The Ta'e'sha Chronicles 2: Shards of the Mind Read online

  Thea cried out, arching back.

  He stilled again.

  She writhed against him, trying to tease him into giving her what she wanted. It was a trick of hers he knew well. He reached between her legs and pinched her clit.

  Her head pressed back against his shoulder as she moaned throatily. Her wet sex rocked urgently against his fingers. His cock moved slowly in and out of her with each motion. He felt an arm slide around his waist and looked to see Sya’tia press her mouth against Thea’s.

  Thea’s hands came up to cup Sya’tia’s face as she returned the deep kiss.

  Daeshen began to move faster inside Thea as he watched their tongues twine around each other lazily. All three of them rocked as Kyrin entered Sya’tia from behind and began thrusting inside her urgently.

  He bit the back of Thea’s neck and moaned, grinding himself in slow circles against her ass. His eyes fluttered closed as Sya’tia’s leg slid over his and Thea’s and she ground herself against the back of his hand as he continued to toy with Thea’s clit. The feel of their smooth, hairless pussies was pure ecstasy. He gripped one of the rings that pierced Thea’s lower lips and tugged gently.

  He drew almost completely out of her and then thrust back in hard and fast. Her sweet sheath made moist sucking sounds with each thrust and his dainty little wife moaned into Sya’tia’s lips.

  He opened his eyes and locked gazes with his husband. They shared a look of mutual bliss. Kyrin smiled slowly at him as he worked his cock smoothly in and out of their betrothed. His gaze moved over their women. Sya’tia’s pale blue-white skin was pressed firmly against the warmer pink tones of Thea’s and set like a pale jewel in the honey brown of Kyrin’s. He pulled his hand from between their legs to stroke them both.

  Kyrin, his gaze still locked on Daeshen’s face, slowly pulled himself from Sya’tia, who moaned in protest. He slowly climbed over both women and curled himself around Daeshen’s back. Daeshen groaned softly as Kyrin’s cock, still wet with Sya’tia’s juices, probed between the cheeks of his ass. It slowly slid within, stretching him almost unbearably. It had been so long since he had felt Kyrin moving within him.

  He sent a brief thought to Sya’tia who was still nibbling on Thea’s lips. She responded by moving up along Thea’s body and presenting her wet sex to Thea’s mouth. The small holes on the lips of her labia looked red and flushed from the tendrils that made up Kyrin’s pubic hair looping through them to hold their bodies locked together.

  His wife curled her arm around Sya’tia’s hip and lapped delicately at the offered flesh.

  Daeshen’s attention was abruptly drawn back to Kyrin who had just thrust powerfully into him again. He growled against Thea’s neck and rolled his hips back into his husband’s.

  Thea bent away from him slightly as she pleasured Sya’tia. She whined softly each time Daeshen jolted inside her. He gritted his teeth and clutched her hip, holding her steady as Kyrin rocked and jolted them both with his urgent movements.

  Sya’tia pulled Daeshen’s hair gently and he looked up at her. She smiled and slid a finger into his mouth. He curled his tongue around it and sucked slowly, working her finger like a cock. Her eyes closed and she rocked gently against Thea’s working mouth. Daeshen hummed softly as he watched them together. It was a sight he’d never thought he’d be blessed with.

  He moaned when Kyrin nudged his knee between Daeshen’s legs and rubbed his balls with his thigh. He felt overwhelmed from all the sensations flowing over his skin. It was too much. Abruptly, his frills popped open, and he convulsed against Thea as his cock bathed her insides with his potent seed. He writhed against her ass as Kyrin continued to pound his with punishing strokes. He reveled in the taking even as he understood the ferocity behind it. His darling husband had been gentle too long and just wanted to fuck. Sometimes they just needed to pound themselves without caution until they bubbled over.

  He pushed his fingers back between Thea’s slick dripping lips and stroked her erect little clit. As his climax waned, he now savored the approaching orgasms of his mates.

  Thea was bucking and writhing into his fingers as she made little whimpering noises against Sya’tia’s slick pussy. Her own wet channel contracted violently around him and she gave a muffled scream, twitching around him. He continued his tender ministrations, not letting her climax slow but trying to keep it going as long as he could.

