Ruled: A Dark Sci-Fi Romance

by Cari Silverwood

  How wet he left her nipples, how easily he conjured shudders of pleasure from her and a whimpering writhe of her body, with each and every suck or lick.

  The rawness of the lust in his eyes awed her.

  The ache in her butt cheeks reminded her of how remorseless he could be.

  When at last he stopped attacking her with tongue, lips, and teeth, he reclined on his side and stared, gaze shifting over her body. His lower arm snaked across and clutched her wrist, as if to prevent her from escaping.

  As if she would.

  She found the words she should have said before and whispered, “I should have said no.”

  “But you did not and it would’ve only made it more interesting, to make you beg for me.” He winked. “You read of us?” He stroked his fingers down her cleavage, past her navel to her lower belly, where his gaze and hand stuck.

  Absentmindedly, he drew circles on her just above her clit.

  Distracting? He might as well have drawn on her with lava.

  “The torm and the other stuff. Yes,” she rasped, throat roughened by desire.

  “It affects us both, my fuckable princess. All I can think of is fucking you, even when the world outside has barely been rescued from bullet, fire, and storm. My men have it controlled. And you, you grab me by the cock and lure me to you.”

  Such crudeness.

  “I deny this torm has an effect on me.” She dredged up a smile, let it play on her lips. “That’s mauleon hormones, not mine, sir.” Had she just dared him to prove her wrong?

  And here she was with her fingers tangled in his long hair and pressing on his chest, because she could not get enough of him.

  “You think so, Princess?” He gave a low chuckle that sounded, almost, like a threat. “Let’s find your shower before I fuck you.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath. Yes, that was fear surfacing. He hadn’t fucked her fully before, remember? Fear and lust.

  What would it be like to take all of him? Her pussy squeezed in.

  Her priorities were all wrong. Royal concerns. The damn war out there even? Maybe he was right? Maybe this torm was affecting her?

  For the first time, she noticed how filthy he’d made her sheets. His body was streaked with black and stank of smoke and the gods knew what. Blood too, perhaps.

  “You must get out of my bed,” she blurted.

  The servants would know he’d been here.

  His mouth stretched into an evil smile. “Not what you say to me. Not at all.”

  Then he launched himself from the bed with a bounce and stalked around to her. Drake hauled her upright. With a few swift movements, he twirled her and dragged her nightdress over her head, making her breasts jiggle as they were caught in the material.

  “There?” He pointed to her bathroom door. Without waiting for an answer and with her wrists trapped in his hand, he towed her to the door.

  “Umm... maybe? Should we not talk of war and rebellion?” She was babbling but couldn’t stop. “Princess to... to criminal lord?”

  His lip rose, revealing more of his teeth. Had she angered him? She was fairly sure fucking him in her bathroom was also not the best way to begin a business relationship.

  Chapter Eleven

  What he saw in her bathroom seemed to jar him, if only for a second. She looked around the large room, at the square plunge bath bubbling with foamy water, at the silver mirror that formed one wall and the matching square area where her shower lay. Silver and blue accents set off white walls. The fresco of a lush garden gave this an open-air feel, despite the windows being too high to see through. It sufficed, though she needed to redecor—

  “Stand against the shower wall, face out.” He clicked his fingers and pointed, forefinger rigid.

  Having recovered from his onslaught, she hesitated.

  His stare hardened.

  Unsure if he scared her or had merely shoved her into moving by pure sexual force, she padded to the wall beneath the overhanging showerhead then slowly turned, planting her butt against the cool wall and her palms to either side, as if to keep herself in place.

  The mere presence of this mauleon male seemed to thicken the air, to steam it with a heaviness that promised hard, relentless sex that would leave her hurting.

  Her pussy ached from what he’d done last time. A nice ache. Her eyelids drooped as she remembered being made love to on his table. Or fucked as he’d call it.

  Fucked made it sound filthier.

