Sister Katherine Page 10

  Something was wrong with her. The funny not-quite-sick feeling of her stomach, the heat, this strange passing of fluid – she was possibly quite ill. Perhaps it would be best that she did visit the ship’s doctor after all. She needed to stay healthy, if only to keep tabs on the children until the Kalquorians left them behind on Europa.

  She kicked aside the underpants, washed her hands, and took a deep breath, preparing to rejoin her captors. Katherine had managed to not cover her breasts after taking her nightgown off, but she couldn’t keep from crossing her hands over her sex. She made up for that cowardice by looking right into Simdow’s face as the door opened for her and she stepped out.

  He and the other two looked at her with intense expressions. A million pleas rose to Katherine’s lips, useless begging that would not keep them from defiling her. She somehow choked them back to ask, “What is it?”

  Miv’s expression filled with anger instead of lust. “Who hurt you? Who left their marks on your back?”

  She stared at him for a moment before her mind kicked back into gear. Of course. Her hair was long, but they’d no doubt seen the lash marks beneath the frothy veil. Her face heated yet again.

  “I did it. Sometimes I punish myself for my sins.”

  Simdow and Miv only stared, their faces wavering between confusion and fury. However, realization dawned over Vadef’s expression and he relaxed.

  “That’s right. I heard some of your order scourge themselves to atone for misdeeds.”

  Simdow’s thunderous look cleared. After a moment, Miv’s did too. “By the ancestors,” the Nobek breathed. “I thought someone had attacked you at some point.”

  Katherine offered a hesitant smile and shook her head. “No. Only me.”

  Simdow made a circular motion with his hand. “Turn around, Katherine, and move your hair so we can see. Some of those welts looked ugly.”

  She did as she was told. They had not looked at her hands where they covered her mound. All their attention had been focused on the injuries they’d seen as she’d gone into the bathroom.

  Her welfare had come before their lust. It made something in her chest loosen.

  Katherine was aware of them coming closer to inspect the welts of the last scourging, done only hours before they’d invaded the convent. She imagined she could feel the heat of their bodies and remembered they were naked. As was she. Her belly tumbled and fresh wetness escaped her sex. She bit back a moan. Something was really, really wrong with her. Perhaps the Kalquorians had some disease that she’d become infected with?

  Miv’s deep voice sounded just behind her right ear. He must have been leaning down close to check her welts. “These have not been administered properly. Unless one is a criminal, this level of discipline is too extreme.”

  Simdow sounded like he was only inches behind her. “That one looks a bit older and like it’s getting infected. You are taking her to Dr. Degorsk tomorrow?”

  Vadef, just as close and to her left: “Yes. I’ll see to it this gets healed.”

  Miv moved around so he could look her in the face. “I must insist you not do this to yourself any more until I have had the opportunity to teach you the correct method, my Matara. Or better still, I can administer the discipline. I am licensed to do so.”

  Katherine stared at him. “Licensed? To punish people?”

  Simdow gently pressed an injury-free portion of her shoulder to make her turn around. He said, “He is very good at it.”

  He exchanged a look with Vadef, and the pair smiled at each other with some secret knowledge. They both glanced over at Miv to include him in the exchange.

  Miv ducked his head, nearly smiling as well. Then he turned serious again to address Katherine. “Discipline should only be dealt by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. You risk serious permanent damage to yourself with such clumsy efforts. A few of these welts have landed over the kidneys. That is not acceptable. When you wish to atone next time, you will allow me the privilege of delivering a proper chastisement.”

  Katherine couldn’t believe her ears. The Nobek was offering to beat her so she wouldn’t do harm to herself. The conversation was utterly surreal.

  Before she could dwell any further on it, Simdow turned away, taking the few steps the narrow space allowed to reach the bed. He pulled the linens back and waved her forward. “Get in, my Matara. It is time we all got some rest.”

  She’d been distracted enough to momentarily forget she was to sleep naked with them. Now the time had come. Katherine cringed, but the looks on their faces told her they would put her in the bed if she didn’t go herself. They still didn’t look crazed with desire, but the resolute set of their expressions were not to be argued with.

