Hastion was shocked. “Shelley, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I just felt…strange about it.”
Tysan’s frown had deepened. “Have you experienced any other unusual symptoms or behaviors?”
Shelley sighed. “I went after both of them like a cat in heat last night, and on the ship, I practically raped Hastion.”
“As if you could, silly Terran girl,” Hastion said dismissively. “But she was quite aggressive. And the night she doesn’t remember, she was aggressive then as well.”
“Oh hell, you mean I attacked you again?”
“You didn’t attack. You were simply…enthusiastic.” When she raised a brow, he amended, “All right, you were desperate to be fucked, not to put too fine a point on it. I didn’t,” he hurried to add when Tysan scowled at him. “She did say repeatedly that she isn’t usually like that. The behavior seemed quite out of character for her.”
Shelley groaned and buried her face in her hands. “It is.”
“And your moods?” Tysan asked. “Have they seemed erratic?”
Shelley looked up. “I don’t think so. In fact, I think I’ve been in a pretty good mood, especially compared to Tara. It’s beautiful here and so far I’m a lot happier than I thought I’d be. If I just have a bug or something, I think I might actually be thrilled about the whole thing.” She ducked her head and looked at Hastion through her eyelashes. “It’s hard to be depressed when you’re in love.”
The tightening in his chest made drawing a breath difficult. “Yes, it is.”
Tysan stood. “Once I’ve run my analyses, I’ll inform the minister of the results, but for now I’m ordering a day of rest and plenty of liquids.”
“Monica could have done that,” Shelley said with a grin. “Garathani medicine isn’t so different from Terran medicine after all, I guess.”
Hastion escorted him back down the corridor. “You seem concerned. What’s wrong with her?”
Tysan’s expression remained closed. “At this point, I cannot say. I told you, I’ll send my analysis to the minister.”
“Will she be all right?”
“I’m certain she’ll be fine, Ensign.”
For some reason that didn’t make him feel any better.
When Cecine arrived for his dinner engagement that evening, the door opened and Shauss greeted him wearing only mabi pants and tunic in a cool shade of blue.
“Welcome to our home, Minister,” he said, sweeping out a cordial arm in invitation.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” he replied, stepping inside. He drew up short when he saw Tiber and Jasmine, and only a lifetime of training kept his eyebrows from winging upward.
Tiber was attired in a narrow, sleeveless white tunic and a silky white brief. Around his neck hung a heavy collar of beaten gold. Jasmine was dressed in a tunic and pants so gossamer fine that her white undergarments were clearly visible, and her slender neck was circled by a delicate choker of gold flowers.
“Jasmine,” he said with a measured nod, keeping his eyes focused on her lovely face rather than the generous breasts swelling precariously over the top of her low-cut brassiere.
Jasmine’s color was high and her eyes dark, but she smiled warmly. “Good evening, sir.”
“Tiber.”
The doctor met his eyes squarely. “Welcome, sir.”
When Jasmine turned to lead the way into the sitting area, Cecine didn’t quite manage to check the widening of his eyes. Her brief, which had covered little enough in the front, was nothing but intersecting strings in the back, completely baring her high, round buttocks beneath the white film of her pants.
He sent Shauss a guarded look. “I believe I’m overdressed for a pajama party.”
Shauss smiled. “I beg your indulgence for the evening, sir.”
“Then perhaps you’d better call me Cecine for the evening,” he replied dryly.
“Cecine.” Shauss dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I hope you don’t mind going directly to the meal. We’ve planned a demonstration that we hope you’ll find…enlightening.”
“By all means.”
Their table was set for only two. When Shauss gestured for him to be seated, Cecine left the chair at the head for the master of the house and took the one on the side.
After they sat, Tiber and Jasmine emerged bearing a platter and set it on the table. Tiber served Shauss while Jasmine served Cecine and then both knelt at the corner between them.
A fine current of tension sheeted under Cecine’s skin. After he’d taken a few bites, he asked Shauss, “Would I be correct in assuming the demonstration has already begun?”
