Pierced: Book 28 of the Brides of the Kindred: The Brides of the Kindred, #28

By Evangeline Anderson

Special Agent Sky'lar is a rare Pitch-Blood Kindred female. She has lived most of her life on Portex Three and never even seen one of her own kind since her mother died when she was young. Imagine her surprise when she walks into work at the Peace Keeper Station and is informed by her Captain that she has a new partner. Not only that, but her partner is a Kindred warrior and a male. Since females are dominant on Portex Three, this is a new and unwelcome development for Sky. How can a male possibly make a good partner?

Commander Torin works for the Kindred Elite Espionage group—he's been trained as a spy and an assassin but right now he's tracking a killer. A mysterious entity has been murdering Kindred Ambassadors and the rulers of planets where females are in charge. Zetta Prime and Yonnie Six have already been hit and Portex Three is third on the killer's list. Torin knows that Sky doesn't like working with him but he doesn't give a damn—he's willing to do whatever it takes to catch the murderer, even if it means baring parts of his soul that he's kept secret, even from himself.

Now the killer is on the loose and instead of another Ambassador, Sky is in his sights. Will Torin be able to stop him before he kills again? And will Sky survive the killer's murderous intentions? You'll have to read this Enemies to Lovers, He Falls First, Warrior Heroine, HEA novel, Pierced, to find out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evangeline Anderson
• Release date: Feb 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215008058

Evangeline Anderson

Evangeline Anderson is the USA Today Best Selling Author of the Brides of the Kindred and Born to Darkness series. She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind and she has been writing paranormal and Sci-fi erotica steadily ever since. You can find her online at her website www.evangelineanderson.com Come visit for some free reads. Or, to be the first to find out about new books, join her newsletter. http://evangelineanderson.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=29b467eebf0af968606782cef&id=2df94ec8cd A Note from Evangeline--I have divided my my Kindred Tales series into smaller series based on themes and the type of Kindred the books are about. Have a look at the checklist--you might have missed one Kindred Tales Checklist and Series Blurbs Kindred on Their Knees is a series of stand-alone novels set in the Brides of the Kindred universe. It's all about hot Alien Warriors subjugated to the will of their Mistress. Sometimes they turn the tables, but they always honor and protect the women they serve. Many of these stories are set on Yonnie Six--the planet in the Kindred universe where women rule with an iron fist and men are considered to be useful only as servants and playthings. So Female-led relationships and men in collars and chains are the order of the day. If you like that kind of vibe, you should enjoy the novels comprised here. Kindred on Their Knees [ ] 1.Mastering the Mistress [ ] 2.Freeing the Prisoner [ ] 3.Bridging the Distance [ ] 4.Instructing the Novice [ ] 5.Handling the Hybrid [ ] 6.Protecting His Mistress [ ] 7.Unleashed by the Defender [ ] 8.Accidental Acquisition [ ] 9.Bonded by Two The Monstrum Kindred series Meet the Monstrum Kindred Warriors from a neighboring universe, They look different from the Kindred the Earth has come to know. Some have hooves, some have horns, and all of them have fur below the belt. Yet, though they may look monstrous or animalistic to some, they have the same needs that all Kindred do. They all need Brides, and Earth is filled with unwed women who will soon be Claimed by the Monstrum. These books are for readers who love Monster Roman...

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Now that the slow time bubble which had trapped the Eye of Tengu had moved aside, the scion of the Cruel Father was at last able to emerge. He seeped from his shell—the Eye which had opened at last—and under the air lock of the Hell’s Gate Station.

Anyone passing by would have seen an oily puddle of black slime and probably assumed that the hydraulics in the air lock were leaking. Luckily for the scion, this was a disused section of the station and there was no one to see him emerge from his prison and take his true form.

Slowly, the puddle of black ooze began to grow and change, forming into a vaguely humanoid shape. He—for of course a scion of the deity who hated women must be male—grew tall and thin with skin as pale as death. Webs of wrinkles edged his eyes, which were as black as the thin lips that formed on his semblance of a face. Teeth that ended in jagged points and a knife blade of a nose completed the scion’s ragged features.

