Cherished by Two

by Morticia Knight

  Nary pressed his lips to Chris’, holding him to his body, hugging him tightly until Chris’ feet no longer touched the ground. The kiss was thorough and slow. Nary wrapped a hand around the back of Chris’ head to hold him in place as he repeatedly took his mouth, while Chris opened up, letting Nary have him however he wanted.

  They finally broke apart, both of them out of breath. Nary framed Chris’ face with his palm as he admired his mate’s beauty. The long, yellow hair, pale blue eyes, sculpted cheekbones and full lips were intoxicating to him. He was certain that Chris was unaware of how appealing he was—it was something Nary had sensed during their first sexual encounter.

  “What?” Chris smiled up at him, his loveliness becoming even more pronounced.

  “I enjoy looking at you, you’re very beautiful.”

  Chris made a funny snorting noise, a sound Nary had heard him make a couple of times before. He was fairly certain that it was Chris’ way of expressing that something was silly or ridiculous. Nary didn’t approve of Chris thinking badly of himself, and he was sure Lasar wouldn’t like it, either.

  “I do believe we need to discuss this with Lasar when he gets home, because I know he finds you to be quite physically appealing, as well.”

  Chris had the nerve to make the same noise again. “Oh, come on. Give me a break.”

  Nary shook his head in frustration. He really did need to learn the English language better. There were so many bizarre expressions that didn’t mean what they seemed they should mean. He was quite certain that Chris didn’t want him to break anything, but other than that, the remark made no sense.

  “We’ll continue this conversation when Lasar returns, my pet. I’m sure your first spanking will be well-deserved.”

  Chris’ eyes widened and all traces of his previous fears and worry over his visions seemed to have disappeared. Now all he can think about is our hands connecting with his ass. Nary smiled. Perfect.

  * * * *

  Lasar glared out of the front window of the hovercraft, his gaze fixed on the Earth’s surface as it whooshed before him. It would only take a moment from where he’d left the holding center of humans to arrive at the location the Orshana Rah had given him. Where Hallosh now lives with his new servant slaves, with Chris’ family. He was sure of it.

  When he’d discovered that one of the Nall’s advisors—a fellow Alasharian who Lasar had always had a good rapport with, who’d been someone he’d trusted implicitly and was the one responsible for taking Chris’ family—he’d become enraged.

  Has every Alasharian gone mad?

  His dear friend, Rahna Rama, was due back soon from the sector he’d been overseeing across one of the big waters, and Lasar feared that he might have also succumbed to whatever darkness it was that had changed his fellow beings.

  Before he’d left in the craft, Lasar had consulted a human map then compared it to the coordinates the Alasharians had established. It appeared that Hallosh had taken up residence in the same town of Rancho Mirage where the Nall now lived. It made logistical sense even though the hovercrafts could rapidly cover the short distance between Palm Springs where most of the warriors were based. However, their society had always separated the living quarters based on station. Lasar’s higher status was only valid in regards to the troops and Rahs he commanded.

  Lasar hadn’t extended the courtesy of notifying Hallosh of his imminent arrival. He hoped the element of surprise would work in his favor. Lasar also hoped it would ensure that he got the truth from someone he’d considered more of an ally than most of those in charge of the proper administration of Alasharian rule.

  Once the pilot had dropped the craft onto the open slab the humans used to park their vehicles, Lasar quickly exited. He worked to keep his pace measured and his demeanor calm. He didn’t want to alert Hallosh that anything might be amiss.

  Lasar knocked and an Alasaharian guard opened the door. Lasar stated that he wished to speak with Hallosh, and was immediately allowed to enter without question. Although Lasar had worked hard and was honored that he’d reached such a high station, he’d never taken advantage of his rank. But in his current situation, he was very grateful to be in such a position.

  The guard led him to the large open area the humans referred to as a living room. The entire home was laid out similarly to his sister, Mara, and the Nall’s. The style of the residence mimicked the other one as well, the outside being primarily the color of cream with rust-colored brown tiles and accents.

