The Love Goddess Brands Her Cowboys

by Raven Knights

  “Be right back,” Chad said jumping to his feet. “I’ll get some from the party.” He ran to his Jeep.

  Star watched him go and as soon as Chad was gone, Star turned to Diego who was gazing down at her. His penetrating deep eyes had a special sparkle to them; an aura. No wonder she had been drawn to him from their very first look. “You can cut out the act now,” she said, wasting no time, sure there was little to waste before Chad returned. “Where are you from?”

  “I think you know.” He tossed her a wry grin. “Thanks a lot. You just spoiled my merry playboy days here on earth, princess.” His words were only partly teasing.

  “It can’t be true and keep your voice down. He might be back any second.”

  Diego shook his head. “I put a block on him and hid the water. He won’t come back until we settle this.”

  “There’s nothing to settle,” she argued feeling cornered and sat, drawing her knees up and hugging as she shivered from being wet, suddenly feeling vulnerable. But even as she said the words she wondered. “If, and that’s a big if, it happened you know I had no control over it.”

  “Of course, I know.” He sounded irritated.

  “So what are you doing here?”

  Diego let out a breath and it tickled her cheek. She knew he was a good guy, but not anything else, but if he lied to her, she’d be able to tell. “My mother sent me down here to look after Chad,” he said, catching her gaze. “I’m his guardian angel. Chad never knew his own powers or strengths but they could have gotten him into serious trouble on earth so I was sent here to keep him in line.”

  Star digested that, her eyes round. As she felt Diego’s truth, she accepted it. “So my feelings were accurate. Chad is part Venusian.”

  “Half. His mother never left his father for another man, in spite of Asa’s belief. She was sucked back to Venus because she was needed and Asa couldn’t come with because he wouldn’t even let her begin to explain who and what she was. The Venusian Powers felt it best to leave him on earth. Chad’s mother, Catina, is a powerful psychic, and our planet being under attack so often, her presence was mandatory for keeping Venus safe. Indeed, for its continued existence. She loved Chad’s father and was so sorry she’d broken his heart that she left Chad with him so that he had something to live for.”

  Star had to blink to stop her head from spinning. “No wonder I was sent to the ranch.”

  “Yes, so you would be with your soulmate, her son. Your mother knew and arranged it. Who knew you’d also prevent me from ever being able to touch another woman. The fates must be laughing their asses off at me right now.” Diego sighed, then said, “You are now the only woman I’ll be physically able to fuck.”

  “You know, it’s a long shot.” Star’s mind resisted. “We didn’t even get mating marks…well, not this time…so that just goes to prove the lightening was only a coincidence.” She tried to believe it.

  “You keep telling yourself that, princess,” he said then looked off in the direction that Chad had gone.

  Star figured it was some signal to recall Chad and sighed. “Okay, fine. If it happened, then it was meant to be.” Star felt her mother’s warmth engulfing her, as if she had received a confirmation.

  “I guess I can be tamed,” Diego said, with a reluctant smile as he looked her over appreciatively, “especially since you’re such a sexy, inept love goddess…and I get to share you with Chad.”

  “Inept?” Star spat her feistiness returning as she glared at him, forgetting her fear. She saw Diego’s grin at that and knew he’d deliberately goaded her to relieve her tension. Now he was acting like her guardian angel too. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that and sharing him with Chad.. “What about Chad?” she asked, adding a shudder. “He’s lived as a human. He doesn’t know about triad marriages, like we have on Venus.”

  “If I’m right and we do get mating marks, you’ll have to tell him,” he said staring down at his smooth chest with a frown.

  She smiled with glorious relief as she gazed down at her own unmarked skin. “Yeah. No mating marks and it really didn’t happen.” She heard Diego growl and looked up to see what looked like regret in his eyes and wondered if he’d been protesting too much; if he wanted them to be joined forever. Then Chad was running back, three bottles of water in his hands.

  He handed her a bottle of water and then tossed one at Diego. “Thanks for watching over her for me. She looks better now.”

