Broken Ties [The Darkest Star Saga 6]

by Zenina Masters

  “You never touched yourself?”

  “No. We were discouraged to do anything that would cause the matriarch discomfort. That included pleasure for pleasure’s sake.” He sat up, and she followed him.

  A small spot of blood and semen marked the bedding. “I am sorry for the mess.”

  “I am not. The physician removed most of the tissue, but it was recent, and so, there was still a little blood.” He walked back into the lav and brought her her robe.

  He wrapped a width of silk around his hips, and together, they went in search of food.

  After soup, they sat in the lounge space, and she cuddled on his lap on a huge chair.

  “Were you connected to your mother all your life?”

  “All Trevis are connected to the matriarch. She guides our actions and sees through ten thousand eyes.” She spoke by rote. It had been drummed into her since she was a child that she was part of a greater whole.

  “Why don’t your people have a ban against inbreeding?”

  “The ability to be a matriarch is not something that occurs randomly in our population. There was once an entire tribe of seers, but they sought a life of the mind and slowly began to die out. Five generations ago, my family line was the last left. They began to frantically try to keep the line alive, but the talent only appeared in one family member per generation no matter what they did to spur breeding.”

  “So, why did your mother keep trying to have more children after you were born?”

  “She wanted to fight destiny. She did not want to accept that I would be the only one.”

  “Why not?” He ran his hand through her hair, stroking and soothing.

  “She wanted her power to reside in a more worthy host. Something about me didn’t sit right with her.” She chuckled and cuddled against him, her body was slowly waking at the touch of his skin but nothing was urgent yet.

  He brushed his lips against her ear, temple and cheek. “You were meant for something else.” She laughed and shifted to straddle his hips.

  “What do you think that is?”

  Ibbi slowly moved the sides of her robe to slip it from her shoulders. She licked her lips and watched the signs of arousal flicker through his body. She could see it within him as a flame that flickered and slowly grew until it blazed through every pore. Right then, it flared up from his groin and down from his mind, filling his torso.

  Her seering power had shifted, and she could hardly wait to try it on someone else. With the focus with her mother broken, she could concentrate on using her Asku for focus, and he seemed to have no difficulty acting as a pivot point for her talent.

  She stroked her hand down his chest, and the heat in his body flared wildly. “What is doing that?”

  “The Asku use a special ink for the mate tattoo. It makes me react with the same intensity as you stroking my cock with your mouth.” Ibbi blinked. “Really? I think I can test that theory.”

  She slipped out of the chair and knelt between his thighs. He had done the same for her after all.

  She fixed on the flame of his interest, and she moved her robe so that her breasts were visible to him.

  His groan and the flicker of light in his aura were proof that he enjoyed the view.

  Chortling, she leaned forward and lifted his wrap to expose the shaft of flesh that sprang up eagerly. Ibbi wrapped her had around the shaft and explored his texture. She had a passing knowledge of the workings of male anatomy but hadn’t experienced it close up.

  There was a musky scent that was not distasteful coming from his skin. She stroked her hand up and down, moving the skin below the head. His inner heat flared wildly and hers was flaring to life inside her.

  She leaned forward and watched him as she took the head of his cock into her mouth. She licked at the small opening and slid him in deeper.

  She stroked with her hand and moved her mouth back and forth until she heard him mutter, “Enough.”

  He lifted her and positioned her over him. He aligned himself with her slick opening and pulled her down over him with his hands on her hips.

  Her opening fought him, but as he eased into her, he went in to the hilt. Ibbi gasped at the feeling of fullness. She pressed her forehead to Dreynar’s shoulder and shuddered as she fought to acclimate to the feeling.

  He gave her a moment while he cupped her breasts and stroked her belly in a slow and deliberate waking of her body. Breasts, belly, back, shoulders, he took up an endless round of caresses.

  She shivered and felt the pulse of the thick shaft inside her. Her hips flexed, and the minute movement brought a moan.

  She moved again and slowly but surely, she picked up the pace, bracing her hands on his shoulders and kissing him deeply as he cupped her buttocks to help her move.

  He took her gasps and moans into his mouth, and each time she gave voice, his lust flared brighter.

  They rocked, shivered and thrust together until Ibbi’s body bucked hard against Dreynar, and she let out a low, rattling groan. She could feel her inner muscles clasping and releasing his cock, but when he gripped her hips and bounced her fast and furious on him for a moment, she could feel his shaft pulse and twitch as his own release burned bright.

  Soft giggles broke through her as she felt every shift and throb inside her. Her body continued to clasp and release, drawing out every drop of semen it could.

  “What is funny?”

  “I would have to say my mouth on your cock works better.” She bit lightly at his lip and surrendered to his ravenous kiss, his arms around her, holding her tightly on him.

