Dark Harvest

by Anitra Lynn McLeod

  Once he’d slathered him with oil, Sterlave heard another blast of oil against something, but he didn’t touch him. After a moment of confusion, Sterlave realized the man was covering his cock with oil to further ease the way.

  Now Sterlave’s thoughts turned another direction; how big was this man? He pictured a hair-dusted hand wrapped around a cock as hard as his, stroking up and down, distributing oil until the length gleamed. Gripping it hard would cause the head to swell and darken. Sterlave tried to picture the man more clearly, but he had nothing to go on. For some crazy reason, Chur popped into his head. Sterlave tried to remove the image, but it was too late. On his knees between Sterlave’s spread legs, he pictured Chur in all his glowing magnificence. Now, the hand around the cock was bigger, stronger, and his massive glossy cock shined like a magical device designed to deliver endless orgasms.

  The weight on the bed changed and Sterlave felt the man’s knees slide under his raised thighs. Before he could marvel over the sensation, he felt the tip of the man’s cock press against his anus. Behind the blindfold, Sterlave closed his eyes tightly, not in anticipation of pain, but in a sublime surrender. Ever so slowly, the man pushed forward until just the head of his cock plugged him. Holding the position, the man placed his hand around Sterlave’s cock.

  A moan of longing erupted from his throat and bounced off the walls. His grip was loose, but even the slight contact was magnified in his deprived state. Sterlave craved more and he tightened around the man’s cock, pulling it deeper. He thought he would hear the man moan, but he was remarkably well restrained. All Sterlave could hear was Kasmiri’s breath catching, then releasing on plush sighs. An image of her sultry eyes lowered as she fingered herself popped into his mind and caused him to twitch in the man’s grip.

  In response, the man held him more firmly, then slid his hand down at the same pace as he slid up Sterlave’s ass. Dual sensations almost pushed him over the edge, but he held on, wanting to wait until his orgasm built to a shattering new height. Hot, thick, and pliable, the man’s cock plunged fully into Sterlave. No pain possessed him, only a tingling pleasure that zipped along his sensitized nerves. He understood that’s why Kasmiri teased him for so long; anticipation amplified each sensation.

  The man rocked his hips, moving in and out, as he performed the same motions on his cock. Sterlave shook in confusion; he didn’t know whether to thrust up into his hand or down onto his prick. Such a maddening dilemma left him unable to move at all. He simply lay back and let this mysterious man do as he wished.

  Increasing his pace, the man pushed harder into Sterlave. When he angled up, he rubbed the smooth, hot tip of his cock right against that small magical spot buried in his bottom. He’d never known the spot existed until Rown showed him with the wand.

  This man knew exactly where that spot was and deliberately altered his strokes to press firmly against it. Faster and harder he went until Sterlave thought he would lose his mind. Never had he longed for release so profoundly. If he could see, he imagined the man’s hand would be a blur on his cock. So quickly did he stroke, and in such perfect rhythm to his plunging prick, that for a crazy moment Sterlave thought he was fucking his own ass. When he laughed at the thought, he tightened around the man’s cock.

  Kasmiri moaned as if she’d felt what he’d done.

  “I’m going to make you come so hard you’ll never forget it.”

  Her voice puffed hot and sultry against his sweaty chest. Clearly, his mind was playing tricks on him because she couldn’t be above him, not unless she sat upon the man’s shoulders.

  With each pulse-pounding, bed-shaking stroke, Kasmiri whispered, “Come for me. Come for me.”

  How could he refuse? Past the point of no return, Sterlave let her voice usher on his climax. He felt his orgasm start deep in his balls, then erupt from the tip of his cock. Jetting spurt after spurt onto his chest caused his entire body to contract. At the same time, he felt the man’s contractions follow as he pumped into his ass. At that precise moment, Kasmiri whisked away the blindfold.

  Aftershocks of the orgasm convinced him his eyes weren’t working because what he saw couldn’t be true. There was no man between his legs. Blinking several times didn’t change what was.

