by Viola Grace
“Oh. One. Singular. Once at night, once at dawn.”
“So, this week after your workouts when Ytal was giving you a rubdown?”
“Great for the muscles bad for me. The doc once mentioned some kind of lube so I can take care of the problem myself. It has a fake pheromone or something in it that will work on me.”
Huron grumbled. “Doctor Lylwin mentioned that to you?”
“Yeah. You have a funny expression on your face.”
“It is used by females without a court.”
She perked up. “So it works then?”
Huron grabbed her and hauled her into his lap astride him. “Maya, if you have a need, let us know.”
“No. It is always there.” She couldn’t stop it, but a fat tear rolled down her cheek. “Since the first time with you, I wanted you all night, but we had other things to do. With Argo, it was the terrifying weight of the ocean on my head that broke my libido, and with Boran... It was the fact that I hadn’t moisturized my skin after salt and sun the day before. I want to keep going until I am exhausted, and then, I could relax.” She sniffled. “I haven’t even seen you naked.”
He cupped her jaw and kissed her. “It is going to take us a while to catch on. Are you willing to remind us when you want us?”
“Can we come up with a hand signal or something? Constantly asking is humiliating.” She murmured it against his lips.
“Can we ask, too?”
“Of course.” She frowned. “Is there still so much fluid if a pod hasn’t been deposited?”
He smiled. “No. Why?”
“I have no idea how this pregnancy is going to affect me, and I want to plan ahead. Each of you is different, and sometimes my body craves one specifically.”
“What is it craving now?”
She blushed. “Um. You. The swirls of fire. The feeling of you moving inside me.”
He took in a ragged breath. “Here?”
“A little further from the edge, but in the moonlight is fine.”
“Just me?”
She looked into the shadows, and Argo stood up. Boran descended and landed next to them.
Oh, boy.
Chapter Fifteen
Huron spoke softly, “You have been feeling a need. We are eager to fulfill that need, now that we know that it is acceptable for us to do so. Cultural differences are a bitch.”
She looked at him with her eyes wide. “Where did you learn that?”
“You are not the only one who can study.” Argo smiled.
Huron walked her away from the edge of the cliff, and they surrounded her.
She felt her heart pounding, and part of it wasn’t fear.
Boran frowned. “You are scared.”
She nodded. “I don’t like not knowing what is happening next.”
Huron chuckled. “One at a time.”
Argo cocked his head. “But altogether, so I can see what he does.”
Boran smiled. “And I can see what they do.”
Huron chuckled. “And we can watch what you do.”
Argo came close. “The only ones watching are us and the moonlight.”
She whispered, “Where’s Heron?”
Huron chuckled. “With Ytal, watching vids about your champions and the members of the Sector Guard, the Citadel, and the guardians. He’s learning about what to look for in a queen.”
He kissed her neck. “So, now, we await your signal.”
She swallowed. “We never set on a signal.”
“Then, show us something we can’t mistake.” Boran smiled.
She opened the closure of her suit, slid Boran’s hand to her breast, held Huron’s hand, and pulled Argo to her for a kiss.
There was laughter, which turned into groans. Her suit hit the ground, and she pulled in Huron, wrapping her legs around his waist and rubbing her slick slit against him. “This would be easier if you were naked.”
He shuddered. “This would be over if I was.”
She smiled as he lifted her high, and she slid onto him, shaking as he sank home. She held his shoulders and shuddered, gasping for a moment before she kissed him. He gripped her thighs, and they started slamming together with ferocity. Heat swirled under her skin, and the friction between them was amazing. She moaned and growled, snarled, and fought until she groaned and her body clutched at him. He followed her a moment later and held her against him as he pulsed inside her.
She smiled and caught her breath before he lifted her off him. She kissed him and then turned to Argo. “On your back, please.”
He lay down, a bemused expression on his features. He had stripped, and his invitation was obvious. She climbed astride him, nudged him into her, and then reached up and removed the clip that held her hair. Her hair cascaded around her, and he lengthened, his hips thrusting upward.
The cool swirls of the waves moved into her, and he pulled her down so he could kiss her in the cover created by her hair. They bucked and arched in liquid movements; their bodies synched without the threat of drowning. She had a lot more fun that way. At one point, he rolled her to her back, and she slid her hand between them, kicking off her orgasm and triggering his.
She lay back, her chest heaving as she fought for air, and when her lover finally moved aside, she was cradled and held.
Boran whispered in her ear, and she blushed. “No objections.”
He knelt with his thighs wide and held her with her back against his chest, her legs to either side of his. He moved his hands over her breasts and belly before sliding two fingers against her and giving her a spark that sent her sensitive body into a short spasm.
He slid into her, and he rose and fell on his knees. Lifting her and thrusting deep. He moved his hands lightly over her skin, sending sparks and quivers through her. She put one hand over his on her breast, and the other reached back for him as she cupped his neck and he kissed her.
