“She be delirious, muttering in her sleep. I tried to wake. She won’t wake.” Worry colored Kelvin’s voice, taking away some of his usual boom. “Ye should come and see.”
Not even bothering to dress, he and Shiloh strode across the haven, Kelvin gliding in their wake. They found her on her blanket. She was dressed in the red garment, the one that covered her breasts, plus her trews. She’d tossed her tunic—what remained of it—on the grass at her head. She mumbled unintelligible sounds. She tossed and turned as if she were trying to get comfortable. Sweat coated her back and chest, making her skin gleam. As Lynx crouched beside her, she began to thrash on her blanket. Her arm snapped out and whacked him across the face.
“Ow,” he muttered, ducking the next attempt to knock him out.
Shiloh caught the thrashing arm and pushed it to the ground. “Jannike. Wake up.”
“Look at her stomach and chest. It’s covered in welts,” Lynx said. “Do you think something bit her?”
“She be scratching a lot,” Kelvin informed them.
Shiloh frowned as he glanced at the tremin. “Has she said anything?”
“No.”
“I think we should get her body heat down. Take her to the pool.” Lynx stood decisively.
“Aye,” Kelvin said.
Shiloh scooped her up and strode down the incline to the pool. When the water came up to his waist, he dipped her under. She muttered a series of words. Lynx understood one.
Home.
They all wanted to go home, even him. He suspected Shiloh hankered after home too, although he hadn’t admitted as much. Even his mother’s scolding—her lectures about the proper behavior for a royal prince would be welcome right now.
When Shiloh dunked her under the cool water, Jannike started to struggle. Still not awake though.
“You hold her,” Lynx said. “I’ll splash water over her.”
“She’s lost weight.”
“We all have.” Lynx scooped up handfuls of water and let them dribble across her chest. Beneath her red garment, her nipples pulled tight. He tried not to notice, but his gaze kept tracking in that direction.
“She’s female,” Shiloh said, his voice husky.
Lynx’s gaze leaped to Shiloh’s, and he witnessed an answering heat in his friend. He straightened. “It’s wrong to think of sex when she’s sick.” Shiloh barked out a laugh at his words. Not surprising. Even he’d heard the pompous tone in his words. “I sound like Jarlath.”
Shiloh barked out another laugh. “As much as our brothers irritate me at times, I’d give almost anything to have them here bitching at us.”
“I was just thinking I’d even be pleased to see my mother.”
“Aye, having the queen lecture us would make things seem more normal.”
They stared at each other for a sec.
“I think we’re punch drunk or food deprived or something.”
“Definitely something,” Shiloh agreed. “Since the start of this adventure.”
Lynx stilled then scooped more water and dribbled liquid over Jannike’s forehead. The water ran through Jannike’s sweat-plastered hair. “Do you have regrets?”
“Not a one.”
“Me neither.”
“Good to know,” Shiloh whispered and his husky tone sent a pang of longing through Lynx.
Jannike jerked in Shiloh’s arms, a shiver racking her body.
Shiloh frowned. “The heat has left her limbs. She’s shivering.”
“How can she be cold now?”
“Bring her to shore.” Kelvin had taken the opportunity to drink more water while they tended to Jannike. He uprooted himself and studied them expectantly. “I suspect she needs warming now.”
“We’ll dry her off as best we can and wrap her in a blanket,” Shiloh said.
“No.” Kelvin set his hair rustling with a shake of his head. “She be requiring body heat to return to normal. Ye cuddle her. Sleep with her. That should do the trick.” Kelvin wandered back to their camp without looking back.
“Why can’t he warm her up?” Shiloh asked.
“Shiloh, this isn’t about sex. It’s a small thing to help Jannike survive.”
Jannike jerked within Shiloh’s arms, her body convulsing with the strength of her chills.
“Besides, Kelvin is already providing us with water. You’ve seen his expression when he does so. It pains him, yet he gives without complaint.”
Shiloh frowned. “I don’t know—the idea of anyone else touching you brings my feline to the surface. He’s not angry—more concerned. No, that’s not right either. All I know is that you belong to me and I want to show ownership.”
