Clan and Crown (31 page)

The primary cock pistoned in and out of
his Imdiko’s tight, clutching sheath. Seething heat burned a trail
through Clajak’s loins, filling the smaller cock to bursting before
overflowing into the larger. He was coming.

Something kicked deep inside his gut.
At the same time Egilka wailed. Wetness streamed against Clajak’s
belly, and he felt Egilka’s cocks jerk hard between them. His
clanmate’s climax made the Imdiko writhe and buck, freeing him from
the venom of Bevau’s bite.

Passion streaked through Clajak’s
primary cock. It shot out of him, emptying into Egilka’s sweet grip
in raw bursts. He too was released from intoxicant’s hold. He
screamed with each mind blasting jolt that tore from his
loins.

Bevau’s roar shattered the room. As
Clajak ground into Egilka, working every drop of need free of his
body, the Nobek’s teeth closed on the back of his neck. Bevau’s
hands hung onto Clajak’s hips in a bruising grip, forcing him to be
still and accept the hot fluid pouring into his ass.

The three men twisted their limbs about
each other, thrashing as mindlessly as coupling beasts. They thrust
and rutted and ground in tight, spending everything they had on
each other.

It felt like an eternity later that
Clajak’s cocks at last ceased to seize. He lay wasted and
exhausted, his body draped bonelessly over Egilka’s. Bevau’s bulk
was heavy on him, the Nobek every bit as limp.

“Get off me,” Egilka whimpered. “I
can’t breathe down here.”

With a sound that was half-laugh,
half-groan, Bevau rolled off. Clajak tumbled in the other
direction, leaving Egilka gasping.

The trio spent another few minutes
learning how to move again. At long last, Bevau sat up. He crawled
over to the cooling unit and made a pleased sound when he found
water pouches within. He brought one to each of the men.

After gulping his down, Bevau said, “I
hope my service to the Empire has met with your approval, my
princes.”

“The name is Clajak, you delicious
bastard. Don’t call me ‘my prince’ when it’s just us. Not when
you’ve had the pleasure of my ass.”

Bevau saluted him with the empty pouch.
“And what a wonderful ass it is, Clajak. I did have much pleasure
with it.”

Egilka rolled towards the shelter of
the Nobek before saying, “That’s the one part of my Dramok I truly
respect.”

Bevau grinned down at him. “Shall I
respect yours now?”

Egilka paled to be the focus of that
ferocious leer. “You are kidding, right?” His gaze moved down the
Nobek’s body. “Oh shit, you’re not. How can you recover that
fast?”

Clajak snickered and stood up. He
stalked over to the laughing Nobek and his cringing Imdiko. “Bevau,
allow me to help you with him.”

Chapter 15

The radar showed the storm had long
been brought under control by the time the three men sated all
carnal appetites. Clajak lounged naked and at his ease, spooning
behind Egilka. The Imdiko snuggled sleepily against Bevau’s
shoulder. The Nobek lay on his side facing them both, his head
propped on one palm. A relaxed smile spread across his face, and
his hand lazily stroked first one man’s thigh and then the
other’s.

The rush of warmth Clajak felt as he
looked at Bevau could not be denied. There was much to learn about
the high commander, but he seemed as likely a Nobek as any. More,
in fact.

“Quite the impressive man, this Nobek.
Don’t you agree, Egilka?”

Egilka yawned and burrowed tighter
against Bevau’s shoulder. The soldier’s smile deepened and he
leaned down to kiss the Imdiko’s forehead.

Egilka smiled back and answered, “Oh,
most certainly. I’m glad you lured me away from my work to visit
him.”

Bevau affected surprise. “Ah, so it
wasn’t the training camp you wished to see? I’m
flattered.”

Clajak said, “Are you? Good. I need a
new warrior to fight with since our arranged clanning with the last
one fell through.”

A cautious look flitted over Bevau’s
face. “As long as you’re not looking to clan me in his
place.”

