by Corin Cain
I shiver, thinking about Aelon and his battle bothers.
“Iunia looks like a brute,” I muse, “but I actually think he’s the smartest of the three. Vinicus? He is just a brute.”
Sawoot laughs. “So, with those three you’ve got an insufferable, cocky bastard, an intellectual, and a brute. It sounds like the start of a joke – they all walk into a bar – only your life is the punchline.” She snorts. “Sounds like enough to keep things interesting, at least.”
Then, Sawoot leans in, a serious tone to her voice.
“Tasha. If you think there’s even a chance you’re Bonded to them – even a slim one – you have to take it. Just imagine – you’d live for thousands of years. Isn’t that worth whatever side effects it comes with? It doesn’t change anything about you. If you hate them, you don’t have to stick around. Take their precious Bond and get the hell out of there if you so choose!”
I swallow hard.
That seems almost cruel. Aurelians spend their entire lives searching for that one woman who can bear them their heirs. If they found their Fated Mate and she left them…
Well, they might do something crazy. In fact, they might go Rogue – just to hunt her down for the promise of what she can give them.
Cruel? Wait a second! I can’t believe how soft I’m being. These aren’t some innocent romantics. Captain Aelon has stolen a fortune from me. I haven’t even brought up the subject of the Orbs with him. If he’s willing to steal my stuff and keep me captive, then surely he deserves a little taste of his own medicine!
“Thousands of years…”
My voice trails off as the magnitude of what that offers sinks in.
To have my life extended? My youth be practically limitless? That’s too good to imagine.
It’s brutally unfair that the Gods gave us humans only a hundred years or so to experience creation, while Aurelians live ten or twenty times longer than that. To have all those centuries? Just imagine the things you could do during that time! The things you could see.
I’d never truly understood until now how trapped we humans are by time.
“So, Tasha,” Sawoot asks me, “why do you think you might be Bonded to them? It’s rare, you know – like insanely rare. My friend hoped for it – prayed for it – but most Aurelians never find their Fated Mate.”
I shrug. “It’s… it’s just a feeling, but a strong one – do you know what I mean? It’s the way Aelon spoke about the Bond. He said an Aurelian can go mad if he thinks he’s Bonded to you – and he almost lost control.”
Sawoot scowls. Her pretty face turns ugly. “You think he’d have tried something on you? Like Kit and his triad tried with me?”
I shake my head. “No – not by force. I think if he lost control like that, he’d kill himself with the guilt. But he was scared he might lose control. How…” I gulp. “How did your friend say it was? The one in the harem?”
Sawoot lightens up. “How what was?”
I cringe. “You know! Being with an Aurelian.”
I can’t believe I’m seriously considering doing anything with that arrogant bastard Aelon.
Confidence is attractive in a man – but overconfidence that crosses the line into cocky arrogance is a step too far. Still – if it meant that the Bond could be activated, and I could reap what feels like eternal youth in return for it…
Well, isn’t that worth a little discomfort in the short term?
And I might even enjoy it.
I force that thought back to wherever it came from in my dark, depraved subconscious.
Sawoot’s eyes flash.
“Oh, yes! You bet my friend told me about it – in great detail. That’s why I’m eager for tomorrow night and my little, ahem, distraction. She said Aurelians are… Well, I think she must have exaggerated somewhat…”
“Why? What did she say?”
Sawoot bites her lip. Even though we’re alone, she leans forward, like she’s about to tell me a secret.
“She said they were, like, over a foot long.”
My jaw drops. That rumor matches the outline of Aelon’s dick I saw, straining the material of his pants – and the hard firmness of Vinicus’s dick, prodding me in the stomach as I lay across his lap.
“Woah, okay – fuck that.” Or, rather, don’t fuck it. “That settles it. No way I’m doing anything with Aelon. My last boyfriend had six inches, and that hurt if he stuck it in too quick.”
