Integration

by A. C. Ellas

  Yeri set the mug back down, and Cai focused on his scent again. He could smell his emotions distinctly. Surprise, awe, curiosity... lust. Yeri knew he lusted. He almost pulled away then realized that Yeri was also horny. He could sense it, an underlying edginess verging on need. It wouldn’t be long before it was a real, driving need for the Rovani.

  “You’re horny,” Cai noted.

  “So are you,” Yeri countered. He pulled back, and Cai released his mind.

  “I thought you were given the shot?”

  “I was. Yesterday, in fact. But it didn’t work. If it had, I wouldn’t be horny.” Yeri shrugged. “I believe Lee warned you that it might not work?”

  “He said something to Nick,” Cai agreed. “I take it that you and Lee are lovers?”

  “We’re not only lovers, we’re a telempathically bonded pair.” Yeri met his gaze calmly. “Lee wasn’t permitted to come. Not until he’s trained enough people that his loss wouldn’t be catastrophic.”

  Cai glanced at the door and smiled as Nick walked in. Right on time, he told his spouse. The shot didn’t work.

  Yeri stood easily but remained silent as Nick entered.

  Nick walked over. “Hello, Commander.”

  “Good afternoon, Captain. Please call me Yeri.”

  “Only if you call me Nick. Please, sit down.” Nick sat down beside his husband.

  “That might be an issue, sir.” Yeri shrugged and glanced at Cai then resumed his seat on the edge of the cushion.

  “Why?” Nick asked reasonably. “We’re all off duty here. Except for Cai; technically, he’s never off duty.”

  “You’re my commanding officer,” Yeri replied quietly. “And you’re human. My instinct is to call you master. I have to remind myself not to do so.”

  Nick took a deep breath. “Cai told me the shot didn’t work. How can you know that so soon?”

  “Nothing changed. I remember how it felt when the shot did work, and I don’t feel like that. I’m mildly horny now, and I can feel the need steadily growing.” Yeri grimaced. “I’m not my father. I inherited Zora’s sex drive.”

  “I promised your Doctor Tavlakis that we’d take care of you.” Nick glanced at Cai and raised his eyebrows. You said you wanted him. Has that changed?

  Only if you’re willing, too.

  Nick looked back to Yeri. “Do you want sex before or after dinner?”

  Those very green eyes flashed as they narrowed. “I am tempted to tell you no just on general principles, if only for your presumption. I am not in need yet, and you are not my mate. But, Lee isn’t here, and I will be in need sooner rather than later.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cai interrupted. “Really. We did make an assumption, and you’re right to be angry.”

  Yeri’s gaze transferred to him. He shook his head minutely. “It doesn’t matter in the end, does it.” With that cryptic statement, he stood and started to undress. “Now is fine, if that’s what you want.”

  Nick stood and grabbed his hands, stopping them on the second button down. “It does matter. It matters to me, it matters to Cai. If we’re not whom you want, we won’t force you. You’re not a slave.”

  Yeri looked down at the hands holding his then back up. “For that alone, I could learn to love you, but you’re wrong. Free I might be in the legal sense, but it always comes back to biology. My body will give me no choice.”

  “But you can choose who you want to be with.” Cai stood and joined them, adding his hands atop Nick’s then sliding them to Yeri’s wrists so that they were flesh to flesh, too. “It doesn’t matter that we admire you or that we find you attractive. If you don’t want us back, it won’t happen. There are a thousand people on this ship for you to pick from.”

  The physical contact was more than enough for Cai to feel Yeri’s anguish, to understand the pain he was in, right through Yeri’s shields. He felt no guilt at this since Yeri knew exactly how they felt thanks to his incredible nose. Softly, he added, “You don’t have to be strong with us. You don’t have to wear a mask or pretend to be the creature of legend you’ve been painted to be. You can be yourself.”

