Alcandian Soul (15 page)

“Careful,
heloni
, my mother will pay the man to be even later if she hears you speaking in that manner.”

“Guess you’d better be nice to your mom.”

Dyne rolled his eyes but grinned as he clasped her hand and began to pull her back towards the Judgment Hall. Cassandra looked down at their joined hands as Cole captured her other one. Now this was the sort of abduction she was completely approving of. Today, it was a moment filled with joy and confirmation. Binding fever was terminal, and she willingly slipped into its grasp. Letting her old life die in the flames. Going forward mattered, nothing else.

* * * * *

“You are lovely.”

Paneil clasped her hands together and laughed with glee. The woman was a bubble of joy, kind of like a nun. It was impossible to be cross with her because it made you feel like a complete scum-bucket for puncturing her radiance.

It was low-down and dirty but incredibly effective.

“She is. I am still absorbing the fact that Dyne has found a mate and a new partner.

It is pure joy for a mother’s heart.” Cambria was nodding her head as she surveyed the dressing team’s results. The wine-colored garment was a three-quarter-length jacket that had an empire waistline. It was tailored into cups for her breasts and slit up the sides. A pair of paints was gathered into a waistband. It was by far the most comfortable formal outfit she’d ever worn. The color certainly suited her.

“You must not cut your hair. Alcandian women grow theirs long.” Cambria was fussing with her short hair again. A tiny wrinkle marred the woman’s forehead as she fingered the ends that rested on top of her shoulders.

“Was yours long when you arrived on Alcandar?”

Cambria smiled as she shook her head. “You are clever, Cassandra. If you want to know about me, I will tell you. My hair was as short as yours when I was sent here. My mates found me working in the rice fields of North Korea. My life has been very good here.”

“You were sent here?” Cassandra turned to study Cambria.

“Yes. When there was agreement between the two planets, warriors had to report back to Earth Military Intelligence when they believed they had found a mate. You are angry because of the circumstances surrounding your arrival, but I was much more devastated because from the moment my feet touched Alcandar, I knew that I had no home to return to. Earth had given me away. Men play harsh games that women do not always understand.” Cambria frowned with her memory, but she lifted a single finger as she finished her instruction. “I have learned that what truly matters is the trust between mates. Even on Earth, only very privileged women are allowed choice in the matter of husband. My family would have given me away too. On Alcandar, the choice to bind was mine alone. It is a gift that I value greatly.”

And Cassandra felt humbled again. Yeah, she was mad about her career being finished but the truth was, she’d been born into a better life than most. Alcandar did have that on Earth. The women here were allowed more freedom, even if it came with long hair. Tears stung her eyes as she considered the two warriors waiting for her below. They had given her choice when they didn’t have to.

“I’ll let my hair grow. But no promises. If it annoys me, it’s off.”

Her three companions laughed, but it was that good-natured kind of amusement that went along with being part of a group. It was something she soaked up because she recognized how good it felt to be a part of something again.

“Are you ready, Cassandra?”

Amin was the one asking. The Alcandian woman was much younger than the two mothers.

“Yes, I am.” And Rinehart could choke and rot on it too. She was going to start living again. She was going to bind with two Alcandians, kinky bedroom habits and all.

If she were lucky, she’d discover that she’d only sampled the tip of the iceberg. Love wasn’t something you planned, it took you out like a sniper.

* * * * *

The Judgment Hall was full. Cassandra was distracted by the number of people stuffed into the place. She’d never seen so many of the maroon coats or women in the main hall. Children peeked around their father’s legs as Cambria and Paneil led her forward. The two mothers were grinning from ear to ear as they took her towards Cole and Dyne.

Cassandra had to smother a giggle. Yeah, family was really great. The good, the bad and the insane that made up a unique combination that was irreplaceable. A moment of sadness invaded her bliss as she considered the fact that she wasn’t walking beside her father. He was a fine man and she really believed he’d approve of Cole and Dyne. She might never get the chance to ask him though, and that idea stung. Cole and Dyne frowned at her as their eyebrows lifted slightly. There was no time for conversation as the
Yedith
began the ceremony quickly, obviously intent on making sure that none of them escaped tonight.

It was extremely short. Just a few questions to them all. Cassandra looked around as the hall erupted into applause. Cole squeezed her hand.

“This is more of a handfasting, not the binding ceremony.”

