Clan and Commit (Clan Beginnings Book 7)

by Tracy St. John

  He’d needed a real Dramok tonight, and Bacoj had filled the position perfectly.

  In Bacoj’s apartment, Vax let himself be led to the sleeping room. He felt raw. Fragile. As if the slightest blow would fracture every inch of him. He couldn’t stop shaking as reaction to the night’s events set in.

  Bacoj stopped him by the sleeping mat. Cupped his cheeks in his warm palms. Kissed him gently, his lips moving over Vax’s with the softness of a cloud.

  He undressed the trembling Imdiko, moving Vax with care as he pulled off his shoes, trousers, shirt. Naked, Vax felt more vulnerable than ever.

  I almost died tonight.

  The sobs came then, wrenching from his guts. Harsh, violent cries quaked him harder than before. His knees unhinged, threatening to spill him to the floor.

  Bacoj was there to keep him from falling. He held Vax, his embrace a shelter to hide within. Vax pressed his hot face to the other man’s chest as he clung, barely hearing the soft murmurs of comfort, only slightly aware of the lips pressing to the top of his head.

  He sobbed out the terror that was drowning him under its black tide. Bacoj allowed him to sick it all up until it began to ebb, his moans quieting until the weeping was nearly silent.

  Bacoj scooped him up, placing him on the sleeping mat. Still clothed, his lover climbed onto the soft surface next to him and kissed the entirety of Vax’s face. Soft pressure dotted the Imdiko’s cheeks, warmth enfolding him as Bacoj licked the tears away with tiny darts of his tongue.

  The kisses traveled down, tickling over Vax’s throat. Over his chest, where Bacoj paused to tongue and suck his nipples. He continued to be tender, handling him carefully. The pleasant sensation trickled down into Vax’s stomach, then lower. Heat crept into his loins. His cocks stirred.

  Caresses followed that bliss, down the line that bisected Vax’s abdomen. Gooseflesh erupted when Bacoj delicately traced his navel with the tip of his tongue. The Imdiko’s shafts began to fill, plumping with desire Vax would have sworn he was incapable of after Karil’s attack.

  Yet how could he not respond to Bacoj’s compassionate attention? Vax had never been so lovingly attended to by any man…and he’d slept with other Imdikos, who were supposedly the bastions of caring. In his instant of despair, Bacoj put the shattered pieces of him together again, fitting him together with meticulous consideration.

  When the Dramok’s warm mouth enclosed Vax’s secondary, the surge of passion was joined by a deeper emotion. He cried out with passion as fresh tears of nameless sentiment ran from the corners of his eyes. Bacoj drew on him over and over, scattering the last vestiges of horror from Vax’s senses.

  “Come when you’re ready,” his lover said as he moved his attention to Vax’s larger shaft. Wondrous, wet heat surrounded the avid flesh while Bacoj’s strong grip stroked the smaller. Despite the continued slow nurturing of desire, passion grew into a powerful force, leaving Vax groaning and twisting beneath the man pinning him.

  Climax crept from his swollen secondary, moving in a slow tide to pool between his cocks. There the pressure built until it seeped into the base of the larger member. Bacoj drew on him slowly but steadily, coaxing the feverish desire, urging it to feed his demanding mouth. It roiled, gathering itself for escape.

  A burst of excruciating bliss signaled release. Vax cried out, his hips lifting from the mat for an instant. The river rushed from him in a violent spasm. Bacoj took all of him, his throat moving around the tip of Vax’s cock as he swallowed.

  Shuddering sensation ruled his existence after that, pulse after pulse of rapture. Vax lost all sense of his surroundings as pleasure throbbed throughout his entire being. He was carried away on titanic swells of elation.

  He sprawled limp afterwards, his cocks twitching. Bacoj got up long enough to strip, then joined Vax again, pulling the covers over them. The Dramok shifted Vax so that he curled against him, the Imdiko’s back to his chest.

  “Thank you.” Vax’s whisper was strengthless, but for all the right reasons.

  “I hope you feel a little better now.”

