Not familiar with the intense emotions, she struggled to put into words how deeply Nu’s confession affected her.
“
Meena
? I didn’t really hurt you, did I?” Nu asked, looking anxious.
Anin burst into tears and planted kisses all over Nu, wherever she could reach. When she met his mouth, she heard him chuckle, and then she was kissing him with all the love she felt deep inside.
“There you go.” Set sounded relieved. “Let it out,
meena
. Show us the truth, that’s it.” He rubbed her back and her bottom, stroking with tenderness.
“I think,” she said when she could catch her breath. “I think, I mean, I know...”
“It’s okay, Anin.” Nu cupped her cheek and kissed her gently. So soft, in contrast to his brutal taking earlier.
“I love you. Both of you.” There, she’d said it. “I have from the first. You are my true masters. I will never serve another as I serve you. Forever.” She couldn’t help crying and bowed her head.
“Anin.” Nu groaned. “How did I get so fucking lucky?”
“Watch your mouth,” Set chastised, a smile in his voice. “This is our future mate you’re talking to. You are going to join with us, aren’t you,
meena
?”
“If you’ll have me.” She sighed into their embrace, fully accepted for the first time in her life. “Please tell me this is real.”
Nu nudged her with a hard-on. “As real as it gets. And if you don’t turn down that scent, we may never get out of this bed again.”
Set groaned. “Let’s clean up. We have vows to make and a bonding to commence.”
“Speaking of that bonding. Anin, love, look at me.”
She blinked into Nu’s concerned gaze. “What’s wrong?” He wasn’t going to take it back, was he?
“I know your childhood wasn’t very good. Hell, that’s putting it mildly. But would you consider bringing our child into this world? The birthing won’t be easy, but it’s his creation that’s the fun part.” He smiled but remained guarded.
“The reason he’s asking you is that typically during the bonding ceremony, children are conceived,” Set explained. “It’s our god’s way of blessing a union.”
“Do you think Vas will have me?” she wondered. “I’m a Creation. I wasn’t made by the gods.”
“I think you were. Vas is a tricky bastard,” Nu said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hand in your making. Only he could make a woman with a warrior’s strength and the soul of a submissive. Anin, you have no idea how hard you make me when you turn all feisty.” His eyes glowed. “I’ll always want you. But more, I’ll always love you.”
“What he said.” Set grinned and held a hand to her, helping her out of bed.
“Well?” Nu asked.
“I would be honoured to carry your young.” She blinked back more tears. “I’m able to control my body’s ability to conceive.” She smirked. “Which is why Synster never had any luck getting me pregnant.”
Set grinned. “Our clever Anin.” Set gave her a smack on the ass and a kiss on the lips. “Now let’s clean up and let Mother know the good news before we get down to making some babies.” He disappeared through the door.
Nu groaned. “Well, that took the edge off my hard-on. I guess we’ll save our bonding for later.”
“Babies?” Anin wanted them, no doubt. But so soon? Maybe she shouldn’t have confessed to such control over her body.
As if reading her mind, Nu stood and gathered her in his arms. “Maybe we’ll wait a little for young, hmm? After all, I just found you. I need more time before I’m willing to share those breasts with anyone but my annoying younger brother.”
“I heard that,” Set yelled from the lav.
“Let’s clean up, and I’ll tell you what you’re in for. A Ragga bonding can be pretty intense.”
“More intense than what we just shared?” Anin couldn’t imagine it.
“No.” Nu kissed her, as if unable to help himself. “But it’s just as beautiful, if in a tamer way.”
She gave him a fake pout. “Well, okay, but only this once. Is it bad for me to admit I like it when you spank me? I like it when you play rough.” In the time it would take Nu to leave a mark, her skin would heal. Such was her genetic make-up that she rarely bruised or scarred.
“It’s very bad to admit that,” Nu said. “I’ll have to add another punishment to your growing list.” He ran a hand along her thigh and played with the wet folds between her legs. “Oh yes, you’ve been very bad. Let’s see how creative Set can be with discipline, shall we?”
Chapter Eight
Set couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful bride. Anin wore the formal
feshwa
his mother had made. Fragile fabric in the sand-coloured dye that proclaimed to one and all his bride’s acceptance through the People of Vas. Though he and Nu hadn’t cared, the church had blessed their union. It made their mother happy, so they accepted the representative from the People of Vas and celebrated their union.
