Rebel Kato (Shifters of the Primus Book 1) (11 page)

T
hough my wounds are grave
, I already feel the internal damage done by Altak’s claws healing. It is not long before I am able to stand again. I help Liandra into the shuttle. I see that she is strapped into her seat and make sure my hands brush against her breasts. I pause, and then slide my hand inside the collar of her robe and enjoy the feeling of her flesh overflowing my large hands. She smiles up at me, some of the trauma in her face melting away with the expression.

We make the flight back up the tunnel and I bring us to Jektan. I am not at full strength, but I mentally ready myself for the possibility of battle. My father’s forces have been largely decimated through his attempts to destroy the humans and my own efforts in the village. But he will have left a sizable number to defend Jektan. The Separatists are still in orbit, battling what remains of my father’s fleet. Our efforts will have been noble, but ultimately pointless if we are cut down before we reach the heart of The Sacred Tree.

I need to take her there before the eyes of the cities top warriors for our bond to be sealed. But I must trust in something beyond my own strength this once. I must trust that the people of Jektan rally behind me. Though I am a rebel. Though I have slain their leader. I am his son. I am strong. And I can lead our people into a new future with Liandra at my side.

W
hen we land
, a small army of Umani warriors ranging in color from greens to blues and purples await us. Spears stick above their heads like stalks of corn in a field on ancient Earth. I know the strength of my Kato, but no one man could stand against so many. I feel his weariness, though he shows only strength on the outside. And I take a deep breath, because I am about to do something stupid.

I step forward, hand clasping Kato’s. The warriors look on expectantly. “Warriors of the Umani. I have not spent long on your world, as you know. My people are unblooded in your eyes. Weak. Soft. But ask yourselves, in what do you place your trust? Do you trust the strong to be wise? Or do you trust the clever to put your needs above their own?”

Some of the men murmur. I am pleased to see that they seem to actually be considering my question. A voice rises above the din:

“We trust the strong.”

I nearly sigh with relief. “Then who among you is strongest?”

Another murmur, this one louder as several warriors proclaim themselves to be the strongest only be to shouted down by mocking insults, recalling past failures. I think it is only a matter of time before someone states the obvious and points to Kato, but I see something moving from the back of the group. He is a mammoth of a man. While most Umani are well-defined and thick of muscle, this man carries what must be an extra 500 pounds. I can see the shadow of muscle beneath his smooth flesh. His head and shoulders rise above the rest of the men, and each footfall makes a small boom that echoes through the early morning air.

“I am,” he says, his voice as deep as cracking mountains.

Kato is too badly injured to fight this. . . Thing. What have I—

As fast as lightning, Kato darts forward. He makes a blade-like shape with his fingers and gives a quick jab to the man’s side, his belly, the center of his chest, and then the front of his throat. The huge man falls to his knees, clutching his neck. Kato walks around behind him, wraps his arm around the man’s neck, and then jerks upward. A sharp crack rings out. The man falls to the ground with a boom.

Silence follows.

Kato raises his arm in the air, demanding attention. The gold of his skin stands out like a beacon among the sea of darker colors.

“I am your prince. We live by strength. Your king had grown weak, covetous, and mad with his jealousy. He could not have what he wanted so he tried to take it from me. But he failed. Would you have had a king who can not take what he wants?”

There is an angry roar of “No!”

Then cast aside your loyalties to the dead. Altak is gone. I am Kato. And I am your king.”

The assembled warriors beat the butts of their spears against the ground in rhythm.

“Ka-to. Ka-to. Ka-to.”

When the crowd has finally dispersed, Kato lifts me into his arms and carries me toward the heart of The Sacred Tree. He smirks down at me. But he sees a glimpse of what is on my mind, written on my face.

What remains of the Umani clan follows us toward the throne room. According to Kato, these are the men who must bear witness to our mating and vouch for our legitimacy. I remember when he first told me of this, the thought was so distant and unreal that it had sent a thrill of excitement through me. But now. . . I don’t want to share him or myself with anyone. I don’t want these men to be part of what we have. It feels cheap. . . Wrong. I don’t want to upset Kato, either. So I just lay in his arms, biting my lip and trying to be strong.

Kato looks down into my face for several long moments and then stops mid-stride. He turns to face the warriors behind us.

“As king. I declare that the royal mating no longer needs witnesses. My princess and I will join in privacy.”

The warriors share some surprised looks, but none dare to contradict Kato. I feel relief pour through me and beam up at him, my eyes watering.

