Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) (10 page)

CHAPTER SIX

Eden
closed her eyes
, felt a brief stirring of nausea, and realized that
Drest
must have transported them to a different location
.
A brief survey revealed a large room with a good sized bed.
She assumed this was his abode.
It was simply decorated, but the furnishings and bedding appeared to be of fine quality.
He pulled her toward the bed and began kissing her.
She felt his tongue invade her mouth, then felt her undergarment being tugged upwards, leaving the lower part of her body bare.
He guided her hand to his enormous erection, and she
began to stroke him.
He did not seem so alien to her now; he was
equipped as a male should be equipped.
He lowered her to the bed and he leaned over her.
His hand found the feminine area between her legs and she felt herself grow impossibly damp.
As he explored her, she became painfully aroused.
She spread her legs wider and gyrated helplessly under his hand.
She
heard him whisper something about her appearing ready for him
and she felt him tug at her clothing
.
In seconds, t
he rest of her garment was pulled from her body and she was bared to his eyes.
She felt his eyes devour her breasts.

He cupped a swollen breast with his hand.
“You’re so beautiful.”

He leaned more fully against her body and she felt his erection press against her
lower abdomen.
She was trapped and vulnerable underneath his more powerful form, and she realized that in this position, he could impale her quite easily.
It was for that very reason that males were not allowed to employ
that particular
position
when performing sexual relations with a
Flourdan noblewom
an.
The male could not display signs of dominance and he was not allowed to forget his secondary status.
Therefore, she was not used to the feel of a male body lying on top of her.
She had never been taken in that fashion, but she longed for it now.
She wrapped her legs around him and he lifted her to receive him.
He entered her suddenly
and completely,
then
began to move with purposeful strokes.
He was large
, and despite her rather enthusiastic willingness,
the fit was tight.
The pleasure intensified as
she became accustomed to the feel of him
.
The bed shook with force and she widened her legs to better accommodate him.

“They were right about human females,” Drest muttered.
“So small, too much sensation, way too much.”

She
wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell her
, nor could she determine whether it
was a compliment or a complaint.
He felt good, so good that she would not mind
spending the next five years doing this with him.
His movements quickened, then he stilled, and she
knew that he had reached satisfaction.
He began touching her sex, and moments later, she was rewarded with intensely pleasurable convulsions.

“I’m sorry that went so fast.
It’ll be better for you next time.
I
t
can take
years of maturity to completely manage the increased urges of the mating bond
.
It is more difficult to do when one is young, as I am
.
”

“There’s no need to apologize.
I quite liked it.”
She relaxed in his arms for some time, eventually falling asleep.
When she awoke, he was dressed in the unusual clothing that the other Asstrumnians wore.
His tunic was black and had strange designs on it; his trousers were also black and made of an unknown
material.
He wore heavy gold armbands that were engraved with strange symbols.

“I will get you some clothing, but it will be Asstrumnian.
Perhaps later I can go to the Flourdan markets and get you something you are more accustomed to wearing.
Our food is different as well, but I think you’ll grow to like it.”

“Thanks,” Eden stated.
“Where are we exactly?”

“Ravenwood.
It’s a territory in Asstrumnia that belongs to the Tuatha Broin.
This is my private lodge, but I don’t usually spend much time here.”
When he saw the anxious look on her face, he instantly put her at ease.
“I won’t leave you here alone.
I’ll stay
here with you.
I’ll have a female neighbor stay with you if I have to travel overnight, at least until you’re more familiar with the area.
Our habitat can be very treacherous, especially to humans.
There are giant flying insects that
are known to tear the limbs off a person, called the dronusfly.
They have a deadly sting as well.
When the insects swarm, an alert is given and we stay inside our homes.
They swarm for three days before moving onward.
There are other dangers as well.
You must stay inside the house unless you are accompanied by one of our people.”

She
had not known of any man eating insects.
She had always thought the danger in Asstrumnia came entirely from the hybrids.
“I’ll
stay here.”
He left her and returned a half hour later with some clothing.
She accepted it, wondering why their females wore trousers like the males.
The trousers and tunic fit well and were comfortable.

***

The next
day, Drest brought her some clothing, books, and other items from her native land.
He showed her objects that she had never seen before or imagined, such as boxes that played music after a silver disc was inserted.
The music itself was strange and she did not understand the language.
He told her that it was not Asstrumnian, but he did not tell her any more about it.
“Will I get to meet your family or friends?”

“Eventually.
I don’t wish to share you with anyone else right now.”
He pulled her close to him and began to kiss her.
“I want you again.
Is it too soon?”

