Ai No Kusabi Fan Fiction ❯ The Lost Cadre ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Author's Notes: Ai no Kusabi and its characters do not belong to me and I make no claim on them. But…. Everybody else IS my own creation that I have plopped down into the Ai no Kusabi world. The things that they do and their interaction with the other characters of Ai no Kusabi are purely my fabrication.

 

Thanks goes to my invaluable betas on this slightly AU endeavour. You guys know who you are. *kisses*

 

The Lost Cadre 13

 

Raoul pressed his lips together as he thought about the events that had taken place at the concert hall. He felt the flush of embarrassment colour his cheeks when he remembered ducking down between the rows of seats when the man had appeared on stage and started firing shots. He hadn't been the only person to do so, but it seemed somehow worse for an elite like him to cower behind the seats instead of doing something.

 

Seeing Zesiro move into action and the fierce, blood thirsty expression on his face had been a bit of an eye-opener for the Blondie. Raoul knew, intimately, that Zesiro liked violence. He'd simply never considered that the Shal-hazal would get such a seemingly big thrill out of the violence when sex wasn't involved. That the non-sexual brutality appeared to have eventually turned Zesiro on was no surprise to the Blondie given what he knew of Zesiro's highly sexual nature and tastes.

 

Raoul divided his attention between the road and Zesiro the entire time he was driving. His lover was nearly vibrating in his seat with excess energy. A pleased grin stretched across Raoul's face when he thought about how much fun he was going to have playing with Zesiro's body. He did have a moment of concern when he noticed that Zesiro was drumming his fingers on the armrest and that the man's sharp talons were leaving tiny punctures in the expensive leather. Experience had taught Raoul to be wary of Zesiro when he was feeling so obviously aggressive and sexually charged.

 

“Are you going to be okay to play the bottom, Zesiro? You seem a little tightly strung. I don't want another incident like when you first set foot on Amoi. You might have thought that was foreplay, but I certainly didn't. I'd prefer no broken bones this time,” Raoul said, flicking a glance at Zesiro.

 

“That was accidental and to be fair, you started it. Jolen did an awesome job working me up. Sneaky bastard knew exactly what he was doing, too. I have to give him credit for that. Made for one hell of a show.” Zesiro flashed a little fang at Raoul and leered, his voice dropping into huskier tones. “I'm probably feeling a lot more aggressive than I should be to play kinky games with you. Tell you what, you let me pound your ass hard as soon as we're in the door and that should take care of the extra aggression I'm feeling right now. At least I think it will. After that, I should have myself under control and you can play with me and your new toys as promised. Sound like a plan?”

 

Raoul snorted and pulled into his spot in the underground parking garage. Somehow, Raoul had known that he was going to be the one getting his ass ploughed regardless of what Zesiro had promised earlier. Not that he didn't enjoy having Zesiro's cock in his ass, because he did. It was simply the fact of the matter that more often than not, he ended up playing the bottom for his Awh'anise lover. The situation was starting to smart Raoul's pride as a Blondie and he felt it was something that was going to have to change soon.

 

“You're just saying that so you can top again.”

 

Raoul was unprepared for the hand that shot out and tangled in his hair. His head was yanked painfully to the side and he felt Zesiro's sharp teeth nip his throat. Raoul swore at the sting and his hands came up to clutch at Zesiro's. A deep, warning growl rumbled from Zesiro and Raoul felt the warm, wet slide of something down his throat. He had the sneaking suspicion that it wasn't saliva, but blood trickling across his skin.

 

“Jolen played with my tail and then denied me. The little confrontation with the almost assassin excited the fuck out of me. Violence gets me off, Raoul. Don't ever forget that,” Zesiro growled low, scraping his fangs back and forth against Raoul's neck.

 

“I can be a very considerate partner, and I try to rein in most of my Awh'anise impulses, but I have seriously injured bed-mates in the name of pleasure and enjoyed doing it. Challenging me right now is not a good idea if we're taking about your personal safety. I am a dangerous man, Raoul, and if I really wanted to hurt you, there's nothing you could do to stop me.”

 

Raoul swallowed hard. He very clearly remembered his initial fight with Zesiro. He'd used every last ounce of strength he had and the Awh'anise had still beaten him soundly. He also remembered that it had taken far more tranquilizer darts to knock Zesiro out than it did for a typical Blondie. Not that he had any tranquilizers on hand, but it made Raoul pause and wonder how badly Zesiro could hurt him before security would be able to stop him. Zesiro didn't simply threaten violence. He delivered on it, and Raoul knew first hand it excited the Awh'anise. Raoul was a little shocked to find that the threat of genuine harm was sending tiny thrills through him. He wondered what Zesiro had done to make him feel that way in such a short time. Whatever it was, Raoul liked it. He was learning more about his deviant soul through his interaction with Zesiro than he ever dreamed possible.

 

“I still get to try out my new toy on you?” Raoul asked as he slanted a look as best as he could at Zesiro with his head twisted painfully to the side.

 

“Absolutely,” Zesiro grinned and relaxed his hold on Raoul.

 

“Then I suppose I can make the small sacrifice.”

 

Zesiro laughed and licked a long line up Raoul's throat, releasing his lover's hair. “Like it's such a hardship to have my cock stuffed up your ass. You enjoy every second of it.”

 

“It's inelegant to point that out, Zesiro,” Raoul said with a haughty sniff as he exited the car and headed for the elevator bank and keyed in his security code.

 

Zesiro laughed again and moved to stand behind his Blondie lover, pulling Raoul's hips against his groin as they waited for the elevator. Zesiro made a rumbling noise in his throat as his cock pressed into Raoul's firm ass. When the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, Zesiro pushed Raoul into the elevator. He barely waited until the doors closed before yanking the Blondie's pants down and stroking Raoul's half-formed erection.

 

“Zesiro, what are you doing?”

 

“Demsho, if you really need to ask, I'm doing this all wrong when I thought I had a pretty good handle on how this kind of thing went.”

 

“But we're in the elevator,” Raoul sputtered in protest, choosing to ignore how naughty he found the idea.

 

“Yeah, so? I said to let me have your ass as soon as we were in the door. I never said it had to be your apartment door. Live a little, demsho. You liked it last time. Turn around and brace your hands on the wall.”

 

Raoul wanted to object, but the idea of a little carnal sin in the elevator was too good to say no. The last time they'd had sex in an elevator had been beyond good. He secretly liked the dominate tone in his lover's voice, although Raoul would rather bite off his own tongue before he admitted that to anyone, especially Zesiro. Raoul had learned very quickly that if he gave way the tiniest bit, Zesiro took advantage of the situation quicker than a person could blink.

 

“This is gonna be fast and hard, Raoul. I'm worked up pretty good.”

 

A shiver travelled over the Blondie's skin. He was already aroused simply from Zesiro's words and actions. Fast and hard was never a problem with Zesiro as far as Raoul was concerned. The Shal-hazal always made sure that a more leisurely fuck followed soon after, as if to apologise for rushing the first time.

 

“I believe I can live with that as long as you've got something we can use as lube stashed somewhere on you. Fast and hard with just spit really doesn't work for me, Zesiro.”

 

Zesiro snorted and nipped the back of Raoul's neck. “I don't remember you complaining about just spit before, but yeah, I've got something to use.” Zesiro's voice dropped seductively and he pressed his lips against Raoul's ear, “You sound so uptight when you talk like that. Makes me hot, and like I should do something about taking that tone out of your voice. Something dirty and naughty and sinful. You should talk like that more often.”

