by Shannon West
“What did he say?”
“He was a soldier for a while, an Alliance soldier captured in battle. He was brought to Tygeria where he met my father. But he said that the old ideas about war were lies. Young men were asked to make sacrifices by the older men who wielded the power and decided the diplomacy. He said, ‘Old men make wars that young men have to fight.’ Still, I always wondered what I would do—how I would act in battle. I have a brother who is highly regarded as a warrior, and growing up, he was my role model. I wanted to make him proud. And my father too, of course. He’s the ultimate warrior.”
Janos didn’t reply, but his face lost color, though it was hard to see him properly in the dim light. Larz had still never told anyone his real name, and he was pretty sure no one knew who he really was. Everyone just called him Bastion, and he’d never mentioned his royal status. Of course, Janos must know his father and Mikos, or at least know of them if he had fought in the Great War and had even been captured by Tygerian soldiers, but he didn’t think he’d made the connection. If he hated Tygerians so much because of Beatik, he probably blamed King Davos, so Larz decided not to say anything just yet. If he could win him over and make him fall in love with him, then maybe he would accept his family.
Hoping to smooth over any awkwardness and not cause Janos to stop talking and retreat into his imperious shell again, he kept blithely talking. “I’ve made some very good friends among the other men here—Luc for one.” He grinned over at Janos, who was watching him intently. “He’s human like my omak, Blake, and my brother-in-law, Ryan. My friend’s full name is Lucas Dimitri, and he reminds me of them. A little.”
Janos was quiet for a moment, seeming to be deep in thought. “Yet despite all that, beyond the battles and the fighting and the friends you made, and…other considerations, you still miss your home. You still want to go back.”
Larz thought for a moment how he should answer. On the one hand, he trusted Janos and knew that if he told him who he really was, he’d help him get home. But what if he couldn’t? Or what if he turned against him because of his family? He knew that other powerful forces could work against him on this alien planet, and he’d make a valuable hostage. Janos’s brother, Prince Tibiel, for instance. Did he know who Larz really was? Kelan had told Larz that Tibiel was behind his original purchase. Or had he simply bought a Tygerian slave, thinking he could goad his brother to violence? Larz had heard plenty about the bad blood between the brothers. There were just too many unknowns in the equation for him to open up about who he really was. At least for now.
“I do want to go home someday.” He reached for Janos’s hand. “But like you said, there are ‘other considerations.’ Especially now. If I left to go home, I’d miss you too much.”
Janos looked startled and pulled his hand away abruptly. “Stop—you can’t say these things to me.”
“I’m only saying what’s true. And I think, if you’re being honest, you feel the same way, don’t you?”
Janos raised those big midnight blue eyes to his, and Larz’s breath caught in his throat. He looked so torn, so miserable that Larz couldn’t keep the distance between them any longer. He pulled Janos closer to him and wrapped him in his arms. He could smell him, that same sweet scent like Blake’s incense, along with a faint hint of smoke and ash from the explosion and fire. He wanted badly to pull him into his lap and wondered what Janos would do if he did.
“I-we shouldn’t do this,” Janos said softly, looking up at him. Larz wondered if Janos had any idea how seductive he was, how tempting. He was pretty sure he had no idea. Larz deepened the embrace, turning more toward Janos and positioning him in his arms so that he could feel Janos’s heart thumping against him. It was beating very fast.
Larz was much bigger than Janos—his body had developed rapidly in the past three years and was oversized and muscular like his father’s. He was much taller than Janos, too, who was built on a smaller and more graceful frame. Larz was mindful of that fact as he gently pulled Janos closer, then leaned in and inhaled him. “You smell so good,” he whispered against his hair. Larz captured the hand that had come up to push half-heartedly against his chest, and encased it in his bigger one, rubbing his thumb over the back. “No, don’t push me away. I need you close to me.”
“But-but I shouldn’t be with you like this. We can’t do this.”
