He grinned boyishly at her and gestured to the nest. “What do you think? I have been working hard for many months to prepare our nest to welcome our mate. I do not know as much as I would like about human comfort, but I hope you like it.” He finished warily, a hopeful look in his ruby eye.
She took in the beautiful polished stonework and the thick rugs and comfortable pillows piled around the room. She breathed in, inhaling an interesting musk, similar to that which she’d scented on Vadal. But rather than Vadal’s airy tones of cypress, this had a hint of something reminded her of a high-end frankincense. She realized that the wonderful smell came from Shaagra. The whole nest smelled of him, and the longer Vadal spent in the nest, the more their scents mingled.
Reggie leaned back on her heels and smiled at Shaagra. “Your nest is beautiful.”
The coils resting on his shoulders raised with happiness as they danced flicking in the air like a serpentine halo.
“I am so happy to hear that. The nest is made for the female—it belongs to her. This nest is not ours. It is yours for you to accept or reject.” He looked around hesitantly. “If there is anything you want to change…”
Reggie rushed to cut him off. “No, really. I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s much more beautiful than any home I’ve ever lived in on Earth, to be honest. I am very happy with the nest,” she said with a reassuring grin.
Vadal swept up behind her, his arms going around her to hug her close. He pressed against her, his jaw scraping the back of her head.
“I am happy our nest meets with approval. I regret not being here to help Shaagra,” he said with a meaningful look to his nest brother, “but I am proud of the work he did to please our mate.”
Reggie cleared her throat, not wanting to be the one to drag everyone down.
“I’ll admit that this situation is… different. I’m not sure if I can be your mate, but I’m willing to try, if that’s okay. I know this isn’t how your species does it. I made a mistake once, marrying someone too hastily—I want to make sure we fit together and will be happy together. I want love before I agree wholeheartedly to be anyone’s mate.”
The males exchanged a long look.
Vadal’s tail twitched hesitantly. “It is against tradition to copulate before we mate, and it will be difficult resisting your pheromones while you wait to decide.” He looked over at Shaagra, whose eyes narrowed, and jaw thrust out stubbornly. Vadal muttered, “Maybe we can arrange a temporary area of the nest where we can go to escape your scent…”
Reggie felt a pinch of guilt. She didn’t want to make the guys uncomfortable. She wasn’t against experimenting—she thought she’d made that clear—but she understood their need for their traditions.
Shaagra hissed lowly at Vadal. “I know Reggie is who I want for our mate. I am confident she will eventually see it. I have no problem agreeing to proceeding as she wishes. I will not let tradition prevent me from enjoying bonding with our female when tradition would have allowed me to be seized unwillingly as a mate.”
Vadal paused, his gaze steady as he absorbed this. For several minutes, he barely seemed to move. Then Reggie noted the way his jaw tightened, and she hoped there wasn’t going to be a huge blow up over this. She didn’t want to come between the bonded males.
He blew out a gusty sigh. Reggie blinked with surprise when he said, “You are right, Shaagra. Our relationship is different. There’s no reason that our traditions cannot be flexible.” His bright gaze swung to her. “Very well, Reggie. Vori bond quickly with our females, but we will agree to show our devotion to you and allow time for our bond and love to grow until that time you feel comfortable with us.”
She looked over both males slowly and licked her lips. “That’s another thing. We need to ease into things. Slowly. I’ve never even seriously considered having two guys before, especially not males who have such different biology. Please don’t misunderstand—I find you very attractive. You’re beautiful, but it still takes a bit of… getting used to.”
Reggie felt like a bit of a hypocrite since she hadn’t even hesitated to go and jump alien dick when she’d been on Earth. But that was different, she told herself. The Kampi had parts that she at least recognized as capable of fitting together. Also, having home field advantage made her feel a lot more in control. She had no control here, so exerting even the tiniest amount of control she had available was comforting.
