Deep, Hard, and Rough

by Jenika Snow

  “You see, your words contradict what your body is screaming.” His voice, all gravelly and harsh, like a serrated blade scraping along her flesh and nicking its way over her body, had her panting for air. Her mouth parted, but nothing came out. His self-satisfied smirk had her toes curling in lust, and her hands fisting in anger. And then he was gone, without another word, or a look back as he strode out of the room.

  For several long moments Genet and Raimi stared at her, their silence like a cloak suffocating her. Raimi started rubbing the back of his neck, and Genet coughed in his hand. For such big, hulking warriors, it seemed they were embarrassed and unsure over what she could only assume was their brother’s actions.

  “His intentions are in the right place, even if he is acting like an asshole.” Raimi grinned over at her, and she melted at the almost boyish charm that came from him.

  “I don’t know how familiar you are with our species’ reactions when we find our mate, but to some it is more intense than others.” Genet glanced down, not meeting her eyes.

  With Genet and Raimi she grew warm and welcoming, but she suspected it had to do with the fact they didn’t try to push their dominance on her like their brother did. Then there was Erak, with his overbearing ways, telling her what he wanted her to do after she had just woken up and was disoriented. Because he wanted her to do what he said, it made her that more determined not to.

  “It seems you two are far different from your older brother.” She suddenly felt so very drained. Closing her eyes and bowing her head, she inhaled deeply, trying to calm the steadily building ache behind her forehead.

  “Erak is a species all of his own.” Genet’s deep voice was right before her, and she snapped her head up. There was only warmth and understanding, and the need to help her that came from him. “It’s the fact he is next in line for the throne, and the power that he gets from being the eldest circulates through him, making him more of a predator than any other Aktulla males, including Raimi and me. He was trained differently as well, because he is the eldest. He was conditioned to be more ruthless and unforgiving. I think it is hard for him to separate his life from the battlefield.” Genet explained it perfectly, because that was exactly what Erak was, a predator that maimed, took, and killed without remorse. “He is used to getting what he wants at all costs, and has never had to fight for a female’s attention.” Genet smiled and kept eye contact with her. “I’m not making excuses for him, because I’ll be honest when I say I have never seen him be that intense before, even when we are in battle.” When he lifted his hand to brush a lock of her hair away she didn’t flinch. “I can’t tell you he won’t get worse the longer you deny him, because that would be a lie, and I will never lie to you, but I will also never push you. Erak may be dominating in all things, but he will never take from you what you do not give willingly. You are our mate, Luna, and I know it is hard for you to understand since humans don’t have that kind of bone-deep connection and pull as my species does.” He let his hands trail down her arms, mindful of her still healing injuries, and took hold of her hand. “We can talk about this when you feel better. None of this was supposed to be thrust on you this soon.”

  He led her over to the bed and helped her in it, and Luna didn’t try to fight him. She kept the blanket tightly around her, but a little part of her broke for the gentleness that came from Genet. Raimi stood off to the side, looking slightly uncomfortable.

  Here she was, experiencing a total different spectrum of the life she led. Kindness, the desire to tend to her and make sure she was whole, and a warmth that she had never felt in a world full of darkness wrapped around her in a protective embrace. She felt something for these men that were strangers to her, things that she didn’t understand, and didn’t know if she felt very comfortable with. There was definitely a pull that had her wanting to be near them, feel their hands on her, and bask in the glowing heat that came from them. But none of this changed the fact that she still wanted her freedom. Luna couldn’t even imagine being with one possessive warrior, let alone three. It was too much. They were too much, and if she wasn’t careful she could easily see herself falling for them.

  “Once the fluids have run their course,” he gestured to the bag of liquid that was attached to the tube that went in her arm, “I will bring you some Ketta broth and Pana bread. We will start you off with light food so your body can become acclimated to solid nourishment.”

  He tucked the blankets more firmly around her, and Luna felt tears start to gather in the corner of her eyes. By his expression she could tell he sensed her tears, but bless his heart he didn’t comment on it and embarrass her more.

  “I’ll bring you some clothing. Although we have none for a female, I’ll see if I have something that will fit you.” He smiled, and Luna felt herself returning the gesture. It was much easier being around these two, especially when they didn’t go all alpha on her like Erak did.

  Genet reached out and smoothed a hand over her. Luna actually leaned into his touch and immediately felt embarrassed over the fact.

  She wasn’t used to people tending to her, at least not since her adoptive parents died when she was younger. Her world had since been degradation, violence, bloodshed, and sex, and not in that particular order. She liked to think she had grown somewhat immune to it, but as she looked at Raimi and Genet, got lost in their unusually, but beautifully colored eyes, she realized her skin wasn’t as thick as she had thought. She had only seen them in the bar, and been in their company for a short while, but something inside of her just wanted to let go, allow someone to take care of her, and forget the need to always be on alert and stay alive. Just looking at these two men, and even the possessive and totally over the top alpha male attitude that came from Erak, she could see herself letting them protect her in every way possible. They wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and the fact she realized that with every part of her being, scared the ever-loving shit out of her. Luna needed to get off this ship, away from these too potent males, and start her life. That was the only way things would end up being safe for her body, and her heart.

