Seduced by Two Warriors (10 page)

Chapter
Ten

That
night, long after they’d all walked along the beach and admired the moons and
the stars, after the dishes were cleaned up and the leftover food and drink put
away, and after she’d confirmed that every man in the house, including Blake,
was going on this mission, Gia lay awake in the room she’d been given to use
during her visit, staring at the wood-beamed ceiling.

Her
window was open, and she should have been lulled to sleep by the sound of the
waves, but her mind raced with confusing and conflicting thoughts. Thane and
Rune might die. Jakara, Blake, Vaughn, and River might die. Cord and Arlo might
die. Their mission, from what little she’d absorbed during the conversation
that had continued all day and well into the evening, was insane.

They
planned to do exactly what she’d been told
mere weeks ago was
not in the plans. They were going to invade Voyeur Moon, plain and simple. They
were going to rescue everyone they could from the Zoo, the holding cells, and
the three prisons on the planet, and then they were going to bomb the shit out
of those buildings.

When
they had wiped them off the surface, they were going door-to-door to get the
few people still living on the planet away safely. Ordinary
citizens
who, for whatever reason, had been unable to leave and move to Sera or Addo,
would be given shelter on one of those planets. But the Tyranns living in
hidden homes, as Jakara had once done, would be executed, along with the guards
and wardens of the Zoo, holding cells, and prisons.

They
wouldn’t stop until Voyeur Moon was as dead as Earth now was. Only they
wouldn’t leave anyone on it, like there were still people living on Earth.
Their intention was to wipe the planet clean of people. There would be no
Tyranns left when they were done. And then they planned to form teams who would
journey to Earth and help them rebuild the planet.

It
was bold, and expansive, and totally nuts. But the men in this house each had
complete confidence it would work. She had no frame of reference to judge
whether it would or not. She only knew it meant that Thane and Rune would be
gone a long time.
Weeks or even months, before Voyeur Moon
was free of people.
She didn’t yet know if the two planned on joining
the teams who would eventually fly to Earth and help them rebuild. She hadn’t
asked. She didn’t want to know. Not yet.

She
crawled out of bed and walked over to the window seat. As she sat down, she
inhaled the salty air, letting the memories of what that smell had once meant
fill her mind. She could live here, near the water, for the rest of her life
and be perfectly happy. But could she be happy on another planet, instead of
back in Boston? And did it even matter now? Her home might be rebuilt one day,
but it would never be the same. Not without her family and friends. Not without
her job, or her day-to-day routine restored.

She
had new friends here. She even had two men who made love to her like no one
ever had. She could love them one day, maybe. If she let that emotion back into
her heart, that is. And she was fairly certain they could love her, too. She
saw it in their eyes.

Assuming they don’t die in this
mission.

Yes.
Assuming that.
And assuming when they returned from it
they’d still want her.

This
was so fucked up, and it was all
her own
doing. She’d
hidden from everyone and everything for two solid years. And now, in the space
of a few weeks, her entire world had been turned upside down once again. Only
this time, her heart was in real danger of being lost forever to two sexy,
charming alien men who made her feel like the most desirable woman on any
planet.

But
could she keep them? Even when this was over?

Did
she even
want
to keep them?

A
soft sound drew her attention from the sea and her thoughts. She turned to
watch Thane and Rune enter her room, then stand just inside the doorway, as if
unsure whether to come inside. She rose. “I was just thinking about you two.”

“We
were sure you’d be asleep,” said Thane. They were dressed in shorts and
T-shirts, and she’d never seen such innocuous clothing look so damn seductive.

“I
can’t sleep.”

“We
can’t either,” said Rune. “May we come in and talk? We never had a chance to
speak with you alone today, and thought you might have questions about the
mission.”

She
snorted, then took a seat on the bed and patted the comforter.
“About a million.”

They
sat close to her. “Ask away,” said Thane.

“Why
didn’t you tell me about it before?”

“We
explained that already.”

“Yes,
you did, but it was a shock to hear it like this. And then to find out I was
the only person who didn’t know made me feel insignificant. Please don’t ever
do that to me again. I’m not a child. You don’t have to keep things from me.”

Thane
stroked her arm. “I’m very sorry. We both are. In retrospect, we realize now we
were wrong not to tell you.”

