Twisted: Brides of the Kindred 23

by Evangeline Anderson

“Gods, Talana, don’t know if I want to watch you come on my fingers first or feel you wrapped around my shaft,” he murmured, his voice hoarse with need.

  “I want to come with you in me,” Sophia begged, unable to help herself. “Please, Sylvan—I want to feel you inside me—and I want your fangs in my neck when I come.”

  “Your pleasure is mine, as always,” Sylvan told her. Withdrawing his fingers, he fit the broad head of his cock to her open, waiting pussy and entered her with a single hard thrust.

  Only knowing that the twins were asleep in the other room kept Sophia from screaming out her pleasure at the deep, welcome invasion. As it was, she had to bite her lip until she nearly bled to hold in the cry of desire and need that wanted to come out.

  “It’s all right, Talana, scream if you want to,” Sylvan told her roughly through their link. The walls of my office are soundproofed—remember?” Then he began to move in her, pulling almost all the way out and thrusting in again, deep and hard and desperate—as though he needed her so badly he couldn’t be gentle.

  This wasn’t making love, Sophia realized dimly as her back arched with pleasure and she rose and fell, riding him as he thrust deep inside her. This was a more primitive form of love—fucking, Sylvan was fucking her hard and fast, in a way he almost never did.

  This is what he needs, she thought, delirious with pleasure as her mate filled her over and over. This is what he needs tonight to get out of his head—to forget the problems of the Council and just be here with me.

  If that was true, then she was more than happy to give it to him. She loved the feeling of him inside her, thrusting so deep and hard, the broad head of his cock giving the mouth of her womb a rough kiss with each driving thrust. Digging her fingernails into his broad shoulders, she rode him hard, giving as good as she was getting.

  “Get ready, Talana,” she heard Sylvan growl through their link. “Going to fill you up soon. And I’m going to bite you the minute I start coming so we can come together.”

  Since his bite and the injection of his essence always brought on an instant orgasm, Sophia knew exactly what to expect—and she couldn’t wait.

  “Bite me!” she begged aloud, not bothering to lower her voice since he had reminded her of the sound-proofing. Brushing her hair to one side, she bared her throat for him temptingly. “Bite me, Sylvan—bite me and fuck me and make me come!”

  She didn’t usually use such frank language. Either that or hearing her begging seemed to do something to the big Kindred. He growled—a hungry, almost animalistic sound—and sank his double set of fangs deep into her exposed throat.

  Sophia moaned and stiffened as she felt the rush of essence hit her bloodstream. Pleasure drenched her like a warm, rushing waterfall and her pussy clenched hard around his thick shaft.

  “Coming—Oh, Sylvan, I’m coming!” she gasped through their link. “You’re making me come so hard!”

  “That’s right, Talana—come for me—come all over my cock while I fill you up. While I bond you to me all over again,” he groaned.

  And then Sophia felt him spurting—hot and wet and copious inside her. Kindred always made a lot of cum and there was even more when a Kindred male was either bonding you or trying to get you pregnant, she had found. Possibly Sylvan was doing both because she could feel his seed running down her inner thighs, getting both of them wet and sticky and still he spurted inside her.

  “Gods, Sophia, love you—love you so much,” he told her, sending love and devotion and desire through their link in an outpouring that nearly drowned her in emotion.

  “Oh, Sylvan, I love you too. So much—forever,” she sent back.

  They seemed to come together for a long, long time but finally the pleasure ebbed and left them both panting and clinging together, like two people who have survived a shipwreck and have only each other to hold onto.

  The intensity of the situation overwhelmed Sophia and she felt tears prick her eyes and a sob caught in her throat.

  Sylvan withdrew his fangs and looked at her anxiously.

  “What is it, Talana? Was I too rough with you? I know we aren’t usually so…carnal when we love each other.”

  Sophia almost laughed at the way he described the sex they’d just had and then she sobbed again.

  “Of course you didn’t hurt me—I like it a little rough sometimes. It’s just…when I think of that awful assassin droid and how I almost lost you…” She choked up again, and felt hot tears running down her cheeks.

