The Sarran Plague (The Sarrans Book 1)

by A. C. Katt

  Anya shifted, positioning her body so she faced both men. “You did everything right,” she emphasized. “You delivered my childhood dreams. You furnished this room with no expectations other than my pleasure. Since we boarded, anytime, one or both of you had the means to overcome my will and enforce yours. Yet, you kept me cradled and safe, never alone, soothing my sleep and guarding my dreams even when it appeared I would remain a barrier to yours. How can I tell you how small and petty I feel in comparison to…?”

  “You are dauntless, Pa Mici, the light of your soul makes the stars dim in shame,” Jonal said.

  “Who would ever dare to tell you are unworthy? You held high position by your own merit,” Tonas affirmed.

  Tonas lifted his hand and ran it through the loosened plait of Anya’s braid. He looped the whorl of molten copper around his wrist and pulled her mouth to his. Tonas placed his hand at her neck and feathered a kiss across her cheek. “In Triad, no merit holds you to us, there is no testing, no requirements. The BondStir seeks connection to other parts of the whole. You were always one with us and we were ever seeking you,” Tonas told her.

  “Nothing in you is undesirable, Pa Mici. No ghost or demon that haunts your past can make you detestable.” Jonal kissed her forehead and continued in a laughing voice, “There may be things that make your mates unhinged, or soft-headed, but that is different, Love, it is life.”

  Anya giggled and then grew serious once more. She drew closer to both her mates, seeking their approval and encouragement. “I was raised in a place where the two of you together and the two of you with me, physically, is against the rules. It was pounded into my head for eighteen of my twenty-six years, along with other garbage not worth repeating.”

  “Pa Mici there is no fault in you…”

  “No, please, let me continue. I’ve loved both of you since the beginning. You were the reason I clung to life in that hospital bed. I spent my childhood with people who possessed narrow vision, and in addition, were handicapped by dogma and that stewed in bitterness. I was bright. I learned quickly. I was only eleven when I realized that their perspectives were askew. I was incapable of existing within the boundaries they set. Yet, my existence depended on others’ largess. Escape was impossible, conformity was my only choice. I knew I could never entirely hide my nature but I locked down as much of my curiosity and personality as I could and worked hard to escape. But I didn’t, not entirely. I want to join with you and complete the Triad. But their voices ring in my head and make it difficult. You are all the love I could never find to embrace, everything I was ever denied. I want you both so much that I dream of the tastes of your skin. But something has hold. I’m trying...” A few stray tears escaped the luminous pale eyes.

  “We can wait, Pa Channa, there is no rush. Now that we’ve found you, we have time.”

  “Oh no, Tonas, there is a rush. I see you and Jonal. Your sensuality and passion are glorious. The air around the two of you is incandescent with heat. Could we, maybe, just take it slowly at first?” Anya smiled, appealing to Jonal. “The problem was the steel bands around my heart. I looked at all of this,” she gestured to the contents of the dressing room, “and realized that what I missed all along wasn’t the gifts, it was the love of the givers.” She smiled, as a few more tears trickled down her cheeks.

  Tigger chose that moment to stroll out of the storeroom and rub against Anya and her Mates. “I still can’t believe you thought to bring the cat.”

  “As much as we’d love the acknowledgment, it was Stern informed us of Tigger’s place in your heart.”

  “Of course, but the two of you decided to get him for me, and that means everything, Tonas.” Anya stood and they stood with her. She gave Tonas a hug. She took her other arm and tried to maneuver it about Jonal’s broad shoulders, but he took it and pinned it between his hands, suckling each finger and kissing her wrist.

  A baleful meow interrupted the human activity and Anya sighed in resignation. ”When he’s hungry, it’s all about the dish. The will be no peace until it’s filled to his satisfaction. Can you tell me where you put the kibble?”

  Jonal groaned while his eyebrows rose in hyperbolized ire. “You dish will not see any tu’na for at least a tide, Beast. The kibble is in storage, the entry next to the wardrobe. It also leads out to the galley. The small things we didn’t unpack are there. The larger items are in the hold. There is a smaller container of his kibble in the pantry, along with his dish. We brought enough to last six months until we could manufacture a substitute.” It was obvious and endearing that they needed her praise as much as she did theirs.

