by Kym Dillon
With a deep growl, Zan cupped her privates with a large hand. For a moment, he simply held her, feeling her against his rough palm, and then his fingertips sliding against her damp slit, rubbing with a strength that was just short of pain. The pleasure rose up as he fondled her, and it was only made more powerful by the fact that she knew what he was going to do. He was making her ready, preparing her for his entrance, and instead of protesting, she pushed back against his hand, mewling softly. She didn't know if it was a desecration or a consecration, but there was something so intense about what they were doing.
Reclaiming, she thought somewhere in the part of her mind that could still think. We're reclaiming it...
Zan removed his hand, making her shake and whimper with need, but then he was covering her, his large hands coming down to cup her breasts. Despite his arousal digging into her thigh, there was something tender and reverent about the way he touched her, and her heart open for him in a way she didn't expect.
Then she felt his blunt tip spread her open, and he nuzzled the back of her neck.
“Ancestors, but there is only you,” he moaned. The desperation in his voice surprised her. “Only you, only ever you, little star...”
Then he bit her shoulder as he entered her, and Stella was so overwhelmed with sensation that she couldn't take it any longer. She opened her mouth and cried out, her pleasured moans echoing through the deserted hall. She dug her fingernails into the throne so hard that she thought that for certain that she had left marks, and she hung on for dear life as Zan started to thrust into her over and over again. With every thrust, she gave a little more of herself over to him, clenching, striving for the peak that only he could give her.
His hands slid back to tighten on her hips. She was almost bouncing off of him. She could feel the hard edges of his armor against her thighs, felt how small she was compared to his warrior's bulk.
“Give it to me,” Zan demanded, his voice little more than a growl. “Come for me, little star, please...”
It was the please that undid her. She couldn't hold back. The only thing that mattered in the world was giving every part of herself to this man, and in that moment, her body lit up with fire. She arched her back hard, and the pleasure that rushed through her was the most profound that she had ever known. She shuddered as the power rolled through her, and she knew in a moment that she would have fallen if he had not been there to hold her up.
In seconds, he was thrusting into her with a savage sound, flooding her with the passion of his release. She should have had a thousand worries about what that might have meant, but in the moment, all she could think of was how good he felt, and how right.
For just a moment, his heavy weight pressed down on her back, the cool armor against her. Then he was pulling away, making her cry out a little at the lost. He stood up, tugging her to her feet. For a moment, she thought he would be angry at what they had done, what she had seduced him into, but he pressed her back into the throne of his clan.
“Zan, what...”
“The throne is only for the upra,” he said with a slight smile. “But as you know above all others, I'm a raider, and such niceties mean very little to me. Sit down. I want to make sure you're all right.”
She started to ask what he meant by that, but then he was spreading her legs, lifting her dress again.
“Oh God...” Stella muttered, covering her eyes with her hands. Just a short while before, she had seduced the man that now knelt in front of her now. Now, with him examining her so closely, she felt as if she might drop through the floor out of embarrassment. Well, most of her felt like she would like to drop through the floor. The only thing that the rest of her cared about was the fact that this man was running gentle fingers along her folds, touching her with a sweetness that could have made her weep.
“You don't need to,” she murmured, and he shot her an amused look.
“A raider might have let you be. An upra must tend to the needs of his upra-sa. You look all right, perhaps a little swollen, but nothing a hot bath and rest won't fix. Good. I would not like to think that I had been too hard on you.”
She was quiet as he led her from that place. She was glad as they walked through the hall that there was something a little less haunted about it now, a little less silent.
“I'm not going to be your upra-sa, though,” Stella forced herself to say. “I can't be.”
“You always will be my upra-sa,” Zan corrected. “It won't matter if you've not seen me in a dozen years, if you have children by some other man or if I die today. You will always be.”
Why did that make her want to cry?
9
When they returned to Anneke's cottage, she looked at them with eyes that were full of mischief, but thankfully she said nothing at all. Stella was glad. She was afraid that if the old woman had said something to them, she might have cried. Zan went off to rally whatever support he could, and Stella gave herself over to Anneke's care.
She was taken to the bathroom, where a bath had been drawn for her. It was mildly embarrassing to have the old woman fawning over her. This was no relaxing bath, either. Instead, there was a pumice stone for scrubbing, small shears to trim nails, and then tweezers and razors to groom every hair below her hairline. By the time Anneke was done, Stella was more groomed than she had ever been in her entire life, blushing as red as the sun, and sitting in water that was growing chilly. A fresh rinse later, and Anneke was guiding her into a small room that held just a single chest.
“This was all given over to my keeping around the time that Zan left the planet,” she said. “It will be good to see it worn again, no matter the circumstances.”
With a sense that she was touching something sacred, Anneke opened the chest, releasing a pleasant smell of something that reminded Stella of vanilla and sandalwood. Dressed only in clean silk undergarments, Stella watched wide-eyed as the array of fabrics came out.
First came a shift of pure white silk, and over that went a bodice that was laced up tight. It made Stella's already curvy figure into a true hourglass, and in another situation, Stella might have been shy about the amount of cleavage she was showing. Right now, however, it felt right.
