Initiation

by Ruth D. Kerce

  “Not quite. The third part of the rite is voluntary, but highly recommended. Your mother might still be with us if she’d gone through it, but she decided against the act. This last part will allow your body to heal spontaneously when injured in some manner. It’s ninety percent effective.”

  “What is the third part?” It had to be worse than the first two for her mother to refuse it.

  “It’s, well…we don’t know exactly where it originated, but male and female Warriors and breeders who have gone through all three parts contain this healing ability and can transfer it during an Initiation.”

  “Wait a minute. Men go through this, too. Just Warriors or also regular Xylon?”

  “All breeders go through the ceremony. The ceremony for men is somewhat different, of course, given their anatomy. Warriors are the strongest breeders and produce the most children. Almost all Warriors are breeders. Not all breeders are Warriors.”

  Alexa fidgeted. For that to be true they must be allowed more than one mate, otherwise Braden wouldn’t be available. She did not like the idea of multiple mates, and wondered who had initiated the man these people had chosen to initiate her. Or had Braden even gone through the ceremony before? He must have, or he wouldn’t be able to perform the third part. She needed a damn handbook for all this stuff. “Who initiated Braden?”

  “I don’t know. Three women from what I’ve been told.”

  Well, duh. She could’ve figured that out. Unless… Something Leila said earlier came back to her. She had asked Braden if he wanted her to be part of some Alliance. And Erik’s reaction seemed to suggest that Leila could be part of the Initiation. That would mean opposite sexes weren’t necessarily paired up for the ceremony. If that were so, then they couldn’t use this method to select breeder mates. A society so desperate for children would frown upon same-sexed partners as mates, she was certain. Perhaps Leila had lied to make her more comfortable with giving her body to a virtual stranger, an alien species. Or had she missed something somewhere?

  “Um, the women ultimately chose other mates.”

  That caught Alexa’s attention. “So, he’s not mated?”

  “No.”

  A surge of relief swept through her. She did believe Leila about that. The honesty shone in her eyes. She suddenly felt more energized. Not only because there weren’t other women in Braden’s life, but also because apparently women actually were given a choice in the matter. She needed to know more. “So how is that healing ability transferred?”

  “Orally.”

  “Orally? By kissing, you mean?” More memories returned in a rush, and she knew the answer.

  “No.”

  The woman in the cemetery on her hands and knees sucking the Egesa’s cock played through Alexa’s mind. “You mean I’d need to swallow Braden’s semen, don’t you?” she asked with a strangled voice. “I remember that from the cemetery.”

  “Yes. Some women can’t handle it. Warrior semen, especially, is particularly thick and heavy. And for it to work, you need a large amount taken in a short period of time.”

  “It could be pumped into a glass and drank, right?” That sounded so unappealing she almost gagged. But, she’d never sucked a man’s cock.

  “No. Ingested directly is the only way. If it comes in contact with non-living tissue, the protective elements neutralize. It is your choice, Alexa.”

  Her choice. And if she chose not to do it? Any of it? “I’m just one woman out of who knows how many. You’ve made it seem like the future of your world, and mine, rests completely with me.”

  “Well, maybe not completely. But we can’t afford to lose more women. We’re in a desperate situation.”

  “It’s a little hard to believe all this.”

  “I understand. But you can’t deny what you’ve seen and experienced. And what would we gain by lying?”

  “A cheap thrill?”

  “It’s a lot of work for a cheap thrill, Alexa.”

  That was true. And she had seen unexplainable things. How could she continue to doubt their words?

  “Also, you should know, there’s a reaction to being initiated.”

  She raised an eyebrow. A reaction. Any reaction couldn’t be good. “What’s that?”

  “It’s an uncontrollable sexual appetite, which is why three people generally form an Alliance. To be able to deal with it.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You’ll become sexually starved for several hours. You’ll need sex repeatedly. If the appetite isn’t satisfied, the imbalance in your brain waves will become so severe that the result could cause insanity or even death.”

