Alien Refuge (25 page)

She groaned. It felt good. She thought it could feel even better.

Iris rocked forward, letting Rivek slip deliciously through her channels. Sliding friction moving through her, lighting up everything inside. She closed her eyes to feel it better. Then she moved back onto those twin cocks, carefully enclosing the man kneeling behind her once more. Very little discomfort this time. She almost missed that galvanizing sting of hurt. How strange, she thought.

“That’s it. Good girl.” Rivek’s approval was very breathy.

Iris moved forward again. He felt so amazing, sliding easily through her now. When she rocked back again, she did it faster, harder, achieving more of that wonderful ache this time. It made no sense that it heightened the boiling pleasure in her gut, but it did. The next time she shoved back onto Rivek, she did it even harder, as if she would split herself in two on him. Dull pain resounded this time, feeding the weird passion slowly engulfing her.

That was it. That was what she wanted.

“What are you doing, Iris? Tell me. Use those words that scared you so much.”

“I’m fucking you, Rivek. I’m fucking your cocks with my ass and pussy.” She felt not one bit of concern over her language. All she cared about was the blooming rapture taking over.

Iris drove herself against the Kalquorian, taking him hard and fast. Fierce arousal awoke, growing bigger, tightening her insides in a vicious spiral. Violent desire licked throughout her loins, making everything coil taut. She could feel her body gathering itself, every mote of pleasure coalescing into one brilliant spot, drawing together in preparation to blow wide open. Almost there, hanging just on the edge. If she could just find a little more force...

“Please,” Iris moaned. “Please.”

Rivek’s hands closed over her shoulders. When she shoved back onto him this time, he pulled. At the same time, he thrust hard and deep into her with devastating strength.

Iris’ senses broke apart in a tidal wave of phenomenal bliss. It surged through her all at once, rending her wits into scattered motes of disconnected, half-formed thoughts. Swell after swell of pleasure gushed through her body. Starbursts of white light exploded before her eyes, blinding her to all but the stormy flow of rapture.

When she came back to the surface of the Kalquorians’ bed, Rivek was moaning above her, his cocks pulsating inside, the primary one streaming thick heat into her ass. Jol rubbed her back as Ospar stroked her hair.

At last the Imdiko carefully moved out of her. His sigh was that of a very happy man. “There now. Much better.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Iris muttered into the sheets.

The men chuckled and moved around her, arranging her so that she lay on top of Rivek, with the other two surrounding them. Arms closed around her, sheltering her in their strength. Iris wrapped their care around her like a fortress that no one could breach.

Chapter 7

After a few minutes of the trio reassuring themselves that Iris was all right, Jol had her give him a list of the things she and Thomas would need for the next few days and where he would find those belongings. He left the room along with Ospar, who needed to com his office to check and see if anything pressing required his attention.

Rivek showed no signs of returning to the temple. Instead he continued to hold Iris, stroking her hair with gentle fingers. He didn’t speak, letting her soak in the companionable silence. She closed her eyes in contentment, her hands and face resting on the Imdiko’s chest. She thought lying on such a bulky man shouldn’t be comfortable, but it was. Rivek’s skin was warm and a soft, smooth surface over his firm body. She rubbed her cheek against the flesh which was as silky as his voice. The arm holding her against him was comforting, as was the one that continued to caress her hair, back, and shoulders.

Iris didn’t even realize she had drifted off. She was startled awake when Jol and Ospar rejoined them on the bed. She blinked at the men.

Ospar pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Feeling all right?”

She’d fallen asleep. She’d been out for quite a while considering Jol had obviously just returned from his errand. Crisp coolness wafted from his formsuited body. She ducked her face in embarrassment.

“I feel fine. A bit lazy and worthless. I can’t remember the last time I napped in the middle of the day.”

Jol blew into his hands to warm them before stroking her cheek. He scowled. “You are not worthless. Nor lazy.”

Rivek smiled at her. He was blinking sleepily too, so maybe he had dozed as well. “I think she’s commenting on how seldom she gets the opportunity to simply relax.”

“That was it. I feel like I’m playing hooky—”

“Where’s Mommy? Where’s Mommy?”

Thomas’ frantic wails, already edging into hysteria, cut Iris off. She flung herself off Rivek and the bed, searching wildly for her clothes. She had to get to him. Now. Where were her damned pants?

“I’m in here, sweetie! It’s okay! I’m coming!”

“He can’t hear you. The monitor is working only one way.” Rivek grabbed her and made her stop crawling all over the floor in search of her clothes as Thomas’ shrieks rose. He pulled her to her feet. Jol shoved her into an immense robe that she could have used as a blanket.

“Where’s Mommy?”

Iris could hear Thomas’ feet thumping around the room next door as he raced about in a panic. There were several heavy thuds and the sound of his crying was like a siren going off continuously in her ears. Thomas was alone and scared, and she wasn’t there.

“I’m coming, Thomas!”

Ospar’s voice managed to cut through the sounds of her son’s terror. “Calm down before you go out there. He’ll hear the worry in your voice.”

Iris ignored him. Clutching the oversized wrap around her, she raced out of the room just in time to see Thomas bolting in the wrong direction down the hall.

“Thomas!”

The little boy turned. His face was distorted with despair and fright, tears pouring down his cheeks as he searched for her. He screamed when he caught sight of her and barreled back as fast as his legs would bring him.

He reached for her as he ran, crying, “Go home! Thomas and Mommy go home!”

