by Ivy Barrett
He hesitated in the shadow of the trees. Days, sometimes weeks went by without him thinking about the specifics of his new existence. He functioned effortlessly. He was alive, strong and healthy. Could health be attributed to a machine? Opening and closing his fist, he watched his replicated hand instantaneously obey the signals of his neuro-processor.
You’re housed within a biomechanical robot, Matthias. Your wasted, deceased body was incinerated back on Halley Prime. The infamous Toymaker has become a toy. Could anything be more ironic?
He kept his boots on and hurried across the grassy bank. There was no help for it if he wanted to enter the caves. Bedrock crunched beneath his boots as he waded into the river. The current was brisk and a shiver sped down his spine—or his primary sensor relay, if he wanted to get technical. Every system inside him was hermetically sealed and his external membrane acted as a secondary barrier. Still, immersing his new body in water filled him with dread.
The cool tug of the water against his legs felt surprisingly refreshing. He’d programmed this body to respond to his surroundings. If the heat would be uncomfortable for a human, his external membrane perspired. When it was cold, he shivered. His fingers and his lips could even turn blue. It was these simulated responses that helped Matt forget he was a biomech.
At its deepest, the water only reached his waist. He trudged onto the opposite bank and headed for a flat rock, intending to empty out his soggy boots. Muttered voices drew his attention to the surrounding trees. He blended back into the shadows and amplified the sound.
“Are you sure they’ll stay away?” a female voice asked.
Matt understood the softly accented words. The steady stream of pilgrims had motivated the Order to teach Shardrake to their priests and priestesses. Hyalee’s attitude made it apparent the change had been unwelcome. So who was telling secrets in the outsider’s tongue?
Using the voice as a guide, he crept closer to the sound.
“This is my private time,” a second woman replied, also in Shardrake. “They’ll only intrude if I specifically call out to them.”
A long pause followed and Matt activated his heat signature scanner. Two small forms sat together to his left while two larger figures stood a short ways away on the right. Did the women realize how close the guards were?
That’s probably why they’re speaking in a language the guards can’t understand. Matt moved soundlessly until he found a position from which he could see the women. They sat side by side on a fallen log. One was dressed in a red-and-gold robe, much like Hyalee’s garment. The other wore only a scrap of material tied around her hips.
“Lutton is worried about you,” the bare-breasted one said. “We’re all worried about you.”
The priestess pushed to her feet and tossed her long dark hair over her shoulders. “I’m doing everything I can to make my body cooperate with my mind. It’s become a game to the men in the village. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are wagers on who can make me come first.”
Anger lashed through her tone, but the pain in Serena’s light eyes tugged at Matt’s heart. He had no doubt the priestess was Serena, but was the other woman a relation or a friend?
“You begrudgingly submit your body as they go through the motions. It’s going to take more than that to get you over what happened during your ascension.”
“What do you suggest?” Serena snapped. She was older than Matt had expected. This was no shrinking virgin barely out of the classroom. “My final assessment comes with the next full moon. If I can’t…feel something by then, the Order will turn me out.”
“Let them,” the other woman insisted, rebellion flashing in her dark eyes. “If the Order turns their back on you because of this fiasco, they aren’t worth your time.”
Serena crossed her arms under her breasts and smiled. “You haven’t forgiven them for Miranda.”
“And I never will. They didn’t just rob me of my sister, they banished my closest friend.” She heaved a sigh and refocused on Serena. “I’m sorry. This isn’t about the past. Have you allowed a woman to touch you? Perhaps it’s—”
“I’ve tried everything.”
“You had two orgasms during your ascension. We know your body is capable of the sensation.” Serena nodded. “If you’re relaxed and others are not staring at you, waiting for you to come, maybe it will happen again.” She reached behind the log and retrieved a small bundle, spreading it across her lap. “This is tersatta pulp.” She handed the small pot to Serena. “I presume they used it during your ascension.”
