Guarding the Goddess Read online

  Ellina bit her lip. Was she really prepared to do this? Was she really going to take everything off and sit naked in the big Kindred’s lap?

  Yes, she decided. Yes, I have to know if I can have pleasure below as I can above. And Ty can help me find out.

  “All right,” she said aloud and removed the sheet herself. Dropping it over the side of the couch, she found herself naked in Ty’s lap.

  “Mmm, little one,” he murmured, his pale eyes roving over her body hungrily. “You have no idea how fucking gorgeous you are!”

  Ellina never had thought of herself as gorgeous before, but she was beginning to now. The look of desire in his pale eyes was for her—only for her. It made her feel like the Goddess she was supposed to be—it made her feel hot and desirable as she never had before.

  “Thank you, Ty,” she whispered. “But, well…are you going to continue the, er, experiment?”

  “I most certainly am, if you’ll just open yourself a little more for me?”

  He made the words a question, his gaze fastened to the single sacred mouth between her legs.

  Obligingly, but a bit nervously, Ellina spread her legs wider, which had the effect of also spreading her pussy lips. A cool breeze seemed to tickle her inner folds and she shivered a little.

  “Easy now, little one,” Ty murmured and one big, warm hand came between her legs to cup her sacred mouth. “I’m just going to stroke you very gently,” he told her. “First I want to find out if you’re wet.”

  Ellina bit her lip as one blunt fingertip slipped between her pussy lips and found her slippery inner folds. Watching her face for a reaction, Ty circled the entrance to her honey well much the same way Ellina had circled his rosebud when she had washed and oiled him earlier.

  “Gods, so wet,” he murmured in low appreciation. He looked up at her. “Your soft little pussy is drenched, Ellina. So at least we know your body gets ready for penetration like other females’ do.”

  “Penetration?” she whispered.

  “Mmm-hmm. Like this…” As he spoke two long, strong fingers breached her entrance and slid deep into her pussy.

  “Oh!” Ellina gasped and squirmed at the unfamiliar sensation. It didn’t hurt a bit but it she had never had anything in her there before, so it felt a bit strange.

  “Is this all right?” Ty asked her softly. “Is it all right for me to stroke deep into your pussy with my fingers, little one?”

  “I…I guess so.” Ellina looked down to where his fingers were piercing her. “I…I’ve never had anything up there before,” she admitted.

  “That’s all right,” he murmured. “As long as I’m not hurting you and it feels good.”

  “It does,” she admitted, wiggling on his lap so that his fingers went even deeper inside her. “It just feels weird too.”

  “Can I reach a little deeper?” Ty asked. “I’d like to feel the entrance to the secret chamber you told me about—the one that leads to your womb.”

  “Well…I guess so.” Ellina widened her stance even more. “Why do you want to feel that?”

  “I just do,” he answered inexplicably. And then she felt his long fingers sliding deeper into her and stroking a spot inside her that made her moan aloud.

  “Oh!” she gasped as a deep, unfamiliar pleasure filled her and radiated outward. “Oh, Ty—what is that? What are you doing?”

  “Simply stroking the entrance to your secret chamber,” he murmured, still watching her face. “It’s clenched tight, like you told me, but I do believe I can feel it beginning to loosen just a bit as I stroke it…”

  “That feels…it feels so deep,” Ellina moaned. “And so good.”

  “It’s as I thought,” Ty murmured. “You don’t need to be ‘battered’ open when the time comes for you to make love, little one—you need to be stroked and pleasured. In fact…I want to try something else, if you don’t mind.”

  Ellina wasn’t sure what else he could try but if it increased the pleasure flowing through her, she was more than willing.

  “Yes,” she whispered, bucking her hips a little as he continued stroking inside her. “Yes, please, Ty—go ahead.”

  “Thank you, my Lady. Now, you seemed worried because you said you had no second sacred mouth with its more prominent pleasure button,” he murmured thoughtfully. “But in my experience, just because a female has a small pleasure button, doesn’t mean that the pleasure she gets from it is small. And you seem to have a perfectly good Goddess pearl right…here.”

