by Aubrey Ross
Their bonding would be no less real if “dignitaries from every province in Zylott” weren’t present to witness the ceremony. Sef was being unreasonable.
She turned toward the doorway and found Merset standing there. He offered a gentle smile and moved into the room. “King Sef instructed me to escort you to your chamber. He sensed your resistance to his plan.”
“Sef is going to be sorely disappointed. I’m not participating in the festivities he has planned.”
“He truly intends to subject you to an Ishaunti Tiri?” He didn’t quite conceal the amusement in his tone.
“You know of the custom?”
He chuckled. “It is not that unusual. Before the arrival of your father, all Fahroni bondings began with an Ishaunti Tiri and ended with a traditional joining.”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Why? Have you met this Keeper Master? Is there something objectionable about him?”
She glanced at the empty corridor behind Merset. She could manage the attendant, but Sef would likely send guards if Merset failed to produce her in a timely manner. “I’m sorry.”
Before he could question the apology, she manifested iede and cast a Shadow net over Merset. One thick strand formed a gag. The Keeper abilities she’d inherited from her father were minimal at best. The net wouldn’t hold him for long.
She dashed into the corridor, mentally scrambling for a plan.
Chapter Four
“Ambassador Tork, have you seen Master Jarek?”
Jarek forced a cough, concealing his laughter. This was the second palace guard to ask him if he’d seen himself. “I believe I saw him in the gardens.”
“Thank you, sir.” The guard trotted off in the direction Jarek indicated.
Weaving his way through the crowd, Jarek headed for the wide stone steps leading out of the ballroom. Why were the guards looking for him? He needed to find a secluded spot and shed his disguise. He’d intended to slip away while the stage was disassembled, but his encounter with Felise postponed his plans.
His body stirred at the memory of their kisses, her hot mouth, the evocative taste of her —
He rounded a corner and collided with the source of his discomfort. She gasped and glanced around, eyes wide, face flushed. “Are you alone?”
“Yes.” What an odd question.
“Have they found Master Jarek?”
No, firebird, but you have. He pressed his lips together, suppressing his smile. “You are the third person to ask me about the Shadow Master. Has he committed some crime?”
“Do you happen to know where he is?”
“I think he returned to the Keeper dimension.” Perhaps he better remain in disguise until he figured out what the hell was going on. “Master Tilden can send for him if he’s needed. What is so urgent?”
She caught her lower lip between her teeth. Jarek wanted to kiss the corners of her mouth, nibble on that delectable lip, stroke it with his tongue and…
“What did you tell the others?”
“Simply that I wasn’t certain of his location.” Her agitation intrigued him.
“Does Master Tilden realize the Shadow Master has departed?”
“I don’t believe so.” He narrowed his gaze. “What are you plotting?”
She grasped his sleeve and led him down the corridor away from the ballroom. “I need your help and there’s no time to explain right now. Are you willing to help me?”
“If you’re in danger, we should alert the palace guards.” The palace guards were looking for him. Jarek had a sneaking suspicion he was the cause of her crisis.
“I will answer your questions once we’ve escaped.”
“Escape from whom?”
“My brother.”
“King Sef? Why would you need to escape your brother?”
She moved in close. Her scent surrounded him, her gaze beseeched. “Can you shape-change into the likeness of Master Jarek?”
He turned his face away, hiding his amusement. That’s what he’d been trying to do when she interrupted him. Had Sef ruled on his request? Was that why she was so determined to escape? Suspicion dispersed his amusement. “The palace guards are searching for Master Jarek. Will I be arrested if I take on his likeness?”
“No harm will come to you. I promise. Can you do it?”
He studied her tense features, irritation taking root in his belly. Was she opposed to their joining? Just when he’d embraced the idea, was she going to turn him away? If he didn’t assist her, she would find someone who would. He’d seen glimpses of her stubborn nature over the past few weeks.
