by Lili Zander
Zorux surveys me silently. “Don’t stray away from the bank,” he says. “Do you have your knives?”
I never go anywhere without them. “All four,” I assure Zorux. “And you know I can use them.”
His lips twitch. “Indeed,” he murmurs. “If you’re not back in a knur, we’ll come looking for you.”
Twelve minutes. Okay. I better hustle.
I don’t really need the torch. Uzzan is bright in the night sky, and the plains and the mountains are bathed in its greenish glow. I make my way to the creek and refill my water pouch, then head downstream. Hey, I’m the granddaughter of farmers. I know not to contaminate my water supply.
The stream takes a bend, and there’s a small cluster of trees in front of me. Perfect. The trees will provide me a small measure of privacy. I get to it, knowing I need to hurry in order to get back in time, when I hear something slithering nearby.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. Talk about being caught with my pants down. “Umm, guys?” My voice quakes. “Is that you?”
A low growl sounds behind me.
Not good. Not good at all.
My hand closes over the handle of my bone knife as I scan the gloom, backing up until I’m pressed against the rough yellow bark of a strange alien tree. It feels oddly spongy and warm, but now’s not the time to marvel at the biodiversity of this planet.
Another growl sounds. This time, the noise appears to come from behind me. My heart hammers in my chest as I realize that my retreat to the stream is effectively cut off. Shit. Shit. Why on Earth did I enter this thicket? Now, my desire for privacy has doomed me.
Frantically, I look from left to right, searching for the animals that hunt me. Where are they? Why can’t I see them?
A third growl sounds right above my head, and then they attack. Four crimson-red creatures drop from the tree above me, falling on my shoulders and knocking me to the ground. A sharp claw rakes over my forearm, slicing my skin open. Pain explodes through me and blood wells from the gash.
Get up.
I scramble to my feet, screaming loudly just in case they’re afraid of noise. No such luck. Four of them surround me, their yellow eyes gleaming with menace. I’ve seen a lot of strange things on this planet, but these red furry beasts are up there with them. They look like a cross between a wolf and a kangaroo. They’re not much bigger than a house cat or a small dog, but their claws are wickedly sharp, and they’re closing on me.
Throw your knives.
But I can’t. I’m frozen to the spot. Mike’s walking toward me, cold rage in his eyes. “You think you can divorce me, you ungrateful bitch?” he snarls. “You made a fool out of me in front of my friend, Ryanna. I warned you there’d be consequences. Did you think I was joking?”
I whimper in fear. The creatures move closer, the net tightening around me, but I’m not here. I’m back home in Georgia, and I’m trapped in my nightmares. It’s going to hurt, and there’s nothing I can do except to endure the beating. Fighting back only makes it worse. I’ve learned that the hard way.
“Ryanna.” A voice shouts, jerking me out of my reverie. Thrax and Zorux are racing toward me. In slow motion, I watch their hands reach for the handle of their knives. Blades swim through the air, unerringly finding their targets. The creatures attacking me fall to the ground with thin shrieks of pain.
Thrax reaches me first, and he pulls me into his embrace. “You’re safe,” he mutters into my hair. “We’ve got you.”
But he’s wrong. I thought I could wrest free of my demons, but at the first sign of attack, I froze, engulfed in the past.
I’m on the prison planet. There’s no way for Mike to reach me here, but I’ll never feel safe. I’m too broken.
10
Thrax:
I carry Ryanna back to the caves, Zorux acting as guard just in case there are more of those creatures around. She’s trembling like a leaf, and guilt grows inside me. This is my fault. I should have gone with her. Ryanna is not from this planet. She’s not used to being constantly under threat. Of course she panicked.
“What happened?” Raiht’vi jumps up in concern. “What made her scream?”
Zorux has carried a couple of the corpses back with him. He throws them down on the ground outside the caves. “These things.” His expression softens when he looks at Ryanna. “You’re bleeding.”
She speaks for the first time. “The cut’s not deep.”
There’s no life in her voice. She looks drained and defeated, and my heart clenches in my chest. I’ve failed her. I should have kept her safe.
“I’ll dress her wound,” I tell them. It seems the least I can do.
