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The Seduction of Seleste

from the world of the mating season

Because You're Here

Chapter 29

Thinking fast, Seleste pretended she didn't know Keme at all. She put on a superior expression and held out her little foot, ordering sharply that Keme kiss it. _Just play along! _Seleste's eyes begged, but Keme didn't seem to get it. When he just stared at her in amazement, she kicked him in the face and he tumbled over. Ahote burst out laughing as Keme was dragged away snarling.

"Seleste!" Ahote said in wonder and squeezed her paw. "Such cruelty is not like you!" He peered into her face curiously but he was no less amused. "In fact, I expected you to give the slave a little kiss on the head to welcome him."

Seleste tossed her mane. "Hmph. Me kiss a slave on the head? And muss my mane?" She pretended to haughtily adjust her tiara.

"What!" laughed Ahote. "You hated that thing a second ago!"

"Oh, Ahote," Seleste said sweetly, "now that I know that you truly care, things will be very different around here." She squeezed his paw and gazed lovingly into his eyes.

Looking back at her, Ahote sighed helplessly. "Well, he'll be even harder to tame now. He was furious when they dragged him out!" Ahote laughed again, as if he couldn't believe it.

The entire court seemed to find it hilarious. Seleste knew she was only one there pretending to be amused. She closed her eyes and smiled when Ahote gave her a hard kiss on the cheek. She looked back at him and felt dismal. Under all the aggravation and frustration, she knew Ahote was just a young male in love and trying so desperately to have what every wolf needed to survive emotionally. And perhaps if Keme had not been dragged in in chains, she could have given it to him. Perhaps she could have made Ahote happy. But Keme was alive. Her Keme! And she knew she must find a way to save him and get away.

Everything was different now that Keme was there.

The festival ended, and Seleste returned to the room she shared with Ahote in good spirits. As she removed her tiara and jewelry, he hugged her tight from behind. She felt her skirt fall away around her small feet, and then he was massaging her breasts.

He carefully pinched her nipples. "Aren't sore, are they?" he whispered in her ear.

Flushing with arousal, Seleste shook her head. For the first time in days, she was willing to feel his touch, she was enjoying his company. Perhaps because she finally understood him. He kissed her neck as his paws cupped her, and for one crazy moment, she wanted to tell him everything - about Keme, about her love for him. He had always seemed so understanding before! But she thought better of it. She had been foolish enough for one lifetime.

"They're the prettiest part of you," Ahote whispered as he weighed her breasts. "So soft and yielding, like the rest of you. And so small. But you'll bear my pups, and then they'll be huge." So saying, he hugged her tight and kissed her cheek.

Seleste laughed when he waddled playfully toward the bed with her still wrapped in his arms. Their bodies tilted side to side as she joined the playful shuffle, then he pinned her down on the bed. She lay beneath him, and he just stared at her happily for moment. He looked so blissful, so trusting, so relieved that she was going to stay - and it hit her for the first time that she had always been free to go. He had asked _her to stay, had _begged_ _her. The manacles had been used out of spite because she had sought to run away behind his back. Had she been upfront about wanting to leave, he would have let her. He truly did care. And a terrible guilt welled up inside of her to think that she was in love with someone else. If only she had waited a bit longer!

Hardly able to take his eyes off her, Ahote reached behind him and pulled a rope. The curtains fell shut around the bed, surrounding them in their silky scent. Seleste untied his feathered cape as he leaned close to kiss her neck, whispering, "Oh, Seleste . . . Seleste, I love you."

Seleste's heart fluttered. He had never told her he loved her before. "Don't say that," she whispered sadly.

"I do," he said, peering earnestly into her eyes. "I'd have to be deaf and blind to really_ think that you loved me. But . . . I can't help but feel this way . . . I've never known a female quite like you . . ." He kissed the corner of her jaw, and as his kisses traveled down and down, Seleste arched her back against the sheets and cried out. Oh god, he was going to kiss her _there. Her heart was beating a mile a minute when he smoothed his paw up her thigh, then placed it on his shoulder. His head bowed over her pussy, as if he was pausing to take in the soft pink lips, the sweet scent of it. Then he gave her moist sex a gentle lap.