Seconds later, he and I are alone in the long royal chamber. At one end, the twisted wood throne sits. Behind it, A massive, gnarled tree rises up through the floorboards and out the ceiling above.

He reaches a surprisingly gentle finger down to wipe them away. “Do not give up your water so freely, my
kouva
. It is precious.”

“I just—thank you. You are always protecting me.”

“And I will keep protecting you. But I am your king now. The one thing I cannot protect you from is this.” He sets me down before the heart of The Sacred Tree and looks down at his fully erect cock.

I put my hands to my mouth in mock horror.

He smirks, walking past me to the large opening in the tree. He reaches inside and brings his hand out. It is covered in a sticky sap. With his other hand, he rips my robe off in one motion and my pants in another.

“My king is going to have to have a very high clothing budget if he doesn’t learn how to take my clothes off without destroying them.”

He shrugs. “If clothes stand between me and what I want, they will feel my wrath like any other enemy.” He slaps a handful of the warm sap against my chest. Meeting my eye, he rubs it against my nipple.

To my surprise, the sap is not sticky. It feels like lubricant. And when it touches the sensitive flesh of my nipple, I feel a rush of euphoria. My body spasms and I realize I am climaxing already. “Holy. Shit.” I pant. “Will we have access to this stuff whenever we want?”

“If my queen wishes to cum, she need only to ask.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Okay then. I wish to cum.”

Kato lifts me and sits me against the throne. It looks like it would be uncomfortable but feels like smooth wood beneath me. He leans to kiss me deeply. I breathe into him, relishing in his scent. I want his body against me. I want him inside me.

He puts a hand to his cock, looking down to find my opening. I feel the tip of him against me, barely sliding inside and pushing me open. And then he pulls back.

“My queen did not say
when
she wanted to come.”

“Now,” I say, already breathing heavily. My eyes are on his cock. My need for him to fill me heavy.

“Very well.” He kneels, spreading my legs with his strong hands.

I lean back, wanting him to fill me but not able to pass up his mouth against me either. He kisses his way up my thighs. His mouth moves slowly. He takes his time, tasting me and breathing me in. I feel his hot breath against my clit and he is about to kiss my pussy when he stands abruptly.

“I almost forgot,” he says.

I nearly kick him in the balls. He’s lucky I need all of his equipment working.

“We need this.” Kato moves back to the tree and grabs another handful of the sap. He returns and then takes a mouthful before kneeling between my legs again. I drink in the sight of his broad shoulders and powerful arms and neck. The perfectly chiseled lines of his face and jaw.

He puts his mouth to my pussy and I arch my back, shoving my hips into his face. My eyes roll back and I feel my head spinning. He starts slowly, licking at the hood of my clit and sometimes working his way around to the more sensitive area of exposed flesh. He slides his tongue down the center of my folds, pausing at my opening and reminding me how long his tongue is. It slips inside, just barely brushing my g-spot. A shiver runs through me.

“You. Call me. Jungle kitten. But you are. The one. With the tricks.” I say, struggling to pant each word between clenched teeth.

He mumbles something into my pussy, the vibrations of his deep purrs and his words sending me near the edge.

“What?” I ask.

He mumbles into me again.

Frustrated, I grab his head and lift him up. My juices and the sap glisten on his lips. “What are you saying?” I ask.

He grins at me. “I said if you don’t stop me soon I will make you cum.”

I smirk back at him and shove his face down into my pussy. He picks up where he left off, the pace increasing. He kisses, licks, and sucks on my clit, my lips, and around my opening until I am grinding against his face so hard and moaning so loud that my cheeks are flushed with embarrassment. The feeling is distant though, unable to overpower the absolute ecstasy of his touch. When I am sure that one more sensation will send me to climax, he pulls back and rubs the sap on his cock. It glistens over his beautiful gold skin.

I wrap my legs around him, feeling the firm muscle of his ass with my feet, using my heels to explore his sculpted flesh. He takes his cock in one hand and uses its tip to rub the outside of my pussy, spreading my juices from opening to clit. He teases me with his length, rubbing me until I am building toward cumming again. Then he pushes deeper into my valley, slowly working his manhood lower and lower until it slides in. First an inch, then he slides out and moves back up to work my clit with his cock.

He pauses, meeting my eye. He slides a hand behind my neck and then thrusts into me, several inches at once. I cry out in pain and surprise but quickly feel the pleasure of being filled so deeply overwhelm everything else. The heights of my pain are replaced by ecstasy, the two sensations confused until I can’t tell the difference. He pumps in and out of me, his powerful body drawn taut, the muscles of his chest and abs sharply visible.

