ARTIFACTS

Belinda McBride
Copyright ©2008, Belinda McBride All Rights Reserved
 

Museum of Arts and Science

Valoran Capital City

2317, ISCE

“Do you seriously think they’re gonna let you retire?”

Shannon Nelson gave her brightest smile to the ugly little Fedoran waiter as she accepted another glass of sweet Valoran wine. “You’re drinking too much.”

“Shut up, Theresa.”

“I’m just saying, after all the expense the Company invested in you, they aren’t gonna just cut you loose ’cause you’re bored.”

Shannon sauntered across the room, joining a crowd around the display of Old Terran artifacts. She managed to divide her attention between the smug looking Valoran docent and the voice in her head.

“It isn’t boredom, Theresa. It’s burn down. I’ve been at this too long.”

She caught the eye of a handsome lavender Somian and smiled, glancing around for his twin. They always came in pairs, and this pair had been shadowing her all evening. “It’s getting dangerous. I fucked up on the last assignment, if it wasn’t for you, I’d have been caught and ended up rotting in a jail on some bumfuck prison planet.”

She exchanged pleasantries with an attractive Gender Neutral Valoran, who was speculating on the purpose and nature of the white fountain enclosed in a high-security cube. The notes indicated it was an altar to a water deity, and that it had a small room in the ancient Terran domicile dedicated to it.

Theresa snorted in humor. “That’s a bidet. A female straddled it to take a piss. Archaic, but effective…you see, when you flush…” She flashed a visual into Shannon’s mind.

“I get the picture, Tess. Time?”

“You’ve got approximately 87 minutes before the shift change. Shannon blinked as Theresa fed her an image of the artifact that was today’s target. She stifled a smile; two years ago, Shannon and Tess had been recovering priceless Renaissance paintings from a private robber-collector. Today she was shoplifting a set of old jade dildoes.

How the mighty have fallen.

Lord, over an hour to kill. She casually set her glass down and took a fresh one from a tray.

“Easy there, girl, your blood alcohol level…”

“Shut up, Theresa.”

“Fine.”

“I could do this gig in my sleep, no less pissing drunk.”

She should know, pissing drunk was the state she preferred these days.

Shannon drifted with the crowd, wincing at the next display, which was obvious in its purpose. Phallic objects of every size, girth and color were scattered in the elegant case. She stepped closer to the case and frowned at an enormous black object, roughly the size and shape of a male fist and forearm.

“Ouch.”

She looked up in surprise, feeling her breath catch at the radiant visage next to her. “As that object frightens my brother, it must have taken a dedicated practitioner to use it!”

Her head swiveled to the other side, eyes widening as she took in the mirror image to the first. A pair of identical Somian males flanked her. Well, identical except for color. Number One sported a flowing blue mane of hair, while Number Two was crowned with dark lavender. Their skin was fair, just a flush of the same color swept over sculpted cheekbones and eyelids as though air-brushed. She swallowed.

“A fetish, I’m sure. The human body really isn’t adapted to something like that.”

“Nor is the Somian body, and we are quite fond of sexual extremes.”

She smiled weakly, drifting on, aware that the pair was still in her orbit.

“Ooooohhhhh….pretty Somian males…Does this mean we’re finally gonna get laid, Shannon?”

“Hush.”

She looked from one to the other, feeling a bit flighty and breathless.

“Time, Theresa?”

“Eighty-one minutes. There’s time, Shannon! There’s a small ante-room…”

“Are you trying to get us caught? Now hush!”

After a long silence, Theresa came back. “Seventy-seven minutes. Come on, Shannon! They’re Somians!”

“And I’m on a job. A dangerous job, I might add. Now stop…” She came to a dead halt, feeling the grip of arousal, the heat of moisture. She blinked, fighting off dizziness “I said stop that, Theresa.”

“It isn’t me. I can monitor your brain, but I can’t control it. That’s just plain, old fashioned horniness, honey.” Shannon fought the urge to roll her eyes. Clearly, her recent sloppiness on the job wasn’t her fault; it was Theresa bitching the hell out of her!

“Don’t you go blaming me for your shortcomings, sister! If you took care of your needs…”

“Don’t go there, Tess.”

“Why the hell not? You never do. God, I’ve never gone so dry so long…”

“Tess!”

“Seriously, you have got to be the most uptight, suppressed, dried-up excuse…”

Shannon smiled at the Fedoran Ambassador, politely ignoring his inspection of her cleavage. In all honesty, he couldn’t help it, she was tall, and their species was short.

“Bullshit, he’s checking out your tits.” She gritted her teeth.

Shannon’s skin began to warm; she felt a flush spreading over her chest, up her neck to her face. To her left, the Somian twins were casually leaning against a wall, sharing identical amused looks. Number Two was running his eyes over her body, taking in the diaphanous silver gown she wore. She’d been a bit uncertain about her choice of attire, but Theresa’s research assured her that the crowd would be elegant. It had been expensive as hell, but on the Company tab. The billowing skirts disguised her tool kit and a pack for the artifact that she would steal. Recover, she corrected herself. It had been plundered from a shattered museum ages ago, booty for the vultures who looted Earth after the Great War.

Disturbed by her reaction to the Somian pair, she crossed the room, moving swiftly on her stiletto heels. She hadn’t had that skill until Theresa had joined her. Woman must have been a stripper in a previous life. Or a hooker.

“I like the purple one.”

“Time?”

