by Tia LaBeau
Bastian seems to take pride in that which he owns. The walls appear to be made out of some strange but beautiful fabric. I separate from him to touch the walls.
“Haba that’s called,” he says, pointing at the walls. “It’s handmade by the Haveners in the outerlands.”
“They could sell this in Teros. It’s lovely,” I say running my hands over the cream-colored material. The fabric is covered with symbols.
“The Haba are interesting people. They believe that it is their duty to keep that which is Haba here on Havenu. When Havenu dies, we will also loose the culture of the Haba. Most of the younger generations have signed up for the exodus. As you can see a lot have gone already, but it is those who have unjustly been imprisoned from Haba which will have the hardest time leaving. They are strong people, but they don’t like much movement, so they are hesitant to fight back.”
“So they’re stubborn?”
“Yes, so stubborn that they rarely fight back against injustice, especially if it will require them to break their own code of ethics.”
“And that picture there?” I ask.
It’s a picture of the same female that I saw before on the ship.
“I don’t really want to talk about Saffri.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t want to discuss her,” Bastian says.
“I’ll get it out of you eventually,” I say.
“I doubt it.”
I creep to Bastian. He’s sitting down on a round seat in the middle of the first hall. It’s dim. The other pirates have not entered the home yet, at least not the way we’ve come in. I’m not sure if I should press, but hell, I’m nosy. “Come on dude, tell me about the chick.
“She’s with Luce.”
My mouth falls open. So this Saffri is shacked up with your arch enemy? “Why would she do a thing like that?”
Bastian shrugs. I can tell that there’s something he isn’t telling me, so I press. Like I said, I’m nosy, as fuck. “So, did she go with him before or after you usurped Luce’s throne as the Pirate King?”
“Before,” he says.
“Oh.”
“Luce and I have many differences of opinion, and it turns out, Saffri shares more of Luce’s opinions than she shares mine.”
I nod my head. I understand the impact a difference of opinion can have on a relationship. Cleo and I hold most of the same political opinions. Like we both agree that the Governor is a scum bag.
But we do differ in opinion when it comes to issues such as of how to deal with people, situations, decorations, clothes, and a whole host of other things too many to name. And sometimes it gets contentious. Sometimes I find myself suppressing my own beliefs for the sole purpose of making sure that I don’t piss Cleo off. Alien or no, a difference of opinion appears to be a universal obstacle to overcome in all sorts of relationships.
I realize that this mess with Luce is indeed messy.
“So do you want her back?” I ask. “You’re ex?”
“Are you hungry?” Bastian asks me.
“Damn skippy, but you’re trying to change the subject.”
“Damn skippy? Does that mean yes?”
“Yes, it means yes,” I say. “Sheesh, I need to send you a human slang dictionary.”
“I’ve only bothered to learn English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and French so far, along with a couple of African dialects, I really can’t bear to learn slang.”
“They’ve got human language implants that you can get. They even have language implants that come with slang packages,” I say. “You can get yourself one. You can pawn some of your gold ship walls for one.”
“I like my gold ship walls,” Bastian says. “Besides using an implant is cheating. I bet you don’t even know how to any Havener, do you?”
I throw up my hands. “Guilty as charged, bro. Forget an implant. I’m not one for brain surgery.”
“Bro?”
“Ah, shite, never the mind. Say, can I kiss you?”
He frowns. Of course, he frowns. “Kiss me,” he says.
I lean in, and I kiss him. Our tongues mingle together. My heart is melting because of it. I did not expect to fall for this pirate, but it’s as if the universe heard me say that I have the hots for Havener pirates. And so, the universe was like, fuck it, here you go.
Bastian brushes my cheek with his thumb. Then he grabs my face. “Tell me, why exactly did you join Moon Company Brides. As Nerov says, you’re easily a tier one. You can find a mate on your own then, right?”
I gather up my hair and tie it in a bun atop my head and stand up. I stretch. I pace. Shit. Shit. How do I answer this question? Tell the truth? If I tell the truth, how much will I have to explain? He knows that Cleo is my sister. Can he not put two and two together? Why not explain? I don’t know him well enough that’s why I hesitate.