  “That’s my job,” Diego said with a nod, stepping back.

  Chad dropped to the ground and pulled her into his arms saying, “Drink up, baby, and then I’m driving you home.”

  Star felt the regret in Diego’s aura and empathized with her second sexy cowboy. “Diego’s coming back too?” she asked Chad, hoping.

  Chad nodded and kissed her forehead. “You just read my mind, sugar. Something tells me this threesome was meant to be.”

  “Sanctioned by the heavens above,” Diego said.

  Chad laughed, as if Diego had made a joke. “Right,” he said, flippantly.

  Star snuggled up against Chad wondering if the bonding would come true and they’d all get marked. She wanted nothing more than to keep her cowboys forever. Just the idea made her pussy wet.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chad felt warm and contented, even before he opened his eyes the next morning. Of course, the previous night had been amazing and Star was in his arms, both of them naked on his bed. As he forced his eyes to open, he lifted his head to gaze down at Star’s beauty and smiled when he also saw Diego asleep on her other side. It felt right to have him there as well. He was just about to nibble Star’s ear when he felt a burning above his left nipple and cringed. What the hell? Had she scratched him during sex? The thought made his balls jerk as he remembered how hot he and Diego had made her last night.

  Chad sat up and looked down at his burning spot. When he saw what it was, he blinked, then widened his eyes. Although the mark was a little hard to see, and was upside down, he swore he had a brand singed across his skin. He slid out of bed and ran to the attached bathroom. In his vanity’s mirror, he could see a blue and red circular mark and he stared at it in disbelief. He reached up and traced the edges of the wolf, heart, and archer entwined together, finding it puffy and tender. Chad thought back to the strange happenings the previous night.

  Did this have something to do with the strange lightning storm at the lake, and Star’s bizarre reaction to it? Her passing out? His mind tried to reject the notion but his heart said it was true. Shit. Just then he heard echoing groans coming from the bedroom and Star and Diego’s raised, excitable voices. What was going on there? Spinning around, he quickly returned to the bedroom to find Star and Diego standing there, facing one another, touching each other just above their left nipples. Neither looked freaked out, like he was but both were smiling in seeming wonder. In fact, they were sharing an intimate gaze that angered him because it made him feel left out. But he didn’t have much time to think about it. What really caught his attention was after they noticed him glaring at them and when they dropped their hands turning to face him. Exposed were identical crests to his, and in the same spot. “What is this all about?” he demanded, stalking up to them. “What’s this damned brand that we all have on our bodies? Do I really want to know?” He felt a wave of panic inside of him, but forced it away because he had to be clear-headed to face what he would hear.

  Diego took in a deep breath and looked at Star. “I think you’d better tell him, babe.”

  Chad, feeling shut out again, grabbed her arm and made her face him. “What exactly is going on here? Is this more Venusian crap?”

  “It’s not crap.” She pulled her arm away and looked offended, although he had no idea why. “But, yes, it’s Venusian, and you’d better get used to it because our Triad Symbol isn’t going to disappear.” She sucked in a breath. “It’s there forever.”

  Chad stared at her. She had lifted her chin and had a defiant look on her face. He took
her chin between his fingers, holding it firmly so she couldn’t look away. “Triad Symbol? Would you like to be more specific, sugar?” Even as his head whirled, he admired her bravery. “Explain.”

  “It might be easier for you to think of the marking as a family crest. Kind of like in medieval times,” she said running her warm, soft fingers over his crest as she tilted her head in a very enticing way.

  Now she was trying to humor him by acting flirty and cute and it was working, damn it. Chad tried to harden himself against her hot touch, but his stupid dick stirred, even now. He had to remove her hand. “Stop that, Star. Just tell me about this crest.” His voice had still been stern, but he felt more hurt than angry now. “What does this mean?”

  “All three symbols on the mark stand for one of us, Chad.” Her face brightened. “I’m the heart of our triad, Diego is the archer because he’s our protector, and you’re the wolf because you’re our strength.”