“They did, but what am I…”
She passed Serena the second object and Matt couldn’t help but smile. Carved of dark wood and highly polished, the dildo was thin yet detailed. “This will provide fullness and movement as you thrust it in and pull it out. Use the tersatta pulp not only to insert it but also to keep your fingers sliding smoothly around your clit.”
“You want me to use this to fuck myself?” Serena sounded truly shocked.
“In cultures lacking our sexual freedom, this is not at all unusual. Once you have trained yourself to accept pleasure again, you won’t need the,” she motioned awkwardly toward the dildo, “substitute.”
“Does Hyalee know you’re suggesting this? I’m not sure it’s permissible.”
“I don’t care what the Order finds permissible,” she snapped. “I lost one sister to their ridiculous ideas. I’m not risking you too. Those idiots are responsible for your fear. If you’d enjoyed a gradual initiation like everyone else, this wouldn’t be an issue.” She stood and brushed off her skirt. “I’m going to go ensure your guards don’t disturb you for a good long time. Remember, lots of tersatta pulp and don’t give up. It will happen.”
She scurried off into the trees and Matt focused on Serena. Her hair flowed like a silk curtain to her waist, so richly black it gleamed. Thick, dark lashes drew immediate attention to her exotic eyes. Given her dark hair and copper-tinted skin, her eyes looked like frosted crystal. He magnified his vision to see their exact color and found a unique combination of silver and blue.
As she turned the dildo this way and that, her confounded expression was almost comical. Masturbation wasn’t a bad suggestion, but she didn’t need the dildo. A vibrator would have been more helpful or just her slick fingers.
She tucked the toy into the pocket of her robe and finger combed her hair away from her face. Her movements were tense and impatient, yet pain shone in her eyes. Her expression was all too familiar. Desperation tinged with loneliness, Matt saw that haunted look every time he glanced in a mirror. How could two wounded souls heal each other?
Needing a momentary break from her allure, he reactivated his heat sensors and looked at the guards. There were three figures now. One kneeling in front of the other two. Serena’s sister certainly had no trouble expressing her sexuality. She was sucking one guard’s cock while she worked the other with her hand.
When he looked back at Serena, she was rubbing the bright red paste on one of her nipples. Her robe hung open down the center, but she hadn’t removed it. Even in the defused light of the clearing her skin looked incredibly smooth. Her breasts were full and round, the tips deep rose without benefit of the paste. After dipping dramatically at her waist, her body flared to softly curved hips. This was no frightened girl. Even now desire smoldered in her eyes, so what kept her from reaching orgasm?
Intrigued, he focused on her hairless mound. Dusky folds peeked out from between her outer lips. Had anyone licked her pussy, held her open and sucked on her clit? Many women responded to the gentle brush of a tongue when fingers wouldn’t release the needed sensations. If another woman had touched her, it was probable that had been tried.
She reclined along the slope and braced one foot against the fallen log. Setting the pot of tersatta pulp within easy reach, she pulled the dildo out of her pocket and explored its sculpted length. She was ripe and inquisitive, more than ready for a mate.
Longing gripped Matt’s belly an
d tightened his balls. There was no doubt he was fully functional. A recent modification would allow him to suffuse his ejaculate with sperm, yet he’d never activated the function. In fact, he’d hardly thought about the ability since the procedure had been completed. Why had the capability sprung to mind as he looked at Serena?
He blew out an unsteady breath and adjusted his position, making room for his rapidly growing erection. If she got off with the dildo, he’d return to Hyalee and explain that his help was no longer needed. His simulated pulse gave a disapproving leap at the possibility. He stubbornly ignored the reaction. It would be so much less complicated if she set herself back on the road to sexual fulfillment. So why was he hoping beyond hope that she wouldn’t succeed?
She closed her fingers around her nipples and rolled the buds. After applying a second coat of the red paste, she lightly pinched and tugged her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers. She needed his mouth licking off the paste and sucking. If she could relax while he caressed her, this would be much more stimulating.
