by Becca Van
“Do all humans have this ability?” Riek asked.
“No. I didn’t have it until I encountered the Sytax. What is happening to me? Am I going to be able to hear everyone’s thoughts? Do you know how disconcerting that would be? If I hear everyone’s voice in my head, I could end up insane.”
“Call Healer Must,” Shar ordered as he rose to his feet.
“I don’t think I’m sick,” Annie said.
“Nevertheless the healer will examine you.” Baro kissed her temple. “We need to make sure no damage was done to your mind.”
“I thought you said he scanned me every day?”
“He did,” Riek answered.
“And the scans were normal?”
“Yes,” Mott replied. “You only showed signs of exhaustion. He is on his way.”
Annie slumped against Baro and closed her eyes.
Great! Now she was probably going to be thought of as a freak and she wasn’t even on Earth.
Chapter Twelve
Baro held Annie against his chest and tried to offer her what comfort he could. He could feel her fear, and there was something else as well, but he couldn’t name the emotion. He didn’t care that she may have the ability to hear others thoughts, except that she had said she could end up insane. He didn’t want anything to harm his bonded, and he would call on every healer in the castle if necessary. A knot of worry formed in his chest, because he knew if the most respected and abled healer on Cardinal couldn’t help her, they may end up losing her.
The bond between him, his brothers, and Annie was strong but still had quite a way to go before it was fully formed. Each time they joined with her, the tether connecting them would strengthen, but since they had only made love to her once thus far, he was worried that it could be broken.
He’d never heard of such a thing happening, ever, but if she lost her mind, would she end up losing their connection also? He hoped Healer Must was able to find out if what was happening to their mate was dangerous.
When the door chime sounded, Riek hurried over to let Healer Must in.
“What is the urgency, Nava?” Must asked.
Shar began to explain, and while Must listened, he ran the medi-scanner up and down in front of her face and then around both sides and the back. When he was done he came and sat down across from her, Baro, and Shar, who was now sitting on her right. Mott and Riek were sitting near Must.
“The scan doesn’t show any abnormalities to your brain or the patterns in the neuro-center.”
“Then why was I able to hear what Ardo was thinking?”
“It’s only a hypothesis, but I think you were able to tap into a part of your brain you’ve never used before when you linked to the Sytax,” Must said.
“Do you think I will be able to hear everyone’s thoughts?”
“We will need to test it to be certain.” Must paused and frowned before speaking again. “With your permission, Nav Annie, I would like to call the warriors back in and see if you can hear them all or just a select few.”
Baro felt Annie tense again, and she sighed, her eyes closing and a frown creasing her brow. He wasn’t sure if he should encourage or discourage what Healer Must wanted but thought it best to let Annie make her own choices. It was her body and mind after all.
“Okay,” Annie said as she opened her eyes.
“Ardo, warriors, come back inside,” Shar ordered.
The eight men hurried into the room, and after glancing about and seeing no danger, their fierce expressions smoothed out and the tension in their bodies relaxed. Ardo came and stood directly in front of Annie, bowed low, and thumped his chest. “I meant no offense, Nav Annie. You are not puny, and you are a true warrior.”
“Uh…thanks,” Annie replied hesitantly.
“Ardo,” Must called, drawing his attention. “I wish for you to sit next to Nav Annie. We are going to do an experiment.”
“But no one other than her bound should sit with Nav—ˮ
“You may sit with Nav Annie this one time only,” Riek said in a hard voice.
Baro hadn’t heard that tone from Riek often. He wondered if his younger kin was feeling a little jealous.
Shar vacated his seat so Ardo could take it, and Baro lifted Annie until she was sitting across his lap, facing his warrior.
“Just sit back and relax, Ardo,” Must said. “I want to see if Annie can hear your thoughts. Annie, can you hear what warrior Ardo is thinking?”
“He’s thinking about lacca,” Annie said, “and he’s so hungry he wants at least three plates full of food.”
Davo cleared his throat. “I was thinking that.”
