by Rena Marks
“We’ve already felt the mating call.”
“Oh. But that’s good, right? You know he’s the one. Like Drakar is for me.”
“I’ve never doubted he was the one. I just want to remember everything, and my memories aren’t all there.”
She nods. “Give it time,” she murmurs. “Just talk to him. You can work it out.”
“I will.”
We nibble on our veggie-cakes silently. I never tell her about Cio. I certainly don’t want any more drama. But I still stew.
Niki gets half the cake down, and then a sleepy Drakar comes and takes her. It’s been a rough night of morning sickness for the couple.
For a while, I sit by myself. Soon Ash bursts in, wearing leggings and nothing else.
“Miranda, you’re up,” he says, and he looks sexily tousled.
“I’ve been up a while. I went to the bathroom and then saw Niki trying to gag down a cake. Drakar just came and took her back to the cave.”
He sits. “Have you eaten?”
“Not really. I just nibbled on a cake with her. It wasn’t too appetizing watching her try to gag it down.”
“I’ll get us plates,” he says.
I trace the woodgrain pattern on the table. I’m not sure how to start, so I know this is a conversation we need to have later.
He brings our food and sits down next to me. “What’s wrong, beautiful?”
“Nothing much. I’m just thinking about a lot of things.”
“Do you want to share with me?”
I nod. “Was I dating others when we mated?”
“Why is that important, my love?”
“Because I can’t remember anything. I feel like a miserable mate, wondering what all I’ve put you through.”
“Miranda,” he says. “Look at me.”
I lift my eyes from the table. “I love you. I have always loved you, and I always will. Does the past matter as long as we’re together now?”
“The past is driving me crazy. It’s like a big black hole.”
“Stop wasting energy on it. Give your energy to the present.”
It sounds so simple put like that.
“I would never want to hurt you.”
“And I’d never want to hurt you. We’re a team, you and I together. Forever.”
I wrap both arms around his neck. “You’re right. You’re the only one for me. You’re the reason I stayed.”
“Are you sure, my love?” he whispers.
“Of course, baby.”
Suddenly there’s cheering from the outer cave. Taking my hand, we head outside the kitchen for the main area of the cave. Everyone seems to be gathered there. Tessa is standing with Jeroc and Tijar. We move to where they stand.
“Drakar just announced that the days are now three hours long, and the ban to leave the village is lifted for the hunters tomorrow. We’ll have fresh meat again. He’s also dispatching a team out to notify Adretta, and to bring her supplies.”
“That is good news,” Ash says, and he looks into my eyes. “That means a party.”
Tessa laughs. “That’s the next thing he announced. We’re breaking out the Midnight Margaritas later.”
* * * * *
I manage to stay awake most of the day. Most everyone stays visiting in the main cave. In the evening, at least I think it’s evening, a few people leave to grab the skins of booze, and some leave to grab their musical instruments. It’s a good thing it’s a close-knit community, because an indoor party is going to echo throughout the caves.
“I’ll grab you a plate,” Aschero says, leaving me with Tessa. A look passes from him to her guys. I’m sure it means to keep me safe from Cio. Now I realize what all the not leaving me alone meant.
Tessa leans in close enough to talk in my ear. There’s a ton of noise going on around us. “Everything good?”
“Yeah. I do love him.”
She grins. “I know you do.”
“We’re lucky. Who would have thought we’d have been saying that six months ago?”
“Has it been that long?”
“You’re asking the one who was overdosed? My timelines are still mixed up.” I shrug. “I’m basing the time on the Earth seasons of summer to winter.”
She laughs. “We are lucky to be here. I can’t imagine being back on Earth and living with two men. Oh, I know there are some places where it’s acceptable, but here? There’s no judgment whatsoever.”
“No,” I agree. “But there is curiosity. I do wonder how it works.”
