Slave Gold 2: Cardinal Warriors (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Becca Van

  He realized that his older brother was right to hold back that information for now. Annie’s face was pale, and she was trembling with shock. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, their bonded would be ready to learn all there was to know about his kind, but she needed to come to terms with what she'd learnt already and to become comfortable around them. He felt a little guilty that they were pushing her mind beyond what she was capable of acquiring all at one time.

  “Are you hungry, Annie?” Mott asked and was glad that he’d changed the subject. Annie took a deep breath and exhaled before pulling away from him.

  “Yes.”

  “Baro and I were taking her to the nourishment room before she became overwhelmed,” Shar said.

  Mott clasped Annie’s hand and was pleased when she turned her head to look up at him. He felt the slight tremor of her hand, and her musky desire became stronger, again. Their bonded wasn’t as immune to them as she was trying to make out, and that was a very good thing. If Mott could sway her into joining with him and his brothers anytime soon, he would do everything in his power to have her underneath him. His cock hadn’t gone down since she’d appeared on their spaceship, and his inner beast was clawing at his insides trying to get to its mate, but their join’s needs and well-being became before any of their own.

  He led her toward the door and was glad when she followed without any hesitation. When they passed the clear portal, he felt her shiver and saw her staring out the window with her lips parted, and her breathing sped up. Once the portal was no longer in view, Annie seemed to relax again.

  * * * *

  Annie felt like she’d fallen into the twilight zone. None of this could be real. Could it?

  She could barely wrap her head around the fact she had somehow been zapped into space on a spaceship, let alone that these aliens had visited Earth a long time ago. Although, now that she thought about what they had told her about ancient Egypt and the pyramids and Anubis, she was starting to believe them.

  Maybe all those UFO sightings had been just that and not weather balloons or satellites like the government had tried to explain away. The more she tried to comprehend and think, the more her head ached.

  She pushed her tumultuous thoughts aside and brought herself back to the present. The hallway was long and narrow, and she began to wonder just how big this spaceship was and if there was anybody else here besides Shar, Baro, Mott, and Riek.

  Annie halted when Mott did. He tugged at her hand when he opened a door she hadn’t even noticed. The gray wall seemed to disappear when he waved his hand over what looked like a small light, and she figured it must be a movement sensor.

  The room he walked into was very large and spacious with weird-looking furniture. There were large, floating discs that she presumed were some type of table, and just below them were long, narrow, floating rectangles that reminded her of bench seats. She couldn’t imagine that sitting on them would be comfortable in the least. It didn’t look like any kitchen or dining room she’d ever seen.

  Even though she felt like she was living in a waking dream, what worried her most was the fact she was lusting after the four alien males. She had no idea what planet they were from or even if they were sexually compatible, not that she intended to find out. It didn’t matter that her body felt like it was on fire now that all four of them were close by. She intended to ignore each throb in her breasts and the ache in her wet pussy. At least she hoped she could, but it was damn hard when they were all so damn tall, muscular, and handsome. There was something about them that got to her, and she wasn’t sure she liked it.

  She eyed Shar, Baro, and Riek as they moved further into the room. Mott had gone to the far wall to do something, and she glanced at the other three men, males, again.

  “Take a seat, Annie.” Shar swept his hand toward one of the long, floating boards.

  Annie stayed where she was. She didn’t want to have to climb up onto that plank only to embarrass herself by falling onto the floor on her ass. The things were nearly chest height, and she would have a hard time getting onto one of them. She finally decided to ask the question on the tip of her tongue. “Is it safe?”

  Baro threw back his head and laughed. The sound of his deep voice washed over her, making her even hornier. Her cheeks felt like they were flushed, her nipples felt as hard as diamonds but were aching with need, and her pussy was so damn wet she was surprised her juices hadn’t leaked through her wet undies and left a wet spot on her pants.

  Baro stopped mid chuckle and pinned her with his gaze. The look in his eyes was so hot she had the urge to fan herself. When she glanced at Shar and Riek, they, too, were staring at her with hunger in their eyes.

  “It’s safe,” Mott said as he walked over to the floating disc before placing a large platter of what looked like food down onto the surface.

  Shar took a step closer, and before she knew what he was about, he lifted her up and plonked her ass onto one of the planks. She squeaked when it seemed to mold to her body. When the thing stopped moving, she felt like she was sitting on a cushion of cotton wool and air, but what astounded her was that some of the floating plank was still straight. Annie watched in amazement as Shar took the space beside her and the seat conformed to his body.

  Mott and Baro sat on the hovering plank across the disc-like table from them, and then the men began filling flat plates with the food. The aromas were enticing, but Annie wasn’t sure if she would be able to eat any of the fare. If she did, would she become sick or maybe end up with some dreaded disease?

  Shar’s arm brushed against hers when he reached for her plate, and without saying anything to her, he piled it with food before placing it back down in front of her. Baro snatched one of the weird S-shaped goblets from the disc and filled it from a large urn. The liquid was a dark green color, and although she was thirsty, the shade was very off putting. He pushed the cup toward her and then proceeded to fill four more.

