Unleashed by the Defender: A Kindred Tales Novel Read online

  “So, what was wrong with that?” Kat asked, frowning. “I thought Kindred genes usually mix well with the genes of other species?”

  “In this case, they mixed too well.” Sylvan’s voice was grim. “You see, the original Nightwalker males were about twenty percent smaller than the females. But they were absolutely savage. Once the Kindred genes were added, that savagery was compounded by size, since the children all inherited the Kindred propensity to be extremely large and muscular.”

  Imani frowned.

  “I read something about that, but I didn’t really understand. Do you mean they’re all crazy or what?”

  “No, not exactly.” Sylvan shook his head. “The Nightwalker Kindred are a little like the Wulven Kindred.”

  “The ones who change into a beast at the full moon?” Kat’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, but the Nightwalkers don’t change—well, their physical appearance doesn’t change, anyway.” Sylvan leaned forward again. “You see, the Nightwalkers aren’t separate from their beasts—they are their beasts. That savage, wild temperament is always there, just below the surface. It’s said they can go into Rage for any reason—not just to protect a female. And once they are in Rage, it’s very difficult to get out of their feral state.”

  “Rage?” Imani frowned.

  “It’s a kind of berserker fury a Kindred warrior goes into if he thinks his woman is being threatened,” Kat explained. She looked at Sylvan. “But you’re saying the Nightwalker Kindred are in Rage all the time?”

  “If provoked, they can go into a feral state where they are more animal than man,” Sylvan said, nodding. He looked at Imani seriously. “It’s extremely important that you don’t allow your client to become provoked into that state.”

  “But what if he gets provoked and she can’t help it?” Kat demanded. “Won’t she be in danger if she has a huge, enraged feral warrior on her hands?”

  “Actually, no,” Sylvan said mildly. “Because, like almost all other Kindred, the Nightwalkers won’t harm a female.”

  “Which is why we know the charges against my client must be false,” Imani put in.

  “You mean the charges that he murdered his Mistress?” Kat asked.

  Imani nodded firmly.

  “Exactly. Kindred are biologically incapable of harming a female, so the charges must be faked.”

  “Is that what you’re going to argue in court?” Kat asked.

  “Along with whatever evidence I’m presented with,” Imani said.

  “You’ll get it the first night you’re there,” Sylvan promised. “We have an operative there who’ll get you a file you can use during the pleading.”

  “How will I know him?” Imani asked.

  “You’ll know him,” Sylvan said. “He’ll approach you and say, ‘Excuse me, Mistress—I think you dropped something.’ Take the file he offers you and use it well. We believe that this Nightwalker Kindred—savage and bestial though he may be—is completely innocent.”

  “And a Yonnite jail is no place for an innocent man,” Kat remarked.

  “That’s certainly true.” Sylvan sounded grim. “With the help of Councilor Lizabeth and her mate, Lone, we were recently able to see that their worst prison, BleakHall, was shut down. But as I understand it, none of their correctional facilities is exactly progressive.”

  “That’s putting it mildly. When I think of some of the awful stories we heard about BleakHall…” Kat broke off with a shiver.

  “True.” Sylvan nodded. “We don’t want to leave him in that place any longer than is absolutely necessary. Your job, Councilor Williams, is to gain his freedom and bring him back to his home world, where he can hopefully live the rest of his days in peace.”

  “I’ll do it,” Imani promised. “I’ll get him out, Commander Sylvan.”

  “Good.” He nodded. “Then since Kat informs me that you’re all packed, you can leave tonight. You’ll be staying at The Luxx—the finest hotel in Opulex, which is the capital city of Yonnie Six.”

  “Oh, you didn’t have to put me up in such an expensive place!” Imani protested.

  “Oh, yes we did,” Kat said dryly. “Believe me, status matters to the Yonnites. You have to appear as rich and powerful as they are to get anywhere with them.”

  “Kat is absolutely right,” Sylvan remarked mildly. “Don’t worry about the bill. The High Council can afford it and we want to be certain you have the best chance possible to free the Nightwalker.”

