Shalia's Diary Book 12 Page 3

  That’s my girl.

  Emperor Egilka struggled with the news. He said, “We’ve had a woman go missing without explanation in the last week. She told her friends she was meeting a group of suitors, but something else may have occurred.”

  Katrina went pale. “There is evidence of foul play with Meli—uh, the young woman’s disappearance?”

  “Only that none of the clans on her list admits she was supposed to meet with them. They all have alibis as to their whereabouts. Otherwise, she seems to have vanished into thin air.” Egilka was visibly concerned. “Be careful in any case, Shalia. It may not be this obsessed Dramok you have to worry about, but someone else.”

  I found it curious that an emperor would be invested in a missing person’s case. That he would even know about it, though I get us Earther gals are important to Kalquor. Still…I’d almost swear he wasn’t telling us something.

  Flencik broke into my ruminations. “My Nobek is with Global Security. He may have resources the locals can’t tap. I’ll mention this Dramok Nang to him.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I realized that other than his Matara Amelia, I wasn’t familiar with Flencik’s clan. “What’s your Nobek’s name?”

  “Breft.”

  Hina and I exchanged a startled glance. Crap. Flencik was clanned to the Nobek who had been in charge when Hina took Anrel? Double crap.

  Yet Flencik showed no signs of realizing Hina had been charged with kidnapping by his clanmate. It’s wonderful that Nobek Breft can keep his mouth shut. I had to applaud the officer for being as ethical as a cop should be.

  On the heels of that, I thought Sweet, gentle Flencik is clanned to that scary-ass Nobek? That was crazy when I compared the two. Then another comparison popped up: the incredible size disparity between the Imdiko and Nobek. Flencik is a friggin’ giant. Breft is the shortest Kalquorian I’ve encountered.

  I can’t imagine how that combination works. I’m almost afraid to find out what their Dramok looks like.

  Meanwhile, good news…because no news is good news. Larten’s contacts haven’t heard of any reports that Nang has been sighted anywhere on Kalquor. He’s gone as far as inquiring at various spaceports. Without official law enforcement clout, he’s not got the kind of clearance that lets him delve into information. He’s still sending out requests to associates on various space stations and colonies nearby.

  Two weird messages, received days ago, and not another peep. No sign of Nang anywhere. No hint he’s on Kalquor at all. Maybe for once, my luck will be decent.

  March 20, early

  Yesterday, my clan’s morning started with an early surprise. We finished off the evening, ending the day with a bang.

  Our surprise was when the head of household management—probably the equivalent of an Earther butler—met us as we were heading from the sleeping room to grab breakfast. Dramok Felard, a mature man with impeccable manners and unwavering attention to detail, bowed to us in the middle of the hall.

  “Excuse me, Matara Shalia, Dramok Seot. I’ve been informed that a Global Security shuttle has landed in the bay. There are a couple of officers asking to meet with the entire clan.”

  Seot gave me a glance. “I guess Dr. Flencik had that talk with his Nobek.”

  “I guess so,” I replied, hugging Anrel close. “I didn’t expect him to drop in, however. He must have brought his partner with him. Raxstad, right?”

  “Maybe he has news?” Cifa suggested.

  Seot nodded to Felard. “We’ll meet them in the greeting room.”

  The door announce buzzed through the home. Felard hurried ahead of us to let them in.

  Raxstad was as big a bruiser as ever. He bowed and made silly faces at Anrel. On any other man, the sight might have been touching. Raxstad is no one’s version of adorable, nevertheless. I thought as primitive the heavy-browed officer looked, overlarge with muscle, he would have scared the baby. She didn’t find the massive brute to be fearsome in the least, however. She laughed at his gestures of peekaboo, enthralled to watch that heavy-jawed face disappear and then reappear from behind his huge hands.

  Breft’s lips twisted in an approximation of a smile at his partner’s antics. He managed to tone down some of that aura of barely-contained savagery. He appeared approachable for a few moments. He spoke softly to Anrel after according us all the customary bow. “Hello, small lovely. You have grown at least two inches since I saw you last.” He sighed and shook his head at Seot. “They do not stay small long enough to properly enjoy.”

  “Indeed, they don’t,” my Dramok agreed. “Would you like to sit down?”

  None of the Nobeks sat, including Larten. After refusing any refreshments, Breft attended to the business at hand. “An unfortunate matter of miscommunication has occurred for which I must apologize. Global Security had been notified of this issue regarding this Dramok Nang’s potential danger to Matara Shalia several weeks ago. However, it somehow got lost in the system. When the Matara and her daughter arrived on Kalquor, we were to note it and make contact. We were to also put into place a detection grid in the hopes of capturing Dramok Nang should he make it to Kalquor. None of this has happened until today.”

  “You were the enforcement agency Weapons Commander Oses spoke to?” I asked.

  “Correct.” Breft scowled, his anger directed at the floor. “It is unfortunate this got past us. Rest assured, we are taking steps to correct the lapse and ensure that you will not suffer for it.”

  Someone in Global Security was getting their ass kicked. For their sake, I hoped it wasn’t Breft who would do it. He might not leave them any ass at the end of it.