“You would.”
Cecine considered him, and then the relaxed faces of Jasmine and Tiber, before inclining his head. “Very well then. Proceed.”
When they were nearly done, Shauss gave a wave of his hand, and Tiber and Jasmine rose to refill their plates.
“As delicious as it was, I don’t believe I could eat more,” Cecine said.
“Begging your pardon, sir,” Jasmine said with a smile, “it’s not for you.”
Cecine raised his brows. “Indeed.”
Tiber and Jasmine returned to their kneeling positions.
“You are aware that ours is a true triad,” Shauss said. When Cecine nodded, he continued, “What you may not know is that there’s more to our bond than physical mating. Out of respect and concern for Tiber, I’ve kept the nature of our relations as private as possible, but it has recently come to my attention that in doing so, I’ve done a grave disservice to the males of our planet.”
Cecine frowned slightly but waited for him to continue.
“The three of us discussed the matter and decided that, in order for you to fully comprehend the truth of what we share, it was imperative that we show you rather than tell you. However, I feel it only fair to warn you, sir…” he looked at Tiber, and Tiber nodded as if to reassure him, “…some of what you see may offend your sensibilities as a warrior.”
“That line was crossed when the three of you greeted me dressed for an orgy.”
Shauss gave a small smile. “There’s nothing wrong with your powers of observation. However, I would ask that you reserve judgment until the demonstration has concluded.”
“Proceed then. You have me quite curious now.”
Shauss turned his chair more toward Tiber and sprawled back in it. “Are you hungry, Tiber?”
Color rose in Tiber’s cheeks but he said, “Yes, sir.”
“Then I will feed you while the minister feeds Jasmine.” He pointed between his feet. “Crawl to me, Tiber.”
The tension under Cecine’s skin tightened and he had to bite back a reprimand. Demonstration or not, to call any male, especially a male of worth, like a lowly beast—to make him crawl, especially in the presence of a leader—was unacceptable. He knew Shauss could be ruthless but hadn’t suspected he would be cruel to his own bondmate.
Tiber moved forward on his hands and knees until he knelt between Shauss’s spread legs. Without looking away from Tiber’s face, Shauss picked up a slice of meat from his plate and tore a piece off with his fingers. Then he held it before Tiber’s lips. “Eat, Tiber.”
Without hesitating, Tiber opened his mouth and took the meat, watching Shauss’s face as he chewed. Before he’d finished, Shauss had another bite ready for him, and the exchange continued until the entire piece was gone.
“Thank you, sir,” Tiber told him.
“Would you like some more?”
“Yes, please.”
The sound of a throat clearing made Cecine look at Jasmine, who was clearly fighting a smile. Grudgingly following Shauss’s example, he fed her bites of meat and vegetables with his fingers—though he left her kneeling beside him rather than turning so she could kneel between his feet. When she looked up at him through her lashes, taking a bite from his fingers, his mind played a trick on him, superimposing Hastion’s face over hers, and his cock stiffened further. Peserin’s
hell, they looked even more alike than he’d realized. It was all too easy to imagine Hastion in her place, eating from his fingers with a seductive look, licking his fingers, teasing him, challenging him…
“I believe I’ve had enough, sir,” Tiber said.
Shauss held out his hand. “Clean my hand, Tiber.”
Tiber immediately began licking and sucking Shauss’s fingers while Shauss watched him with an enigmatic expression. When he was finished, Shauss ran the same hand over Tiber’s head, ruffling his short yellow hair. “Very good, pet.”
Cecine growled and Shauss glanced at his hands, which were now clamped around the armrests of his chair. “I believe the minister is offended on your behalf, Tiber. He believes an honorable warrior should not be regarded as a pet.”
“That is not an uncommon attitude among our males,” Tiber acknowledged.
“Why don’t you tell the minister how you feel.”
Tiber turned his head and looked at Cecine with liquid brown eyes. “I feel many things at the moment, sir. Embarrassed. Aroused. Nervous. Excited. Proud.”
