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  Sky frowned, but he couldn’t keep it up, not and think about Tor and what they’d done together today. How Tor had taken him. How he’d never been kissed like that before. How it was his first time, and it had been wonderful, not like the horror stories from the other boys.

  The dishes were done and still no Tor in bed.

  He heard the recliner squeak as Tor sat in it and stretched out.

  Sky rolled over, pretending to be asleep, but he cracked an eye open and watched Tor. The were just sat in his chair, staring off into the distance, his brow furrowed, as if thinking about something very important.

  Like how to get rid of Sky, no doubt. About the big mistake he’d made in taking Sky as a mate.

  The lights flickered, signaling the end of the day. They’d go off in ten minutes, and the room would be plunged into darkness. Tor had to come to bed then. Sky rubbed his feet together, searching for warmth. Once the heat went off it would get very cold without Tor’s body to warm him.

  Tor sighed and stood.

  Sky’s belly tightened.

  The were came to bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed in. Tor’s large hand fell on Sky’s neck, and he hauled Sky to him without even asking. Sky loved it. He melted into Tor’s body as the big man put Sky across his chest, sprawling like a blanket covering the were.

  “I don’t know what that was about, little one, but I can guess.” Tor exhaled. “I’m going to be honest and say this only once. I loved Jin, but I couldn’t protect him, and he was killed. I never wanted to be in that position again. Something inside me died with him, and I didn’t think I’d ever be whole again.”

  Tears filled Sky’s eyes. Nothing he could do or be would ever equal Jin in Tor’s heart.

  “And when Marrack brought you to me, I wanted to kill him. No one can take Jin’s place in my heart.” Tor held Sky tighter as he spoke. “But I claimed you. That’s done, right or wrong. You belong to me now, and I promise to protect you from all challengers, Sky.”

  Sky didn’t say a word, afraid to open his mouth, afraid if he did, only a long howl of sadness would come out, and he didn’t understand why.

  “Go to sleep. We’re going to the training cages in the morning.” Tor patted Sky’s back.

  Sky’s chin quivered, but he wouldn’t let the tears fall. If Tor wanted someone strong and smart, Sky would be strong and smart. Besides, this was better.

  Now Sky wouldn’t feel so bad when he gained his freedom and left Tor. Tor wouldn’t really miss him at all. He’d just go back to missing Jin.

  This was much better. Really.

  Sky wiped his hand over his eyes. Tor’s chest rose and fell with each breath, and Sky rode it all the way to sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  In the morning, Sky awoke to Tor’s insistent touch. The were ran his hand over Sky’s chest, tugged on his chains, and brought Sky hard within moments.

  “Ah, yeah, this is nice.” Tor stroked Sky’s cock, and Sky couldn’t help but wiggle back into the shelter of Tor’s larger body.

  “Mmm,” Sky sighed. It was nice. He floated on the edge of a cloud, warm and safe in his lover’s arms.

  “What do you want, little one?” Tor’s rich voice rumbled, and Sky felt it in his bones.

  “Make me come. Like you did the first time. Touching me inside.” Sky had been in awe of the werewolf and his abilities, and he wanted more.

  Tor chuckled. “Liked that, did you?”

  “Yes.” Sky nodded and bit his bottom lip. He pushed the hair out of his eyes and looked over his shoulder into Tor’s blue gaze.

  Tor reached for the lube and squirted some onto his fingers. He ran one long finger down the crack of Sky’s ass, dipped between his cheeks, and found his entry. He rubbed, setting off all the nerves around the pucker, and Sky moaned, pushing back into the touch.

  “Oh, yes! Please,” he begged as he wiggled his ass, searching for a deeper touch.

  “Slow down, Sky.” Tor’s voice held a smile. “I’ll get you there.” He pushed deeper, breaching Sky with two fingers. Sky groaned at the pull, the pain, and the pleasure. Tor’s fingers scissored inside him, stretching and reaching toward that wonderful little button.

  He didn’t think anything was as good as the discovery of that one spot on his body.

  Tor pushed, and Sky arched, then pushed back. “Again, please.” He sighed as he dug his hands into the covers to keep from touching himself.

