by Bethany Aan
Turning her in his arms, he arranged her so that she was sitting astride his lap, her short skirt riding up along her thighs. He took her face between his big hands and forced her to look at him. His thumbs brushed at the tears on her cheeks.
“Little one, listen to me.” She sniffled and nodded, taking her time meeting his gaze. The heartbreak he saw in her eyes nearly broke him. “Listen. You will never be alone again. This I promise.”
“How can you promise that?” she whispered, looking at both of them. “You’re both important men. People need you, will need you even more as our society grows and evolves. You will want to hunt, need to fight. If your people come here, if the Solvari follow them… there may come a time when both of you are hurt or worse. How can you promise that I won’t be alone, if something catastrophic happens?”
Hunter thought about that. She had a point. But he sighed and held her gaze.
“I will train someone else to be my second, as will Jace. If there is a situation in which one of us must put ourselves in danger, the other will stay with you.”
“But that’s so selfish of me,” she murmured, swiping at her cheeks angrily. “I can’t ask you, either of you, to put my wants over the needs of our people.”
Hunter smiled gently at her at the use of ‘our people’. She had combined them in her mind, finally. It was telling, that.
“We will make it so. On our world, a warrior is considered weaker if he chooses duty over the needs of his family. Sometimes those needs take him into battle, so that the violence will not come to his family’s door. Other times, he must stay home and fight at their side, make certain they are provided for and protected in their home. It is the way our society worked, and the way we will make this one work, as well.”
Arianna offered him a tiny smile, enough to let him know that she was a little bit reassured, if not completely. It was enough for now. He would show her, through deeds and the plans he would make with the other men, that he was serious. For now, though, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her gently. She sighed into his mouth, her body swaying into his.
In the space of that kiss, she went from sad and weeping to hot and bothered, as though having to relive her grief reminded her of how alive she was. When Jace pulled her head slightly back and to the side and kissed her, as well, as though to seal the promise his brother had made, she relaxed and leaned into the kiss. This was her world now, these men and their love, their brethren and the girls who had become her friends. They would make this world their own, and they’d fight to keep it that way, if they had to.
Jace broke off his kiss and lifted her hair from her neck, sliding his mouth down the column of her throat as Hunter skillfully eased her short sleeveless dress from her shoulders. He kissed each inch of flesh as he exposed it, finally reaching the slope of her breast. Then he looked up at her, that wicked gleam in his eyes that she loved so much, and grinned. With a purposeful yank, he slid the dress lower until her breasts popped free, then hitched it up so that it propped them up for his inspection. She fought to free her arms, but just like in the bathroom all those weeks ago, he wasn’t letting her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t reach to touch either of the men. Her arms were trapped, both by her gown and being pressed hard to Hunter’s chest. Feeling helpless, her breath quickened, realizing that she was completely at their mercy.
Instead of frightening her, though, the thought excited her. These men adored her, loved loving her, and would never do anything to hurt her. She didn’t know what they had in mind, but she knew that they would take care of her. Allowing herself to just enjoy it, she closed her eyes and dropped her head back against Jace as Hunter shifted her and himself so that he could more easily access her breasts.
Jace tipped her head back for another heated kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue, sucking on her, nibbling her lips, as Hunter’s mouth did the same with her breast. Jace’s hands crept around her, holding her breasts firmly, plumping them up and massaging them so that more blood rushed to the tips, engorging them. Growling in approval, Hunter released one breast and moved to the other, nipping at the throbbing bud until she cried out.
She didn’t know when he had undressed, but suddenly his pants were gone and his cock was bumping against her core. Breathing shallowly, she opened her eyes to look down at him. His arms suddenly came around her, and he shifted until he was deep inside her. Then he sat back with her, embedded in her shaking body, and kissed her until her head spun and her entire body felt on fire for him. He started moving then, lifting her up and down, sliding on him, gliding into her and out, raising her excitement to new levels.