"Oh, Ahote . . ." Seleste whispered. Why did he have to do this now? She had every intention of going to see Keme, and the last thing she wanted was for her body to smell like Ahote. But she didn't protest when he proceeded to eat her out. She was on the verge of squirting when he suddenly stopped. She gasped when she felt him slide in, and then he leaned down close and gathered her gently in his arms. She clung to him as their panting rose to fill the room, clung fast to his neck as he held her tightly, as his hips thrust against her. She closed her eyes and wiggled her hips against him, and she could feel her juices plastering his fur. He trembled as he held her and whispered her name, and the strong rhythm of his thrusts seemed to go on all night. When it became unbearable, she squirted. He pressed his hips hard against her and came inside with a choked cry. They sagged to the sheets together, and she silently prayed she was not now with his pup.

Ahote fell asleep at once, his arm draped across her small body. Seleste was so tired it was a struggle to stay awake. But she managed to wait until Ahote's breathing was very deep, then she crawled from his embrace and washed herself at the basin. She clumsily tied on her silk skirt, and as she was fastening it shut around her hips, her eyes fell on her blanket. It was folded neatly in a chair beside the fire.

As a wedding present, Ahote had ordered Seleste's blanket restored. It was washed, perfumed with dried flowers, and sewn over again like new. On their wedding night, he placed it around her shoulders. She remembered playfully wrapping him in it with her, and cocooned in the blue blanket, they had made love.

Seleste squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard. That stupid blanket. It had been her safeguard, her security since she'd been a pup. When she was scared, she hid in the blanket. The fact that she had had sex while wrapped in the blanket made things all the more clear: she was with Ahote because she was afraid. Nothing else.

Her jaw set, Seleste grabbed the blanket and tossed it in the fire. The fire leapt bright to the ceiling, momentarily blinding her. She watched grimly as smoke twisted out through the smoke hole. No more fear. No more hiding. If she was going to save Keme, she could not afford to cower.

Seleste's eyes glanced around the room. Ahote had so many daggers on the walls, she didn't know which one to take, and any one would be missed by him. She would just have to take one and hope to god he didn't wake up before she returned.

Seleste's gray eyes went back and forth between a black dagger and a red one. Eeny. Meeny. Miny . . . moe! She took the black dagger down and slid it in the belt of her skirt. Her small feet carried her to the curtained doorway. She paused as she pulled the curtain aside and looked back at the bed. Ahote was still breathing peacefully amidst the flowing curtains.

"I'm sorry, Ahote," Seleste whispered sadly, "but you were right: I do love someone else." With that, Seleste turned and entered the hall.

She knew where Keme would be. He was most likely in the harem, being fondled and molested by the concubines there. Her heart burned to think of it: Hiamovi would be all over Keme.

As Seleste moved down the hall, she did so with such confidence and poise that the patrolling guards there did not stop to question why the chieftess was sauntering around in the middle of the night with a dagger. They nodded respectfully and stepped aside, and Seleste nodded in return.

The harem wasn't that far away. Ahote kept his concubines close in order to keep an eye on them. One night as he lay in bed with Seleste, he told her of the things that went on in the harem. The intrigue and betrayal among the concubines fighting for his favor was worse than anything that might happen in court. A beautiful concubine receiving too much of Ahote's affections might have her face slashed - another who was with his child might find herself miscarrying from a kick to the belly. The culprits were rarely if ever brought forward because the cliques among the concubines were too loyal in their "pack" mentality.

Hearing such stories had terrified Seleste, and the following night, she had attempted to escape with Talisa, only to have Talisa sent back to the harem and herself manacled. Even then, she failed to tell Ahote what the concubines had done to her friend. Perhaps if she had opened her mouth . . . Seleste squeezed her eyes shut. She hated herself for her own dismal fear. It was because she was afraid that she never ran away with MeRorr. It was because she was afraid that she married Ahote. It was because she was afraid that she allowed Hiamovi to secretly terrorize her. Seleste glowered. Well, no more.

