Deep Pressure

The Trigon Rituals II: Deep Pressure

Angelia Whiting

The Trigon Rituals II:

DEEP PRESSURE By Angelia Whiting

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The Trigon Rituals II: Deep Pressure

Angelia Whiting

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© copyright January 2007, by Angelia Whiting Cover art by Jenny Dixon, © copyright June 2006 New Concepts Publishing Lake Park, GA 31636 www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

The Trigon Rituals II: Deep Pressure

Angelia Whiting

-My sincerest thanks to Janalee R. for your wonderful comments. -To De Shanna thanks for the help-love ya darlin’

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The Trigon Rituals II: Deep Pressure

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Transcending the galaxies the hunt has begun. Two come to claim her and three become one.

Prelude Deep within the CalyTron Galaxy in the sector known as the Third Ward, more than fifteen hundred phases back, the ancient planet of Tertia was just beginning to travel amongst the stars. Led by a team of mostly females, they were the first of their kind that would soar to skies afar. Their first stop was a nearby planet. Uninhabited and vastly rich with resources and wildlife, it was dubbed the sister planet to Tertia and became known as Terta Minor. By the end of the epoch many Tertani had transmigrated and the planets flourished. Technology on both worlds abounded, as well, and it wasn't long before the Tertani advanced beyond the forefront of space exploration, developing the capability to navigate the galaxy beyond their homeland territories. New worlds were discovered, some deserted, some primitive, and some possessing knowledge that was exceedingly more advanced than the Tertani could have ever imagined. And within the axis of these progressive societies, they found a highly organized, intergalactic system. Under the control of a regulatory commission, known as the Galactic Allegiance it was the means by which the societies within the CalyTron Galaxy kept law and order. Consisting of representatives from each of the planets, the Tertani were eager and pleased to join their folds. It was an exciting time in Tertian history, for their advancement in space exploration was about to explode. Tertia and Terta Minor were keeping company with the greatest explorers and the most advanced societies that they had ever known. Tertani females in particular clamored to be part of these first expeditions. Restless by nature and with an innate sense of adventure they became almost feverish about participating in space voyages. In addition to that and much to their pleasure, the vastness of the universe provided a greater distance to which they could run when the whim struck them. Far be it for the Tertani males to interfere with this need, for not one would argue with the females' penchant for fleeing. Particularly when it came to sex and breeding. As an undomesticated culture long ago, the Tertani women once traveled in aggregates away from the men, roaming freely on the Tertian terrains. In order to marry and mate, the men had to stalk them down. Of course, it wasn't uncommon for a female to become overwhelmed by two alpha warriors, known as the brethren males, intent on ravaging her body. Thus came the reaction to escape. It was instinctive, an intrinsic part of their natures, carried through the generations from the dawnings of old. A deeply revered spiritual element of the Trigon Rituals, this fleeing of the females and stalking by the males was called the Triconjugal Hunt. But it was more a celebration than it was a frustration. In fact, once the summoning of two males to the Trigon and the subsequent translinking, or blending of their minds had begun, they much enjoyed the chase. Just as it was in their ancient history, the same still held for the Tertani men of the modern age.

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The faster and harder their female ran, greater was the impulse and the pleasure to pursue her. And the longer a time it took to capture and claim their Tina--the Tertian word for virgin, the more aggressive and persistent and sexually aroused the Trigon males would become, urging them on a relentless quest for her. And dare no man or beast or spirit get in their way. By the time the Tertani people were fully integrated within the advanced societies of CalyTron, more than seventy percent of their unmated women had become nomadic, visiting planet after planet in the galaxy. Though this resulted in a higher proportion of Tertani men living on the home planets than women, it really brought no concern, for they were never known to marry with other than their own kind. It was by sacred blessing of the Mahatma Divinities that the Trigon brethren found their mate. And she was always a Tertani female. Until catastrophe struck. Known as Brits Scorn, there was no cure. It came in the form of a highly contagious, sexually transmitted disease, and since sex was considered a recreational activity by many in CalyTron, it spread quite easily. But because it took epochs to thread its way through the galaxy the impending devastation that Brits Scorn would eventually cause was not immediately recognized. It affected females and males differently. Where infected males typically lived to their life’s full expectancy, the disease slowly ate away at their brains, making them violently aggressive, but no less intelligent. Females on the other hand, didn't become aggressive, but they usually died within three to five phases, or years. Some females escaped infection but became carriers and could infect the males they had sex with. Infected Babies born to them before reaching their first phase of life. Some of the offspring were born as carriers, while other babes were completely free of the disease. Of those free of disease, the females were sterile, but for unknown reasons, the males were not. The disease first ran rampant on the planet Krell. It began as a curse cast by the faerie, Windi Britny some epochs back, after she was violated by Jonhi, a Krellian prince. Though clans of Krellians managed to escape, the disease eventually snatched every individual who remained there. Realizing the future of their race was doomed, the Krellian males, in their madness from being tainted, began a reign of war, organizing a massive invasion of as many planets as they could conquer. Men were slaughtered, women, mated or unmated were seized, repeatedly passed around and brutally raped as the Krellians sought to breed. Though the Galactic Allegiance deployed military regiments and managed to set up perimeters that held the Krellians at bay, Brits Scorn had become epidemic and crept its way to many planets in the galaxy. As a result, a high percentage of men driven to insanity and irrationality by Brits Scorn, joined and fought on the side of the Krellians. Collectively they were known as the Radicals and became the enemy of the Galactic Allegiance. Subsequently, The ISDS--Intergalactic System for Disease and Sickness Control began to move quickly. Quarantines and galaxy-wide medical screenings were called for. Infected individuals were barred from society and banished to the colonies of Puratan to live out the remainder of their days. But despite the massive effort to eradicate the disease, it was already too late. Of the fifty-two planets, thirty already harbored many individuals who were contaminated and it was impossible to find and isolated them all. As Brits Scorn spread, infected women began to die. The balance between males and females became exceedingly unequal and the availability of fertile, untainted females became a

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dire need. The Tertani were no exception. With the majority of their women living away from the homelands, they too were succumbing to Brits Scorn, though it was mainly by rape since Tertani women typically remained virgins until the time came to mate. Regrettably, it was their virginity and guarantee of being untainted that made them prime targets. It meant more babes--offspring, for the Krellians and their Radicals assuring, at least in their own warped minds, the continuation of their race. The number of Tertani females became critically diminished. Fewer and fewer Tertani men were being called to the Trigon, threatening to drive the race to extinction. The Mahatma Tribunal finally intervened. As spiritual leaders of the Tertani culture they beseeched the Mahatma Divinities for mercy. Their pleas were heard. Tinas from outside of Tertani society were revealed to the Trigon males, women they were capable of mating with, of siring children with. Women they were capable of loving. The brethren eagerly sought these females finding them on a number of planets throughout the universe. And one of these planets was a place called earth.

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Earth: Three years before Tren and Rjant claim Alea. Calytron Galaxy Cosmic Date: 249 Epochs Lemac and Dgor search for their mate This is Karen Whitaker's story:

Chapter One A gasp left Karen's mouth. One firm hand fondled her breast. Another rubbed between her thighs, his palm flat and pressing as he cupped her. Behind her a sturdy cock shifted against her bottom. Unyielding lips clamped tightly to her mouth. A tongue dashed in and out. He was wrapped all around her, solidly holding her in place, the pressure from his body--deep, soothing, arousing, strangely so, since she still had her clothes on. He never removed her clothes. She started to climax. Onw steb tixe--It is time to leave you now. No, Karen protested. Why did he always abandon her just before...? Stuj roftib--Only for awhile... Karen's eyes lifted slowly. She was in a state of frenzied arousal that had her moaning sexual need. Her thought waves tapped along her brain, sliding her from sleep and back into reality, and she realized she'd had another one of those dreams. Bart Phillips stood in the aisle and was staring at her. She stared back. “That must’ve have been some dream.” Her eyes widened as she felt herself blush from the top of her head straight down to the tip of her toes. Was she writhing in her sleep? Oh God! What had he seen? “Are we there yet?” Karen glanced out the plane’s window, noting sunny blue skies all around and clouds way below. She gasped at the dark green spikes jutting everywhere through the white mantle for as far as her eyes could see. It was the very tips of the Amazon canopy, the plane flying so close to them Karen could swear she heard the bottom of the craft graze a few. Her stomach flipped and disconcerted by that thought, Karen turned her head away. Bart was still staring at her. And smirking. Pushing at the heavy blanket that Karen hid beneath, she stood abruptly, the covering falling to a heap on the floor. Bart's smile widened and Karen didn’t have to look down to know her nipples, still tingling from the touch of her shadowy dream lover, were hard and poking through the light blue, spandex material barely concealing her braless breasts. Her blush deepened. She never wore a bra, couldn't stand the way the lingerie clenched at her shoulders and ribs. It was a good thing her breasts were small and perky instead of a couple of plumbobs dangling in the breeze otherwise she might not get away with it. Gripping the opening of the sleeveless blouse that Karen wore as an over-garment, she pulled it closed. “I have to go to the bathroom.” “Need help?” Ignoring the comment, Karen snatched her travel sack from the seat beside her and

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pushed Bart aside gaining access to the plane’s narrow aisle. She stalked to the back of the craft, irked by the sense of his eyes burning into her ass as she moved. Jerk. She wasn’t in the mood for his teasing. Karen had too many things to think about right now, like how the plane was going to maneuver through those massive trees and of lusty dreams that like the spread of the Amazon jungle never seemed to cease. Karen reached for the handle on the slit of a door to the bathroom. Simultaneously the plane hit a series of air pockets and the craft began to dip and rise. Her stomach lurched opposite to the movements and she grimaced. It would only be a matter of seconds before a secondary reaction assaulted her. Slipping quickly through the door, Karen locked it shut behind her. She fell back against it and then slid downward until her bottom was planted on the floor. The anxiety slammed through her and Karen closed her eyes hoping it passed quickly. Crossing one arm over the other, Karen squeezed them tightly to her chest. She shrugged up her shoulders and tensed while pressing against the door putting pressure on her back. It was a technique she used to self-calm. Sudden changes in movement, particularly when it was simultaneously bidirectional, sent Karen's nervous system into a tailspin. Karen would never consider riding a rollercoaster with its frequent twists and turns or, god forbid, anything that went loopity-loop. She even had trouble with the round and round, up and down movements of a merry-go-round horse. It didn't matter that Karen realized she wasn't falling. Her body couldn't adjust quickly enough and physically reacted as if it might. Vestibular Processing Disorder. She'd had it all her life. It was the reason she avoided most amusement park rides. And airplanes. “Why the hell am I on this plane,” she whispered to herself. Taking in a deep breath she began to relax, one muscle at a time. “Beetle secretions that’s why.” Slowly Karen rocked herself from side to side. Just as a mother might do with her infant, the linear swinging motion was calming. She released a long breath until the tension began to melt away. The plane continued to sway around her but Karen could tolerate it, at least for the moment. “Twenty thousand dollars for collecting bug juice.” Not that Karen needed the money. The combination of her trust fund with her salary afforded Karen quite a cushy income. She was more interested in the research than the money. Reaching up, Karen grasped the rim of the sink and pulled herself to a stand. She looked in the mirror. Hazel eyes stared back at her, red and somewhat glazed from the deep sleep she'd just emerged from. “I must be crazy.” The last time Karen was on a plane--her parent's private jet plane, she threw up all over the place. Of course she was only three years old and her jetsetter parents attributed it to air sickness. On the return flight, she kicked and screeched all the way down the concourse and then cried on and off--mostly on--during the entire four hour journey home. Nothing her parents did comforted her. Her anxiety had escalated to a point of no return. That is, until she went into shut down as the plane landed, falling asleep for nearly twenty hours afterward. It was a long ago memory firmly embedded in Karen's mind, though she was told that her aversion to flying was par for the course since the day she was born. Her independently wealthy, we must be in whatever trendy part of the world this year, parents likely had grown tired of her in-flight tantrums. They never took her on another trip after that. Even as she got older and they asked, hoping her condition had passed, Karen always told them, no. It didn't stop her mother and father

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from their lavish travels, however. And for long periods of times, weeks, sometimes months, they left her home alone. Well, not exactly alone. There was a staff of twenty-five that resided in the Whitaker mansion estate, all more than willing to fulfill Karen's every whim, though somehow she ended up appreciating her luxuries instead of becoming spoiled by them. Karen shrugged off her blouse, unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down. She peeled her arms out of the long sleeves of the full-length, one piece, body suit she wore and then stretched the spandex material over her bottom. She plopped down on the commode, gritting her teeth against the feeling of the cold seat. “Look at me, Jen.” Karen mumbled to herself. Jennifer Sealy was Karen’s best friend. Jennifer Sealy was also five years dead. “My mom would go into shock if she knew I was on this trip.” But she didn't know. Karen hadn't spoken to her parents for four months and she had no idea what part of the world they were venturing in at the moment. They would eventually call. Eventually. Other than Jen, no one understood. Not her parents, or the staff, or the nanny who Karen knew better than her own mother, or the string of psychiatrists who tried to cure her. Fear of flying, fear of heights, fear of being touched, fear of crowds, yadda yadda yadda... All of the diagnosed phobias they labeled her with were enough to make Karen phobiaphobic. Her favorite was the fear of nudity. “Nudity,” Karen snorted. She would prefer to run nude if it was socially acceptable given how terribly awful and scratchy most clothing felt against her flesh, especially the stitching or seams, and the annoying tags she always ripped from the neckline. It's why she wore the seamless, leotard. They were custom made and Karen wore them beneath all of her typical clothing, though she suspected most people found her manner of dressing far from typical. It was such a pain in the ass struggling out of tight garment, especially when she had to pee in a hurry. But Karen's choices were to either wear the bodysuit, or feel irritated all day long by cloth she found exceedingly offensive. The skin hugging material of the bodysuit also compressed against her skin and Karen found it to be soothing. It was a secondary reason she wore them and had the same effect as cuddling under the heavy blanket she'd brought on the flight. The two combined gave her the ability to tolerate many of the environmental stimuli that she was defensive against. Such as this god forsaken, tiny airplane she was now flying in. That was swaying. And bobbing up and down. In the air …. And with the ground miles beneath her and treetops that threatened to split them wide open spilling passengers into the Amazon basin like coins dropping into the tray of a paying slot machine. Minus the chink, chink, chink. It would be more like a splat, splat, splat. “Damn.” Karen dropped her face to her hands as another wave of uneasiness swept through her stomach. It wasn’t hitting the ground she was worried about. I’d probably like the hard impact that would occur right before I died, Karen dolefully thought.

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It was the falling through the air that concerned her. She didn’t want puking all over the Amazon to be known as her last act on earth. “Put it out of your head.” The whole of her thoughts would actually be quite amusing if Karen’s body wasn’t working so hard to keep her nervous system homeostatic. Her mind wasn’t helping. She started to hum a low, rhythmic tune to help with the bio-regulating process--white noise--Karen called it, soothing to her senses. There was a knock on the door. “Karen, are you okay?” It was Jillia Dalij, a colleague and one of the five scientists from Westbrook Pharmaceuticals that were contracted for this Amazon project. Jillia was assigned as team leader of the expedition though she’d only been working for the company for three months. Karen supposed it was because Jillia came with exceptional credentials as well as extensive experience in fieldwork. Whatever it was, Karen’s colleague seemed to know a lot about a lot of things. “I'm fine,” Karen answered. I'll be out in a minute.” “Bart sent me back to check on you, he said you looked a little flushed.” “I'll bet he did,” Karen murmured too low for Jillia to hear. Bart was always sniffing around her and Karen flatly ignored his flirtations. He was handsome enough, and though she really didn’t have a policy against dating men she worked with, Karen wasn’t attracted to him. As a colleague and a friend, Bart was okay and Karen might’ve been interested in something further if it wasn’t for the very real problem she had with all men. Karen couldn’t stand them. It wasn’t because she was a lesbian, or some hostile man-hater. It was because they were extremely bothersome to her--bothersome in the sense that when a man got too close, she wanted to take a few steps back. In fact, Karen had trouble tolerating the nearness of any human being, not alone being touched by them. Male or female, it didn’t matter who it was. Karen always shrank away, preferring to keep a wide personal space around her. “Phobias my ass,” Karen whispered. She was an adult before discovering that her psychiatrists were all full of shit. What she really had was called Sensory Defensiveness. “Did you say something, Karen?” Jillia was still standing outside of the door apparently. “I’m talking to my alternate personality.” Geez can’t a girl take a leak in private? She heard Jillia’s chuckle through the door. Standing, Karen shimmied back into her body suit, relaxing a bit as the material molded all over her flesh. She donned her blouse and yanked up her jeans, fastening them. After washing and drying her hands, she stepped through the door. “Flushed my ass, you're as white as a ghost.” Jillia was standing in the tiny space outside of the bathroom when Karen came out. “Are you air sick?” “No.” Karen answered, keenly aware that Jillia was much too close, her invasive nearness causing Karen to grit her teeth. Jillia looked at her askew, doubtful. What could Karen say? Whenever she tried to explain the truth, people always responded as if she were crazy. “Okay, maybe a little air sick.” It was likely Jillia would be no different. And she couldn't stand another round of you should see a psychiatrist or just get over it. Just get over it. People were idiots sometimes. “Well, we're almost there.” Jillia gave her a sympathetic look.

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Karen glanced up the aisle. The plane was about half full with only twenty passengers on board. It was a small charter flight they'd transferred to after landing in Lima, Peru. Nodding in response to Jillia's comment, Karen slipped by her colleague and headed back toward her seat. She hoped that Jillia wouldn't sit beside her and was relieved when she sat in the row just in front of Karen, next to Devlin Brown. He was another of the Westbrook scientists on the flight, and his specialty was in entomology--bugs. Taking her seat, Karen sighed in relief. She wanted as much personal space around her as she could claim. Grabbing her blanket from the floor, Karen cuddled beneath it, shifting until the material was smoothly and comfortably cocooning her. “Attention ladies and gentlemen.” A chime sounded and the fasten seat belt light came on just as the stewardess began speaking. “The captain has informed me we're beginning our descent. Please place your seats in the upright position and check that your seatbelts are fastened.” Karen fumbled for the ends of her belt, and then clicked them together. She tugged a few times to make sure the belt was secure. Outside of the airplane’s window she could see the fringe of the cloud front ahead in the distance--clear beyond that, it would be sunny where they touched down. As for now, it appeared they would be submerged in the clouds before reaching their destination. The clouds came up beneath them, and wispy tree tips brushed by, wrenching a fearful shudder from Karen. Suddenly the plane became fully consumed in the whiteness of clouds, obscuring her vision. Holy shit. Was the pilot navigating between the trees? She really didn’t want to know and was glad she couldn’t see. To the sound of landing gear locking in place and the jolting of the plane, Karen closed her eyes. She had no desire to watch when they burst through the bottom of the clouds and dropped through the skies. She instead let her thoughts drift to images of her erotic, reoccurring dreams. It began several months back, with the sound of voices beckoning her, though she really couldn't understand what they were saying. But the lilt was so alluring, sensual and exciting, that Karen couldn't help but call to the voices speaking from somewhere in the darkness. This happened a few more times until finally, a shadowy image emerged. The essence embraced Karen and draped her body, the touch of it so firm and comforting that she relaxed immediately, enjoying the arousing sensation and thorough exploration of what felt like lips kissing her mouth, hands kneading her breasts and a palm rubbing her between the thighs. But he withdrew from her before she peaked. Karen marveled at the wet dream, admitting that she'd never had one so intense and so vividly realistic before. He came back to her. Though the image was still a blur, this second time Karen could actually feel the strong, masculine form. Instead of shrinking away as she normally would have with physical contact, Karen responded with pleasure to the hard body firmly wrapping and tangling with hers. Withdrawing and vanishing again, the dream disintegrated before Karen could experience her climax. It was exasperating, but also enticing, and Karen worried that she was becoming too preoccupied with a mere dream. Still she had to sleep, and she couldn't help what happened in her dreams. Right?

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Was it so wrong that she enjoyed it? Hell no! It's not like she was getting sexual stimulation anywhere else. So what was the big deal? If only he would just let her cum. He never let her have an orgasm, but only took her to the brink and then left her, fully clothed, frustrated and craving more. Despite that, she always looked forward to his return. He did always return, bringing her to heights of arousal, each time seeming more powerful and passionate than the last. As usual he retreated before her passion could be fully realized and without her knowing what he looked like. But this last dream, the one Karen experienced on the plane was different. Instead of the ghostly images of an ethereal lover, she saw more vividly, solid and realistically than ever before. Hard and muscled, hands gripped her all over. Full lips that held no boundaries, kissed her in more than a single place at one time. And there was no mistaking the hard erection thrusting at her in front, but also from behind, pressing her firmly in between. “God, those eyes,” Karen murmured and then grimaced when she lifted her lids to see Jillia peeking over the top of the seat. Karen shrugged. “Alternate personality?” A discerning smirked formed on Jillia’s mouth causing Karen a twinge of suspicion. What does she think she knows? Karen wrinkled her brow, but Jillia didn’t comment as she turned back around. Dismissing it as being nothing, Karen closed her eyes and returned to her thoughts. It took little effort to the gather the images of what she saw. Sparkling blue eyes like topaz, he gazed at her as he kissed her. A hand grasped her beneath the chin, breaking the kiss and turning her head aside. She saw deeper blue eyes, like sapphires. But it was the gold that rimmed the irises that caught her notice. Whatever the color, they were stunningly captivating. They captured her gaze, taking possession, searing her pounding heart with the promise of ecstasy. And there was no mistaking the lust that sizzled within those ethereal eyes, wanting, desiring her, adoring and admiring her in a way that no one ever had before. The images, the sensual whispers were acutely clear, so much so that Karen was able to visually distinguish almost everything she was feeling. And she didn't know whether to be frightened or aroused by it. Or to be disturbed. Separate voices... Karen swallowed hard and opened her eyes just as they broke through the clouds. Sunshine burst forth. Brilliant and diversely green flora covered the Amazon landscape for as far as she could see. The forceful pressure that she could feel all over her body at once. Karen’s chest heaved with her heavy breathing. Outside the window, the winding Amazon River, darting in and out of the jungle’s trees below came into view as they rushed toward the ground. Four hands... Karen gripped the arms of the seat as the plane aligned with the runway below. Her stomach flipped and she squeezed her eyes shut. Oh my god. The aircraft jerked as it touched down, rattling and rushing forward. It screeched to a stop. And so did Karen's erratically beating heart.

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The man in her dreams, masculine and demanding, the man that insinuated himself on Karen's body bringing her to the pinnacle of frenzied lust wasn't one man at all. He was two.

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Chapter Two From the moment Karen disembarked the plane at the Iquitos airport, she had the odd sensation that she was being watched. Of course the uneasiness could most likely have been due to the fact that she'd forgotten to breathe during the entire landing. That and the realization she was a nympho. Okay, maybe not in the physical sense, but mentally she was still a nympho. Dreaming about two men sexually arousing her certainly put her in that category all the same. Karen snorted at the absurdity of it. If she couldn't stand being touched by one man, how the hell would she handle being touched by two? There was no way. “What's so funny?” Jillia looked at Karen quizzically. Lifting her duffel from the airport cart Karen tossed it into the back of the rental van. “Just thinking about something amusing.” “Well, I'm glad you're over the air sickness.” “Uh huh,” Karen answered as she plucked a pretzel from a cellophane bag inside of her carry-on and sucked the salt from the stick “Must be the pretzels.” She wondered what Jillia would think of her tawdry, little secret. “That's everything,” Jerry Santino said as he shoved the last of the hard-shelled equipment cases into the vehicle. Another of the Westbrook scientists, and a chemist like Karen, Jerry spoke Spanish fluently and had become an asset to the team from the moment they touched down in South America. Karen glanced inside the back of the van. It was crammed full of equipment, the crate containing the portable generator taking up most of the room. They had enough gear to set up a lab in even the remotest areas of the Amazon. Which was exactly where their assignment would take them. Sighing, Karen slung the strap of her bag over one shoulder, hoping she could endure crawling around in the jungle foliage. The scratchy twigs and sloppy earth and eek, the bugs. Beetle goo. For the sake of their research, Karen reminded herself that she needed to tolerate handling at least one kind of bug. Karen munched down what was left of her pretzel and walked around to the vehicle’s side. The sliding door was open and Bart sat at the opposite end of the bench seat in the back. If she took the middle space next to him, she’d be uncomfortably crunched between two people. That wouldn’t do. The clank of the van’s back doors being shut startled Karen momentarily, and then Jerry was standing directly behind her. “You getting in?” he asked. She glanced behind Bart. There weren’t anymore back seats, only the cargo area that was stockpiled nearly to the ceiling with all of their stuff. And Devlin was already in the single bucket seat up front where she would’ve preferred to sit. Karen leaned into the van and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey Devlin, be a good sport and let me ride shot gun.”

