“Alpha, the shuttle is ready.”
Delsin turned and saw Hakan standing in the doorway. He walked over and pushed him out into the hall, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Never mind. Nobody’s been able to handle the cubs since we left home. I think we should keep him around until we can find a replacement.”
Hakan scowled. “That’s not fair to Mer.”
Delsin narrowed his eyes. “It’s my decision, and that’s the way it’s going to be. The cubs’ welfare must come first.”
Hakan’s nostrils flared. “Very well.” His jaw clenching, he turned and walked stiffly toward the front of the house.
Wiping his sweaty hands on his pants, Delsin walked back into the room. As he watched, Mer placed a sleeping Yuma on his stomach and covered his legs with a sheet. He glanced at Knoton and nodded toward the door. His pride mate bowed his head slightly and herded the three young ones out into the hall.
“Where’s he taking the kids?” asked Mer.
“He and Hakan will take them outside to get some fresh air.” He walked over and sat next to Mer on the bed. His eyes closed when his lion pushed against his rib cage. Mine! Claim mate now! Delsin pushed the beast back and smiled at Mer. “I’m very impressed with the way you handled the young ones.”
“I guess it comes kind of naturally. I went to college to be a teacher of preschool-age children.”
“So you’re a teacher.”
Mer snorted. “Not hardly.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Where I come from gay men aren’t allowed to teach young children. Hell, they don’t tolerate them teaching college kids if they find out.”
Delsin thought for a moment, worrying his lip with his teeth. “Maybe my translator isn’t working. Your world doesn’t allow happy men to teach children. What the hell kind of thinking is that?”
Mer choked back a laugh. “No, not happy. Gay is my sexual orientation. It means I prefer to have sexual relations with men instead of women.”
“And your world frowns on this.”
“Well, they don’t necessarily frown upon it. At least as long as it stays away from their own back doors. They don’t think it’s morally right for a gay man to teach little children.”
Delsin growled. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. When a person has the gift of reaching the very young, they should be allowed to practice that gift. I can promise you my people will never look down on you for anything in your personal life. They’ll be grateful for anything you can do to keep our young safe and happy.”
A dull, red flush crept up Mer’s neck. He looked down at his hands. “Um, that’s good to know.” He cleared his throat. “Tell me about your house. It’s furnished kind of weird. Some of it looks like it could be right out of my home town on Earth.”
“This house belongs to my friend, Zintssar from Arridia. He built here when he decided he didn’t want to live on his home planet with his father, but wanted to be close in case his people needed him. We’re actually on one of the moons orbiting Arridia. Zin visited Earth with his father when he was younger and really liked it there. I guess he did his best to recreate the same atmosphere when he designed this place.” Delsin glanced toward the door when he heard Etu’s voice in his head.
Brother, what is going on? Knoton tells me this human performed magic and got the cubs under control, while Hakan tells me you’re dishonoring our contract with our mate. I don’t understand. Where is our lovely mate?
Delsin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. There was a telepathic connection between pride members that could be blocked if the person so desired. “Etu, please come in and meet Meredith Carter.” He smiled at Mer. “This is my brother, Etu, and you’ve already met Knoton.”
Mer grinned and stood, holding out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Etu. Most folks call me Mer.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mer.”
Delsin moved toward the door as Etu shook Mer’s hand. “I’m going to show Mer to his room, and then we need to have a meeting. Come along, Mer.” He walked down the hall without waiting to see if Mer followed. He opened the door at the end of the hall and motioned for him to go inside. He silently groaned as his gaze swept the sparse room. A large bed stood against one wall, covered with a dark-brown blanket and a mound of pillows. One small table stood beside it, while sunlight poured in from a naked, open window. Another closed door led to a small bathroom with a shower.
“This is nice.” Mer walked over to look out the window, the steady breeze ruffling the hairs on his head.
“I know you must be tired after your long journey. Why don’t you rest, and we’ll wake you when it’s time for dinner. We can go over the particulars of your staying when everyone’s together.”