The harem was sealed shut by a very intricately designed pair of wooden doors. The doors were painted over in sparkling gold and the silhouettes of two shapely females faced each other, breasts and asses pointed out. They were massive doors and towering and barred shut on the outside: many a concubine had attempted to escape in the past. Two guards stood either side the doors, and when Seleste approached, they lifted the bar without a word and opened the doors for her.

Seleste stepped resolutely inside the harem, stepped into a world of lace curtains and pillows and perfumes and smoke. God, the concubines loved to smoke. She could see them everywhere. They lounged in baths, they sat on pillows brushing each other's manes, they primped in mirrors, giggled and gossiped and glared at their foes. Unlike Seleste, all of them were naked, but their bodies sparkled with thin gold chains that ran between the clamps on their nipples.

Seleste felt her face grow hot when she noticed one concubine had removed the nipple clamps from another and was massaging her breasts. The concubine smiled lustily at Seleste, then leaned down to suckle her friend.

Seleste moved stiffly through the baths and scattered pillows. There were several adjoining bedrooms barred off by curtains, and Seleste knew that Talisa was being held in one of them. So was Keme. Her eyes scanned the room and there was no sign of Hiamovi.

Seleste stopped near a young girl who was sitting naked on the edge of a bath. Her nipple clamps had been removed and she was stretching, her arms above her head as her breasts pushed forth. Seeing Seleste approach, she smirked and said loudly to her friends, "Look who it is, girls! The simpering queen!"

The others in the bath laughed.

Seleste waved aside the steam rising from the bath and looked upon them coldly. "Where is Hiamovi?" she demanded.

The girl sitting on the edge of the bath turned away and continued washing her small feet. "Like I'd tell you," she said. "Shouldn't you be off getting spanked by the chief? For always crying like the little bitch you are?"

The others laughed again.

The girl screamed when Seleste suddenly grabbed her by the mane. Everyone in the room went rigid as Seleste placed her dagger to the girl's throat. Good. Maybe they would take her seriously now.

"Where," said Seleste through her fangs, "Is. Hiamovi."

"In - in her r-room!" the girl sputtered. She pointed. "There!"

Seleste shoved her away. She slipped down into the bath and landed hard on her tail, where she sat staring at Seleste in wide-eyed wonder as she massaged her throat. Seleste saw blood: the dagger had nicked the girl. Her blood swirled down into the water as she sputtered. Many of the females leapt from the bath; two waded through the water to help the girl stop the bleeding.

Seleste glanced around. All the girls were staring at her in the same amazement. She supposed she couldn't blame them: they had never expected the sniffling, cowering mouse they had once pinched and prodded to actually stand up to them.

Surprise, bitches, Seleste thought darkly. She grinned: Keme would have said that.

Seleste cleaned her dagger in the bath, then straightened up and approached the room the girl had indicated. The curtain she passed through was woven with colorful beads. She entered a long hall, along which mirrors adorned the walls, tables stood bearing incense, gold statues lurked in corners. Hiamovi was Ahote's head concubine, after all. She was the leader, the female who oversaw the harem, and the one first in line to marry Ahote should he take his place as chief. It was no small wonder, then, that she hated Seleste so.

Another very wide curtain stood at the end of the hall, and as Seleste approached, she reflected that Hiamovi's little "room" was so far away from the main harem that she might as well have had her own palace.

Seleste paused outside the curtain and closed her eyes. She could hear Keme grunting angrily, could hear Hiamovi laughing.

"Now, now," Hiamovi whispered in her silky voice, "you might as well get used to it. When I kill that simple bitch on the throne, you will become my slave, understand? Perhaps I'll make you mute. Cut out your tongue. I guess we'll have to see how _skilled _that tongue is!"

Keme started grunting wildly. Hiamovi's wicked laughter echoed through the room. Suddenly unable to stand it any longer, Seleste ripped the curtain aside. A wide and lavish bed as grand as Ahote's was in the center of the room, which was decorated throughout with statues, incense bowls, ornate tables and tapestries. A basin of water winked in one corner and a low chair stood beside it with a towel thrown over it. At the foot of the chair, empty perfume bottles and gold mane brushes were scattered. There were pillows and couches and bowls of fruit. Hiamovi was kept like a queen. The small gray female was perched on the bed over Keme, who was still bound and had been shoved on his back.