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“I hate riding in the backseat.” He frowned as he twisted around to look at her. “Come on, Devlin. Give her the front.” Bart intervened on her behalf. “Yeah, and why should I?” Devlin’s gaze shifted toward him. “You know she's claustrophobic.” Karen groaned silently at his words. “Remember when she got stuck in that packed elevator?” Bart continued. “She was so distraught by it that she ran to the little girl’s room and passed out cold.” “Humph.” Devlin shook his head and reluctantly gave up his space. “We can’t have Karen freaking out on us can we?” He climbed into the back. “I'm not claustrophobic,” Karen mumbled. Dropping her sack onto the van’s floor, she slid into the front seat that Devlin vacated. “And I didn’t freak out.” Well, maybe she did just a little bit of freaking out. Unable to tolerate the movements of an elevator, Karen typically walked the stairs to the lab on the twentieth floor, but for some reason her security pass malfunctioned and she couldn’t get the door to unlock that day. Since she was almost late for work, Karen bucked up and took the elevator. Waiting for an empty one, she got in, figuring the rushing sensation would only last a couple of minutes and then subside. Piece of cake. Not really. Unfortunately, ten people--and she had no idea where they came from--pushed into the elevator behind her. There was no way for Karen to get out before the doors closed. As her stupid luck would have it, the elevator got stuck between floors, trapping them for a half an hour. And to make matters worse, the woman in front of her kept shifting her course, poofy hair brushing constantly against Karen’s face in the process. And it smelled like hairspray. It really added to the lovely smell of body odor thickening the air in relative proportion to the amount of time they were stuck. Karen was so overcome with sensory overload that when she finally escaped the elevator, she literally ran for the lab and burst through the door. Her colleagues all stared at her and all Karen managed to say was elevator…stuck…sick. Immediately she headed for the bathroom and plopped onto the couch in there. Curling into a fetal position she fell into shut-down. Hence the two hours of sleeping. Thank god, the supervisor was on vacation. “I really appreciate this, Devlin.” Karen said. “Whatever.” With a clicking sound, he buckled himself into the backseat. “K, we’re off.” Jillia climbed in behind the wheel, shoved the keys to the rental into the keyhole and started the engine. “Finally. Get the air on.” Bart swiped at his sweaty brow. “It’s damn hot.” “We should try to get used to it.” Reaching toward the dash Karen fidgeted with the air conditioning buttons, putting the unit on its coldest setting. “I don’t think we packed any fans or a portable air conditioner did we?” “Nope, Devin answered. “Only the specimen freezer, and that’s only big enough for a single foot.” “We could take turns sticking our heads in it.” Bart laughed. “Not with the beetle larvae in there.” Karen shuddered at the thought. “I’d rather suffocate.” “Well, let’s enjoy the luxury of air conditioning while we have it.” Jillia adjusted the

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rearview mirror. A displeased expression crossed her face, and she readjusted it. She then moved her seat forward, and then back again. Her eyes went to the side mirror and she began adjusting that as well. “Do any of you really think these bug secretions are a cure for female infertility?” Devlin asked. “Frankly I don’t give a shit what we find.” Jillia answered as she continued to fiddle with the van. “If the company is willing to pay this kind of money to research rumors of a fertility drug, I’m not arguing.” “Well it’s rumored the tribe's concoction impregnated a fifty-four year old woman that was barren all of her life,” Bart commented. “God! There’s something so wrong with a woman that age getting pregnant.” “Fifty-four is far from old,” Jerry returned. “I’ve met some pretty sexy women in their fifties that I’d be hot to sink my sausage into.” “You are so crude.” Karen shook her head. “And you figured this out when?” Devlin commented. “Okay Mr. Purity.” Jerry returned. “We won't talk about the office Christmas party last year when you got your wiener caught...” “Don't go there!” Devlin warned, stopping Jerry from speaking any further. There was no way Karen was getting dragged into this conversation. She’d been up that road before and ended up with her foot in her mouth. Sometimes it was hard to believe they all had PhDs. “Professional please, gentlemen,” Jillia finally said. “You’re fighting a losing battle.” Karen exchanged glances with Jillia before settling into the contours of the bucket seat. She looked out the window and froze. The conversation in the van became vague to her ears and her head began to swim as a tickle taunted low in her belly before converging and storming straight to her crotch. Karen’s vagina clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden, erotic onslaught. On a shaky inhale she opened her eyes again. They stood beneath the canopy outside the airport terminal across the street from where the van was parked, about twenty or so feet away. Two men--two of the most gorgeously formed, muscular bodies she’d ever seen. Blinking, Karen tried to force her gaze away, but it wasn’t happening. She was mesmerized. The blazing overhead sun kept them in silhouette, obscuring the details of their features, but Karen could see that they were facing each other, though their heads seemed to be turned in her direction. Karen couldn’t imagine they were looking at her. She quickly assumed their attention was on something else, something nearby. With that in mind, she slipped on her sunglasses, hiding her gaze in secrecy, and continued to inspect them. Even so, she still had difficulty determining what they looked like, and Karen wished they were a little--a lot closer to her. My god! She was aroused. They looked very tall, though the one on the left was a bit taller than the one on the right, both solid and strong, broad shoulders. One had long, long hair, the mane gently lifting in the slight breeze. The other had hair that was much shorter, but still with some length, cut in mass of layers and mussed up on his head in a sexy sort of way. Despite the shield of her sunglasses however, she couldn’t tell the color--black, she thought, maybe. And she couldn’t quite tell what

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they were wearing for that matter, though they seemed to be dressed the same. Costumes? On top they wore vests of some sort, purplish or Plum? Sleeveless, boasting the muscled strength in their shoulders and arms. Oh, Karen blew out a breath. She had a sudden ache to be wrapped those arms. Her eyes darted lower. Their pants… Feeling like a lecher, but not really caring, Karen pressed her hand on her brows to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. She wanted a better view. Egads! Tight black leather? She fixated on the material which accentuated slender hips and powerful thighs. Amazing. But black leather in this heat? They had to be natives. Otherwise how would they tolerate it? Her attention flicked back upward to their faces. The one on the left tipped his head askew, and the one on the right also turned his head. They appeared to stare at each other. There seemed to be an unspoken communication between them, or were they mumbling? It was difficult to tell. But before Karen could consider it further, before she could fully absorb what they were doing, their arms lifted simultaneously. Her eyes followed the movement watching as they both formed an L-shape with their fingers and thumb, one of them with his right hand, the other with his left. They pressed their fingertips and thumbs together forming a triangular shape with their two hands now touching. The delta! Karen sucked in a shocked gasp. She narrowed her eyes in confusion and disbelief, keenly aware of the tightening in her chest and the delicious shiver that coursed down her spine, culminating between her thighs. She was getting wet. A fragrance tickled her nose. It was so pleasing that Karen could only inhale deeply savoring the scent, reasoning that the abundance of flora growing in gardens but also wildly around the airport had seeped into the van’s air conditioning vents. Despite the cool blast from the unit, a feeling, warm and comforting swept through Karen’s body. Her mind slipped into a foggy haze. And although her eyes were drifting shut, the image of the triangular shape that their adjoining fingertips created, remained. It hastened forward, coming closer to her, enlarging until it was framing her in what seemed like a three-sided doorway. With a rushing sensation that had Karen clenching her teeth she fell through. So close, Tina. Standing behind her he gripped her shoulders while skimming his lips the length of her neck. A gasp left her mouth when he bit gently into her flesh. Hands moved to her breasts. Her nipples peaked and tingled when thumbs began to caress them. Lips crushed against mouth, drawing on her, demanding. Hands gripped her hips edging her pussy against a solid erection. She heard a guttural groan. Soon, Tina. Something landed in Karen’s lap, and her eyes jerked open. She looked down and saw a map. Her attention returned to the window just as several motorized rickshaws rumbled by,

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obscuring Karen’s line of vision for a second. She frowned after they passed. Both men were gone. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Bart said to Jillia, while slapping his palm on the top of the front seat a couple of times. “Okay, okay.” Jillia returned. “Tell me where to go, Karen.” They started to pull away from the curb, and Karen nearly snapped her necked when she turned to scan the length of the airport, but there was no sign of the two men. They couldn’t have disappeared that quickly. Had she really seen them at all, or maybe her libido was playing games on her mind. Biting her bottom lip, Karen considered she must have dozed off and then dreamt she saw them at the airport. “Karen,” Jillia poked her in the shoulder causing Karen to flinch at the unwanted invasion. “What?” Karen asked, a befuddled expression on her face as she turned toward Jillia. “The map.” Jillia tipped her head in the direction of Karen’s lap. “Oh,” Karen picked up the map and started to unfold it. Geez, her hands were shaking. Her wayward imagination, dreams--whatever--were starting to interfere with her ability to function. “Hey do you think the Juaprito women are friendly?” Devlin asked no one in particular. “Maybe we’ll discover some long lost tribe of Amazon women.” Bart snickered. “Brawny, women warriors, oh yeah.” Or a couple of brawny, warrior men, Karen mused as she watched Jillia give Bart the evil eye through the rearview mirror, a warning to behave. She wondered what Jillia would think if she knew Karen’s own brain was steaming with thoughts of being compressed between two gorgeous men. And it didn’t help that every time she glanced out the window Karen found herself seeking, her attention being drawn to pairs of guys standing or walking together. Good lord almighty, was she going to start yearning for a ménage now that she understood her dreams? The tingling in Karen’s crotch gave her the answer. Apparently the answer was yes. Well, not quite yes. Though she was window shopping the town, none of the men Karen found were all that exciting. It seemed only a certain pair held that power over her. She squirmed at the thought of them. Her heart was pounding, and her flesh heating with something that had nothing to do with the weather. What the hell! This was becoming all too unhealthy, both physically and mentally. She was obsessed. With a dream no less. Karen never would have expected to be so turned on by men like that. Not just the fact that she wanted to have sex with them both at the same time, but also because of their hair. Always she refused to date men with long hair of any length. The very thought of it brushing her face when being kissed on the lips or anywhere on her body gave Karen the willies. Close cropped was her thing, maybe even cleanly shaven bald. Yet one of the two she was just admiring--er--dreaming about had very, very long hair. Dark and way past his shoulders, thick and poker straight, Karen thought it would feel soothingly heavy on her flesh. The other guy had a slight wave to the untamed layers. Shiny and silky looking, Karen curled her fingers thinking it might actually be soft and enjoyable to touch, to entwine her fingers in. She thought about her dreams. Lifting her hands, Karen formed a triangle with her fingers

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and thumb. Several dreams back he…they…called this the delta when she asked what it was. They said it was a spiritual symbol, but also the means to linking with each other--to become of like mind. At the time, Karen thought he meant it was his way of connecting to her but now she understood something more. From their actions at the airport, it seemed the two of them linked to each other first before coming to her. Shit. What was she doing? They’re just dreams. It isn’t real. “Karen,” Jillia jabbed her thigh. “Damn it!” Karen was becoming irritated. “Will you stop poking me?” “Hey take a chill pill.” Jillia’s eyes flicked to the map spread out over Karen’s lap. “I don’t know where to go, Miss Crabby.” The guys in the back snickered. “Oh,” Karen studied the street patterns briefly and then looked out the window to see where they were. “Sorry.” For the first time since their arrival, she noticed the antiquated buildings and how charming Iquitos was with its old-world atmosphere. It was a quaint and delightfully distinctive city--gateway to the Amazon, as she’d read in the brochures. It’s a beautiful place, Karen thought, her attention focusing on the red-roofed structure they were slowly passing. “Hey that’s the Casa de Hierro,” Jerry said. “I recognize it from some pictures I saw. Give me that map, Karen.” Before she could hand it to him, Jerry reached into the front seat and snatched the map from her hands. Jillia stopped the car in the middle of the street--not a big deal since there was little in the way of traffic. They all took a gander at the iron building. “It was designed by Gustav Eiffel in eighteen seventy-eight,” Jerry continued. “Yep, that’s definitely the Casa de Hierro, which means we’re right here.” He shoved the map toward the front seat so Jillia could see it, pointing to their location. Karen dropped her eyes to the lower level scanning the activity of pedestrians as they strolled along the pavement, observing their manner of dress and content expressions on their faces… She gasped quietly. It couldn’t be. But how…? It was impossible that they’d gotten to this location so fast. The guys from the airport were standing between the columns of the building, and there was no doubt this time that their eyes pinpointed in her exact direction. Fear washed over Karen. Were they stalking her? No, wait. There was something…they were... Karen knew them. Narrowing her eyes, she studied every inch of their masculine forms. Her arousal escalated along with her awareness of just how exceedingly familiar they really were. My dreams. The connection between these two and her dreams was disjointed at first, and Karen was confused. But now she knew for sure. Oh god, it’s them. Her eyes widened. Was she hallucinating or were they actually there? She needed to find out. Risking that she might appear foolish, Karen opened her mouth to get Jillia’s attention, to ask her if she could see them too, but her voice seemed to vanish. A vision of the delta came surging forward and Karen fell into a deep sleep.

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Chapter Three Karen released a slow breath of air and then moaned. She felt a tongue lapping her between the legs through the garment she wore. She was hot and wet and aroused, ready for so much more. The lips that were pressed to her neck moved to her mouth, covering it, assaulting her senses. He tasted good. A hand molded around her breast causing Karen to arch her back and her breathing to quicken. She grasped at the head below and pushed hard at his mouth, seeking, driving her excitement higher. She had a fistful of hair and discovered immediately it felt like mink against the flesh on her palms. Releasing her grasp, she let the short, silky strands slide freely through her fingers, and then pushed her fingers through his hair again, steadying his head, so she could rub her pussy against his mouth. Karen started to pant. The man who kissed her lips had hair that was longer than the other’s. It hung around Karen’s face and shoulders, draping her like a soft, comforting blanket. Pressing her mouth toward him, Karen kissed him harder, more deeply, matching the movements of his lips and tongue with equal fervor. His hand molded her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple until hard and peaked against the clothes she wore. Somehow the feel of the material seemed to enhance the sensations, driving Karen’s lust higher. She began to writhe, aching to be naked before them, but one of them held her hands at bay when she attempted to remove her clothing. The clamping around her wrists and the way he stretched her arms over her head, restraining her, only excited Karen more. Lelov omwna ashaym lemfa--you are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. With each and every dream, Karen was becoming familiar with their language, understanding more and more of their words. Sapphire eyes rimmed in gold captured her gaze. The details of his face, that had always been blurred, were becoming much clearer. He was work of art. Who are you? she asked. I’m Dgor ot Zyet. Jor, Karen repeated the first part of his name, relaxing into his embrace and then expelled another gasp when the other one pressed his thumb into her crease, rotating it on her clit. A jolt of excitement shot through Karen’s body sending her vagina into spasms of yearning. She needed penetration. Shifting, he began moving upward, until his length was stretched alongside of her. He then swept her into his arms, pulling her tightly against his smooth, but muscled chest. Crystal blue eyes rimmed in gold seized her as Karen tipped back her head to see him. Equally as devastating as Dgor, he was a masterpiece. Karen decided she needed a showroom. And you? she whispered, nearly breathless in her heated desire for them both. Lemac ot Rean, he said before lowering his head and dipping his tongue into her mouth,

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tasting her. He pulled away to nuzzle his face into her hair. Dgor scooped a palm beneath her thigh and then lifted her limb over his hip. Grasping her bottom, he drew closer, pressing the hardened length of his cloth-covered cock, aligning it along her labia, nudging at her already throbbing clit. She gasped. The pressure was perfect. Her hips began moving, the rhythm accelerating as her excitement escalated. She was so close…so close. Not yet, Tina, Lemac whispered. Not until we physically meet. No, no, no please don’t leave. This was so not happening again. Reaching behind, Karen searched and found her target between his legs, her fingers slipping around Lemac’s sack. She squeezed. He groaned. Gad! Dgor pumped harder when the lusty sensations Lemac was feeling shot through his head. He was giving in to Karen’s frantic search for ecstasy and without a doubt, his own. Brethren, Lemac rasped out. Yes, I know. Dgor returned, his voice quaking with arousal. With a struggle, he drew back, gritting his teeth at the painful rush he felt when he separated from her. Convulsive shudders swept through Lemac’s body, near agony as he deprived himself of the release he was seeking. Frustration gripped Karen as they faded, denying her release, driving her mad with desperate need… “Hey, wake up sleepyhead.” Someone was mussing Karen’s hair. It irritated her. “What!” she snapped and the dream completely shattered. Karen sucked in a shaky breath. Her body quivered when she released it, her exasperation heightened with their abandonment and Karen didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or scream. Or kill somebody. “She sure does like to sleep on the job,” “Mind your own beeswax, Jerry,” Jillia said. Karen’s eyes bolted open with the mortifying awareness that she was still sitting in the van. Heat flooded Karen’s cheeks. Frig. If she kept this up, every one of her colleagues was going think she was some kind of sex fiend. Who knows, maybe she was. “I think she has narcolepsy.” Jerry mumbled. With a shrug he retreated to the rear of the vehicle and she heard the guys murmuring and shuffling the items back there. Jillia stood in the open passenger door. She backed up a few steps when Karen slipped her feet from the van and planted them ground outside. There was a squishing sound when she stood. Mud. She was standing in about an inch of mud. Great. Thankful that she’d changed into her hiking boots, Karen tried not to think about the sloppy mess she’d be trekking through over the next several days. Yuk. How was she going to keep it off of her skin? Thank goodness it wasn’t the rainy season. “So, how long was I asleep?” “Apparently not long enough. Did I wake you before you got to the good part?” The shit-eaten’ smirk on Jillia’s lips was almost enough to make Karen forget her tactile

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issues, scoop up a little of the mud she stood in and do a little slinging. And she probably would, if she could bring herself to touch it. Nah. Karen wasn’t about to touch it. But she was reminded to look for her gloves. “How obvious was it?” Karen asked instead, her eyes dropping downward as her embarrassment rose. “Not too much,” Jillia answered. She indicated the back seat by tilting her head in that direction. “Just be glad you asked for the front seat and that I was driving, otherwise the guys might’ve had hard-ons with the way you were squirming.” “I think I need a cold shower.” Karen was suddenly aware of how wet she was between her legs. Jerking her thoughts away from her rampant libido, she looked up at Jillia inquisitively. “There’s a bathhouse down by the docks.” Jillia sighed morosely. “It’s going to be the last for a week.” “Hmm,” Karen shook her head. “It just seems so wrong to take a shower only to get sweaty and dirty again.” “Or sweaty and dirty and being forced to wake up.” Pushing aside her chagrin to make light of her situation, Karen grinned subtly at Jillia’s words, but her eyes conveyed the wickedness she was feeling. “It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.” “Yeah, right.” Jillia laughed. “I could tell you stories about that. Come on. Let’s help the guys unload our crap.” “You bet.” With a tug and a grimace, Karen freed her feet from the thick mud and slopped to the back of the van. “I’m not about to let our male chauvinist colleagues accuse us of being wimpy, incapable females.” “We’ll see over the next week which of us is really wimpy.” Jillia’s voice rose, loud enough for the others to hear. Devlin peered from around the corner of the vehicle, one of his brows lifting cockily. He tossed a sack at Jillia and she caught if firmly. “Is that the best you’ve got?” Jillian snorted. Devlin straightened, his body tightening, his shoulders thrown back as he attempted to disinter every bit of the hunk he thought himself to be. “Is that a challenge?” Karen swiped at her mouth to hide her amusement at his effort to appear audaciously male. She failed. “Ha!” her laugh burst from her throat as if it had nowhere else to go. Devlin scowled at her. “I think we’ve already set a challenge didn’t we?” Jillia said before turning and walking away. There was a friendly bet going on between all of them. Whoever had the most wimp-out moments determined by majority vote, would treat the others to dinner at Le Bernardin, an exclusive four star restaurant in New York City. Worse than paying for expensive meals however, the loser would also have to prepare all the slides for the two weeks their lab technician was on vacation. It was one of the most boring jobs in the laboratory. Let’s just hope it’s not me, Karen mused. Her mental state was already shaky enough and she couldn’t at all be sure a nervous breakdown wasn’t waiting just around the corner for her. They’d all discussed how difficult the project was probably going to be, especially for this group of convenience-fortified, city dwellers, but Karen worried that with the other issues she was dealing with, it was likely she’d be the first to drop. And hopefully it wouldn’t be into the mucky

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mud. Not that she was unfit. Not that any of them were unfit. Karen, at twenty-five, was the youngest, but she jogged daily. Jillia and Devlin seemed healthy enough. Jerry, though he was the oldest was the most fit of all. At age thirty-five, he was built like an Olympic athlete, slim but muscularly formed and sturdy. Bart, well Bart, he was only twenty-nine. And had been for the last two years, Karen thought with an inward snort. Despite the laxity of exercise common to the research professions, the group was quite strong, physically at least. They were all capable of taking on what they expected to be a very exertive project, barring catching malaria or some other jungle fever, of course, which they were informed, was always a risk and would immediately put them out of commission. Karen grabbed her duffle and one of the lab cases from the back of the van. She then headed down to the docks. Jillia was already there, clipboard in hand and checking off items on a list, while Karen stopped to examined the riverboat they were going to be traveling aboard. It was a sturdy-looking craft about forty feet in length. There were three levels, the top deck being completely open with nothing but a railing surrounding it. The middle deck was completely enclosed, except for the row of six screened window lined at the starboard and probably the unseen port side, as well. It was likely where their cabins would be. The lowest level, sheltered by the level above it was an open-air deck surrounding a centrally enclosed cabin. Karen thought that might be the crew’s quarters, since it was positioned at hull level and close to the engine area. Karen’s sight traced the lower rail to front of the boat. On the side of the hull the boat’s name was painted. She was called The Wayfarers Breeze. Here’s praying this little excursion will truly be a breeze. Karen thought. “Senorita Dalij?” A man who looked to be in his thirties strolled up to where Karen and Jillia were standing. “Si,” Jillia answered without looking up. “Mi nombre es Carlos Cuyasa, su guía,” he said, his eyes shifting between the Jillia and Karen. He pressed a palm to his chest. “Dos mujeres bonitas. Soy un hombre afortunado.” The several words he spoke in Spanish after his introduction had both Jillia and Karen exchanging frowns. “No comprende?” Carlos said as he examined their expressions. “English por favor,” Jillia answered. “He said he’s our guide,” Jerry approached, carrying his personal bag and another lab case. “And he said you both have big breasts.” Carlos’ appalled expression matched both Jillia’s and Karen’s. “No, no, señor!” He looked red-faced from Jerry to Jillia and then to Karen. “I say I am a lucky man to escort such beautiful women.” “This is Jerry Santino,” Jillia said, shaking her head with annoyance. “One of our colleagues and our, uh, interpreter.” “You are trouble, senor.” Carlos wagged a scolding finger at Jerry. “It is a good thing I speak un little ingles.” Raising his hand, Carlos held his index finger and thumb about an inch apart and then lowered his hand. “I will keep my eye on you.” “Let’s try to act like professionals here, Jerry. Shall we?” Jillia tipped her head disapprovingly at her colleague. “I apologize boss. How insensitive of me,” Jerry returned, his lip twitching and his eyes

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gleaming with mirth as he made every attempt to appear serious. “Seems like the jungle is bringing out a bit of a savage side in me.” Karen bit back a smirk. Who is he kidding? The guys were always misbehaving. Yes it became irritating at times, but she knew it was just a little off-colored teasing. Jillia knew it too, but Karen supposed since Jillia was in charge of the expedition, she did have to act professionally, and keep the rest of the group inline. Good luck to her. “Such things I would never say to the ladies.” Carlos lifted Jillia’s hand and kissed it. He then turned to Karen and kissed the top of her hand as well. “I am a gentlemen, señoras.” “Senoritas.” Karen smiled cordially, trying to ignore that his lips on her hands made her flesh crawl. He seems like a nice… Karen’s smile faded, and all of a sudden…Geez! She was swooning. The light-headed sensation only lasted a second, but while it was occurring, Karen could swear she heard low and very guttural male growls. “¿Es usted enfermo, senorita?” “Wha…” Karen blinked at Carlos and then looked around. For a moment she wasn’t sure of her surroundings. “He asked if you’re okay.” Jerry was frowning at her. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine, I think.” Jeepers that was strange. “Must be the heat.” “Maybe the anti-malaria drugs are getting to her,” Bart grunted as he and Devlin shuffled up to the dock, both struggling with the crate that held the generator. They plopped it to the ground with less than gentle ease and then Bart’s butt took residence on top of it. “We’ll load the gear onto the boat.” Jillia placed a firm palm on Karen’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go take that shower?” Karen nodded. “Thanks, Jillia. I think I’ll do that.” A shower was definitely something she needed right now. Without another word she picked up her carry-on bag from the dock and headed toward the bathhouse. Distraught, was the only way Karen could describe how she was feeling at the moment. Silently she begged the cosmos, the gods, her dear friend, Jen, anyone or anything else she could think of that might hold the power to keep her from going insane. And it was with that truth Karen was becoming unnerved. She had to face the fact that her dream was taking on a life of its own, blurring itself between imagery and tangible. Hallucinations were abducting reality, forcing their way into her daily life, and she desired them with a passion she never felt before. If ever Karen thought she would be stalked, this was most certainly far from the way she expected it to happen. She supposed it could be much, much worse. Her stalker could’ve been an Eddie Kruger type character instead of coming to her the in the form of two deliriously sexy men. Even more than that, deep to her core, in her heart and head, Karen was craving their return, yearning for them as much as they seemed to be yearning for her. She welcomed them--to have them touch her, kiss her, to have their hard bodies pressing against hers, demanding and unyielding, to have them make love to her, though for some reason she couldn’t understand they hadn’t allowed the latter yet. Shit, Karen thought. I’m becoming obsessed. Or psychotic. “They don’t exist,” Karen mumbled as she entered the women’s side of the bathhouse. “Yup, just dreams…dreams with names, first and last no less. Nope nothing nutty about that.” “¿Una toalla?”

