*********

One.

Justin reluctantly got up from behind his desk and walked over to where the merchant was waiting with his stock. He was quite annoyed at being interrupted in his work. This whole thing was so tedious. But Justin had agreed to go along with his father‘s wishes, so there was no getting out of it. It was best to just get it over with and be done with the whole messy and distasteful business.

“Good morning, Sapperstein,” Justin greeted the merchant standing in his office with a respectfully lowered gaze. “So, what have you brought me?”

“Thank you for this great honor, Mis’l,” the obsequious man began. Justin simply waved him on, completely unfazed by the extreme level of toadying. “Since your father’s Dom’l was unable to give me an idea about your preferences, Mis’l, I brought a wide variety of offerings with me today. I’m sure one of them will strike your fancy,” the man hurried on, gesturing at the group of people waiting in the shadows next to the door to come forward. “These are the best my house has to offer, Mis’l.”

Justin watched with a detached interest as the stock being offered to him filed closer. They came to a halt standing in two lines, their bodies cloaked from head to toe by the signature hooded red robes that covered even their faces. There were eight of them in all. Justin would’ve thought that Saperstein might’ve brought more for him to choose from, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t really want a Surrogate at all. He supposed one of these would no doubt suffice for his father’s purposes.

“Proceed,” Justin ordered succinctly.

The merchant barked an order and, in a synchronous movement, all eight of the Surrogates undid the clasps holding their robes closed, allowing the fabric to drop in puddles at their feet. They were all completely nude underneath the robes, of course. And they were all fine specimens of the human form - that was a given considering their purpose - he had expected no less. Justin WAS surprised to see that three of the eight were actually males. He hadn’t expected that. Knowing his father, he didn’t think Craig Taylor would’ve expected it either. Justin, however, was intrigued.

When Craig had informed Justin that he was requiring him to take on a Surrogate, the young man had at first rebelled. He understood that it was his duty to not only carry on his father's empire, but to produce at least one, if not more, heirs who could ensure that the Taylor name would carry on indefinitely. He’d thought he’d fulfilled his obligation by marrying the heir to the Chanders’ Dominion, thus sealing the alliance between the two most powerful families in the Easternness. But, unfortunately, that union had not yet produced the required offspring and, after two years, his father had become impatient of waiting. Hence the insistence on Justin’s taking a Surrogate who would be guaranteed to produce that all-important heir.

Justin had assumed that taking a Surrogate would mean a female. He was sure that’s what his father had in mind as well. In the first place, male Surrogates were quite uncommon, although not unheard of. And, secondly, Justin was well aware of his father’s opinion about the types of men that typically chose to use Male Surrogates. Craig Taylor privately called those men ‘pansies’ and denigrated them ruthlessly behind their backs, even the ones he was forced to do polite commerce with in public.

Justin, on the other hand, was not at all opposed to the idea. Not that he disliked females - his wife, Daphne, was a fine woman and had become his best friend over the course of their arranged marriage - but he wasn’t particularly attracted to her physically, nor to any other woman for that matter. The thought of taking a male Surrogate, though, had his dick twitching with interest. Maybe this idea of his father’s wasn’t going to be quite so tedious after all.

“Bring the three males forward,” Justin ordered the Merchant.

“Of course, Mis’l.” Sapperstein half bowed as he directed the males to come forward and stand in the center of the room.

The three Surrogates stood directly in front of Justin. They each assumed the appropriately submissive stance; their feet spread slightly, hands clasped behind their backs, and heads down. They all seemed to be perfectly well trained. Justin moved over to start with the one on his left.

This offering was a fairly short, compact, well-muscled specimen. He seemed relatively young, but strong and well-built. His skin was a lovely, dark, blue-black color. Justin liked his strong masculinity. He reached out and ran his hand along one taut pec, and enjoyed the contrast between his own pale skin tone and that of the Surrogate. This one had definite possibilities.

Moving along to the second sample, Justin examined this much more effeminate offering. This male was slightly taller than the first, his skin a beautiful light brown. He was trim and looked just as healthy, but seemed soft in all the places that the first Surrogate had been hard. Justin wasn’t sure about that. However, he did note the slight scarring caused by stretch marks along the specimen’s abdomen, indicating he’d already born at least one prior offspring, which was always a plus in a Surrogate. This one’s appearance just didn’t please him that much, though, so he thought he’d pass.

The last offering was probably the best of the lot, in Justin’s opinion. This one was tall and slim, with long, lean muscles. His build was somewhere between that of the other two, with good muscle tone but not so much of it that he looked ridiculous. This one had light, golden-colored skin and auburn hair that glinted with reddish highlights even in the rather dull lighting of Justin’s office. He appeared to be older than the others, probably in his late twenties, but was still in excellent condition from what Justin could see so far. And, to top off the rest of his attributes, this one came with a rather impressive, long, thick, cock that practically made Justin drool. Not that a Surrogate needed to be well-endowed, of course, since that appendage wasn’t needed for their role in life, but still . . . This one was quite scrumptious to look at.

Justin stepped closer to the third option and casually tugged at the metal ID tag attached to the piercing through the Surrogate's right nipple. It said this one’s name was ‘Brian’ and listed his other identifying characteristics. ID #8531468. Height, 6’3”. Weight, 157lbs. Length, 9.5”. Yes, that was definitely satisfactory.

Justin stepped back while surveying the three males. They were all very pleasing. And if he had to have a Surrogate, this was certainly the least unpleasant way to go about it. He nodded to the Merchant, who immediately started in on his standard sales pitch. The man gave a short synopsis of each male’s particular qualities and qualifications. He confirmed that they’d all three been genetically tested and certified to have the Male Pregnancy Mutation and were guaranteed to be fertile. Then he went down the line, pointing out special features for each, and having the offerings turn around so Justin could examine them from all sides. They were all lovely and strong and healthy and utterly tempting.

Justin walked past the lineup one last time, giving the two he liked best an even more careful look. The third one appeared to have been used a little roughly in the past. He had a few faded scars stripping his back, but it didn’t seem to affect his overall functionality, so Justin figured it could be overlooked. He was surprised to have heard during the Merchant’s recitation that this one had previously produced offspring as well; a physical inspection of the male’s body showed no sign of that prior pregnancy at all. Obviously, that was a good sign that this one was a prime specimen.

“I’d like to sample a couple of these,” Justin announced to the Merchant who had been hovering at his elbow all through the prior examination of the goods. “Did you bring stands with you?”

“Of course, Mis’l.”

The Merchant hurriedly barked an order to his assistants and two padded metal stands were immediately brought forward and set up next to Justin’s desk. Justin directed the adjustment of the height mechanism to please him and then pointed to the first offering. The dark skinned male was immediately hustled over to the left-hand stand and settled so that his torso was draped over the padded bar with his ass displayed at the perfect elevation for Justin’s approach. The Merchant offered up a bottle of lubrication, which Justin availed himself of before moving to stand behind the offering and, without any preparation other than to unzip his pants and slather the lube down his already hard member, Justin shoved his prick into the plump backside.

It felt quite nice. The boy was reasonably tight and the plump globes of his ass were a delight to grab onto as Justin thrust deeper. He loved the contrast between their skin colors and the sight of his pink cock disappearing down the dark little hole was stimulating. Yes, Justin definitely approved of this one.

Pulling out abruptly, Justin waved the offering away and gestured that the second Surrogate be brought forward. The Merchant had him arranged in the second stand before the first was on his feet. This one was bold enough to actually lift his chin a bit as he passed by, giving Justin a simpering look. Justin didn’t care for that show of impertinence at all. When the male was bent over the stand and Justin thrust into him, the offering’s hole was loose and even a little saggy. Nope. This one was not at all to Justin’s taste. He pulled out after only a half-dozen thrusts and waved the boy off.

Moving on to the last specimen, Justin felt his dick perk up the second the beautiful, lean, backside came into view, draped over the first stand’s padded bar. He let his hand slide down the long plane of this one’s back, thrilling at the tautness of the muscles under his palm and the silkiness of the skin. This male was simply exquisite.

Justin reapplied more lube to his dick and then spread apart the male’s tanned butt cheeks to reveal a remarkably tiny star-shaped pucker. Justin held his prick in place next to the entrance and then let his dick glide slowly inside. The male grunted quietly at the unprepared entry but didn’t flinch, which pleased Justin and encouraged him to pick up his pace as he fucked that perfect ass with growing urgency.

The fit was deliciously tight. So tight that he found it surprising that this Surrogate could have possibly given birth before. The birth certainly hadn’t affected his tight ass. Justin grasped the slim hips a little more firmly and shoved his way in deeper, relishing the wet heat that enveloped him. This one was simply perfect.

And he was so perfect that Justin was surprised by how fast his climax came on him. One minute he was simply rutting away, as would have been expected by any buyer sampling such wares, and the next minute he’d already passed the point of no return. Two more thrusts was all it took and he was shooting his seed deep inside that magnificent ass, nearly collapsing over the man’s back as the force of his orgasm washed over him. Damn that was good.

“Sorry about that,” Justin apologized to the waiting Merchant as soon as he’d recovered enough to form a sentence.

He quickly pulled out, slightly embarrassed that he’d rudely ejaculated while sampling the offering - that was generally considered to be in poor taste - but he just couldn’t help it. This Male had been too damn pleasing by half. The merchant mumbled something dismissing Justin’s apology and offered him a towel so he could clean himself off before tucking his dick back in his pants. All the while, though, Justin stayed focused on the offering that remained draped over the stand, that enticing ass still on display, as his seed dripped out of the already-closing hole and dribbled stickily down onto the male’s scrotum. The sight was almost enough to get Justin hard again right then and there.

Justin knew he had to have this one. This ‘Brian’. He knew that his father would likely be displeased by his choice, but he’d deal with Craig later. The agreement was only that Justin would get a Surrogate; there had been no stipulations put on what KIND of surrogate, so at least he would have some wiggle room to argue the point. However, just to be safe, Justin decided to double down on his transgression, plus maybe add a backup just in case.

“Thank you, Saperstein,” Justin intoned, handing back the soiled, cum-drenched towel. “I believe I will take this one,” Justin pointed to the one known as ‘Brian’, “the dark skinned one on the end,” Justin pointed at the offering he’d sampled first, “and one of the females,” he finished, waving vaguely in the direction of the unexamined female Surrogates.

“Very good, Mis’l. Thank you so much. I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with your choices. Thank you, Mis’l. Thank you,” the overjoyed merchant burbled, bowing as he backed away.

Justin didn’t bother responding to the silly man. He nonchalantly turned his back on the whole scene, striding over to his desk, and leaning across so that he could punch the button for the intercom. There was a short burst of crackling static before the tinny voice of the estate’s Dom’l answered.

“Hobbs, I’ve made my selection for the Surrogates I’ll be taking,” Justin announced. “I’m sending Sapperstein down so you can arrange for payment of his fee. Oh, and please send someone up to my office to take the new additions in hand.”

“As you wish, Mis’l.”

Justin turned to the waiting merchant dismissively. “That’ll be all, Sapperstein. Thank you. You can collect your payment from the Dom’l on the way out.”

“Very good, Mis’l,” the man bowed again but then hesitated before leaving. “One question, Mis’l? Which of the females did you desire?”

Justin looked up from the stack of paperwork he’d already started to read, unhappy to be distracted yet again. He looked over at the huddled group of female Surrogates with disdain. He really couldn’t care less which of them the Merchant left. He’d only decided to include one of them so his father wouldn’t be completely displeased with his choices. Any one of them would serve his purpose.

Justin huffed an annoyed sigh and pointed to the one closest to him; a short, slightly plump, redheaded female with a rosy complexion.

“That one on the end will be fine, Sapperstein. Thank you. You may go now.”

Justin ignored the disruption caused by the merchant gathering together the rest of his stock and his equipment before hustling everyone out of the office. He tried to concentrate on the contract he had been reading for his father, but he was having a hard time focusing. His mind kept drifting back to that superb fuck he’d just finished. He hadn’t had an experience that satisfying in . . . Well, in forever, actually. He was actually looking forward to this whole Surrogate thing now.

A few seconds later Justin was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, followed by the entry of one of the many household servants.

“Pardon me, Mis’l,” the boy said with a servile bow. “Dom’l Hobbs sent me up to see to your new Surrogate.”

“Make that ‘Surrogates’, plural,” Justin corrected the lad. “I couldn’t decide on one, so I got three,” he joked, pointing to the two men and one woman still standing where the Merchant had left them. “Please get them settled in the servants’ quarters for now but have them all brought to my chambers tonight so I can service them.”

The boy nodded and scurried over to retrieve the discarded red robes for his still-naked charges. Justin experienced a pang of regret when the boy draped the obscuring fabric over his new favorite. He really did like that one. A lot. There was something special about that Brian.

“On second thought,” Justin stopped the servant boy before he got all the way to the door. “The tall one there - Brian - you can bring him back here to me in two hours. I’ll see to him as soon as I can stop for lunch,” he directed.

The servant nodded understanding and immediately moved to gather the new additions and herd them out the door. But he wasn’t fast enough to get the tall one out before the male shot a surreptitiously mutinous glare Justin’s way. It was brief, lasting only a fraction of a second before the Surrogate managed to school his features into the appropriately subservient blankness that Justin would have expected, but it WAS there. His new Brian seemed like a bit of a rebel underneath it all. No wonder he had those stripes on his back from a prior beating. Well, he certainly wouldn’t be allowed to get away with that sort of behavior around here. That was completely unacceptable.

Although, Justin had to admit that, for just one brief heartbeat of time, he’d felt a little thrill of anticipation when he saw the male’s tiny flicker of defiance.

There was just SOMETHING about that one that interested him. He couldn’t yet put his finger on what it was, but Justin was more excited than he was willing to admit, to start figuring it out. It was going to be rather difficult to concentrate on his work for the next couple hours until he could take a break and make another stab at the enigmatic male.

This Surrogate idea of his father’s was turning out to be a much better suggestion than Justin had anticipated.

********

Two.


The knock on his door at 1200 came as a welcome relief. If he had to read one more page of boring contract legal-speak, he was going to scream. He happily pushed aside the stack of paperwork he’d been digging through and yelled out, “Enter”.

As expected, the servant boy from earlier in the day pushed through the office door with the tall male Surrogate trailing on his heels.

“Excuse me, Mis’l. I’ve brought your Surrogate as requested.”

“Excellent. You may go.”

Justin stood up, picked up the small tube of lubricant waiting on his desk and slipped it into his pocket. Then he quickly made his way around the desk, more eager than he would like to admit to finally get his hands on the beautiful brunet male waiting for him where he’d stopped just next to the doorway. The Surrogate stood there, all uncaring nonchalance, his handsome face betraying no emotion at all while Justin stalked him. Even clad in the heavy red fabric of his robe, Justin felt physically drawn to him. He didn’t know what it was, only that he was more attracted to this male than he had ever been to anyone else in his life.

“You may remove your robe,” Justin directed.

The male adroitly reached up and, with one flick of his fingers, undid the clasp that held the robe closed. The material slithered down the male’s body like a snake shedding its skin, unveiling the underlying perfection. Justin was almost surprised to find that the body he remembered from earlier in the morning was just as delectible as he recalled. His palms actually itched to touch the silky-looking skin, to feel the the long, lean muscles working just underneath, and to press against all the exciting bulges of flesh. Servicing this male was going to be a duty that Justin relished.

However, just as he was about to open his mouth in order to direct the Surrogate over to the waiting couch, the door to his office creaked open once more, without warning, and an elfin face with a mop of long curly brown hair peered around the jamb.

“Hey, Hubby!”

Justin restrained himself from groaning aloud as he turned to greet his wife. “Hey, Daphne. What brings you up here this time of day? I thought you hated coming to my office because I always put you to work when you do visit.”

Daphne ignored his teasing as she flounced into the room. “Is this the Surrogate you selected? My maid said you’d met with Sapperstein this morning.” She circled the waiting male, examining him from all angles. “He’s beautiful, Justin. Excellent choice!”

“Yes. He is beautiful, isn’t he. And so are the other two I picked out,” Justin answered, enjoying the surprise he saw on his wife’s face.

“You got THREE! Wow, Justin! I thought you didn’t want a Surrogate at all? So why’d you get three. And are they all males? You know your father is going to shit a brick when he finds out, right?”

“I got two males and one female,” Justin explained. “Since father demanded we go the whole Surrogate route, I figured what the hell. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? And with three Surrogates we’re bound to get an heir sooner rather than later. How can father object to that?”

“But MALE Surrogates? You know how he is . . .” Daphne looked worried - no one wanted to incur Tch’fl Craig's wrath.

“I did get one female, but I thought it’d be more fun to have a variety pack, if you will,” Justin announced with a smug smile. “The males were really the best of the stock Sapperstein had to offer. Besides, my father only specified that I had to get a Surrogate, not what kind of Surrogate. And the males are certified fertile, same as the females, so what’s the difference?”

“Well, as long as you’re the one who has to explain it to him, not me.” Daphne actually shivered at the mere thought of confronting Craig.

“I’ll deal with father later. He’s not due back from his trip with the other Easternness Emissaries to Calcascadia for at least another two weeks. By then it will all be a done deal. And, if we’re lucky, at least one of them will already be breeding, so he’ll have no grounds to object,” Justin offered, hoping it was going to be as easy as it sounded.

“Well, you’ll get no objection from me - not if they’re all as pretty as this one.” Daphne moved closer to the waiting male, reaching out to run her hand over one taut pec, flicking a pebbled nipple as her finger passed, and then tickling her way down the firm abs all the way to the good stuff below. “Damn, Justin!” she exclaimed as the Surrogate’s manhood began to swell enticingly. “This one’s hung like a horse.”

“It is impressive, isn’t it,” Justin readily agreed as he joined his wife in admiring the yummy way the huge hunk of man meat began to plump up. “Not that it’s needed, really, but still . . . it’s pleasant to look at.”

“Well, YOU can stand around just looking at it but I have several better ideas for that particular appendage,” Daphne teased.

“Daph. You know better . . .”

“You promised me I could play with whatever Surrogate you chose, Jus.”

“Yeah. But that’s when we were both thinking the Surrogate would be a female. We can’t have the Mis’la of the Domain doing inappropriate things with our MALE Surrogates. You think father will be annoyed by my choosing them, just wait and see what will happen if he finds out you were compromising the dignity of our house with one of them,” Justin warned.

“And who’s going to tell him, huh?” Daphne replied with a daring look at her husband, who was also, more often than not, her co-conspirator in crime.

“I would never do that to you, Daph. You know that. But the servants always talk and somehow word gets out . . .”

Daphne’s shoulders slumped. “Fine. I won’t do THAT - even though it’s a crying shame to let something that magnificent go to waste,” she said, letting her fingers drift downward again, until the tip of her index finger trailed along the hardening length of the male’s now erect penis. “But I still intend to have my fun with all three of them. No way am I going to just sit quietly in my room every night while you’re enjoying yourself, ‘servicing’ them over and over and over again. You promised that if I went along with this scheme I would get to play too, and I’m holding you to that promise, Justin.”

“I would never break my word to you, Daph. We just need to be sensible about things. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good. So, I’ll have them all brought to my chambers tonight after dinner and you can have your playtime. Sound good?”

“Yippeee!” The woman giggled, clapping and smiling like an over excited child instead of the dignified young Mis’la she was supposed to be. “See you at dinner, then. And you,” she added, giving the male’s prodigious member a familiar little tug, “I’ll see tonight.”

“Goodbye, Daphne,” Justin said, pulling his wife away from the new male and gently shoving her towards the door.

She left with another giggle, the laughter following her down the hall as Justin smiled after her. He really did like his little troublemaker of a wife. Daphne was a refreshing breath of fun amid the dreariness of Domain life. And he could already tell that she was going to do her best to make their Surrogate experience a wild ride.

Now that Daphne was gone, however, Justin could get back to what he’d planned for his own lunchtime fun.

“On the couch,” Justin directed the male with a gesture towards the plush leather sofa in the corner of his office.

The male shambled over without a word, kneeling on the couch cushion with his chest facing the back and his arms resting on top. He seemed so detached and uncaring, it was a little disconcerting. Not that Justin would let that deter him.

Before he even made it over to the couch himself, Justin’s dick was already as hard as a steel rod. When he unzipped his fly, it practically jumped out of his pants on it’s own. The sticky spot of seed dripping from the tip was a pretty good indication that covering this male would not take long.

Retrieving the lubricant from his pocket, Justin squirted out a healthy dollop into his palm, and quickly slathered it down his straining member. Then he used one hand, planted between the male’s shoulder blades, to push the Surrogate's torso downward, exposing the pretty pink pucker hidden between the firm buttocks, while using his other hand to aim his eager cock. All it took was one quick jab and Justin was sinking into that gloriously tight heat. The male grunted with the initial entry, but it didn’t slow Justin down at all. Nothing could possibly slow him down. He was so instantaneously aroused he didn’t think he COULD slow down even if he’d wanted to. And he definitely didn’t want to. Fuck if this wasn’t the headiest high the young Mis’l had ever dreamed of.

Grabbing a hold of the male’s slim hips, Justin held on tight, using that leverage to amplify his own motions. With each forward thrust, he pulled the Surrogate’s body back to meet him. He loved the swack as his pistoning hips slapped against the male’s skin. The driving lust. The ripples of friction as his dick slid in and out. The way his balls bounced off the male’s scrotum on every pass. It was simply exquisite.

Looking down, Justin was fascinated by the sight of his dick disappearing and then reappearing between the ripe globes of the male’s ass. The moist red tissues of that hole stroked his dick as he pulled out and then stretched around the invading member as he pressed in, as if to welcome his lengths back inside. He’d never seen anything more erotic. No other sexual encounter Justin had experienced in the past compared. This was how it was meant to be. It simply felt right.

It did not take long before the pleasurable sensations began to coalesce downward, till the entirety of his being slowly became focused on his dick, and the rest of the world faded away. It felt like everything around him froze even as his pace quickened. Sweat was dripping down his cheek, dotting the skin on the male’s back. His fingers were gripping the Surrogate’s hips so tightly he was probably leaving bruises, but he couldn’t possibly unclench his fingers. Yet, while all this was going on, it still felt like time was standing still.

And then, so suddenly that it took his breath away, the pinpoint of his ecstatic focus exploded, sending shivers of electricity shooting throughout his body. He convulsed with pleasure. He could feel the gush of his seed spewing out, deep inside the Surrogate's ass, the increased warmth of his semen bathing his dick and making everything just that much more slippery. And he still couldn’t stop pummeling into that oasis of sensation, pounding into the body below him with thrust after trembling thrust, releasing another spurt of cum each time, until it seemed like there couldn’t be any fluids left in him. Only then did he collapse across the Surrogate's back, allowing the cool wash of endorphins to work their calming magic along his synapses.

Justin probably laid there for far longer than was seemly. A Mis’l servicing one of his Surrogates should probably have behaved in a much more restrained manner. Covering your stock was supposed to be just another one of the routine duties of his station. He probably should have approached the whole thing in a more clinical and professional manner. He sure as hell wasn’t supposed to have enjoyed it as much as he had.

However, as Justin was lying there, sprawled across the strong, beautiful, enticing body of his new Surrogate, he really couldn’t give a damn what he was supposed to have done.

When he finally felt like he could move again, the sated Mis’l pushed away from his comfortable male mattress and pulled his dick out. He had to steady himself with one hand braced against the male’s back until his wobbly legs were able to hold his weight. Then he blew out a strong cleansing breath, straightened his spine, and mentally pulled his dignity back into place. With a dismissive slap to the Surrogate's rear, he stepped away, zipping his cock back into his trousers as he walked.

“Very satisfactory,” Justin announced shortly. “You may go now.”

And, forcing himself to not look up, he moved back to his desk, concentrating on the pile of paperwork waiting there until he heard the sound of the Surrogate's softly padding footsteps reach the door, followed by the creak of the hinges and a final click as the portal was closed behind him.

Once he was sure he was alone, Justin leaned back in his desk chair, letting out the breath he’d been holding, and exclaiming to the empty air, “Holy. Fucking. Dominion! That was fucking fabulous! Oh my fucking Hellation!”

He couldn’t wait to do that again. Thank the Dominion that he would be required to keep servicing his new Surrogate - repeatedly - well into the foreseeable future. Because he truly couldn’t imagine ever wanting this feeling to end.

*****

****

Five.

*Ahem*

Justin heard the annoying sound of somebody clearing their throat but resisted the call to open his eyes. He was so supremely comfortable right then. He didn’t think he’d slept as well in several years, in fact.

*Ahem*

The irritating noise came again, forcing Justin to wake all the way so that he could address the matter and order that the idiot who was disturbing his rest be summarily executed.

Unfortunately, when the Mis’l did open his eyes, he quickly determined that the sod who was ahem-ing at him was the Estate’s Dom’l, Christopher, which meant that Justin couldn’t just have the man executed. Not even if the Dom’l was frowning down on him in a totally presumptuous fashion. Seriously, what call did the man have to be looking at his Mis’l with such a judgmental sneer?

Right as Justin was thinking that, though, the warm thing beneath the Mis’l’s head that he’d been using as a pillow moved a bit. That was when Justin realized that he must have fallen asleep after servicing the last of his Surrogates the night before and the last male was still there with him in his bed. He also realized he was curled up around the taller man’s side, one arm draped casually over the man’s abdomen, and his head resting on the large, solid chest. Which was an extremely revealing and awkward position to have been found in. A Mis’l was not supposed to comport himself so familiarly with a mere servant. And now the Dom’l, who Justin had long known was a spy for his father, had discovered him there, in bed, like that.

Justin sighed. This was certain to be a problem. Luckily his father was still out of town and couldn’t take him to task then and there. But he’d have to think up some way to deal with the potential fall out before the Tch’fl returned.

“What is it, Christopher?” Justin asked, trying to make his voice ring with the right amount of command despite his compromising position.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mis’l,” Hobbs started off, his disapproval of the scene he’d ‘disturbed’ only just beneath the surface of his words, “but Mis’l Peterson and his delegation have arrived. They are waiting in the receiving hall.”

“Damn!” Justin sat up abruptly, looking to the clock on his bedside table and realizing how late it was.

He would normally have been up more than two hours earlier. Generally speaking, Justin didn’t sleep that well and as a result was one of the earlier risers in the Estate. He typically would have been in his office working for a good hour by this point, and would therefore have been ready and waiting when the neighboring Mis’l arrived to discuss the pending land sale agreement they’d been negotiating. Now, he was going to have to rush to get ready and would be unprepared when he actually did approach Mis’l Peterson. This was very unlike him.

But even as he started to crawl out of bed, Justin felt a pang of regret. It didn’t make any sense, but he really would have liked to stay in bed with that male and maybe . . . Justin shook his head in an attempt to clear it of those unproductive thoughts. He was a Mis’l of the Dominion and he certainly didn’t have time to lay about in bed with his Surrogate all day. That wasn’t what a Surrogate was for, anyway. He needed to get his head in the game and handle the Peterson negotiations, not be reminiscing about his fantasy fuck from the night before.

Justin rolled out of bed and grabbed for the robe waiting on a nearby chair. “Tell Mis’l Ronald I’ll be right there and see to it that the delegation is supplied with refreshments to keep them occupied until I have arrived,” Justin ordered his Dom’l.

“Very good, Mis’l.” Christopher responded, and then added, “and, just by way of a warning, Sir, Mis’l Peterson has brought along his daughter, Miss Lindsey, as part of the delegation . . .”

“Oh, for Dominion’s sake,” Justin grumbled at this most unwelcome news. “When will Peterson get it through his head that I am NOT interested in taking on his silly, empty-headed daughter as a second wife. Frankly, I can’t stand the twit. And, to be honest, I don’t think she really cares for me much either.”

Christopher lowered his head in a deferential fashion, but Justin could tell that the Dom’l was silently laughing at his predicament nonetheless. It didn’t help the Mis’l’s mood any. Justin really disliked Mis’la Lindsey and her better-than-thou ways, but he couldn’t just throw the bitch out either, not when these negotiations were at such a critical juncture and his father was counting on him to finalize this deal.

“Fine. I’ll deal with them all when I get there,” Justin concluded with a nod of his head before he turned to the male Surrogate still lazing in the big bed. “You are dismissed. You may return to your chambers for the day, but be back here this evening along with your companions.” The male nodded at him without a word and started to get up from the bed. “Oh, and on your way, I need you to stop by Mis’la Daphne’s chambers and tell her that her presence is required for my meeting today. I’ll let Daph take on Mis’la Lindsey for me - she should be able to deal with that situation satisfactorily.”

“As you wish, Mis’l,” the Surrogate responded in a deep liquid baritone, speaking in Justin’s presence for the first time. 

And without further ado, the male strolled over to where his red robe was waiting in the puddle of fabric where it had fallen the night before when Daphne had taken it off him. He bent down to pick it up, exposing that luscious backside to the watching Estatemen, and then casually threw the robe over his broad shoulder. Then, without a single look back, the male sauntered out of the room, bare as the day he was born, looking not at all concerned by his nudity or the shocked look he received from the chambermaid he passed by as he walked out the door.

Justin might have been ashamed of the way his robe was tenting in the front after this performance, if Dom’l Hobbs’ trousers hadn’t also been evidencing a similar effect.

“You may go, Dom’l,” Justin ordered with a knowing smile. “I’ll be along in a minute to see to the Petersons.”

********

“Thank you, Mis’l Ronald. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,” Justin said as he shook the man’s hand goodbye at the end of the day.

“I think, judging by the hard bargain you drove, that the pleasure will be all yours,” Ronald responded, smiling to take some of the sting out of his words.

“Now, now, Mis’l. I’m sure both our Estates will benefit from the factory that Tch’fl Craig intends to build on the land you’ve agreed to sell us,” Justin dismissed the man’s concerns and then turned to address the rest of the Peterson contingent. When he’d shaken hands with all of the rest, he stepped up to Mis’la Lindsey, bowed, and left a courtly kiss on the back of the woman’s hand. “It’s been a treat to see you again, Mis’la. I trust you enjoyed your day.”

Lindsey smiled at him and then turned slightly so she could include the small, dark-haired handmaid who’d accompanied her for the day, in her remarks. “Thank you, Mis’l. We had a lovely visit with Mis’la Daphne. And may I add, congratulations on the acquisition of your new Surrogates. I wish you both a happy and successful breeding season.”

“What’s all this about Surrogates?” Peterson piped up with a frown at this news.

“Yes, father,” Lindsey answered for Justin. “Mis’l Justin has taken on three new Surrogates just yesterday. Daphne was kind enough to bring them in while we were lunching so we could all admire them. They appear to be quite a comely set. You’re sure to get wonderful offspring from that stock.”

“Ah . . . yes. They do appear to be satisfactory. Although it’s obviously still too early to know if they will produce or not. I’m told these things aren’t sure, you know, despite the guarantees the Surrogate Merchants like to tout,” Justin replied, trying to downplay Lindsey’s announcement, which he was sure had already made Mis’l Ronald less than happy.

“Well, I’m sure one of the three will give you that heir you’ve been wanting for so long and then you won’t have to even think about alternatives like taking a second wife or anything like that,” Lindsey interjected coyly, all fake innocence as she looked sideways at her scowling father. “Shouldn’t we get going now, father?”

And so, after a few last words, Justin finally managed to get the delegation out the front door. He had held back his amusement until the last motor was rumbling down the driveway with all the Petersons inside. But then he had finally let the laughter bubble up from inside, as the image of Ronald Peterson’s unhappy glare and Lindsey’s amused relief flittered through his memory again. He was sure that he would never have managed to get quite as beneficial a deal out of Old Man Peterson if he’d known that Justin had taken on Surrogates. Thankfully, Lindsey hadn’t let that news out of the bag till after the negotiations had been finalized and the deed signed. There was no way he’d ever agree to take on Mis’la Lindsey as a second wife, though, and if Peterson had thought that was an unspoken part of the deal, it was his problem. Tch’fl Craig would be very happy with the deal that his son had managed on his behalf.

Now that his work was done, Justin could relax and get back to the truly pleasurable duties of his position - his duty to service that Surrogate that he’d been thinking about all day long.

It took him only a few minutes to tidy up his office and hand off the contract to a secretary to have it all copied and then Justin was practically running down the corridor on the way to his chambers. He hoped that his Surrogates would already be there waiting for him. Especially his new Brian. Hopefully he’d have another chance to do what they’d done the night before, or maybe something even better, although Justin didn’t know what could possibly be better than THAT.

When he arrived at his chambers, Justin did indeed find the three Surrogates, along with his wife, all of whom were in a naked pile in the middle of his bed looking like they had got a head start on the evening’s festivities. Justin felt a tiny bit left out. Only the small female even looked up when he entered the room. The males were busy kissing each other while Daphne pawed at them. Needless to say, this was not how Justin had pictured things starting off.

“Am I interrupting?” Justin asked, his voice betraying his pique as he stared down at the group with his arms crossed angrily over his chest.

Daphne wasn’t one to be cowed, though. “It’s about time you got here, Jus. I’ve been waiting for you for forever so we can get this party started already!”

“Didn’t you have enough partying last night, Daph?”

“There’s no such thing as enough,” Daphne laughed at him, crawling out of the pile of bodies towards him and trying to tug him down onto the mattress. “Besides, I’ve got new toys for us to play with tonight, so hurry up and get those clothes off already.”

