Finding Hope: Book Ten of the Running in Fear Series

by Trinity Blacio

  The room was filled with steam from the hot shower as Gourd opened the shower door and stepped inside. He wasn’t prepared to see Hope curled up in a ball in the corner, rocking back and forth crying.

  Not being able to stand seeing his woman like this, Gourd scooped her up into his arms and hugged her tight as he took a seat on the bench in the shower.

  “What’s wrong, Hope? Talk to me. How can I correct whatever it is we did wrong if we don’t know?” he asked, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head. The heat from the steam helped keep them warm as they sat there while Hope gathered herself.

  For a few minutes Hope just clung to him. Her face buried in the crook of his neck. “All three of you wanted to leave me.” She leaned back and looked up at him. “Why did we have sex today? Was it just to claim me?” Hope asked, her bottom lip starting to tremble.

  “Little Bear, if I didn’t know how innocent you are, I’d be paddling your butt right now,” he grumbled, holding on tight when she tried to jump up.

  He slapped her butt, bringing her attention back to him. “But I will explain. No, Little Bear, this wasn’t just sex or a claiming. You are our hearts. We…” He thought for a minute. “We love you. I believe humans use these words, even though they do not seem to be enough for what we feel for you. But someone decided she needed to settle her problems plus, finding the three little boys, well we ran out of time. I didn’t plan on making love to you tonight, but when my brothers sent the flowers and when I felt the need to have you in my arms…” He leaned down and kissed her nose. “We have three little ones that are wide awake waiting for us.” He lifted her and stood her in front of him, holding on to her hips as she brushed her hair out of her face.

  “I thought you would like to introduce the children to the other children here. Then Remi has set up the meeting for the other two men from Earth, Leda, her mates and a few officials from Earth. We thought you would like to be on this meeting. Maybe you can give us ideas on what should happen first on Earth?”

  She nodded and turned to step under the water, but Gourd could still feel her disappointment. He watched the water run down her body, caressing her skin, which was pink from the marks of the floggers. His cock hardened as he rose, needing her once more. He knew they would be reaching for their woman throughout the days to come.

  He stood and walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her, cupping her breasts and nipping at her shoulder.

  “Did you know that on our world, one night of loving really isn’t enough? Most family units are locked away for days, bonding. Believe me, Little Bear, there is nothing I wouldn’t give to have you strapped to our bed so I could devour you all day, love you till you couldn’t move and mark you so no one would doubt our claim. But mostly, we would show our woman how much she truly means to us. So be warned, even out in public we will be pulling you away into to hidden corridors and rooms to make hard, passionate love to our mate.” He turned her and lifted her. “Wrap your legs around me,” he ordered with a little growl, sliding into her, needing her here and now.

  “Never doubt our love, Little Bear,” he said, bracing Hope against the shower wall, slowly sliding in and out of her, loving her the only way he knew how, possessing her. He grabbed her ass cheeks, squeezing them. “Tonight, we will show you many ways to love,” he informed her before bending down and biting her neck, leaving one of many marks that would cover her skin by the time they were done with her this week.

  He placed a finger at her lips. “Get it wet, baby,” he told her and smiled when she opened up and bit down on it before sucking it into her mouth.

  He growled, removing his finger and watching her face as he worked it into her ass as he made love to her pussy. “Soon, my cock will be here while Jester and Fand love your pussy. The three of us together inside you, as it should be.”

  She tilted her head back, closing her eyes. “No, eyes on me, Hope. I want to see everything. To know my loving pleases you.”

  His Little Bear moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Your loving is amazing. I love you, Gourd, I’m sorry… Oh…I’m so insecure,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “Faster, please,” Hope begged, and her words of love meant the world to him, almost stopping all movement as he stared at the miracle in his arms.

  She grabbed a handful of his hair, tugging and leaning over, biting his lower lip, just as he had done to her earlier. “But if you ever leave me, what I did to my father is nothing compared to what I’ll do to you, my handsome blue alien.”