“Oh my god,” Annie whispered. “Who’s thinking about the Sytax things?”
“I am,” Sano raised his hand.
“I have a picture of a waterfall and lake in my head.”
“Me.” Bako shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“Who is thinking about red ha…Never mind.”
When Baro saw Ryker’s face pale and then turn a darker shade than his normal color, he realized the warrior was blushing. He growled when he saw Annie wink at him, and blinked when she just patted him on the cheek and smiled.
“Can you hear my thoughts, Nav Annie?” Must asked.
Annie looked at Must, staring into his eyes, but she sighed and shook her head.
“Were you able to tell from which directions the thoughts were coming?” Shar queried.
“Not at first, but each time I picked up another thought, they seemed to flow faster into my brain. I knew Ryker was the one thinking…red.”
“You were thinking of our suns?” Mott asked.
“Yes, he was,” Annie answered quickly.
Baro had a sneaking suspicion that Annie had just lied, and even though her emotions were calmer than they had been, he felt like she was amused, too. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the warrior had been admiring their bound’s red hair. He pinned Ryker with a fierce glare.
Annie shoved her elbow into his stomach. “Cut it out. He didn’t mean anything by it.”
“What are you talking about?” Shar asked.
“Never mind,” Annie said.
“Is there a way Annie could block out others’ thoughts?” Riek asked.
“I think I know how,” Annie said. “Let me try.”
She once more closed her eyes and leaned back into him. Baro wanted to yell for everyone to get out. It had been over six risings since he had made love to his bonded. Every time she moved, her little ass pressed against his aching cock. He was already leaking lubricant and didn’t know how much longer he could hold off from picking her up and racing toward the bedroom.
When Annie opened her eyes, she looked at each and every warrior. “Okay, think hard and loud, guys.”
Baro watched her closely, but her expression never changed, and then her lips began to tilt until she was smiling. His breath caught in his lungs, and more secretions emitted from his throbbing cock. He couldn’t take any more. He needed to have her now. He tightened his arms around her and rose to his feet, glared at the healer and warriors, and roared, “Leave. Now!”
“Baro, what is wrong with you?”
“Just a moment.” Must moved to stand in front of Baro. “Did it work, Nav Annie? Whatever it was you were trying to do?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask…ˮ
“I imagined a wall in my mind and built it layer by layer until I couldn’t hear anyone’s thoughts anymore.”
“You are indeed an amazing warrior.” Must smiled at her before meeting Baro’s eyes. He bowed, thumped his chest, and headed toward the door. The other warriors had already left the room. He should have taken the time to speak with Annie’s guard, but he just didn’t have the patience right now.
“What is wrong with you?” Annie asked as she looped her arms around his neck while he carried her toward one of the bedrooms. “Where are we going?”
“I need you, Annie,” Baro said in a hoarse voice
. “We all do. It has been too long since we loved you. My heart nearly stopped when you slept for so long.”
“I’m sorry.” She cupped his face and then stroked his cheek.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, dearling.” Baro lowered Annie onto the memory bed before stepping back. He bumped into Mott, but he’d heard his brothers walking behind him as he carried Annie and hadn’t needed to look to see if they were following.
“Are you too tired, baby?” Riek crawled up onto the bed next to Annie.
“I am tired,” Annie answered.
Baro’s shoulders slumped, and he cursed under his breath. He shouldn’t have been trying to pressure his bonded for sex when she had been through so much. He felt guilty and turned away.
“Baro?”
He stopped and tensed when he heard a rustle behind him, and then her arms came around his waist.
“I want you, too. I want all of you to make love with me.”
Baro turned around and cupped her face between his hands. “You need to rest.”
“I will. After.”
“After?”
“Yes.” She met his eyes and then looked to his brothers. “After we make love.”
“Are you sure, Annie? I don’t want to tire you out.”
Annie chuckled. “You won’t. Well, maybe you will, but it will be a good tired.”
“How so?”
