by Ivy Barrett
“Any clue how long Azra will be laid up?” Urrya’s voice was hushed, oddly distracted. “If we keep fucking Erin without him the bond will become uneven.”
He knew Urrya was right, but wasn’t sure he could prevent it. They’d both been desperate for her seconds after they came inside her trembling body. Only her inexperience, and recent trauma, kept them from fucking her in every conceivable position all through the night.
“The only way I can keep my hands off her is if I stay away,” Oseth admitted. The shuttle crept forward until it was clear of the bay, then shot up into the clear blue sky. He checked their trajectory and altitude before continuing the conversation. “I’d heard about bonding fever for years, but no one really understands unless they feel it. I’ve never wanted anything the way I want Erin.”
Urrya nodded, head resting against the seat’s tall back. “And the urgency is barely banked. I woke up hard and haven’t stopped thinking about her since.”
“I’m right there with you, brother.” Urrya didn’t respond, so Oseth asked, “You said something about a meeting? Are there problems on Earth?”
“No, actually a slight progress. Kellan Styre was able to get a name out of the spy he discovered aboard the Elizian.”
“Wait. There was a spy aboard the Elizian? When did that happen?” He turned his chair so he faced Urrya.
“There are rebel spies everywhere. Their appeal is growing along with everyone’s frustration. Bron’s change of direction wasn’t popular with the men.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. No one believes there can be any lasting peace until the Skarilians are annihilated, so they think Camp Accord is a waste of time and resources.” Camp Accord was the newly founded Ventori colony on Earth.
“I’m not sure I disagree.” Urrya heaved a sigh and looked at him. “We all know this is just a reprieve. The Skarilians will return. They never leave anything unresolved. Planets either bow to their will or are destroyed. There are no exceptions.”
“I agree, but where the hells are they? I know the chancellor has contacted everyone we’ve ever interacted with and no one has seen them. Maybe they returned to wherever they came from. No one knows that either.”
“We can hope,” Urrya muttered, but he didn’t sound encouraging.
“So who’s the rebel leader? Is he in custody yet?”
Urrya shook his head. “Not even close. His name is Ramnyth Dulvet, but most call him Ram.” His gaze shot to Oseth’s as he added. “He’s Yashonty.”
“Mother Creator,” Oseth swore. “They’re animals. Why would anyone follow a Yashonty?” Then another fact connected in his memory. “Minister Zapt sold us out to a fucking Yashonty?”
“I’m not sure about that part. Bron thinks the new leader replaced Zapt rather than collaborating with the worthless piece of shit.”
Oseth chuckled. “Tell me how you really feel.”
“I have no use for traitors. End of story.”
It was hard to argue with that, and there wasn’t much they could do about the rebellion from Tavor, so Oseth let his mind drift back to Erin. Last night had been amazing, so much better than he’d anticipated. They’d all thought her fear of sex would be their biggest obstacle. Clearly, she wasn’t afraid of sex. They’d kept last night passionate and playful, but he didn’t think they’d have too much trouble introducing her to the other aspects of their relationship. Urrya, and especially Azra, were stricter disciplinarians, but Oseth needed a submissive female just as much as his podmates. Unless the matching algorithm was really screwed up, and both his and Urrya’s instincts were dead wrong, Erin was as submissive as females came. She just hadn’t accepted it yet.
Instrimn came into view forty minutes later. They’d made good time, and should return to their mate well within the two hours they’d promised her. The city sprawled outward rather than upward as most cities tended to do. But then Tavor was so sparsely populated that land was readily available. The city was walled, as were all the cities on Tavor. Considering all the powers at their disposal, Tavorians were shockingly paranoid.
Semiarid, the area was flat and desolate, nothing like the lush forests and soaring mountains surrounding Nomani House. They found a public shuttle lot near the retail manufacturer they’d commed earlier and set down. A few people strolled along the walkways leading to a variety of storefronts and restaurants, but hopefully they would be too absorbed in their own activities to react to Urrya and him.