Mer sagged against the wall, his hand gripping the windowsill. Before he dropped his gaze, Delsin noticed a suspicious wetness in his eyes. Slowly Mer stood and walked toward the bed. “Sure, just let me know when you want me.”
Delsin shut the door, his lion roaring out his displeasure at leaving his mate. Groaning, he made his way to the office where Etu was pacing back and forth.
“What the hell is going on, Delsin?”
“I screwed up, brother. I take full responsibility for this mess.” Etu continued to pace while Delsin told him how Meredith came to be with them. “I’m sorry, Etu. But I have to say I’m impressed with how he managed the cubs when none of us could.”
Etu stopped and dropped into a chair. “He seems really nice. My lion is really interested. He wanted me to get closer so he could get in a good sniff.” He folded his hands across his stomach. “I’ve been with males, before but I never imagined myself taking a permanent male mate.”
“Me neither. I have to admit he’s attractive, and I know he feels the same way. The smell of his arousal was driving my beast to a frenzy.”
Etu sat up and studied Delsin. “Does this mean we’re going to take a male mate?”
Delsin thought for a moment. “Well…” He got up and walked to the window. “No, I guess not. We need a female to increase the pack. It wouldn’t be fair to the pride to take a male and let Chaarta die out.”
Etu licked his lips, running his fingers through his hair. “What are you going to tell him?”
“Nothing for now. I’ll let him know how much we need his help with the cubs and we want to wait to see how well he gets along with them.”
Etu growled. “That’s not right, Delsin.”
“That’s the way it has to be.”
“My beast wants to be closer to him now. What are you going to do if your beast decides to take matters into his own paws?”
Chapter 4
Mer peeked into the children’s room and grinned when he found them all sleeping. Too bad I don’t have a camera. I’d bet anything they don’t often go down at the same time. Quietly he closed the door and headed for the kitchen. His dinner the night before had left a lot to be desired. The guys claimed they’d been taking turns in the kitchen, but none of them were really experienced at cooking. He’d nearly wet his pants when Knoton told him they preferred to shift and catch their meals, but there wasn’t much in the way of game on the small moon. The steaks they’d had for dinner had been brought back from Earth. He shuddered when he thought about the tough meat, charred on the outside and raw on the inside. “I’m happy to cook if I don’t have to experience that again.”
Humming slightly out of tune, he pulled a huge slab of bacon from the cooler and began slicing it into thick pieces. He lined them up in a skillet and turned the cooking unit to a low setting. As the meat began to sizzle, he cracked eggs into a large bowl. It had been thoughtful of Knoton to bring back so much food from Earth. It actually gave him a feeling of home to be cooking breakfast for the men.
He’d been disappointed at first when the large lion shifter had said they wanted to take things slow to make sure they were compatible, but after sleeping on it, he was convinced it was the smart thing to do. Mer wanted
something that would last, and for that to happen they needed to go slow. Who knew he’d end up with a house full of kids, too? It was the perfect situation. Two hot men and children to dote on. “I can’t believe how things have worked out. I’ve got everything I ever dreamed of.” He heard footsteps coming down the hall as he started turning the slices of bacon.
* * * *
Delsin sniffed the air and came fully awake when the aroma of something tasty settled in his nose. It was his turn to cook, but someone must have taken pity on him and saved him from the arduous chore. He quickly dressed and headed for the kitchen.
He came to a halt just inside the door. Mer was standing in front of the stove, dressed in a pair of shorts and no shirt. He was humming some tune and wiggling his hips in time to the beat. Delsin felt his cock begin to fill, his lion stretching and purring inside him. Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat.
Mer turned around and smiled. “Good morning! Did you sleep well? I figured since you went to the trouble to bring all this food from Earth, I’d give you a hand and cook breakfast for everyone.” He took a step back and bit his lip. “Is that okay?”
Delsin took two steps into the room and smiled. “Absolutely, it’s okay. It smells wonderful.”
