Shattered Stars Read online

  He smirked. A dance class was in order.

  * * * *

  Hannah pouted the whole way back to the skimmer launch outside the valley. Preeahsh was settled in the stable with his females, and Hannah was fuming over the punishment that Mero had decided on.

  Her patron was very amused.

  It took her a few tries, but she finally said, “I didn’t hurt myself.”

  “No, but you endangered yourself. Those beasts are not tame. The would flatten you in seconds. So, you will learn to be lighter on your feet in case you are tempted to try something like that again.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I am thinking it was a mistake to tell you how much I hated dance class.”

  “You get a punishment that doesn’t injure you, and I get a more graceful companion. We both win.” His smugness was cloying.

  Hannah crossed her arms over her breasts and enjoyed her sulk all the way home.

  Szriata was a Yimerian of exceptional grace. Her pearlescent skin glowed, and her midnight hair hung nearly to her ankles. Every movement was a dance.

  “Miss Hannah, you mustn’t rush. This is a dance, not a race.” She stood behind Hannah and controlled the movements of her limbs.

  Hannah tried to slow down. “I am guessing that going faster will not get this over with.”

  “You are guessing correctly. You are lucky that you have been given this chance to learn.”

  Hannah wrinkled her nose. “I am feeling that luck.”

  Szriata laughed and stepped away, looking at her in the mirror with her dark eyes smiling.

  “I think we might skip this for something that is a little more active. The formal dances are fine, but they don’t appeal to you. Let’s try the bladed fans.”

  Hannah perked up. “Bladed fans?”

  “Oh, yes. The dances done with them are sensual and deadly. Mero will have to trust you.”

  Hannah snapped her jaw shut. He let her put her teeth around his cock; he should trust her with a blade.

  Szriata went to her supply box and opened it, putting aside some veils before she removed two sets of fans. One for Hannah to practice with and another for Szriata to demonstrate with.

  The dance master walked to the floral display on a small table, and with a slight smile, she executed a turn, a bow and her hand moved, flicking the fan open and slicing the head of the flower without even trembling the stem. Those were very sharp fans.

  Hannah fought the urge to clap happily and followed her dance master’s instructions. The day was definitely looking up.

  * * * *

  From his vantage point overlooking the courtyard, Mero watched Hannah concentrate and learn the motions of the blade dances. Of course, his little human would be interested in fighting. She was obedient when she was with him, but there was spirit behind her eyes. Duty and honour were what kept her pliant.

  He wanted more.

  Szriata was patient with her and very amused by her student. He wondered idly if Hannah realized she was dealing with another Hmrain.

  * * * *

  Hannah sat next to Mero at dinner, and Szriata sat across from her.

  “So, sister, how is my companion at dancing?”

  Szriata smiled. “Impatient, brother.”

  Hannah blinked rapidly as she absorbed that. They didn’t look related.

  Szriata smiled at Hannah. “I am guessing that he hasn’t told you that the Hmrain were a designed species a few eons ago.”

  “Designed?”

  “Certainly. There was chaos in the empty sectors. Pirates, raiders, slavers, they all hid on perfectly live worlds and preyed on those travelling the shipping lanes around them. The masters decided that a species should be created that would have no ties to any other, including themselves. They combined genetics from dozens of races to create us. We soon walked the worlds and brought structure to the wilderness.” She winked.

  Hannah looked over to Mero. “So, you are...”

  “One of the Hmrain, as is Szriata. There are only two dozen others, but we are sufficiently powerful to keep our worlds safe.” He filled her plate from the selections that Dk’ket brought in.

  She stared down at the meal and blinked. Neither of her companions were eating. The two sat and chatted while she ate dinner. They had their hands with the fingertips touching on the table, and now and then, there was a power flare. Mero was giving Szriata power.

  When Hannah finished her meal, she sipped at her water, listening to them speak about crop rotations, supply runs and personnel.

  She had a question about that. “So, is everyone you employ a bondservant?”

  Szriata smiled. “Of course.”

  Mero chuckled. “When they buy out their bonds, they are free to leave. We even offer transport to any world they wish outside of the Hmrain Dominion.”

  Hannah had a flicker of hope before it was crushed by a sober expression on Mero’s face. “Not you, Hannah. You fall into a unique category.”

  She nodded. “Right.”

  Subdued, she finished her water and waited with her hands in her lap. Her muscles ached from the workout with the dance class.

  She kept quiet during their conversation until Szriata asked to be shown the gardens.

  Hannah blinked and looked up, realizing that she was the one the woman had asked. “Oh. Certainly. Please, come with me.”

  She nodded to Mero, and he took her water glass, sipping in the exact spot she had. When he ran his tongue around the rim of the glass where her lip print was, she felt a shiver go through her.

  Szriata was smiling gently at her in understanding. She held out her hand, and Hannah took it.

  Hannah was supposed to be showing Szriata the gardens, but it seemed that she had a good grasp of where they were.

  “So, Szriata, why have you lured me out here?”

  Her instructor laughed. “I did wish to see the gardens, but I really wanted to talk to you.”

