G'baena's Pirates [Sequel to Tee-ani's Pirates] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  Sequel to Tee-ani’s Pirates

  G’baena’s Pirates

  Rescued from slavery, G'baena finds life among humans surprisingly satisfying. She's building a new life for herself and happily falling in love with Devlin, but the unexpected arrival of Kam, a man from her past, complicates her bright future.

  Kam's twin brother died a few months ago. According to G'trobian law, that makes Kam dead also, so now he roams space trying to survive in any way possible. Discovering G'baena alive was the last thing he expected.

  Devlin finds himself struggling with jealousy and an unexpected attraction, but keeping G’baena and Kam safe while rescuing G’baena’s mother and sisters, protecting the pirate ship’s crew from attack, and infiltrating the slave trade may just prove more difficult than anyone ever expected.

  G’baena, Kam and Devlin are willing to try love the G’trobian way--with a twist--but can their fledgling relationship survive confusion, a traitor, and an intergalactic conspiracy?

  Genre: Futuristic, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Science Fiction

  Length: 50,710 words

  G’BAENA’S PIRATES

  Sequel to Tee-ani’s Pirates

  Rachel Clark

  MENAGE AMOUR

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

  G’BAENA’S PIRATES

  Copyright © 2010 by Rachel Clark

  E-book ISBN: 1-61034-095-7

  First E-book Publication: December 2010

  Cover design by Jinger Heaston

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter from Rachel Clark

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  Dear Readers,

  Please don't participate in ebook piracy. If you see SirenBookstrand books uploaded illegally to sharing websites please report it to [email protected]

  Very simply - downloading stolen books is theft. No matter what excuse they use, no matter how they try to justify it, no matter what they tell themselves to salve their consciences it is still stealing.

  Like so many other authors, I find having my hard earned income stolen, before I can even earn it, extremely distressing and many days it makes it very difficult to write. Please don't let thieves damage the quality of the books you love. Please help us stop epiracy.

  With deep gratitude,

  Rachel Clark

  DEDICATION

  For my Mum

  G’BAENA’S PIRATES

  Sequel to Tee-ani’s Pirates

  RACHEL CLARK

  Copyright © 2010

  Prologue

  Several Earth years ago…

  G’baena surreptitiously glanced around the small waiting area, trying to hide the panic welling inside her. She didn’t want to be here, wanted to be anywhere but here, but her fathers had told her it was her duty. Since she’d been old enough to remember, she’d known that once she’d lived twenty-four cycles she would be mated to the crown princes of G’trobia. But to do that, she apparently required training.

  She’d never met G’Bende-anrali or G’Beydeatrey, but her mother had given her pictures, and G’baena had secretly wondered what all the fuss was about. True, they were very handsome, but in the pictures they seemed restless, like they’d rather be anywhere but standing there getting their image taken.

  Today, she could really relate to that feeling.

  “So, this is G’baena.” The voice was cool, clipped, very professional, but she cringed just the same. The man stood in front of her, towering over her with his height, looking at her like a jeweler would look at a gem—checking for flaws, checking for faults.

  He spun his finger in the air, and it took her a moment—and her father’s growl—before she realized the man meant for her to turn around. Like the dutiful daughter she was, she turned and faced away from the man.

  “Her shape seems acceptable. Is she obedient?”

  G’baena tried not to react to the conversation going on around her. Even though her mother had explained it to her on many, many occasions, she still felt very uncomfortable being spoken about as if she wasn’t in the room. She heard her father’s fawning reply and wanted to cry. Of course she was obedient. She’d learned very early the punishment for not listening or not reacting quickly enough.

  “We will train her, but understand this: If she fails the concubine training, a report will be sent to the palace, and the planned union will be rejected.”

  G’baena tried not to shiver. She had no idea what concubine training entailed, but her fathers had told her that a true mate of G’trobian princes did as she was told without question, and that she would have to work hard to learn everything these men would teach her. At least by being here, she would be free of both of her fathers’ ire, but she worried that the people here just may be worse. Having two fathers, both with extremely short tempers, had made life very unpleasant, but she knew things could be much worse. Her cousin, G’binya, was proof of that.

  “Not a problem,” her father said. “You will find that she is not only compliant, but that she learns very quickly. I have made certain of that myself.” Again, G’baena tried to hide her reaction, but the man aggressively turned to her father, his eyes studying the chubby face intently.

