One Thousand Brides (9 page)

He wished he’d known her for years. He could have loved her when they were gawky adolescents together, before she grew into the breathtaking beauty who had attracted Primus Taddus’ notice.

“If we were married, I’d have you tell me something different about you every day. We’d record it on the computer so our young could hear about your life.”

“So you’d actually want to hear about my ‘old, primitive’ life on Earth?”

“I want to hear everything. Because I love you.”

She snuggled against him, rubbing her face against his neck. “Let me do something to please you. Please let me try,” she begged. “Maybe it won’t work. But I’d love to give you an orgasm.”

He raised his eyebrows, wondering what she was thinking. “Go ahead.”

“Lie on your back.”

He stretched out.

“Open your legs,” she told him. When he did, she knelt between them. As always when he was with her for any length of time, his organ was erect.

Holding his penis by the base, she lowered her head and took it in her mouth. She closed her lips around the head. He raised up on his shoulders, watching as she pumped her hand up and down. Her lips traveled over his shaft, sucking hard.

The sensation was incredible. He knew he wouldn’t be able to experience an orgasm this way. But her hand and mouth on his penis, both at the same time, was one of the most pleasurable things he’d ever experienced. He shook and gasped as her hand moved faster and her hot mouth took him deeper.

Her lips, slick and wet, stroked his long shaft. He felt himself growing, swelling even larger. She was doing her best and the pleasure was intense—almost unbearable.

“If only I could mount you now,” he gasped. “Janis—stop. I can’t take any more.”

She raised her head, sorrow in her eyes. “I wish I could give you an orgasm.”

He said sadly, “It’s not your fault, beautiful one. Terilian males just aren’t made that way.” As she moved up close to him, he stroked her cheek. “I’ve never had such pleasure from a female’s mouth before.”

“I can hardly wait until the Spring Running. I want to have sex with you. I want you to have an orgasm while you’re inside me.” She kissed him, then murmured against his mouth, “I want to make you happy.”

He caressed her nipples through her tunic, rolling them between his fingers until her breathing changed to short gasps. “Then tell me you love me,” he demanded.

“I…I don’t know what to say.” Her eyes avoided his.

“Tell me.”

“It’s too soon. Don’t press me.”

He stroked her face again. “Turn on your stomach and raise up on your knees and elbows. I want to give you pleasure.”

She sat up, shaking her long hair back, gazing at him doubtfully.

“Trust me.”

She did as he asked. Hungrily he stared at her. Inside her tunic, her breasts hung freely. In this position, they looked ripe and luscious, like
polchoi
ready to drop from the tree.

He raised the hem of her tunic, exposing the darkening, swelling lips of her vagina.

His organ quivered. She was in the prime position to be mounted.

Coming up behind her on his knees, he said, “Remember this position. When we meet at the Spring Running, I’ll take you this way first.” He put his hands on her butt cheeks, rubbing them, squeezing them until she moaned.

Her lovely anus seemed to beg to be touched. He circled it with his thumb, teasing the tender flesh at its perimeter.

“Delos!”

“Don’t you like that?”

“I’m not sure. No one’s ever touched me there before.”

“I’ll stop anytime you say.”

She was silent, so he continued rubbing his thumb over the puckered hole. Then he slid his fingers up her labia.

“You’re wet for me,” he said. “You’re always soft when I touch you. And so wet.”

Her voice shook. “I love it when you touch me.”

He fondled her anus again, his thumb pushing against it. She whimpered as half an inch of his thumb penetrated her. “Is that all right?”

“It hurts a little.” Her voice was breathy. “But I-I kind of like it anyway.”

Keeping his thumb in the tight hole, he softly stroked her labia over and over. When she began moving against his hand, he decided to try a different type of stimulation.

Reluctantly he took his hands off her body to reposition himself, smiling when she gave a soft, “Oh!” of disappointment.

“Hush, you’ll like this,” he murmured.

He knelt lower, bringing his face to her sex. The scent of her arousal drove him mad. How would he ever wait until the Spring Running?

