“I love you, sweetness,” Zan murmured. He kissed the healing skin and handed her over to his partner.
Boneless and trembling, she sank onto the length of his hard cock. Alton gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
“Hi,” he said.
She blushed. “Hi.”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
His arm wrapped around her back, holding her to him and he rocked into her, gently working his length in and out of her core. Her eyes closed, lost to pleasure and sensation.
“She’s amazing,” Alton said to Zan. She really was. His mate. Their mate.
Sophia rested her head on Alton’s shoulder, face turned to Zan. He stroked her hair and leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek. She moaned, lifting her mouth to capture his, kissing him back enthusiastically.
“She can’t get enough,” Zan said, his words cocky but tender.
Sophia
She could feel the beating of Alton’s heart. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the gentle sensation. Zan was fast and hard. Alton was all tenderness. She didn’t think it was possible to crave two men equally, to know both were right for her, but now that she had them, she didn’t want to let go.
Zan said he loved her. Softly, whispering his devotion like a secret. Sophia wanted to repeat the words. She felt them. Felt something near them. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Not yet.
She reached up and stroked Alton’s horns. He closed his eyes as a shiver of bliss coursed through him. His horns seemed larger than the day before. Must be a trick of perspective.
“Stay with me,” Sophia said. He did not break the slow, rocking pace. His hands slid down to her bottom and he pulled her into a kneeling position, hitting the perfect spot in her.
“I need to claim you again,” he groaned, eyes closed. His fangs descended, flashing white against his tawny complexion.
Sophia tilted her neck to one side, exposing the flesh he savaged the previous night.
Alton sank his fangs into her, biting deep. Simultaneous he pumped his seed deep into her and his hormones into the claiming mark. His seed mixed with Zan’s and leaked down her thigh. Warmth spread through her body and she found herself climaxing again, hips bucking and her thighs trembling.
Sophia collapsed between the two males. Her thighs were slick with sweat and their combined seed. She panted, exhausted and content.
“How good is the Corravian sense of smell?” she asked.
“Pretty good,” Zan said.
“So everyone is going to know–”
Alton nodded, a proud gleam in his eyes. “They’ll know we claimed you.”
“We belong to you now,” Zan said, kissing once more his mark on her shoulder.
By the time they arrived at time, Sophia was mostly composed. She stank of sex and her hair had a just-been-taken-hard appearance, but nothing could bring down her mood. Her men delivered the produce to Miri, who gave them a box of fresh bread and sweet rolls.
“You’re coming with me,” Miri said, linking her arm with Sophia.
“She just needs someone to carry stuff,” Alton said.
“Nonsense, I like Sophia,” she said, pulling her away. “Besides, who wants to see you sell chickens. Boring.”
“I’m selling these chickens to your Brace,” he said.
Miri tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked away, pulling Sophia behind her. “Little brothers,” she said.
“It’s sweet. I don’t have any siblings.”
“We bicker but I love him.”
Sophia followed Miri through the stalls. Corravians dwarfed her on all sides. The crowd spoke in the melodic language of Corra. Occasional bursts of Universal were directed toward her as a courtesy.
An aroma of sugar and berries pulled Sophia to a stall with fresh baked bread slathered in a rich, ruby red jam. The samples vanished in her greedy hands.
“Frais is good for many things,” the woman operating the stall said in rough Universal. “Medicinal values. Helps with stamina. Fertility. Give your Brace many children.” She gave Sophia a sly glance. The only Terran in town, everyone seemed to know exactly who she was, who her mates were, and they were all up in her business.
The older female quoted a price that made Sophia’s head spin.
Miri appeared at her shoulder. “Stop trying to rob innocent Terrans.” The two females haggled, their eyes sparkling. Miri bounced on the toes of her feet, clearly enjoying herself. Finally, the women agreed on a price and Sophia had a half dozen jars of the tasty jam for half of what she paid for a nice meal out on Aldrin One. Not too shabby.
