Dark Harvest

by Anitra Lynn McLeod

  “Don’t keep me in suspense.” Sterlave was a little leery of her playful mood. She had no problem using her body to manipulate him to do as she wished. He had no idea what she had in mind, but hopefully, it was something that involved getting naked and into bed. Too many nights had passed with them fighting or grieving. This night, he wanted to be with her.

  “Do you think we would both fit into my bathing unit?” Her gaze darted to the entrance, then back at him.

  Simply considering the idea aroused him. Her wet, hot, and sliding against him, how could he refuse? “We’ll never know unless we try.”

  She started to remove her clothing, but he stopped her by cupping her hands. “Why rush?” He had her hold her arms out so he could unwrap her dress. Slowly, he revealed her devastating form—high breasts with dark nipples, a gently curved belly, tight curls protecting her sweet, pink sex, sleek thighs, and her lovely crimson-tipped toes.

  Once he had her nude, he lowered to his knees and placed a kiss upon her mound, just as he had during the bonding ceremony.

  When he looked up, her eyes were dreamy soft, each pupil so wide it melded with the iris. She teased her fingers across his head, then to his ears, then to his cheeks. With gentle pressure, she urged his face toward her sex.

  Ordering him or inviting him? He couldn’t tell. Moreover, he didn’t care. With a sultry grin, he nudged his head between her thighs and swiped his tongue across her firm, little clit—musky but sweet, like sugar-drenched nicla. Her flavor was uniquely wonderful, yet he would never be able to indulge his lust with her standing.

  With three graceful yet precise moves, he had her down, on her back, with her legs up and over his shoulders.

  Gasping with surprise, she didn’t struggle but willingly parted her legs wider for his deft, probing tongue.

  Pleased to discover all his brutal training had some practical applications, he lifted his head and whispered, “Be wary of one who kneels to you so eagerly; they probably have an ulterior motive.”

  She laughed and relaxed. “If your intent is to pleasure me, then I have no objections.” Lifting herself up, she peered down at him with a lifted brow. “You learned this technique in the training rooms?”

  Smiling up the length of her, he said, “I spent my life learning how to manipulate the bodies of my foes.”

  Coquettishly, she swore, “I’m not your enemy.”

  “Of course not, but sex can be a competition. One is always striving to find fulfillment.” He paused. “Or give it.”

  He lowered his lips to hers and drank deeply of her sweet juice. Nothing existed for him but Kasmiri’s succulent sex. The more he nibbled and chewed, the wetter she became, and the harder he became. As delicious as he found her flavor, just the sight of her bright pink secrets hidden between ebony flesh sent him over the edge. He wanted to be inside her so desperately he could barely breathe.

  Something dark and mysterious pushed at his back. Sterlave struggled to shake it off, but the sensation enveloped his skin, then sunk deep into his body until it wrapped itself firmly around his genitals. Violent need throbbed him to painful arousal. He didn’t just want to mate with Kasmiri; he wanted to hurt her. Pleasure would come in subjugating her to his needs.

  Shocked by the intense evil of the sensation, knowing in his heart that it wasn’t his desire that pushed him, Sterlave gathered all of his strength and shoved the malevolent feeling away. Reluctantly, whatever it was released him. As it departed, he swore he heard a mocking chuckle.

  He shook his head, unsure if what had just happened was real, and if it was real, what had caused it? Never had he possessed such sinister feelings toward anyone. The very idea was so alien to him he was convinced it was all just a figment of his exhausted imagination. All he needed was a lustful encounter with his mate and a good night’s sleep.

  Beneath him, Kasmiri writhed, angling her hips up, begging him to continue his teasing. He lost himself in her essence. Working his fingers and tongue in concert brought her to a fever pitch. When she rose up, her body tightening in release, he plunged his fingers deep inside and worked his thumb across her clit. She gasped out as a series of orgasms twitched her uncontrollably.

  Lifting up, he wrenched his pants aside in his rush to mount her. If he hurried, he would be able to feel the last of her contractions.

