by Harper Dell
Leah said nothing. She simply stared into his eyes as he spoke, trying to discern if what he said was the truth, the word naturally playing on her mind.
“You must understand, I am not the first one who has been to your planet,” continued Ayden. “We sent women first, we know the way you think about men, but to our shock, the High Court had them killed.”
Leah whispered now. “Women? Killed?” She shook her head, confusion clear in her eyes.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. They know we’ve changed our ways. They’ve been watching our planet. But they can’t risk losing their power. You felt what there was between you and me, that connection, that pull. If more men came and more women felt that way, the judges would lose their influence. The status quo on the planet would change forever.”
Leah thought a moment. “We have a good life here. It works.”
Ayden pulled her closer then, pressing his body against hers. “But there’s something missing, isn’t there?” he whispered. “Tell me you don’t feel it? Tell me every woman on this planet doesn’t deserve to feel the ecstasy you have?”
“How can I believe a word you say?” she asked.
“Don’t believe it, feel it,” he said pushing firmly against her, while gently running his thumb over her nipple.
Leah shoved him away angrily.
He faltered two steps back but stood his ground.
She shoved him again. “Get down!”
*
Ayden raised an eyebrow. But at that moment he would have done anything she asked. The woman was oozing sex appeal. Her lips pouted, her legs spread, hands on hips and a no-nonsense expression on her face. No ifs or buts, she was simply gorgeous, and he was horny as hell just looking at her. Ayden lowered his knees and lay on his back, muscles taut with expectation.
“Now what?”
“I’ll show you how much I feel for you,” she said.
She stepped one leg over his chest, straddling him. Then she positioned herself over him and lowered her torso slowly and deliberately. She stopped and began circling him with her sex. Ayden moaned with pleasure, but Leah’s expression stayed fixed as she slowly, lazily enveloped him. He tried to pull her down onto him, but Leah stayed exactly where she was, teasing him with her heat. Just when he thought he couldn’t take any more, she shoved down onto him, making him fill her up in one jolting instant. Ayden shivered with the pleasure of it. Leah stared forward.
Gradually she began to move her hips round and round, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise, all the while tensing and releasing her pelvic muscles, sending Ayden into a fury of exhilaration, oblivious to the miserable environment and the chains around his body. He cupped her breasts in his hands and matched her movements, pushing deeper into her with each lift of his hips.
Leah began to rock violently backward and forward. In a state of exquisite torture, Ayden waited urgently for her release, but try to discern it as he might, he could see nothing on her face to indicate anything other than what looked disarmingly like boredom. But his body was beyond a point of reasoning and when he finally came with mind-blowing shudders and gasps, it was the deep sense of sadness that immediately enveloped him as he looked at Leah’s expressionless face, that left Ayden without doubt that this woman had gripped onto his heart.
She stood over him, looking down disdainfully, then stepped away and headed for the doorway, clanging the heavy metal behind her.
“You can’t be that heartless,” he said.
“Just following your lead,” Leah bit back.
*
She climbed quickly up the dark stairwell, and the moment she rounded a corner, leaned against the wall, her body in such a state of disarray that there was no way to go on. Poised at the point of ecstasy, she had only to lower her hand and gently rub to push herself over the edge. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the scream of pleasure that threatened to reach Ayden’s ears, then slowly slid to the ground. Tears pushed their way over her eyelids and she wept silently on the cold stone floor. Hiding her emotions and feelings from Ayden was the hardest thing she had ever done. As she thought back over the events of the day, she felt her heart split in two.
Somehow she mustered the energy to climb the remainder of the stairs. When she reached the top, she was relieved that the High Court was deserted. All she wanted to do was go home, fall into bed, turn the lights out and try to put this miserable day out of her mind.
She opened her wings, preparing to fly, but thought better of it. The last thing she needed now was the feel of the air rushing over her body. In fact, the less she could feel, the better. Instead, she began to plod slowly home but when she got there, she barely had time to make herself a cup of soothing kanta root tea when there was a knock at the door.
She opened it a crack to find Britha waiting eagerly.
“What do you want?” Leah asked. “You have your bounty.”
“But not your body. I could have contradicted the man, supported your story, put you under suspension and a High Court investigation, but I said nothing.”
“For a change,” Leah muttered. “I cannot lie with you for another half a year. The judges will not oblige it.”
“We’ll see about that. Either way, you are obligated to one more joining with me.”
As Leah opened the door wider, she knew Britha was right. When two women were paired by the High Court, they never complained. Satisfying their bodily needs was as natural as sating their hunger for food. For some women, the pairing did become emotional and they fell in love. In such instances, they could approach the High Court to instate a permanent bond, and it was these couples who were granted the right to bear children. The court judges established what sort of children were needed in their world and the fetus was genetically engineered appropriately. One of the two women, the birth mother, would carry the child. Children thus came into families bonded by love, with partners who desired one another and were given offspring that were both wanted and needed to keep the society running smoothly.
