Zylan Rebellion
Page 10
When she remained quiet, as if absorbing what he’d said, Raj completed his tale. “There is more. Most Zylans have some sort of characteristic mark, which is used to foretell specific psychic abilities, but neither Tabor nor I have any such distinctive markings. Neither of us developed any paranormal powers until we’d reached full sexual maturity and attempted to reach orgasm with a woman. I have been found to have some…unusual…skills that the healers have never seen demonstrated by anyone else on Zylar. Not even Tabor. However, he could develop other abilities over the next several life cycles. No one is sure what to expect because there still isn’t a lot known about Vampens.”
Blushing at his mention of sex, Ahnika kept silent for only a minon. “So…if you fed off my energy, would you have enough vitality to get us to Tanar?” She refused to allow him to treat her as if she were fragile. If he needed to feed, he could do it from her so they could get where they wanted to be that much faster.
His body tightened and he clenched his fists in response to her innocent words as desire threatened to overwhelm his control. The entire time he’d been near her, Ahnika’s aura kept trying to play along his skin. Having her offer to let him feed from her wonderfully lush body was enough to make him sweat. He shouldn’t do it. It was a betrayal of her trust in him. But he wanted. Oh, Goddess, how he wanted this woman.
He started to say no to her when he remembered the surge of energy he’d received from the simple pleasure he’d experienced with her psychic trail. And, he still carried the vial of enhancement potion Shalan gave to him. If she took the potion, his heightened reaction to her soul trails might make it possible for him to feed enough to get them to Tanar. But in spite of her experiences with Brac, she was an innocent and it could harm her emotionally. He wouldn’t—he couldn’t—ask this of her. “It is not something I can ask of you little one, you have already been through too much.”
“It would hurt me then?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt, but…” he searched for the correct words, “in order for me to feed, your own psychic shields must drop. The only time our protective shielding disappears entirely is when we experience an orgasm. I cannot ask that of you, Ahnika. You’ve been through entirely too much, and I would be no better than Brac if I took advantage of you in this way. After all you’ve been through, I worry that the experience would be too much for you.”
Now that almost made her mad. Who was he to say what was too much for her? This fragile woman thing was going too far. “After my experiences with Brac, I have a fear of being with any man. If I understand what you’re saying, we would have sex and you would feed. I am not sure if I will be able to do this…but you have promised you wouldn’t force me…or…hurt me. And I believe you,” she stated quietly.
Raj frowned. “I would never harm you. And it doesn’t need to be consummated sex—I don’t have to enter you with my cock. All I need to do is to bring you to climax and I can guarantee you would find nothing but pleasure from the experience. But this is not something I’d want to put you through after your ordeal. You need time to heal from the ugliness of Brac’s treatment and your first real experience with sex should be with your mate. Just go to sleep, Ahnika, I will figure out something else.” His voice had grown rough, husky as he spoke of bringing her to climax—he could picture it all so clearly in his mind. It didn’t matter how badly he wanted to bury his body deep within her softness, how talking about the situation increased his need to hear her cries of release…he would not succumb to his lusts.
“I’ll sleep on it, Raj, but I want you to consider this. We have to remember our most important goal is to get us both to Tanar as quickly as possible so Brac can be stopped. To do this, you need your psychic powers or we’re both at risk. I know you’ll do every thing possible to keep me safe and protected but if anything happens to the two of us, no one will ever find out what Brac is doing and what atrocities he has committed. I don’t want to take that chance, Raj. Yes, I’ve been through a horrible experience and I’ve seen and felt things no woman should ever be forced to endure. After all that has happened, I’ve lost most of my innocence and I’m sure my understanding of what takes place between a man and a woman is tainted but I truly believe you will not do anything to harm me. I would rather die than go back to that…place and I’m willing to do anything to stay out of Brac’s hands so the other women can be freed quickly.”
