by Lynn Tyler
“You’re right, of course. But things are different now.”
She didn’t bother to contradict them. There were plenty of women who had decided not to sign the registry. Time for another tack. “What about the fact that you lied to us about the nature of the relationships you expect us to participate in? And don’t tell me that it doesn’t matter because you finally decided to tell us. What else have you lied about?”
Thantos glanced up at Kerek, and they seemed to talk with their eyes. Thantos nodded and pulled Kerek even closer. “We would like to issue you an invitation,” Thantos said.
“An invitation?”
Kerek answered this time. “Join us on our star ship for one month. See how we live and how we treat our mates, and learn about our culture and form a true, unbiased opinion. At the very least, you’ll get to spend a month in space, something only a very few of your people ever get to do.”
How could she say no to that? “What’s the catch?”
Kerek shook his head, smirking. “You humans and your catches. There are no strings attached. We’re just hoping that if you change your opinion, you’ll stop trying to sabotage our attempt to save our species.”
Kim weighed her options carefully. She’d taken a sabbatical from her job as a history professor in order to help coordinate the evacuation, and she didn’t have to teach again until next semester, so it wasn’t like she had anything holding her back.
And space. What human hadn’t looked up at the stars and wondered what it was like up there?
Kerek’s hand had relaxed, and he was caressing Thantos’s shoulder, those long fingers stroking over flesh and bone gently. That more than anything else decided for her.
“I’ll take you up on that offer.”
* * * *
Kerek blinked. Did he really hear her right? She was going to come on board a ship with them and witness how Helan life was really lived?
Thantos had tensed up again. “Um, we’re stationed here on the planet. How are we going to take her on board a ship?”
Yeah, Kerek hadn’t exactly thought this whole thing through. All he’d been thinking about was getting her into his and Thantos’s bed, and the ship was the perfect place. There was nowhere to run.
Taking a calming breath, Kerek ran a hand through Thantos’s long hair and felt his mate’s body lean into the touch.
Kim’s eyes bored into them. “You guys look stunned,” she taunted.
“We didn’t really expect you to agree,” Thantos explained, covering for Kerek’s slip.
Kerek sent a wave of gratefulness to Thantos for backing him up and tugged on the ends of Thantos’s hair, which he’d discovered early on in their relationship that Thantos loved.
Kim, however, didn’t seem to be taking things at face value. She glanced at his fingers tangled in Thantos’s hair and raised an eyebrow.
May as well get the confession over with now. She would find out soon enough that he and Thantos were mates, and he wanted her to have no excuse, such as being lied to, to call off their arrangement half way through.
He bent down and kissed Thantos’s temple before shooting another glance at Kim. “You may as well know that Thantos and I are bonded mates. We have been together for a number of years now.”
The flash of heat in her eyes surprised him. The vehemence in her attacks against the Helan race had led him to believe that she didn’t approve of their ways, but perhaps it was a case of protesting a little too much.
To her credit though, she didn’t skip a beat. “I think I’ll take you up on your offer. But are you sure I’m allowed to board the ship with you?”
“Yeah, Kerek? Are you sure she’s allowed on the ship?”
Oh, his mate was a getting a little mouthy. But he did have a point. “I’ll have to ask King Jaron if it’s all right, but I can’t see it being an issue.”
“Of course,” Kim said with a touch of acid in her tone. “The point is to have as many females on board as you can find, isn’t it?”
Kerek battled his irritation at the woman’s attitude even as he felt Thantos’s amusement. “Why don’t we just leave your questions until we’re on board. I’ll contact the ship immediately.”
There was no way he was going to let Kim slip out of their grasp. He switched on the portable vidscreen he’d brought with him and signaled the ship. Consort R’oan answered the hail. “Yes, Chief Kerek?”
Making sure to speak in his native tongue, Kerek addressed the king’s mate. “I know we’re scheduled to be on the planet for at least another six months, but I respectfully request permission to board the ship with my mate and a human female.”
R’oan’s face broke into a grin. “You have found the woman you and Thantos wish to mate, then.”
Kerek couldn’t hold back a grin of his own. “You have no idea, Consort. But she may take some convincing.”
R’oan arched a brow. “You’re considering talking a woman into coming on board when she’s not sure about mating you?”
Kerek thought very carefully about what he was going to say. R’oan probably wouldn’t appreciate the fact that he had asked permission to bring the most vocal opponent to their agreement with the governments of Earth.
In the end, the only thing he could do was tell him the total unvarnished truth. “Here’s the thing, Consort. It’s Kim McManus.”
This time R’oan’s eyebrows didn’t just arch. They practically disappeared into the man’s hair. “Is this the same Kim McManus that has been trying to evacuate the entire female population of the United States to the mountains, where our sensors can’t find them? That Kim McManus?”
Kerek could feel Thantos’s increasing amusement through their bond, and he turned to shoot him a warning glance, but the sight that greeted him took his breath away. Thantos was sitting in one of the chairs, slouched just a little, one ankle resting on the opposite knee and his fingers steepled under his chin. The sexy little smirk on his face told Kerek that Thantos knew exactly how hot he looked.
