Sol studied me with half-shuttered eyes.
A pinched look telling me he was trying to picture me and my duties.
"She's a Marshal, Solvun. Sent with me to free you from your captivity."
Flonn rose, emotionless, to tower over me.
Oops. I forgot to let Flonn in on the secret mission. “Uh, Flonn. This has nothing to do with anyone at Treusch except Sol. He's out now. And you're coming with me because I'm not leaving you on that planet full of bossy assholes.” Oh, I like that point. It suited our situation perfectly. “You've got a brain. And I want you to use it. With me in our little family."
Flonn blinked very slowly, taking in everything.
"Are you okay?” I asked him.
He stared down at me.
Crap. “Not you too. It's bad enough Sol can't behave. I just never thought you'd think I wanted anything but to be with you.” I shoved out of the chair and wrapped my arms around his formidable waist.
He remained motionless.
Indomitable. “Dammit, Flonn.” I pressed my body and cheek against his warm chest. “Don't lose it on me. I need you to just be here for me."
He used a warm finger to turn my chin up to his face. “I'm like your castle, huv'ria. I'll always be here for you."
My heart fell into my gut.
Tears stung the back of my nose.
Damn those nanites for sketching a castle on Flonn's waist. My fortress.
And my gut complained about nothing.
Intuition sided with Flonn.
"Don't listen to him, D'ena. He'll use what he has to get what he wants from us."
I shoved off Flonn's welcoming chest and braced myself to face Solvun. “You are King of Prall. You have seniority over your brother. But I can think for myself. You will not harass my !Dakos mate because of your prejudices. Fear will get us nowhere. The Blood Wars are over. It's time to make new beginnings. If you want Prall to flourish, you do things my way. It's my duty to ensure everyone has a voice. Including your enemy. And, Sol, I answer to no one except The Order of the Marshals."
"Nobody informed me of these conditions,” he snarled.
"You should have discussed the reasons for our arrival with your brother. Now, there's nothing you can do to change things. I am bound in this web of marriage with three of you."
M'yote shot me a brief warning glance.
Probably about mentioning Wrank. Fine. I could deal with that issue later. For now, we had to get Sol calmed down, under control. “Whether or not our union makes or breaks Prall appears to be up to you, King Solvun. You are the person creating friction within our little clan."
He snorted and walked away.
Although, Sol had no idea where he was going, he managed to disappear into the cargo hold and sleeping areas.
"Well, I don't know how long it will take my brother to accept his lot. He's stubborn."
Of course he is. Kings can be. “Alright.” I gave Flonn's chest the biggest monster hug I could muster, planting a kiss over his heart as his arms slid around me in a wonderfully possessive squeeze. Oh, for a lick of stuffed baked potato. M'yote wouldn't understand though. Time to get back to business. “Computer, take us to Luvk."
"Setting a course for planet Luvk, Captain Kemble.” I peered into Flonn's trace of a smile.
Was he trying not to laugh? Or something else? Just a few more problems to deal with before I'm standing before Wrank. Geesh. “I've got to go discuss Sol's attitude with him now. Is it okay if I leave you and M'yote here alone? Or are you both going to wind up in a knock-down drag-out fistfight like you and the King?"
Flonn burst into a chuckle. “I don't like wasting energy on fighting if there's a way to avoid it.” He winked at M'yote.
"Okay, nobody touches anything or commands the computer. I have one more thing to deal with before we can deal with Wrank. So, everybody sit tight. Or stand tight.” I wriggled out of my !Dakos warrior's amazing arms and set off to locate Sol.
I found the muscular blond staring out a view port in the cargo hold.
He couldn't miss the hiss of the closing door or my reflection's movement in the window's glassy surface. “Sol?"
The King turned, arms crossed over his bare chest, stoic mask set like ice.
Well, this wasn't going to be fun. I claimed a spot before him. “Sol, among my people on my home world, women take one mate. Don't think any of this is easy for me. But I've accepted my fate is one I can't change.” Is that really a lie? I hadn't thought about fate at all. Or the futility in changing my future. But, heck, this tangent just might work. “Sol,” I slid my palms across the corded steel of his forearms and stepped into the heat of his personal space, “there's no going back."
