Luc Saint-Cyr’s hoversine
Sumertsag 50, night
Wulf looked up at him from where he knelt between his knees. “It’s ok, Alitus.” He set a hand on either thigh. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Breathing in short gasps, Alitus nodded, though his heart beat so hard he could feel it in his ears.
“Hey, shh.” Wulf moved to the seat beside him. “It’s all right. We have plenty of time.” He slid his arm around Alitus’ shoulders and drew him in close. “I knew we couldn’t just ‘do it,’ man. Didn’t I tell you?”
Alitus nodded.
“It’s ok. We’ll just sit here for a minute. We’re not in any hurry, ok?” Wulf set a hand in his hair and held Alitus close to him. “I want this to be a good experience for you.”
He nodded his thanks, trying to find words, but none would come to mind.
Wulf stroked his fingers through Alitus’ hair, rubbed the back of his arm and settled in beside him, pushing back against the seat. The smooth ride of the hoversine lulled Alitus, and after a time, he leaned a little heavier against Wulf’s shoulder and chest.
“I…” Alitus moved his head so he could hear Wulf’s heartbeat. “Before I belonged to the Conqueror, several Praetorian tried to rape me.” Wulf’s heart slowed for two beats and then kicked in faster in a sympathetic/empathetic reaction only a Better could hear and interpret. Alitus rested against him with more trust, now that he knew Wulf’s concern was real.
“Oh, shit. Man, I hate that for you.” Wulf kissed his brow and pulled back a little. “I hate that they messed you up like that.”
Alitus tilted back his head so Wulf could see his eyes. “Her Majesty rescued me, you know. That’s how we met.”
“Is that why you love her? Because she saved you?”
“No.” Alitus sat up and tucked one leg beneath him as he turned toward his friend. “I’ve actually thought about that many times. I love Her Majesty because—well, because I just do. I love everything about her. It’s not hero worship, believe me. But a day doesn’t go by that I don’t remember that I’m here by her grace. Because she could have let me die.”
Wulf took his hand and held it. “Have you ever talked about it?”
Alitus shook his head, glancing away.
“Then you need to.”
“No. I’m good.” He withdrew his hand. “It doesn’t bother me anymore.”
Wulf touched Alitus on the cheek. “Then why did you flinch away when I touched you just now? Why can’t you look at me?”
Alitus shrugged, picking at his nails. He clasped his hands together to stop it. “I—I’m—I’m uh…”
Wulf laid a hand over both of his. “Look at me, Alitus. Please.”
Alitus shook his head. He pressed a fist against his mouth, shaking so badly his teeth chattered. “I—can’t—do this.”
“Yes. Yes, you can.” Wulf turned sideways on the seat, not touching him. “I’ve only spent about four hours with you, but I can already tell you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”
Alitus head came up. Wulf’s pupils had remained the same size. Alitus didn’t think he was lying, even if what he said was far from true. “Why would you say that?”
“Are you kidding me?” Wulf rested one shoulder against the back of the seat. “You work for the damn Conqueror. It’s no secret you’re in her bed. The entire empire knows you’re her—uh, hers.”
“You can say it, Wulf.” Alitus turned sideways and leaned against the back of the seat as well. “I know what people call me. I’m the Conqueror’s Dog.”
Wulf’s cheeks brightened. He made a small grimace. “See what I mean? You deal with all kinds of shit. You’re one tough guy. Believe me, sex is no big deal compared to the crap you put up with every day. Guys twice your age couldn’t deal with half the crap you do.”
Alitus had to smile at that. He ran a hand through his hair.
“What happened to those Praetorian?” Wulf wasn’t looking at him. “The ones who hurt you?”
“They’re dead.” He pressed fingertips to brow, head down. The hum of the hoversine seemed loud in the silence that followed. The stitching in the seat followed an irregular pattern in one area. Alitus stroked a finger along it.
“I’m guessing they’re dead as a result of what they did to you?”
He lifted his head. “Her Majesty walked in as they were about to rape me. There were five of them. They had pulled my pants half off and three of them were holding me down.”
Wulf’s face scrunched up in a frown. “Were they human?”
“Two of them. The rest were Kin.”
“Oh, shit. They can be mean bastards. What did you do?”
“I begged for help. She pulled a gun and I thought for a minute she was going to helpthem .”
“But she didn’t?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think she ever looked more beautiful than at that moment.” He smiled, picturing her in his mind. “Her black uniform, scarlet sash and medals made her unmistakable. I’d never seen her in person, but I knew immediately she was royal. You could almost feel it, you know? She told them, ‘Let him go, or I’ll kill you where you stand.’ They backed off. She made a gesture for me to come to her. I yanked up my pants and got over there.”
“Did they go to trial?”
“Trial!” Alitus made a snort. “Hell, no. The Conqueror shot them in the head, one after the other without pausing. All five of them.” With a pointing finger and thumb, he mimed shooting. “Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Just like that. Never missed. Right in the head.”
