by Ivy Barrett
She eased away from him just far enough to see his face. “You’re both distant now, and you weren’t like this before.”
He told the holo-file to hibernate then looked at her. His expression was unreadable. “I know you were angry the other night, but something deeper made you lash out like that.”
“I was trying to piss you off, to punish you for punishing me.” That was certainly true, but there was more to it. Apparently, her mates were perceptive enough to pick up on her inner conflict.
With his usual candor, Kellan dove right to the heart of the matter. “The cheap shot is incidental, but it’s part of a pattern. You used me to hurt Zilrath, then lied to us about Celeste. Claiming you were coerced into letting us court you was just one more way of pushing us away. All of it indicates that a part of you isn’t ready to be claimed.”
“Isn’t that what courting is all about?” she argued. “Deciding if a mating bond will work or not?”
“Generally the participants are already committed to the outcome. They’re simply determining if they’ve found the right individuals with which to create the bond.”
“That might be true with Ventori males,” she told him. “But all of this is very strange to human females. It happens extremely fast, and it’s very intense.”
“Which is why we don’t want pleasure to cloud your thinking,” Zilrath joined in. “We already know the sex will be incredible. We need to decide if our personalities are as compatible as our bodies.”
She knew it was a wise precaution, but didn’t think one precluded the other. A heavy sigh escaped her, despite her attempts to appear calm. They were being serious, trying to puzzle through her hesitation. Maybe it was time for her to explore her inner turmoil more aggressively. “Why do you think I’m not ready?”
“You can’t let go of the past,” Kellan stated emphatically. “Until you do, we can’t move forward.”
“My past wasn’t worth holding onto,” she objected, but there was truth in his words. She’d had multiple opportunities to tell them about Celeste, and she’d chosen to keep her options open. She was still thinking like a vanquished human rather than the soon-to-be mate of two Protectorate officers.
Zilrath cupped her chin and guided her gaze back to his. “Your words say he’s wrong, but your eyes aren’t convincing.”
“I know there’s no going back.” She dismissed the possibility with an impatient wave.
“But you wish there were?” Zilrath asked.
“Don’t you?” Challenge made her tone sharper than she’d intended, so she took a breath before elaborating. “If you could snap your fingers and return to Tavor as it was before the Skarilians. I know you’d do it. Anyone would.”
He didn’t argue. Instead, he asked, “Will you tell me about it? What would your life have been like if the war never came to Earth?”
They clearly had no intention of letting this drop, and their objectivity might help with her introspection. She angled her body so she could more easily see both males. Zilrath scooted over, giving her more room.
She glanced at Kellan. He stared back at her, his expression assessing. She crossed her legs and began her explanation. “Like every small-town girl, I swore I’d get out and make something big of my life. But two years in Kansas City reminded me why I liked my small town. I couldn’t wait to graduate so I could go back home.”
“What drew you to ‘small-town’ life?” Zilrath wanted to know.
“People were friendlier, the pace of life slower. Everyone knew everyone, and most were willing to help.” She shrugged, not sure she could make beings who traveled the universe understand the appeal. “It felt relaxed and comfortable.”
“Some would call that boring,” Kellan teased with a soft smile.
“After the past few months, I’m more than ready for boring,” she countered. “The past year has been one disaster after another. Shall we review? Earth was invaded by aliens, other aliens defended us but demanded sex slaves in return.”
“Carnal companions volunteer,” Kellan stressed. “Despite what I said when I punished you, they are not ‘sex slaves.’ And they are not treated as harshly as I treated you.”
She ignored the interruption and continued her list. If she thought about how Kellan had disciplined her and everything it made her feel, she would either beg them to fuck her or burst out in tears. “I volunteered to become a carnal companion, but was experimented on without my permission at the induction center.”
Kellan crossed his arms over his chest, displeasure hardening his rugged features. “The villains who did that have been punished severely.”