Larz raised the hand to his lips and brushed them against it. “We are doing it, and you should definitely be here in my arms,” he said softly, up against his ear. “You should stay right where you are so I can keep kissing you.” Janos shuddered under his hands, a soft blush staining his cheeks as he looked up at him.
“No. Y-you’re too young. You don’t know what you’re saying, and I-I should stop this.”
Larz smiled down at him. “It’s true I’m younger than you. But I’m nineteen. On my planet, with my people, I would be considered a fully-grown man. I’ve just killed men in battle, and rescued a king. And I can assure you I’m old enough to know what I want. And what I want is you.”
Janos gasped as Larz lowered his mouth to his again and this time he took full control. He remembered his brother Vannos saying that he’d been frightened his first time with a man and hadn’t known what to do, but now Larz had to wonder what he’d meant by that, because he knew exactly what to do with this man in his arms.
Vannos, along with his brother Anarr had been more sheltered though, in many ways. Here on Laltana, in the army camps, Larz had seen men and women together many times, not to mention men coupling together as well. Soldiers often had sex together in the field, and he’d been propositioned often himself. He’d even fooled around some with a few of the men, and it all seemed fairly straightforward to him. Janos had always been impossible to resist and now he didn’t have to. He was here beside him and in his arms. It was as simple as that.
And the fact was, he’d always, since that first disastrous meeting in the palace, been incredibly attracted to Janos. No, he had to be honest—it was more than that. And after the night at the stream he had fallen hard, with no reasonable explanation for his feelings. Janos had hated him at first, but it hadn’t seemed to matter. It was in the nature of a Tygerian to fall in love quickly, though some might say it was only lust.
His omak had even insisted that his father Davos have “a talk” with him once he reached puberty to caution him about giving his heart away too easily. To not fall in love too quickly, too irrevocably. His father had given him and his younger brother a talk, but told them not to tell their omak what he’d said, because he wouldn’t understand. Love at first sight wasn’t uncommon on Tygeria. In fact, it was the norm. Tygerians considered it a mark of their superiority over other races, in fact, this ability they had to make up their minds quickly. To set their course and never look back. Tygerians were very unlike humans and some other species in that regard.
The one thing a young Tygerian male had to be careful about was not having full-on penetrative sex before marriage. Davos had been careful to explain that to Larz when they had their “talk.” If he did, he would run the risk of irrevocably bonding with his lover and it would be difficult in the extreme to be parted from them. It was why Blake had insisted on “the talk” to start with. The thing was, the bond was absolutely unbreakable once it formed. It was why Tygerians had to be careful with whom they made love, and they never, ever fucked anyone except their chosen nobyos.
So although Larz knew about things like using oil before having sex, he’d never actually had anything other than “blow jobs and hand jobs” as Luc called them. He had watched two men fucking before, at a distance, of course, but he had heeded his father’s advice and was waiting to have full sex until he’d found his nobyo.
Davos had told him and Nicarr that when love hit—if it did—and if they found someone they wanted for their nobyo, that it was a special mark of favor from the gods and they needed to save themselves for that person. “Don’t be hesitant or afraid to embrace it. But if your noby
o is from another species, be aware it might take them a bit longer. In the meantime, you might be in love all by yourself for a time, so you have to be patient and stay strong. If the relationship is anything like the one I found with your omak, your patience will be well rewarded.”
Larz was willing to wait. He slid his hands around Janos’s waist and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “My sweet nobyo,” enjoying the way Janos shuddered and leaned into him as if he couldn’t help himself. Larz pressed a kiss to his ear and then his cheek as Janos slowly moved to face him. In his eyes, Larz saw fear, and he tilted up Janos’s chin to look down at him.
“Don’t be afraid of me, love.” He used the endearment his omak had often used for him and his brothers. “I would never hurt you.”
“I believe you mean that,” he breathed softly. “For now.”
