“They loaded us in our cells and went into the atmosphere,” Kasta explained. “We jumped into hyperspace a few minutes after. They put us all together in a metal cell with patches on our arms to administer the drugs. I pulled them off a few minutes after they left us and then used water from the sink in the cell to splash on everyone’s face.”
“We were all a bit fucked up when we awoke,” Zea said. “But we got straight a few minutes later. Then, well, you can guess the rest.” Zea smirked and then looked at Eve.
“They were evil men. I do not regret murdering them. The only regret I carry is that they died too fast.” The vampire’s nose scrunched a bit, and the other three women nodded.
We reached the platform for the train and stepped inside. The walk had relaxed the tension on my mind, and I was able to focus on enjoying the company of my friends. I was overjoyed to be around them, and we quickly fell into a discussion about where we would eat once we got into District B. Paula and Kasta were locals and had a few recommendations, but we finally decided to eat in the casino steakhouse where Zea and I first shared a meal together.
“Should we bring Juliette along?” Zea asked after we decided.
“I’m surprised you’d ask,” Paula said with a smirk.
“Hey, I’m just trying to be polite. She’s a bitch, but…” Zea rolled her eyes. “Okay, I kind of like her. She’s fine. Just annoying. I’m okay either way. Whatever Adam wants.”
“I’d prefer to spend time with you four,” I said, and they all smiled. “It sounded like Juliette was in a meeting, anyway.”
“Are you hungry now?” Zea asked. “You just ate a bit ago?”
“I’m always hungry,” I smirked at her, and her beautiful face turned bright red.
“Won’t your wife get angry at you for having dinner with four other women?” Paula joked as she elbowed me in the chest armor.
“Ugh,” Kasta moaned. “So annoying.”
“Uhh, why are you annoyed?” Zea asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Because the Viking babe cut in line,” the android said with a laugh.
“Cut in line?” Zea asked.
“Yeah,” Kasta said as she rolled her eyes. “I was up next to be with Adam.”
“Kasta,” Paula moaned as she covered her face.
“What? You are in line after me!” The android shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
“I can’t believe you,” Zea groaned.
“Hey, I’m as upset as you are. She’s got a chip on her shoulder the size of a brick. I just want some tiger-man love, but now you three have to figure out your ‘relationship’ all over again before Sis and I can get a chance with him.”
“You are incorrigible,” Paula said.
“Thank you,” her sister replied.
“I thought Eve asked you to stop with that kind of talk,” Zea said as she shook her head.
“Oh, yeah.” Kasta winced and looked at Eve. “Sorry, Beautiful. You know how much I want Adam.”
“I’m standing right here,” I said.
“Shhhh,” Kasta said as she patted the armor on my arm. “This is girl talk, Handsome. We are talking about how much we don’t like Madalena.”
“Ha!” Zea laughed.
“See? You love me,” Kasta winked at the hacker.
“Yeah.” Zea stuck her tongue out at the android, and they both laughed.
I could tell that the weeks they spent alone on the slaver ship had bonded them, and the sight of them all getting along so well warmed my heart. It was hard to believe I’d only known them for a few months; it felt like the four of us had been together all of our lives. And I never wanted to be without them again.
“This is our stop,” Paula said as the train slowed, and we got off once the door opened.
“Ahh, back in District B. I thought I’d miss it more, but I kind of don’t,” Kasta said after we had all walked down the steps and set foot on the cobblestone street.
“Do you still have your place?” Zea asked as we walked toward the hotel where we had first gone to look for Byron.
“Yep,” Paula answered. “We own the building actually, and a management company collects the R-credits from the other tenants and deposits it into our account. Our security system will keep any curious parties from trying to get inside.”
“Not that anyone ever would try. They knew we were Byron’s women.” Kasta laughed.
I watched the crowd as we walked. My friends got looks from virtually all the men we passed, but I didn’t see any strange behavior from the crowd, and a quick glance over my shoulder confirmed no one was following us.
