Deadly Star, page 10
“Indeed. It is usually an honour given to the strongest minds, but Nova has won them over.” He smiled. “The tree was eager to know her as well.”
She laughed then paused. “Wait. You are serious?”
“I am.”
She shivered. “That is... unusual.”
Heboren chuckled. “My consort is unusual. She will do anything to survive, and that is a trait I have a fondness for.”
Hekora nodded. “So, the trees and nasat...”
“Accepted her without hesitation. Please make the knowledge common. I want her transition here to be as easy as possible.”
“Of course, Overseer. She does seem to suit you. You look pleased.”
He nodded. “This is what hope looks like, Hekora.”
His housekeeper grinned. “It looks good on you.”
He closed his eyes and checked on Nova. “It feels good. I will have to purchase some fliers and a sprinter for her. She needs to feel like the whole world is at her disposal.”
Hekora frowned. “What if she gets lost?”
He opened his eyes and grinned. “I will find her.”
Chapter Ten
Lily sat up with a jolt, and thickly muscled arms pulled her back against Nebel.
“Hello, precious. We are home. You have slept four more days, but the process is complete. I am proud of you.” He kissed her cheek. “Ready to see Bellen?”
“Can I get dressed first?”
He chuckled. “I wish the answer to be no, but yes, you can. It is warm on most of my world, so your clothing will be minimal once we settle in.”
“That explains the piercings. Before my world... ended, the most societal body mods began in the warmest climate where the most skin was exposed.”
He chuckled. “I have invited many artistic spirits here to express themselves creatively. Our world profits, and they get more materials to play with. When like minds challenge each other, great things can happen.”
“Like the star?”
“Yes. Heboren contributed to that.” He nuzzled at her ear. “So, he got the first crack at the finished designs.”
“Is that how it works?”
“For Hmrain, yes. Anyone else would have to go through a panel to determine whether the invention could be used for aggression. If yes, we would alter it and set a maintenance schedule that would check to make sure that no alterations had been done to the equipment on the receiving end.”
“Wouldn’t that be dangerous for any tech fixing the invention?”
“I send them under guard with plenty of drones.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“So, do you want to take your first steps on your new world?”
Lily smiled. “I suppose that is the best step.”
He groaned and pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “I was hoping you would say something different.”
She chuckled. “I think there will be time for that later. A lot of time and a lot of later.”
He hugged her. “Right. Well, let’s get you dressed then.”
“Shower first?”
“No.” He kissed her shoulder again.
Lily was surprised. “What?”
“My home is private, and while the drones will broadcast your presence, only I will know what you smell like.” He cupped her sex. “I worked hard to get your scent into me and my scent into you.”
Lily muttered, “I do remember it was hard.”
He chuckled. “Come on, Lily. We shall get you dressed in the clothing the drones brought in, and then I can show you our home.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
He pushed them up with one arm, and she squirmed carefully to be free. He sighed. “Stand here.”
She stood, and he shook out some fabric before wrapping a narrow band around her breasts. Support wasn’t the goal. This was just something to cover her nipples. He smiled. “Now that I am no longer quite as distracted...” A wide sash with hanging fabric front and back was fastened around her lower hips, under her navel. She was eighty percent exposed, and he didn’t seem concerned. He had her step on a platform, and bands of something synthetic wrapped over her toes and heel. She had transparent shoes.
She wiggled her toes and combed her hair away from her face in the lavatory. When she was ready, he slid an arm around her bare waist, and they walked out of the shuttle and then through the ship, which also appeared to be manned by drones and other bots.
“So, are there any people on your world, or is it all bots?”
Nebel smiled. “I have you and about eight million people on Bellen. All are compatible species so that, eventually, there will be a unified citizenry.”
“And you are willing to bring my kind here?”
“Of course. Will it ease your mind to have others of your species here?”
“I like the idea but don’t know how I will feel about the execution of it.” She wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t mind medical personnel that knew what end did what.”
“Ah, and an obstetrics specialist?”
Lily chuckled. “Boy, are you optimistic.”
“I do not think that optimism enters into it. The designers wouldn’t have given me the capability to reshape you if it wouldn’t bear fruit.”
“I don’t think that fruit is an issue.”
He grinned, and they descended the cargo ramp, and heat wrapped around her the moment that the light of the two suns touched her. It was warm. Very warm. The outfit she was wearing was appropriate for the environment. She wouldn’t mind wearing less.
“Nice call on the outfit. Is it always this warm?”
“Outside of the cities? Yes. The cities are domed for extra climate control and protection. The testing grounds are not encapsulated.”
He continued to talk, but she stared into the distance. Domed cities dotted the horizon as she slowly turned around. Everywhere she looked she could see tiny domes dotted across the horizon. “Wow. How many people are in each city?”
“Less than a hundred thousand. These cities here depend on getting fresh materials from other worlds. The closer they are to the landing site, the faster they get their materials for projects.”
