Festive & Seduced

by Shelley Munro

  Ry’s eyes flew open, and in a show of body strength, levered upward. “Camryn.”

  His abrupt move pushed his cock deeper, stretched tissues long unused, yet memories of the blissful sensations, the punches of heat were still fresh.

  “Ry,” she murmured and wrapped her arms around his neck in case he attempted to escape. She rose and shoved back down on his shaft, dragging an almost pained groan from him. More, she thought. God, she’d craved this.

  His fingers tensed on her shoulders, digging in briefly as if he were considering lifting her off his cock and fleeing. No way! She tightened her inner muscles, bearing down on his cock and wanted to cheer in triumph when his hands clutched her shoulders and held her close.

  “I wasn’t going to do this,” he whispered, anguished, his green eyes stormy with passion and…regret?

  She wanted answers, but no way in hell would she interrupt the best sex she’d had in months. Time to discuss his words later. Right now, she focused on the sensations, the passion simmering between them. A slow slide up and a rapid push down until fully impaled. A quick clenching of her inner muscles. The husky gasp as his hands dropped to cup her buttocks.

  For an instant, she thought he might lift her off him, but he helped her, lifted one breast to his mouth. The suction had her toes curling, her heart thundering. Their bodies strained together, her flesh gripping his cock again and again, making him gasp, making him groan, making him come.

  At the first contraction of his cock, she rubbed her clit and stared into his eyes. It didn’t take much. A stroke back and forth and the spasms began, a flight into soul-drenching ecstasy. She shuddered with helpless pleasure, holding her mate and savoring the thunder of his heart against her breasts. Slowly, she came down and drew back to search his expression. Her heart sank.

  While he’d enjoyed himself, he didn’t appear happy.

  Chapter 6

  The morn after.

  Ry couldn’t eat another bite of his malpack steak, not with his stomach churning in a sense of failure, a sense of anger, a sense of doom. In this moment, he understood why Camryn had turned to alcohol after the death of her husband. Now, she loved him—he didn’t doubt this truth for a sec—but a tiny corner of her heart held enduring love for Gabriel, her first husband. Most cycles, he tried not to think about it, but if something happened to Camryn, he’d fall apart.

  Without Camryn, his life had been one of loneliness, of fear, of short encounters to appease his feline with sex.

  With Camryn, he had a full, rich life, lots of friends and now a family.

  She meant everything to him—his best friend, his lover, his savior. His world. So this weird restlessness felt wrong on every level. His need to keep her safe, even if that meant no sex, made far more sense to him.

  He should talk to her—he knew this, yet he delayed putting off laying out his deepest feelings, making himself vulnerable, even if it was to his mate.

  Unable to sit still for an instant longer, he pushed away from the table and stood. “Anyone interested in some sparring?”

  “Me,” Jannike said immediately and put down the bright green vitamin drink Mogens had instructed she drink.

  Ry laughed, even if the humor emerged with a dry bark. The expressions on Lynx’s and Shiloh’s faces pushed out another rusty chortle although he understood their alarm. Protective-mode came as instinct for male felines. Difficult to switch off when it came to a pregnant mate, and with Jannike, her position as queen made an heir even more important, her safety imperative.

  “Jannike, I thought we’d go for a walk. I have an idea I’d like to run past the queen,” Camryn said. “And I’d like some advice.”

  Ry caught the grateful look Lynx sent Camryn.

  “Shiloh and I have some royal business, holo meetings with several of our neighbors, and we can’t put them off,” Lynx said.

  “Ellard? Nanu?” Ry asked.

  “I’m in,” Ellard said.

  “I’d like to do some training.” Kaya prodded her hard belly. “I need to keep in shape.”

  “I’ve been thinking we should introduce a secret Santa thingie,” Gweneth said. “So we have some presents to place beneath the tree. It looks bare.”

  Camryn nodded. “Good idea. We’ll get that organized and do a draw this eve.”

  Ry headed off with Ellard, Nanu and Kaya.

  “Ry, wait,” Lynx called. He and Shiloh jogged to catch up. “Can we have a word?”

