by Jenika Snow
He folded his wings inward, and they seamlessly melded back into his body. Now all he had to show of them was the dark ink that marked his back. He moved into the cave and sensed his brothers and their female move up behind. Brawn made his way through the long, winding tunnels that led deeper into the monstrous rock. The temperature started to decrease, and the further he descended the cooler it became. It was still warmer than what Minka was probably used to, but it wouldn’t be uncomfortable for her, and she would grow accustomed to it.
He could hear her breathing heavy behind him, maybe a little unsure of the tight, dark and sharp confines, but when the tunnel opened up into a bigger cavern he heard her start to breathe easier. She would need to be hydrated, because even the flight to the cave through the heat would have sucked the moisture from her. Brawn wasn’t used to the feeling of wanting to protect and care for someone. Yes, he cared for his brothers, but they were just as brutal as he was, and the emotions they shared were nothing like what he felt for Minka. It was most definitely the breeding need inside of him that had opened up his feelings like this, but he also knew saving her life had created a bond between them. It was something that rarely happened, especially in terms of the savior being the one to feel this deep-rooted connection to the person he rescued, but Brawn was most definitely feeling it.
Rock sconces lined the walls, and the oil that supplied the fuel to keep them lit was from the Fetta that was deep inside of the jagged rocks. It was oil that had an endless supply, and came from the energy and molten lava that flowed beneath them. He sensed her grow more comfortable, maybe because there was no more darkness surrounding her, but either way he was grateful her unease was leaving.
“This is where you will live with us, Minka,” Brawn said once they entered the main common room of their mountain home. He had spoken in his native tongue, and although she couldn’t understand that, he needed to rectify it. They spoke English, but they would need to inject her with a translator chip so that she could understand their language. That is what they would be speaking since they lived on Hades, and the sooner they got her accustomed to their way of living the easier she would acclimate to everything.
“We should hunt for some Kathena meat. It will be better on her stomach until she can transition and is used to the food we have here.” Lukin was the one to speak. “I will also grab some more Monel sticks, because although you two think it is just to get high, having her become at ease will also help, especially when the time comes to breed her.”
They all glanced at Minka, who was looking at the items in the living quarters. Surely everything was so strange to her, but how would she react once they claimed her … at the same time?
“I think we should get her some Monel, or even some Bacca juice,” Thorque said, and his voice was strained tight. They were all on edge, and until they had her that edge would grow fiercer and harder until they couldn’t stop themselves from taking her. Brawn didn’t want to do that because surely she would fear them then.
“This is your home, little human,” Lukin said and moved closer to her. He cupped her cheek with his hand, and the red tint of his brother’s skin against Minka’s light human colored flesh was a stark contrast. For several seconds Lukin just stared at her, and Brawn could see the almost dazed expression on her face. She may be afraid of this situation, but there was no denying that she felt the arousal pounding through her, too. Lukin moved back, and then he and Thorque left them alone.
Brawn didn’t tell her about the beasts they would hunt, because although they were predators and were the highest on the hierarchy in the plant, there were creatures that would be able to smell her human weakness, and take advantage of that. He would need to explain all of that soon enough, because she needed to be prepared, but one thing at a time.
“I must put a translator chip in you so that you can understand the Hades language,” he said evenly, and watched her reaction.
She swallowed, looked around the room, and then faced him once more. “Okay,” she said softly.
Brawn nodded. “How about you sit down and get comfortable. The translator won’t feel like anything but a little pinch, and then we can speak in my native tongue.” He walked up to her and then led her over to the hides that covered the rock benches. The hides were from the Gatugas, a large, carnivorous animal that was on the planet of Yettiga. Their hides were so thick and plush, and made of soft fur that blocked out the heat and hardness of the stone. She sat on the largest chair, and he went into the cooking area and poured her a glass of water. Hades males didn’t need water, not much anyway, and since their planet only produced a small quantity, they had stocked up for bathing. But now it seemed like they would be supplying that water for their little human mate, because he knew her kind needed an abundance of it to survive.