Behind her, Jace’s hands had slipped around and were gripping her hips, the touch erotic and hot, as he nipped at the back of her neck. At some point, he finished sliding her gown up to her waist, then twisted it so that her arms were good and trapped. His hands then slowly slid around to caress the crack of her ass.
Arianna stilled, her excitement building to new levels. She remembered the last time they had done this, more than a month ago, and her body prepared her for it. She shifted a little, leaning forward to give Jace better access. He murmured in her ear, praising her for her thoughtfulness. Hunter slid his hand down and tickled her clit, wringing another sweet cry from her throat. While she was distracted, Hunter removed himself from her body, making her protest, but his fingers were there to distract her. Then it was Jace’s turn.
She gasped as she felt Jace probe her channel from behind, felt him slide into her body, replacing Hunter deep within, and her head fell back in surrender. Hunter took the opportunity to latch onto one of her nipples, as Jace worked himself in and out of her several times. Then Jace, too, withdrew from her. Before she could protest, he drove two fingers into her, coating them with her wetness, then slid up and rubbed the slick juices around the pucker of her ass.
Hunter sent her a mental image of what they wanted to do to her, erotic enough to make her spasm and send her juices flowing down her channel, preparing the way. She nodded weakly as he positioned himself once more at her center and pressed her down on him. They both groaned at the sweet, deep penetration. When he was fully seated, Hunter gathered her to his chest and held her close, his lips nibbling at her cheek, her ear, murmuring how beautiful and sweet she was.
Jace pressed a finger gently into her anus, opening it. She held her breath, stiffening a bit in anticipation, but Hunter’s mouth was at her ear, his fingers at her clit, thoroughly distracting her. Enough so that Jace could slide his finger out and in again, further, and join another finger with it. She felt the double penetration and began to breathe more deeply. It only ached for a moment and it was starting to feel less strange, more exciting. On the next penetration, Hunter captured her mouth as he ground himself against her, thrusting deeply, even as Jace withdrew from her anus and pressed back into her, three fingers now.
Or so she thought. Hunter thrust once more, Jace moved again, and suddenly she stilled, feeling so full, so… complete. When she felt the crisp hairs of Jace’s sex against her ass, she knew. He was inside her, deep inside her, and so was Hunter. She shuddered out a sob at the knowledge, then felt one of them move slightly. Her walls spasmed, tightened, and the feeling was incredible.
Jace groaned at the tiny movements she made, his chest against her back as he held himself up with his hands on the back of the couch, on either side of Hunter’s head. Hunter, seeing her expression, growled with hunger and withdrew slightly. Jace shoved himself further in, all the way into her, making her cry out with the penetration. Hunter, unable to stop himself, slid back into her, feeling the incredible fullness of her tight sheath and the thin wall that separated him from his brother inside her.
Remembering the rhythm she liked from the last time, the two men withdrew and penetrated her in deep, slow thrusts, quickly making her pant and sob and beg for them to move, to fill her, to come for her. Hunter pulled her up enough to torture her breasts again, and as he did so, Jace reached around with one ha
nd and pressed on her clit, then plucked at it, twisting it a bit. It was delicious torture, bordering on painful, but it was so delicious. She claimed it was too much, and bucked against them both, but they were determined to drive her beyond what she thought she could handle, to see how high she could fly.
Apparently, she could fly pretty damn high. She came apart between them, with Hunter nibbling at her nipples and Jace flicking her clit mercilessly. Her body was not hers to control at that point, and she jerked, shook, shuddered, cried, screamed, and wept, all in quick succession.
She came over and over again as the men worked her, thrusting powerfully into her, filling her more completely than she could have thought. And being sandwiched between them was freeing in a way… she could move her torso and hips as she wanted or needed to, could offer her breasts for Hunter’s mouth or her neck for Jace’s kisses, could use the little bit of freedom her hand had to press Jace’s fingers more tightly to her clit, to wordlessly beg for a firmer touch there, for more pressure from Hunter’s mouth, just… more.
