by Ivy Barrett
Ritter nodded toward the simulator, using the bomb’s controller to set Kwinton in motion. As soon as the two disappeared from view, Drake pulled Miranda into his arms and kissed her long and deeply.
“I hate this. I should be there to protect you, not watching from a surveillance ship.”
She returned his kiss before she replied, “This is my field of expertise. I’ll be fine.”
“If things get ugly, put as much distance between you and Kwinton as possible.”
A certain gleam in his eyes made her ask, “Any particular reason?”
“Kwinton’s your ticket into her lair. He’s also plan B.”
“I thought you said the bomb would only scramble his insides.”
“The little one will.” He grinned.
“I see. How far away do I need to be?”
“Out of the room at least, off the floor would be better.”
Miranda couldn’t decide if she was intimidated or comforted by the knowledge. Would more innocent people have to die to end Lopeka’s reign?
Not if she could help it!
Determination surged. She was descended from the most powerful mystics in the star system. Her training and experience had strengthened her confidence and honed her skills. She was strong and she was ready.
Kwinton maneuvered his skimmer with mechanical efficiency. “They’re going to kill me anyway. You realize that, don’t you? As soon as you take out Lopeka, they’ll detonate the bomb.”
She didn’t know if that was true, and she wasn’t sure if she cared one way or the other. Kwinton enjoyed killing. People like that were never reformed.
He led her to a side entrance and Miranda tried not to gawk. Most of the action at the Fantasy Forum took place behind closed doors. The Dark Star flaunted its amenities with decadent enthusiasm.
They crossed an area reserved for discipline, and Miranda’s dark nature stirred. On one side, a whip-wielding Mistress marked the back and buttocks of her masked thrall. His body bowed each time the lash connected with his flesh, and his cock bucked in wild approval.
Miranda turned her head sharply, and her steps faltered. A woman was restrained over a high, padded rail. Her body bent almost in half, arms and legs securely bound, all her secrets exposed. Her ass bore the marks of recent attention, and her Master vigorously fucked her dripping pussy with a sleek metal dildo. His naked assistant used similar toys in the woman’s mouth and upturned ass.
Bloodlust unfurled within Miranda. Dark, potent hunger seeped into her bones and muddled her thinking. She clenched her hands until her nails bit into her palms.
A mocking chuckle intruded and the beast tossed its head. “I’ll make sure Lopeka knows you’re desperate for discipline. She’ll be happy to introduce you to the brutal pleasure of pain.”
“Shut up.” She shoved him toward the bank of elevators.
They took a lift to the fourth floor. The corridor seemed sedate after the opulent excess of the lower level. She followed Kwinton in tense silence, banishing the lingering tingles of her dark desire.
“Wait.” Miranda stopped. “I need to establish a barrier or she’ll know that you betrayed her.”
He stiffened at the reminder. “I was going to drug you. You’d better stagger and slur your speech.”
“I can do that.” She entered his mind only far enough to erect the shield. His being hovered beyond her like a thundercloud, dark and malevolent, undeniably destructive. With the shield in place, she let her body go limp, trying not to cringe as he wrapped his arm around her.
“If you want someone to whip you and then fuck you up the ass, I’d like to apply for the position.”
She didn’t respond to his whispered taunt. Instead, she focused on what she was about to do. He kicked at the door with his foot, keeping Miranda clasped tightly against him.
“Hurry up. This bitch is heavier than she looks.” The door opened and Kwinton dragged her inside.
With her head wobbling drunkenly, she turned and looked at Lopeka. “Do I…know you?” Her words were stilted and slurred.
“What did you do to her? And what the hell took so long?”
Kwinton propelled her toward the nearest chair. “You wanted Nicay dead. He’s dead. You wanted her lover snuffed, so I snuffed him. You wanted her alive, and here she is. What more do you want from me?”
Her gaze narrowed on his face. “I can’t sense you. Why are you…” She lifted her hand, and his neck jerked to an unnatural angle. He collapsed in an ungainly heap, and she turned her gaze on Miranda. “Good, but not good enough.”
Miranda stood, gathering energy into the center of her being as she prepared for battle. “You wanted me here, so I came. But I’m only mildly interested in the conversation.”
“Do you remember me? You were quite young when I left the tribe.”
“You didn’t leave the tribe. You tried to kill my mother, and you were banished in disgrace. Even a child doesn’t forget something like that.”
“You were banished too! Don’t pretend that you’re better than me.” Lopeka tossed her hair and thrust into Miranda’s mind.
Miranda blocked the attack with a surge of energy. The compulsion fizzled but searing pain throbbed through her head. “What do you want? You’ll find controlling me is more challenging than fools like Rizaria.”
“So proud. So confident. If I let you into my mind for even a moment, you’d tremble and moan.”
“You’re proud of your depravity?” Miranda scoffed. “Well, I’m proud of my ancestry. That is why I’m here, isn’t it? You want to tap into that power?”
“The serum works. Don’t you see? My essence allowed lesser mystics to rise to my level. And your essence will allow me to evolve. We can have anything we want. Imagine the possibilities.”
