Page 4

3

M oargan watched as the stranger with yellow eyes stared at him from where he was huddled behind his bunk. He could practically feel his beating muscle, the sweetest of ambrosias when followed by a good contest. Especially when it was wildly thumping like this one.

Fear.

Helplessness.

Trepidation.

Moargan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Yes, the air was filled with fear, thick and dripping like sweet honey.

The stranger was trembling, his mouth slack.

They appeared to be around the same age, though they didn’t share the same build. He was smaller, slender. He looked innocent, the way the unruly black hair tumbled down his head and curled behind his ear. He had pale, smooth skin that carried soft features.

He was stunning.

But that wasn’t why he’d come down here to play, was it? Moargan inwardly shrugged. Okay, maybe that was part of his reasons. He hadn’t liked the guy standing in his way earlier, only to flush so sweetly before hiding back in the shadows. He’d wanted to see more of him. Had been drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

Moargan didn’t know why. Besides, he didn’t need to have a reason. He was the heir to Helion’s supremacy. He was an Imperial. He could have anything and anyone he wanted. And right now, that was this enticing stranger.

His multi-slate dinged with the information he’d requested, making this stranger not so much of a stranger anymore, his grin widening when he saw the other guy flinch. Moargan took his time to take the other guy in, from head to toe. He sat practically folded in two. “Now that doesn’t look comfortable.”

“H-how did you find me?”

“ Thump. Thump. Thump . I don’t need my sight to sense your presence. Perhaps you should ask yourself why I wanted to find you?”

“D-did the captain say anything?”

Interesting question. Moargan slowly shook his head, making an internal note. “He did not. Xander, is it?”

“Okay.” The stranger swallowed, and Moargan’s gaze became more intense as he watched the way that slender throat bobbed. When he caught Moargan staring, his cheeks blushed. “Uhm, yes, that’s my name. So…then…why did you want to find me? Sir.”

Moargan snorted but didn’t correct him. Funny what that one-syllable word did to his insides.

I bet I can make you run .

Oh, did he love a good Aureate . Moargan wasn’t anything if not true to the name of his heritage. His family were predators, and as the heir to their empire, Moargan took the freedom he was given.

“Trust me, I can think of a few things,” he replied, pressing a finger against his lips as if contemplating his options. “You see, I called for you to tend to my needs. But then you had to go and refuse the honour.” He pressed himself against the bed frame, grinning when he saw Xander cowering away.

Those fascinating, yellow eyes flicked to the door before they swept back to him, unsure.

Moargan leaned his cheek on the smooth wood, looking down. “Oh, you were thinking of running away? While you and I are having a conversation? I must say—” He lowered himself until they were on the same eye level. “Your manners are appalling. It makes me wonder if you’re going to be a right fit for Helion standards.”

Xander’s gaze flinched as if he’d been slapped. “I apologize,” he finally stammered. “I didn’t mean to offend you…sir.” He shuffled closer to the door as he flexed his arms and legs.

Clever.

You definitely are a runner.

Moargan’s eyes zoomed in on Xander’s clenched fist. This was about to get better—the guy was hiding something, and Moargan wanted answers. He opened his multi-slate and quickly tapped out a message to one of the Luminary guards who were outside.

“Yeah, but here’s the problem. You kind of did, little aeon .”

Xander’s extraordinary eyes widened when he watched Moargan lick his jewelled incisors.

He bolted for the door to get out, but it had been locked. He let out a pained growl. “What the—” Xander pushed again.

“They locked the door from the outside.” Slowly catching up with him, Moargan licked at his bottom lip. “I guess it’s just you and me now.”

“No! I mean—” panic set in on Xander’s face. “Please.”

“Please…w hat ?” Moargan took a final step, so close he could see the layer of sweat on Xander’s forehead. He wondered what his skin tasted like on his tongue. Cool, sweet fear intermingled with desperate resistance.

Fuck, he sure hoped this stranger would resist him.

“Please forgive me,” Xander muttered. Then he jumped out of the way and gave Moargan a vicious kick against his knee that made him fly forward and crash against the door. He grunted, taken by surprise at the sudden throb in his forehead. His lip split from the collision, and when he swept his thumb over it, he felt the wetness of his own blood. Licking the iron flavour off his digit, he swirled around, facing a panting Xander. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Xander stammered. “I just want to get out of here. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I…” He started running when Moargan approached him again. There was nowhere to go.

Moargan’s foot kicked out to trip his prey, mind filled with the seductive rattling of Xander’s heartbeat, and he bent over to capture the little liar by the throat and haul him up against the wall.

Xander wheezed, struggling as his breath came in fast pants, hands batting around him as he fought for air Moargan wasn’t giving him.

Moargan was hard. There was nothing better than a good chase in life, and this was a worthy prize. A yellow-eyed treasure with dilated pupils that gave away more than he wanted. “You know what I think?” He pressed a thigh between Xander’s legs, spreading them wider. Xander thrashed in his hold, but he was trapped and running out of breath. Moargan pushed against his thigh and watched in fascination as Xander let out a string of unintelligible words through his ragged breath. “Does that turn you on, little aeon ?”

Xander shook his head violently, desperate for air.

“I think it does. Look at that.” Moargan slid a hand down Xander’s black shirt, feeling firm muscle beneath his fingertips. Teasing the waistband of Xander’s black pants, he let his fingers ghost over his straining crotch. “Already hot and throbbing, beautiful. I bet you’re wet for me.” Xander swallowed, shaking violently .

Moargan smirked. “Such a bad, little liar.”

