“Show it. No, wait, Darla. I’ll go to the com in a moment. I’ll view it there.”
“Yes, Paxton.”
Pax looked at the still sniffling Maya, but she was taking comfort from his partners. “Take care of our girl and I’ll go check on the intruder. Of all nights to have a teenager try to jump the damn fence.”
They would implant the translation enhancer in Maya tomorrow. She was understanding some of their words on her own now. The chip would interface with her mind, putting words in picture form. It had proven to be a good assimilation tool, but Maya didn’t understand it. They hoped because she was used to having intrusive thoughts, those not her own, she’d be able to deal with the implant. It was probably giving her a fearful night and now this.
Both men looked at Pax. Zander spoke. “You think that’s all it is?”
“I hope so,” said Sterling.
“I am beginning to believe it isn’t.”
Paxton
Pax walked into the heart of their computer run home, their media room, as Sterling called it. Darla’s domain. Maya spent more time in there as well. Surveillance should have been the end to all questions, but it wasn’t by any means. The intruder wasn’t a teenager but a full-grown man, scantily dressed, thin, almost gaunt and older than the average thief.
There was something odd about the way the man walked, as though it confused him, or he had forgotten how to walk. When the floodlights came on, it was obvious they frightened the intruder or at least caused him to worry that he had been discovered. He ran in an odd loping style, sliding in the grass. He never reappeared. There was an animal, like a dog, trotting off nearby but no sign of the nearly naked man.
Paxton walked out of the com center and headed for Maya’s room only to meet his partners and Maya headed in his direction. Sterling nodded toward the living room and Pax stood aside to allow them to pass him before following. The sniffling had gone and Maya’s red eyes and an occasional hitch in her breathing indicated she had been crying. It was too much for most to take in and yet she walked with her back straight. She exuded poise and grace. His desire and love for this woman was strong.
“Turn the kettle on, Darla.”
“Kettle is on and will be ready in three minutes.
“I’ll make Maya some tea. Darla, turn on Maya’s translator program in the living room.”
“Sterling already initiated,” replied the computer.
Walking into the room, Paxton held himself in check, but he experienced a shaft of envy that he wasn’t also comforting Maya. He reminded himself there were different ways of taking care of their girl and his were action oriented. Protect, defend, and what? Pax wanted more with this scared little rabbit that could morph into a baby badger in seconds. He wanted to own her, merge into her. Walking to the sofa, Pax stopped near her, going down on his haunches in front of her.
Looking into her eyes, it surprised him and yet made him proud to see her steadily meet his gaze. He swiped his thumb across her cheek, catching an errant tear as it fell. He gave her a grave smile.
“Maya, I’ll make you tea, okay?”
She nodded.
“Great idea, Pax,” said Sterling.
“Just chamomile to relax her. Nothing more.”
“You’re the expert.”
“Yes, Maya and me.” Paxton’s smile was warm as he patted her hand resting in her lap. “Be right back.” She grabbed his hand. “What baby? I’ll get your tea.”
“I want to come.” This time her words were hesitant but in English.
Pax turned his hand palm up to grasp her firmly and help her up from the couch. “Okay then, you come with me. I’m proud of you for trying to communicate. When we’re sure you can understand us well enough, we’ll remove the implant.”
“I don’t know your words.”
“I know sweetheart; I’ll try to speak simpler, so you can understand me better but some things you just have to experience. I promise it’ll get better soon.”
Her silence said it all. He didn’t know whether or not to believe his own words, either.
It felt right with her slender hand in his. She was fit but still soft and Pax enjoyed the feel of her. He was a couple years younger than Sterling but still more than a decade older than Maya. If he wasn’t careful, the little rabbit’s need for a protector would suck him in and then he’d give in to the pull to take her in every way—even if it was too soon. He’d take his pleasure as well as give it to her. He could control his impulses but damn, he didn’t want to. If she ever gave him a clear invitation, he would not reject it. He would never reject her. His concern for this Lakan was growing and that was never good.