  “I’ll meet you at the training zone,” Ry said to the others and waited until they departed. “Something wrong?”

  “Yes,” Lynx said.

  “No,” Shiloh answered at the same time.

  “Jannike,” Ry said.

  “How did you cope with Camryn’s pregnancy?” Lynx asked. “I worry about Jannike, the baby. I can’t sleep for thinking about being a father. I want to do a better job than my parents.”

  “You want the truth?” Ry asked.

  “Yes,” Shiloh said, intensity blazing from his green eyes, his large body still as if he were prepared to leap.

  “I was phrullin’ terrified. Camryn had a tough time during the birth and if she hadn’t had her feline part, she would’ve died. The twins—they’re miracles and I fell in love with them as soon as I first saw them. But the terror hasn’t left me. Now I worry about keeping them safe, and I worry what will happen if Camryn gets pregnant again. You might have noticed that all three women—Camryn, Jannike and Gweneth—became pregnant even though they were on birth control. The thought of losing Camryn…” He trailed off on seeing the horror in Lynx and Shiloh. “You asked for the truth. We have Mogens who is the best medic I’ve ever met, we have our feline genes that promote fast healing and all our women are fit and healthy. Strong both mentally and physically. This I know, but I still worry.”

  “Flaming grata,” Shiloh muttered. “I had to ask for the truth.”

  “What we need is for Mogens to come up with a birth control method that works for our particular feline women. Mogens has done some research here on Viros and he hasn’t come up with any other cases where a female on birth control has fallen pregnant. It is something specific to our mates. Mogens said it could be anything from trace elements in the food, some bug they’ve picked up or a common gene. Until Gweneth fell pregnant, he thought it might be the fact that Camryn and Jannike both converted to feline after mating, but Gweneth is half-feline. At present, he’s working on the premise that it’s the non-feline part of their makeup that is the problem.”

  “You didn’t think to mention this earlier,” Lynx demanded.

  “What was the point? Jannike is already pregnant. I’m the one who needs to worry since Camryn is no longer pregnant.”

  “Phrull,” Shiloh said. “What about those condom things that Nanu mentioned the other day?”

  “Mogens is trying to source material to make more.”

  “Crap,” Lynx said. “So what do you do for sex?”

  Ry grimaced as memories of the excellent, unprotected sex he’d had the previous blacklight with his mate. “Get creative. I…Camryn thinks the control shot Mogens gave her still works. I’ve put off telling her because I thought Mogens would come up with a fast solution.”

  Lynx and Shiloh stared at him, surprise and shock coming to the fore.

  “You need to tell her,” Shiloh said. “Jannike has taught us that women don’t like secrets.”

  “I will. Soon,” he added. “She slipped past my guard last night. I just hope she isn’t pregnant already. Losing her…” He swallowed. “I need to go and hit something. Please, don’t tell Jannike. I intend to talk to Mogens after our training session, and then I’ll come clean with Camryn.”

  “How come she doesn’t know already?” Lynx asked.

  “She took a long time to heal after the birth. It’s only been recently that it has become an issue.” Ry grimaced, guilt thumping him over the head. “I’m a coward. I’ve put it off this long because I’d hoped Mogens would come up with a
solution.”

  “What about the power we need to supply for the Incorporeals in order for them to produce the Christmas dome?” Shiloh asked.

  “Have you asked Sheera or Leeam about reproducing the condom things?” Lynx asked.

  “No, why would I… It never occurred to me,” Ry said, hope in his heart. “Do you think they would do this?”

  “They might since it directly affects their food source, and Shiloh, Ellard and I will all face the same problem soon. Part of the deal to have them reside here was that we could never ask or demand things. They must be freely given, which is why they consulted with their uncle before offering to do the Christmas globe. You should discuss it with Ellard, since he is our Incorporeal liaison. If we explain the situation, they will at least consider our request,” Lynx said.

  Ry grabbed Lynx and kissed him on the mouth, full of exuberance because at least this presented a glimmer of hope when he’d thought none existed.

  “Hey!” Shiloh snapped.

  Ry grabbed him and planted a firm kiss on his lips too.