  “Peachy.” She hugged her arms around her middle. She’d always wanted to be more sexually aggressive. Somehow, this wasn’t how she’d envisioned accomplishing that. So, for several hours she’d be some sex maniac. If she understood correctly, only Braden would be touching her, satisfying the hunger. She could think of worse fates. Still…

  Something suddenly tugged at Alexa’s mind. She gripped the padded armrests of the chair. A wave of nausea hit her, then faded. The room darkened. An orb of light grew, starting as a dot and expanding rapidly.

  She saw another room as if from above. She blinked, but nothing changed. She was on a bed, naked. Her ass up, her head down. Braden was aggressively pumping his cock into her from behind. Oh, my!

  Braden’s face held a look of complete concentration and need. The erotic image pulled a moan from her throat.

  She watched her mouth open in ecstasy. The pleasure on her face caught her attention and seemed to transfer directly to her body—the one looking down.

  Braden grabbed her hips and thrust harder, faster, moving with such speed and force that the sound of their bodies slapping together echoed in her ears.

  No man had ever taken her like that. So wild. She couldn’t look away from his complete, sexual dominance of her. They were like pure, hot sin together.

  Her breasts tingled. Her clit throbbed. Her whole body tightened. She was right on the edge, ready to tumble.

  “Alexa? Alexa?”

  Her vision cleared.

  Leila stood and approached her, an odd look on her face. “Are you all right?”

  “What?”

  “Are you all right? You zoned out.”

  “Oh, sorry. I’m fine.” Where the heck had that vision come from? Her body teetered on the edge of unfulfilled passion. She wanted to go back to the vision to see how it ended.

  Leila placed a hand on her forehead. “You’re strangely pale and cool.”

  Alexa laughed, but the sound held very little humor. “Considering the circumstances, I’m not surprised.”

  Leila took a small, flat panel out of a pocket in her jacket. “Can you raise your sweatshirt a little and let me put this against your skin? It won’t hurt. It’s just a medical monitor.”

  Alexa raised her shirt. Leila stuck the monitor against her skin. It looked like one of those flat night-lights, except with buttons along the bottom. The little machine clung to her flesh, but she felt no pain.

  The monitor clicked and whirled, then beeped. Leila removed it and studied the display.

  “Am I okay?”

  Leila put away the monitor. “You’re fine. Will you excuse me?”

  “Of course.”

  Leila opened the door. “Kam. Can you come in and sit with her? I need to talk to Braden.”

  Chapter Five

  “So?” Braden approached Leila. Another moment and he’d have stormed the bedroom. He hadn’t thought she was ever coming out. “Did Alexa agree to the Initiation?”

  “Not yet.”

  A string of expletives exploded inside his head, and it took all his energy not to let them fly. The hope he’d held drained out of him, and he felt like collapsing from exhaustion right there on the beige and green area rug. With a sound of frustration, he scrubbed his hands over his face. “We don’t have time for these delays.”

  “She didn’t refuse.”

&nb
sp; “What’s the problem then?” Erik barked from the sofa. “If she doesn’t want Braden fucking her, I’ll do her. But let’s get on with it.”

  “Can’t you even pretend to have some compassion?” Leila shot back with a snap.

  Braden shook his head. “She’s still scared. Unsure of our motives. Unsure of what to believe.” He had to look at things from Alexa’s point of view. He knew she must feel overwhelmed, rushed, and probably completely confused as to what was the right thing to do. “What can we do or say to convince her, Leila? Any ideas? A female perspective?”

  “I don’t know, Braden. It’s a sensitive situation. You know it’s not the same type of Xylon pre-initiation when we’re dealing with another species. I don’t think there’s any clear-cut path that will ensure her agreement. However, I did run a test on her, and I made an interesting discovery.”

  “There’s a plus,” Erik replied in a sarcastic tone. “We’re all ears, sweetheart. Spill it. Maybe it’ll invite some compassion.”

