by Lexi Lane
There was a shout and the sound of arrows splitting the air. Looking up she saw Lucas riding toward her on his own black horse, an arrow in his right hand and his bow in his left. His face was set in angry lines and as he approached another arrow whizzed out of the bow and took down a large and snarling wolf thing.
He reached down and pulled her up onto the horse’s back. Stephen and several other men came rushing into the fray and the wolf things died on the ground. Looking back at them she saw Stephen cutting off on the thing’s head with a sharp sword.
She closed her eyes, her hands wrapping around Lucas’s solid body tightly as the horse took them back to the castle. Her fear was quickly replaced by the scent of his skin: that masculine musk of his, and the feel of his body against hers. She was in trouble and knew it but weighed against the feeling of his under her fingertips she couldn’t seem to worry whether or not she would be punished.
The horse galloped into the gate and to a halt. Lucas jumped off, his eyes alight with anger. “Get off that horse,” he ordered sharply. “Do you have any idea of what you have just done? I could have lost my men out there. The night wolves are usually quiet in the day; you rode into their nesting grounds and woke them. You would be dead if Lily had not seen you riding away and reported you.”
Damn you Lily, and thank you, she thought as she dismounted and stood by the horse, her legs trembling. “I only wanted to help. I thought if I brought some meat…”
“Those things are inedible,” he said shortly.
“I would imagine so,” she retorted. “They looked rather ferocious.”
For a minute his anger flared bright and terrible then his face creased in an unwilling smile. She caught her breath at the sight of it. His large and even white teeth gleamed behind his full lips as he said, “Yes, they most certainly are ferocious. They are mutants, creatures adapting to the new environment. They are Nature’s next step and sadly we have to kill them to save ourselves from being the last link in the chain of humanity. We only kill them when we have to protect ourselves, and for no other reason. Here nothing gets killed unless it serves the purpose of food or other necessities. To be fair their fur is waterproof and warm, it will help cut the deadnight chill.”
“Deadnight?”
“Every few months a dead night occurs. The temperature drops to below sub-arctic. The wind goes still. The ocean freezes at the shore and the weakest trees shatter. In the first year after the drowning it happened every thirty-seven days despite the rain. It was incredible. I did all sorts of studies on the phenomenon but there were no answers to be found. The planet is realigning itself according to its own design and while most of the plans I made were good and held us in good stead there were a few things I could never have accounted for. The deadnight was one of them, we lost a lot of people...” his voice trailed off and a softness, a sorrow she would never have believed him possible, filled his face but was gone quickly, hidden behind a cold mask.
“Why do you fight so hard to keep this place and us alive? Why do you want to keep humanity alive?”
“Because it will be a long time before they come back but they will come back and this time I want the people here to be ready for them.”
“Who?”
“This has all been done before you know. Humans killed this planet with our foolishness and our wastefulness and our pollution and we fled to a different one until it was worn out. Then the ones who fled came back here and convinced the humans who had been here for thousands of years surviving in a land without electricity that the gods were coming down to help but all they were really doing was setting up a few amenities to make it nicer when they came and took it back.”
Her laughter was shaky, “That’s impossible.”
“Is it?”
It wasn’t and she knew it. Her eyes went to the sky and then back to his face. “What was this place?”
“It doesn’t matter. The past is dead. There is only here and now and the human race in its tiny numbers that need tending.”
“Then why did you send the people I came here with away?”
“Think about it. There were more men than women, more followers than leaders. There is a city that needs people, and there is a castle that needed only two. It was fair trade.”
“You’re a cruel man.” The words came out before she could stop them. Instantly she was sorry. She was even sorrier when he turned his back and walked away without another word.
* * *
“His wife died right before the drowning.” Lily said later that night while they sat huddled together on a cold stone step a few feet from the women’s hall. She looked around nervously and lowered her voice to a bare whisper, “She was carrying his child and he had made all of these preparations but she wouldn’t live here and wouldn’t believe this place could survive so she decided to go. Lucas was a world-renowned scientist and a very rich man because of all of his inventions. The governments all wanted him because he was the only one who knew how any of the things he created worked and he wouldn’t go, he said the world was better off ending the way it was, that he knew the people he had gathered would survive and so would others. His wife asked for a seat on the flyships and was told without him she was not worth a spot so she took a book filled with his notes and traded them for her life, traded them for a spot on the flyships. Only the person she had made the bargain with had her killed and sent Lucas the proof of that, so he would know that they had his work and his wife was dead. Stephen said he turned hard after that.”
Sara felt a cramp of sympathy for Lucas. How much must it have hurt to be betrayed by the one he loved the most? She had seen the expression on his face when he had spoken about doing research, his eyes had lit up and his face had shown the excitement he felt doing it. He had lost his life’s work as well, and all for nothing. Shame at her earlier words flooded through her and she hung her head.
