Releasing in One Week - Dark Empire Book Five: Desperate Measures - Chapter Two, Scene One

 

Cheryl takes Besral's mind off their troubles as only she can.

* * * *

Cheryl was exhausted at the end of the day. The children inher charge were wonderful and usually easy to manage, but they’d picked up onthe tension of their caretakers. Or perhaps they’d noted the few grimindependent news reports drifting the orphanage’s way, which spoke of what thelarger agencies ignored or weren’t allowed to acknowledge. In any event,there’d been instances of surly behavior from the teens and crying jags fromthe younger residents. Ever watchful over their charges, the Kalquorian staffhad managed to head off a couple of impending fights before fists could fly.

Adolescent hormones blended with uncertainty made for a longday. Cheryl wondered how many upheavals the children and staff would have toendure until the GC regained its sanity or the residents could leave for a lessnerve-wracking location.

If the Galactic Council allowed them to leave.

Stop it. There was no valid reason for it to refusetheir departure. Cheryl thought she was letting Marci’s and Darci’s growingconspiracy theories color her thoughts, though the atmosphere in the rulingbody’s space had become decidedly odd. Having endured oppression on theoriginal Earth, Cheryl had to admit it worried her.

Upon reaching the quiet of her own quarters for theremainder of the day, she would have been grateful to crawl in bed, pull thecovers over her head, and escape in the peace of sleep until it was time to getup and face the uncertainty again. However, Besral would also be home soon, andhe’d be tense. He’d have repressed his concerns to keep from upsetting thechildren more than they already were. Since she was the only person he feltcomfortable sharing his stress with, sleep would have to wait.

She searched the kitchen cabinets and found a package ofstim tabs. She dropped one on her tongue to dissolve. As she waited for it tosend energy flowing through her, she searched the cooling unit for something tocook, in case he’d missed dinner. She hadn’t seen him in the cafeteria for theevening meal.

As she mused between the remains of a turkey she’d roastedearlier that week and the ronka ribs he’d grilled the day prior, muscled armsslipped around her waist. “Don’t worry about it. I grabbed something in thecafeteria as they were putting the food away,” Besral rumbled in her ear.

She nudged the cooling unit’s door closed as she turned tohim. His kiss was shockingly gentle…or maybe it would have been for anyone whodidn’t know the scarred Nobek as she did. Despite Besral’s warrior Nobekstatus, he was capable of the tenderness Cheryl’s first husband had lacked somany years before. Burt Wooton’s physical brutality hadn’t been the entirereason Cheryl had rejected his name and retreated to a convent to become a nunfollowing their divorce, but it had played heavily in her determination tonever marry again.

She still marveled such an imposing Kalquorian had managedto change her mind and how quickly it had happened. Mere days had elapsed afterthey’d met when she found herself eagerly anticipating being in Besral’spresence. When they’d crossed paths, his gruff expressions had instantly easedinto warmth. Kindness showed through despite his harsh exterior. He’d made itclear she was to come to him when facing any problem she needed help solving,no matter how trifling.

A lump rose in her throat as she recalled those early days.Her fears of men had turned tail and run whenever Besral showed up. Herinstincts had been accurate. He was strong and showed it by being unafraid tobehave compassionately.

She melted in his arms, loving him so intensely its forcethreatened to shatter her. No matter: he’d put her pieces together if she did.

“How are you?” he asked when the kiss ended.

“On the whole, I’m all right. Worried, but who isn’t thesedays?” She smiled and brushed his silvery-gray hair from intelligent purpleeyes. “What about you?”

“The message to the fleet has been sent, and contingencypreparations begun if the Galactic Council’s forces should come knocking on ourdoor. Would you call me crazy if I told you I’m actually excited?”

She laughed. “Action is a Nobek’s calling card, isn’t it? Aslong as you remain in one piece, you can be as crazy as you like.”

He grinned, the creases in his weathered face lending itcharacter. “I can’t promise that. No self-respecting Nobek would. But I’ll domy best.” His tone turned businesslike, in contrast to the rigid interest shefelt a certain part of him proclaiming. “In anticipation of the fleetresponding swiftly to my com, we need to ready for a quick evacuation. I hateto upset the children, but they’ll have to travel light. They should bringalong only what they can carry in their arms.”

“In other words, their go bags.” Emergency preparednesshadn’t yet come into play at Open Arms, but Cheryl had once been trapped in herhome on Earth during a wildfire crisis. The terror of those hours and lack ofsupplies afterward had taught her well. Not only did each child have a carrysack of a change of clothes, toiletries, medications, and identification, butthey were drilled on evacuation procedures to safe zones quarterly. She thankedthe prophets she’d kept up readiness protocols despite ten years of neverneeding to use them in a real disaster.