  As he spoke he slipped the pad of his other thumb into her wet folds and began to stroke gently.

  “Oh! Oh my Gods and Goddess! Ty!” Ellina gasped for a jolt of pleasure stronger than all the others put together had suddenly shot through her. “Oh!” she moaned again as Ty repeated the gentle, simple motion. “Oh yes—do that again!”

  “I will, little one.” His eyes were half-lidded again with desire as he began to circle the hot little bud of her pleasure button while his long fingers stroked inside her in a regular rhythm. “I will and I’m not going to stop until you come for me.”

  “C-come?” Ellina stuttered. “I thought…that that was only for men?”

  He laughed softly.

  “Well, you’re about to find out differently. Now just relax and give yourself to the pleasure—relax and let me make you come, little one.”

  Ellina could hardly have done anything else. Here she was, spread out naked on the big Kindred’s lap with his fingers deep in her pussy and Ty was making her feel so good she could hardly stand it.

  “Oh!” she moaned, writhing and bucking against his invading fingers. “Oh Ty, don’t stop—don’t stop!”

  “Not until you come,” he promised. “Not until your pleasure peaks for me, my Lady.”

  Ellina didn’t know how the pleasure could possibly climb any higher and yet somehow, it did. She felt as though someone had wound a silver wire tight inside her belly—was still winding it tighter and tighter. If that wire should snap…well, she didn’t know what might happen, but somehow she wanted it to—wanted it badly.

  Hardly knowing what she was doing, she leaned forward and captured Ty’s mouth with hers. He opened willingly for her and her tongue slipped between his lips and found his fangs. The sweet, hot flavor of his essence filled her mouth and, at the same time, she felt her pleasure finally peak, just as he had promised.

  It was like an explosion inside her—as though the silver wire in her belly had finally snapped, releasing all the tension in a flood of pleasure so great that for a moment she saw bright lights flashing before her eyes.

  “Oh!” she gasped, breaking the kiss and clutching at his broad, bare shoulders as she came. “Oh, Ty, yes—yes!” She could feel her inner muscles clenching around his invading fingers, squeezing him tightly as the spasms of pleasure shook her.

  “Does that feel good, little one?” His voice was a low, lustful growl as he looked into her eyes. “Does it feel good when I stroke your sweet little pussy and make you come?”

  “Yes!” Ellina nearly wailed again. “Oh Gods, yes, Ty—yes.”

  She writhed against him, feeling something open inside her and for just a moment his fingers slipped even further into her pussy, causing an even deeper sensation of pleasure.

  “Gods, little one,” he growled hoarsely. “I can feel you opening inside. Wish it was my tongue or my cock inside you right now, feeling you as you open.”

  His words set off a whole slew of mental images—all of which seemed more erotic than the last. Ellina saw herself beneath him, her legs spread wide with his thick shaft buried deep inside her—not battering but sliding in deeply as he spurted his seed directly into her secret chamber…taking her…claiming her…tying the two of them together for life…

  With a gasp, she felt herself coming again—a deeper orgasm this time as though something inside her was responding to his touch with overwhelming need and desire.

  “Oh!” she moaned, almost unable to voice words now. “Oh!” />
  She might have kept going, having orgasm after orgasm, but Ty seemed to recognize that she was getting overloaded. After the second, deeper spasm was finished shaking her, he slowly withdrew his fingers and stopped rubbing her clit with his thumb.

  “Easy now, little one,” he murmured as Ellina’s head dropped to his broad shoulder. She was panting, trying to get her breath back as his big warm hands rubbed over her back, soothing her, bringing her back down from the pleasure high she’d been on.

  “Oh, Ty,” she whispered breathlessly, still panting. “Oh, that was…that was incredible.”

  “I think our experiment was a success,” he murmured back. “I told you that you could have pleasure, Ellina.”

  “You were right.” Lifting her head, she looked at him wonderingly. “I can’t believe it, Ty, but even without a third breast and a second sacred mouth you were able to make me come!”

  “No, you were able to come—I just helped you along a bit.” He gave her a lazy smile. “And I don’t think either of us will ever forget it.”

