Morgan nodded. “You’re right. I’ll shut up about it now and just show you guys by how I act that I don’t feel that way anymore.”
Chris squeezed his arm quickly, then drew it back. Morgan frowned again at Chris’ touch.
“What about you, Chris? Your hand felt really hot. Are you coming down with something?”
Chris’ eyes widened and he seemed to go even paler than normal. “I’m not sick. I’m…” He chewed at his lip. “I came in here to bring you up to speed on a couple things.”
Morgan picked again at the fringe decorating the shawl that was wrapped around him. He wondered about the Alasharian it had belonged to. Had they survived the blast? Had they been one of the spectators egging on the rapes of the humans or had they been ones who’d been aghast at the horrific display?
Morgan forced his thoughts away from the upsetting events of the night before last as he waited for Chris to seemingly gather his own thoughts. It was fine. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be brought up to speed. He worried the shawl some more, wishing he had one of the small robes that Lasar and Nary had gotten for Chris to wear. Even though he’d been forced into continuous nudity in front of the aliens since being captured, it seemed weirder in front of Chris’ mates. He shuddered. Despite knowing there wasn’t anything else that could’ve been done, and even though Chris had been there, it had still been an awful moment when Nary had attached the cock ring to his dick.
And touched me.
He’d been fantasizing about being touched, being fondled and stroked by someone else for quite a while. However, being forced, and being touched by an alien, had robbed that fantasy from him.
Chris shook his head and sighed. “Sorry. I seem to drift off a lot lately.” He inhaled a deep breath then locked his eyes on Morgan. “Lasar has been gone all day with his troops, hunting for the renegade humans who are responsible for the bombing, and we have no idea when he’ll be back or what might come of it. At the very least, it’s even less safe for humans than it was before.” Chris grunted. “If you can even imagine that. Anyway, Rahna Rama, Lasar’s friend, well, he’s been called back here to help from the territory he was assigned as a commanding warrior, or a…” Chris furrowed his brow. “Or whatever his position of leadership is.”
Morgan’s stomach clenched and he chewed his bottom lip. “Oh. I see.”
Morgan had been told that Rama didn’t want him as a sex slave, that Rama was only taking Morgan on as a favor, but he couldn’t deny how much having to go live with the alien scared him. Rama might be a good being, might be as caring and decent as Lasar and Nary were, but Morgan had no idea what to expect. What would his future be like living with the alien? Would he become Rama’s servant? Would they have any type of relationship at all, or would he simply be ignored? Morgan wasn’t certain which scenario he preferred.
“Come on, dude. You knew it was inevitable.”
Chris’ words held a sympathetic tone, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
“I know. I guess I thought I’d have a chance to get more adjusted to the idea, that’s all. You know, a warning when he was on his way.”
Chris snorted. “Consider this your warning.”
Morgan smirked at his cousin. Yeah, he’d been acting a little off recently, but he was still the same smart-ass he’d always been. Morgan squirmed in his chair.
“Do you have any idea how I should behave with him? I mean, do I call him ‘Sir’ or one of those other titles you give your mates?”
Chris shrugged. “I’d steer away from ‘hey you’, but other than that, I don’t think you need to call him anything in particular. Maybe Rahna Rama. Keep it basic.”
Morgan frowned at him. “Chris, seriously. Some compassion here?”
Chris raked his fingers through his long blond hair. “Yeah, okay. Sorry. I’m kind of flipped out about Nary being hurt and Lasar on this mysterious, potentially human-annihilating quest. Then there was the dream…” Chris pressed his lips together, his face flushing.
“Wait, what? What dream?” Morgan stomach dropped.
“Uh…” Chris gave a nervous chuckle.
Morgan regarded him with concern. His cousin had talked about a lot of weird stuff ever since he’d been captured, such as instinctively knowing that he was supposed to be mated to Lasar and Nary and being able to sense their feelings as if they were all linked telepathically somehow. What must that be like?
“Chris? You can’t leave me hanging like that. You’re freaking me out.”
“Look, it’s…” Chris sighed. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t even understand what’s going on, okay?” Chris scrubbed his face with his hands. “I can tell you this much. It has to do with that Supreme Soul Healer I told you about.”
Morgan’s eyes widened as he tensed. “Uh-oh. Was it a horrible vision? Are we all going to be killed by the Nall?” He’d had to work hard to keep the hysteria out of his voice.
“Hey.” Chris reached over and grabbed Morgan’s hand, clutching it. “Nothing is for certain. That’s at least one thing I’ve managed to figure out in all of this. Yes, there’s a destiny aspect to everything that’s been happening, but it’s as if…” Chris frowned. “As if the choices I make could drastically skew the outcome one way or the other.”
Morgan arched his eyebrows. Chris flushed and let go of his hand.
“Uh…wow.” Chris winced. “That didn’t quite come out the way I thought it would.” He snorted. “I swear I’m not that full of myself.”
Morgan grunted. “Only mildly full of yourself, Oh Great One?”
Chris’ blush deepened. “Cut it out. It’s that Healer guy. He keeps saying all this stuff to me that doesn’t make sense. Then last night, I’m having the weirdest dream…or vision, or out of body experience—I couldn’t tell—and he’s giving me dire warnings and hinting around that I’m like, one and the same with him.” Chris let out a low growl. “It’s flipping me the fuck out.”