“I suggest we postpone regular school lessons in favor oftraining to escape. If the kids know what they’re supposed to do, there’ll beless panic when the time comes to do it.”

“I agree. We’ll cancel tomorrow morning’s classes to draw upthe plans. If we’re ready by afternoon, we’ll start then.” She tweaked hisslightly crooked nose. “We’re quite the team.”

“Indeed.” Affection shone in his eyes. When he kissed herdeeply, she clung to him. She moved against the hard prod of his interest, hoton her belly even through their clothing.

He’s excited to be facing a threat. She had no qualmsabout taking advantage of it.

Still kissing her, Besral scooped her off her feet and trodthe hall to their bedroom. They’d come to know the steps of the intimate danceso well, he had no need to tear his lips from hers as he lowered her to herfeet and began undressing her. She also had little trouble parting man fromclothes, until warm bare skin met warm bare skin.

From there, they parted to gaze at each other. Despiteadvancing years and scarred from a battle-heavy past, Besral remained muscledand strong. His erect cocks, the foremost slightly thicker and longer than itstwin, proclaimed his virility. Cheryl’s heart quickened as it always did whenshe contemplated his feral magnificence.

She felt no urge to hide her own body from his intenseconsideration despite having passed her sixtieth birthday. Her breasts nolonger stood up perkily. Her belly, always having tended toward softercontours, had curved more as the years had passed. Nonetheless, Besral showedno less than lustful admiration when he looked at her. His spicy arousal scent,rising from the wetness coating his shafts, filled her senses.

He repeated a statement she’d heard often through the yearsthey’d been together. “Mother of All, you’re beautiful. And you’re mine. Allmine.”

He lifted her onto the bed they shared, and she sank intoits softness, a delightful counterpoint to the granite physique covering hers.Besral resumed kissing her, as if her lips and tongue alone were the sole itemshe desired in the galaxy. She wound her arms around his neck, her mindrepeating his joyful declaration: mine, mine, all mine.

He rushed nothing, taking his leisure until he felt the urgeto roam lower. His teeth scraped her throat excitingly, sending shivers downher spine. If he weren’t careful, she’d have to wear high-neck blouses to hidethe evidence of his passion, but she was willing to make the sacrifice. Sheenjoyed his ardent worship too much to urge caution.

His rough tongue traced her collarbones. His lips nuzzledthe hollow between them. Cheryl’s respiration quickened. How often had Besralmapped her thoroughly, yet she never failed to respond? She’d lost count.

His arms, which had surrounded her from the start, slid outfrom under her. His calloused hands cupped her breasts, molding them so heralready flushed and taut nipples pointed toward the ceiling. He gazed at themas if regarding rare treasure before his head sank down to devour.

Cheryl’s breath caught as his hot maw enclosed the top halfof one mound. The sensation of sparks flew straight to her womanhood, where herpulse already throbbed. Besral hungrily tasted her breast’s entirety, histongue setting fiery trails where it lapped. At the same time, he rubbed theother breast, his thumb teasing the peak as his tongue did to its twin.

He drew on her, sucking her pliable flesh deep, as if he’dswallow her. When he drew off, his teeth dragged light furrows. The agreeableache curled Cheryl’s toes. She recalled a word from her mother’s secret stashof illegal vintage paperback books, which she’d stumbled upon as an adolescent:ravish. She believed it an apt description of what Besral did to her. Hedidn’t merely make love. He ravished her.

His head reared up, and his gaze held hers. His lipswrinkled back, displaying his blunt, humanlike teeth and the long, needle-sharpfangs that had appeared behind them, descending from his palate.

Cheryl watched as his mouth sank toward her breast again.She offered no resistance when the fang tips dimpled her lush flesh. She didn’tcry out at the darts of pain as he bit and they pierced her skin. The hurtended in an instant, thanks to his saliva, which anesthetized the wounds.

He kept his fangs embedded as his tongue danced on hernipple. After a few moments, misty euphoria wafted through Cheryl’s brain. Herarousal increased, and she spread her legs for Besral.

He wasn’t yet ready to accept her offer. Instead, he kissedand nuzzled his way to her other mound. A second bite, and the elation and lustincreased until she was dizzy. She moved against him, squirming and grindingfor better contact.

He released her and grinned. “What are you doing, my love?Is such behavior worthy of a dignified former nun?”

Yearning lit her entire body, and it goaded her to fulfillits hunger. “Touch me. Touch my pussy,” she begged.

“I will. When I’m ready.” The tip of his tongue teased hernipple.

He knew full well the effects of his venom on her, howdesperately needy it made her. Her gyrations increased. She tried to push herhands between their bodies, to grasp her clamoring clit for the relief shedesired.

