by Regine Abel
“That would still be a major improvement,” I said, a sliver of hope taking root. “Break even means wages are paid, expenses are covered, and bellies are filled. As a temporary solution, it will keep them from starving until they find something else.”
Ravena nodded. “True enough.” Turning fully around, forcing my wandering fingers away from their target, she placed her legs on each side of me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Again, don’t get your hopes up too high. It’s still a long shot, but I’ll do my best to convince the Admiral.”
“That’s all I can ask,” I said before leaning down to kiss her.
My tongue demanded entry, which she promptly granted. Lifting the hem of her dress again, my palms rubbed over the naked globes of her bum. With the concubine dress, no underwear was allowed. One hand sliding up the silky skin of her back, the other slipped under and around her behind to tease her pussy. She gasped against my lips, trying to pull away from the kiss, but I didn’t allow it. Holding her by the nape, my mouth plundered hers while my fingers explored her folds already getting wet for me.
I thanked the Ancestors that Ravena’s sexual drive could keep up with mine, and that she was as wild and unleashed in her passion as I. She was truly made for me.
My woman moaned, her hardening nipples pressing against my chest. Proof of her arousal dripped over my fingers dipping in and out of her, the scent of her musk driving me insane with desire. Breaking the kiss, I lifted the dress off her, bending her backwards to suck on her taut nipples, my fingers still fucking her. I loved the sweet taste of her skin and her unique scent mixed with the spicy perfume she wore.
Ravena fisted my hair, pressing her breast to my face, then blindly fiddled with the clasp of my pant with her free hand.
“We’re going to be late for dinner,” she whispered between two moans.
“No, we won’t,” I grumbled against her chest, pulling my fingers from her slit to help her free my cock from its confines. “But I will have you scream my name once more before we leave.”
I lifted her just enough to align the head of my cock with her opening before lowering her onto me. Her warmth engulfed me, the ridges of her inner walls greeting me with their now familiar squeezing and stroking.
“Ravena, you feel so fucking good,” I hissed against her throat as I started pumping up into her. “I’m addicted to you.”
“Mercy,” she whispered, rocking her pelvis in counterpoint to my movements. “Call me Mercy when you fuck me.”
What?
Pleasure made it hard for me to process her words.
“I can’t call you Mercy during sex,” I said, my words somewhat slurred as I picked up the pace. “It would sound like I’m begging you.”
Her laughter choked into a strangled moan as my thumb caressed the Veredian markings on her nape. “I can make you,” she panted.
“No, little bird, I don’t beg for mercy, nor do I grant any,” I said, slipping my arms behind her knees and holding her up as I rose to my feet. “Soon, you will be the one screaming my name.”
Ravena hung onto my shoulders, her arms not quite long enough to wrap around my neck as I pounded into her. By the time she fell apart in my arms and her inner walls had clamped down on my cock, making me roar my release, I’d cried out Mercy three times.
CHAPTER 12
Mercy
Eyes lingering on my mountain of a mate, I closed the clasp of my stiletto sandals, a tender smile stretching my lips. I still throbbed with the most delicious soreness as I walked up to him and took from his hand the comb he’d been untangling his wavy, black hair with. I took his hand and led him to the edge of the bed where I made him sit. Ravik spread his legs for me to stand between them, his palms settling on the back of my thighs.
He closed his eyes and sighed with contentment as I ran the comb through the silky length of his hair. His hands slid up to my back. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to my stomach then rested his head against me.
I chuckled and caressed the back of his head. “I can’t comb your hair like that, silly man.”
Ravik’s arms tightened around me, and the mood in the room shifted.
“You bring me peace, Mercy,” Ravik whispered, his voice thick with emotion that made me weak in the knees. “You are my safe haven in the constant torment that rages around me. I do not deserve you, but I thank the Ancestors who brought you to me.”
My chest tightened at the rawness of the feelings seeping through me. Ravik saw himself as a monster. Sometimes, I wondered if his dedication to changing Braxia was driven more by the need to make amends than by deep conviction—not that it really mattered in the end.
Thoughts of my own dark past twisted my insides with shame. So many secrets and half-truths stood between us; my secrets, some of which weren’t mine alone to reveal. When all of it came to the light of day, I feared the fallout.
Weaving my fingers through his hair, I pressed a kiss to the top of his head before resting my cheek on it.
“You more than deserve me, Ravik,” I said softly. “Do not idealize me. I have plenty of shameful secrets of my own.”
He snorted in disbelief. Pulling away from him, my eyes bore into his.
“Do you remember what I do for a living?” I asked, my eyes flicking between his.
“You’re a tech consultant,” Ravik said.
I smiled. “Not quite,” I said, my fingers playing with the small hairs on his temple. “I own a series of advanced technology research and development facilities. My customers are mainly the military, intergalactic prisons, and first responders. I do not sell weapons, only safety, defense systems, and rescue apparatus.”
“That sounds like commendable work,” Ravik said, his thumbs caressing my sides.
“Yes, but it didn’t start out that way.”
Ravik watched me in silence, waiting for me to continue. My index finger traced his thick lips while I worked up the courage to confess part of my secrets.