Both he and Nu wore the traditional garb, sand coloured
rak
-hide and ceremonial marks to signify the union. One diagonal scar on each pectoral muscle, freshly blooded so that they might mark their bride’s cheeks with their defensive oath to always protect her.
The union had drawn a surprising crowd. Nearly half the town gathered outside in the town centre. His mother was beside herself with tears, and proclaimed to one and all what a fine match her sons had made. Men congratulated their fathers and grandfathers, that Nu and Set followed tradition to take a mate together. After the ceremony, one and all placed bets that it wouldn’t be long before Anin was round with their child.
“Damn. How come you Fas’s get all the luck?” His old friend Mernu griped. “Your mother is hot, and your grandmother, Vas bless her, was the most popular woman in town a hundred years ago. Now you find that fine piece of…well, that fine looking woman,” Mernu corrected at Set’s look. “Come on, tell me. She’s not just pretty on the surface, right? I bet she’s hot as hell in bed.”
Set merely grinned, and Mernu stalked away muttering under his breath. Nu and Anin stood apart, but his brother rarely let her out of his sight. Anin had definitely worked her way under Nu’s skin. Still surprised at how forceful and
creative
Nu had been in the bedroom, Set couldn’t fault his results. Anin was now theirs permanently.
It was too bad her family hadn’t been able to arrive in time. He grinned.
Yeah, right.
Her sister Erin he wouldn’t have minded. And he liked Rafe, her mate. But Anin’s brother Ryen... That son of a bitch was a real pain in the ass.
A sudden commotion drew his attention, and he saw Nu make his way to Anin’s side. Several bodies pushed through the crown. Joining Nu, Set flanked Anin, prepared for an oncoming threat. A familiar scowl appeared heads above the crowd.
Anin grinned.
“Shit,” he and Nu said together.
“Ryen. Erin!”Anin ran to meet her family.
“I thought you said they couldn’t be here for a few more days.” Nu glared at him.
“That’s what Rafe told me.” Set sighed, but he couldn’t feel too badly. The smile on Anin’s face made him so happy. At times he wondered who really ruled their small trio. As much as he and Nu mastered their female, it all came down to Anin’s happiness.
Erin left her sister and approached them with tears. She surprised Nu with a hug, then she turned to Set. Like Anin, Erin possessed a Creation’s colouring. Dark hair, hers more red than blue, and the same alien eyes. Yet she wore a mantle of toughness over her shoulders like a shield. Their
meena
, on the other hand, looked as sweet as spun honey.
“I’m so happy for you three. Anin is so much better now.” Erin sniffed. “She told me how much she loves you. That’s so great.” As she broke down into more tears, Set met Nu’s panicked gaze.
Luckily, Erin’s mate rescued them.
“Rafe, nice to see you.” Nu sighed with relief.
“She’s a little emotional over this. Sorry.” Rafe grinned and hugged Erin to his side. “Anin looks beautiful. Congratulations, guys.”
“Thanks.” Set felt proud beyond measure. Then looked beyond Erin and saw a glare he hadn’t wanted to see again for a very long time.
Ryen, Anin’s monstrously large brother, stood in front of her with a frown. The male had anger issues. In one of his rages, he’d tossed Nu and Set away like pesky flies. And no one else had ever managed to beat one of them, let alone both of them at the same time.
Nu moved to go to her side, but Set stopped him. “She’ll be fine.”
Rafe raised a brow as they waited. After a moment, Ryen stomped away from Anin, leaving her with Drekk, another friend and business associate of Rafe’s. Ryen, he noted, was heading straight for them.
“I can’t wait,” Nu murmured, clenching his fists.
“Easy,” Set tried, but his blood was pumping all the same. Though he was mellow by Nu’s standards, Set was completely Ragga. His blood ran hot at thoughts of a fight.
“You two.” Ryen towered over them. Hell, he towered over everyone in attendance. The crowd gave him a wide berth, their eyes fastened to the male’s form. He had muscles on top of muscles, but his midnight blue eyes and golden pupils proclaimed him Anin’s relation without question.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Nu growled. “I don’t remember sending an invite.”
“Someone in your family has manners. Nala Fas. Your sister?” Ryen nodded to their mother standing with their fathers.
“My mother, asshole.”
Ryen’s eyes widened. “
That’s
your mother?”
Rafe whistled until Erin elbowed him in the stomach. “Damn, guys. I didn’t know your mother was so—I mean, that your women had children so young.”
