"Yes, Kildar," Anastasia said, breathing hard.

"Await him on your knees," Mike said.

"Yes, Kildar."

It was the best he could do for giving her a good evening. It would have to do.

Mike left the whip behind but kept the bondage gear on. The h.e.l.l with it.

Kiril popped to attention as he entered the front room, trying very hard to not look at how Mike was dressed.

"Kiril, I've got a question for you and I need a straight answer," Mike said. "Do the Keldara talk about my s.e.xual...adventures?"

"Yes, Kildar," Kiril said after a long pause.

"About my interests?" he asked.

"Yes, Kildar."

"And is it clear that Anastasiashares that interest?" Mike asked. "And that I don't, normally, let it interfere in the Rite?"

"Yes, Kildar," Kiril said on surer ground. "Both. That Miss Rakovich...shares your interests and that you don't...do that sort of thing during the Cardane."

"Well, Miss Rakovich, as you put it, is very put out. She was looking forward to an evening of 'who's a bad harem girl?', given that the Rite had gone so awry, and now she doesn't get to have one. Straight question: Do you lean that way?"

"Straight answer, Kildar: No, sir. I just don't have that much interest in that sort of thing. That is not a..."

"I didn't take it that way," Mike said. "I've had more s.e.xual experiences than you've had hot breakfasts.

But I've got a problem. Anastasia, who needs a certain amount of being called a little b.i.t.c.h and a s.l.u.t and a bad girl to keep her sunny disposition and incredible efficiency is now in the position ofnot getting that when she expected it. So your orders, Kiril, are to get in there and do your very d.a.m.ned best. Don't ask her if anything is okay. If you want to doanything to her except hit her in the face or something that is clearly unsafe such as choking or, notably, gagging her, then go in there and do it. Don't ask, don't even call her by name. Just do whatever you want and call her bad names. That's interesting isn't it?"

"Yes, Kildar," Kiril said, his eyes wide.

"Good," Mike said. "Now I have other things to do and so do you. And Ipromise to treat Gretchen with as much care as I possibly can. But I want this made quietly butabundantly clear. The ladies who are involved in the Rite from here on out had better know, up front, that they are going to go through with it and not panic at the last second because theirboyfriend is satisfying my harem manager when Ican't . In case you guys hadn't figured it out, part of the whole thing withyou getting laid is thatI'm with another girl and Anastasiaisn't getting laid. The harem girls don't bug her. The Cardane girls bug the ever livingh.e.l.l out of her. So while I'mcooking , you guys had better get it through your heads that you're my stand in.

Is thatclear , Keldara?"

"Clear, sir!" Kiril barked.

"Now get in there and do your best," Mike said. "I'm going to just sit here and let your future wifesweat a little longer!"

It was about thirty minutes later when Mike yanked open the bedroom door and walked in. He was still wearing the dominance outfit.

Gretchen was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up, hands wrapped around them, looking very very nervous. She'd also, clearly, been crying.

"Starting all over is out," Mike said, walking over to the stove-top and looking at the pots and pans.

"This alfredo is ruined. Just totallyruined . The shrimp is starting to look a bit off, too, and youreally don't want to go eating an off shrimp..."

"Kildar..."

"I should be the adult about this," Mike continued, cutting her off and refusing to look at her. "I'm the one with all the experience. I am, in every way, the adult here. h.e.l.l, you're barely legal where I come from.

But what Iam is p.i.s.sed. Everyone knows I've been pretty down on this whole Cardane thing ever since it started. What happens in the Cardane is legal grounds formurder in a Texas. I like virgins as much as any guy. But not when they're the fiancees of people who stand behind me with guns. And I was just managing to take out my frustrations about it when I getdoubly frustrated. So, tell me, Gretchen, where does that leave us?"

"Kildar, I just don't know," Gretchen said, sniffling.

"As far as I'm concerned, it means we're done for the night," Mike said, turning towards her and crossing his arms. "Because right now, if we had s.e.x, the term would be 'grudge f.u.c.k', meaning I'd be taking out my frustrations on you. Which is the last thing you need for your first s.e.xual experience. So you hop in bed and try to sleep and I'll go find one of themany other rooms in this place to bunk."

"Kildar, please," Gretchen said, shaking her head. "Don't do that."

"Because it would doubly shame you?" Mike asked, shaking his own. "I had that one trotted out on me one time already. When I suggested that Lydia just spend the night up here. Doubly shamed, once for being 'with' the Kildar alone and twice for being found wanting. Right now, Gretchen, dear, I'm not sure I care . I did mention being p.i.s.sed, right?"

