by Tara Rose
She pulled out of Parker’s embrace. Had they put something in the stew or the tea?
Molly returned carrying a bundle of clothes.
“She will show you where to meet us in the morning,” said Parker. “Good night.”
They left the room, and then she watched Molly put away more clothes. Finally, the girl turned toward her, holding up a plain, cotton nightgown. “Here you go, Miss. Would you like some help with it?”
“No. Thanks. I can manage.”
Molly pointed toward a door close to the bed. “Your bathroom is in there, and you just pull that bell cord there if you need me. I’ll be here in two shakes.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything else you need, Miss?”
“No. I’m fine.”
Molly didn’t look convinced, but finally she left the room. Brenna made herself count to fifty, and then she listened at each of the doors ringing this room, but heard nothing behind them. She slowly opened the door through which Molly had exited, and glanced around, but the corridor was empty. She heard voices talking and laughing, including Molly’s, but wherever they were, they weren’t watching this door.
She took a few deep breaths, her heart pounding. All she had to do was concentrate on remembering where they’d led her less than an hour ago, and she’d find the paintings again. How big could the place be?
At the end of the short hallway was a staircase that she was certain they’d ascended, so she went down one flight then stopped. Had they ascended one or two flights? Two. She remembered now, because before they started up this staircase, she’d glanced out over a large room stuffed with armchairs and sofas. When she reached the next landing, there was the room. Brenna smiled, but then frowned as she tried to remember where they’d been prior to this spot.
It had been a long hallway. That much she did recall. But which one? There were three, and none of them looked shorter than the others. She sighed, then chose the one on the far right, hoping she spotted something familiar in a moment or two. But at the end of it was a narrow staircase that she definitely did not remember.
“Door number two,” she muttered, turning around. She was halfway to the main staircase when she heard male voices and froze. They were coming toward her. She glanced around, then tried each door that opened into the hallway, but they all were locked. “Shit,” she whispered.
Brenna turned around and sprinted toward the narrow staircase again. She glanced up it, but couldn’t tell where it led, and it was dark up there. The hell with this. Squaring her shoulders, she strolled back the way she’d come. She’d simply ask whoever it was to help her find the way back to the paintings, and that would be that. There was no reason to be afraid of anyone here.
When she reached the junction, the men turned a corner and Brenna froze. She exhaled loudly, cursing herself for not having a better plan. It was the creepy triplets, but they weren’t alone. Two other men, dressed as elaborately as Parker and Jaxon had been, only older than them, stood staring at her, along with a contingent of guards.
“Well,” said Channing. “What have we here? Are you running away from them already?”
“What are you doing in this part of the castle alone?” asked one of the men she didn’t know.
“I’m trying to find my way back to that painting, and I’d appreciate it if you’d show me where it is.”
The triplets chuckled, and when the other two men did as well, Brenna decided she’d had enough of this nonsense. She glanced into each of the other two hallways, still not seeing anything familiar, but knowing she couldn’t stay where she was. She chose the one in the middle, and then she ran.
Chapter Five
Parker and Jaxon were in Parker’s new bedroom, making sure all his things had been brought over, when Frank and Michael came bursting in.
“Sire…forgive the intrusion…” Frank was out of breath, and he looked panic-stricken. “Miss Brenna left her room and we’ve just received word she is near the Great Hall with Prince Parker’s father, and the brothers who challenged your claim on her earlier.”
“What?” Jaxon’s face turned dark and threatening. “How in the hell did she get out of her room undetected?”
“Sire, I don’t know…”
Molly poked her head in, tears streaming down her face. “Sire, forgive me. ’Tis my fault. I was in my room, right down the hall, with the door open. We were all in there, laughing over something, and I never noticed her leave. I thought she’d gone to bed.”
“All right.” Parker tried to stay calm, but if those three touched a hair on her head, he’d kill them all. “Never mind that now. Let’s go and find her.”
Why did it have to be his father and the triplets who had found her? His father already thought he and Jaxon spent too much time criticizing the Council and not enough time taking their duties seriously. He and Jaxon would never hear the end of this. They’d look like fools now.
And far worse than that, his father could take this to the Council, who might decide he and Jaxon hadn’t done all they could to keep Brenna safe. If they did that, Channing, Carleton, and Cheever would have grounds to challenge them for the right to claim her.
When they reached the hallway where she’d been found, she was sitting on the floor and she looked close to tears. Parker’s first thought was the brothers had done or said something to upset her, but when he listened to his father and Quentin, another Council member, he realized they were the two stirring up trouble. The triplets were merely having a laugh at everyone’s expense.
As soon as Sedgewick spotted him and Jaxon, he turned his anger on the pair. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Molly made a mistake,” said Jaxon. “It won’t happen again.”
“Molly? What has a servant girl to do with this?”
“Everything,” said Parker. He and Jaxon helped Brenna to her feet, and Parker placed an arm around her shoulder. Unlike her surprised, reluctant reaction earlier when he’d hugged her, this time she leaned into his embrace. As enticing as he found that, this ordeal was only just beginning. He might never have the chance to hold her again. “Molly wasn’t watching the door as she should have been.”