She got up and said goodnight to Lily. Courage had always been her best asset and she found hers before setting off toward the east wing of the castle, the wing where Lucas had his quarters. The night hung silent around the walls, the early day killing of the night wolves had put everyone into a pensive mood and even at dinner they had all been subdued and mostly silent. There had been no hanging around the fire after the meal, most people had retired early and so the candles in the wall scones were already low and flickering as she made the last corner and stood before his door with her heart pounding in her ears.
She raised her hand and knocked lightly. He opened the door and her heart leaped into her throat. His hair was mussed and hanging over his forehead, his shirt was unbuttoned to his chest, showing the crisp hair there. It occurred to her that he had never taken off his clothes during their night together and longing hit her; she wanted to see him totally naked.
She had no idea of what to say to him. Her hands twisted together and her mouth opened. Nothing came out. Desperation propelled her forward and she put one hand up, her fingers closing on a lock of his hair, feeling the coarse texture of the strands.
His hands closed over hers. Tears welled up in her eyes and she started to turn away but he pulled her forward, into the room, and closed the door behind her. Her breath caught and she stared around at the chamber: it was large and situated so that windows opened on two walls. The shutters were closed but she could still smell the sea air in the room. On shelves on another wall sat all sorts of objects: sea shells and bones, a first aid kit from long ago, a stack of books written by authors she had never heard of: Keats, Yates, Hawking, Tolstoy, Einstein and others. The bed was large and covered in furs. There was a large dresser under one window and a heavily locked chest at the foot of the bed and a small desk with writing utensils in a far corner. It was the room of a solitary man.
He stripped her dress off and she stood silent and still while his thumbs ran under the swell of her ribcage and over the flesh of her breasts. He kneaded her back, his fingers stroking along her spinal column, and then he lightly flicked her nippl
es with his thumb and forefinger, making them stand up.
Wetness spread from her crotch and she took a deep breath as he slipped one hand between her legs. She moved her feet wider apart and his fingers brushed lightly at the curls of her pubic hair that was already stained with her wetness.
Her breath hitched and caught as his finger stroked along the seam of that pink flesh, opening her outer lips and testing the silky skin of her inner lips. His eyes never left hers and she could feel the trembling in her thighs and belly increasing as he brought slightly more pressure to his explorations and began to rub her clit with his thumb.
“I want you on the bed, legs apart and up.” She went without question. She lay on her back and the mattress sagged under his weight as he joined her there. He took her nipples into his mouth, sucking and stroking them. His teeth grazed her neck, her ear and his lips pressed against hers in a searing kiss that left her breathless.
His hands moved lower, stroking and caressing her until her pussy was soaked and her hips arching toward him in an involuntary and silent plea. He left tiny burning trails behind as his lips brushed little kisses along her belly and moved lower, his teeth nipping at her upper thighs while his fingers pressed into her softly then withdrew.
Her hands balled into fists as his mouth closed over her clit. His clever tongue stroked and licked the tender bud and her breath became a hard ragged pant. His fingers spread her labia wide and he licked the soaked seam of her pussy, hardening his tongue and darting it inside her repeatedly before moving back to her clit and circling it.
She thrust her pelvis upward, her fingers digging into his hair and holding him there. he slid fingers inside her, thrusting harder and faster as his tongue worked against her clit. Pussy juice slid down her ass crack and puddled below her as friction built and built inside her. She cried out, her tunnel aching and clenching in the first throes of an orgasm.
“Come,” he said against her drenched flesh. “Come right now.”
She did. Her back arched and her heels dug into the mattress as she strained upward, her body locking into rigid lines. Her nails dug into his scalp and he grabbed her hands, holding them captive at her side while he moved back up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
She could hear his heart beating under her ear. The steady thud of it was reassuring and she closed her eyes, enjoying the soft warm glow of her orgasm. His fingers stroked up and down her arms and she wiggled against him, his cock hardened and twitched below her ass cheeks, exciting her all over again.
He took his clothes off, tossing them to the floor and lay over her. She stroked his body, relishing the feel of his hard muscles under her fingertips. He entered her in one hard and long thrust, filling her completely. Her hips met his and her legs wrapped around his waist, her hells bumping against his back as he fucked her hard and fast.
His breath exploded into her ear. He rose above her, thrusting harder and she looked up at his face: his eyes were shut and his teeth were studded into his bottom lip. His chest moved rapidly with his breathing and his strong forearms supported his weight, his fingers curled into fists and he slammed forward and back, rocking her body in time with his.
Her pussy contracted around him, she closed her own eyes, enjoying the feeling of him inside her snug channel. She had to stretch a bit for him and she welcomed the small pain that came along with that. He grunted and she dug her fingernails into his back, urging him on.
Her orgasm slammed into her, making her walls open and close around him. His seed spilled from him, hot and thick, she could feel the pulses of his cock inside her and she moaned out a yes, her thighs squeezing him even tighter.
They lay there wrapped in each other’s arms, their bodies cooling slowly. She wanted to ask him so many questions but was afraid she would ruin the moment so finally she just said, “You built a good thing here and I am glad for that.”