His long fingers unbuckled the belt around Xander’s black cargo pants and popped open the button. “Look at that.” Xander’s simple, black briefs were tented from his erection, and he shivered as he watched Moargan put his hand inside his pants.

Moargan’s amethyst eyes zoomed in on the long, thick cock as he exposed it slowly, licking his lips when his fingers dipped into the precum that beaded the pink crown. “Already dripping for me, and you are still telling me you don’t like this?”

Xander shook his head but let out a strangled gasp as his cock jolted in Moargan’s hand.

Moargan grinned and brought his hand up lightly tap Xander's nose before painting his own slick arousal over Xander’s trembling lips, then dropped that same hand again until he firmly wrapped it around his cock. “You still want to convince yourself you don’t want it? Hmm?”

Xander shook his head. Such a little liar. His heart was racing, and Moargan picked up his pace, trying to match his strokes with Xander’s heartbeat.

“You should have asked yourself why I wanted to find you.” Halting his movements, he slowly dragged his gaze up until their eyes met. He released some of the pressure around his neck and smirked when Xander panted as he struggled for breath. “I never cease to amaze myself,” he purred against Xander’s hot flesh. Moargan didn’t understand why he was down here either. What had intrigued him, aside from those golden eyes? He felt attracted to this one, but that could hardly be a reason to perform his own little Aureate on a spaceship.

Moargan licked from Xander’s exposed flesh above his collarbone to his earlobe, which he sucked before dropping a wet kiss on the tender skin below.

Xander’s cock twitched in his hand, and Moargan let out another growl, finally breaking the skin with his jeweled incisors. Blood poured into his mouth, the salty taste making his own dick throb inside its confines.

“Stop.” Xander pressed weakly against his chest.

Moargan pulled back, enjoying how Xander watched his bloody lips with horror.

“Stop? Oh no, little aeon , you and I are just getting started.” As if to prove his point, he clenched his fist tighter around Xander’s thick length, tugging his weeping dick until he had him panting and moaning.

“N-no.” As if he is just now realizing what has been happening for the past few minutes, the yellow-eyed beauty pushed against Moargan’s chest. “I am on the clock; I can get fired for this.”

“For pleasing an Imperial Prince? Nah. Promoted, perhaps. But fired, no.” Moargan stroked the other guy’s dick in a tight grip that he knew would make him lose control soon. His tongue was back on Xander’s neck, lapping and nipping as Xander mewled, and he smiled to himself when he felt the other guy’s hips fly off the wall as he started thrusting into his firm hand. “There you go,” he muttered.

“N-no.”

Yes.

Xander let out a loud moan, then his forehead slammed into Moargan’s with a thump. White hot pain shot through his forehead. “Good light!” Moargan barked and pulled back to run a hand across the tender flesh.

“You don’t understand. I didn’t mean to?—”

“Hurt me? Really? I think that’s exactly what you’ve been trying to do. While the only thing I’ve wanted is to bring you pleasure.” Xander pushed himself off the wall and ran for the door.

“Anyone? Please! I locked myself in! Please open the door!” He banged against the metal wall.

“No one will come, little aeon . No one will come for you.” Using his cooling fingertips to cure the ache in his head, Moargan watched Xander start to crumble. “Behind that door, my soldiers are on guard, making sure that no one comes through until I’m finished with you.” He slowly approached behind Xander, who still stood facing the door in a rigid stance. “Besides, that’s for your own protection. If someone were to report you for using violence against an Imperial, you’d be put on trial.” A small smile bloomed on his lips when he saw Xander shiver at those words. “We’d explode your body. Boom. Just like that.”

“Why…me?” Came the soft question. Xander’s pants were still half-unbuckled, ready for Moargan to slide his hand back under the soft material and finish what he’d started. Pressing his chest against Xander’s deflated frame, Moargan crawled his fingers back under the fabric, to where Xander’s cock was still stiff. Even his heartbeat had decreased to a steady beat. Tears rolled down his exposed cheek, to where the earlier bite was turning into a flushed hickey.

“Why not, beautiful? I was bored. Being on a spaceship for hours is no fun.” Looking around the dim room, Moargan scoffed. His hand found a steady rhythm around Xander’s cock. “Although this room won’t do. You can’t properly run from me.”

“R-run?”

“Hmm. I promise you a better game next time.”

Xander’s hips pushed back for more friction, but his voice sounded tight. “There won’t be a next time.”

“Oh, there will be. I promise you. That’s it, little aeon ,” Moargan purred as he slowly jacked him, watching every tremble on the other man’s body. He was close.

“It’s the Axe,” Xander moaned. “It’s the Axe that’s kicking in. It makes me feel so light.”

“Of course it is,” Moargan hummed against his ear, relishing in the soft, puffy responses Xander gave him.

Xander’s breathing stuttered, and his heart rate picked up. And then his desire exploded, leaking ropes of come from his cock. Xander heaved as he freely whimpered, rubbing his ass against Moargan’s cock.

There was something so innocent about him. Something that the Imperial wanted to corrupt, take for himself, study, analyze, and turn inside out.

Once the waves of pleasure finally subdued, Xander stood frozen, one cheek plastered against the door. He blinked with one yellow eye, turning it his way and blinking once more, clearly embarrassed with what just happened.

One order through Moargan’s multi-slate, and the soft click that followed brought them back to the outside world. “Scurry off, little aeon . For now. I can’t wait to see you again. Soon.”

Xander didn’t wait. He yanked the door open and bolted for the stairs.