by Octavia Kore
“Ettrian?” I touch his face and then his shoulders, shaking him gently.
There is no response from him and his body goes slack as I call out for him to wake. We cannot stay here, the other members of the nolfira clan will seek the young male out soon and if we are found anywhere near him they will finish us off. Hefting his weight onto my back is a difficult task, but I eventually manage. I move in the direction of the tree, careful to keep my balance as I make my way. My eyes are also peeled for the cinsi bloom, the same one I was supposed to retrieve for Safia. It will not heal him, but if she was telling the truth, it will help to ease his pain. All that really matters right now, however, is that I stop the bleeding. I can feel it dripping down my back and it fuels my anxiety. If we can make it back to the tree and get him into the seed pod, it will help with regeneration, healing him far faster than he would be able to on his own. The longer it takes me to get him back, the less likely he is to survive and I refuse to think about that.
As luck would have it, I happen upon an elder tree and snatch a couple leaves from its branches. I lay Ettrian down gently and press the leaves to his wounds and send up a prayer to the Sun Father that they staunch the bleeding until we make it home. We have both been injured before on hunts, but neither of us has ever had to deal with wounds this bad before.
“I will not let you die!” I whisper as my emotions threaten to overwhelm me. The sky above us seems to reflect them and rain begins to pour down from the dark, swollen clouds. A clap of thunder rolls over my senses as lightning zigzags violently through the darkness. The storms here often come out of nowhere. Ettrian and I have been caught many times in them, but never so far from shelter.
Wind assaults my body, pushing and unbalancing me as I try to pull Ettrian onto my back again. We are not going to make it tonight. I finally concede. We will have to wait out the worst of it and try again. “If the Sun Father wills it, it will be.” I can hear Mama’s voice in my mind and a mixture of fear and disgust turns my stomach. I will not allow him to take my brother. I will fight his will tooth and quill if that is to be Ettrian’s fate. The Sun Father took Yssa from her mates, but I will not allow him to take Ettrian from Xia and Kareen. He is needed here. A large fungus up ahead catches my attention and I rush forward. We can take shelter beneath its top where it will at least keep the rain from soaking us to the bone and I can tend to Ettrian properly.
“Aquilian?” Mama's voice is gentle through the bond but I pretend that I can ignore her as I curl up tighter in my sling. I feel her hands lightly caress my quills and she hums to me. “Have you been plucking these again?” She asks gently.
“No,” I lie even though I know she cannot be fooled. Many of my quills are missing, more than is necessary for hunting, and no amount of lying can cover that up.
Mama tsks. “You are going to pull them all out soon.”
“What does it matter? Quills or no quills, I will always be passed over.”
I feel her perch on the side of the sling, tipping it to one side so that I roll to face her. “Why would you think that?”
“Why?” I shoot up, rattling the quills I have not yet yanked out of my head. “Look at me!”
“I am looking at you and I see no reason you should be passed over.”
“You are my mama, you are not supposed to see it,” I grumble and she vibrates her quills with her humor softly.
“That is true. Kits are perfect in the eyes of their parents.” Her eyes flash blue briefly before settling back to black. “The ones who will matter the most in your life will not care about your coloring, Aquilian. Until you find a female who can look past what the others cannot, you have the love of your parents and the unending loyalty of your brother.” I look away at the mention of Ettrian. He is once again the cause of my bad mood. “You may not see it right now, but your brother is your greatest supporter. He will always be by your side on your journey.”
Her words ring through my mind and I look down at Ettrian where he rests on the ground. His wounds have already begun to heal, but they still require close observation. As time goes by, the storm slows and I decide I can make a run for it. With Ettrian thrown over my shoulder, I wait for the next flash of lightning and then bolt from under the protection of the fungus’ top. Rain pelts us still, but the wind has calmed and it makes my journey a little easier.