  They entered the curves of the hedge maze and walked slowly through the green and violet of the living pathway.

  “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Mero.”

  She twisted her lips. “Ah.”

  “He has great affection for you, but he fears that you cling to him out of obligation.”

  Hannah cocked her head. “Why is that a concern? My bond was purchased for more than I could make in four lifetimes. I cleave to him because it is my job.”

  Szriata nodded. “I was afraid of that. What would it take to remove the pressure of the obligation?”

  “Well, as I am aware that I am his by bond, I suppose a temporary cessation of sex might be something that would allow me to analyze how I feel about things.”

  Szriata frowned. “Does he feed from you often?”

  “If you mean sex, about three times a day.”

  Szriata stopped in place and stared at her by the light of the moons. “How are you still conscious?”

  Hannah blinked. “Um, because as soon as it is over, I want to do it again. I don’t tire of pleasure. I mean, it tires me out, but I sleep, and once I have rested, I am fine.”

  “Well, that explains a few things, not the least of which is why you are so valuable to him.”

  Hannah got suspicious. “How often should he need to feed?”

  “Every thirty days or so. What was your rating?”

  “Close to three hundred.”

  Szriata smiled slowly. “Are there men of your species in the bond program?”

  “Probably. One even made it into the sexual servant auction.”

  The other Hmrain rubbed her hands together. “That is definitely a good thing to know.”

  “Szriata?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Well, I am nearby, a dance master and I run a school for young freewomen.”

  Hannah smiled. “It sounds like fun.”

  “It can be. Teaching economics to young ladies can be trying at times. I was glad of the break.”r />
  “Is that what your world does? Education?”

  Szriata smiled brightly. “Education and aphrodisiacs. We keep them very separate for obvious reasons.”

  Hannah laughed, and the conversation turned to the art of teaching young ladies how to pour tea without flashing elbow. It was definitely one of the more innocent conversations that she had had and one of the most enjoyable.

  Chapter Ten

  Mero came to bed, and he didn’t say anything.

  Hannah watched him remove his boots and pants and waited with slick thighs for him to whisper to her. He didn’t.

  Mero crawled into bed next to her, kissed her softly and curled his body against hers. His breath was even against her temple, and she was stuck in a mire of her own frustration.

  Her lover had had a conversation with his sister, and sex was off the menu.

  Fuck.

  He was gone when she woke up, and her clothing was at the foot of the bed, as usual. She washed up and pulled the dress on over her head. Dammit. She pulled it off again, turned it around and put it back on. This was not a stellar start to her day.

  Dk’ket came in with breakfast while Hannah was putting on her shoes. Hannah’s hands were shaking, and the task was perversely difficult.

  “Are you all right, lady?”

  “Fine... I am just... fine.” She sat and picked up her eating utensil. She flicked it too hard, and the food went flying.

  “You look unwell. Should I tell Lord Mero?”

  She held out her hand. “No. No, please. I will be fine. I just didn’t sleep well.”

  She ate as quickly as she could with Dk’ket watching her carefully. When she was done, she got to her feet and smiled. “Off to dance class.”

  The housekeeper and major domo watched her until she was out the door. Hannah straightened her shoulders and headed for the courtyard. Maybe dance would get out some of her frustrations.

  Four hours later, Szriata called a halt. “I don’t know what got into you, but we are done for the day.”

  Hannah groaned. “I was just getting good.” She flipped the practice fans as she lunged and twisted.

  “You were getting deadly. Come on, we are going to spend the afternoon with your seamstress. Maybe holding still will be the ticket to calming you, because dancing doesn’t work.”

  Hannah made a face, and her stomach rumbled. Szriata smiled. “Perhaps food for you first.”

  Grumbling, Hannah made her way to the patio, and her dance master came with her. Jiita brought out the single meal and a pitcher of water.

  Szriata nodded toward the water, and Jiita ran to get another glass.

  Hannah poured the first glass and gave it to her dance master.

  “Thank you, dear.”

  “You are very welcome. Why don’t you eat?”

  “We were designed with the ability to feed off living beings around us. Pleasure and satisfaction are the best meals we choose.”

  “Will Mero be all right if we don’t have sex?”

  “He will be fine. He would be fine if you did have sex, but if you don’t climax, then it is only coupling, not feeding.”

  The thought of approaching the heights that he took her to but never going over made her shiver.

  Jiita brought the other glass, and Hannah thanked her, filling it and starting her meal.

  “I see the thought of sex without climax isn’t appealing to you.”

  Hannah blushed. “Not particularly.”

  “It is the same for him. He wants to see you happy, that glow in your eyes as you stare at him as if he is the only being in the universe.”

  Hannah stared at Szriata. “How do you know that?”

  “Ah, well, the Hmrain can share their thoughts. His thoughts of you do go beyond him seeing you as an energy source.”

  “On the ship, he was involved in some kind of council meeting.”

  “Yes, many of our brethren schedule communication. I am close, so I arrive in person.”

  “Will you be here for the meeting in a few weeks?”

