Shattered Stars Read online

  Mero lazily licked her neck and moved her dress off her shoulder until her left breast was exposed. She ran her hands through his hair, the cool metal of the bands pressed against her inner wrists. His mouth on her breast, drawing at her nipple, sucking it between his deadly teeth, had her letting out a deep, slow sigh. Tension built inside her, but it was slower, more deliberate.

  When he gripped the other side of her dress, the fabric tore. Hannah leaned back and offered her newly exposed skin to him. He didn’t hesitate.

  She moaned and rocked against him as sweat beaded on her skin and ran down her spine. His hand on her hip tried to minimize her movements, but the sucking at her breast took her over.

  Lightning shards of sensation ran from her nipples to her clit, and Mero’s ferocity took over. The first bite made her cry out, and when he swirled the tongue over the bite, she started to shake.

  The second bite was accompanied by a growl deep in his throat, and she gritted her teeth at the sharp pain. He licked the wound closed, but it was too late, her shaking turned into a climax spurred by the penetration of his teeth and the churning of his cock.

  Hannah breathed in and out with deliberate focus. Mero tucked her head against his shoulder and murmured soothing words to her in the liquid language of the Hmrain.

  He moved her carefully, tucked himself back into his trousers and shifted her until she was sitting across his lap, leaning against his chest.

  He pressed a glass to her lips, and she sipped at the sweet, cold juice.

  She paused and drank again. This was going to take some serious hydration.

  When her hands had stopped shaking, she took possession of her glass and drained it.

  She finally managed to whisper. “That was intense.”

  “It is why I tried not to engage in hand or mouth contact. I feel or taste your skin and I go a little mad.”

  She chuckled. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  He smoothed a hand down her back. “If you are going to remain as enticing as you are today, a new wardrobe is definitely in order.”

  She laughed as the mood went from sex to the mundane side effects of tearing her dress nearly in half.

  When she turned to fill her glass, Dk’ket was there to pour for her. How long she had been there, Hannah didn’t know, but there was no look of surprise on her face, only polite control and a tiny bit of pity.

  If Hannah was honest, that last expression was a bit of a buzz kill.

  Chapter Eight

  His quarters were five times as large as his space on the Shattered Star.

  Hannah walked in the shadow of his wing and looked around. The huge balcony gave her the idea that Mero’s preferred recreation was flying. The height of the tower they were in would give him plenty of gliding time.

  His wings were flexing with eagerness.

  “Hannah, I need to fly. The desk has a data screen, and you can explore the palace at will. This is your home now.”

  She nodded. “Yes, Mero.”

  He left her and walked to the balcony, balancing on the railing with two feet and one hand, in a gargoyle-like crouch, before he glanced back at her and launched himself into the winds of his home.

  Hannah looked around and found a wardrobe with clothing that would fit her.

  A simple dress dropped over her head, and she twisted as the slim black number swirled lightly around her.

  A trip to the bathroom cleaned her up and gave her a look at an Olympic-sized bathtub. She smiled at the thought of a hot bath and headed down the spiralling stairs to check out her new home.

  The light scents of food drifted through the halls, so she followed her nose to the kitchen. The servants gathered were giggling.

  The mean-girl amusement was something that Hannah had seen before. She heard whispered phrases. “Out in the open.” “Poor Dk’ket had to serve them while she was on him.” “What makes her so special?”

  When Hannah heard that last one, she had had enough. “Hello.”

  The women and men scattered like she had struck them with a bowling ball.

  “Lady, I am sorry that you heard that.” A woman with lavender skin and three eyes lined up on her forehead came up and inclined her head.

  “As am I. Please make it clear that my bond was purchased just as theirs was, but I have less of a chance of buying my way free. Your name?”

  “Loala, lady.”

  “Well, Loala, I initially came here to introduce myself, but you already know who I am. So, is there anywhere without anyone who wants to mock my forced occupation?”

  It was passive aggressive, but she had to say it.

  Loala shivered. “I am very sorry, lady. There is the companion’s gallery. The portraits of Mero’s companions are there.”

  “Can someone show me, please?”

  Loala looked to one of the young women who had been pitying Dk’ket for witnessing the coupling.

  “This is Jiita. Jiita, show Lady Hannah to the portrait gallery and remain with her as long as she wishes you to.”

  The young woman had the yellow stripes on black skin that marked her as a Rweko. She should really have had a better relationship with sex.

  Jiita looked very nervous. “Lady, it is this way.”

  Hannah nodded. “Lead on.”

  They walked in silence through the palace. Several members of staff paused for a moment to look at her, nodded and resumed their duties.

  “So, what is it about me that shocks your sensibilities, Jiita?”

  She blushed. “You had sex with the master in full view of Dk’ket.”

  “Yes. She came out and began serving while we were occupied.” Hannah made sure that was clear.

  “I thought... I thought she was forced to watch.”

  “I am sure she has seen Mero with other women before.” Hannah couldn’t imagine her patron as abstinent.

