Chapter Eleven  “This is ridiculous,” Remi spat. “I can’t believe how stupid most of creation is. To think that in this day and age, BDSM is still misunderstood.” He and Anniel watched images projected within a glowing orb toward the front left corner of Anniel’s living room. Alluna sat at a glossy white table that slid out from one of the walls. Anniel had set out one of her fuchsia and metal chairs so Alluna could sit comfortably and taste the array of food Zak had sent up for her. A holographic projection of Anniel sat next to her with a big smile. She was supposed to ask the hologram what everything was, but she felt strange talking to something she knew was a projected computer image. “Is everything to your liking?” holo-Annie asked brightly. Alluna toyed with a plump fruit called strawberry “It would be better if Zak were here with me,” Alluna muttered turning her head to stare out the thick glass wall that held back space. Where did he go? Was he leaving her? Perhaps she shouldn’t have told him of the sleeping dragon in mama’s dungeon. What if he tried to rescue the beast and mama found him? Mama would trap him and the others. With a sigh, she looked down at her pendant. How strange he couldn’t see it. None of them could from what Alluna could tell. They didn’t even think it was strange. “Eat more, Alluna.” The deep voice startled her. She looked up into sapphire eyes. Zak occupied the place holo-Anniel had before. With a squeal of joy, she jumped into his lap, throwing her arms around his neck. Alluna took a deep breath, sighed, and then stiffened. Something wasn’t right. “Hey, no fooling around with the hologram,” Remi laughed. Alluna leaned back to look into Zak’s smiling face…only it really wasn’t Zak. The body beneath hers felt like a vibrating form. Alluna was sure if she pressed hard enough she could push her fingers right through him. With a horrified gasp, she scrambled away. Holo-Zak just looked at her, his dimples bracketing his grin. “Th-that’s creepy,” she whispered with a shiver. “Alluna, come over here a sec,” Anniel beckoned. Grateful for the excuse, Alluna backed away from the smiling hologram to where Anniel and Remi were. “Have you ever seen this person?” Anniel asked. Alluna peered into the wavering orb. There were five strange beings sitting at a semicircular table speaking amongst themselves. She recognized the blue skin coloring of one of the males and an orange-skinned female sat next to him. Next to her was another creature. Alluna couldn’t tell if it was male or female. Its head was large with big muddy-colored bulbous eyes and wavering tentacles where its mouth should be. Next to that was a reptilian looking creature and next to that one was another being that looked like an overgrown cat. “The screen behind them, Alluna. That’s the Northern king of Arboria,” Remi pointed. “Have you ever seen him before?” Without even looking, Alluna knew her answer. She never left the tower room and the only people she ever saw had been from far, and they were the peasants from the nearby village. Still, her curiosity made her study the regal man on the monitor behind the aliens. He sat on an intricately carved chair and had a wreath of golden leaves around his bald head. His skin was very dark and his eyes blazed like hammered gold. Zak was muscular, but this man was so large, he barely had a neck and Alluna doubted he could lower his arms much from the muscles bulging out from his sides. Leather pants and soft looking shoes covered him from the waist down leaving his torso almost bare. Over his chest, he wore a metal shield held up by leather straps. Alluna shook her head. “I’ve never seen him before.” “He claims to be your father,” Remi told her. Alluna frowned. Father—it was one of the new words she’d learned about. She tilted her head to the side staring at the regal man on the monitor. He had contributed genetic material for her conception? Where had he been all her life? She felt confused, and her head began to throb. “It’s getting late,” Remi sighed. “Well, we didn’t find anything out, but I guess Dev, Zak and Seth will fill us in on what’s going on down in the hangar.” “I’m going down there. Rowie’s escort should be here any minute. Need to see my girl.” Alluna watched as Remi disappeared in his usual flashy fashion. “You barely touched anything, Alluna,” Anniel