Shattered Stars Page 5

  “Well, I scored high as did three other humans, and we were taken away and sent to a prepping facility. After you were put up at the bond auction, it was our turn.”

  “How many years do you have to do?”

  Hannah sighed. “As far as I can tell, life.”

  Lisa paused. “What?”

  “There is no way I can pay off the bond.”

  “What about your time off?”

  “He has to be asleep or out on business. If he is awake, I am on duty.”

  “Oh. Wow. Why are you bruised?”

  Hannah cleared her throat. “It is part of the job.”

  The brusque massage changed to something a little more soothing.

  When Lisa had loosened all of Hannah’s muscles, she returned with a cream that she rubbed into the sore spots where Hannah had hit the mat.

  “This cream is amazing. When they told me to apply it to your bruising, I wasn’t sure, but it is definitely working.”

  “What is it doing?”

  “Reducing the swelling and colouring. It breaks up the blood pooling in the skin and flushes it away.”

  The rest of the treatment was completed in five minutes, and then, Lisa pulled away. “You are done. Would you care to remain there or would you like help to go to the shower?”

  “I can manage it. This is light discomfort.” She sat up and wrapped the drying cloth around her. “Thank you, Lisa.”

  “Have a good day, miss.”

  Hannah headed in for a shower to remove the oil from her skin, and when she emerged, all traces of Lisa were gone.

  A new dress was laid at the edge of the bed.

  Hannah slipped the dress on over her head, and then, she went in search of a reading screen so she could enjoy herself.

  She settled on the couch and smoothed the skirt so that she could tuck her feet in and get comfy.

  By the time Mero came through the door, she was learning about the education centre and how it operated. There was no true wrongdoing, but they were scavengers. They listened to industrial societies, and when they went silent, they swooped in and assessed the world, taking off members of the population and educating them to be servants.

  She paused at the point in the file where it described the pains taken to remove all indigenous bacteria from the skin as well as alter the biology of the students.

  She glanced up as a shadow fell across her screen.

  “Hello, Mero.”

  “Hello, Hannah. Come with me; it is time for lunch.”

  She set the screen down and got to her feet, stepping in beside him. They returned to the dining hall, and when they were sitting across from each other, she came to a realization that she hadn’t made before. He didn’t eat.

  She picked at her food, and she felt her brow furrow.

  “What is your question, Hannah?”

  She looked at him, and his hands were folded neatly with his chin resting on them. His elbows were braced against the table.

  “You don’t eat.”

  He smiled. “I can. I usually don’t.”

  “Because you get your sustenance elsewhere.”

  He shrugged his agreement.

  “So, why are we here?”

  Mero looked around at the crew that filled the hall. “Social interaction. You require it.”

  She smirked. “I am really fine without it for the most part. If I can just get a stack of rations, I could remain in your quarters and you wouldn’t have to take time out of your day.”

  “I do not mind.” He smiled slightly.

  “So, why did we go to dinner last night?”

  “So that you could meet others of similar social standing to you and interact.” His grin widened. “I had to check on your social behaviours. You did very well with the exception of stealing Ryno’s dessert.”

  She blushed. She hadn’t realized he was watching that closely. “Ryno doesn’t like it, so he readily agreed to swap it out when I offered.”

  “You were very stealthy. But it will not be acceptable for you to do that kind of thing when other Hmrain and their bondservants come visiting.”

  “I understand. So, just to recap, you can digest foods.”

  “I can, and when I am home, I do. The food on ships never tastes right.”

  She nodded. It made a certain sense when his sustenance came from the living beings around him. Being in a free and open space would help him relax. Also, the wings might have something to do with it.

  If he weren’t flying, he wouldn’t burn a lot of calories on a ship.

  She finished her meal, and a crewman came by to retrieve it, not looking her in the eye.

  “Is there a reason that none of the men we have seen will make eye contact with me?”

  “Grem-sah may have clarified your status or possibly told his crew that I will dismember any man who touches you.”

  “What about my instructor?”

  “He has been given a dispensation to look at you and touch you. How did you enjoy your lesson?”

  Hannah told him about the techniques she was learning and how many times she had hit the mat.

  “Were you injured?”

  “Nothing major. Lisa took care of the bruising.”

  “She did a satisfactory job?”

  “Yes.”

  “She was respectful?”

  Hannah twisted her lips. “She was curious. I didn’t tell her that I was in combat training in the morning. She assumed you had made the bruises, and I didn’t dissuade her.”

  He blinked and laughed. “Is that what your species requires? Sex by force?”

  “It is what is socially demanded if a permanent mating or courtship is not taking place. There has to be some element of force involved. Sex for the sake of pleasure in a female is not welcomed as normal.”

  He nodded. “It does explain much. As you may have noted, the crew does not have a problem with your status.”

  “I am aware of that. My instructor was matter of fact about it. That was nice.” She smiled slightly. “How much longer will we be on the ship?”

  “Four days. I will arrange another instructor for you when we walk on my world.” He smiled.

