Clan and Crown (27 page)

Bevau’s aide’s desk in the reception
area was empty of its usual occupant. Dramok Ser was efficient to a
fault and so punctual Bevau could have set a chronometer by the
young man. He must have taken a later lunch break. But no, Bevau
could hear low-voiced conversation coming from his office. Who was
in there with Ser? Probably another of the officers, most likely
some lout like Nobek Abendul wanting to know why he hadn’t been
invited to enjoy the spoils of Bevau’s squad’s hunt.

As if he’d invite that Tragoom-faced
commander to a share of the prize. However, Bevau would be more
than happy to tell Abendul how good the fresh meat had
tasted.

Bevau stepped into his office. It was a
utilitarian space just large enough for his desk, the hover chair
that sat behind it, and two chairs before. He blinked to see who
waited for him. It was not Ser and Abendul, or any of the other
officers. Instead there were a couple of morsels more delicious
than any freshly killed game.

Three days ago, Bevau had enjoyed
flirting with the crown princes. He had even entertained a few
delicious fantasies that same evening while bending a recruit
needing disciplinary action over his desk. Bevau’s explosive climax
had had a lot more to do with visualizing Clajak and Egilka taking
his cock than the humiliated soldier who had been a full ten
minutes late to battle-readiness drills.

Bevau entered the room as soundless as
his breed was taught to do from an early age. Clajak and Egilka
were engrossed in viewing his many commendations and some still vid
pictures that dressed one of his walls. The Nobek felt a mix of
embarrassment and pride over the awards. He’d have kept them from
sight out of modesty, but Ser had hung them up after discovering
the lot hidden away in a cabinet.

Bevau was glad his aide had done so,
particularly now with the pair of princes checking out his
accolades. It wasn’t that the Nobek wanted to show off his
accomplishments. It simply gave him the opportunity to look the two
men over without them being aware of his scrutiny.

He did so with great appreciation. For
two such dissimilar men in appearance, they both hit all the right
notes. Prince Egilka was a delicious creature. Bevau could imagine
tying the Imdiko so that his arms stretched over his head, his long
legs left wide and open for pleasures many and intense. The
Imdiko’s features should have been too stark to be called
attractive, but there was a carved beauty about that captivating
face. Maybe it was that exotic slant of his eyes or the long
aristocratic line of his nose. Or perhaps those plush lips, the
upper one too full to be completely hidden by that luxuriant
mustache? Bevau wasn’t sure, but the idea of that face looking up
at him with want had blood racing into his cocks.

Then there was the blood heir himself,
Dramok Clajak. The man had a hell of a reputation. It was said that
even he had lost count of his many sexual conquests. Plus Dramoks
were not easy to bend to one’s will, not even that of a
battle-hardened Nobek. They were tricky devils, somehow finding
ways to put Nobeks beneath them more often than not. It might be
fun to lose to someone with Clajak’s experience from time to time
and discover what all that practice had taught him about fucking
... but it would be just as fun to show him a few things Bevau
knew.

The man wore a sleeveless shirt and
shorts as he had the first time he’d been here, displaying a
powerful body that begged to be handled. Particularly that gorgeous
round ass, curved just right for Bevau’s palms. He imagined cupping
those muscular cheeks in his hands and easing them apart to admit
his eager prick. Bevau’s erections grew, stretching at the formsuit
he wore. He was glad to be freshly showered after that morning’s
exercises. He wanted the princes to see him at his best.

The Nobek took a deep, steadying
breath. He went to a quiet place in his mind, urging his body to
calm. That the princes had come back told Bevau he hadn’t imagined
their lustful interest in him. Yet he didn’t want to greet them
with obvious arousal. After all, there was always the chance
something besides desire had precipitated their unexpected
return.

He hoped not. He wanted the chance to
fuck this pair.

