The thought panicked him, even as it made his erection worse.
He felt himself extending then, and Mara caressed the hard end of his cock as it revealed itself, nearly buckling Revik’s knees. Nulek held him up from behind, but Revik let out another groan, that one heavier than the others, seeming to come from deeper inside his chest. He leaned harder into Nulek and the seer gripped him around the waist, pressing into him with his cock, even as he started pulling on Revik’s light again, trying to get him to open more.
Mara tugged on his hair then, forcing him to look down at her.
He fought to focus on her face, panting, feeling his tongue thicken in his mouth.
Five years.
No one had touched him like this in over five years.
“Am I okay to stay then, brother?” Mara said. She pulled at him with her light, winding it deeper into his, coiling it hotly into his belly and groin. When he gasped, her voice grew openly cajoling. “...I’m asking you. I’ll beg you, if you want me to, brother... and I’ll compliment you all night if you want that, too. I’ll be very hurt if you say no...”
Hesitating only a breath, he nodded.
She gripped his hair tighter, and he closed his eyes. “Tell me yes,” she said. “Say it.”
He let out another low groan, still not looking at her.
“Yes,” he managed. “...Stay. Please.”
Smiling, she released him entirely, stepping back.
When he opened his eyes, still fighting to control his breathing, she stood a few feet away. He pulled at her with his light, hard. He couldn’t help it. He felt the void with her body and light away from his... so intensely it nearly brought tears to his eyes again.
“Good,” she said, sending him another flicker of heat.
He got the sense she was answering more than his words.
Even as he thought it, she glanced at the others. As she did, her voice and light shifted, until they held a near command.
“...Get him down, now,” she said. “I think he’s waited long enough.”
“Do we flip a coin?” Nulek said, his voice joking, even as he pressed against Revik again. “Or fight for it?”
“No,” Mara said, still watching Revik’s face. “I want to be the one to fuck him first. I will pay the three of you for that... if I need to.”
Dalai laughed. So did Ontari.
“I am serious,” Mara said. “Name your price.”
For a moment, Nulek didn’t speak. Revik felt him and Dalai exchange looks. Then Revik felt Nulek grudgingly concede with his light, too.
“Fine,” he said, releasing Revik’s chest. “You can go first.”
Nulek kept hold of Revik’s arm, even after he released most of his body, to support him more than anything, Revik suspected. Revik found himself remaining by the other male’s light, anyway, doing it almost unconsciously... not letting himself think clearly about why, even after he noticed himself doing it.
Nulek gripped him tighter in his hand, maybe because he felt that, too.
Before Revik could be sure of either thing, the Chinese-looking seer aimed his voice at Mara again, his tone openly warning.
“If you scare him, sister, or are unkind to him... or cause him to close... I’ll beat the crap out of you, Mara. I mean it. I don’t give a fuck how much money you throw at us.”
Mara smiled, but didn’t take her eyes off Revik’s face.
“You see, brother?” she said softly to him. “You have us fighting over you already.”
12
FRIENDS
REVIK WOKE TO a ping to his light.
He didn’t know that at first.
He slid back into consciousness as if riding a heavier wave out of the depths of some darker ocean. It wasn’t tiredness he felt exactly... at least not that made it so difficult to open his eyes in those first few seconds... it was more like he’d lost track of himself somehow, in the intervening hours since he’d finally forced himself to sleep.
Truthfully, he probably was tired, though.
He had a memory of Nulek urging him to sleep, to try at least, stroking his hair and face and pushing at his light, trying to get him to lose consciousness, to relax. The older seer had teased him gently, massaging him as he did it. He’d said something about dawn approaching, about needing to be something a little more coherent than one of the upara d’kitre... the walking dead... or Balidor would chew out the rest of them for abusing him.
Nulek had reminded Revik that he’d be on duty again the whole of the next day, too... and that they’d all want him just as much tomorrow.
So yeah, probably not a lot of sleep.
The second ping that came, Revik felt.
By then, he was awake enough to open his eyes.
He stared up at the strangely liquid organic material of the tent, then shifted to his back, grimacing a little at the soreness of his body even as he felt limbs wrapped around him from more than one side. Looking down, he saw Dalai’s dark head resting on his chest, shifting with him from where she’d leaned on his side. Nulek wrapped around her from behind, his face smoothed in sleep. On Revik’s other side, Mara pressed against him as well, her back and rear molded against his ribs and hip, her face tilted upwards as she slept.
Ontari lay on his stomach next to her, his head cushioned in his arms.
Then Revik felt eyes on him and looked up.
Dalejem stood in the opening at the front of the tent, on the opposite side from the thicker mat across from that door.
His face held no expression whatsoever, but Revik could feel him waiting.
Who is it you need? he asked, his thoughts cautious, and quiet.
You, brother, Dalejem replied.
His thoughts felt as empty as his expression.
Revik hesitated, taking in the other seer’s lack of expression more warily.
Is something wrong? he sent, after a pause.
Dalejem just looked at him, then at the seers lying next to him.
I’ll wait outside, he sent.
