Free Battling Rapture by Stormie Kent

another woman
aboard his ship. Ever. Every last one of them was bad luck.
    “Bute Chaeen requests your presence at third meal,” the
guard in the very front of the pack said.
    Rhine was getting tired of Bute Chaeen’s requests .
Unfortunately, his crew was at the mercy of the dictator until they could make
a clean escape. It was time for a little diplomacy, which was normally his job.
He was the Huntu emissary. He handled the delicate situations which his cousin
Venn’s more aggressive nature could or would not.
    Rhine stared the beast-man in the eye. “Lead the way.”
    They followed. It would be normal for Niki to walk behind
him, but he couldn’t make himself tell her to do so. He held her arm and kept
her where he could see, smell and touch her.
    The hall was even more boisterous, and crowded than earlier.
High tables edged the room facing Bute Chaeen’s throne and table. Food and
ornate candelabras crowded each surface. They were led to an empty spot. A
humanoid female with the burnished red skin and long black hair of the Rary
people stood near. She was small and most of her body was bared by a
transparent red draped dress. He noticed the swirling slave brand on her wrist.
    “I will take your slave so she may bring drinks to your
table,” the Rarian said.
    Rhine narrowed his eyes at the woman. “No. Send another
servant.”
    He waved her away. He sat and pulled Niki down on his lap so
she straddled his left leg. She sat stiffly, but did not fight him. Rhine
watched the Rary woman speak to a guard. The guard walked toward Bute Chaeen
and spoke with him.
    The dictator clapped and the hall fell quiet. “Sir Rhine, I
understand your slave does not serve.”
    Rhine allowed the corners of his mouth to turn up in a
parody of a smile. “She has a specific purpose. She is solely to see to my pleasure. She does not fetch. She does not carry. She is to satisfy all of my
senses. That is all.”
    Rhine picked up an ers fruit from the table and
placed it in her hand. “Eat,” he said quietly.
    She lifted the fruit and took a bite. Her feelings were all
over the place. He felt anger and contempt swirling within her. What stabbed
him in the gut was the shame and sadness. He squeezed her waist. After a
moment, she tightened her thighs around his leg and released.
    Bute Chaeen continued to stare thoughtfully. “This is a
different concept. So she is your own personal fuckable art?”
    Niki gasped and Rhine vowed one day Bute Chaeen would die by
his hands. “If you like,” Rhine replied.
    Various slave women of different species walked to the
dictator, distracting him from his failed attempts at philosophy. Chatter
filled the room once more.
    Rhine leaned closer to Niki’s ear. “Just hold on.”
    “Am I allowed to speak, Sir?” Sarcasm laced her low words.
    “Well, hearing is one of my senses and you are a level one.”
He waited.
    “Wow,” was all she said. She shook her head, but she did
smile slightly.
    “Eat, Niki. We all need our strength.” He whispered the
words against her soft hair.
    Hopefully, to anyone looking, it just appeared he enjoyed
holding and speaking to his exotic. When he was sure she would eat what was
offered, he leaned back and turned to Gunter on his right. Rhine was surprised
his cousin could eat as his eyes never seem to look at the table as he scanned
their surroundings.
    “Anything,” Rhine said to him.
    “Even the servants’ entrance is guarded. We definitely won’t
fight our way out.”
    “Do you think it is guarded all the time? Could we try again
during the night?” Niki asked. He was pleased with her calmness. She kept her
eyes ahead and her voice so low he had to make an effort to hear it.
    “It couldn’t hurt to try,” Gunter replied.
    “How much longer do you all need?” Rhine asked, changing the
subject. They needed the long-range communicator yesterday.
    “We’ll know better tomorrow. Our host still hasn’t let us
know why we’re here,” Gunter said.
    A