Tamed by Her Mates

by Sassa Daniels

  “How long was I out?”

  “Three months,” Lucy said with an apologetic grimace that made Lottie smile. It was hardly Lucy’s fault she’d been unconscious for so long. “You’ve been here for almost three months.”

  “Where is here?”

  She hoped it wasn’t New Cambridge. She’d done well to escape her homeland with her life. If she’d been brought back there, the High Council who ran Earth’s affairs would surely put her on trial for her part in the rebellion against them.

  “It’s Taar-Breck. They brought you here after the accident.”

  “The explosion,” Lottie corrected. It had not been an accident. Someone had planted a bomb on the Bylanthian ship.

  “You remember?”

  As a matter of fact she did, and with surprising clarity. She remembered her life in New Cambridge, her relationship with Jax and his brothers. She also recalled the explosion that disrupted their peace talks with the Taar-Breckian ambassador, Lucy’s mate, Taryn.

  “Was anyone else injured?”

  “No.” Lucy again sounded as though she was making an apology. “The explosion wasn’t all that bad. It’s because you’re human that you were hurt. You were thrown some considerable distance.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Lottie said. She had an image in her mind of flying backwards. “Is there any permanent damage?”

  Lucy looked away and Lottie wondered if she was steeling herself to reveal bad news.

  “You have a scar on your face.”

  From the sympathy in Lucy’s eyes, Lottie suspected the mark was quite pronounced. She wished she could lift her hand far enough to check it out, but she was just too weak. She wasn’t a vain woman, but the thought of having some permanent reminder of the damage was still upsetting.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Lucy said. “Jax and his brothers have already seen it and they don’t care. They’ll love you, no matter what. You know, they’ve stayed here on Taar-Breck waiting for you to get better and Jax has been by your side every day.”

  If her men were here, then what was happening in the war to reclaim Bylanthia? It had already taken them two years to gather enough support for their bid to take back their birthright. Their father had lost a lot of followers in the last years of his rule and Jax had to demonstrate to potential allies that he intended to bring much needed change to their planet. Now that they had the backing they required, they should be out there, fighting for their future, not sitting around here mollycoddling her. She was a weakness they didn’t need. She’d worried about this for a while and now it was clear in her mind. Their love for her was a distraction and she couldn’t allow it to be. As much as it would hurt, she had to sever the bonds between them. It would be no easy task—her men were persistent when they wanted something.

  “You do remember them?” Lucy asked, sounding anxious at her lack of response. “Jax, Marc, Ren, and Daen—you do know who they are?”

  Lottie could pretend she didn’t but playing the amnesia card would not be enough to drive them away. They would waste even more precious time trying to help her to heal. No, if she wanted to refocus their attention on the battle for Bylanthia, she was going to have to be brutal.

  “Yes,” she said. “I remember those bastards. They stole me from my home and forced me into a relationship I didn’t want.”

  A tiny crease formed at the top of Lucy’s nose as she frowned. “But I thought you were in love with them? They certainly love you.”

  Lottie shook her head, ignoring the wave of pain the motion caused. “No, they viewed me as a possession. They were cruel and when I tried to escape them, they punished me. I never want to see any of them ever again.”

  Lucy took her hand and stroked the back of it. Lottie almost felt bad for gaining her sympathy with such a hideous lie.

  “What can I do to help?” Lucy asked.

  “Get in touch with Commander Rossingham for me.” Lottie’s lip wobbled as she asked Lucy to speak to their friend Caroline’s husband on her behalf. He was head of the military forces and a member of Taar-Breck’s ruling family and therefore held considerable power. “Tell him I wish to escape from my mates and seek asylum here.”

  Once she had done that, there would be no going back. Asking for protection from the Taar-Breckians was something her mates would not be able to forgive. Their relationship would be over, and they could return to their mission without her. Knowing that she had sacrificed her own happiness for the greater good would help her to cope. One day, she would move on but there would always be a gaping hole in her heart. That was something she would just have to live with.

  * * *

  Jax put down his mug of Taar-Breckian ale and sighed. His visit to Lottie had convinced him it was time to let her go. Once again, she’d shown no reaction to his presence and he was now resigned to the fact she never would. With some reluctance, he’d suggested to his brothers that they move on. They’d been hesitant but had agreed that they’d neglected their duties far too long, allowing others to fight on their behalf while they sat around here waiting to Lottie to recover. They needed to return to the battle to reclaim their father’s kingdom from the tyrannical governor of Antarrak who’d seized power more than two years ago. As painful as it was to leave Lottie behind, at least here on Taar-Breck she would be among people who cared for her when she slipped away.

  Somehow, Jax had thought that making the decision to return to their own people would allow them to start thinking about the future more clearly, but instead, a cloud of depression had sunk over them all.

  “It is for the best,” he told his brothers, using his most authoritative tone to try to convince himself as much as them.

  “It does not seem like it right now,” Ren replied, and Marc nodded in agreement.

  “It will never seem right,” Daen, the youngest of them said. “She is our mate. We claimed her and now we must let her go. I will never reconcile myself with that.”

