Page 6 of Guardians

CHAPTER 4

E lias backhanded his spy across the face. The skinny youth lost his balance and went down on one knee beside the rustic table that served as Elias’ desk. “This alliance cannot be allowed to happen,” he shouted. “Why the fuck didn’t you stop them?”

“I was alone in the forest, sir,” Deakin protested. “I was told to watch and immediately report if anything unusual happened. That’s why I’m here.”

Deakin had walked into Elias’ office ten minutes ago with his proverbial tail tucked between his legs. Elias had been sharing a brew with Armando, his beta, before they joined the nightly festivities in the adjacent common room. Lupine village was divided into eleven packs, each with its own alpha. Elias’ pack was largest and strongest, so he was the village alpha. That meant the other ten alphas answered to him. Despite a stressful week, Elias had been in a good mood for a change, but the spy’s report quickly evaporated his cheer.

Releasing his grip on his animal nature, Elias allowed his features to change. His eyes burned and searing pain stabbed into his head. He welcomed the discomfort, reveling in the surge of power released as the bones in his face elongated. His fingers transformed into claws and his canine teeth dropped, becoming lethal fangs. With control few could muster, he halted the shift midway. He bared his teeth and growled at the spy.

Deakin was a coward. He whined pathetically and exposed his neck, remaining on his knees. Deakin had been born in one of the Nuevo labs. He’d never known freedom, had never experienced life beyond the outpost, until he was deposited on this primitive planet. He appeared harmless, almost waifish, so he made the perfect spy. People either ignored him or felt sorry for him and tried to parent him. Both reactions allowed him to gather information.

Despite Deakin’s usefulness, Elias could not ignore this failure. He grasped the lad by the throat, digging in his claws hard enough to draw blood. “What happens to those who fail me?”

“I’ll do better, alpha. Please give me another chance.”

Elias withdrew his claws and kicked Deakin in the chest. The spy went over onto his ass and kept his gaze lowered.

“Did you recognize the two females? What were their roles at Nuevo?” Elias’ voice growled menacingly because of the partial shift. He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. Elias had plans for the humans, and they required in-depth preparations. The arrangements were nearly complete, so he could not allow the wretched cats to disrupt the schedule.

Deakin shook his shaggy head, looking even younger than his seventeen years. “They were nobody important, nobody on any of your lists.”

“Then why did the cats let them into their village? Zion has no use for humans.”

“He has a use for human females ,” Armando grumbled then downed the rest of his brew. “We’re all sick to death of our own hands.”

Elias shuddered then released his shift completely, returning to his human shape. He indulged in a disapproving snarl as the savage urges melted away. The thought of fucking a human repulsed him. They were cruel and morally corrupt. He couldn’t believe that anyone was desperate enough to shove their cock inside one of those creatures. Unfortunately, he was in the minority. Most of his men were ready, even eager to claim a mate and the only females available on Rydaria were human.

Glaring at Deakin, Elias snapped, “Get back to the feline village. Find out what the females were doing there and how the cats reacted. Don’t leave until you can make a full report.”

“Of course, sir. I won’t let you down.”

Elias turned to his lieutenant as Deakin scurried from the office. Laughter and boisterous conversations were building in the common room. They needed to join the party soon or the packs would speculate on the reason for the delay. “I know he’s your pet project, but if he fails me again, I’ll have no choice but to humble him.”

“I’ll send Jackson with him, make sure?—”

“No,” Elias said emphatically. “If Deakin can’t complete his missions alone, he’s no use to me. His ability to disappear into a crowd is his primary advantage. Sending one of the soldiers with him defeats that advantage.”

Armando nodded, but his angular features tensed. “Deak understands what’s at stake. He won’t fail you again.”

Elias paused for a swig of brew before he muttered, “I hate to admit it, but my decision to raid the human’s camp inadvertently set this in motion. If they still had food and weapons, they wouldn’t be considering this alliance.”

“We could return what’s left of their supplies. Maybe even the simpler weapons,” Armando suggested though he didn’t sound pleased by the idea.

Elias shook his head. “We’re too close to springing our trap to unravel it now.” He stroked his scruffy chin and extended his legs beneath the table, crossing his feet at the ankles.