Mindful of Jannike’s jerking feet and unpredictable arms, Lynx reached out and squeezed Shiloh’s biceps. “I know. My feline is poised at attention. But think about this. I saw you eyeing her breasts. You wanted to touch, to strip away the red cloth. Admit it.”
“Yes.” A tinge of shame exited with the abrupt answer.
“I felt the same way. And we’re going to need to strip off her wet clothes if we have any chance of warming her to normal temperature.”
Shiloh groaned. “I was trying not to think about that. Makes walking difficult.”
Lynx glanced at Shiloh’s groin as he exited the water. He laughed and just like that, the residual doubt and angst coming from his feline settled. “We’re males. It happens.”
“Our camp or Kelvin’s?”
“Kelvin’s. We might require his help.”
Shiloh’s brows lifted, a quizzical smile asking a question.
“A chaperone.” Lynx gestured at his own groin. “I have no idea what is wrong with us, but I’m having the same problem. You’d think with all the coupling we’ve done this cycle our organs would want to rest.”
“You know what the queen would say?”
“My mother would say nothing.” Lynx chortled. “That sort of thing should never be mentioned.”
“Lynx, if we survive, I’d like to go home. At least for as long as it takes to become irritated with the folks’ attitudes toward our chosen occupations.”
“I’m not hiding our relationship, Shiloh.” Lynx lengthened his strides to keep pace. He stood clear while his friend settled Jannike on her blanket. “If we survive,” he continued, “it’s because our friendship is strong and I won’t hide my feelings. I don’t care what the king and queen say or our brothers. I’m not retreating to how we were before.” Passion rang in his voice. Determination.
“It won’t be easy.”
Lynx snorted. “When did we ever take the easy way? If the parents hate our relationship so much, we can relocate elsewhere. I find myself wanting a base—somewhere permanent to call home.”
“Yes.” Shiloh wasn’t much for speeches, but his reply held every answer Lynx sought. They were both in agreement, and that made happiness spread inside him.
“Phrull, she won’t keep still. I’ll hold her while you strip off her clothes,” Shiloh said.
Jannike remained unconscious, her limbs shuddering in great convulsions. Her teeth chattered and tiny chill bumps pebbled her arms and chest.
Lynx grasped the waistband of her black trews and when her hips lifted off the ground in a tremor of cold, he was ready. He peeled the fabric down, blinking when he saw the matching red covering her sex. “Pretty,” he murmured in appreciation as he stripped the clingy fabric down her thighs.
“They match,” Shiloh said. “I’ve never seen undergarments of this type.”
“She mentioned the planet Earth. Maybe she acquired them there.” Lynx removed them during the next series of shivers, trying not to stare at the revealed flesh.
“She was born in a lab,” Shiloh said. “See the faint blemish on her upper arm. That looks like an inoculation scar. They gave the fully developed babies vaccinations after a big disease scare.”
“Turn her over. I can’t see how this garment works.” He gave it an experimental tug then frowned. “Ah. I think I see the faste
ning.” He twisted the back where the pieces met at the middle of her back. “Yes. These parts need to come off her arms. Turn her back over.”
Shiloh turned her on her back. “I thought she said her stepfather sold her. If he required the currency, which is what she implied, then why did they order another child from the birth labs? I mean, they must have, since I got the impression Jannike wasn’t the youngest.”
“I don’t know. Unless their circumstances changed for some reason, and they could no longer afford to raise their children. Or maybe the stepfather wanted his own child. That’s the logical answer. Ah, there’s the slave brand she mentioned. I wish we knew more of this planet,” Lynx said. “We should have asked Jannike more questions.”
“We’ve had other problems to solve,” Shiloh stated. “You lie there and put your arms around her. Once she’s settled, I’ll go on her other side.”
To his relief Jannike relaxed as soon as he wrapped his arms around her. Her teeth still chattered, but she cuddled against his chest, the worst of the body spasms trailing off. Shiloh situated himself on her other side and wrapped his burly arm around her waist to draw Lynx closer to him as well.
