Wray (32 page)

“Yes, but it hasn’t been done in centuries
and never with a female.” Tora argued back.

“Nothing prevents it." Wray told him firmly.
"She will be my Empress.”

Tora recognized that look on his manno’s
face. It meant he has made his decision and the time for discussion
was over. It also meant Tora would have to decide if he was going
to support it.

Could he?

Could he not?

This was
his
manno and he had never
met a fitter or a more worthy male. He never decided things on a
whim. Has always ruled fairly and with the best interest of his
people at heart. He didn’t take a new Empress after Tora's mother
had died so others could have offspring. Now he had found a female
that he said made him 'whole'.

Joining with her took away no other male's
chance of having fit offspring and if she did have offspring, it
would never take
his
place.

Was it his right to deny his manno this?

“If that is your decision, then know I will
support it.” Tora told him. “So was it only wreckage that Grim
found?” Tora asked, changing the subject.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Wray saw Tora's struggle on his face. Saw him
carefully think it through, and at that moment saw the fit and
worthy male his offspring was becoming. He was questioning... not
just accepting... even with his manno. It was what he needed to do,
to become a good Emperor.

"No." Wray said, moving away from the window,
clapping a hand of acknowledgement on Tora's shoulder before he
leaned down to right the chair. "He found evidence that this wasn't
the first ship the Ganglians had destroyed. Apparently they've been
at this for some time."

"Why? What possible reason could they have
for taking Jerboaian males and females from an unknown planet?"

"I don't know, but Grim has notified General
Rayner about what he has found and Rayner plans to investigate it
further on the Kaliszian side while Grim plans to monitor the area
the Ganglians seem to be using more closely."

"And you did not want the fe..." Tora stopped
himself when he saw his manno's eyes darken. If he was going to
truly accept his father's decision, he needed to start now and give
Kim the respect he would want for his own Empress. "Kim to know
this?"

"No. I don't know if she's considered it, but
it is possible that the Ganglians captured her sister too. Kim was
taken from the same area as her sister disappeared from."

"Why not tell her your suspicions?" Tora
asked.

"Kim was barely alive when I found her Tora,
the best we can tell, the Ganglians had her for nearly two weeks."
Wray saw Tora pale as he finally realized the amount of abuse Kim
had survived. "Jen has been missing for over six months. The
chances that she is alive..."

"Are zero, no one survives that long with the
Ganglians."

"No and I don't want Kim imagining the abuse
her sister had to suffer. She will blame herself."

"Why? There was nothing she could have done
to prevent it."

"Did that stop you? With Van?" Wray
asked.

"No." Tora whispered. Finally, what Kim had
been trying to tell him sunk in and a little of the guilt he has
been carrying slipped away.

"You want us to
take
her and
sell
her to a pleasure house?" Gyula asked, frowning at Lord
Reeve. They had been summoned to his private chambers and he was
now sitting and facing him and Fala.

Reeve had been thinking this over ever since
he talked to Bertos. Bertos wanted the female dead. He wanted Reeve
to make it look as if she had taken her own life because of what
the Ganglians had done but Bertos had never seen her. A pleasure
house would pay an exorbitant price for her and Reeve needed it.
She could die
there
, Reeve would profit and no one would be
the wiser.

"Yes. We cannot allow one such as her to
sully the title Empress even for a moment."

"The Emperor will kill us!" Fala exclaimed,
the smart one of the two.

"He will never know it was you. I will
arrange it to look as if Veron, his most trusted Captain, has taken
her and you are pursuing
him
, proving to the Emperor that
you are both fit and worthy warriors."

"What's in it for us?" Fala demanded.

Reeve’s eyes hardened as he looked at Fala.
“Is it not enough that you will be back in the Emperor’s guard?
That all will know what fit and worthy males you are?”

“No.” Fala said.

“Fala…” Gyula looked worriedly from Reeve to
his friend.

“We are taking all the chances Gyula. We are
the ones that will die if caught.” Fala said and Gyula’s jaw
snapped shut, his eyes returning to Reeve.

“What do you want?” Reeve demanded.

“First, half of whatever the pleasure house
pays you.”

“What!” Reeve surged out of his chair
enraged.
He
needed all she brought.