The tree appears before me, looming over the forest around it and I have never been so relieved to see one of the giants in my entire life. My muscles strain under my twin’s weight, legs shaking as I force them to move across the distance. “Open!” I tell the tree, but nothing happens. “Sun Father curse it all, open!” Slowly the bark begins to separate, parting for me as I rush through into the main room. Ettrian slides from my shoulder as I stumble across the threshold. A flash of red that I have come to associate with my mate is the first thing I glimpse and it is a more than welcome sight. I turn toward her and feel my lungs seize in my chest as my eyes fix upon her. She is in the arms of another Dauur male, her legs wrapped around his torso, hands gripping his quills, while his bondmate stands at her back. A murderous, possessive rage consumes me and I feel my quills rise and rattle out a challenge.
Chapter 14
Inoxia
“What do you need, Inoxia?” Doxal asks me, his rough voice sends shivers up my spine.
The question is simple, but I can’t seem to find the right answer. Instead, I wrap my legs tighter around him and bury my hands into his crest of quills. My mind is full of images of Aquilian, of how he touches me and the way his eyes light up when he’s close. I press my lips firmly against the ones in front of me and gyrate my hips, grinding myself against Doxal’s body. Yes! I think as pleasure surges through me, radiating out from my core. Vibrations flow through my fingers as his quills begin to rattle and it pulls a moan from deep in my chest. A pair of hands take hold of me and try to pull me away, but I latch onto Doxal with all my strength.
“Inoxia, you are not in control of yourself.” Yssig tries to tell me, but that’s a stupid statement. I know I am not in control. I would never choose to do this with a man I didn’t know if I was in my right mind.
A hand runs from my hip and up the side of my body, making my pussy clench in anticipation. The soft touch is igniting fires in its wake and my nipples harden painfully as someone’s hands brush the sides of my breasts. My body is so, so hot and I tear frantically at my dress in an attempt to get closer to the coolness of his skin, but a hand covers mine. No problem, I think and throw myself into the kiss, running my tongue along the tightly closed lips. He doesn’t taste like Aquilian and I whimper sadly at the thought. A growl flows through the chest I’m pressed against and I feel a hand grip the hair at the back of my head tightly. Instead of deepening the kiss like I’m anticipating, I’m yanked backward. No! I need this!
“Inoxia, stop! I will not allow this while you cannot make the choice for yourself!” Doxal and his stupid logic. “We were sent here to breed you, but I will not do it this way.”
That stops me in my tracks. I lean back in his embrace, my eyes search his as he holds me gently against him, one hand still clutched in my curls.
“You were sent to do what?” The fire in my core diminishes some but doesn’t quite go out.
“Breed you,” Yssig answers. “If we do not do as they as the aliens will kill our sister. She is your kit’s age.”
Goosebumps rise all along my skin as a sudden cold breeze rushes into the room. We all spin toward the massive opening in the tree and my heart kicks hard in my chest. My guys! Aquilian is standing in the threshold, rain falling onto the floor at his feet as lightning flashes behind him. Instead of his usual green-eyed welcome, I’m met with a blood-red stare that sends a jolt of dread through me.
“Put my mate down,” his voice is colder than the winds that whip through the forest. I’m so busy trying to breathe through my panic that I’m only vaguely aware of the fact that I can actually understand what he says.
Yssig g
ently pries me from Doxal and the friction from my body sliding against his makes me moan loudly, causing my cheeks to flush fiercely. The sight of Aquilian before me overwhelms all of my senses and I swear I could come just from the way his gaze rakes over me. “You choose these males over us.”
“No!” I deny the accusation vehemently, but I feel shame wash over me.
“We did not know she was mated,” Doxal says apologetically as my feet touch the floor next to him. “She is not in her right mind. It seems that the cinsi tea she brewed is having a strange effect on her. We were only trying to help.”
“Help?” His quills rattle menacingly. “Yes, I am sure that is what I saw when I walked in.” He crouches down and pulls something along the floor, but I don’t have a clear view.
“Your brother? Is he hurt?” Yssig asks quickly.
“Ettrian!” I feel like the worst kind of person for not realizing he hadn’t been standing with Aquilian. Stumbling over the floor, I grasp for my other male, clutching at his limp hand before he is pulled out of my reach.
