Ecstasy Bound

by Kerce, Ruth D.

  “Will do.”

  Laszlo turned back to them and frowned. “Whoever is freed from their other duties first will participate. That’s just how it has to be. I wanted Kam here because he has the most experience with alien-involved Initiations and is also more knowledgeable of Earth’s customs and morals than the others. If it’s one of the others though, we’ll use whoever we can get. In the meantime, we’ll make do. If absolutely necessary, I can help out.”

  “I don’t recommend you participate, Laszlo,” Leila said. “While your system is out of kilter, it wouldn’t be wise and could weaken you further.”

  “Let’s not worry about my system right now. We need to get started with this before time gets away from us. The rite we’ll be performing is a transitional ceremony.

  It is not the same as a regular Initiation, though the steps will be similar. Obviously, we cannot put all Earth males through this. Time-wise it’s not feasible and many would refuse outright. For those who did agree, they might balk at certain steps. It would not work. So what Leila and I have come up with is a way to get Briggs protected enough to survive an attack by an Egesa or exposure to their alien diseases. We will then extract the protective substances from his sperm and synthesize it into a formula that other Earth males can be injected with to provide the same protection.”

  Sam went over the steps of the Initiation in his head. Not those just related by Laszlo but the details that Brianna had informed him of while they’d been waiting for the test results. Everything these people did revolved around sex in some way, even their medical procedures. Sex seemed to be the center of their whole existence. Not that he was complaining. He just felt amazed by it all.

  “Won’t you need another full-flooded Earth male to test the final formula on?”

  Brianna asked.

  “Yes,” Leila answered. “We’ll have to test it on Earth. We’ll ask for a scientist or male military volunteer after we get there.”

  “And if it doesn’t work?” Sam asked.

  “There won’t be anything more we can do.”

  Sam didn’t like the sound of that. It was all such a long shot. Everything was working against them—from the outside poisonous gases that might still kill them if they couldn’t effectively configure the decontamination room, to relying on a couple of ships in who knew what condition, to hoping the Warriors’ outposts still existed, to this Initiation, to getting all the way back to Earth, to the formula actually working after they got there.

  Laszlo clapped him on the back. “One worry at a time, Colonel.”

  He nodded, knowing his feelings must have shown on his face. He did his best to force neutrality into his features. Letting his thoughts and feelings show could be turned against him in a critical moment. His training had taught him that. He knew better than to relax his guard in a group setting like this. Particularly an alien setting.

  “Shall we begin?” Laszlo asked.

  “Yes.” He wanted this ceremony to be over. He knew his turbulent feelings came from knowing that their chemicals might make him act out of character. Also because the longer they delayed, the closer the Egesa would get to Earth and the less time they’d have to prepare to fight the enemy.

  “Where should I be?” Josella asked.

  Brianna waved her hand. “Stay in the back. If we need you, I’ll let you know.”

  Josella moved to the far side of the room and disappeared behind one of the hanging sheets. Sam still worried about the young woman. He hoped he didn’t end up hurting her in any way. Brianna remained close at his side and he had the same worries about her. Being out of control was not something he was used to.

  “I hope she stays out of the way,” Brianna said.

  “Don’t be so harsh with Josella,” Sam whispered to her. “It’s only a duty.

  Remember?” Given the sexual attitude of Xylons, her reaction to Josella surprised him.

  But then Brianna had said that they did feel jealousy. He didn’t understand their society or mores. They seemed contradictory at best. Of course, he expected Earth’s customs and morals were an equal puzzle to them.

  “I wasn’t harsh.” She looked up at him and her eyes softened. “Well, I didn’t mean to be. I just want this to go smoothly.”

  He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Me too.”

  Leila pulled out a three-pronged needle. “The chemicals that will alter your system and provide protection are inside Brianna and slightly altered versions are on the instruments we will use on you. This injection will help your system to process those chemicals and will help you retain your erections longer.”

  He grunted. “I hope this goes easier than the last time.”

  “I hope so too,” she replied, a worried look on her face. “Take off your uniform please.”

  Sam stripped the uniform from his body and stood there in his underwear. Shy he was not. A quality that came in handy. Brianna took the uniform from him and went to place it elsewhere, giving him time alone with Leila for the injection. “This isn’t going to kill me, is it?”

  “Not the injection.”

  He cocked an eyebrow.

  She shrugged. “As before, your sexual needs must be met, otherwise brain damage and death could occur. It is not likely but possible. And with your Earth physiology—”

  “In other words, you really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “Not for certain. This is new territory. But I spoke to Brianna about what happened during the last try at an Initiation and I’ve made some adjustments to the original formula that was used on you. In theory, this should work.” She cleaned a spot on his arm, then raised the needle and injected him.

  In theory. And he was the lab rat. Not a comfortable feeling. He felt three needles penetrate his arm. It really didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would and after she stepped back there was no blood. “How long before I feel the effects?”

  “Not long. I’m going to step out now. Laszlo and I will be observing, in case there is a problem. Don’t worry. By tomorrow it will all be over.”