I am not sensing anything out of the ordinary, either. It is good to be cautious, but I believe that there is nothing amiss.
I nodded at Eve after she finished speaking in my head, and then we reached the door to the hotel. I held it open for my friends, and we walked through the lobby and into the back where the restaurant was. The restaurant wasn’t bustling with patrons, so the five of us were able to get a table after only a few minutes of waiting.
“Ahh, I love this place,” Zea said.
“Me too,” Paula and Kasta said in unison. They both smiled, and for half a second I wondered if I had mistaken their identities during our walk. I thought I’d become versed in the subtle differences between their body mannerisms, but I had to lean into Kasta a bit to confirm that it was her and not Paula.
We ordered our food, and the conversation turned from our meal back to Madalena.
“So Eve, what’s going on in her head?” Paula asked cautiously.
“It is hard for me to be angry with her,” my lover said. “She cares deeply for Adam.”
“How?” Kasta asked, but then she looked at me. “Not that Adam isn’t worth fawning over, but she can’t possibly know him well enough after only a few weeks.”
“Less time than that,” Eve said.
“Look,” I said, and the women turned to me. “She shouldn’t have submitted to me, but she did, and it seems I cannot get out of it.”
“That’s just a weird word,” Zea said, “and she’s spoken to Eve and me about that. She said she owed it to you for saving her life, but then Eve called her on that bullshit real fast.”
“Huh?” I asked as I turned to Eve.
“She didn’t have to,” Eve said. “I mentioned this before we took you to your quarters. I know her thoughts. When you did tell her she didn’t need to submit, she could have backed out, but instead, Madalena decided she wanted you.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “She hinted at that.”
“She believes you were sent by Odin, but she also found you attractive, brave, and…” Eve paused, and a smile spread across her mouth. “She felt about you as I felt about you when I first met you. She was smitten.”
“Ugh,” Zea said as she rolled her head back and gagged.
“I can understand the smitten part,” Kasta said as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I said.
“No,” Paula said, “Despite the circumstances, you don’t seem to be trying to add more women into your bed.”
“I am not,” I agreed. “We need to focus on getting Uranial’s defenses ready, and Madalena’s already preparing to fight them.”
“To her, the answer is simple,” Eve said. “She believes you will complete the rite, take your place on the throne her father occupied, and then the other clans will fall in line. She suspects the Jotnar Overlord Clan might resist, but they will submit after you defeat them a few times in combat.”
“But this rite thingy involves hanging from a tree?” Paula asked, and her face turned into a grimace.
“That last part,” I confirmed. “For nine days.”
“Nine days? She’s fucking crazy. It’s official. I don’t like her.” Kasta huffed and then took a sip from the glass of wine the waiter set down in front of each of us. The man did a good job of ignoring our conversation, and he disappeared as soon as he set down our drinks.
“Cheers,” I said as I raised my glass. “I’m happy we are together again.”
The women all smiled, agreed, and then we pressed our glasses together before we took a sip.
“I’d appreciate it if you all gave Madalena a chance,” I said after we set the glasses down. The three blonde women raised their eyebrows, but I continued. “She shouldn’t have submitted to me, but she will be a valuable ally. She cares about me, and I think you’ll all end up getting along with her if you give her a chance.” The words were a bit hard to say because I didn’t want it to come across as if I was in love with Madalena.
“Soooooo… Does that mean you are into her?” Kasta asked as her face contorted.
“Something happened when she submitted to me. I feel her emotions, and she can feel mine.”
“Like with Eve?” Paula asked.
“No,” Eve answered for me. “I can read thoughts, sometimes those are emotions, but only when put into words. Adam and Madalena now share a bond that is stronger.”
“Uhhh. Wait, you didn’t say it was stronger than--” Zea started to say, but Eve interrupted her.
“It is mutual. Therefore, it is stronger. Madalena knows what he feels, and Adam knows what she feels. I can speak with Adam, and I know his thoughts, but he does not know mine.” Eve’s face was emotionless, and everyone at the table stared at her for a few moments.