  “Does this guy have a name?” Kat asked, frowning. “We keep talking about him and referring to the kind of Kindred he is but what is he called?”

  Imani had wondered the same thing—Kat had taken the question right out of her mouth.

  Sylvan frowned.

  “You know, I’m not certain of his name. We got this information from our informant in the first place—a secret transmission out of Yonnie Six that a Nightwalker was about to be executed and he had proof that the accused was innocent of the crime he was charged of.” He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling. “That’s all we have for now. I’m sorry, Councilor Williams.”

  “That’s all right,” Imani said, lifting her chin. “I’m sure I’ll find out the details from the court documents once I get there. You said they’ll be waiting in my hotel?”

  “Yes, just ask at the front desk of the Luxx and they’ll give you a packet,” Sylvan promised. “We’re sending you early so you have time to prepare. The prisoner’s hearing is set a week from now.”

  “Perfect.” Imani nodded. “Then I’m ready to go.”

  “Excellent.” Sylvan rose and offered her his hand. “Good luck on your quest for justice then, Councilor.”

  “Thank you.” Imani smiled and shook hands with the big Kindred, who was her new boss—or would be if this case worked out and the High Council decided to hire her permanently. Soon she would be on her way.

  She thought again about her big brother. How Rashaad had been stabbed by another inmate over a can of Coke. His promising young life had been snuffed out so early—so senselessly.

  I won’t let that happen to my client, she promised herself firmly. It doesn’t matter that I have to dress in crazy clothes and travel halfway across the galaxy. I’ll see that he goes free no matter what I have to do in order to make it happen!

  She had no idea how far and to what extremes that particular vow would take her. If she had, she might not have made it. But by the time she stepped into the ship which was to take her to Yonnie Six, it was too late…

  Three

  “Hello, my name is Councilor Imani Williams. I believe there’s supposed to be a packet waiting for me?” Imani said politely to the front desk attendant. Well, as politely as she could while keeping a safe distance. Because the front desk attendant appeared to be a very large, pink praying mantis. Imani wasn’t wild about bugs—especially not big ones. So bugs that were bigger than her, were definitely on her Avoid-at-all-costs list.

  The mantis attendant twisted its triangular head, the overhead light glinting on its chitinous pink shell, and regarded Imani for a long moment.

  “Ah yezz, I wazz told to expect you, Councilor Williamzzz,” it said in a high, buzzing voice. “Welcome to the Luxx. We are pleazzed to host you.”

  “Uh, thank you.” Imani nodded gratefully—but still from a safe distance. She had seen a nature show about praying mantises when she was a kid. The way they grabbed their prey and gobbled them down, starting at the head, while the prey were still alive and twitching, was a scene she just couldn’t un-see.

  “Let me zzee if I can find that packet for you,” the mantis desk attendant said helpfully. “Hmmm….” It turned to the wall behind and searched through a number of compartments until it found what it was looking for. “Here we are,” it buzzed and extended a thick brown envelope across the desk. “You are in room zzeven zzeventy-five—our penthouzze zzuite. Zzhall I call and attendant to help with your luggage?”

  “No thank you,” Imani said quickly. “I don�
�t have much at all, see?” She held up the pink carry-all cube Kat had packed her miniaturized outfits into along with a dropper bottle of growth serum to enlarge them to proper size when she needed them. Right now they were all the size of Barbie clothes.

  Imani wished she could leave them that way and not wear them at all. At the moment she was still wearing her regular, modest Earth clothing consisting of a button-down blouse and a pencil skirt. But she could already see that Kat had been right about how the Yonnites dressed. All across the opulent lobby, she saw women wearing the most elaborate—and skimpy—outfits she’d ever seen.

  They’re all dressed like Vegas showgirls, she thought, watching as one Mistress walked by in a jewel-encrusted bikini with a long, trailing train made of feathers. She—like most of the other women—had a large, muscular body-slave trailing behind her on a leash attached to the thick black pain collar around his neck.

  The pain collar was something all the male slaves seemed to be wearing—for some it was their only piece of clothing, though others had on either tight black leather trousers or black speedo-looking bottoms that clearly showed the bulge of their cock. Imani couldn’t help wincing as she watched one Mistress point a small remote at her slave and use it, punishing him for some minor infraction.

