The Galatian Exchange: Book Three: The Enemies, page 1
The Galatian Exchange
Book Three: The Enemies
Pepper Pace
©Pepper Pace Publications
Editing: Pepper Pace
Copyright © 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 The Galatian Exchange, book 3: The Enemies. Pepper Pace.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever, except for short excerpts appearing in book reviews. This novel first appeared on Amazon’s Kindle Vella. For reprint or excerpt permission inquiries, please contact the author by e-mail at: pepperpace.author@yahoo.com.
This novel is a work of fiction. Characters – including their names, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are otherwise used fictitiously. Any similarity from this book to events occurring in real life – including locations, or persons living or dead is wholly coincidental. The use of musical titles and the naming of musical artists is not an infringement of copyright per sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter One Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Preview The Galatian Exchange Book Four:
Paris and Daya
A Note From The Author
Preview The Galatian Exchange Book Four:
Paris and Daya
PEPPER PACE BOOKS
About the Author
Chapter One
Paris walked into his home, wishing there was something that kept him away longer. At least then, Justina would have already retired to her own suite for the evening and he wouldn’t have the stress of trying to communicate with someone who was unhappy.
But she was there to greet him as he entered the home.
“Hello, my mate.”
He nodded his greeting and moved past her to his den.
“Would you like me to wash your scales?”
He paused and then nodded. He went into his closet, removed his clothing, and secured his weapons. When he turned, she had already removed her clothing and was nude. He appreciated the delicate perfection of her body; pale skin and soft hair which swept as far as the back of her thighs.
She moved to climb the stones high enough so she could reach his back. She touched the water as little as possible and he knew the moment she finished scrubbing his scales, she would later scrub her hands.
She only saw his pool in the same light she saw a septic tank. Even with the advanced education the consort school bragged about, they had done little to explain the benefits of having a Galatian pool within their vicinity. But it was her loss if she ignored his attempts to show her.
Paris climbed into the pool, noting that his consort avoided looking at his thick prick. Humans would call it fat as opposed to long, but even if he didn’t always enter her surgically enhanced cervix, his width would still offer a great deal of discomfort until her body conformed.
The problem is she cried and shied away from him, so he rarely pressed forward. Eventually, he had pretty much given up on intercourse and she still shied away from any other coital stimulation. She complained his scales were too hard or his teeth might cut her.
She complained about everything.
Paris swam beneath the surface for a few minutes. He enjoyed the artic waters before warming himself in the steaminess of the faux hot spring. Finally, he moved to where she waited with a brush and the jar filled with the botanicals of his home world encased in Earth’s beeswax. He liked the bees; how they lived and produced. It seemed familiar. Too bad their honey was much too sweet for the average Galatian to enjoy.
He stood with his back to her and allowed her to scrub his scales. It felt good. His head rested with contentment on his chest and his eyes drooped while his prick stiffened.
Under her urging, he lifted his arms where she concentrated there and offered even his fingertips for her attention to his sharp claws. She turned him so he faced her and she concentrated on scrubbing his chest and belly as if she was scrubbing the floors in the kitchen like the cleaning woman.
He watched her while she pretended that he wasn’t taking in her every movement. She finally lifted his prick and scrubbed it with the brush. He was amused, but suppressed his laughter.
If she thought it would hurt him then she was sadly wrong. His prick might not have scales but it was far from as tender as human genitalia. He turned, slipping his hard prick from her grasp and then turned his back to her again. This time he lifted his tail and offered her his asshole. After a moment’s hesitation she began to scrub that.
He dunked beneath the water after enjoying his joke and when he reappeared fifteen minutes later, Justina was gone.
Paris sloshed the water from his body with the palms of his hands and then dressed in his wrap. Barefoot he padded into the kitchen where Justina was waiting to serve him his meal.
“How was your day?” she asked.
He took his seat. “The children’s new order is growing. They’ve incorporated all but one gang into their little society.”
She sighed and placed his broth before him. “I swear that I don’t understand why you allow them to take so much control.”
“I have explained it to you. Everything in life is a lesson. Who would I be to remove all of their control when they will need to learn this lesson as they enter adulthood? Besides, when I take back control, they will remember the feeling of freedom and they’ll fight to make sure that they never lose it again.” She blinked at him before filling his mug with drink.
“You do not agree?”
“Why give them a taste of something that you intend to take away? It’s cruel!” She sat down and concentrated on the table.
“I did not realize that you cared about those children.”
“I don’t. I mean…I care about them just as much as I care about any living creature.”