  “Hey,” Lynx snapped in protest.

  Ry just grinned. “Thank you for the idea. I’ll talk to Ellard once we’ve finished training.”

  “Talk to Camryn too,” Lynx said.

  “I will,” Ry said. “I should have done it cycles ago. I know it.”

  Shiloh shook his head in a sorrowful manner. “Camryn will kick your butt.”

  “If we had some form of birth control, that might have a happy ending.” Ry grinned at the snorts that came from the two felines and wagged his finger at them. “Imagine if the citizens of Viros could hear you now. They’d be very disappointed in their rulers.”

  Lynx lifted his middle finger in a royal salute and Ry’s grin widened. He whistled as he strutted away to head to the training area. Hope was a powerful thing.

  When he arrived, Nanu and Kaya were battling on the mat. They used a mixture of arts, evenly matched since they knew each other’s moves well. Ellard spoke on his com.

  Ellard hung up as Ry joined him. “That was Ransom. They need someone to collect raw precious stones from the mountains where Gweneth and I were captured.”

  “I thought the Incorporeal people collected the stones for the dragon shifters. I mean, I know the shifters can’t do it because of the strong resonance from the mountain ranges. At least that is what I understood from speaking with Ransom. He said he can’t fly over or land in the area, not long enough to collect raw stones.”

  “True. They can work with the stones in small quantities but something about the mountain ranges screws with their systems. Ransom said the force fields and traps the Scothage pirates set are still present and he doesn’t want to risk Niran’s people. He said he’d offer to pay and asked if I could suggest anyone.”

  “My crew will do it,” Ry said. “If you could come along and help. I want to purchase a special present for Camryn and a piece of jewelry would be nice. Com Ransom back and tell him we’ll do it. He can pay us a fair price plus a piece of jewelry of my choosing for Camryn.”

  Ellard nodded. “Done. We’ll add a piece of jewelry for Gweneth too.”

  “Ask Ransom to keep that part of the deal secret so we can surprise them with our Christmas gifts.”

  Ellard commed Ransom back. After a short discussion, they came to an agreement.

  “When do they want us?”

  “Now.”

  Ry calculated the supplies they’d require for the short hop to Narenda. “Nanu, Kaya, we have a contract. Are you in?”

  “Yes,” Nanu said.

  Kaya pushed up off the mat. “When do we leave?”

  “Before blacklight,” Ry said. “We have a lot to do.” And he started issuing orders before he went in search of his mate.

  “Camryn.” Ry approached, glad to find her alone in the main reception room. Gweneth had offered to babysit the twins, and he hoped Camryn would be willing to come on the short mission with him. It would be a chance to talk to her and tell her why he’d rejected her advances so often.

  She turned from her scrutiny of the Christmas tree, her smile guarded.

  “Ransom contacted Ellard and requested help to collect some precious stones from the mountainous region on their planet. I said we’d do it. Ellard, Nanu and Kaya have agreed to go. Would you like to come too? Gweneth said she would love to babysit the twins. Ellard said it’s a short hop there and the journey to the mountainous region won’t take long in the Indy. We’ll be away four or five cycles at the most.”

  It would also give Nanu a chance to discuss his depictions and finalize the plans for the Christmas dome with the leader of the Incorporeal people while they were on Narenda. They would transport a party back to Viros. According to Ellard, they could make the hop from Narenda to Viros themselves, but it took energy, and in this case, they needed to save their power to conjure the dome.

  Camryn remained silent for a long moment, and Ry started to worry. Did she want to stay with the twins? Understandable. They hadn’t left them before, not for longer than a few mark cycles.

  “Did you want to stay with the twins?”

  Camryn threw herself at him, her face wreathed in a blinding smile. “Thank you for asking me. I’ll miss the twins, but I’d love a change in routine.”

  “Good.” Ry breathed in her familiar scent as he wrapped his arms around her slender body. “We’re leaving before blacklight since the dragon shifters require the stones urgently.”

  “We’re leaving today?”

  “Today,” he confirmed, comfortable with the Earth terminology.