Zorux’s eyes rest on me. “Of course,” he says flatly. Without another word, he turns away.
Something is bothering him, but I have no time to sort that out now. Entering the cave, I set Ryanna down on her bedroll. “Where are you hurt, sweet one?”
She doesn’t meet my eyes. “Just my forearm,” she murmurs. “It’s not that bad. I’ve had worse.”
I wipe away the blood and clean the wound. Rummaging through my packs, I find the blue salve that Vulrux uses for cuts and bruises. “This will sting,” I say softly. “Hold on, diya. I’ll be as quick as I can.”
She bites her pink lower lip. I dab the salve on the cut, and she winces but doesn’t pull away. As quickly as I can, I wrap the wound with some fabric. “There,” I say, trying to stop my voice from trembling, “all done.”
When I heard her scream… I will never forget the panic I felt. I’ve been in dogfights. My ship has crashed more than once. I’ve been in life-and-death situations, and yet, none of those things prepared me for the moment when I heard her cry out in fear.
I wrap her in my arms, feeling an almost visceral need to keep her close to me. “You’re safe now,” I whisper into her hair. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go alone.”
Tears pool in her eyes. “Both of you spent hours teaching me how to defend myself,” she whispers, “and at the first sign of danger, I panicked.” She buries her head in my shoulder. “Is this how it’s going to be?” Her voice is muffled. “Yesterday, I cut Zorux because I was dreaming about Mike. Today, when those things attacked, the old fear came back. They weren’t even that dangerous. They were the size of cats, damn it. You must be ashamed of me.”
My blood goes cold. She didn’t freeze because she was afraid of the small creatures. She froze because of her bondmate.
I want to hold her close and never let her go.
All my life, I’ve played the joker. I’ve never taken anything seriously. I grew up with nothing. I know the peril of forming attachments.
But for Ryanna, I want to be a better person. For her, I want to try.
You can’t trust yourself to stay. You shouldn’t do this.
I tilt her chin toward me and kiss her lips gently. “I could never be ashamed of you, sweet one.” It’s wrong of me, but I want her. Now’s not the time though. She’s exhausted. Her arm is injured, and her face is streaked with tears.
I lift her off my lap and lay her on her bedding. With my thumb, I brush away a solitary tear from her cheeks. Her skin is warm and soft, and it is difficult to leave. “Get some rest.”
Ryanna:
I hear the murmur of voices outside the cave. They must be talking about me. No matter what Thrax says, it’s obvious that I’m the weakest link.
I lie on my back, staring into the darkness. At some point, Raiht’vi comes into the cave and unrolls her sleeping mat, but she doesn’t speak to me, and I don’t attempt conversation. I’m in no mood for it.
For a long time, I cry silently. I cry for my dead grandparents. I cry for the younger version of myself, the one that was so desperate to belong that she ignored all the warning signs about the man she was about to marry. I cry until there are no tears left, and only exhaustion remains. Eventually, sleep claims me.
When I wake, my palm is wrapped around the handle of my knife, and my heart is ra
cing in my chest. Another nightmare, though I can’t remember it.
It’s still dark outside. Raiht’vi snores gently next to me, and that’s such a strangely human sound from the aloof Draekon scientist that I feel like giggling. Or laughing hysterically.
My arm throbs painfully. I unwrap the bandage to try and see how bad it is, but it’s dark, and I can’t see anything. As quietly as I can, I get to my feet and tiptoe toward the stream of moonlight at the entrance of the cave.
“Does it hurt?”
That’s Zorux’s voice. I look up to see both Draekons sitting around a small fire. “You’re still awake.” My throat is dry from my crying spell earlier.
“It isn’t very late,” Thrax replies. He’s holding the tablet in his hands, but as I approach, he sets it down. “Let me see your arm.”
I obediently hold it out. Zorux frowns. Getting up, he heads into his cave and returns with salve. With slow, gentle strokes, he spreads it on my skin. It stings, as it did before, but his touch also feels good.
I don’t want to go back to my cave. I want to stay here, where I feel protected and cherished. “Is it okay if I spend the night with you?” I swallow hard. “I’m afraid to be alone.”