Zion and his cats could ‘claim’ all the females they wanted, but it wouldn’t do them any good. Forming family units was about companionship, yes, but ultimately it was about perpetuating the species. And to his knowledge, without medical assistance, a hybrid could only produce offspring with another hybrid.

There was a solution. Anyone who was part of the breeding program back on Earth had been equipped with a colony of nanobots capable of triggering targeted mutations in females. The changes enabled a hybrid male to impregnate a human female. The challenge was locating the nanobots within the hybrid’s body. Two of his wolves had been part of the original program. Unfortunately, neither survived the first winter on Rydaria. Which left the cats, always the fucking cats. Elias knew of six cats who had been breeders, but he suspected that there were more.

“Has Caleb determined if he can use the scanners to find the nanobots?” Armando asked. “We haven’t spoken in a couple of days.”

“I haven’t talked to him either.” Caleb wasn’t just the village doctor. He was one of Elias’ closest friends. Reaching out across the telepathic link only the pack alphas could activate, Elias ordered the village healer to report to his office.

A knock sounded on the door a few seconds later. Apparently, Caleb had been in the common room unwinding with the rest of the wolves.

“It’s unlocked,” Elias called out.

Caleb eased the door open and stepped inside. “What’s going on? Are you hurt?” His gaze swept over Elias in quick assessment before settling on his face.

“I’ve been waiting for your report for over a week now,” Elias pointed out. “What’s the holdup?” Caleb knew better than to trade on their friendship, but he didn’t seem to be giving this task the attention it deserved.

“You want a definitive answer, and I’m still not comfortable giving you one,” Caleb defended. He had sandy hair and a narrow face. His build was long and lean.

“Give me your best educated guess.” Elias pressed back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“It’s not that simple,” Caleb insisted. “I can’t begin to do what you want, even with the scanners. It’s like searching for a needle in a ten-acre field of haystacks. The human scientists, however, know a whole lot more about the original breeding program than I do. I honestly don’t know if they can do it or not.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?” Elias sat forward and rested his forearms on the tabletop.

“You’ve been a dick lately,” Caleb grumbled.

“Is that so?” A dangerous edge sharpened his tone. Even his friends were required to be respectful when they were talking about pack business.

Caleb tensed, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Enjoy the party,” he sneered and motioned Caleb from the room.

“Looks like we need to move forward with the next phase of your plan,” Armando concluded.

Elias nodded, frustrated by his friend’s nonchalance. Everything would have been so much simpler if Caleb could have located the nanobots. Now Elias needed to enlist the help of Dr. Eugene Babcock, the bastard responsible for the Griffin Project. Armando would snatch him from the human camp and force him to solve this problem—and when the nanobots had been found, Elias would happily snuff out the life of his creator.

Lexie tried to ignore the way her hands shook as she pulled the tunic up her body. Having sex with her mates was inevitable. The claim wasn’t official until all three of them had fucked her. Still, the longer she could keep the mood light and playful, the better off she’d be. She drew the tunic off over her head and let it drop to the floor. Then without a word she hopped onto the table and scooted in front of Kane. The table was sturdy and smooth, but it wasn’t very large. Instead of opening her legs, which was no doubt what he had in mind, she crossed them and leaned back on her hands.

“I’m naked and on the table, but you’re not talking,” she pointed out with a flirtatious smile.

His smoldering gaze swept the entire length of her form before returning to her face. “My family is wealthy and has been for generations. I had every advantage life can provide, and it still didn’t keep me safe from Nuevo.” He grasped her ankle and swung her leg to the other side of his body, spreading her thighs. She’d had all of her body hair permanently removed when she was eighteen, so everything was on lewd display. “I was in denial for the first few weeks,” he continued. “I was Kane Prescott-fucking-Nelson. Things like that didn’t happen to people like me.”

She’d thought he was going to tell her about his background, not his captivity. Apparently, he needed to talk about this more. His hands ran up and down her thighs and his gaze focused on her breasts.

