by J. J. Lore
“Do you want to refrain from intercourse?” Deklan hated to ask the question because he feared Leo would say yes. If his bondmate wished to abstain, he would have to as well. Their connection was too strong to exclude each other from such a powerful act.
“No.” Leo’s quick denial cheered Deklan, but his next words hit home. “But she might. She probably does. She’s so small, Deklan, and the things we did to her have certainly made her sore. We need to abstain this evening. Perhaps longer. What if she’s had these hours to reflect and regret what happened between us?”
Ah, so that’s what worried Leo, just as it worried Deklan. Their compatibility even extended to this shared anxiety. “Do you regret it?”
Leo shook his head once and took a long moment to reply. “No. Aside from the pleasure of the act itself, I’m grateful to have experienced such a thing. It’s as close as we’ll come to a bond with another. My only regret is knowing we’re to be denied that fulfillment because of my injury.”
Deklan wished they weren’t going to have this discussion again, but given Leo’s low mood, it was probably inevitable. The rain made their scars ache, and the pain brought up old memories. “Leo, being wounded in combat wasn’t your fault.”
“Yes, but you coming to help me, and being injured in turn, is my responsibility. If you’d left me under that wreckage, that Xyran would never have been able to creep up on you and lash your back. Cowards, attacking a warrior from behind—” Leo broke off with a growl.
“It was battle. All’s fair. I’d rather be here, with you, than living if you had died.” Deklan stared at his bondmate, willing him to accept. As if he could have fallen back with the rest of the cohort when their position was overrun to leave his bondmate pinned beneath a fallen wall, his feet crushed by rubble, easy prey for the charging Xyrans. The laser lashes across his back had been a small price to pay.
Leo sighed deeply and finally met his gaze, deep sadness in his eyes. Deklan pulled him in for an embrace, needing to reassure and be reassured in turn. His bondmate’s body was resistant a moment, but he relaxed enough to throw his arms around Deklan’s shoulders for a brief, tight hug.
“I think our interaction with Aura has shaken me,” Leo said as he drew away.
“I kept making mistakes all day. Thinking of her has distracted me so,” Deklan admitted, hoping to ease Leo’s tension. His bondmate laughed and nodded ruefully. “Let’s go home and let her set the pace with us. I won’t even touch her unless she reaches for me first.”
His promise would be difficult to keep, but if it would help Leo relax, he’d keep his hands behind his back all evening. It would make for a messy mealtime, however. Perhaps Aura would bind him up and feed him instead.
They squelched through the mud and mist, the line of residential buildings barely visible through all the precipitation. Deklan peered at the cabin as they approached and wondered if Aura had rested today as he’d instructed her to do. Suddenly the door opened, and a slight figure emerged into the rain, hunched over but moving quickly in their direction.
Leo immediately grunted and sped up, intercepting her before she’d gotten too far from their home and lifting her up. She was wearing a borrowed tunic that fell past her knees and some insulated leggings that bagged around her ankles.
“What are you doing?” His bondmate didn’t wait for her reply but stomped toward the door and its protective overhang as Aura wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You don’t even have shoes on,” Deklan added as he looked her over. She blinked as raindrops misted down and dampened her hair. She’d braided it up into some complicated pattern, and he wanted to pull it apart, drag those silky strands across his knuckles as she took him in her mouth again.
“I … I knew you were coming, and I’d been so lonely all day,” she stammered as they reached the cover of the roof. Leo handed her over, then bent to remove his muddy boots and brush the worst of the damp from his tunic. Deklan relished having her pressed close and was pleased beyond measure she’d wanted to see them. It eased his worry she might be withdrawing.
“But to rush out in the mud with no shoes on,” Leo growled as he inspected her feet, heedless of the sticky dirt adhering to them. “You could have stepped on something and injured yourself.”
“I don’t have any shoes.” Aura squeaked when he apparently reached a ticklish spot, and he frowned at her. Deklan was aghast they hadn’t thought to supply her with more clothing. He’d just pictured her naked or wrapped in a sheet and thought it adequate.