“My father held tens of thousands of Veredian females imprisoned in his compounds. He forced my Veredian Sisters to breed with Korletheans in order to create more of us and unlock new psi powers that he could use or sell.” Ravik nodded at my words, his gaze intense. I inhaled deeply then heaved a sigh. “Over the years, I created a lot of the technology that helped keep my Sisters and the Korletheans caged by dampening their powers with special gloves, bracelets, and necklaces.”
Ravik stiffened but kept his expression neutral. I released him and walked away a few steps. Hugging my midsection, I turned to look through the giant window which offered a breathtaking view of the open field sprawling beyond the clan fortress’ gates.
“Initially, I didn’t know my father intended to use it on the Veredians. I was a curious child and loved taking on technological challenges.” A shiver ran through me, and I absentmindedly rubbed my upper arms. “The day I found out, I lost my shit. My father and I had never had such a violent argument before. I refused to talk to him for over a month, feeling used and betrayed. Eventually, he brought Venya Solis to me, one of his Korlethean Oracle slaves.”
I reached for my long braid and brought it over my shoulder, my fingers fiddling with it. It always gave me some kind of comfort. Funny thing was, Father said my niece Amalia—who he’d also considered his daughter—had a similar nervous tell, but with a lock of hair.
“I was wary of Oracles, especially enslaved ones. Why would they tell us the truth instead of deliberately sending us to our doom out of vengeance? But as much as she disliked us, Venya never lied. We had a mind-reading Veredian with us anyway to confirm the truth of her words.”
I turned back to face Ravik, relieved that his gaze remained focused. Devoid of any disappointment or disgust, he stared at me full of curiosity.
“As always with Oracles, she gave me three possible outcomes to my no longer helping improve the technology used in my father’s fortresses. In all cases, the Sisters and Korletheans would attempt to escape, one resulting with hea
vy casualties all around, one with failure and one with success. However, in all three cases, it would also result in the Veredian species becoming completely extinct within the next hundred years. But if I continued to help, every outcome resulted in the survival of our species. So I did.”
Ravik looked at me with sympathy. Rising to his feet he closed the distance between us and took my hands in his.
“Then you did the right thing,” Ravik said softly.
“Did I?” I asked, my eyes flicking between his. “I doubt my Sisters will feel the same the day they find out—and they will. My father enslaved and force bred them for nearly three generations, and then sold their daughters, partially with my help. Would you forgive that? Because of my last name, they took a major leap of faith welcoming me among them.”
Ravik cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs caressing my cheeks. “They will be angry, and then they’ll get over it once they realize you tried to save them… and did. You have already proven your loyalty.
I snorted. “Yeah, by betraying my baby brother and turning him over to be executed by the Xelixians.”
“He was an evil man,” Ravik argued.
“NO! He wasn’t,” I said, my throat tightening, and tears prickling my eyes. “He was a lost little boy, hurting and lashing out at the world because of his parents’ abandonment. And Veredians—especially my mother—were to blame. His mother was Xelixian. She abandoned him when my father chose my mother over her. My father left Varrek on Guldar to be raised by nannies and tutors because he didn’t want to upset my mother by flaunting his son from another woman before her. Varrek never fit in on Guldar with his grey skin and strange eyes inherited from his mother. But still, Guldar somewhat accepted him. That’s why he dedicated his life to being the ultimate Guldan, and abusing Xelixians and Veredians.”
“It was his choice, though,” Ravik countered, gently. “His actions couldn’t go unpunished.”
“I know, but…” I heaved a sigh. “I got to know him on the journey back to Xelix Prime after I captured him. We’d never met before. He was the most brilliant mind I’d ever encountered. A true genius. Technology, science, medicine, nothing fazed him. Together, we could have accomplished amazing things. I actually considered freeing him before we landed. He told me to not even think about it. Things would be worse for all of us if I did.”
“An Oracle had warned him?” Ravik rightfully guessed.
I nodded. “I probably couldn’t have gone through with it anyway. Either way, I’d be betraying a sibling; my Veredian sister Aleina, or my Guldan brother Varrek. His final words to me were that he wished we’d met sooner. Things might have turned out quite differently. And I think so, too.”
My throat tightened again with sorrow, remembering my brother’s beautiful, exotic face. His final look towards me held no resentment or condemnation, only a calm acceptance and a sliver of regret.
Ravik kissed the tear forming at the corner of my eye, and I gave him a trembling smile. Inhaling deeply, I swallowed my growing sorrow, refusing to dwell on a past that couldn’t be changed, and that I probably wouldn’t even if I could.
“I didn’t mean to turn into a weeping wreck,” I said with self-derision. “There’s actually a point to all this. Varrek did a lot of terrible things to Veredians and Xelixians, but in the end, they were key elements into finding the cure to Veredian infertility. What I did ensured the continuation of our species.” I held on to his wrists, his hands still cupping my face. “And what you did set in motion the revolutionary changes you’re bringing to Braxia. Terrible things must often be done before great things can happen. Forgive yourself, Ravik, like I’m trying to forgive myself, and focus on the battle ahead.”
“My little bird,” he whispered before pulling me into his arms.
