughing.

She put her hands on her slim hips and glared at him. “You are like the hindquarters of a Zaronian mallmum. You even bray like one,” she hissed.

Though aimed well, the barb missed its mark. Hawk simply winked at her. “I’ve been called worse,” he said.

“My proposal was not outlandish,” she said.

“Yes, it was,” Hawk said. “The first chance you got, you’d try to escape or steal my ship.”

Opal’s gaze narrowed. Even though that had been her plan all along, he didn’t have to laugh at it, at her. “I could swear my loyalty to you,” she said.

His golden eyes were hard and uncompromising. “Loyalty doesn’t appear to mean a lot to you. You willingly betrayed your King and his chosen mate,” he said. “Your word would mean nothing and we both know it.”

Her hands clenched at her sides. “Contrary to what you might believe, I was being true to the Phantom people. Hades introduced an inferior breed into our bloodline. I could not stand by while he weakened the Phantoms,” she snarled.

Hawk closed in on her until they stood toe-to-toe. “It was not your place to make such a decision. If your King were truly damaging the Phantoms, then eventually someone would challenge him for leadership of the people.”

She shook her head in disgust. “No one is stupid enough to challenge Hades. The last man who did ended up buried behind the Keep.”

Opal couldn’t think with him this close to her. She raised her hands to push him back, but the second her fingers made contact with his hard chest she froze—and so did he.

* * * * *

Hawk couldn’t seem to breathe. It was getting harder and harder to keep his hands off her, especially with her touching him. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

That smart mouth haunted his dreams and distracted him from his duties. He should take her and get it over with. He wasn't used to waiting. Hawk had patience for everything but women. He'd never had to have restraint in the past. Women as a whole tended to desire him. And if they didn't before they bedded him, they certainly did afterwards. Hawk had even had women fight for his attention in the past. More than one had drawn blood.

As he watched Opal, he knew she wouldn't be like the others, especially after what happened on Zaron. They'd both been burned, but for very different reasons.

This woman would fight him with her last breath. She might very well hate him, but one look in her eyes told him that she also desired him. Her scent changed every time he came near her. The spicy musk taunted him, taunted his big cat. It wanted to unsheathe its claws, hold her down, and mount her.

Even now, as angry as she was, her body radiated with need. The kind of need that he could assuage.

Soon
, he thought. She’d only been in the pleasure chamber a few days and already she responded to his touch. It wouldn’t be long before she demanded that he take her. Eventually, Hawk would have her in every way he desired.

Once he possessed her body and soul, then he’d ferret out the location of Earth. Opal had purposely withheld the information, believing that she could use it as a bargaining chip. Hawk wanted the coordinates.

A planet that had a limitless supply of viable women could make him rich. Make him wealthy enough to buy his own planet and settle down.

Not that Hawk had any intention of settling down any time soon. He preferred life in space, life amongst the stars with his crew. Even if it did occasionally get lonely. Opal would ease some of that loneliness, if only for a short while.

Perhaps once they located Earth, he'd find his own woman to take as a mate. The Dark King had and seemed pleased by his decision. Hawk’s inner cat snorted in disgust.

Unlike the Dark King, his kind wasn't known for settling down with just one female, but then again, there weren't many of his kind left, so perhaps it was time to break from tradition.

His communicator chirped. Hawk pulled it out of his pocket and saw Fallon’s green face. “Report,” he said.

“We will soon be orbiting Farn. Should we prepare a landing party?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hawk said. “I’ll be right up.” He shoved the communicator back into his pocket and turned to Opal. “Sorry, we’ll have to cut our walk short.”

* * * * *

Hawk arrived on the bridge in time to see the brownish red planet come into view. “Set orbit,” he said. “Mars and Fallon, you’re with me. Reaper, I want you and Lex to prepare the women for market. Make sure they’re bathed and dressed properly before we return with the buyers.”

“Aye, Captain,” Lex said.

Reaper just nodded.

“Orbit obtained,” Fallon said.

“To the shuttle,” Hawk said.

Planet Farn was a dusty, reddish-orange piece of rock with an artificial atmosphere that had been established as a trading post over five hundred centuries earlier.

Other than traders, no one lived on the planet. In fact, only one side was inhabited at all. He stared at the massive credit exchange that rose like a mountain in the center of a flat plain. Over a thousand tents of various shapes, colors, and sizes surrounded the pyramidal structure.