Bevau could admit to himself without a
shred of vanity that it was probably sex the princes had come for.
Many men were taken with the Nobek’s appearance, though Bevau often
wished for more rugged features and maybe some honorable scarring.
Being half-Imdiko was tough enough when it came to gaining the
respect of his designated breed. Adding a flawless bone structure
and stunning features made the situation worse. Not that Bevau
minded the many challenges issued by Nobeks who got stupidly
incensed over things he had no control over. He welcomed the many
resulting fights that had come his way, hoping for some of those
elusive marks of honor that would mar the perfection that often
felt like a curse. It was almost a shame Bevau was too good a
fighter to have been dealt any of those wanted scars thus
far.

His thoughts settled the desire that
turned his cocks into divining rods, eagerly pointing at the asses
they wanted. The ache to dive into tight but yielding flesh
subsided, leaving him clearheaded and ready to talk. Bevau had no
concerns that he would not be ready when talk turned to play. By
the ancestors, he hoped he would get to play with these two
men.

Feeling the welcoming smile on his
lips, he spoke quietly, trying to not startle them. “Good
afternoon, my princes.”

Despite the gentle tone, Egilka jumped
a little as he turned from a picture that showed Bevau being
decorated for bravery. The Nobek couldn’t remember which event had
led to that particular medal ... he had three of them now. Clajak’s
turn to face him was smooth, however, and his anticipatory grin
showed no sign of having been startled.

The smooth, honeyed voice of the Dramok
prince was as beguiling as Bevau remembered. “Hello, High
Commander. No one was here to greet us, so we walked in. I hope you
don’t mind? We’re impressed with your awards.”

Bevau bowed, taking the opportunity to
check his crotch. Clajak’s silky voice had sent warmth spilling
into his groin again. Fortunately, his dual manhood behaved itself
for the moment.

“I don’t mind at all, my princes. This
is a most welcome surprise.” Bevau straightened.

“Is it?” Clajak’s brow crooked up and
his smile deepened. The man was every bit as charming as his
admirers and detractors said. Maybe that meant the rumors of his
copious talents between the sheets were just as valid.

Egilka smiled at Bevau when the Nobek
looked at him. The descriptions of the Imdiko prince were as bland
as Clajak’s were dynamic. Egilka was known as dutiful. Smart.
Dedicated. Reserved. Those who chose to denigrate him called him
aloof and cold.

The Imdiko’s gaze was far from cold as
he met Bevau’s eyes. In fact, the commander thought he discerned
quite a bit of heat in that steady stare. He wanted to know just
how hot Egilka could be.

“A welcome and delightful surprise,”
Bevau affirmed. “How am I so fortunate as to have the crown princes
in my office today?”

“We were impressed with your
demonstration during our official visit. Very impressed.” Clajak
made it sound as much of a come-on as a compliment.

“You flatter me, my prince.” Bevau
bowed his head to Clajak, but his gaze remained on the still-silent
Egilka.

The extended regard made the Imdiko
blush. He looked away from Bevau’s probing stare. The shyness
beguiled the Nobek. Bevau wondered what else he could do to fluster
the man. He looked so much softer with uncertainty. A few ideas
occurred, making his cocks twitch agreeably.

Egilka nodded to the wall behind Bevau,
opposite the one covered with awards. “That’s quite the collection,
High Commander. You did say you like fighting with
blades.”

Bevau didn’t bother to look at the many
knives and daggers that decorated that surface. He knew each and
every one of them and their position. Nearly every inch of space
was taken up with the weaponry.

Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the
increasingly fidgety Egilka. “I claimed most of those in combat.
Often, I was unarmed myself. It’s amazing how adept enemies are at
knowing when a man is without a weapon. They always try to take
advantage of it, thinking they’ll take me easily. The trouble with
that is, they come at me overconfident.”

Clajak snorted. Bevau finally released
Egilka from his stare to look at the Dramok prince, who eyed him
with doubt. “A decorated warrior who allows himself to be unarmed
in the midst of enemies?”

Bevau grinned and folded his arms over
his chest. He walked over to his desk to lean against it. “It
usually happens when I have no reason to believe an enemy is to be
found. I don’t often take knives into the shower with me. Blades
also tend to kill the mood when a man is enjoying another’s
ass.”