  “Not a little. A lot.” Emotions rose again, and Vax turned his head to look at Bacoj. “You’re wonderful. If you knew how close I am to asking you—”

  “Hush. This isn’t the time, not when you’re dealing with so much. Go to sleep and see how you feel in the morning.” Though his tone was firm, Bacoj smiled at him with undisguised devotion. Perhaps with even the same love Vax felt for him.

  Vax obeyed. When he woke in the middle of the night, he turned to Bacoj, who was still awake. Watching over him.

  Vax didn’t demand anything. He made no attempt to control their lovemaking in any way, instead surrendering as Bacoj took him with the same tenderness as before. When Vax slept again, Bacoj’s cock pulsing inside him, he knew he’d never consider another Dramok as a potential mate for the rest of his life.

  Chapter Seven

  Bacoj woke well after dawn, his body sensing the lateness of the morning without him opening his eyes. He was in no hurry to do so. Vax was warm against him, his musky scent filling Bacoj’s senses. Sweet Imdiko, nestled in the curve of his body. Nothing had ever been so perfect.

  A wave of devotion washed over Bacoj, and he peeked at the dark head he rested his cheek against. Devotion was followed by a surge of protectiveness as he recalled the night before. Opening the door’s desperate summons, Vax bursting in and leaping into Bacoj’s arms, babbling in fear…it had been heartbreaking to see him so terrified.

  Something steady, something strong had risen in Bacoj at that moment. A sense of responsibility for another’s welfare had asserted itself. He’d moved decisively to make sure his lover wasn’t injured badly—other than a scratch, he hadn’t been—then he’d taken Vax straight to law enforcement.

  There had been an instant of wanting to race to Vax’s apartment in the hopes of confronting Karil. Rage had pricked at Bacoj’s iron control, had begged him to find the vile Nobek and beat him bloody. Yet better sense had held firm.

  I did what was right. I took care of my Vax. I have to continue to do so, to keep him safe. To make sure he realizes he can rely on me.

  There was no doubt in Bacoj’s mind that he wanted Vax for his clanmate, not after last night. In the wake of what had happened, he’d discovered how much the Imdiko meant to him. Love, pure and uncompromising, had announced itself. Bacoj bowed to that with no hesitation.

  The moment I think he’s ready, I’ll ask him to clan.

  Vax had been ready the night before, but he’d been in the wrong frame of mind to make such a momentous decision. Bacoj felt his responsibility to the Imdiko keenly, and that meant not taking advantage of a moment of weakness, no matter how tempting it had been. Vax had to want to live with Bacoj, every second of every day, with every fiber of his being, before any such promise was made. He had to ache for a permanent union, the way Bacoj did.

  Working on the same supply transport together might solidify such a relationship, but Bacoj craved the opportunity for them to spend real time as a couple, without the distractions of work or others, to make his case.

  Investigator Yas had mentioned the wisdom of Vax getting out of town until the authorities caught Karil. Dramok Respel could be a danger to the Imdiko as well. Needing to guarantee his lover’s safety added pressure to their deepening affair. What if Bacoj could kill two birds with one stone? He could court Vax and keep him out of harm’s way if they left the area.

  Or—maybe the planet. Bacoj had money saved, funds earmarked for engineering school. Since he wouldn’t be pursuing his studies in the foreseeable future, he could afford to splurge a little on a getaway. Nothing too outrageous. There were always deals to be had on the planet Dantovon, which offered low overnight accommodation rates in order to lure tourists to spend big money on entertainment and gambling. If they didn’t lose their better sense, Bacoj was certain he could swing such a holiday. That shouldn’t be a problem; Vax was cautious with his funds, and Bacoj wasn’t worried
about his own ability to stick to a budget.

  The idea excited him. The change of scenery alone would be worthwhile. He could show Vax some fun, get him away from Huk’s treacherous clanmates, and allow them a real chance to know each other. The more Bacoj thought about it, the more he was sure it was the correct course to take. He decided he’d start researching the options that day.

  * * * *

  That evening, Bacoj accepted a glass of bohut from Nobek Ondeg, he of wiry graying hair kept tied back. Matara Udi raised her drink, and the rest relaxing in the seating area followed suit.

  “To these brave young men, soon to fly off to adventure.”