“Even
if our intentions were right,” said Rune.

“We
have a saying on Earth. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Both
men smiled slightly.

“But
thank you for acknowledging it and for apologizing. It’s forgiven and
forgotten.”

The
muscles on their faces relaxed. “Do you have other questions?” asked Rune.

“Yes.
How high of a chance of success does this mission actually have?”

“As
high as any of them do I
suppose.
”

“When
I asked before why they didn’t do this, you told me they didn’t want to. What
changed?”

“Our
recent work helped convince them, which means you had a hand in this, Gia.” He
beamed with pride, and it did help to know she’d done some good after all, even
in such a short time. “Plus Jakara and the others have been talking to
Regum
generals, trying to convince them of the urgency of
the situation. They finally listened.”

“The
Regum’s
army is a well-kept secret,” said Thane. “They
have over fifty thousand troops at their disposal, Gia.”

“Holy shit.”

“Jakara,
Vaughn, and River believe this is a done deal, sweetheart. The hard part was in
convincing the Regum to join with the Addonians.”

“Then
why do you need me to keep writing all this propaganda?”

“Because as soon as this is launched,”
said Rune, “they’re going to get pushback from the citizens of both Sera and
Addo for it.”

She
nodded slowly. “It’s all starting to fit together. This has been planned for a
while now, but the people don’t know about it.”

“It’s
Vaughn and River’s brainchild, but Jakara had a hand in it, too. They didn’t
want to say anything until the Regum
were
on board.
Fallon, Cord, and Arlo had a lot to do with that, as did Cortez.”

“Cord’s
cousin?”

“Yes.”

She
eyed them both for a few seconds. “And was your part in this ever a question?
By that I mean
,
were you already on board should it
become reality?”

They
both said “yes” at the same time.

Here comes the hard part
. “So what happens to me?”

“You
mean while we’re gone?” asked Thane.

“Yes.”
And afterwards
.

“That’s
up to you. Fallon will still be working at the Ministry, and we need you there,
too. You can live in our condo, or she’s offered to let you move into the house
she shares with Cord and Arlo so you’re not alone.”

“She
has?”

Thane
nodded. “Yes.”

“You’ve
talked it through that much with them, but not with me?”

His
face fell, and guilt consumed her. She’d agree to forgive and forget that part.
“Never mind.
Okay. What’s my other option?”

“You
can stay here,” said Rune. “There’s no reason you can’t do your Ministry work
remotely. But if you do, Fallon will likely stay here, too. She doesn’t want to
be alone while we’re all gone anymore than you do.” They exchanged a quick
glance. “That is to say … I mean … I’ve assumed a lot here. We both have.”

She
blinked a few times as Rune’s meaning suddenly became clear. “Are you kidding
me? You both thought I wouldn’t miss you, or worry about you while you’re gone?
I’m going out of my mind already and you haven’t even left. Of course I’ll be
worried. And no, I don’t want to be alone. I’ll move in with Fallon or stay
here, whatever she wants to do.”

The
air in the room changed. Their relief was obvious, and it surprised her. Had
they really been as unsure about her feelings toward them as she was about
theirs for her? “I guess we have more to talk about than the mission.”

“We
didn’t want to assume anything,” said Rune.

Thane
moved closer to her, and she inhaled his scent. “But we’ve come to really care
about you, Gia.” He brushed a finger along her arm, and she shivered. “More
than we should.”

“Why
more than you should?” Her voice came out all breathy, but how could she help
that?

“Because we have no claim on you.
No right to ask you to wait for
us.”

“Oh…”
His answer echoed
her own
thoughts all day. “I was
thinking I had no right to ask you to come back to me.”

Rune
moved closer now, and he cupped her face gently. “There isn’t any place else we
want to be. You’ve crawled under our skin so
deeply,
we can’t let you go now. You’re stuck with us, beautiful.”

She
swallowed hard at the intensity of his gaze. These two were everything she’d
ever dreamed of when she tried to imagine the perfect man to fall in love with.
Well, other than the facts that there were two of them, and they weren’t from
Earth, of course. But did that matter anymore? They knew her deepest, darkest
fears and had managed to take the sting out of them. How, she still had no
clue. But they had.

And
then they’d taken her to heights of pleasure she’d never known existed. How
could she give that up? How could she give
them
up?