  “Possibly, but he has not had a bond companion here for three decades. He is a good patron and keeps his staff safe, even from his own kind.”

  “Do you know that first hand or is it rumour?”

  Jiita blushed. “Dk’ket is in charge of our training.”

  “Did she complain about what she saw?”

  “No. I just thought that you had... that she was forced...”

  “To see something unsavoury.”

  “Correct. Lord Mero is a good patron. It is going to take some adjustment in our minds to see him with a female. Most of us were not here for the last one.”

  “Get used to it. This is why he bought my bond. I was trained to do your job or run a household, perhaps be a clerk of some kind. This position was sprung on me on my last day at the education station.”

  “Oh. I thought you had all kinds of training.”

  “Nope. Those who do get that kind of training probably are enrolled by their patron. I was cash and carry.”

  Jiita laughed and covered her mouth.

  The gallery of companions was long, and the women were all of Hannah’s general appearance.

  “This is my favourite. She sort of looks like you.”

  The companion in question was a woman of medium build, intelligent eyes and a sexy smile. Her skin was a rich mahogany, and her hair was a navy blue that reached her knees. The gown she was wearing was a version of the one that Hannah was currently occupying.

  The curve of the lips was similar as were the set of the eyes, but the facial piercings is where the similarities veered dramatically.

  “She does look familiar.”

  “She was his companion for two hundred years.”

  “How do you know that?” Hannah was surprised.

  “It is in the edge of the portrait frame. The day she started as companion and the date she got her freedom or retired.”

  It struck her that, of course, Jiita would know that. She had probably dusted the portraits.

  Hannah walked along and read the dates one by one. None of the companions had lasted less than fifty years. She knew from her studies that the li
fespans of some of those species had been dramatically exceeded.

  She walked back and forth, taking in the number of species that had provided the service she was currently offering.

  “I think I am going back to the gardens now. Will you show me how to get there?”

  “Of course, lady.”

  Jiita was walking next to her with her head high and chatting about the flowers and the décor. “We are expecting the rest of Mero’s people late next week. He has told Dk’ket to prepare for fourteen and their companions.”

  “Wow. That is sudden.”

  “They get together every five years, always on a different world.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Yes, the meeting takes a few weeks, and we are given leave to hide, according to Dk’ket.”

  “Why hide?”

  Jiita blushed. “Some of his people who do not have companions wish for sex.”

  “Ah, right.”

  Jiita walked her to the gardens, and Hannah smiled. “You can leave me here. I can find my way home.”

  The maid nodded and returned to the rear of the house.

  Hannah walked along the hedges, touching, smelling and enjoying the plants in the late afternoon sun. It was so nice to just walk in silence, breathing fresh air.

  She gathered a few flowers and sat on the edge of a reflecting pool. Hannah glanced up when a shadow moved over her, but there was nothing in the sky.

  A few minutes of silent thought on what the Hmrain would be discussing and another shadow crossed over her.

  Her instincts warned her of an approaching predator, but she tried to get back into her reflection. Her mind was on alert, and she couldn’t relax.

  When she stood to return to the large stone structure, she noted that the light had faded dramatically. It was definitely time to get inside.

  She was walking across the grass with her bouquet of flowers when she was grabbed and lifted. Her heart pounded as his grip was all that kept her from dropping a hundred feet to the ground.

  Instead of the balcony, she was gently set on the roof of the tower. A blanket was under her feet.

  Her legs wouldn’t hold her after the flight up to the tower. She dropped to the ground and stared up at him. “That was unexpected.”

  He knelt near her feet, smiling wickedly. “You were outside a long time. I got worried.”

  She stroked the soft blanket under her. “I can tell.”

  He leaned forward, and she backed up until she was supporting herself on her arms. His lips were inches from her own when he whispered, “I am very excited to show you my world.”

  She shivered and closed the gap between his lips and hers. His wings were extended, and he shielded her from the brighter rays of the disappearing sun.

  He leaned in and caged her between his arms as he pressed her back to the fabric beneath her.

  There was a softness in his expression a moment before she closed her eyes to surrender to him. She could feel his breath, but he didn’t touch her.

  She opened her eyes and found him at very close range.

  He whispered, “Don’t close your eyes.”

  Hannah stared at him, feeling intensely exposed. The breeze made her dress flutter, and her heart tripped in her chest.

  He brushed a kiss against her left cheekbone and then her right.

  The change from commands to this delicate seduction sent her senses into a whirl.

  She reached up and touched his cheek, threading her hand through his hair with the gold beads and metal bands cool against her wrist.

  He smiled and kissed her softly before pressing his lips to her neck, scraping her with his teeth. The long, hot caress of his tongue moved over her skin and soothed the scrapes.

  He pulled her dress down, following the fabric and licking and sucking at her skin as he moved down to her thighs.

  Her dress was pulled off and set away before he lay between her thighs and held her prisoner in his grip while his tongue slowly fucked her.

  She moaned and shrieked while her body clutched at the invading appendage. Hannah could hear the echo of her voice through the valley around them. She couldn’t keep herself quiet as his tongue rippled insistently inside her.