“I’m seriously afraid to ask what you mean by ‘toys’,” Justin complained even as he complied with his wife’s wishes and started to pull off his shirt.

Daphne just laughed evilly and reached under the pillows, pulling out some contraption comprised of metal-studded leather straps along with a huge, neon-blue plastic phallus.

“Hellation, Daph! Where the hell did you get that stuff and what do you mean to do with it?”

“Lindsey Peterson gave it to me,” Daphne answered with an impish grin. “She said it’s called a ‘strap-on’, and I think its purpose is pretty obvious.” While she spoke, the little vixen started assembling her new ‘toy’, sliding the phallus into the harness and then putting her legs through the larger loops before cinching the waist strap tight. “Apparently, our Mis’la Lindsey is quite the naughty one when she’s behind closed doors. She was thrilled to hear about you finally selecting Surrogates; hopefully now her father will get over his plans to foist her off on you as your second wife and she can live happily ever after as the poor unwed daughter who turns to her handmaid, Melanie, for consolation . . . Actually, it was Mel who suggested Lindsey give us this toy so I could get more out of my playtime with the Surrogates; I definitely owe her one for this.” When Daphne had her new accessory on and adjusted to her liking, she stood up in the bed, towering over her companions, the strapped on blue dildo proudly jutting out from her pelvic area as she cackled with glee. “How do I look?”

“Fucking dangerous,” Justin answered, shaking his head at the crazy woman. “And, just so we’re clear, you’re not getting anywhere near ME with that thing.”

“Spoil sport!” Daph replied, wrinkling up her face with mock-disappointment. “No matter. Troiyes, Brian, Rosie and I will have fun without you then.”

“I kinda thought I was supposed to be the principle one servicing the Surrogates, not you, Daph,” Justin complained.

“There’s three of them and only two of us so, plenty to go around, right?” Daphne explained logically. “I’ll just take whichever ones you’re not busy with. Which one do you want first?”

“You do realize you’re fucking insane, right?” Justin laughed at his favorite troublemaker as he contemplated his choices.

Justin was hoping to hold back the taller male with the golden tan skin till last and maybe even keep him all night again. That left the other male and the female to service now. He’d done the female first the night before, so he should probably mix it up and do the male first tonight; he didn’t want to be perceived to play favorites.

So, with that decided, Justin moved around to the far side of the bed and tugged at the stocky male’s ankle to indicate his choice. The man obediently rolled over onto his hands and knees, presenting himself appropriately. Before Justin could get started though, Daphne was up off the mattress, strutting around, and taking charge of things.

“Not like that. That’s so boring. You need to learn to change things up, Jus!” Daphne ordered as she pulled the top sheet off the bed, looped it over the canopy runner that ran from one tall bedpost to the other, moved Troiyes around to position him the way she wanted, and then ordered him to hold onto the trailing ends of the sheet.

When she was done, the male was kneeling on the long edge of the bed facing the center of the mattress, his legs spread wide and his arms raised up, gripping the hanging sheet so that his torso was upright. Daph then brought the small female over and had her sit facing the male, legs dangling off the edge of the mattress so that the male’s crotch was right about face level for her. Luckily the mattress was low enough so that Justin was still at the perfect height to take the male from behind. And once Daphne had them all arranged to her liking, she ordered Justin to get a move on already, and then instructed the female on how to suck the male’s cock while he was being serviced by the Mis’l. Despite his wife’s crazy, pushy ideas, Justin had to credit her for her creativity. It was certainly a big turn on for him, knowing the male he was covering was also getting pleasure from the girl’s mouth every time he thrust into him.

But, as if that weren’t stimulating enough, his wife the sex conductor, had even more planned for them all. While Justin was doing his thing on the right-hand side of the bed, Daphne took and set up Brian on the other side, placing him on his hands and knees so that the male was facing Justin’s coterie. Daphne then proceeded to put her new toys to use, lubing up the long blue dildo, moving around to stand directly behind the male and slowly but surely working her toy inside the Surrogate from behind. Once she was all the way in, Daphne picked up the same pace Justin was using to fuck his male with, and started copying his moves while she pegged the other.

And damnation if that wasn't the hottest thing Justin could even imagine!

The tight warmth of the male’s muscular ass enveloped him with every thrust, sucking him in deeper and deeper as the ripples of tingling pleasure surfed up his spine. Over Troiyes’s shoulder he could see the little female doing her best to take the resulting impetus of each pulse as Justin’s movements propelled the male’s thick, dark-plum cock down her throat. And, at the same time, he could see his Brian looking directly at him, taking that huge blue dildo into his own ass from behind as Daphne thrust in tandem. Brian looked like he was rather enjoying the experience too - surprise, surprise.

All together, the tableau of the five of them was glorious. Justin felt like he was controlling them all. And that, more even than the direct contact with his dick, was what eventually got him off. With one last, enthusiastic jerk of his hips, he slammed into the dark male, his head tipping back in ecstasy as the wave of eroticism washed over him and he released his seed deep in those welcoming depths. The male came to his own climax a minute later, filling the female’s mouth with his own sticky offering. And by the transitive property of fucking, the spark of lust somehow jumped across the mattress the following minute, as the other male reared up, shooting streamers of thick white jism which landed on the female in the middle.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Daphne crowed, clearly proud of herself for orchestrating such a spectacle. “I think I’m really going to like these new toys.”

“Freak,” Justin commented but added in a smile for his wild wife as he pulled out of the first male’s ass and used a corner of the dangling sheet to wipe himself off.

“That’s why you love me,” Daphne giggled as she pulled out of her man’s ass too and then helped Brian lay down before moving around the bed. “Okay. Time to shuffle the deck and move on to Round Two. My turn with the beautiful Troiyes.” Daph pushed Justin away from where he was still sort of leaning against the male’s back while catching his breath. “You go take care of one of the others.”

“You do realize, Daph, that men generally need a bit of a break between orgasms in order to get it back up again, right?”

“Yeah, good thing I’m not a man then, huh?” She grinned at him and started lubing up her phallus again while positioning herself behind the dark male who was still holding onto the sheet draped over the canopy railing to keep himself upright. “Alright, let me in pretty boy,” Daphne directed as she began to work on Troiyes. “Get a move on Jus. You’ve still got two more Surrogates to service and the night’s wasting big guy.”

“A PUSHY freak, to boot,” Justin mumbled even as he followed orders and climbed onto the mattress to get around the obstacle created by Daphne and her latest victim so he could get to the female.

The girl, who was still sitting in the center of the bed, smiled shyly up at Justin. She compliantly rolled over when he indicated how he wanted her, getting to her hands and knees. Justin took up the tube of lubricant from where Daphne had tossed it onto the mattress and, with a palmful of the slippery gel, began to stroke himself back to readiness. Which was taking rather a long time, unfortunately, due not only to the fact that he had just shot a substantial load, but also because he really wasn’t that attracted to the girl.

“Hey, no fair laying down on the job over there,” Daphne complained when she looked over to judge her husband’s progress and noticed that the third Surrogate was simply lounging on the bed. “Come on, Brian. Upsy-daisy. Get with the program here.” The male looked over at his mistress with the hint of a questioning smirk on his handsome face, as if to ask what she wished him to do. Daphne answered the unspoken query, “since you’re not busy yourself, go help your Mis’l. It looks like he could use a hand.” Then Daphne laughed and returned her focus to the beefy male she was in the process of pegging.

Brian obediently got up from the bed and moved around behind Justin, crawling into place on the mattress behind the Mis’l. Justin could feel the mattress dipping and then the warmth of the male’s body as he moved closer. The next thing Justin knew, the man was kneeling directly behind him. He could feel the Surrogate's larger frame braced against his own, their bodies aligned, skin-against-skin, the man’s chest leaning into his own back, the muscular thighs flanking his own and the arms wrapping around his waist. And all that glorious skin touching him was . . . stimulating. The hard on he’d been struggling to attain a moment before, sprouted up almost instantaneously. And when the male reached around and added his hand to Justin’s own, both stroking and caressing Justin’s cock together, it actually took some effort for him not to come right then. Thankfully, the Surrogate took charge, pulling the female further back onto her haunches so she was in place as the male used his own hips to press Justin forward into her.

After that, Justin was barely aware of the girl at all. The only thing he was conscious of from that moment on was the way his Brian was draped over the back of him. The way the big male was using his own body to set the pace for Justin’s thrusts. And, above all, the way the Surrogate’s hot, hard cock was rubbing down Justin’s crack and between his thighs.

Hellation, did that ever feel amazing! Justin had never dared even imagine doing something like this. Or how erotic it would be. That huge cock was rubbing on him, touching him in ways that the Mis’l certainly should not allow. This was clearly NOT something a prominent Dominion lord should allow. No servant should ever be allowed such liberties. Not even if it felt this good; this exciting. And not even if it had Justin thinking about what other things that substantial piece of man meat, which was rubbing enticingly just a hairsbreadth from his own hole, might be capable of doing.

It went without saying that it didn’t take Justin long at all to reach the pinnacle of his pleasure. Hell, it was surprising that he actually lasted more than a full minute. With his Brian kneeling behind him, both the male’s large hands guiding Justin’s hips, and their bodies moving as one, Justin jerked his hips forward one last time, sinking into the little female up to his balls, and then froze as the blissful storm of his release washed over him.

When he was done, Justin simply lay there panting, draped over the little female’s back, enjoying the warm wetness surrounding his deflating dick and the soft body beneath him. It took a minute for him to realize, though, that while he was done, the male Surrogate who’d been the de facto guide of this particular fuck was not. With a presumptuous little push, the big male pressed down on Justin’s shoulders so that he was angled with his top half closer to the mattress and his rear end elevated. Then the male continued with more of the rutting he’d been surreptitiously engaging in earlier. However he wasn’t being at all surreptitious now. The male was clearly intent on using Justin’s backside for his own purposes.

And Justin was so surprised by this development that he didn’t know how to react.

In the first place, the male’s actions were outrageously arrogant and overfamiliar. He was a servant, for fuck’s sake. He had no business taking his pleasure on the person of the Mis’l. That was unheard of. He was here for the Mis’l’s pleasure, not the other way around. And, secondly, the male was supposed to be on the receiving end of things, which meant his actions were inherently demeaning to Justin’s position as the Master of the Estate. Justin really should NOT let this continue. If word of this ever got out, he would be shamed beyond belief.

But, then again, he was still so turned on by the experience - completely against his will - that he couldn’t really bring himself to move to stop it.

So, while he mulled over how he SHOULD act, Justin simply laid there, savoring the way the male’s cock was frotting between his thighs. The big, spongy head slid in and out, tracing along the valley of his ass as it went, brushing against his most intimate opening with a tantalizing familiarity at every thrust. And gradually the Mis’l forgot to worry about the indignity of the whole thing and instead found himself fantasizing about what it would feel like if the next thrust was angled a tiny bit differently and the soft-hard crown of that glorious implement just happened to press inside.

About half a minute before Justin was about to say to hell with the impropriety and rock himself backward so as to impale himself on that heated rod, the male reached his own climax. With a guttural moan he let his dick sink one last time into the tightness between Justin’s clenched thighs and the next thing the Mis’l knew, his skin was drenched with the male’s hot, sticky seed. The big body momentarily sagged against his back, pressing him down even more atop the female Surrogate under him, who Justin had temporarily forgotten about. But, after only a few seconds, the male came to himself and abruptly moved away, leaving Justin free to get up and then help Rosie up as well. If you only judged by the blank look on the male’s face, you wouldn’t have had a clue what had just happened. At least not until you looked down at Justin’s thighs and noted the seeping, gooey wetness still dripping down them. Of course, the female was well aware of what had happened, seeing as a lot of the jizz had coated her backside as well. Basically, it was a total mess. Justin simply had to hope that the female wouldn’t dare to comment on the experience.

“Oh, fuck, yes!” Justin’s musings were cut short by Troiyes’ exuberant exclamation as Daphne’s pegging finally brought him to a climax as well and he shot out a nice streamer of jism right then, which again landed on the poor, dripping female in the middle of the bed.

“Finally,” Daphne commented, pulling her phallus out of the male’s rear with a big sigh as she wiped at a trickle of sweat on her temple. “Hellation, I never realized that this side of the fucking equation was such hard work. That took a while. Still, it’s good to know what it feels like on the other side for once, you know?”

“Did I mention that you’re a total freak, Daph?” Justin replied with a chuckle.

“You did. And I’m taking it as a compliment, thank you very much,” Daphne laughed right back as she started to unbuckle her harness and pull off the strap-on. “I’m ready to trade back now, though. I’m ready to be the pleasuree instead of the pleasurer.”

“Um . . . I, uh, don’t think . . .” Justin began to object, only to be cut off by his impatient wife.

“I didn’t mean you, Jus. You’ve still got one Surrogate to finish. Plus, I guess I now have at least some idea of how tiring all this is for you. No wonder you fell asleep after covering the last one yesterday.” Justin looked away, unable to meet his wife’s eye once she’d brought up the fact he’d been caught in that little indiscretion - which had obviously already become the basis of Estate rumors if Daph had heard about it.

“Well, if you weren’t referring to me, then what . . . ?”

“Rosie? You look like you could use a shower,” Daphne announced with a smile for the girl. “How about we leave the boys to entertain themselves for a bit and you and I go to my chambers.”

“You’re going to let her . . .” Justin was gobsmacked by the implication of what his wife, the Mis’la of the Domain was suggesting.

“I’m definitely going to let her,” Daph giggled mischievously. “Why shouldn’t Rosie and I get to have some fun too? You three men already got your rocks off, now it’s girl time. Right, Rose?”

And before Justin could voice any objection, Daphne had grabbed the female by the hand and towed her off the bed, heading towards the chamber door. They were both giggling as they skipped out of the room and down the hall. Leaving Justin and his two remaining Surrogates standing there, completely abandoned.

“Well . . . Ahem . . .” Justin wasn’t sure what to say after that kind of exit, so he just stammered a bit until he managed to collect himself. “Okay. Moving on.” Turning towards Troyes, Justin nodded. “I’m done with you for tonight. You’re dismissed. On your way out, can you tell the household staff we need clean sheets in here.” The buff black male bowed his head then promptly left on the heels of the ladies, leaving only Justin and his new favorite. “Now, considering the state we’re both in, I suggest we take a tip from the Mis’la and have a shower before we continue. What do you say?” he asked the male who was waiting nearby with an enigmatic little smile on his face.

The male Surrogate bowed his head too, and followed Justin to the adjoining bathing chamber without a word. This was yet another new experience for Justin - he’d never bathed with another man before, although he understood that it was fairly routine for the common folks and those in military service, but even in those circumstances he doubted it would feel like THIS. This shower scene was rife with sexual tension and unspoken longings. Not to mention the unaccustomed shyness that Justin seemed afflicted with again. So, despite the random, erotic fantasies that flitted through his brain, Justin did not act on any of those impulses. He merely washed himself, handed off the soap to the male, who did the same, and then they both towelled off and returned to the bed chamber.

Justin was pleased to see that the room had been cleaned and the bed remade while they’d been in the shower. He boldly walked straight over to the bed, pulled the covers back and gestured to the male to get in. The male hesitated again, looking at him questioningly, but following directions nevertheless. When Brian was lying in bed, his head on the pillows, Justin pulled the covers up over the male’s body and then went around to the other side to get in himself, lying alongside the taller man but not yet touching him.

It wasn’t till they were both in the bed together, snug under the blankets, that Justin paused to think through this thing he was doing. He didn’t know why he wanted this male so badly, let alone why he wanted this kind of intimate experience; he just did. And it was a compulsion so strong that he didn’t think he could fight it even if he had wanted to - not that he wanted to, at all. But, after what had happened earlier in the evening, Justin probably should have been angry at the male rather than salivating after him. He definitely shouldn’t be encouraging further closeness. If he acted the way propriety demanded, though, how was Justin to get answers to all the questions that were overwhelming him. How would he ever come to understand what it was that was happening to him.

Where to start, though?

The main image that wouldn’t leave Justin’s mind was the picture of this male on his hands and knees with Daphne standing behind him wearing her harness contraption. He’d seen the glow of pleasure on the man’s face as she was servicing him. He’d obviously liked the experience, which struck Justin as odd. He’d never before really thought about such things - never let himself at least - but for the past couple of days, he’d thought of nothing else. And those moments when this male had been frotting against him while he’d been servicing the female had only heightened his curiosity. He’d felt a longing then that he’d never acknowledged before. Of course, he’d never had anyone he could talk to about that longing either. The man lying next to him in bed seemed like someone who might understand though.

“You . . . do you . . . like . . . being a Surrogate?” Justin asked, realizing even as he said the words how lame the question sounded.

The surly Surrogate simply shrugged.

“But, I saw you with Daphne . . . you climaxed, right?”

Another wordless shrug.

“And you did it last night too,” Justin added, trying to find a way to ask the real question he wanted answered without seeming absolutely pathetic, but then just giving up and going for it. “What’s it like? You know . . . being fucked . . .”

There was a quiet snort of amusement from the male before he sighed and finally answered. “Sometimes it’s not bad. If the guy fucking you takes his time and opens you up first, that is. Otherwise it can hurt like a motherfucker. And if he’s good with his aim and manages to find your sweet spot - like the Mis’la did tonight, by the way - it can be damn near perfect. But most of the time the kinds of Masters who take on Surrogates don’t bother making it good for us. They don’t give a fuck. That’s not what it’s about, right?”

Justin didn’t care for the fake smile the male offered him at that point. He didn’t like the feeling that this man was somehow criticizing him or that he was being lumped in with other, uncaring, Masters. Of course, he didn’t really know what the hell the Surrogate was talking about either - Justin had no clue what the man meant by ‘opening’ someone up first or even what a ‘sweet spot’ was - but rather than be offended by the implied slight, the Mis’l found himself wanting to do better. To learn. To show this male that he was better than the others that had apparently hurt him.

So, without pausing to think about it too much - because if he did think about it, he’d probably talk himself out of what he was planning - Justin rolled over to face the Surrogate and commanded him, “show me what to do.”

Which led to quite an eye-opening night of exploration.

********

********

Six.


Over the course of the next week or so things continued along in the same vein. Justin and Daphne carried on with their nightly festivities. Daphne was as creative as ever, organizing more wanton and acrobatic combinations night after night. Justin had no idea how she was coming up with all this shit. Or where she was getting her hands on so much contraband stuff, including more ‘toys’ along the same lines as that strap-on harness thing. She had amassed a collection of various sized phalluses, some of which vibrated even, little clips that she’d put on her victims’ nipples, and even a set of five matching glass globes that she said were ‘butt plugs’ and which she made them all wear in their asses for one full day. Rosie, the unassuming, quiet, little innocent, turned out to be Daphne’s most ardent acolyte, egging her Mistress on to greater debauchery, while the three men complied with varying degrees of amusement.

On top of their group activities, Justin was spending quite a lot of extra time with his Brian. He managed to keep the tall, intriguing male with him most nights after Daphne and her minions would wander back to her own chambers. And, in the privacy of his chamber, Justin spent his nights learning as much as he could about how to please the both of them. In fact, that Surrogate, and the delicious, forbidden things they were doing, were becoming a bit of an obsession for Justin. He’d taken to servicing the male not only at night, but also when they’d wake up in the morning and even in the middle of the day, whenever Justin could find the time. Strangely enough, though, the more often Justin had the male, the more he wanted him. He thought he should probably have gotten his fill by then, once the newness of it all had worn off, but for some reason that didn’t seem to be the case. If anything, Justin wanted the male more as time passed.

Unfortunately, all this nocturnal naughtiness, not to mention the extracurricular activities with his favorite, meant that Justin was feeling a little exhausted. He felt frayed and sleepy and unable to concentrate on his duties. He’d actually even nodded off a couple times during meetings. And, by the end of the week, he found himself yawning over his desk, staring with distaste at the towering stack of paperwork he still needed to get through that morning.

Which was when his Dom’l entered bearing even more work for the tired Mis’l. Justin heaved an undignified sigh as he accepted the sheaf of papers Christopher handed him. A quick glance told him it was technical specifications related to the construction of the new factory they planned to build on the land just purchased from Mis’l Peterson. This stuff would require careful review of every minute detail, a task he definitely did NOT feel up to. There was no way he’d be able to stay awake while reading through this mumbo-jumbo. Not today, at least. Justin set the document aside.

“Tch’fl Craig would want that seen to right away,” the Dom’l chided with a nod to the sidelined paperwork. “His instructions were to get the deal done and construction started before his return from Calcascadia.”

“I’m well aware of my father’s desires, Dom’l,” Justin barked angrily.

Christopher hesitated a moment, but then apparently decided to speak regardless of his misgivings. “I realize it might not be my place to say anything, but as the Dom’l of this Estate I AM ultimately responsible for the smooth function of all its dealings, so I feel obligated to point out your obvious exhaustion, Mis’l. Perhaps taking on three Surrogates has been too much for you? Would it not be wise to get rid of the more distracting of the three?”

Justin wasn’t sure which part of this outrageous statement to respond to first. He simply couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. How dare Hobbs comment on his Mis’l’s competence to manage the work of the Estate, even if there was some morsel of truth to the observation? But even worse, this upstart was commenting on Justin’s personal life? He had even dared to insinuate that Justin wasn’t man enough to cover all three Surrogates. What insubordination!

Before he could take the Dom’l to task, though, the man had the temerity to add one more thing. “Perhaps, if you were less distracted by all your Surrogates, you’d even have time to see that your wife stayed out of trouble and I wouldn’t have to repeatedly discipline the staff about spreading so many rumors regarding her latest behavior,” Hobbs added with a snarky little grin that Justin would love to wipe off his face with a blow or two.

Justin rose to his feet so he was looking the Dom’l directly in the eye. “It very certainly is NOT your place to comment on my personal affairs OR my wife, Hobbs!”

The enraged Mis’l was just beginning on his tirade about the Dom’l’s impropriety, when he was inauspiciously interrupted by a knocking on the chamber door and, before he could even call out to bid the new arrival enter, the door creaked open. The tall, aloof, red-robed figure that sauntered through door was probably the last person Justin needed to interrupt him just then. If anything, the Surrogate's arrival only made the judgmental sneer on Dom’l Hobbs’ face more pronounced. Of course that little additional flash of insubordination just brought the Mis’l’s natural inclination towards stubborn defiance even closer to the surface. How dare this peon judge a Mis’l of the Domain?

Brian came to a halt directly in front of Justin’s large mahogany desk, his usual look of casual insouciance clearly evident on the beautiful face. “You requested that I attend you today at noon, Mis’l,” he announced in his sultry baritone. “How would you like me?”

Justin had not missed the hate-filled sneer the Dom’l had shot at the Surrogate when the male had entered. Nor had he missed the barely stifled flash of disdain the Surrogate directed back towards the Dom’l. He loved the way this male simply disregarded Hobbs and his glares, while unashamedly making it known that he only answered to the Mis’l’s wishes. Quickly recalculating, Justin decided to follow the Surrogate's lead and, instead of giving credence to the man’s nosy interference by further comment, he would prove his contempt for the Dom’l’s opinions by ignoring them. For the moment, at least.

“Right on time,” Justin confirmed with an approving smile. Then, turning back to Hobbs he clipped, “you’re dismissed, Hobbs,” and waved him towards the door with a contemptuous indifference that he hoped communicated to the man his utter inconsequentialness, before resuming his seat again.

When it looked like Hobbs was going to defy Justin with a further comment, the wily Surrogate took control of the situation by using that opportunity to unhook the clasp holding his red robe closed and shrugging off the fabric to reveal his gorgeous, nude body. Both Justin and Hobbs were struck dumb by the display; nobody could look on the perfection of that body and not be awed into silent admiration. Next, as if to taunt Hobbs even further, Brian stalked sexily around the end of the desk, coming to a stop directly across from Hobbs and leaning forward so that his hands were resting on the edge of the desktop and his ass was hovering right in front of the Mis’l’s face. From his vantage point, Justin could tell that the Surrogate was looking right at Hobbs, probably with that same blank, dismissive look he often wore, as if whomever Brian was dealing with was beneath notice.

“I SAID, you’re dismissed, Hobbs,” Justin repeated and, at the same time, laid a possessive hand on the Surrogate’s long, sloping back.

Without another word, the fuming Dom’l turned on his heel and stomped out of the office, slamming the door closed behind him. Instead of angering him, though, the little show of tantrum caused Justin to break out laughing. He let his head drop forward until his forehead was pressed against the male’s bare hip and snickered quietly for a minute. Then he gathered himself together, and pulled the male, tantalizing ass and all, down into his lap.

“Thank you, Brian,” Justin said, for once not caring that it was inappropriate to thank a servant. “That was the perfect way to handle the situation. Our Dom’l seems to need a major attitude adjustment and I appreciate the assistance.”

“Seems like an officious prig to me,” the male intoned, with a hint of a smile.

“Quite,” Justin agreed with another huff of laughter. But then he sighed as he caught another glimpse of the piles of files that were waiting for him on his desk and his humor died. “You know what I would really like to do right now?” he asked. “I’d actually like to blow off all this crap and just go take a nice long nap. To hell with paperwork. And, despite how nice your ass is, I think I need to take a rain check on that too. At least till I get a few hours of shut eye. How does that sound to you?”

The male gave him the same, noncommittal shrug Justin was coming to expect, which he took as tacit agreement. Pushing the Surrogate off his lap, Justin stood up, walked around the desk to pick up the male’s robe, and held it out to the man. Brian accepted the offering, refastening the clasp around his neck and pulling the folds of fabric around him to cover himself. Then Justin held out his hand indicating the male should precede him out of the room, and a few minutes later he was ushering the unprotesting male into his bedchamber.

Once they were both naked and under the covers, Justin arranged himself so that his head was pillowed on the larger male’s shoulder and finally let himself relax. Fuck it all. He didn’t care what Hobbs or anyone else thought of him. He was the fucking Mis’l and if he wanted to take the afternoon off - even if it was for no other purpose than to take a nap alongside his favorite Surrogate - no one on the Estate had the right to naysay him. That was the beauty of being a Mis’l. Hobbs and the rest of the prigs could gossip all they wanted and it wouldn’t change the fact that they all owed him their fealty and obedience, not to mention their very livelihood. And if Hobbs dared to take him to task on it again, Justin would demand that his father terminate the meddling oaf.

And with that decided, Justin let the tensions of the world evaporate away and allowed himself to drift off into the pleasure of his dreams while enjoying the warmth of the body lying next to him.

********

Justin was in a much better mood when he finally awoke about three hours later. And his mood was even more improved by the sight of the beautiful male Surrogate slumbering next to him in the big bed. He took a moment to simply look at the male, admiring all over again the long, lean lines of the man’s body, the tanned, golden-brown skin, the well-formed musculature, and the striking features, relaxed now into a semblance of innocence that made him look remarkably younger. This male truly was beautiful.

The sight was enough to make Justin long for the time and freedom to draw the gorgeous creature lying next to him - a pastime that his father had forced him to give up, saying that it was beneath the dignity of a Mis’l to laze around scribbling pretty pictures all day. But if anything could tempt him back to his art, this image of his Brian would probably do it. Oh well. Maybe another time. They would have months and months of time together, or at least as long as it would take to get the male breeding and then however long it took after that for the offspring to arrive. There was no rush.

Justin was still lying there, just enjoying himself, watching the male sleep for several minutes, when the man’s dreams must have taken a wrong turn. He noticed that the happy, innocent look on the male’s face gradually disappeared. The male also became more and more restless, seeming to fight against even the light restraint of Justin’s arm lying across the plain of his chest. But, when he started mumbling in his sleep, saying ‘no. Please, no. Don’t take him away,’ Justin began to think it was time to wake the dreamer.

“Brian? Shhh, Brian. It’s okay,” Justin offered without even thinking how odd it would look to anyone that might see them to have the Mis’l offering comfort to his Surrogate like that. “It’s only a dream. It’s only a dream.”

The male startled awake with a gasp, blinking at the scene around him for several seconds until he managed to focus on Justin’s concerned face. He looked away, taking a minute to pull together his usual mask of unconcern before he finally returned Justin’s gaze. Justin once again found he didn’t like the blank look that he got back; he already missed the contented innocence of the sleeping man. The man before him now was still beautiful, but somehow harder. Justin wondered what it was that had made this male that way, but of course he would never ask such a thing of a mere servant - it wasn’t appropriate for him to pry in the male’s personal life. Instead, he merely reached up with one hand to trace along the man’s strong, square jaw.

“I hope that whatever offspring you produce will have the same, bold features . . . well, at least if the child is a male,” Justin commented, thinking that the Surrogate would appreciate the compliment. “Although, I’m sure any female child of yours would be just as attractive, in her own way.”

He was surprised by the frown he got in return. The Surrogate then looked away again, refusing to meet the Mis’l’s eye and even jerking away from his touch. And if he’d thought the expression on the male’s face before was closed off, this new demeanor was downright forbidding. But all that did was increase Justin’s curiosity.

“You don’t want your offspring to resemble you?” Justin asked with confusion, but only getting another of those annoying shrugs. “I don’t understand. Why not?”

Finally the male deigned to answer him in actual words. “It’s not my place to care what your potential offspring will be like, is it, Mis’l? My opinions don’t matter. I’m just a lowly Surrogate.”

The way the male bit off the word ‘Surrogate’ made it sound like a curse. Like something foul. Almost like he hated the very term.

“You don’t like being a Surrogate?” he finally asked when it looked like no further explanation would be forthcoming unless he pressed.

He got a nasty, unhappy laugh in return. “Might as well ask a slave how he likes his new set of manacles.”

“Surrogates aren’t slaves,” Justin insisted immediately. “Servants, yes, but not slaves. You’re paid for your services; I know, I saw the Estate accounts just yesterday with the hefty Surrogacy premiums in there.”

The male again chuckled but it came out as an angry, disillusioned sound.

This got Justin’s hackles up a bit. “Are you implying that it wasn’t enough or something? I can assure you, I haven’t paid that high a fee to any other servant, ever. It’s nothing to scoff at. You’re paid for your services and paid relatively well. If you don’t like your fee or don’t want to be a Surrogate at all, no one’s forcing you to be here. So what’s your problem?”

That must have touched a nerve, because the usually reserved Surrogate actually sat up, turned to face Justin, and began to speak. “I can’t tell if you’re so jaded you don’t care, or just too young and naive to understand,” he started off, but since Justin’s confused look answered his question, the male continued without further prompting. “The difference between Slavery and Surrogacy is only one of semantics. I’m just as trapped here as a slave would be and I have just as few ‘rights’, regardless of how much money you paid to Sapperstein for my services. And, by the way, I won’t see a penny of that money.”

“What are you talking about?” Justin asked, sitting up now too so that he could argue with this infuriating male. “I know the merchant will likely get a hefty cut, but according to the contract, the rest of the money is yours.”

“Yeah, except that somehow the amount I owe The Sapp for room and board between Surrogate gigs always seems to amount to MORE than my cut from the contract, so he ends up keeping the entire amount and I’m still on the hook to him for the rest. It’s a never ending cycle. I’ll never be free. Not that I have anything else to go to out in the real world, though, so I might just as well stay here for the time being as anywhere, right? At least while while I’m working as a Surrogate I have a roof over my head - I get to live in swanky Estates like this even - and I get fed on a regular basis. Most of the rest of my friends on the outside don’t have it half as good since the War. So I shouldn’t complain, right?”

“I didn’t know . . .” Justin replied when the male finally fell silent.

“Yeah, well, now you do,” Brian asserted with a sigh. “I guess it’s not actual slavery; more like indentured servitude, you might say. Same effect though. And the Masters we serve have about as few limitations on them as if we were slaves, so why quibble? I can’t leave, I can’t say no to anything the Master wants from me, and if I do or say anything you dislike, you’re perfectly within your rights to beat me to within an inch of my life, as long as it doesn’t affect my fertility certification. So what, exactly, is the difference. Huh?”

Justin didn’t have an answer. He’d never thought of it that way. Of course, that brought to mind the lash marks on this Surrogate's back - the only real flaws to the perfection of the man’s beautiful body. He obviously knew what he was talking about since the evidence of the truth of his words was right there on his skin.

“What were you beaten for?” Justin asked, unable to staunch his morbid curiosity.

“Does it matter?” Brian responded angrily. “I did something one of my Masters didn’t like and I was punished. I learned my lesson. I won’t do it again. I’ll be a good, submissive little Surrogate, and won’t make waves. That’s all that matters to any Mis’l that hires me, right?” Brian looked over at Justin with a defiant gleam in his eye that belied the submissive words he had voiced, but it lasted only a few seconds before the Surrogate’s blank mask fell back into place. The male immediately got up onto his hands and knees, facing away from Justin, his ass on display in the accepted position. “So, did you wish to cover me again now, Mis’l?”

The abrupt switch from open candor to obedient Surrogate left Justin reeling. He’d never really thought about things from that perspective before. He’d just grown up, the pampered son of a Tch’fl of the Domain, accepting that things were the way they were. He’d never thought to question. Surrogates were simply part and parcel of Estate life, right? You never stopped to question the practice or wonder if they liked their positions. Justin certainly had never bothered about it before. But now that he had asked, and been given a down and dirty education about a few facts he’d never contemplated before, he didn’t think he could go back to his previous, blithe unawareness.

