by Ann Mayburn
“Honey,” Michelle said with a smile, “these are wild mustangs. They aren’t used to humans—”
Michelle’s jaw dropped as two horses, a big red with a white blaze on his nose and a pretty mist gray mare with black ears, walked up to Jillian and lowered their heads so she could scratch their necks.
“What the…?” Michelle whispered as Lacey smiled.
“My daughter has a way with animals,” Lacey said as she watched Jillian love all over the horses.
“I see that,” Michelle said in a soft voice. “Is that her…gift?”
“We aren’t sure,” Lacey said as she hooked a finger in the back loop of Jillian’s jeans to keep her from falling. “Everyone said Jillian’s dad, my first husband Nathan, had a way with animals, that they just responded to him like they knew what he was saying. Same thing about his dad. I remember when Nathan and I first started dating—I drove out to the fields where he was mending fences and didn’t notice the bull was out in his pasture and had spotted me as I got out of my car. I swear, that old bull looked about the size of a house as it came charging at me. Nathan, without an ounce of fear in his heart, put himself before me and yelled at the bull to stop. It did, about two feet from us, and actually looked guilty as Nathan yelled at it for scaring me.”
Jillian was hanging almost all the way over the railing now, three different horses all vying for her attention.
Hauling her daughter back by the band of her jeans, Lacey swooped her off the fence and set her down. “Come on, Jillybean. We need to get back and cleaned up for supper. Will you and your husbands be joining us, Michelle?”
“Not tonight. I wanted to take them to the diner in town.” An excited gleam lit Michelle’s brown eyes. “Do they really make Earth style diner food?”
“They do,” Lacey held Jillian’s hand in her own, tugging her daughter away from the now mournful looking horses leaning their heads over the railing. “While the kitchen staff may not be from Earth, my mom’s family ran a diner in our hometown for generations. She taught them how to make a bunch of different diner favorites. Make sure you try some of the peach pie. It’s made with real Earth peaches.”
Michelle’s eyes went wide. “How did you get peaches out here?”
“Being from Georgia, one of the first things I started growing in my Territory is peaches.”
“I can’t believe you have real Earth peach trees,” Michelle marveled as Jillian swayed, pulling on Lacey’s arm as she leaned back.
“You’d be surprised what the Kadothian’s have managed to clone. The trees are a little different than on Earth, they had to be modified to thrive on Madre Tierra’s slightly different dirt, and the unique type of sun, but they’re doing well. I can’t wait to walk through the orchards when the trees are all blossoming.”
“Let me know when that is going to happen,” Michelle smiled and waved over to her husbands. “Thanks again for doing this, Lacey. I owe you one.”
“No problem, have fun tonight!”
“Oh, I totally will.”
“If I wasn’t so pissed about the Territorial Congress fu—” Michelle looked down at Jillian and corrected herself, “fudging me over, I’d be tempted to claim a Territory and open a horse ranch here.”
Wythe drove them back to their temporary manor home, the miles flying by in seconds as they zipped along the gravity tracks. They passed a terrain that looked like it could be any countryside on Earth, at first glance. There were subtle differences, unexpected shapes and bursts of color from plants native to Kadothia. According to the biosphere engineers, the plants would work together to create a prime habitat for the insects and animals that were being slowly introduced.
One technician, a big Warrior with fists like boulders who looked like he should be breaking rocks, not building worlds, told her that creating a planet was a delicate ballet with one million dancers all wielding razor-sharp swords. If everyone gets their moves right, it is perfect beauty and balance, but if just one thing goes wrong, the stage becomes a killing floor.
While the idea was a little grotesque, she could see what he meant and was glad that she didn’t have to deal with that aspect of her Territory.
She had more than enough to deal with as it was. There were always a hundred mental messages waiting to be answered, a thousand people that wanted to see her, and a hundred and fifty billion things to do. Thank God she had her husbands and inner court to help her deal with everything. One by one she’d bonded with Gwarnon’s crew, welcoming each of them into her home. Wythe had left her mother’s service to come serve at Lacey’s court, but maintained his bond with her mother for obvious reasons. She’d never asked how far intimately her mom had to go to bond her Warriors to her because there were some things she just didn’t want to know. The fact that her mom had bonded Wythe was enough for Lacey.
Heat tickled her belly as she drifted through some memories of bonding various members of her inner circle, and how much each bonding had aroused her husbands.
They were close enough to the manor now that she could see the impressive three-story home that was a blend of Kadothian and Earth architecture. Made to resemble a log cabin, the home was more rounded than Earth’s typical square structures, and there were a good deal more windows. There was also a large porch attached to the front with dozens of chairs, and climbing pink roses grew up the posts, softening the look of the big home.
And to think, as large as this place was it was nowhere near the size of her manor/palace being built three hundred miles away in the heart of her Territory.