“Which doesn’t undo the changes they made to my genetic code,” she shot back. “They made me a universal breeder. Do you have any idea how much of a target that makes me?”
“Of course we do.” Kellan’s scowl grew darker with each exchange. “But we will protect you. There is nothing to fear.”
“Without those changes, it’s unlikely I would have been attracted to you,” Zilrath pointed out, shifting her focus from the budding argument with Kellan. “To my knowledge, only one other human has triggered a Tavorian’s mating instincts, and her DNA had also been modified.”
He was talking about Erin, his half-brother’s mate. “I don’t regret the result, but it was still done without our consent. Hell, without our knowledge. And I wasn’t finished with my list. I was kidnapped from the induction center by amoral humans who meant to sell me as breeding stock. I was rescued by the Protectorate, but my treatment wasn’t all that different. I wasn’t set free. I was told to mate with one of the Ventori pods. The High Council allowed me to choose between my genetically compatible pods, but choosing not to bond was not an option.”
“That’s no longer true,” Kellan reminded, conviction making his tone hard. “We offered you freedom, and you chose to stay.”
She sighed, feeling like they were going in circles. “That wasn’t my point. I was reviewing the events that brought us to now.”
“Has our courtship really been that traumatic?” Zilrath’s quiet words reflected his disappointment.
“No. I’m trying to explain why it has been so hard for me to trust you, and why I can’t let go. I’m trying to understand it myself.”
They fell silent and the tension gradually built. Jasmine knew she’d upset them, but wanted to see this through. If they were going to form a family, they had to be able to speak frankly with each other. Communication and trust were the foundation of every successful relationship.
“We’re off track,” Kellan finally broke the silence. “You were explaining the merits of small-town life.”
Her interest in the conversation was fading fast. Her pussy ached, and she felt tears burning the back of her throat. She wanted to curl up beneath the covers upstairs and cry herself to sleep. This walk down memory lane was making her emotions more volatile, not less. “I make better decisions in a small town.” She’d been in Kansas City when she became an internet performer and Austin when she volunteered to become a carnal companion. “Things would be so much better if I’d never left.”
Zilrath gasped, and his eyes widened owlishly. “Your hometown was decimated by the Skarilians. If you still lived at home, you’d be dead.”
“That’s not what I meant either.” Though the thought had frequently crept into her mind during the first few weeks after the Skarilians arrived, it had been months since she’d been that morose. “I was thinking about my earlier decisions.”
Kellan stretched his arm out across the top of the sofa, his gaze intent upon her face. “Are you talking about your internet performances?”
She nodded, unable to meet his gaze. “It wasn’t illegal. No one forced me to take off my clothes. We were all consenting adults, but I’m still ashamed of what I did.”
“Why?” Zilrath challenged. “You have an amazing body. I certainly enjoy looking at you.”
“You are the only one who can look at my mate’s amazing body and not answer to me.” Kell
an sounded so serious that it made Jasmine smile.
She relaxed enough to look at him and then Zilrath as she added, “It’s the one chapter of my past that I’m glad is dead and gone.”
“Did you want a mate and family in this small-town paradise?” Again Kellan brought the conversation back on track.
His expression reflected curiosity rather than sarcasm, so she tried to explain. “I wanted what my grandparents had—a long, happy marriage based on mutual respect and genuine affection. They were married for sixty-two years and died within months of each other. I lived with them for a year right after my parents divorced, and I never saw them fight. Oh, they’d snap at each other from time to time, but nothing like my parents.”
“And children?” Zilrath prompted. “Did you want kids?”
“I wanted it all, white picket fence, at least two kids, and a dog in the backyard. But I was determined to find the perfect husband before I even considered having kids. Raising a child on my own held no appeal for me. Parenting children is hard enough when the responsibilities are shared. I can’t imagine how much harder it would be without help.”
Kellan grinned. “If parenting is easier with two adults, imagine how much easier it will be with three.”