They secured the shuttle, raised the deep hoods of their nondescript cloaks, and headed for the store. They’d nearly reached their destination when a pedestrian slammed into Urrya, jarring him hard enough to dislodge his hood. The aggressor was part of a small group of young males, clearly looking for a fight. Ordinarily, they’d be happy to oblige, but Erin was basically unprotected until Azra regained consciousness.
“Fucking lakintes. You’re not welcome here!”
The Tavorian slur was so vile, Oseth’s translator interface failed to find a comparable word in any of the sixty-two languages Oseth had uploaded.
“We don’t want trouble,” Urrya said firmly, but immediately shifted into a fighting stance. “Just let us pass.”
“You can pass right off this planet,” one of the others joined in. “We don’t want your kind anywhere on Tavor!”
Rather than feed their irrational fire, Urrya tried to sidestep the main bully. The Tavorian grabbed the front of Urrya’s shirt and swung him toward the nearest building. Urrya’s back hit the storefront hard enough to make him grunt and still his fists remained at his sides. Only Erin could inspire this much control in his hotheaded podmate.
Oseth looked at the others as the leader continued provoking Urrya. Five young, eager Tavorian males. They all looked similar, pale gray skin, smoke-colored hair, dark eyes filled with malevolence. Fueled by anger and a driving need to return to their mate, it was likely Urrya and he could incapacitate all five. But what if one of the shopkeepers called the authorities?
Keep it calm, Oseth urged. We can’t afford real trouble.
If he doesn’t back off, I’m going to beat the shit out of him! The thought stabbed into Oseth’s brain driven by anger. Urrya was very close to losing control.
Oseth grabbed the bully’s shirt and jerked him backward. “Grow up! We’ll be gone in ten minutes.”
The bully spun around and threw a fast, hard punch, but Oseth anticipated the predictable move and easily dodged his fist. What Oseth didn’t expect—though probably should have—was the hive mentality of the troublemakers. They descended on him like a swarm, punching and kicking from every direction. He deflected as many blows as he could, and twisted away from the others.
Urrya threw himself into the fray like an avenging specter. He moved so fast his limbs blurred, but they just kept coming. Oseth lost track of the vicious impacts. Individual bursts of pain gradually deteriorated into a full body throb. Soon Oseth realized others, shop owners and customers, had joined the fight. They were driven off the walkway and into the street as the altercation turned from a bunch of unruly bullies to an infuriated mob.
Finally, having no alternative, Urrya manifested his wings. “Enough!” he shouted, then batted one way and then the other. Tavorians went flying, slamming into buildings on both sides of the street. Urrya quickly positioned himself back to back with Oseth. Both were panting harshly.
“I’ll kill you for that!” the head bully screamed and charged back into the street.
The unmistakable ‘boom’ of a pulse pistol brought him up short and snapped everyone’s attention to the male shoving his way through the crowd. The Tavorian wore a dark brown uniform, but Oseth remained tense and wary. Law enforcement wasn’t always a good thing on Tavor.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” the enforcer said firmly. “Get back on your ship and return to wherever you came from.”
“We can’t,” Urrya ground out, jaws clenched. “Our computer systems are offline and will remain so if we don’t purchase se
veral components from that store.” He pointed to the doorway one shop down from where they stood. “Let us buy the parts and we’ll be gone.”
“Buy the parts somewhere else. Go!”
With an infuriated hiss, Urrya motioned Oseth back the way they’d come. He didn’t dissolve his wings. The Tavorians moved out of their way, but muttered curses and insults as they passed. One shoved Oseth, nearly knocking him off balance, and another spit at Urrya.
His fury spiked, but Oseth cautioned, Let it go. We need to get back to Erin.
Using every bit of the control both males possessed, they finally reached the shuttle.
“We have got to get off this godsdamn planet,” Urrya insisted. “There must be a way to make Azra agree.”
Oseth knew Urrya was right. He just had no idea how to make it happen.