  “Wait, wait,” she said breathlessly. “You have to get undressed so we can get in the water.” Kasmiri was determined to act out her fantasy.

  Disappointed at the delay, he stood, ripped his clothing off, yanked her to her feet, and then hustled them into the bathing unit.

  “Why are you in such a hurry?” she asked sweetly. “I thought you were used to denial.” She stroked her fingertips along his throbbing cock. “It seems to me you have no self-control at all.”

  “Easy for you to say when you’ve been sated.” He grasped her hand and pulled her into the unit. They had to squeeze together to fit, not that he minded.

  “It’s a bit snug.” Sterlave turned on a jet of cool water, hoping it would temper his ardor. Much to his dismay, with Kasmiri plastered against him, cold water didn’t help at all.

  With a wince, she turned the jet to warm, then hot. “It’s a bit snug, but”—she hit him with those wild, sexy eyes—“I’m sure you can make this work.”

  Her gaze offered a challenge he couldn’t refuse.

  “I know I can make it work.” Without preamble, he lifted her against the wall, parted her legs, and slid his cock inside her. Relief allowed him to release a tense breath. “Does that work for you?”

  Purring, she wrapped her legs around him and plastered her mouth to his, kissing him deeply.

  He knew Chur’s elaborate bathing unit had put this idea in her head, but he didn’t care. She was in his arms, her strong legs tightened around his hips, and her luscious lips were kissing his mouth. Chur might have a firm grip on her mind, but only he possessed her body.

  Sterlave swore he would do anything to keep his hold on her. As much as he knew Chur would never take her from him, he despaired that Kasmiri would never completely give up on Chur. He didn’t think he could continue if Chur would be between them forever. Chur was his friend, a confidant, but he could never live up to a demigod. Moreover, he didn’t want to. Why couldn’t Kasmiri see that her dreams were beyond her grasp? In the same breath, he didn’t want her to settle for him. He wanted her to pick him, to choose him because she wanted him, not because he was second best. Frustrated that he’d made little headway with her, he worried that eventually he’d just give up.

  Kasmiri noticed his distraction and teased him out of his thoughts with a seductive pout. “Does this really need such thought from you that you must furrow your brow?”

  Redoubling his efforts to focus on her, he tried to hold her still and thrust. The floor was a bit slick without much traction, so he slid her down the wall and angled his legs back so his feet touched the sides. With some leverage, he was able to hold her securely while thrusting deeply.

  “Is this what you wanted?”

  She nodded. “More.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold on.

  Sterlave used the slick wall to raise and lower her in opposition to his movements. Every plunge was sweeter than the last as she clung to him, panting in his ear, begging him for more. Wild with need, he tried to pace himself, but the feel of her strong thighs and the tightness of her passage made control impossible. His climax couldn’t wait.

  He wasn’t even sure what caused his frantic lust. It could be his insecurity over Chur, or the fact they hadn’t been together in a few days, or her life being in danger, or the strange dark sensation—whatever it was, he’d have to get the cause under control or he’d become her slave. If Kasmiri understood just how much he wanted her, she would be able to crook her finger to command him.

  Sterlave sought out her neck, biting her gently at first, then more aggressively as his pace increased. Blinded with need, the world slipped away until all that remai
ned was their entwined bodies. When he felt his climax start, he pinned her to the wall, holding her there while he filled her with his seed. He wanted to impregnate her. He wanted to fill her belly with his child because such would bind her irrevocably to him.

  “I can’t breathe,” Kasmiri gasped.

  Pulling back, he took his weight from her, then lowered her feet to the floor. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.” She tilted her head to the side, considering him with her enormous dark eyes. “At the end you were so frantic. You’ve never been like that before.”

  Reluctant to admit what he’d been thinking of in those moments, he turned away and asked, “Are you certain I didn’t hurt you?”

  “I’m fine.” She teased her hand along his neck. “But were you thinking of me, or her?”

  “Who?” He spun his head to face her, genuinely baffled. All he’d thought about was her and keeping her with him forever. If anything, he worried she’d been thinking of Chur. He was fairly certain that’s why she wanted to have sex in the bathing unit. He sighed. He’d like to have just one encounter with her that wasn’t a threesome.

