Her Alien Forgemasters

by Susan Hayes

  Her entire focus was on the touch of that blade, the cool metal gliding over her flesh. It was exquisite and arousing, the hint of danger just enough to make everything more intense. She stopped breathing as the knife reached her bra and he turned the blade so the flat part pressed against her skin. He slid it beneath the cloth and then twisted the blade and drew it toward him in a motion so quick she barely saw it happen. The cloth parted with a slight snap and fell away, leaving her breasts bare.

  Even the years she’d spent in lighter gravity before coming to Haven couldn’t stop the inevitable sag and softening of her body, but she didn’t try to cover herself. She knew what she looked like and what the higher gravity of this world had done to her figure. It was all a part of who she was, and any guy who didn’t like what they saw was welcome to take his opinions and go.

  Tra’var dropped to his knees, looking up at her like she was his personal Venus, as his wings shifted again to hide them both from view. He altered his grip on the knife and then drew the point down her body slowly, moving it from the valley between her breasts to the rounded softness of her belly, and then down to the band of her pants.

  The smart thing to do would be to tell him not to cut them away. She should remind him she’d need something to keep her legs warm on the journey home, but she was hypnotized by the light gleaming on the blade and didn’t say a word.

  He moved his hand lower, letting the tip slide over the fabric until he was between her thighs. “Open.”

  That single, roughly spoken word made her head spin and she parted her legs for him. He sliced her pants open along the crotch and then slid two fingers inside. He caught hold of her panties and drew them through the hole he’d made before slicing them, too.

  “You’re slicing up all my clothes.”

  “I’ll replace them with ones that offer easier access to my beautiful mate’s body.”

  She opened her mouth to make a smartass comment, but then his fingers were inside her and she lost the ability to form words. All that came out was a needy moan. She locked her legs and leaned against the wall behind her, her eyes closed as pleasure swept through her.

  He stroked a fingertip around her clit and then across it. The calluses on his finger added an extra layer of sensation to his touch, and she had to grip his shoulders with both hands to keep herself upright.

  His first few touches were more of a gentle exploration as he learned what she liked. Every gasp and shiver taught him a little more, and it wasn’t long before his fingers moved faster, his touch increasingly confident.

  She kept her lips tightly closed to muffle the sounds of pleasure she made, sinking her fingernails into the bare flesh of his shoulders as her control started to fray.

  She usually took longer to build up to an orgasm. It might have been the sharhal or Tra’var’s talented fingers, but whatever it was, things were happening faster and with an intensity that shocked her.

  “Tra’v,” she whispered in warning. “I…”

  He looked up, his expression hungry and eager. “Yes. Come for me. Let me see your pleasure, mahaya.” He slipped a finger into her channel, curving it to reach the sensitive spot most men she’d been with claimed didn’t actually exist.

  Tra’var proved them all wrong in the best possible way.

  He added another finger, working them in and out at a pace that stole her breath and made it impossible to do anything but obey. Her orgasm bloomed slowly, her body tensing and her breath exploding from between her lips.

  He growled her name and then pressed his thumb hard on her throbbing clit. “Now.”

  Her release tore through her with an almost brutal intensity. She cried out his name as her lungs emptied and she tumbled into a place of impossible pleasure. She didn’t know she was falling until he caught her, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close as she shuddered. One of his thickly muscled thighs was between her legs and she rode him shamelessly, using his body to extend her orgasm as he held her.

  She was still trembling when he rose to his feet, taking her with him. He did it without apparent effort, and she wondered how much of that was his nanotech and how much was genetics. They were both bigger and stronger than her, but she’d never felt safer with any male in her life. At least, that’s how she felt at the moment. It was probably the damned sharhal messing with her gray matter again.

  Still out of breath from her orgasm, her breathing was jagged and shallow as he pressed her against the wall. His thigh was still between her legs and he used it to hold her up as he reached between them to free his cock.

  Apparently their clothes really were designed for easy access because he was still dressed, but at the same time sufficiently naked to give her plenty of bare skin to caress as he eased their bodies into position.

  Need drove her to keep moving, trying to get closer to him and craving his touch. He used both hands to hold her in place and moved his thigh from between her legs, replacing it with his cock.

  When the broad head slid into her folds, she uttered a low moan, her hips rocking to guide him to where she needed him the most. He held back, moving slowly, his jaw tight with tension as he merged their bodies with light, shallow thrusts that gave her time to adjust to his size.

  “More. Please. I need…” She peppered his mouth with tiny kisses, trying to break his control. She didn’t want slow or gentle. Not this time. Her legs tightened around him, pulling him deeper.

  He snarled something she couldn’t make out, his breath exploding from his chest as he drove himself the rest of the way in a single thrust. His mouth found hers, kissing her hard, their tongues tangled and bodies moving as one.

  Every part of her was awash in pleasure and she let it carry her away. This was all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait.

  Their kiss deepened, each of them taking what they needed from the other. She caught hold of his collar in one hand and used it to pull herself higher, changing the angle between them. His cock hit a new set of nerve endings and her body pulsed around him as the pleasure intensified.

