Chapter 7

~ Hel ~

Grabbing the pleasure stone from the now quiet man, she felt it tingling against her palm. It was true what they said about it provoking a pleasurable sensation. Gliding it gently down the drone’s back and between the wings that were now folded neatly behind him must have had the desired effect because he sucked in a breath as he arched his back.

“Do you like?”

“It is the most pleasure I’ve known.”

“Don’t you have spas for drones?”

“Never in the history of our kind has there been such a thing.”

“Couldn’t you just use your stone in the shower?”

Looking over his shoulder, his dark eyes collided with hers. “It is forbidden for drones to use a stone, for they are precious and few.”

“That doesn’t make much sense. You said she had thousands of them.”

Lowering his voice, he spoke as if disclosing their deepest darkest secret. “Drones sometimes work the tiny leftover chips into a tile for our own use. These we share among ourselves until they lose their effectiveness.”

“Well, first thing in the morning we are going to make sure every drone on this ship gets his own stone.”

“We will adore you even if you are not solicitous of our needs. The need to submit to a queen is deeply rooted in our DNA. You are not required to earn our obedience.”

“I keep telling you all that my sisters and I are not queens. We’re just regular people, like you.”

Pulling him back into her arms she slid the stone over his neck and down the front of his chest. He relaxed into her embrace. “You are nothing like us, my queen. Where we are marked with scars and damaged by years of abuse at the hands of our former queen, you are flawless, strong and sure of yourself.”

Capturing his cheek in her palm, she turned his face to hers. Looking into his eyes, she saw the depth of his pain. “Those years of abuse will fade from the collective memory of your people. Would you let ugly memories mar the possibility of a future filled with happiness?”

Without overthinking the idea, she instinctively kissed him tenderly on the lips. When she pulled away, his hand went to his mouth. “I remember this from earlier. What is this we do? Does it have a name?”

Penny’s sleepy voice sounded from across the room.

“It’s called a kiss. Can’t you two get a room?”

Hel laughed at her sister’s indignant tone.

Sitting up, Raec murmured, “You should rest now, my queen.”

“The bath woke me up. I wish to see the queen’s chamber. Will you escort me?”

“Whatever you wish of me, I am honored to provide.”

Smiling at him, she quipped teasingly, “That’s kind of not what you said earlier. You know that, right?”

Lifting her out of the water, he stepped out of the tub. After drying off, she pulled a heavy gown over her head. “Don’t you have real clothing for women?”

“Tradition dictates that our queens wear gowns.” Turning, he walked swiftly towards the exit. Intrigued by the mixed-up man, Hel rushed after him.

Easily catching up with him, she teased, “Hey, aren’t you supposed to insist on carrying me or something?”

Tilting his head slightly, he made the sound she’d come to associate with laughter among his people. “Since you have legs, the gods must have wished for you to use them.”

“That can’t be right. I am a queen.” He immediately caught her teasing tone.

“Yes, you are. It is strange to me that the gods have gifted us both with two feet. I think they must have wished us to be on equal footing.”

Grinning broadly, she bumped him with one shoulder. “See what a quick study you’re turning out to be? You’re smart, and handsome too. In my world that makes you a real catch. I’m thinking of pursuing you to the ends of ‘verse with sweet words and luxurious gifts, fit to capture the heart of a jaded drone.”

“Come precocious one. I will show you the stones. Once you see them, you will lose interest in all else.”

A huge door snicked open to reveal a veritable oasis. It was like a different world from the rest of the ship. Colorful plants and flowers peeked out from every nook and cranny. Sakor had not been exaggerating when he said she had a thousand stones. Tucked among the greenery, like secret jewels, were hand-sized oval stones shimmering in the soft lighting. “What a waste of good resources this place is.”

“Our queens demand luxury. As drones, we are all too happy to provide it. Even for one as bereft of kindness as Kabelda.”

“Your dislike of her is evident in the way you articulate her name.”

“It pleases me to not have to call her my queen any longer.”

“I like that you feel comfortable speaking your mind. It is a masculine quality that Earth women find arousing.”

Turning away embarrassed, he replied sincerely, “I feel very much at ease in your presence. It’s strange to speak so casually with a queen.”

“How’s about you call some drones in here and we begin gathering up these stones?”

“Are you certain you wish them to enjoy such a privilege? If you change your mind later, they will be greatly disappointed.”

“As far as I’m concerned it’s not a privilege, it’s their birthright as Maruvians.”

Speaking into his com, the room began to fill with drones. She watched with fascination as they picked the walls clean.

“I have instructed them to ensure every male selects a stone and the rest are to be stored until you decide what to with them.”

Holding up the stone still in her hand, she looked at it. “These stones are highly coveted among the species that inhabit this region of space. One stone this size could be sold for enough credits to feed this entire ship for a solar cycle.”

“Yet you give them so freely.”

