The entry door slid closed behind me and I heard Rager’s voice from the bathing chamber. I walked closer, my intention to close the door so I wouldn’t have to listen to him in the shower, imagine him naked. I wasn’t in the right mindset for that kind of thinking.
Even furious, the thought of Rager filling me, soothing me with his patient brand of loving, was too great a temptation. I refused to be that weak. I refused to run to him and bury myself in pleasure just because Evon had broken part of my heart. I wouldn’t be the needy, dependent female I so despised.
Now was not the time to give myself to him again. It would feel good, would make me forget for a little bit, but that was all. Everything ugly would still be there waiting once the orgasm faded.
No, I formulated my plan as I closed the distance. Rager would get out of the shower and dress. Then we’d call Liam and I would tell them both what happened. Sure, Evon wanted to protect his sister, but Liam was innocent, and I could prove it. Even with Evon’s true loyalties elsewhere, I couldn’t imagine he wanted his friend to be executed. I didn’t know the laws or customs on Viken, but my mates did. And they knew Evon. We’d figure this out together.
Or was I wrong about that, too? I’d never been one of those people who intuitively knew what others were thinking. The opposite, in fact. I had trouble relating to people, found them, on the whole, difficult to talk to and lacking in common sense. I’d been told I was odd, quirky and distracted, difficult to talk to, hard to read.
Maybe it was me. Maybe my lack of spectacular people skills was going to really hurt this time. Maybe I just didn’t know enough about the men I was mated to, or about their history. Could I be so wrong about my mates? Was the Interstellar Brides Processing system not as fantastic as they claimed? Could three men hold me down and fuck me like I was their whole world when actually I meant nothing to them?
Yes. Yes, they could. I didn’t want to think it, didn’t even want to consider the possibility, but on the whole, I was a realist. This whole Bride thing had been a wild hope, throwing my cards to the wind and hoping for a winning hand.
I wiped one stray tear from my eye and shook myself from head to ankle, breaking the stranglehold of my thoughts. No. Whatever the answers were, Liam was innocent and I could prove it. He wasn’t going to die, not when I could save him. And now that I’d been inside the Viken security networks, getting back to where I’d been wouldn’t take me long.
Lifting my hand to the bathroom door’s manual control, I was about to wave my palm over the panel when I heard a distinctly feminine voice within.
“Give me that big cock, Rager. Don’t make me beg.”
Chapter Eleven
Bella
“Give me that big cock, Rager. Don’t make me beg.”
Shock held me frozen in place. Clenching my teeth, I swallowed hard. That voice. I knew that grating, feminine voice. I didn’t want to see what was going on in that room, but I couldn’t risk being wrong. Not about this.
Peeking around the edge of the doorframe, I leaned in just enough to catch sight of a naked feminine body walking toward the shower. Rager was out of view, but the woman swaying her hips as she approached the shower was tall and lithe, strong, with long blonde hair hanging free halfway down her back. She held her breasts cupped in her hands like offerings as she licked her lips with an eager smile on her face, waiting for my mate’s big cock.
Thalia.
I hadn’t known her long, but I didn’t know many people on Viken. My three mates, Dravon, Evon’s father, Thalia. I’d spent time with Thalia and I’d trusted her because I trusted Evon. She’d even helped me pick out clothes like a BFF.
Big mistake. I knew someone on Viken had stolen her heart. I wasn’t a social butterfly, but I had managed to catch on to that fact in the short time I’d spent with her. She’d been nice to me, but now? Thalia was fucking Rager?
No. Rager was fucking Thalia.
So who was the woman on the side? Her? Or me?
Pulling back silently, I left them to it and ran on tip-toes to the door. Thankfully, Viken doors slid open and closed silently and Rager—and his fuck buddy—hadn’t known I’d even been there. I had no idea where I was going, just…away.
Stumbling down the hall in a daze, I shivered and wrapped my arms around my stomach as nausea rose to choke me. God, I was such an idiot. I’d fallen in love with these men, totally bought into the lie of the perfect match, the one true mate who would fulfill all of my subconscious desires. A mate, or mates, who would want me as I was. Accept me for who I was.