“I’ll answer that for you when you tell me more about chickie in the pic up there,” I say.
He nods and stands up. “I’ll go get us something to eat then.”
I follow him down a dark hall into what looks like a small hovel. There are urns and cooking utensils, not much like the ones we use in Teros in terms of looks but by their shapes, one could try to surmise their function. Bastian opens a compartment where I guess food stores exist.
“Mala,” he says. “You will try it if I make it?” he asks, He holds up a black bag.
“What is mala? I ask.
I walk over to him and look into his food storage compartment. There is a hot and cold compartment. “What do you keep in the hot compartment?” I ask.
“Mala.”
“It stays hot all the time?”
“It’s on a timer. New mala is added every day by my mala delivery.”
“You get this mala delivered to you every day?”
He opens the compartment and pulls out what appears to be a slab of red stuff. I can’t tell whether it’s meat or plant based. “And this is keaf.”
“Where does mala come from?”
“The mala trees,” he says.
I let out a sigh of relief. I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s easier to try unfamiliar plant foods than it is to try unfamiliar meats. This mala may already be available in Teros with the influx of Haveners coming in every day. “And the keafa. Looks like meat, so tell me, then show me where it comes from.
He eyes me. “You’re in for a treat. Mala is not in Teros yet. There is some debate as to how it will be produced post-Havenu. Keafa is the tenderest part of the kafa. The kafa has two heads, one stomach, no hair. Its body is blue, but its insides are red. Butchers charge a lot for a slice of this.”
“I see,” I say.
Bastian reaches for a small clay bowl and places the black leafy, stemmy, looking mala inside it. He sets the bowl down on the table and makes another bowl full with mala. Then he throws the keafa on a sizzler.
“Come, sit at this table with me,” Bastian says.
I sit down at the table. He takes a bite. “It’s tough, and it takes a while to chew, but the flavor is delicious. Try.”
The only thing I can think is that the mala must taste good because Bastian’s eyes are on fire with satisfaction, but the way his jaws work tell me that to chew the mala is more difficult than chewing goat jerky these days.
I take a bite of the mala anyway to see what it’s about. It is tough to chew, but it has a great flavor. I chew and chew and chew. Finally, I give up and spit the mauled up mala into my hand. I rub my jaw. “It is tough to chew. Lovely, though.”
Bastian cuts his eyes at me. “That was a disgrace.”
“What?”
“You spit the mala out into your hand.”
I bite my lip. “I’m sorry, but my human teeth aren’t tough enough to cut through this stuff.”
“How about I do for you what the parents do for the babes with the mala?”
“What’s that?”
“They chew it up until it’s mash and then put it in a bowl and feed
it to the baby.”
“Eww, that’s disgusting!”
Bastian laughs. He has an awesome smile. I can’t believe he doesn’t smile more often, although I guess if he did crack a smile more frequently, beings would think that he’s nice. Universe forbid someone thinks that Bastian the Pirate King is nice.”
“Why are you so uptight?” I ask.
“Me? Uptight?” he asks. “What do you mean?” He takes another bite of his mala, chews for a bit and swallows. I’m amazed he can get through it like he does. I take another bite of my mala. Heck, if I have to spit it out after a while, then so be it. I figure I can get nutrients from it nonetheless. I’m making mala juice in mouth I guess.
“Seriously, you’re so serious.”
“I am not,” he says, cocking an eyebrow.
“Have you ever had seafood?”
“Hmm, what’s that? Food from earth’s waters?”
“No, see?” I say opening my mouth, showing him the pitifully mashed mala in my mouth. “See food.”
He shakes his head. “That is unbecoming.”
“See what I mean? I just told you a joke. One of the oldest in the books, an early Earth joke, and all you can do is frown. Wah.”
“Tell me another.”
“Another what?”
“Joke.”
“You tell me a joke.”
“I don’t know any.”
“Do a funny dance then.”