“Only to our drones, Raec. I will not give away much needed resources we’d need to survive.”

“We are now surviving together? I was given to understand that you were leaving us at some point.”

Trailing a fingernail gently over his chest, she purred, “Give me a reason to stay.”

“What do I have that one such as you might value?”

His mating scent was back with vengeance, reminding her exactly what he had to offer. “I want more of what we did in the bath.”

“The human kiss your sister spoke of? This I would be pleased to do for you.” A huge smile ate up his face as he moved closer.

“You have very sharp teeth.”

“Thank you, my queen.”

“That’s a compliment for Maruvian males?”

“Yes, it certainly is.”

“You don’t have mating parts.”

Laughing he taught her about birds and bees, Maruvian style. “I most certainly do. Maruvian males are broken into two broad categories, ones with wings and ones with dicks. Queen makers are unique in that we are doubly endowed.”

Running his hand down the growing bulge in his lower stomach, a seam appeared. With no preamble, he pulled out very nice sized rod. Staring at him with her mouth hanging open, she couldn’t quite believe how attractive it was. Every instinct told her she should think him weird, but she didn’t. Her eyes skated up his muscular torso to his face. “I didn’t think Maruvian males had such equipment.”

“Every Maruvian either gets a dick or a pair of wings. I was gifted with them both, for your pleasure.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know it doesn’t make any sense but that’s just how we are.”

“So every single drone I meet has a either an awesome set of wings or nice junk?”

“Except queen makers. We have both and that is what makes us so coveted as breeders. We give both pleasure and young to our queens.”

“How lucky am I?”

Smiling slightly he pinned her with a hot stare. “You consider yourself lucky to have me?”

“Any woman would, baby.”

“I wish to mate you in midair.”

“God, the things you learn about people. Mind if I get the party started?”

His gaze turned heated. Grasping her hand, he wrapped it around his rod in a gesture so human it almost made her laugh.

Dipping his head, he ghosted his lips over hers. Her jaded drone was warming up to the idea of taking the lead awfully fast. She knew exactly why he wanted them to fuck while flying. It would put him in control of the whole experience. It made her hot for him in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

His wings came out behind her, pulling her to his body as his arms encircled her waist. Instead of flapping his wings to lift them off the ground, he pulled her gown off and lifted her with his wings. Gazing up at her naked body, he whispered reverently, “You are most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen.”

Smiling down at him, she let the warm compliment wash over her. Splaying each leg on either side of his head, he breathed in her scent greedily before speaking. “Your pheromone wash is intoxicating. I’m certain that is what brought me into my own.”

Linking her legs over his shoulders, she pulled his face where she wanted him to be.

“No time for sexy compliments, baby. Your woman needs you.”

“To be in the moment with a queen focused solely on his needs is every drone’s dream.”

“I’m focused on you alright. How about you follow my good example?”

He immediately buried his face between her legs murmuring under his breath. “I’ll bet you taste as good as you smell.”

“Jesus, stop saying sexy things like that.”

Without preamble, he kissed and licked her tender flesh. All the talk about being equals and not being treated like a queen went flying right out of her head when she found herself perched on his face with her back arched like a primitive goddess being worshiped by her god. There was something achingly erotic about their pose.

Every sense of moral decency she’d been taught urged her to climb right down and keep it real. Yet, she was careful to stay exactly where she was, chanting breathlessly for more, more, more. Being in his strong arms, feeling his tongue moving across her flesh and his claws gently biting into her buttocks as he held her against his face tripped all the right switches for her.

“Raec, I need you inside me.”

Sitting, he slid her down into his lap. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Never did I dream to hear those words from a queen.”

Kissing him passionately, she could taste the dew from her body still clinging to his lips. So many things about this encounter sent her spiraling into a frenzy of need. “Please.”

Pressing her close, he eased her down onto his rod. His powerful wings flapped and she felt the ground disappear from her feet again.

Tossing her head back, she enjoyed the moment of hanging in midair with him. “Yes. You’re perfect, don’t stop.”

“You like the pleasure I give?”

“I love it. Move, I need you to move, baby.”

A look of pure possessiveness jumped onto his face, and he pounded the hardest orgasm of her entire life out of her. Barely stopping to let her catch her breath, he picked up the pace again, running his thumb over her clit as well.

She became aware of a steady torrent of words coming from her mouth. Unclear on exactly what she was saying, she saw his expression turn smug and possessive. Something about the look on his face sent her crashing into another orgasm, this time pulling him over the edge with her.

As they fluttered softly to the ground, she realized he was seated fully inside her. “That was unbelievable, my queen.”

She felt softness beneath her feet as he took to a laying position, curling around her in what felt like a protective pose. Looking around, she discovered they were on a sleeping platform of some sort. Pulling at a piece of cloth laying nearby, she covered them. Drifting off to sleep with his mating scent perfuming the room felt like coming home.