by Sahara Kelly
"Alana-delight, my people are quite free to disagree with me on any number of issues, and they most usually do. I do not 'rule' here, I am merely the Guardian. By virtue of my job, I have become sort of a President of Anyela, if you will, but I cannot order decapitations—" he stifled another laugh, "—even though sometimes I wish I could."
She wriggled slightly, enjoying the feel of his very nice cock beneath her thighs. He was partially aroused, she could tell, and yet he was stroking her body in a soothing and non-sexual fashion. It was rather nice, she decided, relaxing even more.
"So tomorrow, when I come to you again, you may ask for your boon to be granted —I shall be pleased to listen, and then the ceremony will commence. Is that fair enough?"
"I still don't see why I had to wait," she groused, but rather calmly. His voice and his hands were working magic on her.
"Because your boon will affect how we manage the Time disruptions, Alana. This is not a matter to be taken lightly. Had you not come here with the goal of freeing Hari and Sami from their duty to Anyela, I don't know how I would have been able to accomplish it."
Chapter 19
"You knew. You really did read my mind."
Her breath seemed to have left her body. The shock at hearing her plan, so carefully nurtured, casually drop from the lips of the Guardian, had knocked her for the proverbial loop.
"It was quite apparent from the feelings I sensed between you and your Genies that there was a special bond. What other reason could you possibly have for refusing our offerings?"
She placed her hand on his firm chest and absently ran her fingers through the soft whorls of hair. "So you wanted to release them too," she said.
"Indeed I did. They are the best Genies that Anyela has yet seen but I knew there would be severe opposition amongst the ancients who rely on their talents to straighten out the kinks in the space-time continuum."
"Or add a few," interrupted Alana with a little giggle.
The Guardian dropped a laughing kiss on top of her head. "Or add a few. They are a very inventive team, those two."
"You have no idea," said Alana with feeling.
"But the Ancients have forgotten what it is to love—to mate—to see one's woman grow large with one's child and to start a family that may well produce a new Guardian of Time..." He stopped for a moment and gazed into the darkness.
"Guardian?" She raised a tentative hand to his face and brushed the prickly softness of his goatee.
"Hmmm?"
"What about you? Do you have a family? Children? A wife?"
"Once upon a time, my sweet, once upon a time."
"But not here in Anyela?" she pressed, shrewdly judging his tone of voice.
"No, Alana, not here in Anyela. Here the rules are different, and the Guardian of Time is different again. But enough of this."
He pulled her close and brought her hand to his lips. His tongue swirled around in her palm and she gasped at the bolt of lightning that zapped her loins.
"Oh my," she breathed, unable to take her eyes off him in spite of the deepening gloom around them.
"It's been a long day for you, treasured Alana. And I think tomorrow may well be even longer. You need to rest if you are to make the Ecstasy flowers bloom."
"But I want to know..."
She got no further, as the Guardian bent and gently touched her lips with his. He tasted of honey and cinnamon and man and some other wonderful things she couldn't put a name to. She just knew she wanted more.
Opening her lips she welcomed his tongue as it slid into her mouth, learning, flicking, tantalizing, seducing—she was shaking with arousal within moments. He eased away from her and dropped little soothing kisses on her eyelids.
"You are a special person, Alana; it is good that you are here in Anyela. Sleep now."
Her head dropped on his shoulder, her eyes closed, and she slept.
*~*~*~*
Trumpets were blaring in her ears. Okay, this was it—Pearly Gates, St. Peter, hosts of angels—she really was dead.
On the other hand, if she were dead, she probably wouldn't have such a pressing need to pee.
Alana groggily rose up on one elbow to see two women looking nervously at her. "Would you care to accompany us to the bathing chamber, Mistress? We have been instructed to see to your needs..."
Had she been able to, she would have leapt off the chaise and kissed them both soundly. However, her legs were still a bit stiff, her shoulders ached slightly, and she was unsure about the state of her butt cheeks.