  “Is she a virgin?” he growled in a menacing tone.

  “Of course,” her father said quickly, seeming to shake his head in denial of a question the man didn’t ask.

  “You can leave now,” the man said to her father pointedly. Her father turned and left the room without looking at her, and strangely, despite this man’s hostility, she felt nothing but relief to see her father go. The man stepped forward, put his hand under her chin, and tilted her face up so that she looked him directly in the eye. She’d never made direct eye contact with a man other than her fathers, and her mind screamed at her to lower her
face. The man held her still even as she began to wriggle in fright.

  “That’s what worries me, little one,” he said quietly. “He taught you fear, not obedience. Here, you will learn to actually want to please your mates, not to fear them.” She stilled as his hand held her chin tighter. “I can teach you.”

  Something warm slithered through her veins, something foreign, almost akin to happiness. He held her gaze as he lowered his head and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. “Do not fear me, sweet G’baena. We will teach you how to please your mates.” G’baena felt her knees weaken at the kindness the man showed her. All her life she’d been treated like an object, like a possession, but here was a man treating her like a person.

  “Take your clothes off.” When she hesitated, he quietly repeated the order. “Take your clothes off. Your first lesson begins now.” Wanting very much to please him, she did as he instructed. When he put slight pressure on her shoulders, she fell to her knees in front of him. “Good girl,” he said, sending a myriad of unfamiliar emotions straight through her heart.

  Chapter One

  Devlin watched the young male slave rummaging through the clothing in the slave owners’ quarters. He knew the man wouldn’t find anything because they were all just props in an elaborate deception.

  The young male Pendarian had been a gift from Keytark, a notorious slave trader in this sector, and Ben and Trey believed the slave had been sent as a spy. Considering that Ben and Trey weren’t actually slave traders, it was important to figure out if the young man was a danger to the crew of this ship or not. Sadly, the deception was the only way to be certain either way.

  Their plan had seemed like a good idea at the time, and they all knew it was necessary, but right now, Devlin wished they could’ve handled it very differently. Even without the benefit of the empathic skills of some of his shipmates, he could tell that the young man was very frightened. He literally ran the length of the room, searching everything, seeking something only he knew.

  “I’ve felt his terror very strongly since Tee-ani, Ben and Trey’s little performance,” G’ntriel said as she walked into the room they’d set up as a temporary surveillance area. “He is very close to full-on panic.”

  Devlin nodded in agreement, and they both turned to Jordan, the ship’s captain.

  “We need to be certain,” he said, shaking his head. Only someone who knew him as well as Devlin did would have noticed the muscle ticking in his jaw. Jordan wasn’t any happier about this than Devlin and G’ntriel.

  They watched the screen carefully as Trey came back into the room with G’baena in tow. Sarah had done an amazing job making G’baena look like she’d been beaten, but Devlin couldn’t help but be reminded of the condition of the human women they’d rescued from a slave ship so many months ago. He closed his eyes for a moment in an effort to erase the sickening images.

  The young slave jumped when the door slid open, but Devlin half smiled at the way the youth managed to cover his search by grabbing the nearest piece of clothing and folding it as if it had been his intention all along.

  When Trey turned his back on the young man, Devlin, Jordan, and G’ntriel could clearly see the fury written all over the slave’s face. For a moment, Devlin had the ridiculous idea to warn Trey to watch his back. Trey outweighed the young man more than twice and had been a pirate on this ship for several years, so he was more than capable of defending himself from an underfed slave. And besides, Trey was empathic and most likely feeling all of the man’s emotions more clearly than those watching on the surveillance.

  Trey cuffed G’baena to the side of the bed and very loudly ordered her to stay on the floor beside it. She cringed in realistic fear as he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back sharply.

  “The only reason you aren’t tied to the bed and being fucked right now is that the doctor said I shouldn’t. Give me one fucking reason and I swear I will forget his recommendations.”

  G’baena closed her eyes as tears leaked under the lids and ran down her face. Trey released her with a sound of disgust and stepped back. He glared at her a moment longer and then turned his attention to the male slave.

  “Make yourself useful, or we will sell you at the next docking port.”

  The young man nodded once and then backed away towards the food area as Trey walked to the doorway, punched in a code, and left.

