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She struggled but there was no way to gain leverage on his wrist. She thrashed, she kicked but he held her down.

  “Do you yield?”

  She fought to breathe but she kept fighting.

  “Do you yield?”

  Aster looked up at the black flickering shadows that had kicked her butt. She wheezed, “Yes.”

  His hand released her, and he pulled her to her feet. “Stand proud, Champion. Tonight, you will be heralded as a winner of the trials; in the morning, you will come with me.”

  “Why do I need to be in public?”

  “To prove that the winner of the trials stands strong without grave injury. Go and fight, win and return to me at dawn.”

  Aster cocked her head. “Where is Lady Abrieth?”

  “She is still on the surface, with her mate. They are safe and hidden.”

  “Why did she disappear from my senses?”

  He smiled. “Because she had to. You would not have left her otherwise.”

  That was true. “Wait, how did you know that?”

  “Her situation was the bait to get you here, now you are here and you were exactly what I thought you were. I keep an eye out for any information for another one similar to myself.”

  She looked at the roiling shadows. “I don’t see much similarity.”

  He chuckled. “I will see you at dawn, Aster Marquis of Terra. Do not make me come for you.”

  She had no interest in the parties, but somehow, it seemed a better place to be with the nebula sparking wildly overhead.

  Aster left the arena, limping slightly, heading toward the sounds of laughter and fighting. She looked up and felt the light of the nebula against her skin and smiled; it was the best part of Rekfa.

  A crowd of revellers saw her and they bowed, staggered and invited her in to join their fun. How they knew she had been the last one standing was not something she would learn that night.

  Drink flowed, and she was invited to wrestle with the nobles. She flipped and pinned one after the other. Each triumph was greeted with a glass of strong liqueur, but she wasn’t affected. She did the shot, got back in position and took on the next challenger.

  Quite a few of her challengers tried to cop a feel, so there were a few dislocations involved in the celebratory wrestling.

  Laughter punctuated the night, and it wasn’t until the laughter and conversation stilled that she realised the passage of time.

  “It is after dawn, isn’t it?”

  One of the women near her nodded with her gaze focused behind Aster’s head.

  Aster tried to feel his approach, but there was nothing. Negative space was central to the party filled with drunken revellers.

  “You are late, lady.”

  “I do not have a watch, sir.”

  He moved closer. Aster could tell because the folk near her backed away.

  “The sun is not a good method of telling time?”

  “I am indoors.”

  There was a sound like a sigh. “Will you come with me?”

  “That was the arrangement.”

  She didn’t hear anything, he swallowed her in shadows and his arms wrapped around her. She could see nothing, hear nothing.

  The arms around her held her around her ribs and waist. She remained in his grip for several minutes before the shadows thinned and she was standing on a polished stone floor, high in the hills, overlooking the city below.

  “So, you flew us up here?”

  “I did.”

  “May I know your name?”

  “Yodin.”

  Her knees buckled. “What?”

  “Did you think I was a myth, a legend?”

  She nodded, keeping her gaze on the city below. “Yes. I thought I was hallucinating your voice in my mind.”

  “And the others who came to the arena?”

  “Group hallucination triggered by the sparks in the nebular light?”

  His hands remained on her, warm and comfortingly solid for a myth or a legend.

  “Aster Marquis, will you hold to your agreement?”

  She nodded. “I said I would, so I will.”

  “Then you might want to face me.”

  “No, I don’t think so.” She shook her head. Her senses told her nothing, and it was extremely unnerving.

  He chuckled and turned her around. He was touching a lot of exposed skin, but she had the feeling that smacking him down might be impossible.

  She was staring at a chest wearing a velvety black fabric, silver embroidery across the neckline and in icons on his chest. She kept her gaze forward.

  He sighed. “Look at me.”

  She set her lips and kept her eyes forward.

  “Fine.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as they moved without moving into a closed chamber.

  She opened her mouth to speak again, but he knelt, lifted her veil and kissed her, swallowing her comments.

  His skin was rich bronze, and she couldn’t make his eyes out because her own were crossing. She settled for textures. His cheek was smooth leather, his hair cold satin and his lips were firm, warm and seemed to know what they were doing.

  He broke from her, and she opened her eyes to see him smiling at her. “I have waited a very long time for a woman like you.”

  “Like what? With an obsession for sit-ups and low body fat?”

  He stroked her abs in acknowledgement of her comment. “No, one who has died and lived again. There are very few of us around, you know.”

  He kissed her again, and she was left with more questions building in her mind, and he was obviously not inclined to answer her.

  When he parted from her for an instant, she gasped, “How long am I bound to you for the loss in the fight?”

  He grinned, “For eternity.”

  She didn’t think that was fair, but he kissed her and his hands removed her leather clothing with light flicks of his fingers. Her veil went fluttering to one side and the leather pinned it down.

  Aster gripped his shoulders, still not sure what was going on aside from the welcome seduction.

  Back home, everyone had considered her too delicate for sex. She had worked to build her muscle mass, but that had the effect of frightening off men who were intimidated by her physique. She couldn’t win.