So it was a very cautious woman that rose grandly from her chaise, glancing around for the Guardian. He was gone. She had been tucked up in his blankets and slept the night away. She sighed.
A shower and some judicious lotion application took care of the worst of her aches and pains—surprisingly her backside was almost healed. She'd expected welts and perhaps a little bruising, but thanks to the Guardian's gentling touch, she felt as good as new. She enjoyed a light breakfast that had been placed just outside for her. The women helped her into a formal robe—of vivid yellow silk, it fell to her feet and tied at the waist with an elegant golden cord. Some bathrobe, she thought, as she finished her coffee. Bloomingdale's would kill for this line.
She left the bathing chamber on their heels, following them back to what she recognized as the town square.
A crowd had gathered, and more were coming. Everybody wanted to get a look at the notorious woman who had defied the Guardian.
She straightened her spine and looked ahead, seeing the Guardian waiting for her in his usual black silk.
She neared the dais and raised her eyes to his. He seemed very formal this morning—there was little sign of the man who had aroused her and caressed her so gently last night.
The crowd quieted as the Guardian raised his hand.
"Mistress Alana. You are welcome again before the people of Anyela. Yesterday you were offered the gifts that are ours to bestow, yet you refused. Would you care to reconsider your opinion?"
His voice echoed around the shops and the flowers, the crowd was silent, waiting for her reply.
She stepped to the dais and looked at him. Something twinkled in the back of his eyes and gave her the courage she needed.
"Guardian," she began, rather nervously. "I have indeed had time to meditate on your offer, and have enjoyed the attentions of the good people of Anyela…" She waved her hand at the crowd, some of whom blushed, a couple of whom dropped their heads.
Got you, you little buggers, she thought. I remember you—you were the ones who got a bit whip-happy yesterday.
The Guardian glanced at them sharply.
Damn, he can read minds.
"If I may be permitted to address these good people and yourself?" she continued, a rather evil grin lurking somewhere on behalf of her butt. Payback would be sweet.
"You are granted permission," said the Guardian.
"I would like to say how honored I am to be here in your beautiful Anyela. Where I come from, this would be considered paradise at least, possibly even Heaven. I offer thanks to those of you responsible for my visit." She bowed slightly to the Guardian and looked for Hari and Sami in the crowd.
Dammit, they'd better be here for this, she thought, heart rate stepping up a couple of notches.
With a sigh of relief she glimpsed two tall heads making a ripple through the crowd and within seconds, Hari and Sami were at the front with, not surprisingly, Debalhi and Pemalina at their sides.
She drew in another breath.
"I have learned much from your Genies, and also from you—kind people. You are possessed of a giving and loving nature, you welcome strangers and make them friends, and you sincerely care about each other. If I am to accept your graduation ceremony and all it entails, I can do no less."
Should she try President Kennedy's "I am an Anyelan" speech? Nah, they might not be Democrats.
"So, in the spirit of Anyela, I ask a boon of your Guardian."
A
murmur rumbled through the crowd, and Hari and Sami remained motionless, gazes fixed on the figure in the vibrant yellow robe.
"I ask that, if I am successful in completing the graduation requirements and correcting my particular deviation in the time-line, that my tutors, Hari and Sami, be released from the Genie program and allowed to become full citizens of Anyela with all the rights that such a title entails."
Hari and Sami paled.
Their women grasped the nearest hand and clung on for dear life. The rest of the crowd muttered and mumbled and discussed Alana's request, until the Guardian raised his hand again and silence fell.
"Alana West. You have shown the strength of commitment to your goals by your refusal to immediately accept our offering, and courage in enduring the punishment that you incurred. Your request is of a loving and unselfish nature. We are proud and happy to be able to grant it."
Cheers and clapping began somewhere in the crowd, and within moments everyone was jumping, yelling, cheering, waving and shouting their approval.