“Holy shit!”
“They didn’t have time to do more than flinch. She never asked me why they did it. Didn’t ask if I’d attacked them. Nothing. Just blam! Dead.” He ducked his head, covering his eyes. “I know it’s wrong to feel guilty, but I do.”
“Youfeel guilty?”
“It’s like I killed them. I was standing right behind her. I saw the whole thing.” Alitus wiped at the start of tears, unwilling to let Wulf see them.
“You never said anything about that to the Conqueror, I’m guessing.”
“No!” He picked up his head. “She’d just saved my life. What was I supposed to do? Argue with her?”
“You were torn about what to do.”
“Oh, God, yes. Yes.” He propped an elbow on one knee and bent to hide his face in that hand. “They never even had a chance to defend themselves.”
“You’re one incredible guy, you know that?”
Alitus sat up, laid a hand on his chest. “Me? I’m nobody. I’m a kid whose parents were killed during the riots in 4657. I’d gone that day to claim their bodies and try to get a decent burial.”
“What riots?” Wulf wagged a hand. “Not too good on history. Sorry.”
“The riots on the FIST.”
Wulf pulled at his lower lip.
“Ok. There had been a peaceful protest on the FIST. That’s the Facility for Imperial Ships and Transports.”
“Oh. Gotcha. What happened? How did they die?”
“The Praetorian tried to end the riots by force. There were over fifty deaths.”
“And your parents were protesters?”
He smiled. “Hardly. They’d stayed as far away from the politics of the situation as they could. There’d been talk of laying out—not going to work the next day, but my folks both reported for duty. A hundred FIST workers took over a ship in dry-docks and threatened to destroy it. My parents were on board.”
“So they were taken hostage along with the ship.”
“Yes.”
“What a crummy break. What happened next?”
Alitus let out a long, sighing breath and slumped sideways against the seat. “The Praetorian went straight for the throat without consideration for any of the lives at stake and jettisoned the ship’s modular units. That ended the hostage situation but it also exposed everyone on board to outer space. It killed more than three hundred workers, including my folks.”
Wulf s
wore under his breath.
“The next day, Her Majesty came to Trien and visited the dry-docks on the FIST to appeal to workers and their families for a peaceful return to duty.” Alitus took a deep breath. “When she refused to hear grievances, it escalated into another riot. The Praetorian tried to quell it by shooting into the crowd. Her Majesty finally stepped in at that point. Later, I found out she’d seen two Praetorian drag me off and she’d decided to personally search until she found me.”
“And that’s how you ended up being rescued and the Praetorian were shot.”
“Yes.” He picked at a thumbnail. “So you see why I feel guilty.”
Wulf shook his head. “No. I’m afraid I don’t.” He added, “But I’m trying.”
“I’d lost my temper. I used my pheromones against those two Praetorian and one of them managed to knock me out before…” He sucked in a deep breath, held it, let it all out. “If I’d kept my temper in check like my parents always told me, those guys wouldn’t have died.”
Wulf was smiling at him with an expression one reserved for small children and pets.
“What?” Alitus stiffened his shoulders.
“The Conqueror probably killed those guys because they were handy.”
He swallowed. “Handy? What do you—How?”
“I bet she let everyone know she’d killed them, right?”
“Yeah. And that she was taking me back to Tarth. She said it was because I didn’t have family and…” He let his voice trail off. “The riots ended after that.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered what you did, Alitus. Your situation was a handy scapegoat. Nothing against the Conqueror, but I’ve studied the Chosen Chronicles and she’s done shit like that before.”
“Chronicles?” He leaned toward Wulf. “TheChosen keep some sort of records?”
“Oh, hell yeah. You’ll never be able to read them all. But you should read as much as you can about the Conqueror, since she’ll be the one you support. Her real name’s Dessy, by the way and she absolutely hates it. No one knows why. Dessy ap Lorectic.”
Dessy. Hmm.Alitus hid his face in both hands. “Oh, God. All these years.” He sat up straight and blew out a short breath. “All this guilt. And she was only using their deaths to quell the riots.”
“I’d say so.” Wulf gestured to himself. “Not that I’m the most politically savvyChosen out there, but it sure sounds like things she’s done. Hey—doesn’t mean she didn’t want you. Hell, she might have come looking for you because she thought you were hot.”
“Oh, sure! I was sixteen years old. She stuck me away with some tutors for two years because I was still a child.”
“What is it?” Wulf sat beside him. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
He rubbed a hand across his face.This thing with Wulf is not the same situation. I’m no innocent boy being subjected to torture and humiliation. I’m a grown man facing his demons and proving his loyalty to the woman I love and serve. I can do this.
He met the other man’s eyes. “I—I think I’m ok now.” Wulf’s infectious smile made him laugh. Alitus rubbed the back of his neck. “I just—I’m worried about my pheromones addicting you.”
