Keen

by Viola Grace

  Jherin held her close as they made out until her pulse pounded in her ears and her thighs were slick and pressed tightly together against the throbbing pressure building inside.

  The kiss turned violent; he growled and she felt the prick of his teeth for the first time. Whatever he was feeling, that tiny taste of her had triggered an urge for something more. He bolted to his feet with her in his arms, and with heavy strokes of his wings, they were on the level with the bed in moments.

  He continued kissing her as he took them into the bedroom. With light bathing her from all sides, he stood her on her feet and tore her gown in half with two fingers.

  She blinked in surprise, but he was picking the pins out of her hair until the locks flowed down and around her shoulders.

  She shook off her shock and stepped toward him, reaching behind him to stroke the base of his wings and watch his reaction.

  He threw his head back and groaned. “Where did you learn that?”

  “I read that book, and I am very serious about my reading.” She bit her lip and reached for the tip of his braid. She slipped the leather tie from the base and worked her way up as far as she could reach.

  Jherin was running his fingers over her skin, and when she stepped back, he paused. “Did I do something wrong?”

  She stepped onto the bed and beckoned him. She snickered, “No, I am just too short. Come here. Turn around.”

  He was a little surprised by her taking charge, but he presented her with his heavily muscled back and wings without comment.

  She unravelled his hair until her fingers were on his scalp and he groaned once again. She swept the waves of hair to one side over his chest, and she pressed small kisses to his spine, slowly kneeling until her lips caressed the area where his wings sprouted, and her hands moved between wing and body to stroke his skin.

  Kee could hear the riot in her mind; the music had gone from orchestra to heady drumbeat. While she stroked him, he stripped off the Roman-style skirt and tossed it in across the room.

  When she smirked and smacked his backside, he turned on her and flared his wings. She couldn’t help it; she fell backward as the mythical predator moved over her.

  He pinned her between his hands and used his mouth on her.

  It was clever of him. He increased her arousal without giving her a fright at the length and girth of his erection. Of course, she had seen it in the manual, but in person, it was a different matter.

  Wherever he pressed his lips, his teeth grazed her and the small bit of pain added to her pleasure. It seemed that she was suited to being the mate to a Drai after all.

  He worked his way down her body, and she shivered as he wedged his shoulders between her thighs and splayed them wide.

  Kee wove her fingers through his hair when he pressed his mouth to her sex and lapped at the honey she was producing.

  She moaned and held his head tightly as she got closer and closer to whatever was going to happen next.

  Sex in the abstract was familiar to her but having a man with her was a new experience. This was definitely not like doing it herself.

  Kee felt the change in her breathing that indicated she was close, but the moment didn’t come; instead, Jherin moved up her body and fitted himself to her.

  Kee hadn’t had a chance to check out her reactions after her alteration, but as he pressed into her slowly and carefully, she vowed to simply feel without holding out for what she thought should be happening.

  She put her hands around his neck and pulled him down so she could kiss him while she arched her hips against his. It was a difficult entry, and he had to rock back and forth before she was slick enough to ease him in.

  He moved inside her far deeper than she thought he could until his body was pressed firmly to hers.

  She was panting and trying to stay very still. His wings blotted out the light, and she was in a shadowy cave of heat and musk.

  Are you all right?

  She looked up at him with wide eyes. He wasn’t just in her body, he was in her mind. I think I am.

  Good. I believe we have a journey to take together.

  She didn’t understand what he meant until he withdrew until he was just barely inside her, and he thrust forward.

  The inward slide stroked nerves she didn’t know she had. She moaned and twisted under him and repeated the reaction when he thrust again. She was already beyond what she normally considered her pleasure threshold, and he was right, they were on a journey together.

  He lifted her in his arms and knelt on the bed with his hands under her thighs. Sunlight painted them both as he kissed her while his hands kept him moving inside her.

  She pressed her feet together behind his back and dug her nails into his shoulders. Heat was burning up her body, and yet, she pulled herself against him, her breasts rubbing against his chest and her clit throbbed with every motion. Touching herself would be cheating this first time, so she kept herself in the moment, enjoying the torture.

  He broke the kiss and turned his teeth to her neck. He bit down sharply, and she screamed. She bucked, he thrust deep and he kept his grip on her shoulder while her body clasped his.

  She shuddered as arousing heat spread out of the bite and through her recently sensitised system. Her channel clasped the width of his cock in a slow palpitation. He grunted, and his hips thrust against hers in a short jerk.

  She couldn’t feel him coming, but his body flexed and twisted against hers. Finally, he let her go, kissing and lapping at the puncture wounds.

  I believe that we are both satisfied with our destination. He kissed at her neck before drawing his lips over hers.

  I don’t remember getting on that bus, but I am happy with where it led me. She sighed and pressed her forehead to his. She gave him the image of a bus and felt his acknowledgement of her reference.

  What can you tell me about your life before the Alliance?

