by Eva Brandt
That profound knowledge hypnotized me and dragged me off into a world where only the four of us existed. I melted against him, and for the first time, I dared to acknowledge the hole in my chest, the strange emptiness I’d tried to ignore for so long.
“You don’t have to be in pain any longer,” a voice whispered at the back of my mind. “You can have everything you want. Just reach out and take it.”
I reached out and my lovers did the same. As Knox continued to kiss me, Brendan, Pollux, and August started to take my uniform off. I felt their hands on me and a part of me wanted to help out, to encourage them. But I didn’t have enough coordination, and they were moving too quickly for me to be able to join in.
Knox broke our kiss and nibbled on my neck, making me let out a moan of delight. “It’s all right, Selene,” he whispered. “Just let go. Just be ours.”
Surrender didn’t come naturally to me, but at that moment, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. I was theirs to claim, to fuck, to possess and to protect, and I didn’t want to fight it anymore.
Our clothes ended up in a pile on the cold, metal floor and he set me down in the small nest. As he spread my legs, our eyes met and the intensity in his gaze made me shudder. He kissed my knee and smirked darkly. “Cold? Don’t worry. We’ll heat you right up.”
Following his cue, August lowered his head to my breast and started sucking on my right nipple. I cried out as he bit down on one of the peaked nubs, hot arousal already surging through me. Brendan took advantage of the opening I’d given him. Grabbing my hair, he turned me around and shoved his cock into my mouth.
The motion was so sudden it brought tears to my eyes. I wasn’t very experienced at this sort of thing and he was pretty well-endowed. But Knox’s earlier words were still ringing in my head. “Be ours,” he had said, and I wanted that. I truly wanted us to be one in every possible way.
We’d come so close before, but we’d been thwarted by our own fears. Not again. Closing my eyes, I focused on that emotion, all the while doing my best to ignore the mild discomfort. It might not have worked, but Knox helped when he buried his face between my legs and thrust his tongue into my pussy.
Knox had always been as ravenous in all his appetites as his chimera, and today was no different. As he flicked his tongue over my swollen clit, he shoved two fingers into my channel. I moaned around the dick in my mouth, and in response, Brendan grunted and tightened his hold on my hair.
“Fucking hell, princess. You’ll be the death of me.”
He sounded wrecked and the realization made me feel powerful and wanted. Just because I could, I moaned again, trying to encourage him, to encourage them all.
It worked better than expected. A shudder went through Brendan’s frame, swept over me and all the way into Knox. Knox growled and lifted his head.
“I wanted to take my time with you, but I can’t wait.”
“You don’t need to,” August said, releasing his hold on my nipple. “I bet she’d just love to come on your cock. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
They didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, Brendan pulled his dick out of my mouth, giving Knox a little more room. I might have protested had Knox not picked me up and impaled me on his shaft.
It was rough, raw, almost brutal. At the mercy of his punishing pace, I tried to cling to his shoulders, to clear the haze descending over my mind. I failed. Brendan shoved both Knox and me down. We ended up lying on the floor, with me on top of Knox. The next thing I knew, another cock was sliding into my pussy, right next to Knox’s.
My mind went blank. For a few seconds, I panicked, because I thought it couldn’t possibly fit. I was wrong. Knox and Brendan went a little more slowly while my body adjusted, but in the end, my flesh yielded to them, as if I’d always been meant to belong to them like this.
When they started pounding in and out of my willing body, Tartarus’s flame responded to their presence. Power vibrated through me, hot and fierce. I couldn’t tell if was just mine or also theirs, but it didn’t really matter. Every single inch of me was alive with the sexual intensity of the moment.
I wasn’t sure what made me come. Maybe it wasn’t anything in particular, just the natural escalation of the pleasure we shared. I could’ve sworn I felt Knox dig sharp claws in my hip, but the pain dissipated into a haze of almost agonizing ecstasy as bright as the Sun itself.
