He would be experienced with women, she knew. Adolescent Sakk males went through a stage where they required frequent sexual interaction. As Hayley understood it, widows and prostitutes took care of their needs.
Parrin wasn’t treating her like a prostitute, of course. He took his time, stroking and exploring Hayley’s body. Their mouths meshed and parted in a feast of pleasure. Her body heated, demanding more of him.
As if she’d spoken the thought aloud, Parrin turned, placing Hayley above him. She gasped at the feeling of his cock pressing to her through layers of clothing. She reached for the zipper down her back, fumbling with it.
Parrin’s hand covered hers, and he drew away from the kiss. “Shhh. Let me.”
Hayley nodded and eased her hand away from the zipper. Parrin slid it down slowly, his eyes locked with hers. Tremors worked their way through her body, and she gasped for breath.
The dress parted, and Parrin worked it off her shoulders. Silk stroking at her scars drew a moan from her. Parrin cocked his head to one side and smiled. His cock jerked against her body. Hayley arched against him, drowning in need.
He traced the scars with his fingertips, and her breathing hitched. Parrin shifted and took her breast into his mouth. His stroking hands and suckling mouth had her body throbbing, half-formed pleas leaving her trembling lips.
Parrin reversed their positions and knelt up between her thighs. Hayley stared up at him, watching her clothing and shoes being stripped away in a daze.
“He touched your wing base,” Parrin muttered.
“What?” Her voice sounded weak and far away to Hayley.
“That was what you took offense to. Jamil touched your wing base.” Parrin moved on to his own clothing, leaving them both nude. His cock nestled to his stomach, ready to stake a claim on her.
Hayley swallowed a lump in her throat, watching the slight movements of his length avidly. “I don’t have wings,” she reminded him. True, she’d been born with stumps of wings, but those had been removed when she’d been less than a month old in the belief that they were a birth defect.
Parrin lifted her to her knees, steadying Hayley when her balance proved uncertain. “The wings are erogenous zones for us. The wing base especially so.”
Answering that was difficult. “Then...Holly?”
His smile sent a new set of butterflies winging through her stomach. “Poor girl.” He reached a hand up to stroke one scar, leaving Hayley gasping against his chin. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”
Parrin laid a hard kiss on Hayley’s lips, then moved with lightning speed. Before Hayley’s senses righted themselves, he was at her back, trailing his lips along her scars, heating them with his breath, stroking his tongue along them.
His cock lay against the base of her spine, taunting Hayley with what she wanted. His hands explored the front of her body, massaging at her breasts, pressing lightly down her abdomen, widening her stance to tease at her clit.
“I can make you come like this, Hayley. Is that what you want?”
“I want...” Truth be told, she wasn’t sure what she wanted, save that she didn’t want him to stop.
“Come like this and then feel my length filling you?” he tempted her.
Hayley nodded her agreement.
Parrin’s groan sounded of exquisite pain. He went back to his play, raising her arousal to a fever pitch. Her legs trembled, and she nestled closer to Parrin’s body.
He settled her onto the mattress again, his hands massaging at the scars that were fast becoming a favored part of her anatomy. Parrin captured her lips, the kiss hot and hard. He ground his hips against her, adding the promise of what was soon to come.
The heat between them came to a head, and Hayley grasped at Parrin’s shoulders, drawing him closer, her body exploding in delight.
His head came up, and he thrust into her. Pain and pleasure warred against the backdrop of the continuing orgasm. Parrin’s breathing hitched, and he looked down at her, his eyes widening.
“You were virginal?”
****
Hayley murmured something that sounded of agreement, and Parrin cursed himself silently. Human women usually weren’t virgins when they came to the consulate to be tested. For that matter, unless a female was born on Sakk or came from a seed world with wings, none of them were expected to be virginal.