  I had one. I was a librarian.

  Family?

  Sisters, brothers, parents. The usual. She didn’t want to delve into the Wendersons when she was happy just being herself.

  A topic for another time then.

  Please. She looked up the Drai population levels. Can you see that?

  I can see it through your eyes. Is that how information appears?

  Yup. It is printed on my eyes from the inside, though I can read it with my eyes closed as well. I like it. I spent the first few days out of the tank scanning my Terran library into it, well, my favourite bits.

  Which are your favourites?

  She chuckled and stroked his neck. Stories about dragons of course.

  He grinned, and she felt him swelling inside her again. Let’s see if I can’t give you a new tale.

  Please. I am always looking for a new story to think of late at night. She gasped as he shifted her to her back and began a slow, lazy rhythm that blocked out the sun and every thought in her head.

  Curled in his arms with nothing between them, she felt a tingle moving up her body. She looked down and didn’t see anything, but she could feel a definite something moving along her skin.

  Jherin stroked his hand down her spine. “It is the nanites. They just reached me as well.”

  “They seriously clean you at night?”

  “Anytime you lay still long enough. They are set for a sleep cycle, and without my dragon form to keep tidy, they are looking for something to do.”

  She felt the tingle rising up her body, and when it crept inside her, she yelped. “What the hell?”

  He chuckled. “They are removing dead cells, whether they are yours or mine does not matter.”

  She scowled. “Why aren’t they attacking you?”

  “They are, I am just used to it.” He pulled her tightly against him. “So, do you like my house?”

  She chuckled, stroking her fingers along his jaw while the nanites continued their housekeeping on her person. “It is growing on me.”

  He hugged her and whispered, “Good. When the AI
comes back on, it is going to need a bit of reassurance.”

  “AI? Your house has a consciousness?”

  “It is waking up and updating with information that it has missed in the last few thousand years.”

  “Is it male or female?”

  He blinked, “Neither. It is Tramic. Just Tramic. Once it is up and running, it will manage obtaining supplies and preparing meals. The nanites are under its control most of the time.”

  She narrowed her eyes and worked it out. “So, the computer that runs your home is a housekeeper?”

  “It is.”

  Kyna relaxed in his arms as the nanites continued their march. “Good. I have always wanted a housekeeper.”

  He didn’t say a word, but the music in her mind rippled with amusement. She liked it. It felt like a waterfall of joy in her mind. She could get used to it.

  Chapter Eight

  Apparently, Jherin had done more than just shopping. The following morning, a nervous courier arrived and delivered boxes that the Drai brought inside.

  When the skimmer was unloaded and the boxes all on the main floor, she asked, “What is it?”

  “The complete contents of your apartment from the city. I thought you would enjoy your possessions and your wardrobe when you visited.” He crossed his arms and leaned in the open doorway.

  It was nice that he was playing along with her refusal to agree to like his home.

  “And what will I wear when I return to my apartment?”

  He shrugged. “Not my department.”

  She gasped and stomped over to smack him on the arm. She had taught him that very Terran phrase that morning when he had asked her if she could cook.

  She reached out to open one of the boxes, but it dissolved in front of her. The clothing inside was her Azon dress collection, and she watched, bemused as it marched itself up the steps.

  Jherin came up behind her and put his arms around her. “Tramic is awake.”

  She bit her lip. “Hello, Tramic.”

  “Welcome to the sandcastle, Lady Kyna. It is my pleasure to serve you.”

  “Where are my clothes going?”

  The masculine voice was amused. “The nanites are cleaning them and putting them in the wardrobe. There were two explosive devices in place, and the nanites have broken them down into components and disposed of them.”

  Kyna swayed. “Explosives?”

  “As you know, not all of the Jhenno are pleased with your being here and my regaining control of the world. Their low birthrate gave them unlimited time to do what they wanted here. They did nothing. There has been no progress, no development and no forward thinking. They are stagnant and do not want to invite others who may threaten their place. This has created an underground movement to stop you from being here, and once here, they believe that killing you will stop me.”

  She turned in his arms and looked up at him. He was looking grim, but there was satisfaction in that gaze. “You killed Akenan.”

  “I did. I brought your punctured suit and got him to confess in front of a group of witnesses. I then snapped his neck which was a much faster death than the one he nearly treated you to.”

  She winced. “He was a good archivist.”

  “He was a murderer.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. Every book said that Drai were protective of their mates. This was just proof that he was committed to their relationship in a very Darwinian way.

  He blinked. “What does Darwinian mean?”

  “He was a theorist who accumulated the work of others and arranged it into a document called the Origin of the Species.”

  She gave him the high points of the text, and he shrugged.

  “Drai have known that for thousands of years. It is why we scattered to sleep. Our blood was being diluted to the point where we were losing our ability to shift to our great forms. True mates are hard to come by and less females were being born with every generation.”

  “So you went to sleep and you waited until your mind felt something.”

