Ruled

by J. J. Lore

  “I’m glad you are both well and not distressed by the recent disturbance.”

  Was that a glint of humor in the imperious man’s eye? She tried to collect her wits, but Edem’s solid proximity and Mal’s open inspection of their entwined bodies made her brain fuzzy. How long had he been watching them? The idea should have been repellant, but she experienced only curiosity. She should be trying to get up and see the aftermath of the explosion as she normally would have, should be leaving the embrace of this near stranger. She shouldn’t have been kissing an alien on the dining room floor. Mal picked up her hand and inspected it as Edem smoothed back some of her hair, and an unaccustomed lassitude filled her.

  “Corrine, come back with us,” Edem requested in a soft rumble. “It isn’t safe for you here.”

  She’d be safe in a hotel room with these two burly specimens? “I have to go home. If I leave here before dark falls, I’m fine. We bolt and bar the door.”

  “Not sufficient. I’ll post a guard.” Mal made the announcement like it was the next thing to do on a long list of responsibilities, his annoyed glare making her belly clinch with nerves. He tugged gently on her hand and helped her stand, keeping hold as Edem also rose. He ran his fingers down her cheek to her neck, then trailed them down her arm to rest on her hip. The touches of the two men made her skin twitch and tingle.

  “You can’t have an Alphan just standing in the corridor of our apartment building. The other tenants will be too frightened to leave their rooms.”

  “Frightened of a centurion trained to protect and defend at all costs?”

  “Of course. You aren’t here to protect us. We aren’t Alphans.” It was blunt but true. They were different species, from different galaxies, and to pretend there was some common humanoid bond was ridiculous. Mal’s brows lowered, and he stroked up her arm.

  “We behave with honor. We don’t make war on helpless folk, or engage in coercion or intimidation with those who can’t defend themselves.”

  She believed him. As illogical and outside the realm of all her experiences those assertions were, both Edem and Mal seemed different to her, and not just because they were Alphans. They had triggered no internal warning to withhold her trust that she experienced every time she met someone new.

  “I don’t need a guard. I’ve lived my whole life without one.”

  “I need you to have a guard, and therefore it will be so.” Edem spoke up in a decisive tone, but before she could refuse him, he continued, one brow swooping up as if he knew exactly what she was going to say. “The ruckus outside concerns me, and I won’t have my human culinary expert at risk before we begin our journey.”

  “But I haven’t agreed to go—”

  Edem made a shushing sound and shook his head once. “I know, you must resist a bit longer. Mal, give Corrine a kiss before we leave.”

  Shock at his arrogant assumption and casual instruction roared through her, and she stared first at Edem, then at Mal as she struggled to understand.

  “We share everything, Corrine. The pleasure I gain from touching you is amplified when I know my bondmate will have it as well.”

  “And we can sense when one of us is engaging in such things. You distracted me from my task of securing our perimeter when you commenced foreplay with Corrine.” Mal glowered at the other man even as he stepped closer to her and circled an arm around her waist.

  “You certainly found us quick enough. Go on, embrace her and let us be on the move. I know you’re itching to get us back behind several layers of security.”

  “Wait a minute. I’m not a toy to be passed from one to the other.” Her will suddenly asserted itself, and she pushed at the big man’s chest. It was as solid and immobile as it looked. He bent his head and stared at her, his horns suddenly more noticeable. Now she knew where the ancient legends of devils and demons originated, and something primal coursed through her body. Would he really kiss her in front of Edem? Did they actually watch each other take lovers?

  “You’re not a toy. We’re not children looking for amusement.”

  “What are you looking for?” The question burst out of her, all her confusion and stress from the fire and her unexplainable reaction to these men making her shake with uncertainty.

