But I won’t be going to any society function if I don’t getthis slave trained correctly, Kaylee reminded herself uneasily. Shethought of him sitting back in the cargo hold and felt a surge of concern. Washe all right back there? Like all Yonnites, she didn't consider males equals,but she didn’t like having one as a slave either. There were a few free malesliving on the fringes of Tulga and everyone had been content to leave themalone. Then again, those had been shy, quiet specimens, most of them no largerthan any of the women in town and some were quite a bit smaller. None of themwere anything like the huge, imposing male Lyra had talked her into buying.

“Well, get ready, we’re almost here!” Lyra chirped, pullingKaylee away from her worried musings. She was driving and she handled the fastlittle ship Great Aunt Jamelda had left Kaylee like she’d been born to do it.Her own family was proud but not nearly as wealthy as some of the mistresses inOpulex. Also, Lyra was a second daughter which meant her older sister wouldinherit everything once their mother died. Still, she didn’t seem to let thisfact bother her—she was unfailingly cheerful and if she was a little pushysometimes, Kaylee was willing to forgive her. After all, Lyra was her onlyfriend in the sprawling, impersonal city and she was happy to have her.

Lyra steered the ship into a small, private entrance at thebottom of the towering building Great Aunt Jamelda had left Kaylee. When she’dlearned that the entire huge skyscraper was now hers, she’d been astounded.Most of the floors were rented out to other, lesser mistresses but Aunt J, asKaylee affectionately thought of her, had kept the top three for herself.

The little ship settled into the private lift and was carriedright up to the top of the huge building. There the lift opened into the parkingarea of the vast suite of rooms which now belonged to Kaylee. In the first twofloors there were several living areas, three kitchens, multiple bedrooms,bathrooms, and bathing areas, a private spa and sauna with an attachedbubble-water pool, and a massive entertainment theater with dream-gascapabilities.

But despite the wonders of the first two floors, the third floor was what had really caughtKaylee’s attention. It was entirely given over to a massive dungeon complexfilled with training and punishment equipment for wayward body-slaves. Shehadn’t had time to fully explore the dungeon yet but Lyra had promised theywould be making use of all its equipment when they were training the huge Havocslave.

Kaylee wondered what Aunt J would have made of her purchase.She had kept a whole stable of such slaves herself but they had not been passedon to Kaylee. In her will, she had set the lot of them free and settled them ondifferent worlds where males weren’t looked down on as they were on Yonnie Six.Kaylee thought that was nice. Though she had never gotten to know her auntbefore she died, she was developing an affection for the relative whose lifehad been filled with so much adventure and excitement.

“All right,” Lyra said briskly, popping the doors of the littleship open with a press of her finger. “Let’s take your new slave up to thedungeon where he belongs and get started with his training.”

“Right away?” Kaylee’s stomach gave a nervous little flip.She’d assumed the hard part was over for today. Her plans for the evening hadincluded a relaxing soak in the bubble pool and maybe a few entertainment vidsalong with some of Aunt J’s excellent stock of Kiper 12 Star wine. But now Lyraseemed to be saying they had to start “breaking” the new slave at once—aprocess Kaylee was not lookingforward to.

“The sooner he acknowledges you as his mistress, the better,”Lyra said, nodding at the back of the ship where the slave was still stowed inthe cargo hold. “We have to break him to your will and make him obey.”

“But do we have to start tonight?”Kaylee pleaded. “Honestly, Lyra, I’m worn out from that long trip to the slavemarket already. Can’t we just…I don’t know, lock him up and start tomorrow?”

“No, it has to betonight.” Lyra’s bossiness was in full force. “Come on, Kaylee—I’ll show youexactly what to do. Just follow my lead.”

Kaylee had no wish to do any such thing but there was no saying"no" to her new friend. With a sigh, she got out of the ship andwalked around to the back. She was just about to pop open the hatch to thecargo hold when Lyra put a hand on her arm.

“No—you can’t just let him out! Not until you’re prepared!” Shereached into her elaborately styled gold-cloth Shirazz handbag and pulled out the small, black, evil lookingremote to the pain collar the slave still wore. “Now we’re ready,” she announced. “Pop the hatch and then jump backquickly—he’s bound to have a long reach.”

Kaylee wondered nervously why all this precaution wasnecessary. Hadn’t the slaver promised this slave was well trained and perfectlydocile? So why was Lyra handling him like he was a wild animal in a menageriethat might get loose and maul his new owners at any minute?

She opened her mouth to ask the question but Lyra was noddingat her to open the hatch.

“Go on—do it,” she said in a low, tense voice, the remotepointed steadily at the hatch.

Heart in her throat, Kaylee stepped forward and yanked quicklyon the hatch release level. Then she sprang backwards, nearly tripping over thenew Doli-laRon heels Lyra had insistedshe buy to go with the too-short skirt.

From the way Lyra had been acting, she half expected the hugeHavoc slave to spring out, snarling and try to attack them both though hishands were still bound behind his back. So it was rather anticlimactic when thehatch swung upward, revealing him lying passively on his side, simply staringat them with a look of irritation in those jewel-like eyes.

“Oh…” Kaylee put a hand to her chest, trying to still herpounding heart. “He seems quietenough.”

“Yes, he does.” For some reason Lyra didn’t seem pleased aboutthis at all. She frowned and made a threatening gesture at the slave with theremote. “Well, come on, what are you waiting for? Get out here, slave.”

The slave just glared at them for a moment but then he began toextricate himself from the cramped space. Apparently he wasn’t going fastenough for Lyra because when he was only halfway out, she pushed a button onthe remote that made his back arch and his teeth clench in apparent agony.

“Lyra!” Kaylee protested. “What are you doing?”

“He’s not moving fast enough to suit me,” Lyra had an ugly lookon her snub-nosed face. “This’ll put a little spring in his step. There’snothing worse than an insolent male.”

“He’s been cramped up in there for ages—he probably can’t move any faster.” Kaylee tried tograb the remote from her but Lyra pulled away, keeping a firm grip on it.

“Relax—this is only the medium setting. He won’t have anypermanent damage.”

“Turn it off,” Kayleeinsisted. “He’s my slave and I say stop hurting him!”

“Oh, all right,” Lyramuttered sulkily. “But only because he’s too heavy to drag to the dungeonourselves if he passes out.” She clicked another button on the remote and thehuge slave abruptly went limp. Kaylee bit her lip as she watched him slumpagainst the side of the ship, head hanging down, panting heavily.

“Is…is he all right?” she ventured uncertainly.

As if to answer her, the slave looked up. Kaylee recoiled fromthe look in his green and gold eyes. Before, when they’d first opened the hatch,he’d had am expression of bored irritation on his face. Now he was glaring atthem with unmitigated hatred.

For some reason, this seemed to please Lyra immensely.

“Now he’sready to train,” she announced. “Come on, slave—on your feet.”

Slowly, the slave righted himself until he was standing tall.And tall was really the word—even in her designer spike-heeled footwear, Kayleecould feel him looming over her likea mountain of muscle. A mountain ofangry, malevolent muscle, she thought. Ohdear…