  Over and over Tor struck home, and Sky’s arousal built until his body stretched like a tightrope, just waiting for the final thrust to fly apart.

  Tor licked up the back of Sky’s neck. “You taste so damn good, little one.” And he sank his teeth into Sky’s shoulder and tugged on the chain between Sky’s nipples. That was all it took, and Sky fell, hard, fast, and crying out, shooting spunk across the bed.

  “That’s it. Come for me. You’re so hot and tight,” Tor crooned as Sky’s body shook with pleasure.

  He fell back, and Tor caught him. The were rolled him onto his back and straddled him. Sky stared up at the biggest cock he’d ever seen and licked his lips.

  “None for you right now. We have to get to the cages. But first, I need to do this.” Tor jerked himself off, his hand sliding faster and faster over his shaft, and Sky watched as the head emerged, deep purple.

  He wanted to hold it in his mouth, suck on it, wrap his tongue around it and taste Tor. Let Tor’s flavor fill him.

  Instead Tor gasped, rapid fired his hand, and ribbons of cum shot onto Sky’s chest. Tor shook his head, drops of sweat flying. He smeared the white lines with his hands, working it into Sky’s skin. It was warm and sticky but not unpleasant.

  “What are you doing?” Sky cocked his head as he gazed up at Tor.

  “I needed to mark you. Make sure every wolf there knows you’re mine. Now they’ll smell me on you.” Tor smirked and climbed off.

  He got out of bed, went to a dresser, and pulled out a supple brown leather loincloth, open on the sides with the front and back panels falling to midthigh. A leather belt held it on. He strapped it around his waist, covering his cock and ass. Sky thought it looked sexy.

  “Do you wear that for training? I thought weres fought naked.”

  “We do. So do the mates. But to travel within the facility, I have to wear it. After we eat, get dressed.” Tor pointed to the fabric pooled on the floor. “Put your clothes on. You can’t travel the corridors without being covered. Not around here. You’d be mounted by every male in sight, werewolf or not.”

  Sky nodded. “I know. I’m not stupid.” He rolled his eyes. “They did teach us a few things, you know.” Sky marched over to his burka and slippers and gathered them up, then laid them on the bed.

  “I know. I just want you safe.” Tor went to the kitchen and prepared them a meal of eggs and meat in a large frying pan. He scooped it out onto two plates, his being the larger portion and Sky’s the smaller, and placed them on the table. “Eat up. You’ll need it.”

  Sky didn’t have a problem with that at all. He loved to eat. “It’s good,” he said around a mouthful. “You’re a good cook.”

  “Thanks. I got used to cooking for Jin—” He stopped and looked up at the ceiling. “Sorry.”

  Sky shook his head. “It’s okay. I don’t care.”

  Tor narrowed his eyes and stared at Sky. “You don’t?”

  “No.” Sky shrugged. He sniffed. “I can smell you on me.” He grinned, and Tor laughed.

  “You’ll be glad I did it. You’re sort of beautiful, you know.” Tor smiled.

  Sky shrugged again. “I suppose.”

  Tor reached out and cupped Sky’s cheek. “You are. Beautiful. Marrack honored me by choosing you.”

  Sky wanted to cry. No one had ever said anything so sweet to him before in his life. How could Tor be so big and strong, be a cage fighter, and yet be so gentle?

  »»•««

  Once Sky put on his burka and slippers, they were ready to leave. Tor called on the intercom t
o the training facility and told them he’d be there soon. Then he hung up and walked over to the corner with the boxing bag. Next to it was a small cabinet attached to the wall. He opened it, took out a roll of white tape, and began wrapping his hand with it.

  “What’s that for?” Sky asked.

  “We use it for sparring. Keeps us from busting our knuckles up so we don’t waste the energy changing to heal all the time.” He finished one hand, then worked on the other. Once done, he put the roll back.

  The door chimed.

  “That will be our escort.” Tor jerked his head at the door, and Sky followed him. They stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. A guard, dressed in black and wearing the WWFL logo on his armband, waited for them in the gray-painted corridor, a stun rifle slung over his shoulder.

  “Training facility,” Tor said. The guard nodded and led the way.

