Chapter Seven
Zhynn
Nicely done, Brother. I admit, I felt sorry for the little thing. Those soft eyes, pleading for someone to rescue her.
They were all heading down another of the endless stone passageways winding through the citadel, accompanied by two of Axum’s guards, their progress hampered by the Orythian. She could take only small steps, encumbered as she was by the weight she balanced on two surprisingly tiny feet. Maybe little wasn’t quite the right description, he added, stifling a sigh at the rate of their progress.
Hopefully, we’ll have deflected any suspicion on Axum’s part that we’re only here because of the Earther, Zandyr replied. But we’ll have to find some way to send this one away without hurting her feelings. Maybe all this exercise will exhaust her, and she’ll be ready for a nap by the time we get to our quarters. I’m getting tired of walking myself. How big is this damn palace?
Zhynn shot him a grin. I’m sure you’ll find yourself with plenty of energy once we’re alone with our human.
He nearly stopped dead in his tracks when he realized what he’d said. Our human. How was it possible that he could think of her this way when they hadn’t exchanged a single word? When he hadn’t even seen her face? It took every ounce of his self-control right now to casually head down the endless corridor, when all he wanted to do was back her against the stone wall, rip off those veils, and sink his cock into her.
Rhynn warned us. He said her essence could enthrall us, Zandyr reminded him.
Lucky for you, I’m a Tharan warrior, he shot back. Mighty enough to take on any alien foe.
Mighty enough to resist the scent of a sweet human pussy?
He shot his twin a wry grin. By the Sacred Ones, I pray I won’t have to.
Their guards led them to their suite, bowed, and silently disappeared around a bend in the corridor.
How convenient. I’d lay odds they’ll lurk there all night, just beyond our sight but near enough to keep an eye on us.
I’m sure you’re right, Brother, Zandyr replied. It’s what we’d do.
Zandyr
They ushered the two females into the spacious suite. Lord Axum had provided them with two sleeping rooms, one on either side of a large sitting area complete with a balcony that overlooked one of the many walled gardens in the citadel. Each room had an adjoining bathing and dressing area as plush as anything he’d encountered in all his travels to other worlds. To outsiders, Borvaan was a desert planet, virtually devoid of life. But, somehow, its rulers had created a paradise in the midst of desolation.
Zandyr led the Orythian to one of the sleeping rooms. He gave her a warm smile. “My name in Zandyr. I come from a world called Tharon. May I know your name?”
“I am Neema.” She batted her eyelashes at him seductively.
“Greetings, Neema. Blessings and peace to you and to all sentient beings,” he replied, extending both hands, palms up, at a level just above his waist. “You must be exhausted after the ordeal your master subjected you to. We have plenty of time to get to know each other. Please, make yourself comfortable here. Rest and relax. I would imagine you haven’t had much time to yourself since you arrived on Borvaan.”
She nodded shyly. “Thank you, my lord.”
It was clear she’d been mistreated in the past and expected the same from them. He felt a pang of guilt at the gratitude in her eyes. He didn’t have the heart to tell her they weren’t interested in her as a sexual partner.
“Please, call me Zandyr. There are no slaves in my world, Neema,” he explained. “My people believe in the inherent right to freedom of all sentient beings and treat each one with dignity and respect. While you are with us, you are our guest.”
She bowed her head. “You have a kind soul, my…” She stopped herself. “Zandyr.”
He bowed as well, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Zhynn had sprawled out on the widest part of a plush L-shaped seating platform. The human perched on the edge of the shorter side, eyeing him warily.
“Our host was lacking in basic interplanetary manners,” his twin was saying. “Allow me to make the introductions he ignored. I am Zhynn, from the planet Tharon. This is my younger brother, Zandyr.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially, as though Zandyr wasn’t standing right before them. “You’ll have to bear with him. As firstborn, I was blessed with all the intelligence – as well as the good looks.”
He saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. Zhynn had the gift of bringing in a touch of humor to make others feel at ease. They may have been identical twins, but each of them possessed his own unique set of skills.
“May we know your name?” his brother inquired.
She lifted her chin. “I am Officer Delta Greystone, first mate of the Earther ship Luna.”
She said it with pride. The same way he felt when he introduced himself as a Tharan warrior. The skills they learned, the weapons they used may have been different, but military training was the same all over the Universe. The simple phrase spoke volumes about the sacrifice and dedication it had taken to earn her title.
They’d already decided not to reveal they’d come to Borvaan to rescue her until they’d had a chance to assess her mental and emotional state. She’d been taken hostage by an enemy force, her ship hijacked. Spent months as a captive before being sold to the slave trader Garez. And she’d just been given to two strangers to be used for their pleasure, in any way they chose. As far as she knew, he and Zhynn were aliens here to heap more abuse on her. They had to be assured she wouldn’t scream for Axum’s guards if they told her they were here to take her away.
He’d rescued captives once before. Seen powerful Tharan warriors with their spirits broken, their eyes blank. Their minds in so dark a place that even after their bodies were liberated, it took months for their souls to recover. Some of them refused to leave and had to be dragged to freedom, so broken they couldn’t trust even their brother warriors.
“The Luna. What type of craft is that? Zhynn and I have served in the military as well, haven’t we, Brother?”
His twin picked up the cue. “We were assigned to a Level Three Tharan vessel for a while.” Zhynn gave her a disarming smile. “Frankly, our ship was like one of those lumbering creatures we arrived here on – a big old beast built for the long haul, rather than a sleek craft that could whiz around the galaxy. Dependable but short on glamor.”
Delta began describing her ship, her speech slow and guarded. Though he was familiar with the Luna and had even been on it when they received their orientation for this mission, Zhynn pretended he’d never heard of a Class IV Nebula Cruiser, asking technical questions about its performance and construction. The more she spoke of something familiar, the more animated Delta became. Zhynn even coaxed a laugh from her.