  Devlin knew that in Keytark’s palace, slaves weren’t allowed to talk to other slaves, but he wondered if the young man would ignore this rule. He seemed very distressed by G’baena’s supposed injuries. He glanced back at the door, his fear and anger palpable even through the video feed.

  “Are you all right?” he asked G’baena quietly.

  She cringed lower, neither answering him nor turning around. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, and Devlin could clearly see her trying to hold in the sobs that wracked her body. He glanced at G’ntriel, and she gave him a small but reassuring smile.

  “She feels both the slave’s emotions…and Trey’s.”

  * * * *

  G’baena barely held back the sobs. She’d felt Trey’s distress and disgust at having to act like a heartless slave trader, and it had shaken her to the core. For so many years, she’d believed him and his brother to be spoiled, selfish royalty when they’d actually been so much more. Their relationship with Tee-ani had been a really pleasant surprise, and she felt truly glad for all three that it seemed to be working.

  “Are you all right?” The words came from behind her, the voice hesitant and unsure.

  She knew from her time as a slave that to speak to one another attracted a terrible punishment, so this slave was either taking a big risk to check on her well-being or setting her up so that he could determine whether Ben and Trey were on the level.

  She curled into herself, feigning fear and embarrassment as she tried to sense the man’s emotions and determine his intent.

  The man stood there a moment, breathing heavily before shuffling away. Tears filled G’baena’s eyes when her empathic senses confirmed his anguish was both raw and genuine. Whatever the reason Keytark had for sending this young man with them, one thing was very clear—this slave was as much a victim of Keytark’s cruelty as the rest of them.

  G’baena knew she should stay undercover, knew that she needed to be one hundred percent sure before she gave any hint of the true nature of her mission, but her heart wouldn’t let her leave this man in such agony.

  “Please, don’t go,” she whispered.

  The man turned back to her, his movements hesitant.

  “Do you have a name?” he asked quietly.

  “G’baena.”

  “You’re injured. Can I do anything to help you?” As the man spoke, he moved closer to her, and G’baena felt certain he was trying to determine what her injuries were and how best to help her.

  She shook her head, uncertain exactly what to do now. She didn’t want to continue with the charade, but a small doubt of her own empathic abilities remained. She’d spent almost her entire life trying to shut down the ability so that she wouldn’t feel the fear and misery around her, but now, when she actually wanted to use the skill, she wasn’t entirely sure of its accuracy.

  “Are you a spy for Keytark?” It was the first question to come to mind, and the moment she asked it, she wished she could bite it back. She hung her head lower, her confidence fleeing as she worried what Jordan and Devlin might be thinking as they watched her on the surveillance equipment. Goddess, she was really messing this up.

  “Yes,” he answered slowly, “but I have no intention of reporting back to him. We need to find a way out of here. I think from what the man said that we are on a transport ship of some kind. Maybe we can escape when we dock at the next station.”

  G’baena lifted her head to look at the young man willing to risk everything to save her. “Do you have a name?”

  He nodded and tried a small smile. “Del.”

  “Thank you, Del,” she said as she sat up
straighter. “I’m sorry that we needed to put you through this, but I have some news that I think you will welcome.”

  “G’ntriel,” she called loudly. “Can you send someone in so that we can explain to Del what is going on?”

  * * * *

  Devlin saw the moment panic swept through Del’s body. He could guess what the poor man was thinking. What was going on? Had Keytark been testing him? Had this all been an elaborate setup to determine his loyalty? What had he done? His lips moved silently, and Devlin wondered if he prayed to the Pendarian god of mercy, Lukilo.

  Del almost leapt out of his pale blue skin when the door slid open. He watched apprehensively as G’ntriel entered the room.

  “I apologize, Del. The ruse was necessary, but not something we particularly enjoyed. Please understand that you are among friends now and we will not hurt you.”

  Del backed away until he pressed against the wall behind, but neither woman moved toward him, seemingly content to give him space.

  “W…why?” he managed to stutter.

  “Because we needed to know if you were loyal to Keytark. We couldn’t risk the safety and freedom of the other occupants of the ship.”

  “Del,” G’baena said as she undid the bindings that had supposedly held her trapped to the side of the bed. “These people can help us. They came all the way to Keytark’s palace to save me and hopefully disrupt his slave operations.”

  “So what does this mean?” he mumbled, his face paling even further.