He moved back to where she was and set the horn cup on the bones and teeth table in front of her. “It’s just water, but you need to drink all of it and more because the heat of my planet is making you perspire too much. You’ll get dehydrated.” He looked down at her, stared into the light green color of her eyes, and felt that steady thump of desire fill him. “You’ll be safe and not dehydrate while in the cave, but every time you venture out of the protection the mountains provide the natural water in your body will dwindle.” He had only had her in his life for going on two sunrises, but already he felt like the animal inside of him was going to break loose. He moved away from her when she picked up the glass and drank the water. He sensed her thirst, and her hunger, and knew his brothers would be back soon with something for her to eat that was substantial. As it was they only had dehydrated things since they had been gone, and what she needed was something fresh.
Brawn moved back to the cooking area and watched her. She finished off the water and took in the surroundings. He watched her, and checked her out himself. She stood and walked over to the rock wall that Thorque had carved the history of their family into. She ran her fingers over the rough texture, and Brawn looked his fill of her body. Her ass was not as big and round as he preferred, but with the supplements Thorque had given her it was getting there. He would have to be gentle with her when he finally slid his dick into her sweet body—they all would have to make sure they were easy. She was smaller than his kind naturally, and until she put on more weight, which shouldn’t be more than a day, he needed to keep his distance and let her heal properly. She may be curvier now than she had been when he first got her, but he wanted her thicker, and able to take them easily.
She turned to face him, and he looked at the swells of her breasts under the thin shift she wore.
Take your female. Mate with her. Breed Minka.
The taste of his blood filling his mouth because his fangs had sliced through his lip had the urge intensifying. How in the fuck was he not going to press her against the wall and slide his cock deep inside of her? How in the hell was he supposed to give her time to get accustomed to everything when all he could think about was marking her body with his teeth, and watching as his brothers did the same? He wanted his claiming mark on her, and right now, keeping his distance was the hardest fucking thing he’d ever had to do.
Chapter Five
Breed with her. Fuck her until she knows she is yours.
The mantra moved through Brawn like a steady drum. He wanted to do all those things, but he found the strength to turn away, grab the horn pitcher of water, and bring it over to her. He filled her cup and gestured for her to drink more.
All he could think about was laying her across his sleeping platform and taking her in any way he wanted while his brothers watched. He glanced at her, stared right into her face, and couldn’t help but picture her naked. He wanted to see her breasts, wanted to see her cunt bared for him, and all the while his brothers would be waiting for their turn to have at her. But she’d want it, need them to fill her up with their cum so the breeding ritual could be complete. Until they got her pregnant with their children, the need to have her would drive them hard, an
d have all other things taking less of a priority.
“Would you like to bathe again?” he asked, trying to keep his thoughts away from sliding his cock deep into her pussy.
“No, but thank you.” She was nervous, that much was clear, and as much as he would have liked for her to be at ease, she’d have to find that on her own.
He nodded, and looked at the small shelf that held the injectable translator. “We can do the translator now, or a bit later if you’d like?” Brawn was so unaccustomed to asking what someone wanted to or didn’t want to do. “It shouldn’t take too long for Lukin and Thorque to bring back some meat. You’ll feel better with some fresh food inside your belly.”
She nodded, but didn’t respond.
He went over to the shelf and grabbed the syringe and language cartridge, and gel that would numb her neck for the injection. It was a barbaric procedure given the advancements the galaxy now had to offer, but they didn’t have the technology with them in the cave to make her able to inhale it instead of get the needle.
