by Sue Mercury
He wished he could toss her over his shoulder, board the hovercraft again, and take her to their house in Telin. There, he and Taj could spend the next month sharing the spirited human, and enjoy some much needed time away from the palace before their mating fever burned hot and they were officially tied to the royal blood line.
If only there was a way to break the contract between him, Taj, and Princess Ewenna.
Dom’s cock stirred to life when Leann cast a curious glance over her shoulder and her gaze collided with his. Even under the darkening sky, he detected her face had flushed again. Though she possessed a strong, confident personality, the human woman had stammered several times in their presence, and she’d blushed profusely too.
Her obvious attraction to him and his brother didn’t help his longing for a different kind of life, a life outside the stifling walls of the palace and Galattak Clan altogether.
Chapter Two
Leann couldn’t stop smiling as she traveled the hallways of the palace, looking for familiar paintings and artwork in an effort to retrace her steps back to her quarters. She’d just had the most amazing breakfast with the empress and several of her daughters, during which she’d learned much about Reestrian society, especially their mating practices. Though not even noon yet, the wine had flowed freely and the royal family had made her feel at home.
Taj and Dom had promised to wait for her outside the dining room, but she’d found the hallway empty upon leaving breakfast, so she’d decided to venture on without them. She felt a headache coming on and she suspected Reestrian wine was much stronger than what she imbibed occasionally on Earth. Perhaps she should drink some water and lay down for a while. She made a mental note to take it easy on the spirits during the next month.
Raised voices drifted down the hallway, and for a moment she considered turning back. But no, she was certain this way led to her quarters. The voices grew louder and more strained, evidence of an argument in progress. She glanced up and down the hallway and glimpsed no one. Fairly certain she wouldn’t be caught snooping, she crept toward an ajar door at the end of the hall that the voices seemed to be drifting out of. After a deep breath, she peeked inside.
Taj and Dom stood beside one another, directly in front of the emperor whom she’d met briefly the night before. To the left of them, an angry looking young woman clung to an even angrier looking young man. The emperor, however, appeared ready to explode. Even from outside in the hallway, Leann felt waves of immense displeasure radiating off his massive form.
Were Taj and Dom in some sort of trouble?
She couldn’t leave now. She had to know what was going on. Holding her breath, she watched and waited for someone to speak again, or yell. The emperor rose from his seat and pointed a finger at the woman.
“You were promised to Taj and Dom! You intentionally put yourself in the path of a male experiencing his mating urge, knowing full well what would happen. Your grandfather arranged the match for you with Taj and Dom. It meant a lot to him, and now you have forsaken your family by mating with a common male from another clan.”
Oh my. This was big. Leann felt guilty for snooping but couldn’t bring herself to leave. Then a light flipped on in her brain. Of course! Taj and Dom were twins!
No wonder she hadn’t been able to tell who was the oldest. They were fraternal twins, and as Reestrian twins they experienced their mating urge at the same time and shared the same woman. She gulped as a spasm rocked through her feminine core and her nipples tightened at the thought of being shared by them. She covered her mouth to muffle the sound of her rapid breaths. Luckily no one looked her way.
“Father, I was a child when Grandfather promised me to Taj and Dom. Shouldn’t I have a say in the male I mate with?”
“The mating bond is strong. It cannot be broken. You know this, and you know if you had waited to mate with Taj and Dom your bond to them would be just as strong as your bond to Yen. You did a foolish thing by running off and offering yourself to Yen.”
“Your Highness, I will take care of your daughter. I promise.”
“Quiet. If you speak again, I will summon the guards to drag you out of the palace by your testicles.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Leann almost giggled. The similarity between some Reestrian and human phrases, threats, and insults often astounded her. She was thankful for the language chip that had been implanted in her brain that allowed her to understand every word spoken while she continued spying.
Dom stepped forward. “Your Highness, I know Princess Ewenna was promised to us, but I am understanding of her situation. I know her bond with Yen runs deep, and I do not wish for any harm to come to her new mate.”
Surprise flitted across the emperor’s face. “You hold no grudge against my daughter and her new mate?”
This time Taj stepped forward. “No, Your Highness. We don’t. Please don’t disown your daughter for this. In fact, we wish the best for Princess Ewenna and Yen.”
“I will assist you in finding a new mate from a prominent family,” the emperor said.
“Dom and I appreciate all your help, Your Highness, but if you give your consent, we wish to return to Telin where we grew up and search for a mate ourselves. We are grateful for all of your assistance over the years, but in truth we desire a simpler life in the mountains.”
The emperor remained on his feet, staring at Taj and Dom for several minutes. Nervousness rose in Leann. She now understood the situation, and she hoped the twins weren’t compelled to mate with another female of the emperor’s choosing. She couldn’t imagine her family ever selecting a husband for her, though her mother often joked that if she didn’t at least start dating soon she would take matters into her own hands and set up an online dating profile for Leann.
The emperor cleared his throat. “Very well. I leave the two of you, Taj and Dom, to carve your own future and select your own mate. I wish you well.”
“Thank you,” the twins said in unison.
“Do you wish to leave for Telin at once?”
