Seized & Seduced
Page 26
Lynx powered into her, the climb to bliss faster this time.
“Me too.”
Shiloh laughed. “I want to taste your blood, let our lives entangle and thread together.”
Before she could reply, he bit down right on the spot Lynx had bitten her. The pain was keener now. She shuddered as Lynx caught her cry with his mouth. He reached between them to tease her clit, and that was all it took for the pain to transform to more manageable.
“Bite me,” Lynx whispered against her lips. Need throbbed in his request, desperation. He pulled back and thrust into her heat again.
Shiloh ran his tongue across the mark he and Lynx had left, the rasp like a prod to her internal organs.
“Shiloh. Lynx.” Instinct had her biting. As she bit down, Lynx bucked, shoving his cock deeper inside her.
Shiloh nibbled and sucked at the mark while Lynx kindled her passion higher with a series of quick, hard strokes. She lapped away the coppery blood from the wound, and Lynx’s groan reverberated through her cabin. Her inner muscles contracted around his length, each of his thrusts increasing the tempo drumming in her ears.
Shiloh kissed her, and an intense burst of heat filled her then spilled into a toe-tingling release. She gasped, her head whirling with the force of her climax. Her fingers dug into Lynx’s shoulders and she clung.
Shiloh twisted in order to kiss Lynx. A raw and guttural moan slipped from Lynx, his breathing as ragged as hers. Jannike squeezed her inner muscles and Lynx trembled again. The muscles of his arse flexed as he pumped into her. He stilled, fully embedded, his cock jerking as he came.
As his breathing returned to normal, he leaned his full weight on her.
Can’t breathe. Even as her discomfort communicated itself and she opened her mouth to speak, Lynx replied.
Sorry.
Get off her before you do some damage, Shiloh ordered.
“What the phrull?” Jannike whispered. “I can hear you and your mouths aren’t working.”
I feel whole, Lynx said.
Perfect, Shiloh agreed. You okay, Jannike? A tendril of fear flickered through him when she didn’t answer straightaway.
“I’m feeling excellent. When you bit me—both of you—it felt as if everything snapped into place. Shiloh, turn over.”
Shiloh exchanged a puzzled glance with Lynx. “Why?”
“I want to check out your arse. Go on. Turn over for me.”
He turned over.
“Wow,” Lynx said.
“What?” Shiloh asked, turning back to face them.
“Check out mine,” Lynx said and turned his back so they could see the black leopard covering his back.
“The same,” Jannike said. “Me?” She twisted so they could both glimpse her back.
“Black splotches,” Lynx reported.
“Weird,” Shiloh said. “Ry has one too, but this doesn’t happen on Viros. My father doesn’t have a tattoo.”
“Mine neither,” Lynx said. “But my parents aren’t true mates. Most felines on Viros believe stories of true mates are the stuff of legend.”
“Camryn has a tattoo.” Jannike reached behind to scratch. “My skin is still itchy.”
Shiloh laughed. “You need more practice at this sex thing.”
“Yeah,” Lynx said.
“I wouldn’t boast too much. It might mean you’ve both had too much sex,” Jannike said and grinned. “It might mean you’re man-whores.”
“Hey.” Lynx pinched her bottom. “We might have once spent our leisure time chasing the ladies but no more.”
“We want one lady, and that’s you,” Shiloh confirmed.
Jannike climbed off the gel-bed. “Be back in a sec.”
We have to tell her about your status, Shiloh said.
I tried. She didn’t seem to believe me.
You didn’t say, ‘I am Prince Lynx of Viros.’ That might have helped.
I’ve spent half my life trying to forget. It’s not as if the position brings any benefits. It doesn’t mean anything to me or to you. We’re just plain Lynx and Shiloh. Chances are, even if we stay on Viros, we will have our own home, our own business, our own lives. That’s what I want.
Me too, Shiloh said. We’ll have to tell her.
Jannike returned from the sanitizer room. “Tell me what?”
“We were wondering if there is any chance of a child. We didn’t—it should be something we discuss first.”
“Neither of us thought to ask about preventing offspring,” Shiloh said.