“Sixty-three minutes. Come on, Shannon, there’s no better fuck in the universe…”

“Don’t underestimate them, Tess. Everyone sees Somians as nothing more than sex toys. We tend to forget that they’re also a highly intelligent species. They could be security.”

“Or they could be two hot guys wanting to get into our pants. Why do you think so many Somians work the interstellar sex industry?”

Shannon sighed, feeling another devious surge of moisture flood her silk panties. What the hell was going on? She’d managed to lock down her libido for the past fifteen years…why had it reared its ugly head tonight? She sat her empty wine glass down on a table. Obviously, Theresa had been right about the wine.

“Can we bring you a fresh drink?”

Before she could refuse, the lavender twin had split off, no doubt in search of refreshments.

“Ah, no, I’ve had enough, it was more potent than I expected.” She let her gaze meet his, feeling her chest tighten. Sky blue hair waved to the shoulders of his black suit, and luminous, deep blue eyes caught hers. His brother returned, pressing a glass into her hand. His eyes were grass green, a shocking contrast to his deep lavender hair. They had identical, lovely faces, high, wide cheekbones, full lips, high-bridged noses with flaring nostrils.

“They can smell you.”

“Shut up Tess.”

“I’m Drakh Partain.” She glanced to his lavender haired brother.

“I’m Balor Partain.”

“Shannon Nelson.” They offered their hands in a decidedly non-Somian gesture. She shook hands with Drakh, and then was surprised when he clasped her tight to his body in a more traditional Somian greeting, the warmth of his groin meeting hers. Balor repeated the sequence, leaving Shannon decidedly warm and deliciously fluttery.

“Do these guys emit pheromones?” Shannon shifted uncomfortably as her nether lips grew slippery.

“Nope, honey. That’s all you. Fifty-nine minutes, Shannon. Plenty of time for a quickie…”

Shannon took the wine Balor offered, sipping the cool, sweet fluid. It wasn’t the same as what she’d been drinking. It was better.

“What brings you all the way out to Valora, Miss Nelson?”

“Business.” She smiled smoothly. “I work for an Earth based company; we export certain commodities to Terran expatriates.”

“Coffee, chocolate, that sort of thing?” She nodded at Balor, settling in for a pleasant flirt. Nothing serious, she didn’t have time for the sort of quickie Tess was craving, but she could enjoy, couldn’t she? And they were so pretty. Her gaze slide down his body; in spite of the elegance of their formal wear, their shirts were sheer, displaying lovely muscled chests and abs. Their nipples had the same silvery opalescence as their flushed lips. She watched in fascination as Balor’s pink tongue briefly touched his upper-lip. Wasn’t that a sexual invitation among the Somians?

“Shannon?”

She took a sip of wine, feeling a pleasant tingle on her own lips.

“And what brings the two of you to an exhibit of ancient Terran artifacts?”

“Shannon?”

“Well, the nature of the exhibit was particularly appealing, given the extensive attention given to human sexuality.”

“And our psych practice on Somia specializes in inter-species sexuality…”

She couldn’t look away from Drakh, yet was intensely aware of Balor’s hand casually running up and down her arm. He left a trail of warmth and arousal. She’d never realized how erogenous the forearm could be…

“You’re…doctors?”

“Psych-scientists, actually. Balor specializes in therapy, while I work more in brain-mapping. So, software and hardware…” Shannon laughed, somewhat concerned that she found the analogy so humorous.

“Shannon, don’t drink the wine…”

Theresa’s voice began to penetrate the warm haze of her mind. She sounded odd…distant.

“Huh?”

“The wine, Shannon, don’t drink anymore! It’s shutting me….”

She licked her lips, taking the last taste of lingering sweetness from her skin. Her eyes looked from one man to the other. They didn’t look dangerous….

“…down!”

She smiled happily as Balor extended a hand, lightly pressing her neck. Everything went very warm and dark.

*****

“She doesn’t look dangerous.”

Balor bounced on the reproduction Terran chair, enjoying the air-cushioned rebound. Grinning, he leaned forward and grasped the phallus between his legs, giving it a slow, suggestive stroke.

“And you don’t look like an adult at the moment.” Balor merely displayed a radiant smile, slowly rocking the chair backward and then upright again.

“But brother, this really is brilliant, you must try it!” Drakh looked at the vile pink object and returned Balor’s smile. How could a bright pink sex chair not be delightful? He was amazed that pre-war humans had thought of it. He was delighted that the straight-laced Valorans were selling reproductions in the gift shop. He’d purchased a dozen.

Drakh felt an erotic wave flow through his body; if she slept much longer, he’d have to take a turn on the chair instead of hitching a ride on Balor’s play. It had been a long time away from home, and the Valoran just weren’t inclined to play pat-a-pat with a pair of Somians. They’d probably live longer if they’d loosen up and take advantage of those magnificent bodies!

“As I was saying, for a thief of her renown, she doesn’t seem so threatening. A bit repressed, but in all, a rather lovely female.” Balor lowered himself to the phallus, sliding it slowly into his mouth, his eyes dropping closed in mock delight.

Drakh’s gaze returned to the unconscious woman. Her looks were exotic and alluring, instead of a normal pastel color, the human’s hair was a rich, glowing shade…he believed they called it auburn. It had loosened from the elegant updo and lay spread around her head. Balor had taken delight in arranging it just so.

