Daahn Rising (28 page)

The warm water soaking her clothing forced a squeak of surprise from her, and Miri turned, intent on escape. Aleeks’s chest appeared, and she held tight to him.

Daahn released her. “Peace, young daughter. You need never hide in the nest.”

Aleeks guided her further into the pool...to her hips, then drew her to kneeling so the water reached her shoulders. Little details made it through the fog of her mind, including the fact that Aleeks was nude. Swirls of water announced Daahn joining them. Miri dared not look around at him, certain that he’d be equally unclothed.

She sought out Aleeks’s eyes, pleading for an explanation.

Her mate nodded. “You have never been bathed by your elder.”

She was certain Aleeks said it more for Daahn than for herself. Miri knew what she had and had not done in her life, after all.

The elder’s hands worked her tunic up. Miri let him, reasoning that he couldn’t see her body in the water. It had been planned that way, she was sure. Aleeks pulled her trousers away, and she nestled further onto his lap.

The nip of oil against the sensitive skin of her shoulder preceded the smell of
Saahaal
. Miri snapped a look of shock at Aleeks. Daahn was wasting the spice on her? Why would he?

Aleeks rubbed the oil into her neck and down her chest. “You are a female, coming to the center nest for the first time. It is an honor for the elder that you have come to us, that one of his descendants was strong enough to bind a mate to him and to our nest. He shows you honor in the only way he can.”

“The young one was never bathed?” Daahn asked.

“Never by the Xxan,” Aleeks corrected. “Though I had no
Saahaal
to bathe her properly, as mate, I have done so.”

There was a moment of silence, during which Daahn made a single swipe of the oil over her mating stripe and moved on to a massage of her opposite shoulder. To Miri’s surprise, she felt no arousal when the elder touched her. She sighed in relief.

“You will bathe your mate daily with the
Saahaal
, Aleeks. Daily for a moon turn, in apology for neglecting her so long.”

Miri opened her mouth to protest that Aleeks had never neglected her. He’d been diligent in her care and in more carnal matters.

Aleeks captured her mouth, silencing her and heating her blood for him. He broke away slowly. “Daily for a moon turn,” he repeated. His
Zhigaaal
was pungent in the mist, a sure sign that the baths he’d gift her would be much more intimate affairs.

Her mate massaged the oil into her breasts, while Daahn moved down her back. His hand stopped, and both men tensed. Miri didn’t have to question what the elder took exception to.

Daahn’s voice was rough, a sure sign that his ridge plates and frill spikes were extended. “I will kill the one responsible for this. I vow it, little daughter.”

Aleeks smiled weakly. “Miri has already killed several of them. I killed the last.”

“You allowed—”

“Pardon my sloppy telling,
Gran-seir
. I met my mate in the midst of battle, a battle in which she killed three of the
Grea Elder
s responsible for her abuse, as well as nearly two dozen Dominants, and a hand or two of Subdominants. She did so to protect the lie of peace her
seir
had promised...to protect the human Council, my men...all who had been promised safe passage and negotiation.”

Daahn’s hand moved on, spreading the oil diligently. Miri’s heart pounded in fear of what he’d say next.

“Two moon turns, Aleeks. Such a female is a rare prize,” he murmured. “This nest is blessed with such a female.”

Aleeks came erect at that pronouncement. “Two moon turns.”

“Which were responsible?”

Her mate didn’t hesitate to share the news. “Uuumaal, S’Suuleahhn, S’sie, and Haauulen. I killed Haauulen myself.”

Daahn made no reply to that. Miri suspected that the elder knew them all. Was he saddened to hear that they were lost to the vacuum? Angry that she’d killed them? Did he feel it justified? Did he wish he’d pulled the trigger himself?

He went to work on her arms, pausing again at the scar Haauulen had left her with. Daahn didn’t ask for an explanation. “Your mate has had medical care for their abuses, I assume.”

Miri shuddered at the bite in his tone, an edge of near-violence that said even telling Daahn that Aleeks had delayed a day after meeting her would see him punished for it.

“She has.” His eyes proclaimed that he still blamed himself for the delay.

“Aleeks has pampered me,” she attested. “He has cared for me, insisting on treatment, even before I realized I was in need.”