  One major difference separated Hallosh’s interior from the Nall’s, though. Hallosh had hung tapestries and drapes of Alasharian fabrics so that they covered the walls and windows. The deeper, muted shades were much more appealing than the stark whites he’d encountered in the Supreme Commander’s home. The lighting was also at a minimum. What illumination there was remained at a lower level.

  Hallosh strolled into the room as Lasar stood admiring the surroundings. The smile that brightened the features of the advisor appeared as genuine a one as Lasar had ever witnessed. The sensation of distrust that permeated his spirit due to recent events was frustrating. It had never been an issue before in regards to his fellow beings. The realization saddened him.

  “Lasar! This is so wonderful. I was hoping that we’d have the opportunity to sit down and chat before our first official advisory session with the Nall. Please, have a seat and I’ll instruct one of my new servants to bring us some shor.”

  Lasar tensed, quickly dipping his chin in acknowledgement as he sat. He didn’t trust himself to speak quite yet. Hallosh regarded him with concern once they were both seated.

  “My friend, something troubles you. What is it?”

  Friend. They did have an accord with each other, but they’d never socialized outside of the parameters of their connection within Alasharian government. Lasar hadn’t invited him to his home for a gathering, had never met with him at a social venue. Hallosh had never included Lasar or Nary into his private world either. Lasar would have to temper his words.

  “I’ve been on an important mission for the Nall in regards to the male human sex slaves. He expressed concern to me that perhaps there were some missing, or that the sweeps hadn’t been conducted thoroughly enough.”

  Hallosh nodded. “Oh, I see. Yes, that’s very troubling. Advisors Roma and Sory requested that I accompany them to some of the holding centers to investigate that very same thing. He told me that he’d heard that the Orshana Rah of the cages at the human military compound was suspected of hiding some and keeping them for himself.”

  Lasar gritted his teeth, unsure how to proceed. He’d anticipated Hallosh being more closed off to him, or possibly behaving suspiciously, but that wasn’t the case. Lasar didn’t detect any artifice in him at all. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t choose his words with care, however.

  “That’s correct.” Lasar kept his tone conciliatory. “When I met with the Nall, we had discussed the very same thing. As a matter of fact, I was one of those who raised questions about the Orshana Rah. I wonder if Advisor Roma and Sory were investigating due to their own concerns, or under the Nall’s direction?”

  Hallosh paused, his gaze never wavering from Lasar’s. As Lasar waited for his response, Lasar’s attention was drawn to someone entering the room. He gasped.

  She looks just like Chris.

  His unthinking emotional expression had been ill-advised. Hallosh now eyed him with curiosity. He turned to the human woman.

  “Slave Sharon? Please bring two containers of the drink you had this morning.”

  She appeared exhausted, struggling to remain composed, but she kept her chin raised, didn’t cower in the slightest. “Yes, sir.”

  Hallosh gave her a quick nod. “Thank you.”

  During their brief exchange, Lasar had regained enough calm that he believed he could converse with Hallosh without accidentally revealing anything else about the real purpose of his visit. He kept his tone curious and non-confrontational.

  “The
humans are allowed to consume the shor juice?”

  Lasar wasn’t aware of any foods that had been deemed safe for humans. He couldn’t allow Chris’ mother to become sick.

  “My fellow advisor, Amara, hired a doctor of systems to study a few of our basic foods to see if they could be compatible with the human’s physiology. The shor juice is safe for them, as are several other healthy options. Many of them are sick due to the lack of available food, or safe food, since the invasion. Advisor Amara’s sex slave almost died before he discovered that the human could drink the juice.”

  “That’s valuable information. I’ll be sure to add that to the diet of the slave Nary and I recently acquired.” Shor juice had always been an important health tonic for his race, and they drank it often. “Would you mind giving me the names of the other safe foods? I worry that he’s not receiving enough nutrition. He’s quite thin.”