  She slowly approached the bed, swinging wide to get in on the opposite side of where Simdow stood. Vadef and Miv followed her. Crawling onto the cloud-soft mattress meant uncovering her sex, and she hunched small into herself to remain as modest as possible. She got to the middle of the space.

  Simdow climbed in next to her, with Vadef on the other side. Miv followed Vadef to crowd them all close. As tight as she tried to knot herself, Simdow and Vadef still moved right up next to her. Their hot skin came in contact with hers.

  Without speaking, the pair arranged her body so that she curled against Simdow’s chest. Vadef spooned behind her. Katherine was touching them. They were touching her. She could even feel the fevered heat of their sexes; Simdow’s pressed against her stomach. Vadef’s snuggled into the crevice of her buttocks. They were now very hard, and surprisingly, slick. A heavy wetness coated their members, and Katherine was reminded of the strange moisture coming from her own body.

  She lay there stiff as a board between the men, waiting for their control to slip in the face of her temptation. Any moment one of them would push himself inside her, making her hurt and humiliated as he responded to the call of her devil flesh. She blinked back the tears that wanted to escape, knowing she couldn’t help but scream and cry when they at last gave into the monstrous cravings they felt.

  Vadef’s hand rubbed gently over her shoulder. “Relax, Katherine. You are safe to sleep. Nothing will happen.”

  Simdow said, “Goodnight, my Matara. Lights down full.”

  “Goodnight, sweet Katherine,” Miv added.

  The room descended into darkness. Katherine lay frozen and continued to wait for the inevitable. Yet the seconds slipped by, and no one moved. Vadef’s hand stopped rubbing and simply cupped her shoulder. The men breathed softly, steadily.

  The seconds became minutes. Despite her fears, Katherine’s body gradually eased. Perhaps the Kalquorians had fallen asleep? She was sure she couldn’t possibly do so herself, not with their warm, soft skin over iron frames pressed against hers. Not with those steel rods of moist male flesh pulsing against the softness of her belly and butt.

  The day had been overlong and exhausting, fraught with terror and uncertainty. Who knew what fears tomorrow would bring? Yes, the warmth of the men next to her was soothing. The strong bodies were even sheltering, enfolding her smaller frame like a living hiding place where nothing bad could touch her. But she would never sleep. Not with so many unknowns to face.

  Thinking all these things, Katherine drifted, unaware of sleep stealing over her. Only after her breath deepened and her body lay completely lax did the men allow slumber to take them too.

  Chapter 7

  Stroking touches all over. The feeling of raspy, rough calloused fingertips, much like those of Katherine’s grandfather who’d led her around by the hand at his hog farm. Softer touches too, like those of her parish secretary father. Those two beloved men hadn’t touched her anywhere but to caress her cheek or hold her hand, however. The fingers on her now were running over hair, arms, throat, belly, and thighs.

  She felt her body was bare to those touches.

  Katherine blinked her eyes open to the lit room. The three Kalquorians sat around her on the immense bed they’d all slept in. She was naked. They w
ere naked. Their sexes were glistening and hard, curving up towards their stomachs.

  Katherine cried out and drew herself up into a protective ball, trying to evade the hands stroking her. Simdow tugged at her arms, pulling them from where they held her knees tight to her chest.

  “No, my Matara. You are not being hurt. We are only touching you. Stretch out again.”

  She shook her head violently, though through her terror she saw how kind their expressions were. Even so, Miv pulled her legs out straight again and Simdow forced her arms out to the sides, pinning her flat on the mattress again. She struggled against their implacable strength, sobbing wordless pleas.

  Vadef’s voice rose so she could hear him over her wails. “Don’t cry, Katherine. We only wish to look and touch. Nothing more.”

  “Touching is a sin!” It was the only coherent thing she could utter in the face of her blind panic.

  The men made comforting nonsense noises. Miv and Simdow continued to hold Katherine down while Vadef went on with the gentle touching. Katherine jerked against the firm holds on her wrists and ankles, against the fondling of Vadef’s fingers.