But what was he supposed to do now? The fact that he understood things a little better from this Surrogate's point of view didn’t change things. He was still the Mis’l here and he still needed an heir to appease his demanding father. Brian was still a Surrogate - one Justin had already paid for. There was no sense in not using the Surrogate’s services as that would only result in the male being sent back to Sapperstein earlier, and then on to yet another Master after that. It wouldn’t change anything in this male’s life. It wouldn’t change anything at all.

So Justin did the only thing he could do at that juncture.

He got up onto his own knees, grabbed the lubrication bottle off the nightstand, applied a goodly amount to his cock, and proceeded to mount the Surrogate, pumping into him determinedly, over and over again, till he reached his climax and deposited yet another load of seed inside, in the hopes that this time he’d impregnate the vessel of his future offspring.

It was all done very impersonally. Clinically, even. Because the Surrogate was right when he’d said that none of it mattered.

********

********

Seven.


Fortunately, Daphne wasn’t about to let Justin mope following that huge, depressing revelation about the nature of his Surrogate’s reality.

Justin had left the Surrogate lying in his bed after servicing him and gone back to his office where he’d managed to get in a couple more hours of work. Then he’d dined with his wife, the Dom’l and the Dom’la, as usual. Nothing more had been said by Hobbs about the Surrogates. It was all very mundane and unexceptional. And at the end of the meal, they all wished each other a good night and then went off to their respective chambers, just like any other night.

Of course, once they were behind closed doors, the Surrogates had been summoned, and Daphne took charge, all suggestions of propriety vanished.

Because Mis’la Daphne was on a mission that evening. See, she'd managed to acquire yet another contraband item that she wanted to try out and wasn’t going to be deterred by anything or anyone. Not even by her husband, the Mis’l of the Estate. Consequences be damned.

“Look! Look what I got,” she demanded after making sure that the door to Justin’s chamber was locked.

Justin looked at the five small, square packets his spitfire of a wife was waving in his face with confusion. He didn’t have a clue what the things were. He plucked one from her fingers and examined it closer. He could tell that the contents of the plastic square were round and, when he felt it, it seemed like there was a hard ring inside. Then he looked at the writing on the packet and almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“One latex condom . . .” He read the description aloud before turning to Daphne with disbelief. “What the hell, Daph? Where did you manage to get condoms from? These are fucking illegal, you know.”

“Duh! Isn't it cool, though? The merchant Lindsey hooked me up with for the sex toys had them and I just couldn’t resist. I don’t know how he got them or from where, but I’m beginning to think the man can get anything,” Daphne gushed as she danced around Justin with excitement.

Justin looked at the little packet dubiously. Condoms were considered serious contraband. They’d been outlawed in an attempt to counter the catastrophic drop in the population caused by the War and the subsequent decrease in overall fertility caused by the pervasive chemical contamination. As it was, there were barely enough people left in the Easternness to man the factories and work the fields, so the use of any kind of contraception was anathema. Penalties for those caught with such contraband were steep and Justin didn’t think that even a Mis’l would get away scott-free if he was found using one. What was Daphne thinking? And what was the point when their goal was to try and get the Surrogates pregnant?

“Don’t look at me like that, Jus,” the woman chastised him, taking back the condom from his hand. “I had a good reason for getting these . . .” Then she paused and, after looking at her skeptical husband for a few seconds, she towed Justin by the hand over to the couch and sat him down before continuing with her sales pitch. “Listen, okay? You promised I could play with whatever Surrogate you got, but then you went out and picked two males. Well, I just want to play with them.” Justin started to object, but the Mis’la hurried on without letting him get a word in. “I know you’re going to say we already discussed this and tell me that it’s not appropriate and yadda, yadda, yadda, but that’s just bullshit, Jus! I mean, look at them.” She gestured towards the two male Surrogates watching the argument from where they were sitting on the edge of the big bed. “They’re both fucking gorgeous and those two lovely, luscious cocks are just going to waste. It’s practically criminal not to put them to use. And I get the whole argument about it being wrong for the Mis’la to have sex outside her marriage bed and how that would create doubt about the bloodline of any heirs, etc - not that that line of thinking makes any sense considering the fact that offspring of Surrogates are automatically accepted as heirs despite the fact that THEIR bloodlines are, of necessity, mixed - but even so, if that IS your argument, then the solution is simple. We just make sure that there won’t be an heir whose lineage is questionable. Which is where the condoms come in.”

“Uh, Daph, this is fucking insane. You do realize that, right?” an exasperated Justin countered lamely.

“It is not. It’s perfectly logical. I want to play and I found a sure fire solution to any possible objection you might have. How is that insane?” Daphne argued, only half teasing. “Come on, Jus. Please. I’m bored with the other stuff already. And it’s not like I’ve been getting any real action lately myself. You’ve been so busy since we got these three you haven’t been to MY bed even once - not that I’m complaining, mind you, since I know you’ve been too fucked out from covering these guys to do me - but don’t I deserve a little attention too? As long as we use one of these condoms, there’s no risk, right? Please, Jus?” She implored again, plopping down on the couch next to him.

Justin looked at his pleading wife and then down at the condom packet again. He knew he shouldn’t even be considering such an outrageous suggestion. It was bad enough that, apparently, the entire Estate was already gossiping about the manner in which the Mis’l and his Mis’la were handling their Surrogates. If THIS was ever found out, it would be a disaster. Tch’fl Craig was going to be hard enough to manage as it was when he found out about the males. If what Daphne was proposing ever came to light . . . Well, he didn’t want to even think about what Craig might do then. Suffice it to say, it wouldn’t be pretty.

“Please, Jus. Just this one time? Nobody will find out. Once I’ve had my fun, I’m sure the idea will be out of my system and I promise not to say anything about it again. Please?” Daphne begged.

And, despite the fact that Justin knew it was wrong, not to mention dangerous, he just couldn’t say no to his sweet, understanding, playful wife.

“Fine . . . Let’s . . . Let’s just get this over with fast, though, please. Before I come to my senses and realize how truly foolish this whole idea is.”

“Yay! I love you, Jus! Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Daph leaned over to kiss him enthusiastically before she vaulted off the couch and started arranging things to her liking. “Brian, you first! Come on, get that huge ankle-spanker over here and show me what you can do with it,” the Mis’la ordered as she took off her robe and situated herself on her back, sideways across the mattress. “Jus, you can do Rosie at the same time, right here next to us. That way you’ll get to watch too, and everyone will have fun. Don’t worry, Troiyes, dear, I haven’t forgotten about you; you’ll be next!”

Before he knew it, Justin was standing in front of a reclining Rose, who was lying on her back, side-by-side next to Daphne. Brian was standing to his left. And the two women were staring up at the men expectantly. Daphne had already stroked Brian to the point he was semi-hard and rolled the first condom down his reluctant boner. Justin had never seen a condom used before and the little latex sheath on the male’s cock looked strange to him, but whatever. Now came the part where the fun was supposed to start, right? Only, it seemed that neither man knew quite where to begin.

“Shit. Totally pathetic,” the other male muttered with a shake of his head. But he did offer the two confused-looking men a sympathetic smile as he trotted around to the far side of the bed where he immediately started playing with himself. “Okay, fellas. With me now. Stroke it nice and slow. Good, good . . . That’s better. Now, grab your ladies and let’s do this thing.” Troiyes coached them along, the stimulating sight of his own prodigious member plumping up helping the Mis’l quite a bit.

Justin followed directions and, when Troiyes said it was time, he pulled Rosie close enough to slide inside her. He only gave a fleeting thought, though, to the regret that she just wasn’t nearly as tight as either of the males, because the Surrogate directing this fuck instantly commanded that both men keep their eyes on him. And why would Justin not want to look on the man who was doing such a great job entertaining them with the way he was jerking himself off? The sight was more than enough to keep Justin’s attention, to the point that he almost forgot who it was he was fucking. A quick glance to the side told him that Brian was also fixated on The Troiyes Show to the exclusion of all else.

“How we doing there, boys?” Troiyes crooned, talking them through it with a suave seductiveness. “You’re almost ready now, aren’t you. That’s the way. Feels good, huh? You can feel my hands on you, can’t you? I know just what y’all need, boys. That’s right. You’re ready now. Come for me now, boys. Come on . . .”

Troiyes took that opportunity to shoot his load into his sturdy right hand. Right on command, first Brian and then Justin followed him. Justin released his seed into the female Surrogate and then almost immediately pulled out. It might not have been the most thrilling fuck of all time, but done was done. And it’s not like his Surrogate was going to complain, right?

However, that wasn’t the case for his neighbor. As Justin reached for a nearby towel to clean himself off, he noticed the uncharacteristic hesitancy of the male Surrogate that Daphne had chosen to ‘play’ with. Brian seemed unsure what to do now that he’d finished his assigned task and was standing there, the used condom sagging off his rapidly deflating dick, as the Mis’la continued to lay there and look up at him.

“Daph? You okay,” Justin asked, handing off the towel to her.

“Sure,” she replied, accepting the towel. “Just a little surprised is all. I figured that something like THAT,” she pointed disdainfully towards the male’s nether regions, “would be more impressive in action. But I guess that old saying is true; size isn’t everything.”

Daphne’s pronouncement raised a snort of laughter from the stocky Surrogate that had been guiding the other males along during the fuck.

The Mis’la looked over at the man with an answering smile of her own. “You think YOU can do better?” she asked.

“No doubt,” Troiyes answered confidently. “I mean - no offense to my brother here - but our Brian ain’t never gonna be considered much of a Ladies Man, Ma’am.”

Everyone looked over to the accused, where Brian was just stripping off the used condom. The Surrogate looked up, gave a half-embarrassed shrug, and then darted a sideways glance towards Justin as if to gauge how the admission would be received. Justin gave the male a small, non-committal nod but didn’t say anything.

Because what was there to say? What was he going to do; admit that he felt the same? That sort of thing was fine for some people, but it wasn’t allowed for a Mis’l of the Domain. Justin’s duty was to carry on the family bloodline, so the question of who - or what sex - he was attracted to, simply didn’t come into consideration. If he’d ever so much as mentioned anything of the sort, his father would have quickly corrected him, probably in a physically painful way. Justin was lucky that Craig didn’t have any other heirs, or he might even be risking disownment were his proclivities to become known.

While Justin was contemplating all this though, the conversation in his chamber had already sped on.

“So, you think you can do better?” Daphne teasingly asked a grinning Troiyes, who simply gave his Mis’la an assured nod. “Well, then, get on over here, big guy, and show me what you’ve got.” Then she turned towards Justin, who was still just standing there bemusedly. “Don’t just stand there, hubby. You’re not done for the night yet. You can cover Brian while I’m playing with Troiyes.”

“I . . . I actually serviced him earlier in the afternoon,” Justin answered, trying to hide the blush that this confession engendered, “so he can wait a bit. I could use a bit of a break anyway. Why don’t I just wait for you to finish with that male and then I’ll take care of him and be done for the day.”

Daphne didn’t respond to him, though, seeing as she was already busy - and from the looks of things, enjoying herself immensely - with her legs locked around the muscular back of the male Surrogate servicing her. Justin looked on with confused curiosity, noting how enthusiastic both Daphne and Troiyes seemed to be going at things. His wife was making all sorts of happy sounds too. Sounds that he hadn’t really noticed her making whenever he had engaged in his husbandly duties. The Surrogate appeared to be enjoying himself as well, if the energetic way he was thrusting into the Mis’la, the way he was kneading at her breasts, and the way he was devouring her lips with intermittent kisses, was anything to judge by. Justin, meanwhile, was left standing around, feeling like a third wheel in his own bed chamber.

Or maybe more like a fifth wheel, seeing as the two other Surrogates were also idling their time away, both of them looking on the proceedings with the same sort of bemusement as their Mis’l. Since he didn’t know what else to do with himself, Justin eventually went to join those two on the couch. He wasn’t sure what to say, though, so they all just sat there quietly watching the show over on the bed. It WAS fascinating in a kind of detached, anthropological way. The Mis’l was mostly just surprised that he didn’t feel any hint of jealousy over the display. He didn’t actually feel anything at all, to be honest. No possessiveness, no desire, not even any shame that this Surrogate seemed to be doing a better job at pleasuring Daphne than he could have. Shouldn’t a man feel SOMETHING watching another man having intimate relations with his wife?

“It’s okay, you know,” a quiet baritone voice whispered in his ear.

“Huh?” Justin asked stupidly, looking at the face bent so close to his own.

“It’s okay that you don’t find women attractive,” Brian asserted in a confident, albeit hushed, voice. “There are lot of others like us out there, you know?” Justin must have looked shocked because the Surrogate chuckled. “It’s perfectly natural. Some men are simply more attracted to other men. And some women are more attracted to other women. Not everyone is like THAT.” Brian indicated the pair on the bed, rutting away like bunnies in heat.

“Is it . . .” Justin stumbled over how to word what he wanted to ask without totally betraying himself - although it seemed this male had already seen through him to at least some extent. “Out there, in the rest of the world, is it . . . usual? Is it allowed?”

Brian laughed even louder at that question. “Outside the walls of your fancy Estates, the people don’t have the time or energy to worry about whether or not it’s okay to love the ones they love. They’re too busy not dying. Only you Dominion types have the luxury to care about that stuff.”

That comment gave Justin plenty to think on for the duration of the Daphne and Troiyes show. When the pair seemed to finally be reaching the conclusion of their little tryst - as evidenced by the very vocal cries of ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ coming from the Mis’la - Justin was finally brought back to the present moment. He waited as patiently as he could for the inevitable conclusion, noting with an abstract approval how truly happy his wife looked, before he got up and walked over to the pair, offering Daphne a towel.

“You look all played out, Daph,” Justin teased the gasping, panting woman.

“I never . . .” she started, before pausing and looking at her husband with contrition. “Sorry, Jus, you know I love you, right? But I’ve NEVER experienced ANYTHING like that before. That was . . . there aren’t any words for what that was. I’m . . . I’m . . . I’m going to bed now and try to recover.”

Without further comment, and without actually looking Justin or any of the Surrogates in the eye, Mis’la Daphne got up, pulled a robe on, and shuffled out of the room, wobbling a little as she walked, as if her knees weren’t feeling quite stable yet. Troiyes, who’d been left lolling on the bed as he caught his own breath, looked after her with a cocky little smirk that was totally inappropriate for a servant. Justin felt he should probably do something to take the male to task for that flash of insolence. But, then again, Daphne had been the one that instigated the whole thing, so it wasn’t really Troiyes’ fault.

Perhaps Justin should have another talk with Daphne about this whole ‘Playtime’ thing. They had both enjoyed themselves so far, but maybe they’d gone too far? Especially considering that Hobbs - and presumably the rest of the staff - were already gossiping about their antics. Just imagine what the fallout would be if any of the Estate found out about what had gone down here tonight? He really should start treating the Surrogates like the servants they were.

With this new determination in mind, Justin got up off the couch and went over to the bed.

“On your knees,” he ordered the waiting Surrogate brusquely.

The burly Surrogate immediately complied, presenting himself to the Mis’l without comment. Justin set right to business. He lubed himself up, pushed slowly but inexorably into the male’s tight ass, then proceeded to fuck the male with clinical efficiency until he’d reached the point of release. And, as soon as his seed was deposited in the Surrogate, he pulled out, slapped the male’s ass to indicate he was done with him and moved away.

That was how this thing was supposed to be done. You weren’t supposed to get so intimate with your servants. It would only encourage inappropriate familiarity.

So, even though he would have liked to keep his Brian with him again that night - like he’d gotten into the habit of doing recently - Justin thought it best to dismiss all the Surrogates for the night at that point and go to bed alone.

********

As it turned out, that had probably been a wise decision, since Dom’l Hobbs again made an appearance in his chambers early the next day. Justin had not slept well the night before, so he was groggy and not inclined to be amenable to the Estateman when he woke the Mis’l. Justin might have actually growled at the man, but that was understandable so early in the morning, right?

“What is it this time, Hobbs? I don’t recall any appointments on my calendar this morning. So this better be good or I’ll . . .”

“I’m sorry to wake you so early, Mis’l,” Hobbs interrupted his ranting, “but Tch’fl Craig wishes to see you immediately in his Office.”

“Father is back?” That, of course, got Justin’s immediate attention. “The delegation wasn’t expected to return till at least the end of the week.”

“Apparently the negotiations went so well that they finished their business ahead of schedule and the Tch’fl was able to return home earlier than expected,” Hobbs replied, barely concealing his glee.

“Damnation.” Justin rolled out of bed, yelling over his shoulder as he grabbed at his clothing, “inform my father I’m on my way.”

Fifteen minutes later Justin was admitted to the Tch’fl’s offices where the old man was seated behind his desk, looking regal as he shuffled through piles of paperwork.

“Welcome home, Father. I hope your trip went well,” Justin greeted the patriarch deferentially.

“Quite well,” Craig asserted as he waved his son towards a waiting chair. “There seem to be a lot of potential trading opportunities out there in Calcascadia. Now, if only we can figure out how to deal with their leaders - those people have some odd ideas, you know - we could clean up. But we’ll see. We’ll see.” Craig leaned back in his chair as he looked at his heir critically, automatically making Justin want to shrink away and hide. “So, what have you managed to screw up while I was gone?”

“Everything here at home has been going fine, Father,” Justin rushed to assure him. “In fact, I think you’ll be quite pleased with the deal I finalized for the Peterson land. I was able to negotiate a very advantageous arrangement on that front. And I’m almost finished with my review of the construction plans for the factory. Everything else is right on schedule.”

That news seemed to cheer the bellicose Tch’fl, whose judgmental bearing seemed to thaw a bit as Craig and Justin spent the next half hour discussing the details of the Estate’s business. Justin was handed several files with directions about additional work his father wanted him to take on. There were no big issues with any of that though, so Justin had begun to relax a bit by the time they finished and Tch’fl Craig turned to his next agenda item.

“Good enough,” he pronounced as he set aside the quarterly financial report they’d been discussing and looked at his son critically. “Now, tell me; what’s all this nonsense about you taking on a whole passel of MALE Surrogates? What the hell were you thinking, Justin?”

Justin mentally cringed. He had been hoping to escape this particular discussion, at least for a little while longer. But it was inevitable that Craig would eventually find out, so he might as well deal with the issue now as later, right?

“First of all, Father, I did not get a ‘whole ‘passel’ of Surrogates; I only took on three. I do not think that’s an unreasonable number. I did think, though, that we’d have a better chance of getting you that heir you want with more than one Surrogate,” Justin explained, earning a gruff nod of acknowledgement as to this first point. “Secondly, they’re not all males. I took one female and two males.”

Craig interrupted at that point. “Why did you take on any males at all? That’s not what we discussed, Justin, and you know it.”

“You never specified what kind of Surrogate you wanted me to take, Father,” Justin reminded him, carefully laying out all the arguments he’d outlined in his head. “I was as surprised as anyone when the Merchant showed up with several males for offer amongst his stock. I hadn’t even contemplated that possibility,” he admitted honestly. “But when I looked over the offerings, the two males I took on appeared to be the best of the lot. I did get a female too, to make sure I covered all my bases, but I thought it best to get an assortment. After all, you’re the one that taught me it’s always wisest to diversify. Right, Father?” Craig frowned but didn’t interrupt. “And, the males are certified fertile, just like the female, so I don’t really see the distinction. The goal here is to get healthy offspring, so what does it matter what means we use to attain that end?”

“You know how I feel about the kinds of men who resort to male Surrogates, Justin,” Craig barked, his rising passion evidenced by the angry red creeping into his cheeks. “Look at Mis’l Humphrey - the way he’s always prancing around with that bevy of fancy boys following him, it’s a disgrace! He's the laughing stock of the Dominion. And you can’t tell me it’s about trying for a second heir either; he hasn’t managed to sire a single get off one of those boys of his in the past fifteen years. I won’t have MY son acting like that or making our house look like a bunch of fools, Justin. I won’t have it!”

“I’m hardly the same as Mis’l Humphrey, Father,” Justin objected, starting to get almost as angry as his obstinate parent. “Besides, it’s too late now. I’ve already been servicing all three of the Surrogates for more than a week. I’m not going to stop at this point; not when one of them could already be breeding.”

“You’ve been servicing all three of them this whole time?” Craig asked, betraying just a hint of pride in his apparently randy son.

“Of course. What’s the use of having Surrogates if you’re not going to make use of them,” Justin answered. “Look, Father. This was your idea, not mine or Daphne’s. But, if we HAVE to do it, then we intend to do it our way. I’m not going to start over again with new Surrogates. We’re going with the ones I’ve already started with or not at all.”

Tch’fl Craig looked at his stubborn son with grudging respect. Justin didn’t often stand up to his father, but when he did, he could usually out-obstinate even the Master. So, after a full minute of futile staring without Justin backing down, the Dominion Lord finally gave in.

“Fine. I still don’t like the idea but, since you’ve already started with this set, I won’t make you start over,” Craig conceded. “However, you only have three months. If they’re not breeding by then, the males will have to go and I’ll replace them with females of MY choosing. I will not have you parading around with an endless harem of males like Humphrey. Got it?”

Justin shook his head at the intransigence of the man but he knew that tone of voice and it meant that he wouldn’t win any further arguments today. Frankly, he was surprised he’d won as much of a concession as he’d got. A strategic withdrawal at this point was probably the wisest course of action.

“I understand, Father.”

Craig nodded and then summarily dismissed the boy, sending him off to wade through the piles of additional work he’d just laden him with. Justin took up his files and fled to his own office where he collapsed in his chair. If he hadn’t already been exhausted after having slept so poorly the night before, he would have been wiped out after that interview with his father. The man was exasperating.

But Justin hadn’t even had time to catch his breath before the door to his office was opened and a touselled-looking Daphne barged in. “My maid told me that the Tch’fl is back. Did you see him? How did it go?” she fired off before she was even seated.

“About how I expected it to go. Obviously, Hobbs had tattled on me before I had a chance to explain things to Father my way,” Justin explained. “Needless to say, he was NOT happy about the male Surrogates. But I managed to convince him that, since I’ve already started servicing them, we should keep going as we have been.” Daphne looked relieved, at least until Justin explained the rest of the conditions. “He gave us three months. If the males aren’t breeding by then, he’s going to replace them with females that HE selects for us.”

“Damnation!” Daphne cursed. “He can’t do that, Jus! I love our little family. Brian and Troiyes are perfect for our group. It just wouldn’t be the same without them and I’m sure they’ll make the most beautiful babies.” Justin agreed with his wife but, knowing his father, didn’t think it would do any good to voice that opinion. “Well, then, we just need to make SURE that both the boys are breeding as soon as possible. You’re going to have to service them both more often. Three times a day should do it. I’ll send them both up here at lunchtime,” she declared and then got up with a determined look on her elfin face.

“Daph, I don’t think it works like that,” Justin tried to talk her out of this cockeyed plan. “Isn’t there something about the more sex you have the less likely you are to get pregnant or something? Shouldn’t I save up my sperm and use it wisely?”

“Nonsense! The more times you cover them, the more chances they have of getting impregnated. And I want to keep them both, so you better get going, Justin.”

Daphne turned and stormed out of the room without giving Justin time for any further objection. Justin leaned back in his chair and sighed. It looked like he was going to be a very busy boy for the next three months or so. Not that he really objected to being ‘forced’ to spend more time with the exquisite asses of his two male Surrogates. He just hoped it would work.

********

********

Eight.


The month following Tch’fl Craig’s return was ridiculously busy. On top of the Peterson Factory project that Justin was already in charge of, there was a new contract with a Southerly factory that he needed to oversee, as well as the added work Craig gave him trying to establish new contacts in Calcascadia. It got so bad at times that Justin sometimes felt like he was drowning in paperwork.

Whenever he wasn’t toiling away in his office, Justin was kept busy by his wife and their Surrogates. Daphne had been adamant that Justin cover the two males as many times a day as he could get it up. Not that he really minded that requirement all that much, although with all the other work he had these days it made things even more hectic. It felt like there was a constant stream of people coming in and out of his office during the day, what with the Dom’l and his scribes bringing him more paperwork and Daphne ferrying in his Surrogates between appointments. Justin sometimes felt more like a stallion out to stud than a privileged Mis’l.

Yet, even amid all this bustle, Justin and Brian had found plenty of private time. Justin regularly kept Brian with him for the night. And not only did he enjoy their solo playtime, he found he just slept better with the big male in his bed - which was strange because Justin had never been fond of having another sleeping with him and hadn’t even let his wife enjoy that privilege. But, as busy as he was these days, he needed all the help he could get, so if having a Surrogate bed warmer worked and helped him sleep, he was all for it. Brian didn’t seem to object to the arrangement either, so it quickly became the norm for them.

And there was one other benefit Justin discovered by having his male Surrogate always nearby; the fact that Brian was a rather good scribe. One afternoon, while Justin was busy covering Troiyes and the other male was seated in Justin’s desk chair waiting for his turn, the Mis’l noticed Brian surreptitiously making some corrections to a letter that Justin had been struggling with all morning. He hadn’t said anything about it at the time. He’d merely fucked both males, sent them on their way and then returned to his work. But when he looked at the corrections the Surrogate had made, he noticed that they were quite helpful. Brian was obviously bright and fairly well educated for someone from the servant classes. He seemed to have a turn for phrasing too. The wording Justin had been so unhappy with before was one hundred percent improved by the additions the male had made. After that, Justin had regularly asked for Brian’s assistance on his work whenever he was feeling particularly overwhelmed, and the male Surrogate happily pitched in, lightening Justin’s workload in a very efficient manner.

Until one evening, when Justin and Brian were quietly working together in his chamber - the two of them lying companionably together in bed, naked, but so busy discussing the final changes to the Southerly contract that they hadn’t yet got around to fucking - that their peaceful idyll was disturbed by the unannounced intrusion of Dom’l Hobbs. Christopher had not bothered to wait for permission to enter after hastily knocking, barging into the chamber without compunction. Justin was, for some reason, more embarrassed to have been caught in innocent companionship with his Surrogate than he would have been if Hobbs had walked in on them fucking. The Dom’l seemed equally shocked by the scene he found, if the sneer on the man’s face was any indication.

“Mis’l, forgive my untimely interruption,” Hobbs pleaded, trying to sound contrite but coming up short. “I’ve just received word that there’s a problem at the Peterson Factory. There’s some dispute over the boundaries of the property purchase. Mis’l Peterson is being obdurate and won’t let the construction team proceed with the groundbreaking that was supposed to start yesterday. Tch’fl Craig has directed you to take care of it. I’ve arranged for a motor for you and sent word to Mis’l Peterson to expect your arrival. Everything should be ready for you to leave by sunrise.”

“Sunrise?” Justin groaned. “That leaves me only . . .” he looked at the clock on his bedside table, noted the late hour, and groaned again, “about four hours to sleep, pack and put together the files that I’ll need. Why is this such an emergency? Can’t I leave at a decent hour?”

“Tch’fl Craig wants you on-site before the workers are scheduled to start for the day. He doesn’t want to waste another day of construction time while the workers sit around getting paid to do nothing,” Hobbs replied with an impertinent little smile that Justin longed to slap right off the lacky’s face.

“Fine. Send someone to wake me at 0500. They can pack for me while I breakfast and gather my files together. Now, leave me so I can get a least a few hours sleep,” Justin ordered, tossing aside the contracts he had been working on and turning off the lights before Hobbs had even left the room.

“Should I leave, Mis’l,” the husky baritone of his bedmate intoned as soon as the door to the chamber was closed behind Hobbs’ back.

“No. Stay, please,” Justin requested, pulling the male’s body closer to him in the dark and beginning to run his hands across the fleshy planes that were starting to feel familiar to him. “I don’t know how long this trip will take me and I don’t want to leave you without one last time . . .”

Justin’s hand slid across the well-defined chest, his fingers tugging briefly on the metal ID tag attached to the male’s nipple, before wandering downwards. He loved the feeling of the taut abs under his palm, the ticklish strands of hair that led southward from the navel, and the lush curliness of the thick thatch of pubes below. He especially loved the hefty warmth of the male’s member, which he proceeded to wrap his hand around next. The way it plumped up to his touch was extremely gratifying.

Justin spent a few minutes stroking and fondling that prodigious man handle until he’d managed to produce a small puddle of sticky seed from the dripping tip. Then Justin swiped up that liquid with his fingers and used the natural lubricant to open up and stretch the male’s hole wider. He secretly loved the deep sighs and happy ‘mmmm’ noises the male Surrogate made when he took his time and got him ready like this; it always made Justin feel like he’d learned his sex ed lessons well.

When the male was fully prepared, as evidenced by the slight, unconscious rocking of his hips and the heavy breathing, Justin shifted over so his body was lying in the vee of the man’s widespread legs. He added some real lubricant and then gladly slid inside the heated vice of the male’s ass. He paused briefly, giving the male time to adjust to the greater girth of his erection, but was soon happily rutting away. With his arms wrapped around the male’s thighs and the man’s body raised up slightly, Justin managed - after a few tries - to adjust his trajectory so that his aim caused the male to moan out loud. That one small sound, which the male tried to squelch by biting his lower lip, filled Justin with a huge burst of pride. Knowing that he was causing the male that much pleasure was almost as big a turn on for the Mis’l as the direct friction to his dick. He loved knowing he could draw that kind of response out of the male, despite the Surrogate’s attempts to remain detached, and the escalating noises encouraged the Mis’l to increase his pace and force. Before long the male was compelled to raise his hands above his head and hold onto the bars of the headboard to prevent himself from being driven against the wood as Justin slammed into him over and over again. And still the Mis’l didn’t relent. He wanted the Surrogate to come apart, to feel what he was feeling, to know the joy and wonder he felt every time they were together, even though Justin couldn’t voice those forbidden sentiments. In that moment, Justin wanted to bring this man pleasure even more than he wanted that pleasure for himself.

Finally, with a small ‘Oh!’ that was part surprise and part affirmation, Justin felt the male’s cock begin to twitch and jump where it was trapped between their two bellies. A second later the warm, wet gush of the male’s seed coated his stomach. The smell of sex, the uncontrollable trembling of the body underneath him, and the resulting contractions of the already tight ass around his own cock were more than enough to drive Justin to his own climax. He thrust in deep one last time and then froze, holding on to the other man’s body for all he was worth as the spasms of his release rocked through them both.

When it was all over and the cooling endorphins had washed away the tingling fire of his arousal, Justin felt boneless and empty. He didn’t want to ever move. He wanted to just stay right there, draped over the larger Surrogate’s body, glued together by their sweat and cum, forever. The rest of the world, including his father, the responsibilities of being a Mis’l of the Domain, and everything else, simply vanished. The only thing that mattered were the two of them and this unspoken but inescapable connection between them. Justin didn’t want to ever lose this - whatever it was - because it was the ONLY thing that made sense to him at that moment.

********

Justin woke in almost the same position the next morning. He was lying atop the male Surrogate’s chest, the man’s two strong arms wrapped around him, holding him in place. He felt so comfortable and serene that he didn’t really want to move. The Surrogate, however, was tapping his fingers against Justin’s back, intent on rousing him.

“It’s almost 0500, Mis’l,” the Surrogate whispered in his ear. “Your servants will be here any minute to get you ready for your trip. You should be up before they arrive.”

Justin rubbed at his eyes to clear away the sleep. A quick glance at the clock confirmed the male’s warning. He was grateful the man had woke him, ensuring he wouldn’t be caught out in such a compromising position - curled up asleep on his MALE Surrogate’s chest - by servants who would undoubtedly tattle on him to the Dom’l. Justin quickly sat up and then moved away from the still-reclining Surrogate.

Just in time, too, as it was right then that the anticipated knock to his chamber door echoed through the room. Justin gave the male’s hand a tiny squeeze, meant to convey his gratitude for the timely warning, before he stood up, pulled the sheets up to cover the Surrogate’s body, and then called out an ‘Enter!’ to whomever was at the door. A second later the door creaked open, admitting two servants, one carrying a small valise and the other a tray piled with breakfast items. Justin directed that the food be left next to the bed and ordered the Surrogate to help himself while the Mis’l took himself off to his bathing chamber.

When Justin returned, showered, dressed, and ready to start his day, he found his overnight bag packed and the servants already gone. His Brian was still lazing in bed, picking at the food. Justin seated himself on the edge of the mattress next to the man and picked up a flaky croissant for himself. They noshed together in companionable silence for a few minutes as the sky outside the windows of his chamber gradually lightened and the first light of dawn crept over the horizon.

“I have to go,” the Mis’l announced, setting aside what was left of his breakfast and getting to his feet.

Strangely enough, Justin felt like he should say something more to the man waiting in his bed; like he owed the Surrogate some comment before he left. He felt oddly reluctant to part with the man. Which was just silly, right? Still, the nagging feeling that he needed to say something persisted.

“You’re welcome to stay here and try to get some more sleep,” he offered lamely. Then he added, “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Hopefully it’ll only be a day or so. If you need anything, Mis’la Daphne will be able to see to your requirements . . .”

The Surrogate cut him off with a cocky smile. “Have a good trip, Mis’l.”

“Yes. Quite,” Justin replied, taking a deep breath and then bending to pick up the waiting valise. And then, without stopping to think of what he was saying before the words had escaped, he said, “I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”

Whereupon the confused Mis’l fled the scene without looking back, trying to escape the flood of emotions this departure caused him before he said something even more embarrassing.

