Enslaved by a King [Sold! 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (7 page)

“Because that is the color of water.”

“So water is a very big deal to your kind?”

“Yes.”

Noah rolled over but discovered the tray of food blocked most of his view of Mingor so he pushed it aside.

“Are you no longer hungry?”

“Not just now.” Noah felt a little too unsettled to eat anymore. “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself and your people.”

Mingor bowed his head. For a moment, Noah didn’t think he would speak, but it seemed he was simply clearing his mind. “My people go back many millennia.”

Noah settled in, loving the cadence of Mingor’s voice. He told of a people eking out an existence on a small continent of land against a raging ocean. They once believed themselves to be living on the back of an enormous ocean creature. To appease it, they sacrificed their strongest men in the creature’s honor, but life remained difficult.

“Do they worship a deity now?”

Mingor didn’t speak for so long that Noah was compelled to look over at him.

“Mingor?”

“I am afraid to tell you.”

“Why?” Noah leaned up, using his crooked arm to balance him against the floor.

“Already you think I tricked you.”

“I don’t think you did that on purpose. It was just miscommunication. I’m not angry at you.”

“No?”

“No. You offered to let me go, so I’m here of my own free will.”

“Are you certain of that?”

“I am. I gave you my word I was going to stay with you and be your
sephir
. As long as you’re honest with me, and allow me to continue staying with you because I want to, we’ll get along great.”

“You were not so pleased when you found out you were to be my companion.”

“That wasn’t the problem. I didn’t want to be your
feminized
companion.”

“Why would I try to make you female?”

“I didn’t say you would. I just thought that was what you didn’t want to tell me. I didn’t understand that you wanted me just the way I am.”

“I do.” Mingor leaned closer as if to prove that he was very interested in Noah.

“Then we’re good.” Noah hesitated for only a second. “Do you and I…have sex?”

Mingor slowly lifted his head. “Is that something you would enjoy?”

“Probably. I mean it depends on how your kind does it, I guess.” Noah considered Mingor’s slight body. “Do you like to penetrate or be penetrated?”

“I do not know.”

“You’ve never had sex?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Have you?”

“Oh yeah.” Noah realized that could make him look bad. “I’m not a man slut or anything, but I’ve had my share of sex.”

“With women?”

“With men.”

“You enjoy other males?”

“Yep. In fact, I only like sex with other males. Nothing against women, just they don’t turn me on the way men do.”

“Do I…turn you on?” It was clear Mingor was trying to use Noah’s same phrasing so that they could communicate more clearly.

“Yeah.” Noah waited. “Do you—are you—interested in me?”

“I am.”

Noah grinned. “That’s good.”

“It is?”

“Sure.” Noah relaxed back on the cushion. “Interest is good. We don’t have to rush or anything. I like to take my time. I can show you all kinds of fun stuff. Not that you don’t already have good instincts, what with that hand job in the tub. Damn, but that was really good.” Noah suddenly realized they’d gotten completely off track. “Wait a second. We were talking about deities. Why is it you don’t want to tell me who your people worship?” Given all the warped things humans had done in the name of God, Noah was a little afraid that there was a damn good reason Mingor didn’t want to tell him what was going on with his people.

“I am reluctant because I don’t want you to think badly of my kind.”

“I won’t.” Noah considered. “Well, I’ll try not to.” How bad could they be if Mingor was their king? He was a levelheaded guy who clearly had compassion for others.

“They worship the water bearer.”

“Yeah? Who’s that?” As Mingor remained silent, Noah again looked around at all the blue in the suite. And then he remembered what Mingor did for his people. “Oh, whoa.” He sat up and peered across the floor at Mingor. “You? Are you telling me that I’m the companion to the guy they consider to be their god?”

“I am.” Mingor held Noah’s gaze, determined to see his raw reaction. Underneath the instant shock was a complex feeling of pride that was quickly destroyed by fear. It was exactly what he dreaded. “Please don’t worry.”

“Oh, right. Nothing to concern myself about. I just enslaved myself to a god, who jacked me off in the tub, and is now very casually discussing my permanent role in his life when his own people will not welcome me. They won’t like me because not only am I a male, but also I am not of their species. Right. Nothing to be overly concerned with.”

It was clear from his tone and excessive speech that Noah was being facetious. Mingor realized he should have told Noah everything from the very beginning. He probably still would have come with him, but Mingor simply hadn’t had the time needed to sit and explain all his problems. It would have taken most of the planet’s rotation to do that.

“I got to hand it to you, though. You didn’t lie to me. Not once. You just left a whole shitload of stuff out. On my planet we call that a lie of omission, but you guys probably call it normal. Fucking messed up is what it is.”

As vulgar as that was, it was also true. Mingor took no pleasure in not revealing his dire circumstances. “I will free you.” He stood and was on his way out the door when Noah stepped in front of him.

“Okay, first of all, that was very cool how you managed to stand up like that without using your hands. And second of all, I gave you my word that I wasn’t going to leave you.”

“But I didn’t tell you the truth. I didn’t lie, but I wasn’t clear. It was wrong of me.”

“I’ll bet you have a damn good reason.”

“My reason is selfish.”

“Tell me the whole truth.” Noah yawned. “Oh, brother. Great timing. I’m exhausted. As much as I want to know absolutely everything, I also want to get some sleep.” He looked around but didn’t seem to find what he was looking for. “Don’t you have a bed in here?”

“There.” Mingor pointed to the area near where he’d had the temporary bathing unit set up.

“There isn’t anything there.”

“I do not know what you are expecting to see.” Mingor walked over to the area and touched it with his toe.