  Yodin knew of her previous injuries and he didn’t care, her physique wasn’t doing his libido any harm either; he could see it all and he was still coming, so to speak.

  When he suckled at one breast, she blanked her mind completely. She was willing to give him one night for her own benefit as well as his.

  He switched to the other breast, and she gasped as she continued her rationalisation. It was only polite after all; she was a guest on his world.

  She clutched at his shoulders, and she moaned as the heat of his mouth engulfed her. She might not be able to sense him, but she could definitely feel him.

  His hands ran over her back, holding her against his mouth as he moved from her left breast to right and back again.

  She was only wearing her boots. All the other leather was in a small heap to her right.

  He moved his hand down her back and slid it between her buttocks, reaching forward until his middle finger touched her clit. It had to be an awkward position, but as he stroked her, she absorbed the heat from his hand and she felt his fingers grow slick from her body’s invitation.

  He moved his hand against her, and she rocked her hips.

  As suddenly as he had started, he stopped and rose to his feet. With smooth motions, he removed his belt, the tunic and his boots and trousers. If she had been self-conscious about her musculature, she needn’t have worried. He had her beat on every muscle group and quite a few that she was sure Terrans didn’t have.

  She removed her boots and curled her toes against the stone floor.

  Yodin came toward her, and his hot gold eyes burned into her own. His smile was slow, and she was equal parts thrilled and terrified.

  She looked around, took in the bed, the wardrobe, the window and the chairs and discarded all of them as exits or defence mechanisms. How bad could it be? It was just sex, right?

  Chapter Five

  Being pinned face down on the bed while he kissed and licked his way down her spine was a little surprising.

  She had wanted to get to the act itself, but he was in no hurry. Aster clenched her fingers into the furs beneath her, but she couldn’t gain enough leverage to flip over.

  When he parted her thighs with his knee, she held out hope that he would slide into her next, but instead, two fingers teased her opening with a touch far too delicate for such a large man.

  She felt herself getting wet again; she squirmed against him. He kissed each of her shoulders and slowly slid his fingers into her.

  Aster closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to the furs under her, rocking her hips in time to the motion of his hand.

  When he removed his fingers, she hissed in frustration, pushing upward and knocking Yodin back. He was on her in an instant, pressing her back to the bed as his cock prodded at her slick entrance.

  She shuddered and stilled as she waited. He eased into her, and she pushed back against him. He reached around and stroked her clit, thrusting inward on each stroke.

  Her cropped hair flew around her head as she rocked into each inward slide. It wasn’t until she felt him press against the back of her thighs that she felt him fully within.

  Yodin shuddered against her, and the hand not on her clit stroked down her back to cup her hip. He pulled her back and slammed into her, the pounding pressure was a hard, fast spiral from arousal to pleasure, and Aster arched in silence; her jaw clenched in a silence scream as she tried to grip him and hold him inside.

  It had gone from achingly slow seduction to firestorm so quickly, she held still and gasped for air while her body twitched and shuddered under his continuing onslaught.

  When he held himself inside her, his cock jerking and hips twitching, she sighed and waited.

  He collapsed on her, taking her down to the bedding and wrapping her in the furs.

  Yodin’s cock was still inside her, and to her surprise, he had not deflated in any appreciable manner. He stroked slowly within her, lapping waves of pleasure that teased her with every motion.

  His hands pulled her back against him, cupping her breasts as his hips moved slowly and without any impatience whatsoever.

  She felt him kiss her neck, nibbling and licking at her as if he enjoyed the taste of sweaty Terran.

  His body curled around hers in an arch that kept his hips aligned with hers while his mouth could reach her neck. She wanted to apologize for being short, but the pleasure that was moving through her in waves made her table conversation for later.

  She covered his hands on her breasts with her own, flexing her fingers against his until he increased the pressure of his grip. She moved her own hand between her thighs and circled her clit rapidly until she felt the waves of pleasure crash over her.

  Sweaty, shaking and jerking with each motion inside her, he still held her in his embrace and he was still moving endlessly inside her.

  Aster settled in for a very long morning.

  * * * *

  Yodin left his mate in an exhausted slumber. It was cruel of him to use her so on their first day, but he needed to keep her with him until evening when he was at his peak.

  He left his quarters and sealed the door, a shower and a robe were enough for him to greet his guests.

  The young Bo woman was incensed. “Where is she?”

  Yodin waved his hand and the guards released her. “She is safe. She had an exhausting evening and a tiring morning. She is resting.”

  The Presku man at her side held his bride back.

  “My mate is concerned, Lord Yodin. She was taken from her companion and brought to me without any proper arrangement. Do not get me wrong, we are grateful for the linkage, but Abrieth is attached to her companion. She wishes to confirm that she is well.”

  Yodin couldn’t stop his satisfied smirk. “She is very well. You two have concealment until the months of confirmation are concluded. In exchange for that, I called your companion to battle and I won. She is mine.”

  Abrieth narrowed her eyes. “She knew that she was at stake going into the fight?”