********

Unfortunately it took four full days to resolve the dispute at the Peterson Factory. Mis’l Ronald was being particularly difficult, obviously taking his disappointment over the news of Justin’s Surrogates and the realization Justin would not be taking Mis’la Lindsey as a second wife rather poorly. It took all the statesmanship Justin could muster to placate the man’s tantrums. In the end, though, the terms of the contract were incontrovertible and Ronald was forced to let the construction proceed.

As soon as he was sure that the project was proceeding apace, and the area was properly secured from further mischief by the Peterson contingent, Justin rushed home. He arrived rather late in the day, tired, thoroughly stressed out, and in need of some serious down time. He’d only just stepped out of the shower though, before he was accosted by a jubilant Daphne demanding his attention.

Daphne pulled Justin out of the bath chamber and into the main room, where he found his three Surrogates waiting, sitting on the bed all in a line. Troiyes and Rosie were both smiling up at him, clearly happy about something. The third Surrogate, Brian, sat there, biting at his lower lip, looking down at the carpet, and refusing to meet the Mis’l’s eye. Definitely mixed messages here.

“Go on, Rosie. Tell him!” Daph ordered, bouncing on her toes next to Justin’s shoulder, barely able to contain her own excitement.

“I missed my monthly courses, Mis’l,” the female announced with a shy pride. “So, the Mis’la and I did the test and . . . I’m breeding.”

“Isn’t that wonderful! We did it! We did it!” Daphne screeched before Justin even had a chance to voice his own approval. “Can you believe it? After only six weeks too! I mean, considering that we’ve been trying for more than two years now, it’s practically a miracle! We’re going to have a baby, Justin. We’re going to have a BABY!”

Justin kissed his overjoyed wife and then chuckled at her over-the-top enthusiasm. Not that he wasn’t just as happy. He really was looking forward to finally having a child, not only because it would satisfy his father’s need for an heir, but also because he knew how much Daphne was looking forward to being a mother. It’s just that he’d hoped the first Surrogate to start breeding would have been . . . not Rose.

“That’s great news. I’m very pleased, Rose,” Justin praised the female, getting a huge return smile from her. “What about you other two? Any encouraging signs there?”

“Now, Jus, you know it’s not as easy to tell with a male Surrogate,” Daphne chided him. “Males don’t go through a noticeable menstrual cycle like females, so it sometimes takes longer to tell when they’re breeding. Even the tests aren’t always accurate early on with males. They could be pregnant too and just not showing any outward signs. But even if they’re not, it’s only been a short time, and we can still keep trying.” Daphne walked over to the line up of Surrogates sitting on the bed, stopping next to Troiyes and running her hand affectionately down the male’s cheek. “I’m not giving up on our boys yet, so neither are you, Justin. You’ll just have to keep at it with Brian and Troiyes till they’re breeding too. I want lots of babies - and I want to keep us all together as long as possible - and the only way to do that is for you and your little swimmers to redouble your efforts.”

Justin frowned, wondering how he was supposed to find the time to cover the two males MORE than he already had been. He’d been servicing them each at least three times a day, more in Brian’s case. Well, at least he didn’t need to worry about covering Rosie any longer now that she was already breeding; that would at least remove some of the pressure on him.

“I’ll do my best, Daph. It’s not like I wasn’t trying before, you know.”

“I know. I know,” Daphne rushed to reassure him. “But this is important. You know how your father is.”

“You don’t have to remind me,” Justin sighed. “I’m sure Father would try and use this as yet another excuse to denigrate male Surrogates, which is why we can’t say anything about Rosie yet. Not until the males are breeding too. Agreed?”

“Of course, that goes without saying.” Daphne turned to address the waiting Surrogates. “You know that we’re happy and excited about this, Rosie, but we need to ask you all to keep this a secret for a little while longer, okay? We don’t want to make any announcements for a while yet. We’re hoping that all three of you will be breeding before too long and we’ll tell everyone then. Got it?”

Both Rosie and Troiyes nodded easily but Brian was still staring at the floor as if lost in thought. Justin could tell something was wrong with the male. He moved closer, standing right in front of the Surrogate so he could cup the male’s chin and raise his face till Brian was forced to look at him.

“Is everything okay, Brian?” Justin asked. The Surrogate nodded wordlessly. “Good. And you’re on board about keeping Rosie’s condition secret for now?” Another nod. “Thank you, Brian,” Justin responded with what he hoped was a reassuring smile before turning back to his wife. “So, what are we going to do to celebrate this amazing news?”

“What else? We’re going to fuck, of course. There’s no time like the present for you to get started on catching the boys up to Rosie,” Daphne declared with her usual impish grin.

And so the evening’s orgy began. While Justin serviced first Troiyes and then Brian and then Troiyes again, Daphne unlocked the drawer where she kept her ‘toys’, got out her strap-on and went at Rosie. At first Justin found it a little strange to be kneeling on the mattress, shoulder to shoulder with his wife, while he plowed Troiyes’s ass and she did the same to little Rosie's rear end. But it seemed the female Surrogate quite enjoyed the anal penetration, so what the hell, right? Daphne was in high spirits and enjoying herself too, leaning over every so often to kiss Justin without either slowing their pace. Rosie and Troiyes were getting into it as well, kissing and even holding hands right before they both reached tandem climaxes. Justin came a moment later, emptying his seed into the dark male’s ass with a happy groan.

The only one who didn’t seem to be getting into the spirit of the celebration that evening was Brian. The beautiful, golden-skinned male remained reserved and quiet throughout. He submitted to first Justin’s attentions and then Daphne’s without complaint but without any enthusiasm either. And, while they were all used to the male’s more reticent nature by that point, this felt like something more. Justin wondered if the male was upset that HE hadn’t been the first to breed. But it wasn’t like the Mis’l had taken the male to task for his slowness or anything. He’d said he intended to keep trying with the males. So what else could the Surrogate be worrying about?

Justin didn’t get a chance to ask Brian about his odd mood though. Their revelries went quite late that night. They took a short break and ordered in some food before starting up again. Then Daphne decided to take on Troiyes with her dangerous toy, while Justin rested, laughing and egging his crazy wife on. Finally, Daphne decided she wanted some reciprocity for a change and demanded that Justin actually fuck her, something they hadn’t done since the Surrogates had first arrived. It felt unfamiliar and a bit awkward to slide his dick into his wife again after so long. He kept comparing the experience - unfavorably - to how it felt to be with one of the males. But, regardless of how out of practice Justin felt, he managed to finish them both off eventually, which seemed to be the culmination of the evening’s entertainment.

As a yawning Daphne ushered the others out of the chamber, shouting her good nights to her husband, Justin separated Brian from the rest, indicating he wished the male to remain for the night. They both showered before heading to bed, but all the while Justin continued to sense an uneasy distance between them. When they were finally together under the covers, the Mis’l tried his best to resolve the matter by speaking up.

“Brian,” he started off, using the male’s name, something he rarely did. “It’s okay, you know? I had hoped you would be the first one breeding, but I’m not upset about it or anything. We can keep trying.” When even this didn’t get any real response from the frowning male, Justin sighed and thought to offer even more reassurance. “I promise to keep servicing you as often as I can till you’re breeding too, okay? I really want your offspring, Brian. I’ll do everything in my power not to let you down. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be knocked up just like Rosie in no time. Right?”

Instead of acting relieved though, Justin’s words seemed to have the opposite effect on the male Surrogate. Brian frowned, heaved a depressed-sounding sigh, and then resignedly rolled over onto his stomach so as to present his ass to the Mis’l’s attentions. Justin took hold of the male’s shoulder and tried to get him to turn back over again, but Brian resisted. In the end, Justin was left confused and a little perturbed. He didn’t know what was bugging the Surrogate or how to fix it and he felt like he was - literally - getting the cold shoulder from the male. But the only thing he could think of doing at that point was to try again.

So, with the goal of impregnating this Surrogate as soon as possible in mind, Justin proceeded to do his duty. He covered the male from behind, efficiently depositing his seed inside the male after only a few minutes, trying not to think about how much he missed looking into Brian’s intriguing hazel eyes or seeing the man’s crooked smile as he fucked him. And when it was over, they both lay there, each lost in their separate silent thoughts, for a long, long time before they fell asleep.

It wasn’t till he was just starting to drift off that Justin felt the male’s larger frame moving nearer and the man’s arms reaching out to pull him closer. Justin happily rearranged himself so that his head was pillowed on the strong chest, fitting comfortably into the hollow of the taller man’s shoulder, in the spot he’d come to think of as his place. It felt so right, he immediately relaxed completely.

“I missed this while I was gone, Brian,” Justin quietly admitted, not caring, for once, how vulnerable that admission made him.

And just as he lost consciousness, in a whisper so quiet he almost wasn’t sure he’d heard it, Justin received Brian’s reluctant response.

“Me too.”

********

********

Nine.

If Justin thought his life would settle down now that the Peterson Factory project was finally underway and off his plate, he was wrong. If anything, his workload got even heavier as plans with the Tch’fl’s new Calcascadia contacts solidified. It looked like they’d be able to parlay the contract they were already working towards with the Southerly factory into a lucrative trade deal with their business counterparts out there. Of course that was all contingent on the Taylor Domain being able to negotiate matters with the owner of the Southerly factory to provide for a great enough surplus at a reasonable enough price. In the end, it looked like someone was going to have to make a personal trip all the way out to the factory to ensure matters were handled correctly, and Justin was volunteered for the assignment by his father.

After having just returned from one trip, Justin was reluctant to leave again so soon. Not only would it be a long and likely strenuous journey, it meant he’d be gone from his Surrogates for at least a week, maybe more. The timing of this trip couldn’t be worse, either, seeing as he was trying to make sure that the two males were breeding before word of Rosie’s pregnancy became known. There was no way he’d be able to bring both of the males along with him, though - even if his father didn’t get wind of such a scandalous scheme beforehand and summarily quash the idea - the logistics would make it impossible. At best, Justin might be able to squeeze one more body into the motor caravan with him, but definitely not two.

So, the night before the trip was scheduled to depart, Justin entered his chambers ready to argue the matter with Daphne and try to talk her into his plan to select Brian as his sole companion.

“Oh, good, you’re finally here,” Daphne greeted him in her typically bossy fashion. “We were just discussing arrangements for your trip and I’ve decided you need to take Brian with you. Rosie, of course, doesn’t need to go,” she continued to explain, “and since Brian is the older of the two boys, statistically speaking he’s the least likely to get pregnant, so he should be the one you concentrate on the most. You can service Troiyes twice tonight before you leave and that should, hopefully, do the trick; if he isn’t already breeding, that is. How does that sound?”

“Um . . . Uh . . . I guess that’s okay,” Justin answered, too surprised by the fortuitous arrangement his wife had sorted out to know what to say.

“Sheesh, Jus, don’t sound so excited,” Daph teased him with a playful punch to his shoulder. “I’m sure you and Brian will be fine alone together for the week. I mean, what can go wrong in only a week, right? And you’ll get back to Troiyes’ shapely ass soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll keep your bed warm for you here at home.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, Daph,” Justin joked, leaning down to kiss his wife’s cheek affectionately. “But don’t get too wild while I’m gone. You definitely don’t want any rumors getting back to Tch’fl Craig - especially when I’m not here to run interference for you.”

“We’ll be good . . . Mostly,” Daphne promised with a mischievous giggle. “Now, enough talk; you’ve got a Surrogate to service, Mis’l. Make sure you do a good job, too, because I don’t want to lose my Troiyes.”

********

The first morning of the Southerly trip went smoothly. The two motors left the Taylor Estate early and made good time, despite the windy, rainy weather outside. The motors were as packed as Justin had expected - beyond the luggage and traveling supplies for the Mis’l himself, there was the gear for the two scribes, the drivers and the Mis’l’s security detail. Which meant that even the Mis’l and his Surrogate were feeling a bit cramped where they were squashed into the back seat of the second motor. Justin regretted the lack of space that he would normally have had if they’d taken one of the more elegant and roomier motors used for local trips; but considering the poor roads and less than ideal driving conditions expected on this trip, the more rugged but less spacious off-road-ready motors they were riding in seemed wisest.

The other downside to the cramped conditions and the way he and his Surrogate were squeezed in so tightly, right next to each other, was that it resulted in Justin being perpetually aware of the male’s enticing nearness and, as a side effect, being perpetually horny. The way the male’s thigh was rubbing up against his own, the male’s unique, musky scent, even just the constant glimpses of the handsome man sitting there next to him every time Justin turned his head to the right, kept the poor Mis’l constantly on edge. It was driving Justin crazy. Before they were even fifty kilometers down the highway, he found himself wishing there was time to stop the cars, pull off the road and take a brief fuck-break. But, since that wouldn’t be appropriate, Justin contented himself with a string of fantasies about exactly how he’d take the Surrogate as soon as they did have time to stop.

When lunchtime eventually arrived and the convoy pulled over at a conveniently located inn, Justin was more than ready to get out and stretch his legs. He crawled awkwardly out of the motor, moved a few paces away, willed down his erection, and then took a moment to straighten his disarranged clothing. The Surrogate did the same. Justin noted how odd it felt to see Brian wearing real clothing after being used to having him always naked and available. But the need for protection against the elements, as well as the inadvisibility of remaining unclothed while traveling in unfamiliar, possibly dangerous surroundings, made the clothing necessary. In fact, if it weren’t for the signature red robe draped over the top of the Taylor livery jacket the male was wearing, you wouldn’t know he was a Surrogate at all.

“If you don’t mind waiting out here for just a couple minutes, Mis’l, we’ll confirm the inn can accommodate our party and make sure it’s secure,” the head of Justin’s security detail advised, directing the Mis’l to an area on the porch at the front of the building where they’d be at least partially protected from the inclement weather while they waited.

Justin nodded and then gestured to his Surrogate to proceed him up the stairs to the porch. Before they’d even made it to the steps, though, they were accosted by a rain-drenched stranger running over to greet them.

“Brian? Is that you, Brian? It is! Wow, I can’t believe it’s you!” the poorly-dressed townie exclaimed as he grabbed the Surrogate, pulled the male away from Justin’s side and enveloped him in a bear hug.

“Mikey?” Brian seemed pretty shocked at the surprise encounter but happy to see his friend nonetheless “Shit. It’s good to see you, Mikey.”

“I seriously can’t believe you’re here,” the newcomer gushed, finally letting go of Brian so he could take a step back and look him over. “It’s been so long.”

“Eight years,” Brian confirmed.

“Yeah. Like I said, a long time,” the man answered wistfully. “You look good though. Like always.”

Both of them laughed but then the conversation faltered a little; it wasn’t like Brian could respond by saying this man looked good too. Besides being wet to the skin and bedraggled by the wind, the new arrival looked old and tired and worn down. Judging by the way he stopped just then, turning aside while he fought back a coughing fit, and the wan look to his countenance, he might even be seriously ill. The thin, torn, clothing the man was wearing obviously wouldn’t be much protection in this nasty weather either. What was there to say?

“So, you’re still doing the Surrogate thing?” the man asked, gesturing to the male’s red robe and finally breaking the awkward silence.

“Yeah,” Brian responded brusquely with a nervous sideways glance in Justin’s direction.

“Shit. I still can’t get over that - Brian Kinney, a fucking Surrogate? You used to be the biggest Stud in Liberty Township. And now you’re busy having babies for rich Dominion types. I guess you just never know, right?”

“Yep. Life can take you in some unexpected directions, I guess,” Brian replied unhelpfully, before quickly changing the subject. “How are Deb and Vic? I tried to write after I left but I never heard anything back.”

The lost look on the man’s face gave away the answer before he’d even opened his mouth. “Both gone now, I’m afraid. Uncle Vic only lasted a few months after you left; he was just too sick and we couldn’t afford the medicine he needed. Ma was never really the same afterwards. She struggled on for a few more years, but then when that last big outbreak of Dengue Fever hit Liberty, she didn’t make it. It wiped out more than half the town. Afterwards, everybody that could left to find work, me included. And here I am.”

“Damn, Mikey. I’m sorry to hear that . . . Deb AND Vic . . . That really sucks,” Brian replied, clearly devastated by this news.

“Yeah, but life’s a bitch and then you die, right?” the sad little man responded, his statement ending in yet another coughing bout.

Providentially, that was when Justin’s security man came up and whispered in his ear that the inn was ready for them. Justin looked over at the stranger still talking with his Surrogate. It wouldn’t do to invite this man to join them, but he still felt bad simply turning the down-and-out stranger away with nothing; he was obviously an old friend of Brian’s and seeing him in this condition had to bother the Surrogate. Without stopping to think about it, Justin dug into his pocket and pulled out his money clip full of credit notes.

“It’s time for us to go,” the Mis’l said, reaching out to grab the Surrogate's hand, and surreptitiously transferring the money to Brian in the process.

Brian looked Justin in the eye for a brief second, questioning him with but a glance. Justin nodded almost imperceptibly. Brian rewarded him with a half-smile before turning back to the stranger.

“I’ve gotta go, Mikey. Work, you know. But here, take this. And be well, okay?”

Brian shoved the notes into his acquaintance’s hand and then abruptly turned, walking away from the surprised man before this ‘Mikey’ had a chance to voice his appreciation. Justin nodded to the stranger as well before following Brian. Two of the security guys closed ranks behind them, cutting the townie off. And that was that.

It wasn’t till they were seated in the restaurant and their luncheon was served that the Surrogate finally leaned over and, in a hushed voice, said, “thank you, Mis’l. Mikey . . . He’s an old, old, friend. His mother and uncle practically raised me. We grew up like brothers. And I hate seeing him so . . .” The male sighed, then added, “that money will help him more than you could know.”

Justin didn’t think it was appropriate to reply, but he did give the man’s thigh a little squeeze under the table to acknowledge the offer of gratitude before concentrating his further attention on his meal.

After lunch they all loaded back into the motors and proceeded on their way. They didn’t get very far though. The rain had been getting heavier and heavier the further south they’d gone, and by that point it was pretty much a downpour. When they came across a local waving them down from where his own motor was mired in a puddle on the side of the road, the drivers stopped and got out to consult with the man. After about five minutes of discussion they got back in and relayed their news - the road had washed out about half a mile ahead and was completely impassible.

A quick look at the map led the head of Justin’s Security to make the call that they’d best turn back to the last town they’d passed and stay there for the night. Hopefully the storm would be spent by morning and, in the meantime, the drivers could figure out an alternate route. Justin quickly concurred with the assessment and the convoy turned around.

Unfortunately, the only accommodation they could find in the tiny hamlet was a dilapidated boarding house right off the side of the road. The landlord was more than happy with the chance to rent out his entire establishment for the night, and gladly turned out the few customers he already had so the Mis’l’s entourage could take over the building. The place was so dirty that Justin was almost afraid to touch anything, but at least it was a roof over their heads and he and Brian would have a bed to sleep in for the night. It was questionable, though, whether or not they’d be able to find someone to prepare an evening meal for their party. However, while that and all the other logistical issues were still being decided, Justin determined he’d retreat to the relative calmness of his room.

Justin was not pleased with the bed chamber, despite being told it was the best the house had to offer. The accommodations afforded to the Mis’l would, at best, be described as ‘sub-par’. It was tiny, cramped and damp. The double bed barely looked large enough for one adult, let alone two. And it wasn’t any cleaner in there than it had been downstairs in the common areas. Needless to say, if there had been anywhere else to go, Justin would have stormed out of there, screaming his complaints.

“Well, I’ve stayed in worse places, I guess,” Brian exclaimed as he unclasped his robe and then plopped down on the bed, to the accompaniment of the metallic groaning of the old bed springs. “This should be fun.” He bounced up and down a few times, eliciting a few more musical twangs from the bed. “If the walls are as thin as I suspect, we could probably keep the whole house awake all night if we wanted to,” he conjectured with a devilish grin at his Mis’l.

Justin laughed out loud. “You planning to take on Daphne’s job of being a bad influence on me while we’re on this trip!” he asked, joining the Surrogate on the squeaking bed.

“I could try, but those are some pretty big shoes to fill; the Mis’la has being naughty down to a science,” the male answered with a chuckle of his own. “The only woman I ever met with a mind as dirty as the Mis’la’s would be Mikey’s mom, Debbie Novotny. That woman could curse a blue streak that would make a sailor blush.”

Brian fell quiet then, apparently lost in thoughts of the past. Justin could tell from the male’s expression that the memories weren’t all happy ones. Clearly the earlier run in with his old friend was weighing heavily on his mind.

“You’re sad, hearing about the deaths of your friends,” Justin said, the words more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah,” Brian replied, pausing a moment to close his eyes, his lips rolled in as if to hold back the emotion that wanted to escape. “Vic and Deb were good people. They took me in when I had nowhere else to go. Deb was the only real mother I ever knew. I’d probably be dead by now if they hadn’t helped me out. I wish I could have given more back to them while they were still alive.” Justin reached out, laying a comforting hand on the male’s stomach in sympathy. “That was my plan, you know; that was one of the primary reasons I agreed to become a Surrogate. The guy that recruited me told me I’d be making tons of money - enough to send some back to Deb so she’d have what she needed for Vic’s meds. Of course the reality ended up being a lot different than what I’d been sold on and I never had the chance to send Deb even a single credit.”

Brian fell quiet then, staring off into space as the memories washed over him. Justin could feel the waves of sadness radiating off the man lying next to him. There wasn’t much he could say, though, that would make it any better.

“I’m sorry, Brian,” Justin offered a few minutes later, because he couldn’t think of anything else to offer that might break the depressing silence.

“Yeah, well, you heard Mikey; life’s a bitch and then you die, right? What’re you gonna do?”

Justin hated how sad the man looked. He hated feeling like there was nothing he could do to fix things for Brian. All his life he’d been the one in charge, the one whose orders were immediately followed, but now there was nothing he could do, nothing he could order, that would fix this broken thing. He couldn’t go back and change the course of this man’s life or bring his lost friends back to life. And Justin hated feeling so impotent.

But at least Justin could make sure that Brian was protected for as long as he was around. He could take care of Brian and try to keep him safe and happy for at least that one night. And, if he could only manage to get the Surrogate pregnant, he could keep the male under his protection for several additional months. It might not be much, and it might not be forever, but it seemed all that Justin could offer.

Using the hand still resting on the Surrogate’s abdomen, Justin pushed the man back so he was lying flat and then leaned over so that he was hovering over the reclining form. He stared down into the heavy-lidded hazel eyes, willing the man to understand the empathy he felt he couldn’t voice. Then, after only a few moments of hesitation, Justin leaned over to leave a long, intense kiss on the beautiful cranberry-red lips - something he hadn’t previously allowed himself to do. Within seconds Brian was kissing him back. They both got lost in the heat for the next several minutes, until Justin tried to move his kisses lower and suddenly discovered his Brian was still wearing all that annoying clothing.

The hot and bothered Mis’l quickly unzipped the lightweight jacket and then started undoing the buttons of the shirt underneath, kissing his way along the male’s neck and chest as more skin was revealed. Brian tasted delicious and Justin couldn’t believe he’d waited so long to indulge this desire. He even took a little detour to suck on one rosy nipple and then crossed over to tug with his teeth on the metal ID tag dangling from the ring through the other. Then he resumed course, heading lower and lower until the final button was taken care of and the shirt fell open completely, allowing him to run his hands over the broad chest and well-cut abs at will.

But the focused Mis’l wasn’t about to stop there; he still had a pair of trousers that needed to be removed. So, while his tongue was swirling in the male’s belly button, Justin undid the top button of the fly. Then he deposited a kiss where that button had been. Another button. Another kiss. And another, and another, and another. So that, when the last button came undone and the male’s magnificent cock sprang free, it seemed perfectly natural for Justin to turn his head to the side and leave a friendly little kiss there on the tip as well.

Of course the taste of that kiss was different - and surprising - seeing as it included the salty sweet pearl of cum that bubbled up right as Justin’s lips touched the velvety-smooth cap of the male’s prodigious erection. It was a revelation. He’d never before dared to kiss another man there, although he had wondered briefly what it would be like. His experience the few times he’d been on the receiving end of a blowjob had usually involved the other party gagging a little and he’d always assumed it was because the substance they were ingesting tasted unpleasant. But this wasn’t that bad at all; just really salty, like caviar maybe.

Justin stuck his tongue out, lapping up another dollop of jizz, and eliciting a deep moan of pleasure from the male in the process. He tried it again, noting the way the man’s dick twitched with pleasure at the contact. He kissed the tip again, this time taking more of the head into his mouth, and was startled when the male canted his hips forward, forcing a good inch or so of the appendage into his mouth. He held still and waited to see what would happen next as the male rocked shallowly forward and back a couple times, the thick cock filling his mouth with a solid meatiness, the weight of which felt good against his tongue. When he finally did pull away, mostly because he wasn’t sure how to continue what he was doing and breathe at the same time, he heard Brian groaning.

“You . . . You like that?” he asked, feeling self-conscious now that he thought about what he’d just been attempting.

“Fuck, yeah. Who wouldn’t?”

“I’ve never . . . I’ve never done this before,” Justin admitted.

“You seem like a natural to me.”

That made him smile and also emboldened him. “What do I do next?”

“More of the same? Just make sure you cover your teeth and breathe through your nose,” Brian suggested boldly.

Justin nodded and, with a mental ‘what the hell!’ moved to suck the male’s cock back into his mouth again. He liked hearing the drawn out ‘Ohhhhhh!’ Brian couldn’t hold back and even the way the male raised his hips upward so that the cock snaked further inside with every thrust. But Brian had been right, this did feel perfectly natural to him. And the only tricky moment - when the male’s cock first touched against the back of his throat and caused him to gag slightly - was quickly overcome when Brian reached down with both hands, held onto Justin’s face, and shoved himself deeper, until he was past the gag reflex. After that, as long as Justin remembered to breathe through his nose, everything was fine. So fine, in fact, that it only took a dozen more thrusts until Justin felt the man’s balls, which had been bouncing against his chin, draw up, and a moment later the male’s body began to tremble as his release tore through him. With one last groan, Brian gave another deep thrust and let go, the warmth of his ejaculate filling Justin’s throat and then his mouth with the same sticky saltiness.

Justin swallowed and crawled back up onto the bed, lying next to Brian as the man recovered. When the male rolled over so he was on top of Justin and then bent down to kiss him, the Mis’l was a little startled. It felt strange to share the taste of Brian’s own cum in a kiss like that. But good, too. And the smile the man gave him when they finally separated made him fill with a warm glow of pride.

“Not bad for a tyro,” Brian pronounced.

“I’ve always wanted to try that . . .” he heard himself admitting.

The sly Surrogate shot him a calculating look and ventured, “but you couldn’t because you’re the Mis’l and it wouldn’t be appropriate?” Justin smiled shyly, causing Brian to laugh. “Damn. Sometimes I forget how young you really are.”

“I’m seventeen. That’s not that young. I’ve been a confirmed Mis’l of the Domain for more than two years now,” Justin insisted, bristling a little.

“Yeah, well, I’m twenty-nine and I’ve been a Surrogate for eight years already, so who’s older?” Justin simply looked at him with the disdain instilled by his position and refused to concede the point. Brian chuckled again but thankfully didn’t argue. “Well, then, wise and learned Mis’l, how was your first blowjob?”

Justin thought a little before answering. “Educational.”

Brian broke out laughing again, then leaned down to kiss his Mis’l. The kiss went on for a long, long time. And before long the kisses became serious again, leading to more clothing being unbuttoned and taken off. Which, in turn, led to Justin taking charge again, this time remembering that he was supposed to be servicing the Surrogate not giving the man blow jobs. And, for the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening, they kept the musical bed springs humming away, and the rest of the household awake.

********

The remaining days of the journey went by without further detours or delay. The days, smashed together in the overloaded motors, were long and tedious but they managed to make good time along the route. The nights, however, were fun and exciting, filled with exploration.

Justin was so proud of his first attempt at a blowjob, that he insisted on trying again the next night. Brian happily accepted, with the caveat that he be allowed to blow the Mis’l at the same time. At first Justin wasn’t sure how such an arrangement was supposed to work. Brian just smiled and shook his head, and then proceeded to arrange things with the young Mis’l lying on his back before the surrogate climbed up and straddled his face, leaning down so that his own head was just above Justin‘s crotch. Then, As Brian‘s mouth enveloped Justin’s member, it all the sudden made perfect sense. The only truly surprising part of this second experiment, was when the male reached down at the very end and stuck his finger up Justin‘s asshole right as he was nearing his climax. And he wasn’t sure if it was the shock of such a maneuver, or the fact that Brian managed to touch something inside him with that questing digit that sent shockwaves of electricity all through his body, but Justin found he was shooting his load within seconds and he came so hard he thought he might almost black out. He barely even noticed when Brian orgasmed in his own mouth a minute later.

“What . . . What . . .” Justin gasped, trying and failing to catch his breath as Brian settled against the pillows next to him. “What was that? What did you do?”

“I’d like to introduce you to your prostate, Mis’l.” Justin must’ve looked completely confused by the unfamiliar word, causing Brian to chuckle. “Remember when you asked me before why it was I actually liked to get fucked? Well THAT is why. You hit that spot, and any guy you’re with will be putty in your hands.”

“You . . . You feel like THAT every time?”

“I wish,” Brian smiled down on him with a halfway apology. “I’ll grant you, you ARE getting a lot better as we go on. They do say practice makes perfect, right?”

“Show me!” Justin commanded.

Whereupon, the rest of that evening was spent getting intimately acquainted with each other’s prostates, to the extreme joy of both men.

********

On the last night of their journey - after mutual blowjobs and then a good hour spent on target practice until Justin’s aim at Brian’s sweet spot was thoroughly perfected - an exhausted Mis’l rolled over, thinking he’d best get a good night’s sleep before having to deal with the Southerly people the next day. Apparently his surrogate had other ideas, though. No sooner was Justin comfortably arranged, lying on his stomach with a pillow clutched to his chin, than he heard his bed mate rustling around. Then there was the snick from the top of the lube bottle being opened, followed a moment later by the feeling of the larger man rolling over so that his entire body was draped over Justin’s back.

“Brian?” Justin started to question this development.

“Shhh,” the Surrogate whispered, adding a kiss to the back of the Mis’l’s neck in appeasement. “Trust me.”

Justin froze, waiting to see what was coming next, not sure if he was afraid of what he thought was coming or afraid it wouldn’t come. When he felt a cold, lube-slicked dick sliding down the crack of his ass, he he actually forgot to breathe for half a second. But when it kept on sliding, lower and lower, until it lodged itself between his clenched thighs, he finally exhaled. That was okay. That was perfectly acceptable. It wasn’t too big of an affront to his position as a Mis’l.

So why did he feel so disappointed?

Of course that moment of unexpected disappointment only lasted a few seconds. Then Brian reached around, pulled Justin’s hips askew, and snaked his hand down far enough to grab hold of the Mis’l’s cock, stroking it in time with his thrusting. After that Justin quickly started to feel so good that he forgot to be disappointed. Mostly.

Not that he didn’t continue to dream about the other possibilities that might have occurred all the rest of that night. Or fantasize about it while he was fucking Brian the next morning. Or wonder about it over breakfast. Or while they finished the last leg of their trip that morning.

And so ended Mis’l Justin’s amazing journey of discovery.

********

********

Ten.

Justin’s convoy arrived at its destination just after lunchtime on their fourth day of travel. The roads on that last leg of the journey had been extremely bad, so they were all tired and not in the best of moods when they were finally able to crawl out of the motors. They were greeted by the Estate’s Dom’l, a fat, middle-aged man named Alexander who didn’t have the best personal hygiene and seemed to be suffering from an unfortunately unpleasant skin condition over much of his patchy scalp. Justin tried to be gracious as the man welcomed them, but it wasn’t easy. He didn’t care for the clammy feel of the man’s hand or the hungry way the Dom’l seem to be eyeing Brian.

“Welcome, Mis’l Justin. Welcome,” the obsequious man simpered as he led them in through the Estate’s main entryway. “Tch’fl Frederick is so excited to finalize the discussions between our two Houses. Hopefully this agreement will be mutually beneficial and profitable.” The man paused to let Justin precede him through the portal but then laid his hand against the small of Brian’s back and walked in side-by-side with the Surrogate right on Justin‘s heels. “But forgive me for talking business before you even get in the door. There will be more than enough time to discuss those matters come morning. In the meantime, please come in and make yourself comfortable. I want all of you to treat my home as your own.”

“Thank you, Dom’l Alexander. This journey has been rather long and difficult. I’m certainly looking forward to an afternoon of rest before we start on business matters,” Justin replied, accepting a seat on the couch the Dom’l had led them to, as well as the glass of wine a servant poured for him, and waving to his Surrogate to join him.

“Of course, Mis’l. Your rooms are all ready. I’ll have my staff take your bags up immediately. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. There should be refreshments waiting for you and, if you desire entertainment,” the old lout gave Justin a lewd wink, “that can easily be arranged as well. Although, it looks like you might have brought your own entertainment, eh? I had no idea you were bringing along a Surrogate on this visit. I’m sure it made the trip much more pleasurable for you.”

The man had the temerity to reach down from where he was standing next to the couch to give Brian’s shoulder an overly-familiar squeeze. Justin watched as the male flinched away from the touch. The Mis’l was on the verge of saying something about the impropriety when Dom’l Alexander hared off onto a different subject.