Her ass in the air, Hiamovi looked over her shoulder and scowled to see Seleste. Her slanted eyes were the palest gold and her silvery mane tumbled in a curly mess down her narrow back. The loop of a gold ring was in her pink nose, and much like the other concubines, her nipples were linked by a thin chain. A dagger was in the fist that supported her, while her other paw paused in the action of playfully peeling Keme's mouth open around his gag.

Keme lifted his head, and the look in his eyes stung Seleste, but she moved into the room regardless.

"What -- the fuck - do you think you're doing," Hiamovi said at once. She climbed down from the bed and her eyes traced mockingly over the dagger held fast in Seleste's paw. She tilted her head. "So what?" she said. "You come to kill me before I kill you? How cute."

"Get out," Seleste said quietly.

Hiamovi snorted at Seleste's new show of confidence. "And who's going to make me, little girl?" She slowly approached with the dagger, and over on the bed, Keme grunted in alarm.

"I am!" Seleste shoved Hiamovi hard just beneath her neck.

Hiamovi screamed as her small body propelled backwards. She crashed into a shelf and brought several trinkets down on herself. Her dagger, meanwhile, spun away across the earthen floor. She sat there bracing herself a moment, and her eyes burned a hole through Seleste. Why did her eyes look so much like Ahote's?

Hiamovi slunk to her feet and crept around Seleste, keeping her eyes on her as she moved toward the curtain. "I won't forget this," she hissed, then turned and stormed from the room.

Seleste heaved a breath and rushed to the bed. She helped Keme sit up, and her eyes traced over him sorrowfully. He was so dirty and battered and beaten! He knelt there with his paws behind his back, his muscular body flexing with every ragged breath. He was bound with gold manacles much like her own. She wanted to take them off but she knew Ahote probably had the key back in his room.

"Oh, Keme," Seleste whispered as she smoothed her paws over his chest. "Oh, what did they _do _to you?" She rushed to the nearby shelves and rummaged for medicines and cloths. She returned with the basin of water, and setting it carefully on the bed, began dabbing at Keme's wounds. His face was so busted up, it looked as if someone had beaten him savagely. A bruise was swelling around his eye! It took her a moment to pull the gag down from his bloody lips. She traced a finger sadly over his mouth and peered into his face. It stung when he wouldn't even look at her.

Seleste swallowed hard and continued to dab his face with the medicine. He was angry. Of course, he was angry. Here he had risked life and limb to find her, and she was off somewhere married - a chieftess of some tribe! Swallowing guiltily, she started to clean the blood from his lips and apply medicine. She noticed the green eyes flash up at her a few times, but Keme remained silent.

"Keme . . ." Seleste whispered miserably. "I know what it looks like . . . but I thought you were dead! I thought I was stuck here, and I - I didn't know what to do . . ."

Keme snorted. "Looks like you knew exactly what to do," he said hoarsely.

Seleste paused and glowered at him. "What would you have had me do?" she demanded and instantly hated herself: she sounded just like Ahote. "I thought you were d-dead . . . I couldn't wait forever! It was too painful to wait for you, too painful to hope when you could be . . ."

Keme's long lashes lowered, and Seleste knew he was silently agreeing.

Perched on her knees, Seleste wrung the cloth out in the basin and continued wiping the blood away. Her slender fingers worked carefully, and she blushed dismally when she hesitated but cleaned the blood from his soft penis. It took her a moment to realize his green eyes were watching her steadily, and they were filled with an ache that made her heart flutter.

"I thought . . . I'd never see you . . ." Keme managed with difficulty. He cleared his throat.

"Are you thirsty? I can send for something," Seleste said sympathetically. She started to get up.

Keme closed his eyes and shook his head. He moved as if he would grab her if he could, to stop her from running off. Seleste watched miserably as he swallowed hard, as if he was trying to get his voice back. "How . . . did you get here?"

Seleste looked down at the cloth in her fingers, then sighed and sadly wiped the blood from Keme's chest. "Washed up here after the storm. The chief was a prisoner on the ship with us --"

"Talisa?" Keme whispered and his brows rushed together.

