She licked her lips, the bite of ash stinging her mouth. “How bad is it? Is everyone all right?”
“Everyone?” Markov asked.
The sound of saws and chaos prevented any further conversation, but her males worked right alongside the rest of the team to free her of damaged metal and machinery. Her males.
Markov lifted the last piece off her and light illuminated the inside ruins of her ship. “What in the world?”
“What is going on?” Pell leaned in. “Who are these people?”
“They’re us.” Markov shook his head. “Tre, what have you done?”
With the minuscule amount she could move her head she spied them, both lifeless both with their arms wrapped around her providing a protective cocoon, both pale comparisons to the real earthlings, but in the end, her secret. She gasped. Markov and Pell were never supposed to know. If the landing went normal she would have had time to end the program. For the first time with them she didn’t know what to say.
“Answer us.” Pell’s sharp tone cut through her. “Who are these people?”
One of the workers peeked inside. “Not people, those are her anthromachines. She must have missed you enough to program them to look like you.”
“Maybe we should have gone with her then.” Pell spoke through gritted teeth.
Markov stared at her. “That’s what we wanted.”
Any hope of returning to Mersenne and working things out with her humans all but vanished.
“They acted well.” The worker nodded. “By the looks of things, they saved her life, but they’re beyond repair.”
Between the expression on the humans faces and the acknowledgement her anthromachines were destroyed, her breath hitched.
The medical personnel arrived.
“We’ll get her out.” Markov went to get in the ship with her.
“We will take it from here.” The lead from the medical team lowered some equipment by her.
“We want to help.” Pell held his hand out.
“Who are you?” the lead on the team asked.
Everyone on Mersenne had specific titles.
Everyone but her humans.
She ground her teeth together.
“Her life mates.” Markov announced.
“Yes, her life mates.” Pell forced himself inside.
What? She opened her mouth to say something, but a long forgotten instinct took over and a tear rolled down her face. They weren’t life mates, they never even bonded.
The crew around her pried her prized possessions off her, and with the pressure lifted, her world spun and she slipped away unsure if she even survived the crash at all.
Chapter Six
Markov on one side, Pell on the other. Both slept soundly in the hospital bed with her. Before her trip Trevini would have said this was how things should be.
But she took the trip, and everything changed.
She studied Pell first, one arm wrapped around her waist, lips parted, his body pressed against hers. The sight of him, the real him, made her mouth water.
Markov let out a sigh, and she turned. He also held her. In sleep his features softened, he almost appeared relaxed, even his hair defied him and fell down on his forehead.
Apparently they kept up the ruse of being her life mates and her family must have allowed it for them to be in the room with her. While they shared a residence, they didn’t share a bed, though she tried. In fact, she never fought for anything as hard as getting them all together. Right up until the night before she left on her ill-fated trip, she crusaded for their cause like no other.
“Markov, come join us.” She held her hand out to him. More and more she came to relish the time in the evening when the three of them would lay together and talk about their day. Ever since they took their jobs at the air and space administration they had a lot of conversation, a whole new common ground. If they could only get over their last block, they could be mated.
He paused, glancing between his bowl of salted popped grains he made, and her and Pell sitting together in the lounging area. As he approached, he focused on Pell’s hand around her waist, but at last took her hand and sat next to her.
“I would have made you something if I knew you were hungry.” She brushed her hand across his jaw line.
“It’s just a snack.” He held the bowl out to her.
Though the division of labor spanned galaxies, her Earthlings had no problem doing some tasks deemed mainly for females. She always chuckled at the way they argued when cooking outdoors. In strange ways they were much more progressive than any other species, in others, more closed off. How did she get them over the last hurdle?
She scooped up three of the puffed up treats into her palm. First she turned and placed one in Pell’s mouth, then she placed one in her own, and finally turned back to Markov and fed him, letting her fingers linger on his lips.
“I just cleaned up.” His tone took on a warning.
“Do you want me to inspect and make sure you got everything?” She raked her hand down his chin, his neck and his chest. If they didn’t mate with her soon, she would burst.
“Did you already check Pell?” Though he tried to keep his voice even and casual, his jutted jaw betrayed him.
Why the men seemed more in competition rather than in companionship confounded her. “If you want to know if I kissed him while you were bathing, the answer is yes.” She kept her focus on him and slid her hand down to his stomach, giving him a light kiss and teasing him with her tongue.
He instantly deepened the kiss and his hand cupped her breast. “What else did you do?”
No question both her males were full of pent up sexual energy and both wanted her. Pell practically attacked her the moment Markov walked away. “It’s hard to describe, may I demonstrate?”
He gave her one nod.
Without hesitation she moved her hand to the front of his pants. Already he was hard, thick and throbbing.
At her touch, he moaned.
Once more she kissed him, stroking him until he bucked his hips up to her hand.
“Tre.” He arched his back.