He slurped his broth and she cringed. “So, you wouldn’t be interested in adopting a child from the orphanage the way Rafe and Karma have--”
“No,” she said, barely giving him an opportunity to finish. “That little girl has already hurt herself! It’s more trouble than it’s worth. People are trained to do such things like the doctors that treat the sick and the maids that clean our house.” She rose and poured herself a glass of wine. He was surprised. She seldom consumed anything while in his presence. He got the distinct impression that seeing him eat sickened her.
“Besides, if any consort other than Karma does it, they’re fools. What’s going to happen in seven years when the contract ends? Are they going to return the kid to the orphanage? I guarantee you that none would be stupid enough to take them along when they begin their new lives. And I doubt if your bound mate wants to see some human kid that you raised with your consort.” She snorted and sipped her wine.
“The latter is true,” he replied. “I shall have some wine, too, please.” She gave him a surprised look but rose to pour him a glass of wine.
“I didn’t know you drank wine?”
“Only for the taste. The alcohol doesn’t affect us the way it does with humans.”
She passed him a glass and he sipped it. It was nice. He pushed away his partially eaten meal and leaned back to enjoy this rare moment of drinking and talking with his mate.
“Drago has offered his consort a job working with the orphans.”
She smirked. “That’s perfect for Maddie. She likes being the boss of everyone. It’s hard to do when Karma has trumped her as the head bitch in charge.”
Paris’s head tilted. “Head bitch in charge?”
Justina shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just that when we were in consort school, she felt like no one could do anything without her direction. The same with Mayva. They had the status so people listened. But with Jayne gone…” Justine closed her eyes briefly and a look of pain crossed her face before she took another sip of wine. She looked at him. “If you are done with your meal, we can mate now.”
He met her stare. “Would it please you to mate?”
She looked at him in confusion. “Please me…? It’s what I have to do. I am here at your disposal, Master.”
“But do you find pleasure in it?” She stared at him, her mouth parting as if she could say more but chose not to. “You may speak openly, consort. I demand it, in fact.” She continued watching him in confusion. Paris leaned forward. “Speak,” he commanded.
With a short jump she responded. “I do not.
Paris didn’t even miss a beat when he spoke his next words. “Think carefully before you answer the next question because if you lie, I will know and I will punish you. Did you enjoy the touch of Heinrich Tolbert?”
The look of disgust over-rode any lie that she might have formed. “He disgusted me,” she blurted. “I did not enjoy sex with him, even after he stopped manhandling my clit and thrust that little wormy thing that dangled between his legs inside of me. At least then I didn’t have to feel him!”
Paris leaned back in his chair. “You are free to return to your suite.”
She stood slowly, only now realizing that she may have made a grave mistake by telling too much. Why had she admitted to fucking Heinrich? Would she be dismissed? And she’d admitted that she hadn’t enjoyed her own master’s touch. That was something that was supposed to go with her to the grave. Her master was never to know that he wasn’t the best lover known to womankind.
She looked down but swallowed back her fear. Whatever would happen would happen but at least she no longer had to pretend. She went to her room, but carried her glass of wine with her.
That night Paris lay quietly on his ledge but not to slumber. He waited and listened closely. When he heard the quiet buzzing of his consort’s sex instrument he waited until her breath caught and she muttered the almost unintelligible words that she always muttered when she met her zenith. But this time Paris listened closely to decipher them.
“Jayne…” she groaned.
“A lot has happened since the last time we got together,” Maddie said with a slight smile. Karma put her hand on M’s shoulder and the little girl looked up at her before returning her gaze to the suspicious consorts.
They were in the enclosed garden, each holding their baskets and selecting items to prepare for their mate’s meals.
“I know I’ve been busy,” Karma chuckled. “What’s everyone been up to?”
“Who cares about anyone else?” Tam said. “What’s it like being pregnant?” She looked at Karma’s slim form, particularly her tummy.
“It’s too soon to really tell.” Everyone stared at her with renewed interest. “But a few days ago, I started getting morning sickness.” Karma placed her hand on her flat belly. It was an unconscious thing, as if she expected to feel something. If not for the morning sickness she might find it hard to believe that she and Rafe had created the first human-Galatian hybrid in decades.
Right now, it was late afternoon and the nausea had passed. She had discovered that taking a few bites of protein helped—and it alarmed her to realize that she craved the taste of the small Galatian living creatures called mofreka.
She knew that the ladies were interested in her pregnancy as well as the newest member of her family but she was interested in them. She looked at Tam who had always been so quiet and shy. Now she stood among them with shockingly short hair that was as black as ebony. Against her pale skin, she gave a striking appearance and then Karma realized that it wasn’t just her hair that was dark—so were her eyes.