  Chapter Eight

  Erak sparred off with the holographic Aktulla male. Although the warrior in front of him was nothing more than beams of light, he was technologically advanced, and was just as superior and fierce as any other warrior he had come across on the battlefield. Sweat beaded off Erak’s forehead and dripped down his bare chest. The program he had decided to go with for this workout wouldn’t allow him to actually make contact with a body, because today he just wanted to run himself in the ground from exhaustion. A jab to the left, and a move to the right, had the hologram mimicking Erak’s moves and counteracting them. They moved back and forth, beads of wetness sliding into his eyes and making his vision blurry.

  All he could think about was Luna. His dick was uncomfortably hard, which made actually fighting near impossible. She infuriated him with her defiance, angered him with her independence, and aroused him more than any other female in the galaxy. Never had he met someone, male or female, who had challenged his authority and was still standing to declare they had. He was known for his ruthlessness, for getting what he wanted, and for never backing down. When she had denied him the simple request to tell him she was his, Erak had to leave the room or he would have thrown her over his shoulder, tossed her on the bed, and fucked her into submission. She was injured, frightened, and knew nothing about them. He continuously reminded himself that she had lived on a planet that was filled with far more horrors than she should have ever been subjected to, yet she was still standing strong. She was their fierce little warrior, but that didn’t make him any less pissed off.

  Humans didn’t have mates, not in the sense that his kind did. They found someone to be with, and it was a mutual emotion that held them together, but for his kind it went far deeper than that. It was a chemical, emotional, and psychological reaction inside of them, one that made it impossible to stay away from their mate once they found them. She did
n’t realize this, not as deeply as she should. He wouldn’t be run off from her, wouldn’t let her go, and the sooner she accepted that the sooner they could start experiencing the untold pleasures that mates had with each other.

  He threw a right hook, then a left one, and despite not making contact with an actual body, the hologram faltered from his hits. His anger grew when he thought of Genet and Raimi. They were insatiable with other females they had fucked, but when it came to their mate they were almost docile, giving her the space that she requested. He wanted to rage at them that doing so would drive her further away. She may be forced to stay with them while they traveled, but once they landed, she would run. That he had no doubts about. Once he realized what she was to them he had rerouted his course to their home planet. It would take several weeks to reach their planet. She had no idea where they were headed, but he didn’t doubt she would attempt to escape. He would hunt her, find her, and claim her in the way only his kind claimed their mate: all-consuming.

  Rearing his arm back, feeling his muscles tense, bunch, and strain, he put all his strength in this hit. His arm went through the hologram’s face, and the image burst into a thousand little pieces of sparkling light before disappearing. Erak braced his hands on his thighs and breathed in and out, forcing himself to stabilize. Maybe he should have used the program that materialized an actual form, one that he could slam his fist into over and over again? Instead of feeling exhausted from the fight, he was even more ramped up, ready to go round two and three. It had been hours since he left Luna in her room, but he knew Genet and Raimi had stayed to tend to her. They were far more understanding than he was, and clearly had a lot more self-control.

  Sitting on the floor, he brought his knees up, rested his head between them, and forced his fucking cock to go down. Fuck, he was so damn horny for her, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

  “You good now or do you want to go a few rounds with me?” Raimi’s voice held a hint of amusement. Erak lifted his head and looked at his brother. He stood in the same attire as he did: low hanging black sparring shorts, a pair of knuckle guards, and nothing else. Erak’s sword was off to the side, and even though that was his weapon of choice, hand-to-hand combat was far more exhilarating. As much as he wanted to go a round with a living person, see the blood flow and feel bones break, he just wanted to clean the sweat from his body and pass out into oblivion. Shaking his head and then standing, he walked over to Raimi and clapped him on the back.

  “Nah, I think I have been up for far too many hours, and if I don’t sleep I’m liable to lose it.” Raimi raised a brow, and Erak chuckled before he said, “More than I already have.” He started making his way out of the training pod, but his brother’s voice stopped him.

  “You went too far with Luna, Erak.” That had Erak stopping and looking over his shoulder. The way Raimi said it had his hackles rising.

  He turned full around so he faced Raimi. “What is that supposed to mean?” Raimi stared at him, but Erak couldn’t read his emotions. That was the thing with his youngest brother: he was far too good at keeping himself in control. Erak took a step forward and then rolled his head on his neck. His patience was waning, and he wasn’t in the mood for fucking games. “If you two want to stand back and watch as our mate pulls away from us, then so be it. I want her, and I’m not about to apologize for wanting to claim her.”

  For a prolonged second Raimi just stood there, but then he ran a hand over his short hair and spoke. “We want her just as fiercely as you do, brother, but we also know what hell she’s been through.”

  Erak didn’t stop the growl that left him. “You think I don’t know what she went through? I fucking found her near death when we first took off.” His anger rose to a dangerous level, and he reminded himself this was his brother, his blood.

  “I’m not about to fight over this with you. I know what rage and energy you harbor inside, have seen it in you my whole life, All I am saying, and asking, is that you give her time to get accustomed to us. She is human, so very fragile, and needs to come to realize what she is to us in her own way.”

