Blazing

by Nancey Cummings

  He rumbled a reply, heartstone pulsing in the dark.

  Asche took her chin gently and pointed her in his direction. “Good morning, Asche,” she said, giving him a kiss. “Where is Sarsen?”

  “Out,” Asche said.

  “Out?”

  “He doesn’t like to share,” he said.

  “Oh.” She thought the guys were a unit with no jealousy. Maybe she misunderstood.

  Asche drew her back for another kiss, scorching with need. “Not like that. Sarsen prefers one-on-one. Always has.”

  “And you intend to share?” Pressed between the two hard valos, she seriously hoped that was their intention. A responsible adult would have been interested in a bath but Lucie had always been greedy. Sweaty and sticky from a hard day and an even harder night, a bath would wait.

  Ertale’s hands moved to her hips, his thumb rubbing a circle on her heated skin. Asche kissed a fiery trail down her neck, pausing at her collarbone and continuing down the valley between her breasts.

  Please don’t be a dream, she thought, biting her lip.

  “You accepted our brother,” he said between kisses. “Do you accept us as your mates?”

  Of course. Her heart fluttered. “Yes.”

  They said little but worked in harmony. The large male behind her lifted her hips and bent her forward. A powerful thigh opened her legs and he positioned himself, his thick cock at her entrance.

  Asche guided her mouth down to his member. Up close, she had the opportunity to inspect those amazing bumps at the base. Her tongue licked them to gauge his response. His had tightened on the back of her head and he moaned.

  Eagerly she licked up and down his length, swirling around the head. One hand braced herself against the floor, the other worked his shaft. He guided her with a hand on the back of her head, never forcing or pushing. She moved at her own pace. He tasted salty and hot, and she wanted more.

  Scorching fingers dug into her hips and Ertale pushed into her. She gasped at the searing burn of stretching around him. He paused, one hand resting on her lower back.

  “I’m okay, big guy,” she said. “Just go slow. Please.” Her valos were not regular sized human men by any stretch of the imagination. They were massive and even Asche with the most slender build was still large enough to be a linebacker on Earth.

  Ertale eased in until he filled her completely. Every part of her tingled and burned. His special bumps pressed right against her, barely touching her clit. That sensitive part of her ached in anticipation.

  On an unspoken cue, both Ertale and Asche moved in tandem. Ertale drew out, his bumps and ridges rubbing her in the most delicious manner while Asche pushed in, filling her mouth and her throat.

  Sensation overwhelmed her and she lost herself in the rhythm of their movements. Surge and withdraw. Thrust and draw back. Asche came first. His hand gripped the back of her head and he pushed his cock in, fucking her mouth. He swelled and erupted, his hot seed scorching down her throat. She swallowed, taking as much of him as possible, savoring the heat of his seed.

  Ertale reached under her and rubbed her sensitive clit. Immediately her body responded, trembling and thrashing. Asche gathered her to him, holding her against him. Ertale never lost his hold on her hips. Pinned between the two males, her body quaked as Ertale pumped into her.

  His forehead pressed against her shoulder and his hot seed shot into her. She turned her head and kissed him. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her to him. She curled up against him, exhausted.

  “I just need to rest my eyes for a minute,” she said, already half asleep. Three mates were great in theory but exhausting in practice. This arrangement required either amazing stamina or a schedule.

  She’d get right on working out the schedule after a little nap.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lucinda

  When she awoke, the sun was well on its way to the middle of the sky. She slept the day away. She was also alone. The events of the night were fresh in her mind and her body ached with satisfaction.

  Her shoulders twinged as she sat up. Okay, all the aches weren’t of satisfaction. Next time she’d insist on that giant bed of hers back in the city.

  A figure appeared in the door, temporarily hidden in shadows, but Lucie knew him. She could feel his presence.

  “How do you feel?” Asche pushed a steaming cup of fragrant tea in her direction.

  “Where’s Sarsen?” she dared to ask.

  “He left at first light.”

  “Oh.” She had warned him that sex would change nothing between them. Silly her for hoping that it would.