Parrin had never had a virgin before. During his pre-prime settling, he’d been tutored by two widowed aunts. Since neither had been related to him by blood, it had been socially acceptable for them to have a taste of pre-prime cock while working him through the fever to the control he now possessed.
That control asserted itself now. Females could be injured in a first mating. Had he done so?
Having never been schooled in the particulars of a virgin female, he wasn’t certain what to expect. The faint tang of blood mixed with the sublime scents of sex. She could be injured. The concept of asking the healers for aid was both appealing and terrifying. He would definitely hold that as a last resort.
Hayley lifted a leg and wrapped it around him, and Parrin decided to take his cues from her. Her nipples were hard, her body moving against his as if urging him on. Clearly, she wasn’t incapacitated by pain. Were she seriously injured, she surely would be.
Parrin thrust deeper, and Hayley cried out. He hesitated long enough to note her impassioned eyes, to hear her sounds of pleasure, to feel her pulling at him. That spelled the end of his control.
The rest was fast and drugging. Parrin’s balls pulsed in the rush of cum up his cock and into her body. In the aftermath, Hayley held to him, pressing kisses to his chest as her sheath spasmed around his length.
Parrin’s wings curved around her, a show of protection inborn to the Sakk. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
Hayley smiled a sweet little smile. “Do you think I would have wanted something different?”
That was hard to answer. “How could someone as beautiful as you be virginal at nearly twenty-five?”
Her face reddened in a deep blush, and she raised one hand, touching one of her wing bases over her shoulder.
Parrin pushed the hair, disheveled and half-loosed from her fancy hairstyle, away from her face. “They may have clipped your wings, but that has taken nothing from you.” She was a sensual woman, and any man who let a scar blind him to that was a fool.
Hayley’s smile was brilliant, a clear indicator that he’d said the right thing. “How soon can we bind?” she asked.
His cock went from semi-erect to erect, drawing a gasp of surprise from her. “As soon as you want to, Hayley.”
Section Three: Unexpected Princess
Amy and Sakkra
Chapter Eight
“When I get to Sakk—”
Amy laughed heartily, then swallowed it at Lucy’s look of annoyance.
“What?” her best friend huffed.
Oh, boy. Now she’s indignant. “Luce, you haven’t even gotten inside the consulate yet.”
“It has to be right, Amy. It just has to. I’ve never felt like I fit in. This must be why.” Her eyes pleaded for confirmation.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.”
Amy refused to give her hope. It wasn’t right to feed into this insane need Lucy had to find out she was secretly Sakk.
Every day, between a dozen and four hundred women came to consulates, around the world, to be tested. They drooled over hot men with wings. They spent time with whatever the testing entailed. And, according to the statistics she’d seen in Time Magazine, six hundred and ninety-nine in seven hundred left the consulate with crushed dreams.
There was little chance Lucy would be one of the few Sakk women the consulates located every month. Like most who came to be tested, Lucy had pinned her hopes on the result being positive. That’s why Amy had agreed to come with her.
To handle to inevitable fallout. Lucy has never liked being told ‘no’.
Lucy bounced on the balls of her fee
t, bobbing her head as if searching for a peek of birdman hunk over the heads of the assembled crowd. “It’s going to be perfect, Amy. Just perfect. Have you seen the videos of Sakk? It’s beautiful.”
“Yes. I’ve seen them.” Sakk was undeniably beautiful. It was the kind of place she’d like to visit. But moving to another world? The women who tested must be desperate or crazy.
“I’ve heard the Sakk are hung, too.”
Several heads snapped around. Lucy was oblivious to her mortified and hostile audience. Amy’s face burned, and she avoided their gazes.
A tone sounded, and the voice half the world recognized as Representative Janice Beldon filled the air. Amy knew it was recorded; the news had reported that Janice and her mate, Beldon, were on Sakk, anticipating the birth of their second child.
“In one minute, the shield before you will drop. You will have two minutes to make your way to the next checkpoint before the shield comes up again. Please proceed in an ordered and sedate fashion. Those requiring extra time or assistance will be met by warriors and aided into the checkpoint building.”