“Proud?” Cecine exclaimed. “How can you feel proud and embarrassed at the same time?”
“Let me ask you a question, sir,” Tiber replied. “Could you do this? Could you kneel barefoot at the feet of another male and eat from his hand?”
Cecine narrowed his eyes. “I would sooner die.”
Tiber smiled. “Then I can do something you cannot.”
“Is this supposed to impress me?”
“It should,” Shauss said. “Do you think Tiber weak?”
“Before tonight, I would have answered that with a definitive no,” Cecine said. “Now, however, I am not so certain. No offense intended, Tiber.”
“None taken, sir.”
“Jasmine, a warrior and interplanetary ambassador, kneels beside you, eating from your hand, ready to serve,” Shauss continued. “Are you as offended for her?”
Cecine looked down to find her regarding him curiously. “It had crossed my mind, but no, the idea of her kneeling and serving and eating from my hand isn’t as offensive.”
“Why not?” Shauss asked.
“Because she is female,” he admitted with some reluctance.
“You enjoy seeing a female on her knees.”
Cecine scowled. “I didn’t say I enjoyed it.”
“It wasn’t an accusation, sir,” Shauss said calmly. “I’m simply pointing out that we are all products of the world in which we were raised, a world in which males were ruled by females and often treated as little better than slaves. Seeing a male on his knees brings back memories and feelings most of us would as soon forget, while seeing a female on her knees inspires a sense of justice.”
“You make us sound like the vengeful misogynists the Terran media make us out to be.”
Shauss crooked a brow. “Can you honestly tell me it would not be easy for us to tumble down that slippery slope?”
After a long moment, Cecine sighed heavily. “No, I can’t. However, I hope we’re better than that. I like to think that we possess more integrity than the females who ruled before us. More compassion.”
“As would I.” Shauss leaned back. “With your permission, we will continue with our demonstration.”
Peserin’s hell. “There’s more?”
“We’ve barely begun.”
Cecine sighed heavily. “I might need more ale then.”
Jasmine immediately got to her feet and refilled his mug.
“Jasmine is submissive to the bone,” Shauss told him. “Tiber, however, is what’s known as a switch. He seems to top and bottom with equal ease, although I do believe he prefers to bottom.”
“Shauss believes what he wishes to,” Tiber interjected.
“Tiber, isn’t there something more pleasant you could be doing with your mouth at the moment?” Shauss murmured with an artful smile.
Tiber’s lips quirked in return. “If you say so, sir.”
Shauss beckoned him forward with two fingers, and Tiber didn’t hesitate. He reached up and drew down the waistband of Shauss’s pants to bare his stirring phallus.
Cecine froze, memories of his encounter with Hastion on the beach all too fresh in his mind.
“Tiber, tell the minister why I ask you to do this,” Shauss said.
Tiber looked over his shoulder again, this time with a wry look. “Because I enjoy it more than I should and he enjoys rubbing my face in it, both figuratively and literally.”
“You enjoy it?”
“I do. There’s a certain amount of power in the act.”
“Power!”
Tiber smiled at Cecine’s incredulous echo. “You’ll have to perform it for yourself to understand.”
Cecine narrowed his eyes in warning, but at that moment Shauss leaned forward and slid a hand behind Tiber’s head, drawing him forward into…a kiss.
A kiss between two males.
Cecine’s heart thundered as he watched. Shauss of Andagon, possibly the most lethal warrior he knew, was pushing his tongue almost playfully into his second’s mouth, and Tiber didn’t just accept the invasion with resignation—he responded with enthusiasm, sliding his hands up Shauss’s thighs to grasp his hips.
It was, without doubt, the most erotic thing he’d ever witnessed, and he was all but slain by arousal and alarm in equal measures. It was all too easy to imagine himself engaging in similar behavior with Hastion.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Jasmine whispered without taking her glowing eyes off them.
He swallowed, painfully aware of the stiffness jutting up from between his thighs. “This doesn’t displease you?”
