by Ivy Barrett
“What did they learn?” Savator asked.
“Callita was mated to the director of a mining facility run by the Skarilians. She seems to know more about our enemy than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Savator turned from the ship, his interest clearly piqued. “Does she know why the Skarilians destroy every planet they come across?”
“She claims they harvest the energy produced by strong emotions. That’s why they prey upon the weak, to further devastate the ones left behind. In fact, the bombers are supposedly the ships that collect and store this energy.”
Savator nodded, glancing at the bomber then back at Ram. “Makes sense. Those ships are the ones delivering the damage, so they’re close enough to process the aftermath.”
“She said the ships are called harvesters.”
“Most cultures have some sort of legend about necromancers, mystics empowered by death and the suffering surrounding it. Gods know the Ventori do.”
“As do the Yashonty,” Ram agreed.
The chancellor shook away the disturbing thought and brought the conversation back to the factual. “There is one system my engineers were unable to understand. They said they’d never seen anything like it. LeAuntiez, my Celestian advisor, scanned the primary component and said it radiates evil.”
“You likely located the harvesting mechanism.” Even if the Ventori had been unable to determine how it worked, it substantiated Callita’s story.
“Tell me more about this self-destruct function,” Savator prompted, his thoughts clearly along the same lines. “Can it be triggered remotely?”
“Callita claims her mate had a device that could trigger auto-destruct on any of the bombers. She even has a master code that will trigger every ship within range of the device.”
Savator crossed his arms over his chest as speculation narrowed his eyes. “I don’t suppose she has schematics for this device?”
“No, but she says one is buried in the yard of the house where she lived with her former mate.”
“Do you believe her?”
Ram paused to consider the question. Did he actually believe her, or did he just want her wild tale to be true? “I think it’s worth checking out. The moon is deserted now, so the risk is minimal.”
“How long will it take to reach this moon?”
“A couple of weeks by ship,” Ram told him. “But a couple of hours if you let me borrow a gatekeeper.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
Ram accepted the offer with a nod then looked into the Ventori’s eyes. “Now take me to Celeste.”
* * *
“Ram is nearby.” Celeste paced the spacious living room of the apartment she’d shared with Galzar since their arrival on Nestril the day before. Guards were no longer posted outside their door, but they were followed everywhere they went. Not that there was a lot to do in this ghost town. The buildings were undamaged by Skarilian bombs, but only one small section of the deserted city had been restored by the Ventori. Numerous teams were working hard to change that. Still, a stroll through an overgrown park was as close to entertainment as Galzar and Celeste had come, so they contented themselves with the digital library on his datasheet and hours of physical pleasure. “Why isn’t he here with us? I need both of my mates.” The complaint sounded precariously close to whining, and Celeste hated whiners. That didn’t change the fact that she was desperate for her other mate.
Ram had contacted them the night before ensuring her that he would be joining them soon. He lingered to watch while Galzar fucked her. Galzar bent her over the bed and thrust into her from behind, so Ram could see exactly what was happening. Ram stroked himself to climax while she licked Galzar clean. The session had been erotic and naughty, but it only made her ache for the real thing. She wanted both her mates with her, inside her, as they were meant to be.
“Savator is likely showing Ram the Skarilian ship and explaining the plans for this planet.” Galzar sat sideways on the sofa, his back resting against the padded arm. He held his datasheet in one hand but spent more time watching her than catching up on Protectorate happenings. Chancellor Savator had reinstated Galzar’s security clearance, but not his command. Galzar had taken the decision surprisingly well, had even hinted that he’d be interested in one of the leadership positions on Nestril. “Ram will be here soon.”
“Not soon enough,” she grumbled, indulging in a childish pout. They’d only had three days together before fate ripped them apart. None of them had asked for this, but now that they had experienced the complete intimacy only available to bonded mates, all three were anxious to make the link as powerful as possible.