  “Oh, sweetheart…” Sylvan cupped her face in his hands and brought her forward to kiss away the tears. “Don’t cry,” he murmured. “Or if you really need to cry, let me hold you while you do.”

  With a muffled little moan, Sophia wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his neck, letting the tears take her as the aftermath of the intense orgasm shook her like the aftershocks of an earthquake. Sylvan held her and stroked her back, letting her feel his warmth and sending her strength and reassurance through their link. Promising wordlessly that he would always be there, that he would never leave her alone.

  At last, Sophia was able to regain control.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, pulling back and wiping at her eyes with her fingertips. “I guess I’ve just been trying not to think about the attempt that awful Mistress Hellenix made on your life and talking about it and then having such intense sex just brought everything rushing to the surface.” She sighed. “Sometimes I just worry about you so much, Sylvan.”

  “I worry about you and the twins too, you know,” he said gravely, stroking her cheek. “That’s why I’m still Head of the High Council though I have often longed to pass the post on to someone else. It feels like the best way I can protect you all. But, Talana, some things we just have to leave in the Goddess’s hands.”

  “Yes, I know.” Sophia let out a trembling sigh and laid her head on his shoulder. “I just don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart. So much more even than when we first came together,” Sylvan sent through their link as he kissed her gently. “I thank the Goddess every day for bringing you into my life.”

  “I do too,” Sophia sent back. She kissed him back and became aware that he was still hard inside her—not an uncommon occurrence since Kindred males didn’t require any recovery time between orgasms.

  “Sylvan,” she murmured, breaking the kiss and looking into his eyes. “Make love to me again. But this time, let’s take it slow.”

  She rolled her hips slowly, to emphasize her point, and both of them moaned when the motion caused unbearable pleasurable friction between them.

  “Mmm, as you wish, Talana,” Sylvan murmured, his blue eyes going half-lidded again. “Long and slow and deep. And I want to look into your eyes and feel your soul joined to mine with every stroke.”

  Sophia pressed her forehead to his and they locked gazes as he pulled almost out of her and then pressed deeply back in, making both of them moan. She would put everything else out of her mind, she told herself firmly. That horrible Mistress Hellenix and Uriel Two and the homicidal AI that ran it—everything but the sweet pleasure of Sylvan filling her had to go.

  But before she did, she sent a quick prayer to the Goddess that she would protect them all and that everything would be all right…

  Then Sylvan thrust in her again and everything else went out of her head as she gave herself up to the pleasure of making love with the only man she had ever loved or would ever love…forever.

  Chapter Eleven

  Oh my God, he’s onto me! He knows!

  Though Nikki had been feeling too weak to move just a moment before, the realization that her cover had been blown seemed to galvanize her into action. She sat up and started to crawl off the bed, trying to put some distance between herself and the big Kindred.

  “Come back here.” He grabbed her by the ankle and started to drag her back.

  “No! Stay away from me!” Nikki tri
ed to kick him with her free foot but he caught that one too, holding her as easily as he had when he was forcing the medicine down her throat.

  He was frighteningly strong and Nikki was already weak as a kitten. In short order he had her subdued and laid out on the bed on her back with her arms over her head.

  “Hey—get off me!” she gasped, but it did no good. Malik sat on her legs and held her wrists together with one big hand, keeping her completely immobile, no matter how much she thrashed and wiggled.

  “You might as well hold still, imposter,” he growled. “I know you’re not my real Mistress. And don’t say you had a bump on the head, either. The real Mistress Hellenix would never have taken a single bite or sip of anything without using the sniffer on it. What the Seven Hells were you thinking? Did you want to get poisoned?”

  “Leave me alone!” Nikki snapped. “I mean it—let me go or…or face the consequences!”

  “Oh?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “And what consequences might those be?”

  “You’ll see!” Nikki’s eyes fastened on the thick black leather collar the big Kindred wore around his throat and she tried desperately to remember the word her evil twin had told her to activate it. It was something…something that ended in ‘ab’—she was sure of it!

