Sarah woke up from the strangest, most embarrassing dream. Something about her boss biting her panties off and then licking her between her legs…
Just a dream she told herself uneasily. It was just a dream…right?
She stirred and found that she was in a strange bed, not at all like the sagging cot she’d slept in at the Compound. It didn’t feel like the hard, narrow bed she’d been given at the shelter either, though. It was soft and squishy and warm but not wet—just jiggly.
It’s like I’m sleeping on Jell-o, Sarah thought sleepily. She rolled over and found that the Jell-o bed gave alarmingly, moving like a wave in the ocean. Her momentum pitched her into the broad, bare back of the man sleeping beside her.
Wait a minute—man? Who was she sleeping with? And how had they ended up in bed together?
Then a warm, spicy scent hit her nose and everything came rushing back.
It’s Sazar! And we’re in bed together because we’re pretending to be a couple here on Alquon Ultrea.
Sarah was fully awake now and she became aware of something else—she was completely naked. Naked and plastered to her boss’s back with her bare breasts pressed against him and her crotch cupped against his extremely firm ass.
Oh God…oh no! She struggled to push away from him but the Jell-o bed kept pulling her back down with its odd wave-like motions. They were lying together in a big dip now, right in the middle of the strange mattress and there didn’t seem to be any way to extricate herself.
“Sarah?” a deep rumbling voice said, sounding sleepy and annoyed. “What in the Seven Hells are you doing?”
“Trying to get up.” She managed it at last and struggled to her feet just as he turned over.
Reflexively, she tried to cover herself with her hands. There was a dim light coming through the clear glass of the walls—not much, but enough to see by and she was suddenly ashamed.
He rolled over and regarded her, one black eyebrow raised quizzically.
“Why are you hiding yourself from me, sweetheart? I saw all of you last night. I tasted all of you.”
Sarah could feel her cheeks getting hot. She couldn’t believe what they’d done together. It went far past the bounds of their professional relationship of boss and assistant. Plus, she barely knew the big Kindred. She’d only been working for him for two days and she’d already fallen into bed with him—literally. What would he think of her?
Be careful, Sarah, whispered a little voice in her head. You know what happens to secretaries who get too familiar with their bosses.
She couldn’t help remembering Sister Hope, her belly swollen and her eyes red as Father Caleb sent her away, telling her that her “services” were no longer needed.
She needed to be careful here. Damn careful.
Sazar was still looking at her and he appeared to be about to speak.
“I…um… I have to use the restroom,” she said quickly, not waiting to hear what he had to say. “Sorry.” She fumbled under the wall hanging for the bathroom door and slipped inside, closing it firmly behind her.
She’d been making an excuse to get away but once she found herself in the bathroom, she realized she really did have to go. In fact, she thought she’d never had to pee so badly in her life.
Without thinking, she flipped up the lid of the black bench commode and sat down.
She was almost done peeing when she remembered the yeechees. All her muscles clenched and she stopped in mid-stream.
Then she heard a faint, angry hiss.
“Oh my God…oh no,” she whispered, tensing. What was she going to do? Could the weird, snake-like animals tell she hadn’t given them everything she had? Would she feel their little sharp fangs sinking into her bare behind any moment?
Quickly, she vaulted off the toilet and slammed the lid closed, panting. She could hold the rest until later, she told herself. Until she could find a toilet without snake-things in it. She wanted a shower anyway.
After about fifteen minutes of trying, she finally got the shower to work at a reasonable temperature. As she clambered carefully over the high side of the tub, she couldn’t forget how Sazar had held her in the pouring water the night before, letting her sob against his chest as he stroked her shaking shoulders and murmured sweet soothing nothings into her ear.
What was that name he called me? Something with an L—Lavnana? No…Ladara. That was it. What does that mean?
He had called her that more than once and he had been so gentle with her. Did it mean anything or was her cold, prickly boss just a nice guy under his tough exterior? Did he have any kind of feelings for her? The kind she was beginning to have for him even though she knew she really, really shouldn’t?
Sarah had no idea. She soaped herself with the white, puffy sponge which looked like a miniature cloud and then rinsed and climbed out again.
She wrapped another blue bath-sheet around herself and toweled her hair as dry as she could get it. Then she decided she couldn’t stay in here, hogging the bathroom forever. After all, Sazar probably had to use it too and he was in a much better—and safer—position to pee on the toilet eels or snakes or whatever than she was.