  “What did you find?” Braden asked, ignoring Erik’s comments. The man needed a definite attitude adjustment where Leila was concerned. He always turned cranky when she was around. A story lurked there somewhere. When he had more time, he wanted to explore it. As for now, Braden really hoped Leila’s interesting discovery meant good news and not bad.

  “She not only has the right DNA for a breeder, but she’s a super breeder.”

  “Damn!” Erik surged up from the sofa. “You shittin’ us?”

  Braden couldn’t find his voice. A super breeder? Unbelievable! He couldn’t stand still. Not with news like that. Nervous energy forced him to pace, while Leila’s words sank into his weary brain. “Neither of her parents were super breeders.”

  “I know. This is almost unheard of.”

  If Alexa was a super breeder, then that meant she’d bear twins or triplets at each birth. Super breeders were so rare that maybe only one in fifty million women attained that status. “Are you sure, Leila?” He heard the excitement in his own voice.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Leila placed a hand on his arm. “I think she does want to help us, if she’s handled correctly. The sexual aspect of the Initiation is what makes her uncomfortable, for the most part. I kind of led her astray a little and told her you’d be breeder-mates.”

  “Leila, you know that’s not true. Not unless I can arrange it.”

  “I know. But being from Earth, I thought she might feel better believing there was some sort of commitment in this. She…” Leila glanced over her shoulder at Erik, then looked back at Braden and lowered her voice. “She’s never had an orgasm.”

  “I heard that,” Erik replied. “She wouldn’t have a problem with me. I’d give her all she could handle.”

  “Shut up!” Braden and Leila shouted at the same time.

  “I don’t think she has that much sexual experience, Braden. This is all alien to her, literally. You can imagine her reaction to the ceremony. Talk to her. She’s better prepared now. I think she’ll listen. Just be nice…and charming. And hopefully, she’ll respond.”

  “Charming?” He sighed, then nodded. “Okay. Fine. I can do charming.” He paused and rubbed his chin. “I think.” Braden turned to stare at the closed bedroom door. His heart pounded so hard he thought it would burst from his chest. A super breeder.

  Somehow, someway, he’d arrange it with Laszlo to make sure he didn’t take Alexa as a mate. He wanted her. Needed her. His own mother had been a super breeder, and he knew they had very special, sexual needs. He refused to let another man fulfill those needs for Alexa. He considered her to be his and his alone now. Leila was right. This ceremony should be a commitment. For him and Alexa, that’s exactly what it would be.

  A thought struck him. And it made sense. Laszlo somehow knew. That’s the reason the man chose him to research and track Alexa. It would be too much of a coincidence otherwise, and he’d never much believed in coincidences—not of this magnitude. With his own latent super breeder genes, he and Alexa could produce more powerful Warriors than Xylon had seen in generations. Plus the odds of passing on the super breeder genes to at least one of their children were quite high.

  As soon as he could, he was going to set-up a meeting with Laszlo and get things settled. Given the circumstances, The Council would surely revise their decision and officially allow Alexa to be his.

  He started toward the bedroom. “Stick around, you two, okay? And try not to kill each other.”

  Erik grunted.

  Without bothering to knock, Braden opened the door and stepped inside the bedroom. He stopped short. Kam was holding Alexa in his arms. Her face rested against his friend’s chest, and her eyes were half-closed. Kam caressed her hair, and she looked totally at peace. Both blonde, both blue-eyed, both with skin tones so much alike. They looked good together. Too good. Like a perfect, freakin’ match. Jealousy shot through him, right to the core.

  Kam glanced toward the door. He gently untangled Alexa from his arms. “It’s not how it looks, Braden.”

  “Oh?”

  Alexa’s gaze swung from him to Kam and back again. When he stalked forward, she met him halfway, a determined look on her face. She pushed her palms flat against his chest, stopping him. “You’d better not be planning to hurt him. He was helping me.”

  “Of that I’m sure.” It took all his restraint not to grab her, toss her on the bed, strip her bare, and plunge deep into her pussy right there in front of Kam. Just to show the man that Alexa was his.

