“Ugh—I cannot imagine being mated to a male!” Mistress Hellenix exclaimed. “I have to inform you, Nicole, that I will not allow a male to penetrate me. I must draw the line somewhere—I will kill him if he tries.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Nikki said dryly. “He hasn’t had any wish to, uh, penetrate me for the past couple of years. In fact, he’s leaving me for another woman so he can penetrate her. I just found out yesterday—so you might not see him around at all.”
“What? You’re allowing him to leave you?” Her evil twin looked shocked. “Why do you not give him a good shock with his pain collar and lock him in your dungeon for a while? That will teach him a lesson!”
“He doesn’t wear a pain collar because he’s not a slave,” Nikki explained again. “Also, I don’t have a dungeon—not even a basement. You can’t really have them in the Tampa Bay area because we’re too close to sea level. If you dig a hole in the ground, you just made a swimming pool—not a dungeon.”
That reminded her—their backyard pool was in really sad shape. It was full of leaves and needed to be shocked. She’d been trying to get Jude to take care of it—the leaves at least—for some time. But since she couldn’t even get her boys to do their own laundry or pack their own lunches, the pool duties usually fell to her, along with everything else.
Well…she would just have to deal with it when she got home. Her evil twin certainly wasn’t going to play pool boy on top of everything else. Nikki had the idea that she wasn’t used to any kind of manual or domestic labor at all.
“I would not allow any male who belonged to me to defect to another female,” Mistress Hellenix announced, glaring at her disapprovingly. “Not unless I sold him to her in the first place.”
“It’s not like Gary’s been the best husband lately,” Nikki pointed out. “He’s cheating on me, like I said. And he never helps out around the house or helps the kids with their homework or does anything, really, but watch TV and play his fantasy football league.”
“What fantasy is this?” Mistress Hellenix asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is it sexual?”
“Hardly.” Nikki couldn’t think of anything less sexual than football—or sports in general for that matter. She just wasn’t a fan. “It’s just this thing he does where he gets together with a bunch of his friends and they all pretend they own football teams and pick which players they would use and—”
“So he lazes around while you do all the work?” The alien dominatrix sounded both appalled and disbelieving. “Nicole, it sounds to me as though you are the slave in this relationship—a slave in your own domicile. Why do you allow him to put you in bondage? You are a female and therefore superior—you should rise up and strike him down! Force him to grovel at your feet and beg for forgiveness—then punish him anyway!” There was a fierce light in her eyes that made her look downright scary.
Nikki had a vivid mental image of her soon-to-be ex-husband kneeling at her feet and begging humbly for forgiveness. A bitter laugh rose in her throat.
“Never going to happen,” she told Mistress Hellenix. “Just leave Gary to his own devices—he won’t bother you.”
“I still think—” the other woman began but just then she was interrupted by a burst of static or what appeared to be static anyway. It made the mirror hazy and for a moment Nikki lost sight of Mistress Hellenix. Then it cleared again but the other woman was frowning.
“I believe we are soon to lose this connection,” she told Nikki. “Are you clear on what you have to do?”
“Go to the Banquet of Pain and pretend to be you, then come to Earth in your long-range ship so we can switch back,” Nikki said quickly.
Mistress Hellenix nodded.
“Exactly. And I will go to your place of employment and pretend to do your duties before going to the meeting of the Plan numbered five hundred and four at the school of your progeny.” She made a face. “Ugh—not only a male mate but male children as well—how do you stand it?”
“It’s not easy sometimes,” Nikki said grimly. “But I love my kids, even if they are a pain in the ass. So don’t hurt any of them.”
Mistress Hellenix’s eyes flashed.
“I’ll make certain they all have a proper respect for you by the time we switch back, Nicole—never fear.”
“Now, wait a minute—” Nikki began. Knowing how the alien dominatrix felt about males made her worried. Also, Mistress Hellenix needed to know that no matter how angry she got at someone, she couldn’t get away with torturing anybody or bathing in their blood. And she needed to tell the other woman to put on her bra. There was no way she could go to Rosy Ray’s Realty or the 504 Plan meeting at the twins’ middle school with her nipples poking out like that!