  After a couple of minutes, she weakened and moaned softly. His frills folded down and his ass burned from Kyrin’s slapping plunges.

  Thea pulled away from him and panted softly. Sya’tia slid back to give her room; she looked faintly disappointed, Daeshen thought.

  Kyrin pulled him hard against him and rolled him onto his belly. Daeshen turned his face to the side as Kyrin hunched over him, still thrusting feverishly. He felt dazed from the force and passion behind that hammering prick.

  Thea pushed Sya’tia onto her back and settled herself between her legs again. He smiled as her fingers came up to toy with Sya’tia’s erect nipples and her tongue buried itself in the taller woman’s tight channel.

  Above him, Kyrin grunted and jerked. His frills opened and hot jets of cum sprayed inside Daeshen. His muscular husband curled over Daeshen’s back and panted hoarsely. He murmured soft love words and his hands caressed Daeshen’s sweaty chest and back. Daeshen smiled lazily, soaking up all of it.

  They rolled onto their sides, still attached, and watched Thea and Sya’tia.

  Blue-white thighs cupped their wife’s cheeks, hiding her face from his view. Thea’s dark red black curls were draped across Sya’tia’s leg and shimmered softly in the light. Her legs slid under her and her ass arched into the air as her busy mouth continued its task.

  Sya’tia threaded her fingers through Thea’s hair and her hips jerked and danced. She was humming, low and breathy, in her throat as she quickly approached the edge of her own pleasure.

  Daeshen wished he could record this to watch over and over again. He cuddled deeper into Kyrin’s embrace as he continued to caress and explore Daeshen’s sated body.

  Suddenly, Sya’tia roared softly, her body arching into a taut bow. She trembled and jerked, almost knocking Thea off her. Her fangs gleamed from her open mouth. After a timeless moment she relaxed again and took a deep shuddering breath.

  He almost laughed when Thea peeked at him from over Sya’tia’s thigh. She looked smug. His wife climbed up Sya’tia’s body to exchange sated kisses and soft words.

  His eyes grew heavy watching them as the events of the day snuck up on him and he let himself drift off to sleep. They had time for a nap before dinner.

  * * * * *

  Condezl crouched on the edge of a wall and inspected the workers moving around under him. “Fresh meat! What shall we do to torment our new prey, my pretties?”

  Myst rustled her feathers. “Let’s steal their tools. I bet we can tie them to the trees. Oh! How about we leave more ‘mementos’ in their tool boxes?”

  Condezl chuffed happily. “Sounds good. I’ll put the gang on it today.”

  Chapter Ten

  Thea yawned and looked around sleepily. Sya’tia and her husbands were still asleep. She carefully wiggled her way free of the warm tangle of limbs and stretched. It seemed like she left them sleeping a lot. Rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she padded into the bathroom to clean up.

  When she was finished, she went back into the bedroom to put on fresh clothing and slipped out of the bedroom. She wandered down the hall, following the tempting aromas issuing from the kitchen.

  Vashka looked up when she entered the room. She grinned knowingly and Thea felt heat rush into her cheeks. “Hello, Mother.” She stopped, unsure. “May I call you Mother?” she asked hesitantly.

  Vashka wiped her hands on a towel before cupping Thea’s cheeks in her hands. “I would like nothing better,” she said sincerely.

  Thea smiled. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Vashka returned to the counter.
“Just sit with me; dinner is all ready but for the cooking. Tell me about your family.” She poured two cups of tea from a thermal carafe and sat with Thea at the small table tucked in a corner.

  “Well, my family is from a country called Ireland, originally. They moved to the United States of America about one hundred years ago,” she began, knowing most of it would be lost on Vashka. “Great-Grandpa was a farmer and Great-Grandma was a weaver.”

  Vashka nodded, sipping her tea.

  “They moved to the state of Oregon and lived in a little town called Eagle Creek.” She grinned. “Great-Grandpa started an apple orchard; those are a type of fruit tree.”