“We’re careful to make it work. If Tijar is gone too long hunting, I try to spend extra time with him. It helps that he and Jeroc are best friends, and I happened to fall in love with both of them.”
“Has the mating call hit?”
“Sure has.”
“For both?”
“Yup.”
“Well, that’s good. I’m happy for you three.”
“Me, too. It was more validation that I was doing the right thing. The guys—they don’t have any hang-ups. Me, I had a few left over from Earth.”
On the ship, she’d once mentioned her bible-thumping parents. They were a self-made blend of several religions, depending upon whatever suited them for the moment. I felt sorry for Tessa. She was raised strict, almost Amish. It was a pretty extreme change from where she was now with two men.
“I think we all do,” I say.
Tessa smiles gently. That’s what I love about her. No matter what, she has a calming grace about her.
Jeroc brings her a cup of the Midnight Margarita, and it even has the rim of the cup salted. He drops to one knee to hand it to her, as if she’s the queen of his world. Tijar brings two, and hands one to me. Mine has just a bare inch of liquid at the bottom, and I smile at him gratefully for understanding. He winks.
“Miranda, how does it feel to be mated?” Tijar asks.
“I love it,” I admit. “I love Ash. I always have.”
He nods, then leans down to kiss Tessa’s forehead.
I think back to the days on the trail. Tessa had played the field, bouncing from Jeroc to Tijar. Like me, she wasn’t settling down. Unlike Cio, who grew jealous, her guys seemed to accept it. Of course, it could be because they were best friends. Or it could be because she divided her time between the two. For whatever reason, it worked.
Cio unknowingly pushed me away with his insecurities and demands that I drop Ash. A part of me knew I could never do that. Not Ash. Cio forced me to choose, and I made the choice. The other distractions fell away.
“Did Jeroc and Tijar ever ask you to choose?” I whisper, as soon as her guys are wrapped up in their conversation.
Tessa stares right at me, and shakes her head. “Never.”
From across the room, I see Cio when he arrives. His eyes search the room. I look away, afraid his gaze will settle on me.
Then Aschero arrives, holding two plates for us. I smile and turn my face up to be kissed. He takes his time, making sure he kisses me thoroughly and leaves me breathless. Then, the five of us move to a table.
The dynamics between Tessa and Jeroc and Tijar are amazing. Jeroc seats her, and then takes the seat next to her. Tijar sets her plate before her, and takes the seat on her opposite side. She turns to whisper to him, then turns and whispers to Jeroc. Equal time for equal guys. I watch in fascination.
I’ve always known she was involved with both, but before we were sealed in the cave for all winter, it just wasn’t as apparent. I thought they flip-flopped back and forth during the summer. It wasn’t until the cold hit that everyone realized the three were in a solid relationship. Blaedonians—they welcomed it with open arms. The humans welcomed it because Tessa was one of ours, and above all else, we want one of those who had been taken to be happy here. That’s what we’re learning on this planet. If it makes you happy, go for it.
“You know,” Tessa says. “On the ship, we all went through different experiences. We found out Lucie was raped. Niki was awakened and experimented
on.”
I nod.
“I was…implanted with the knowledge that I would be an alien pleasure slave. My sex drive was increased. I’ll never be normal again. This is a good arrangement for us. I need them, and they need me. I love them, and they love me.”
She’s speaking in English, which is what the females switch to when we need privacy. It’s become known as the delicate language. I try not to show my shock at what she’s shared with me.
Tijar leans to Tessa, whispering something in her ear. She nods, and they head to the middle of the floor to dance in the hopping way that reminds me of Native Americans.
Jeroc watches, and suddenly I realize why there’s no jealousy. The three of them share everything. He watches. More than that, he likes to watch. Tijar probably watches when it’s Jeroc and Tessa making love. He’s turned on by his best friend wanting and needing his third just as he does. Jeroc watches when Tijar and Tessa make love.
I turn toward Aschero, who’s watching me intently.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He nods, but it’s careful.