“Now, I know you’re probably exhausted but I do hope you’ll be able to join my wife and I for dinner this evening,” the obsequious toady offered. “We get so few visitors, you know, and my Becca is just dying to meet you. She’s been planning the menu for days. So, with your leave, I’ll have a servant call for you around seven. You’re welcome to bring your handsome Surrogate as well, if you like . . . we can always use something pleasant to look at while we dine.”

“Thank you, Dom’l Alexander, I’d be happy to join you and your wife for dinner,” Justin accepted with as much diplomacy as he could muster. “However I’m not in the habit of bringing my Surrogate with me to Estate functions. I’m sure he’ll be much more comfortable dining alone in my rooms.” Justin noted the tiny nod from the male and knew he’d made the right decision. “Now, if you’ll kindly have someone show me to my chamber, I’d like to freshen up now.”

“Of course. Of course. Samuel,” the Dom’l waved over a young page who came to a halt in front of Justin and bowed his head obediently. “Take the Mis’l upstairs and show him to the guest room like a good boy.”

“Right this way, Mis’l, Sir,” the page directed, moving off to the side so Justin and Brian could get to their feet.

It did not escape Justin’s notice the way the Dom’l patted the boy on the rear as he moved past that end of the couch or the way Alexander’s eyes followed Brian’s every move. Justin made sure to keep his own body between the Surrogate and the lecherous old bootlicker as they moved to follow the page. He also mentally revised his plans for the week to allow Brian to remain safely out of sight in his rooms and as far away from Dom’l Alexander as possible.

As soon as they’d escaped from the Dom’l’s odious presence, however, things started to go much better. Justin’s assigned chambers were luxurious. Justin and Brian stripped out of their travel gear and hopped into a relaxing hot bath together as soon as the servant lad left them. Afterwards, they crawled into the large, comfortable bed and napped for a short while. When he awoke about an hour later, Justin found the Surrogate going over the contract specifications again, and they spent the rest of the time between then and when Justin was summoned to dinner strategizing about how to negotiate an even better trade deal. Justin felt confident and well-prepared for the task ahead of him. Now, if he could just get through this dinner with Dom’l Alexander.

Justin ordered Brian not to leave the room and, on a whim, bent to kiss the male one last time. Then he followed the page out of the room and back downstairs to the dining hall. He was greeted by Dom’l Alexander and introduced to Dom’la Rebecca, a mousy woman who seemed nice enough, if not exceptionally bright. He just didn’t understand how the woman could stand her husband, though, since the man made no attempt whatsoever to hide the fact that he was lusting after every attractive young serving wench and kitchen lad that came into the hall. Personally, Justin thought he’d have long ago stabbed the man in his sleep if he’d been in Rebecca’s place.

Justin declined the Dom’l’s offer to join him for cigars and brandy after dinner was finished. Instead, he fell back on the excuse that he was fatigued by the trip, and escaped again to his rooms. He was momentarily alarmed when he didn’t immediately see Brian upon entering the chamber, but soon detected the sounds of the toilet flushing and then water running, and was reassured. When Brian came out, Justin was happy to see the Surrogate wearing nothing but his red robe and a smile for his Mis’l. Justin pulled the male down onto the bed and commenced kissing him with earnest, pleased by the minty-fresh taste of the man’s just cleaned teeth. After the long, tedious dinner with the heinous Dom’l, some alone time with his Surrogate was just what the Mis’l needed.

Justin pushed Brian down onto the pile of pillows before climbing aboard too. He couldn’t believe how horny he was. It was probably because they hadn’t had time for any of their usual escapades all day. However, it could also be attributed to how frequently Justin had been fantasizing about what had happened the night before. He wasn’t sure how to go about it, but he desperately wanted to find a way to ask the Surrogate to do that again.

And, maybe, this time Justin would have the balls to press for more. For what he really wanted. For a chance to feel it all from the other side.

For some reason, though, it quickly became evident that Brian wasn’t feeling nearly as enthusiastic about their nocturnal games as he normally would have been. The Surrogate wasn’t kissing him back and was barely responding at all to Justin’s fondling. When he reached down to grab hold of the male’s dick and found it wasn’t even slightly hard, he knew something was seriously wrong.

“Brian? Are you okay?” Justin asked, sitting up so he could observe the Surrogate more carefully.

“I’m fine . . .” the man responded, though even he didn’t sound convinced of that fact.

A closer examination showed Justin that the male was extremely pale and he had a drawn, pinched look, especially around the corners of his eyes, as if he was in pain. Justin laid a hand to the Surrogate’s forehead and was reassured that the man didn’t feel hot, but his skin was kind of clammy; the Mis’l didn’t think that was a good sign. Justin hoped the man wasn’t coming down with something - who knew if the medics in this relatively remote region were any good or not.

“I’ll be fine. I think I just need a good night’s sleep and a day without being jostled around in a motor for hours on end,” Brian offered with a valiant but unconvincing smile. “But there’s no reason you can’t go ahead and fuck me if you still wish, Mis’l. Just let me turn over first, please.”

Brian started to roll away from under him, but Justin stopped him. “Nonsense. I’m not going to service you if you’re not feeling well. That can wait a day or so. Right now you just need to rest and get better.” Justin tried to help the man up so he was lying at a more comfortable angle and added another pillow behind the Surrogate’s head. “Are you hungry? Have you eaten anything this evening? I can ring for something to be brought up.” Justin jumped up as if to run to the door and get help.

“NO!” Brian practically yelled before taking a deep breath and scrunching his eyes closed. “I don’t think eating would be wise, Mis’l.” Justin came back and sat on the edge of the bed, looking down on the ailing man with concern. “I’m sorry for throwing off your plans for the night. I’m sure I’ll be just fine in the morning, though.”

Reluctantly, Justin got back into the bed, lying next to Brian but not touching him. He felt lost. He didn’t know what was wrong or how to help. He wished Daphne was there; she would know what to do.

But then Brian rolled over on his side, curled his body around Justin with his head on the smaller man’s shoulder, closed his eyes, sighed, and everything felt alright again. The Surrogate drifted off to sleep fairly quickly after that. Justin stayed where he was for a long time, afraid that he’d wake Brian if he moved at all, until he too fell asleep.

********

“You’re sure you’re feeling better?” Justin asked for at least the third time as he finished dressing the next morning.

“Yes, Mis’l. I’m fine. I told you, it was just fatigue from the long drive,” Brian reiterated, as he reached over to straighten Justin’s tie.

A knock on the door interrupted before Justin could ask for a fourth time. “The motors are here and the rest of the party is ready to leave for the factory, Mis’l,” Justin’s head of security announced.

“Thank you, Scott. I’ll be right down,” Justin replied, then turned back to his Surrogate. “I want you to take it easy today, you hear? This factory tour shouldn’t take that long, but then I’m scheduled to have lunch with the Production Manager and his staff, so I probably won’t be back till late afternoon. I think it would be best if you just stay here in the room and rest some more. Okay?”

“Yes, Mis’l,” the Surrogate answered obediently.

“If you start to feel ill again, though, I want you to have the Dom’l call me at once. Alright?”

“Yes, Mis’l.”

“Good, because Daphne will have my balls if I let anything happen to you while we’re on this trip.”

“Yes, Mis’l,” Brian answered again, this time with a hint of a snarky smile just barely hidden by his bowed head.

Justin shook his head fondly, making a detour to kiss the man on his way out the door, and paused long enough to whisper, “stop saying, ‘yes, Mis’l’ like that - it’s making me hard.” That earned him a snicker from the usually reticent Surrogate. “Be good. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he added and then marched out the door.

Unfortunately, all that banter with his Surrogate made Justin totally forget his briefcase full of the site specifications and other paperwork he would need while inspecting the factory. Of course he didn’t remember this fact until they were halfway to the facility. But there was no way he could do the inspection without his notes, so the entire party had to turn around and drive all the way back to the Estate again.

As soon as the motor came to a halt, Justin leapt out of the vehicle and took the front steps at a run, not even waiting for his security folks. He sprinted up the stairs and was just about to pull open the guest room door when he heard loud voices within that gave him pause. Curious, with his hand resting on the doorknob, he leaned in a little closer in order to get the best vantage for eavesdropping.

“. . . Thank you but I don’t need anything right now,” Brian’s voice sounded a little stressed.

“Well, then, why don’t we sit and get better acquainted. I can’t imagine you’d enjoy being locked up in here all alone all day. I’d be happy to . . . keep you company,” another male voice answered, causing Justin’s blood pressure to rise.

“That’s quite all right, Dom’l Alexander. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. And I’m sure the Mis’l would prefer that I not have visitors while he’s not present,” Brian responded a little more forcefully.

“Oh, now, don’t be like that, Sweetheart. I’m just trying to be friendly. Besides, a pretty thing like you shouldn’t be shut away in your room all day. We wouldn’t want you to get bored or anything, would we?” the Dom’l’s voice dripped with insincerity.

Justin was pissed off. What the hell did the Dom’l think he was doing? He should know better than to mess with another man’s Surrogate. Not to mention the fact that Justin had barely been gone ten minutes and the man was already sniffing around. It was outrageous. He was going to ream the man so soundly that Dom’l Alexander would be lucky to keep his balls in one piece, let alone his position of Dom’l of this estate.

“Get your hands off me!” This time Brian’s voice sounded muffled and stressed out.

Justin pushed at the door handle, intending to rush into the room and take the Dom’l to task immediately, but the ornate brass lever wouldn’t budge. Someone had locked the chamber door from the inside. Justin’s anger flared even higher as he rattled at the door handle ineffectively.

“No. Stop. STOP!” Brian was yelling now, and Justin was getting a little frantic as he pounded at the door. “Get the fuck away from me!”

“Don’t be like that, Darling. You know you like it. All you Surrogate sluts like it. That’s why you whore your asses out in the first place, right,” the Dom’l’s words were slurred and muted, interspersed with the sounds of a struggle as things were knocked around, including a metallic clanking and then something slamming into a wall. “Now, fucking hold still and take what’s coming to you, you fucking whore!”

Justin could hear the sound of flesh slapping against flesh and then Brian cried out. He was done being polite or knocking on the damn door. He took a step back, raised his boot and kicked at the door just below the lock, the force cracking the wood of the frame and finally allowing the door to swing wide open.

What he found inside made Justin’s blood boil. The ugly, fat Dom’l had Brian bent over, face down on the desk, and was using the Surrogate’s robe as a restraint wrapped around Brian’s neck as well as his hands. The Surrogate’s face was red and it was clear that he was struggling to get enough air through the stranglehold of the tight fabric. Meanwhile, the scabby Dom’l’s own pants were bagging around his knees and he was so busy shoving his poxed little prick into Justin’s Surrogate that he didn’t even notice that the male’s owner had returned.

Justin picked up the first thing he saw - the metal tray that had been used to serve his breakfast, which was now strewn all across the carpet - and hit Alexander over the head with it. The stunned Dom’l finally looked up from his dirty deed, obviously surprised to have been caught in flagrante. The man’s moment of hesitation was enough that Justin was able to take the advantage, knocking into the side of the fat fuck’s face with a punch that made the wrinkled jowls shake like a bowlful of jelly. And while Alexander was still stunned by that blow, Justin pulled the man off Brian and threw him to the floor, adding in a kick for good measure while the Dom’l was flailing around on the carpet.

“Mis’l? We heard the disturbance up here clear down in the entryway. Are you okay?” Scott, the head of Justin’s security detail, came storming into the room just then, his shooter drawn and his three big, burly assistants on his heels.

“No. I’m not okay. I caught this cretin in the act of violating my Surrogate. I want his ass thrown out of here immediately,” Justin fumed, trying at the same time to both help Brian up and untangle the red robe so as to cover the male with it.

The security guys hauled Alexander to his feet - not all that carefully, Justin was happy to note - and started to drag the man out of the room.

“One minute,” Justin ordered his men, moving around so he was standing in front of the cringing captive. “If I were you, Alexander, I’d be gone before lunchtime. Because if you’re still around by the time I’m done seeing to my Surrogate’s medical needs, I WILL hunt you down and make sure my men beat you till you can’t walk at all, let alone run. And don’t bother to try and get another position anywhere within a thousand miles, either. I intend to not only file a complaint with Tch’fl Frederick but also lodge a petition of redress with the Council of Dominions. If you even so much as show your face in one of the Dominions again, I’ll be on your ass so fast it’ll make your head spin.” Justin turned to Scott and snarled. “Now, get this scumbag out of my sight.”

The snivelling Alexander started to protest and beg for forgiveness, but Justin turned his back on the empty pleas, gesturing to his men to proceed with taking out the garbage. They dragged him out, protesting all the way, pulling the door closed behind them. By this point, Brian had managed to stand up on his own and had moved away, leaning up against the far wall and clutching his torn robe around him as he stared mutely at the floor. Justin rushed over to him, but when he tried to reach out with a comforting hand, the Surrogate flinched away from the touch. Besides the red marks around the male’s neck and wrists from where he’d been tied, Justin could see that the tissues around Brian’s left eye were swollen and there was a small trickle of blood from a tiny cut on his cheek.

“Brian? Brian,” Justin called the man’s name twice before he got the Surrogate’s attention. “Come sit down and let me see to that cut.”

“I’m fine,” he replied and angrily swiped at his cheek, smearing the blood.

“You’re not fine. You’re hurt. Now, come over here and let me help you,” Justin tried again.

I said I’m FINE!” Brian erupted with a snarl, shooting daggers at Justin via his red-rimmed eyes. “Just leave me alone already. Fuck! You think this is the first time I’ve been RAPED? It sort of goes along with the territory as a Surrogate. I should be used to this by now.” Justin was too stunned by this outburst to think of a response and just watched as Brian suddenly stomped across the room and bent down to pick up a napkin from the carpet, using it to staunch the bleeding on his cheek. “Fucking perverts like THAT see a fucking red robe and think it’s an invitation to do whatever the hell they want. Do they think we LIKE whoring our asses out to whatever rich Dominion Lord gets a bug under his skin and decides he wants an heir? Or even just a good fuck for a few months? It’s not like we can say ‘no’. It’s not like we Surrogates have any say in the matter, right?”

“Of course you should have a say.” Justin was still pretty angry himself, but since Alexander wasn’t there any longer, he felt frustrated by the lack of a target. “You shouldn’t have to put up with being violated by the likes of that . . . that . . . that brute.”

Brian broke out into a loud, maniacal laugh. “That’s special, coming from you, Mis’l,” the Surrogate barked. “You’re no different. Just another spoiled, rich brat - like all the rest of them - only interested in how fast I can pop out a baby for you.” Justin started to object but before he could splutter even one full word Brian was there, in his face, screaming at him. “You think I should have a say, huh? Well then, listen up, Mis’l Justin. I say I HATE this shit. I hate having to constantly submit to the likes of you and your rich friends. And if I really DID have a say, I’d be the one in charge. I’d be the one doing the fucking. I’d be the one in control and you’d be the one offering up that pretty little ass to MY dick.”

Justin took a step back, trying to get away from the whirlwind that was now howling in his face, only to discover that he was already pressed up against the edge of the large bed with no more room to retreat. But Brian wasn’t done yet. He grabbed Justin’s shoulders and shoved, knocking the Mis’l over onto his back on the mattress, and then knelt over the smaller man.

“How would you like that? Huh, Mis’l? How would you like it if I refused to bend over for you? If I made YOU bend over for me instead? Huh? Would you like it if I ordered YOU around day and night? If I was constantly pawing at you like you were just a piece of meat? If I used you as my playtoy whenever I was in the mood? Would you like that, Justin? Would you?”

Brian pounced, pinning Justin’s arms to the mattress with his hands and using his greater weight to hold the Mis’l in place while he dove down to ravage Justin’s lips with his own. Justin wasn’t even trying to fight back though. He was venting his own anger and frustration into that kiss and giving back just as good as he was getting. Brian seemed to really want to pick a fight though, and batted away Justin’s arms when he pulled out of Brian’s grip and tried to wrap them around the raving Surrogate. So Justin used his legs instead, locking his ankles behind Brian’s back and using his strong thighs to pull the male’s body closer to his own. Brian retaliated by ripping open the front of Justin’s shirt and then biting at the pale flesh exposed on the Mis’l’s chest. Justin’s moaning must have egged Brian on, because he didn’t stop there, biting his way downward till he came to the Mis’l’s trousers, which were pulled open and tugged off a minute later.

Then, somehow - Justin wasn’t sure just how it all happened since things were happening so quickly it was hard to keep track - the next thing Justin knew, Brian was there, hovering over him, the bottle of lube being tossed aside and two rough fingers shoving inside him. He let his legs fall to the side, opening himself up to the welcome assault. Brian didn’t even pause. He rushed on, roughly stretching Justin’s hole wider and then, a second later, jabbing his swollen cock as far up Justin’s ass as he could with the very first thrust. It hurt like hell, and Justin knew he had cried out, but at the same time it also felt just amazing. With the second thrust Brian’s aim was better and he nailed Justin’s prostate dead on, causing the initial burn to turn into pure pleasure. The Mis’l’s moaning, undercut by Brian’s lower pitched grunting, seemed to fill the room. And after that it was all sweaty bodies straining together, arms and legs grappling with each other, and over all, the ecstacy of electric friction as Justin rode each cresting wave of a pleasure he’d never known before.

When the climax came, it was so mind-bending that Justin literally saw stars flashing before his eyes. He felt like there was a fireball building in his belly, growing till it was too large to contain, and then exploding along his synapses till his entire body was on fire. He could feel his cock exploding as well, as streamers of thick, viscous white pumped out of him, coating his own as well as Brian’s chests. And the next moment, he felt the rush of heat inside him as Brian also came with one last, violent thrust that drove Justin’s body half off the far edge of the bed. Then they both just laid there, spent, consumed by the passion that had burned through them, and maybe even a little confused by all that had just happened in such a short period of time.

Brian was the first to come to his proper senses. Justin would have been content to simply lie there forever, reveling in the joy of it all. He certainly wasn’t ready for Brian to abruptly pull out and then virtually vault backwards off the bed.

“Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck . . .” Brian was muttering, his voice sounding panicked enough that Justin sat up and looked around him, searching for some threat. “Oh shit. I’m so fucking fucked . . .”

Brian bolted, running towards the bathroom where, a moment later, Justin could hear the sounds of retching. In all the hubbub, Justin had forgotten that Brian hadn’t been feeling well. He crawled off the bed, smiling at the slight discomfort in his ass as he moved, and trotted over to the toilet cubicle to see if he could help his poor, ailing Surrogate. Brian was slumped with his head over the porcelain bowl, shoulders visibly shaking. He jumped when Justin knelt down beside him and ran a hand up the Surrogate’s lean back.

Brian sighed, reached up to flush the toilet and then scuttled around till he was facing Justin, on his knees with head bowed. “You don’t have to beat me,” he muttered, his voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. “Although, I guess I have no grounds to argue against any discipline you do order. And as soon as we get back I’ll go. I’m sure Sapperstein will refund all the fees you paid.”

“Go? Discipline?” Justin was stumped. “Why would you be disciplined for what Alexander did to you? I don’t understand, Brian. I don’t want you to go. I would never hold you responsible for what that monster did.”

The Surrogate huffed a disgusted snort of unamused laughter. “Not that. It’s not what HE did. It’s what I did . . .”

“You didn’t do anything. Now, come on. Get up from there and come back to bed. You’re not making any sense. You’re probably going into shock or something.” Justin tried to help the male back up to his feet but Brian apparently wasn’t inclined to be helpful. “I think I should have Scott call a medic for you.”

Brian finally let Justin haul him back up onto his feet and guide him through the process of rinsing his mouth and washing off his face. The marks on the male’s cheek, neck and wrists were starting to morph into purplish bruises. The poor man looked terrible. As soon as Justin managed to get the Surrogate back into the bed, the Mis’l pulled a robe on over his own nakedness and then strode over to the door, intending to call out for a servant.

When he got there, he realized that the door was too damaged from his earlier efforts to actually be closed all the way. There was a noticeable gap between the door itself and the splintered framing. Through the gap, Justin could see two of his security guards standing sentry. No doubt they’d heard all of what had happened in the room just a few minutes before. Oh well, Justin didn’t have time to worry about that; he needed to get Brian a medic as soon as possible. He’d have to deal with the rest of the fallout later.

“Sanchez,” Justin called to the more senior of the two guards. “Find someone to go fetch a medic for my Surrogate.” The sentry nodded and looked like he was about to leave when the Mis’l thought of one more thing. “Oh, and send word to the Production Manager at the factory. Tell him we’ll need to reschedule the inspection tour for tomorrow.”

“Yes, Mis’l. Right away.”

And as soon as Justin was sure his orders were being followed, with the security guard dashing down the stairs, he returned to take care of his traumatized Surrogate.

********

********

Eleven.

The rest of the time spent at the Southerly Estate passed in a blurry daze. Justin spent the rest of that day hovering anxiously over his silent Surrogate. The medic came and went, treating Brian’s small cuts and abrasions, and assuring Justin that the injuries were relatively minor with no damage to the Surrogate’s functionality. Somehow, though, this news did not allay Justin’s worries. Brian remained withdrawn and silent, not even getting up from the bed the rest of that day. Meanwhile, Justin hovered and fretted and silently berated himself for having let everything get so out of hand.

When Brian still hadn’t improved by the next morning, Justin almost canceled his business meeting a second time. But then Tch’fl Frederick showed up to personally take charge of matters, and the visiting Mis’l was reluctantly forced to abandon his useless nursemaiding and attend to his duties. It did help a little to see the Tch’fl apologizing so profusely for his deplorable Estateman’s actions. Frederick vowed to personally hunt Alexander down, castrate the man with a dull knife and then throw him in jail for the rest of his natural life. Justin wasn’t sure if the Tch’fl was kidding or not - you just never knew with these hot-headed Southerly types - but he couldn’t be bothered to care much what happened to the disgraced Dom’l. And for the rest of their stay, Frederick was ridiculously accommodating and attentive towards both Justin and his injured Surrogate.

Tch’fl Frederick insisted on escorting Justin to the factory that morning, though, and the Mis’l couldn’t refuse. So, after ordering Sanchez to remain on guard outside the rooms and not to let anyone in unsupervised, Justin gave a still-silent Brian one last kiss and headed off to work. The two Domain lords spent the rest of the day touring the factory, meeting with the Production Manager, and discussing the specification changes and refitting that would be needed to accommodate the Calcascadia contracts. There didn’t appear to be any real difficulties with Justin’s requests. Frederick seemed as eager as Craig was to establish a trading connection with the westerners so, after a delicious but seemingly endless luncheon over which they hammered out a couple more details, the group headed back to the estate.

Upon his return, Justin was heartened to find that Brian was finally up out of the bed. He found his Surrogate standing in the corner of the room, staring at himself in the large floor-length mirror, both hands resting on his belly and a profoundly sad expression marring the handsome face. Justin walked up behind him, wrapped his arms around so his hands were lying atop Brian’s, and propped his chin up on the taller man’s shoulder so he too could look in the mirror. The fleeting thought that they made an attractive couple flittered through Justin’s brain but he refused to acknowledge it. And after standing there patiently like that, together, for several minutes, Brian finally turned around and walked away without a word.

And that set the tone for the rest of their stay. While Brian was no longer borderline-catatonic, the Surrogate remained subdued and depressed. He barely ate, didn’t talk except to answer yes or no questions, and refused to leave Justin's rooms even with an escort. The worried Mis’l had no idea how to help him. Fussing and hovering over him only seemed to make Brian withdraw further. He couldn’t even offer any real comfort since Brian flinched away from every touch. The only thing Brian seemed to find any interest in was proofreading and editing the multiple drafts of the contracts Justin was working on, so the Mis’l let the man join in on the efforts of the two scribes.

After two more days of lengthy negotiations, Justin and Frederick finally reached a mutually beneficial arrangement. Justin suspected that the Tch’fl probably gave in a little easier than he normally would have out of consideration for the trouble Justin and his Surrogate had suffered. The final contract was signed before dinner, which was henceforth declared a celebratory affair of state. Tch’fl Frederick had summoned all THREE of his wives to attend and ordered Justin to bring his Surrogate along as well.

“I really am sorry about this, Brian, but the Tch’fl insisted,” Justin apologized again, as he straightened Brian’s tie for him. “To be honest, I think Frederick just wants to get a glimpse of the Surrogate that caused all this fuss in the first place. He’s a nosy old bastard. Kept telling me inappropriate stories about all his wives the whole time I was trying to concentrate on the contract negotiations. Like I really wanted to know about how big his third wife’s nipples are?”

That comment finally got a small huff of amusement out of the silent Surrogate, which was progress as far as Justin was concerned.

“Anyway, I’ll try to keep them all away from you as much as possible, but just do your best to be polite,” Justin warned, eliciting a nod from Brian. “We just need to get through tonight, then tomorrow we get to go home.”

“I’ll be fine, Mis’l,” Brian promised as they moved together towards the door.

The dinner ended up being quite a success. Frederick offered Brian his apologies directly and actually thanked him for bringing to light the former Dom’l’s bad actions; it turned out that several of the staff and servants had stepped up to complain about the man after he’d been run off, none of which Frederick had known about previously. Brian politely thanked the Tch’fl but didn’t comment further. After they sat down, Brian turned his attention to the wives, whom he easily charmed with some meaningless banter that had them giggling through the entire five courses. If nothing else, Justin was reassured to see Brian acting more like his old self again. It seemed like the male Surrogate was on his way to healing.

When they returned to their rooms, Justin noted that the Estate’s staff had already repacked most of their belongings for the trip home the following morning. That brought to mind the fact that they would soon be returning to the Taylor Domain where Daphne and the other two Surrogates were waiting for him. It also reminded Justin that his plan to concentrate his efforts on servicing Brian, exclusively, during this week away, had been mostly sidelined; Justin hadn’t even attempted to touch the male since the attack by Alexander. But their week of exclusivity was almost over. In a few more days they would be back and Justin would again be drawn away from his favorite by work and other duties. He’d really hoped that Brian would be breeding by the time they’d returned. And, if that was the goal, Justin needed to get back to work.

After they’d both undressed and got in bed together, Justin decided it was time. He scooted closer to the male and leaned in to kiss him. Brian’s body became as stiff as a board and his lips were unresponsive. Justin was disappointed but undeterred. He grabbed the lube bottle and moved around till he was kneeling between the Surrogate’s knees.

“I’m sorry, Brian,” Justin whispered as he began to open the male up as gently as he could. “I know you might not feel ready for this, but I have to do it. We’re running out of time.”

Brian was stubbornly silent and unhelpful. He merely laid there, staring up at the ceiling and not even making eye contact. Justin sighed but didn’t relent. It wasn’t even close to the joyous, fun experience that he’d been coming to expect. Servicing the male this time felt cold and impersonal. Brian didn’t even get hard. And after he’d released his seed inside the Surrogate, Justin felt empty and alone despite the warm body he was slumped over.

The Surrogate might be physically lying there next to him, but Brian was a thousand miles away, and Justin missed him.

********

Daphne had met them at the door when they finally returned to the Taylor Estate late in the evening three days later. The return trip had gone much smoother, as far as the driving was concerned, but had been a lot less fun for Justin. Brian was still acting withdrawn and distant. He submitted to Justin’s attentions without comment but that was all he did. The easy camaradship and playful exploration of the outward journey was only a distant memory. So Justin was already in a foul mood before the worried Mis’la accosted him.

“Heads up. Tch’fl Craig is on the warpath and gunning for you,” Daph warned in a hushed voice after a brief kiss hello.

“What now?” Justin grumbled. “I just managed to negotiate a major deal for our house - with very favorable terms, I might add - which I haven’t even had a chance to show him. How could he possibly be angry at me already?”

“Word about what happened with Dom’l Alexander got here yesterday,” the Mis’la explained. “You know how the Dominion rumor mill is; any kind of scandal travels faster than light. And Hobbs was going on and on about it at dinner last night, making it all seem a lot more of a big deal than I’m sure it probably really was, and intimating that you and Brian have been way more palsie than is proper. Which, of course, put a monster-sized bug in Craig’s britches. He’s convinced the whole thing is a major blight on the Taylor family name, etc, etc. So be prepared when you see him.”

“Fuck,” Justin mumbled as he mentally girded himself for the worst. “Take Brian back to our quarters, please. I might as well deal with Craig now and take the bull by the horns, so to speak. I’ll meet you in my chamber when I’m done . . . If there’s anything left of me afterwards.”

Justin hadn’t even made it all the way through the doorway into his father’s sitting room before the old Tch’fl lit into him. “What the fuck were you thinking, boy? Did we not just have a long talk about how I didn’t want to see you traipsing around with your male Surrogates in tow making a fool out of yourself and this house?” Craig screamed at him.

“Hello to you too, Father. Yes, I had a pleasant journey, thanks for asking. And good news, I managed to talk Tch’fl Frederick into virtually everything we wanted so we can secure that trade deal with Calcascadia you’ve been salivating over. No need to thank me.”

“Don’t be smart with me, boy!” Craig snarled. “All the production contracts and trade partnerships in the world won’t be worth a lick of spittal if our name is besmirched because of your stubborn antics.”

“MY antics?” Justin was starting to get just as angry as his bellicose father seemed to be. “It’s hardly MY fault that a lunatic like Dom’l Alexander thought it acceptable behavior to attack and violate my Surrogate when I was staying under his roof as a guest. How the hell is that MY fault?”

“Because you were flaunting that damn MALE Surrogate, dragging him all over the place - taking him on a BUSINESS trip, for fuck’s sake - and parading him around like a trophy. You basically ASKED for this, Justin. I told you something like this would happen if you insisted on taking on male Surrogates, but you didn’t listen, did you? And now everyone in the Dominion is laughing at us and talking about this . . . this travesty!”

By that point Craig was so worked up that little flecks of spittal were flying everywhere as he ranted and raved. He was pacing around the apartment, gesturing wildly and pointing at Justin like he was an exhibit at some criminal trial. He seemed convinced that what had happened to Justin’s Surrogate was going to be directly attributed to Craig’s own inability to rule his Dominion. And the more worked up he got, the more irrational his arguments became.

“I won’t have it, Justin. I won’t! I won’t have people thinking my son is another Humphrey. I want those damned fairy boy male Surrogates gone by morning!” Craig concluded with fervor.

Justin had simply sat there through most of his father’s angry diatribe trying to figure out how he could possibly be related to such an unreasonable boor. The way Craig was talking, it made it sound like the Surrogate been asking to be raped. And the way Craig continued to denigrate anyone and everyone who would even THINK of taking on a male Surrogate - including his own son - questioning their manhood, judgment, motives and intelligence, really hit home. Justin remembered Brian telling him, several weeks earlier, how it was okay that he didn’t find women as attractive as men and that, on the outside, there were a lot of people like that. How something as silly as discriminating against someone based on who he loved was only important to Dominion types. And it made Justin angry. Furious, actually.

Frankly, Justin was fed up with this nonsense. He stood up, got right in Craig’s face, and yelled back at him. “NO!” Which was probably the only way he could have gained the irate Tch’fl’s attention. Nobody ever told Craig Taylor ‘No’. This was such an unheard of event that it actually shut the man up for once. Justin, wisely, took advantage of that momentary lull in the ranting to make his point.

“I will not get rid of the male Surrogates I’ve already taken on. You never specified that I was only to take on females when we originally discussed this hairbrained idea and, when you did find out we had taken on two males, you said we could carry on as we had been. You gave us three months to see if they were breeding, and I’m holding you to that promise, Father. Now, unless you’re going back on your word - something that I’m sure will make a lot more difference to the honor of the Taylor name than the fact that someone attacked my Surrogate without provocation - this discussion is over. Good night!”

Without waiting for Craig’s response, Justin turned on his heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him.

When he got back to his own rooms, Justin was glad to find only Daphne and Brian waiting for him. He was still floating on the high of his unaccustomed defiance but he could tell that, as soon as that ebbed, the underlying exhaustion would take over. He didn’t want to have to deal with the other two Surrogates that evening.

“How bad was it?” a very nervous-looking Daphne asked the moment Justin sat down on the couch next to her.

“Bad enough,” Justin answered vaguely. “But I told him we expected him to stick to the deal we had. I refuse to let that moronic blow hard go back on his word.”

“Wow! Good for you, Jus,” Daphne seemed impressed that Justin had stood up to the old man, which only made Justin angrier to realize just how cowed everyone thought he was.

“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, Daph,” Justin promised with a feeble smile. “But it’s been a long day and I’m totally beat. Right now, all I want to do is crawl into my own bed and forget about Craig and everything else. Okay?”

“Of course.” Daphne leaned over to give Justin a kiss on his cheek and then got up. “I'm sorry about all this shit going down, but I’m glad you’re back, Jus.” Then she turned to the waiting Surrogate and gave him a kiss on his forehead too. “And I’m really glad you’re okay, Brian. Goodnight, you two.”

Justin got up and followed Daphne as she was leaving, making a point of locking the chamber door behind her. Then he spent the next five minutes or so pacing around the room, mentally working through everything that had gone down that evening as well as the last couple weeks. He was still feeling defiant and angry but, by the time he’d wrapped his head around the situation and come to a conclusion, he felt at least a little bit calmer.

