Under By Treaty (SciFi Romance) (12 page)

“Mmm
,” she murmured. “You smell good.”

“
A gallon of mouthwash. Go to sleep. Don’t think I can handle much more tonight.”

Her response was to rub her behind against his aching cock. Jaden grimaced. He was in for an uncomfortable night. His erection hadn
’t gone down since removing the cock ring, and wasn’t likely to with Sonil beside him.

“
Captain Markl called while you were showering. He reports that you did well.”

Jaden shuddered. So much for being let off the hook. Markl had been slow to reach
a climax. Or the K’lahn possessed super-stamina and had simply wanted to draw out Jaden’s misery. Close to the end, Jaden had been wishing Markl
had
fucked his ass, except for a sneaking suspicion the ship’s captain would have taken his time over that, too.

He screwed his eyes tight
ly shut. Hell. Was there anything he wouldn’t do for Earth? Although he had to wonder how much Earth had become a convenient excuse to avoid acknowledging Sonil’s growing hold on him.

“The butt plug was just a mind game, wasn
’t it?” he said.

“
No, you need to be prepared for all possibilities. The Qui could require anything of you.” She ground her ass against him and everything Markl put him through faded away as a different fire lit up his nerve ends. Sex with Sonil always blew his mind. Her caress soothed him, eased his tension. He felt safe in her arms, she never hurt him there, used his attraction for her against him, yes, but she didn’t mix lovemaking with pain.

Soon his time with her would be over.
Jaden struggled to control his breathing. “And where will you be?”

She
stilled. “On Court business.”

Jaden
sighed and rolled onto his back. He covered his face with his arm. “Forget culmination. Giving you up will be the real test.”

She
turned around. He felt her go up on her elbow.

“Do you mean that, Jaden?”

Crap. Why had he said that? He was overtired and overthinking everything. Now she wanted to analyze him. But however much he wanted to, he couldn’t lie.

“God help me, yes,
I do.”

Her fingers pressed against his
rock-hard erection. “Do you want to make love to me, Jaden?”

He groaned.
“Yes, I want to make love to you. Only my ass is ablaze and I don’t want to move right now.”

“Then
I will make love to you.”

She rose above him, positioned her sex on his cock and pushed down
.

Jaden
flinched. “Fuck. That’s a little fast, Sonil. I’m in agony here.”

“What would you have me do?”

Damn… Did she really just ask that? His mind considered the endless possibilities.

S
onil’s fingers brushed over his navel. The effect on his erection was electric. If she touched him there again he would explode. It was like Sonil and his cock were of a single mind.

“
Tell me what you like,” she said.

“I like
the way you run your fingers through my hair.”

“Ah.”
She leaned forward, not relinquishing possession of his erect member for a second.

Unexpectedly, h
er lips pressed against his. Jaden opened his mouth giving her access. Her tongue flickered between his teeth as she trailed fingers through the hair at his temple down to his ear. She dropped gentle kisses down to his jaw and then to his neck. As her nails scraped his scalp, Jaden began to relax, her gentle invasion of his body unleashing a flurry of sensation that slowly eradicated the memories of his evening with Markl. Only the scytah’s sting remained.

Sweet heaven, he
needed this distraction. He needed to fall asleep without an erection courtesy of Markl’s rough manipulation. Placing his hands on Sonil’s hips, he settled her into a gentle pace on his throbbing cock. She followed his lead and as his ardor increased, he moved his hands to her breasts. Sonil rose off his chest, just enough to give him room to play. Her tongue explored his mouth deeper. The intimate touch undid him completely. He tweaked her right nipple, aware of how much it turned her on.

“Harder,”
she murmured through her kiss.

He twisted
and pulled the hard bud until she moaned deep in her throat.

“
Skal! I can’t hold back.”

“
Go for it,” he murmured. She rarely came just once.

