Hearts of Ishira (Hearts of Ishira Saga)

by Bethany Aan

  She shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. Her butt was sore from so many days of just sitting on it, and though the couch was very comfortable, she was still frustrated by the various aches and pains that plagued her. At one point, thinking they weren’t paying attention, she shifted her position. The blanket and her short gown rode high enough on her legs to expose the thatch of curls at her thighs. Jace, looking just at that moment, allowed the kettle he was filling to slop over, for which he received a sound thwap on the back of his head from his older brother. He glared at Hunter, rounding on him. Hunter shook his head.

  “I believe we should find some more suitable clothing for our guest,” the commander murmured, frowning.

  “I think we should take away what she has,” Jace countered, his mouth watering at the thought of tasting her, feeling those silky curls against his face. He remembered the sweet, exotic scent of her desire and he throbbed painfully against his trousers. “She should wear nothing but silk. Very sheer silk. Or nothing. I’m okay with nothing.”

  “We can perhaps manage the silk, at some point,” Hunter replied quietly. “We brought back many bolts of fine cloth from the cargo holds of the slavers’ ship. It has to stay in quarantine for awhile, but in the meantime, it seems she will be more comfortable with something that allows her some modesty. Obviously, her people value that, at least a little.”

  Jace sighed longingly as Arianna shifted once more, covering herself, then he went back to his part of preparing the meal. In short order, they were all sitting in the lounge area, eating and talking. Arianna was slow to join the teasing conversation, but her earlier embarrassment didn’t last long. Her sense of humor took over and while the looks she gave them were a little shy, she began to give as good as she got, testing their boundaries and making the men hoot with laughter over and over, usually at each others’ expense.

  She considered it a good morning’s work.

  Hunter and Jace left after breakfast to go check on their men and the various projects going on throughout the colony. They promised to come back soon, help her get dressed, check on her, and take her back down to the command center, if anything had been found that was worth packing her across the compound. Ri was fine for the first hour. She sat on their balcony, sipping a mug of stimulant tea that Jace had brewed for her, and watching the comings and goings in the courtyard below.

  She wished she could call one of the other girls to keep her company, but the problem with already having made friends with the more outgoing and intelligent girls was that they seemed to want to be outgoing among the folks they hadn’t met yet. A good number had joined Hunter’s salvage teams, working with the men to determine what was worth saving and what wasn’t. Others had started hanging out around the fenced-in training area, where the warriors worked on their skills, keeping their bodies and minds honed for battle, should it come calling.

  Kim and Chelsea’s translators were already online, and Ri could only hope that those of the girls out at the crash site were having similar success. It was nice not to have to be consulted every time messages needed relaying, but the down side to that was that now she was bored out of her mind. Kim was often in the med center during the day, working with Jax and his team to learn what she could about Thorsani physiology and teach them about human anatomy. Arianna sensed that there were some rather interesting moments happening on that front, but when she had asked Kim about it, the girl had positively giggled and gone red all over.

  Chelsea was also working with a team of men, Mors and his warriors, to learn the security protocols, the computer systems, the weapons and the threats closest to the compound. She was determined to help out following the educational path she’d laid for herself, and she didn’t accept a change of planet as an excuse to abandon her dreams. The men who worked with her were enamored of her get-it-done attitude, her toughness, and her beautiful, dark skin and eyes.

  The girls that were left in the dorm were Amy and Alicia, and about six of their friends who kept to their own tight little knot at the other end of the building, refusing to have much to do with the ‘aliens’. It had been with a great amount of glee that Bev had reminded the girls that on this world, the humans were the aliens. The Thorsani were here first. The looks on Amy and her friends’ faces had been priceless. She hadn’t spoken to Ri since that evening, even though it had been Bev who’d told her off. Until last night, when Hunter had come by to collect Ri. Arianna shuddered at the memory.

  Hobbling over to the balcony railing, Arianna cast out with her ever-increasing Reader senses and discovered that most of her new friends were gathered around the fence of the training field, watching the men exercise and spar. The men, she sensed, were rather enjoying having a female audience. They were still a bit frustrated that the girls weren’t trying to interact more, but most of that frustration was out of sexual need, not out of anger with the girls. On a logical level, the men knew that three days on a different planet was not enough time for most women to form an attachment. Their bodies had a different opinion, but from what Ri could tell, Thorsani men were taught that they controlled their bodies, not the other way around, like on Earth.

  Thinking of those Thorsani bodies, Arianna wished she could go out there and watch, as well, just for fun and to join her friends. Maybe encourage the girls to cheer the men on. And get a peek at the beefcake, if she was going to be honest with herself… She imagined Hunter and Jace out on the field in nothing but their boots and loincloths, teeth bared in feral grins as they circled and battled one another. Oh, man. She was going to have to ask Hunter for a loincloth, herself, if she kept having thoughts that made her wet like this!