  Ellina wanted to agree with him but a deep weariness had suddenly settled over her. She had never felt such strong pleasure in her life and now a deep lassitude was dragging at her, making her yawn helplessly and sag against Ty’s broad chest.

  “All worn out, little one?” His voice was tender and amused. “Come on, I think it’s time we got you to bed.”

  “All…all right,” Ellina whispered and yawned again.

  The last memory she had of that night was of Ty carrying her carefully to her sleeping chamber and tucking her tenderly into bed.

  “Sweet dreams, my Lady,” he murmured and kissed her forehead.

  Ellina wanted to thank him but before the words could leave her lips, sleep claimed her and she knew no more.

  Twenty

  “So what’s on the agenda for today? Not another public bathing, I hope?” Ty asked when he entered her apartments the next day. “Although I wouldn’t mind another private one,” he added in a lower tone, the corners of his sensual mouth twitching.

  “Oh, hello, Ty. No—the Ritual of Humility is a once a year event.”

  Ellina met him at the door, feeling a little shy. She’d been only paying half the attention she ought to the papers and proclamations her ministers wanted her to sign that morning. She’d been too busy remembering the intensely erotic events of the night before to really concentrate.

  After finally shooing them away, she was free to spend time alone with Ty, who had slept outside her bed chamber door for safety but given her the privacy of her apartments while she conducted State business. All morning she had been longing to talk to him…but now she wasn’t quite sure what to say.

  The big Kindred seemed to sense her uncertainty.

  “Are you all right, my Lady?” he asked, adopting a more formal tone. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “Oh, no. I…I can’t think of anything.” Gods, how she wanted to reach for him and pull him down for a long, hot kiss! But that wouldn’t be appropriate—would it? After all, hadn’t last night been a one-time thing?

  Ellina wasn’t sure but she didn’t feel like she could take the chance. She fisted her hands at her sides to keep herself from reaching for him.

  Lor, however, showed no such restraint. The little chewchie jumped from her head up to the Kindred’s broad shoulder and chattered happily in his ear.

  “Well, hello there, little fellow.” Ty turned his head and smiled down at the tiny fluffy creature. Lifting one finger, he stroked Lor’s fur very gently.

  “I think he likes you.” Ellina couldn’t help smiling.

  “I think I like him, too.” Ty sounded surprised at his own admission. “I didn’t think I would. My friend, Asher—“

  “Oh yes, the Kindred warrior who saved Grandmamma and me from the assassination attempt at the coronation feast!” Ellina exclaimed.

  “Yes, that’s him.” Ty nodded. “Anyway, the chewchie he was given is pretty demanding from what I could tell. And it also seems to…” He frowned. “Seems to have undue influence over him in some, uh, areas.”

  Ellina frowned.

  “Well, some think that chewchies are just an outward display of our own personalities. So if your friend has a forceful personality, his chewchie may echo that.”

  “I guess I could see that,” Ty said thoughtfully. “Maybe that’s why I like this little guy so much,” he added, nodding at Lor, who was still sitting happily on his shoulder. “Because he’s like you—quiet but decisive when he needs to be.”

  “Well, thank you.” Ellina smiled. “You know,” she said shyly, “Our chewchies often act on our impulses, even when we cannot ourselves. So, for instance, if you see two chewchies squabbling, you can be sure the people they are attached to aren’t feeling very friendly towards each other, no matter what their outer appearances might say.”

  “They act on your impulses, hmm?” Ty raised an eyebrow at her. “Does that mean you wanted to come give me a hug this morning instead of standing way over there?” He indicated the distance between them, which was formal and correct.

  “Maybe…” Ellina bit her lip. “I wasn’t sure after…after what happened last night where we stood.”

  “We stand where we always have,” Ty said firmly. “You are the Potentate and I am your bodyguard. I will protect you with my life and serve you in any way you require or desire.”

  “But what if what I desire isn’t…proper?” Ellina asked softly. “What we did last night, Ty…we shouldn’t have done it. You know we shouldn’t. And yet…and yet I want to do it again,” she whispered, looking up at him. “All of it and more.”

  He frowned.

