Her words sickened him because he could only imagine just how they’d been trained. Without another thought, he scooped the small female into his arms and began running toward the docking area.
“Follow me,” he called out to the other two females.
Once they were on board his ship, he set his coordinates to take them to Tourmalane, his home world. He could only hope his father would support his decision to bring three whores home with him. They were desperate for females on his world, and he was almost certain they would be welcome. It wasn’t like they’d chosen to be prostitutes, unlike a lot of alien females. These women were victims and deserved their protection.
“Where are we going?” the smallest one asked.
“Somewhere safe.”
Through the viewing screen, he saw two small ships detach from the brothel and come toward them at full speed, blasters armed and ready. As they drew closer, they fired upon his ship and he cursed under his breath. “The three of you had better hold onto something. This is going to be a bumpy ride.”
With a skill befitting his station as a Prince of Tourmalane, Lyros managed to outmaneuver the chase ships and reach the safety of his home world. The easy part was over. Now came the part where he had to introduce the women to his father and brothers, and hope for a warm welcome.
Chapter One
“What the hell are we supposed to do with three whores?” Rylo asked. “You seriously want to take them home with us?”
Lyros looked at the women who were huddled together on board his ship. “I couldn’t leave them there. They didn’t choose that life, Rylo; it was forced on them. Besides, they said it was their first night and they hadn’t had a customer yet. So they aren’t technically whores.”
Rylo snorted. “Whores in training, but still… I suppose someone might want them. A woman is a woman, after all.”
“Look, I know it wasn’t the smartest decision to bring them on board, and we barely escaped, but I still think I did the right thing. It disgusts me that someone captured them and sold them to a brothel. There are enough females out there who volunteer for that kind of work.”
“Yes, and fragile human females should be loved and cared for.” Rylo looked over at the women. “All right, I won’t argue about them being here. I just hope your father is as agreeable. Or Drexyl. Is he going to want their sort hanging around his wife?”
Lyros winced. Rylo wasn’t wrong. Drexyl might very well be furious, especially when Lyros asked if the women could stay at the palace. They wouldn’t have anywhere else to go otherwise. Despite the fact they were trying to find more women to bring to their world, they had yet to come up with lodgings for them. Any females who had come to Tourmalane had stayed at the palace until they’d found their match, not that there had been many in the past two years.
Hell, he didn’t even know the women’s names, hadn’t had time to ask. It had been more important to get them out of there than make introductions. Even now, he saw the hesitation in their eyes and knew they didn’t trust him completely. For all they knew, he was going to enslave them and their lives would be even worse off than before. Not that Lyros would ever own a female. He was hoping to be lucky enough to claim one as his mate someday, but who would want to mate with a prince who wasn’t going to inherit the throne? Not that the jobs he was in charge of weren’t important, but didn’t most females who married a prince want to become queen someday?
His ship approached Tourmalane and Prince Lyros sent a signal to let his family know he was coming home. The human women he’d rescued from the floating brothel were clustered together behind him. Their uncertainty and fear rolled off them in waves and he wished he could soothe them somehow. The smallest of the three intrigued him the most. Despite the fact she had similar coloring to Arianna, a mated female on his world, that was about where the similarities ended. She was different and he wanted to know more about her.
“We’ll be landing in a moment,” he told them. “I should have introduced myself sooner. May name is Lyros and I’m from Tourmalane. That’s my home world through the viewing screen.” He pointed to Rylo. “And that’s Rylo, a friend and fellow warrior.”
“I’m Audra,” said the tallest of the three.
“I’m Seneca,” said the second one.
The third, the one he wanted to hear from the most, was silent.
“And your name?” he asked her, keeping his tone gentle so as not to frighten her further.
“Roux.”
“I’m not overly familiar with Earth names, but yours sounds different, much like your voice. Earth is bigger than Tourmalane, and it’s my understanding that you have many languages there. My brother’s mate is human and she doesn’t sound like any of you.”
A hint of a smile ghosted her lips. “I’m from a place called New Orleans. My mother was Creole. I got my coloring from my Scottish father, though. I speak fluent French and my accent is typical of my part of Earth.”
“We’re from a place called England,” Seneca said.
What a fascinating planet. Lyros wondered how welcome his people would be on such a world. Finding a bride would be so much easier if they could travel to Earth and mingle with the single females on their own territory. Maybe he’d discuss it with Drexyl and see what his elder brother thought. His ship alerted him to the proximity of Tourmalane and he returned to the controls.
As the vessel touched down on Tourmalane, Lyros saw warriors and his brothers coming to greet him. He probably should have mentioned his guests, but that might have caused pandemonium. Lyros looked at the women and winced at the sheer robes they were wearing. The first thing he needed to do was get them some appropriate clothing.
“I want you to wait here,” he told them. “You can’t walk out onto my planet dressed like you are. The males of Tourmalane have been without females for twenty years, and I can’t promise that if they see you practically naked, they won’t throw you over their shoulders and carry you off to their homes.”
Roux paled a little and he was sorry for scaring her.
“I’m going to bring clothing for you as soon as I can.”
