Her Norland Warriors

Her Norland Warriors Jessamine Flanagan is on her way to the resort planet of Paradiso, but she never makes it. After the engines on the spaceship fail, Jess is abducted by the three large warriors who rescue the ship's passengers. The warriors who take Jess—Hakon, Dagr, and Loki Sigmund—are the leaders of the raiding party and the southern realm on the planet Norland. Back on their home planet, the huge, sexy warriors claim Jess is their bond mate, but in a world where females are scarce, the men must keep Jess hidden from the other warriors who would claim her as their own. Hakon, Dagr, and Loki must try and convince Jess that her heart and body are safe in their hands—forever. Will they succeed? Genre: Futuristic, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Science Fiction Length: 36,336 words

HER NORLAND WARRIORS

Becca Van

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

HER NORLAND WARRIORS Copyright © 2012 by Becca Van E-book ISBN: 1-61926-102-2 First E-book Publication: January 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Her Norland Warriors by Becca Van from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Becca Van’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Van’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To Gloria and Jake, the best in-laws anyone could have.

HER NORLAND WARRIORS BECCA VAN Copyright © 2012

Prologue Year 2401, Planet Earth Jessamine Flanagan sighed with relief when she felt the engines of the large public space transport vibrate beneath her. Finally they were gearing up for flight. She was now twenty-two years old and had spent the last four years of her life working hard in her mother’s antique shop. She had saved every precious bit of money she could get her hands on, determined to have at least one experience of traveling to the famous holiday spaceport of Paradiso. Jess had been surprised to find the space transport nearly empty, even if it was early in the week. She’d heard the transports to Paradiso were always filled to capacity. She gave a mental shrug and sat back in her seat, relaxing for the first time in weeks. She loved her mom, but she was getting really bored at working such a dead-end job. There was no way she could climb a corporate ladder, and much to her mother’s disgust, she had no ambitions to make a career for herself. Maybe she should have been born back in the olden days of the nineteenth, twentieth or twenty-first centuries, instead of the twenty-fifth. Jessamine was different from most of her acquaintances. She was tall at five foot eight, had red hair and a voluptuous body. She wasn’t

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overweight, but her wide hips and full breasts, with a small waist in between, made her feel insecure, compared to her blond, blue-eyed acquaintances. Jess didn’t really have any true friends. She was such a shy person and had trouble opening up to strangers, but when she was riled, everyone knew to look out. She wished her mom had had the money to have changed her DNA just as her mom’s friends had done. Instead Jess was as natural as the day she had been conceived. Jess had never met her father. He had died serving planet Earth in the interplanetary wars, which had been over since the day she was born. Greed and religion always seemed to cause fanatics to stand up for their cause. Jess could understand people having their religion, their faith, but to create war because of their beliefs was just totally wrong as far as she was concerned. Some things never changed no matter what century one lived in. Jess kept her eyes closed as her mind drifted. She couldn’t wait for her vacation to start. She’d heard so many wonderful things about Paradiso. She was going to do every activity she could find, because she knew this was her one and only chance to visit the resort space portal. She sat back in her chair and let her mind drift as the space transport finally lifted off. She was finally going on holiday.

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Chapter One “Hakon, we have the transport on-screen. There is smoke coming from the engines,” Dagr Sigmund told his brother. “Do a scan and see how many people are on board,” commanded Hakon. “Scanning complete,” called the automated voice of the First Fleet Ship of Norland, affectionately called One by its crew. “Fifteen females on board Space Transport Five, and five male crew members.” “Shit,” Hakon spat. “Fewer people are now traveling to Paradiso since word of our pirating has gotten out into the stratosphere. It’s hardly worth the nanocrystals needed for energy” “I agree, brother, but they are lucky we were here. Now we will be able to help them all. If we hadn’t been here, the passengers and crew could be killed if the ship catches fire or they could have ended up floating around in space without ever having been found,” Loki said. “I think after helping them out, we should stop our pirating for a while. The stratosphere messages are running rife about our kind. Our race is getting a bad reputation, and I don’t like that. How are we ever going to find mates when other humanoids are afraid of us? We don’t really need to steal anymore. We have more than enough of our own money, and tradition can go to hell,” Hakon grated out. “Yes, I think we will have to take a break from raiding, brother. Our followers will be very disappointed since it’s the only way our males have been able to find bond mates. Some have been very lucky to find the one meant for them while out on raids, but I agree. We need to stop our pirating. Plus, I am getting damn sick and tired of

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traveling,” Dagr agreed with a sigh. “Okay, let’s get this baby hooked to our gravity laser. On the count of three—three, two, one, engage. Reel us in, One,” Hakon commanded. “Fifty meters, forty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters and counting. Locked and depressurized, commander,” the disembodied voice of One stated. “Okay, let’s get these people off their ailing ship and out of here before it blows us all to smithereens. See what they have in the cargo hold. Maybe we can salvage some of the goods. Go, go, go,” Hakon commanded as the door slid open. Hakon, his brothers, and his men converged through the now-open doors to the space transport, their stun guns on the lowest setting. The pandemonium that broke out amongst the passengers was laughable in Hakon’s eyes. He stepped through the airlock and scanned the ship. The crew members were trying to keep the hysterical passengers calm, and they stopped and turned toward him and his followers. “Thank you, God.” A male crew member of the public transport stepped forward. “Are you here to help us?” “Yes. Get everyone onto our ship as quickly as possible. This baby could blow at any time,” Hakon replied. The humanoids were so much smaller than he and his Norland warriors. Norland men were all well over six foot five and were brawny of shoulders, arms, and chests. Pretty much every single inch of them was pure warrior. The crew of the public transport ushered passengers through the airlock with quick, efficient ease, for which Hakon was grateful. A couple of his men had already checked out the cargo hold and informed him there was nothing they would want to steal. Hakon checked to make sure no one was left on board. And then he saw her. Hakon’s eyes were drawn to the fiery red hair and lusty smile on the woman sleeping peacefully in her seat. How she could sleep

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through the alarms shrieking and the screeching passengers was a mystery. He moved forward, determined to get to her before one of his crew members did. He stood over her, looking down, taking in the sheen of fire on top of her head and spilling around her shoulders. She had luscious round breasts, which were straining against her peasant blouse, a tiny waist, and long, slender legs encased in black pants. She was exquisite. He yearned for her to open her eyes. He wanted to know their color. As if that thought penetrated to her mind, her lashes fluttered, and then she was looking at him. She was beautiful. Her eyes were an unusual light green. Her face was so pale, her skin a creamy white. Her lips were a natural coral pink, and her bottom lip was so full, it looked like she had a permanent pout. Hakon felt his cock twitch in his pants as desire raged through his body. Hakon held his hand out toward her, hoping she wouldn’t be afraid of him, because he knew in that moment she was their bond mate. He knew just by looking into her eyes and by her scent, even though he hadn’t touched her yet. He held his breath as she reached for him, placing her hand in his. “Hello, who are you?” Hakon shivered, his whole body tightening at her touch and the sound of her soft voice. He could feel her curiosity and uncertainty beating at him as she waited for him to answer, but he could also feel her body awakening at his touch. “I am Hakon Sigmund, and you are?” “Jessamine Flanagan.” **** Jess’s eyes traveled over the massive man standing before her. She noted he wore tight black leather pants and heavy black boots. The only covering on his chest was a sleeveless, open, black leather vest. She could see a sword-like type weapon strapped onto his back, the handle sticking up above his wide shoulders. She let her eyes drift

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down to his chest and studied the runic-like tattoos covering his left pectoral muscle, which disappeared into the leather vest. There was also another tattoo around his bulging bicep. She slid her eyes away from him when she saw movement from her peripheral vision, and noticed many more men dressed in the same fashion of the man standing over her. But what caused her to become alarmed was some of them were directing women from the passenger area of the ship, and then they were gone. “What’s going on?” Jess asked uncertainly. “We are taking you to our home planet of Norland. Your ship is in trouble. You were lucky we happened to be in the area. We have need to hurry. The ship could blow up any moment. Everyone is already off this ship. Come, I will guide you,” Hakon answered. “What…what did you say?” Jess asked, fear creeping into her voice as she noticed the stench of smoke and the lack of crew and passengers. “I said…” Hakon began, only to stop when Jessamine held up her hand. “I know what you said. Sorry, I was just a bit startled. Lead the way,” Jess replied as she stood up. My God, the man is huge. He had to be close to seven feet tall, if not taller, and his chest and shoulders were so wide, she couldn’t see around him. He was looking at her as if she was a meal to be devoured. She backed away slowly, until her butt hit the wall of the space transport. Shit, she was in trouble. She felt her breasts swell and her nipples harden. Her pussy clenched and leaked juices onto her panties. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and stepped toward him with her head held high and her back and shoulders straight. But as she got closer to him, she felt her body softening even more. Why she baulked and did what she did, she didn’t understand herself. She hurdled over the seats and took off running. She didn’t get very far. She slammed into another immovable object but didn’t

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fall back on her ass as expected. The mountain grabbed hold of her arms, and she looked up and up and up. Oh shit, another giant of a man. They had to be brothers. They had similar features, the same shoulder-length black hair and aquamarine blue eyes. This man wasn’t as tall as Hakon, but he was just as wide. He smiled down at her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and slung her over his shoulder. Jess slumped down over his body as he carried her from the ship, through the airlock, and onto their transport. She berated herself for becoming hysterical, but harangued her body for its unusual response to the giant Hakon and his relative. **** “She is the one, isn’t she, brother?” Dagr said, using his mind speak, portraying his thoughts to both his brothers. “Yes. We are lucky we found her today. It could have been many lunar cycles before we could have found our bond mate. If we had not found the ailing ship, she could have died.” Hakon sighed. “She is very nervous, but also very brave. She will deal well for our bond mate,” Loki said. “Yes, she is very afraid, but look deeper, below her fear. She is also aroused by our bodies. She will suit us and our appetites very well,” Dagr stated with a mental grin. “She has no enhancements like many of the other females taken to our planet. I am glad our bond mate is different from all the others,” Hakon stated. “I can’t wait to see our bond mate’s naked body. She is so small, but not tiny like all the others. We won’t have to treat our bond mate like she is fragile. We will be able to love her as our females were intended. With unrequited passion,” Dagr declared. “Let’s get out of here. We need to get our bond mate home and see that the other humanoids are sent on their way. The sooner we get her

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used to us and settled, the sooner we can bond with our mate,” Hakon stated.

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Chapter Two Jess was sitting in the galley of the ship with the other rescued passengers and crew. They were all talking about the narrow escape they had just had. They had no sooner hit hyperdrive when there had been a bright flash and a loud boom. The public transport she and the others had been on had blown up and was now scattered throughout space. She and the others could all have been dead. They had all been shown the facilities, and Jess had been shown where she could sleep if she was tired. She wasn’t tired, though. She’d already slept for quite a while once they had left Earth’s atmosphere. She was still in shock. She and her fellow passengers had been told by the tall, muscular, handsome Hakon that the Norland men needed bond mates, but she had no idea what that meant, and she’d never even heard of Norland. Jess got up and paced restlessly, then walked over to what she hoped was a food and beverage simulator and pushed a button. She sighed with relief and picked up the full cup of liquid. She took a sniff and then a taste. She would swear her eyes rolled back in her head as she tasted the delectable fruity drink. She wandered to the door and meandered her way through the hallways of the unfamiliar ship. She opened another doorway and peeked into a large bedroom. She was curious about this race that she’d had no idea existed. She looked around and, when she saw no one about, entered the room. The bed was big enough to accommodate ten people, but she supposed that was due to the gigantic height of the Norland men. She moved about the room, pushing buttons indiscriminately, and jumped back when a concealed door slid open with a whoosh, giving her a fright. The amount of clothes hanging in the hidden cupboard was

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ludicrous, and they were all the same. Pair after pair of black leather pants and vests. Why would anybody need so many clothes? Jess looked back to the door when she heard footsteps stop outside. She pushed the button again, closing the closet door, and dove for the bed. She scrambled to the far side against the wall. She sat there panting on the massive bed, her back against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest. The door slid open, and in they sauntered. Three of the tallest, widest, handsomest men she’d ever seen. Their height ranged from just over seven feet tall, down to just under. They all had straight, black, shoulder-length hair and wide shoulders, which tapered down into slim hips. The three men were all formed in that scrumptious masculine V shape. They all had similar runic tattoos over their left pecs, which were revealed by their open vests, and she could see more art around their bulging biceps. And their eyes. Their eyes were such a deep blue, they looked almost indigo, and they were staring at her as if she were their last meal. The tallest of the men spoke, breaking her wandering eyes and intent concentration. “You have no need to fear us, female. We would never hurt you.” Jess stared at him, her mouth hanging open at his audacity. Of course she was nervous. She didn’t know them. Then she realized the one who had spoken was Hakon, and the man standing next to him was the one who had slung her over his shoulder and carried her off the damaged ship. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been wandering about. I was just curious. I hope I haven’t offended you in any way,” Jess said breathlessly and pulled her legs up tighter to her chest. She looked away nervously and stared up at the ceiling above her. Jess pushed back into the wall as far as she could when Hakon strode forward. He didn’t stop until his long, muscular legs touched the side of the large bed. His stance was aggressive, his hips were jutted forward, and his biceps bulged as he crossed his arms over his

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rippling chest. Jess hid her head, resting her forehead on her knees and covering her head with her arms. She had never learned when to keep her mouth shut or to stop and think before her spontaneous nature took over. Now she had been caught red-handed in a room she shouldn’t have been in. She was definitely crazy for letting her curiosity take over, especially when she had no idea how these men were going to react to her. Jess whimpered when she felt the mattress move and lifted her head to see Hakon reaching for her. She scrambled to the top of the bed until she’d wedged her body into a tight corner. Good going, Jess. You’ve just trapped yourself. “Do not be afraid of us, little one. We will never hurt you. You are our bond mate. It is our duty to protect you,” Hakon stated quietly, his hand still thrust out toward her. “Come, we will learn of each other.” “What? What do you mean I’m your bond mate? And what the hell do you mean by our?” “We will share our bodies with you, and eventually our minds.” “You want to have sex with me? Why would I want to do that? You don’t even know me, and I don’t know you,” Jess replied. Her traitorous body was responding to the sexy men, and she wasn’t sure how to handle that. “I am Dagr, brother to Hakon, and this is our brother, Loki. We would like to get to know you, Jessamine, and for you to know us. It may take a while before we can arrange for the transportation of your people back to your world. But in the meantime, we would like you to spend some time with us,” the man standing behind Hakon said with a wicked smile. Jess thought he looked too smarmy to her. He needed to be taken down a peg or two, the arrogant ass, but she was too scared to push them too far, especially after they had just told her it would take time to arrange transport back to Earth. “I am pleased to see you, Jessamine,” Loki said, formally bowing from the waist.

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Jess could see the twinkle in his eye and knew Loki wasn’t as intense as his brothers. Dagr and Hakon were both very dominant and aggressive men. She could tell by their stances and the steel in their eyes. Jess eyed the three brothers, wondering what she was supposed to do now, but her thoughts completely flew from her mind as Hakon reached out and clasped one of her ankles. The man’s hand was huge. He enveloped her flesh and bone, covering her skin with his tanned appendage. She felt her pussy clench with need, and fire traveled through her blood, heating her skin and causing goose bumps to rise. She could feel her panties becoming soaked with her juices as the heat of Hakon’s skin warmed hers. She squeezed her legs together, trying to ease the throbbing ache in her clit, but the action didn’t make a bit of difference. Jess stared into Hakon’s eyes and felt herself drowning within their depths. Her breath was panting out of her mouth, and it felt as if all the air in the room had been sucked up just by them being there. Her breasts swelled, and her nipples puckered, reaching for them as if begging for their touch. Fuck, she was in trouble. Why am I lusting after these strangers? “You like it when I touch you. Just imagine what it will feel like when I sink my hard cock into that hot, wet pussy. Dagr will take your ass, and Loki will fuck your mouth. You are such a beautiful female. I can see the passion you’re trying to hide in your eyes.” “Wh–What? What did you say?” Jess squeaked, trying to pull her ankle from his grasp. “Hakon said we want to join our bodies with yours. You are very beautiful, and you are our bond mate, little one,” Dagr stated, his voice laced with gentle determination. Jess watched warily as Dagr crawled onto the bed, on the other side of Hakon, effectively trapping her. She didn’t know if she wanted to get away from the three sexy men or jump their bones. She flicked her eyes toward Loki as he moved up onto the bed between his

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brothers. They were so hot. Their sharp cheekbones, high foreheads, prominent beak-like noses, full lips, and square jaws reminded her of the historical Norse men from the early second century. Then she realized what Dagr had just said, which had her ire rising to flash point in seconds. “You’re lying. I’m not beautiful. How can you say that when all the other women have such delicate, fine features, blonde hair, and blue eyes? I know that is what a man likes to see. You’re just trying to get into my pants by flattering me. Well, it’s not going to work,” Jess stated belligerently, then eyed the three brothers warily as they looked at each other. She could have sworn they were communicating with each other, but that was just not possible. Was it? **** “I can’t believe she actually believes what she is saying. How can she not think she is beautiful?” Loki projected that thought to his brothers. “I do not know. We are going to have to convince her otherwise. When we get home to Norland tonight, we will have to show her how gorgeous she is. For now, I think we should just talk with her and touch her so she can become accustomed to our presence. Are we agreed?” Hakon asked. “Agreed,” Loki affirmed at the same time Dagr did. “What is it you do on your planet Earth?” Loki asked. “I…I work in my mother’s antique store.” “How many years of age are you, Jessamine?” Dagr asked. Loki watched as Dagr clasped her other ankle in his hand and began to remove her small boot. “What are you doing?” “Just making you more comfortable,” Dagr replied, and Loki saw his brother begin to massage her now-bare foot. “Answer my question,” Dagr commanded in a quiet voice, and

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Loki noticed Dagr’s fingers working into the tight muscles of her foot. “Wh–What was the question?” Jess squeaked. “Your years of life, little one,” Dagr reminded, and Loki hid his smile of satisfaction as she responded to his brother’s touch. “Twenty-two,” Jess squeaked. Loki heard her moan when Hakon began to massage her other bare foot and knew she hadn’t even been aware of his brother removing her boot. “I am thirty-five cycles in life, Dagr is thirty-three, and Loki is thirty-one cycles,” Hakon announced. “Do you not want to know what it is we do on our planet Norland?” Dagr asked with a raised eyebrow. “Yes,” she cried out, and Loki knew Dagr’s fingers had hit a sensitive spot on the arch of her foot. “Well, are you going to tell me or not?” “You are a feisty little thing. You will do very well with us. We are warriors. We keep the peace amongst the males of our planet,” Dagr explained. “I want to see our bond mate reach her peak. She is so sexy, and I can feel her desire beating at me,” Loki said to his brothers, reaching out to take a hold of her hands. He threaded their fingers together and held in a smile when he felt her shiver. “I would also like to see our woman climax, but we do not touch her intimately. We don’t want to make her more wary than she already is. Just massage her pressure points, and we will see her woman’s delight,” Hakon replied. Loki knew Jess was having a hard time controlling her body’s reaction to their touch. He could feel warmth and desire permeating her body, and she couldn’t hide her shiver at his first stroke. He and his brothers were all caressing her now, and her body was on fire. Her arousal surrounded him and his brothers. He and his brothers were empaths, but Loki had always been able to feel more than his siblings. He wanted to bury himself into her body and feel her cunt clenching around him as she climaxed, and this reaction was just from having

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her hand in his. What was it going to be like to make love to her? He watched as Jess threw her head back, making a loud thunk as her head connected with the wall behind her. She was so hot he could see perspiration breaking out over her skin. He nodded to his brothers then they all applied more pressure to her feet and hand, making her wriggle with her need. He could smell her cream dripping from her cunt, and he pushed a little harder on her pressure point and groaned when she screamed as she reached her peak. Her whole body shook as she climaxed. Once the final shudder left her body, he saw how embarrassed she was. His little mate probably had no idea she could climax just from having certain pressure points administered to. “You are a delight, Jessamine. You are so responsive to our touch. Just like a bond mate is supposed to be,” Hakon stated as he released her foot and stood up. Loki was aware of Jess letting her eyes wander the length of his and his brothers’ bodies. Her eyes snagged on the massive bulge straining against the leather of his pants. She gulped, her eyes sliding to the left then right when her gaze landed on the crotches of his nowstanding brothers. She looked up at him, and he let her see his humor, but also his desire. The confused look on her face made him realize she’d never had anyone look at her that way before, and he could feel her uncertainty beating at him. “We will leave you to rest, Jessamine. We will be on our home planet of Norland within two of your Earth hours. Please, make yourself at home,” Dagr stated. **** Jess watched until the door swished closed behind them, then swallowed loudly. She was screwed. Literally and figuratively. She had barely restrained herself from jumping their bones as they massaged her into climax. Jess leaned her head down onto her knees and groaned. She was so confused. She had never felt this way before

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and didn’t know what to do about it. And what did they mean by bond mate? They hadn’t really answered her question. She moved across the bed, picked up her cup, and gulped the rest of the fruity liquid. She sighed and tried to push her confusing thoughts and emotions aside.

