“The t’amar-te love even harder than they used to fight. By dividing their attention in such a way, not to mention wanting to protect their precious t’wren, it guarantees no violence and full attention to getting the meeting adjourned as quickly as possible so they can return to their ships and fuck all night. While technically this process is no longer needed because they have long since curbed their warlike tendencies, they still enjoy the tradition. Who would not?”
Okay, so that made her feel better even if it made her hornier in the process.
Several hours later, the t’amar-te took a break. Ker focused his green gaze on her. “Believe me, love,” he whispered, “I do know you are there. How could I not?” He grabbed her hips and thrust once, coming, her insides warming as he filled her and his knot receded. “Come,” he commanded.
She closed her eyes and clamped her lips tightly shut as he pulled her to his chest and cradled her against him. Around the room she heard a few muffled sounds she imagined were others engaged in similar activities.
He skimmed his hands down her back. “When you catch your breath, Sammuel will help you freshen up and then we shall eat lunch.”
“How much longer are we going to be here?”
He nuzzled her nose with his. “Probably until long into the night.”
* * * *
The t’wren tended to stay close to their respective Masters, although they did socialize a little. After lunch, Sammuel led Aine over to Jor’s t’wren, Dalmetri, to introduce her.
She felt a wave of sadness from the t’amen-ra. He stood a few inches taller than Sammuel, even though Jor dwarfed him.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said in thickly accented but understandable English.
Her eyes widened in surprise. She’d learned that with the exception of Ker’s men and others who had frequent contact with the Confederation, most Act’hurans didn’t know English. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” she replied in English.
He smiled at Sammuel. “Did we not tell you it would be so?”
Sammuel rolled his eyes. “Yes, Master already had his ‘see, I told you so’ conversation with me.”
Dalmetri returned his gaze to Aine. “Young Sammuel told Peyzin and myself many times throughout the years how he would never share his Master with another. We always told him to wait and see, that he was young and would learn.”
“His t’wren who died,” Sammuel mentally clarified for her. Then, out loud, he said, “Yes, you were right, brother. Is that what you wished to hear?”
“Brother?” Aine asked, confused.
Despite his invisible cloak of sadness, Aine felt Dalmetri welcomed her. “We are all of us t’wren family, in a way. Even if not related by blood ties such as ours. It is a title of respect and love, that of brother or sister, for our fellow t’wren.”
Sammuel nodded. “Even if a t’wren were away from their Master, or unbonded by death, they could turn to fellow t’wren or another’s Master if they needed assistance.”
“Not meaning in the bedroom,” Dalmetri clarified with what she guessed was a playful tone. “As a t’wren you are never alone if there is another t’wren or Master when you are in need or dire straits. We always help each other.”
Aine tried to process that. She’d gone from being orphaned—twice—to being a welcomed member of a huge-ass extended family that spanned a goodly chunk of the known galaxy. It nearly overwhelmed her.
Ker returned and took her hand. “We begin again.”
She didn’t feel as nervous this time. Her body, already anticipating the pleasure of spending the afternoon impaled on Ker’s cock, didn’t need a command to prepare, either. Without formality he quickly entered her after she settled herself onto his lap and arranged her robes.
As his knot swelled her body relaxed, comforted. Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.
She heard Sammuel’s mental laughter.
By the time they adjourned for dinner she felt exhausted, even more than if she’d had a vigorous all-night romp with both men.
Sammuel helped her to the facility. “That is because he draws energy and strength from you, love. Believe me, he is on the edge of his control as it is. At least you do not have to worry about staying awake while he fucks you all night.” He smirked. “I’ll be lucky if he’s not bending me over in the lift and taking me before we even get back to the ship.
She gasped. “All night?”
Sammuel smiled, arching an eyebrow at her in the same expression Ker used. “Oh, yes. And this time I will not sleep through it.”
“How could you possibly sleep through that?”
“You would be surprised what you can sleep through when tired enough.”
She finally thought to ask him something. “When we talked to Dalmetri earlier, it was like I could feel his sadness. Is that normal?”
“For us, yes, among other t’wren. Unbonded t’wren especially develop very strong empathic skills for others. It is as if the energy they used to devote to their triad, or in Dalmetri’s case, to their t’wren, is seeking a use.”
“I feel bad for him. Will they ever find another t’wren?”
Sammuel shrugged. “Who is to say? That is Fate’s decision. They lost her ten years ago. They have not yet healed to the point their hearts might recognize another t’wren. It is not unheard of for a t’wren to eventually replace a lost t’wren, but it does not happen very often.”
Following dinner, Aine settled in Ker’s lap. He entered her and she promptly fell asleep until Sammuel’s hand on her shoulder gently shook her. “Love, we can go. We are finished.”
She forced her eyes open. “I’m so tired.”
Ker’s gaze burned with passion. “I know, Ki’ato. You have made me so proud today. You did very well.” He squeezed her shoulder. The gesture roused a little of her exhaustion from her system.
“Thank you, Master,” she mumbled.