Her skin was as milky pale as the ancient ivory fetishes upstairs. Her eyes were thick-lashed, large, verging on round, and as deep, dark blue as the indigo skies over Somia at night. Drakh was rather fond of blue.

Her body lacked the lush curves of the Somian females; instead, she was tall and willowy. Her breasts were high and firm, enough to fill his hand, but little more. Through the hip-high slit in her skirt, her legs looked forever long.

“She was lovely in the communications from our informant, but she’s incomparable in person.”

Drakh could only nod in agreement. She’d haunted his dreams from the day he’d received her warrant, but now, he closed his eyes and saw her face in his waking mind. If she’d been Somian, he’d think he’d found his eternal. But she was a human singleton, with no twin for Balor.

He glanced at his brother, slightly disturbed to find Balor’s green gaze fixed on the unconscious woman. Slowly, he looked up at Drakh, and then back at the female.

“You feel it too?” Drakh nodded. Balor sent his essence to Drakh, it flowed through his body, centering in his groin. The essence then rushed upward, settling in a warm glow around his heart. He’d felt the same warm acceptance from her, shortly before she passed out. “She’s the one, Drakh.”

“She’s human, Balor, and a single. It isn’t possible.”

“Nevertheless, brother, I feel her inside myself.”

Balor slid down the chair, the pink phallus jutting up to the ceiling as though it were a rude addition to Balor’s own lovely form. Gently, he thrust his naked cock against the thing, finally lifting his legs to the ceiling, holding a handstand, then rolling in a slow, backward somersault till he’d tipped the chair, straddling the back.

“I’ve heard human women are delightful to make love with.” The phallus was now horizontal to the ground, pointing straight at Balor’s face. He leaned forward, swallowing it whole. Drakh shivered at the sight. Balor pulled his mouth away from the phallus with a pop. “I’ve heard they’re multi-orgasmic.”

“Some. Not all.”

“But still, Somian females take recovery time. Even if she comes early, a human female can continue to take her male after climax. She doesn’t pass out.” Balor returned to the phallus, coating it liberally with his saliva.

Drakh turned away as Balor rolled the chair back to its base. A soft gasp, a ghostly whisper of shared sensation told him that Balor had dropped onto the phallus. He didn’t mind the titillating diversion, but after so much denial, he was overstimulated, and the visual would be too much.

He crossed to the workbench, gripping the edge, looking at all the antique sex toys scattering its surface. He had to give the pre-war humans credit for their imagination! He sighed and opened himself to the wave of Balor’s experience. Drakh closed his eyes, allowed one hand to settle on his belly, tilting his head back as the hand drifted to his chest, stroking gently. His ass tightened, blood rushed to his entire lower region as the ghostly sensation of the phallus plunged into his back passage. A groan slipped from his lips as he received Balor’s sensations and returned his own in an erotic cycle.

His flight pants were tight, too tight to reach into, yet he was going to spill, sooner rather than later. With shaking hands, Drakh popped the fastenings of his codpiece, allowing his quivering cock to spring free. He grasped it, feeling the vibrations that indicated imminent climax. Balor groaned, sharing the sensation on his own cock as he pumped himself on the phallus.

As Balor rode faster, Drakh increased the speed of his hand, gasping, letting his head tilt back as the muscles in his back and groin caught, contorting his body into a taut, quivering bow. He heard Balor’s echoing groan, and knew even as his own seed flooded his hand, that Balor was coming hard on the phallus in his ass. Drakh felt the echo of it in his own passage as his climax ripped through his body, leaving him shaking and flushed. Drahk caught the edge of the workbench, weak and shaken.

His hands trembled as he refastened his trousers. As he turned back, Balor had tipped the chair back, lifting himself off the phallus.

“I’m sorry, Drakh. I didn’t mean….”

“I felt the same. Just being in her presence is unsettling.” To say the least. He and Balor had cycled their lust back and forth with an intensity he’d never experienced before.

“We hold the warrant on her, Balor. We were sent to apprehend her.” He turned away again, unable to look at his brother’s face.

*****

Pain pierced her skull. Shannon kept her breathing steady, unwilling to let the lighting bolts at the back of her head betray her to the men who held her captive. She heard the soft murmur of voices, and suppressed a frown when her internal translator failed to engage.

“Theresa?”

No answer. She opened her mind a bit wider, stifling panic when she was unable to locate the sentience. Theresa had been hard to adapt to, harder to live with, and often Shannon prayed for a moment of solitude. But not now. Now, she needed the bitchy voice in her head. She relaxed her eyes the slightest bit, peeking from beneath her lashes.

The sight that greeted her almost pulled a shriek from her throat.

The lavender haired male…Balor…was performing a slow, sensuous series of movements on a hideous pink inflatable chair. And he was stark naked. As his body followed his legs up to the sky, a huge pink phallus was revealed, anchored to the seat of the chair. It was a pole dance on a big pink dildo.

Once her shock receded, she went temporarily brainless at the sight of his nude body, sleek, delineated and perfect. Perfect. His lavender-flushed cock was rigid and erect, thrusting from a nest of silky waves that matched his hair. Her eyes darted to the side, Drakh stood, hand resting on his bare chest, slender hips and long legs encased in tight, matte black leather. Her eyes followed his, and she swallowed as Balor began to mouth the dildo, as though it were a real cock.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Drakh move away, turning his back to his brother’s exhibition. Balor lowered the seat of the chair to the floor, and then slowly, so slowly lowered himself onto the phallus, his head tipping back as it pressed, and then penetrated his ass. He settled onto his knees, and then slowly sank, his hands braced on the back of the chair.