 

Raoul arched an eyebrow at his lover's words and the small packet of lube Zesiro produced from… somewhere. The Shal-hazal had chosen to wear a form-fitting outfit to the show, and for the life of him, Raoul couldn't figure out where Zesiro could've stashed the packet without ruining the line of his clothes. He wondered what else the Awh'anise had hidden on him and where he could possibly be keeping things. Zesiro noticed the curious look and smirked.

 

“My mom is a big believer in preparing for anything. You'd be surprised at the stuff I have on hand at almost any given moment. I'm more than a pretty face and fantastic bedroom skills, Raoul. I am an elite weapon of mass destruction,” Zesiro said with a grin.

 

“Carrying lube is a requirement of being one of these elite weapons? Somehow, I have a hard time buying that. Now the mass destruction part, I have no trouble believing,” Raoul said on a little moan when Zesiro scraped a talon lightly down his shirt and over his nipple.

 

“Flattery will get you all kinds of interesting places, demsho. Enough talking. I can smell how aroused you are and it's driving me crazy. Time to fuck.”

 

Raoul's laughter was cut short when Zesiro pressed the slicked head of his cock to Raoul's ass and pushed sharply. Raoul hissed at the burn of the sudden entry without preparation and rose up on his toes. A shiver raced down his spine at the sharp bite to the back of his neck and the quiet growl that left Zesiro's throat. He barely had time to adjust to the feel of his lover inside his body before Zesiro was moving. A grunt was forced from Raoul when his cheek was pressed roughly against the wall of the elevator.

 

Zesiro knew he was being an inconsiderate lover, but once he'd gotten his cock into Raoul's tight ass, he couldn't seem to help himself. He wanted to dig his claws into Raoul's hips and bite viciously at his lover's shoulders until blood flowed freely. Zesiro wanted to hear answering growls of pleasure at the rough treatment. He'd underestimated how aroused Jolen had made him and the effects of the mild torture session following so quickly on the heels of the intensely sexual play.

 

Zesiro knew Raoul wouldn't appreciate or be able to handle the level of violence the Shal-hazal craved at that moment. Sweat broke out on Zesiro as he tried to pull his desire into line. Zesiro swore softly under his breath when he realized that the quick fuck in the elevator wasn't going to take care of the need for violence he was feeling. Reaching between Raoul's legs, Zesiro took Raoul's erection in hand and jerked his Blondie lover in time with the rough thrusts.

 

Raoul panted and squirmed against the strong hold his lover had on him. While some part of him enjoyed the fine edge of violence and pain he was walking with Zesiro, Raoul sensed that it would take very little to push the Shal-hazal over the edge into truly hurting him. The Blondie found himself equally aroused and afraid by the idea and wondered just how badly Zesiro would hurt him if pushed too far.

 

The harsh growl and fist driven through the polished steel of the elevator car scant inches from his nose made Raoul gasp and tense up even as arousal twisted through him. Although trickles of unease wound through Raoul as he felt and saw the level of aggression in Zesiro rise, he enjoyed the thrill of almost violence Zesiro was treating him too.

 

Zesiro sucked air through his clenched teeth in an effort to retain control as he relentlessly pounded into Raoul's body. Punching his fist through the wall of the elevator had only helped diffuse his need for violence in the short term. The Awh'anise knew he needed to bring Raoul to completion quickly, achieve his own and take himself to the dream world for a little unreal release before he actually did serious harm to his lover. He wanted violence but Raoul wasn't the one able to handle what the Shal-hazal craved.

 

Raoul panted and shuddered in delight at the rough thrusts, low growls and stinging bites Zesiro was treating him to. His lover's hand on his cock was jerking him roughly and almost forcing Raoul towards orgasm. The Blondie shivered in anticipation when Zesiro's velvety tail snaked up his chest and wound around his throat settling like a living collar on his neck.

 

“Come, Raoul. Now. Smell… close. Fuck. Control is crap. Gonna… hurt you,” Zesiro growled into Raoul's ear as his talons pierced the skin on his lover's hips.

 

The harsh thrusts of his cock and sharp, points of pain from Zesiro's claws on his hip tipped Raoul over the edge. He stiffened and moaned, his cock spurting in Zesiro's fist. The Shal-hazal hissed and snapped his hips tight, release forcing a low, animalistic howl from Zesiro. Raoul swore lowly in pleasure at the feel of Zesiro's cock pulsing in his ass and ground his hips back into his lover. He felt almost dizzy from the high of his orgasm and the rush from their rough sex. The Blondie muttered a protest when the tail wrapped around Raoul's neck slithered down his body and away. Raoul managed to remain standing through stubborn pride alone, his legs felt like rubber from the euphoria of his quick and powerful release.

 

“Bed, Raoul. Hitting the dream world for violence before I hurt you. Be gone an hour, tops,” Zesiro said in a rough voice, already sinking to the floor of the elevator just as the doors dinged open to Raoul's apartment.

 

“Master Raoul?” Hakhan asked with concern as he quickly took in the sight of Raoul, dishevelled, his pants pushed to his knees and thin trails of blood running down the outside of his thighs.

 

Hakhan's gaze checked the elevator for Zesiro, his eyes widening at the fist sized hole punched in the wall. He spotted Zesiro on the floor of the cab and did his best to keep the confusion and worry from his face. It wasn't a Furniture's place to show outward signs of emotion at anything that happened in his Master's home.

 

Raoul tugged his pants back into place and stared down at Zesiro. If he hadn't already seen his lover do it several times before, he never would've believed that Zesiro had just fallen asleep between one breath and the next. He nudged the Shal-hazal with his toe and getting no response, sighed.

 

“Help me get him to my bedroom, Hakhan.”

 

Hakhan nodded and bit his bottom lip, indecision warring with obedience in his eyes. “Is he… is he going to be all right, Master Raoul? Should I summon a doctor?”

 

Raoul's eyebrows rose. Even though the question had been asked in a near whisper, it was highly unusual for Hakhan to say anything when given a direct order. “He's fine, Hakhan. He said he needed to visit the dream world and that he'd be back in an hour. Now, help me drag him to my bed.”

 

Hakhan breathed a tiny sigh of relief. He'd been shocked to see Zesiro on the floor of the elevator in a heap. Blood on his Master's thighs and a fist-sized hole in the wall of the elevator did nothing to ease his worries that something had happened between Zesiro and his Master with Zesiro coming out with the worst of it. The idea that Zesiro could've reduced Raoul to a stain on the floor never even occurred to Hakhan. He'd heard the rumours and stories of the first meeting between Zesiro and Raoul, but Hakhan was sure they had to be exaggerated. After all, it'd been Zesiro who'd wound up in the hospital after that fight, not Raoul. Hakhan also knew better than to take the gossip among the Furniture and Pets as truth. The very idea that a Blondie could be beaten was ridiculous.

 

 

*********

 

Zesiro went from deeply asleep to wide awake between one heart beat and the next. His sharp hearing picked out the faint sounds of someone breathing softly and he could feel the warm heat of a body next to him. Zesiro opened his eyes to find Raoul sitting up in bed beside him, reading. He flicked his tail tip over Raoul's bare thigh and slanted a look at the Blondie.

 

“Miss me?”

 

Raoul snorted softly and marked the page in the book he was reading. He'd watched Zesiro sleep for a while, but lost interest when not even the barest twitch of the Shal-hazal's muscles gave away whatever he might have been doing in the dream world. Except for the warmth and shallow rise and fall of his chest, Zesiro could have easily doubled as a corpse.

 

“Hardly. This is a rather interesting book,” Raoul said in a clipped voice.

 

Zesiro frowned at Raoul's tone. “If this is about my taking off to the dream world at the drop of a hat, that was for your protection. I would've hurt you bad, if not fatally, I was that worked up. I needed to burn my violent impulses, and heading to the dream world was the best way I could think of doing that and keeping you safe.”

