Avren: An Auxem Novel

by Lisa Lace

  “So these… backlands. The king of your planet does not visit them? He does not make promises to you to improve your lives?”

  “Earth is ruled by governments, not kings. They say they’re going to make things better, but never really do.”

  “Ah yes, Lizzy has told me of these governments. I do not mean to sound judgmental to your chosen system of ruling, but it seems an awfully inefficient one to me.”

  Bethany couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. Klowix looked at her in confusion. “You’re right, it is inefficient.”

  Klowix smiled at her, and she felt herself melting. “Here too, there are many areas that could be improved. Some of my men have joked that they could replace the king with a monkey and no one would notice.”

  Bethany giggled, and Klowix smiled more widely.

  “Of course, I disallow such talk, but though I would never say it to them, I believe they have a fair point.”

  “From what I know of the history of Earth, human kings and queens were about the same.”

  “Perhaps neither of our races have yet perfected matters of rule, then. That is why we have armies, of course.”

  “What?”

  “Are armies on your planet not made up of people from all places and all peoples?”

  “Yes, they are.”

  Klowix nodded. “There you go. Armies know what the people need, and give it to them. Why have Earth’s armies not brought technology to these backlands?”

  “Armies do what the government tells them. Isn’t it like that here? Don’t you need to obey your king?”

  “Of course, disobeying the king is treason, but he seldom gives orders. For the most part, I just direct my men in seeing to what the people need. I still keep them sharp, though; in times of war, the army is the line of defense around the planet.”

  Bethany was fascinated. “There haven’t been times of war here for… what, about a generation?”

  Klowix nodded again. “Over twenty years. I see Trili has been teaching you.”

  “She knows so much about history. It’s a bit intimidating, I don’t think I could ever have the kind of knowledge she does.”

  “It is not necessary, Each person has their own area of interest in which they have great knowledge. I take it you don’t know yours yet?”

  Bethany shook her head. “No.”

  “Most who come to me don’t. Here, you will have the time to explore any field you wish. You will find your passion.”

  The word passion coming from his lips made Bethany blush. She realized that they’d finished eating. Klowix stood up and she hurried to do the same.

  “Come.” He held out his arm, indicating the lounge. Bethany made to follow his direction, but he stopped her with a light hand on her shoulder. He leaned in slightly.

  He was close enough that Bethany could feel his breath on her cheek. She yearned to reach out, to close that distance… but she mustn’t. She mustn’t let him become interested in her, or she’d never be allowed to go home. His hand moved to the back of her neck. He was moving slowly, giving her ample chance to pull away.

  What would she do if he did, though? He may be polite, even nice, but he was powerful and intimidating, and clearly a man used to getting what he wanted. Could she dare reject him? Did she want to?

  Chapter Four

  “I wish to kiss you.”

  The words were so soft she almost thought she imagined them. Klowix’s eyes were fixed on hers, waiting for an answer. Beoli had told her about this; it was custom for a man to ask a woman before he kissed her, at least the first time. She had to answer yes or no.

  She opened her mouth to say no, and instead out came a breathy whisper. “Yes.”

  Then Klowix’s lips were on hers. They were hot and insistent, and she responded, letting her mouth fall open. She gasped as his tongue slid in, slick and fast and delicious.

  All too soon, it ended. She was glad he still had his arms around her, because she was not sure if her legs would support her weight right now.

  “How do you feel?”

  Bethany gasped. “I don’t know.”

  The room started to spin even more as Klowix moved her to the lounge in an instant the way Evions often did.

  “Tell me what you are thinking.”

  Bethany looked up at him; he had her on the couch, and she was practically lying in his arms. “You know, Evions are a lot more direct than humans.

  He smiled. “I’ve been told.”

  Bethany wriggled to get up and he let go of her, letting her scoot over to the other side of the couch. How did she feel? She felt like she wanted another kiss, that’s what. She couldn’t exactly tell him that, though. She needed to get that thought out of her head right now.