She generally hated it when people twisted her words back on her, but Kellan had a legitimate point. A lot of challenges would be easier when shared by three.
And a lot would be a hell of a lot more complicated!
Zilrath started to speak, then shook his head and sighed.
“What?” She touched his chest, then lowered her hand, unsure if he was ready to forgive her. “What were you going to say?”
“How is what your grandparents had different from what we’ve offered? We want a long-term relationship, a lifetime commitment in fact. We respect you and feel genuine affection for you. I’m not sure what we lack.”
“A white picket fence and a dog,” Kellan told him with a sardonic smile.
She smiled too, her depression mostly dispersed. “My life before was uncomplicated, predictable. Many people complain about life being routine, but it made me feel secure.”
“Once we claim you, we can work toward establishing a routine. We want you to feel safe and secure.” Zilrath pushed his fingers into her hair and stroked her cheek with his thumb. His gray-blue eyes shone with tenderness and conviction. “You are my one true mate. I sense it with every beat of my heart. I’ll do anything for you.”
Her heart fluttered as she realized he meant every word. It didn’t matter that they’d known each other such a short time or that they were from different dimensions. Zilrath honestly believed they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together. All she had to do was trust him to deliver what he promised and offer her love in return.
She was still struggling for words when Zilrath pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. “Kiss me, mate. I have reassessed my strategy. I hunger for your taste and the snug grip of your soft pussy.”
That’s all it took to ignite her smoldering senses. Her core warmed and softened, preparing for his cock. Her nipples tightened and tingled in anticipation of his fingers and lips. “Yes, Sir,” she whispered into his mouth. “Anything you want. I am yours.”
Their lips moved against each other’s, faces repositioning until they found the perfect angle, then his tongue pushed into her mouth. She stroked him with her tongue, thrilled by his taste and the bold stroking of his hand. He squeezed her breasts and teased her nipples while his mouth devoured hers.
By the time he moved on to her neck, she was breathless and dizzy. And Kellan was there to kiss her just as passionately. She kissed her other mate, loving their contrasting tastes and unique scents. She tangled her free hand in Kellan’s hair and held him in place until she’d had her fill of his kisses.
Kellan chuckled deep in his throat. “Hair pulling will land you in restraints. Is that what you want? To be tied down and helpless while we ravage your amazing body?”
“I don’t care, as long as we’re all naked.” There was a pleading quality to her tone that hadn’t been intentional. Even so, she didn’t care. She was desperate to be pressed between them, surrounded by their strength and affection, bodies fused.
Kellan tore his T-shirt off over his head, and Zilrath did the same. “Arms up,” Kellan ordered, and she obeyed without hesitation. He pulled her shirt off over her head, then went to work on her jeans. Seeing them shirtless was always wonderful, but she wanted them naked, fully accessible to her hungry eyes and hand. Once she was bare, Kellan quickly stripped off his jeans. Then he pulled her onto his lap while Zilrath finished undressing.
Jasmine straddled Kellan’s hips, his hardened cock between them. She quickly stroked his chest and arms, knowing he wouldn’t allow her the freedom for long. Sure enough, his hand pushed into her hair then closed into a fist. He pulled her head back, bringing her gaze to his. “Put my cock inside you, mate.”
“Zilrath asked first,” she dared, knowing he’d become even more aggressive.
“I can’t wait. But when I’m done, Zilrath is going to fuck your virgin ass.” He glanced beyond her. “Isn’t that right, Zilrath?”
“Absolutely,” Zilrath stressed. “We’ve both waited long enough.”
She shivered, then lifted her hips and guided Kellan’s cock to her core.
Zilrath pressed in behind her, cupping her breasts. His hands felt slick, and the now familiar lightheadedness swirled through her mind. “And after you’ve grown used to ass fucking,” he whispered, “we’ll take you together.”
The thought was so exciting, it made her moan.
