Where There is Hope [Taos Wolven Mates 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (18 page)

Standing, Braxton gave the wolf a kick to the head. It wouldn’t kill the crazy bastard, but it would keep him out for a bit while he took care of the man’s partner.

“You know as well as I do that our females have the same rights we do. They have the right to roam our lands freely and to choose their own mates. It is against our most basic of laws to imprison them for your own wants or needs.”

“Who gives a good damn?”

“Haru. That is your name, isn’t it?”

“What of it?” The man continued to circle. He was obviously looking for an opening to attack. Braxton didn’t intend to give him one. In fact, Braxton intended to find Haru’s weak point and exploit it to the fullest. “I should have known that I wouldn’t change your mind. That human bitch has you wrapped around her little finger.” He sneered. “Tell me. How does it feel to have that little human bitch leading you around by your dick?” He waved his hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

Braxton held back his growl at the elitist’s words. He must at least attempt to end this without violence. Fisting his hands at his sides, Braxton continued to move, keeping the other man in his sights.

“I do know something you don’t.” He grinned. “I shot her nasty human ass, and she’s dead.” Haru spat on the ground as though he found talking about Hope offensive.

Unable to contain his rage, Braxton let out a low growl, his wolf fighting to take control. It wanted to rip the man to shreds for attempting to kill his mate.

Rage filled him as he stared at the man who had put his mate’s life in danger. Visions of her injury came back to him. Memories of the large gaping hole in her upper chest filled his vision. The scent of her blood in the alpha’s home, in the medical bay assailed him.

He took a deep breath and tried to feign a semblance of calm. He couldn’t allow the man to realize that, by confessing to shooting Hope, he had just signed his own death warrant.

What would he have done without her? Already he’d grown used to her presence, her sense of humor and the twinkle in her eyes when she laughed. Already he loved her beyond reason and would have never have continued his life without her.

In that split moment of clarity, Braxton realized that he loved Hope. That he needed her more than he had ever needed anyone or anything before, and his beast wanted to exact retribution for her pain and suffering.

The sounds of fighting all around him settled. He even put Joran’s own battle out of his mind. He couldn’t see or hear anything but the man in front of him. He stared at his opponent. Every bit of his attention focused on the man who had harmed Hope. His wolf snarled, wanting to attack, to kill the man responsible for his mate’s injuries.

The bloodred of a killing rage filled his vision, and he took a deep breath. He couldn’t lose control. He didn’t dare let Haru get the upper hand by losing his temper. Taking another deep breath, he looked at his opponent, saw the pulse beating in his neck, heard his heart beating and took aim.

Shifting on the fly, Braxton lunged forward and sank his teeth in Haru’s neck as he, too, shifted into his wolf. Blood spurted from the wound as he ripped the other wolf’s throat out then stood over the body, blood and gore dripping from his mouth.

No one would ever harm his mate and live. That was a promise.

Carella transported Hope to a room unlike any other she had seen before. The computer assured her that Braxton and Joran would join her there as soon as their battle was over. She also assured Hope that none of the men would die out there. The computer even went so far as to tell her that if any man received a killing blow, that she would have them up here on the ship and in stasis-healing before their heart stopped beating.

That was a comfort.

Hope couldn’t help but worry as her two men went to the surface in search of the madmen who had kidnapped her and the other women with the intent to kill them all.

If the fanatical elitists intended to kill them, what was to stop them from killing the men? She sat in the room, twisting her fingers. She’d been sitting alone for about an hour when she saw the decanter with the pink, bubbly liquid and decided she could do with a drink. Even if it wasn’t alcoholic as she’d hoped, it would at least give her something to do.

Passing by a low, steaming pool, Hope got an idea. She would have a drink and take a bath. So what if the guys got back before she finished? Maybe she’d invite them in to wash with her.

Grasping the ornate, crystal-like glass, Hope lifted the decanter and took a sniff. It smelled good at least. Pouring a generous amount into the glass, she took a sip and smiled. It was good and it tickled her nose like champagne. After another long pull, she eyed the shallow pool fed by the small waterfall that fell from the ceiling ten or so feet above her head. Whatever this place was, it was decadent. It was also hard to believe that it was on a ship.

Setting her glass down on the edge of the pool, Hope began to strip. “I hope this was meant for bathing, Carella. If it wasn’t you need to tell me right away. Otherwise, I’m going to finish taking off my clothes and step into that steaming water.” She looked around, waiting for a response.

“You are within the mating chamber. Everything is here for your pleasure. Drink the
laluna.
It will help you relax and make you ready for your mates’ return.”

“What do you mean make me ready for their return?” Hope looked at the glass suspiciously. “Is that stronger than alcohol? Am I going to get drunk off that one glass?” The idea appealed just a little. If she could get drunk, she
knew
she wouldn’t have an issue with making love to the two of them at the same time. However, she wanted to remember it, not have it in the back of her mind as part of some drunken haze.

“No, Hopeful Ackerman. The
laluna
will not intoxicate you. It will merely loosen your inhibitions while keeping you sober and aware of everything that you do.”

“Oh!” Hope lifted the glass and took another sip. “All that and it tastes good, too,” she said with a grin. Her grin faded when she had another thought. “You won’t be able to, uh, see us or anything?”

“No, I cannot see. I don’t have visual monitors in this room and my audio monitors will be disconnected once the men join you, until one of you calls upon me.” She paused. “I do try not to be nosy.”

Hope grinned. “Does anyone else know you have a sense of humor?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Hope. I am a computer. We don’t have a sense of humor. Now, if you don’t mind, I shall leave you to your bath. Relax, drink as much of the
laluna
as you like. It will not harm you, even in large quantities.”