  “I’d prefer that you be yourself,” Nick chimed in. “I want to know Yeri. Not the legendary War Leader. I want to know the music teacher that all the gatakia loved, I want to know the person that Doctor Tavlakis knows. He must care deeply about you, and I’m guessing you already miss him, too. If you don’t want sex with us, can we at least be friends?”

  Yeri abruptly pulled his hands away from them but not to retreat. He stepped forward, bringing his hands up to either side of Nick’s face, then kissed him full on the lips. Cai was certain tongue was involved. He didn’t laugh because he sensed what it did to Yeri.

  When the kiss ended, Cai reached out, turned Yeri’s head toward him, and returned the favor. Yeri’s mouth was cool and tasted pleasant. Cai could feel the pleasure of the kiss as well as the focus of the scent-lock. He’d heard the young ones talking about scent-lock, but he hadn’t understood it until now. By the act of that simple kiss, Yeri had made his choice because, now, he had no choice, he had to have relief.

  Undressing him turned into a joyous interlude of discovery, caresses, and exploration. Yeri had a beautiful body, strong and muscular under a soft, plush layer of patterned fur. The fur felt good under their fingers, and they could tell that Yeri enjoyed being stroked, enjoyed feeling their hot, human hands running over his body. Between their bond and the empathic pleasure sharing of the scent-lock, they were hyperaware of everything they felt, everything was shared, magnified, and fed back to one another.

  Yeri licked Nick behind his ear, but there seemed no point to licking there specifically. But they remembered Lee’s advice, and since Cai had the better angle, he licked behind Yeri’s ear. It wasn’t dry like he expected, there was a coating of fluid there, and it was musky and spicy, but the pleasant flavor was nothing compared to the bolt of pure pleasure that flashed through them. Yeri moaned, and his knees nearly buckled, but Nick caught him and supported his weight while seeking out the spot behind his other ear.

  Bolt after bolt of ecstasy flashed through them as they licked him behind the ears, the delicious tension building to an indescribable level before orgasm struck. They sank to the floor, still holding on to each other, riding out the storm of sensation, knowing it wasn’t the end, that there was more, far more still to discover.

  Cai reached down between Yeri’s legs, seeking the opening he’d heard about. Not the anus, Rovania kept that opening under their tails, but the opening their creators had given them specifically for sex. It had no other purpose. It was wet and warm, and his finger sank in easily. Yeri gasped, and a new wave of pleasure engulfed them, a different pleasure but just as good as the other. He pulled Yeri to him, sliding himself into position as he did so. His cock sank into the waiting hole, and all three of them moaned at the pleasure of it. He pumped, each thrust generating a new wave of sensation, so intense it curled the toes, so enjoyable they lost themselves to it.

  Nick flipped over, and Yeri cried out as the man’s mouth, and tongue addressed his hard cock. Yeri retaliated by seeking out Nick’s package with his own mouth. Cai continued to pump languidly as Nick and Yeri sucked one another. Again, the pleasure and the tension mounted, and Cai couldn’t resist licking behind Yeri’s ears again. This time, the orgasm struck like a tsunami, crashing down upon them and sweeping them into a turbulent embrace.

  By the time it ended, leaving them all limp and sated, they found themselves in a comfortable tangle. Yeri’s head rested on Nick’s shoulder—Nick had turned back around during the wild ride to embrace them both. Cai was resting against Yeri’s body and loving the feel of plush fur over hard muscle.

  “Was that acceptable, Commander?” Nick teased gently.

  “I’m sure you’ll manage to do better in time, Captain,” Yeri replied with a straight face. Nick’s chagrin must have been as obvious to Yeri as it was to Cai because he added,
“I enjoyed it very much, and I do appreciate you stopping before I crossed the seizure threshold.”

  “Sex can give you a seizure?” Cai almost sat up in shock.

  “Oh, yes. It’s actually my most frequent trigger. Lee did a study on it. Overstimulation. My other common trigger is excessive heat, either from fever or exertion.” Yeri paused. “Can I get up now, please?”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Cai did sit up, freeing Yeri to move as he pleased.