Even the animals in their world were all females. A special unit existed purely to trap and impregnate every creature on the planet. These women could communicate telepathically and the calmer animals, like setera deer, would follow without hesitation. Other creatures, like the imposing blade lion, were another story altogether, often taking up to six women to trap them. The animals, like the women of the planet, seemed to get on well enough, sometimes even pairing in love.
Leah had thought she was in love once, but the feelings didn’t last long. Nevertheless, she enjoyed satisfying her sexual needs. In the past, she had found it fun exploring a new partner twice a year and discovering new delights and secret places. She was nothing if not sensual, and her sexuality was an aspect of herself she took pride in developing.
Britha though, was one woman who had failed to excite her sexually. Their first joining was pleasant enough, but as time moved on and Leah got to know her as a person, she was increasingly turned off. Britha was overbearing and selfish with a distinct air of self-importance. None of these qualities made for a pleasing lover.
And now, more than ever, making love to Britha was a daunting prospect.
“I’m tired, Britha. It will not be enjoyable.”
What she really wanted to say was that she was sexually spent and emotionally drained.
“When?”
Leah knew she had no choice. Not only could Britha initiate a High Court investigation against her, but refusal to partner with her on their last joining would not be acceptable and would likely draw investigation in itself.
“I am only in estrus until tomorrow,” Britha protested. “It is my best time for satisfaction.”
“Come back tomorrow then,” Leah sighed.
“And find the door locked and you gone. No thanks.” Britha moved inside the room and made herself comfortable on the couch. “I will lie with you tonight. We will join in the morning.”
Lea
h breathed a deep sigh. There was no point in arguing.
Britha found some leftovers in the fridge and filled her stomach. Then she took off her leather clothing and let it fall to the floor. Leah eyed the blonde bush that framed her sex, the soft breasts that were home to her hardened nipples and wondered about the differences between man and woman. Britha’s body was not unappealing, if she would only keep her mouth shut, but it was so different from Ayden’s that for a moment Leah had a mind to explore it simply to remind herself of what was expected and familiar.
As she watched Britha move toward the bedroom, her perky bottom waving from side to side, Leah felt her own body responding. Ayden had awakened something in her which she had to quieten one way or another. Besides, what better way to forget the feel of him than to indulge her senses in another body so different from his. If she threw herself into it, allowed her body to feel the things it loved, surely it would be no matter that it was Britha.
Now is not the time. She warmed up her tea and took it to bed with her, lying next to the naked form already there. Britha’s arm fell lazily over her chest, and Leah derived some comfort from having a warm body in her bed, even if it was Britha’s. Yes, she decided, come morning her body would be fresh and ready to be indulged. Ayden was no longer her problem, and joining with Britha was exactly what she needed to confirm just that.
But sleep did not come easy, and she dreamed of Ayden pushin his way inside her, filling her up and throwing her into waves of delight. When she woke, Britha’s fingers were exploring her, and Leah gave herself up to the sensations, her eyes firmly closed and her legs loosely open.
Chapter 6
“Thought that would get your attention,” said Britha, trailing her hand over Leah’s stomach, generating delicious shivers over her skin.
Leah opened her eyes a moment, but seeing Britha’s face only brought home to her that Ayden’s was the one she wanted. What she needed at that moment was for her body to feel: a simple act of enjoyment, no intimacy, just sex.
So she took Britha’s shoulders and directed her head gently down. Britha quickly obliged, grinning as Leah moaned with pleasure digging her nails into her back.
“I knew you wanted me,” she said. “So tell me the truth. Did you really join with the man? What was it like? Was he violent as they say?” As she spoke she caressed and teased Leah with her fingers.
Leah could hear the morbid curiosity in her voice and wished she would shut up.
“I would like to get my hands on him,” Britha continued. “Did he fill you up? Satisfy you?”
“Yes,” said Leah. To her surprise, thinking of Ayden while Britha touched her made her want to come then and there.
“Did the man feel like this?” Britha asked. “Tell me this feels better than the man?” she said, pressing deep inside Leah, caressing her in ways she never had before.
But Leah wasn’t listening. Her eyes were closed. She had a vision of Ayden’s solid jaw and firm lips in front of her, his wide shoulders encompassing her, and his engorged manhood filling her up—her heart in one place, her sex in another, the combined effect was utterly glorious. Before long, Leah’s body began to shudder and Britha moaned. Leah’s breaths grew fast, her heart racing as the blood rushed to fuel her heat, until she fell into an overwhelming release.
“I hope you can top that. And I’m willing to bet the man never will.”
But Leah knew that as much as she had thoroughly enjoyed the sensations, she felt nothing for Britha.
“My turn,” said Britha, rolling onto her back.
Leah felt a bit bad. She couldn’t fault Britha’s skills when it came to joining, but all she could think of was what she would like to do to Ayden. She leaned forward, mouth open. Then, to her relief, and Britha’s annoyance, both their wrist communicators beeped simultaneously.
