by J. J. Lore
Deklan smiled at her. “No need to look so distressed, Aura. You gave us a wonderful experience, one most warriors never receive, and we are grateful.”
She wanted to make them more grateful, but it seemed it would take some coaxing before they would cooperate. They’d fucked her with abandon before but were shy now. Everything about Leo and Deklan was a first for her and them. A wave of affection rolled over her, and she couldn’t stop herself from stroking her fingers along their cheeks. First Deklan, then Leo kissed her fingertips. Somehow they were even closer to her, their big chests pressed in, the heat of their bodies melting her.
“I need you in my pussy. Please.”
“Your pussy? Is that what you call it?” Deklan’s eyes lit up, and he grinned at her. “It’s a very pretty name. Pussy.” He said the word like he could taste it, and her clit pulsed as she imagined him licking her drenched flesh. He cupped his hand under her breast and pressed his mouth to her neck, sending little pangs of near painful sensation to her tight nipples.
Leo leaned closer and cupped her other breast as he whispered in her ear. “We cannot be inside you at the same time, Aura.”
The way he said her name, quiet and commanding, made her knees weak. “I know, you said, but would it be terrible to try?”
“Yes, it would. That act is for bondmates. When they pledge themselves to each other, bind to each other physically and mentally forever. Not for us. Not for this time we have.” The certainty in his voice hurt her heart. This bond was very meaningful to these Alphans. She didn’t understand it, but she needed to respect it, no matter how demanding her body was. Just the thought of both of them thrusting in and out of her made her shake with desire.
“But there are other things we can do, aren’t there?” Deklan looked over at Leo with an inquiring tilt of his head as he caressed her swollen breast. His bondmate grunted out what sounded like agreement and shifted away even as Deklan leaned over her. She felt hands at her legs and willingly spread them wider, trying to see what Leo was doing past the formidable barrier of Deklan’s broad shoulders and chest. A few gentle nudges against her throbbing pussy, followed by the smooth stroke of Leo’s tongue told her all she needed to know. The breath left her body in a loud moan, and she drew her knees up and apart, keeping her gaze locked on Deklan’s gleaming eyes. He smiled at her, then dropped his head to her breasts, taking one tight nipple in his mouth.
The electric sensation of both of them working at her most sensitive flesh overwhelmed her, and she arched against the bed, burying her fingers into their hair, grasping their horns as her whole body contorted with tense anticipation. Yes, there were certainly other things they could do.
Chapter Six
Leo eased away from Aura, marveling at the strength of the tremors that had shaken her when she’d climaxed. Her delicious body sprawled on the bed, and between the ache in his straining staff and the throb of his swelling tesak, he was in a state of pleasant agony. Her breasts were full and pink, her tight dinap wet and protruding from all of Deklan’s determined suckling. Leo moved away from his position between her thighs, and he could see her wet curls, the rosy folds of her quonum lush from his ministrations. The slick texture of her flesh had fascinated him, and combined with her musky flavor, it meant he could have tasted her for hours. The experience had shaken him, and when he caught Deklan’s gaze, he knew he wasn’t alone.
“My tesak…” his bondmate murmured and flexed his jaw. Leo pressed his tongue against the itching nubs in his mouth, willing the betraying fangs to recede. As soon as the first droplet of Aura’s fluids had touched his tongue, his tesak had swelled. The engorgement of his staff was understandable, but his body’s additional involuntary response wasn’t supposed to happen unless bonding was to occur. Physiology wasn’t an exact construct with absolutely identical responses among individuals. Perhaps because he and Deklan were older, their responses were more extreme. He didn’t want to think about the possibility that their psyches were joining with Aura’s just as their bodies were.
Aura stirring beneath them distracted him from these worrisome thoughts, and he crouched at her side, anxious to make sure she was content. She whispered his name and looped her arm around his neck, pulling him in for a slow, soft kiss. These human caresses were quite arousing, and his staff pulsed, stiff with unfulfilled need. She leaned away and glanced over his shoulder, beckoning for Deklan, who quickly settled at her side for his own sweet kiss. Leo liked being so close to both of them, feeling their body heat, absorbing their scent.