Usually she called him Ker, rarely able to bring herself to call him Master outside of their bed, and even then only when he mercilessly teased her to the point of begging for release.
Sammuel helped arrange her robes and lifted her from Ker’s lap, scooping her into his arms. “Come on, love. Let us get you home and into our bed so Master can use me.”
The lift ride from the secure meeting facility in the bowels of the station up to their berth would take several minutes. They had the lift to themselves.
When the door closed behind them, Ker stepped forward, backing Sammuel against the wall. “Now.”
Chuckling, Sammuel gently set Aine on her feet. “I must put you down for a moment, love.
He waited until she was steady and gripped the handrail for support before he turned around, his back to Ker.
Ker planted a hand between Sammuel’s shoulders. “Over.”
Sammuel grabbed the handrail and leaned forward, sticking his ass out. Ker flipped Sammuel’s robes up, took just enough time to slick himself, and immediately plunged hard and fast into Sammuel’s ass.
Aine watched, exhausted and yet turned on by the sight as Ker’s thighs slapped against Sammuel’s.
“Do not come,” Ker growled.
That prompted a whiny moan from Sammuel, which earned him a hard smack on the ass. “Do not worry. You will beg me to stop making you come by the time dawn breaks, Ki’ran.” With that he climaxed, but he didn’t withdraw, waiting only a moment before he started thrusting again, his cock still as hard as ever.
Okay, so the fact that Act’hurans were almost constantly fuck-ready was a huge plus in Aine’s mind.
Ker used Sammuel twice more before he pulled out and tucked himself in. When Sammuel straightened and turned, she didn’t miss the way his eyes had glazed over from unreleased passion.
Ker grabbed his braid and kissed him. “I shall use you hard all night, love. Then you can spend all day tomorrow sucking my cock.”
Finally more awake, Aine cleared her throat. “Um, what if I want a little of that action?”
Ker waggled his eyebrows at her. “I will let you suck his cock, but you are too exhausted for me to take tonight. I doubt you will stay awake once we get you to bed.”
She was about to argue that point when she yawned.
Ker scooped her up to carry her back to their cabin when the lift doors opened. Fifteen minutes later, they were all naked in bed, Sammuel on his hands and knees as Ker prepared to fuck him once again.
Aine rolled onto her side, reached out, and laced her fingers through Sammuel’s.
She promptly fell asleep.
* * * *
When she awoke the next morning, Sammuel lay asleep beside her with Ker spooned along his back.
Ker’s eyes twinkled. “Good morning, love.”
She stifled a laugh so she didn’t wake Sammuel. “Are you still knotted inside him?”
Ker grinned. “What do you think?”
“Lucky man.”
“Who? Myself or him?”
“Him.”
He reached over and laced his fingers through hers. “We are the lucky ones, love.”
She lifted the sheet a little and noticed the sticky mess around Sammuel’s thighs and belly. She suppressed another amused snort. “How many times did you make him come?”
Ker shrugged a little. “I lost count after the tenth time or so. I am sure he considers himself well-fucked.”
Chapter Thirteen
When an offer came through from the Confederation to take another shadow assignment, Sammuel didn’t want to accept it.
Aine, now six months post spider bite and completely healthy, wanted to do it. Raiders had captured three freighters filled with diryllium, and the Confederation wanted them back.
They knew from surveillance where the raiders hid the freighters, on a remote and desolate desert planet. The raider plan, intelligence told them, was to wait for outrage to die down so they could move the diryllium and scuttle the freighters.
Getting those freighters back, or destroying them before the raiders could offload the precious cargo and sell it, was a Confederation priority, a move that would cripple the raiders’ financial inflow in that sector and destroy raider morale and confidence in their already precarious leadership.
Aine made her case. “I’ve flown a freighter and I can run one of them. I used to take watch all the time on the Bagy. I know how to hack the mainframes to take them over without codes. You need me! We can do this. We’d have a well-armed escort contingent.”
Sammuel vigorously rallied against it, based on his emotions and fear.
Aine argued back, making the case for her skills and experience.
Ker listened in silence until Aine and Sammuel screamed at each other across the table. He lifted his hand. “Enough,” he said.
Both fell silent.
Ker looked at Aine. “You feel confident taking this role?”
“Absolutely! You don’t have anyone better qualified on your crews to fly a freighter than me! And if they have to be scuttled, I’m the one who knows those ships better than anyone.”
Ker studied her for a long time, then looked at Sammuel. “Are your objections based upon anything other than your fears?”
His face reddened. “We nearly lost her, Master.”
“How many close calls have you endured throughout the years? Have I ever held you back because of it?”
Sammuel’s face reddened even more. “No, Master,” he mumbled.
“Why should I hold her back? Do you think you are any less precious to me than she is?”
He didn’t respond.
“The raiders hurt us personally by this theft because they hurt our allies, the Confederation. The Act’huran High Council has our votes and begins negotiations in six months on the official treaty now that the Reypasians have dropped all their objections to our joining. To turn down an offer to help the greater good, could that not negatively impact those negotiations?”