“Are you still worried that we should have been a threesome?”
“A little. You seem fascinated by this.”
“It’s only because I’m trying to figure out how it works. In my case, it wouldn’t have. I know that for sure.” I assure him. “You’re the only one I love.” I place my hand in his and lean my head on his tight shoulder. “I’m going to talk to Niki and Drakar for a second. I’ll be right back, okay?”
His eyes dart around the room, and I’m sure he’s seeking Cio. He seems satisfied that Cio is across the room talking to a bunch of hunters from his shift.
“I love you,” I whisper, and then slip away in the opposite direction.
Niki looks up when I approach.
“You’re looking better,” she says.
“I’m feeling better finally. Hey, I have an idea. Maybe we can introduce the Blaedonians to some slow dancing? It’ll be hard for them to understand the concept, but it’s something new.”
“Ohmigod, Miranda, that’s an excellent idea. Gigi has a musical background, and I think Cammie was even a music teacher. You and Aschero will have to be the first dance. You can teach him, and then everyone will be scrambling to try.”
I nod. “Just tell me when.”
“I’ll go talk to them.”
She walks with me as I head to where Ash and Jeroc sit. From across the room, Cio stares. He tilts his cup of drink to me. I look away and hurry back to the table. He just doesn’t seem to give up. I wonder what it is I’m not remembering about the situation.
Chapter Eight
“Everything okay?” Aschero asks, as I sit in his lap.
“Yes. I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?”
“I reminded Niki that we have another type of music on Earth. Couples dance to it, but it’s more intimate dancing than yours is. You stand close, and move together in a balanced sway. It’s almost like…sex on the dance floor. Without getting naked,” I amend, as his eyes begin to softly glow.
“It is a tease?”
“It’s foreplay,” I whisper. “For later. Niki’s asking Gigi and Cammie for help. They have musical backgrounds and maybe can explain to the musicians what it is we need.”
Across the room, Niki is huddled with Gigi and Cammie, and all three look excited. Their hands are moving a mile a minute as they chatter.
Soon they move to a couple of guys who play the instruments and cover for the Blaedonians who usually play and they take them out of the room to explain the situation.
When they head back inside, I’m unusually excited. “Here we go.”
The musicians switch places, and Niki says something to the previous players. Then she turns to find me from across the room. She nods, and I take Ash’s hand.
“Come on, baby.” I drag him to the middle of the room.
“Miranda? I do not know what to do.”
“You stand here,” I say, taking his hands and looping them around my waist. “And you hold me. I’m going to place my hands here.” I drape them up around his neck. “When the music plays, we just sway. Then we’ll take small steps. Eventually, you’ll lead and I’ll follow. It’ll make sense when we do it.”
Everyone’s eyes are on us as they wonder what we’re up to.
The music starts and it’s slow and soulful. It’s a nice touch, because without the soul it would sound a bit rickety.
Cammie’s explaining something to Vesha, and she nods.
Then Vesha turns and stands at the front of the room where the musicians are, and matches her vocals to the music. The mix is a sorrowful blend of tones that is beautiful and completely different from the music they normally play.
Definitely danceable. I begin to sway in Ash’s arms, and my body leads his. He begins to move with me, and we’re synchronized as one. I see the humans stand, looking excited. I show Ash how to take small steps, and then show him how I can follow each step he makes.
Tessa grabs Jeroc’s hand and brings him out to teach him.
Jezebel brings Maca.
“This is…fun,” Aschero says. Our bodies are moving together and his hands are brushing against the small of my waist.
“After this dance, we’ll have to split up. I’ll show Tijar how, and you take one of the Blaedonian women to show her. Then, she can show someone, and it’ll spread.”
He looks down at me. “I don’t want to dance with anyone else. And I don’t want to share you.”
