The Pleasure Rites Series

by Ines Johnson

  Khial had pledged his life to Dain's happiness. After what Khial's mother had done to Dain's family, he owed the man his very soul. Dain's heart was Khial's to care for and protect. Chanyn could not enter his bond with Dain. If Khial allowed it, it would mean that he had failed his bond mate.

  Khial entered Dain's office where the monk, robes still slightly askew, stood with his head hung in shame.

  "It is my fault," the monk said.

  Dain looked the monk up and down, a small smile on his lips. The monk was a handsome specimen of male. Strong shoulders, large hands and a sensual mouth. Khial had never been sexually interested in another living soul besides Dain. But that didn't mean he was blind to the other man's appeal.

  Dain held the contraceptive ring monitor in his hand. A small radio transmitter emitted a shrill warning sound when the monk's dick ring had been disengaged moments earlier. It was a device employed by parents of young girls in training with the hounds to ensure their inferior genes didn't accidentally spill into their daughters. As far as Khial knew, there had never been such an accident. Hounds were considered a trustworthy, devout, group of men.

  Until recent history. Which is why Dain sent Khial to Chanyn's bedroom at the sound of the alarm.

  "She's a curious woman, isn't she?" Dain tossed the device in the air and caught it with the same hand.

  The monk stayed mute. His chin set.

  Khial knew the Pleasure Hounds' compound was in desperate need of the money Dain supplied them for Chanyn's training. The reputation of the hounds had been damaged because one monk ran away with some aristocrat's daughter. Since that incident, the First Sons wouldn't trust their precious few females to go under the tutelage of the sexually superior hounds.

  The removal of a contraceptive ring was an offense of high magnitude. If a hound were to get a woman pregnant with his own seed, the Sisterhood would likely shut them down for good and persecute all the monks for crimes against women.

  "She took the ring off, didn't she?" Dain's voice was coaxing.

  The monk didn't answer, even though an accusation could mean he wouldn't get paid, or worse he could be brought up on charges.

  Khial saw that the monk had no intention of selling Chanyn out. Khial leaned back against the fireplace, appraising the monk anew. Khial prized loyalty highest among all other traits in men.

  "As I said, my Lord, the fault lies entirely with the teacher and his instruction," said the monk. "It might please you to know that Chan—that Lady Chanyn is very responsive. If my estimation is correct, and I believe it is, she is capable of orgasm."

  Khial knew the monks believed that the female orgasm was necessary in order to conceive female children. Men had no trouble coming at the stroke of their cocks, but women, apparently, were not as fortunate. Hence the monks.

  "We could forgo the one-on-one training," the monk continued, "and you and your mate can join us in the next session."

  Dain glanced over the monk's shoulder and met Khial's eyes. Khial's heart sighed at the sudden stiffness in his lover's posture. Thank the Goddess! Dain wasn't ready for intimate relations with the girl. But just as Khial's heart breathed a sigh of relief, his dick hardened in anticipation of the time when they would partake in those relations.

  Khial commenced clenching his hand once more.

  Dain cleared his throat and pulled at his shirt's collar. A nervous gesture that Khial knew well. "In light of tonight's events, I would feel more comfortable if you took a bit more time in your evaluation of Lady Chanyn. She is untried and needs to understand the ways of men before we three bond."

  From behind, Khial saw the monk's back stiffen beneath his robes. In the end, the monk bowed his head and turned to leave. As he neared the door, his eye caught Khial's. It was only a slight flick of his brow but Khial felt as if the man looked him over, sized him up, and found him wanting.

  Before Khial could bristle at the evaluation, the monk was gone.

  Now alone, Khial regarded his lover. Dain crossed his hands over his chest and leaned back in his chair stretching his neck. It was a catlike move that Khial had seen him do many times when he was stressed. Dain said the posture allowed his thoughts to turn upside down so that when he righted himself he came back with fresh ideas.

  Khial always saw it as an opportunity to taste his lover's strong neck column. Bracing himself on the arms of Dain's chair Khial did just that. His tongue beginning at the base of Dain's throat and tracing a slow path to the underside of the other man's chin.