“Apologies, Aura, we should have taken care of that.” Deklan gave Leo, the provisioning expert, a sharp look, and his bondmate had the grace to look away and clear his throat. Aura moved her arm to circle around his shoulder and gave a sigh as she patted his chest.
Mindful that someone might be watching, Deklan handed her back over to Leo who carried her into the house. Moving as quickly as he could, he shed his own wet footwear, shook off the worst of the damp, and entered their home. He shut the door behind him and almost immediately forgot about the world outside. The noise of running water and low voices drew him to the bathroom, and he entered to find Leo had propped Aura on the edge of the tub and was spraying off her feet and shaking his head as she plucked at his damp clothes. He soon had her lower legs clean and the deep tub rinsed of grime.
“You’re both all wet,” Aura said, turning to pull at his sodden tunic. “Don’t you have umbrellas?”
Leo furrowed his brows and declined to respond. Instead he rose with a wince and began to pull towels from a cabinet.
Deklan decided to take the bait. He took a seat near her on the edge of the tub, but didn’t touch her as he wanted. Aura wasn’t so restrained. She slid one of her hands over and grasped at his thumb. “What’s an umbrella?” he asked.
She smiled, her blue eyes sparkling, and Deklan felt an answering grin curl his mouth. He’d been looking forward to this all day, he suddenly realized. Something as simple as talking about inconsequential things with Aura, assembling their evening meal with Leo, both gave him deep contentment. Leo cupped one of his big hands around her elbow, and she obediently lifted her arms up so Leo could remove her damp tunic. She was wearing one of Deklan’s old strap shirts underneath, her breasts filling out the ribbed knit with beautiful curves. She must have taken a chill because her dinap peaked against the soft fabric.
“An umbrella is a metal frame holding up a bowl of waterproof cloth. You hold it over your head to keep the rain off.”
“Wouldn’t it fill with water and be unwieldy?”
Her eyes crinkled, and she laughed, a light, infectious sound that made his belly flutter. And his staff straighten. Leo glanced between them and leaned over to run water in the tub. “No, it cups down over your head.”
She lifted her arms and made an arching circle to demonstrate. Leo grasped one of her hands and encouraged her to stand, then pulled her borrowed leggings down, the wet hems catching around her ankles until Deklan caught on and leaned over to slide the garment off. Aura braced her free hand against his shoulder as steam filled the air around them. She wasn’t wearing anything under the leggings, and he had a close view of the delicate curls between her legs.
“Leo, what are you doing?” Aura asked in a quiet voice.
“You’re chilled from the rain. A warm bath will help bring your internal temperature up.”
Aura slid her hand from Deklan’s shoulder up his neck to push her fingers into his hair, her nails scratching his scalp. Her fingertips ran along the base of one of his horns, and the sensitive skin there tingled. His staff, already stiffening, pulsed. He hadn’t touched her, as he’d promised, but this was getting difficult.
“What about your temperatures?” Aura lifted her leg to step into the tub, and Deklan was treated to a flash of her rosy quonum. Forcing himself to concentrate, he steadied her as she found her footing and turned to look at both of them. There was a glimmer of something in her eyes, and then she reached down to pull up the st
rap shirt, slowly dragging it up her body until first one, then the other round breast bounced free. The distended little nubs of her dinap made his mouth water. “You were out in the rain far longer than I was.”
“We’re fine,” Leo gruffly assured her as he swirled his hand in the water to check the temperature. Aura shuffled closer and slid her fingers into his bondmate’s hair just as she had his a moment before. Her fingers circled his horns, and Leo’s body jerked.
“I’ve been alone all day.” Her voice was quiet, and there was a quiet throb of something that tugged at his heart. “Please stay with me.”
“We won’t leave you.” Deklan’s quick assurance rewarded him with a smile from Aura and a dark look from his bondmate. Hot water splashed around her calves. What was Leo’s objection? Communal baths were a common part of Alphan life.