  “That would be nice. I am guessing that is when the blade work will begin?”

  “Correct. Finish your tea. You will be with me in the office for the rest of the day.”

  She nodded. “What are you doing in there?”

  “Arranging the distribution of the minerals and crops of my home as well as the surrounding territories. No one goes hungry in a Hmrain protectorate.”

  “Oh. That is a good thing.”

  He chuckled. “I believe so. The representatives that will visit us are from the nations and colonies that are under my wing.”

  “Are they all indigenous populations?”

  “Where possible, yes. But when it isn’t, we go to the bond auction and bolster the population.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Do the bondservants breed with the locals?”

  “We choose them for compatibility to the largest section of the population to increase the odds of the inter-breeding occurring.”

  Suddenly, Hannah was very glad to be in a position where she was not expected to get knocked up and have an infant with an unknown species. Even if it wasn’t expected, it was the desired result, and Mero was very good at getting what he wanted.

  Two hours later, when she was astride him, fully clothed with his hands holding her hips while his cock gyrated inside her, she concluded that he was better than good at getting what he wanted.

  Chapter Seven

  Kiiba was a beautiful world, and watching it from Mero’s luxurious shuttle, Hannah had an excellent view of the purple and green that made up the landscape. The oceans were a rich plum, and she wondered what atmospheric gases were altering the spectrum down below.

  Sitting next to Mero, she could feel his excitement. He was glad to be home again, but there was an undertone to it that was a little familiar. He wanted sex.
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  Since he was content to hold back on his demands, she was able to watch the world get bigger and bigger before they finally entered the atmosphere.

  She was excited to walk on soil again. She hadn’t felt grass under her feet since the impact.

  “You are looking forward to your new home?”

  She turned and smiled at him. “I am excited to see a living world again. This means a lot.”

  She wanted to tell him that seeing a living world was going to heal part of her soul, but Hannah figured that he already knew that.

  She wanted to hold his hand as the excitement of nearly being in breathable, natural air overwhelmed her.

  She could see cities, wide agrarian spaces, and finally, the shuttle approached the landing site.

  There wasn’t a spaceport, which was a bit of a shock. “Just a landing site?”

  “No one lands on Kiiba without my permission.”

  “Or else?”

  “Or, I will hunt them down and destroy their entire ship. It has happened before. Most folk out here know not to interfere with Hmrain planets.”

  “How can a person own an entire planet?”

  Mero chuckled. “They pay for it when it is nothing but dust and howling winds and build it up. Kiiba is the work of years of effort, and I will defend what I have built.”

  The shuttle settled down, and her heart started racing. Mero got to his feet and waited for her to stand. When she was tucked under his wing, he shepherded her out of the shuttle through the wide hatch built to his specifications.

  Hannah stepped forward into the sunlight, and she held her hand out as the rays caressed her face. She was about to step further from Mero when he wrapped his hands around her and propelled them upward with enough force to smack her head against his collarbone. She saw stars for a moment, and then, the rush of air around her boosted her exhilaration.

  Laughter spilled out of her at the sight of a living and flourishing world. Since the impact, she had never thought that she would see another open sky or taste incoming rain in the air.

  All the possibilities in life had died with her atmosphere, and now, a distance away that she couldn’t even calculate, she was finding marks of a future again.

  The world was so wondrous that she neglected to focus on the one thing that wasn’t possible. Mero was flying, and he was holding her.

  The rush of air was pulling at her skirt, and icy fingers worked their way up her inner thighs. The downside of no underwear meant she was vulnerable to the breezes, and here, it was gale force.

  They flew over the farms, over rivers and up the hillside to a town with a huge compound and a palace with a high tower.

  Instead of heading to the tower, he landed in the courtyard with a heavy back beat of his wings. He straightened and set Hannah on her feet.

  There had to be forty or more servants standing to greet them, and eight different species were represented.

  Instead of the smocks used by the education station, the bondservants were all attired in comfortable clothing in blue and silver. Tunics and trousers for both males and females, with adaptations for any spikes, scales or horns that needed more room.

  He inclined his head, and a woman glided forward, her grey marble skin gleaming in the light.

  “Welcome home, Lord Mero. All is ready.”

  “Dk’ket, this is Hannah.”

  The woman inclined her head. “Welcome, Lady Hannah.”

  “Thank you, Dk’ket.” To pronounce the name, Hannah had to swallow, but the woman smiled at her effort.

  “It will get easier with practice, lady. My lord, would you like me to show your companion to her chamber?”

  “She will be in my chambers, Dk’ket. She will need a full wardrobe from casual to formal as well as anything she chooses for her own comfort. No trousers and only a few bodysuits.”

  Hannah grimaced.

  Dk’ket smiled slightly. “Refreshments have been prepared and can be served out back if you wish, my lord.”

  Hannah looked at him with what she hoped was a hopeful expression.

  He smiled. “Yes, that sounds nice. Are the gardens in bloom?”

  “Many of the flowers are, and the hedges are alive with colour and scent.” The butler smiled.