  Jax had no soothing words to console his brother. Daen felt things deeply, more so than the rest of them. If they were hurting right now, Jax could only imagine what heartache his sibling must be experiencing.

  “You agreed that we should leave and continue the fight to reclaim our homeland,” Jax pointed out. “Have you changed your mind?”

  Daen shook his head. “You are my brothers and I will follow you wherever that takes me.”

  It wasn’t the response Jax had hoped for, but it would do.

  “Oh, this is all we need.” Marc sat up a little straighter in his seat as though bracing for trouble.

  Jax followed his brother’s gaze until his eyes landed on Victoria, who was storming toward them, her mate Allik Loarn at her back. No doubt she’d brought him because she was worried about the greeting she would get after their encounter at the hospital. As maddening as he found her, Jax would never hurt a woman but he supposed she didn’t know that. If she thought bringing Allik with her would make their conversation go any smoother, she was mistaken. He was no fan of Jax, or any Bylanthian, for that matter. Allik hated them all, with good reason. His fighter ship had been shot down over the plains of Antarrak, a hostile region in Bylanthia’s northern hemisphere. He’d been captured and the torture that was inflicted upon him had resulted in severe scarring. It wasn’t something Jax would ever have sanctioned but as far as Allik and most Taar-Breckians were concerned, all Bylanthians were the enemy.

  Jax rose to greet Victoria and couldn’t help but notice how Allik stepped in front of her. That instinct to shield his mate from harm was something Jax admired about him. He would do the same for Lottie, even though, like Victoria, she was quite capable of looking after herself.

  “Before you speak,” Jax said as Victoria ducked under Allik’s arm and came to stand right in front of him, “there is something I wish to say.” He paused and waited to see if there was going to be some objection, but she nodded to confirm she would listen. “We are leaving Taar-Breck. It is time for us to return to Bylanthia and take our
rightful place at the head of our people.”

  “You’re leaving?” It was Allik rather than Victoria who asked the question and the incredulity in his voice seemed rather judgmental.

  “We are. There is nothing we can do for Charlotte and we know we are leaving her in the best possible place, with her friends around her.”

  Even to his own ears, the words sounded feeble. Victoria’s face reddened with fury.

  “I was right about you!” she spat. “You are a bunch of cowards, running away because things look a bit bleak.”

  “We are not cowards.” Marc, who had consumed more ale than the rest of them, rose to his feet and loomed large over the petite human.

  “Yes, you bloody well are. You don’t give a damn about Lottie’s recovery.”

  “Take that back.” Marc’s tone was dangerous now. He’d been spoiling for a fight for some time now.

  Although it was clear Victoria was prepared to stand her ground, Allik swept her out of the way and got between her and Marc. The situation was escalating but in truth Jax had been waiting for something to happen for weeks now. He could step in and calm his hotheaded brother, but perhaps it would be better to let him purge some of his aggression. Allik Loarn was a big brute. He could handle a few punches and Jax would break things up if it got out of hand.

  “Do not speak to my mate like that,” Allik warned.

  “Tell her to keep out of our business, then.”

  “It’s not just your business,” Victoria protested. “Lottie’s our friend and you’re abandoning her when she needs you the most.”

  Marc took a step toward Victoria and that was it. Allik pushed him so he stumbled back against the table. Righting himself quickly, Marc dived at the Taar-Breckian warrior and before Jax knew what was happening, the pair were rolling on the floor, trading blows. Allik cried out as Marc drove an elbow into his ribs but he soon retaliated with a head butt. Blood spurted from Marc’s nose and he gave a great roar of pure fury. Victoria moved toward them as though she would intervene, but Daen grabbed her by the waist and pulled her out of harm’s way.

  “Stay out of it, Victoria,” he said with quiet authority. He was the only one of the brothers who’d managed to become friends with the recalcitrant human. “You’ll get hurt.”

  A crowd gathered round as the fight intensified and Jax knew that aside from him and his brothers, not one man here was rooting for Marc. They were barely tolerated here and there were many who would be glad to see them all beaten to a bloody pulp. As the situation became more dangerous and Allik gained the upper hand, a large male entered the bar and pushed his way through the crowd. Taryn Duff had the sort of presence that made people sit up and take notice, not because he was larger than any of the others, but because he commanded respect. Everyone knew of his military prowess and diplomatic skills.

  “Stop this now!” he roared, his voice carrying over the shouting.

  Two men rushed forward and pulled Allik off Marc while Ren helped their brother to his feet and placed a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him charging at the Taar-Breckian once more.

  “I am sorry,” Jax began, but Taryn waved it off, clearly unconcerned about the reasons for the fight he’d just interrupted.

  “We will not discuss this now,” Taryn said. “There are more important matters to attend to. I have just heard from the medical facility. Charlotte is awake.”