  “Until I felt you. Others of my kind have found Terran mates, and I was able to contact them to find out what to use as a protocol for getting you here. The Alliance was very helpful, so their races get first crack at a place on Jhenno.”

  She snorted. “I was traded for space for colonists?”

  “They are coming here from overcrowded worlds and worlds that are dying. You are worth hundreds of thousands of lives, and yet, I would trade all of them for one more day with you.”

  Kee put her hand on his chest. “That is a lovely sentiment, Jherin. Creepy but lovely.”

  Tramic concurred. “Well, Lady, Drai poetry is full of blood and gore for love. He is playing to his strengths.”

  The voice came from all around them but was a pleasant conversational tone.

  Kee sighed. “I am guessing that the tomes in the library are full of Drai poetry? The archive doesn’t have them listed.”

  Jherin winked, “The Drai don’t share everything with aliens, only what is necessary to set out bait for our mates.”

  She poked him in the chest. “So, you admit to putting out bait to get me here.”

  He grabbed her fingers and kissed them. “Of course. How else do you think an oaf like me would find a woman like you?”

  “You are not an oaf. You are a giant with a dragon’s heart and a poet’s soul. What is on the agenda for today?”

  “I thought you would enjoy a trip to the city.”

  He freed her hands and she clapped them.

  “Excellent. A chance to wear one of the dresses that Kyra gave me. The Azon have a definite sense of style.”

  “Fine, go change and we will be on our way.” He grinned.

  “Put a skirt on. I am the only one who gets to see what the artist missed out on.” She winked, and he chased her up the stairs. She shrieked when he caught her and tucked her under his arm, running the rest of the way with her secure against him.

  Her clothing was still arranging itself in the wardrobe, so she waited until the nanites put it down and then picked the pale blue gown with black cincher and a full skirt. It fit her perfectly and it came with boots instead of sandals.

  “Are you ready?”

  “I still have to pin my hair up, Jher.”

  She picked up the pins, and while she watched, they changed from black to the blue of her cincher. It took her two minutes to put her hair up, and when she was done, he lifted her in his arms and flew to the city.

  The council was waiting for them, and as she walked in with her hand decorously placed on Jherin’s arm, it was quite obvious that they had made their connection.

  Jherin spoke. “I have examined the requests at length and taken a few queries from worlds whose structures are collapsing due to dying stars. Five hundred thousand have been allowed, and they will all blend together in cities around the globe. No individual colonies will be allowed and an even distribution of species will be managed at all times. As the original colonists, you are responsible for the administration of those levels and details. The Jhenno will be administrators of this colony event.”

  The council looked to each other and finally one councillor said, “You wish for us to be in charge?”

  “You will be the supervisory council and mine will be the ruling vote. You arrange for twelve cities and tell me what you need. I will return in four days for the update. Begin to prepare, not only your citizens, but also yourselves. As a ruling body, you will be distributed throughout the world instead of being clustered around the archive. Make sure to put a council house in every city.”

  They were staring in shock, and Jherin turned, walking out as suddenly as he had appeared.

  She was amazed that they had taken it so well, and she told him so in silence.

  They are planning to kill me before I clear the city. I believe that they will have the walkway to the archive covered. It is a good thing that this attack was anticipated.

  Why good?

  If the atta
ck comes, you will know. Just know that you are completely safe with me.

  I know. That is not in doubt. She squeezed his arm and took him on a tour of the public gardens. If an attack came, she wanted them to be in a minimally populated area.

  You truly do watch out for those around you. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her skin.

  “I try to. It is the hazard of being a middle child. I feel the need to let everyone around me have their happily ever after.”

  He smiled slightly. “What about yours?”

  “It will come when I am ready to let it.”

  They walked through the public gardens slowly, giving the dissenters plenty of time to mobilize. The attack came when they were on their way back to the main gates.

  A rush of seven men with drawn weapons faced them. Kyna recognized three of them as councillors. When the first blast of projectiles came at them, Jherin stepped behind her and wrapped his wings around them completely.

  She heard the strikes, and the moment that they ceased, Jherin snapped his wings back and launched himself at the attackers, growing as he did. He was his full, tail-lashing, winged lizard form in seconds.

  One of the councillors took a shot at her before Jherin blocked it, and to her shock, it struck her shoulder and she felt the impact as a light flick on her shoulder. A tiny tear in the gown healed itself and understanding struck her. The nanites were on her gown and coating her skin. If a bullet made a hole, they would fill it.

  Kee watched the dragon tear the men apart, literally.

  The scent of blood in the air was unmistakable and Kyna acknowledged that populating a world with different species was going to be complicated. The Jhenno might want to reconsider their attachment to the planet and seek something unprotected.

  Thirty thousand Jhenno were on the surface of the planet at this moment. Letting them leave or set up a closed settlement on one of the larger islands was an option.

  It is a good option. I will put it to the council. The archive is mine and they cannot have it.