“Did you clean up because you made a mess before?” She grabbed Pell’s hand and pulled him over. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck.
Markov’s breath quickened.
“Tell me Markov, remember I change the linens, I know you both have taken to pleasuring yourselves.” She reached inside his pants. Neither man ever let her take it this far in front of the other. Before Markov joined them, she brought Pell to the brink of climax twice. The poor man begged for release but she didn’t give in.
“I want you, Tre.” Markov put his hand over his eyes.
“Why?” She had to make him say it. “Do you want to know what Pell told me?”
“Yes.” Markov panted.
“Tell him, Pell.” She tilted her head. “Tell Markov and maybe you can finally be satisfied.”
“You will satisfy me.” Pell found her lips and snuck his hand between her legs.
She pushed him back.
Pell grabbed her hand guiding her to his erection but she resisted.
They stared at one another and she slowly tended to Markov trying to show him what he could have.
“I said you were the woman I used to dream about and then you literally walked off a space ship.” Pell practically growled the words at her.
“I didn’t think you were real.” Markov shook his head. “Please, Tre.”
“Keep going.” She pressed her hand to Pell.
He narrowed his eyes but continued. “You’re all I think about.”
“All I think about is the two of you.” She leaned in, kissed him and turned back to Markov.
Through clouded eyes he took her in. “You know how I feel.”
“Then let’s be together.” In an attempt to give them a little push, she pulled Markov closer, kissed him and kissed Pell once more.
Her males stared at one another.
> She held her breath. If she could just get them to touch as they did on that isolated planet, they would forget the inhibitions imposed on Earth after the countries reorganized and go with their hearts and their passion.
When they didn’t move, she tried again. “How about we all kiss?”
“Why can’t it just be like this?” Pell didn’t take his eyes off Markov.
“Like what? With me in the middle, a buffer between the two of you?”
“It’s that or you need to choose.” Markov pulled his pants up.
“Could the two of you pick who gets me?” She ground her teeth together. “It’s not how this works.”
“We are not Mersennians.” Markov raised his voice. “We didn’t come to you as a couple looking for our mate.”
“We gave you our lives. How much more do you want?” Pell stood up.
“I want you to be happy, fulfilled, with me and with each other.” She crossed her arms. “You both told me privately you found something and that you care for the other.”
They both shot her looks at having let out their secrets.
“We can’t give you what you want, Tre.” Markov turned away.
With his words and Pell’s silence, her chest tightened. She needed to think, get out of there. “I’m going to go run that mission and pick up the Lithum.”
“We’ll go with you.” Pell stood in front of her. “You only need to sign the certificates so we can fly with you.”
She stood. No one, not even her male would tell her where she could or couldn’t go. If she wanted, she could keep them grounded indefinitely. Non-Mersennians couldn’t fly without a Mersennian life mate. The females of Mersenne were already too protected, but as her rais told her time and again, more than Mersennian blood ran through her. “I can fly alone. It’s a quick mission.”
“What if we forbid you to go?” Markov shot out his question.
“Then I would say you are not my life mates.” She went to step away.
Pell caught her arm. “You are the most selfish woman I have ever encountered.”
“I thought I was your dream?” In a show of defiance she raised her chin.
Markov stood. “Every day with you is more of a frustrating nightmare.”
“If you leave and we are here when you return, you better have made a decision.” Pell released her.
At the ultimatum, she shifted her focus to Markov.
He walked away.
“Maybe I’ll be the one who doesn’t return.” With the words out, she turned on her heel and left.
Her thoughts jolted her back to the here and now. She almost really didn’t return. Were they here now with her out of guilt? Obligation?
In his sleep, Markov put his leg over hers, and she took them both in once more.
Oh yes, this was the way things should have been, but their first night together shouldn’t have been in a medical facility after she crashed and lost everything.
Still, she couldn’t resist, and she reached over and moved Markov’s hair back.
He moaned and opened his eyes. “Tre. How are you?”
Rather than answer, she chose to run her finger across his lower lip and he treated her by kissing her fingertip. The simple act gave her a little shiver.
“You’re awake.” Pell’s voice vibrated through her.
She faced him.
Always the nurturer, he pressed his palm to the side of face. “Tell me what you need.”
Instead of tell him, she licked her lips and stared into his face. He always picked up on her signals, but did they need to discuss the circumstances under which she left? What about her anthromachines? If they were in need of conversation they could always throw in the life mate comment as well.
Without another word he leaned in and kissed her, a soft kiss, but one telling her he cared and missed her. He took his time doling out attention to each of her lips and giving her a little taste with his tongue and a whole new ache joined her already beat up body.
Markov pushed himself up and brought his face closer to theirs. “Now it’s my turn.”
Pell broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. “Careful, she’s in a hospital.”
“That didn’t stop you.” Markov took her chin, gently turned her, and connected their mouths. His kiss was much more demanding than Pell’s.