A thought occurred to her.
“Won't these clothes be too long for me? Aren’t I shorter than Ferexians?” To be fair she’d only ever seen two Ferexians, Zan and Anneke, so maybe she was making assumptions.
“They're worn pinned up, so they will not be too long, although, you might get more of a bustle than other women get...”
After the bodice came a garment that Anneke called a kirtle, black and embroidered with black thread. It was heavy, but Stella figured that it would at least fend off the cold. Anneke proudly showed her the subtle embroidery that referred to the clan's name and crest, a pair of twisting cat-like animals.
Finally, over it all came a short coat of deepest violet. There were a series of cunning brass buckles that helped shape it to Stella's form, and she could trace the embroidery for Clan Mordra on her shoulder with one gentle finger.
Anneke pulled her hair up into a series of braids piled high on her head. The old woman was right. The outfit fit pretty well, and Stella examined herself carefully in the mirror.
“How do I look?” she asked hesitantly, but it wasn't Anneke that answered.
“You look like the most beautiful upra-sa to ever grace these lands,” Zan said, and she turned to face him.
When their eyes met, they locked for several long moments, neither seeming to want to look away. Stella lost a little bit more of herself to him. There was something here so deep and profound that she couldn't bear it, could barely name it, and from the set of his jaw and the sharp intake of breath, she knew he felt it too.
“Thank you,” Stella said through dry lips.
After a moment, he offered her his arm, and only tottering a little in the leather moccasins Anneke had given her, she took it.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
&
nbsp; Zan thanked Anneke for her help, and then he escorted Stella to the door. She wondered how they were going to get to the council of the clans, but as soon as she stepped outside, her question was answered. A large animal stood out front. It looked a bit like a stag from Earth, but it was pure white with ruby red eyes. An impressive rack of antlers sprouted from its head, and as it turned its gaze on them, Stella sensed a nearly human intelligence radiating from its keen eyes.
“Is that...”
“Clan Kierr will support us, and their upra gave me this fine beauty as a token of his respect for my family.”
She was just starting to wonder how she would even get on an animal whose shoulder was taller than her head when the animal knelt like a camel and Zan scooped her up, leaping atop it in a move that appeared effortless. Stella yelped a little as she was placed in front of Zan in the wide saddle, and his arms came around her to take hold of the reins.
“Do not worry, you are safe with me,” he said.
I know I am, she thought. And soon she would be headed home. Why didn't that make her happier?
Responding to Zan’s high whistle, the stag lunged into motion, cutting across the frozen landscape with a speed that was breathtaking. If there was anyone else behind her, she would have been terrified, but Zan, she knew, would keep her safe. She took in the trees flashing by, examined the blue-green sky with wonder, and simply breathed the fresh clean air of a world she had never been to before.
Too soon, they arrived at an enormous building that looked like nothing so much as a golden dome. It rose high into the air, and Stella couldn't stop herself from gasping a little at it.
“The council of the clans,” Zan said with a nod. “When I was last here, I was not given a good welcome. Let us see if we can change that today.”
Despite her borrowed finery, she felt a bit like a rube as Zan handed off the stag's reins to a waiting stripling. On his arm, they entered the dome, and she was immediately overwhelmed by the noise and the bustle.
An entire small city had been set up under the dome, and as they walked, Zan told her that there might be as many as thirty clans in residence from all around the planet. The gathering was meant to settle legal disputes, but it was also a time for the people of the far-flung clans to speak to one another and stay in contact as well. Stella wished she could have years to explore the place. She wanted to see what people were doing, eating, cooking. She wanted to listen to their stories. Because of Zan and Anneke’s deep lavender skin, Stella assumed that all Ferexians had purple skin. Not so. She spotted a rainbow of skin tones. Complexions ranging from a soft rose to bright orange, to the deepest black of a starless night. The Ferexians walked with an air of quiet confidence.
Despite the beauty, there was something jarring about the scene. It took her a few moments before she realized what it was. There were very few women. She remembered Zan saying the number of males far exceeded that of females, and now in a large crowd, that was obvious. The Ferexian women that she did see were as tall and gorgeous as the men, there just weren’t many of them. Most of them sat behind vendor booths, and the ones that wandered free were escorted on either side by stone-faced guards. Stella shivered, stepping closer to Zan. Doing so nearly made her trip, because Zan had suddenly come to a halt.
“Clan Tahl,” Zan said with surprise.
Following his glance, Stella saw a powerfully built man dressed in armor similar to Zan's. He had pale green skin and dark green hair, and Stella tried not to stare as Zan started towards him.
“Asla,” Zan said. “It truly is you.”
The look on the man's face was one of surprise, and he clasped Zan's hand with genuine good will.
“Clan Mordra has returned, and come with an upra-sa, I see,” said Asla. “Good. I am pleased for you, Zan.”
“I have been hunting the circuit, rallying support. I would have come to you sooner had I known that you would be here...”
Asla was already shaking his head.
