Uncharted

  Maybe it was the Need, he thought, tapping at the outdated keyboard, hoping to access some kind of planet-wide information system. Whatever it was, something had skewed these people so far from the original Kindred beliefs, they appeared to have lost them entirely.

  Terex wondered if the Nixians even worshipped the Goddess—he didn’t think so. He seemed to remember one of them invoking a deity who doled out punishment when the Kindred Goddess—the Mother of All Life—was supposed to be all about love and compassion.

  Not that she’s been very loving or compassionate to me, Terex thought bitterly. He felt a twinge of guilt for his blasphemous thoughts but pushed it aside. What he was thinking was no more than the truth. Why should he feel shame for expressing his true emotions?

  Finally, he found his way into the information network and began to call up news and history articles on Master Torin Valdor.

  He was surprised to find that Master Valdor had actually been a philosopher and social scientist with a half Kindred heritage. Several articles mentioned the fact that he had attempted to “bridge the great divide” between the Kindred and the Nix during their troubled past.

  Reading further, Terex found out that Valdor had lived at a time when the tensions between the Kindred and the Nix, whom they had made a genetic trade with, were running high. The Kindred had been seeking to change the way the Nix treated their women, arguing for an equal status between males and females. The Nix faction, however, resisted strongly, refusing to agree to even the smallest compromise.

  Valdor’s greatest opponent was a male called Senator Krumf. He had called for a repudiation of everything the Kindred stood for and an expulsion of “the alien foreigners” as he called them, from Nixian society. After Valdor left on his historic mission, vowing to go seek the wisdom of the Letites—a race of ancient beings that were known to be male and female in the same body and so had unique knowledge of both—Krumf had taken over.

  First Krumf had become the leader of the Nixian senate and then he had gone on to become the first Supreme Leader of the planet. He was ruthless to his opponents, mounting a campaign to seek out and destroy all the Kindred who remained. The articles Terex read called this “the Great Cleansing” though what it amounted to was genocide, he thought, feeling sick.

  According to the article, part of Krumf’s influence had to do with the spread of the Need. Once it swept through the female population, males like Krumf were able to argue that females were inferior creatures—emotional… unpredictable… unstable. How could they be given equal status when they so clearly needed males to guide and protect them? And of course, to ease their symptoms if they were afflicted with the Need.

  Under Krumf’s rule, the treatise on Female Conduct was passed. Though several prominent females rose up and spoke against it, they all seemed to disappear or die in mysterious circumstances. With no more opposition, the new law was ratified and the divide between male and female became broader than ever. Until, at last, the present situation of complete male domination had come to pass.

  “Valdor should have stayed to fight instead of flying off to seek answers from the Letites,” Terex muttered to himself, flipping to other articles which praised the wisdom and iron-fisted rule of the first Krumf. It was plain to see that under his influence the entire planet had gone backwards in leaps and bounds, not only in its treatment of women but in social and educational issues as well.

  Krumf had passed his legacy on to the next generation and the next and the next. At this stage in the game, it appeared that the Kindred reverence for females had been all but wiped from the social consciousness of the entire planet.

  This is why the Kindred High Council at the time didn’t want to allow a genetic trade with the Nix, Terex thought, remembering some of his history. Back when the trade was first being contemplated, the High Council had voiced its fears that the Nix wouldn’t be willing to change their ways and that any Kindred who traded with them would become polluted by their insistence on dominating their females.

  They were right. Terex remembered the silent market and the Needy Ones standing on the street corner, begging in their own mute, pathetic way to be hurt. To be spanked.

  You hurt Solange that way, whispered the voice of guilt in his ear. You allowed yourself to fall into the same trap these people have been snared in.

  No! He shook his head, trying to clear away the shame of his past. I always valued her—always loved her. I never—

  A light knock on his door made him jump. Quickly he cut the power to the console and stood up.

  “Come in,” he called.

  The door opened and Elaina walked into the room with her head down and her hands clasped tightly before her.