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Chapter Three Jess must have fallen asleep, because when she awoke, she found herself in a large room. She lay upon the biggest bed she’d ever seen in her life. Doors and windows were open to the light summer breeze, gauze curtains moving in white, billowing clouds of fabric. She stretched out, yawning without bothering to cover her mouth, taking in her surroundings. Everything was white. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, even the bedding was white. It was so stark it was blinding, but there was a lilac tinge to it all. Jess rose from the bed and walked to the open doors. She gasped with awe at the scenery. Everything was so different from Earth. The sky was a light purple, the grass was pink, and the trees and unusual plants and flowers were a kaleidoscope of colors. Every hue of the rainbow was before her astounded eyes. Her brain couldn’t seem to take it in. It was all so different. There were no high-rise buildings, no traffic she could hear, and no smog. She breathed deeply, inhaling a multitude of perfumes no doubt coming from the unusual flora. Jess took a tentative step, waiting for someone to call out and stop her. Then she took another and another, until she felt the heat of the sun warming her skin. She wandered around the gardens, oblivious to her bare feet, her head moving from side to side, taking everything in. She felt as if her world had turned upside down, as though she were adrift in a boat, floating on a vast sea. She had never seen anything so beautiful and so unusual. She walked around the paved pathway, looking at the flowers, drifting in a dream world. She halted when she came to the center of the garden, her mouth agape as she stared at a

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large statue with water flowing from its hands. The statue reminded her of the Greek God Aphrodite. The marble had been sculptured into a flow of lines and curves. The upper part of the statue’s body was bent back, her breasts thrust up, her hair flowing out behind her in a seductive curtain. The woman was full figured, her hips curvy, her breasts opulent. The statue was the epitome of lust, sex, love, and woman. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Jess sank down onto the marble bench and stared. The water tinkling from the statue’s hands as it hit the pool below relaxed her in a way she never would have thought. She had no idea how long she sat there staring, until she became aware of a large shadow next to her. “Beautiful, is it not?” Dagr asked, as he too stared at the statue. “Yes. Whoever carved her is extremely talented.” “Yes, Loki is very adept at carving. You will have to tell him you like his work.” “Loki did this? Wow, he’s…just wow.” Dagr chuckled and then held out a hand toward her. “Come. You are in need of sustenance. We will go to the eating room.” Jess looked up at Dagr, not wanting to touch him again, afraid of what she would feel. She rose to her feet, ignoring his outstretched hand, skirted around him, and began to walk back to the house. She was grateful when Dagr fell into step beside her, keeping his hands behind his back, making it easier for her to relax. “Where are the others from the ship? And who carried me to that room?” “I carried you, Jessamine, and made sure you were comfortable. I could do nothing less since you are our bond mate.” “What is a bond mate?” “Yes, I keep forgetting some Earthlings have not heard of Norland or its people. A bond mate is the equivalent to a husband or wife on your planet,” Dagr answered.

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“What?” Jess came to a screeching halt. “You and your brothers want to marry me? You have got to be shitting me? I can’t believe…” “Jessamine,” Dagr began, only to be interrupted. “And stop calling me Jessamine. Only my mother calls me that. My name is Jess!” She knew she was being unreasonable, but she had just had a shock. She’d had no idea a mate was the equivalent to a husband or wife. “Calm down, Jess. I know you need time to process this information, but please try not to be so upset.” “I’m sorry, but you can’t just expect me to accept you,” Jess stated calmly now. “I don’t even know you or your brothers. I want to see the others you rescued. I need to know they are here.” Jess watched warily as Dagr turned to her. He reached out, took her upper arms in his massive hands, and pulled her up against his large, brawny chest. His warm body and his hard abs brushing against her breasts, made Jess’s nipples tingle and become more turgid. She mentally cursed her body for its betrayal. “We will put all of your needs before our own, little Jess. You will have your every wish, your every desire fulfilled if you will bond with us. We will protect you with our lives,” Dagr stated fiercely. Jess sighed. He was so dominant and determined, but she wasn’t about to let the three Sigmund brothers take her body just because they wanted to. She had always imagined falling in love and being taken away to live with her man happily for the rest of her life. Maybe she had read too many of the ancient erotic digi-books she had found in her mother’s antique shop. She had dreamed of being rescued by her white knight or knights, which in a sense is what had just happened, but having to face her rescuers was another matter. She vowed to keep them at arm’s length with every breath she took, but then her perfidious body had other ideas. Jess could feel her body softening, and her cunt began to weep as Dagr stroked his hand over her hair and down her back. She pulled herself away and glared at him, then turned and headed to the house

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once more. Jess followed Dagr as he led her through a myriad of long hallways with strange runic signs along the walls. She wished she knew what the signs meant. Maybe then she would be able to find her way about the place without needing someone to lead or guide her. Jess hesitated when they came to a large room filled to capacity with men. She began to feel self-conscious when she saw no Norland females, but sighed when she saw the other passengers and crew from the space transport sitting at a large table in the back of the room. Dagr placed a large hand on the small of her back, literally propelling her through the room. She could have moved aside and toward her own people, but she was curious about the three brothers and wanted to go with Dagr. He led her to a long table at the front of the room, where Hakon, Loki, and several other giant men were seated. Dagr seated her in an empty throne-like chair next to Hakon and took the empty chair on her left. The room quieted, the chattering of male voices diminishing until there was total silence. All eyes were on her. Jess squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with all the attention, and then froze when Dagr and Hakon placed their large palms on her thighs. She began to feel warm, her blood heating, but what astounded her most was to find herself feeling calm. Hakon removed his hand from her thigh and stood. “I would like to introduce our bond mate, Jessamine Flanagan,” Hakon stated. The cheers and whistles which followed his statement were deafening. Hakon began again once the men quieted, and Jess listened intently. “We were lucky enough to find her on the space transport that was in trouble. We have decided to stop our pirating for a few months. I know many of you are still without bond mates and that some of you have been lucky enough to meet them on our raids for cargo, and for that, I am sorry. But if we keep raiding, the Earth people will not

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travel, and then none of you will find your mates. My brothers and I have decreed to wait four months before we will allow raiding to begin again. By then the stratosphere messages advising of our raiding will have ceased. I am sorry to give you this bad news. I know how hard it is to not have a bond mate, as do my brothers. But in the long run, we will have more females to meet and the chance to woo them into our hearts and beds. Now it is time for celebration. Bring the feasting food, and let the celebrations begin.” Jess watched as young men, boys really, brought in platter after platter of strange-looking food. The tables were ladened with it. She had never seen so much food in her life, but then she had never seen so many men in one room either. She was conscious of the stares in her direction and began to squirm and fidget. She wrung her fingers together, her body beginning to shake. She had never been a confident person, and to be up in front of the staring Norland men and her traveling companions from Earth was rather disconcerting. “Breathe, Jess. Take deep breaths and let them out slowly,” Hakon said, placing a hand on her back between her shoulders. Jess wriggled in her seat, trying to dislodge Hakon’s comforting touch. She didn’t want to be comforted. She didn’t want to eat. She didn’t even want to be here up in front of everyone. She wanted to be with the others. Her breath rasped out of her constricted throat, and her skin was covered in a sheen of perspiration. Her heart was jumping and pounding rapidly in her chest. Maybe she was dying. She felt as if she was having a heart attack. Then two more hands were on her body. Dagr had placed his hand on her thigh, and Loki had reached over to take her hand in his. The panic began to recede. Her breathing slowed, as did her heartbeat, and her body began to relax. She felt too languid now. She was in danger of falling asleep. Her eyelids were heavy, her muscles lax. Loki gave her a smile and withdrew his hand. Jess felt the sleepiness leaving her. She was on her feet before they could stop her. “What did you do to me?” Jess asked suspiciously.

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“Sit down,” Dagr said, taking her hand in his and tugging her back into her seat. “We were only trying to calm your panic, and we succeeded. Why would that bother you?” “Why? Why? What else have you been doing to control me? How is that even possible?” “We are empathic, Jessamine. And we have the skills to calm hysterical women,” Hakon told her. “Do you mean to tell me your powers, whatever they are, only work on women? That’s not fair,” Jess wailed. “That’s not what I said. You are making a spectacle of yourself, Jess. Now, if you have any questions, we will answer them, but do not yell them at us. You would do well to learn to have a bit of respect for your bond mates,” Dagr stated firmly. “Well, excuse me. Of course I’m going to be happy with the men who brought me to a strange planet, claiming I am their mate,” Jess said petulantly. “What’s empathic mean?” “Being an empath means we can feel everything you are feeling. We have the ability to calm you if we deem it necessary,” Hakon replied. “You can feel everything? You mean when I’m scared, you feel it?” Jess asked incredulously. “Yes,” Loki answered, leaning toward her so she could hear him. “We also feel when you are aroused.” “Shit,” Jess screeched, standing again, and then struggled against the men’s hands when she was pulled back down to her seat. “You cannot escape what you feel for us, little one, so don’t even bother trying,” Hakon said with a gentle smile. Jess felt tears of frustration prick the back of her eyes. What the hell had she gotten herself into? All she ever wanted was to have one decent vacation. Look where that had gotten her. She blinked rapidly, determined not to let her tears fall. She sat with her head lowered, her eyes on the white, brocaded tablecloth. At least you’re alive, Jess. Oh God. What am I going to do? How can I want them to touch me and

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love me when I don’t even know them? Jess flinched when Dagr reached for her plate, and she watched with dismay as he began to load it with food. There was no way in hell she was going to eat it. She had no idea if it was even safe to eat. Her stomach growled loud enough for Hakon and Dagr to hear, because they turned to her and gave her a smile. She felt her cheeks heat and knew they were tinged red with embarrassment. She looked down at the plate Dagr placed in front of her, studying the food. The smells were tantalizing her nostrils as she inhaled. Her mouth began to salivate, her body preparing to consume the fuel it needed. Jess gave a mental shrug. If she was going to keep them at arm’s length, she would need to keep her strength up. She picked up the shiny prong-like utensil, obviously their imitation of a fork, and stabbed a purple rose-looking piece. She lifted it to her nose, sniffed delicately, and placed the small morsel in her mouth. Ambrosia. That was the only word which came to mind. She sniffed at the next morsel as she chewed, only vaguely aware of the moans she made as she ate. She placed piece after piece of food in her mouth, totally oblivious to her surroundings. She ate until she was satisfied—only a quarter of the food gone from her plate—placed the fork on her plate, wiped her mouth with the napkin, and sat back, totally sated. Jess lifted her eyes to see the three Sigmund brothers staring at her. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the attention, raised her chin, gave each of them a glare, and said, “What?” She sighed when none of them answered her. They just gave her smiles and shrugs then concentrated on their own food.

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Chapter Four Jess followed behind Loki as he led the way back through the long corridors, Hakon and Dagr on either side of her. The feasting had gone on for hours and Jess was so tired, she knew she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. But what she wanted most of all was to have a shower. She felt grungy, and she would kill for a change of clothes. She lifted her arm and sniffed. She wasn’t too bad, but she definitely needed to clean up. She stopped when Loki came to a halt outside a pair of large, ornate double doors. The pattern of runes on the door was so beautiful she couldn’t prevent herself from moving closer and reaching out to trace the indentations. She looked so far up and got a crick in her neck to see Loki smiling down at her. “Did you do this, too?” Jess asked. “No, I did not. These were done by the ancient elders long passed from this realm,” Loki replied. Jess reached out and took Loki’s hand in hers. “You do beautiful work, Loki. The statue in the garden is exquisite. I am beyond words on how to describe how it made me feel, to see it, and know you were the one to create such beauty.” “Thank you, Jessamine. I am pleased you like it,” Loki said, his smile lighting up his face. Jess moved back as Loki opened the doors to the bedchamber and bowed low, sweeping his arm out, indicating she should enter. Jess stepped through the door and walked over to the other side of the room, to stand staring out at the garden through the open doors. She knew the three brothers were in the room with her, but was

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determined to ignore them. Little good that did her. “Jessamine, please come. We will show you where we have clothes waiting for you,” Dagr said from close behind her. “We know you wish to bathe and change clothing.” Jess turned and stumbled when her nose connected with Dagr’s chest. She would have fallen and was grateful when he reached out to steady her. Dagr slid his hand down her forearms and took both her hands in his. He led her over to a wall on the left side of the huge bed then pushed a clear button, and Jess gasped as the whole wall slid away to reveal a large closet. The closet was full of clothes. There was row upon row of men’s clothing, and a quarter of the space was filled with an array of brightly colored cloth. “This is your clothing,” Dagr stated with a sweep of his hand. “You may choose anything you wish to wear. The rest, of course, is ours.” “Yours? This is your room? You share a room, a bed? Gross,” Jess said in shock, and then lightning struck. “I am to share a room and a bed with you?” “Yes. You are, little Jess. You are our bond mate, and we have need to have you at our side. We do not want to be separated from you. We will not touch you unless you wish it,” Hakon said in a gentle voice. “Choose what you wish to wear and we will show you the bathing room. We know you have already found the commode room. If you had investigated further, like we thought you would, you could have bathed and changed clothing before now and felt more comfortable. I do not wish you to feel anything but happy with us.” “Well, excuse me. My brain has been fried from finding myself in this predicament. I’m on a strange planet. You would be hesitant if you found yourself in my position,” Jess stated sarcastically. “No, maybe you wouldn’t.” “Choose,” Hakon breathed into Jess’s ear. Jess didn’t bother looking through the clothes. She just grabbed at a gold piece of cloth and hugged it to her chest. She didn’t want to

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study the outfit. She didn’t want them to think she cared what covered her body and how she looked, by taking her time over choosing. She didn’t want them to think she was trying to please them by what she chose to wear. Dagr reached out and took the material from her, turned, and headed across to the other side of the room. “Follow me,” Dagr threw over his shoulder. Jess sighed with resignation and followed. She watched as he pushed another clear button and the wall receded, seeming to slide within itself. The room revealed was an oasis of paradise. There were many colorful plants around the steamy room, emitting floral scents. She found a large shower cubicle tucked away in the corner of the room and wondered why the bathroom was so elaborate and just outside of the shower was a large bench big enough to seat five people. Jess turned to see Dagr place the gold material she had chosen onto a high platform near the bench and then turn toward her. “Remove your clothes.” “What? You want me to get naked and watch while I bathe?” “We want to be able to take care of you, Jessamine. We wish to help you bathe. You are our mate. You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Hakon breathed in her ear. Jess jumped and spun around since she hadn’t been aware of Hakon’s presence. She was nervous about revealing her body to these three men. She knew she wasn’t built like the other women of her planet who had had their DNA changed. The three brothers all moved like great cats, light and silent on their large feet. “But I can do it myself,” Jess replied nervously and took a step away from Hakon. “I am quite capable of washing without any help.” “Jessamine, you have no need to be ashamed of your body. You are perfect. You were made for us,” Loki said, his heated stare traveling the length of her body. “Um,” Jess squeaked as her back slammed into another warm, hard, immovable object. She tilted her head back to see Dagr standing

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over her, his front plastered to her back, and he had a feral smile on his face. Jess didn’t think. She leaned against Dagr, her body softening with need. She sobbed with surprise when she was lifted from her feet. She was panting with arousal by the time Dagr had her back to the outside wall of the shower cubicle. He clasped her wrists in one large hand, pulled them up above her head, and wrapped a muscular arm around her waist. She wanted their touch on her body, but she was nervous about them seeing her naked with all her flaws exposed. “You have nothing to fear from us, little one. Why do you do this to yourself? Why do you torture yourself with needless worry? I can feel your anxiety. Have we not told you time and again, you are safe with us?” Hakon asked as he moved toward her. “Well, you can tell me as many times as you like, but I don’t know you. Shit, how can you expect me to trust you? How can you make me feel the way I do? I have never wanted the touch of one man before, let alone three.” “I don’t like it when you use profanities. It is most unbecoming of your station,” Hakon stated, taking the last couple of steps, then reached for her. Jess gasped as Hakon took the material of her shirt between his two hands and ripped it from top to bottom. She looked up and swallowed loudly when she saw the carnal heat in his eyes as he stared at her lace-covered breasts. She couldn’t believe he had just ripped her top. Her pussy leaked more cream at such a dominant display. “You will not use profanities anymore. You are our mate and as such have a position to uphold. We are the rulers of this southern realm of Norland, and as such, this makes you a leader as well. If I catch such filth coming out of your mouth again, you will be punished,” Hakon warned then ripped her bra from her chest. In moments, Jess stood before them totally naked except for her boots. She saw Loki bend down and felt him removing her boots. She

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tried to stay still for him, but she couldn’t stop herself from wriggling with need. She heard him chuckle, and he held her ankle in his hand, not seeming to notice her movements. “You are exquisite, mate. You were made to accept our bodies, yet you are still so lush and delicate. We will not need to be so gentle with you,” Dagr whispered from above her, still restraining her hands and arms. Jess couldn’t contain the shiver working up her spine as Dagr’s hot, moist breath caressed her ear. She accidentally stood on his toe and shuddered and squirmed some more when he chuckled, which only seemed to make him laugh harder. Dagr lowered her arms to her sides and wrapped an enormous arm around her waist, effectively pinning her arms against her body and maneuvered between her and the shower wall. He used his free hand to lift her head so she was looking at Hakon and Loki. It seemed they had been waiting for her, because once her eyes were on them, they began to disrobe. Their muscles rippling as they both removed their black leather vests made her breathing increase. They were so hot, so sexy, and so buff, Jess couldn’t help but respond to the sight. Her clit began to throb, her pussy clenched, and her nipples puckered. They dropped their vests heedlessly to the floor and moved their hands to the fastenings on their pants. They moved in synchronized rhythm, which made Jess burn hotter, causing her to squeeze her thighs together to try and relieve the ache. She was so aroused her thighs were coated with her own juices. “I can feel your arousal, baby. If you would only trust us, we could give you so much pleasure,” Dagr whispered. Jess wanted him and his brothers to touch her, but she couldn’t find her voice. Her eyes were riveted to the hard, muscular bodies in front of her. Their hands made quick work of the fastenings on their pants, and she gasped with awe and apprehension as their pants dropped to their ankles. They were huge. Their hard cocks stood straight out from their bodies, too thick and heavy to stand up straight.