I slide a hand down his six pack, tracing the lines between each muscle, down to the “v” of muscle that leads to his manhood. I follow it with my finger, putting a hand between the soft hair at the base of his cock and my pussy as he pounds into me again and again. My clit presses against my own hand with each thrust and adds new sensations of pleasure. I moan, rocking my hips to meet his and feeling him slide even deeper inside me.

My feet clutch against his ass, searching his firm flesh. My hand circles around the base of his cock and slides to his balls. He leans forward, kissing the back of my neck. I bend my head to lick his nipples. Instead, I find myself biting playfully at them through moans that are becoming more like grunts and then screams. He lifts me from the chair and lays me on the floor, still thrusting while he carries me to my new position. He pulls my hips toward him and changes position slightly and I feel even more of his length slip inside me. I bend forward, crying out in pain and pleasure. I use the thick muscle of his chest to stifle my scream, biting down hard until I taste blood.

“Another battle scar,” he says, his voice a low growl. Raspy and sensual.

“Keep talking,” I say, the sound of his voice driving me wild.

“Is this an order from my queen?” he asks in my ear. The vibrations of his body and voice roll through me like waves.

His hand slides down my neck and chest, squeezing my breast and pinching my nipple.

“Yes.” I moan.

“What does my queen want me to say.”

“Anything.”

He thrusts, each movement feeling as though it will be the one that finally makes me cum. I feel as if several climaxes are lined up, waiting to all come at once.

“A joke, then,” he says.

“Okay. Shut up,” I pull his head down to me and kiss him deeply. His tongue flicks into my mouth. I can taste my juices on him. The taste is sweet.

He flips me over and takes me from behind. His strong hands are on my hips and the slap of his pelvis against my ass comes faster and faster.

“I’m going to cum,” I shout.

Kato lets loose a low growl, thrusting his cock into me again and again. I feel my juices dripping down the insides of my thighs.

The sensations that have been waiting to release finally rise up, growing in power until I can’t hold them back and I don’t want to. My eyes squeeze shut and I convulse in climax. My pussy clenches against his cock, as if milking it, begging it to fill me. He roars loud and powerfully and pushes himself deep into me. He stays still while his cock pulses with each release of his seed. I feel the explosion of warmth deep within me and shudder as wave after wave of climax rocks through my body.

When he finally slides out of me, I feel a hot rush of his seed slide down my leg. And I hope beyond hope that he has given me a child.

L
iandra

I ease myself beside Kato, who sits upon his throne. My belly is getting so large now with the twins that I can’t ever seem to find a comfortable position. Still, I rub my hands along the tight flesh and try to feel if either Altus or Sapphire are moving inside me. Kato chose the name of our son and after a fierce debate, allowed me to choose the name of our daughter. He was going to name her Brunhilda, of all things. . .

He motions to the guards. They open the large doors leading to our throne room.
Our
throne room. The phrase still sends chills through me. To think. . . I’m a
queen.
I sit beside my
king
and my belly is filled with a little prince and princess. It’s as if I somehow stepped into every woman’s dream world without realizing I had ever fallen asleep. Except when I look at my king beside me, I realize that he would be too much for most women to handle. He’s wild, powerful, and ruthless. Though I have gained some semblance of influence over him, I know that like a wild horse, he could still buck free at any moment. In fact, he often does.

But the tension and the challenge is something I wouldn’t change if I could. Any man can be tamed by a powerful woman. And, I’ve come to realize, that’s exactly what I am. I have strength. More than I knew at first. Kato is not any man. He will never be tamed. But he is mine, and I am his. There’s a pride and a thrill in that, in knowing that it was his seed that produced the babies inside me. I know they will be strong and powerful in their own ways as well.

I would smile, but Kato tells me I smile too much. So I smooth my expression until it is neutral. Then I remember that Kato may call me his own, but he is not the only one who cannot be completely tamed. So I smile wide and bright, drinking in the sight of my king in his regalia. I smile to think of every wonderful thing that has come of so much tragedy.

When Kato chose me, he signalled a new beginning for humanity. Currently, they are setting up temporary housing for my people—my former people—on a large expanse of relatively peaceful Loris trees to the East. The transition hasn’t been without its challenges, of course. Some of the humans already resent being treated like children who need watched over. There are even rumblings of factions among the humans who want to take more land for themselves.

