Exiled Read online

  Brides of the Kindred

  Book 7: Exiled

  by

  Evangeline Anderson

  SMASHWORDS EDITION

  * * * * *

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Evangeline Anderson on Smashwords

  Brides of the Kindred

  Book 7: Exiled

  Copyright © 2012 by Evangeline Anderson

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

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  Chapter One

  “I can’t wear this! Not out in public where everyone can see me!” Lissa stared down at herself in horror. The gown her new friend Kat had squeezed her into was the complete opposite of the flowing white priestess robes she was used to wearing. It was a rich royal purple and the material was stiff and binding. But it wasn’t the cut or color of the gown that Lissa objected to—it was the fact that it was completely obscene.

  “Lissa—” Kat began in a reasonable tone of voice but Lissa shook her head.

  “Just look at me, Kat! I…I’m exposed.” She pointed down to the stiff molded bodice of the gown that cupped her breasts in a tight embrace. The problem was, the gown only cradled the bottoms of them, leaving her nipples bare except for the tiny pieces of pale gold lace that fanned out of the tops of the cups to act as flimsy shields. They covered her—barely—as long as she stood perfectly straight and didn’t shift around too much. But what if I need to move quickly? What if I drop something and need to pick it up? Lissa was sure if that happened, she would fall out of the dress completely, baring herself to anyone watching.

  “You’re fine as long as you don’t bend down,” Kat said, obviously having the same thought. “Just stand up straight and don’t wiggle.”

  “But…but what about the bottom part?” Lissa motioned to the lower half of the gown. The skin tight bodice hugged her waist and hips, then flowed out behind her in an elaborate, shimmering, crystal encrusted train. It was the place where the bodice split, a few inches below her bellybutton, that worried Lissa. The dress showed her crotch in a most provocative manner.

  “I know it’s kind of…revealing,” Kat said, frowning. “But you do have decorative panties to go with it.”

  Decorative was a good word to describe them, Lissa thought, because they really weren’t very practical at all. A tiny triangle of gold lace that matched her nipple shields barely covered the small thatch of blonde curls at the apex of her sex. The back of the panties was a string—just one little gold string that ran up the back of her behind. Lissa had never worn undergarments like this before—Kat had called it a “thong”. Lissa called it perverted.

  “Please, Kat,” she begged. “I just can’t. It’s not only that I’m ashamed to be seen in public like this. It’s…it’s that Saber will see me too.” She could barely force her kinsman’s name from her dry throat but she made herself do it anyway. He was the real reason she didn’t want to appear in this obscene getup. Lissa was naturally modest and shy but his was the only opinion she really cared about. And if he saw her looking like this…What will he think of me? Lissa asked herself and was too afraid to contemplate the answer.

  She and Saber were of the same clan—the Sun Clan of the Touch Kindred—and she had been adopted into his family after her parents had died. There was no blood tie between them but according to the strict laws of her people, the two circumstances made Saber her older brother twice over and, as such, completely off limits.

  Despite this taboo, Lissa had allowed an illicit love to grow between them—a love she had subsequently ended. But to her lasting shame, she still had feelings for the tall warrior with the hazel eyes. He had comforted her after the death of her family and defended her from the bullies at the school they both attended as children. He had also saved her life when she was wandering in the desert, dying of dehydration. With so much history between them, how could she not still feel something for him? How could she not care what he thought?

  A look of compassion and understanding filled Kat’s blue eyes. “I get it, doll, and I’m really sorry,” she said softly, breaking into Lissa’s ragged thoughts. “But this is how they dress on Yonnie Six. In fact, this is one of the more modest designs—believe me, I searched through all of them. Those Yonnie girls aren’t afraid to show a little skin.”

  “A little skin?” Lissa looked down at herself again. “Are you telling me there are worse gowns than this in the cube you packed for me?”