But before she could go on, there was another burst of static and the image of Mistress Hellenix and the rest area bathroom behind her dissolved into nothing.
“Hey, wait a minute—wait!” Nikki protested. She looked down at the purple M&M E’lo stone she’d been holding clenched in her hand. It had been buzzing quietly throughout her talk with Mistress Hellenix. But now it was flat and dead—lifeless.
“Damn it!” Nikki swore, shaking it and then rubbing it vigorously. “Come on—work you stupid thing! I wasn’t done talking!”
But the stone remained stubbornly silent and dull. She was left with nothing but her own reflection for company and an uneasy feeling in her gut that the next couple of days were going to be the most dangerous and difficult of her life.
Chapter Four
“Mistress, are you well?” Suddenly the vast double doors of the room swung open and Malik entered, a worried look on his face. Scampering at his heels was the strangest creature Nikki had ever seen.
It had a head that looked a little like a bull’s, with curving horns and flaring nostrils, but on its back was a bright orange and red shell like a turtle’s. Its eyes were the same, angry orange-red color and it had a spiked, whip-like tail and long, spindly legs that ended in seven-toed hands with sharp claws on the ends of its many-jointed fingers. But the worst thing about it, at least in Nikki’s opinion, was the mane of purple snakes rising around its head—seven of them at least—all hissing and flicking their forked tongues in the air.
It was about the size of a Chihuahua and thank goodness it wasn’t any bigger! If it had been, say, the size of a Pit-bull, Nikki was certain she would have run screaming. But she knew that if Malik wasn’t bothered by the strange creature scrabbling over the black fur carpet towards her, she had to pretend she wasn’t scared either.
After all, maybe the Medusa-Chihuahua was Mistress Hellenix’s pet—although she certainly could have said something about it when they were talking, Nikki thought resentfully. After all, she had warned the other woman about Gary—her evil twin could at least have shown her the same courtesy!
“Mistress, I heard shouting,” Malik said, frowning at her. “And Slinker was worried about you.”
“Oh, um…” Nikki steeled herself not to react as the weird animal came forward and started sniffing her. “I…I’m just fine. I had a bad dream, is all.”
Suddenly the Medusa-Chihuahua started growling and all seven of the purple snakes in its mane reared up and hissed at her.
Oh my God, it’s going to bite me! It knows I’m not her!
It took all Nikki’s courage not to scream and run. Instead, she edged away as gracefully as she could.
“You naughty boy!” she said, shaking her finger at the hissing, growling creature who was stalking towards her, stiff-legged. “Settle down and behave yourself now!”
Malik frowned. “What can be the meaning of this? Slinker is usually so devoted to you, Mistress.”
“I, uh, think the tears in that last tub in the spa were off somehow,” Nikki said, thinking fast. “He probably doesn’t like the way I smell because of that.”
“Is that so? Let me see.” Without warning, the huge bodyslave put an arm around her waist and swept her close to his big, muscular frame. Leaning
down, he tangled one long-fingered hand in her hair and pressed his face to the side of her neck. He inhaled deeply, sending shivers down Nikki’s spine.
“Oh!” She put up her hands involuntarily and they landed on his broad, bare chest. His skin was warm and she could feel the muscles, hard and solid, under her fingertips. Once again that warm fragrance—the dark spicy scent with just a hint of electricity—filled her nose. “Malik!” she protested breathlessly. “Please!”
“Hmm…” He pulled back, his hand still entangled in her hair. “You do smell…different,” he said, frowning. “Sweeter somehow. Not like yourself at all…Mistress.”
“I told you—it’s the tears in that last tub. They’re off.” Nikki wanted to push his hand away, to get away from him—being too close to the huge Kindred bodyslave was like being under a tree when a thunder storm broke. She felt like she might get struck by lightning at any time. But somehow she found herself still standing there, looking up at him with his hand in her hair.