Setting the datasheet aside, Galzar swung his legs to the floor and motioned her toward him. “I can warm you up if you’re going crazy.”
She shook her head. “We’ve been going at it like rabbits. We need to let Ram catch up.”
“Your DNA was modified to bond with Ram and me specifically. I think Pryar’s coding will overcome the usual balance issues.”
Galzar was probably right. Ram wasn’t even in the same room with them, and she could sense him as clearly as Galzar. Apparently, her link with Ram wasn’t suffering from his temporary absence. “Still,” she sighed. “I miss him.”
“Why don’t you show him how much? His signal just got significantly stronger.”
She’d been too busy feeling sorry for herself to notice the change. With a happy cry, she quickly undressed and positioned herself near the front door on her knees, legs wide open.
Ram rushed in a short time later. The door slid shut behind him, but his steps faltered as he spotted Celeste. She smiled, but kept her eyes downcast, knowing it would drive him crazy. Desire burned across their link, sending heat and tingles all through her body.
“Did you miss me, mate?” His voice was low, an emotion-thickened rumble.
“Can’t you tell?” Galzar was suddenly behind her, hands resting on her shoulders. “She’s wet and waiting for your cock. Or maybe you’d like to start with her sweet mouth?”
Celeste shivered. Galzar’s suggestion was cruel. He knew how desperate she was, how much she needed Ram deep inside her. Pleasuring them with her mouth would be amazing. It would also prolong the ache. Of course, she always came harder when they made her wait. But she’d already been waiting four days!
“Has she been a good girl while I was gone?” Ram easily fell into his master role, not much of a stretch for him. He stroked her hair, then lightly pinched her nipples.
Her body responded immediately, ready to experience all the wicked things her mind had imagined over the past few days.
“Most of the time,” Galzar said, his hands sliding up and down her neck. “Though she’s been rather bratty this evening, impatient and whiny.”
“Has she now?” Ram cupped both her breasts, firmly squeezing as he leaned down and smelled her hair.
She looked up in time to see Ram’s sensual smile and the warmth in his pale purple gaze. “I’m sorry, Master. I just missed you.”
“Missing me is one thing.” He straightened and took his hands off her body. “Making Galzar put up with a whiny brat is another.” Ram tugged off his boots and stripped away his shirt, his gaze suddenly cool and bright. Emotions still bombarded her mind, contradicting his expression. “I was going to make love to you gently and patiently.”
The exaggeration made her fight back a smile. Occasionally, Ram could be gentle, but he was never patient once his cock slipped inside her. “And now?”
“Now you’re going to suck my cock, so I can concentrate while I punish you. If you submit to your punishment like a good girl, I might fuck you afterward.” Without warning, he tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her head back. Then his mouth clamped down on hers. He parted her lips with his tongue and kissed her deeply, devouringly. I missed you, mate, he whispered in her mind, but when he straightened, he was all stern master again. “Are you going to submit like a good girl?” When she didn’t answer immediately, he swat
ted one breast and then the other.
She yelped as heat cascaded from her chest to her pussy, intensifying the pressure between her legs. She opened her mouth to answer, but all that came out was a needful moan. God, how she wanted the intensity of punishment. Galzar liked to spank her with his hand and was aroused by the things Ram did to her, but Galzar was uncomfortable doing anything harsher himself.
Ram had no such hesitations. Still holding her head back by the hair, he slapped each breast again. “I asked you a question.”
“Yes. I’ll be good.” Her breasts felt hot and heavy, just like her pussy. Already her head began to spin, and her pulse raced.
Ram released her hair, but paused to twist her nipples before he said, “Good.” He opened his pants and pulled out his cock. “Now give me your warm, wet mouth.”
Holding him with one hand, she swirled her tongue around the slick tip before sucking his shaft inside. His pre-cum spread across her tongue, making her clit twitch and tingle. His taste was different than Galzar’s, spicy where Galzar’s cum was sweet. She rocked forward and back, stroking Ram’s base while she worked the tip with her lips. He hardened even more, and his taste grew stronger as desire flooded her mind. Despite his outward calm, he was as desperate as she.