She came out of the bathroom and found him sitting up in the bed. He was naked too but he covered himself considerately with a discarded bath-sheet when she came in.
“Um, hi.” Sarah wasn’t sure what to say to him.
“Hello.” The big Kindred seemed uncertain as well.
“The, uh, bathroom is free if you need it.” She gestured lamely at the door.
“Oh. Thank you.” He rose and brushed past her, keeping himself covered as he went. Sarah breathed a sigh of something that was either relief or regret—she couldn’t tell which—when it snicked shut behind him.
She went to the closet and opened the cube, intending to get dressed and then remembered she couldn’t used the Alquon clothing Kat had packed for her or the clothes she’d bought herself on the Mother Ship.
With a deep sigh, she looked back in the closet. The gold lame' outfit was for the ball tonight but there was a new dress she hadn’t noticed the night before. Had Lemesh made her an extra one and sent it along with the rest? That seemed like something the Alquon clothier might do.
It was less flashy than the other outfits she’d worn—possibly the Alquon equivalent of a little black dress. It had a black jacket with long sleeves and a rounded back. The high collar which fastened at her throat was cut in an inverted V to show her breasts.
Sarah sighed in resignation as she put the jacket on. She was just going to have to get used to exposing herself while she was on Alquon Ultrea. But after a lifetime of shapeless clothes and body shame, it was really, really difficult to feel good about going around basically topless.
At least the float dots are still working, she thought, looking down at her full breasts which were still as firm-looking as ever. Lemesh had given her plenty of extras too. She would never have to wear a bra again if she didn’t want to.
Only I do want to, Sarah thought ruefully as she remembered the way Councilor Rando had pulled her breast chain and the creepy way The Lord Magnate had eyed her exposed assets. I wish I could wear one right now!
But there was no use wishing that. She had made the decision to stay here on Alquon Ultrea and she would have to deal with the consequences—one of which was walking around topless all day. With a sigh, she finished getting dressed.
She was mildly surprised to see that the bottom half of the outfit wasn’t a skirt but long silky slacks made of black material which gathered in a cuff at her ankles.
“Huh,” Sarah muttered to herself, putting them on. “I dream of Jeanie pants.”
They did look like harem trousers and they would have been considerably more modest than the split skirts she’d been wearing—except for the fact that they were made of some black, translucent material which was pretty much see-through. There didn’t seem to be any panties to go with them either, though Sarah checked everywhere in the closet, hoping they might have fallen down behind her pink carry-all cube.
“What are you looking for?”
Sazar’s deep voice startled her so much she jumped and smacked her head on the closet’s shelf.
“Oh!” she gasped, putting a hand to the back of her head.
“Are you hurt? I didn’t mean to startle you. Here—let me see.”
He came to her, wearing a towel around his waist and leaned over to study the back of her head, where she’d hit herself.
Sarah found herself practically in his arms with her face to his broad chest and her sensitive nipples brushing against the rock-hard plane of his abdomen.
“I…I’m fine,” she tried to explain but Sazar wouldn’t be satisfied until he was certain she wasn’t bleeding. The warm, spicy scent of his skin invaded her senses and seemed to do strange things to her. She felt weak in the knees and every time her nipples brushed his skin electrical shocks ran through her, making her feel hot and helpless.
“Well…just a bump.” At last he released her. “What were you looking for, anyway?”
“Oh nothing,” Sarah said quickly. “I mean, I just thought…I was hoping…” She cleared her throat, miserably aware that she was babbling. “I was looking to see if there were any, uh, panties to go with this outfit Lemesh left me,” she said at last, gesturing to herself. “But, well…there aren’t.”
“The Alquons certainly seem intent on exposing and objectifying their females,” Sazar remarked, frowning. Then his face softened. “But you look lovely in that outfit—whatever it’s supposed to be.”
“Thank you,” Sarah murmured, feeling her cheeks get hot at his compliment.
“You’re welcome,” he murmured. “Well, let me get dressed myself and I’ll help you with your jewelry.”
“Oh…oh of course.” Somehow she’d managed to forget she wasn’t completely dressed yet—she couldn’t go out without her breast chain fixed firmly in place. Just thinking of how he would have to “help” her made Sarah feel hot and cold all over. Especially when she remembered the way this scenario had ended the night before.
She fixed her damp hair into a bun at the back of her neck and tried not to think about it as the big Kindred got dressed.