“My cock feels as if it’s gonna burst.”
“Likewise,” Shiloh said. “I thought Kelvin said if we mated, this damn prickling would disappear. I can feel it now, hovering beneath my skin.”
“Same. And it’s wrong on so many levels when she’s not well. I wish I understood this mating thing.”
“At least her shivering has ceased. We’ve managed that. Try to go to sleep.”
“I don’t think I can. Talk to me. Any idea what we should do once this is over?” Lynx didn’t say if they escaped. Confidence made him speak with positivity.
“I like your idea of a home base. We have currency. We could purchase land and build a dwelling.”
“Yes.” Lynx liked the idea, picturing it in his mind with ease. “Land for us to run and play in feline form. Enough space in our dwelling so we can invite our friends to visit.”
“I’d like to see Cimmaron again. I hope she’s managed to stay out of the clutches of her captain. That male wanted her bad.”
Lynx thought about their friend—a Dlog woman—who’d gone outside the bounds of normal female Dlog behavior. She’d worked and saved and paid her way until she qualified as a pilot. Most Dlog women mated early and settled with a male. “I’d like that. What else?”
“I don’t want to give up trade, but I don’t want to continue full time. I’d be happy to do the odd trip. Maybe we could set up as merchants in the city. Hire and train some of the orphan youngsters from the lower city and give them a chance at a future.”
Between them Jannike ceased shivering, gave a soft sigh and seemed to drop deeper into slumber.
Lynx relaxed too and let his mind test Shiloh’s vision. “I like the idea of a new future. If we can’t find a place to settle on Viros, perhaps we could live on one of the nearby planets.”
“Yes. This is a good plan.”
“I like it.” Lynx spoiled his words with a hearty yawn. “We will discuss this further.”
A masculine snore greeted his words, and despite the slumbering female separating their bodies, he smiled. He’d never felt closer to his best friend.
Jannike was having the greatest dream ever.
Sex.
Lust roared through her mind, her heart, her body to settle in her pussy. Warm arms surrounded her, held her with love. Heat seared both her front and her back, and this threw her. Two men?
For a sec her mind faltered at the absurdity of having two lovers, then she realized this was a dream, and why the hell not? This was her dream, and she could do anything she wanted.
She released the tension from her muscles and settled to enjoy the pure fantasy.
One muscular thigh parted her legs, slid against the warmth of her pussy. Sensations tore from the point of contact, and she began to move, rubbing herself against the firm muscles. Pleasure. Blissful pleasure. She pressed harder, faster, desperate to relieve the building ache.
A hand grasped her breast and tugged on her nipple, the sharp jolt of pain driving her over. She toppled in freefall, diving into her orgasm with greedy pleasure.
Her heart beat a fraction faster, and she couldn’t halt her cries of enjoyment. Yes. Oh yes.
A masculine chuckle sounded right next to her ear. Her eyes flew open and another cry escaped.
Lynx. Naked. Shiloh. Naked. And she’d just…
“No. Phrull, no.” She scrambled to her feet, realized she wore not a scrap of clothing. Very naked. She crossed her arms and attempted to hide her breasts. Where the hellfire were her clothes? Her gaze darted left and right until she spotted them in a wet heap. A desperate woman couldn’t afford choosiness. She bounded over to her clothes, seized her trews and shoved one foot into a leg. Speed put her off-balance and she hopped, tripped over a tuff of grass and fell on her arse.
“Let me help.” Lynx’s lips quivered as if he was trying not to laugh.
“Stay away from me.” She backpedaled, using her hands and feet like an Earth crab. Not very dignified since she was still naked. “Look the other way. Who took off my clothes? Why?”
Shiloh lifted his hands in surrender and halted his advance. “We were trying to help. You had an episode. Your temperature rose dangerously, and we had to dunk you in the pool.”
“My trews are soaked.” Jannike scrambled to her feet, tried not to think about them staring at her naked body and pulled the wet trews up her legs. When she glanced up, she caught both men ogling her breasts, and she folded her arms over her chest and glared at them.