He receded from the opening, seemingly the instant after he sent the thought.
Blinking to clear his vision, Revik carefully lifted Dalai off him, repositioning her on the softer mat. Then, moving slowly, he slid out from under Mara, too, using his feet and legs to move his body evenly down the mat, trying not to jar it too much and bother their sleep. He waited until he reached the end of it to try and climb off, still trying to keep from waking the rest of them fully.
It occurred to him only then that they’d all been lying there uncovered, and that he was hard, just from waking up with so many hands on him, and so much skin pressed against his.
He grimaced a little, thinking about Dalejem standing there. He wondered just how long he’d been there, between the tent flaps, waiting for Revik to feel the pings, to wake up.
He fought not to think about that, either.
Blinking still to clear his vision, he looked around for his clothes, but all of those he saw belonged to other seers. He remembered how the evening had started then, and looked to the other side of the tent. They’d undressed him close to the opening leading outside.
As he sat there, it also occurred to him that others might have seen more of his night’s activities than he’d really wanted to think about at the time.
They all shared a construct, after all.
Shoving that out of his mind, too, he pulled himself to his feet, wincing slightly in spite of himself. He made his way to the other side of the tent and then dressed quickly, throwing the two shirts and armored vest around his shoulders without fastening the latter up. He grabbed his boots and the two gun holsters he’d worn at the end, checking the guns themselves and then shoving them back into the organic holders.
He sat on the floor of the tent to shove his feet into socks and boots and to buckle them up before going outside. He did it more for the insects, parasites and other things that might get on his skin than because he worried about the bottoms of his feet particularly.
It was already hot enough, even just a few hours after dawn. He was sweating by the time he got the last boot done up and pulled himself back to his feet.
When he left the tent, he found Dalejem standing there, waiting for him.
The dark-haired seer turned when Revik walked out.
He didn’t smile, though, or even really acknowledge Revik with his eyes or his light. His expression remained as blank and immovable as before.
When Revik just stood there, Dalejem motioned with his head for Revik to follow him.
They walked through the rows of tents without speaking, then out into the trees that started on the other side of the wide clearing, heading almost due west. Revik followed him down the narrow path that lived there, leading into the jungle, noticing suddenly that Dalejem wore only sidearms too, and that he had a machete stuck in the back of his belt, so they might be walking far into the jungle. Revik waited until they were a good distance from all of the tents and out past the edges of the construct before he ventured another try at speaking.
“What’s going on?” he said. “Are we on patrol?”
Dalejem didn’t turn.
He continued to walk the narrow path, which began to twist upward through the trees once they reached the next bend, leading them higher up into the mountains. Revik touched his hip, realized he hadn’t brought a canteen with him, and frowned.
“Brother?” he tried again. “Is something wrong?”
“Why would something be wrong?” Dalejem said.
His voice was as expressionless as before.
Revik’s frown deepened, but he didn’t try to answer at first.
Still fastening up the front of his vest, he sped the motion of his feet, having to work a little to keep up with the other seer, despite his long legs. When he got close enough, he reached out, laying a careful hand on Dalejem’s shoulder, not really thinking about why as he did it. As soon as he touched the other male, however, Dalejem came to an abrupt halt, turning on him.
“What?” he said. “What the fuck do you want?”
His voice was openly hostile that time.
Revik had never seen the other seer angry before, not like that.
Thrown by the expression on his face, he blinked a little, stepping back.
“Sorry. I just...” He hesitated, still studying the other man’s face warily, his hands at his sides now, almost ready to fight. “What’s wrong with you? Where are we going?”
“What the fuck difference does it make?” the other snapped. “Why can’t you just follow orders for a change, Dehgoies?”
Revik just stared at him, looking from one of his eyes to the other.
“What’s wrong?” he said. “Just tell me, goddamn it!”
Dalejem let out a humorless laugh.
Frowning, Revik was about to try again...
When the other turned on him suddenly.
He moved so fast that Revik didn’t have time to even think about getting out of the way. Dalejem’s fist connected, hard, with Revik’s cheek just under his eye. He hit him hard enough that he nearly knocked him down.
Staggering back, Revik held up his hands instinctively, balling them into fists.
“Gaos,” he gasped. “What the fuck?”
Dalejem just stood there, his light exuding so much anger Revik backed down, in spite of himself. Taking another step back, he held his hands up in more of a peace gesture that time.
“Brother,” he said, fighting to get his equilibrium back. “Brother, talk to me. What is it? What did I do?”
“What did you do?” Dalejem laughed again, his eyes hard as glass. “Are you really fucking asking me that right now? Are you?”
Revik flinched again, still thrown by the other’s demeanor.
Dalejem had always been laid back. Calm. Warm.
Almost zen in his approach to things.
That’s how his light always felt to Revik, anyway.
Even as Revik thought it, he saw those sharp green eyes shift to look past him, back towards the direction of the camp. Maybe because his light was more open than it had been in weeks, months, maybe even years, Revik felt something from him in those few seconds. He got an image of what Dalejem had seen when he’d walked through the flap doors of that tent.
