“I am to assist you with the Hunger and ensure your happiness.”
“How?”
“I must obey your wishes, temper my own desires, bring to you the best of me. On that day, I must join with you and your nestor for as long as it takes to satisfy the Hunger within you. Then, it is my day of rest and we begin again. Every ten days.”
She spoke the rote with a practiced ease. Well-trained. A good start.
Jago noted the sheen that had slithered down her inner thighs—it glistened, the wetness she produced so readily. It meant the very thought of the Hunger excited her. His cock stiffened too. Kriss had a huge bulge in his pants.
“If you are able to match us, you will travel wherever we go until we deem you unneeded.” Jago wanted that to be as long as possible.
Kriss smiled, seeming to mirror Jago’s imaginative thoughts.
Jago hardened his expression. “There is one more matter, Shayla. Tell me, what happens when you disobey us?”
She stiffened, and her nipples grew even more prominent. “I’m punished.”
“Would you disobey us?”
She paused before answering, perhaps a few seconds and she quickly licked her lips. “Never.”
Jago turned to Kriss. His nestor hadn’t picked up on the hesitation. Kriss was not as astute in the nuances of human behavior, but Jago had definitely heard the delay. So, she wasn’t quite as perfect as he’d been promised. Did it matter? Probably not. He was tired of the false pleasantries of the sexdroid and a little feistiness would suit him fine. Kriss on the other hand would expect perfect obedience and would likely want to correct her for the slightest infraction.
The pair of them would work well together. Kriss would ensure Shayla settled into her role with discipline and Jago would apply a more measured approach. Strict, but caring.
“Good,” Jago said. “Have you familiarized yourself with our habitat?”
“Yes, sir. It is very nice here. I like the view.”
“One of the best in the city,” Kriss declared proudly. “You’ll find it very soothing during your meditations.”
She nodded, her confidence growing. “I will, I’m sure.”
Jago took her hand and wrapped his around it. She was trembling. He gave it a squeeze. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then let’s begin.”
Shayla knelt. “How may I serve you, Masters?”
Chapter Two
Three years earlier...
Shayla Tesser’s new life as a Gift began when the Committee for Interspecies Governance selected her from a list of suitable contenders. She never asked to be on the list, and the day they knocked on the door and demanded that she attend the academy she knew that things would never be the same again. Their decision was sacrosanct and anyone’s attempt at changing or interfering with it meant a costly penalty.
There was no coercion, no forced kidnapping, but the arrival of several people at her home, the stern expressions and reminders of the shame of refusing left her with little choice but to go with them. There was no manhandling or cuffs, but nobody left her alone, just in case she attempted to leave. For the first few days, she was in state of confusion and shock. Passed from one interviewer to another, questioned, poked and prodded about anything to do with her sexuality, her previous lovers, who had been nothing more than kisses and cuddles on the couch, she realized she had deeper desires that she’d kept hidden.
On the last day of her appraisal, she was brought before the committee and told to strip naked. The spotlights above her head dazzled and hid their faces, only their voices echoed around the chamber. She fumbled with her rudimentary clothing—she’d been denied underwear. Chasing away the nerves, she dug deep into her resolve. There was no escape, nowhere to go that didn’t involve worse embarrassment. A rejected Gift would mean a badge of dishonor and poor prospects. To help prepare herself, she imagined the invisible committee were hot-blooded men with big appetites for her flesh, and the ridiculous daydream quickened her heart and brought a wave of tingles down her spine. She tossed aside her clothing and stood before them with her hands by her sides. For a few seconds, the silence dragged on until one man spoke.
“Beautiful. She’ll serve us well. She is a good example of the perfect Gift.”
The relief of passing the inspection surprised her. It had to mean she wanted this opportunity to escape her unexciting life, even if she had to submit to humiliating training. In a matter of days, those anonymous faces had taken an innocent woman and awoken something inside her. What that was would unfold in the coming years.
From then on, she was kept in a protective bubble and apart from others. She underwent the necessary specialist training at the academy and became something of a celebrity. She spoke to the mass media of Earth, promising them she would perform her duties to the highest standards. From across the globe people sent their congratulations and well-wishes. The attention at first was a boost, but as the day of her departure approached, the constant stream of interviews and ceremonies started to impact her nerves.
Shayla wasn’t a normal woman with a normal life; she’d been tutored by many surrogates in a cocoon designed to nurture her strengths and