Finally, reaching a height she had only ever experienced once before, her body spasmed in one very long, very hard, muscular contraction. Her breath left her. Her body arched between them, held there by her passion and theirs, and she felt them spasming inside her, heard Hunter’s shout of completion, felt his cock swelling and jerking in her as he came. Jace was a second behind him, his body hard in hers, filling her with his life force, his arms tight around her ribs, his face buried in her neck. With both of them coming inside her, Arianna opened her mouth on a silent, breathless cry and her body simply exploded.
It seemed to go on and on, her walls and ass tightening around them both, clutching them inside her body, milking them. And the men kept touching her, not letting her come completely down from that. Every touch brought another shudder, another shivering cry from her throat, another spasm of ecstasy. Finally, when she could take no more, she slumped against Hunter’s chest and wept with her ecstasy.
Minutes later, she shuddered when Jace slid from her ass, shivered as his body heat left her back. She was barely aware when he brought several cloths and gently bathed her ass, then when Hunter slid free, bathed her center as well. She was still gasping with ecstatic sobs, still spasming occasionally when Jace hit a tender spot. Hunter held onto her, his arms wrapped tightly around her, kissing her forehead and temples as she simply lay against his broad, strong chest, accepting Jace’s tender ministrations.
When he was done, they stood her between them and finally removed her gown, then because her legs seemed incapable of holding her, Hunter chuckled a bit smugly, picked her up and carried her into his bedroom. She was vaguely aware of the sounds of water as the men cleaned themselves, but was grateful for their presence when they snuggled close to her in the bed, both holding her, touching her, caressing her sweetly and without demand, until she slid into the deepest sleep she’d ever known.
She was out in space once more, this time without Hunter grounding her. A bit frightened, she cast about, searching for Sean’s mind. With a glad cry, she found him and sent herself toward his ship. But there was a faint shimmer, off in the distance, well behind the refugee transport. Pausing long enough to alert Sean that she was nearby, she tested her limits by seeking out the other vessel.
It was long and sleek, much larger than the Thorsani transports she’d seen, and the minds within were considerably different from anything she’d yet experienced. She dove into the head of one of the beings. It was completely oblivious to her presence. She looked through its eyes, which was dizzying, since it had so many of them. Singling out just one view, she saw what the creatures looked like.
Solvari! Sean’s mind roared. She hadn’t been aware that he’d followed her, but she was grateful for his presence. She followed him back to his ship, into his mind for a moment.
They’re trying to find us! Ri cried, her body back on Ishira, trembling with fear. Sean agreed silently.
Tell Hunter to shut down the homing beacon. Now!
But how will we bring you home?
I’ve already got your coordinates locked in. We’re almost there. But the beacon needs to come down immediately, or the Solvari will follow us. If I’m picking it up, they’ll be able to very soon. We do not have the men or firepower to defeat them. Have they picked up on us yet?
I don’t think so. When will you be here?
I can see Ishira from my view screen, he told her gently, with a smile. We will be there before the day is out. Now go! Much as I want you to stay with me for awhile, Hunter needs to know. There was a gentle caress in her mind, one that was so tender and eager that she was fairly buzzing with need when he withdrew. We will meet before the day is through, my sweet lady.
She could hardly wait.
Zipping back into her body, she realized that Hunter was right there, beside her but snoring, completely lost to sleep. She had been grounded, after all. She felt much better, knowing that. Jace wasn’t around, but she figured that he had been summoned to the med center or something.
“Hunter,” she said softly, not wanting to startle him. His eyes wiggled under his lids and there was a hitch in his snoring. She grinned softly, loving the little flaw that only endeared him to her more. “Hunter, love, you have to wake up.”
This time she said it firmly, with a bit of urgency in her voice. He was awake and alert in an instant, as any good soldier would be.