 

“Keep me safe? Right. I'm sure you managed to find things to entertain yourself there,” Raoul said in a cool tone.

 

“I didn't go to the dream world to fuck. I went there to kill,” Zesiro said plainly.

 

Raoul felt his mouth turn dry at the bald statement. He was a very good judge of when people were telling the truth, and when they were lying. Despite the air of harmlessness Zesiro was currently projecting, Raoul was positive the Shal-hazal was telling the truth and that unsettled Raoul as nothing else had since meeting Zesiro. For the first time, Raoul wondered if he'd been incredibly reckless in taking a man as dangerous as Zesiro to bed.

 

“I won't hurt you like you're thinking, Raoul” Zesiro said in a soft voice. He kept his body still and his hands to himself, used to seeing the reactions like Raoul's with other partners.

 

“I'm having a ball with you and enjoying the pleasures of your lovely ass, but I still have a job to do. Not all of the sleeping you see me do is actually sleep. About half is work for me. I'm not that lazy and I take my job seriously,” Zesiro said with a small smile.

 

Raoul felt himself at a loss for what to say. He'd teased Zesiro a few times about being like a big cat and lazing away the day asleep in a patch of sunlight. The thought that Zesiro might actually be working never even crossed Raoul's mind. The very idea that Zesiro's work required him to be asleep was still a difficult thing for the Blondie to wrap his head around.

 

“You kill often? When you're working, I mean,” Raoul asked genuinely curious.

 

“Killing is my business and business is good, Raoul. You know that I'm a Shal-hazal Warrior. I'm also a soldier with a military rank that I worked my tail off to get. The military can be used to keep the peace, but that generally isn't what the Awh'anise military gets used for. You know, I don't think I've ever told you my whole name, rank and serial number have I?” Zesiro asked, a little relieved that Raoul wasn't drawing away from him, and seemed curious instead of afraid or horrified that he'd slept with a killer.

 

“No, I don't believe you have.”

 

Zesiro knelt on the bed, his tail curled around his legs, his back rigidly straight. Cool command fell around him like a cloak. “Shal-hazal Warrior Jor Zesiro Baruch-Eliska of the House of Kleysa, Ambassador of Awh'an, at your service.”

 

“Your first name is Jor? I thought….”

 

“No, that's my military rank,” Zesiro said with a laugh, the commanding presence melting easily away. “I'm an officer. I'm five spots away from the top brass but it'll take me decades before I can reach that high, if ever. Hell, my mom is three ranks above me and she's considered almost a protégé, militarily speaking. She's in a different branch than me and not a Shal-hazal, thank god. I love my mom, but I wouldn't want to be one of her subordinates. She works intel and scares me with the shit she knows. I wouldn't put it past her to know exactly where I am, who you are and what I'm doing right now.”

 

Raoul knew he was staring at Zesiro with something that bordered on mild shock. He knew Zesiro had ambassador status and that the Shal-hazal were revered on Awh'an, but Zesiro being some kind of military personnel wasn't something that even crossed Raoul's mind. He'd also never considered that a female could be part of any military force. He simply couldn't let that piece of information pass without exploring it further.

 

“Is that a common thing? Females in positions of power like that, I mean.”

 

Zesiro laughed. “Demsho, more than half the time, the females are running the show on Awh'an. Realistically, we don't care what sex you are as long as you're competent at your job.”

 

“Then, there are a lot of women in positions like your mother? Women holding top jobs in the military and things like that?” Raoul asked genuinely curious and not quite able to believe that women could hold high ranking jobs.

 

“Yeah. Some of the best of the best are women. Like Jolen's mother. She's fucking legend among the Shal-hazal. She retired with the highest rank possible in the military and let me tell you, every Shal-hazal is wary, if not down right scared of her.”

 

Raoul's eyebrows rose. The concept of being afraid of some female was completely foreign to him. None of the females Raoul had come into contact with were fear inducing. Granted, they'd all been Pets and had any kind of aggression or violence bred out of them, but the female of the species seemed much too delicate and weak to inspire any kind of fear in anyone.

 

“Wait a minute. Did you say Jolen's mother was somebody that is universally feared by the Shal-hazal? Why? Is she one of those Litches you told me about? Did she go insane? How do you even know who his mother is? Have you met Jolen before?”

 

“When I was on stage with Jolen, he greeted me formally as an unknown Shal-hazal. That's unusual and something only another Awh'anise would know, so I asked him if his mother or his father was Awh'anise. He said mother and told me her name, probably just for the shock value,” Zesiro said with a chuckle.

 

“So, who is she?” Raoul asked with a little impatience in his voice.

 

“She's a Shal-hazal Warrior Litch-Hunter. They're the ones who track down the insane Litches and kill them. She is the best there is at that, and she trained god's knows how many Shal-hazal Warriors to do the same, but none of them have ever been as good as her. She still holds the rank of Nal'ger, even though she's retired and I've heard that the military still consults with her on difficult cases. It's a damn good thing the guy who shot Jolen is dead. If he wasn't, Jolen's mom would have made him that way and probably stretched it out for days if not weeks. Awh'anise females are fiercely protective of their kids no matter how old they are.”

 

Raoul's brow furrowed. As one of Jupiter's Blondies, he'd had nothing like a mother growing up. He'd heard of the concept. How else could the mongrels of Ceres reproduce or certain breeding programs of Pets take place? Somehow, he doubted that the females that spawned the mongrels in Ceres shared much in common with the type of mother Zesiro was talking about. Raoul knew for a fact that the Pets used in breeding had very little contact with the children they spawned. The idea that there were females who'd care so deeply about their off spring was difficult for Raoul to comprehend.

 

“Hunting these Litches is hard?” Raoul asked.

 

“Hard? Try impossibly difficult and dangerous as fuck. Shal-hazal Litches go insane but they don't turn stupid. Every time they absorb a mind, they get a brief period of incredible strength, physically and mentally. They're nearly impossible to kill then. If they happen to take the mind of a Shal-hazal Warrior… let's just say that's really, really bad,” Zesiro said with a shudder.

 

“You've heard of that happening?”

 

“Oh yeah. Nasty business. A Litch once killed the Hunter after her, took the Hunter's mind and proceeded to kill off a small city with the extra boost from the Warrior's mind and absorbed the minds of the city she'd just killed off. They sent Shal-hazal Warrior Litch-Hunter Sunki, Jolen's mom, after the Litch. Story has it that it took Sunki two weeks to track the Litch down and the fight lasted a little more than six hours and not all of the fight was in the dream world. Sunki was a mess when it was over but she killed the Litch. The Vi'deshron sing freaking songs about that battle and it's pretty damn cool to hear and see.”

 

Raoul was a little sceptical about what Zesiro was telling him, but decided to let that pass. He was intrigued by the idea of someone having that much power even if he was fairly certain Zesiro was embellishing the story somewhat. If the Litches had even a fraction of the power Zesiro was suggesting, Raoul personally knew of several Blondies who'd pay good money to have them as bodyguards. Not necessarily for their skills but simply to say that they had one. That they'd probably look as exotic as Zesiro would be icing on the cake.

 

“You mentioned before that one of Awh'an's biggest exports was soldiers. Are the Shal-hazal included in these soldiers for hire? I can think of several Blondies who'd love to have a Shal-hazal as a personal guard.”

 

“Sure, if you've got the cash, you can hire a Shal-hazal,” Zesiro said with a smirk. He named a figure that made Raoul gasp softly. “Usually, it's a country that hires us, demsho. You know, take out the leader of the neighbouring country or help to stage a coup or some shit. If you want bodyguard work, trust me, a trained Awh'anise soldier will more than do for a fraction of the price. See how lucky you are? You get me in your bed and watching out for that cute ass of yours for free. Not only that, you also get the absolute delight of having my exceptionally fine ass, too.”