“I kept waiting for my family to rescue me.” He toyed with her nipples, rubbing and lightly tugging on the sensitive tips. She held still and let him play. This was the deal they’d made, her submission for his openness. His voice was a monotone, his handsome features expressionless as he told the tale. “But weeks turned into months and no one came.”

“Did your family know where you were?” He leaned down and caught one of her nipples between his lips, sucking hard enough to make her cry out and arch her back.

“They knew, or they should have known. Money was never a limitation with my family. They could have hired a private army full of investigators to find out what had happened to me.” He nuzzled her breasts, rubbing his face against her skin as he moved from one side to the other.

It felt nice until his mouth latched on and he sucked like an industrial vacuum. She cried out again and dropped her head back, shuddering as pleasure/pain throbbed through her body.

“Your nipples are overly sensitive.” Catching one between his teeth, he carefully nipped her. “We need to toughen you up.”

She had no idea how to react to that concept, so she just waited to see if he was finished with her. Not even close.

Pushing to his feet, he kicked his chair out of his way and fisted the back of her hair. “Nuevo didn’t target me because of my military training.” He pulled her head back as he spoke, his gaze boring into hers. “I wasn’t a crime of opportunity. They chose me because of the alterations already made to my genome.”

Nervously licking her lips, Lexie admitted, “I’m not sure what you mean.”

His free hand explored her quivering body, boldly touching her breasts and belly. “My parents cheated nature. They paid massive amounts of money to have their children ‘perfected.’ Our intelligence was enhanced, our bodies were genetically programed to be leaner and more physically appealing.”

Her eyes widened and she tried to shake her head, but his grip on her hair was too tight. “That’s illegal.”

He scoffed, harshly squeezing one of her breasts. “The rules don’t apply to people like my parents. Everyone knows that.” He twisted her nipple, smirking as she cried out. He was enjoying her pain. That much was obvious in his cruel expression. “The fuckers at Nuevo were a lot more twisted than anyone realized. The details were never revealed at the trials because they destroyed most of the evidence before the authorities got there.”

“The details about what?” Knowing everything that had been revealed at the trial, his claim was hard to believe.

“There were two sides to the Griffin Project: those trying to create a hybrid army through genetic transcription and those who believed that it would take a combination of transcription and selective breeding. The second division evolved out of the first and the scientists knew it was even more damning. That’s why they went to great lengths to conceal it.”

Breeding? The word rolled through her mind like the rumble of thunder, distant and threatening. Did he mean that literally?

“They transformed me and a group of others, spiked our libidos, and used us like studs.” He said the last word so scornfully that it twisted his entire face. “There were hundreds of females, maybe even thousands because each male could impregnate dozens. Some of the females were hybrids, but most were just ordinary humans.”

She gasped, drawing his gaze to hers. “You can get me pregnant.”

“Maybe, eventually. It’s not nearly as simple as it sounds.”

Tension wound around her torso, making her stomach ache. Maybe she didn’t want to know any more.

He traced her slit with his fingertips, avoiding her clit. His gaze was fixed on her pussy, his expression harsh and angry. “We fucked night and day until we were physically exhausted. They’d feed us, let us get a few hours of sleep, and then it started up again. It took almost a year before the first female conceived, but whatever changes they made worked perfectly. All the females started having babies—genetically superior, mutant babies.”

“Even if they were enhanced, what use did an army have for hundreds of babies?”

His long middle finger pushed into her pussy. “I have no idea how, but the babies matured at an accelerated rate.” He worked a second finger in beside the first and began fucking her fast and hard.

She wasn’t very wet so her body resisted the invasion. The sensations stopped just short of pain, but she wasn’t enjoying his touch. He was punishing her for her curiosity, using her body to exorcise his demons. She’d offered him this exchange and he was still talking, so she took a deep breath and tried to relax.

“I watched it happen over and over.” His gaze lifted to her face, but he stared through her as his fingers stabbed into her core. “It took less than a year for each of those infants to reach physical maturity.”

She shook her head, trying not to let her distress show. He was right; this was much more twisted than anything she’d heard about at the trial. Kane had been their prisoner for seven years. How many babies had he fathered? And how many of those babies had he watched grow into mutant soldiers? Did he know what happened to them? Were any of them still alive? The pain in his eyes warned her not to ask any more questions. His retrospect was clearly at an end.

