A ruby bead rolled down Cobra’s neck.
He struggled to order his thoughts and understand the charge laid against him.
Lumen’s hand landed on the blade at his throat.
She closed it in her fist then carefully pulled it out and away.
Her fingers trembled, but she was strong, and her chin lifted. “Tisk, tisk.”
“Too rough,” Fiercely bit out.
“I make that call. Not you.” Her heated gaze took in his erect state. Her tongue dabbed her lip, as if imagining the tip of his shaft perched there. “Play nice.”
Undaunted by the tension, Venomous prowled towards them.
He tore out of his hardsuit.
Blunt features contorted as he hit his knees then pressed his chest flush to Lumen’s back, hand cupping her slender throat.
His tongue flickered, expression awash in bliss as he felt the vital beat of her heart through her pulse.
His thumb hooked up to press into her mouth, pumped between her lips.
Eyes sliding closed, she sucked on it until her cheeks hollowed.
She licked his palm, curled her tongue around his fingers. “Touch yourself.”
The slow smack, smack, smack of his fist working his length caused a rash of bumps to pebble her flesh.
“Faster,” she whispered. “Make me feel it.”
Venomous made a rough sound then buried his face in the fragrant arch of her neck.
His upper hands clasped her breasts and squeezed.
He rocked into her with gasps and guttural notes of strain.
At her ear he rumbled, “Can you feel my cock, Lumen?”
Her head bobbed.
“Tell me how it feels.”
“Good,” she breathed. “Hard. Stroke it faster, babe.”
“When we get back to our lair, I am going to eat your pussy.” He nuzzled her neck, nipped her ear with a savage grin. “Then fuck it.”
Bright eyes opening, she laughed, breathless. Her fingers reached back to graze under his jaw. “Promises, promises.”
Cobra’s brille threatened to unveil his true eyes, so stunned was he at the hushed exchange.
Yet there was something intimate about it.
Titillating.
He wanted a part in creating this secret world.
“Why have you stopped?” Lumen demanded eyes stormy. “Take me.”
Her lips latched onto his, and the thrust of her tongue was brutal, sharp, tingly mentha.
Grasping hands traced the lineaments of his face.
She stroked his chest and stomach.
Flushed with heat, her eyelids fluttered, as if touching him overwhelmed her.
“Cobra,” she moaned, “I want you.” Her hips corkscrewed as she sank her teeth into his chin. Bit down with a mean little snarl. “Come for me.”
“Rä’Na.” Fiercely’s erratic breathing turned ragged, discordant with the erotic tide. “I need you.”
Lumen startled, the hoarse rasp breaking her from a trance.
She blinked realising she held his blade. “Free yourself.”
Hands shaky, he did.
“Give it.”
Shaft in palm, Fiercely hesitated.
His gaze dropped to her fingers wrapped around the blade.
He glowered at Cobra.
“Now,” she snapped.
Quivering under the weight of his arousal, he fed her his engorged length.
He choked a cry as she swallowed him with a happy noise, spat curses when she hummed, bobbed, and then swirled her tongue over his inflamed head.
Fiercely tangled his claws in her hair, tightening them to a fist that yanked her head back.
He pulled out of her mouth then drove deep, holding her at his mercy.
He propelled his hips in a steady thrust and retreat.
Soft slaps of Venomous’ fist on his stem grew louder and faster as his fingers tugged and rubbed her nubbins.
Shuddering, Fiercely again withdrew.
Lumen whispered, “Mark me.”
Full of him again, she quieted, but tugged the knife free of his white-knuckled grip to drop it at their feet.
Gazing up, her pupils dilated to starless voids.
Kaleidoscopic rain dripped from her eyelashes, nose and chin.
Her lips parted from where they wrapped around him on a breathed, “Bukkake me, sweetheart,” then they sucked on his swollen sac.
Head thrown back, Fiercely exploded.
His mouth wrenched open in a silent howl, expression a near grimace of pain as his loins bucked.
With each convulsion, pearly arcs painted the lips and tongue that lapped and suckled so greedily.