“What is it?” he asked, sitting up.
“I was out in space again.”
“Ri, you’re not supposed to-“
“Hush! It’s a good thing I was, though I didn’t do it on purpose.” He watched her, waiting. “Sean’s ship will be here within hours.”
“That’s wonderful!” he jumped up, excited, and pulled on his pants. She shook her head.
“Hunter, wait! Calm down! Listen to me.” She used her mom voice, and though it didn’t work on him, it did get his attention. “There was a Solvari ship in the distance. Sean verified it when I got a look at them on their ship.”
“The beacon!” he breathed, his eyes going wide with fear. Without further explanation, he was out of the apartment, in his bare feet, running full tilt for the command center.
Ri got dressed and followed him.
Warriors were crowding against the entrance to the command center by the time she got there, but all she had to do was tap one on the shoulder. As soon as he saw who was there, he called out to make a path for Commander Ri. She thanked him and hurried between the canyon of warrior bodies to the steps of the computer room. Hunter was leaning on the desk, facing Gust on the screen.
“Everything. I want everything powered down. I want no trace of Thorsani technology.”
“Commander, we’re close to a breakthrough,” Gust was protesting.
“Gust,” Hunter said softly, “There’s a Solvari ship out there, trying to find us, and we have a refugee transport that will be here this afternoon. Those Solvari find us, we’re all dead, and you know it.”
“Aye, sir,” Gust said, capitulating. There were sounds of commotion in the background as Gust gave the necessary orders, then he grinned ruefully at Hunter. “A transport, you say? Does this mean we should probably haul ourselves over the mountain?”
“Only if you want to see who’s on board,” Hunter grinned.
“Do we know which ship?”
“No,” Hunter shook his head. “But Sean’s on it.”
“Sean’s alive?” Gust exclaimed. There was stunned silence, then raucous cheering in the background, even through the procedures to shut down all systems. Hunter nodded happily. His brother had always been well loved.
“Ri has been talking to him mentally for the past month. The ship should be here sometime this afternoon, and my brother will be with us once more!”
“Oh, Hunter!” Gust breathed, emotion shining in his eyes. “I am so very happy for you!”
“And I am happy for you,” Hunter said quietly. “I know that you and my broth
er have always had a special connection.”
“Not the kind I would have liked,” Gust sighed, the sound exaggerated. “But yes… he is one of my best friends. I’m… beside myself that he’s alive. And almost here! Crap! I need to get moving! Gust out.”
Hunter and Trey chuckled at Gust’s enthusiasm and his frantic slap of the camera that turned it off. When the screen went dark, Hunter looked at Rom questioningly.
“And… they’re off sensors,” Rom sighed heavily. He turned and looked at Hunter. “We have only short-range sensors operating, Commander. Nothing more than a few miles above the atmosphere.”
“Good. No scans, no beacons, no communication until the transport is close enough to identify without revealing our presence. And once the ship has been identified, send them landing coordinates and shut down short-range com, as well.”
“Aye, sir,” Rom said. “We’ll call as soon as we know something.”
“Good man,” Hunter clapped Rom on the shoulder as he left.
Arianna fell into step with her mate, who slowed down to allow for her much shorter legs. They often joked that they would one day build a pack to put her in, as that would be so much easier and faster than trying to let her keep up with him and Jace. She usually threw something at their heads or punched them… or wrapped her short legs around their waists and reminded them that wonderful things sometimes came in the smallest packages.
They stopped in at the med center to let Jace know what was going on, then all three continued to their quarters, to eat, rest, and prepare for the coming reunion.
Lunch was eaten and Bev and her team, with the exception of Rom, stopped by to wait for word about the transport together. Ri’s head raised and the men turned toward the garden area and balcony when an alarm sounded out in the courtyard. Throwing an excited look around the room at his family and friends, Hunter strode over to the balcony’s edge, looking down into the courtyard.
