by Ivy Barrett
“Where did you go?” she asked when he released her mouth. “Please don’t hide from me.”
“You will take what I give you and be content.” Despite his harsh words, her request was tempting. Once the mating bond was formed, hiding would no longer be an option, so he didn’t relent.
“Yes, Master,” she conceded, but disappointment shadowed her gaze. “May I ask a question?”
“It doesn’t mean I’ll answer, but go ahead.”
“What did you mean about Tavorian law? Why does it give you the right to ‘master’ me?”
He tensed. How the fuck had she heard that thought? He hadn’t expanded their link until after the thought passed through his mind. Who was he kidding? The fact that he owned her thrilled his dark side. The thought never left his mind.
“If a Tavorian saves a life, especially if they are endangered while doing so, they own the life they saved,” Urrya explained, his tone flat and factual.
She gasped softly and whipped her head around, gaze clashing with Azra’s. “Is this why you insist on calling me slave? Do you believe you own me?”
“I want a mate, not a slave.” He wanted both, but mate was much more important.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
She sounded hurt, not angry, which was even worse. “The detail became moot when you accepted our claim.”
“I’m not sure I agree.”
“We would have told you,” Urrya insisted. “You had a right to know, but he agreed to relinquish ownership once you’d accepted our claim. That’s the important thing.”
“And if I hadn’t?” she cried.
“Watch your tone.” Urrya took one step forward, eyes narrowed and bright.
“I’m sorry, Sir. I find this upsetting.”
Annoyed by her resistance, Azra moved closer as well. He grabbed her still-hot ass cheeks and pulled her nearly off her feet. “Why does the thought of being my slave upset you? Do you not trust me to be a good and faithful master?”
She stared deep into his eyes, so still she barely breathed.
Clearly, she needed reassurance. If he didn’t bend a little, admit how deeply he cared, he would lose her. “Slave, companion, lover, mate, they are just words. You are my world, Erin. Anything you need is yours. Anyone who threatens you dies. All you have to do is trust me, obey me, and I will spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
After a long pause, she whispered, “I trust you.”
Joy passed through him, a warm, soothing balm. But trust was only part of what he needed from her. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “Will you obey me?”
She didn’t hesitate this time. The corners of her mouth tipped up, but her expression remained serious. “I will obey you. I’m here for you, Master. Use me to free yourself from this pain.”
Thrilled by the outcome, it took Azra a moment to bring himself back into the moment. The future shimmered in the distance, warm and inviting, but first he had to release the emotions that had become so cumbersome that he could hardly move.
Azra looked at Urrya and said, “Let’s begin.” They each bent to one of her breasts, sucking on her sweet little nipples until they stood tall and taut. Urrya reached into the pocket of his uniform pants and withdrew a set of magnetic nipple clamps. The cruel little disks could provide a teasing squeeze or crushing pressure, and nothing could dislodge them, an important feature considering what Azra had planned. Urrya carefully placed all four disks then activated the magnets. She gasped, then moaned, twisting helplessly.
Without explaining his intentions, Urrya knelt and parted her pussy lips with his thumbs. He sucked on her clit and her eyes flew wide. “Is he going to... please, not there.”
Her distress was music to Azra’s savage soul. The more she protested, the better he liked it. “We’ll start with a pressure that will annoy but not actually hurt. The pain will increase drastically if you displease any of us. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master. I’ll be good. I’ll be so very good.”
He chuckled and watched as Urrya placed the disks on either side of her vulnerable clit. She gasped and tensed, but didn’t cry out as the magnets engaged, trapping the sensitive nub.
“See, kitten. Not so bad,” Urrya said as he stood and licked the tip of each of her nipples. “At least not yet.”
Grasping her chin, Azra guided her gaze to his. “I took pity on you the last time I flogged you.” He raised his arm, displaying the multi-strand whip. “I thought I’d finish up now.”