She
couldn’t. And she didn’t want to.

Gia
pulled her shift over her head and tossed it onto the floor. The cool night air
caused goosebumps to break out over her naked body, but she knew they’d have
her warm in seconds. She moved toward them, and Rune caught her in his arms
first. A loud moan escaped her throat as he eased her back onto the bed and
crawled on top of her.

He
kissed her like he might never do it again, and then he slipped his dick into
her pussy. She clung to his body while he fucked her, slowly. When she sensed
Thane move closer to her head, she turned to see him kneeling next to her face,
pulling on his cock. It was so damn sexy she nearly came.

“Move
closer,” she said. His grin sent shivers up and down her spine, and then he
scooted near enough so she could take his dick into her mouth.

“Oh,
man,” groaned Rune, whose thrusts became more urgent now. Both men fucked her
like runaway freight trains, and their arousal fueled hers until she thought
she’d go out of her mind with need.

Rune
pulled out suddenly. “Can we switch? Please?” He sounded like a horny teen
getting laid for the first time, and as Thane withdrew from her mouth, she
couldn’t stop the giggles. Just to know she gave these two, big, strong men
such pleasure was too much to absorb.

Thane
positioned himself between her legs, and then asked her to turn on her side.
She did, and as he slid his dick into her pussy, Rune slipped his into her
mouth. Gia groaned loudly in the back of her throat as the men fucked her
faster and deeper now. Thane had her legs bent, and at this angle, each thrust
massaged her clit.

When
the orgasm crashed over her, it was all she could do to keep breathing, and she
had to concentrate hard not to accidentally bite down on Rune. They both
withdrew again, and then Thane leaned over and kissed each ass cheek. But when
he spread those cheeks and attempted to slide a finger into her asshole, Gia
moved away and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest.

Sweat
broke out along her hairline, and her entire body trembled. “No,” she
whispered. “No. I can’t do that. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t.”

Chapter Eleven

Rune
moved closer to her but didn’t touch her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We don’t have
to.” What the hell had those bastards done to her?

“I’m
so sorry, Gia,” said Thane. “We didn’t know.”

She
shook her head, but she still hadn’t made eye contact. “You couldn’t have. I
didn’t tell you.”

He
and Thane exchanged a glance. It didn’t need to be said. Rune could guess. “It’s
okay. We won’t ever try again. Let us make love to you, Gia.
The
way you like it.
It’s all right. We’re right here.”

She
let go of her knees, but didn’t move toward them, and he could see on her face
she wasn’t ready to continue.

“Do
you want to tell us about it?” asked Thane.

At
first, Rune didn’t think she’d say anything, but then she began to speak again,
in the same monotone voice she’d used earlier when she’d told the others about
her time on Voyeur Moon.

“It
was the first group of three men who took me from the holding cells. That group
forced me to give them blowjobs, too. But you two were so … you were so patient
and gentle. So I was able to do that for you. But this … I’d never had anal sex
before. I’d always been afraid to try. One of my boyfriends on Earth actually
broke up with me because I wouldn’t even try.”

Rune
reached for her and pulled her into his arms. Her body was stiff and shaking,
but she let him hold her.

“I
told the men that. I told them how afraid I was. I begged them not to do it. I
said I’d do … I said I would do anything else they wanted to, and I wouldn’t
fight them anymore if only they would not do that one thing.”

She
moved to wipe her tears, but Thane was there first, gently wiping them away. He
glanced into Rune’s face, a dark, angry expression in his eyes. Rune wished
there was some way to find these three men who had done this to her. He wished
it with his entire being.

“They
laughed at me. They said that because I asked them not to, they would, and they
wouldn’t use any lube. I was so afraid. They held me down and forced their way
inside. It hurt so badly.
Much, much worse than when they
forced their way into my pussy or my mouth.
So much
worse.
I can’t even describe the burning. It felt like they were ripping
my insides apart.”

Her
breath hitched in her throat and Rune pulled her closer, his anger rising.

“When I … forgive me.
This is gross. But when I used
the bathroom afterwards for days, it was bloody. I was so scared. I thought
they’d torn something and it would never stop bleeding. And I knew they
wouldn’t care.
That they would just leave me to die.”

She
didn’t say anything for long moments, so he simply held her close. Then finally
she continued.