They might also be more advanced than the human race, but Hades warriors lived simplistic lives. Their spacecrafts were far superior to many other species’ ships in the galaxy, but when it came to their homes on Hades, their clothes and weapons,they kept it simple. Swords and knives built from the indestructible black rock of his home planet made the weapons that his kind used to take down their enemy. Their clothing was nothing more than pants made from the leather of the wings from the Geila birds on Hades. Occasionally they wore clothing that covered their wings, but that was rare because wearing shirts was not smart given the fact they needed their backs free from restriction to unleash their wings. They preferred a simpler life, one where they hunted for their food, killed the beasts with their bare hands, and built the items in their home. It was somewhat primitive living, but it suited them, and they felt warriors should live off of what they acquired by sheer strength and willpower alone.
Brawn grabbed everything and moved toward her. “Please, have a seat.”
She listened to him immediately, and although she was nervous as she glanced down at the needle, he was pleased she obeyed. Brawn and his species were versed in many languages, and although they knew English, the language was a dying dialect. He sat on the bench beside her, pushed the heavy fall of her dark hair away from her shoulder, and lifted the injector. Her eyes widened slightly, but he smoothed the numbing gel over the spot he’d press the needle into. The gel worked instantly, and then he stuck her with the needle while keeping his eyes locked with hers.
When he slipped the disk into the chamber, the injector lit up a brilliant white, indicating it was activating. He placed his thumb on the depressor and injected her with the Hades dialect chip, and she made a small noise in the back of her throat. “I’m sorry.” He apologized for hurting her, but he already had the needle out and leaned back, giving her space.
“I’m fine.” She glanced up at him and cupped the side of her neck. Her eyes widened slightly, and he grinned. “I just said that in your language.”
He nodded. “Yes, the chip travels through your bloodstream and into your brain.”
She clearly didn’t know what to say in response, because all she did was stare at him. She rubbed the spot on her neck once more, and then dropped her hand back onto her lap. “I want you to know that I’m not afraid of the three of you, even though I probably should be.”
He reached out and brushed his thumb along her cheek. “You’re so smooth and soft to the touch.” He looked into her green eyes, took in the slope of her nose, of her high cheekbones, and the fact her flesh was white like the bone he used to make his tables. “So beautiful.” He caught the way her breathing changed, how it quickened, and the scent of her arousal was increasing. His breeding need was rubbing off on her, seeping into her very pores so she was becoming more inflamed with it.
They both started to breathe heavier now, and Brawn couldn’t help but stare at the fullness of her lips that were red like his body. He ached for her, needed to have her, and he wasn’t sure if he could wait. Moving closer to her, he cupped the side of her throat and stroked the area he had just injected her. “If you only knew the need that my kind has for their mate, the desire to breed with them, protect them at all costs, and have them feel safe, you would be so fucking frightened of me, Minka.” He lifted his gaze to her eyes, saw how wide they were, and although she might have appeared scared, he scented her desire. “You want me, want my brothers, but we don’t want to push you.”
She shook her head, ran her tongue along her bottom lip, and he swore her entire body shook right in front of him. His inner beast rose up inside of him like a living entity, trying to take control and complete the breeding with his mate.
Brawn pulled her close so that only an inch separated their mouths. He breathed in her scent, her very essence, into his body, and a deep, low groan left him. His cock jerked behind his leathers at the smell of her. Gone was the aroma of her unease and uncertainty of this situation, and in its place was her burning desire. It had been a constant hum in her, and he had smelled it on her on more than one occasion when she was around him and his brothers.
He glanced down, saw the big mounds of her breasts right under the shift, and curled his hand on his thigh into a tight fist. The material did nothing to conceal the stiff peaks of her nipples. He wanted her desperately, and the urge to breed with her ran him hard, had his dick jerking violently, had his claws itching to mark her body, and his fangs descending even further. He stared at her for several long seconds, and then the sound of his brothers coming into the cave had him being pulled out of his lust at the moment.
Thorque and Lukin came in, a small red tailed hyde bird in their grasps, but they stopped when they saw Brawn sitting so close to her.
Brawn cleared his throat and stood. “She has the dialect chip in her, so we can freely speak our language now.”