  “I have never been to a human planet. I find your customs… confusing. How do humans get simple information if they do not ask for it?”

  “Um… it’s hard to explain. We do ask some things. Others, we kind of infer it from how people around us act.”

  “That seems a flawed way to get accurate information.”

  Bethany giggled. “It is, I guess. Maybe your way is better.” She leaned back against the couch. “Some of your ways are strange to me as well. Trili spent about an hour explaining how it would be considered very rude to stand in the wrong place in a room. Humans don’t have those kinds of invisible lines inside buildings, I’m glad she told me.”

  As Klowix started to tell her a little more about Evion culture, Bethany found herself relaxing, even enjoying herself. Pushing the raging desire she felt for him into a small ball of denial in the back of her head, she admitted to herself that she liked spending time with Klowix. He was still intimidating, but she found herself being happy to be in his company.

  “Have any of the others told you about the sharing?”

  “No, what’s that?”

  Klowix looked uncomfortable. “Ask them to explain it to you. Then, think about this: I wish to partake in the sharing with you.”

  Bethany swallowed. She didn’t know what this sharing was, but the way he said it scared her.

  “I’ll – I’ll ask them.”

  “Good. Then I will bid you goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.” Bethany watched as Klowix got up and left.

  “Bethany, finally, you slept for ages! We wanted to wake you, but Klowix said to let you sleep. Anyway, we were thinking what else to teach you, and Trili thought of showing you this. Come on!”

  Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Bethany followed Culip to the screen and moaned. “No, no more shopping.”

  “Oh, there will be more shopping, but not now. You’ve only seen Klowix at home. As a Commander, he’s… well, something else. Look at this. It’s a video of when an extremist group moved against the crown, trying to assassinate the king. The army came in…”

  Bethany’s eyes were drawn to the screen. It was chaos, weapons firing and people shouting. In the middle of it, Klowix stood, tall and proud, shouting orders to his troops. They rushed at the enemy, and Klowix backed away, moving in front of the king. He fired his lasers with deadly efficiency.

  Bethany gasped as he was disarmed from behind. Klowix didn’t even falter, swiftly breaking the neck of the man who had attacked him. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying. Bethany didn’t think she’d ever seen anything hotter – or anything more intimidating – than Klowix standing there, dominating the battle.

  “Bethany? What’s wrong?”

  She sank onto the chair behind her. “What am I doing?” She was supposed to be not being noticed. What she was doing – she was definitely being noticed.

  Bethany looked at them directly. “What’s the sharing?”

  All the girls burst out in giggles. “It’s… well, none of us has ever done it, of course, but it’s… well, part of it is sleeping together.”

  Bethany had to focus on keeping her breathing steady. “And the other part? Beoli, maybe you could explain?”

  “It’s exactly what the name
implies. It’s a sharing – a sharing of spirit. The male Evion initiates the link, draws out some of your spirit, and drinks in your essence. It’s said to be an experience like no other. It’s very intimate, more than just physical. Most Evion pairs do it, but some humans aren’t comfortable with it.”

  “You mean I have a choice?”

  “Yes, of course you have a – wait, what do you mean?”

  “Klowix told me to ask you about the sharing. He wants to ‘partake’ in it with me, whatever that means.”

  Anna squealed. “Ooh Bethany that’s wonderful!”

  “So soon, too, it’s only your second day here…”

  Bethany was mentally trying to picture how Klowix would react if she said no. He still scared her a bit.

  She muttered and held her head in her hands. “No, no, no, this is wrong, all wrong.”

  The noises of jubilation around her faded away.

  Snia hesitated. “What do you mean? This is what we’ve all been hoping for. It’s why you came here. You’re so lucky.”

  Bethany didn’t know what to say to her, didn’t know what she could say without getting her family killed. “I know. It’s just all happening very fast.”

  Ruth shrugged. “Then tell him you’re not ready yet.”