She looked over at Drakh, to her surprise, his body mirrored his brother’s movements; as Balor lifted a hand to his chest, Drakh’s followed suit. Their moans echoed one another, their breathing was synchronized. Yet they couldn’t see each other!

She’d heard the Somians were linked sexually, but had avoided the subject, it had smacked too closely of incest. But this, they weren’t pleasuring one another, they were taking pleasure as a single consciousness!

Drakh had his back to her, but she could see he was unfastening his clothing. She watched in fascination as Balor’s cock grew darker in color, and then began to vibrate rapidly. The sight struck deep within her core, she bit her lip, fighting the sensation. He supported himself on one hand, the other grasping, now pumping his cock in exact time with his brother.

As one, they flexed backward, holding for a long moment, before long, shimmering streams of silver propelled from their cocks. Again they flexed in long, slow arcs, bodies taut, streams of liquid silver jetting from their bodies.

Both men slumped forward, Balor over the chair, Drakh over the workbench. They were limp and drained, panting hard. The pastel color on their cheeks had intensified. As Drakh turned and refastened the codpiece on his pants, Balor rolled backward, magnificent in his graceful ease. Again, they spoke softly in their native tongue.

She’d never heard Somian spoken before, it was lyrical and soft, soothing and arousing. Poetic. Her eyes slipped closed just before they turned her direction.

Unexpectedly, a warm sensation flooded her body, filling her from top to bottom, fingers to toes. The sensation settled hard in her groin, and then snaked up, settling in her heart, filling her completely. She felt so full, Shannon was certain that if she opened her mouth, the sensation would spill forth, flooding the entire room with light and color.

Her eyes flew open; she had time to see two concerned faces, to wonder at the emotion she read in their eyes. One word registered in her mind….Home.

Drakh reached out, touched, lightly pinched her neck, and again, the world went away.

*****

Something soft cushioned her cheek.

Shannon lifted heavy lids, fighting dizziness as her eyes slowly focused on the object in front of her eyes.

What?

It was pink, and alarmingly upright, veined and surreal.

That’s right; she was in a room full of antique sex toys, crowned by the glory of the shocking pink chair that Balor had recently performed on. She groaned at the memory, lifting her head from the plastic. Someone had draped her arms around the phallus, her wrists were securely bound.

She frowned, lifting her head to look around the room. How much time had passed? Shannon tried to access her internal functions, but they didn’t respond.

“Your sentience is offline.”

Balor’s smiling face drifted into her line of sight, followed by Drakh. Shannon suppressed an overwhelming need to smile back. She tried to track the hand that was floating toward her head, caressing the side of her cheek. Oddly, she had the strongest urge to press her face into that hand, to nuzzle and taste. With an effort, she gathered herself.

“Who are you?”

“Balor, and my brother Drakh. We are Somians.”

“Really?” She allowed sarcasm to drip from her voice. “And you just happened to hand me a glass of wine right before I passed out? You just happen to be with me…here…when I wake up?”

She struggled upright, pleased that only her hands were bound. “What have you done to my implant?”

The brothers glanced at one another, an unspoken communication passing between them. “We are freelance bounty hunters, licensed on Somia, Valora and Selene. We purchased your warrant.”

Shannon went cold. By law, they owned her. She held perfectly still for a moment, and then used her feet to push herself backward, away from the two. Some perverse corner of her mind observed that Balor was now wearing pants. The bottom half of an AmWere designed flight suit. That must have cost an arm and a leg. The elusive shape-shifters made them by hand, individually designed for each client. They were also one of the hottest fashion items on the market. She threw in an extra body part to the cost of the suits.

Shannon knew there were warrants for her apprehension all over the system, but all described her in varying disguises, under false identities. She was never the same person for any two jobs, and her planetary origins were artfully falsified. How in sanity’s name had they been able to anticipate her next job, and apprehend her before she’d made a move on the artifact?

“Where…” She cleared her throat, starting over. “What did you do to my implant?” She’d shared her mental space with Theresa for years now, and while the biological sentience hadn’t improved the quality of her life, Shannon keenly felt her absence. Could an implant die?

Again, the twins exchanged glances. This time, Drakh spoke.

“She has been liberated.”

Shannon could only stare. “Liberated?”

“While you were unconscious, we removed the entity, as she had requested.”

“You removed it? From my brain?” She looked at them in wide-eyed horror. Then another thought registered.

“She set me up?” Shannon’s stunned mind recalled Theresa’s urging her to have a tryst with the twins.

“Her price for delivering you was a body that she could download into. We were able to arrange that.” She followed Balor’s glance to a blanket-draped female form on the floor. She was either dead, or unconscious.

“Don’t think too badly of her. She did it to preserve both of your lives. It seems your employer had arranged your death some months back. They’d tampered with your implant via remote. Fortunately, Theresa overrode the commands and was able to salvage your life, as well as your mission. Following that debacle, she began to negotiate with various hunters. She was afraid for both of you.”

“And she simply walks free, with a new life, while I stand trial.” Cold betrayal snaked into her chest, pushing away the remnants of that golden feeling.

“In the centuries that Tess has traveled from person to person, she’s had no sovereign rights, no voice in her fate.”