  Slowly he advanced, swaggering, fully clothed in his battle-soiled clothes. His gaze molested her.

  “I love how you obey me.” Drake was a step away from touching her. Her next breaths were dragged through parted lips.

  She had obeyed. That irked her and Calli wrinkled her nose. If she had it, this torm was rendering her brainless, but who wouldn’t find him sexy, irresistible, and scary? She wriggled against the wall, hypnotized by this mountainous hunk of mauleon.

  His clothes were dark hued. The ashes showed mostly on the muscles of his arms, and on his face. He’d left a pile of weapons and holsters on her bedroom floor.

  Something made her dare to murmur, “Are you going to eat me, this time?”

  He catalogued her from feet to upper legs, to her pussy and the triangle of her sex, where her beauty servant had left a thin wedge of hair. His gaze loitered there.

  “Maybe.”

  The heat rose in her.

  “I’ll bury myself balls deep this time. I’m going to make you scream as you come.”

  “Oh.” Her tongue poked the roof of her mouth. Gods above.

  He shucked off his shirt, tossed it, muscles rippled and shone.

  His pants and underwear came off next, were also tossed. Her eyes refused to do more than stare. His cock was pointing at the ceiling and looked far too thick and long for him to be able to... to get it all inside her.

  “Fuck,” she choked out, her throat catching. “Stars above... No.”

  “No?” He barked a laugh, grinned. “Liar. No more lying. Turn. I want to see how red I marked your ass.” When she faced the wall, he moved in and spoke quietly. “And I want to see your other hole so I can decide when to fuck it.”

  She gasped. “That’s—”

  “Going to happen. You’re going to do it because you want to, my filthy little princess.”

  How could he make her want that?

  “Don’t move.” Drake turned on the tap. The square showerhead above cascaded warm water over them both, flooding over her head, down her body, and over her feet. The roar muffled other sounds, made this feel less real.

  This wasn’t her, shivering, with goosebumps all down her arms despite the warmth, waiting for him to take her.

  He gripped her ass, fingers angling into her slit, then bit her nape. She arched back into him and felt one of his fingers push at her other hole. No. No. But she didn’t say it, too wrapped up in the mix of sensations, of bite and hand on ass, of the shame of what he did, of having this huge creature aiming to fuck her properly.

  Of being pinned to a wall in her bathroom while he almost stuck a finger into her ass.

  Chapter Twelve

  This could get so out of hand. Was already, she told herself. He’d washed himself, then watched her soap herself and rinse off, while he leaned on the shower wall, and now...

  Calli gasped and buried her head in his chest, mouth sliding as he pushed into her, sliding on her fuck-juices as he’d just called them. Pinned to the wall, hoisted up, with his claws fastened around her breasts, anchored in. She had red scratch-stripes on her breasts and belly, and he was grunting as he forced himself higher.

  Spine to the wall, she let her head fall back and bump on the wet surface. He was wet too, massive muscles bunching and hardening. Hard as the cock in her.

  Deeper than before, she knew it, had felt him stretch her open, felt her pussy give way then clamp on his cock. As if she could keep him there, high inside.

  “Fuck!” he swore, grunted again, slid into he
r more. “If I come too early, before I’m in all the way, I’m spanking you red.”

  “Oh. You... No.” Mouth open, she wriggled, eyes upturned, then she leaned in and sucked on his shoulder muscle, the bulk of it sliding under her tongue, lips, teeth as he crammed in, pulled out, crammed in again.

  She nearly swallowed her tongue when he slid out, almost all the way out, and poised to reenter.

  The wet sounds from below said her body loved this.

  “Yes.” He chuckled. “Yes, miss fuckable princess.” His claws held her, as if by breast hold alone he could fuck her stupid. “Gods!”

  Another shove at her and she whimpered, pleasure building to an incredible height, all of her tensing, pulsing, as he pushed.

  “More. Please.” She huffed and groaned, then felt herself relax.

