Drustan paced the control room. They were minutes from meeting with the Algarian prince to return his stolen gem. What could be keeping Bricus and Aedan?
Mara.
Just thinking about her made his heart speed up. He thought of the heartstone. Its red light still pulsed. He’d carefully hidden it in his drawer, but no matter that he couldn’t see it, he could feel it. And, he was sure, it had brought Mara to them.
This strange thing called magic was not something he wanted to believe in. He was a man of science. A man of logic. He had spent his time at the academy studying life in all its wonder. And during that time, he had never once come across anything to make him believe that magic could be real.
And yet, he felt that it was.
How else could they explain the beautiful human named Mara? But the truth was, they needed to get to know her more. They couldn’t just find her fascinating and beautiful. They needed to know if they were compatible.
And if she could accept Bricus.
Hope unfolded within him. A human couldn’t possibly understand the social levels of their homeworld. She would not know why their unusual bond made it so difficult to find a mate. With her, there was actually a chance to find a female who could love them… all of them.
And who would never suggest removing their bond to Bricus.
He shuddered at the thought and paused in his pacing. He had feared that Bricus would lose all control when he realized that she had made both of his bond-brothers come. Bricus would see it as the ultimate betrayal. As yet another female trying to separate them.
But for Bricus, he had been calmer than Drustan thought possible.
Perhaps he feels that this time things are different too. That she is different.
The door to the control room slid open.
Aedan walked in, looking guilty.
“What did you do?”
He ran a hand through his tousled auburn hair, his dimples deepening as he shrugged. “She found me in the engine room.”
Drustan stiffened. Already their mistake had weakened their bond; he could feel it somewhere inside of him like a sore muscle. “You didn’t?”
Aedan shook his head. “Nope, but I would have if Bricus hadn’t interrupted.”
Shit. “He caught you two?”
“Yup, and he was pissed.”
“We can’t do this to him. You know how much this hurts him.” Regardless of how tempting she is.
“You’re telling me if she pulled your pants down and started sucking, you’d tell her no? Wait, actually, that already happened, and I believe you finished right in her mouth.”
Drustan was overwhelmed by embarrassment. And to his shame, desire. Just thinking about her, with her long brown hair, eyes the color of green desire, and her strange and beautiful body, made him hard. Casually, he adjusted his pants.
Aedan raised a brow. “She’s the most tempting female I’ve ever run across.”
My thoughts exactly.
Drustan cleared his throat. “All the more reason to be cautious.”
A minute later, Bricus entered the room. His face was flushed, and Drustan swore, he had the slightest smile curving his lips. It’s her. He likes her too.
“Let’s finish this delivery, drop the human off, and go get our mate!”
Oh, that’s why he’s so happy. He thinks we can finally get that awful female.
When a short time later they docked with the Sky Fire, Aedan and Bricus left to make the delivery and get their payment. Drustan watched them go, surprised by the wave of sadness that overcame him. The years they had spent trying to earn enough to fulfill their mate-to-be’s demands had been happy ones. He and Aedan had contented themselves with the knowledge that it would be a long time before they had to bond with the shrew of a female. But now, their time was almost up.
It couldn’t be a coincidence that this was the moment they found Mara.
Behind him, the door to the control room slid open.
He turned and faced the beautiful human who occupied his thoughts. She gave a shy smile that had his blood pumping to his cock.
“May I come in?”
He nodded, not standing. She didn’t need to see how loose his control was around her.
She moved to the control board and sat down on the seat beside him, wearing a white shirt that visibly showed her unique pointed nipples. He longed to reach out and stroke the peaks, to see if he could make her gasp in pleasure. But instead, he curled his hands into fists and jerked his gaze away from her.
“Bricus said you’ll be taking me to a research facility by Earth.”
Drustan swallowed. “Yes, I just finished communicating with my friend.”
She tapped her fingertips nervously on the control board. “And will they be planning to experiment on me?”
He stiffened. Is that what she thinks of us? “He has given me his word that you’ll be safe. There’s a transport ship going to Earth in a week, and then not again for six months. You’ll be put on the ship, your memory erased, of course.”
“Of course,” she said softly.
Unless you might wish to stay with us instead? But then, we know nothing about you. Perhaps there’s a reason you’re so eager to return.
After a moment of strained silence, he cleared his throat. “So, what’s life like back on your planet?”