“I plan on making sure our history gets told to our children. That it gets written and preserved. Whatever mistakes we made before it was due to our not keeping the records of our past. We can’t afford to repeat history yet again on this planet.”
His sense of purpose and idealism seemed to be at odds with each other and yet they made perfect sense together. A sense of security that she had never known enveloped her and her entire body relaxed into the mattress.
“I was in the military.”
“I know. How else would you have been able to kick the asses of two of my best men the day I had them trade for you?” There was laughter in his voice. “I knew right then I wanted you. I was up on the turret watching and you …you were absolutely magnificent. Your spirit was huge, you could never be dominated by just any man.”
“I think I like being dominated.” There was laughter in her voce too and he chuckled, his finger running across one nipple. “But I don’t think you are just any man either.”
“No, I am not.” He kissed her on her nose, “And you are certainly not just any woman.”
She tried to snuggle closer but he helped her out of the bed, into her dress and out the door. He gave her bottom a swat as she stood there looking at him. “I will see you in the morning,” he said quietly, “Go get some rest.”
She reluctantly went; her feet silent on the cold stones and a smile spread wide on her face. She knew he had to learn to trust her and she knew better than to push him to do so. There was plenty of time, plenty of it. And a whole world filled with possibilities forming right outside every single day.
Humming she crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her body. She was asleep almost instantly. Outside the windows the night wolves howled but the walls were strong and she was safe within them, despite the coldness of their exterior.
Taken By The Gladiator
Virgin Breeding Erotica
Aurelia turned her head away, closing her eyes. The sounds of swords on shields, the grunts and cries of the gladiators fighting below on the sand of the arena were too much for her. Marius was fighting a new gladiator, much larger than he, and she could not watch.
“Are you ill, daughter? You look pale.” Aurelia turned to her father, Antonius, who was seated next to her in their box at the edge of the arena. He was frowning at her.
“No, father. It’s just the sun…” she waved her hand vaguely in the direction of the sky “…was in my eyes. It makes my head hurt.” She looked at her father, willing him to turn back to the fight. He opened his mouth to speak to her when the crowd suddenly roared to life.
Shouts of Mitte! Mercy! mixed with calls to cut his throat surround them like a wall of sound. Antonius turned away from Aurelia, quickly assessing the activity below in the arena and the mood of the crowd, gathering his robes around him as he stood to give his decision in the match.
Aurelia turned back as well, anxiously looking down at the men on the sand. Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling a cry of relief.
Marius was standing over the new gladiator, the point of his sword at the man’s throat. The man on the ground was holding his left hand in the air, asking for mercy as a decision. Marius tore his helmet from his head, looking up at the box where Antonius was now standing. His eyes flitted briefly to Aurelia before meeting Antonius’s gaze.
It seemed that the crowd was in favor of mercy. Aurelia knew her father curried the crowd’s favor; he was known for his stable of gladiators and the new man could ultimately be a favorite, and bring in more money. But Aurelia knew all too well if the new man and Marius were to fight again, there might not be mercy, especially for Marius.
Antonius held out his arm, slowly extending his thumb toward the sky; this new man would live to fight another day. Aurelia watched as Marius stepped back, picking up his helmet and leaving the arena. She caught his eye once more before he entered the dark tunnel to the gladiator dungeon, and his small cell.
Aurelia stood then, moving away from her father. He was enthralled by the roar of the crowds as always, and she slipped away unnoticed. She ran down the cool sto
ne tunnels beneath the arena, the twists and turns, dead ends and small rooms all carved in her memory.
The small area where the gladiators were taken after their fights to receive medical treatment had a smaller unused storeroom close to it. Aurelia slipped inside, melting into the darkness just as Marius and his trainer walked past. She could smell the sweat and blood as he walked by; she wondered if he had been injured. She had been too afraid, as always, to watch the man she loved being forced to fight for his life.
She felt a stab of pain in her heart; loving a gladiator was a risky proposition for her, but for Marius, it would mean certain death if they were discovered. But yet he risked his life every time they met, to be with her. She felt tears sting her eyes.
The trainer was walking back down the hall alone; she waited a few moments and then Marius was there with her in the dark. She felt his warmth before she heard him speak her name.
“Aurelia...” he murmured, pulling her to him, his face buried in her neck. She inhaled his scent; beneath the sweat of the ring was his own deep masculine scent, a scent she would always recognize, a scent that stirred her heart and soul.
They held each other quietly for a moment, but then the passion they worked so hard to conceal from the rest of the world broke free. Marius lowered his lips to hers, branding them with a fiery kiss, his tongue sliding between her lips, meeting hers as she tipped her head back, allowing him to claim her mouth with his.
His hands were everywhere then, sliding over the soft folds of her gown, cupping her breasts, his thumbs running across her hard nipples, then running down her sides to the soft flair of her hips. He shifted slightly, his hands leaving her for the briefest moment as he removed his leather armor. And then he was naked, pressed against her as he pulled the dress from her shoulders, letting the fabric pool on the floor at her feet.