“Then he should do so now. Food is waiting.”

Daahn tucked her head beneath his chin for a moment, closing Miri into the space between the two Dominant males. Then he moved away, leaving them alone in the pool.

Aleeks continued bathing her, stroking the stinging oil into every millimeter of skin, sensitizing her. His touch became more personal, more arousing, and Miri bit back a moan.

“We shouldn’t,” she breathed. “It’s the center nest.” Though she’d never been welcomed in a center nest before, she was certain it was only appropriate for an elder to mate in such a place.

Aleeks turned her, positioning Miri over the head of his primary. “It is expected that we’ll mix our scent into the family space. Later, we will scent our rooms.” There was something unsaid there.

“And?” she prompted him.

He thrust inside her, wrenching a mew of delight from her. Miri clenched her jaw shut, well aware that his family hadn’t gone far. Surely, they could hear whatever sounds of pleasure she made.

“Don’t,” he ordered in a whisper. “If you don’t vent your sounds,
Gran-seir
will think I’m being negligent in my care.”

Miri didn’t question that. She pushed further onto his cock, moaning.

Aleeks growled out his possession of her, his body pistoning in fierce hip thrusts not unlike the night he’d sated her quickening. Their sounds melded and rose to a crescendo at their climax.

In the aftermath, Aleeks rubbed his body against hers, scenting her heavily. His lips caressed her ear. “In our rooms, I’ll be anointing you with my
Zhigaaal
.”

Her breathing hitched, and aftershocks wracked her body. His cock bucked inside her, and Miri screamed in pleasure.

Aleeks lifted her, carrying Miri from the pool and into the now-deserted center nest. He balanced her on her feet next to the elder’s chair, lifted a beautiful red
S’suuhhea
, and dressed her in it. To her shock, he settled Miri in the elder’s chair while he donned his
S’suumea
and then cradled her to his chest and carried her through a doorway and into a room with stacks of cushions and platters of food.

By appearances, no one had touched their food, not even Daahn himself. Miri tried to put that into perspective, but she couldn’t. Elders waited for no one’s pleasure to eat, and since there was food enough for all on the platters, he wouldn’t concern himself with the new female in their midst having enough to eat, as Aleeks assured her a true Dominant would, when hunting was lean.

Aleeks settled her on the cushions and folded into them next to her, preparing to feed her. His head came up at Daahn’s move.

Miri watched, amazed, as the elder crossed the room, the platter intended for himself and his mate in hand. He knelt before her and pushed a portion of his own food onto her platter. Aleeks’s
seir
did the same. From their place, Evan and Zondra offered bows of their heads but not their food, though their platter held more than double the food of any other.

Of course. They are feeding the youngling and the babe Zondra carries.
Miri offered a bow in response. She looked to Aleeks, her smile faltering at his seeming confusion.

“
Gran-seir
?” he prompted, a sure sign that this wasn’t part of the typical welcome of a new female to the nest.

Daahn lifted a cube of meat from his own platter and brought it to Miri’s lips. He didn’t speak until she’d accepted it.

“Your mate carries, Aleeks.”

“I know it.” He sounded offended at that, as if the elder had accused Aleeks of negligence in his attention to her needs. Aleeks had increased Miri’s food intake by a quarter again and insisted on baths and rest for her, immediately upon determining that she carried. “But Zondra—”

Daahn shot him a quelling look. “You were present when I determined your sister carried a young Dominant. You were away when I determined she carried a young female.” There was something tender in that. “And you were too young to remember when I determined your
Hauaa
carried Zondra.”

Miri swallowed, her heart skittering in understanding. Her hand crept to the flat plane of her womb.

Daahn’s covered it. “You bless this nest with not one female but two, Aleeks.” With that, he bowed his head and returned to his mate with the platter, offering her first pick of the remaining food as a sign of his love and protection.

Aleeks stroked his hand over her womb, his mouth closing on hers in a slow, solemn kiss that left her gasping for breath. Then he slipped a cube of meat into his mouth, chewing it for her. Morsel after morsel passed from his mouth to hers, until Miri felt she’d pass out from sheer pleasure.