  “You,” Mal said as he tugged her up against his chest and stared down at her, clearly waiting for her to struggle or relent. She didn’t do anything, just stood there immobile as the impossibility of it crashed around her. With a surprisingly gentle movement he pressed his palm to the side of her neck as he slid his fingers into the hair at her nape. Her whole body shook the moment he pressed his mouth to hers, his approach so different from Edem’s teasing and easing. His bold sucks and bites left her breathless as he used his mouth to arouse her. Almost immediately her pussy heated and swelled.

  When he released her, the room spun slightly and she wobbled. It had been so long since she’d last been kissed that she was shocked that two men had done so in the last few minutes, both with apparent pleasure that the other was a part of it.

  She blinked up at Mal, his expression yet again severe, belying the passion that he’d directed at her moments before. “You will not come with us?”

  She shook her head.

  “An escort will be provided to you and a guard stationed at your place of residence. There is too much unrest in this neighborhood.” With that pronouncement, Mal loosed his grip on her and left the room, likely to assemble the men for the Alphan’s exit. She watched him go, his broad shoulders seeming to barely clear the door jambs, and licked her lips.

  “We will see you tomorrow, Corrine.” Edem brushed a strand of her hair behind her shoulder and straightened the collar of her chef coat. Apparently, making out with two aliens had disarrayed her somewhat. “There will be documents to review and arrangements to be made.”

  “I never said I was going,” she said, knowing she was repeating herself, wishing she didn’t sound so weak.

  “Then my bondmate and I will have to exert ourselves to entice you.” His amused smile faded, and he spoke with a more serious tone. “Truly, what would hold you here? Why not take advantage of us and see some of the universe? You’ll gain so much, and when you return to Earth, there will be many businesses and government entities who will want to glean all they can from your experiences on Alpha. You’ll have many advantages you’d never have otherwise.”

  It was all true, but was it worth serving as concubine in a threesome? She had no illusions—sexual relations with these two men were going to be an issue she’d have to resolve. Their confidence and unrestrained caresses spoke of men who were letting her know they wanted her. Her imagination darkened with fleeting images of muscular bodies twisting and rocking in accelerating rhythms. Did she really want … could she actually … surely it would hurt. The direction of her thoughts must have shown, for Edem clasped her hands in his and peered at her.

  “Being part of the delegation to Alpha is not contingent on you joining us in bed, Corrine, know that. You interest us far beyond the physical. But you should also be sure we want you in that bed and will be working towards that end.”

  The man was a politician, even if he wasn’t of the corrupt, ineffectual Earth mold. He made it sound like a win-win opportunity impossible to refuse. A sudden noise at the door distracted her, and she looked away from his keen gaze to see two enormous Alphan officers enter the room, their dark blue uniforms clean and neat despite the gritty altercation they’d just dealt with.

  “Sire, I am to accompany you back to the lodging place of security,” one said in a deep voice as he bowed his head.

  “Lady, I am to stay here and move your boxes where you will and walk your way to guard your nest.” The other spoke up, his dark eyes riveted to her like she might flutter away and get him in trouble. She couldn’t stop herself from laughing at his sentence structure. This topsy-turvy hour had left her reeling, and it seemed humor was the only way to cope.

  Edem smiled and lifted one of her hands. �
�I studied human royal customs before my arrival here, and it said this gesture was an appropriate way to greet or depart from a woman of consequence.” With that, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, then released her and left the building before she quite realized what had happened. The first Alphan followed him, leaving her with her unrequested companion. The big man was zeroed in on her.

  “Would you like some soup or bread?” she asked, returning to her default mode.

  Chapter Four

  “Cultural exchange commission? The very thing you’ve been avoiding ever since we landed on this sad planet?” Mal couldn’t hold back the edge of frustration in his voice. His bondmate could behave impulsively, but this entailed an entirely new level of difficulty. As kisero, coping with the logistics and all attendant details would fall to him.