She
pushed down on him and squeezed his cock as she reached her peak. As her juices trickled down his balls, Jaden’s pent-up frustration overwhelmed him. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her up and down. His desire built until he was desperate for release. He became frantic. Then Sonil was helping him. She sat up and slammed down onto him. He wanted to protest it was too much – that his ass against the bed sheet was sore and tender – but his body had other ideas and lifted to meet her.

Sonil
moaned an animal sound that rose in pitch to a keening wail. It was the most erotic sound he’d ever heard. She rammed down hard and held still for several seconds. Then her body danced like she was on fire as a second orgasm ripped through her.

Jaden cried out as her
quivering muscles massaged him to an intense climax – her pleasure his ecstasy. He came, quick and fierce, and for a few blissful moments, he felt no pain. He floated in a bubble, disconnected from everything except the woman who held him enthralled.

Something deep inside him clicked.
“Sonil?”

She opened
dazed eyes. “Yes, Jaden.”

“
I have a problem.” Her brow furrowed and he pressed fingers against her lips before she could speak. “I have feelings for you. If this culmination works as you say, the Qui is bound to know.”

“Yes.”

“It’ll never work. What about Earth?”

Pulling his hand down, s
he leaned over him and brushed his lips with a gentle kiss. “I won’t let you fail, Jaden.”

Chapter Ten

Jade
n decided he had swum ten miles and had done enough. Fortunately, he didn’t need to suffer electrocution in order to stop. He just needed to switch the force fields off before sinking.

“
Pool, cease.”

He drifted to the floor and stepped off
the mat to discover Markl watching him.

“We have
arrived,” the ship’s captain said.

Jaden nodded.
He tried to project an air of calm, but inside he was a mass of writhing knots. He had known they were close to the Qui home world. Culturally, he could hold his own. Sonil had been educating him on the Qui Galactic Empire, its star systems, worlds, and cultures. They had debated many topics in K’lahn, clashed in their viewpoints, argued, often he agreed with her, and sometimes he changed her mind. None of that would help him convince the Qui of his devotion.

How could it?

His desire for Sonil had escalated beyond his control. He respected her more than anyone, and not for her ability to beat him. She worked tirelessly to end conflict and bring justice to the planets of the Qui Empire. Years of prejudice had blinded him to her sincerity, to the possibility that the Qui’s succession offered real hope for the end of war. When Sonil told him she didn’t countenance failure, he hadn’t understood that meant she wouldn’t let him fail. Every cruel lesson had been an exercise in preparation, and he had emerged stronger, more resilient and accepting of the role he needed to fulfill if he was to survive culmination and save his world.

Sonil hadn’t let him down, but he feared his feelings for Sonil would bring Earth down
, and his anxiety had grown steadily day by day as they neared their destination.

Markl was studying him. “It serves you well to be nervous. You are to face the Qui alone.
Ambassador Sonil disembarked thirty minutes ago.”

The knots in Jaden’s stomach tightened.
“She’s gone?”

“I think the Court was anxious for a report.”

She never said goodbye.
The scale of his loss hit hard.

“
I wanted to wish you well, Jaden,” Markl said. “Earth is fortunate to have your representation. I must admit, I did not think you had it in you.”

“In me to do what, Captain?”

“To surrender your will to another and retain your integrity.”

“
Does culmination allow for such a thing?”

“Yes. You
have done it already, Jaden. You can do it again. It is a mindset. I look forward to seeing you stand at the side of the Qui.” He inclined his head. “It has been an honor, General Jaden.”

Jaden watched
the captain go, even more confused than he had been when Markl stopped short of raping him. He winced at the memory.

He stood at a loss for what to do
then decided to head to Sonil’s quarters and wait for some sort of instruction. He found it on her bed – a white shirt and jodhpur-style pants. There was also a black-pleated sash to fasten around the waist. Black boots that reached just below his knees sat on the floor. He showered then dressed, relieved that the Qui was not into naked men in thongs.

