Gund yanked her off Tah, his cock pulling free. He turned her roughly in his arms, pressing her back into the embrace of his brother. She felt Tah’s arms tighten around her, an excited growl echoing from the other male’s chest.
“Hold her,” Gund growled.
His lower arms gripped her hips, and his upper arms supported her lower back as he tilted her cunt toward him. His breath blew out of him harshly, his eyes practically glowing as he looked at her.
“I must proceed this way,” he growled.
She gave him a puzzled look until she felt both of his cocks line up. He lifted one hand from her body to move his upper cock out of the way so he could dive into her pussy with his lower cock. He thrust a few times, the bumps sliding exquisitely within her as he wetted his cock. Satisfied, he pulled free and released his upper cock so that it thumped against her engorged clit.
Heidi hissed in pleasure. He grinned down at her, enjoying her reaction.
His cocks lined up once more and she wiggled against him, demanding action. Gund growled, thrusting forward, his secondary cock pushing slowly into her ass as his primary cock slid deep into her pussy until their bodies were flush… and then something different happened. His lower cock started to vibrate within her as he rutted deeply into her. Within a handful of strokes, an orgasm ripped through her, her cunt clenching greedily around his thick length as his growl increased in volume.
It wasn’t until she was coming down from her orgasm that she felt something hard brushing against her entrance. He had a knot! Why didn’t any of the books say that Ragoru knotted during sex? She wanted to laugh at her own question. How would anyone have gleaned that information without fucking a Ragoru?
A small gasp escaped her lips as Gund gave a few more thrusts before ramming forward. The knot wedged deep within her as his body ground against her, fucking her as much as he could with his cock lodged inside of her. He wasn’t done yet. She knew it instinctively just as she could feel her orgasm peaking again. She dug her fingers into Tah’s arms, crying out with pleasure with every shift of the knot inside of her. Her body prickled and her pleasure coiled hard and deep within her as it climbed higher.
He shifted his angle, shoving the knot deeper, hitting the spot within her so perfectly that her body quivered. She could no longer control the breathy cries that escaped her, blending with Gund’s low, continuous growl. Her pussy clenched down hard, and her legs jerked around him as she orgasmed again with a wild shout. With several more desperate pumps against her, Gund snarled and pressed deep, his cock spurting its true release into her, filling her up and yet lodged within her by his knot. Her legs twitched in time to her whimpers with every hot ejaculation, his body rocking subtly against hers.
When the knot finally eased enough for him to slip out, releasing a stream of his cum with it, Heidi’s entire body felt boneless with pleasure. She sighed as, between them, Tah and Gund carried her gently over to the bed to lay her down on it. One warm body snuggled against one side of her, and she clung to him sleepily. She was already drifting off when she felt the contact of a tongue between her legs.
Bolting upright, she stared down the length of her body and met Tah’s pale blue eyes. He smiled up at her, his tongue eagerly lapping at the mixture of her body’s juices and Gund’s seed that was smeared over her mons and down her inner thighs. Gasping, she fell back, squirming as his hot tongue cleaned her up. A tiny tremor consumed her, releasing a fresh flood of desire over his tongue. Tah growled with pleasure as he lapped up every bit of it.
Tah climbed up her body, positioning himself on the other side of her. He paused and glanced at Gund questioningly. The lead grunted and shifted his hips over, his still exposed cock rolling toward Tah so the male could lap him clean as well with eager swipes of his tongue. Gund shivered and growled at Tah’s attentive licking, more cum boiling out of the tip for Tah’s tongue to catch.
Heidi watched in awe. She’d started that.
She grinned with satisfaction and fell back between her males, her arm wrapping around Tah, who settled fully at her other side. Cocooned between the two of them, the best sleep of her life soon claimed her.
21
Heidi smiled at the young male who brought them their food and thanked him. His juvenile wings puffed up with pleasure before he scurried off. Levanth laughed from where he sat with his brother Randik beside Tah. It was incredible that Tah, who only two days before had been snapping and snarling at every male that approached, was now on friendly terms with the males.