Apparently dissatisfied with the result, she moved on. Her fingers created streaks of red across her torso as she drifted downward and eased one hand between her thighs. She cupped her mound, squeezing while she scooped more of the red paste out of the jar. Parting her outer lips with one hand, she painted her flesh with the other.
Matt couldn’t look away. He’d seen more pussies than he cared to remember, but it was as if hers were the first. A sense of wonder expanded within him until his heart thudded painfully. Her inner thighs beckoned his touch and her delicate folds turned bright red as her fingers spread the paste. She pushed her fingers into her core and her ass cheeks clenched. Matt realized his body was mimicking the motion and he consciously relaxed the synthetic muscles.
Her fingers explored for a few minutes, she then applied the paste directly to her clit. She shivered as she massaged the substance into the sensitive bud.
That’s it, sweetheart. Stay right there and you’ll be fine.
As with all her other explorations, she was methodical and quick. She paused to smear the dildo with paste then positioned the toy between her legs. He shook his head, knowing she needed to accept one stimulation at a time. Penetration would only distract her from what she needed to feel.
She traced her slit with the toy and Matt scrubbed his face with his hands. It was all he could do not to charge from the trees and snatch the thing out of her hand. True, she wasn’t ready for the fullness, but his objection was more complicated. He wanted to arouse her to the brink of madness then fill her with his cock. Or at least wield the damn toy!
Keeping her legs angled wide so she could maneuver between her thighs, she found her entrance with the rounded tip. Matt clenched his hands into fists and his gaze fixed on her cunt as she pushed the dildo inside. She only got the head in before she reached for more paste.
You’re not ready! You need to be held and caressed, kissed and—seduced. In that moment he accepted the inevitable. He would free Serena from her sexual demons. Even if it took every trick lurking in his misspent past, he would reawaken her passion.
Chapter Two
Serena jammed the wooden cock into the dirt with a muttered curse and snapped her robe closed across her breasts. It was useless. She was broken. With the first tingle of carnal hunger came unwanted images, flashing blue eyes and the overwhelming sense of dread. The imposter had never been apprehended. She couldn’t help feeling he was still out there watching her, waiting for his next opportunity to disrupt her life.
Orillia meant well with her suggestion, but nothing helped. In the six moon cycles since Serena’s ascension, she’d tried everything she could think of to unlock her emotions and free her sexual nature. Releasing a frustrated sigh, she stood and brushed off the back of her robe. There were other ways she could serve the community. Perhaps she wasn’t meant to be a priestess.
Just the thought made her heart ache. Every female in her family, for as long as anyone could remember, possessed some sort of divine gift. It had never been a matter of if she would be gifted. Everyone wondered which gift the Deity would release within her. And now she knew. She was a soul seer, the most revered of all healers. Or she would be, as soon as she overcame her fear.
A throaty moan revealed the means by which Orillia had chosen to distract the guards. Vitik and Fyn were both accomplished warriors, strong, dominant men in their prime. The exact sort of lover Orillia preferred. Fyn was also a priest and Serena had no doubt he reported each of her failed attempts at sexual expression to the Order.
She had already bathed, and meditating in one of the steam caves lacked its usual appeal. Knowing it was unwise to wander far, she meandered beside the river. Her hair was still damp, so she spread the long tresses with her fingers, encouraging the breeze to pass through.
Sunlight dappled the leaves and shimmered on the briskly flowing water. Tranquility surrounded her, yet her spirit tossed and turned, restless and unsure. An unfamiliar sound drew her attention toward the trees beyond the grassy riverbank. She glanced back the way she’d come. Could her guards still hear her from this distance?
The bushes rustled and light gleamed off a metallic object. She turned and took one hurried step before a man stepped out of the shadows in front of her.
“I am frighten not for you.” He held up both hands in a nonthreatening manner.
His pronounced accent and the scrambled phrasing kept her from screaming. Every Wikoli spoke Perrlain effortlessly. Would he attempt to stop her if she ran past? His attempt at communication did little to appease her instincts. Hyalee had closed the village to pilgrims, so what was an outsider doing here?