  He groaned her name, the sound so raw it made her shiver.

  The dance continued in a game of give and take that took her to the peaks of pleasure and then held her there, stoking the fires of her need so bright and hot it was like standing in the center of a star.

  His mouth muffled her soft sounds of pleasure and she made no attempt to raise her voice. She didn’t care who heard them, but she also didn’t want to share this moment with anyone else. This was their time, a perfect moment she would never forget.

  Her nails scored his shoulder, her legs tightening again as she reached the pinnacle. He surged into her, his pace unsteady now and his breath ragged as he thrust into her again and again.

  She flexed around him, breathless and wild as she came, her entire body tensed and quaking with the force of her release.

  Tra’var groaned and powered into her, pinning her against the wall, his control unraveling as his cock jerked and thickened inside her. He came with a low, guttural sound that rolled through her like thunder and buried himself to the hilt inside her. She clung to him, her mouth still on his, as they rode out the last of their storm together.

  When she had breath enough to speak, she lifted her head to smile at him and said, “That was incredible. This sharhal thing is intense. I’m going to miss it.”

  That earned her a low, sexy chuckle. “No you won’t. Didn’t anyone tell you? The mating fever fades, but the desire never does.”

  Holy fraxx. “Never?”

  He nuzzled her cheek. “It will only get better.”

  “Then why in the name of gravity are you worried I’d cheat on you two? Not that I would, but if this is what’s on offer, no female in her right mind would even think about straying.”

  He laughed again and then hugged her. “I hadn’t thought about that. Remind me the next time I have doubts. Oh, and please feel free to tell Damos that I have not forgotten what to do.”

  �
��Oh believe me, I will.” She should have stopped there, but her mouth got ahead of her brain again. “And then I’m going to need to do a comparison test. Does it get better when we’re all together?”

  Heat flared in his deep blue eyes. “From what I have been told, yes. But since we only just found you, it will be a new experience for all of us.”

  Despite the fact she’d just had two incredible orgasms, her body hummed with fresh desire at the thought of sharing a bed with both of them at once.

  Tra’var sensed it and smiled smugly. “You like that idea.”

  There was no point denying it when he was still inside her and could feel her body’s reaction. “Yes.”

  “Then stay with us tonight. Let us take care of your needs, mahaya.”

  There were a dozen reasons she shouldn’t agree. She had a bar to run. Employees to organize. Menus and events to plan. It was too fast. Too soon. Too much.

  Only none of the reasons bouncing around her head were really an issue. Her employees didn’t need her to organize them. They could run the place themselves. In fact, Saral had already told her not to come in. And the rest… well… she was half-naked and sticky from having sex against a wall with one of her mahoyen. Any argument about going too fast had already fled at light speed.

  As he moved away from her, another thought struck. “You’re going to have to get our stuff out of the lockers. I am not going anywhere until my newly ventilated pants are hidden under my cloak.”

  He laughed as he kissed her. “Anything my mahaya wants.”

  His words hit her like a rogue comet, turning her brain to mush again. The time for panic had clearly passed. She’d already made her choice and jumped. Now all that was left was the fall… and whatever came afterward.

  If she was going to pancake on the surface of the planet of bad judgment, at least she’d make an impressive crater.

  8

  Damos eyed his handiwork critically, looking for any flaw he might have overlooked. He wanted this blade to be perfect. Of all the daggers he’d created in his career, this one was special. It was for their mahaya.

  Not that she was theirs yet. And she might never truly belong to both of them. He’d known that for years, and he’d deliberately sent her away with Tra’var to give them time to know each other and remind her he was flawed. She didn’t seem to care, but he needed to be sure she understood before things progressed much further. His control was slipping by the hour, which was another reason he hadn’t joined them for this delivery. It would give her time to think about what she wanted and how she felt about him.

  Tra’var accepted his differences, but what were the chances their mahaya would, too? Until meeting Anya, he would have said it was impossible. Now, he had a glimmer of hope, but he’d learned long ago that hope was a dangerous thing to have.

  He was still examining the dagger when Tra’var contacted him. “We’re on our way back. She has agreed to stay with us tonight.”

  “She has?” It was a good thing they’d spent some time reorganizing their living area last night. Over time, supplies and projects had somehow migrated from the shop to their home. Now their storage areas were stacked to the ceiling, but their living space was tidy. Mostly. “I’ll activate the housekeeping bots.”

  “Yeah. Good idea. We’ll be back before the top of the hour. Going to hit Tarin’s for lunch for the three of us. You want your usual?”

  “Please.” It seemed wrong to have such a mundane conversation right now. Nothing was normal about this day. It was momentous. Important. And here they were discussing food. He wanted to know everything that had happened, even the parts that would make him envious. Why had she agreed to stay? Was she truly accepting all this so quickly? Forge and flames. If she was staying, he needed to size her harani so it would fit her properly.

  They had made the set of armbands that all bonded trios wore some time ago, in hopes that they’d find their mahaya one day. Tra’var had brought the harani out last night and cleaned them, but Damos would polish them again once he adjusted hers to fit. Human proportions were different from Vardarian, and like the dagger, this needed to be perfect.