Coming to a halt in front of the patiently waiting Surrogate, Justin reached out, grabbed the male’s hands, and towed Brian to his feet before leading the man over to the bed. He waited until Brian was seated again. Then Justin made a solemn declaration - to Brian as well as to himself - feeling more self-confident than ever before in his life.

“I don’t care what Craig or anybody else says. I’m not a ‘fairy boy’, or Humphrey, and I don’t care if everyone we know is laughing about me behind my back. It’s not my fault that I’ve always found other men far more attractive than women. And even though I love my wife - she’s my best friend, for Dominion’s sake - I’m not in the least bit attracted to her sexually. I don’t feel about Daphne the way I feel about you, Brian. I love fucking you - every time - and,” Justin swallowed back his hesitation, squared his shoulders, and carried on as boldly as he could, “I loved it the time you fucked me.” Justin smiled down at the surprised man seated before him. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. Nothing that feels that wonderful could possibly be wrong.” Now Brian was finally smiling too, a welcome sight after the past few, despondent days. “So, what do you say we try that again and prove my father wrong about just what his son should or shouldn’t like, hmm?”

Brian kicked one long leg out, hooked his ankle around the back of Justin’s calf, and used that leverage to tow the Mis’l closer.

“You sure?” the Surrogate asked, looking up at the man who held so much sway over his life.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Just . . . Maybe take it a little easier than last time. I could barely sit down all the following day.”

Justin leaned in and kissed Brian with a teasing smile. Brian countered by pulling the Mis’l down on top of him and then rolling them both over. Brian paused a moment, peering down into Justin’s eyes as if searching for reassurance. He apparently found whatever he’d been looking for, though, because a second later he was diving down to devour Justin’s lips.

Somehow, while he was too busy kissing Brian to notice, Justin’s clothes all magically disappeared. He found himself lying on his back with Brian balanced above him, the man’s gentle hands and soft lips touching him all over, exploring every nook and cranny of his body. Justin gave himself up to it all, surrendering to the glorious passion and letting this beautiful man take care of him for once. And Brian did an excellent job at it too. Each tender touch, each playful nibble, and each firm stroke, made Justin tingle with anticipation. Long before Brian turned his attentions to Justin’s hungry ass, the neophyte was begging his lover to hurry. To come inside. To please, please fuck him.

But this time Brian took his time and made sure Justin was enjoying every step of the process. Justin loved the splat of the cooling lube at his hole and the subsequent stretching of muscles as deft fingers opened him up. He loved the slight burn. He loved the warm, wet mouth that enveloped his cock. He loved the way Brian so unerringly stroked that sweet spot from inside. And he loved when the twitching fingers were replaced by Brian’s hefty dick, sliding deeper and deeper, inching slowly and inevitably closer till they were completely joined.

“Ready?” Brian whispered.

“So ready, you wouldn’t believe,” Justin answered confidently.

Whereupon Brian began to move in earnest. Moving, thrusting, rocking them together, as each tiny or not so tiny motion increased the delicious friction. Finally, when they were sliding along at a fairly decent pace, Brian hiked Justin’s legs up over his shoulders, lifting his body slightly, and driving in so deep Justin could feel Brian’s balls slapping against his ass. And it was perfect. It was everything Justin had always wanted sex to be but never known he needed.

Several hours, days, or minutes later - Justin wasn’t sure which, since he kinda lost track of all time and space continuums for a bit there - all the separate tingles of pleasure coalesced into one big, blindingly white-hot flash of bliss that literally took his breath away. When he finally came to his senses again, he was a little surprised to find himself still lying in his own bed. Brian was sprawled over the top of him, panting heavily, all their limbs still entwined. Justin could feel Brian’s warm seed dripping out of his ass and trickling down one ass cheek while his own spunk was dribbling down his side from where it squished out between their bellies. Despite the mess, the stench and the sweat covering his body, Justin had never felt more beautiful or more fulfilled than he did right at that moment. He wished he could find some way to ensure that this happiness never had to end.

It took a few minutes longer for the two men to catch their breath, disconnect their bodies, and then resituate themselves so they were lying the right way up on the bed, Justin snuggling up against Brian’s side with the larger man’s arms around him. They were quiet; words seemed unnecessary as long as they were still touching. Neither of them felt tired anymore, though, so they simply remained there, lolling in a comfortable companionship.

Justin was the one that eventually broke the silence. “Thank you, Brian. That was perfect.”

The arm around his shoulders momentarily squeezed tighter and Brian voiced a short, scoffing chuckle under his breath.

“What?” Justin asked.

“You’re thanking me for fucking you? And here I thought, after what happened back there . . .” Brian faltered, only starting to speak again when Justin returned a squeeze of his own. “After Dom’l Alexander . . . when I took you . . . I thought I hurt you, the way you cried out.” Justin scrunched his face up, shrugged, and shook his head. “I figured I was going to be punished as soon as we got back here; that you were just putting it off till you got home. I mean, it’s bad enough for a Surrogate to turn the tables like that - like this - but to physically hurt his master, that’s pretty much unforgivable. I can’t believe you liked it enough to . . . Well, to thank me for doing it all over again.”

“Oh, Brian,” Justin reached up to stroke the larger man’s slightly stubbled cheek with one hand. “You’ve taught me so much about myself, I probably should thank you even more. But, please, be reassured that I’m not going to punish you for doing what I’ve always wanted to have the courage to ask for.”

And, with that being said, they both fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

********

********

Twelve.


The following morning, after Justin fucked Brian once more for good measure and then sent the Surrogate on his way, the Mis’l made his way to his wife’s chambers for a breakfast confab. Over their bacon and eggs they caught each other up on everything that had happened over the preceding few weeks. Daphne was angered all over again when she heard the full description of what Dom’l Alexander had done to Brian. Justin didn’t tell her what had happened after the assault or what had occurred the night before in his rooms, of course. In turn, Daphne told him how horrible Hobbs had been all week and the way he kept fanning the flames of the Estate’s rumor mill. It was no wonder Tch’fl Craig had been on the warpath when Justin got home considering all the stuff Hobbs had been spouting. It was pretty clear that the rumors about Justin and Daphne’s merry band of Surrogates - both founded and unfounded - were getting nastier. Something would have to be done about the overreaching Dom’l, although they couldn’t agree on what.

Finally, Daphne waded into the pressing issue of Craig’s threats. They had less than a month till their three month window was up and neither of them wanted the boys sent away. Strangely enough, Daph was almost more frantic over that possibility than Justin. Justin didn’t know what more he could do though. The only way he could think of to keep Brian safe and with him was to get the Surrogate pregnant, which not only didn’t appear to be working, but which also relegated the man to the status of brood mare, something he knew bothered Brian. What else could he do, though? Justin was so frustrated.

“We have to do something, Jus. I don’t want to lose Troiyes. Or Brian. We’re a family now. We need to stick together,” Daphne insisted.

“Yeah, but I don’t know what else to do, Daph. It’s not like I haven’t tried to get them breeding. If you’ve got any suggestions, I’m all ears.”

“I don't know. Dominion knows, if I had any idea how to get pregnant, I would already have my babies and we wouldn’t be here,” Daphne grumbled testily. “You should ask someone who already knows how to get pregnant.” Then the Mis’la paused and it was like one of those metaphorical light bulbs turned on in her crafty little brain. “Hey, didn’t you say Brian had produced offspring before?”

“Yeah. At least, that’s what the merchant told me. He’s never said anything about it though.”

“So, let's ask him. Maybe he’ll know what we’re doing wrong,” Daphne bounced out of her chair and onto her feet, reenergized now that she had an idea. “In fact, we should get all three of them in on this discussion. Surrogates are trained in this stuff, right? I’m sure one of them will know something helpful.”

Ten minutes later, Daphne had their whole brood assembled in her room and had started to explain matters to them.

“So, you understand why it is that I’ve been trying so diligently to get all of you breeding?” Justin asked, looking directly at Brian the whole time. “It’s not that we don’t value you beyond your ability to produce offspring. It’s the exact opposite, in fact. We WANT you to stay for as long as possible. We just don’t know any other way to do it.”

Brian held Justin’s gaze for several seconds, communicating without words, before finally sighing and looking away. Justin wasn’t sure what he’d seen in the hazel eyes during that moment. Brian still seemed sad more than anything. Was he still upset over what happened back in the Southerly Dominions?

“I think you’ve already done it,” Troiyes spoke up then, interrupting Justin’s thoughts.

“What?” both Justin and Daphne said at the same time.

“I think all three of us are breeding already. I hadn’t said anything because I wasn’t sure,” Troiyes explained with a smile, “but I’ve been noticing the first signs of pregnancy for a couple weeks now. And Brian here has been puking his guts out for weeks - it started back before you left on your trip even - he’s just been hiding it.”

“Is this true, Brian?” Justin questioned the male, who still wouldn’t look at him. “Why would you hide this from us?”

Brian remained stubbornly mute, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze and his eyes boring a hole into the carpet.

“This is excellent! I’m so happy,” Daphne’s exuberance broke through Justin’s attempts to figure Brian out. “Now Tch’fl Craig won’t be able to split us up. But we need to have you boys tested to be sure, and those home tests aren’t very accurate for males, so I think we’re going to have to call in a medic. Let’s hope you’re right, Troiyes.”

********

There was much celebratory fucking in the Mis’l’s chambers that night. Justin and Daphne were relieved that their scheme seemed to have worked. Both Rosie and Troiyes seemed happy and hopeful about their pregnancies. The only one of the group who wasn’t really happy was Brian; he continued to be subdued and aloof and never seemed to get into the spirit of the fun the rest of them were enjoying. It wasn’t till Justin had finally kicked Daphne and the other two out for the night, and had Brian alone with him in his bed, that he finally got the real story.

Justin was curled up in his usual spot at Brian’s side, head on the Surrogate’s broad shoulder and one hand resting protectively over the man’s abdomen. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

It took almost a full minute before the reticent Surrogate finally answered, and when he did, the man’s voice was wistful and suffused with a gloomy longing that made Justin sad just listening to him. “I was hoping it wasn’t true.”

“Why? I don’t understand,” Justin asked, taking this response as a personal rejection at first. “You don’t want to be pregnant? Don’t you want to stay . . . ?” He had almost added ‘with me’ but managed to bite his tongue at the last minute.

“This will be my fifth time breeding, you know?” Brian replied in a seeming non-sequitur.

“Wow.” Justin’s hand caressed the Surrogate’s still-flat belly. “You’d never know to look at you.”

Brian continued with his story, not bothering to respond to Justin’s comment. “The first time was when I was still out in the real world. I had let some trick fuck me - a rarity back then, I can assure you - and didn’t think anything more about it until a couple months later when I started getting sick all the time. That was how I first found out I have the Mpreg mutation. But I was young and stupid, not to mention struggling just to survive from day to day, and I didn’t have the money for a good medic. I didn’t take care of myself . . . and I lost it.”

“I’m sorry, Brian.”

Brian shrugged off the sympathy and carried on. “The first assignment I had as a Surrogate went pretty smoothly. I was breeding right away and the pregnancy wasn’t too hard. Nine months later, I popped right on schedule. It was a boy . . .” You could hear the break in the big man’s voice and he sighed deeply before he spoke again. “He was so beautiful. So perfect. The medics made the mistake of letting me hold him and after that I just didn’t want to give him back. I fought them when they tried to take the baby away from me. They had to tranquilize me to get me to stop.” Then Brian’s voice became hard again and his face went blank. “The master ordered me to be lashed as punishment, hence the marks on my back.”

Justin didn’t know what to say. He’d never really thought about how the Surrogates would feel after they’d given birth. He had just assumed that they knew what they were getting into and treated it just like any other job. Now that he knew Brian, though, he could see how it would be difficult for someone to give up their baby. He could tell how much Brian regretted that moment.

“My next time, the Master was this big wig with multiple Surrogates . . . like you,” Brian darted a glance sideways at Justin but didn’t stop his narrative. “It took a few months before I was breeding that time, but the guy wasn’t as diligent as you, I suppose. He was also as old as dirt and had a tough time getting it up even when he wanted to. But, anyway, I was a couple months along already when his favorite announced he was knocked up too. And, since the Master didn’t need more than one heir, he had my pregnancy terminated.”

“Which brings me to Hugo, my last Master before you.” Brian’s voice was now more of a snarl than anything else. “Hugo was a regular bastard. I don’t think he cared about getting offspring at all. He just wanted a convenient ass on hand at all times. He also liked to take his bad moods out on his Surrogates . . . I was more than five months along when he beat me so bad I lost that one too.”

“Damnation . . .” Justin thought he knew the guy Brian was talking about. He wasn’t well thought of even among the Dominion, but now that Justin had heard Brian’s story, he would be making a point of steering even further clear of Mis’l Hugo. Which didn’t help Brian at all, though.

“Which brings me to now,” Brian concluded. “So, tell me, Justin . . . why should I be happy to have to go through this all over again?”

“I’m not like those others, Brian,” Justin tried to reassure him.

“I know,” Brian replied without any real conviction to his tone. “But it doesn’t really change anything, does it. I’m still a Surrogate and I won’t have any say in this pregnancy either.”

He was right, of course, and they both knew it. And even though Justin cared for him and wanted to protect Brian, that would only last until the end of this pregnancy. After that, the Surrogacy contract would end and Brian would have to return to Sapperstein. The baby would, of course, stay with Justin and Daphne. And that would be that. Even assuming that Craig could be persuaded to allow Justin to take on another male Surrogate - something that was not likely at all - convention said that it wasn’t proper to keep the same Surrogate for a second breeding. So, at best, Brian’s time under Justin’s protection would only last another seven months or so, after which they’d probably never see each other again. And there was absolutely nothing Justin could do about it.

The only thing that Justin could give Brian was now; this one moment in time. And he could give the man the small fraction of control that was within Justin’s power to give. So, after leaving a small kiss on the melancholy Surrogate’s crushed-cranberry lips, Justin rolled away from the other man, offering himself and his ass up to Brian’s control.

Brian accepted the unspoken offering with alacrity. He pulled Justin’s body back so he was spooning the smaller Mis’l, and forcefully slid inside without benefit of anything more than a cursory preparation. Justin didn’t mind; he relished the moment of pain, acknowledging at least to himself that it was only a fraction of the pain Brian had endured over his lifetime.

But gradually, the hard, fast, drilling pace abated as Brian’s anguish was siphoned off. Before long it turned into something altogether different. It was slow and intense, gentle, their bodies meshing as if they were puzzle pieces crafted by a jigsaw. Brian’s long, lean legs curled around Justin’s form like the perfect big spoon. Justin reached back with his left hand, trying to pull Brian even closer. Brian, who was propped on his right elbow to give himself more leverage, reached out with his own left hand to hold the younger man’s hips steady, their arms crossing familiarly over Justin’s flank. He rocked in and out slowly, lazily, both of them enjoying the slow build up and the anticipation of what was to come. When he could no longer stand not being able to see his lover, Justin twisted his shoulders upwards and reached across his body to pull Brian down into a passion-filled kiss that seemed to last forever, their bodies connected in a human moebius strip of constant touch.

The final release, when it came, was like a calm, gentle summer rain, washing over them both with a quiet but gut-clenching intensity that left them both gasping. Afterwards, neither of them wanted to move. Justin loved feeling Brian still inside him, their bodies cooled by evaporating sweat and Brian’s arms still around him. It was so comforting, in fact, that he quickly dropped off to sleep.

The last thing he heard while he was still conscious was Brian’s voice whispering next to his ear, obviously still caught up in their prior conversation. “I just wish I could somehow escape this life . . . I wish I could keep one of my babies.”

********

It didn’t take long for the medic whom Daphne called in the next day to confirm that both the boys were, indeed, breeding. He did both the regular pregnancy tests as well as ultrasounds on all three of the Surrogates. It turned out that Brian actually had the earliest due date - he had obviously been hiding his condition for quite a while, but Justin didn’t comment on that fact. Troiyes seemed pleased with himself and said he was looking forward to this first pregnancy. Rosie seemed excited to have company. Brian said nothing.

Daph, meanwhile, was over the moon at the good news. She was so excited, she kept kissing all of them and raving over the prospect of having THREE babies. Justin shook his head affectionately at his wild wife and was quietly glad they’d have lots of help from nannies and maids to take care of them all; he could foresee that his life was going to get very complicated in just a few more months. He was also rather pleased with himself - although he tried not to act smug about it - impressed with his own virility and relieved that the problems he and Daph seemed to have conceiving weren’t all his fault.

As soon as the medic was done with them, the Surrogates were sent off to rest their prego selves while the Mis’l and Mis’la discussed how they wanted to announce their news. Daphne was sure that this would finally satisfy Tch’fl Craig and hopefully get the overbearing man off their backs. She was also happy that their little family of five wouldn’t be torn apart. Justin had to remind her that she shouldn’t get too used to that arrangement though, because as soon as the babies were born the Surrogates would be dismissed and forced to leave. That thought dampened both their moods.

“Maybe, after the babies are born and Craig has his heirs, he’ll be less uptight and we can talk him into keeping them on as staff or something?” Daph pondered, looking at Justin hopefully.

Justin knew his father though; Craig would never budge on this. He would never, EVER, in a million years, let Justin keep the male Surrogates on in any capacity. He’d been itching to get rid of the two males from day one. Justin didn’t think Craig would let even the female Surrogate stay on. He would spout off some bullshit about it not being considered proper and how other Domain Lords would look down on their house for such improprieties, etc. Craig was all about appearances and maintaining the necessary distance between the classes. He wasn’t going to change now.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that front, Daph,” Justin warned. “I don’t think even three adorable babies are going to soften our Tch’fl up that much.”

Daphne was clearly disappointed but, since there was nothing either of them could do about it, there wasn’t much more to be said. All they could do was enjoy the short time they would have together and try to prepare themselves for the inevitable separation they knew was coming. Not that Justin knew how he would do that. The thought of losing Brian . . . Well it hurt too much to think about it, so he just didn’t.

“Wish me luck,” Justin joked half-heartedly as he prepared himself to venture into the lion's den and make their big announcement.

Daphne gave him a fortifying kiss and then stood back to watch as Justin walked down the hall towards his father’s office.

“Justin, what brings you here this afternoon?” Craig asked coldly as soon as Justin sat in the chair across from the Tch’fl’s desk.

They hadn’t spoken since Justin’s return from the Southerly factory trip and the big blow-out argument that had followed. The few times they’d even seen each other, Craig had turned and walked away from Justin without a word. Justin had thought it wise not to call his father out on the man’s childish behavior and simply enjoy the peace of not having to deal with the man. But that arrangement couldn’t last forever, so Justin was happy to have this good news to offer up as an olive branch and thereby break the awkward silence.

“I’ve got good news for you, Father,” Justin offered. “We had a medic in this morning to see to the Surrogates and I’m happy to confirm that all three of them are already breeding. So, it looks like you’ll have the heirs you’ve been waiting for in only a few month’s time.”

“All three of them?” Craig seemed surprised by that fact.

“Yes. All three of them. The first, one of the males, is due in just over six months,” Justin clarified, wondering if that fact would persuade the Tch’fl to be more sympathetic towards Brian.

“Well, that’s excellent news, son. I’m proud of you. Can’t believe you managed to knock all three of them up so fast. Good work, that. You’ve obviously been taking your duties seriously,” Craig offered up a rare morsel of praise with a beaming smile for his son. “Of course, we don’t need three offspring. An heir and a spare is good enough, right?” Craig laughed at his own, uncouth joke. “So, as soon as they’re far enough along to determine the get’s gender, we can terminate any females and send those Surrogates on their way. That shouldn’t be long, should it? A couple months, tops? I’ll have the Dom’l schedule a medic consultation for the proper time and make sure whoever they send can do the necessary procedures right then.”

“What? But . . .” Justin was speechless at this heartless, and completely unforeseen, declaration. “Father, Daphne and I want all three of these offspring. We don’t want to terminate any of the pregnancies. Daphne is already planning out the nursery and picking names. She’s more than happy with the prospect of having three babies. We wouldn’t have taken on three Surrogates if we weren’t prepared to accept all the potential offspring.”

“Nonsense. The last thing we need around here is a horde of snot-nosed brats invading the Estate. I’m running a Domain, not a child-care center, Justin. An heir and a spare is all anyone needs. If your wife wants more than that, tell her to get her frigid pussy working and have them herself.”

“Please, Father. Don’t . . .” Justin began, not above begging at this point.

“Enough, Justin. I’m not going to discuss this further. I’ve already told you my decision on this matter and as long as I’m still the Tch’fl of this Domain, what I say goes. If you don’t like it, that’s tough,” Craig declared, standing up so that his words were bolstered by his intimidating physical presence.

Justin sat there, gaping wordlessly, as he watched the spiteful man who had sired him gloating over his heartless pronouncement. How could this man be so insensitive and callous? It was difficult for Justin to believe he was actually related to such a cruel and vindictive ogre. When it became obvious that Craig was actually getting a thrill out of Justin’s distress, as evidenced by the way Craig’s smile grew the longer Justin remained sitting there, the disillusioned Mis’l got calmly to his feet, turned, and walked out without another word.

When Justin got back to his own chambers, he was momentarily at a loss as to what to do next. They only had two months. Two months. Then Craig would ruthlessly tear apart their happiness and at least one of their group would be forced to leave. And there was nothing Justin could do to stop him.

He couldn’t bear to tell Daphne; she would only rail at the inevitable and try to think up some way to fix things, which Justin knew in his heart were unfixable. It would be more merciful to leave her in ignorance for the time being. There would be leisure enough to mourn when the time came. The same went for the Surrogates, even if Justin could have mustered the courage to tell them. After hearing Brian’s story, he knew this would come as a particularly cruel blow. There was no way in Hellation that Justin could tell Brian that there was a chance this baby too would have to be aborted. Again and again Justin kept coming back to the aggravating fact that he was impotent to do anything about it. He couldn’t protect Brian, or the others, and he couldn’t prevent Craig’s maniacal plans.

All he COULD do was spend as much time as possible with the man he was coming to feel so deeply about.

As soon as Justin reached this sad conclusion he immediately jumped up, ran to the door of his chamber, and ordered the first page he saw to summon Brian to attend him. The moment the tall, svelte male entered the chamber, Justin practically attacked him, pressing Brian against the wall just inside the doorway, desperately devouring his lips, reaching under the heavy red fabric of the Surrogate’s robe, and running his hands over every inch of skin he could reach. The next thing he knew, Justin had the male on his bed and was pistoning into him, claiming him, trying to impress himself on every cell of this man’s being. The mood was apparently infectious, as Brian was soon giving back as good as he was getting, arching up to receive every single thrust.

Justin didn’t even realize he was chanting, “Mine, mine, mine . . .” under his breath the whole time, until the very end when he screamed out the affirmation, “MINE!” at the top of his lungs as he filled the Surrogate with his very essence.

********

********

Thirteen.

Several more weeks went by following the official announcement of the Mis’l’s successful surrogacies. Congratulations from friends and family began to pour in. Daphne was a curly-haired, brunette bundle of energy, busy making all sorts of plans for the future day in and day out. And Justin didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop.

Meanwhile, Justin had mulled over matters so many times his head hurt and he still hadn’t come up with any viable solution to their predicament. He just didn’t see a way around Craig’s dictatorial ruling. Unfortunately, time was quickly running out; Hobbs had informed Justin only the day before that he’d scheduled the appointment with the medic for a date about four weeks out. Which meant he was going to have to tell Daphne soon. It was going to suck to be the one to dash everyone’s happiness, though.

“Fuck you, Craig,” Justin mumbled and pushed his chair away from the desk, giving up on even the pretense of working.

Instead, he began pacing around and around his office, hoping that some exercise might jog loose an idea or two. As he stomped around his opulent workspace, Justin looked at the elegant and expensive furnishings, seeing everything with a newly-jaded eye. All this - the highly polished woods, leather upholstered furniture, and the shiny brass fittings - it used to make him feel proud and important. Now it all felt empty. None of these regal trappings meant anything to him anymore. Justin felt like he was trapped in here, in this life, like a well-trained monkey in a very elaborate cage. None of THIS made him happy or helped him get what he really wanted out of life.

Because what he really wanted was to run away from here and all of these indicia of his vaunted Dominion status. He wished he could just take Brian with him somewhere and hide. Maybe they’d bring Daphne and the other two Surrogates along for company, but leave all the rest of the world behind. And then Brian could keep his baby and Craig could go pound sand for his precious heir.

Of course, that wasn’t going to happen. There was nowhere for Justin to go. Nowhere they could hide. Tch’fl Craig’s reach was ridiculously long and his influence was almost immeasurable. Even if Justin were to try to run away, there was probably nowhere he could go that Craig wouldn’t find him. Besides, running away would mean leaving behind the security and comfort of the Dominion lifestyle Justin had been raised in from birth. Justin didn’t think he’d be much use outside the Estate’s walls. The real world, or at least what little Justin knew of it, was harsh and dangerous. After all the stories he’d heard, including Brian’s own story, Justin didn’t relish leaving the Taylor Domain merely to subject himself and those he cared about to utter poverty. How would that help anyone?

Which just led him back to the same conclusion he’d been trying to escape from the hundred previous times he’d thought about it; he was trapped. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Craig could do whatever he wanted within the bounds of this Domain and Justin couldn’t stop him. But that still didn’t help him figure out how he was going to tell Daphne, let alone Brian.

He didn’t think he could keep silent for much longer though. This secret was eating at him. He wasn’t sleeping well and could hardly concentrate on his work. Even worse, he was so worried that he hadn’t been able to truly enjoy the time he still had left with Brian and the other Surrogates. Apparently he wasn’t very good at hiding his distress either, since he’d been asked at least a half dozen times that week what was wrong.

Take the night before, for example. The five of them had been in Justin’s chambers, up to their usual sexy antics. Daphne had handed off her strap-on contraption to Rose, who had happily taken on the task of servicing her Mis’la with the thing, much to Daphne’s very vocal delight. Next to them on the big bed, Brian had been enthusiastically fucking Troiyes - something that Daphne had talked Justin into allowing by arguing that the boys were already breeding so it didn’t matter who else fucked them now. Brian had been thrilled by the prospect of topping someone else for a change, and Troiyes had been agreeable to accommodating his companion. But even though Justin found the sight of Brian taking the other Surrogate from behind quite stimulating, he just really didn’t share the raucous spirit of the others. Instead of joining in, he’d just lain there and watched, letting the rest have their fun while it lasted.

As soon as she’d finished with Daph, little Rosie had climbed across the mattress towards Justin, snuggling up next to him and insinuating her small, plump body under his arm with familiar affection, saying, “poor, Mis’l. You look so stressed out. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Justin had smiled wistfully at the sweet, young girl, not knowing what to say.

“You really have seemed distracted lately, Jus,” Daphne had chimed in. “I think you’re working too hard. And you know that all work and not enough play make Justin a dull boy, right? Stop brooding and come join us already.”

“I don’t know, Daphne. I don’t think I’m really in the mood tonight.”

“Well, get in the mood then,” Daphne had ordered. But when Justin had started to decline again, she got that mischievous glint in her eye that always foretold trouble and suggested, “I know! Why don’t we spice things up a bit and let Rosie do you for a change. She’s damn good with that strap-on. And who knows; you might decide you like being on the receiving end sometimes, Jus.”

Justin ignored the snort of laughter Brian was unable to hold back at this unprecedented suggestion. Brian wisely refocused his attention on Troiyes’ ass without further comment, allowing the Mis’l to politely decline Rose’s kind services. Justin really had not been in the right mind frame to deal with that much innovation. He did, however, consent to join in by walking to a spot behind where Brian was kneeling and beginning to fuck the tall, brunet Surrogate while he finished off Troiyes. But even then, Justin felt like a lot of the joy was missing from the experience.

“Oh, fuck it! I just have to tell Daph. Today. There’s no sense in putting it off any longer and I’m tired of pretending to be happy,” Justin declared to his empty office before collapsing back into his chair dejectedly.

He wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or a bad sign when, twenty seconds after he made that decision, there was a knock at his office door and the face that poked around the jamb turned out to be Daphne’s.

“Hey, Jus . . . Um . . . Have you got a second? I . . . Uh . . . I kinda need to talk to you about something,” The normally confident and assured Mis’la stammered through a greeting.

“Sure, Daph. I need to talk to you too, actually, so I guess your timing is perfect. What’s up?”

Justin waved his wife over to the sofa in the corner and sat down next to her. Daphne was fidgety, playing with her hands, and looking everywhere but directly at Justin. There was obviously something wrong. He wondered briefly if she’d found out about Craig’s orders as to the Surrogates and was angry or something, but then decided it was unlikely since, if that were the case, she’d be enraged not nervous.

“So, um . . . I’m not really sure how to say this . . . Hellation, this is hard.” She faltered again and Justin reached out to gather her flailing hands in his own for reassurance. It seemed to work, and she continued, “I missed my monthly courses last week, and you know I’m always as regular as rain, so I took a test this morning . . . It was positive. I’m pregnant,” she declared.

“Really?” Justin was so surprised he almost couldn’t think what to say at first. “Wow, Daph. That’s great! Congratulations. I can’t believe, after all this time, it finally worked. This is wonderful news.”

“Yeah, um, I couldn’t believe it either,” she responded in a hushed voice, clearly not as joyful as Justin would have expected.

“What’s wrong, Daph? Why do you not seem as happy about this as I am? What am I missing here?”

“You see, we’d been trying for so long - two whole years - and nothing. So, I thought there must be something wrong with me, you know? That I probably couldn’t get pregnant at all. I mean, it’s obviously not you, since you got all three Surrogates breeding in less than three months, so it HAD to be me . . .”

Justin didn't know where this was going so he sat there quietly, without interrupting, while Daphne struggled to collect her thoughts for a minute. Eventually she sighed, squared her shoulders and finally looked up at him directly for the first time. He could see that she was on the verge of tears, but she nonetheless proceeded with that tiny spark of defiance he’d grow to love seeing from his wife.

“There’s a good chance it’s not your baby, Justin,” Daphne announced without further evasion, leaving Justin stunned and speechless. “See, while you were off visiting that Southerly factory, I let Troiyes fuck me again. I didn’t think you’d mind - we’d done it before and all, no problem - and he’s really good at it, you know . . . But anyway, I only had those couple of condoms I’d showed you before, and those didn’t last long. Plus, you were gone more than a week and I was bored. So even after we ran out of condoms, I didn’t stop . . . I just didn’t think I COULD get pregnant, so I didn’t think it would matter. But, well, I guess I was wrong . . .” Her words fumbled to a stop and Daphne looked at him plaintively, one tear finally escaping. “I’m sorry, Justin. I really didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Okay, that’s . . . That’s . . . Wow . . .” Justin literally couldn’t find any words amid the multitude of thoughts and emotions swirling around inside his brain like a tornado. “Wow.”

The stunned Mis’l slumped back into the corner of the couch as he tried to sort through this remarkable news. He supposed he should be outraged. That was the societally acceptable response to finding out your wife was pregnant with someone else’s kid, right? But somehow outrage wasn’t even in the top ten emotions that were assaulting him just then.

Daphne hadn’t been ‘cheating’ on him, per se. It’s not like Justin hadn’t known this was going on - hellation, he’d not only consented but had been right there in the room watching as Daphne let first Brian and then Troiyes fuck her that one night. He remembered being a little surprised that he hadn’t felt any jealousy back then either. And he also knew that Daphne usually continued her nightly ‘Playtime’ with the Surrogates after she left his chambers every night, which had never bothered Justin in the least. Plus, he would be the worst of hypocrites if he made a fuss about Daph continuing to mess around with Troiyes when he was basically doing the same thing with Brian every single night. So maybe it wasn’t all that odd that he didn’t feel offended by his wife’s actions.

Mostly Justin was feeling simple surprise. But the shocking news hadn’t obliterated his original happiness. He didn’t care who’s baby it was; he knew he’d love the child for Daphne’s sake just the same way she’d love the offspring of the Surrogates. Maybe Daphne being pregnant herself would even help ease the pain that would inevitably come when Justin told her what Craig had ordered about any potential female offspring.

“I’m happy for you, Daph,” Justin finally answered when he’d worked through his confusion. “For us. As far as I’m concerned, this is great news.”

Daphne frowned and shook her head at her clueless husband. “You don’t understand, Justin. It’s definitely NOT good news. It’s going to mean my ruin.”

“What? I promise you, Daph, I don’t mind. I don’t care who the father is. It’ll be fine,” Justin tried to reassure her, but his words only caused more of the tears in her eyes to fall.

“No, you dolt, it won’t be fine. Don’t you get it? This baby is Troiyes’ . . .” Justin simply stared at her without understanding so she continued. “With my mixed heritage and Troiyes’ dark coloring, it’s going to be pretty fucking obvious when the baby’s born that my pale, blond-haired, blue eyed husband is not the father. Everyone’s going to know that I had another lover and it won’t be hard to figure out who that was. I’ll be disgraced and you’ll be ridiculed as a cuckold. Tch’fl Craig will go ballistic - if you thought he was angry at the mere thought of you having male Surrogates, wait till he finds out his daughter-in-law has been sleeping with one of them. Poor Troiyes will be punished and stripped of his right to work as a Surrogate. And there’s no way the baby will be allowed to live. I’ll probably get sent back to my family without my dowry and with our marriage annulled. It’s a fucking disaster, Justin!”

“Damn . . .” Justin replied, again at a loss for words.

