A huge explosion burst from the star, expanding into a blinding white light. As it receded, they saw that indeed the small planet had been torn apart. The rubble consisted of different-sized pieces of debris, all strewn in along a trajectory towards their ship.
“Is the danger over?”
“No. We must monitor for a few moments to ensure the center of the explosion doesn’t coalesce into the beginnings of a black hole. If it does, we’ll need to move to a safe distance.”
“Why are we chancing it?”
Looking down at her, Igor sighed. “You’re much different from our queens. They would push us even now to investigate the rubble for the stones they covet so greatly.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“Maruvian queens covet the Heart Stones above all else in the verse, for they feed their endless desire for pleasure. They tear worlds apart in their quest to discover ever purer specimens, sacrificing many drones in the process. Among our people, they are the primary unit of currency.”
“If we can obtain the Heart Stones safely, I wish it. The beings of this sector know nothing of them. Dignitaries from all the member worlds of the Galactic Council will take notice of us if we gift them with the stones, thinking we have more to share. Wealthy traders will pay whatever we ask for the privilege of stocking them.”
“We agree. It’s the reason we brought you here.”
“Pass the word, Igor. No drone is permitted to speak of the origin of the stones. Such knowledge would result in greedy beings tearing apart worlds in this sector and I won’t have that.”
“A wise decision, my queen.”
“We’ll only harvest them in the rare instance of naturally occurring events, for I don’t approve of the mindless destruction of worlds.”
Some screeching occurred, and Igor took her hand in his. “I’m told the star is fading away rather than turning into a black hole. Our initial scans reveal approximately seven metric tons of the stone. It appears to be some of the purest we’ve ever found.”
“Begin harvesting it when you’re certain it’s safe for my drones. I’ll not risk even one drone on this mission. I wish to speak to you and Talon alone.”
Secluding themselves in a meeting room, Carolyn explained her thoughts regarding the Heart Stones, “I wish us to separate out enough for every drone to have a stone for his own pleasure and that of a potential mate.”
Talon commented smoothly, “That is a generous gift.”
“I also wish to have approximately five hundred smaller-sized stones to smooth the way for our recognition by the Galactic Council.”
“I can have them packaged properly, perhaps with a small note on their use.”
“We’ll reserve a full metric ton for future use by our sons, for we don’t know if or when such an opportunity will arise again. I’ll have them do without the means to attract a queen when the time comes or the means to soothe themselves in their time of need.”
“We’d have never thought with an eye to the future. Your wisdom is remarkable at times.”
Grinning at Talon’s warm compliment, she continued, “Thanks, my actionator. I wish to set aside three tons for trade. Once we make it known that we possess such a treasure and are willing to trade, I doubt many on the Galactic Council will refuse us trade rights in this sector. The rest we’ll put in storage and our future needs will determine how it’s utilized.”
“This is a very sound plan. I’m pleased that you guard against squandering the Heart Stones. Our people hold them in high esteem.”
“Thank you, Igor.” Turning her attention back to Talon, she asked, “Do you usually have tiny remnants left over from processing?”
“Naturally, we do; why do you ask?”
“I wish you to have them shaped into small thumb-sized oval disks.”
“They would provide very little in the way of pleasure, my queen. Those are the bits our males are usually given. We work them into tiles for our own limited needs.”
“Our males will now possess full-sized stones for their own use. I wish to have these fitted into small pouches. I plan to hand them out to the women of Earth as a token of our esteem. Though the tiny stones are barely adequate for a male, females are much more sensitive to their effects. Human women are very tactile creatures. They will be fascinated to see and touch the small stones.”
“You wish to draw them to us?”
“I abhor the Krylon custom of purchasing women. It’s an indignity that I won’t subject our males to. My intention is to openly display all that we have to offer a woman by resettling on our world. Most will be put off by the insect heritage, but some will have the ability to look past that and find true love for our people.”
“Will it be enough for every unit to have their own queen?”
“Earth has millions of unmated females. If even a small number are fascinated by our ways, it will be enough. We’ll welcome all who wish to join us.”
Igor tilted his head. “You think to put a small stone in their hands, and hope they wish for more?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a clever strategy, my queen. Our drones will be the envy of the verse if women choose to come to us of their own volition, while everyone else pays for the privilege.”
Looking into his handsome face, she had a difficult time remembering why she found him less than attractive. “You’ve captured my heart. I know other women will see what I see when I look at you.”
“For the sake of my Maruvian bothers, I pray what you say is true.”
“Have I led you astray yet?”
“You haven’t. In fact, it’s our privilege to acquiesce to your wishes, for your every thought is but for our wellbeing. Your knowledge of the species of this sector outstrips our own ability to comprehend such things. I thank the gods every day that you became our queen, rather than your precocious sister. You alone have the maturity and wisdom to see us settled in his sector.”
“Your words are like sweet music to my ears, Igor.”
Chapter 14
~ Cassidy ~
Cassidy’s Music Mix
“How about if I had a crooked nose and was missing a tooth?”
