by Bethany Aan
“Maybe she’ll die,” Amy growled, but softly enough that only Tanya heard her. The other girl grabbed her arm and dragged her a little bit away from the gathering.
“Amy, please!” Tanya said urgently. “You can’t talk like that! We are not on Earth anymore! You don’t know what these guys will do to you if they hear you dissing our leaders like you have been. You’ve already been punished. Hunter said he’d have you executed if you tried to hurt Ri again. He is totally in love with her, and I think he’d do it.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?” Amy laughed, jerking her arm free of her friend’s hold. “He wouldn’t really execute me. They want their precious babies. They won’t kill any of us when they need to build up numbers for the colony. And admit it: you don’t think Bev or Arianna deserve the handsome beasts that they got.”
“What I think doesn’t matter,” Tanya reminded her, not wanting to admit that she’d come to respect and even like the other two women. Neither of them seemed to have a mean bone in their body and they were always available for consultation with any of the women, no matter the time or the subject. They were proving to be exemplary leaders, just as Hunter had told the girls they would be. Amy was the only one who didn’t think so. Her continued hatred for their human leaders pissed Tanya off. Grabbing Amy by the straps of her bathing suit, she jerked the other girl up, staring at her angrily. “The fact is, Hunter and Jace chose Arianna, even after they saw the rest of us. They wanted her, not you. Get the fuck over it! We have to learn to deal in this new world, and you’re playing high school drama games. Grow up, Amy, and adapt.”
“Look,” Amy gritted out, grabbing Tanya’s arm in a vise-like grip that had the other girl sucking in a pained breath. “All we have to do is get Arianna out of the picture, and then you and I can take over as leaders of the group. We could be goddesses here!”
“Arianna is a really nice lady,” Tanya said slowly, as though speaking to a developmentally challenged toddler. “And so is Bev. They are happy, and their men adore them. And I don’t necessarily want to be a leader. Have you not seen how hard they have to work? They’re constantly having their lives interrupted when something happens. Leave it alone, Amy. I will not help you anymore.” She jerked her arm free and curled her lips distastefully. “Hell, at this point, I’m not sure I even want to know you.”
Amy stared at the girl she’d called friend as Tanya hurried back to the group, curling her arm around one of her mates’ and letting him hold her. Crig seemed surprised, but allowed the small intimacy. Amy glared at the men she’d been turned over to. They ignored her unless they were training her, and even then, she had to do something outrageous just to get them to give her some attention. They hadn’t even bothered with touching her in a sexual way in the last two weeks, which was pissing her off to no end. Idiots. Those men didn’t know how to treat a woman! Flouncing over to the group, Amy paid close attention to what Rom was saying about the plant, the precautions that were to be taken for all the women, and the deadly reactions to the plant.
As the groups of warriors packed their women up and followed their commander and his precious bitch back to the compound, a gleam entered Amy’s eyes and a new plan began forming in her nasty little head.
Perhaps she could have the big, handsome leaders, after all. It sounded as though it wouldn’t take much to remove Arianna from the picture. As Rian guided her back to their picnic area and she mounted their riding beast, Amy pretended to be docile as she took note of just where the red plants could be found. She’d have to find a way to get out of the compound and get back here to retrieve some. Fortunately, her men were too clueless to keep a very good watch on her. She’d be able to manage it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Jace studied the beautiful but vicious plant while Bev and Arianna were hooked up to IVs and being treated for the necrosis, then took samples of the goo that still oozed from their hands and tested it, as well. Finally, he revealed that not only did the plant’s oils have the effect of causing anaphylactic shock, but the tiny spines on the bottom of the leaf were loaded with a second toxin that ensured that anything trying to harm the plant would not escape unscathed. It took a bit of pressure for the spines to release their venom, so it was much more of a defense mechanism than the oil, which coated the plant and was just downright nasty.