  Kat cleared her throat and looked uncomfortable. “Just a few. Mostly the ones for more formal occasions like court balls and banquets. It’s a good thing the Mother Ship has a clothing pattern replicator—I never would have been able to sew them all myself.”

  “But I can’t be seen like this,” Lissa protested.

  Kat frowned. “You have to be, Lissa. You have to fit in or your mission is going to flop the minute you step foot out of the shuttle. How do you expect to recover the ancient scrolls that tell how to defeat the Hoard if you don’t blend in with the rest of the Yonnites?”

  “But—”

  “You look gorgeous,” Kat said firmly. “And don’t just take my word for it.” She turned toward the door, smiling. “Hi Saber. How do you like your new outfit?”

  Her heart in her throat, Lissa whirled around before she could stop herself. She found herself face to face with her kinsman.

  “Hello, Lissa,” he said quietly.

  “Saber. I didn’t know you were here. I…I didn’t want you to see me like this.” She crossed her arms over her nearly bare breasts protectively and took a step back.

  “You’re beautiful, as always,” he replied, his deep voice husky with emotion. “But I won’t look if you don’t wish me to.” Resolutely, he kept his changeable hazel eyes, flecked with gold and green, fixed firmly on her face.

  “Thank you.” Lissa dropped her own jade green eyes and found that she couldn’t show him the same courtesy he had given her. Though she tried not to look, her gaze wandered up and down the length of his large, muscular body. He was tall—over six foot six as all Kindred were—and his skin was a deep, natural tan. She couldn’t help noticing that his chest was bare, revealing shoulders twice as broad as her own and rippling abdominals. Tight black trousers made of some stiff, shiny material clung to his lean hips and long legs. Lissa tried not to look at the crotch where an impressive bulge pressed hard against the fastening of the skin-tight trousers. Instead, her eyes skipped upward to his throat and her breath caught in her chest.

  “Saber,” she whispered, forgetting about her own state of dress—or undress—in her worry. “What…what is that?” Her hand darted up to touch the thick black collar fastened around his corded neck. Dangling from it was a long leather strip with a loop at the end.

  “It’s a leash,” Kat said matter-of-factly, stepping forward.

  “A leash?” Lissa looked at her, horrified. “But…you can’t expect Saber to wear something like that. He’s not an animal or a pet for the Goddess’s sake!”

  “No, he’s lower than that—he’s your body-slave,” Kat said. “And you’d better get used to treating him like one or you’re going to blow your cover before you even get your foot in the door at Yonnie Six.”

  Lissa opened her mouth to protest but Saber cut her off.

  “She’s right, Lissa,” he said quietly. “Males on Yonnie Six are conside
red little better than domestic beasts. They exist only to protect and serve their mistresses.”

  “And you’re willing for me to treat you like that? Like a slave? Like a pet?” Lissa demanded. Saber was a Kindred warrior—a proud male who was next in line to be the leader of their people. And she…she was just an orphaned girl with no family who had been exiled from her home world for the sin of caring for him. How could he humble himself to act like her slave?

  Saber frowned, as though guessing her thoughts. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” he rumbled. “If that means wearing these clothes and calling you ‘mistress’, I’ll do it without hesitation.”

  Kat nodded approvingly. “See? Saber gets it. This isn’t some game you’re playing here, Lissa—both your lives depend on it. So you have to act the part—to really inhabit it.”

  “Says the girl who spent all of one summer at acting camp.” The new voice came from Olivia, who was moving ponderously because of her advanced state of pregnancy. Behind her was Sophia, her twin sister who Lissa knew was also pregnant. She wasn’t nearly as far along in her pregnancy as her sister but she was still showing quite prominently—possibly because she was carrying twins.

  “Sorry to sneak up on you,” Sophia said apologetically. “But we’re both out of peanut butter and I was hoping you might have some, Kat.”

  Kat sighed. “Ah, the things I give up for my pregnant friends. Sure, help yourselves, raid the kitchen. I have a couple of jars in the cupboard.” She nodded at the food prep area of her suite but to Lissa’s discomfort, the two sisters didn’t immediately follow their friend’s prompt.