 

Raoul rolled his eyes and snorted softly. “Speaking of having your ass, I do believe there are some newly arrived toys that have your name all over them.”

 

A flush coloured Zesiro's cheeks and he looked down, his fingers tracing over the pattern of the comforter. He gave Raoul a quick look from under his eyelashes and his best boyish charm smile.

 

“Would you mind if we put a hold on that, demsho? I'm not trying to wiggle out of letting you test drive your new toys on me, but cranking me up right now probably wouldn't be the best idea. I'm calmer than before I went to work in the dream world, but it really wouldn't take much to put me back into that dangerous frame of mind.”

 

Raoul frowned. It wasn't like Zesiro to back down from anything sexual. If anything, he was often the one to come up with new ideas and convince Raoul to go along with them. Zesiro had a sexual appetite that was gigantic. Not that Raoul was complaining.

 

“You can tie me up when we play with your toys,” Zesiro offered quickly when he thought Raoul might try to hold him to their earlier deal. “You can still do me right now as long as you keep any kind of violence out of it.”

 

“You're serious about this,” Raoul said in surprise.

 

“As a heart attack. I worked out most of my aggression in the dream world, but not all of it. That'll take a little time. I swear, on my honour, Raoul, I will let you play with your new toys on me and let you tie me up, too, and do basically whatever you want with me. I just don't think I could keep you entirely safe right now if we were to play that intensely. I don't want to hurt you, demsho and I'm still a little worried that I might.”

 

“What if I agreed to this alternative, but as part of that deal, you have to abstain from sex, or from finding release until we play with my new toys? You still game?”

 

Zesiro's mouth dropped open in surprise before he laughed. He pounced on Raoul, giving him a sloppy kiss and hugging him hard enough to force a grunt of protest from the Blondie. Zesiro nuzzled into Raoul's neck and murmured words of thanks.

 

“You're a wickedly clever man, demsho. Nothing like tormenting a guy who craves sex by keeping it from him. I knew I liked you for a reason. You sure you wanna do that though? You won't be getting any if I'm not, and I think you've really come to like having my oh so fine cock in your ass on a regular basis.”

 

“I never said anything about my not having sex or reaching orgasm. Just you. You have a rather talented mouth, Zesiro. I'm sure I can make good use of it. Either that or Hakhan can provide the service for me and you can watch.”

 

Zesiro's eyes widened before he grinned. “Damn, but I know how to pick them. You're gonna drive me crazy with want, aren't you? This is gonna be so fucking cool. I only ask that you don't cut short my touching you. I honestly do need some physical contact with others, Raoul. It doesn't need to be sexual. Just sleeping curled around you will do it for me.”

 

“Fair enough. Bear in mind that if I do catch you doing anything sexual to yourself, I have several devices that will make it impossible for you to even masturbate, and I won't hesitate to use them,” Raoul warned in a stern voice. “Now, you should poke your head out the door to let Hakhan know you're okay. He was pretty worried I'd done something to you when he saw you passed out on the floor of the elevator.”

 

A soft look came into Zesiro's eyes at the mention of Hakhan's concern, and he smiled at Raoul. The Shal-hazal dropped a quick kiss on Raoul's mouth and left the bed to go find Hakhan to assure the Furniture that he was okay. Possibly, with a little convincing, Zesiro thought he could get Hakhan to come and share the bed with him and Raoul. The shy Furniture was almost as touch hungry as Zesiro and the Awh'anise had the feeling that Hakhan would rest easier snuggled between him and Raoul if he'd been as worried as Raoul said. There was also the fact that Zesiro found himself unable to become violent around Hakhan given what he knew of the Furniture's treatment from his previous master. Having the pretty young man tucked so trustingly in his arms always relaxed Zesiro and smothered his violent needs. Zesiro was positive Raoul would be safe as long as Hakhan was present.

 

*********

 

Jolen opened his eyes slowly and blinked in confusion at his surroundings. He was in a strange room and had no recollection of how he came to be there. He moved to sit up and winced at the dull throb in his shoulder. Jolen looked at his shoulder and frowned at the large bandage wrapping around it. Snatches of memory battered him, making him suck in his breath and press a hand to his eyes.

 

The hard punch-like pressure that'd spun him around.

 

Someone's fingers tangled painfully in his hair.

 

People in the theatre screaming, and a star-burst of pain in his head and then…. Nothing.

 

Jolen hissed as he tentatively moved his arm around and thought furiously. He'd seen something out of the corner of his eye before he blacked out. A gun? Jolen swore softly. He'd been shot? But why? Jolen peeled back the edge of the bandage and grunted softly. The skin of the wound had already knit itself back together leaving an ugly black bruise around the light, blue-purple coloured new skin. Jolen bit his lip as he poked at the injury, forcing his slightly sluggish brain to work at figuring out how long he'd been unconscious based on the amount of healing his body had already done. Mental math that almost started a headache pounding behind his eyes put his time laid out at roughly eight hours.

 

“Fucking hell. I have a star ship to catch in….” Jolen's brow furrowed, “two hours. God fucking damn it. I don't even know where the hell I am.”

 

Jolen muttered to himself as he took stock of where he was. The room he was in was large, tastefully decorated and very obviously not a hospital room. It looked like he'd been taken to someone's home, which made no sense if he'd been suffering from a gunshot. He supposed it could be the house of one of the Blondies he'd been speaking with moments before he was shot. Although, why they would have brought him to their home instead of a hospital was beyond him. At least whoever had patched up his shoulder appeared to know what they were doing with regards to first aid. He hoped like hell that the bullet had either passed clean through his shoulder or that the person who'd bandaged him up had removed the bullet first. Jolen thought it would completely ruin his day if the wound had to be cut open to remove a bullet that should've been done in the first place.

 

The hand Jolen dragged over his head made him groan and curse softly. He pulled a handful of long hair over his shoulder and swore again. His hair was a rat's nest that would take hours to de-tangle. Hours he felt he didn't have, not to mention that he had no idea where to start looking for a hair brush. A glance down his body showed that he still wore the thong-like garment from his show that blended with his skin giving the appearance that he was nude. Wandering around a strange house naked seemed a bit on the rude side regardless of how comfortable he was dressed in only his own skin. Deciding that he'd better get moving to find out where he was, Jolen pushed up from the bed and approached the door to the room. He cautiously turned the knob, not sure if he'd find it locked or not. A sigh of relief escaped him when the knob turned easily under his hand.

 

Jolen stepped into the hallway and looked up and down the length of it, wondering which way to go. More doors led from the hall, but Jolen wasn't interested in exploring. He needed to find Mingan Zenos, talk to Sevilen and then he could get his blue ass onto a star ship and go back to his nice, normal life where people didn't shoot him for no apparent reason, or bash his head in just because. Standing still and closing his eyes, Jolen strained his ears for any sounds of people stirring in the house, reasoning that if somebody was awake, they could direct him to Mingan or Sevilen and, with his task done, he could leave.

 

The faint sounds of someone singing had Jolen's eyes popping open. The timber of the voice was slightly different, but the song was achingly familiar and something he hadn't heard in two decades. Jolen turned and hurried in the direction of the singer, his heart beating heavily in his chest. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he was moving back in time and hearing Jenlen when he'd been a teen and his voice hadn't yet acquired the polish of experience. Jolen rounded a corner and found himself in a large kitchen. The young voice of his brother could only be coming from the tiny figure standing with his back to Jolen. The singing was abruptly cut off with a long suffering sigh and a bow of the dark lavender head.

