I awoke on my side, curled up against my brother, unable to tell how long I'd been asleep. I felt better. Almost content. The light in the room had dimmed even further as the candles melted down to nothing. Sounds of sex still echoed occasionally as I lay there quietly listening. None of the slaves it seemed had left. And I also heard the sounds of satisfied slumber.

Then I came fully awake as I noticed something else. My arms were free and wrapped tightly around Alex's waist. And the bit was gone as well. I popped my jaw twice and ran my dry tongue around my mouth, trying to get any moisture I could. I pushed back a little to bring a hand up, rubbing the stiffness in my jaw away. And when I opened my eyes for the first time, my brother was watching me, smiling with amusement and affection.

"How long?" I croaked, my voice hoarse and my throat painfully dry. Alex placed a finger against my lips to stop me from straining my vocal cords further. Then he gently coaxed my head forward to place a soft kiss on my mouth, offering his own moisture. He licked my lips, encouraging them to open. And I obeyed immediately, unable to resist the temptation. I pulled his
tongue in deep, drinking all he had to give. When he pulled away I moaned at the loss.

"There's more, Scotty. More you can have, if you're willing." I sighed, knowing what he meant. Alex brushed a lock of my hair back behind an ear with his fingers. "Come on Scott. You know you can't win. Do it...for me. And I'll let you have some water." I cocked my eyebrow up suspicious. But he gave a sharp nod with a mischievous grin. "Honest. Real water."

"Fuck." I sat up and looked at his cock bobbing slightly against his stomach as he shifted onto his back. It began to harden under my gaze as if it already knew I'd give in.

"Why don't you fight this, Alex?" I asked looking back at his face.

He sighed, lifting up on his elbows. "I've already told you. He's won. He's used my weakness against me."

I shook my head. "I can't believe that! You're stronger than this! Stronger than..."
"No!" Alex cut me off sharply and I heard the bitterness in his voice.

"I'm not that strong. And neither are you." He turned his head away and plucked thoughtfully at a pillow. I watched him saying nothing. Finally he looked back at me. "I've tried. I've come up with every possible plan to escape. But he's a thief. A thief, Scott. He's one step ahead. Always. He's already conceived every plan I've ever come up with, so he already has it countered."
Alex ran a finger across the rim of his collar. "I can't get close to anything that could cut this off without taking my head. And while Remy gives me a good deal of freedom in this castle given the circumstance, the collar has a locating device. And a program to activate if I step off the grounds.    He grew silent, brooding.

"What about the portal?" I suggested. "Can you go through it?"
"I never tried." He replied.
"Are you saying no one's ever told you what would happen?" I frowned. Surely there'd be rules for us, things we were told we couldn't do and why. Alex rubbed his forehead in irritation. "No one tells me anything. Most of what I found out about this place I found out the hard way."
"But..." I began.
"No!" He barked through gritted teeth, causing me to flinch back. "I'm not getting out of here. Period. The best I can hope for is that he'll get tired of me and let me go home. Same goes for you." He looked at me hard as he made this last remark, then his eyes sparked in anger. "Now do you want that water or do I have to put the bit back in?"

"Fuck." Came my instant reply. Then, "Will you take this fucking ring off?"
His eyes softened, but he shook his head. "You're just not ready. You've got a lot to learn and I don't have much time." I dropped my head, turning it away from him and closed my eyes in disgust. I felt a hand come down on my neck and shoulder. "But if you cooperate, maybe I'll release it for a while today. Let you pee on your own."

I didn't open my eyes then, or respond for several minutes. Finally I inhaled with another curse, "Fuck", and bent to lick the tip of Alex's cock just as I'd seen my beautiful one do. Some of the men began to move closer to watch. I flushed, still extremely uncomfortable being observed having sex, let alone giving head. But I kept at my task, taking Alex's testicles between my fingers squeezing them gently. * This is my brother. This is my brother. This is my brother. * rang over and over in my head. But I kept licking, coaxing, teasing his penis stiff, watching with some satisfaction, as the blood filled his shaft making it heavy. And hot. So hot I felt as if I'd burnt my tongue. Then a tiny drop of fluid oozed up from the head of the shaft and I was lost in the need. Pavlov's well-trained dog. I pulled him into my mouth sucking hard to draw more fluid out of him. My brother gasped and my eyes shot up to look at his face. He'd put his hands behind his head and his eyes were shut. His face bore an expression of ecstasy which suddenly twisted into rage.