  “What will happen at this point?” Seot asked.

  “You live in a location that is impossible to reach secretly. We’ll set up a routine sea and air patrol that will keep an eye on your home. You have a security system of your own in place?”

  “We do.”

  “Excellent. I’m also demanding all surveillance footage of the space ports for the last six weeks. We will scan them for any sign of Nang. It may be a few of days because of the number of ports and people arriving that are involved. However, if he’s gotten on this planet, we’ll know.”

  “And if he hasn’t?” I asked.

  Raxstad gave me what I suppose was meant to be a reassuring expression. “If nothing comes up in the planetary surveillance, we’ll have those of the rest of the Empire’s incoming passenger records scanned. And an active watch for Dramok Nang has been enacted throughout our entire system.”

  “He can’t be here without us discovering it,” Breft promised. “And if he’s not made it here yet, we’ll catch him when he tries to do so.”

  “In the meanwhile, you must alert us the moment you receive any further anonymous messages. We’ll put a trace on all your coms.”

  “There is already one on Shalia’s,” Larten told them. “But it’s doubtless not as good as what you could give her.”

  The rest of the meeting was a rehash of the messages I’d received and my history with Nang. We reviewed all the safety measures for Anrel and me to take, inputted direct frequencies that my clan could use to contact Breft and Raxstad, and set up the traces on our coms. The officers also inspected our home’s security, and received approval from Seot to gain direct access to have his company activate the trackers implanted on Anrel and me. Breft apologized once again for my case falling through the cracks at Global Security.

  “Stuff like that happened all the time at Earth law enforcement agencies,” I said, trying to make him feel better.

  “It does not happen in Global Security,” he responded. His terrifying ferocity surfaced for an instant.

  Eek. If he has anything to do with it, heads will roll at the office.

  I felt reassured after talking with the two. I’m grateful Flencik said something to his clanmate. Between the guarantee that Global Security has my back and the fact my mysterious messenger hasn’t contacted me in a few days, I decided it would be okay to go out with the
guys for an adults-only beach party we’d been invited to.

  It helped that Matara Elwa had said she’d keep Anrel for my clan’s regular date night. I’d attempted to cancel out of the whole thing a couple days ago, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “I’ll hire security from my firm to play sentries at the home,” she’d told me. That’s Elwa; calm, cool, and collected with a plan in place. She wasn’t kidding about security, either. Darned if she didn’t have a full dozen of the nastiest-looking Nobeks this side of Breft on her property when we showed up to drop Anrel off. If Nang thought he’d pull a scheme while the baby was out of my sight, he was in for a bad reckoning. Possibly deadly.

  “Your guards don’t have orders to kill on sight, do they?” I asked, worried that they were armed to the teeth and appeared eager to use those weapons.

  “Ask no questions, Shalia,” Elwa said. “Focus on the fact that our little Anrel will be safer than if she was in the heart of Fleet Headquarters. The Imperial Clan isn’t as secure as our baby will be while you have some much-needed fun.”

  I don’t know whether to worship that woman or run screaming from her. Yet I had to admit, it was a sure bet that not even a party of Tragooms would dare Elwa’s security guards.

  With a flurry of kisses that Anrel barely acknowledged in favor of the handcrafted doll Elwa had bought her from Joshada, my men and I were off to the beach. I looked forward to music, games, food, and drinking.

  What a blast we had. The party was put on by a kind of Kalquorian version of the district’s chamber of commerce, a massive blowout for the area’s business leaders and their clans. It was a chance to hobnob, make deals, and promote one’s commercial interests. With Seot owning a successful munitions company and Cifa at the helm of the cruise line, we were a welcome and sought-after group. Ila and Erom came with their clans as well.

  The early part was all the party had been advertised as. I’m merely an employee at Cifiler Cruises, but I got busy making contacts on behalf of the fertility foundation. Since many of the other successful business owners are clanned either to infertile Kalquorian women or egg-laden Earther gals, I was my most charming self. Yeah, that was hard work. But not only did I get interest from potential egg donors and recipients, but also donors of the cashflow-type. I schmoozed my ass off.

  The food was good. The band was okay, though not quite as dance-friendly as I would have preferred. The games had a casino vibe with wagers on contests of skill and chance. The businesses had put up prizes. Darn if Ila didn’t win a day-cruise from her own line, tossing polished pebbles at numbered targets on a table.

  “Oh, by the ancestors. Only I would win my own prize,” she yelled in frustration as everyone laughed. She swapped out with another winner for a gourmet dinner delivered to her home.

  I won a couple times too. The first prize I scored was tickets to the opening game of the kurble season, which lit up Larten’s eyes—he’s a fan. I was more delighted with my second win, which was six kestarsh riding lessons. I can’t wait for that. Someone told me the kestarsh resemble six-legged, super-smart horses.

  The night wore on and the drinks kept flowing. People would disappear for a little while among the dunes, then return looking sandy and mussed, their nice clothes somewhat askew. My initial thought was, no way. Gritty sand in sensitive places? I think not.

  But then it occurred to me how powdery the sand was on this beach. Super soft, like talcum. The more I drank, the more I considered, hmmm. Maybe the other clans were on to something.