 

“Mingan, I said I'd be back shortly. I'm perfectly capable of getting some fruit and juice by myself you know. I told you Akando won't bother me because he sees me as yours. You've been acting weird since you came home last night. What is your problem?” Sevilen said as he turned around to face the door.

 

Jolen stared at the small young man in front of him, and wondered if the blow he'd taken to his head was affecting his vision. The large, golden eyes staring back at him in surprise were a mirror image of his. The stubborn line of jaw was Jenlen's as was the voice he'd heard earlier. The young male's skin wasn't as green as Jenlen's, and the dark lavender hair certainly looked nothing like Jenlen's forest green hair, but Jolen could plainly see his brother's stamp all over the young man in front of him. There was no doubt in Jolen's mind. He was looking at his brother's child.

 

“Sevilen?” Jolen asked in a whisper.

 

“How do you know my name? Who are you?” Sevilen asked wary at finding a strange, almost nude man in the house. He clutched the paring knife in his hand and waited for the man to make a move, suddenly glad that Mingan had told him to dress when he was in the house until Akando left.

 

Mingan had ushered Sevilen into the bedroom as soon as he appeared in the house and ordered Sevilen to stay in the bedroom. He'd told Sevilen he needed to get Akando settled in a bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. Sevilen had been tempted to open the door anyway and demand an explanation from his Blondie, but the barely controlled anger in Mingan's eyes had made Sevilen think twice about taking such an action. He did wonder if this man who looked vaguely familiar was Akando's Pet.

 

“I'm Jolen, your father's twin. Is he all right? Can you tell me where he is?”

 

Sevilen blinked stupidly at the man in front of him for several seconds at the news that he was looking at his father's twin. His brain finally made the connection between what the man had just said and the face of his father from his dream. The light of recognition made Sevilen's eyes widen in shock, and he sucked in a startled breath. Jolen's face was a little older looking and the skin colour was wrong, but it was nearly identical to the face of his father. Sevilen felt the blood drain from his face, and he swayed a little before groping behind him for the support of the counter. His mind spun. He wasn't alone in the world. He had family. He had family standing right in front of him. Sevilen's eyes stung, and for a brief moment, he thought he was going to burst into tears of joy.

 

“Sevilen? Are you okay? How did you end up here? Where's your father, Jenlen?” Jolen asked as he approached Sevilen and reached out a hand to touch him.

 

Sevilen felt dazed and was seconds too slow in reacting to Jolen's outstretched hand to avoid it. Sevilen tensed up, waiting for all the memories and experiences of Jolen to flood his mind with a mixture of dread and anticipation. He wanted to learn more about his father but he hated the way his curse worked. A frustrated sound of disappointment escaped Sevilen when he got nothing more than the feel of a warm, strong hand on his arm. Sevilen stared at the light blue skin of Jolen's hand and felt frustration build.

 

“Why, when I actually want the memories, don't I get them? This is fucking unfair,” hissed Sevilen as he whirled around and jammed the knife into the counter top.

 

“Excuse me?” Jolen asked in confusion drawing his hand back and eying the knife now sticking up from the counter only inches from Sevilen's hand.

 

“When people touch me for the first time, I get all their memories and experiences dumped into my brain. It's never a pleasant thing and I really wish it wouldn't happen. Except for now. I want to know about my father, but nothing happened when you touched me. Nothing. It's not fair. I didn't ask for this curse, but the least it could do is co-operate with me when I really want it to.”

 

Jolen's eyebrows rose. He'd heard of people being able to do that kind of thing, but as far as he knew, it was a rare gift. If, for whatever reason, Sevilen wasn't able to get the information he wanted, Jolen was more than willing to simply tell Sevilen whatever he wished to know.

 

“I'll tell you everything I know about your father,” Jolen paused before continuing in a soft voice. “Something happened to him, didn't it?”

 

Sevilen kept his back to Jolen and nodded his head absently. Bitter disappointment at not experiencing Jolen's memories of Jenlen had him grinding his teeth together. He muttered under his breath about the Gift he'd been cursed with, and wondered if there was a way for him to make it work. He'd been so close to learning everything about a man he'd heard stories about his entire life only to have it snatched away from him.

 

“He's gone, isn't he?” Jolen asked with a catch in his voice.

 

Sevilen flinched at the pain in Jolen's voice. Sevilen turned and nodded solemnly, a sharp stab of hurt striking him unexpectedly in the chest when he saw the tiny flicker of hope go out in Jolen's eyes. Although Sevilen missed knowing the man his mother spoke of in glowing, love filled terms, his sadness couldn't compare to what Jolen must be feeling at finding out his brother, someone he'd known for most of his life, was dead.

 

“What happened to him?” Jolen asked in a tight voice as he tried to control his emotions.

 

“He was taken by surprise while hunting on my home world where he lived with my mother. I think it was over quickly, but I didn't exactly ask when I spoke to him. I was only a few weeks old when it happened. I never knew my father, but my mother told me all kinds of stories about him. I think they loved each other very much. The people in my village said my mother was never the same after he disappeared. They never found his body, but I don't think my people looked all that hard for it either. They don't like outsiders much. My mother always believed he was alive and would come back to her one day.”

 

“You spoke to him? But… you said that you were a baby when he died. I don't understand.”

 

“He came to me in a dream. He told me what happened to him. He couldn't stay long so I don't really know more than that. He had other things he needed to tell me before his time was up. There's so much I don't know about him and my heritage from that side of the family. Things that my mother either couldn't or wouldn't answer. I didn't even know he had a brother never mind a twin. Do I… do I have more family wherever you come from?” Sevilen asked tentatively.

 

“You have grandparents and great aunts and uncles and their children on my homeworld not to mention all the Awh'anise through your grandmother back on Awh'an. They're going to be so excited to meet you. Sevilen, you have family out the yin-yang. And you dream of the dead? My god, you really are a Vi'deshron, aren't you?” Jolen said with a little awe in his voice. His mother, not to mention all his Awh'anise relatives, were going to flip when they found that out.

 

Jolen hung his head, his thoughts in turmoil at what he'd just learned. He leaned against the counter next to Sevilen. Deep inside, he'd known that Jenlen was gone. He'd simply refused to think on it. His mother and father were going to be crushed. Jolen thought that for all the trouble he'd gone through to get to Amoi and set up the concert and even getting shot and knocked unconscious, it was worth it to have found Jenlen's child, and to know that Jenlen hadn't abandoned his family.

 

Sevilen bit his lip in an effort not to cry at how happy that simple piece of information made him. He'd felt so adrift after his mother died. Like he was alone in the universe. Suddenly, he had an entire family. Panic rose up out of nowhere with the thought that this unknown family might not like him and reject him. His mother's family had only tolerated him until she died. He'd never been family to them. He'd been some alien's get, not a blood relative.

 

What would this new family he'd suddenly been gifted with think of him with his strange gold eyes and greenish coloured skin, and the marks burned onto his body that triggered his curse? What about the information that he'd been Mingan's Pet and had sex with the big Blondie on a regular basis? Would this new family see that as wrong in the same way that the villagers on his homeworld had seen it as wrong? Would they punish him or shun him as he knew the people on his home world would? Sevilen started to tremble, and his breath hitched at the thought that he might have lost his new family before he even got the chance to meet them.

 

“Sevilen, shay-shon, what's wrong?” Jolen asked in concern. He touched Sevilen's arm lightly not sure if Sevilen would welcome the contact.

 

“What if they don't like me? What if I'm too different? What if they find out….” Sevilen trailed off.

 

“Find out what?”

 

“That I'm Mingan's Pet and….” Sevilen snapped his mouth shut and looked at the ground, the heat of a blush warming his cheeks.