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The sound of a child’s voice jerked Karen from her thoughts. She stared momentarily at a little girl holding out a neatly folded towel. “Sí,” Karen finally said and then reached inside of her bag, pulling out two Nuevo soles-a little over six, American dollars worth. She offered the coins to the child. The girl’s eyes widened. “For me, senorita?” Karen nodded. “Oh gracias, senorita, gracias!” The little girl quickly snatched the coins causing Karen to laugh. Likely the child wanted to take possession of the money before Karen reconsidered and offered her less. Turning to a shelf behind her, the child lifted a stack of five towels and shoved them into Karen’s arms. “Dos,” Karen chuckled again. “Two will be fine.” She handed three of them back. “Gracias.” Karen gingerly pushed aside the scummy, plastic shower curtain and stepped inside of the large stall. She tossed her bag and the towels onto a bench and stripped off her clothing, being careful to place one foot and then the other back into her hiking boots after pulling off her jeans and body suit. It felt good to be naked, but there was no way she was walking barefoot on the shower floor. It might be slimy or something…e-w-w! Reaching into her sack, Karen fished out her rubber flip flops and then chose one of the three shower heads available. She twisted the single knob beneath it and a stream of lukewarm water doused her, causing Karen to sigh appreciatively at the relief of her travel grime being washed away. Twisting her head from side to side and then dropping her head forward, Karen stretched the muscles in her neck, easing the tension she had failed to notice until now. The water flowed down her back and she wished it were a little hotter, pretended it was a little hotter, steamier. Her thoughts turned quickly to the man…men in her dreams, and Karen imagined the water caressing her flesh was instead the palms of their hands massaging her body, stroking her. Karen arched her back, attempting to get carried away with the thought, visualizing the strength of their hands as they explored her naked flesh, skimming across her nipples and smoothing over her belly, stretching seductively, warm and erotically between her legs to thrust their fingers inside of her. But it was just water. Karen opened her eyes. It wasn’t the same. There was a distinct difference between Karen’s daydreaming and the hallucinations that were beginning to thread their way into her life. Daydreaming was so two-dimensional, so dissatisfying. The other, the dreams and now the hallucinations felt so tangible, so believable. They looked and felt and smelled so real. But of course that was impossible. They couldn’t be real. Karen’s sensory defensiveness would’ve guaranteed that. As soon as either of them touched her, she would be jumping out of her skin and fleeing. Unable to summon her men at will--and she did think of them as her men, it seemed Karen had little control over the game of seduction they played, and that worried her. She supposed it was the nature of insanity. If you could control it, then you weren’t insane. The only thing Karen could hope for was that her colleagues failed to notice she was slowly losing her mind.

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“Of all the things I’ve lost in life, I miss my mind the most.” Karen snorted at the epigram. Positive she was wide awake when Carlos kissed her hand, Karen understood what those feral growls meant and it wasn’t good. No, no, no, Karen shook her head. This isn’t good at all. Not only were her dreams materializing while she was awake, Karen was falling in lust with them. And if that wasn’t bad enough, her dreams seemed to be getting jealous now. As soon as Karen got back to New York, she was calling a shrink. Or a sex therapist.

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Chapter Four Lemac ot Rean lifted his eyes, meeting the gaze of his brethren. He and Dgor sat crosslegged on the floor of the observatory facing each other. They were in a meditative state of excitement, their minds blending, their hearts beating in rhythmic exhilaration at being so close to claiming their Tina. I do not like it when another male touches her. Dgor ot Zyet had never felt jealousy before, but it was devouring him now. He was sure he would kill anyone who dared to touch their future She’mana again. Lemac explored his brethren’s thoughts, felt the turmoil inside of him that matched the emotions he, too, was feeling. It took him somewhat by surprise that he would develop such deep sentiments for a non-Tertani female, though he was glad for it. I could love her. “I already do,” Dgor’s eyes remained fixed on Lemac’s, his audible voice a whisper full of quiet resolve. Smiling slowly, Lemac caught the images of the Tina Karen, their woman, forming in Dgor’s mind. He felt the strength of Dgor’s heartbeat and his renewing arousal for their mate as surely as felt his own need for her rising. His brethren’s thoughts swept through him impressively assimilating more forcefully than ever before. They were one--of like mind. Brethren. Called to the Trigon some four lunar phases back, Lemac, at twenty-eight phases of age, was unprepared when the driving power of their sacred mating rites assailed him. At first it began as subtle sounds, quiet murmurs, extraneous thoughts. Unable to concentrate on his duties, Lemac took retreat for ten dawnings and sought sanctum in the temple on Terta Minor. He fasted and barely rested, spending much of the time meditating, summoning the cosmic energies to give him wisdom on the discontent that was strengthening within him. And when he emerged from his alternate state of consciousness, Lemac had been called to the Trigon, discovering who his brethren was and his exact location. They were yet unable to mentally speak. The transdelta linking would have to be initiated first to make the brethren’s cohesiveness complete. And that would be done under deep meditation, in the temple under spiritual decree. It wasn’t a long wait. Dgor ot Zyet resided a short distance away, on Angard, a way station just beyond the Tertian atmosphere. Working as the Chief Med Officer of the healthtek team, Dgor, too, had requested leave, after the summoning drove him to extreme distraction. He was meditating in the way station’s temple when Lemac arrived. Their attunement and compatibility to each other was instantly recognizable, though they didn’t immediately link. “After so many disappointing phases, it was hard for me to believe the sacred blessing had befallen me.” Dgor reflected on that moment. He was thirty-four, and for many phases he prayed for a Trigon, but so much time had passed since first desiring to settle down, he’d given up all hope. “Yet you were hesitant to link, brethren.” Lemac returned. Dgor nodded. “The vulnerability of conceding my autonomy and private thoughts was a bit overwhelming after being alone for so long.”

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“I felt just as vulnerable.” Lemac agreed. But now that they’d become accustomed one to the other, now that their souls were integrated, Lemac would kill for his brethren’s life as easily as he would kill for their Tina’s. He loved his brethren as solidly as any man could platonically love another man and would sacrifice his own life in exchange for Dgor’s as much as he would Karen’s. Lemac knew that Dgor, too, would do the same. “Mating with her won’t be easy.” At Lemac’s words, Dgor became pensive. She doesn’t like to be touched. She likes deep pressure. Lemac’s lip curved slightly upward as he smiled at Dgor. His eyes were alight with anticipation. Though we can give as much of that as she needs, she’ll still flee. Yes. A pleased smile spread across Dgor’s lips. His excitement surged, enhanced further by Lemac’s lustful thoughts. He was looking forward to the hunt. There was nothing more exciting to the Tertani brethren than chasing their fleeing female. Except for catching her, of course. Dating to ancient times, the Triconjugal Hunt was not only an integral part of the mating rituals, but genetically instinctive, a natural reaction by the Tertani males. Little had changed over the Epochs with the exception of some of the more barbaric mating rituals being tamed or no longer practiced. The innate reactions of chasing and fleeing remained. As for Dgor and Lemac, they, too, were succumbing to the inherent urge to mate. The need to claim their woman, to triple with her was becoming irrepressible. “The Edification seems to be soothing her somewhat.” Lemac rose from his place on the floor. He stretched, attempting to ease the stiffness caused by his stillness while meditating. Walking over to the large observatory window, Lemac studied the red planet their ship, the Cosmic Springer, was hiding behind. “She enjoys our touch during sleep. Our Tina may become accustomed to us before the bonding rituals.” “Like all Tinas ever claimed by their mates?” Lemac glanced over his shoulder. Dgor’s expression was filled with mirth. All Tertani Tinas fled when their mates came to claim them, the urge instinctively engrained as much now as it was in ancient times. The Edification eased the Tina’s fears, but it never stopped them from fleeing. Karen was revealed to them by Divinity intervention, and because of that, they expected she would react no differently. “Our rituals do serve a good purpose.” Dgor nodded. “The Edification seems most important now that we’re mating with woman of other cultures.” He referred to a mystical event that had occurred between the triple before the triconjugal mating. The Edification was a way to decrease their female’s intimidation of being claimed by two overpowering warriors intent on ravaging her body. Following the brethren’s transdelta linking, they are gifted with the ability to telepathically court their female, beginning their seduction while she was asleep. Later it would become a physical encounter allowing the triple to further become acquainted. The dictates of Edification stated a layer of clothing must separate the males from their female. Kissing, fondling, simulated copulation culminating in climax was acceptable, encouraged even, but penetration of the female was not. “I’m concerned about Karen’s confusion.” Dgor rose from his position on the floor. He walked toward the sideboard in the room and paused. “A Tertani Tina would know we were her mates.” Tapping a code into the panel at one end of the sideboard, Dgor stared at the holoplate as it began to shimmer. A holographic image of two rhytons formed and then solidly materialized.

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Lemac turned away from the window to face Dgor. “We have strict orders by the Galactic Allegiance forbidding us from revealing ourselves to indigenous societies. We can’t tell her who we are or we would have to tell her everything. That can’t happen until we bring her here.” “I have a strong feeling she’s going to be furious when we do that.” Picking up both rhytons, Dgor frowned before taking a large swallow of his grata, savoring the strong spirit as it passed his lips and tongue. He offered the other rhyton to Lemac. “We need to lure her from the pack she travels with, less we be seen.” Accepting the second drink from Dgor, Lemac lifted it to his lips but stopped short of taking a drink. He fixed his eyes on his brethren. “She’s yet to separate herself from them. We may have to wait until our Tina returns to the place she calls home.” “I suppose if we must claim her in front of those others, it would likely be farfetched for them to guess where we come from.” “Mmm.” Lemac twisted his mouth to one side considering Dgor’s words as he took a sip of his grata. “But the others might try to intervene with our claiming.” “Someone could get hurt.” Dgor winced, knowing what the consequences of that might be. “And it won’t be us. I have no desire to harm any innocent earthlings, let alone bring them aboard ship to repair them.” “If only she hadn’t been on that flying craft at our arrival. We would’ve declared our claim to her and be far from this planet by now,” Lemac mused. “Instead we’ve been forced to chase her all over undeveloped territory.” Dgor grinned amorously. “The chase excites me.” Lemac returned the grin. He didn't need to say anything for Dgor to understand that he, too, was aroused by the chase. The sound of the door to the observatory sliding open halted the brethren’s conversation. Tocol, who was assigned as the Captain in charge of this mission, was standing in the entranceway. “Am I interrupting?” “No.” Dgor answered. “We’re discussing the best way to retrieve our Tina without alerting others of her kind that there is an alien presence among them.” “We’ll fly closer to the planet once you’re ready to transport again.” Tocol moved to the sideboard and requested a drink. He chose a non-spirited beverage since he was still on duty. “But I’ll need to know how much time it will take. We barely escaped detection on our last interatmospheric sweep. It might be necessary to retreat from the range of their satellites, which is also out of transport range.” Dgor rubbed his jaw and thought about it for a moment. “It’ll be easier to flaunt in the secluded areas of the jungles our Tina is exploring, than it will be in her home encampment.” Lemac nodded his agreement. “Her resident city is a large, densely populated region. We may be seen there.” “There is more authority there, as well,” Dgor commented. “Risking arrest would be a poor decision.” “Is the Flaunting necessary?” Tocol asked. They both stared at him as if he’d sprouted an extra head, which wasn’t unusual in some parts of their galaxy. Tocol bit back a smirk. Having grown up on Tertian soils, he should’ve known better than to ask. He was a Krellian, however, and would be the first to admit he didn’t fully comprehend the spirituality that enkindled the Trigon Rituals, though he knew it was sacred.

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“We could just transport her up here and be on our way,” he continued shrouding his amusement at his comrades’ appalled expressions. Nevertheless, his mischievous side kicked in, and Tocol decided that a little teasing of his long-time acquaintances was in order. “That, we would forbid,” Dgor spoke for both himself and Lemac. Though he was of the same ranking as Dgor and Lemac with anyone of them qualified to fly as Charge Officer, it was Tocol who’d been assigned as the Captain on this particular mission. It was he who gave the orders. With utmost seriousness in his expression he stiffened to a military stance, looking every bit the authoritative leader he was capable of being. “I could pull rank and command it to be done.” Dgor started, his body going rigid as he tamped down the anger that suddenly threatened to surface. “You wouldn’t dare.” He felt the rise of ire beginning its searing path within Lemac, as well. There was no need for Dgor to look at his brethren’s face to know it held a feral expression. “You could Flaunt here, on the Cosmic Springer.” Tocol continued undaunted. “Yes, there’s plenty of room.” “You know very well, Captain,” Lemac growled. “We cannot do that until she has accepted us. To bring our Tina here only to have her refuse us would mean sending her back to her earth with knowledge of our presence.” Tocol’s brows lifted as he feigned surprise. “Would she really refuse you?” “No.” Dgor answered with a solid confidence and then watched as Tocol’s expression softened, a slight smirk forming on his lips. Lemac wrinkled his brow, understanding dawning. “You’re provoking us.” Turning his head aside, Tocol attempted to hide his grin, but to no avail. Both Lemac and Dgor narrowed their eyes at his obvious amusement. “I swear on the high divinities.” Dgor relaxed a bit and exhaled his relief that Tocol wasn’t actually going to force a breach of their rituals. “Your strange brand of humor emerges at the oddest times, my friend.” Tipping the rhyton to his mouth, Dgor emptied the contents. “Just letting you know there’s options if need be.” Tocol answered. Noting the spread of humor on Tocol’s face, Lemac flashed a taunting grin as he lowered to a backless sofa and partially reclined on it. “One dawning, Tocol, you will be in the same position and we will remember this.” “It’s highly unlikely,” Tocol’s expression went blank, and he blinked once as if to tamp some emotion. “There’s no mate in the universe for me.” Dgor leaned on the sideboard, pondering what Tocol had said. Heart to hearts with other men were atypical of his character, save the emotions Lemac was now privy to, and he wasn’t about to start now. Still he felt sympathy for the friend he’d know since his youthful phases. Life for Tocol was difficult. Being a Krellian also brought prejudice and mistrust, even though he’d never been to their enemy planet of Krell. He proudly served the Allegiance and had always been loyal to their cause. “I think we should attempt to claim her while she’s in the jungle.” Lemac spoke aloud, attempting to divert the suddenly sullen atmosphere in the room and return to the matter at hand. “Four dawnings, Tocol.” Dgor said. “Return for us then. If we claim her sooner, we’ll summon your immediate return.” The commlink on the wall chimed and Tocol walked over and activated it. “Captain here, speak.”

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“Jesser, sir. I thought you should know that Arjim and Calem are in the brig.” On a heavy inhale, Tocol closed his eyes momentarily and then opened them again as he harshly blew out the breath. He stared at the silver pattern swirling inside of the commlink circlet feeling weary of dealing with those two. “What now?” “They argued in the hash pit.” “What else is new?” Tocol shook his head. Arjim and Calem were two of his best sentry, but for some reason when they were in the same room together, they became volatile towards each other. A personality conflict Tocol figured or a battle of egos. “They destroyed a few benches, broke a few mugs and injured three of our sentry.” “Are the injured in the medbay?” Dgor asked as he stepped closer to the commlink. Being Chief at Bay, the lead medical officer, his mood turned to professional concern. “Yes, sir.” “I’ll check on the men’s injuries.” Dgor headed for the door and pressed his palm to the switch tile next to it. When the door slid open he quickly left the observatory. “Jesser, set course for the earth planet’s atmosphere.” Tocol ordered. “After I question Arjim and Calem I’ll be on the bridge.” “Yes, sir.” Jesser responded and the commlink went silent. Tocol raked his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. “Calem and Arjim have been at odds for as long as I can remember,” Lemac said to him. “When we return home, the Commander ot Dmor will have to deal with them more severely than I am able to at the moment. We’re at a skeletal number of crew members and I need all personal assigned to duties.” Tocol turned toward the door. “In the meantime let’s focus on getting your Tina where she belongs.”

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Chapter Five Karen tumbled out of the small bed in her cabin. On the way down she snatched the mosquito netting surrounding her sleeping area and stripped it from ceiling. She hit the floor with a thud, her weighted blanket landing on top of her. For a moment Karen just laid there waiting to see if something hurt or if she’d broken anything. Well, at least the fall squashed her arousal. They had come to her again last night, their visits becoming more frequent than ever before--nightly almost and now it seemed daily. And they were pissing her off. Once again, they stroked her all over, kissed her, played with the most erotic areas on her body, her breasts, her lips, her clit, everywhere along and in between, but always through her clothing. Next time she was going to sleep naked and see what happened. Karen’s nostrils flared and she inhaled. That scent. Was it coming from the Amazon jungle? It filled the air around her, capturing her, demanding her attention and need for it to the point that Karen didn’t think she would ever find pleasure in another scent again. And it was familiar. The fragrance lingered in her olfactory senses, and through her groggy, early morning condition, Karen was still able to recognize it was the same scent she had enjoyed at the airport after they landed. It was enticing, and so wonderfully pleasing that Karen felt she could soak her body in it, devour it, lose herself completely in the soothingly, sensual fragrance. She was becoming hopelessly addicted to it, ached for it, so much so that Karen decided she was going to check every bath and body boutique from the east to the west coast as soon as she got home. And then she was going to buy every drop available and horde it from the rest of the world. Now, if only she could find out was the fragrance was called. “Mmm, fantastic,” she said savoring the scent, musing on how it made her hungry for something that was far from food. Her stomach growled and Karen snorted at her own silliness, though she couldn’t help but inhale the scent once more. Back to reality, she told herself while crawling from beneath her weighted blanket and then untangling herself from the mosquito netting. Karen squinted. The sunlight of the morning hour filled the open window frame spilling onto Karen’s head. Heat and humidity thickened the air. “At least it isn’t raining.” Karen sat on her rump and crossed her legs. She swiped at the beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she looked around. The confines of her cabin were small--one single bed with a thin mattress, one splintered, musty smelling dresser with a chipped wash bowl on top. Karen could never share the tiny space with another person. Just the thought of someone else in there made her feel like climbing the walls. Ah, traveling in the lap of luxury, she thought wryly. “And not one mosquito bite.” Seemed like her lemon spray concoction was working. Karen’s research on the internet suggested that it worked as well as any chemical did. She decided it was more natural and would be much better tolerated by her touchy skin than the chemical sprays. The guys laughed at her idea of a bug repellent. Carlos told her she was a wise woman and it would make her hair shiny,

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as well. Jillia only shrugged and remarked she wasn’t wearing any repellent and smirked at everyone’s shock expressions. That spawned another bet as to whether or not Jillia would get the crap bitten out of her before the trip ended. Reaching for her sack, Karen dragged it closer and pulled out her watch to check the time. Seven-thirty a.m. She dropped the watch in her bag and then ran the tip of tongue along her teeth and smacked her lips together. Her mouth tasted like crud. There was water onboard for both drinking and hygiene purposes, but during their briefing last night the team was instructed by the riverboat’s captain to use it sparingly. Karen dug through her belongings until she found her strong breath mints and popped one in her mouth. She breathed in. The strength of the peppermint not only freshened her mouth but seemed to open her sinuses as well. Karen took another breath, inhaling deeply through her nose. She noticed instantly the sensual fragrance was fading, slowly being pierced by the smell of water and other wild scents mixing with the damp aroma soaking the thick jungle. She liked the way the way the jungle smelled. Not as much as she liked the other fragrance but there was something sanctified and satisfying about this untamed, ancient place. Going still, Karen listened. The low purr of the boat’s engine was the only unnatural interruption of the harmony of wildlife that prevailed all around. Last night, she’d fallen asleep to the sounds of frogs and crickets chirping along the riverbank, and flocks of parrots squawking overhead. She could still hear the birds and many other strange jungle sounds now. Something snapped through the water--an alligator perhaps? Or a pink river dolphin. How exciting it would be to see the creature so unique to the Amazon. Calmness washed over Karen. Though they’d only been here for about twenty hours, she was already falling in love with the jungle, feeling as if she belonged there. It was going to be difficult to return to New York. How she ever ended up in the city, Karen had no idea. She hated the crowds. She hated the noises. She hated the smells, and the way everyone seemed so stressed as they rushed around. To Karen, the city was completely miasmatic. And despite the unrelieved sexual frustrations from her wet dream, it occurred to Karen that she felt completely relaxed for a change. So far, her wariness about taking this trip was completely unfounded. Except for the plane flight, of course, and she still had to take three flights back. Tramping through the jungle might also tell a different tale when it came time to do that, but Karen wasn’t going to get over-anxious about it, deciding she would just wait and see. Something she rarely found herself doing. Her attention shifted to the bed and Karen thought about how calming the gentle rocking of the riverboat was and how easily she’d fallen asleep. But there was something else. Karen’s brow wrinkled and she became pensive. They were with her through most of the night it seemed. Dgor below with her lying against his chest, Lemac on top but shifted slightly to the side to keep from putting too much weight on her. How the three of them ever fit, Karen couldn’t even begin to surmise. It was amazing they avoided tumbling out of the bed as she had this morning. Especially with all of the writhing they were doing. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut and Karen tried to remember what it felt like to be compressed between them. It was soothing, sensually comforting, calming to her senses yet sexually stimulating at the same time. Dgor was kissing her, firmly gripping her at the hips, her legs splayed over his thighs as he rubbed his stiff cock against her crease, dragging it against her clit and causing it to pulsate and ache with arousal. Her vagina clenched around nothing, quivered with the need to be filled.

