Clan and Conviction (Clan Beginnings) (31 page)

After a couple of bites that put a dent in his sizeable portion, Wynhod looked at the Imdiko with a serious expression.  “You might be surprised what you could do on a mountain, Krijero.  Concentrating on every handhold right in front of your face might help you get past your problems.  I knew a guy who had a similar issue.  In fact, he was worse than you.”

“Then he has my undying sympathy.”

Wynhod chuckled at that.  “He had to use exoskeletal leg stabilizers in order to walk without falling.  Yet he climbed vertical rises with no problem at all because it narrowed his focus so much.”

The Imdiko blinked at him.  “Really?  I don’t know.  I’d hate to take the chance.  With my luck, I’d get right up to the top and trip.  It’s hard to enjoy the view when it’s coming at you so fast.”

Gelan and Wynhod stared at him for a surprised moment.  They burst out with laughter.

Gelan nodded at him with appreciative humor.  “Yeah, taking stock of the scenery while you’re hurtling to your death probably would ruin the experience.”

Wynhod tossed his soggy napkin at the psych.  “You’d be anchored, you lunatic.  If you lose your balance, you only fall a couple of feet before the tether stops you.”

“Oh, okay.”  Krijero noticed he had a fresh glass of bohut.  He swallowed a mouthful.

Gelan asked, “What about hunting?  Any interest in that?”

Krijero shrugged.  “I never really thought about it.  I had an uncle who enjoyed it.  Primitive or plasma rifle hunting?”

“Oh, primitive.  Most definitely primitive.  I love getting blood on my hands.”

Gelan’s face lit with feral savagery as he talked about hunting.  Krijero cocked his head and studied the animal expression on the otherwise noble features.  He’d be damned if the man didn’t look and sound more Nobek than Dramok right now.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Wynhod look sharply at him and then Gelan.  His tone was abrupt when the enforcer spoke next. 

“What do you get into for physical activities, Krijero?  Or does your balance problem keep you from trying too much?”

“I like underwater spear fishing.  Swimming doesn’t confuse my equilibrium quite as much as walking on dry land.” 

Gelan considered.  He sounded more polite than interested when he said, “I guess that’s kind of like hunting, but doesn’t seem like there’s much danger to get the heart pumping.”

Krijero shrugged.  “There is when you’re surrounded by a school of razor-toothed rizpah.”

Gelan’s eyes widened satisfactorily.  He and Wynhod looked at Krijero with respect.

The Nobek even sounded awed.  “You spearfish rizpah?  Imdiko, those things will take a man’s leg off with one bite!”

“Well, it’s not for the weak-hearted.”  At the flash of anger in Wynhod’s eyes, Krijero grinned at him.  Imitating the enforcer’s voice, he said, “I’m teasing you, Nobek.  I don’t mean anything by it.”

Gelan laughed and punched his clanmate’s shoulder.  Wynhod chuckled at Krijero.  “Fair enough.  I deserved that.”

He exchanged a look with his Dramok.  There was the feeling of silent communication passing between them, and Krijero wondered what they shared in that glance.

He said, “That’s one of your problems right there.”

Their gazes swung back to him.  Gelan frowned.  “What problem?”

Krijero took another drink before answering.  “With keeping an Imdiko around.  You two are always glancing at each other, exchanging meaningful looks.”

“Okay.  So?  It helps us on our cases, when we need to communicate without talking.”

Wynhod added, “We think a lot alike.  I can usually tell just by Gelan’s expression what he wants me to know.” 

Krijero remembered noting in the past how in perfect sync the two always seemed to be, how it had fascinated him.  It still did. 

He explained, “You can tell what he wants you to know, but I’m not a part of that.  You did it right in front of me, making me feel left out.  For all I know, you were making fun of me or noticing something stupid I did.  Or indicating to each other you made a mistake by asking me out.”

The pair blinked at him for an instant before looking at each other.  Their expressions were identical.  Krijero watched for a moment, enthralled to see two people so completely linked.  What must it be like, to share such a perfect accord?

Unfortunately, he had to interrupt.  “You’re doing it again.” 

Gelan jerked, returning his attention once more to the Imdiko.  “Well … damn.”

