“Your acknowledgement of our victory is appreciated. But we mustn’t be late or the Nall will be upset. This slave must still be prepared.” Lasar gestured to Morgan’s suite.
“Of course, great Rahna.” The tall one reached into his pocket then plucked out the card that unlocked the door to Morgan’s room.
Nary almost blurted out that he had one, then tempered his words. Not only would it be inappropriate to speak up in the place of Lasar, but it would be very bad for all if he was unable to use it. The fact that he’d been able to gain access to the room before, but couldn’t this time, would be too suspicious to the guards.
Once the door was opened, the guard blocked the threshold slightly, and Nary knew exactly what he was doing. He undoubtedly wanted a glimpse of a naked Morgan. For once, Nary was glad that Morgan hid from aliens. The link of his spirit to Chris’s sympathy for his cousin allowed him to feel how badly it upset Morgan to be gawked at, how genuine his innocence truly was. It angered Nary that Morgan was so humiliated and threatened by his circumstances.
Either Nary’s fury incited Lasar to act, or his Ahna had possessed his own.
“Out of our way! I don’t care for the way you ogle our slave, or for your clear interest in Rahna Rama’s prize. Have you been taking liberties when you are left alone guarding him?”
The guard jumped out of the way, bowing once again before he spoke.
“Never, great commander. We would never dare.”
Chris grabbed the sleeve of Nary’s sheer robe. Nary yanked his arm free from Chris’ grasp, hoping that neither guard had noticed. His pet might not understand the Alasharian words, but he could sense how upset both of his Ahnas were. A tiny sob escaped Chris’ mouth. Nary could hardly stand it, he longed to reassure him but had no recourse except to leave his mate without comfort.
I curse the Nall for this, curse the void.
An anguished cry split the air, the sound seemingly wrenched from some evil place. Nary realized with horror that the terrible noise had come from Chris who had slumped to the floor and remained unmoving. Instinctively, Nary rushed to his aid, but Lasar shoved him to the side, shielding Chris from the guard’s view with his frame. Nary only realized he was swaying when Lasar stilled him with a firm grip to his arm.
“See what you have done?” Lasar directed his ire at the guards. “His need to spill is high, and you have interfered, kept us from retrieving this other slave so that we can quickly leave.”
The guards regarded each other, then the shorter one attempted to peer past Lasar, while the taller one narrowed his eyes at him.
“Forgive me that I question you once again, Rahna. But we’ve barely kept you but a tiny parcel of time. How could the slave be so overcome from such a brief pause?”
Lasar growled. “I do not forgive you. How familiar are you with human sex slaves? What do you know of their urgent needs?” Lasar turned to Nary, the plea in his eyes clear that he must play along with whatever ruse he came up with to mollify the guards. “Attend to our slave. Make sure he is fit to perform for the Nall.”
“Yes, Ahna.” Nary gave Lasar a quick nod before falling to his knees, his back to them all, his frame also shielding Chris from view.
Lasar continued his diatribe. “You have even agitated my Nasha, something which has never occurred before. Nary has been eager to show off this slave to the Nall. But now, I am unsure what we shall do. I will need to report this to the Supreme Commander.”
“But…” Both guards dropped to the floor of the hallway, bowing until their noses touched the carpet. It was an extreme posture of supplication for someone who wasn’t one’s personal Nasha, only used in the most unusually egregious circumstances.
“Are you still trying to defy me? To insist you understand what urges the humans possess, what they need in order to slake their thirst for sex?”
The taller guard spoke from his almost prone position. “No, great Rahna Lasar, we have no knowledge. This planet is very strange to us, very difficult to understand. I spoke out of turn, was wrong. I didn’t realize that the mere sight of the other slave would soothe him sexually.”
Nary held his breath as he gathered an unconscious Chris in his arms. How will Lasar respond to the guard’s assumption?
Lasar didn’t speak immediately and Nary tensed once more. Lasar laid a steadying hand on Nary’s head without turning toward him. The sudden disruption by the guards had prevented Nary from connecting with his mates’ spirit, had left him bereft and uncertain. He sighed as the link between him and Lasar formed again. He reached out with his spirit to Chris, who stirred in his arms.