“Will you join me?” Aura lowered herself to a seat, modestly crossing her legs to hide her quonum from view. She floated her hands in the water and glanced at each of them. Deklan didn’t really care if Leo was reluctant. He stood and stripped off his wet clothing, letting it fall on the tile in a sodden heap. His hard staff, finally free from confining cloth, swelled as rushing blood gathered in his groin. Aura appraised his body as he stepped into the tub. He sat near her and allowed the hot water to cover him, looking up at Leo with a quizzical expression. He knew his bondmate’s scarred feet bothered him on rainy days like this, and a soak in the hot water would do him good. His own nerve-damaged back was feeling better already.
Letting out a deep sigh, Leo pulled off his tunic and trousers and joined them in the bath. Some of the lines on his face relaxed, and Deklan smiled with contentment. This was a very good place to be. Aura moved her feet, one smooth sole brushing up against his thigh, and he captured it with his hand, holding it steady against him. She smiled then looked at Leo, and he knew she was placing her foot against him because he jumped and stared at her.
“I apologize for not getting you some appropriate clothing, Aura. I will go to stores this evening and collect what you require.” Leo moved his shoulders, and she jumped. Had his bondmate touched her under the water?
“Th-thank you, Leo,” she stuttered, her cheeks flushing even pinker.
“Are you getting warmer?” Leo asked as the water between him and Aura rippled.
“Yes, thank you for your ah … concern.” Her eyelids fluttered, and she sighed a bit as she arched back. Deklan’s already erect and demanding staff throbbed in the hot water. What was Leo doing to her?
Suddenly, Aura pushed away from the edge of the tub and draped herself over Leo’s form. His bondmate’s hands grasped at her back, and Deklan watched his golden fingers slide along Aura’s creamy skin. Running from her shoulders, down her back, then further underwater. Probably cupping her buttocks, perhaps even delving into the sweet crease that ran between her legs.
Deklan swallowed hard. Aura murmured something and wrapped her hands around Leo’s neck as she rubbed against the other man’s chest. He could imagine how that felt, to have all that soft, wet flesh pressing up against him. Leo murmured a denial to her, and she sighed. Needing some relief from the pressure, Deklan sent his hand underwater to stroke his staff a few times. Leo growled, and Aura groaned, then turned her head to look at him, her eyes dark and heavy-lidded.
“Deklan, please come here.”
She didn’t need to ask twice. He propelled himself over to them, folding his legs to accommodate Leo’s outstretched limbs. She reached out an arm and cupped his cheek, leaning over to give him a gentle kiss. Feeling as though that was a good enough signal for him to reciprocate, he touched her hip and slid his fingers along her wet belly to encounter Leo’s hand between her legs. He looked past Aura’s shoulder and gave his bondmate a stare. So much for them keeping their hands to themselves.
Aura busied herself with sucking on his neck for a few seconds, then balanced herself between them, her hands stroking their chests and dinap as the water lapped around them. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth, likely in time to the strokes Leo was administering sight unseen. Her eyes fluttered open as her body quivered.
“Deklan, please touch her now,” Leo said, his voice low and rough. Deklan appreciated his bondmate’s generosity.
A dark thrill filled him, and he caught Aura’s gaze with his own. She gave a slight nod and moved closer to him, her thighs sliding along his hips. He ran his hand down her side, across her belly, then found the cleft between her legs. He rubbed his finger along it, encountering folds of tender flesh until he found a dimple that gave under his touch. Aura gusted out a moan and nodded her head rapidly.
“Go inside me,” she whispered. With infinite care he pressed in, marveling at how her body clenched around him, at how much hotter her sheath was than the water surrounding them. She latched her arms around his shoulders and rocked against him, the water holding her up enough that it felt like she weighed near nothing.
Deklan’s desire was swelling to painful proportions, his need to sink both his staff and his tesak in her more urgent by the second.
“I need to … I need…” Aura trailed off, unable to articulate her requirements, but Deklan was clear on what he wanted. He rose, water sheeting down his body, and held out a hand to Aura to rise as well. She did, swaying as Leo supported her as she stepped from the tub onto a rumpled mat. He and his bondmate toweled her off, then themselves. She always had a hand on them, brushing up against their chests, trailing down an arm. The connection sizzled among the three of them. Deklan could feel Leo’s arousal ramping up alongside his own, and Aura’s presence, too, new, different, softer and yet more intense, made him ache with need.