The brute on top of her merely chuckled and grabbed herwrists. He pinned them to the bed and continued his slow, meticulous mauling ofher breasts. She squalled and jerked in an effort to escape.

“I feel the earth trembling beneath me so very slightly,” hesnickered amid sucks that left her tingling from head to toe. “Don’t worry, itisn’t nearly enough to move me from where I am.”

She wailed, though she knew from past experience it would dono good. Besral wasn’t a rough lover, but his provocations could be brutal. Heloved to make her helpless and rouse her so she screamed when she came.

He toyed with her breasts until they heaved at her everybreath. At last, he began to kiss a slow, torturous path down the center of hertorso. He paused at her bellybutton to swirl his tongue over it. He knew howcrazy it drove her under the intoxicant’s sway to pay attention just inchesfrom where she wanted it most. Trapped beneath his weight and by his casual butunrelenting grip, she could only endure as her clit and pussy throbbed. The bedcovering was wet beneath her from excitement. Yet Besral refused to hurry hispace. He was content to nuzzle her navel, then lick the folds between herthighs and mound.

Her entreaties for him to fuck her went unanswered in thoselong minutes of erotic torment. They seemed to goad him to linger on the creaseseparating mound and belly.

“Please!” she cried as passion rode her hard despite thelack of direct contact to where she burned for him. His venom had erased allcontrol, all dignity. She had to have him.

“I smell a hungry little cunt,” he whispered as he nuzzledher pubic curls. “I smell a delicious cunt. Should I taste it?”

“Yes!”

“Should I lick every luscious inch of your gorgeous, wet,swollen pussy?”

“Yes!”

“Should I eat this pussy until you come screaming andcreaming on my face?”

“Sweet prophets, yes, yes, yes!”

“Who am I to deny you when you’re reduced to blasphemy?” Hisdeep chuckle rumbled her bones.

He moved so fast, she neither saw nor felt the change inposition. All at once, she found her legs draped over his massive, scarredshoulders. He must have let go and regained control of her wrists to pin themagain, but Cheryl had been unaware of it. Nor did she care, since hislascivious smirk hovered inches from her clamoring sex, which was left open tohim.

His first lick was leisurely, starting from the bottom ofher slit, then moving up to scoop her wetness on his tongue. She felt everybump of his rough, hot flesh as it carefully abraded her tender inner petals.Cheryl forgot how to breathe as excitement rushed her to the peak in a matterof the three or four seconds it took for him to reach her clit.

His tongue stroked the engorged nub, and she detonated.

Exquisite ecstasy crashed through her in waves. She archedand pealed a high-pitched scream as white blinded her vision. Another blast asBesral continued his deliberate licking, each lap culminating when he paused tosuck her clit. Her feet kicked the air at the tremendous surges. Besral kept ather despite her frantic jerks, demanding more.

He only quit when he discerned she was reaching the pointwhere pleasure approached agony. Somehow, he always intuited where the line wasbetween delight and too much intensity, when continued contact to her clitapproached pain.

As Cheryl gasped in the aftermath, her muscles slack anduseless, Besral settled in for a long interlude of eating her pussy. His tonguereached deep as she trembled from numerous and extended climaxes. Hisbreathing, the wet sounds of his tongue fucking her, and the slurps and happymoans as he devoured her juices were a lullaby while she drifted in the warmaftereffects of incredible release. It also meant arousal, while greatlylessened, continued to hum in the background.

He indulged his enjoyment until, once again obeying uncannyinstinct, he paused to lick and suck her clit. Though the effects of his bite’svenom had been eradicated during the profound release, Cheryl gasped when ajolt of bliss woke her nub. How Besral knew the timing of her recovery betterthan she had always perplexed her.

He was as unerring as ever. He prodded her toward rapture.When she trembled, he returned to hungrily mouthing her entrance.

He’s so good. He drives me crazy, and I love every secondof it.

When he returned to her clit, he gathered her wrists in anenormous paw, holding them prisoner on her stomach. As his tireless tonguestroked her clit, two fingers dove deep in her pussy. He found the sensitiveplace inside and rubbed it. Excitement leapt, and she moaned under hismanipulation.

When her sex clutched a warning, his fingers continued tofuck her, but he released her sensitive nub. He dropped a soft kiss on theblatantly swollen red flesh before gazing up at her. “My most precious,” hebreathed. “How I love seeing your eyes glazed from pleasure while I fuck you asyou were meant to be fucked.”

“Besral,” she moaned, his name a benediction. His words werecrude, and she often thought she shouldn’t like them, but they excited her. Heknew it.