Lyros made his way to the docking bay, waited for the platform to lower, and then he exited the ship and greeted his fellow Tourmalanes. His brothers hurried over, smiles on their faces. He probably should have told them, at the very least, about his precious cargo.
“Drexyl, do you think Lucie would part with a few dresses? Three, to be exact.”
His brother frowned. “Why do you need three dresses?”
“It’s a long story, and I promise to tell you everything later. But right now, I need those dresses. I’m going to re-board my ship and wait for you. Please hurry.”
Drexyl nodded and left to return to the palace and procure clothing. His other brother, Vandir, gave him a perplexed look.
“You went to a brothel, didn’t you?” Vandir asked.
“I did.”
His brother snorted and shook his head. “You brought back whores. Father is going to have a fit when he realizes you’re trying to reform those females. What species are they?”
“Human.”
Vandir paled. “No human female would ever agree to work in a brothel.”
“I’m well aware of that. They aren’t whores, strictly speaking. It was to be their first night. Right now they’re scared, and I’m not sure they fully trust me, but I’m determined to make sure they are taken care of.”
Vandir rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Get them clothed properly, and we’ll take them to the palace. I’m sure Drexyl will have an idea of what to do with them. We can’t very well just set them loose in society.”
Lyros returned to his ship and waited for Drexyl. He should have gone to reassure the females that everything was fine, but he decided to wait until he had clothes for them. When his brother boarded the ship, he held three similar dresses in his arms. Lyros took them while ignoring Drexyl’s pointed look and began walking toward the control room, where he’d left the wome
n.
They were still huddled together when he entered the room and their eyes went wide when Drexyl stepped through the door. Roux trembled and Lyros wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and comfort her, if she would even let him. He handed the rose colored gown to Audra.
“It may be a bit short on you. Drexyl’s wife is closer to Seneca’s height.”
He gave Seneca the blue dress, and handed the lavender one to Roux. The females stood awkwardly, as if waiting for a command from him. He held out an arm and motioned for them to step into the corridor.
“I’ll show you to a room where you can change, and then we’ll head to the palace.”
The females followed him and he closed the door to the room they had entered. He waited in the hall with Drexyl and tried not to cower under his brother’s rather impressive stare. Perhaps he should go ahead and explain the situation before his brother decided to tear him apart for bringing undesirable females to their world.
“Yes, I got them at the brothel, but no, they aren’t whores. Not exactly anyway.” He gave Drexyl the same explanation he’d given to Vandir and waited to see what his elder brother would say. Ultimately, it was up to Drexyl and their father, King Razyr, to decide what to do with the females.
“They can stay at the palace, but they will be your responsibility. They can stay in your wing until they find their chosen mates, or some male decides he wants one of them anyway. They’re all attractive and I’m sure it will be easy to find them mates.”
That’s what he had been counting on, and it worried him a little as well. He wanted to get to know Roux better, but what if another male chose her? He wasn’t sure how to tell if she was his destined mate or not. Their father had never talked about how their mother was chosen, and he’d never spoken with Drexyl about how he knew that Lucie was right for him. If he was wrong, and mated a woman who wasn’t his chosen one, then they would have a fruitless union. No matter how attractive Roux was, he didn’t want to give up his hope of ever having children. He adored his niece, but he wanted kids of his own one day.
The door opened and the women stood hesitantly just inside the room. Roux looked so soft and delicate in the dress he’d given her. That urge to hold her grew stronger and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep away from her. She was scared and he didn’t want to make things worse by coming on too strong.
“This is my brother, Prince Drexyl, next in line for the throne. He has agreed to give you rooms at the palace until your futures can be decided. Our world has no eligible females right now, so you will be in high demand.”
Audra’s lips twisted. “As whores you mean.”
“No!” Lyros shouted and then calmed himself. “I’m hoping that each of you will be the destined mate to someone on my world. Even if you aren’t a perfect match, there may be someone who wants to claim you as his… wife; I believe is the Earth term. Not all Tourmalanes want a family with children. Some would be content to have a female in their lives they could grow to love.”
“We don’t have to serve your warriors?” Roux asked in a small voice.
“I promise that no one will ask you to share their bed unless they are going to claim you as their mate. On my world, being intimate with a woman is the same as saying you wish to tie your life to hers forever.”
“But you were at the brothel,” Seneca said.
“I used one of the bots. None of the males on my world have been with a living woman unless they wished to tie their life to hers. We use the bots at the floating brothel when it’s nearby as a release, but nothing more. There are a few species that it’s impossible to bond with, so there’s a chance some of the warriors have been with them.” Lyros knew he wasn’t painting his world in a very favorable light at the moment. “I can assure you, if you bond with one of our males, he will never want to be with another female as long as he lives.”
“Let’s take you to the palace and get you settled. I’m sure my mate will have more clothes for you to borrow until some can be made for you,” Drexyl said. “If these fit, she has a bunch more she can no longer wear.”
Lyros snorted. “If she weren’t pregnant again, maybe she could.”