“Since you won’t be with me together, who will be first?” Her drowsy question made him frown.
“No, Aura, I already explained we won’t—”
She set one of her slim fingers to his lips and frowned back, albeit with more humor and less irritation. “I know my body better than you do. I stretch to accommodate you. Tight around your finger, tight around,” she shifted her hips, and his corona grazed the soft skin, “your cocks.”
Leo blinked at her, taken aback by her determination. For being so sweet and tender, Aura possessed a forceful personality. Well, he did as well. Resolved to settle the matter he leaned close to her so she had no choice but to look at him.
“No, Aura. We will not.”
“But you haven’t—let me,” she said, shifting her arms past their chests to circle her hands around their coronas. Leo lifted his hips to accommodate her grasp, then found himself on his knees next to her as her palm gripped him, his bondmate rising up on the other side as she attended to him in the same manner. Every bit of friction concentrated his attention on this red shaft, her creamy skin encircling him. She sat up between them, alternately kissing their swollen coronas, licking the slits, sucking first one then the other shaft deep in her throat, her fingers splaying against the hair at the base. When she cupped first his culls, then Deklan’s, Leo’s muscles tensed, and he drew in shallow breaths, so close to extremis he shook and groaned. With a shout, Deklan erupted, his white cum spattering Aura’s cheek and neck as she swirled her tongue against Leo.
Deklan swayed and reached out to grip Leo’s shoulder and in so doing, dislodged Aura’s wet mouth from his swollen shaft with a popping sound. At the sudden movement, his own climax slammed through him, and he, too, spurted seed on her pale skin, the white droplets cascading over her breasts. Chest heaving as he strained to catch his breath, he leaned on his bondmate and stared down at her as she lay back, smiling up at them, decorated with their fluids and looking as contented as a queen beholding her treasure.
****
They were running late. More accurately, Leo was running late because Aura and Deklan had enticed him into more sex that morning and he hadn’t possessed the will to decline their invitation. Waking up with a warm and soft woman at his side had been a novel and delightful experience, and Aura’s little sighs and nuzzles were a decided improvement over listening to Deklan grumble himself awake.
She’d been in an amorous state upon waking, and it had taken him thirty minutes to satisfy her well enough that he could leave their bed and make his way to the shower. When he’d returned to the bedroom, he’d found Aura fellating Deklan as he licked her quonum, their bodies twisted against each other so not a bit of available skin was untended. He’d lost track of time watching them coax climaxes from each other. Flushed and reluctant to leave them, he had to force himself to leave the room and assemble what he needed before exiting the cabin. They’d decided to alternate their shifts at the ward so she wouldn’t be left alone all day, and this morning was his turn to leave.
Just as he was reaching for the door, there was a loud knock. His heart stopped in his chest for a second, and then he collected himself and quickly returned to the bedroom to warn his bondmate and houseguest there was a visitor. Aura and Deklan had been stripping the bed and laughing when he entered, but soon sobered when he explained the reason for his unexpected return. Deklan shrugged into a tunic and leggings as Aura fled for the bathroom, her round bottom bouncing
as she trotted along the hallway.
Without a word, Leo returned to the door, Deklan at his shoulder. He opened it to find the commander, who didn’t wait for an invitation before he entered. The rain was falling steadily outside, and the older man left puddles on the tiled floor.
“Deklan, Leo. Sorry for barging in this morning so early, but I wanted to deliver the news as soon as I’d heard it,” he said, absently slicking back his wet hair. “There will be transport for the young woman tomorrow, mid-morning. Doctor Welwyn assures me she’d ready to travel. Our tactical forces broke through the Xyran advance, and they are in retreat out of the Partin system, so regular schedules are restored.”
The news hit Leo like a phase bolt. Something that just a day before would have pleased him now crushed thought from him. Too shocked to do more than look at Deklan, Leo struggled for a response. His bondmate appeared equally disoriented as his eyes widened and his mouth slacked open.