Sammuel sighed but didn’t answer.
Aine remained silent.
Ker pondered for a while, not letting either into his thoughts. Eventually, he leaned back in his seat. “All three of us shall go. Sammuel, you will accompany her to retrieve the freighters and will be in charge of the operation. Pick men you feel can learn the skills she shall have to teach them to successfully bring you both back to me, and she will be second in command of the mission.”
“Yes, Master,” he mumbled.
Aine felt relief over being allowed to go and simultaneous regret that Sammuel felt badly about it. She stood, then crawled into his lap and put her arms around his neck. “Hey, if that dang spider couldn’t take me down, do you think some stupid raiders will have a better chance?”
He finally smiled. “You are very stubborn and willful, and I love you so much. You shall be the death of me from worry.”
“You both shall be the death of me,” Ker teased.
* * * *
The assignment accepted, preparations were hastily put into motion. Aine helped Sammuel handpick the men and train them. With a well-armed contingent of ships, they raced to the desolate sector where the three freighters had been hidden.
As the lander took them down to the planet, Aine tried not to think about the spider.
I hate planets.
Sammuel smiled. “You asked to do this, Little One.”
“Sure, rub it in.”
“When we safely return, I shall rub something inside you,” he mentally replied.
Her body responded to the taunt as he damn well knew it would, making her instantly wet.
They disembarked from the lander. One man would stay behind to pilot it home or pick any of them up if scuttling the ships was required. The rest of them, nine in all, silently headed for the ridge overlooking the valley where the freighters were hidden from scanner view because of high iron ore concentrations in the rock.
It was night time on the planet, but the worst fear she had was tripping and breaking her neck or getting shot by a raider. This planet had no indigenous animal or insect life larger than bacteria to worry about. They silently made their way up the final incline and found observation positions so they could evaluate the threat firsthand.
Aine stared over the ridge at the four freighters moored in the raiders’ base. That was the first surprise. Well, they’d have to thin the crews. Instead of three men on each, they’d use two men on some of them. Or they could simply scuttle it. She stared at the freighters.
Wait a minute.
One of them…
She grabbed the binoculars from around Sammuel’s neck, nearly jerking him off his feet.
“Oh, no!” she gasped.
“What?”
She dropped the binoculars and shouldered her pack, moving quickly across the rocky hill. “They’ve got the Bagy! It’s one of the ships down there!”
He reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her down, mindful of the men behind them. “What are you talking about?”
She fought her tears. “We have to get the Bagy! I have to get her out of there!”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The Bagtopy Yau! My fathers’ freighter!” She pointed to the third in the line. It hadn’t been listed as one of the missing freighters. The raiders must have recently taken it. “I can fly it alone. Your guys can take the others. I’ll fly the Bagy out of here.”
“Our orders—”
“Fuck your orders, Sammuel! No one is scuttling that freighter unless I’m on it or dead when they do!” She ripped her arm free and scrabbled away from him, down the hill.
She heard him swear under his breath and mobilize the men to follow her. She unshouldered her plasma rifle as she ran. When they hit the raider camp, Aine realized she was screaming as she mowed down three raiders who stepped out of the modular shelter building at the edge of the valley.
According to their thermal scan from the top of the ridge, there were only ten men, none on board the ships. They hadn’t yet unloaded the diryllium, which w
as likely why the freighters hadn’t been scrapped.
She fought her tears as she heard Sammuel yelling her name behind her. Mindless rage washed through her.
No. Not this ship. Not this time.
Fuck commands, this had been her home, her fathers’ ship, and she wouldn’t let anyone scuttle it like worthless scrap.
She raced across the tarmac and sensed Sammuel fast on her heels while his men took over the mop-up. Flashbacks of her long-ago escape with Aggie rolled through her mind as she pounded across the dusty tarmac, heat radiating up from it even this late at night. She quickly pushed her memories away when grief threatened to take her legs out from under her.
She bolted up the gangway and paused only a moment at the hatch.
Locked.
Sammuel had almost reached her when she decided to try her old code instead of the electro-jimmy she rigged to gain access to the freighters.
The door slid open.
Yes!
Once safely inside she sealed the hatch behind them. Despite the pain in her soul, she kept her hopes high that because of her fathers’ deaths so soon after leaving the Bagy that maybe no one had the heart to wipe their codes.
Which would hopefully include her codes—and all of Father’s overrides. If so, she wouldn’t have to hack the mainframe and fly her manually.
Sammuel raced behind Aine as she ran through corridors she knew even better than the back of her hand. When she burst through to the bridge, she stopped, stunned.
Before her lay the bridge, exactly as she remembered it. And the command chair, empty save for a ghost from her memory.
Edmund Lorcan turning to smile at her and patting his lap. “Come here, my Little One. I’ll show you how to fly.” Then spending hours explaining the systems to her.
She choked back a sob as she dropped her pack and rifle and sank into his chair. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve as she punched in force-start codes to prime the engines.
When she entered Edmund Lorcan’s override codes to authorize, the screens lit up with systems data as the engines burst to life.