“You look different too,” Malik murmured, studying her with those sharp silver eyes. “Your expression…your demeanor is changed. The hardness in your eyes is gone. Replaced by something else. By fear? What do you fear, Mistress?”
His intense scrutiny made Nikki incredibly nervous. It also made her realize all over again how skimpy and revealing the black lace gown she was wearing was. She could feel the top of it slipping down, past her nipples—now tight with fear—going lower and lower, baring her breasts completely.
“I…I fear nothing,” she finally got out.
“Is that so?” he mused. “But Mistress, you’re very different today.” Malik pulled her even closer and now she could feel his broad chest rubbing against her sensitive tips. The sensation sent sparks of fear and excitement through her entire body, making her gasp and press her thighs together tightly.
She had an urge to yank the top of her gown up and step back, and she told herself she would have if his fingers weren’t still tangled in her hair. But she felt helpless, powerless as he leaned closer and closer, his face coming towards hers as he looked into her eyes, his mouth almost brushing her lips.
“Are you sure that you’re well?” he murmured and now his lips did brush hers—a whisper of a kiss as he spoke. His breath was hot on her face and scented like cinnamon and chili peppers—the hot kind that would burn your tongue, Nikki thought faintly. One big hand slipped down to cup her bare right breast and he began to thumb her tight nipple lazily, making her gasp.
“I…I’m fine—really,” she said breathlessly. She wondered if the big Kindred bodyslave was always this possessive with his Mistress. Did Mistress Hellenix allow him to get away with this kind of behavior? Did she let him man-handle her this way? She didn’t seem the type who would put up with anything at all.
I’m playing right into his hands, she realized. Mistress Hellenix would never put up with him touching her all over like this. I have to step up my act or he’s going to know I’m not her for sure and kill me!
Despite the fact that her body was reacting to his touch and the way he was teasing her nipple was sending shivers of desire down her spine, the big Kindred could snap her neck like a twig. And he would too, in another minute when he was sure she wasn’t Mistress Hellenix.
“Get your hands off me, slave!” Nikki tried to make her voice commanding and imperious and she glared up at him, doing her best impression of her evil twin. “How dare you paw at me without my express permission?” There—that should get him going!
Indeed, Malik drew back, his silver eyes widening. He loosed her hair from his big fist and took a step back at once, his other hand leaving her breast. Smoothly, he knelt before her.
“Forgive me, Mistress,” he rumbled, dropping his eyes. “I was…too forward in my attentions to you but only because I was worried for your well-being. Still, you are within your rights to punish me with the pain collar or…” A muscle jumped in the side of his strong jaw. “Or by giving me the rod,” he finished in a low, grating voice.
His words made Nikki remember that Mistress Hellenix had given her the key word that controlled the thick black collar around the huge Kindred’s neck—but she couldn’t for the life of her remember what it was. Something with an “ab” at the end. Was it nab? Blab? Cab? No—none of those sounded right.
Well, if she couldn’t use the pain collar, what was this business about “giving him the rod?” Nikki had no clue about that either. God, what a mess she was in! If the big bodyslave found out she was an imposter and worse, that she had no way to fend him off, she would be dead in a hot minute!
“Don’t presume to tell me how to punish you, slave!” she said imperiously, playing for time. “I…I’ll give you the rod later. Right now, I want to rest.”
Malik frowned and looked up at her.
“So you have decided not to do your weekly inspection of the slaves before dinner tonight?”
“Inspection of the slaves?” Nikki repeated. “Um…”
“They are all in readiness for you,” Malik went on. “It is not my place to say, Mistress, but it seems to me that cancelling the inspection would imply weakness. And you know that you always say that you rule your domicile with pain and terror. If any of the slaves believe you are getting soft, there will certainly be trouble.”
Well, the pain and terror bit certainly sounded like something Mistress Hellenix would say, Nikki thought dismally. And she couldn’t let Malik or any of the slaves know she wasn’t really the alien dominatrix.