  Every alpha trait in him rose at her challenge and his cock hardened to the point of pain as he increased his thrusts. He covered her mouth with his, silencing her demands, giving her his own orders, needing her submission. Their tongues tangled in the battle of love and submission, but in a matter of seconds, his Little Bear surrounded to him.

  Her body sagged against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight as he took their lovemaking up a few notches. His precise movements aimed for that one spot he had found earlier inside her. Gourd knew he had found it when her muscles squeezed his cock so hard he almost lost his seed, but he was bound to make sure Hope would always find her pleasure before he did.

  “Come, Little Bear, let it all go. I’m here to catch you,” he whispered in her ear before nipping her lobe. Her legs shook and her little noises had him smiling as her nails dug into his shoulders. She bit down on her lip, and he knew Hope was trying to be quiet so the children wouldn’t hear them. She was a screamer when she let go.

  He could hold back no more. Gourd moaned, releasing himself into her as her body trembled around his. He hoped they had placed a child within her.

  Hope sighed and looked up at him, smiling. “They are waiting for us,” she said.

  “You were the one who told me they get up early,” he grumbled, turning them into the water as he lowered her feet to the floor, making sure she could stand before releasing her and sliding out of her. They moaned as he reached for the shampoo. “Allow me to wash your hair,” he said, turning her around. “Tell me what you would like to do later after the meeting if there is enough time afterward?”

  “Actually, if it’s okay with Valda and her mates, I think we should spend some time with the boys, since our children are their cousins. Maybe we could take some games over, have an all-American cookout. If they can stomach solid foods now.”

  “And what kind of games would you like for us take?” he asked, taking the nozzle off its hanger to rinse her hair and body.

  “You’ll have to wait and see,” she teased. “I have heard of a few fun games to get the kids laughing.”

  He swatted her butt. “And make us look like chumps, if I’m not mistaken?”

  She giggled and turned around as he shut the water off. “Thank you for coming to make sure I was okay. I guess I’m not that brave when it comes to you three.” She slid her arms around his neck and stared up at him. “I used to read these romance stories and dreamed of the time I would meet my man. I kind of knew what those floggers were, and I’d read about other toys. I can’t wait for you three to teach me more, but could you all maybe try and give me some cuddle time after we make love?”

  Gourd wrapped his arms around her waist. “We can do that, but you know cuddling can lead to more loving, and I have a feeling we are never going to get enough of you, my Little Bear,” he said, lifting her a little. He placed a quick kiss on her lips before handing her over to Jester, who stood there with a towel.

  “Valda and Owen are bringing the boys over here. They have been up for the past two hours and haven’t said anything. They are hoping having other children around will help open them up,” Jester said, drying her off before tugging her into his arms covering her mouth in a rough, quick kiss. “Don’t scare me like that, Little Bear. Don’t you know I’d love to lie in bed with you in my arms all day if we could?”

  She patted his chest. “I know and I’m sorry. I guess we all are going to have to take into account that we are al
l new to this family,” she said, then kissed Jester’s chest before dressing herself in one of the garments they had given her. “You know I’m getting used to this and I like the way if fits, but aren’t you a little jealous knowing that others can almost see everything about me?” Hope asked, moving out of the bathroom. “I mean, especially when other men are going to be in that meeting this afternoon,” she said, looking back over her shoulder.

  Gourd frowned growled as he watched her walk down the hall,. His people’s clothes were a little bit much for the occasion, he realized. In seconds, Hope was dressed in the outfit she had been wearing the first time she dressed herself using their gift.

  “Better,” he grumbled as she laughed when they stepped into the big living space. Valda there with the boys who were huddling together.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hope glanced at Valda, then at the children. Waves of tension radiated off them. “Well now, you three look so much better than you did last night,” she said, smiling at the boys and winking at Valda.

  “Baron, Mandy, Sasha, I’d like you to meet your cousins,” Hope said, holding out her hand for her children to come to her. All three walked over, looking up at her.

  Little Sasha broke the ice. “They are family?”

