Her Savage Mates

by Jayne Ripley

  They glared at each other. The tension that filled the air like smoke grew even thicker. It choked the life out of the room. Darkon watched him, waiting, ready for anything.

  “Stop,” Jennifer said, her voice nearly a whisper, but it cut through the building tension as if she had screamed it.

  Immediately, they both turned her way. While they had been facing off against each other, Jennifer had walked into the room from the suite’s long hallway. This was the second time she had surprised them when they’d been staring each other down. He was going to have to put some kind of tracking device on her.

  But by the five gods of Vakar, she was beautiful. There were no other words for her.

  Simply beautiful.

  Jennifer wore an elegant, sea-foam green gown that perfectly complemented her figure. Her hour-glass shape was on full, distracting display. Darkon had to bite his tongue to stop a needy groan at the sight of so much wonderful cleavage. That creamy skin simply demanded the attention of his lips, his hands, his tongue. He didn’t know how many nerve-endings a Terran female had in her body, but he was determined to have every single one of hers in absolute ecstasy before he was through.

  Her blonde hair shone like liquid gold in the soft light, falling around her face and brushing against the tops of her shoulders. He wanted to touch that too, to feel its silken smoothness, to push it away from her neck, revealing tempting flesh for his kisses. He wanted to run his fingers through that golden hair, to tilt her head up so he could claim those full lips that demanded a worshipful kiss.

  As distracted as he was by the sight of her, he could tell that Jennifer sensed the dangerous tension between them. Her gaze jumped from him to Nahkar and back, and from the look in her eyes, she understood what was wrong.

  Her cheeks held a faint blush to them. She was obviously not used to this much attention. Not from two alpha males at once. Because that was what they were. Darkon might be second place in points in the arena, but he was no second place in spirit. He would challenge Nahkar with his dying breath if need be. Jennifer was worth it. He would say it a thousand times.

  But that blush wasn’t the whole story. Her blue eyes also hardened and flashed with anger. Her scowl was as fierce as any Darkon could summon.

  She was clearly not pleased.

  He needed to say something quickly to defuse this situation. This wasn’t how he’d imagined the rest of this night going.

  “Nahkar and I were having a little discussion,” Darkon told her calmly, wondering if Nahkar would agree to leave it there.

  But part of him didn’t want to leave it there. He wanted this out in the open. After fighting tonight, after seeing Nahkar almost die, and under the threat of losing Jennifer forever, he had no more patience. Now that he finally saw something he wanted, he was determined to have it. Oh her, in this case. Life was too short for “could have beens.”

  “Darkon was once again showing me why he will always be second place,” Nahkar said, flexing his muscles, just to draw attention to them. It seemed he was willing to play along, not wanting to upset Jennifer. He was clearly trying to distract her with his muscles.

  It turned out to be a juvenile move. Jennifer was not in the mood to be teased or distracted. He didn’t think he had ever seen her this upset. Not even after Darkon had kicked Nahkar in the head that one time.

  Now that was a memory that could make him smile.

  “Stop,” Jennifer said quietly, looking Nahkar right in the eye. “Never lie to me again.”

  She walked across the room to stand in front of the huge Ikestran warrior. She was beautiful, stunning, the light trapped in the ringlets of her hair, the color of her blue eyes so bright they seemed to shine with their own light. When she stood in front of Nahkar, she seemed so tiny. He towered over her physically.

  But right now, he seemed thrown off-balance by her intensity, her no-nonsense attitude. She had put him on the defensive.

  Darkon suppressed a smile. There was so much to this Terran. He was eager to learn more. He had learned much in the days leading up to tonight, but he wanted to know all the details about her. Every love and pleasure, every hope and fear, every cherished dream. He wanted to hear more about her childhood, her family, and about the things she had done and places she had seen. Even though he knew it would be painful for her to think of them, he still wanted to know them all, to share them with her in the only way he could. They were the parts that helped make up this female he admired so much, this human he needed to have in his life. He would share her in the da’katal, that was his people’s way, but he would not lose her. He would not give her up. They were long past the possibility that he could.