Wynhod’s face reddened.  He looked ashamed.  “I wasn’t even thinking about what I was doing.  It’s like second nature now.”

Gelan’s tone turned apologetic.  “It really makes you feel left out, Krijero?  Because I certainly am not trying to do that.”

Krijero actually didn’t mind.  Well, maybe he minded a little.  He wished he knew what information they were exchanging over their seeming telepathy, especially if it had to do with him.  Overriding that was his clinical fascination with the phenomenon.

He said, “It’s great if you’re in front of a suspect and don’t want him to know what you’re thinking, but for someone you want to have a lasting relationship with?  Not good.”

Wynhod nodded.  “Okay.  We can work on that.”

Gelan also nodded, his motions and expression once more matching his clanmate’s.  “Certainly.  It might take some doing to unlearn it.  Like Wynhod said, it’s not something I think about.”

The Nobek insisted, “Krijero, you need to call us on it when you notice it happening.  Don’t be shy.  You shouldn’t be left out.”

Krijero smiled a little and drained his glass.  “Sure.  And then you can tell me what you were thinking.”

Gelan signaled to the nearby server to refill the Imdiko’s glass.  “Progress!  This deserves another round of drinks.”

Wynhod grinned.  “I agree.  But you knew that, right?”

The two men laughed, and after a moment, Krijero joined them. 

All in all, the night wasn’t going badly, though the neverending supply of booze might have something to do with that.  The Imdiko was even having fun helping these two out.  Maybe he’d have a second career as a relationship guru, he thought with a grin.

* * * *

Krijero felt almost sorry when Wynhod landed the very nice shuttle he and Gelan shared, signaling the end of the night.  He’d actually enjoyed the faux date. 

The vehicle his companions owned was either new or had been kept up extremely well, and the cushions of the seat he sat on were soft to the touch.  It was apparently nice to pilot as well, because the other two men had briefly tussled over who got to fly it home.  Krijero simply sat back and watched the playful exchange, a smile playing at his lips when the Nobek somehow locked Gelan out of the controls.  The Dramok cursed him roundly and promised great retribution at some point in the future. 

They flew on instruments only as Wynhod opted to not turn the outer visual vid on.  Krijero didn’t mind.  It was too dark to see much outside anyway, and he found the view in the shuttle’s interior very nice.  Gelan and Wynhod’s broad shoulders, visible over the backs of their chairs at the front, were a delight to contemplate.  Occasionally one man would look over his shoulder at Krijero and smile, also nice to look at.

Damn.  If this kept up, he’d be at the pleasure clubs more often than ever.

The ride was short, the telltale settling of the shuttle telling Krijero that Wynhod had set down.  Krijero stood and wobbled a little as he readied to exit the still-closed hatch.  Gelan chuckled and jumped up to grab his arm and steady him.  Krijero accepted the assistance with a warm face.  He’d drunk quite a bit at dinner, more than he usually did.  He didn’t believe he was impaired mentally, but the additional alcohol played hell with his already bad balance.

He told Gelan, “I still think you should have taken me back to work so I could pick up my shuttle.  Then you wouldn’t have to give me a lift in the morning.”

Gelan grinned at him as Wynhod left his seat to stand on Krijero’s other side.  “Trust me, it will be no problem at all to give you a ride to work tomorrow, Imdiko.”  He opened the hatch.

Krijero stepped out ahead of the other two and blinked at the well-lit bay where those who lived on this level of the complex docked their vehicles.  It took a full second for it to register how large and well-kept this bay was.  It wasn’t one he’d ever seen before.

Confused, he said, “Hey.  This isn’t where I live.”

Hands seized his arms and pushed him.  They brought him up against the shuttle he’d just disembarked.  Gelan and Wynhod held him there, their faces wearing twin expressions again.  However, behind the merriment lurked something darker, something … predatory.  Things low in Krijero’s gut clenched.

Gelan said, “It’s where
we
live.”

Wynhod added, “We thought you might like to spend the night.”

They were already touching him, fingertips skating over his chest and abdomen.  Heat coiled deep within his belly even as a cold wash of fear stuttered his heart.  Krijero tried to shove the hands away. 