“Then dismiss her,” said Quentin.
“Not your decision to make,” said Jaxon. He addressed the guards. “Thank you for alerting us.”
He and Jaxon both started to walk away with Brenna, while Michael and Frank followed, but Sedgewick’s voice stopped them, as Parker knew it would. “A challenge has been issued.”
He heard Jaxon sigh, and he felt Brenna stiffen next to him. Parker steeled himself and turned around. “Let me guess.” He eyed the brothers. “You three.”
“No,” whispered Brenna.
Parker leaned close and hissed in her ear, emphasizing each word. “Do not speak.” He hated to say it in such a way, but this was one time where her feistiness would do her no good at all.
“See that?” said Cheever. “They cannot even control her. Sedgewick, surely you can see that they are not fit to have chosen one of these women.”
“Father, she is tired. Her need for sleep has clouded her judgment. We will make sure she gets plenty of rest.”
Quentin held up his hand. “You and Jaxon know the rules, Parker. A claim on one of these women is not to be taken lightly. You must protect them and care for them, as well as use them for your pleasure.”
Parker gritted his teeth, and tried to ignore the smirks on the faces of the triplets. “We are aware of the rules.”
“I know that,” said Sedgewick, “but I’m afraid you must still prove your claim, or the Council will have to take up this matter and decide for you.”
“Let her sleep first,” said Jaxon.
“That will not be necessary for you two to prove your claim,” said Quentin.
Brenna moved behind Jaxon. “What is he talking about?”
She muttered the question under her breath, but Parker was sure the other men at least knew she’d spoken again, af
ter he’d told her not to. This was getting worse every second. He turned to face Brenna. “We are all under orders to make sure our women are not wandering the castle without at least one of us accompanying them. While I realize you did not know that, we did.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he glared at her, hoping she’d take the hint. She did. Finally. Her mouth closed and Parker continued. “Molly knew this, too. She should have been at her post. But when something like this occurs so soon after a woman crosses over…”
He had to be blunt with her. There was no other choice now. “When something like this occurs before the princes who claimed you have made love to you, a challenge can be presented by others who feel they can better keep our covenant to protect the woman we’ve chosen.”
She didn’t say anything this time, but his heart went out to her at the look of fear in her eyes. No matter what he and Jaxon had to do, they could not allow the triplets to claim her. “In order to prove our claim and reaffirm we will do what we’re charged with, we must consummate our claim on you without waiting until you have rested, or have had a chance to grow accustomed to your new home.”
Her eyes held a question, but deep in them he also saw the same passion he’d glimpsed earlier. His dick sprang to attention, but there was nothing he could do about that. Parker glanced over his shoulder at his father. “Will you at least allow us to return to our rooms with her?” Surely they didn’t expect him and Jaxon to have sex with the poor girl right here in the hallway.
“Only if an unbiased third party witnesses the consummation.”
“Then allow us to choose the witness,” said Jaxon. “These are unusual circumstances.”
“In what way are they unusual?” asked Carleton.
“She crossed over less than two hours ago. She’s exhausted and frightened out of her wits.”
Parker glanced at Brenna to gauge her reaction, and his gut gave a strange lurch at the look of gratitude in her eyes. At least she understood enough of this exchange to recognize they were doing all they could for her right now.
“I have to agree,” said Quentin. “I think it only right they be allowed to choose the witness. When one trusts a servant to do their duty but they fail at it, there can hardly be blame for that failure placed on the head of a prince. I still say they should dismiss Molly.”
Parker ignored him and looked over the guards, then leaned close to Jaxon. “Let us choose Daniel.”
Jaxon grinned slightly, nodding. Parker wasn’t sure if his father or Quentin knew that Daniel preferred men over women, and he hoped like hell the triplets didn’t know it. Of all the men here, Daniel would be the one who wouldn’t take perverse pleasure out of watching them have sex with Brenna. He might enjoy watching the sight of his and Jaxon’s cocks, but he was a guard and wouldn’t do anything other than perhaps drool a bit. Parker could live with that.
Parker glanced toward his father. “We choose the guard called Daniel.”
“Agreed.” Sedgewick raised his brows and nodded toward Quentin and the brothers. “Any objections?”
The men shook their heads.
Sedgewick gave Daniel an officious glare. “You will report to myself and Quentin in the Council chambers as soon as possible after you have witnessed the consummation.”
Daniel nodded, his face impassive, as if they’d merely asked him to report on the weather. “Yes, Sire.”
Parker and Jaxon led Brenna back to the sitting room, followed by Michael, Frank, and Daniel. They dismissed everyone from the room except for Daniel, and then they asked Brenna to sit down. Daniel stood in a corner, looking uncomfortable, while Parker and Jaxon sat close to Brenna so they could see her face.
“I’m sorry we have to do this,” said Parker. “If we don’t, the triplets will insist on presenting a claim for you, and we don’t trust the Council enough to not hand you over to them.”
She glanced toward Daniel.