  Simdow, leaning close, looked into her eyes. “Easy, my little one. You have nothing to fear from us.”

  She couldn’t get away. She couldn’t stop them from taking what they wanted. She gave up the lost battle and sobbed, waiting for the pain.

  It never came. While the other two continued to pin her, Vadef seemed content to simply touch. After a few moments, Katherine noticed he wasn’t even petting her intimate areas, though they were dreadfully exposed. His hands never ventured to her breasts or sex. He stroked her legs, her stomach, her throat and face. Nowhere else.

  As panic receded, Katherine became aware of how warm their hands on her were. So very warm. Almost nice. The heat from Vadef’s touches seemed to sink deeper into her flesh, sending funny, nearly ticklish sensations through her.

  The weird bubbling feeling in her stomach returned, adding to the strange mix of alien feelings. She felt her lower parts go damp again. Her body released fluid as it had the night before.

  Katherine’s tears tapered off. Small whimpers escaped her throat. She looked into the purple eyes hovering over her. Simdow smiled.

  “There now. See? Nothing terrible has happened, has it?”

  She stared into the handsome face looking into hers. Her heart double-beat to see the kind regard. No, it wasn’t terrible, what was going on right now. It was frightening. It was wrong. But it wasn’t terrible.

  Simdow sat back, kneeling next to her. He still held her wrists, but he pulled them away from the bed so she wasn’t pinned any longer. He settled her hands against his chest.

  He said, “You can touch back.”

  Katherine had an instant of feeling that warm velvet-over-steel flesh before curling her fingers into fists. She should not be touching any man in any way, least of all a Kalquorian enemy.

  Simdow gave her a patient, almost fatherly look at her silent resistance. “Do I feel so horrible to you?”

  “I don’t want to.” She stared at his chest, at the dark, sculpted skin next to her clenched hands. All that defined muscle. All that heat coming off him. No, this wasn’t terrible after all.

  “Are you sure?” His voice sounded soft, as if it came from within her own head.

  Simdow’s chest rose and fell against her fists. It was like a piece rendered by a master sculptor, yet warm and alive. But then, he’d been formed by the Master Sculptor Himself, hadn’t he? One of God’s lovelier creations, meant to be appreciated.

  Katherine’s fingers loosened and slowly splayed out over the flawless flesh. Yes, exactly like velvet over steel. Silken on the outside, firm and strong inside. She thought she felt the suggestion of his heart beat, a gentle throb beneath her palms.

  “How do I feel? Tell me,” the beautiful man invited.

  Barely aware she spoke, Katherine said, “Warm. Hard underneath, but your skin is soft.”

  “Is that all right?”

  It was all right. Very all right. She nodded, never taking her eyes from where her pale hands shimmered against his brown skin.

  Simdow gently tugged her wrists, moving her hands around on his chest. Katherine’s lips parted as she investigated the granite swells under his direction. His nipples hardened beneath her touch, and she blinked in surprise to know they reacted to her. Over and over, Simdow guided her over the wide plains of his uppermost body, his grip gradually loosening, letting her take the lead. She tested the feeling of him against her palms, her fingertips, her entire hands. She was so intent on her investigation of this fascinating body, this man’s body, that she didn’t notice when he let go of her entirely.

  Fascinated, she tested the hard length of his collarbones. The drum of his heart was strong in the soft hollow of his throat. The roundness of his shoulders enticed her to warm them in the cups of her hands. Back down to his chest, rising and falling, spreading wide with breath. Down beneath that to the ridges and hills of his abdomen, where she detected a minute tremble.

  Katherine came back to herself and realized she was touching Simdow in much too familiar a fashion. Her clandestine explorations begged him to take liberties with her. Yet she couldn’t seem to stop her hands as they stroked the amazing flesh of another.

  Her gaze rose to meet Simdow’s as she traced the indentations of his hard stomach. “This is normal for you? All these lumps and bumps?”

  He kept his voice steady. “It’s quite normal. You see Miv is even more so, but Vadef has less definition. Because he was sick as a child, he didn’t develop as much as we did.”