Her gaze widened and tears sprang to her eyes, dread and uncertainty clearly written on her delicate features. “Please don’t. If you flog my breasts it will—”
He silenced her with his fingers against her lips. “This isn’t about you. Remember. You offered me your amazing body to do with as I will. Well, this is what I want.”
Without further warning, he stepped back, giving himself enough room to swing the flogger. He started with her belly, slapping the smooth white flesh with a rhythmic, circular motion. Her skin turned pink almost immediately, but she barely registered the contact in any other way. She didn’t gasp, didn’t jerk away, just stood there passively letting him flog her.
It wasn’t good enough, wasn’t wicked enough. He flicked his wrist at a different angle, sending the synth-leather falls swishing upward, peppering sparks of sensation across the underside of her breasts. She cried out, twisting sideways as her nerves registered the pain. He didn’t give her time to process the feeling before he flogged the other side. She cried out again, shuddering violently.
He opened his mind, soaking in her energy and misery as he flogged her lovely breasts. Her nipples, trapped between the magnetic clamps, flushed even darker. Fascinated by her eager response, he swung downward, catching the sensitive tip directly for the first time. She screamed, the sound sharp and filled with emotion. He aimed for her other nipple, swiping up and then down.
Erin writhed, twisted, and moaned. “Please! I’m close! Hold off, or I’ll come.”
He paused, watching her face as she struggled for control. She was glorious, flushed and beautiful as she fought off the pleasure and reveled in the pain. Her emotions streamed into his mind, rich and complex, crackling with raw energy. It was intoxicating, made him feel dizzy and oh so ready for more.
When her shoulders finally relaxed and her expression calmed, he swung the flogger in a fast, cruel flurry, working his way from her shoulders to her waist and back. She twisted and yelled as he mercilessly flogged her torso, paying special attention to her clamped nipples each time he passed them.
His cock hardened, throbbing painfully with its need to be deep inside her. As if echoing his desire, her aroused scent grew heavy in the air. Ravenous need flared within his mind, so consuming it took him a moment to realize it came from her. Tears streamed down her face and each ragged sob made her reddened breasts shake for him. She looked utterly miserable, even abused, but he felt her euphoria. She soared, lost in blissful pain.
He had to stop, allow her to drift back down, but he didn’t want to. Grasping her tear-dampened face, he leaned down and sneered, “Still willing to give me anything I want, little girl?”
She licked her lips and raised her gaze, her breath shuddering. “I am yours, Master. Always.”
The flogger slipped from his hand and thudded to the floor. She wasn’t frightened, wasn’t angry. All he saw in her eyes, or sensed in her mind, was love and acceptance. His heart lurched as it filled with hope so intense it was painful. He pushed his hand into her hair, splaying his fingers against the back of her skull instead of forming a fist like usual. His need for pain slowly ebbed and a soul-deep ache for tenderness, for belonging, gradually took its place.
Suddenly the dam broke, inundating him with staggering emotions. A harsh sob tore from his throat and his chest burned. Anguish, fear, and rage twisted into one overwhelming entity tearing him apart from the inside. His knees buckled and he landed hard on the floor, face buried in
his hands. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t scream, just knelt there shaking, paralyzed by grief.
Warm hands eased his away from his face and pulled him toward an even warmer body. Someone must have freed her from the restraints. Erin knelt in front of him, offering comfort and unconditional love. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, then buried his face in her hair.
“Let it out, love,” she urged. “We’re here for you.”
More hands touched his shoulders and back. Soon he was surrounded by support and understanding. He wept and raged, then wept some more. Sorrow poured out of him, saturating everything in its path. He was a gatekeeper, one of the most powerful mystics on Tavor, yet he’d been powerless, impotent, in the face of Skarilian brutality. Millions, no, hundreds of millions were now dead and there was nothing he could do about it.
The injustice and futility lingered long after the stronger emotions burned themselves out. He trembled, feeling weak and spent.
“What do they want?” he lamented. “Why do they do this over and over again?”
“They’re fucking evil,” Urrya insisted, his voice cold and clipped. “You can’t expect them to make sense.”