  Ondeg swallowed the contents of his glass and grinned at his son and Bacoj. “Try not to have too much fun out there, saving the empire from those crazy aliens.”

  “We’ll do our best to keep the groceries out of enemy hands.”

  Clan Batris laughed at Bacoj’s joke. The young Dramok had been in Vax’s parent clan’s spacious but comfortable greeting room for less than fifteen minutes, but he knew he liked them already.

  It was easy to see from whom Vax had inherited his somewhat delicate features. Udi’s face and build were daintier than most Kalquorian women, and her gentle nature was in line with her appearance. Her smile was as bright and open as her son’s, her personality pure warmth.

  The clanmates she’d devoted her life to invited humor and disbelief. Vax’s fathers were a beefy lot in comparison, powerfully built thanks to their survival adventure business. Even Imdiko Graler had scars that would make a non-military Nobek proud. He’d once fought off a zibger with just a knife. That he’d survived at all, and with only a set of shallow claw marks on his right shoulder and bicep, was a testament to how tough the man was.

  Note to self. Imdiko does not equal pushover. Bacoj was awed by the story.

  Bacoj had few memories of his own Dramok father Rilb. He found himself wondering how similar Rilb might have been to the ruggedly handsome Batris. The clan leader radiated authority, with everyone else paying close attention when he spoke. Bacoj had no intention of learning to climb cliffs with bare hands and feet and no safety ropes as Batris was famous for, but he’d have given almost anything to wield the older Dramok’s natural self-assuredness.

  Ondeg was obviously a Nobek’s Nobek. He was strong and fierce, with no sign of holding back his enthusiasm for whatever situation he found himself in. His roaring laughter made Bacoj’s ears ring. He was openly affectionate with his clanmates and Vax, hugging them when the notion took him. He’d slung his slab of an arm around Bacoj’s shoulders at the groceries joke, squeezing hard. Ondeg reminded Bacoj of his own Nobek parent. Deehur had often asserted that any Nobek not capable of making his feelings known to those he cared for was no man at all.

  The three men were tough, but they were also friendly to a fault. They were already talking about taking Vax and Bacoj on a trip to the jungles in the south of the continent when the pair returned from military service.

  With every passing minute, Bacoj’s nervousness at having dinner with Vax’s parent clan eased. That they assumed he would continue to be a fixture in their son’s life forced him to wonder what Vax had told them. His hopes he’d be around long after he and Vax came home from service were growing by the second.

  Standing in the mirrored bar area, Ondeg regaled them with a tale of the latest expedition, on which they’d led a dozen first-time adventurers. One man had been decidedly out of his element. “Who brings a rechargeable beard groomer on a survival trip?” he guffawed.

  “Who brings a razor of any kind? We’re not out there to impress the wildlife or trees with our silky smooth skin or hair. You heard me; the lunatic brough hair gel too,” Batris snorted. As everyone burst into laughter again, the door announce buzzed. “I’ll get that.”

  He went to the door and greeted the newcomers. Bacoj’s jaw dropped as Batris ushered his parents into the room.

  Sadiv bowed to the gathered and held out a bottle of shel to Batris. “Good evening. Forgive us for being late.”

  “Not at all, Ambassador! Matara Felac, High Commander Deehur, welcome to our home.”

  Bacoj stepped forward. “My parents…I had no idea you were coming.”

  “No? How could you not?” Felac glanced at Vax.

  The Imdiko grinned at Bacoj. “It may have slipped my mind to tell you they were invited.”

  “Vax, really?” Udi’s soft rebuke had no sting. She closed in on Felac. “Young men can be so thoughtless when it comes to decent manners, don’t you find? I’m delighted to meet you.”

  Vax’s expression grew more impish as he nudged Bacoj. “Do you wish to do the formal introductions?”

  Bacoj did so, his mind whirling. It was a big deal for two young men to meet each other’s parents. To bring the family clans together—that was a monumental step in a relationship. It all but announced an intention to clan. Was Vax growing as certain as Bacoj that they should do so?

  Don’t make a bigger deal over this than it should be. But his racing heart told him it was too late for that.