Raj started to speak, but she interrupted him. “I know I am not appealing to most men and that my body doesn’t react as it should, but—”
This time he interrupted her. “How can you say that, Ahnika? You are a beautiful and desirable woman. It is normal for your body to react unfavorably to the pain and degradation Brac put you through. Sex and loving can be many things, but first and foremost, it must be consensual. Force or coercion will only serve to separate your mind from your body and both need to be engaged for you to achieve true pleasure. Any reaction you might have had during your captivity was right, and you will find your body’s responses will be completely different when you choose to give yourself. If we decide to do this, you will always have control of the situation. At anytime you feel afraid, you need only to say the word…stop.”
Looking at her sad eyes, Raj could almost see the conflicting emotions battling within her. How could she even think her body wouldn’t delight him? Every breath she took brought his eyes to her chest and his body and mind struggled with conflicting urges, wanting to reach out and touch her velvet-soft skin, yet needing to reassure her of his trustworthiness—which would be blown all to Zylan hell if he fell on her like a rutting beast.
Eyes downcast she mumbled, “I was told…”
“You were told by whom? Brac? Or one of your other captors? I can only imagine the things they would say to you and those words would have no bearing on reality. Remember, they would say or do anything to hurt you, little heart. Do not even think their words would carry a kernel of the truth.”
He stopped to gather his thoughts and realized he just couldn’t discuss this yet. He had to think through the possible consequences if he were to feed from her. “We are physically and emotionally tired right now and I am having a difficult time processing all you have told me. I need to sleep. Let’s wait and discuss this further tomorrow. There will be time after we rest to make any decisions and I need a clear head to consider all of the ramifications if I do or don’t feed. Sleep, Nika, sleep and know you are safe with me,” he said softly. The shortened version of her name fell from his lips and he intuitively knew it fit. Nika. How right it felt to call her this.
Nika. Smiling through her tears at the emotion in his voice, she couldn’t believe Raj had inadvertently called her by her father’s pet name, a name she hadn’t shared with him. A strong feeling of warmth and safety seeped into her soul—something she hadn’t felt since her capture. Only one thing would make her feel better.
“Raj. There is just one problem. This small place and the rock walls remind me too much of my cell. Will you hold me while we sleep? I don’t want to wake up with nightmares, believing I’m back in my tiny chamber,” she said in a small voice.
Groaning inwardly for what he knew was coming, he wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her but he knew—he just knew—it would be almost impossible to hide his body’s reaction from her. If he held her, the red and blue vibration of her aura would drive him insane. But this comfort was not intended for his sake, this courageous and remarkable woman, who had lived through Zylan hell, needed him to simply hold her.
He rolled over on his side, and silently gathered her into his arms. Snuggling her back to his front, he let her use one of his arms as a pillow while he draped his other arm over her waist.
After a soft sigh, Ahnika settled quickly into sleep.
Nika trusted him. Raj felt as if he had been gifted with a unique and wonderful prize. Now he must honor that trust by keeping her safe, not only from the Hunters who followed them, but also from his growing desire for this woman.
Shivet!
* * * * *
Raj woke first, and carefully moved his lower body back a few inches, away from the arousing nest it found cupped against Ahnika’s slender form during sleep. His cock was so hard it felt as if it would burst at the slightest amount of pressure. Unsuccessfully, he tried to scan above their hiding place but his psychic resources were completely depleted. They’d only been asleep a short time, as the light in the cave attested to the suns still being visible in the sky.
Raj hadn’t managed to come up with any alternatives to feeding his Vampen nature with Ahnika’s passion. Not sure he’d even really tried, he was disgusted with himself with how even the thought of pleasuring her made his cock swell—to full and painful attention. Swearing silently, he kept reminding himself that he had more control than this.
Or maybe he didn’t—the reaching tendrils of her aura kept him tense and on edge, he’d all but given up fighting against the teasing touch. Every time Ahnika so much as took a breath of air, the wisps would pulse and his cock would throb and expand. Because of his increasingly flimsy shields, the effect on him started to build and he burned.
