by Laurie Roma
“Allie, little one…please,” Tynan said. “I did not mean to hurt you.”
“Well, you did,” Allie said bitterly as she used the scalpel to cut into Ryder’s so she could see inside. “More light,” she ordered, and dozens of warriors held up crystals so she was almost blinded by the amount of light offered.
“Then again,” Allie continued conversationally as she worked on sewing up Ryder’s insides, “this is all about you. None of this has really been about me, except for, hey, you have to have a woman to pass around between you guys, so gee, lucky me. You never even thought about what I wanted or how I would feel…I can tell it was a foregone conclusion for all of you. Allie is just supposed to shut up and go with it.”
King Arik bristled with indignation. “You would have my other sons suffer because you are afraid of the bonding?”
She was pleased her hands were steady even though they wanted to shake. “I don’t even know what the hell bonding means. It would have been nice if someone had explained it to me before I was forced into it. You never even thought about the fact that I want to go home, to my own life. No, I mean why should what’s important to me matter to any of you.”
There was so much damage, but she was sewing up the worst of the wounds inside of Ryder as fast as she could.
Tynan felt her every word like a blow. She was right. He had been humoring her about her leaving, about the mating, and even about her clothing. He knew she had thought this all a dream, and he had used that to his advantage. He thought she would just get used to what he wanted from her and would eventually fall in line after he had trained her to fit into their lives. How could he have been so foolish not to see what he had been doing to her? It made him exactly like the monsters of her past, trying to control her and force his will on her.
Cael reached out and clasped his brother on the shoulder. “I am guilty as well. I would have done exactly what you did had I found her first. We have much to make amends for.”
“We cannot let her leave us,” Tynan said.
“No, but we can make it easier for her to stay,” Cael replied.
Cael had always been the most sensitive of the trio, while Tynan was pure Alpha male. Where Tynan forced his will, Cael liked to understand before making a decision. And Ryder, he was the playful one. Together they knew that they could make their mate happy, but how were they to deal with a female they had to hold against her will?
Tears blurred Allie’s eyes again and made her throat close. “I need my eyes cleared,” she whispered. Someone gently wiped a cloth over her eyes, catching her tears before they fell. She continued to work, aware of the silence surrounding her. When she was done closing his side, she placed a bandage over the wound, taping it in place with a few small strips of tape from her kit. She stepped back, weary. “He needs blood. He lost too much.”
King Falon stepped forward, ripping into his own wrist with his fangs, then held the wound up to his son’s mouth.
Allie watched in amazement that they could perform a blood transfusion that way before getting back to work.
“If we had had someone with your skill, my own brother would not have died,” King Falon said softly. “You are a treasure, a princess that will make our people proud.”
Allie bit her tongue to stop herself from lashing out at all of them again. She concentrated on her task, her face devoid of all emotion. She washed her hands and instruments of the blood then turned to put everything back into her bag. “I’m tired. I want to sleep now.”
“You did not eat,” Tynan said softly.
“I’m not hungry.”
Tynan snarled silently and wanted to argue, but he held back. He did not like the look of devastation that had dulled her once-vivid eyes. He had wounded her, and done it so deeply that even though she tried to block him, he felt it straight to his soul. “Come. We will return to our rooms.”
Queen Kyriani hurried up to Allie and clasped her hands in hers. The taller woman squeezed her hands as tears streamed down her face. “Thank you for saving my son.”
“You’re welcome.”
Tynan held out his hand to Allie. She gripped the shoulder strap of her bag with both hands, refusing to touch him. Tynan’s hand dropped to his side. Allie could feel his pain wash over her, but she was resolute not to let it sway her. She felt petty but couldn’t bring herself to care. Tynan picked up Ryder, and she quietly followed him and Cael back to their suite of rooms.
Allie hesitated once they were back inside the suite. She didn’t know where to go. She looked to the sitting area and thought she could sleep on one of the couches.
“You will sleep with us,” Tynan growled as he came back into the room after putting Ryder to bed.
Allie’s face paled.
Tynan closed his eyes as if in pain. “I did not mean that in the way you think. Little one, I can feel your pain, and I want to fix it.”
“Let me go home then.”
“You cannot leave us,” Tynan stated softly.
Cael’s bright-golden eyes glowed back at her. She could see the need there, but also the sadness. “We will not take you…but we would like to sleep next to you.”
Allie wanted to deny them, but she could see the determination on both of their faces. “You swear you won’t touch me while I sleep?”
Cael shot a glare at Tynan then nodded to her. Cael damned his brother for making this more difficult for all of them.
“Fine. Whatever,” Allie agreed as she dropped her bag on a table. She started toward Tynan’s room then came to a stop.
No, she couldn’t bring herself to go back into his room where she had let him take her earlier. She looked up at Tynan and saw the hunger flare into his eyes as if he were remembering the time they’d spent in their as well. Allie turned and headed into Cael’s room. She heard Tynan’s low snarl behind her and forced herself not to wince at the sound.