Neither did I, not once she was implanted in my fucking brain. And these guys were obviously pretty chummy with her, calling her by her nickname. Obviously, Theresa was more powerful than anyone realized.

Shannon rotated her head, tentatively exploring the emptiness in her psyche. She shifted, and with Drakh’s assistance, settled onto the pink chair, leaning against the air-cushioned back, absently gazing at the dildo protruding from the seat. She relaxed, and the seat rolled backward; she squealed in alarm, her skirts flipping upward. Only then did she realized that her shoes, toolkit, and stockings were gone. So were her panties.

With laughter, the Somians pulled her upright once more, and Balor straddled the chair at the other side of the phallus. His irrepressible gaze traveled from the phallus to her face, and then back again. Her own irrepressible gaze compared the size of the phallus to the mystery of his stiff leather codpiece.

“We were to apprehend the elusive thief Shannon Nelson, preferably at the scene of the crime. However, we miscalculated.”

Drakh settled to the side of the chair, reaching up to stroke the pink dildo with his index finger. “The female we apprehended was merely a guest at a party; a woman by the name of Shannon Riley. She did not commit a crime, nor does she have the sophisticated bio-implant that we were told to expect.” He smiled, his hand leaving the phallus to travel up her bare thigh.

How had they known her real name?

Shannon was curiously unable to prevent Drakh’s foray up her leg, under her billowing skirt. She met Balor’s eyes, and once again, warmth flooded her body, setting her blood to boiling, settling in a warm cloak around her heart.

“What…what was in that drink?” It had to be the drink, there was no other explanation for her feelings…feelings…

God, when was the last time Shannon had known feelings other than anger and fear, depression and grey despair? Her heart pounded, and tiny shards of golden light began to pierce the barriers around her brain, her heart, her very soul. Theresa wasn’t there to offer her opinion, her running commentary. For the first time in almost two decades, Shannon’s mind was free to respond as instinct lead.

The few times Shannon had tried sex after Theresa’s implant, the sentience had made the experience an embarrassing nightmare, alternately putting up a running commentary on the techniques of her lover, or grabbing the reins, trying to take control completely. Shannon had lost her virginity to a man who was a four on Theresa’s scale.

Shannon had even given up on self-pleasure. Her entire life had become that way. No hobbies, her reading was restricted to texts and news bulletins in a futile attempt to avoid Theresa’s rambling opinions.

She rested her head back, wondering at her lack of control, her lack of desire to stop Drakh’s wandering hand, to break away from Balor’s molten gaze. She went still as Drakh’s fingers drifted over her cleft.

“You’re wet, so wet, little Shannon.” Balor’s accent was rich and musical. His eyes dropped closed as he tilted his head, clearly sharing the sensation. “You feel like silk, your desire soaks right into our skin.”

She watched Balor’s face, even as Drakh’s head dropped to her inner thigh, licking up the cream that had spilled from her body. Her body shuddered in tentative delight.

Balor licked his lips, tasting what wasn’t there. “Theresa undoubtedly realized that as Somians, we would be hard put to turn you over to be jailed.” He sighed, a great, shuddering breath as Drakh retreated, licking the shimmering wetness of Shannon’s body from his lips. In his place, Balor came forward, nuzzling her throat, forcing a sigh from her lips.

Balor explored as Drakh continued. “She no doubt suspected that we’d be unable to resist you. But what she couldn’t have known is that you are so precious.”

Balor had reached her ear, nuzzling into her hair, his tongue bringing up goose bumps on her skin. Drakh mirrored him on the other side. “We found our forever, Shannon. It should not be, but here you are, and so it is.”

She exhaled a long, shuddering breath. They were obviously delusional, but effective, nonetheless. Every kiss, every lick burned its way into her skin, firing up her body, her desire. Through barely open eyes, Shannon watched the room through a golden glow. Was that normal?

“Our kisses, our saliva holds a chemical effective only on you, Shannon. No other.” Balor nipped the edge of her jaw. “We are freely sexual creatures, but once we find our eternal, we are yours forever. And you are ours.”

She wanted to jump up, to fight, to flee, but the golden haze kept her bound as tightly as the cuffs on her wrists. She longed to touch, to taste, to feel the textures of their hair, their skin.

“I need…”

“Yes?” Balor’s voice was a whisper in her ear. Drakh was traveling down, his warm lips leaving a tingling trail over her chest, between her breasts.

“I need to taste…”

Immediately, Balor took her mouth in a kiss, one hand at the back of her head, the other traveling down to release her bindings. She clasped the hair on Drakh’s head, feeling its gossamer texture between her fingers. With her hands free, she could scratch, gouge, with the element of surprise, she could dash to the door…

Her other hand rose to Balor’s face, gently stroking his jaw. He tasted sweet and musky, foreign and familiar. Seductive. His tongue edged into her mouth, she greedily captured it, sucking hard, startling a moan from both men.

Shannon broke from his lips, beginning her own exploration, nips on the jaw, tasting, testing the smooth texture of the skin on his throat. His skin was silky, the taste of his sweat was arousing, sweet and salty. He shuddered with pleasure, and at her breast, Drakh shuddered as well.

Gently, Drakh moved the tissue-thin fabric of her dress back from her breast, gently ducking his head for a kiss and a lick, weighing it gently in his palm. Balor joined him at the other side, unclasping the neck strap of her dress and lowering it, letting her breasts free.