Miranda’s dark nature tossed restless and hungry, drawn by Lopeka’s evil. “Why would I even consider sharing my power with you or anyone else?” Miranda raised her chin and narrowed her gaze. “You think to intimidate me with your corruption? Let’s see how you like mine.” Releasing her hold on the darkness, Miranda shoved into Lopeka’s mind. Lopeka screamed, raising her arms in front of her face. “Get on your knees!”
“I will serve you, if you only allow me to share in your—”
“Never!” She raised her hand, and Lopeka stumbled backward then fell to her knees. “You are unworthy of my abilities. You are unworthy of any ability.”
“Stop it!” Lopeka clutched her head, shaking from side to side.
Disguising her true purpose with pain, Miranda worked within Lopeka’s mind. She constructed impenetrable barriers around Lopeka’s mystic energy. Shrieking and clawing at her hair, Lopeka fought against the separation. “Beg for your life and I might be generous.”
“Please, Miranda.” Lopeka grabbed Miranda’s ankle and rested her forehead on Miranda’s shoe. “I beg you! My life is yours.”
“I’ll hold you to that vow.” She released her hold as abruptly as she’d established the link. “I want the names of your network and anyone who came in contact with the serum.”
Lopeka curled on her side, sobbing pathetically.
Miranda stared down at her defeated foe and the darkness within her railed. Finish her! Suck her dry! Absorb her power! Take her, use her, kill her now. What are you waiting for?
Drake’s team swarmed the room, and Miranda dragged her gaze away from Lopeka. The urges echoed through her mind.
Everyone looked at her with a combination of wonder and fear. She wrapped her arms around herself and pressed her back against the wall. All her hard-won control was shattered. The darkness was stronger than ever before.
“That was extraordinary.” Drake reached for her, but she twisted away.
“Stay away from me.” Her voice shook almost as much as her hands. “The battle has just begun.”
Chapter Fourteen
Despite Miranda’s objections, Drake wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I’ll help you. There
is no reason for you to be alone.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Her inner beast bucked and reared, desperate for energy, demanding pain. Having Lopeka grovel at her feet had been the most exhilarating experience of her life. She wanted more, needed to feed the darkness and savor the thrill.
“You won’t hurt me.” Conviction rang in his tone. “We’ll battle through this together.”
Her knees buckled, and he swept her up in his arms, rushing from the room without a backward glance. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing further stimulation was the last thing she needed. The throbbing in her head was echoing throughout her body.
She clung to him, burying her face against his throat. Sudden acceleration told her they’d reached a skimmer. She focused on her breathing, determined to gain some control before they reached the Fantasy Forum.
If not for Drake’s support, she never would have made it to their room. She was trembling so badly she couldn’t make her limbs cooperate.
“What do you need? I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Unable to speak, she showed him the woman from the Dark Star and infused the image with urgency.
He didn’t hesitate. He pulled her shirt off over her head and unclasped her bra. “Kick off your shoes and unfasten your pants. I expect better from my slave.”
His imperious tone was a salve to her frayed nerves. She craved his mastery, needed to surrender control of her body, so she could battle the impulses of her mind. She wiggled out of her shoes and lowered her zipper, her hands still shaking.
He grabbed her from behind, fondling her breasts with one hand while he shoved the other inside her pants. “Move your legs apart. Make room for my fingers. Your cunt belongs to me.”
She groaned and rested her head against his shoulder. His fingers closed on her nipple and her clit, working them with the same steady rhythm. Desire flared through her, driving back the darker needs. She licked her lips and relaxed against him, safe in his embrace.
“Better, but you’re not very wet. Push your pants to your ankles but leave them there. I want you disheveled, not naked.”
His fingers curved over her mound, the firm pressure nearing pain as she frantically pushed down her pants. The seemingly careless treatment sent her senses soaring. He wrapped his arm around her waist and thrust two fingers into her pussy. She rocked back against him as he fucked her fast and hard.
“Is this what you want? Are you so desperate for my cock you can hardly stand?”
A soft moan was her only response.
“Not desperate yet, huh? We’ll have to work on that.” He pulled out and she whimpered, her inner muscles clenching on emptiness.
He lifted her to his shoulder, her pants still tangled around her ankles. Pausing long enough to grab the straps Ritter had used on Kwinton, Drake carried her into the bedroom.
Anticipation sizzled along her nerve endings. Would he push her hard enough to conquer the beast? Did he have any idea what it would take?
She wanted to devour him, to shove into his mind with the careless brutality she had unleashed on Lopeka. The darkness surged, and she growled. He slapped her ass hard.
“Behave! There’ll be none of that.” He set her on her knees, her feet dangling over the side of the bed. Then he pulled her arms behind her back and secured them with Ritter’s cuffs. She tried to look at him, but he turned her head back around and bent her over. Her forehead rested against the bed and her breasts obstructed her view. He moved her knees apart, which brought her loosely bound ankles together. “Don’t move. I want to look at you.”
Her body was open and utterly at his mercy. Submitted and surrendered. The darkness shrank away, horrified by the weakness. Hot tingles sped up her spin, triggering a liquid response deep in her body.
He opened a compartment somewhere behind her then returned to the bedside. His finger pushed into her pussy then retreated, not even a teasing hint of what she needed.