Knox and Brendan thrust inside me one last time and followed me over the edge. Waves of pulsing heat filled my insides, and the power Sphinx had given me burst over us, as intense as it had been during the tournament. Once again, I could feel their emotions, their almost overwhelming desire for me. It battered my consciousness, sweeping everything else away.
I was still convulsing in the waves of my climax when August pulled me into his lap. Barely aware of myself and what was happening, I went along with everything he did. My slick pussy easily took his dick, but I was too dazed to hold myself upright on top of him. Pollux helped me out. He came up from behind me, his cock nudging my ass.
“I wanted to keep my distance from you,” he said, “but I just can’t help myself.”
Tears sprang out in my eyes all over again as he slowly slid in. We’d never had anal sex, so it was a tight fit. It didn’t hurt as much as I expected it to. My body received him smoothly, and I realized that at one point, he must’ve prepared me for this in some way. When had that happened? I didn’t know but neither did I care.
All I cared about was them, having them again and again, until we all forgot everything and anything outside these walls, until every single secret between us became distant and irrelevant.
Pollux and August fell into a fast, but easy rhythm, moving in perfect sync to make sure I was never empty. Somehow, they even had enough coordination to give me pleasure in other ways. August reached upward to fondle my breasts and Pollux sucked on my neck, so hard he’d undoubtedly leave a bruise. Knox and Brendan joined us, and although they didn’t try to fuck me again, their overwhelming presence still stole the breath out of my lungs.
It could have been because of tachyon manipulation, or just the result of my own need answering to theirs. Either way, my vision started to swim and my world turned into a whirlwind of lust and fire.
I didn’t know how long it lasted, but by the time they were done with me, I’d lost count of how many times I came. We ended up lying together on the nest of wet uniforms, breathing hard and exhausted. I was covered in their semen and my own juices, but I didn’t feel dirty. Instead, it felt as if this intense episode had cleansed me of my previous fears and doubts.
My lovers must have agreed. Brendan cupped my cheek and kissed my temple, a strikingly chaste gesture after what we’d shared earlier. “You’re so beautiful, Selene,” he whispered. “I think I’m going to keep you.”
“Don’t I get a say in that?” I croaked out. My voice sounded rough and raspy, almost to the point that I couldn’t recognize it myself. I didn’t mind it, because I knew why that was. “I didn’t hear you asking for my permission.”
“Sorry,” Knox murmured from behind me. “You had a say before, but not anymore. You’re ours and that’s all there is to it.”
Maybe they were right. Even if I had so many hopes and dreams, so many things to accomplish, I could be theirs anyway. It was a comforting thought to have, an anchor in a world that was so alien to me.
If the tight hold Brendan had on me reminded me a little too much of that collar around the slave woman’s throat, I deemed it a foolish thought. After all, my lovers would never treat me like that. Everything they’d done had been to protect me. I trusted them and I had faith that together, we would be able to change the world.
* * *
Jar’yd
Elsewhere
“Your expedition went well, but it could have gone downhill very quickly.” The Great Mother pursed her lips as she eyed me from head to toe in visible disapproval. “You could’ve easily ruined the whole plan by getting so close
to Hyperion Base 35 in your state.”
Suppressing a flinch, I struggled to provide a good explanation. I’d long ago stopped being the boy who burned himself with his own flame, but even so, our omnipotent ruler was still as intimidating to me as she’d always been. “The Grand Judiciary isn’t exactly known for paying attention to small details. They’ve lost track of the big picture since the war.”
“I know that. I still wish you’d been more careful.”
I didn’t bother pointing out I’d abandoned all caution when I’d agreed to go undercover as Jared Glass, chimera tamer from the Harpy Squad. So many times, I’d feared my Harpy would see right through me, that she’d realize I was lying to her. Harpies weren’t as closely connected to their tamers as Grand Chimeras, but they could still sense and see emotions and thoughts. It had taken everything in my power to hide my true intentions from Zephyrus.