Sazar chose a dark blue robe and trousers edged in silver from the carry-all cube. It made his pale eyes ice blue and Sarah couldn’t help thinking how handsome he was. His black hair was so thick and dark in contrast to his pale skin…wait a minute, he was pale—much paler than he had been. Did he need blood? Should she ask him? She’d taken her blood capsule so she ought to be well able to supply him…
Her thoughts trailed off when he sat on the chair he’d used the night before and motioned to her.
“Come, Sarah—let me help you. We need to go out and find something for First meal since we didn’t get anything to eat the night before. And…”
“And I can’t go out without my jewelry,” Sarah murmured, finishing his thought.
“Exactly. Bring the compound too please.”
“Oh, I can do that part myself.”
Wincing at the icy liquid, Sarah sprayed her nipples with the black bottle of compound and then came to stand between his legs with the gold bands and breast chain clutched in one hand.
“Shall I make it quick?” Sazar raised one black arched eyebrow questioningly. Sarah realized he was trying to gauge her mood—to see what she wanted.
I want you! she thought but didn’t dare to say.
“I…I don’t…I mean, it’s probably better if…if you go slower, don’t you think?” she asked at last, stumbling over the words. “I mean it’s more, uh, thorough that way.”
“As you say…more thorough,” Sazar murmured, his eyes going half-lidded with desire. “Very well—slowly then. Come here so I can reach you better.”
Before Sarah could protest, he had gathered her up and she was somehow straddling his lap with her hands on his shoulders and her breasts in his face. The position spread her legs wide and she could feel her pussy lips parting which she knew would be completely visible through the see-through harem trousers.
“Oh,” she moaned as Sazar sucked her right nipple into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around and around her pink peak before sucking hard—so hard that points of his fangs pricked against her skin.
His fangs, she thought and suddenly she wanted to be pierced by them again. Despite the pain, she wanted it.
“Do…do you need blood?”
The words came out before Sarah could stop them. When Sazar pulled away, letting her nipple slip from between his lips, his eyes had gone a deep, pulsing red.
“What did you say?” His voice was a soft, low growl.
“I…I just thought…” Sarah wished her heart wouldn’t pound so hard—it made it difficult to get a deep breath. “I could feel your…your fangs,” she explained at last, haltingly. “And the lights around here are so bright and we were out in them for so long yesterday and vampires aren’t good with sunlight. Not that you’re a vampire,” she said quickly. Oh God, she was making this worse and worse. “But I just thought…”
She trailed off, feeling miserable. Why had she brought it up anyway? Why hadn’t she just let him put the nipple bands on her and ignored the prick of his fangs?
For a moment, Sazar was silent, his eyes a burning red as he looked at her.
“I drank from you only a day ago,” he said at last.
“I know that,” Sarah whispered. “But I thought you might need…need more.”
“It’s not in your employment contract to allow me to drink from you more than once a week,” he pointed out.
“I know,” Sarah said again. “But, well, I don’t care about that.”
“We’re not mated so your body won’t replenish itself as it would if I claimed you. You’ll get depleted if you give me too much blood,” he pointed out.
“No I won’t. Liv—that’s Olivia, Sophie’s sister—is a nurse. She gave me a special capsule that helps me make blood faster.”
His eyebrows shot up and he frowned.
“She did, did she? What business is it of hers?”
“She…she wasn’t trying to be nosey,” Sarah said quickly. “She said Commander Sylvan helped develop them. Look…the point is I can give you blood. If…if you need it.”
“So you’re offering?” His eyes had gone half-lidded. “Despite the pain?”
Sarah nodded. “If…if you want some…need some, then I want to give you some.”
“Very well—give me your arm.” He reached for her right arm but Sarah drew back.
“Wait. Can you…could you…” Her mouth went dry and she couldn’t finish.
“Could I what? Tell me, Sarah—don’t be afraid. I won’t be angry at anything you ask,” he murmured.
“Could you, uh, take it from here?” She nodded down at her right nipple, which he had been sucking so deeply. “If…if you wanted to?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I can call a vein anywhere on your body. The question is, do you want me to bite you here?” One long finger stroked over her nipple, making Sarah moan.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I want that.”
His eyes went even hotter but his voice was very soft.
“It’s a very sensitive area. I can’t make it pleasurable for you unless you’re my—”
He stopped short and Sarah wondered what he had been about to say.
