Kept by Luna Voss
Chapter One
Melyta
I sit with Barion in the living room of our Dalax City mansion, doing that nervous shaky-leg thing on both sides. There’s so much tension and anxiety boiling inside me I feel like I could explode. I’m worried about my friend.
“She’s going to be fine,” my mate assures me, putting a calming hand on my thigh and squeezing my leg. “I talked to Korva this morning. Jenyta hasn’t been hurt.”
I lean my head against his shoulder gratefully. I’m so lucky to have him. He’s been my rock throughout this entire experience. Although I know I won’t be able to fully relax until Jenyta is safe, I take so much comfort from Barion’s affection, his firmness, his strength.
He strokes his fingers gently over the mark on my neck, still raw from when he put it there three days ago. A shiver runs through me, conjuring the memory of him on top of me, knot inside me, fangs extended, ready to pierce my skin. I’m Barion’s now. For better or for worse. No matter what comes. We’re a team, and whatever we face, we face together.
“Did Korva say anything about Nullion?” I ask. “Sarizor has to be getting suspicious.”
Barion chuckles. “Suspicious is a word for it. More like losing his fucking mind. Apparently he doesn’t know what to do without his lapdog.”
I allow a smile, the closest thing to a chuckle I can manage. The idea of comparing Nullion, the huge, terrifying Vostra enforcer, to a lapdog, is definitely somewhat amusing.
My mind suddenly flashes to the disturbing image of him bleeding out on our living room floor. “And you’re sure we don’t have to worry about anyone finding Nullion’s body?”
My mate nods. “Korva is sure. Bodies are kind of his thing.”
This time I actually do chuckle. “Boy, do you make that sound creepy.”
“I don’t mean it like that!” Barion protests. “He just knows how to dispose of things, that’s all. Or procure them. Cars, bodies, weapons, whatever.”
I stick my tongue out playfully. It’s cute the way he instantly felt the need to stick up for his friend. Barion is incredibly loyal to the people who matter to him, and it’s one of the qualities I really love about him. I know he would defend me in exactly the same way.
The doorbell rings, and I jump off the couch. “I’ll get it,” I say hurriedly. We’ve been waiting for Korva to arrive. Tonight is the night we’re going to plan Jenyta’s rescue.
I give Korva a big hug as I let him in. Outside of Barion, he’s the closest thing I have to family within the Dultaz organization.
“Hey, Melyta,” he greets me, patting my back. “I checked in on your friend this morning. She’s not hurt.”
“Do you think we could get a message to her?” I ask eagerly as we walk into the living room to join Barion. “You know, just so she knows she hasn’t been abandoned.”
He hesitates. “No, I don’t think that would work.”
We sit down on the couch, me curling up next to Barion. “Why not?”
“Well, I don’t want you to freak out, but they’ve got her hooked up to a UPE prison restraint system.”
My heart sinks. I’ve never seen the inside of an Imperial prison cell, but I can’t imagine it’s anything particularly humane. Fuck. Poor Jenyta.
“Don’t worry,” Korva says quickly, noticing the concern on my face. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Basically, she’s drugged up completely unconscious, and anything coming in or out of her body is doing it through a tube.”
“That sounds pretty bad!” I practically shout, shaking with anger at the idea of someone doing that to my friend. “What the fuck? Where did the Dultaz Family even get Imperial equipment like that?”
Barion squeezes my leg, a gesture I know is mostly meant to reassure me, but also a gentle reminder to keep my temper in check. My telekinetic power has gotten noticeably stronger ever since he claimed and marked me, but my ability to control it seems to have decreased considerably. I keep having accidents where I’ll release a burst of energy by mistake, usually when my emotions are running high. Literally in just the last 24 hours, I’ve broken like two glasses and a plate. I think it’s because I’m just so worried about Jenyta, I can’t focus on anything else.
“It’s easier than you’d think to get surplus UPE equipment,” Korva admits sheepishly. “If you know who to talk to. But honestly, I’m not sure this isn’t better than the alternative. She’s going to be a little loopy from the drugs when we get her out, but I’d be surprised if she remembers anything about the actual experience of being kidnapped.”