She let her gaze drift to Evan and Zondra, watching the human Dominant mouth feeding his mate and poking cubes of meat into his son’s mouth between. When feeding gave way to deep kisses and wandering hands, the boy pushed to his feet and made his way to Zondra’s
seir
. He pulled at the Dominant’s
S’suumea
. The big male didn’t hesitate to pull the child into his lap, feeding the youngling with one hand while he fed his mate with the other.

Aleeks pressed Miri back into the cushions, and the feeding went on, each bite of food taking longer and involving more passion and less sustenance. His primary nestled into her thigh through their clothing.

Finally, her body rebelled. “I can’t,” she gasped. “I can’t eat more.” Miri intended no offense, and wasting of food surely was, especially food the elders had gifted her.

The elder Dominants rumbled their approval, and Aleeks smiled, letting her know that was what they’d been waiting to hear.

Across the room, Zondra begged Evan to take her to their rooms. Her mate scooped her up with a growl and strode away, leaving their son in the care of the elders.

Aleeks nipped at her ear. “Beg for me,” he breathed. “My secondary is already rising for you.”

“Please, Aleeks. I can’t wait any longer for you.”

He was in motion that quickly, out of the lounging room and up into darkened areas of the nest, past the sounds and scents of Evan anointing his mate behind a curtained partition.

“Once Sammy retires to his bed, every Dominant in the house will be anointing his mate.” There was a note of self-satisfaction in that.

Aleeks pushed a curtain aside and strode into a room that carried his scent heavily. Miri closed her eyes, drowning in it, instantly at ease.

He lowered her to his bed, stripped her clothing away, then his own. She looked up at him, licking her lips at the sight of his secondary, already a quarter of the way risen and glistening with
Zhigaaal
.

Aleeks knelt to the bed, very methodically painting her lips with the beads. He pushed the crown into her mouth, and her senses exploded in the overload of pheromone. Miri suckled at him, raising him further, drawing out more of his
Zhigaaal
.

He backed away, then returned, bringing both heads to her lips. She engulfed him with a muffled curse, moaning at the two cocks filling her mouth nearly to discomfort. Aleeks had only done this with her a few times, though she wasn’t certain why that was. He always came quickly this way, and they both enjoyed it.

Miri guided him in and out, careful not to catch either cock on her serrated hunting teeth. His groans turned to growls, and his secondary rose further, exploring her mouth then playing at her throat. She swallowed reflexively, and Aleeks climaxed, jetting both cum and
Zhigaaal
into her throat.

Her body went hot and lax, and Aleeks slid free of her mouth, massaging
Zhigaaal
up. Her breathing hitched, and her body wept
Zhigaaah
onto his bed.

That’s what he wants. My scent is marking the room, reinforcing his claim.

His
Zhigaaal
-coated cock slid deep inside her, bringing her hips off the bed. Aleeks pinned both of her hands above her head in one of his, and she bucked against him, prompting growls of claim from his lips in response.

“Please, Aleeks.” When he didn’t react to it, she screamed out his name, begging him mindlessly for more of his musk.

His free hand massaged the base of his secondary, causing the
Zhigaaal
to fill her...then overfill her and run the length of her seam to her anus.

“Yes, more...please, more.”

“Promise me everything,” he demanded.

“Everything,” she gasped. “Every way.”

He left her body, and she cried out in dismay...just in time for his secondary to spread her rear entrance. He didn’t thrust inside, as she expected he would. Instead, he climaxed, his cum splashing against her seam, cooling the
Zhigaaal
burn. The full load of his
Zhigaaal
coursed into her ass, soaking in quickly, making her boneless in anticipation, drunk on his fluids and needing his cocks.

She licked her lips, gasping at the slick of
Zhigaaal
he’d painted there. Aleeks smiled widely and massaged up more
Zhigaaal
. He painted her lips again. It was a taunt, a promise.

Then he reached down and turned Miri to her stomach. She pushed her slit up, whispering pleas for what she now knew he intended.

Aleeks played the
Zhigaaal
-covered secondary at her slit, and she thrust against him, her voice rising until she was begging him at the top of her lungs to take her again. Then, and only then, he pushed deeper, working his primary through the lubricated ring of muscle he’d prepared for it then pounding hard into her with both cocks.