Burning Ceres (2 page)

Chapter Three

She was shaking with a combination of lust and fear as they approached the sitting room where her buyer was waiting. As they drew near the
door
a servant scuttled forward with an object clutched in her hands.

Ceres drew in her breath
,
it was a mating mask
. It was a beautiful mix of leather and gemstones and she looked at it in horror.
Zosia
took it from the servant and tugged it onto Ceres’ head.

The mask covered her eyes completely, depressions in the leather keeping her eyes firmly shut. The remainder of the mask drew down across her cheeks, and fastened behind the base of her head with a small snap.

It left her mouth, nose and chin open to the elements and to whatever her new master had planned for her.

She was blind.

Zosia
took her by both of her hands and led her forward, through the door. A soft whisper, “Don’t worry. He is very handsome,” was the only comfort that she got before the announcement. “Here is your property, my lord. And if there is anything else that you need, don’t hesitate to send a message to the Grand Arena.”

Strong male hands took over
Zosia’s
grip, and she felt herself herded out of the office and into the open air. He tucked her carefully into a waiting vehicle, and climbed in after her.

There was leather under her palms and a definite masculine musk in the vehicle.
Whomever
had purchased her, he had no lady, or at least had never transported her in this equipage.

The seat was wide and she fumbled her way to the far side, trying to keep her balance against the wall of the skimmer. She knew it was a skimmer; as it rose to the hover level and thrust forward, she slid back into the seat with a distinctive
thunk
.

It was a familiar reminder that she was home.

Silence reigned in the skimmer and she could once again smell her own musk. Her owner had not said
anything,
in fact he seemed completely unaware of her. She shifted and licked her lips
nervously,
his sharp inhalation was evidence that he was indeed watching her.

Her body was shaking, her mind fighting the urge to feel her way across the seat and climb into the lap of her new owner. She
didn’t
know who he was, why he had purchased her or what he had in mind, and yet she wanted to sheath his cock in her heat right now.

Another wave of pheromones came off her body and a dark chuckle broke into her misery. “It’s bad, is it?”

“It gets worse every time.” She huddled in on herself and kept her back to the wall. The hands that touched her caused her to jump in surprise. She was inexorably pulled toward
him,
her arms flailed and gripped the arms that held her.

She was panting on the edge of panic when he finished adjusting her position until she was straddling him. Her fingers fumbled and found his shoulders, then slowly dragged upward until they framed the line of his jaw. “May I?”

He
didn’t
say no, so she explored him. He had a strong jaw, well shaped ears, silky hair that felt cool against her fingers. His brow
was pronounced
and the aquiline nose had a small bump in it. When she trailed her fingers across the soft and wide expanse of his mouth, sharp teeth nipped at her skin and she jumped again.

This time his arms came around her and he held her until she calmed, then raised her fingers to his lips once again and sucked one into his mouth.

Gooseflesh broke out over her body as his tongue swirled around her digit. He sucked and licked slowly at her fingers. Her teeth nipped out to grab at her lip as she fought a moan. The wet heat in his mouth and the stroke of his tongue against her hands was driving her lust higher.

She tasted blood and her own tongue came out to lave at the tiny cut that she had made. He released her fingers and she felt his breath mingle with hers a moment before he took her mouth with his own.

With desperate fumbling
fingers
she took hold of his shoulders, the ornate filigree of his family crests rubbing against her hands as she clutched at him.
So
, he was of noble or wealthy family.
At least she knew one thing about her new owner
,
he had money
.
And
a kiss that drove her to the edge of release and left her teetering on the precipice.

The damp heat between her thighs was creating a heady scent that had his hands caressing her hips and pulling her cunt against the ridge in his trousers. He groaned as she pressed against him and began to rock up and down on the hard evidence of his arousal.

She shook and writhed in his grip, embracing her orgasm with a sharp squeak as he slammed her tightly against him. He kept the firm contact between them until she whimpered and slumped against him in a stupor.

Her voice was hoarse, “You know that that is just going to keep making it worse, right? I have been in heat over six times this year, I either need to get fucked, or I am going to go insane.”

“Soon, Ceres.
You will simply have to wait.” His whisper breathed heat down her neck and she shook as his fingers slid under the silk of her covering to explore her sex.

He stroked and parted the petals of slick flesh that guarded her channel,
then
slipped one finger inside. Her breath caught and held, her entire focus on that finger and the sensation of it ever so slowly entering and retreating with a maddening rhythm.

