“If you refuse to fight, then maybe another Earth woman can be made to fight,” Gulnark said, smirking. “Perhaps the light-haired one.”
Jorja knew he meant Greta. “You bastard! I’ll kick your ass all over again!” She lunged at him, but Keltar hauled her back by her arm. The father and Keltar laughed when Gulnark shrunk back. His face darkened over the embarrassment.
Jorja turned and tried to knock the man’s grip loose, but he parried her blows easily. “You have strength, speed. It will be a pleasure to ready you.”
“Do you think she’ll be ready by Dulston’s matches?” Gulnark asked.
Keltar shrugged. “Can not say now. Will have to study her. Never heard of a slave fight before.”
“Who will she be matched against?”
“Don’t know. Ask me tomorrow. Now, let me have magic box so I can train her.”
Gulnark reluctantly handed it over. “You take good care of that. It’s worth many quitnums.”
Keltar just nodded, snapped his leash onto Jorja’s collar and dragged her out. As much as she wanted to be away from the old man and his son, she was more afraid of this brooding, taciturn trainer.
Once they were outside, he surprised her by smiling at her. “If what villagers say is true, we make good profit.”
Escorting her to the cart, she was further amazed to be allowed to ride up front. “I didn’t think slaves rode up here,” she commented.
“They do not. Will make villagers talk. They know who I am. They will wonder about you.”
Jorja couldn’t help but laugh. “In our country, it would be called marketing.”’
The joke was lost on Keltar. “I did not see what you did to Gulnark, and I am sorry I missed it. That boy needed a lesson. To have a slave beat him up!” He guffawed loudly.
“You don’t like him?”
“No. He is braggart. His father is village elder, so son does what he please. No good.”
Jorja smiled. Finally! Someone who agreed with her. “Why is he making me fight stranger? Why not try to fight me himself?”
Keltar laughed again. “Good point! I think he is afraid of you. He is already embarrassed. Can not bear to lose twice, so he calls for substitute. But I think I know his strategy. He will bet on you to lose, and hope you win.”
Jorja was confused. “I don’t understand.”
“If you win, it will show village that he is not weak, that good fighter could not beat you. If you lose, he makes profit.”
Ahh, she thought. That makes sense. These people loved a profit. “The way women are treated in this village, it’s a wonder anyone will bet on me to win.”
“True. But many people watched your fight with the boy. Even now, word is going from house to house. By the time match comes up, you could be big hero, very strong fighter.”
“What if I bet on myself to win—can I win my freedom back, along with the other women of my tribe?
“Maybe. If you had a man to make bids for you. If a man make enough money on match.” He slapped the reins on the donkey’s back. “For now, I want to see what magic you have in arena.”
Chapter 24
Allyson strained against her ropes, cursing and struggling. The coarse hemp cut into her wrists and ankles. She screamed into the gag covering her mouth. She had been forced by the huge man over this padded sawhorse-like structure that he set up in the hotel lobby, her arms and legs tied to the supports. She was mortified to be bent over and spread out like this, her ass and cleft exposed to any visitors who came in.
Apparently, she was some sort of perk for the man’s guests. He was retaliating for her obstinate refusal to do her chores in a matter befitting a slave. The starship commander would rather die than clean latrines and sweep courtyards. However, this indignity was far worse.
Fortunately for Ally, business was slow this time of day. So far, only one man had checked in, two slaves in tow, and he was too tired to partake of the manager’s kind invitation to relieve his stress with the bound woman. Instead, he merely spanked her sharply a few times on her bare ass and let it go at that. The hotel owner laughed at her discomfort as she squirmed under the man’s blows.
So she was still waiting for her first real “customer” when Niktus walked in with Beth mid-afternoon. Beth gasped when she saw her commander. “Oh my god, Commander Egerton! Hang on, I’ll try to get you out of there.”
She whispered a few words to Niktus, holding the Ute close so the brooding hotel manager couldn’t hear. Niktus nodded and said, “I will speak to him.”
They approached the desk. “Greetings, Pitus! How is business?”
“Good, Niktus, good. I see you are out with your slave today—I hope she is more obedient than mine! What a difficult slave!”
“Yes. But let me tell you, Pitus, these slaves are very unusual. I can see you are trying to discipline her, I just hope you do not ruin her value while you do it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you not hear about the big one they captured and sold to Dolnark?”
“Yes, I did hear that. She attacked his son—most distressing.”
“That is my point. Where have you heard of a slave attacking a man—not only that, but knocking him to the ground twice!”
“It is odd. I heard Dolnark has given her to Keltar to train for a jamkalut in two suns time.”
“It is true. She and one of Keltar’s fighters will match before the big Klasdor-Ripatus fight to warm up the crowd. I hear she is good fighter.”
He snorted. “I will have to see.”
“This woman is from same tribe,” Niktus said, pointing at the bent-over Ally. “They are not easily tamed. I do not think they would make good hotel slaves.”
“I paid good money for her, I use her as I see fit.”
“Of course.” Niktus stepped close and allowed his hand to rest on Ally’s naked ass. She flinched, as if trying to get away. He stroked her as he continued to speak to Pitus. “But as you yourself have seen, these are exotic creatures, not at all like the hairy slaves we are used to.”
He rubbed his hands over her, letting his fingers stray into her cleft, drawing juices from her against her will. A groan slipped from her lips into her gag. “Yes, they are highly sexual women—I can tell you from my own experience with my slave here.” Beth blushed. “But they have many more qualities that you have not been able to determine.”
His fingers worked into her slit, finding her clit and rubbing it gently. Ally couldn’t help but be aroused. She told herself it was because she hadn’t had sex in several months, but she knew being exposed here like this was incredibly erotic, despite—or maybe because of—her acute embarrassment.
Pitus moved closer as well in order to observe the heated woman writhe against her bonds. Beth was embarrassed, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the scene. She was grateful that Ally couldn’t see her from her bent-over position.
Niktus’s fingers were soon coated in Ally’s juices. Pitus sniffed at the pungent odor and made some comment Beth didn’t catch. Both men laughed. Niktus pulled away and tasted his fingertips. Pitus dipped a finger in as well for a taste. Beth could see both men were becoming aroused—their loincloths stretched against their erections. Niktus returned his hand to Ally’s cleft and continued to rub her.
Ally, a prisoner of her own body’s arousal, wanted Niktus to stop—and she wanted him to continue. She was embarrassed, she was turned on. Her clit thrummed with need. His fingers felt so good, so good. Yes, that’s it, please, please…
Suddenly, she spasmed and groaned softly, as if she was trying to hide her climax, though it was obvious to all.
“You can see how responsive she is and you tie her up like a common slave. Of course, I cannot blame you for not knowing. How could you? You cannot even talk to her.”
Niktus segwayed cleanly into his sales pitch, taking the Ute from Beth and turning up the volume so the man could hear. Pitus jerked back when it spoke in a strange language, but when Beth spoke a few words and it translated for her, he began to see the possibilities.