For a moment, they both knelt, staring, before Balor reached a trembling hand to touch. Somian females were quite well endowed, she couldn’t possibly compare. But they stared as though in awe, watching as her nipple hardened under Balor’s gentle touch. Drakh leaned forward, letting his tongue flick lightly over the tip of the other, moistening her skin, and then he blew cool air on her flesh. They hissed as that nipple went hard and pebbly.

“So pretty, Shannon. So fragile…” Drakh bent to her breast, kissing lightly before sucking her in hard and fast, causing her to arch taut, her back flexing. At her side, Balor worked the fastenings of her dress, and together, the Somians lifted her, easing her out of the fragile garment.

“It’s too pretty to ruin, we want to save it forever…” Drakh’s accented whisper made her shiver. Below, Balor brought her thigh over his shoulder as he nuzzled her lower belly. He dragged his chin through her curls, and then came from below, licking the cream from her skin, dragging a hard-tipped tongue through the folds of her pussy. Shannon gasped as her body sang with the sensation, becoming wetter. To her surprise, she felt moisture at her anus, dribbling from the small opening.

Drakh’s hand dropped there, massaging, the tip of his finger rimming the small hole. “This is a surprise…” His finger slipped easily past the tight rosette, and to her delight, the sensation was hot, tight and delicious. “Humans shouldn’t react this way…”

Balor stood slowly, and Shannon found herself sandwiched between the two men. Balor frowned slightly, looking into her eyes. “Did you know both of your parents?” She shook her head. Shannon had been raised in a government institution, knowing her mother only on holidays.

Balor smiled slowly, once more taking her lips in a deep, penetrating kiss. Drakh’s finger continued to make forays into her ass, every thrust, every stroke matched the rhythm of Balor’s kiss. “When we get you home, we will arrange a genetic identification.” His words passed right over her head as her body began to tremble, blood rushing to her pelvis. She was about to come, with only Drakh’s fingers in her bottom to stimulate the orgasm!

She leaned forward onto Balor’s chest, letting the shocking sensation wash over her body. She groaned deep down, thrusting back onto Drakh’s finger, taking it deep and hard and fast as the climax drowned her. She collapsed, panting, her face on Balor’s chest.

“She is very wet back here.” Drakh’s voice was solemn, almost reverent. “She’s part Somian, Balor.” Drakh nibbled at the curve of her neck. “Is she recovering?”

Tentatively, Balor’s hand dropped to her pussy, gently parting her folds, his fingers working through her slick moisture. When he brushed her clit, Shannon stiffened, shivering in renewed arousal. He began to circle the nub, two fingers slipping into her sheath, pressing firmly over her g-spot. Then he found another spot, one she’d never known existed. Shannon sucked in air. Balor grinned at his brother.

Shannon began to ride his hand, panting a bit, arms looped around his neck She brought one leg to his hip, opening herself to his fingers, sighing in delight as Drakh entered her back passage once more, with first one, and then two fingers. He found a sweet spot in her back passage, pressing firmly, he triggered a blazing orgasm.

She came in an explosion of spasms, throwing her head back, straining hard against the men. God! Is this what she’d been missing all these years? Panting, she lay her face against Balor’s bare skin, reaching back to pull Drakh tight to her body. Just as her heart began to slow, Drakh’s hands began to explore, trailing fire down her breasts, her belly, across her flanks.

Her head fell back and she looked at Balor…his eyes looked odd, the color had grown deep, the pupils were wide; a quick glance back at Drakh showed the same.

Drakh pressed himself tightly to her body, his head tucking into her shoulder. She turned her head and caught his lips, their first kiss was gentle, full of emotion.

“I can no longer wait, Balor.”

Balor pulled her leg to his hip once more, his rigid, distended cock dragged through her wet folds. From behind, Drakh did the same, thrusting forward, liberally wetting himself in her juices. He pulled back slightly, aligning his cockhead to her anus in a shocking gesture, but her brain didn’t question it at all.

“It might give you some pain, but if we are correct, it will be only pleasure.” He pressed, and she opened, shivering at the sensation of Drakh gliding into her depths. He pulled back slightly, and then continued to move forward. “The Somian…” He grunted slightly, “…were designed for multiple partners. Unlike a human, this passage is nerve rich in our kind. That’s why you climaxed so easily.” He pulled back and thrust again, easily slipping into her body. She glanced up at Balor, his eyes were glazed, clearly sharing the sensations that Drakh experienced.

“This passage…” he grunted and thrust in, “…is different from that of a human. There are two channels…the other seals shut upon arousal….ahh….”

Balor brought her arms to link around his neck and pulled up her other leg, Drakh promptly moved in close and helped support her weight. She felt Balor’s cock probe blindly, and then thrust, forcing past her tight muscle, into the passage already crowded by Drakh’s presence.

“In time, you will be able to take us both in your female passage, my brother and I will share that space. Perhaps we will plant twins inside you…”

He thrust again, and Drakh gasped at the sensation of Balor’s cock crowding his.

Shannon thought that this should be horrifically painful, that Drakh’s penetration alone should have split her in two. Instead, she felt warmth rushing through her tissues, tingling, an arousal that centered not only in her clit, but up her spine, running straight to the brain.

She felt their blood rushing, pulsing in their cocks, though they were no longer moving. Both men stood still, heads tilted back, eyes closed. Tentatively, Shannon clasped her muscles, tightening on their cocks and they both groaned.

“Yes…little one….yes….”