Nebel took her hand and pulled her against him. She stared up at him for a moment, and then he lifted her, kissed her, and his wings flared wide for their takeoff. He launched, and his wings clawed them up high until she could see the landscape and feel the cool breezes that weren’t available on the ground.
He had a good grip on her, so she was only slightly nervous. He did a slow circle, so she could see the land until the curvature of the world blurred the details. “Welcome to Bellen, Lily.”
“Thank you, Nebel.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Do you live in the sky?”
“No, I don’t. Nor do you.” He turned, and his wings began a heavy stroke that pulled them through the air while he dove to pick up speed.
She had no idea how much ground they had covered by the time they landed, but she would guess at three hundred miles. They had flown fast.
Lily looked around as he walked into the glass home, and absolutely all parts of it were exposed to the light of the two suns. She could see the bedroom through the glass panels.
Lily licked her lips. “Not a big fan of privacy?”
Nebel chuckled. “Privacy mode.”
The glass walls went opaque grey as he walked through the building that opened all doors at his approach.
“Oh. That’s handy.” She licked her lips. “I thought that there would be people to greet you.”
“I don’t actually like people that much; you are the exception.”
Lily looked at his smile. “So, I am... lucky?”
“My goal is to make you think so sooner rather than later.”
“So, how does your home function?”
“Drones and bots, the same as my ship. There were hundreds of cameras watching us exit the ship, so the social requests will begin tomorrow.”
“Social requests?”
“To have us visit different cities to have the citizenry meet you.”
He passed a living area, a kitchen area, and a study, and everywhere he walked, doors opened and closed.
“So, they see you?”
He nodded. “They do. They will see you as well. First thing we are doing is getting you acknowledged by the house systems, bots, and drones. Then, you can make the acquaintance of the fabricator.”
The wide doors ahead of them opened, and he walked into his bedroom. “Here we are, priceless.”
“I thought you did put a price on me.” She settled on her feet as he set her down.
“I put a price on your services. That can be earned out.” Nebel smiled softly and drew a finger down her cheek and neck. “In time.”
She shivered. “Right. So, what first?”
“First, we bathe, then you get rest. After that, we have dinner and walk the gardens.”
“I just woke up. I am not sleepy.” Lily saw the slow smile and kicked herself for being an idiot.
“Don’t worry, Lily; you will be.”
She slowly exhaled as he took her hand and walked her to a chamber where a small swimming pool was steaming gently, and a cloud of flower petals was moving around in a pastel swirl on the surface. Lily grinned. “Do you often bathe in flower petals?”
He hooked a finger in the edge of her skirt, and it dropped to the ground. “No. This will be a first for me. First bath with a mate, first bath with a consort, first bath with petals.” He grinned. “First bath with a Terran.”
Her top slithered to the ground. His clothing was next and was removed by opening his collar behind his head and then peeling it down and off his hips in one move. His boots foiled things, but when he got them off, he took her hand and led her into the water down a set of steps.
His wings were folded tight to his back as he led her into deeper water, and when he settled on a shelf, he pulled her onto his lap with her back to his chest. She registered that the water was very warm but wasn’t too hot for her. She settled, and he kissed her neck while his hands went wandering.
The column of petals came toward them, and the scent was heady when they gathered around her. She inhaled and shivered, and the fingers moving inside her felt like fire. Her rise to climax was shockingly fast, and the second followed after the first. When she was recovering, he turned her and kissed her as he slid into her. How he got in, she had no idea, but there was something that let him slide, so maybe his precum wasn’t water soluble.
Nebel held her hips and lifted and dropped her slowly, waves between them. Her hands slid over his arms as they kissed as he managed to get all the way into her for the first time. Another first.
When she whined into his mouth, he growled softly, and she felt the heat fill her again. She moaned against his lips, and his hands stroked her back.
Nebel washed her everywhere except between her thighs. He couldn’t. She was fully on him.
He kissed her neck and began to flex inside her. That was new. He dragged a finger around to her clit and moved the piercing. She gasped and whimpered as he played with the small rod through the hood of her clit. The flexing was distracting, and the toying was dizzying. When she came, she softly screamed as everything clenched and twitched. More heat spilled into her, and she shuddered as it massaged her channel from the inside out.
Nebel held her against him. “And that concludes washing you from the inside.”
She snorted. “Idiot.”
He laughed. “That kind of talk is going to get you spanked.”
“Not in my contract.”
His finger grazed her clit again, and she flinched. Her body reacted, and he grunted softly.
“Ah, Lily, you are holding me so tight.”
She sighed and drooped in his embrace. He stayed with her, inside her, moving slowly, and she nodded off.
Lily groaned at the ache she felt. She sat up and looked over at Nebel. He had a workstation in the corner and was focusing on something. He turned his head and grinned when she looked at him. “Hello, precious. How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Achy. Naked but clean.”
He chuckled. “I have started designing your wings.”
