Zylan Rebellion

by Ravyn Wilde

  The next several setnons would be busy for all of them, Raj knew. He accepted that he and his mate would be involved with the women. Not in the healing of them, as neither Nika nor himself had healing skills strong enough to be of any help during this time, but in finding the women who were still in captivity.

  But for now he would concentrate on Nika. Her family would be coming soon and within a few short bi-nons, they would have their claiming ceremony.

  “I, Raj, take you, Ahnika, as my Life Companion. I hold you in my possession. I promise to put forward my life for you. Always you will have my protection. My faithfulness. You will become the vessel that holds my spirit, my essence, and, for always and evermore, my body. I take under my shelter all that is yours. Your life becomes mine, your pleasure within my reflection. You are bound to me with Companion Links for all eternity and always under my guardianship,” Raj said seriously as he turned to his mate.

  Nika continued with a smile, “I, Ahnika, recognize you, Raj, as my Life Companion. I carry your vow within me, remaining faithful and obedient to your needs and desires. My life is pledged to your care, my pleasure a reflection of your own. I am bound to you with Companion Links for eternity and will be always under your guardianship.”

  Glancing down at the beautiful deep green…and thankfully opaque gown, she said a mental thank you to Nyssa and Tala for having known she couldn’t wear the traditional claiming gown. The customary mating attire was a burnished copper color made from extremely sheer material. The traditional gowns were so thin and so low-cut nothing was left to the imagination. They had a center slit running from the hem, up to inches before the waist, allowing everyone flashes of pubic hair. Just the thought of exposing herself in such a gown had made her cringe.

  She much preferred the dress Nyssa had fashioned for her. It had the high waist she called “empire style” with a low neck showing just a hint of cleavage and no slits in sight. Nyssa had taken her aside the night before and handed her the dress, saying she had been able to make the point with her mate that if women weren’t comfortable with the dress, it victimized them just as surely as what Brac had put them through. Tar had agreed without discussion, saying it was Nika’s time and she could dress how she liked, and Nika would be forever grateful to the Ruler and his link mate.

  She wondered at what point Nyssa would have her way in changing the words to the Claiming Ceremony now that she’d managed to have the public drawing banned and the ceremonial gown changed.

  Nika had spoken to the Ruling Council last bi-non and told her story, as had many of the women they had freed from Brac.

  Brac thought he would undermine Tar’s reputation enough that one of the other planets would start a war, allowing him to take over the planet. The extent of his madness had been detailed in his papers. He’d been planning his own rebellion. Now he was locked in a cell. Brac was obviously crazy and seemed to be getting even worse, spending hours rocking back and forth and mumbling incoherent words. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be getting very much information from him, only what they found revealed in his writings.

  Brac’s rebellion died with a whimper but there was another Zylan rebellion—one led by the women of the planet. Brac’s machinations had thrust Zylar into what Nyssa gleefully called the “feminist movement”.

  With a touch, Raj brought Nika’s thoughts back to the ceremony. He gathered her into his arms and whispered tenderly in her ear, “I have claimed you before others as my own to love, cherish and protect. I love you, Ahnika.” His mouth moved reverently over her cheekbone, nibbling until he could claim her lips.

  Raj’s kiss swamped her senses, plunging her into an immediate physical craving. It felt as if she hadn’t been alone with him for more than a setnon instead of just a few short bi-nons. Her family had come from Zmar and her mate understood her need to spend as much time as she could with them before the ceremony. Now she needed him. Groaning into his mouth, she could feel his hunger for her and hear the soft laughter of their families as he location-shifted them from the ceremony and into the privacy of their chambers.

  “I am sorry, Nika. I couldn’t wait any longer for you,” he panted.

  “Don’t be sorry,” she murmured as she worked to help him strip them both of their clothes. “Be appreciative.”

  He laughed as he threw her naked on the bed and fell on top of her. Leaning down, he kissed her closed eyes softly. Moving his mouth leisurely over her cheek to her nose and then resting lightly on her mouth, he caught her quiet sigh before he touched his tongue to hers. Running it softly over the seam, he coaxed her into letting him savor her spicy, warm taste. Kissing her silently, tenderly…and, inside, he pushed through the links to share in her quivering need.

  She could feel her body readying itself for his pleasure as moisture pooled between her thighs and her links thrummed. Squirming beneath him, she tried to position the hard ridge of his shaft where she wanted it most.

  But he refused her and continued to kiss her slowly, turning down her offer to join their bodies in a fast coupling. “I have waited so long for you, I need to taste and touch every inch of your flesh. Let me, Nika. Let me love you.”

  So he teased them both with hot, drugging kisses and by running his hands over her curves, as the links could never do. So soft, a whisper of touch as he cupped her supple breast. Weighing the feel of her in his palms, she watched and felt his thumb graze her nipple. Playing with the fragile chains threaded through the tips, rolling them. Plucking them. Nika sucked in a breath as Raj bent over her.

  “Mine!” he growled. “I will never get enough of you, Nika,” he panted against her sensitive skin before taking the stiff peak into his mouth. He circled her dusky burgundy areola with his tongue, simultaneously squeezing the other breast and playing at the hard nub with his fingers. Shifting over and paying homage to the other breast, he continued to use his mouth and tongue, his fingers and palm, to milk every ounce of response from her body.

  Nika moaned, moving restlessly. She wanted to run her hands down Raj’s body, sought to touch him the way he touched her. Moving her hands to stroke the silky-smooth length of his hair, it felt wonderful, soft and cool beneath her fingers.