“Got it.” The idea of handfasting made her nipples tingle. In fact, her entire body was buzzing with anticipation. “So, does that mean you two are no longer worried about your mothers catching you in that chamber?”

Dyne smirked at her but suddenly groaned as Cambria hissed softly from just behind him. He turned to face his mother’s displeasure as Cassandra tried not to laugh.

She really tried.

Cole smacked her bottom in response to her amusement. Cassandra gasped and turned on him. “Watch it, Somerton.”

Dyne scooped her right off her feet in retaliation to her use of Cole’s surname. There was no doubt that she was being chastised as the huge warrior tossed her over his shoulder. Her face went red when the room filled with applause. Dyne carried her right down the center aisle as his fellow Judgment Officials smacked their palms against each other.

There was one thing for sure, binding fever wasn’t going to be the death of her. It was going to be the end of Cole and Dyne!

Chapter Eleven

Cassandra swept Dyne’s knee the second he put her on her feet. The warrior went down like a load of bricks, landing on his rump as his face mirrored complete astonishment.

“Ever try that caveman tactic again, Dyne Tywind, and I will shave your head while you sleep.”

“What is a caveman?” Dyne was back on his feet far faster than she thought possible. She got a sneaking suspicion that the man had let her take him down. All that did was make her mad. The Army brat was insulted.

“Prehistoric human. The rumor is they liked to drag their mates about by the hair.” Cle wrapped his hand around her hair and pulled her head back so that their eyes met. Blue electricity flashed through his eyes as she shivered. Sensation shot down into her pussy as she felt the walls of the sensitive sheath heating and clamoring for another taste of their possession.

“An interesting idea.” Dyne flicked the first button on her coat apart. He trailed a finger through the edges of the fabric, stroking her skin. “I enjoyed carrying you. It is far past time the rest of the warriors understand that you belong to us.” His voice was hard with determination. He grasped her coat and snapped the fabric. The buttons scattered onto the tile floor with little pinging sounds as she gasped. Cole was still holding her head captive, leaving her rather helpless as Dyne grasped her pants and yanked them down her legs.

So fast, but she was completely nude a second later. Cole considered her a long moment before he leaned closer and his breath teased her lips. She licked her lower lip as she became desperate for his kiss. The distance between them was harsh and cold. “I agree. It’s time to make sure they understand whom you belong to.”

Cassandra gasped but Cole’s mouth smothered the sound. He held on to the back of her head as Dyne pushed her back towards his body. She ended up sandwiched between them, with Cole’s mouth pressing her lips apart in surrender. It was a demand for complete compliance. She could feel both hard cocks as the fabric of their uniforms rasped against her oversensitive skin.

Dyne cupped her breasts and fingered her nipples as Cole lifted his mouth from hers. He let her hair go and took a single step away from her. His eyes strayed to Dyne’s fingers on her nipples as he quickly undid his coat and bared his chest. Her own gaze wandered over the perfection of his chest as Dyne pinched her nipples and the little pain made her whimper. It was crazy but the little sensation zipped down her spine and combined with the heat building in her pussy. It drove her anticipation higher, making her hunger acute.

“An interesting reaction.” Dyne leaned over her ear and pinched her nipples once again. This time a low moan surfaced from her throat because it was growing impossible to contain anything inside her body. It was too much and too good to hold back. A little twist of fear went through her as she recognized just how much she was at the mercy of the two warriors. Oh, it wasn’t their strength—her own trust for them placed her on her knees before them.

“You moan so sexy.” Cole ran one hand down her belly. She felt each finger as it slid over her bare skin. “And I love your bare pussy.”

Her feet left the ground again. This time Cole lifted her and placed her on their bed. He pressed her thighs wide as he spread the folds of her slit apart. She shivered almost violently as her clit throbbed hard, begging for just a single lap from his tongue. Her fingers clawed into the bedding as she bit into her lip to keep her whimpers low and therefore contained inside the chamber. Tonight she could hear the dim roar of the voices below.

Which meant they could hear her. Her face flamed red but it didn’t stop her body from lifting towards Cole’s mouth as his breath hit her clit. He looked up her body as her spread slit shivered under his breath. “I want to hear you scream.”

“Dream on!”

Her pride couldn’t refuse that challenge but her voice was too loud and it bounced around the chamber. Cole chuckled in a low tone that made her pussy contract with longing. He teased her clit with the tip of one finger and raised an eyebrow at her. “Really? I do enjoy dreaming about you, Cassandra, but I’m looking forward to the reality of it much, much more.”