  “You know who.” She rolled her eyes and slid past him.

  Now he understood. Kasmiri thought he’d been fantasizing about Enovese. Wonderful. Now their encounters had become foursomes. Sterlave shut the water off, dried, and then exited the bathing unit.

  Kasmiri stood in front of her elaborate mirror, dripping water all over the floor. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “Nothing.” He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “Then what does she have that I don’t?” Her voice cracked, breaking his heart.

  “Kasmiri,” he began, pulling her into his arms, “I have no interest in her. Absolutely none.” Catching her gaze in the glass, he kissed the edge of her ear. “You are the only woman I’ve ever hungered for. My frenzy was because I wanted to get deeper. I felt like I couldn’t get deep enough.” He still didn’t think it was wise to tell her how much he wanted to fill her with his child. She had enough to deal with already.

  Kasmiri considered for a moment, looking at him, looking at herself. For the first time he considered them as bondmates. Side by side, they made a striking couple. Her beauty was dark and mysterious with her wide eyes and luscious, full mouth. She literally took his breath away. His bronzed skin contrasted her deep ebony skin, while his light brown eyes complemented her darker shade. Once his hair grew back, they would be even more stunning. Then he realized she was asking why Chur didn’t want her. As he moved to pull away, she melted into him, resting her head against his chest.

  Now was probably not the best time, but he had to clear the air. “I worried that you were thinking of Chur.”

  Her shock was genuine. “I wasn’t thinking of him.” She turned in his arms and looked directly into his eyes. “I was thinking of you.”

  He wanted to believe her, but how could he? Every time she heard Chur’s name, or was in his presence, she glowed. “Today, when we were going to Chur’s rooms, you primped right up until the moment when we went inside.” And there was no way she could say she was doing it for him, not when he trailed dutifully behind her the entire way.

  Her brow furrowed as she looked down. “I wasn’t fixing myself for him.” She paused, then whispered, “I was fixing myself up because of her.”

  “Enovese?” He couldn’t have been more surprised.

  “I didn’t want to look tattered in front of her. I was afraid she’d be all pretty and perfect, which she was, and I’d look disheveled and disastrous, which I did.” Kasmiri met his gaze, then quickly looked away. “If you were going to be comparing us, I wanted to look as good as I could.”

  All of her actions now made perfect sense. He’d worried everything was about her impressing Chur when she’d been desperately trying to impress him. Exerting gentle pressure, he lifted her chin with his hand until she faced him again. “I’ve never compared you to anyone because you are incomparably beautiful.”

  Kasmiri rolled her eyes, but then asked, “Am I?”

  “Absolutely.” A relieved chuckle escaped him. “I fear we have been at cross purposes. I keep thinking you want Chur and you keep thinking I want Enovese.” Leaning near until he pressed his forehead to hers, he said, “We must be the two most terribly insecure people ever.”

  She met his gaze, then lowered it to where her hand cupped against his chest. “I never thought of myself as insecure, and I don’t think I ever have been.” When she sighed, her puff of breath tickled his chest. With the softest voice, she whispered, “Not until I had someone I was afraid to lose.”

  All the tension coiled around his body abruptly melted away because she wasn’t talking about Chur this time, but him. Kasmiri was afraid of losing him. For the first time in his life, someone actually cared whether he was around or not. Not even his own father troubled himself during Sterlave’s extended absences. When he did return, often beaten and bloody, his father never asked how he was or where he’d been; all he cared about was if Sterlave had brought anything with him.

  Swallowing hard, Kasmiri pressed herself against his chest, and said, “Not even with Chur did I ever feel this way. I’m afraid the more I want you, the more insecure I become.”

  Her soft admission sent a reckless pride spinning throughout him, causing him to embrace her tightly. He knew he should not take joy in her insecurity, but finally, finally, she honestly wanted him. Tilting his lips down, he captured hers in a soft kiss, and whispered against her mouth, “You are not going to lose me. How could you think such a thing? I fought for you. I’d die for you.” Actually, he did, but Kasmiri didn’t know the gods had brought him back. He sighed, rubbing his nose against hers. “Forget Chur, forget Enovese. From now on, it’s you and I. Agreed?”