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She followed the hair from their groins up the trails on their lower abdomens, where it spread out over their pecs. Her eyes snapped lower when the two men grasped their massive appendages and began to stroke themselves. They ran the palms of their hands along the length of their hard shafts to the tip and back to the base again. They did this over and over, until pearls of clear fluid beaded out of the small slits in their cocks. Jess licked her dry lips, her eyes following their hands, not wanting to miss a beat. They were so sexy, standing there before her, so confident and proud. Jess held her breath as Hakon moved toward her, his hand still stroking his cock. Her breath was coming in fast pants now, and she could do nothing to stop it. She let her eyes wander up his body, over his lower belly, his chest and shoulders, until her eyes met his. They pinned her where she stood, his glittering with unappeased arousal as he stared down into her gaze. Jess began to see stars and took a gasping breath of air, only just then realizing she’d been holding her breath. She watched, entranced, as he leaned toward her slowly, his lips coming closer and closer. She whimpered, only vaguely aware the noise had come from her, and licked her lips again. And then his lips were on hers. Jess had never felt anything like it. Her lips were tingling as Hakon slid his flesh over hers. He was gentle, which surprised her. She expected him to be more forceful, more dominant. When she felt his tongue against her mouth, Jess could do nothing less than obey his command. She opened up to him, mewled in the back of her throat as his masculine flavor exploded on her taste buds, and craved more of his taste. She hissed into his mouth as her naked body came into contact with his, and couldn’t help but rub her aching breasts, her peaked nipples, over the hair on his belly and his warm skin. She was drowning in his touch, his taste, and knew she would never be able to get enough. Jess whimpered when she felt Hakon’s hard cock pulsing against her stomach as he thrust his hips into her body. She wiggled around until his turgid flesh was trapped between them and moaned into his

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mouth again as his hard rod slid back and forth against her skin. She twirled her tongue around his, and he retreated and thrust again, the crown of his cock now massaging her throbbing clit. How he had managed that feat since there was so much difference in their height, she had no idea. She felt Dagr remove his arm from around her waist, releasing her arms from their restraining prison, and then both his hands were at her waist, and he was lifting her up into Hakon’s arms. She wrapped her arms around Hakon’s neck, clinging to him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She was on fire and needed to relieve the wanton ache of her pussy. She wriggled around until she felt Hakon’s stomach touching against her clit. She slid her hips up and down, massaging her clit on his warm flesh, her breath sobbing out of her lungs as she pulled her mouth away from his. She gulped in air, threw her head back, and screamed out her release. Her body shook as her pussy clenched and released, her juices flowing freely over Hakon’s stomach. When the last shudder subsided, she found herself wrapped around him, clinging to him, and buried her face against his neck. What the hell did I just do? Oh God. They weren’t going to let her keep her distance now, not after what she had just done. “You have no need to feel ashamed, Jessamine,” Dagr rasped out from behind her. “Come, we will bathe you.” Jess didn’t want to let go of Hakon, but she had no choice, as Dagr grasped her by the waist and pulled her away from his brother. She ended up cradled in his arms, one muscular arm supporting her back and the other beneath her knees. She felt compelled to look at him, and even though she fought it, she found her head lifting to stare into his eyes. “You are very beautiful, Jessamine. I will enjoy bathing you.” Jess lowered her eyes again as Dagr carried her around the cubicle wall and into the large shower The steam drifting up from the floor tickled her nostrils, and she inhaled, trying to clear her passion-fogged brain. There was an elusive, familiar scent permeating her senses, but

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she was too satiated to name it. The perfume seemed to have a calming effect on her. She closed her eyes and sighed as the warm water streamed over her body, making her languid, her cares floating away on the steam rising above the water. Jess let Dagr carry her over to the far side of the shower and place her on his lap when he sat on a bench she hadn’t seen along one wall of the massive cubicle. She could feel his hard shaft poking into her hip but was surprised when she felt no embarrassment. Instead she felt the embers of her so recently satisfied arousal begin to stir, making her squirm as her libido flamed even hotter. “I can feel your need, little one, but also your disquiet. You have nothing to worry from us,” Loki stated as he sat on the other side of her and Dagr. “You are very precious to us, Jessamine. Please, do not be afraid.” “I am not afraid. I am nervous. I have arrived on a strange planet and don’t know any of you. You are claiming I am your bond mate, and you can calm me with a touch. I’m not usually like this. How are you doing it? How are you all making me crazy with desire?” Jess asked on a sob. Jess couldn’t believe the way she was acting around the three giant, handsome men. It was so totally out of character for her. She knew they had to be the ones making her feel like she was, and she didn’t like it. Not one little bit. She was a virgin for goodness’ sake. She had never wanted to be with a man before, let alone craved the touch of the three men claiming to be her bond mates. “We are not doing anything to you, Jess. It is natural for a female to crave the touch of her bond mates,” Hakon explained as he took a seat on her other side. “We are not controlling your body in any way. We are able to keep you calm, and yes, we do feel what you are feeling, but we cannot control your body’s responses to us. That is all your own doing, little Jess.” “But…what if I don’t want to feel these things? What if I don’t want to mate with you? I can’t grasp the thought of being dictated to

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by one man, let alone three. Don’t I have the right to have a choice?” “Well, yes and no,” Dagr replied. “Yes, you can say no, and we would leave you alone. We would never do anything you don’t want us to do. Your need for release was too much for us to ignore, and since you did not protest, we could not let you suffer the way you were.” “But that’s not fair. You have the unfair advantage of feeling what I feel. I don’t want you to be able to feel my desires and anger,” Jess said and heard the tremor in her own voice. “Ah, little Jess, but that is what a bond mate is supposed to do. We could not have tended to your needs if we were not able to feel what you do. You were aroused, and we could not ignore your desires. We felt the ache of your body, the desire to have our hands and mouths touching you, easing the longing you felt. You were not denying us with your mouth. You did not say no to our touch when you could have, but your body and mind were begging for our touch,” Loki explained. “Well, that just stinks. I don’t want you reading my mind and feeling what my body wants,” Jess stated peevishly. “You can’t stop it from happening, Jessamine. It is part of the mate bonding for us to feel your needs. The more we are together and the more we touch you, you will also begin to feel our needs, our desires. Once we have joined together in body, you will feel our emotions as well. So then you won’t be at such a disadvantage,” Dagr explained. “I don’t want to feel what you lot feel. I have enough of my own problems and my own emotions without having to sort out who is feeling what. I don’t know what I want or need at the moment. I am so confused.” “You can deny it all you wish, Jessamine, but it will not change the fact that you are our bond mate,” Hakon said firmly. “Now let us bathe you. You are tired and need to rest.” Jess was surprised at the fact the three men claiming to be her

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bond mates weren’t pushing themselves on her. She had been afraid they wanted to have sex with her now, tonight. But apparently they weren’t as insensitive as she believed. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all.

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Chapter Five Jess wandered the long rabbit warren–like corridors, trying to find her way to the large dining room so she could have some breakfast. She had no idea where she was going or even what time it was. She had been surprised to find the large bed empty when she had awoken that morning and had bathed, dressed, and headed out. She wished she knew what the runic signs at the end of each corridor said. She felt as if she had been traversing these endless corridors for hours. She was about to give up and turn around, when she saw a tall, large, blondheaded man walking toward her. “Oh, thank you, God,” Jess muttered under her breath, then began walking toward the man at a quick pace. “Excuse me, can you help me find my way to the dining room? I seem to have lost my way.” “You are new here. I have never seen you before. What is your name, female?” “Jess. Who are you?” “I am a visitor. I hail from the northern realm of Norland. I am the leader of my people. My brothers rule at my side. My name is Nadal Highmond. I am pleased to see you, Jess. You are a very beautiful woman,” Nadal stated, making Jess move back as he stalked toward her. “What are you doing?” Jess asked, her voice rising with panic when her back hit the wall behind her. Shit, she was trapped. “You are not bonded with anyone. Why is that? I think you would do well with me and my brothers,” Nadal stated, leaning down and sniffing at her neck. “Back off, buddy. I may not be mated as yet, but I’m sure Hakon,

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Dagr, and Loki would not like what you are doing to me,” Jess stated through clenched teeth, more than surprised at how calm she sounded. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, and she was very afraid at what she saw in the man’s eyes as he looked down at her. She kept her eyes on his as he moved his big arms to lean against the wall, effectively caging her in with his big body. “Why should I care what they like or not? You are not bond mated. Therefore, you are up for grabs. I would like very much to join our bodies together,” Nadal stated, his head lowering to hers. Jess had had enough. She didn’t like to feel trapped and helpless. She gave the man a sweet come-hither smile, leaned into him as if she were about to kiss him, then brought her knee up and slammed it between his legs. His roar of pain was satisfactory, and she sidestepped him as he fell to the floor, his hands in his crotch as he writhed in agony on the tiles. “Next time I tell you to back off, you’d be wise to listen,” Jess spat out, then turned and slammed into another hard male body. “Are you all right, Jessamine? Did Nadal hurt you?” Loki asked as he ran his hands down the length of her body and back again. “Do I look like I’m hurt? Stop that,” Jess said, slapping at Loki’s hands. “I’m perfectly fine.” “I felt your fear, Jess. I had to make sure you were okay,” Loki said, but Jess saw his eyes were on Nadal. His glare could have killed a human from a hundred yards away. Jess was glad not to be on the receiving end of his ire. And she had thought Loki was the lighthearted, easygoing brother. “What the hell is going on?” Dagr roared as he ran down the length of the corridor and stopped beside her. “Are you well, Jess? I could feel your fear. What did he do to you?” “I’m fine, and he didn’t do anything to me. I wouldn’t let him,” Jess said with a smile. Maybe she could get used to them sharing her feelings and emotions after all. To have two—no wait, make that three, she amended in her mind, as Hakon raced the length of the

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hallway toward her—men concerned for her well-being, made her feel special for the first time in her life. She found herself sandwiched between Loki’s and Hakon’s bodies as they protected her from Nadal. She leaned out to the side in time to see Dagr bending over the supine man, and she winced as Dagr hauled Nadal to his feet with ease by a hand on his vest. “You are a visitor in our home, and yet you cannot treat our bond mate with respect. You will leave and will never be allowed to return. Is that clear?” Dagr roared. “I did not know she was your bond mate, cousin. If I had, I would never have tried to touch her. Your bond mate prevented me from doing her any harm. Please forgive me, Jess. I ask for leniency from you, cousin, as no harm was done.” Nadal lowered his head in obeisance. “You have tried my patience too far this time, Nadal. Cousin or not, you should not have accosted any female you came across in our house. You are banned for one month, and that length of time is up for review before you will be allowed to step foot back on our realm.” “Dagr, Nadal has apologized already. Give the man a break, it’s not like he committed murder. For goodness’ sake, the man didn’t even touch me. I was the one that did the touching,” Jess said with a roll of her eyes. Jess slipped back in between Loki and Hakon as Dagr turned his angry gaze on her. Oh shit. What have I done? “You touched a man who is unfamiliar to you?” Dagr roared. Jess dug in using the whole weight of her body when she felt Dagr’s hand clasp her wrist and pull her from between Hakon and Loki. She slapped at his arm but stopped immediately when she saw the look on Dagr’s face. He looked furious, but there was underlying pain in his eyes. “I did not lay a hand upon your cousin, Dagr,” Jess said gently, reaching up to touch his cheek. “My knee connected with his balls, so I could escape from him, but your cousin did not get the chance to

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touch me.” Jess watched as the tension left Dagr’s body. His muscles relaxed, and then he was pulling her into his arms. He held her so tightly her nose was being crushed into his chest. “You are hungry,” Dagr said as Jess’s stomach gave a loud growl. “Come, I will take you to the feasting room.” Jess let Dagr lead her away from Hakon, Loki, and Nadal. She knew Hakon was reading his cousin the riot act, but he kept his voice too low for her to hear. She gave one last look over her shoulder, but had to turn back when she stumbled. There was nothing she could do to help Nadal now. She only hoped that Hakon and Loki weren’t too harsh on the man. Nadal was part of their family, and Jess didn’t want to be the cause of a rift between the cousins. Dagr seated Jess at the same table as the previous evening, but she was thankful to find the room wasn’t filled to capacity as it had been last night. There were only a few tables of men lingering over the morning meal, so Jess found herself more relaxed this time around. No sooner had they taken a seat when a young male came forward and placed a laden platter in front of them, bowed, and left. “Why are there no women or young girls?” Jess asked curiously. “We do not know. The last of the interplanetary wars seemed to have an effect on our male’s genetic makeup. Our females were of our mother’s generation at the time, and most of them became sick and died. Our females are very rare. We have only a handful left, now. And the females lucky enough to fall pregnant only ever gave birth to more males. A female has not been born on our planet in over fifty years. We have scientists working on the problem, of course, but they have not been able to find the answer,” Dagr replied. “So you’ve had to resort to meeting females on your pirate raids and trying to woo them so you can bring them here to repopulate your planet?” Jess asked rhetorically. “I understand why you’ve had to be so arrogant and dominating, but where are the women your warriors have bonded with?” “The males of this planet are very protective of any female, as I’m

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sure you can now understand. They are very precious to us. The warriors who were lucky enough to find their bond mates on board the transport were given time away from their duties to spend getting to know their mates. More than likely, they haven’t even left their beds,” Dagr explained with a lascivious wink. “What? Do you mean the single females from Earth on that spaceship have agreed to bond with your men?” “Yes, some of them have agreed, and the others are close to accepting the bond mate with our warriors.” Dagr’s statement gave Jess pause to ponder why he and his brothers hadn’t taken the time to spend with her other than last evening. Then she remembered they were the leaders of the southern realm of Norland, and as such would have far more duties and obligations than the other warriors. Jess took a deep breath when she saw Hakon and Loki walking toward them. They were sex on legs—the way they pinned her with their heated stares as they stalked toward her, the muscles in their strong thighs rippling beneath their tight black pants. The movement of their abs and striations delineated as they walked made her pussy soften, and she shifted in her seat to relieve the ache in her cunt. She could feel the juices from her sex seeping out onto her thighs. She wished she’d been able to put her panties back on, but she had only thought to wash them out this morning. She lowered her eyes down to her plate as Hakon and Loki took seats at their table. This time Loki took her other side and Hakon sat beside Dagr. If her traitorous body kept belying her head, she knew the ache in her womb and pussy would never cease. She wanted to let go and give in to them. She wanted them to love her until she was so totally exhausted and never wanted to move again. “I can feel your need for us, little Jess. All you have to do is say the words, and we will ease your desire,” Loki whispered in her ear. Jess couldn’t contain her shiver as Loki’s warm, moist breath caressed her flesh. She rubbed her thighs together and shifted in her

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seat. “I can smell your pretty little cunt dripping from here. Just say the words, and we will appease your ache.” Dagr breathed into her other ear. Jess’s body was on fire. Her pussy clenched and released as another gush of fluid wet her thighs. She wanted nothing more than to beg them to love her, but she had never begged for anything in her life, and she wasn’t about to do it now. She lowered her eyes and concentrated on eating. Her stomach was so empty it hadn’t stopped growling, and she was sure everyone nearby could hear it. She picked up her glass of water and drank deeply, soothing her dry throat and mouth with the cool liquid. She began to eat and totally ignored the men on either side of her. Jess hoped the three men hadn’t been too hard on their cousin. He hadn’t really done anything wrong, and the thought of Nadal being banished because of her didn’t sit well. Not that she did anything wrong, but she still felt guilty. “Stop it, Jess,” Dagr commanded, calling her attention to him. “Our cousin knew the women in our household are not to be touched. It’s not the first time we have caught him trying to accost one of the females in our house. He knew the consequences when he tried to touch you. He would have done the same if we had been in his household and tried to touch any of the women under his protection.” “If he knew what would happen if he was caught, then why would he want to risk trying?” asked Jess. “There are fewer females in my cousin’s household, and he and his brothers haven’t as yet found their bond mate. I think your beauty and body were just too much of a temptation,” Dagr clarified. “Oh, for crying out loud, I’m nothing special. I don’t even compare to the other women who have had enhancements done on their DNA. You don’t have to lie,” Jess muttered with a roll of her eyes. Jess’s eyes widened warily as Dagr rose to his feet beside her then

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glanced at her now-empty plate and back up to meet her eyes with his own. He reached out and took her hand into his, helped her to her feet, and began to lead her from the room. She didn’t try to stop him. She was curious to see where he was taking her. She had to run to keep up with him and was breathless in no time. That is until he must have heard her panting, because he spun around, picked her up, and slung her over his shoulder. She yelped in surprise and placed her palms on his back to steady herself. She placed both her hands onto his lower back, palms flat, and tried to push herself into an upright position. She caught sight of Loki and Hakon following behind. They were both staring at her with heat in their eyes and wicked grins across their faces. What the hell?

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Chapter Six Jess’s world spun around before her eyes, and she closed them to stop from becoming dizzy. She literally flew through the air and came to a soft, bouncing halt on the mattress as the bedroom door slammed closed. She opened her eyes to see all three brothers stalking toward her. She scrambled like a crab up the length of the bed until she was crouched into a ball against the headboard, staring at them warily. “What is going on? What do you think you’re doing?” Jess panted out. “We are going to show you how beautiful you are, baby. I don’t know who has filled your head about your looks, but whatever they told you, they are wrong,” Dagr rasped out as he crawled onto the end of the bed. “Wait. How are you going to show me?” “We have been patient with you, Jessamine. We have given you enough time to become used to us. We have even let you be, giving you the chance to ask for our touch, and don’t you dare deny your need for us, because we can feel the ache in your body like it was our own.” Hakon’s voice rumbled over her as he moved onto the side of the huge bed. “We are going to join our bodies with yours, little one. You may not have asked us to touch you with words, but every time we are near you, your body cries out to ours,” Loki rasped out, and he, too, crawled on the bed on the opposite side of Hakon. “But what if I’m not ready? What if I don’t want you to touch me?” Jess asked nervously as the three brothers stopped within inches of her.