Undone by the sight, the friction of his shaft enclosed within pulsating flesh, Cobra surged into his mate with all the force his body commanded.
He bellowed as his throbbing testes drew up tight.
Spasmed.
The slit in his crown tingled as it loosed his seed, each squirt a battering wave of pleasure that dragged him under.
Spent, the sound of blood rush crashing in his ears, he swayed.
Movement devolved to impatient jerks, Venomous snatched Lumen from Cobra’s arms.
He set her on all fours then pushed her head down.
Her rounded ass jutted high in the air, exposing her blushed sex dripping seed.
He pressed a blunted finger inside.
Pumped as he rubbed her swollen nub. “Dearest. Your hot wet grasps me tight. Needing me, yesss? Moving stiff and heavy inside.”
A strangled whine. “Babe.”
“My cock is stone, Lumen. I ache to fuck you.”
Cheek pressed to the damp-darkened sand, she mumbled, “You want my cunt.”
“Yesss,” he hissed. “Deep inside your cunt. Beg me to fill you up.”
“Babe,” her cry hitched, hollowed, wanton, “I’m going to come.”
“I long to take you here.” Another finger swirled against a furled hole. “Hard.”
“Venom.” She thrashed. “I’m going to ... you need to....”
He gasped, hips jerking, knuckles blurring. “I grow nigh.”
“Fuck me, I’m coming.” A wet slap to sodden ground. “Coming.”
The graceful musculature of her back locked.
Rigid fingers attached to burrowing hands clawed out clumps of sediment.
Abdominals bunching, Venomous yelled, “I come. Right,” smack, “here,” then his spend ejaculated in forceful spurts.
Slamming her hips back to spear his finger deeper, Lumen writhed as his seed erupted.
The creamy lashes to her flesh melded with the opaline water sheening her buttocks.
The fluid strikes to her body quickened her fires once more.
She reared a final time then screamed inhuman ecstasy, her stricken face bared to sky.
Prismatic cloudburst churned as the winds picked up.
The moist air chilled, tinged with the scent of camphoric minerals, and tall kakt-kakt bent under whirling currents.
The stream broke past its pebbled banks, sending a gush of brackish water to flood the dell.
Silhouetted by moonlight, Cobra and his nest mates loomed above their female.
They stared with hot possession, and thought the arch of her spine, the strain and twist of her body akin to a lunar-worshiping heathen sacrificed to a fertility god for carnal pleasure.
Strings cut, Lumen slumped.
Her rump pointed upward and her tattered softsuit was soaked in colour, muddy sand and bore flecks of blue grass.
Winded, Venomous went down with her, the rise and fall of his chest vast as he fought to draw breath.
Rain plummeted in a slashing torrent, a cooling draught after turbulent passion.
The domestic goodbeasts brayed their discontent for being abandoned to the inclement weather.
“Make clear,” wheezed Fiercely, “what just happened.”
Chiselled frame slack, flaccid member in hand, his face etched astonishment.
Falling onto his behind, Cobra chuffed a concurrence.
He too was shaken.
Never in a million solars would he have known to imagine....
Lumen and Venomous peered up at them with identical expressions of badly hidden mirth.
They eyed each other askance.
Curling into his side, Lumen coughed daintily into her palm.
Venomous’ lip twitched.
Another fleeting glance with muffled snickers.
They burst out laughing.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
He, who is Widowed, Nāga Shadowed by the Bluest Moon stepped through the droning haze.
I stood on the other side, hands outstretched in welcome.
Used to my open affection after dealing with my prenatal appointments, he took them within his own and squeezed. “Honoured Rä’Na.”
“Hey you.” I peered into his face.
The grooves defining his features were lighter.
Though his outpouring of grief was not as strong, it still felt like a dull itch under my skin.
I wondered if Sweetly Cries the Beast knew how ardently her Rä’Vek had loved her, and if she had returned the sentiment.
Escorting me to the padded divan, he waved away my concern at his sunken appearance and fussed at me to be seated.