  A low growl of pleasure sounded in Dain's throat.

  Khial nipped at his chin before capturing Dain's bottom lip with his teeth.

  "Hey," Dain breathed, looking into Khial's eyes.

  "Mmmm," was Khial's answer as he crowded Dain in the chair and went seeking his earlobe.

  "So," said Dain. "What did you see?"

  Khial frowned as he pulled away. As he did, he also pulled Dain's shirttails from his trousers.

  "Chanyn and the hound," Dain clarified. "What were they doing?"

  Khial popped open a button on Dain's shirt. "You want to know the goings on in the bed of a man and woman?"

  Dain's nod was a bit solemn. "We're going to have a woman in our bed soon, Khi."

  Once again, Khial's dick jumped at the prospect. It was a thought and a feeling he was not willing to deal with, at the moment. Instead, he yanked Dain's face roughly to him and got lost in his lover's mouth. Pushing his tongue into Dain's mouth, Khial shoved all thoughts of Chanyn from his mind and tried his best to make Dain do the same.

  It must have worked because soon Dain gripped the backs of Khial's thighs and pulled him down into the chair. Khial straddled his lap. Dain took over the kissing as Khial continued working on Dain's buttons.

  But then Dain drew back sharply and grabbed his chest through the open shirt.

  Khial hopped up. "Dain?"

  Dain didn't answer. He gulped down lungful’s of air.

  Khial looked around in a panic. It had been a long time since Dain had had an episode. None of the medicinals the Physics gave him were working. Heart conditions were largely incurable.

  Khial felt helpless as he sank to his knees before Dain. Khial's fingers clenched, digging into his palms, needing to tear at the thing causing Dain pain. Khial's own heart beat painfully as he watched his lover catch his breath.

  Dain's breaths eased. His eyes relaxed and finally opened. With a careless flick of his hand and small grin, Dain waved the episode off.

  "It's passed," Dain insisted bringing Khial's head back down for a kiss.

  Khial stopped him, his own heart still beating wildly out of control. "We can go to the Australias. There are some old world doctors there who might be able to help."

  Dain shook his head.

  "You cannot ask me to give up on you." Khial was certain that if Dain's heart ever stopped beating, his would too. And Khial had a lot of living to do. Living with this man in front of him—this man who had been everything Khial needed in the darkest hours of his life. If he couldn't be the same for him, then what kind of man was he? He needed to do something.

  In that uncanny knack of his, Dain read Khial's mind. "You want to do something about it? You want to help me?"

  Dain waited for Khial to nod. Khial would do anything to save Dain. But as soon as Khial thought it, he recognized it for the trap it was.

  "Agree to let Chanyn into the bond," said Dain. "It's the only way to keep me alive and you know it."

  Chapter Nine

  Chanyn pressed the folds of her dress down. The light blue of the fabric made her skin glow a healthy brown. But when she glanced in the mirror of her changing room, she could see the curve of one breast. Chanyn's mother had hated any revealing of the skin. The body was sacred, her mother insisted, and need only be revealed to the Goddess and not another living soul. Perhaps her mother had learned that from her own mother?

  Chanyn reached for another dress, but found it cut in the same way. In fact, all the dr
esses revealed some part of a woman's body. In the end, she assumed this was the way women dressed in the city.

  Dain had found her family. He would arrive at her door shortly to escort her to their home. After three days here, it would be her first trek into the city proper.

  Chanyn hadn't been out of the house since she'd come to stay with Dain and Khial. She hadn't minded. She spent the second day walking the gardens of the estate, and that night meandering the rooms. Dain had joined her and given her another tour with tales of his mother and fathers. Chanyn could tell that he had come from a loving home.

  She and Dain had been alone and talking together for hours that day, the day after his proposal. She'd expected him to embrace her, to kiss her, to hold her hand.

  He did none of those.