Her cries got faster, and when she screamed, he took the kiss. He jerked his hips against her, and he groaned.
When she was relaxed, Huron picked her up, settled her on the ground, and gently moved inside her. They kissed, their hands twined, and his bare chest moved against hers as they eased into pleasure at a slow and delightful pace.
This time, when she came, he was with her at the moment, and their bodies hummed with warmth.
He smiled. “Are you satisfied?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
Huron moved off her, and she sat up. Argo grabbed her and pulled her against him. “We are not.”
She was pinned between Argo and Boran, and things got a little blurry.
Maya jolted awake before dawn. “Ow.”
Huron kissed her shoulder and pulled her against him. “That was a successful celebration. Normally, we just have cake, but if this is the traditional way for your people to celebrate pregnancy, I have to say that I am willing to adopt your alien ways.”
“How did I end up in your room?”
“Ah, Boran was running his hands over you, and you screamed and fainted. Doc Lylwin had returned and checked you over. You were fine if a little fatigued, so we cleaned you up, and I tucked you in to keep an eye on you. Your endorphins were sky-high, by the way, so I now understand a little better.”
He nuzzled her neck. “You like us.”
She shivered, and her body ached in all the places; she was slowly remembering.
Her voice was hoarse. “What gives you that idea?”
He nipped at her neck. “There have been a few clues. You are having another session with Boran today?”
Maya sighed. “I guess. Yesterday was about insecurities; today is going to be about goodness knows what.”
“He’s a good counsellor. He has gotten the team through a lot.”
“Yay. On Terra, it is illegal to sleep with someone you are counselling. It’s taking me a bit to get used to the idea. He is really calm, though.”
“He lost his fam
ily backing when he became a counsellor. It is not considered an important profession, but he felt a calling. That particular calling has saved lives. As for your traditions, he was your lover before he became your counsellor. That should negate the conflict.”
She exhaled and tried to get comfortable, but the twinges were coming fast and furious. She was going to be a wreck by morning.
“Sore muscles?”
She gritted her teeth. “Little bit.”
He chuckled. “Roll to your stomach.”
“Why?”
“Because Ytal isn’t the only one who knows how to give you a rubdown.” He got out of bed and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.
She groaned and flopped to her stomach. Grace was not currently an option.
Huron left the room for a moment and returned before she nodded off. He had a familiar jar in his hand, and he sat at the edge of the bed. He rubbed the oil on his hands and slid them over her back, down to her butt and her thighs. “You must have zero self-preservation instinct.”
She groaned as he started to probe and rub at her tense muscles. “The things I won’t do for my team.”
He laughed and put his hands on her hips as he kissed her neck. “Thank you for your self-sacrifice. You really took a pounding.”
She groaned at the joke, and he laughed again. He returned to her massage, and when he was finished, she could actually relax her legs a little. When her back was taken care of, he flipped her over and oiled his hands again.
“Boran leaves marks on you.”
She blushed. “Yeah, but it feels extremely good at the time.”
He rubbed his thumb along the abrasion, and she shivered, her nipples tightening.
He raised his brows. “So, it seems that next time, Boran goes first.”
She grimaced. “Funny. You think there is going to be a next time?”
“I am quietly confident.” He smiled. “Even exhausted, you are still aroused.”
Maya grimaced. “So are you. It doesn’t mean that anything has to be done about it.”
“True. And right now, it would not be comfortable for you at all. What is that expression?”
Maya blinked and shook her head. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
He continued to work her muscles, even bending her knees and pushing her legs back toward her chest.
He slid a finger along her slit, and she muttered, “What are you doing?”
“Just wondering how you can be in discomfort, and this still occurs. You are tight but so very wet.”
She cleared her throat. “Did you want to get some sleep this morning?”
He leaned over her. “Not particularly. What do you have in mind?”
She whispered what she wanted, and he kissed her, his tongue moving slowly against hers. Slow was what she needed, and he made sure she got it.
She woke up in Huron’s room, but he was already gone. She sat up with a groan and saw the blue and white dress at the foot of the bed. She blinked. She didn’t own a blue and white dress. She yanked it on over her head and arranged the fluttering sleeves. When she had her hair squared away down her back, she went to follow the scent of food.
Hai-ran was cooking, and he stared at her until she pointed, “If that’s for me, it’s about to burn.”
He quickly jerked the pancake off the heat and set it to one side. “I will make you a new one.”
She chuckled. “It is fine. I have eaten worse.”
“Your appearance took me by surprise.”
She looked down and checked to make sure that she had her dress the right way round. She touched her hair. “Is my hair messed up?”
“No. But from when Ytal asked me if I would take this post, he did not once describe you as feminine.”
“That is... interesting.” She nosed around the table, grabbed the scorched pancake, and put on some of the berry syrup that she liked. “How did he describe me?”
“Strong, powerful, determined, and practical.” He chuckled and made her another pancake.
“You came here with that as an enticement? Your standards are not that high.”