Below, his skin was the same pale white—too pale, he thought. He needed to be able to hide in the shadows without alerting those who would soon be his victims. A moment of concentration, and his outer surface flowed again, forming a black leather body suit that encased his tall, thin frame—covering everything but his face.

Baleful black eyes gleamed red from inside the black hood which shielded his features from prying eyes. He would need to be unseen to do the work he had been meant for—harassing the Kindred and bringing low those females who had risen above their stations.

The Cruel Father might have cast him aside, believing he could never fulfill his purpose, but the scion knew better. He was an exact copy of his father’s darkest desires…his blackest hatred…his most evil dreams and twisted fantasies. Within him, was the essence of the Cruel Father and his longing to destroy all that was pure and light—to dirty and break everything true and good. And most of all, to grind females into the dust of oblivion.

Father, whispered the scion. You may have discounted me, but I will prove myself. As he spoke, black fisted hands uncurled, revealing talons, long and sharp and silver in the half-light of the Hell’s Gate air lock.

Silver now, but soon they would be red with blood. The scion did not intend to fail again—he would make the Cruel Father proud and prove his worth…

One bloody death at a time.

ONE

SKY

Sky’lar finished her morning thresh and set the heavy-bottomed mug in the washing bin with a thump. It was nearly time for her workday to begin and she had to get ready.

She worked as a Peace Keeper in the Ninth Division of Hx’lss—the capital city of Portex Three. Though she wasn’t native to the planet—having come there as a small child—she did quite well for herself.

Sky loved her job. She hummed to herself as she pulled on her uniform—a fine black mesh bodysuit that covered her from neck to ankles while still allowing her skin to breathe in the arid desert air. The Portexians—or Serpentines as they were most often called—didn’t drink much water. They didn’t need to, being reptilian. They got most of their moisture through the regular consumption of blood, which suited Sky just fine.

Standing in front of her viewer, she eyed her reflection critically. Her black mesh uniform with the 3-D Peace Keeper patch on the right side of her chest was neat and clean and her heavy black boots were polished to a high shine. Her ice blue eyes were fringed thickly with black lashes but she wore no cosmetics—it wouldn’t be right due to the serious nature of her job. She looked extremely professional except for one thing: her hair—the long, fibrous strands that grew on her head—was a mess, as usual.

Sky sighed as she gathered the black, silky stuff into a sleek ponytail that hung down to the small of her back. Hair was something she just had to deal with, being Mammalian in nature rather than Reptilian like most of the people around her. Many times she’d thought of just cutting or shaving the stuff off—it was such a pain to care for! But her mother, before she’d died when Sky was only nine, had made her promise never to cut it.

It is considered beautiful, Sky—in the culture we came from, she always said. Someday you may find a man you want to mate with—to Bond with—and he will love your hair.

So Sky didn’t cut her hair. Not because she wished to find a male to Bond with—the very idea was laughable. But in memory of her mother, she put up with the long, silky stuff and only trimmed it minimally when the ends became too ragged.

She did shave her armpits and pubic hair, however. If she let the latter grow out, it rubbed against her close-fitting uniform and felt itchy and uncomfortable between her legs. The Serpentines had no body hair and this small concession made it easier to fit in among them, since her body was mostly visible through the fine black mesh of her uniform bodysuit.

Baring her teeth, she ran her tongue over the bright white set of fangs which were where most Mammalians had their canine teeth. It was her fangs, more than almost anything else, that helped her fit into Serpentine culture. They were also what had caused her mother to move the two of them to Portex Three after Sky’s father died, when she was just a child.

They’ll never accept her on Tranq Prime, Sky had heard her telling someone, right before the move. "A female Blood Kindred with fangs is bad enough. But a Pitch Blood Kindred female—one who needs blood to live? No—she’ll be an outcast here. I need to take her someplace where she’ll fit in—someplace she won’t be made to feel a freak and an outcast when she reaches sexual maturity and starts needing blood."

Her mother had chosen well when she picked their new home, Sky thought. The Serpentines were an ancient people and cold-blooded, which meant they weren’t susceptible to the tribalism and snap judgments of warm-blooded, Mammalian humanoid species.

Oh, Sky had often been called flat face and string head and round eyes due to her different facial characteristics, but there was no malice in these nicknames. Serpentines simply called things how they saw them and they accepted Sky into their culture when they learned that no matter how different she looked, she took nourishment in the same basic way they did themselves.