“I love it. They need each other.”
Shauss broke away. “I need Tiber more than he needs me,” he said, looking into the other male’s eyes.
Tiber shook his head. “Not true. Well, perhaps for holding your ego in check,” he added with an impudent grin.
“Which is why I love you—for that, and for your talented mouth,” Shauss said, stroking his bondmate’s head one more time.
Cecine inhaled sharply. Words of love now. Love.
In that instant, bitter regret almost felled him. If he’d exchanged such a kiss with Draeda, if he’d confessed his feelings for him regardless of the risk, would Draeda have lived?
He swallowed hard as Shauss slouched back with his hands folded behind his head, his cock arching toward the ceiling, and gazed at Tiber. “Now suck me, mate.”
Cecine squeezed his eyes shut, jarred by the contradiction. How could Shauss treat Tiber in such a manner if he loved him?
When he could bring himself to look again, Tiber had wrapped his hands around the base of Shauss’s cock and was mouthing the bursting head as if he were savoring the richest of fruits. Both males’ feelings were plainly written on their faces as they stared at each other.
I love you…and I enjoy seeing you debased.
I love you too…and I enjoy being debased.
Shauss glanced at him and looked amused. “You look as though your head is about to explode.”
“Which one?” he asked through taut lips.
Shauss chuckled. “Both. You know, sir…” he cocked his head to the side, reaching down to stroke Tiber’s hair again, “…if I told her to, Jasmine would see to your needs as Tiber is seeing to mine.”
Lightning cracked down Cecine’s spine and for an instant all he could hear was a high-pitched hum. Was the lieutenant’s goal this night to give him a brain attack? If so, he was well on his way to achieving it.
“Why would you do that?” he managed to ask.
“Because I suffer an excess of pride,” Shauss said with a sigh. “I enjoy showing off my treasures and Jasmine enjoys being shown off more than Tiber does. I don’t believe I could convince Tiber to suck your cock.”
Tiber raised his head long enough to say, “You couldn’t. No offense intended, Minister.”
“None taken, I assure you,” Cecine said with an incred
ulous laugh. Then he looked at Jasmine. “And you would do it.”
“Gladly,” she said in a firm voice. “I love to please Shauss. He deserves my obedience.”
Cecine narrowed his gaze on Shauss. “And if I wished to fuck her?”
Betraying no hint of affront at the crude challenge, Shauss replied lazily, “If I asked it of her, she would comply with the same enthusiasm. However, I’m afraid I’d have to kill you before you finished, which would take most of the fun out of it—for you anyway.”
Cecine laughed in earnest this time. “It is fortunate then that, as lovely as she is, I wouldn’t betray my mates, especially with my second’s sister.”
Shauss stirred then, tugging Tiber’s head up with one last stroke of his hair and standing, righting his waistband as he went. “In that case, I’m going to ask both Tiber and Jasmine to disrobe for you before they retire for the evening.”
Cecine stared at him. “Why?”
Shauss’s lips quirked. “Why not?”
“I…” Cecine shook his head. Peserin, but the lieutenant was going to be the death of him. “Proceed.”
Jasmine and Tiber were both smiling as they turned their backs to him and pulled off what little clothing they wore. Having less to shed, Tiber finished first and turned around.
Cecine’s brows shot up as he stared at Tiber’s cock, which was poking straight out in front of him. “What in Peserin’s name is that?”
“A gross mutilation of one of my very favorite toys,” Shauss told him with a stern look, “for which he was properly punished.”
“It’s called a Prince Albert piercing.” Tiber took himself in hand and showed off the silver ring that entered his cock underneath the head and exited through his urethra.
Cecine’s pulse pounded in his ears. “Then it’s not a slave piercing?”
“It is now,” Shauss said, “but there is nothing in Peserin’s creation that could induce me to poke holes in my own phallus, so I would certainly never have poked any in Tiber’s.”
Tiber smiled. “You pierced Jasmine. I felt left out.”
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