Amy shivered at the idea of being trapped inside the shields that protected the consulate.
“No weapons are permitted inside the Sakk consulate. Ready yourself for a security check.”
Lucy purred, probably visualizing a very personal strip search with one of the Sakk warriors. Amy opened her mouth to remind her that their scanners did it for them, then closed it with a snap. It was unlikely Lucy would listen anyway.
A second tone sounded, and the crowd surged toward the checkpoint. Lucy grabbed Amy’s hand and dragged her along. Though they didn’t run for the building, the assembled women walked double time, shouldering those who pushed too close.
It’s a busy day today. There were more than three dozen women vying to be first in line at the checkpoint.
The tones counting the time until the shield would rise again seemed to come too fast, and Amy’s heart raced. They came to a halt in the checkpoint building, and she took a deep breath. The final tone sounded, then a warning blare. The stillness in its wake jangled Amy’s nerves. Before she caught her breath enough to focus on the murals decorating the walls, an armored male body was there, blocking her view.
“Identification, please.”
Amy fumbled for hers; Lucy had hers ready.
The warrior took Lucy’s driver’s license. “Ms. Ferguson, what brings you to the consulate today?”
“Testing for mating.” There was a blatant invitation couched in Lucy’s voice that made Amy want to shake her head in exasperation.
His gaze traveled up and down Lucy’s body. “Sakkan bless you with a positive result.” The cock rising against his indecently tight pants was impossible to miss.
Amy averted her eyes and offered her driver’s license. The warrior handed Lucy’s back and took Amy’s gently.
“Have you come to the consulate to test as well, Ms. Davidson?”
“No.” It came out too forcefully, and she winced. “I just came here as emotional support for Lucy.”
“A pity.” There was no hint of offense in his tone. “Welcome to the Sakk consulate, Ms. Davidson. May your stay here be pleasant.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the license back and started to put it away.
The warrior didn’t move immediately along, as the others were, bustling down the line. He stared at her, bringing goose bumps up on her arms Amy avoided looking at him; his proximity alone made her nervous. At last, he moved on, and she sighed in relief.
“Did you see that, Amy?” Lucy whispered excitedly.
“What?”
“He was staring at me. Do you think they can sense the ones that will test positive?”
“I don’t know.” I hope not, because he was staring at me.
****
Amy held her breath, as Lucy placed her hand on the testing pad.
It had taken hours to process in. Once they’d passed the sensors that would report all weapons, even those made of ceramic or plastic, the next shield had been lowered, and they’d been admitted into the outer ring of the consulate. The main building was a grand affair, complete with columns reminiscent of ancient Greek buildings.
There, the questions had begun. In one room, Lucy had undergone rudimentary psychological testing. In another, they’d asked for her medical history. It surprised Amy that they asked it, considering their medical diagnostic equipment.
In a third, there’d been exhaustive questions about Lucy’s education, her interests, and her goals. That had set off warning bells, and Amy had asked about it, interrupting the process for the first time. The answer had been simple and elegant.
“We find it best to introduce females to males with complementary interests. A female geologist would do best mated to a male who enjoys hiking, for instance. A female sociologist or linguist, by comparison, with a male who prefers life in population centers. Music lovers would thrive with males who reside in areas with several stages for performance.”
“You match that intensely?”
“A small concession to make. If the ideal group at this consulate fails, we may shuttle males from others for the female to meet. Or a female may prefer males her opposite. Some do. For a mate, a male would give up hiking...or accompany his mate to performances that are not typically to his tastes.”
That was interesting, but... “You don’t expect women to change their interests for their mates? Compromise?”
He offered a stunning smile. “What is it humans say? This is a female’s market. The advantage is yours in negotiation.”
The shifting light reminded Amy that the final test was in progress.
The warrior at the console pressed buttons. His hands went still, then closed into fists.