  Nahkar frowned at her. “You are angry.”

  “Yes, I’m angry,” she replied.

  He seemed confused. “Why?”

  “Because I’ve had enough of the chest pounding. Enough of the posturing.” She leaned toward him. Right then, she seemed to loom even more than Nahkar usually did. “And never lie to me again. When I ask what is going on and you two are about to fight over some stupid-ass male testosterone thing, do not—I repeat, do not—lie to me. This is the last time I’m going to tell either of you. Do you understand me?”

  Shock showed on Nahkar’s face. He blinked at her. Then he slowly nodded. “I hear your words, mate.”

  Jennifer’s eyes still held their fire as she stared back at him, gauging whether or not he meant what he’d said. Then she rounded on Darkon. Her pretty blue eyes blazed with the ferocity of a warrior. “Do you understand me?”

  He couldn’t help his amused smirk. This was a female whose soul burned with the true fire. He loved it. She was truly worthy of them.

  Now the real question was, were they still worthy of her?

  “Every word was clear,” Darkon told her, meeting her eyes. “The truth is, we were arguing over you. Again.”

  Her eyes narrowed even more. He felt a burst of chagrin at how they’d been on the verge of blows again over who would have a chance at her. Now that she was in the room with them, it seemed stupid and childish. But that was how much they both wanted her. If she chose Nahkar over him, it would crush his heart to dust. That would be a loss he would never recover from.

  “You were about to fight again,” she said, sounding exasperated and angry. “I’m not an idiot. I can see it.”

  Nahkar answered first. “Yes. We were about to fight for you. That is how important you are. Our fight would honor you. Only the strongest is worthy of you.”

  She wheeled on him, getting angrier than ever. “Is that what you think I want? Two men fighting over me? A bunch of chest-pounding nonsense where one or both of you is hurt? How do you think that would make me feel? Happy? Special? Or would it tear out my heart and stomp on it seeing people I care for suffering because of me?”

  The question hung in the air like a zero-gravity mine, ready to explode.

  “You deserve the best,” Nahkar replied carefully. Clearly, he knew how close to an explosion she was as well. For once in his life, he was being careful.

  “And the best is you, Nahkar?” she demanded.

  “Yes.”

  She turned back to Darkon, anger in every beautiful line of her body. “What about you? Do you think I deserve the best?”

  “There isn’t anyone in the galaxy good enough for you,” he told her gravely. “But I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”

  He expected his words to either make her angrier or to touch her heart.

  He didn’t expect laughter.

  He…was actually a little offended by it.

  She stood there and laughed. She covered her eyes, shaking her head, laughing as he and Nahkar shared an uncertain glance. Had she lost her mind? What about this was funny? He had spoken from the heart and she laughed?

  “Males,” she said, her laughter finally trailing off. “You have to love them, but only because they are so clueless.”

  Nahkar looked annoyed, but Darkon was already grinn
ing. A fair point. And he would take her laughter over her anger any time.

  She let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. “I wanted a nice evening with both of you. Both of you. Because tonight I nearly lost you both. Seeing you fight in that horrible arena made me realize how tenuous and precious life is. I haven’t known either of you for all that long, not when it comes to the clock…” She met Darkon’s gaze, then she gently reached out and touched Nahkar’s wrist. “But time can do funny things. Because the days I’ve spent trapped here have made me feel very close to both of you. I feel like I know you as well as any of my bestest friends—or as well as any of my past lovers…” She shrugged. “Not that they were any great shakes as men, but that’s another story.”

  From Nahkar’s expression, he wanted to go find these lackluster boyfriends in her past and kick their asses for failing her. As for Darkon…he agreed with Nahkar. It made no sense to him how a male could have a wonderful female like this and not appreciate every second spent with her. To have her love you would be like warmth on an ice planet. So very precious.

