“I’m sorry,” she said as gently as she could. “I just don’t see how it could work. Besides, we haven’t even known each other a week—there’s no way we ought to be talking about jumping into a lifelong relationship so soon!”
Bound opened his mouth—probably to protest—but Gaze reached across Lexi and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“Don’t push,” he said, frowning. Then he looked at Lexi. “We know it’s a long-shot, Alexa. And we know we haven’t known you long, but both Bound and I feel very strongly about you. For tonight, though, will you just sleep between us? We don’t have to do anything else—just sleep. Bound and I would like to hold you between us, even if it is only once.”
The Light Twin’s words seemed to melt Lexi’s heart.
“Just for tonight, then,” she told them. “Tomorrow we’ll go before the Sacred Seven and if they agree to make Mistress Crueltongue stop using bodyslaves in her mines, my work here will be done. That means I’ll be going back to my bakery on Zetta Prime and you two can go back to your life on Tranq Prime.”
Saying the words made her heart feel heavy and sad but how could they possibly be together? Neither her people or theirs would accept the three of them together. It was simply impossible to think otherwise.
“So this is our last night together,” Gaze said quietly.
Lexi bit her lip.
“I’m afraid it is,” she admitted. “But you know I’ll never forget you two.”
“We’ll never forget you either, Angel.” Bound’s deep voice was hoarse with emotion. “But let’s not think about parting right now. Come sleep between us and let us hold you.”
Lexi couldn’t resist any longer. She snuggled down between the Light Twin and the Dark Twin, with her back to Bound’s broad chest and her face to Gaze’s. Four long, muscular arms wrapped around her and she found herself cocooned in warmth and safety with their spicy, masculine scents surrounding her.
As she snuggled between them, a great sadness filled her. If only the three of them had met under different circumstances or been born into different circumstances. But they hadn’t been and neither of their home worlds would accept the three of them. Besides, she knew that what she’d been doing with the two big Kindred wasn’t right—the voice of guilt in her head reminded her constantly of that.
For tonight though, she just wanted to shut the voice up and enjoy snuggling between the two big, warm male bodies. Tomorrow she could think about parting from Gaze and Bound and never seeing them again. But for now, she just wanted to sleep safe in their arms and pretend that the night would never end.
THIRTY
“Well Mistress Alexa of Trindall Tower. Welcome to this meeting of the Sacred Seven—we knew your Great Aunt well.” Mistress Primtoes, the head of the Sacred Seven Council, nodded her head graciously at Lexi.
“We understand you have an important matter to bring before us,” Mistress Hagglebutt, another Council member added. “At least, according to Mistress Pricklethorn.”
“Indeed, yes!” Mistress Pricklethorn nodded her head eagerly and her plasticized face almost showed emotion. “Mistress Alexa was telling me all about it last night!”
“I think we should let Mistress Alexa speak for herself,” Mistress Primtoes said. “Now then, Mistress Alexa—state your case.”
Lexi had thought long and hard about what she would say if she ever got to this moment. Still, it was intimidating to be standing before the ruling body of an entire planet, making a case for social justice when she had no background in any kind of legal studies—when she was, in fact, just a baker who knew bread-baking much better than law-making.
But she knew she could do this and she had Bound and Gaze at her back, like a warm, living wall. Indeed, she could almost feel the encouragement the two of them were sending her way—it was like a subtle hum in the air only she could hear.
The three of them hadn’t spoken any further about their futures when they woke up, wrapped in each other’s arms. The two big Kindred seemed to understand that Lexi had made her choice and their main intent had been supporting her as the three of them got ready to go to the meeting of the Sacred Seven.
Today Bound and Gaze were wearing tight black leather trousers again but this time they weren’t crotchless. They were still bare-chested, however, and Lexi was hopeful that since the meeting of the Sacred Seven was a private event, this more reserved display on the part of her “bodyslaves” wouldn’t be a problem.
She herself was wearing a magnificent if somewhat restrained cerulean blue gown with flowing sleeves and a low V-neckline that showed the sides of her breasts but covered her nipples. It had a high slit in the front that showed her crotch, but there was a pair of beaded and bejeweled panties that went with it, which covered her modestly enough.
The gown was made of glowbug silk, which meant it cast a subtle light of its own. It showed up nicely in the large living area where the Sacred Seven were meeting, since the shades were drawn for privacy.
The members of the council were sitting on an extra-long, overstuffed couch covered in purple and white j’an’tury suede and all of them were looking at her expectantly.
Well, here goes, Lexi told herself, and launched into her speech.
“Mistresses of the Sacred Seven, I know that you are newly elected to your posts and all of you have a reputation for being fair minded and kind, so I lay this case before you,” she began. “Every day here in Opulex, innocent lives are taken. Sentient beings are sent to their death and the ruling body of Yonnie Six is doing nothing about it—I hope because they are not aware of what is happening.”
She saw several members of the Sacred Seven frown and shift in their seats but no one stopped her, so she went on. Lifting her chin, she told them about the Death Mines and the way worn out bodyslaves who were sent to the bargain slave markets, were sold as fodder for the mines. She also explained the other things she’d learned through her research—and the help of a private investigation firm she had used to get the inside scoop on Mistress Crueltongue’s operations.
“Once taken to these mines, the males in question are given barely anything to eat,” she continued. “Because the owner of the mines is well aware that they won’t live long inhaling the poisonous fumes, so feeding them is considered counterproductive to profits. Likewise they are given no clothing or protective gear to wear and no place to sleep. They are expected to lie down in the dirt where they are mining every night, long after dark and long before dawn they are woken again to do more backbreaking labor. Eventually, their lungs collapse from the assault of the Diluthian fumes and they die—hungry, naked, and in agonizing pain—only to be replaced the very next hour by another poor soul who has been bought at a bargain price to continue mining Diluthian. This cycle repeats itself over and over and over again and it needs to stop.”
Lexi paused for a moment to take a breath. It was impossible to say if the graphic picture she was painting was having any effect on the Sacred Seven at all. Many of them had gotten multiple micro-facial surgeries like Mistress Pricklethorn, so it was very difficult to read their faces. However, she had stated her case and there was only one more thing she could say.