by Bethany Aan
But they were keeping her locked up. Probably because if she were free to roam on her own, Hunter was afraid he would fall prey to her wiles. She smiled, thinking about the handsome, incredibly sexy man. Between him and his brother, she could rule this little colony. She could introduce them to the idea of a dictatorship, since apparently they had no clue about something like that. The damn barbarians. Forget that they had computers… no furry-backed alien could possibly understand true power or the political machinations that a woman could use to get what she wanted from men… and make them think it was their idea.
Chuckling to herself, Amy plopped down on the sofa, deciding to take a nap. She had been ordered to clean the apartment before lunch, but there was no one there to make that happen. What were they going to do? Spank her? She was a grown woman. They wouldn’t dare! Kicking her feet up onto the couch, which she’d been expressly forbidden to do, Amy stared up at the ceiling, grinning and planning her next move.
Arianna had to be taken out, she saw now. Or at the very least, someone close to her. Amy’s face lit up with glee as an idea took root in her brain. Perhaps Hunter would turn to Amy if he was grief-stricken. She could be there for him when his brother and mate were tragically struck down. Amy could soothe his shattered soul and be the one to bring him back from the brink of despair. And if she planned it just right, no one would know it had been her.
But she needed a ‘friend’. She needed someone malleable and impressionable that would do her bidding, and she needed to cultivate that friendship so that she could exact her revenge on Arianna from afar, behind the relative security of her locked doors. Her prison would become her alibi, if she played her cards right.
Smiling wickedly, she thought of all her sorority sisters and came up with the one most likely to help her. Tanya’s quarters were fairly close by, too. Now all she had to do what catch her new ‘friend’ on the balcony sometime, so they could talk. It might take a bit of time, and she might have to play the Protocol game for awhile, so that the team let their guard down, but she was patient.
With a new plan in place, Amy sighed happily and drifted off to sleep.
“So, I noticed the new hairstyle,” Bev murmured to Ri as they sat on the bench. Chelsea and Kim were sitting with them, all of the girls watching their men spar. Ri blushed and nodded, sending sideways glances at the two younger women.
“Yeah,” Chelsea said, looking at Ri. “What was up with all the cheering when you and the Beautiful Bros came down?”
“The what?” Ri choked on a startled laugh. The other girls grinned.
“It’s what some of the girls are calling Hunter and Jace. They’re just so… yummy.”
“You have no idea,” Arianna sighed, her eyes latching hungrily onto Hunter. In her mind’s eye, she saw him over her again, his face a mask of controlled passion as their energies joined and he came with her. She shivered, not realizing she’d been broadcasting until there was a curse from the training field and Hunter glared at her.
“Arianna!” he bellowed. She blinked at him, shaking herself out of the erotic reverie to see that he had been hit fairly hard. A large bruise was already forming on his shoulder and his eyes were so hot on her, she wasn’t sure whether to go fuss over him or run. He rolled his eyes at her, gestured to his injured shoulder, eyebrows raised in entreaty and said, “Shield? Please?”
“I’m sorry!” she cried, sending a mental kiss to his hurt shoulder. A little devil made her taunt him, though. “But you know, if you were protecting that shoulder better, it wouldn’t have happened.”
The soldiers on the field stared at her. Hunter’s eyes were wider than she’d ever seen them before. For a long moment, she wondered if she’d gone too far. Then Hunter threw back his head and laughed, deep belly laughs that had his men grinning and laughing along.
“You are right, little warrior,” he called, his eyes hot with promise. “I will keep that in mind.”
But in her mind, he growled at her for taunting him publicly and sent an image of how she could make up for her teasing. She grinned happily at him and nodded, licking her lips in anticipation. He returned the grin with a wicked one of his own, then went back to beating the snot out of Mors.
“What was that all about?” Kim asked, blinking at the heat that had passed between Hunter and Ri.
“We um… well, this morning we kind of-“
Bev hooted and clapped, then hugged Ri enthusiastically.