Maya watched as he took a mug from the cupboard, brought down the honey and pulled out dried chamomile from the large herb drawer he had built to hold his personal stock. What use was it to try replenishing the world with natural herbs and medicines if he couldn’t have them himself. If Maya couldn’t use them as she wanted.
Maya reached out towards the bag of herbs.
“Chamomile,” said Paxton. It seemed the translator had Maya’s language down well enough to allow the conversation to be much closer to normal because Maya responded easily.
“For sleep and calming, yes?”
He nodded. “Yes. To help you after your fright. Was it a bad dream?”
She shook her head. “Coyote.”
“Ahh, are you afraid of them?”
“Lakan, my shaman is a skinwalker. He is the coyote. He is evil. I must destroy him, or he’ll destroy me and those around me. He’ll destroy you, all of you.”
“Was this in your dream?”
“Yes, but it’s real. Lakan followed me to you.”
“Wait, let’s get your tea and go back to the guys. They need to hear this.”
When they returned to the living room, they encouraged Maya to tell her story. The clock on the table chimed twice.
“Are you sure you aren’t just upset about that film you watched earlier? The one about people in a time close to your own?” Zander asked gently.
She shook her head. “No, I heard him then, yes, and he was in my dreams tonight. Now someone was here. It was him.”
The men stared at her trying to decide how much to believe. “It’s late. Maya, I don’t know what can be done about your tribal shaman, but we’ll try to figure something out. It’s a sure thing that nothing will happen tonight.” Sterling was still trying to put the pieces together.
“We could capture him but then what do we do with him? If he is a skinwalker, it is said they can shift into different forms. What’s to stop him from becoming an ant and crawling out of any place we put him?” said Paxton.
Maya laughed quietly. “Lakan would never become something so defenseless. He prides himself on being strong, even though he is not. Shifting gives him animal strength, more than he has ever had. In his shaman form, he is weak of mind and body—and lecherous.”
“You smiled. I’m so glad to know you still can,” said Zander, “but we need to go to bed, baby badger.”
“I don’t like sleeping alone. It’s empty.”
Sterling nodded. “You’re used to doing all things communally, including sleep.’
“I can sleep with you, medicine man.”
“Yes, I guess you can.” Sterling looked over her head at the other two men.
“Sounds good to me.” Zander said.
“Yep, good next step in introducing to her how her culture will blend with ours,” added Paxton. “We’ll have to work on this intruder problem. For right now, let’s set the alarm system to high and get some sleep. Do not wake me before eight.”
Zander laughed. “Good to know you can sleep in. I have to supervise feedings.”
“I could let my people do it, but you do what you think is best. I’m sleeping in.”
They all went their own way and Sterling led Maya to his bed.
“It’s so large.” Sterling agreed but he didn’t want to scare her with the reason it
was so large. She’d been all over the house except his and Paxton’s suites. Zander had just entertained her in his. There was peace once again on the compound and he wanted to keep it that way for now.
Maya lay stiff until Sterling reached over to touch her arm.
“Hey, darlin’. Don’t worry, no one will hurt you here. Do you want to come closer?”
She nodded. “You’re not angry that I want to be close to you, to touch you?”
“Angry? Oh, sweetheart, I want to be with you so much. We all do.”
“I am your destiny and you are mine. We talked in our dreams. I’m for you, Zander, and Paxton, and you are all for me. We belong together. My dreams have told me.”
“I see. Have you ever been with a man?” Feeling his anxiety rise as he waited for her answer. He wasn’t sure he would deal well if another man had touched her other than their trio. He named the emotion. It was jealousy.
“No, but I’ve seen others mate, and the other two have given me pleasure,” she said as she slid her warm hand over his chest.
“I’d prefer we call it making love.”
She snuggled closer. “Can we do this making love?”
“I was hoping to help you trust us more before we add that to our dynamic.”