“I mean, I cannot give you pleasure as I bite you unless I am…touching you intimately.”
“How,” Sarah breathed. “Show me.”
One big, warm hand came up to cup her pussy through the silky, transparent trousers.
“Like this,” Sazar growled softly. “If I’m bringing you pleasure, you won’t feel pain when my fangs pierce you here.” He nodded at her breast. “If I’m not, the sensation may be…too intense for you to bear.”
“I want to try it,” Sarah said. She could hardly believe she was being so bold but she couldn’t help herself—she wanted the big Kindred—wanted to feel his mouth and hands on her again.
“As you wish,” he breathed and then his hand was slipping into her trousers to cup her bare pussy as he sucked her nipple back into his mouth.
Sarah moaned as two long, strong fingers found her pussy lips and parted them to stroke her aching clit. At the same time, she felt Sazar’s fangs again, much more sharply than before.
“Oh!” she gasped and threaded her fingers through his thick hair. “Oh God, Sazar, yes!”
His fingers were strumming lightly over her swollen bud, caressing and teasing her, pushing her to that peak again—the one he’d helped her finally reach last night.
Coming…he called it coming, she thought deliriously. I’m going to come again if he keeps this up.
She felt a sharp pain in her breast which turned immediately to pleasure. And then, suddenly, she was there—at the peak and flying over as Sazar drank deeply from her and stroked her quivering pussy as she moaned and writhed in his lap, unable to help herself…unable to stop herself…
“Hello? You two? Commander Sazar? Sarah?”
The voice at the door of their room and the light rapping of someone knocking on their door broke through Sarah’s euphoria as suddenly as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her head.
“Oh no!” she gasped, wriggling in Sazar’s lap. “Quick—what if she catches us?”
He let her breast slip from his mouth and licked his lips, still holding her tightly to him.
“What if she does?” he said thickly. “We’re supposed to be pair partners—a couple. Remember?”
“Well, yes.” Sarah shrugged uneasily. “But that doesn’t mean she has to see us, uh, doing what we’re doing.” She nodded down to where his hand was still cupping her pussy.
“Indeed.” He withdrew his fingers and, never taking his eyes from hers, sucked them clean of her juices. “Delicious.” His voice was still a low, lustful growl.
Sarah felt like a thousand butterflies had just taken off inside her stomach.
“Sazar,” she whispered. “I just…I think you should let me down off your lap.”
“No,” he murmured. “I haven’t finished placing your breast jewelry yet.
“But—”
Suddenly the door burst open.
“Are you two all right?” Chandra was standing there, wide-eyed and worried. “I heard strange noises and I didn’t know what to think,” she explained.
Sazar frowned. “I thought I locked the door. We are perfectly fine, as you can see. I was just helping Sarah apply her breast jewelry.”
“Oh, all right. Hurry up then.” The Alquon girl gestured impatiently. “We have lots to get to before you come back here to get ready for the Breeding Ball.”
“Lots to get to? What…what do you mean?” Sarah asked breathlessly. She couldn’t help the little gasp in her voice. She was still feeling the after-shocks of her orgasm and Sazar had matter-of-factly sucked her nipple back into his mouth, as though he was simply getting her ready to wear the golden bands. God, would she ever get used to letting her boss suck her nipples as though it was no big deal? Especially while someone else was watching?
Somehow she didn't think so.
“I mean we have engagements today we didn’t have yesterday. What happened at Fresh Catch last night was the talk of our social-net,” Chandra said. “How did you manage to attract all those catchems Sarah? Everyone is talking about it!”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Sarah protested as Sazar put the first golden band in place and it tightened around her nipple. “I…I just…” She had to bite her lip for a moment because he was sucking her other nipple, deep and hard and long. “I only petted one of them,” she told Chandra. “And…and then they all came running up to me. It was awful…” She shivered.
“Well some people are saying it’s that old prophesy. You know—
‘When the silver fingers…
Find the ivory mounds…
There you may be certain….
Pure blood abounds.’” Chandra sounded like she was quoting.
“What?” Sazar finished placing the second golden band, which tightened over Sarah’s left nipple. He frowned at Chandra. “What does that verse you quoted mean?”
“You know—what The Lord Magnate was telling you yesterday,” Chandra said impatiently. “About how the blood of our people was genetically altered—and how it’s his duty and the duty of every Lord Magnate that came before him to try and spread his seed and his own pure blood to change it back?”