“Half!” Fala shouted back not intimidated at
all by his Lord, he never had been. Reeve would never have survived
if he hadn’t been a Lord’s offspring.

Reeve slowly sat back down. “Agreed.”

“Second,” Fala went on knowing he had him
now. “We each get a turn at her en-route.”

“As long as you don’t damage her I don’t
care. If you lower her value it comes out of your half.”

“Agreed.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Wray stood at the side of the bed watching
Kim as she rested. Goddess, the only way this sight could get more
beautiful was if she were in
his
bed, in
his
chambers
in Torino. When she suddenly jerked and cried out, he was instantly
by her side.

“Kim.” He said, leaning over gently rubbing
her arm. “Kim. Wake up.” He wrapped his arms around her as she
suddenly jerked up screaming. The nightmares came every night and
he didn’t expect it any less tonight, especially not after her
conversation with Tora… but he had hoped. Hoped that someday the
Goddess would take them away.

“I’m here Kim. I’m here.” He whispered into
her ear as he pulled her into his arms.

“Wray?” The fear and uncertainly in her voice
broke Wray’s heart.

“I’m here Kim. You are safe.”

“I was dreaming… about Jen…” Kim raised
drenched eyes to his. “She was screaming for me to help her and I
turned my back on her.”

“You would never do that my Kim,” Wray
reassured her, “and neither would I. It was just Daco playing on
your fears.”

“Daco? Who’s Daco?” She asked, taking a
stuttering breath as she tried to let go of the fear left by the
nightmare. She knew she was safe. She was with Wray.

“Daco is the lower God who stole the Goddess
from her mate. Remember?”

“Oh yeah, Warriors from House Berto saved her
before she was forced to Join with him.”

“Yes. He is the God of destruction and pain.
He likes to use one’s fears and insecurities against them.”

“The stuff of nightmares.”

“Yes. He would like nothing better than to
destroy you Kim. His goal is to take all that is good and bright
and make it dark and terrible.”

“Like he did with Emperor Lucan.” She said
softly burrowing into his chest.

“What?” Wray asked, looking down at her
sharply. “Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know, it just seems fitting don’t
you think? Lucan's line stopped Daco from abusing the Goddess. What
better way to extract his revenge than to cause her most favored
warrior to commit the same crime?”

“I…” Wray looked down at her in shock. He has
never considered that before. Could what she thought be true? It
would explain so much. There had been a time when Emperor Lucan had
been considered a great Emperor. He had ended many wars, had
brought all the species closer, but all that had been forgotten
when his crimes had been revealed. “I never considered that.”

“Hmm.” Kim brought her hand up slipping under
Wray’s shirt to rub his chest. “So did you and Tora finish
discussing what I shouldn’t know?” She asked, tweaking his nipple
playfully.

“Yes.” Wray’s voice caught at her
playfulness. “So, it’s going to be like that, is it?” He asked,
twisting so he was lying beneath her on the bed. If she wanted to
play, he would let her play. Anything to drive away the darkness
that had been in her eyes when he had woken her from her
nightmare.

“It’s going to be exactly like that.” Kim
told him as she straddled his hips, tearing his shirt down his
arms, knowing he was allowing her to pin them to his side. “I’ve
been missing you all day.” She said, leaning down to kiss his
chest. “I’ve wanted to touch you… kiss you… love you…” her voice
trailing off as her tongue trailed down his chest to his clenching
abs.

“Then do it, Kim.” Wray said, groaning as she
nipped at his abs.

“I will.” She told him. “Tonight I am taking
what I want. What I will always want. You, Wray.” She pulled her
mouth from his tantalizing skin to let him see the truth in her
eyes. He was what mattered to her. Just him.

Releasing his shirt, her hands went to his
pants, stroking his already hard shaft several times before she
finally opened his bulging pants, allowing him to spring into her
waiting hands.

Kim knew she would never tire of this… of
touching Wray like this, especially tonight. Somehow, he knew she
needed to be in control, needed to feel like there was
something
in her new life she could control and he let it be
him.

Only a male, confident in who he was,
confident in the female above him, could do such a thing. Kim would
make sure she never gave him cause to regret it.