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“All you have to do is say no, baby,” Dagr said, and then he reached for her. Jess was pulled into the center of the bed by large, gentle hands. Dagr clasped her face between his big palms and stared into her eyes. Even though she wanted to look away, she couldn’t. He seemed to mesmerize her with the desire and emotions she could see in his depths. And then his head was lowering to hers. He moved slowly, sensuously, and his fiery stare and gentle smile drew her to him. She closed her eyes at the first contact of his lips and moaned as her body heated, her blood coursing through her veins with the rapid beat of her heart. His lips slid over hers, gently at first, coaxing her into responding, and when she did, he deepened the kiss. Dagr used his lips to pry hers open, sliding his tongue in between her teeth, and devoured her. Jess was lost. She knew then that one taste of this man, these men, would never be enough. Jess moaned into Dagr’s mouth as he twirled his tongue along and over hers. She could taste him, his masculinity and desire seeping into her taste buds and into the pores of her skin. She responded with her own tongue and burned even hotter as he groaned into her mouth. Jess felt his tongue curl around her own, and then he led it into his mouth and suckled on her flesh. She was an inferno of lust, out of control, and she wanted them to fuck her, now. Jess rocked her hips into Dagr’s as she felt him pull her up onto his lap, her thighs straddling his. The sensation of his crotch rubbing against the naked flesh of her pussy when the material of her dress lifted up around her hips was more than she could stand, but still not enough. She thrust harder, rubbing her aching clit over his black leather pants, careless that she was leaving wet cream stains on his trousers. She mewled with delight when she felt two more sets of hands on her body and heard ripping material, and then those hands were on her naked flesh. Two hands were on the cheeks of her ass, massaging her fleshy globes, spreading her butt cheeks wide. Another set reached around and gently kneaded her full breasts, pinching and

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plucking at her nipples, sending shards of tingling pleasure straight down to her clit and cunt. She felt another gush of cream leak out of her pussy, coating her flesh and the leather pants she rubbed against. Jess couldn’t stop her womb from aching as her juices seeped from her body, her sheath rippling and pulsing, begging to be filled. She could feel her muscles tightening, becoming so taut she was afraid she was about to snap in half. Jess protested with a growl of frustration as all the caressing hands and Dagr’s mouth left her body. Dagr placed his hands on her waist and gently lowered her to the bed, until she was lying on her back in the center. The three Sigmund brothers each rose to their feet, and Jess was about to stop them, but her breath caught in her throat as she watched them shucking their clothes. So much naked flesh and rippling muscles was enough to make her blood boil with even more passion. **** Dagr and his brothers had been waiting for this moment since the first time they had seen their bond mate. He wanted to plunge his hard cock into Jess’s depths and fuck her until neither of them could walk, but he knew he would have to go slow, take it easy with her so he didn’t frighten her. He could see the apprehension in her eyes as she looked from one erection to the other. He crawled back up onto the end of the bed and gently slid his hands up his mate’s thighs, making room for himself. He closed his eyes, bent his head, and inhaled the delectable scent of his mate’s arousal. He wanted to dive in and devour her cunt, but he waited for Hakon and Loki to be in position on either side of their mate first. Dagr knew the first joining of bodies with their mate could make a warrior lose control, but with the three of them there to watch their mate for any signs of discomfort and to help control each other, he knew things would be much easier on Jess. He watched Loki bend down and take Jess’s mouth with his own, and Hakon leaned down,

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took one of her nipples into his mouth, and began to suckle while he plucked the other between a finger and thumb. The noises Jess made as his brothers pleasured her had his cock bobbing and jerking as it filled even more with blood. He couldn’t hold back any longer. Dagr slid down on the bed until he was lying on his stomach, his head hovering over her pussy. He pushed her legs wide and then lowered his head. The first taste of Jess’s cunt made him growl softly against her wet, hot flesh. He licked her from clit to ass and back again. His little mate must have liked that, because she bucked her hips up, pushing her soaked pussy into his mouth. He stabbed his tongue into her weeping hole, curled it up, brought her juices back into his mouth, and swallowed. He groaned. The taste of her was pure ambrosia. Dagr fucked her with his tongue, then slid his muscle up between her folds, flattened it out, and laved it over her clit. He wrapped one arm around one of Jess’s thighs and placed the palm of his hand over her pubic bone, holding her writhing hips still. He let his free hand find her small, wet hole and pushed the tip of a digit into her sheath. He groaned when she pussy clenched around the tip of his digit and her body tried to suck his finger in deeper. He wanted to plunge into her and fuck her with his fingers, but her cunt was so tight he was scared he would hurt her. He eased his finger into her, slowly, bit by bit, until he felt her tighten against his intrusion. He gave a possessive growl when he realized his mate was still a virgin, and was glad he hadn’t given into his animalistic urges. He opened his eyes, looking up the length of her body, and nearly blew his wad. Their bond mate was a sex goddess. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy. Her upper body was bowed, her chest, neck, and face were flushed with arousal, and both of his brothers were sucking on her nipples. Dagr couldn’t stand to wait anymore. He wanted to be buried balls-deep into his mate’s hot, tight, wet body. He gave one last, long lick to her cunt and sat up between her thighs. He grasped her hips, holding her still, moved in closer to Jess, and began to push his cock into her pussy.

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Dagr was captivated by Jess’s pussy stretching around his turgid flesh as he began to penetrate her. She was so wet and tight that he had to grind his teeth together to maintain his control and not forge his way into her body and hurt her. He gripped her hips tighter, holding her still as the crown of his cock popped through her tight flesh, and then he held still, giving her body time to adjust to his intrusion. He felt sweat rolling down his face and glanced up to see if Jess was all right. The sight that met his eyes was nearly his undoing. Jess’s mouth was open, slack with arousal, her eyes mere slits, glittering down at him as she held his brothers’ heads to her breasts with her small hands. Dagr removed one of his hands from her hips and slid it down to the top of her slit. Reaching out with a finger, he began to massage the protruding, sensitive little bundle of nerves and pushed into her a little more. He took his time, savoring her wet cunt enveloping his hard flesh as he gained more depth with every small thrust of his hips. He stilled as he felt his cock stretch the tight muscles inside his mate and began to massage her clit with a firmer, faster touch. He had her on the brink of orgasm within moments. He could feel her sheath rippling around his flesh and knew she was about to come. He slid his cock back and growled low in his throat as he pushed through her tightness, only stopping when he was balls-deep within his mate. Her crying out in the throes of her climax was one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. Her cunt clenching and releasing around his buried flesh was more than he could stand. Dagr nudged his brothers out of the way, leaned down, and took Jess’s mouth with a passion so carnal, even he was surprised by his own hunger. He wanted to crawl beneath her skin, to stay buried in her wet pussy, and kiss her for the rest of his life. Only the need for air necessitated that he withdraw his mouth from his bond mate’s. Hakon’s voice in his head drew him back from the brink of his lost control. “Brother, Dagr, you have to get control of yourself. We all have to

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join with our bond mate for the bond to form properly. Pick her up into your lap so I can prepare her for my cock.” Dagr sat on his knees between Jess’s thighs, slid his arms beneath her shoulders, and lifted her up into his arms. He pulled her into his embrace, cradling her against his chest, and moved his legs out straight and wide as he held her still, straddling his lap. His cock sliding in another inch made him and Jess groan together at the exquisite pleasure. With one arm wrapped around her waist, he used his free hand to tilt her face up to his and kissed her. Their tongues dueled as they devoured each other. He opened his eyes to see Hakon moving up behind their mate, a bottle of scented oil in his hand. He knew the moment Hakon began to lubricate Jess’s ass, because she flinched and gasped into his mouth, then pulled back from him. He held her tighter, not wanting her to inadvertently hurt herself by moving too much. “Shh, little girl, it will be all right. Just breathe and relax those muscles. I need to stretch you before I can fuck this pretty little ass,” Hakon rasped out. “What? Wait. You shouldn’t be doing that. It’s not right,” Jess panted out. “Does what I’m doing to you feel good, sweetheart?” “Y–Yes,” Jess replied nervously. “Then it can’t be wrong. For the bond to work properly, we all have to be joined with you at one time. Just keep breathing evenly and deeply, and try to relax your muscles, Jess. Just tell me if I hurt you, all right, sweetheart?” “O–Okay,” Jess squeaked out. “Look at me, baby. Keep your eyes on me,” Dagr commanded as he tilted her face up to his. He wanted to watch his mate’s face, to make sure she didn’t feel any unnecessary pain. He felt Hakon’s finger sliding into Jess’s ass, his brother’s penetration making her sheath tighter. He must have more than one finger embedded in her back entrance now, because her cunt was so much more, taut. He saw

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Hakon move up closer to Jess and nodded at Hakon as his brother began to push his way into their mate’s body. Dagr palmed one of her breasts and flicked her nipple with his thumb as he lowered his head to her mouth. He swallowed her cries of pleasure/pain and knew she would stop them if it became too much, but she didn’t say a word. All three of them groaned when Hakon came to rest, buried balls-deep into their woman’s ass. Dagr lifted his mouth from Jess’s and gave Loki a nod. He watched as his brother moved in closer to their mate, on his knees, holding the base of his cock until the head was nudging against her cheek. Jess turned her head, and he saw her eyes widen when she saw Loki’s cock near her mouth. She licked her lips, leaving them coated with moisture, then leaned forward and flicked her tongue over the head of Loki’s hard rod. Jess must have liked the taste of the clear fluid bubbling out of his brother’s cock, because Dagr saw her open her mouth wide, and then she was sucking his brother into her mouth. Her humming around his brother’s flesh turned his arousal up another notch, and he could no longer keep still. Dagr held Jess’s hips in his large hands and slid his cock out of her tight, wet cunt, until just the tip was resting in her body. As he pushed back in, Hakon withdrew from her ass. Jess was sucking and bobbing along the length of Loki’s cock, and they began to fuck her in earnest. The sounds she made as he thrust gently and slowly in and out of her body ratcheted his desire up to a new level of need. With every thrust of his hips, Dagr plunged into her pussy faster, harder, and deeper, his brother countering his thrusts as they kept her filled with cock at all times. Jess matched her sucking-and-gliding rhythm on Loki’s cock until they were all panting and moaning with the exquisite pleasure. He could feel the walls of her pussy sucking and rippling along his flesh and knew she was close to her peak. He began to thrust with short, rapid, sharp digs, making sure he slid along her G-spot, his brother

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copying his movements. And then he felt her. She had joined the three of them as no one else could. They were in her mind, feeling what she felt as they fucked in and out of her body. Jess’s muffled scream around Loki’s cock was music to Dagr’s ears. Her body clamped down on his and Hakon’s erections forging through her gripping muscles. Loki roared out as he shot his load down Jess’s throat just a second before he and Hakon followed close behind. The pleasure was unlike anything he had experienced before, and he knew his brothers felt the same. By the time his seed had stopped erupting from his balls, out of the top of his cock, Dagr felt as if he had touched nirvana. His body was shaking. He had never felt so weak in his life. As Loki withdrew his cock from Jess’s mouth, Dagr felt her body go slack, and she slumped down against him. He lifted her head to his, placed a kiss on her temple, and eased out of his mate’s sleeping body. They had fucked her into oblivion.

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Chapter Seven Jess awoke to find herself in the large shower, but was too tired to move. She knew by his scent she was sitting on Loki’s lap as he and his brothers bathed her. The words Loki spoke had her looking up at him. “Welcome back, little Jess. How are you feeling?” “I’m fine, a little sore, but otherwise good,” Jess replied, then froze. “You didn’t speak. How is that possible? Your mouth didn’t move.” “We are bonded now, baby. You will hear our thoughts when we project them to you,” Dagr answered. “But, shit. I can feel you in my mind. Get out. I don’t want you in my head,” Jess screeched as she pushed away from Loki. God, now she would not have any privacy at all. What the hell I am going to do? “Jessamine, calm down. You can feel our emotions now as well. It works both ways, baby,” Dagr said as he moved toward her. “Look, I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you”—Jess could see the distress in Dagr’s eyes—“but you have to understand, I’m not used to this stuff like you are. Please, just give me some time to get used to this…ability.” “Okay, we’ll give you time to become accustomed to us being in your mind, but do not close off from us, little Jess. You will endure much pain if you do. Once a bond has been formed, we need to join our bodies and minds frequently. If we don’t, you will become ill,” Loki explained. “What do you mean ill? And why is it you’re not going to be affected?”

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“Once a bond is completed, you will need to be filled with our seed often. Otherwise your body goes through what you would call withdrawal symptoms. The only way we can keep you from feeling the heights of the bond-mating fever is to make love with you every day,” Loki replied. “Well, that’s just fucking great. Why the hell didn’t you tell me this before we bonded? I’m going to have to have sex with you just so I won’t become ill? Thanks very much, guys. I really appreciate you telling me all of this,” Jess spat out, turned, and began to move away, muttering beneath her breath the whole time. Once she reached the end of the cubicle, she left the shower, wrapped a towel around her body, and left without once looking back. She knew if she looked at her mates now, she would lose control of her temper. Jess stomped over to the closet, dressed, and headed outside. Her life had just changed so drastically, and she felt like she was riding an emotional roller coaster. She didn’t know what to think or feel and she’d rather risk the mating fever than have those three buffoons in her mind all the time. She knew she was partly to blame for the situation she found herself in. She hadn’t asked enough questions, and even though they were a different species than her, it seemed men universally forgot to provide pertinent facts when they wanted something. It was not as if she didn’t want to be bonded with them, she just hadn’t been told everything she considered important about the bonding. She didn’t really believe the stuff they had been spouting about the mating fever. She suspected they had made that up because they wanted to have sex with her regularly. She gave a sly smile as she remembered reading how to build a mental wall in her mind in one of the ancient paranormal erotic diginovels she’d read. She sat down when she came to the fountain and concentrated on building that wall one brick at a time. ****

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“She is trying to block us out already,” Hakon said as he and his brothers got out of the shower cubicle. “She is going to end up sick if we let her.” “How are we going to stop her?” Loki asked, worried for their mate’s health. “I don’t know if we can,” Dagr replied. “It may not come to that. We can seduce our mate. She will crave our touch from now on. Maybe she’s not as strong as she thinks. She may give in before it is too late,” Hakon suggested. “She is quite adept. I can feel her mental barrier getting higher even as we speak. She is uncertain of her place in our lives, as well as lonely and bored. Maybe if we find something for our mate to do, she will forget the wall in her mind, become happy with us, and not be so belligerent toward us,” Loki suggested. “I think you have something there, brother, but what are we to give our mate to do? How do we make her feel worthy?” Hakon asked with a frustrated sigh. “She needs to feel needed and loved for who she is. She has not had the love of a father, only that of her mother. I feel her need to love as well and be loved in return. Let us hope you have planted your seed in her womb, Dagr. Our mate will make a wonderful mother, but in the meantime, she needs something to occupy her time. If we weren’t so busy with our duties, we could each take time out of our schedules to be with her,” Loki stated as he and his brothers dressed. Hakon reached for the handle just as a knock sounded on the door. He pulled it open to find Baldr and Ari, two of his security warriors, standing in front of him with worried expressions on their faces. “What is the problem?” Hakon asked. “Sir, we’ve had a breach in the household. Fenris is sounding the alarm as we speak,” Baldr stated just as the alarm blared. “How the hell has this happened? Why wasn’t the perpetrator stopped before getting inside?” Dagr asked from behind Hakon. “Sir, we believe the breach was made by another species. We

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don’t know how they were not picked up from our orbital scanner or even if they have landed a ship.” “Find out and have all warriors on alert. Get Fenris to organize a search, and use the warriors in training and the serving boys. In fact, all males over the age of fifteen cycles are to help out,” Hakon barked out. “Yes, sir,” Baldr and Ari replied, then took off at a run. “Fuck, where is Jessamine? We have to find her,” Dagr shouted. Hakon raced toward the open glass doors on the opposite side of the room, his brothers on his heels. **** Jess jumped as an alarm pierced the air around her. She jumped to her feet and saw warriors running every which way in the distance. She wondered what the hell was going on, but then just sat back down, covered her ears with her hands, and hoped the screeching would soon be turned off. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as the alarm finally stopped. She pulled her hands from her ears, thankful for the blessed silence. She turned her head and looked all around, trying to see if she was being watched. She could feel eyes on her but couldn’t see anyone, and her skin had goose bumps all over. She suddenly felt so afraid and alone, so she stood up, intending to go back to her mate’s room. She didn’t take more than two steps before she slammed into an invisible wall, nearly falling on her ass. The fine hair on her nape now stood on end, scaring her out of her wits. She turned and fled, not knowing what she was running from, but the knowledge she wasn’t safe was beating at her. She made it to the other side of the fountain, and then she slammed into another wall. She skirted the whole area, her fingertips following the unseen barrier, and knew she was somehow trapped. Dagr, Loki, and Hakon sprinting toward her eased some of her anxiety, but she didn’t know if they could help her. She

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rushed toward them and stopped when she couldn’t go any further. “Stop,” Jess yelled when they were within reaching distance. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m trapped in some sort of bubble. Maybe it’s a force field of some kind. I can feel pulses of electricity through my fingertips. I don’t want any of you getting hurt.” “Are you all right, baby?” Dagr asked as he reached for her. Jess screamed as Dagr was flung through the air, landing with a loud thump yards away from her. She wanted to run to him and make sure he was all right, but knew she couldn’t. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and spilled over to run down her cheeks. “Dagr, are you okay?” Jess called out as he sat up. “Yes, baby. I’m fine. What the hell is going on?” Dagr roared with fury. Jess gasped as the air to her right shimmered, and a large man materialized next to her. His size put her mates’ to shame. He was massive, with long silver hair and pale-pink eyes, and he was so thick with muscle it was a wonder he could move. Jess stepped back and kept right on going as the man turned toward her. “Who the hell are you? What are you? Why are you doing this?” Jess sobbed out. The man just looked at her and tilted his head as if he didn’t understand her. Then he began to move toward her. Jess kept backing up, too scared to look away to make sure she didn’t back into anything. This guy was really freaking her out. She came to a halt as her back pressed up against the invisible barrier. He reached out to her with a massive hand, and Jess couldn’t help flinching away. She closed her eyes and sucked in a gasping breath. She could hear her mates yelling at the stranger to leave her alone, that she was their mate and not to be touched. Little good that was going to do, as no one could get near her. She wondered if she was about to meet her end. Maybe if she could just stay calm, she could reason with the Neanderthal. “What do you want from me?” Jess asked calmly.

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The large man just tilted his head the other way and blinked at her. He then reached up and pressed against his ear and smiled, and Jess realized he must have a universal translator implant he had just turned on. “I am Drakon D’arque from the planet Gore. I have come to learn of your species. I mean you no harm, female, but since the interplanetary wars, the females of our species have been dwindling. We have need of females to mate with. I heard about the Norland warriors rescuing your people through the stratospheric waves and decided to see if the females of your planet would be compatible to mate with the males on our world.” “Did you have to make such a ruckus? Couldn’t you have just knocked on the front door?” Jess asked, rolling her eyes. What was it with males from other planets being so melodramatic? The people on Earth knew about species from other planets. Why couldn’t these people learn to negotiate? She walked toward the seat at the fountain and sat down. She could hear her mates yelling at her, but just continued to ignore them. She felt a touch to her mind, and then her brain began to ache as her mates tried to breach the wall she had built up. She held firm against them, giving herself a pounding headache as she continued to block them. “What do you want to know?” Jess asked, turning to look at Drakon. “If you would allow it, lady, I would like to scan your mind. That way you do not have to spend hours telling me of your women and I can extract the information I need painlessly in a matter of seconds.” “My name is Jessamine, call me Jess. I would like to know more of your planet and people before I allow you into my mind, Drakon. I will not put my people or myself in the path of danger before I have more knowledge.” “You are very wise, Jess. If you give me your hands I will allow you to read my mind,” Drakon said, holding his hands out to her as he sat beside her.

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Jess hesitated and looked into his eyes. For some reason she believed everything this strange man told her. She could see the sincerity in his eyes. She took a deep breath and placed her hands into his. She felt her anxiousness fade away to be replaced by a peaceful calm and somehow knew Drakon was responsible. She looked into his eyes as he brought her hands up to his temples, placing her fingertips to his head. Jess gasped as rapid pictures flew through her head. Her mind was bombarded with so much knowledge and information it was almost too much for her to comprehend. Drakon’s race was a peaceful lot and had suffered much from the interplanetary wars. What he’d said about the dwindling numbers of females was true, but what made her apprehensive to let him have knowledge of the females on Earth was the way they gained their nourishment. It seemed the people of Gore were a race of vampires, needing blood as well as food to help in their survival. She had no doubt that if the females of Earth were taken to this planet that they would be safe. She just wondered if they could handle the thought of the existence of vampires. “You can go out into sunlight, and you drink blood, but you also eat food,” Jess murmured as Drakon lowered her hands and released her. “You will have trouble convincing the females of my planet you mean them no harm. There are ancient myths and stories which decree people like you as monsters on our planet. I will allow you to read my mind and garner whatever information you need. But please promise me you and your people will never harm my planet or our people.” “You already know we will do no harm. I thank you for your trust in me, and please be assured females are very precious to our race,” Drakon reiterated and slowly reached out to take Jess’s head between his hands. Jess had no idea how long it took for Drakon to read her mind. She sat on the bench, feeling so calm and at peace. It could have been hours or mere minutes before he pulled away from her. He bowed to her and then just seemed to disappear before her eyes. Jess could now

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hear her mates’ frantic yelling much clearer. It was as if Drakon’s presence had dulled all her senses, and now that he was gone, everything was back to normal. Well, almost. Jess was suddenly so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She was aware of her mates reaching her and knew the barrier was gone. She reached out to Dagr, since he got to her first, and slumped against him as he scooped her up into his arms. She gave a tired sigh, snuggled her head against his chest, and fell into a deep sleep.