  “We feel the same as you do, Jennifer,” Nahkar said. He glanced at Darkon, and there was a measure of peace in his eyes. A willingness to accept a truce. Either her anger or her honest words had calmed the possessiveness of the mara vrhon. The other possibility was that Nahkar had mastered the power of the mating urge on his own.

  That impressed him. Ikestrans were not known for being subtle or emotionally refined. The fact that Nahkar thought of Jennifer as his mate made the gesture even more profound. They should have blades out, fighting to the death over her.

  But Jennifer changed things as she always did. She was like a bond that held them together, kept them sane.

  “If you feel the same as me,” Jennifer asked him quietly, “then why are you fighting?”

  “Because…we both want you,” Nahkar said in frustration.

  She squeezed his hand and gave him an almost-shy smile. “But that’s just it. We can fix this. But we have to want to.”

  Darkon’s heart jumped into his throat. Did she mean…? Was she going to suggest a threesome? For him, it was almost too much to hope for, despite how he’d been pushing for it from the beginning. In the da’katal, he would not have to fight Nahkar for her. He would not have to destroy their odd friendship and camaraderie. He could still have this wonderful, amazing Terran in his world. It would bring all of them closer together. Still, he knew his people’s customs weren’t for everyone. He didn’t say anything, daring to hope he was right.

  “How do we fix this?” Nahkar asked, his voice gruff. But it was clear he wanted to make things right.

  “I don’t want to have to choose between you. I can’t. What law is there in the universe that I have to choose between two males who…who want me? Who want to protect me and care for me and make me feel good? Because that’s what you both want, isn’t it?”

  “That,” Darkon assured her, knowing his eyes were heated with his building desire. Her words were already stirring him. “That, and so much more.”

  Her cheeks went pink again, but she only nodded. She looked back at Nahkar. “Where I come from, the female usually doesn’t say this to the man. Not right away. Lots of times we play hard to get. We make the guys work for it. It’s like a fun game, and it’s a thrill being courted.” Her lips curved in a coy smile. “Not that I’m saying I don’t want to be romanced and courted. I’m not going to make it easy on either of you. But I’m going to be honest because I think I need to be honest in this situation. All three of us come from very different places, different cultures. We need to understand that. We need to be honest to avoid hurting each other.”

  Nahkar snorted, and there was respect in his eyes. “It shames me to admit it, but you are wiser than I am, my little mate.”

  She shook her head, watching him closely. “No shame. We never shame each other. We don’t hurt each other. We don’t lie. Right here, right now, we agree to be da’katal. We agree to a ménage relationship. We share each other. You are both good friends, and I wouldn’t dream of coming between you. If you…care for me, desire me, then both of you can love me. That will make us closer than ever.”

  Darkon was watching her intently. “This is what you want, Jennifer Smith of Terra?”

  She looked him in the eyes, her expression just as serious. “This is what I want, Darkon Trava of…I forget the name of your planet, I’m so sorry.”

  He laughed. “Ketera. Don’t worry. I’m not offended. You’ve had to make a huge adjustment to this universe. There is so much new information to learn. Being torn away from your home has forced a far greater adjustment on you than Nahkar and I ever had to endure. I know it has been tough for you, but finding you has been the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  Jennifer’s eyes filled with emotion at his words. She nodded, her eyes shining, and bit her lip as she glanced at Nahkar again. “So, I told you what I want. What do you want?”

  “I do not know why, but I feel helpless to deny you anything,” Nahkar replied, frowning and shaking his head slightly. He seemed puzzled but accepting of it. “If your heart is set on this, my sweet little mate, then I will join in this Quindon ritual. I will be the best at it. Because your well-being, your happiness is more important than anything else to me. If this is how I must have you, then I thank the gods they have given me this much.”

  Darkon found himself strangely touched by his friend’s words. Jennifer seemed touched too.

