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1.5

Benezia felt oddly calm.

The asari matriarch was quietly amazed that she had yet to experience a panic attack, especially after such an intense ordeal. It was possible that the shower helped soothe her nerves. It wasn't as nice or luxurious as the bathhouse at her own residence, but the warm rain that spilled over her aching body was welcome all the same.

Hot water flowed down, pouring over her face, her shoulders, her breasts. Down her back, her belly, her legs. It sluiced away the aches, the soreness, and the human seed she hadn't already wiped off with a towel.

Human. Benezia silently fumed at the word. The calm the shower brought began to slowly fade away as she quickly remembered that the damned human hadn't even given her the courtesy of a private shower.

The hot spray was soothing, but it also sapped her of her strength. Benezia didn't resist as the lumbering bulk called Gabriel Montes embraced her from behind. His rough, grasping hands fell upon her bare flanks and the asari squirmed as the human's thick arms began to snake around her belly. She could do little else. Benezia just didn't have the will to fight back. Goddess, she didn't even have enough of a fire within her to even spew insults about his manhood.

What followed was somehow worse. Whether it was the steam of the shower or the heat radiating off of Montes' body, Benezia felt a feverish thrill blooming deep in her belly. The Matriarch wished it was anger, hatred for the human brute who was groping her. But against her rational mind, the part that screamed at her for feelings she knew she shouldn't feel, Benezia still felt want, need, desire.

Even after being used for hours as the human's fucktoy, Benezia loathed to admit that she wanted more.

But she would never tell Montes that. The Spectre was already arrogant enough. He had the gall, the audacity to blackmail her, to threaten the career of her daughter. He ruined her dress, made her kneel before him. He used her mouth, used her body. He was a brute, little better than an animal. And still, he had beaten her. Benezia's pride had already taken enough hits for one evening. She certainly wasn't going to admit to him that he had been good.

"I'll need to send for a change of clothes." Benezia said over the rush of running water. Montes squeezed his arms just a little tighter around her belly, pulling their bodies closer together. He grunted in acknowledgement and Benezia could feel the rumbling in his chest as she leaned back into his body. She could feel something else as well, something firm brushing against her plump backside. It was cock, she knew instantly, the damned thing stirring to life again even after hours of assault upon her body. The asari kept her composure and continued. "I refuse to leave your apartment wearing human garb."

She stressed the word "human" distastefully, hoping to get some sort of rise out of Montes - aside from his cock, of course. But he hadn't cracked once during the brief time she traded barbs with him earlier. And the effect was negated completely when she did nothing to escape from the warmth of his arms. For a woman who was disgusted by him and his species, Benezia didn't seem at all repulsed when his hands came up to cup her breasts.

The Matriarch said nothing as the man began to grope. She sighed as Montes' thick fingers rolled over her nipples. Then she felt his lips at the edge of her ear.

"That's fine. Make a call. You can wait here until they show up." The man's tone was shockingly casual for such an unrepentant blackmailer. He spoke to her like a man discussing dinner plans with his wife. The thought sent a shudder down her back. Then his voice came again, mirthful this time. "I certainly won't kick you out after your performance tonight."

Jokes, Benezia simmered. She felt his cock twitch again, that prodigious shaft brushing against the swells of her ass, the soft flesh against the backs of her thighs. Then came the man's lips, planting soft kisses to her neck. Even in the hot shower spray, the heat of his breath sent tingles across her skin. With his hands still occupied with her tits, Benezia let out a frustrated whine.

"I gave you what you wanted." The Matriarch groaned. Then she hissed as the human ran his thumb insistently over one of her nipples. There was a tremble in her throat that she couldn't stop, and it was all the worse because she knew Montes delighted in making her crack. Benezia tried to pretend that the heat blooming across her cheeks was anger. "Are we finished?"

Montes gave a low chuckle, taking those dark blue peaks between his fingers and gently squeezing. It was white hot fire being poured across her nerves, brilliant embers making her blood simmer and bubble. Benezia let out a shuddering gasp, her legs nearly giving out beneath her.

But then the pleasure was gone, the man's hands falling away from her breasts. Instead, he ran his palms gently over the plushness of her belly. Then he gave a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Nope." He said. And she just knew he was smiling when he did.

Benezia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't have the strength to argue. No, he had stripped her of all that. Drained her, until there was nothing left of the respected Lady T'Soni. Only Nezzie remained, that big-breasted whore that Montes kept around to warm his bed.