  “Master?” she murmured. “May I enter your presence?”

  Terex opened his mouth to speak but found he literally couldn’t say a word. She was wearing an outfit that showed…well, it showed much more of her than he had seen in the past, that was for damn sure.

  A long, shimmering see-through sheathe of a dress draped her luscious curves. A smattering of tiny, sparkling stones adorned the dress, strategically clustered over her breasts and the V of her sex but they didn’t hide everything. When she moved, Terex could see the pink arcs of her areolas and the tight buds of her nipples. A shift of her hips showed the smooth mound of her pussy, the plump, pink lips visible through the shimmering stones…

  You’re staring at her! Stop it! he commanded himself. But he felt helpless to drag his eyes away from her lush body. His own body was reacting to hers—his shaft achingly hard and his fangs so sharp he drew blood simply by touching the tip of his tongue to one of them.

  Elaina, for her part, simply stood with her head bowed, waiting for him to answer her request for entrance.

  “Master?” she said at last, daring a quick peek up at him.

  “What…” His voice came out in a hoarse growl and he had to clear his throat and try again. “What are you doing? You know you can come in.”

  “I’m practicing for our visit to the palace.” She kept her head down, eyes fixed firmly on the floor. “According to Jessa—that’s the Ambassador’s slave girl slash wife or whatever crazy relationship they have here—this is how I’m supposed to act.”

  “I don’t like it.” Terex felt the blood surging through him, and guilt following close behind. Because he did like it—at least his body reacted to it. There could be no denying that.

  Calm, he told himself. I have to be calm. But how could he be when she was acting like this? When she was acting as Solange had used to act when they “played?”

  “This isn’t right,” he growled.

  * * * * *

  There was a wild light in his blue and silver eyes—a look of possible danger—but somehow that only spurred Elaina on more.

  You got us into this, Commander Terex, she thought. So deal with it.

  “Have I angered you, Master?” she asked coquettishly, just as Jessa had coached her.

  Coming forward, she fell to her knees before him. In a graceful gesture of submission, she leaned forward and rubbed her cheek against his thigh.

  “Forgive me,” she purred, looking up at him at last. “Do not deny me the pleasure of your companionship.”

  “Elaina—” Terex shifted uneasily, trying to move away from her light touch.

  “And if the stern hand of discipline is needed, I will of course, submit myself to your will,” she murmured, parroting the words Jessa had taught her.

  “Elaina, don’t.” There was a low, dangerous note in the big Kindred’s voice that made her pull back at last.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked in a more normal tone. “Does this bother you for some reason? It’s the way I’m supposed to act at the palace. And everywhere on this stupid planet—at least according to Jessa.”

  “I guess she would know if she’s mated to the Ambassador. Here…” He offered her his hand. “Stand up. I don’t like to see you kneeling like that.”

  “Yo
u’ll have to get used to it,” Elaina said, allowing him to help her rise. “I’m not kidding—they’re serious about this female submission thing here. We’ll get kicked out of the palace if I don’t show you proper respect.”

  “I am sure you’re right.” Terex cleared his throat. “It’s just…not the Kindred way.”

  “I thought these people mixed with the Kindred—the Lost Kindred. What happened to them?” Elaina asked curiously.

  “They were assimilated.” Terex sounded grim. “Those that weren’t were killed off.”

  “Killed off?” She stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  “Deadly serious,” Terex assured her. “Just a moment ago I was accessing their news and information system. He gave her a quick run down of what he’d learned and Elaina listened, wide-eyed.

  “Wow—so Valdor flies off to who knows where, this Krumf guy takes over, the Need sweeps through the entire planet, and before you know it, women are reduced to slaves who aren’t even allowed to speak in public places…” Elaina shook her head in disgust. “That’s awful!”