  “Eat,” Riek commanded as he pointed toward her plate.

  Annie picked up the weird two-pronged fork and stabbed a blue sliver of something. She brought it up to her nose and sniffed. It had a pleasant smell, but since she was still unsure of what she was about to consume, she only took a small nibble. She couldn’t help but to close her eyes and moan as flavor exploded on her taste buds.

  The flavor was like nothing she’d tasted before. She could barely think of words to explain what she was tasting. It was like a combination of bacon, maple syrup, and pancakes all rolled into one. Annie shoved the rest of the food on her utensil into her mouth and savored the zest on her tongue. When she’d finished chewing and swallowing, she opened her eyes and stabbed a yellow piece of food with her fork and lifted it toward her mouth. She froze when she realized how quiet it was, and when she looked up, it was to find four sets of male eyes glued to her lips.

  Arousal surged anew at the heated looks in their unusual silver eyes, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Although the movement was to try and relieve the ache in her wet aching cunt, it was also because she was a little anxious in regards to their avid perusal.

  “What?” she finally asked as they all continued to stare at her.

  Shar turned his head away from her and glanced down at his plate, and to her utmost surprise, she saw pink suffuse his cheeks. Was he embarrassed at having been caught out staring at her, or was there another reason for the color in his cheeks?

  Mott shrugged his shoulders as his eyes swept over her face, down to her chest and waist, before meeting her gaze again. She looked at Baro and saw that he was still staring at her mouth, and she licked her lips in an involuntary nervous gesture.

  Riek smiled, but the heat in his eyes was becoming more intense the longer he kept their visual connection. “We are glad you like the tumut.”

  “Tumut?” Annie pointed to another blue piece of food and watched as he swallowed and then nodded. “What’s this?” She held up the yellow piece on her fork.

  “Serap,” Baro
answered.

  Again, she sniffed the food before placing it into her mouth. And again, she moaned as a sweet, spicy flavor assailed her taste buds. Their food was unlike anything she’d ever tasted, and if she wasn’t careful she could see herself putting on weight as she overindulged, but since she’d been nearly starving herself—not by choice—she ate everything on her plate.

  When she was done, she reached for the oddly-shaped cup and took a small sip. It was fruity, not too sweet, but very refreshing, and she quickly drained it. As she placed the cup back on the floating disc table, warmth traversed her veins and blood.

  “Your food and drink taste amazing,” Annie said and frowned when her voice came out sounding husky and breathless.

  “It is good that you like it,” Riek said as he sipped from his cup.

  “You may wish to take care when consuming the lacca. It has a potent kick,” Shar said as he pointed to her empty goblet.

  “Lacca?” Annie sat back in her chair with a sigh, feeling content and languid now that her belly was full.

  “It is a fermented drink,” Baro replied.

  “Okay,” Annie said as she glanced from one man to the other. They were all incredibly handsome, muscular, and so damn tall she felt kind of like a kid next to them. The door to the large room swished open, and in walked another ten men. Her breath caught in her throat when they all stared at her as they moved further into the room. Heat crept into her cheeks, and she ducked her head and lowered her lashes before looking back down at the table. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention and felt apprehensive.

  Shar made a growling sound, making her jump as she startled. When she looked up at him, he was glaring angrily at the men who’d just entered the dining hall.

  What the hell is that about? Surely he realizes his shipmates are curious about me? Although I do appreciate his protectiveness.

  “Have you satisfied your hunger, Annie?” Mott asked.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank us, bonded,” Baro said. “It is our duty and pleasure to see that your needs are met.”

  “What? Bonded?”

  Mott stood and then skirted the floating disc table, moving toward her, and began to lift his hand to her, but before she could clasp it, Shar pushed to his feet, grasped her waist, and lifted her to her feet.

  She gasped as the heat from his hands seemed to seep through her skin into her very essence and couldn’t stop herself swaying toward him when liquid desire raced through her body. If she hadn’t locked her knees in place, she may very well have fallen into a heap of unrequited lust at his feet.

  Oh God. What the hell is happening to me?

  Chapter Three

  “Where are we going?” Annie asked.

  Riek was glad Shar had growled at the officers who’d entered the dining hall when they’d stared at their bonded. Anger and possessiveness had taken hold of him the moment he saw where they were looking, but before he could put the men in their place, his older brother had. As he followed Shar and Annie from the room, he adjusted his hard, aching cock. He’d never been so uncomfortably turned on in his life. All he wanted to do was take Annie back to their shared commander’s quarters and fuck her until they were both senseless.

  Each time he inhaled, he could smell their mate’s desire, and it was getting harder and harder to keep his hands to himself. But since Shar was the eldest of the four of them, he got first rights to their mate. He was last born of his male kin, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to stay in complete control if he had to watch while his brothers each took a turn to make love with and secure their mate for all time. That was if she even conceded to being with them in a sexual way.

  Just because he could smell her musky scent didn’t mean she would agree to be united with him and his brothers. His inner beast was trying to assert dominance over his male side to get to his mate, but he was able to keep it back, if only just.