"Unsurprising." The asari replied flatly, burying her dread deep down. Somehow, she found the will to squirm out of the human's arms - more likely it was that he allowed her to leave. She turned to face him and was greeted with the sight of a looming mass of wet, naked human standing over her. Even if she loathed the man, Benezia couldn't deny that was the vision of strength. The asari frowned, glowering up at the man. "This is to be a regular occurrence then?"

Montes gave a small grin but his eyes, a moment ago full of triumph and arrogance, were now unreadable. He reached to the side of the shower stall and turned one of the handles. The hot spray petered out into a soft sprinkle, now more mist than rain.

He stepped forth, bringing his bulk right up to her. Taller, broader, and just plain bigger than her was Gabriel Montes. And with him standing so close, it was impossible for Benezia not to notice.

The Matriarch inched backward until she felt her skin touch the tile wall. Montes took the space she ceded, looming large over her smaller frame. And there he stood, unmoving save for the rising and falling of his chest. The man possessed a dominating presence, big and brutish as he was. All firm and corded muscle, every inch of his naked body exuding strength, power, frothing vigor ready to boil over.

Benezia was loath to admit it, but the man was physically impressive. Montes might have repulsed her, being a hairy, lumbering barbarian from a barbaric species, but even she could see why a maiden or matron might take him to bed.

In her wild years, danger seemed fun and exciting to Benezia T'Soni. It was a rush, the thrill of dancing, drinking, and making love with dangerous people. The thieves, the killers, the ruthless wealthy, the men and women of the galaxy who made their own rules and took what they wanted. It wasn't real danger. It was fun.

But now, having loved and lost and started a family of her own, the danger was very real. Cornering her in his shower stall, the danger closed in, planting one hand on either side of her. There was no escape from him, Benezia knew. Montes craned his head down to look her in the eye. She could feel his hot breath on her lips… As well as a twisting in her belly.

"You're going to swear an Osa'Omasi oath." Montes spoke low, his voice cool and calm. But his words struck like lightning.

Benezia drew her arms up as if they would protect her. She hugged them to herself, pressing her back flat against the tile wall. But that had been a mistake. She saw the man's eyes light up, his beastly face leering down at her, drinking in the sight of her ample breasts spilling over her arms.

Osa'Omasi.

Benezia knew the word. Any asari who was familiar with history knew about the oath that many Queens and Empresses had sworn to their conquerors. But few knew what it truly meant. Benezia was among those few… And, regrettably, so was Montes.

"Sexual servitude." The words were cold and bitter on Benezia's tongue. She shook her head, aghast. She looked up at Montes with pleading eyes, hoping beyond hope that he was joking. There was no such luck. "Merciful Athame, you're serious."

Montes reached forward and took Benezia gently by the chin. The Matriarch's breath caught in her throat as she watched the man's eyes turn steely, unyielding.

"Pledge your body to me," His voice was smooth but firm. Adamant. Unwavering. It was a gentle demand that she could not refuse. "Do it and everything you are, everything you have, becomes my responsibility. Liara will become my responsibility. You told me that asari queens endured servitude to save their cities? Do it to protect your daughter. Pledge the oath and all that dirt on you stays buried. You have my word."

Benezia's heart skipped a beat. Montes moved upon her until there was no distance between them, his broad mass pressed flush to her body. One of her hands came to his chest - perhaps to stop him? She found his body hot to the touch. Benezia shivered, trembling against the man who now demanded everything of her.

"Oh." Benezia let out a low, shuddering sound. The coiling in her belly intensified, sending a shock through her body. Her shoulders slumped, defeated. "Oh, Goddess."

Montes seemed to enjoy that, she judged by how she could feel his monstrous manhood twitching, prodding against her thighs. A part of her feared that he would take her again, right there in the shower. Another part of her marveled at the Spectre's absurd stamina. He'd already had his way with her for hours and still he was ready for more.

It was that particular detail that made Benezia dread her future. Suffering through swift violation, an ordeal that was over in minutes, that might have been tolerable. But with a man like Montes, so hardy and vigorous and clearly in his prime? Benezia couldn't imagine lasting a week, let alone the rest of her life.

"Say the oath, Lady Benezia." Montes urged, their lips but inches apart. She could feel the low rumbling in his chest, their bodies were so close together. The asari inhaled sharply, feeling something dark and primal deep down. For a moment, she felt compelled to lurch forward and mash her lips to his. But the desire was fleeting. He spoke again, "Say the words and your family will not come to harm by my hand. You have my word. I swear on my honor. On my blood."