Extending his arms to his sides, Jarek sent a mystic pulse along his body. His hair returned to its natural dark brown. His tunic lengthened and simplified, the garish hues melding into rich blue, elegantly trimmed in gold. The bi-colored hose transformed into black trousers. “Will this suffice?”
She released her lip and walked around him in a slow, assessing circle. “This is Jarek’s likeness?” He couldn’t decipher the emotions thickening her tone.
“He’s a rather drab sort, but I saw him earlier. I assure you this is his likeness.”
Her slender hand trembled as she caught a strand of his hair and tested its texture. Wide and luminous, her gaze moved over his face. The corners of her mouth curved and blood rushed to his errant cock. Stars, just looking at her aroused him! No, it was the way she was looking at him.
She took his hand. “We must hurry.”
“Where are we going?”
“To my private chamber.”
He dug in his heels. “Why are you taking Master Jarek to your private chamber?”
“I will explain everything, but we must first convince Sef he’s won.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. She led him down one corridor after another, into the very heart of the lavish palace. Guards flanked her doorway. She squared her shoulders and assumed a haughty air Jarek had never witnessed before.
“You need to find Lord Tye and inform him I’ve located Master Jarek.”
The guard inclined his head. “Yes, Your Highness.”
She turned to the other guard as the first strode off down the hallway. “You are free to go.”
“It is my duty to see that you are not disturbed. If you wish me removed, you will have to speak with King Sef.” His tone reflected the proper respect, while his determined expression reinforced his words.
The guard opened the door and Jarek followed Felise into her sitting room. Moments after the guard closed the door, Jarek detected the grating of a key rotating in a lock. He met Felise’s gaze and asked, “Now what?”
*
Odele shuddered as Cef sank into her being. She knew he was right. Only by combining their powers would she be able to find her slave in this throng. There were simply too many beings in too small a space. She couldn’t pinpoint the familiar rhythm of her slave’s energy. Still, she didn’t trust Cef, certainly didn’t want him inside her.
His rumbling laughter filled her mind. I had no idea your resentment ran so deep. Remind me to stay on your good side.
I want you out of me and into my slave as soon as possible. Focus! We must find him. She concentrated on the rhythm they sought, scanning, searching.
Wait! The wraith’s voice sounded inside her head. Go back. His mystic signal is somewhat distorted, but I believe that was him.
Odele located the resonance Cef indicated and picked her way along the perimeter of the ballroom. Twisting and weaving, she carefully avoided contact with the inebriated guests. Sexual arousal pulsed around them, intoxicating and intense. No wonder she couldn’t isolate her slave’s signal. The entire palace radiated carnal frenzy. Couples touched and kissed, uninhibited, emboldened by the festive atmosphere.
Look, there is Gibrath’s daughter. Cef turned Odele’s head to the right. Do we even need your slave? Why don’t I take over one of her admirers and lure her into the gardens.
Adara Kinson stood in a shadowed alcove with th
ree young men. They tripped over each other attempting to capture her attention. Her gaze shone and a rose flush colored her cheeks. We must spirit her away without her sending out a telepathic warning. My slave will allow us to do so. None of those boys can command the sort of obedience we require. Besides, if the Terran fails, my slave will impregnate her.
Unacceptable! It must be the Terran. I will have no claim to the throne if —
The Terran is my first choice too. Master Tilden will be our last resort.
Cef didn’t argue, but she sensed his dissatisfaction. Their individual efforts had failed. They had no choice but to join forces. The Setti realm must be rid of Hakon’s incompetence.
Odele heaved an audible sigh as she exited the ballroom, maintaining the Light Keeper illusion that rendered her invisible. Without the emotional cacophony emanating from the guests, she finally locked onto Tilden’s signal. You’re right, his rhythm is distorted. He’s participating in some sort of meld.
Using his signal like a homing beacon, Odele crossed a small courtyard and entered a less elaborate section of the palace. Servant quarters? What was the Death Master doing with servants?