  He gave an enormous concerted thrust, and slid in so deeply that her muscles turned into mush. She hung on with her arms wrapped around his neck, legs wide open, as he proceeded to fuck her to the stars and back.

  Every thrust made her hit the wall and rocked a grunt from her.

  “Look at you, got me all in there.” He bit down on the angle of her neck, licked his way to her ear, bit there too, and fucked into her. “I’m in, girl. You took my cock. Now. You can come.”

  Pistoning in, ramping up, he speared in and out, faster, harder, bouncing her ass into the wall.

  She came, writhing on him then stiffening as he too exploded. She clutched at him, blindly coming down from the high of orgasm with him still inside her, his cum seeping out of her.

  Her breathing wound down and still her breasts squashed into his chest.

  When he pulled out, he let her sink to the floor, her back sliding. The shower came on again and he washed her and himself. After he dried her with one of her big fluffy towels, she cuddled into him, and he carried her back to the bedroom.

  Drake left her on the bed, blinking up at him, eyeing him from her blissful stupor.

  He began to dress in his old clothes, shrugging on shirt, pulling up pants, buckling belt, putting on weapon belts and boots last. Then he walked to the edge of the bed and leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, lingering there.

  His mouth moved on hers as he talked. “I told you you’d take all of me, my princess. Got to go finish this. I will be back. Be good for me. Do not go outside. It’s not safe.”

  Then he left. She heard his boot-steps fade and the outer door open and shut.

  Calli lay there, thinking, half-smiling. She could taste him on her lips. Feel him. And she ached down below more than ever. This felt too good. If he could overcome her with sex every time he came to her, she’d lose herself, surely?

  It was a thought to hold onto.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Now that Drake was gone the problem was obvious.

  She’d had time to think, to eat, to look once more upon her city. The fighting did seem over. Drake was treating her as if she were merely a girl to fuck. He’d promised to tell her what had happened but had told her nothing more than surface details, every time she’d asked.

  Don’t go out. It’s unsafe, he’d said.

  Of course it was, but Drake had said it was done. She, the rightful ruler of this kingdom, wanted to know what was happening.

  Those weren’t all of her reasons though.

  She knew she was never going to rule alone, not that anyone did. All rulers had aides, ministers, advisors. She knew no one else would hand the throne to her, but was Drake the man to share it with? She must look to alternatives. If he’d lied to her, the agreement was voided. She didn’t want to share a throne with a mauleon who regarded her as little more important than a shoe.

  She would rather leave the kingdom.

  She had friends out there in the city. Should she merely wait for his return while people died? A man who lied would surely tell her he was truthful.

  Your father trusted him, her brain screamed. But all he wanted to do was fuck her. He had her under some sort of spell. It was stupid to go out, but stupid to trust him utterly.

  Her secret exit would very likely be watched. She couldn’t walk out past her palace guards either.

  “Sassi!” She turned and leaned her back on the railing. “I need those pistols again, and clothes to go out in, new ones, not the old suit.” They’d had years to figure out her favorite outfit. “A dress. Cloak. New boots. My old weapons training torso armor.”

  If she wore dark glasses and pulled up the hood, her face would be unrecognizable.

  She might not be the best pupil according to Mister Fenton, but she could shoot straight and down there would be disorganized. Slip out, see Bron and Shree, check the hospital and see if everything was as he’d vaguely said it was, slip back here.

  Or slip back and leave the kingdom.

  He’d be gone for hours. She’d be quicker than that.

  And she could look into a drug to lessen the effects of this torm, which she wasn’t even sure she suffered from. Would it hurt to ask the hospital pharmacy? You could get love potions, why not anti-love?

  Just because he turned her on like a light switch whenever she saw him, smelled him, or watched his muscles shift as he stalked toward her... Calli swallowed. It didn’t mean she had to succumb.

