The Beast In The Castle

by Daniella Wright

  “What’s mating like?” she asked suddenly. It was a subject that had been brought up before, though more in passing, rather than in great detail. She hadn’t asked for much information on it, aside from knowing that it would claim her properly as Karron and Le’on’s. Like a marriage, as she had come to understand before. The actual mechanics of it, however, was something that she hadn’t breeched before. In a way, the idea scared her a little, despite being intriguing. Mainly for the fact that it was apparently supposed to happen between her, Karron, and Le’on.

  “Hm.” Tarron seemed to think on it hard, before smiling and looking down at her. “Which part? The act, or the emotions?”

  The question threw her for a loop, and she was silent for a moment. Which one seemed the safest to ask about, at the moment? She felt like it was the one that implied least there was actually something going on between the three of them.

  “The act itself.”

  “Well,” Tarron started. “Copulating is clearly a part of it. You have to be mid-act for it to work… Bodies blended together, so to speak. It’s important – a melding of the body as a symbol of the melding of the soul that happens when you mate. For such a thing, marks need to be exchanged. Ammarok bite at the neck, enough to leave an impression of the teeth and scent within the skin.”

  “Scent within the skin?” she asked, puzzled. “How… does that work?”

  “For humans, not particularly well – but that’s only because your sense of scent isn’t quite as up to par as those of the Ammarok. You, for example, likely wouldn’t be able to notice the difference in scent even though there’d be a visible scar from the mark. Others would, though.”

  Interesting. “I see… What about the emotional side to everything? What… what is that about?”

  He regarded her for a moment, his brow quirked. “Well… it’s rather simple, in honesty. Technically anyone can be marked, in a way. But mating goes deeper and it’s that emotional connection that really lasts. It’s when you trust the other, or others, implicitly. You’re making a commitment to be theirs in every way for the rest of your life. You’ll share your lives together, make children together. When the other returns to the earth, in your heart and body you will still be faithful to them, until the great cycle that makes up all of life decides that it’s your turn to return to the earth, as well.”

  She swallowed. So… it was like marriage, though it felt like there was a heavier weight to it, as though there was more than just great sex and leaving marks. There was a question, though, that weighed heavily on her mind. Was she ready for that, with Korran and Le’on? She didn’t think she was. That was… more than what she felt yet. She liked them both – liked them a lot. But like wasn’t that kind of deep, life-long commitment.

  There was a frown on her face, when Torran placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him, a bit worried about what was playing up on her expression. He merely smiled at her, in a reassuring sort of way, and it set her at ease – at least a little.

  “You don’t have to decide now,” he told her. “You don’t even have to decide a week from now, or months, or a year. They’re merely chosen you. You know their intentions. You’re free to accept or decline in any capacity – just know you’re always welcome here.”

  *****

  “Can I talk to you two?”

  She stood in the doorway of their room, looking in on them. They had already laid down for the evening, Le’on reading, and Korran playing with his hair. They looked up when she called to them, returning from her day out with Tarron. They smiled at her, almost in unison; it made her wonder if she was doing the right thing, having this conversation. If she would say the wrong thing and hurt them.

  “Certainly. Come here.” Karron patted the bed, and she sat down at the edge. She took her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying it there for a while before she spoke.

  “This mating business,” she said. “What happens… if it never happens? Because I like you. I like the both of you. I like living here, I like learning everything that I have. It’s freeing here, ironically. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like myself as much anywhere as I ever have here. But I know why the two of you kept me. I know what your intentions are. But I’m human, and things are different for me. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be ready for what you want from me – but I also don’t want to pretend like there’s nothing there between us, either. I think that would be unfair. I just… don’t know what… you think about all of this?”

  The both of them seemed surprised by the string of words – hell, she was too. She had intended on bringing all of this up in a calm, precise manner – but the word flood just poured from her and she couldn’t stop herself once the dam had been knocked down. There was a silence that worried her, though, and as they exchanged a look her heart sank down deep into her stomach.

  It was Korran, surprisingly, that spoke first.

  “Why would we have an issue with that?”

  “Well –” She stopped, chewing on her lip again. “Well, it’s what you want, isn’t it? To be mated. Tarron explained it to me, and it’s a nice idea, but it’s a lot of commitment… a lot of emotion… and I love being around you two so much and I care about you but I –”

  “You don’t want to rush into something and regret it.”

  “Right.”

  Karron and Le’on exchanged another look, something deep. Karron gestured to her, taking her in his arms when she scooted close to him. Lyra ended up situated between the two of them, her back to Karron’s chest as she faced Le’on. It reminded her of their first intimate night together – but there was a distinct lack of sexual tension and unfortunately for her, the kind of tension that was present was far from enjoyable. A reprieve came, though, when Le’on reached out to caress her cheek.

  “I don’t want to mate you unless you want to be mated,” he said finally. “I want you… I will want you, but the thing I want more than that is for you to want me. If you don’t in that way, now, on the future, I will be happy just having had you in my life.” He glanced back to Karron. “We both will.”