“You little slut-puppy!” Bev squealed softly, surprising Ri, who laughed. Bev sat back and looked at Arianna carefully. “So is that what the braids are about?”
“Yes,” Ri sighed, smiling shyly. “Hunter said that it sort of shows that I’ve been claimed by him. Each man apparently has his own unique braid or twist or whatever, and after you’ve been claimed by them, they will braid part of your hair in their own design.”
“So when you and Jace…” Bev arched her brows in a wicked grin. Ri blushed even more, nodding.
“You and Hunter… and Jace?” Kim breathed, awed. Bev and Ri went shock still and turned guilty looks on the younger girls, who were staring at them, stunned. Ri swallowed, realizing that it was time to talk to the girls about the whole more-than-one-guy thing. She had thought to do it all at once, in one big meeting or whatever, but this might be better. With one or two girls at a time, she could answer their questions and Read them to make sure they understood.
“Um,” she started, stalling for time, trying to find the words. Sensing her distress, Hunter stepped back from his fight, frowned over at the group of women, then slowly started her way. She was grateful for the support, even if he wasn’t there yet. She sighed, then just went for it.
“Well, it’s like this,” she said quietly, her eyes meeting those of Kim and Chelsea. “I’m betting you’ve noticed just how… virile these men are.”
“Uh, yeah,” Chelsea breathed, her gaze moving to Mors and his men. They caught sight of Hunter moving toward the girls and, concerned at the look on his face, followed. Chelsea sucked in a breath. “Chill! They’re coming!”
Arianna chuckled, shaking her head. Hunter arrived and knelt beside her. He met her eyes, his own warm and tender, then reached up to run a finger over the smoothly plaited braid that curled around to the back of her head.
“You look lovely with my braid, my colors in your hair, Commander,” he told her, smiling. She blushed and leaned into his caress.
“I feel beautiful for some unknown reason, Commander,” she admitted, grinning at him.
“You seem a bit… distressed,” he said, looking around at the others. “Is there something I can help with?”
“Well, maybe,” she said, then took a deep breath and blew it out. Chelsea was shaking her head frantically. Kim looked like she wanted to throw up. Bev’s chest was percolating with the effort not to giggle out loud. Ri gestured toward Kim and Chelsea. “It seems that the idea of my mating with both you and Master Jace is… surprising to some of my girls.”
“Why would that come as a shock?” Mors asked, finally arriving. It was Chelsea’s turn to look nauseous. He nodded to Ri in respect. “Commander. Our leaders have made no secret of their intent to claim you. Our men are thrilled that you have finally succumbed to at least one of them.”
His grin flashed, dimples showing at the corners of his mouth. Ri blinked in reaction. He was rather good-looking, himself. Taking a cue from Hunter, Mors knelt on the ground beside Chelsea.
“But why would your Commander’s choice of men surprise you?” he asked, furrowing his brow. Chelsea’s mouth moved but no sound emerged. Hunter Read the girl and chuckled.
“Perhaps it is not the choice of men, but the number,” he suggested gently. Chelsea’s head bobbed up and down, her eyes wide.
“Chels,” Bev began, leaning forward, her elbows on her knees, “It’s like this. These guys-“
“She is my woman,” Mors said softly, looking at Chelsea with tenderness. “I will explain it to her.”
�
��We want to be there, as well,” Dale, a member of Mors’ team, put in. The other member of their team nodded. Chelsea blinked up at all three of them, then back at Ri, who smiled encouragingly.
“Ah hell no!” Chelsea said, rising and moving back, staring at them. “All three of you?”
“Chelsea,” Mors began, looking alarmed at her outburst. Ri raised her hand and got to her feet, following the younger woman. She took Chelsea’s hands in her own and Read the girl’s mind.
“Ri,” Chelsea begged, “I don’t know what to do!”
“Yes,” Arianna said, smiling gently. “You do.”