"Teeth!" He hissed.
It took a while for him to release. I needed a good deal of instruction on how to give head. But finally I found my rhythm and soon after he exploded in my mouth with a grunt of satisfaction. This time I could savor his taste. I held the head of his penis
gently between my lips pulling out every bit he could give. Then, as I let go his limp cock, I sat back, rolling the juice around with my arid tongue, moistening every inch of my mouth before swallowing. I had to admit it tasted wonderful after being dry for so long.

Alex lay quietly in the same position, on his back with his arms behind his head. His breath was slow and even and his eyes were closed. He wore a slight satisfied grin. It took me a moment to realize he was asleep. I had to smile, wondering what Lorna must have thought of him, dozing off so fast. I looked at him for a few minutes actually admiring his beauty, so soft and vulnerable in sleep, until I realized he had promised me water. As I moved to prod him awake I was interrupted from a soft whisper above. "Asleep." It was my pleasure.

"Yeah." I replied turning to look up at him.

He smiled at me brightly as he crawled down next to me. "Tired. He stayed awake watching you most of the night. I frowned. "He did?"

The slave's grin broadened and he nodded. "I would do the same thing, Gift of Allah." His hand flashed out then to pluck one of my nipples, gently tugging it hard with his fingers. Startled I pulled away from him sitting back on my hands, nervous but undeniably aroused. "Why do you call me that?"

He leaned into me then, his body stretched across mine, his lips inches from my lips. "Because you are a mutant. You have great power. God does not give that gift to everyone." I blinked. Such a strange revelation from a human after living in a world that hated and feared mutants.

"Where are you from?" I asked, curious.
"Pakistan."

"From earth? My earth?" I wasn't certain if this Alternate Universe had parallel countries.

"Yes. The hunters came for a mutant in our village. Khalid could make things  dance without touching them."
Telekinetic I assumed.
"One of the hunters saw me and thought I would make a good gift for my master." His hand came back up as he said this and began sliding down my chest. He bent his head to watch the movement and I thought he was going to take a nipple between his teeth. I didn't fall back from his hand this time, but I wasn't certain about letting him go further so I asked, "Remy?"

He looked up with a seductive smile. "Yes. He was happy with me for a time. But he needs his own kind. Ones with power. You are honored to be taken. You will be well loved."
I narrowed my eyes in irritation taking his hand away. "It's an honor to be a slave? To be forced into sex with another man? It's rape."

"Perhaps. At first," He cocked his head still smiling, "you might think that. But a few nights with my master and you will be...content."

I turned my head and snorted in disgust. "So I've been told." Then I looked up at him still holding his hand away. "Is that what happened to you?"

He nodded. "For five nights I was taken to his bed. I fought the first night.

But then I realized how good it was here. I come from a poor family. Some days I didn't eat. Here you get three meals a day."
Alex stirred beside me suddenly and I looked over holding my breath, anxious that he might wake up. I had the feeling this slave might get into trouble talking to me, let alone touching me. My brother only turned on his side away from us and began to snore softly. Looking up, I scanned the room. There weren't any guards present and most of the others had fallen back to sleep, not interested in me now that I wasn't servicing Alex. I relaxed a little and looked up at my beautiful one. Keeping my voice low I asked, "What's your name?"

"Zaki." He replied. "But here they call me Neil."