Obviously, that met with their approval, so she tried it again, flexing her muscles, and then raising slightly, using her hold on Balor as leverage.

This seemed to rouse them from their shared trance, and the men began thrusting, slowly and methodically, one in as the other retreated. Shannon could only hold on now, letting them pleasure her. Sensations flowered, now Balor held steady as Drakh thrust hard and fast, somehow, she knew the sensation of Drakh’s cock against his was an overwhelmingly erotic sensation.

The men alternately nuzzled her skin and buried their faces against her neck, their grips tight, strong hands supporting her bottom, fingers sinking into the skin of her belly. They began to move stronger, deeper, in perfect harmony.

She rode, pounding down on two cocks at once, fire building within her deepest self. Every kiss, every caress sent primal signals to her brain, pleasure and passion and lust and love…

Love? Yes, there it was. That golden haze.

The men met her every stroke with their own, she smelled their sweat mingling with hers, the fragrance of their sex a complex and harmonious chemistry.

She was ahead of them, her climax exploded, running fire up her womb, lightening up her spine. She might have screamed, she didn’t really know. As she came down from the climax, the men still labored, she sensed their initial panic that she’d come before them, followed by profound relief that she was still up and functioning. She pulled herself upright, struggling to meet their strokes, watching in fascination as Balor’s face contorted with joy, with abandon.

The most amazing sensation built within her body, a vibration deep inside, and she remembered how their cocks had pulsed shortly before climax. The vibration built, stirring every nerve, every muscle from her waist down.

Both men cried out, they arched backwards, holding perfectly still before unleashing their seed in a flurry of thrusts. Once more, they flexed, clearly deep in their orgasm…no breathing, no sound, until it broke, and once more, she felt her passages flooded with their warm, liquid silver

Unable to help herself, Shannon began to ride, thrusting on their still hard cocks, once more launching herself into climax, this time, bringing the males with her in one bright, glittery, magical moment of bliss.

They came down lightly, so lightly in a moment of sublime perfection.

*****

“I knew you’d been holding out on me, you little bitch.”

Shannon dropped her weary legs to the floor and looked at the female form across the room.

“Theresa?”

She looked at Balor, he nodded.

On unsteady legs, she made her way to where the naked figure struggled through the blankets that swathed her body. She glanced down at herself, the brothers’ seed painted her legs in an iridescent shimmer. How pretty, her mind observed. She couldn’t wait to taste it first hand.

“What the fuck…I have a cock!” The figure sat up abruptly, a spill of dark blonde hair fell away from a lovely face. “You stupid Somians, I’m female, what did you…” She broke off, just then noticing the small, elegant breasts on her new body.

“You put me in a Valoran? A hermaphrodite?”

Drakh was stepping into his discarded pants, while Balor simply folded his arms and shrugged.

“She was suicidal, and agreed to the procedure. I assure you, her personality has submitted to yours…”

“Well, her penis sure hasn’t.” As Theresa stared, the modest sized cock slowly began to grow erect. “Damn!” She groped down lower, and found her female genitals. “I’m a Gen?”

“Savah identified female, but in reality, I believe she was Gender Neutral. That might have contributed to her inner conflict. You’ll have access to her memories and knowledge shortly.”

“Shit!” Theresa…Savah rose slowly to her feet, surveying her new body. And then her eyes whipped up to glare at Theresa. “All these years, you’re half-Somian, and you lived like a damn nun! No wonder you’re such a cranky bitch!” Theresa stepped forward, awkwardly sinking onto her legs. Nobody moved to help her.

“She’s been in your head for how long?” Drakh turned to Shannon, holding out a jumpsuit. Balor had neatly folded her dress already.

“Fifteen…sixteen years.”

“Fifteen years with her…and no sex?” Balor looked stunned.

Drakh sighed sadly. “Well, it will be unfortunate to part you, but no doubt you will fare much better now. And Theresa’s new handlers are waiting…”

“What?”

“I said, you’re new handlers are waiting. Did you think you were leaving?” Drakh steadied Shannon as she stepped into a pair of flight boots.

“Well, I thought that was the deal.” She swayed a bit, eventually growing accustomed to gravity.

“Eventually. But according to the terms the Valorans set, you are a member of their society, and will undergo cultural awareness training. They have very rigid morals and ethics, you see. And Savah was an important scientist. She was a treasured individual, and you now possess her talents and knowledge.”

Theresa just stood and stared down at her naked body, aghast. “Morals and ethics? With all these goodies, they’re prudes?”

“Indeed. They are the polar opposite of Somians.”

“Well fuck.” Theresa frowned. “I guess I can deal. For awhile.” She swallowed hard and eyed the sex toys scattered on the workbench.

“It could have been worse.” Theresa glared at Shannon. “They could have put you into a Fedoran body.” Theresa blanched.

“So, what’s gonna happen to Shannon?” .

“Do you care?” Shannon strode across to face her former sentience. “You’ve obviously been manipulating me for years. You betrayed me, arranged for me to be taken by bounty hunters.”

“I saved your ass more than once after the Company decided to off you! And believe me, honey, alive, even in a prison, is better than dead! Been there, done that. Haunted a house just to prove it.” Theresa defiantly planted hands on her hips, slightly askew.

“Why? Why did they decide to terminate me?” Shannon’s record had been brilliant; she’d never failed a mission in years. Not until two years ago, when she’d started losing time, finding herself confused and lost in the middle of firefights, chases, even break-ins. That had been Theresa!