  “We scattered his beds about the chambers, Pa Channa. He has several commodes on the ship and Kassan is building a smaller model for chambers. He has been well received by the crew.”

  “Jonal, Tonas, that’s it. That’s where it is. Remember this morning, you asked for the brush. It’s there with his things.” Anya bustled to the stow entry and swung back, eyes shining at her men. ''No one ever took such good care of me before, I love you both so much.” Anya scooted through the entry to storage.

  ::You asked for the brush, Firefly?::

  ::I love you, My Light,:: Jonal sent back on a wave of warmth.

  “Guys,” Anya murmured in a hesitant voice, “maybe we could start the project when I finish with Tigger.”

  “The project?” Tonas questioned in confusion, earning himself an elbow to the ribcage.

  “Of course, Pa Mici, you only have to ask. Why don’t you soak in the bath to relax and then put on one of your robes? We’ll meet you in the slumber room in about 60 mots.”

  “Okay,” she answered shyly, but willing to try, as she pulled her head back from the entry.

  Jonal pulled on Tonas’s belt. ::We prepare, My Light, wine, stems and then to the slumber room to rid our fem of some of her demons.::

  ::We must ask Mark about the demon, Edwana and her cohort Rose. From the little I could glean of the sisters, they used methods of coercion on the little femsprings outlawed to our shock troops. She spent cycles with these tormentors. To think of overcoming such mental bombardment is a testimony to her bravery. She has no vanity. No conception of her courage and grace.::

  ::My Light, we have much to learn. The intensity of the BondStir is not a license to discard courtship. We know the flavor and depth of her psyche, but not her favorite color. She and we have much to explore.::

  * * * *

  Anya sniffed each of the fragrances, both Earthen and Sarran, set on the third shelf of the upper cabinet. She scrutinized each vial, testing the contents on a hankie. Anya searched for a signature fragrance. Cinnamon and musk called Tonas’s name just as vanilla and washed linen said Jonal. It would be floral, she decided. Flowers appealed. The aroma could not assault the senses; it had to charming but subtle. At the far end of the shelf, there was a small collection of bottles, soaps, and crystals. The sensuous curved lines of the soaps and the sheen of the bottles beguiled. Discreetly placed on each bottle and stamped into the soap was the emblem of the three-branched tree. Anya pulled the stopper of a jar that seemed to be an appropriate size for bath oil. The fragrance was flawless. Floral, the notes were sweet but not cloying. It had the depth of lavender with the fullness of lilac. Underlying was a base of a crisp citrus. It was her essence. She took the jar and poured a few drops into the water. Bubbles bounced, flounced, and flew around the pool. She put the jar back on the shelf, grabbed soap and a washing cloth and immersed herself under the bubbles.

  Thirty minutes later, relaxed and refreshed, she rose from the water. She pushed a button and the water ran through a cleaning cycle. It took only five minutes for the pool to become as it was before she bathed. Anya’s skin glowed; the bath oil left a light sheen and a touch of fragrance. It appeared she didn’t need her customary lotion. She rubbed down with the one of the heated towels, vigorously drying her hair as well as her body. Curiosity coaxed her into removing the stopper of the smallest vial. A whiff told her it was perfume.
Feeling just a bit daring, she touched the stopper to the pulse points at her wrists, the nape of her neck, the backs of her knees and her collarbone. Her inner clock told her she had just enough time left to dash to her vanity and brush her hair.

  She cleaned her teeth and washed out her mouth, then sat on the low boudoir chair running the bristled brush through her fine hair. Anya pinched her cheeks and wet her lips. Crossing over to the wardrobe she pulled out a long opaque robe in the muted pink of restaurant mints, and pulled her arms into the sleeves. She belted the tie and headed for the slumber chamber. Sighing in relief as she realized she was the first to arrive, she arranged herself on the top right side of the bed in a nest of silken pillows and with a quick intake of breath waited for her princes. Oh my God, Anya thought. They really are Princes.

