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  “What…” Barely uttering the word, she stopped speaking when first Mikel, then Felix kissed her quickly, warm tongues sliding against hers in brief communion. The voices outside faded away, but neither man relaxed his grip on her. With a bit-back gasp, Alisa jumped as one of their hands slid down from her back to cup her buttocks and another snaked around to press against her lower belly, fingertips so close to her quivering pussy she imagined he could sense the heat building in her. Felix nosed close to her ear, his cheek brushing up against hers as he whispered.

  “Will you come with us, Alisa, or may we follow you?”

  “Where?”

  “To a better place than this.”

  “A better place for what?”

  He drew back then and narrowed his eyes like he was trying to see inside her mind. Good thing he couldn’t, because she had no idea what she, let alone he, was thinking. Mikel moved in on the other side, burrowing his mouth close to her ear, and her whole body clenched as she wondered if they would always do that with her, first one, then the other, mirroring movements against her like she was the center they orbited. Would they want to have sex with her like that, or some other way she hadn’t contemplated?

  “We want to touch you, Alisa, please you and delight you, show you how we feel for you.” The naked need in his voice weakened her resolve still farther. Her resolve to resist? Why resist something her body was begging for and her mind was so curious about?

  Wriggling in their grasps, thrilling at the pressure of their hands against her, she pressed her mouth close to Mikel’s ear, drawing in his spicy scent even as she breathed. “I cannot bring you to my rooms. It’s forbidden—”

  Before, she’d had always had a reason to retreat, to not look any Alphan male in the eye, to not attract any interest because she certainly wasn’t going out among big, powerful males she didn’t understand. That would have been foolish. But with Felix and Mikel she felt a different sort of foolishness, one that made privacy seem like a very good idea.

  “So you will come with us.” Mikel’s rushed reply confirmed her acquiescence. Those big hands squeezed every part of her body where they rested, and her nerves fired in response. What had she just agreed to do? “We will show you our home. Here on Earth, that is. We have a much finer dwelling on Alpha and will certainly be searching for larger when we return—”

  Felix made a hissing sound, and his bondmate subsided to quiet as they all strained to listen for more noise outside. Suddenly, Felix released his hold on her and scrambled up on top of a battered wood table where he leaned against the door, his face pressed to a transom window she hadn’t noticed before. His broad shoulders bunched as he spread his hands wide against the wall. Mikel allowed his hands to stroke against her body, and for a wild moment she wished the other Alphan would turn around and watch the caresses. “Our way is clear. Whoever it was is gone.”

  He glanced back at them, and her wish was granted. By this point, Mikel had slid both hands up under her heavy breasts, not cupping them, but still framing them for his bondmate’s view. And she’d let him, even though she knew her nipples were poking through the thin dress material, knew that press of support made her look even more endowed than she was. Heat poured through her body, and she shivered when Felix jumped down and crowded close, his gaze never leaving her chest. For a heart-stopping moment, she feared what would happen next, but when he reached out with a low growl and framed his palms against the sides of her breasts, she melted. The sensation of all those fingers, those four broad palms grazing along and not even coming close to her nipples, weakened her knees so much that she fell back to Mikel, which was like leaning against a warm, breathing wall. Her position was such that she could feel his hips against her lower back, and what was surely a thick erection rubbing along her spine.

  “Will you come with us now?” Felix breathed out, and all she could do was nod. She was going to break her rule and enter the Alphan compound, socialize with men unchaperoned, make herself vulnerable to whatever they might desire.

  Chapter Four

  Mikel tried not to shake, but his excitement tangled up with the dread he might do something wrong had put him in such a tense state he found himself biting his lip rather than babble. This was a challenge considering his tesak were swelling, thrusting out more and more the longer Alisa was in their presence. Right now she was seated on their sofa, nearly lost in the depth of cushions Alphans favored for seating. They’d hurried her in to their apartment via a back entrance, unwilling to have any of their fellows get a glance at her. Insecurity flooded him, as he knew it did Felix. Neither one of them wanted to expose her to any other man, at least not until she’d well and truly bonded with them.