“Back when you started, the intentions of the Company were honorable. Their sole focus was to recover treasures that had been plundered from Earth. After the death of a powerful member of the Board, profit motivations began to creep in. A couple of your missions were strictly personal business. That Monet you recovered?” Shannon nodded. “It went into a private collection, and not to the original owner.”

She blinked, tears burning her eyes. Bitter as she’d grown over the years, Shannon had truly believed in the mission.

“Eventually, we began picking up Earth Government contracts. You and I were not only re-acquiring treasures, we were conveying information. That’s why you have missing time.”

“I still don’t understand…”

“You’d become notorious. High profile. And they can’t bring themselves to believe that you don’t know what I’ve been up to in your brain.” She turned away from Shannon, with a bit more of the grace innate to Valorans. “Again, what’s going to happen to her?” Oddly, Theresa’s voice was less strident, more modulated. Savah making her presence known.

“Initially, we were planning to take her to Prisoner Processing on Prima Vega.” Shannon felt so defeated, so betrayed, that she could only swallow. “However, without the Nelson sentience within, she is no longer the person our warrant identifies.”

“So we will return with her to Somia. We will try to find her family.”

“You guys are out a bit of money on this one.”

Balor only lifted a shoulder.

“Money means little to us. Finding our eternal mate, that cannot be calculated in monetary terms.”

Besides, the Valorans had paid a pretty penny for the transference of Theresa into Savah. Not even the most talented Valoran could match skills with a Somian Psych-scientist.

Shannon looked up in surprise. “I’m your eternal?” The twins nodded as one. “But you…Somians only mate in twin pairs…”

“There are exceptions, such as brother-sister matings.”

“Brother…sister…” Shannon’s voice trailed off.

“Such matings are rare; when opposite sex twins are born, they are always eternal to one another. The offspring are invariably gifted, and their offspring are always same sex twins, so the gene pool maintains its integrity.” Drakh’s voice was compassionate. “It is not the way of your culture, Shannon, but it is a blessing in ours. Our parents were such a pair.”

“And sometimes a twin loses a sibling. If the remaining twin survives to mate, it is always with a pair. They need the support of both twins to be complete.”

Balor took her in his arms, holding her gently. “It is clear to both of us that you are our eternal. So we will share.”

“And we will be happy in the sharing.” Drakh ran his thumb down her cheek. Shannon looked from one to the other, the foreign concepts made comforting sense deep down. She felt curiously mellow and at ease. She felt like…herself.

“Fuck.” They all turned to look at Theresa.

“I’m stuck here in moral, ethical hell, and the nun flies off with a pair of sex machines!” She looked ready to stomp her foot in anger.

“You are free of the Company, Theresa. You have a body. A second life.”

At Balor’s words, her head dropped slightly.

“And they aren’t sex machines, Tess. They’re people with feelings and emotions. They transferred you. Only Psych-scientists of the highest-level skill could have done that, particularly without losing the personality of the sentience. I told you not to underestimate them.”

Shannon leaned back into Balor’s warm embrace. She watched Drakh as he made his way to the locked door, pressed a sequence into the entry-pad. He stood and spoke quietly for a moment, and then turned back to the room.

“Tess, they’re ready for you.”

She stood, empty-handed, looking lost and very alone. To Shannon’s surprise, tears glimmered in her dark eyes. On impulse, she crossed the room, taking the taller woman in a tight embrace.

“I will miss you Tess. Fifteen years is a long time.”

“No, Shannon. Three centuries is a long time. Our time together was a drop in the bucket.”

In spite of the harsh words, she didn’t relinquish her grip on Shannon.

“You’ve really got to let me go now.” Shannon smiled, Tess’s tight grip on her put lie to her words. “I mean it, Shannon. You’re giving me a goddamn hard-on!”

Laughing, the women broke apart, and with a surreal sense of loss, Shannon watched Theresa leave the room, surrounded by a small escort of uniformed Valorans.

She swallowed hard, and turned back to the workshop.

“You said you were bounty hunters.”

“We are.”

“We are also Psych-scientists. But you must understand, Shannon, that on Somia, our population is largely happy and content. Sometimes we must do freelance work off-planet.”

“We had the option of turning you in for the bounty, or accepting the Valoran commission of salvaging a brilliant scientist. Therapy had been unsuccessful for Savah, and she chose to turn her mind and body over to Theresa. We had only to meet you to make our final decision.”

She laughed and shook her head.

A new life, with new love, new adventures. The twins were busy packing, pulling on their flight suits. She frowned as Balor slipped something into his bag.

She pulled the bag open and looked inside, glaring up at Balor.

“What’s this?” She pulled out a set of exquisite, green jade dildoes. The set she’d been assigned to steal. She dug further and found other toys, including a leather strap-on and a flogger.

“Is this for me?”

He shrugged, his expression somber, but a smile twinkled in his eyes.

“We’re scientists, Shannon. Those are…tools for our research.” Drakh’s voice came from behind.

She turned to find Drakh deflating the pink chair. “And that?”

“This?”

She put her hands on her hips and frowned.

“It’s for Balor. He seemed to like it…”

“Liar! You just want to try it yourself!”

“Bum Bandit!”

“Pervert!”

“Don’t you think it’ll look great in the office…?”

Shannon leaned against the workbench and put a hand to her eyes, listening in amused dismay to the men with whom she’d live forever.

And she was happy.