Into the Ashes [The Arcadians 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Laurie Roma

“Aye,” he growled. “You want me.”

  “Well, duh. You and your super cock are pretty spectacular but I think I may need to eat something before we go another round.”

  He choked back a laugh. “Super cock?”

  She smiled at him, loving the sound of his laughter because she knew how rare the sound was. It pleased her that she really did seem special to him. She moved her hand to swirl a finger lightly over his chest. “Well, it feels pretty super to me.”

  “Good,” he growled. “I am glad I please my mate.”

  Her smile dimmed as she thought about that. There it was, the mating thing again. Since she had arrived on their planet, she had gone from terrified out of her mind to worried and now…content. Everything was way too new for that, no matter how much she enjoyed being with Savitar. So why the hell did she feel like she was exactly where she belonged?

  Savitar frowned at her. “What is that look for, mate?”

  “I…” She blew out a breath and went for honesty. “I guess I’m worried. No, confused is more accurate. Why does this feel so right? Being here with you?”

  His body relaxed under her and his glowing eyes brightened with happiness. “It is the mating bond. When a trio mates with a female, it helps ensure that she will have feelings for all of the brothers and not just one.”

  She wrinkled her nose at that. So what she was feeling was because she drank his blood? That was…ick.

  Savitar sighed. “We shall get dressed and go down to dine in the main hall.”

  Raven started to get up then paused as she felt him holding something back. “Spill it.”

  “What?”

  “Spill it. Whatever you are thinking about that you don’t want to say.”

  Savitar sat up in an impressive display of abdominal muscles since his arms were still wrapped around her. He set her carefully on his lap and she couldn’t help but squirm against him when she felt his erection poking at her hip. He growled in warning. “Keep that up, mate, and we will not be leaving this room for a long while.”

  She stopped moving and sobered as she looked at him. “Okay, tell me whatever you don’t want to tell me.”

  He sighed. “Do you remember what I told you about my connection with my brothers?”

  “Yeah, you said—” She gasped and couldn’t help but blush. “Shit! So they know what we did?”

  “Aye, they know. Tristan is still away from the palace on patrol, but Kadan is in the main hall waiting for us. He would like the chance to make amends with you today.”

  Raven held back her initial reaction to deny the request then nodded her head. She wanted to be fair and spend some time with Kadan to help her get over her animosity of what had happened. “Fine, but would you mind staying with us for a little while until I’m more comfortable around him?”

  Savitar laughed. “Mind? My queen, I would never leave your side if it were up to me. But my brothers will need time alone with you to truly make amends for their behavior. If you need me you have only to think of me and I will come find you.”

  His promise instantly made her feel better. They got out of bed and she watched as Savitar dressed in a pair of soft black leather pants and a matching warrior’s vest. She noticed that the leather shimmered in the light because the material had been stitched together using a silver thread.

  “Silver is the color of the House of Akira. It is law that only we are allowed to wear shirts of that color in this city,” Savitar explained. “But the warrior’s vests are more practical for everyday use, so we have all of the elite guard’s vest made using thread the color of our house to signify their status.”

  “Cool.”

  After that they spent a few minutes arguing over her clothes. Raven made it very clear that there was no way in hell she would be wearing one of those transparent dresses anytime soon. Savitar had given in when he saw how serious she was and led her into his walk-in closet after she wrapped the blanket around herself. She was okay with nudity, but it just felt strange walking around bare-assed naked when he was already dressed.

  In the closet he pulled a trunk out from where it was stacked in the back to reveal smaller sets of warrior’s clothing that were more to her liking. He took out a pair of black leather pants that looked like they would fit her and she raised a brow in question. Clearing his throat, he looked away to search through the stored clothing to find her a top that would fit her. “My mother kept some of my clothing from when I was a youngling. When she died I kept them in hopes that one day I would have my own.”

  Raven’s heart clenched at the sheer longing in his voice. Because she wasn’t actively holding the connection open to him she knew that he couldn’t sense what she was feeling, but he was wide open to her. Savitar had all but given up hope for finding a woman who would one day have his child.

  He had always believed that he and his brothers would mate, but he had convinced himself that whatever Arcadian female they mated would have only allowed him to touch her when it was the three brothers together. That she would never choose to allow him to love her separately, regardless of the bond between them.

  He’d had dreams of playing with the children a mate would have given them and the sadness he felt knowing that none of the little boys and girls were his nearly broke her heart. He would have loved them with everything in him, but in his mind he would never be their father because he would never be loved by his mate as his brothers would be.

  She knew what it felt like to feel unwanted and she never wanted him to feel like that with her. Raven reached down to turn his head to her so he stopped what he was doing to look up at her. It took her a moment to make certain her voice was strong and sure when she spoke to him. “You know that all this mating stuff is new to me, but I consented to be yours. That means that one day I would love to have children with you and if I have to swear to only have sex with you to prove that when the time comes then I will.”

  His eyes widened in alarm. “You cannot deny my brothers until you are breeding!”