A knock on the door alerted him
that it was time to go. A twelve-guard escort in full regalia awaited him in the corridor. It seemed the Qui had sent for him.

He wondered if
Sonil would be there. She had said she would join him later, but it wouldn’t be the same, culmination would change everything. He still didn’t understand how the hell he was supposed to surrender to a complete stranger when his head was filled with Sonil. She had said she wouldn’t let him fail, kissed him then told him it made no difference, that the Qui understood the bond between property and trainer.

Sonil’s word was her bond.

Maybe trusting her faith in him would be his path to the other side.

Surrounded by
an armed escort of K’lahn guards, Jaden walked down the ship’s ramp to a palace garden. Avenues of feathery trees and sparkling sheets of water led to a granite obelisk that stretched up as far as the eye could see.

A golden sky held
a trio of moons and an orange-like quality to the sun reminded him he was on another planet, light years from Earth. A ring of dust encircling this planet drenched the horizon in a pink haze. The air tasted sharp, oxygen-rich and scented with a spice he could not identify.

They followed a
flagstone path to an inner courtyard. At first glance the path seemed to be moving and then he realized the ground was teeming with ant-like creatures with an incredible ability to swarm out of harm’s way.

Double doors
opened to a foyer the size of a baseball stadium crowded with ornately-dressed aliens of all sizes and colors. The Court of the Qui brought together representatives of the far reaches of the Galactic Empire, some he knew of from his studies.

Jaden
recognized Trexans, their short, squat physique a result of their planet’s heavier gravity. He had no idea where the egg-head with spindly limbs came from. Lizards were everywhere, although the K’lahn on this planet had a more humanoid appearance, like Sonil and the people of D’ron. Those nearest to him stared at the human in their presence.

The atmosphere
became oppressive. An insectoid creature scuttled past on four legs. What the fuck? As Jaden absorbed the sheer mass of alien diversity, he suddenly grasped for the first time what Earth stood against. The inherent threat facing his home world focused his mind. Somehow, he had to put aside his feelings for Sonil and make this culmination work.

They reached the other side
of the foyer. More doors magically opened onto a hall of smaller proportions, but still incredibly tall. Jaden strained his neck to find the ceiling before realizing the room was actually open to the sky. This was the audience room and it was empty except for the alien creature sitting on a central throne.

Jaden
’s throat closed as he realized that the Qui was at least ten feet tall, blue, and had a distinctly reptilian look. Ridged brows, hard angles, and sharp, prickly looking skin lent her a fearsome edge. This was a truly alien female, and she exuded power, both physical and political. Her manner spoke of an empress who ruled, a Queen who decided the fate of planets with a sweep of her gaze.

His nerves began to shred.
He thought his knees might give way. When the doors slammed shut behind him, he swung around to discover his escort had left him. He forced himself to turn back and face the Qui. This creature had the power to destroy planets. The weight of responsibility fell on Jaden’s shoulders. He must persuade her to spare Earth. Surrender wasn’t the problem – Sonil had beaten his pride out of him – but he couldn’t rewire his heart.

Sonil had said the Qui would understand.

Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the Qui. Sonil had instructed him to bow on bended knee. As he approached, the Qui took to the air, feathered wings lifting her high towards the sky. She flew above and around him. Jaden had to smile. The Qui was very impressive, and playful. He ducked as a wing tip brushed his face. The Qui responded by soaring vertically up in a spiral before darting down towards him, wings closed. At the last moment, her wings speared out wide and she came to a shuddering stop in front of him.

“Nice,” he
said without thinking.

The Qui shifted into a more feminine form.
Her wings reduced in size and her diamond-shaped blue scales smoothed. Jaden remembered the K’lahn had shape-shifting powers including the ability to adopt a cold-blooded physiology. The Qui bloodline was obviously the source of their ability.

She approached him. Her voice spoke in his head.

Kneel before the Qui.