Fear touched Revik’s light, even as his mind fought to catch up.
“Gaos,” he said. “You’re pissed about that?”
Dalejem’s eyes shifted back to Revik’s, holding a coldness that made Revik pause.
Pain coiled sickeningly through his light, even as he shook his head.
“Gods. I didn’t think...” He paused again, clicking, even as he looked up, that fear flickering back through his light. “Was one of them yours?” he asked, panic in his voice. “Gods, Jem... are you sleeping with one of them?”
“Holy fucking gods, Revik!” the male snapped, his words coming out like an explosion. “You can’t possibly be as fucking stupid as you are pretending right now!”
Revik stared at him.
It felt like the seer had hit him again.
After a pause, Revik’s eyes narrowed.
When Dalejem started to walk away, Revik lurched after him, without thinking about whether that was particularly wise, either.
“Wait!” he snapped. “Wait, goddamn it... !”
He reached for him again, but Dalejem turned on him, his eyes holding an open threat.
“You touch me again, and I’ll beat the living hell out of you, you little fuck...” Meeting Revik’s disbelieving stare, he returned it with one of his own, his expression bleeding even closer to incredulous as he studied Revik’s. “What? Did you expect me to like it that you’ve whored yourself out to the entire camp, brother? And just how, exactly, did you expect me to react? Or did the thought cross your mind once at all?”
At Revik’s silence, Dalejem raised his voice, twisting his words into a near sarcasm.
“You know, brother, last night, I almost wondered if you were angry with me... if you were trying to get my attention in some way, to get me to admit I wanted you, that I would be jealous if you slept with another. Then I realized... no. No, he’s not angry. He’s not thinking of me at all. He’s just a messed up little shit who doesn’t give a fuck. Which shouldn’t have surprised me, goddamn it... but it did. It did surprise me. You’re lucky I didn’t beat the hell out of you right there, in front of all of your damned admirers...”
Revik stared at him again, but Dalejem didn’t wait.
Muttering what sounded like curses under his breath, he turned his back on him again. He began walking even more rapidly into the jungle, without looking back.
Revik just stood there, watching him go. Then he remembered the seer had woken him. He might really be supposed to be out here with him for some reason.
Unless Dalejem brought him out here to kill him.
The seer let out another harsh laugh, coming to a stop on the path in front of him.
“Don’t fucking tempt me... Rook.”
Revik flinched, in spite of himself.
It was the first time Dalejem had ever called him that.
“What are we doing out here?” Revik said, wary. “Why won’t you tell me?”
Dalejem shook his head in annoyance, clicking at him.
“Orders. What do you think? You think I wanted to spend my fucking morning looking at you? No. I got woken up, same as you. I got told to go get your sorry ass out of the remnants of your public orgy, and to go on patrol with you. I think this is brother Balidor’s way of telling me to get over it... but he can go fuck himself, too.”
When Revik didn’t answer, Dalejem glanced over his shoulder, giving him a colder look.
“Seriously. Are you brain damaged, brother? Did the Rooks do something to your mind while you were with them for so many years... ?”
Revik felt his jaw clench.
Maybe in part because the words hit a little too close to home that time.
“...Or do you really think I wo
uld have willingly walked into that tent,” Dalejem continued angrily. “You piece of shit Rook... that I would have just stood there, watching you lie there with a hard-on, waiting for your friends to wake so you could blow them again?”
Revik felt his jaw harden more.
He didn’t speak when the other seer threw up his hands, exhaling in disgust.
He just stood there again when Dalejem turned, once more walking away from him.
Pain rose in Revik’s light as he watched him leave that time, though, enough that his throat fought to close. He followed the other seer mindlessly, barely seeing the trees around him as he placed his feet, not sure why he was still trying to keep up. He fought to control his emotions, his light, wondering why it wasn’t easier after the night before instead of harder, but he found himself wiping his face angrily, fighting back tears.
“I thought we were friends,” he said.
His voice was low, a mutter mixed with a growl.
Somehow, even walking a few yards in front of him, Dalejem heard it.
The seer stopped.
Revik tensed when he did, stopping, too.
He watched the other’s back warily in the pause, but he still flinched when the other man turned. Then he couldn’t get out of the way fast enough when Dalejem suddenly came after him. Letting out a gasp of surprise, Revik actually considered running away, taking off into the trees, but the other seer closed the gap between them in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Then he had ahold of Revik’s armored vest.
Before Revik could writhe free, Dalejem slammed his back into the trunk of the nearest tree. It happened to be a large kapok, with wave-like roots jutting out of the sides, and Revik let out a low groan when his spine made contact with one of those roots, hard.
He gripped the other man’s arms, panting, trying to decide if he should call for help, when Dalejem released him just as quickly, stepping back.
Revik stared, stunned when he saw tears in the other seer’s eyes.
That panic returned to his chest, forcing words out of his mouth, almost before he knew what he was saying.
“You didn’t want me!” he cried out. “You fucking told me you didn’t want me... the first day we were here!”
Allie's War Early Years Page 63