His lips pressed between my horns, and I cuddled against him, feeling safe and cherished in the warmth of his strong body wrapped around me.
The door chime startled us. I couldn’t tell whether seconds or minutes had passed.
“Open,” Ravik said, releasing me.
The door swished sideways, revealing Tagar holding a pretty box.
“Ah yes,” Ravik said, walking towards his loyal bodyguard. “Thank you.”
I didn’t miss his questioning look to Tagar, who responded to the unspoken question with a nod. Intrigued, I watched the door close behind the bodyguard as he left the room. Ravik approached me with a relaxed smile before handing over the box to me. Surprised, I raised an inquisitive eyebrow. My fingers caressed the delicate lattice work on the flat, square, metal box.
“You got me a present?” I asked, disbelieving.
Ravik’s stunned and then embarrassed look revealed that such an idea had never crossed his mind. Although feeling a slight disappointment, it didn’t surprise me, nor had I expected such from a Braxian.
He cleared his throat. “Hmmm, no. It’s a gift from Clan Grumar’s daughter, Vela.” Ravik explained.
I slightly recoiled in surprise. “Clan Grumar? With the stones?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Why are you just giving it to me now?” I asked, confused. “And why was it in Tagar’s possess…” My eyes widened in sudden understanding, a cold shiver running down my spine. “You feared foul play.”
Ravik looked hesitant. “In truth, not really. Despite my differences with Boros, I didn’t believe he would allow something so foolish from his house. But when it comes to your safety, I do not take chances.”
I smiled and lifted my face towards him. Ravik leaned forward and gave me a gentle kiss. Looking back down at the box, I lifted the lid with undisguised curiosity. My breath caught in my throat as I gazed upon the magnificent jewelry set laid within on a velvety cushion. I gaped at Ravik, speechless. He seemed confused by my reaction.
“I can’t accept that,” I whispered, blown away.
Ravik frowned. “Why? Rejecting it would be considered an offense.”
“But this is way too expensive a gift to accept from someone I don’t know. I wouldn’t even accept it from someone I know!”
It was Ravik’s turn to look at me wide-eyed as if I’d grown a third eye. He laughed and shook his head.
“No, little bird, it’s not expensive at all,” Ravik said with an indulgent tone. “While I agree that the craftsmanship is beautiful, this material is cheap and commonplace. Nyrian crystal deposits are abundant in the Jyriak plateau and beneath Mount Jyriak. They’re pretty but useless. The men often bring some back to the females to do… well, female stuff with it,” he concluded with a shrug.
I stared at him, flabbergasted.
He truly has no idea…
The necklace had three rows of round gems, the first small, the middle one medium, and large, tear-shaped ones on the bottom row. Intricately interwoven silver-looking threads held them together. A matching pair of earrings and bracelet lay in the middle. I delicately picked up an earring and held it in the palm of my hand. Within seconds, the color of the gems darkened, slowly turning obsidian.
“What’s happening?” I asked, feeling slightly worried.
“It’s normal,” Ravik said, reassuringly. “The gems always try to take on the eye-color of the wearer. There are ways to set a permanent color to the stones, but I couldn’t tell you how that works other than it requires heat applied in a specific manner.”
I nodded slowly, my wheels spinning. “What else do the females do?”
Ravik shrugged. “You will have to ask the females. Speaking of which, we need to get going. I’ll have to tell Fenton how you made us late.”
“Me!” I exclaimed, outraged.
“Come on, female,” Ravik said, giving me a playful slap on the rear. “Let’s go.”
I hesitated for a second, tempted to wear the jewelry, but then decided to leave it for another time. After carefully placing the jewelry box on the dresser, I hurried back to Ravik. I took the hand he had extended towards me and let him lead me out of the room.
* * *
Fenton greeted us at the landing pad and escorted us into his hall. Although more humble than Ravik’s, it boasted the same type of dark red floors and light grey walls, except for a clearly more nautical theme to the ornate carvings and lattice work of some of the wall panels. Where Clan Xeldar had giant warrior and karveli statues in the compound’s plaza and in a few other strategic places in the streets, Clan Yagor had, in the center of their hall, a giant, polished skeleton of some terrifying aquatic creature I’d never seen before.
On the left side of the room, Fenton’s clansmen and sons fisted their chests in greeting, while the females kneeled. It still bothered me to no end, but knowing that Ravik took no pleasure in the females’ servile behavior alleviated some of my frustration.
An attractive Braxian female approached Fenton. Barefoot and wearing nothing more than a diaphanous concubine dress, she glanced at him for approval. When Fenton nodded, she proceeded to kneel before Ravik, head bowed. Ravik placed his palm on top of her head, granting her permission to rise. With a wave of his hand, he indicated for the other females and servants to do so as well.
“Magnar Ravik, welcome to my Hall,” Fenton said. “My home and my concubine, Thala, are yours.”
“I thank you and accept your hospitality.” Ravik gave Thala an appreciative once over that made me want to claw his face. “Beautiful as ever, Thala,” Ravik said, before caressing her bare forearm with his knuckles.
“Thank you, Magnar,” she said, demurely.