In complete absorption, he watched as she rolled sensuously onto her back, her arm sliding out to find his thigh with her hand. Sucking in a harsh breath as his straining shaft jerked in hopeful eagerness, her eyelashes fluttered and lifted, her sleepy green gaze moved to find his.
“Hello,” she said softly.
Raj gently withdrew his arm from under her head and propped his elbow up to allow him to look down on her. “Sleep well?” he asked quietly.
She smiled warmly as she glanced up and around and noticed the late afternoon sunlight. “Yes, very well. Are you feeling better after our short rest?”
Raj closed his eyes…his body had rested but his psyche hungered for what lay beside him. If she was still willing, he really had no choice. “Nika…”
“It’s all right, Raj. Just tell me what you want me to do.”
His body clamored at him to take her to peak fast and hard…but even with the potion, he would need multiple and intense orgasms from one woman to bring him to full power. And leaving their safe hideaway at anything less than full psychic ability could put Nika in danger from the other Hunters.
Raj needed the kind of orgasms that came after extended foreplay, hard and strung together for potency. But, more importantly, he wanted the experience to be special for Nika. Clenching his jaw, he took long, deep breaths as he struggled to bring himself under control. He longed to replace the ugliness of Brac with healing pleasure, but more than that, he wanted Nika’s body beneath his. He couldn’t think, couldn’t decide if he wanted her to feed the Vampen within him, or if he just wanted her for himself. This was not making sense—he’d never felt anything like it before.
“I have a potion with me that was designed to increase the energy a woman releases during orgasm. It requires you to take just a drop and will not harm you. You will need to do nothing but allow me to touch you. If you’re still willing to take this step, then I want you to promise me something. If at any time you change your mind or something makes you uncomfortable, you will tell me to stop. Promise me, little one,” he urged.
Ahnika nodded her head solemnly and sat up. Raj took the vial of potion from its hidden pouch at his waist and placed a small bead of the fluid on the tip of his middle finger. He groaned silently as Nika’s small pink tongue slipped between her full lips to lap at the droplet. His penis danced wildly when she then pulled the finger into her mouth to suck him clean. Raj was stunned at his lack of control, knowing he should be able to do better than this.
He managed to croak out, “We will go very slowly, Nika. I want you to relax and enjoy this. I’ll start with a light massage that will help you to get comfortable with my touch. Please take off your dress and lay facedown on the blankets.”
Hesitating, Nika knew her back was a network of small scars, testament to the beatings she had endured from her captors. She could only imagine what the damage would look like. Afraid to give him another reason to think her ugly. “My back isn’t a pretty sight, Raj,” she stated sadly. “I do not think you should start there.”
Raj frowned at her and, standing, he held out his hand to Ahnika. She took the offered help and he pulled her gently to her feet. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he allowed them to slowly smooth down her back to her waist where he paused. With infinite patience, he caught the back of the dress and began to lift it upwards. When the hem of her gown reached her waist, he gathered the fabric in his hands and raised it over her head in one tender movement, and then tossed it to one side.
Ahnika wore no undergarments. Stepping back two short, small steps so he could see her better, Raj gazed in silent awe at the vision before him.
She was breathtaking. The exceptional beauty of her light red skin was a temptation too strong to ignore, he reached out his hand to lightly run his fingers over her shoulder…she was so soft. A deeper blush of red bloomed across her face and upper chest, covering her generous breasts. Breasts crested with full, deep burgundy areolas and darker puckered nipples.
Raising his gaze, Raj caught the look of uncertainty in her bright green eyes. “You are so lovely,” he said hoarsely. Wanting to explore every inch of her, he glanced down to see tight auburn and gold curls at her woman’s nest. Later. Telling himself he couldn’t just fall on her in a mad fervor didn’t seem to help a whole lot. Breathing deeply, he allowed the spicy fragrance of her growing arousal to envelop him. This was not helping.
