Axxios and Braxxus Page 20

  I’ll forever be part of these guys, and they’re now part of me. This is the tri-bond—I don’t need to know it’s complete. And it’s real, as authentic and strong as hardened steel.

  I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s more than the deepest love. I feel more full than a cup that’s overflowing. I’m complete in every way. And safe. I’m so safe in their loving arms.

  I open my eyes and look at them. I feel such a tremendous overwhelm—a rush of love and acceptance flowing from me to them, then doubling, tripling, and hurtling back to me again.

  “It will be like this forever?” I’m almost breathless.

  “Yes,” they both respond at once. They’re smiling. It’s so wonderful, such a relief to see a wide, happy grin on Axx’s face especially. He’s changed, that’s obvious. I imagine he’s thrilled to be released from the prison of his constrained emotions. Now he’s free to receive and express love.

  My face is stretched tight in a broad smile. I have my beautiful silver and gold bondmates. I’m snuggled in a big bed on a swift ship full of friends who love me. I don’t know where we’re going, or if we’ll ever find a place to settle down. Frankly, I don’t care. What I have, right here, right now, is so much more than I ever hoped for.

  “I love you guys,” I tell them.

  “We love you, too,” they both reply.

  “If there are Gods, I’m blessed. You two are truly a gift,” Axx says, hugging us both and kissing me. “If we weathered this, we can get through anything.”

  “I told you it would all work out,” Braxx says. “It always does.”

  Epilogue

  One lunar cycle later

  Brianna

  Life onboard the Lazy Slacker can be harrowing, so we’ll use any excuse to have a party. Tonight’s excuse can be blamed on me—I’ve organized a game of charades. Yeah, I can see the folly of my plan, none of these big aliens know a thing about Earth’s pop culture references. But then again, none of us Earth women know the names of the two thousand gladiator drinking songs these guys have a penchant for singing at any given opportunity. I guess we’re even.

  I realize I’m absentmindedly fondling the pendant that hangs between my breasts. I haven’t removed it since Axx placed it over my head a month ago. It symbolizes every wonderful thing about my life, and right now, there are so many wonderful things I can barely track them.

  Dax made me a massage table. You’d think his huge fingers would be clumsy, but he’s the handiest male I’ve ever met. I’ve set up shop in the ludus, giving massages to anyone who asks. I enjoy feeling like I’m a productive part of our big family.

  Speaking of our big family, just about everyone is here in the dining room, cleaning up after the amazing dinner Maddie made. Tonight was Vren cordon bleu with pearled hespers—delish.

  The guys are moving tables and setting up for us to break into two groups for our game of charades. Shadow’s picking up a long table single-handedly, showing off his muscles for Petra, although I don’t know why. The way she looks at him, like he hung the moon, leaves no doubt that she’s crazy-in-love with him.

  Blue Dr. Drayke and Nova have finally gotten to the point where they can leave their room and keep their hands off each other for hours at a time. Although you’d never know it by looking at them now. Nova’s on his lap, and he’s feeding her the last bites of dinner. I understand they have a mindlink, and by the looks of it he just shared something so filthy with her she’s blushing a deep shade of crimson.

  Sirius is seldom seen in the company of more than one person at a time, and usually he’s got his back safely against a wall. However tonight the siren song of chocolate cake has lured him away from the edges of the room. To look at him you’d never know how emaciated he was only a month ago. Whatever the Feds did to his genes, he definitely looks strong and healthy now.

  Axx and Braxx convinced Zar to give him a cabin instead of a cell. They’ve kind of adopted him. My guys coaxed him to eat with us a few times, and it’s been surprising to get to know him. I believe he’s the smartest being I’ve ever met. And kind. I don’t know how someone who’s been beaten and abused his whole life can be so full of compassion. All I know is he saved Axx’s life, and for that, I’ll always be in his debt.

  Zar’s got his ubiquitous pad with him, he probably has a few announcements he wants to share. Raised a slave all his life, he takes everything very seriously, which is good because he’s in charge of keeping us all alive. I love watching him and his “beloved Anya” as he calls her. They look at each other the way I always yearned for.

  And speaking of yearning, here come my guys. They left after dinner and I wondered if there was a surprise in store for me. They must have gone to our room to change, because look at them, striding in wearing their sexy black leather gladiator togs.

  Honestly, I don’t know why they bother, they don’t have to try to impress me. They could be wearing rags and I’d still want to jump their bones.

  “Hey handsomes,” I say as I hurry to greet them. “You guys look terrific.”

  “And you look beautiful as always, Brie,” Axx tells me, his eyes openly full of love.

  “Your flattery is great, but don’t think for a minute you’re going to escape your punishment,” Braxx scolds me.

  “But I didn’t earn any punishments today,” I protest.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll think of something.” Braxx winks at me with a lascivious grin.

  “I can’t wait,” I say with a smile, although we’ve got all the time in the galaxy.

  The End

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed reading Axxios and Braxxus as much as I loved writing it. I’m sure you’re wondering about intriguing Sirius the dog-man. Is he going to get his own book? Heck yes!

  Sirius will be the next book in the Galaxy Gladiator series. How could you not love this guy? His character arc of growth and change is going to be sexy, exciting, and totally unexpected. The first chapter of his book isn’t quite ready for prime time, but I’ll be posting it soon in my Free Newsletter—so sign up here.

  If you read book Four in the Galaxy Gladiators Series, Devolose, you might be wondering if you’ll see more of the hunky pirates. I’ve enclosed a SNEAK PEEK for you, it will be the first book in the Galaxy Pirates spinoff series: Sextus. With a name like that how could anything go wrong?

  I’m planning a lot of new content and giveaways in my free newsletter, so here’s the link to sign up. The free content right now is a complete novelette of Shadow’s tragic and sexy backstory: Terminus.

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  Alana

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  Galaxy Pirates

  Book One

  Sextus

  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 small 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’m certain it’s no accident he caught me in here alone.

  “Oh, thank God. When can Captain Thantose get us there?” Relief floods every cell in my body. I feel 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 usually 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, then deliver his cargo later.”

  “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. 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 eyes narrow, I think I know what’s coming next.

  “I paid good credits to my cousin, who works for the MarZan cartel. 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 has the ability to 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 where 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 be savoring 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 still 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? They would be locked up by your military and studied? 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 move out of earshot I hear, “Not just sexual services, I was hoping you 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 here. I throw myself on my bed 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, try to 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 chose to stay on 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 the coordinates of Earth except for the MarZan cartel which apparently 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 walking the Appalachian Trail and getting lost, but my plausible deniability is about to expire.

  Sextus is right. I don’t have an extra fourteen days to get home. If I wait much longer, when I do 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.

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

  I was home-schooled and earned my high school diploma at sixteen. After 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 to get my degree. 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.

  Several hours later, Carrie asks if I want dinner, but I have no appetite. I just watch the clock, 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’ 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 get to 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 was going to do it. I just wasn’t ready to admit it to myself.

  It’s ten to midnight. Carrie’s been sleeping 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 knock lightly 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 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. 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 rapidly
leaping in my throat.

  “Good. I knew the day I met you that 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 hurting anyone’s feelings. Neither do I. Seems like both of us follow the philosophy: take care of yourself and damn everyone else. 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.”