  His fingers dug into her thighs, and she thrashed her head as her hips fought to rise and fall.

  He growled and continued his attack until she screamed in a low and undulating vocalization.

  Mero continued to drink from her until her body ached and the tension faded to exhaustion.

  He withdrew and replaced his tongue with two fingers and his thumb on her clit.

  Hannah whimpered and her body flared to life again. With a slow motion, he undid his pants and pulled them down and away.

  Mero removed his fingers and settled on top of her, his cock easing into her without difficulty. He affixed the secondary appendage to her, and it sucked and squeezed at her clit while he held perfectly still and churned his cock inside her.

  She stared at him, his gaze boring into her and the stars appearing behind him. Fear ripped through her for a moment, and she reached up to grip his shoulders.

  His cock continued to twist inside her and heat exploded through her, leaving her gasping and limp.

  She stared at him helplessly, and he withdrew. She was limp, sweaty and exhausted.

  Mero got to his feet and lifted her into his arms. He took off and landed on the balcony of his quarters, laying her on the bed before he went to the lav to bring back two cloths, one warm and one cool.

  He cleaned her first and then pressed the cool cloth to her crotch.

  She was a little bleary when she asked him, “Can I close my eyes now, sir?”

  “Yes, Hannah. I have what I needed. Rest. Tomorrow, we visit some of our lands.”

  She nodded sleepily. “Sounds good.”

  Chapter Nine

  The soom they were riding was long, wide and easily held both of them. In Hannah’s mind, it was a horse crossed with an elephant. The hide was smooth, and the saddle was minimal. Hannah just wished she was riding on her own.

  Mero sat behind her with his legs framing hers, one arm around her waist and the other holding the reins.

  “So, we are riding on the soom for a reason?”

  “There are thermal updrafts that make flight difficult, and the magnetic qualities in the soil mess with electronics. We ride in; we ride out.”

  His wings were draped over the back of the soom, and he seemed perfectly at ease as the strange gait took them down the hillside and into the valley below.

  The slow rock of the beast beneath her was soothing. She leaned back against Mero and looked at the world around her. Farms. There were dozens of farms growing crops in the volcanic soil. Plants bloomed, and the scent of fruit and pollen were in the air.

  Mero pointed out the different crops and explained their uses.

  “Sir, why are we here?”

  He chuckled. “I am here to check on the harvests and make a distribution schedule for my other worlds. This is a growth hub. The hundreds of acres in this valley grow some of the most nutrient-rich food on this entire world.”

  “Fair enough. Why am I here?”

  He stroked his hand across her ribs and hips. “Because you are mine and will be at my side unless the situation is too dangerous.”

  He pulled her back against him and that settled that.

  There were a variety of species farming, and they waved at Mero as they made their way into the heart of the farming community.

  “You will remain with Preeahsh while I speak with the farm manager. He will keep you safe.” Mero murmured it in her ear before pressing a kiss to her jaw and dismounting.

  She looked at the ears in front of her, and they flicked backward. “I am guessing you are Preeahsh?”

  The ears flicked rapidly, and the soom turned to stare at her. She sighed and settled in the saddle.

  She flicked her feet a little, a small bit of ankle was all that was exposed. Her skirt was deep b
lue and had a lot of fabric. It let her straddle the wide back without the skirt pulling. The loose top that she wore had sleeves that covered her shoulder but were split from wrist to armpit to allow the breezes to keep her cool while her skin was covered from the sun’s rays.

  Her hair was loose down her back.

  Mero left her and wandered into the shade of a stall where samples of the fruit and grains were laid out.

  Things were calm, and she kept herself interested by identifying the species working on the farm. Preeahsh had no problem remaining in place.

  Hannah sighed and took up the reins. The soom was surprised, but he followed her directions as she coaxed him into moving in a circle.

  When he was pointed in his original direction, she smiled and patted his neck, scrubbing her nails into his hide. He stretched his neck, and she leaned forward to keep scratching. It gave her something to do while she waited.

  * * * *

  Mero watched the manager as he glanced at Hannah. Her presence was self-explanatory.

  The crops were doing well this year, and he was about to ask about the training of the wild soom when a shout answered his question before it was asked.

  The crash of a broken fence heralded the thunder of hooves that followed. Shouts from the occupants of the town reached Mero’s ears, and to his shock, a sharp whistle rang out, followed by Preeahsh running toward the sound of hooves.

  He watched Hannah urging his favourite mount toward the escaped beasts, and when she reached the herd, she turned so that Preeahsh was leading the stampede.

  She whistled sharply again and led the animals down the road before slowing them down and turning them, leading the slow group back toward the paddock they had escaped from.

  “Joks, you need to have food and water for the soom when they get to the paddock. Have men hidden and ready to close the gate that they broke through.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Joks ran to do as he was bid.

  Hannah was still posed gracefully on the back of his mount, and Mero smiled. She had obeyed his rules. She had not left Preeahsh. He would have to make her punishment for endangering herself a light one.