  He would lightly touch her elbow to guide her in the direction he wanted her to go next. Always smiling at her, with that bit of awe at the corners of his eyes, he'd lean in every once in a while, and mock whisper something mundanely scandalous that he and Khial had done when they were younger. He'd smile or laugh with delight at her observations.

  Dain was so easy to be with. Chanyn could easily picture them old and gray, walking and talking in this same companionable way. An ease, a sense of peace, settled over her.

  The next day started the same way. A walk in the gardens. A chance meeting with Dain in a different part of the house. Another sociable talk, more delighted smiles, followed by companionable silences as they simply sat and gazed out over Dain's land.

  Yes, Chanyn was sure she could get used to this.

  A knock sounded at Chanyn's door. She recovered from her startle and went to answer it.

  Dain stood on the other side, dressed impeccably in a white shirt, tan slacks, and his ever-present smile. But this smile was different. This smile didn't quite meet his eyes and that was because they swept over her body instead of looking into her eyes.

  "How are you this morning, m'lady?"

  Chanyn had a brief instinct to cover herself. But this was Dain. He'd never leered at her. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd mind if he did.

  When she didn't respond immediately, Dain finally looked up and into her eyes, concern itched in the corners. It dawned on her where this concern came from.

  "He didn't hurt me," Chanyn said. Dain must have been looking for evidence of foul play at the hands of the Pleasure Hound, Jian. "It was entirely my fault that..."

  Here Chanyn paused. She felt mortified to explain further any of what she and Jian had been doing. Which was absurd, since she'd seen Dain doing the same thing with Khial. And she'd likely be doing the same thing with both of them soon.

  Chanyn looked away, face heating.

  "I believe it was entirely your fault," Dain said.

  Chanyn's mortification couldn't have increased more. So she'd broken yet another social custom. What did this mean? Would Dain no longer want a wild, untrainable thing such as her? Would he send her away?

  But then he laughed.

  Chanyn looked up. His green eyes were filled once more with amusement. He shook his head as he gazed at her.

  "You almost scared the poor man off. We're lucky he's agreed to return." Dain continued laughing, but when his eyes connected with Chanyn's he sobered. He reached out for her hand and enfolded it in the crook of his elbow. "There's much you need to learn, Chanyn."

  Dain walked them down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. "You're used to being someone's servant, out of necessity. Women here are objects of worship. They are served. You upset the balance when you seek to serve a man. You must let the hound do his work and serve you."

  "I will," Chanyn said. "I promise."

  Dain smiled at her, friendly once again. They stopped in the driveway. He took her hand from the crook of his elbow and brought it to his lips.

  Chanyn's eyes watched the movement. Her mouth parted as Dain's lips met her skin. They felt soft and warm. She sighed, wishing those lips had met another target.

  Dain's intelligent eyes swept over her face like he was reading a book. He straightened. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned in. The brush of his lips against hers was soft. Softer than Chanyn had expected. She felt both his top and bottom lip. But they were dry now and a bit chilled. His nose squished her own. She could feel beads of sweat on his forehead. And the flutter of his eyelashes as they opened.

  In the books, the women always felt a shift take place in their minds, a skipped beat of their heart. Chanyn felt... normal. She must be doing something wrong. She wondered if she should open her eyes, too. And so she did.

  They stared at each other, lips still pressed together. They stayed that way for a moment; neither pulling away, nor pressing things any further. Then Dain's eyes flicked to the left. He jerked back from her, holding her at arms distance. Chanyn turned to look over her shoulder.

  Khial stood staring at the two of them. His eyes wide in shock. His normally scowling mouth agape in disbelief.

  Dain cleared his throat, his thumb brushing over his mouth. "We're going into the city." He had to clear his throat again as the words garbled. "If you would like to join us?"

  Khial stared at Dain another moment. His eyes narrowed as though the English language were foreign to him. Finally, he blinked and walked into the house without a word.

  Dain hesitated, one foot turned toward the house, one hand still on Chanyn's shoulder. In the end, he sighed and turned to her. The smile that stretched across his face aimed for easy, but it looked weary.