“She’s two hundred years old,” Set said. “But don’t tell her I told you.”
“Wow.” Erin gave her mate a sly grin. “And here Rafe is always saying how immature you two are. But I’m betting you’re both older than him.”
Set and Nu glared at Rafe, who held his hands up in a gesture for peace. “Hey, my words were taken out of context. What can I say?”
“Never mind that. I want to know how these two
druns
managed to seduce my sister.” Ryen glared, his hands on his hips.
Drekk chose that moment to join them, leaving Anin with Nala. “What did I miss?” Rafe’s right hand man and apparently Ryen’s mate, the male had an easy-going temper and was hell on the ladies, or at least, he used to be.
“I hear you’ve mated,” Set said to Drekk. He met Nu’s gaze and hid a smile before turning back to Drekk. “Should I say congratulations? Where’s the lucky bride?”
Ryen growled, and Nu snickered.
“Oh, that’s right. You mated Ryen. Congrats.”
Nu chuckled, full-out laughter that only increased as Ryen glowered.
Drekk coughed to hide his own laughter. “Relax, Ryen. I swear, you’re begging for a fight. Tone it down.” The surge of pheromones in the air froze their small circle. “I said tone it down.”
Drekk’s harsh tone had a surprising result.
Ryen flushed, and the scent around them faded. “Sorry.”
“And?” Drekk prodded.
“Congratulations on marrying Anin,” he mumbled, then leaned closer. “So help me, if you hurt one hair on her precious head, I’ll annihilate you both.”
“Is it me, Nu? Or is his vocabulary getting better?” Set feigned surprise. “’Annihilate’? Looks like Drekk’s rubbing off on you. Good man.” Set pounded Drekk’s shoulder.
Drekk rolled his eyes, but Ryen answered with surprising humour.
“Oh, he’s rubbing off on me all right.” He chuckled at Drekk’s flush, and Set couldn’t help staring at this warrior he’d never known to smile, much less laugh.
Set swore. “Hell. This is a night for miracles. Rafe has a mate ten times more beautiful than he’ll ever be. Ryen can say big words, and Drekk’s blushing. What do you know, Nu? There is a miracle around every corner.”
The others laughed, even Ryen. When Anin joined them, she folded her arms in Nu and Set’s and pulled them together. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing more than one of your new husbands insulting everyone with surprising wit. I’m surprised, though,” Rafe said on a chuckle. “I thought my brother called you two the rock heads.”
“Catam,” Nu muttered, “is an ass.”
Set silently agreed. He trusted Catam of Mardu with his life, and the man had incredible fighting skills. But he loved poking fun at the Raggas, knowing their captain wouldn’t let Nu and Set take him apart. Still, Set missed their crew. They were family, if an extended part.
“Where is he?” Rafe looked around. “Hell, where’s the rest of your crew?”
“Last I heard, Catam was trying to make peace between his wife and your mother.” Set smirked. “Good thing we won’t be having that problem. Our mother loves Anin.”
“She does at that.” Nu nodded with pride.
“Lurin and Mara are somewhere in space, you know how that goes,” Set continued. Their captain, Mara Seni had mated a male with amazing powers. He was Thesha, and as such was hunted throughout the System by those that actually believed his kind existed. Like Anin, he kept his nature hidden. He and Mara had gone to his home world for a visit, wherever that was.
“Right.” Rafe cleared his throat. He knew all about Lurin, probably through his annoying brother Catam. “So what’s next for you three? You going back to
Mara’s Light
?”
“I don’t know.” Set squeezed Anin’s arm. “It all depends on what our mate wants.”
Ryen seemed to relax at that statement.
“I want,” she paused when all eyes fixed to her.
“Go ahead,
meena
.” Nu kissed the top of her head. “We don’t care either way.”
“I want you two to keep bounty hunting. At least until we decide to have, ah, you know.” She patted her belly.
“Good plan.” Set liked the way she thought.
Mara’s Light
was big enough to accommodate the crews’ growing families, though he wondered how much longer Catam would serve. His wife and growing twin girls made his life aboard the ship difficult. When Set’s trio had young, Set planned to start a ranch here with Nu and Anin, provided Anin agreed of course. Nu and he had always intended to retire on Ragga, with their family close.
“Ah, speaking of children. Anin, could I have a moment?” Drekk asked.
Puzzled, Set watched her step out of hearing distance with Drekk. When he would have followed, Ryen stepped forward.