“I’m protected.” Jannike shrugged. “The morn we arrived at the planet where I was captured, Mogens took one look at the clouds on the horizon and insisted everyone on the ship drink a new potion he’d whipped up to prevent offspring. Apart from Camryn.”
“How long does it last?” Lynx asked.
Jannike shrugged then scowled, trying to scratch her back. “A rotation. Maybe longer, but Mogens wouldn’t guarantee the potion for longer than a rotation.”
“Come over here,” Shiloh said. “I’ll scratch your back for you.”
Jannike sauntered over to Shiloh, unworried about her nakedness. Lynx smiled, not jealous that he wasn’t included in the moment. He received just as much pleasure from watching his two lovers interact with each other.
“I would like children one day. On Manx Two children are made in birth labs. On Camryn’s planet, the females carry their young. I think carrying the young before they are born would make them more precious.” She groaned as Shiloh raked his nails over her back, and Lynx joined them, wrapping his arms around both.
“We can do whatever you want,” Shiloh said.
“When we’re all ready.”
Jannike turned in Lynx’s arms so she faced both of them. “That sounds like a good plan.”
The next few cycles passed rapidly. Ry wanted a complete inventory done of supplies before arrival on Viros. Lynx approved of the sentiment, his respect for the other feline growing each cycle.
“We still have to catch that damn mouse,” Ry said.
“I saw it this morn.” Camryn waddled closer. “When I was on the way to the galley.”
Ry folded his arms across his chest. “Why is there no scent trail?”
Jannike bit back a grin as Camryn calmly shrugged. “Are you saying my eyes are defective?”
Ry strode to the door before trotting back to kiss his mate and pat her swollen belly. “We’re going to be down in the hold. Lynx and Shiloh offered to help Kaya and I check the stock.”
“I could help,” Jannike said.
“I’d prefer you to keep an eye on Camryn to make sure she doesn’t overdo things and be there to spell Nanu.”
Lynx kissed Jannike and handed her off to Shiloh who stole a kiss as well. They strode after Ry and the two women stared after their men.
Jannike sighed, and Lynx heard. He grinned and started whistling. A stray thought leaking from Jannike wiped away his grin. He darted a look at Shiloh.
“Did I hear right?”
Shiloh nodded. “I don’t know whether to act shocked or impressed.”
“What’s wrong?” Ry asked.
“We caught a stray thought from Jannike as we left. The mouse is imaginary.”
Ry chuckled. “I had my suspicions when we couldn’t find a scent trail. I guess Camryn had had enough of my protective hovering.”
“Jannike told us we were overprotective as well,” Lynx said.
“It’s difficult not to with a kitten on the way.” Ry dragged a hand through his hair. “I think of all that could go wrong—”
Shiloh turned pale. “We’ll go for birth labs when it’s our turn.”
“No,” Ry said. “The journey is amazing. You’ve felt the kitten kick and stretch. He kicks harder when I talk to him.”
“When we were kittens we were told legends about males who would bring offerings for their females,” Lynx said.
“Ah.” Ry brightened. “We could use that legend. Why don’t we stop by Mogens’ cabin and ask his op
inion?”
Shiloh grinned. “I like the way you think.”
Lynx continued along the corridor, smiling. Shiloh had never been so relaxed. He certainly smiled more. So this was true happiness. Lynx thought he’d been happy before. He knew better now.
Chapter Nineteen
Later that eve, Jannike stomped around the rec room. She dodged the scruffy old chair Camryn had insisted on bringing from Earth and the more modern gel-seating Kaya’s brother had helped them purchase to complete her circuit. “Goddess, I wish this itching would stop.”
Camryn frowned from the depths of the old chair and stroked her belly. “I wish this kitten would stop kicking. You know the itching stopped for me as soon as Ry and I started having sex.”
“She has two males,” Kaya said a trifle grumpily.
“And you laughed at my vibrator.” Gweneth’s tone was full of smugness.
Jannike pressed her back against the nearest wall and shimmied up and down. “It’s so itchy. It’s driving me crazy.”