Nary leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “Don’t move, stay quiet.” Regardless, he took care to speak in English, the station of the guards indicating they wouldn’t have been instructed in any Earth languages.
Chris went limp and his eyes remained closed. Lasar removed his hand, but it was all right. The balance between all three of them had been restored.
“You see? Your lack of experience in these matters strips you of the right to make assertions. Now go. We must hurry to prepare the second slave so that we won’t be late. I will leave it to the Nall to decide what to do with you both.”
Nary angled his body to keep the guards from taking a peek at Chris as they scurried away, their long strides carrying them out of sight in almost an instant. Along with Lasar, he instinctively waited for a few more breaths until the door that led to the stairs could be heard closing. Nary scooped Chris up then rose.
“Pet? Are you awake?”
Chris slowly opened his eyes, then threw his arms around Nary’s neck. Chris clung to him the same way he did whenever panic or fear overtook him. Lasar embraced them both.
“What is it, boy? What happened to make you cry out with such anguish?”
“I need to see the Healer.”
Lasar and Nary exchanged pained glances. The Healer had already made it very clear that he could no longer be called upon. If Sha Sha Ar chose not to seek Chris out, there was nothing that anyone could do to make it happen.
“Chris, boy, listen to me.” Lasar stroked Chris’ head as Nary held him. “You know he’ll only come to you, to anyone, if he decides it’s the right time. We can’t make him appear.”
Chris gripped Nary’s neck tighter, his face buried in the crook of his shoulder. “You don’t understand. It’s the void, it’s growing stronger. Anyone who defies it will be destroyed. It has to be stopped soon, or it’ll be too late.” Chris lifted his head and locked his eyes on Nary. “I saw it, suffered its dark intent. When you cursed it, Nary, it reacted by showing me what it would do to you, to Lasar.” Chris’ face twisted in agony. “To my family.”
Lasar radiated a puzzled expression at Nary. He hugged Chris tighter as he regarded Lasar. “I said it in my mind while you were busy with the guards. I cursed—”
“No!” Chris dug his fingers into Nary’s shoulders. “Don’t say it, don’t even think it again. The Nall has already been consumed by this darkness, and it’s spreading to others. Most of the advisors have fallen victim, only a few remain strong and can resist the lure of the void.”
Lasar nodded. “Yes. Those advisors are some of the allies I spoke of. When I cast my spirit to the stars, it was made clear who I could trust.” Lasar furrowed his brow as he continued to pet Chris’ head. “So, what you’re saying, boy, is that this darkness, it’s the same as the void that threatened to swallow up and vanquish our planet? It followed us here? And how is it possible that it can react to being cursed?”
“Because”—Chris’ voice had taken on an intense tone—“it’s not a phenomenon of space. It’s an entity.”
Nary gasped. “Dearest heavens.”
Lasar wrapped his arms around them both and held them tightly. They remained silent as the enormity of what Chris had revealed settled in. Lasar released them, but stayed physically close.
“What do you need to do, Chris?”
A lone tear trailed down Chris’ cheek.
“I don’t know. That’s why I need the Healer’s help. He talked about a darkness that kept him from seeing everything, and the same thing happened to me with some of my visions. I think that whatever this entity is, it has the ability to fight us in our spirits. To destroy us from within, instead of as an outside force. This isn’t an enemy you can resist and fight in a physical battle. It’s a poison in our souls. And it’s powerful enough that it was able to sneak up on your most important leaders without you ever realizing.”
Chris shook his head. “This is entirely unknown to any of us. It’s a war within our hearts and souls, and because the Healer wasn’t aware of this, because none of us were, all the decisions that have been made so far have been influenced by the will of the void.” Chris inhaled a shuddering breath, clutching harder at the fabric of Nary’s robe. “The Healer needs to know about this, he must. I have no idea what to do with this information.” Chris’ bottom lip quivered. “I shouldn’t be the one who has this knowledge. I’ll fuck it up, everyone will die and it’ll be my fault!”