She sat on the chair at the table with her legs drawn up, nibbling on her pancake.
“You can sit out with the others. I will bring it to you.”
“I like watching other people cook, but okay.” She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for breakfast.”
He paused, and as she walked out, she said, “Don’t scorch that one.”
She heard him cursing and grinned as she took the rest of her burned pancake and headed to the breakfast area outside.
All three guardians looked extremely smug. Ytal was amused, and Heron was just glad to see her. She got her morning hug from Heron and picked him up, putting him on her hip. He leaned his head against hers and said, “Morning, Maya.”
“Morning, Heron. What are you up to today?”
“I am going to be colouring, catching bugs, and learning the hierarchy of queens.”
“Wow. Sounds like a very full day.” She took her seat and ate the last of her pancake. She smiled vaguely. “Morning, everybody.”
“Good morning, Maya.” They sing-songed it together.
Ytal chuckled.
“You, too, Ytal?”
He snorted. “Where do you think Huron got the massage oil at one in the morning?”
Heron blinked. “Dad, why were you awake so late?”
Huron sipped his morning breakfast beverage. “Maya pulled a few muscles last night, so I had to help her relax so she could sleep.”
Heron turned to her. “Maya, how did you hurt yourself?”
“I was running around in the dark, and I bumped into a few things.”
Argo muttered behind his hand, “A few times.”
She made a face at him, and he grinned. Boran chuckled.
Hai-ran brought her the rest of her pancakes, and Heron carefully helped her pour the berry syrup over the food.
She picked up her fork, and that was when she saw that every other plate was gone. She sighed. “How late am I?”
Heron chirped. “Two hours.”
Huron smiled. “You were tired.”
Boran nodded. “Very tired.”
Argo shrugged. “She seemed pretty perky to me.”
He was surprised as her pancake caught him in the face. The purple mark was delightfully complimentary to his skin. He smiled and started wiping the syrup off.
Ytal murmured, “Oh, have I mentioned that she is really good at throwing projectiles? And her baton skills are very advanced. The suit that we made for her is a work of art.”
She stared at Ytal. “Traitor.”
Three pairs of interested eyes focused on her. Heron looked up at her. “Maya, do you have a guardian suit?”
“Yes, Heron. I do.”
“Can I see it?”
“Not until you are older. It was designed by perverts with weird fetishes.”
“What does that mean?”
Huron leaned forward. “You know how I like Maya’s stripes, but Argo likes her hair?”
“Yes.”
“That is an example of a fetish. When you like one very specific thing.”
She bit her lip at that.
Heron frowned. “Then, what’s a pervert.”
Maya mouthed. Sorry to Huron. He winked.
“Heron, do you remember the cycles at the fair and the two men who were trying to grab Maya even though they had only just seen her, not even talked to her?”
“Yeah.”
“Perverts. They saw someone and tried to grab them. Like those ladies who try to jump on us at events. They are doing something that is wrong and disrespectful.”
Heron nodded. “Got it. I don’t like it when that happens to you. Maya, did it make you mad?”
“No. It makes me tired.” She ruffled his hair.
She looked at Argo, who was still removing the berry syrup
from his face. “Sorry. Try getting it off with the pancake. It sticks to the pancake really well.”
The gathering laughed, and it thankfully wasn’t at her expense.
Chapter Sixteen
Boran hauled her off for a therapy session, and they discussed her feelings of helplessness during the explosion. She talked, yelled, cried, and then sat slumped over on the couch.
“Is counselling always so tiring?”
He walked over and scooped her up, cuddling her. “I have never seen it as an aerobic activity before. Now, I have one more question.”
She sighed, thinking it was something about being homesick or something.
“How do you feel about what happened last night?”
Maya blinked. “Um. How frank can I be here?”
“Only general references will be shared with the others. I just need to know if we hurt you.”
“Oh. No. I mean, there was discomfort, there always is, but that is what the endorphins are for. Once the panic faded, I had an excellent time.”
“Panic?” He looked concerned. “Why were you panicked?”
She wrinkled her nose. “When you guys surrounded the escaped kidnapper on the Rossel coastline, what was the look on his face?”
“Panic.”
“Why was he panicked?” She was smiling as she asked the question.
“Because he was facing three angry guardians.”
“Uh-huh. And I can tell you it is a lot more intimidating when they are aroused.”
Boran blushed and snorted. “I see your point. But, you are not panicked at the thought now.”
“No. Now, I am all for it, but since Relita enjoys yanking my hormones around, I don’t know how long that will last.”
“We are going to try and keep you in a stable setting. Huron is the first one of us to get pregnant, so once we know what your hormones do in his body, we will have a better baseline on the effects.”
“What about the two surrogates?”
“Ytal and Moonlight?”
“Moonlight?” She swallowed.
“Yes, Hai-ran was a candidate for the guardians, but his father would not allow him to take a position meant for high caste males.”
“But being a surrogate to one is?”