Her hands ran over his muscular chest causing him to lose his train of thought. Neither Sterling nor Zander had the type of developed muscles of Pax, but he and Zander had well maintained bodies with more than average body mass. Maya obviously enjoyed touching his because she continued to do so in an almost awed way.
“I’m for you, Sterling. I trust you.”
“Yes, so you’ve said. But Maya, having three men is not the same as having one or even two.” He kissed her neck as he slipped his hand under her shirt.
“Yes, Paxton has told me this.”
“You’re so young. Untouched.” He hesitated. “You are untouched, am I right? I don’t care but I’ll wait if you’ve been with another until I’ve made sure there is no infection.”
“No man has mated with me. But my dreams are the same as Sage Woman. It’s as grandmother has said. Even if I do not understand it, I know it to be true.”
“We found the legend of Mountain Sage Woman in the archives.”
“Yes, that is like me and my inner voice says there are many others from other villages.”
“More? You’re all we can handle, I’m afraid. You’re Medicine Woman Maya in the legends we found. It said you saved your people by sacrificing yourself. Luring the skinwalker into the cave of forever.”
“Yes, Lakan. He followed me. There is no way back.”
“We’ll talk about this more later. For now, don’t worry. We’ll do all we can to keep you safe. Always.” Sterling leaned down to give her a slow, satisfying kiss.
“Let me show you some of what a man can do for a woman. Well I guess you’ve some knowledge about that. Let me show you what I can do for you. It’s like what you’ve had with the other two and us together. It’s better than your dreams.”
“I orgasm in my dreams.”
He chuckled. “Why am I not surprised? You’re a remarkable woman. Now, shush.”
Sterling kissed her lips tenderly but soon she took over the kiss. Opening her mouth to his insistence, she brought them even closer by pulling him to her and pushing into him at the same time. Her ample breasts pressed firmly against his chest and her hands roamed his skin unashamedly. Her innocence and yet understanding of the human body, the male body, excited Sterling. His cock grew.
This was all about his Maya tonight, but it would be hard not to consummate, knowing she was willing. He understood her belief that mating connected them. He remembered he hadn’t made sure she was fit yet, but she appeared in excellent health. She was unlikely to have contracted diseases, which meant they would have to begin her inoculations to maintain her defenses.
It’d been an extremely long week and he would not add to the trauma of tonight. Tomorrow would be another day that carried its own trials and trying conversations. And he still had the next stage of her assimilation to do, her implant. Tonight was about making her feel good.
His mouth enveloped her nearest breast as his hand massaged the other. The nipple ruched tighter and the little sounds of distress she whimpered went straight to his cock. He would die before he brought her to climax or at minimum, he’d embarrass himself completely. Concentrate, man. His hand left her little puckered peaks in search of her thatch of silky hair below her belly.
Moving over and sliding further down her lithe body, Sterling kissed a trail of heat until he reached her pussy. It was musky and sweet with the mixture of sweat and the same soap he’d used when cleaning her up at the townhouse. Magnolia Blossom. He loved it on her. At dinner yesterday, she’d smelled of Zander’s scent, and tonight she ate dinner smelling of Pax’s brand of cologne, but after her nightly ritual of soaking in the large tub in her bathroom, she had emerged smelling of Magnolia.
He pushed his tongue out and stiffened it, seeking the pink flesh hidden below the curls. Her stomach muscles stiffened, then relaxed. Her pussy softened when she felt his invasion. A yelp of surprise followed his further exploration and he soon felt her hand traveling through his hair. She tried to use that leverage to push him away, but he wasn’t having anything to do with that. He grabbed her hand and ignored the tingling in his scalp.
Lifting his head, Sterling spoke with his lips just above her pussy. “No, Maya. Let me love you this way. Let me give you pleasure.”
She seemed to struggle for a moment before releasing her hand from his hair and relaxing the one he was holding.
“Good girl. Darla, turn off monitoring this bedroom until sun up. No response needed.”