“They
took me back a few days after that and complained that I was inadequate for
their needs. And when the next group took me, I told them what had happened and
how I was likely hurt in there. I begged them not to have anal sex with me, and
they didn’t put their cocks in there, but they did put their fingers inside me.
Even their fingers in there still hurt so badly I cried all the time. That’s
why they took me back. They said they didn’t want a girl who did nothing but
cry.”

“I’m
so sorry,” said Thane.

“You
didn’t know. But I don’t think I can. I mean I don’t know if I can. But I’m not
ready to yet. I might never be ready to try that.”

Rune
cupped her face. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not important. We will take whatever
you can give us, sweetheart. But I have to ask this. Did you see a physician to
make sure you weren’t torn?”

She
nodded. “Yes. I’m all right. I mean, I’m not. There was extensive trauma, but
nothing that didn’t heal on its own in time. But the memories … they’re so much
more painful and frightening than the rest of it.”

“It’s
okay. We’re right here.” Rune had no idea how they’d ever find the men who had
done this to her, but it didn’t matter. They were Tyranns. The fact that they’d
taken her to a house on Voyeur Moon was proof enough of that for him. So he
would exact justice for her by killing all of them. Every last fucking bastard
who called himself a Tyrann would pay for doing this to her and making her feel
this way.

****

Thane
stroked her arms and hair because he didn’t know what else to do.
Saying “I’m sorry” felt so inadequate.
How in the name of
all the stars would she ever truly heal from something like this?

He
wanted to fly to Voyeur Moon right now and take a fucking blowtorch to the Zoo
and the holding cells. If he knew the innocent were gone from both buildings,
he would do it. Just like that. He and Rune exchanged another glance, and then
Rune released Gia so Thane could hold her.

“I’m
going to get you some water,” said Rune.

“But
what about … I mean you two didn’t … you didn’t get to come.”

“Oh
sweetheart,” said Thane, pulling her close. “Forget that, okay? Just let us
hold you for now. It’s all right.”

“Really?”

He
cupped her face gently. “You’re not our sex toy. We care for you, Gia. After
what you just told us, there is no way we’re going to ask you to finish what we
started.”

She
gazed at him and Rune in turn, her eyes filled with disbelief and—dare he even
think it?
Love
.
There was love in them. He was sure of it. “Thank you. I don’t know what to
say.”

Rune
left the room, and Thane hugged her tighter. “You don’t have to say anything.
Just know that we’re here for you, and you can tell us anything.
Anything at all.
We’ll listen until it’s all out, and then
if you need to tell us again, we’ll listen again. If you need to tell us for
the rest of your life, then that’s how long we’ll listen.”

He
finally felt her body relax, and it was no longer trembling. When Rune
returned, she was almost asleep. She drank the water, thanked them both again,
and then curled up on her side the way a child would. Thane curled up behind
her, and Rune lay down on the other side. Thane waited until he heard her breathing
change and knew she was asleep before he carefully climbed off the bed and left
the room.

When
Rune joined him in the hallway, Thane cursed under his breath. “I want to punch
something,
hard
. I want to fly there
right now and demand to know who took her, and where we can find them. Do they
keep records?”

Rune
shook his head. “No. They never have. Only of which girls are gone and when and
if they return. They don’t give a shit what happens to them, or who does it.”

“We’ll
never find those pigs, will we?”

Rune
shook his head.

“She’s
lucky she survived it.” Thane felt sick to his stomach as he voiced that
thought out loud.

“I
know.”

He
glanced toward her closed door,
then
motioned his
brother into the room he was using. Once inside, Thane stepped in front of the
window and glanced out over the dark sea. “I have to tell someone this, and it
should be you. I’m in love with her, Rune.
Absolutely crazy
in love with her.
What the fuck am I going to do about that?”

Rune
chuckled softly, and Thane turned to face him.

“Well,
that makes two of us, but I suspect you already knew that.”

“Yeah.
Guess I did. What the hell are
we going to do?”

Rune
shrugged.
“Nothing.
Not yet anyway. We need to fly
this mission. And then we’ll come back, and hope like hell she’s still here,
and still wants us.”

Thane
frowned. “You mean not tell her how we feel before we go?”