“Now do you understand why I don’t want to talk about this shit?” He withdrew his fingers and slapped her pussy twice. The sting of his wet fingers made her gasp and twist away. “Some things are best left in the past.”

“I’m sorry,” she cried, but it was obvious that he wasn’t finished.

He flipped her onto her belly. Her legs dropped to the floor, her toes barely touching. His hand fell fast and hard, moving from one side of her ass to the other and back. She held still and tried not to cry out. His anger was understandable, but she wasn’t the cause. She’d asked to hear about his life before his captivity, not what had happened at Nuevo.

“My loving family abandoned me,” he sneered, each spank harder than the one before.

Lexie sobbed. This was her fault, at least in part. She’d pressured him to share his past even after Kane told her that he’d worked hard to forget. Over and over he slapped her bottom until her muscles began to throb. Heat spiraled through her abdomen and her core clenched. She felt restless and overwhelmed with regret, her pussy wet and aching.

His hurtful slaps moved onto the backs of her thighs. “They were so humiliated by what I’d become that they didn’t want me back.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks and emotion clogged her throat. He was obviously in pain, but she wasn’t sure how to comfort him. If he fucked her now, she’d be relieved. She needed an emotional release as badly as he did.

His hand stopped falling and he kicked her legs apart. “They told all their friends that I’d died on the outpost. They held a funeral for the precious son they’d lost while the mutated breeder was no longer welcome.”

She heard the shuffling of clothing and then his cock pressed against her entrance. She wasn’t opposed to having sex, but she didn’t want him to take her in anger. “Kane, please?—”

He slapped her ass even harder than before. “You will refer to me as Sir. Now lift your hips and spread your legs.”

He needed the comfort of her body and a release from his pain. She’d encouraged him to revisit hell, had insisted he dredge up these deeply buried memories. This was punishment for her stubbornness. He was hurting her as she’d hurt him.

She was his mate. Her body belonged to him, and he clearly needed to use it. A sob tore from her throat as she shifted position. She slid her feet apart and lifted her hips, making it easier for him to reach her entrance.

Kane thrust his entire length into her pussy. Lexie cried out. Holy fuck, he was huge. Her inner muscles stretched so wide that her entire core began to burn. He pulled nearly out and thrust deep again, dragging a moan from her throat.

“Fuck, you’re tight,” he muttered and then reached around and found her clit with his middle finger. “Relax. I’ll slow down.”

She wasn’t sure what drew him back from the past, but he was in the moment now. He hadn’t stopped moving, but his strokes were less brutal. His fingers caressed her clit, encouraging her response. She shifted her hips against the table, trying to find a position that didn’t dig in so painfully. His cock wasn’t hurting her anymore, but he still felt massive.

“A good mate welcomes her master’s cock.” He leaned down and nipped her earlobe then found her breast with his free hand and began to tug on the nipple. “Should I have spanked you harder?”

“No, Sir,” she defended. She was pinned against the table, unable to move or touch him. What sort of welcome was he hoping for? “You’re just big and it has been a really long time.”

His warm lips brushed against the side of her throat, occasionally sucking on her skin. Lexie shivered and tightened her inner muscles. “Relax,” Kane ordered.

Lexie gripped the edge of the table and arched her back, giving him deeper access to her body. Submit , the word whispered through her mind, teasing the tension from her muscles. As she relaxed, letting him control her, a fresh rush of liquid released, lubricating his cock. He slid more easily, and they moaned in unison.

“That’s right, angel. Give it to me.”

He thrust faster and faster. His hands moved to her hips as his pelvis slapped against her ass. The heat from her spanking reignited adding to the fire swirling through her pussy. Her entire body shuddered with each hard thrust and Lexie felt an orgasm barreling toward her. “I’m going to come,” she cried helplessly. “Sir, please, let me come.”

“Yes,” he shouted. “Come on my cock.”

She rose onto her toes and screamed as pleasure crashed over her. Her inner muscles spasmed around his thrusting shaft and Kane cried out moments later. His hot seed pulsed inside her as he shuddered against her back.