  Hallosh smiled and it still appeared to be genuine. “Of course. I’ll make a list for you before you leave.” He inclined his head. “So, you and Nary were awarded one of the appealing ones? Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. We’re very happy with him.” Lasar cleared his throat. “Forgive my nosiness, but I was under the impression that you only coupled with males? I also noticed that this female is older than the typical sex slave.”

  Hallosh laughed. “I suppose that even though we’ve never socialized outside of gatherings relating to governmental concerns, you must have seen me at a sex party, or with one of my sharnas. But you’re correct. Only males.”

  Lasar laughed in response. “I apologize again for prying. Yes, I must have seen you at gatherings with male companions.”

  Sharon returned right then, and Lasar waited for her to serve the drinks before he addressed Hallosh again. It had been near impossible to keep from staring. Where are her children, Chris’ sisters? Surely, Hallosh wasn’t so cruel as to take them from her?

  “Lasar? Is something else bothering you? I have to assume that my acquisition of these slaves is what brought you here today.”

  Lasar jerked up his head. “These?”

  Hallosh kept his gaze measured. “She had two small females who she was aggressively protective over. I believe they are her young. She hasn’t communicated that to me yet and I haven’t pressed her on it.” He paused, as if considering how much more he should say. Neither of them seemed very interested in drinking anything. “When you report to the Nall, I’d like to request that I keep all of them. Even though they’re too little to do much work, I believe the adult human will perform tasks better if they remain here with her. I’m sure the Nall will agree? Advisor Roma didn’t seem to approve of me taking one of the young ones.”

  The way Hallosh had briefly averted his eyes during his last comment concerned Lasar. There’s something more going on there that he’s not telling me.

  “So, she’s not a sex slave, only a house slave?” Lasar couldn’t stop himself from frowning. He didn’t think it was necessary to hide his disgust. After all, it was unheard of in Alasharian history to keep slaves as servants, and such a thing had never been announced or encouraged as far as he knew. I should’ve been kept informed because of my position. It was bad enough that they’d all been lied to regarding the human’s need for sex as an excuse to imprison them, but now that the truth of that had been revealed, enslaving even more humans enraged him.

  Hallosh swayed to one side before seeming to catch himself. He stilled. “I gather from your reaction that you weren’t aware that the Nall, or the advisors and their families, had begun to take the humans as house slaves instead of disposing of them.”

  “Dis…?” Lasar swallowed reflexively, no longer certain that his ability to remain in control, an attribute he’d worked on tirelessly since his days in the academy, could be maintained. “I was never… None of the Rahnas were notified that the humans not kept as sex toys would be destroyed. We were led to believe they’d be relocated to a separate land mass.”

  Hallosh clenched and unclenched his fists. Lasar realized that they were engaged in a silent battle of testing the trust between them.

  “That is correct now. As a Rahna, you must be aware that the advisors don’t allow information to leave the meeting rooms until the final decisions have been made. At the beginning of the invasion, the plan was to indeed kill all humans, to wipe the planet clean of them so that we might live here freely. But the advance guard discovered that some would be ideal as pleasure slaves, so we…” He cleared his throat, then took in a breath. “Reexamined our position. Amara and I offered the suggestion that we should only kill those who resisted, and keep the rest until we’d made sure that we had all the ones we desired.”

  Hallosh started to sway again, but once more he stopped. “We then further suggested that there was plenty of land on Earth, and that perhaps those who survived the invasion could have a small piece of their own. That was agreed on, however…” He closed his eyes. When he opened them again he stared directly at Lasar with an intensity that was surprising. “I haven’t taken my meditation yet this morning, as I was unexpectedly called to the holding center quite early. Since you were also on a long mission today, perhaps you’d like to join me before we continue?”

  Lasar held Hallosh’s gaze, and a thread of peace filled him. “Yes. I’d like that very much.”

  Hallosh rose and Lasar followed quietly behind him. When they passed the kitchen, Lasar couldn’t stop himself from checking to see if Sharon was still there.

  “I called her downstairs when I saw you arrive. I told her she should take her rest with the little ones after she’d served our drinks.”