You have no honor, you bastard. And I don't give a damn about your blood. She wanted to scream it in his face. But it wouldn't have done her any bit of good.

Her legs were jelly and her blood ran hot like a fever. But her mind, a storm as it was, remained within her control. Benezia felt terror… and jubilation, to her great shock.

The damned Spectre wanted to make their arrangement a permanent one. Speaking the Osa'Omasi oath would make her his sexual plaything, dooming Benezia to being a human's exotic fucktoy. But an Osa'Omasi oath was binding in both directions.

The asari queens of ages past would never have sworn the sacred words if there was any chance of their conquerors reneging on their end of the agreement. Securing commitment from both sides involved a deep meld, the planting of subconscious compulsions that would ensure both sides stayed true to their oaths.

Benezia's charges would become Montes' charges. He would be compelled to protect Liara as if she was his own daughter. Looking back, it was the easiest decision Benezia had ever faced.

Benezia looked up into the man's eyes and gave a faint nod. Then he leaned down and gave her a soft and shockingly chaste kiss. He pulled away, grinning, and stepped back to give the asari some space. He stood before her, tall, proud, triumphant. And he waited.

The Matriarch of House T'Soni took a deep breath. Her lips trembled, her belly still doing flips, but her spirit was set, her will hardened like iron.

Benezia reached out slowly, placing both of her hands flat against the human's firm, broad chest. The dark, matted hair felt strange against her fingers. It was a curious sensation upon her skin. Most sentient races in the galaxy didn't have hair. But beneath those wet strands, she felt the welcome heat of his skin.

Welcome? Benezia silently chided herself. No, not welcome at all. The man's a beast, nothing more.

But when she finished the oath of Osa'Omasi, he would become the beast who held dominion over her and her family. The very thought sent Benezia's heart pounding like mad. Even so, she steeled her nerves and initiated the meld.

For Liara.

Benezia breathed in slowly and found herself sinking into that deep black. Mentally, she reached out, far out into the darkness… And found Montes. She made the connection.

A flash of light. A brief flare of pleasure. Two bodies became one. For a moment, Benezia understood what it was to be human. She understood his desire, his hunger, his compulsion to take. And still she hated him.

Other than his emotions, which were easy enough to read, his mind was a fortress, a labyrinth of well-guarded plans and secrets. It was expected of a Spectre to have his or her mind in order. But Benezia didn't need widespread access to complete her task. She just needed to reach deep enough to plant the compulsion for duty regarding the oath. She didn't dare consider doing more than that. Making Montes a mindless vegetable was a tantalizing idea, but Benezia wouldn't risk her daughter for a quick revenge.

Dutifully, she placed the mental construct of the oath's compulsions upon a solid foundation within Montes' mind. Then she spoke the words.

"By the spirit of love and passion, under the eyes of the Goddess Athame…" Benezia's voice was calm and clear, free of anger and hate. A sacred oath should not be poisoned with such ugly things. "Your body is my altar, your desires are my code. Give your passion unto me, my conqueror. I will serve. This I swear under the eyes of the Goddess."

When it was done, Benezia broke the meld connection. Her legs nearly fell out from under her, she was so sapped. It had been a while since she had performed a deep meld like that. More than a century, at least.

She heard Montes chuckling. It was beyond vexing that her poor fortune seemed to amuse him. The Matriarch shot the human Spectre a withering glare, but had little energy for much else.

"It's done, then." Montes said simply, looking far too pleased with himself. He backed away then, moving towards the stall door. "Take your time getting cleaned up. And let's keep the extortion bullshit between us, yeah?"

And then he was gone. The shower stall door took a moment to close, allowing a brief gust of cool air to shock Benezia out of her daze. And then it hit her.

This wasn't some nightmare. This was real. She had spoken the binding oath of sexual servitude. To a human.

Her life, her future, was now in the hands of Gabriel Montes.

Benezia's legs finally gave out. She slid down the tile wall, falling onto her ass in the corner of the man's shower. The weak, warm spray pelted softly against her face as the gravity of the situation finally settled in her mind. Deep in the pit of her soul, the fire that was her will to fight flickered out. And there was peace.

The asari let loose a deep, shuddering moan.

"Benezia T'Soni, what have you done?"

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Hours.

Hours of screams, shrieks, moans, and wails. Hours of venomous curses and shouted obscenities.

Hours of listening to the carnal sounds of skin slapping against skin, flesh colliding with flesh.

Hours of hearing her charge being fucked like some lustful, wanton whore.