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Chapter Eight “Loki, get the healers to meet us in our bedchamber. I want our mate to be examined at once. Supreme Being only knows what that bloodsucking bastard did to her. He read her mind, and she let him. How could she have allowed him to do such a thing? She protests to us about us being in her mind, but then she lets that motherfucker into her head without a qualm,” Hakon said, snarling. “Brother, calm down, you don’t want our mate to see you so angry and upset if she awakens,” Dagr replied. Hakon watched Dagr place Jess on the bed and then strip Jess of her clothes, cover her with a sheet then turned toward him. “She must have had a good reason to do what she did. We could not hear everything he said to her.” “I know. It’s just so frustrating. She built a damn mental wall to keep us out then lets a stranger read her mind. Doesn’t that irk you, brother?” “Yes, but we need to find out what went on before we take our anger out on our mate. She obviously had a good reason to do what she did,” Dagr reiterated. Hakon was about to reply but turned toward the door as it opened. Loki and several healers walked into the room and over to the bed. Dagr and Hakon moved back to let the healers examine their mate. After several moments of watching the healers, the elder of the trio turned to Hakon. “There seems to be nothing wrong with your mate physically, emotionally, or mentally. She just seems to be very tired, sirs. Let her sleep for the rest of the night, and if she hasn’t awakened by second feast, come and get us, and we will examine her again.”

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“Thank you, Elder. We appreciate you taking the time to come and tend to our mate,” Hakon replied. “That is our jobs, sirs. There is a small problem with your mate, however. I found the wall she has built up in her mind. I was able to get through it, but I daresay you and your brothers have not?” “You are correct, Healer Elder. We have advised our mate of the consequences, but it didn’t seem to faze her in the least. Will you and your esteemed brothers please remain on standby in case our mate begins to suffer from the bond-mating fever?” asked Hakon. “You have no need to ask, sir. Just reach out to us with your mind, like so.” Elder demonstrated to Hakon by melding their minds together for a moment. “My brothers and I will be here when you call.” “Thank you, Elder, Healers.” Hakon bowed respectfully and watched them leave. “I think one of us should remain in our chamber in case our mate wakes up,” Dagr suggested. “Yes, I agree. Loki, you take first watch. Dagr will relieve you, and if by then our duties are not done, I will relieve Dagr. While either of you are in the chamber with our bond mate, I think we should try to breach her mental barrier. Do not push too hard or fast into her mind. We don’t want our mate’s mind to be damaged. Come, Dagr, let’s see if we can get our duties over and done with as fast as possible. I have a need to be near our mate,” he explained then turned toward the exit. Dagr walked toward the door on his heels. **** Loki settled down onto the bed beside Jess, his elbow on the mattress and his head resting on his hand. She was so beautiful to his eyes, her shoulder-length red hair fanning out around her head, the lights above making it look like it was highlighted with flames. She looked so peaceful, almost childlike in innocence, as she lay sleeping.

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Her full lips were slightly parted, emitting her breath in deep even gusts. Her skin was so white and creamy he could see her delicate blue veins beneath. As he stared down at her, he concentrated on gently breaking through her mental shield. He was slow and thorough, chipping away at the cement-like substance she had created in her mind to topple her barrier. It was a slow, tedious process, but Loki was enjoying just lounging beside his mate, his eyes wandering over her face and sheet-covered body. The material draped over her body showcased every inch of her length—her voluptuous breasts, flat, small waist, and full hips, which tapered down to long, lean legs. She was absolutely exquisite. Not like all the other women they usually managed to meet in their pirating for cargo treasures. Loki was so glad to have a gorgeous, unique-looking woman. Who wanted their mate to look like all the others—blonde hair, blue eyes, and a waiflike body too fragile to be able to stand a real, good, hard loving from her mates? He and his brothers would not have to be so careful of their sexy woman. Of course he and his brothers would never do anything to hurt her, but because she was of a sturdier build, they would never have to worry about treating their woman like fragile glass. He only hoped Jess wouldn’t be too stubborn by keeping him, Dagr, and Hakon at arm’s length. The last thing he wanted to see was his bond mate in the throes of the bond-mating fever. He’d never seen a female in such a predicament and hoped he didn’t have to watch his own mate go through such pain. He’d heard it was not something a male wanted to see his bond mate suffer. Loki looked up as the door to the bedchamber opened. His brothers walked through and over to the bed. “Has Jessamine showed any signs of waking?” Hakon asked as he stared at their mate. “No. I have been working on her mental barrier. For someone who has no previous knowledge of this skill, she has done an amazing job.” “That is what I was afraid of. Our mate is very intelligent. I can

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see she will keep us on our toes,” Dagr said with a rueful grin. “No doubt,” Loki replied with a smile. “Why don’t you go and feast, brother? You have spent a few hours in here alone. You must be bored and hungry,” Hakon stated. “Actually, no, I was quite content to watch over our mate and work on her mental barrier. She is such a beautiful female. I could spend years just staring at her and never be bored. But my stomach will not let me stay. I will be back as soon as I have satiated one of my hungers,” he threw over his shoulder and left the room. **** “Loki’s right, you know. She is very intelligent. We are going to have to try and stay one step ahead of our mate. Otherwise she will have us running around chasing our own asses,” Dagr said with a smile. “Yes, I agree. I just hope she isn’t as stubborn as I think she is. She could do much harm to herself if she keeps her mind block in place and us at arm’s length,” Hakon said with a sigh. He began to strip his clothes from his body, moved Jessamine into the center of the bed, and climbed in beside her. He couldn’t contain his groan of arousal as his naked body connected with their mate’s. He watched Dagr remove his clothes and climb in on the other side of Jess. Hakon was worried. Jess hadn’t moved or made any noise as he moved her, then as he and his brother sandwiched her between their large bodies. He thought she would have stirred at least, but she seemed as if she didn’t even know he and his brother were with her. “Do you think if we both tried to break through her mental barrier at the same time, we could topple it?” Hakon asked. “It’s worth a try. We will have to be very careful we don’t harm her while we do it,” Dagr explained. “You enter her mind first, brother, and I will follow you.” Hakon closed his eyes and sent his mind to the edge of Jess’s. He

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studied her mental barrier, saw where Loki had been working, and began to chip away where his brother had started. He concentrated hard and could not help but feel pride for his mate’s natural ability. He was aware when Dagr joined him, and they both worked away methodically and patiently. Hakon became aware of a third presence in Jess’s mind, followed the path, and quickly withdrew. That bastard Drakon was somehow still joined with their mate, and he wasn’t even on their planet Norland anymore. Hakon showed Dagr where Drakon was still connected to their mate, then reluctantly pulled free of her mind. “Loki, I need you to come back to our bedchamber. I am calling for the healers. That bastard Drakon is still within our mate’s mind. He seems to be siphoning information from our mate’s brain. “Elder, healers, I have found that Drakon is still within our mate’s mind. He is still taking information from her brain. Please, come and see if our mate is being harmed and help us to find a way to get him out of her head,” Hakon projected to the healers. “We are on our way, sir.” Hakon had risen and pulled his black pants back on, as had Dagr. They were both pacing anxiously, awaiting the arrival of their brother and the healers. The door opened moments later, Loki leading the way to the bed. “Sirs, please join your mind with your mate again so we can see where and how this stranger is attached to your mate’s brain. We don’t want to harm your mate’s mind by pulling this man from her mind too quickly. I don’t want to get your hopes up that we will be able to help her, but we will do our best.” Hakon slid to the edge of Jess’s mind and felt Dagr follow him. Once they had followed the path to where Drakon was embedded in her mind, Loki joined them. Hakon concentrated on following the small tentacle-like pathways where Drakon had already been. Hakon opened a pathway from his mind to the healers and led them into Jess’s brain. The healers were beside him and his brothers as they

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studied the electrical pulses firing along the nerve endings. How long he, his brothers, and the healers were in his female’s mind, he had no idea, but when the healers withdrew, he and his brothers followed. “I don’t think there is anything we can do to get the Gorian out of you mate’s mind. He is not harming her at all. He just seems to be downloading, for want of a better word, your bond mate’s memories. I think he will be done by tomorrow, but we will be back in the morning to check on your mate, sirs,” Elder said with a bow, then he and his brothers left the bedchamber. “Fuck. I hate the thought of that bastard being in her head. If I ever see him again I will tear him limb from limb,” Hakon said, snarling as he removed his pants again and climbed into bed beside Jessamine. “Well, let us all hope he has gone from her mind by sunup. If not, then maybe we should prepare a ship and send a team of warriors to Gore. We can bring him back here by force if necessary,” Dagr ground out through clenched teeth. “I don’t think that will be possible, brother. You saw how the Gorian just seemed to shimmer out of here without any trouble. I doubt he even needs spaceships to get around the galaxy,” Loki reminded his brothers. “Maybe I can go and reason with Drakon? He didn’t seem to be a violent person, and he treated our mate with respect,” Dagr stated. “I think we should wait and see what the new day brings. Maybe we are worried for no reason at all. We have to learn to trust our mate knows what she is doing. She obviously had no qualms in letting Drakon into her mind. She probably knows more than we do,” Loki clarified wisely. “Let’s get some rest. We will need all our strength to deal with our mate if she awakens on the morrow.” Hakon didn’t so much reply as grunt. He pulled Jessamine into his arms, her back tucked into his front, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. He opened his eyes to see Dagr slide into bed on Jess’s other side, backing up to her until she was safely ensconced between

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them. Then he saw Loki slide in at the bottom of the bed and knew his brother was touching their mate in some way. He closed his eyes, weary to the bone, and let his mind drift. He didn’t think he would be able to sleep, but was so tired he didn’t even realize when slumber claimed him.

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Chapter Nine Jess opened her eyes and felt as if her body was on fire. She was surrounded by large, hot male bodies. She yawned hugely, but didn’t bother to cover her mouth. She didn’t remember even getting into bed and wondered who had carried her to their room and removed her clothes. She began to shift her legs into a more comfortable position and hesitated when she felt a large hand wrapped around her ankle. She lifted her head from her muscular pillow and looked down the length of her body to find Loki lying sideways across the bottom of the bed. He had his head propped up on his elbow and hand, and he was smiling at her. The hand around her ankle released, slid up her calf, and began to caress her flesh. She flopped her head back down then groaned as she thunked against firm muscle. She’d forgotten she had been using Hakon’s shoulder as a pillow. The man was rock hard, the back of her head testament to that fact. “How are you feeling, little Jess?” Loki asked, stroking the skin of her leg. “I’m fine, why?” Jess asked, puzzled over his concern. “You don’t remember?” “Remember what? Oh shit. Yeah, it’s coming back to me. Where did Drakon go? He was there one moment and gone the next.” “He has powers we cannot even conceive of. He seems to be able to move his body at will. He did not hurt you?” asked Loki. “No. He said he’d heard of you and your men helping us from our faltering ship, and since their female population is in jeopardy of becoming extinct, he wanted to find out all about the females of Earth. He let me read his mind. Oh my God. The knowledge he

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handed over to me without any hesitation is unbelievable. He wanted me to be sure it was safe to give him information regarding planet Earth and let me read his mind first. He wants to be able to find females for the males on their planet to mate with. His race has to drink blood to survive. The powers they have, I could not fathom even half of them. He asked to read my mind, as it would be a much faster way for him to gather the information he needed, so I let him. I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep. I don’t remember much after that.” “You took a great risk letting a stranger into your mind, Jessamine. You had no idea whether you were putting yourself in danger. I should put you over my knee and tan your ass for such behavior,” Hakon said from her side. Jess bolted upright and turned her head to glare at Hakon. “Excuse me. What did you just say? No, don’t repeat it. That was a rhetorical question. Who the hell do you think you are? You have the audacity to tell me what I can and can’t do? Well, screw you, buddy.” Jess got to her feet and was about to step over the ass beside her and off the bed. She didn’t get to move. Four large hands clamped around her ankles and wrists, and she found herself flat on her back with Hakon and Dagr looming over her. They were both shooting daggers at her. Oh boy, she was in deep shit. “Do you have any idea of the hell you put us through? No, you couldn’t have, you slept through it all. That bastard was still in your mind, downloading information from your memories. You didn’t move the whole time he was in there. I can’t believe you let a stranger into your head, and yet you have built a mental barrier to keep us, your bond mates, out. Why, Jessamine? Why would you do that?” Hakon asked. Jess could hear the pain in his voice and knew she had hurt Hakon and his brothers with her actions. She closed her eyes to shut him out. She wanted to explain why she felt more comfortable with a stranger in her mind rather than the three men whom she had bonded with. But to do so would let them see how much they were coming to mean to

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her. She didn’t want them to know she was already falling in love with them. She’d only known them for such a short period of time. How the hell could she explain that she felt vulnerable at the thought of them having access to her emotions and thoughts? They wouldn’t understand. She’d always felt insecure, never fitting in, and because her mom hadn’t had the money to have her DNA adjusted like her acquaintances, she had always felt like she was standing on the outside looking in. She’d never felt good enough to participate with the other girls as they whispered and giggled over boys, swapping clothes because they were all the same petite size. She had always felt left out since she was too different with her fiery red hair and voluptuous hourglass figure. She opened her eyes to see Hakon and Dagr staring down at her and slid her gaze down to Loki to see a sad smile on his face. She felt like such a bitch, but she didn’t want to open up to them yet. She felt too raw, too needy, and didn’t know how to deal with her feelings. She’d never felt this way in her life, and to open herself up to the three Sigmund brothers now, so soon, when she’d really only just met them, wasn’t something she was willing to do. “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you,” Jess began, looking at Hakon. “That was never my intention. I don’t know you very well either, so how can you expect me to just accept you and let you into my mind?” “Jessamine, it works both ways. We don’t know you very well either, but we can learn together. You have access to our minds anytime you wish. All you have to do is reach out, touch our minds with your own, and you will see and feel what you are to us. Please, will you remove the mental barrier? We don’t want you becoming ill with the bond-mating fever,” Dagr said, anguish in his voice. “I’m sorry, I have no wish to hurt any of you, but I can’t. It’s too soon,” Jess replied quietly. “I just need a little more time to come to terms with everything. I’m not like you. You’ve had these abilities since you were born. The thought of you in my head…it scares me.”

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Jess watched warily as the three men rose from the bed, totally unconcerned with their nudity or the fact they had large erections. They pulled on their pants and vests, then left the room. Not once did they look back at her. Jess curled up on her side into the fetal position and sobbed her heart out. She felt like she had betrayed their trust. Depression set in. She’d never have them look at her the way they had the night they claimed her. She had pushed them too far, and she was afraid the three men would want to have nothing to do with her. Oh God. What have I done? She’d lived her whole life comparing herself to others when she should have been looking at what she had to offer. Now she had ruined it all. They had been willing to take her unconditionally, not questioning her appearance. No, they had embraced the fact she was so different from all the other females. They had accepted her for who she was. And what had she done? She had thrown their acceptance back in their faces. She wanted to be able to turn back time and start over, but even she knew that wasn’t possible. She was going to have to work at getting their trust back. She had betrayed them in their eyes, by letting a stranger into her mind and not them. She was going to have to figure out something, a way to show her bond mates that she did trust them and accept them for who they were, abilities and all. Jess sat up and wiped the tears from her face. She was glad her men weren’t here right now. She knew she’d never been a pretty crier. She knew her eyes would be bloodshot, her nose and cheeks red and blotchy. She hated to cry and usually was strong enough not to, but the despair at her own actions and the thought of hurting her bond mates had been too much to bear. She rose from the bed, intending to head for the bathing room to clean up, but a knock on the door had her grabbing the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around herself and changing direction. She opened the door to find three elderly men looking at her with concern.

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“Can I help you?” Jess asked, her voice rough from her tears. “I am Elder, one of the healers, and these are my brothers. We would like to examine your mind to make sure the Gorian has left no traces of himself or any damage to your brain, if you will permit us to enter?” “Sure, come on in,” Jess replied, stepping to the side of the entrance. She closed the door quietly and followed the healers back into the room. “If you will please take a seat, Lady Jessamine, we will begin the examination,” Elder suggested. Jess sat down on the edge of the bed and watched the healers scrutinizing her. She shifted uncomfortably, but then froze as she felt a brush to her mind. She held still but lowered her eyes, not wanting to see any censure from the healers in case they knew what she had done. It was only a matter of moments before the flutters in her brain ceased, and the healers stepped back. “You are well. The Gorian has gone. We will leave you now, Lady,” Elder stated, then turned and headed toward the door, his brothers following. Jess saw him hesitate, his hand on the door handle. “Your mates accept all of you, Lady Jessamine. Will you be brave enough to do the same?” Jess didn’t get the chance to answer. They were gone before she even opened her mouth. She sighed and stood up, heading to the bathing room. Hopefully she would feel more like herself when she was clean and dressed. She showered and dressed and even though she knew she should, she didn’t feel like eating. She replenished her body fluids from the jug of juice which seemed to be permanently full on a table off to the side of the bedroom, near the glass doors. She stepped out into the garden, breathing deeply, inhaling the scents of flowers blooming. She found herself back at the fountain in the center of the garden, trying to come up with a way to gain her bond mates’ trust back. She knew the only real option was to demolish the wall she had built in

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her mind and reach out to them, but she didn’t know if she was quite ready or brave enough to do it. How long she sat there gathering her courage, she didn’t know. The sun had moved across the sky, and it looked to be in the middle of the afternoon. Surely she hadn’t been sitting there that long.

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Chapter Ten Jess felt her body heating and presumed it was the effect of the sun’s rays, as they were now beating down upon her. But then she didn’t remember feeling so hot yesterday out in the sun. She squirmed in her seat, her thighs wet from the juices leaking from her pussy. The heat ratcheted up a notch and almost became too much to bear. She stood up and moved into the shade of a blue tree, the scent of its bloom calming her for a moment. A wave of heat swept through her body, and it was so intense she doubled over with the pain from it. Oh fuck, she had the bond-mating fever. Her mates had warned her of it, but she had thought they were only trying to get into her pants on a regular basis. She should have known better. Her mates had not lied to her once. She had betrayed their trust on so many levels. She didn’t know if she would be able to repair the damage. Jess stumbled to her feet, heading back to their room. She was so hot now, she felt as if her insides were on fire. She made it to the room and flopped down onto the bed, curling into herself to try and alleviate the pain. It didn’t do her a lick of good. She was in agony. She was writhing on the bed, the sheet beneath her and the material of her dress abrading her sensitive skin. She managed to pull the dress from her body and collapsed back onto the mattress. She could feel the perspiration rolling off her body and wanted to find a cold pool of water to immerse herself in. She sobbed out as a wave of heat rolled over her, making her bow off the bed in pain. She had no idea what to do. She needed help, and she needed it now. Jess turned within her own mind, trying to block out the excruciating fire so she could concentrate on removing her mental

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barrier. She began to demolish the wall one brick at a time, then gave up as pain shot through her organs. That way was taking way too long. She envisaged a sledge hammer slamming into the wall again and again, until all that was left was a pile of rubble. She thought of her three mates and projected her pain and fear out to them, having no idea if she’d succeeded in contacting them, in too much pain to follow the connection and keep it in place. She felt her body arch off the bed once more, then slam back down to the blessedly soft mattress beneath her. She cried out as she curled into herself, her body being consumed by sightless flames. She was so intent on riding out the waves of pain that she didn’t hear the door open and was totally unaware of her mates’ presence in the room until she felt the mattress dip. She was in agony. **** Hakon reached the bed before his brothers and looked on with despair as their mate’s body convulsed with pain as he stripped his clothes from his body. Jess in so much pain, was more than he could bear, and once he and his brothers were naked, they climbed onto the bed as one. Hakon reached for Jess’s legs and pulled them out straight then spread them wide. His brothers got onto the bed beside their mate and straightened out the rest of Jess’s body, Dagr pinning her arms above her head. Hakon slid down onto his belly and dove down to Jess’s pussy. The heat radiating off of her wet flesh was nearly enough to singe his tongue. He swept his tongue through her wet folds from top to bottom and back again, gathering her cream, and he began to lave her clit. He wasn’t so gentle with her this time. He had to get Jess to her peak, and quickly. He thrust a finger into her cunt and flicked his tongue over her distended bundle of nerves as he pumped his finger in and out of her wet sheath. He had her body clamping down on his digit within moments and was thankful he had sent his mate into a climax so fast.