She crawled over the sheets toward him and then slithered off the bed. She was sticky. That was new. His cum had simply been disappearing up until now.
Nebel was looking at her with a soft smile. “So, your body is now defended against mine.”
“Is it?” She didn’t follow his gaze. “How can you tell?”
“Until now, your body has been using the material I have provided to reinforce itself. Now, it does not need the material to complete the reconstruction. From this point on, when you cycle, there is a chance at offspring.”
“Oh. Right.” She swallowed. “So, how long do other species take to adapt?”
“It varies. I believe three years is the longest that they have taken to adapt. One species was just allergic to Hmrain and died during the first copulation.”
She blinked. “Allergy? Oh, damn.”
“Yes, we are lucky that your kind is so flexible.” He beckoned to her. “Do you want to see the wing design?”
She stretched and nodded, walking around to stand next to him. He opened his wing and pulled her against him while she stared at the screens. The superstructure of the wings was there. Muscles were replaced by rods and small machines.
“Oh, that looks involved.”
“There will be a few designs before there is one that I am satisfied with, and then we will work on connecting them to you to check for range of motion.”
“They are very involved.” She leaned forward to peer at the design. His wing wrapped around her and pulled her back onto his naked lap.
“They are. It has been very entertaining. I will increase the wing span a little to counter any weight you gain over time.”
“Um, can I carry anything?”
He cocked his head. “I will make you a separate set for carrying cargo or possibly another person of your size.”
She grinned. “Two sets of wings. You are spoiling me.”
He chuckled.
“Now, where is a shower, and how can I get clothing?”
He pulled her snugly against him. “First and last thing per day is a kiss.”
“Why?”
“Because I control the world beneath our feet, and I want to start the day with a kiss.”
Lily looked at him. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.”
“The nanites keep the bacteria under control. Your breath is fine.”
She put her hand over her mouth and exhaled. “You aren’t kidding. Wow.”
“So, as you never need to fear a kiss, you should certainly give me my due now.”
“After that, I get some clothing, right?”
His brows waggled a little, and it made her laugh. He smiled and stroked her jaw. “Yes, I will show you how to use the fabricator. After that, we will put in some of the piercings.”
“Can’t wait.” She brought her face in to his and kissed him. The soft brush of lips was sweet, but she was fairly sure she was interested in more. She licked at him and softly murmured when he was making her do all the work, so... Lily squirmed around, pushed him as far back as his wings would let him go, and shoved her tongue into his mouth.
She held his head and continued to slide her tongue along his until she pulled back, gave him another quick kiss on his slightly parted lips, and leaned back. “Good enough?”
He cocked her head and cupped the back of her skull as he gave her a slow but thorough kiss that weakened her knees.
When they parted, she was breathing fast, and he was smiling softly. “It was fine. We will work at getting better, Lily.”
“Getting better, how?”
“So that you don’t hesitate. Take what you want, little Terran. What’s mine is yours.”
Lily nodded, and he set her on her feet before he stood up. He showed her how to activate a glass panel and directed her onto the silver mat in front of it. “Touch the panel with your fingers and ask it for what you want.”
Lily touched the panel and said, “Display available designs?”
A blur of options passed, so she clarified, “Display available designs for females of my body shape.”
A beam measured her from head to toe, and options streamed across the unit, all very suited to the hot weather.
She looked at an outfit that seemed to be made of some kind of gauze and selected it. A countdown started.
Nebel grinned. “Well done. Now a shower, and then we can get the proper piercings into you.”
She nodded and soon was being scrubbed from head to toe with all the focus being on her piercings. He sat her on the edge of the bed, got a flat case from somewhere, used two forceps, and began to remove the placeholders and put small rings into each and every piercing.
Lily really wished he had gotten dressed first because her hands were itching to touch him.
The hoops felt weird. She wiggled her eyebrows and wrinkled her nose as the metal slowly warmed up. Her nipples were softly tugged, and she bit her lip. The navel bar went in, and he knelt and tipped her to her back. With his hands, it was obvious why he was using the forceps. His fingers were too large to manage it otherwise.
He spread her thighs wide, and she heard him sniffing before he inhaled deeply. When he removed the placeholder, she gasped. She moaned as he slid the new ring into her.
Nebel tapped it and rubbed it against her. Her hips twisted in appreciation.
“What the hell is going on with me?” She gasped as he leaned toward her to take a better look.
“You were reshaped for me. That involved some nerve bundles being rewired in my favour. Everywhere you have a ring is now a sensitive spot.” As if to prove his point, he bent his head, she felt the heat of his breath, and then his tongue flicked the new addition.
She felt the surge of moisture in time to every flick of his tongue against her. He moved lower and lapped it up. He kept lapping until she shook and jerked, her thighs on either side of his head.
He continued with broad strokes until her legs fell open, and she sighed in fatigue.
He stood up and chuckled. “See?”