Satisfied that he wouldn’t have recordings or translations during his final moments of lovemaking, Sterling kissed her inner thighs before continuing. The implant part of the assimilation needed to happen sooner rather than later. Stroking her drenched channel made it hard for him to take his time. He played with her little knob of nerves, which drew a wiggle from her body. So damn cute.
Her trembling hand on his shoulder told him she had a tenuous rein on control. She wanted to push him away to lessen the intensity of her reactions but stopped. He smiled his wicked pride that she had controlled her urges. After tasting her essence that was now copious, he moved his fingers into her channel, clearing a path for intense teasing. She wiggled. She moaned and cried out, but still could mind well. She didn’t try to stop his pursuit of her orgasm.
She stiffened, releasing distressed sounds he recognized as her switch having been flipped. She was tumbling over the cliff. She tried to sit up and he held her down talking sweetly to her, kissing her and soothing her as she tumbled. When he thwarted her efforts at control, it pushed her further into the experience, forcing her to accept and release completely. As her tightly strung body relaxed again, he kissed her lips hard, snaking his devil hand back to re-ignite her.
She spoke in her language. He knew he could be accurate in the intent of the words if not the actual interpretation. Her body language was expressive and spoke louder than any words she spoke. He loved it. Ratcheting her up again was quick this time. He placed his thumb on the outer ring of muscle at her back entrance, pushing her into a hard fall, bringing a release combining her yell of protest and scream of intensity that he smothered with his lips. He covered her, forcing her to ride out the violence of her climax under his body and in his mouth. She bucked and clenched her anal muscles against his hand as she rode out the storm. He kissed her inner thigh as she floated back to reality.
Maya wiggled until she centered her channel directly under his cock, ready to receive him. She took control, swinging her legs around his hips and brought the tip of his manhood to her untried entrance. He was there before he realized it and sinking in was natural. He entered at a slow slide, helping her adjust, looking to find the barrier he had expected, but it wasn’t there. He stopped to take several deep breaths as he controlled
his throbbing member. She had said she was a virgin, but her lifestyle must have torn her hymen. Riding horseback for years would have done that without question. Like her rough life, that thin veil of protective skin had been torn away.
She wouldn’t have diseases because of her lack of exposure and he was clean. He had been meticulous about safety measures. He sank deeper. It felt amazing. Sterling didn’t think a woman could feel so perfect, but Maya did. He sank all the way in and waited as her female core flexed against his cock. It was incredible that he only had a second of concern that he’d taken her, risking impregnating her at this very moment, when he had been adamant he wouldn’t take her at all.
He hadn’t taught her about sex with the other men, but she already knew. Hell, she seemed so comfortable with the idea, she might even teach him a few things. After one final thought about the irresponsibility of no barriers, he gave in to the paradise that was Maya.
He brought himself to the precipice and made sure she was with him, sweating, panting, clawing for her completion again. His climax was long and hard, fast on the heels of hers. This was right. They were right. No matter what they had to battle, she was theirs. He would never go back again to his previous life. Returning to his past sexual state of hooking up with a woman sporadically was over. He wanted this woman for them and he wouldn’t settle for anything less. No matter what they had to do for her.
Chapter 10
Maya hadn’t told the three men what her dream of several nights ago had been about. She was learning they would be unhappy she had kept that little secret, but it couldn’t be helped. She knew the dream was significant. It had to do with being watchful and allowing her men to have her. Sterling had taken her, made her a full woman in every way. The other men had only taken her in part, but their ownership was understood. She could sense Lakan’s anger. He had wanted to take her to womanhood in his own violent, selfish way.
She shivered at the thought of the disaster that would have wrought. Sensing his anger and his confused mind in this place, she worried that she wouldn’t be able to stop him before he assuaged his fury on another. Zander said the news reported there was an unusual number of people missing or found dead. She knew Lakan was at least part of the reason. Had he found other skinwalkers?
Captured Obedience Page 11
