Page 12 of Kidnapped By the Beast (Beasts of the Kindred #11)

LEXI

Lexi could hardly believe what had just happened. Her nipples still throbbed from the golden clamps, and her whole body felt hot and restless, like she was one breath away from losing control.

God, am I really that close to coming again?

It had to be the Bonding Fruit cream Dr. Brandt had smeared on her nipples earlier. Even though he had licked it off with maddening thoroughness, apparently the stuff had lingering side effects. Her breasts tingled, her clit pulsed, and the humiliating fact was—she liked it.

She liked it when he touched her…liked it when he ordered her around. She even liked it when other people were watching.

Which was insane. Completely insane.

No, that’s not true. I don’t like to be watched! I’m not like that—I can’t be!

She fumbled with the buttons of her blouse, desperate to cover herself, but Dr. T’Oo-loo clucked his tongue.

“Oh no, my dear—it is far better for the breasts to breathe freely. Any constriction reduces nectar flow.”

Lexi froze, blouse half-closed. She glanced at Dr. Brandt, hoping he would let her preserve at least a shred of modesty. But his stern golden gaze pinned her in place.

“Leave it open,” he rumbled. “Keep your breasts bare. That’s an order. Alexandra.

Lexi wanted to sass him—wanted to roll her eyes and make some crack about how she wasn’t his personal dairy cow—but the hard set of his jaw killed the words in her throat. She pressed her lips together and gave a tiny nod.

“Yes, Sir.”

Mortified, she left her blouse open, the cool air caressing her flushed skin and stiff nipples. Her breasts jiggled with every step as T’linga led them all to dinner.

The dining area was breathtaking. It was set on a wide balcony that jutted out from the side of the mushroom-shaped building, overlooking cascading waterfalls and the deep green-and-purple jungle below.

The floor wasn’t stone or tile but living grass and wildflowers that released a faint, sweet perfume when stepped on.

The table looked as though it had been coaxed from a single massive root—it curved and twined and ended in a broad, flat, oval surface that had been polished to a high shine.

Each place setting had mats of soft moss, cups carved from hollowed gourds, and plates that shimmered with a rainbow sheen, like mother-of-pearl.

Lexi wondered if they were made of some kind of giant alien clam shells?

“Please, sit, my friends,” Dr. T’Oo-loo said expansively. “We have prepared a feast!”

Lexi sat gingerly, tugging her blouse around herself though her breasts still remained bare. The scents of roasted and marinated foods hit her nose at once. Some of it smelled amazing. Some…not so much.

The first dish was a thick, juicy slab of mushroom steak, marinated in a dark brown sauce that gleamed in the light of the setting sun.

It smelled wonderful but Lexi had never had fungus “steak” before, so she was inclined to be cautious.

She cut into it with a knife that appeared to be made of crystallized vine and took a bite.

The savory richness hit her tongue like heaven—smoky and tender, with just enough chew to feel like a real steak.

“Mmm,” she said around the mouthful. “I could eat this every day.”

“We are so glad you enjoy our fine fungus.” T’linga beamed at her. “Do try some of our other dishes too, dear friend.”

“Thank you, I will.” Feeling braver, Lexi looked for something else to try.

Beside the steak platter were small bowls of roasted nuts, golden-brown and glistening with oil.

Lexi popped one in her mouth and blinked in surprise.

First salty…then sweet…then an earthy crunch that melted into a buttery finish filled her mouth as she chewed.

They were immediately addictive. She reached for another handful at once. Yum!

But the next dish their Terian hosts offered made her recoil. It was a bowl of glistening, translucent worms about twice as thick as her finger and as long as her palm swimming in a thin green broth.

“What…what are those?” she asked faintly when T’linga offered her some.

T’linga beamed.

“Ah—these are cleansers! They are swallowed whole and they wriggle down through your digestive tract, cleaning everything as they go. Very healthy—we use them once a month.”

Lexi stared, horrified, as one of the slimy little things lifted its head from the bowl and blinked two tiny eyes at her.

Oh, hell no—so not happening. She would take her probiotics the Earth way, thank you very much. She didn’t need some alien creature sliming its way through her digestive tract.

But of course, she couldn’t say all that aloud, so she simply shook her head and pushed the dish firmly away.

“Thank you but I’ll pass.”

To her relief, Brandt gave a curt shake of his head as well.

“Alexandra and I will abstain from this course.”

“Very well, but you don’t know what you’re missing.” Dr. TOo-loo shook his head regretfully. “There’s nothing quite so comforting as a freshly cleaned colon, thanks to the cleaners.”

However, he didn’t try to push the slimy translucent worms on them again, for which Lexi was glad. She very much preferred to leave her colon alone.

After both Dr. TOo-loo and T’linga had both swallowed several of the cleaner worms apiece, they moved on to the next course, which was something that looked like bright blue mashed potatoes.

Unfortunately, the texture was gluey, and the taste was so bitter it coated her tongue.

Lexi forced a polite smile and swallowed quickly, chasing it with a sip of sparkling water that tasted faintly of violets to get rid of the taste.

It definitely wasn’t anywhere near as good as the mushroom steak or the nuts, but at least it wasn’t alive like the worms.

Finally, dessert arrived—platters piled high with luminous fruit. Some were pale pink globes that glowed softly, others were deep crimson, spiked with delicate crystal-like leaves.

Lexi reached for a pink one, surprised when it pulsed faintly against her palm, like a heartbeat.

She peeled away the thin skin to reveal tender translucent blue flesh beneath, slick with juice.

The first bite made her give a surprised moan of pleasure—it was sweet as honey, as tart as raspberries, and it had a creamy finish that melted on her tongue.

It was, without a doubt, one of the best things she’d ever eaten.

“Oh wow,” she murmured. “These are incredible.”

She ate another, and then a third crimson fruit, juice running down her fingers as she sucked them clean. She was halfway to grabbing a fourth when T’linga leaned close and whispered:

“Be careful, my friend. Too many Pleasure Fruits and you’ll give yourself nectar fever.”

Lexi froze, hand hovering over the platter.

“Nectar fever?” she asked, frowning. “What’s that?”

“It makes the breasts ache and swell, and the nipples tingle most uncomfortably. At least until they are relieved,” T’linga explained. “A Collector’s dream, but a Milker’s torment. It also gives other symptoms…down below.” And she nodded at her lap pointedly.

Lexi’s hand shook as she put the fruit back down. That was the last thing she needed!

“Right. Okay. No more fruit,” she said, hoping she hadn’t already overdosed herself.

But even as she tried to compose herself, she realized her breasts were already prickling. Her nipples throbbed in time with her racing pulse, and there was an ache between her thighs.

What’s happening to me? she thought, panic mixing with a shameful wave of heat. Why do I feel like I’m about to burst?

There were no answers and she was too afraid to ask her questions out loud.