  “Yes, their momma was my aunt,” Hope said, and the boys tensed up at the mention of their mother.

  “Don’t worry, Mama Bear won’t hurt you.” Sasha went up to the youngest boy and held out a sausage link. “You hungry? There is lots of food.” She leaned over and whispered, “If there is something you’d like to try, let Daddy Gourd know or my other daddies know and they’ll get it for you.”

  The little boy glanced at his older brothers before taking the sausage and taking a bite. His eyes got big and he popped the rest of it into his mouth.

  “Well, I think he likes sausages, Valda,” Hope said, smiling as the tension dissolved. “Come on, you three. You can try everything and see what you like,” Hope said, pushing her children toward the table. Once more they made her proud as Baron went to the oldest, holding out a glass of juice.

  “This is my favorite juice—grape juice. You want to try it?”

  The oldest child took it. “Our father, Kanji, would slip us some juice when she wasn’t looking, but it was orange,” he whispered, but everyone had heard. The queen bitch had been the one who abused these children, not Valda’s father.

  Owen wrapped his arms around Valda as she buried her face against his chest. Hope knew she was crying as the children looked on in fear.

  “Did I say something wrong?” the oldest said, backing up.

  Hope stepped toward them and each child cringed. “No, you said nothing wrong. It’s just that we were hoping Kanji, Valda’s father, also hadn’t been the one to hurt you three,” Hope said as Valda wiped her tears and turned to the boys.

  “Please know I would never hit you or hurt you like you have been. None of us would. We will protect you with our lives. Would you tell us your names?” Valda asked.

  The little boy went to the big table and tried to climb up on one of the chairs. “Thorne, my name Thorne. Up?” he asked, and Owen smiled, going to the boy and helping him up on the chair.

  “I’m Owen. What would you like to try, Thorne?” Owen asked, getting a plate as the other two boys came over and took a seat near the little one as Thorne pointed out almost everything on the table.

  Hope leaned over to Gourd as he walked up behind her. “I think we are going to need more food,” she said, watching as the children reached out for the food and taking bites of everything.

  “I can’t thank you enough. I didn’t know what else to do to break the silence,” Valda said.

  “Hey, we are family in a sad sort of way, and friends. Plus, I went through the same thing a little with my three kids when I first found them, even though they weren’t as bad off as these guys. I’m glad their bodies are healed. Now all we have to do is fatten them up and heal the emotional scares the best we can.”

  In the next hour, Hope and Valda had learned their names and a little bit about the boys. Kevin was the oldest, and from what they could figure out, he was about the same age as Baron—eight or nine. The middle child, the one who had been hurt the worst, had been called Shit, but Valda and Hope had helped the child pick a better name—Angel. Hope had cried as Angel told her he had always wanted wings so he could fly away from his mother and that he had wanted to be an angel after Kanji told him about them. Even the men had tears in their eyes, along with fury, as Angel had told the story.

  Owen had been so mad, he had broken the arm of the chair he’d been sitting in, Valda had reached over and taken his hand in hers, squeezing it. Yes, their men were fierce warriors, but they were also loving and gentle to those they called family.

  “Only you would consider us gentle. Maybe we need to return to the bedroom again,” Jester growled, leaning over and nipping her neck.

  “Did I think gentle? Shame on me. Sasha, what do you think? Is Daddy Jester gentle or is he mean like a wild bear?” Hope asked, struggling to keep her smile at bay.

  “He is gentle. Did you know he read me a story and tucked me in last night, Mama? We have three good daddies,” she said, earning groans from all three of Hope’s men.

  “Sasha, men are warriors, not gentle,” Baron sighed and shook his head, looking at Thorne. “Sisters,” he said, earning a smile from the boy.

  “My daddy Kanji would be gentle when she wasn’t there. Because if she found out they had been nice to us, she would get worse when they left,” Thorne said.

  “How long ago did your daddy put you in the little cave?” Hope asked as Thorne took a sip of her coffee.