“Lift your hips, my love.” She whispered, her
hot breath bathing his shaft with its moist heat. When he did, she
quickly pulled his pants down, lightly scraping her nails over his
skin as she went, causing him to shiver.

“Kim…” Wray growled warningly.

“What, Wray?” she asked, her mouth a hair’s
breadth away from the tip of his engorged shaft.

“Kiss me.” He begged.

“You mean like this?” she asked, leaning down
to kiss the tip of his shaft before opening her mouth to take him
inside.

“Goddess, Kim!” Wray shouted, his hips
thrusting up, choking her before she wrapped both hands around the
base of his shaft, so she could control the depths of his
thrusts.

Back in control, she swirled her tongue
around his shaft, as if he were a dripping ice cream cone, one she
didn’t want to miss a drop of. And she didn’t. He tasted too good.
Finally making her way back to the tip she licked at the pre-cum
that was starting to pulse out.

“No more, Kim!” Wray demanded. Finally
freeing his hands from his shirt, he sat up. Gripping her night
covering he pulled it off, forcing her mouth away from its treat.
“I need to be inside you!” He said, gripping her hips, he lifted
her and positioned her opening over the throbbing head of his
shaft, his arms trembling.

Wray’s eyes bored into hers and Kim knew he
was waiting for her permission. For her to tell him it was okay for
him to take control and in doing so he gave it back to her.

“I need you inside me, Wray.” She said,
bracing her hands on his chest as he slowly lowered her, impaling
her on his engorged shaft. “Yes.” She groaned her head falling back
at the sensations filling her.

Wray knew he would never see anything as
beautiful as his Kim, finding her pleasure. Taking it, from him.
The brush of a lush breast against his cheek had his mouth latching
on to its pebbled nipple, drawing it deep.

"Wray!" Kim cried out, her womb contracting
around him as he devoured her breast, all the while moving her up
and down his shaft, hitting that sweet spot again and again. "More,
Wray! Goddess more!" She cried out as she wrapped her arms around
his head, pulling it to her other breast that was begging for his
attention.

Wray immediately devoured what she offered.
Feasting on her as if she were his last meal and knew no God had
ever feasted as well. Gripping her hips, he held her, stilling her
movements, knowing he was too close to losing control and refusing
to go without her.

Sliding his thumbs down, he slid them along
the seam where they were joined, glorying in the sensation and
found her tight nub. Teasing that precious jewel in a way he knew
drove her crazy, he pulled her down as he thrust up one last time,
pressing his shaft directly into 'that' spot and exploded, sending
them both to paradise.

"Tora!" the sound of his name being called
had Tora slowing his steps as he crossed the grounds the next
morning. Turning, he found Thangavelu coming towards him.
Thangavelu was one of the few Warriors on Vesta that treated Tora
the same as any other male in training and Tora appreciated
that.

"Warrior Thangavelu." Tora acknowledged.

"I did not know you had returned from the
harvests."

"The Emperor requested my presence." Tora
told him.

"Ahhh… So you've heard."

"Heard?" Tora questioned.

"About the Emperor wrongly removing Fala and
Gyula from his guard."

"The Emperor is rarely wrong." Tora said
noncommittal.

"In this he is. There was no cause to remove
them."

"Does he need cause?" Tora questioned.

"Wray does. He is a fair and just Emperor. He
does nothing on a whim, nothing that breaks the Law."

"Then there is your answer and the reason
Fala and Gyula are alive." Tora told him.

Thangavelu was silent for several moments
frowning at Tora. He liked this young male. He was fit and worthy,
like the line he descended from. One day he would be an Emperor
Thangavelu would be proud to serve, as his manno was. Thangavelu
liked thinking that he had a small role in that.

Thangavelu wasn't one of Lord Reeve's favored
warriors. He'd never been willing to play the game, as so many had,
to gain their Lord's favor. Thangavelu thought his work and skill
should speak for itself. The only reason he was still here was
because Lord Reeve needed his skill in teaching swordsmanship to
young males and Tora was one of his best students. Yet he knew his
time here was ending. Everyone on Vesta knew Lord Reeve needed
funds to attract another female and Thangavelu’s service came at a
high price, one Reeve could no longer afford. Therefore, Thangavelu
would soon be looking for a new Lord.