“Yeah. Although ‘Damn’ is putting it mildly,” Daph echoed, trying to dry her face with one of the sofa pillows. “What am I going to do, Jus?”

“Well, I guess you could just terminate the pregnancy. Then nobody would know. And we’ll be more careful going forward,” he suggested.

“I don’t want to do that,” Daphne immediately insisted. “It’s taken me more than two years to get pregnant this time, and if I get rid of this baby, I may never have another chance to be a mother. Plus, well, this baby is . . . special.” A confused Justin watched his wife as she rubbed her belly with one hand, a dreamy look coming over her elfin face. “Please don’t hate me, Jus, but I . . . I think I love Troiyes.”

Again, Justin was more surprised by the fact he didn’t feel upset over this newest disclosure than by the disclosure itself. Now that he thought about it, though, it wasn’t that hard to believe. He’d noticed how comfortable Daphne and the younger male Surrogate had seemed together. There had been intimate touches and the odd comment here and there; more than enough hints on a subliminal level to support this more conscious declaration. And it really didn’t bother Justin at all. In a way, he was happy for Daphne that she’d found something like that for herself.

Apparently Justin’s silence was confusing, though, since Daph hurried on with her explanation. “It's not that I don’t love you too, Jus - I do - but it’s more like the kind of love you feel for a friend. A best friend. You know?” Justin gave her an understanding smile. “This thing with Troi is different. I don’t think I’ve ever been more physically attracted to anyone in my life. You and I have always got along so well, and intellectually we’re so in tune, I guess I just never noticed that, well, we don’t really have that same sexual spark . . .”

“It’s okay, Daph,” Justin finally spoke up, rushing to reassure his wife when she seemed to falter. “I get it. And I’m afraid I feel the same, about the sexual attraction thing. I . . .” Justin paused, weighing his options, but then just decided to come completely clean and give up all his secrets. “I think I feel the same way about Brian as you do about Troiyes.” Daphne didn’t look too shocked, so Justin continued. “I’m far more attracted to him than I ever have been to any woman. And, I love you too - like a best friend - but I . . . I think I’m falling in love with Brian.”

Justin looked sideways at his wife, worried about how she was going to take this disclosure. A Mis’l openly admitting he was attracted to other men was a big deal, particularly in the Taylor Domain. If word of this ever got back to Tch’fl Craig, it would mean disaster for Justin. On the other hand though, Justin felt like a fifty kilo weight had been lifted off his soul. Saying that out loud, even if it was just in a private conversation with Daphne, was the most freeing thing Justin had ever done.

“About time you fessed up, Jus,” Daphne teased him. “The way you can’t keep your eyes - or your hands for that matter - off Brian’s bod whenever you’re in the same room together, was kind of a giveaway. Does he feel the same?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t really said anything. It’s not like he’s in a position to have an opinion, and I didn’t want to impose . . . But I think, yeah . . . I think he feels the same.”

“I’m happy for you, Jus.” Daphne gave her husband’s hand a supportive squeeze. “But none of this solves my problem. What am I going to do about this baby? And how do we both find a way to keep our men after their surrogacies are over? We only have five months, tops, to figure this out, Jus. Please, help me.”

“It’s worse than you know, Daph,” Justin sighed and then finally told her the truth about Craig’s threat to abort any female offspring and immediately get rid of those Surrogates. “The medic appointments are set up already. We have less than a month.”

“I won’t let Craig do that, Justin. I won’t. I can’t. He can’t just tear our lives apart like that,” Daphne stated adamantly, her tears replaced by rage.

“I agree that it sucks, but how are we going to stop him?” Justin asked, honestly hoping she’d have some better ideas than he’d come up with so far.

Daphne fell silent, thinking things through, and Justin watched her expectantly. When she’d finally reached an apparent conclusion she nodded confidently as if her mind was already made up. When she spoke again, it was in a whisper, despite the fact they were in a private room with the door closed.

“We have to leave, Justin. There’s no other way. Unless you’re open to the idea of having Craig assassinated and taking over as Tch’fl in his place?” Justin shook his head, ‘no’. “Then we don’t have any other options. We have to leave before that medic appointment. ‘Cause I’m not giving up Troi or my babies, and you shouldn’t have to give up Brian either.”

“Don’t you think I haven’t thought about that already?” Justin asked desperately. “Where would we go? I don’t know of any Domains that would agree to hide us, not when faced with Tch’fl Craig’s wrath. He has contacts everywhere. There’s no one in all the Domains that would dare to go up against him. Craig will just track us down, have Brian and Troiyes killed, ship you off to exile somewhere, then drag me back here under guard where he’ll force me to breed him another, hopefully more compliant and less deviant, heir and then probably have me killed too.”

“We won’t go to another Domain then. We’ll go to ground in the real world. I don’t care where, just as long as we can stay together,” Daphne’s defiant streak affirmed.

“You don’t know what you're proposing, Daph. It’s not pretty outside the walls of the Domains. I’ve travelled a lot through those areas; neither of us know how to survive out there. And even if we could, I still think Craig would find us eventually.”

“What else can we do, Jus? There has to be a way. There just has to be.”

Daphne leaned forward, hugging Justin, who gratefully returned the embrace. The human comfort helped relieve his sense of desperation a little bit. It also reaffirmed the Mis’l’s determination to find a solution. If he didn’t, not only would he lose his newfound lover, Brian, and possibly Brian’s child, but he might lose Daphne as well. None of which was acceptable. If there was a way to keep them all together and safe, Justin vowed to find it.

It better come fast though.

********

********

Fourteen.


“You wanted to see me, Father?” Justin announced himself as he entered the Tch’fl’s office a few days after his disclosures to Daphne.

“Yes. Come in. Come in!” The Tch’fl seemed like he was in a good mood as he waived his son towards one of the guest chairs facing his huge glass-topped desk. “I’ve got excellent news. I think we’ve come to terms on the deal with Calcascadia.”

Justin stifled the sigh of relief he felt at this being Craig’s big news. When he’d first been summoned, he’d worried that somehow the Tch’fl’s spies had overheard him plotting with Daphne. Not that they’d come up with a real solution yet, only that they were going to have to make a run for it and hope for the best. Luckily, it seemed like Craig had been too busy with this trade deal to notice Justin’s increasing disgruntlement.

Craig went on to detail the broad terms of the trade agreement he’d worked out, which involved an exchange of the textiles manufactured in Tch’fl Frederick’s Southerly factory for communications devices and other highly prized mechanical items that no one in the Dominions had the capability of producing. It was a complex arrangement, but if it worked out, Tch’fl Craig would end up even richer than he already was. This deal would make the Taylor Domain the undisputed financial leader in all the Easternness and probably allow Craig to secure the Chairmanship of the Council. In other words, this was a major coup. It was no wonder Craig looked so happy.

“. . . So I’ll have to make at least one more trip out there to look over the manufacturing plant and finalize the deals. I’ve already talked to the Council about using the Dominion’s flyer for the trip. I’m leaving on Wednesday; it shouldn’t take more than a week. But while I’m gone there’s a lot you’ll need to handle back here to get everything ready on our end,” Craig summed things up.

Which was when a great big metaphorical light bulb went on in Justin’s head. Access to a flyer was exactly what he needed to help get himself and his little family far enough away from Craig that they might actually be safe. He’d heard that before the war flyers were common all over, but these days they were rare. Nobody had the ability to manufacture the parts needed to keep them working and even if they did, the huge amounts of fuel they required made their use impractical. There were only a handful of operational flyers in all the Dominions. So, to get access to one was practically unheard of. It was an opportunity that Justin couldn’t let slip away.

“You know, Father,” Justin piped up, interrupting Craig’s plans. “I don’t know nearly as much about all the details that need to be handled locally as you do. You’d be much more effective here than I would be. Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to stay and orchestrate things on this end and let me fly all the way out to Calcascadia and do the site inspections for you?”

“I don’t know. It’s an important trip and the negotiations could still go sideways if the Calcascadians aren’t treated just right,” Craig replied, clearly hesitant.

But at least Craig wasn’t completely discounting Justin’s suggestion; the Tch’fl just needed to be sold on it, Justin thought.

“I’m pretty good at charming people, Father,” Justin stated, offering up one of his sunniest and most winning smiles as an example. “I’ve handled other important deals for you and never let you down, right? I’m sure I can handle a mere site visit on your behalf. As long as you’ve thoroughly briefed me in advance about what you want, it should be easy. Plus, it’ll save you all that travel, which you know you hate.”

“I do detest long trips like that,” Craig conceded. “After the last trip out to Calcascadia, it took me almost a week before I recovered from the flight and got caught up on everything back here.”

“I remember. I also remember having to listen to you complaining and vowing never to set foot in a flyer again,” Justin teased his father amicably. “Seriously, Father, you should let me handle this for you. I’d be happy to. Not to mention that I’ve never been to Calcascadia before - Hellation, I’ve never even been as far as the Wastelands - and I’d love to see a little more of the world. Now’s a good time, too. In a few more months, if all goes as planned, I’ll be a father myself and then I probably won’t want to travel far from the Estate. At least not for a while. You know what? I bet Daphne would also love a little mini-vacation before she settles down into motherhood; I could take her with me and we could make a holiday out of it.” Justin could see Craig was mostly convinced but probably thought he should continue to protest on principle, so it was best to wrap this up. “I think this is an excellent plan. You have the best ideas, Father. Thanks. I’m going to go tell Daph right away so she can start packing.”

Justin practically ran out of Craig’s office, hoping his strategy of making Craig think it had all been his own idea would work. He raced down the hall towards Daphne‘s chambers not even pausing to knock on the door before he barged in. Daph was lounging on the reclining chair in the corner reading a book, which she dropped as soon as Justin came in and she noted her husband’s heightened state of agitation. Justin dropped to his knees in front of Daphne‘s chair, leaned over, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled his wife in for a lip-smacking kiss.

“We have a plan,” he whispered. “Get the Surrogates and meet me in my room as soon as you can.” Then he paused for second and changed his mind. “On second thought, let’s talk outdoors, in the gardens, where no one could be listening in behind a door or through the walls. Meet me by the fountain in five minutes.”

Without waiting for Daph’s response, he was off again, running through the halls and then, when he finally made it outside, pacing around the gardens while he worked out the details of his new plan. Scarily enough, he thought this might just work, as long as they could figure out a way to slip off while they were in Calcascadia. The only possible deterrent factor was that he had no idea what life was like in the far away land. But it couldn’t be worse than it was here in the Dominions and at least they would be far enough away from Craig that he couldn’t easily get to them. Justin hoped it would be far enough.

Daphne and the rest of their merry band of deviants arrived before Justin had time to start doubting himself too badly. They all took up seats on the concrete benches surrounding the big garden fountain. The area around them was cleared of all but small bushes so they were reasonably assured that nobody could be spying on them. And once he had his audience assembled, Justin sat down next to Brian, took the older man’s hand in his own and then leaned in to kiss the Surrogate on the lips in an unprecedented public display of affection that caught Brian, as well as the other three, off guard. Then Justin started in with his explanations.

“I know you’ve all noticed how distracted I’ve been lately. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain what was going on earlier, but I just didn’t want to worry everyone unnecessarily. There’s been a lot of shit going down around here, though, and I need to bring you all up to speed so we can plan what to do about it,” Justin started off, hurrying on despite the way Brian’s body went stiff with concern beside him. “Unfortunately, our dear Tch’fl wasn’t as pleased by the news that all of you were breeding as I had thought he’d be. He took the news to mean that he could wait and see which of you were carrying male offspring and then get rid of the female fetuses.” Brian let out a muffled ‘fuck’ and sagged back against the back of the bench he was sitting on. “Daphne and I are NOT going to let him do that, though. I promise you, Brian, I’m not going to let anyone do that to you again.”

Brian looked skeptical but Daphne backed him up immediately. “I’m with Justin on this. I won’t let Craig do that to any of you, either, guys,” she confirmed. “We promise to stand by you. But we’re going to need you to stand by us too.” She turned to Troiyes then, taking up the Surrogate’s hand in hers and smiling over at him. “It’s all the more important now because I just found out the other day that I’m pregnant too. Surprise, Troi. It looks like you're going to be a daddy twice over . . .”

“What? You're . . .” Troiyes looked warily over at Justin, who just smiled at him and shook his head.

“It’s okay, Troi. I’m fine with it,” Justin assured him. “As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter who the parents are of any of these babies. I don’t want any of you to lose your children because of my Father’s bigoted ideas. Whatever strange thing we all have going seems to work just fine for us, and I’m no longer going to let anyone - my father, society, or anyone else - tell me what’s right in that department. And if we can’t live the way we want here, then we’ll leave and go somewhere we can.”

“You said you had a plan that would make that work?” Daphne interrupted him, pressing for the skinny.

“I do. It’s not going to be easy, though, and if we get caught or it doesn’t work . . . Well, you all have the right to decide if you're willing to take the risk before I drag you into this. So, before we go into the details, you need to make a decision.” Justin turned towards Rose, who was sitting alone on a bench by herself. “Rosie, you’re the one Surrogate who probably has the lowest risk. Craig approves of female Surrogates and, if Daph and I are gone, he’ll need you and the heir you’re carrying more than ever. You could stay here and you’d probably be just fine. As soon as your baby is born, you’ll be sent back to Saperstein and can just carry on with your life as if nothing happened. It’s your call.”

It was obvious that little Rosie felt put on the spot by being singled out like this. She was the youngest of them all, and hadn’t ever really been out in the world much, so it was understandable that she was reticent about speaking up. However, Justin thought he’d detected a core of something stronger hidden behind her plump, curvaceous, unprepossessing exterior, so he wasn’t surprised when she eventually did voice her opinions.

“I’m game,” she stated boldly. Daphne looked at her questioningly, so she elaborated a little further. “You and the Mis’la have been great to me. Back when I was doing my Surrogate training I'd heard all sorts of horror stories about what might happen, but you’ve both been really nice. I know you’re probably the exception to the rule, though, and I’m not looking forward to getting assigned to another Master that won’t be quite so nice. Besides, I like all the fun we have together. I see no reason to walk away from a good thing. So if you guys are going to make a break for it, I’m coming with.”

“Okay. What about you, Troi?” Justin asked.

“Fuck, yeah. I don’t want to lose this baby or you, Daphne,” Troyes declared, leaning in to kiss the Mis’la with a possessiveness that proved his point. “And, for what it’s worth, I don’t want to lose the rest of you either. I like our groove just fine as it is. Count me in.”

Everyone turned to Brian next, waiting while the laconic older Surrogate took his time to gather his thoughts.

Brian shifted so he could look at Justin directly, as if he needed to be convinced of the answer to the questions he was about to ask. “You’re sure about this? You’d leave all this,” he gestured around the well-groomed formal gardens that evidenced more than almost anything else the wealth of their current circumstances, “to run off with some white trash Surrogate you barely know? Are you fucking crazy?”

Justin laughed at the look of disbelief on the man’s handsome face. “No, I’m not crazy. I’m in love, actually. With you, you big idiot. Now stop calling me names and let’s get this thing sorted out.” Brian looked more surprised by Justin’s declaration of love than he had by the plan to run away; it made Justin laugh. “Hellation, Brian. How could I NOT love you and our baby.”

Justin leaned in and took Brian’s lips in a sizzling hot kiss while the rest of the group looked on and chuckled quietly. When it seemed like the kiss might progress to something more serious and less likely to be stopable, Daphne finally interrupted with a loud *AHEM*. Justin reluctantly pulled away and blinked around himself as if surprised to see the rest of them still there.

“Jus . . . Your plan?” Daph prompted.

“Oh, yeah . . .” Justin blushed as he scooted far enough away from Brian that he wouldn’t be further tempted. “So, Tch’fl Craig is sending me to Calcascadia to finalize the trade deal he negotiated. He’s arranged for me to take the flyer operated by the Council of Dominions. It’s at least four thousand klicks away from the Taylor Domain, with the whole expanse of the Wastelands in between. If we’re going to try and run, we can’t get much further from Craig and his Dominion contacts than that.”

“That’s perfect,” Daphne burbled. “He’ll never be able to catch us way out there. How are we going to talk him into letting all the rest of us go, though?”

“I think I’ve already talked him into you going, Daph. As for the rest of you, I say we don’t ask, we just show up at the launch field en masse as if it’s a done deal and bluff through it. It’s better to beg forgiveness afterwards than ask for permission beforehand, right? If we’re called on it, I’ll just say that I wanted to keep an eye on our breeders while I’m traveling. Craig won’t be at the field himself, though, so I think it’s unlikely it’ll even get back to him until after we’re off the ground and well on our way. The only part I don’t have figured out is what we do when we’re on the ground in L’angeloes. I have no idea what the conditions are like there. For all I know it might be worse than the outside world here in the Easternness. But, since I don’t see any other alternatives here, not with Craig being the vindictive bastard he is, I think this is our best shot no matter what awaits us in Calcascadia.”

“We don’t have any choice. Even if it’s not a nice place, at least it will be far enough away from Tch’fl Craig that we'll have a head start. We just have to find a way to slip away from the traders that Craig is in contact with; they would probably give us up to placate Craig. If we can do that, I’m sure we can figure out how to get by. I don’t care how hard it is. I‘m not giving up my baby or any of the rest of you,” Daphne insisted vehemently.

“You’re all fucking crazy,” Brian mumbled under his breath. “You pampered rich kids have no idea what it’s like out there. You won’t survive a year. WE won’t survive . . .” He ended with his hand lying protectively over his belly and a worried frown on his face.

“I’ll make it work, Brian. I’m not giving up on us.” He laid his hand over Brian’s, leaning closer so his words would remain private. “You told me you wished you could escape from being a Surrogate. You wished you could keep one of your babies. This is the only way I can give those things to you, Brian. Don’t give up on me now.”

“If they catch us . . .”

“Yeah . . . So we just don’t let them catch us,” Justin asserted, reaching up to grab hold of Brian’s face, forcing the older man to look at him. “We can do this. I know it won’t be easy, but we can find a way. I know we can.”

Before the Surrogate could respond, though, their clandestine fivesome was rudely interrupted by a clatter of pebbles on the garden path leading from the house, and a few seconds later Dom’l Hobbs appeared, coming around the corner from behind a large cypress hedge. Justin let go of Brian, dropping the hand he’d been holding as well, but he didn’t move away. The defiant Mis’l was through letting Hobbs or Craig control his life any longer. He only had to get through a couple more days and then, hopefully, he’d be free.

“There you are, Mis’l,” the Dom’l commented, looking judgmentally down on the picture of Justin sitting so familiarly next to the male Surrogate. “Tch’fl Craig sent me to find you so we can follow up on the arrangements for your trip. I understand the Mis’la will be going as well?” Hobbs looked at Daphne who nodded to him but didn’t say anything. “Very good. I’ll have the staff begin packing for both of you. In the meantime, there’s a number of contract details the Tch’fl wanted me to go over with you before we leave. Did you want to start on that now?”

Justin hadn’t missed that little ‘we’ Hobbs had voiced. The scheming little prick was undoubtedly being sent along to spy on them. No matter. Justin would find some way to get past Hobbs. He had to. He wasn’t going to let the likes of Dom’l Christopher derail everything.

“If we must,” Justin replied, resigning himself to spending the next few hours with the officious Dom’l. “I’ll meet you in my office in five minutes.” He dismissed Hobbs and waited patiently till the man had bowed and backed away, then turned towards Daphne, his voice lowered to a confidential hush. “Make sure you bring along all your jewelry and as much coin as we can carry. And you’ll need to figure out a way to pack regular clothing for Brian, Troiyes and Rose too. But don’t let the maids see what you’re packing; we don’t dare trust anyone.”

“Got it. I’ll take care of all that, Jus. But what are we going to do about Hobbs?” Daphne asked, biting at her lip with worry.

“I’ll take care of our nosy little Dom’l,” he promised and then got up to follow in Hobbs’ footsteps, hoping he’d be able to pretend obedience for the next couple of days until it was time to make their big escape.

********

The Taylor contingent was scheduled to take off bright and early Wednesday morning. However, in an effort to head off any possible objections from Dom'l Hobbs, Justin, Daphne and their three Surrogates left the Estate more than an hour before the scheduled departure time. Justin’s driver was surprised when they all showed up in the garages and demanded to leave immediately. Of course, he would never question the Mis’l even if he did find it curious that the three red-robed Surrogates were being brought along. The driver did quietly comment to his companion on the fact that the Mis’l and Mis’la had packed so sparingly - they only had to load two cases into the back of the motor along with three small overnight bags, a remarkably small load for the type of trip contemplated - but he supposed that, perhaps, the rest of the luggage would be coming along later with the rest of the party.

The Dominion’s flyer wasn’t ready when they arrived at the field, but the pilot was happy to let the Mis’l’s party board and wait inside while they finished fueling and completing the other pre-flight preparations. The flyer was elegantly appointed, as would have been expected for any Dominion conveyance. Besides the usual seating areas within the main cabin, there was a small closed off room at the rear of the fuselage that was completely private. Justin quietly suggested Daphne take the three Surrogates back there and remain hidden until the flight had taken off. Hopefully no one would bother to look and see exactly who the passengers in that area were. As soon as his crew were settled in their hidey-hole, Justin seated himself on one of the benches in the main cabin, busied himself reviewing contracts and other paperwork, and waited for the rest of the Taylor Estate delegation to arrive.

Dom’l hobbs arrived about fifteen minutes later, looking disheveled and flustered. His tie was undone and his shirt was improperly buttoned. He was out of breath and sweating heavily. As soon as he saw Justin seated on the plane, however, he stumbled to a halt, looking around the cabin as if he were surprised to find the Mis’l there.

“Problems, Hobbs?” Justin asked coolly, looking up from the contract he’d been pretending to read.

“Uh, no, Mis’l. No problem. I just . . .” Hobbs took a deep breath and seemed to pull himself together. “I was concerned when the staff told me that you’d left the Estate earlier than planned. I thought perhaps there was some issue that you might need me to attend to, so I rushed directly over here. It seems you’re already settled, though.”

“Yes. I’m fine. You didn’t need to rush,” Justin smirked at the lying sack of shit.

Hobbs looked around the flyer once more and then asked, “I don’t see the Mis’la; did she decide against joining you on this trip after all?”

“My wife is lying down in the rear cabin,” Justin explained briefly, not venturing anything further, which was his prerogative as the Mis’l.

“I see. Would you like me to check on her for you, Mis’l? If she’s not feeling well, I could arrange for the staff to bring her something . . .” Hobbs ventured.

“Sit down, Hobbs. Daphne is perfectly fine and would not appreciate you butting in on her while she’s resting,” Justin practically growled at the thinly veiled attempt to spy on his wife. “However, I could use some refreshments. The flyer staff didn’t have any coffee ready when we boarded. You can see to that now, Hobbs.” Justin used a shooing motion with his hand to get the Dom’l moving and enjoyed the look of consternation he got from Hobbs at reducing the Estateman to the level of a butler. “Better hurry before the flyer takes off.”

Justin maintained his duty as sentinel, guarding the door to the rear cabin, for the next forty minutes or so until the pilot announced that the flyer was ready for take off. Hobbs took a seat near the front of the cabin, alongside the other staff who would be accompanying the party. He continued to shoot inquisitive looks Justin’s way the whole time. The Mis’l could tell it was killing Hobbs not to know exactly why Justin’s party had come to the field earlier than expected but the Dom’l didn’t dare ask outright and Justin wasn’t giving anything away.

As soon as the flyer reached cruising altitude, one of the servants got up from his seat and brought the pot of coffee over to refresh the Mis’l’s cup. Justin ordered him to leave the carafe. Next, the servant brought over a tray of pastries, which Justin took out of the startled man’s hands as he stood up. Without a word of explanation, he put the coffee pot on the tray and then turned to carry the whole thing into the rear cabin, slipping inside without opening the door any wider than needed and immediately kicking it closed behind him. He probably shouldn’t have been surprised to find his wife and the three stowaways in a jumble of naked bodies on the bed.

“Since you so rudely started without me,” he spoke up teasingly, “I guess I’ll just take this tray of breakfast goodies I brought you and leave.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Daphne hissed at him, crawling out from under Troiyes and Rosie to grab at Justin’s pant leg. “Gimme! I’m starving.” Justin huffed a small laugh but obediently deposited the tray on the end of the mattress and stepped back as the ravenous pregnant hordes descended on the food. “Mmmmm. This is just what I needed, Jus. I don’t know about the others, but breeding makes me hungry. I feel like I’ve been eating pretty much all the time for the past week.”

“You’re just lucky you’re not sick,” Brian said as he cautiously nibbled at a piece of croissant. “It’s not fair. I can barely keep anything down and you lot look fresh as daisies all day long. What’s your secret?”

“Clean living,” Troi joked, causing them all to break into laughter.

“Not too loud, guys,” Justin cautioned, remembering to lock the door to the small cabin before he seated himself on the end of the bed and began to massage Brian’s shoulders. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Is there anything I can do? Were you this sick all the times before?”

Brian looked a little worried when he answered. “The first time, yeah, I was sick as a dog.”

Justin knew the Surrogate was thinking about the pregnancy he’d lost and rushed to reassure him before Brian started to brood. “I’m sure it’ll get better soon. The medic who did the ultrasounds said the breeding sickness usually goes away after the first few months. In the meantime we just need to keep you busy enough that you don’t notice you’re feeling ill.”

“Oh yeah? How you gonna do that?” Brian asked with a playful note in his voice.

Justin responded by leaning forward and pressing his mouth firmly against the other man’s in a deep, sensual kiss. When Justin finally opened his eyes again, he discovered his shirt had disappeared and they’d somehow rolled closer to the head of the bed with Brian perched over him. Daph had saved the tray of food; she and the other two Surrogates were sitting at the tiny table in the corner, still munching away, while they watched the entertainment happening on the bed. By now, however, they were all so intimately acquainted with each other, that having an audience didn’t faze him at all. If anything, Justin’s arousal was heightened by the knowledge that they were all watching as Brian unbuttoned his pants and then peeled the trousers off. And by the time Brian was bent over, licking his dick up to full hardness, Justin had completely forgotten about their watchers.

At least until Brian started to lift Justin’s legs up over his shoulders.

That got Justin’s attention again. He’d never let Brian fuck him in front of the others before. That had always been something they’d kept private. That was something just between the two of them.

Justin grabbed Brian’s wrist and resisted the movement. Brian looked down on him questioningly. Justin’s eyes darted to the side of the room where the other three were sitting. Brian’s lips curled up at the edges the tiniest little bit and his eyes crinkled with a hint of amusement but he shifted backwards a fraction of an inch and just waited.

Justin could feel Brian’s heavy, full erection lying hot and ready against his inner thigh. There was a sticky bead of cum that had dripped down onto his skin, connecting them and tickling as gravity pulled at the spot of moisture. Justin wanted Brian inside him so badly at that moment that he could barely breathe. It felt like it would be the most natural thing in the world. All he had to do was lift his legs and Brian’s cock would be right there, ready to slide home, filling him, completing him. But that would also mean exposing himself completely to Daphne and the other two Surrogates.

He must have hesitated a second too long because, before Justin could make up his mind, Brian started to move backwards, away from him. Justin felt a moment of panic and immediately cinched his ankles together behind Brian’s back so the larger man couldn’t get all the way away. Brian looked down on him, his head cocked to the side, as if trying to figure out what Justin wanted.

Justin took a deep breath, and answered the unspoken question as boldly as he could. “I want you inside me, Brian.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, with another sideways glance to where the others were sitting, all of them now staring at the drama playing out in front of them.

“Yeah. I’m sure. I’m done hiding from people or sacrificing what I want because of others’ judgments.”

Brian nodded with a glint of pride in his eyes and then bent forward so he could kiss the hell out of his brave lover. Justin happily kissed him back. And when they finally broke apart, he brazenly lifted his own legs up so that his calves were resting on Brian’s shoulders. There was a convenient tube of lube waiting next to the pillows, which Brian made quick use of, and then a second later the large, blunt head of Brian’s dick was knocking against Justin’s hole. Justin happily opened up and let the visitor inside, enjoying the burn as his muscles stretched and the tiny nerve sensors transmitted the pleasurable jolts of friction to his brain. Fuck it all. If this wasn’t right, then why did it always feel so damn good?

It didn’t take long before the flyer cabin disappeared from his consciousness. He no longer saw the faces of his wife and friends watching them from the corner. All Justin could see was Brian’s face as it bent to kiss him, hovered over him, shone with the ecstacy of their joint passion, strained to hold back while the waves of pleasure began to crest higher and higher. He couldn’t resist reaching up to pull his lover’s face down, close enough to bite the tempting ruby-red lips, hoping to hang on to the precipice of lust for just a while longer before they were both tossed over the edge. But the impetus to rush forward like a lemming and take the inevitable plunge was simply too great - and besides he had to open his mouth to breath - so Justin finally let go, relinquishing Brian’s mouth but not taking his hand away from the older man’s cheek in order to maintain some connection. And that’s when the final frenzy of euphoria swarmed his senses and Justin gave in completely to the joy of the moment. The warm wash of the cum coating his stomach and filling his ass at the same time made a delicious contrast to the cool balm of the endorphins in his blood as the two men reached that happy climax together and then collapsed in a tangle of sweaty limbs and sated bodies.

This was worth everything. Everything. This was why he was doing everything.

“That was so fucking hot!” Daphne gushed, climbing onto the bed next to them and ruining the moment of post-coital bliss where Brian was slumped over the top of him as they both panted and gasped for air. “Damn, Jus! No wonder you boys can’t seem to keep your hands off each other.”

Justin knew he was blushing but couldn’t stop it. The best he could do was hide his face against Brian’s shoulder while his partner in crime chuckled unabashedly. Daphne was giggling along boisterously.

Which was probably why none of them heard at first when the cabin door inched open. It wasn’t till their unwanted visitor gasped loudly at the scene inside that any of them looked up. Hobbs was standing there, apparently paralyzed by the shock of finding his Mis’l lying naked on the bed with the Surrogate’s softening dick still up Justin’s ass. Talk about being caught in a compromising position, right?

Nobody said anything or even moved for at least a half a minute.

Finally, Justin sighed and broke the silence. “Was there something you needed, Hobbs?” he asked, using his most authoritative Mis’l voice. “I’m a little busy here, you know. Or were you planning on standing around, gaping like a fish all day?”

“I . . . Uh . . . I was, um . . . The pilot . . . I came to warn you that the pilot said we might be experiencing some turbulence coming up,” Hobbs eventually managed to stammer out his excuse.

“You came because you’re a nosy git who wanted to spy on us,” Justin argued. “And now that you’ve gotten an eyeful, and satisfied your curiosity, you can leave.” Everyone in the room could hear the edge of anger in the Mis’l’s tone, including Hobbs, who bowed his head as he started to comply. “Oh, and Hobbs,” Justin added before the Dom’l could get the door all the way closed. “If you EVER again come into my room without knocking or being given permission, I’ll have you fired and your entire family thrown out on the streets. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mis’l. My apologies,” Hobbs mumbled and quickly retreated.

Nobody said a word for at least a minute after the door closed again. They’d all known that their subterfuge would eventually become known, but they’d hoped it wouldn’t be till they’d landed. And worse yet, the Dom’l had intruded on them at a VERY inopportune moment. It was one thing for Hobbs to walk in on Justin fucking one of his Surrogates who wasn’t really supposed to have been brought on this trip, and another thing altogether to find the Domain’s Mis’l in the act of taking it up the ass himself. No one knew what the possible consequences might be.

Then Brian whistled and aimed one of his quirky, crooked smiles at the still-fuming Mis’l. “Damn, kid! Watching you do your Dominion thing like that makes me so fucking hard. You up for one more?”

Which made Daphne snicker, and a second later the rest followed, bursting out in a round of hilarity that helped ease all their nerves.

When the laughter died down, though, Justin could tell his wife was still worried. “He’s going to be a problem, isn’t he?” Daph asked, staring at the door contemplatively.

“What can he do?” Justin replied. “We’ve got to be well over the Wastelands by now, so there’s no way he can get ahold of my father until we land. And communications between the Dominion and Calcascadia are notoriously unreliable. With any luck, Hobbs won’t be able to get word back to Craig till our plans are well underway.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” Daphne sounded unconvinced but still determined. “We need to be more careful though. I can’t believe you didn’t lock the door when you came back here, Jus.”

“I did . . . Hobbs either had a key or he picked the lock, the bastard. No wonder he’s such a good spy for my father if he can get into locked rooms like that. Let’s just hope my threat to fire him causes him to think twice before doing it again.

Brian rolled to the side, picking up a towel to wipe himself off and then tossing it to Justin for his use as well. “If the Dom’l is that tight with your father, I doubt it will do any good. It might just piss him off even more,” the Surrogate conjectured calmly. “You do realize we’re probably going to have to take him out if you really want this plan of yours to work, right?”

Justin didn’t answer. Privately, he thought Brian was likely right. It wasn’t a very pleasant prospect, however, and he hoped it didn’t come to that.

Not that he’d let Hobbs stop them, though.

********

********

Fifteen.

Justin played along and pretended to be a good Dominion representative over the next few days.