  “Bad boy, Treav!” she exclaimed. “You must behave!”

  The slave—a tall, hulking male that outmassed her three times over—winced and went stiff as the collar activated his pain receptors. A sound of pure agony was drawn from his lips.

  “Mistress…” he gasped, his face turning purple. “Forgive me…please.”

  Mercifully, the display was brief.

  “Very well, don’t do it again.” The Mistress pressed the remote again and her bodyslave sagged in relief. “Now thank me for your punishment,” she demanded, frowning at him. “You know I only do it to keep you in line and help you be a good boy.”

  The slave’s dark eyes flashed but his voice was impassive as he spoke.

  “Thank you for my punishment, Mistress,” he said mechanically. “I know it’s for my own good.”

  “It most certainly is!” the Mistress said, nodding decisively. “Now come along, Treav,” we can’t stand here loitering in the lobby forever.”

  She gave a tug on the leash and the two of them started off again, crossing the vast marble lobby in brisk strides with the bodyslave staying a respectful three feet behind his Mistress.

  But not all the slave and Mistress interactions Imani saw were quite so brutal. Just to her right, as she left the reception desk with the thick packet clutched to her chest, she saw a young blonde Mistress who looked like she couldn’t be older than her early twenties. Her slave was positively huge next to her petite frame—it was easy to see, because she was sitting on a circular padded bench upholstered in plush pink and gold velvet and he was right between her legs.

  “Now, Karn,” she exclaimed, giggling as her huge bodyslave buried his face between her thighs and inhaled deeply, as though breathing in her scent. “Stop it! You know you mustn’t kiss my panties in public unless we’re being announced somewhere!”

  The bodyslave lifted his head, his eyes flashing.

  “But my Mistress,” he rumbled. “I just love to make my obeisance to you. How else can I show my reverence?”

  “Well…” The girl bit her lip. “Maybe…maybe just a little kiss then. If you must.”

  “I must.” The bodyslave’s deep voice was a low, needful growl. “Spread your legs, Mistress, and let me show how much I love and respect you.”

  With a little moan, the girl did as he said. The bodyslave sat back for a moment, as though savoring the sight of her panty-clad pussy and Imani saw that the panties he was so intent on kissing were tiny. Nothing but a wispy triangle of pink silk covered the girl’s sex.

  The tiny triangle had gotten pulled down so that the young Mistress’s plump pussy lips were clearly visible above the lacy edge. They had parted slightly, showing the bud of her clit like a little pink pearl.

  “So fucking gorgeous,” the bodyslave growled hoarsely. He met the girl’s eyes for a moment. “Thank you for allowing me to honor you, Mistress.” And then he dived in, his lips landing not on the panties, but on the girl’s sensitive, exposed clit.

  “Oh…Oh!” she gasped and wove her fingers through his thick hair. “Oh, Karn—that’s not…not my panties,” she gasped, but Imani noticed she wasn’t making any move to push the huge bodyslave away. In fact, she spread her thighs wider and tilted her hips, as though to give him better access to her pussy.

  Nor did the huge bodyslave seem to be in a hurry to finish his “obeisance” to his Mistress. He stayed between her thighs, licking and sucking and even thrusting his tongue deeply into her pussy, clearly intent on driving her right to the edge of orgasm even though the two of them were in the middle of a hotel lobby in public.

  It wasn’t until the young Mistress was panting and moaning and seemingly about to come that the bodyslave pulled back, his lips and mouth shiny with her juices.

  “Oh…” His Mistress writhed uncomfortably. “Oh Karn, for a minute there when you were paying your obeisance I felt so close,” she told him. “I wish you hadn’t stopped!”

  Her bodyslave smiled and licked his lips, clearly savoring her juices.

  “I’ll pay my obeisance to you again—much more thoroughly—later, Mistress,” he promised thickly. “Maybe even without your panties in the way.”

  “Oh, Karn!” The girl’s blue eyes widened. “I don’t know—what would Mother say about that?”