Neil, as in Neil Shaara, I realized, aka Thunderbird. One of the newest X-men. It fit. Both men were dark headed with olive skin. I began to tell Zaki I liked his given name better, but he silenced me with a searing kiss. "No more talking," he said as he broke away. "We do not have much time. And I wish to finish what I started." Running his fingernails lightly down my belly, it quivered in response and I nodded in understanding, still dazed from his bruising kiss. Zaki smiled, pushing me down into the pillows and captured a nipple with his teeth. I arched my back and moaned. But more than anything he was doing right now, I wanted that ring off my cock. "Take it off." I whispered a bit too harshly, even moving my hand down towards my groin.

He stopped my hand. "Patience, mutant," came his whispered response. But his tongue began to move quicker down my chest and belly, closer to the source of his desire.

"What the hell?!" Alex was awake, pulling up on his elbows and shaking the sleep from his eyes. Coming fully awake he shoved Zaki away from me and got to his feet calling for the guards.

"No." Zaki said quietly, sadly. "Please master. I am sorry." No crying or groveling. He knew that in that moment Alex could spare him from punishment.

But he had a quiet dignity. My brother swung around narrowing his eyes in anger.

"Come on, Alex." I said standing to face my brother. "It's my fault. He came over to watch me...and you fell asleep...so I asked him to..."

"Don't lie to me, Scott." Alex turned his hard look on me. "You wouldn't initiate any of this. Even to get that ring off."

"Please. I am sorry." Zaki said again. "He is so handsome. I wanted to please him. I am sorry." His eyes were so sincere in their sadness, I inhaled sharply. I was close to tears at the feelings I saw in those eyes. Regret, longing, need. Despite having a 'good' life here as a pleasure slave, Zaki was lonely.

 "Alex," I said not taking my eyes off Zaki. "There's no harm done. Can't you let it go?"

I heard him sigh and saw him rub his forehead with one hand. He wasn't cruel. He wouldn't like having to punish one of the slaves. But Zaki's action might have overstepped even his limits. Finally he looked down at the remorseful, lonely man.   "You know he's in training?" Zaki nodded.

"I told him he couldn't have the ring taken off. He's not ready." Another nod.

"You could have done some damage here, ruined the training, put it behind schedule. You know that?"

"I did not think..." Zaki started but Alex interrupted him.

"No. You didn't think. And this could have gotten my brother punished further."

Zaki's face grew pale and his eyes wide. "But he is special. He is a Gift of Allah. Surely one such as him would never be punished."

Alex shook his head. "Do you think he wants to be here? Do you think this training isn't a punishment for him? He'd have to go back in the stocks."

I shuddered. "It wouldn't have gotten to that point." I said.

"No?" Alex looked at me. "This is behavior modification, Scott. Sensory depravation and sensory overload. Everything I do to you is done for a specific reason at a specific time. If the plan is altered in anyway I may as well start over." I looked at him in surprise. I never knew he understood psychology. That had never been his field. But I understood the ramifications. I'd been taught it by the professor to enhance my leadership abilities.

"But you..."  He silenced me. "Shut up and let me talk to Neil."

"Zaki." I muttered under my breath.

Alex snapped a look at me but said nothing. Then he looked back at Zaki. "I'm not sure about letting this go unpunished. You should have known better."

Just then one of the guards entered. I had to wonder what took them so long. Had they really heard my brother or was this just a chance encounter, one of the guards coming to relay a message to him? Obviously, they'd heard him call, because the guard said, "What do you want, slave?" That determined my brother's decision.

"Nothing." He said with a glare to the guard. "Just a misunderstanding. But since you're here, take this slave back to his room."

Alex pulled Zaki to his feet and handed him over to the guard. "I'll speak to you later, Neil."

"Has he done something?" The guard asked, suspicious.

"It's none of your concern. I'll deal with this problem." My brother saw the doubt cross the guard's face so he added, "Do you want to take this up with Remy? I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that you had a problem with one of my decisions."

The guard stared back a moment or two in anger and then grabbed Zaki's arm roughly and pulled him out of the room. As my pleasure went by me he smiled weakly calling me Gift of Allah one last time.

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