  “Yeah. One way or the other. Right?”

  She smiled slightly, in apparent concern and understanding, then turned and stepped out of the room.

  * * * * *

  Alexa paced back and forth in medical. She glanced at the triplets who were sleeping soundly. They were such good babies. She never would have believed that she could love so much. She’d protect those little ones with her life. Nobody and nothing would ever hurt them if she could help it.

  Delemar never had reported in, which she found strange. He had to be around somewhere. Why would he ignore Braden’s call? Certainly he wasn’t so childish as to hold a grudge about his loss of power and ignore what was happening down here by refusing to help.

  Something didn’t feel right about all this. A lot of things didn’t feel right.

  She looked toward the other side of the room where Braden now sat in front of the computer. Erik and Pitch had returned to the orbiters on the sublevel. She felt much safer with Braden near, despite what she’d said earlier.

  She stuck her hand in her jacket pocket, a Warrior jacket that Braden had given her to wear. She fingered the transport-connector. The device scared her to death. How was she going to get all three babies safely dematerialized out, by herself? She prayed she didn’t have to use the thing. Or the pain inducer in her other pocket.

  Leila had been very generous to give her the weapon. She figured Leila would need to go on the mission to Earth in order to administer the protective chemicals to the military. She could have benefited from keeping the weapon for herself.

  Alexa was grateful for the pain inducer though. It made her feel safer. Still, she wouldn’t be able to calm down completely until they made it to the Ice Moon and she could be assured of her children’s safety.

  Later she’d don a survival pack after Braden got it put together. From what she understood, a wear-ready one was in stock
but he wanted to put one together specifically targeting her and their babies’ needs. She’d need to wear it or have it nearby at all times, just like the jacket. Braden had said the pack would fit under her jacket. She couldn’t imagine how. Whatever food or water it contained would have to be minimal.

  She felt stressed to the max and wondered if this ordeal would ever truly end.

  “Stop, Alexa,” Braden growled, as he typed commands on the keyboard.

  She stopped pacing and turned toward him. “What?”

  “Stand still. You’re making me nervous and I can’t concentrate.”

  “I can’t just stand still.” Since being down in this shelter, she’d felt such a lack of control. Like a rat trapped in a maze with the walls slowly closing in on her. It had even gotten harder to breathe, though she knew that was just stress on her part.

  “Well, do something else.”

  “What else am I supposed to do? The babies have been fed, changed and are asleep.” Luckily, they’d been able to construct a pile of makeshift diapers from the medical supplies. Now that her little ones were quiet and content, she needed to be involved more, to be doing something to help all of them get out of this auxiliary shelter.

  “Then rest. You’re going to need all you can get.”

  “I can’t rest. I’m too worked up.”

  Braden scooted a bit to the side. “All right. Pull up a chair and help me go over these videos. Maybe we can figure out who contacted Frost.”

  She walked over and pulled up a chair next to him. “I thought there weren’t any vid-monitors down on the sublevel.”

  “There aren’t. Right now, I’m just looking for footage of who all went down there since we’ve been here. The ladder-wells are monitored. In the meantime, the computer is doing a search for any file that contains Frost’s name or her ship’s identification numbers. Between the two, maybe we can figure this out.”

  Alexa looked at the screen in confusion. “What are we looking at? Is this recent?”

  “Yes. Each video file covers a twenty-four-hour period. I figured it was better to start at the end and go backward a day at a time.”

  “Can you speed it up any more than this?” The video moved quickly on the screen but not at a speed that was time effective in her opinion. They’d be here forever if they had to view very many files.

  “Unfortunately no. This speed is the best I can do.”

  “Well, that’s crappy. So much for advanced technology. I thought you’d have some sort of advanced sci-fi technology like I’ve seen in the movies.”

  Braden laughed. “Yes, your Earth movies are very entertaining from what I’ve seen.

  Though not very accurate or realistic. This equipment is quite old. Some systems down here were upgraded, most weren’t. This particular facility is also the oldest and the deepest. Most of the other underground shelters are more advanced than this one. The Xylon Council probably didn’t feel the monitoring equipment was important enough to bother with in all the shelters. I was never directly involved in those meetings, so it’s just a guess. Most of our video systems, well the ones in the Lair, could do an independent analysis of footage, keying on whatever criteria we gave it. The system down here isn’t that advanced, so we’re going to have to rely on eyeball power.”

  “Wait!” Alexa couldn’t believe what she was seeing on the screen. “Is that Torque pushing Kam and Halah down the corridor? What’s going on?” It looked as if her brother and Halah were tied up.

  “Um, yeah. They’ve been confined to quarters.”

  She looked at him in disbelief. “You’re not still doubting Kam’s loyalty, are you?

  We need every person down here working to get us out. They need another participant for the Initiation. That ceremony can’t fail or Earth is doomed. You know that.”

  “I thought it best to confine Kam and Halah for now. For everyone’s safety.”

  “Safety? Why? What happened?”

  “There’s some question about whether Halah was involved in the message sent to Frost. I found her at the computer with the connection pulled up.”