Fuck.
Jaden dropped to one knee and bowed his head. His heart beat fast and erratic.

The Qui moved
in closer.
Make love to me, Jaden.

His head shot up. His mouth dropped open. The Qui was shifting through different forms. One was the woman he loved.

“Sonil?”

“I am the Qui.”

“You? You’re the Qui?”

Yes
.

“You
’re in my head.”

At culmination, t
he Qui can glimpse a man’s mind, body and soul. Make love to me, Jaden.

Jaden rose to his feet
, his heart racing. Earth had a chance. He moved towards her.

The Qui shifted
once more and Sonil stood naked before him. He put a hand in her silky hair and tilted her head back. She gasped. Her eyes sparkled. He slid his fingers to the sensitive spot near the base of her back, slammed her against him and ravaged her mouth with his tongue. She moaned. Sharp nails sliced at his clothes, catching his skin. It was nothing compared to what she had put him through just getting here, but it was distracting.

“Slowly, Sonil
.”

Her efforts to undress him became
less frenzied. Her nails retracted, but her strength was undiminished. She tore his shirt off. His pants were ripped apart, then his briefs. His raging cock sprang free.

“What about the boots?” he asked.

“Leave them. I can’t wait.”

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her
swollen breast.

He
shook his head at her impatience, grabbed her wrist and pinned her arm behind her back.

She stilled. Waiting for his next move. Excited.

He caught the other one, crossed her wrists behind her, and held them in one hand. Only then did he give her breasts the attention she craved. He pressed her hands against her naked butt forcing her stomach against his erection as he mashed her nipples between thumb and forefinger.

She whimpered. Melted
against him.

Letting
her wrists go, he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up and onto his cock. Her hands crept around his neck and into his hair. Then she was kissing him. Desperate. He lifted her hips so she slid up the shaft of his cock to its head. She rammed down again before she could part from him. Then her legs wrapped around his thighs. To his astonishment, wings sprouted from her shoulder blades a good two meters to each side.

Jaden
’s stomach swooped as she lifted them off the ground. Her feet crossed underneath him forming a seat. One arm braced his back. The other supported his head. Again, he lifted her off his cock. Once more, she slammed down on him. Still they continued to rise into the air. The sensation was beyond anything he had ever felt before or could possibly imagine. She was inside him, outside him, and around him. There was nothing else but thin air and the flapping of her wings.

Do you want me, Jaden? This is culmination. I will see through
to the depths of your soul.

I want you.

Her hips increased their rhythm. He was so close.

Enough to serve the Qui
for a lifetime? You know how cruel I can be.

I fell in love
with you, Sonil.

I will be very demanding.

Will you just come already? You are driving me crazy.

Her wings folded behind her. They dropped like a stone. Jaden exploded inside her.

I like you crazy,
he heard.

Then she screamed.
He felt her orgasm shatter her as if it was his own. She went limp.

Jaden
clung on to her for dear life. Then he realized they were falling. “
Sonil
!”

The castle
grew larger by the second, racing up to meet them.

“SONIL!”
Shit
. “Sonil! Snap out of it.”

They began to tumble together.
He drew on all his strength to hold on to her.

At his wit
’s end, he whispered in her ear. “
Please
, Sonil, I
need
you.”

Her wings spread out as they dropped below the roofline. She flapped weakly and then
clutched him to her. He felt a slight uplift and they hit the ground with a bump.

Sonil shifted
fully into her normal human-looking form, the irises of her beautiful eyes fully dilated with pleasure. She smiled at him from where she lay on the floor. “You are
very
good at making love, General Jaden.”

Jaden rolled over, stood up,
tried not to fall over, and offered her his hand. He couldn’t believe they were alive. Sonil looked completely unfazed. Sheer fright spilled out of him. “You nearly killed us!
FUCK
! I should spank you over
my
knee for that.”

She let him pull her up.
“Maybe I’ll let you.”

“I
’m
serious
! We were that close to death.”