  “I want that as well, little one. But you’re right—we shouldn’t have done it. I can make all the excuses in the world but the fact is, I went much further than I should have with you, considering who we are and what we’re supposed to be doing…and not doing,” he added.

  “I just…just feel so drawn to you,” Ellina admitted. “If you had a chewchie of your own, I would almost think they were exerting some pull on us.”

  Ty frowned. “So they can influence your sexual desires too? I thought as much after Asher and Lisa…” He cleared his throat. “After what I saw at my friend’s domicile.”

  “Oh, yes.” Ellina nodded. “Chewchies absorb and reflect emotions and they can magnify them as well, especially in the case of sexual desire.”

  “Well what happens if your chewchie doesn’t like the chewchie of the person you’re with?”

  Ellina shivered.

  “Ugh! I can’t imagine being mated to someone whose chewchie Lor didn’t like! It would be a miserable existence. And honestly, I don’t think I would like the person who was connected to that chewchie in the first place. It would be like…being divided against myself. It just wouldn’t work.”

  “I see.” Ty looked at Lor thoughtfully. “It seems these little guys have a great deal of influence over their owners.”

  “They do, but that’s a wrong word. Nobody ‘owns’ anyone,” Ellina corrected him. “It’s a relationship—an incredibly close one. Having a chewchie is like…having a part of your heart outside your body.” She shook her head. “I can’t explain it any better than that.”

  “Well, Asher and his bride, Lisa seem very happy with their chewchies,” Ty remarked as Lor leaped from his shoulder and snuggled under Ellina’s chin affectionately. “It seemed to enhance their bonding—at least from what I could tell.”

  “Oh yes—because their chewchies are a matched pair!” Ellina exclaimed. She sighed sadly. “I wish that Lor could find his pairing but that’s never going to happen.”

  “Why is that? Does it have something to do with you being the Potentate?” Ty asked.

  She shook her head.

  “It’s more to do with Lor being a rare Sacred Blue chewchie,” she explained. “He can only mate with another of his kind, but they’re almost non-existent. Right now, the only other Sacred Blu
e chewchie that I know of on the entire planet is Shel, Grandmamma’s chewchie and she is much too old to mate with Lor. Nor would she want to.”

  Ty frowned. “If they’re so rare, how haven’t they died out by now? I mean, if another chewchie isn’t found to mate with Lor, won’t that mean the end of their line?”

  “Not necessarily,” Ellina said as Lor perched lightly on her head. “Legend has it that a Sacred Blue chewchie is only hatched when a noble or royal worthy to have it is ready to welcome it and bond with it. So…” She shrugged. “Another will be hatched down the line, sometime. Hopefully when I, myself, have a daughter who has the Sacred Blue skin and she is ready for a chewchie of her own.”

  Ty looked at Lor sympathetically.

  “It seems hard on the little guy that he’ll never find a mate, though. I thought he’d automatically mate with whatever chewchie belonged to the male you eventually choose as your consort.”

  He didn’t look very happy at the idea, Ellina thought, as though the idea of her finding the correct consort and settling down upset him. Which was foolish, since eventually she would have no choice but to choose a male to join with—when her Heat Cycle began.

  “Oh, no.” She shook her head. “Mated people do not always own mated chewchies—having a matched pair is actually somewhat rare, you know.” She sighed. “The most I can hope is that whoever I choose as my consort with have a chewchie that Lor wants to be friends with. That’s really the best-case scenario for the two of us.”

  And reaching up, she stroked Lor’s soft, fuzzy fur. Her little companion sent her a mental image—a female chewchie with fur of Sacred Blue. The feeling that accompanied the picture was one of longing and hope that nearly broke Ellina’s heart.

  “I’m sorry, Lor,” she sent to him mentally. “But you and I both know that’s never going to happen.”

  For even if another Sacred Blue chewchie was suddenly hatched, it would have to be matched with a male that she herself could call as a consort in order for Lor to mate with it. There was just no other way for a Potentate’s chewchie to be mated. And since all the nobles who were considered proper candidates already had chewchies of their own, there was no possibility at all of Lor getting a mate. For no one could have two chewchies—it would be like having two hearts.