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Lemac nuzzled against her neck, grinding his pelvis, the rigid length of his erection rotating against her from behind. Sweet glory! Slow but hard, Karen had the insatiable urge to force herself down him, take his stiff cock deep inside, but unable to because of the barrier of clothing preventing that. Karen sighed. She was fully covered. But they were only clothed from the waist and below. Their chests were bare, and god help her, she loved the touch of their skin, the feel of muscles flexing as they embraced her, the warmth of their flesh, the strength in their hold on her, their taste, their scent, the weight of their bodies on her. It was perfect, exactly what she needed, craved. What would it feel like to have them inside of her…thrusting hard? Karen blew out a ragged breath and opened her eyes. Her heart pounded with the excitement of it. Her body shook with the desire of it. She swallowed hard and tried to push it from her mind, but was unable. Reaching for the bottle that held her lemon concoction, she started spraying herself from head to toe in leisurely bursts, stopping to rub the liquid into the skin on her neck and face. Subconsciously, Karen combed her fingers through her hair, thinking about how this time they didn’t immediately disappear as before, but rested with her, held her, allowed her excited body to settle from their seductive teasing. They spoke softly, something about the rituals and divinities blessings, and the Flaunting before further physical contact. Of bonding. It was difficult to understand them completely since they were still learning each other’s language, but Karen… Oh my god! Stiffening, Karen dropped the spray bottle. It struck upright, bottom first but then bounced, falling sideways and rolled across the floor. Liquid slowly dripped from the cap, which wasn’t tightly sealed. Oblivious, Karen made no motion to retrieve it. What the hell was she doing? What the hell am I thinking--learning their language--god! It was gibberish, dream-state gibberish. Uneasiness set in and Karen vigorously rubbed her temples with the heels of her hand. She decided it was time to get a grip on this world before she fell into the other. She was shifting her rational thoughts, allowing them to discern the relevance of her dreams--there was no relevance! “They’re just dreams.” Grant it, they were wonderfully erotic and disturbingly realistic sex dreams, but dreams nonetheless. As for the hallucinations insinuating into her awake and conscious mind… Karen grimaced. She was too intelligent to deny a mental break down might be on the horizon. Strange how natural and painless it felt. It would be so easy to just let her sanity slip and allow those two incredibly irresistible, phenomenally sexy studs catch her as she fell. Hmm. It really wasn’t a bad place to live out the rest of her days. Karen tipped her head to look upward. What do ya think, Jen, am I going crazy? Karen wondered how close she was, how long it would take before her mind snapped completely and she started existing freely within her delusional world, talking to men who didn’t exist and doing god knows what else, uncaring of how the rest of the society viewed her crazy, irrational behavior. Would it appear she was speaking in tongues? Good lord almighty! She could actually interpret the babble in her head even now. And the sex…Karen grimaced with embarrassment at the thought of masturbating in front of others. It wasn’t unheard of amongst the rationally depraved. Many masturbated without inhibition, something Karen found out during

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a medical rotation in a mental institution while in college. Jen laughed for days and days about it. Karen just thought it was a damn shame. Maybe they were having the same kinds of illusions that Karen was having now, bless their horny little lunatic souls. “I miss you so much, Jennifer,” Karen whispered. “If you were here, you’d help me through this.” There was nothing else for Karen to conclude other than the fact that if the hallucinations, if Lemac and Dgor decided to stick around as she became unglued, if they kept teasing her with their sensual kisses and firm touches, masturbation was going to be a major part of Karen’s future. What did it matter? If she went nuts, she wouldn't care who saw her doing whatever anyway. Would they institutionalize her? Well, the most Karen could do about it at this point was to try and keep her inevitable and impending psychosis in check for as long as she was able. Mentally, Karen ran down the list of anti-psychotic drugs she was aware of, determining which would likely be most beneficial with the least side effects. When she got back to New York, she would look into it further. Hopefully her sanity would remain intact until then. Grabbing a pair of clean jeans from her duffle, Karen partially pulled them on over the body suit she was wearing and slept in. She stood and then pulled her pants the rest of the way up, zipping and fastening them before sitting back down to stuff her feet into her hiking boots. Dried mud crumbled from the soles as she clunked her heels on the floor, and after tying the laces she stood again, stomping to loosen the rest of the mud. Her sight fell to the bed and Karen narrowed her eyes onto what looked like a single strand of hair curled in the mattress. Pinching it between her index finger and thumb she lifted it and then held it up to examine. The strand was long. Very long. Karen’s heart punched against her sternum, and all of a sudden she forgot to breathe. She stared at it unblinking, not knowing what to think. Most definitely it wasn’t her hair. This she was absolutely sure of. This hair was black. Very, very black. But Karen’s hair was not only cut shorter, it was also very, very blonde.

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Chapter Six The garment our Tina was wearing is perfect for the Edification. Lemac slid a nutrient cube into his mouth and the crunched down on it a couple of times before swallowing it. Skin hugging, easy for us to explore her. Dgor couldn’t agree more with his brethren. Her tight one piece garment did give them easy access to the sensual areas on her body. Smiling, he recalled all the places he touched her last eve and imagined how much more pleasure he wanted to give her once they had her naked between them. A silent groan swept through him, and Dgor watched Lemac take a slow, leisurely breath. The lust in his eyes and his thoughts matching his own were acutely apparent, enhancing, igniting the fire inside. Dgor’s cock pulsed and his body shuddered. He envisioned his mouth on Karen, kissing her, licking every inch of her body, from her sexy mouth, to her beautiful breasts, straight down the center of her body until his mouth was on her hot little pussy. He groaned inwardly thinking about the moisture that seeped from her folds, saturating the material covering her there. Ah, yes, he would suck on her clit until she came in his mouth, thrust his tongue inside of her hollow to savor the effects of her ecstasy. Ka! I’m going mad with need for her. Lemac licked his lips as he caught Dgor’s thoughts and then grasped his cock through the loin cloth he wore, re-adjusting his throbbing member into a more comfortable position, if there actually could be a more comfortable position in his present state of arousal. He frowned. She’s built differently than our Tertani woman. Her anatomy isn’t the same. It’s by the Divinites we’ve been tripled. Dgor attempted to reassure his brethren, and himself, though concern was edging at his mind, as well. This wouldn’t have come to be if she was unable to accommodate us. You’re as nervous about this as I am, Dgor. Lemac silently returned. I can feel your anxiety. They both sat quietly for a moment, one experiencing the other’s worry. I’m not quite sure how to breach her. Dgor was no innocent. Having traveled for many phases across the untainted sectors of the CalyTron Galaxy he’d encountered and enjoyed females of all kinds. It was much the same for Lemac, as well. He, too, was quite experienced with the sexual delights that many women were willing to offer. Some of his indulgences were even a bit bizarre at times. You did what, how? Dgor had little difficulty expressing his shock at the images playing in Lemac’s and now his own brain. He cast an amazed glance at his brethren. Lemac shrugged and then smiled wickedly, his mouth turning up on one side. “I was young. It was an interesting endeavor.” “I’m surprised you weren’t injured brethren.” “I almost was,” Lemac returned as he recalled the memory. His smile then faded. “Experience will do us no good with our Tina. Because she isn’t a Tertani female, I’m afraid we might hurt her.” Dgor knew Lemac spoke the truth. Despite their sexual prowess there was one thing

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unmated Tertani men rarely did, and that was to pleasure a woman in pairs. The tripling was a sacred event to all Tertanis, one that held little desire to those outside the sanctity of the Trigon. In essence, the brethren males might be considered as inexperienced as virgins when it came to symbiotic, male sex sharing with their woman, though most Tertani men would snort at such a notion. “I have another concern.” Dgor became pensive. His mood darkened. “The stirrings of Dominance are beginning to taunt me.” Lemac understood. Brought further to the surface because of the physical contact they’d initiated with their Tina last eve, Lemac, too, felt the instinctive stirrings that would eventually inflame his need to overpower his brethren--to attempt to dominate him. “Are you cautioning me to watch my neck?” Lemac asked with humor in his voice and a cocky smirk on his lips. “Not at the moment.” Dgor’s words were cordial, but there was a wild and arrogant intensity in his eyes as he stared at Lemac. “But eventually…inevitably.” “You won’t win.” Lemac returned an equally proud and untamed glare. Their eyes remained locked for several moments and then Dgor visibly relaxed. With a chuckle he leaned back on his elbows and pondered the changes his mind and body were experiencing. It was stimulating--the power lust, the mating urge, even the mental connection with Lemac, all of it felt good--so natural. And it was. Innate to the Trigon mating, the males, once individuals now linked, must concede to being equals in both physique and intellect before their minds and emotions could become fully and unconditionally intertwined. But relenting one’s autonomy, sharing masculinity wasn’t something a Tertani male accepted as easily and naturally as it might seem. It was a progression, and not always an easy one, but necessary to mature and strengthen the Trigon bonding. “I only hope she can handle our increasing aggression as we come closer to the Triconjugal mating.” Lemac eyed Dgor, sizing him up, his mind already plotting ways to defeat him. “She’s been spiritually chosen as our mate, and for that we have to believe she will react the way a Tina of our own culture naturally would.” Dgor shook his head. “And if you try that with me you’ll be sure to loose a part of yourself that you thoroughly enjoy having.” Lemac snorted. He’d been thinking out loud. Well at least as loud as Dgor could hear. He should’ve known better. Yes, you should’ve, brethren. You’re going to be a pain in my ass forever aren’t you? Is that where your brain is located? Snort. Lemac made no further comment. Instead he skimmed his palm along the forest carpet he was sitting on. “The ground here is damp and cool, rough in many places, unlike the soft Tertian terrain. Even I find this offensive.” “Mmm,” Dgor agreed. “Our Tina will feel more at peace, I think, on Terta Minor. I’m anxious to return home with her.” Picking up a canteen, he loosened the cap on it and took a drink of the liquid inside. After setting it to his side, Dgor slipped a nutrient cube in his mouth and crunched down on it. He scowled “The field rations are bland as usual.”

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“I wish we had the time to test the flora and wild creatures in this sector of the earth for edibility.” Lemac responded. He, too, found the rations to be flavorless. “It will all be tested in due time, now that we’ve discovered this planet.” Tilting his face upward, Dgor trained his sights on a large, colorful bird perched on a branch overhead. “Do you think that’s edible?” Following the line of his gaze, Lemac studied the winged creature. “Zap it and find out.” “Be my guest.” Dgor waved a hand indicating the talon arc strapped to Lemac’s back. Training his sights on the creature, Lemac appraised the line of aim. He could bring it down with a single shot. As if understanding it was being considered for a meal, the bird squawked loudly, flapped its wings and flew off. “No matter,” Lemac grunted as he watched the creature disappear between the trees. “I think I’ll refrain from zapping any more beasts on this planet. Last eve was enough for me.” “That beast recovered quickly. Your weapon should’ve been set on maximum stun, not low.” Dgor chuckled as he thought about the incident. “You almost lost a chunk of your ass.” “It wasn’t my idea to transport into our Tina’s tiny sleeping space and then depart her by swimming the river to the shoreline.” “How was I to know such a large-jawed, sharp-toothed reptilian beast swam in its depths?” “Just because we’re away from the battles, Dgor, doesn’t mean we’re to let down our guard.” “You’re at fault as much as I am, brethren, since you followed me willingly into those murky depths, maybe even more so. What do I know about battle?” Shrugging, Dgor flashed him a blameless expression. “I’m Chief at Bay. My duties are confined to the medical wings. You, however, as a Chief at Arms…” “Watched you blow the hell out of three Krellian starfighters on our last sortie.” Lemac nodded his appreciation. “I’d take you at my back anytime, brethren.” A companionable silence fell between them. There was an unexpected shift in their emotions, a growth of sentiment, fortifying their brethren relationship. Lemac lifted a brow at the new and strange emotions that seemed to be evolving more rapidly now. I think we’re having a moment, brethren. Just don’t try to kiss me. Dgor responded. Part of him jested, but part of him spoke earnestly. Lemac’s mouth turned up into a crooked grin and he released a quick chuckle. Their moods went somber and both of them suddenly felt uncomfortable, exposed--vulnerable. They stared at each other saying nothing verbally or mentally, but listening to a hideous cry that pierced the jungle, an animal of some sort, and then another echoing in reply. The screeching sound was menacing, reminding them of the Garbi beast back home and the threatening shriek it belted when asserting its dominant position in the pride. The savage sentiments reverberated between Lemac and Dgor, and the compulsion to seek dominance rose slightly higher. Lemac stiffened. His lip turned up into a snarl as he glared at Dgor who returned a rumbling growl that shot a warning through Lemac’s mind. Dgor’s chest heaved and Lemac clenched his teeth. They both grappled with reality over instinct, finally shaking off the natural urge to challenge. It wasn’t yet time. “We need to claim our woman quickly.” Dgor said. “Our Dominance battle might be viewed negatively on this world and I’m sure we don’t want to find ourselves in the hands of the authorities here.”

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Lemac wordlessly agreed and retrained his focus on claiming their Tina. As if it was never there, the raw, male need for one to conquer the other retreated, their mutual purpose and amity regaining importance, becoming foremost in their minds. With their eyes still transfixed on each other and despite their raw, male arrogance, neither could deny the growing fondness for the other that confronted and contradicted their masculine impulse to resist such sentiments. They were indeed bonding, and yet becoming dangerously close to losing control.

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Chapter Seven “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my, lions and tigers and bears, oh my.” Karen couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Devlin’s and Jerry’s chanting. It was appropriate considering they were trekking through a roughly cut and muddy trail surrounded by nothing but Amazon forest and the sounds of creatures great and small renting the air from time to time. After docking at their drop-off point, an area about three hundred miles upriver from Iquitos and just before the Brazilian frontier, they hiked a few miles inland to a village inhabited by a tribe of Bora. Cheerfully welcomed, the group dined on catfish and rice while the tribe entertained them with traditional songs and dances. The group spent a total of three hours in the village before departing for the hiking journey ahead. They couldn’t take much, a change of clothes, a sleeping bag, food and water rations and first aid supplies. They also carried a few pieces of laboratory equipment needed for preliminary testing. With Carlos guiding them, they'd been hiking for three days, hunkering down at night in sleeping bags crammed together on the ground beneath a single tent of mosquito netting. It sucked. They were achy and dirty and scratched. Everything was damp, and all of them had their fare share of bug bites. Except for Jillia, who had none, which everyone thought to be very bizarre. Karen was so irritated she felt like biting Jillia herself just to see her suffering like the rest of them were. So much for Karen's lemon spray and the sticky, smelly deep jungle Deet the guys saturated themselves with. Thank God for Sting-eze. Bart declared all bets off and Jillia called him a wimp. They all gave her nasty looks for faring so well, so she relented. Carlos assured the group they were nearing the tributary where a rowboat was waiting to transport them upstream to yet another trail, hidden in a secluded part of the jungle. From there, Carlos would lead them to their final destination--the elusive and secluded Juaprito tribe. It would be dark by the time they reached the waterway, but supposedly there was an empty lean-to nearby where they could shelter for the night. They were all looking forward to bathing in the river and sleeping indoors even if the indoor facilities were meager. It meant that in the morning they would enjoy a clean and rested start. Karen was miserable for the obvious reasons but there was much more to it than her colleagues realized. She'd been deserted. The last time Karen had been with her warriors was in the cabin on the Wayfarers Breeze. There had been no hallucinations, no dreams, no sound, or smell, or any indication of them since. And in regard to all of that, Karen was relatively positive they were still figments of her hallucinations and overactive dream imaginations. She decided to attribute it to stress and sexual frustration and perhaps a bit of loneliness. The only explanation for the strand of hair she found on her mattress was to assume it was from a prior guest. Gross. Karen put that disgusting thought out of her mind. Karen supposed she should be grateful they'd finally disappeared, but that was far from

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the case. Instead it left her feeling very vacant inside, almost mournful and depressed. Oh perfect. She was grieving over regaining her sanity. Glancing around, Karen searched for the proverbial men in white jackets as the tune to their coming to take me away ha ha, they're coming to take me away, played in her head. “Basket case,” Karen sang the words and then whistled a high, steady note while twirling a pointer finger next to her ear. Off to the funny farm, away we go. “What's that all about?” Jillia's expression was quizzical as she looked at Karen. A self-mocking laugh emerged from Karen's throat. There was no way to explain. “Just thinking about something stupid.” Jillia stared at her for a moment and then turned her head back toward the trail without questioning Karen further. Somewhere in the distance a Howler monkey shrieked, its hideous sound causing a shutter to zip up the length of Karen's spine. Several macaws flew by and then more shrieks echoed through the air followed by an uproar of monkey cries that faded, the sounds growing distant as they apparently moved further away. “They fight,” Carlos commented as he continued to lead the small group of scientists deeper in the forest. “Why are they fighting?” Jillia asked. “Dominance,” Carlos told her. He swiped at a mosquito buzzing around his head and then started to beat the brush with his machete--to scare off the boas--he had told the group earlier. “Likely they fight over a female in heat.” “Interesting,” Jillia returned. Devlin and Jerry exchange amused glances. They both took deep breaths… “Boas and monkeys and bugs, oh my…” They crouched lower to the ground, exaggerating their footing into wide angular steps. “Boas and monkeys and bugs, oh my.” To Karen’s side, Jillia readjusted her backpack, shifting it higher on her shoulders. “Is that some kind of explorer’s jingle?” Karen’s brows lifted as she turned to look at her colleague. “You’ve got to be kidding?” “I don’t think she’s kidding.” Bart who walked a few steps behind overheard. He quickened his pace until he was inches to their backs. He set a palm on Jillia’s shoulder stumbling over a rock on the trail, but managing to keep his footing. Jillia turned her head, her gaze dropping to where he touched her. “Why should I be kidding, Karen?” She flicked her fingers, snapping them against Bart’s knuckles. “Ouch!” He jerked his hand back. “Nasty woman.” Karen suppressed a grin at the byplay between her colleagues “It’s from the Wizard of Oz.” “The wizard of where?” Jillia asked. “It’s only one of the greatest classical stories of all times.” Karen couldn’t believe Jillia had never heard of it. “Later it was also made into one of the greatest classical movies of all times.” Jillia shrugged. “Never heard of it, never seen it.” “Good grief, Jillia, what island have you been living on?” Karen thought that her colleague must have been a very deprived child. Bart snickered. “I’ll bet she grew up in a house where they played math games for fun.” “Nothing wrong with being intelligent.” Jillia briefly glanced over her shoulder at Bart, flashing a look of warning before facing forward again.

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“What about having some fun?” Bart asked. “You're pretty stuffy most of the time. You should learn to loosen up, Jillia.” Halting, Jillia turned on Bart. He stopped just short of slamming into her. Leaning into him, Jillia flattened her palms against Bart's chest, her posturing unmistakably suggestive. “You have no idea how much fun I can really have, big boy,” she said, her voice sexually charged, the sound of it causing Bart’s eyes to widen and his mouth to pucker in surprise. Licking her lips with the tip of her tongue, Jillia's mouth turned up slowly into an alluring smile. Without another word, she turned about and stalked away. Karen and Bart looked at each other with shock. Not that they’d know Jillia for very long, but neither of them had ever seen her act that way. “Ahem, well then.” Bart cleared his throat and then brushed at his chest a few times with the flat of both hands. “Sweaty palms, humph.” He rolled his shoulders and continued walking up the path, “I guess the jungle can bring out a wild side in just about anybody,” Karen mumbled. She was about to take a step when she caught a scent--no, two scents, separate and distinct but equally pleasing. Rubbing her nose unconsciously, Karen was only half aware of it until she felt a strange warmth heating her insides. She watched as Jillia and Bart disappeared through brush-lain trail and thought it best to follow them to avoid being separated from her group. Without an immediate or apparent reason, Karen didn't move. Instead, she inhaled sharply, taking a breath into her nostrils, savoring the intensifying aromas that circled, filled the air all around her, claiming her space. Rooted in place, her heart thudded an arduous beat. With one gloved palm on top of the other she pressed them to her breastbone as though to keep her chest from bursting at the escalating pounding inside. Her body alerted like prey being hunted and she shuddered as the urge to flee conflicted with the inability to move from the spot she stood in. She listened as her gaze darted from tree to tree, searching the spaces in between, hoping, anticipating...afraid. Movement. There was movement in the jungle. They were there. She knew it, sensed it, smelled it. Her heart thumped impossibly harder as a titillating rush nearly knocked her off balance. Karen felt faint…dizzy, her thoughts disorienting, refocusing keenly on the craving, the arousal stirring inside of her. Breathe. She'd forgotten to breathe. Sucking in another hard but shaky breath, Karen forced the air into her lungs. She gulped as she held it within. Breathe. Her stomach flipped and the air hitched, snagging in her throat through every measure of her exhaling. Her breathing became shallow, and Karen rapidly panted air through her mouth before closing her lips and drawing another strong breath through her nose. The fragrances, so familiar, intensified, blended and melded, becoming intertwined. It devoured her, as she devoured it, uncaring of how fierce her need for it--her addiction to it was becoming. Karen's pulse raced. Her eyes frantically searched the trees There.

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He was…oh god… He stepped out from behind the brush and Karen's senses became acutely oriented to him. What a magnificent sample of a man--he took her breath away. Long, black hair draped his shoulders, flowing over his broad chest, the line of it pulling Karen’s eyes lower. Sleek and muscled, his chest was bare except for the thick strap that crossed from shoulder to waist, a holder for the arced weapon sheathed behind him--a bow of some sort. Dgor. He was wearing nothing but a loin cloth that stopped well above his knees. A powerful thigh, a naked hip were exposed through the slit where the plum-colored garment was tied at the side. Her sight meandered down the stretch of his leg to his bootless feet and then straight upward again, slowing in speed as her gaze dragged along the length of the erection that the cloth molded around. Karen's fingers curled of their own will with the desire to fill her hands with that hardened flesh, to bring it inside of her watering mouth. Blinking once, Karen reluctantly refocused her attention, taking him in as a whole. He stood tall, brawny arms folded one over the other, feet splayed apart, watching her with the confidence of a great conqueror and an unmistakable, hungry look in his eyes. She was mesmerized. Momentarily. Another movement transgressed on Karen's senses. She felt it before she even heard it. A shiver ran up her spine as a presence stirred behind her. Karen knew it was him before looking. Lemac. Still, she spun around, first noticing that he wore a weapon similar to Dgor's. He was savagely beautiful. Her lust went into a frenzy, and her body began to riot. She watched as his chest heaved and then her gaze snapped upward to see his gaze fixated directly on her. Karen swayed, her attention sliding down his muscled chest, his rippled abdomen to the hardy bulge behind his loin cloth where her gaze halted. A quake rumbled through her when Lemac gripped where his balls lay and then ran the tips of his fingers along his own length. It twitched and Karen nearly exploded with need, her nipples hardening, her pussy clenching, begging, swooning with an unbearable longing as she imagined both of them touching her all over. “Holy crap.” Karen mumbled low. I think I just came. Her gaze took liberty all over his body. Beautifully proportioned and strikingly muscled, his physique matched-- surpassed that of any portrayal she'd ever seen of the Greek gods, painting, statue or otherwise. Gulping, she forced her gaze upward. His mussed up hair fell in black silky waves, framing his face. There was a solemn look about him that had Karen staring in awe. He seemed to have a quiet strength wrought with reservation that had her thinking he was a man who had seen much but revealed little. It had Karen yearning to hold him tightly to her and kiss him all over. His gaze meandered all over her body, causing frissons of erotic fire to spark in every place his gaze touched. Swiping her dry lips with her tongue, Karen watched his own tongue do the same and she focused on it, her body begging, Oh yes lick me please. He stopped gazing at her, and when Karen's attention shifted back to his eyes, she noticed that he was looking beyond her--glaring, his interest now seeming to be on Dgor. Karen saw it again, as she studied them. In the subtlety of their expressions something definite passed between them, an unspoken understanding of some sort. In unison they came closer, circling her, centering Karen between them, keeping a distance of at least ten feet from her, yet Karen felt as though they were only a hair's breadth away.

