Tiberius exhaled, watching as the body of Ricardo Marzione, a.k.a. Slick Rick, sank into the depths. It’s a shame, he thought, that humans are not adaptable enough to breathe under water. The thought of Slick Rick sitting down there, reflecting on his mistakes for the rest of his tragically short lifespan, was preferable to the quick and easy death he and Quintus had dealt out. It was more than a bottom feeder like Marzione deserved.

Tiberius didn’t like taking a life, but he had a responsibility to care for those who had put their trust and faith in him. A good scare and public humiliation simply weren’t enough of a deterrent to those who preyed on young women and profited by selling them as sex slaves.

“It had to be done,” Quintus said quietly from beside him.

“Sane quidem.” Clearly indeed.

Well, no one could say their first journey around the Earth’s sun had been boring thus far. In the past twelve months, they had faced many challenges, not the least of which was learning the customs and practices of local culture.

For instance, discovering that paramours like Sugar and Spice were essentially breaking the law had been shocking. On Aequoria, such a calling was both a respected and highly lucrative profession. The best courtesans, female and male, studied their vocation for years, becoming experts in the physical and spiritual pleasures of the body, and were highly sought after. The need to touch and be touched, to connect with another, was an intrinsic and enjoyable aspect of life.

In that respect, humans weren’t all that different. They, too, sought comfort and pleasure in one another. The difference was, outside of political officials, that sort of thing was frowned upon here, effectively forcing participants to operate outside the protection of the law.

In Tiberius’s opinion, suppressing those intrinsic urges and forcing them into the realm of the illegal, dirty, and taboo not only seemed counterproductive but ultimately damaging to the individual and society, as well.

Why not allow consenting adults to take pleasure in one another? Why not provide a safe, controlled environment for the curious, the lonely, and the willing to seek out those wholly natural physical connections? And, like any skilled professionals who provided such a desired and valued service, shouldn’t they be justly compensated?

To Tiberius, who had been raised in such a world, it was, as the locals said, “a no-brainer.”

However, much to his dismay, he had also discovered that many who engaged in the profession did not do so by choice, but out of desperate necessity, and that made all the difference. In any civilized, evolved society, the freedom to choose one’s own path was paramount, whatever that path might be.

It had been that basic premise that had been the foundation of their success thus far. As word spread, more had come. They turned no one away, and as a result, had created a fiercely loyal family of sorts. Bait was not only a revenue producing endeavor; it was also a safe haven for those who had few options. Those who worked there not only received compensation in the form of fair wages; they were also provided with a place to live and a chance to pursue their dream, whatever that might be.

Spice, for example, not only handled Bait’s public relations, she was also taking classes at the local community college, working toward a degree in Management. And Sugar, who chose to continue as a courtesan, had just returned from a week-long seminar based on the Kama Sutra. Jay, as it turned out, was quite adept at information and digital technology, and had been instrumental in finding and acquiring everything they needed.

Despite the occasional challenges issued by men like Slick Rick and his ilk, things were going well. They had wealth, power, and the loyalty and respect of those around them. It wasn’t exactly the same as being a royal prince on his native planet, but it was close.

Tiberius had nearly everything he could ask for. The only thing he didn’t have was the chance to find his mate, someone with whom he could bond on both the physical and spiritual level and share his innermost thoughts. That was the true punishment of his exile—he would never know the completeness of finding the one person the universe had chosen specifically for him and him alone.

He sighed quietly. Perhaps it had never been meant to be.

Beside him, Quintus shifted, no doubt sensing his disquiet. Such a loyal, fierce friend. The only one who had stood by him.

In following him into exile, Quintus had also resigned himself to a half-life. Tiberius wondered if his friend had taken that into consideration when he had made the impulsive decision to jump into the portal with him.

Not that Quintus seemed to mind terribly. His friend, his brother in all but blood, had no trouble finding willing females to share his bed, but it wasn’t the same as having a mate. Even if Quintus hadn’t given the idea much thought beforehand, having the possibility taken away was disheartening.

“Shall we return? The human patrol will be on the water before long.”

Tiberius nodded. Discretion was crucial, and thus far, they had managed to elude the direct attention of the local authorities. For the most part, they remained in their opulent dwelling, venturing out only at night when necessary. Since they were primarily nocturnal, it suited them well.

He opened his mouth and called to the sea creatures, informing them of the new item that had just been added to their underwater buffet. By the time the local patrol arrived, there would be nothing left to find of the human trafficker Ricardo Marzione.