  Sky remembered how Marrack had brought him there to Tor. They’d used the tunnels to get from the harem complex to the WWFL facility but hadn’t had an escort. No need; he was well trained, and Marrack had held his leash. If he’d wanted to run, the leash only needed to be jerked, and the rings in his nipples would have been ripped out. Sky liked his nipples just the way they were—intact. The walk had been long, but at least it was air-conditioned. He’d rather have gone aboveground and seen some of the city, but he didn’t have a say in it.

  What little he’d seen of the city from the harem’s windows amazed him. It stretched for miles in every direction; thousands of midrise buildings jammed together, with a few, government buildings mostly, reaching taller into the sky. He’d been named after the sky, the color of his eyes, but from what he’d seen of it, he believed his eyes were bluer. The sky he’d seen had been sort of gray and dirty, like the color of all the buildings.

  Tor placed his hand on Sky’s back, guiding him down the hall as one guard led the way, the other at their backs. No one said a word. Tor and the guards they came across exchanged nods. They passed so many doors to other quarters Sky lost count.

  “Do these quarters all belong to other werewolves?” he asked.

  “Most. Some are empty. See?” Tor pointed to a brass plate next to the door they passed. “That’s the owner’s name.”

  Sky nodded. “Yours says Marrack?” He’d forgotten to look at it when they left and hadn’t looked up when Marrack had brought him to Tor.

  “Yes.” Tor frowned.

  “Why isn’t your name on the door?”

  Tor snorted. “Slaves don’t get names on doors.”

  Sky fell silent, once again reminded that despite how well he thought Tor had it, Tor, like Sky, was still a slave. Still someone’s property.

  After a few moments, they reached the elevators. The doors opened, and they stepped inside. The guard pressed the button for Level 3, and they rose.

  “We’re going to the training cages. They’re located under the main coliseum complex,” Tor whispered into Sky’s ear. He pointed upward. “At the surface is the arena itself. Level two holds the prefight rooms. Levels four through seven are the living quarters.”

  Sky nodded. His harem had been just one of many located in the huge building housing the slave market. Each level belonged to a different harem and its training facility. Slaves were trained for all sorts of service, and his level, the one for sex slaves, was heavily guarded. The street level held the auction house where slaves were bought and sold, except for those who were sent into slavery as punishment for crimes. They were taken straight to a training level to do menial work, rough work, or work no one else would do, like cleaning the city streets, construction, or burying the dead.

  The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and another guard got on. He gave them all a hard look, then put his back to the wall, his rifle held in front of his chest. Tor moved, placing Sky slightly behind him as if protecting him. Sky smiled, but no one could see it behind the sheer veil he wore covering most of his face. Only his eyes remained visible.

  And he’d learned long ago to keep his eyes cast down.

  Again the elevator went up, and Sky put his hand on Tor’s arm. A muscle flexed under his touch, and Sky leaned into his new mate. He had no idea what he’d find when they reached the training level, but Tor’s body language told Sky he was worried and alert.

  Sky was alert also, but eager to learn his role in the cage, and eager to show Tor he could be just as good as Jin. Once Tor saw that, he’d care for Sky like he cared for Jin. When Sky left, Tor would mourn his loss.

  The doors opened, and the guard stepped out. Tor exited the elevator in front of Sky as the guard waited for them to form their little troupe. The hall looked the same as all the halls Sky had seen, gray and dingy, but a large sign on the wall pointed the way to the cages.

  People filled the corridor—free men and burka-covered slaves came and went. Several times Sky had to step out of the way, with Tor standing in front of him, as someone of importance passed.

  They continued to walk for a few minutes, the hall turning this way and that, and at last arrived.

  The guard pulled open a large door flanked by two more guards, and Tor entered with Sky, the last guard behind him. The quiet of the halls faded away, replaced by the echoing noises of the cages—grunts, groans, shouts—and flesh slapping flesh, bells ringing, and the hum of many people speaking at once.

  Sky peeked around Tor’s body, taking in everything.

  The facility was huge, far larger than his harem’s intimate training rooms. Several six-sided cages lined up in rows, steel columns supporting chain-link fencing rising to twenty feet in the air, with people moving around them. Some were owners, guards with weapons, werewolves, and mates, like him, males and females. Others, Sky couldn’t tell who they were, not now, anyway. He supposed he’d learn in time.