  Chapter Three

  Victoria and the Taar-Breckian medic, a female named Kyree, had their heads pressed together. They had been in deep discussion for several minutes now and the way they kept looking in through the glass panel on the door to Lottie’s room and then to him made Jax wonder what was going on. The moment they’d heard their mate was awake, they’d rushed to the clinic, all thoughts of leaving her behind banished from their minds. Their excitement to hold her in their arms had been palpable, so it was frustrating that they were now having to wait. Jax was not used to sitting around like this. He understood, of course, that Lottie waking up was a momentous event and tests had to be carried out to ensure she was alright. Understanding that didn’t make it any easier to hang around out here while others came and went, each getting their chance to speak to Lottie. He hated being reliant upon others and having to depend on Victoria for information was galling.

  The two women continued to whisper to each other and then, eventually, Kyree nodded and walked off down the corridor, away from them. That left Victoria to approach him and his brothers. She was dragging her feet and chewing on her bottom lip in a manner that was far from encouraging. What did she have to be so anxious about?

  “Is there bad news?” Daen was the one to give voice to the concern they all shared.

  “No,” Victoria replied, “and yes.”

  “Tell us,” Jax commanded.

  “Well, Lottie’s awake and talking. Her cognitive functions are good and although weak, she is now sitting up. She remembers everything quite well and is aware she was hurt in an explosion.”

  That sounded like cause for celebration, but the way Victoria looked down at the floor as though reluctant to continue told Jax there was more to it. He needed to hear what she had to say but didn’t want to push her. With her mate sitting across the corridor from him and Taar-Breckian guards on standby in case of trouble, he needed to exercise patience. Thankfully, as Victoria continued to avoid saying whatever it was that troubled her, Allik appeared to take pity on them and intervened.

  “Victoria, tell Jax and his brothers what they need to know, or so help me, I will take you over my knee and spank it out of you.”

  A tight pout formed on her lips but then she took a deep breath and Jax braced himself.

  “Lottie doesn’t want to see you,” she said, her voice laden with sympathy. “She’s asked that you leave and never return.”

  “What?” The question burst out of Ren on an incredulous laugh. “You’re joking, right?”

  “I’m sorry, I’m not. She doesn’t want to see you. In fact, she intends to stay here on Taar-Breck.”

  Jax exchanged a look with his brothers, who seemed as dismayed by what they were hearing as he was.

  “She must be confused,” Jax said. “She’s been unconscious for a long time and her mind is jumbled.”

  Victoria shook her head.

  “She seems quite lucid. She was clear in her instructions and has made inquiries about seeking asylum here.”

  “That cannot be right,” Jax said.

  There was no reason for Lottie to refuse to see them and the very notion that she should look for protection from Taar-Breck was absurd. He wondered if it was her scar that troubled her. Perhaps she thought they would not desire her anymore since her beautiful face had been permanently marked. If that was what bothered her, it was ridiculous. Nothing could diminish the love he and his brothers felt for her.

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Jax.” Victoria laid a hand on his arm in an uncharacteristic show of compassion and then removed it when Allik growled in irritation. “Lottie was adamant she wants to stay here.”

  “May we see her?” It almost caused him physical pain to put himself in Victoria’s hands like this, but he could see no other option. “Perhaps we can give her some reassurance that all will be well.”

  “Alright,” Victoria agreed more readily than he would have expected, “but just one of you can go in so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed. Who’s it going to be?”

  By rights, it should be him. As oldest brother and head of the family, Jax took precedence over the others in all things. Somehow, though, he knew it would be better for him to send one of his brothers in there to speak to her. He was the most intimidating of the four and if Lottie was going to react badly to being confronted, he might make things worse. He glanced at each of his brothers and something unspoken passed between them.

  “Daen,” he said, “you go and talk to our mate.”

  Victoria’s eyes widened in surprise and then she nodded in apparent approval of their choice. She
gestured for Daen to follow her and Allik trailed along behind them. They paused at the door to Lottie’s room and Victoria said something to Daen. Her words were too quiet for Jax to hear but, whatever they were, Daen seemed to agree. He nodded and, a moment later, they disappeared into the room together, leaving Allik to stand guard outside.

  “Charlotte will listen to Daen,” Ren said with more confidence than Jax could have summoned up.

  “Of course she will,” Marc agreed. “She has a special bond with our brother.”

  Jax might have argued that Lottie had that connection with all of them, but he had to agree—there was a different energy between Daen and their mate than the rest of them shared. They spent much more time together just talking and laughing. They even lay in bed together with their arms wrapped around each other while they chatted. Jax would never be able to be in that sort of intimate setting with her without wanting to fuck her senseless. Hell, it was all he could do to control himself when he was around her in public.

  He was pulled from his thoughts as a sharp scream sliced through the air. Jax and his brothers stood to attention while Allik shot them a look warning them not to come any closer.

  “What the hell was that?” Marc asked.

  The answer came a moment later when Daen stumbled out of Lottie’s room. His face was pale, and his expression betrayed his shock.

  “She hates me,” Daen said in disbelief. “She would not let me near her.”

  Ren barked out an incredulous laugh and Marc shook his head in despair.

  “She did not even give you a chance to speak?” Jax asked.

  “No, the moment I entered the room, she became agitated. She told me she never wanted to see me again and screamed at me to get out.”

  “She is not herself.” Marc had a gift for stating the obvious.