And Samara would suffer it all without a single word of complaint. She was a huntress. That meant to be without equal. That was why she was the head of Lady Benezia's security team and not any of the other skilled asari warriors under House T'Soni's employ.

The sounds of lovemaking - fucking - had ceased some time ago. Samara had to assume the human had worn out Lady Benezia.

If anything, Samara was impressed. In her centuries of life, she had met only a few individuals who could perform in the bedroom so intensely and for such long periods of time. Most were asari. Two of them had been krogan.

This Gabriel Montes is certainly a vigorous lover, Samara thought wryly. From the sounds the man had ripped from Lady Benezia's throat, it wasn't difficult for the huntress to imagine the kinds of ardent, lustful actions he took upon the Matriarch's ample body…

Samara quickly banished those thoughts from her mind. It was improper for her to perceive her charge in such a way. It was an insult to Lady Benezia. And it was an insult to her own honorable service.

But still, why him? Why choose a human?

Right on cue, the man himself appeared at the edge of the mezzanine above the living room. He wore a pair of black sweatpants and nothing else but for the towel slung over his neck. Clearly, he had just stepped out of the shower. The man caught sight of Samara sitting below and sent her a friendly smile. He gave a small wave and made for the stairs. The huntress could hear his bare feet plodding against the synth-wood steps.

"Your boss is getting cleaned up." He called out to her as he rounded the corner into the living room. "She shouldn't be too long."

Samara gave a nod.

"I see." She said simply. The huntress stole a quick look at the human's unclothed upper body. She drank it in, the chiseled physique, the solid, corded musculature, the way his body softly glistened against the warm light of his holo-fireplace. Formidable, she decided Montes was. It wasn't difficult to imagine him as a Spectre. Humans were larger than asari to begin with, but this man was especially imposing.

Perhaps Benezia wanted a taste of the new species?

It was common for asari maidens, sure. But for a Matriarch? Samara had doubts.

Montes gave her an odd look then and for a moment Samara was afraid that she had been caught. But then his eyes jumped from her to the blank and silent holo-screen above his fireplace.

"Have you just been sitting here this whole time?" He asked her, his voice laced with incredulity.

"Yes."

"No snacks? No vids?" The man sounded almost aghast.

"Distractions." Samara shrugged.

"Wow." Montes blinked, eyes wide like he had been struck. "That sucks."

"I take my job very seriously, Spectre." Samara answered plainly and honestly, but allowed the tiniest curl at the corner of her lips. Just enough for Montes to notice.

"I can see why T'Soni has you as head of security." The man snorted. He pointed towards the kitchen. "Can I at least offer you something to drink? Water?"

"That would be acceptable. Thank you."

That seemed to satisfy the Spectre. Montes gave a cordial grin and retreated into the other room. Samara's eyes followed him, studying the man. He was rough, crude, not at all the cultured, refined sort. This was common among his kind, at least from what Samara had seen since they arrived at the Citadel in the years past. But apparently, that was part of their charm. Or so her own daughters had said.

Montes was not the kind of man who would normally catch a Matriarch's eye, let alone Lady Benezia's. Yet Samara's employer had taken him as a lover all the same.

It wasn't Samara's place to question Lady Benezia's choices. But still, Samara had to wonder: Why?

There was more movement at the mezzanine just then. Samara's eyes darted to the balcony and saw Lady Benezia herself leaning over the railing. The Matriarch was wearing a towel wrapped around her torso and nothing else.

The elder asari looked down at Samara with sharp eyes, elegant and regal despite her state of undress. There was no shame that Samara could see. Instead, there was the kind of dignity that made the huntress proud to serve the House of T'Soni.

"Samara, contact Sephara and notify her that I require a change of clothes." Benezia demanded. "Have her deliver it here. We will depart with her."

Samara obeyed, her omni-tool blinking to life an instant later.

"Yes, mistress. Of course."

"And tell her to have Nela book a masseuse for tomorrow." Benezia added, turning and disappearing back into Montes' bedroom. Her voice called out again, carrying over the balcony and into the living room. "I have a feeling that I'm going to be very sore in the morning."

Samara pressed her lips into a line. She had never known her employer to be so… Crass about her love life.

Montes returned then, holding a glass of iced water. He offered it to Samara who accepted it graciously. Then he shot a look up to the balcony by his bedroom. Judging from his wolfish smile, he had overheard their exchange.

"Impressive lady, isn't she?" Montes crowed, giving Samara a sidelong glance. It almost sounded like he was boasting to her.

"Yes." The huntress agreed. "Very."

END PART ONE