Fighting against the grip he had on her hip, she twisted away from him and ended up on the floor of the skimmer. His clever digit had bumped into her maidenhead and the sharp pause and flash of pain had enabled her to regain her senses, if only for a moment.

She scrambled back on her hands, the silk of her covering twisting around her. She cowered in the corner, waiting for the censure that was sure to come.

He took a slow breath and let it out. “You’re a maiden.”

“Yes.”

“Still.”

“Yes.”

“How in the name of the little sister is that possible? You have been in heat over a dozen times. There must have been a male near you at least once.”

His calling on the smaller of the moons almost made her smile.

“I used a tank. I simply waited each cycle out. I was on my way home when I was taken.” His voice was staying put, so did
she.
It seemed safer than blindly crawling around the floor.

The smile in his voice was unmistakable, “Very clever. I have never heard of a female that had enough calculation abilities when in heat to seek medical intervention. You are one surprise after another.”

“My father has to take the credit for it. I had gone through two or three heats when he came upon the idea. The tank kept the males in the area from scenting me, and bought him time.”

“To find a suitable mate for you?”
There was a thread of anger in his tone and she kept her voice even.

“To find a mate he thought was appropriate for me. As he never told me of his choice, I did not feel it necessary to stay to find out.” Her arms wrapped around her torso and she hugged herself as her temperature began to plummet. Her body wanted to curl up next to his, and it was letting her know by dropping her blood pressure.

It was a biological instinct that Ceres was very unhappy
with
. His kiss had given her body a taste of him, and it knew that he was nearby. The lethargy and temperature swings would only grow worse when they coupled. Her body would wrap around his and demand his attention until it got what it wanted, or until the heat cycle passed. Either way, she
was trapped
.

“He really didn’t tell you who he had chosen?” The curiosity in his voice was unmistakable. She heard him shift and she felt his legs extend near her.

“No. He told me that it was his duty as my father to make the choice for me. We argued and I left.
Ran actually.
I needed time to think.” She took a deep breath and asked for help. “Can you guide me back to the seat?”

“Take my hand.” Sucking in a deep
breath
she extended her fingers and then her arm. His warm, strong fingers closed over hers and tugged her to her feet. He guided her to the seat next to him and tucked her against him in a proprietary fashion.

She
couldn’t
hold it in any longer. “Why did you buy me?”

“Because I wanted to.”
He touched her head and guided her head to his shoulder. His fingers trailed over the mating mask and she
was soothed
by his passive touch. “Rest, we will be at my home in an hour or so. Anything else can be dealt with after that.”

Warmed by his nearness, her body relaxed and she slept.

Chapter Four

The cessation of motion brought her abruptly awake and at
first
she panicked at her lack of sight. Her hand flew to her eyes and she relaxed as she realized that the mask was still in place.

“Trouble adjusting?” The voice sounded in her ear and she jumped as she realized that her body was warm due to his arms holding her on his lap.

“I haven’t worn the mask before. It is hard to get used to.” She wanted to squirm, but his erection was still in evidence and she
didn’t
want to disturb either of them.

The chuckles warmed part of her and twigged a memory deep in her mind that she couldn‘t place.
“Obviously, given your maiden status.”

“Well, yes.”

The masks had originally been used by males to subdue mates from other towns and villages
. Without being able to run, see, or unlock the mask it made the
Nyal
women passive between heat cycles. It also made them useless and completely dependent on the males that had captured them.

In recent
years
it had become fashionable for males with wealth and status to use the masks on their mates during first encounters. The new masks were bejewelled and had
DNA
locks on them that would only open for the owner of the mask. She had only ever seen one in use before, when her cousin
Natril
had argued about the match her father had chosen for her. The male in question had taken the mask and — in front of witnesses — locked
Natril
into it, then carried her out of her father’s home.

The next time she had seen her cousin, she had been five months pregnant and glowing with happiness.

Although the vehicle had stopped, her owner was making no move to leave. “Um, are we stopped?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t we going in?”

“Well, you looked so
peaceful,
I didn’t have the heart to disturb you. And you won’t be getting much rest in the next few days, so I waited until you woke.”

The darker hue of her skin hid most of her blush, but her body heated a noticeable degree. “That was very kind of you. Thank you.” She ducked her head as best she could and clutched at him as he stood to leave the skimmer. “It was on automatic?”