 

Jolen tipped Sevilen's chin up with a finger. Shame was in the gold eyes that looked back at him before sliding away. Jolen frowned and tilted his head to the side, catching Sevilen's eyes with his own. He brushed the hair at the side of Sevilen's face back, and the uncertain, vulnerable expression on Sevilen's face had Jolen impulsively pulling the smaller man into his arms for a gentle hug. Jolen stroked a hand over Sevilen's hair, wondering what it was that had upset the young man.

 

Sevilen tried to resist the comfort Jolen offered, but the simple, unthreatening hug with no sexual overtones punched through his defences. Jolen was also a tangible piece of a family and sense of belonging Sevilen desperately wanted. Sevilen wrapped his arms around Jolen's waist and pressed his cheek against the taller man's chest, listening to the steady thumping of Jolen's heart under his ear.

 

“Can you tell me what put that look of shame into your eyes, shay-shon?” Jolen asked quietly refusing to let go when Sevilen stiffened and tried to pull away at the question.

 

“I… I sleep with Mingan,” Sevilen said in a whisper.

 

“Okay. So?”

 

Sevilen licked suddenly dry lips and his stomach flip-flopped. He didn't want to tell Jolen because he was afraid of his reaction. At the same time, Sevilen reasoned that if Jolen stayed around him and Mingan, it wouldn't take the man long to figure out that Mingan regularly had sex with his Pet. Mingan certainly didn't keep that fact a secret.

 

“I mean… we… we have sex.”

 

“Really? I'd heard that Blondies didn't have sex. Good to know that's not true, and it's not a complete waste of a good looking man,” Jolen said with a smile as he threaded his fingers through Sevilen's hair in soothing strokes.

 

Sevilen jerked his head up in surprise. He'd expected more of a reaction and was confused. Jolen wasn't from Amoi so Sevilen thought he wouldn't look kindly on sex between males. Sevilen frowned, and wondered if maybe Jolen thought that because he was Mingan's Pet, he was being made to do it, and once he was away from Mingan, he wouldn't want to have sex with other males. Sevilen knew that simply wasn't the case, he enjoyed sex with Mingan. Regardless of what he'd been taught by his people, Sevilen was sure that when he left Amoi and Mingan, he'd seek out other males for intimate relationships.

 

“I… I like it,” Sevilen said with a hint of defiance in his voice and a mulish set to his jaw.

 

“I would hope so. I wouldn't like finding out that my nephew was being forced into sex.”

 

“You don't think it's wrong?” Sevilen asked confusion plain in his voice.

 

“No, shay-shon,” Jolen said gently. “Who told you that? As long as the people involved are adults, enjoy themselves and consent to it, there's nothing wrong with two men or two women or whoever being together.”

 

“But the Elders in my village said it was wrong. That it was unnatural,” Sevilen said looking up into Jolen's eyes.

 

Jolen sighed and shook his head. “No, shay-shon, they were wrong. Did you know that, as a species, the Awh'anise are bi-sexual? They actually see people who prefer only one sex as a little strange.”

 

Sevilen's eyes widened at that information and Jolen chuckled. How ever Sevilen had ended up on Amoi, and for whatever reason the fire snakes wanted him to find his nephew, Jolen was very happy. Sevilen was like having a little piece of Jenlen living on as well as turning out to be a delight on his own. Jolen hugged Sevilen hard, forcing a squeak of surprise from him.

 

“Sevilen, what's taking you….” Mingan trailed off when he saw Sevilen standing within Jolen's arms.

 

Three long strides had Mingan pulling Sevilen from Jolen with a low growl. Mingan was nearly positive the man was a blood relative of Sevilen's, and he didn't want Sevilen getting any closer to the man who could possibly take Sevilen from him. Mingan had no idea how long Sevilen had been speaking with Jolen or what they'd talked about, but in Mingan's mind, nothing good could come from them speaking. The big Blondie pushed Sevilen firmly behind him and glared at Jolen.

 

“Leave him alone. Sevilen is my Pet. Mine. Akando!” Mingan bellowed.

 

“Mingan, stop it,” Sevilen said in an annoyed voice as he tried to move around the Blondie.

 

Sevilen scowled at Mingan's back and poked him hard. Mingan turned his head and gave Sevilen a stern look that Sevilen ignored. Sevilen tried to step around his Blondie. He'd been getting into a real eye-opening conversation with Jolen, and it was one he wanted to continue. For every move that Sevilen made, Mingan countered him and kept him firmly behind the Blondie's body. Sevilen finally gave up and muttered under his breath about people with excessively possessive behaviour.

 

“Do not touch Sevilen again. You have no right. He is mine,” Mingan said with an intimidating stare at Jolen.

 

“No right? I would say I have every right as his uncle. I can see the stamp of my brother, Jenlen, all over him. I'm sure you can call up a picture of Jenlen and compare his face to Sevilen's to see for yourself. There has to be thousands of images of Jenlen out there. He was quite famous before he disappeared from the spot light. I'm Sevilen's uncle. I'm positive about that. I have every right to touch Sevilen as long as he has no objections.”

 

“My father was famous? Really? What did he do?” Sevilen asked as he finally managed to quickly wriggle around Mingan and reach for Jolen's hands.

 

Jolen smiled at the eagerness in Sevilen's tone and eyes and wanted to indulge him. Jolen found the big Blondie trying to keep him and Sevilen apart a little on the overbearing side. It appealed to the wicked, Awh'anise side of Jolen, to rile the Blondie up by ignoring him and speaking to Sevilen.

 

“He was a singer and had one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. When you were singing earlier, I almost thought I was hearing Jenlen as he sounded when he was a teenager. That song was one of the ones our father used to sing to us. Where did you hear it? Did your mother sing it to you?”

 

Sevilen blushed at the praise and made a mental note to search through the database for performance videos of his father. His brow wrinkled when he realized that he only had a first name. Searching with just a first name could take days if not weeks. Sevilen was stopped from asking what his father's last name was by Mingan's arm wrapping around his waist and being jerked tight to his Blondie's chest.

 

“You have no proof that you're related to Sevilen. Unrelated people can look alike. Akando, get your lazy ass in here,” Mingan shouted.

 

Jolen snorted. “Believe whatever you want. Sevilen is a Vi'deshron and bears the Neksha. I have it as well and that's something that only appears on those who share the Blood and have something of the Shal-hazal in them. Not every person who has the Blood in them has the mark of the Neksha. Considering that Shal-hazal make up less than one percent of the Awh'anise population, and the very strong resemblance between Jenlen as a young man and Sevilen, I'd say that's pretty good odds we're related. If you insist, I'm fine with doing a DNA test to prove we're kin. I know I'm right.”

 

“What is your problem with Jolen claiming to be family, Mingan?” Sevilen fumed as he squirmed in Mingan's hold.

 

“You aren't going anywhere. You're my Pet,” Mingan said in a tone that brooked no argument.

 

Sevilen stopped trying to get free of Mingan's hold, and tipped his head back to stare at his Blondie. A muscle twitched in Mingan's jaw, and he was staring at Jolen like he wanted to make the man disappear. Sevilen replayed Mingan's words in his head and rolled his eyes when the probable meaning of Mingan's actions became clear to him. Sevilen reached up and laid his palm against his Blondie's cheek.

 

“Even if Jolen asks me to go with him, I won't leave until I'm sure that you're safe. I've given you my word on that. You may see me as just your Pet but I take my promises seriously.”

 

Mingan felt a small measure of comfort at Sevilen's words. The relief wasn't as complete as Mingan wished, because Sevilen said he would still leave at some point. Mingan wanted Sevilen to stay with him. The Blondie loved his little Pet, but he wasn't about to say anything like that with someone else in the room. His feelings were private and between him and Sevilen only. Considering the danger he was currently in, Mingan didn't want others knowing how much he treasured Sevilen for fear that they'd try to use his Pet against him.

