Sextus Read online

  Table Of Contents

  Dear Reader

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek Sirius: Galaxy Gladiators Book Seven

  Glossary

  Copyright

  Dear Reader

  Welcome to Book One in the Galaxy Pirates Series. In Book Four of the Galaxy Gladiators Series, Devolose, I introduced some characters you’ll meet in this book. The following backstory might help you better enjoy Sextus.

  Eight days ago the pirates of the ship Tranquility touched down on planet Paradise looking for a miracle cure for Devolose’s amputation. While there, the world experienced a cataclysm where the rivers ran backward and the temperature plunged eighty degrees in an hour.

  During their escape from the planet, the crew stumbled upon three Earth females they discovered locked in a cell. After rescuing the women, they brought them to planet Primus for a handful of days, offering to help them create new lives for themselves. Brin stayed on Primus while Carrie and Lexa returned to the Tranquility in search of different options.

  On Primus, Lexa, kidnapped from Earth only days prior to earning her Ph.D. in psychology, managed to piss off alien pirates and Earth females alike by her insensitive tendency to diagnose them with disorders and syndromes.

  Can bitchy girls change their ways and find love? Read on to find out.

  Galaxy Pirates

  Book One

  Sextus

  by Alana Khan

  Present Day

  In space on the pirate vessel Tranquility

  Chapter One

  Lexa

  “I found the coordinates to your Earth.” Sextus’s lips quirk smugly as he straddles the chair next to me in the cramped dining area of our vessel. He’s tall and muscular, the largest of the seven huge alien males on board this small pirate spaceship. I doubt it’s an accident he caught me in here alone.

  “Oh, thank God. When can Captain Thantose get us there?” Relief floods every cell in my body. My muscles relax even though Sextus is sitting far too close—he’s so big and tough, not to mention blue with tribal markings, I do my best to avoid him.

  “Our ship is carrying a load of exotic Primian fish bound for Algaron IV. Seven days to that planet to offload and then twelve days back to Earth.”

  “That’s nineteen days! How will I explain my absence if I’m gone from Earth that long? I’ll talk to Thantose.” I stand, ready to hustle to the bridge and plead my case to the captain. “I’m sure he can drop me on Earth first, then deliver his cargo.”

  “Those fish are delicate. We’re losing four percent of them a day. That’s expensive merchandise; we can’t afford that big a loss.”

  Why is he looking at me like the cat that’s about to eat the canary?

  “I’m certain he’ll see the light.” I turn to leave.

  “I already informed him. Thantose is the nicest pirate in the galaxy, but money is money. He said Earth would have to wait.”

  His savage gaze flicks to my chair as if he’s commanding me to take a seat. I silently curse my cowardice as I follow his unspoken order to sit.

  “I take it you have some reason you’re personally delivering this news...other than to gloat.” My brown eyes narrow, I think I know what’s coming.

  “I contacted my cousin through secret backchannels. The MarZan cartel conscripted him years ago; he’s still forced to work for them. He risked life and limb to get me the coordinates to your Earth.

  “We stop on planet Neron first thing tomorrow to refuel. I located a small ship we can rent. It can not only get us to Earth in five days but can put you down anywhere you designate with its state-of-the-art matter transporter. I didn’t put a hold on it, I was waiting for your approval before I spend half an annum’s pay to rent the rig.”

  His stare is positively feral. I figure this is the moment I’m supposed to plead for more information, but as desperate as I am to get back home, I’ll never stoop to begging.

  “What’s your ask?” I spear him with a feral look of my own. I don’t think I need my Ph.D. in psychology to know the nature of what he wants. His lusty glances haven’t been subtle since the day he and the rest of the crew rescued us from certain death when I was imprisoned on planet Paradise with two other Earth women—we were all bound for sexual slavery.

  He grabs a grape-like fruit from a bowl in the center of the dining table and pops it into his mouth. “The cost?” He cocks an eyebrow. “You provide whatever service I request on the trip from Neron to your planet.” He chews nonchalantly as he cocks his head to one side. He seems to savor my discomfort more than his bite of food.

  “Fuck you, Sextus.” He had to know I’d never agree to that proposition.

  I rise to leave, but before I’m through the doorway he says, “Do the math, little Lexa.” I pause, my back to him. “You were in a cell for ten days on planet Paradise, eight days since we rescued you and your friends. Five days to Earth if we leave tomorrow from Neron. That’s twenty-three days if you come with me. Thirty-seven if you stay on this ship.

  “I don’t know drack about Earth, but I wonder just how long you can be gone from a place before your explanation about your absence becomes suspicious.