“I was feeling emotionally exhausted. Drained mentally, you know. But getting physical will make my body tired, too.”
“But…”
Annie grabbed hold of his uniform and tugged him down, mashing her mouth to his. He groaned, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in tighter against him. His body was so hard all over, his need for her making him tremble. His whole being was on fire for his mate. His crug was also pushing at him to claim her again and again and again.
Baro took over the kiss, opening his mouth over hers and slipping his tongue between her lips and teeth. The mewling sounds she made as he devoured her only made him hungrier for more.
When he felt a tap to his arm, he removed it from around her waist but continued kissing her. Shar moved up behind her, and Baro tugged the seam of her small warrior uniform open. Mott and Riek moved to her sides and pushed the sleeves from her arms. It wasn’t until he pushed it down over her hips that he remembered the tiny boots he’d fashioned for her. He lifted his mouth from hers and knelt down in front of her before tugging the boots from each foot.
Shar was kissing the back of her neck and caressing his hands over her stomach. His brothers must have removed their clothes while he’d been kissing Annie. He’d been so into her he hadn’t even noticed. He watched her facial expressions as he undressed. Her eyes were closed, her lips, which were red and swollen from his kisses, were parted, and her head was tilted back onto Shar’s chest.
Mott and Riek knelt down and smoothed their hands up and down her legs, from her slim, pale ankles to her hips.
Baro nodded to his brothers and scooped her up into his arms again. This time, when he placed her on the memory bed, he followed her down, bracing his weight on his elbows and knees and he kissed her.
She sighed into his mouth, her tongue rubbing along his, and after kissing her deeply and passionately, he nibbled down her neck to the top of her chest. Her little nipples were hard beads, and his mouth watered as the skin around them puckered before his eyes.
Lowering his head and opening his mouth, he sucked one peak in and swiped his tongue over it. She moaned and arched up into him, and he suckled harder. Her legs began to move restlessly, and then she opened them. The sweet smell of her feminine desire hit him with the force of a laser blast. After releasing her nipple, he kissed his way down over her stomach to the top of her mound. He didn’t look up when Shar, Mott, and Riek gained the bed because he was so intent on inhaling her sexy aroma and studying her sex.
She was so pink and moist, and he could feel the heat emanating from her pussy. Just remembering what it was like to be buried inside her had his balls drawing up. Baro took several deep breaths, and then he opened his mouth over her.
Annie gasped when the tip of his tongue laved her little nub. When her legs tightened against his head, he placed his hands on her inner thighs and pushed them open. She didn’t resist him, but in fact spread her thighs wider and bowed her hips from the bed.
“Oh God, Baro. Don’t stop.” Annie panted and groaned.
He had no intention of stopping. He was going to bring her to her joy, and then he was going to bury himself deep inside of her. Once his cock was embedded deep, he would them roll over for Mott.
Baro wrapped his arm around her thigh and then sought out her opening with his finger. He rimmed the entrance of her cunt and was pleased with all the moisture her body was oozing, and then he pushed up inside of her.
He withdrew his finger to the tip and then pressed back inside as he continued to lap and suck at her nubbin. Annie was mewing, gasping, and moaning all at once, and when he felt her insides become tauter, he increased the pace and depth of his thrusting digit.
Just as a tremor shivered her sheath, she cried out and clamped down onto his pumping finger. Cream bathed his hand, and he slurped it up as she reached her peak. He didn’t stop until he’d wrung every quake and quiver from her and she flopped back with a big sigh.
Baro maneuvered back up onto his hands and knees, grasped the base of his wet cock with his hand, aligned with her body, and sank in deep. Annie met his gaze as she clung to his shoulders. He met her lips with his and rolled them both over and kissed her voraciously. She kissed him back just as hungrily, her tongue dancing with and sliding along his. He clasped her waist and shifted her position over the top of him, giving Mott access to her ass. This time, when they pleasured her, it would be two of them together inside of her body.