  “Okay. Here, pick a name for the secret Santa.” She offered him a box and he drew out a slip of paper. “Tell Nanu, Kaya and Ellard to come by and pick out their names.”

  Ry nodded as she ticked off both their names and then picked out a slip of paper for herself.

  “I’ll pack for us,” she said. “And I’ll tell Jannike that we’re not doing that job for Rosina.”

  Ry frowned. “But not why?”

  “No, not since you promised you’d tell me why you wanted a distraction.”

  “I will soon.”

  Camryn patted his hand. “I’ll take care of it before I start packing.”

  “Thanks, I have a lot to organize. We’re meeting back here at sixteen cycles and will catch a flymo to the Indy together.”

  Camryn kissed his lips and frowned. “Why can I smell Lynx and Shiloh on your mouth?”

  The corners of Ry’s eyes crinkled. “I kissed them both.” With a wave, he left his mate, since he had a lot to do before they left, one of which was to speak with Mogens and ask if he would be willing to travel with them and maybe speak with Niran about the importance of finding birth control. A whistle erupted from him—an Earth Christmas carol—as he strode down one of the many castle passages. He hadn’t felt this alive for cycles. Santa Claus was coming to town.

  * * * * *

  “I shouldn’t feel this excited when we’re leaving the twins,” Camryn said to Gweneth.

  “We’re used to doing things, going places, facing challenges.” Gweneth patted Camryn’s arm. “I always knew we would find it difficult to settle in one place.”

  Camryn considered Gweneth’s words and nodded in agreement. Ry had wanted to find his family, and while they’d discovered his planet of origin, his forebears and their descendants had long left Viros. Instead, she and Ry had found a different sort of family and added a royal connection. Maybe they needed to think of another way of combining a business to challenge them and the roots they’d started to forge in the feline community. Something to ponder.

  “Pick a name for the secret Santa,” she instructed and placed a tick beside Gweneth’s name. “Everyone who is going on the Indy has picked a name. Can I leave you to finish the draw and explain it to the others who haven’t played before?”

  “Sure,” Gweneth said.

  Camryn used the rest of the cycle to organize clothes and spent time playing with the twins. Aware
of the building excitement and the feeling of wellbeing because of the new sense of purpose, she decided she’d find the time to talk with Ry, even if the honesty was initially uncomfortable.

  * * * * *

  The Indy took off right on schedule. Camryn sat in her normal seat, tightly strapped in as the force of the propulsion unit exerted pressure on her body. For an instant, the safety harness bit into her chest then it eased as the Indy shot upward through the atmosphere. In the viewport before them the green forests of Viros stretched beyond the city, dominated by the castle. She caught a flash of water—one of the many small lakes before the trees and flora gave way to the mining region. A sea of rich brown, raw soil where the various minerals that made Viros wealthy were mined, the scars on the landscape disturbing on one level yet the colors beautiful too.

  Camryn blinked, and when she looked through the viewport again, the black of space had replaced the deep blue of the eve sky. While Earth appeared mainly blue from space, Viros was green and brown when seen from the Indy. She never tired of watching a takeoff and the shift of colors because this life wasn’t something she’d envisioned during her teens. The changes between then and now…

  She shook her head because her life now truly was mind-boggling yet rewarding and adventurous. Pity she couldn’t turn up at a school reunion and tell all.

  “We’re stabilized,” Nanu said.

  Along with the others, Camryn unfastened her harness and stretched. The journey to Narenda was less eventful than Ellard and Gweneth’s first visit when a malfunctioning ship had placed them in the path of a meteor storm. This trip held no surprises, and Nanu had them on the ground three mark cycles into whitelight, the Indy purring like a kitten during the short jaunt.

  “It feels weird without Jannike,” Kaya said. “I keep wanting to toss out insults and she’s not there to receive them.”

  “Jannike is having twins,” Mogens said. “She should not travel this close to her delivery date.”

  All of them: Ry, Nanu, Ellard, Kaya and Camryn turned to stare at Mogens. Their seer and medic, who shifted skin tones between black and white, presently glowed a pretty pearly white, which indicated happiness and contentment.