Doxal grunts under his weight and nods to Aquilian. “I will lay him in the seed pod. Inoxia needs your attention.” He disappears down the hall with Ettrian.
“Wait!” I call, but everyone seems to ignore me.
“We passed cinsi blooms on our way here. I will retrieve some.” Yssig touches Aquilian’s shoulder and vanishes through the entrance.
Aquilian’s expression is hard as he bends down to lift me up into his arms. “Aquilian?” He doesn’t answer but continues down the hall and into the room he shares with Ettrian. Once inside, he sets me on my feet and rips my dress from my body, not even taking the time to pull it over my head. I try to cover myself, but he grabs me around the waist and sits down inside his open sling. He flips me over so that my torso is flush against his hard thighs and I struggle to sit up. “What are you doing?” I ask, my eyes wide as I turn my head to look up at his face. Instead of answering, he pulls back his arm and brings his hand down on my bare ass. Thwack! A yelp bursts from my lips and my flesh burns beneath his palm.
“You left the safety of the tree.” Thwack! It isn’t a question, he doesn’t need my answers or excuses.
“You put yourself and Kareen in danger.” Thwack! I moan against my hand and bite down on my bottom lip. Holy shit, yes.
He gently rubs my heated flesh, soothing the sting. “Invited strangers into our home.” Thwack!
“Please, Aquilian,” I say breathlessly, shifting against him, trying to relieve some of the pressure I’m feeling between my legs.
“You could have been taken from us. Both of you.” Thwack!
A groan of pleasure is ripped from me, the slick of arousal paints my thighs as I dig my fingers into his leg. “Again,” I beg, and he gives it to me. Two more slaps, one right after the other land on my ass.
“Do not ever do that again, Xia.” The cool slide of his fingers between my thighs has my breath catching in my chest.
This is what I’ve been waiting for, what I’ve needed so badly. Aquilian’s middle finger brushes my folds and I whimper softly, shaking with desire. “What about Ettrian?”
“He is regenerating. Now that he is in the seed pod he will be fine.”
His voice is not as harsh as before, like punishing me has centered him. I never thought that I would like this sort of thing, but I find myself hoping he isn’t finished with me yet. “Aquilian?”
“Yes, Xia?”
“I’m sorry.” I feel the tears well up in my eyes and spill over my cheeks. “I didn’t mean for this all to happen.” His hand soothes over my bare back and up into my hair where he fists it, tugging my head back so that I’m looking into his eyes. There’s no anger there, just a calmness that speaks to every anxious part of me. “I need you.”
His body seems to thrum beneath me, the little bulbous tendrils that extend from his crest wiggling freely. “I cannot give you the mating marks without the ceremony. I will not risk you. Do you accept this?”
I’m not really sure what he means by that, but my arousal is peaking again and I push it from my mind for the time being. My body feels like it’s burning from the inside out. “Yes.” The sound of my panting fills the space between us as he pulls me up from his lap and flips me onto my back inside the sling. I frown at first because I’m so far from wanting to sleep that it’s almost laughable, but it vanishes the moment he climbs in with me. Aquilian wedges himself between my legs and leans down over me, drawing in a deep breath against my skin.
He reaches down between us, pressing his hand against his lower abdomen, and I startle a little when something that I assume is his cock, springs out and brushes against my thigh. I can’t see much of it with how closely we’re pressed together, but what I do glimpse is neon pink and glistening and it makes my mouth water. It wiggles like it’s got a mind of its own, seeking out my core, and the sight both terrifies and arouses me. A finger traces over my jaw, bringing my attention back to Aquilian’s face, his glowing pink gaze bores into mine.
“I will not hurt you,” his voice caresses my mind.
With tender care his hand wraps around the column of my throat, squeezing the sides with just enough pressure to have me arching beneath him. “Yes!” My whole body trembles as his free hand spreads open my slick folds and his twitching cock prods at my opening. A finger moves along my slit, stopping on the pearl of my pleasure as Aquilian rattles again.