I nod. I suppose I can see his point. And the fact that he said when we get her out, not if, is tremendously reassuring.
“Where’s she being held?” Barion asks.
“Johnson’s Garage,” Korva grunts. “Could be worse.”
Barion nods, as though he’s thinking. “Yeah, that’s doable. That’s definitely doable.”
“What’s Johnson’s Garage?” I ask.
“Human-owned auto shop the Dultaz Family has a stake in,” my mate explains. “Or you know, officially human-owned. Mostly we just use it for laundering money.”
“Or stuff like this,” says Korva, wrinkling his nose. “But the point is, it’s not the highest security in the world. We keep it pretty low-key compared to some of the other places we could be holding her.”
“But does that even matter? This is an inside job. Wouldn’t we just be bypassing the security, anyway?”
Both men shake their heads.
“We can’t just do it that way,” says Barion. “It would be too obvious. Sarizor already doesn’t trust me the way he used to. If we leave anything to tie this back to us, we’re both dead.”
I raise my eyebrows. “So what’s the plan, then?”
Barion glances at Korva. “Break in, shoot anyone who tries to stop us, escape with the girl?”
Korva shrugs. “That’s pretty much what I was thinking. It’s Nullion’s old crew guarding her. Fuck them.”
“I can’t even tell if you guys are serious or not,” I groan, shaking my head. “Is that really even a plan? ‘Go in and shoot them?’”
“I think we should do it Friday night,” says Korva. “There will only be one guy on guard, and he’ll definitely be busy watching the ballstick game.”
I gulp. “That feels like a really long time to leave her there.”
Barion starts to rub my shoulders. I lean against him, trying to let myself relax.
“It’s only three more days,” he reminds me soothingly. “What’s most important is that we get her out safely. A couple more days won’t do any harm, but it might increase our chance of success.”
I know he’s right, but I still don’t like it. On some level, I suppose it’s reassuring to hear that she’s unconscious, and not in any pain. But I just feel so helpless. Waiting is torture right now.
Barion pulls me closer to him and I bury my face in his chest as he holds me and strokes my back. I melt into his warmth as he continues to talk to Korva, making me feel small, submissive, and loved.
I’m still cuddled up in Barion’s arms when Korva leaves. His fingers feel so nice on my back, and I sigh as he slides them up and runs them through my hair, massaging my scalp.
“We’re going to get her back, you know,” he tells me gently. “Korva’s right. Friday is the right time.”
“I know,” I mumble into his chest. “I’m just worried about her.”
His fingers stroke down my back, stopping just before they reach my butt. I inhale slightly, ready for his touch to grow more sensuous, but it doesn’t. He runs his fingers back up, clearly trying to be soothing, not arousing. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Other than a single moment of passion the day after we were mated, Barion hasn’t tried to initiate sex with me at all since Jenyta was taken. He probably assumes that since I’ve been so anxious, I must not be in the mood.
He’s wrong. Anxious I am, but for whatever reason, that hasn’t hurt my sex drive one bit. The opposite, if anything. I need the distraction of his warm, muscular body. I need to be able to retreat into my role as his vulta, to just let him own me, dominate me, take pleasure in me. I need the escape.
Lying on top of him, I start to wiggle my hips. Our crotches are pretty much lined up, and while it feels like he’s still soft, I have a mind to change that. I start to just barely grind myself against him, rubbing our parts together, enjoying the way it feels.
He grunts and raises his eyebrows at me in a questioning look. “Melyta?”
“Yes?” I return, looking up at him without stopping what I’m doing.
“I… guess I didn’t think you wanted…” he mumbles, seeming almost flustered.
My eyes close as I drag my pussy over his cock, feeling him grow firmer inside his pants. “You can’t smell that I’m aroused?” I tease him. Usually, he loves to remind me of how tuned in he is to my body’s responses.
His cheeks tinge read. “Of course I could smell it,” he stammers, “but I just figured it was… you know, an involuntary reaction or something. I didn’t want to pressure you.”