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She felt their heat, their mind-blowing scents now mingling and ensnaring her, claiming her, the way their hungry gazes took liberty, making her feel as though they were stripping every last thread of clothing she wore merely with their eyes. Karen's body surged with an aching need, a clenching between her thighs and moisture seeping. She desired them both, could think of no less than both their hands stroking her, their mouths licking her, both their stiffened cocks thrusting, battling to ram inside of her, to slam her between them as they slaked their lust and brought her to the heights of ecstasy. She swallowed hard, her body pleading with her to succumb to the dire craving for them, and the longing to feel herself compressed between their naked bodies, wanting them to take her on this very spot and take her forcefully and hard. Fosu'obua--stunning. It was Dgor who spoke, the lilt of his voice deep and alluring, causing Karen's heart to thud as a rumble of pleasure penetrated to the depths of her bones. A growl of pleasure left Lemac's mouth, drawing Karen's attention to him. He smiled slightly, and his eyes--they sparkled with devastatingly carnal intent that had Karen panting with a raging anticipation. And sudden wariness. They started and Karen jumped. Rigid in their posturing, they looked as though they were ready to pounce should she try to escape them. Run, her sensibilities suggested. Dreams were one thing, but this… This was not a hallucination, no it wasn't. They were there, as solid and alive as the jungle around her. They were real. But who were they, and how had they insinuated themselves into her thoughts, her dreams? Voodoo. Had they conjured a vision of her journey to the jungle and then implanted themselves inside of her head? How powerful could such magic be? She knew nothing about it. Maybe they had summoned her to come to the Amazon. But why? “What do you want from me?” Her voice shook, and her body instinctively recoiled protectively. Dgor's mouth slowly widened into a broad, sensual smile. “To mate with you, Tina.” “To make you our woman.” Lemac added. Images of those gorgeous, masculine hips gyrating against her caused Karen's leg muscles to twitch as her shuddering pussy demanded she open her thighs. Oh yeah! Yeah, yeah yeah! But sensibility is a strange thing, rearing its logical head at a time when one wants it the least but likely needs it the most. Every rational fiber that Karen possessed demanded she yank her brain out of her crotch and analyze this situation like any good researcher would do. She stared at Dgor and then she turned to Lemac, her mind working furiously to find an answer. Voodoo was the only logical explanation--stupid logic, however, Karen mused, since she didn't believe in black magic or magic of any sort. She was a scientist after all. None of this was believable. They stepped closer, taking reign in her personal space, and for a fleeting moment Karen didn't care. Her mouth fell agape at their nearness, at sultry thoughts of them running their hands over her and everywhere. And she believed…holy freakin' hell! She believed! They lured me, somehow. Karen sobered immediately. Mentally, her thighs snapped shut.

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What if their motive was for something other than lust, like a ritual of some sort? She pondered. They had mentioned rituals--a human sacrifice! Horrid visions of her head shrunken and stabbed onto a pole flooded Karen's mind, terrifying her. Oh shit! Maybe they were cannibals. “You’re not going to eat me are you?” She heard the fright in her trembling voice as she loudly expelled the words. Dgor's mouth slipped into a lazy grin as his gaze crept down her body provocatively before settling on the area between her legs. And Karen's brain slipped back there, too, leaving her totally witless. Lemac was suddenly behind her. “Only if you wish for us to…” He slipped off her heavy backpack and dropped it to the ground. Grasping her firmly by the hips, his mouth descended, his teeth nipping her shoulder. “…eat you.” Karen’s knees buckled and Dgor stepped in, gripping her by the waist. What did she ask them? Oh…! “Oh! I get it! Eat me!” A nervous laugh escaped her mouth and then she blushed profusely when she fully realized what it was they meant. Even so, a tremor erupted in her vagina, sending a tiny rush straight through her clit and then Dgor's hand was there. He pressed the heel of his palm against her muff before dragging his palm upward until the length of his fingers found and rubbed her clit. Karen's insides exploded. Her hips jerked impulsively and she humped his hand, drawing groans from them both. A sound of pure pleasure escaped Karen's lips, enhanced when Lemac bunched her hair in his fist and firmly tugged her head back. His mouth descended to the base of her throat to suckle her flesh as Dgor's mouth crashed down, slanting over hers, his tongue stroking her lips, urging her to open for him. His hand found her breast, molded around it, his fingers then sliding forward to pinch at her nipple as Lemac ground his erection against her bottom. “Karen!” Jerry's voice rent the air from somewhere far in the distance. Her body jolted violently, and Karen darted from between them. They didn't stop her but watched with possessive gaze pinning her, daring her to move away further. Their eyes… Karen's gaze snapped back and forth. Dgor's were like sapphires, richly blue. Deep in color the irises were rimmed in gold the same as Lemac's but his irises sparkled like topaz jewels. Exactly as in her dreams. For a flash of a moment Karen was stunned as they captivated her. But something happened to them then. They changed. Their eyes seemed to darken, the pupils dilating as their sights left her to lock onto each other, their expressions turning fierce and antagonistic. Both their chests heaved as their bodies stiffened. Lemac drew the bow from the sheath at his back and she saw a wickedly jagged blade attached to the end of it. With one hand, he swung the strange weapon, arcing it through the air and then catching it with the other hand. He lifted it overhead and roared angrily as he charged at Dgor. Dgor's weapon was already in place and he pushed forward to meet the challenge. Karen panicked. They were fighting over her. Literally fighting over her.

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A blade whooshed over the top of her head and Karen reflexively cowered. She squeezed her eyes shut as the sound of metal crashing against metal rang in her ears. “Karen!” It was Devlin this time, louder, followed by Jerry's call. They were coming closer and Karen reacted the only way that made any sense. She bolted. A scream yelped from her throat and continued to escalate until it echoed throughout the forest, her cry of terror and surge of adrenalin facilitating the strength to run faster. Blood pounded in her ears as loud and heavy as her feet pounded the dirt. But despite the chaos that was rioting in her body, her head, Karen was keenly aware of the intensifying scent all around her and the stomping behind her. And that could mean only one thing. They were coming after her.

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Chapter Eight

She was screaming. Four hands grabbed onto her and Karen was immediately hysterical. She fought blindly, her arms swinging, her feet kicking, seeing only terror and not the men who held her. “Take it easy, Karen!” The back of her fist connected with something solid. “Ouch, god dammit!” “Karen! It's us.” Jillia's voice caught hold of her and Karen went still, opening her eyes in time to see Carlos running past while charging the barrel of a shot gun, the white, brimmed hat he wore flying off of his head. Bart, wielding what looked like Carlos' machete, followed behind him. Jerry was rubbing the right side of his jaw and Devlin was gripping Karen's arms but released her when her arms stopped flailing. Karen slowly became aware, her body still trembling with fear, her mind vaguely registering that she was safe with her colleagues. Jillia's brows furled with intense concern. “What happened?” Karen was unable to speak. Her lungs felt like they were ripping, and her throat was raw. It didn't help that she was still as horny as a bugle band. Amazing. Doubling over, she pressed her palms against her knees, attempting to catch her breath. “Here.” Jerry offered his flask and Karen took it from him. Standing she tipped it to lips and gulped greedily. “Thanks.” She swiped the excess water dripping from her chin noticing the redness and swelling on Jerry's jaw as she handed the flask back to him. “Sorry.” “Hmm.” Jerry rubbed at his jaw again “Remind me to never piss you off. You pack quite a punch.” “Are you okay?” Jillia asked her. Swallowing, Karen looked toward the trail and felt sudden angst. Carlos and Bart were armed. Lifting her palms, Karen covered her face and she shook her head. Her two savages might fend off the machete, but they'd never escape the blast from the shotgun if they chose to fight Bart and Carlos. She didn't want them hurt even though they scared the piss out of her--had she really pissed her pants? Karen did a quick assessment--no, thank you God. There really was no reason to run from them. Well okay, those nasty looking weapons swinging above her head were a reason to run, but now that it was over, Karen just knew they weren't going to hurt her. Still, she didn't understand why they were fighting. She thought they wanted sex, that's all. That's all? Was she nuts? Oh, yeah, that's right, she was. “Karen what scared you?” Devlin asked. Please let them be gone. She begged silently. Though Karen was completely confused by what was happening, most certainly she didn't want them injured or worse, dead. “Karen, what the hell!” Jerry was yelling at her now. “Will you say something?”

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She dropped her hands and her head snapped up. “Gorillas,” she croaked out. “Big ones.” It was the first thing that popped into Karen's head, but she realized how idiotic that was since there weren't any gorillas in the South American Amazon. “Nothing.” Bart appeared on the trail, machete in one hand, Karen's backpack in the other. He dropped it near her feet. “Did see some footprints in the mud though.” “Probably Indians from a nearby village.” Carlos was just behind him with the shotgun slung on his shoulder. He rubbed his chin, his brow wrinkling pensively. “We only saw the footprints…it is strange the size of their feet.” “Their feet?” Jerry tossed Carlos an odd look. “Si,” Carlos held his hands apart to demonstrate the size of the footprints he saw. “Muy grande, very large, too large for the natives in the jungle.” “Meaning?” Jerry asked. Carlos hesitated “There are legends of ape-men.” Devlin laughed. “Karen was just saying…” “Stop right there.” Jerry held up an outstretched arm. “We're scientists here, and by nature, skeptics.” “Ape-men huh?” Bart snorted. “Hey, Karen, should we start calling you Jane?” He beat a fist against his chest and bellowed out a pitiful imitation of Johnny Weismuller's Tarzan call. Karen snickered, though she was feeling less than amused. If only Bart knew how close he was to the truth. “There are many mysteries in the jungle yet to be discovered.” Retrieving his hat from the ground, Carlos brushed it off and then stuffed it onto his head. He held out his hand toward Bart, who returned the machete Carlos gave him when Karen screamed. “You are here to explore one of those mysteries, si?” “I suppose,” Jerry answered. “But what we're here to investigate will be more easily proven.” “Let's go.” Carlos scanned the area and then began hiking. “The river is just half a mile.” The rest of the group followed. Picking up her backpack, Karen shrugged back into it and then hurried to catch up with her group. There was no way in hell she was going to separate from them again. “You still look shaken.” Jillia frowned as Karen fell into step alongside her. “Are you sure you’re okay?” All Karen could do was shake her head. She wasn't okay. Real or just in her head, Dgor and Lemac existed. But they weren't apes. Huge--yes. Intimidating--without a doubt. Devastatingly sexy, overwhelmingly exciting, frighteningly arousing to her frenzied libido-absolutely. But Apes? Nope, no way. Carlos and Bart had seen footprints, but there was no proof that they belonged to her savages. Her savages, Karen thought possessively. Everything about them screamed hallucination, their perfect bodies, the strange language they used and that she understood for god’s sake, the deep accents that she couldn't place when they spoke English. Their scents…pheromones… Geez. Maybe they were part animal. No humans gave off that kind of mind-blowing, fuck-me-

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now before I cum in my pants, kind of scent. If Karen could bottle that, she'd make millions. And their eyes…those were definitely not human eyes. Or animal eyes. “I'm sure they meant you no harm.” Jillia commented at Karen's silence. “Maybe they just want to be your friends, or something.” “Or something,” Karen mumbled. That in and of itself should've convinced Karen she was imagining them. Who the hell would want to have sex with her don't touch me because my skin will crawl, body? Besides that, there were the dreams to consider, and the fact that she'd seen them in Iquitos, as well. And on the boat…They just kept magically popping in and out at will. Magic. “Carlos.” Quickening her pace Karen caught up to him. “What do you know about Voodoo?” “There is no such thing, Senorita.” “There isn't?” Karen frowned. She wasn’t expecting that answer. “Si. Voodoo is a creation that your Hollywood made popular.” Keeping his eyes on the path, Carlos slashed through some thickening brush that was blocking their way. “What does exist is Vodun. It's an African word for 'spirit'. Here they call it Macumba.” “Do they use magic?” Karen asked. “The dark magic calls for favors from the mischievous spirits. The good magic is to ask for blessings. It is much the same as wishing good or bad luck, nothing more.” “But what about voodoo dolls and zombies?” “I think much of that is up here.” Carlos tapped an index finger at his temple. “So this Macumba isn't used to possess people or invade their dreams and stuff like that?” “It is believed by followers that the spirits sometimes speak or sometimes even possess the bodies of people during the rituals.” “Really?” The scientific owl in Karen flew out the window and the paranormal bug flew in. “Have you ever seen it?” “Si, senorita, Karen. I am a Christian man myself, but have seen my uncle practice the religion.” “Do the spirits ever….” Karen hesitated. God, she couldn't believe she was going to ask this. “Do they ever visit people to have…er…sex?” Carlos laughed uproariously, only to have it stifled when he slapped at his neck, squashing a mosquito that landed there. “You watch too many movies, senorita.” Cringing, Karen gave herself a swift kick in the ass for being so gullible. She watched Carlos pinch the dead mosquito between two fingers and lift the bloody speck from his skin. He examined it briefly and then flicked it away. Her thoughts stalled. Y-u-u-k-k! Rubbing her brow, Karen tried to resume her previous thought. Where was I? Oh yeah, voo doo. So much for that explanation, it was a long shot anyway. Karen was back to square one. Dgor and Lemac weren't real and she was near to dropping off the edge to lunacy. What was it that old grandmothers and preachers used to say? If you masturbate you'll go crazy? Guess they were right, since that was the extent of her sex life. And she indeed was going crazy. Here her body was crying out for the touch of two men. In loin cloths. And she wanted them to take her and take her hard. Much to Karen's dismay or pleasure--she had yet to decide which--whether they were real or imaginary, it all felt so incredibly normal. Yep. She was loosing her marbles alright.

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**** Our behavior was far from normal, brethren. Dgor sent his silent regret to Lemac. And claiming a non-Tertani female is? What could Lemac say? Though they took immediate advantage of Karen's separation from her acquaintances, their hyperactive libidos had gotten in the way of making a formal claiming. We should've Flaunted, Lemac, and then immediately transported with her when we had the chance instead of fooling around. Mmm. But it was incredibly enjoyable. And foolish. Do you think her reaction would've been less fearful had we burst from the jungle in a full-raging Flaunt? Her reaction was typical of any Tertani Tina. I'm incredibly pleased. But then Dgor mentally frowned. Our reaction felt more like a Dominance challenge than what would be a typical display of brethren’s skill to their future She'mana. I swear, Lemac I had the sudden urge to beat the living shit out of you over her. I think it was because we were both incredibly aroused. I'm still aroused. Dgor grunted. Lemac returned the grunt, for he, too, continued to suffer with a hard-on as stiff as his talon arc. I will definitely advise other brethren whose mate is to be found on this world that they should isolate her the moment of their arrival and claim her quickly. Lemac vowed. Then again, they both mused, where would be the gratification in a quick claiming without the chase? But their Karen, it seemed, was going to make that claiming as difficult as possible. Ever since their last contact with her, she had refused to separate even for short moments from her group, preventing them from advancing on her less they be seen. She even had someone close by when she had to pee. They were beginning to consider Tocol's suggestion to throw aside the traditional Flaunting and snatch her during the eve when the others were asleep. The need to climax with their Tina by physical Edification and put aside their mental foreplay was becoming dire. Especially now that they'd already enjoyed the pleasure of physically touching her and the fact that their randy cocks were protesting the lack of release. Returning to the Cosmic Springer where they could continue to become acquainted-strengthen their Trigon bonding in familiar and comfortable surroundings would be so much better than slogging the riverbank while following the paddle craft Karen floated in. There was no distinct path and several times the brush became so thick that Lemac and Dgor were forced to enter the river, which they did warily, hoping they encountered no more of those snapping swimmer animals. Two finely erected and bobbling cocks were sure to be tempting as bait. Will you stop pondering that? Dgor cringed as he protectively cupped his manhood. Again they were wading through what the Tertanis referred to as taw. The equivalent of earth's water, though it's consistency was different--thicker than what Lemac and Dgor were familiar with. And dirtier. Perhaps the Mahatma Divinities will overlook our lack of knowledge on claiming a nonTertani female and forgive us should we copulate with her by accident and before… Before offering the Triconjugal Blessing? Dgor interrupted his brethren's thought process.

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He couldn't believe he was actually considering what Lemac suggested, that they toss their sacred rituals to the wind in lieu of their unruly lust. What we're doing now is very much like our Triconjugal Hunt, is it not, Dgor? “But before the blessing?” Dgor said aloud. “Without the presence of the Mahatma Tribunal or the Triconjugal Prowlers to help us hunt our Tina and to offer sacred prayers when we consummate?” “It was just a thought.” “A bad one.” Lemac sighed heavily. “Do you always have to be the voice of reason?” Dgor was right. Without the traditional Trigon mating rituals, breaching their Karen would not only be shameful, it would be outright blasphemous. They both agreed to put the idea of it out of their heads. They would mate with their Tina the proper way even if it killed them. They hoped it didn't kill them.

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Chapter Nine It was muggy. The air was dank, and some time the day before they'd lost the sunshine. It looked like dusk, though in fact, it was mid-afternoon. They were all praying like hell that it wouldn't start raining. After traveling down river for the whole of night and half the next morning, they all felt as gloomy as the day. Except Jillia, who trekked along the trail without breaking a sweat and sporting a smile that made her look as contented as someone taking a leisurely stroll on a temperate, spring day. At least she was muddy like the rest of them. “Ah hell.” Jerry just shook his head. “What were you Jillia, a Navy Seal?” “Don't think so.” Jillia returned. “Why?” “You're tough as nails.” His attention scanned her lean but well-muscled body from top to bottom and back up again. “Just thought you might've been through some rigorous military training.” “Ah,” Jillia replied as if she'd just realized what he was trying to say. “I've had extensive military training.” “I knew it!” Devlin intervened. “Jerry and I were discussing it the other day.” Jillia's gaze flickered to Jerry, who had the courtesy to look embarrassed at their behind-her-back conversation about her personal life. Karen expelled a quick snicker, noting that Jillia seemed to take no offense, smiling smugly at the guys. “Marines, right?” Jerry asked. Tilting her head, Jillia lifted her brows as she trained her eyes on him. “Afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss it.” Quickening her pace, she moved forward, closer to Carlos, who hiked several feet ahead of them. “Shrouded in mystery.” Bart smirked. “What a woman.” “Forget it lover boy.” Jerry said. “She's way out of your league.” The wanna bet expression Bart returned had Jerry snickering. “A legend in his own mi…” “Halt!” Carlos held up his hands to the group, causing all of them to go silent as they stumbled to a stop. Everyone stared at the back of their guide as he dropped his machete to the ground. Next he waved both hands in the air as if to show they were empty. The sound of foreign words echoed in the air to which Carlos verbally responded. Slowly he slid his shotgun from his shoulders and that, too, fell, clanking on top of the machete. “Shit,” Devlin murmured. “What the hell is happening?” Carlos behavior was making them all uneasy. Jillia opened her mouth to say something but apparently thought better of it when two tribesmen stepped onto the path ahead of them. Raising their spears, they began to shake them. Carlos reached for his hat, scrunched it in his fisted palm and lifted it from his head. He spoke incomprehensible words that doubtlessly were in the natives' tongue.

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Jerry tapped Bart, who tapped Devlin, the action catching the women’s attention as Jerry pointed a thumb over his back. “Don’t look now.” But of course they all looked back. Great. Two more tribesmen crept from the jungle, blocking the path behind them, and Karen's heart pounded with fear. She hoped to high heavens they weren't about to be attacked. The pair in front moved closer and Karen was able to get a better look at them. Much to her chagrin she saw they wore only a few colorful feathers. Sparsely strewn as a girdle about their waists, the plumes were more decorative than concealing, their long, flaccid cocks and testicles swinging in the breeze, irregardless of the female presence. Though both men were lean in form and stood probably no taller than five and a half feet, a couple inches shorter than Karen, their presence radiated a powerful command of the jungle surrounding them. They were a daunting presence. Despite their small statures they were perfectly proportioned with skin that was sleek and bronzed. It brought to mind the unflawed forms of Karen's own savages, though the features of Lemac and Dgor were much different, their physiques much larger by dimension, convincing her that the two of them couldn't possibly belong to this same tribe. “Juaprito.” Carlos turned to the group. “I have told them who I bring to their territory and for what reason.” Having prior explained to the Westbrook group that very few outsiders were ever invited into their folds, they all quietly waited to see if they would be welcomed. The two Juaprito behind them approached. Passing by the men, one stopped in front of Karen, the other in front of Jillia. Karen gritted her teeth as they began to scrutinize both of them from head to toe. One of them mumbled something and Carlos laughed. Both Karen and Jillia looked at their guide with confusion. Carlos smiled broadly. “He says you are wearing too many clothes.” Jillia's posture was stoic, a stubborn edge to her expression, but Karen stiffened with wariness, until one of the tribesmen at the front of the path echoed a laugh that was measurably louder than Carlos'. With a relaxed demeanor he approached Carlos and slapped his palm two times to Carlos' chest. Carlos reciprocated and then jovial conversation ensued. Karen and her colleagues exchanged perplexed glances, until Carlos returned his attention to them and smiled impishly. “Senors, senoritas.” His arm slipped around the Juaprito who came forward to greet him. “My brother, Panduro.” “Christ!” Devlin shouted. “You scared the shit out of us, Carlos.” Carlos interpreted in the Juaprito language and the tribesmen chuckled. “You had us going there for a minute, Carlos.” Jerry shook his head. They all should've known. Along the course of their journey through the jungle, Carlos explained his connection to the Juaprito people. He'd been born amongst them, and he was kin to the present Juaprito Shaman, his half brother Panduro, older than him by fifteen years, and the man he now embraced. Carlos’ mother, Ema was a citizen of Peru, and an avid jungle adventurer who had happened upon the tribe accidentally. She was held captive by Carlos' father Inumi, the Shaman at the time, until the tribe determined whether or not the outsider was an evil spirit. When it was determined she was not, Ema was already pregnant with Carlos. Both were readily accepted within the tribe, and there Ema and Carlos dwelled until Inumi died and Ema returned to civilization with nine year old Carlos in tow. After being exposed and educated in the modern world, Carlos had no desire to live in the jungle, having developed a taste for conveniences, but

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he did enjoy excursions and returned several times a year to visit the tribe and his Shaman brother. For that reason Westbrook Pharmaceuticals contacted him, requesting that he act as a guide, to which he refused. Until the company offered him ten thousand American dollars. How Westbrook ever found him was anybody’s guess, but nevertheless they had found him, and the team thought as they watched Carlos interact with the indigenous tribesman that they couldn’t have done any better than him. The Juaprito knew him completely and trusted him well. They hoped the tribe would feel at ease enough to reveal the secrets of the fertility drug the scientists had come to obtain. Turning, Carlos beckoned the group forth, and one by one he introduced them by first name. Though the Juaprito offered less than exuberant expressions, they seemed cordial nonetheless. “Come.” Carlos waved to the group. “Panduro wishes for all of us to celebrate the La Limpiez tonight. “What did he say?” Karen asked. “The cleaning.” Jerry interpreted their guide's words. “Probably some purification ritual. “This could be interesting.” Jillia said as she scratched the side of her neck and then noted the expectant expressions on her colleagues' faces. “It's just an itch not a bite.” The collective sighs she received in response were audible with disappointment. “I think we need to research Jillia's body when we get back to New York.” Bart waggled his eyebrows. “We might find something unusual.” Jillia shot him a look of warning. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. “Insect repellent.” Bart held up his hands. “That's all I meant. Obviously you have a natural resistance.” “I'll bet you'd be the first in line to start the testing, too.” Jillia turned to follow Carlos and Panduro. “Nothing wrong with being inquisitive,” Bart returned as he, along with the rest of the Westbrook group, also began to follow. “After all we are scientists, true?” Karen patted Bart on the back a couple of times without looking at him. “Uh huh.” They all fell silent as the trail became rutted and difficult to navigate. With Carlos and Panduro leading, and the other Juaprito tribesmen following behind, the group headed into the depths of the jungle trekking an unmarked passage that only a keen eye could find. And whether they were familiar with the trail or were simply tracking the group, Karen knew her two savages weren't far behind. She could smell them, their fragrance tormenting her olfactory senses, provoking her arousal, which had been persistently elevated since landing in Iquitos, Peru. She couldn’t' see or hear them but their presence was keenly apparent. They lingered somewhere nearby. Stalking. Waiting unseen. Ready to pounce.