“Stop it! Leave him alone!”
He whirled around with Lasar simultaneously to see Morgan standing in the doorway, a defiant expression on his face.
Chris struggled in Nary’s arms and he set him down. He kept his arm around Chris’ shoulder in case he needed to support him should he start to fall again.
“It’s okay, Morgan, I’m not mad at them. It’s something else that has to do with the reason for the invasion.”
Morgan sidled closer to the threshold as if attempting to hide his nakedness behind the frame. “Oh.” He stepped back, placing more distance between them all. “Don’t hurt him, though, okay? Chris says nice things about you guys all the time and…and…well, you wouldn’t want me to believe that what he says isn’t true.” Morgan cringed. “Right?”
Nary smiled at Morgan. He wasn’t very well acquainted with Rahna Rama, but he’d always appreciated his calm, almost gentle manner. His personality was much different than a typical Alasharian warrior commander. Nary believed that Morgan would get along fine with him. Eventually.
“Yes, slave Morgan.” Lasar softened his features. “Chris says nice things about you, too. We love him very much, and as you are his family, we are sworn to keep you as safe as we do him.”
Morgan’s eyes narrowed as his gaze traveled back and forth between him and Lasar. Nary had the sense that Morgan was still trying to determine whether or not he could trust them, trust any Alasharians.
“Well, I told Chris that if he loved you then I would honor that.” Morgan mumbled something else that Nary couldn’t hear.
“Slave!” Lasar had barked it out, his voice booming. “Speak up so that we know you’re not insulting us with your words.”
Morgan’s eyes rounded then he rushed back into the suite, racing to the same room as he had the last time, slamming the door behind him.
“Master! You scared him.”
Chris frowned at Lasar who frowned right back.
“He has to show respect. If Rahna Rama is displeased with him and wants to send him back to the cages, I won’t be able to control that.”
“Oh God.” Chris appeared paler again. “He’ll learn. I promise. I’ll make sure of it. Please, Master, he was probably only making some remark about how stupid I am for loving you or whatever.”
Lasar gritted his teeth. “That is not a respectful thing to say. I shouldn’t have to explain—to you more than any of us—how serious all of this is, how careful we have to be regarding every word we utter or action we make.”
Chris swallowed hard. “You’re right. I’ll make him understand how important his words and actions are.”
Lasar sighed then caressed Chris’ cheek. “I know you will, sweet boy. We’re all under a lot of pressure and emotions are running high.” Lasar winked. “Even Alasharian ones.”
When Chris smiled back, Nary finally felt as if he could exhale. The tense exchange between his mates had unnerved him. Being with a human was so different than being with an Alasharian. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of considering the various angles of a situation before blurting out explosive remarks or engaging in rash and abrupt behaviors. Humans certainly need a lot of balance.
Lasar leaned in to take a kiss from Chris before giving one to him as well.
“My Nashas, the guards’ slip up bought us some time, and might give me an excuse at the party, but the Nall won’t be appeased forever.” Lasar grimaced. “I’m sorry, Chris. But you’ll have to explain to your cousin what we need to do in order to prepare him.” He brushed some of Chris’ hair back that had gotten tangled when he fell. “We’ll need to touch you up as well. Is the plug bothering you, did it hurt when you landed on the floor?”
“No, it’s fine.” Chris chewed on his lip. “I already figured this would su— I mean, not be cool. But now that we’re here, I’m even more worried about how much Morgan’s gonna freak out over the cock ring, butt-plug thing.”
Lasar rubbed at his forehead, sighing. “I think I can shield Morgan against penetration by explaining that Rama had specifically requested a virgin. So, maybe we can forego the plug.”
“Dude! That’s perfect.”
Nary jostled Chris. “Pet. How can you explain respect to your cousin when you can’t give it?”
Chris glanced between them both then slapped a hand over his mouth. He lowered his head then dropped to his knees. He kissed Lasar’s bared toes, his boots left behind in favor of sandals for the party.