She crawled onto the bed, knowing that they would both be sleeping on either side of her. She burrowed under the covers, trying to barricade herself into the warmth to help against the chill she felt inside of her. She opened her eyes and saw both men staring down at her.
“You need to take off your—”
“I’m not sleeping naked with you,” Allie hurried to say.
Tynan snarled again, this time making her flinch.
“Stop scaring her!” Cael snarled back at his brother. “If you cannot control yourself, then I will bar you from this room.”
“Try it,” Tynan said, his voice dangerously soft. He sighed and glanced back at Allie as he unstrapped his sword from his side and set it down. “At least take off the belt so you are more comfortable, Allie. I cannot let you sleep if you are not comfortable.”
“I would be more comfortable sleeping alone.”
“That is not going to happen,” Tynan said through gritted teeth.
Allie pulled off the belt. She wanted to throw it at him but threw it to the end of the bed instead. Both men pulled off their shirts so they were clad only in their leather pants. The sight of their bare chests made her heart skip a beat, but the hurt she felt wouldn’t allow her to truly appreciate the view. She curled up in the center and felt the bed dip as both men lay down next to her. She could hear their breathing, feel their heat next to her.
“I can smell your desire for us,” Cael said, his voice rough with tension.
Allie jerked as if she would bolt from the bed, but they held her in place easily.
“We will not mount you, little one. Take your rest. I know you think we have no regard for your feelings and do not want to sleep, but we have made a vow not to mate with you this eve. Your fear is unwarranted and making you hurt inside.”
“Stay out of my head!” Allie ordered him.
Tynan let out a long sigh. “I cannot. We are bonded.”
Bonded. They were bonded, and she didn’t even know what that really meant. In the silence, her emotions boiled over and the tears ran down her face against her will. Her breath hitc
hed. She tried to muffle the sound but knew both men heard her.
Tynan groaned a second before he pulled her into his arms. “Hate me if you wish, little one, but I cannot bear for you to cry and not hold you. I can feel how deeply I wounded you. I would make amends if you but let me.”
“H–how?” Allie whispered.
“Unless it is for your safety, I will try not to force you to do anything that goes against your will.”
“You…you promise?”
“We vow it, mate,” Cael’s voice rumbled from behind her.
Tynan sighed then pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “It will not be easy, but we will all try to find a balance to ensure your happiness. You only have to let us.”
The dam broke, and Allie sobbed against his bare chest, weeping for all that she had lost and for everything that had happened that day. Her confused emotions left her struggling to find herself amidst the chaos. She jerked as she felt Cael press against her back, his hard shaft settling against the small of her back as he buried his face into her hair.
“Shh, I simply wish to hold you as well. Sleep easy, my love. We will let nothing harm you while you slumber.”
Allie cried for long minutes before she regained control on her emotions. She lay quietly, sandwiched between the two large men as they petted and calmed her. Both men made an odd purring sound, like a rumbling deep within their chests. She found the unusual sound soothing and strangely comforting. She knew it wasn’t really their fault for wanting her to conform to their world, but that didn’t change the fact that she wanted to go home.
“Tomorrow is my birthday,” she whispered.
Cael pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “How old will you be?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Do you celebrate the day of your birth on Earth?” Tynan asked.
She nodded her head.
“What shall we do to celebrate on the morrow?” Cael asked. “Anything you wish will be yours. Just tell us what you want, and we will give it to you.”
Allie’s breath hitched as she closed her eyes, trying to block everything out.
“Happy. I just want to be happy,” she whispered as one more single tear slid down her cheek.
Chapter Five
Allie woke slowly to see that the dark-red sky and purple moons had been replaced by a pale-pink sky with puffy blue clouds and a bright-white sun. Everything was so bright it hurt to look at it. She closed her eyes again to block out the sight.
It was real. She hadn’t been dreaming.
Allie’s head hurt as she realized that she could hear the noises coming from outside like they were in the room with her. She heard the shouts of warriors and the clang of swords. Everything was so loud and confusing. She put her hands over her ears to try and stop it.
Through the cacophony of sounds, Allie heard soft footsteps coming toward the room. With a sigh of resignation, she opened her eyes as Cael entered the room. His jet-black hair had the same warrior’s braids at the sides of his temples that Tynan wore.
It was funny to see that she had first thought they looked so similar but now saw the differences between the brothers clearly in the light of day. Cael’s glowing eyes seemed to be darker, more like a good aged whiskey, while Tynan’s were pure gold. Cael’s facial features also seemed sharper than his brothers.
The sounds continued to ring in her ears. Placing her hands over them, she winced. “Why is everything so loud? What’s happening to me?”
Cael paused then slowly came to sit on the bed beside her. “The blood bond seems to be heightening your senses. It may be overwhelming at first, but you can turn it down. Just imagine lowering the sounds in the background and focusing only on my voice.”
Allie tried to do what he said and found that she could limit her hearing like he said she could. She tried for a smile but knew she failed miserably. “Hello, Cael.”
He cocked his head to the side as if studying her. “Allison. How did you know it was me? Is it because of the blood bond you share with Tynan that you knew that I was not him?”