  “The other females have already said they’ve been gone too long. They know they can’t go back, they...what was it they said? Your military would lock them up and study them? I don’t think you have the luxury of fourteen extra days to go all the way to Algaron IV and back. I believe I’m your ticket home, little Lexa, and I just set the price.”

  “Just because you’re an asshole, Sextus, doesn’t mean I’m a whore.” I stalk through the door, but before I’m out of earshot I hear, “Not just sexual services, I was hoping you’d know how to cook. My offer stands until 2400.” His amused laugh follows me as I run down the short hallway to the room I share with Carrie, one of the two Earth females I was rescued with.

  Luckily she isn’t in our small, shared room. I throw myself on my bottom bunk and try to think. My hands are shaking with rage. I let out a low scream from the back of my throat and kick my legs in frustration.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I pound the bed with each expletive. “Okay, Lexa, think.” I leap to a standing position and pace in tight circles.

  Before I can problem-solve, my mind chooses this moment to throw me a quick reminder of the last three miserable weeks of my life. I was abducted from Earth, then placed in a cell with Carrie and Brin, who were kidnapped years ago. We were all rescued by seven huge alien pirates whose looks scare the shit out of me, then taken to planet Primus for a week with the offer to start a new life there.

  Brin stayed on Primus to recover from the trauma of a long captivity. Carrie returned this ship to look for a new life on a different planet. And me? I’m still hoping I can find my way back to Earth.

  All the alien males except for Sextus have been super nice and have tried very hard to get us back home, but until today, no one knew Earth’s coordinates except for the MarZan cartel which uses our planet to harvest free breeding females whenever they choose.

  I’ve been aware for days that if I don’t get back to Earth soon, I won’t be able to return at all. How many weeks can I claim to have been in some fugue state with no memory of where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing? I’ve concocted a story about getting lost while walking the Appalachian Trail, but my plausible deniability is ab
out to expire.

  Sextus is right. I don’t have an extra fourteen days to get home. If I wait much longer, when I get back to Earth the special forces guys will arrive in their black helicopters to fly me to Area 51 for some anal probing of their own.

  “So close!” I shout to the empty room. I was four days from getting my Ph.D. in Psychology. To get my degree at twenty-three, I’ve had to put my entire life on hold for the past seven years.

  I changed schools several times every school year until I was twelve. At that time we discovered homeschooling. Thank God—being shunned by my peers day in and day out was killing my soul. Homeschooling allowed me to excel at academics, and I earned my high school diploma at sixteen.

  Shortly after that my dad died. I enrolled in college and didn’t take a break for the next seven years. I never had a summer off, took the maximum amount of credits every semester, and just plowed through nonstop. No friends, no family, no lovers, just nose to the grindstone all with one goal—the degree.

  Now my life is completely derailed.

  There is no future for me in space—absolutely none.

  After several hours stewing alone in my room, Carrie comes to bed. My roomie’s a pretty, fortyish woman with shoulder-length blond hair. I kind of envy her, she seems to be at peace with her situation. I’ll never be okay with living in space—I desperately want to go home.

  We’ve never talked much; I haven’t really tried to be besties with her—I’ve been a bit preoccupied since we met. Besides, I’ve never had a friend, I don’t know how.

  She’s been nothing but kind, and I know I should make small talk with her, but I don’t really want to make friends. I want to get back to Earth.

  “I brought you some food. You might want to start joining us for meals…” Her big, blue eyes are full of concern.

  “I don’t want—” I stop myself from finishing my sentence with ‘to get to know any of you. I want to go home.’

  She hands me a napkin with a sandwich filled with mystery meat. “I’m here if you want to talk.”

  “Thanks.”

  I have no appetite, nor any desire to chat. I just watch the minutes tick down, waiting for the midnight deadline. No matter how you cut it, my dilemma boils down to two choices: never go home again, or be Sextus’s sex slave for five days.

  The choice seems obvious when I put it like that. I’ve worked my ass off for the last seven years to achieve my goal—to become a psychologist. Am I willing to throw all that away because the cost of five days of embarrassment is too high?

  No. I’ve known for hours I’m going to do it. I just wasn’t ready to admit it to myself.

  It’s ten to midnight. Carrie’s been asleep on the top bunk for hours. I need to quit procrastinating and do the walk of shame to Sextus’s room.

  Luckily the hallway’s deserted and he’s only four doors down. His electronic sliding door is cracked an inch. He left it open for me, the fucker. He knew I’d come.

  I tap until I hear his deep, “Come in.”

  The lights are dim, so it takes me a moment to fully absorb the scene in front of me. Sextus is sitting on the bed, head leaned against the back wall, covers only pulled up to his thighs. His muscled blue body with its swirling cobalt tribal markings is in stark contrast to the white sheets.