  “They had a daughter and Great-Grandma taught her how to weave. When she got married, her husband, my grandfather, helped with the orchard. He also made furniture. They had one daughter as well, and she became a weaver too. All the women in my family have been weavers as long as anyone can remember.” She paused to sip her tea. “Dad didn’t know anything about farming; he was a mechanic. So when he married Mom, Grandma and Grandpa sold the farm and moved in with them.”

  “That’s too bad,” Vashka said sadly.

  “Not really,” Thea said with a smile. “Dad had a black thumb; plants didn’t respond to him at all. Unfortunately, the people who bought the property cut down the orchard and built houses on the land. That’s what’s sad. I loved those trees.”

  Vashka shook her head at the idea. The Ta’e’sha had a great respect for the land and were very careful about where they built their houses. Many of them still lived in the sea, building in the rock cliffs and sandy areas where little grew. On land they placed homes in more barren areas as well, saving the fertile soil for growing.

  Thea continued, “We moved to the outskirts of Portland, and Dad opened a mechanic shop with the money and bought a big house. Mom started weaving cloth for the patchouli and granola crowd. The environmentalists,” she explained when Vashka looked confused. “Oregon has a lot of them. They are trying to help people live with the land better, recycle, and use organic products instead of stuff that causes pollution.”

  “Oh, I see.” Vashka still looked a little confused, but motioned for Thea to continue.

  “Mom and Dad wanted a big family, but Mom had so much trouble carrying me that the doctors told her she shouldn’t try to have any more kids. They tried anyway, but Mom had three miscarriages before they gave up.” Thea fiddled with her cup. She had been too young to remember the miscarriages, but she had vague memories of her mother crying sometimes.

  Vashka frowned. “Your family is not very fertile,” she said meditatively.

  Thea shrugged. “Not on Mom’s side, but Dad’s side is. Dad had a big family, but he didn’t talk about them. I guess he got into a really hairy fight with his dad when he was younger and he never spoke to him or the rest again. Not too surprising” ‑‑ she grinned mischievously ‑‑ “Dad’s family was Irish too, and the Irish are known for having nasty tempers and holding grudges. Dad said when he got old he’d get Irish Alzheimer’s. He’d forget everything but the grudges.”

  Vashka smiled uncertainly, but Thea could see she didn’t get the joke. “Dad’s family actually ran to twins,” she went on. “Mom taught me weaving, and I helped her and tried to get a clientele of my own started. When I was eighteen, Mom, Dad, and my grandparents took a vacation to the coast and were killed in a car accident.” Thea looked at the tea in her cup, remembering the police coming to her door with the news. A shaft of pain tore at her heart. “A car full of teenagers was driving too fast and swerved into the wrong lane and hit my family’s car head-on.” Vashka’s hand covered hers and she clung to it. “I was supposed to go with them, but I had been sick with food poisoning so I stayed home. A friend and I ate at a restaurant that wasn’t very careful about storing food.

  “I sold the house ‑‑ it was too big and empty for one person ‑‑ and the shop. I moved into an apartment and started waiting tables and working on my weaving. And several years later, I met Kyrin and Daeshen.” She glossed over that part, thinking that if Vashka knew the truth she’d rip into both men and tear them new ones. Besides who really wanted to tell their new mother-in-law that her son was into B&D? “So, here I am.” She smiled.

  Vashka squeezed her hand. “Hmmm, that’s quite a story.” She pinned Thea with a shrewd stare. “And it’s obvious you adored your mother and grandmother, so why did you give up their name?”

  Thea smiled slowly and threw Kyrin to the wolves without a qualm. “On Earth it is customary for women to take their husband’s name.” She waited while Vashka digested that.

  The older women’s eyes narrowed. “And my darling son didn’t tell you we do things differently, did he?”

  “Nope,” Thea stated cheerfully.

  Vashka’s face fell. “Well, now that you know differently I would understand if you wish to use your family’s name,” she said sadly.

  “No, no,” Thea said, quickly, covering the older woman’s hand. “I would be honored to take your name.” She hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. “I’ve missed being part of a family and would love to be part of yours,” she stated sincerely.

