The Gladiator's Prize (9 page)

“
He is mine!” Logan
growled.

“
You will live the life of
a fugitive for him?” A’rees whispered. “To lose everything you have
spent the last half a decade working for?”

Logan didn’t hesitate before replying,
how could he? The decision had been made last night, no, more than
that, it had been made the moment he’d set eyes on his golden
human.

“
Gladly,” he said.
“Gladly.” And then he tapped the rung of the ladder and allowed it
to lift them both to safety.

Chapter Twelve

Matt did not speak as the
land ship sped them away from the
A’lton
arena. He wrapped his arms
around himself to keep his robes in place and simply watched as the
buildings below them disappeared into the distance. One after the
other they went and Matt was not sorry to see them go. He had come
to
A’lton
with a
mission to complete, but in hindsight it had been a very bad idea.
There were other places he could seek the information he needed,
and though they were dangerous, he was beginning to think they
were
less
dangerous than braving the world that demanded its strongest
men fuck each other into submission.

Oh, he’d known what went
on in the
A’cnal
system and in
Prima
too for that matter. But knowing it and seeing
it…and being part of it…

Matt shuddered and sneaked a glance
across at Logan. The alien had a ledger in hand, and was busy
flicking through information sheets. They must have been written in
Logan’s own language rather than the common tongue because Matt
could not understand them. For minute after minute he watched
information flick across the screen and as he did so he let his
mind go over everything that had happened.

The battle.

The sex.

The escape.

For some reason, and Matt suspected he
knew exactly what that reason was, Logan was risking everything to
help him escape. He had given up his home, his freedom, had stolen
another male’s property…

Because whether Matt
agreed with it or not, by
A’lton
law he
did
belong to Jarv, and the punishment for such
action would be grave indeed.

Logan cursed and dropped the ledger on
his thighs. He clicked the comms panel into life and cursed again.
“The whole planet is talking of us,” he growled. “Probably the
entire system too.”

“
Jarv—” Matt began, but
Logan cut him off.

“
Will not find us. We’re
approaching the port, look.” He gestured to the scene in front of
them. “There’s our ship.”

Matt gritted his teeth as the land
ship swooped down and came to a sudden, and stomach flipping, stop.
Logan jumped out and before Matt could do a thing, came around and
took his hand. “Let’s go.”

The alien walked quickly, his long
legs eating up the distance between them and their ride to freedom.
Matt stumbled to keep up.

“
This port is not
operational,” Matt said, looking around. “There’s no one else
here.”

“
I know,” Logan said. “We
could hardly go to one of the proper ports. Our faces are
everywhere, and A’rees was right about one thing.” He paused to
open the panel to his ship. “Everyone will want you. Every slaver
and pirate within the five systems will be hunting for
us.”

“
Because I’m
human.”

“
No,” Logan said, and he
turned to give Matt what he could only describe as the tenderest of
looks. “Because you are beautiful.”

They boarded the ship with those words
ringing in Matt’s ears, and Logan took them straight to the control
room. Once there he busied himself with setting all the equipment,
rushing between consoles, and flipping on switches. Matt stood off
to the side, his mind racing. “This ship—”

“
The Americas,” Logan
said.

Matt frowned. “That’s…that’s a place
on Earth.”

“
You are mistaken. It is
the name of one of the moons in the Centuri system.”

“
I know why we’re
here.”

Logan took the pilot’s
seat and set the ship into motion. It lifted off with the faintest
of shudders and next thing Matt knew they were making their way out
of the atmosphere. He looked out of the view screen but could see
no one in pursuit. From that perspective they were lucky.
A’lton
had very little
in the way of law. It was run by those with the most money and
power.

“
We’re on autopilot now,”
Logan said, standing back up. “A’rees has set an evasive course. We
can do nothing now but wait.”

Matt frowned, because Logan was
avoiding his question that had not really been a question at all.
“I know why we’re here.”

Logan sighed. “You would prefer to be
back in the arena?” he asked. “Being escorted back to your
cell?”

“
No, of course not.
But—”

The alien flashed him a grin. “I am
rescuing you, my lover.”

“
Don’t call me
that.”

“
Why not?” Logan asked.
“It is true. You are mine now.”

“
Logan—”

He stepped forward. “Gods,
I love the sound of my name on your lips. Later, when we are far
enough away from
A’lton
I want you to whisper it over and over in my ear
as I slow fuck you.”

“
You’re rescuing me to
keep me for yourself,” Matt said. “That is the truth.”

Logan shrugged one brawny shoulder.
“My actions could be construed in that way.”

It was exactly as Matt had
suspected and his stomach dropped. And yet, at the same time his
heart fluttered in his chest and his dick stirred. It was like
waiting to enter the arena all over again, or even the first time
he had sat there watching. He didn’t
want
to want Logan, but he
did.

“
Then you are no better
than them,” he finally said. “I thought as much when I first saw
you in the arena, and I was right, wasn’t I?”

Logan frowned. “When you saw me in the
arena?”

“
With A’rees,” Matt said
and was surprised to feel his gut clench a little at the thought of
the other alien. At first he didn’t realize why but a moment later
and Matt knew exactly what he was feeling.
Jealousy.

Logan closed the distance between them
and placed a finger under Matt’s chin so that they were eye to eye.
Matt was surrounded by his scent, his body, and that along with the
newfound feelings running through him was too much. His heart raced
and confusion swept through his mind.

“
It
was
you,” Logan breathed. “The lone
man in the audience…it all makes sense now.”