“You make a good point, Malik,” she said, still trying to sound like her evil twin. “Let me get dressed in something, uh…” she glanced down at her bare breasts and had to fight not to cover them. “More appropriate and we can begin the inspection.”
“I will find you something to wear at once, Mistress.” Malik rose as easily and smoothly as he had knelt at her feet. Nikki couldn’t help thinking that he was remarkably graceful for such a big man. He looked down at the Medusa-Chihuahua, which had retreated into a corner of the room and was still growling at Nikki. “Should I put Slinker out first?”
“Yes, please do.” Nikki nodded imperiously. “He’s getting on my nerves.”
“As you wish, Mistress.”
He scooted the angry pet out the door gently with one large boot and then went to the back of the bedroom and opened another door Nikki hadn’t seen—probably because it was hidden in the shadows.
“Now then, Mistress,” Malik rumbled, flipping on a switch in what appeared to be a walk-in closet. “Let’s find you the right gown for your inspection.” He brought out a red gown with long sleeves, a v-shaped neck, and a slit up the middle. “Will this do?”
“Um…” Nikki bit her lip. The gown didn’t look too revealing, she decided at last. “All right.” She reached for it. “Let me try it on.”
He frowned. “Do you not wish me to dress you as I always do, Mistress?”
Nikki swallowed hard. If she said no, she was risking giving herself away. But she couldn’t help being embarrassed at the prospect of letting a strange man dress her.
It’s better to let him dress you and think you’re his Mistress than to have him kill you when he figures out you’re not, whispered a little voice in her head. Well, that was true.
“All right,” Nikki said at last. “You can…can dress me, Malik. I mean, of course you can. You always do, after all.” She tried to smile but somehow the corners of her mouth didn’t want to turn up.
“Yes, I do,” he rumbled. “Very well then—arms over your head please, Mistress.”
Nikki lifted her arms obediently and let him sweep the black lace gown over her head and replace it with the red one he had picked out. She was still nervous about being naked in front of him but though Malik gave her an appreciative look, he made the process quick so that she was covered again before she knew it.
But not very covered, she thought, looking down at herself in dismay.
The gown, which had looked almost modest when i
t was hanging from the hanger, now revealed itself to be extremely provocative. The V-neck was much deeper than she’d at first suspected—plunging almost to her belly button and showing the inner curves of her breasts clearly. Even worse, the slit in the middle didn’t just come to mid-thigh—as Nikki had assumed it would. It rode high—right past her hips—putting her pussy on full display. She covered herself as casually as she could, acting as though her hand just happened to be there, blocking her lady bits from view.
“Would you like split panties or full coverage, Mistress?” Malik was already rummaging through the big chest of drawers again.
“I’m sorry—what?” Nikki didn’t know what to say.
He looked up at her and frowned.
“When the slaves pay obeisance to you, do you wish them to kiss your bare pussy or not?”
“What? Oh, no!” Nikki exclaimed. The thought of a bunch of half-naked muscular strangers putting their faces in her crotch was horrifying. “I mean—no, I…I don’t feel like letting them, um, do that tonight,” she added, trying to sound more casual and less horrified.
“Very well—full coverage panties then.” Malik nodded and came over to kneel at her feet again. “Here you are Mistress—allow me to help you on with these.”
Blushing, Nikki moved her hand and started to step into the panties he had picked—which were red to match the dress. But before she could, Malik drew back frowning.
“Mistress,” he said, looking up at her. “Did the new depilatory treatment I used on you last time not work? I thought you were perfectly hairless, as you prefer, but now I see this.” He motioned to the neatly trimmed patch of curls at the top of Nikki’s mound, which she was trying to keep herself from covering, though she desperately wanted to.
“Um…right. I guess…guess it didn’t work very well,” she said, trying to keep the strangled sound out of her voice and not succeeding very well.
“Wait here a moment.” Malik rose smoothly and left the room. Nikki thought about just putting the panties on and telling him she was fine but before she could, he returned with something in his hand.
Twisted: Brides of the Kindred 23 Page 6