“No,” she said. “Though a lot of the reason is because I’ve blocked some of the worst memories…but the laughter…” Lanie shuddered. “They laughed when they hurt me.”
She wasn’t mad at Paul or the males down in the Den. It wasn’t their fault, and there was no way for them to know it was a trigger for her, but it still hurt. Lanie didn’t know if she’d be able to look Paul in the face again, not after associating him with those dark memories.
“You’re safe with us,” Horny told her. “Your body and your mind.”
“I know,” she said. She reached for him and Fen passed her into Horny’s arms. The hug lasted a long moment before she pulled away. “This is why so many human women don’t want to be lifebonded…not all are as lucky as I am, able to block the worst of the horror out.”
“It will take a lot of work,” Horny whispered into her hair, “But we’ll prove that we’re different. We’ll do whatever takes.”
“Holding me is a nice start,” Lanie told him. “I haven’t been cuddled this much in a long time.” The brakka took that as an invitation to pile on, and she squealed in surprise when she ended up on a cloth-covered bed of sand—the diamond sides kept the grainy center from spilling over, and the soft sheets protected her skin. Until she realized that it wasn’t sheets, it was shirts. That at least that explained why all the males walked around half naked!
Hilom cooed slightly as he pulled her on top of his chest, the vibrations relaxing her instantly. Horny and Fen snuggled up on either side, their brawny bodies easily overlapping her in their warm embrace. It was like being cocooned in strength.
Long moments went by, their combined warmth and presence easing Lanie away from the horrors of her past. She sighed dreamily, her body relaxed and her mind tranquil. The small kiss she pressed to Hilom’s chest was meant to be a small thanks, an appreciation for the comfort she was enjoying. But his rumbling purr spiked with excitement.
Lanie rolled her eyes. Men—even alien men! All they thought about was dipping their wicks and catching fire. Damn flashbangs, when all she wanted was to enjoy the moment. Her growl wasn’t as impressive as the ones her brakka could dole out, but it caught their attention. “Don’t rush me,” she muttered, moving off Hilom’s chest to snuggle down into the crevice between Horny and Hilom’s big bodies.
“We’re not rushing you,” Horny said. “But we can’t hide our attraction or eagerness either. Be patient with us, Lanie, and we’ll be patient with you.”
She grumbled but didn’t argue—he had a point. Still, she wiggled until she was pressed against Horny’s broad chest and then nuzzled, seeking more comfort. She discovered that she liked being petted and soothed, a surprise after years of aloofness.
Fen climbed over Hilom and stole his spot; he spooned behind her, and Lanie sighed happily. “I haven’t felt this way in a long time,” she murmured, her thoughts tumbling freely past her lips.
“What way?” Fen asked, his lips coasting along her neck and shoulder.
Lanie didn’t answer right away; she was exhausted and floating somewhere between asleep and awake. She knew her inhibitions were lowered, but she couldn’t find the energy to care. She wanted—no, needed—to trust these males. Her brakka. She wanted them to understand her, to accept everything about her…even her flaws.
“Safe,” she whispered. “I haven’t felt safe since my mother was killed, when all my neighbors turned on each other. Since my body stopped belonging to me. It feels good to be safe again.”
Warm lips trailed up and down her neck, Fen’s way of reassuring her while Horny pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.
Horny used his sexy, rumbly voice to reassure her, saying, “We’ll protect you, my Charm. With us, you’ll always be safe.”
Lanie believed him.
***
While cuddling was fun, waking up covered in sweat was less so. Lanie dreamed of swimming and then of drowning…and woke up drenched. Her skin was slick, her clothes damp, and her hair—no, she didn’t want to think about her hair.
“Hello, little Charm,” Fen whispered, nuzzling her ear.
Lanie flinched away, and she felt him tense; they were still curled up together, bodies wedged tight. There was no escaping the icky results of high body heat. She sat up and tried to pull her soaked shirt away from her chest, but it was suctioned tight to her skin.
“What’s wrong?” Fen asked. The softness that had been in his voice was gone, and Lanie missed the lazy cadence from moments before. And then sweat dripped between her breasts.