  Bethany didn’t want to do that. She knew she should. She was losing track of her goals here. She wanted to get home, but the thought of having Klowix’s hands on her again was intoxicating. “Does Klowix have a phone?”

  “He has a T-screen. That’s like the equivalent of a phone here.”

  “Can I send him a message?”

  Before she lost her nerve, Bethany convinced Lizzy to show her how to send a quick message on the T-screen. Yes, she must be insane.

  “Excellent!” Culip glanced over her shoulder. “Come on, we’ve got to get everything ready. It has to be perfect.”

  When Culip said ‘perfect’, she really meant perfect. They weren’t allowed in Klowix’s room without his permission, so they prepared Bethany’s. Before the day was out, the room was lit in a soft, romantic light. There were rose petals on the floor and slow music playing. Scented candles gave off perfumed smoke.

  Of course, Culip insisted on getting another dress – less a dress this time and more a skimpy satin nightdress covered by an equally skimpy satin gown.

  Bethany protested. “I can’t be like this when he gets home.”

  Snia assured her it was proper. “It’s the way Evions do things. He’ll expect it. You wait on the bed for him, and don’t get up until he comes to you.”

  The rest of them made plans to watch movies in Ruth’s room, which was furthest from Bethany’s.

  Anna’s voice was soft now. “It’s time. We need to go greet him. You stay here, Bethany. Enjoy.”

  She winked and followed the rest out. Bethany was left alone to wait.

  But she wasn’t alone long.

  When Klowix came in, he too was dressed differently. His normal military uniform was gone, and instead he wore a piece of white and gold cloth wrapped around his hips, ending at his knees. His chest was bare. Bethany’s breath caught as her eyes took him in.

  “Bethany.”

  She came into his outstretched arms, letting the gown fall to the floor. He enfolded her in his embrace, and she sighed in contentment. Klowix tilted her face up and looked into her eyes for a moment before kissing her. Bethany’s mouth slid open, inviting him in.

  His tongue explored her mouth fiercely, forcefully. Bethany moaned into the kiss, her hands clutching his back, aching for more. He pulled the skimpy nightdress over her head and let it fall to the floor.

  Klowix lifted her and gently carried her to the bed, laying her on her back. Bethany was struck suddenly by shyness. She’d never been naked with a man before, certainly not a man like Klowix. When he started began her again, she forgot her shyness and reached for him.

  He slowly started moving down her body, trailing kisses down her cheeks, her neck, her collar bones...

  Bethany’s breath was coming hard and fast. Her body was on fire, hot and demanding. She needed Klowix like she needed air.

  His hand brushed ever so gently over her nipple. She gasped at the contact, feeling the nipple harden instantly.

  “Do that again.”

  He growled. “You don’t give the orders here.”

  Bethany felt her body tingle. He was so sexy when he was bossy. “Yes, Commander.”

  He brought his hand back to her nipple, squeezing it in his fingers. Bethany moaned and reached her hands out, desperate to touch some part of him. Her hands found his back and roamed over his muscles.

  Klowix’s tongue flicked out over her breasts, sending shivers through her body. Bethany arched up, needing him, and he came back up for a kiss. As they kissed, his fingers were doing things with her nipples that made her head spin. She ran her hands down his sides, to his hips. She could just feel the coarse hairs around his cock, and wondered if she dared go any further without permission.

  “Touch me.” Klowix was almost reading her mind.

  Bethany reached down eagerly, greedily. His cock was huge and hard and already dripping. Klowix groaned as she took it in her hands. She didn’t know what she was doing, but it felt good, and by the sounds he was making, it felt good to him as well. Her hand glided up and down his shaft, now slick with precome.

  His hands left her breasts and moved farther down. Bethany spread her legs, desperate for his touch. His fingers were light at first, just skimming over her skin. When she moaned in frustration, Klowix used a firmer touch. His hand unerringly found her clit. Bethany bit back a scream as she bucked her hips upwards.