  “Cab!” she cried as he leaned closer. “Nab! Blab! Jab!”

  He frowned, his silver eyes narrowing.

  “What are you babbling about?”

  “Trying to activate your collar, of course!” Nikki was so upset by now that she just started talking. “I know it was a word ending in ‘ab’—that’s what she told me anyway. But I can’t remember it and now you’re going to kill me and I’ll never get home!”

  “Get home?” He frowned.

  “Yes, home—back home to Earth—that’s my home,” Nikki gasped. “Look, don’t kill me! I have three kids. They’re pretty ungrateful but I love them and God knows Gary isn’t going to take care of them—not like he should! He’s leaving me for another woman anyway and he won’t want to bother with them. They’re already losing their dad—I don’t know what’s going to happen to them if they don’t have their mom too—please!”

  Her semi-hysterical rant seemed to have finally gotten through to Malik. He released her arms and sat back, staring at her with wide eyes.

  “Who are you?” he asked, sounding more confused than angry this time. “And how did you come to take my Mistress’s place?”

  “It was the shiny purple M&M I found at the beach.” Now that he had released his hold on her, Nikki scooted quickly away. She curled up near the head of the bed with its crimson sheets and wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

  “Em-i-nem?” Malik asked, shaking his head. “What is that?”

  “It wasn’t really an M&M—it was a stone. A…an E’lo stone,” Nikki said, remembering the name Mistress Hellenix had told her. “I picked it up and held it while she was, uh, holding the other one.”

  She didn’t like to go into detail about exactly how the Yonnite Mistress had been holding the stone and the way she’d apparently been using it as a kind of vibrator while she soaked in the tub filled with blood. It was too gross.

  “The E’lo stones?” The confusion on Malik’s face began to clear. “Ah—now I know what happened! You must be an exact genetic match for my Mistress and that is how the stones came to transport the two of you into each others’ lives.”

  “That’s exactly what happened!” Nikki nodded eagerly. “One minute I was at the beach and the next minute I was in that bathtub filled with blood! Ugh!” She made a face. “And I didn’t know where I was but you told me the penalty for impersonating a Mistress of Yonnie Six is death! And then Mistress Hellenix told me that you would kill me if you found out I wasn’t her. So I had to keep pretending but—”

  “Wait—” He held up a hand to stop her. “So you actually spoke to her after the two of you switched places?”

  “Yes—the E’lo stones let us talk through the mirrors but only once. She’s back on Earth living my life and I’m here living hers. At least I’m trying to!” She bit her lip, feeling tears rising to the surface. “But I’m not very good at being evil and domineering like I guess she is because I keep getting attacked and nearly raped and poisoned and I just…just want to go home.”

  The last word ended in a sob and she covered her face in her hands. She didn’t want to cry again—it seemed like she should have reached her quota for breakdowns already today. But somehow the tears came anyway and her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

  This time Malik didn’t try to hold her but he did get off the bed for a moment and when he came back, he handed her something.

  “Here.”

  Nikki’s fingers closed on something cool and wet and she looked down to see that she was holding a thin, stretchy black piece of fabric about the size of a Kleenex.

  “Wh-what’s this?” she managed to get out.

  “Solza-skin. It will help bring down the swelling in your eyes after you stop crying,” he rumbled, settling at the foot of the bed again. “My Mistress uses it after a hard night of drinking.”

  “She does?” Without waiting for an answer, Nikki pressed the damp black cloth to her face and felt an immediate, soothing coolness spread over her skin. “Ohhhh,” she sighed, letting out a shaky breath. The cold cloth seemed to steady her and she was finally able to get hold of herself. Sniffing, she looked up at Malik who was regarding her steadily with those strange silver eyes of his.

  “Better now?” he asked and his deep voice was surprisingly gentle.

  “Yes.” Nikki nodded and sniffed again. “I’m sorry—it’s just been such a crazy day. And I don’t just mean here—I’m talking about back home too.” She shook her head. “But you don’t want to hear about that. Um…” She looked at him carefully. “Are…are you going to try and kill me now?”