The Great Mother knew all that. She’d been aware of the risks of sending me to Chimera Academy, especially when I’d been so young and untrained. Many had voiced their disagreement with her choice, as they’d believed I wouldn’t be able to complete my mission.
But I had, and now I was back. It should’ve felt more satisfying. I tried very hard to not think about the reasons why it wasn’t.
The Great Mother got up from her throne, her indistinct figure surrounded by a glow so powerful her face and features were invisible even to us Heliads.
“You’ve always been such a good child,” she said. “I believe a reward is in order.”
“A reward?” I repeated. “No, Great Mother. I mean, I couldn’t possibly ask for that. I was only doing my duty.”
“Indeed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t give you a small gift for completing your task.” She hummed thoughtfully. “I know. How about that flame-haired female? You seemed quite taken with her.”
Fuck. I’d done my very best to keep my distance from Selene Renard. When that hadn’t worked and Selene had begun to date the Grand Chimera pilots, I’d been placed in the unfortunate position of harassing her.
If I’d had it my way, she would’ve been shipped back to Terra before anyone could have ever touched her. But that hadn’t been possible, and now, she’d drawn the Great Mother’s attention on top of that.
“Great Mother…”
“It’s all right, Jar’yd. Desire is a perfectly normal emotion and we do need more females to breed. Selene Renard will be a wonderful addition to our ranks.”
My mouth went dry as I imagined Selene wreathed in flame, joining me in my home, kissing me like she had on Mercury, spreading her legs for me. I knew she was sleeping with those assholes from the Grand Chimera Unit, but they didn’t deserve her. They could never appreciate the type of power and greatness she possessed. With us, on the other hand, she could truly become what she was meant to be.
“I see the thought appeals to you. I’m happy to see it. We truly need more young for our armies. With some help, Ms. Renard can become quite fertile. I expect you to inseminate her as soon as possible.”
She was talking as if I’d already brought Selene here and convinced her to be my mate when that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Then again, the Great Mother always saw things I couldn’t. Who was I to question her? If I got what I wanted—Selene—I’d be more than happy to follow her orders. “Of course, Great Mother. Thank you for your generosity.”
The Great Mother’s light flowed over me like a physical touch, her ethereal fingers sliding through my hair. “Such a good child. If only more of our people were like you, we wouldn’t be in this position in the first place. But ah, well. It’s too late for regrets.”
She sat back down on her throne, once again the ruthless sovereign. “Go now. Retrieve your prize. And one more thing, Jar’yd. Be careful of August Cavallero. As charming as your Selene is, it seems she has saved him, and I wouldn’t want the changeling to ruin my plans.”
I tried not to display my frustration, but I must’ve failed because she laughed. “I know what you’re thinking, Jar’yd, but I have my reasons for keeping him alive. He might not know what he is, but that doesn’t change the truth.
“August Cavallero is a Heliad, and when the time comes, he’ll be our most useful weapon against our enemies. We will finally destroy the chimeras and take back what was stolen from us.”
The helix-shaped tower started spinning. I closed my eyes and drifted through darkness and light, through the void of space, into nothingness and reality.
When I came to, I was standing outside the familiar Terran city that had been the homeland of my ancestors. There were no chimeras here to detect me. Gaia’s Gift was not enough to hold me back.
I remembered the kiss I’d shared with my beautiful Selene on Mercury and smiled. Soon, I’d claim her for myself and no one would be able to stop me.
THE END
II
Tears of Tungsten
The Grand Tartarus Tournament is over, but Selene’s journey at Chimera Academy has just begun. With Charybdis out of commission, tensions at the school escalate, threatening the tenuous balance between the star fleets. When Selene becomes the target of an alien with a secret agenda, the new contender to her affections might prove too much for the Chimera Warriors to handle.