"I know. I just don't like bringing a Rak into the fold. They'll turn on you in a heartbeat.” His arms unfolded to slide down my back, pulling me against his iron shaft. “You're my D'ena, Theo. I've never had one before. I'm not going to lose you now."
Why hadn't he mated before? “How old are you, Sol?"
"Almost twice M'yote's age.” He tilted his nose down to inhale through my hair. “I wouldn't have mated with you if I didn't need to protect you in the prison. But M'yote brought you there. And I had to protect him as well. He obviously had an interest in you to have you with him at the prison."
Well, so much for my pride. Hell, I am beautiful. Whatever. So, Sol was stuck with me too. “Alright then. We'll just suffer together.” I forced an extremely huge fake smile.
"Oh,” he pressed his body into mine, “there will be no suffering, Theone. The only person who might find life lacking is Flonn because I intend to keep you extremely occupied.” He pressed his mouth over mine and sucked the life right out of me.
Everything down to my toes. Leaving an achy void so demanding that food seemed unimportant. Only his strong palms and fingers sliding over my ass held me up. To his hungry mouth. For someone who was just stuck with me in a relationship, he sure seemed content to hold on or lay me back and thrust home. Oh yes. Thrust. Like his strong demanding tongue.
Yes. Yes.
He suddenly drew his squared jaw back to study my face.
Oy! Air rushed back into my lungs. “Don't let go, Sol. I'll fall down."
A soft chuckle rumbled from his solid chest. “I bet you'd stand your ground. But it's nice to be teased for a change. That's what I like about you, Theo. You're intelligent, argumentative, and you say all the right things that make me want to throw you on the bed and flay you with my tongue."
"That's exactly what I like about you.” No kidding. The man kept me on my toes until I had to suffer some punishment. I laid my forehead against his collarbone and stared at the nebula glowing pink and green off to the right through the view port.
"I don't know these stars, D'ena.” His voice hummed in his chest.
"I don't really either. I just tell the ship where to go. Thank goodness it knows what I'm talking about.” I chuckled. Almost pathetically.
"Where are we headed now?"
"To speak with my commander."
"And then?"
"I'll take you to Prall. And then I'll have this baby.” Maybe now wasn't the time to bring up Wrank either. While Sol was romantic and snuggly. Cooperative. When he got what he wanted.
"You can't have that baby on Prall, D'ena."
"M'yote told me. I have to live on the moon."
He hummed an agreement. “Unless you can convince my hardheaded little brother to kill the fucking microbes attacking females on the genetic level of your new home world."
"Are you going to tell me what his problem is?"
"He can explain better than I can.” Sol pressed a warm kiss against my temple and leaned us against the cool glass. “Later. It's been a long time since I could stand or speak without fear of surveillance. And I get to do so with my D'ena in my arms."
Could I trust his sincerity? I shoved back to stare into his half-shuttered golden eyes.
"What are you thinking, little goddess?"
"Are you going to be happy with me? I know you had to do the noble thing and save my butt back on Treusch—"
"Theo,” he groaned, squeezing my ass, “no warrior ever had a mate like you. Or this perfect little ass.” He thrust his chin at the glass. “Look at yourself. See what the others see. And then look deeper. You are perfect. A true goddess. And if M'yote would cleanse Prall, I'd rip the golden curtain off my holy E'na altar and place you on the sacred pedestal of Prall for all to see. But,” he grinned, “something tells me you wouldn't like that.” He leaned close.
So close I could just slightly raise up on my toes and kiss his soft lips. “Why?"
The air grew extremely warm between us.
He fingered my leather sex garb's chain near the swell of my breast. “Because you hate this clothing. You'd certainly despise wearing nothing at all as well."
My Sol has a one-track mind. And I liked it. “Don't you dare think you can taunt me like this and get out of making me beg you to finish what you started."
His pressed his hips forward, and his hard-on lunged against my belly. He leaned his mouth down to almost touch the corner of mine. “Who said I wasn't ready to finish?"