  At the moment, they were in the echoing flight terminal inspecting their personal purchases before sealing them in shipping containers slated for the hold of the royal flagship. Cases of wine, fragrant resins from desert trees, unique textiles, spices, and books were all carefully packed and ready to journey to a new home in the palace on Alpha. The gemstones they’d accumulated would travel in their cabin, where it would be easy to admire them. The falcons they’d purchased and the handler they’d hired to manage the impressive birds would arrive the next day. He hoped the king would be impressed by the gift. It rather felt like they were assembling the relics of a dying civilization, but the humans they’d dealt with had been happy to sell off their treasures in exchange for gold. When one is thirsty, it’s better to be able to buy a water filter than possess a faceted tourmaline.

  Edem ran a length of silk velvet through his fingers then dropped it in the crate holding more yards of the plush material. “It’s a simple matter. We take a few of their strivers along with us, give them a tour and a state dinner, then ship them back.”

  Mal shook his head and sealed the edge of the crate, making it off against his list. “Not so simple, my prince. We will need contracts, indemnity clauses, arrangements for housing and medical care, not to mention navigate the morass of who will be involved once we get to Alpha. Will escorting these humans be a sought-after honor, or something of a punishment for our court?”

  Edem’s eyebrows quirked. “I would think any noble would be flattered to become a part of his prince’s mission.”

  “Do you live in a different palace than I do? Perhaps a different planet altogether?” Mal frowned. The idea of negotiating with all the overblown egos that abounded in the palace, let alone avoiding those who were severely prejudiced against humans and mixing in the first place irritated him already.

  His bondmate moved to his side and pressed his hand to his shoulder. “I know it will be complicated, Mal, and I appreciate all the efforts you will make to ensure its success.”

  “Spare me the flattery. We both know why you’ve suddenly become enamored by the notion of dragging a few select humans back to Alpha.”

  Edem repressed a smile. “We do?”

  Mal clenched his jaw, his patience with his bondmate’s verbal gymnastics fraying. “You want time with Corrine, and what better way to get it than to be confined on board a luxurious ship for a week or so?”

  “And you don’t want time with her as well?” Edem moved on to inspect a few containers of musky scented resin. Mal resisted his urge to snatch the tins away from him and demand to know if Edem had felt his tesak swell when they’d kissed her. His reaction had been on his mind since the shared embrace, but without his bondmate’s correlating arousal, it had to mean nothing. He didn’t want to think too hard about what it meant if they were both rousing for her. “As I recall, you were quite keen to kiss her.”

  “Kissing is one thing, copulating another. But taking her away from her entire world just for our own pleasure seems extreme, Edem, not to mention unfair to her.”

  “What’s unfair about it? Corrine will have a wonderful trip and return wealthier and with more opportunities to improve her lot. She’ll be a de facto Alphan expert, and many will pay handsomely to consult with her. She’ll have a better life than that of a charity cook.”

  Edem was astute, but something about the proposed arrangement still bothered Mal. “Do you think she understands what we want of her? Our sort of relationship isn’t the norm on her planet.”

  “Do I think she’s been with two men before?” Edem answered his own rhetorical question, which was to be expected. “No. But we have served as other women’s introduction to the act, and none of them seemed unduly traumatized.”

  “They were Alphan women and expected it. We haven’t been with a human woman. They are different.”

  “Different how? Physiologically they are the same in most every regard, if our reports are to be believed. She’s much more emotional than we’re used to, but she wasn’t raised at court and taught to restrain herself from the moment she learned to speak. I find her candor refreshing.”

  Mal shook his head. It was a given that Corrine was attractive to them. She was intelligent, compassionate, and honest in addition to being provocatively beautiful. He wanted Edem to look beyond what would pass among the three of them in private, at what drastic changes Corrine’s life would undergo after associating with them. “She might not wish to bed us at the same time, and I would hate to think that our seduction would put undue pressure upon her. We can be rather intimidating. And don’t forget, many of her fellow humans detest us and will likely take a dim view of a woman who has warmed our bed.”

  “You think she’d be ostracized upon her return? How would any of them know we’d engaged in an intimate relationship with her? It’s not as if I’m planning on mounting her on the landing deck in front of the entire crew.”

