“Yes!” she shrieked. “May I come?”
Lyon swatted her ass as he blurted, “Come, my little fara. Come!”
She closed her eyes as the orgasm began to rise to the surface, but Lian roughly grabbed her by the back of her upswept hair, forcing her eyes open as his intense eyes bore into hers. “Don’t you dare hide your pleasure from me. I want to see your eyes as you come apart. Now, come for us!”
She struggled to keep the eye contact as the orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave, but was rewarded with Lian’s cocky smile as he watched her come undone.
Both of her men buried themselves in her depths and stilled as they both roared their release loud enough to rattle the walls.
Still panting, Lian and Lyon pulled from her body and repositioned her, so she was in between them both on what was now a normal bed. She was glad they were able to maneuver her, because she was boneless and didn’t have the strength to do anything. After a moment or two of trying to get their breathing under control and companionable silence, she began to chuckle, then laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
“Sloane, what’s so funny?” Lian asked as a smile tugged at his lips.
As she finally composed herself, she confessed, “I don’t think it’s me we have to worry about alerting the children to our activities, because you two were louder than me by far.”
They both chuckled as they stroked her bare skin. “I guess you just excite us,” Lyon explained.
Amid lying there in their post-coital bliss, Lyon whispered into her ear. “We are staying here tonight.”
When she was about to argue, Lian shushed her by placing a finger to her lips. “Our parents and Banu have already gone to the orphanage with Cloray. In the morning, the children will pack their belongings and will be transported here. With Banu and our parents’ help, we’ll make sure the children are comfortable and start their new lives here.”
“What about Day and Sayr? We can’t just abandon them on their first night with us.”
Lian chuckled at her with absurdity. “Sloane, we are not abandoning them. They lack socialization with other males their own age. They will have a great time with the others. The main thing is that Naral is out of their lives for good. That female will never hurt them for as long as they live.”
Sloane worried her bottom lip. “What if they think all females are like that? What if I can’t undo all the damage that woman has inflicted? What if . . .”
“Tell us, love.” Lyon stroked her face with the back of his hand.
“What if . . . like usual, I’m not enough?”
With conviction, Lian grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “You’re everything. Do you hear me? Everything! Everything to your friends, everything to those children, and everything to Lyon and I. No one is perfect in this universe, but you come close. You’ve shown Day and Sayr more love in one night than they’ve known in their whole lives. Whatever doubt you may have in your mind, cast it out. You’re everything.”
As she absorbed Lian’s kind words, tears streamed down her face. She hugged and kissed first one man and then the other. “I love you both. And just so I’m clear . . . you two are also my everything.”
Epilogue
Two weeks later . . .
The children had settled into their new home very well, as did Banu and Cloray. Lian and Lyon’s parents were over quite frequently to help and visit their three grandchildren. It didn’t take long before Day and Sayr fell in love with the idea of having a mother who cared about them and eagerly agreed to the adoption. She finally had a complete family, including parents who loved her.
Today was the day the children arrived from the first and most remote orphanage to be closed. Although this facility didn’t have a lot of boys, it was the most impoverished—so impoverished that the queen herself requested this facility be the first to be closed.
She was told that, as with Cloray, the two headmasters of this facility did the best they could with what they had and were eager to do anything to help the children, even if that meant going without for themselves.
Her bonded stood by her side, waiting for the approaching transport. She’d asked Cloray and Banu to keep the children inside, as she didn’t know what to expect. Lian and Lyon obviously could scent her increasing anxiety, because Lian leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “They will love you, I promise. You need to calm your nerves, or they will be met with a wall of unpleasant stench.”
She looked at him in horror, then proceeded to raise her arm, duck her head to her armpit, and take a tentative sniff. Her men laughed at her antics. She looked back up at him and began to chuckle herself at the humor of it. She faced the landing transport and grabbed onto her husbands’ hands for comfort.
When the transport was finally on the ground, and the doors opened, two large warriors came down the ramp sans the boys. Sloane was taken aback by the two men. Although they looked the same as other Arenian males, their clothes were well worn, and she could tell they were less bulky and had a gaunt look to themselves. She knew that over time, they would gain some weight back and be their normal selves, but her heart still went out to them for their sacrifices.