  “He wanted to get you a present.”

  “Oh.” She perked up. She shouldn’t. It was shallow to be excited about a present, but she couldn’t help herself. She downed her tea to cover her excitement. “He doesn’t have to get me anything.”

  Asche repaired the dress, but clearly the garment’s days were numbered. Ertale arrived and indicated that it was time to leave.

  “Sign language! Why didn’t I think about that?” She had taken a year in American Sign Language to fill a language credit back in school. “I don’t remember much.”

  Lucie cracked and wiggled her fingers, trying to remember the motions. Ertale looked at her hands with interest. “On my planet, people who cannot hear or speak communicate with hand signals. They have a whole language, but I don’t know much. I can show you a few signs if you like.”

  He nodded, then pointed to the mountain and made a talking motion with one hand.

  “Yes, I can walk and talk at the same time, smart mouth.”

  She demonstrated yes and no. Those were easy. She rubbed her chest to indicate sorry. She placed her finger tips over her lips and moved it away to say thank you.

  “I really don’t remember anything useful. I’m sorry. I should have been a better student.”

  Ertale tapped Asche on the shoulder. Then he touched his own mouth. The shorter male furrowed his brow. “The talkative one wants to know if there’s a sign for kiss.”

  A warm rush came over her. “I know that one. And a few more.”

  She walked up to Ertale, swinging her hips with purpose. Standing before him, she curled her hand towards herself. “This means me.” Then she crossed her arms over her chest with her hands placed high at her armpits. “Love.” She brought her hands together in two fists with the thumbs up, then moved them down. “Sweetheart. But that’s also you, Big Guy. And this is kiss.” Her fingers moved from the corner of her mouth to her cheek.

  Ertale repeated the motion.

  “Gladly.” She stretched up on her tiptoes to meet his lips. Warm and solid, his kiss sent a shiver down her spine and ignited desire in her belly. Her arms hooked around his neck. They’d never make it to the city at this rate.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been jealous of Ertale before,” Asche said, voice nearly a whisper.

  “Come here then.”

  Asche wasted no time, his kiss demanding everything and she was ready to give it. Reasonably, she needed a day to recover. She wasn’t exactly walking straight and her thighs ached in new and interesting ways. She moaned into his mouth, not caring.

  Asche pulled away. “I don’t think we should keep Sarsen waiting.”

  “Spoil sport.”

  They made the foot of the mountain in good time and zipped up the road in a cart. Once inside the city, Asche took her to a new section, midway between the industrial lower level and luxurious top levels. Terraces wrapped around the city, carved out of the interior of the volcano. The plots of soil were empty with just weeds. A few trees clung to the rocky face, their boughs heavy with seeds.

  “This used to be gardens. The entire city used to be green, actually.”

  “Not for a long time, it seems.” Plants would help filter the air and make it a touch more breathable. “Ornamental or practical gardens?”

  “Both. This side—” Asche gestured to the fields nearest her own apartment. “—was ornamental
. Sheenika could not gaze upon anything less than perfection. The other side was dedicated to the kitchens.”

  They rounded a corner and went up a short set of steps. Sarsen knelt on the ground, planting seedlings in pots. “What do you think?” he asked, a grin on his face.

  “Are you trying to distract me with gardening? I don’t know that I have a green thumb.”

  Ertale frowned and picked up her hand for inspection. He shook his head.

  “You said you made medicine on your planet,” Sarsen said. He gestured to the seedlings. “These are some of the medicinal plants the valos used. Maybe you can find use for them.”

  “Really?” Excitement flared in her. “Tell me everything.”

  Ertale

  Asche and Sarsen were arguing. Again. Their voices drifted up the gardens. Lucie had not noticed yet, either distracted from the hard work of clearing plots or human hearing was not as sensitive as valos. He, however, heard every word and it was time to put an end to it.

  Over the last few days, Lucie had directed her mates in clearing the gardens and planting new seedlings. She spoke excitedly about going back to the forest to collect fresh specimens. The anger inside her that Ertale recognized in himself seemed to be focused in a new direction.

