Hades glanced at Cornelius. "Any objections?"

The man slowly shook his head.

"Then your claim is accepted," Hades said. "Go forth and be happy."

Taylor really wanted to go back to her room now. She needed to be alone, so she could seek her own release. She didn"t think she could take anymore "fights" like this one without embarra.s.sing herself.

"I don"t understand," she said in way of a question.

Hades glanced at her. "It"s simple. In the Pit everyone has a choice to either f.u.c.k the loser or kill them. Most fights end in death. In this case, Pitticus and Cornelius have been harboring a "not-so-secret" attraction for each other, but were both too dominant and stubborn to act upon it. So Pitticus finally sent out a challenge. The fight took care of the dominant question and gave the men the relief they"ve been wanting for months."

"What about the venom?" Taylor asked.

"If used properly, it can work as a numbing agent," Hades said. "Did you think Pitticus f.u.c.ked him to punish him?"

"I--." It was about the only syllable she could handle at present. Taylor had thought that and worse. She glanced over at Opal, whose small nipples were showing through her uniform. At least she and Hades weren"t the only ones turned on. She was afraid to look in Perseus" direction. The tension in the room changed. Several of the warriors rushed out. She had a pretty good idea what they intended to do.

"I need to f.u.c.k," Hades said like someone saying "I need a drink". He looked at Taylor and waited.

Hades was temptation incarnate. Taylor had thought so the moment she had laid eyes on him. Her body thrummed with the need to say yes. But she couldn"t act upon those instincts. Taylor had made many mistakes in her life. Almost all had started with her falling into bed with men too quickly. It gave them the wrong impression. h.e.l.l, it gave her the wrong impression.

There"d already been so many misunderstandings between her and Hades, which had to be a record of some kind, since she"d only arrived a few hours ago. If she accepted the King"s unspoken invitation, it would just complicate matters. Worst yet, it would confirm his earlier beliefs about her. And contrary to what he might truly believe, she wasn"t a wh.o.r.e.

She couldn"t do it. No matter how bad she wanted to.

Taylor shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. The definitive movement ended the internal argument she"d been having and gave Hades his answer. This was her chance to start over, begin again, even if that meant giving up something she dearly desired.

Something dangerous flashed in Hades" eyes before it was carefully suppressed. Without a word, he reached over and grabbed Opal, pulling her to her feet.

"Come!" He hesitated, then glanced at Taylor as if she were an afterthought. "You, too." He glared at Perseus over her shoulder, all but daring him to speak, and waited for her to rise.

What did he mean by "her too"? She"d told him no. Okay, so she hadn"t actually said the word aloud, but she"d been clear. If he thought she was going to have a threesome with him, he was going to be a very disappointed King. Taylor wasn"t sure how it worked here in Monster Kitty land. Just because she was a stripper didn"t mean she was a sharer.

Hades walked away before she could set him straight. Taylor said her goodbyes to Perseus, and reluctantly followed the Dark King into one of the halls leading out of the Pit seating area. They weren"t in plain view of the crowd, but they were by no means hidden. Anyone strolling down the hall would come upon them.

The King pushed Opal against the wall and stripped the lower half of her body bare. She made no move to stop him. Instead she eagerly spread her legs. Hades loosened his pants and pulled his c.o.c.k out.

Taylor"s mouth dropped open. No wonder Opal spread her legs so quickly. And like a fool, she"d turned him down. Taylor had been with men who were well endowed, but Hades made them seem inconsequential by comparison. He stroked himself, making his shaft harder and longer. She could do nothing but stare in envy.

There were no prelims. Hades simply positioned the head of his shaft at Opal"s opening and parted her with one hard thrust. Taylor froze, suddenly unsure of what to do. A myriad of emotions churned inside of her. None of which were pleasant.

Why had he asked her to come along? Was he some kind of voyeur? Did he get off on other people watching him? Or had he asked her to follow so he could keep an eye on her?

Another thought struck, this one far more insidious. Was Hades punishing her because she"d said no?

Taylor didn"t need a babysitter and she certainly wasn"t about to volunteer to be an audience of one. If Hades" intent was to punish her, then he had succeeded. She"d seen enough to know that he"d haunt her dreams for the rest of her life. And worst yet, she still wanted the s.e.xy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. There had to be something wrong with her.