“Thank you, Carella.”

“You are most welcome, Hope.”

A slight click told Hope that Carella had shut down the com system. Apparently, only her name spoken aloud would turn it back on.

With a small sigh, Hope stripped out of her bloodstained dress and tossed it into a square box against the wall that resembled a hamper. If it wasn’t, the guys could tell her where to put it when they returned.

Her underthings followed the dress, and she stood next to the pool nude. Dipping her toes into the water, Hope sighed again. She intended to enjoy this. Who knew when she would get another hot bath where she could stretch and soak every sore muscle in this backward time? Sure they could come to the ship, but someone had already told her that Carella’s energy stores were not infinite and they needed the energy for the mating ceremonies.

Slowly, Hope stepped into the pool. The water swirled around her as the waterfall dumped the warm silky liquid into the pool. The bottom was soft, like sand, and she curled her toes, digging them into the sand-like bottom.

It was strange to feel the sensation of land beneath her feet when she knew she was thousands of miles above the Earth in a spacecraft. It was also unbelievable, yet here she was, in a pond in a large cargo-bay like room filled with beds, baths, and all kinds of showers, from normal-looking showerheads to waterfalls and fountains. It was a hedonist’s paradise, and she intended to enjoy every second she spent here.

Leaning over, she picked up her glass of
laluna
and took another drink before she stepped beneath the waterfall to wet her hair.

A shelf filled with an assortment of bottles caught her eyes, and she went to investigate. Picking up a small bottle, she opened it to take a sniff. With a smile, she poured a little of the pleasant-smelling liquid into her palm and rubbed her hands together. It felt like conditioner. After a few more tries, she found soap. Whether it was shampoo or not was a mystery, but she didn’t care. She liked the scent and decided to massage it into her wet hair and body.

After soaping herself down and rinsing herself off, while paying special attention to certain important areas that she wanted extra clean, Hope lay back and relaxed. She never thought she could ever feel as relaxed as she did in this pool as she floated on her back, waiting for her men to return.

She didn’t know why, but she believed Carella when she told her that she would make sure all of the men returned. If what the others had said was true, Carella was just as much as a living being as they were and she took her responsibilities seriously. With a small smile, Hope stayed in the water as both her mind and body floated in a pool of heavenly warmth.

Joran stopped just inside the mating chamber door. The lights were dim, and he wanted to give his eyes time to adjust. Braxton stopped next to him, most likely for the same reason.

He searched the large room with his gaze, hoping to find Hope awaiting them as Carella said she was, but he didn’t see her…at first.

Just when he was about to turn and exit the space, he got a glimpse of pale, porcelain skin through the steam of one of the bathing pools.

They both smiled when they saw which one. It made sense that she would want to feel at home, even on their ship. The pool she chose was similar to the pond in a cave close to their home. The only difference was the fact that this was a bit cooler.

His chest felt strange. It almost ached as he stood staring at the woman he knew he’d fallen head over heels in love with. Was it the love he felt for her causing the strange sensation or was it the inexplicable need to make her his that made him feel this way?

Joran’s cock hardened as he stood staring at his gorgeous mate. It pressed insistently against the fastening of his trousers. He literally ached to feel her hands on him, to slide his length against her smooth flesh as she cupped his sac and massaged his balls.

The sight of her there, with her hair floating about her head, her breasts jutting up from the water’s surface with that look of pure bliss on her beautiful face was enough to drive a sane man mad with the need to sink his cock deep into her tight cunt.

Without a word, they both began to strip. Neither of them needed to say they wanted her. They didn’t have to decide who would take her first.

Not this time.

This time they would mate her, which meant taking her together. He couldn’t wait to sink his aching cock into her tight ass. For years he’d dreamed of this night. Both of them dreamed of this. Nothing felt like making love to the one woman the gods made specifically for them. No woman had ever stirred his emotions as Hope had and no woman had ever made him feel what she did, physically or emotionally. Lifetimes spent alone waiting, with only Braxton as his companion, were all worth it.

Slowly, they drew closer to their mate, and he smiled. She was beauty itself. Hope lay on her back in the water, her head resting on a strategically placed water pillow that resembled a rock. Her perfect breasts stuck out of the water, their rosy nipples hard from the cool air wafting over the pool.

With her arm outstretched, she held her fingers wrapped around the stem of a crystal glass filled with a pink liquid that could only be
laluna.
She looked asleep with her eyes still closed, but he knew she wasn’t. After a moment, Hope lifted the glass to her mouth and took a sip.

A low moan escaped her full, pink lips just as Braxton elbowed him and pointed to a spot lower on her body and grinned. “It looks like she couldn’t wait.” He indicated the hand resting over her neatly trimmed mound with her fingers sliding through her pussy.

“I can’t wait, either,” Joran said as he discarded the last of his clothing and waded into the pool.

Unable to stop himself, he reached down and grasped his cock. He slid his hand up and down the thick length several times in an effort to appease its need for stimulation. Gods, it felt like forever since he’d come, but it had only been a few short hours, or long ones, depending on perspective, he supposed.

Hope raised her head and opened her eyes when they splashed into the pond together. “Thank goodness you’re all right.” She smiled as she pulled her hand from between her legs. She gave them both a sheepish look and said, “Sorry, I got lonely and just a little horny thinking of you two while I waited.”

“Just a little horny?” Joran teased. He couldn’t help it. She was so beautiful when she blushed. He wanted to see more. He wanted to feel more. He couldn’t wait to feel her hands on his skin, her silky hair wrapped around his cock as she sucked it until he couldn’t take it anymore and fucked into her until they both came.