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  Hisst awoke from his rest with a feeling of extraordinary contentment. For a moment he felt as comfortable as if he was entwined with his nest mates once again, but then he realized that the hard chest beneath his head was most definitely not Icluthian. More importantly, his queen mirrored his posture, her rosy little face only inches away and her delicate fingers tucked into his. The knowledge that she had chosen to claim him warmed him as surely as the warrior’s heat.

  “Are you warm enough now?” T’kol growled quietly. “I did not intend to serve as your resting place.”

  “But you did it so well,” he responded, equally quietly.

  The choked off sound could have been a laugh or a growl, but he chose to interpret it as humor. His relationship with his nest mates had become strained over the past few years as they began to compete for a queen’s attention, and he enjoyed the feeling of camaraderie once again. However, he suspected that he could only push T’kol so far, so he reluctantly disentangled his hand from Lissie’s and sat up.

  “So, we begin the day again.”

  “Yes.” T’kol stroked Lissie’s hair, then looked past Hisst to the entrance. “When you were outside, did the storm show any sign of abating?”

  “No.” Although he had been too busy huddling into the meager shelter of a crack in the rocks and trying not to think about the Yehrin taking his queen to really pay much attention to the weather. “Still cold and snowy.”

  “If it shows any sign of clearing, perhaps it would be best for you to take the communicator and see if you can reach my base.”

  Although they had continued to keep their voices low, Lissie raised her head at T’kol’s words. “Don’t be silly. If you insist on calling for help, I’ll do it.”

  Her coppery fur in a wild tangle, her eyes heavy with sleep, she looked enchanting and he smiled at her. “Good morning for the second time, my queen.”

  “Is it still morning?”

  She yawned and sat up, then suddenly seemed to notice her lack of clothing. Her cheeks flushed delightfully but he suspected this was embarrassment, not arousal, since she immediately—and unfortunately—attempted to cover her breasts with her arms.

  “You do not need to hide yourself.” T’kol lifted her onto his lap and kissed her just long enough for the scent of her arousal to perfume the air. “Good morning, my L’chka.”

  Normally, Hisst would have never dared to presume, but then normally, he would never have experienced kissing. The knowledge gave him the courage to lean forward and take his own opportunity to enjoy those soft full lips.

  “This is a most enjoyable way to start the day,” he said when he forced himself to raise his head. His kradx was once again pushing at his slit but he suspected his queen needed some time to adjust. “Although not as enjoyable to as our earlier encounter.”

  The color on her face deepened as she looked from him to the Yehrin. “It really happened, didn’t it? I didn’t dream it?”

  “You most certainly did not. You are mine—” T’kol broke off, an unreadable expression crossing his face before he continued, “—or I suppose ours.”

  “Who would have believed it? I never expected this to happen when I left New Haven.”

  “Neither did I,” T’kol said dryly.

  “And I never dared to hope that I would be awakened and claimed by a queen. Thank you, Lissie.”

  “Um, you’re welcome?”

  To his dismay, she sounded uncertain. It was true that she hadn’t given him a claiming bite, but he had believed that it was due to her blunt human teeth rather than a lack of feeling. Had he been wrong?

  “Is anything the matter?”

  “No.” She managed to smile at them both. “I guess I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed. It isn’t everyday a girl goes from being practically a virgin to having sex with two—”

  A horrified look crossed her face and his heart seized. Was she regretting it already?

  “Please tell me that I’m not going to get pregnant. Fuck. Why didn’t I think of that before?”

  “I’m afraid that our physiology is not compatible,” he said quietly. “I do not believe you could bear an Icluthian child.”

  A combination of relief and understanding crossed her face and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. They both turned to T’kol who was watching her, his face stern.

  “Only a week ago you were threatening to take a breeding contract. You would have preferred to have a child by a stranger than by me?”