The stranger’s damp shirt clung to his sculpted torso, revealing every bulge and ripple of his muscular form. And every inch of his body from the waist down was covered. No one who lived in this climate wore so many clothes. His hair had been cut up and over his ears, the back curling at the nape of his neck. Artificial gold streaks threaded through the light brown strands and his skin looked as if it had seldom known the sun’s warm kiss. She had never seen anyone quite like him.
“Lutton… I come to… Damn.”
He was clearly struggling for Perrlain words. None of the other pilgrims had attempted to communicate in her language. They blithely expected their needs to be met at every turn. She could put him out of his misery and respond in Shardrake. If he were one of her brother’s friends, he had likely come from Halley Prime.
Leaving nothing to chance, she summoned his soul strands. So faint she could barely see them, the interwoven colors came into view. Was her ability fading already? She suppressed her panic and concentrated on what she could see. Vibrant blue and rich leaf green interspersed with crimson. The pattern repeated smoothly for the most part, yet several distinct constrictions hindered the flow. Past wounds or profound regrets often created such constrictions. She saw no evidence of malice or cruelty, so she turned her attention to the man himself.
Rugged, almost harshly masculine, his features were so different from the elegant angles of Perrlain males. His sculpted chest and toned abdomen tapered to a trim waist. The damp material of his pants clung to long legs and boots encased his feet. He would surpass Baylott by at least half a head and Baylott was the tallest man in their village. And those arms… Her gaze lingered over his highly developed biceps and wide shoulders. Only a few of the warriors had a body anywhere near as imposing as this stranger’s.
Ignoring her rude stare, he gave up his feeble attempt to speak her language and combined simple Shardrake phrases with hand gestures. “Hyalee.” He waited to see if she responded to the name.
“Lidante Hyalee nar itareen ordesta?” She asked how he knew the high priestess.
His lips thinned and he exhaled through his nose. What would it feel like to be wrapped in those strong arms and pressed against that broad chest? Would his sensual mouth claim hers with demanding passion or coax and tease, patiently waiting for a response? An unexpected wa
ve of heat swept through her body and her nipples gathered against the filmy cloth of her robe.
Was this a good omen or should she run in the opposite direction?
“Hyalee told me to relax in the caves.” He motioned beyond the tree line. “Too hot.” He fanned his hand in front of his face. “I need to cool off. Already sweaty.”
Intrigued by his determination to speak with her, she took pity on him. “Didn’t the river refresh you? Your pants are still wet.”
His dark eyes narrowed for an instant then his lips parted in a dazzling smile. “You speak Shardrake. Thank God! I felt like an absolute idiot. Miranda told me Lutton was the only one here who knew my language. I’m so glad she was wrong.” He pushed his fingers through his hair as his gaze moved over her face. “I’m Matt Sterling, and I didn’t mean to frighten you. I already sent a group of women screaming into the village once today. I’d rather not do so again. What’s your name?”
“You know Miranda? How is she? It’s been ages since I’ve been able to smuggle a message to her.”
“She’s doing really well. Her practice is flourishing and she seems happy.”
Serena looked at Matt’s virile body and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you her lover?”
Calculation gleamed in his dark eyes then he shook his head. “We’re very good friends. What is your connection to her?”
“She’s my sister.”
“I should have realized. Lutton must have taught you how to speak Shardrake. Are you Orillia or Serena?”
“Serena.”
His grin returned. “The feisty one.”
His playful tone brought back happy memories. Lutton would chase them through the forest as they squealed and giggled, pretending to be afraid. It had been so long ago and so much had changed since those carefree days. Whispers became speculation and the council sent Miranda away.
“I caused more than my share of trouble when I was a child.” Serena dispelled the past with a regretful sigh. “Still, Miranda has been gone a long time.” Silence stretched between them as she stared into his eyes. She couldn’t quite catch her breath and her nipples rasped against her robe with each attempt. “What brings you to our village? Are you acquainted with my brother as well, or were you… Please tell me you’re not a pilgrim. We’ve all had our fill of tourists.”