  “She did. Her bet was for a com line to the Alliance and a place to stay.”

  “Is she going to get those things?”

  “No. She lost.” He took a seat on the dais in his meeting room.

  “Oh, I think I can still manage to make a call if I need to.” Aster was standing in the doorway to the stairway that led to his bedroom.

  She was wearing nothing but his shirt from the evening before and her hair was wet. There was a challenging gleam in her eyes and a lot more aggression as well.

  * * * *

  Aster looked over at him, and he cocked his head with amused resignation.

  “How did you get out?”

  She snorted and walked slowly into the room. “The door opened when I kicked it. Abrieth. How good to see you. I was worried.”

  Abrieth came to her and hugged her carefully. “I am so sorry that I disappeared.”

  Aster smiled and returned the hug. “It is fine. Yodin explained. I mean, he let me think you were gone, but as soon as he was distracted, I could feel you nearby once again.”

  “Which is how you come to be here now.”

  “No, I figured if he was sneaking out, there must be something I needed to see.” She grinned. “So, you two are hiding here until he comes of age to inherit?”

  Lerodan nodded, “Or until I know for certain if I am pregnant.”

  Aster looked at him, and she focused on him. He was starting some kind of life form in his lower abdomen. She wasn’t sure if she should mention it.

  Yodin waved his hand. “Go ahead and tell them. There is no reason to wait.”

  She looked to Abrieth. “Well, you are going to be a parent. So is he. There is a second set of life signs in his body. I don’t know if it is just cellular reproduction, but he is growing something in there.”

  Yodin chuckled. “Not gracefully said, but she is correct. As Presku males before you, you are now in the family way, Lerodan.”

  Abrieth let Aster go so quickly that she staggered on her recovering limbs. Her thighs ached but she kept herself standing.

  The happy couple clung to each other and cooed to the seed of life sprouting inside Lerodan.

  She looked to Yodin, and he beckoned her to approach. She was a few steps away from him when a raven flew through the window and transformed into Arez. “Yodin, be alert, Rekfa is on the way. He is a little upset.”

  Yodin sighed and sat upright, leaning forward and taking Aster’s hand, pulling her to stand next to him.

  “Stay here, Aster, the Avatar can be a little unpredictable.”

  Arez got Abrieth and Lerodan, shooing them out of the chamber and hopefully to somewhere where they could be private.

  “What is going on, Yodin?” Aster took a step back.

  A wave of power ran through the room as a being appeared in front of them. “Yes, Yodin, what is going on?”

  Yodin inclined his head formally. “Avatar, welcome to my home.”

  The lean and elegant young man tapped his staff on the stone. “This is my home; this whole world is my home.”

  Remembering her protocol lessons, Aster bowed. “Avatar.”

  The young man’s features softened. “Aster Marquis. You have become tangled with a very peculiar being.”

  Yodin smiled. “She suffers from the same peculiarity, Rekfa.”

  That made the young man pause. “You...how could you know?”

  “It is in her file. I have been seeking one of my kind for quite a while, as you know. The signs were in her blood work, and she has already woken from a sleep—an injury—that should have killed her, yet she is stronger, faster and her mind is expanding at an alarming rate. These are signs of my kind.”

  The young man moved faster than she could track, and he cupped her jaw, staring into her eyes. She felt the weight of a tremendous power on her mind and hers fought back.

  His black eyes widened and his lips quirked. “She is one of yours, but she is not yours. No slaves will be held on my surface.”

  He kept his face aimed at her, and she could make out the fine shimmering surface of his skin, the sharp nose and the arched dark spans of eyebrows that matched his silky black hair. When he parted his lips to speak, she saw the sharp fangs of his teeth, and she ran his description through her mind, seeking his species. It was very familiar.

  Vimpyr. It came to her in a rush, but as one of that pale and UV-sensitive species, he should not be able to stand in the beam of daylight.

  “How are you here?”

  He smiled. “My host is Jurad; he could not survive here, but he offered himself to me in exchange for his survival. He was the last enslaved being on Rekfa. Yodin has no rights to you. You are free to leave or resume your work.”

  Aster felt Yodin’s hand tighten.

  “Can you help me find another place to work? If Abrieth is no longer under threat, I will need somewhere else to go, something else to do.”

  “Would you not return to your people?”

  She shook her head. “There is nothing for me there. My accident drew an end to myself and my family. They have mourned me, and to them, I am dead and gone.”

  Rekfa cocked his head. “Would you remain here and become one of my people?”

  She smiled. “Would I be tied to you?”

  He chuckled. “No, I would offer you a chance to continue your education, to learn what this second life has offered to you. I sense a tremendous capacity for compassion within you. You can become a positive influence on those around you.”

  Yodin snorted. “Are you calling me negative?”

  Rekfa turned to glare at him. “You know what you are. God of war, death and sex. That last is your only redeeming feature, the one sprig of hope.”

  Aster blinked. “God?”

  Yodin shrugged. “Live long enough and you will be a goddess. It is inevitable.”

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