I soften. Poor Aschero has had to share me for so long. “I know. But this is how you dance with others.” I separate us so there is space between our bodies, so it’s not as intimate. “It can be fun to dance with others, and doesn’t have to be sexual. That’s a special thing reserved for lovers. You and I will get this close to dance. Make sense?”
He nods. “I understand.”
“Let me show you a couple more things.” I take a step back from him, moving with the beat of the music, hold his arm up and twirl under it. Then, with the next beat, I move back in. “That can also be done with both of us at the same time. There are so many different ways to dance. So many different beats of music.”
“When we split to show others, Miranda,” he whispers. “I will own the rest of your dances.”
“Of course, baby. And then we will return to our cave to make love.”
He leans down and kisses me.
We break apart and he heads across the room to get Maynak. I head back to the table to get Tijar. His eyes are glued to Tessa and Jeroc.
“Come,” I say. “Let me show you while Tessa teaches Jeroc.”
He looks startled and I realize he’s totally into watching the two of them. Tessa is rubbing up against Jeroc, practically having an orgasm on the dance floor. Well, well, well, what a naughty threesome they are.
I pull him to the dance floor, and he stands there looking awkward.
I show him where to place his hands, and keep a respectable distance between us. But we’re on the edge of the dance floor, so the music isn’t quite as loud.
“Since there’s three of you,” I tell him, “It’s perfectly acceptable to come up behind Tessa. She’ll turn and slink toward you, but Jeroc won’t know what to do. It’ll be up to you to pull him in—maybe your hands on his shoulders—to get him to rub against her back. Eventually, she’ll turn back toward him, and it’s your turn to cover her back to dance. Does that make sense?”
He nods slowly, and he’s picking up on the rhythm of my body as it sways to the music.
“Dancing can be about the steps, or it can be intimate. You are learning the steps right now. See the space I keep between us? When you dance with Tessa and Jeroc, it’ll be more about intimacy. You’re loving her on the dance floor. It’s just to music. Get it?”
He nods.
I show him a couple of twirls, and then how to dip a woman. He’s a fast learner, and tries his moves out on me. I look across the room t
o find Aschero, but instead the dark gaze of Cio, brooding and staring as he continues to drink the saghsha. I look away quickly, and then there’s Ash. He moved from Maynak to the reverent mother, and is teaching her. Maynak has moved on and is dancing with another hunter.
The dancing spreads.
“Okay,” I look up at Tijar. “See how close Tessa is to Jeroc? Come up behind her, put your hands on her waist like this.” I turn so my back is to him, and hold his hands to my waist. We dance for a few minutes like this, so he can feel the rhythm. Then I turn back. “You’ll be facing Jeroc. You can look at him, you can close your eyes to dance, or you can look down at Tessa. Whatever feels comfortable. Just listen to music and feel.”
He nods. “Thank you, Miranda. Aschero is lucky to have you.”
“You’re welcome. And thank you.”
We part ways, and I head back to the table I sit on the edge where I’m leaning against it. From there, I see Tijar make his way to his couple. Jeroc’s striking blue gaze stays on him as he approaches Tessa from behind. Tijar moves in, and the three of them meld together. It’s beautiful to watch. The men are complete strength, yet there’s something graceful about the raw masculinity. In contrast, Tessa is delicate and protected between them.
The music is slowly changing. It’s becoming more sensual as the musicians find their pace together. There’s more slow swaying on the dance floor, and it’s starting to get crowded.
“They are beautiful, aren’t they?”
Diont, one of my ex-lovers, stands next to me.
“They are. I’m so glad they all found each other. How have you been?”
“I am doing well. Congratulations on mating with Aschero.”
“Thank you so much.”
“He is a good man. You will make strong sons together.”
I laugh. “Yes. I hope they have his amazing eyes.”
“He probably wishes they would have yours. He is crazy about you. He always has been.”
“He’s my life.” From across the room, I see Ash look over. I give him a tiny finger wave, and blow a kiss at him. “What’s new with you, Diont?”