  “You fucking branded me.” His body trembled. “You promised not to use magic to force anything!”

  “It wasn’t me,” she said, passion in her voice, the blatant truth in her aura. “The Fates did it. And Diego and I didn’t think it would happen,” she said looking over at Diego with a nervous smile. “But now that it’s happened, I’m not sorry. So there!”

  Chad raked a hand through his hair as she stood there with her head held high and her shoulders thrown back. She really was happy about it. As for him, he felt betrayed. Why did Diego seem in on what had happened? It made no sense. “So I’m branded like a steer.”

  “Not like a steer.” Star sounded annoyed, then she ran her fingers over his crest again and spoke in a soothing voice as his cock grew even harder. “It’s really quite lovely, isn’t it?”

  He continued to stand there, stunned, as a dreamy look crossed her pretty face. Taking in a breath, he tried to wrap his mind around what he’d just heard. He fucking couldn’t absorb it. The story didn’t tell everything. Star’s words about Diego’s not thinking that a bonding would happen jolted him. Why would Diego know about bonding, since he was human? And Star explaining that Diego was “our protector” didn’t make sense either. His oldest and closest friend, his protector? He cast a troubled look at Diego who was eyeing him steadily. “Tell me what the fuck is going on, old buddy.” He knew he sounded threatening and didn’t care. “Out with it.”

  “Sure,” Diego said with a shrug. “You’re old enough to know the truth and you’ve passed the love goddesses tests or you wouldn’t have that crest.”

  “You know about love goddesses?” Chad managed to ask him, shocked.

  “Very well.”

  Chad couldn’t speak for a few beats, then he suddenly found his voice. “Damn it, who are you then. What are you?” Chad saw Star start at the words. His muscles tensed as hard as rocks. “Are you both trying to fuck with my mind? Star, did you come here just to drive me crazy?”

  “No, Chad. My mother really sent me here for protection. But I also think she wanted me to meet you because you are one of the two men I am supposed to be with forever.”

  “But she’s not the only love goddesses, is she?” Diego said, his words directed at Star now as he gazed at her. “Maybe your mother didn’t make a unilateral decision. My mother may have also been involved.”

  “Your mother?” Chad sputtered. “You’re an orphan. Dad took you in. Unless…” his eyebrows slanted downwards as he started to gain a little understanding. Well, I’ll be damned! “Don’t tell me you’re Venusian too, Diego.”

  Diego looked away from him and said, “Star, I think Chad wants to hear the truth from your own sweet lips.” He winked at her.

  Chad burned, feeling resentful by their easy way with each other. Like they were both in on secrets he couldn’t comprehend. “Yeah tell me from your sweet lying lips,” he said harshly. He saw her sniff back a tear and wanted to kick himself for hurting her.

  “The truth as I knew it up to a minute ago,” Star said, her voice wavering a little, “As you’ve already figured out, Diego is Venusian, like me. What you don’t understand is that protective archer is his job. He’s here working as your guardian angel.” Suddenly her startling words came quickly. “His mother sent him here to look after you because you have powers and could get into trouble if you accidentally used them on earth. But I swear I didn’t know about the bonding, either with you or Diego. I really did think I was sent to earth only for protection from Norris.”

  This was crazy! He felt himself so tense he was almost shaking. The remarkable thing was, he knew by her aura that she was telling the truth as she knew it and it was overwhelming him.

  “Star…I only have powers because of you…”

  “That’s not true,” she cut in, passion in her voice. “Oh, Chad, your mother never ran off. She is a powerful Venusian psychic and they needed her back there so the Gods simply took her. Your father was so resistant to the idea of aliens that they couldn’t bring him with her but your mother begged them to let you stay with your father so that he wasn’t alone. That’s why you gained powers from me so quickly. They lay dormant inside you all these years. Apparently, we were meant to be bonded.”