  He held her close and buried his face against her neck. “How did I get this lucky?”

  “Some would say luck, I say destiny. Whatever you blame, I am here and you are here, which is a good thing, because if there was another woman on you, I would pull her hair out.”

  “And another man under you would soon find himself in his preferred afterlife.” He kissed her softly.

  Considering the deadly intent in his voice, it was a remarkably tender sentiment. Ibbi shifted on him, and she felt him thicken and stiffen inside her once again. “We are lucky to have found each other. Now, not to ruin the mood, but how are we going to deal with my mother?” He chuckled and the motion moved him inside her. “Ibbi, can we discuss this later?” She rocked on him over and over again. “Fine, but she will be here in three days. We need a battle plan by then.”

  “I will take that under advisement.” She giggled and stroked his chest to make him move faster and harder. She had found the throttle, time to ride.

  Chapter Eight

  “Lady Velu, you are requested in the commander’s office.” The courier smiled.

  The women of Adeel proved more receptive than the Asku had counted on. Ibbi was helping the garrison quartermaster figure out what the women would need when they moved in with their new husbands. The first priority was married housing.

  “Please excuse me, Thakeri.”

  The quartermaster inclined his head. “Of course, Lady Velu. I look forward to continuing this at a more convenient time.”

  “I hope so. Some of those men are exceedingly eager to have their mates with them. There is no possibility of that unless there is somewhere for them to live.”

  Thakeri winked. “I am well aware of that. I look forward to shopping amongst the Adeel for a mate myself. Nothing like having a motivated worker on your side.”

  She chuckled and walked with the courier to Dreynar’s offices. It was ridiculous that she needed an escort when she was just hiking across the hall but that was Asku protocol and she was wrapped in it.

  The courier handed her off to the guard in front of the office, and the guard, in turn, opened Dreynar’s door. With her gown rustling, she walked into Dreynar’s office and took in his expression. “They are here.”

  He nodded. “They are here. Are you ready? Your mother wishes to speak to you, and I believe that privacy is best.”

  She swallowed. “I suppose so. When are we do
ing this?”

  He got to his feet and came around the desk. A large screen descended from the ceiling, and he asked. “Now. Are you ready?”

  She nodded and backed up against his comforting warmth. She took his hand for a moment and then released it, stepping forward. “I am ready.”

  The screen came to life, and it was her mother’s face. It seemed that she wanted to make a good impression as she was wearing her formal robes and seated on her dais.

  Before her mother could speak, Ibbi said, “Matriarch of the Trevis, I greet you.” Her mother paused. “Thank you, daughter, but you may use my name.”

  “Daughter no longer, Matriarch. I am Ibbi Velu, wife to the Asku Commander Dreynar Velu, son of the Asku High Commander and the Radiance.” Arberatia swallowed, “Really?” Dreynar nodded. “My lineage is written on my face, Matriarch.”

  The matriarch stared at him. “I see. You speak the truth, Ibbi Velu. You are a disappointment, child.”

  “I know. It was only my father’s love that kept me with the Trevis. Once you were to give me to my cousin, I could not stay with someone who would see me descend to madness.” Arberatia stiffened. “There would be no madness.”

  “To be with a man who doesn’t want me? A man who was a brother to me? I could never take him to my bed knowing that it would make his flesh crawl and my heart break.” Ibbi sighed.

  “You should have told me, I could have removed your doubt.”

  “No, you could not have. My mind was not made for you. It was made to join to my mate and to help those around me. I am my own person. I made a life without the Trevis, without the matriarchy, and my reward is that you would take that life from me. Not without a fight, Mother!” The matriarch’s face darkened, and Ibbi could see a shadow moving behind her. Her father stepped into the light, and his eyes and nose were bleeding furiously.

  “What happened to my father?”

  “Your genes, his pain. He needed to be punished.” The matriarch waved it off as her husband moved to stand beside her. His fists were clenched and his gaze blind.

  “You are an abomination, Mother. You need to die.”

  “I will give the order to raze that little world and you will die, my dear daughter. We will have to scour the universe to find a new candidate for matriarch, but I am sure that there are other seers out there. Seers that will accept rule over a mighty colony.”

  In front of her horrified gaze, Verin raised his fist and pivoted on his toes, stabbing Arberatia in the heart. “My daughter will live, love and know happiness, you soulless harpy.” As Ibbi watched her father kill his sister with a brutal and thorough stabbing.

  He sat back and sighed as the matriarch stopped twitching.

  Guards came running in, and they paused, unsure of what to do.

  Ibbi spoke, and her voice cracked, but it held.