  “She doesn’t need to know,” the bodyslave assured her. “After all, didn’t she buy me for you so that you could have a gentle, obedient male as your first bodyslave? I’m only showing you the proper way a bodyslave acts with his Mistress.”

  “You are very gentle and sweet.” The young Mistress stroked his cheek lovingly. “You’re the best bodyslave a girl could ask for as her first, Karn.”

  “I’ll be your first in every way, Mistress,” he growled softly, taking her soft little hands in his and kissing the palms. “I’ll teach you everything there is to know about letting your bodyslave pleasure and care for you. I swear it by the Goddess.”

  Just at that moment, he turned his head and seemed to catch sight of Imani, who was standing there with her packet clutched to her chest. Imani met the huge bodyslave’s eyes and realized two things.

  One, she had been standing there staring at a very intimate moment between him and his Mistress. And two, he was a Kindred—though what kind of Kindred, she couldn’t really tell, since he had mismatched eyes—one gold and one blue. No wonder he was so huge, though!

  She looked away hurriedly, embarrassed that she’d been caught staring, but it was too late.

  “Excuse me for a moment, Mistress,” the bodyslave murmured to the blonde girl. Coming over to Imani, he bent, as though picking something up from the floor and held out his hand to her. “I think you dropped this, Mistress,” he said and pressed a tiny fingernail-sized drive into her hand.

  “Oh… thank you.” Imani stared down at the drive in her palm and then back up into the mismatched eyes of the Kindred warrior. So this was the undercover agent Commander Sylvan had told her to expect. Well, he was certainly playing his part well, she thought dryly. The little blonde Mistress who thought she owned him was obviously completely fooled. She wondered if he really cared for her, or if he was just pretending.

  “You’re very welcome, Mistress.” He nodded respectfully and then murmured, “the Nightwalker’s name is J’are and he is in desperate trouble.” Then he nodded again and went back to the petite blonde girl.

  “What was that about, Karn?” Imani heard her ask.

  “Nothing, Mistress. I simply saw that the other Mistress had dropped something and I didn’t want her to lose it,” he rumbled, kneeling down beside her once more.

  “Oh, Karn—you’re so sweet.” Leaning forward she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek—or she would have if
the big Kindred hadn’t turned his face at the last minute so that her soft lips met his. For a moment, they held the kiss, and then she pulled back. “Karn, you’re so naughty! You know a Mistress mustn’t kiss her slave on the mouth.”

  “Yes, I know, Mistress. Forgive me.” His mismatched eyes flashed again. “Maybe you can punish me later.”

  The blonde girl giggled and then made an effort to be serious. She pointed a finger at him and frowned.

  “Now, Karn, don’t tempt me! I might have to do exactly that.”

  “I will submit, Mistress. To anything you do to me.” The Kindred’s deep voice was a rough purr and the intent way he was looking into his young Mistress’s eyes seemed to fluster her somehow.

  “Let’s…let’s go home,” she murmured. “I mean, back to my suite.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” He raised an eyebrow. “But I thought you wanted to tour the city before your appointment at the conception center?”

  “Of course, but…I think I might have forgotten something back in the suite. Come, Karn.”

  Rising from the round bench, she gave a gentle tug on the big Kindred’s leash. He followed her willingly enough to a bank of elevators with shiny gold doors.

  Which was probably where Imani ought to be headed, she told herself. Looking down at the tiny drive in her palm again, she clutched it tight. Time to get to her suite and find out exactly what was going on with the Nightwalker Kindred whose name, apparently, was J’are.

  Four

  Like everything else she’d seen so far on Yonnie Six and the Luxx in particular, Imani’s room was both ostentatious and opulent. Thick golden carpeting that actually massaged her feet as she walked on it covered the floor. There were gold brocade bedclothes on the bed which was big enough for six people and golden drapes covering the windows which she opened to see all of Opulex laid out beneath her like a massive, many-faceted jewel.

  The golden theme continued in the bathroom where the black marble tub and shower both had golden faucets and knobs. Even the toilet, hidden in a discrete little alcove, appeared to be made of solid gold.