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Chapter Ten The Cleaning? Ha! What the Juaprito really meant by La Limpiez amounted to nothing more than puking. Approximately five minutes after taking a sip of the Ayeahuasca tea concoction, Karen vomited. In fact, they all heaved, tribesmen and scientists alike, stinking up the entire area until the urns they were given to spill their guts in were removed to an undisclosed location that Karen truly hoped she didn't discover should it be necessary to wander into the jungle to pee. I thought tea was supposed to be soothing to one's stomach? Karen didn't think she could drink tea for medicinal purposes ever again. Okay, so she was now considered purged. What next? Karen's eyes crossed as she attempted to make sense of the activities around her. Apparently the second thing Ayeahuasca produced was a hallucinogen affect. She wasn't dizzy, or completely out of it, things just appeared very odd. Not a good thing for someone with sensory defensiveness. Karen was feeling a bit disturbed and completely touchy, especially when one of the feather-clad tribesmen brushed up against her. The wispy touch of the feathers was enough to make her shriek. Loudly. Panduro smiled broadly at her, proclaiming as per Carlos' interpretation that she was experiencing the manifestation of a spirit. Good god. She would've retired to one of the huts the tribe graciously prepared for the group, but Carlos informed her that the Juaprito would be offended if she ignored their sacred customs by leaving before the festivities ended. With that in mind, Karen begrudgingly decided she had no choice and that the safest place was to plant herself on a straw mat between Carlos and Jillia where they sat in front of the bonfire. The damn fire seemed to casting off little flame people that sprouted arms and legs and were dancing merrily as they ascended into the air and disappeared. Karen could swear there were mocking smiles on their fiery little faces. They were taunting her, she decided, and if there was water readily available Karen would've doused their rude little heads and put an end to their irritating smugness. Shit, wasn't she crazy enough without this? Carlos told her she the spirits were likely of the mischievous sort, advising her it would be better to ignore them. Funny, she'd be damned if she could remember verbalizing what she was seeing to him. Apparently she had. What had she gotten herself into? It wasn't like she didn't know about Ayeahuasca. It was widely used in the Amazon for ceremonies and was no big secret. But Karen, out of respect for the Juaprito's tribal customs and wanting to avoid offending them for the sake of the project, had taken a small sip. Well, maybe a couple of sips.

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Oh hell, a few gulps. But she hadn’t realized how potent the concoction was, though Carlos told them this particular batch wasn't very strong. In the meantime, she sat at the bonfire listening to the magical songs meant to summon the sacred spirits, noting the gleeful, if not rapturous expressions of everyone around her. Several of the Juaprito had fallen to the ground convulsing, apparently fulfilling their spirit quest. Well good for them. Karen thought, feeling a little more than peeved. She rubbed her eyes, trying to alleviate the heaviness she felt in them. Son of bitch I'd rather be sleeping. Carlos, who sat to their left, had taken his share of the tea. Though he was a bit tipsy, slurring his words and swaying, he seemed to be tolerating being drugged much better than Karen and her colleagues. Save Jillia that is. Who didn't appear drugged at all. Big surprise there, Karen thought grudgingly as she studied Jillia's face. “How on earth…” She blinked and then tilted her head. Jillia's face seemed to morph into something inhuman. “Good god.” Jillia turned her head toward Karen, her mouth turning up ever so slightly with amusement. “Easy there.” “Aren't you feeling this?” Karen cranked her head back. Did Jillia just grow an extra eye, or was it a boil? “Nope.” Jillia shook her head. “I didn't drink a single drop of the tea.” “But I saw you...” Karen's brows furled. “You saw me lift it to my lips and pretend to swallow but I didn't really drink.” “But I watched you puke.” “You watched me heave into the urn.” Jillia returned. “I didn't really puke.” Damn. Karen chastised herself for not being wise enough to have done the same. Sighing, she was glad she at least didn't experience another effect of the tea. Diarrhea. Poor Jerry. He was still out there somewhere contributing his personal brand of fertilizer to the Amazon soil. No wonder everything grows so lush here. Karen snorted. Scratching at a bug bite on her forehead, Karen concluded she had no choice but to wait it out. At least the effects of the ayeahausca were only supposed to last three or four hours. Only one hour to go. Whoopee! Karen closed her eyes and rubbed her brow with her fingers. It did appear she was coming down however, thank goodness. Things around seemed less distorted and her head was starting to clear a bit. “Oh Ka!” Jillia said. “Huh?” Karen looked up at Jillia. She had an expression of disgust on her face. Karen followed the line of her gaze and then cringed at what Jillia was watching. Bart had jumped into the mix and was dancing right alongside the Juaprito. Except for a few feathers jammed into his hair and tied to a cord strapped around his waist, he was completely naked. His body was striped in green paints from head to toe in order to make him one with the nature spirits, so they were earlier told by Carlos. Karen laughed, but her amusement was stifled by shock when Bart suddenly jumped in front of them waggling his cock. He bellowed loudly while flexing his muscles like some poor imitation of the Incredible Hulk. “E-e-w!” His penis hung at eye level to them both. It was soft and wrinkled and Karen could only assume there was something in the tea that prevented a hard-on, because under these circumstances--the tribal women were just as naked as the men, she was sure Bart would have

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one. “Nice, Bart. Real attractive.” Karen turned her head aside to avoid looking at his dong. “That is way more information than I wanted about him,” Jillia leaned into Karen and whispered. “I would suggest covering your jewels, man.” Jerry rubbed his jaw as he lowered to sit on the mat to Jillia's other side. Apparently his unfortunate bout with his bowels was over. “When in Rome!” Bart pounded his chest. “We're not in Rome.” Karen grimaced. Out of the corner of her eye she could still see his shaft waggling and slapping at his thighs as he gyrated his hips from side to side. Oh god, it seemed to leave trails of itself as it swung back and forth. Some professionals they were. “I'm building rapport with the natives,” Bart explained. “So they'll teach us the fertility formula.” “Let's pray he won't use it to procreate,” Karen whispered to Jillia, who snickered in return. “Regardless,” Jerry said, blinking his eyes as he attempted to hold his drunken head upright. “I still suggest covering up your dick.” “Why should I?” Bart's question was followed by another tribal hoot. He stood proud, hands on hips. “Because there's a skeeter on your peter, you jerk wad.” Jerry snorted. “A big one.” Karen's head whipped back around. She couldn't help it. She wanted to see. Yep. Bart was getting sucked off by a mosquito the size of Brooklyn. Or was it two? “Oh fuck!” Bart slapped his cock. “Ouch! Shit!” He sprinted between them and headed towards the huts, likely to get his clothes. And the sting-eze--youch! “Do you think it was a female mosquito?” Jerry snickered, and they all laughed along with him. **** Lemac bobbed his head in time to the chanting accompanied by the rhythmic drums and the sound of the rattles they shook, watching the glow of the large flames shooting skyward from the fire pit and into the darkened skies. It appears to be some kind of ceremony, don't you think, brethren? Lemac smiled as he watched Karen, admiring how the glow of the fire accentuated her sensual features. He imagined how beautiful she would look under the bubbling blue shimmer of the Tertian flames as she danced around the fires back home. The play and color of earth flames is different than ours. The physics here might be an interesting study. When he received only silence, Lemac turned to where Dgor crouched next to him in the brush, noting his brethren’s tight expression as he glared at the celebrating earthlings. This is getting ridiculous, Lemac. Dgor heaved, drawing a powerful breath. He held it briefly, then released it slowly. How are we going to lure her from that pack when she's clinging to them like a Yekka bug caught in a Borgy tree's sap. She fled like a true Tertani Tina when last she saw us. Lemac wet his bottom lip with his tongue thinking about their encounter with her on the path. It would be less exciting if claiming her were easy. A lazy smiled played upon Dgor's lips as he shared Lemac's sentiments. And then his

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cock twitch with the image of Karen's frightful flight, her beautiful body flexing and extending as she scramble away, how aroused he became watching her ahead of them as he and Lemac gave chase. He could barely wait to run his tongue all over her naked flesh, to suckle on her naked breasts. A groan seeped into his brain. He felt Lemac's arousal that mirrored his own, and envisioned how erotically sensational it would be to watch his brethren thrusting inside of Karen, the tightness of her, how glorious it would feel when he did the same. If they ever got the chance. Both were attempting to tamp their impatience. It would be so easy to ignore their rituals and just snatch her away. If their spiritual ethics would allow them, which they wouldn't, though it was exceedingly tempting. Dgor tensed as he focused on their Tina. He didn’t like that most of the males around her were naked. And he nearly lunged through the bushes to choke the living hell out of the male who waggled his cock in Karen’s face. I doubt his intentions were sexual. Lemac said. That drink they share appears to be inebriating, especially to his cock. Dgor lifted a brow at Lemac's words. When did you become the voice of logic? That’s my job. Believe me Dgor, it's all simmering beneath the surface. Have no doubt I would regret nothing should I slaughter anyone who attempts to violate our Tina. The sentiments were clear in Lemac's eyes and Dgor felt the same. A thread of hostility surged within his own system as he scoped the tribal camp, sizing up the natives as potential rivals. It seemed Lemac's viciousness as a warrior was affecting his own behavior. You dare to blame me? Lemac caught the wave of Dgor's thoughts and turned affronted eyes toward him. You know as well as I do, brethren that what you are feeling is part of the instinctive progression toward the Changeover. Standing to his full height Lemac bared his teeth as he glared at Dgor. His nostrils flared and his fists clenched. Dgor mirrored the posture, feeling a contemptuous fire rip through his bloodstream, and in that moment he perceived Lemac as much a rival as any man might be. A mental growl reverberated through his brain as Lemac echoed the very same sentiment. They glared at each other, their expressions threatening, each ready to battle for dominance over the other. Both were acutely aware that if they were Tertani savages of the olden times, they would instantly be at each others' throats. It was good they were not. Urbanity took precedence over barbarity, and the brethren fought instead for their wits. They had yet to claim their woman. What would be the point of attempting to battle each other now? Still, they needed to claim her soon, for the longer it took, the greater their base hostilities toward each other would become and neither of them welcomed the reckless, feral behavior the Changeover produced--Trigon males at their most violent. The Dominance fights were notorious for being quite brutal, and if the Tina didn't step in to assuage it, if she instead fled in fear, the aggression between them would continue to escalate until she finally consented to mate. And if she didn't… Lemac and Dgor shuddered at the thought. No Trigon male ever wished to ponder the consequences of that. Sharing their woman, bringing her ecstatic pleasure while seeking their own, even before physical penetration would ease the Trigon brethren's need for superiority. Once they were properly bonded and were permitted sexual coitus with her, the Changeover would pass through the final spiritual levels, becoming matured. An unconditional acceptance

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between the brethren, the assimilation of one with the other would be fully completed. Both consciously and subconsciously the result was total acceptance of themselves as equals, never to seek dominance again. She isn't a Tertani woman. Lemac's thoughts turned to worry. Our Tina may very well just let us kill each other. Have faith, brethren, Dgor attempted to reassure him. The Mahatma Divinities are wise. She will react with the same instinctive devotion to us that we have already gained for her. Lemac nodded and returned his attention to the earthly tribe. Now, what to do about this? Eventually they will all sleep, Dgor returned. We'll move on her then. I say we join the celebration now. With a backhanded gesture, Lemac slapped Dgor lightly on the chest. The entire tribe is drunk and will not remember our presence. Lemac started pushing his way through the brush. Dgor frowned. He wasn't one for marching directly into the hands of the enemy. Are you out of your mind brethren? What I'm out of is patience.

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Chapter Eleven “Man this is some powerful shit.” Jerry massaged his temple. “Pft,” Karen nodded as she blinked at the blur of dancer that swept by. They seemed to have grown extra feet. The sounds of singing and drums and maracas and fluted instruments escalated. It pounded raucously through Karen's head and she groaned as the tribal festivities seemed to wind up instead of down. She really wanted to go to bed. Devlin murmured some kind of off beat chant, drawing Karen's attention to him. He was on Jerry's right side opposite Karen and Jillia, sprawled face-up on top of a woven mat. Well, at least he still has his clothes on, Karen mused as Devlin lifted his two arms, which suddenly looked like four. He shouted wildly at nothing in particular. “Guess he's having some kind of epiphany,” Jillia commented as she rose to her feet. “I'll be right back, nature calls.” With a click, Jillia turned on her flashlight and retreated. Karen watched her for a few seconds until she disappeared beyond the camp and then returned her attention to the people dancing around the bonfire. Her gaze shifted, squinting through the flames, darting between the tribal dancers. She thought she saw wavy movement, indistinct by the crackling blaze in front of her and smoke that rose around her. A wild animal…no. Two figures, tall and upright, standing on the fringes of the pitchy jungle wall. Karen gasped. She was about to have an epiphany of her own. A sexual one, if the sudden wetness between her legs and a libido surging out of control were any indication. Her nerves went into overload. Would they be bold enough to approach her amongst all of these people? Her heart began a hammering beat that matched the pounding of the tribal drums. They would. Nothing stopped them before. She tilted her head, shifting, trying to see through all of the activity obscuring her view, finally fixating, watching almost hypnotically as they emerged from the darkness, shadowy at first, just like in her dreams, but Karen would recognize their physiques anywhere. She swallowed the lump in her throat. It bounced off of her heart, bursting and spreading into overwhelming desire that caught her breath, threatened to take her apart, piece by erotic piece, and she had to admit that she was elated to see them. So was her quivering muff and her vagina which was clenching hungrily. They were coming closer, taking shape and form, Lemac to the right, Dgor to the left, the sight of them creating chaos with her senses, the scent of them filling her nostrils, separate at first and then blending, becoming a single, seductive aroma that forced Karen to suck in a deep and possessive breath. A delectable shiver went up her spine. She could sink into that delirious fragrance and wrap herself in it forever. She could wrap herself within them forever. There was an unyielding determination in the way they stalked directly toward her, their swaggers slow, sexy, their eyes smoldering, the golden aura, reflecting the glow of the fire, fierce

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and hard and blinding her, possessing her. Karen released a shuddering exhale as her heartbeat became explosive. An inferno in her loins ignited, inflaming her with such heat that Karen had to look twice to make sure she wasn't sitting in the fire. So much for the idea that Ayeahuasca tamped carnal desire. Ah, yes, the tea. Karen was abruptly reminded that she was doped up on an herbal, jungle narcotic, causing her to quickly re-evaluate what she might or might not be seeing. Smelling. Nearly tasting. Karen licked her lips, feeling incredibly thirsty. Was it the drug, or her wacked-out brain cells, or were Dgor and Lemac really here? “Tell me you see them?” Karen reached over and grasped Jerry's forearm, the tone of her voice pleading. “What?” Jerry lifted his head from where it rested on his knees, his eyes dazed and his brow wrinkling questioningly. He was half out of it. His head returned to its resting spot without another word. A presence overshadowed Karen and she tipped her head upward. Panduro stared down at her with his arm outstretched and an open hand extended toward her. He wanted her to stand. Karen placed her hand into his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She came to stand head to head with the Shaman, their height nearly even. Only briefly did Karen curiously look into his eyes. She was more interested in what was going on behind the Shaman. Peering around him, Karen scanned the area seeking her pursuers. They continued to strut closer, now circling the bonfire, sleek and proud, they were coming to claim her. As they closed the gap between them, Karen began backing away. Real or not, there was no telling how she would react if she let them touch her. Who was she trying to kid? Karen knew exactly how she would react. It was obvious by her gyrating exhibition in the van that she had no quandary with displaying her horny reactions, even if she was asleep and unaware she was doing it. She would nonetheless do it. There was absolutely no way she was going to be seen air humping her aroused little pussy in front of all and sundry. Karen backed up further. Much to her annoyance, Panduro followed her, mumbling foreign words that had Karen pursing her lips, and furling her brow. She shook her head to let him know she didn't understand. Carlos stood and came to Panduro's side, asking him to repeat the words he spoke. “He said,” Carlos began. “The spirits seek you.” “Spirits?” Karen frowned. Could the medicine man possibly see them too? Nah, just a coincidence. Probably saw the dazed expression on her face and just assumed…” “You must present yourself, give honor to them.” Carlos continued. Could I present my body, would jumping their bones suffice? She peered around Panduro again and was struck with severe disappointment and irritation when her two savages were nowhere to be found. Damn them! They were always disappearing. Karen was really beginning to resent that. Okay, so she was hallucinating this time. Panduro signaled one of the tribesmen who approached with a deep bowl of ayeahausca. Taking the bowl from him, the Shaman shoved it toward Karen. He wants me drink more tea? “Uh yeah, no thanks.” But when Panduro continued to push the bowl at her and grunting his insistence, Karen

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relented and took it from him. “Unbelievable,” she muttered and spun around, causing some of the liquid to splash over the bowl's rim. She stomped away from the bonfire heading toward the darkness, uncaring that she couldn't see. “Nope, not drinking any more this.” As soon as she was out of Panduro's sight, Karen intended to dump the bowl of tea. “That’s all I need is my blood stream pumped full of more hallucinogens with me being as hot and wet and horny as… …hello!” Karen froze. Holy crap. Where'd they come from? She was standing between Lemac and Dgor. A thrill went through her and escalated, her entire body began brimming with excitement and anticipation. “I'm growing fond of these backwards people, Dgor.” Lemac lifted his hand and cupped Karen's cheek. “Perhaps we should engage them as our Prowlers and have our Triconjugal Hunt here since they seem so willing to hand our Tina directly to us.” Dgor chuckled softly. Their voices rumbled low, sending a quaking thrill through Karen as heat licked its way through her flesh, surging and bursting low in her belly before erupting in her clit. Karen bit her lip, keenly aware of the moisture wetting her vagina as breathless images of what they might do to her threatened to make her witless with lusty desire. Prowlers…hunt. The words whispered through Karen's thoughts and then pointedly solidified. She wrinkled a confused brow. “What?” Neither explained. Instead Dgor's fiery gazed meandered her length and he coiled his fingers around her wrists gripping her firmly. Shackled! Karen dropped her gaze. She was still clinging to the bowl and for some reason she couldn’t explain, she didn’t want to get rid of it. Something to hit them with if she needed to, perhaps? Walking backwards, Dgor pulled her into the darkness far enough away where they would be unseen by the others, yet close enough for Karen to still hear the sounds of voices and music and smell the fire burning. She wondered why she failed to whimper a protest. ‘Cause these two hunks have made you numb in the brain, dipshit. Her gaze flickered upward along Dgor's torso. She admired the ripple of abdominal muscles and then looked at his sexy broad chest, catching sight of his dark masculine nipples. She licked her lips as images of her tongue flattening against them caused her mouth to water. Without conscious effort, Karen thrust her chest forward. Her breasts suddenly felt fuller and she could tell her nipples were jutting, seeking his heat, crying to be rubbed against his firm and muscled flesh, aching to be sucked on, a mouth on each one. And their fingers, oh, playing with her clit, thrusting inside of her. A moaning breath expelled from her throat. Dgor groaned--a deep guttural sound that drew her gaze upward. Was he reading her thoughts or was her arousal that obvious? Karen's attention went to his mouth and then his eyes and back to his mouth again, her own mouth parting at the sensual curve of his full lips and a near pleading that he bring them closer. Through puckered lips she blew out a slow breath, part air and part an appreciative whistle. She bit the bottom one, her top teeth sinking in, and then stumbled over her own foot.

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Dgor tightened his grip on her, steadying her. From behind, heavy hands settled on her hips, and when Karen turned to look back she was met by a hard wall of male brawn, perfectly sculpted shoulders and pecs and powerfully muscled arms. Her gaze flickered upward and Lemac returned a gaze that was so intense, so heated, so disarming that all Karen's mind could do was bend to accepting whatever it was he, what they meant to do with her. And she welcomed it. Well, sort of. Underlying her quickening lust Karen was still wracked with apprehension. Would she shriek with distress and shrink away from them if they caressed her body, or would she be soothed and aroused by it, just as she was in her dreams and then again on the trail a few days before? Always they'd been hard and firm with her, as if they knew what her body needed. Deep Pressure. Most men offered feathery touches that caused Karen to become insanely irritated. But not these two. As odd as it probably would seem to others if Karen was ever bold enough to discuss it, having the hard weight--of being clamped and held in place by two hard bodies calmed down her nervous system enough to allow Karen to become sexually aroused. Though Karen had never experienced it, this was something she always knew, but never had the nerve to try. “It's time.” Lemac bent and nuzzled his cheek against hers. “Time for what?” she whispered, closing her eyes, enjoying the rough feel of Lemac's unshaven whiskers as they prickled her skin. They were no longer walking and Karen had no idea how long ago they'd stopped. “To come with us.” Dgor answered her. Karen's eyes shot open. Well, it's about time! Her libido went nuts. Moisture flooded between her thighs and she clenched, her body stiffening and her breath caught somewhere inside of her lungs. She waited with anticipation, but instead of pulling her closer, Dgor released her and backed up a few paces. Lemac did the same. Squinting, Karen looked from one to other attempting to see them as they again became shadowy forms in the darkness. She could hear them, shuffling, their heavy male voices exchanging threatening whispers, and she caught only small glimpses as they began to move. They were circling her, their expressions almost ethereal as the moonlight that sprinkled through the passing clouds glanced off of their faces. She sensed a change in both their demeanors and her heart thudded warily at their shadowy, ominous postures. They glared, but not at her. Their focus was on each other. Karen inhaled, keenly aware that their scents were intensifying, emanating, filling the air and seizing her within an invisible grip that had her swooning in ecstasy. Dgor mumbled something incoherent, something that sounded more like a growl than words, and there was a feral gleam in his eyes as he locked his sight on Lemac. Karen turned to where Lemac stood, and saw that he returned a glare that was equally inflamed. Tension seemed to crackle in the air all around, and it would've been daunting to Karen except the effects of the herbal brew seemed to be keeping her fear at bay. In fact, Karen was feeling a bit docile. Both drew their weapons, the slip of the metal shrilling as they were slid from their sheaths. Dgor bared his teeth…menacing. Lemac snarled, and they charged, coming directly toward Karen. With their weapons swinging, metal clashed with metal directly above her. For a split second, Karen's heart skipped a beat. But this time, she was more curious than shaken.