  Hallosh faced forward again and Lasar hoped his interest in Chris’ mother hadn’t been too obvious. But the positive vibe he’d detected between them was hopeful. Perhaps he can help me understand what’s been going on.

  They arrived at a pair of wood-framed glass double doors. Hallosh swung them wide and passed over the threshold, Lasar right behind him. The room wasn’t as large as the living area, but it still had plenty of space for them to comfortably channel their spirits together on the good-sized mat.

  The windows on the far end comprised almost the entire wall, a garden of plants in a patch of ground visible on the other side. Many of the ugly, green-needled ones were part of the display too and were set in white rocks that covered the entire spot. Lasar noted that a few of the spiky plants had a dark pink flower growing from them. It made their inclusion in the garden much more understandable.

  Hallosh approached the window then twirled what looked like a long, thin rod dangling from the top of the sill. Narrow white panels closed, immediately blocking out the light that had shone in the room. It was a more barbaric representation of the energy panels they’d used when they’d been on their home planet. Once the Alasharians had gotten settled, Lasar knew that the many conveniences that they’d once enjoyed would be implemented again. It merely required patience. Something the Nall seemingly didn’t possess when he rushed into the invasion.

  Hallosh turned then gestured to the floor. Lasar lowered himself to the mat, with Hallosh following. Lasar assumed the meditation position that he preferred with his legs crossed, back straight, and his palms planted on the floor on either side of him to help support his heavy frame. He allowed his spirit to wander. Soon, he’d reached the place inside his soul that he’d learned would give him the answers he sought. It wasn’t a guarantee that he’d find them, but he would if his intentions were genuine and it was time for the truth to be revealed.

  An overpowering heaviness slammed into his chest and he gasped loudly. The only other time he’d experienced anything similar was right before the void had been discovered, and even then, the feeling hadn’t been as pronounced. His initial instinct was to run, to get away from Hallosh who his spirit must surely be warning him about.

  But then a star, a soft purple one he’d never encountered before, enveloped the weight crushing his heart. The points of light that comforted and guided
him on his meditations were usually a crisp white or bright blue in color. The purple grew in brilliance until it had morphed into a deeper hue, the glowing orb growing in size until it had soothed and lightened Lasar’s entire soul.

  Peace filled him and he exhaled on a sigh. The answer he sought regarding whether Hallosh could be trusted wasn’t one he’d counted on. He’d just hoped it would be revealed. Only soul-matched beings could receive clear insight into each other. With everyone else who was not connected to him as deeply, it was typically only the faintest of stirrings, a hunch more than anything else. Yet Hallosh, his closest friend, Rama, Amara and two more of the Nall’s nine advisors had floated in front of him as if in a vision. The Alasharians smiled at him and the calm that embraced him increased.

  Hallosh is an ally and thankfully, the others are too.

  Everything fell away, and Lasar became aware of the room again. He opened his eyes and glanced over at Hallosh. He was met with his confident gaze. Hallosh nodded, smiling. “I’m so relieved that we can speak freely. I’ve been holding in my fears concerning our race since before the invasion.” His features clouded. “Since the first meeting when the Nall revealed what Roma and Sory had proposed. That we take the human’s planet by force and kill them all.”

  Lasar swallowed hard again, distressed that he wasn’t all that shocked by Hallosh’s revelation. “I’ve been afraid of discovering the truth of what I’ve been sensing.” Lasar kept his eyes locked on Hallosh. “As I was channeling my spirit, I envisioned Advisors Amara, Lorash, Oman and Rahna Rama standing with you. Were you aware of their sympathy toward the humans?”

  “With my fellow advisors, yes. At the time this occurred, we met privately outside of session, because we’ve been dear friends for many Alasharian moons.” Hallosh smiled. “We grew up together on the Aran flats by the frozen river, so we’ve known one another well for quite a long time.” He cocked his head. “I’ve never met Rahna Rama personally, but I’m aware of his great achievements as a warrior commander. Are you well-acquainted with him?”