  Raj grabbed both of her hands and pulled them over her head, seeking to bind her writhing body with his thoughts. If she touched him, he would explode and he wanted to savor her, keep her completely under his spell. He would not stop or slow down until she begged for mercy. Fondling her, Raj escalated the links’ caress.

  Nika panted.

  “Hold on, little one,” Raj murmured into her flesh. “Let me love you with my mouth, my body. Relax and feel the immense need I have for my Life Companion.”

  Nika couldn’t move her arms, but her head thrashed from side to side as she quivered under his spell. He spent what seemed like nilts concentrating his hands and mouth on her already overly sensitive breasts. She was ready to explode with just the attention he spent on her nipples. Then, slowly, he licked and tasted his way down to her belly button. Running his tongue along the chain at her waist she felt the link quiver deep within her body’s core. Panting, she again tried to move, wanting to reach out and touch him in return.

  He whispered against her sleek skin, “Relax and enjoy, my mate. Allow me.”

  Following the link down to her body’s moist folds, Raj’s mouth closed over her. Licking, stroking, and enjoying the surge of spicy heat he called from her center, as he dipped lower and thrust his tongue into her tight sheath he groaned at the subtle flavor between her thighs. He felt maddened by her taste, unable to stop using his tongue to flick her to peak and then lightly bite her nub to send her screaming into climax. Again and again he took her up and over then let her fall into a disjointed and sated state before starting over. Each rush brought power and strength to his Vampen nature, allowing the control he sought.

  Using their bond, he became Nika as he shared the physical intimacy of their link with his mate. His tongue filled her and she pushed the feel of th
e lush pleasure of his mouth back to him along the binding ties. The overwhelming sensation tormented them both, teasing. Driving Nika to the brink. Allowing her to take Raj with her.

  Nika screamed, her senses inundated with the onslaught of feeling between the links vibration and her mate’s physical touch. In her mind, she felt his cock swell and bead with moisture, as if his body were hers. She could taste herself on his tongue and feel his need for her. He was making her crazy and finally she sobbed, begging him, “Please. Please, Raj, I can’t take any more. Please?”

  Raj took one last long suck on the sweet nub between her thighs and as Nika soared into yet another orgasmic spasm, he climbed up her body to lay over her. Draping her leg up over his thigh he carefully parted her with his throbbing manhood. Pushing forward into her tight sheath, he tilted her hips back to allow him to plunge deep. He stopped to slide his thumb from where they were joined together, brushing lightly over her clit. “More!” he whispered loudly and within her mind. More!

  Nika gasped and tried to use her body to force him to movement.

  “Take it slowly, little one,” he groaned as he felt her inner muscles tighten around his length. She was so tight and sweet. The links vibrated and he cried out as the collective sensations swamped him. He shared her mind and her body’s reaction to his invasion, the combination of her need and his own overwhelmed him and he lost control.

  Finally. Nika’s thought screamed through his mind as he started to move. Hard and fast he thrust into her. Slap. Slap. Slap. Their bodies came together as their minds communicated the building waves of pleasure. The force of his assault left her breathless and stunned. He filled her so deeply! Too soon, she felt his cock strain and burst as he filled her with his release. She would never get enough of her mate.

  Later, much later, they would talk about the future. Raj knew Nika would not be happy unless she could be involved in searching for all the missing women. But for this short time, he had an excuse to shut out the rest of the planet. He had a mate. They’d shared their ceremonial bonding this bi-non, the next moons rise was soon enough to look forward to the challenges of their life together.

  Zylan Vocabulary

  Bi-non: day

  Cid: flying craft

  Duca: office

  Glindash: auction

  Jandai: village of women

  Leonar: Lion

  Lianon: city on Zmar where Nika lived.

  Life Companion: husband or wife

  Life cycles: years

  Life mate: husband or wife

  Link mate: husband or wife

  Links: chains that are part of the body once a Zylan mates

  Mecgots: little furry green animals on Zmar that are sometimes used for pets

  Meoc: Zmar’s ruling place

  Minon: minute or moment

  Moonflower: A highly scented flower that blooms at night

  Nej: Spider-like insect that bites

  Nilt: hour

  Non: week

  Nubes: Five males who serve the Selven. They have no apparent thought patterns or emotions.

  Nui fruit: sweet and juicy pink fruit

  Peela: Dragon-type bird

  Ruling place: Tanar, where the palace is. Can also be used in place of palace.

  Selven Refuge/gathering place: home of the Selven goddesses and priestesses

  Selven goddess: highest level of training for the Selven

  Selven priestess: goddess in training

  Separate home: home away from the palace

  Setnon: month

  Shivet: Zylan swear word. Think screwed.

  Soul trails: tendrils of color coming from a person’s aura, can be used by Raj like fingerprints to identify and track someone

  Tanar: ruling place, city of Nyssa and Tar

  Vampen: strongly psychic person who “feeds” on another’s life force through their orgasms

  Vidar: large mountain crossroads village

  Zelph: Raj and Mica’s childhood home, Raj lives there now

  Zmar: Ahnika’s home planet, made up of mostly water

  About the Author

  Ravyn Wilde was born in Oregon and has spent several years in New Guinea and Singapore. She is married, has three children and is currently living in Utah. Ravyn is happiest when she has a book in one hand and a drink in the other—preferably sprawled on a beach! Readers may write to Ravyn at RavynWilde@msn.com.

  Ravyn Wilde welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1056 Home Ave., Akron OH 44310.

  Also by Ravyn Wilde

  By the Book

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales from the Temple I anthology

  Zylar’s Moons 1: Zylan Captive

  Zylar’s Moons 2: Selven Refuge

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