“I’m sorry, Master. You can spank me many, many times. I was just excited by how brilliant you are. It slipped out.”
Lasar snorted. “We’ll discuss this when we get back. We can’t be any later than we already are. The Nall wanted us there early so that he could put you and Morgan up first.” Lasar twisted his lips. “Perhaps the guards did us a favor, but it’s still a risky venture to anger the Nall. Especially with how uncertain everything is right now.”
Nary held in a groan. They still had to prepare Morgan, and Nary had enough personal experience with him—no matter how limited—to be aware what a challenge it would be. He didn’t doubt Chris’ worries for a moment regarding how Morgan would react to getting a ring on his cock.
Thank the heavens that Lasar found a way to avoid the plug.
They all entered the suite, then Lasar closed the door behind them. Even if the floor they were on only held their suite and the one Morgan was being held in, they couldn’t take any chances that they might be interrupted or overheard. Lasar glanced around the suite, stepping into the kitchen area and every other available space with the exception of the bedroom Morgan had hidden inside. He seemed to be satisfied that they were alone.
“Boy, I need you to retrieve your cousin—unless you feel he’d do better having you place the ring on his haro instead of one of us.”
Chris groaned and covered his eyes with one hand. He finally dropped it to his side and let out a sigh. “I haven’t the slightest clue. Let me go ask him privately first.”
Lasar furrowed his brow. “Bring him out here. We have to hurry, we’ve taken too long already. And in less than a parcel of time he’ll be on display and being touched by Alasharians and other slaves. It would do him good to face it before we get there.”
Chris nodded, his discomfort clear in the way he slumped his shoulders as he did Lasar’s bidding. When Chris returned, leading a visibly upset Morgan by the hand, they both had their heads bowed. Nary glanced at his mate who returned his gaze. The compassion that flowed between him and Lasar was also present in his eyes. As abrupt as Lasar needed to be in the current situation, it was clear that he wouldn’t enjoy what he was about to do.
He’ll have to make the choice for Chris. Going easy on them won’t help.
Lasar approached Nary then leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper. “The cousin is more familiar with you than me, and in addition, I just reprimanded him. I’ll instruct Chris to hold him while you place the ring on his shaft.”
Nary angled his head to keep his response from being heard. “What about the hardening cream?”
“Yes. I don’t even want to try the natural way. It would be too much of a humiliating and drawn out process. I’m still concerned about him becoming so upset at the party that he puts us all at risk.”
“Yes, Ahna. I agree.” Nary placed a hand on Lasar’s arm. “May I have permission to explain to them how this will be done?”
Lasar nodded. “I will remain close by. I believe my presence alone will encourage Morgan’s cooperation.”
Nary took in a deep breath then steeled himself to deal with his unpleasant task. He could only hope that Chris would forgive him for touching another male intimately, even if it wasn’t a sexual caress. Morgan’s reaction wasn’t something he cared to face, either.
Lasar encouraged Nary forward with his hand at the small of his back. He addressed Chris and Morgan.
“Boy, guide your cousin to the couch then both of you sit close to each other.”
They shared a look then did as they were told. Lasar turned to Nary as he handed him the cream from the small pouch attached to the finely twisted piece of decorative rope tied around his robe.
“Get him ready, Nasha.” Lasar regarded Chris. “Hold your cousin while Nary gets his cock hard and attaches the ring.”
A small cry sounded from Morgan and he buried his face against Chris’ chest, his shoulders hunched as if he were trying to disappear. Chris wrapped his arms around Morgan as he held Nary’s gaze. Chris’ mouth formed a tight line, but he gave a small nod. Relief filled Nary at the silent message from his mate. He understood that Nary had to prepare Morgan for the party, that it was the only way.
Lasar then handed him the ring and Nary squatted in front of them. He grasped Morgan’s hips, the human’s muscles going rigid beneath Nary’s touch. He angled the lower half of Morgan’s body so that he could get to his cock easier. Once he’d positioned him, he let go.
Cherished by Two Page 12