  “A series of events that could have been avoided but somehow wasn’t,” Terex mused. His eyes kept returning to her see-through dress and Elaina felt herself blushing under his scrutiny. But she refused to be embarrassed—this was one of the least revealing dresses Jessa had offered her and she doubted she’d get to wear anything more modest while they were here.

  “You like the clothes they gave me to wear?” she asked lightly, giving him permission to look. “It was either this or a silver mesh bikini with some, ah, very important parts cut out.”

  “It’s…lovely. You’re lovely.” The big Kindred’s voice sounded slightly strangled. Elaina saw him try to look away and fail. For her part, she couldn’t help looking at him too.

  The white robe with the blue border he was wearing was open to show his muscular chest and the black trousers he had on were even tighter than the black flight leathers he’d worn on their journey. In fact, they were so tight she could plainly see the thick ridge of his shaft straining against the fabric.

  Not that she hadn’t seen it before—she’d been rubbing her cheek against his thigh just a moment ago, after all. But it seemed to have gotten even bigger somehow. And when she raised her eyes to his face, she saw that his sensuous lips were slightly parted, showing that gleaming set of double fangs. They looked ready to bite—ready to pierce…

  Suddenly, Kate’s words came back to her—“The reason he’s so angry that you’re going along is that he’s not sure he can control his sexual urges around you.”

  Remembering the way he’d grabbed her on the Kindred Mother ship and pressed his face and mouth to the side of her throat, Elaina took a step back. Was it really safe to be teasing him the way she’d just been doing? Should she be trying to keep some distance between them? But how could she when they were playing these particular roles?

  Terex must have seen the look on her face and the way she retreated from him because he frowned.

  “Something’s troubling you. What is it?”

  “I…I’m fine,” Elaina lied, looking down. “I just…have something in my eye and it hurts.”

  That was no lie, anyway. The eye she’d been gotten dust in during their ride on the jendel was still a bit irritated, despite the fact that she’d rinsed it out thoroughly during her shower in the wash-all. Wincing, she rubbed at it.

  “Let me see.” Terex strode over to her, looming over her menacingly.

  “No-no! It’s fine. I just—”

  “Let me see,” he insisted. Taking her chin firmly in his hand, he tilted her face up to his.

  Elaina wanted to struggle, to pull away, but for some reason she didn’t. His forcefulness was doing something strange to her—something she didn’t understand. He didn’t hurt her but he held her firmly, not letting her go as he examined the eye in question.

  “Hmm…it is a bit red. Does it hurt? Should we get you some medical attention?”

  “Medical attention in a place like this? They’d probably just recommend a good spanking.” She tried to laugh but for some reason it came out high and breathless.

  “A spanking,” Terex muttered. Dropping her chin abruptly, he took a step back.

  Suddenly Elaina was overwhelmed by a mental image—herself draped over one of the big Kindred’s muscular knees with her skirt pulled up and her panties down around her ankles as he spanked her ass.

  For some reason, the image made her knees get weak and her breath come short. Her palms grew damp and her heart pounded fiercely.

  What’s wrong with you? she asked herself, honestly bewildered. Why was such a crazy thought affecting her this way?

  True, she’d always longed to be a bit more adventurous in the bedroom—to explore and try new things. That was one of the reasons she and her ex had broken up. Miles had no interest in anything that wasn’t a two minute session of huffing and puffing on top of her missionary style and then turning over and going to sleep. Elaina had always wanted more—but more what? She wasn’t quite sure herself. But certainly not this—not spanking and submission and all the other awful things that were happening on this dreadful planet. Right?

  “I didn’t mean—” she began.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Terex wasn’t looking at her. “If your eye continues to bother you or gets worse, please let me know. I’ll see you get proper treatment.”

  “I can get treatment myself,” Elaina protested, frowning. “I’m a grown woman. I don’t need your help.”

  “On this planet, you do.” He looked at her at last, his eyes blazing. “I don’t care what was said before—I’m responsible for you, Elaina. Especially in the roles we’re playing now. So I mean it—if you have any kind of physical issues while we’re here, I want you to come to me with them. No matter how big or small. Do you understand?”