  “No, of course not,” she said immediately. “And you know damn well I wouldn’t have gone through with it. But you’re the one who’s always going on about how fucking young I am. I would have thought you would want me to wait.”

  His face relaxed. “I did. I do. Although the thought of your body ripe with my child is most enticing, I started the birth control protocol the day you returned.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to touch me?”

  “You have a way of overriding my control, L’zabet.”

  She giggled. “Good.” Then she looked back at Hisst and her face turned serious. “Does it bother you to know that we can’t have a child?”

  “Any child of yours will be a child of mine as well, regardless of the actual father. I told you that I had eight sires in my zimene. I do not know if one of them was a biological relation or not.”

  “Wouldn’t it have to be one of them?”

  “A queen is not bound by a mating claim,” he said reluctantly. “She may choose to experience pleasure outside her brace.”

  “Fuck, no, she won’t,” the Yehrin roared. “You are ours, L’zabet.”

  Hisst wondered briefly if T’kol even realized that he had said ours rather than mine, but he was more concerned with his queen’s reaction. Her chin lifted and for a moment, his heart sank. Did she intend to take advantage of a queen’s prerogative? Relief washed over him when she frowned.

  “Do you really think I would do that, T’kol?” When the warrior shook his head, her posture relaxed. “Besides, the two of you are more than enough for me.” She started to stand up, then winced. “Maybe a little too much. What I wouldn’t give for a long hot bath.”

  “I am afraid that I can not provide you with a bath, my L’chka, but I have cleansing cloths and a container in which to heat water in my bag.”

  “That sounds amazing.”

  Her face lit with pleasure and he couldn’t help but remember when his own dam had refused to speak to two of his sires for a week because the water in her bathing pool was not ready at the optimal temperature. He was a very lucky Icluthian.

  Despite her objections, he ventured outside the cave to gather snow to melt for her makeshift bath. The frigid air slowed his blood, but he took a few extra minutes to cut the two longest, strongest branches he could find. Fortunately, the snowfall had diminished to a few lazy flakes and he had sufficient visibility to search the area.

  “I thought, perhaps, you could use these to help you to your feet,” he told T’kol when he returned.

  “I am most weary of this position. Thank you.” The warrior nodded, and Hisst felt foolishly pleased by his approval.

  With his assistance, T’kol was not only able to get to his feet but, despite Lissie’s protests, also made it outside of the cave to relieve himself. Hisst accompanied him, lending a discreet arm when the warrior struggled with the makeshift crutches.

  While they were outside, T’kol tried his communicator once again.

  “Still no signal.” He gave the device a disgusted look. “How quickly our technology can fail us. Still, I will leave it outside and set it to repeat the transmission. Perhaps the storm will break long enough for the signal to get through.”

  Hisst found himself wishing that it would not. Even though the outside conditions were most unpleasant, he relished the opportunity to be alone with his queen and his brace mate. He suspected that the bonds they forged now would be necessary to help them overcome the inevitable reactions once they returned to the
company of others.

  As the two of them returned to the cave, he was struck breathless by the sight of his queen, her skin flushed and damp, her nipples as pink as Rondalian pearls, while she cleansed her body. He heard T’kol’s growl and wished he could echo it. His kradx throbbed impatiently.

  She looked up and saw them watching her and he could taste her arousal perfuming the air, but she held up her hands and took a laughing step back.

  “Just hold on. I really do need some time to recover, no matter how tempted I am by the two of you.”

  “Yes, of course, my queen,” he said, ashamed of his impatience.

  “Use the healing gel, L’zabet,” T’kol ordered. “It will help.”

  “I don’t think I need—”

  “Or do you wish me to apply it for you?”

  The Yehrin’s musky scent deepened when she hesitated, but she finally shook her head. “I think I’d better do it myself or I suspect I’ll just end up needing more.”

  She retrieved the healing gel from the bag, then turned to find them both watching her avidly.

  “Can’t you two turn your backs or something?”