smiled turning back to the glowing orb. With one finger, she turned the orb and the images changed. “Where’s Zak? I want him. Is he going to abandon me?” “Why would you say that, cutie?” Anniel frowned. Alluna turned away, wringing her fingers. “He’s so… I’m… I just…” “Hey,” Anniel’s arms going around her shoulders had Alluna gazing up into her pretty face. “He’s just a guy.” She smirked. “Okay, a big hunky guy, but he’s real. He was helping Remi get Rowie back by supplanting one of the Teus brothers.” Anniel rolled her eyes. “It’s a long story, cutie. He’s an overnight success, but he hasn’t changed from the sweet Zak we all know and love.” Sweet? Alluna found Zak intense, bossy, passionate…but sweet? “I guess you need to get to know him a little better,” Anniel sighed as if reading her mind. “Zak is a push-over. He deems himself this big tough Dom, but if you know how to push his buttons the right way, you’ll have him wrapped around your finger like this.” Anniel snapped her own fingers with an evil grin. “Push his buttons?” Anniel laughed out and tugged Alluna toward the couch. “Girlfriend, me and you need to have a real heart to heart. Some serious girl talk, if you know what I mean.” Alluna plopped down on the couch next to Anniel. The girl folded her long legs underneath her and with a wave of her hand had a bowl of brown congealed mush floating over to them. “Nothing like chocolate ice cream for this occasion. Have some.” She pushed a spoonful into Alluna’s mouth. It was sweet and very cold, but Alluna found she liked the taste and smooth consistency against her tongue. “Zak was a big slut before you came along,” she sighed with a frown. “I’m not going to try to cover things up. He’d go out with the guys, and he was the only one who always brought back an array of females with him to the space station. He was never satisfied with just one.” Alluna gulped, her eyes going round. She knew it. Zak would never be satisfied by her. Alluna bit her lip and lowered her eyes, reluctant to allow Anniel bear witness to her shame. Anniel’s finger beneath her chin had her looking back up. “Until you came along.” Anniel frowned. escort avcılar “When he came back from the tour, I felt a change in him. He became more aggressive during training sessions, he was quiet during meals, and if it weren’t for Seth’s insistence, I think he wouldn’t have gone out to strip clubs anymore.” She muttered something under her breath about how disappointed she was with Seth, but Alluna thought about what she’d said about the clubs. “S-strip clubs. They are where humanoids go to see others remove their clothing and dance.” Anniel tilted her head to the side. “That’s right. Rem said you’ve never been out of your tower room…never so much as saw others.” “I saw mama,” and the vampire, and the dragon. Anniel pursed her lips. “You’ve missed out on a lot. Rowie’s coming home today. Seth and Devon want us to keep training, but afterwards, maybe later on in the evening, we’ll all go out to our favorite hang-out to celebrate Rowie’s integration back into the family.” Alluna looked down at the simple white tunic Anniel had given her to wear. She was so much smaller than Anniel. “Have you and Zak ever kissed?’ Alluna asked. Anniel’s smiled waned. She let out a puff of breath. “Alluna, we all love each other. Some people find our love immoral…at least the way we love each other. I’ve shared kisses with Zak, as well as with Remi and Devon. Let me show you something.” Alluna watched Anniel rise and walk to a built in shelf unit by the console where the orb with the images glowed. She took a small, clear, crystal and walked back to Alluna. Placing the crystal orb in her palm, she tapped it three times and an image unfolded before them. Anniel and Rowie seemed much younger. They laughed and ran toward the gleaming lake in the enviro-level of the space station, tearing their clothes off as they neared the shimmering waters. Both girls dived in, resurfacing with a gasp. “Oh, yeah,” Anniel moaned, smoothing her hair back. “After all that training, this is heaven.” “What happened to Devon today?” Rowie said shaking her dark hair back from her face. Anniel rolled her eyes. “I think he had a fight with the mega-bitch.” Rowie frowned. “Between you and me, I really can’t stand Lillique.” Anniel snorted. “You and everyone else.” “Poor