“You know that Clan Tahl holds itself clear of surfacer politics,” he said. “I am glad to see you, my friend, but no.”
Zan didn’t look surprised and was already nodding with resignation. Too soon, she was being tugged away.
When they were clear of Asla, Zan sighed. “Clan Tahl would be a powerful ally if they weren't so damned isolationist.”
“He called you a surfacer...”
Zan grinned. “Most of this territory is water. Many Ferexians live under the waves in domed cities. Asla is the upra of one of the greatest ones the region has ever seen.”
As Stella contemplated the existence of such a city, they approached an area that was guarded by two tall Ferexian men with tridents in their hand.
“Entry is for upras and their upra-sas alone,” said one, and Zan drew himself up taller.
“I am Zan the upra of Clan Mordra, which was unjustly attacked, and this is my upra-sa, Stella. I come here with my upra-sa to claim my birthright.”
There was a slight commotion, and an ancient Ferexian with skin the color of soft gold and hair that was pure white came forward. He held a book that was chained to his wrist, and when he looked at the pair of them, he was stern.
“Clan Mordra is destroyed,” said the old man. “It was found to be trading in illegal goods, and destroyed by Clan En.”
“It was an unjust punishment for a false claim created after the fact by Clan En,” Zan snapped. “I am here to reclaim my rights and to ensure that justice is served.”
“And by what right do you do so?”
“By the strength of my arm, my wisdom at war, and by the grace of the upra-sa by my side, who guards the soul of my clan and the life of our future.”
The old man turned to her, and Stella squared her shoulders. She refused to entertain the thought of letting Zan down.
“And you. Who do you call yourself?”
“I am Stella, upra-sa of Clan Mordra, here to witness my upra reclaim his birthright.”
She held her breath until he nodded. There was a suspicious look in his eye that she didn't quite like, and he asked her another question.
“You have not the look of a Ferexian female. What are you?”
“I am from Ear—Terra. I am a Terran.” There were a few sharp intakes of breath.
“Terran? What is a Terran woman doing with a dispossessed Ferexian lord? One who has turned raider, at that?”
She felt Zan’s rage and possessiveness radiating from his body. More than that, however, she felt his shame, and she spoke quickly, and without thought.
“I am here because I was claimed by the most amazing man… male… I have ever known,” she said sharply. “I came aboard his ship on Earth... Terra... and he claimed me his. With my permission. I follow him, and no matter what you might have heard, my upra is a male of honor. He protects his own with his very life, and that is more than I have seen many others do.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zan’s jaw drop, but most of her attention was focused on the gatekeeper. He showed no sign of approving or disapproving of her, until he nodded, taking a step back.
“Allow them entrance. The upra of Clan Mordra has business with the council of the clans.”
They walked into the smaller building, silent for a short while, then Zan tugged her into a space formed between two enormous crates. She was pressed against his chest in a powerful embrace.
“Thank you,” he said simply, and she hugged him fiercely in return. She started to say something, to wish him luck, to tell him that he deserved to win back his place, but then he pulled away. She gasped when she saw how cold his expression was.
“Zan?”
“There's a small exit to the south. Follow the outer wall. I need you to leave. Now. It’s time.”
“Wha—What are you talking about?”
“There's a Ferexian male with dark gray skin and light blue hair outside, wearing the mark of Clan Mordra. He is an old friend, and he is the one I have found that will take you home.”
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“But... the council, you still...”
He shook his head, his face hard.
“I am the upra of Clan Mordra, but the gatekeeper was also right. I'm a raider, and for raiders, what we want, we take. It... hurts too much to have something I want… When you spoke like that...”
He shook his head, and for a moment, she saw raw pain in his expression, a raging inferno of desire in his eyes. Before she could do much more than gasp, he dragged her into his arms, crushing her there tightly. His kiss was utterly merciless, and then just as quickly, he let her go.
“Go,” he said harshly. “While I still allow it.”
Zan strode away from her, as she stood touching her tingling lips, eyes wide. She was rooted in place, and all her mind could process was that she wanted to be with him, to follow him, to see this through to the end.
If you do that, you are binding yourself to him forever, a small voice inside her said. You will never be able to leave.
She shook her head. She had to go home. She had been kidnapped. It was not her choice to be here, and here was her opportunity to leave. Ignoring the tears that pricked at her eyes, she followed the edge of the wall as he had told her to do. As she did, however, there was another thought tugging at the back of her mind. It grew louder, too loud to be ignored, the thought that in minutes she would be headed home to… nothing. No family, a crap job, an asshole ex, a dinky apartment, and only one good friend whose life was completely different from hers and always would be.
In fact, there would be no one but Alix who would miss her or even know she was gone. She didn’t even have a cat waiting for her back on Terra. Earth. There was one person who would miss her, and she remembered what he had said to her mere hours ago. It won't matter if you've not seen me in a dozen years, if you have children by some other man, or if I die today. You will always be my upra-sa.
When she reached the small door that Zan had described, she popped it open, and true to his word, there was a gray-skinned, blue-haired male standing there waiting for her. She noted that he wore a dark cloak that covered him to the knees.