He set my heart ping ponging off my ribs.
I pressed my lips against the corner of his. “Sol,” I whispered.
"I'm going to sit on one of these uncomfortable crates while you grind my cock into sweet bliss, D'ena."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Seventeen
Gods, the emptiness aching in my groin insisted Sol produce said lethal weapon now in the storage bay. Hands flew everywhere. Cold air kissed my nude body. And then he pulled me down onto his firm shaft. All the way. Seating his hardness fully as if seeking a warm place to tuck his most treasured appendage.
"What's it like to be impaled, D'ena? Fully captured? Conquered?” he gasped.
Who cared about talking? I rubbed my tender skin of my sex against the wiry hairs and hardness of everything that made me want to revisit connecting with Sol again and again.
"Yes, D'ena.” He locked my hips against the steel musculature of his thighs with a forceful handhold and shut his eyes. “Move for me.” He thrust his hips upward.
Oh, the presence inside me. The pressure. The beat of his pulse. Luckily, he'd descended onto a low crate. I could press my bare feet to the cool metal floor. And ride him.
He opened his eyes to watch me, rather his cock's exposure then envelopment as I gyrated my hips and slid along his slickened hardness. In and out. Up and down every last blessed millimeter of his supple rigid erection until he moaned and struggled to keep his eyes open. Men! They were so easy to please. Show them a peg and a hole, and they got all horny. But he wasn't getting out of taking care of me. I let the silken head of his cock pop free.
He groaned and eyeballed me. “Theo,” he whispered, reaching for my elbow.
He was so damned ready. I backed into a taller crate, seated my bare butt against the cold metal, and spread my legs. “Let's work from this angle."
He chuckled, appeasing me. “You want a good view?"
Maybe of his awesome chest. Or just a good grip on his iron ass. I shot him a grin.
He settled against my crotch in a flurry, guiding his engorged member with a fist into position, pumping his hips. Sliding his thickness along my inner channel.
Oh, yes. Nice. View. Now for a grip on his ass. “Come here."
"You're bossy,” he grinned.
So kingly, my mate. “Just treating you the way you treat me.” I shot him a wink and waved fingers toward me until his ribs pressed into mine, then slid my palms down the pliant musculature of his back.
That hard ass. Flexed. And flexed. Ramming his deliciously stiff rod inside me. Stirring up a wave of pleasure I wanted to ride to the shore. Yes. Back to the bobbing beneath the plank of Solvun. My Poseidon. He could prod me with his trident any time. And send me coasting to the beach. And he shoved and shoved until I couldn't do anything but throw back my head and bite back screams.
"Look at me, Theo."
Gods. How? I struggled to turn my gaze back to where he seriously studied me, lunging wave after wave of cresting bliss through me. And bit back the release that gnawed to envelope me.
"Here it comes, D'ena. Take my heart. I give it to you.” He rammed one final time and stood panting.
His shaft burst with heat inside me.
That's all it took. I couldn't sit still. Couldn't see. Could only jolt with each of his eruptions.
"That's it, D'ena. Know I am yours.” He dragged his thickness out of me only to begin thrusting, to the bittersweet end.
"Always yours. Milk my heart from me, D'ena."
If only we could do this again and again. I clamped down my inner muscles.
He gasped. “That's it. Wring your sun's essence from him, my planet and the starkissed heavens. You and I, givers of life, but not without each other. So we dance.” He groaned. “The dance of creation."
How could a warrior so rigid and controlling say such beautiful things? He loved me. I know now. And I couldn't imagine not having him in my life. I slid my palms up from his flexing ass to his slim lower back and rubbed his delectable skin. “Sol, you keep talking like that and we're never going to leave this cargo hold."
He grinned and turned his nose down to watch himself fuck me.
Our movements ground to a halt with a deep sigh from my hovering warrior. His wild blond hair framed most of his face. All but his eyes, nose, and mouth.
And his golden gaze watched me again. “Can you ever love me, D'ena?"