  The suklaa trees, long neglected, ran wild in the gardens. The older trees were well beyond their fruit producing years and the newest growths needed to be cut back. The fruit itself was inedible, but the nut within was a delicacy. Ertale remembered it had been a favorite of his parents. Perhaps Lucie would enjoy it as well.

  A light tap on her shoulder grabbed her attention. “What is it, Big Guy?”

  He pointed to a grove of suklaa and indicated for her to follow. When in the wild, the suklaa grew wide with its thin branches twisting in all directions. Only with constant tending did the trees grow tall and the limbs straight. Fruit littered the ground. He selected a ripe fruit and removed the center nut.

  He squeezed the nut gently to pop open the shell. Lucie took the nut and made a face. “It’s bitter.”

  Perhaps he remembered wrong. Memories were fuzzy, but he remembered one of his father sitting near the fire, roasting the nuts.

  Roasting. They needed to be cooked.

  He cupped a handful of nuts in both hands and focused on heat. The nuts steamed in their shells before splitting open. Lucie breathed in the rich and earthy aroma. “That smells fantastic.” She popped the roasted nut in her mouth without hesitation.

  Her eyes went wide. “Oh my— That’s chocolate!”

  She reached for another, but Ertale lifted the nuts above her head. She jumped, arms outstretched. “Come on! Don’t be a jerk.”

  Ertale touched the corner of his mouth and then his cheek.

  “A kiss, huh?” A smile played on her lips.

  He nodded.

  “This is extortion.”

  He shrugged. She didn’t seem outraged at the price he demanded.

  “Fine, only because I literally haven’t had chocolate in years.” Her words were stern, but her tone was playful.

  He delivered a soft and equally playful kiss to her upturned face. With her eyes closed and her pink lips parted, he fed her another nut. Her pink tongue licked her lips. “More.”

  They traded kisses for suklaa nuts until his supply ran out.

  “That’s amazing. It’s just like chocolate and hazelnut.” She licked her lips again. He couldn’t resist another kiss and a slow drag of his tongue over hers. The faint taste mixed with his mate’s own stimulating flavor.

  “Gosh,” she said, as they pulled away.

  He signed beautiful. She blushed.

  His vocabulary had expanded in recent days as Lucie remembered more words. His voice had been taken long ago, but he did not care too much. He’d had nothing of importance to say. Now he bubbled over with so much to tell her, but he was limited to a handful of words. He’d have to show her what was in his heart every day for the rest of his days, but even that would not be enough.

  “You’re just saying that to get me in bed.”

  He signed sorry even though he wasn’t.

  “That was the most sarcastic thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she said with a laugh. “You are so not sorry.”

  She knew him.

  He lifted her off her feet with an arm around her waist and brought her to his eye level. He planted another kiss on her mouth.

  “Yeah, you’re not sorry.”

  Lucie bent to pick up more of the suklaa fruit. The soft rind fell away easily. “If Amber knew we had space chocolate, they’d be here in a heartbeat.”

  Displeasure rumbled in his throat. He did not care for the other humans. They flung cruel words at his Lucie and refused the help she offered, even at the expense of their own lives. He had no doubt that they would perish in the forest. They were ill-equipped and stubborn. Survival required flexibility.

  “Let’s gather these up. They’re too good to waste. And these trees—” She paused, contemplating the overgrown and wild orchard. “Are they healthy? They look kind of sad.”

  Ertale signed yes. The trees were healthy.

  That was the moment Lucie finally heard Asche and Sarsen shouting. The males approached the gardens, their argument preceding them.

  “It’s irresponsible,” Asche said.

  “I don’t want to be lectured about responsibility by you.”

  “Irresponsible and dangerous and you can’t stand being wrong.”

  “We are duty bound to try,” Sarsen replied, voice firm. Ertale knew that tone. It was Sarsen’s I’m-the-boss-so-don’t-argue-with-me tone.

  “Is that your protocol talking or do you actually believe this ferix shit scheme is a good idea?” Asche nudged Sarsen with a pointed finger. Sarsen’s eyes flared bright gold and for a moment Ertale was convinced Sarsen would lay the other male out.