Thrax gets to his feet. “Of course, sweet one.”
They sleep naked. Of course they do. This time, it’s not my fear of nightmares that keeps me up. It’s the two yummy pieces of eye-candy on either side of me, close enough that if I move, I’m going to accidentally grope one of them.
Accidentally. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Okay, I’m lying. It takes all the willpower I possess not to reach out and touch them. The only reason I hold back is because it would be a huge, monumental, epic mistake.
My conversation earlier today with Raiht’vi runs through my mind. No matter what the scientist believes, I’m too old for fairy tales. The likelihood of Thrax and Zorux being my mates is really low. The two Draekons have spent months in my company, and they haven’t shifted into dragons.
Which introduces a new complication.
Right now, Arax and Nyx are searching for Olivia and the others. When they find them—and I cannot allow myself to think of any other possibility—there’s going to be five new women in the camp.
One of those women might be Thrax and Zorux’s mate.
The mating bond is primal, powerful. Resisting it isn’t an option. Then what? I’ll have to watch Thrax and Zorux touch that other woman. I’ll have to watch them smile at her with love in their eyes. I’ll have to lie in my bed, alone, and imagine them making love to her.
Am I strong enough for that?
“You’re still awake.” Zorux wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me against his body. “Close your eyes, diya. You need to rest.”
I can feel the hard bar of his cock against my ass, tempting me, whispering that it doesn’t matter that they’re not my mates. I’m a grown woman. After so much pain, I’m allowed to seek a little pleasure.
A beam of moonlight falls through the skylight and illuminates the cave.
Thrax opens his eyes. His gaze slowly drifts over my body. I’m wearing a long t-shirt, and my legs are bare, and even though all my sexy bits are covered up, I feel exposed. Dangerously exposed, but this time, I don’t want to run away from the risk. I want to run toward it.
“I’ve wanted you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, Ryanna,” Thrax growls. “And I want you now. If you want this, ask for it. Ask for what you want.”
“Do you want to touch him?” Zorux’s breath is hot in my ear. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No.” Even though I’ve mentally nicknamed Zorux, Surly Draekon, the way I think about him has changed in the last two days. He’s always been good-looking, but in camp, I wasn’t really attracted to him, because he never did anything to draw attention to himself.
But ever since he carried me down the Na’Lung Cliffs, things have changed.
The truth is, I can’t imagine picking between them. As greedy as it sounds, I want both Sexy Draekon and Surly Draekon.
“Ask me to touch you, Ryanna,” Thrax says, his eyes hooded and his voice raspy. “Please…”
It’s the please that undoes me. Thrax flirts easily, and he smiles readily, and he uses those things as shields, the same way Zorux uses his surliness. But when I look into his eyes now, there’s no pretense. The shields are down. What’s left is raw need.
I close my eyes and jump. “Touch me. Both of you.”
Thrax moves first. Of course. I watch him warily, wondering if he’ll come on strong, but he only reaches out and strokes my hair back from my cheek. "You're so beautiful."
"So are you,” I breathe, a second before his lips descend on mine. His kiss consumes me. Whimpering with pleasure, I move closer to the warmth of his body, drawing my own hands up to grip his shoulders.
Fingers skim up my back, and I jump before I realize it's Zorux. Two men touching me at the same time. Mind. Blown.
Yet it’s so natural. So right. Thrax's lips work their magic, his fingers resting lightly on my face. He kisses so well. Then he angles his head, a greedy noise sounding deep in his throat. I breathe in his smoky scent and become lost...
Zorux slips my shirt collar to the side. He plants little kisses along the line of my shoulder, making me shiver. I press my back against his hard chest, loving the way I’m sandwiched between the two men.
"Lift your arms, Ryanna.” Zorux tugs my shirt. Yes. I do as he says, and he slips my t-shirt off, taking care to avoid the cut on my arm.
Thrax sits back. “Let me see you.”
I sit nude but for my panties, and resist the urge to cross my arms over my chest. I'm petite. What if these Draekons prefer bigger boobs or a smaller butt?
“Beautiful,” Thrax murmurs. He rests a hand on the back of my neck as he kisses down my bare chest.