  He’s got the chiseled body of a Chippendale dancer, but what catches my complete attention is that his meaty blue hand is slowly fisting his penis from base to tip as he spears me with an animalistic gaze.

  “You’re here with four minimas to spare. Nicely played, little Lexa.” He flashes a smile as his hand continues its leisurely journey, stroking up and down.

  Okay, Lexa, I order myself, you will not close your eyes. You will not look away. You will not blush. I calculated it out, five days is 7,200 minutes. I can do that standing on my head. I will do what needs to be done so I can have the life I’ve been planning—the life I deserve.

  “I need to hear it, Lexa. Why are you here?”

  I forbid myself to pause or stammer. “I’m here to accept your proposal.” I stare straight at him, my gaze never wavering. My voice sounded steady, that’s good. It’s so dim in here I doubt he can see my carotid artery leaping in my throat.

  “Good. I knew the day I met you we were two of a kind, you and I.”

  What would possibly make this monster think such a thing? I’m not asking.

  “I’ve watched you with the other females, you don’t care about social niceties. Neither do I. Seems like both of us follow the philosophy: take care of yourself and everyone else be damned. We’ll do fine for the next five days.”

  I turn to leave.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” his voice is harsh and low, almost a growl.

  I don’t respond. I know it isn’t really a question. He and my dad must have gone to Power and Control University together.

  “You need to hear the terms of service and agree to them, little Lexa.”

  I stand straighter, tighten my jaw, and look him square in the eye. Does he think this little Earth female has never been afraid before? Fuck him. I learned how to deal with this kind of psychological torment at my daddy’s knee.

  “One. You’ll tell no one the terms of our contract or I will not fulfill them. Even if you don’t trust me, I have every intention of delivering you to your home planet—on time. I’ve gone to considerable trouble to obtain the coordinates and locate the fastest ship available. I’m a total dracker, but I am a male of my word. When I return to this ship without you, I have to live with all these people and I’d prefer our contract to be just between us. Is that clear?”

  I nod.

  “Say it.”

  “Yes, that’s clear.”

  “You can call me sir.”

  Fuck. “Yes, sir.” Is this going to be some Fifty Shades of Grey bullshit?

  “Two. You will do exactly as I say or you will be punished.”

  Okay. I guess that’s a “yes” on the Fifty Shades question.

  “Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” I put as much “fuck you” as I can into the “sir.”

  “Three. My cousin Bastien is a congenial male who told me Earth’s coordinates for free. Reserving the vessel, however, will require a significant amount of credits. Since I’m acting in good faith, I’ll need a clear gesture on your part that you intend to comply. Strip out of your clothes.” He gives me a self-satisfied smile. “Computer, lights on high.”

  I’m an idiot. How is it that a savvy individual like me didn’t anticipate this particular level of hell? I don’t hesitate, though. I’ve decided to comply with his demands, and I will do what it takes.

  Swiftly, I pull off my t-shirt, leggings, bra, and panties. I knew I’d need to do it quickly in order to get it done. I also didn’t want it to appear sensual in any way. I order my sympathetic nervous system not to blush, then toss my head and hope I appear supremely indifferent even though my hands are shaking and my pulse is pounding. I will get through this.

  Although I’m looking him directly in the eye, my peripheral vision catches his fingers tightening around his cock.

  “Are we done? May I leave?” My clothes are still balled in my hands. I’m about to turn toward the door, planning to get dressed and run to the safety of my room.

  “No.”

  I don’t recall ever hearing this particular timbre of deep growl escape a male’s throat before. I’m paralyzed in fear but hope I seem stubborn and confident.

  “Let’s review the rules one more time. What is rule number two?”

  “Do as you say,” I answer without hesitation.

  “Put your clothes on the foot of the bed.”

  I toss them there.

  “You’re trying my patience, little Lexa. We’ll have fun on the trip to Earth as I teach you how to follow the rules.” This sounds more like a promise than a threat. “One final thing before you leave.”

  He sits up, hangs his legs over the side of the bed and beckon
s me between his knees. “To ensure you don’t change your mind after I pay for the vessel, I want proof of how serious you are about abiding by the contract.”

  He pauses, then, “Suck my cock,” his deep voice is rough and breathy.

  I’m certain he has to see my jaw lock tight and the blood drain from my face. Crap.

  I guess my being a virgin shouldn’t be a big deal. Really, I should have done something about it years ago. I was just far too busy studying my ass off and writing my doctoral fucking dissertation.

  Okay, Lexa, you can do this. How hard can it be? What was it they said in Victorian days? Close your eyes and think of England? Whatever. I focus on the fact that this is my choice. I could tell him to forget this ridiculous contract and then run out of the room. But I’m not going to do that. Because I want to get back to my life on Earth and this is my only escape.