Egilka made a choked sound deep in his
throat. He licked his lips, staring at Bevau.

Clajak laughed. “I think I can imagine
what you mean. I seem to remember being in similar situations a
time or two myself. Fortunately, my enemies usually preferred to
take me prisoner rather than kill me outright.”

He strolled over to stand before Bevau.
The Nobek could feel the warmth spilling off the prince. The
masculine scent of the man was tinged ever so slightly with a
telltale spiciness that made Bevau’s mouth water. His cocks gave a
warning twitch.

Clajak looked him up and down,
blatantly ogling. “I suppose your aide will be returning soon? And
with far too many duties for you to give him the rest of the day
off.”

“He’d never hear of it anyway. He’s
dedicated to a fault,” Bevau said. “We should expect him to come in
at any moment now.”

“I guess you don’t have time to give us
another tour of your wonderful facility, High Commander? Surely
your schedule is packed full, with no time for showing us the more
secluded parts of the training camp?”

Fuck the paperwork. And my
meetings and the other bullshit. What are assistants and aides for
if not to give me the time to enjoy a couple of royal asses?
Bevau’s mind was made up in an instant.

“Give me a moment to re-assign my
afternoon’s schedule, and I’m all yours, my princes.”

Clajak and Egilka grinned at each
other. “That would be wonderful. Thank you for being so
accommodating.”

* * * *

Bevau led the princes past the training
grounds, angling for a path that skirted the woods and led to a
nearby stream. It was a picturesque and quiet place. With no water
hazard training on the schedule today, it promised to be
deserted.

He eyed the sky warily as they walked.
The earlier blameless blue heavens were now a solid gray, almost
the same steely shade as a certain Dramok prince’s hair. Darker
clouds scudded the horizon. Those were the ones Bevau watched. In
this part of the territory at this time of year, storms often hit
hard. The squalls blew up so suddenly that even weather controls
couldn’t always mitigate their strength.

“We could be in for some weather,” he
mentioned, his voice casual.

Clajak gave him a look of feigned
outrage. “You mean to tell me that you can’t pound storms into
submission? What is our military coming to?”

Bevau chuckled at the teasing. “We
leave the easy stuff to weather controls.”

On his opposite side, Egilka snickered.
“Don’t mind Clajak. He squeals if he’s caught in a light
sprinkle.”

That drew an outright laugh from Bevau.
So the quiet Imdiko had a sense of humor after all. He’d have to,
if half the stories of Clajak’s exploits were true.

Bevau checked the clouds again. A storm
was brewing all right, faster than the weather controls would be
able to keep up with. Fortunately it didn’t have the look of one of
the truly violent gales. Even if they got caught in it, they should
be fine.

Still, these were the princes of
Kalquor. Bevau decided to let caution guide him. He’d steer the
royals towards the part of the stream near one of the emergency
bunkers. No sense in taking chances with these two men.

He took the westerly path when the one
they followed split in two. His footfalls were as silent as ever
over the cleared packed dirt that moved them from the edge of the
woods into their quiet sanctuary. The heavy air was still, the
quiet ominous in warning of the approaching storm. Even the tiny
reptilian drils had silenced their constant singing. The only thing
Bevau could hear was the gentle tread of his companions’ following
him and the distant throaty whisper of the stream they headed
towards. And the gentle dispute rising between his
guests.

“Take that back, Egilka. I do not
squeal about anything, least of all a few drops of
rain.”

“Oh, I’ve heard you squeal. In fact, I
do believe I’ve made you squeal on many occasions, my dear
Dramok.”

Bevau grinned. The Imdiko had a bit of
bite to go with his humor. It was a nice surprise. Prince Egilka’s
naysayers might be surprised to hear such unreserved talk. Or maybe
the man had started out as uptight as they said and Clajak’s more
outrageous personality had spurred the Imdiko into bending a
little. Who knew? Depending on how the afternoon went, Bevau might
be tempted to find out the history between the two.