Page 48 of Clan and Command

“You can congratulate him later,” Kila muttered in his ear. “He’s still in there. As far as I know, he’s not budged an inch, even though I gave him the opportunity to get free.”

Lokmi suppressed his admiration for the unknown artist to give his commanding officer full attention. “Who’s still where, Captain? Whose home is this?”

Kila’s now-familiar and rather arousing smirk filled his gaze. “Admiral Piras’s. I cuffed him and left him kneeling on his sleeping room’s floor. He’s being a naughty boy.”

Lokmi froze. “What the fuck is going on?”

Kila eyed him. “Will you stay quiet about highly private matters, Chief? I’m trusting you with the most delicate of personal information because I think I can.”

The Imdiko scowled. “If you’re doing something illegal outside of our mission, I’m not having any part of it. If you’re doing something to the admiral that you shouldn’t, we’ve got a big problem.”

“Ah, now there’s the issue. Should I be doing what I am? It’s for his own good, but as I’ve told you before, the emotional side of things are not my strong suit.”

Lokmi kept his voice and gaze steady, but he was taking in the situation. Readying to fight Kila and take him down if possible. He demanded, “Explain what’s going on. Now.”

Kila chuckled. “Your Dramok is showing again, Chief. Fine. Admiral Piras is submissive in intimate settings.”

The bizarre turn of conversation left Lokmi floundering. It took a few moments for him to respond. “A submissive Dramok? That’s a contradiction in terms. And unbelievable. The admiral did not get his reputation by being docile.”

“Oh, he’s Dramok through and through when no sex is involved. Make no mistake in that. But in bed…well, you’ve never seen anyone so eager to please. It’s amazing. Exciting.” Kila looked off into space, a wondering smile softening his fierce aspect for a moment. “To be given that kind of obedience is beyond what you can imagine. That someone could trust me with so much—” He broke off and came back to himself. “It’s been a source of great misfortune to Piras.”

Lokmi tried to wrap his head around the idea and found it impossible. Because of his own controlling tendencies, he couldn’t fathom such a notion. “How has it caused him trouble?”

“He lost what he thought was the great love of his life because of it. The Nobek he dedicated years to couldn’t meet Piras’s needs.”

“Nobeks like a dominance fight.”

“Which goes against Piras’s nature when it comes to sex. What this other Nobek needed and what our admiral needed were not compatible. Yet Piras can’t seem to let it go.”

“That’s intense.” Lokmi considered the issue. He’d never known of a Dramok who surrendered any aspect of his life to another without great struggle. He could see how such would be off-putting to the typical, unsuspecting Nobek.

“It doesn’t bother you?” he asked Kila.

“I had to think about it for several months. I had time to do so during my last deployment.” Kila shrugged. “I do love a good fight before sex, as you’ve noted.”

Lokmi scowled at him. He had lost two out of three contests against Kila, which didn’t sit well with him. He’d been plotting all day on how to overcome his battle-hardened captain. He was determined to top the fascinating Nobek again, to win more fights and prove he was not to be dominated.

Lokmi fought off the admission that even though he preferred to be in control, Kila had been an extremely adept lover when the Nobek prevailed. The Imdiko knew he was being ridiculous, but it galled him that it hadn’t been awful for this particular man to overcome him. After years of asserting his right to be in control, Lokmi didn’t want to feel that way, and he didn’t want to look at the matter too closely.

Kila continued to speak, unaware that his companion struggled to come to terms with the attraction their feisty relationship had birthed. “I’ve come to appreciate Piras handing me all the control. Being given that kind of faith is rewarding. Knowing my partner relies on my strength and protection…everything a Nobek stands for…fills me with a sense of rightness I can’t describe. I want him, Chief. It doesn’t feel like a sacrifice to be what he needs.”

So this was what Lokmi had sensed between the two men. Each was lured by the possibilities the other offered, but pushed apart by past hurts and expectations. “What’s next then?”

“Showing a submissive Dramok the error of his ways. Want to help, Chief?”

Lokmi held up his hands in a warding-off gesture. “Wait. Whoa.”

Kila bulled through the conversation as if he hadn’t spoken. “Piras has been in there for a while, contemplating what he needs to do with his life.” He moved close, leaving only inches between them. “It’s the perfect situation if we find him the way I left him. You need someone you can dominate all the time, at least in one area of your life. He needs men who he can submit to in bed. He also needs to purge the man whom he loved from his system once and for all.”

Lokmi shook his head, though his interest in the situation kept him from turning tail and fleeing. Which was what he’d do if he had any sense, he knew. Instead, he asked, “What makes you think I can do anything about the admiral’s emotional pain?”

“I don’t know that you can. Your Imdiko half has a much better chance of helping him heal his heart than I do, though.”

Suspicion swept over Lokmi over Kila’s endgame. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Captain. I have no interest in joining a clan.”

“You can call me Kila here. Particularly given the things we did last night.” He grinned, raising Lokmi’s concerns even more. “Look, I’m not asking you to clan with Piras. I’m asking you to help a Nobek find a path through his barriers so I can clan with him.”

Lokmi blinked. “You care that much? Never mind, Nobeks don’t do that lovey-talkie shit.”

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