“
Logan—”

“
I wanted you even then,”
he added. “Before I even knew why. No other man will have you now,
Matt. The thought is impossible. You are mine.”

Though he might not have bristled at
the phrase when Logan was deep inside of him Matt did bristle now.
He couldn’t help it. Logan was too close, the memory of him fucking
A’rees too fresh. “I am no one’s.”

“
I took you in my mouth,
lover,” Logan breathed. “Do you understand that I have never felt
the slightest temptation to suckle another male’s cock, and yet
with you…” He shuddered. “I want to suckle you over and over. I
want to feel your cum shooting down my throat. I want to taste
every single bit of you.”

Matt was hard before he could think to
try to stop it, and he sucked in a heavy breath. How could Logan
make him feel this way? How could he be so easily subdued and so
quickly? And yet…along with those thoughts came the thought of
being back in Logan’s mouth. Matt had enjoyed it so much, and his
dick wanted more of the same, enough that it pushed A’rees’ memory
aside. “Logan…”

“
There is nothing about
you that is not perfect,” Logan insisted. “Your hair. Your eyes.
Your body. It is everything I have ever wanted.”

“
You don’t even know
me.”

“
I know you must be
extraordinary,” Logan said. “A human, practically untouched and
moving freely around the galaxy? You are something special, Matt. I
feel it.”

“
Then what are you saying,
Logan?” Matt asked. “You want me to be your—”

Logan pulled him into his arms and
buried his face in Matt’s hair. Matt could feel him breathing
deeply, inhaling his scent. The action was enough to make Matt’s
heart race in his chest and confusion fill him. He simply had not
expected this. He had thought Logan would be rough and domineering
and no doubt the alien was at times. But, he was also tender and
gentle and Matt had no idea how he was supposed to guard against
that.

“
My partner,” Logan
whispered. “My lover. You will stay with me now, and you will never
have to fear discovery again. A’rees will take care of Jarv. I am
your master now.”

“
No one masters me,” Matt
hissed, though he was having extreme trouble putting enough force
into his words. His chest was aching from the emotion in the
alien’s words and his dick was stiff to the point where it was all
he could do not to reach down and palm it.

“
Oh, lover,” Logan
laughed. “Just give me time. I will have you begging for my brand
of domination.”

“
I can’t stay with you,”
Matt said, pulling free from Logan’s arms, trying to put enough
distance between them to think. “I have a mission. There are things
I need to do.”

“
And what are these
things?”

“
They are none of your
business.”

Logan slashed a hand through the air.
“Everything about you is my business. You are mine.”

“
For fucks sake, stop
saying that! One fuck does not mean you own me.”

Logan’s eyes darkened, his nostrils
flared, and Matt was turned and bent over the console before he
could say another word.

“
You want more?” he asked.
“You need more already?”

“
No—”

“
This,” Logan said,
pushing his robes to the side and running a finger along Matt’s
pucker. “Is mine. I am going to fuck you until you know no man but
me.”

“
People are looking for
us! We’re running from Gods know who! This is hardly the fucking
time!”

“
The ship will tell me if
we’re approached,” Logan said. “It is far more important now that
you realize what this means.”

“
This?”

“
Us,” Logan said.
“Us.”

He pulled Matt up, sat down on the
pilot’s seat and grabbed Matt’s hips. Matt pushed at him but Logan
was, once again, too strong. Just a heartbeat later and Matt was
straddling the alien, his robes being removed by quick
fingers.

“
My cum has sensitized
your nerve endings,” Logan whispered. “It won’t hurt this time, I
promise.”

“
Don’t,” Matt began, but
his words died the moment Logan palmed his cock. He let out a shaky
breath and closed his eyes, the feel of Logan’s hand on him halting
any other protest he might have made.

When Logan undid his pants and moved
Matt into position, he could do nothing but allow it. He was
desperate again, his balls aching, his stomach flipping in
anticipation, and his ass clenching with want.

Logan nudged his cock against Matt’s
pucker and slowly began to penetrate him. His cock was still wet
with the lube from the arena, and Matt was still full of Logan’s
cum, so he slipped in easily and Matt gasped as the alien’s girth
stretched his muscles.

“
That’s right,” Logan
whispered. “This is
mine
. My cock loves being inside
you. See how hard you make me?”

“
Logan…”

“
Ride me, my human,” Logan
demanded. “Pleasure yourself.”

Matt did. Hands either side of Logan’s
head he took what he needed at the pace he needed, and it felt
amazing. His prostate tingled, his entire body shivered, and he
knew in an instant that this pleasure, this feeling could so easily
become addictive. When Logan took his cock in hand the feeling
intensified and it was enough to make Matt scream. He rode at least
five inches of Logan’s thick dick, and pumped himself in Logan’s
big hand. The pleasure was intense, more so than it had been in the
arena, because there was no one to watch them now, no one to
intrude on their moment.

“
Mine,” Logan whispered,
as Matt took another inch inside his wet ass. “You are staying with
me!”

“
You do not understand,”
Matt groaned as the beginning tingles of an orgasm coalesced in his
gut. “I can’t. Ah, Gods!”

“
Then tell me,” Logan
whispered. “Tell me why not.”

“
I…can’t…”

“
Human, you will,” Logan
snapped, slowing the pace at which he had been masturbating Matt’s
cock and yanking Matt’s orgasm away with it. “Explain yourself.
Explain why you cannot stay with me when you are begging me to make
you come. You’re weeping with pre-cum, your ass is clenching for
more.”