Lukin nodded and had his focus on Minka, and Thorque shifted on his feet, clearly scenting the arousal in the air, and finding it harder to control himself.
“Are you hungry?” Thorque asked, and held up the bird.
She made a strangled sound, covered her mouth, and Brawn knew the bird was an ugly thing. No doubt she worried about the taste.
“It’s actually pretty good, and when it cooks up you won’t even remember it looking like that.” Brawn smiled at her. The bird was an ugly creature, with bone protruding out of its back, its red feathers oily to protect it from the heat, and its face looking like it was a mixture of swollen and broken.
“It’s also high in protein, and right now to make sure you continue to gain weight so you are at optimum health, you’ll need a lot of protein,” Thorque said and brought the bird into the cooking area. Lukin followed behind, and for the next twenty minutes they plucked the feathers, cut off limbs, and skinned the animal. The only thing not edible on the bird was its head, but there was venom in the bird’s brain that was used for the tips of their blades and could render a being paralyzed.
Once Thorque was finished cutting the bird, Lukin started cooking it from the flame that was opened up from a center rock in the preparation area. The flames beneath the mountain fueled it, and in a matter of seconds the meat was cooked and ready for Minka to eat. Brawn stood and took the plate Lukin gave him, and brought it to her. When he set the horn plate in front of her she eyed it hesitantly.
“I promise it tastes better than it looked.” Brawn tried to ease her, even tried to put himself in her position. But although he sympathized with her, he couldn’t see anything but how they were trying to help her, and she needed to understand that.
“Here, Minka. Try this,” Lukin said and walked over to them to hand her a Monel stick.
“Isn’t that what you were chewing on that made you…” She glanced between them.
“It’ll make you feel at ease,” Lukin answered.
She shook her head. “I’d rather not. I’d like to keep my mind clear when—” She looke
d down, and although she didn’t state it, Brawn knew she was talking about when they took her finally.
“It’s okay. No one will force you to do anything,” Thorque said once he was in the sitting area and on the chair across from them. For several moments no one spoke as they ate, but Brawn knew his brothers had their attention trained right on her. The room grew heated from their arousal and thick with their scent of wanting her.
When she finished she set the plate aside and looked at each of them. “I’m safe here?” she asked softly. Brawn nodded, but Thorque answered.
“You are. We wouldn’t let anything harm you.”
She nodded and looked at her hands in her lap. “But what if one of those creatures comes in here when you’re gone? What if I need to leave the cave? How will I survive the heat?” She started breathing faster. Everything was clearly starting to slam into her, and the shock of her situation was evident on her face. “And water, I don’t even know how you have any.” Sweat beaded her forehead. “This place is like hell.” She gasped out, and the tears started to fall hard and fast. “Oh. God.” She rested her head back on the couch, closed her eyes, and for a second no one moved or spoke.
All any of them could do was stare at her as she crumbled from the reality. But Brawn finally pulled her close, and she instantly rested her head on his chest. He stroked her head and looked at his brothers. They were warriors, fearless and strong, but right now they looked so damn scared for how she was reacting.
“You’re in shock, Minka,” Brawn said softly, still moving his hand over her hair. He felt at a loss right now, vulnerable even, and it was all because this woman, this little human female, had broken down in front of them.
“I’m sorry. I had it together, or at least I thought I did.” She pulled back slightly, but he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. Holding her felt good, really good, and he wanted to let his body heat seep into her, calm the chills that covered her flesh, and wanted her to know that although they may look like demons, and held beasts inside of them that were trained on one thing at the moment, they were not animals that held no compassion. With her it was different. She was their mate, even if she hadn’t been with them for very long. As soon as he’d held her in his arms he had known she was theirs, and when his brothers had seen her he knew they’d felt the same way, too. He looked at Thorque, the brother who was more technical with all of these answers, and nodded for him to say something.