Sloane let go of her mates’ hands and started forward to greet the men, but stopped herself, as the men looked at her with shock in their eyes and took a step back. She turned around to look at her bonded. “They’re not used to a female even acknowledging their presences, let alone addressing them directly. The queen is the only female they most likely know or have spoken to in a very long time,” Lyon said.
She turned back around to the two Arenian men and again started forward to greet them. Their eyes immediately went to the ground in supplication. “It’s all right. My name is Sloane, and those are my mates, Lian and Lyon. I’m headmistress of this facility and we have an Arenian male like yourselves named Cloray who is headmaster of this facility. I’d like to welcome you and the children. What are your names?”
They both rose to their full height, giving her the impression that they were trying to gain their courage. “My name is Stout, and this is my brother, Icen. We are pleased to be here and hope we can serve you well.”
Sloane noticed he looked almost pained in saying “serve you” and thought it was an odd choice of words. “I assure you, Stout, you won’t be serving me. I work right along with my bonded, Cloray, and Banu, who is a female RaBatt helper. These children need a mother figure in their lives, and my hope is that Banu and I can help fulfill that role for them. Did you grow up in the orphanage?”
“Yes. Our mother and fathers passed when we were very young. We were raised in our facility and stayed to help when we became age of majority.”
She took both men into consideration, then proceeded to step forward and hug each man. “I’m so sorry to hear that. It must have been hard for you both. I’m glad you’re here and I hope to get to know both of you much better. It’s apparent that you’ve sacrificed for the welfare of the children. I thank you for your continued service and the raising of these children. Can we meet them?”
When she broke from her hug, Stout and Icen looked at each other and immediately got down on one knee with their heads dropped to the ground again. She was about to turn around and ask her husbands what was going on, but Lian and Lyon were already by her side.
“I don’t understand. What did I—”
Her question was cut off by Lyon’s bark. “Explain your deception. We can scent your lie and will not tolerate it. What are you not telling our mate?”
Stout raised his pleading eyes. “Please, forgive us. We mean no disrespect. It’s true that Icen and I have broken a law, but we throw ourselves at your mercy. The children are not involved. We—”
Lyon shouted this time, making her jump in surprise. “My brother and I will not subject our mate or the children to less than honorable males. You’ll tell us now.”
As Lyon was yelling at the two men on their knees, Sloane caught sight of a teenage boy coming down the ramp with
a small, wrapped bundle in his arms. Lian and Lyon must have caught sight of the child as well, because they both sucked in a breath and held it.
The boy came straight to Stout, shock in his eyes as he stood close to the large man. Icen stood, as did Stout, and he put his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “Everything is fine, Dron. Please give her to me, then go back to the transport and await my instruction.” The boy carefully placed the child in Stout’s arms and did what he was asked.
Lian beat her to the punch when he said, “Did I hear you correctly? Is that a female you carry?”
Stout nodded his head, not saying anything.
Lian spoke this time. “You know our laws.”
Sloane didn’t know why, but it was obvious the two men did something that wasn’t acceptable on Arenia. Stout squared his shoulders. “Our laws are wrong on this. I’ll not apologize. Sona is a bright light in the dismal world we live in at our facility.”
Sloane, being lost in the conversation, raised her hand. “Let’s pretend that the Earth female has no idea what’s going on . . . because she doesn’t. What law?”
Lian explained, “If, for whatever reason, a female ends up at an orphanage, the female’s immediate family would need to be located and she’ll be given to them. If family cannot be found, then they’re to alert the Arenian authorities and the female is placed with a prominent family who has raised or are still raising a female. Stout and Icen have obviously been raising Sona, in an orphanage no less.”
“I’m still a little lost. I understand they needed to try to find her family, but I’m unclear on the rest. What’s the issue?”
Icen spoke this time. “It’s because she’s female. According to Arenian law, she’s above all of this. She’s to be given the very best of everything, because she’s female.”
Sloane turned to her husbands in shock. “Please tell me that’s not true.”
From the looks on their faces, she knew it was. She turned back to Stout. “How long has Sona been in your care?”