If what I feel isn't love, it's close. I slid my palms to his cheeks and brushed his hair back to reveal his squared jaw. “I think I do now."
He swooped down to plant a brief kiss on my lips and petted my cheeks with is thumbs. “D'ena, Theo, listen to me, I put everything I am in your care. My heart, my people, my planet. Take heed with Flonn. You could destroy all that I am."
Why was I crying? What in the Hell for?
He brushed the warm tears away even though more escaped my eyes.
But talk about a big responsibility. And if I failed him... Gods. I couldn't fail him. Not after what we shared together. “I'll try. I don't want anything to happen to you. That's my job, Sol. Marshals keep the peace among cultures."
An evil smile crept across his face.
"What are you thinking now?” I don't want to know. But at least my tears dried up.
He chuckled gently. “Prall nanites are specially programmed to find eggs in mates and set them into production."
That wicked thought meant only one thing. “Sol! How many eggs?"
"Just enough to ensure I get what I want."
"Sol!” He needed to explain. “How many are you talking about?"
He ran a hand down my shoulder to the curve of my breast and gruffly cupped the globe. “You only have two of these, my sweet. I took that into consideration."
Holy shit. Between him and Wrank, I would be bedridden.
He planted his devilish smile against my lips, sucked a moment, and backed away. “Don't look so worried, little D'ena. You are my love, my heart, and my Goddess. I won't let you come to harm."
Goro waited beyond the hatch. Somewhere. Right out there. What would he think when he saw me in my sex-slave getup? Geesh. This whole mission began to take on a comical ambiance. Shoot me now, universe. At least my clothes were a short walk away in my personal quarters. Warm clothes with lots of coverage. And I had three possessive mates for backup.
Everyone was oddly quiet.
"Don't anybody bother taking command,” I surveyed all the warriors’ stoic masks behind me. “This is what's going to happen. I'm reporting to my commander. He's going to ask questions. I'm answering. And then I have some business to tend to.” I shot M'yote a quick warning glance to encourage his silence.
"Well, let's finish this,” Sol said. “I need to return to my planet. See what's left of my castle.” He, the big
barbarian-looking shirtless King, almost glared, shifting his gaze sideways while he faced me as if shooting the evil eye at my other barbarian-looking mate, Flonn.
Joy. What else can I stress about today? At least Flonn hadn't reacted to Sol's attacks. “When we're finished here, that's exactly what I intend to do, Sol.” I plowed toward the hatch.
The gangplank popped open and descended into bright sunlight.
Nobody waited.
Thank the stars. I so need a stiff drink. Especially when I was dressed like a slut. I stepped onto the short grassy meadow directly outside the circular compound. Right next to the Order's long line of low body-sized pod fighters. The compound's inner plain-Jane pagoda-shaped central building thrust its pointed second-story peak toward the two clouds overhead. To the left of the Marshal's compound jutted the Starry Sky Tiger clan mountain city. Although the large pagoda inside the roughly-hewn palisade had once housed the realm's queen, the encircling medieval outer wall of sharpened tree trunks now protected the queen's relatives and any realm folk who chose to live in the village.
So much had changed for each realm since The Order of the Marshals’ arrival.
Weeks. I'd only been gone weeks. Almost a month. It felt like months. Like something cataclysmic was about to occur. Cough it up intuition. I have one suspicious mate, a war between two worlds to quench, a blood mate to claim, a baby or God knows how many in tow, and a commander whose head I could pinch off in a heartbeat.
Footsteps whispered through the grass at my heels.
"Where is everybody?” M'yote asked.
Busy. Surviving. My return was nothing more than my return. Hello, I'm back. No worries. Just Solvun thinks the !Dakos are coming. Nothing to concern yourselves with. “Everyone is probably in training among the Marshals. The Luvks, who knows? They live like normal populations. Eking out a meager existence."
"What are these spacecraft?” Solvun asked.
I caught his finger pointing at the single-seat pod fighters shaped like streamlined ketchup bottles resting on their sides. “Each Marshal earns one upon completing his or her training. They aren't for fighting. They're for survival."
Feral Series IV: Feral Fallout Page 19