Kellan released her hair and grasped her hips, then pulled her down onto his long, hard shaft. She was wet, but he was huge. Her inner muscles stretched to the point of pain as he drove deeper and deeper into her slick heat. Her head fell back onto Zilrath’s shoulder as Kellan started to move. Then they were touching her everywhere, pinching and pulling on her nipples, rubbing her clit, and squeezing her breasts.
Sensations twisted through her body as her emotions came alive. She felt desired and adored, protected and safe, but mostly she felt whole.
She relaxed against Zilrath and let Kellan use her willing body. He fucked her hard and fast, his need too desperate for anything else. Zilrath turned her head, slightly twisting her torso. He painted her lips with his oil, and she instinctively licked her lips. His taste spread across her tongue, and her clit twitched, then tingled. His mouth found hers and his tongue plunged inside. Kellan steadied her hips and continued his pounding thrusts. Zilrath’s tongue continued to plunder her mouth while his hand covered her mound. He found her clit with his middle finger and used more oil to accelerate her arousal. It wasn’t hard. Her body caught fire the moment Zilrath reached for her.
“Damnit!” Kellan snarled. “I can’t hold it back.”
“Come, my love,” Zilrath directed. “Squeeze his cock with your sweet cunt.” Then he carefully pinched her clit as Kellan thrust his entire length into her wet pussy. Kellan shuddered violently, and his cock twitched inside her. Then the warm surge of his cum, combined with the pleasure-pain of Zilrath’s fingers, tipped her over the edge.
Jasmine cried out, arching her back as the orgasm pulsed through her body. Her inner walls tightened rhythmically, drawing Kellan even deeper while he finished spilling his seed.
“Oh, Gods, how I needed that,” he muttered into her hair.
“You’re not the only one,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” Zilrath warned. “We’ve barely begun to ravage you.”
Kellan raised both hands and pressed back into the couch. “She’s all yours, brother.”
Zilrath lifted her off Kellan’s cock and swung her up into his arms. “What I have in mind requires a bed.”
Unexpected excitement zinged through her system. She’d just had a powerful orgasm. How could she possibly be ready for more?
Zilr
ath carried her upstairs, Kellan close on his heels. Then Kellan lunged past him and crawled onto the bed. “I want a front row seat for this.” He held out his arms expectantly.
“All right.” Zilrath passed her to Kellan as if she weighed nothing at all. Kellan leaned against the headboard, then arranged her between his legs. Her back pressed against his chest and her arms rested on his thighs.
She laughed and wiggled more snugly into his warmth. “You make a comfortable chair.”
Zilrath paused to look at them, one hand absently stroking his cock. “Bend your knees and open your legs.”
“Me or Kellan?”
Kellan laughed, but Zilrath just shot her an impatient look. “Why don’t you spank some of the sass out of her,” Zilrath suggested as his gaze bored into hers.
She started to object, but Kellan flipped her over and swatted her butt before she could get the words out. His hand connected with one cheek and then the other, his slaps hard and precise. The sting turned almost immediately to heat, but it still made her gasp. She tossed her head with a growl and kicked out at Zilrath, feeling wild, wanting them to subdue her.
Kellan spanked her harder, focusing on one side for a while, then switching to the other. She wiggled and twisted, but it did no good. Kellan held her easily over one of his legs while the other anchored hers against the bed.
The dramatic crack of flesh on flesh echoed in the suburban bedroom. Heat spread through her ass, sinking ever deeper until her pussy throbbed with the same pulse as her reddened bottom. She closed her eyes and absorbed the sensations, letting the discomfort sweep her along.
Kellan paused and grasped the back of her neck, holding her head down. “I think she’s ready.”
Zilrath caressed her reddened cheeks with feather-light touches. “Her skin almost glows when you spank her. I shouldn’t find it pretty, but I do.”
With a pleased chuckle, Kellan moved his leg off hers. He didn’t let go of her neck. “Get your knees under you, mate. Let him see that nice wet pussy.”
“No,” Zilrath said. “I want to see her face while I fuck her.”