Amy didn’t have to ask what it meant. The testing pad hadn’t turned blue. The test was negative. She let out her breath in a sigh.
Lucy didn’t have to ask what it meant, either. “I was so sure. Try again. It can give a false negative, right?”
“No. It cannot.” The warrior at the console seemed pained by that fact. “I am sorry, Ms. Ferguson. For you. For myself. For all of Sakk.” He sounded it, and Amy felt a spike of pity for all of them.
Lucy pulled her hand back and looked at it as if it was a traitor. “There has to be a way. I’d be willing to carry children that are genetically spliced, if that would work.”
The warriors shot each other wary looks. The one behind the console winced, and Amy realized he was trying to find a way to gently refuse Lucy’s plan.
“I will...propose it, Ms. Ferguson,” he offered.
Lucy smiled. “Please. I’ll wait.”
He hesitated, nodded to one of the others, and left the room. One of the two remaining warriors took his place at the console.
Probably to protect it, in case Lucy attacks the automated messenger which has denied her Sakkhood.
Amy ran the math, realization making her ill. No matter how gently they refused Lucy, this was going to get ugly. All told, Amy had minutes to defuse the situation. Otherwise a full-blown ‘Ferguson fit’ would ensue. That’s why I really came here. To keep Lucy from getting herself arrested.
She stepped between Lucy and the table, trying to distance her friend from the situation mentally. “Luce...” What? What excuse can I make? “The medical risks in this are probably extreme,” she cautioned.
“Oh, I don’t care about that.” She waved off Amy’s concerns with a flip of her manicured nails.
“You should, Luce. You should consider it.”
Lucy pushed at Amy’s shoulder playfully. Amy caught herself on the edge of the table, righting her balance. One of the warriors tensed to move, but he didn’t interfere.
“Such a worrier,” Lucy chided. “You always were.”
And you’ve always been reckless. Amy bit back the retort.
Tapping keys behind her made Amy’s heart stutter. They were probably calling in more warriors. Visions of them evicting
Lucy made her head swim.
Think! “Okay. It’s safe then. I’ll buy that. After all, they’ve worked with humans before, and I doubt they killed a bunch in trial and error.”
The ruffling of wings sounded like a warrior took offense to the comment.
Lucy nodded resolutely, seemingly mollified.
“But I bet the workup to see if you’re even compatible enough for that sort of experimentation is lengthy.” Amy looked toward the closest warrior, silently pleading for his help.
His eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened.
They don’t lie, she reminded herself. Janice Beldon said they feel lies are unethical and beneath a warrior of Sakk.
If I’m wrong, please let him keep it to himself instead of correcting me.
At last, he offered a terse nod of his head. “There would be many, many tests,” he confirmed.
Amy bit back a sigh of relief. Many tests. Not a lot of time but many tests. Thank you for playing along.
“I’ll take them,” Lucy offered. “The sooner we get started, the sooner I can choose a mate.”
Of course you will. Amy cursed herself for not realizing how obsessed Lucy was with this idea. She opened her mouth to reply.
A bark of foreign speech sounded behind her, shocking Amy to silence. She half-turned on the pivot point of her grip on the table, meeting the startled gaze of the warrior at the console. The flashing lights beneath her field of vision drew her attention down to the testing pad.
She’d inadvertently grasped it when she’d steadied herself on the table. They’d tested her.
Blue. Everyone knew what it meant when the pad went blue. I’m a match. I’m Sakk-descended.
Amy recoiled, her head spinning. “No.” She couldn’t become a Sakk mate. She was engaged to Jason. She was in love with him. Instincts to choose a mate or not, she was marrying the man she loved.
Lost in the internal horror show of having to refuse the Sakk and hope for the best—hope that they’d open the shields and let her leave without a fight—everything around her became an indistinct buzzing.
Unexpected Mates (Sons of Heaven) Page 8