  “I’m going to join the others,” Kam said. “I’ll get us some food. None of us have eaten today.”

  “Kam?” he called.

  “Yeah?”

  “Alexa’s a super breeder. Leila tested her.” In case his friend had any ideas about making a play for Alexa, he wanted the man to know that he’d have a fight on his hands.

  Kam’s gaze drifted to Alexa, then back to Braden. One side of his mouth quirked up into a grin. “That’s great news.” After a last look in Alexa’s direction, Kam made his exit.

  Braden remained quiet until the door closed him and Alexa into the room alone. Kam’s casual response to the news confounded him. He didn’t think he’d ever understand the way that man’s mind worked.

  “Why the sudden change?” he finally asked, turning toward Alexa. She’d stepped back, but still stood close enough for him to touch if he wanted. And he definitely wanted.

  “Change?”

  She crossed her arms under her breasts. He’d seen her do that in the cemetery. Was she chilled or was that a sign of some other source of discomfort? Not fear certainly, but something else. He saw it in her eyes. He just wasn’t sure what it was.

  “Your fear is gone.” He had to state it, to be certain.

  “Not…completely. Kam just helped me go over everything. He’s very understanding. He shared secrets with me.” She stared at the closed door.

  Braden wondered at the look in her eyes. Kam had calmed her. That was obvious. But his friend had apparently also disturbed her in some way. He could see that, too, in her eyes. She wasn’t very good at hiding emotions. He didn’t like the sound of secrets though. He didn’t want her bonding with any other man through confidences he wasn’t privy to. “What secrets?”

  Her gaze returned to his, and she smiled slightly. “If I told you, they wouldn’t be secrets.”

  Jealousy warred with relief inside him. She was definitely more at ease, but still, he wanted details. She apparently intended to offer none. “So, you’re ready to be initiated then?” he asked in a sharper tone than intended.

  Her spine stiffened. “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then what are you saying?” He knew he sounded impatient. He couldn’t control it. He needed her. Now. He saw the suppressed passion in her, and wanted to set it loose. Her body, curvy in all the right places, turned him hard as steel. Her full mouth called to his baser instincts, urging him to take that mouth with his, then in return have her taste his body, his cock, drawing dee
p until he filled her with his essence. He practically groaned at the thought.

  Above it all—even the sexual element—Alexa was a strong woman. He needed a strong woman in his life. And they all needed her to continue the species. Now more than ever.

  She tilted her head and hugged her middle tighter. “What’s a super-breeder?”

  She was stalling again, dragging this out, instead of addressing the issue at hand. Certainly, she wouldn’t refuse the Initiation, knowing how much her participation meant to Xylon. And if she did intend to refuse, or refuse him, he wished she’d just do so. Then he would know where they stood. “A super breeder means that you can get with child easily and will bear more than one with each birth.” He tried to make his explanation sound as casual as possible. He didn’t want his growing feelings of urgency, possessiveness, and lust to cause her fear to re-surface.

  “A regular baby-making machine, huh?”

  He raised an eyebrow at her irritated tone.

  “Well, what do you expect, Braden?” She relaxed her arms to her sides. “A bunch of strangers show up and tell me I need to let some man do all sorts of sexual things to me. That I’m supposed to pop out a herd of children. And if I refuse, life on your world, and possibly mine, changes forever.”

  “It’s not that simplistic. You’ll be claiming your heritage, your place in our society. It’s a great honor. And, yes, you’ll be saving a way of life at the same time.”

  “Whether I want to or not.”

  “I already told you that you wouldn’t be forced.” If their system entry point wasn’t approaching, and if they had more reserve fuel, they could remain on Earth longer and take plenty of time to acclimate her to their ways. Alexa had a more pivotal role than most breeders, which made her submission a must. Somehow, he had to convince her.

  “Not physically forced maybe. But mentally I feel like I have no choice. How can I really refuse? If I do, then I find out everything I’ve been told is true, and worlds end up destroyed, I’d have to wonder whether I was at least part of the reason it happened.”