“Sevekath is a flirtatious one already,” Levanth observed. “You are helping his confidence, Heidi.”
Randik leaned forward, plucking some meat out of the large bowl that had been set before them. He was not so easily distracted. His expression grave, he looked to Gund crouched behind her, generously providing himself as a backrest. “Here in the south, we hear little about the Order, although they have their outpost in the nearby Citadel. We never realized that there would be a prince ruling over them, but this does not surprise me. It is the way of those who live in gathered communities to yield to the command of the strongest among them.”
At Gund’s doubtful grunt, Heidi patted a clawed hand. “Not something Ragoru seem to worry about, my love. I doubt there is a more ornery, independent species on the planet.” Her male grinned at the observation and settled more comfortably behind her.
Randik’s stern expression broke for a moment before his expression turned thoughtful once more. “The Order is like the many-headed beast of our legends. If it has such a prince, it would be a boon to get to him. You are saying that it is your pursuit of him that brings you south?”
Heidi nodded. “We have business to settle with him. Much of the evil the Order commits comes at his venomous command. They are unlikely to fall with his removal, but they would be considerably weakened. Even without the horrors he has accomplished there, he has a lot to answer for.”
“He runs from his own death,” Gund clarified with his usual blunt aplomb.
“He would have already been dead had we known that a devious female was also intending to go after our target,” Tah laughed, with a sly smile at Heidi.
She grinned back at him. “You are so right. My blade would have tasted his blood if I didn’t have a trio of Ragorus drop in unannounced.”
Tah’s grin widened at the rejoinder while Levanth chuckled. Lifting a cup of simple mead, the Atlavan raised it to them in their honor. “May you have every bit of success in striking a blow to our mutual enemy. May our offspring generations from now know a world without the yoke of terror. To the demise of the Order!” he shouted.
Conversation silenced. An older male stood and lifted his cup in response. “To the demise of the Order!” he called back before a volley of voices joined in as cups were filled and raised. Males lifted their wings, and the feathers brightened as flames danced over their crests. But it was the females, every single one, who solemnly stood and lifted their cups. One began to sing, and then another followed her until all the females sang a lament to their lost kin and young as their males finally stood and folded them lovingly within their wings.
Gund raised his cup as Tah fell solemn and did likewise in a salute to the Atlavan and the shared grief between species of the terrors that had been wrought by the Order. Heidi’s gesture fell in solidary with the females, as every note of their fading song seemed to pierce her soul. Tears stubbornly seeped out of her eyes until they flowed down her cheeks.
She had contributed to such pain. Perhaps not directly—as a youth, she was typically sent to kill the predator plants that dwelled deep in the woods. Yet she had given her life to the Order and made herself a part of the evil it perpetuated.
She felt Gund’s hand on her cheek, brushing away the tears, and she leaned into his touch. She didn’t deserve his comfort and yet she clung to it. Her triad was the one good thing she had connected herself to in years misspent in service. She looked up and met Randik’s eyes as he settled back o
n his clawed heel, humming as he drank deep of his cup. She believed that he suspected more than he let on, but if he believed her to be a member of the Order, he kept that information safe.
Nearby, a female took up a flute and began to play a sweet tune, and Levanth fluffed out his feathers and smiled. Gesturing to a young male to refill his cup, he settled back on a pile of cushions with a sad smile.
“The world may hate and revile us, but still we go on. Drink up, love hard, laugh loud… and carry on,” he murmured before taking another deep drink.
Heidi stared out into the distance. There was much wisdom in his words, but for her, it could not fully happen. Not yet—not until the Master lay dead.
Until then, she would love as hard as possible until she was finally free.