But my thoughts are drawn back to the present moment when Mira appears in the doorway before us. She wears a fashionable dress woven with green and gold silks. Her hair done into tightly wound ringlets of blonde. She smiles wide, rushing to meet me. I struggle to stand but Kato’s strong hand helps me to rise.

Mira embraces me, careful not to press herself against my full belly.

“Lia,” she says, holding me at arm’s length, still smiling wide. “I have great news. Admiral Elliot has named me First Ambassador.”

I feel the smile melt from my face. “First Ambassador. . . That’s wonderful.” Though I try to hide it, the hesitance in my heart slips into my words.

“I know! They are already scheduling me for my first mission in two weeks. I’m going to meet with the leaders of the Targan clan.”

Kato stirs. “The Targan? They are a fractured people. . . Their king cast himself into exile and is rumored to live among the beasts. They say he is lost.”

Mira straightens. “Then I suppose I’ll have to find him.”

Kato laughs. “In the wilds? No. You would not survive.”

“Then I’ll find some warriors who are strong enough to protect me before I go looking.”

“You are indeed your sister’s blood,” he says, amused by her tenacity.

I move to sit again, feeling as if my legs are going to give out. My little Mira? Going into the monster-infested jungle to look for some wild king? I’m happy that she has found some kind of purpose for her life, but why did it have to be
that
? I’ve seen these people. If I didn’t have Kato to protect me, there would be no way I would’ve survived an hour on this planet.

Mira sees the look on my face. “I’ll be okay, Lia. You’re not the only fighter in the family.”

I smile for her. She has made her decision. All that there is left for me to do now is support her. I just hope beyond all hope that she finds someone out there like Kato who can protect her from what’s coming.

When Mira leaves I turn to Kato. As always, the strength in his eyes soothes me. They are like emerald pools of water in sunlight, spattered with sandy gold. He regards me, his sculpted features a mask that I cannot read. He stands, his figure striking in the sunlight that pours through the windows.

“My queen,” he says.

I can hear him purring from several feet away. I’ve learned by now what that means. I feel myself growing wet with anticipation, thoughts of fear for my sister being gently placed to the side for now. After all, I still have two weeks to think of a way to help her. I move to follow him. He needs no words. I know what he wants.

We do not have the patience to wait until we reach his room, so he pins me against the wall as soon as we leave the public eye in the throne room. He kisses me deeply and I moan into him. The nerves across my body tingle, firing in anticipation of pleasure. He rips part of my shirt down, pulling one of my tits free. Hungrily, he bends to suck at my nipple, pulling gently with his teeth.

He grinds his hard cock against my pussy, forcing the wetness to seep through my panties. I rock my hips against him, biting down on his neck to stifle a moan. He’s rough, but gentle enough not to put weight against my swollen belly.

He lifts my skirts just enough to slide inside me. The hormones of my pregnancy have me extra horny, and to my embarrassment I find myself whispering in his ear. “Fill me, Kato. Fill me with your beautiful cock. I want your seed inside me.”

He tenses, his purring and the vibrations growing stronger.

“Where is the King?” asks a voice just around the corner.

Kato quickly pulls my skirts down to cover us and turns me slightly to the side, his cock still halfway inside me beneath my dresses. He holds me under my knees and behind my neck.

The guard turns the corner, eyes widening slightly when he sees us. “My lord,” he says. “A messenger from the
humanist
forces wanted to send you a message. He said it was urgent.”

“Leave,” barks Kato. “He can wait. My queen grew weary and needs to be taken to her chambers.” He looks into my eyes, the spark of mischief in his own. “I must explore her thoroughly to determine the cause of her illness. . .”

I stifle a laugh. The movement of my shaking pushes his cock deeper within me. It still vibrates as he purrs and my stifled laugh turns into a stifled moan. “Y-yess. Ah,” I say. “And if you hear screams, it is likely a night terror. They have been plag-Oh. . .Plaguing me lately.”

“Yes, my queen. I will inform the rest of the men.”

“Also,” says Kato. “You can tell the
humanist
that I am coming. But I will be taking my time about it.”

This time I don’t bother holding back my giggle. Kato carries me past the guard, who looks utterly confused and a little embarrassed.

Kato stops at the threshold of his rooms and gazes down at me. For a moment I see something in him that pushes beyond possessiveness and conquest. Though I know he feels for me, I’ve always felt it is a pure sense of ownership that motivates him to care for me. But in that brief flash of his eyes, I see something more. Something that speaks of feelings. In that one instant I know that if he is a mountain of solid rock, I have at least turned one stone soft. And with that realization I know that our pairing will survive all the strife and trauma that is sure to come with time.

The End