“I need to get clean.” Like, immediately.
“We explained that already—it’s instinct to keep our scent on you until we’re lifebonded.”
Despite his calming, reassuring words, Lanie was too grossed out to relax. “Fen, you’re not hearing me. This isn’t a normal thing for humans—at all—and I’m starting to feel nauseous. There is no way this is all mine…I’m practically swimming in your sweat.”
Lanie gagged, bringing both Hilom and Horny awake.
“What’s wrong? Fen, what happened to her?” Horny demanded, voice rough from sleep.
Hilom ran his big hands up and down her back, probably hoping to soothe her, but it just mashed her sopping shirt into her skin. She gagged again and skittered away from the males, goosebumps ridging her entire body.
“She doesn’t like the feel of sweat on her skin,” Fen explained. “She wants to wash it off.”
No, she wanted to dry off first. Then she wanted a bath, once she no longer had to feel the rivulets streaming down from her sodden hair.
“But our scent…” Hilom said.
“I don’t care about your scent!” Lanie snapped. “You can always find other, more appealing, ways of marking me. But this?” she waved at herself, and perspiration rained off her fingertips as if to prove her point. “Not okay!”
Lanie yanked off her shirt and bra, throwing them to the ground with more force than synthetic cotton warranted. Then she hopped uselessly in place, one side of her leggings stuck to her foot while she tried to kick it off. Her aggravated shriek as she shed the cumbersome sweat-soaked mess culminated in all three aliens taking measure steps back.
Lanie knew she looked like a crazy person, standing there—puffing like an angry, fire-breathing dragon—in only her lacy panties. Well, and a thick coat of sweat. They’d all but painted her in their scent, and now they watched her as if afraid of what she might do next. If she wasn’t so grossed out, their wary expressions would’ve been hilarious.
But the fact was, they didn’t understand why she was icked out. What other hygiene differences were there? Did they not wipe their heinies? Or wash their hands? Good God, did they eat boogers?
She looked them over, searching silently for clues or answers, and it seemed they did the same. Horny, bless his heart, was the bravest. When he held up his hands and stepped toward her, Lanie narrowed her eyes. If he followed the Universal Male Handbook and said ‘calm down, Sweetie’, she’d kill him.
“The secretions were not intentional, my Charm, but our bodies will continue to produce it in copious amounts until we’re bonded…it’s a way to protect you from other brakkas, a natural phenomenon we have no control over,” Horny said. “Our breed isn’t as territorial as the Abbaleer, but we are possessive of our bonded.”
Though she still felt gross and icked out, a lot of her frustration melted away. He sounded so…reasonable. Lanie opened her mouth to apologize for losing her temper, but a familiar tug from deep within her mind kept the words from tumbling out.
The amphitheater dropped down around her, and Lanie was hit with a bit of vertigo as she saw her brakka rush forward, obviously concerned, but she was unable to interact with them. Her mind was entrenched with her fellow Paradins.
Lanie, the multitude of voices whispered, are you lifebonded?
Not yet, she answered. There’s a bit of a learning curve. Things are progressing, but actually forming the bond will be a challenge.
We don’t have much time, the voices said. The echoes were mostly unified, but she could easily pick out Brandon’s amongst the many. We’ve detected an approaching ship—we must be ready to defend ourselves as soon as possible.
The news burst the bubble of safety she’d briefly allowed herself to revel in; the truth was, there was no safety until the threat to her species was eliminated. I’ll tell my brakka and cement the bond…the mission comes first. Before her fears, before her body—the mission was so much more important than just Lanie.
The mission comes first, they echoed.
She was dropped out of hivemind and into the arms of her males. They all looked freaked out, especially when she smiled up at them.
“What happened!” Horny shouted. “You weren’t here…your eyes…the light went out of your eyes!”
“Are you ill? Does the sweat truly make you sick?” Fen asked, his face etched with deep lines of worry.
Lanie felt terrible for being the cause of their panic—her damn temper, while not common, was fierce. She needed one of those squeezy stress balls. “No, I’m fine. Really,” she promised. “I was in hivemind, which is like a mental meeting with the other Paradins. They reached out to me because they were worried, and to let me know they’ve detected a ship approaching us…”
“A mental meeting? In your head?” Hilom looked awed. “That sounds fascinating.”