The older female carefully wrapped the jars in paper before placing them in a paper bag. She grabbed Sophia’s wrist. “I’m glad you’re giving Zan a chance. He’s a good boy. Not many females would be interested in a broken Brace.”
“What do you mean?”
Miri’s normally golden skin paled in distress. She knocked away the woman’s hand from Sophia. “We should go. They’re waiting for us.”
“No,” Sophia said. “What do you mean?”
The older woman’s gaze fell toward the ground. “I meant nothing.”
“Miri,” Sophia said, turning to her for an explanation. “What’s a broken Brace?”
“Didn’t Alton explain the situation?” Eyes cast at the ground, she shuffled her feet uncomfortably. “I don’t want to speak out of turn.”
Alton and Zan explained nothing. “Then explain it to me now.”
“Alton and Zan have been friends since they were small,” Miri said. Sophia nodded. That they did explain. “But they went to separate universities. Zan joined a Brace almost immediately.”
My mind went blank. The words trickled in but they didn’t make much sense. “Zan had a Brace before Alton? He had a wife before me?” She scanned through all her interactions with Zan but nothing hinted at a previous Brace. But he was so determined not to develop an attachment to her, always keeping her at arm's length.
Miri nodded. “Caldwell and Arlean. They were a bit older, I hear.”
“What happened?” Was Zan divorced? Was that why Zan continued to be distant? Even though the males claimed her, Zan continued to be polite but stiff in her presence.
“She died from the Trembling Fever. Tragic, really,” Miri said and the older female nodded in agreement. “Not many Braces can survive that kind of loss.”
“And not many females are willing to give a chance to a male on his second Brace,” the older woman said. So much made sense. Why Alton had to use the mail-order agency. Why Zan was surprised and resentful at her presence. The woman patted Sophia’s hand. “You won’t think poorly of our Zan, will you now? He’s a good male and has a lot to give.”
Sophia shook her head. She wasn’t mad at Zan.
Alton, however, had a hell of a lot to explain.
Alton
The jam jar hit Alton square in the back. The glass shattered as it bounced off him to the ground, splattering a sticky red jam on the back of his legs.
“What the?!” He spun in time to dodge the second jar Sophia threw.
“You lying bastard!” she shouted.
He tried to wipe off the jam, only spreading the sticky goo more. “What are you going on about?”
Eyes bright, she stomped toward him and jabbed a finger in the center of his chest. His horns tingled in response to her proximity. “We agreed to be honest.” He nodded.
“Then why, immediately after we said we would be honest, when I asked you why a Terran, why an agency, you failed to mention that Zan was from a broken Brace?”
“Have you been talking to Miri?”
“I’ll talk to whoever I damn well please, Alton. Answer the question.”
At a loss for words, Alton held up his hands in surrender. He’d never been on the receiving end of his mate’s wrath. She’d hollered at Zan frequently, and honestly, both of them loved a good argument, but she only had the sweetest words for Alton.
“An
swer me!”
He did not respond quickly enough. Sophia gave a strangled cry of frustration, lobbing another jam jar. “I am so sick of men who lie to me! You were all smiles and charm but that was nothing but a layer of shit, wasn’t it? I swear to the Stars Above, we agreed to honesty and the first fucking thing out of your mouth was a lie.” Her hands beat against his chest ineffectively. She seemed to get no satisfaction out of pummeling him, growing more wild with each strike.
His large hands clamped around her, trapping her arms against her body. “I didn’t want you to reject Zan.”
“Liar! You didn’t tell Zan I was coming, that’s why you used the agency. You tricked us.”
His hold relaxed. “Is that what you think? That I tricked you?”
Her eyes were red and puffy from tears. He lifted a finger to gently wipe at the wet tracks on her cheeks. She flinched away, hurting him more than any of her previous blows.
“You’re a selfish prick,” Sophia said. “You might as well be honest now.”