As Arianna’s hand was liberally slathered with a special salve used for burn patients then wrapped with bandages, Jace entered the plant’s information into the medical data banks, along with the combination of meds it had taken to stop the advance of the necrosis. After that, he told Hunter that he wanted every member of the compound to carry an emergency nano-injection kit if they left the gates, just in case. If one of the women happened to brush against the plant unknowingly, she would not have time to do more than call out for help, if that, before the toxin took effect. If everyone had a kit available, none of the women should die from the plant, though they might be hurt and possibly have a long recovery time, if the necrosis wasn’t stopped quickly enough. He and Hunter took Ri back to their quarters.
Finally back in her own home, Arianna sat on the couch and stared morosely at her hand. For awhile there, they had all been a bit worried that she might lose her hand. She feared she’d always have a scar from this little mishap, but it was good that she had found out about that plant when Jace was with her! She would never have made it back to the compound, if she’d encountered the leaves while alone.
Arianna tilted her head back against the pillows Hunter had packed behind her, watching as the men cooked dinner. This world was amazing, in many ways. But it was so very dangerous, as well. She had forgotten that today. She had also managed to forget, for awhile, that the men she was in love with were a different species. They were not human, and that was evidenced today by the fact that both she and Bev had experienced life-threatening reactions to the plant, but the men could literally crush it in their grasp and it didn’t leave a mark. And yet, when one of the medics, who had been testing the plant, touched his woman’s shoulder in reassurance, she had also reacted violently and had been transported to the infirmary. There was a patch on Kim’s shoulder now, in the shape of Torm’s hand, that was red, blistered, and peeling.
More than anything else, though, Arianna hated that she had been the one to encounter the deadly plant, because now her men were even more determined to protect her. The other men were also being a bit overprotective of their women now. Not that they didn’t have good reason. She was too pragmatic and reasonable to argue that. But it did delay the time when the women would be allowed to go out into the forest themselves for afternoon walks or food-gathering excursions. And that frustrated Arianna. She knew the guys were just being cautious, and she knew that as the example for the women, she had to do the same thing. But it was galling, that one pretty little plant should keep them all from being able to explore.
And she really wanted to explore. She had found one fiber plant without really trying! Imagine what else might be out there that she could possibly transplant to the gardens in the compound, cultivate for other material options? She wanted to go look, wanted to expand their knowledge base, now that she had discovered that the men’s world hadn’t used plant fibers. She wanted to ask Hunter about allocating some land specifically for cultivating fiber plants. But she had been told in no uncertain terms that none of the women would be allowed out into the forest until Jace had been able to reprogram all of the hand-held scanners for their physiology and was able to merge the database of known plants with possible allergens or toxins.
Again, the reasonable side of her knew that such precautions were completely fair and prudent, but the explorer in her found it incredibly frustrating. She had finally managed to come up with a way to add value, a way she could contribute to the colony, but the effort had nearly killed her.
“Are you up for some dinner?” Hunter asked from the bar in the kitchen. She nodded then held his gaze as he brought a plate to her, along with a
cup of the wonderful, intoxicating fruit juice. She took the juice in her left hand and guzzled it down. Hunter raised an eyebrow at her, but returned to the kitchen to refill it. When he returned to the living room, he brought an extra pitcher of the stuff and sat down across from her with his own plate. “I am sorry you are hurt, little one.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, “Me too. I’m not going to be able to do much of anything with this hand until it heals a bit more, am I?”
“Probably not,” Jace said. “That was a pretty bad reaction, and the necrosis is more invasive than I would have thought it should be. I’ve given the three of you who were exposed to it several of the nano shots, so hopefully it will heal quickly, but the reaction was a bit surprising.”
Arianna tried to pick up her fork, but dropped it. The injured hand was her right one, and she found that between the pain and the thick bandages, she could barely use the hand at all. Grumbling to herself, she picked up the fork with her left hand and did her best to eat that way. The men, wisely, said nothing and did not offer to feed her, though she sensed from both of them that they would gladly do so, and even wanted to. She had her pride, after all.