  He had no doubt that the mating pheromones had been released into the air to entice Annie since she was reacting to their proximity, but he wasn’t sure she would agree to even a kiss at this early stage of their meeting.

  Riek noticed that her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked all around and was pleased she wasn't as scared as she had been and was now able to take more of her surroundings in. When he saw more of their comrades traversing the long hall, he wanted to run in front of her to hide the sight of her from the rest of the crew, but he didn’t want to frighten her by showing the aggressive possessiveness running through his body.

  Baro must have had the same thought, because he used the speed of his inner beast to rush past her to shield her from the crew members’ eyes. But the males had already seen her as they moved toward them, and as they walked by, they stopped and stared at her.

  Riek let a warning growl rumble up from his chest and out of his mouth as he pinned them with an angry glare. In his periphery, he could see that Annie was looking at him with surprise, but he kept his eyes pinned to the males until they lowered their heads and began walking away.

  When he turned to meet Annie’s wide eyes, he felt guilty for making her fearful of him. He could smell her anxiety, and although he wanted to reassure her that she was safe with him and his brothers, he wasn’t sure what to say to her.

  “Annie, don’t be scared,” Baro said as he came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

  “What’s going on?” She looked back and up to meet Baro’s eyes.

  “The men were staring at you,” Shar explained as he came up to her side.

  “Well, okay, but I guess they’re all curious. I’m sure none of them have ever seen a human before.”

  “Hu-man?” Mott asked.

  “That’s what my species is called. A human being from the planet Earth.” Annie touched a finger to her chest, drawing Riek’s gaze.

  His mouth watered as he stared at the soft mounds on her chest, and he wished the coverings she was wearing were see-through. He wanted to know if those globes looked as soft and plump as he imagined, and he wondered if she had nips on top of those plump feminine pillows and what shade they were. His cock jerked in his leather pants, and fluid seeped to the surface of his shaft and the opening in the tip. His sac was achy and roiling with an abundance of seed. He was worried that he would ejaculate into his pants like an untried youngling.

  “Come.” Baro nudged Annie along toward their quarters. Their shared rooms were quite a distance from medical and dining, which was a blessing since their warriors could become very rowdy at times.

  Their kind needed to release pent-up energy often, whether it be sexual or aggressive, and the males became raucous at times. The massive training room in sector 2 of the ship was used often by most males. If the males didn’t spend that bellicosity regularly, constant fighting would be the result. Plus it was a great way for them to stay fit and alert. There was always the possibility of other species finding Cardinal and trying to take it from them. Their technology was some of the best as far as he knew. At least they ran rings around the Sytax and Qins in advancement, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t other intelligent beings that had more knowledge than they did. Not that he and his brothers or crew had ever met anyone as developed as they were. Thank the Cardin’s Mother.

  Baro entered their quarters and tugged Annie inside. He followed Shar and Mott in as he watched their bonded take in their private space. She looked from the intelligent floating planks to the gray walls and the replicator hanging on the wall. He’d never been worried about how this place looked before, because other than sleeping and the occasional moment when they got a few sects to themselves to sit while talking over a glass or two of lacca, all of their time was spent in the control room or the training room. But now that Annie was here, he could see himself spending a lot more time in these rooms.

  There was so much they needed to show her and explain, he wasn’t sure where to start.

  Shar took her hand in his and l
ed her over to the concealed door in the far wall. He waved his hand over the light sensor, and the panel slid from the wall. “Place the palm of your hand on the panel, Annie.” When she did as his brother asked, he said, “State your name for the processor.”

  “Annie Strident.”

  “Good.” Shar lifted her hand from the panel, and it slid back into the wall. “You now have access to anywhere on this ship, but it would be better if you have at least one of you with us. If you want to explore or need to go anywhere, all you have to do is wave your hand over the small light beside each door and they will open.

  “Our males are very sexual, and you are a beautiful temptation. Most of them know not to touch you, but there are always a few who wouldn’t have any qualms about bending the rules.”

  “How do they know not to touch me?” Annie asked.

  “While you were…resting, after first appearing onboard, I gave the command to keep their hands off,” Baro said in a hard voice.

  “Okay,” Annie said before covering her mouth as she yawned.

  “Let me show you were you may rest.” Shar opened the hall door and then led her away from Riek’s sight. He wanted to follow but thought it best to stay where he was. Maybe after Annie had slept she would be more comfortable with them and they would be able to explain what she was and meant to them.

  He turned toward the replicator and got four goblets of lacca. After handing a cup each to Mott and Baro, he placed Shar’s on the holding disc and gulped down half before coming up for air. He took a seat on the plank and sank into it as is molded to his form. Just as he finished the rest of his drink, Shar entered the convening room.

  “How is she?” Baro asked eagerly.

  “She seems very tired. I’m worried that she is too fragile for us. If she accepts to be our bonded, we will all need to be very careful not to hurt her.”

  “She has been through much.” Baro glanced toward the closed door as if hoping to see Annie again. Riek knew just how his kin felt because he was feeling the same.