Without releasing Erin, Azra looked at his podmates. “I have nothing left except my abilities, but I pledge them now to this cause. No matter how long it takes, or the sacrifices I must make, the Skarilians will be stopped!”
* * *
Erin woke up several hours later feeling rested and relieved. Her nipples were still tender from the strange clamps, but the rest of her body had recovered. Only the faintest hint of red remained on her skin. Azra lay beside her, sound asleep. After his cathartic outburst, he’d picked her up and placed her on the bed, then curved his body around hers and promptly succumbed to exhaustion. He looked peaceful now and so handsome without the scowl that frequently twisted his features. She brushed the smoke-colored hair back from his face as affection filled her heart. She wasn’t foolish enough to think that he was fully recovered. That would take months, perhaps years, but allowing his pod to see his pain was an important first step.
She crawled off the bed and donned one of Azra’s tunics. The garment hit him at mid-thigh, but fell just past her knees. She wanted to see if her other mates were also encouraged by Azra’s progress. Hopefully, they were still awake and not sleeping in the guest rooms.
She found them in the family room, gathered around the fireplace. They were chatting casually about a past mission and didn’t immediately notice her approach. She stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment watching them, astonished that such extraordinary males belonged to her. She first studied Urrya, her sensual, fallen angel, so beautifully masculine that her body ached just looking at him. Urrya was self-confident and assured, yet also compassionate. He was often too serious, but Oseth could make him smile. Oseth put everyone at ease and found humor in most any situation. Combined with Azra’s raw power and intensity, they were the perfect pod. At least her perfect pod.
“Hey,” she said softly, drawing their attention.
“How are you feeling?” Urrya set down his drink and rushed over to her. “That went on longer than I would have liked.”
“I’m fine.” There was little residual pain, but all the orgasms Azra had denied her had left her restless and achy. “I know it looked bad, but Azra knows how to swing a flogger. He didn’t even leave any lasting marks. Well, a few, but nothing serious.”
“Do you think it worked?” Oseth wanted to know. “Will he be more open now, less bitter?”
Erin shrugged, feeling anything but apathetic. “Time will tell, but I’m hopeful. Besides, won’t the soul bond make it impossible for him to hide from us?”
“To an extent,” Urrya agreed. “With Azra’s level of control, he’ll be able to shield his thoughts and feelings. Still, strong surges will get through whether he wants them to or not. It will be an adjustment, for all of us.”
“I was hoping to find out tonight.” Her smile was tinged with wistfulness. “Looks like we’re postponed again.”
Urrya pulled her into his arms. “The night’s not over.” He tilted her face up and kissed her. By the time he released her mouth, Oseth was pressed against her back. “What you did was really brave,” Urrya said. “We’re both in awe of you.”
The praise made her blush and lower her eyes. “I wouldn’t have minded at all if it weren’t for the no-orgasm clause. That was brutal.”
Oseth swept her hair to one side and pressed his lips against her neck. “I think we can do something about that, sweetheart.”
“I think it’s our responsibility to do something about that,” Urrya joined in. “Our mate must never be left wanting.”
She smiled, loving the attention. Nothing felt better than being surrounded by her mates, having their hands and their mouths moving over her body. Oseth slowly drew the tunic up along her legs, caressing her thighs and bottom as he revealed each area. Urrya kissed her again, his mouth possessive, yet gentle.
“I want to touch you,” she whispered against his lips. “I want to touch both of you.” For once, he didn’t stop her when she opened the front of his uniform top. He even pulled his arms out of the sleeves. She ran her hands over his chest and upper arms, then along his washboard abs. All three of her mates had incredible bodies. Just looking at them made her hot, touching was downright wicked. Oseth had shed his uniform top when she turned around. She grinned. “Thank you, kind Sir.”
“Anything for you, my love.”
She explored his torso and back, taking her time. She loved the way they gasped and tensed whenever she touched their orvattas. Only a true mate could make an orvatta flare, and she had that effect on all three of them. They touched her just as boldly, over the tunic and under, working the material higher and higher with each caress.
