Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Mia sighed contentedly as she remembered. It really had been a wonderful morning. She’d decided she was going to put the past away—into a box—and lock it up tight. She would let go of the pain and bad memories from her time with the sect and trust Sev when he said they could be together as lovers on their off-hours without affecting their relationship as partners at work.
When she had woken up in his arms, she hadn’t moved away or listened to the guilty voices in her head. She had pushed them resolutely away and cuddled closer to the big warrior as he stroked her hair and rumbled,
“Good Morning, Mia.”
And then he—
“Mia? Mia?”
Mia blinked to see that Kissie was snapping her fingers right under her nose.
“Uh, what?” she asked, blinking.
Kissie laughed.
“Just checking. For a minute it seemed like you drifted away from us completely.”
“Oh, sorry.” Mia laughed. “Just, uh, thinking.” Twilight was beginning to fall—or at least, they were beginning to dim the artificial star. Which meant that the day was almost over and she would soon get to see Sev again…
Teebra arched an eyebrow at her.
“And what exactly were you thinking about?” she asked, giving Mia a knowing grin.
“Oh, um…”
“Was it your first milking?” Teebra probed.
Mia shot Zellah a startled look, but the other woman only gave a short, sharp shake of her head. Clearly, she hadn’t told anyone about their conversation yesterday.
“How…how did you know that?” she asked uncertainly.
“It’s just math,” Kissie answered for her friend. “You’d been here long enough, drinking the Nutrient Crème, and we knew it was time.”
“Well, you could have warned me, then—if you knew it was going to happen,” Mia said a big crossly. “It took me completely by surprise!”
“Oh please—we didn’t want to ruin it for you,” Kissie said, waving a hand.
“So…did you enjoy it?” Teebra spoke in low, excited tones. “It was a little scary the first time Dannok milked me, but I’ve really come to look forward to it now.”
“I do too,” Kissie admitted. “It’s about the only time Cumbig touches me anymore.”
“What about you, Zellah?” Teebra turned to the other Chakioun woman. “What’s it like being ‘milked’ by The Prophet himself?”
Zellah cast her eyes down modestly, though not before Mia saw the quick look of disgust that flickered across her lovely face.
“It is a true honor to be the receptacle of The Prophet’s seed,” she said woodenly, which Mia knew by now was her answer to anyone who asked about her relationship to The Prophet.
“Yes, but what’s it like?” Teebra asked, leaning closer. “He seems so glamorous and amazing—being milked by him must be so—”
“Teebra, maybe she doesn’t want to talk about it,” Kissie interrupted. “She might not—”
But she broke off, staring at Zellah. They all were, actually, because she had the most horrified, anxious expression on her lovely face that Mia had ever seen.
“Zellah, what is it?” she asked, wondering what could have made the other woman so upset.
Zellah raised a finger and pointed out into the parkland where the people were already gathering for dinner and the vid lecture from The Prophet.
Mia turned, but at first she couldn’t see anything because of the dim lighting. Then, after a moment, her eyes adjusted and she saw a group of four men coming towards them. At least, Mia thought they were men—they were wearing the by-now familiar outfits of the Elders—long gray robes with enormous cowls that hid their faces in the shadows.
“Oh no!” Teebra whispered beside her. “Oh my Gods of the Universe—it’s the Chastity Police.”
“The what?” Mia exclaimed.
But before anyone could answer, the four hooded figures were among them. The next moment, they were taking her by the arms.
“Hey! Hey, what are you doing? Where are you taking me?” she demanded, struggling in vain.
“Yeah—where are you taking her?” Kissie stepped up boldly. “Mia hasn’t done anything wrong!”
“I’m afraid she has, my child—now step back, please.”
The hollow, booming voice sounded familiar and Mia recognized it as belonging to the Elder who had called them several times and also directed most of the meeting during the Judgment Review she and Sev had gone through.
“But I haven’t—I haven’t done anything wrong!” she exclaimed, struggling against their cruel grip on her arms.
“I’m afraid you have. Sister Mia, you stand accused of not wearing your Chastity Devices,” the Elder with the deep voice boomed. “And further, you are guilty of the crime of Orgasm Theft.”
The three other women gasped as he told the charges and Teebra put a hand over her mouth, as though she couldn’t believe Mia would commit such terrible crimes.
“Orgasm theft? What the hell are you talking about?” Mia demanded, still struggling.
“It is a very serious crime here in the Dome,” the Elder told her. “For it, you are hereby remanded to the Inner Sanctum for a Judgment and Punishment Review.” He nodded at the other robed figures. “Take her to the Inner Sanctum—we will have the Review in the antechamber.”