  Kasmiri knelt there, resting one hand on his rapidly deflating cock while the other cupped her own breast to tweak her nipple as she continued to thrust her hips during her orgasm. When she finally finished, she slumped forward onto his chest. As her cock deflated within the tight channel of his ass, he was convinced he was losing his mind. He’d been up, down, and all around his mate’s body, and he was certain that she didn’t have a penis.

  Slowly, she opened her wicked, wild eyes. When she caught his stunned gaze, she smiled, and said, “Surprise.”

  22

  Kasmiri didn’t want to move. She’d used every bit of her strength thrusting into him. Watching his head roll back, his mouth working as he moaned out his pleasure—she wouldn’t soon forget that moment. Sterlave’s stunned expression caused a tremor of apprehension to stir in her belly.

  “Just tell me how you grew a penis on such short notice.”

  His wry comment caused her to laugh, which pulled her temporary cock out of him. He winced, and so did she as she eased her weight off him. Removing the pillow, she sat cross-legged on the bed below him.

  Between her legs, the smooth phallic device released from her body now that her orgasm was complete. She gingerly removed the toy from where it anchored around her hips and in her sex, and tossed it off the bed.

  “Remember how I told you that many of the elite gave us sexual gifts after our bonding ceremony?”

  Frowning, he nodded. “I thought they were destroyed in the fire.”

  “They were, but dignitaries from all over the universe have been sending gifts too. Apparently, someone captured our moment and distributed copies.”

  His chuckle eased her trepidation. “So a collection of voyeuristic barsitas are enjoying themselves while watching us?” He tilted his head to the side. “I’m strangely flattered.”

  “You take pleasure in being on display?” Fury consumed her when she first heard that off-planet inhabitants, barsitas, viewed her most intimate and private moment for their own titillation.

  Shrugging caused the manacles to pull on his wrists. “Let them look. They’ll never have me or you.”

  Possession turned his tone sharp, pleasing her feminine pride. He hadn’t been able to say he loved her, but he clearly wasn’t going to share her with anyone. Hopefully, he saw her daring sexual encounter this morning as evidence that she honestly did love him and would do anything to please him, sexually or otherwise.

  With four flicks, she released him from his bonds.

  He stretched his arms over his head and straightened his legs out on either side of her. “Tell me more about this most amazing transformation device.”

  She described how the device oozed around her hips and up inside her, taking her arousal as a woman and translating those impulses into a man’s reactions. “Every time you clenched around the phallus, I felt it inside my sex. Each thrust stimulated my walls.” Mere words couldn’t describe how amazing the experience had been. It was as close to being a man as she was ever going to get. “Watching you struggle with longing and fear, but trusting me to not hurt you, aroused me in ways I can’t explain. Your trust was the most empowering of all.”

  Pumping her cock into him caused her to grit her teeth and understand how the act of penetrating someone, fucking another being, was so brutally exciting. In that moment, she possessed him utterly. Every move he made, she felt. The subtlest reaction of him amplified around her cock, then surged into her sex. She glanced away when she worried that such a powerful feeling could be addictive. Would he ever let her do that to him again? She certainly hoped so.

  “What was the clicking and humming about?”

  She held up her hands so he could see her shortened nails. “I clipped them, then smoothed the ed
ges. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  “And it truly added to the illusion you’d let a man in here.” He glanced at the door. “You just opened and closed it.”

  She nodded. “I thought the shushing was a perfect touch.”

  His laugh pleased her. “I actually thought…”

  “Are you disappointed?”

  “No, I’m impressed with your lusty, creative mind.” He kissed her shoulder. “Is there such a device for me?”

  She considered his question. “I honestly didn’t notice.” A hot blush rose up her cheeks. “Once I saw that one I didn’t look at anything else.”

  Lifting his head to gaze at her, he smiled, and said, “You lusty yondie.” He fell back. “Tell me where I might find this cache of gifts so that I can find something to use on you.”