“No,” Dom said. “We will remain in the palace and keep watch over your human guest, the female known as Leann, until she returns to Earth.”
“You are both always welcome in the palace, and if you change your mind or need my assistance in any way, please let me know. I commend you both for being so understanding and forgiving.” The emperor glanced at his daughter and Yen. “Perhaps I should follow your example.”
Leann had spied long enough. Not wishing to be caught, she tiptoed away from the door, but instead of heading to her room she ventured back the way she’d come. Despite her dull headache, the scene she’d just witnessed filled her with excitement and gave her the sudden urge to go exploring.
~ ~ *
Where could she have gone? Taj ran a hand through his hair and hoped Dom had had better luck locating Leann. He pulled his communicator from his pocket and contacted his brother.
“Any sign of her yet?”
“No. I think our little human ward has left the palace. A footman saw her walking near the front entrance.”
“We have to find her, and soon. The empress requested she join her for dinner this evening.”
“Meet me in the front gardens.”
Taj put his communicator away and hurried outside. He found his brother waiting by the fountain amidst the tall blue and green heas plants. Without a word, they exited the palace grounds and made their way down into the city, descending the purple stone steps two at a time. Once they reached the bottom, they occasionally came across a vendor who’d seen a human woman passing by. At least they were on the right track.
Frustration rippled through Taj, heating him all over. Galattak Clan was among the safest cities on Reestria, but he didn’t want her getting lost. They hadn’t thought to give her a communicator, so she had no way of contacting them if she needed assistance. Worry battled against his anger. He planned to give the headstrong Leann a good scolding when they located her. Of course th
at’s not all he wanted to give her. He still ached for her, ached to pull down her pants and shove his throbbing cock into her sweetness. His mating urge wasn’t upon him yet, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t want her, couldn’t choose her to be the one.
Would Dom want to claim her as their mate if she was willing? She apparently had a life on Earth, was a highly educated professor at a prestigious university, and she was writing a book about Reestrian culture. But she seemed so curious about the city and had enjoyed her walk from the landing site yesterday that he wondered if she might consider staying.
No. It was foolish to think it. They’d met her but a day ago. Not only did she have a whole life on Earth, but Taj and Dom wished to leave the city soon. Though he yearned to know her better and ached to possess her, it wasn’t meant to be.
Once Leann went back to Earth, they would seek out a mate in Telin and wait for their mating urge to strike. They could build a life there and finally have all they’d dreamed about, minus the feared banishment from Galattak Clan. Their mate, whoever she might be, would become one with their hearts and souls and block out all thoughts of Leann. This last thought brightened his mood as much as it saddened him. When the time finally came to put Leann back on the Allatina, it would be a most bittersweet moment.
A commotion ahead caught their attention and quickened their steps. Taj exchanged a worried glance with Dom. Instinct told them Leann was involved. They broke into a run at the same time and pushed their way through a crowd gathered in a market square.
Leann stood in an opening in the throng, her expression one of pale fright. She clasped a stick in her hand, holding it high with her feet planted wide on the ground. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her hair was in complete disarray. A large male Reestrian in common clothes towered over her, his eyes black and perspiration making his shirt cling to his chest. The crazed darkness of his gaze coupled with his flushed skin and heavy sweating told of a male at the height of his mating urge. A male who’d set his sights on Leann. And from the look on her face, she didn’t appear the least bit happy about it.
Dom emitted a fierce growl, and Taj joined him. The rumbling noise of their formal protest of the male’s claim brought a stillness to the crowd. The Reestrian’s nostrils flared as he tore his eyes from Leann and looked their way. Rage glimmered in his gaze.
“Well, there she is,” Taj said, only for Dom’s ears. “We found her. Are you up for a good fight, brother?”
“Always.”
~ ~ *
Leann’s stomach clenched with fear and her racing heart thumped in her ears. She knew some Reestrian males claimed a female without a care for her consent during the height of their mating urge, but she’d never thought it might be dangerous to walk the streets of Galattak Clan by herself. Most of the residents here were of royal blood, many whose mates were chosen by their families, the only commoners being the street vendors and servants. Being a woman from Earth with no royal pedigree, she’d assumed no one would bother her.
But a large golden haired Reestrian male had accosted her while she’d been speaking with the owners of a fruit stand. After he’d thrown her over his shoulder, she’d bitten into his side as hard as she could. He had then cursed and tossed her into the dirt.
She glanced at the branch she’d snatched off a nearby tree. Little good it would do her when he came at her again.
She wished she’d returned to her room after breakfast. She wished she hadn’t left the palace without Taj and Dom. She wished a crowd hadn’t gathered so thickly around them so she could at least attempt escape. She wished a lot of things, but most of all she wished this huge golden haired Reestrian hadn’t set his sights on her.
Sweat dripped from his massive body, each droplet glistening in the sun, and his muscles rippled with his every movement. He stared down at her unblinkingly, his eyes pitch black. He growled low in his throat, a noise that sounded like a warning. You’re mine, human. I saw you and I want you.