“Yes, we remember that,” Sarah said, climbing somewhat awkwardly off Sazar’s lap. Now that the jewelry was in place, he seemed willing to let her go and she felt embarrassed to be straddling him so blatantly for no reason. “But what about the silver fingers and ivory mounds? What is that?” she asked.
“Our waiter last night told us that the catchems are often referred to as ‘silver fingers,’” Sazar rumbled, sounding thoughtful.
“Oh—okay. But where are the mounds? What does that mean?” Sarah asked.
“They’re there.” Chandra pointed at her chest.
“What?” Sarah looked down at herself and noticed that her nipples seemed extra red, possibly from all the sucking Sazar had been doing before he put on the jewelry. There was no sign of his fang marks, though—he must have healed her. “I still don’t get it,” she said.
“Ivory mounds,” Chandra said impatiently. “Look at yourself, my dear Sarah! Your breasts.”
“What? So that’s what the verse means?” Sarah could hardly believe it. “But that…that’s ridiculous.”
“No it’s not. Look.” Chandra pulled out one of the flat, black squares Sarah had seen several people pointing at her in the restaurant last night. She remembered wondering if they were the Alquon version of cell phones.
When Chandra tapped the square it started to glow and soon a picture of Sarah appeared with twelve or thirteen of the little silver catchems clustered together on the tops of her breasts.
“See? Silver fingers on ivory mounds.” Chandra tapped the square and another picture popped up—and then another and another.
“Oh, no!” Sarah moaned. “Are you telling me these pictures are all over Alquon Ultrea?”
“First thing I saw when I looked at my square this morning.” Chandra giggled. “Don’t worry—it’s a good thing! It raises your profile—you’re trending now! Lots of Alquons say they want a genetic trade with the Kindred. Of course, the final decision rests with The Lord Magnate. But you’ll be seeing him tonight at the Breeding Ball—hopefully you can convince him then.”
“Hopefully so,” Sazar said dryly. “But in the meantime, these pictures are demeaning and embarrassing to my partner.”
“Oh, she’ll be fine.” Chandra patted Sarah on the shoulder. “She’ll just have to deal with being a minor celebrity—that’s all.”
“But I don’t want to be a celebrity,” Sarah exclaimed. “I’m not that kind of person! I’d rather stay in the background, behind the scenes.”
“I’m afraid you can’t hide from fame, my dear,” Chandra told her. “But if it bothers you that much, I promise I’ll take you to the chample farm on the most indirect tuve I can find.”
“Chample farm? What’s that?” Sazar asked.
“Oh, it’s on the agenda Minister Obglod set up for you. He’s waiting for us there, you know—we need to hurry.” Chandra motioned for her. “Are you all ready to go?”
“Can we at least get some breakfast first?” Sarah asked desperately. “We didn’t get anything for dinner and we’re both starving.” At least she knew she was.
“Oh you poor thing!” Chandra exclaimed. “You mean that whole incident with the catchems happened before you could eat?”
“We didn’t get a single bite,” Sarah said and then her eyes were drawn involuntarily to Sazar’s fangs.
He saw where she was looking and a corner of his mouth twitched up in one of his rare smiles.
“Well, maybe one bite,” he murmured and Sarah felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush. She really wished Chandra hadn’t interrupted when the big Kindred was drinking from her. She’d had a feeling that maybe the intense pleasure she’d felt could be repeated over and over again as long as he was taking her blood and touching her at the same time. Even though he’d made her come really hard it had been only once—she still wanted more.
Don’t be greedy, Sarah, she scolded herself. And don’t wish for more than you can have.
She was still certain that a permanent relationship between them was impossible. They were only together here because he needed her to act as his wife and he needed her blood. Once they got back to the Mother Ship they would probably have a much more normal and boring boss and assistant relationship.
Sarah told herself she didn’t care, though. She intended to enjoy her special time with Sazar as long as she could.
“…at the chample farm,” Chandra was saying and she realized she’d missed the first part of the sentence.
“I’m sorry?” she said. “What did you say?”
“That you can eat at the chample farm—there will be samples from all the different varieties there and as the honored guests you’ll get to try them all.”
Alien produce samples wasn’t exactly what Sarah had had in mind for breakfast but it looked like that was the best they were going to get. With a sigh, she looked at Sazar, who shrugged.
“All right,” she told Chandra. “Let’s go to the chample farm.”