Taking a cleaning laser from the shelf, she ran it briefly over her teeth, paying special attention to her fangs. Then, satisfied that they were white and gleaming, she put away the laser, straightened her uniform one last time, and left her living quarters.

The transport tube—located as many public spaces were, beneath the surface of the sandy desert earth—was only a few treels from Sky’s domicile. She descended many steps to get to it, passing other commuters along the way.

She made enough since her recent promotion to Special Agent that she could have afforded a domicile beneath the surface. But she liked the feeling of being above ground—the tunnels below could get so crowded and smelly and the air flow was often sluggish. Sky preferred the sunshine—blazing hot though it was—beating on her skin and the feel of the hot, dry air of the surface flowing through her hair.

Still, the descent into the tunnels didn’t bother her. She hurried down the steps, wondering if she had time for a quick bite before her work period. If the tube was on time, she wouldn’t. But it was often a few meems late which afforded a chance for an early morning snack.

As a Pitch Blood Kindred, she needed more blood than most of the Serpentines around her. Possibly it was because Serpentine blood didn’t sustain her as well as the blood of another Mammalian would have. Or maybe it was just the way she was built—Sky didn’t know. Her mother had often told her that she was unique—there had never been another like her and likely never would be again. So it was difficult to know if her thirst was abnormal or not.

Well, it was normal for her, so Sky didn’t care—she simply made time to feed often, taking quick bites whenever she could to sustain herself, rather than the protracted, drawn-out feedings most Serpentine females took.

At last, after a few meems of walking through the crowded transport tunnels, she reached her stop. Glancing at the lighted 3-D signboard hovering near the roof of the tunnel, she saw that the tube was late—good.

Turning, she headed for the nearest Blood Kiosk, located near the rounded wall of the tunnel. The small cart with its blue and white striped awning was her usual spot and she knew the workers there.

Why, Officer Sky’lar! My favorite customer!

Vm’plx, the proprietor of the kiosk came around the cart to meet her, his forked tongue flickering out of his lipless mouth with pleasure.

There weren’t many Blood Kiosks that were own and run by males, though all of them were staffed by them. Some females considered it beneath them to deal directly with a male blood seller instead of his female handler, but Sky didn’t mind. Males didn’t have much opportunity for advancement in Serpentine culture and besides, she liked Vm’plx—he had a friendly, forthright character which she valued. So many Serpentines could be cold and evasive—it was refreshing to meet one who wasn’t.

Hello, Vm’plx—I only have time for a quick bite, Sky said briskly. What have you got?

Mmm, it’s always a ‘quick bite’ with you, Officer Sky’lar. He nodded his elongated head, his secondary eyelid flicking briefly over his slitted yellow eyes. I have a male from the Gun’snx region whose blood might suit you. It has a ‘nutty’ quality, I’m told. Or why not try one from the Frost’nar area—a flavor like aged Frebian wine?

Something from closer to home, I think, Sky told him. No matter what exotic flavor any particular blood was supposed to have, all Serpentine life essence tasted the same to her—bitter, cold, and slightly oily. Still, she didn’t drink for pleasure, as so many Serpentine women did—but strictly for sustenance. Without the life-giving blood, she wouldn’t be able to keep going.

"Well, I can offer you my own blood, Vm’plx flickered his tongue again—this time in mild flirtation. Half price for you, my favorite customer."

I’ll take your blood, but full price as always, Sky said firmly. She had no wish to start a romantic liaison with someone she had to see almost every workday. It would make things unnecessarily awkward when it inevitably led nowhere. She had tried such liaisons before but copulating with a Serpentine did little for her.

For one thing, their male shafts were tiny—only the size of her smallest finger, Sky estimated. They were really more for the fertilization of eggs than for pleasure—and of course, as a Mammalian, she didn’t lay her eggs but kept them inside her body. And her eggs probably wouldn’t be compatible Serpentine sperm, anyway.

Though she knew some Serpentine females who liked the feeling of penetration by a male, Sky found it much more pleasurable to use a double-ended shaft and do the penetration herself. She sometimes hired a male Pleasure Worker for this purpose when she had an itch to scratch—which wasn’t that often. But she always packed her pleasure gear whenever she went on a trip, just in case.

