He didn’t care what the foolish guards said—they were clearly besotted with the Light Face of their lady, but T’zaren wouldnevertrust a Twainer. They were too changeable—too likely to say one thing one moment and then reverse themselves completely when the opposite Face came into play. They could also be extremely dangerous so he wasn’t going to let Lucille out of his sight the whole time they were here.
The memory of her trembling in his arms as they rode the cart across the chasm suddenly flashed across his mind’s eye. Her soft, curvy body felt so good against his own that he had almost been sorry when the ride was over. A feeling of possessive protectiveness was growing within him for the little human female—a feeling that was dangerous in its intensity. The same kind of feeling a Stri’vor male would have for hisS’rentha…
Don’t be ridiculous,he told himself uneasily.I’m simply doing my duty and protecting her—fulfilling the oath I took before Commander Rarev.
But if that was true, then why had her touch calmed him and brought him out of his Rage? When a Stri’vor male lost his mental balance and went over the edge of sanity into a killing Rage the way T’zaren had, only the touch of his trueS’renthacould bring him back. And somehow, though she had never been told, Lucille had instinctively known that.
She had called his name and caressed his Sen Stripe with her cool fingers—she had dragged him back from the darkness that threatened to consume him by offering him her ripe nipples to suck. She had even let him lap up some of her sweet pussy honey—which had done much to bring him back to himself.
How did she know what to do to save me from the Rage?he wondered as they followed the guards down the long, marble corridor.How could she know that the feel of her sweet nipples in my mouth and the flavor of her pussy honey would heal me?
He was certain no one had told her—the effects of sexual healing on a Rage-mad Stri’vor male was a secret known only to his people. She must have done what she did instinctively. Though how she had the instincts of aS’renthawhen she looked and actednothinglike one was a mystery to T’zaren.
She cannot be the one,he told himself for the hundredth time.She might have offered me her breasts, but she tried to protest when I started to worship her pussy with my tongue. Clearly it’s not something human women like or understand.
He remembered his other date’s disgust when he had admitted to wanting to worship her—probably Lucille felt the same way and had only tolerated him lapping the pussy honey away from her thighs and outer pussy lips because she was being kind to him.
Don’t let yourself feel for a female who won’t be able to accept your worship,he warned himself.Especially one who lacks the gravity to be a true S’rentha.
But he was very much afraid that he was already having feelings for the little blonde female he was following so closely. And those feelings were much stronger than he liked…
TWENTY-FIVE
LUCY
“Ah—here we are at the Throne Room where our lovely Lady Twa’linda rules both the stronghold and all our hearts,” the first guard said fondly, as they stopped in front of another set of two-story high, carved wooden doors.
“She is indeed the best and kindest of all mistresses,” the second one agreed.
“Um, that’s nice.”
Lucy tightened her grip on the ragged sweater and wished like crazy that she had something more professional on. Or at least something that didn’t scream, ‘I was attacked in the woods on the way over here.’
Thank goodness T’zaren had gotten to her in time! She was still feeling shaky from the horrible experience and she had an idea she wasn’t going to be comfortable being alone for a while.
“I’ll open the doors and announce you,” the first guard told her. “As soon as I give your name and title, you and your manservant may enter and bow before the throne.”
“All right.” Lucy nodded. She had no problem bowing to their host—anybody who had their own private island with an atmosphere dome and an armed militia to guard it clearly expected to be acknowledged with a bow.
“Very good.” The guard nodded back and then he and the second guard swung open the huge double doors, pulling them outward to reveal an opulent Throne Room done all in glittering white marble.
All that stone might have made the Throne Room look bleak but it was softened considerably by other decorative touches. For instance, there were several chandeliers floating near the ceiling which were decorated with fluffy white feathers. There were also tall, graceful urns filled with freshly cut flowers, all in pastel colors, spaced at regular intervals throughout the room.
The white marble throne itself was barely visible under the mounds of pink and purple cushions and pillows piled on it and the back of it had been draped with a sky-blue and lemon-yellow leopard skin-print throw.
But Lucy could scarcely concentrate on the décor of the large room because sitting on the throne was Lady Twa’linda herself. She was dressed in the same pale pink gown as she had been during their viewscreen conference and once again she had the top of it completely pulled down. But this time she had not one buttwoof her guards sucking on her nipples—kneeling on either side of the throne to do so as each of them took a nipple in his mouth.
“The Lady Lucille Heartwood—Dom’mesquefrom Earth and envoy from the Monstrum Kindred!” announced the guard.
And then Lucy found herself in the awkward position of approaching the throne while their hostess was having her nipples sucked. Because the announcement of a visitor didn’t stop the two guards kneeling on either side of the throne for one moment—they continued sucking industriously while Lady Twa’linda stroked their hair and made little moans of satisfaction while they worked on her.
“Oh my dear—I’msoglad you’ve finally arrived!” she exclaimed as Lucy came up to stand in front of her throne. “Thefleur’igansoup is just now getting finished and it must be eaten at once or it will spoil completely!”
“Thank you for inviting me,” Lucy said, bowing while still clutching her torn sweater closed. “Er, I’m sorry about my appearance. I was attacked on the way here by a group of slavers called ‘the Shadows’,” she added.
“What?” Lady Twa’linda exclaimed. Sitting upright, she pushed the two guards who had been sucking her nipples away in one motion. “You were attacked here, onmyplanet?”
“I’m afraid so,” Lucy said, nodding. “If T’zaren—my manservant—hadn’t gotten to me in time, they…” She trailed off, unable to say the words. The attack was still too fresh—too horrible.