  “Three nights ago, she went to see him, and that is when Daddy Kanji took us to the cave, hiding us. He told us that our family would find us that we’d be safe. That you wouldn’t hurt us like they did,” Thorne said.

  “They? Who else?” Hope growled as Valda did too.

  “Anyone of her kind did, but her brother was one of the worst.” Thorne lifted his arm. “He was the one who hurt my arm, but he was going after Angel and I knew he couldn’t take another beating.”

  “Just as I thought it was,” Iceman said, coming in with Fand and Aurora. “Their species is a violent one. I have a feeling their mother didn’t like the fact she was stuck with my brother and his family. Normally, from what I have seen, the females only have one child.” Iceman knelt next to Thorne.

  “You will be a great warrior, judging by the way you protected your brother. Your father Kanji was my brother. I wanted to tell the three of you—”

  Thorne shook his head. “He told us what you would do. Father Kanji explained that the only way to save us was for him to die. He knew she wouldn’t stop.”

  Iceman lowered his head and took a deep breath as Aurora placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. “In the end, your brother died with honor as the warrior you knew him to be,” she said.

  “It will help our parents to know they hadn’t lost their son totally.” Iceman looked up at the boys. “Your grandparents will come soon to visit you, but rest assured, little warrior, your sister and brothers will protect you three, giving you the family you should have had from the beginning.”

  Iceman looked up at Hope, smiling. “I thought you would like to know that your mother should be here tomorrow along with your other siblings. I’m afraid your brother—”

  “You don’t need to speak for me. Yes, I’m nervous,” Leaguer growled, appearing in the room. “My brother is going to…” He shook his head and looked down at Hope. “As I said earlier, my family wasn’t too happy about how I treated you earlier. My brother has been the most vocal about it. Tanner is very—”

  “Loud,” Aurora said, laughing. “The first time I met the boys, Tanner was beating the crap out of Leaguer. Every time they get together, it’s the same. I can honestly see why your mother is as loud as you guys. You wouldn’t hear her otherwise.”

  “They’re co
ming tomorrow?” Hope squeaked, understanding how her brother felt as her stomach rolled.

  “Easy there, Little Bear. Take a deep breath. Remember, they are all coming to meet you, not to criticize or hold any kind of judgments against you,” Fand said.

  “Yes, I know you are right, but it’s still nerve-racking,” Hope said. “So what time is this meeting at? Do we have enough time to meet the ladies in the commons? I want to introduce them to the boys.” She stood and stretched. Plus, I think maybe walking to the orphan home so that all the children can meet the others.”

  Valda nodded, standing. “Good idea, and since all the clans have put all the orphaned children under one roof, it’s helped us make sure everyone is taken care of.” Valda tilted her head to the side. “You know, on Earth they are getting ready to celebrate Christmas. With all the fighting done, maybe it’s time for us to have a party. Maybe even take the children up top for a few hours?” Valda said glancing at Owen, who frowned, then looked at Gourd.

  “Maybe, but I would feel safer if we first did a thorough scouting to make sure no more surprises are around,” Gourd said as Owen nodded.

  “Agreed. We could pick a date at the meeting, though, to give you ladies time to plan,” Owen said, looking down at Valda, who smiled.

  “That would be great. Now did you boys get enough to eat?” Valda asked.

  The little one patted his skinny tummy. “I’m full, but can I take an apple with us?”

  Valda smiled. “Yes, Kevin, you can take an apple or any fruit you’d like. But be warned, I know for a fact the head lady at the orphanage usually has lots of goodies to eat too,” Valda said, earning a groan from Owen.

  “The last time I was there, I had to work out for a week just to work off that double chocolate cake she made,” Owen grumbled.

  “Well who’s fault was that? I mean, you’d think two pieces would be enough, but no, you had to eat four,” Valda said, shaking her head and earning giggles from the children.

  “I have to admit that is one of my favorite cakes too, so I would have stuffed myself also,” Hope said as she waved a hand and the dishes all disappeared. “I so love this gift. No more cleaning dishes in the cold water of the creek.” She looked up at Fand as he wrapped his arm around her.