* * *
Erin set the digi-sheet aside with a sigh of frustration. She’d read the cultural information Oseth left for her twice and watched half a romantic comedy. She was too worried to fully enjoy either activity. Oseth and Urrya had been gone over three hours and she had no way to verify that they were all right. Maybe the store they went to didn’t have the parts they needed in stock. No, this was Tavor, and unless Tavorian technology was significantly different than Ventori, nothing was kept ‘in stock’ anymore. The molecular pattern of any item was cataloged and then manufactured on demand with highly sophisticated three-D printers. If the main computer hadn’t been offline, they would have printed whatever they needed without leaving the mansion.
But the computers were offline. And she wasn’t sure she could access anything useful anyway. Ventori technology had been modified to accept English commands. Each female’s face and voice had to be scanned, and they had to learn a variety of motions. Were Tavorian gestures the same as Ventori?
Too anxious to sit still, she stood and began to pace Urrya’s bedroom. They’d said she had the run of the mansion, but she felt most comfortable here. This is where they’d made love to her and held her close while they slept. This is where her new life began.
She wasn’t even sure she should be worried. They could be on their way back right now. Opening the door, she moved into the hallway and headed for the stairs. She didn’t have a specific destination in mind. It just felt better to move.
What were her alternatives? Ignore the possible danger and impatiently wait for them to return? That was really not in her emotional makeup. Go out and find them? On foot in a land known for hostility toward outsiders? That was just plain stupid. The only Ventori vehicle she knew how to operate was a skimmer, and the last time she took off on one she very nearly died. Besides, Tavorian vehicles could be completely different than Ventori.
Damn it all to hell. She’d run out of options before she even began. She’d promised them she’d stay put, and the Ventori considered vows sacred. If she disregarded her promise, she would abolish whatever trust she’d managed to establish with them.
So that left the possibility she didn’t even want to consider. She could wake Azra and explain the situation. If he could open interdimensional portals, it was likely he’d have some idea how to deal with this. She had also promised not to explore the castle on her own, but going directly to Azra’s room would not put her in danger. And that was the purpose for Oseth’s directive.
Her pulse quickened and a strange melting heat flowed from her shoulders to her knees. She recognized the sensation now, knew where it led. But why would thoughts of Azra trigger the reaction? He was so dark and savage, so utterly inflexible. What modern American woman would put up with his misogynistic bullshit?
The others might accept ‘Sir,’ but I am your master. It had been one of the first things Azra ever said to her, and she couldn’t get the statement out of her head. Like a tragic accident on the highway, she found the concept of sexual slavery disturbing, yet something deep inside her wouldn’t look away. And she knew, without doubt, that’s what Azra wanted from her. Complete surrender, total submission, and faultless obedience. Was she even capable of such things?
The question was still churning inside her mind when she reached the enclosed walkway that spanned the two buildings. This would be the third time Azra’s recuperation had been interrupted. Was she compromising the wellbeing of one potential mate for the benefit of the other two? Azra was just as important as Oseth and Urrya. Yet her steps didn’t lag and she soon found herself at Azra’s bedroom door. The castle was huge. She hadn’t even been sure she could find this room again. Apparently, she could.
She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung inward before her knuckles made contact with the barrier. She scurried back with a gasp as Azra blocked the opening.
“What’s wrong?” He sounded annoyed, yet his gaze swept over her with obvious concern. “The conflict in your mind is dizzying.”
He was shirtless and disheveled, but his eyes no longer looked sunken and his color had improved. At least it had if his skin tone was supposed to be similar to a Ventori’s. “I...” God, he was gorgeous. She’d been too pissed off the day before to really look at him.
His hair combined blue, gray, black, and white into a color all its own. His eyes appeared solid, velvety black with no distinction between iris and pupil. And the whites were only visible when he looked sharply to one side or the other. The rest of his features were well proportioned and somewhat angular. A hint of a smile lifted one corner of his full-lipped mouth, making him look sensual and sardonic. He was definitely sexy, yet also dangerous.