He lapped at her hot, swollen lips with his tongue, then reached around and brushed her clitoris with his hand. The tiny bud was already hard and swollen. She pushed against him, wordlessly demanding more. He massaged her peak with two fingers, smiling when she jerked her hips and moaned.

Holding her lips apart with his fingers, he plunged his tongue into her tight, hot channel. He thrust again and again, pushing deep inside her. Her body shook and trembled. Lapping her freely flowing juices, he gloried in the knowledge that he could evoke this response from her. Was anything better than giving a dear one pleasure?

She cried out, convulsing against his mouth, rocking her hips hard. Her excited cries filled the room as her orgasm pulsed, an earthquake followed by tremors and aftershocks.

When it was finally over, she turned and stretched out on the bed. He followed her down, satisfied with the joy he’d given her. She nestled against him and stroked his chest.

He was half-dozing, enjoying her stimulating touch, when she whispered, “Delos? I love you.”

His arm tightened around her.
She loves me.
Elation brimmed within his chest.

He knew then what he had to do.

* * * * *

Inevitably, there were setbacks with the wedding plans. The Brides were dismayed to find there were no flowers on the ship, nor was there wax for candles. The clothing committee was bitterly divided over whether white should be worn, some saying that white was for virgins only, others sneering and saying that was an old-fashioned idea.

Most women wanted rings for both Brides and grooms but Jan had learned that only primus males were allowed to wear jewelry.

One woman proposed that the primuses have a separate wedding from the seconduses. “Their whole society is structured like that. Why not?” she asked.

“We should maintain solidarity as human women!” another woman argued. “I say one wedding!”

A vote was taken, with the decision narrowly falling on the side of one wedding.

Jan asked that all the women’s belongings be brought to the Great Hall. An hour later, six burly crew members carried in large metal pallets. The computer chose eighteen women at random and they went through the pallets, laughing and chattering as though it were a seventy-five percent off sale at Macy’s.

When Jan’s wedding dress was held up, everyone in the Great Hall fell silent. Jan gazed at the lovely gown, wondering if Gary regretted her disappearance. Had he found another woman to marry? Perhaps his secretary—that bitch had always been after him.

“You’ll have a real wedding gown,” Beth said enviously. “The only one.” Although the young redhead hadn’t cried in days, Jan knew the young woman still mourned the loss of her wedding on Earth. “You’re so lucky… I hear you’re going to marry Primus Taddus. He’s the head honcho, so you’ll be like the queen, right?”

“
If
I marry him,” Jan murmured. She walked past the piles of clothing. An amazing array of items had come out of the women’s purses—novels, candy bars, makeup, brushes and combs. Someone had brought perfume samples in small tearable packets. Jan took several, tucking them into her shoes.

She was the only woman here who was assured of marrying a primus. As she watched the others laughing and chattering, she thought,
I’m the only one here dreading the ceremony.

* * * * *

Jan dreamed that Delos was with her in bed. His mouth was hot and urgent on her breasts. His cock nudged her entrance as he lay between her legs. Her pussy swelled, begging for his touch. She stroked his beautiful soft hair, so happy he was with her again…

“All Brides report to the fourteenth floor. Follow the blinking corridor lights to the central elevators. All Brides…”

Desolated, Jan tore herself away from the dream. The dulcet voice of the computer continued as she rose and threw a flame-red tunic over her head.

The Brides babbled questions as they met up in the corridors. Many asked Jan if she knew what was happening. She answered that she knew no more than anyone else.

But in her heart, she knew this had to be the Spring Running.

“You wouldn’t believe the dream I was having just now,” one woman giggled.

“Me too!”

Jan saw Beth nearby, a dreamy expression on her face. The young woman reached up and fondled her own breasts as she hurried to the elevator.

Jan looked away. She would have liked to touch herself too. Her nipples ached and her pussy was drenched with need.

Stop thinking about sex.

She had used some of her time with the computer to learn everything she could about the ship. The fourteenth floor was the agricultural level. Here the crops were grown that fed everyone aboard. There was also a parklike area with grasslands and trees.