For now though, blood would suffice. Vm’plx offered her his wrist—regrettably, her fangs weren’t long enough to pierce through the thick, overlapping scales that covered a Serpentine throat where the blood flowed fastest. But the underside of the wrist was a different story—the scales there were thinner and softer and Sky’s fangs were more than up to the task of piercing them.

She sank her sharp white points into Vm’plx’s wrist now and sucked up a few bitter, oily mouthfuls of his thin, dark blue blood. As the familiar taste spread across her tongue, she felt a flash of energy—her body thanking her for giving it what was needed. She licked the wound closed just as her tube pulled into the station.

That’s all you want? Vm’plx asked, frowning—an expression that centered more in his slitted yellow eyes than his wide, lipless mouth.

That’s it. Sky tossed him a one credit chip, the usual price. Thanks, Vm’plx. See you tomorrow!

He waved one six-fingered hand and Sky nodded over her shoulder as she hurried to squeeze into the already over-crowded tube.

Once inside, she found herself crammed between two businesswomen, doubtless headed for Region Ten—the Finance Region. The Serpentines were a tall people—the females were, anyway—but Sky still stood a head taller than most. Her full breasts were squashed against her chest until she wiggled to get into a better position, lifting her head high to look above the crowd.

She got a few curious stares due to her curvy, hourglass figure, but she didn’t mind. Breasts weren’t an attribute that Serpentine women had. Being Reptilian rather than Mammalian, they didn’t make milk for their young but fed them on live meecelings and other small, warm-blooded animals instead.

Breasts were another nuisance Sky had often wished she could be rid of—especially her large, sensitive nipples which poked prominently at the black mesh of her uniform. She had no scales to shield her delicate parts like her Serpentine counterparts and the nipples presented a legitimate target when she got into an altercation.

But cutting off her breasts was even more complicated than cutting off her hair, so Sky kept both. It was just another hassle having to do with being a Mammalian in a Reptilian world—a slight disadvantage that she worked twice as hard to make up for. If she knew she was going into danger, she wore the overlapping protective scale armor that covered her chest, which had been made for Serpentines with Soft Scale Disorder.

Sky didn’t care if the armor looked strange. Having soft, smooth skin rather than a tough, scaly hide put her at a disadvantage and she had to make up for it somehow.

Anyway, her differences hadn’t prevented her from making Special Agent at work, she mused as the tube finally stopped at her station in the Ninth Region. But then, her direct supervisor, Captain Thal’nx was known for her fairness and cool-headed judgment. Sky aspired to be like her and someday command an entire station of her own. But for now, she was happy to be a Special Agent.

Whistling softly between her teeth, she made her way down the broad, sandy tunnel to the Peace Keeper Station. She was still feeling a burst of energy from the blood she’d consumed—her fangs were bright and white, and her body was strong. Her life, she thought, was practically perfect.

Hello, Officer Sky’lar. Bxx’thx, the undersecretary and door keeper, ushered her in. There were those that thought a male had no place in a Peace Keeper Station, but Captain Thal’nx had liberal views. And besides, it wasn’t as though the males were actually allowed to be officers—they simply did some of the skut work like brewing thresh and filing paperwork and answering the Com-U link calls when complaints or requests for help came in.

Thanks, Bxx’thx. Sky nodded at him absently. She stood head and shoulders above him, but that wasn’t an unusual height difference here on Portex Three.

Serpentine females were, on average, ten to twenty percent larger than Serpentine males. The weaker, smaller males were largely relegated to the living quarters, where they cooked, cleaned, and brooded over any eggs the female they were attached to might lay. They also functioned as the blood source that Serpentine females needed to survive.

Males didn’t drink blood themselves, having non-functional fangs which were barely more than small points in their upper teeth. They had no need for the extra nutrients the blood provided, which enabled females to create and incubate the leathery-skinned eggs inside their bodies until it was time to lay them in a warm, sandy nest.

Oh, before I forget, Officer Sky’lar—Captain Thal’nx wants to see you in her office, Bxx’thx said.

Really? Is there a problem? Sky frowned.

The door keeper shrugged his narrow shoulders.