Prologue
It was the year 2153. The war with the heliovore apsids had claimed more than eighty percent of Terra’s population. The numbers of losses would’ve been even higher, had chimeras not taken over most of the fighting.
With the massive, tachyon-fueled mechas as their allies, humans had a mild edge over the apsids. It didn’t help as much as they wanted.
One of the final battles was held near the planet Mercury. In the clash between the Terrans and their foes, Mercury was almost destroyed, large parts of it turning into an asteroid belt. The true extent of the damage to the apsids was unknown, but after the battle, they stopped their attacks, retreating to their mysterious homeland. Over the following decades, incursions in Terran territory were few and unremarkable.
It was this retreat that ultimately led The Hyperion task force to attempt a mission in the depths of The Apsid Quasar. Terran forces suffered a devastating loss, and apsid activity increased again.
Another war was coming and, this time, the chimeras were nowhere near as prepared to handle the apsids as they had been before.
The Dreamer
Selene
“Run! Run! The creature is after you! It will consume you!”
“Don’t look at it! It’ll turn you to stone!”
“The dragon! Typhon’s monster is coming! Run.”
Desperate screams echoed over the battlefield, audible only to the Heliads. The stench of scorched flesh and melting metal settled over the surface of the planet as if it had an atmosphere of its own. Clutching my sword, I hid behind a rocky outcropping and tried to find a way to escape.
The monsters had come out of nowhere. This particular group was the most vicious my unit and I had ever faced. Medusa was the one I hated the most. She didn’t have as much firepower as the others, but she didn’t need it. The eyes of the mecha held the same power her mythological counterpart had been cursed with. Wherever that energy came from, we couldn’t fight it, not like we fought the fire the rest of the chimeras emanated.
And then there was Typhon, who was practically indestructible and overwhelmed us through sheer size. Rumor had it that he could propagate a venomous aura, but nothing was certain. Very few Heliads engaged him in combat and lived to tell the tale.
I forced myself to calm down and stole a look around the battlefield. Yes, the situation looked bad. Yes, I’d lost one of my hearts. But I could heal. All I had to do was make my way to the escape shuttle. Nexus would undoubtedly send reinforcements. The Great Mother wouldn’t abandon us to die and be eaten by the chimeras.
My hopes proved to be for naught. It took one second, a single moment of distraction, for everything to fall apart.
“There you are, little Heliad,” a dark
voice suddenly said from above me.
I turned and tasted horror in my mouth when my worst fears came to pass. Impossibly, Medusa had managed to sneak up on me, and now, her massive frame cast my whole world into shadow. Metallic snakes hissed from her hair. As a rule, their role was to make sure Medusa had perfect vision from every angle, at any time. But right then and there, they were completely focused on me.
I knew I shouldn’t look at her, that I should be trying to retreat. But some kind of terrible fascination settled over me, and I found myself meeting her gaze.
“Look at that,” she drawled. “It looks like I have an extra spicy meal on today’s menu. Typhon will be so pleased.”
In the dark emptiness of space, her fangs shone almost as brightly at the sun. I stared at them and remembered different times, different days, kisses that tasted like tears, the warmth of my mother’s embrace, my brother’s laughter, and the Great Mother’s determination.
I’m sorry. I failed you.
Medusa didn’t turn me to stone. She opened her mouth, ready to consume me. This was to be my fate then. I’d end up in a chimera’s stomach, to be used as fuel in the never-ending battle between two races. I’d become a tool against my people.
My end never came. Instead of plunging me into fire and death, Medusa asked, “Selene? What’s wrong?”
The incomprehensible words jarred me from my trance. I tried to look at Medusa again, to see what she meant by that. But Medusa was gone, and the planet was crumbling around me.
A distant cry reached my ears, although I couldn’t detect the source. “Selene! Snap out of it.”
My name wasn’t Selene. It was… It was… Helios help me, I couldn’t remember anymore.
“Selene! It’s all right! I’m here. Come back to me. Come on, beautiful! Open your eyes.”