She paused before a locked door. Even if she manipulated the lock, how would she open the door without revealing her presence?
Reinforce your illusion and I’ll teleport us through the door.
Sending her silent assent to the entity within her, she poured mystic energy into the illusion. Cef’s power surged. Her nerve endings buzzed with unfamiliar intensity. The door wavered, becoming transparent. She stepped through the portal and released her pent-up breath. Tilden stood at the foot of a rumpled bed, facing a muscular man with a bald scalp. Both men were naked, as was the woman on the bed behind them.
“If she is your bonded mate —”
“I can only take her when I receive sexual stimulation through my empathic link. I thought you understood that.” The bald man interrupted Tilden’s objection, frustration and impatience flashing in his dark eyes.
“I’ve shared women before, but she is your bonded mate.” Tilden raked his fingers through his tousled black hair.
“We want a child, Master Tilden,” the woman said. “Drahbin females can only conceive with Drahbin males, but our bodies are incapable of producing sexual sensations.”
“You allowed her to suck your cock,” the Drahbin male snapped. “Why is this different?”
“You hadn’t told me she was your bonded mate or I never would have touched her. Mystic Keepers consider such bondings sacred.”
“Lecith and I are not Mystic Keepers. We have embraced the only lifestyle available to us. I know Lecith gives pleasure to the princesses and he knows I sometimes pleasure the king. It is what we do. It is not who we are.” She crawled to the edge of the bed, her large breasts swaying. “Help Lecith make love to me.”
Odele’s nipples tightened and her clit tingled. Are you doing that?
Not intentionally. I must admit I find this intriguing. My fascination must be affecting you physically.
Well, stop it!
Shall I meld with Tilden now? You could compel him to storm out.
Despite her annoyance, curiosity kept Odele rooted in place. She’d heard about the transformation, but never witnessed the result. He’ll be easier to overpower if we strike while he’s distracted.
Cef chuckled in response.
“Did someone else participate in your joining ritual?” Tilden’s brows drew together over his fierce stare.
Lecith shook his head and turned away.
The woman scooted off the bed, approaching Tilden with a sultry smile. Her lush curves beckoned as her gaze swept over his naked body. “Our ways are not your ways. We understand that. We feel tenderness and affection, yet sexual desire is blocked by the transformation. I know you want me. Even now your cock rises again. Allow Lecith to access that desire so he can use his body to express his love and give me a child.”
Tilden hesitated a moment longer, his gaze lowered to her tempting breasts. “If you are both in agreement, who am I to argue?” He palmed one of her breasts, his gaze shifting to her face. “What do you feel when I touch you?”
“I feel the warmth of your hand and I sense your appreciation of my softness. The tingle of excitement making my nipple hard isn’t present when I touch myself or if Lecith touches me.”
“Why did they do this to you?”
“Control.” Lecith stepped up behind his mate, his eyes narrowed, resentful. “What better way to bend someone to your will than to render them impotent without you.” He crossed her arms at the small of her back and arched her toward the Death Master. “Suck her nipples. Make her moan. I want to watch her face as your lust heats her blood.”
Tilden lowered his head and captured her nipple between his teeth. He laved the tip, while maintaining pressure with his teeth. The woman tossed her head against Lecith’s shoulder. Tilden moved to her other breast, drawing her deeply into his mouth. His fingers teased the first nipple, tugging and rolling, keeping it hard.
Odele squirmed. She wasn’t empathic, but she could easily imagine the suction of Tilden’s mouth and Lecith’s firm hold on her arms. Heat unfurled between her thighs, desire throbbed.
Have you ever been pleasured by two men?
Obviously Cef could sense her arousal, probably hear her thoughts. She ignored him and concentrated on the lovers.
Tilden raised his head, his gaze locked with Lecith’s. “Lick her pussy.”
Lecith grinned, stepping back to display his erect cock. “You like to watch.”