For awhile, they ate in silence, Ri drinking a lot of the juice to dull the pain and take away the frustrations of the day. She relaxed a little as she realized that they didn’t think she was weak, nor did they consider it funny that she was having trouble.
Their sense of humor did not include people being hurt, which was a refreshing change from the majority of her world. Amy, the bitch, had laughed her head off when she’d seen Bev, Kim, and Arianna leaving the medical unit. Amy’s men, though, had quickly chastised her for her unfeeling attitude, making it clear that such behavior was unacceptable. Arianna had been glad for that, though she knew that Amy would get her licks in where she could, when the men weren’t around to defend the nicer girls.
“The little bitch,” Ri said beneath her breath, finishing her dinner. Hunter’s head came up at that and his eyes narrowed when he picked up on her thoughts.
“Yes,” he said softly. “I do not know what to do about that one. I sincerely hope that The Protocol works. I don’t wish to be the commander that kills the first human, even if it is justified. I cannot believe that she would laugh at your pain. Such behavior is unforgivable.”
“On Earth it’s different. Lots of people laugh when others get hurt. There are entire entertainment industries built on it.”
“That is deplorable!” Jace spat. “I do not like much of what I have heard of your world.”
“You know,” Arianna said, offering a rueful smile, “Neither do I, and I lived there.”
“I am rather glad you live here, now,” Hunter said huskily, setting his empty plate on the coffee table and moving to her side. Arianna sighed and snuggled against him, loving the warmth of his broad chest, the feel of his long arms around her, the way he rested his chin on her head as he held her close. And she loved when Jace took up on the other side, lifting her legs into his lap and caressing them almost idly as they talked.
“I am, too,” she said softly. “I wish I could have seen your world. It sounds wonderful.”
“It was, before the Solvari attacked,” Hunter said quietly. “We had our problems, as any world does, but I have seen many planets and I feel that ours was an exemplary society. We respected each other, took care of one another, and we did not tolerate evil-doing. It sounds like your world forgot most of that.”
“They did,” she confirmed sadly. “I’m just… really glad that our kidnappers took me, along with the girls, when we were abducted. I’m not sure how much longer I might have survived on my planet, alone as I was.”
“You are not alone any longer,” Jace said fiercely, leaning over to plant a kiss on her hip. Hunter kissed the top of her head.
“Nay, little one. You will never be alone again. You will always have us.”
“I hope so,” she whispered fervently.
“You will,” Hunter assured her. She met his gaze wistfully, wishing that they could make love. But she knew that if she tried, she would want to touch him, caress him, hold him to her, and she would end up hurting her hand even more. But Hunter Read her, saw what she wanted then shocked her when he suddenly grabbed both of her wrists, his grin decidedly wicked. “In the meantime, you will have us… right now.”
“Hunter, her hand… you know she gets too involved-“
Jace’s words halted when Hunter gathered both of her wrists into one big hand and pulled several lengths of silky material from beneath a cushion. Ri blinked up at him. He’d been planning this! Jace chuckled, the sound dark and a bit eager. She turned her startled gaze to him. He was looking rather predatory. She gulped. Her body, the traitorous thing, was already starting to get excited. Her hand might hurt, but the rest of her was humming again, recalling all of the playful caresses and teasing her men had subjected her to earlier.
“Now,” Hunter said, holding her arms up over her head and looking down at her thoughtfully. “Where shall we secure your hands? We wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself in your ardor. I think the only way to prevent that is to make certain you can’t use your hands at all.”
“We could just snuggle tonight,” she offered, though she didn’t really want that. Her mouth went dry as his lips kicked up into a fiendish smile and he shook his head.
“I do not think so. I believe that you teased us a bit too much at the lake today. It is only fair that Jace and I exact retribution.”