  She laughed. “I didn’t mean that, sexy Savy. Since you told me I would have to learn how to take all three of you at once eventually there are obviously other ways to take care of Kadan and Tristan. What I’m saying is if you want me to show you how important you are to me then I will do whatever it takes to prove it to you. If you want me to make sure the baby is yours then that’s what we’ll do.”

  She made sure the bond between them was open so he could feel the truth of her words. She felt the emotions swirling inside of him and knew just how much her offer meant to him. She yelped as he jerked her to him so he could bury his face into her stomach. His grip around her waist was so tight she could barely breathe, but she simply rested her head on top of his and ran her hands through his long hair. He pulled back and she saw his glowing eyes were bright with emotion.

  “I would never ask that of you, but you have no idea what your offer means to me, my queen. Just knowing you would do that for me is enough.”

  Raven opened her mouth to say something but a loud growl from her empty stomach had them both laughing.

  “We must feed you, my love,” Savitar said. He pulled out a silver shirt made of a shimmering material and a black vest similar to the one he was wearing. “Would one of these be acceptable to you?”

  Raven studied them then ended up taking both of them along with the pants before walking back into the bedroom. She gave Savitar a few moments alone in the closet as he put the trunk back where he’d stored it. She knew he was a fierce warrior, known for his strength and power and it was strange for him to be so vulnerable to her.

  For such a giant man, Savitar had a sweet, softer side that he showed only to her and his brothers. It made it easier for her to trust him because he didn’t hide anything. No matter what she asked he was always honest, even if she didn’t particularly like the answer. In some weird way it made her feel closer to him because of the way the rest of his world saw him. They were frightened of his strength and power, but there
was no one on Arcadia she trusted more. Perhaps that was the reason for the blood bond between mates. It cut through the bullshit and allowed for mates to see the real person beneath the surface.

  Raven put on the leather pants and was pleased to see that they fit. The pants weren’t really made of leather, they were simply a leather-like material that moved and stretched with the wearer and were so comfortable that it almost didn’t feel like she had anything on at all.

  She looked down at the vest and shirt she had laid on the bed and decided to be bold. Wanting to match Savitar, she picked up the vest and put it on. Once she was done fastening up the front she looked in the mirror and froze. On a young boy the vest would have fit properly, but on her it looked more like a corset top with the swell of her breasts showing through the V cut in the front. With her gypsy curls falling wild around her shoulders, she looked provocative and badass.

  She absolutely loved it.

  She turned as Savitar walked out of the closet. He stopped abruptly as if he had slammed into a brick wall. His nostrils flared as he growled and stalked toward her. She smiled as she felt the waves of lust pouring off him and met him with equal fervor as his lips smashed down on hers.

  The kiss was brutal, wild with passion, and a little rough. His hand sank into her hair, gripping hard as he used it for an anchor to keep her exactly where he wanted her. They fed off one another as her hands stroked over the corded muscles of his back. He sighed as her stomach gave another loud protest and rested his head against her forehead as they both panted for air.

  “Come, we must feed your impatient stomach before I take you on our bed again.”

  Chapter Six

  “Relax, mate. All will be well.”

  Raven held Savitar’s hand as they entered the main hall. At first she’d been amused that he had wanted to hold her hand, but through their bond she could sense that it was important for him to do so. It seemed like mates holding hands had become somewhat of a recent trend and Savitar had hoped to show their commitment to one another by embracing the demonstrative gesture. She wasn’t usually into public displays of affection, but if it meant that much to him then she was game.

  Nerves had her clinging to his large hand, grateful for his support as she walked with him into the unknown. The last time she had been in the main hall was not something she wanted to remember. Part of her was embarrassed for the less than stellar entrance, but it wasn’t like she had any preparation on how to behave when getting her ass drop-kicked into a whole new world.

  It was midmorning, but there were still a few people in the hall eating at the long tables. It came as no surprise to Raven when she saw Kadan sitting at the table up on the dais. For a moment she was able to study him unobserved as he spoke to the warriors he was sitting with. There was a distance between Kadan and the other men, as if he was listening to what they were saying, but his mind was really focused somewhere else. His glowing eyes seemed dull with sadness and it hurt Raven’s heart to see it, knowing that she was probably the cause.

  There were two women at the table who sat with the four men. Both had long, dark-brown hair and they both had on those ridiculous transparent dresses, one in a lavender color while the other wore teal. The woman in lavender was perched on the lap of one of the warriors, being hand-fed some sort of fruit. Raven’s eyes narrowed as she noticed the woman in teal wasn’t interested in what the warriors she was sitting next to were offering. No, she was too busy sending covetous glances at Kadan under veiled lashes.

  Oh, yeah. That was going to be a problem.

  A big fucking problem.

  Jealousy had never been a problem before, but Raven felt an irresistible desire to punch the other woman in the face for daring to look at one of her men that way. Holding back a snarl of rage, Raven’s steps faltered for a moment at the thought. A snarl, really? Jesus, she had obviously been adapting to her surroundings faster than she’d anticipated.

  Normally not a violent person except when the situation called for it, she was surprise by the almost overwhelming compulsion to attack. She already thought of Savitar, Kadan, and Tristan as hers, no matter how stupid the other men had been. Her temper held as she realized that Kadan was oblivious to the woman in teal and her come fuck me looks. Savitar told her that they wanted no one but her. However, that didn’t mean Raven couldn’t warn others about what belonged to her. If she was stuck in this world, mated to the three of them, she would make damn sure they weren’t involved with any other women.