“A funny dance?” he asks. “I don’t.” He stands up though and extends his hand, and I take it. He pulls me close to him. He smells nice, and his skin is so smooth and warm, bordering on hot.
I’m starting to sweat a little. Just like the ship, this palace is warm. Why his skin is so warm, I don’t know, but still, I like it. It’s like he’s hot for me. Literally. I chuckle to myself, thinking this. Bastian kisses me atop my head.
“You are so not serious,” Bastian says.
“Nope, not serious. It’s my fatal flaw.”
“How so?” he asks.
I shrug. I lean in and kiss him. I wrap my arms around his neck. I nuzzle him.
He grips my ass. He nuzzles me. “Hmm, you smell good,” he says. He runs his nose down my neck and up again so that it tickles when he does it. I shudder instead of laugh. I want him. I want him now, seriously.
14
Freda
I stare into Bastian’s eyes.
He grabs me by the hand. “Want to go lie down?” he asks.
“I thought you Haveners have no need for lying down,” I say.
“I want to lie down with you, but standing with you is fine with me too,” Bastian says. The way he looks down at me is making me hotter than his skin.
My shirt sticks to me because of my sweat. “Come,” I say, standing up. I grab his hand. He takes it. I lead him over to one of the walls in his cooking hearth as he calls it. I push him up against the wall.
This is me taking my fucking power back. I will do what I want, when I want, with who I want. I drop to my knees and pull down his pants. His quads are muscular and well-defined with sinew. He rakes his hands through my hair.
I pull him out and kiss the tip of his dick. It’s hot. “Hmm,” I say. “So warm,” I say and smile with him still in my mouth.
His dick is fat and long. The head tip of dick is very similar to the human males, only slightly more round instead of almost triangular.
“Your mouth is so soft and wet,” Bastian says.
I tickle the tip with my lips and rub his balls. He shivers a bit. His leg muscles are tighter now than they were before. Bastian moves as if he’s trying to maintain his balance. He frowns with pleasure. I like to have him like this. When we’re like this together, I can see the rawer side of Bastian.
He continues to stroke my hair. His fingertips are hot. I’m sweating everywhere. I can feel trickles of sweat travel down my brow.
“I’m serious now,” I say, “about this.” I hoover him.
“So I am,” he murmurs. His eyes are closed. It’s as if he can’t bear to let me see his eyes because he’s wrapped in so much pleasure.
I continue to take him in and out of my mouth. I suck lightly. I taste a bit of sweetness from him.
“The pleasure you provide me is unreal,” Bastian says. He groans.
I work my mouth faster. I moan, hoping that the moaning will travel into his dick and shake it with pleasure. I hope no one walks in on us. I suck one more time, and then I stand up. I pull his pants up for him. His dick is a huge bulge now in his pants. I pat it. “Is there somewhere else we can do this? Somewhere more private?”
He kisses my mouth with the gravest expression on his face and grabs my hand. “Come this way,” he says.
I follow him down a great hall. He stops in front of the door and scans his teeth like he did on the ship.
“Is this your room?”
“What do you mean? All these rooms are my rooms. I’ll close the door behind us for privacy. Bastian shows his teeth again and the door slams shut.
He runs to me and lifts me up, startling me. “Is serious bad?” Bastian asks.
I run my hand across his brow. I kiss his eyebrows one at a time. “No, serious can be good.”
He puts me down and sits down on the floor. There is no bed. Only a soft mat, thicker than the floor, but thinner than a bed’s mattress. I lie down on the floor next to him. He ruffles my hair.
I admire his body. His dick grazes my thigh. I throw my head back. The lights in the chamber dim by themselves.
His room is large and luxurious, styled with the same force as his ship chambers. The room is filled with a collection of things that Bastian most likely handpicked himself. I’m guessing this since I don’t really know.
I sit up on my forearms. “Where was I?”
He furrows his brow. “What do you mean?”
“You lie down, and I will show you.”