Lexie sprawled across the table, limp and tingling. She felt drained physically and emotionally.

Kane withdrew and ran his hand down her back. “Don’t move.”

She wasn’t sure she could have, but she lay there silent and still. His footfalls moved away and then returned.

“Diego is my second so it’s his right to fuck you now.” Kane washed away his seed then helped her stand up.

Diego approached as Kane moved back. Lexie shivered, trying not to panic. Kane was intense enough, but he was nothing compared to Diego. There was a darkness in Diego that frightened her. Her first sexual encounter with Kane might have started out badly, but ended well. She wasn’t sure the same would hold true for Diego.

Desire gleamed in Diego’s night-black eyes as he openly assessed her naked body. As if to prove that her concern was justified, he said, “I desperately want to fuck your ass, but Kane said I can’t tonight.”

“Thank Kane for small favors,” she muttered under her breath.

“Instead you’re going to swallow my cock.” He took her by the hand and led her toward one of the bedrooms.

She knew how to give a blowjob, had even been told that she was good at it. Somehow, she didn’t think that’s what Diego meant. He was going to make her ‘swallow’ his cock, as in taking all of it down her throat. “I don’t think I can do that. I have a really strong gag reflex.” She tried to tug her hand out of his, but he just moved his fingers to her wrist and kept on walking.

The bed in this room was bigger than Malik’s. At least she presumed it was Malik’s bed she’d awakened in. Was this Kane’s room? He was coalition leader, so it stood to reason that he’d have the nicest room.

“Lie down on your back and hang your head over the side,” Diego instructed.

She didn’t understand the position. Why would he want her head hanging over the side if he meant for her to suck his cock? His grim expression kept her from questioning him, however. She crawled onto the bed and rolled onto her back, then scooted toward the edge of the bed. Quickly sweeping her hair over the side, she positioned her body as he’d described, legs slightly parted, arms at her sides, and neck arched.

Diego quickly shed his clothes and then approached the side of the bed. She wished he’d undressed while she was right side up. His entire body was corded with muscles and his cock was long and fully erect. His balls were hairless, as was his chest. He must have had the hair removed. He was too dark to be naturally hairless.

“Open your mouth, pet. Watching Kane fuck your pussy made my balls ache.”

Seeing no advantage to prolonging this, she parted her lips and reached for his cock.

“Hands at your sides,” he snapped. “You do not have permission to touch me.”

She didn’t realize she needed permission, but she returned her hand to the bed beside her hip. If he wanted her to lie there like a fuck toy, she’d accommodate him. He guided his cock just past her lips and coated her tongue with pre-cum. His taste was bright and slightly sharp, not unpleasant, just different than she was used to.

He moved both hands to her breasts and she closed her eyes. It was so strange to be utterly passive, to just lie there with her mouth full of cock while Diego played with her breasts. He squeezed the mounds and tugged on the nipples, even slapping them lightly.

“You have fabulous tits,” he muttered. “Nice and bouncy.” He slapped each one again to demonstrate. “I can’t wait to flog them and clamp these sweet little nipples.” He pinched them hard, giving her a hint of the pain he was anticipating.

Much to Lexie’s humiliation, her body responded with a gush of arousal. She felt it trickle into the crack between her bottom cheeks and prayed that he couldn’t see.

Diego laughed. “Does my naughty little mate like the idea? Why are you suddenly so wet?” He leaned over her, pushing his cock deeper in the process. “Oh, yes, very wet indeed.” He still seemed more interested in playing with her body than fucking her mouth. His cock filled her mouth completely, but he didn’t even try to move.

He fingered her pussy and eased into the wet crease between her butt cheeks. His fingers brushed over her pucker and she murmured her objections. The sounds were muffled by his cock, of course and he ignored her anyway. One of his fingers pushed into her dark hole and Lexie’s entire body tensed. Ass play of any kind had always made her intensely uncomfortable, and being punished with a plug certainly hadn’t helped.

“Soon we’ll both have what we want, pet.” His finger slid in and out, teasing her with the slightest hint of what they were both imagining. “Your tight little ass will stretch wide around my cock. It will hurt and you’ll scream my name. You’ll beg me to stop and then you’ll beg me to let you come. If you’re a really good girl, I might even let you.”