“I worship this cunt. I love how it tastes. How it feelswhen it grabs my tongue, my fingers, my cocks when they’re in you,” he growled.

She shook her head, but her sex clenched on his fingers asthey drove in. Her heels dug in the comforter, creating shallow ruts as heatbuilt.

“That isn’t all I love,” he said, and his lips enclosed herclit again.

As a surge of bliss leapt from his wicked kiss, he pulledfree of her pussy. She offered no resistance as his slick fingers eased intoher back passage, preparing her for what would come next.

The ache of being filled there was negligible, more an oldfriend than irritant. It was fully in the background as he lavished attentionon her clit, until the invasion became agreeable. Then enthralling.

When her pleasured whimpers grew in volume, Besral haltedhis luscious assault. He rose and pulled her onto his scar-patterned thighs, soher ass rested there as he knelt. His cocks were livid exclamation points,slick and eager for her. He adjusted them with one hand, the other continuingto imprison her wrists.

He wasn’t rough, but he enjoyed making her helpless. Whenthey’d initially become intimate, Cheryl had found to her surprise it excitedher too. After enduring abuse at her first husband’s hands, she’d been beyondsurprised. She’d been astonished.

Besral hadn’t given her any reason to doubt her welfare wasever at the forefront of his interests. Trust had been instinctive for someunknown reason, but she’d made him earn it, nevertheless. He’d set out to do soeagerly. He loved challenges, and he’d seemed to take delight in having to winher for his own, no matter the obstacles her rocky past had put in his path.

Her legs were still draped over his massive shoulders,holding her open for him. He guided himself to her warmth and effortlesslyslipped in. Cheryl groaned a welcome at the double impalement. The fullnessmeant he rubbed her inner spot with fierce strength, no matter how carefully heproceeded. A blast of pure elation sang through her core, and she cried out asorgasm approached.

Besral sighed as he embedded himself in her and joined themas a single entity. “My Matara. My only love.”

“My husband. My life and joy,” she answered, her lashesfluttering as thrills coursed the length of her spine.

She forgot how to speak as he rocked, moving in the age-olddance of intimacy that somehow never lost its special joining. The Nobek’s gazeroamed at will: now gazing in adoration at her face, now admiring how herbreasts bounced as he drove in her, now fixated on watching himself disappearand reappear from her yielding flesh. He turned briefly to kiss her pale,dimpled thigh on one side, then the other.

He wasn’t rough, but he was strong, and he was thorough. Shemoved back and forth on the mattress as he thrust in growing excitement. Thesparks flew, catching fire in her, growing hotter as they journeyed towardfulfilment together. Their gasps filled the air, louder at every exhale. Shewas approaching the nova of ecstasy when she saw the crease between his browsdeepen and his jaw tense.

“I love you,” he cried and pinched her clit.

“I love you!” she screamed as rapture laid hold of her andtore her apart.

Somewhere in the midst of the cataclysm, she heard his shoutand felt the pulse of his warm release flooding her.

Later, enclosed in his arms, Cheryl thought of the comingdays and their uncertainty. It was a matter to worry over. There was no doubtof that. But in the moment, held by Besral, she couldn’t summon fear for thefuture.

Smiling, she let sleep take her.

* * **

All-out war has begun, with innocents caught in thecrossfire.

Former nun Cheryl Taupin and her husband Nobek Besral,in charge of the remaining orphans of Earth’s Armageddon, watch the terribleevents unfolding in the Dark-overrun Galactic Council of Planets. Kalquoriansin Galactic Council space are being rounded up to suffer an unknown fate andmartial law is declared on many of the system’s worlds. A desperate plea to theKalquorian Empire sends Admiral Piras and Captain Kila to the orphanage…but howcan a lone spyship protect hundreds of children against the full might of theGalactic Council’s warships bent on destruction?

Charity Nath has been brought to Alpha Space Stationto hide from those determined to exact vengeance against her father. Young andirrepressible, she’s determined to claim a measure of freedom from stiflingrestrictions placed on her. When her identity and location are revealed, herKalquorian protectors must thwart those who’d harm her while contending withher stubborn refusal to be kept in check.

Imdiko Betra has done his best to put the past behindhim. He knows letting go of the only woman he could ever love was the bestcourse of action. But when he encounters Shalia Monroe again, his heart speakslouder than his conscience. Will unquenchable desire destroy the life she’sbuilt, or will Betra’s clanmates Oses and Resan stop him from doing theunthinkable?

Against the backdrop of pandemic and plague, Kalquorand Earth II fight for their very survival against an enemy they’re onlybeginning to learn the strength of. As the All tightens its fearsome grip onthe galaxy, humans and Kalquorians alike tremble on the verge of annihilation.

Releasing July 26

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