Lynx bent to pick up something, and when he straightened, he dangled her bra on one finger.
“Give me that,” she snapped, incensed to feel heat collecting in her cheeks as she snatched her bra. “Turn around and stop gawking.”
“Make me.” Shiloh’s expression held challenge.
Lynx spluttered, his grin growing to sand worm proportions. He sauntered over to the nearest rock formation and leaned on it, his green eyes dancing with mirth. “Our days have been crappy lately. We take our amusement where we can.”
“I was asleep,” she said, off-balance and not up to the task of using her fists. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“But you did it well,” Shiloh said.
“I can smell you on his leg.” Lynx’s lips twitched in a macabre dance of humor.
“Shut up,” she snapped. “Where are my panties?”
“Panties.” Lynx savored the word in his mouth like a ripe piece of fruit. “Panties. Is that what those undergarments are called?”
“Here they are.” Shiloh dangled the scrap of red lace between finger and thumb.
“I’m going for a swim to wash my clothes.” She stomped toward the pool and stopped abruptly when she heard footsteps from behind. She glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t require an escort.”
“You were ill. It came on without warning.” Shiloh followed her. “We’ve made it this far, and it would be silly for you to drown because of your sensibilities.”
Jannike felt her mouth drop open. “My sensibilities? You big oaf. I’ll give you sensibilities.” She executed a flawless kick, one that had taken Ry down before, and missed. Shiloh grabbed her foot and hauled her into his arms with an ease that prodded her temper.
“Let me go!” Her struggles didn’t loosen his grip, but she kept fighting. Goddess, what was wrong with her? She was acting like a panicked virgin. Panting with exhaustion, she ceased fighting yet didn’t relax.
“Shiloh, let her go.” Lynx’s mouth quivered yet again, his eyes dancing right along in echoing humor.
“Are you trying to injure me?” Shiloh asked.
“Yes.” She tried to relax, sucked in a big breath. A mistake.
The roar of engines from overhead halted their conversation.
They were here! Excitement and relief suffused Jannike. Ry and the crew had come for h
er. Finally.
She scanned the sky and puffed out in disappointment. Too small for the Indy. The Indy’s tender was black with silver trim. This craft was a deep blue.
“Friend or foe?” Shiloh asked.
“Not my friends. I don’t recognize the ship. No, wait. That ship comes from the dome. The blue-and-gold shield on the side denotes Manx Two.”
They all tracked the trajectory of the ship.
“I don’t like it. They’re not attempting to land,” Lynx said.
Shiloh nodded. “They might know about the sand worm. They definitely would if they’d had contact with the men on the motor-skids.”
“Too late to hide. They’ve seen us.” Jannike’s tone was grim.
The blue ship did another tight circle of the haven before flying off.
“Well.” Jannike planted her hands on her hips. “Maybe it’s time to rejig our plan.”
Chapter Twelve
The communicator beeped, and Ursola stabbed her finger at the receive button. “Yes.”
“The pilot captured images of the escapees. Three humanoid. Two males. One female. I’m sending the images through now,” Alain said. “We were able to identify the female since her identity was in the slave catalogue.”
Interest peaked in Ursola. A slave. How interesting. Her fingers manipulated the data Alain sent through. Two males. Both big. Dark hair. Green eyes. Handsome specimens that would bring a good price from collectors. The female’s face came on the screen and Ursola caught her breath.
Jannike—a name cemented in her brain.
The slave who’d stolen her husband.
The slave who’d managed to escape her wrath.
The slave who’d thumbed her nose at Ursola.
A slow smile spread across her face and possibilities spread before her like a decadent treat.
“Send the team of soldiers. I want these specimens taken alive, especially the woman.”
* * * * *
“We’re not going down without a fight.” Determination burned on Shiloh’s warrior face. “We make it difficult for them.”
“Agreed,” Lynx said.
“Running is the best option, but not in this heat.” Jannike swiped a hand over her brow. The solar-star meandered, low in the sky, yet already sweat coated her skin. Her stomach punctuated her statement with a rumble.
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