“Yes, sir. What … when will she need to be ready?”
“Have her on the landing deck at ten hundred. They should have completed unloading shipments by then. Her documentation is already loaded into the system, so all she’ll need to do is walk on board. Start her new life.” The commander’s dark amber eyes crinkled at the corners. “She hasn’t been too much of a burden, has she?”
Leo shook his head quickly. Aura would never be a burden, she was … she was… His mind darkened as he contemplated losing her. Losing her? They’d never had her to begin with. With an effort, he squared his shoulders and faced his commander, willing himself to not react or reveal, only to obey.
“She hasn’t been a burden, and I’m sure she will be grateful to be among other humans again. She is going to rejoin her companions?” He hoped it was true.
His commander nodded. “I believe so. They’ve located the areas where the women were kidnapped, and we are coordinating their returns with the proper authorities. Some women came from areas I wouldn’t leave a Xyran in, so we’ve negotiated with one of the more stable governments to set up a center for those who don’t wish to return to their homes. She would be comfortable there, more comfortable than in these surroundings.”
The commander gestured at his and Deklan’s austere living space, and Leo saw it with new eyes. No decoration, no rugs or pillows to soften the standard issue furnishings. Not the place for a lovely girl like Aura. Certainly not with two broken-down old soldiers like his bondmate and him. Pushing back unexpected anger, Leo nodded, although he wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to.
“In any case, the men wish to fete her tonight, before she departs. Evening meal in the dining hall. They’re brewing kass even now. See you at the ward later, Deklan. Care to walk back with me, Leo?” the commander offered, his boots squelching on the tile as he turned toward the door.
“Ah, I’m not ready just yet, sir. I’ll be along in a few minutes.”
With a nod and a wave, the commander left, walking out into the rain now falling in driving sheets. As soon as the door closed, Leo turned to Deklan, hoping his bondmate had something uplifting to say as he usually did. Instead, he found Deklan lowering to a seat on the sofa, his face pale. He looked up quickly and shook his head once.
“What are we going to do?”
“Escort her to dinner. Get her ready to go.” Leo wished he didn’t have to say the words, but they didn’t have a choice. Just because he wanted to indulge himself with fantasizing about having Aura waiting for him every day, whispering to him in the dark, touching his hand to get his attention, didn’t mean any of it would come to pass. Time to move on and rejoin their duties, end the fiction that was Aura in their lives.
“How can you say that?” Deklan’s low voice hurt Leo’s gut, but he didn’t waver. He’d stand strong for all of them.
“I can’t say anything else. We should tell her—”
“Tell me what? Is he gone?” There stood Aura, golden hair spilling down her bare shoulders, an oversized towel wrapped around her body. She smiled first at Deklan, then him, her pleased expression fading as she took in their mood. “What’s happened?”
Leo knew Deklan couldn’t answer. “Good news. Your passage home will occur tomorrow morning.”
She blinked at took a step back, her gaze fluttering between them before staring at him. She tightened her hands on the folds of sheet above her breasts. “Good news … of course.”
Leo swallowed hard, suddenly unable to think of anything else to say. Not that he needed to say any more, the bare facts were there; they’d all been aware this moment would come. And after all, it didn’t need to matter to any of them. Their time together had been a passing interlude. Everyone had known it would soon end, so no need for discussion or emotion.
Deklan suddenly stood, his shoulders straight as if he was manning the cortege of a fallen hero. “Aura, the men would like to share an evening meal, to offer you farewells and safe journey.”
Leo realized this was a terrible idea. Spending time in the company of others was the last thing he wanted to do. It would only prolong the agony. Not agony, he corrected himself, mere discomfort. It would be awkward to sit with her and his bondmate as polite companions after the intimacies they’d shared. But it would perhaps be the best way to ease back into the real life he’d grown to appreciate. Not exciting or filled with challenge like a warrior should have, but purposeful, meaningful. No place for a vibrant young woman.