With trembling hands, Raj turned Ahnika until her back was to him, and using his fingers, he worked her hair from her braid, finger-combing her long tresses as he let his shields drop and invited her colorful life force to tease along his nerve endings. Not wanting to fight the soul tendrils’ effect on his body, he was afraid doing so would somehow restrict the flow of needed psychic energy. Raj still wasn’t prepared when their touch caused his desire for this woman to grow beyond endurance.
Her glorious hair fell over his hands in soft waves to the back of her knees. Reaching up, he massaged her scalp and pulled her against his front. Bending to whisper in her ear, “I will love having your hair spread over my body, teasing me with its silken luxury. You take my breath away, Nika. Lie down for me on your stomach. Let me worship your beautiful body the way it is meant to be worshipped.”
Raj helped her to first kneel and then to lie facedown on the blankets. He gathered her hair in his hands and helped to arrange it so that it fell to one side, out of the way for the massage she was about to receive.
Ahnika could barely breathe. Her eyes teamed with unshed tears. For the first time in so many life cycles, she felt beautiful. Felt cherished. She didn’t feel as if her marred skin would disgust Raj. Her body and soul warmed to his touch, the sizzling awareness of the strong, gentle man at her back brought her an enthusiasm for more. There would be no question of calling a halt to this experience.
With the hair out of the way, her back was exposed to his sight. He drew in his breath. A collection of fine white lines crisscrossed her back and he could only imagine what they would look like in bright light. He shuddered as he visualized her delicate skin being punished and the pain she would have felt, moaned when the ghost echoes of her agony raked across his flesh. He would definitely kill Brac for this alone.
“Oh, little one, I wish I had been able to spare you this pain,” he murmured as he bent over her back. Gently he moved his mouth and tongue over her skin, tracing each and every line, ministering to every past hurt.
Taking his time, he worshiped every inch of her exposed flesh starting at her neck, and working his way down to her feet. While he used his tongue and hands on her body, the red and blue tendrils of her soul reached out to stroke him, mimicking his movements and driving him to heights of tortured sexual arousal he’d never
before experienced.
Chapter Seven
Ahnika’s pulse skipped a beat with the first touch of his mouth at the nape of her neck. Then it thundered in her veins as he suckled and lapped, nipped and stroked every inch of her backside. Each gentle, moist stroke seemed to ignite every inch of flesh he touched and sent darting spikes of heat to her core.
Her body reacted, swelling with a throbbing ache starting in her breasts and vibrating through her center. Her woman’s channel felt engorged and wet and her body hummed with anticipation. Gasping aloud at the feel of his hands skimming along her sides as he stroked his fingers over the swollen edge of her breasts, she shifted and used her arms to push her body up enough to allow those hands to slide under her, to give his fingers room to torment her nipples. The combined sensations of his tongue teasing along her spine and his fingers plucking lightly on the taut points made her moan in delight.
Carefully, Raj rolled Ahnika onto her back. Stretching out beside her, he moved his upper body over her to capture her mouth in a kiss. Her inexperience showed, her lips were closed to him so he feathered his tongue lightly along the seam and flicked his thumb across her nipple. At her gasp of delight, he dipped into the honeyed splendor of her mouth. Drinking in her moans, he gloried in her body’s uninhibited response and moved between her legs without breaking the kiss to nudge her thighs apart, settling his covered erection against her heat.
Using his tongue to glide in and out of her mouth in a slow parody of mating, he pushed his hips forward to rock slowly against her clit, driving her passion higher. His body railed at him. Never had his cock burned and ached like this, his nipples felt as if they were on fire and he slowly moved his hand down her arm and wrapped his fingers around her wrist to bring her palm up to brush against his chest.
His skin was bathed in the swirling and stimulating essence of her soul until every inch of his flesh pulsed with need. He was unable to contain a groan of pleasure at her tentative explorations. He loved the feel of her hands on his body, her fingers as they traced and molded the contours of his shoulders and back.