The initial meeting with their Calcascadian hosts went fairly well, all things considered. The host team that met the flyer when it landed was cordial and welcoming, but they did seem a little taken aback by the unexpected appearance of the three Surrogates amongst the Taylor party. Apparently, such services were unknown in these parts. The looks on the Calcascadians’ faces as they outright stared at the three red robe-clad forms were comical at first. But when the Surrogates’ function was explained to them, the stares became quite judgmental. Luckily, Daphne stepped in and smoothed things over, explaining how happy she was that all three of the Surrogates were breeding and how excited she was to welcome the coming babies. This placated the Calcascadians but caused Hobbs to scowl. Whatever. Justin was tired of the double-dealing and vindictive Dom’l; he couldn’t wait till they parted company for good.

After their arrival, the Taylor group had been ushered off to a large inn where they were made as comfortable as possible in the relatively austere rooms they’d been given. It’s not that the accommodations weren’t adequate, they just weren’t quite as elegant as Justin and Daphne were used to. While he was preparing for this visit, Justin had read over some background information about Calcascadia’s class system that he hadn’t fully understood, but which might explain things a little. They called their system of government a ‘Democracy’ - an unfamiliar and almost incomprehensible term to the Dominion-raised Lord - and apparently they believed some rubbish about all people being treated as equals. Justin supposed that might account for the plain furnishings in their accommodations. Of course, he didn’t mention any of his thoughts on the matter at the time, as he didn’t want to start off the talks with Craig’s prospective trading partners on a wrong foot. Perhaps he’d have time to think through and assimilate these strange concepts later, but for the moment he and his cohorts were too busy trying to plan out their escape.

So far, though, their plans were still quite nebulous. Justin literally had not had more than five minutes to himself since the time they’d landed. The first afternoon and evening were spent meeting all the principles who would be involved in the trade deal, conferencing for a short while to discuss the general terms that had already been discussed between Craig and his counterpart in Calcascadia, and then attending a welcoming dinner. The only positive to this busy schedule was that Hobbs had been kept just as busy and, due to the fact he hadn’t been out of Justin’s sight the entire time, it was fairly certain that he hadn’t had time to report back to Craig. That dinner party had ended quite late, and by the time Justin and Daphne made it back to their chambers, it was far too late to do any exploring.

The subsequent two days had been more of the same. Between meetings and tours of the various facilities, all of which was interspersed with what the Calcascadians thought of as entertainment, there was very little time for Justin to work on their plans. Daphne, on the other hand, had been afforded significantly more leisure time. The wife of one of the principles had taken it upon herself to show Daphne and the three Surrogates around the city of L’angeloes - once she had ensured that the Surrogates were dressed in actual clothes, that is - which meant that the five of them had been doing quite a bit of sightseeing. Daphne reported back that she was quite impressed with the city and the easy-going ways of the Calcascadians; she assured Justin that the people she met seemed quite accepting. Brian backed up this assessment and grudgingly admitted that it might just be possible to find a place for their odd little family amongst these kind-hearted people.

So it was quite providential when the Calcascadian group suggested that Justin’s party take a short side trip to visit a subsidiary fabrication plant which provided some parts used at the main production facilities. Hobbs had voiced his strong opposition to a trip he considered to be a waste of time. Justin, though, immediately recognized the mini-trip as just the opportunity he’d been waiting for and insisted it was a wonderful idea. Because this other plant was located a fair distance away, however, he suggested they make use of the Dominion flyer that was sitting idle on the landing field to zip over to the plant and then back again the following day, minimizing any delay this diversion might cause. Provided the visit to the subsidiary plant went as planned, the Mis’l assured everyone they should be able to sign the final contracts upon his return. Everyone except Hobbs agreed this was a wonderful idea and plans were set in motion.

Just as the travel arrangements were being finalized, the sightseeing contingent arrived on the scene, with Daphne excitedly trotting over to greet her husband as soon as she saw him. “There you are. Haven’t you gentlemen usurped my hubby’s time enough for one day? I’ve barely seen him since we arrived,” the Mis’la joked as she slipped her arm through Justin’s and started to pull him away. “It’s really too bad you couldn’t come with us today, Jus. Sammie took us to see the ocean and we got to play on the sandy part of the shore and swim out to all the underwater buildings. It was so fun.”

“Underwater buildings?” Justin asked, confused.

“Yes. The city used to extend out several klicks further to the west, but due to rising sea levels, several of the buildings that were once on the shore are now underwater or at least partially submerged and have been abandoned. I find it a little eerie, myself,” Sammie, the woman who’d been acting as tour guide, explained. “The sea creatures, though, seem to love the structures so it's a great place to swim if you like to look at the ocean life.”

“Hmm. That sounds interesting,” Justin agreed. “Too bad I missed out.” Then he turned to look at the three Surrogates who’d been standing quietly nearby and noted that they were all looking relaxed and sun-kissed. “It seems like you all had a fun outing. I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves even if I did have to stay here and work.”

Brian gave a little snort and shook his head, causing Daphne to laugh. “Unfortunately, I don’t think Brian enjoyed himself as much as the rest of us.” Daphne dropped Justin’s arm and went over to wrap her arms around the tall male affectionately. “Poor Brian got chased out of the water by a big grey fish that stood up on its tail in the water and laughed at him.” They all snickered while Brian scowled. “And then, because he wouldn’t come back in the water with the rest of us, he fell asleep in the sun and got burned.”

Justin frowned at that news, displeased that his Brian had been hurt, although it couldn’t be too bad considering that the man was still standing. Later, when they were in private, he'd have to admonish Daphne to take better care of the Surrogates. But for now, there were too many other things they needed to discuss, and too many important plans to be finalized. Justin was glad for the opportunity to bow out of further work for the afternoon on the pretext of seeing to the care of the supposedly injured Surrogate. He promptly made his excuses to the Calcascadians before herding his family off to their rooms.

As soon as they were behind a locked door, he gathered them together and whispered his news. “It’s time. Tomorrow’s the day,” he announced and then explained about the side trip. “We’ll never get a better opportunity to sneak away.”

“Even so, it’s not going to be easy,” Troi argued. “How are we going to get away? I mean, there’s always at least one security guard watching the three of us and Daphne, let alone the pack that follows you around, Mis’l. How do we get rid of them? And where do we go if we do lose them? Do we know what’s around this plant you’re visiting?”

“Troi’s right,” Brian agreed. “We need to plan this out better. We can’t just hope for a chance moment when nobody’s looking. If we really are going to do this, we need to make sure we do it right. Otherwise, we’ll all end up dead.”

“You’re both right,” Daphne stated, taking charge of the meeting. “That’s why I’ve been thinking . . .”

********

“There. Does that feel better?” Justin asked as he finished rubbing the last of the lotion into the fiery red skin of Brian’s back. “You really did get burned today. I’m sorry it hurts so badly.”

“Damned fish,” Brian mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillows he was resting on.

Justin chuckled but thought it wise not to comment further on the laughing fish who’d chased his man out of the ocean. “If you’re not in too much pain, you should flip over and let me put some lotion on your front as well. Even your chest got a little burned.”

Brian complied, only wincing a bit when his red shoulders rubbed against the sheets as he turned over. Justin promptly poured more lotion into his palm, rubbed his hands together and started smoothing the cooling substance over the slightly less burned planes of the Surrogate’s chest and abs. In the process, Justin’s hands slid over Brian’s lower abdomen, and he noted the beginnings of a swelling there. The mere fact that Brian’s pregnancy was starting to show, filled Justin with a burst of pride. He couldn’t wait to finally meet the little life growing inside there; his son or daughter.

Justin placed his palm over the little bump. “Can you feel the baby moving yet?” he asked.

“No. It’s a bit early for that. Maybe in the next month or so, though,” Brian assured him.

Justin bent down to leave a kiss atop the bump. While he was down there, he also deposited a few kisses to the the nearby cock that had been half-hard since he’d begun his lotion application. Brian rumbled a hum of appreciation. Justin sat up again, looking down on the beautiful man lying in his bed and trying to recall what his life had been like before Brian. It was difficult; Brian seemed to fill his whole world these days. What he could remember of that earlier time seemed dull, empty and colorless. So much had changed in such a short time. And more change was just on the horizon. Change that might not be as pleasant.

“I want to make love to you, Brian. Please. Let me make love to you,” Justin whispered, unsure if he was begging or promising.

Brian’s eyes opened wider, as if he was surprised by this request, but he smiled indulgently up at Justin. “You don’t have to ask, Mis’l. You never have before.”

“But that’s just the thing . . . If everything works out, come tomorrow, I won’t be a Mis’l anymore. I won’t be anything. Just plain old Justin Tay . . . Hellation, I probably shouldn’t even use my real name after tomorrow. I’ll have to come up with an alias.” Justin paused a moment, thinking over possible names he might use, but nothing really seemed to come to mind. “What’s your last name?” he finally asked the man patiently watching him.

“Surrogates don’t have surnames, remember?” Brian prompted, reaching up to flick the metal ID tag dangling from his right nipple with a thumb.

“Well, after tomorrow, you won’t be a Surrogate. You’ll be free. Once we’re sure it’s safe, you can even leave if you like. I won’t be able to stop you,” Justin reasoned sadly. “And if things don’t go right . . . Well, this could be our last night together. So I just want . . . I want to do this right.”

“Did anyone ever tell you you’re a huge fucking drama queen?” Brian whispered with a playful little grin as he pushed Justin backwards so he could spread his legs wider and bend his knees invitingly.

“I’m going to assume that’s a good thing,” Justin replied, offering up his own smile in return. “Now stop making fun of me and let me worship that beautiful body of yours.”

“As you wish, Mis’l,” Brian responded, his words tapering off into a delighted moan as Justin began to apply himself to the task at hand.

And worship Brian’s body is exactly what Justin did. With his eyes, his lips, his hands, and most especially with his cock. Despite the urge to simply devour his lover, Justin deliberately slowed everything down, taking his time and making sure to touch every centimeter of Brian’s beautiful, golden skin, to kiss and lick and nibble every shapely curve and bulge of muscle, to relish the intimacy of every connection. Every time either of them would come close to the ultimate release, Justin would pause, carefully judging their pace, intent on making this night last, forever if necessary. When the pent-up flood of emotion finally became too much to hold back, the soon-to-be-no-Mis’l dove in as deeply as he could, thrilling all over again at the intimate embrace of his ever responsive lover, and then froze so as to thoroughly enjoy each pulse of passion as it left his body and was echoed through the trembling form beneath him.

After it was all over and Justin had collapsed across his lover’s broad chest, replete and satisfied, at least for the time being, Brian wrapped his strong arms around the younger man’s body and held him tight. “Thank you, Justin,” Brian murmured, his hot breath tickling at the other man’s ear. “It means a lot that you’re even willing to try and help us Surrogates. That you care. That you’d want to give me a chance to keep this baby . . . I’ve never known anyone like you, Justin. It’s been so long since I trusted anyone. But . . . I want to trust you. I want this to be . . . Real.”

With his head resting on Brian’s shoulder, the words rumbling through the solidity of the Surrogate’s chest and vibrating along the skin of his cheek managed to transmit more signals than just what was spoken. Justin could hear and feel the underlying tension and sense the fear. But he could also feel the yearning behind the faltering statements. He knew it must be close to impossible for someone like Brian to open himself up, and yet Brian really did want to trust him. He needed to trust Justin. And he needed to let himself finally be loved, despite his ingrained lack of trust. It reinforced Justin’s commitment to do whatever it took to save them both, so they could finally be free to live whatever lives they should have had together. It made him want to prove his love for Brian even more.

Which was why their desperate escape plans just had to work.

“Kinney,” Brian breathed out the name, his voice so quiet that Justin felt the vibrations of the word more than he heard the sound. “My name was Brian Kinney.”

********

“I got these bags from Sammie,” Daphne explained as she handed them each a small bag with odd straps. “She said they were called ‘back packs’. See, you put your arms through the straps and then your hands are free.” Daphne demonstrated the ingenious contraptions. “This way, we can carry our belongings without slowing ourselves down too much. I packed as much warm clothing as I could. Each of us also has a water bottle and some emergency food, although it won’t be much, so I hope we can figure out some way to carry more food. And I split up the coin and jewelry equally between all the bags, just in case something happens to one pack.”

“Good idea, Daph,” Justin complimented his wife. “As for the food issue, I already asked that a couple of mini-motors be loaded on the flyer - I suggested that we might want to use them to tour the plant with, since it’s supposedly a large facility. Assuming my directions were followed, we should be able to use those to help us get away and it’ll mean we can carry more, including food.” Justin looked around him at all the rest of their belongings that hadn’t been packed, trying to think if there was anything important he was forgetting, but not seeing anything. “Okay. Everybody remember your parts?” They all nodded nervously. “Then, I guess it’s time. Let’s hope the Luck of the Dominion is with us.”

Justin was too anxious to offer more than a weak smile as the others each grabbed their own bag. The Surrogates were all wearing sturdy clothing under their robes, which could thankfully be explained away by the Calcascadians’ discomfort over their usual nudity. He and Daphne were dressed more elaborately, but also in relatively casual, travel-appropriate clothing. But other than that, and their small packs of necessary supplies, there wasn’t anything more that they could bring or prepare in advance. They couldn’t even bring weapons, since a Mis’l wouldn’t carry such a thing as long as he had his security staff with him and the Surrogates would risk serious punishment if they were caught with something like that. No, their only real weapons in this escapade would have to be their wits and their determination. Justin hoped that would be enough.

So, with his bag in one hand and Daphne’s hand in his other, Justin headed out the door of his chambers, his wife by his side and their three lovers following single file behind them. When they reached the lobby, they found the rest of the party already waiting for them. The group consisted of two security guards, a scribe and, unfortunately, Dom’l Hobbs.

“You’re bringing your Surrogates along, Mis’l?” Hobbs blurted out before they even reached the group.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Justin demanded loftily. “The Mis’la and I like to keep an eye on our breeders. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to the bearers of our future offspring, what with neither of us here to ensure they are properly taken care of. Do you have a problem with that, Dom’l?”

“Oh, no, Mis’l,” Hobbs rushed to absolve himself. “I just hadn’t thought you’d be so worried about them with this being only a quick overnight trip. I don’t think there will be much for them to do while we’re touring the plant.”

“They can stay with Mis’la Daphne at our lodgings while I’m occupied,” Justin dismissed the concerns as if they were inconsequential before turning his back on Hobbs and heading towards the exit, indicating with his actions that the discussion was over.

“Yes, Mis’l,” Hobbs mumbled, frowning at the parade of Surrogates who padded off in a silent phalanx in their Master's wake.

When they arrived at the flyer field, Justin’s party took their time getting out of the motors and gathering together their stuff. The scribe had already scurried off towards the flyer, his arms filled with a briefcase containing the tools of his trade as well as the rolls of schematics showing the plant’s layout and other details, all of which Justin supposedly had to survey. Hobbs followed the scribe, albeit at a more sedate pace. Justin nodded to Daphne, who lagged further behind, while Brian and Troiyes moved to catch up to the Dom’l.

“Oh, no!” Rose exclaimed a second later, coming to a halt and looking around herself distractedly. “Oh, Mis’la, I’m sorry. Forgive me. I seem to have misplaced the beautiful pin you gave me yesterday after our outing. I know it was there when we got in the motor. It must have come off somewhere.”

“How careless, Rose,” Daphne pretended to be upset with the girl. “That pin was valuable.”

Justin stopped in his tracks, playing his part and saying his lines. “I’m sure she didn’t lose it on purpose, Daphne. It’s probably just back in the motor someplace. Why don’t you go look for it. Quickly though, so we won’t be delayed for too long.” Then Justin turned to speak to the two security guards, crossing his fingers inside the pockets of his jacket and hoping this would work. “Scott, you and Sanchez stay here with the Mis’la and my Surrogate. Make sure they’re okay. I’ll be waiting in the flyer.”

Justin held his breath, hoping this would work. This was arguably the most critical part of their plan. Protocol said that at least one member of the security staff should remain with the Mis’l at all times when he was away from the Estate. But there was no way Justin and the two males could take on both the guards and Hobbs all at the same time. To succeed, they needed to isolate each threat so they could take them down one by one.

Scott scanned the fifty meters or so between where they were standing and the flyer, mentally calculating any potential risks. It seemed Justin was in luck, though, because Scott didn’t argue. The security head merely nodded acquiescence, maintained his position, and let Justin proceed towards the waiting flyer. The Mis’l breathed a sigh of relief; the first hurdle was passed. He tried to look more confident than he felt as he walked towards the next, and probably more dangerous, challenge.

“Welcome aboard again, Mis’l,” the attendant greeted him as he reached the top of the stairs.

Justin glanced back over his shoulder, happy to see that Rosie had enlisted Sanchez’ help searching for the missing brooch while Daph was keeping Scott occupied in conversation. So far, so good. He nodded at the attendant and shouldered past the man into the main cabin. Hobbs and the scribe were busy looking at some papers laid out on a table near the front of the flyer. There was no sign of the two male Surrogates, which was good, since they were supposed to be waiting in the private cabin in the rear. Everything looked ready.

Raising his voice so the words would be clearly audible, Justin yelled down the walkway, “Hobbs, I need to show you something I noticed last night in the latest addendum to the contact.” Justin pretended to look through the briefcase waiting next to his seat as the Dom’l approached. “Hmm. I must have put those papers in my other bag. Go get it for me, Hobbs; I’d like to have this issue resolved before we land and I get distracted by other matters.”

Justin gestured towards the closed cabin where, presumably, all the bags had been stowed. Hobbs unsuspectingly trotted off towards the cabin. Justin waited till the man was almost to the door before getting to his own feet and quickly following. The minute Hobbs opened the door, Justin shoved the Dom’l hard from behind, causing Hobbs to stagger forward and trip over the cord that was stretched across the narrow entryway, held in place by the two Surrogates who’d been waiting for them. Justin stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him and locking it, while Troiyes tackled a stunned Hobbs and Brian stuffed a wadded up sock into Hobbs’ gaping mouth to stifle any cries. After that it was quick work to wrestle their captive over to the bed and use the cord they’d tripped him with to tie Hobbs securely.

“Make sure you search him well,” Justin directed when they were done. “Make sure he doesn’t have anything on him that will help him get out of those ropes.”

Brian, who’d already started that process, continued to run his hands over Hobbs even as the man struggled. The captive was still screaming at them from behind his gag, even though he could make little sound. But when Brian started to pat at his crotch, Hobbs really went berserk, struggling and grunting and acting like he was being tortured.

“Oh, get over it, you big pussy,” Brian ordered with a snicker. “Nobody’s interested in your tiny vienna sausage-sized prick. But if you keep fighting me like this I might cut it off just to get you to shut the fuck up.”

Justin and Troi laughed as the Surrogate’s threat caused Hobbs to visibly pale. The noise and the struggling stopped immediately. Their good humor died a moment later, however, when Brian’s search suddenly turned up a small communications device hidden in Hobbs’ jacket pocket and a shooter that had been strapped to the Dom’l’s ankle. It was a reminder that what they were doing was deadly serious.

Justin threw the communicator to the floor and stomped on it with the heel of his boot, smashing the thing to pieces. Then took the shooter out of Brian’s hand and started to slip it into his own jacket pocket, but Troiyes stopped him.

“I have a better idea, Boss. Gimme that.” Justin handed the weapon over. Troi looked the shooter over and checked that the safety was on. “With this, we don’t have to risk taking out all your father’s men one at a time. We’ve got more control. We just have to make them think we’ll use it.”

The three of them held a short confab, talking things over. Justin agreed with the idea in general but was against letting either of the Surrogates take on a bigger role. They were already running too big a risk, in Justin’s view. But Brian ended the dispute by pointing out that he and Troi were already probably looking at a death sentence just for assaulting Dom’l Hobbs, so it really wouldn’t make much of a difference that they added to their crimes by using a shooter. Since Justin couldn’t argue that point, he reluctantly agreed to the change in plans. He didn’t like it, though.

Justin pulled Brian close and gave him one last kiss before taking a deep breath and moving back towards the door. “Okay, let's do this, then!”

“Hold up a sec,” Troi spoke up, halting his cohorts while he turned back to Hobbs. “Since we can’t afford to have this one messing things up for us while we’re busy . . .” The Surrogate pointed the shooter at the Dom’l’s head, laughing as the man cringed away, before adroitly flipping the weapon around so that the hard, metal stock was pointing outward, and then using that to deliver a hard blow to the side of the captive’s head, knocking Hobbs out cold. “There. One potential problem taken care of for the time being. Now, lead me to my next victim.”

“You’re kinda scary, you know?” Brian commented dryly as he sauntered past Troi, receiving a cocky smile in exchange.

“Yeah, but you love my ass, so it’s all good, right?” Troi teased as he followed behind his brother Surrogate, at the same time as he was slipping the shooter into the waistband of his trousers so it was hidden by his robe.

“Concentrate guys,” Justin hissed as he brought up the rear, closing the door behind them all.

The two Surrogates immediately assumed their usual deferential aspect, heads slightly bowed and expressions blank. They paused just outside the private cabin, pretending to wait obediently for their Mis’l. Justin, meanwhile, went to the door of the flyer and yelled to the others to ‘hurry up, already’ - their signal that Rose should find the lost pin. Justin watched as the drama played out, Rose excitedly exclaiming that she’d found it and then the female Surrogate and Daphne skipping off together towards the plane. Justin was glad to see that the girls were quickly outdistancing their security escort, another critical part of the plan. Within minutes they were running up the portable stairway and greeting Justin with kisses as they came through the portal.

“There’s a little change in plans,” he whispered as he accepted the greetings and pretended to admire the ‘found’ piece of jewelry. “Play along.”

He gestured to the girls to move further into the flyer and nodded as Brian moved around behind him. While Brian was pulling the hatch closed - just as Scott and Sanchez had reached the stairway and were looking up at the closing door with confusion - Troi had moved around so he was standing directly behind Daphne. Luckily nobody was looking as Troi left a quick kiss on the woman’s cheek and whispered, “sorry for this, mi amor.” Daphne only smiled and didn’t fight at all when Troi wrapped his arm around her neck, pretending to choke the Mis’la. Brian did the same thing to Justin, adding in a quick goose to Justin’s ass in the process.

“Okay, listen up, peeps,” Troi announced loudly, getting the attention of the few folks in the main cabin of the flyer. “We’re taking over this flight. So, unless you want the pretty little Mis’la’s brains to be splattered all over this flyer, you better listen up!”

The scribe and the the two flyer attendants instantly came to attention.

“Tell the pilot it's time to take off,” Brian ordered.

“But . . . You can’t do this. You’ll be caught,” the plucky little scribe argued, making Justin want to roll his eyes at the silly man’s bravado.

“Not where we’re going,” Troi announced. “Nobody will look for us in the Wastelands.” He then cocked the shooter, which made a lovely, audible clicking noise, before pressing the weapon hard against Daphne’s temple. “I’m done with this fucking Surrogate thing. I’m not going to give up my baby to some stupid fucking elites who think they can buy my compliance with a few crusts of bread and some pretty words. So, let’s cut through the bullshit and get this flight off the ground already. Unless you’re with us and don’t give a shit about some scabby Dominion lords either?”

“Just calm down,” one of flyer attendants cautioned, holding out his hand in a placating motion. “There’s no need for bloodshed. We don’t want anyone to be hurt.”

“Good. Then tell the pilot to take off now!” Troi ordered, making a show of jerking Daphne around as violently as possible. “Or you can say goodbye to your Mis’la.”

Within minutes the flyer began taxiing down the field, even as Justin’s security detail continued to pound ineffectually at the sealed portal door. The rogue Surrogates kept up their act until the flyer’s wheels were off the ground. Then, with the shooter still aimed at Daphne’s head, they ordered the attendants and the scribe into the rear cabin and blocked the door closed using the handle of a broom they’d found in the pantry area. Using the intercom system, they ordered the pilots to head east, straight towards the Wastelands. Then came the hardest part, waiting expectantly till they were far enough away that they knew they’d be relatively safe.

Justin kept watch through the windows trying to gauge their progress despite the handicap of the distortions caused by the flyer’s altitude. When the landscape below them changed from the green of the rolling Cascadian hills to a more barren, brown haze, he was pretty sure they’d crossed into the verges of the Wastelands. Justin gave a nod to Troi, who took the initiative to knock on the door of the cockpit.

“This is good enough. Land the flyer,” Troiyes ordered.

“There’s nowhere to land out here. There’s no field. There’s nothing at all,” was the pilot’s response shouted through the intercom.

“I don’t care. Just land. Or else we’ll start picking off our hostages, one by one, and you guys can explain to the authorities why you let two high-profile Domain Elites die,” Troi bluffed with a wink in Daph’s direction.

“Fuck!” was the pilot’s unhappy response. “Okay. Whatever you say, Buddy. Better hold on though. This is gonna be rough.”

Brian and Troi strapped themselves into seats next to their ‘hostages’ and everyone prepared as best they could for the landing.

The pilot hadn’t been kidding, either. The landing was horrible. The pilots did their best, aiming for a clearing in the trees, but clipping several in the process. And when they got to the point where the wheels began to make contact with the rocky ground, it was worse. The flyer was buffeted from side to side, jumping and skipping along as the pilots struggled to keep it from crashing into various obstacles. The headlong rush was only halted when the pilots were unable to navigate between the twin impediments of a tall stack of rocks and the bole of an ancient, defoliated tree trunk. The flyer ended up sandwiched between the two, it’s nose coming to an abrupt rest as both wings were sheared completely off. Luckily, the main cabin remained intact and the occupants were shaken up but not injured.

As soon as the plane stopped rocking, Justin was out of his seat, making sure the others were okay and trying to think through how to effectuate their final escape. The rest of his clan seemed unharmed. They were all out of their seats just moments after Justin. Troi headed back to confirm the rear cabin remained secure while Brian headed towards the cockpit. The door to the rear cabin was still jammed shut but Troi could hear movement inside, so it seemed at least one of their captives had survived the crash. The pilots, though, hadn’t been so lucky; both pilots were injured and unconscious, although Brian wasn’t sure whether their injuries were serious or not. He left them be, still strapped in their seats, caring only that there wasn’t anyone left who could stop or follow them. Justin figured he’d count it as a win and not stress over the possible casualties.

“Okay, Daph & Rose, you guys start gathering any supplies you can scavenge, especially food and medical supplies. Boys, you’re with me - we need to figure out how to get into the cargo hold. Let’s go,” Justin ordered with a renewed sense of energy.

Within an hour they’d managed to excavate the two mini-motors out of the cargo hold along with some useful looking tools and more supplies. One of the motors had been slightly damaged in the crash, but luckily Troi said he knew a bit about mechanics and could fix it. The girls had gathered all the available food and water in the flyer and bundled it up. Brian and Justin had managed to fashion two plastic storage bins into sleds that could be pulled behind the motors; if they rode double, the fifth person could be pulled on a sled behind one motor and the other sled could be loaded with all the supplies. They had also disabled the plane’s communication equipment so nobody could call for help even if the pilots woke up or the captives managed to get out of the closed cabin. Now it was just a question of getting as far away from the scene of the crashed flyer as possible, since it was only a matter of time before Tch’fl Craig would send out a search party to find his lost heir.

Justin looked around him, trying to think if he’d overlooked anything. This was it. From here on out, they were on their own. There was no guarantee they would even survive, let alone find some safe haven. But at least they’d be free. He would never again have to pretend to be someone or something he wasn’t just to please an autocratic father. He had his friends and his lover with him, and hopefully they’d soon have several babies as well. And meanwhile everyone was going to be relying on him to take care of them all.

Fuck! What in the Dominion had he been thinking?

Before he had time to panic, though, Troi climbed out from under the motor he’d been working on, dusted off his trousers, and smiled up at Justin. “Okay. All fixed. This baby should run like a dream now,” the man announced, handing over the wrench and pair of wire cutters he’d been using. “I think we're good to go whenever you’re ready, Mis’l.”

“Good job, Troi.” Justin accepted the tools, looking at them contemplatively for a moment. “But it’s time to stop calling me that. I’m not your Mis’l anymore. I’m just plain, old Justin Kinney from here on out. And you three are no longer Surrogates either, so let’s make it official.”

Justin abruptly reached out, pulled up the front of Troi’s shirt and, using the wire cutters he was holding, clipped through the hoop that attached the Surrogate ID tag to Troiyes’ nipple. The small piece of metal came off easily in Justin’s hand. He handed the tag back to its former owner, using his own hand to curl the man’s fingers around the small but significant object. Troi cocked his head to the side, looking almost confused by this momentous change for half a minute, and then deposited the tag in his trouser pocket with a nod of finality.

Justin held out his hand as if just greeting the former Surrogate for the first time. “Justin Kinney. Nice to meet you, Mr. . . .”

“Clark. Troiyes Clark,” the now grinning man answered proudly.

“Me next!” Rosie was there, pushing Troi aside and bouncing into place. Justin quickly clipped her tag off too. “Yay! I always hated that thing. It kept catching on my robe and made my nipple sore,” she declared. “Oh, and by the way, my real name is Rachel O’Donnell. But you guys can all still call me Rosie if you like. I’ve pretty much gotten used to it by now.”

“Whatever you say, Ms. O’Donnell,” Justin handed her back the used tag and leaned in to kiss the exuberant girl on the forehead.

Then Justin looked around for the last of his Surrogate charges, but didn’t see Brian anywhere.

“Brian?” he called out, getting no response.

A second later, though, they all heard the sound of retching coming from around the back side of the flyer and rushed in a group to see what was up. They found Brian leaning against the flyer's fuselage, bent over as he coughed up what was left of the breakfast they’d eaten back before this crazy morning had started. Justin worriedly rubbed the man’s back until he was done and Daphne passed him a water bottle.

“You okay?” Daphne asked.

“I’ll survive. I think. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate breeding?” Brian asked as he pulled off his Surrogate robe for the last time and used it to wipe his face before tossing it to the ground over the puddle of vomit. “After this baby is born, Justin, remind me never to let you near my ass again.”

“Aw, come on, Mr. Kinney,” Justin chuckled as he stepped up to Brian, lifted the man’s shirt, and used his wire cutters to remove the last ID tag. “I thought you loved babies and wanted to have a whole housefull.”

“The four we’ve got on the way not enough for you?” he asked as he pocketed the old tag and then pretended to walk away in a huff. “Besides, Brian Kinney is a top. Always has been. And I don’t bottom for just anyone.”

“Good thing I’m not just anyone then,” Justin yelled after his man, laughing at the thought of all the fun they’d have arguing about who got to fuck whom in the future.

Then he got serious again, gave a last look around them, and figured it was time. “Okay, troops. I think we’d better get moving. I have no idea how long it’ll take us to find some kind of shelter, but we won’t find it sitting around here. Who wants to drive first?”

Troi took over one of the motors, with Daphne riding behind him and Rosie on their sled. Justin drove the second motor because Brian was still feeling a little nauseated and said he’d probably run them off a cliff if he was put in charge. And, just as the sun was reaching its zenith in the sky overhead, the little convoy of Dominion escapees headed off, aiming the motors towards the west and the hope of a future they couldn’t yet see.

********

It wasn’t until just after sunset two days later that the weary group of stragglers stumbled to a halt, dropping the cords by which they’d been towing their makeshift sleds. The motors had run out of fuel the day before. They’d had to continue on by foot but were still towing the sleds full of their supplies. Luckily, they’d made it out of the worst of the Wastelands over the course of their trek and the terrain was becoming less harsh and rocky and more rolling hills. They were almost out of water, though, so Justin had been trying to force them on until they could find a stream or something.

“I know you’re tired, but we can’t stop here, Brian,” Justin sighed trying to find the strength to keep going himself. “We have to find some kind of shelter at least.”

“How about that?” Brian asked, his voice cracking with fatigue as he pointed to the horizon.

They all looked in the direction Brian had indicated. Justin was as surprised as the rest to see several buildings, a few of which even had lights in the windows. The village was probably less than a mile away. He hadn’t expected to find a habitation this close to the edge of the Wastelands, to be honest, but he was thrilled by the discovery.

“Looks like as good a place as any to start our new life. What do you say, Mr. Kinney? Shall we go introduce ourselves and see if our new neighbors are friendly? Justin asked.

“Whatever you say, Mr. Kinney,” Brian replied, picking up his cord so he could continue on the way with his sled in tow.

“Come on, guys,” Justin waved the rest of his family on. “I have a good feeling about this place.

The former Mis’l watched as Troi began to trudge along in Brian’s wake, with the girls stumbling along behind. They were quite the sight; rag tag and bone tired, their clothing dirty and torn, and all they owned in the world strapped to those two plastic sleds. For a minute or so, he felt completely disoriented. Justin had grown up in the lap of luxury his whole life. It had never even crossed his mind that he’d find himself homeless and bereft of all status, alone in a foreign land where his position in society and lordly manner would afford him nothing. What the hell was he doing?

Then the tallest of the four figures walking away from him paused, turned around and called to him. “Justin? You coming? Or were you planning on making me carry both your baby AND your sorry ass the rest of the way?” Brian cajoled.

And suddenly Justin couldn’t care less about what he’d left behind. He had Brian and the rest of his strange little family. That was all that mattered. You know, he really should have thanked his father before running away. The day Justin had finally given in to Tch’fl Craig’s demands that he take on a Surrogate was the best day of his entire life. And he wouldn’t change anything that had happened since.

“Coming, Dear,” Justin hollered back teasingly and then jogged to catch up with his lover, who welcomed him with a kiss as they took their final steps towards the future together.

********