“But it’s… my mother would…”
“Chelsea, sweetie…” Ri sighed. “Your mother’s not here, and much as we don’t want to think about it, you will not be seeing her again. Ever. This is a new planet, and the rules are different here. Now, are you religiously opposed to mating with more than one man?”
“Well, no,” Chelsea admitted, cutting glances at her team. “I mean, I always thought, one man, one woman.”
“And back in our world, that was the accepted thing,” Ri allowed. “But here… let Mors tell you about their society. Let his team tell you of their wishes and their feelings for you.”
“Then… I’m not a complete ho-bag for being attracted to all of them?” Chelsea asked, her voice pitched low. But her men heard her. At their chuckles, she looked up and gasped. “You did not hear that!”
“Aye,” Mors said, his eyes locking on hers, holding her captive with his gaze. “I did. And it does not come as a surprise. We have been working hard to win your attention, beautiful, dark warrior.”
“Dark?” She tried to sound affronted, but the heat and admiration in his eyes made it pointless.
“Aye,” he said huskily, running the back of his knuckles down her chocolate-brown skin, down to her collarbone. “Dark. Beautiful. Dangerous, lithe, and quick, like the jungle cats that our people evolved from millions of years ago.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked, her breath hitching in surprise, her eyes wide.
“I think you are the most exotic, lovely, deadly woman I’ve ever met,” Mors told her sincerely. “I think that you will be a formidable warrior, and my team and I would be honored beyond words if you would consider us for your mates.”
Chelsea’s mouth dropped open, tears shimmering in her eyes as she threw a helpless look at Ri.
Hunter rose and put his arm around Ri’s shoulders. Though she hadn’t sensed his arrival, Jace was there, as well, and did the same from the other side. Seeing Arianna standing between the two tall warriors, knowing that she would be mating with both of them and looked perfectly fine with it, Chelsea took a deep breath and looked up at Mors.
“I need some time,” she said quietly, squaring her shoulders and meeting his eyes, chin up. His smile was slow and hopeful. “I… I’ve never thought about something like this. You guys will have to bear with me… let me take it at my own speed, and if I say no-“
“We will endeavor to make sure you do not,” Dale said, moving to Mors’ side and flashing his brilliant grin.
“For now,” Mors said, gently taking her shoulders between his hands then moving those hands up her neck to cup her jaw. She shivered beneath his touch. “We should get back to work.”
“Training?” Chelsea blinked as he turned and walked back to the training field.
“If you are to join our team, you will have to fight to our standards,” he told her, then chuckled. “We are Hunter’s personal guard. You must keep up with us, if you plan on being our mate.”
“I haven’t said I would!” Chelsea stomped after him. “I said we’ll see.”
“You will,” Mors said, stopping and whirling before she had a chance to react. His arms came around her, holding her tightly to him for a moment before he lowered his head and kissed her breathless.
Much hooting and hollering followed the public display, and even Hunter and Jace laughed and clapped in celebration. As Mors’ team got back to sparring, this time with Chelsea as part of the tactics, Kim shook herself and looked up to find Jax and his medics standing nearby, grinning expectantly. She threw a look at Hunter, then Jace, then finally at Ri.
“Please don’t make us go through it all over again,” Jace begged her, winking. Kim threw her head back and laughed, then moved to stand in front of Jax. The tall warrior medic stared down at her, the question in his eyes. Kim cocked her head to one side.
“Do I have to learn how to fight?” she demanded. Jax shook his head.
“Not unless you wish to,” he assured her.
“But you’re a warrior,” she pointed out quietly.
“I am,” he allowed. “But that is to protect the lives of those I cherish. I do not go looking for a fight.”
“But when one comes to us,” Amar said, stepping forward, “We like to know how to protect our patients and ourselves, so that we can continue healing.”
“And you… want me?” Kim asked, looking at all four of the medics, her cheeks rosy red from the thought. They all nodded, almost in unison. She gulped, then nodded slowly. “But it’s like Chels said, guys. We take it slow, take it easy, and nothing happens with any of you unless I say so!”
“That was without question,” Jax said, affronted. Emir choked in shock.