Dev. He’s sooo…” Rowie sighed and then shivered. Anniel grinned. “He’s drop-dead gorgeous.” Rowie giggled with a shake if her head. “You’ve known him for such a long time. How is it that you didn’t snag him for yourself?” Anniel’s grin faded and she suddenly looked sad. “Hey, if I’m getting too nosey just tell me to butt out,” Rowie apologized. “No, honey,” Anniel shook her head and caressed Rowie’s cheek. “It’s okay. I…” Devon ran out from the foliage, chest heaving, and sobs choking him. He looked like a boy, maybe younger than Seth. Devon took one look at the girls wading in the lake and ran away. They gave him chase, calling out to him. Alluna’s heart pounded and had she been there, she would have run after him too. There was something horribly wrong with seeing Devon so distraught. Something that beautiful should never be so upset. They found him around a bend in the lakeshore. Anniel turned him to face her and gasped in shock at his bruised face. “Dev, what the fuck?” Rowie sputtered cupping his cheek. He winced when she ran her thumb across the blood trickling from his lip. Alluna’s heart tightened in her chest looking at the reddened handprint on his swollen cheek and scratch marks across his throat. “That’s it. I am going to kick that bitch’s…” “She’s gone,” he blurted. “S-she left me.” “Well good,” Rowie spat. “Still wanna kick her ass. Look what she did to you…again,” Anniel snarled. Devon hung his head. “I deserved it.” “Bullshit,” Rowie snapped. “No,” he cried. “Luke took me with him to… Heaven’s Pearly Gates.” “Oh, Dev,” Anniel shook her head. “That’s no excuse to beat the shit out of him like this,” Rowie roared. Devon shook his head. “Luke gave me Liquid X. I couldn’t stop…” “Oh, like she doesn’t fuck around either,” Rowie insisted. “Doesn’t matter now. She packed her stuff and left,” he said in a quiet voice. “Forget that stupid bitch,” Anniel said turning his face to hers, her hand caressing the side of his face. “That’s right. Come swim with us.” Rowie began undoing the closure to his uniform. He looked dazed, but he allowed both females to undress him. Alluna’s eyes grew round as she watched them uncover every inch of a young Devon. His black hair moved with the breeze, his blue eyes glowed as his cheeks flushed. His body was also mottled with bruises and the girls began kissing each one. He gasped and then moaned at their attentions. They pulled him into the water and began taking turns kissing him on his mouth. Alluna found herself turned on by the sight of each female fisting his blue-black hair to turn his face and ravage his lush mouth. He sat completely submissive to them, allowing them to kiss him passionately. She shivered, wondering what it would be like to be the recipient of hungry kisses like that…to sit between two male bodies and have them devour her mouth with that much hunger. Strong fingers wrapped around her palm, making Alluna startle. She gazed up into Zak’s sapphire eyes and was in his lap a second later pressing kisses all over his face. “Such enthusiasm,” he sighed, his hand cupping her bottom. “Annie showing you home movies?” Alluna leaned back and realized he had Anniel gripped by the back of her neck and was pulling her closer. “Just explaining to her how it is with us,” Anniel smiled. Zak looked at Anniel briefly and then stared at Alluna. “You’re aroused. Watching Row and Annie kiss Dev turned you on.” Alluna felt herself blush. His eyes looked deeply into hers before sweeping down her body. Alluna shivered and sucked in a breath when she realized her tunic had disappeared. Instinctively, she drew her hands up to cover herself, but Zak gripped her wrists. “No,” he said. Alluna whimpered, her eyes darting to Anniel. Anniel chewed the corner of her lip. “Zak, you need to go slower with her.” “Is that what you want, Alluna,” his deep voice rumbled. “Slow.” Alluna swallowed. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted. “Annie, take your top off,” Zak said never taking his eyes off Alluna. One brow lifted with a snort. “What for?” “Just do it… or have you become bashful too?” Zak drawled rolling his eyes at her. Anniel hesitated, but then she put her hands on the hem of her black tank top and pulled it over her head. Her breasts spilled escort bahcesehir free, making Alluna’s eyes go round. The mounds of flesh were very big and her nipples were dark. Anniel’s arms were molded with muscle as well as her abdomen. She looked powerful and beautiful. Alluna hunched her shoulders and pouted. “She thinks she isn’t pretty,” Zak growled. Anniel gave Alluna a shocked look. “No way.” “Way,” Zak replied. “But that’s silly. Look at yourself, cutie. You’re like a little doll.” Anniel stroked a finger across her cheek. “So soft and sweet.” Alluna looked at her breasts and then Anniel’s. The other girl was much bigger, her satiny skin darker. She looked like a goddess with her auburn locks and hazel eyes. “Mama…mama always said…” Memories of the disgusted looks mama would cast Alluna when her breasts grew flitted through her mind, as well as the sound of her laughter when Alluna told her about the hair that had grown between her legs and under her arms. Zak wiped his fingers over her cheeks, making Alluna realize she had begun to cry. “You’re beautiful, and you’re mine. Your mother was sick and disturbed and I don’t want you to ever think of all the bullshit she stuck in your head. Do you understand me, Alluna?” Alluna nodded. “Y-yes.”Seth was being a pain in the ass. More than anything, Zak wanted to bend Alluna over the back of Anniel’s fuchsia couch and bury himself balls deep. Her low self esteem pissed him off as well as the painful memories he saw in her head. There was something odd about her mama. Maybe it was just the way Alluna remembered her, but the woman looked more like a man trying to pass as a woman. Zachariel, you can screw your new girl silly later— Seth insisted. It’s time to train. Zak pulled Alluna to him and kissed her. “Don’t cry anymore, baby. Did you eat?” “Yes.” “Good. Later on you’ll tell me what you liked.” “I like chocolate ice cream.” Zak chuckled. “Do you now? I don’t remember having sent that up.” He looked pointedly at Anniel who was grinning guiltily. “You got me,” she laughed lifting her hands in surrender. “I want to be the one to spoil her,” Zak growled trying to look stern. Anniel only smirked at him making him want to tweak one of her nipples in retaliation. “Let’s show her what’s good for her health wise first. Chocolate ice cream isn’t exactly a good breakfast choice.” “Oh, boo, Zak,” she said crossing her arms under her enormous boobs. Zak grinned and tweaked her nipple anyway. He teleported to his rooms just as she squeaked in surprise. Zak— Seth snarled. Give me a few minutes, damn-it— Zak answered telepathically in exasperation. He sat Alluna on his bed, and after making sure she wouldn’t fall face first on the floor, he popped out of his bedchamber and into Remi and Rowie’s. He really needed to get Alluna accustomed to teleporting without getting dizzy…as well as her own clothes. He rifled through Rowie’s belongings and finally grabbed one of her training uniforms. He could feel that she was already aboard Alpha 7. Zak grinned feeling himself grow hard. Yes, Remi had her sequestered in her Viper getting reacquainted with her body. Devon was feeling the sexual charge too and wondering if Seth would mind him taking a few minutes of alone time with Angel. Seth was snarling. Zak snorted, but then felt sorry for the poor little fuck. Seth was hung up on the celibate reaper, Amaranth. They’d had a brief thing while he’d been on tour with Draconius Imorteus. Seth had thought Amaranth would renounce her vows and stay with him, but the girl felt she had a true vocation as a demon slayer. Seth had been left heartbroken. Zapping back into his rooms, Zak found Alluna lying on her tummy. She looked so lost and sad, it made his heart ache. He let his mind touch hers and felt her anxiety at being left alone. “So fragile,” he sighed. She jumped and turned to stare at him over her shoulder. Zak felt himself harden more. If she only knew how damn sexy she looked peeking at him so shyly over her shoulder like that, ass tilted up begging to be fucked. God-damn-it, Zak. “Seth, I’m going to clock you one if you don’t shut up already.” He dressed himself and then dressed Alluna. After braiding her hair, he had her feel him out as he teleported into the training room. Her power vibrated around her, but she kept it so tucked in and out of reach it was almost impossible to tap into it. “About time,” Seth muttered. Devon stood a few paces away, swinging his divine sword, alternating hands. “Seth, feel her out. What do you think?” Alluna blinked startled eyes at Zak before watching Seth pace around her. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth to nibble. Something she did when she was nervous, Zak realized. “She’s like a normal person before they discover their potential,” Seth said after a moment. “Normal?” Zak chuckled at Seth’s word choice. “What magic can you do?” Seth asked her. Alluna gripped her fingers, her eyes darting up to Zak. He nodded at her to go on, also interested in her answer. “I can make protective circles…and summon the guardians.” “Guardians?” Zak frowned. “Arborian deities,” Seth supplied for Zak. “She believes in angels.” Seth nodded. “Most beliefs do. The Seraphians guarded hundreds of thousands of civilizations.” “Can you summon fire?” Devon approached them and Zak cringed when her eyes widened, staring at him from head to toe. Zak snapped his fingers in front of her face making her jump. She suddenly burrowed against him, hiding her face in his chest. Both, Devon and Seth looked at Zak in surprise. “Alluna,” he caressed her hair, wrapping his other arm around her protectively. “Tell me what’s wrong.” She shivered. “I haven’t practised my magic like mama always wanted me to. I’m not very good.” “We only want to see what you can do, baby. No one is going to punish you for trying.” She looked up at him, her eyes so full of trust it made him hold her tighter. He smiled. “Good girl. Now I believe Dev asked you something.” Alluna glanced over her shoulder at Devon and Seth. Zak released her and stood back to watch. She closed her eyes, folding her hands beneath her chin as if in prayer. Zak shivered when he felt tendrils of power stream out form her and frowned. He looked at Seth, confused. She doesn’t use her own power, but draws it from external sources. Don’t let her tap into you— Seth warned crossing his arms over his chest. What’ll happen if she does?— Zak questioned even as he layered a protective bubble around himself. She’ll drain beylikdüzü escort you— Devon answered before Seth could. I’ll give her a little bit of mine, just to see what happens. Alarm zipped through Zak. Somehow knowing she was tapping into Dev’s power made him uneasy. It’s either that or she’ll tap into Alpha 7’s power source. That makes me uncomfortable. Alluna shivered, and then took a deep breath. Zak’s anxiety level shot higher when she opened her eyes and they glowed as bright as Devon’s. The lights around them dimmed and her power churned around them like wind. Alluna slowly opened her hands revealing a gold ball of flame. Zak stared at it for a few seconds before it extinguished itself. He didn’t need Seth to tell him that she didn’t concentrate enough. Her power leaked out of her like a faulty airlock and she drew from external sources instead of concentrating first on what she had within her. “Not bad,” Seth said with a nod. He looked at Zak. “She’s teachable.” He looked back at Alluna. “I’m not pyro and have a hard time controlling fire, Zak has some ability with it, but no one can control fire like Remien.” Seth rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately he’s engaged at the moment. Devon has forbidden me to disturb him and Rowie, so in the meanwhile, you can take a seat there with Angel and watch us train a bit.” Alluna nodded, but looked askance at Zak. He smiled and cupped her face, pressing his nose against hers. “We use holographic swords and spar with each other or images projected by the training programs.” “Do you always use swords?” “Almost always. Weapons are sometimes used to intimidate those that haven’t developed their powers, but when in combat with another like us, only swords are useful. So far we’ve never had to unsheathe a sword to battle another humanoid…just devils.” Her eyes widened. “You’ve battled devils?” Zak nodded. “Zak let’s get moving,” Seth reminded him. With a sigh, he kissed Alluna’s forehead and nodded to where Angel sat in a big lounger Devon had acquired for her.Alluna walked toward the blonde called Angel. Enormous blue eyes looked up at her as she approached. Angel sat sprawled out in a big round chair that looked like a giant stuffed sack. There were circles under her eyes but her cheeks glowed pink. Alluna’s eyes drifted down to her rounded belly. A baby. Angel had a baby inside her…planted there by Devon. The thought of having