He smirks as per usual. “Okay,” he says. He lies back on the mat. I hover over him sideways, on my knees with my legs spread a little. He runs his hands down my butt and slips his fingers over my pussy. “Take these off,” he says.
“Yes, sir. Bossy Pants,” I say. He helps me pull off my pants.
He shoves my underwear to the side and pokes into me with his fingers—two of them. I jerk a little, startled at first, but then I roll with his fingers and lower my mouth over his dick. I look at him. I want to see the expression on his face. I want to know if I’m pleasing him. He’s peers down at me, rapt. I pull his pants down again, but this time I pull them all the way down. I even take off his boots so that I can pull his pants all the way off.
He slips both of the fingers back into me. Then he slips one warm red finger out of me, jabs my pussy with another. I’m drenched for him already. His finger sinks in and out of me.
I suck his dick into my mouth like my mouth is a vacurobo. I decide to mess with him a little, so I also add popping sounds. He groans. I guess he likes to hear how my wet mouth goes to work.
I suck. I suck until my cheeks are tired, and I’m tingling furiously in my own down below. I switch it up by running my tongue down the long red shaft of his dick. Then I flick my tongue on the head of his dick, and I suck. The head of his dick is so big, so swollen, wet, and warm.
With my cheeks rested, I suck the whole of him back into my mouth. Up and down I go on the length of him. He grabs my hair, and his hips jut forward. His sinewy quads tighten again. I look down and see that his toes are clenched. I take one more deep suck, and he explodes in my mouth.
I take my mouth off before he can finish in it. It tastes so sweet, and I glance down. His cum is gold. What the fuck? Omu, his cum is gold.
I mount Bastian now. He kisses me and smooths my hair back away from my face. He gazes into my eyes lovingly. I guess I made him feel good. He sticks out his tongue. It’s black. Omu, a black tongue. What is wrong with me? It’s not like I didn’t notice it before, but everything about him turns me on.
Our tongues mingle a
nd wiggle together. I suck his tongue into mine, and I feel him getting stone hard again beneath me.
I drop down on him, and he enters me. He grabs my hair again and juts in and out of me. I can’t believe he’s so hard again so quick.
I’m sopping wet now. I’m almost sure that I will come, but I don’t want to. I want this to last forever.
Bastian doesn’t have to say anything. It’s the way that he’s looking at me that says it all. He stares at me with love and approval. His brow is furrowed which tells me that he’s intent on making himself felt. Oh, I feel him, through and through. I feel safe with him. I wish I could make that feeling last forever.
I grab his hand and remove it from my hair. I push both of his hands up above his head. I hold his hands there, and I rock back and forth on him. I seat myself deeply on his dick, burying him far inside me. My pussy tightens and quivers. I’m so wet for him now. I look away from him. If I look at his face, I swear I’m going to cum.
He’s so deep that he hits my tickle spot, and I giggle. My face heats up more as sweat trickles down my body. I’m probably about as red as him now because of all the excitement.
As soon as I let go of his hands, he grips my hips. “Do you mind?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Mind what?”
He flips me over on my back in one smooth, strong movement. He enters me immediately. He’s hard as limestone now and the largest he’s been with me I think. I almost feel like my pussy is going to choke on his dick, but he feels good pounding against the inner depths of me, hitting spots inside of me that I never even knew existed.
I clench up. I can’t help it, and fuck I cum. I come so hard, my body jukes away from him. He grabs me again swiftly. The way he moves is almost unnatural in its quickness and before I know it he’s got me on my knees.
He enters me from behind and jerks in and out of me. I put my head down on the mat, and he his places his hand at the back of my skull, not hard, just so I know that his hand is there. He pumps into me hard and fast.
I feel all sorts of energy coming off of him now, and he sends me flashes again of what we’re doing, but to my mind. It’s too much. And just when I think I’m completely spent, he pulls out of me, and I feel his warm cum shoot all over my ass cheeks. He smears it all over my butt, and my body tingles all over. And then, I feel his mouth behind me on my pussy. He sucks at my clit. I reach back, trying to grab something anything it’s all so startling.