  Forcing her frustrated thoughts in a new direction, she looked out over the walls of the compound, watching strangely shaped trees blowing and bending in the wind, listening to the distant sounds of combat and men training, the calls of animals she couldn’t imagine. Mountains surrounded their colony, with teal growth and colorful flowers all over the hills. Snow lingered not too far from the valley, making Ri wonder what season it was. She was guessing spring, from all the new growth and flowering buds on the trees, but she had no way of knowing until she could ask her guys. The sky was a light shade of purple most of the time, going much darker when evening fell, as it did quickly here. She wondered what was in the atmosphere that would allow light to bend to purple, instead of blue, then shrugged. Either way, it was lovely and different, a constant reminder that she was far, far from home.

  It still amazed her that she was on a different planet. A long-time science-fiction fan, she spent a good deal of the morning thinking about the possibilities. There was no telling what was out there! And considering what she’d left on Earth, the prospect of starting over on a whole new world was incredibly appealing. She had been so lonely, back home. So tired of it all, so… under-appreciated. Her only wish then had been to find a place where she was wanted and needed, settle down, and make a life where she could be, if not happy, at least content. For a time, she had allowed herself to dream that such a place was here. But without being able to reproduce, she didn’t think it would happen here, either.

  Her mood darkened at that and her thoughts circled back to the very subject she needed distraction from: kids and her inability to have them. So she couldn’t have children. That probably took her out of the running for forming a mating attachment, but maybe she could still make her own way, build a life, make a place for herself in their society. She had some skills and knowledge that might be useful to the women as families were created and clothing and home furnishings were needed.

  The thought heartened her a bit. Perhaps she could be a teacher, a mentor, like she had mentioned to the girls the first morning in the dorm? Look at the positives, she scolded herself. While the disappointment of not mating with either Hunter or Jace was rather keen, there were other things she could focus on, once she wasn’t needed as a translator anymore.

  And there was still the undeniable fact that she was o
n a distant planet, far away from Earth. She tried to focus on that, to imagine the things she’d see and do, once her body healed from the crash. She could only hope that this wasn’t a dream, that she would not wake up in the morning and find herself back in her tiny, old apartment, alone and miserable in a world that didn’t seem to understand, need or want her.

  “Don’t start the spiral,” she muttered to herself. One of her biggest problems in recent years had been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder from several events in her life, but mainly from losing her baby, and then when she had to have a hysterectomy to save her life, her fiancée. And from the tragedy of her family. But she refused to think about that. It was pitiful, but it was something she’d been fighting for the past five years. Using the exercises her therapist had given her years before to stop the downward spiral of unworthiness and being abandoned, she took deep breaths and started her Mantra of Worthiness, as she mockingly called it… remembering all the things she was good at, the skills and talents and knowledge that she had to offer.

  When she closed her eyes, she saw the kimis, their soft fur blowing out in puffs, saw a spindle in her hand as she created thread and yarn, then knitted and crocheted sweaters, socks, shawls… anything she could, for her new friends and maybe even one or two of the men who happened to look a lot like Jace and Hunter in her mind.

  She thought of the possible babies to come and how she would spoil every one of them rotten then send them home to let their parents deal with them. Yes, she’d make a fine aunt! The thought made her grin. With those hopeful imaginings, it was much easier than normal to stop the cascading thoughts that usually led to panic attacks and depressive episodes.

  When she had the spiral going back up instead of down, she reminded herself to concentrate on the excitement of being on a wild, new planet, with rescuers that were aliens to her. Anything could happen here, and she was desperate to start a new life, without the baggage from the one she’d had on Earth. She thought of the big, sexy, intelligent and thoughtful men that had taken the women into their lives and were doing their best to help and protect them.

  Her eyes closed and she saw Hunter’s bare, muscular chest, his lean hips and taut behind in the tight leather pants all the men wore, his long hair streaming down the sleek fur on his back that should probably have turned her off but, oddly, didn’t. She wanted to sink her hands into that fur and just stroke him like a cat. She wanted to take the thongs from his hair and spread it out over his broad shoulders, or better yet, have it drape down around them both, a silky black curtain cutting them off from the world as he made slow, passionate love to her. She could almost see his brilliant green eyes staring intently down at her as he slowly entered her body, rocking her softly against thick, fluffy pillows, his breath labored as he fought to control his passions.

  A shout from the training field brought Ri back to reality and she narrowed her eyes, trying to see what was going on. Hunter was on the field in a loincloth, breathing heavily and staring up at her. She straightened, sucking in her breath at the look in his eyes. Even from this distance, he seemed… angry? Not exactly. Tentatively opening her mind and reaching for his, she found herself blocked by a thick wall. Hunter glared at her, then tossed his sparring sword to the side and stomped off the field, heading … toward the residential quarters. Crap!