  Then Asche pushed Sarsen over the edge. His next words were unforgivable. “I can’t believe you would risk another mate.”

  The two men fell into a tumble of angry words and fists. Not a skilled fighter, Asche’s blows were unpredictable and dangerous. Sarsen dodged some, but a respectable amount landed true.

  Lucie grabbed Ertale’s hand. “What’s gotten into them?” Those magma-brained idiots did not realize their antics upset Lucie.

  Ertale separated the two easily, one restrained in each hand. They snarled at each other like wild ak’rena. Patience worn short, Ertale slammed their heads together.

  “Hey!” Asche rubbed his skull. Raw renewal material leaked from a split lip. With their ire now focused on Ertale, the fight dissolved.

  “What was that?” Lucie prodded at Asche’s lip.

  “Nothing to worry about.” The simple male puffed up at his mate’s attention.

  She narrowed her eyes and dug her thumb into the split.

  “Ow! Woman, stop that!”

  “Tell me. Now.”

  Sarsen pulled her off Asche. “Calm yourself.”

  “I won’t have you fighting among yourselves. Not for me.”

  “We were not fighting about you,” Sarsen said. Asche laughed bitterly. “Not directly. I believe we can revive some of the Fire Valos with their heartstones.”

  “I thought they were dead,” Lucie said.

  “Some are lifeless, but others can be restored.”

  Ertale tapped Sarsen on the shoulder. Was he certain?

  “I think so. Some heartstones are shattered and beyond repair. The fire has died in others. There are some… I hope so.” Sarsen reached for Lucie’s hand, his thumb rubbing circles on her now healed palm. “We can bring this city back to life.”

  “That does sound nice,” she said.

  “It sounds dangerous,” Asche interrupted. “We are not talking about sane valos. They were disturbed. They wanted to die. Let them rest.”

  “Before, they only had the choice to die. Now they can chose to live or die,” Sarsen said.

  “And if they see Lucie and think her the return of the Cr
eators? Like we did? Do you think they’ll embrace her with welcoming arms or will they try to hurt her? Half of them were already mad when they went into the Forge. Seeing her might just push them over.”

  “She’ll stay hidden,” Sarsen said.

  “For how long? A day? A year?”

  “We’ll explain that she is not a Creator.”

  “They are mad! You cannot expect rational behavior from them!”

  Lucie flinched at Asche’s shout. Ertale placed a protective arm around her. He’d grind his brother to dust if they continued to upset her.

  “Not all of them are insane.”

  “You do not know that for certain.”

  “They were our tribe. How can be abandon them?”

  For a moment Asche’s shoulders softened, Sarsen’s argument persuading him. “They chose to let their fires die. Can you now respect their final wishes?”

  “It was my protocol to protect them,” Sarsen said. He stepped right up to Asche, chests nearly touching. “I must do everything I can to help them.”

  “Your priority should be to protect your mate,” Asche said.

  “We can do both.”

  The two males glared at each other, moments away from exchanging blows again.

  “Do it.”

  They turned to Lucie, stunned.

  “Let’s bring them back. Give them a choice.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Asche said.

  Lucie shook her head. “Sarsen’s right. They deserve a choice to live or die. Let’s bring them back.”

  “And if they want to hurt you?”

  “I’ll stay hidden, until we know they’re safe.”

  Ertale’s chest swelled with pride at his mate’s compassionate and bravery, perhaps a bit foolhardy nature. He understood Sarsen’s desire to revive their fallen kin but Asche was correct. Reviving the fallen valos was dangerous but he would defend his mate. That was his protocol, after all.

  Asche

  He could kill Sarsen. If he didn’t think his mate might be a little annoyed at the demise of one of her mates, he’d lay Sarsen out cold. They had clashed plenty of times in the past. Sarsen was too used to giving orders and being obeyed and Asche was too used to following his own pleasure of the moment for the two males to have never clashed. However, Asche never thought he’d find himself in the position of being the responsible one.