  Now that she was here, where they’d dreamed of having her since meeting her those few days ago, they didn’t quite know what to do with her. Those furtive kisses and touches in that dirty room had fired his arousal to a painful point, but he knew if he simply stripped off his clothing and freed his swollen shaft as it demanded, he’d frighten her away. Biology’s direction was clear: copulate with Alisa now, and as often as possible in the future. But society, both hers and theirs, demanded a more deliberate approach.

  Felix returned from the kitchen with a glass of water, clearly poured hastily since drops pattered to the floor as he handed it over to her. She took a polite sip and then struggled to reach a nearby table to set it down.

  Wanting to help, he leaned forward to take it from her, and his hand collided with hers, spraying cold liquid all over her dress. Her mouth opened in shock as her hands flew up. Mikel’s stomach plummeted. He was as humiliated as he’d been when he’d fallen face-first into the pit of gnarn worms on the cadre’s obstacle course years ago.

  “Oaf.” Felix’s tone blended equal parts amusement and chagrin. He reached to help Alisa up even as the glass rolled across the bare wood floor, leaving a slick of water behind. “Let me help you dry off. Be careful not to slip.”

  His bondmate wrapped his arms around Alisa as he guided her to the kitchen while Mikel followed to collect cloths and clean up the mess he’d made. Felix pulled out handfuls of towels and knelt down to daub at the sopping fabric of Alisa’s gown. The water had soaked her from breasts to knees, and the material clung to her curves as she pulled at her dress. He was suddenly glad he’d made such a clumsy mistake as he stared at her round hips and curved belly. Felix’s hands slowed as he, too, became distracted by how voluptuous she was. Mikel’s breathing quickened, and his staff, ever aware of her proximity, throbbed with a renewed sense of purpose.

  “Perhaps you should change and we can dry your garment manually.” Felix’s voice rasped, and Mikel nodded dumbly. “We wouldn’t want you to become chilled.”

  Alisa’s cheeks flamed red, and she pulled at her dress. It made a wet, sucking sound as it peeled from her skin, and Mikel swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight. She’d be naked in their quarters, perhaps willing to change her clothing while standing in their bedroom. “I apologize for my clumsiness. I merely wanted to help and instead I’ve embarrassed you.”

  Alisa cleared her throat as she glanced back and forth between them. “Are you sure you didn’t do this deliberately? Is this the usual method of getting the women you invite back here to take off their clothes?”

  Her tone was sharp, and there was a hard gleam in her eye. Mikel shook his head rapidly as Felix bent to crouch at her feet, still stroking at the wet patch with the towel. “No, lady, none of this is a concoction on our part. We are sorry—”

  “Terribly ashamed to have inconvenienced you,” Mikel added, desperate to make peace with her. “The women we’ve had here have willingly taken off their clothes. In fact one had her dress off before the door had shut behind her.”

  As soon as the words left his idiot mouth he knew he’d made a fatal error. Her head snapped back, and she pushed at them with her soft hands. Felix’s mouth gaped open for a moment as he stared at him, and then his eyes narrowed. All Mikel had wanted to do wa
s reassure her that they saw her differently, that they wanted more from her than intercourse, and perhaps vaunt their prowess as well, but instead he’d insulted her terribly.

  “How many—no, I don’t want to know.” Alisa shifted in the kitchen, hemmed in by the counters and their bodies. She wanted to flee. It was clear in her fluttering gaze and shuffling feet. The idea that she’d travel the corridors of the Alphan residential building, pass through the common rooms crowded with unattached men as she searched for an exit, all while alluringly damp was unacceptable. “Excuse me.”

  Mikel held up his hands, and she flinched back. “No, please, don’t go out while you’re so wet.”

  “You expect me to stay?” Her voice quavered, but she met his gaze, her brows lowered. He tried not to notice her dinap pressing through her dress. All his hopes that they would engage in soul-satisfying sex were destroyed by an errant glass of water.

  “At least until you’re dry.”

  “Please,” Felix pleaded. Mikel knew his bondmate would chastise him as soon as Alisa left them, and he deserved it. They fell silent, waiting for her decision and the room was so quiet he could hear a droplet of water hit the tile floor.