  “Ooh…” Her head flicked from side to side as she was racked with waves of pleasure. Klowix moved his fingers in swift circles over her clit.

  “What to see what all these Evion powers are good for?”

  Bethany was in no state to respond, but he took her flushed face and harsh breathing as a yes.

  His fingers blurred, moving so fast that Bethany felt herself coming to the edge in mere instants. Her legs tightened as she began to come.

  Suddenly, his fingers were gone. “Not so soon.”

  Bethany gasped. “Please.” She needed his fingers back on her. She needed him inside of her.

  Klowix seemed to need her just as much. He towered over her, his cock erect and ready. He kissed her as he thrust inside her. She knew it should have hurt, but she was so turned on that she hardly noticed the pain. Klowix began to move in a steady, easy rhythm.

  The hot, slick sliding had Bethany already on the edge of orgasm, and she kissed him back as fiercely as he was kissing her. One of Klowix’s hands came behind her neck and held her in a firm grip.

  Bethany jerked in his grasp as she felt something… slide out of her. In the corner of her eye, she could see a thin stream of what looked like smoke trickling from the back of her neck, up Klowix’s arm and to his face as he breathed it in.

  It was blissful. Bethany had never felt anything so good in her life. Not his touch, not the best orgasm she’d ever had. This was the definition of ecstasy. Klowix groaned in equal pleasure and began moving faster, pumping in and out of her.

  Bethany was already moments away from coming when he did it again. He sped up his movements, inhumanly fast. It was so divine that Bethany screamed out loud. His finger was on her clit, and she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  She came so hard that for a moment the world wavered. She clutched at Klowix for dear life as her legs drew up and the orgasm overcame her. She could hear him grunt as he climaxed too, depositing his seed into her with an exuberant moan. He thrusted once, twice, three more times, riding them both through it, their gasps mingling together. Finally, he collapsed on top of her, panting, every bit as spent as she was.

  Klowix rolled over so as not to crush her. He kissed her gently, smiling. Bethany tried to smile back, but she still couldn’t catch her breath. How embarrassing.

  A few moments later,
she was feeling something more than embarrassment. She couldn’t get her breath. It was becoming harder to breathe by the second.

  “Bethany?” Klowix sat up, looking anxious.

  Bethany gasped, clutching at her throat, but she was getting no air.

  Klowix began to shout frantically. “No… no, this shouldn’t be happening! Help!”

  Bethany was vaguely aware of movement and voices, but in her panic, she couldn’t make anything out. She was dying. The world was moving to the end of a long tunnel.

  “Get the paramedics here, now!”

  Then his face was right above hers.

  “You’re going to be ok, Bethany. You’re going to be fine, I’ll take care of this, I promise.”

  By now, others had entered the room, and he turned to them. “Why is this happening! You were all tested, all of you! None of you are intolerant to the sharing, you can’t be. I made sure – I never would have if…”

  He kept shouting in the same desperate tone, but his words turned to mush in Bethany’s ears. Her vision was going blurry. She wanted Klowix to look at her, so that she could look into his eyes one last time, but he was still turned away from her, shouting. The world was fading away…

  Chapter Five

  When Bethany opened her eyes, her head was pounding. She blinked a few times until the room came into focus. She was lying in a huge bed – her bed, she remembered. There was a man in a green coat with gold stripes who was examining a T-screen, and Snia was asleep in a chair next to the bed.

  “Snia?” Bethany’s voice came out hoarse and croaky. Snia jerked awake at once.

  “Bethany! Doctor, she’s awake.”

  “How are you feeling?” The man in green leaned over her, shining a light in her eyes and feeling for her pulse. Bethany flinched; she hurt everywhere.

  “I’ll tell Klowix.” Snia leaped out of her chair and rushed from the room.

  A few moments later, Klowix came striding in. Brushing the doctor aside, Klowix knelt next to the bed.

  “Bethany, are you alright?”

  She hesitated. “I think so.”

  “Good. Then you can tell me why you weren’t tested before you came here.”