  “I will indeed. Now, on to other topics. What do you like to wear?”

  Hannah tried to explain jeans and t-shirts to Szriata, but she settled for skirts that she could move in and possibly work out in.

  “What do you wish to wear for the first night of the Hmrain gathering?”

  Hannah thought about her options. “What am I supposed to convey?”

  “Excellent question. I would suggest wearing your sensuality like a brand. Make sure that all know that only Mero can touch you.”

  Hannah grinned. “I don’t know if I would have the nerve for it, but the clothing isn’t really clothing at all.”

  Her new friend leaned forward. “Explain it, and I will see if I can help out.”

  Hannah explained her idea, and Szriata’s eyes widened before she burst out laughing. “That would definitely be one for the records. You would need to practice that, just so your movements were right for the costume.”

  “Should I ask Mero about it?”

  Szriata stuck out her hand. “No! You won’t know the response until he sees it, so a dry run is definitely warranted. We will arrange things with your seamstress this afternoon.” Her dance master grinned.

  “And the jeweller. This is going to be fun.”

  Hannah stood in place as the last touches were put on her trial costume for the first night of the Hmrain gathering.

  Jiita leaned back and blinked. “It sounded mad when I heard of it, but it is actually quite stunning.”

  Hannah looked at the other servants and the artist who had painted her, and she sighed. “Now, I just need to know what Mero thinks.”

  Dk’ket came in and paused, her mouth open. “Lady, you look stunning.”

  Hannah looked at herself in the mirror and had to admit she would make an impression.

  Her body was painted silver with constellations picked out in deep blue. Her back wore the design of the constellation containing Earth, and her front was Mero’s domain. Blue lines and wings made patterns on her arms and wrists. Rings had been painted into place, and she was decorated from collarbone to toes, with a chain skirt covering her groin but leaving the rest of her exposed.

  “Is it time for dinner?” The dressing had taken hours.

  “It is, lady.”

  She thanked the women who had worked on her and pattered out of the bedroom and down the hall. Her hair was confined with a crown of chain with silvery strands lying along her hair. The chains around her hips clashed gently with every step.

  Mero was reading his daily reports as he did every night. She entered the dining room, and he looked up; a moment later, the data screen in his hand cracked.

  His voice was low and rough, “Hannah, what are you wearing?”

  “I thought this would be appropriate for the first night of the Hmrain gathering.”

  He was staring at her as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to cover her or devour her.

  She walked up to him, the chains swaying. “So, as I will be representing you, I thought it would be a good idea to get your opinion of this method of dress. What do you think?”

  “Dress is an overstatement. Turn for me.”

  She lifted slightly on her toes and turned in front of him with elegant slowness. Her time with Szriata had paid off.

  “What is the purpose of this?”

  She took his hand and placed it on her shoulder. “The idea is that I am yours, and anyone who tries to touch me will leave a mark, and I will mark them.”

  He lifted his hand and smiled at the paint. “It washes off?”

  “Oh yes. Very easily.” She leaned in until her lips were an inch from his. “I was just wondering if you thought that it conveyed the right idea about me.”

  She flicked her gaze to his, and he was sitting so tensely, he was vibrating.

  She closed the distance and licked his lips, slowly and with deliberate focus to gaining his cooperation. He bent his head toward her, and she
locked her lips with his, deepening the kiss quickly and whimpering at the days of frustration that she had dealt with.

  When his hand cupped her head, she groaned in relief. The next moment he had lifted her to the table, spread her thighs and opened her sex to the one part of her that she hadn’t painted. He tongued her, and she rocketed toward a climax, holding back as long as she could until he stroked her clit with his fingers while his tongue ravaged her.

  She screamed and clutched at the edge of the table as her body bucked against his tongue. She continued low, panting cries while he licked and sucked every ounce of her orgasm from her.

  Just when she thought it was over, she felt her blood warming again.

  He flipped her over, and her belly was pressed to the cool surface of the table. She gripped the table tightly as he worked into her pussy, and a squeak came from her lips when his retractable appendage worked its way into her ass.

  He didn’t thrust, he never did, but both impaling objects twisted inside her, and she gasped, twisted and clung to the table while he tortured her.

  When her orgasm struck, she let out a strangle noise followed by a keening cry that went on and on. He whispered encouragement in a gruff tone. “Keep on, give it all to me.”

  She shuddered again as aftershocks gripped him in slow, luxurious pulses.

  She moaned low, and he continued to twist and surge inside her.

  He withdrew from her slowly, turned her to her back and moved between her thighs again. He slid into her, and she took him easily.

  He stroked a hand between her breasts and then used his fingers to knead and pull at her breasts and nipples. She was already more stunned than tired, but her body had been denied, and it was eager to play again.

  With her nipples sharply alert and eager for more play, she arched her back toward him.

  He gripped her hips and pulled her into his lap, holding her head with one hand to bring her in for his kiss.

  She moaned as his tongue slid along hers; they tangled, and he mimicked the motions of the thick column of his cock churning inside her.