  The passage out normally took her to the edges of the destroyed space port. She changed strategy. She sent Sassi where she normally went, wearing the cloak and dress Drake had sent her home in—the suit would’ve looked ridiculous on the bot. Whereas she slinked out using the craters and small maintenance tunnels that took her through the spaceport cemetery of rusted and shattered spaceships caught on the ground centuries ago.

  It meant squeezing through some tight spots but an hour later than normal, she was on the streets.

  They were quieter than most days and there were some fighters patrolling, but they took little notice of her with her padded figure, grimy glasses, and hands weighed down with old shopping bags.

  A riderless florse trotted by, neighing, rolling its eyes, but a soldier caught it soon after. Blood had streaked its side.

  She went slower, stuck to the shadows, ready to turn back if it seemed wise.

  Apart from a few houses with holes in the walls, some bullet casings on the roads, and a smashed front door, she saw little that said a small war had occurred in the last day.

  Bron and Shree’s house was deserted. No one answered her knock. Both worked at the hospital and it was where she’d met Shree—at the maternity ward, while she was up on tiptoe peering through the observation glass at the babies. Since there were at least fifty others there at the time, she’d been shocked when the nurse tapped her shoulder.

  Shree had recognized her as the princess, and she’d thought it coincidence but now she wondered if it was orchestrated.

  Could Shree have been in the pay of her father?

  She prayed not. Her best friend, a spy? No.

  Drake’s men wouldn’t expect her at the hospital. The closer she drew to the streets near the hospital, the more carts went by, and some carried wounded men.

  A checkpoint at the bottom of the main hospital entrance gave her stomach knots. Five men, two mauleons, and all were well-armed with long weapons and grenades.

  They stopped her.

  Tucking her head low, she turned toward the humans, reasoning that the mauleons might be more likely to be aware of her identity.

  “State your business here, miss.”

  “I have a friend who was wounded. A nurse told me.” She glanced up then down, twisting her hands in the bag handles. “Nurse Shree Tomers said to come. Please? I need to see them.”

  “Anyone heard of a Nurse Shree Tomers?” The man turned to the other soldiers.

  Their chorus of ‘noes’ threatened to undo her plan, until a male nurse jogging down the stairs paused and spoke.

  “I know her, yeah.”

  “She works here?” the soldier asked.

  “Yes, sure does. In—”

  “It’s fi
ne.” He held up his hand to the nurse. “You can go in, woman.” He jerked his head then ignored Calli.

  Relieved, she walked quickly in the entrance, past reception, and along the corridors toward maternity. It was so busy in here, with stretcher beds rattling along and past her. People were going everywhere, some with bandaged wounds showing.

  “Hey!” Someone caught her arm and she swung, alarmed, going to run if this was her worst fear. It was Shree, in navy blue nurse’s uniform with her brunette tresses in a bun. “It is you! Come with me.”

  She followed Shree into a room then into a storage cupboard with linen stacked on the shelves.

  “Wait.” Shree clutched her arm then listened, her head up. “Seems okay. No one followed us. You shouldn’t be here!” She gave Calli a shake, her green eyes glaring bossily. “You know what’s happened, don’t you? Fighting, the rebellion in your name, girl?”

  This would’ve been funny, being lectured by Shree, if it wasn’t for the tragedy of it.

  “I...” How did she say this? “I’m being kept in the dark, given little info. A mauleon called Drake and Sec-Force General Aegis are leading it and I think they have won the day? But I’m unsure of the truth. Or... of the casualties. It looks bad. Here.” She jerked her head to indicate outside the cupboard.

  “Bad, yes.” Shree frowned. “But mostly if you were on Vass’s side. I heard he’s gone into hiding, maybe left the city. His forces have surrendered everywhere, I think. I’ve not seen many civilians, wounded or dead. You’re lucky I saw you. I’m working in surgical ward today. They’ve brought in a lot of extra staff.”

  “I see. Good, in a way. This is what I was told.”

  So Drake had won. He was being truthful about casualties also. She hesitated. Could she ask Shree if she’d worked for her father?

  Heavens, no.