Flames of Arousal by Ruth D. Kerce Read Free Book Online Page B

nearby cage indicated the ranking Egesa had made the choice.
    Again, she shivered and rubbed her arms, thinking about the poor woman selected. At least she had managed to elude their grotesque clutches. She hoped that Josella had been as lucky.
     

 

     
     

Chapter Three

 

     
     

     
    Lair of Xylon
     
    The heavy, silver-white door slid open. Brianna stepped inside the Initiation Chamber and hit the seal button on the wall. With a soft whirr, the wide panel eased closed, locking her in.
    The ventilation shaft circulated fresh air into the room, along with a slightly spicy scent she recognized as an aphrodisiac. The ceremony chamber, set up much like guest quarters, offered comfort by its familiar surroundings and helped ease any tension present in those performing or receiving the Rite of the Lair.
    In the middle of the room, and far from comforted, the man going berserk stopped.
    He looked her dead in the eye.
    Brianna froze. Her pulse did the exact opposite, kicking into a staccato rhythm.
    Face-to-face, she got a better look at him, and a sense of familiarity struck her hard.
    The intense brown eyes, the short brown hair, squared jaw with a shadow of whiskers, muscular body without an ounce of fat—she knew him. Her body knew him and responded to his nearness. Her nipples hardened, her pussy clenched, perspiration dotted her skin. A strong sense of need—for him—flooded her entire being.
    As she stared at him, the dark hair on his chest drew her attention. The soft-looking curls narrowed into a thin line, leading down to a more impressive cock than she’d expected on an Earth man. Oh , my . Semi-hard, in his anger, the purplish-red staff looked as thick and long as any Warrior’s. The wide head made her mouth water for a taste. Fully hard, he’d be…goodness. Her tongue eased out to moisten her bottom lip.
    A low growl filled the room.
    Her gaze snapped up to his. For a moment, she thought recognition flashed in his eyes. And lust. But no. Though he seemed familiar, she didn’t actually know him. She couldn’t. Her perception of him must be a mistake. She’d remember meeting this man, and all the details of such, if they’d ever really had any association with each other. And the lust was simply in reaction to the chemicals he’d been given—nothing more and perfectly expected.
    He put down the slat-backed metal chair he was holding, which he had been about to toss across the room. But the man still looked anything but relaxed. His breathing remained labored. His nostrils flared. His hands opened and closed, forming fists, then his fingers stretched to their full length, only to curl back into tight fists once again. He was definitely in great shape from whatever training he’d received on Earth. She wouldn’t underestimate him or his potential power.
    Brianna looked toward two Class 3 females on the far side of the room, standing warily in the corner, hovering near a panic button installed in each room for emergencies. “Where is your Class 1 leader?” They didn’t have the skills needed to initiate someone alone, especially not a high-priority case like this one, which had turned difficult.
    “We don’t have one, ma’am,” the short blonde-haired Warrior answered.
    Brianna’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.” Almost all lower ranks were assigned a leader.
    And almost all Initiations involved an Alliance of Three, as the Lair referred to the group of Warriors who performed this rite.
    “Tara Koll was our trainer. We haven’t been reassigned yet.”
    Ah. So Tara was supposed to lead the Initiation of this one, before her demotion.
    Now, she wouldn’t even be allowed to train lower ranks. Too bad. Especially in this case, for her sister could handle any man—Earthling or otherwise. So much for Laszlo’s special project.
    She wondered if Tara knew about the planned Initiation. Sometimes an Alliance wasn’t announced until right before the time came to perform the rite. When she got the