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Dropping her head back, Karen looked up and studied the strange arced weapons they flailed over her head. She then dropped her sights to examine the two outstretched, powerful male bodies, so mighty and gloriously savage, their bare chests and stomachs tightly flexed, sinewy, honed limbs that stretched, poised to do battle, and the glistening of their flesh, moist from sudden exertion and formidable temperaments. Statuesque. My god they're astounding. And then Karen did something that neither Dgor nor Lemac never expected. She yawned--wide-mouth and languorous as if uninterested or worse yet, completely bored. They both went still, their weapons athwart over her, shock on their faces. Dgor gurgled out a protest at her complacency, feeling partially insulted and deflated. Lemac grunted his agreement in return. She was unimpressed by their warrior skills? Withdrawing, they both sheathed their weapons. Their egos lamented. We'll see how bored with us she really is. Lemac mentally growled. A subtle mew escaped Karen's lips when Lemac's hands slid around her body, his hands skimming teasingly below her breasts. He pressed her back against his chest. His rock-hard erection pulsated at the small of her back and his thumbs lifted, skimmed across her nipples, alerting Karen, awakening her body. Her head fell back against his shoulder and she murmured a sound of pleasure. Another hand--Dgor's, lifted, cupping her cheek, his thumb grazing, pressing her bottom lip, slipping it inside and sliding over her tongue and then withdrawing to trace her bottom lip once more. Lowering, his mouth he hovered only inches away, the heat of his breath heavy on her lips, exciting, taunting her yearning flesh. “Do you find us unappealing, Tina?” Karen couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move save to shake her head from side to side. Her lips parted slightly and she panted, savoring his erratic, sensual breathing. Please, her mind begged. Kiss me now. As if reading her thoughts, Dgor seized her mouth, taking it in one fierce sweep, urgent and hard, his tongue plunging, tasting her, possessing her, and Karen would have slithered to the ground if the press of his thighs against her legs failed to keep her on her feet. Lemac took claim at the curve of her neck, clamping with his teeth, sending titillating shockwaves along Karen's flesh and ushering a groan from her throat that Dgor promptly swallowed. His tongue continued thrusting, his lips molding, capturing, ravaging her mouth. Karen shuddered, her hips convulsed. Of their own accord, her legs parted, allowing Dgor to insinuate his thigh between them. He pressed against the crease of her mound, her clit, encouraging her to ride him. And she did, feeling like a wildcat in heat. Witless to her own behavior, lost in carnal sensation, Karen humped, taking pleasure against his thigh. Her arousal heightened further when she felt Dgor's erection and Lemac's erection and the movement of their hips as they thrust at her from the front and from behind. Oh! Karen began to squirm, the rippling of erotic pleasure beginning to consume her and… Maybe it was the horrible shrieks of the monkeys that abruptly shattered through the trees as they leapt through the branches overhead, or the fussing of the macaws and rustling of feathers, or the mosquito that had just bitten Karen's ass through her clothing… It couldn't possibly be apprehension because she was a skittish virgin. No, not that. Nevertheless, Karen ripped her mouth away from Dgor's, and then jerked, trying to shake Lemac's hands for her breasts. “No!”

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Dgor and Lemac went still. And came to their senses. What the hell are we doing, brethren? Dgor cranked back his head and dragged his fingers through his hair. His body was stiff with arousal, his cock, rock hard. If he didn't find release with their woman soon, he was sure he'd go insane. She's inebriated. Lemac returned. In like with Dgor, his body teemed with carnal need, his lust for Karen howling to be unleashed. Lifting their heads away from her they stared at each other with reprehensive frowns. They had intended to make love to her, here and now, before the full Flaunting, before the Triconjugal Hunt… Before the legal Triconjugal Bonding! Spirituals blessings be damned, the Divinities would curse them eternally for shunning their sacred dictates. “Oh no.” Karen chastised herself for the outburst. “I didn't mean it. You can't stop!” “We have to.” Lemac spoke, his voice hoarse almost anguished with his insatiate arousal. “No, you don't.” For the love of freakin' fantasies. Karen's own voice was shaking with a raging need and she was nearly sobbing with the ache of it. “We do.” Dgor pressed his forehead against hers, swallowing back his own volatile lust. Hellfires! He wanted to kiss the length of her from head to toe and start all over again. “You're in no condition.” Lemac's hands clenched as he resisted the temptation to shred her clothing and run his hands all over her. “And we won't continue the marriage rituals while your mind is unclear. It would be dishonorable of us to take advantage of you.” “I'm, perfectly fine.” Karen shot back. This was too surreal…dishonorable? For the love of…what two virile guys…how could they…Karen sputtered her frustration. And what was this thing about marriage rituals? Stepping forward and standing fully upright, Dgor towered over Karen, forcing her to tip her head back to see his face. My god, he's tall. He gripped her beneath the chin and stilled her head, checking her eyes. “You're under the influence of a mind altering substance.” “I am not,” Karen lied. “Your pupils are wildly dilated, She'ami.” Karen's lips turned up at the word. She liked the way he called her woman--in his own language, whatever that language was. There was something endearing in the way he said it, his voice gentle and caring. It warmed her. “My eyes are always like this,” she argued. Geez, another lie. This was no way to start a relationship. Dgor lifted a skeptical brow and released her, dropping his arm to his side, saying nothing but shaking his heads. Damn, damn, them! They were going to leave her again. Karen just knew it. “Friggin' cock teasers,” Karen balked, or whatever it was called when men did that to a woman. Pussy teasers? “I assure you,” Lemac reached to touch her, but halted as he thought better of it. He pulled his arm back and crossed both arms over his chest. His eyes alit with desire as his gaze meandered all over her body. “We're not teasing you.” “We will make love to you,” Dgor added. “When it's right.” “But not now?” “Not now.”

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Instead of being placated by their explanations, Karen became incensed. Months of their sexual play and ultimate rejection culminated into an anger that simmered just below the surface. An instant feeling of abandonment shot through her, resentment that they were once again going away. It was then she noticed her chest was wet. She looked down to investigate and was amazed she was still holding the damn bowl of ayeahausca. Hmm… Some of its contents had spilled over and onto her, but most was still contained inside. Her gaze shifted upward meeting Dgor's gaze and then shifted again to capture Lemac's eyes as her mouth spread into an evil grin. Oh, it could've been because she was a woman scorned or the fact that she was under the influence of drugs, either way the little demon spirit came to rest on her shoulder. She waited briefly to see if the little angel spirit would appear on the other shoulder but it didn't. Her smiled widened. She'd fulfilled her spirit quest. Attempting a cordial voice she extended the bowl towards Dgor, and batted her eyes innocently. “Tea?” What a bimbo! She silently mocked her own behavior. Dgor and Lemac exchanged questioning glances. “It's customary,” Karen added. The substance hasn't been tested. Dgor transmitted to Lemac. “This is an important custom?” Lemac asked. “Very,” Karen mustered a poker face. “Why do you think I'm still clinging to it after…after…well you know. It's part of my mating rituals.” I didn't see the tribal doings as a marriage celebration. Did you, Dgor?” Dgor rubbed his chin. His brow wrinkled suspiciously. Karen read his expression like it was an open book. “It's a pre-nuptial blessing.” Our Tina is still standing, how harmful could it be? Dgor considered the consequences. And she's much tinier than we are. Dgor took the bowl from her. “How can we refuse to oblige you, She'ami, when you're so willing to partake of our rituals?” Willing my ass. Karen watched him take several gulps and then hand the bowl to Lemac who drained the rest. “Bitter,” he said as he tossed the bowl to the ground while swiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Karen felt like the devil's creator though she was a bit surprised they'd accepted her offer unbidden. Guilt began tapping its way to her conscience, but Karen pushed it back. If this was a hallucination, what did it matter? If they were of a local tribe, they should've known better, and if they weren't, who the hell cared. She was as pissed as a cat in water and determined that they were going to pay. They'd denied her, teased her, came back and teased her more and then denied her all over again. Again and again and again. For that, oh yeah, she nodded inwardly, thinking she just might really be insane. They would indeed pay.

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Chapter Twelve “She devil!” Dgor bolted from the berth in the medbay and then grasped at the wall to balance his wobbly body and flip flopping brain. His heart filled with grief when reality struck him. “She tried to poison us!” One of his assistant medteks, Melaj immediately began examining him with a scanning rod. “Ka!” Lemac groaned from the cot opposite Dgor's. “My head feels as though a stampede of wild tarki beasts has stomped all over it.” “How long have we been out?” Dgor jerked his head attempting to shake away the foggy affect in his head. “Six dawnings, ten dials, twenty mins and about forty-two speks…sir.” Melaj answered. “You've both had a severe reaction to an ingested substance.” Dgor blinked at him and then paused. “Shit.” “The two of you broke a critical galactic, encounter regulation.” Tocol leaned against a wall, one arm crossed over the other. He stared at Lemac and Dgor, his façade holding not even a speck of sympathy. “There's no need to remind us.” Lemac swung his legs over the side of his berth, planting unsteady legs onto the floor and less than soothing palms to his throbbing temple. He rubbed vigorously and groaned again. “I need a rushover remedy.” “We had no reason to believe that we would react so violently,” Dgor pondered, trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince the Captain. How did they get back on board the ship? “Our Tina drank the same brew and she's much tinier than we are.” “May I remind you, brethren we arrived afterward?” Lemac squeezed his lids shut and opened them wide, repeating the action several times. He struggled to focus on the floor, the walls, nothing in particular. “We never exactly saw what or how much she drank.” Dgor silently chastised himself. What Lemac said was true. Their behavior was foolish and could've been fatal. He turned his concern to Lemac, studying the darkened sags beneath his eyes and the pallor of his face. Obviously, Lemac was faring less well than he was. Snatching the scanning rod from his tek, Dgor bent to one knee and began scanning Lemac's body. Lemac reacted with a burst of annoyed temperament and backhanded Dgor's arm away. Bringing the scanner close again Dgor persisted and Lemac repeated his action, more forcefully this time. Dgor glared at him and then stood, tossing the device onto the mattress next to where Lemac sat. “Melaj, where is the rushover remedy. My brethren is having trouble controlling his stomach...and his mood.” Loath to be in an inferior position both physically and mentally, Lemac rose to his feet coming eye to challenging eye with his brethren. Despite the throb in his head, he pushed his shoulders back, his chest expanding, his demeanor seriously threatening. “Some of us have trouble with control, but I assure you it isn't me.” He referred to something other than their indulgence in the drink, and Dgor perfectly understood the meaning of Lemac's thoughts. “I wasn't the one fondling her breasts.” Dgor smacked his palms against Lemac's chest

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and shoved him hard, barely moving him. “Or chewing on her neck.” “No, you were too busy boring your tongue into her throat.” Lemac shoved back, getting the same results. “And it wasn't me that excited her to the point where she was carnally desperate enough to seek pleasure on your thigh.” Ka! Did he just insult himself? Not fully understanding what was passing between the Chief Loyals, Tocol frowned. “This conversation might be better served with privacy.” He watched them intently. They chose to ignore him. “Maybe it's due to your pitiful skills at stimulating a woman.” Dgor grinned mockingly, taking full advantage of Lemac's wide open comment. “It's good you have me as a brethren.” Tocol shook his head and activated the commlink on the wall. “Jesser here.” “Send security to medbay at once.” “Yes sir.” “She responded to me well in advanced of responding to you.” Lemac's fists clenched, his posture tensing further. They both hesitated. The fire of anger was cooled somewhat and they became pensive, sharing the passionate images of Karen's sexual arousal as they both explored her body. Dgor and Lemac silently groaned at the thought of tripling with her fully. “Curse this mind link I share with you!” Dgor suddenly balked, his anger flaring again. “It's difficult to manage my behavior when my head is being invaded with your barbaric need to fuck!” He lunged at Lemac. “Dominance,” Melaj mumbled as he feigned interest in the compuscreen in front of him. Tocol sidestepped and then ducked out of the way as an arm flew by him. “What's that you say?” He winced at the sound of a fist making contact with flesh, followed by the thudding of a body hitting a wall. “The Changeover, all brethren face the urge to dominate.” Melaj answered. His gaze snapped toward Lemac and Dgor. “Some worse than others. It's a spiritual thing.” “I have far greater discipline in a strand of my hair than you have in your entire form.” Lemac swiped the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth as he pushed away from the wall. He drew back his fist to strike. “Ha! Discipline my shiny ass!” Dgor attempted to dodge Lemac's oncoming fist. “Oomph!” A direct hit to the stomach. The door to medbay slid open and six sentries piled in. Tocol lifted a hand, indicating they should stand down for a moment. He would let the Chiefs skirmish away some of this hostility before deciding to throw them in the brig next to Arjim and Calem, who still occupied a space there. “All of this to gain superiority?” Tocol went momentarily pensive. And then he pressed his lips together before chuckling low. “You find this amusing?” Lemac growled. “I do.” “And why is that?” Dgor gritted through the pain of Lemac's last blow. “I find this difficult to be other than amusing with the two of arguing buck naked and

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boasting a couple of exceptionally rigid hard-ons.” The brethren’s attention dropped downward as each examined his own cock, which was followed by a flush of discomfiture. It wasn't like they didn't realize they were naked, but in the heat of their rivalry it was something they disregarded. The erections were another thing. Especially with a room full of sentry who also found their predicament humorous, made obvious by the snickering that was going on. Tocol put himself between Lemac and Dgor--a human barrier, almost daring them to attack with him in the middle. “I thought the Flaunting and subsequent pleasuring was supposed to relieve some of this aggression?” “It would have.” Dgor returned. “If my brethren hadn't lost his wits to his lust before we completed the Ritual of Flaunting.” Lemac started forward but halted when Tocol shot him a look of warning. “It's only going to get worse,” Melaj muttered. “Hmm.” Tocol glanced at the medtek and then returned his attention to his Chiefs. “What will end this?” “Acceptance that they are equals,” Noa, one of the Tertani sentry answered. “And sex with their mate.” “Whom I've noticed still isn't aboard this ship.” Tocol rubbed a palm across his chin in frustration. “Because my brethren…” Dgor began to repeat. “You're pissed because she tried to poison you.” Lemac snarled his interruption. He then scanned the medbay. “Where's my talon arc?” “She tried to poison us, brethren.” That pointed comment stung harshly. Lemac locked eyes with Dgor’s. Their minds reconnected. The tension between them disintegrated and sensibility regained its place in their brains. Their Tina had indeed tried to harm them and their hearts sank. They both loved her. Had from the first moment they entered her dreams and began the mental Edification that consequently brought them to their present states of mind. They were brethren, spiritually joined, Lemac and Dgor, were of like mind, almost one and the same. An attack on one was an attack on the other even if it was from the woman with whom they were to mate. Maybe our Tina really is crazy. Lemac's intense worry flooded Dgor's brain. He thought about the many eve's they'd been with her, learning everything about her, the feminine shape of her body, how her lovely, blonde hair framed her lust-filled face--those sparkling, hazel eyes of hers, sensual, inviting them to go further as they stroked her, licked her, placed her slight form between them and thrust their sexual desire at the place between her legs, discovering what pleasures she enjoyed and even those things she hated. Dgor's cock lurched at Lemac's streaming erotic thoughts added to his own, reminding him that they were still nude and not alone in the room. His gaze fell to the freshly lain uniforms that had been placed alongside each of their berths. First he picked up Lemac's trousers and tossed them to him. He then retrieved his own to don them. I have a sense that we are partly to blame for some of her craziness. Dgor commented as he yanked his pants over his hips and stuffed his unruly shaft, shifting and positioning it as comfortably as possible inside. She hates us. She's frustrated. We're frustrated. It was acutely apparent they needed to get Karen naked, to climax with her, to enjoy all

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of the sexual sensations the tripling offered. But even more than that, it was time for Karen to know the kind of men who were to claim her and for them to know more of the woman she was outside of the bedchamber. “Did we kiss and make up, Chiefs?” Tocol smirked at them, surveying the byplay of emotions that streamed across their faces. Lemac and Dgor were in accord once more. Of this Tocol knew he was unmistaken. He'd lived amongst Trigon males long enough to recognize the normal peacefulness that typically existed between them. That and the fact they were no longer at each other's throats. Uch, more the latter he ceded, never one to pretend he fully understood the rituals of the Trigon. Now for the matter at hand--this obviously fervent female the Divinities led them too. He would have a sentry or two keep watch over her just in case she was a danger to his ship and his crew. One should never underestimate another. “We've orbited in this solar system overlong,” Tocol scratched at his head, knowing that Lemac and Dgor would as soon beat him to a pulp than leave without their Tina. “Be done with this claiming or I'll pull rank and retrieve her myself.” Dgor's head snapped around, and Lemac responded in like. They both stared at Tocol. “Power going to your head, friend?” Lemac's teasing insubordination eased the tension further. Tocol chuckled, dismissing the sentry who stood prepared to take the Chiefs down if necessary. It was no longer necessary. There were times when Lemac had command of an assignment and the roles were reversed. It had always been a constant source of amusement and friendly bantering between him and Tocol, but they respected each other and worked well together. Neither would in reality ever disobey a direct command. It was the same for Dgor, though his duties typically steered toward taking the helm to pilot a star cruiser as a relief. His authority was contained more to the medical units on the ships he served on. “If the two of you are recuperated enough…” Tocol paused, waiting for an answer though he knew they would claim full recovery even if they weren't. Dgor exchanged a glance with Lemac. “We are.” “I'll have the ship returned to the earth's orbit then.” Tocol headed toward the medbay door and activated the tile switch next to it. With a whoosh, the door slid open and Tocol departed. Dgor turned to Melaj. “Take a break.” “Yes, sir.” Melaj stood, activated the security device on his compuscreen and then also exited. Dgor sat down on one of the berths, shifting toward the center. He crossed his legs to lotus position and formed the delta with his hands. Bowing his head and closing his eyes, he offered up accolade to the Divinities. Lemac followed, doing the same sitting opposite Dgor and facing him. They opened their eyes, meeting each others gazes and then each lifted a hand, their fingertips and thumbs touching, forming the transdelta connection, sending them into a meditative trance. A mere mins later Lemac's eyes snapped open. “What the fuck!” His expression revealed all of the dismay and alarm that Dgor was feeling. Lemac spoke with disbelief. “She wouldn't dare!” Dgor gritted his teeth. “I think she would.”

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Chapter Thirteen She killed them! Yep, they were gone. It didn't matter if it was a symbolic execution, Karen had murdered them nonetheless-symbolic because she was now definitely assured that they were a hallucination. After she offered them the tea and they drank it down, Karen watched with helpless horror as they both turned a sickly green--well as much of sickly green as she could determine beneath the evening moonlight. Nearly simultaneously, Dgor and Lemac doubled over, and their expressions, oh they were absolutely murderous as they glared at her but it was also mixed with disbelieving shock. Dgor mumbled something foreign, that sounded suspiciously like a curse and then pressed the shiny, red jewel at the waistband of his loin cloth. Karen could swear a voice come out of it. Didn't matter. Poof! They were gone, vanished right before her eyes. Instant proof that she'd imagined them, at least that night, while in her drug-induced state of mind. But she also hadn't seen or heard from them since. Not once after she sobered, not even in her dreams as she napped restlessly during the flight home three days later. Yep, Karen killed them. Dgor and Lemac were dead in her head. Gone forever. “You would prefer to be grabbed?” Karen peeked through the Venetian blinds, shuddered at the depth of air separating her from the busy New York street below and then let the blinds snap back into place as she withdrew her fingers. She had just finished explaining that affection with a man was a problem for her because she couldn't get past all that creepy, light touching. “Not exactly grabbed, but held tightly.” Silence followed. Sam, bless her soul had left her calling card thumb-tacked to a pegboard inside the adult magazine store down at the corner from Karen's apartment. Karen had discreetly snatched that card a few months ago, when the dreams started, and after a background check, was satisfied Samantha Reese, sex therapist, was actually licensed and credible. She had held onto the card just in case. Just in case came yesterday after a fitful night's sleep, a long, agonizing day of sexual frustration and a full six days, ten hours, twenty minutes and about forty-two seconds since last seeing Lemac and Dgor. “You might enjoy being tied up?” “The scratchy ropes would probably bother me.” “They could use silk.” Turning away from the window, Karen smiled sullenly at the sex therapist. She thought about her use of the word they. Without even the batting of an eye, Sam accepted Karen's confession of craving ménage au males and listened carefully when she explained the dreams. “Humph.” Desire flickered inside Karen and then ignited as she thought about being restrained by Lemac and Dgor. But it wasn't bondage she wanted exactly. “Squished would be

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more like it.” Sam shifted her position on the chaise where she was lounging and then tipped her head inquisitively. Her expression brightened as understanding dawned. “In between.” Karen nodded slowly, appreciating the therapist’s accepting response. “It's that sensory regulating problem you told me about isn't it?” “Yeah.” On a sigh Karen strolled to a sofa opposite Sam and plopped down heavily, sinking into the cushions. She brought up her legs, bending them to one side, adjusting until she felt comfortable. Sam regarded her actions watching Karen arrange the sofa's four cushions on top of herself until only her head and shoulders were sticking out. “Deep pressure,” she said. Deep Pressure…mmm. Just the sound of it sent ripples of heated lust racing through Karen’s body. Images of being compressed by Lemac and Dgor seared through her mind. She inhaled, nearly expecting to scent their arousing fragrance, but there was nothing. Her chest felt like it caved. Karen was grieving. “Does burying yourself under the pillows make you feel better?” “Huh?” Karen’s gaze dropped down to examine the warm space she’d subconsciously created for herself. “I must look sort of silly.” Sam shrugged. “Whatever makes you comfortable.” “Well it’s been a rough week.” “Tell me about it.” “Ugh!” Karen’s head fell to the back of the sofa. “You’re sexually frustrated.” Karen lifted her head and stared at Sam. “Isn’t this where I came in?” “You had a hell of a week because...” “Okay.” Karen scrubbed her face with the palm of her hands and then immediately tucked her arms back beneath the pillows. “After we were shown how to milk the beetles and the combinations of herbs that needed to be mixed with the extracted larvae...” “You’re beating around the bush, Karen.” I wish Dgor and Lemac were beating around my bush. Karen’s pussy clenched, throbbed with unbidden arousal. Moisture seeped between her thighs and Karen gravely hoped it wasn’t leaking through her clothing and into Sam’s couch. How embarrassing. Karen twisted her mouth to one side. Damn this wasn’t easy to talk about, even to a sex therapist. “I'm glad to be out of the jungle.” “Because you left the dreams behind?” “N-o-o.” Karen replied. “The place bothered me. I mean, being one with nature was peaceful, cathartic even. I liked that. But everything else, the bugs, the mushy ground, the foliage, most of it I found offensive.” “But having sex with two men you find…” “Erotic, stimulating, arousing, just what I've always needed…I don't know, I don't know.” Karen rubbed her forehead. She was completely exasperated. “Tell me more.” “We got back two days ago.” “Wednesday?” “Yeah, and went right to the lab with our samples.” Karen stopped speaking and looked

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at Sam. “That’s not what you want to know about.” Sam shook her head. “You can talk about whatever you want. It’s your dime, but I am a sex therapist and you called me because you’re having a problem with sex.” “I’m having a problem without sex,” Karen muttered. “What you probably need is a hard thrusting with you pressed heavily beneath your partner, someone you implicitly trust.” A gentle, well-meaning smile graced Samantha’s lips. “The way you’ve describe your sensory defensiveness tells me that the only way you're likely to enjoy sex is with deep penetration, much like the deep pressure you need to feel relaxed.” “I’ve already figured that much out, Sam.” Karen answered. “But what am I supposed to do, interview every potential fuck partner to make sure his cock is large enough and he's capable of pounding me like a horny gorilla without hurting me just to nail me firmly to my bed so I won't jump out of my skin?” Sam snorted. “That's an idea.” “But I told you that I can't even get close enough to a guy to try it.” Karen grumbled. “As soon as it looks like I'm about to get touched affectionately I end up coiling away, putting a lot of personal space between us. Not exactly a turn-on.” “Still, you need to address your sexual frustration.” Samantha skimmed pensive fingertips along her lips. Standing she walked over to her desk, pulled open a drawer and reached inside. “You could try it first with something like this. That way you’ll have all of the control.” Karen's eyes widened. Samantha had pulled out and placed on her desk the biggest, thickest dildo that she'd ever seen. Oh my gawd! Not that she'd seen many. Or any. At least not this up close and personal. Speechless, Karen stared at the terrifying thing for a moment, and then gulping, she found her voice. “You want me to break my own hymen with that?” “You're a virgin?” Did I forget to mention that? “Why the fuck do you think I'm here, Samantha?” Yep, at twenty-five years of age, Karen was the oldest fucking virgin on the planet. Minus the fucking. “Oh shit, Karen.” Samantha slipped the dildo back into her desk. “Yeah, oh shit.” “And then there's this need you have for two guys.” Sam lowered to sit in the chair at her desk. She drummed her fingers on the desk for a moment and then clasped her hands together, propping them on the desk top. “Ever had fantasies about sleeping with one guy?” “Of course.” Karen answered immediately, but reconsidered. Her brow wrinkled and she pressed her lips together, thinking about it further. “Well, not a normal guy.” “He's always wrapped around you.” Karen nodded. “As if he were two men instead of one.” This was going nowhere. Karen extracted herself from the pillows, piling them on the couch, off to one side. “Guess I'm a hopeless basket case.” “No, I don't think you are.” Samantha began fishing through her rolodex. “What I think is that it’s time to get laid by two men.” That brought Karen up short. Before she knew exactly what was happening, Sam had located a number and was dialing the phone. Abruptly she covered the mouthpiece and looked at Karen. “Their expensive.” “I can afford it.” Karen replied without thinking. Oh hell what am I thinking!