  The silence beat between them, and Erak’s blood roared in his ears. He knew Raimi was right, but that didn’t mean it didn’t piss him off to hear it. Suddenly all of that energy left him, and he exhaled. Running a hand over his hair and feeling the sweat coat his fingers, he forced himself to stare into his brother’s eyes. “I’m not disagreeing with what you’re saying, but it’s fucking hard to back off.” Rami’s look was sympathetic, and that annoyed him.

  “Okay, I’m glad you at least realize it. Now go get some rest.”

  Erak nodded, because if he said what he wanted to say, that Raimi should back the fuck off and leave him the hell alone, it would just end up causing them to fight, and neither of them needed that right now. He nodded once, and turned to leave. Yes, sleep was what he needed, but he didn’t know how much he would actually get, not with this heaviness settling inside of him.

  Shit, he needed to go work out again because his exhaustion had left as quickly as it had come. Of course Raimi had been right, and Erak had known he went too far with Luna, but none of that changed the fact he still wanted to claim her. He turned on his heel and made his way back to the training pod. Looks like he and Raimi were about to do a little one-on-one sparring.

  Chapter Nine

  A week had passed, and Luna was completely healed, body wise. There were still times she found herself waking in the middle of the night covered in sweat with memories of her nightmares playing through her mind. They were dreams about being with Maximo, of doing untold and unspeakable things. They were enough to have her losing sleep over, and feeling drained with every passing day. She found herself drawing closer to Genet and Raimi. She basked in the gentleness and warmth they gave her. They didn’t push her, though, and for that she was thankful.

  Then there was Erak, with his brooding and almost angry mannerisms. He kept clear from her, and she did the same, but there was no denying that whenever their paths would cross sparks would fly between them. She wanted to hate him for thinking he could place some kind of barbaric claim on her, and that he acted angry with her over the fact she wouldn’t give in. Instead of staying angry at him though, she found herself growing wetter and wetter by thoughts of having what she knew was a huge cock buried deep inside of her. She felt unnerved by her thoughts, by the very vivid images that played through her mind. She had no experience with sex personally, but had seen enough of it while living on Kat’aki. Then those thoughts led to Raimi and Genet watching their older brother take her, and then joining in. The three of them doing things to her that had her toes curling and her heart racing. Anymore the only thing she would see, smell, taste, and feel, was them. It was enough that she had shamefully touched herself while alone in her room, thinking about those dirty and wrong images that played like a hologram in her mind.

  Genet and Raimi had come in and spoken with her days ago, explaining that Erak had set their course for their home planet. Their expressions had been wary, and she knew they had probably expected her to be upset over that fact, but all she wanted was a new home and life, and as long as it was far away from Kat’aki, she didn’t care where it was. In fact, if she was being honest, she was looking forward to seeing their home and of knowing they would be there. She had never felt safer than she did with these three men, or maybe it was the simple fact she was no longer in Maximo’s sights and away from that horrid planet? Either way, she’d embrace this new path.

  The time illuminated on the wall showed her supper was starting in a few moments. After taking her meals in her room for several days after her nightmares, Raimi was the one to coax her out of her hiding. Most of their meals were eaten in silence, and usually with Erak absent. She didn’t know why he had withdrawn so much, especially after he had made this big scene about not stopping until she was theirs. Maybe he had changed his mind, and given up on this ridiculous notion that she would just give herself to him? Berating her
self continuously that she was a fool to want anything to do with him did nothing to ease the steady ache his dominance caused between her legs. Luna wanted his power over her, surrounding, and filling her, and she wanted his brothers to be the other side of that spectrum with their soft touches. Ugh, she was a damn fool, and a crazy one at that.

  She made her way down the long corridor that would open up into the dining hall, and wrapped her arms around her waist. The clothes Genet had given her hadn’t been anything fancy, but they fit and covered her fully and that was all she cared about. The pants were made of some type of soft material, and even though she had to roll the waist over several times, it was a million times better than the nearly transparent outfit Maximo had made her wear. The shirt was also made of the same white material, nearly falling to her knees and to her elbows, but once again it covered her and didn’t make her feel exposed. She had no undergarments on, but she was clothed and certainly wouldn’t be picky.

  The dining hall came into view, and she stopped before she entered. It always amazed her when she came into this part of the ship. Half of the room was shaped in a circular fashion, with glass taking up a crescent shape and showcasing the dark, star-dotted space before them. On the other side was the kitchenette that had anything and everything a person could want. Robotic arms and high-tech gadgets did all the cooking, cleaning, and serving, and made Tao’s seem even more primitive in comparison.

  They made no secret about where they were going—back to their home planet. But she knew enough of where the Aktulla males came from that it was a wondrous and beautiful planet. Any other place was better than where she had come from. In all reality, she was glad Erak had changed course and was no longer headed for Hete’kkia, because even if there was a part of her that tried to stay somewhat neutral when it came to the men, she was also jealous. There wouldn’t be any doubt that they would have been surrounded by gorgeous females, ones that knew a hell of a lot more about pleasing a male than she did. Luna didn’t actually think she could have handled seeing the women fawning all over the men.