  Her lips pursed into a modified pout as she considered. “Only you and me? What about Rown?”

  Sterlave lifted his brows. “I wasn’t opposed to him teaching you the fine art of oral pleasure, but I didn’t realize you wanted him as a regular bed partner.” He honestly didn’t want to share his lovely woman with anyone. Rown might know a million sexual tricks that he could teach to Kasmiri, but Sterlave would rather educate her himself. Just as she would show him what pleased her most, he would do the same.

  Trailing her hand across his two chest scars, she said, “Not a regular one, but how about an occasional visitor?” Her greedy expression clarified that she was more than willing to share him with another. What was it about seeing two men together that gave her such an erotic thrill?

  He’d never really thought that much about Rown’s position. He liked him but found his obvious fascination a bit disconcerting. Not that he minded, just that he didn’t want to encourage feelings he couldn’t return. Somehow, it seemed wrong to use a fellow human as a sex toy, whether he wanted to be used that way or not. Sterlave tried to express these thoughts to Kasmiri, but he knew he hadn’t explained them well when she immediately set to arguing with him.

  “As an ungati, his job is to provide pleasure. Moreover, he likes you. I thought that you liked him too.” Kasmiri made everything sound so simple, but he knew relationships, especially sexual relationships, were rarely simple.

  “I do like him, just not quite as much as he likes me.” Sterlave tried again to explain. “I don’t want him to be hurt when he realizes that I don’t share his feelings.”

  At this Kasmiri frowned. “Rown knows you cannot return his affections. It is his function to provide pleasure.”

  “That’s what bothers me. Rown has to do it whether he wants to or not.”

  “But he wants to!” Her eyes flashed with frustrated annoyance.

  Sterlave sighed. “I don’t know how to explain this to you. I just don’t want him to be hurt.”

  “It’s not like what happened to you.” As soon as she said the words, she must have realized how harsh they sounded by the way he flinched back and gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—” />
  He cut her off. “Can’t we talk about something else?” How did they always manage to find something to fight about? Even when they’d laid out a truce, they couldn’t seem to stop bickering about meaningless details. Tonight wasn’t a night for arguments. And the last thing he wanted to think about was what Loban had done to him.

  17

  Loban strode into the Harvest room wearing the official Harvester gear. Mondi pants felt cool against his shaved legs, the codpiece nestled tightly to his swollen cock, and the ceremonial sword slapped his thigh. Before him, spread across the endless table, scores of virgins waited, eager to give him their sacrifice.

  Helton and Ambo had decided against shaving his head. Such would be an obvious indicator of their plans, but other than that, he was essentially the Harvester. In addition, he found something fitting about a late-night winter Harvest. Out of the cold, he would bring a new fire to the empire.

  At the edge of the Harvest room, near the now-quiet fountain, Ambo Votny stood. The little round man darted his gaze everywhere while constantly picking his nose. He winced at even the slightest sound. He practically screamed they were doing something wrong, which irritated Helton to no end. Repeatedly, Helton told the sniveling man to control himself. Ambo scowled back momentarily but quickly his face returned to a frighted scrunch.

  Loban’s dealings with Ambo had been limited. He’d seen him at the Harvester functions, such as the Festival of Temptation, but he didn’t really know him. Already he couldn’t stand his bulging eyes and quivering chins. Raw terror oozed from his very skin, proclaiming Ambo a coward. How had he ever grown into such power as the magistrate with so much weakness in his veins? Loban didn’t like him, but he knew he needed his help. Only Ambo could commandeer the Harvest room and keep the palace gossips at bay. However, once Loban completed his plans, Ambo would be the first to die screaming.

  Loban smiled. His idea to have those who displeased him torn apart by wroxes would work splendidly on this shuddering excuse for a man. Ambo’s copious amounts of flesh would entertain the vicious creatures for days, and his thick throat would emit howls that would shake the roof of the palace!