Egilka blinked up at him. Because he
didn’t know where Clajak’s thoughts lay, his question was pure
jest. “Were we that bad, Bevau?”

The Nobek tugged playfully on his
mustache. “By the ancestors, I very much enjoyed that. No
reflection on Clajak, but I particularly enjoyed a taste of Imdiko.
I haven’t had the pleasure of your kind breed in some time,
Egilka.”

Clajak was careful to keep his tone
noncommittal. “You do not wish to clan with anyone?”

Bevau shrugged. “Of course I would.
Just not to the Crown Princes.”

“We’re not that awful on a daily basis,
you know. Besides, I’m not asking you yet.”

The word yet hung in the air. Bevau’s
eyes narrowed as Egilka’s widened. The Imdiko’s expression told
Clajak he had caught on to what the Dramok was about.

Egilka must have approved because he
told Bevau, “We’re vetting likely candidates, that’s all. We
haven’t met with anyone to our tastes since Henbo showed his true
colors.”

Bevau sat up, pulling away from them.
“I appreciate the interest, but you may take my name off the list,
my princes. I am a dual breed, Imdiko and Nobek no less. The Empire
needs a full Nobek to complete its future ruling clan.”

Of all the objections Clajak had
anticipated, this one came as a complete surprise. “Do you doubt
your abilities so much?”

For a moment Bevau’s eyes flashed and
his face reddened. He quelled the abrupt show of temper. “I am
comfortable with my disparate tendencies, my prince.”

Clajak sighed. “So you’re back to
addressing us by our titles, I see.”

“How do you think the Royal Council
would react to you clanning a Nobek with strong Imdiko tendencies?
What would the Imperial Clan say about having the Empire’s future
lead protector less than a full Nobek?”

Clajak shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll
ask them at the next session.” He could well imagine their
reaction, however. Especially Pwaldur’s. No doubt the nominee for
Head Councilman would have a raging fit at the thought of his
daughter Narpok betrothed to a dual-breed Nobek. The idea of
clanning Bevau grew even more enjoyable for Clajak.

Bevau scowled at him. He stood and
found his shorts. His feet stabbed through the legs as he dressed,
as if he would just as soon kick a hole in the wall. “The storm is
over, my princes. Radar shows the rain has ended. As soon as you
are dressed, I will escort you back to your shuttle.”

Clajak and Egilka exchanged a look.
Bevau was telling them loud and clear that no more talk would be
entertained about the potential for clanship. As ruthless as Clajak
could be when it came to pursuing his interests, he knew when to
back off. With no further word, he and his Imdiko got
dressed.

As far as Clajak was concerned the
discussion was only postponed, not finished. Bevau had too much
going for him. The Dramok would make another attempt in the future
to make him consider himself a candidate for the Crown Prince
Clan.

They left the shelter, emerging in a
woods changed from how they had left it. Some trees had blown over
and some had been blasted apart by lightning, leaving behind
blackened stumps. Fortunately the deluge that had followed had
tamped down any fires. There was evidence that a few bits smoldered
here and there, but the sodden landscape would not spark before
fire suppression crews made their way in.

The sun had broken through the clouds.
With a sizeable portion of the trees’ canopy newly cleared, the
light beamed here and there along the path they picked their way
through. Clajak noted how Bevau watched over them, making sure his
visitors didn’t stumble or get caught by any fallen branches or
trunks.

The Dramok found even more to
appreciate as far as Bevau’s Imdiko side was concerned. Though the
high commander was silent as he accompanied them back to their
shuttle, it was not a surly quiet. Bevau’s expression was relaxed
and easygoing again. He didn’t put distance between himself and the
princes either. He walked close by, his presence as companionable
as when they’d first entered the wooded path.

He soon had them back at the shuttle
bay where the small personal vessel Clajak had piloted that morning
waited. As the hatch opened to admit them, Clajak turned to their
smiling host.

“Well, thank you for a most instructive
tour of what we missed before, Bevau. I found it more exciting this
go round.”

