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If news of our deeds were ever brought to the light of justice, my battle-brothers and I would be stripped of our ranks – loyal to the Empire or not.

We’d lose the promised estates on our home world of Colossus. We’d be thrown into jail for hundreds of years for the crimes we’ve committed…

…and, if we were ever finally released, we’d then be cast out of the Empire.

We live in dark and desperate times. They require dark and desperate measures.

However, there are some means that are never justified, even by the ends.

So far, there’s only one rule of Aurelian law we haven’t yet broken – that of a crime so vile we’d be put on the Kill List and executed on sight if we ever crossed that final line.

We might have kidnapped Natali Carani. We might have imprisoned her against her will, to use as leverage against her father. We might be acting more like a Toad cartel than honorable Aurelian Warriors…

…but we have at least not taken Natali by force – no matter how much her scent calls out to us.

But call it does. I cantasteher scent – even though she’s tried to disguise it with peppermint-flavored lotion, and conceal her body in that ridiculous, makeshift outfit.

Natali is trembling, because she herself doesn’t quite understand what she wants.

If you asked her, she’d deny it – but I know Nataliachesfor me.

She aches for me to throw her over my lap and bring my hand down hard on her soft buttocks, again and again. She aches for the crack of flesh on flesh – that brutal discipline she got only a taste of from Brennan the day before.

Natali aches for me to pull up her little makeshift dress up and expose her skin to my battle-brothers. She aches for me to hold her helpless, as I press her tightly against my lap.

My cock surges just at the thought of it – hardening in response to her clear and obvious need.

Natali is balanced on the same knife edge as I am – as Lazar and Brennan are – and I know that if I’m the one to deliver her punishment, I’ll lose everything.

Brennan. I can’t do it.

I telepath my words to him, and feel Brenna’s aura flare in annoyance.

This is unlike our leader. He used to be calm and level-headed – as cold as ice, until Natali entered our lives so unexpectedly.

His lips curl up in a sneer as he processes my thoughts. Our leader responds:

She needs to be taught.

I shake my head again.

I’ll snap if I do it. I’ll lose control.

Brennan turns and steps closer to me.

We stare at each other, warrior to warrior – and as our eyes meet, his visage changes.

Suddenly, the cruelty I saw in Brennan’s eyes disappears.

He wrestled himself back to his old-self – a leader.

“No,” Brennan stares at me. “No, you willnotlose control. You will teach her. You’ll teach her twice. First, by action – so she learns she must never attempt to escape our protection again. Then, by example. You will keep control – and you will demonstrate that we are not animals; that our word is true, and our promise to protect her is a vow we’ll die to honor. Understood?”

Brennan’s voice is firm – but I can’t respond. My mind is racing.

Brennan detects that uncertainty through our Bond, and takes a step closer – demanding:

“Do you remember early in our years of service, when our Reaver was split off from the fleet?”