"She's here," Seleste confirmed. "Somewhere. I tried to run away with her. Bungled it, I guess." She laughed flatly.

Keme frowned. "So you don't love him? I thought . . ."

Seleste shook her head. "Oh, Keme! What did you expect me to do when they brought you in? Fall on you and weep? I had to make it look like --" she glanced at the curtain and lowered her voice. "I had to make it look like I didn't know you. It's safer this way - Keme!"

Seleste cried out and fell back on her paws when Keme suddenly broke free of his manacles. The gold chains tumbled away in gold scraps, and he smiled in great relief as he tackled Seleste to the bed. Her heart hammering, Seleste giggled as Keme showered her with kisses. His hard, heavy body on top of her made her clit begin its hungry throbbing. His hot sex brushed her as his kisses continued, and breathless with giggles, she managed, "But - all that time and you could have broken free!"

Keme paused to look at her sadly. "I had given up. I thought . . ." he cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "I thought you had moved on. That you were happy with that - Ahote. You seemed happy anyway . . . kicking me in the face and laughing. . . ."

Seleste's eyes clouded over and she pushed his mane back from his face. "Oh, Keme. So you were just going to give up? To be a slave here?"

"Hell no," Keme said at once and she laughed. "I was going to wait until the right moment, then escape. Just because it seemed you wanted to stay here didn't mean I had to . . ." He frowned and cleared his throat again, as if speaking were painful.

"But what happened to you?" Seleste begged. "Why are you so b-beaten?" Her lip trembled to take in his strong body, so bruised, so tender. He actually winced when she touched him! It amazed her to think that one such as Keme - who had fallen several feet and come away without so much as a scratch - could be so bloody and torn.

Keme's eyes searched Seleste, as if there were things he didn't want to tell her. Seleste felt her frustration bubbling. It was _just _like the night they met!

"She sure named you well," Seleste said irritably. She was speaking, of course, of Aiyana.

Keme continued to study her and his eyes were hesitant. His face darkened as he said, "I'm wondering how much I should tell you. About Honiahaka."

Seleste stiffened. "What?"

"He organized a rescue party," Keme said, sitting up.

Seleste sat up too and watched nervously as he massaged his throat. "Honia came after me? Is he alright? Where is he?"

Keme shook his head sadly. "I'm not sure where he is now. I joined his rescue party . . ." He looked at Seleste, and she almost cowered from the cold look in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about Honiahaka? Did you ever plan to? Or did you just mean to use me to escape marrying him?"

Seleste sat stung. "How can you . . . say that?"

Keme closed his eyes and shook his head. "I dunno," he said, folding his legs. He stared at his lap. "I keep asking myself why someone like you would want to be with me. Maybe it's easy to think you were just using me. Maybe I'm just being stupid."

"I'd go with the last reason," Seleste said curtly.

Keme looked at her and laughed. Her heart leapt when he leaned close and cupped her face. "It's good to see you again. To smell you . . . hear you . . ." Seleste felt her heart hammering again when his lips slowly closed over hers. She startled him when she suddenly threw her arms around his neck. He grunted in surprise as she pulled him down on top of her.

"Seleste!" Keme pulled back and looked down at her in amazement. Such aggression was not like her.

"But I missed you," Seleste said and pulled his face down to hers. She kissed him tenderly, but he still pulled away. Seleste sat up on her elbow and watched, bewildered, as Keme drew back. He sat beside her, and he looked so . . . frightened.

"But what is it?" Seleste begged. "Don't worry. I'll get us all out of here. Then we'll find Honia - I won't let anyone hurt you!"

Keme gave a half smile, as if Seleste's determination to protect him was cute. He smoothed his paw sadly over her belly, just over her womb, and shook his head. "It's not that. Just . . . don't ask me to. . . Please."

Seleste blinked as a thought occurred to her. "You think . . . you think I'm with his child!"

"No, Seleste . . ." He winced and withdrew his paw.

"Yes, you do!" Seleste accused. She sat up. "What if I was_ _carrying Ahote's child? Would you stop wanting me?"