Kim stood behind him, her pose relaxed and still seductive. Her fingers were lingering near Thantos’s red hair, as if she had to physically restrain herself from touching it. It was her expression that really stole his breath.
The smile on her face was all challenge.
Oh, he wanted to face that challenge head on. He wanted to wrestle with her for control, wanted to take all that intensity and passion and redirect it into sex. He didn’t want to break that spirit. He wanted to take it and glory in it. He wanted to see her ride Thantos with abandon while she sucked on his cock.
“Mmm. That picture is wonderful. Are you going to take care of the hard-on you’ve just given me?” Thantos’s facial expression hadn’t changed one bit, but the bulge in his pants gave away exactly how hot Thantos thought Kerek’s fantasy was.
“Officer Kerek?”
Kerek snapped back to reality and faced the vidscreen again. “I’m sorry, sir. Yes, she’s the same Kim McManus.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Thantos quickly ran all the possibilities of what could happen if Kim came aboard though Kerek’s head. Of course, there were one or two possibilities that ended badly for Helan, but the other fifty or so turned out beautifully.
Kerek shot a soft smile over his shoulder at his mate. Thantos was brilliant, a genius. It was part of what had attracted Kerek to the more submissive male in the first place.
He made sure to compose his face into a suitably serious expression before turning back to the vidscreen. “Yes, Consort R’oan. This happens to be the best thing that could have ever happened to our agreement with the humans. Imagine what could happen if the rebellion’s main supporter is swayed to our plight. Only good things can come of this.”
R’oan’s lips quirked. “I can think of one or two things that could go wrong, Kerek. Let me just check with King Jaron, but I don’t see it as being a problem, provided that you take responsibility for her and her actions on board. Of course, you and T
hantos will still have to continue with your duties on the planet.”
Kerek pursed his lips. Poor Thantos was exhausted as it was. It would be even more tiring if he had to travel to and from the ship via shuttle every damn day. “Is there any word on when the other ships will be here? The schedule is too much for one man, and I won’t have my mate worked until he’s too tired to make love with me.”
Thantos was swearing behind him, and Kerek was sure that if he turned around right now, he would find that handsome face flushed, but Kerek simply smirked. Thantos would forgive him. He always did.
R’oan let out a surprised laugh. “Probably not long now. They were hung up by a hostile encounter. It looks like we’ll be on the defensive in a few weeks.
“In any case, it turns out that D’Arik thinks Thantos would be better suited to helping the new mates transition to life on Helan anyway. I can’t imagine the two of you will be needed on Earth for much longer.”
That was good to know. He felt Thantos’s excitement at the possibility of a new assignment. The stress of teaching an entire race their ways, especially when there was such a resistance to their presence, was staggering, and his gentle mate wasn’t suited to deal with such hostility.
R’oan’s gaze was unfocused, and Kerek knew he was communicating with King Jaron through their mate bond. “Well?” Kerek asked when R’oan focused on him again.
“Bring her aboard, but know that we have a number of new mates here. We don’t want her stirring up any trouble. Also, we don’t have any spare quarters, so she’ll have to share yours.”
Oh. That might be a problem. But Kerek could tell from the set of R’oan’s expression that there was no room for negotiation. “Fine. I’ll get back to you when she makes her final decision.”
It would be good to get back on the ship again. This infernal heat was driving him crazy. The size of the beds could do with some upgrading. Whoever thought of installing beds fit for males less than six feet tall when almost every single Helan male was six four or taller, needed to have their head knocked into a wall. Repeatedly. But having Thantos draped all over him was worth it.
The thought of having Kim snuggled up to them was even more enticing. Maybe having a small bed could be an advantage after all.
He signed off with the royal consort and turned, a huge grin stretching his mouth. “Good news. You’ll be welcomed on board with open arms. There are a few conditions though.”
Chapter 5
Conditions? Kim narrowed her eyes at the Chief of Communications, hoping that she looked stern rather than hot and bothered. Because standing in the same room as these two males, feeling the heat and passion that rolled off them, had caused the folds of her pussy to dampen with want and clench with need.
“What…conditions?” She tried to sound suspicious but had a nasty feeling that the words came out sounding breathless and excited. Then again, who wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of going into space?
Kerek looked at her gravely. “You must promise to keep an open mind. There are many new mates on board, and your presence may upset them.”
She could do that. Hopefully. “All right. I’ll keep my mind open and my mouth shut.”
Thantos stood up and loomed over her. “I don’t know that we want you to keep your mouth shut. We kind of like your mouth.”
Butterflies gathered low in her belly, awareness zinging through her faster than a bolt of lightning. God, imagine the things she could do to these two men with her mouth.
Focus, Kim.
“That’s only one condition. What are the others?” she asked.
Kerek smiled approvingly, clearly impressed that she’d picked up on that. “R’oan has informed me that the ship does not have any spare quarters. You would have to share ours.”
Well, that might be a deal breaker. Her body might be screaming at her to take the offer and run with it, but her mind spoke louder. “Really. How is it that you didn’t think to mention this to me when you first extended the invitation to me?” If he had lied to her, even a lie of omission, she was forgetting the whole thing and walking out of here with her head held high.