“No. Am I not supposed to know it was you?”
Cael shook his head slowly. “My brothers and I are identical.”
“I thought so at first, too, but your eyes are darker, and your face is more defined.”
Cael’s eyes seemed to glow brighter with an inner joy. “You are a rare find, Allison Summers. Very few mates can tell their males apart.”
Allie couldn’t help but wince at the word “mates.” Cael noticed, and his eyes seemed to dim a little. He smiled anyway. Allie’s hand came up to trail lightly over the bite marks Tynan had left on her neck. It no longer hurt, but still remained sensitive to the touch.
Cael’s glowing eyes locked onto the mark, and his nostrils flared with lust. “Tynan can feel you playing with your mark.”
Allie’s hand stilled. “What?”
Cael smiled. “When we mark you, the giver can feel you touch your mark like a caress over our own skin. You certainly have his attention right now.”
“Oh!” Allie gasped, her hands flying down to her lap. “I didn’t mean—”
He laughed. “You did not know. My brother is training with the males out in the courtyard. He is…distracted at the moment.”
Allie thought about that for a moment. It was weird to have a direct pathway to someone else on her body. “So if you…”
“When,” Cael said, stressing the word. “When I mark you, I will feel your touch as well.”
Allie frowned. “Tynan didn’t say anything about this.”
“He should have,” Cael agreed. “There is much that should have been said. He knows he was in the wrong, and that is why he is not contacting you in your head right now. He has promised to leave you be for the day. Come, your day of birth celebration awaits.”
Allie hesitated before she took his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her from the bed. “Umm, I have to…”
“Of course.” Cael held her hand as he walked her to the private bathing room attached to his quarters where she could get ready for the day. When she came back into the bedroom, Cael waited with a red dress in his hand. Her footsteps halted as she saw what he was holding.
“It is not what you think.” Cael held the dress up. “I had it made for you this rising.”
Allie could see that the dress was made of a similar material to that of the shirt she still wore. It was the same toga style as the other female’s dresses, but the thicker material afforded her a semblance of modesty so her nipples and pussy weren’t on full display.
“I thought this would be more to your liking. If you are pleased, we can have more made.” His voice lowered to a husky growl. “It would please me greatly to see you wear it.”
Allie walked to him slowly and took the dress from him. She saw the hope shining in his eyes and couldn’t bring herself to tell him no. “I’ll wear it.”
She turned to go back to the private bathing room to change, but he caught her hand, holding her in place. Her eyes shot back to his.
“Change here where I can see you. I will not touch you if that is your wish. I only want to see you.”
Her heart fluttered as she saw the raw hunger on his face. Since she’d had sex with Tynan, she felt burning need for him deep within her body. It was as if she was constantly wet since the first moment he had kissed her. Now she was getting that same feeling with Cael, and it was disconcerting. She didn’t know this man, alien…whatever the hell he was. Jumping into bed with him was the last thing she wanted to do since his brother had royally screwed her the last time that had happened, and not in a good way.
Allie nodded, and Cael took the dress back from her, sitting on the bed so he could watch her strip for him. She slowly undid the buttons of the leather pants and shimmied so the material fell to her ankles. She stepped out of the leather and stood with the shirt, still completely covered. Allie’s breath sped up as she slowly lifted the shirt over her head, exposing herself to his watchful
gaze. Her breasts felt heavy, and she could feel her juices coating her inner channel, preparing her for his penetration. She heard his sharp inhale and shivered as she stood before him completely bare.
She felt desire for him…it was impossible not to, but she was still angry and hurt by their treatment of her. Plus, she still didn’t know him. She looked down to see his hands fisted on his knees and the tent his cock made in his tight leather pants. Her wide eyes shot back to his face in fear.
“Allison, I will not harm you. I vowed I would not touch you if you let me see you. I hold to my word. Put this on.” His harsh growl belied the ruthless control he used to hold himself back from pouncing on her.
The way he practically purred her name every time he said it made her weak. She wanted to fling herself on him. To whip out that impressive cock and ride it until she came, screaming. Trying to stave off her wayward hormones, Allie took the dress from him and quickly pulled it on.
The dress felt heavenly as it slid over her skin. It was softer than the shirt she had worn, like a mixture of the softest velvet and silk that she could barely describe. The material caressing over his skin made her feel sensual, like every nerve ending was sparking to life, awaiting her lover’s touch.
“It’s so soft,” Allie said, rubbing her hands up and down her sides so she could feel the material beneath her fingertips.
As if he could tell what she was thinking, he answered her unspoken question. “It is made from the finest threads of the Cilla worms of the west. We trade crystals with the Forest Palace for the cloth they produce. You are pleased?” Cael asked. Allie nodded and offered him a small smile that made him feel like he had conquered an entire pack of rogues by himself. “Then I shall have more made for you. Of every color under the sun and moons.”
Allie laughed softly. “I don’t think I need that many.”
“You deserve all we can give you.”
We. There it was again. “So, Tynan isn’t joining us?”