  He had just finished polishing her armband when the gate opened.

  “I told you he’d still be out here,” Tra’var said loudly, giving Damos just enough time to hide the band back in its box and close the lid.

  Then Anya appeared at the gate with a smile on her face. “You did, but I didn’t believe you. What madman would be outside when it’s freezing cold out here?” She gestured to the gray sky above them. “Aren’t you cold?”

  “There’s no such thing as cold when you work with fire.” He nodded toward the forge. “Come over here and warm yourself.”

  She broke into a jog, running right past him to stop only a step or two away from the forge. “Oh, that’s much better.” Anya held out her hands to warm them faster.

  “You need this too, Tra’v. Nanotech or not, you’re not immune to the cold. I saw you shivering on the way back.”

  Damos gestured to his anrik. “Finding our mate has clearly made you weak if you’re shivering already.” He turned to Anya. “He usually works inside at this time of year. I’m afraid my anrik is a little… delicate.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Anya’s lips quirked into a smile. “He was very robust earlier. And not to worry. He took very good care of me, just as you asked.”

  “Thank you.” Tra’var shot him a smug look over Anya’s head.

  “Even if he did scare the fraxx out of me by going into a dive as we arrived at the arena.” She fixed him with a determined look. “Neither of you are allowed to make any more jokes about flying… or landing.”

  “Witnessed,” Damos said.

  “Witnessed,” Tra’var agreed.

  “Now we have that covered. Why are you out here? What was so important you couldn’t go with us to deliver the kes’tarvs to the new rangers?”

  “This.” He reached past her to pick up the dagger, catching a heady whiff of her pheromones mixed with the scent of sex as he did so. The combination made his cock punch to fully erect in seconds. He had to force himself to focus on the dagger and what they were about to do when all he desired to was to drag her into his arms.

  Once he was back in control, he got on his knees, holding the pose until Tra’var joined him. They offered her the dagger together.

  “Oh. Oh!” She took the offered gift with a coo of delight. “This is part of the courtship ritual. Right? Saral mentioned it.” She pulled the blade from its simple leather sheath and admired it. “I admit I don’t understand the symbolism of your gift, but I accept it.”

  Tra’var chuckled and got to his feet. “What do you think it’s for?”

  Damos rose too, his gaze never leaving Anya. Her easy acceptance of their gift was deeply satisfying, and her admiration filled him with pride.

  “Poking my mahoyen when they get out of hand?” She made a small prodding gesture that didn’t come near either of them.

  Damos shook his head. “It represents our promise to keep you safe. You are ours to protect, mahaya. A duty we will carry out with pride.”

  “It’s beautiful, practical, and symbolic.” She turned the knife slowly in her hands. When the light caught the polished gem in the pommel of the hilt, it glowed like an ember burning inside the stone.

  “What is that?” She caressed the smooth surface with wonder. “It’s like fire trapped inside smoked glass. It’s lovely.”

  “That is vartis,” Tra’var said in their language and then repeated it in Galactic standard. You would call it a black fire opal.”

  “An eternal flame for our shining one,” Damos added. It wasn’t the most poetic of descriptions, but he was better with metal and flame than words.

  She smiled—a deeply contented expression that filled her heart with an unexpected light. “It’s beautiful. I will treasure this forever. Is there something I should be saying right now? Some part of this ritual I don’t know about
?”

  “You’ve already said it,” Tra’var told her.

  A frown creased her brows. Only for a moment, but he’d seen it. She still had reservations? “What is it?”

  “Accepting this gift doesn’t mean this is a done deal. Does it? I mean, I know it’s most likely going to be because of biology and pheromones and the will of your obviously insane ancestors, but I still have a little time. Don’t I?”

  Tra’var’s expression darkened, his jaw so tight it was a wonder his teeth didn’t creak from the strain.

  “You have time,” Damos said. This was about him. She’d already been with Tra’var, so he had to be the issue she was still coming to terms with. He understood that. In the beginning, Tra’var had struggled too. Their bonding had been arranged by their parents, and it had taken his anrik time to get over his anger and resentment.

  Anya put the dagger into a jacket pocket and then looked up at him. “Is there anything else to this moment? Hugs? Kisses?”

  Her question surprised him, but he wasn’t foolish enough to let a chance to hold her escape. “Which would you prefer?”

  Her gaze intensified, like she was trying to see all the way into his soul. “Both.”

  He reached for her, but she didn’t wait for him. She stepped in close, placed her small hands on his chest, and then rose on her toes, seeking a kiss.

  He gathered her to him and then bowed his head. As his lips touched hers, she whispered so softly Tra’var wouldn’t be able to hear. “Thank you for giving me more time, but I need you to know something. You’re not what I’m afraid of, Damos.”

  He kissed her then. Not with the hunger he’d intended, but with a gentle tenderness he hoped conveyed what her words meant to him. He wanted to ask what she was afraid of, but he sensed that was best done when they were alone.

  She was warm and soft in his arms, her lips parting with a gentle sigh as she returned his kiss with one as tender as his. Warmth filled him, softening the walls he’d built around his heart.