  * * * *

  The crystal stems waited next to the uncorked wine on a lacquer tray. The tray sat atop the first of two tables that flanked the three matching chairs. Tonas entered behind Jonal, watching as his Firefly shrugged off vest and trews. The fine view of Jonal’s bubble ass had his cock diamond hard. Anya curled up in the right corner of the bed looking edible in the pink robe. Tonas poured; as usual, they worked in perfect synchronization. Jonal picked up two glasses. He crossed the room to hand one to Anya. Her eyes were round with wonder at his nakedness. “Do you like what you see, Pa Mici?” Jonal raised one eyebrow in question.

  Anya chuckled, “Jonal, if egos were rivers you’d be the Amazon.” Although she reached out for the proffered wine and sipped delicately, her eyes remained focused on Jonal’s wide blunt cock. The wine was light, fruity, dry but not overly so. Heat flooded his genitals, rode his chest, and blazed from his eyes, which followed the line of her throat to her breast as she swallowed. The sight of Anya’s arousal at Jonal’s nudity short-circuited Tonas’s brain. Her breast quivered, betraying a slight disquiet. Her small pink tongue slipped out over her plump lower lip. She wet it and giggled.

  “My Light, she laughs at me,” Jonal pouted.

  Tonas made a show of removing his trews, floating his hand down the outline of his ass and thigh as he dropped them to the floor. “Firefly,” Tonas replied coming up behind Jonal, “we laugh, but love you mightily.” Tonas pressed his chest and rubbed along Jonal’s back. His hands moved to the front of his lover’s chest, lightly flicking his brown nipples while tonguing the back of his neck under the drape of black hair. Jonal rotated and allowed himself to fall back upon the bed just down from Anya’s feet. His engorged member was now visible.

  Tonas watched Anya’s rapt stare.

  Tonas licked the shell of Jonal’s ear and bit his neck, kissing the backbone down to the curve just above the crease. Anya moved closer, positioning herself just a length from Jonal’s shoulders. Jonal shuddered, his cock already leaking drops of his essence. Tonas had never been this close to the forbidden before now. He stroked his hand over the round dimpled cheek in provocation. Tonas licked first at one cheek then the other, and then he grabbed and squeezed each cheek in turn. Tonas felt Jonal shake with unspoken desire. Anya made small noises, biting her lips. Her arms made involuntary movements toward them both. Her skin heated and suddenly the air was ripe with the smell of the Tierest flowers. She had chosen their scent. He bit lightly on Jonal’s cheek.

  ::Soon, Firefly, soon this is mine. Mine to love, mine to kiss, mine to share.::

  * * * *

  Jonal felt Tonas’s tears track down his crease and almost lost his control when his lover began to lick them away. He twisted and it brought a gasp from Anya, pulling his gaze in her direction. Her hand was inside her robe, where she circled her breast and nipples with her fingers. He smelled Anya’s dampness and the odor of the Tierest tree, so dear to his heart. Jonal didn’t know how much more of an assault his senses could bear without release. Jonal wretched up and hauled Tonas into his arms, moving his lover to the top of the bed and placing him in the middle. Jonal pulled Tonas’s face to his, peppering it with kisses. When he reached his mouth, he stuck out his tongue and licked at the edge of Tonas’s lips, savoring the taste and smell. His hands feathered down along the golden curtain of Tonas’s hair. Tonas’s juice leaked onto his thigh. Combining their pre-cum allowed their cocks to move more freely against each other. Jonal began to grind his hips against his lover. His kisses became more intense, demanding. He pushed his tongue inside Tonas’s mouth and plundered. His teeth worried the edges of Tonas’s tongue and lips. He broke the kiss, it was too much. He took full charge.

  He flipped Tonas’s on his back and bit and licked his way down, frantic to gain his destination. When he reached Tonas’s hard member he swallowed and sucked with frenzied, barely tethered violence. Tonas was ready, he didn’t need more foreplay. He bucked into Jonal’s willing mouth, spraying seed down the back of his throat. Jonal did not stop sucking until Tonas cock was soft and still. He heard Anya’s gasps and knew her finger had moved downward. Tonas stirred. His hand caressed Jonal’s face.