“What’s that heavenly smell?” Etu walked through the door, raking his fingers through his hair. Brother, my lion is fighting me. He wants Mer for a mate, and I’m not sure I can control him.
Delsin looked at the heat in Etu’s eyes and groaned inwardly. I know what you’re going through. My own beast is determined to claim the little man no matter what I want. We need to fight it, Etu. We need to find a female shifter that’s willing to come live with our pride so we can increase our numbers. Eventually our lions will understand this.
“That smell is the wonderful aroma of bacon, my friend. There’s nothing like starting the day with several thick slices of pig to go with your scrambled eggs.” Mer chuckled and put another pan on the cooking unit. He vigorously stirred a bowl of runny, yellow liquid.
“Man, that smells good.” Hakan walked in, followed closely by Knoton. “When are we eating?”
“Any minute now. “ Mer poured the contents of the bowl into the hot pan. “Take a seat, and I’ll bring your plates to you.” A few minutes later he was setting plates of eggs and bacon in front of each man. “Go ahead and get started. I’m gonna run and check on the babies, and then I’ll come back and join you.”
Delsin watched him walk down the hall and groaned.
“Goddess, this is fantastic.” Knoton shoveled the food in his mouth.
Hakan narrowed his eyes. “For somebody that’s not interested in taking him as a mate, the two of you are almost drooling watching him. What’s going on?”
Knoton snorted. “If you really don’t want him, would you mind if I take a stab at getting him to like me?”
In the blink of an eye, Delsin had Knoton up against the wall with his hands at his throat. “You will keep your paws off of him. Do you understand?”
Etu leaned in close. “We will end your life in a very painful way if you don’t stay away.”
Knoton grinned. “I can see how the two of you don’t really want or care about the little human.”
Delsin tightened his hands and then froze when a bloodcurdling scream came from the back of the house.
* * * *
Mer headed for the babies’ room, practically bouncing step to step. A warm glow spread throughout his body as he thought about waking up to Delsin and Etu every morning. I wonder when they’ll wanna take things further. He was certainly ready. His cock had been rock hard since they landed on the moon. He didn’t even mind about the babies. He’d always had a secret yearning for children but had buried it, believing it could never happen since he’d never been with a woman.
When he reached the babies’ room, he quietly pushed open the door. The blankets were bunched up in the middle of the bed, and he couldn’t see any of the children. He started to tiptoe closer when he heard a strange, growling noise and the covers shifted a little to the left. He bit back a scream and held his breath, rushing across the room and throwing back the blanket. Instead of those precious babies, there were five small animal cubs growling and tumbling all over each other. “Oh my God.” He took two steps back, and screamed as loud as he could.
The door crashed open, and Delsin and Etu came running in followed closely by Knoton and Hakan.
Delsin put his hands on Mer’s shoulders and gazed down at his face. “What’s wrong?”
Mer pointed a trembling finger toward the bed. “They’re gone. The babies are gone. Those animals have eaten our babies.” Tears poured down his cheeks, his breath coming in hiccups. When all four men laughed, he pulled away from Delsin’s arms and flattened his back against the wall. “What’s wrong with you? How can you be so heartless? Don’t you care anything about the babies at all?”
Delsin pulled him away from the wall and wrapped his arms around his waist while Etu came up behind him and pressed against his back. His eyes closed when Delsin wiped away his tears. “Of course we care about the babies. We love them very much.”
Etu leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “It’s good to know you have such strong feelings for them, Mer.”
Delsin took Mer’s chin and raised his head. “The babies are fine, Mer. Lion shifters can shift very early in life which is why they need constant monitoring and guidance. That’s another reason why we need you so much. You’ve already developed some kind of bond with them. They respond to you, and they don’t do that for just anybody.”
Mer sniffed and glanced toward the bed. Knoton was sitting there letting their little paws bat at his hands. “You’re telling me those little fur balls are really the babies?”
Delsin nodded. “That’s right.”