She gave the rutting couple one final envious glance, intending to leave. She couldn"t watch this, couldn"t watch him. Not like this. Their eyes met. Hades" blue gaze trapped her. By sheer force of will, he kept Taylor from moving while he continued to f.u.c.k Opal. Taylor felt every thrust, every glide, every brush of his chest. And she hated him for making her want him even more.

Hades locked gazes with Taylor as he ripped open Opal"s clothes to get quick access to her moist s.e.x. And there was no doubt that she was wet. He could smell her ripening. Opal"s aroma wasn"t nearly as sweet as the lush scent emanating from Taylor, but the female Earthling had turned him down.

Him, the King of the Phantoms.

Despite her rejection, Hades couldn"t let Taylor go. He demanded she stay without a word spoken. He wanted Taylor to feel every inch of him filling her. See the need burning inside of him. Taste the raw hunger driving him to f.u.c.k another, when all he wanted to do was reach for her.

It was that shocking realization that had driven him to act rashly. The powerful emotion Taylor had stirred inside of him had felt like a maelstrom, threatening his mooring, tearing apart his carefully constructed foundations. His body had quaked as the beast fought for release and nearly won.

Panic over the implications of the emotional onslaught coupled with the sting from her rejection had made him choose Opal as a surrogate. It was either that or throw Taylor down in front of the entire arena. Hades knew if he did that, he wouldn"t stop until he"d claimed her. And that was something he could not allow. Would not allow. Even with Perseus sniffing around.

His beast roared inside of him, angry at what he was doing. He told his Other half to shut the f.u.c.k up and drove his c.o.c.k deeper into Opal, hoping to ease the yearning desire. He knew in his hearts that any attempt would be futile. But he didn"t stop. Couldn"t stop.

Opal moaned in his ear and clung to him, wrapping one long leg around his hip so she could grind against him, but it wasn"t her velvet sheath that he needed.

Hades growled in frustration, his gaze searing a path down the front of Taylor"s curvy body. Her rigid nipples tented the front of her dress. They were so hard that he could see every dimple. His mouth watered to taste them, feast upon their rich bounty. He bit down, tasting his own blood instead and redoubled his efforts.

He"d always been able to forget women easily. Taylor should be no different. If he just let himself f.u.c.k her, then it would end his torment. But she was under his protection. In a matter of days, she would be gone. Months from now Taylor Sh.e.l.ley would be just a memory. Until that day came, she was a threat to his sanity.

Hades thrust harder, grunting animalistically as he reached between their bodies to find the sensitive nerve endings that would send Opal into ecstatic convulsions. Taylor"s wide eyes glazed with desire as she watched him. Her body swayed toward them, though he was sure she was unaware of the fact.

He felt himself growing impossibly harder. Taylor"s need was palpable. Her mind may have rejected him, but her body wanted him. All Hades had to do was reach out and she would be his.

Instead, he acted the b.a.s.t.a.r.d that he was.

Hades teased her, tortured her, made Taylor want as much as he did with no intention of fulfilling her...just like she"d done to him. Her need perfumed the air. The spicy musk tempted the beast within him.

The plan had worked beautifully...and failed miserably. Hades now wanted Taylor more than she wanted him. And thanks to his petulance and impulsiveness, she would probably never let him touch her.

Hades felt his sac rise against his body. His gaze dropped to Taylor"s parted mouth. She licked her lips, whether by instinct or to torment him, he"d never know, but the tentative movement sent him over the edge. Hades snarled, then came, but not before he pinched Opal, taking her with him.

When his vision cleared, Taylor"s shattered expression registered and proceeded to rip his two hearts in half. He closed his eyes so he wouldn"t have to gaze upon her and cursed viciously under his breath.

What in Zaron"s fires was he doing? Opal remained trapped in his arms, her languid body draped against him. Hades was many things, but he"d never been cruel...until now.

By the time Hades spent himself, Taylor"s ache had turned into an inferno and she was ready to scream. Her whole body felt as if one touch would send her spiraling into s.p.a.ce, burning up before she ever made it out of the atmosphere. She knew when she met Hades that he"d be a great lay. Too bad he was such a d.i.c.k.

The knowing smirk Opal sent her way only made the awkward situation worse. Taylor couldn"t really blame the woman for feeling superior. She"d gloat too if their positions were reversed.