“Pressure me,” I whisper, taking his hands and placing them on my butt. “I— ohhh...”
My words trail off into a moan as he starts to push me down onto his cock, putting a delicious amount of pressure on my clit. His beacon glows gold, and I’m sure mine is doing the same.
Barion’s eyes widen as I reach down without a word and start to unbuckle his pants. Usually, he’s the one who does the undressing. I don’t usually take charge like this.
Looking my mate in the eyes, I slip my panties out from under my dress. His mouth hangs open, and I can feel his heart pounding. I free his cock and keep grinding against him, dress riding up, my wetness allowing me to glide smoothly over his now very hard shaft.
Barion groans. I grin, enjoying his reactions. This is a good distraction. This is something I can get lost in. I need to lose myself right now.
I reach down and take his shaft, guiding it to my opening. His eyes close momentarily as the head slips between my sensitive, eager pussy lips and strains against me, trying to push inside. And then I let myself sink down onto him, and a moan escapes as his thick cock fills me up.
He feels so big.I’m not used to being on top of him like this. Is he really inside me that much deeper? It certainly feels like it. I’m pretty sure he’s hitting parts of me that aren’t used to getting much attention. I start to ride him, letting him guide me with his hands on my hips.
“Melyta,” he sighs, looking up at me. “Melyta, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I whisper, bending down so that my face is next to his. “Vostra.”
I know he loves it when I call him Vostra, but I think I’ve come to enjoy it even more. There’s so much contained within that word, all the submission, the respect, the love I feel for him. All at once it makes me feel feminine and owned and dominated and cared for.
It also turns me on. It’s an acknowledgment of his authority, of the power I choose to surrender to him over my body and my life. It’s a reminder that I belong to him, that I submit to his will, to his decisions, and not the other way around.
And right now, it’s comforting. It’s an escape. A way to absolve myself of responsibility, of the guilt I feel for whatever role I played in dragging Jenyta into this.
“Knot me,” I beg. I want Barion to fill me up, to make me helpless, to keep me tied to him. I want it right now more than anything.
His lips flare, and I see excitement flash over his face. He wants it, too. I can tell by the frenzied look in his eyes.
“Oh my god,”he groans, clutching me very tightly. He pulls me down on him, piercing deeper, and I gasp as his cock starts to twitch.
Barion looks totally overwhelmed as he comes. I can feel his warm, wet seed pumping out of him, making a mess inside me and coating his shaft. I squeeze my pussy around him, wanting to make it as pleasurable for him as possible.
“I’m going to knot you now,” he tells me in a hoarse voice, out of breath. “Are you ready?”
I nod eagerly, leaning down to press my lips against his. His hands find my waist, and our tongues dance as I wait for that wonderful moment when I first feel his knot.
My whole world flashes white-hot as he groans and the knot at the base of his cock begins to expand. I feel my sensitive walls stretching around him, straining to accept his size, every moment as intense as any climax I’ve ever had.
Barion holds me, kissing me gently, as I adjust to having his knot inside me. It’s the first time he’s knotted me since he marked my neck, and everything about it feels so intense.
“I can’t believe I get to do this with you for the rest of my life,” Barion whispers, squeezing me tightly. His voice sounds like he’s in too much pleasure to easily form words.
I just kiss him, swirling my tongue with his, moving my hips slightly around his knot. I can feel his cum dripping out of me, and the mark on my neck tingling.
“It feels so good to be your mate,” I whisper , overcome with love for the man I’ve committed myself to. “Barion, I love you so much. I love you…”
I push myself down against him again, straining against his knot, and my eyes roll back as an orgasm rushes over me. It’s short and intense, aided by his low, masculine growls of satisfaction, and it leaves me breathless. I slump down when I’m finished, my hips twitching.
“I love watching you come,” he sighs, stroking my back again. “I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite thing.”
I’m too overwhelmed to respond, but I know he understands. I lie there for a few minutes, catching my breath, and then I pull myself up and start to ride him again. I’m going to make both of us come another time before his knot shrinks enough for us to separate.