  “He’s still quite nice,” Miv said, smiling from her feet at the Imdiko. He had released Katherine’s ankles and knelt with his hands propped on his thighs.

  Vadef flushed and grinned at his clanmate. He had also stopped touching Katherine by now. He sat on the opposite side of Simdow, watching her caress his leader.

  Simdow leaned over her, taking one of her hands to place it on Vadef’s flat stomach. “Compare us,” the Dramok invited.

  Katherine hesitated for a moment. She was tempting them too much, just as she’d been warned all women did with men. Yet her hand moved over Vadef’s firm stomach, seemingly of its own accord. He was not ridged and bumped nearly the way Simdow was, but he was still beautiful in his own way. Lithe and lean.

  As she watched the intricate dance of her hand moving over Vadef’s flesh, something rigid and wet met her other hand, which still studied Simdow’s. She looked over to see what she had encountered and saw Simdow’s penises curved tight towards his belly. She gasped and started to jerk her hand away.

  He caught her before she could escape. The Dramok didn’t force her hand back to his abdomen or to touch his infernal flesh. He only held her still, only a bare inch from the erect members.

  Simdow said, “It is only more of my body, Katherine. These are nothing to be afraid of.”

  Katherine stared at the two lengths, waiting for them to attack her as snakes might. “It’s – it’s sinful flesh. I am not to touch it!”

  “Why are you so frightened? These are not Miv’s fists, which can cause much damage. They are not blasters or plasma rifles, which kill people. In fact, my cocks help to create life rather than take it.”

  Vadef added, “Your God designed us this way, didn’t he? So how could skin and blood and veins be evil? That is all they are, you know.”

  Surely the Imdiko’s words must count as blasphemy. Yet he made too much sense as well. It was man’s nature that led him to sin, not the body itself. A body God had designed and made. It could not be inherently evil.

  The cock that had touched the back of Katherine’s hand had been feverishly hot and moist. Yet, it did seem rather harmless for all the brutal things men tended to do with it. Right now it did nothing but jut with its smaller twin between Simdow’s legs. It had not assaulted her. Her hand had only brushed it.

  Even though she had come in contact with the appenda
ge, Simdow had not been driven to jump upon her and bludgeon her with it. He still sat quiet, only watching and holding her hand. He waited to see what she would do next.

  Since she was not under immediate threat of molestation, Katherine allowed some of her curiosity to be voiced. “Why are those wet?”

  “I am lubricating. Having you touch me makes me feel very good, so my penises are preparing for sex.” When his words made Katherine cringe, Simdow tried to soothe her. “I do not have to have sex simply because my body wishes it. I am not going to force myself on you, my Matara.”

  She blinked at that revelation. “I thought when a woman is sinful, the man cannot resist her. They say her evil drives him to do what his better nature says not to.”

  “That is madness,” Miv spat out.

  Katherine looked at him, still kneeling at her feet. His sexes were also thick and standing straight up at attention, but his expression spoke of being disgusted.

  He shook his head in disbelief at her words. “Women should never fear men. Any man who cannot control his desires at the expense of a woman should cut his own cocks off.”

  Simdow nodded. “I agree. Katherine, even if you touch my penises right now, I will not force myself on you. I am not a slave to my lust, and anyone who says he is should never be around a woman.”

  She stared. “Even if I touch you? There?” She nodded at his cocks.

  He released his hold on her and placed his hands behind his back. “Go ahead. I will be glad to demonstrate this lie that a man must take a woman simply because she makes him feel pleasure.”

  Katherine considered. She really should not touch him. It was carnal, and it was wrong. Yet those who had taught her that also said a man could not resist the temptations of the debased woman. She had been acting like such a person these last few minutes, touching Simdow and Vadef.

  Simdow and Miv were adamant they were not so easily led into wickedness. Katherine’s curiosity was making her consider the unthinkable. Was the Church wrong? Did men really have that kind of control over themselves? These three had not fallen into depravity over her being nude with them. They had held her close last night, their bodies against hers, and she had not been violated.