Each time she stepped back, he took a step toward her. She moved in circles within the small opening left by the crowd, holding the stick high and praying someone would save her. She planned to put up one hell of a fight, but knew she didn’t stand a chance against a Reestrian so large. At any moment he would lunge at her, throw her back over his shoulder, and drag her off to become his mate.
All arousal she’d felt at the thought of mating with Taj and Dom was absent. This Reestrian scared her, his brutal intensity and his complete disregard for her wishes filling her veins with ice.
Would she ever see Earth again? Would the mating bond change her personality? She couldn’t imagine ever loving or feeling a strong connection to this Reestrian, yet if he mated with her that’s what would happen, or so she’d heard. The uncertainty of it all combined with her fright and pervasive sense of hopelessness, and her hands shook even as she clutched the branch harder.
Lifting her chin, she tried to look brave. Then from somewhere behind her a growl rumbled over the noise of the crowd, followed by a second deeper growl. Except neither growl came from the Reestrian trying to claim her. She swallowed hard and fought the urge to turn around, not wanting to show the Reestrian her back.
The crowd fell utterly silent, so quiet she could hear the faint breeze puffing through the leaves of the flowering trees lining the street. Two more distinct growls resounded behind her again, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The Reestrian towering over her tore his gaze from hers and backed away, his nostrils flaring as he took a wide stance, as if preparing for battle.
Taking advantage of his shift in attention, she moved back and to the side, until at last she became one with the crowd. It was then that she noticed Taj and Dom approaching her attacker, circling the Reestrian as their eyes gleamed the same shade of black.
She tried to inch further into the crowd, but no one would let her through. She was trapped. Now it appeared she would be forced to watch whatever violence transpired up close.
Though she felt relief Taj and Dom had showed up to intervene on her behalf, she also felt a stab of guilt and worry. She’d heard stories of Reestrians challenging each other for the chance to mate with a female, and many of those stories ended in bloodshed. She wanted to yell out for them to stop, but she couldn’t find her voice. Were Taj and Dom really going to fight this Reestrian, possibly to the death, just because he’d wanted to claim her as his mate? It didn’t make sense. The twins had met her but a day ago. Why would they risk their lives for her?
After several minutes of circling Leann’s attacker and growling, Dom broke the silence. “We also claim this human female. She is to belong to us.”
What? Her heart skipped a beat. Was he serious? If Taj and Dom won this fight, would she truly belong to them?
Her attacker bared his teeth and snarled. “I saw her first. The female is mine.”
The hell I am. Leann once again tried to edge into the crowd, but it was like trying to slip through a stone wall.
Taj’s gaze shifted to her before his eyes once again locked on his opponent. “My brother and I challenge you for this human female.” Confidence filled his booming voice.
Leann didn’t want any harm to come to Taj or Dom, but that didn’t stop her from worrying about what would happen if they won. Oh, how a stroll outside the palace walls had changed the course of her future drastically. She’d wanted to get some good material for her book, but she hadn’t intended to learn about Reestrian mating practices so up close and personally.
The air crackled with tension. Someone behind her yanked the branch out of her hands, and the crowd pushed her forward a few steps. Though no one behind her spoke, she understood their silent instruction. You must watch.
Her attacker roared and bounded for Dom. The two Reestrians threw punches while Taj positioned himself in front of her, catching her eyes for another brief moment. She gave him her most apologetic look. Didn’t he realize she hadn’t meant for this to happen? Didn’t they all know this was a terrib
le mistake?
She didn’t want blood on her hands, even her attacker’s blood. She longed for this to be a dream, longed to wake up beneath the silken sheets of the high bed in her lavish guest quarters back at the palace.
Dom ducked most of the punches the other Reestrian threw, and it became evident that Dom outmatched his strength and could beat him even without Taj’s help. Finally Dom pushed the Reestrian toward Taj, and Taj hit him square in the jaw, knocking their foe down.
Leann gasped and watched in horror as Taj and Dom circled the unconscious Reestrian, nudging him with their booted feet every few seconds. His chest kept rising and falling, though he didn’t move otherwise. He wasn’t dead, though his face was mangled. Dom had broken his nose, and Taj had probably fractured his jaw. He was a bloody, bruised mess, and Leann knew he wouldn’t be bothering her anytime soon.
Taj and Dom, though, were another story. They stopped walking around her fallen attacker and looked in her direction. Even though the fight had ended, their eyes still shone black. The crowd pushed her forward again, and as she neared the twins she caught sight of the huge erections tenting their pants.
Taj stripped off his uniform jacket and tossed it to the ground. Dom did the same. Perspiration trickled down from their temples. She worried they planned to claim her in the middle of the crowd.
“Leann.” Taj stood straighter, and for a moment it seemed his bulging muscles might rip through his shirt sleeves.
“You belong to us now, Leann,” Dom declared in a deep and guttural voice.
The crowd erupted in cheers and someone propelled her directly into their arms, Taj on her right and Dom on her left, both of them grasping her and warming her with the heated waves that rippled off their bodies.
Black eyes. Elevated temperature. She peered from Taj to Dom as realization sank in and filled her with a myriad of emotions, from fear to desire to nervousness.