Sawoot laughs. “Oh, it gets better, she says. Aurelians are like, made for fucking. My friend said their cocks just constantly drip this precum that’s, like, the universe’s best lube. She said it hurts at first – but that it hurts good. She said after she left the harem, she just never bothered to sleep with another human guy again. Those Aurelians ruined human men for her, she says.”
I should be thinking of how to get off this ship, but now I’m imagining those Aurelians in bed with me. I knew they were big from the way Vinicus and Aelon’s cocks had felt as they were pressed up against me – but putting it into standard measurements, like feet and inches, makes it all too real.
Sawoot shrugs. “That’s only the half of it, too. It’s not just their size and skill, my friend said. They’re passionate in a way humans aren’t.”
Sawoot sighs.
“My friend – she said she loved them. They broke her heart when they didn’t want anything more than sex from her, and they had no interest in committing to a single woman unless she was their Fated Mate.”
My best friend shrugs.
“Listen, Tasha – if all goes well, we’ll be off this ship tomorrow. So, if you want to do something, you have to do it tonight.”
“I’m not doing anything,” I tell her. “I was just curious.”
Sawoot grins, and I can tell she doesn’t believe me. “You’re the captain, Captain. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the big day. This escape plan feels like it’s been thrown together at the last minute, but only because it has. It’s solid though – I’m convinced of that.
With a little luck, we’ll be off this ship and this ordeal will be a bad memory.
“Goodnight, Sawoot.”
“Nighty-night.”
I leave her behind. The next time I’ll see Sawoot, we’ll be running for our lives together – just like we’ve done countless times aboard the Wayward Scythe.
I press the button next to the door and open it.
Sawoot’s guardian angels are standing stock still outside. It looks as if Garrick and his two battle-brothers haven’t moved an inch since I first entered these chambers.
“Thank you, Garrick,” I say to the leader of the triad. The other two never told me their names, but don’t seem offended that I didn’t ask. There’s something weirdly symbiotic about the interaction of an Aurelian triad. You can kind of tell which one is the leader of a triad by this aura of leadership to him. One of the three always feel just a little bit more in control than the others. Garrick has it, albeit to a lesser extent than the swaggering, cocky Aelon.
Garrick nods, silent and stoic. I wish Captain Aelon could be silent like him. Aelon is undeniably gorgeous – but every time he opens his mouth, I just want to slap him.
I press my hand against the button to open the set of doors across the hallway. The room inside is the mirror image of Sawoot’s. The huge bed is going to swallow me up.
It’s good that this room is a mirror image of the one opposite, since it means Theme was right about the layout of the ship. Even though I could tell at first glance he wasn’t the bravest of men, I knew there was a reason I’d picked Theme to join my crew. Now, he’s going to be our key off this ship.
I shut the door behind me, sealing Garrick and his two battle brothers in the corridor outside.
As I step into the room, I rub my aching backside. Whatever lotion or ointment Aelon rubbed onto my ass, it’s helped with the heat of that vicious spanking – but my butt still aches relentlessly.
It’s especially bad against the roughness of my combat pants – the ones that I’d pulled back on after Aelon tended to me. Now I’m alone, I gratefully pull my pants off, stripping to my underwear. I breathe a deep sigh of relief. My ass still hurts, but it’s better than it was.
Then, suddenly, there’s a knock at the door.
I have the feeling Captain Aelon would just barge in without asking – so whoever is outside, they clearly have more respect than the captain of The Instigator.
“Who is it?” I call out.
“Iunia.”
The voice that comes from the other side of the door is deep and resonant.
My heart skips a beat. If I let Iunia in, I should pull my pants back on – but I just can’t deal with the discomfort of my throbbing ass.
Then again, if I don’t – I’ll be wearing nothing more than panties in the presence of an alien who may be mated to me; and just as vulnerable to the mating frenzy as Vinicus and Aelon were.
But I suppose I was wearing less than my panties during that humiliating spanking – much less, in fact – and right now even the thought of pulling on more than panties is more than I can stand.