Shaagra nodded his head. “Oh, yes, I have read on humans. You tend toward paired partners, slowly develop bonds, and many of you are afraid of Earth serpents, which parts of our bodies resemble.” He gestured down at himself. “Are you certain you are not afraid of or disgusted by our anatomy?”
Reggie regarded both males carefully, clearing her mind to take them in with little outside pressure. She’d always found snakes to beautiful, and Gorgon imagery was something that had fascinated her for ages. These Vori were so like the Gorgon; she couldn’t see how she could even view them as being anything less than dangerously beautiful.
Sex would just take some working up to.
Her lips quirked upwards. “Actually, I think snakes are beautiful creatures. And like I said, I find you both to be beautiful. There’s no problem there. If we take it slow with each other, there’s a good chance it’ll work.”
Vadal looked thoughtful. “May I make a request?”
Reggie arched an eyebrow. Her usually calm and collected Vadal seemed a bit uncertain now.
“Among Vori, we give our first sexual experience to the Mother of the Nests. When you are ready to copulate with us, will you make it an offering with us? Even though you make no promises to us, it would be something special for us as Vori.”
Her hand rested over her heart. The request was so touching there was no way she’d have been able to deny it. She had no idea that their first time would be so spiritually meaningful to them. She almost felt like a heel asking for time when they were already so sure that they wanted everything with her. They were making a concession to give her time.
She beamed at the males, both watching her with almost identical hopeful expressions.
“I think that’s the sweetest offer I have ever had. Guys, I’d be honored to do that with you.”
Both males broke out into large grins and before she knew it, she was plastered between two thick bodies, their tails overlapping as they coiled tightly around her as they drew themselves flush around her.
Reggie felt a spark of desire and her panties dampen before they disengaged, both males tasting the air and their nostrils flaring. They drew back to give her the space she’d asked for. They were determined to wait for her to lead.
Reggie took a few calming breaths and wrangled her libido back under control. She needed to be smart and not just instantly jump them, no matter how much her hormones lauded the idea. Red flags were still flying at the idea of two hulking males, even if other parts of her were on board. She stepped forward and placed a tender kiss on first Vadal’s lips and then on Shaagra.
“How about you show me around my nest?” she suggested.
Shaagra reached forward to tenderly grasp her hand and draw her through their central room, deeper into the nest. He eagerly pointed out small touches of décor he added, the high-tech kitchen and facilities for her comfort. The bedroom itself was a wonder. Nothing more than piles of cushion and some sort of soft substrate that was like walking on mounds of fluffy cotton.
Reggie grinned as she sprawled on a mass of pillows. “Guys, this is freakin’ perfect!”
Chapter 5
Reggie woke nestled between two heavy, warm bodies amid a tumbling mass of pillows. Although there had been no sexual activity, both males proved to be enthusiastic cuddle-buddies. No sooner had she found a comfortable spot among the mound of pillows than both males had wound their way onto the pile and stretched out on either side of her. She understood immediately, seeing the impressive length of their tails comfortably stretched out, why they preferred a room filled with soft substrat
e and pillows over more traditional beds.
Once they had gotten settled, Reggie hunted for a blanket and had been somewhat concerned that there none to be found. Even in the heat of summer, she enjoyed some sort of thin blanket to cocoon herself in no matter how sweaty or sticky she was.
When she’d protested the absence of a blanket, both males laughed and informed her that she would be uncomfortably hot. She didn’t believe them. But true to their word, between the thick pillows, the weight of their arms, and the heavy, thick coils of their tails, every inch of her had been weighted down and surrounded in warmth.
With a bit of wiggling, Reggie managed to sit up in what they called their nest proper, the area where they slept. This set it apart from the rest of the nest called the nest common.
She stifled a giggle when all she could see of her bed buddies were masses of their coils between gaps of piled pillows, both the slender crown coils as the males had called them, and the thick heavy coils of their tails. The lower portions of Shaagra and Vadal’s tails were twined loosely together, locking them firmly around her even in their sleep. It was rather sweet.