“You’d still be you, and I’d want you.”
Holding up the little baby dragon, she talked to it like a baby, “Did you hear that, Deano? Daddy would still want me, even with a crooked nose.”
The little dragon licked her nose, making a cooing noise. “Did you hear that, Daron? Our son would love me with a crooked nose as well.”
Smiling faintly, he scrolled through her choices for household positions. “You know that you can’t have Odar. I need him with me.”
“You asked for my wish list, not a realistic and doable list. I really like him and Eve. They’re cute together.”
“You say that about all the couples.”
“It’s true about all of them.” Walking over, she stood in front of him. “Are we still going for the site visit today?”
“Yes. You’re very eager to be out in the hot sun.”
Stepping forward, she straddled him. Easing herself down onto his lap, she set Deano aside.
“If you keep being distracting, we may end up staying here.”
“I have something to show you.”
Grinning, he teased her, “I’ve seen it all before, but by all means, show me again. I do love looking at your lovely form.”
Sighing, she shook her head. “It’s nothing that involves me being nude. It’s something special I made for you.”
Leaning towards her, he rested his forehead against hers. “Those are my very favorite gifts.”
Sliding back off his lap, she reached under the settee and pulled out a framed sketch. Holding it up for him to see, she explained, “I spent all day working on this sketch when you were fighting the Maruvians.”
“It’s breathtakingly beautiful.”
“You really like it?”
Run
ning his hand reverently over the front, he whispered, “It’s like I always imagined myself to look in battle—fierce, determined, and heroic. You had my clan sword custom made for me, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I wanted it to be extra special.”
“I should have guessed that. Besides you, it’s my most prized possession. I wish to use the emblem you drew for our new clan, for it’s more beautiful than any I’ve seen.”
“That’s fantastic. If you want, I can probably do even better if I set my mind to it. Hold this, I have one more.” Bending down, she slid its twin from its hiding place. Holding it up, she watched his face melt.
“This is the way you see me?”
Nodding, she allowed him a moment to soak in the details of the sketch that originally brought them together. “I can see how little my scarring matters to you. Every scar is present, but you chose to emphasize my muscles, eyes, and hair. I like the lighting reflected off my face. It makes me appear proud and transcendent.”
“I thought the same thing.”
“It’s difficult to communicate how much you enrich every aspect of my life. It pains me that you’ve given one precious gift after another, and I have yet to provide you with a gift worthy of your attention.”
Sitting the framed prints aside, she slid back into his lap. Cupping his face in her hands, she turned his face up to look into his beautiful eyes. “All my gifts pale in comparison to the gift of your love and acceptance.”
As was usually the case, he mitigated his emotional overflow by redirecting it into passion. A few passionate kisses later, and he leaned his forehead against hers again.
Since words seemed to fail him, she whispered, “Let’s go see our new land.”
“Grab a change of clothing. Instead of taking a group, I wish to explore our land alone together the first time. We’ll take the shuttle Miss Selene offered and stay overnight.”
Squealing with delight, she asked, “We can take Deano, right?”
“Absolutely, he’d burn the place down if we left him.”
Within an hour, they were in the air, heading for the choice property their clan had been awarded. Seeing Daron cleaned up and looking sharp in his crisp new form suit, Cassidy fell in love with him all over again. He was sweet, strong, sensitive, and intelligent. Unsure how she got so lucky, she tried not to stare at him, as she stroked Deano’s head gently.
“I cannot believe you still look at me with such love. Having you for my own seems like an unlikely dream.”
“I think we were fated to meet. I think all the other things that happened comprise the unlikely part of our lives. I can’t believe my sister is so jazzed about living with insectoids. That creeps me out to no end.”
“She sent you a wedding gift. It’s a fascinating little stone. I’ll show it to you later.”
“Great, my sister the queen sent me a stone.”
“You’ll love it, I promise.”
“If you say so. How much longer?”
“A few microns. You’ve asked that three times already.”
“I’m eager. Don’t tell me you aren’t.”
“I’ve seen topographical three-dimensional images, but I’m still excited about seeing it with my own eyes. For a male who used to have nothing, the thought of owning sectors of land is captivating.”
“We’re so much alike, it’s scary.”
“I must admit to being shocked at how easily we get along. I’d heard that human women were difficult and you were a terror.”
Laughing, she set the sleeping dragon aside. “I definitely can be. The Krylon prince told me that I annoy him greatly. His wife and I both had to strong arm him into coming up with a solution to the clanless problem. I wanted to do away with clans entirely. Creating a clan for clanless warriors to apply to was his compromise.”
“I would have liked to see you and Miss Selene pressing him at the same time. That male is a little untrustworthy. I plan to keep my eye on him and double check everything he tells me.”
“Good plan. Wow, what’s that?”
“It’s the site I have chosen for our estate.” Steering the small craft to a rest on a huge flat stone, he hit the button to open the rear cargo bay door. Walking down the plank as it extended, Cassidy could feel the ocean air on her face.