  "Ready to go."

  It wasn't a question as he handed her into the car and they took off.

  They were silent for a while.

  "You know that I like you, Chanyn." Dain turned to glance at her from the driver's panel. "I like you very much."

  There was such earnestness in his eyes. Earnestness that Chanyn didn't need to see. She knew he spoke the truth.

  "I like you very much too, Dain."

  He nodded as though he wasn’t quite sure and had to roll the words around in his head a bit. "Khial... Khial didn't grow up in a loving family. He has a rough time with new people. But he is the most loyal, passionate, loving human being I know."

  Dain paused, his fingers gripping the steering wheel. Chanyn could see the blood draining as he clenched harder.

  "Please," his voice strained with the plea. "You just need to give him some time."

  Desperation replaced Dain's earnestness. It was Dain who proposed—Khial made no such overtures. But the two males were a packaged deal, a package Chanyn wanted to be bound to; to be bundled in the love she saw that Dain and Khial shared. She would do whatever was necessary to get to that place.

  "I will," Chanyn promised.

  Dain nodded. Some of the blood returned to his fingers, but he continued to grip the steering wheel.

  They pulled up before a mansion that rivaled Dain's place. It was a sprawling compound, all on one floor. The gardens were lush with color. In the distance, Chanyn could see men, young and mature, in the fields picking the produce of the fertile earth. The fertile lands went on as far as she could see. The shock must have shown on her face.

  "You come from a very powerful family Chanyn. The women inside that compound are leaders in the government and sciences."

  Chanyn felt a pang. She didn't excel at either of those. Her mother had always been disappointed that her daughter had no head for the large volumes of reading necessary to master the political or technical sciences. Chanyn was always far more interested in the social constructs she found in fiction.

  Dain was at her door handing her out. He walked to the gates with her, her hand once more tucked into the crook of his arm. "I'll wait for you right here."

  Chanyn's head whipped to his. "You're not coming in?"

  Dain laughed shaking his head. "I don't think your family would be interested in my company."

  "But you're to be my husband. Shouldn't my family get to know you better?"

  Dain gazed down at her, wond
er and awe alight on his face alongside something else Chanyn couldn't name. He moved a hair from her brow. Chanyn had always read of men doing that to women. She found it pleasant.

  "This world no longer works that way, Chanyn. Since the Great Destruction, men's opinions are seldom tolerated, much less asked for. You may have come into this world with only the clothes on your back and a stack of books, but you came with far more power and influence than I or my wealth could ever afford me."

  The door opened then. An older man with an expressionless face stood stiffly on the other side. His gaze flicked up in surprise at Dain's hand on Chanyn's cheek.

  Dain put his hand away. "Lady Chanyn to see the ladies of the house."

  The servant nodded and Chanyn was handed inside. Dain did not cross the threshold. He gave her an encouraging smile before the door was summarily shut in his face.

  "This way, if you please." The servant led Chanyn through an ornate walkway. Pictures of great women lined the walls. Many Chanyn did not recognize, though some she did from the pictures in books. There were queens of the lands once called Egypt and Europe. Goddesses of the land of Greece. There were also great warriors depicted. Female leaders from the twentieth who had done battle with men before the destruction. Warriors such as Hillary Clinton and Sasha Obama.

  And then she saw them, the powerful women of today. There were four of them, gathered in a small sitting room sipping tea..

  One was an elderly woman. She reminded Chanyn of Jian with her olive toned skin and lifted eyes.

  To one side of her sat a mature woman. She was as dark as the earth. She held a reader in her hands instead of a teacup. She tapped quickly, her eyes scanning fast.

  Off to the side, on a settee, sat two young ladies. One swirled her tea and gazed out the window. The other tapped her teacup impatiently as she gazed at the clock.

  "Lady Chanyn," announced the male servant, bowing deeply before retreating from the room. Chanyn watched his retreat and then turned back. All eyes were on her. Assessing. No one jumped up and ran to her with arms out-flung. No one smiled a warm welcome. No one even spoke.