She folded her legs beneath her and spun the chair to face him. Her green eyes, the color of desire, stared off as if lost in thought. “For me, it’s working around-the-clock, constantly traveling, and eating alone a lot.”
“And you like this life?” He asked, curious.
“I never really thought about it.” Her gaze swung to him. “I like my apartment. My home. And my job is okay. It pays well, that’s for sure. It’s all just… a little lonely I guess.”
His back stiffened. She’s lonely too. “Don’t you have family and friends?”
She shrugged. “My mom’s kind of busy with her husband. Her fifth husband. And my dad’s got a whole other family to worry about. So, I have family, but I rarely see them. I do have friends though. Just not ride or die friends, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, frowning.
Yet I do understand a family that abandons their child.
“It means,” she leaned forward, her brows drawing together in the most fascinating way. “I don’t have someone to share my deepest darkest secrets with. Someone I would do anything for. Someone who has my back and I have theirs.”
Oh. “Like Bricus, Aedan, and I.”
She smiled. “You guys do seem rather close. Are all… bond-brothers like that?”
He found himself smiling back. “Most are close, but we are particularly close. Our unique situation has brought us together in a way few others can understand.”
“What unique situation?”
How much should I tell her? “Most bond-brothers are joined together because their souls are compatible. They complete each other. But few males are fortunate enough to bond with males they have known from their childhood.”
“Why?”
“Because it usually takes something traumatic to create such a bond.”
She glanced at him from beneath her dark lashes, making his pulse jump. “Is that what happened with you guys?”
He swallowed. Hard. “Yes.”
Suddenly feeling agitated, he rose from his chair and checked the settings on the control board, then the time. A few more minutes. If his brothers weren’t back by then, he would start to worry.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry about it.”
He frowned at her. “No, you didn’t. It’s silly that discussing it should still bother me.” He took a deep breath. If I wish for her to be our mate, I must let her in. Slowly. “My parents were good friends with Aedan’s parents. We travelled in similar social circles and attended many of the same events. Bricus… his father was my mother’s personal guard, so he was often around us. One evening, our parents left for a social event. We were staying at a hotel on another world from our own. The hotel was attacked by rebels. They went from room-to-room, killing all the guests. Bricus unscrewed our vent, and we all climbed in, huddled together.”
Even now, almost twenty years later, Drustan couldn’t forget that night. It changed something within him forever. “They thought no one survived the attack. It wasn’t until they found us, hours and hours later, that they realized that because of Bricus’ quick thinking, we all survived.”
Drustan sat back down across from her, unable to meet her gaze. “When we came into adulthood and had the bonding ceremony, the three of us were connected. It was… unexpected to say the least. At least for our families.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, reaching out and squeezing his knee.
His gaze jerked up, and he was lost in her stunning eyes. In the gentleness of her beautiful face.
“It was a long time ago.”
Uncurling her legs, she set her feet down on the ground and slid into his lap. When her mouth met his, he was shocked for one long moment before groaning and returning her kiss. His arms wrapped around her, and he gloried in the warmth of her body. In how right she felt in his arms.
“The deal’s complete. We’re coming back in.”
Drustan jerked, breaking their kiss as Bricus’ communication came in.
Clearing his throat, he hit the button on the control board. “Unlocking the doors now.”
Mara ran her hands down his chest.
A hot tingle moved through his body, but he picked her up and set her on her own chair, before moving away from her. I can’t give into this feeling again. I won’t betray my brothers, no matter how I want her. He expected to see the overwhelming need in her expression that meant that she had gone into heat, but instead, her cheeks had simply turned that strange pink again.
Did she kiss me because of the affects of my pheromones on her, or did she simply want to kiss me? The idea intrigued him.
“We should go greet them.”
She nodded and rose, avoiding his gaze. Does she feel it too? That this is something special. He wanted to ask her but sensed that it was still too soon. The female had already been through so much in such a short time.
I can give her a little longer.
They made their way across the ship to the docking bay doors. All the while he wondered if he should have told her more. If he should have explained why their bonding was so frowned upon by their people. If he should tell her how much they gave up to be together. Perhaps then she could understand Bricus’ anger and desperation if she realized the dark secret that cut him like a knife.
But in the back of his mind, Drustan knew, he was still afraid. Afraid that if she knew the truth that she would refuse them too.
Tomorrow I will find a way to tell her that my bond-brother isn’t angry. He’s scared. That yet another female will accept us and refuse him.
But for tonight, he would simply hoped that the heart-stone could do the impossible… help this female love three such different men.