  “Fine. Where can I go to change?”

  “In the other room. I’ll bring you some clothing to wear in the meantime.” Felix was quick to lead her from the kitchen, leaving Mikel to clean up the water. It was the least penance he could do for ruining their evening and turning Alisa against them. Soon enough everything was dry, and the damned glass tossed in the washer. All was quiet from the short hallway that connected their bedroom to the living areas of the apartment, and he was surprised not to see Felix waiting outside the bedroom.

  Cautiously easing into their bedroom, he saw his bondmate hovering near the door to the bath. He looked up with a frown. “Could you be any clumsier?”

  “I doubt it.” Mikel was ready to give up. Everything he’d babbled, all the inept moves he’d made all combined to convince him he wasn’t worthy of a bondmate. Didn’t the stories say that when they met their mate, the stars would align and all would be transformed? Alisa didn’t seem to feel any connection to them, which was no wonder considering how badly he’d fouled things. Could he and Felix be that far off in feeling this compulsion to be with her above all others?

  “It was an error.” His bondmate’s tone was more reassuring as Felix laid his hand on Mikel’s shoulder. “We might have stumbled, but I’m confident we will impress her at some point.”

  “With what? She knows who we are, knows our faces and our positions. Despite my mistakes, I don’t believe we’ve behaved in an untrustworthy way. What more can we do?”

  “I’m not yet ready to concede defeat. Finding our bondmate isn’t supposed to be easy. We must persevere in order to deserve her.”

  “I thought that meant we defeated challengers and laid gems at her feet, not get her to like us.” Mikel knew he sounded bitter, but he was too frustrated to calm himself.

  There was a rattle of the door, and Alisa emerged, her wet dress clutched in her hand. She was wearing an undershirt of Felix’s tucked into a pair of soft pants belonging to Mikel. The pale blue material clung to her hips and outlined the creases at the tops of her thighs. His staff swelled as he realized her quonum was pressed against material that had recently cupped his groin.

  “Here,” she said quietly as she handed over the dress to Felix who took it with a nod. She stood framed in the doorway for a moment and Mikel wondered if she was going to simply close herself back in the bathroom until they returned with her dry clothing. She huffed in a breath and stepped out into the bedroom, studiously avoiding looking at the large, mussed bed. Why hadn’t they neatened up before going to pick her up earlier?

  Without a word she followed them as they made their way to the utility area, a smallish room containing storage shelves, the textile cleaning equipment, and the apartment’s environmental controls. Felix hung her dress in the steam folder they used to clean their dress uniforms and explained how he was setting it to dry. Soon, warm air swirled in the chamber. Alisa watched closely, and Mikel took the opportunity to look at her, his heart clenching in his chest as he realized he might never see her after tonight. He wanted to stroke her round cheeks, kiss her luscious mouth, press his tesak to the soft curve of her neck. He wanted her hands on him, her body straining against his, wanted to see her give herself to his bondmate as he waited his turn.

  She must have sensed his regard because she turned to stare at him, her clenched hands rising. Something white was caught in her fingers, and unthinkingly he reached out for the small bundle of fabric, perhaps socks or a handkerchief. She held on to them briefly, then let out a small cry as he pulled it free. Thin, lightweight material clung to his fingers, confusing him as he stretched it out. It was translucent in parts, covered in swirled flowers in others, small and delicate and…

  Comprehension dawned. He’d pulled her wet undergarments from her hands. Swallowing hard, his gut clenched with renewed mortification. Alisa’s cheeks went red. Felix, unaware of what had just happened, reached for the tangle in his hands, intent on adding them to the cleaner cycle. She reached up to intercept him, and all three of them ended up holding her under-things in a clutch of fingers. Felix prevailed, and after a quick straightening of the clump, added them to the dress, then turned back to face both of them, a frown on his face.

  “I want us to come to an understanding now. I’ve had enough of your fumbling.” He stared at Mikel with a stern glint in his eye, then frowned at Alisa. “And enough of your feigned reluctance.”