With Janos looking up at him so trustingly, yet sadly, there really wasn’t much else he could do except kiss him. When he pulled back, he whispered in Janos’s ear. “I mean it for now, for always, my nobyo. Don’t ever doubt it.”
Chapter Twelve
Janos closed his eyes and felt the tears stream from them and run down his cheeks. One of Larz’s hands cupped the back of his head and the other pressed at the small of his back, holding him gently in place. The thought passed through his mind that he should be scared and amazed at this turn of events. But he wasn’t. He was exhilarated and felt as if he were coming apart at the seams, but he wasn’t frightened. Not of this man. Not in the least.
Larz bent his head to brush his lips across his. Once and then again, the kisses slow and sweet, and Janos wondered why he’d ever been so afraid of this. Why he’d avoided it for so long. Larz deepened the kiss, gently teasing his mouth open wider and nibbling on his bottom lip with his teeth. Janos groaned and threw his arms around Larz’s waist, squeezing him tightly and burying his head against his chest. Larz squeezed him back.
An image rose up in his mind of jeering laughter. Suddenly, panic washed over Janos. He pushed Bastion away. “I-I need air. Please let me get out of this cave—I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to breathe properly.”
Bastion looked surprised, but he let him go and even steadied him as he crawled across his legs and climbed out of the cave. Janos stood for a moment, breathing hard and hugging himself as the old memories of the prison and what had been done to him there swirled around in his head.
Suddenly Bastion was beside him, and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. “It’s all right. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I would never force you. I know what happened to you in Tygeria in that prison.”
Janos sent him a shocked look. “How do you know about that?”
“Don’t be mad. The slave master Kelan mentioned it and my friend Luc told me too. Apparently there was talk in the palace when you came home. I’ve heard about that place, Beatik, you know. After you…well, after we learned what actually happened there, the king had it shut down. Some were executed for what they did to the prisoners there.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Janos said, turning his head away.
“I understand,” Larz said, kissing the corner of his mouth. “We can wait until you’re ready to talk more.” He started to move away, but Janos pulled him back.
Looking up at Larz, he said, “Help me to not be so afraid.”
“I’d like to kill every one of those men who did those things to you in the prison. I promise you that if they’ve gone unpunished, I’ll find out and I’ll track them all down and kill them for what they did.” He put a finger under Janos’s chin and lifted it gently to look down in his eyes. “But those men aren’t here now. There’s just me and you, and I’d rather die than hurt you.”
“I know,” Janos replied softly. “I believe you.”
Larz held out a hand to him and when he took it, he led him to a grassy spot by the stream and pushed him gently down on his back. He tugged at Janos’s teruga. “Take this off, nobyo. I want to be close to you with nothing between us. We won’t do anything you’re not ready for.”
“That word—what is that you’re calling me?”
“Nobyo is…partner, lover. We use it for the one person in the world who is closest to us.”
“You shouldn’t call me that, Bastion. You barely know me.”
“I know you well enough,” he said, nipping at his lips. “And I want to know you so much better.”
Janos blushed and shook his head, but pulled off the torn and tattered teruga and then lay back down self-consciously. He wasn’t a virgin, of course. Far from it after the things that had been done to him. But it had been far too long since he’d been with anyone willingly, and never with someone he had feelings for, like he did this young Tygerian. Feelings that were complicated, intricate and a little terrifying, but so strong they threatened to overwhelm him. Larz leaned over him, looking down at him appreciatively and trailed his fingers over Janos’s taut stomach.
Janos’s chest was covered with a light smattering of soft, dark hair, leading down in a little trail to the thatch of curls at his groin. He saw Bastion following this trail with his gaze and watching his face carefully in the dim light, as he ran his hand over his stomach, dangerously close to his balls. Then his hand dipped lower, lightly cupping him before moving on to his shaft. Janos squirmed around, excited and yet uncomfortable with this intimacy.
“Settle down. Just relax,” Bastion said softly. “You’re beautiful and I just want to admire you. We won’t do anything you’re scared of.”