Walking out to the precipice of the slab of stone, Cassidy stated enthusiastically, “This is the most amazing spot. You can see all the way to the ocean from here.”
Grabbing her hand, she realized for the first time that he had a bag slung over his shoulder. She went willingly as he pulled her along. Everything was fresh and beautiful. “You know, everything on my planet is drying up. When the solar flare hit Earth, the oceans turned acidic, most of the animal and plant life slowly died off, and now we have to wear respirators when we go outside.”
“I’ve heard stories, but I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
Talking as they walked, they found themselves in front of a beautiful pink lagoon.
“I’ll just give it a quick scan to make sure there’s nothing toxic for our kind in there and we can swim if you like.”
“Sex, then swim.”
Grinning at her suggestion, he snapped his scanner shut. “Yes, ma’am.”
Spreading out a blanket for them, they stood face to face. Without needing to say a word, they removed their clothing. Suddenly, it became a race to see who could get naked fastest.
Daron grumbled, “Everything doesn’t have to be a competition. You know this, right?”
“Sure, it does. You’re just getting old before your time.”
“Then why am I naked and you’re still working on your pretty little socks?”
“No fair, you tore your clothing. I’m penalizing you points for that.”
“Ah, my sweet wife, you cannot make up the rules to life as we go. You mentioned not a word about earning or losing points, so I win.”
Tossing her shoes and socks aside, she lifted her chin defiantly. “You win so rarely, I really should be a good sport about it.”
“Don’t be a poor loser.”
Taking a step closer, she corrected her big warrior, “The term is sore loser, husband.”
Looking at her intently, she spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, “You smell really nice today, wife.”
Feeling a jolt of excitement roll through her gut, she perked up. “Nice enough to make babies with?”
“Yes.”
“This is the perfect time. I can’t believe I’m ovulating. Plan to spend the entire day having sex.”
“I’d hoped you’d say that. You really want my child, don’t you?”
“What kind of question is that? You better believe I do.”
“Come sit with me. I have a unique and rare pleasure to share with you.”
Reaching his hand into his bag again, he pulled out something wrapped in a pristine white cloth. He quickly unwrapped it and held it up against the sun.
“It’s bioluminescent.”
“Yes, but that’s not its best quality.” Starting at the nape of her neck, he slid it down her spine to the small of her back. The trail of tantalizing pleasure it sparked was enough to bow her back.
“You like that, don’t you, my sweet?”
“It’s unbelievable. What is it?”
“It’s our wedding gift from the Maruvian queen and her consort. Igor sent me a com, explaining how to use the stone to its best advantage. The Maruvian word for it roughly translates as Heart of a Planet. They aren’t from this galaxy, and I’m told that at the moment, only you and the Maruvian queen enjoy such pleasures.”
“Well, that explains why my lovely sister is so taken with the insectoids. The pleasure would have been beyond my ability to imagine before experiencing it.”
“I’m told that although it’s pleasurable for males as well, the titillating sensations are much stronger for females.”
“Let’s try it on you.”
T
aking the stone from his hand, she slid it slowly down his spine and back up again. His head lulled back and his eyes closed. “I’d be hard pressed to imagine more pleasure than I just experienced.”
Looking down, Cassidy noticed his manhood stood at attention. Feeling a little mischievous, she touched the stone to the root of his rod and glided it up to the tip. Her actions caught him by surprise, causing him to yell out her name.
“Don’t do that again, wife. I’ll not waste my seed. When I release, I wish it to be inside you.”
Holding the stone up, she looked at it again. “It’s difficult to believe something so simple can provoke so much pleasure. How does it work?”
“I have no idea. You sister’s mate assures me it’s safe.”
“You must stop mentioning the freaky insectoid dude if you want me to stay in the romantic moment with you, big guy.”
Grinning, he wrapped his enormous arms around his knees. “We can always have our scientist look at if you like. I’m sure they’d be interested in analyzing such a thing.”
“I don’t think I want those ham-handed fools to touch my special sexing stone. Krylon males have big, clumsy hands. They might break it.”
Snatching the stone from her hand, he pushed her onto her back. “So, we have clumsy hands, do we? Let’s see what my clumsy hands can accomplish in the next few microns.”
Pressing one massive hand against her chest, he held her down. Looking every bit like the conquering hero he was, he slid the stone from her neck to her chest, across one nipple and down to her mound. Writhing in pleasure, she gasped for breath. Without preamble, he teased the stone over the lips of her sex, making her want more. Trailing the palm-sized stone in a huge infinity sign up and down her body, he waited for her to plead with him for more.
She was soaked for him in a matter of moments. As pleasurable as the stone was, what she really wanted was him inside her. He hovered over her, resting on one hand as the other held the stone. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him forward.
Little did she know the opportunity she presented her conniving mate. The moment her knees were apart, he slid the blunt edge of the stone over her clit. The orgasm shook her from the inside out, before she could get him inside her.
Maruvian Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 5) Page 12