She realized she must've looked terrible, for Keme cupped her face in both his paws and assured her that his feelings would never change. He dropped his forehead against hers and closed his eyes a moment. Seleste felt her bewilderment and frustration rising afresh. Why wouldn't he just talk to her? She wanted to shake him.

She trembled when his paw closed over her womb again. His large fingers slid down to her sex and caressed the clit nestled in her soft lips. Seleste closed her eyes and her lips parted in a sigh. "Oh, Keme . . ." she whispered. "Don't stop . . ." She looked at him with hooded eyes and kissed him. Keme shook his head and drew away, as if he had caught himself.

"But why?" Seleste whispered miserably. Her frustrated eyes followed him as he moved to the edge of the bed, where he sat with his back to her. She crawled up behind him and closed her fingers around his shaft. When she began to stroke, he squeezed his eyes shut and whispered, "Oh, god, Seleste - please!" She couldn't believe it when he grabbed her wrist in an iron grip. The green eyes locked on her until her startled eyes relented. She let go. So did he.

"Just trust me," Keme said, not looking at her. "And don't ask me to."

Seleste knelt behind him, not knowing what to say. He seemed so determined that they shouldn't have sex - as if they had never done it before! They'd been together three times now! She loved him, missed him! She wanted to hold him and kiss him and feel him inside and silently rejoice that he was alive! But that look in his eye when she touched him - it frightened her.

"Keme . . . can I at least hold you? I missed you so much and you keep pushing me away!"

"I know," he whispered miserably to his lap. "I'm sorry."

Seleste was glad he climbed up on the bed again and opened his arms. Laughing, she threw herself at him. He grunted in pain as she tackled him to the pillows, but he insisted he was alright when Seleste frantically apologized. His strong black arms closed around Seleste, and she closed her eyes and felt her body melt all over with content. Being with Keme again . . . it was like being home.

"I missed you too," he whispered, and Seleste kissed him on the cheek.

Keme laughed hoarsely. "I think I missed that the most."

"But, Keme . . . why do you sound so terrible? And when they brought you in, you were so weak! I thought you could have thrown those males to the sun, but you didn't."

"I've been drugged . . . several times," he said darkly. "You're not going to believe this, but Honi and I ran into some shemales - who also happened to be in business with the plains wolves. Lucky us."

"Shemales?" said Seleste in amazement.

Keme sighed. "Yup. Shemales. That's my life."

Seleste laughed softly. "I guess it's hardly surprising. One lives in the summer village."

Keme stiffened. "Really?"

"Yes. She came to live with us when I was very young. I've only seen her a couple times. Maybe at festivals. The village council welcomed her warmly. My father always tried to keep the council in touch with ancient lore, and ancient lore says the shemales are our mothers. For that, my father believed we should honor them. Not many know about the shemales. They were one of Meleste's few lessons that I eavesdropped on."

Keme was silent, and Seleste slowly realized that the shemale in the summer village was probably his mother. Who else could she be?

"But didn't they know you're part shemale?" Seleste whispered. "Why would they sell their own into slavery!"

Keme snorted. "They hardly considered me one of their own. They kept calling me half-breed and blaming me for their tribe's misery. They're the ones who beat and drugged me. They've probably still got Honi as some sort of sex slave --"

Seleste gasped.

"Yeah," Keme said. "So the sooner we get outta here and find him, the better. Any ideas?"

"I could just leave if I wanted. Ahote isn't _keeping _me here. But you . . . he'd want to keep you. From the way he spoke of you, I'd say he'd want to keep you for himself should I go."

"Oh joy."

"I'll have to figure out some way to sneak out with you. I . . . I don't know how I'm going to do any of this. Ahote is so happy. . . ."

"So? Seleste! Are you . . . worried _about his _feelings?"

Seleste bit her lip when Keme looked down at her in amazement.

"He _saved _Talisa and I," Seleste wheedled. "He summoned the storm that allowed us to escape the slavers --"

"He has magic," Keme said darkly. "Great."

"And he's been so good to us . . . or he's tried."

"Please tell me he at least slapped you around or something."

"What!"

"I just want you to like me more . . . and an excuse to snap his neck."