She shook her head, but more liquid dripped from her pussy and ran into her bottom crack. His finger slid easily now, so he worked in a second digit, fucking her even faster. It felt odd, intrusive and unnatural, and still her body responded. He covered her clit with his thumb, rubbing the sensitive bud as he slid his fingers in and out.

She whimpered and moaned as an orgasm gathered despite his chosen means of stimulation. She didn’t want to succumb to his bullying, didn’t want to come with his fingers up her ass and his cock filling her mouth. But her body wasn’t listening. Diego rubbed her clit hard, forcing the orgasm to crest. She cried out around his cock, pushing up with her heels as the persistent thrust of his fingers prolonged her humiliating pleasure.

When he finally pulled his fingers out, she felt limp and confused. Why had she responded to something so… wrong? Horrified by her body’s betrayal, she slid her legs closer together, hoping to hide her shame.

Diego wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and began to fuck her mouth. “You’re wonderfully responsive, mate. I’m pleased with your surrender.”

His other hand slapped her wet folds without warning and Lexie cried out in confusion and distress. What the hell was that for? He’d just said she was being a good girl. A good girl? Had she just used that phrase to describe herself?

He slapped her again. “I want this cunt bright red while I fuck your mouth. Spread your legs.”

She shook her head, and he shoved his cock all the way to the back of her mouth. Her air was restricted, but not completely blocked. It was a warning. With or without her cooperation, he would have his way.

“Don’t tell me no.” He slapped the insides of her thighs until she splayed her legs. She even drew up her knees, giving him full access to her body. Over and over, he slapped her sensitive skin until her entire pussy felt hot and swollen. “Lovely. You flush beautifully.” Releasing her neck, he parted her folds and circled her clit. “Look how swollen you are. Does my naughty little mate need to come?”

She nodded as best she could with his cock sliding in and out of her mouth.

“Too bad.” He gave her clit a vicious slap then moved both hands to her head and began to fuck her in earnest. “You already had an orgasm. It’s time for you to swallow my cock.” He went a bit deeper with each thrust and Lexie gagged. “Bad girl.” He twisted her nipple, dragging a cry from her muffled throat. “Relax and let me in.” He thrust again and she fought back the impulse, only gagging a little. “Better. Now try again.” He drove inward slowly, allowing her to accept the thick length as it slid ever deeper. “Good girl.” His fingers caressed the nipple he’d just abused, and she understood the simple lesson. Submission brought pleasure, resistance pain.

Steadying her head, Diego drove his cock well into her throat.

She tried to inhale, but found her airway blocked. Fear and anger obliterated her determination to be good and she went wild. She clawed at his hips and shook her head from side to side, letting her teeth scrape along his shaft as she gave in to the emotions she’d been suppressing. How dare he? She would not risk her life to pleasure this asshole!

He slapped her breasts hard enough to shock her and remind her who was in control. “My cock is not hurting you. Now be still and let this happen.” He pulled back and allowed her to suck in a lung full of air, then went right back down her throat. “Relax and trust your mate. I will never harm you.”

Harm, not hurt. He had no problem hurting her, but he would never cause her lasting harm. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes and spit escaped one corner of her mouth. Was this really what the rest of her life would be like? She sobbed, self-pity and hopelessness welling inside her. Lights danced before her eyes and white noise filled her ears. A moment later he pulled back and let her inhale again.

Rocking his hips and controlling her completely, Diego ruthlessly fucked her face. He supported her neck with one hand and caressed her breasts with the other while his long, hard cock slid in and out. “Take it all, pet. Swallow me down.”

And she did. Lexie swallowed his entire cock again and again, submitting even her breath to Diego’s control. She floated in a euphoric daze, feeling almost separated from her body. One of his hands glided over her breasts, brushing her nipples and then her taut belly. Finally, he caressed the sensitized skin of her well-spanked pussy. “Would you like to come?”

She whimpered but didn’t move. Her body belonged to him. Her pleasure belonged to him. If he wanted her to come, she would. But if he chose to deny her, there was nothing she could do about it.