“He won’t repeat that,” said Jaxon. “He is a trusted ally. And, just so you’re aware, Daniel prefers men over women. Since that is considered something our Council would rather not acknowledge, as if it doesn’t even exist, we keep his secrets and he keeps ours.”
The muscles in her face relaxed. “Thank you for telling me that. And thank you for coming to rescue me. I’m sorry. I thought I could just go back to the painting and return home.”
“You cannot return,” said Jaxon. “We weren’t lying about that. There is no way to go home.”
“I realize that now. I’m so sorry.”
“Please don’t tear yourself up over this. We understand how frightened you are. But you must promise us you will never, ever wander around this castle alone.”
She nodded. “All right. I promise.”
“Would it help if we blindfolded you so that you couldn’t see Daniel?” asked Parker.
She looked at them with disbelief. “You’re really going through with this, aren’t you? You expect me to have sex with you both, in front of a witness.”
Parker knew she was afraid, but he had to ask. “Do you find us that undesirable?”
She let out a loud exhale. “No, of course not. I meant what I said before. You’re both very good-looking and seductive, charming men. But this is…this is crazy.”
“We would make sure you enjoyed it.”
He could see the desire in her eyes, and it gave him hope. “I’m sure you would. That’s not the issue.”
“What is then?” asked Jaxon.
“The fact that I have no choice.”
Jaxon brushed a finger along her face, and she let out a soft moan. Parker tried to keep a neutral expression, but inside, his heart leapt for joy. “You do have a choice,” he said, quietly. “You can allow us to consummate our claim on you, or you can place your hands in the fate of our Council, who I am sorry to say, do not care for us very much. They are likely to side with the creepy triplets, as you called them.”
“And if they do,” said Parker, “I assure you that your experiences in matters of having sex with them will not be pleasurable, or consensual.”
He saw her swallow. “And this is consensual?”
“I think it is,” said Parker, brushing his fingers up and down her arm. Goose bumps broke out along her flesh, and he heard her sharp intake of breath. “I don’t think you find us repulsive.”
“I don’t,” she whispered.
“Then let us make love to you. We know you’re tired, so we won’t expect you to do anything except lie back and enjoy it.”
“I am tired…” Her voice was hesitant, but he didn’t sense the same determination in it she’d voiced earlier.
“Too tired to lie back and let two men pleasure you?” asked Jaxon.
She let out a shaky breath. “No. Not too tired for that. But what about after this? After we do this in front of a witness?”
“Then you’re ours to keep,” said Parker.
“And what will happen then? What will you two expect from me?”
Parker kissed her cheek gently. “Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll talk tomorrow after you’ve rested. Brenna, we don’t want to hurt you. Not now, and not in the future. I promise you that.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking into his eyes with a mixture of gratitude and lust. It was all Parker could do not to push her back against the sofa and fuck her until neither of them could walk. The combination of independence and vulnerability in a woman had always driven him wild, and this one promised to be his undoing. Parker knew his life had just changed completely, and he couldn’t be happier about that.
Chapter Six
Brenna tried to relax and wrap her head around this, but honestly, it wasn’t every day a girl found herself transported through a painting to another universe, and was being reluctantly seduced by two gorgeous princes. Well, okay. Reluctantly seduced was probably not quite the truth. She wasn’t reluctant. Only a bit tired and blown away by this place. It was sexist and ridiculous, but if what they said was true, she
was here for the rest of her life.
Their fingers on her skin were so warm and comforting. She took a quick peek at Daniel, who looked like he’d rather be eating glass than watching two of his princes seduce a woman. She’d never had sex in front of someone who wasn’t participating. Hell, she’d never had sex with more than one man at a time.
She’d had an encounter with a female college roommate once, but they’d been a bit drunk and it hadn’t gone very far before they’d both collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles, and declared they weren’t as bi-curious as they’d thought they might be. But that was it. Her sex life was as straight as it went. Except for the BDSM play. Yeah, except for that.
And these two were into it. But did it mean the same thing here as it did back home? Would they give her safewords and respect her limits? Did they even know what that meant?
“You’re thinking hard again,” said Parker, brushing her arm. “I can see it on your face. What can we do to help you relax?”
She needed sleep, but that wasn’t going to happen yet. And the more they touched her and gazed at her with unbridled lust, the more awake she felt. She didn’t need a blindfold. It was too soon for such a level of trust. If this is what needed to be done so she’d stay with them as opposed to being given to the creeper triplets, then why not? She’d look at it as a new adventure.
It had been so long since she’d held a man in her arms and made love. She was certainly ready, physically. And emotionally, she was ready now, too. These two called to her in a way she didn’t understand. Maybe in a few days this would all make sense? But in the meantime, why shouldn’t she enjoy herself a bit? “May I ask a couple of questions first?”
“Of course.”
“I hate to be cold and clinical, but what about pregnancy? I’m not on the pill.”
Parker glanced over at Daniel. “Will you please ask Molly to bring a bottle of potion for Brenna? She’ll know what I mean.”
“Yes, Sire.”
He left the room, and Parker turned his attention back to her. “We have a potion our women drink to prevent that. What are your other questions?”