  “You did?” Oh, how she prayed Halah wasn’t guilty. For all of their sakes, but especially for her brother’s. “And Kam? Was he there too?” If so, proving his innocence might be near impossible.

  “No. He didn’t seem to be directly involved. But he’d never stand for Halah to be locked up without trying to get her out and I can’t watch him every moment. He’d be useless in the Initiation if he knew Halah was confined somewhere. Brianna can manage for now. I’ll send Erik to help out when he finishes with the orbiters.”

  “Erik? Why not Pitch?” She knew Josella had feelings for Pitch and she thought the two would make a nice couple.

  “We’ll need Pitch to find proof of the communication to Frost in the files. Unless you and I find something first.”

  “What did Halah say about all this?”

  “She said that she found the connection active and was trying to figure out what was going on when I came up on her. Unfortunately, the connection was broken before we could ascertain much.”

  “You think she was lying?”

  “I don’t know. But she does have a history of switching sides, depending on what she wants.”

  “I know but— Do you think she would actually betray us?”

  Alexa respected Braden’s opinion and needed to know his thoughts. He could very well be the final word when it came to her brother’s fate. Since Kam was Halah’s breeder-mate and Alexa knew they loved each other, she figured whatever happened to one would happen to the other. They’d never leave one another alone to face an uncertain future.

  “I’d made up my mind that she and Kam weren’t traitors before this happened. But now…” He shook his head. “I just don’t know.”

  Alexa frowned. “It’s not like you to sound unsure.”

  He pulled at the collar of his uniform. “I don’t want to make a mistake.”

  “Can I talk to Kam? He must feel so abandoned.” She believed in her brother. She knew he had a good heart and would never purposely harm any of them. No one would ever convince her otherwise.

  “Sorry. His comm panel is inoperable. Torque pulled the wires.”

  “Why?”

  “I didn’t want them going to Laszlo. We don’t need more problems or division within the ranks.”

  “Well, I don’t believe Kam is a traitor. Nor do I think he would choose a mate who would betray us.” She trusted her brother and she trusted her brother’s judgment.

  Completely.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sam felt, well, horny. That was the only way to describe it.

  Whatever Leila had shot him up with was apparently designed to do more than help him process chemicals. He hadn’t even come in contact with any yet and he was already feeling the effects.

  Of course, she’d also said it would help him maintain an erection. But the shot was doing more than that. It had helped him actually get an erection without any extra sexual stimulation.

  And produced a side effect…

  Erotic visions. Leila hadn’t told him about experiencing those. He rubbed his temple as sexual images of all sorts, from sweet to savage, filtered through his brain.

  Similar to the numerous daydreams he’d had of Brianna but much more intense, involving scenes with multiple partners and bondage. Though Brianna always remained at the center. Her pleasure foremost on his mind.

  He reached out and pulled her closer. He was glad that she’d stayed by his side. He needed her—a warm woman with a moist pussy, ready to fuck. She didn’t protest or even look surprised. She only smiled. His cock grew so hard he thought it would burst out of his underwear.

  She rubbed up against him. “So it begins,” she said with a smile. She stroked his cheek and when she spoke again, she lowered her voice to a purr. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you.”

  A sexual tingle traveled
down his spine. Strangely, though her words remained clear enough for him to understand, she sounded far away. His brain felt in a fog all of a sudden. Well, not exactly a fog. But something.

  He did trust her to take care of him, so he wasn’t worried about his physical wellbeing. Mentally? His thought processes seemed all right, just different. Slower.

  Heavier. Obscured. He didn’t know. The sensation was hard to describe.

  But he knew one thing clearly. He needed to fuck. He laced his fingers through the back of her hair and covered her lips with his.

  Her mouth opened and his tongue plunged inside, teasing and tasting her. She mewled against his mouth. She tasted wonderful—hot and needy.

  His free hand worked loose the front of her uniform. He couldn’t wait to see her naked again. Touch her. Taste her cunt. Fuck her. When he released her hair and yanked down the top of her garment, she gasped into his mouth.

  They broke the kiss and he stood staring at her, his breathing rapid. She was completely naked on top. Her gorgeous full breasts outdid any he’d ever known. The slightly longer nipples looked as incredibly suckable as he knew them to be.

  His gaze rose to meet hers and his fingers slowly danced down her arms. He never took his eyes off her and she never looked away from him. She just smiled and a smoldering look built in her eyes. She grazed her fingernails down his bare chest, sending shivers of delight throughout his body. Oh yes. She wanted him again. Just as badly as he wanted her. Intense sexual visions played through his mind, the same ones as he’d had earlier. He wanted to make each and every one of them a reality.

  He grabbed her and jerked her against him, once more covering her mouth with his.

  Her nipples pressed hard against his bare chest, feeling like pricks of fire along his suddenly ultra-sensitive skin.

  His tongue dueled with hers until neither of them could breathe. He broke the kiss and dragged his tongue down her neck, moving lower until poised just above one of those luscious nipples he ached to taste. His hand cupped her breast and he sucked the plump peak into his mouth.