  “Have the refreshments brought to us.”

  He walked her through the hall, past a sitting room, formal dining room and a ballroom that looked like it could hold a thousand people. Walking was never the time to quiz him, or it wasn’t when he was walking at this speed. He would slow down if he wanted to talk.

  The urge to explore could wait. It wasn’t like she was going to go anywhere.

  Walking out back, the air left her lungs in a rush. The servants, who must have rushed ahead of them via some side passage, pulled the large double doors open. The servants were Lorkeval, the same as Dk’ket. They were solid stone in appearance and very fast.

  Once outside, she fought the urge to spin with her arms wide open.

  “You have a few minutes to explore. Go ahead.”

  Hannah looked up at him, and he nodded. She took a step and paused. “Will any of the plants hurt me?”

  He chuckled. “No. They are all fairly benign.”

  “Can I pick anything?”

  “Whatever you like. Now go on, Dk’ket will be here soon.”

  Hannah nodded, and she lifted the hem of her skirt so she could sprint off to see the flowers.

  The purple undertone was in everything. She touched the flowers with her hand and smiled as some of them closed. She wished her sisters were here to see this. They needed to know that not all worlds had died when Earth did.

  She plucked a blossom with a familiar scent and tucked it behind her ear. A quick glance around told her she was alone, so she held her arms out and gave in to the urge to twirl. A few dance steps and skips later and she was ready to button down and return to Mero’s side.

  “Don’t stop dancing now. You are really very graceful.”

  She looked up, and Mero was on one of the stone pillars scattered around the gardens. He had been watching.

  “I always considered organized dance more of a punishment.” As she spoke, she stepped and spun, bringing her arms out and twisting her hands as she moved.

  He leaped soundlessly off the pillar and landed next to her. “That is good to know. I was going to use muschka veg as a punishment.”

  She made a face and kept slowly moving to the music in her head.

  “So, now I have a punishment and will have to think of a reward.”

  She chuckled.

  “No, sex is your job. Your reward... what would you like more than anything?”

  “What you can’t give me.”

  “Tell me.”

  She lowered her arms and looked at him. “I want my sisters.”

  “Aren’t they with your parent?”

  “They are in a closed-in space with men and women vying for a higher place in the pecking order. I want them to see the sky again, even if it isn’t their own. I want them free, even if it isn’t possible to have them with me.”

  His brow furrowed, and for the first time, she saw him unsure.

  “I do not know if this is possible.”

  She smiled and touched his arm. “It is all right. You just asked what I wanted more than anything. I want them free and whole with enough to eat and a good education. That is my ultimate wish. For something more attainable, I would like to design some of my own clothing. These dresses are pretty, but I would like a little more freedom of movement.”

  He exhaled in relief. “That is easy enough.”

  She chuckled and walked forward until her breasts touched his chest. “That is my middle name.”

  “What is?”

  “Easy.”

  He smiled and lifted his fingers to the bloom she had put behind her ear. “You are not easy, but you are honourable and dutiful. I appreciate your adhesion to your bond.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “You are making me soun
d like medical tape. Boring medical tape.”

  He stroked her hair. “Well, now that the fear is gone, I can see the feral being you used to be. I think Kiiba will be good for you.”

  Hannah grinned. “It already is. One year indoors with the very air thick with ash and smoke, barely breathable... If I had attacked everyone who irritated or insulted me, I would have been kicked out of the settlement. I had to learn to contain everything that I was in order to live. If the signal hadn’t come through when it did, I was going to do some very bad things and run out into the world without water or rations.”

  He stiffened. “You would have ended your life?”

  “I would have pursued the only freedom available. There is a difference.”

  He gripped her by the arms and lifted her off her feet. For the first time since she had met him, he kissed her.

  The feel of his lips on hers was oddly intimate considering all that had come before. She couldn’t wrap her arms around his neck, so she hooked her heels behind his thighs. To her amusement, he kept most of his tongue to himself.

  The amusement faded as heat sparked between them. She moaned and stroked his tongue with her own.

  She felt him walking and admired his sense of balance. The wings must help with it.

  He sat and helped her settle across his lap. He slid a hand into her hair and kept her mouth pressed to his while he reached between them, freed himself and moved her to straddle him.

  Knowing what came next, she shifted until he was nudging against her. His hand on her buttocks urged her down, and she slid onto him with delicious slowness.

  Through the roaring in her ears as he started to move inside her, she heard the clink of dishware. It was soft, but she didn’t really care if they were seen or not.

  He broke their kiss and pressed his lips to her neck. She felt the scrape of his teeth against her skin, and she shuddered at the burn that seemed to enter her bloodstream from those few inches of skin. As his cock rubbed at her inner walls, she gasped and moaned. When he moved his head to the other side of her neck, she whimpered.

  Her tension built, and she let out a low, rattling cry when her climax struck. Her pussy clenched around him tight, and he continued the slow, methodical twist inside her. Her body jerked rhythmically until she was completely spent.