"Seriously, Keme! Please don't hurt Ahote. He's not bad. Just lonely. And desperate. Like me. . . ."

"Uh huh. What else did he say to make you open your legs?"

Seleste made an angry noise as Keme laughed to himself.

"So it's true?" Keme said darkly. "You slept with him? Guess I shouldn't be surprised . . . you're his wife after all."

"Yes. And that gives me a lot of power around here. It's about time I made use of it. Come on." Seleste sat up.

Keme sat up too and just watched her. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you out of here," Seleste said, rising to her feet. "Out of the harem, I mean. I wouldn't dare leave you with Hiamovi to have your tongue cut out. I'll have to leave you in another room, closer to Ahote's and mine."

"Why? So I can listen to the two of you fucking?"

Seleste rolled her eyes and pulled Keme to his feet. She put his arms behind his back and instructed him to walk like so with his head down. Together, they left the harem, and the concubines fell silent as they passed through. Seleste noticed Hiamovi seated on the edge of a bath. Her golden eyes burned bright with rage as Seleste and Keme passed.

They reached the large gold doors and Seleste ordered the males guarding the interior to have it opened. "Yes, your highness," one said reverently and banged twice on the door. "Open up!" he boomed. They could hear the guards on the outside lifting the bar, and then the doors swung open. Her chin lifted, Seleste marched through with Keme in tow.

"Kinda like being a princess again, isn't it?" Keme whispered when they were passing up the hall.

Seleste couldn't tell if his voice was bitter or not. He certainly didn't sound amused.

"Be glad I have _some _authority here," Seleste returned, "or you'd be in there having your tongue cut out for Hiamovi's amusement."

"Aren't you worried about her? She's planning to kill you!"

Seleste snorted. "She can't even escape the harem to get me!" She added shamefully, "But I . . . to be honest, I've been terrified of her the whole time I've been here. I didn't even tell Ahote how she threatened me. Now I'm going to have to."

Keme lifted his eyebrows. "Why now?"

Seleste glanced at him. Did he really not know? The back of her fingers touched his cheek as she whispered, "Because you're here."

Seleste led Keme into a room across from the one she shared with Ahote. Here, she led him to the bed and bade him to squat beside it. She couldn't blame his indignation when she pulled a chain from a drawer and fastened a leash on him. The chain was then tied to the bedpost.

"To keep up appearances," Seleste explained as she stood over him. "You're my slave, after all. It would look too suspicious if I let you walk around free."

"Right . . ." Keme said miserably.

"Oh, Keme! This will all be over soon - I swear!" She stroked his mane and smiled when he dropped his forehead against her belly. She closed her eyes and sighed when his lips carefully kissed her clit through her skirt. She felt it start to throb. Oh god. Why wouldn't he just touch her?

"Seleste . . .?" Keme whispered. He sounded on the verge of telling her something important. She felt his big paw close over her womb again and rub. She looked down at the top of his wild black mane.

"What is it, Keme?"

He continued to rub her womb. "Just . . ." He looked up at her earnestly. "Be careful?"

Seleste sighed. It really seemed for a moment that he was going to share whatever was on his mind. But as ever, Keme liked his secrets. Maybe it just wasn't the right moment to tell her.

Seleste nodded. She smoothed her paw down Keme's mane and swished to the curtain, her tail swaying. As she was pulling the curtain aside, she paused to look back at him. He knelt beside the bed, his powerful body still, his eyes full of longing . . . and sadness. She was glad when something in his eyes flickered and he smiled. She smiled back and passed through the curtain.

In Ahote's room, Seleste carefully replaced the dagger on its wall display. Having been dipped in the bath, it sparkled now in the firelight and cast a liquid reflection of the room. She glanced nervously at the bed. The curtains were still closed, and Ahote still appeared to be sleeping beyond them. She let her skirt fall around her ankles, stepped out of it, and climbed naked into bed with him.

Kneeling over Ahote, Seleste paused. He was so deep asleep, he could have been drooling. Thank god. She carefully snuggled into his arms and was glad to feel them tighten happily on her. She closed her eyes and went to sleep . . . and Ahote's eyes snapped open.