The need to go to her room became a cloying desperation. Taylor did not understand all the reasons why Hades had put on this performance, but there was no doubt that at least part of it had been to punish her. She"d been right about that.

If he wanted her to think about what she was missing, he needn"t have bothered. Taylor had thought of little else, since watching the men in the Pit have s.e.x. Tonight made it more than clear to her that she didn"t understand Phantom society. And she definitely didn"t "get" the King.

She wondered if it was too late to find Perseus and take him back to her room? At the thought, Hades" eyes flew open and the red ring returned. A low growl rumbled from his chest.

Okay, maybe not.

No matter what his ultimate reason for behaving the way that he had, Hades had been rude. According to her mother-G.o.d rest her soul-there was only one way to handle that kind of rudeness. Taylor straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and adopted a decidedly bored expression. She"d faced down an abusive boyfriend and the Russian mob. Taking on one Monster Kitty was no problem.

"If you"re finished," she glanced at his d.i.c.k, which was still semi-hard, then crinkled her nose like she"d smelled something bad. "I"d like to go back to my room now." Taylor laid on a thick coma-inducing sweet tone to make the jab go even deeper.

Hades" jaw clenched and his muscles tightened. His ice blue eyes flooded with red, flashing back and forth in color like a caution stoplight. Taylor thought his head might explode-wishful thinking on her part-but in the end he acquiesced.

"Thank you for the performance, your Royal Highness," she said, making sure the "highness" part sounded an awful lot like a.s.shole.

Taylor continued her unaffected act until she got back to her room. Once there, she walked inside and slammed her door, then stomped her anger out until her knees hurt. How dare that arrogant jerk treat her like a common wh.o.r.e lining up to watch him f.u.c.k!

He asked you first. You turned him down, remember?

Didn"t matter. He could"ve handled the rejection better. Hades was a grown man, not a deprived five year old.

He"s a King, the insidious voice whispered.

Again, not an excuse as far as Taylor was concerned. He didn"t have to grab the nearest woman and take her instead.

The thought made Taylor stop pacing. Oh my G.o.d! Was that why she was so mad? She"d only known him for a day. The "old Taylor" was stupid enough to fall for someone that fast, but not the "new Taylor". The "new Taylor" knew better. Didn"t she?

No matter how many ways she turned the scenario over in her mind, there was no denying the anger churning inside of her, or the hurt. Only one thing could cause that. d.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l, she was jealous.

The truth smacked Taylor upside the head, leaving her rattled.

She had wanted to f.u.c.k Hades when he asked, but she"d come to her senses before she said yes. And look where that got you, a one-way trip to voyeur land. She growled in frustration.

Taylor needed to get out of this place, away from these people. Away from Monster Kitty before she acted on the urge to neuter him. She was pretty sure that neutering Hades would get her arrested, but it might be worth it.

Did Zaronians arrest people or did they just toss them into the Pit?

This line of thinking wasn"t helping. She glanced at the pebble-shaped communicator Linx had left her. He"d said to call if there were any problems. Right now, she had problems. Before Taylor could change her mind, she pressed the contact b.u.t.ton.

"h.e.l.lo?" The communicator made several bleeps and blurps, then went silent. Was it broken? She tried again. "h.e.l.lo! Testing one, two, three. Linx, can you hear me? I need you to come back." There had to be someplace else she could stay. A tent? Another windowless storage container? Hades" Keep wasn"t working out.

A computerized voice came on the line. "Message sent," it said, then the device powered down.

Taylor dropped the communicator back onto the carved bench. Now all she had to do was wait. She glanced around her empty room. Her body still ached...for Hades, which only fueled her anger. There had to be something she could do. She glanced around the room. Nothing leapt out. On Earth, she"d never had time for hobbies.

She strode into the bathroom, searching for something to throw or at least shred into little pieces. Something with the King"s strong face on it would do nicely. Taylor spotted the tub instead. Not her first choice, but a nice soak would go a long way toward calming her down.

Who needed a man or a King, when they had a tub full of steaming water, naughty fingers, and an active imagination? Not her. Definitely not her. Hades could f.u.c.k Opal until he went blind for all she cared and Taylor planned to tell him so the next time she saw him. She turned on the water, blasting the hot until steam rose in the air, then yanked her dress off and climbed in.

She closed her eyes and stewed. Was it wrong of her to wish for Hades" d.i.c.k to fall off?