I pressed him to take from a platter of rich, spiced mylk curd and cuts of seasoned, cured meat from Cobra’s latest hunt.
My third mate gaily told me numerous heart-stopping stories of predator animals he’d tracked.
While I appreciated the meat, and how glad the simple intimacy of sharing about our time made him, the accounts caused me to lose sleep over his safety.
All three of my males did dangerous jobs.
It was something I had to learn to live with, but Cobra seemed to risk his hide every other day.
I shuddered then set those thoughts aside to smile at my guest. “Thank you for helping me with this.”
“It is no trouble.”
“I don’t think you realise how much you’ve helped me. You’re like a father to me.”
His face blanked then creased. “As you are a daughter to me.”
“I want this resolved. I know you do as well.”
Nāga sighed. “They want what is best for you.”
“I know, but this is perfect for everyone. They’ll understand.”
Adjusting the folds of his dark red robe, Nāga didn’t look convinced. “Perhaps.”
Timing impeccable as ever, Venomous and Cobra stampeded into the lair.
Nervous, I popped up to give them welcome home cuddles and kisses. “Where’s Fiercely?”
I wanted to talk to them together.
Instead of answering, Venomous’ brow scales furrowed. “Nāga. I did not know we had an appointment.” His sharp gaze flew to me, blue-black tongue flickering as he tried to capture my scent. “There is a problem with the hatchling?”
“No,” I assured. “I asked him here, about the lesser mating.”
“We do not–”
“Wait,” I cried palms flying up. I worried he’d shut me down before hearing me out. “Nāga is grieving his Rä’Na. We’ve added to his stress making him conflicted because he doesn’t want to turn you down out of respect. I don’t want him to cover me, he’s like, my dad. He doesn’t want it either because he sees me like a daughter. But! If we all agree he is my lesser male without the ceremony, without the expectation of him covering me, it’s all good. I get a lesser mate,” I made air quotes with my fingers by my temples, “you get peace of mind, and our hatchling gets another honorary uncle, who is also a healer. Yay for Lumen. Pat me on the head.”
Cobra shifted. “Who is the other honorary uncle?”
“Uncles.” I beamed a smile. “Beowyn and Éorik, of course.”
He grimaced.
Expression blank, Venomous turned to Nāga. “May we have a moment alone with our Rä’Na?”
“The garden is nice,” Cobra said.
Sending me a grim look, Nāga bowed his head then discreetly left.
Swivelling on my heel, I went to the divan and sat.
I folded my hands.
Then I fiddled with the crumbs on the platter. “I don’t why you’re looking so glum. I said I wasn’t going through it again. Nāga doesn’t want to either, but he doesn’t want to decline, offend you then be cut off from us. We all trust him, and he’s willing to act as a lesser mate without the need for clutch or a ceremony. I don’t understand why you’re not happy. You three win and I win. He wins too. A nephew will help ease his grief.”
“You are wise, my hearts.” Cobra’s mouth curved. “It is a fair compromise.”
I beamed a return grin, but his own seemed strained, as if he did it as a knee-jerk reaction to appease me, not because he was cheerful.
Why aren’t they happy about this?
I asked, “Where’s Fiercely?”
“At conclave,” Cobra replied.
“Oh.” I focused on Venomous, faced away from me, tense, silent.
Worried, I chewed my lip.
I pissed him off that much by talking to Nāga?
I shot a questioning look of concern at Cobra. “Why did he not come home?”
“He is defending our clan.”
Not what I’d expected to hear.
We’d done the bonding ceremony, so what need was there to defend us?
I digested these ill-omened words thinking back on the events of the last cycle.
I came up blank.
Nothing big happened.
Confident of this because in secret, I’d been celebrating the rotations that passed without catastrophe, the only thing I might have considered strange was the longer spans Venomous and Fiercely spent at the guild.
I’d assumed it was because they had to make up their absence whilst away on Zoi Quay.
I’d thought it odd, as it was tradition for the males to sequester themselves with the female to guard the lair when she was breeding, but we weren’t doing that, so I dismissed it.