Pemalina and Debalhi stood with tears flowing down their faces, and Hari and Sami were speechless.
They moved as one to stand before her.
"You did this for us?" asked Hari roughly.
"This was your plan—to free us?" said Sami, choking back his emotions.
"How could I do less?" said Alana, holding her arms wide.
They folded her in a warm hug and held her tightly, neither man trusting his voice. She felt a sob run through somebody and a sniff from the other one.
"Hey, guys, that's enough. You've got wonderful ladies waiting for you..." She eased back from their arms, uncaring that the tears were flowing down her cheeks.
"Go and be happy. Have kids, let them torture you. Have a life now, not a series of affairs. I have but one request..." she leaned towards them and whispered something. Then she kissed them both again and said "Just don't forget me..."
Then she deliberately turned away from them even though it was the hardest thing she'd ever done.
She gained strength from the gaze of the Guardian—he was approving her and encouraging her, and probably seducing her a bit too, because those black eyes of his were making her nipples get all uppity.
With a deep breath that hitched on a tiny sob, she stepped forward. "I am ready for the graduation ceremony, Guardian."
A blast from some trumpets somewhere made her jump.
"Will the Qualifiers please step forward?"
As before, about fifteen or twenty delicious men moved into a line before Alana and dropped their silks.
Her mouth watered, her palms began to itch, and all over her body little hormones were standing up and fidgeting at this lovely presentation of some of the best dicks in the galaxy.
"Alana, any of these men would be deeply honored to share the Ecstasy Bed with you. Your passions will make the flowers bud out on the tree—and this is considered an excellent demonstration of the continuation of our high standard of sexual skills, and also a general good-luck omen for Anyela as a whole."
Alana wandered up the line of hopeful cocks. Most impressive, she thought to herself, as they were obviously rising to the occasion.
"I may select any of these men?"
"Any of the men here before you are candidates, yes."
"Hmmm."
She walked down the line again, enjoying the sight of so many different men presented for her delight. She idly ran her palm from her shoulder down over her nipple to her waist, and silently chuckled as at least eighty percent of the cocks twitched and grew even more. This was the most fun she could remember having with clothes on.
"Hmm."
The Guardian had no idea that when she made that sound, Alana was at her most dangerous, or thinking deeply, which often amounted to the same thing.
Stopping in front of a tall and bronzed man with a head of long red hair and a dick to match, she smiled, noting the answering grin in his deep green eyes. Oh my.
She turned and stepped up onto the dais next to the Guardian.
"I have made my selection," she announced and the crowd again fell quiet. "You have indicated that I may select any candidate who stands before me today—and these are all exquisite men, any one of whom I would be glad to welcome to my bed."
She smiled politely at the assorted packages that were proudly displayed for her delectation. Why the hell didn't anyone pack my cell phone? This would be a photo for the millennium.
She turned and faced the Guardian, placing her hand on his hard chest.
"I choose you."
Chapter 20
Once again, Alana's words had brought an eerie silence to the town square. Then a chuckle started somewhere, and was followed by a guffaw from somewhere else. Within seconds the crowd was collectively clutching its stomach and rolling with laughter.
The Guardian was staring at her—she hoped that he might, in fact, be speechless. His expression was certainly indicating that he was in shock, if the dropped jaw and the round eyes were anything to go by.
"Me?" he squeaked, then coughed, clearing his throat.
"Yes, you. Is there a problem with that? Are you not able to—er—do the deed?" She darted a teasing glance at his crotch. "If you aren't capable of helping me make the flowers bloom, then of course, I shall select another. I'm sure your people will understand and sympathize." She produced a smile that was pure wickedness.
Clearly realizing she was two seconds away from verbally emasculating him in front of a good portion of his people, the Guardian pulled himself together and raised his hand for silence.
She could have sworn she heard a familiar pair of snickers just as silence fell but didn't dare look over at Hari and Sami.
"Alana has made her selection. Although it is unique and has never been done before." He slanted a fiery gaze at her. Oh boy, this is gonna be something else.
