Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Sirex hadn’t liked it, but he wasn’t one to disobey a direct order. So the next morning he had met with Phoebe for the first time…and they had been together almost every waking moment ever since. He might not have liked his assignment at first, but he took it very seriously and that meant he drove her to her limits and beyond.
It wasn’t easy at first—his protégé had a pronounced stubborn streak and he’d had to discipline her more than once. But she had come through the fire of the most difficult training exercises he could throw at her and now she was ready to be an Agent on her own.
Ah, but it’s the “training exercises” you’re going to miss the most, whispered a dark little voice in his head. Especially the ones where you tie her up and she tries to escape…or what about the “role play” you did the other day where she was your prisoner and you were her captor, trying to get information out of her? You enjoyed your role in that situation just a little too much, don’t you think? Maybe it was the Scourge half of you that enjoyed it…
Sirex clenched his jaw and did his best to banish the voice. Probably it was for the best that Phoebe was leaving him and striking out on her own as a full-fledged Agent. Their relationship had been getting complicated lately—very complicated, if he was honest with himself. So it was better for his protégé to leave his side now. She—
“In fact, you’ve done so well, Agent Jenkins, that I’d like to give you your first real assignment.” Commander Sylvan’s voice broke into his guilty thoughts and Sirex saw that Phoebe was sitting up even straighter and listening attentively.
“Yes, Commander—I’m ready,” she said eagerly. “Where am I going?”
“Well, it’s actually a matter of where you are both going,” Commander Sylvan said, nodding at both Phoebe and Sirex. “You see, I have a mission that requires two agents and since the two of you work so well together, I thought you wouldn’t mind if your first mission wasn’t a solo one.”
Phoebe cast a sidelong look at Sirex and he could see the question in her silver-green eyes. She was looking to him for approval, as she had been for the past six months.
He gave her a very slight nod in return.
“It’s your decision,” his gesture said. “Do what you want.”
“If you’d rather be on your own, I can assign another pair of agents,” Commander Sylvan said, misinterpreting her hesitation.
“No, no!” Phoebe said hastily. Then she cleared her throat. “I mean, I’d be pleased for my first mission to be with Commander Sirex.”
“Very well. Sirex? Do you mind taking this mission with Agent Jenkins?” Commander Sylvan asked.
For a moment, Sirex struggled with himself. Part of him wanted desperately to keep Phoebe by his side. Not just because he had grown fond of her—more than fond, whispered the little voice in his head. But also because he wanted to protect her and guide her and keep her safe.
But part of him—including the accusatory little voice—told him he ought to let her go at once, right now, while he still could. If he held onto her a moment longer, he might not be able to release her. His Scourge instincts, the ones he fought against so hard, were coming into play where his protégé was concerned and that could be dangerous…
“It’s important that I have two agents—one male and one female on this case. If you’d rather, I can assign another male agent to work with Agent Phoebe,” Commander Sylvan offered, as Sirex hesitated.
“No! Absolutely not!” The words came out in low, possessive growl, before Sirex could even consider them. He saw Phoebe’s eyes widen and realized he had spoken too harshly. He cleared his throat and tried to modify his tone. “I mean, I’ll be pleased to undertake this mission with Agent Jenkins,” he said in a smooth, controlled voice. “Please tell us more about it. Where are we going and what do you need us to do once we get there?”
The concerned look that had popped up on Commander Sylvan’s face smoothed away and he nodded.
“Excellent. I have to warn you, this mission will require some role playing. I’ll be sending you to the Salacious System.”
Sirex’s eyebrows shot up.
“The Twisted System? Really, Commander?”
The Twisted System, also know as the Kink Cluster, was the nickname the Salacious Solar System had been tagged with—mainly because the three inhabitable planets in the system were all devoted to different sexual kinks or fetishes.
Salacious Prime, sometimes called Salacious Alpha, was a male dominated world where females were owned by their Masters and went around in scanty outfits and different colored collars to show what kinds of sexual acts they were available for.
Salacious Beta, the second habitable planet in the system, was given over to Pet Play. Masters and Mistresses from all over the galaxy could bring their love slaves who they treated as “pets” there to play sexual games.