****
Aura was in a haze. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she’d been drugged. The day had passed in a lazy series of naps and eating snacks from Leo and Deklan’s well-stocked larder until she’d become unaccountably agitated late in the afternoon. Terrible longing for them had filled her, and she’d waited at the window, finally spying their familiar figures through the mist. She’d opened the door and impulsively rushed out into the rain and mud when she’d seen them. Then they’d been touching her and talking to her, and she’d relaxed into a blissful state of just being with them. There was no accounting for it, and she decided to blame her near-death experience for her sudden need for lots of sex. She’d never desired any man with the intensity she felt towards Deklan and Leo. They’d bewitched her.
Her skin was soft and warm after the impromptu bath, and she reveled in the way both Alphans carefully dried her with the rough towels. For a moment, both knelt at her feet as they worked on her calves, and she rested her hands on their massive, flexing arms, feeling like she might float away if she didn’t keep hold. Leo stood up suddenly, catching her over his shoulder in a rush that made her gasp. They so easily lifted and carried her. The way they gentled their strength around her made her feel even smaller and more fragile.
He walked out of the bathroom, Deklan following, as she braced her hands against his broad back, looking down at the flexing curves of his buttocks.
After their much appreciated manual stimulations in the bath, she was very aroused and anxious for more from them. She didn’t analyze why she was so comfortable with sharing herself with two men at the same time. It was something she’d never done before, but with Deklan and Leo it seemed like the most fulfilling thing in the world. Four hands on her, two mouths, two cocks to please her.
Leo’s statement that they couldn’t take her at the same time had rattled around in her brain throughout the quiet day. Even though she’d accepted their terms earlier and had been lightly relieved she wouldn’t have to undertake something that intimate so quickly, she had grown increasingly intrigued. Why couldn’t they? Just thinking of how they’d fill her made her clit ache. She felt Leo’s chest swell with a deep breath at the same moment. He braced his big hands against her buttocks and shoulders as he laid her back against their wide bed. She looked up at the two gold-skin
ned men staring down at her, identical expressions of hot desire on their faces, their cocks at the ready. Someone looking in from the outside might see this as a frightening scene, a defenseless woman about to be ravaged by remorseless aliens, but all she wanted was their bodies on hers. She spread her legs slightly, hoping it was enough of an invitation.
“We aren’t going to penetrate you, Aura,” Leo announced as he sank down next to her. Deklan frowned and glanced at his bondmate, then leaned over to come close to her other side. She was hemmed in by two big, hard bodies and hearing that they wouldn’t touch her, stroke her skin to make her breath race and pussy wet shocked her.
“Why not?”
“Because you are certainly sore from this morning. You’re very small and … tight, so our rough use of you won’t happen again. In the tub you could barely accommodate my finger. Our staffs would injure you.”
She frowned, mirroring Deklan’s expression of dismay. She sensed Leo set the pace between the two Alphans, but clearly neither understood how a woman’s body worked. “I’m fine. A little sore, but in a good way.”
Leo shook his head and shot a forbidding look at his bondmate. “I told you we hurt her, Deklan. In our inexperience we injured her.”
Inexperience? She’d known she was their first human woman, but surely Alphan females weren’t so different considering how anatomically compatible she was with Deklan and Leo. “Are Alphan women that much larger than me?”
Deklan and Leo looked at each other and shrugged. “We don’t really know.”
Aura glanced back and forth between them, sure she was missing something vital. “How could you not…”
“Women are rare on our world. We go into training at a young age and don’t see many females in the course of our deployments.” Aura was shocked that he’d so casually confirmed the rumors she’d heard, but Leo seemed completely relaxed about it as he traced one fingertip down the center of her body, stopping when he reached the soft mound above her throbbing pussy. He was so close to her clit she arched up, hoping he’d continue his caress, but he froze. His cock was warm and hard next to her hip, just as Deklan’s was.