The women gasped in wonder as they emerged from the central elevators. After the narrow metal corridors of the ship’s residential area, the acres of red and green plants were startling. Jan breathed in the intoxicating scents of growing things, tilled soil and rainwater.

The council was present, kneeling on their customary stools. The secondus males were already gathered together, their eyes hungrily devouring the Brides. Jan looked for Delos but couldn’t find him in the crowd.

Council member Goldus rose to address them.

“Beautiful Brides, welcome to one of the most important events of the Terilian people. You may have noticed yourself experiencing intense erotic longings recently. You’re merely responding to our male pheromones and to your own desires to mate during today’s Spring Running.

“When the whistle sounds, run deep into the park and conceal yourselves. At the end of twenty minutes, the secondus-ranked males will search for you. Don’t make it too easy for them, Brides! Part of the joy of the Spring Running is the challenge of finding you before mating.

“After another hour, the fifty primus-ranked males will be allowed into the park. Be aware that primuses have first choice among females, so even if you’ve already mated with a secondus, you may still be fortunate enough to gain a primus husband.”

Janis’ gaze strayed to Primus Taddus. His eyes were fixed on her.

Behind him she recognized Hannus, the aide who had helped her in the hospital. As they locked glances, he licked his lips.

The secondus males would seek them first. But what if another secondus male reached her before Delos?

Her body was ripe for pleasure. She wanted sex far more than she’d ever wanted food during her long, miserable diet.

But she didn’t want just any male. She wanted Delos.

Goldus concluded, “May the Great Fur-Mother bless us all today. Brides, good Running.”

The whistle sounded. The Brides, looking hesitantly at each other, moved into the park.

“Run, ladies!” Jan shouted. Somehow she knew what to do almost by instinct. This would be a joyous game, a hide-and-seek spectacular with mating as the glorious prize.

Throwing her head back, she ran. Warm artificial light beat down from the violet-painted ceiling. She moved effortlessly, head high. Surely her legs had never been so strong before. She laughed in sheer delight and heard the same from other women.

They ran tirelessly, spreading out as they moved farther into the park. Jan searched for a place to hide. There were many copses of tall grasses but she wanted to find someplace where she could watch for Delos’ arrival.

At last she spotted a tree with a low-hanging branch. Certain she’d be able to reach it, she took a running leap. Breathlessly she caught the trunk with her claws as she steadied herself on the branch.

She’d done it and was now six feet high in the tree.

You’re becoming more Terilian every day.
The thought didn’t bother her the way it had at the beginning. She’d grown accustomed to her enhanced sense of smell, her increased strength, even her claws.

And, just like a Terilian female, she was ready to mate. Without conscious thought, she raised her tunic and massaged her mound. Her hand slipped against her slick juices. Had she ever been so wet before? She’d certainly never wanted to come so badly before.

Balanced on the tree branch, she couldn’t touch herself the way she needed. Couldn’t open her legs far enough.

God, she wanted Delos’ cock inside her, moving in and out, fucking her. Deep and hard. So hard…

The scents changed. She peered out eagerly, noting a number of shapes moving through the grasslands.

The males are entering the park.

She took a deep scenting of the air, hoping to find Delos. The threads of other scents unraveled in her mind and she identified Hannus.

What would she do if he reached her first?

In the distance she heard a breathless laugh and a deeper groan. Then the high, excited trills of a woman enjoying the hard thrusts of a male’s lusty cock.

One of her fellow humans had already found a mate. Jan envied her.

Where is Delos?

“Yes! Harder!”
A woman’s voice came faintly to her ears.

She stroked her nether lips with one finger. She was gushing with arousal, shaking with anticipation. She closed her eyes and pictured Delos’ big cock. Would the cylindrical head feel strange inside her pussy? Or would it give her even greater pleasure than a human male’s penis?

Her nipples tightened with desire. Heat ignited through her pussy.

The males were close enough to see now. They were naked except for red cords around their loins which kept their erections close to their bodies, supporting their cocks as they ran.

Hannus drew near. “Janis?” he called in his gruff voice. “I scent you. Let me mount your sweet sex.”