For an instant she thought Pell would join them and her breath caught, but he stayed inches away. The gap between them overwhelming.
Still, to taste them, to be surrounded by their warmth and their scents, was something she never thought she would experience again. “That’s what was missing.” She didn’t realize she spoke until she heard the words.
“What was missing?” Pell kissed the back of her hand.
Markov lowered his face to the crook of her neck.
“Your heat, your taste, your smell.” She alluded to the unmentionable.
Markov tensed.
“Let’s wait to talk about that.” Pell brushed her hair off her forehead. “You need to recover.”
“Why are the two of you here?” She needed to know.
“What kind of question is that to ask?” Markov sat up.
“An honest one.” Though she tried to look them in the eye, she found herself focusing between them, not truly ready to face the answer. “You called yourselves my life mates.”
“We told you before we gave you our lives.” Pell adjusted her pillow and pushed her back.
She bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from speaking.
“We are not talking about this while you reflect and heal.” Markov laid back but took her hand. “Once you are well enough to confront the wreckage, we will confront our situation.”
Pell kissed her temple. “That is how things are going to be.”
“Since when did the two of you become experts in Mersennian tradition?” Once well, she and her family would have to go see the wreckage to put closure on the experience.
“Since we decided to make some changes.” Markov pulled up the blanket.
“You told me to make a decision by the time I returned.” The urge to cross her arms and stomp away consumed her, but in her substandard condition she would have trouble kicking the males out of bed to leave.
“All bets are off. We’re making the decisions now, and right now you will rest until we have our confrontations.” Pell settled down.
She stared up at the ceiling. Confrontations. Her confrontations would come with losing her career as a pilot and losing the males she wanted to bond with.
Nothing had changed between them.
Chapter Seven
When Trevini first brought the Earthlings to Mersenne, she smiled at the way they continued to stare up at the pink sky and called it unbelievable, just as they did the first time they spied Fermat, their ringed moon, wrapped in ribbons of perfect pastel, purple, blue and green.
Of course the first time Pell truly kissed her, he tangled her hair in his hand and told her how the younger set on his planet would give anything to have naturally purple hair. More than once Markov commented on her matching eyes.
Yes, she used to laugh at their fixation on color. In fact, days ago she would have told anyone she preferred the endless black in space, but now she stared up at the pink sky with new appreciation.
After five days in the medical facility she was cleared to return to her residence, but at the moment she didn’t really know where she belonged. True to their words, they refused to talk about anything, but they didn’t leave her side. Already she knew she would never fly again. Without her the males were grounded, and she wanted to know what kept them there, guilt, obligation, necessity? All were sad excuses for a true bond between three. Before she tackled that obstacle, she had to confront the wreckage. They would go straight from the hospital to the hangar containing her battered ship, and her stomach twisted at the thought.
“Are you ready?”
One of the best voices in the all the galaxies broke her reverie, a
nd she turned to find her rais. Tall, strong and magic would be the only words to describe him, and she gave in to her inner wants and barreled straight for the source of ultimate comfort.
He wrapped his arms around her. “You are going to be fine. You are a strong female, the daughter of a warrior. Some would say one of a kind.”
Though she wanted to stay with her face buried in his chest, she looked up at the male who made her bloodline unique. Her mena told her that both she and her bram never hated or wanted a man more than her rais.
“She is still two-thirds Mersennian.” Her bram joined them and extracted her, pulling her into his embrace. “Why a female should have to go through this ritual is beyond me. She is way too sensitive for such things.”
Fine, maybe the ultimate comfort didn’t come from her rais. Her bram, broad and strong and fierce not only in his intellect, but in his loyalty, wouldn’t let as much as a strong breeze hurt her before he attacked to keep her safe.
Where Rais taught her to go after what she wanted and fight until the end, Bram lived a life where females were rare and protected. While Rais would laugh off scrapes and scratches, Bram would practically have her at the nearest medical facility at the sight of any imperfect skin.
“It matters not what percentage she is, she is descended from two of the most magnificent males to ever roam the universe.” At last her mena entered along with Markov and Pell.
Trevini pressed her lips together. Her mena always arrived with an air of royalty and grace, something she wished she possessed.
“I also need closure today, I have never been more…” She went to Trevini, and took her chin in her hand. “You are going to turn my hair positively lilac.”
There was never any doubt why her mother was sought after by all the best male pairings in her time. Beauty radiated from her. Today, her violet hair was pulled back to show off her face for this was one of the few times she wouldn’t hide her emotion.
“Little one, I know we will put this aside after today, and you will start a new life.” She bent down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Shall we go?”
New life? New was supposed to mean better. She gave a quick glance to Markov and Pell. Today she would be forced to confront her entire life and she wasn’t sure if she would end up better for it. Knowing she needed to face her fears, she nodded.
Three Times Lucky: Five Sizzling Tales of Three-Way Love Page 3