Drexyl grinned, obviously pleased with himself. Lyros didn’t know how Lucie put up with him. Their daughter was four, and Lucie was already pregnant again. Not that everyone wasn’t thrilled with there being more children in the palace. Even the Keshpan, who was mated, had a daughter. So far, they hadn’t been blessed with more children, but it didn’t seem to bother Bane and Ari.
Drexyl led the way to the palace with Lyros taking up the back. He wanted to make sure the women were protected as they made their way to his home. Having Roux under the same roof was going to be a temptation, but he wasn’t sure he’d trust the other males if she weren’t on the palace grounds. Same for any of the females. It wasn’t that the Tourmalane males were out of control, but they could be a little zealous in their pursuit of a mate.
The palace came into view and he watched Roux tremble. He wanted to take her hand and reassure her that everything would be all right, but it wasn’t his place. The women looked around, taking everything in. When Lucie came running into the receiving room, the women froze as if uncertain of their welcome.
“Lucie, this is Audra, Seneca, and Roux,” Lyros said. “They’re going to stay with us for a little while. Is there a particular set of rooms you’d like for them to use? They could also use more clothes, if you have any to spare.”
Lucie came forward and smiled warmly at the women. “Welcome to Tourmalane. You’re going to love it here. Once you’ve settled in, we’ll host a gathering for the single males to come and introduce themselves to you. I promise everyone will be on their best behavior.”
“You’re truly married to one of them?” Seneca asked.
Lucie gave Drexyl one of those sappy looks that Lyros had come to expect from her. It was obvious to anyone who met her that she was head over heels in love with her husband. Drexyl had even stopped going on missions, unless it was absolutely necessary. Every time he left Lucie moped the entire time he was gone, and spent a large amount of time watching the sky for his return.
“Drexyl finding me on that ship was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Lucie said. “Now, are you more comfortable on your own or together? We only have rooms with one bed or two, but I’m sure we could arrange to move a third bed in if we need to.”
Lyros couldn’t help but stare at Roux, wondering which she would prefer. She was so timid he was certain she would choose to room with the other two women. Maybe after a bit of time on Tourmalane, she would see that no one meant to harm her and she would come out of her shell a bit. It was almost as if she were scared of her shadow.
“I’ll sleep wherever you think is best,” Roux said. “I’m used to being on my own.”
Used to it maybe, but he’d be willing to bet she didn’t prefer it. He tried to convey that message to Lucie with his eyes, but she was studiously ignoring him. Seneca and Audra volunteered to room together, and he wasn’t surprised because the two seemed close. He didn’t know if it was because they came from the same area or if they had bonded in their captivity.
“Everyone can follow me,” Lucie said. “I know just where to put you.”
Lucie led the way through the palace to the guest quarters; Drexyl and Lyros brought up the rear. She showed Audra and Seneca to the gold room, which had two beds. It was a spacious room and they seemed happy with the selection. Roux fidgeted while she waited to see her room, but Lucie yanked the proverbial rug out from under Lyros -- an Earth saying he hadn’t quite understood until this moment -- when she led Roux to his wing of the palace and opened the door next to his suite.
“This part of the palace belongs to Lyros,” Lucie explained. “Since he’s the one who rescued you, I thought you might be more comfortable staying close to him. I can promise that he won’t let anything happen to you.”
“My room is next door,” Lyros said, poin
ting to the wall on the right. “Come and get me anytime you feel frightened.”
Roux looked around the pale blue room and then back at Lyros. The fear and reticence in her gaze was enough to take him to his knees. He didn’t know what it would take to prove to her that she could trust him, that she was safe now, but he vowed to make sure she grew stronger with each passing day. Drexyl had once said that Lucie was very timid when he’d met her, but their bond had brought out her inner warrior. She was fearless now, except where Drexyl was concerned. If she thought for one minute that he or her children were at risk, then she turned into a crying mess. He supposed that was a normal female reaction, but he wasn’t really experienced, especially when it came to human females.
Lucie took Roux’s hand. “Why don’t you go into the bathroom and draw some water? You’ll feel better after you’ve had a soak in the tub. They’re quite similar to those you have on Earth and I’m sure it will relax you. I’ll make sure some more clothes are delivered to you, and we’ll have your measurements taken tonight so you can have a wardrobe of your own.”
Roux fisted her dress. “I don’t have any way to pay for clothes.”
“Oh, honey.” Lucie wrapped an arm around her. “We’re going to cover the cost of your clothes, okay? I don’t want you to worry about anything while you’re here. You don’t have to pay for your clothes, your food, or a place to stay.”
“Nothing is ever free,” Roux said softly.
“Here it is,” Lucie insisted. “You look so young. Are you old enough to be married? Because if you aren’t, then you can stay here as long as you’d like. Even if you are old enough, we aren’t going to force you on the first male who walks through the door.”
“I’m twenty,” Roux said.
Twenty? Gods! She was practically a baby. Not that Lyros was much older at twenty-eight, but it made him feel like a lecherous old man. If he’d thought she wouldn’t want him before this, now he was certain she would prefer a different male. A younger one. Still, he could watch over her and keep her safe. And when she settled down with another warrior, he would focus on finding his mate.
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