“The ship, did they tell you how far out it is?” Delloruin asked, his attitude switching from concerned lover to stern commander in a flash.
“No, but they urged me to finish the bond so we can prepare as soon as possible.” Lanie blushed when all three of the brakka growled lustily at her words. Their heated gazes made her feel beautiful and desirable—no matter how much sweat was drying on her skin.
“Are you ready to finish the bond?” Fen asked. In that moment, Lanie understood why he was considered the thinker of the brakka. He asked questions when the others would’ve gotten caught up in their own excitement.
“I’m nervous,” Lanie admitted. “My experience is limited to one partner at a time, except for…” She swiped her hand across the back of her neck, not wanting to make the situation more difficult. The lock in her mind was once again firmly in place. “I’m just afraid the whole ‘mate as one’ thing will bring back…memories.”
There was a long pause, and then Fen asked, “Did you think of those memories when we were together yesterday?” He moved close enough to swipe the lone tear from her cheek.
Lanie shook her head. In truth, she’d been so swept up in the passion and the pain that she’d had little room for coherent thought until she’d come down from the orgasms they’d given her. Some of the details were a bit hazy, but it was, overall, an experience she’d never forget.
“Then trust us to take care of you again,” he whispered, leaning down to gently kiss her lips. Fen’s little horn nuzzled her nose, and she giggled. “We want to bring you pleasure…over and over again.”
The heated words ended in a deeper kiss, and Lanie opened herself up to it—to him. In many ways, Fen was her ideal partner. Considerate, sexy, and alpha. He was everything she’d ever thought to want…but she craved him and the others. It wasn’t so much that he was lacking—Fen melted her panties right off, with his words and his body—but her connection was to the entire brakka. He was part of the puzzle, an interesting and complex piece, yes, but she needed acceptance from them all.
Fen’s thoughtful and intense affection.
Hilom’s open, reverent love.
Horny’s complete domination.
Each of them called to a part of her—even hidden parts she was afraid to explore—and Lanie wanted to give them each what they deserved…but she was terrified of falling short. How could one woman be what all three males needed?
Fen, oblivious to her thoughts, wrapped his arms around her. Their bodies pressed together, and there was no doubt how aroused her alien lover had become. His monster rubbed against her belly as they kissed, his hips thrusting infinitesimally as their tongues dueled.
Hands on her shoulders—Horny’s, from the commanding way he ran them down her arms and then back up again—pulled Lanie from the depths of the kiss. She stared stupidly up at Fen as he grinned and stepped back so Hilom could swoop in.
The youngest of the brakka wasted no time, his mouth plundering hers. Lanie moaned, but she didn’t get swept away again—Horny made sure of that. His thick fingers tweaked her nipples, pinching and pulling with just enough pressure to make her squirm.
Hilom bit down on her lip, the nip making her cry out in surprise. He swept his tongue back into her mouth, forcefully capturing her attention even as Horny competed to distract her. The combined stimulation soaked her pussy, and she clenched her thighs to ease the sudden sense of aching hollowness.
Fen didn’t allow her that for long, however. “Move her to the bed,” he growled, taking control for all four of them. It surprised her—she thought Horny would always be in charge—but Hilom and Horny both went along with the order; they gently guided her, never stopping their sensual assault. She stumbled along between them, enjoying herself too much to feel trepidation at falling into bed with all three of her lovers.
Horny pulled her between his spread thighs, her back to his chest. His nose horn caressed her neck and shoulder as he kissed and nibbled aimlessly, his fingers still rolling her nipples with enough pressure to make her breasts feel heavy and swollen. Hilom moved slightly to her right, kneeling next to her so he could continue their kiss; his hands tangled in her long hair, holding her still as she squirmed and thrashed in their demanding embrace.