  She told him she’d had them sent to a storage room off the servants’ quarters. Anticipation tingled along her fully satisfied body. What else was in that room full of presents? Reluctantly, she rose from the bed to prepare herself for another day of meetings.

  “Wait a moment.” Sterlave captured her between his legs. “It’s proper etiquette that after you fuck a man silly you should at least kiss him.”

  She kissed him hungrily, then slid off the bed. In the bathing unit, dread stiffened her spine. In her haze of lust, she’d forgotten all about her visitor last night. She didn’t want to face him today. Sterlave thought her strange mood had been about holding back the truth of her love, and she felt terrible for lying to him, but she didn’t know what else to do. He wouldn’t stop tormenting her until she confessed to something. Love was less dangerous than that monster.

  Hurt that Sterlave hadn’t said he loved her back, she also didn’t want to force the confession out of him. Such a compelled declaration would be meaningless. When and if he said that he loved her, she wanted him to mean it. He’d called her his soulmate, and that touched her deeply. For now, it would have to be enough.

  Even the hottest water couldn’t stop her from shivering. Today she would have to do as the monster asked. If she didn’t, he wouldn’t hurt her, he swore he would destroy Sterlave. Kasmiri shook her head, terrified to do or not to do as he demanded. Her own people would rebel. She’d lose whatever allies she had. What did it matter if she stayed in power if she had no one to rule over?

  After drying herself off, she moved to her mirror and summoned Rown. Whatever bothered him seemed to have passed. Today he met her gaze with his soft blue eyes. Rown dressed her, applied her makeup, and fashioned her hair with his usual grace and efficiency.

  She thanked him, settled herself at the table to review her plans for the day, and then dismissed him with a nod.

  Sterlave rose, stretched, his muscles distracting her from her floating blue agenda. How could fragile skin contain so much masculine power and grace? She did not know another man who would be secure enough to let her do what she did. Tearing her gaze away, she turned her attention to her advisors’ meeting. Sighing, she tapped out her changes, requesting a block of time to address some emergency concerns. She had no idea how she would present the idea, only that she had to give the monster something today to buy more time.

  As she considered his demands, she chose the least of all the evils. Giving him the Harvester rooms wouldn’t hurt anyone. The current Harvester could find accommodations in the training rooms. If he complained, Kasmiri would tell him to be grateful he’d left with his life. She was certain that if he protested, the monster would simply hunt him down and kill him. As to the second part of the monster’s request, she didn’t know how she could do as he asked. Naming him the official Harvester was a power she did not have. He would have to fight and kill the current Harvester to take his place. From her understanding, one could only challenge the current Harvester right before the Harvest. Closing her eyes, she feared that’s exactly what he intended. The monster knew he’d asked for something she couldn’t provide. She thought it was a way to either expose her or force the current Harvester into a battle, one the monster would certainly win.

  Rown settled several platters on the table, but she couldn’t eat. Her stomach roiled at the thought of what would happen at the next Harvest. How would the virgins react to seeing the creature between their tender thighs? His skin could burn on contact when he chose. Would he burn them with his cock, relishing their screams of horror and pain? How could she do this to her own people?

  She slapped her hand on the table. They were not even her people! When her mother hadn’t been able to resist Helton Ook, she’d taken him as her secret lover. Why she didn’t just make him an official consort, Kasmiri would likely never know, but the fact remained that she hadn’t, which made Kasmiri a nothing. Worse than a nothing, because she was a pharadean, the product of an elite house and a Harvester. Such had happened over the seasons but not to the royal house. Parentage was strict for the reining empress’s children. For the other elite, it didn’t matter, because they were not in power. Once they came into power, their children must be the product of an empress and an official consort. If Kasmiri’s house had another legitimate daughter, Kasmiri could simply step down, but she was the last of her line. This meant that no matter what she did, she had no right to rule. Being the daughter of the empress didn’t count, not unless she had a consort for a father. And given that she was pharadean and last of her line, they would want her exiled to Rhemna so that she couldn’t attempt to gain power for her house again.