Soon her mouth wasn’t enough. Ram tilted her head back and slowly pushed into her throat. She stayed relaxed and accepting, submitting to his consuming need. They both loved to control her when they fucked her mouth. They wanted her willing but passive. He pulled back, and she sucked in air, knowing the next thrust would rob her of breath.
Holding her face between his hands, Ram shamelessly took his pleasure. Their link was wide open, so he knew how much this excited her. “So good,” he murmured. “So damn good.”
Galzar reached around and cruelly pinched her nipples. She cried out around Ram’s cock, but remained as he had positioned her, head tilted, open and accepting. Kneeling behind her, Galzar pulled her arms to the small of her back, pinning them there with one strong hand. Then he stroked her boldly, squeezing her breasts and pinching her nipples, fingering her pussy and ass. He distracted and teased her, challenging her passivity as Ram ruthlessly fucked her mouth.
Her body belonged to her mates as theirs belonged to her. It was an even exchange, a circular current of dominance and surrender. She was theirs to use, to discipline, and fuck. And they met her needs just as selflessly. They protected and provided for her, ensuring that she was safe and happy. They were still working out the details, but she was confident that she would find everything she needed with them. She’d spent her entire life trying to prove to others that she was strong, yet she never felt stronger or more content than when she submitted to her mates.
“Take it all, pet. Swallow me down,” Ram urged, his balls slapping her chin with each deep thrust.
She fought back an occasional gag as tears seeped from the corners of her eyes. She loved this, craved Ram’s aggression and the burning intensity of his need for her. Still, she ached so badly that she was ready to risk harsh punishment if they would just let her come.
Ram cried out and thrust one last time, spilling his seed down her throat. The hot liquid slid downward, warming her belly and stoking the fire in her pussy. She shook and moaned as her core rippled, clenching in on itself. It was an orgasm, and yet it was not fulfilling. She still needed to be stretched, to be controlled and possessed.
Sucking and licking, she captured every drop of Ram’s cum as he pulled out of her mouth. Galzar stopped touching her and pushed back to his feet.
“I feel better,” Ram announced with a grin as he righted his uniform pants. He held out his hand and drew her to her feet. “Let’s explore. I want to find just the right implement to warm that delectable ass of yours.”
She whimpered. Wasn’t neglecting her aching pussy punishment enough? Apparently not. He led her into the adjoining kitchen and started rummaging through drawers.
After thoroughly washing his hands, Galzar joined in the search. “How about this?” He held up a wooden spoon.
Ram considered it for a moment then shook his head. “I want something flat, similar to a paddle.”
Celeste stood in the middle of an unfamiliar kitchen, on an alien planet, naked as her two mates searched for something with which to paddle her behind. Ram’s taste lingered in her mouth and her senses hummed, primed for another explosion. Her nipples were tender from Galzar’s pinches, and her pussy and ass ached from his fingers. Just thinking about all the other things they would do with her before the night was through made her heart thud wildly in her chest.
How in creation had her life come to this? American social convention said she should find this demeaning, but she was no longer bound by human norms. She had morphed, changed on a cellular level. She was free to define her happiness any way she liked. If she enjoyed being naked and felt powerful on her knees, if punishment turned her on and pain made her come, it was nobody’s business but hers and her mates’. The realization compressed her heart and filled her eyes with tears.
Galzar noticed her frantic blinking and crossed to her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t worry, love. After Ram finishes punishing you, you’ll finally have both of us.”
Ram paused in his search and looked at them. “That’s right, mate. You’re going to have both of us, together. It’s past time we claimed you properly.”
She trembled, thrilled yet intimidated. Together. One in her pussy and one in her ass. It was the only thing they had yet to do to her. And she wanted it, dreamed about it, had imagined what it would feel like to be so utterly overwhelmed.