“Okay, come in,” I call out, not sure of my response – not even certain if I want to see anyone right now.
The doors hiss open, and the brutish Aurelian enters.
I study him as he lumbers in. Iunia is handsome in his own, rough way – especially when you don’t put him up next to that pretty boy Aelon.
Iunia’s face is largely unmarked – except for a thin scar beneath his eye. That’s nothing compared to the litany of wounds that crisscross his biceps, however – and you can see those clearly, because he’s changed into workout clothes since I saw him last. Iunia now wears a tight t-shirt and thin shorts that barely contain his tree trunk legs. I can’t help but also notice his thick bulge – clearly defined by the tight fabric of his shorts.
Oh, Gods – he’s as impossibly big as the other two!
I force my gaze upward - where I receive an eyeful of biceps and a huge, powerful chest that’s straining the material of his t-shirt.
In short? He’s hot – and if I am Aelon’s Fated Mate, it means Iunia comes with him…
A package deal!
Speaking of packages – what was it Sawoot said? Over a foot long. She must have been exaggerating.
I don’t care about size. It’s just the way it makes me feel. Knowing how fucking huge he is makes me feel small and vulnerable in a way I don’t understand.
I shake my head, trying to rid myself of these conflicting urges. He’s just so much bigger than me. I’m used to being in charge, but when I’m alone in a room with a brute like him, all my instincts are getting twisted up. I get a weird angst like I don’t know where I stand and what I want.
“What do you want?” I snap.
It takes more effort than I have to keep my voice even that civil. Aelon would have berated me instantly for using such an insubordinate tone of voice on his ship – but my patience is wearing thin.
“No man is promised tomorrow,” Iunia states coldly. “Especially not when they fight in the Scorp nests each day. That’s why I need to see you now.”
His words are simple – they always are. That’s why I can’t transfer all the anger I feel towards Captain Aelon to his battle-brother.
I step forward and demand: “You came alone?”
“I did.”
The doors hiss closed behind Iunia, and suddenly I’m alone with the alien warrior.
The big man walks forward, and I feel very small indeed beneath his towering shadow.
I suddenly realize I’m an idiot for letting him in. I’m wearing only my black panties and t-shirt – the thin cotton and a few feet of empty space is all that’s between him and me.
I’ve already seen what happens when the mating frenzy boiled up in Aelon and Vinicus. I have no idea to play that game of chance with Iunia, too.
I crawl back onto the couch, clutching a pillow to cover my near-nakedness. Iunia stops, as if sensing my discomfort. His implacable eyes stare at me, though – the hunger in them growing.
“What do you want from me?” I repeat.
I know exactly what he wants, though. I knew it from the moment he knocked at the door.
“If you are my Fated Mate, I need to know.”
But there’s only one way of knowing – and he knows I’m aware of that.
As if on cue, Iunia’s cock surges against the fabric of his black shorts. I can’t help but stare at the thickening snake. It’s big – too big.
“I know you ache for us,” Iunia states plainly. “You try to hide it, but I can taste your need. You smell right, Tasha. Not only that, but you’re brave. You’re capable. The Gods would be kind to grant me such a mate.”
He stands there, stock still – just a few feet away from where I’m sitting. I can see his muscles tensing beneath the tight fabric of his workout clothes. I know his instincts are telling him to race forward and grab me – to take me.
Part of me – a dark, twisted part – wishes that he would.
But instead, I hold up one finger.
“Now, hang on a damn second. What about me? I don’t see myself spending the next few thousand years as some sort of… breeding chattel for Aurelians.”
At its core, that’s what you become through the Bond.
For all things Queen Jasmine, the human Queen of the Aurelian Empire, has done to promote the rights and privileges of humans within the Empire, she also pops out children like it’s her job – which, I suppose, it is.
Her triad makes the mating a public affair, too. I’m told you can watch as she’s seeded by her Emperor and his battle-brothers. I’ve never been tempted to seek out the video feeds, but I’ve talked to people who’ve watched the event – like one of those pay-per-view sporting events, only depraved and x-rated.