“Hey, you went all day without using them, man. It’s not like you don’t have control. I’m aware of the risks of unprotected sex with a Better and I’m willing to take those risks. So don’t worry about it, ok?”
“Ok.” Alitus nodded. “Can we just get this over with, please?”
“Gee, thanks.”
His face heated. “No, I didn’t…”
“I’m teasing you.” Wulf held up a hand. “You’re sure you’re ready?”
“Will you just do it before I lose my nerve?”
“It’s not gonna be like that.”
Sighing, Alitus rolled his eyes. “I just want to get it over with, ok?”
“Well, I don’t.”
“What?” Alitus tilted his head.
“You’re beautiful, man. I want to take my time and enjoy being with you. Is that so awful?”
Alitus did not know where to look, what to do, where to put his hands.
“Hey. Relax, ok?” Wulf held out an arm. “Come over here and take it easy for a minute. You’ve gotten a lot off your chest. You need to chill a minute.”
Alitus drew back, unsure. At last he succumbed to Wulf’s invitation and scooted over toward him. “No sudden moves, ok? Are you sure we have time for this?”
“Hell, yeah. Believe me, this car isn’t going home until you and I are finished.”
“Oh, God…”
Wulf laughed. “Come on. I’m good at this. I swear.”
Alitus took in Wulf’s chocolaty cream-brown eyes and sculpted jaw. His hair fell over his brow in exactly the right places to make him look appealing. Clean cut, wholesome, male. “I’ll bet you are.”
“How do you like to be kissed?”
Alitus opened his mouth to respond, but Wulf grinned and pressed a finger against his lips. “That was rhetorical. I’m about to find out for myself.”
Wulf moved in closer, his gaze flicking between Alitus’ mouth and eyes. Wulf shut them as their mouths touched.
Sweet, gentle, kind. Just one soft brush of lips, then another. Wulf turned his head, setting a knuckle beneath Alitus’ chin to tilt his face. He pushed his lips against Alitus’ and angled himself a little more. Perfect. Their lips met in an easy embrace as if they’d always been meant to be together.
Wulf’s breath whispered across Alitus’ mouth. He kissed with a tenderness unlike anything Alitus had ever experienced. The Conqueror kissed with steam and fire; Wulf’s kiss was solid and cool.Burn me, the Conqueror always told him.Burn me with your mouth.
Withdrawing just a bit, Wulf sighed. “Oh, man. You kiss like…” He grinned. “Like—I don’t know what. Never kissed anyone like you.”
Hmm. Maybe this was meant to be.Alitus tilted his head and leaned up to press his mouth against Wulf’s. He opened to Wulf’s invasion, almost melting with how good it felt.
Wulf pulled back again, gazed down at him. “You know Luc thought it wouldn’t work for me to take you. ‘Two subs won’t work,’ he said. ‘Never put two submissives together. They won’t know what to do.’” Wulf rubbed a fingertip across Alitus’ lower lip. “Believe me, babe, I’ve got plenty of ideas about you.”
Alitus chuckled. “Wulf?”
“Hmm?”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Laughing, Wulf did just that.
*
An entire delicious, cock-teasing hour later, Alitus let Wulf move back to the floor of the hoversine.
The man set one hand on Alitus’ thigh. “Hey, I’ll make it good for you, ok? Just relax and trust me.”
Alitus nodded. His heart beat so hard it felt like a bird was trying to take flight in his chest.
“Let me help you open your pants.”
“Oh, God,” he murmured. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” He unfastened the front and raised himself up a bit.
Wulf tugged his pants down his hips. Alitus’ cock sprang free; he rarely wore underwear. Destoiya liked instant access.
Wulf whistled. “Now that is one fine piece of meat, brother.”
Alitus blushed even though he laughed. “Thanks, I guess. Never had any complaints.”
“Damn.” Wulf wet his lips. “I’ll bet you didn’t. Oh, man I love cock and yours is beautiful. May I touch you?”
No man had ever handled himthere. He’d gone this far. Wulf had touched him through his clothes, what difference did this make? Still, Alitus fidgeted on the seat before nodding.
Wulf smiled up at him. “Hey, I know you’re a virgin when it comes to guys. I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
“Virgin. Huh.” Alitus hadn’t considered that. “Are all Sempervians like Her Majesty, Wulf? Able to do it forever?”
“Shit, yeah. The Man does me till my eyes roll back in my head.” He rubbed his hands together. “Ok, now you just relax and let me take care
of business.”
“Doesn’tthat sound romantic?”
Wulf shot him an inquisitive glance. “Is that what you want? Romance?”
He shook his head. “Just get it over with.” Alitus leaned back and half-closed his eyes, not trusting enough to close them altogether. When Wulf stretched up and leaned over him, Alitus flinched a little and shut his eyes, opening them again when he felt the warmth of Wulf’s breath on his shaft.
Allen, Kayelle - T4 Alitus (2007) Page 15