A dark arm pushed up from the pillows, as if noticing she had shifted away from them, searching for her. Shaagra’s hand quickly found her hip and pulled her back into the mass of pillows, making her giggle. It was a good thing she wasn’t even slightly claustrophobic, or their sleeping arrangement would never have worked.
Slightly buried again, Reggie found herself face to face with Shaagra, his brilliant eyes gleaming like gems and the narrow pupil expanding slightly. His dark lips twitched upward. Reggie was fascinated with his mouth. His lips looked so soft and inviting. One of his crown coils slid up her arm, winding gently around her upper arm.
“Where are you going, Reggie?” he whispered, his tones dulcet and inviting.
She closed her eyes and shivered. Slowly lifting her lashes to peer at him, her own lips curved in response.
“I’m thinking of trying to climb off Mount Nest Proper,” she whispered, not wanting to wake Vadal.
Shaagra grinned and slowly unwound his tail from Vadal’s, pulling her gently from under the pillows. “If you are ready to greet the day, I will show you to the cleansing facility for you to bathe after you use disposal unit.”
“That’s exactly what I need,” Reggie sighed with relief. Her bladder was already starting its operetta, but a shower was high on her list. If she hadn’t been so exhausted the night before, she could have begged for one.
She peeked over at Vadal, hoping they weren’t disturbing him. Vadal’s dark coils rolled and shifted under the pillows, but as a length of his tail disappeared deeper into their nest, Reggie knew he wasn’t coming up for air any time soon.
“I don’t think Vadal is getting up to join us,” she snickered, admiring the play of the low light on his scales.
Shaagra rumbled, his smile widening. “Vadal has never been a morning Vori. He will stay buried until his comm goes off for him to go into the clinic. In the meantime, after you are finished in the cleansing facility, you can relax while I prepare our morning meal. Knowing Vadal, he will be filling his hands as he rushes out the door,” he chuckled.
Reggie relieved her bladder in the aptly name disposal unit. It was more of an oversized closet, built with just enough room for a Vori to get in and out without too much difficulty. Thankfully, the toilet was familiar enough that she was able to figure it out the night before with little effort.
When she rejoined Shaagra, he led her down another hall and left her in the massive cleansing facility. The Vori’s idea of a bathroom was enormous! Half the room alone was a massive showering stall with no fewer than six showerheads. Everything was the same pristine white marble-like stone, like the rest of the nest. To Reggie, the bathroom screamed luxury to, the likes of which she hadn’t experienced despite her husband’s wealth.
Within minutes, she had right water pressure and temperature, then slipped into the stall. Reggie groaned as the hot water pelted her from all directions. She’d yelped a bit when a lower jet hit her in the crotch, but soon relaxed under the cleansing spray.
As if on a timer, the spray shifted to a sudsy one that smelled like a light resin in-between pine and dragon’s blood. It was wholly masculine and a little overpowering. She made a mental note to see if the guys could program a lighter fragrance for her. She loved the way the guys smelled, but it was a bit much for her.
Still, it felt good to be clean, so Reggie wasn’t about to complain.
When she returned to the nest common, Shaagra had already turned on the lights and was busy at something that looked something like a stove. The room was filled with a rich, slightly nutty smell that came close to reminding her of chicory coffee. He looked up at her as she walked in and greeted her with a sharp-toothed grin.
To her surprise, she didn’t feel startled seeing those fangs again. Apparently, she was getting used to their fangy smiles faster than she’d expected.
“Do humans like eggs? I cannot remember.”
“I don’t know about all humans, but I enjoy eating more than a few chicken eggs with a side of bacon. What have you got?”
He held up a large green-shelled egg about the size of an ostrich egg. Though the color wasn’t entirely appealing, Reggie hadn’t enjoyed Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham more than once in her youth for nothing. Besides, with her love of travel and meeting several clients of her ex-husband from other cultures, Reggie had developed an adventurous palate over the years.
“That is one big egg,” Reggie observed.