"Kildar, please," Gretchen pleaded. "Please, for Kiril if not for me, lie with me this night. You can just take me as you wish. You can rape me as you would. You can do anything to me you wish. Beat me, strike me, take your anger out on me in any way you would care to. Ideserve it. I admit it. But youmust take me this night!"

Mike blinked. He knew a sub that wanted to be abused when he saw one and he knew the opposite.

This girl wasn't being submissive, she was just willing to doanything to "lie with him this night."

The anger blinked off in a second as he realized he'd just stepped into ground that he didn't understand.

Lovers quarrels, those were all well and good. But this was some sort of much larger issue. Cultural, yes, a.s.suredly. But something else, deeper and stranger. He could smell it.

He walked over to the couch and sat down next to the girl, far enough away to not be terribly threatening but close enough that he could really watch her reactions. And while when he arrived she had been nervous, she was now frightened. He was pretty sure that it wasn't her begging to be hit that had changed things, either. Gretchen had the full measure of the Keldara physical bravery; she'd take a punch and keep on going. And likely punch back, harder. Whatever was bothering her was something that slipped in through other doors.

"Why?" he asked, quietly.

"Kildar, I would be doubly shamed," Gretchen said.

"We covered that," Mike said. "Why? Really why."

"I cannot say," Gretchen replied. "May not say."

Keldara had the same dichotomy of meanings and Mike knew the language well enough at this point to catch it.

"You are not allowed to say," Mike stated.

"Yes."

"Okay," Mike said, nodding. "How about charades?"

"Pardon me?" Gretchen said, blinking in puzzlement.

"Uh, the Alligator game."

That was the local name for charades and while the game was old in the West, like bowling it was just catching on in the former Soviet Union.

"Wave my arms and you guess the words?" Gretchen said, finally smiling again. "No, I think that won't work, either."

"Then give me something," Mike said. "Because I'm starting to realize that I might have been s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up all along."

"No, you have not," Gretchen said, sliding over to grab his hand. "Kildar, the way that you accomplish the Rite is a joy. I amsorry that I was so stupid. I was more than willing,am more than willing, to come to your bed. Beyond the Rite, what you have made of it is wonderful. I am sorry."

"Then give me something," Mike said, nodding. "I accept your apology fully and equally apologize for not handling things better. But I need some idea of why you're so terrified of menot taking you tonight.

Anything."

"Kildar," Gretchen said, swallowing. "I... Kildar, the Cardane is aRite . It is... It is a Rite of our religion.

It is part of our Mysteries."

"Of the Father of All," Mike said, puzzled.

"No," Gretchen said. "Kildar, I'm afraid if I say more it will be worse than if I you reject me. Please, Kildar, you must not speak of this, must not ever give any idea that I spoke of it to you. Not even this much."

"Notof the Father of All," Mike said, musingly. "I'd bet not of Fir, Lord of War, either. Nor of... No, I'd bet Balor falls in there, somewhere... It's a woman's Rite."

"Kildar," Gretchen said then sighed. "Your d.a.m.ned books. Others have read them at this point so we realize that our mysteries are not so mysterious."

"It is always the Kildar," Mike said, wonderingly. "And the Kildar is always a foreigner; that's part of the definition. A foreign warrior. Probably a good one. A woman's mystery. Heh. I bet any 'Kildars' that didn't measure up didn't last long, yes?"

"Please," Gretchen said, frowning.

"G.o.dd.a.m.n ," Mike said, grinning. "That prize bull that Father Makanee asked me to import. Out of stock from America. It was expensive as h.e.l.l but Genadi agreed that it was important. The local stock was tooinbred ."

Gretchen was now looking at the floor, her hands clenched in front of her.

"I'd wondered how come the first three girls I lay withall came up pregnant, apparently by me," Mike said, wonderingly. "It's because they were 'put to stud' when they were at the most likely point tocatch .

I'm the Keldara's d.a.m.ned prizebull , aren't I? And all the Kildars before me. Age upon age, century upon century, the best soldiers of each generation, adding to the pool... You people have been breeding yourselves as warriors forcenturies !"

"Andthey have to be good looking," Gretchen said, sighing. "Pure of form and... unill. That is, they cannot be of bad blood. What is now called genetic illnesses. If they are, the Keldara avoid breeding with them or if they cannot the women kill them, usually with poison, or the children are aborted. The Mothers know of ways to do both. I only found out when I was presented with the Rite."

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h," Mike said, shaking his head. "I just don't know what to say."

"Nothing," Gretchen said, looking up pleadingly. "Please. You will saynothing . If the Mothers find out that I said as much as I have..."

"Oh, your mysteries are safe with me," Mike said, grinning. "But if I'm to be the local stud stallion, will you squeal like a mare being bred for me?"