  “But then how would we know if you applied it properly, my L’chka?” T’kol said smoothly, and Hisst gave him an admiring glance. He, too, was quite eager to watch his queen touch herself.

  “Oh, really?” Lissie tilted her head and eyed them speculatively. “You mean it’s just for my benefit that you want to see me spread my legs? To part my little pink lips?”

  She matched her actions to her words and his kradx swelled inside him. T’kol growled.

  “To run my finger across my clit and very slowly press it inside my tight little pussy?”

  The sight of that small finger disappearing inside her body was one of the most erotic things he had ever seen. He took a half-step forward and the Yehrin matched him.

  “Hold it right there, both of you,” Lissie ordered as she removed her finger. She laughed at what he could only assume were their equally frustrated expressions. “You wanted to see; you saw. But that’s it, no touching.”

  “Do not play games, L’zabet,” T’kol growled.

  She danced forward and slid her arms up T’kol’s chest. “But I like games.”

  T’kol tried to tug her closer but started to lose his balance. Hisst stepped up behind his queen, pressing her closer to the other warrior and used his arm to brace him. Trapped between their bodies, Lissie shivered and her scent increased. He rubbed the bulge of his kradx, still within his body, against her soft curves, pushing her even closer.

  “I especially like this game,” she whispered.

  “So do I.” He bent his head and licked her neck, trying to identify the perfect place for his bite once she invited it.

  “As do I.” Trusting Hisst to support him, T’kol raised his other hand and gently cupped Lissie’s cheek. “But you were correct—you need time to recover. We should wait.”

  “Really?”

  He could see enough of her face to see that her bottom lip poked out in the most entrancing way and he had the strangest urge to nibble on that plump little swell. Was that acceptable behavior amongst humans? Before he had a chance to inquire, T’kol turned her around and brought his hand down on one of her round white buttocks.

  Hisst didn’t know who was more shocked—he or Lissie. An irritated hiss escaped as his hand dropped automatically to the weapons belt that he no longer wore.

  “You will not damage her.”

  “I did not.” T’kol nodded at the faint pink handprint on her pale skin. “I gave her a spank to remind her that I will not let her hurt herself.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, I suspect she enjoyed it.”

  “Enjoyed it?” He tasted the air. The warrior was right, he could scent her increased arousal.

  “No, I didn’t,” Lissie protested.

  “Your nipples are hard, your face is flushed with arousal, and I can taste your desire,” he pointed out.

  “Should I repeat it to discourage you from lying to us?” T’kol asked.

  “No!” Her hands rushed back in a vain attempt to cover the generous mounds, causing her breasts to jiggle delightfully. “I’m going to get dressed now.”

  As she turned away to look for her clothes, T’kol started to reach for her and lost his balance. Hisst kept him upright, then tried to lower him to the floor. The other warrior snarled, then sighed and let Hisst help him into a seated position with his back against the wall.

  “I apologize. I am frustrated by my weakness.”

  “Don’t worry. I know that it’s frustrating. How is the healing process?”

  Running the scanner over his leg, T’kol shrugged. “As well as can be expected. The bone is aligned correctly thanks to your efforts and is beginning to knit back together.”

  “I wish we could get you to a medic.” Lissie dropped to her knees beside them.

  To his disappointment, a shirt covered her upper half, although her legs still gleamed pale and bare.

  “Do not worry, my L’chka. I will heal.” T’kol smiled at her worried face, then slipped a hand under her shirt and squeezed the buttock he had slapped. “As will you. And then you are ours.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lizabet laid down her hand triumphantly. “I win!”

  Hisst gave her a mock scowl and T’kol shook his head, but she knew that neither one of them were upset by her victory. If anything, they seemed to enjoy seeing her win. In fact, she suspected that Hisst had deliberately tossed away the card she needed. He really was the sweetest male and she smiled at him. She was snuggled against T’kol’s side with her legs resting on Hisst’s lap. He had been playing with them throughout their games, seemingly fascinated by their smooth texture.