“We would never!” he said. “We are healers, not criminals!”
Kim’s face turned even darker with embarrassment.
“I knew that,” she sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just… flustered.”
“As should only be expected,” Hunter said softly, stepping in when he sensed that none of the team knew quite how to get out of this particular hole. “Jax, perhaps you should take your chosen woman and move her into your quarters. You will find that it is much easier to get to know one another if you spend more time together, in a family setting.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Jax said with a grateful smile. Offering his arm to Kim, he led her away to his quarters, his team following eagerly behind.
For a long moment, those left stood there, glad that it was over, for now. Then Ri sucked in a breath and looked at Bev in question. The little blond laughed and shook her head.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Bev joked gently, hugging Ri close for a quick embrace. “Trey and the boys already had ‘the talk’ with me.”
“They did?” Ri breathed, grinning. “When?”
“Oh, a few nights ago,” Bev admitted, then reached up to fluff her hair. Ri choked on her surprise when she saw the three tiny but different braids almost hidden beneath the fluffy curls of Bev’s short hair. Winking at her commander, Bev then began whistling as she sauntered off in search of her men.
“And you called me a slut-puppy?” Ri laughed. Bev tossed her head.
“Takes one to know one, Fearless Leader!” she shot back.
Ri was going to have to have a good old-fashioned girl-talk session with Bev in the very near future! She wanted details!
The next few days were nerve-wracking for Arianna.
Despite Hunter’s promises and his obvious physical desire, a tiny part of her was still certain that at any moment he would decide that he wanted a different lady after all. Now that he’d slaked his initial passion with her, she was worried that he’d move on, like other men had in the past. He had met all of the women by now. She feared the day he realized he could do so much better than her.
Her leg was finally starting to mend, and he started taking her down to the courtyard in the mornings, where the women had begun gathering. Chelsea, Bev, and Kim, joined her enthusiastically, showing her the fiber tools their own men had made for them, following Hunter’s example. Arianna noticed that the men tended to stop by often to check on the ladies, offering to fetch drinks or snacks for the group, ask if they needed anything for comfort.
As the days passed, Arianna became more relaxed and comfortable around the much-younger ladies. More of the girls began joining her little group in the courtyard, asking to be ta
ught how to make fabric using different techniques, how to spin, and how to mend clothing for the men. By the time the second week had passed, they were all fully clothed, underwear and socks included, and Arianna had begun helping them create working patterns for other garments, such as pajamas, tunics, pants, blouses, and bodices.
And by then, ‘the talk’ had been shared with the rest of the women. Most of them now sported at least one distinctive braid, some wore two, and Chelsea, the minx, had four very intricate and intertwined braids woven over her head. When she fought on the training field, the long ribbons her men had threaded through her locks spun and shifted with her, providing a starkly beautiful contrast to her dark skin.
When the men weren’t on duty, some of them sat with the group of women and helped create wardrobes for the ladies and for themselves. The warriors enjoyed the various fiber crafts, embracing knitting and crocheting eagerly. Ri was delighted when they started figuring out their own intricate designs once Ri taught them about lace, cables, braids, and other interesting stitch variations.
The girls were also learning to embroider, though all of them needed a lot more practice. Some of the girls were even daring to put their own flair to the clothing, playing with structure to make more fitted gowns. The men appreciated their efforts and Bev’s men had drawn her a few patterns of their team’s badge, for her to put on her clothing, denoting who it should be returned to if lost. More of the men did the same thing, when they saw that. It reminded Arianna of household badges used in her medieval re-enactment group, so that you knew who belonged with whom, just at a glance.
For herself, Ri worked on sewing the lovely trim Hunter had given her onto her clothing, encircling her left biceps. For certain garments, she embroidered a band, instead, adding little flourishes of color and intricate scrollwork. Hunter loved the designs and actually got choked up when she showed him the one that carried his exact tattoo, only smaller, with curlicues and tiny flowers to add a feminine touch. He made love to her twice that night.