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He opened his eyes to see Loki devouring her mouth with his own and pinching one of her nipples between his finger and thumb. Dagr was sucking on her other hard peak and smoothing a hand over the skin of her belly. Jess was still trying to writhe from the hold they had her in, and Hakon knew they had barely taken the edge off of the bondmating fever. Hakon lowered his head and got back to work. He devoured her cunt with his mouth, sucking on her folds as he added another finger to her sheath. He thrust his fingers into her body, faster, harder, and deeper every time he penetrated her. He slid his tongue up into her folds and sucked her clit into his mouth. He caged the little nubbin between his teeth and flicked the tip of his tongue over the sensitive nerve endings, until he felt her cunt rippling along the length of his fingers. He sucked on her clit and sent her screaming over the edge once more. Hakon sat up between Jess’s splayed thighs, aimed his hard, aching cock at her entrance, and thrust in balls-deep. He grasped her hips between his hands and began to pound in and out of her tight, wet cunt. He didn’t hold back, and their flesh slapping together rang through the room as he thrust fast and hard. He released his hold on her hips with one of his hands and began to massage her clit, his hips thrusting quickly, gliding the length of his cock in and out of her tight body. He could feel his balls tightening, drawing up closer to his body, and knew he was about to go over. He pinched her clit between his thumb and finger and roared out his release as his mate’s muscles clamped down on his hard shaft. He held her hips in a tight grip as she milked every drop of cum from his cock and balls. Once the last ripple and pulse of his cock and his mate’s pussy ceased, he pulled from her body and moved off to the side. His legs were weak and shaking, his breath rasping in and out of his mouth, and he didn’t think he would be able to move again for quite some time. He turned his head to Loki and gave his brother a nod to let him know it was his turn to love their mate.

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**** Loki moved between Jess’s thighs and plunged into her depths without any preliminary. He knew he didn’t hurt her as her cunt was dripping with the combination of her and his brother’s cream. He set up a slow, steady rhythm now their mate’s writhing had diminished to a lesser level. He knew they were indeed winning the battle against the bond-mating fever, and since this was his first time inside of his mate’s body other than her mouth, he wanted to savor the experience. He wrapped his arms around Jess’s thighs, lifted her legs up and out wide, and began to thrust into her tight, wet pussy with slow, measured thrusts. Her sheath rippling around his hard cock was pure nirvana. He’d never felt anything so exquisite before and knew he would be connected to his mate both spiritually and physically forever more. Loki kept his hips pumping in a slow, even rhythm, his eyes closed as he relished his mate’s cunt gripping around his hard flesh. He could spend hours buried in Jess’s body now that he knew what it felt like. He never wanted to leave her tight, wet heat. He reached around her thigh and slid the tip of his finger into the top of her slit and began to massage her protruding little button. He groaned as her muscles rippled along his length, drenching him with her cream. He couldn’t help the way his body responded, his cock jerking and pulsing inside her. He began to speed up his thrusting hips. He did it in increments with each penetration of her body, until he was pounding in and out of her, lost to the sensations of bliss her body gave to him. He wanted to stay buried in her body for the rest of his life. Jess mewling in the back of her throat as he plunged his cock into her pussy was like music to his ears. He would never get enough of the sounds she made as he and his brothers pleasured her. He thrust deep and held still as her body clamped down on his, her screaming

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out yet another release snapping his control. He grasped her hips and pummeled in and out of her, still massaging the little bundle of nerves, his cock and her pussy making squelching sounds as they fucked. And then he felt the tingling at the base of his spine and knew he was on the verge of climax. He slowed his pumping hips, savoring the slide and glide as the friction of flesh in flesh rose to a new level. He felt his balls draw up close to his body, and the waves of heat at the base of his spine spread out over his balls, cock, and belly. He held her hips still as he thrust into her cunt one last time, her pussy contracting around his shaft as she milked the cum from his testicles. His own voice roaring loudly as he pumped his mate full of his seed, a pleasurable surprise. Then he was collapsing down on top of Jess, using his arms to keep most of his weight off of her body, his breathing loud and rapid even to his own ears. He slowly withdrew his semiflaccid cock from her body, and on shaky legs, swapped places with Dagr. He collapsed at Jess’s side, trying to regain some of his equilibrium. **** Dagr had been waiting for his chance to fuck his mate again. He moved between Jess’s thighs, picked her legs up, and pushed them toward her chest. He had her cunt open and exposed to his eyes. He growled when he saw her sex weeping with her juices and the combined seed of his brothers. He had never seen such a sexy sight. He rose to his knees, aimed his cock, and plunged in deep. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of her tight, drenched flesh gripping his hard, throbbing shaft. He wanted to go slow and savor the moment, but after watching his brothers pleasure their mate, he was too hot to control his passion. He held her legs wide open and pummeled her with fast, deep, hard strokes of his cock. He opened his eyes to see Hakon and Loki suckling at her breasts and then glanced a little higher, meeting her

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gaze with his. Their mate was coming back to them. They were winning the battle over the bond-mating fever. Dagr wasn’t gentle with her. He was pounding into Jess’s cunt so hard he was actually forcing her hips up each time his pelvis crashed into hers. He’d never seen a sexier sight. Her pussy sucking on his cock as her muscles rippled around his length was nearly more than he could stand. Her cry of pleasure had him in knots. He slammed into her again and again and again. He would never be able to get enough of her body. She was a sex goddess in his eyes, and he knew his brothers felt the same. Dagr released one of her legs and moved his hand to the top of her sex. He slid his finger through the copious amount of juices in her folds and began to massage her clit in tight little circles. Her body responding to his touch as he pumped his hips, sliding his cock in and out of her pussy, was pure bliss. He began to strum on her clit faster, his hips slamming into hers, and couldn’t contain the growl forming deep in his chest. He was in heaven and hell. Heaven because of the pleasure he was experiencing and hell because he was trying to stave off his climax. He didn’t want his lovemaking with his mate ending too soon. He wanted to crawl inside her body, beneath her skin, and stay there forever. He groaned out when he felt her pussy walls flutter around his shuttling cock. The tingles at the base of his spine indicated he was only moments away from his own release. Jess sobbed out as she climaxed, and her cunt gushing out her cream and covering his groin with her juices was too much to bear. He felt the liquid heat travel from his spine to his balls, up over his abdomen, and along his cock. He gripped her hips firmly, thrust into her cunt balls-deep, and held himself still as her body milked the semen up from his balls and out of his cock. He shot load after load into her vagina, yelling his release loudly, not caring if everyone in the household heard. He collapsed back onto his ass, his semihard cock still within his mate’s body as the last pulses of their release faded away. His breath was noisy as he

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gasped in and out, trying to replace his oxygen levels after such a workout. Dagr opened his eyes and saw that their mate’s coloring, all though still flushed, was a lot less hectic than it had been in the throes of the bond-mating fever. She wasn’t perspiring as much, and she wasn’t trying to writhe out of their grasps. She was finally lying quietly as she stared at him, then his brothers. Tears formed in her eyes then spilled over down her cheeks, and he gathered her up in his arms. He pulled her onto his lap, making them both groan as his nowflaccid cock slipped from her body. He hugged her tightly against his chest and rocked her in his arms as she sobbed. Her whole body shook as she cried, but she didn’t try to pull away from him. He smoothed a hand up and down the sweatmoistened skin of her back and crooned to her. Now that Jess had abolished the mental wall she’d built, Dagr could feel her anguish over her perceived betrayal of him and his brothers. He felt her insecurity and vulnerability. Her emotions were beating at him, and he read her mind easily. But he also felt her fear and the new feelings she was developing for him and his brothers. She was scared to depend on anyone since she had been treated like a leper by the females of her own planet, because she looked so different from them. She didn’t yet realize her own self-worth. It was up to them to convince her she was more than worthy as a female and as their mate. Dagr released his tight hold on Jessamine as she pulled back from him. Her tearstained cheeks, bloodshot eyes, red nose, and blotchy skin, one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen. “I’m sorry,” Jess whispered, then spoke louder as he felt her gain confidence. “I’m sorry I hurt you all and didn’t believe you when you warned me of the bond-mating fever. I know you haven’t lied to me once yet. I don’t know why I chose to ignore your warnings. I have never felt like I fit in anywhere before, and even though my explanation doesn’t make what I did right, I want you all to know I

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was scared. Scared of the feelings I am developing for you.” Jess paused, and Dagr saw her turn toward Hakon and Loki to look at them. “For all of you. To find out you three would be able to read my emotions as well as my mind was just too frightening to contemplate. In my own defense, I just didn’t feel as if I would measure up.” “Baby, we don’t hold you up and compare you to anyone. You are who you are, just as we are who we are. We accept you for you. We don’t want anyone else. Can’t you understand that?” Dagr asked. “I’m beginning to. I’ll try to be more open, and I won’t be building another wall in my head. I never want to go through that shit again,” Jess explained with a hesitant smile. “I didn’t mean that about the sex. You three were amazing.” “We know what you meant, sweetheart. What did I tell you about you speaking profanities?” Hakon said with a growl as he moved in closer to her. Dagr hid a grin because he knew what his brother was up to. He looked down to see Jess eying him and his brothers with trepidation. Then she surprised the hell out of him and his brothers, if the expressions on their faces were anything to go by. Their little woman crawled from his arms and flopped down into the center of the bed on her belly, arms and legs spread wide. She turned her head, gave them a saucy wink and sexy smile, and beckoned them to her with a flick of her head. She was goading Hakon into giving her a spanking and some more loving. Dagr couldn’t help but throw his head back and roar with laughter. His brothers and mate joining in was more cathartic than a good argument could ever be.

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Chapter Eleven Jess gave a squeal as Loki scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the bathing chamber. He sat down on the bench in the large shower cubicle and smelled the scented water. She gave a sigh as her sore, aching muscles began to relax, the warm water working its magic. She wrapped her arms around Loki’s neck, pulled herself up, and kissed him on the lips, then pulled back again. She looked up into his eyes to see his heated stare roaming over her chest. He settled her on his lap, then began to wash her with a cloth he’d poured liquid soap onto. Jess slumped against his chest, relishing his hands on her body and having the sticky residue of their lovemaking washed away. She lifted her head when she heard two successive noises and was just in time to see Hakon and Dagr stop in front of her. She gave them a smile and closed her eyes, again resting her head on Loki’s chest and sighing with content. Jess jerked upright when she felt a hand sliding up between her thighs. Her eyes connected with Dagr’s as he slid a finger into her moist pussy. Her breathing escalated and she couldn’t prevent herself from panting as desire rekindled at his touch. He moved in closer to her and covered her mouth with his own. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to him then felt him lick across her lips. She sighed into his mouth and twirled her tongue around his as he slid it into her mouth. His masculine flavor exploded onto her taste buds. She angled her head and let him deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue up to the roof of her mouth, over her cheeks and teeth. She felt his hands at her waist as he pulled her from Loki’s lap up against the hard length of

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his body. She groaned with frustration as he pulled his mouth from hers, their heavy breathing resonating over the sound of splashing water. Jess grabbed Dagr’s shoulders as he lifted her and carried her from the shower to the bench outside the cubicle. She turned her head when she felt another set of hands at her waist to see Loki was sitting up on the edge of the bench. He pulled her in close to his body until she was sitting on his lap, straddling his thighs, his hard cock pulsing against the small of her back. Then Dagr and Loki were lifting her up above Loki’s cock. She kept her eyes trained on Dagr’s as he and his brother lowered her down slowly. She couldn’t contain the whimper of pleasure/pain as the wide head of Loki’s lubricated cock began to separate the tight, sensitive skin and muscles of her ass. They went slowly, giving her and her body time to adjust to the penetration in her back entrance. It was too much, yet not enough. They were going too slow, but not slow enough. She sighed as the burning, pinching pain left when Loki’s cock finally popped through the tight muscles of her sphincter, and she began to relax again. Jess whimpered as Dagr devoured her mouth with his and slid his fingers through her wet labia, as Loki thrust slowly and gently into her anus. She bucked up when Dagr thrust two of his fingers into her cunt and screamed out in surprise as her release coated her thighs and Dagr’s hand. She panted as the last remnants of her release fluttered away, leaving her back slumped against Loki’s front. She couldn’t help her whimper of protest as Dagr withdrew his fingers from her cunt, but then she jerked back with surprise as he straddled her and Loki. She was now lying on top of Loki with her back to his front as he lay along the bench. Loki shimmied back a little, taking her with him, and then Dagr was standing over her, still straddling her and Loki, and he bent his knees until his cock touched her mound. She saw him grasp the base of his cock, and then he was aiming at her pussy. She mewled and

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reached up to clutch at his bulging biceps as he began to push his big, hard shaft into her wet body. Jess had no idea how Dagr maintained his balance but didn’t really care as he thrust his hard rod into her until his balls slapped against the cheeks of her ass. She began to rock her hips, her head rolling from side to side on Loki’s chest as both brothers began to power in and out of her body. She turned her head when she felt a finger beneath her chin and licked her lips as she came face-to-cock. She looked up and was nearly singed by the heat in Hakon’s gaze. She moaned and leaned forward, licking over the slit of his cock. She couldn’t believe how hot, how turned on she was, after just being fucked to satiation until the mating fever had left her. But knew now, she would never be able to get enough of her mates. She opened her mouth wide, twirled her tongue around Hakon’s cock, and then sucked him in to the back of her throat. The sounds rumbling up out of his chest only egged her on to take more of him. Jess relaxed the muscles in her throat and pushed her mouth over Hakon’s flesh until she felt him slide down even more. She swallowed around his cock, ridding herself of the saliva in her mouth so she wouldn’t choke, and then moaned along with Hakon as Loki and Dagr increased the pace of their thrusting hips. She’d never felt so helpless, so small and feminine, yet so powerful before. It was a heady experience, one she knew she would want to repeat over and over again. She gave herself over to her bond mates, let them love each and every one of her orifices, and reached for them all with her mind. What she felt in their minds as they all connected through her blew her away. The desire they felt for her was beyond anything she would have been able to comprehend if she didn’t feel the same. But it was the determination to see her happy, protected, and loved that had tears pricking the back of her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. Then each of her mates touched her with so much love and compassion that she was sobbing around Hakon’s cock. Jess stared deeply into Dagr’s eyes as he caressed her cheek softly,

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pushing the love he felt for her into her mind. Hakon reached out with one hand and pinched her nipple, but the other was smoothing over her belly, pushing his love toward her, making her feel like she was wrapped up in a protective bubble. And Loki. Her sweet, compassionate Loki wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder tenderly. She could feel his tears of relief and joy splash onto her shoulder as she pushed the love she felt for her bond mates back toward them. Jess cried as Hakon found his release, spewing his wad down her throat, and she made sure she swallowed every drop, loving the taste of his essence and the fact she had brought him so much pleasure. She licked him clean and released him with a loud pop as he pulled from her mouth. He gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on her mouth then grinned at her wickedly as he reached between her and Dagr’s bodies, being careful not to touch his brother. He slid his finger onto her clit and began to massage rapidly, applying more and more pressure as his brothers slammed their cocks in and out of her holes. It was too much. Jess arched her neck, opened her mouth, and screamed as her whole body jerked and convulsed with pleasure. Her cunt gushed out her liquid release as her body clamped down hard on Dagr’s cock in her pussy and Loki’s cock shuttling in and out of her ass. She heard her two men roar as they reached their own releases, the hot splash of their semen coating the walls of her pussy and ass as her trembles began to subside, until she lay totally spent in their arms. Jess moaned as Dagr pulled his cock from her now-sore, hot vagina then sighed with relief when Loki carefully withdrew his cock from her ass, picked her up and carried her back to the shower. She couldn’t help but tighten her ass muscles as Loki pulled her down with him onto the seat but relaxed again and then sighed with contentment when Hakon reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. She closed her eyes and groaned with pleasure as her men washed her body, pleased she didn’t have to make the effort, because she was totally spent. She didn’t even think she had the energy to open her

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eyes. Once they were done washing her, Hakon carried her from the shower, lowered her feet to the floor, and held her upright while his brothers dried her off. He handed her over to Loki, and he carried her into the bedchamber. He sat with her in his lap while Dagr rummaged through her clothes and pulled out a loose, flowing dress of a shimmering green material. When she was covered, Loki handed her over to a now-dressed Hakon, and he carried her from the room. She snuggled her head into his shoulder, inhaling his clean, masculine scent, sighed with contentment, and wondered where he was taking her. “I am taking you to the feasting room, sweetheart. You haven’t eaten since yesterday morning. You need nourishment to keep up with your mates.” Hakon spoke to Jess telepathically, and she knew he was forever in her mind. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. She wouldn’t ever have to speak out loud again if she didn’t feel like it. “You won’t be able to help yourself, Jessamine. I cannot see you not talking ever again,” Hakon said with a grin. “I suppose you’re right. I was never one to keep my mouth shut,” Jess replied with a giggle. “Will the other women from the space transport bonded with your warriors ever come to the feasting room? How are they getting food if they never leave the bedrooms?” “Their bond mates supply them with food, and yes, they are allowed in the feasting room. I think they are quite happy for their mates to bring them nourishment. They are in what you would call the honeymoon stage of their relationship and are reluctant to leave their rooms,” Hakon replied. “Oh, well good for them, as long as they are happy, that’s all that matters.” “Yes, from what their mates tell me, the other women are very happy.” “You know I’m sorry for what I put you all through, don’t you? I

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didn’t go out of my way to make trouble. I just…had a hard time adjusting is all. I won’t be such a pain in the ass from now on. I’m not saying I won’t ever be angry or upset again, but I will try and deal with it better than I have.” “Baby, we know you didn’t mean to hurt us and make trouble, so don’t worry over it,” Dagr said as he drew alongside her and Hakon. “We love you just the way you are, Jess.” “God, what did I do to deserve you all? I think, no I know I’m in love with you as well. With all of you. I just need a little more time to adjust properly, and I need something to do with my time. I can’t spend all day every day sitting around in the garden. I’ll get fatter than I already am.” “I don’t ever want to hear you speak of yourself like that again, Jessamine. You are not fat, and we don’t care if you do put on weight. You are precious to us, sweetheart—your heart, mind, and body—no matter what size you are. Don’t you get that yet?” Hakon stopped in the hallway to look down at her sternly. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you mad. It’s just, I was always treated differently back on Earth, and for so long. I guess it will take a while before I begin to believe what you say and what I see in your eyes when you all look at me. I’ll try not to put myself down anymore. I promise.” “See that you do, baby. You are gorgeous, and we wouldn’t have hesitated to pick you out of thousands of women, no matter what they looked like,” Dagr replied, making her smile at him. “Thank you. You all make me feel so special.” “That’s because you are special, little Jess,” Loki drew to a halt beside them. “Are you ready to face them all, beautiful?” “Yes. Let’s go eat. I’m starving,” Jess said, then laughed as her stomach growled, giving testament to her words.