He’s lost it. “Okay…” Morgan cleared his throat. “Maybe you’re not getting enough rest. You know, because you’ve been taking care of Nary, and all the stress from our new circumstances, the situation with your mom and sisters—”
“They’re under Hallosh’s protection.”
Morgan gave a slight shake of his head. “Yeah. I know. You told me, remember?”
“There are many who will be on the side of the humans, who will defend them. We all need to unite. You must allow yourself to become a part of the destiny.”
“Uh…” Something with Chris wasn’t right and it filled Morgan with a sense of dread. It wasn’t only his words. The flat tone Chris had used as he’d spoken, the way he’d stared through him rather than at him with glazed-over eyes terrified Morgan. He swallowed hard.
“Chris, stop it. You’re scaring me.”
Chris blinked, but remained still. It didn’t appear as if he’d heard Morgan speak.
“Chris!” Morgan shook him by his shoulders.
His cousin shuddered, his eyes fluttering before they focused back on Morgan. “Huh?”
“What happened just then?” Morgan couldn’t keep the trembling from his voice.
Chris drew his eyebrows together. “Happened?”
Oh God. “You were lost in your head or something. It was like you weren’t even seeing me, but you told me stuff about Hallosh, aliens uniting with us and something about allowing myself to be a part of the destiny.”
Chris’ eyes rounded. “Holy shit.” He pressed his lips together, shaking his head. “I fucking knew what happened last night was going to mess with me. What I can’t figure out is if he’s doing it on purpose, or if it’s part of the destiny thing and he’s just as caught up in it as I am.”
“What the actual fuck are you talking about? Who’s doing what on purpose?” Morgan let out a sound akin to a whimper. I wish Hallosh was here. Morgan gasped. No I don’t. He jumped from the chair, his nerves so jacked up he didn’t know what to do other than to pace back and forth on the plush
carpet like a restless, caged animal.
“Hey, Morgan. Stop.” Chris grabbed his arm, abruptly halting him. He hadn’t even noticed him rising from the chair.
“I can’t handle this, Chris. I’m not strong like you, remember? I keep telling you that.”
Chris let out an aggravated sigh. “I don’t think you’re giving yourself credit, dude. And I believe you’ll play an important part in whatever the events are that are headed our way, so you can’t come unglued.”
“You mean, if I allow myself to be a part of the destiny?” He’d said it with no small measure of irony.
Chris shrugged as he released Morgan’s arm. “Apparently. But that was probably my intuition speaking just then. I swear I don’t remember saying all that other stuff. How do you suppose that feels?” Chris wrapped his arms around himself. “Not gonna lie. It’s pretty creepy.”
A wave of shame filled him. Yeah, he was scared. But if he was going through what Chris was, he’d probably fall apart.
“I’m sorry, Chris, you’re right. I’ll be better, I promise. I should be here for you to turn to, not just begging you for reassurance all the time.” Morgan stepped forward then gave him a one-armed hug. “I’m here for you and I’ll do my best to help, even if it’s only for you to have someone to tell things to.”
Chris hugged him back before letting his arm fall to his side. He smirked at Morgan. “Even if I don’t remember saying them?”
Morgan fought back tears. I need to knock it off. Accept that this is all happening and figure out how to move forward. Be there for Chris the way he’s been for me.
“Even if.”
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About the Author
Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after.
If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011.
Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.
Email: [email protected]
Morticia loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.pride-publishing.com.
Also by Morticia Knight
A Spirit of Love
Uniform Encounters: Set Ablaze
Uniform Encounters: Arresting Behavior
Uniform Encounters: Lust Emergency
Uniform Encounters: Guarded Desires
Uniform Encounters: Secret Fire
Uniform Encounters: Dangerous Wish
Gin and Jazz: Hollywood Bound
Gin and Jazz: Razzle Dazzle
Gin and Jazz: Tarnished Glitter
Gin and Jazz: Starring Role
Gin and Jazz: Studio Orders
Gin and Jazz: Casting Call
Gin and Jazz: Play Acting
Sin City Uniforms: All Fired Up
Sin City Uniforms: Copping an Attitude
Sin City Uniforms: Justice Prevails
Sin City Uniforms: Held Hostage
Sin City Uniforms: Negotiating Love
Sin City Uniforms: Searching for Shelter
Sin City Uniforms: Strip Search
The Hampton Road Club: Hesitant Heart
The Hampton Road Club: The Rules of Love
The Hampton Road Club: The Fear of Surrender
The Hampton Road Club: Mastering Love
The Hampton Road Club: Begging to Serve
A Master for Michael
Kiss of Leather: Building Bonds
Kiss of Leather: Safe Limits
Kiss of Leather: Bondage Rescue
Kiss of Leather: Grand Opening
Kiss of Leather: Gaining Trust
Kiss of Leather: Cutting Cords
Kiss of Leather: Facing Fears
Soul Match: Slave for Two
Soul Match: Cherished by Two
Soul Match: Hiding from Two
Clandestine Classics: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Clandestine Classics: The Fall of the House of Usher
All Together Now: The Perfect Third
Hard Riders: Biking Bad
Semper Fidelis: Safe Shores
Aim High: Venetian Skies
Racing Hearts: Racing for Home
His Rules: Strict Consequences
What’s his Passion? Rockin’ the Alternative
What’s his Passion?: Rockin’ it Forever
Finding Sanctuary Page 17