“Oh. I get it. It’s built into the floor. Cool.”

“It actually adjusts to your body temperature.”

“I mean cool as in it’s neat, not temperature wise.”

Mingor nodded and then pulled his crown off. He set it aside on the floor then tossed his robe beside it. When he looked up, he discovered Noah was watching him but trying not to be overly obvious with his interest.

“You are free to look at me. If you are curious about my form, simply ask.”

“No. I’m good.” Noah took off his own robe and placed it on the floor. “Kinda cool that I can just throw my clothes on the floor. My mom used to pitch such a fit about that.” He scrunched up his face. “Nothing like talking about my mom before I get into bed with a god.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“No. I’m mocking myself.” Noah slipped below the covers. He moved onto his back and sighed.

“Is it comfortable?”

“Yeah. Surprisingly so.” Noah watched as Mingor slid under the covering. “Now tell me what’s really going on.”

“I would much rather have you show me about sex.” Mingor turned the lights off and moved close to Noah. His heat was surprising, but what really drew Mingor close was his scent. There was something profoundly exotic and yet common about his essence.

“Nice try, pal, but no way.” Noah shook his head. “You’re not going to distract me with sex like you did before.”

“I wasn’t trying to distract you.” Mingor moved another incremental bit closer. “I was washing you and sensed your need.”

“What are you sensing now?”

“That you are upset with me. And you are very tired.”

“That’s right. So either tell me all your woes or go to sleep.”

Mingor rolled onto his back, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Just as he was releasing himself into the care of his unconscious, he heard Noah say, “Oh, that’s great. You just go to sleep since I told you to.” He exhaled a sharp burst of air. “Guess I’m the god now.” His comment made Mingor tumble into slumber with a smile on his face.

A sound awoke him. He kept his eyes closed and simply listened, trying to identify what he was hearing. After a moment he realized it was the sound of Noah crying. He had curled over to his side and moved as far away from Mingor as he could get without actually leaving the bed. His back shook, and his arms and legs were up as he curled into himself. By his actions, it was clear he was struggling to keep his enormous pain to himself, but Mingor saw no reason for him to suffer as if he was alone.

Reaching out, Mingor put his hand on Noah’s back. Contact caused the sounds to erupt sharply. For a moment, he sensed that Noah would get out of bed and seek privacy in the hygiene room, but in the end, he stayed where he was.

“I am so sorry that he hurt you so deeply.” Mingor knew without asking that Noah was traumatized by the harm inflicted on him by Hindur. All the time he was in his home, Noah had managed to keep his head high and his posture defiant, but as soon as he was free, the full terror of the situation fell on him. At any time, Hindur could have killed him. Or worse.

“I never once cried while I was there.”

“You couldn’t afford to let him see how deeply afraid you were.” Mingor understood that it wasn’t arrogant male posturing so much as it was a defense mechanism. Just like his humor and his ability to exchange himself for the greater good, this ability to experience deep pain was another endearing trait of a fascinating soul.

“On your world, is it shameful for a man to cry?” Noah asked.

Mingor almost pointed out that they did not have men in the true sense of the word, but he grasped that wasn’t what Noah was asking about. “My kind does not cry.”

“What?” Noah rolled over and looked at Mingor in the blue darkness. Rather than make his room perfectly black for sleep, he preferred for the walls to glow blue like his home on Thand. “You can’t cry?”

“We do not have tear ducts like you do. We have a third eyelid.” Mingor had assumed all the species shaped like himself were the same. He’d been quite surprised as he moved through the galaxy looking for his special companion that there were seemingly endless variations of bipeds.

“Oh.”

“That is not very helpful, is it?”

“No.” Noah seemed to withdraw from Mingor and further into himself, something that he feared would put a thick wall between them.

“We feel emotional and physical pain just like you. The only difference is we do not shed tears.” Mingor reached out and brushed his fingertips against Noah’s face. Through his sensitive skin, he felt the composition of Noah’s pain. He was stunned when Noah’s tears were exactly like ocean water. “What can I do?”

“Nothing. I just woke up from a dream. Well, a nightmare. I was back at Hindur’s house, and he was auctioning me off to all these aliens with huge—never mind. It was just a dream.”

“On your world, does one man comfort another?” Mingor wanted to offer that to Noah but not if it was against his culture.

“They do. Some do.”

“Would you be upset if I did?”

Noah was silent for so long that Mingor thought the answer was obvious, but then he very softly said, “I wouldn’t be upset.”

Mingor moved closer to Noah but wasn’t certain how to go about comforting him. When Noah curled to his side and put his head on Mingor’s chest, he placed his hand against his head. After a long time of gentle crying, the last of Noah’s tears faded away, and he returned to sleep. Mingor stayed there on his back, looking up at the ceiling, feeling a curious mix of emotions he’d never felt before. He was feeling ever more attached to the soul he’d chosen as his
sephir
. A certain level of connection was to be expected, but this seemed too much too soon. What touched him so deeply was the contrast between Noah’s physical presence and his emotional soul. Having Noah’s head on his chest made Mingor feel powerful, but not in a physical way. He felt honored somehow to be allowed to comfort him. Mingor had a feeling that Noah had never been the one to seek comfort but probably the one to give it.

“Someday when you are confident in your world again, the nightmares will cease. Hindur will be a dim memory.”

“That day can’t come soon enough.”

Mingor had thought Noah was asleep. “But if it came too soon, you would not be fully blessed by your unique situation.”

“Blessed?” Up came Noah’s head. His confused gaze met Mingor’s. Despite the dark, his anger was quite clear. “Don’t you dare tell me that I deserved what he did to me.”