Finally, Urrya said, “Arms up,” in the deep, commanding tone that never failed to curl her toes.
She raised her arms and Oseth pulled off the tunic, leaving her naked and eager between them. They pressed in close, taking turns kissing her until she was dizzy and tingling. This would be so perfect if Azra were here too. And it wasn’t just Azra. This would feel incomplete if any of her mates weren’t present. Once the mating bond was formed each would sense the pleasure, even if they weren’t there physically. At least, that’s what she’d heard. She was still waiting to experience it.
They led her to the synthetic bearskin rug spread in front of the fireplace. Urrya sat and pulled her down into the space between his widespread thighs. He supported her upper body, while Oseth knelt in front of her and opened her legs. With a sexy smile, Oseth draped her knees over Urrya’s thighs. Cool currents of air teased her pussy, making her squirm.
“You are so beautiful,” Urrya murmured against her parted lips. He supported her shoulders with one arm and stroked her breasts with the other hand as his lips drifted over her face.
“And so ours.” Oseth spread out on his belly and focused on her pussy. He traced the crease with his fingertips, then his tongue.
She gasped into Urrya’s mouth and canted her hips, giving Oseth a better angle. She needed this so damn bad and Oseth’s mouth felt so damn good. His agile tongue swept over her clit and she came with a shocked gasp.
Oseth laughed, but didn’t move from his place between her thighs. “That was way too easy. Now you’re going to do it again.”
“And again.” Urrya pinched her nipples, letting her know it wasn’t a suggestion. His hand moved from one breast to the other, his touch insistent, yet careful. She was already tender, so it didn’t take much pressure to make her gasp and shiver.
Slipping his hands beneath her, Oseth raised her pussy to his mouth. She closed her eyes and surrendered to their skill and determination to drive her crazy. Her second orgasm built slowly, so it lasted longer when it finally hit. She cried out, arching her back as pleasure pulsed through her abdomen and tingled in her limbs.
“Oh, yeah,” Oseth murmured, his lips m
oving against her folds. He pushed his tongue deep inside her, clearly savoring her taste.
“My turn,” Urrya said once Oseth finally raised his head.
They quickly traded places, but Urrya turned her over and pulled her hips up until she rested on her knees and forearms. “Tilt your hips. Offer me that sweet pussy.”
He preferred to fuck her like this too, loved the submissiveness of the position. She missed being able to see his face, but the angle made it easier for him to hit her G-spot. She moved her knees farther apart and tilted her hips, pushing her butt higher into the air.
Without warning, his hand smacked down on her upturned ass. She cried out and whipped her head around. “What was that for?”
“For having such a spankable ass.” His smile was unrepentant as he spanked the other side. After only a few spanks, however, he focused on her waiting pussy. His lips pressed against her wet folds, then his tongue pushed into her core.
She moaned and adjusted the height of her hips to match the level of his mouth. He licked her folds and fucked into her passage with his tongue, but cruelly avoided her clit. “Please, Sir,” she whispered, already needy again.
He replaced his tongue with two fingers, sliding in and out with slow, even strokes. “Please what, kitten. Tell me what you want.”
“Your tongue on my clit,” she whispered. “Please, let me come.”
“You already came twice. Oseth spoils you.”
She groaned, clutching handfuls of fur as he steadily finger-fucked her. Urrya loved to make her work for her orgasms, even more so than Azra. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the rhythmic slide of his fingers in and out of her wet core.
Urrya rotated his hand and rubbed her other opening with his thumb. “Still so tight.” His thumb slowly breached her back passage, opening her ass in an erotic foreshadowing of what was to come. “Whose ass is this, Erin?”
“Yours, Sir.” The statement sent a shiver down her spine. “It’s for all three of you.” She belonged to her mates and they belonged to her. They would protect and care for her, give her life meaning. In return she’d submit, obey their directives, and allow them to use her body in any way they pleased. It wasn’t difficult because everything they did felt incredibly good.