“I like all sorts of things.”
Lifting his mate into his arms, Lecith laid her sideways across the bed. He pushed her legs up and back, bending her knees. She parted her thighs, offering her creamy flesh to both men.
Tilden sat beside her on the bed. He cupped her breast with one hand and parted her folds with the other. Lecith knelt on the floor, draping her legs over his shoulders. He traced her slit, carefully sucked her clit, and rimmed her opening. She writhed and moaned, pressing her pussy against his skillful mouth.
Odele drank in the erotic tableau. Her heart raced. Prickly sensations tormented her skin, made her restless and anxious.
“Have you ever taken a cock up your ass?” Tilden’s dark eyes gleamed, obviously excited by the thought.
Odele sagged against the wall. She’d never wanted to be another person so much in her life. To feel two thick cocks filling her, stretching her… She’d watched the breeders fuck every way imaginable. But they only allowed one male to mount each female until she conceived or they determined the pair was incompatible.
I can render the female unconscious and we can have some fun. The Drahbin are simple to control. I’ll enter the male and you can compel Tilden to give you exactly what you want.
Bittersweet temptation rolled through Odele, bathing her body in a scalding wave. They didn’t have time to play! They had to capture the princess.
“We can only reach orgasm with an emotional surrogate,” the female reminded Tilden. “We often do it that way.”
Taking the quick exchange as his cue, Lecith traded places with his mate. He lay on his back and she straddled his hips, lowering herself onto his erect cock. Odele watched his thick shaft disappear inside her waiting body, shaking with need.
Lecith motioned toward the table beside the bed. Tilden picked up the small pot and smeared his cock with the pale green ointment. He dipped two fingers in the pot, then set the container aside.
Unbearable tension built within Odele. She slipped her hand between her thighs and cupped her mound. Her uniform pants were formfitting. She couldn’t touch herself without unfastening them.
Do you trust me? Mockery rang through Cef’s tone.
No! I need to be fucked! What can you do?
I’m empathic, you fool. Far more so than these helpless puppets. Would you like to feel exactly what the female is feeling? I can give you that and more.
Before she coul
d reply, sensations bombarded her being. Searing lust stabbed down her spine, lodging firmly in her core. Shaken, it took Odele a moment to decipher the stimuli. She felt Lecith’s hands on her breasts and, by the gods, she felt his cock stretching her inner walls.
How are you doing this? Won’t they sense you in the meld?
Shut up and feel. Feel their lust. Feast upon their frenzy.
Tilden parted the woman’s ass cheeks. Odele felt his fingers upon her own. He circled the woman’s anus then worked his fingers inside. The woman made a strangled sound as he slid his fingers in and out. Odele fought to keep her eyes open, unwilling to deprive herself of the visual stimulation.
Perhaps playing host to the wraith wasn’t horrible after all. In and out, in and out, Tilden’s fingers and Lecith’s cock impaled the woman with alternating strokes. She writhed between them, her fingers gripping her mate’s smooth scalp. Without breaking rhythm, Tilden replaced his fingers with his cock. Even well lubricated as he was, he stretched her to the point of pain.
Odele bit back a scream as orgasm ripped through her. Pulses of tingling heat constricted her inner walls.
“How… did you… do that?” Tilden panted harshly. “I thought you couldn’t come until I did?”
“I never have before.”
The confusion was forgotten as the men increased their speed, pounding into her willing body. Lecith gripped her hips, arching off the bed as he emptied his seed against her womb. Tilden buried himself to the hilt and shook with release, his head thrown back, eyes squeezed shut.
Now! Take control of Tilden before he recovers his senses.
Shaking and befuddled from the most explosive orgasm of her life, Odele forced herself into action.
Chapter Five
Felise’s heart sank as she heard the guard secure the lock. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath and crossed to the windows. Her chambers were on the third floor. She would have to change into pants and a tunic —