Janos felt the hot blush on his cheeks as Larz smiled and bent to taste him. He reacted with shock. No one had ever done this to him before. Janos had to perform this act on the Tygerian soldiers when he was in prison, and they’d laughed and jeered at him as he gagged and begged, saying his technique was bad and they had to help him improve. They “helped” him by brutally jamming their huge cocks down his throat and laughing as he choked on them. They kept him on his knees servicing one man after another until he’d become ill. But none of them had ever reciprocated—he hadn’t wanted them to, for that matter, but never, not even in his wildest dreams had Janos imagined it could feel like this. Or maybe it was just this man who made him feel this way.
What Larz was doing made him shudder all over, made him squirm around out of control and made his heart thud so hard in his chest he thought he must be having some kind of attack. But he didn’t want him to stop. Gods help him, he never wanted this to stop.
“What-what are you doing?” he gasped, putting a hand on Larz’s head, not to hold him in place but just to ground himself a little, and to be sure he wasn’t dreaming this whole thing.
“Do you like it? I’ve had it done to me many times since I’ve been in the camps with the soldiers, but I’ve never wanted to do this with anyone else. This time, though, I wanted to give you pleasure.”
“Oh, dear gods, yes, I like it,” he said in a choked voice, trying to be quiet and not awaken the boy who was still snoring so close to them. “I never knew it could be like this.”
Bastion pulled off and kissed the tip of Janos’s cock, then took him in his mouth, swirled his tongue and his mouth over him, enclosing all of his shaft, and then slowly moved back up. With every stroke, Janos was gasping and groaning and unable to lie still. He thought a man might die from so much pleasure. Larz cupped his balls and kneaded them, squeezing gently to try to settle him down, but Janos was far too excited. Larz pulled away, giving him a chance to control it.
Janos moaned out, “No…no, don’t stop, please. Don’t.” He pulled Larz’s head back down, and he smiled and continued his attentions, moving even faster now. With a loud groan of excitement, Janos came explosively, his hips bucking. Larz swallowed all of it. Janos looked down at him with wonder as he pulled his head away and put his hand on him, milking him for every last drop until he put his head back and lay still finally, spent and exhausted. He had a hard time catching his breath and looked up at Larz with a wide-eyed expression of wo
nder. Larz laughed gently and bent over to drop a kiss on his half-open mouth.
“There are other things I can show you, but we need a bed and some oil, I think, to ease things. When we get back to Wirlo, though, I’ll take pleasure in it.”
Back to Wirlo? More like, back to reality. How could he keep Bastion close to him if they went back? He thought perhaps he could make him part of his personal guard inside the palace. Would he like that? On the heels of the thought, he experienced a little panic as he thought of what his brother, Tibiel, would say when he learned of it. How he would sneer at him in front of the entire court for becoming so enamored of a bed slave, and a Tygerian at that. He wasn’t sure he could do it, after all, yet when Bastion started to move away, he clutched at his arm.
“Do you think we can actually make it back to Wirlo? Truly?”
“Of course, we can,” he said, grinning down at him with those white teeth. He was so handsome, so young and confident. “Leave things to me.”
Had Janos ever been so arrogant and full of himself? He didn’t think so. It seemed he had always been unsure. Even when he went to war with his father, he’d never been convinced of his own skills and abilities as Bastion seemed to be. Taking after his mother, Janos was smaller boned than his father and leaner. More than most of the other boys he’d known growing up, for that matter. Tibiel had been much the same, physically, but he had developed other skills—like becoming a master of deceit and treachery. Janos had often felt out of his depth when dealing with him. Now here was this young man—years younger than himself, but stronger physically and emotionally, Janos had no illusions about that—offering to take care of things for him, and it was tempting to let him. But he was king now and had to be the man his father had been. His people deserved no less.
“No, this isn’t anything I can allow you to do alone. We’ll do this together.”