His fingers sank between her sopping wet folds and easily located her clit. “Come for me, pet.”

Her clit was so sensitive that his lightest touch was painful. She moaned helplessly and absorbed the intense sensations. His cock continued to plunder her throat as her body surrendered to his persistent touch.

The orgasm burst suddenly, taking her by surprise. She screamed around his cock and arched clear off the bed. Wave after powerful wave washed over her trembling body. She’d never felt anything like it. Pleasure and pain combined into a dazzling storm of sensation. Her core spasmed and her toes curled as his fingertips cruelly prolonged her release.

When she lay limp and whimpering, he drew back until his cock rested on her tongue and then filled her mouth with hot seed. His taste exploded across her senses, triggering another wave of tingles. She latched on to his cock, instinctively sucking to drain the last few drops from his tip.

“Swallow,” he told her, and she obeyed.

Dazed from the intensity and her body’s odd reactions to Diego’s brand of pleasure, Lexie rolled to her side and curled into a ball when he finally freed her mouth. A harsh sob shuddered through her and then another. She wasn’t sure why she was crying. Her raw emotions simply demanded their own release.

The bed dipped and swayed then someone pulled her onto his lap, cradling her in his arms. She presumed it was Malik. Malik was the only one who gave a damn about her. Vision blurred by tears, she clung to the man holding her and sobbed against his chest. His hand stroked her hair as his body subtly rocked.

It took several minutes for her to regain her composure. She wiped her tears away on the back of her hand and sat up on her mate’s lap.

“Feeling better now?”

She gasped and looked up at Diego. He was the last person she’d expected to show her compassion. She nodded, still too emotional to speak.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised then eased her off his lap and crawled off the bed. After pulling on his pants, he walked out of the bedroom. He returned a few minutes later with a glass of burgundy liquid. “Drink this. It will help settle your nerves.”

“What is it?” She eyed the glass suspiciously.

“It’s called iolla .” He took a sip and then another. “It’s nothing harmful, I promise.”

She accepted the glass from his outstretched hand and took a tentative sip. Clearly fermented, the wine was slightly sweet with a tart aftertaste. It was unfamiliar but not unpleasant, like so much on this planet. She drank about half the glass and then said, “Thank you.”

“I know this is difficult for you, but it will get easier, start to feel more natural.”

The thought triggered more tears. “That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want that sort of thing to feel natural.”

“‘That sort of thing’?” His eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a disapproving line. “Did I leave you wanting?”

“No, but?—”

“We are not human,” he cut her off. “You cannot judge us by human standards.”

“ I’m still human,” she shot back. Quickly setting the wineglass aside, she crawled off the bed.

“For now.” His dark gaze gleamed mysteriously, but he said nothing else.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She put her hands on her hips and stared at him, not caring that she was naked.

“All three of your mates are hybrids. Do you honestly think living with us will not change you?”

On the surface his words seemed to be a challenge, but she sensed a deeper meaning, something she didn’t quite understand. “Are you doing something to me? Changing me in some way?”

He chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I just did something to you two or three times.” He motioned across the room. “Now it’s Malik’s turn to do something to you.”

Like the baton in a relay race, she had just been handed off again. She shook her head at the thought and backed away from the bed.

Diego casually walked from the room, leaving her alone with Malik. Apparently, Kane had also lost interest in her as soon as he emptied his balls inside her. She was really starting to dislike her mates.

Malik sauntered across the room with the loose-limbed grace all three of them possessed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots. “Trust me, they haven’t lost interest. We realize you’re not used to being shared. They’re trying to make this easier on you.”

She was comforted by the fact for a millisecond and then she realized what he’d just done. “I didn’t say that out loud. You read my mind.”

“I’m mildly telepathic,” he corrected. “Clairvoyance, true mindreading, is a very different skill.”

“Whatever you call it, don’t do it again.” She crossed her arms over her breasts and glared at him.

A boyish smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “I’ll try not to, but thoughts have a way of broadcasting when people are upset.”

“Good to know.”

He stood up and pulled off his shirt, then unfastened his pants, but didn’t remove them. “I’d give you more time if I could, but our claim isn’t secure until all three of us have fucked you.”