Mott moved up behind Annie, the container of Loi already in hand. Shar and Riek rubbed their hands up and down her back and over her ass. Baro spread her legs farther as he tugged her knees up higher next to his hips. The position would open her ass up to Mott so his kin could prepare her.
He knew the exact moment Mott touched her anus because she stiffened and then moaned into his mouth. She broke the kiss and rested her cheek against his chest.
“Just relax, cosmose,” Mott whispered.
“Oh. Ah.”
“You are so beautiful, baby.” Riek bent and kissed her mouth.
“Can you feel how much we need you, Annie?” Shar grasped her ass cheeks and pulled them further apart. “We are going to make you feel so good, mate.”
“Oh. If…you…make…me…feel…Ah…May…not…survive.”
“Such a good female,” Mott crooned.
Baro met Mott’s gaze and raised an eyebrow. “You have three of my fingers in your ass, my bound. You’re almost ready,” Mott rasped.
“Almost?” Annie gasped.
“Just a little more, Loi. Done.” Mott groaned.
When Mott nodded at him, Baro lifted her head to his and kissed her, but he kept his eyes on Mott as his kin began to penetrate Annie’s back entrance. She groaned, tensed, and then relaxed again, her minty breath mixing with his. Annie broke the kiss, placed her hands on his chest, and pushed upright.
“Oh. My…”
“Are you all right, Annie?” Shar asked.
“No. I don’t know. Yes.” Annie’s hand shot out and wrapped around Shar’s cock. Shar growled his pleasure and then groaned when she began to slide her hand up and down his length.
“I’m in,” Mott said between panted breaths.
“So good,” Annie said in a husky voice. She leaned to the side, opened her mouth, and swirled her tongue around the head of Shar’s dick. Baro was surprised that Annie wanted to pleasure his brother with her mouth. From what he’d heard, Cardinal females didn’t do such things. Annie moved over more, pushing her mouth over Shar’s cock and taking him deeper.
“Annie!” Shar growled.
Annie withdrew her mo
uth from Shar’s cock and met his eyes. “You taste so good. Like chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. I want more.”
Baro’s need for her was so great he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold off before she reached her peak again. He nodded to Mott, and he began to move.
Mott drew his cock back, and as he pushed back in, Baro withdrew from her pussy and surged in deep. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the pleasure of having her tight, wet grip enveloping him. He didn’t notice his eyes were closed until he felt the brush of Annie’s free hand against his arm, and when he opened them, it was to see her searching out blindly for Riek. He met his younger kin’s heat-filled eyes and then watched, his arousal growing hotter, when she found Riek’s cock with her hand and began to pump it up and down his length.
“Annie, I’m going to spill,” Shar rasped out between his fast breathing.
Annie cupped Shar’s balls and squeezed her hold on them as she sucked on his cock harder and faster, taking him into her mouth deeper. Shar roared as he rocked his hips forward, his body twitching and jerking as he climaxed. His bonded looked so damned carnally sexy, Baro wasn’t sure he was going to make it. Shar flopped onto his back with his arm over his eyes as he tried to regain his breath.
Each time Baro pistoned his cock into his mate, Mott counterstroked into her ass, and they increased the speed of their pumping hips. Annie shifted on him, sending his cock to the end of her sheath, butting the head up against her womb, and she groaned. She turned her head, lightly tugged on Riek’s dick, and brought him to her mouth. Her tongue came out to lave around the corona, and then she was bobbing up and down over him quickly. Riek growled and moaned, and gripped the hair at the back of her head, eliciting a gasp from their woman. At first, Baro thought Riek had hurt her, but when he realized she liked the tug on her scalp, he was done for.
The simmering embers raged up into a fiery inferno from his lower spine and around to his balls and cock. His erection felt so big and was aching so much he wondered if it would explode apart.
He met Mott’s eyes and nodded his head, and then they were thrusting into her at the same time, faster, harder, and deeper, their flesh slapping together and the sound of Annie slurping filling the room.