“Yes,” she whispered, and both males chuckled.
“Soon,” Galzar promised and bent to reassure her with a lingering kiss.
“Here we go,” Ram said as he pulled a small cutting board out of one of the cupboards. It was carved from wood, or something resembling wood, and had a handle, making it easy to swing. He tested the weight and balance then shrugged. “Not perfect, but useable.” He looked around, gaze smoldering. The front of his pants was already tented again. “Where’s the bedroom?”
Galzar took her hand and led them to the stairs. She’d insisted they sleep in the guestroom until Ram returned. If they decided to use this planet as their home base, she wanted the master bedroom to be special, reserved for all three of them. It would be their haven, their hideaway from the rest of the universe.
As soon as they stepped through the doorway, Ram took control. “Bend over the bed and open your legs. I want to watch your pussy grow wetter and wetter while I punish you.”
She hadn’t really done anything wrong, and they all knew it. This was about trust and surrender and the intensity of pain. Swinging her hips just a little, Celeste moved to the bed and bent from the waist. She moved her legs apart and braced herself on her forearms. She was already wet and swollen, but she’d likely be dripping by the time Ram finished paddling her.
She was so absorbed by her thoughts that the first swat caught her by surprise. The makeshift paddle connected with a solid smack. She gasped then moaned as pain sank deep into her butt muscles. Heat followed, spreading across both cheeks and stalling her thoughts.
Ram swung again, a little harder this time. “What happens to whiny little brats?”
“They get paddled,” she whispered, eyes squeezed shut.
Smack. Smack. The swats came fast and hard.
Fuck, that thing hurt. The pain was insidious, building gradually but lingering longer than a belt or hand. She tried to remember to breathe, but already felt lightheaded.
Another swat and then three in quick succession. She cried out, anger sparking within her submissive lassitude. Her desire to come eclipsed her need to breathe and her surroundings began to spin.
“Take a breath, right now,” Ram commanded, and the next swat never came.
She sucked in a frustrated breath, then let it out in a long, slow hiss. “I’m being good,” she whispered. “Why won’t you let me com
e?”
Ram pulled her head back as he growled, “Look at me.”
She slowly opened her eyes and met his gleaming gaze.
“You will come when I tell you to and not before. Do you understand me?”
The pause allowed the urgency to abate, and she was able to push away the orgasm. “Yes, Master.”
He released her hair and stroked down her spine, teasing the crease between her ass cheeks. “Look how nicely her skin reddens.” He skimmed over the inflamed skin, increasing the sting and giving her another moment to regain control of her body.
She moaned then whimpered. It felt so wonderfully hot, almost raw, but nothing helped the empty ache in her pussy. And it wasn’t just physical. She longed for the complete intimacy they only experienced when all three of them were there. She missed—a firm swat cut off her thought and dragged a cry from her throat.
Ram paddled her in silence for several moments, encouraging her to focus on the pain. Her head swam, and her nipples tightened. She reminded herself to breathe. Her core began clenching in time to the throbbing of her ass cheeks, and her clit twitched needfully.
“Touch yourself, pet. Are you wet?”
She didn’t need to touch herself to know the answer. She was soaking wet. But Ram wanted her to play with her pussy, knew it embarrassed her. She slipped one of her hands between her thighs and moaned as her slippery folds parted for her fingers.
“Show Galzar how wet this makes you.”
Her hand trembled as she held out her shiny fingers. Galzar caught her wrist and sucked her fluids off. His tongue was sensual torture, and his lips felt warm and clingy. Oh, to have that mouth on her aching pussy!
Galzar finally let go, and Celeste returned her forearm to the mattress. The session continued longer than ever before. She cried out each time the paddle connected with her sore bottom. The pain lifted her to the balls of her feet while savage emotions swirled through her mind. She was frustrated and aching, but the pain only amplified her need to be consumed.