“I did not tease you!” she huffed, then laughed, trying half-heartedly to pull her hands from his. “You guys teased me! And you made me sit there, bare-ass naked, wrestling with you while you kept my swim suit from me! Anyone could have seen my big shiny butt!”
“Your butt is not too big, nor is it shiny,” Hunter said, looking to Jace for confirmation. Jace was looking at her, rubbing his chin in thought.
“You know, but I don’t recall,” Jace said, shaking his head sadly. “I believe that I need to get a better look.”
Hunter followed his train of thought and they spent a moment speculating about locations. They finally settled on the low-hanging chandelier centered above the living area. It was not currently lit, as they wished to keep the heat to a minimum. Jace set to work immediately, moving furniture out of the way. When the area was cleared, Hunter dragged Arianna’s wrists up and held them while Jace secured each one with an intricate set of interlinking knots. When he was done, he nodded in satisfaction. Ri looked up, jerking on the bonds, her eyes wide with excitement but also with some trepidation. What in the world were these guys up to now? She tested the bonds once more. Neither one actually touched her hands, but rather encircled her forearms and held her securely. Her feet barely touched the floor, though she thought that might be by design.
She hung there, standing on her tip-toes, as the men circled her. Every now and then, they would reach out and touch her, caressing her bottom, her breasts, her hips, her thighs… Jace darted in at some point and tickled her ribs mercilessly. She jerked, quivered, and laughed against her will as his fingers danced along the side seams of her gown. When he was done, she felt the evening breeze wafting in through the laces there. Her eyes darted to his face. He looked entirely too smug for her comfort.
“Have I ever told you, my sweet warrior,” Hunter said conversationally as he stripped out of his pants, “That I adore your current gown?”
“It is quite ingenious,” Jace added, looking at her as though looking at a piece of art. “The way the sleeves lace onto the gown, and that the gown is held together by little more than those ribbons.”
“Yes,” Hunter said slowly, stepping closer to Ri. “If you pull this ribbon here,” and he reached up to take hold of the thin lace at her shoulder and tug, “You are able to quite easily pluck the laces apart and… well, look at that! The shoulder seam is completely undone.”
“I see what you mean,” Jace said, as though having just discovered it himself. She felt a tug on her oth
er shoulder, this time on the lace holding her sleeve to the gown. She sucked in a shivering breath as the ribbon was drawn slowly through its holes, sliding softly against her skin. Jace quickly removed the shoulder lace on his side as well, and then stood back as gravity did the rest. With the gown completely loosened on one side, the shoulder straps slid down her chest, revealing her left breast. She gasped at the sight of her hardened nipple rising to greet the evening air.
“What is this?” Jace asked, as though just discovering her for the first time. Ri’s breathing hitched up a notch when he drew near, narrowing his eyes on her nipple. He lifted a hand and very delicately traced a circle around her aureole.
“Hunter! Look. This alien female has interesting responses. If you touch this darker area, like so,” and he repeated the circle around her nipple, “Look how it puckers up and … it becomes hard. How interesting!”
“But is it hard?” Hunter asked quizzically, standing beside Jace and gazing at her breast as though it was a specimen on a medical tray. “It looks hard.” He reached up and grasped her nipple between his thumb and fingers, gently testing its stiffness. “It is soft and hard at the same time. Perhaps engorged by blood due to excitement?”
“Perhaps,” Jace allowed. He leaned forward, his tongue darting out to flick over the little bud, leaving moisture in its wake. The evening breeze over the wet skin caused her to shiver, the flesh to draw up a bit more. “It tastes… intoxicating. I believe I should taste it further.”
Arianna cried out as he did just that, taking her nipple between his lips and suckling her until her belly spasmed. When her body jerked, Hunter frowned. Jace stood back, as though memorizing the reaction for his notes.
“Well, it isn’t fair that this beauty gets to come out to play while the other is left in the dark,” Hunter tsked to himself. With long, nimble fingers, he stripped the other sleeve lacing away and the gown slithered down her torso, catching at her hips.