Those same people told me that her triad fucks her like animals – losing themselves utterly in their passion. Aboard the Wayward Scythe, whenever the subject turned to Aurelians, I’ve always left the room – but when you’re on a cramped ship, enclosed with a crew you can’t get far away from, the lewd discussions are inevitably within earshot.
Iunia stands in front of me, and promises: “You are who you are. The Bond cannot change that.”
He steps forward, walking directly in front of me – staring down at me. He’s so much bigger than me. While I’m sitting down, he towers over me like a skyscraper; and his body is engineered to similar perfection. I can see every vein in his biceps pulsing as the blood pumps through him.
I can’t take it anymore. I stand – and that’s all the permission Iunia needs.
Without a word, he leans forward, gently touching my cheek. The huge alien stares down at me tenderly. I fear it’s the last tenderness I’ll see before the mating frenzy overcomes him. This is the last glimpse of his true personality I’ll get before he becomes a beast.
Then, Iunia grabs me. He picks me up effortlessly – as if I’m weightless. His hands reach down to cup my ass – a cheek nestled in each palm, like my ass was designed to fit within his huge hands.
The burning sensation of my spanked ass in his hot hands is nothing compared to what I feel like when he kisses me, though.
Oh, Gods!
So, this is what it’s supposed to feel like.
Iunia’s lips find mine – hungry, desperate, and aching for me with every ounce of his being. Every kiss I’ve had before – every sweaty coupling, every contact with another human man – suddenly pales in my memory. All my experiences combined is meaningless before Iunia’s tender kiss.
Nothing can compare to the fierce hunger that lurks inside these Aurelians. Iunia’s cock is pressing against my body – separated only by the fabric of his shorts and the thin cotton of my panties. His dick is huge and ravenous for me - and it’s as if I understand masculine desire for the first time in my life.
Suddenly, I want him.
My body is beggin
g for Iunia. He’s just so fucking huge, and powerful, and sexy. His big hands swallow me up as I wrap my legs around him and he grinds my body against his.
Iunia’s massive chest presses against my breasts as he kisses me hard – his thick tongue invading my mouth. I can feel his fast, heavy heartbeat as he holds me close.
Heat flushes between my legs. I’m now aching for this warrior.
Then, suddenly, Iunia breaks off the kiss. He’s gasping as he looks down at me – his eyes flashing protectively. He strides forward, carrying me in his massive arms over to the enormous bed. I wince, ready for the pain of being dropped on my sore bottom – but, instead, Iunia lets me down lightly and tenderly.
Everything about this man is tender. He’s one of the fiercest and most brutal warriors I’ve ever laid eyes on, but he treats me like I’m made of porcelain.
I lay back on the bed, looking up at him.
Iunia pulls his shirt off, and I can’t help but stare as he reveals inch after inch of his incredible, marble-white physique.
His body isn’t lean and taut like Aelon. He’s a man. Strong, powerful, with hard abs that stand out from the muscles of his huge frame. His shoulders are so wide, I feel like he wouldn’t even be able to fit into the confines of my little ship, the Wayward Scythe.
The bed rocks as the huge warrior clambers onto it in front of me. The mattress creaks under his weight. Iunia straddles me – peering down at me and making me feel so vulnerable and desired as I lay beneath his hot, hungry gaze.
Then, with those big hands of his, he gently pulls my panties off.
I shudder, gasping as Iunia spreads my thighs and then sinks his head between my legs. His whole body ripples with hunger – and he tastes me for the first time. His tongue is so big as he explores my body. I cry out at the feeling of Iunia’s warm, wet tongue as he hungrily laps at me, and the pleasure of his mouth on my sopping, wet pussy is intense.
For delicious moments, I revel in the sensation of him licking, sucking and devouring me. Then, it’s as if he can’t resist me for a second longer. Iunia rips off his workout shorts with one hand – tearing the fabric like it was tissue paper and tossing it over his shoulder.