  “Verin Senial was doing the bidding of the matriarch. She was dying and wished to greet her daughter before she would pass on to the next world. Verin was doing her bidding, though he could hardly see.”

  The guards looked around and shuffled their feet. “Who is in charge, Lady?”

  She smiled. “Verin Senial has been at the side of the ruler for decades. Take advantage of his wisdom and allow that the time of the seer has passed. The Trevis must fly on their own now. Find a world that is suitable and settle on it. Be a colony and not a flying disaster waiting to happen.”

  The guards nodded, and Verin took the throne.

  “Be well, daughter. I will be in touch when things here have settled.”

  “Be well, Father. I have missed you. You know where to find me.” She smiled, and Dreynar put his arms around her.

  Verin nodded. “I know, and I am glad. You feel so happy daughter. It does me good to know it. I will direct the Trevis, and we will be on our way now that my wife’s long illness has taken its course.”

  She nodded, and tears pricked her eyes as the screen went blank. “Oh stars.” She inhaled and exhaled steadily, afraid that she would faint.

  “You father just murdered your mother, and you defended him.”

  “I did. He is a good man, a kind man. He has been tortured by Arberatia since they married before I was born.” She turned and gripped his shirt, sniffling.

  “I will tell the warship to stand down.” She smiled up at him. “You were going to fight for me?”

  He nodded. “I was also going to protect the Adeel as is our charter. I told you I would not part with you, Ibbi. Do you think I was joking?” She smiled up. “I just saw my father stab my mother to death. I think I am going to take a little nap now.” Blackness swallowed her a moment after Dreynar’s arms came around her. It had been one exciting family call.

  * * * *

  Waking in Dreynar’s bed should have been familiar by now, but she still felt a little thrill every time.

  He sat beside her, and Sarthin was nearby, putting his kit back together. The doctor smiled and gave her a wink before he left.

  “Well, Sarthin has found a range of medications he can use on you, but he is not going to.” She frowned. “Why not?”

  “You are already carrying.” Dreynar smiled, and it was a small, pleased smile that belied the roaring emotions in his body.

  “Carrying what?” She scowled further.

  “Our child, simpleton. You were becoming susceptible when we first met, it probably locked in my focus.”

  She chuckled. “I was going into heat?” He shrugged. “Something like that. You glowed every time I looked at you. I couldn’t stop.”

  “Funny. I thought the same thing of you, and I didn’t even think that you were ready for breeding.”

  He lifted her hand to his lips. “With you around, I am always ready for breeding, but this brings me to a problem. It is traditional for a pregnant Asku female to be sent to our home world. I don’t want to part with you.” She chuckled. “Will Sarthin spill the information?”

  Dreynar shook his head. “No, he has his own wife and knows the pain of being separated from her.”

  “Then, just tell people I am getting fat.” He widened his eyes. “Are you sure? I have heard that saying that sort of thing to a pregnant woman can get a man castrated.”

  “No, just very bruised, but I think you can take it.” She winked. Suddenly, her mood shifted. “Do you think my father will be all right?”

  “I think if he could survive being married to your mother, he can survive or welcome anything. I look forward to his return.” She chuckled and brought his hand to her lips.

  “I think he should stay in the guestroom.”

  “We will see.”

  “Yes, we will.”

  * * * *

  Nishka Velu—the Radiance--turned to her husband, Doron, with delight. “Only one left. And Dreynar’s woman is already pregnant.” Doron scowled at his delighted mate of many decades. “Why isn’t he bringing her home?”

  “Well, he didn’t tell me that she is pregnant, but I know that freakishly delighted look in the eyes of a Velu. He has a child on the way.”

  “A grandchild would be a triumph. All this pregnancy in our family is making me edgy though. Are they going to pop all at once?” Doron came and turned the com unit off with the punch of a finger.

  Nishka struck him. “Very funny. We had seven boys and only one is still single. Do you think he will be able to find a woman sometime in the next century?”

  Doron sighed. “You know him. He will do it in his own time. It is like he is waiting for a sign from the stars.”

  Nishka snorted and crossed the room to fold back the sheets of their bed. “Right, like the stars have anything useful to say.”

  Doron merely smiled and got into bed, taking his woman in his arms as he had for so many years. He never got tired of her fire or the protection she aimed at their sons. Their youngest would find his match, and he would do it in his own time. For Nishka’s sanity, Doron hoped it would be soon.

  About the Author

  Zenina Masters was bor
n in Canada and lives in Canada. She has a regular job and does nothing particularly exciting with her life. She enjoys fishing, silence and the ability to pick and choose friends she can trust. Life is too short to watch your back all the time.

  Her writing life is a teeny bit of escapism, she would probably chicken out if confronted by three naked men and looks forward to one day finding out.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About the Author