Looking nervous, Stout answered, “Just over a month now.”
“What happened to her parents?”
“Her fathers were killed instantly in a transport accident. In the same accident, Sona’s mother was badly hurt and clinging to life when we found her. Somehow, our little Sona didn’t have a scratch on her and was carefully tucked by her mother’s side. We knew there was nothing we could do for Nola. She knew her time was short on this plane, so she quickly told us they had no relatives left and didn’t want Sona to go to a strange family. They were simple people and wanted their daughter to be raised away from prominent families who would use her as a pawn in their political game.” Stout looked to Lian and Lyon. “Icen and I did the only thing honorable males would do and carried out Nola’s dying wishes. We buried Sona’s parents near our facility and have been taking care of Sona ever since. Although we’re not as equipped to take care of a female as a family who has raised one, I beg you not to take her from us. Icen and I couldn’t bear it.”
Sloane couldn’t help it; she cried over the despair and sacrifice these two men had been forced to endure for just a little while, never knowing if they’d be caught and have who they considered to be their daughter taken away from them.
Lian and Lyon stroked her back, trying to calm her. She swiped furiously at her tears and straightened to her full, five-foot six-inch height. “I’ll talk to the queen herself if that’s what it takes, but with the Goddess as my witness, no one will take her from you and Icen.” Smiling at Stout, she announced, “Now that’s settled, let’s meet everyone and get on with the blending of our families. I’m excited to have you and Icen here and I hope we all become good friends.”
Brightening, Stout smiled. “What they say is true. You truly are a fara sent from the Goddess herself. My brother and I thank you and are indebted to you.”
Lyon spoke this time. “There’s no debt. You’ve done a fine job raising the children in less than ideal conditions. You could have washed your hands of them when things got tough, but you stayed and suffered when things were bleak. It’s us who are indebted to you both.”
Stout bowed. “I thank you.” Stout looked at Sloane with an emotion in his eyes she couldn’t identify. “Would you like to hold her?”
She smiled at him. “If you’re okay with it, I would love to hold her.”
The big, hulking man placed Sona in her arms. Sloane couldn’t help it and started unwrapping the small bundle to look at the child’s face. When she did, bright green eyes met hers. She was breathtaking. Sona’s cherubic face was glowing as the infant smiled up at her. Lian and Lyon came up behind her to peek at the female child and doted on her.
After a while, Lyon cleared his throat, emotion thick in his voice. “She’s beautiful. I know I’m glad she’s here and will have many adopted brothers to look after her. I thank you for allowing us to be a part of her life.”
Icen and Stout nodded their agreement, when Coyak interrupted the moment. “What’s that?” he said with excitement.
Sloane turned around to find all the children, Cloray, and Banu standing there, listening to their conversation. She bent down to show Coyak the precious bundle she held. “This is Sona and she’s going to live with us, along with Stout, Icen, and the boys from their facility. You’re going to have some new children to play with.”
Coyak looked at the small bundle and whispered with excitement, “She’s beautiful!”
“That’s what we thought, too. I want you and all your brothers to help the children off the transport and get them settled in their rooms. Cloray, I would like you to meet Stout and Icen. They will be staying in the room next to yours.”
As the children filed out of the transport and into their new home, she could tell they were in awe of their new surroundings. When they were settled in their bedrooms, they all gathered in the dining hall. Stout and Icen were beside her, Lian, and Lyon. Banu and Cloray sat at the head of the other two tables. Still holding Sona, she announced to the children, “I would like to welcome you all to what I hope is a stable, loving home for you. My name is Sloane, and these are my mates, Lian and Lyon. To my left is Cloray, who is headmaster of this facility, and to my right is Banu, who helps us with numerous things. In celebration of our families coming together, she’s graciously made this large feast for you all. We look forward to meeting and getting to know every one of you. I thank the Goddess for bringing you all here to us and know this will be the start of a beautiful thing.”
She looked down at a sleeping Sona, who still rested in her arms, then back up to the children. They all nodded and smiled at her in agreement. And with a smile back to the children, Stout, and Icen, she announced, “Let’s eat, gentlemen.”
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