  And the smells? It was like nothing he’d ever smelled before. The scents of dozens of males and females filled his nose. He sneezed quietly under his veil, then inhaled and found Tor’s scent. His breathing eased, and he relaxed.

  “About time you got your lazy ass back here,” a rough voice Sky didn’t recognize addressed Tor. Sky spun around to see who was speaking.

  “Lazy? You know better than that, Stoltz.” Tor laughed and held out his hand for the other to slap. The men exchanged greetings and regarded each other.

  “They told me you were coming in, and I didn’t believe it. Didn’t think I’d ever see you in the cage again. Not after…” His voice trailed off, and his gaze danced away from Tor’s.

  Tor shrugged. “Marrack had other ideas.”

  “Yeah, word around the league is he’s tight for cash. Up to his neck in debt. He needs some income, and his only resource is you.” Stoltz snorted. “How many have you fathered since then?”

  “Ten—twenty, maybe. Who knows, and who cares. It’s not like I’ll ever see them.” Tor looked around. “So where am I?” He pointed to the cages.

  “I’ve booked you in the one on the end.” They started walking, and Sky followed. So far, the man Stoltz either hadn’t recognized he was there or had and was ignoring him.

  He didn’t mind. Slaves were used to being ignored.

  Sky stared at the cages, and as they got closer, his insides tightened. They were large, cold, and barren. A few of them had men inside, fighting, but no mates. Some had challengers and defenders and a single mate, hanging back in the corner of the cage, watching the action.

  Everyone in the cages was naked. That was how they fought, without weapons and with only their innate skills of fighting as men and as wolves. Anything they wore would just get in the way when they shifted. Sky swallowed as one of the wolves charged another wolf. Teeth snapped, and snarling like he’d never heard before filled the air, shooting fear up his spine, and he jumped away from the cage.

  Stoltz saw him and laughed. “Never been in a cage before?” he asked Tor.

  Tor shook his head, his mouth set in a grim line.

  If Sky was going to stand bravely in the cage with Tor, he
’d have to toughen up to the sights and sounds. Afraid, he’d do no one any good. And if Tor didn’t win, Sky didn’t go free, and worse. He’d be given to the challenger as a prize.

  The thought of not being with Tor shot fear through him, and he told himself it was only the fear of the unknown, nothing more.

  They passed five cages until they reached the last one where Marrack stood, waiting for them.

  “Let’s see how bad it is, Tor. Stoltz and I think you should start with some sparring. Stoltz can assess your needs, and we’ll start a real training program tomorrow.” Marrack nodded to another large man, dressed in a similar loincloth and with the same tape wrapped around his fists. “You’ve worked with Ashland before, haven’t you?”

  Sky stared at him. Ashland had dark red hair with streaks of gold running through it. What type of werewolf was he? Tor was Nordic. Some were Asian. Some African. Those were easy to spot, but this man puzzled Sky.

  The younger man nodded. “Tor. Good to see you again. Glad you’re back. It was getting boring around here.”

  “Ashland.” Tor nodded. He turned to Marrack. “I brought Sky. He needs to start his own training.”

  Marrack nodded. “Good. No time like the present. We only have a month. Will you need him in the cage for sparring?”

  “No. I spar without him.”

  Ashland started, a frown on his face. “A new mate?” He looked at Tor, his head cocked. “I thought…”

  Tor straightened. “Sky is my new mate.” He pulled Sky from behind him but kept his hand on Sky’s arm.

  Ashland looked Sky up and down. “Beautiful eyes. Is the rest of him as pretty?”

  Tor growled. “Yes.”

  Sky felt the burn of his blush popping out all over his body at Ashland’s flattery and Tor’s agreement.

  “Good. The prettier the mate, the more crazed the challenger.” Ashland snorted. “Jin used to make everyone wild, you know. It was a great advantage in the cage.”

  Sky slumped. Again, he’d been compared to Jin and found lacking.

  Tor nodded. “I think this one will do as well.” Sky’s chest puffed up at his words.