Unnerved by his penetrating stare, she lowered her gaze, which did not make her feel more comfortable. His body was sleekly muscled rather than bulky. In fact all three of her potential mates were leaner than most Ventori Defenders. Azra’s hips were narrow, legs long and nicely muscled. His feet were bare. Her gaze swept back up to his chest and she realized he didn’t have an orvatta. His skin was smooth and unmarked. She’d heard the Ventori didn’t have a lot of body hair. Apparently, Tavorians didn’t either.
“Keep looking at me like that, little girl, and I’ll take it as an invitation.”
His harsh tone yanked her out of her reverie. She wasn’t here to gawk at her potential mate. Her other two might be in real trouble. “The main computer is down, so Oseth and Urrya went into town to get some parts. They were supposed to be back over an hour ago. I was wondering if you have a way to contact them and make sure everything’s okay?”
“I do.” The other side of his mouth quirked, evening out his smile. “Would you like to know what I learned?”
“Very much so.”
“Good. I’ll barter for the information.” He caught her wrist and pulled her into his bedroom.
“Seriously?” she snapped, more than annoyed at his highhandedness. “I have to suck your cock to find out if they’re all right?”
He laughed. “Who said anything about sucking my cock?”
She tugged against his hold, but he didn’t release her. “You know damn well why my mind went there.”
“Feeling guilty?” He slowly pulled her toward him, his biceps bulging in the process. “I used pain to make you come and then you ran away rather than paying the penalty.”
“That wasn’t real.” She raised both hands in front of her chest, using them as a wedge between their bodies. “And you should forget it happened or you’ll make me angry all over again.”
“Anger isn’t what I want from you right now, so let’s focus on the here and now.” He wrapped his other hand around her other wrist and pulled both arms away from her body. “I have information you want, and I want something from you.”
Would everything be a negotiation with him? The wily gleam in his dark eyes confirmed that he was loving this. “What do you want?” She hoped she sounded as impatient as she felt.
“Can’t you guess? I’m not that complicated.”
She laughed. “Right. And I’m still a virgin.”
His gaze narrowed and his lips pressed. “I hate that I wasn’t part of that.
I very much wanted to see you take your first cock.”
Tingles broke out on her arms and her pussy fluttered. She’d never forget how it felt when Urrya pushed into her for the first time. She’d never felt so invaded, and yet so special.
Azra’s expression grew even darker. “Who went first? It was Urrya’s right, but he might not have had enough patience to fuck a virgin. Gods know I wouldn’t have.”
She licked her lips as an unexpected sense of power unfurled inside her. He wanted every detail, every motion and reaction. Maybe she could turn the tables on him. “Do you really want a blow by blow?”
“Absolutely,” he growled out the word, making it sound graphic and obscene.
Her brows arched. “Then tell me what you found out?”
A reluctant smile parted his lips. “Very clever, neralla.”
The unfamiliar word was beautiful, yet exotic. “What does that mean?”
One of his brows arched, mocking her expression. “Take off the dress and I’ll tell you.”
She released an exasperated sigh and closed her eyes. He’d already seen her naked. Did it really matter if he did so again? Oseth had printed her a new dress this morning, but it was exactly the same as the first one. Apparently variety in their fashion was not a priority. She raised her hands to the belt and tugged as she slowly opened her eyes. The wraparound style made it easy to get into and out of, which was likely why Oseth had selected it. She pulled the overlapping sides apart and let the dress slide down her arms. In seconds she stood before him in nothing but slip-on shoes.
He took his own sweet time looking her over, while hunger built in his endlessly dark eyes. “Your dreams don’t do you justice, neralla. You are stunning.”
Her cheeks flamed and her nipples tingled as his gaze slowly moved over her flesh. “Thank you. Please tell me what it means.”
“Is that really what you want to know? I offer one fact in return for your obedience. Choose wisely.”