  Chad had heard everything and absorbed all of it, but what stuck in his mind, numbing him completely, was about his mother. “My mother is Venusian? You know my mother?” His heart was pounding like a drum. He felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes, but forced them away with hard blinks. Grabbing Star by the shoulders, he said, “This better not be a trick.” But as he touched her, he could feel the truth in her words. My mother is a Venusian! Then so am I, partly. It was all mindboggling; unreal. “Tell me what she’s like. I want to meet her.”

  “She’s lovely but a bit eccentric.” Star grinned. “You’ll meet her, Chad, but you can’t tell Asa where she is. He’ll never believe it and now that he’s happy with Alice, don’t start him thinking about Catina again. There’s no point.”

  “I…I won’t tell him.” Chad was having trouble swallowing. He let her go, dizzy and in shock. “So I’m not even fully human and now I’m bonded and branded.” He laughed, shaking his head, but it wasn’t happy laughter.

  “Yes,” Star said. “And it means…” she licked her lips, “it means you will be unable to have sexual intercourse with anybody except me. That’s how it works.”

  Maybe that should have bothered him, but it didn’t. He would never want to touch another woman besides Star. Still confused and angry, however, he tossed at her, “This is just great. We’re bonded because we fucked each other’s brains out. Nice.”

  She winced and he felt bad but couldn’t reach out to her. “Chad, if we hadn’t been in love, the sex wouldn’t have bonded us. However, we made such a glorious love connection that it was honored by the fates, thus the lightning storm. My passing out between the two of you, my soulmates, is a common side effect of a Venusian triad bonding. The crests we all have on our bodies, bearing each of our elemental symbols are absolute proof. It was ordained. We’re bonded, all three of us. That’s quite common for higher level Venusians—triads are, however I didn’t know that it was even possible for bondings to happen on earth. But it did happen. Apparently I was meant to be with both of you forever because—the bonding happened and it’s permanent.”

  Her words were starting to make some sort of sense but he didn’t want to hear them much less think about them. It meant that his whole life was a lie. His mother, whom he’d grieved about and never met, was a psychic in another galaxy. His best friend was an alien and glorified babysitter and his sweet Star was the tempting bait sent to make sure this Venusian bonding took place. Then to add insult to injury, he could feel her developing deep feelings for Diego. He didn’t know if he could handle sharing her. “This story is a lie! It has to be.”

  “No, it’s not. You can feel that it’s true.” She took his hands but he pulled them away. “Chad, don’t be like that. Open your mind and heart to your destiny. Is it such a terrible thing to you that we’re
all bonded, all family?”

  Through the fog in his head, he saw his beautiful lady love and felt both overwhelming adoration and conflicting anger. “I didn’t expect him to be part of the deal.” He again glanced over at Diego, who stared at the ground, arms crossed. “I didn’t want to share you this way!”

  “You’re wrong,” Star said, with quiet confidence. “You like sharing me with him.”

  Chad felt a small explosion going off in his brain because it was also true. Hell, he and Diego had shared women before and now he knew it was practice for the real thing but Star was a lot more to him then one of the fillies they’d shared, and he couldn’t help his jealousy.

  “Embrace this,” Diego piped up. “There is nothing any of us can do to change it and it’s for your benefit, as well as ours.”

  Chad stepped back. He needed to get away or he’d start fighting with Diego and few could best him in a serious brawl. “Fuck you, Diego!” Backing up further, he yelled, “My entire life has been a lie and you’re telling me to embrace it. Nice!” He stared first at Diego, who looked contrite, and Star, who was wiping her eyes. How he wanted to kiss her tears away, but he found himself unable to go to her. “I can’t deal with this shit right now.” He turned around and headed out of the bedroom, needing to leave, not sure where he’d go. When he reached the bedroom door, he swung it open and stomped across the hallway then down the stairs. “Have fun together, both of you!” he called out before opening his front door then slamming it shut with every bit of strength that he had in him.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Star took a step to go after Chad but Diego grabbed her arm. “Don’t.”

  Turning around, she started beating his chest with her fist, tears misting her eyes as she felt Chad’s pain. She was the heart of their triad. She had to comfort him. “Let me go! He’s hurt and I need to explain better…”