  Yet Seot and Cifa were always talking to some community leader, trading insights, making deals. Larten kept busy with games, eating, and drinking, but I noted he didn’t stray far from me. Aw, my big protector. He needed to be rewarded.

  Buzzing pleasantly enough to be ready for a more private beach party, I sidled close to my fierce clanmate. Larten was committing his fourth round of damage to the buffet. “A walk would be romantic,” I said in an undertone.

  Larten turned to me, his cheeks chipmunk-full of ytor shellfish. “Are you bored?” he asked in a garbled voice. “Run out of games to play?”

  I giggled, both at the decidedly un-romantic appearance of a Nobek with his mouth crammed full of food, and him missing the hint I was giving. Ah, I love that guy, even when he’s clueless.

  I tried again, giving Larten another chance to be my fantasy hero. My insinuation was more blatant. “Let’s go behind those dunes like the others and cover ourselves in sand.” I jerked a thumb to get him to notice the lovers coming and going from the party.

  Larten’s eyes widened in understanding. He swallowed the wad of food in his mouth and grabbed my hand. “Sure. That’s a better suggestion than taking a walk.”

  Sigh. It’s okay. I’ll have him trained soon.

  We wandered along the trail that had been worn in the sand by quite a few feet. The dunes were a maze. Huge humps of sand dotted right before where the beach became seagrass and windswept bushes shorn of all but the most tenacious of purple leaves. We wound along the divots of earlier lovers, searching for a spot among the sandbanks that was apart from the other writhing, moaning shadows under the darkening sky, safe from the glow of the party’s bonfire.

  At last, we found a semi-private area at the base of a mound. As deliciously animal as ever, Larten tugged down the straps of my sundress, pulling the fabric to my waist to bury his face in my breasts. My head reeled as his mouth tugged on my nipple, his tongue abrading the stiffening flesh. I was out on the beach, under the star-scattered sky where anyone might pass by, being fondled, mauled, by one of my true loves. Soon to be fucked. Prophets, I was excited. I hugged Larten’s dark head to me, demanding all I could take from him.

  He put me on my back on the powder-soft sand. Dress hem up to meet my waist. Panties down around my ankles. Growling Nobek shoving his face between my legs, seizing my pussy with his mouth, stabbing his tongue inside me. I lounged on the beach, staring at the almost-black canopy of the sky, not noticing whether or not the sand was as soft as I’d hoped it would be. It could have been iron spikes I rested on for all the care I felt.

  No, my attention was all for the tongue lapping the wet from my sex’s soft lips. For the moment it pushed in me in quick, forceful thrusts. For the lips that closed over my clit to hold it in place so Larten could use that incredible tongue to lash my most sensitive spot over and over until I cried out, uncaring that others were near. My usual concern that I might later run into those who would see me in such a manner was nowhere to be found.

  Jagged stabs of poignant bliss imbedded my pussy. Beneath those acute strikes was a roiling tide of rapture, each wave building on the next. I clutched Larten’s thick hair as he fed on me, holding him tight as I had to my breasts, my hips moving to rut against that magic mouth. I felt exposed and safe all at once, being made love to in the open by my Nobek.

  He snarled as I ground against his face. I excited him with my animal response, I suppose. I enjoy being bestial with him, as much as it tends to worry Larten that he doesn’t possess the finesse of Seot or Cifa. To hell with that. Sometimes a woman wants a guy who will fuck her brains out, pure and simple. And if that guy is Larten, that’s even better.

  He yanked at my hands, pulling them off his hair. Since I didn’t have any warning to unclench my grip, I pulled a few strands with me. Then my wrists were pinned on either side of my head, with my Nobek crouched over me.

  His eyes glittered as he stared at my face. His hips lowered to mine and he positioned for the first thrust.

  Larten took me with a single powerful shove, driving the air from my lungs as a massive punch of ecstasy and agony barreled through my senses. He didn’t give me the opportunity to recover either, pounding against me, making me take his demanding lust. It took me so long to remember how to inhale, I grew dizzy from the lack of air. Even so, all I cared about was the rising tide of ecstasy lighting me up from the inside.

  “Where is it? Where is it?” Larten snarled, grabbing my leg and maneuvering me, shiftin
g me so that his primary cock pressed hard at different parts of my inner walls as he fucked me. “Come on, I know it’s there—”

  Elation blasted through me. The darkening night flashed white, and I lost all ability to draw breath again.

  “That’s it,” Larten growled. He held me in that position and hammered against me.

  The pleasure was so intense that my insides tried to simultaneously twist in a knot and turn inside out. It was the feeling of orgasm, but it went on and on, with no real release—an eternal brilliance that wouldn’t quit. It was an endless moment of climax. I wound tight and tried to escape. Larten had me pinned. I had to lie there and endure as my body screamed for deliverance.

  When I thought it would never happen, that I would be suspended in hellacious rapture forever, a more brilliant detonation hit. I blasted to pieces, rent into utter devastation. Orgasm wrenched from me as if someone had reached inside me and yanked it out with his fist. I felt shredded, shattered, torn.