“How do you make them change back?”
Delsin walked to the bed and stopped, staring down at the five cubs. His demeanor began to change as he seemed to grow bigger. His hair stood out, looking more like a lion’s mane, while his eyes blackened. The tone of his voice had Mer leaking pre-cum and adjusting his tight shorts. He had an insane urge to obey the alpha male.
“Shift now!”
A bright blue light surrounded the bed, and then there were five babies lying there naked, laughing up at the alpha lion.
“What was the blue light?” Mer gazed at the babies, trying to understand what he’d just seen.
“It’s the magic,” said Delsin. “We call the magic from the air when we want to shift to our beasts.”
Mer burst into tears and ran from the room. When he reached his bedroom, he collapsed on the bed. I’m never gonna fit in here. I won’t be any good to them if I can’t even control the cubs. They laughed at me. Hell, I may as well go back to Earth. He sat up and wiped his hand across his eyes when the door crashed open and Delsin and Etu walked in. Both men came to sit on the bed, one on each side of him.
Delsin pulled Mer into his arms. “We’re sorry we laughed. It wasn’t meant to be mean. We were just really glad that everything was okay. Your scream had us thinking something happened to you. We feared for your safety.”
Mer’s breath caught in his throat. He’d never considered they might be worried about him. He swallowed hard when Delsin began rubbing up and down his arms while Etu caressed his back.
Delsin took his chin to raise his face and stared deeply into his eyes. “Shit,” he whispered and then lowered his lips.
* * * *
Delsin held his breath as his lips brushed against Mer’s. Brother, my lion is insisting we mate him now. He ignored Etu’s voice and blocked his thoughts. His tongue swiped across Mer’s bottom lip, his flavor bursting through his senses. “I want you,” he whispered.
“About damn time.” Mer’s hands trailed up his arms, his fingers tangling in the hairs at the back of his neck.
Delsin opened his link with his brother. There’s no harm in making love. Just remember no claiming bites.
“
Wait!” Mer pushed against Delsin’s chest. “What about the babies?”
Delsin smoothed his hand over Mer’s silky hair. “No worries. Knoton and Hakan will protect them with their lives.”
* * * *
Mer felt a soft kiss brush to the top of his shoulder as his hair was pulled to the side. Etu’s lips followed the curve of his neck.
Delsin inhaled deeply, his eyes closing. “You smell so good.” His fingers trailed across Mer’s chest, lingering on his sensitive nipples. “Your skin is like silk, warm silk. I want to feel it all.” Delsin stroked Mer’s long hair and then the swelling bulge in his shorts, chuckling when Mer groaned loudly. Leaning close, he licked across his lips and then pressed in for another kiss, deepening their connection, sliding his tongue in Mer’s mouth. The tiny bristles on Delsin’s jaw abraded the skin of Mer’s cheek. His kisses stayed slow and easy as they stroked and learned each other. When Delsin pulled back, Mer was left dizzy and wanting. “You taste even better than you smell.”
Etu turned Mer in his arms, his hand drawing little circles on Mer’s smooth skin. He raked his body with a heated glance as he feathered the backs of his fingers across his nipples. “You are so beautiful.”
“Oh, God.” Mer closed his eyes when first Delsin and then Etu leaned forward and took a small nipple between their teeth. Both men licked and nibbled, pulling the nipples deep into their mouths. He moaned and then gasped when Delsin tugged the tender flesh, soothing the area with his tongue.
Shuddering, Mer reached out and caressed Delsin’s nipples and rubbed his palms along his rock-hard abs. “You are so hot!”
Etu pulled Mer to his knees and then reached down and kneaded his ass, a buttock in each hand, spreading and squeezing them. His fingers crept to the waistband of his briefs. They slipped inside, skimming around his waist and delving into his underwear, the tips of his fingers brushing the head of his cock. Mer gasped, spreading his legs wider, when work-roughened hands cupped his balls.
Meredith's Pride [Galactic Nuptials 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) Page 4