Her body’s response suggested fervent eagerness.
“Not at all.”
He removed her clothing hurriedly and she helped him get rid of his.
He lifted her onto a table and entered her welcoming body.
She moaned, clutched his shoulders, and arched against him.
He thrust into her with overpowering zeal and it elicited a passionate response from her body.
She relished the stroke of his hard length inside her and she felt the pleasure building.
Moments later, she cried out as she came rather violently.
His pace quickened and she felt him achieve his own release.

He moved from her and helped her off the table.
“I had intended to make it to the bed.”

She smiled up at him.
“We’ll make it there eventually.”

He returned her smile and picked their clothes off the floor.
He tossed them on the sofa.
“The bath is outside in the garden.
I’ll take you there.”

She followed him to the garden area and was surprised to see a large pool of water.
It was heated and she could see steam rising from the water.
He led her inside and she sighed as the hot water soothed her aching muscles.
He picked up some soap and began to massage the lather into her
skin.
“What were you doing in Avenal?”

“I cannot tell you that.”

“Why not?
It is so secret?”

He began to massage her shoulders.
“
Hybrid activities are rather secret.
You
are a Flourdan.”

“But we are mated now.”

He stopped massaging her and he moved his body so that he faced her.
“It is a temporary mating, more like the paramour equivalent in Flourda.”

“You told me once that if you mated with a woman, you would not share her.”

He smiled.
“I will not share you, not while we are together.
But we will eventually part.
You will want to return to your homeland, and five
years from now, it may be possible for you to return.
There is no way to know for sure what will happen in the future.
War is inevitable.
If the Flourdans ally with the Romans, there will be war between our countries.
Some of our Intel suggests an alliance of that sort may become formalized.
If that happens, Flourda will pay a steep price
.
I will not return you to a country that is unstable
.
”

It sounded like he would only return her if their countries were at peace.
He also seemed to imply that her country could become unstable due to hybrid invasion.
“So if there is a war, you would become stuck with me?
What happens then?”

“I would keep you.”

He sounded ambivalent about this, which irked her.
“So what happens when an Asstrumnian mates with a female hybrid?
Is it temporary also?”

“Asstrumnian females cannot mate without the mating bond.
Since so many marking attempts fail, any unions that form are more likely to be permanent.
There are so few eligible hybrid females, that I have heard of no male who has tried to gain a separation.
Sometimes, the female will terminate the relationship and choose another mate.
She can only do so if the other male is able to mark her, which usually prevents the union from taking place.”

“Yet you were able to mark me
, a human.”

“Yeah, that was surprising.”

“What if I am the only female you can ever mark?”

“Then I would have no young, unless your womb quickens.
Many Asstrumnians remain unmated.”

She wondered if it ever became a problem - so many males with so few females.
The gender imbalance problem was
managed in Flourda by the castration policies and the use of harems.
She wasn’t sure how they managed it in Asstrumnia.
“What do the unmated males do?”

“When they have need of a woman?
They seek the use of a bed servant or a bed slave.
The
King
has
several that serve the fine.
Many practice abstinence.
There are also artificial means.”

She found herself curious about his culture.
“What are the artificial methods?”

“Mental stimulation by someone with that skill, often a druid.
The experience isn’t nearly as good as the real thing, but it can seem almost realistic with the proper amount of imagery and sensation.”

“A completely mental orgasm with no requirements of touching.
I cannot imagine such a thing.”

“You have no need
to imagine it.
I’ll happily give you the real thing.”
He finished cleaning himself and left the pool.
He grabbed a towel and
handed it to her.
She wrapped it around herself and scanned the horizon.
The sky looked different in Asstrumnia; it was bright blue and free of clouds.
Overhead, vibrantly colored birds flew in the air and she could hear unidentifiable animal sounds in the distance.
“What is outside the gates?”

“Various kinds of wildlife, such as wolves and
gigantic cats.
There are few roads, since we don’t need them.
Much of Ravenwood is natural and uncultivated, although it does possess a decent sized market center and village.
We’re on the periphery
outside the walls
.
The Donovan stronghold is built like a fort and it serves as the walls of the settlement.
The
King
’s family lives inside a
manor
located well inside
the walls of the stronghold.
”

“Why do you stay outside the walls?”

“I sometimes like my privacy.
The
King
’s family keeps close tabs on the residents inside the walls.
The social obligations can also be tiring at times.
I do have rooms within the manor and I stay there sometimes.
This lodge has belonged to my family for eons.”

He was lucky to possess an estate of his own, as Flourdan males were unable to do so by law.
“I get it.
It is yours, not the
King
’s.”