Thantos threaded his fingers through Kerek’s and leaned against the bigger man. “We arrived on another ship, Ms. McManus, one that has already departed for Helan. We were unaware of the space restrictions on the ship currently in orbit.”
Okay, that kind of made sense. “Where would you expect me to sleep?”
Kerek’s face remained impassive, but she thought she could detect a wicked sparkle in his gaze. “Consort R’oan has ordered that should you come aboard, you will take up residence in our quarters.”
Of course. She couldn’t accuse him of lying to her though, since she hadn’t understood a word that had been said. They hadn’t even attempted to hide their conversation from here.
She considered each and every one of her choices very carefully. In the end, there was only one choice for her. She would be going with them, if only to prove to herself that she had made the right decision to help the women of Earth rebel and evacuate. But there was no way she was going to let them think they had the upper hand.
“I have a condition of my own.”
“Name it.” It was Thantos that spoke this time.
“I want one of those translator thingies you have in your heads. If we’re to be on level playing ground, I need to be able to understand you when you speak Helan.”
She could see the confusion. “Level playing ground?” Thantos replied. “We are not playing a game, Ms. McManus.”
“It’s an expression,” she explained, a glimmer of amusement running through her. They really were adorable when they looked at her like that. “It means that I don’t want to be at a disadvantage when I’m on board.”
Understanding crossed both men’s faces, and they both nodded at once, both at the same time. “Actually, you getting a translator goes without saying,” Thantos said, leaning forward so that his flame-red hair pooled on the table.
What was it about these men that made her want to rub that hair all over her naked body while Kerek licked between her legs?
Thantos looked at her sharply but didn’t say anything else.
Kerek, however, seemed to have lots to say. “We will leave for the ship immediately. Thantos, reschedule your lectures for tomorrow while I secure a shuttle for our transport.”
Oh, so Kerek was that kind of male. Well, he would quickly find out that she did not kowtow to anyone, let alone a stubborn man who felt he was in control of her life. She crossed her arms over her breasts, trying not to notice how hard her nipples really were.
Listen up, she scolded her traitorous body. Just because you love dominant men in bed doesn’t mean anything.
She shivered and rubbed her arms. Her body thought the idea of being a sex slave for Kerek and Thantos sounded pretty damn good, despite the fact that her mind was screaming at her to resist their Alpha male ways.
So she stood there, waiting to see if Kerek would even acknowledge that she might have a life that she couldn’t just abandon at a moment’s notice.
Kerek shut down the device he’d been talking on and turned to face her. “When is a good time for you to join us on the ship?”
Oh. That hadn’t exactly been what she been expecting. “Um, I guess any time is fine.”
Why, oh why had she just said that? She’d been determined to force them to wait for her for at least a week. Of course, that had been before Kerek had the decency to consider her schedule instead of just ordering her around.
Damn him for being considerate.
And damn her body for being thrilled with her answer. Her nipples were practically jumping off her breasts trying to get to him. And her clit, which was so swollen now that even the rub of the seam of her pants against it had her on the brink of orgasm, seemed to have a mind of its own.
Kerek, for his part, simply nodded and grinned knowingly. “Thantos and I will be leaving immediately for our ship. There is a shuttl
e already on the ground, and the pilot is willing to fly us to the ship and return for the passengers he’s waiting for. There is, of course, room for you to accompany us today.”
“I should go back to my apartment and pack,” she said, mentally running through the list of things she could easily fold into a suitcase that wouldn’t wrinkle too badly.
Kerek pulled on one of Thantos’s braids slightly, and she watched as the man leaned against Kerek without hesitation. “Everything you need will be provided on board. You are, of course, welcome to bring anything you like, but unfortunately, the pilot who is happy to fly us must leave immediately in order to be back in time to pick up his original passengers.”
Which would mean she either took the time to pack and joined them at a later date, or she took them at their word and left with them now.
In the end, it was not a hard decision. She had looked up at the stars and wondered what they looked like from above the Earth for years. “I’ll come with you now, if it’s no trouble.”
Kerek smirked and crooked an eyebrow at her. “I rarely say anything I don’t mean, lira.”
“Well,” she snapped, her arousal completely forgotten, “you’ll find that I make up my own mind.”
Shit. That made absolutely no sense, but at least Kerek stopped smirking at her. No, he wasn’t smirking at her at all. He wasn’t paying her any attention at all. He’d turned around and was leaning over Thantos’s shoulder, speaking quietly into the other man’s ear.
Thantos nodded and turned to face her. “As the Ambassador, we would usually have the best quarters on the ship. However, King Jaron and his consort are on board, so we are in regular crew quarters. Unfortunately, that means that your bed will have to be set up in the common area of the quarters. We can arrange for a privacy screen of some sort if you wish. Is this acceptable to you?”
She nodded quickly before she had a chance to change her mind. If she didn’t leave for the ship now, she would probably chicken out. How could she continue with her protest in good conscience if she turned down a chance to get to know the culture?