“What is this?”
“My clit.” I manage. “Rub it, please.” I’m only briefly aware that I sound whiny, but I can’t even find it in me to care.
He doesn’t need to be told twice and sets straight to gently stroking me, his cock still only barely touching my core. I need more, but when I try to move against his hand he squeezes my throat a bit tighter. “No.”
“No?”
“This is your punishment. You will be still.”
Whimpering as I struggle to obey him, I move my hands up the sides of his torso and hold on. Never in my life have I wanted someone as badly as I want him. I need him more than I need my next breath. The alien looks at me with deadly focus in his eyes. It is something I can deal with now that the coolness has left his voice.
One strong hand still remains wrapped around my throat and the other moves to caress my thigh, pulling it up onto his hip as he pushes forward just a little more. He only keeps his hand there for a moment to make sure that I don’t move my leg before moving it back to my clit. What little of his smooth cock he allows inside me sends a thrill rushing through my veins. Aquilian sinks into me with an agonizingly slow thrust of his hips, the tip of his cock roaming along my inner walls. Every nerve feels like it’s exploding as he pulls all the way back out and thrusts again. A soft groan falls from his lips, the sound only driving my need higher.
One day I’ll need to get a better look at what he’s got going on down there, but right now all that matters is that it hits all the right places. I want to meet his thrusts, I want to disobey him, but I am reminded that he can take away his gift at any moment. The despair of being the focus of his disappointment has been transformed into pleasure, and I’m now so enticed by his cock that I feel like I am losing control all over again.
Instead of fighting to keep a tight grip on myself I push up against him, grinding myself into his body. His hand tightens a little but he doesn’t pull himself away. Instead, his thrusts become more erratic, pushing me higher and higher with each slide against my swollen folds. I’m so close that my whole body is trembling beneath his touch, the threat of him cutting off my airway only brings me closer to the cliff that he’s gradually pushing me toward. I need something… more. My mind goes blank, stars dancing behind my eyes as the head of his cock hits just the right spot inside of me and the hand lodged between our bodies rubs zealously over my sensitive clit.
My climax hits me like a tidal wave as it raises me higher into bliss and I moan uncontrollably, enjoying the sound of my own rapture as it fills the space around us. Aq
uilian reaches his own peak a few thrusts later, hot cum shooting into me as my walls clamp down on his thick girth. His hand squeezes my neck as his head falls back in absolute euphoria. It doesn’t matter that I can’t breathe because just the sight of him coming undone would steal the air from my lungs. He’s beautiful, his whole body glowing with a light that I have never seen before, the rattle of his quills caressing my skin like a physical touch. When I wiggle beneath him he slowly lets go of my throat, dropping over me and nuzzling into my neck. I realize then that I never want to leave him. I want this always.
Chapter 15
Inoxia
Little tingles of pleasure still roll over my skin as I make my way into the kitchen wrapped in the silky material. My dress was a lost cause, a casualty of hot, sweaty sex. Aquilian kept trying to apologize, but after the soul melting orgasm he gave me there really isn’t anything to apologize for. Cheeks blazing, I shake my head to clear my thoughts as I snag a cup from one of the shelves and fill it with water. The nozzle closes quickly at my request sent along the bond and a flush of satisfaction rushes through me; I feel a sense of pride at how fast I’ve gotten the hang of this. The smile on my lips instantly fades when I glance down at Kareen and see her bringing the cup of tea I made last night up to her mouth. The cup and its questionable contents go flying across the room as I swat it out of her hands.
“Hey!” She whines loudly. “I just wanted to taste it!”
“That tea is not for kids.”
Kareen frowns up at me, her small hands fisting on her hips. “Oh, so it’s an adult drink?”
A snort escapes me as I retrieve the cup from the floor, setting it down on the counter. “I’m not even sure adults should be drinking that.”
A laugh has my eyes narrowing on Doxal where he sits in the main room, twisting a bloom between his fingers.