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Chapter Twelve Jess held Hakon’s and Loki’s hands as they led her into the dining room. Oops, she should try and remember the correct terms for the particular rooms she was entering. Feasting room, that’s what her mates kept calling it. She sat down in the seat Loki pulled out for her and felt her cheeks turn red when she saw so many men staring at her. “They are in awe of your beauty, sweetheart. Just ignore them,” Hakon whispered in her ear. Jess lowered her eyes to the tablecloth and tried to ignore the curious stares. One of the men in the table closest to theirs was making her feel very uncomfortable. She could see him gawking at her from beneath her lowered lashes. She felt Loki lean in closer to her, and he whispered in her ear. “You are our mate now, little Jess, and as such, you are now a leader of our people. If you wish to question anybody, feel free,” he said, then placed a kiss on her temple. Jess lifted her head and stared back at the rude warrior. He didn’t even seem to notice that she was looking at him. She lifted a hand, pushed her hair back from her face, and nearly burst out laughing as the man watched her every move. She finally had to find out what he found so fascinating about her. She lifted her hand, pointed her finger at the warrior, and beckoned him over by curling it back toward herself. She covered her mouth to hide her smile as the warrior jumped from his seat and swaggered over to stand in front of her. He threw her for a loop when he bowed to her in deference. “How may I be of service, Lady Jessamine?” “Uh, what is your name?”

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“I am your humble servant, Bjorn Ziland.” “I was just wondering why you kept staring at me,” Jess said quietly so only the warrior could hear. “Surely you jest, my lady?” Bjorn asked. She saw him look from her to his leaders, only to see them shaking their heads in negation to his question, then back to her again. “No, Bjorn. I’m afraid I have no idea,” Jess replied. “You are the most stunning female I have ever seen. You have fire highlighting your hair when the sun shines upon it. And your body…” Bjorn groaned, and Jess watched as he made an hourglass shape with his hands in the air. “Your body was made for…Sorry, I will not continue. Thank you for asking me your question, my lady. My apologies, sirs. Lucky bastards,” he muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Jess to hear anyway. Jess knew her face was tinged red with embarrassment. She’d never heard anyone besides her mates wax poetic about her before, and that was only a recent occurrence. But then she burst out laughing as she saw the scowls on all three of her mates’ faces. Her laughter must have been contagious, because first Loki began to chuckle, then Dagr joined in, and so did Hakon. Soon everyone in the room was in fits of laughter, and that made Jess laugh harder, because most of them had no idea why they were laughing. The arrival of the serving boys put an end to the laughter, and everyone concentrated on filling their bellies. Once the meal was over, warriors began heading toward the table where Jess and her mates sat and began to introduce themselves to her. Jess smiled and nodded politely as each man bowed before her and said their names, but she knew she had no chance in hell at remembering all of them, if any. She gave up after the first ten, sat back, and smiled until her jaw ached. They were down to the last few warriors when a ruckus at the far door drew everyone’s attention. Nadal Highmond and two other men, who had to be his relatives because they had similar features, were making their way toward her and her mates. The men were

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obviously in a hurry and had frowns on their faces Dagr stood, his voice roaring across the room making Jess jump. “What are you doing here, Nadal? I thought I banned you from our realm and household for one moon cycle.” “Forgive me, cousin. We have come to warn you of a threat to our women. One of our warriors and his brothers are rumored to have gone strange of mind. They are searching for any female they can get their hands on to mate with. They don’t care if the female has already been claimed. We have searched far and wide for these men, but have not been able to find them. We have others out searching for them, and they have been seen heading in this direction,” Nadal said anxiously. “We’ll have to help out with the search, brother,” Dagr stated. “We can’t have any of the females’ safety in jeopardy.” “I agree. Bjorn, gather all available warriors and have them ready to search for these men,” Hakon commanded, then turned to Jess. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. We are going to be busy for the rest of the day it would seem. Can you find your way back to the bedchamber and the gardens, or do you want me to send you with an escort?” “No, that’s okay. I think I can find my way back. If I get lost, I’ll just call,” Jess said, tapping a finger to her temple. She stood up onto her tiptoes, grabbed at Hakon’s shoulders, and pulled him down for a kiss. She turned and repeated the process with Dagr and Loki, then moved toward the door. Jess sighed as she took her time heading in the direction she thought their room was. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, because she found herself standing in the doorway of a massive kitchen. Instead of retreating, she walked further into the room and saw several young men cleaning away the breakfast dishes. “Can I help you, my lady?” Jess turned her head toward the boy who had spoken and gave him a smile. “You can start by telling me your name.” “I am Baldr Zigfried, and these are my brothers, Ari and Tyr. We

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are named after our fathers who look after the security of this realm.” “I am pleased to meet you. Now, how come you are the only three cleaning up this big mess?” asked Jess. “It was our turn, my lady. All the serving boys take turns in cleaning up,” Tyr answered. “Well, since I have nothing better to do, let me wash, and you three can dry.” “But, we cannot ask you to do such menial work, my lady. It’s not right,” Ari said, his face blushing red as he spoke. “Well, as far as I am concerned, I am no better than you are. I helped make this mess, and I would feel much better if I could help clean up. Now, move over, Tyr, and let me at the sink. And for goodness’ sake, call me Jess, not my lady.” Jess grumbled as she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. “Yes, my, uh, Jess,” Tyr stuttered out. With the four of them working together and Jess at the helm, they had the kitchen back to rights in no time. All the dishes were put away, the counters and food simulators were clean, and Jess felt satisfied at having had something to do. She walked to the kitchen door, the three boys following at her heels like adoring puppies. She rolled her eyes mentally and tried not to let her humor show. “May we escort you anywhere, Jess?” Ari asked courteously. “Hmm, well, you could point me in the direction of my bedchamber if you know where it is. That’s the only way I can find my way out to the gardens.” “If you’ll come this way my—Jess, we will lead you out to the gardens,” Baldric said, offering Jess his elbow. Jess gave him a smile, wrapped her arm around his, and let him lead her to a section of the gardens she’d never seen before. “Thank you so much. I would never have found my way by myself,” Jess stated. “You can go if you want. You don’t have to hang around me. I’m just going to wander for a while.” “We have nothing better to do at the moment, Jess. It would be a

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pleasure to spend some time with you,” Tyr said earnestly. “Okay, since you know your way around better than I do, lead the way.” Jess followed after Tyr, Ari and Baldric at her sides. The gardens were so beautiful she could spend hours just taking in the sights. They walked down the landscaped paths, the young men chattering amongst themselves as she admired the unusual-colored plants. She was just about to call a halt to their foray when she caught movement from her peripheral vision off to the left. She turned her head to see three large warriors running toward them. She tried to put herself in front of the young men, but they wouldn’t let her, and she found herself standing behind a tall wall of slight muscle. The battle didn’t last long. The young serving boys weren’t tall or brawny enough, and they fell to the ground unconscious at her feet with one blow from each of the warriors as their fists connected with the jaws from the three fully grown men. The largest of the trio swept her up into his arms and flung her over his shoulder, knocking the air from her diaphragm. Jess struggled, not that it did her a lot of good against such large, muscular man, but she wasn’t giving up without a fight. She was finally able to pull air into her lungs, and gasped with relief as the pain left her solar plexus. She kicked, scratched, hit, and punched, but the man holding her didn’t seem to notice. She just wasn’t strong enough against such muscle. She slumped down over his back, held on to the waistband of his pants, and thought of her mates. Jess opened her mind and pushed her thoughts out. She felt a brush and then heard three full-fledged roars echo in her brain. Her men had heard her call, and they were furious at her abduction. “Baby, lift your head and look around you. I need to know which way they are taking you,” Dagr commanded. Jess did as Dagr asked and looked around as much as she could. She had to let go of her hold and push her hair from her face so she could see. They were taking her into a dense forest, and she began to

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become even more frightened. She tried to push the fear to the back of her mind, knowing her men would come rescue her. “They hurt Ari, Tyr, and Baldric when they tried to protect me. You have to send the healers to them. They were lying on the ground unconscious in the garden near the kitchens,” Jess thought to her men. “It’s all right, Jess. I have sent for the healers. They will see to the young boys,” Hakon said in Jess’s mind. “Are you well, little Jess? Did they hurt you?” Loki asked, portraying his anxiety to her. “No, I’m fine. They’re running through a forest. I’ve tried to get away, but they’re just too strong.” “We are on our way, baby. Don’t panic, and just do as they say. We have all the warriors out looking for you. We will be with you again soon,” Dagr said, portraying calm to her. Jess sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. Dagr was right. There was nothing she could do to escape on her own. She was just going to have to wait for her white knights to come and rescue her. She slumped down over the goon’s back, letting her muscles relax, but made sure to look at her surroundings every now and then, so her mates could see where she was being taken. She was going to have to ask them how that worked, how they could see through her eyes. Jess didn’t know how long they had been traveling for, but the pain in her solar plexus and stomach muscles let her know it had been quite a while. She tipped her head to the side and saw they were nearing the edge of the dense forest. She was getting a splitting headache from being upside down for so long, and her body was beginning to ache from lack of movement. She lifted her head again, and one of the other warriors in her sight made her lower her lashes. But she gathered her courage and glared at him instead of cowering as he stared at her and hoped the images were being seen by her mates. She took in her surroundings and knew they were near their destination. She shifted her aching body until the hard point of the

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warrior’s muscular shoulder was no longer digging into her diaphragm and shrieked with fury when he slapped her hard on the ass. “What are they doing to you, baby?” Dagr pushed into her mind. “He just slapped me on the butt. It hurt. Oh God. How far away are you? They’ve just taken me into a small building,” Jess explained mentally, letting her mates feel her fear and anxiety. “We aren’t that far behind you, sweetheart,” Hakon stated. “When they get you into the building, I want you to pretend to faint. They won’t try and mate with you if you aren’t conscious.” “It probably won’t be an act. I’m scared,” Jess whispered into their minds. “Everything will be all right, little Jess. Just keep your mind linked with ours, and we will tell you what to do,” Loki told her calmly. “We’ll be with you before you know it.” “Thank God,” Jess whispered, just before she passed out.

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Chapter Thirteen “Shit, I can’t feel her anymore. Can either of you?” Hakon asked his brothers. “No. I think she has passed out. I could feel her panic. She was having trouble breathing. Let’s hope she doesn’t regain consciousness until we get to her,” Dagr said with a deep growl. “We have to hurry. I don’t think she will be out long. She’s too much of a fighter,” Loki snarled. Hakon looked at his brothers and then increased his speed, his brothers racing along at his side. He knew they weren’t as close to Jessamine as he had indicated. He and his brothers had lost the trail they had been following for a while. It had taken precious time for them to scout around and find signs of their mate’s abductors again. The wily bastards had traveled in a small creek for some time, obliterating any tracks. The dread of not being able to get to his mate in time was a huge burden to bear. Hakon and his brothers had never felt so useless. He could feel the knots of despair in his brothers’ guts, mirroring his own fear at not having protected their woman. “Hakon, have the healers on standby. I want Jess examined as soon as we have her back,” Dagr snapped. “Calm down, brother. We are no good to Jessamine if we lose control. You are a warrior. Use your training.” Hakon spoke calmly, quietly, hoping he would be able to convince himself and his brothers to be calm. “She is waking. I can feel her in my head again,” Loki stated. Hakon could feel the rage and fear emitting from his brother as the

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three of them eased into Jess’s mind. “Little Jess, keep your eyes closed and your breathing deep and even. We don’t want the men with you to know you are awake.” “Loki?” Jess replied timidly. “Yes, little one. I’m here, as are Hakon and Dagr. Don’t open your eyes, all right? We want you to pretend you are still unconscious,” Loki stated in a calm soothing voice. “I can feel their eyes on me. When will you get here?” “Ah, sweetheart, we will be with you as soon as we can. I don’t know how far behind you we are. They traveled in a small creek for a while, and it took us some time to find the trail again. We are moving fast and are relaying our path to the other warriors. As soon as we get there, I want you to hide. We don’t want you in any danger when the fighting begins,” Hakon explained. “Please hurry. I can feel them trying to get into my mind,” Jess told him and gave a mental whimper. “Oh God, I can feel one of them breathing on my neck. Nooo,” Jess yelled through their mental connection, then was quiet. “Jessamine, are you all right?” Hakon asked but received no answer. “Jess, answer us,” Dagr snarled through the link to their mate. “I can feel her terror. Faster,” Loki yelled at his brothers through the link. **** Jess’s eyes snapped open when she was hauled up from the bed by the neck of her dress. She whimpered and yelled in her mind as the material gave way, ripping down between her breasts. She scratched, clawed, kicked, and punched anywhere she could connect and was satisfied when the large male holding her yelled as her nails dug deep into his hand, leaving behind bloody gouges. He released his hold on her, and she fell down, landing on her feet awkwardly, then fell down

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onto her ass. She scampered back away from the three huge men glaring at her furiously. She was scared by what she saw in their eyes. They looked at her with anger and lust, making her heart thud painfully in her chest. She froze as her back hit a corner in the room. She had inadvertently trapped herself. She had nowhere to go. The man she had injured stood staring at her, fury in his eyes, but then he gave her an evil smile as his brothers advanced. “What do you want from me? I’ve done nothing to you. I don’t even know you. Please, let me go,” Jess pleaded. “No. Why should we not have a woman of our own? We have watched and waited as many of our warriors have found their bond mates. We are tired of living as monks. We need a woman, and when we heard about the Sigmund brothers’ unique-looking mate, we decided to take you for our own,” the man on the right said as he moved closer. “You decided? How magnanimous of you. You decided to take another’s mate because you are tired of not having one. Do you know how ingenuous that sounds? You sound like petulant little boys fighting over a toy. Why don’t you spare me and yourselves a lot of trouble and just walk away? My mates are already on their way. They will be here in no time, and they will kill you. Do you want to die over a mere woman?” Jess asked, trying to goad them into leaving like the cowards they were. “Shut up. You have a vicious tongue, woman,” the man on the left said and glared at her. “Why should we care now? We are dead anyway. I say we use her and find out what all the fuss is about.” The man Jess had injured coaxed his brothers. Shit. I’m in trouble. I have rabid warrior virgins on my hands. Jess mentally rolled her eyes. Why does everything always come down to sex with men? Jess breathed evenly and deeply, trying to calm her anxiety and keep her wits about her. She had no idea how far behind her mates were and needed to be alert to take any opportunity to escape if it

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arose. She was getting mighty sick of men taking her on a whim and giving her orders. Jess clasped the material of her dress between her breasts together and rose to her feet. She was so small in stature compared to the men looming over her, and she felt intimidated. She pushed her shoulders back, thrust her chin forward, and glared at them. “If you let me walk out of here, I will ask my mates to spare your lives,” Jess stated. “And why should we believe you? You are a mere female and have no control over what a warrior does,” the man Jess injured replied. “My mates don’t think I’m a mere female. They love me as much as I love them. They’ll listen to me,” Jess stated confidently. “No. I can’t wait anymore. We have waited for years to find our mate, and now the raiding has been put on hold. We will never get to join with our mate because the leaders have decreed the raiding be stopped,” the man on the right said belligerently. “Oh for the love of…Do you know why the raiding was stopped? Did you even ask?” Jess asked the men in front of her and watched as they looked at each other then back to her. “The raiding has been stopped temporarily because the word is out about you lot raiding space ships for cargo. There have been less ships to raid as a result. The leaders of your planet are waiting until the furor over your pirating dies down. Since word had gotten out, less and less women are traveling, therefore there are less women for your men to meet and bond with. When the news has been superseded by something else and more women begin to travel again, your rulers will let the raiding start up again. It’s like trying to talk to a two-year-old,” Jess muttered under her breath. “Our rulers did not explain this to us,” the man Jess had scratched said, running a hand over his face, then turned to his brothers. Jess could tell they were communicating mentally. She saw expressions flit over each of their faces as they looked to each other.

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She moved over to a chair near the far wall and sat down. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her mates. “Hakon, can you hear me?” “Yes, sweetheart, we can hear you. Are you well?” Hakon asked. “Yeah. I’m fine. Were you all virgins when we bonded?” Jess asked curiously. “Yes, baby. We were. There had never been an opportunity for us to join with any other women, since women are so scarce on our planet. Not that we wanted to,” Dagr answered. “So there’s no unwritten law that you have to remain virgins?” “No,” Dagr replied. “You’d never even thought of going to a pleasure planet?” asked Jess. “Yes, we had, but the opportunity never arose. We are always too busy with our pirating and ruling to find time for such matters. Why do you ask, sweetheart?” Hakon asked. “Before I answer, I want you all to promise me not to hurt the men who abducted me,” Jess negotiated. “What? Why would you ask this, baby?” Dagr asked. Jess could hear the anger in his question, but ignored it. He was such a dominant man. The thought of negotiating with her over the men who had taken her was probably choking him. “They really meant no harm, and they haven’t hurt me,” Jess began. “When they found out the pirating was being stopped, they went a little crazy. They figured since a lot of the warriors found their bond mates while stealing goods, they wouldn’t have the chance to meet their own mate. No one explained to them it was only a temporary measure. They didn’t think they would ever have the chance to meet their bond mate and were angry at their leaders, as well as you, for stopping the raids. They’d heard I was different from the other women, and in their angst, decided they would just take me. If your cousins had explained the stealing would begin again in a few months, I don’t think they would have done what they have.”

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“That is no excuse for what they have done, Jessamine. They need to be punished for taking you. We can’t let them get away with their crime,” Hakon stated. “Oh, I’m not saying don’t punish them, just don’t kill them. Maybe you could find another punishment more suited to the crime. They really haven’t done anything to hurt me,” Jess reiterated, then waited for a reply. When none was forthcoming she became indignant. “Well?” “Well what, mate?” Dagr asked. “Are you going to let them live? I’ll be very angry if you hurt them. They sound like lost little boys. Maybe you and your cousins can arrange for warriors to go to pleasure planets to relieve some of their, uh, urges. That way the warriors without bond mates will have something to look forward to and something like this won’t happen again,” Jess suggested. “Our mate is not just gorgeous, she is intelligent as well,” Loki replied. “I think your idea has merit, little Jess. What do you think, brothers? Do we make a rotation for our unmated warriors to have recreation time on some of the pleasure planets and suggest our cousins do the same for their men?” “I suppose we could do that. The last thing we want is for our mate to be taken from us again,” Hakon said, sighing mentally. “I think your idea is well thought out, baby. And because it was your idea, you can organize the roster rotation,” Dagr said, portraying his smirk to Jess when he felt her gasp. “Why do I have to do it?” Jess whined. “Because it was your idea,” Hakon replied. “Gee, thanks a lot,” Jess stated facetiously. “You are very welcome, mate,” Hakon stated with a chuckle. “We are in sight of the building, baby. Go and hide,” Dagr commanded. “There’s no need for me to hide. They are too busy talking amongst themselves to even bother with me now.

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“Do as ordered, Jessamine,” Hakon commanded. Jess didn’t bother to answer, but she didn’t move either. She had no need to hide now, and she wanted to make sure her mates didn’t hurt their cousin’s warriors.