The market stopped, all eyes in the crowd watching their spectacle.
“I thought… I thought once you were here, Zan would come around.”
“Because he didn’t want a new mate.”
Alton’s temper broke. “If he didn’t want a mate, then why did he form a Brace with me? He knew what I wanted.”
“So this is my fault?” Zan asked, joining their public display.
Sophia’s focus never left Alton. He sighed, shoulders sagging. She didn’t have to say the blame rested with him, because it did.
“Let’s go home and talk about this, in private,” he said.
Sophia took a step back, shaking her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re married for at least a year.” A year to form a bond so strong she’d never want to leave. A year for her to forgive his lies and half-truths.
“Married but I don’t have to live with you,” she said. She spun on her heel and headed toward Miri. The taller female looked stricken but put a comforting arm around his mate’s shoulder. Alton moved to follow but she shook her head, indicating that he needed to give his mate some space.
Zan dragged a finger through the jam clinging to Alton’s shirt and popped it in his mouth. “You have to admit, she’s in the right. You weren’t honest from the get go, with either of us.”
“Don’t start with me.” Alton growled a warning.
“She’ll cool down in a few days.”
He hoped so.
Zan
Zan pushed Alton into the truck, a heavy hand in the middle of his back. He said nothing during the ride back to the homestead, hands gripping the wheel tightly. His anger grew steadily with each passing moment. He focused on the road because if he took a moment to glance at Alton, he’d say words he wouldn’t be able to take back when his temper cooled.
He didn’t want a mate. He and Alton were fine the way they were but Alton had to meddle.
Zan tried to resist the curvy Terran woman but her fighting spirit called to him. He tried to push her away but that only pulled him in harder.
His tail thumped out an agitated beat on the seat.
He couldn’t lose his mate. Not again. Losing Arlean nearly destroyed him. He didn’t plan on loving Arlean and he certainly didn’t plan on the force of nature that was Sophia. When it came right down to it, Zan was a big ‘ol romantic.
And Alton counted on that.
Alton set him up.
The truck rattled to a stop outside the house. The sun setting behind the bulk of the building turned it dark and inviting. Zan climbed out, boots stomping across the gravel.
“Wait a minute,” Alton said, reaching for the other’s shoulder.
Zan’s fist landed squarely in the middle of Alton’s face, busting his lip.
Stunned, Alton staggered back. His hand went to his lips and came away scarlet. He stared at Zan in disbelief.
“We’ll fix this,” Zan said before storming away. He knew the fault rested with him as well as Alton. He could have told Sophia about his former Brace, his lost mate, but to do that would be to expose the vulnerable parts of himself. By keeping this from Sophia, he hurt her as much as Alton’s half-truths and omissions.
He’d fix this because there was no life without Sophia.
Chapter Fifteen
Sophia
Miri took Sophia back to her home above the cafe. “We have the space, if you don’t mind the noise.”
“I’m grateful for anything, really. Thanks,” Sophia said. Anger drained and exhausted, she climbed the steps slowly.
Wells fed Sophia a giant bowl of soup because it was “good for the soul”. Not terribly hungry, Sophia initially refused. He stood over her at the table, arms folded and frown on his face until she emptied the bowl. As she pushed the bowl away, Miri asked the obvious, “The fight wasn’t because of what I said, was it?”
Sophia sighed. “Not directly. I just… We agreed to be honest with each other. I’ve been here a week. We’re still strangers to each other. We owe that much to ourselves.”
Miri and Wells exchanged a pointed look.
“You think I’m overreacting,” Sophia said. “I don’t care that Zan has an ex. Who doesn’t have an ex?”
“My brother didn’t tell you,” Miri said.
“I’d be grateful if he told me anything. I didn’t even know there were two of them.”
Wells broke his stoic expression and laughed. Miri raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, gesturing to Sophia’s obvious distress. The laugh transformed into a cough and he gathered up the empty dishes before escaping to the kitchen.