They got out and Lacey immediately reached out through her bond, looking for her husbands. Though she felt like a silly teenager, she missed them desperately whenever they were apart. Which, unfortunately, was all too frequently. Her life was beyond busy, and as much as she would like to be able to just lounge with her husbands in bed all day, there was just too much shit to do. Her military training helped give her the discipline and skills to successfully run a Territory, and her natural inclination to help others meant she spent a lot of time being a Matriarch rather than a wife.
Gwarnon stepped through the front door first, wearing his usual casual outfit of loose-fitting black pants, knee high black boots, and a sleeveless tunic shirt that fell to his thighs. It was the outfit of choice among Kadothian Lords, and she loved the way it showed off Gwarnon’s bulging arms. She wanted to run her hands all over him and glory in the feeling of all that strength.
“Welcome back, my alyah and my princess.”
Trying to regain control of her hormones, she gave Gwarnon a kiss on the cheek as he swung Jillian up into his arms.
Scrunching his nose, Gwarnon said in a teasing voice, “Phewh, you stink! Stiinnnkkkyy.”
Jillian giggled and tried to put her armpit into Gwarnon’s face while he continued to pretend to be overpowered by her smell.
“Ollia,” Gwarnon turned to their nanny, a sweet older woman with green skin and four arms. “can you take this stinky little monkey for a bath before dinner, please?”
“Of course, my Lord,” her wrinkled face smiled at Jillian with pure delight. “Come along, youngling, and I will make you some bubble animals if you are really good and wash behind your ears with no complaints.”
They all laughed as Jillian gave a happy squeal, along with a clap, and grabbed one of Ollia’s hands. “Let’s go!”
Jillian’s chatter faded as she went up the stairs leading to the second level.
“You could use a bath as well,” Gwarnon said in a purring voice from right behind her.
“I have one ready,” Chel said to both of them via their implants, “bring her up.”
By the lust coming through their bond, Lacey could tell the men had picked up on her mood earlier. “I do feel rather dirty.”
Flames heated Gwarnon’s eyes as he said, “You are ovulating.”
Blushing, she smacked his hands away as he grabbed her bottom. “Did I ever tell you how creepy it is that you know that.”
> “You smell so good,” Gwarnon did that purring thing that always left her wet and aching. “I want to lick every drop of your cream. It is extra sweet when your body is readying itself for breeding.”
Walking away from him, heading for the lift to their personal suite on the fourth floor, she said, “How can you be both sexy and weird at the same time?”
He stepped into the lift after her, stealing a quick kiss before they reached their rooms. “As you say, it is a talent.”
Laughing she shed her clothes as she crossed the empty bedroom to the large bathroom where Chel was waiting for them, already in the bath, his eyes closed with contentment.
Noticing a new, but already fading, bruise on Chel’s cheek Lacey said, “How did the delivery go?”
“Very well. Other than the point where the patient kicked me in the face when I told her to push harder.”
Gwarnon and Lacey snorted as they both stripped down, eager to slide into the sooth water next to Chel. The wide, pale cream and brownstone bathtub was large enough to fit five people and Lacey waded through it to reach Chel’s side. Laying back on the rim that shaped itself to her head and neck, she floated for a moment, her hand seeking out Chel’s beneath the water. Only the part of his body that her fingers brushed wasn’t his hand, but his steel hard erection.
Chel groaned, and Gwarnon moved through the water to his mate’s other side, reaching beneath the water so both Lacey and Gwarnon were stroking their husband’s cock.
“Yes,” Chel groaned. “Fuck yes. I need this.”
And he did. She could feel all the tension and fear he’d kept bottled up during a difficult delivery. Since Chel was a gifted Healer, one of the few on Madre Tierra, his skills were often needed in different life and death situations. This time, he’d gone to a village on the southern end of their Territory to help one of the former slaves give birth. Lacey, not wanting to distract him, had checked in from time to time and knew Chel had used some of his own psychic strength to heal the mother.
Like Gwarnon’s precognition, Chel’s healing abilities had grown incrementally stronger since they’d bonded with Lacey. Thank God because they’d needed both in the past. Dark memories tried to crowd her thoughts, but she dismissed them. Right here, right now, she was in a warm bath with her husbands, her family was safe and protected, her people happy and fed. Life was good.
No, life was more than good—it was amazing.
“You smell so good,” Chel said as he turned his head into her neck. “I want to taste you. Straddle my mouth. Ride my face and let me drink you down.”
Gwarnon helped her so she was straddling the edge of the tub, her hands firmly on the wall as she slowly lowered her body down to Chel’s eager mouth. The cold air on her skin gave her a shiver that multiplied as Chel’s tongue swiped her clit as he let out a satisfied growl.