"I, your Guardian, agree to lie with Alana West beneath the Ecstasy tree. Then we shall see if the flowers will bloom and bring blessings to Anyela."
Cheers went up at this announcement, and the Guardian slid his arm around Alana's waist and pulled her to him—hard.
"And you'd better be ready for the ride of your life, woman," he hissed through a smile. "I'm going to fuck you until not only the Ecstasy tree blooms but every other tree on Anyela does as well, along with a few forests on nearby planets."
"Bring it on, Guardian—I can't wait."
"We shall retire to the Ecstasy tree," he said to the crowd. "Let all those who wish to, also retire—this day is henceforth decreed as a day of pleasure for all."
The crowd roared its approval, and the Guardian pulled Alana against his hard body. Bending her over his arm he kissed her, long, hard and with lots of tongue— romance novel cover artists would weep with envy, she realized, as she considered the picture they made—Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Droolworthy laying one enormously sexy smooch on Miss Sliding-Around-In-Silk.
His hand slipped inside her robe and caressed her breast—God, was he going to start here in front of gazillions of horny Anyelans? Her heart thumped—mind you, if he kept kissing her like this, he could start wherever and whenever he wanted. Her brain closed down and began diverting all incoming messages to her pussy.
"You asked for it, my delight." He swept her up into his arms.
"Oh yeah." She grinned.
*~*~*~*
The Ecstasy tree sat at the edge of the lake, trailing mammoth roots out into and beneath the water. It was surprisingly ordinary, thought Alana, as the Guardian navigated the small path that led through an archway into a secluded garden. The array of branches that created the bed was a couple of feet off the ground, and had been covered for the occasion with silk quilts and pillows.
The Guardian dropped her on it.
"Ooof," she said, landing hard.
"You are very daring, Alana West," muttered the Guardian as he struggled to get his tunic off his shoulders. Suddenly he seemed all thumbs.
Alana giggled and came
up on her knees, helping him slide the black silk off his wonderful shoulders and onto the cool grass that carpeted the bower.
He stilled as Alana's hands went to his trouser fastening and slid the cord free.
His pants joined his tunic on the grass, and Alana got her first good look at what had to be one of nature's masterpieces.
His cock was growing as she smoothed her hands around it; thick and well formed, it lay just perfectly across her palm.
The head was sculptured, flaring and elegant, with a finely carved ridge and an obviously sensitive spot underneath, which brought a hiss from the Guardian's lips as she ran a fingertip over it gently.
She lowered her head and flicked her tongue lightly across the tip, watching for his reaction.
A soft moan made her smile. Gotcha.
Hoping that Hari and Sami had done what she asked, Alana eased away from the Guardian's cock with a final stroke, which included his balls hanging comfortably between his beautifully muscular thighs.
He followed her down onto the bed.
"My turn," he muttered, pulling her belt open and stripping her robe away from her body in about two seconds flat.
He gazed at her for long moments.
"I begin to envy my Genies, Alana," he smiled, running a fingertip around her navel and making her shiver.
"Your skin is so soft, and your body just made for fucking." He bent his head to her breast and she felt the light caress of his hair as it tumbled onto her skin like tiny fingers of sensation.
His tongue teased and tormented her nipple for what seemed like hours, until with a pop he released it and leaned over to repeat the process on the other breast. Her pussy was quivering and she could feel herself getting hot and wet.
Her hips moved automatically, encouraging him to get where he belonged.
A smile crossed his face.
"Not yet, anxious one. This is going to take some time..." He licked and suckled her strongly, rubbing his hands from her wrists up the sensitive skin underneath her arms and over her body.
Her nipples, aroused and darkened, were glistening from his mouth, eagerly demanding more attention.
She knew she had to get some control back, or she was going to succumb way too early to this marvelous lover and his amazing tongue. And she hadn't even gotten to the best part of him yet.