22
Orth was slow to wake. Disoriented, he stared at the brightly painted walls. He did not recognize this room. He shifted his weight and froze. He didn’t recognize the unfamiliar bed beneath him either. His brow lowered as he looked around the room, searching for his triad. Their scents were in the room but considerably faded. Even Heidi’s scent was just a trace of subtle perfume.
In a panic, he sat up a loud snarl ripping out from his chest. What had happened to his family? The curtain over the door flapped open and a familiar male stepped through. He smiled and nodded approvingly.
“Good. You are awake.” He looked at Orth, understanding filling his face as he seemed to note the hostility he was being faced with.
“Do you remember who I am?”
Orth flattened his ears in response. “Oh, yes. The healer did mention that this side effect was possible. Do you recall escaping the hill people? You were badly injured.”
A chaotic memory seized his thoughts. The pale-limbed creatures biting and tearing at him. He raised a hand to his ear; it was ragged and crusted over. The male standing over him grimaced sympathetically.
“You were in a bad state when we found you. You could not remain conscious during the flight to our nesting grounds, and while you did wake after your wounds had been tended to, we were forced to give you medication to help accelerate your healing. It typically makes you sleep, but sometimes it can make the memory a bit unclear.” The male continued, “I am Levanth.”
“Where is my triad and my… female? Where is Heidi?” He could accept the male’s explanation because it conformed with fragments of his own memories, but he wanted to see them with his own eyes.
Levanth smiled in understanding. “I can fetch them for you. They have been very concerned for you over these last days. It took longer than we expected for you to recover, but it is done. I will deliver to them the good news.” With a sharp nod, he turned to exit back out of the room.
“Wait! How long was I sleeping?”
“Four days. Not that it was any trouble at all,” the male assured him with a friendly smile. “You may, of course, stay among us as long as you like. Your female is popular with ours and apparently has been teaching them basic self-defense,” he stated. “However, as soon as you are ready to leave, we will carry you to the edge of our territory at the Blood Plains, or Plains of Shades, as your mate calls them, as we agreed.”
Orth nodded his head and the male left, giving him no further opportunity to stop him. Orth hastened out of the bed and stretched. He felt incredibly good—better in fact than he had in some time, despite the new scars marring his hide. He stared at them. He was tired of being scarred and battered, and never quite given time to adequately heal before it happened all over again.
All he wanted was to find a place to settle with their mate in a den of their own.
He frowned. Had Levanth spoken of a mate?
The curtain whispered again as Gund barreled through anxiously. The male looked him over as he approached, closing the distance between them so he could sniff Orth at his leisure to determine his wellbeing for himself. Orth knew the routine and submitted to it with amusement. His nostrils flared at a tantalizing scent and he frowned, taking it in deeper.
Gund smelled of Heidi. The mingling of the scents with a hint of Tah was so right to him, but he frowned in confusion. What happened while he was sleeping?
“I smell the huntress on you,” he said.
Gund stopped sniffing him and pulled back in surprise. “The healer said you did not remember much, but I had hoped you remembered that.”
“Remembered what?” Orth demanded, his pulse racing. Did he mate with Heidi and forget the most momentous day of his life?
The lead’s brow lowered with concern. “Calm yourself, Orth. You did not forget much. You made it clear to me and Tah that you considered Heidi our mate, and we agreed. So while you were sleeping, I…?”
“Tell me you did not mate without me!” Orth demanded, unable to restrain the desperate question. He was the youngest and last to join the triad, but to be left out in a mating…
“Of course not,” Gund growled, offended. “I merely took the opportunity to display and let her choose. We enjoyed each other while we waited for you to heal, but we did not mate.”
“Nor will we until this matter is finished with the Master,” Heidi’s voice broke in as she pushed her way past Gund. A relieved smile stretched over her face as she looked at him. “Thank the Mother. You look so much better, Orth. I am so glad to see you are okay.” She stepped forward, enclosing him in her arms. His eyes closed with pleasure.
He… remembered this. She must have held him before, while he was drugged. He hated that he didn’t clearly remember it, but savored her touch, happiness filling him at having it.