  “So, is this one of the gowns you’re going to wear on Yonnie Six?” Olivia asked with obvious interest. “It’s gaudy but gorgeous—looks great on you.”

  “Thank you.” Lissa still had her arms clutched protectively over her breasts. “Kat had it made up for me from some sketches she found while researching the Yonnite culture.”

  “Yes, Kat’s good about that. She’ll plan your wedding, host your baby shower, even manage your undercover infiltration of an alien culture. Anything but plan her own joining ceremony.” She raised an eyebrow at Kat. “Isn’t that right, hon?”

  Kat frowned. “Very funny. With everyone around here popping up pregnant and Lauren and Xairn getting married, I haven’t had time to work on my own stuff. So don’t say another word, Liv—I’m not doing anything else until I’m sure that Lissa here is ready to go.”

  “Well, she looks ready for anything in that gown,” Sophia said, smiling. She looked at Lissa. “Do you like it?”

  “It’s…not exactly what I’m used to,” Lissa said, not wanting to hurt Kat’s feelings by telling the truth—that she was absolutely mortified to be wearing the revealing gown.

  “Well, at least it’s not alive.” Sophia patted her arm consolingly. “The tharp I had to wear when I went to Tranq Prime gave me fits. Of course, we get along just fine now but I wanted to strangle the darn thing at the time.”

  “Oh.” Lissa crossed her arms tighter over her partially bared breasts. Sophia had a point—things could be worse. “I guess I didn’t think about that,” she admitted.

  “It’s not something you usually have to think about,” Olivia pointed out. “Unless you’re determined to wear a creepy living fur blanket as a dress. In which case whatever problems you have are on you.” She stroked the crystal encrusted material admiringly. “That really shows off your figure—wish I could fit into something like it. I’m beginning to feel like I’ll never have a waist again.”

  “You will again once the baby comes,” Kat told her friend consolingly.

  “Well, until then at least I can eat as much peanut butter as I want.” Olivia turned toward the food prep area and caught sight of Saber who had been standing silently in the corner of the room. “Wow—didn’t see you there, sorry.” She looked him up and down and gave a low whistle. “Is this from Yonnie Six too?”

  “Of course. You think he dresses up as a sex slave for the fun of it?” Kat demanded.

  Olivia shrugged. “He might—how do I know? Saber is the first Touch Kindred I’ve ever met.” She smiled at him. “And you’re a really nice guy too—despite all the weird rumors we heard.”

  Saber nodded gravely. “Thank you. I’m doing my best to represent my people without giving offense.”

  “Honey, you couldn’t give offense to anybody in that getup.” Olivia grinned at him and then looked at Kat. “I want something like that for Baird.”

  “I wouldn’t mind getting Sylvan into something like it too.” Sophia smiled. “And I thought the Tranq Prime traditional outfit was hot.”

  “No fur boots but the tight leather pants more than makes up for that,” Olivia commented and laughed. “Sorry, Saber, we don’t mean to be looking at you like you’re a side of beef. We really only came for the peanut butter. C’mon, Sophie.” She tugged at her sister’s arm and they both disappeared into the food prep area.

  “Those two…” Kat shook her head affectionately before turning back to Lissa. “Now listen, hon, the gown looks great on you but it’s not going to do the whole job. If you want to carry this off, you have to act the part.”

  Lissa frowned. “You said that before but I really don’t understand. What part do you want me to act?”

  “God, I wish I had some time to show you around South Tampa where all the rich bitches live and give you some real life examples but it’s too late for that now.” Kat sighed. “Basically you have to ditch the shy and humble priestess routine and become a rich, tyrannical bitch mistress from hell.”

