Authors: Aana Celestya
Amelia could feel her face flushing with a mix of both mortification and lust. He pressed and rubbed, Amelia could feel her clitoris chaffing between the damp lips guarding her nether regions.
When a heated groan escaped her, Galtan pulled his hand away, unhooked her knees from his thighs and tugged the fabric of the tunic to cover her damp sex. As she lay on the cushions, willing her breathing to steady, Galtan stood and donned the cloak he had stripped off hours before, when they had first entered his office.
“We need to leave
Alahi
, before more issues arise and I am trapped here the rest of the day.” As he spoke, Galtan took Amelia’s hands and pulled her up from the bench. Her body was still sensitive as he pulled her into the shelter of his body and walked from his office, heading for the lift.
*
Their exit from the compound was significantly less eventful than their entrance. However, now that she wasn’t distracted by the pomp and military circumstance, Amelia noticed a facility just outside the large metal gates into the
Pavathi
, as Galtan and Falgat had referred to the compound.
There were a number of males with their slaves. The women in front of the building seemed to be in the best condition of any that Amelia had seen thus far on the planet; however, there was something odd about every one of them. All of the women had dead eyes; and all of them appeared to be pregnant.
As she stared, a male with distinct cruelty set to his features emerged from the building, dragging a woman behind him by a collar and lead. The woman was terribly battered, and Amelia could tell by the woman’s vacant gaze that she was dead inside.
“Useless. Absolutely useless,” the male dragging the woman ranted. Another male standing to the side of the walkway called out to the angry one.
“Another failure?”
“Yes, that makes three. Three failed breedings. I should have that hole sealed if it is not going to be of use to me!” The angry male turned, swung and grabbed the woman by what was left of her hair to scream in her face…
Galtan didn’t linger so that Amelia could hear what horrible profanities the male was screaming into the face of an obviously abused slave; instead, he lifted Amelia off the ground beneath the shield of his cloak and carried her away from the scene.
*
Disgusted, that was the only way to describe Galtan’s disposition as he carried Amiilya away from the horrors many of his race inflicted on the females of theirs. When they were halfway back to the spire that he called home, Galtan set the human tucked against him back on her feet and slowed his strides to match an easy pace for her shorter legs.
His human said nothing as they trekked through the streets. He would have been unconcerned with her silence if she had been peering around the metropolis; instead she seemed to trudge, withdrawn into her own thoughts.
Galtan guided Amelia’s path down the walkways and around the corners, his arm wrapped around her body beneath the shielding folds of his cloak.
*
Galtan kept his arm around her body, holding her close as they navigated the streets. She recognized the markings on the gate they approached, the Gordian knot, they had returned to Galtan’s home. Amelia waited as he unsecured the gate, and the metal slid aside into the crystal wall.
Amelia stepped away from the protective shadow of Galtan’s body into the relative safety of the courtyard. She wandered ahead as he stopped, just inside the courtyard, to secure the gate, but something caught her eye.
It was the strangest creature that Amelia had ever seen. The petit bundle of fur was ambling, awkwardly along the side of the wall, stopping here and there to sniff at a crystal shard. Honestly, the closest comparison Amelia had for the small beast was a mutant, six-legged lynx. Amelia sensed Galtan approaching from behind her.
“What is it
Alahi?”
He asked as he came closer. However, as soon as he saw the small animal, Galtan laughed. He stepped around her and caught the animal, only to turn and hand it off to her. Amelia held the animal in her cupped palms, staring down at the little ball of downy fuzz.
“I told you, you had no comparison for the word
haltha.
Well,
Alahi,
now you know what a
haltha
is – an infant one, at least.” Galtan used a single finger to stroke the animal’s soft fur between its ears. “Bring it in Amelia, it is probably just weaned.”
“You keep them as pets,” Amelia asked as she followed Galtan up the steps.
“Rarely,
haltha
get much, much bigger and they are very wild. One has to have the infant from the moment they are weaned in order to build a bond – perhaps you are lucky
Alahi
.”
Amelia held the baby animal to her chest. The infant
haltha
buried between her breasts, climbing into her tunic and settling its fuzzy body in the small pocket of fabric between the neckline and the rope belt.
Once settled, the creature started to purr, humming like a well-tuned shuttle. Within the quite of Galtan’s home, the
haltha’s
contentment could be heard and Galtan starred at Amelia and the bulging, soft mound of happy kitten between her breasts.
Galtan shook his head, an amused smile quirking his lips, as he turned away to walk down a short hallway and turned through a doorway. Amelia followed him, and found herself in a kitchen.
“You must be hungry
Alahi
.”
“Yes, but I want to ask a couple of questions.” Amelia watched as Galtan coaxed a fire to life in a raised trough, before he turned and opened what appeared to be a cold larder.
“Ask your questions
Alahi
.”
“Well, firstly, why do you call me that when you know my name?”
“I call you
Alahi
to remind myself of how much I value your spiritedness,” Galtan answered simply. “I would not wish to forget that value.”
“Oh, alright…I suppose. What was that place, Galtan? The one outside the big gates of your military compound.” Amelia took a breath and barraged Galtan with more questions, all related, in the next breath. “Why were the women there all pregnant? Why are the only females I have seen, humans?”
*
The distress was quite apparent on Amiilya’s face; Galtan considered the best way to go about answering her. He knew that if he refused to answer or lied she wouldn’t trust him. For some reason Galtan needed Amiilya to trust him. Finally, Galtan realized that there was no escaping the harsh truth of his race, a truth that he had had difficulty with his entire life.