  “I’m in no rush,” Karron spoke up. “It’s tempting, more than I think you realize to mark you and claim you. Forcing a mate is never a good idea… for a number of reasons. But we would never force this on you – especially not like that. We want you to be happy.”

  Lyra was quiet for a moment, taking that all in. It was a shock – it shouldn’t have been, but it was. She had expected hurt… perhaps a frustration or anger. She should have known better though, known that that wasn’t how they would act. After all, they hadn’t thus far, why would they start? And the thing was, she didn’t even need to ask whether or not they actually meant it – she could hear it in their voices when they answered her question that their responses were genuine.

  She didn’t know what to say, so instead of saying anything, she wrapped her arms around Le’on, with Karron pressing against her from behind. They were warm, encompassing. Safe. That’s how she felt in the moment, despite the turbulent feelings.

  When had life gotten like this for her? She had never been in such a situation before. It was particularly perplexing, and left her head reeling from the newness of it all. She didn’t know whether she was relieved or not, to be honest. Was she to find comfort in knowing that the two of them would still care for her even if she couldn’t care for them nearly as deeply as they did for her, or was that supposed to make her feel guilty, because she honestly wasn’t sure if she was going to end up feeling that depth of caring for them.

  And to think. All she had intended to do when she left the sanctity of the Compound was to go exploring…

  IX

  Lyra

  Weeks had past, and things had begun to settle. Though it worried her, from time to time, her place with the Ammarok, she didn’t let her conflicted feelings about Le’on and Karron weigh upon her as she had before. They settled into a routine, a calm sort of ease that was comfortable for her, and left he
r feeling less like she needed to be on her edge and more like she was just… able to exist with them.

  It was six months in, living with the Ammarok, that things started to change.

  Le’on told her that from time to time, other tribes would war with them. It was nothing new; war among the Ammarok tended to mean weeks of fighting before things settled. They were a proud, vicious race, liked to prove themselves to those around them. Sometimes that meant beating each other bloody – she couldn’t say that it was a surprise to her.

  Seeing it up close, however? That shook her.

  They descended on their village quickly. It was a sudden, howling scream that alerted them to their presence, before the warriors came. Lyra remembered it like a blur – the way that Le’on had been kissing her one minute, and the next he had not, how he and Karron had shoved her into an underground space below their bed, telling her to stay there. The worst part during had been hearing all the screaming. There had been so much screaming, so many sounds – the squelch of blood was one that had not left her.

  Nothing had prepared her, though, for the sight of Karron carrying Le’on into their home, bloody, covered in marks.

  The village healers worked tirelessly over him. She had stayed by his side, every single moment, watching their unique blend of tribal healing and technological medicine at work. Her hand held his in a vice grip, and beside her Karron remained, as well. The thing that scared her most was how pale Le’on had become – he’d lost so much blood, she feared deeply that he was going to die.

  He was a fighter, though. She should have known that. He persisted, he fought – he lived. He had woken blearily, blinking himself back into consciousness on the tenth day of his recovery, while her head was rested on his chest, listening to his heart. She nearly choked him in the embrace of her hug when she awoke, and saw him staring at her. The first words out of her mouth would change the course of her life more permanently than she had ever prepared for.

  “Mate me.”

  She had thought about it the moment that Karron had brought him home, at death’s door. The worst thing imaginable to her was the thought of losing either of them – and she had nearly lost one of them, all before either of them knew what they truly meant to them. Perhaps it was terrible of her, that she didn’t realize their meaning to her until she had nearly lost one of them, but that was the fact of the matter. She wanted Le’on, she wanted Karron. She wanted them, deeply, for the rest of her life and if it was in her control, she would never let them go – not even for a second.

  It didn’t surprise her a bit when Le’on enthusiastically told her yes.

  Epilogue

  Lyra

  Passion burned through her body, coursing like a flaming river. Le’on was below her, rolling into her body with his hands gripped hard on her hips. Behind her, Karron filled her, too, stretching the capacity of her womanhood to pleasurable heights that only the two of them had even been able to bring her to.

  They were gentle with her, though. The rocks of their hips against her pliant body were smooth, delicate, filling her deeply without causing her discomfort – there was more to her than just her, after all, with the round swell of her belly making its presence known with its protrusion.

  It was gorgeous, Lyra thought. The proof of their couplings growing within her body, every present as her two loves took her passionately. The fact that it was there, tangible, a testament to their bond, made their lovemaking all the sweeter, and fulfilling. The emotion was there, running in tandem with the physical connection – she could feel it in Le’on’s gaze as he looked up at her from below, as well as in the sweet caress of her belly and breast from Karron as he pressed snugly against her back.

  She would have never thought that she would be there, in such a way. Between two men who she had come to love, and who loved her in return, with their babies growing inside of her – warm, safe, and loved as well. It had happened through such odd, unknowing circumstance, that it was hard for her to believe that this was her life that she was living.