something alive inside her still made her feel uneasy. Pressing her hand to her concave stomach, Alluna took a smaller seat next to Angel. “I miss sparring,” Angel sighed after a moment of silence. Alluna looked at her in surprise. “You know how to wield a sword?” “I am a Venushtian warrior.” She glanced down at herself with a sigh. “Although I’m sure you cannot tell in my present state. Men should be the ones to become pregnant.” Angel scowled at Devon. He only blew her a kiss from where he stood. Angel grinned. “He’s such a sexy son of a mongura.” Alluna looked back to the training hall. Both Zak and Devon had taken their uniform shirts off and walked in opposite directions. Zak lifted an arm and a gleaming sword appeared in his hand. Alluna watched enthralled as he rolled his shoulders and made sweeping motions with his sword. And then Alluna was seeing double. Another Zak and Devon appeared and paired themselves with the real men. Each one reflected perfectly what the other was doing. Zak turned and stood with his legs apart and sword lifted. Alluna jumped with a start when both men engaged. It was like watching a sword fight in a mirror. The swords flashed and sparked, the noise of metal bashing against metal loud. Zak used his brute strength to hack away at Devon. Devon on the other hand looked as if he were dancing. His moves were fluid, graceful…and lethal. Alluna shot up from her seat when he almost beheaded Zak. Zak spun and swiped back—missing him entirely. They circled, engaged in a fury of hacking blows, parried, and then circled again. Zak lunged, but Devon was quicker. Alluna watched horrified as Devon’s sword stabbed through Zak’s belly. Her shriek echoed through the training hall, the last thing she saw before she fainted was Zak falling to his knees while blood dripped down his chin.His legs were wobbly, the electrodes in his training suit zapping him to let him know it was game-over for him. Still, Zak managed to lift to trembling legs and race toward Alluna. “Is she okay?” Devon asked. Zak cradled her still form in his arms. He could feel his commander’s unease stabbing through him. “It’s not your fault Dev. She’ll be fine once she sees I’m alright.” He panted from the mixture of exertion from the play fight and having run on numb legs forty paces to Alluna. “Fuck. She’s going to have nightmares about me,” Devon growled sieving a rough hand through his hair. “She had to see us spar sometime, Dev,” Seth tried to reason with him. Zak patted Alluna’s cheek. Angel leaned as far forward as she could with her bulging belly and Anniel hovered close by. “Baby. Alluna, sweetheart.” She moaned, stirring in his arms. Zak pulled her into his arms in an embrace. “It’s okay, baby. Dev didn’t hurt me. It was just…” He felt the surge of power bloom inside her. It felt like a vortex and sucked his breath from him. Zak couldn’t talk for a second, everything around him turning electric blue. The silence in his ears buzzed, as if caught in some inter-dimensional portal. And then the power burst free. He felt it burst behind him in rippling waves. For a moment, he thought he’d pass out, reeling on his knees, but he shook off the feeling and gripped Alluna by her shoulders. Her face was a mask of hatred, eyes glowing red, teeth bared. “Alluna,” he snapped giving her a little shake. Her golden eyes dimmed and blinked up at Zak as her hands cupped his face, “Zak?” “Oh, god,” Anniel screamed. “Seth?” Zak turned to see a white-haired tiny boy in Devon’s arms for about two seconds before he snarled and disappeared. Nothing but Seth’s clothes remained behind. Devon picked up a handful of black clothing, his mouth hanging open. “She turned Seth into a cub.” Zak turned wide eyes to Alluna. “Alluna, what did you do? Why?” She stared at Zak, golden eyes luminous with tears. “He tried to hurt you. I didn’t mean to hit Seth. He jumped in the way.” “Baby, Devon didn’t hurt me. It was a hologram. The swords aren’t real. I told you before we started. What happened to Seth? What did you do to him?” “I-I’m not sure. I’ve never done anything like that before.” A flash of red-gold fire announced Remi’s arrival. “Look who’s home?” he cried out with obvious glee, but upon seeing everyone’s apprehensive faces his grin disappeared. “What’d we miss?” “Alluna turned Seth into a little boy by mistake,” Angel answered.