Taylor didn"t think so under the circ.u.mstances. Even if said "d.i.c.k" had been mouthwateringly impressive. She growled again and slammed her hands onto the surface of the water, sending waves splashing over the sides. It was definitely time to leave.

Opal"s body ached in all the right ways. The King had left shortly after the Earthling, but that didn"t matter. He"d proven once and for all that the woman meant nothing to him. And he"d done so with her. Opal"s smile spread across her face.

It was more than apparent that the Earth woman was attracted to the King. Who wouldn"t be, given his power? The woman hadn"t even bothered to hide her desire, especially after Hades had expressed interest.

The stench of Taylor"s arousal had nearly choked Opal. Had it not been rude, she would"ve asked the woman to bathe or at least cover the offending odor. But in the end, the King made the request unnecessary. The woman could now hold no illusions about her future with Hades. He had chosen.

Her.

A warrior. A woman. His equal.

How long before he made a formal announcement to the Phantom people? After that performance, she knew the declaration was coming soon. The King didn"t grab random females and f.u.c.k them in front of an audience. He"d never been one to share his pa.s.sions with multiple partners, though he"d had many opportunities to do so. In that respect, the King had been a little staid for Opal"s tastes, but she"d learned to make due.

Soon Opal would be Queen of the Phantoms. She just had to be patient.

She rearranged her torn clothing. The material wouldn"t stay together. Perseus and a couple of other warriors pa.s.sed her and snickered under their breath. No doubt they could smell the King on her skin.

Perseus stopped walking. "Where"s your Sire now?"

"I"d remind you that he is your Sire, too." She tugged at her clothes.

Perseus shrugged. "For now, but that may change very soon. I am not alone in believing that the Phantom people need a leader who can protect them from alien threats. Actions against such things should be swift and merciless. The fact that he hasn"t acted yet makes me think that the Slavers were invited."

"Bite your tongue, warrior!" she snapped. "Hades will deal with the Slavers once he locates them."

"From what I"ve seen, the King has done nothing but chase his tail." He paused. "That is, when he isn"t pursuing the Earth woman."

"Hades doesn"t need you or anyone else to tell him how to run his Kingdom. The Slavers were just spotted. Even you couldn"t act that quickly."

"We"ll see," he said.

"If you have something to say to the King, then you can find him in his chambers," she hissed. "I"m done listening to your treasonous drivel."

"Are you sure that"s where he is right now?" Perseus asked. "I wouldn"t be surprised if the King was outside Taylor"s door, scratching on the stone as we speak. She is a rather irresistible specimen, don"t you think?"

It was a rhetorical question, so Opal didn"t answer.

"If Taylor is an example of the type of women to be found, no wonder so many Atlanteans and Phantoms go to the Earth to seek a mate," Perseus said as if musing to himself. "I wouldn"t be surprised if the King suddenly had second thoughts on the matter, especially after she gives him a taste."

"She wouldn"t! He wouldn"t! Not after..." her voice trailed off.

Perseus laughed viciously. "You obviously don"t know males well, if you think this little tryst will satisfy all his needs." He inhaled and his eyelids fluttered shut momentarily. "Not when a female that ripe is available. Her heat calls to every male in this arena." Perseus" eyes were blood red, when he opened them again and his c.o.c.k was hard.

Opal"s body vibrated with anger. She knew what Perseus and the other guards thought. They thought she was the King"s private s.e.x companion, to be used and tossed aside whenever someone new came along, but they were wrong. She was destined to be Queen. Nothing and no one would come between her and her rightful place. Opal glared at Perseus. The day she was crowned Queen, he and the other warriors would regret every moment they had laughed at her. She"d make sure of it.

"You are wrong," she spat. Hair sprouted from her arms and her claws extended.

Perseus gave her pityingly look. "What if I"m not?" He let the question hang in the air between them for a moment, then walked on.

Opal tried to calm herself. She wasn"t wrong. She knew she wasn"t mistaken. Her plans were right on schedule, more or less. If it weren"t for Hades" stubbornness, they"d already be mated.

She inhaled. The King"s scent filled her lungs, along with Taylor"s cloying sweetness. There was only one way to get rid of the odors until she got back to her chamber. Opal called to her Other half and shifted the rest of the way into her cat form. She was smaller than all the males, but she was a fierce fighter.