“Damn,” Kasta said with a sigh. “Here I was thinking the bitch cut in front of me, but she cut in front of you.”
“Yes,” Eve replied.
“Aren’t you pissed?” the android asked. “I’m mad, and I’m not even fucking Adam.”
“For the love of--” Paula started, but Zea interrupted her.
“I’m pissed. She did this shit to him, and now what? She’s just on the crew? She’s one of us? I didn’t get a say.” The hacker crossed her arms, and we were silent for a few moments.
“There is no easy solution to this,” Eve said. “They are bonded now and removing Madalena from Adam will hurt both of them. I’ve seen her thoughts.”
“What happens when we are separated?” I asked. “She mentioned something about it, but I didn’t feel that bad when I was doing the first parts of the trial on the Nordar planet.”
“You hung down on the planet?” Paula asked. “I thought you didn’t do it.”
“No, the trial is ten parts. First nine involve traveling on their three homeworlds. I finished the first part before her father tried to kill me.”
“So you have to do all that and then get hung?” Kasta asked. “Why do we have to try to get along with this woman again? I’m really confused by it all.”
“They will both die if separated,” Eve explained. “The effects will be slow, and I do not understand the reasons for it, but Madalena has observed it enough times, so I have seen it in her memories.”
“How long were you on the planet for?” Paula asked me.
“Seven-ish days,” I said, and then I took a deep breath. “I thought about you four. A lot. But I also thought about her, even though I didn’t want to.”
“It is the effect of her submission to you,” Eve explained.
“How does it work?” Kasta asked.
“It’s fucking bullshit magic asshole fucking shit bitch needs to go find her own fucking man,” Zea spat. Then she took a long drink from her wine glass, closed her eyes, and leaned back in her chair. “Hussy.”
“Zea,” Eve said. “I am upset as well, but I recall someone else who had feelings for Adam, and tried to seduce him.”
“Ahhhh,” Zea sighed. “Yeah. Umm. Fair point. I’m sor--”
“We have already talked about this privately,” Eve said. “There is nothing to apologize for. I love you and Adam.”
“What about us?” Kasta asked as a grin spread on her face, and I saw Paula’s shoulders slump.
“You both, too,” Eve said with a smile. “You are my family and my lovers. I am eternally grateful for your presence in my life.”
“We aren’t actually your lov--” Paula began, but Kasta grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Shhh! We are in! We’ll work on the details later!” The android laughed, and Zea surprised me by joining in with a giggle.
“Looks like our food is here,” I said as I nodded to the three waiters approaching. We halted our conversation while they set steaks out on the table in front of us, and then we ordered another bottle of wine.
“Cheers again,” I said once our wine glasses were filled. The alcohol wasn’t really having an effect on me, but being around my four friends was making my chest buzz with pleasure. I almost wanted to shift into my tiger-man form so that I could purr, but I wasn’t near angry enough.
“So… What do we do about Madalena?” Paula asked as we had all touched glasses, taken a sip, and then cut into our steaks.
I would have thought they all would have looked at me, but the three blonde women glanced toward Eve as they chewed.
“She is Adam’s wife,” the vampire said after she had set down her fork and dabbed her lips with a cloth napkin.
“Uhh, what does that mean?” Zea asked. “It’s not like she wore a white dress and Adam put on a tuxedo. She hijacked him.”
“I asked you all to give her a chance,” I said, in part because I did want my friends to get along with the Prime Valkyrie, but I was also starting to feel as if I was not really part of the conversation.
“And I agree with Adam,” Eve said as she smiled at me. “I am not happy with the woman, but she is a part of him now. She took him in a moment of selfishness, but…” The dark-haired beauty closed her red eyes and let out a long breath. “Perhaps I do not blame her. I may have done the same in her position.”