  Lissa put a hand to her cheek. “But…I can’t do that. I can’t be that person. And I don’t want to go out in public wearing these clothes. And I can’t treat Saber like a…like he’s nothing more than an animal. Like a slave.” Her voice almost broke on the last word and she could barely force it out. When she’d volunteered for this mission, she had never imagined it would involve such personal degradation, or worse, such abject humiliation for the male she cared for most in the universe.

  Saber stepped forward. “Lissa,” he said in a low voice. “Amalla—”

  But hearing the sweet, forbidden term of endearment was more than Lissa could bear.

  “Forgive me,” she whispered. Turning, she ran past Kat into the sleeping chamber where she had left her clothing and buried her face in the pillows.

  * * * * *

  Saber watched her go and had to force himself not to follow. She is nothing to you now, he reminded himself for the hundredth time. She’s a kinswoman—a member of the same clan. She’s off limits.

  Still, he ached to go and comfort her, as he used to back when they were attending the same school and the bullies came after her. He wanted to fight to defend her honor, to keep her safe and protect her at all costs. If wearing the ridiculous skintight trousers and the black leather leash was the only way he could stay by her side and guard her, he would gladly do it. Why did it bother Lissa so much?

  He wished he could ask her but his hands were tied—he had promised her he would keep his distance emotionally during their mission and he had to keep that promise. He shouldn’t even have called her amalla, but the endearment had just slipped out.

  Even if he could have gone after her, it was awkward to try and comfort someone you couldn’t actually touch. Any kind of touching—physical or mental—between male and female members of the same tribe of the Touch Kindred was forbidden. In the past, Saber had broken that taboo but he couldn’t do it again—not now and not ever again. The thought made his chest tight.

  “Oh dear.” Kat sighed, breaking his train of thought. “I’m sorry,” she said to Saber. “I was going to see if your outfit needed any alterations but I think I need to go check on Lissa.”

  He nodded silently and she bustled away, calling his kinswoman’s name. He turned, intending to go back into the small guest bathroom and change back into his normal clothing, when the door to the suite opened again and
two large males walked in. One had light brownish blond hair and brown eyes and the other had black hair and black eyes. Saber had never met them but he guessed from the holo-pics he saw scattered around the living area they must be the Twin Kindred Kat was mated to.

  Saber was standing in the shadowed hallway that led to the bathroom and at first the two were too busy arguing to notice him.

  “I told you, Lock,” the dark twin said in an angry tone. “She’s ashamed of us.”

  “She’s not—she never would be,” the light twin protested in a low, vehement voice. “She’s just been distracted by everything else going on lately. You know she’s become the unofficial coordinator of every special event in our immediate circle lately, Deep. It keeps her busy.”

  “Too busy to introduce us to her kin? Too busy to—” The dark twin stopped abruptly, appearing to notice Saber for the first time. “Hey—who are you and what the hell are you doing in our suite dressed like that?” His eyes narrowed. “Where’s Kat? If you’ve hurt her—”

  “I’m Saber,” Saber said quickly, stepping forward and holding out both hands, palms up, in a gesture of friendship. “Forgive me for startling you—I’m not here to harm anyone. Your bride was simply helping me prepare for my mission.”

  The light twin snapped his fingers. “You’re the Touch Kindred Baird has been telling us about. The one who’s been addressing the Council and speaking on behalf of Rast about the Hoard problem.”

  “I have been charged with speaking with the Counselor’s voice, that’s true.” Saber nodded his head in agreement.

  The dark twin frowned. “Well, Rast may trust you but I don’t. I don’t like having a Touch Kindred on the ship—especially not around my female.”

  “Take it easy, Deep” his brother said soothingly. “Baird says he felt the same way at first but both Rast and Sylvan have spoken for Saber and he’s promised not to use his Touch abilities on any female while he’s on board.”

  “A promise I have scrupulously kept.” Saber frowned at the glaring dark twin. “If you knew how intimate a mind Touch is, you’d realize I would no more use it on an unknown female than you would go around fondling females you didn’t know at random.”