With his brother handling the conversation, Zandyr had time to study the human. She was smaller in stature than a Tharan female. Her head barely came to their shoulders. But her body was lush and curvy, and her two plump white breasts were tipped with those delicious-looking nipples. As she became more comfortable, she’d settled back against the arm of the sofa with her legs tucked up on the cushions. A pair of flimsy sandals held on with leather strips crisscrossed and tied at her ankles covered her feet. The graceful curves of her legs were clearly visible through the gauzy veil covering her lower body – as was the dark patch between her upper thighs that kept drawing his eye.
He’d been able to keep his lust in check while they were with the guards and the Orythian, but now that they were alone and he could reach out and touch her luscious body all he wanted, his cock swelled, demanding action. She paused abruptly. Her eyes flicked toward his crotch. He watched, fascinated, as her nipples hardened into tight dark buds.
Did you see that? he telegraphed to his twin. Rhynn told us if Tharan males encounter a compatible human female, her body will find their gyron as seductive as they find her vital essence. I saw her nipples pucker like that the first time she laid eyes on us.
Business first, Brother, Zhynn sent back. We aren’t here just to mate with her, no matter how hard she gets our cocks. We need information about what Axum is up to.
“Tell me, First Officer Delta Greystone…” he began.
“Please, call me Delta,” she interrupted.
Zandyr smiled at her. “Very well, Delta.” He leaned in. “As one military officer to another, may I take you into our confidence? Our Tharan Council sent us here as more than a simple diplomatic overture. Our leaders have become concerned about the scope of Axum’s activities. They’ve noticed he’s concentrating on bringing in additions to his harem from worlds far removed from those he’s chosen in the past. It’s possible he’s planning to expand his empire, by force if necessary. Did he or any of his people subject you to interrogation about your world?”
Delta started to shake her head then stopped. Her eyes widened. “Sylla. That crafty old biddy. She’s the harem mistress, once a favorite of Axum’s, now relegated to riding herd on his thousand-plus sex slaves. She puts the new arrivals together, encourages us to get to know each other. To make friends.
“We’re all in shock when we arrive,” she went on. “Taken from our homes and our families, treated like animals, then dragged to this hostile world. When we’re brought to the harem, we’re surrounded by comforts we haven’t had in months. Some of the females were already enslaved on their home planets, so they’ve never been treated so well. When we’re put with other females in similar circumstances, it’s natural that we become close. Share confidences with each other.
“One day shortly, after I arrived, Sylla brought in a female from an alien world I’d never heard of. She seemed more fragile than the rest of us, so I took her under my wing. She wouldn’t stop crying at first, but eventually I got her to calm down. I told her funny stories about my world and my travels through the galaxy. I encouraged the other females to talk to her, too, help put her at ease.”
Her eyes flashed with anger. “I’ve been a fool! I’m a trained military officer, but I didn’t recognize enhanced interrogation procedures when they were used on me. She was obviously a plant. Collecting information about our worlds, our governing bodies, even our defense systems under the guise of getting to know us. Information I’d never have revealed to Axum’s soldiers under torture, I shared willingly with someone I regarded as a fellow captive. She sucked all of us in. We told her everything she wanted to know, whether it was in the form of amusing stories, fond memories – or bitter complaints.”
Delta shook her head. “She was good. She’d tell us things about her world then get us to share without even having to ask questions. Complaining about her ruler and how he’d never even tried to rescue her after she was captured. She said he turned a blind eye to the slave traders and never sent even a single vessel after them from his fleet of warships. That’s when the others chimed in with descriptions of their military.”
Delta
The one called Zandyr glanced at his brother, as though exchanging a silent message. He moved from where he’d been standing to take a seat at the other end of the L-shaped platform, placing her between their powerful bodies. Her pulse raced, and she glanced from one to the other, suddenly wary. Though they seemed friendly, she didn’t know anything about these aliens. Had she fallen into another trap? Were they spies, sent by Axum to pump even more information from her?
“I’ve spent far too much time talking about myself,” she said brightly. “Please, my lords, tell me about yourselves. What was it like growing up with a twin? On my world, I’ve heard that twins share a special bond. They have the same interests, the same likes and dislikes. Some of them even tricked their parents and teachers when they were children. Pretending to be the other.” She ended with a little laugh.
“It’s too late to pretend you’re just a simple-minded female,” Zhynn replied. “You’ve already shown your hand. Right now, you’re trying to buy time while you assess your current situation. Wondering if you’ve been set up again. Are we truly cultural envoys from a distant world? Or are we working under cover for Axum?”
“You don’t need to worry,” Zandyr chimed in. “We told you the truth about that. We are here to find out what the ruler of Borvaan is up to.”
In the short time they’d spent together, she’d grown comfortable with the twins. Comfortable enough to have let her guard down earlier, comfortable enough to believe him now. Yet she sensed something more, an undercurrent between the brothers. A dark intensity growing with each passing minute. A current flowing between them, with her caught in the middle. Threatening to sweep her away.
She hit them head-on. “But that’s not all, is it? You want something more. I can feel it.”
“Yes, we do.” Zhynn replied. “I’ll be honest with you. All Tharan males are born twins. We do share a special bond like the one you mentioned, but one far more powerful than that which exists between twins on other worlds we’ve encountered. We share one thing more. Our essence. Our gyron. It’s a unique mixture of chemicals and sexual pheromones.”
His voice dropped, took on a deep tone that sent a thrilling shiver down her spine. “Gyron drives our most primal urges. The urge to conquer.”
His eyes bored into hers, hot and hungry, and the shiver moved into her belly. Made her pussy clench. “The urge to claim.”