Don’t think so—some high-profile case. There’s an off-worlder here to discuss it. He’s one of your kind, if I’m not mistaken.

Is that so? Sky had only mild curiosity. One of her kind could mean any kind of Mammalian and since Portex Three was located on one of the more prominent trade routes in the galaxy, she had seen plenty of them come and go.

Marmouths, who sported a heavy, shaggy fur coat all over their hulking bodies and resembled walking carpets were the most common. But there were also Fin’rexes with sleek, pale blue skin, bright, blood red eyes and white hair, and Charboths who were only about as tall as her knees and had bushy orange facial hair—both the males and the females.

They all looked different to Sky, but she was well aware that to a Serpentine, most Mammalians looked the same. She wondered which of the sentient humanoid Mammalian species was waiting in the Captain’s office and decided it didn’t matter. No matter who was waiting for her or what their case was, it was up to Sky to solve it.

Squaring her shoulders, she rapped smartly on the Captain’s door and heard a responding hiss which meant she should enter. Pushing into the office, she started to address her Direct Supervisor…but the words died in her throat.

Standing in front of Captain Thal’nx’s desk was the biggest male Sky had ever seen in her life.

TWO

SKY

The strange male was a head and shoulders taller than her, Sky thought indignantly. Which didn’t seem right since she was the tallest person she knew, standing a head taller than most Serpentine females, who were generally around two meters in height. And he had the bulk to go with it—rather than being slender and insubstantial like Serpentine males, the stranger was thick with muscle.

His shoulders were fully twice as broad as her own, Sky estimated, and he was wearing a black leather vest and a short-sleeved upper covering that showed off bulging biceps and brawny forearms.

His skin was marble gray unlike the varying scale patterns of the Serpentines or her own light tan. When he turned his head to look at her, Sky saw that his face was flat, like her own, rather than protruding like a Serpentine face, and his eyes were a strange, molten gold. They glowed like metal poured directly from a smelter and raked over her sharply, making her feel strangely judged.

His pupils were round like hers too, not slitted like a Serpentine’s, and he also had hair on his head—thick and black and cut short enough that it barely covered the back of his thick neck. His long legs were covered in black leather trousers and he had perfectly enormous black boots on his big feet.

All of him was too big, Sky thought, feeling oddly put on the defensive. Maybe it was the way the strange Mammalian male was looking at her, his golden eyes raking up and down her body as though he found her weak or deficient in some way. It was rude to stare for so long at a person you didn’t know and if he kept it up much longer, she was going to tell him so, she thought in irritation.

Ah, Officer Sky’lar, come in—come in. Captain Thal’nx beckoned her to enter and close the door behind her.

Sky did so, coming to stand at parade rest in front of the desk with her arms clasped loosely behind her back and her chest thrown out. She paid no attention to the stranger beside her, though she was well aware that he continued to study her, albeit from the corner of his eye now that she was standing to his side rather than directly in his line of sight.

Good morning, Captain, she said smartly, nodding her head. I understand there’s a special case?

Yes, a rather nasty one, I’m afraid. Captain Thal’nx flickered her forked tongue in a way that let Sky know she was disturbed and worried. An off-worlder living among us has been killed, she told Sky. Not just killed—murdered in a messy and very pointed fashion.

Oh? And who was it? Sky raised her eyebrows attentively—it was her version of flickering her tongue—something she was unable to do, since she lacked the long, agile tongue of a Serpentine.

One Lady Allesandra WinterBright—she was the Kindred ambassador to our world and she was living in Region Twelve, Captain Thal’nx said. This person here is a ranking officer from the Kindred Mother Ship, she added, nodding at the huge male standing beside Sky. He says there have been similar murders on two other planets and he thinks the killer is the same person.

Sky cast a quick look at the giant stranger. So he was indeed her kind of Mammalian. Strange—she’d always wondered what a male of her species might look like, but she hadn’t imagined they would have gray skin and glowing golden eyes. And she certainly hadn’t pictured them as begin so big.

We believe he’s what the humans call a ‘serial killer’—one who kills over and over in the same way for the sexual gratification it brings him, the giant said.