She no longer looked like a little waif that tried so hard to fit in. She wore pants that hugged her small frame along with black leather boots that went up to her knees. She wore a light weight blouse with suspenders, of all things, and it worked. She wore not a stitch of make-up and yet she was prettier than Karma had ever seen her.
“I love your new look.” Karma took her hand and Tam smiled and blushed.
“Yeah…” Auras frowned at her. “Whatever does Haru think of his consort’s new style?”
“Haru doesn’t care,” she said dismissively while not even looking at Auras. She continued to smile at Karma. “But you’re a mother, Karma. And a Queen. That’s huge.”
Karma nodded. “I guess I’m supposed to feel different but, is it strange that none of this feels real to me yet?”
“What you should find strange is that you’re now linked to a Galatian for the rest of your life,” Justina said.
Karma gave her a curious look. “But that was by mutual agreement.”
“Hmph,” Justina said, while picking through a bunch of Galatian root vegetables.
“What’s wrong with you, Justina?” Polat asked. “You’ve been in a foul mood for weeks.”
“Are you still experiencing pain?” Maddie asked in concern. “You should make an appointment-”
Justina swung around to her sisters. “No. There’s nothing wrong with me. It’s you that’s all wrong. Everything we’ve been made to do is wrong! Don’t you know that? They brainwashed us and then bribed us into submission!”
“You had a choice, Justina,” Maddie said firmly. “Before the surgery they asked each of us-”
“That was no choice!” she exclaimed. “I was twelve years old and my parents had paid a shit-ton of money to get me to win the lottery! Who was I to throw all of that away? And then what, Madeline? Go back home and say so sorry Mummy and Daddy, but I don’t want to be a whore for a Galatian?!”
“Keep your mouth shut!” Polat said while grabbing her elbow and escorting her into the enclosed greenhouse. Everyone followed. Once they were out of earshot of the soldiers, Justina snatched away.
“You can’t tell me you actually enjoy…fucking them?”
Each of the consorts exchanged looks with the other—some unsure how to respond, while others had no doubt about their feelings. It was clear to see the three that did not regret their choice in becoming a consort.
“The only thing that I would change is…not being able to bear my own children,” Maddie said while her eyes flicked toward Karma. She stared again at Justina. “Drago is a good man-”
“He’s not a man! He’s a…creature!” Justina said. “They act like humans, pretend to be like us, but they aren’t! They don’t show us even a fraction of their abilities and they have more secrets than any of us can guess at. Have you ever seen them train? No. Because they don’t want you to know that they aren’t like us. They don’t want you to know their vulnerabilities.”
“Stop it,” Tam said. “Haru doesn’t have to be like a human for me to love him. Because he treats me with more respect and concern than any man that I’ve ever known, and that includes my own father. Our fathers sold us into this.”
“But it’s the Galatians that benefit from it, isn’t it?” Justina said.
“What do you want to do?” Polat asked. “You’re here. You can’t change it. You have seven years-”
“Yeah.” Justina glared at them. “And I’ll do what I have to. And at the end of that seven years, I won’t even be thirty and I’ll have my own life. No parents, no propaganda, and no Galatian master!”
Auras shook her head, sending her long blond hair swinging against her backside. Her expression had gone sour. “Well, I don’t care about what you say. I intend to make the best of my life. Kendrick is funny. He might look like a lizard man, but he sounds and acts like a human man. Plus, he knows how to use his prick.”
“And probably his tongue, too,” Polat chuckled.
Auras gave her a sly look. “Has your mate used his tail-?”
Karma placed her hand over M’s eyes. “Okay…we probably should head back home.”
“Oh no!” Auras said. “But we’ve barely had time to visit. How about tea at my house? Tomorrow while our mates are at work?” She looked pointedly at M. “We can leave the child with Sir Dorf. I hear from Pogo that he’s handling her lessons.”
“Pogo?”
“Kendrick’s Japoxillian. Do say that you’ll come!”
“I’ll be there,” Tam said. She gave Karma a hopeful look. The other ladies agreed and Karma nodded.
“Of course, I’ll come for tea—as long as it’s in the afternoon after my daily bout of morning sickness.”
Auras giggled. “Good. I’ll have the maid prepare an authentic English Tea just like when we were in school.” She knelt until she was eye-level with M and mouthed with exaggerated movements. “Maybe one day your mummy and papa will send you to consort school. And they won’t even have to bribe anyone since your papa is the head of it.”
Karma frowned and returned a protective hand to M’s shoulder. “We should be going. I need to make Rafe’s broth.”
Auras straightened. “See you tomorrow.”
As Karma and M headed for the elevators Justina suddenly appeared. Her face was pale. “Don’t.”