Maybe they’d been busy with damage control?
Why hadn’t they told me then?
Protecting me, so I didn’t get stressed and harm the tyke in my tummy?
If Venom went along with keeping it from me it must be one hell of a problem.
My shoulders slumped.
I had had my fingers crossed I’d make it a moontide without being abducted, seduced, space jacked by pirates, sold, or the fate of my happiness bandied about by an omnipotent authority.
Yet it seemed another threat loomed.
“Defending us from what?” I asked mildly.
Underwhelmed by imminent misfortune, I wondered if we’d be home for last meal, or if we’d be dining out ... of the atmosphere.
Venomous and Cobra shared a look.
“The Elders are negotiating with the L’Odo,” Venomous said with reluctance. He stomped to the storage space then rooted around. “End of last moontide, they threatened war. As predicted.”
Right after the Intergalactic Council’s ruling, and while we travelled back to Rök, meaning the situation had had enough time to ferment, and get all kinds of fucked up.
My lesser mating issues paled in comparison.
I rubbed my temples. “Much as it sucks, I understand why the Senate wants to negotiate. We can’t be upset about that. Regardless of what happened on Zoi Quay, and nasty as the L’Odo are, war is never good. We should do whatever we can to avoid it.”
Venomous pulled baggage crafted from skilfully worked green and yellow animal hide out of the cupboard.
The luggage was a gift from Cobra.
I’d watched him work the raw hide then hand stitch the individual pieces, yet another thing he did matter-of-factly that amazed me.
Venomous dropped them at his feet.
My mates shared another long, silent look.
“And there’s more,” I sing-songed daring them to lie. “Isn’t there?”
“Yesss,” Co
bra admitted.
Venomous shot him a dark, scowling look that had me nervous.
His gaze softened as it shifted to me. “Dearest, we are leaving. Gather things you wish to take. Leave all but the essentials. We will purchase whatever you need.”
Confused now, my eyes dropped to the luggage then flew to their edgy faces. “Are the peace talks not going to work?” My stomach clenched. “Is it going to come to war?”
“We are leaving because–”
“Cobra,” Venomous bit out. “No.”
“She is strong enough,” Cobra said then squatted. “You said we must be open with her.”
He took my hands in his lower ones as an upper hand caressed the bridge of my nose, glided over my lips.
Love at its most pure radiated from him.
“We are leaving because we fear the negotiations will succeed.” He exhaled in a gust. “A planetwide, public conclave began not a span ago. The twelve Elders of the four corners have convened as the Great Senate to arbitrate the conditions posed by the L’Odo Chieftain.”
Mystified, my head canted towards my shoulder. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“One of the conditions was you.”
“Me,” I repeated holding his gaze.
“They are dissatisfied with the Intergalactic Council’s conclusion, and enraged at the suspension of trading. Od ran dry of natural resources aeons past. The lack of trade will cripple them. They are requesting we turn you over to them as recompense, or they threaten to come down and take you by force, therefore, launching war between our planets.”
After horror-struck speechlessness, I coughed.
“Way to lower the boom, honey.” I blinked many, many times, but the scene remained the same. “I don’t have anything they need! I know I’ve gained a few pounds, but my meat can’t feed a bloody world forever! Why would they want me–”
A rough palm covered my forearm over the brand of Earth’s coordinates. “Why would they want you, other than the fact you bear the location of a mineral rich planet technologically inferior with a weaker species available for slave labour? Revenge. The L’Odo are unforgiving, and you slipped through their fingers on a technicality.”
“But I’m worthless. Sorkbhal said it himself. Pathetic, worthless creature.”
Cobra touched my face. “Never worthless, my hearts. Undervalued, mistreated, and needing us, yesss, but never worthless.”
My mouth popped open then snapped shut. “The L’Odo can do this and get away with it?” Disbelief didn’t come close to what I felt. “The Intergalactic Alliance will allow this? Earth is under conservation.” I made as if to rise. “We have an official certificate and everything.”
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