  The metal image provoked by his bondmate’s statement struck Mal dumb for a moment. It was entirely impossible for the prince to tarnish his dignity by engaging in a public sex act, but the idea of watching Corrine and Edem locked together and straining to climax was enticing. Yes, he wanted to watch that performance, but in the privacy of their cabin. Or hers.

  “Humans love to gossip.”

  “And Alphans don’t?” Edem shot him an exasperated look. “Of course this isn’t a consequence-free proposition for her. I intend to see her well settled upon her return. In fact, I’ve already made arrangements towards that goal.”

  Mal groaned. Whenever Edem did something without consulting Mal, the situation usually became very convoluted. His bondmate was impulsive and extravagant but failed to make contingency plans, which was why Mal preferred to take charge in most things.

  “What did you do—” Mal was interrupted by a rude squawk from his comm. With an irritated flick of his fingers he activated it. “Report!”

  “Sir, there’s a human woman … very agitated—” Young Durant’s voice wavered. The young officer was entirely competent, but Mal could sense his befuddlement.

  “Is she petite, blonde, and opinionated?” Corrine was here. Mal couldn’t even begin to guess what Edem had done to motivate her to venture all the way out to the flight terminals.

  “Sir, yes, sir, she is, and she’s very upset and demanding—”

  “Bring her back. With a strong escort.” Mal closed the link and regarded his bondmate. “What did you do? How did she discover where we were? That information is supposed to be confidential.”

  Edem shrugged a shoulder and ran his hands along the sealed tops of a score of wine bottles. “I sent her a gift, and a comm link to our devices so she could find us, ask us questions about the cultural exchange in order to facilitate her decision.”

  “What was the gift?” A comm was too innocuous to have provoked her. It was actually rather thoughtful, and Mal chided himself for not thinking of it himself.

  “It’s in perfectly good taste.” Edem turned away from their acquisitions and strode toward the door as Mal followed behind. Just before they reached it, the large panels slid apart and Corrine burst through them, her golden hair in a disarranged tumble around h
er shoulders and her grey eyes were alight with fury. Instead of sturdy work clothing, she instead wore a thin shirt and faded blue pants that fitted her long legs and full hips closely. Two burly officers were at her heels but snapped to attention as soon as they saw the prince.

  “You! How dare you!” She brandished a flat leather box as she stomped right up to Edem. His bondmate smiled indulgently at her, his pleasure at her appearance resonating deep within Mal.

  “Leave us.” Mal dismissed the escort and keyed the door shut quickly, sure he didn’t want whatever upcoming confrontation observed by his officers. They should be spared that awkwardness.

  “How dare I what? It’s lovely to see you, Corrine. Would you like to see some of the interesting items we are bringing back to Alpha?”

  “No!” Corrine squared her shoulders. Mal reached out to extract the box from her stiff fingers, and she spared him a heated glance. “Were you a part of this?”

  He shook his head and opened the container. The stiff lid rose and revealed a deep red velvet interior which supported a sizeable bixbite beryl necklace, earrings, and bracelet. Mal recognized it as a parure they’d discovered in a hot desert country, part of the collection of an impoverished sultan. The berry-pink gems would undoubtedly complement Corrine’s pale skin.

  “Don’t you like beryls? These are quite fine, I can assure you.” Edem reached out to capture her hand, but she shook him off.

  “I don’t even know what that is. I can’t believe you think so little of me!”

  Mal blinked, surprised by the very hurt tone he detected under her anger. “What do you mean?”

  Corrine whirled to face him. “I’m not a … a whore to be bought with jewelry! Big, tacky jewelry at that!”

  Edem frowned and reached for the box to peer at the contents. “I assumed as these were human designed, they would please you. Alphan modes of ornamentation are quite different.”

  “We don’t think you’re a…” Mal ruminated, confounded by her statement. “What did you mean by the term whore? I’m not familiar.”