He pressed his finger onto her clit and rubbed. Her hips bucked up off the bed as Dyne appeared next to her. Her second mate pressed her down onto the bed as he blocked her view of Cole by sucking one of her puckered nipples into his mouth. It was almost painfully hot and she twisted as an equally hot mouth captured her clit. A harsh cry escaped her lips as Cole sucked on her clit and Dyne mimicked him with her nipple.

Control was a foreign language. There was nothing but the pleasure tightening under Cole’s mouth or the delight Dyne inflicted with his lips. Her lungs labored to draw enough breath as her hips thrust up towards Cole’s mouth. Pleasure broke through her as Cole growled around her clit. Dyne lifted his head to watch her eyes while she came. His hand threaded through her hair to cup the back of her skull. He held her face angled towards his as the climax twisted and wrung a hard cry from her lips.

“You enchant me.”

His eyes were suddenly hungry. Cassandra whimpered as the last few ripples shook her body. Dyne looked so needy just then, hungry for her and it was so much deeper than sex.

“I love you.” She stroked his face as he groaned on a harsh, yet tender note. His eyes flashed at her as the hand on the back of her head tightened momentarily.

“I hope so,
heloni
, or I will be happy to act as your caveman for the rest of our lives. I love you too much to let you leave me.”

There was a large part of her that enjoyed the harsher tone of this seduction but the enlisted woman refused to kneel completely. Reaching out, she curled her hand around Dyne’s cock. Her fingers closing around the thick staff. Stroking his length, she watched his eyes close to slits as she worked her hand up and down his erection. Cole chuckled softly and Cassandra shot him a naughty grin before she rolled over and opened her mouth to suck Dyne’s cock. She enjoyed the taste of his skin as she flicked her tongue over the slit and around the ridge of flesh that crowned it. She felt the rise of pleasure through their mind link and relaxed her jaw to take more of his length. Dyne growled louder, feeding her confidence as well as her sense of fair play. If the warriors below were going to have something to chat about, she was going to make damn sure there was a pair of male voices drifting through the blue velvet as well.

Cole caught her hips and his cock pressed into her from behind. So simply, control slipped away as her pussy was stretched on his length. Dyne thrust his cock towards her lips as Cole thrust deep into her body from behind. Pleasure filled her thoughts, hers and theirs, there was no way to separate the feelings. Once again the three of them existed in a bubble where there was no time, no concern, only each other. It was by far the most secure place she had ever been. It took her past the definition of love, instead she was immersed in the pure sensation of it.

Cole groaned and pressed his cock faster into her body. Dyne pulled free of her mouth as Cole tightened his grasp on her hips to ride her harder. The bed shook as his body slapped against hers. Because he was behind her, true pleasure didn’t threaten to break over her. He groaned hard as his seed spurted deep into her body and his hands gripped her hips to ensure that she remained still for his final pleasure.

Cole’s hands relaxed as he rolled onto the bed. Dyne pressed her onto her back next to him as he pressed his cock deep into her body. Cole stroked the side of her face as Dyne rode her. This time, each thrust rubbed over her clit, sending her back towards another climax. Her hips refused to stay still. She lifted her bottom up towards her lover as both males watched her. Climax ripped through Dyne and it pushed her own body into another orgasm as well. The walls of her sheath clamped around his cock, milking his seed and pulling it towards her womb. Pleasure broke through her teeth as Dyne’s growl joined her moan. There was no way to contain the pure ecstasy and she didn’t give a damn if anyone heard them. There was nothing beyond the borders of their bed.

They cuddled her tired body between theirs. One large warrior on each side. Cassandra stroked one biceps and then another as her fingers refused to remain still. She needed to reassure herself that it was real. They were reality. For the first time, reality was better than fantasy.

Now that surprised her…enlisted woman and all.

* * * * *

One day later

“Good morning, Daughter!”

Cassandra jumped out of bed and bit back her cussing. Cambria took a moment to look at her nude body again, but this time Cassandra yanked a sheet up before the bed began to clean itself. She wrapped it around her body as the woman began to fill the bathing pool. Zeva was hiding a smirk as she and Jessica wandered in to help with bathing the bride.

Cole’s pregnant sister frowned as she slumped into a chair. “I hate men,” she groused. “They’re all pigs.”

