Page 69 of Galaxy Circus Act One

I shrug off the disappointment and hurt. “Maybe not, but he invited me, thehuman, here.” Then I really put in the screws to this arrogant asshole. “Maybe he’s grown tired of the same old meal day after day and wants a taste of something different and unique.” He chuckles quietly in my ear but still doesn’t appear from wherever he’s hiding to help me out, and I guess Steve the stingray doesn’t hear him.

Fuck my life.

A flash of jealousy flares in this guy’s eyes, and both of the women are now out of the pit standing next to him. I was so taken in by Steve and his raging double hard-ons that I hadn’t even seen them move. There’s no denying it, I was dickmatized.

They have features very much like Xavier’s, as well as high cheekbones, pointy, decorated ears, and similar skin tones. Theirs is a washed-out version of his pretty lavender skin, and they don’t have anywhere near the amount of silver markings he has. Both of them wrinkle their noses at me like I smell bad. The temptation to sniff myself to see if I reallydostink starts to feel like an itch I need to scratch, but I can’t let them bother me.

“Please, he would suck you dry in no time. You have no discernable power at all,” the pretty redhead says, looking me up and down, and I can tell she’s not impressed with what she sees. I return the favor, and I can tell you the drapes do indeed match the carpet, or should I say shag pile rug. Do warlocks not believe in grooming?

“As long as he sucks the right things, I really don’t care if he has a mouth like a hoover. I’d rather experience death by orgasm than anything painful.”

I watch as the two girls scowl at my response, clearly not liking where I’m going with this.

“He wouldn’t lower himself to put his mouth on you. He’d only have to put a finger on your skin and you’d be a hollow husk.” This is the other girl. She’s a petite little thing who looks like a dark-haired Tinker Bell. I almost want to shake her to see if any fairy dust will fall out.

“I’m good with fingers too, or tentacles or dicks, whatever he wants to put on orinme.” I shrug casually to show that I am far from picky and have an appetite for anything.

“How do you know about that?” Tinker Bell asks, and I’m momentarily confused, but before I can work out what she’s referring to, the Milobar comes at me again. I think he’s fed up with this entire conversation, but I could keep going back and forth for days if it continues to piss off Xavier’s harem.

With Steve the stingray coming in hot, however, I have no choice but to shut my mouth and prepare for the showdown.

I brace myself. He gets close enough to grab me, and two things happen at once. First, Xavier’s mist solidifies behind the Milobar, and second, I jam my knee into his still erect dicks. Like any male, the Milobar goes down like a sack of shit, groaning loudly, but his tail whips out in response, its frightening barb coming directly for my chest. I close my eyes, accepting my fate will be just like that Aussie dude’s, as slight disappointment that I won’t be able to see what Xavier has to offer echoes in my mind. But instead of the poisonous weapon burying deeply into my chest, it slams into an invisible barrier and snaps in half, and the Milobar screams in pain. Huh, guess he didn’t see that one coming.

There’s an aura of fury in the atmosphere, and the two women are now cowering together as the Milobar’s body lifts off the ground and begins to hover in the air. Xavier’s mist surrounds his form, and the Milobar starts to thrash his arms around. “No, please, wait! I was just protecting you,” he pleads, trying to breathe between his shouts of pain. This time, Xavier’svoice has lost the soft, caressing tones he used with me, and there is no mistaking his rage. My nerves are a little frayed at the end, and I can feel my pulse thumping in my ears as I watch what’s happening to Steve.

“Do you think I need protecting? Am I not one of the most powerful people in the galaxy, or have you forgotten, Mithus?” Oh, okay, not Steve then.

“I just thought—” Mithus argues, but Xavier cuts him off.

“You are not here to think, you are here to be my food. You are nothing more than a meal and occasional cum receptacle. Do not mistake my previous use of your body as affection. You are not powerful enough to be my intimate. None of you are.”

He aims that last statement at the two women who are now sobbing, their hair rising with the sheer power Xavier is pushing out. Cuts appear across their bodies as his power pulses all around us. Their faces twist in pain, which is weird because it feels like a tickle of pleasure to me, and I almost giggle.

“I’m sorry. Will you please forgive me?” Mithus begs the still shrouded Xavier.

Xavier says nothing, but Mithus’s back arches in agony. “Please don’t drain me,please.” I watch as Mithus starts to shrivel in front of me, kind of like a time lapse of a dead body turning into a mummy. It’s agonizingly slow, and I cringe away from the squealing sounds he’s making. It’s too much, so I shove my hands over my ears and close my eyes against the gruesome sight. I try to think of something else that will distract me until the torture is finished, but all I can see is Mithus’s body withering away.

There is no mistake about it. Xavier is fucking powerful.

It abruptly cuts off, and a hand lands on one of my arms, causing me to pull my fingers away from my ears. I peek open an eye and find Mithus on the floor in a fetal position, but he still looks to be alive, barely, but he’s breathing.

“Get him out of my sight,” Xavier says to someone, his hand still on mine.

A group of people have appeared out of a side door and are gathered around, watching the show. A bipedal grasshopper man leaves the group, comes over, and picks Mithus up. Two other women, who give me death glares as they walk past, gather up the two who have been battered by Xavier’s powers. Before they can all leave, Xavier speaks again.

“Hear this and tell everyone. Lila is off limits. She may come and go as she pleases. She is my guest, and as such, you should treat her well. If I find out anyone is mistreating her, what I did to Mithus will be like a space walk.” His tone is deadly, and despite not being able to see him, they all cower and nod before hurrying out of the room.

Silence descends, leaving only the sound of my rapid breathing between us as I try to figure out what to say. It doesn’t take me long before my curiosity gets the better of me.

“What did you do to him?” I ask as Xavier guides me toward the sunken lounge, but I balk, knowing what had just been going on in there. A burst of power floats through the room and the cushions are replaced with new ones. A table is now in the middle of the cushions, set with an exotic-looking pot and two cups. There’s what looks like a hookah bubbling and smoking next to it.

He still hasn’t answered me as he helps me take a seat at the low table. Once I’m comfortable, he chooses a seat next to me, still shrouded.

“I punished him, as is my right, Lila. He insulted me by attacking you.” There is no remorse in his voice as he waves a mist-covered limb and the teapot floats over to pour liquid into each of the cups.

“Will he survive?” I ask him, not really caring either way, but I am curious. Xavier snorts, sounding disgusted.

“Yes, unfortunately. I didn’t think it would be a good start to our courtship if you saw me kill one of my harem members despite the insults he flung at you,” he grumbles, sounding quite put out, and I try to smother a smile. I have come to realize that the alien species I have encountered are quite primal in their ways. It’s fascinating seeing him temper his base instinct so as not to frighten me, and I can’t say I don’t internally squeal that he cares enough to do it.