  Yeri slid off Nick, sat up, and stretched slowly, catlike. “Thank you. I nearly went back into scent-lock there.” He glanced down at Nick. “Not that I’d mind, except more of that level of pleasure and I probably would seize.”

  “We’d be late for dinner, too,” Nick finally replied, purposefully changing the subject to lighten the mood. “And that would set a bad precedent for the crew.”

  To be continued...

  Cast of Characters

  Dark Star

  Nickolas Steele, Captain

  Cai, Astrogator

  Juan Cortez, Commander, Executive Officer

  Ed Harve, SubCommander, Engineering

  Jack Kenison, SubCommander, Security

  Dr. Sam Chiff, SubCommander, Medical

  Dr. Scott Quin, SubCommander, Sciences

  Dr. Evelyn Gillespie, Major, Ecology and Xenobiology, (Nick’s sister)

  Engineering Crew

  Jeff Narst, black team

  Mikal Karinov, black team

  Tina Bell, black team

  Clark Johanson, red team

  Peter Hamilton, red team

  Rovania on Dark Star

  Veloki “Loki” Nathizo, Engineering

  Tsandriko “Riko” Nathizo, Gunnery

  Tsandraki “Raki” Nathizo, Gunnery

  Tiatoki “Tito” Morrenzo, Communications

  Drissaki “Saki” Morrenzo, Communications

  Spalisto “Spasti” Latharzo, Cryptography

  Mallino “Mali” Latharzo, Security

  Xiereko “Xieri” Chrazo, Medical

  Xaranthi “Rani” Chrazo, Security

  Essendi “Essi” Vradizo, Machine shop

  Siarysti “Rysti” Vradizo, Flight (pilot)

  Lytario “Lyto” Pemezo, Science

  Important People not on Dark Star

  Nbuntu, Admiral, fourth fleet

  Belcher, Admiral, first fleet

  Hennersby, Commandant, Space Corps Academy

  Yeraki “Yeri” Nathizo, Cadet, SCA

  Dr. Leonides “Lee” Tavlakis, Doctor of Rovani Medicine, Breedmaster

  Vericho “Veri” Nathizo, Leader of the Rovanis Council

  Tsaraina “Raina” Nathizo, one of Yeri’s mates

  Driandro “Dri” Morrenzo, Rovani stud

  Tachero “Taco” Nathizo (deceased), Rovani stud

  Ashad, Guildmaster, Psionics Guild

  Angel, Healer, ex-Psion Squad, bonded to Yeri

  Mark, Telekinetic, ex-Psion Squad, bonded to Loki

  Kyle, Precognitive, ex-Psion Squad, bonded to Evanitsa

  Erika, Healer, ex-Psion Squad, bonded to Driandro

  Jim, Telekinetic, ex-Psion Squad

  Krysta, Clairvoyant, ex-Psion Squad

  Rovani Males Who Accompany Yeri

  Driaftirri “Tirri” Vakarzo, Lieutenant

  Lasinero “Nero” Pemezo, Lieutenant

  Psantekio “Psanti” Chrazo

  Fotizimo “Zimo” Chrazo

  Ystrendio “Trendi” Latharzo

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  About the Author

  A.C. Ellas has long since embraced her inner nerd. She revels in her Greekness and in her Geekness. She has two lives—the mundane reality of life here on earth and the far more interesting life in her head. She is fascinated by ancient history, ancient forms of combat, target archery, sabre fencing, the equestrian sports and all things equine, dragons, spaceships, time travel, organic food, and sustainable farming. Above all, she loves science fiction and fantasy of all varieties, especially conventions, which are the only gatherings on earth where she can find many people just as strange as she is.

  You can contact her at ac.ellas@ymail.com or through her website www.ac-ellas.com

  Please follow @Dark_Servant on twitter and like her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dark-Servant/340617732680081