“Much better. Tell me how this feels.”
Something nudged against her opening, something thick and cold!
She lunged forward in an effort to escape the icy invasion, but he caught her bound wrists and brought his hand down hard on her ass. “Don’t move. Concentrate on the sensation. Tell me what you feel.”
“It’s cold,” she whispered, and he returned her to her original position.
“Of course it’s cold. What else do you feel?”
“Thickness. It’s nearly as big around as you.”
He chuckled. “We’ll test that opinion in a bit.”
As he slid the cold toy in and out of her core, he added another sensation. Something warm touched her anus, warm and thin and slippery. It entered smoothly, the heat accenting the cold and vice versa.
She shook, unwilling to displease him again. The darkness retreated from her willing helplessness, easing its hold on her mind.
“Harder,” she pleaded, and he changed tactics, synchronizing his thrusts. He fucked her pussy with ice and her ass with flame as she trembled before him.
“Open our link, Miranda. I want you in my mind.”
She shook her head and he pulled out both toys. With a strangled moan, she fell over sideways. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”
He set the dildos aside and stared into her eyes. “I love you. Share this with me.”
“You won’t love me if you see—”
“I’ll always love you. Let me ease your pain.”
For so long she’d battled these feelings alone, kept careful rein on her inner darkness. “I’m afraid.”
“You don’t need to be. I’m here.” He sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap. With urgent movements, he rid her of the ankle restraints and her pants. Then he cupped her chin and gazed deep into her eyes. “I want all of you.”
Drake waited for Miranda to push into his mind, half-afraid she’d deny him. He understood her conflict now. She didn’t want to become like Lopeka, an amoral being ravenous for power. And her abilities were greater so the temptation was too.
He wasn’t quite sure why she found comfort in his aggression, but he was more than willing to give her what she needed, especially when their desires so perfectly aligned.
“What happens when you disobey my directives?” He traced her lower lip with his thumb.
“You punish me.”
“Are you going to establish our link?” She shook her head and lowered her lashes. He reached behind her and triggered one of her cuffs with his thumbprint. Panic filled her eyes, and he smiled. “I have no intention of letting you go. I just want your arms free for a while.” She licked her lips and looked at the assortment of toys he’d taken out. He stood, pulled the desk chair to the foot of the bed, and sat. “Come here. I want you on your back with your legs open wide so I can reach you easily.”
He placed a remote-control butt plug and a set of nipple triggers on the corner of the bed as she positioned herself before him. “Today we’ll test the limits of your endurance. I want you to come as often as you can. Hold nothing back.”
“That’s my punishment?”
“No. Your punishment is not having my cock inside you. You refuse to give me your mind, so you will not have my cock.”
Her lips parted as if she would argue then she turned her face away.
“Reach between your thighs and stroke your clit until you come. Do it now.”
She kept her face turned as she obeyed. Parting her outer lips with one hand, she found her clit with the other and quickly found a motion that brought her to orgasm.
“That wasn’t very impressive, was it? Let me see if I can do better.” He coated his fingers with her cream and circled the swollen nub. She rocked into his touch, her lips pressed tightly together. It took a bit longer, but the climax only lasted a few seconds.
“Sit up. We’re going to try something new.” He picked up the nipple stimulators and bent to her breast, sucking firmly until her nipple was hard. A thin wire ring compressed the tight peak and a
flat trigger rested directly over the tip. He placed the second stimulator before he explained. “These work together with the butt plug. I can activate pressure or vibration or a combination of sensations. Now turn over so I can insert the plug.”
She looked mutinous for a moment then turned over and drew her legs beneath her. He was almost disappointed that she didn’t argue. She was still slick from the fire wand, but he smeared lube over the plug just to be certain he didn’t hurt her.
With the plug inserted well into her ass, he scooted back so she could stand in front of him. She watched him, silently waiting for the first ping of the new toys. He stripped off his clothes and squirted lubricant into his palm.
“Watch me. See what your stubbornness has cost you.” He activated vibration and slight pressure, watching as the nipple rings tightened and released, tightened and released. “You can lean against the bed if you need to, but you may not sit down.”
He held his balls in one hand and stroked his shaft with the other. Her eyes were huge, her lips trembling as she watched him pleasure himself. She arched her neck and pressed her hand against her upper chest, knowing better than to touch her nipples. The stimulators worked wonderfully. Was the butt plug equally rousing?
“I can’t stand this.” She hissed out a breath and pushed into his mind.
Blazing need exploded through him, shoving him so close to release that he gasped and jerked his hand away. He bit down hard on his lower lip, using the sharp sting to drive back the blinding pleasure.
“I think that’s enough of that.” She whimpered and wiggled as he removed the stimulators and the plug. “On your back. I want to enjoy all this hot, musky cream.”
“Please Sir. I ache.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“Mine.” She scooted back on the bed and spread her legs, her breasts quivering with each ragged breath.
He knelt on the floor and pulled her toward him, draping her legs over his shoulders. She was soft and hot and so excited she came within seconds. Drunk on her passion and thrilled by her unencumbered response, he lowered one leg to the bed and opened her wider.