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Hadrian

I’m still pen up with rage. Fucking Allie turns me into abeast. Even after sating myself deep inside her perfect cunt, I still want more of her. I canfeelthe Bond throbbing between us – stronger now even than before.

It means she’s not yet seeded with my son. Shewillbear them for me – an army of strong, powerful Aurelians who’ll lead my race to greatness. No longer will we die out. No longer will we make imperfect copies of ourselves in the cryo-chambers. Allie is our future – our meaning, our purpose, and our everything.

We have been dishonored – but our many sons will not bear our shame.

All I have to do is get Allie out of The Rhino safely. I pray her sister is in the ranks of the girls we’re about to see – but, either way, we’re getting Allie off this planet soon enough; in a fresh, fully functioning Reaver. We’ll be getting away from the Aurelian Empire entirely, including the Law Enforcement agents who will soon be on our heels.

Torelli leads us off the stage and down a darkened hallway. At the end of it, he throws open a door to another room – where droves of women are gathered, all offering themselves to us.

There are at least a hundred women gathered here, each in a various state of undress. None have their breasts covered. However, I feel nothing…

Torelli might as well be showing me a collection of couches or tables to choose from – not nubile, fertile female flesh.

But while these women would have been beautiful to me a month ago, that was before I’d ever received the case file for Allie. That was before I’d seen her in the flesh.

Before I’d sunk my cock deep inside of her – and become Bonded to her for eternity.

Now, now other woman catches my eye. None. Only Allie holds any interest to me.

It takes only a moment to scan every face in this room, and to confirm that her sister isn’t here.

I feel the raw, angry disappointment surging through the Bond from Allie. Her hopes have been dashed.

I know she’ll never feel whole again – not until she finds the truth of what happened to her sister. I’ll do whatever I can to heal her of that trauma – to find any and all traces of where her sister might have been taken, and what ultimately happened to her.

Daccia sweeps his head left and right, pretending to be interested.

“This is a good crop,” he tells Torelli, “but when I said ‘serious business’, I meantseriousbusiness. I don't want to buy just a few girls."

Torelli's eyes narrow, but he isn't nervous. I know he has countless hidden weapons and guns all over this place.

No, he’s plotting.

"Go on," the Aurelian says – but it’s obvious he's not happy. He’s gone from thinking we were Aurelian agents to thinking we were going to buy a whole crop of women. Now, he doesn’t knowwhatto think.

"I want to get involved in the trade,” Daccia murmurs. “I hear you can make a fortune working with the pirate crews.” He turns to Torelli. “We want to join your existing outfits. How much can you make per head?"

Torelli’s eyes widen as he considers the question.

"First,” he eventually growls, “you come in here saying you want tobuygirls. Now you're saying you want tosellthem. Which is it?"

Daccia shrugs. "I'll be honest – these are all fine-looking women, but none of them do it forme. I have a...type.” He gestures towards me and Kitos. “…as do my triad. We're specifically looking for girls who look just likeher."

Then Daccia motions towards Allie.

"If you don't have any, we're going to have to find some more. But what would we do with all the others? I'd rather have an outlet for sale – so we can move the merchandise we don’t want. Girls, and men – even labor workers for the mines and factories."

"Alright,” Torelli nods. “I understand what you mean. We can talk specifics in my office."

Daccia laughs. "…and here’s a racket we’ve been thinking of getting into…” He rubs his hands together, as if scheming. “When we acquire new merchandise – from raids, or kidnappings, I know you’re not squeamish – we have an idea of trying to get even more money by offering them up for ransom. We’ll offer their safe return to their families and loved ones for ten times the standard rate – and watch those poor cretins go crazy trying to acquire all that money. Then, even if they do pay, we’ll sell them anyway.”

Finally, like a poker player revealing his Royal Flush, Daccia turns to Torelli and boldly states:

“I mean, that's how you guys work, right?"