  “No—of course not.” Malik scowled. “I need you too much to kill you.”

  “You…what?” Nikki stared at him wondering if she’d heard him wrong. “But…what could you want with me? Why would you need me?”

  “Because you look exactly like Mistress Hellenix—you even smell like her.” He inhaled briefly, and Nikki got the feeling he was taking in her scent like a bloodhound might and that he would be able to track her anywhere. “So I need you to do what she was going to do,” he finished.

  “Oh—you mean go to The Banquet of Pain and deliver the opening address?” Nikki asked, brightening. “Yes, Mistress Hellenix told me about that—although I have no idea what I’m supposed to talk about,” she added doubtfully.

  “No—that isn’t what I need you to do at all.” Malik frowned. “Although if you have pledged yourself to do it, you must fulfill your word, of course—the E’lo stones will hold you to it.”

  “They will?” Nikki asked. It had never occurred to her that the shiny purple stone, which she was still keeping near her in a little pouch she had found for the purpose, might be able to hold her to the bargain she had made with Mistress Hellenix.

  Malik nodded gravely.

  “Yes, they most certainly will. The ancient culture that made the E’lo stones prized honesty above all else. Anything you have pledged to your double to do, you must do, to the best of your ability.”

  “Okay…” Nikki nodded doubtfully. “So I have to go to this Pain Banquet and give it a hundred percent.”

  “Exactly.” Malik nodded.

  Another thought occurred to Nikki.

  “Does that mean that Mistress Hellenix has to do all the things she promised to do for me back home on Earth?” In the back of her mind, she’d been worried that the other woman would just blow off all of Nikki’s responsibilities and do whatever she wanted while she waited for Nikki to come get her. Of course, the flashes of Mistress Hellenix at Rosy Ray’s Realty and with Gary had been reassuring but she wasn’t quite sure about the twins’ 504 Plan meeting…

  Malik nodded again, firmly. “Yes, she is bound to your life as yo
u are bound to hers. Which is why I need you to act in her stead, as I said earlier.”

  “Okay, but if you’re not worried about the Pain Banquet, then what do you need me to do?” Nikki asked, perplexed.

  Malik took a deep breath. “I need you to accept the invitation my Mistress is about to get from Uriel Two—my old home world—and then take me with you when you go to deal with the Knower who rules there.”

  “Um…okay. So I’d just continue to impersonate Mistress Hellenix?” Nikki asked. “Would that be before or after the banquet? And how much longer will it take? She’s waiting for me on Earth—she told me to tell you to take me there in the long-range ship so we can get back to our old lives.”

  “This shouldn’t take long,” Malik promised her grimly. “All you have to do is get me to the interior of the planet and ask to tour the facility where they manufacture their SORs and I’ll do the rest.”

  “Sores?” Nikki frowned. “What is that?”

  “S-O-R stands for Simulated Organic Replicant,” Malik explained. “They are androids who look exactly like humanoids. But it’s not the SORs I’m truly interested in. Their facility is built around the core processor of the Knower—the AI who runs and rules Uriel Two. I need access to that processor if I’m ever going to save my people and restore my home world.”

  “Are you telling me you’re some kind of a terrorist?” Nikki’s heart began to beat hard. “Because if you think I’m willing to go to some other planet and let you plant a bomb and then blow up along with you, you’re dead wrong. I told you—I have kids to worry about. And a stupid, cheating husband to divorce,” she added, frowning.

  “Blowing up the planet or even the Knower’s core processor is not my intention,” Malik assured her. “But I do have a device given to me by the Time Warden and a plan blessed by the Goddess herself to restore my planet to its former life.” His face grew grim. “The life that was obliterated ten cycles ago when the Knower took over and wiped all organic life forms—especially humanoids—off the face of the planet.”

  “Wow—are you saying that the computers rose up and took over your world?” Nikki got a crawling sensation of dread in the pit of her belly at the thought. “We have a science fiction movie series about that back home on Earth. It’s awful.”