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Chapter Fourteen Jess didn’t even flinch when the door to the cabin crashed open. She slid her eyes over to the door and saw the fury on Hakon’s, Dagr’s, and Loki’s faces. She rolled her eyes and covered her mouth when she yawned. Her mates drawing their swords, however, had her boredom gone and her body taut with tension. She jumped to her feet and placed herself between her mates and the three warriors who had been stupid enough to abduct her. “Put your swords away. They aren’t needed,” Jess demanded, her stance aggressive with authority. She stood with her hands on her hips, her shoulders back, and her chin in the air. “Jessamine, you will get out of the way now,” Hakon commanded, his eyes never leaving the warriors behind her. “No. I don’t think I will.” “Baby, if you don’t move out of the way, when we get you back home, I will put you over my knee and spank your pretty little ass,” Dagr stated through clenched teeth. “Promise?” Jess asked with a smile. Her mate’s baulking, then the wicked, sexy grins spreading across their faces, made Jess’s pussy clench and weep with desire. God, they were so sexy. Their runic tattoos moving as their muscles bunched when they held their swords, was enough to make her want to jump their bones. She decided playing with her mates’ minds might distract them enough so they would be more lenient on her childish abductors. She remembered how their mouths and hands had felt on her body and the sensation of their big, hard cocks sliding in and out of her holes as they fucked her. Three very aroused males groaning made her

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eyes snap open just in time to see her men adjusting the bulges in their pants. She smiled at Dagr as he glared at her. “You’re in for it now, little Jess. Dagr has that ‘just wait until we’re alone’ look on his face,” Loki said quietly with a waggle of his eyebrows. Jess just smiled and shrugged a shoulder, turning toward Hakon and Dagr as they skirted around her. She grabbed a hold of the back of their leather vests to try and halt their progress across the room, but she didn’t have a hope in hell. She felt Loki move in behind her and tried to break free as he wrapped a large, muscular arm around her waist, pulling her back from his brothers and against the length of his body. Jess gave in and slumped against him, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. She tried to hear what Dagr and Hakon were saying to the three warriors standing before her mates, their heads bowed in supplication, but she was too far away. And her mates were talking too quietly. “How did your dress get ripped, little Jess?” Loki asked from above her. Jess tilted her head back so she could meet Loki’s eyes and knew he was angry by the ticking muscle in his jaw and the fury in his eyes. Jess reached up and stroked his cheek with the palm of his hand. “It was an accident. Don’t go getting all Neanderthal on me, too.” “You didn’t answer my question, Jess. Now answer,” Loki demanded in a hard voice. Jess had never heard that tone from her gentle giant before, and could see his control was tenuous at best. So she decided to answer him. “The one with the scratch marks on his hand gripped my dress in his fist as he was talking to me. The material is so thin and flimsy it ripped. He didn’t hurt me, Loki.” Loki didn’t reply. He picked her up into his arms, moved over to the chair, and placed her in it. He gave her a hard stare, which she took as a silent command to stay where she was, and she gave a nod

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of her head. She watched as Loki stalked his prey. She had never seen him in this macho role, and it was turning her on big-time. Loki came to a stop between Hakon and Dagr. Jess saw him looking at each of the men’s hands, and then he reached out, grabbing the man in the middle by the throat. He picked the man up onehanded, with such ease, and then threw him across the room. The large warrior landing with a thud made her cringe, but she knew better than to get in the middle this time. “You are the one who scared my mate so much? You ripped her dress. How do you think she felt being in your hands, feeling so helpless against your massive size and strength?” Jess heard Loki growl. “I am sorry, sir. It was not my intention to rip your mate’s dress or hurt her in any way.” “You think abducting my mate with the intention of rape is not hurting my mate? How could you think such a thing? You were not the one connected with her mind. You did not feel her fear and anxiety to be in the hands of such large, strong strangers. I ought to rip your head off your shoulders,” Loki ground out. “Loki—” Jess began, but was interrupted by Dagr. “Stay out of this, baby,” Dagr said, pinning her with his eyes. Jess knew when to withdraw from a battle. She was just going to have to trust that her men would not go too far in punishing the three warriors. “Get up,” Hakon snarled and watched intently as the warrior rose to his feet. Jess gasped with horror as Hakon’s fist slammed into the man’s face. Blood spurted from his nose as the warrior dropped to the floor, out cold. “I see you have found my warriors, cousin. If you will leave them to me, they will be punished for what they have done,” Nadal said as he walked into the building. Jess felt her ire rise and jumped to her feet. She moved toward

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Nadal and planted herself in front of him. “This is all your fault. If you had explained to your warriors that the raiding was on hold temporarily instead of telling them there would be no more raiding, they never would have kidnapped me.” Nadal looked at her with confusion and scratched his head. “I’m sure I said the raiding was stopping temporarily.” “No, sir, you did not. If you had explained to us, we would never have taken your cousins’ mate,” one the warriors replied. “Well, shit. I am sorry, Lady Jessamine. It seems you are correct. My humblest apologies,” Nadal said with a bow. “Don’t worry about it. I know it was not intentional. My mates and I think you should arrange for your warriors to have time to enjoy the…facilities at one of the pleasure planets. That way they will have something to look forward to and not go off the deep end again. Make sure you arrange it.” “Certainly, my lady, I will see to it at once. Now, please let me offer my thanks to you and my cousins. I’m sure after your ordeal you are tired and hungry and would like to refresh yourselves,” Nadal said courteously. “Thanks for the offer, but I’d just rather go home. Do not be too hard on your warriors. They felt helpless at the loss of never meeting their mates. I think they have been punished enough,” Jess said as she looked at the warrior still supine on the floor, then glared at her mates. Jess had had enough for the day. She just wanted to go home, have a long soak in the large shower, eat, and retire. She could feel herself getting emotional and didn’t want her men to see her in such a state. She turned her back on them, skirted around Nadal, and walked out the door. Her stomach growled, and she was beginning to feel ill. Her body began to shake, and her teeth chattered together as reaction set in. She’d had a hell of a day. Jess walked over to the line of trees yards away and sat down at the base of a large purple trunk. She leaned her back against the trunk, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes. She couldn’t seem to stop

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shaking, and tears were leaking from her eyes. It pissed her off to be in such a state, but she couldn’t stop it. She lowered her head down to her knees, placed her arms around her legs, and curled into herself. She was so cold. The coldness had penetrated bone-deep, and she didn’t think she’d ever feel warm again. Then she was surrounded in heat. She lifted her tear-streaked face to see her men surrounding her. She snuggled into their big bodies, sighing as their body heat began to warm her. She could hear each of them in her mind crooning to her as they tried to offer her comfort. Eventually her teeth stopped chattering, and her shaking limbs slowed to the occasional spasm. Loki scooped her up into his arms without a word, placed a tender kiss on her head, and began walking. Jess looked over to each side to see Hakon and Dagr frowning at her with concern. She gave them a tremulous smile, snuggled into Loki’s arms, leaned her head on his chest, and closed her eyes with a sigh. She was safe and back in the arms of the men she loved. She let exhaustion pull her down and fell asleep.

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Chapter Fifteen Jess moaned and spread her legs wider as a tongue slid between her slick folds. She arched her hips up and tried to get that tongue to lick her clit. She was having a wonderful dream and didn’t want to wake up. She sighed then mewled as two mouths sucked on her achy, needy nipples, and she arched her back, pushing her breasts further into the mouths. Masculine chuckles made her eyes open, and then she knew she wasn’t dreaming at all. She looked around and realized she was back in their bedchamber and relaxed back into the pillows. She looked down her body to see Dagr looking back at her with lustfilled eyes as he ate her pussy. Hakon and Loki were lounging on either side of her, sucking on her nipples. She thrust her hips up when Dagr caged her clit between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue. When he thrust two fingers into her cunt, she threw her head back and screamed as her body convulsed with wave after wave of pleasure. Jess whimpered in protest as Dagr sat up and swapped places with Loki. He bent down and covered her mouth with his own. He swept his tongue into her mouth and devoured every inch of her, until she had to pull back to gasp in much-needed air. She looked down just in time to see Loki grasp the base of his cock and slide it through her wet folds. She arched into him as the head of his cock slid over her clit, fanning her embers of her arousal once more. Then Loki was sliding into her. She mewled as his large, thick cock stretched her skin and forged into her body. She bucked her hips up, trying to impale herself on his hard, thick shaft. He reached out and held her hips still, giving her a wicked grin as he slowly thrust his

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way into her depths. With every thrust, he gained more depth and speed, testing her control as well as his own. She could see his clenched jaw and sweat on his forehead as he eased his way into her body. They both sighed with pleasure and relief when his balls touched the cheeks of her ass. Jess reached out to Loki, intending to pull him down on top of her, but he thwarted her action and pulled her up into his lap. She moaned as his cock went in deeper at this new position and felt the crown of his shaft nudging her cervix. Jess wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, trying to move over his dick, but he held her still at the hips. She turned her head when she felt a warm, wet finger sliding over the pucker of her ass. Jess looked into Hakon’s face and nearly went over the edge when she saw the desire and love he had for her. She closed her eyes and moaned as the tip of his finger slid into her anus. She concentrated on breathing evenly and deeply as she rested her head on Loki’s chest. The burning, pinching pain made her clench around Hakon’s fingers as he slowly thrust in and out of her back entrance. The sensation of being penetrated in her ass made her cunt so much tighter, and she could feel Loki’s cock jerking inside her. She tried to rock her hips again, but her mates were in total control of her body. She was caged but loved every minute of it. She panted as Hakon added a third finger to her anus, and then she felt him scissoring them, stretching her in preparation to take his cock. She heard liquid on flesh and knew he was coating his cock in oil with his free hand. Jess couldn’t help but clamp down on his fingers as he slowly withdrew them from her ass. Jess growled low in her throat when she felt Hakon’s blunt cockhead at her anus and pushed out as he pushed in. She was on fire. His flesh and the small bite of pain, as he pushed through the tight muscles of her sphincter, were nearly more than she could stand. She was so close to another climax, and she tried to rub her clit on Loki’s shaft. A sharp slap on her ass made her gasp out loud, but the

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impending climax receded slightly. She rolled her forehead on Loki’s chest as Hakon pushed into her dark entrance until he was balls-deep. She needed them to fuck her, now. A gentle hand on her cheek made her lift and turn her head to Dagr. He was holding his cock in his large hand, stroking up and down his shaft as he stared at her mouth. Jess didn’t have to be told. She knew what he wanted. She leaned to the side slightly and licked the length of Dagr’s cock as he held the base to keep his hard flesh steady for her. Up and down she licked, paying particular attention to the thick, blood-filled vein and the sensitive nerve ending beneath the corona of his flesh. His gravelly moans were music to her ears. She opened her mouth wide and sucked him in. Jess set up a slow, steady bobbing rhythm, making sure to twirl her tongue around the top of his cock when possible. She relaxed her throat and sucked him down as far as she could, then glided back up his length again. She loved the taste of his pre-cum as it bubbled up out of the slit in his cock and onto her tongue. She wanted to show him how much she loved him and wanted, needed, to give him as much pleasure as he gave her. Jess moaned and hesitated as Loki and Hakon began to move with slow, easy thrusts in and out of her body. The friction they created along her sensitive nerve endings was so exquisite she tried to rock her hips to get them to move faster. But they wouldn’t give her any control. So Jess set out to send Dagr over the edge into bliss before she did. She sucked harder, gliding her mouth and tongue faster and deeper with every pass over his hard flesh. She could hear his moans, and his breathing escalated, indicating he was getting close to his release. She took him down her throat and swallowed, because she knew how much her mates loved it when she did that. She reached out her hand and cupped his sensitive sack in her hand. She tickled the delicate skin with her nails and was pleased when she felt his balls draw up closer to his body. He was on the edge. She slid her mouth off his cock with a pop, bent her neck, and sucked one of his testicles

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into her mouth. She rolled it and tongued it and groaned at his musky scent and the sound coming from his mouth. She released that ball and took the other between her lips, giving it the same treatment. Jess released his ball and whimpered when Dagr grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her mouth back up to his cock. He eyed her as he pushed the head of his cock back in between her lips. “Suck it, baby. I love to have your mouth on my cock. Take me down your throat.” Jess swirled her tongue around his cock, hollowed out her cheeks, and sucked hard. His cock slid further into her mouth and over her tongue. She gagged a little this time as Dagr pushed his cock to the back of her throat, but she concentrated on relaxing her muscles, and then he was sliding down easily. She got back into a rhythm of slide and retreat, making sure to hollow out her cheeks to enhance his pleasure. Jess was so full of cock she was beside herself with the pleasure her mates were bestowing on her. She moaned around Dagr’s cock with each slow thrust of the cocks in her ass and pussy. She wanted them to move faster. She wanted them fucking her deeper and harder, but Hakon and Loki wouldn’t take her hints. They each gave her a chuckle and kept their slow, steady pace. “Fuck me!” Jess yelled into their minds. “We are fucking you, little Jess,” Loki replied. “No. I need more. Faster, harder, deeper. Please?” Jess begged. “But, sweetheart, we don’t want to go over too soon. We love being buried in your tight, sweet body,” Hakon replied. “Oh, please. I’m so close,” Jess pleaded. “But we are pleasing you, sweetheart. Doesn’t it feel good to have two cocks sliding in and out of your body as well as one in your mouth?” “You know it does, but I need more.” “You’re not getting anyone else’s cock, baby. You’re ours, and no one else will ever touch you like we do,” Dagr rasped out.

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“That’s not what I meant and you know it, you ass. Oh, you are so going down for even thinking I’d let anyone else touch me,” Jess snapped. She sucked harder and faster on Dagr’s cock, taking him deeper down her throat than she ever had. Her actions seemed to spur her men on, because Hakon and Loki began to pound in and out of her holes. Jess moaned around Dagr’s cock as she worked his flesh with her mouth and tongue. She knew she wouldn’t last long now that Hakon and Loki were pounding in and out of her at the same time. She could feel her juices flowing from her cunt. Her womb was heavy with liquid heat, and the feel of having three cocks sliding in and out of her holes was such an aphrodisiac. She felt the warning flutters of her muscles as they began to coil. Tighter and tighter her internal muscles coiled as copious amounts of cream wept from her pussy. She moaned around Dagr’s cock as she felt his shaft expand and knew he was as close to climax as she was. She reached for his sack and rolled the balls beneath the sensitive skin. He roared as he reached his peak just before he shot load after load down her throat. Jess made sure she swallowed every precious drop of his essence, then licked him clean and released him with a loud slurp. A hand at the top of her slit made her rock her hips faster between Hakon and Loki. She threw her head up, eyes closed, as they pushed her over the edge. She screamed as her release swept over her, her body twitching and jerking as her pelvic floor muscles clamped down on the two cocks shuttling in and out of her at the same time. Her pussy gushed, covering her thighs and Loki as she climaxed so hard she saw stars. “I love you,” she sobbed out. “I love you all, so much.” Hakon was the first to follow her over the edge. He yelled as he held her hips still, his fluids pumping into her from the head of his cock, sent her into another climax. She jerked between her men, her breath sobbing out as she panted for air. Loki tipped her face up to his

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and looked at her with passion-glazed eyes. “I love you, too, little Jess,” he replied. Then Loki’s eyes closed, and Jess watched his face contort as he filled her cunt full of his cum. He groaned loud and long, holding her hips to his as he unloaded. Jess felt her eyes widen, and then she was in the throes of yet another climax. Her muscles clamped down, milking the last of Loki’s cum from his balls. When the final spasm was over, she slumped down onto Loki, knowing he would hold her up. “I love you, too, sweetheart,” Hakon said, kissing her on the shoulder and slowly withdrawing his now semi-erect cock from her ass. He gave her butt a pat, and she saw him flop down on the bed. “I love you, too, baby,” Dagr said quietly, and she felt him stroke a hand over her back. “You almost killed me with pleasure, Jess. By the saints, you know how to use that mouth.” Jess didn’t reply, just gave a snort and kept her eyes closed. She was where she was meant to be—with her mates on a planet where she fit just fine. Her confidence had grown, and she now felt as if she was as worthy as anyone else. She was loved for who she was, not for what she looked like. Not that she was ugly. In fact, whenever her men looked at her, she felt downright beautiful. She had found her niche in the galaxy, and it was beside the three Sigmund brothers, her mates.

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Epilogue Three months later. Jess bolted for the commode room and made it just in the nick of time. She felt so sick, and she was. She heaved until there was nothing left in her stomach, and when her stomach finally settled, she flopped onto her ass on the floor. She was so tired she barely had the energy to keep her head up. Movement behind her made her lift her head and stared through bleary eyes to see her mates frowning down at her. “Go ’way. Leave me alone,” Jess grumbled, then moved quickly back to her previous position, her head hanging over the commode as she retched. “Hakon, summon the healers. This is the second morning in a row our mate has been sick. I want her examined,” Dagr demanded. “I already have, brother. I did as soon as I woke and heard Jess was sick again,” Hakon replied. Loki knelt down next to Jess, smoothed a gentle hand through her hair, and picked her up. He took her back to the bed and placed her in the middle of the mattress, then poured her a glass of water and gave it to her. “Thanks,” Jess murmured and drank. She felt much better now that she finished being sick. Whatever had ailed her over the past two mornings had gone. “I feel much better. You can send the healers away.” “No. You will let them examine you. You have been tired and grumpy for a couple of weeks now. Something is not right,” Dagr said

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with a frown. “Maybe it was something I ate,” Jess said, steering her mates’ thoughts. She knew damn well why she was waking up sick and had been so tired and grumpy. But she wanted the healers to confirm her suspicions before she said anything to her mates. She was just glad Loki had given her the skills to keep anything she didn’t want known by her mates to the closed compartment in her brain where she stored her most private thoughts. A knock on the door heralded the arrival of the healers. Dagr gave her a scowl and went to let the three men in. Jess tried to shoo her mates away, but it was like trying to convince a brick wall to move. They hovered over her as the three healers examined her and when the healers were done, they gave her a smile and a conspiratorial wink. She watched as Elder turned to her mates. “Lady Jessamine is fine. She is in peak health,” Elder stated. “Then what is wrong with her? Why has she been sick the last two mornings?” Hakon asked as he glared at Jess. Jess watched as the scowl turned to pure joy as lightning struck. Hakon, Dagr, and Loki crawled onto the bed, surrounding her. “Are you pregnant, sweetheart?” Hakon asked, not waiting for confirmation. “Any wonder you’ve been so tired and moody.” “Gee, thanks,” Jess grumbled. “How far along are you, baby?” Dagr asked, a wide smile on his face. “About a month or two, I think. I can’t really remember,” Jess replied and looked over to Elder. “My lady is three months pregnant and is already beginning to show,” Elder answered. “Hmm, and I’ll bet you lot just thought I was getting fat,” Jess grumped. “My lady will deliver twins in approximately six months,” Elder stated with a smile. “Twins?” Jess shrieked. “Oh my. No wonder I’ve felt so tired and

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grumpy. I love you all so much. I can’t wait to hold your babies in my arms,” Jess stated firmly. She then burst out laughing as joy filled her heart. She smiled at her men and was glad to see they were also happy about the news of her pregnancy. They were pounding each other on the backs in celebration. She sat up on the bed and was about to get up but felt dizzy. She was intending to lie back down again but didn’t get the chance. She promptly fainted. Lucky for her she was already on the bed, because her warrior men were too caught up in the moment and wouldn’t have been able to get to her in time. They were all hung up on being the fathers of twins and smiling at each other.

THE END WWW.BECCAVAN-EROTICROMANCE.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR My name is Becca Van. I live in Australia with my wonderful hubby of many years, as well as my children, a pigeon pair, (a girl and a boy). I have always wanted to write and last year decided to do just that. I didn’t want to stay in the mainstream of a boring nine-to-five job, so I quit, fulfilling my passion for writing. I decided to utilize my time with something I knew I would enjoy and had always wanted to do. I submitted my first manuscript to Siren-BookStrand a couple of months ago, and much to my excited delight, I got a reply saying they would love to publish my story. I literally jump out of bed with excitement each day and can’t wait for my laptop to power up so I can get to work.

Also by Becca Van Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 1: Slick Rock Cowboys Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 2: Double E Ranch Ménage Everlasting: Slick Rock 3: Her Ex-Marines Ménage Everlasting: Terra-form 1: Alpha Panthers Ménage Everlasting: Terra-form 2: Taming Olivia Ménage Everlasting: Coming Home Ménage Everlasting: Help Me Fly Again Ménage Everlasting: Re-awaken Me

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com