  ****

  Felix was done with caution and care. Mikel was so wound in nerves he wouldn’t be of any use unless directed to take on a platoon of Xyrans with only an ironwood club, and Alisa was fluttering and wavering enough to drive him mad. Time to assume command of this tiny cohort and get to the business at hand. With that decisive thought, he grabbed Alisa’s fingers and tugged her from the utility room back into the bedroom. She followed with a squeak and stood where he placed her, right in front of the bed.

  Without taking his gaze from her, he pulled off his tunic and undershirt, then kicked off his boots, which smacked into the wall opposite. Alisa flinched but didn’t look away, and he knew with a flush of triumph that she wasn’t going to run no matter how he might provoke her. She might want to seem meek and shy, but that was a lie put to rest by her bright eyes and quickened breath. Felix knew Mikel was standing close behind, could sense his bondmate’s rising excitement, but now what mattered was convincing Alisa to release herself from whatever fear was holding her back. In that aim, he stepped close and caught up her hand again, pressing it to the center of his chest where she could feel his heat, his strength, the way his heart pounded for her. Her little fingers were soft and cool, quivering against his skin in a way that made every centimeter of skin on his body long for her touch.

  “This is for you, Alisa, if you care to take it.” He growled out the words in his most ferocious tone of command. She swallowed hard and jerked her chin up. “We will never hurt you.”

  “You aren’t going to make me—”

  “Never. Choose us.” He was too anxious and roused to use more persuasive words, to keep making light conversation as they circled and circled round the primal question. Her eyes widened. “Do you deny the attraction between us?”

  She had to feel it even if she didn’t understand how monumental it was to Mikel and him. She’d come to learn, and from what he’d heard it simply took human women a bit longer to accept the bonding ties. Human men weren’t equipped to be so irrevocably bound to another, but Alphans treasured such connections.

  “I find you both very … magnetic. I’ve just never done this before.” Her words tumbled out in a whispered rush before she tightened her full pink lips like she’d said a foul word. Felix couldn’t hold back the grin signaling his happiness. She wanted them, but was just unsure as to proceed.

  “All we want to do is please yo
u,” Mikel whispered as he drew closer to her. He pulled at his own tunic and undershirt, baring himself before her, and Alisa glanced back and forth between them before tentatively reaching out to touch his bondmate’s exposed chest. With a shuddering sigh, she stroked her hands along their muscles, tracing her fingers into the hair that covered them, soft palms stroking across their dinap. The physical sensation, combined with the relief that she was finally responding, threatened to overwhelm him.

  Felix watched his bondmate, virtually thrumming with excitement, lean close and kiss Alisa chastely on her cheek. She closed her eyes and swayed Felix’s way as he caught her around the waist and buried his face in her neck. Her hand clenched at his chest, and Felix took that as an invitation to draw close and press his mouth to hers. She opened her lips, and he delved in, relishing her sweet taste and the way her body pressed against his due to the movements of Mikel as he nibbled at her.

  She gave a low cry deep in her throat as her body arched back, and he knew she’d given over to them, free of whatever anxiety had been holding her captive. His tesak, which had been budding in the roof of his mouth for what felt like days, erupted with a jolt of adrenaline that left his body shaking as if he’d slaughtered dozens of the enemy. But it wasn’t the allure of combat that made his muscles bulge with sudden energy. It was the prospect of having Alisa, finally.

  Without a word of warning, he pulled at her clothes, easily stripping away the loose, borrowed garments to reveal her full and sweet body. Her hands clutched at them even as her legs weakened. Felix let Mikel carry her to the bed and lay her down in the exact center, the place he’d dreamed she’d be for so long. With quick movements he freed himself from his trousers. The close-fitting material had been a torment to his staff for too long. His bondmate stripped quicker, and Felix watched Alisa’s reaction as she saw his engorged member. She rose up slightly, her breasts jiggling, and her lips parted as she stared. Mikel was large, it was true, but Felix knew he was equally impressive. Or intimidating. He momentarily considered this issue. Alisa hadn’t struck him as having much experience with Alphan men, but perhaps human males were similar enough and he certainly wanted to show her they were in no way as brutal as Xyrans. She didn’t recoil, so he moved in, pressing as much of himself to her side as he could while Mikel crowded close.