  “Come up to me, my Firefly,” he heard Tonas whisper. “Let me take you higher.” Jonal swallowed a shout as one of Tonas’s hands kneaded his sac, as the long fingers of the other surrounded his rod and worked it hard. Anya’s breathing was harsher and her gasps were louder and less controlled. Jonal could feel the air around the bed move with the rhythm of Tonas’s hand and Anya’s fingers. He felt her release, smelled her cream on their sheet for the first time, he had no more control. He spurted into Tonas’s loving hand.

  * * * *

  Anya lay quietly in the circle of her lover’s arms. She screwed up her courage and attempted the mental channel. ::My loves, can I touch you? Would it be okay if I learned your bodies? I see the rings. They are so beautiful. Could I touch you and wait till next time for you to touch me?::

  “Of course, Pa Chana,” Tonas answered aloud.

  “However you want it to be, Pa Mici,” Jonal rejoined.

  * * * *

  Oh bother, thought Tigger from beneath the dresser. No snuggles for me tonight. He put his paws over his ears. Eventually, he gave up. It was time for a walk.

  Tigger made his usual rounds. He visited with Syn and her White Persian, the Duchess. Checked on Mark and Bane and hung out in the lab for a bit. He felt something off there and had enough off feelings this evening, so he headed over to the chief. Chief Kassan was in charge of the cargo bay. He and the Chief had made friends when Anya was still missing. Kassan would come into the holding area to feed him and change the box whenever Tonas and Jonal were too busy with Anya or duty to come down. Because the Chief held the keys to his kibble bowl, Tigger made a science of Chief Kassan. He was a Xercadian, humanoid, with an overdeveloped chest and arms, bred to haul and stack, as tall as a Sarran. The Chief was surly, but once he no longer had to change the piss box, they were buds. It was Chief Kassan, not the science officers, who had devised a solution for Tigger’s commode. The crew constructed a heat chamber with a seat. Four slots were situated in a round form that allowed perfect purchase for front and back paws. A scalloped edge allowed room to raise the tail. Waste flowed down onto a pad that was incinerated at high heat when the computer sensors read the chamber as empty. Several had been designed and installed throughout the ship for Tigger and the Duchess. Smaller units were in design to be installed in Quarters. This allowed Tigger and The Duchess the same freedom of movement enjoyed by their human companions. Chief Kassan was one of the few humanoids who realized immediately that both Tigger and Duchess were more than they appeared. Tigger and Duchess also knew that about the chief.

  Although he didn’t communicate with the Chief on a psi level, Tigger knew the Chief understood most of what he said. They would sit together every night for what the Chief called a bit of the leis. Chief would have some fiery liquid and Tigger lapped at a bit of ale. Kassan would recite all of the doings on the ship and in the cargo bay that came his way every rising. The Chief was a gossip and had sources all over the ship. Privately, Tigger felt that the security office should pay attentio
n to Kassan’s gossip. They would learn more from him than from their bugs and tapes. Kassan led Tigger to suspect that there might be a listening device planted in the Admirals’ Quarters. Now he needed to track who had the opportunity to plant it. Tigger had three humans to look after now. Chief Kassan, Tigger suspected, could look after himself very well.

  By the time he returned to quarters, all was as it should be. His humans were wrapped around each other, fast asleep. He jumped onto the bed, circled a few times, and plopped, placing a head on Anya’s arm, a paw on Jonal’s shoulder and his tail atop Tonas’s head. One of these days, that one would learn not to gripe about cat hair. Tigger settled in for the night.

  Chapter 9

  “The Lamb that belonged to the sheep,

  whose skin the Wolf was wearing,

  began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep’s clothing;

  so, leading the Lamb a little apart,

  he soon made a meal off her.”

  —Aesop’s Fables, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

  Sarran Calendar: Cycle 9435.B115

  Earth Calendar: June 25th morning

  Anya picked at her breakfast. She had awoke this morning in her lovers’ arms, but they didn’t stay put long enough for a second act. She had stuck out her lower lip and attempted a pout. Having had little practice, it was unsuccessful at best, laughable at worst. It earned a buss on the check from Jonal and a distracted pat on the head from Tonas. She was seriously irritated with her princes. Anya bristled. ::I am not some toy spaniel to be put on a pillow to get fat on bon bons whiling away the time until my masters’ return. This sucks big time. I’m going to have to talk to Jonal about attempting some meaningful work. Maybe I can find some of the other women and see what they need.::