  But it was.

  Korran pressing his lips to her neck, on the right side where his mark was: that was real, that was her life. Le’on sliding his hands over her belly, tracing lines and touching so soft it was like he was afraid he may break her otherwise: that was her life. The burning, ever-present feeling of completeness as they worked her to her completion, before the both of them spilled deep and heavy within her, flooding her body with their ecstasy: that was her life.

  It was most apparent, though, when they lay together in their shared bed, a heap of limbs and emotions, contented sighs and deep groans from the soreness of muscle, was the feeling of belonging that was the most real for her.

  The part of her new life she embraced the most.

  Captured By The Warriors

  ~ Bonus Story ~

  An Erotic Alien Abduction Menage

  Just what I need on a sunny Saturday afternoon: being dumped by that snake I thought was my boyfriend and my best friend is too busy with her wedding cake tasting to go out for a drink. I can’t let these circumstances spoil my life, so I head out to the state forest for a hike. Things don’t go as planned, though, when I meet two chiseled specimens at a rest stop. They start acting shifty when I hear a woman scream for help, and the next thing I know, I’m waking up in a cage on some alien planet.

  The aliens charge each other on huge, shaggy beasts and beat each other with clubs, and I’m the tournament prize. What’s going to happen to me? I expect the worst when they drag me off to the winner’s castle, but I can’t believe my ears when he suggests his brother share the spoils. How can I ever make my peace with this strange world?

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  My phone twinkles. “Hey, baby. What time are you picking me up tonight?”

  That slick willie Paul Tariq doesn’t reply right away. “About that....baby, we need to talk.”

  My blood runs cold. “What about?”

  “It’s just not working out, baby. You know how it is.”

  My scalp prickles. Then my dread turns to rage. How dare he do this over the phone? The least he can do is face me like a man, but I guess this means he’s not a man―at least, not the way I thought he was. He might have the equipment, but not the balls.

  “No, I don’t know how it is, so why don’t you explain it to me, and use small words so I’ll be sure to understand. You told me not three hours ago how much you loved me and how much you wanted to take me out for a nice dinner to treat me like a lady. Now you’re telling me it’s not working out. Which is it?”

  Paul’s voice takes on a hard edge. I’ve never heard him like this before. “Listen, Lena, you’re my boss. That’s a recipe for disaster outside of work, and besides, I never really went for dominating women.”

  “Since when did I ever dominate you? I’ve given you everything you wanted since the day we met.”

  “Come on, Lena. You know that’s not true.”

  I can’t keep still. I stand up and pace around my living room with the phone glued to my ear. “What are you talking about? I’ve bent over backwards to make you happy.”

  “You want me to give it to you straight? All right. Here it is, but just remember, you asked for this. I wanted to let you down easy, but you wouldn’t let that happen. You are the most controlling woman I have ever had anything to do with, and no man in his right mind would date you if he knew what you were really like. I fell for you in the beginning because you’re so successful and beautiful and....well, dominating. But then I got to know you, and look out! You manipulated me to wring every last drop of life out of me, and you did it all under the guise of managing me on your team. I can’t wait to get as far away from you as I can.”

  I stop pacing. I can’t be hearing this....again. “So what about work? How’s it going to be with us working together?”

  Paul regains his composure. He could be talking to my answering service. “When you get to work on Monday morning, you’ll fi
nd my letter of resignation on your desk.”

  A lump sticks in my throat, but I keep my voice calm no matter what. “Where will you go? What will you do?”

  “I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure, but I just got offered the management position at Tempo & Sons.”

  I gasp. “The competition? How could you do that? How could you stab our company in the back after all the work we’ve done together? I thought you believed in this company.”

  “That’s just like you, Lena. You think everyone is as obsessed and driven as you are. Some people aren’t, you know. I had to get away from you. That’s all there is to it, and with the experience I gained working under you, Tempo & Sons made me a very attractive offer.”

  I close my eyes, but I can’t shut the raw truth out of my mind. “Fine, then. If that’s the way it’s going to be, I’m better off without you.”

  Paul snorted. “Yeah, right.” He hangs up, and the phone goes dead.

  I stare at the screen for a second while the tragic reality sinks into my tortured soul. Then I hurl the phone across the room with a feral shriek. I spin away and stride across the room, as far away from that phone as I can get.

  I pace up and down in front of the full-length windows overlooking the central city, but when I gazed out over the park, my emotions catch up with me. I collapse on my cream leather couch, my shoulders slumped, and I sob into my hands.

  How many times have I gone through this same ordeal over the years? I can twirl these men around my little finger for so long before they break and run in the opposite direction. My luxurious condo apartment on the upper floors of an expensive building in the city’s center doesn’t hold them. I always wind up alone in the end. Will I ever be able to trust anyone enough to love them and let them love me?