“I do not know why, but there hasn’t been a female of my race born in hundreds of years. That is why a slave market evolved on Amirak-Ren. But, it was determined that Amirak-Renians are not compatible with other species and the practice of impregnating a female with an Amirak-Renian embryo started.
An embryo is engineered between the parental genetics and donated genetics stored at the breeding centers. The building that we passed, the facility just outside the gates of
Pavathi
is a breeding center.”
“So, those of your kind have doomed themselves to a disproportionate population.”
“Yes. I do not agree with the assessment of genetic compatibility – I honestly believe that there are many, like Furgen, who abhor the mix of genetics, and they have instituted the practice to keep the
bloodlines clean
. Unfortunately, they are the majority. Despite my power on Amirak-Ren, I do not have the power to contest the practice, no matter how abhorrent I find the practice.”
Chapter 5…
Dream in Pleasure
Galtan’s resistance to the societal demand for slaves apparently led the man to being rather skilled in food preparation. Whatever Galtan whipped together, a thickly sauced meat over grain like meal that was reminiscent of rice in taste and texture; was thoroughly delicious. Amelia didn’t ask what ingredients were in the dish – she knew better – instead, she enjoyed the alien cuisine.
By the time the meal was finished and the dishes and cookware cleaned and put away – Amelia had insisted on helping, her parents had always perpetrated the idea that those of a household who enjoyed a meal could help clean up after it – Amirak-Ren’s twin suns had set, casting the city into darkness. Galtan and Amelia ascended to the upper levels of the towering crystal spear. The structure reminded Amelia of an ancient castle tower; from what she had discerned earlier that day, there wasn’t more than a single functional chamber on any level but the first.
“The days are long here,” Amelia commented softly as she followed Galtan up a fifth flight of stairs while carrying the
haltha
kitten. She needed to ask Galtan how to determine the beast’s sex so she could give it a name.
“Yes, I suspected that you would be getting tired as there half-again the light on Amirak-Ren to which you are accustomed in a single day.”
“No wonder I am dragging. I was wondering, is there an easy way to determine whether this little ball of fluff is male or female? Or does one have to wait until it is older,” Amelia asked as they mounted the final landing.
Galtan took the
haltha
from Amelia, an action that appeared to anger the six-legged, yowling kitten. He flipped the annoyed animal over glanced at lightly fuzzed belly before handing the
haltha
back to her.
“It’s male. Why did you want to know?”
“So that I can give him a suitable name.”
“What is a suitable name for a male
haltha
?” Galtan inquired, a soft chuckle lilting the cadence of his rich voice.
“I don’t know, maybe Herman.” Amelia confessed.
“
Herman?
An adult
haltha
is a large, vicious, animal that few can ever manage to tame enough to consider it a companion and you want to call this one, a male, ‘Herman’? Are you serious?” Galtan stared at Amelia aghast.
“What did you expect?” She quipped back. “Did you expect me to name Herman after you?” Apparently that comment was just funny enough that Galtan erupted with laughter. Once more Galtan lifted the kitten – Herman, Amelia officially decided – from her hands and set him on a pillow in a chair in what, now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Amelia could see was the bedroom she had awoken in earlier.
With Herman happily situated on the pillow, Galtan reached for the cord belt that was wrapped about the tunic she wore. After tugging the knot loose, Galtan grasped the initial cross of the makeshift belt, and pulled the golden cord from around Amelia’s body.
The midnight blue tunic hung, like a shredded sack, from her shoulders – exposing more of her flesh than the garment covered. Galtan stripped the multilayered uniform from his own torso. It seemed he was going to strip them both in stages. Curious, not particularly inclined to take an initiative as she had never performed this dance with anyone before, Amelia stood quiet before him.
*
I wonder if she will be more assertive with time and
experience. Galtan wouldn’t describe Amiilya’s calmness as passive; rather, she was curious, contemplative. She was taking the opportunity to learn. Galtan just hoped that he knew what he was doing.
This certainly his first time performing the sex act, but this was the first time he was particularly concerned whether his partner enjoyed it as much as he did. He was fundamentally averse to pursuing his pleasures with the ever-abused slaves of Amirak-Ren, so Galtan had chosen to indulge off planet.
The
Velishi
were a race that pleasured in life. The professional companions were well versed in how to see to both their and their client’s pleasures. Amiilya was no
Velishi
sexual consort – it was up to Galtan to assure her pleasure.
He toed out of his boots as he ushered Amiilya toward the bed; he reached out and took hold of the fabric of the tunic she wore in both hands – one on each side of the deep V-neck – and yanked. Galtan was completely unconcerned with destroying the garment, he wanted Amiilya nude before him.
Still wearing his leggings, Galtan scooped Amiilya up and tossed her onto the bed, he paused a moment to pull the half boots from her feet before stretching his large body over hers amid the dark, silky bedclothes.
Galtan didn’t climb-up to be chest-to-chest with her; instead, his head was over her stomach, his mouth wandering lazily over her skin, he hands above his head, fondling her breasts as he had earlier with his palms and tugging fingers.
*
Galtan glanced up at her, the crests of his high cheeks slightly flushed, betraying this own need and carnal desire. A hint of a smile tilted the corners of his mouth as he lowered his mouth back to the sensitive, quivering flesh of her stomach, while one hand stroked a path up her thigh.
“Lie still,
Alahi
let me show you.” Galtan moved lower, his face hovered just above the slicked lips beneath her mound. Amelia couldn’t control the instinctive shifting of her hips, her attempts to draw away from such close proximity to his face. He chuckled, wrapped his mouth over the tender skin of her hip and let her feel the careful bite of his teeth.