“Oh God.” My head falls back. Arousal stirs deep inside me, a rising whirlpool. His lips ignite my skin, sending tingles through me. I lean back into Zorux’s strong arms as Thrax drags his hand down my front. Pleasure blooms in my core, igniting a bone-deep need that radiates through my entire body.
I'm so close—just from a kiss.
Definitely better than coffee.
Behind me, Zorux is working the same magic, nuzzling my neck and ear. “Tell us what you need,” he says.
A minute ago, I might have been able to form a coherent sentence, but now it’s too late. Their kisses are like a drug, sending sparks shooting in my brain. Even when they pause for a moment to hear my answer, I’m so disoriented, I can only mumble, “Nun’s pajamas.”
“What?” Thrax draws back, a cute little wrinkle in his brow.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Even if I could gather my thoughts, now’s not the time to explain the idiom, not when they’re naked and touching me.
The Draekons exchange a glance, obviously trying to puzzle out the translator’s explanation. I tug them closer, tilting my face up. “More.”
Zorux lays a palm alongside my face and claims my mouth for his own. Thrax works his magic, nipping and tugging on my nipples with his teeth. I thrust out my chest, pushing into his mouth. Tingles spread through me.
Oh God. I'm going to cum.
Thrax lifts his head at a crucial moment.
“No,” I gasp, tugging on him. “I’m so close.”
“Not yet.” He hooks his fingers into my panties. I scramble to let him draw them off. Once they’re gone, I pull Thrax to me, my movements desperate. My nipples are hard and aching, my pussy throbbing.
“Slowly, Ryanna. Let us savor this. Let us savor you.” Thrax skims a hand down my bare body, cupping my mound. I rock into him, whimpering for more.
“Is this what you want?” His fingers curl into my wetness, the perfect amount of pressure.
“Yes—Please—”
“Not yet.” He takes his hand away.
“But—” My voice is a plaintive groan. It’s like they’re dangling a slice of rich
, gooey chocolate cake in front of me, and then snatching it away at the last minute.
“You will know pleasure at our hands many times,” Thrax assures me. “But there is no hurry, sweet one. Let the need build.”
“Do you want this?” Zorux's breath tickles my ear. "Do you want us to touch you again and again until you scream with pleasure?”
“Yes. Oh yes.” I shiver as my need threatens to overflow. “Please, touch me. Make me cum.” Make me yours. I bite off that last part. Don’t go there, Ryanna.
Smiling smugly, Thrax drags his lips from my neck to the sensitive spot between my breasts. I fall back, and Zorux catches me, gathering me into his arms. He holds me as Sexy Draekon plays with my breasts, kissing and sucking until I’m going to scream.
“Please,” I whimper again. “Stop teasing me.”
Thrax’s hand glides down my flat stomach. His two fingers find their way to my cleft. “Here?” he hooks them into my pussy.
I shiver at his light touch, and pleasure blooms at the point of contact. “Yes.”
Thrax knows just how to rub me. His clever fingers circle my clitoris, again and again, until I’m a whimpering, panting mess. He takes his time stirring up my arousal, gently stroking my folds. The still, dark night fills with the moans I can’t hold back.
Zorux runs his fingertips up and down my side, cupping my breasts in his big hands. I arc into his touch, my body tightening like a bow, my orgasm dancing just out of reach—
“Take your pleasure,” Thrax orders. Something inside me snaps. My muscles quiver, my body writhes in Zorux’s grip. I cry out as sweet release fills me. Clenching my eyes shut, I savor every minute, every touch. Zorux tugs at my engorged nipples, prolonging the spasms that wrack my body. I can’t think; I can’t breathe. I can only feel.
I’d forgotten how good a touch could be. Maybe I never knew…
“Again?” Zorux asks when I’ve come back to myself, his eyes gleaming with desire. “I want to see you shudder with pleasure, sweet one.”
I sit up. The two of them watch me with open heat. They’re naked, and their cocks are hard, their desire for me obvious. Their members are a familiar human shape, but much, much larger. Bronze, smooth, perfect. My mouth is dry with desire. They brought me to one perfect, magical, orgasm. I want to reciprocate.