“Yes. I have a dedicated path to my home. No other vehicles come out this far.”

With a skimmer trip of an hour and a half, the home had to be in the
Zenier
mountains
. As the door opened and chill air filled the skimmer, her suspicion
was proved
.

She huddled against him as he strode from the vehicle into the warm confines of his home.

A strange voice queried, “So, is that her?”

Her owner replied. “It is. Is the room ready?”

“Yes, and cook is preparing a repast for you.
And her.”
It seemed that the housekeeper was not fond of her employer’s new acquisition.

“Leave it in the anteroom. I will fetch it later.” He was carrying her up a set of stairs, and the soft footfalls let her know that a carpet ran the length of the hall. The feel of the house around her gave her the suspicion that it was an extremely large residence.

He shifted her and she heard a door open. It closed behind them and she felt him open another door. When that door closed behind them, she heard the click of a lock and a shiver ran through her.

She
was carefully placed
on a bed and she lay there, shaking with both reviving lust and trepidation. The rustle of clothing was deafening to her ears. She counted each boot, belt and slither of trousers until he had no clothing left to shed.

The bed dipped marginally and she felt his warmth beside her, beckoning her heat into flaring life once again.

His fingers tangled with hers and he drew her hand to his chest, encouraging her to explore. “Feel free to touch me, Ceres, any way and anywhere. I will not have control for long, so you had better make the most of it.”

Keeping one hand on his chest, she fought her way to her knees and began to stroke and rub at his body. His shoulders were wide, the muscles shifting under her touch as his hands came up to lift her over him until she straddled him once again.
This time it was only her tissue thin wrap that kept his erection from finding its way within her.

Her hands stroked at his chest while her hips shifted to ride the ridge of his cock, rocking back and forth in a parody of the act that she craved. Her clothing dampened with the honey that she was producing, and his own musk was gaining in strength as his hips shifted against her as she rocked.

Her hands trailed lower and her fingers found the depression of his navel, scooting down on his thighs with his turgid length against her
breasts
she dipped her tongue into it. Then raised her head to lick and suck at the head of his cock. The heat and silky feel of the skin was inflaming her, matched by the musky scent of him as she took him into her mouth and sucked fervently.

That was it. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up to kiss him, his taste strong on her tongue. His hand tangled in her hair and he tumbled her to her back as his other hand tore the fabric from her body.

His hands ran over her feverishly. She began to twist against him, arching into his touch. A groan left her as his mouth settled over one breast and began to tongue her nipple to life. His teeth were next as he nipped at the sensitive bud at the tip of her breast. His attentions switched from breast to breast and she was moaning as heat filled every inch of her body and formed
a molten
plasma of sensation in her belly.

His fingers moved between her thighs and one hand urged her thighs open as the other brought a finger to open her to an enthusiastic moan from her throat.
Her hips were quivering as he teased around her opening and slowly thrust one of his long thick fingers into her.
He withdrew it and thrust again. She was shaking with the effort to keep still and when he brought a second finger into
her
she moved against his hand. It was only the impact with her hymen that slowed her hips. She whimpered and sighed as his fingers tested the strength of her virtue.

He shifted above her and took her mouth with his own, moving his tongue between her lips as the blunt head of his cock pressed against her. She whimpered and moved her hips into his thrust as he began the process of making room for his length inside her.

Each push of his hips was matched by one of her own
until he came up against the barrier. He tore his lips from hers and nuzzled her neck with his mouth, in a move that surprised her he bit down and thrust his hips forward savagely, breaking her hymen in one stroke.

She shrieked and pushed against him, fighting his possession and his teeth. As the throbbing between her thighs subsided, he licked the wound at her neck clean.

Tears might have fought their way to the surface if he
hadn’t
begun to move within her. She revelled in the sensations that he was bringing to her and his own groans of enjoyment let her know that he
wasn’t
acting out of any kind of duty.

Her body began to tense as it approached orgasm.
With one of this thumb strokes across her clit she spasmed around him with a scream.
His roar of possession followed hers a moment later.

Her channel gripped him tightly and his hips thrust forward to hold him deep as his seed jetted from him in harsh bursts. She could feel him tremble as he succumbed to his own biological imperative. A minute
later
he slumped forward and lay across her, still lodged within her passage.

The smell of sex was heavy in the air, carrying with it the coppery scent of her blood. She was a maiden no longer.