Love me.
They were supposed to love me. Put me first. Take care of me forever. We were supposed to be a team, a family, an unbreakable unit with an unbreakable bond.
We were matched, for fuck’s sake.
The strangled laughter that erupted from my body held no hint of humor. Pain roared through me like a lion camped out in my brain, rattling my bones from the inside until it felt like even my eyes trembled. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t focus. All I could do was feel, and the self-hatred was getting pretty heavy, weighing me down until I rounded my back and hunched my shoulders like an eighty-year-old woman.
Stupid. I was a freaking genius, right? Could hack almost any system, write complex code in my sleep, and I’d fallen for the oldest trick in the book. They’d used me, used my body, made me believe they cared about me.
I’d fallen in love with them, and that was the worst pain of all. I’d given them everything, heart and body and soul. And the whole time they’d been lying.
Evon chose his family over the truth, and ultimately over me. He’d acknowledged my abilities, but turned his back on them. He’d turned his back on me. I couldn’t live with a mate who denied the truth. Hid it to protect others. It was the very reason I’d traveled all the way across the damn universe, to avoid just this scenario. But no. Stupid shit and petty people were everywhere.
And that included Rager. I ran my hand over my face, tugged on my hair as I walked. Two warriors moved out of my way as I passed. God, Rager!
He was the sweetest one, the gentle one. At least with me. I never knew anyone so patient. If I hadn’t come so quickly, I had no doubt he would have kept his head between my thighs for hours to get me off. He had a quick smile and a hard cock. I’d thought they were both just for me, for his fucking matched mate, but no.
How long had this thing with Thalia been going on? I wasn’t a virgin, and while they hadn’t said it outright, there was no way Evon, Rager or Liam were virgins either. They’d fucked before and obviously Rager had fucked Thalia. Was still fucking her.
It had been a day. A damn day and he couldn’t keep his hands off her. They’d taken me twice in twenty-four hours, and that wasn’t enough for him?
“Such bullshit.” Enough. Two out of three of my mates were assholes.
Wait. I stopped in my tracks, a huge lightbulb going off. Evon was protecting Thalia. Rager was fucking Thalia. Did that mean they were in on the scheme to frame Liam? Were they helping Thalia? Were they both working with her? Were they transporting stolen goods? I hadn’t seen the footage where the poor guard they’d mentioned was murdered, but had Rager or Evon been the ones to do it? Oh god. Was I mated to murderers?
What about Liam? He was being framed for all this, and if the truth didn’t come out, he was going to be executed. But Evon had made me turn off the monitors, walked away from the truth. When it was before him in full color, he turned his back.
But what about my other mate? Liam was innocent, being set up by his two closest friends. Close enough that they decided to share a mate. So far, Liam was perfect. Perfect for me.
Shaking my head, I ran my fingers along the smooth wall as I walked. I’d thought the other two perfect as well, but look where that got me. Wandering the damn halls.
No. I wasn’t going to wander any longer. I didn’t need to. I didn’t need these mates. I had thirty days. Or twenty-nine, now. Whatever. By Interstellar Brides rules, I could refuse the m
ates they’d matched me to and I’d be matched to someone new.
It took me less than a day to be matched and transported halfway across the galaxy. I could be somewhere else on Viken before dinner.
Good. I stood still, looked around, trying to remember the layout of this station on the maps I’d seen earlier. My mind settled and the image of the grids of rooms and hallways, sections and stations appeared like magic.
At least my brain was still working. My heart hurt, had trusted this alien mating system, had thrown years of caution to the wind and believed.
No more. I figured out where the testing center was in relation to where I wandered and tried to keep my pace steady and measured as I made my way there.