A slick thumb pressed against her bottom and she turned around to find Gwarnon smiling at her as he squeezed more lube from the tube in his hand. “We will have to make this a ‘quickie’, as you like to say my wife.”
“But tonight we will take our time with you,” Chel murmured from between her thighs.
Her answer was stolen by the sensations of Chel’s tongue in her pussy, and Gwarnon’s shaft stretching her ass. Their love making was rough and quick, leaving them in a pile of tangled limbs and laughter in the tub. They used a few more precious moments to just cuddle together, reaffirming their bond and their love before they had to face the world again.
Tossing back her now dried hair, Lacey selected a dress from the expansive wardrobe for tonight’s dinner. Thankfully, it would be a casual affair, just their family, some of the Warriors that served in her court, and a few of her friends from the nearby small city that paid homage her hometown on Earth. It was an eclectic blend of traditional Earth buildings and modern Kadothian dwellings, with a large green space in the center complete with a gazebo.
Once a week, the entire town held an outdoor party, weather permitting, that turned the green space into a fair of sorts, complete with rides and booths selling different things. Including lemonade, which it turned out the Kadothians were mad for. While the plant wasn’t sold on Earth women, the Kadothians had developed a taste for many of the things brought to the Bel’Tan galaxy from the Milky Way. So much so that Lacey’s people were making a fortune from all the Kadothian visitors that wanted to vacation in her Territory. To her they were making the raw land into a familiar place, but to the Kadothian people her Territory was as exotic and exciting as could be.
She couldn’t wait to see what the reaction was when people found out they had horses.
Chel was helping her braid her hair as an emergency transmission came through from Lady Casey Westfall.
Right away Lacey sent a mental command that had the far wall turning into a screen showing a rather worried looking Casey. The young Matriarch was wearing what appeared to be pajamas, and her hair was mused with sleep, all signs pointing to her having just woken up. Her husband Lorn was in the background, but Nast wasn’t on the screen.
“Hey, Lacey,” Casey said in a nervous squeak. “I have a big favor to ask.”
Worried, Lacey tied off her half-finished braid and stood up, approaching the screen, “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine, but—um, see my friend Dawn from Earth kind of needs a place to stay.”
Lacey blinked, then frowned, not sure if she’d heard the other woman correctly. “Can you repeat that? Did you say your friend from Earth?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you the details later, but she really needs to know if her ship can land at your port. And, uh—she’s kind of being chased by space pirates and being denied entrance to Kadothia, so I kinda need to know now.”
Lacey didn’t even have to check with her husbands. She could feel their approval as she said, “Yes, of course. Does she need an escort?”
“No, but have your defenses ready just in case the smugglers decide it’s worth coming after her.” Casey was silent for a moment, then her head sagged as she said, “Thank you, thank you so much for doing this, Lacey. I love Dawn. We grew up together, and she’s like a sister to me.”
“No worries, you and your family saved my life with your support. I have not forgotten that. Dawn is welcome to stay as long as she wants, and I’ll help her in any way I can.”
Casey’s eyes grew teary as she said, “Awww, I love you. Thank you. I have to go, tell Dawn to call me as soon as she arrives.”
“I will.” Turning to her husbands, Lacey said, “Tell the cook to set another place for dinner tonight. Looks like we’ll have some unexpected company.”
About the Author
With over fifty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her wonderful husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she's been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.
From a young age Ann has been fascinated by myths and fairytales, and the romance that was often the center of the story. As Ann grew older and her hormones kicked in, she discovered trashy romance novels. Great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she's never looked back.
Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her 'sexy space' and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.
Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she's weird and that sarcasm doesn't translate well via text.
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Read how it all started with book one of the Bondmates’ series, Casey’s Warriors!
Chapter One
Earth
Deep in the clutches of the mid-nineteenth century poem she had to memorize for an English class, Casey absently scratched the back of her leg with her foot and tried to focus on the words before her. Unfortunately, the large quantities of spiced rum she’d consumed with her roommates last night had turned her brain into mush. It was finals week and tomorrow she’d take the last test she needed to before she went back home for the summer. She was mad at herself for getting drunk, but her roommates had all taken their last finals yesterday and celebrated the end of their sophomore year by getting wasted. In a way, it wasn’t even her fault. They had guys from the frat next door physically pick her up from her porch and carry her across the street to the party.
If anything, she was a victim….ish.
Sort of.
The guys from the football team and swim team had been doing a wet sausage contest for charity. How in the world could she not want to watch a wet underwear contest? She’d been so good all semester, studying diligently instead of trying to date. She deserved a little sexy time, even if it was spent staring at drunk guys in their underwear doing the bump and grind. At the very least she’d gotten a good laugh out of it. Most of the guys were average, but there was one tall, skinny kid on the swim team who packed some serious dick. When the girls at the party saw him they went wild. Poor guy was blushing hard enough that she worried about him having a stroke.