Rune’s
gaze darkened. “Do you think that’s fair? We might not live through this. You
think she hasn’t already figured that out?”

Thane
sighed heavily. “I’m sure she has. But are you suggesting we simply go away for
who knows how long and leave her wondering? That doesn’t seem right either.”

“I
think she knows.
On some level, at least.”
Rune ran
his hands through his hair. “Hell. I don’t know what the right thing to do is.
I only know she’s already been hurt so badly, and I if thought I caused her any
further pain, I’d die. I can’t do that to her.”

Thane
nodded. “I see your point. Okay. We won’t tell her. But we can show her. We
have time until we leave. We’ll make sure we show her that we love her.
Agreed?”

Rune
nodded.
“Agreed.
I’m going to get some sleep.”

Rune
left to return to his room, but Thane stood in front of the window a long time,
thinking about everything Gia had told them. No matter what happened in this
mission, he vowed to come back to her. And then, if she let him, he’d spend the
rest of his life making sure she knew how much he wanted to be with her. How
much he loved her.

He’d
never met anyone like her, and he knew he never would again. She was the girl
he’d been waiting for his entire life.

****

Gia
woke before the sun rose, and could still detect Rune’s and Thane’s scents in
the room. When she remembered what had happened the night before, she groaned
and rolled out of bed. While she took a shower, she recalled how they’d left
their own pleasure lying dead at the side of the road for her. No man she’d
ever dated on Earth would have been that understanding.

She
was so in love with both of them it was no longer a question in her mind. It
had been a done deal the first time she’d made love to them. She knew that now.
But she couldn’t tell them. It wouldn’t be fair. They had no idea how long
they’d be gone on this mission, or whether they’d even return. To drop that at
their feet when they had to concentrate on military matters would be totally
unfair and cruel.

No.
She would wait for them to return, and then she would wait to see if they still
wanted her. And while they were gone, she would hold the memories of making
love to them and spending time with them in her heart. If there was one thing
Gia knew how to do, it was
wait
. She’d been doing
nothing but that for two years.

The
group spent the day poring over strategies, and by late in the afternoon Jakara
received a message from one of the Regum generals. He went into a room filled
with communications equipment to talk to the man, and when he emerged, his face
was pale, but his eyes were alive with excitement. “I have an announcement.”

Callie
gasped, but he smiled at her and then held out his arms. She went to him and
hugged him tightly, and then Jakara faced the group with one arm around his
love’s shoulder. “This mission has been bumped up to top priority, meaning the
Regum
want the date moved up. We leave in the morning.”

That
night, after the group had made dinner together and the men spent most of their
time talking with Regum generals, Gia lay in bed with Thane on one side and
Rune on the other. They hadn’t spoken for several minutes, and finally she
couldn’t take it any longer. She sat up. “Make love to me. Please.
One more time before you both go.”

They
sat up at the same time. “Are you sure?” asked Thane.

“I’ve
never been
more sure
of anything in my entire life. I
want the memories of your last night in this house to be filled with my scent
and the way my body feels.
Because I don’t want you getting
tempted while you’re out there to fulfill your needs with any other woman.”

Thane
pulled her close and nuzzled her neck.
“You silly, crazy
Earth girl.
I don’t want any other woman, Earthling or not. I only want
you. I only love you.”

She
didn’t have the chance to respond because he captured her mouth in a kiss so
hot, she was certain the bed sheets would catch fire. Rune kissed her as soon
as Thane released his grip on her, and Gia didn’t think. She merely let go.
They were a tangle of arms, legs, and mouths, theirs on her entire body and
hers all over them.

They
took turns gently fucking her pussy, and touching every inch of her, as if
memorizing every centimeter of her skin. They gazed into her eyes, and kissed
her so many times her mouth was actually sore. She came more times than she
bothered to count, and still they made love to her.

When
they each finally came, they cried out her name, and she had an image of them calling
to her from across the miles. From across the expanse of space, as though they
were already gone and she could hear them all the way on Voyeur Moon. She would
carry their voices with her for as long as it took them to return to her.

She
fell asleep wrapped in their arms, smiling,
more
content and sated than she’d ever been in her entire life. These two men were
her world now, and it didn’t matter how long this mission took. She would wait
for them. They were worth it, and no one else could ever take their place in
her bed, or in her heart.