But the message she saw made her feel as though she was sitting on the dungeon stairs weeping all over again.
The trial of the man will begin in one hour. Ensure you are there. He is being tried for trespassing and for the crimes of his ancestors, the ultimate penalty being death.
“Well that’s a no-brainer,” said Britha, already getting off the bed. “Everyone knows the male creatures were barbarians. He will not be able to justify their actions.”
“No, he won’t.” Leah sighed.
They left the apartment together, and it wasn’t long before they came across an excited mob of women all following a curious procession. Esplana stood in front, followed by Wentiesh, with Ayden chained behind them.
Women were spitting at him and pelting him with rotten fruit. They were taunting him and shouting insults. Leah noted two things: firstly, that he held his head up tall despite the torment he was being forced to endure, and secondly, that the Azarian people were conducting themselves in much the same manner as they were accusing the man’s ancestors of behaving.
Leah made her way to the court ahead of the slow and unruly procession as Britha hung behind, an expression of delight on her face. As she entered the courthouse, Leah felt sick to her stomach and began to pace in the corridor. Before long, a door opened and Vasha stepped out of one of the side rooms.
“I thought I heard something. Come in. We need to talk.”
She followed Vasha into the room. It was bare except for a large desk with the planet’s crest engraved into the wood—the image Leah had always taken for granted of the man beaten down by a woman.
“You are going to kill him, aren’t you?” Leah asked.
Vasha nodded. “It is unavoidable. You feel for the man?”
“I thought I did. I am trying not to,” she said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
“He is not bad.” Vasha motioned for her to sit.
Leah tilted her head. “You believe that? Then why the procession, the anger, the stories?”
“The stories, at first, were true. But we have been watching the men…”
Leah sat up straight, hanging on every word. “Then there are more,” she interrupted.
“They have changed their ways. They have leaned toward their better natures. This Ayden, he tried to protect you. That is why he behaved that way in court.”
Leah shook her head, trying to make sense of these new revelations. “Then he was telling me the truth in the dungeon,” she said almost to herself.
“I don’t know what he said, but probably, yes.”
Leah bristled. “You have killed some of their women then?”
“It had to be done,” Vasha said.
“Just like he has to die.” She angrily wiped a tear away as Vasha nodded sagely.
“Men would change our whole world, everything we have achieved—our children, our ethos of peace, our work ethic. Men are a distraction. They do not think the way we do,” Vasha confirmed.
“He says it is because you do not want to lose your power,” Leah accused, angrily.
“That is true on some level,” said Vasha, “but only because in our power rests the continued good progress of our people.”
Leah heard the roar of the crowd approaching. “I don’t know if I would have brought the man back to you if Britha had not arrived,” she pleaded. “We did things together. Things you can only dream of. The man is not a beast. I beg of you to have mercy on him.”
Vasha walked toward the door and opened it.
“I am sorry for you, Leah, but I would advise you not to do anything you would regret, anything that would put our people at risk.”
“Or what?”
“You do not want me to answer that. Perhaps someday in the future, when this is all over, you will understand. Come. Your presence is required in the courtroom.”
Leah told Vasha to go on ahead. She pressed dial on the communicator on her wrist. She needed to talk to somebody who would understand. When her birth mother answered, she couldn’t hold back the tears. She poured out the whole story, and her birth mother waited patiently and then dispensed
her usual wise advice.
After Leah said goodbye, she had put everything in order in her head. She knew where her loyalties—and her heart—lay. She walked into the courtroom to find Ayden restrained in a square bench seat facing the crowd, Britha seated on a bench opposite him, and a riot of noise coming from the packed gallery behind her.
Vasha took her seat on the podium, adjacent to Ayden, and banged her gavel three times.
“We are here for the trial of the man who has trespassed on our lands.”
Cheers from the gallery supported this statement.
“Not only for his crime but for the crimes of his ancestors. Who speaks for the man?”
“I do,” Ayden said to roars and boos from behind.
“Who speaks for the court?”
“I do,” said Britha, tight with energy, her blonde hair rolled into a neat bun and an air of confidence about her walk.
Vasha addressed Ayden. “First, to the crime of trespassing. What say you?”
“I say this was the land of my ancestors, and it is rightly mine to walk upon,” he argued.
“Silence! Silence!” Vasha repeated as the crowd erupted in anger.
“And to the crimes of your ancestors?”
“I cannot speak for them.” He adjusted his arms beneath the chains, sighed, and rubbed his chin against his shoulder. Leah felt her heart would break for him, but she held her head high and listened intently.
“Oh but you must,” Britha said.
“They were misguided and stupid,” he answered, looking directly at Leah.
“They gave up the best thing they ever had,” Leah spoke out, holding his gaze.
“Objection,” Britha called. “Leah has no right to speak.”