"Oh, Kildar," Gretchen said, laughing in relief. She slid over into his arms and tucked her face into his neck. "I will do that if you wish. But what I'd really like... I have been a very bad girl. Could you spank me? But not more, please?"

"Oh, I think that can be arranged," Mike said, burying his face in her hair. She'd clearly been stressed, he could smell it on her. But she also had put on a perfume, something like apples. It was just begging for a bite. "But now I wonder if my pattern for this thing is a good idea..."

"You mean this?" Gretchen said, sliding off the couch and getting on her knees. She ran her hand across the g-string and started to undo it. "So far, so good. Let's not break tradition."

His member was fully engorged when she pulled the g-string down. Between the antic.i.p.ation, the frustration and, h.e.l.l, the t.i.ts, he was about as ready to burst as he'd been in years.

Anastasia gave good cla.s.ses but he wondered where Gretchen had been practicing. She ran her tongue down his d.i.c.k just once then slid her mouth over it and began to f.e.l.l.a.t.e him. And, d.a.m.n, she was good.

The girl had to have been practicing. You didn't get suction like that naturally; the jaw and mouth muscles weren't normally exercised that way. But she had purely unreal suction and immediately fell into a slow rhythm of up and down stroking, thumb and finger laced around his d.i.c.k just right, no teeth, just lips, going in time with the mouth, slowly speeding up...

Mike normally had pretty good control but this time he couldn't help it; he came in her mouth so hard some of the c.u.m must have squirted all the way down her throat.

Gretchen choked, slightly, but kept sucking, getting every drop. Then she pulled back, swallowed and ran her hand, lightly, down under his b.a.l.l.s.

"Is that what you were worried about, Kildar?" she asked, smiling. "Did that take the edge off?"

"What were we fighting about?" Mike asked. "That was...exquisite.You are exquisite."

Gretchen had brought a refilled gla.s.s of champagne over and she took a sip, swished it around her mouth, swallowed and repeated. Then she slid up next to him, still fingering his d.i.c.k and tucked back into his shoulder.

"Tell me the truth," she whispered. "Do you really like me that much?"

"Ask yourself this question," Mike said. "I know the girls talk. Did any of them get me off that fast?"

"No," Gretchen admitted in practically a purr. "Can we see if I can get you off as fast other ways?"

"What about you?" Mike asked, sliding his hand up under the dress and tickling at her nipples.

"You always worry about us," Gretchen whispered, breathing in his ear, lightly. "Now you know. We are herefor us. For ourselves. I need you, now. I need you inside of me. I need you to be in me, filling me and coming in me. I want it inside of me and on me. I want to be f.u.c.ked, f.u.c.ked hard. I want to you f.u.c.k me and fill me and come on my beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Will you do that for me, Kildar?"

Mike was usually pretty good about recharge time. But that had been some sort of a record. He was stiff as a board.

Normally this was the point where he got really graceful and controlled, making sure that the girl with him either came before he did or, better, at the same time. But he was beyond thought at this point.

He reached up and tore, rather than unb.u.t.toned, the single b.u.t.ton that held the dress up and ripped it down, burying his face in those lovely b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He dragged the girl off the couch and onto the floor, pushed up the silk skirt, ripped off the lace panties and took her, hard.

And she was ready, not just moist but actively wet, and tight. G.o.d she was tight and hot. And they were perfectly sized. "Bigger is better" only goes so far. Mike wasn't Long Dong Silver but he was "upper average." Some of the Keldara girls had, Lord bless them, been a bit too small for him. Not Gretchen.

As the fairytale went: Just right. Just tight enough that heknew he was filling her, fully.

The hymen ripped without notice by either of them and as he filled her she screamed, not squealing like a mare being covered butshrieked in pleasure and agony and fulfillment. Screamed like a tiger princess being taken by her striped mate.

Those beautiful long legs came up and wrapped him in yards of silk and flesh as her fingers dug into his b.u.t.tocks and she pumped against him, rocking with every thrust and shrieking in joy.

Mike realized, immediately, that she wasn't just having fun, she was coming for all she was worth, one continuous o.r.g.a.s.m that had started as soon as he filled her. Making a women reallyfeel was his greatest desire, whether pleasure or pain. And Gretchen was unquestionably feeling, wrapped in an ecstasy of Biblical proportions. He turned his brain off, gloriously, for once in s.e.x, just turned it off and pounded as hard as he could. No coy games, no positions or different strokes, no who pleases who, just lost himself in glorious skin and hair and smell and that exalted rapture of every sense filled to overflowing...

Chapter Seven.