“Welcome to Rydaria,” she muttered bitterly.

He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Would spending the rest of your life in prison have been better than this? I’ve heard that women on penal outposts are treated like communal property, and they’re often raped by the guards more often than other inmates.”

She sighed. He was right. She was feeling sorry for herself when they’d offered her a much better situation than any of her other options would have provided. On Earth anyone associated with Nuevo Biotech was a pariah. Penal outposts were a living nightmare. And without the hybrids’ assistance, Bianca would die, and her entire camp would likely starve to death.

“Can we just get this over with?” she grumbled.

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “Sorry, doll. That’s not my style.”

His warm lips covered hers and Lexie tensed. This kiss was very different than any of the others that she’d received from her mates. Malik’s mouth coaxed and teased, soothing her frayed nerves as he slowly awakened her senses.

“We’re apex predators,” he whispered against her lips. “But we are also men.” He parted her lips and gently explored her mouth with his tongue. “We’ll be aggressive, even forcing your surrender at times.” He deepened the kiss, molding her naked body against his half-clothed one. “Other times, we’ll seduce you, patiently unraveling your resistance until you forget who you are.”

She clung to him, hungry for tenderness in any form. It didn’t matter if he was simply proving a point. She’d revel in his patience for as long as he was willing to offer it.

He swept her up in his arms and placed her in the middle of the bed. Then, pausing long enough to shuck his pants, he crawled onto the bed beside her. She lay on her back. He lay on his side with his arm tucked under her neck. His hand glided over her body while his mouth continued the intoxicating kisses.

Lexie responded to Malik with genuine passion. Her other orgasms had not been faked, but they had been beyond her control. She was sharing herself with Malik, offering rather than reluctantly allowing him to take. He stroked her breasts and belly. His touches were light and careful as if he didn’t want to hurt her.

The realization brought tears to her eyes, but she frantically blinked them back. He was focused on her needs. Something so fundamental shouldn’t have been so moving, but tears escaped despite her fluttering lashes.

He paused and wiped away her tears with his thumb. “It’s going to be okay.” He kissed her softly then looked deep into her eyes. “Are you starting to believe that?”

She pressed her hand against the side of his face and nodded. Emotion clogged her throat so she simply opened her legs, hoping he’d understand the invitation.

A sexy smile parted his lips as he moved over her and positioned his cock at her entrance. “My mate,” he whispered then entered her slowly, inch by endless inch.

It had to be a hybrid thing, she concluded. Her pussy was stretched tight around Malik even after fucking Kane.

“We’re not human,” Malik reminded as he nipped her bottom lip. “Our bodies are bigger and stronger now. We are leaner, our muscles denser. I’m not hurting you, am I?”

She shook her head. She wasn’t sure if he’d read her mind again or just her expression, but he started moving inside her and she no longer cared. His mouth returned to hers as he filled her core with long, slow strokes. She buried her fingers in his hair and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Gradually his pace sped and his lips pulled away from hers. “I’m not going to last long,” he warned as he slipped his hand between their bodies. “Watching the others fuck you was incredibly erotic.” He stroked her clit with his thumb at the apex of each thrust.

She tightened her inner muscles and concentrated on the sensual slide of his cock and the sensations being triggered by his thumb. The world fell away, all the stress and insecurity of the last few months ceased to exist. She was in bed with her mate and something about it felt amazingly right.

“Come, baby,” he coaxed. “Let me feel this beautiful body come.”

Thrilled by the tenderness in his tone, she surrendered to the sensations building inside of her. The orgasm crested in gentle waves, but it went on forever. He drove deep, then wrapped his arms around her and rolled them to their sides. She felt his cum jet out as his mouth returned to hers and they lost themselves in long, drugged kisses.

Wrapped in his strong arms and filled by his cock, Lexie felt warm and safe and sleepy.

“Let’s go take a shower,” Malik suggested a long time later.

“But that would require moving,” she pointed out with a dreamy smile.

“Good point.” He drew her leg up onto his hip and settled her more snugly against his body. “We’ll shower in the morning.”

She pressed a kiss to his damp chest then drifted off to sleep.