  Elaina put a hand on her hip.

  “I don’t—”

  “I said do you understand?” He frowned at her so sternly that she felt the sassy reply she’d been about to give die on her lips.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes…Master.” She’d called him that before, but she’d been only joking. This time, she came a little closer to meaning it, even though she didn’t want to.

  But there was something about his stern tone…the way he looked at her, that made her stomach flutter for some reason. Why?

  Before Elaina could delve farther into her confused feelings, there was a knock at the door and a male servant put his head in.

  “Forgive me, Master Valdor but Ambassador Waygu is ready to go. He bid me ask if you were sufficiently rested for your introduction at the palace.”

  “Yes, we’re fine.” Terex nodded shortly. “We’ll be out in a minute.”

  The servant nodded and shut the door quietly.

  “Well…” Elaina took a deep breath. “I guess we’re about to take this show on the road.”

  “Yes.” Terex looked like he was going to say something else…but then he simply turned and headed for the door.

  “Hey, wait for me!” Elaina pushed her confused emotions aside and hurried after him.

  Ambassador Waygu and Jessa were waiting for them in the middle of the grand, high-ceilinged living room area, both looking impatient. Jessa was wearing a much more revealing outfit than Elaina—a scarlet robe with slits cut in it to show her breasts and pussy clearly—but Terex barely glanced at her.

  “Are we ready to go?” he asked the Ambassador, who was fiddling with an expensive and complicated-looking timepiece that was hung around his neck with a thick golden chain.

  “Well, we are, my good Master Valdor,” Waygu said frowning. “But I’m afraid you are not.”

  “Why? Is there something wrong with the way we’re dressed?” Terex frowned, looking down at himself.

  “You look resplendent, Master Valdor,” the Ambassador assured him. “It’s your slave that’s the problem.”

  “Me?” Elaina squeaked, before she
remembered she wasn’t supposed to speak directly to the Ambassador. She saw Jessa give her a shocked look and a quick shake of her head which made her red curls bounce.

  “Your slave,” Waygu went on, pointedly speaking only to Terex. “Is not wearing a collar. I realize she is a Love Slave but at the palace, you cannot let her run around without one. It simply isn’t done!”

  Jessa nodded earnestly and the Ambassador said to her, “You have a thought on this matter, Jessa?”

  His slave slash wife nodded again.

  “Very well—you may speak.” He said it as though he was conferring a great favor on her.

  “Thank you, my Master.” Jessa bobbed her head. “I just wanted to say that Elaina can borrow one of my collars until her Master can buy her one. I don’t mind.”

  “Ah, you’re so generous, my little song bird.” The Ambassador chucked her lightly under the chin and gave her an affectionate smile. “Go get her one then—mind its fit to wear in the presence of his Supreme Exaltedness.” He gave her a light slap on her nearly bare bottom and Jessa went scampering off to her room in the women’s quarters.

  She returned shortly with a thick golden collar that had a large, square-cut emerald set in the center of it. Showing it to Ambassador Waygu, she raised her eyebrows in silent question.

  “Yes, indeed my dear—that will do nicely.” He nodded approvingly. “Hand it to her master that he may put it on her.”

  Jessa bowed low, raising her hands above her head to offer Terex the golden collar. He took it from her hesitantly and then turned to Elaina.

  Elaina felt a surge of fear. Following an incident in her childhood where her step brother held a pillow over her face and nearly smothered her, she had never really liked having anything too tight around her throat or face. She avoided choker necklaces and even turtleneck sweaters—not that she often got to wear sweaters, living in Tampa. But still…

  “Elaina?” Terex must have seen the fear in her face because he cupped her cheek in one large, warm hand and searched her eyes with his own. “What is it?” he murmured.

  “Nothing, I just…” Elaina swallowed hard and looked down. “I don’t like…don’t like having anything too tight around my neck.”