“This is a corcoo egg. They have a very delicious taste.”
“What kind of bird does it come from?” Reggie asked, her brain conjuring up images of horrifically huge birds capable of flying over the canopies of Vora. Or a chicken as the size of a Chevy.
Shaagra hesitated long enough that she looked over at him and frowned.
Slowly, she asked, “Do I want to know what kind of animal it’s from?”
“It is nothing bad,” Shaagra rushed to assure her, which made Reggie immediately suspicious.
“What kind, Shaagra?” Reggie insisted, her eyes narrowing.
He took in her expression and breathed out a put-upon sigh.
“Corcoo is not a bird. It is a large animal that lives in and near the rivers in our jungles. It is about the size of a Vori but covered from snout to tail tip with scales. Many Vori raise them to keep their nests supplied with eggs, but our territory here is too small to do so, so I go and buy them once a week from a vendor in Evath.”
“The eggs come from a giant lizard?” she almost shrieked in horror.
He paused and looked at the egg. “Yes, I suppose lizard would be what you would call it. I imagine from your reaction that it is something you will not want to eat.” His crown coils drooped, and Reggie felt like she’d just kicked a puppy.
The idea made her feel sick, but she wasn’t going to be ungracious. Vora was her new home now, and Shaagra was doing his best to take care of her. Maybe eating giant lizard eggs would become as natural as eating eggs from a dopey little bird too, given enough time.
Reggie set her hand on his arm and smiled up at him.
“Hey, I’m always willing to try something at least once. You like these corcoo eggs?”
He managed a small smile. “You do not have to spare my feelings, Reggie, but yes, they are my favorite food for the morning meal.”
“Well then, let’s cook them up!” Reggie stated, mentally commanding her stomach to not rebel. She would choke down the egg one way or another.
Shaagra’s face lit with pleasure as he grabbed a large bowl. Reggie resisted the urge to hurl as each of the three eggs he held was cracked and the innards glopped out. The dense, dark green yolk was surrounded by a yellow-green slime that made her want to gag. Resolutely, she breathed through her mouth when the unappetizing smell hit her nose.
When in Rome, she reminded herself.
Shaagra darted a concerned look at
her, but after seasoning the eggs and beating them into a foamy slime, he poured the contents on a heated pan. Strangely, as the eggs cooked, small but tantalizingly pleasant smells snuck past her defenses.
She took a deep breath through her nose and was surprised to find that it actually smelled good. Her tummy immediately forgot about the snot-colored reptile goo and rumbled in anticipation. Shaagra, in no time, had the eggs plated and busied himself slicing fresh fruits.
Reggie eagerly swallowed down a bite and moaned. It tasted fantastic. Like on omelet distilled into a single egg without needing all the extra ingredients. The flavor was just that rich and layered. She took another big bite and smiled at Vadal as he glided in.
He took a deep breath and smiled at Shaagra, who returned it as he handed him his plate. Vadal rested on his coils beside her in the central room of the nest common, his tail slithering around her leg contently as he devoured his food with a gusto that didn’t surprise Reggie given how big he was. Shaagra followed suit, eating at a more sedate pace.
Clearly, Shaagra was the domestic between the pair, while Vadal was the one rushing to get out the door.
Shaagra ate a bit before he arched his brows at his nest brother. “Are you going in to the clinic today, Vadal?”
Vadal shook his head, swallowing down a chunk of fruit before answering. The guys had better table manners than most men she’d known.
“No, not immediately. I already arranged to take a few days to help Reggie settle in to her new home.” His lips curved as he glanced at Reggie meaningfully from the side.
Oh boy, she knew what that look meant.
She practically wiggled with interest. She may not be convinced on the whole permanence of mating, but she was definitely interested in a bit of exploration.
Reggie flirtatiously licked a bit of juice from the fruit off her lip, and both males groaned with ragged breaths. She absolutely loved that she could inspire that kind of enthusiastic reaction.
The Voris' Mate Page 5