  He was probably upset that she was at the rail, since he and Jace had both specifically told her to stay on the couch or in bed. But she’d wanted to see the place, wanted to watch the world go by, even if she couldn’t be part of it quite yet. Surely he’d understand that and not be too upset, especially since she was fine. To prove it, she quickly hobbled over to the couch on the balcony, plopping her fanny down just in time. She was actively twiddling her thumbs by the time he stormed over to stand in front of her.

  She stared at him. She was eye-level with his loincloth, and the man was… large. She swallowed, her mouth going dry as she recalled what he’d looked like this morning, half mast and rising. A gasp escaped her when he snatched her up into his arms, holding her securely against his chest, her legs dangling.

  “Hunter, I was only standing there for a minute,” she stammered out. He growled and stared into her eyes. She saw herself, as she’d been in her daydream just a bit ago, lying back on the bed, with Hunter naked and glistening above her, his hair loose in a silken, dark curtain around them, his body slowly invading hers.

  “Hunter,” she breathed raggedly, her fingernails biting into his shoulders where her arms were trapped against him. She couldn’t have dragged her eyes away from his if her life had depended on it.

  Hunter took over the daydream from where she’d left off. In her mind, Hunter’s lips swept down and took hers in a passionate kiss of domination, as his body drew back then slammed into hers. She was trapped within that curtain of long hair, wrapped in his arms as he pumped his hips against her, his shaft hilting each time he thrust forward. In the shared mental image, Ri’s head went back as Hunter’s mouth left hers, exploring down her neck and chest until he reached a turgid nipple and sucked it strongly into his mouth. Her mouth opened in a scream, head thrown back and pressing hard into the pillows as Hunter claimed her with all the heat and power of a barbarian of old. When she climaxed in the vision, her body shuddered with emptiness in reality. Hunter’s arms held her tightly, feeling her body shivering with need, and he panted down at her, their gazes still locked as he brought them back to the real world.

  “That is what would happen, little warrior,” he rasped. “And it is what I saw in my mind, when you had that nice little daydream.”

  “That’s… are you thanking me or asking for an apology?” she tried for humor. Hunter’s eyes spit fire at her.

  “I was on the training field, woman!” he roared. “You broadcast that image while I was on the training field! I was nearly cut in two!”

  Ri almost managed to stifle the horrified giggle. Almost. He growled at her, then gathered himself, groaned and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers.

  “Arianna,” he breathed, trying to get his body under control. “It has been more than ten years since I have seen a woman. Longer than that since I have held one.”

  She stared at him in shock.

  “You have got to learn to shield, or I will not be able to wait until you are better. I will not be able to wait until you are able to make the decision for yourself.” His face was a mask of intense sensuality, taking her breath and her resolve. Lord, she wanted him. Now. He moaned helplessly and hurriedly laid her back on the couch, propping her leg up on the pillows. “Tonight, we will work on shielding. I cannot have you yet, but if you continue to broadcast those rather enticing fantasies, I will end up unable to wait.”

  “Hunter,” she whispered, staring up at him, sexual frustration rolling off of them both. “I want you, too. You know that. You… don’t have to wait. You wouldn’t hurt me. I’m not sure you’re capable of it.”

  “If I take you now, the way I want to, I will hurt you!” he cried out softly, intently. He sank to his knees before her, taking her hands in his, willing her to see his predicament. “It has been far too long for me, and I fear that I will not be able to control myself enough to be careful of your injuries. I don’t want to take that chance. I want to cherish you. I want to take hours to make love to you properly, not to attack you and have our first time over and done in mere minutes.”

  He closed his eyes and kissed her hands fervently. When he opened them again, they were dark and filled with turmoil. Ri felt tears building in her eyes, reached out to cup a hand under his jaw.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she whispered. “I didn’t even know I could. I just… you were so beautiful out there, and all I could think of was-“

  “Don’t say it,” he begged frantically, chuckling as he quickly placed a long finger over her lips, stilling them. “Please, if you care for me at all, do not finish that thought.”

  “Nundter-“ she tried to say against
his finger. He shook his head, his eyes begging her for understanding.

  “I am going to go bathe and try to calm myself,” he told her, rising to his feet and backing away. “When I am through, we are going to sit down and you will learn to shield those wonderful thoughts from me when necessary.”

  “But not all the time?” she dared to ask, peeking up at him. He grinned wickedly.

  “Not all the time,” he agreed. “Most of the time, I will welcome those mental images, and will return them in kind. That’s your only warning, by the way. But, there are times when you must shield, for the protection of others, me…and possibly yourself. Not just the naughty thoughts, but others, as well. For now… stay right there, on the couch. Don’t move. Don’t go anywhere. I will return shortly.”

  “Go,” she sighed, shooing him back into the apartment. “Go bathe. I’ll be here. It’s not like I can go anywhere else.”

  She muttered the last bit crossly at his back. He grinned over his shoulder, laughing as he disappeared into his room. All she had done was think about him! Good heavens. He acted like she had tried to maim him on purpose.