Aura stared at Deklan, her blue eyes wide, then turned her gaze on him. “A meal with everyone?”
Her voice quavered, and with a little shake, she fled the room, but not so quickly that Leo had missed the tears sparkling in her eyes.
Deklan took a step towards the hallway she’d fled down, then stopped and sent an agonized look his way. “Leo, what should we do?”
Leo drew himself up, deciding the sooner the hours passed, the sooner he’d be able to pretend none of this had happened.
“I have to get to work. Console her as best you can, and I’ll be back in time to go with you to the meal.”
He turned and left the cabin, shutting the door as quietly as he could behind him and relishing the cold, cleansing rain as it poured down over his head.
****
The meal would have been a festive occasion if Aura could manage a deep breath without a sob welling up. She nodded and smiled whenever one of the big golden men made a kind comment to her, or looked at her with warm eyes, but the two Alphans she most wanted to interact with were silent and still, one seated on either side of her at the long table in the dining hall. All the surrounding tables were occupied with warriors in various stages of recovery from wounds, and their obvious gregarious happiness at a special occasion made her companions’ silence even more noticeable to her. Not that she was being especially talkative. Misery tended to make her quiet.
She glanced first at Deklan, who normally would have caught her movement and smiled at her, then at Leo, who’d consistently avoided her gaze since that morning, and hot shame began to fill her gut. Neither looked at her, but instead kept their clenched jaws pointing out at the room and their golden eyes anywhere but her. They acted as if they regretted knowing her, wished they were anywhere else, and there was nothing she could do to escape. Nothing, until she could board the ship in a few short hours and head to her home planet to begin some new path in her life.
Willing the ache of regret burning in her gut to subside, Aura shuddered out a sigh and looked out over the large room filled with muscular men. Someone had hung some colored strips of paper from the light fixtures overhead, and the food they’d served had been festive indeed, several choices of meat, a variety of vegetables, and warm bread fresh from the oven. If she wasn’t so bereft, aching for the attention of Leo and Deklan, she might have enjoyed herself.
An older man stood up from a nearby table and held up his hand for silence, and the room went still. “We wish Aura safe travels tomorrow and honor her bravery in defending the weak against a terrible foe.”
&nb
sp; Growls of approval filled the air, and she strained to catch an echoing sentiment from either Deklan or Leo, but they remained unresponsive. Her eyes burned as tears formed. She sniffed loudly and decided to pretend she was overwhelmed with gratitude for the other Alphans’ kindness. A trickle of courage compelled her to stand and wave at the room full of men watching her.
“Thank you for your care and hospitality. I’ve never been treated so kindly.” She had to force the words out, even though they were sincere. Aura wanted to direct them to the men who flanked her, the men she’d shared so much of herself with, the men who’d opened up a whole new world to her. She didn’t dare look at them now for fear she’d weep in earnest.
With a weak smile she glanced over the room then stared at her plate, most of the delicious food still remaining since her appetite had fled as soon as she’d heard she was leaving that morning. She’d fled to the small guest room she’d formerly occupied and closed the door that morning after hearing the devastating news, despite Deklan’s entreaties for her to open up, come out, speak with him. It had taken her over an hour to gain some control of her roiling emotions and face him again, grateful Leo was gone and she wouldn’t have both of them there making her want what she couldn’t have. Deklan had been kind, willing to do anything to please her, but she’d subsided to silence, willing herself to build a distance between them. He’d seemed to sense her desire, and by the time Leo had returned and they walked across a wet plaza to this dinner, both of them were quiet and distant.
There were some boisterous laughs from a nearby table, then exaggerated bellows for drinks, resulting in the circulation of a large metal beaker. When it reached her place, a very muscular Alphan made as if to pour her a measure, his golden eyes alight with excitement, but Leo’s hand shot out and covered her cup. The big Alphan narrowed his eyes at Leo and stood to his full, impressive height. As one, Leo and Deklan rose from their seats, a barely perceptible growl from them vibrating in her cells. The atmosphere had suddenly shifted from celebratory to tense, and she flinched back in her seat.