“Sooo…” Zea started. “That’s it then? We are supposed to be okay with this? With her? Just like that? Is she going to sleep with us now? I’m not really--”
“No,” Eve said with a chuckle. “If Adam wishes to take her as a lover, you do not have to participate.”
“And I don’t have any say in this?” Zea asked. “Wait, and you said ‘you do not have to participate.’ Does that mean you are fine fucking her?” The hurt in Zea’s voice was unmistakable.
“Hey, I haven’t said anything about that.” I brought my hands up to try to get Zea’s attention, but she was glaring at Eve.
“I know her thoughts,” Eve shrugged. “She loves Adam completely and wishes to serve him. She wants to defeat the SAVO, and she has no real animosity toward us.”
“That’s because she thinks she is better than us,” Zea growled. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I feel like I have this ultimatum now.”
“You do not,” Eve said. “It is not like you are thinking.”
“How is it not? There is another woman who can fuck Adam, you are totally fine with it, but if I’m not, I’m out. That’s what I’m telling myself.”
“Stop,” I said as I brought the palm of my hand down on the table. It made a loud smacking boom, and the four women jumped in their seats. “There are no ultimatums here. I love you both, and the four of us have worked hard to survive. Madalena is a part of the crew now, but she isn’t my lover.”
“But she will be,” Zea sighed.
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Uhhh. Have you seen her?” Zea groaned. “She’s beautiful.”
“It isn’t all about looks,” I said. “And you discount your own--”
“Then it can be about her fighting prowess, or the fact that she is the queen of a super-powerful nation with a thousand starships, or that she’s connected to you emotionally. Whatever, pick one or all of them.” Zea crossed her arms. “I’m not even the pilot anymore. I shouldn’t be. Nikki’s twenty times better than I am, but now I’m going to be replaced in your bed.”
“Nothing is happening there,” I said. “Tell me what else I can say to reassure you?”
“I feel like this should be a conversation between you three--” Paula started to say, but Zea waved h
er hands.
“You two know what is going on, anyway. Hell, I’m worried about you both as well. I can’t compete with either of you in the looks or the--”
“Zea, please,” I said. “I told you I love you. Eve loves you. This isn’t going to be an issue. I’ll make sure Madalena isn’t an issue. Understand?”
She stared at me for a few moments, and there was silence at the table. She finally nodded and then her lips turned up into a half smile.
“Yeah. Okay. Sorry I freaked out.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am,” she said. Then she let out a long exhale and smiled at Eve. “I’m really happy. I’m sure I’ll come to like Madalena. It will probably just take a while.”
“I believe you will,” Eve said.
“You did give us a chance,” Paula said.
“Yeah,” Zea replied as she looked at the engineer. “I’m sure it will work out. She cares for Adam. So… yeah.”
“Well, I’m still jealous,” Kasta grunted, and the other three women let out light laughs.
The tension had left the conversation, so we all resumed our meal. I’d eaten steak for my last three or four meals, but I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of eating beef. Especially when it was cooked perfectly.
You did well with Zea. She will need your attention during this time. Madalena will continue to press you. Both Zea and I will continue to have our talks with her and iron out our roles. I am fine taking her into our bed, along with Kasta and Paula if you wish, but I do not want to hurt Zea.
Eve’s words almost made me choke on my food, and I tried to turn my thoughts away from the scenes that played in my mind. I loved both Eve and Zea, but I couldn’t deny the developing feelings I had for Madalena, nor the attraction I held for Kasta and Paula. The scenario seemed too complicated though, and I was perfectly content with Eve and Zea. Hell, I was beyond blessed to have the love of both women, and even thinking about the possibilities of my other friends joining us made me feel like an ungrateful asshole.
“Ahhh!” Zea gasped as she leaned back in her chair and patted her lean stomach. “That was--”
“Adam!” Kasta hissed. Her blue eyes were wide open, and she leaned across the table to grab at me. “Light combat drones are flying into the casino!”
King Killer: A Paranormal Space Opera Adventure (Star Justice Book 7) Page 4