“Just a minute.  I agreed to observe you and tell you where you’re going wrong with other Imdikos.  No one said anything about sex!”

Wynhod grabbed his hands.  The Nobek pinned them over Krijero’s head against the cool metal of the shuttle.  Meanwhile, Gelan kept stroking the Imdiko’s torso with a touch both masterful and assured as if he had every right to enjoy Krijero’s body.  Krijero’s cocks twitched and began to harden, filling with delicious heat.

Gelan asked, “Don’t you think an appraisal of our bedroom prowess is in order?  Don’t you need to experience the entire situation in order to give us a full evaluation of what we’re doing wrong?”

Before Krijero could answer, Gelan’s mouth covered his.  The Imdiko’s lips parted out of pure reflex, and the Dramok’s tongue accepted the inadvertent invitation.  It slipped in, sliding over Krijero’s, enticing him to taste back.

Gelan tasted of primal male, a wild and intoxicating flavor.  Krijero moaned and sucked on the Dramok’s raspy flesh as the heat of the kiss traveled to the back of his throat.  It seared down his spine into his belly, making him rigid with need.  A spicy scent told him he was lubricating, his body readying for pleasure.  He couldn’t think past the eagerness of his senses as Gelan plundered his mouth with absolute authority.  They were about the same height, so when the Dramok moved close to let their bodies touch, they lined up perfectly.  Chest rubbed to chest, belly to belly, erection to erection.  Those strong hands were gripping Krijero’s ass now, pulling him even closer so that the heat of Gelan’s loins spread to his.  Wynhod still held Krijero’s wrists pinned over his head, but the Imdiko barely noticed.  He couldn’t have resisted if his life had depended on it.

There was nothing but that mouth on his, that body against his, those hands on him.  Those things and blatant, uncompromising need.  Krijero’s entire body became one devouring ache.

Gelan finally ended the kiss.  His head tilted back and he looked into Krijero’s eyes.  The Imdiko only now realized that his hair was brushed back, out of the way.  However, he couldn’t get past that riveting stare Gelan had on him to duck his face and let his hair fall forward.  He couldn’t think past the big, strong body pressed tight against his.  Gelan’s body drove every lucid notion from his head.  He struggled to pull himself together.

One thought, the most important one of all, managed to surface.  Krijero gasped, “I’m not joining your clan.  I won’t do it.”

Gelan shifted to let Wynhod crowd in close.  The Nobek gathered Krijero’s wrists in one massive paw and reached down with the other to caress the Imdiko’s crotch.  The touch was both careful and demanding.  The crash of desire brought Krijero up on his toes with a harsh gasp, though his legs had begun to shake violently.

Wynhod smirked at his reaction.  “So you’ve told us.  It doesn’t mean you can’t come inside and play.  I have a nice, new strap that desperately needs breaking in, Imdiko.  I can’t imagine a sweeter body to put its stripes on.”

Then the Nobek kissed him.  The mouth on Krijero’s worked with violent need, and brutal lust again invaded the psych’s head, tossing rational thought out like so much garbage.  He had a hungry mouth feeding on his, along with two hulking men in control of him.  And not just any two men.

How many times had he pretended at the clubs that it was actually Gelan and Wynhod taking him to task, using his body?  Every time in the last few months.  Now he had the real men themselves, eager to make those fantasies real.   

When Wynhod’s devouring kiss broke away, leaving Krijero’s lips feeling swollen and tender, he heard himself saying, “All right.  I’ll do it.”

The other two men grinned at him, triumphant victors ready to claim the spoils.  Gelan grabbed him by his shirt collar and Wynhod released his hands.  However, the Nobek kept hold of Krijero’s crotch, using that grip to help Gelan tug the gasping Imdiko to the in-house transport.  Only Krijero’s footfalls echoed in the bay; the other two were absolutely silent.

The Imdiko shuddered, feeling very much the captured prey being played with by two predators before they finally decided to eat him.  He really didn’t like Wynhod using his cocks as a handle, either.

“You can let go now.  I said okay.”  He plucked at the hands pulling him forward in such an undignified manner.