  She swallowed back a defeated little laugh. All her life she’d wanted to abandon her duty of being the empress. It seemed the gods had granted her request in the cruelest fashion. They had waited until she had a reason for wanting to be the empress, then promptly took the role away.

  If her mother hadn’t drained the royal accounts paying bribes to silence Ambo, Kasmiri would have had the funds needed to run away, but even that her mother couldn’t leave her. Clathia left her in a deep hole. Kasmiri had thought of selling her jewels, but Ambo pointed out that all the plush decorations around her rooms were fakes. The real items had been sold long ago to pay off the ever-increasing bribes. Kasmiri didn’t have enough to even fuel her mother’s Golden Bird to the nearest planet.

  Mockingly, Ambo said the only real riches left were slung around her consort’s hips. At first, she thought he’d been referring to Sterlave’s penis, but he’d actually meant the Sword of the Empress. How ironic that the one valuable item she possessed belonged to the one man she truly loved? If she gave everything up, would he come with her to face the unknown? What would they do to earn funds? Kasmiri had no skills but dancing. Sterlave was a fighter. In what world could they find a place?

  “Everything all right?” Sterlave asked, joining her at the table.

  His nudity distracted her and she fumbled for an answer. “Meetings and official duties will consume my entire day when I’d rather be here with you.” That was no lie. She’d give anything to spend the day with him, lost in pleasure, sleeping, talking; anything would be better than what her day held.

  Since he had yet to bathe, she could smell the enticing aroma of sex on him when he leaned over to kiss her hand.

  “Don’t work too hard.” He stood, rooted around under the platters, found a tidbit he liked, popped it into his mouth, and then strolled off to the bathing unit.

  Gathering her courage, she was gone before he came out.

  Today the advisor’s room was packed with many faces Kasmiri didn’t recognize for they came to meetings so rarely. They’d come today because she’d insisted on a full gathering of all the advisors and the house representatives. The seating venue expanded to accommodate the influx, and Kasmiri let her gaze slide past her soon-to-be rivals. From her elevated perch, she had an excellent view.

  Each house was notable for its unique color. In all, there were twelve houses, including her crimson house. Yellow house probably had the best claim in that the current family had four daughters and all were strong enough to withstand the rigors of competing for the e
mpress throne. Violet house had three daughters of the right age, but they were spoiled and soft. Green house had no hope at all, for they had no daughters old enough to compete. Blue house had the opposite problem in that their daughters were too old. Blue-green house had the sorry curse of creating only male children for the longest time. Red-orange house, the one closest to Kasmiri’s, had many daughters, but they were physically and mentally slow from too much inbreeding.

  Discouraged, she stopped considering their claims. Whether she left voluntarily or they exiled her, crimson house would cease to exist. Grandmother had told her how once there had been hundreds of houses, each a subtle blend of many colors. As the houses merged or fought, they’d finally fallen into six distinct colors with six blended colors. Intense rivalries at the times of a power shift decimated the houses even more. Season after season of war left the land battered and the populace destroyed. To prevent further destruction, Empress Vrisha, who had no children and didn’t want bloodshed at her death, had determined the system for how a new empress would come to power. No more would wars be fought. Instead, everything rested on the woman herself.

  Kasmiri did not envy the women of those houses. Empress competition was fierce. They had to prove themselves beautiful, strong, artistic, intelligent, and fertile. She shivered at the last one. Nothing could compel her to place herself in the breeding cage.

  When she glanced out again, she caught Helton’s gaze. She wanted to spit in his direction, but she calmly held her poise. He offered her a tentative smile that she rejected with a toss of her head. How dare he? Grinning at her like a fool when he’d ruined her life and her entire family line.

  A few seats over, Ambo fidgeted worse today than he had yesterday. His eyes were sunken into his head and he seemed slimmer. His gaze met hers with a terrible sadness, almost a begging for forgiveness that she recoiled from. Now that he’d ruined her life, he wanted her forgiveness? Was he mad? He started all this. Given half a chance, she’d destroy him.