Bevau laughed. “Perhaps I have a future
as a tour guide if all else fails.”

Egilka’s usual reticence with strangers
had ebbed. He was downright coy as he said, “I hope we might be
welcomed back for another excursion?”

Bevau’s grin held more than a hint of
Nobek threat. “I would be delighted to explore much more with you
both, Prince Egilka. I anticipate many fascinating sights and
quests for new experiences.”

“Until next time then.”

Bevau bowed. “I hope it is soon. Have a
safe trip home, my princes.”

They returned the bow and boarded. They
rode home quiet for the most part, both immersed in their thoughts
of the high commander.

* * * *

Clajak and Egilka joined the Imperial
Clan for dinner that night in their apartments. The two clans often
got together informally for such meals. As usual, the discussion
ranged from politics to the arts, from sports to choice bits of
gossip.

They gathered in the smaller of two
dining rooms, a space that was a still too roomy to be intimate.
Yet somehow the six managed to make the long, low oval table cozy,
sitting close to each other on their billowy seating cushions. The
warm air, dimmed lighting, soft orchestral music piped in through
the home’s sound system, and the scent of the nearby sea added to
the homey feel in a grand setting. Dining staff kept plates and
cups full.

Clajak found it hard to stay attentive
to conversation. It had nothing to do with the subject matter. As
usual, talk was insightful and fascinating. There were arguments
about the fight for the head councilman’s position, along with a
discussion about the intergalactic concert series Irdis had
commissioned from the Music Guild.

Clajak’s thoughts kept drifting to
Nobek Bevau and all the delights he’d enjoyed with the military
officer. It was with great difficulty that he noted his mother
spoke to him.

“With all that in mind, I thought a
group trip to Joshada would be nice next month,” Irdis said. Her
blue-purple gaze was intent on Clajak’s face. It somehow beamed its
way past images in his head that she had no business being a part
of.

“Hmm?” He blinked and her dear face
swam into view. Her eyes were slightly upturned, reminding Clajak
of Egilka’s. Much like his Imdiko, Irdis also possessed pointed
features, though on her the effect was elegantly exotic rather than
stark. Her hair was the purest ebony, long enough to reach her
knees. She wore it tonight in a side braid that lay on one shoulder
like a rich, midnight stole.

Clajak had seen women of incredible
beauty, females almost as perfect as Bevau. Yet to him, Irdis
outshone them all. There was a kindness about her that blazed
forth, an ethereal concern for all those around her, an
uncomplicated attention whether the focus of her attention was for
the poorest citizen or the most successful man of rank. Irdis cared
for others effortlessly. The effect made her the most exquisite
being her son had ever set eyes on.

Adoring her for no reason other than
she was who she was, Clajak smiled agreeably. “A trip to Joshada
next month? Oh yes. Fine. I’ll check with Korkla to see what my
schedule looks like.”

She sighed. Even when Irdis was put out
with him, her voice rang with indulgent love. “Clajak, I just told
you I checked with him. He’s arranged everything
already.”

Clajak dropped his head, ashamed he
hadn’t attended the conversation better. “Apologies, my mother. I’m
afraid my mind drifted off.”

In a light tone that said she was being
anything but casual, Irdis changed the subject. “I was surprised to
find you were out today. Korkla said you and Egilka went back to
that ground forces training camp you visited with Yuder a few days
ago?”

Her question occurred at the very
moment there was a lull in the other conversations at the table.
The three elder men all looked at Clajak and Egilka with lively
interest. Yuder’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at the
princes.

He was the first to speak. “Why is it
that I doubt this second outing was an official visit, my
son?”

Only his parents could make him flush,
and Clajak felt heat creeping up his neck to his face. He glanced
at Egilka, who also blushed.

Damn it, he hated these kinds of
conversations with his parent clan.

Zarl’s broad face, equally capable of
thundering rage and uproarious mirth, gave the younger men a
knowing wink. “Oh, a place full of Nobeks. Perhaps you saw someone
who caught your interest?”