  Then Nahkar threw a cocky glance Darkon’s way. “We can compete to see who can make her feel the most pleasure,” he said cheerfully. “When I win, it will be clear I am the superior lover.”

  Darkon snorted. “I accept that challenge.”

  Jennifer’s cheeks flared bright pink. “Guys. I’m right here. I can hear everything you are saying.”

  “Perfect,” Nahkar said, his voice thick with desire. “So you will hear when I describe how I will drive your pleasure higher than you have ever felt before. When I capture those perfect lips, you will be the focus of the universe for me. And when I slide my cock into your heat, I will plunder every bit of you until you lose every shred of control and come apart around me.” He leaned in closer, his voice a promising growl. “And that will only be your first orgasm.”

  She was staring at him with wide eyes. Her breathing had quickened. Darkon could tell by her look and her scent that her arousal was increasing exponentially. Now that it was clear where the three of them were headed tonight, her body seemed to be reacting with an eagerness that thrilled him to his core. His Terran female was turned on. Knowing she was aroused dialed his own arousal up by a thousand percent.

  Not to be outdone, Darkon jumped in. “I’m glad you’re listening too. Then you will hear me perfectly when I describe how I will kiss every inch of your body, caress every millimeter of skin, and lay claim to every curve. My tongue will tease you, taste you, your scent, your juices, and I promise to drive you out of your mind with it until you’re coming so hard you are helpless to do anything but moan. And that’s before I ever put my cock in you. Your body has never been worshiped the way I will worship it.”

  She swallowed hard. Her eyes were wider than ever. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again as if their combined words had driven all thought from her pretty head. Good. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy, and this was a good first step.

  With Nahkar’s help, they would give her a night she would never forget. The first of many, he prayed, refusing to be distracted by the fear that this might be their only night together.

  Instead, he would cling tightly to his optimism. She deserved to be loved. More than anyone he knew, Jennifer deserved some happiness in her life. He intended to give her all he could. That was his only goal. To make her feel as special as she truly was. Three would become more than three. Love would be made stronger by its depth. Such was the way of the da’katal.

  Darkon moved from where he’d been sitting, closing in
on her. He couldn’t stay away from her for a second longer.

  Nahkar was closer to her, but he did not move to take her first. Surprisingly, Nahkar let him be the first to claim her lips. That, more than anything, told him they had a chance. They could make this love work if they tried.

  Darkon slipped his arms around her, loving the feel of her feminine curves. Her breasts, her hips, the graceful arch of her neck and back. He drew her in close, letting her feel how maddeningly aroused he was. His cock was harder than a steel beam. All because of her.

  The kiss was all he’d imagined and more. Her lips were soft, yielding to him as he claimed them. She parted them as he deepened the kiss, the intensity of his own passion driving him on. To his delight, she slipped her tongue past his lips and teased him on her own, showing him he wasn’t the only one who could use a tongue.

  They lost themselves in the kiss, but when they finally drew apart, she was trembling. Not with fear, but with her body’s reaction to him.

  It made him feel a thrill more powerful than any he’d experienced in the arena. More powerful than any he’d experienced as a royal prince of the house Matrava. It was incomparable. It was everything.

  Poor Jennifer did not get a chance to recover for long. Nahkar gently but irresistibly slipped his arms around her and drew her to him. She went into his embrace with a naughty smile, melting against him as he claimed her lips for himself. He kissed her just as deeply, his passion for her completely evident. The sight of them together only turned Darkon on even more. The intensity of the passion in the room was driving all their arousal levels even higher. He was so groxxing turned on that it was difficult to think clearly.

  When Nahkar and Jennifer finally came up for air, she was leaning against them both, holding on for dear life.

  She gave a stunned little laugh that pleased him. He expected her to ask them to slow down, give her more time.

  Instead, she looked at each of them, her eyes flashing with desire unleashed.

  “Get me to the bedroom,” she whispered breathlessly. Her pupils were dilated, her skin flushed, her lips swollen from their kisses.