“Somehow I think there’s more to the story than you’re letting on.”
Sophia nodded and explained the situation with her ex, why she left Aldrin One for a fresh start. “I know it’s ridiculous and the opposite of romantic, but I needed off the station and the agency would pay my passage.”
“Lots of good marriages start with less.”
Hard to see how. She didn’t want to be in a relationship with a human or an alien, period. Certainly not two. She was out of options and desperate. As she explained, the situation seemed less like a fresh start and just plain grubby. She sold herself, or the promise of herself, to a pair of strangers.
It didn’t matter that Alton had an easy grin and eagerness to please. Or that his kisses were slow and tender, full of adoration. Or that her heart felt full when he draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a quick peck on the cheek.
It didn’t matter that Zan held her with a fierce, burning passion that left her breathless. Or that he frustrated her to the point of rage but she just couldn’t stop smiling when they argued.
It didn’t matter that both men with personalities so different, felt so right for her.
None of that mattered when they didn’t listen to her.
“I wasted enough time on one man who didn’t listen to me, made me empty promises, spent all my money and brought home nothing but bills and lies. I don’t need two more of the same.”
To her credit, Miri did not try to plead her brother’s case or explain away his lies. She nodded and listened, which was the greatest gift she could give.
The next day, everyone in town whispered what happened between Sophia and her Brace.
The day after, everyone in the next town over knew. Sophia worked in the cafe with Miri, mainly to keep busy and to repay Miri’s hospitality. The cafe was more crowded than usual but no one said anything unkind to Sophia.
On the third day, Alton darkened the cafe’s door. Miri pointed directly at him, face cold and impassive, and shook her head.
On the fourth day, Alton reappeared, hat in hand. Miri sighed and continued to wipe down a table. “Give it a little more time,” she said.
After the midday rush, Sophia packed a small meal and headed toward the river. The settlement’s security wall ran right up to the river’s edge. Downriver was a mill and a hydro p
lant but up river enjoyed undisturbed green spaces near the water’s edge. Sophia carefully picked her way to a flat stone outcropping and dangled her feet in the cool water. Warm from the late summer sun, the stone radiated a comforting heat into her tired muscles. She unwrapped a cheese and pickle sandwich, savoring the first bite. Miri’s men made a damn fine sandwich.
A familiar figure slumped down next to her on the rock. “It’s not safe you being out here by yourself,” Zan said.
Without saying a word and rolling her eyes, Sophia handed half of the sandwich to Zan. They ate in silence. The hum of the mill and the hydro plant faded into background noise. Insects danced over the surface of the water. Birds called from the trees. A large bird of prey swooped down and plucked a fish from the water.
Sophia twisted the cap off the chilled water bottle and offered it to him. Zan took a deep drink before handing it back.
“Not to sound ungrateful,” Zan said, “but you got another sandwich?”
“I didn’t plan on feeding you,” Sophia said. She was unsure if she should be talking to him at the moment but the unexpected delight of Zan’s arrival highlighted how much she missed him. Them.
“I count myself lucky you’re talking to me,” he said. He stretched back on the rock, arms behind his head. His hat covered his face from the bright sunshine. His tight fitting shirt and pants highlighted his lean, athletic form. The sunlight glowed on his golden skin. Zan practically preened under her gaze.
His tail crept closer to her outstretched hand on the rock, brushing against her. She knocked it away and snorted.
“Something amusing?”
“You come here to talk or to show off how sexy you are?”
“Can’t a male do both for his mate?” Sophia couldn’t see his face but she could hear the cocky, self-pleased smile in his voice. Fantastic. Alton couldn’t be straight with her and Zan’s ego knew no limits.
“I’m not in the mood,” she said sourly.
Zan removed his hat and sat up, twisting to face her. His normally pleasing face was gaunt and worn. Dark circles hung under his eyes. He wasn’t eating or sleeping.
Delivered to the Aliens: Cosmic Connections Page 11