  Her attention wandered to the door flap, shocked to see that it was growing dark. If someone had told her a week ago that she would spend an entire day trapped in a cave and not felt restless or bored, she would have laughed in their face. But between them, T’kol and Hisst had kept her thoroughly entertained. Of course, it probably helped that she was overwhelmingly conscious of the underlying sexual tension. Her mind kept flashing back to their morning activities, although every time it did, both of her males seemed to notice.

  Hisst smoothed a finger over one of her toenails.

  “Did you choose this color? Is it also an indication of arousal?”

  “No, it’s an indication of a very expensive pedicure that I had done right before I came home. Although I was hoping to arouse someone else.” She elbowed T’kol.

  “You thought that painting your claws would arouse me?”

  He looked so shocked that she scowled at him. Why had she even bothered trying to make herself attractive to him. “You don’t have to sound so fucking surprised.”

  “L’zabet, you have never needed an adornment to accomplish that. The moment you are near, I can think of nothing else. You do not need any artificial enhancement.” He ran his hand through her unstyled hair and studied her makeup-less face. “You have never been as beautiful to me as you are right now.”

  Oh. Well, that was actually pretty sweet as well, although considering the heat in his eyes, perhaps sweet wasn’t quite the right word.

  “You have no protection at all.” Hisst had been continuing his investigation of her feet and now he swept a finger across her sole. She automatically jumped. “Are they that delicate? Did I hurt you?”

  “No, I’m just ticklish.”

  “Ticklish?” He tilted his head the way he did when he was considering the meaning of the word. “Sensitive to the touch?”

  He scratched lightly with his claws and she giggled.

  “Ah, yes. I have seen T’gana ‘ticklish’ his girls. But I believe he does it this way.” T’kol’s hands unerringly found the exact spot under her ribs where she was most sensitive.

  Within minutes she was laughing helplessly and thrashing in his arms as he continued the attack, while Hisst was equally persistent below.


  “Stop, stop. I give!”

  He stopped and she was suddenly aware that she was sprawled across his lap. His massive erection pressed against her back and Hisst’s hand slid up her legs to dance at the edge of her panties.

  “What do you give, L’zabet?” T’kol growled.

  “What do you want?”

  “I want everything.” With a flick of his claw, he popped the button holding the shirt closed between her breasts and fingered the dargan stone. “How do you feel, my jewel?”

  Horny. The playful wrestling had her pussy aching and her nipples in tight little points. T’kol’s eyes burned green fire and Hisst was equally focused on her. She wiggled a little and found to her delight that the soreness between her legs had disappeared.

  “I feel ready,” she purred, and arched her back, knowing that it would thrust her breasts forward. “What did you have in mind?”

  “It occurs to me that I have not had an opportunity to taste—”

  He broke off and his body tensed.

  “H’sst, do you sense—”

  “Yehrin.” Hisst’s cheeks pulsed. He pushed her feet gently off his lap and stood up. As soon as he was standing, he reached back and pulled T’kol up next to him, handing him his makeshift crutches. T’kol held on to the one on his injured side, but his other hand went to his blast tube.

  “What is it? Why are you two acting like that?” She popped to her feet, only to find herself blocked by two large bodies.

  “It appears that we are being rescued,” T’kol said grimly.

  Admittedly, that was a little disappointing, but…

  “What’s the big deal?”

  “L’zabet, it is either T’chok or one of his warriors. What do you think he will think when he sees you like that?”

  “Like what?” The roar echoed through the small space as T’chok pushed his way inside.

  His eyes began to burn blue as they traveled over T’kol’s bare chest and splinted leg, Hisst’s Icluthian features and half-open suit, and finally landed on her bare legs. His hand dropped to his blast tube, even as she yelled.

  “No! Don’t hurt them!”

  “Them? What the fuck is going on here, T’kol? Is the lizard to blame?”