 

“What the hell are you shouting for?” Akando asked with a scowl as he walked into the kitchen. His eyes widened slightly at seeing Jolen. “Why are you up and what happened to your bandage? You're supposed to be recovering from being shot. I'm not going to have the Pet I just acquired, and haven't even sampled yet, out of commission for longer than necessary because you've decided to wander around.”

 

Jolen blinked and struggled to make sense of what the new Blondie was talking about. As far as he knew, Sevilen was the only Pet in the room, and given the possessive air Mingan had about him, Jolen highly doubted that Mingan would be in a sharing frame of mind. There was also the fact that, as far as Jolen knew, he was the only one who'd been recently shot. The dancer really didn't like the direction the logic of the situation was going. Jolen glanced down at the hand Akando clapped on his arm before looking up into Akando's eyes.

 

“You'd better not mean me when you're talking about a Pet you've recently acquired,” Jolen ground out as he jerked his arm from the Blondie's hold and took a half step back. He gave a mental sigh of relief that it wasn't his injured arm that had been grabbed.

 

“Well, who else would I be talking about? Sevilen belongs to Mingan, and Mingan is Cadre ,” Akando said as if that explained everything.

 

Jolen narrowed his eyes at Akando. “I don't think so. I'm only here because I was told to deliver a message and speak with Sevilen. I've done what I was instructed to do and found my nephew, for which I'm very grateful. I most certainly have no intention of staying here on Amoi as anyone's Pet. I may stay a little while to get to know Sevilen better, if he wishes, but you're delusional if you think that I'd be staying here for any other reason.”

 

“You will do as you're told, Pet,” Akando said as he reached for Jolen's arm again.

 

“Like fuck I will. I am not your Pet. Get that through your thick skull. I am Jolen Helki, an acclaimed dancer renowned across several galaxies and a free man. I am not now nor will I ever be your Pet or anyone else's for that matter,” Jolen replied with heat in his voice as he easily avoided Akando's hand.

 

“Do not make me angry, Pet. I am not a pleasant man when angered.”

 

“Neither am I,” Jolen said as he smiled with far more fang than was polite. He gave a little flick of his hands drawing the Blondie's eyes to his fingers before forcing his talons out as far as they'd go. He balanced on the balls of his feet and readied for the next time the Blondie tried to grab him.

 

Akando's mouth curved up into a smile. He thought he'd have quite a bit of fun training his new Pet; after punishing him for this little display of bravado, of course. Akando dipped his head at Mingan, a signal not to interfere, before lunging at Jolen. The surprised expression on Akando's face when he caught nothing but air made Mingan snicker.

 

“Do something, Mingan,” Sevilen said urgently, pushing against Mingan's hold on him.

 

“Relax, Pet. I saw how Jolen moves last night at the concert; he's nearly as fast as Zesiro. Of course, Akando doesn't know that. He's going to have to work to catch him. This should be highly amusing,” Mingan said with a soft chuckle. “Don't worry, Sevilen, Akando won't hurt Jolen. Responsible Blondies don't damage their property and despite Akando's impulsive behaviour, he is very careful with his possessions.”

 

“That's not the point, Mingan. Jolen isn't a Pet or a possession. He's a free man. Akando can't just claim him as a Pet. That's not right. I know Jupiter has strict rules about acquiring Pets and Furniture, and Akando is breaking every single one of them by trying to claim Jolen.”

 

“Akando is Cadre and Cadre are allowed to do whatever we wish. Just watch them. If things look like they're really getting out of hand, I'll step in.”

 

Sevilen huffed in annoyance but stopped struggling to get free of Mingan's hold. He failed to see the amusement that Mingan was finding with the situation. Sevilen did have to admit that Jolen was beautiful to watch. Each move that he made to avoid Akando's grasp was fluid and like watching an intricate dance.

 

“Enough, Pet. I tire of this. If you have enough energy to play this game of tag with me, then you'll have enough energy to share my bed.”

 

Jolen's lips pulled back into a snarl. Akando was an insufferable ass. The dancer decided to stop trying to simply evade capture and take action. Jolen moved with speed straight at the Blondie, claws flashing in a cross cut over Akando's belly and spinning away before the Blondie could touch him. Jolen stood a safe distance away from Akando and Mingan and examined his talons, shaking them free of droplets of blood and smirking at Akando.

 

Akando glanced down at his belly and passed his hand over the shallow claw marks in surprise. His little Pet had sharp claws. A grin stretched across his face. Jolen was going to be a delight to break to his will. A brief flicker of blue over the geometric lines on Akando's body was all the warning Jolen got before Akando seemed to disappear and reappear beside him, wrapping his arms around the dancer.

 

“As fun as that was, I'm going to tan that pert little bottom of yours, Pet.”

 

“Let go of me before I hurt you,” Jolen warned quickly overcoming his shock at finding himself suddenly trapped in Akando's arms.

 

“Not likely, Pet. I am Cadre and you are not. There's nothing you can do to hurt me. Even those scratches you gave me have already healed over. Beg for my mercy and I may not spank you too hard.”

 

Jolen's temper flared and he bared his teeth. “I did warn you, asshole.”

 

Akando started to open his mouth to reprimand Jolen for calling him an asshole when he felt the hairs on his body rise and warmth travel over the marks on his body. He looked into Jolen's eyes and saw smug satisfaction in eyes that turned the colour of molten gold. All of Akando's muscles seized and a surprised groan of pain was wrenched from his throat as electricity danced over his skin.

 

Mingan gasped in surprise at feeling tingles move over his skin. The sensation wasn't painful or unpleasant, just startling. Sevilen stiffened in his arms and uttered a shocked little gasp. Mingan frowned and narrowed his eyes as he studied Jolen and Akando.

 

Jolen grunted at the sudden tight hold and flashed fang at Akando. He cut the flow of electricity between him, and Akando and slipped neatly from the Blondie's grasp as Akando sank to one knee, breathing hard. Jolen was across the room and staring at Akando with a pleased smile, his arms crossed over his chest.

 

“I don't ever recall giving you permission to touch me. Don't do it again.”

 

Three pairs of eyes stared at Jolen. The dancer, feeling confident that Akando wouldn't try to grab him again after the nasty little jolt he'd given the Blondie, held out a hand and allowed tiny blue sparks of electricity to dribble from his fingers. He hoped that none of the other people in the room had seen the trickle of sweat that slid down his spine.

 

“I trust you won't be so stupid as to come near me again.”

 

The words had barely left Jolen's mouth when the lines on Akando's body flashed brightly and the Blondie disappeared from his sight again. Jolen saw a distortion of the air next to him half a second before Akando's hand clamped on his wrist and tugged. Jolen hissed and swore as the newly mended skin on his shoulder pulled painfully from the action. Instinct kicked in and had Jolen sending a stronger surge of electricity through his body into Akando's.

 

The Blondie gave a hoarse cry of pain and flew backwards several feet to land with a crash into the cabinets. Akando's harsh breathing could easily be heard in the stunned quiet of the room, and the fast pulse beating in his throat was clearly visible. His eyes were open but unfocused and the hand that'd been holding Jolen's wrist was twitching open and closed.

 

Mingan knew he was staring in wide-eyed shock at Jolen. Because they were both creations of Jupiter, and Akando was tapping directly into Jupiter, Mingan had felt a faint tingle of electricity pass through his body, like insects scuttling under his skin. While slightly uncomfortable, it still hadn't hurt him, although he couldn't have said the same for his brother.

 

Sevilen couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jolen had somehow sent Akando crashing across the room. The air felt charged and tiny sparks of blue dripped from Jolen's body. Akando slouched, dazed, against the cabinets and Jolen's chest heaved. Sevilen could see tiny tremors in the dancer's arms and legs and he realized that whatever Jolen had done to Akando wasn't without cost.