Cambria and Paneil cast concerned looks at her while Zeva backed away from her. Amin was the one who stepped right up to Jessica and pulled her out of the chair. “You need to walk or your labor will be twice as long. My mates put me to bed when my pains began and it took nearly two days.”

Jessica turned pale. But Zeva choked out, “Two days?” The Alcandian woman looked horrified. “Ravid forgot to mention that his babes are so difficult to bear.”

Amin laughed as she poked Jessica in the arm to get her moving. “Ravid is the uncle of my son, Chandler. Looks just like Ravid.”

Zeva pushed her lips into a pout and grimaced as she caught Cassandra looking at her. “Amin was bound to Ravid’s blood brother.”

Amin waved her hand in the air as all the women made soothing sounds under their breath. “Enough. I have been widowed for over a year, both my mates were killed in the line of their duty. I have a son to raise and no more time for such pity.” She appealed to Cassandra. “Tell them to stop coddling me. You are a soldier woman, make them understand that I knew the risks when I bound with Judgment Officials.”

Zeva nodded her head. “That I do understand.”

Cassandra nodded, it was something she understood but she was still sorry for Amin. The woman was young and full of a special joy, the same sort that Paneil tormented her with. Jessica growled as she huffed.

“Fine, I’m going for a walk and if any of you tells Dylan or Jett that I’m having this baby, I’m coming back in here to hide from them.”

Everyone stifled their laughter as Jessica stomped out of the chamber. Paneil lifted a single finger into the air before she went to the blue curtain and lifted one corner to peer below. Her face was purple when she turned around.

“Her mates are standing below.”

The chamber filled with good-natured amusement. Cassandra laughed right along with them until Cambria grasped the edge of her toga and pulled it free. Being nude turned her laughter into a growl but that only amused the women further.

“I don’t need help bathing!”

Paneil frowned at her. She fluttered her eyelashes as her lower lip shook in a tiny pout. Cassandra groaned as she surrendered. “Fine. You may stay, Paneil.”

Paneil looked ready to weep. “I had hoped you’d call me mother before the binding ceremony…” Her voice trailed off as she ducked her head.

The rest of the women looked ready to pound the word out of her. Cassandra shot Zeva a furious look before she held out her hand to Paneil. “Please stay, Mother.”

Paneil clasped her hands in front of her and raised her face to display a shining smile. Her eyes glittered with her joy as she took Cassandra’s hand and led her to the bathing pool.

Yeah…family. It was dream and nightmare all rolled into one. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

* * * * *

Paneil and Cambria led her up that aisle again. This time the ceremony was longer. Cole took his vows in a steady voice while Dyne lingered over the words in a tender tone that touched her soul. Her own voice squeaked as she tried to force her vows past her lips. A low wave of amusement filled the hall in response.

“Carry me out of here and you die tonight.”

Once again she was starving and her mates looked ready to haul her up to the chamber the instant the
Yedith
announced them bound. Cole snickered as Dyne pouted.

“I’m hungry. There’s a big problem with Alcandar, I never seem to get to eat at a table despite the fact that I see other people sitting down and enjoying their meals.”

“Depends on the type of meal you prefer.” Cole wiggled his eyebrows at her as her nipples contracted.

“Trust a man to think sex is more important than food.” She dropped her voice to keep it between them. Dyne let one of his hands stroke the curve of her hip. “With you,
heloni
, making love is far better than eating.”

Tenderness coated his words as Cole offered her a smirk. She joined their teasing as the guests began to talk and drink. Like any wedding it was shared by family and friends that took her mates’ attention. Cassandra was pulled away by Cambria and Paneil to be introduced to more women. The conversation swirled around her until she stopped and felt someone watching her. Turning around, she found Greer’s silver eyes focused on her. He offered her a half nod of his head but continued to contemplate her without a single word of explanation. It was the sort of thing your commanding officer did when he was evaluating your performance on a critical assessment. Her gut twisted with a hint of suspicion.

“You look like you’re planning something.” And it wasn’t a nice something. Cassandra considered the flare of determination in Greer’s eyes. She was really glad she wasn’t the target of the warrior’s decision.

“I am.” Greer turned to face her completely. He swung his right arm across his chest to hit his left shoulder with a closed fist. It was the equivalent of a salute. Somehow, she’d rated the respectful gesture from him.

“You have served as a prime example to me. You have my gratitude.”

The Alcandian warrior turned to leave. Cassandra frowned at the nagging suspicion his words had hatched in her brain.