  Vashka smiled slowly, her face filling with happiness again. “I would like that. I’ve always wanted a daughter.” She laughed delightedly. “Now I have two!” Her smile suddenly took a decidedly evil turn. “And I’ll talk to Kyrin about his little trick. He may be a grown man but I can still turn him over my knee. Bah, tricking his wife like that! I raised him better than that! I’ll chew on Daeshen too, for good measure.”

  Thea grinned. “Can I watch?”

  Vashka chuckled. “Indeed you can, my sweet. I’ll teach you the finer points of managing men.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  Thea giggled. “You only have one husband?” she asked suddenly.

  Vashka grinned. “Yes, just Tosaa, and he’s a handful. We didn’t find anyone else we wanted to ask to join us. Kyrin got his aggressive nature from his father. Something I’ve always taken great delight in!” Her grin took on a decidedly lecherous cast.

  “And I shall be happy to be aggressive for you tonight, my love,” Tosaa stated as he entered the kitchen. He bent to press a kiss onto Vashka’s brow. He turned to Thea and stroked her cheek tenderly. “How is my new daughter?” he asked with a smile.

  “Fine, thank you” ‑‑ she leaned into his hand ‑‑ “Father.” It seemed right to call this man Father. He did remind her of her own father. They had the same quiet strength. They both looked at their wives with the same love.

  Tosaa smiled and caressed her hair. He turned back to his wife. “What’s for dinner?”

  Thea had to grin as Vashka answered him. It seemed that race had nothing to do with men’s stomachs. She turned as Sya’tia glided in stifling a yawn. “Hey, sweetie. Have a nice nap?”

  Sya’tia nodded sleepily and collapsed in the chair next to her. “Kyrin will be down in a bit. He’s been getting calls from the maintenance crews.” She slid Thea a sideways look. “From what he told me, tools are disappearing.”

  Thea smiled serenely. “They’ll turn up.” Her mates had been trying to pry information out of her since the asana had returned from their meditations. The messages they had received from their Gods told them the Ta’e’sha had torked off some of the human women’s deities and that they would have to find a solution to the problem themselves.

  As a result, Kyrin had been hounding Thea for “rituals of appeasement.” Thea had stood firm that no ritual would work unless the heart was behind it since the heart was what meant the most in any ritual. Not that she knew any such “ritual.”

  Plus, she didn’t know much more than they did. Sure, she had her suspicions, but that wasn’t the same as knowing. So, why should she make comments that might prove to be wrong?

  Her attention was brought back to the present by Vashka asking her and Sya’tia to set the table in the dining room. She gathered up the dishes handed to her and followed the older woman, humming softly u
nder her breath.

  * * * * *

  They spent several weeks with Kyrin’s family. Thea and Sya’tia thrived on the instant acceptance they found in Vashka’s home. Kyrin’s father took them on tours of the city and helped Thea fine-tune her understanding of the Ta’e’shian written language.

  Craedor was an almost constant companion. He dragged Thea and Sya’tia to his school to introduce them to his teachers. They had to meet all of his friends and he taught them how to play several games.

  Kyrin teased his little brother often about how he dominated their attention. He told Craedor he was in danger of having his wives stolen away from him.

  Craedor just grinned and continued to soak up the attention.

  Kyrin’s other brothers lived outside of town and Thea didn’t get to spend as much time with them. They all seemed nice and genuinely glad to have Thea and Sya’tia in their family, but they were busy with their own lives. None of them were married, which Thea found strange, but she didn’t ask them about it. It didn’t seem polite.

  A date for the trial was set and they were quickly approaching the day they would have to leave for Daeshen’s home. He became very quiet a few days before they left and barely spoke a word. Thea tried to ask him what was wrong but he wouldn’t answer her. She knew he had been getting messages from home and he seemed more withdrawn with each one he received.

  She caught Kyrin in a hall the day they were packing to leave.

  “What’s going on with Daeshen?” she asked quietly, holding Kyrin’s sleeve.

  Kyrin shook his head. “I don’t know. He won’t tell me either.”

  Thea sighed. “Well, he’s going to have to talk to us sooner or later. Or I’ll have Sya’tia tie him up until he tells us.”