 

Jolen swayed slightly where he stood, his eyes wide in surprise. He hadn't meant to hit Akando with that much juice, but the Blondie had surprised him with the sudden move. The last person to get such a jolt from him had their heart stop and required immediate medical attention to get their heart pumping again. Jolen noted that Akando appeared to be made of sterner stuff than the average person and filed that information away in case he needed it at a later date. He hoped that Akando would take the rather forceful hint and not try anything further. Jolen knew he only had the makings of one more, big jolt left in him before he needed to recharge himself with rest. He also didn't want to kill the Blondie and he wasn't sure that wouldn't happen if he zapped Akando again.

 

Akando blinked furiously to clear his vision and shook his head. His little Pet was turning out to be even more interesting than he'd initially thought, although these attacks on his person were going to have to stop. A Pet simply didn't behave that way towards their Master. A good strapping would probably take care of the rebellious tendencies Jolen was displaying. Wanting to bring their confrontation to an end, Akando pushed himself to his feet and drew heavily from Jupiter.

 

“If you have any working brain cells, you'll stay down,” Jolen said through clenched teeth as he readied himself for another attack.

 

“A pet doesn't attack his Master,” Akando said as he wiped a trickle of blood from his nose.

 

“I am not your fucking Pet you overgrown ass. Last chance. Stay down and leave me the hell alone or I won't be responsible for defending myself against you.”

 

“I have access to power you can't even imagine, Pet,” Akando smirked as the blue lines on his body glowed brightly.

 

“Right back at you,” Jolen said with a flash of fang as he drew upon every last drop of resources he had. He had the feeling he was going to need it to deal with Akando.

 

Sparks arced over Jolen's body and his ankle-length hair rose into a tangled nimbus around his head. The gold of his eyes seemed to bleed down over his cheeks. Akando had never seen anything he wanted so badly as the alien in front of him. He decided that he would have Jolen at whatever cost and blurred into motion.

 

Mingan realized what Akando was about to do and shoved Sevilen away from him in an effort to protect his Pet from what he thought would happen. He shouted at his brother to stop even knowing it was pointless. The second Akando touched Jolen, the circuit was complete and all hell broke loose.

 

The two Blondies in the room screamed. The patterns of lines on their skin flickered madly, the ones on Akando actually smoking in places. Both men fell to their knees as one, and the lights in the kitchen dimmed briefly. The electricity Jolen generated stopped abruptly and the dancer sagged against the counter behind him. Akando toppled face first to the floor, the large muscles of his arms and legs twitching and spasming. Blood flowed from his nose and trickled from the corner of his mouth. Mingan was braced on hands and knees, sucking in huge gulps of air. A thin trail of blood was smeared over his lip where he'd bitten it.

 

“I told you to stay down, you dumb fuck,” Jolen said in a tired sounding voice as he slid to the floor. “I win asshole. Won't be messing with me again, will ya?”

 

Sevilen's gaze bounced from person to person. If he hadn't seen it for himself, he never would've believed what'd just happened. He hurried to Mingan's side but hesitated to touch his Blondie. He'd been startled at first when Mingan had pushed him away, but after seeing the result of the power surge Jolen had produced, he appreciated the shove Mingan had given him.

 

“Mingan? Are you okay? What happened?”

 

“Electrical shock. I'll be fine in a little while. Akando was linked directly to Jupiter when Jolen….” Mingan waved a hand vaguely. “I got zapped, too, because of that, I think. Akando looks like he got the worst of it though. He loses sight of common sense when he sees something he wants and, apparently, he really wants Jolen.”

 

“I think that was a forceful no on Jolen's part. Will he take the hint?”

 

Mingan chuckled and sat back on his heels. “Yes, it was, but I honestly don't think that'll stop Akando. He's a tad one-track minded when he wants something. He might use a little more caution when approaching Jolen again, but that's probably as far as his thought process will go. In Akando's mind, he's already claimed Jolen as his Pet.”

 

“I'm aware of Akando's views on Pets,” Sevilen said with a soft snort.

 

Mingan said nothing on that subject. He'd heard from Sevilen about his encounter with Akando the previous evening, and about the information Sevilen had received when Akando had touched him. To say that Sevilen was less than impressed with Akando's views was a vast understatement.

 

Mingan moved to Akando and checked his brother over even though he knew Akando would eventually be fine. The bleeding was minor and had already stopped. The muscles in the Blondie's body were only twitching occasionally instead of constantly, and his breathing seemed normal if slightly fast. Mingan was certain that if there was anything truly wrong with Akando, Jupiter would tell him. The Blondie was sure that the AI knew by now that they'd managed to find one another despite her best efforts to keep them separated. Satisfied that Akando would suffer nothing more serious than a bad headache, Mingan turned his attention to Jolen.

 

Jolen appeared to be unconscious, slumped against the cabinets. His light blue skin seemed more pale than Mingan remembered it being, but his breathing was slow and even, so Mingan assumed that Jolen was simply exhausted. Given recent events, Mingan wasn't surprised.

 

Although he'd voiced doubts aloud earlier about whether or not Jolen and Sevilen were related, Mingan knew the truth when faced with it. He didn't have to like it, and he certainly wasn't about to do anything to help Jolen take Sevilen away from him. Mingan wasn't under any obligation to inform Jolen about how Sevilen could be released from his Pet status. Never mind that Akando had decided on turning Jolen into a Pet as well.

 

While Sevilen had been sold into his Pet status and was, by all Amoi standards, a legal Pet, Jolen was a guest of Amoi, and a rather well-known one at that. Regardless of his status as Cadre, if Jolen demanded to leave Amoi, Akando would have no choice in the matter. Jupiter was also certain to know of where Jolen was, and she would eventually question why the dancer was still on Amoi.

 

Mingan sighed softly as he stood. He knew Jupiter was going to be demanding answers shortly. Answers to things like how Mingan and Akando managed to get back together. What had happened with the electrical surge that knocked Akando out as well as put Mingan on his ass, and probably sent a minor surge through Jupiter; details about the connection between Sevilen and Jolen; a full accounting of the incident at the concert; possibly even details of Zesiro and whatever he might have been doing with Raoul behind closed doors. Mingan was not looking forward to the next time he spoke with Jupiter.

 

“Stay here with Jolen, Sevilen. I'm going to put Akando to bed. I'll be back to get Jolen shortly, and then we can go back to bed ourselves. I think we've all had a rough few hours.”

 

Sevilen reached out and placed his hand on Mingan's arm, the look in the small Pet's eyes intent. “I meant it earlier, Mingan. Even if Jolen asks me to go with him, no matter how much I want to meet the large family he says I have, I won't go until I know that you're safe. We both know that I can ask Jolen to take me away from here, tell him exactly what to do and say to make that happen and there's nothing you could do to stop it. I'm not telling you this to threaten you, but so you'll realize how committed I am to seeing this through.”

 

Mingan kissed the top of Sevilen's head with a heavy heart at the serious words of his Pet. Mingan wanted Sevilen to stay because he enjoyed being with him not out of some self-imposed duty. Mingan's spirits lifted a little when he realized that he would still have time to woo his little Pet to his side. There'd only been two attempts on his life since Sevilen had literally fallen into his arms and neither had been well thought out or executed. Sevilen had also said that he'd find the remaining members of the Cadre for him. Mingan reasoned that if all his searching off and on for fifty years failed to turn up anything, it would take Sevilen some time to find the other two he said still lived.

 

At least Mingan hoped it would take Sevilen a while.

 

 

Translation Notes:

Demsho: lover

Shay-shon: little kit (term of endearment)