  She knew the moment Kadan finally sensed her approach and watched as his head snapped up and turned toward her. His glowing eyes brightened and his smile of welcome made her heart skip a beat. It seriously wasn’t fair to look that damn good.

  She could practically feel the sorrow fade inside him to be replaced with a hunger so powerful it nearly drove her to her knees. Her clit pulsed and her pussy became slick with the need to feel Kadan thrusting into her. Her grip tightened on Savitar’s hand and he shot a worried look down at her as she stumbled. It became clear to Raven that she was feeling Kadan’s emotions and his need was being increased by her own desire. She mentally threw up a wall and Kadan flinched as if he were physically hurt by the loss of the connection between them.

  To make up for it, she let go of Savitar’s hand and strolled forward. Taking a firm grip on Kadan’s hair, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. She felt his surprise and happiness mix together as he welcomed her kiss. Kadan growled with pleasure when she took the kiss deeper, stroking his tongue with hers over and over again until there could be no denying that he was hers.

  It was a kiss of passion, of ownership.

  It made her hot and she could feel her nipples tighten as they ached to feel his touch. Refusing to give into the lust pushing her to take it further, she pulled back. It shocked her just how much she liked kissing him, but she did. For a moment she’d forgotten herself and her surroundings as she sank into him, into the heat.

  She smiled shyly at him. “Good morning, Kadan.”

  “Good rising, sweetling,” Kadan growled back as he shifted in his seat.

  Raven had to commend his self-control since she could feel that he wanted nothing more than to pull her down on his lap so they could continue that kiss. Instead, she felt the burn of his gaze as he took in what she was wearing as she sat down next to him. Savitar chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and sat down on her other side. Raven shot a friendly smile at the others at the table. The woman in lavender beamed a smile back at her but Raven’s greeting iced over as she met the woman in teal’s scowling face.

  Yeah, that’s right, bitch. Kadan is mine.

  Raven dismissed the unfriendly woman and noticed that the men at the table were all gawking at her. Savitar had warned her that the warriors might react that way to her unusual clothing, but she didn’t care. She was comfortable with what she was wearing, far more so than one of those stripper dresses that the Arcadian females seemed to prefer.

  “You look…”

  Raven turned to Kadan, practically daring him to finish what he was thinking. She knew that the others at the table would follow his lead and if he publically ridiculed her or showed his displeasure the others would follow suit. It didn’t worry her though. Instead, the glazed look of lust on his face had her holding back a grin. “I look…what?” She couldn’t help but taunt.

  “You look absolutely…delicious,” Kadan growled. “I never thought warrior’s clothing could look so good.”

  “Thank you, Kadan,” Raven replied, pleased with his reaction.

  Kadan cleared his throat then glared at the other men as he noticed them staring at his mate. For a moment he had lost his ability to think when he saw Raven walk into the room with his brother. She was glorious. Where some females would have looked foolish dressing as a warrior, Raven looked natural and completely at ease. That didn’t help his cock from surging to life at the provocative display of flesh showing from the low-cut V in the front of the vest.
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  On Arcadia, females usually wore dresses made of a very fine material that enabled others to see the perfection of their form. Kadan never realized that by hiding some of the more interesting bits, it could be even more tantalizing than putting everything on display. His first reaction had been to order Raven back to their quarters so she could change into something more appropriate, but by the defiant look on her face she was expecting that. Instead, he had simply said exactly what he was thinking.

  And the gift of her smile was reward enough for him.

  “Raven, this is Kell and Damos, our chiefs of security and commanders of our elite guards, and their mate Nyla. Nyla is our cousin,” Kadan explained as he reached out to brush a hand over his mate’s curly locks. He couldn’t help himself. He was fascinated with the spiraling curls and could spend hours playing with them if she let him. He forced himself to stop as he nodded to the others at the table. “And these three are Damos and Kell’s younger siblings, Brynt, Koreth, and Selina.”

  “Honor to your mating,” the entire table said at once, all of them smiling.

  “Ah…thanks,” Raven said, not knowing what the proper response was.

  “She is a beauty with unusual eyes,” Brynt said. Somehow his gaze made Raven feel like she was under a microscope. She didn’t like it. She noticed that Koreth and Brynt were still leering and Selina hadn’t stopped glaring at her.

  Whatever. She wouldn’t let them bother her.

  Nyla smiled shyly at Raven from where she was perched on Kell’s lap. “It is an honor to meet you, Queen Raven.”

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Raven had to hold back a shudder at the title she had tried to forget about.

  Her stomach grumbled again and she focused on the platters of food laid out on the table. Savitar had moved a large loaf of bread in front of them that acted like a plate and placed several items on it. He picked up a piece of weird looking blue cheese and offered it to her. She shot him a questioning glance before shrugging and biting into it. It was good, creamy, and smooth. She tore off a piece of the bread and took a bit of it, too. She was so hungry she felt like she could eat everything on the table and proceeded to do so.