The door slid open and a Viken man wearing the same burgundy and dark gray I’d seen on Warden Egara looked up from where he sat at his desk. He was older, perhaps sixty. The Interstellar Brides Program logo was on his chest and his eyes were kind. He reminded me of an old country doctor, the kind that held his patient’s hands and gave lollipops to toddlers. He had a mild demeanor and a kind smile. I had to imagine he was good at making nervous warriors comfortable.
“I’m Warden Vora. You are the mate from Earth, arrived yesterday. Isabella Martinez.” He stood up and bowed at the waist as he greeted me. “How may I assist you?”
The Viken was of similar size to my mates—no, they weren’t my mates anymore. Looking around, I spotted the testing chair, identical to the one I’d sat in on Earth.
“I am here to exert my rights as a new bride. It hasn’t been thirty days yet and I’d like new mates.”
His graying eyebrows went up at my request.
“New mates? But, you already have three.”
I nodded once. “Yes, I’m well aware of the number of men I was matched to. Trust me. But they aren’t a good fit for me. Your system made a mistake. I need new ones,” I repeated, not backing down one bit. I’d read the damn brochure, signed the stacks of paper. I knew my rights. I was supposed to give my mates thirty days to woo me, but they’d managed to blow this in one. Twenty-nine more was unacceptable.
The man began to wring his hands. “You are the first mate at the IQC that has encountered this problem.”
I took a step farther into the room so the door slid closed behind me. “It’s not a problem. It’s a rule. If I do not wish to keep my mates within the first thirty days, I can request a new match.”
God, was I going to get three new mates? Did I want less? Would I be satisfied with the attentions of a single man now that I’d had three?
The answer, I knew, was no. In less than a day, my new mates had ruined me. But there had to be other Viken trios looking for a bride. Vikens who weren’t saboteurs, liars and murderers. Men who didn’t cheat on their mates in the shower with tall blonde women with big tits and long legs—long, long legs. Much longer than mine.
“Have you been officially claimed? I can’t arrange new mates if you belong to others.”
I felt my cheeks heat, remembering all the things I’d done with my men. It had been dark and dirty, carnal and hot. Wild. But it also had been more. I’d felt a connection and I wasn’t thinking of the stupid seed power or even love. No, it was a bond that went deep. I’d thought the match perfect. But no. All I’d been was used. I’d begged them to take me together, to claim me, and they’d told me no. It was too soon. They’d played it like they were protecting me from a rushed decision, from a lifelong commitment made in the heat of the moment. And here I stood, grateful that they hadn’t given me what I wanted.
I was a fool.
And that was what made tears fill my eyes. At first I’d thought Evon had chosen family over me, that he was so loyal, so proud of his family’s reputation and prestige that he was willing to lie to protect them. But no. It was more than that. He was complicit. He was one of them. And Rager? He wasn’t simply protecting Evon’s sister, he was fucking her.
A fresh batch of tears welled, spilled over. I swiped them away with my fingers.
“No. I haven’t been claimed.” I hopped up into the testing chair and spun so that my legs were settled as I relaxed back into the seat. If he wore a white jacket instead of a warden’s uniform, I’d think I was at the dentist. “Let’s get on with it.” I swallowed hard, tried not to sniff. “I need new mates. I have to go to a hearing in a few hours in front of the commander. Once that’s done, I’ll be free to leave.” I turned to look at him and caught his eye, making sure he saw just how serious I was. “And I’d like to leave immediately.”
“Evon, Liam and Rager are good warriors. Good Vikens.”
I laughed, but without an ounce of humor. “Liam is. The others…” I let the rest hang as I shrugged. I couldn’t blame the warden for his cluelessness. I had been right there with him. Worse, because I’d given them my body, and my heart.
I dropped my head and covered my face with my hands as sobs racked my shoulders. Hot tears seared my palms. Yes, I was hysterical. Weak. Broken. Everything I detested. But I was allowed to have this damn pity party. I’d chosen space assholes over prison only to be fucked in the pussy and ass, then fucked again by their lies.
I heard the warden moving, speaking quietly, but I didn’t look up. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered besides getting off this stupid fucking station and starting over. Again.