It was Fen who drove her wild, however. He crawled between her sprawled thighs while she was distracted by the other two and licked her through the lace of her panties. Lanie screamed into Hilom’s mouth and bucked, her body racing toward orgasm. Every tweak of her nipples, every nibble on her lips, and every lick of her still-covered clit brought her to the brink…over and over. But they never allowed her past that cusp, always pulled back to prevent her from tumbling into ecstasy.
Time lost meaning after her third delayed orgasm.
Lanie yanked her mouth from Hilom, heedless of his grip on her hair, and begged shamelessly. “Please! Please…I can’t! I can’t take any more!”
Fen’s answer to her pleas was immediate; he peeled her sopping panties down her trembling, spread thighs and then smiled at her, his eyes promising wickedness. She shuddered hopefully and then screamed when he ducked his head and sucked her entire swollen clit into his mouth. If he didn’t care that she hadn’t bathed since their last tryst, she didn’t either. She bucked helplessly under his dirty, wicked kiss.
“I’ll do anything!” she promised, all but weeping when Fen pulled away, leaving her on the edge of need. “Please!”
Hilom, still kneeling beside her, sat up straight from where he’d hunched to devour her mouth. At some point, his pants had come off—and his monster cock was dripping pre-cum right in front of her lips. “Suck me,” he growled.
Lanie, desperate for a break in the overwhelming stimulation, obeyed instantly. The thick, fleshy head of his penis was warm and soft, and she flicked her tongue over the slit automatically. The flavor was similar to that of Horny’s potent taste, but not quite as strong; the milder essence was just as intoxicating, however. She moaned as she lapped at his cock, her lips and tongue already tingling.
Both Horny and Fen gentled their attentions, allowing her body to settle as she worked on Hilom. The hands in her hair tightened as she wrapped her lips fully around his tip, and she looked up through her lashes at Hilom, wanting to see his expression.
He was fierce, his young face transformed in his passion. The sweetest of her brakka had his teeth bared and his brow drawn into an intense, concentrated frown—and he was staring right at her, watching his cock slide between her lips as she licked and sucked.
“Use your hands, Lanie, like you did with Delloruin. Make me come, sweet Cha
rm.”
Her hands—which she’d completely forgotten about—had been wrapped around Fen’s horns as he’d eaten her pussy. She had no idea how long they’d been there, but her knuckles cracked and popped as she pried them loose and then wrapped them around Hilom’s cock.
Her fingers could barely encircle his girth, but she licked her palm and pumped him regardless. He groaned at the added sensation, throwing his head back as she hollowed out her cheeks around the rounded head; she took the thick beast as deep into her mouth as possible, regulating her breath so she wouldn’t panic and gag. Since he wasn’t quite as big as horny, she managed almost two inches before her jaw protested.
“My turn next,” Fen murmured, his hot breath against her clit making her writhe and lose her rhythm.
“Stop distracting her!” Hilom complained, his voice hoarse as she went back to swirling her tongue along his slit. The flavor was getting more potent with every passing minute, and her lips and tongue felt swollen from how fiercely they tingled.
Lanie blocked out the shudders brought on by Fen’s laughter, his lips brushing her labia as he teased her and Hilom. She tried to also block the possessive way Horny locked his teeth over her shoulder, holding her firmly against his chest as he swirled his fingers gently over her engorged nipples—that was harder to accomplish, mostly because his teeth added a hint of pain, a poignant twinge that made her insides quiver with dark excitement.
Through it all, she somehow managed to build back up to a steady rhythm with Hilom, her mouth gliding over his cock in time with her fist. The sounds were wet and filthy, and her lips and chin were dripping with saliva, but he’d begun to shudder and groan. The sexy sounds made the mess worth it.
Lanie moaned around Hilom’s shaft, caught up in the erotic act. That one sound—or perhaps the vibrations from it—finished him off. Hot, thick spurts jetted down her throat, and she frantically swallowed to keep from choking as his orgasm stretched over a long minute. He pumped into her mouth for a while after she’d licked him clean, with small little thrusts, and then he sighed. The hands in her hair took to petting her gently, and when he looked down at her, it was with glazed, contented eyes. “Thank you, my sweet, sweet Charm,” he whispered.
Lanie's Choice: Survivors of Paradise Book 1 Page 8
