Surrendered Read online

  “I…I am perfectly fine,” he said at last, in a strangled voice.

  “No…” Neh’sa sighed regretfully and allowed her hand to trail down to rest on one lean, muscular hip. Gods, he truly was a beautiful specimen! It was too bad he was too damaged to work with. “No, I’m afraid you’re not.”

  “You…you can’t know that. You just met me.”

  His deep voice had a husky, strangled sound to it and when Neh’sa allowed her eyes to drift down, she saw why.

  Though Lady Fauntleroy’s stroking and fondling of his shaft had failed to arouse the Kindred slave, her own light touch seemed to have had some effect. More than some, actually—his shaft was now fully erect. It rose from between his muscular thighs like a club of flesh, the broad head angry and red and tipped with a clear droplet of his desire.

  Neh’sa had the sudden urge to dip her head and lap away the small pearl of need she saw beading at the slit of his cock. It was an impulse she might have given way to if she owned a slave, though very rarely. But she would never let such an impulse carry her away with one she hadn’t even bid on.

  And I’m not going to bid on him either, she told herself firmly. There was something about the big Kindred—something that got under her skin in a way she couldn’t explain. Standing this close to him, she could smell a warm, spicy male musk that must be his natural scent. It was heady—intoxicating in a way that seemed somehow dangerous.

  Time to get away.

  Reluctantly, she let her hand drop from his hip and stepped back from him. She turned to descend the steps and leave the stage.

  “Wait!” His deep voice called her back. “Why would you talk that way to me? Why would you say…say what you said?”

  Neh’sa turned to face him once more.

  “I’m just telling you why I can’t buy you,” she said simply. “Why I can’t train you, as much as I’d like to. I need a whole slave—one who wants with all his heart to serve his Mistress. Not a rebellious one with a troubled past. I’m sorry.”

  “But—” he began, his eyes widening.

  “I’m sorry,” Neh’sa repeated “I don’t have the time or the means to heal you.”

  Not for you—he’s not for you, she told herself firmly. She simply couldn’t take the giant Kindred slave—he was too hurt inside—too damaged.

  Though it tore at her heart to do it, she turned and walked away.

  Chapter Two

  Thorn couldn’t understand her effect on him. What was it about her touch that had awaked the fire inside him?

  And for him, that wasn’t just a romantic phrase or a euphemism for desire. Being half Enfuego—or Pyro as his people called themselves—he literally had a fire inside him—one he had worked for years to smother.

  He hadn’t had a flame-up in more years than he cared to count now. Even under the direst torture or the most blatant seduction, he was able to remain hard and cold—impervious to both pain and desire.

  But now…

  With just a touch of her hand she woke me.

  He looked down at himself, at the hard shaft throbbing between his thighs. When was the last time a female had had such an effect on him?

  Never, Thorn thought. Indeed, he worked hard to keep his libido in check—it, like all strong emotions, was tied inextricably to the fire inside which meant it was dangerous to allow himself to become too aroused. Though he was able to rouse himself to perform with a female if the situation called for it, he was also able to hold that part of himself back—the dangerous part—the deadly part. The last time it had gotten loose…

  No! Thorn pushed the old, bad memory away. There was no point in rehashing the past—there was no way to change it and anyway, he had to concentrate on his future and the future of the entire Kindred race.

  And right now that future was literally walking away.

  If Lady Neh’sanna didn’t buy him, he would never gain access to the Library of All Knowledge and if he didn’t gain access, he would never get the all-important information on how to defeat the Hive.

  Realization hit him—he had completely misplayed this situation. He’d believed that she would be attracted to a challenge—a disobedient slave she could whip and punish to her heart’s content. But that wasn’t what Neh’sanna wanted at all.

  “I’m sorry,” she’d said. “I don’t have the time or the means to heal you.”

  Which was ridiculous, of course—he didn’t need healing. There was nothing broken about him—she’d only thought so because she’d seen the marks of the fire whip on his back. And as he had told her, pain didn’t bother him. Hell, he practically endured torture for a living—it was part of the job when you worked in espionage.

  You know what’s a bigger part of the job? whispered a little voice in his head. Getting into position to do what needs to be done in the first place. And right now you’re fucking that up royally.

  He wondered if the diminutive Mistress would choose another slave instead of him but she didn’t even glance at the rest of the males on display. Instead, she headed for the exit door of the auction hall, pushed through it and was gone.

  If he didn’t do something quickly, his chance of getting into the Library of All Knowledge was going to be gone with her.

  Quickly, he descended the steps, leaving the auction stage.

  “Wait! Stop, slave!” one of the auction attendants called, seeing him go. “You are not free to leave until the bidding is complete.”

  Thorn didn’t bother to answer. Though he still had his hands tied behind his back with the reinforced leather-steel bands, he was by no means helpless. When a guard tried to stop him, he kicked out, catching the male in the throat with the heel of one bare foot. The guard crumpled in a heap to the ground but Thorn barely saw him. All he knew was that he had to get to Lady Neh’sanna and change her mind before it was too late.

  * * * * *

  Neh’sa felt her eyes sting with tears for some reason as she left the auction. Why had the big Kindred affected her so strongly? Why did she wish even now that she could go back and bid on him?

  Maybe it was his pain that called to her. Neh’sa wasn’t full blooded Yonnite any more than he was full blooded Kindred. Her mother’s people had come from Lylas, a planet in the Trilba system. Due to a chemical in the atmosphere there, the population were extremely empathetic, feeling the emotions of others keenly.

  Neh’sa was only part Lylasian so she didn’t feel as much as a true native of the Empath Planet, or the Feeler and Healer world, as it was sometimes called, would have. But she felt enough to perceive and sometimes to heal the pain of others—it was part of what made her a good Mistress. And there was so much pain inside the big Kindred—some of it fresh but most of it buried under layers of self-concealment.

  It would take immense strength to face such pain, to unearth it and work through it in order to become a good submissive. And though the Kindred slave had been massive and physically strong, Neh’sa didn’t think he had the kind of inner strength needed to face that deep turmoil—almost no one would have.

  The unexpected tears made her vision blurry and she wobbled on her six inch heels. They made an excellent showing in the auction room but they weren’t so good for the diamond-cut razor gravel strewed in the parking area.

  The gravel was supposed to deter thieves, though apparently it hadn’t worked—one of the attendants had confided to her that some of the precious Druvian E’lo stones had been stolen just before the auction.

  At any rate, she needed to be careful—a fall into the ultra-sharp gravel would mean some nasty lacerations. The demonically sharp rocks would cut right through clothing and flesh to flay anyone unlucky enough to land on them to the bone.

  Frowning, Neh’sa looked for her small but luxuriously appointed ship. Where had her driver-droid parked it? Most Mistresses on Yonnie Six kept several body-slaves at a time and used one as a pilot but Neh’sa preferred to have just one slave and devote her time completely to proper training. Anyone could hire