“I am not happy that we have to wait,” Tah grumbled. At Heidi’s scowl, he immediately smiled and corrected himself. “It is all for a good reason though,” he said as he pushed his way forward as well, dropping his head to nuzzle him with affection. Orth laughed and shoved his brother’s nose away.
“I am not surprised. You never like to wait on anything,” he jested, making the other male grin unabashedly. “Obviously,” Orth amended as he glanced at Heidi.
Tah tilted his head. “Are you angry?”
Orth shook his head with a small smile. “No, I just wish I remembered more… and had been there to see Gund present himself,” he added.
Gund growled, though Heidi elbowed him.
“It was spectacular,” Tah said.
“It was memorable,” Heidi corrected with a stern look. “Do not poke at him about it. I will not stop him from beating some sense into you.”
Tah grinned unrepentantly, ignoring the smug way that Gund nuzzled Heidi. Orth watched the close interactions between the three in amazement, and with a touch of envy. While he’d been healing, the other two males had had time with Heidi that he didn’t. He hated to feel left behind when the males had obviously held off mating, but he still did. He tried to smile and pretend that everything was the same as Tah spoke of the ceremonial presentation, recklessly barbing Gund, who was looking less amused by the minute. Heidi had ceased trying to keep Tah in check. Instead, she stared at Orth before turning and bringing her hands together sharply.
Both males immediately turned and gave her an offended look.
“Out, both of you,” Heidi snapped.
Tah’s brow dropped in irritation with his typical flare of temper. At least not everything had changed while he’d been healing. Tah was still an ass, even when his cocks more or less belonged to Heidi. “Why should we leave?” he snarled in objection.
“I would like some time alone with Orth,” she said.
Tah bristled, but Gund seemed to consider and nudged him roughly with his shoulder, throwing the slightly smaller male off balance. “She has been with us for four days, Tah. It will not damage your cocks to be away from her side for one day cycle,” he growled.
“It might,” Tah refuted sourly, but the look he bent on Orth was warm and full of understanding. “Do not hoard her, brother. Once you have had this day with her, we will expect you to share. I have to share with Gund here, so you will need to
get used to the idea too.”
“Get out, Tah,” Heidi warned, and the male held up his hands in surrender as Gund herded him out the door. The lead turned, giving Orth an encouraging smile before ducking out.
With the other males absent, Orth did not know what to say. He and Heidi had always exchanged barbs in a friendly, competitive way, even when he felt the first stirring of affection and friendship. He hadn’t even realized that his feelings had become more until he saw Tah burn with lust for Heidi after leaving the village and he found himself resenting his brother’s experience. Their triad was thrown into discord for the first time, each of them needing, but not understanding what exactly they needed and wanted. For him to wake to a changed dynamic was disconcerting, no matter how happy he was for the result.
The bed shifted as Heidi settled beside him. She glanced over at him thoughtfully. “A lot to take in, isn’t it?”
He shrugged, his ears flicking as he met her eyes earnestly lest she doubt his affections. “I am very happy about it, Heidi. It took me some time to realize that you were perfect for us and how much I wanted you. Please do not doubt that this is everything I wanted.”
Heidi smoothed a hand over his fur. “I do not doubt it. Even if you do not remember what you said to me, I do. No one has ever been so loving and kind to me. Tah and I may have connected first, but what you and I have is so special to me. I just don’t want you to be upset. I know that when things were happening around me when I was in the children’s compound of the Order, I often felt like all control was taken away from me and, in the process, I was left out of all the important decisions made about my life. Are you perhaps feeling this way?”
Orth’s first instinct was to deny it. After all, everything that had been done had been in accordance with what was normal among Ragoru. Males would not waste an opportunity to display for a female once the triad agreed and the female had indicated her favor. What gave him pause was the firm look in her eyes that demanded the truth. Her hand stroked gently down the center of his chest.
Huntress Page 15