“So back to the sex,” Camryn said. “I presume you’re having sex?”
“She’s having sex.” Kaya scowled. “The walls are thin. I get to hear and it’s affecting my sleep. It’s driving me crazy. I need my own man.”
“I’m available,” Nanu said from the far corner.
“Please.” Kaya tugged on a hank of blue hair. “It would be like doing it with my brother.”
In the other corner of the rec room, Kelvin and Mogens were chatting. Royal dangled from one of Kelvin’s arms that he’d shifted into tree. A neat trick. Without warning the markowls started hooting and chirping. Kelvin replied in kind, sent a glance in their direction and boomed out a laugh.
“What?” Jannike asked.
“They are amused by the chatter. They understand more than you realize.”
“Great,” Kaya said. “So now they know about my lousy sex life. See, even the birds think my life is a joke.”
“They can laugh all they want.” Jannike rubbed her back against the wall, giving it more pressure. “But I can’t take this scratching for much longer.”
“Let me look at your back.” Camryn heaved her body out of her chair and padded over to Jannike. She tugged at her tunic and lifted it to reveal Jannike’s back. “Ooh. Mogens, come and look. It’s covered in black bruise-like marks but she’s rubbing them raw.”
Mogens tut-tutted when he saw her back. “Nasty. Does that hurt?”
“You’ve broken the skin with all your scratching,” Nanu observed. “Kaya, sister, it’s time to go and relieve Ry and Jannike’s men on the bridge.”
“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in,” Kaya said. “On second thought, I’m glad that back doesn’t belong to me. Looks painful. I tell you, Nanu. I need a male. I need to find one on Viros. I couldn’t troll when we visited my brother. Earth was a bust.”
Nanu laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders. “We have contacts on Viros now. I’m sure we can get blind dates. We have a few cycles to discuss our needs.”
“You mean write a list?” Kaya asked.
“Yeah, then we can help each other find the right one,” Nanu said.
The two disappeared, still discussing sex. Jannike shifted her weight and attempted to ignore the itching. It didn’t work.
“I don’t understand.” Streamers of black curled across Mogens’ face, turning his features from white to gray. A contrast to his white robes. “Camryn is right. If you’re having regular sex, the itchiness should fade. Neither of the men are suffering. Do they have tattoos on their backs?”
“Yes.” Jannike stepped away from Mogens touch and tugged down her tunic. She cursed and gave into the craving to scratch. “Ooh.”
“I don’t know. If we could make a stop, I could read the clouds.” Another swirl of black darkened his face.
“What’s this about reading clouds?” Ry demanded. “What’s wrong?”
“Jannike is suffering. I have some salve that might help alleviate some of the itchiness. At least the external symptoms. But I believe the worst of the pain comes from beneath her skin. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Jannike.” Lynx’s tone held chiding.
“Why didn’t you say it was that bad?” Shiloh said.
Both Lynx and Shiloh went to her, wrapped their arms around her and the symptoms—the persistent itching—backed off to bearable.
“It was okay, and then it wasn’t.” Jannike didn’t know how to explain the sensation. “I might go to my cabin.”
“Stop by my cabin to get some salve first. You’ve broken the skin, and the last thing you need is an infection. Come with me now.”
Jannike nodded and followed Mogens from the rec room. Lynx and Shiloh fell into step behind.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Shiloh persisted.
“Because it was okay until we parted to do our own things,” Jannike said.
“You asked us to give you more freedom, but how can we allow this if you’re in pain?” Shiloh’s exasperation came through loud and clear.
“Why do you think I didn’t mention it? I knew you’d behave like a grumpy bear. I still want time alone or with my friends,” Jannike gritted out.
“There must be some reason for Jannike’s mating remaining uncompleted.” Mogens robes rustled as he walked in front of them. His skin had returned to a normal cheery white. He opened his cabin door and gestured them inside. “It won’t take me long to get the salve.” Mogens disappeared behind his floor-to-ceiling shelving. Each shelf was crammed with containers and vials of all shapes and colors. Dried plants hung from a rack above their heads, perfuming the air with a green floral scent.