She knelt down to catch him as he threw himself into her arms. He squalled, completely overwrought from waking in an unfamiliar place without her right there when he’d opened his eyes. Thomas was already nearing the point he’d been at when he’d been sedated.

Knowing the pointlessness of trying to calm him, Iris tried anyway. She held and rocked him, telling him urgently, “It’s okay. Look. We’re at Rivek’s house. We’re at Jol’s house. We’re at Ospar’s house.”

Thomas shrieked, making her ears pop. He wrenched away. A nearby shelf held a decorative spray of flowers and some colorful glass figurines. He grabbed them and threw them to the ground, breaking several. He attacked vids on the walls, trying to yank the monitors down. Iris staggered after him, weighed down by the heavy wrap Jol had put her in. She grabbed at her son as he went on a destructive tear down the hall, knocking more decorative pieces to the ground, annihilating as he went.

The boy was red-faced with confused fury. “Go Thomas house! Go Thomas house now!”

“Thomas, your trains are here.” Jol’s calm voice carried over the shrieks and Iris’ desperate pleas for Thomas to stop breaking things. Both Earthers froze at the gentle thunder of the Nobek’s call.

Iris had finally gotten hold of her son. She clutched him close as she turned them to look at the Kalquorians standing nearby. She didn’t want to see how disgusted and angry the men would be at the wild display, at the carnage Thomas had unleashed on their home. Didn’t want to, but had to. She had to keep Thomas safe from whatever consequences their hosts would try to punish him with. Desperate apologies were forming on her lips until she saw the clan’s faces.

Not one of them looked as furious as she’d expected. They didn’t even look irritated. Nor did they seem shocked or revolted. She gaped as she looked at expressions that displayed only calm concern.

The clan wasn’t mad at all. Thomas had gone berserk and broken things, probably very expensive things. Yet she saw nothing but compassion on the men’s faces.

Jol had said the magic word, possibly the only thing that could snatch Thomas from the chaos that had taken over his brain. His voice bright and hopeful, Thomas said, “Where’s Thomas’ trains?”

Jol pointed to the guest room the boy had slept in. “In this room. This is Thomas’ room at Jol’s house. This is the room where the trains are. Come look.”

His tear-streaked face now eager, Thomas hurried to the Nobek and followed him to the room’s doorway. Iris climbed to her feet and joined them. The little boy stopped in the opening, refusing to go in with Jol, however.

“No. Go home,” Thomas said, but there was no panic in his tone. He watched quietly as Jol picked up one of several hard-shelled containers sitting next to the wall. He set it on the sleeping mat and opened it.

“What’s in it?” Thomas asked.

“Your trains.” Jol began taking the toys Thomas had made out, along with his tracks and bridges.

Thomas ran to Jol’s side and peered into the container. “Thomas’ trains. Here, Thomas.”

He and Jol unpacked the trains. Ospar and Rivek, who had thrown on a robe like the one swallowing Iris, joined them. Moments later, the little boy and the Kalquorians were setting up the tracks and trains on the floor all around the sleeping mat. They talked, commenting on the trains, asking questions that Thomas answered in his stilted way.

Iris stood in the doorway, staring in amazement at them all. Thomas was totally calm and comfortable now. The men were chuckling and playing with him, as if his destructive fit had never happened.

From his cross-legged pose on the floor, Rivek smiled at Iris, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. “Set this room up as much like the one he’s used to as you can. Then we’ll go over his schedule and get him as close to his routine as possible for the rest of the day.”

Jol added, “If anything is missing that you need, I will go back for it.”

Tears were threatening, stinging her eyes. Fighting to not cry and upset Thomas again, Iris choked out, “Thank you. For everything.”

All three men looked at her. The expressions of kindness and care were identical. “He’s perfectly fine,” Ospar said in a quiet tone.

He wasn’t referring to Thomas’ wellbeing, Iris realized. He was talking about their acceptance of him.

They continued to play with Thomas, keeping him distracted as Iris began to unpack the belongings Jol had brought from her home. She watched them as she worked, still scarcely believing these three men, these near strangers, could care so much for a little Earther boy.

* * * *

Borl shook his head, his expression one of complete disgust. “Earthers are utterly useless. They couldn’t control a woman and a child long enough to capture them? Fools.”

Maf shifted in his chair. They sat in the greeting room of the guest quarters he occupied, and he wished he’d chosen the softer lounger. Still, he knew it was sometimes impossible to get comfortable, no matter how well cushioned the seating. At least he was perched next to the firepit. The warmth of the fire eased joints too susceptible to the cold.

He told Ospar’s aide, “I’m not that surprised. Never underestimate the lengths a woman will go to for a child.”

That statement reminded him of other things. Women and children. Most of them never saw past Maf’s crooked body. He’d become used to the looks of dismay from the women and the expressions of fear from the few children he’d been in the presence of. Even those reactions were better than the pity that grated on his nerves. It took a special person to look beyond the twisted packaging and find the man inside. No Earther woman had done so yet.

Not that he wanted one. The thought made his stomach turn. They were odd, tiny, pathetic creatures when compared to the strong beauties of his own kind. He thought of one such woman he knew, Matara Feyom. Such a magnificent woman, and one that saw past surface weaknesses. Maf’s groin tightened in warning, and he shook himself.

It was time for the next phase of Haven’s meltdown. He asked Borl, “So you were saying you’re meeting with the Earther leaders of the E.I.K. tonight?”

“Tomorrow. But before we get to that, I have the information on Iris and Thomas Jenson that you asked for.”