  Chapter Eight

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”

  Respel’s tone was conversational, his manner casual. That was a bad sign, as were the four goons posted in his black-walled office, two of whom had dragged Karil in. The slight smile Respel wore was worse. The Dramok was at his easiest when spilling an enemy’s blood was to be done. The more agony he dealt, the more content and relaxed he behaved.

  Karil wasn’t worried about dying. The idea of not having to struggle through another day, another hour, was a relief to imagine. Better than anticipating his next hit of Elate. What made him anxious was the idea his end might be humiliating.

  With Respel, murder was usually committed in a humiliating fashion. Especially when he had a Nobek executed. He loved destroying the tough breed’s minds as well as bodies.

  “Do I have to ask you again, Karil? I realize Elate has erased a large number of your brain cells, but I shouldn’t have to remind you of how I hate repeating myself.”

  Respel’s eyes flicked only the slightest bit. That was all that was needed. The pair of the body-armored Nobeks who’d hauled Karil to face his Dramok pounded on him until he was flat on the floor. When they stopped, Karil was groaning with pain.

  He wiped blood from his mouth. He could handle hurting. It was the other things that Respel could command them to do that would cause real damage.

  “Let’s try again, my Nobek. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”

  “Manol. Gralyn. Danun. Pik. I’m sure there are dozens more of your former rivals I’ve forgotten.” He rasped the names of those who’d either gotten in the way of Respel’s ambitions or had attempted to attack him. Men Karil had taken out of his Dramok’s path, permanently.

  “All ancient history. I used to be able to count on you, but that was years ago. Now you’ve brought my operation to the attention of the authorities. Do you realize how much it’ll cost to make them leave me alone?”

  Karil was sweating profusely and hated himself for it. He’d been brought in the night before, forced to spend long, dark hours locked in an empty room with no food, water or, most importantly, Elate. Withdrawal was kicking in. He hoped they’d think that was the only reason for his body’s reaction, but he doubted it. What appeared to be terror was the first embarrassment he’d suffer. If he was reading the signs right, it wouldn’t be the last.

  As if to drive home the point, the door opened that led to the front of the building where Respel’s private sex club was located. A gaunt Imdiko was shoved in by two more of Respel’s armored Nobek heavies. He immediately fell to his knees before Respel’s desk, his hands lifted to the crime boss in supplication.

  “Please! I’ll have the payment by tomorrow! I swear!”

  Respel didn’t bother to look at him as the Nobeks grabbed him and shoved him through the other door…the door to the rear of the building, where no one who owed Respel wanted to go. It
clicked closed behind the trio.

  Seconds later, the Imdiko’s screams and the Nobeks’ laughter began. If it were a first offense, the guy would be beaten, violated sadistically and repeatedly, then beaten again. If it was his second transgression, it would be the same, except he wouldn’t come out alive.

  Karil fought to keep his expression stony, especially under the eyes of Respel’s hired goons. They stared at him, their disgust clear. He was well aware of the wreck he’d become, his Nobek strength sapped by Elate. He knew they found him an insult to their proud breed.

  However, Karil had one last thread of pride left to him, something far more precious that they’d forsaken. Unlike them, his loyalty to Respel and their late Imdiko hadn’t been bought and paid for. He’d never put a price on that. It remained intact, though Respel might certainly have him executed for getting law enforcement’s wind up. If for some reason Respel let him live, Karil would remain bound to see that Huk’s death was answered for.

  He was the only real Nobek present. No matter how addicted and weak he’d allowed himself to become, he remained the most principled of those gathered in Respel’s office.

  Gathering that last shred, clinging to it as the screams beyond the closed door continued, Karil met his Dramok’s gaze. Junkie or not, failure or not, he’d face whatever came without a whimper. He’d show them all what a real Nobek was made of.

  Maybe Respel saw that stuttering but unquenchable flame in his eyes. The crime boss sighed and shook his head. He pulled out his handheld and tapped.

  “I’m putting credits into your account, enough to leave Kalquor. Permanently. Don’t come back.”

  Karil thought of Vax. Respel was putting the bastard out of his reach. He couldn’t restrain a soft growl of frustration.

  Respel leveled a deadly glare at him. “If you return for any reason, I’ll have you chained in the Dirty Hole.”