“He has a lot of stuff,” Lynx said. An understatement since every available surface held mystery ingredients.
“Ah, yes.” Mogens muttered from the other side of the shelving. “This salve is perfect.” The rustle of his robes indicated his return, and he beamed as he handed over a glass container. “This salve has healing properties. It will leach the heat from your flesh and help alleviate some of your symptoms. This salve also makes an excellent lube. It’s is cooling and moisturizing to allow less friction.” His beam widened to toothy. “I speak from experience since I have tested it myself.”
“Everyone on this ship is sex-mad.” Jannike had to work hard to contain the heat in her face. When all three males laughed, she threw up her hands and strode from Mogens’ cabin.
“Thanks for the salve,” Lynx said. “I’m sure Jannike will thank you herself once she gets over her snit.”
Jannike froze on the spot then backtracked, the heat increasing in her face rather than fading. “Lynx is right. I have no manners. Thank you, Mogens. It’s much appreciated. My hearing is much better. Is that normal?”
“Don’t ask us,” Shiloh said. “Because we don’t know either. Mating doesn’t occur on Viros, as far as we know. There are legends but no one we know has mated in the same manner.”
“Shiloh’s right. Sorry, sweetheart, but we’re just as confused as you.”
“Camryn’s senses improved until she turned feline,” Mogens said.
“Phrull, I hadn’t even thought that far. Will I turn into a feline?”
Lynx and Shiloh shared an astonished glance.
“Is that possible?” Lynx asked.
Mogens frowned. “I don’t know. Your body seems to be fighting the changes.”
“Imagine running together through the forest,” Lynx said.
“Magical,” Shiloh breathed, and he looked like Gweneth had on receiving her Christmas presents.
“My back is painful enough. Thanks for the salve, Mogens.” And with a curt nod, Jannike strode away. Stupid males. All they thought about was themselves. They weren’t going through this aggravation. No, they had, she recalled. It had been worse for them when she’d first been captured.
“Wait, Jannike,” Lynx called.
She slowed her steps, guilt smothering her temper.
Lynx and Shiloh flanked he
r and the three continued to Jannike’s cabin.
“I’m going to sanitize,” she said.
“Want some help to wash your back,” Shiloh asked.
“No. When Lynx helped me this morn, the cleansing suds went everywhere. You’re even bigger than him.”
“Good try,” she heard from Lynx as she entered the sanitizer room.
“Spoilsport. At least we have a big sanitizer room on Viros.”
A male laugh sounded, a teasing, almost sultry one. Her men were starting without her. She’d better make this quick.
Around ten mins later, she stalked into the main room and found Shiloh and Lynx naked and entwined on her gel-bed.
“We have an idea,” Lynx said.
“One that might help push you past the itchiness,” Shiloh added.
“Spill.” She scooped up the container of salve. “Can one of you put this on my back please?”
Lynx accepted the container and opened it. The scent of herbs and flowers wafted into the air.
“Smells like lavender, an Earth herb,” Jannike said. “Much better than some of Mogens’ other concoctions.”
Shiloh issued a soft curse. “Phrull, Jannike. Your back is a mess.”
Lynx smoothed salve over achy spots, and Shiloh started applying it too.
She groaned and arched her back. “Oh, that’s good. You said you had an idea?”
“We haven’t tried double penetration,” Shiloh said. “We’ve made love in lots of different combinations but not together.”
“And now we have salve to help,” Lynx added. “What do you say?”
“I’ll do anything if it means I’ll get rid of the bugs beneath my skin.”
“Something for us alone,” Shiloh said.
“Yes,” Jannike said. “We’re not inviting anyone else to join in if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Shiloh reached around to tweak her nipple, and it was hard enough to startle a squeak from her. “Any other male comes near you and they’re in for a fight.”
“Yes, sir,” Jannike said. “Likewise any female or male sniffing around you will get a bloody nose.”
“So we’re going to do this?” Lynx asked. “When you two are finished, of course.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. I’m desperate enough to try anything.” She waved a hand. “Organize. Please.”