* * *
Liam
“What?” I shouted, even though the warden didn’t need me to be so loud to be heard through my wrist communicator, especially in the dining hall.
The group of guards around me looked up from their plates, some even paused while eating, instantly on high alert. I listened to the warden in the testing center repeat himself.
“Your mate is requesting to be reassigned. She’s here, in the testing center. She’s extremely upset. I think you’d better get down here.”
I stood, my chair sliding over the floor before tipping over with a loud clatter.
My patrol team also stood, the three men ready to do whatever I commanded.
All conversation ceased in the room, turning to see the commotion, but I didn’t give a damn about any of them. Bella was asking to leave me, leave us.
And she could do it. We hadn’t claimed her. She’d asked, begged us to take her, and we’d refused. We’d left ourselves open to this and suddenly I didn’t care if it was right or wrong. I just wished we’d taken her together, locked her to us for all time. Losing her to another now would crush us. She’d be the end of us.
“I’ll be right there.” I stalked out of the room and down the hall, ignoring my lunch, the chair and everyone’s stares. When my team started to follow, I waved them off and they returned to their meal.
Bella wanted to be reassigned? Now? What the hell had happened since I left her? The last time I saw her she was in bed nestled between Rager and Evon, naked and sated from so many orgasms I’d lost count.
Now—just a few hours later—she wanted to leave us completely? Reject our match and be assigned to new mates?
I picked up my pace. Ran. People stepped out of my way, perhaps more from the look on my face than my pace. There was no fucking way she was getting reassigned. Something had happened with Rager or Evon. Or maybe both, but not with me. No, Bella was mine.
I wasn’t letting her go.
When I entered the small room, she was sitting in the testing chair, head down, crying. I was breathing hard, my heart rate out of control. I was more panicked now than I’d ever been in any Hive battle. Bella was upset. Really upset. I had no idea what to do with a crying female, but this one was mine. I had to figure it out.
The warden looked equal parts worried and relieved. Without a word, he slipped from the room, the door sliding closed behind him. We were alone.
She looked so small, so vulnerable, I ached for her. Whatever it was, whoever made her hurt like this, I’d kill the man. Or at least maim him. Make him suffer as she suffered now.
I walked over to her, scooped her up in my arms. Only then did she ga
sp, realize I was here. I sat down on the testing chair—the exact spot where I’d been matched to her—with her settled on my lap. I rested my chin on top of her silky black hair, tucked her against my chest.
“Cry, let it out, and then you’ll tell me what’s happened.” I kept my voice low and even, hoping to soothe her with more than my hold.
I felt her shake her head and try to pull out of my arms. “Liam. You don’t understand. It’s…it’s bad.”
“Bad enough to want to be reassigned?” I asked, staring at the far wall. Anger boiled up, but I tamped it down. “So bad that you want to leave me, Bella? Why?”
“I won’t be mated to liars. To murderers.”
I stilled then. I didn’t breathe and I swear my heart skipped a beat. For this, I had to look at her so I slid her out of my hold and onto the testing chair beside me, pushed her back so she was reclined. I turned my upper body and put my hands on the chair’s arms to pin her in place. Looking down at her, I saw the unshed tears in her dark, wild eyes.
“Explain.”
She licked her lips, took a deep breath. “Evon and Rager. They’re in on it.”
“In on what?”
“On the thefts. Using your security code. The murder.”
That, I was not expecting. Maybe Evon had been too dominant and scared her. That seemed unlikely given her eagerness to submit, but it was in the realm of possibility. I’d worried that perhaps she’d been denied an orgasm. Perhaps our seed power was too much for her small human body to process and she’d become overly emotional. I’d feared that perhaps she was homesick since Viken was most likely nothing like Earth.
But in a million years, I never expected her to say Evon and Rager had gone bad. I didn’t believe it, but Bella did, and that was what mattered.
“How do you know this?”
Her Viken Mates (Interstellar Brides Book 11) Page 11