Sky couldn’t help looking at him again when he talked—he had the deepest voice she’d ever heard. It was low rumble that seemed to shake her bones. He spoke the Serpentine language perfectly but with a slight accent, like her own—the result of trying to pronounce the slippery speech without the benefit of a long, forked tongue. Sky had learned to compensate since she had learned the language so young and her own accent was barely noticeable—but it was loud and clear in the stranger’s deep voice.

Why would someone kill for sexual gratification? she asked blankly. How could he get any kind of pleasure from it? Unless he… She trailed off, not wanting to say the unpleasant thought that had popped into her head.

He violates his victims first, before he kills them, the huge stranger said and there was a grim look on his face, as though he was talking about something unspeakably disgusting to him.

Sky frowned. Murder and rape were crimes of passion and there were few of those committed here on Portex Three. Passion required hot blood and the Serpentines were a cold-blooded and methodical race.

These kinds of crimes are reprehensible to usss, Captain Thal’nx’s voice ended in a prolonged hiss—a sure sign of her distress.

And very unusual, Sky added.

Oh? And why is that? The giant stranger turned to her, raising his eyebrows just as Sky did.

At first, she thought he was mocking her but then she realized that the gesture must be a natural sign of questioning. It was strange to see it on another face, other than her own.

Well, to begin with, rape—or forced penetration as we call it—and murder, are crimes often committed in the heat of passion, she explained. The Serpentines are a cold-blooded race—they usually don’t do anything without thinking it through first. Also, it wouldn’t occur to a Serpentine male to try and rape a female.

This is true, Captain Thal’nx agreed. Our males are so much smaller and meeker than the females of our species—it wouldn’t enter their heads to try and force penetration on an unwilling female when she would most likely just overpower her attacker and turn him in to us—the Peace Keepers.

Captain Thal’nx is right— males are mild-mannered and weak. A few of them work outside the domicile but most of them simply want to stay at home tending the eggs and cooking and cleaning, Sky affirmed. There isn’t a violent bone in their bodies.

I see. The giant’s deep, rumbling voice was mild but Sky thought she saw some emotion she couldn’t interpret flash across his face. She wished she had more practice in reading the faces of her own kind of Mammalian, but she was continually surrounded by Serpentines. The flicker of a tongue or the slide of a secondary eyelid over a slitted eye meant more to her than the micro-expressions of the stranger.

Well, because of our inexperience with such crimes, and because he believes the murderer is the same one he is currently tracking, Commander Torin is going to be shadowing you on this case, Captain Thal’nx said.

What? Sky’s eyebrows shot up again, in surprise this time and she felt her midsection knot up with tension. "You’re assigning me to work with a male?"

Special Agent Sky’lar! Are you questioning my orders? Captain Thal’nx’s voice was sharp and her tongue flickered in agitation. Her bright green scales, clearly visible through her uniform and marking her as belonging to the Southern Viper Clan, flashed dark blue for a moment.

Sky took a deep breath.

No, Captain. But you must admit it’s rather…unusual, she said at last. In fact, it was more than unusual—it was an insult. Sky liked to think she had liberal viewpoints on the sexes and how they worked—she didn’t mind going to a male-owned Blood Kiosk or seeing males working outside the home—but there were limits.

In addition to being smaller and weaker, everyone knew that males weren’t quite as intelligent as females—it was no slight against them—it was simply the truth. It was why they weren’t well adapted to difficult jobs like Fang Surgeon or Space Port Authority…or Special Agent, for that matter, Sky thought with irritation.

The giant stranger whom Captain Thal’nx had introduced as Commander Torin maintained a neutral expression.

I’m grateful you’re allowing me to work with Special Agent Sky’lar on this case, Captain Thal’nx, he rumbled gravely. On the other two planets where the killer has struck, we Kindred weren’t allowed to help and the killer went on to murder other important female authorities after first killing the ambassador we had sent to them. It’s a pattern I’d like to see interrupted.

What other planets have these crimes taken place on? Captain Thal’nx asked.

And what do they have in common—besides hosting a Kindred ambassador? Sky added.

Commander Torin gave her a sharp look.

An excellent question, Special Agent Sky’lar. The first planet the killer struck was Zetta Prime and the second was Yonnie Six. Both planets are ruled by females who have little use for males.

I have heard of both planets, Captain