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Unable to find a cohesive thought or even a protest, Karen sat in shocked silence. Samantha was setting her up to get gang-banged, well not quite a gang, but still. Memories of Dgor and Lemac, their heated bodies entwining, stroking her seeped into her thoughts. Karen. His rich, soothing voice slid over her senses sending a shiver up Karen’s spine that was far from offensive. Dgor. A hand skimmed over her breast causing her nipple to peak and a familiar yearning to blossom inside of her. “Hey Kevin, Sam here,” the therapist said into the phone’s mouthpiece. Karen. He plucked at her nipple. Holy sh... oh! His hand was inside of her clothing, his fingers deftly playing with her breast. Karen panted, he exposed her, his mouth was there, sucking… “A virgin, yes.” Sam's voice floated intrusively to Karen's ears. “Sensory…deep pressure…” A feral growl rumbled through Karen's ears. Dgor was pissed. Good. “I think Jack's perfect for this kind of threesome…” Rip…lips, teeth nipped at the tender flesh of her inner thigh, working seductively upward. Karen. She heard, felt his breath, hot, heavy on her skin. Karen expelled a gasping breath of her own. Lemac. Her clothing was torn. “Karen?” Samantha turned the phone away from her mouth. “Tonight okay with you, seven-thirty?” Karen's eyes fluttered open briefly and she caught a glimpse of Sam staring at her with her brows raised. Oh…she silently moaned as the flesh of Lemac's fingers slid through her crease, playing directly with the flesh of her clit, pressing his finger, rotating it in circular motions. Karen body went into spasms when she felt his mouth, his lapping tongue was… “Yes!” She said aloud. A torrential rush of carnal heat raced through Karen's body. “Seven thirty is…” Samantha watched as Karen gyrated on the couch. “Isn't soon enough.” It’s just a delusion. Karen forced the reality through her brain. And there’s only one way I can think of to get rid of it. Go away… She said to them both. I'm going to have sex with two real men. Lemac's roar of anger followed by Dgor's pounded in Karen's ears and then faded. “I'm glad you have happy crotch, but starting without them?” Karen's eyes shot open. Samantha was crouched eye level with her. “I must've fallen asleep.” Karen said. “I don't know about that, but it certainly looked like you were having an orgasm on my couch.” Not quite. Karen summoned her spite. Never again would she allow them to leave her unfulfilled and in dire sexual need. Tonight was going to end all of that.

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Chapter Fourteen Karen fumbled with the keys to the lock on her door. She giggled and looked first to her right and then her left. Jack stood to one side of her, Kevin on they other, both with beaming smiles as they visually attended to her. They were very good-looking. Not in the Lemac and Dgor savage sense but still pleasant to look at nonetheless. Stop thinking about them. Lemac and Dgor don’t exist... Karen hiccupped and continued to fumble with her lock. Too much wine, not enough dinner. She had barely eaten any of the food at the restaurant. It was okay though. She needed the alcohol more than she needed the sustenance to help her get through what was about to happen. It was time to find sexual satisfaction with two men, hard, rough and deep no matter how much it frightened Karen at the moment. She couldn't go on like this, dreaming of Dgor and Lemac, unable to make heads or tails over what role they played in her life, figments of an unfulfilled libido, hallucinations, or whatever. Karen decided that for the sake of her sanity she had to put them out of her mind, make them go away. Her heart wrenched. Somehow she felt as if she were betraying them. I've got some serious issues. “Finally!” The key slipped into the lock, and Karen turned it. With a click and a thud and thud, the door swung ajar. A thud? And a thud? Karen's mouth fell open when she turned to her dates. They were both lying half unconscious and groaning on the hallway floor. Hands grasped her upper arms, and she was suddenly being hauled into her apartment. Oh good. She was hallucinating again. And now they were now beating up her dates. Karen expelled a sharp breath. …a real basket case. With a bang one of them slammed the door closed. Karen didn't know which, because she wasn't looking. The avalanche of chaotic thoughts thundering through her brain was causing everything around her and inside of her head to become obscure. Panic mixed with fear as Karen fought to gather any cohesive, rational thoughts that could explain their appearance. Was the thread holding her sanity about to snap, causing her to drop over the edge to lunacy and straight into their arms? The thought filled her with happiness. Oh god! Her nostrils flared and Karen sucked in a fragrant breath. The scent of them--it calmed her senses by several degrees. She had the feeling it was meant to do that. “Uh…Hi,” Karen said. Her gaze flicked back and forth between Lemac and Dgor. “Uh…nice to smell ya again fellas.” No reaction, except for their glaring. Uh oh, I think I’m in trouble. Karen gulped and then scrutinized them from top to bottom. They were wearing those matching clothes again--sleeveless plum vests that reminded her of the antiquated jerkins that men used to wear. Thick leather-looking straps criss-crossed their chests and they had those bowed sticks at their backs. There were epaulets on each shoulder that had three concentric,

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silver triangles embroidered on them. Gold-embroidered wings were angled over Lemac's and a red teardrop or possibly a blood drop atop of Dgor's. Her attention meandered to their chests and Karen paused, watching the rise and fall as they drew in heavy breaths, not from exhaustion, but from some other emotion Karen was reluctant to analyze. They inhaled in unison as if one's intake of breath relied on the other's breathing. Maybe it did. From the very first time she realized they were two, Karen sensed there was a connection between Dgor and Lemac far greater, more intense and interdependent than she could comprehend. It was almost as if they were soul mates. Briefly, she glanced up at Dgor. His eyes narrowed on her and her head immediately snapped catching Lemac's gaze. His nostrils flared in a very unhappy manner. Her gaze dropped to the floor, though she could still hear their breathing, feel the heat of every angry breath they expired, and Karen tried to brush away the guilt. She decided instead to continue her inspection of their clothing. They both wore calf-length black boots. Their black trousers, tucked into them, were tight, but also seemed pliable, easy to move in, easy to see the two male bulges that her gaze seemed to keep snagging on. Her mouth watered, and Karen struggled to steady her breathing, but it quickened despite her efforts. She looked away and then looked back again, her gaze beginning a hungry journey, devouring every inch of their bodies from head to toe and back up again, keenly aware of her own body's wanton reaction to them, the way it awakened merely by their presence, swayed in subtle undulating waves, her muscles tensing and relaxing, in her belly, between her legs--especially between her legs. It was an itch that desperately needed scratching, a twitching ache that screamed to be stroked and licked and deeply filled. And with every breath she took, Karen was acutely aware of her breasts, jutting full, seeking the heated curve of their hands, her nipples begging to be played with and sucked on by their mouths. Her entire being cried out as though she might die of anguish if they didn't touch her soon. They had a powerful appeal on her--men in uniforms, virile warriors, the few, the proud, the sexy as hell, and real. Very real. But then again, she had been drinking. Lifting a single finger, Karen poked Lemac's shoulder, testing his tangibility. He was solid alright, hard muscle, overpowering brawn and standing in her living room. She was sure Dgor would somatically feel the same, solidly present in the flesh. Her gaze snapped up to Lemac's face and then shifted over to Dgor's. They continued to glare at her and there was no doubt by the expressions on their faces that they were very pissed off. Karen smiled prettily--innocently. “Long time no see?” She reached for the door. Lemac's hand snatched her forearm and Karen frowned at him. “I just want to see if my dates are okay.” Lemac snarled. “Hey, I paid a lot of money for those two guys.” “You paid men to have sex with you!” Dgor's voice boomed so loudly behind her, Karen could swear it pounded her on the back. She flinched but otherwise ignored them and instead reached for the knob with the other hand, turned it and peeked into the hallway. Her sigh was audible. She was relieved. Not because she discovered that Jack and Kevin were unharmed, but because they were gone. Wimps. They didn't even try to rescue her. With a loud bang, the door slammed shut and Karen jumped. Tipping her head back, she

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looked up. Dgor's hand was flattened against the edge of the door just above her head, and he was glaring down at her, his eyes alit with an angry fire. “You poisoned us, Tina.” A muscle in his jaw twitched in a very unhappy manner. Her attention snapped to Lemac. His face still carried a menacing expression. Ah, so they were here to punish her. “You're not going to tie me up and beat me are you?” Whoa! That idea conjured a mess of conflicting ideas and emotions she wasn't ready to sort through. Lemac seized her by the shoulders. “Only if you want us to.” Her body slammed into his as he jerked her up against him, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs. His mouth crashed down on her hers, showing no mercy, his anger mixed with lust, demanding entrance. He exhaled harshly through his nostrils when she opened to gasp for air, and he thrust his tongue inside. Shifting Lemac moved his hands upward, pushed his fingers through Karen's silky, blonde hair, short, but still long enough to clench. He tipped her head back, coming over her as he continued to ravage her mouth. Dgor moved behind her and lowered down. His hands slid around to the front of her legs, his fingertips pressing at her inner thighs and ascending. His head was beneath her skirt, his mouth nipping at her behind through the bodysuit she wore. She could feel his breath as it streamed through the material in hot and heavy waves of stimulating power. Karen quaked just as his fingers found her middle, stroked over her pussy and then slipped along her clit. He rubbed the length of her slit, the material separating flesh from flesh increasing the friction, sparking the sexual craving in her loins as Lemac nipped her jaw line and then her neck, driving her lust higher. Karen moaned, surrendering her mind to the carnal pleasure of two mouths, four hands, of Lemac and Dgor and their erotic attention to her body. Sensations, potent and rampant hit her all at once, blazed along her flesh, and snatched away her breath. Her heart raced so fiercely she thought she might faint. Karen hiccupped instead. All movement ceased. Lemac lifted his head from her throat and took her face between his hands. His fingers clamped to the back of her skull and he tilted her face toward him. “Open your eyes, Karen.” Her lids lifted, slowly in an almost cumbersome manner. Dgor was on his feet, his face upside down in her line of vision. He and Lemac were staring down at her head to head and only inches away. They exchanged glances before returning their attention to her. “You're inebriated.” Dgor mumbled a foreign word that sounded suspiciously like the suspected curse she thought he spewed in the jungle. “Fucking crap.” Karen knew what that meant. With a jerk of her head she freed herself and then shifted to slip out from between them. She expelled a breath ample with discontentment and then stalked into the kitchen. Dgor and Lemac mirrored her sentiment with their own forceful exhales, staring after Karen as she disappeared through an open doorway. This Edification, or lack thereof is going to be the death of me. Lemac grasped at his crotch, wincing as he attempted to find a more comfortable position for his throbbing shaft. The death of us. Dgor grunted as his own painful and unattended erection threatened to burst through the seam of his trousers. I think the Divinities were in a sadistic state of mentality when they handed down the dictates of this ritual. It didn't help that Lemac and Dgor were sensing each other's frustration and arousal through their brethren link, which only served to augment the torment. This is almost humorous, brethren. Lemac tilted his head, attempting to see into the room

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their Tina had gone to. Clanking and banging noises rent the air. Dgor grunted at Lemac's comment. It would be fully humorous if it was happening to someone other than us. Lemac picked up an image sheet framed in wood that was propped on a nearby stand. He stared at it and the showed it to Dgor. I didn't realize claiming one simple earth woman would be so difficult. Neither did I. Dgor studied the image Lemac was showing him. It was their Karen with another female. They were embracing, their heads together, cheek to cheek and smiling happily. They kept silent when Karen reappeared holding a bottle of sparkling pink liquid that looked much like their Tertian taw. For that reason it didn't register in either of their brains that the liquid she was now pouring into her mouth was something other than what they knew was comparable to earth's water. Until Karen hiccupped again. “I'm never going to get laid,” She muttered and began stomping the length of her large living room. When she saw that Lemac was holding her picture frames Karen detoured, making a right angle turn and treading up to him. She snatched the picture from him and then held it protectively to her chest, glaring at him before setting it face down on the table. Spinning around, Karen stalked to her original destination, only tripping once over nothing on the floor. She flopped into one of the two oversized bean bag cushions in the room. “Might as well get drunk…drunker.” She kicked off her shoes, slammed the bottle to the floor and then grasped the other bean bag chair, dragging it on top of her until she was fully sheltered inside. For several short moments there wasn't any movement. But then almost as an afterthought, a single arm snaked out. A hand felt around the floor until it found the base of the bottle, worked upward until reaching the bottle's neck. Fingers clenched around it and the bottle was dragged inside. In several large strides Lemac tromped toward Karen, Dgor just behind. Reaching down he lifted the top cushion off of her. She was curled into a ball on her side, molded into the material, only partially reclined and hugging her bottle. “Do you mind?” Karen lifted her head and glared at them both. “I'm wallowing in self pity and would like to be alone.” She tipped the drink to her lips and took a couple of large swallows. “Is this your normal sleeping place, Tina?” Dgor's brow wrinkled. Not much room for us Lemac. “Uh, no-o-o,” Karen returned, making no attempt to hide her sarcastic tone of voice. She took another drink and then pointed. “My bed is in there, like you care. And by the way, I've been meaning to ash…ashk you two. Why do you call me Tina?” Was she shlurring her words? “It's our word for female, virgin mate.” Lemac answered her. “Oh happy day. Of coursh you would know about that.” Karen rolled from the bean bag cushion. Using the bottom of the wine bottle as a prop on the floor, as if it were a stumpy cane, she attempted to stand. There was just one problem. Her bottom rose up before the parts of her that should have, and now Karen was bent in half, her head and arms and upper body hanging toward the floor. Her head spun a bit. The floor rocked below her. She hated that feeling. “Hey whoosh boat ishish?” She giggled and hiccupped again.

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Dgor's hand slipped around her ribcage and he helped her to an upright position. The bottle came with her. Karen swayed in his arms, her eyes crossing and then she blinked them straight, locking them into a wide-eyed unblinking gaze. Again she lifted the bottle, but Dgor snatched it from her clutches. “Oh good.” Karen’s knees buckled and her head dropped back. She arched over Dgor's arm, his embrace preventing her from falling. “I hate to shrink alone. Hey where'd efry body go?” Dgor handed the bottle to Lemac who sniffed its contents. “It doesn't smell very strong.” He sniffed it again. “It smells almost like flowers.” Bending, Dgor bodily scooped her up and cradled her against his chest. Karen went limp in his arms, her head dropping back but her eyes were still open. One of her arms dangled, the other bent and resting on her chest. Dgor headed for her bed chamber and stepped inside. It was dark at first but then a light clicked on. Karen's foot was against a rectangular plate on the wall. She apparently activated the illuminator switch with her toe. A wily smile crossed her lips as she lifted her head. “Are we going to bed?” She hiccupped again. Lemac came up to Dgor's side and he scanned the room. Ka! The bed, a large one. He moved closer and peeled down the bed covering. Too bad we can't make full use of it. Dgor grumbled. At least not this eve. He carried Karen over to the bed and with little effort tossed her into the middle of it. “Oh no!” she squeaked with the unnerving flight through the air, relieved when she landed with a halting thud. The impact sobered her some. Karen rolled immediately to her belly, lying flat and spread-eagle. She gurgled an exhale and waited for her body to relax from the uncomfortable sensation. They were lucky she wasn't going to hurl. Lemac set the bottle he was still holding on a small stand next to the bed. He removed his baldric, placing it near the head of the bed where it was easily accessible and then climbed in next to Karen. Dgor did the same but on the opposite side. Karen lifted her head alternating glances between them. “Shex anyone?” Sheesh! I'm the boldest, most brazen virgin I've ever met. Not that the wine has anything to do with that. “Go to sleep, Karen,” Lemac replied. A feeling of warmth spread through Karen's insides. Her name rolled off Lemac's lips like a sensual caress and Karen realized it was the first time either of them had used her real name. The pleasure disintegrated quickly however and Karen's annoyance at their rebuff returned. “I should've kept Jack and Kevin…Ouch!” Dgor slapped her ass. “You get what you pay for,” she muttered, and he slapped her ass again. “Ouch, damn it!” Karen glared at him, part in shocked that he spanked her and part in shock that she was becoming aroused--again. A single brow lifted on Dgor's forehead as her arm stretched out and she began running her fingertips along his thigh and then detoured toward his crotch. “Go to sleep, Karen.” As much as he longed for her to touch him there he hauled in a breath to gain control and removed her hand.

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“She's testing our sense of conscience.” Lemac said. “A stiff pick…p-r-rick hash no conshush.” Karen turned her head the other way and rested her cheek against the bed while looking at Lemac. “Would you like me to shuck on you?” Lemac nearly choked on his next breath. “Keeping my honor with you evala'luso, it isn't easy.” He smiled gently and then reached for Karen, tracing her bottom lip with a single finger. My heart's passion. That's what he said to her. Lifting her head, Karen studied Lemac for a moment. She turned to look at Dgor. They had been chasing her all over the goddamn globe and now they were here in her apartment. She could physically feel them, see them. Despite the wine she’d consumed, she wasn't all that drunk, a bit tipsy that’s all and wine wasn't a hallucinogen. Karen knew she wasn't going insane, probably always knew it somewhere deep in her mind. Dgor and Lemac were real. The vanishing act in the jungle, well that she could blame on the ayeahausca, but there were other things. Where the hell did they come from? And then there was the dreams. What about their strange accents and the language they spoke that she somehow understood? Their gold-rimmed eyes and that perpetual scent that was torturing her even now. What about that? Why were they chasing her? Why choose her at all? They knew she was a virgin. What pleasure could they gain from that? If Karen didn't know better she would swear these guys were from somewhere far off. Their behavior and the things she’d experienced with them were so strange. And Karen didn't mean some far off land either. What she meant was that they were from somewhere far, far off. Far, far off the planet. Ha! You're such asshole, Karen. She mused inwardly. Outer space aliens, yeah right. Karen yawned, the wine now making her drowsy. She would sort through her befuddled brain in the morning. Reaching to the top of the headboard, Karen felt around and then clasped what she was searching for. Two hands, one from the left and one from the right, suddenly snatched her arm causing Karen to startle. Dgor and Lemac eyed her suspiciously. “The remote.” Karen looked left and right and left again. All of this head turning was making her dizzy. “It’s only the remote control.” Their expressions tightened. They didn't trust her. “For the lights.” She clicked a button and the lights went out. She clicked the button again and the lights went back on. “See?” They withdrew their grasps on her. Karen lowered her head and closed her eyes, welcoming sleep. “Dgor?” “What?” “Is the bed swallowing you?” “It seems to be.” “Can you move?” “Barely.” “This material is very strange.” Karen furled her brow and then laughed when she realized what Lemac and Dgor were talking about. “It’s a memory foam mattress.” A picture of their large frames sunk half way into her bed with the mattress molded around them, formed in her mind. Karen laughed again.

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“What's the point of such a thing, Karen?” Dgor asked. Reaching down, he grabbed the bed cover and pulled it up and over all three of them. “It supports your body.” She failed to get out another intelligible word. “We have a similar thing on our bedding, but also different.” Lemac said. “This doesn't feel the same.” “It's relaxing,” Karen said. “It's inhibiting.” “I like it.” “How would one make love on such a thing?” Karen chuckled. “I wouldn't know.” “Of course she wouldn't.” Dgor added. “But…” “Lemac,” Dgor said. “What?” “Go to sleep!” Dgor and Karen said simultaneously. Several seconds passed. “Karen?” “What Dgor?” “The illuminator is still on.” “The what? Oh.” Click. “Now go to sleep.”

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Chapter Fifteen Karen felt her body. She was still in her clothes--bodysuit and skirt, and for a moment was confused as to why. She always slept nude, molded into her memory foam mattress, with two comforters on top. Opening her eyes she stared at the ceiling. “I was a bit drunk last night.” She thought about that further. “No headache. Cool.” Bad taste in her mouth though. It was Saturday. Karen closed her eyes to go back to sleep, but they shot back open. Jack and Kevin… Her hand flew to her crotch and she felt around. No pain, no soreness. “You still have your clothes on, stupid, which probably means you're still a virgin.” Virgin female mate…”Oh my gawd!” Dgor and Lemac… Karen sat straight up. The bed was empty. She was alone. They were gone again. “Well what did I expect?” Karen fell back onto the bed. “Bastards.” A fowl odor wafted to her nose and Karen sniffed the air. Something was burning. “Oh shit, I hope the building isn't on fire.” In a flurry, she was scrambling out of the bed and rushing into her living room. The fire alarm on the ceiling began to screech and Karen winced at the excruciating sound. The burning smell was coming from the kitchen. She heard what sounded like a pan crashing. A split second later she was standing in the doorway with her mouth gaping. The cupboards were all hanging open. A partially unraveled roll of paper towels draped across the tops of them, the rest of it unrolled across the floor. Flour was spilled everywhere. Pots and pans, dishes, box stuff and can goods littered her counter top along with two cracked eggs, the innards dripping over the edge. The fridge was hanging open. A jar of mustard was tipped to its side, lid off, its contents slopping onto the shelf and coating some of her grapes. Yummy. A hotdog was, oh god, hanging out of the toaster. It was slightly crisp. Something had exploded in the microwave. She didn't want to know what. Olive oil was poured into a glass. She didn't want to know why. And there in the middle of all of it, were Dgor and Lemac, dusted in flour, shirtless, looking nonchalant and stunningly sexy. “We're not very adept with this kind of food and the cook gear you own.” Dgor said. Karen was too stunned to speak. Instead, her gaze moved past him to the stove where a charred steak sat directly in the fire of a lit burner. Well at least she knew now where the smell was coming from. Brushing by both of them Karen turned off the flame and then pulled open a nearby drawer to retrieve a large serving fork. She stabbed the steak and threw it in the sink frowning at the brown goo clogging the drain. She spun around. Dgor and Lemac both stiffened at the furious expression on her face. They warily eyed the forked weapon she held. It was small but likely painful if jabbed into the flesh or the eye, or somewhere else a lot more sensitive. They both grimaced at the thought. Tentatively, Lemac reached out and removed it from her hand. He and Dgor sighing audibly in relief once she was disarmed. Karen's anger turned to confusion and then it dawned on her exactly what they thought she might do with the fork. She tamped a smile, wanting to hide her amusement at these two,

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large warriors being afraid of her. It was a heady feeling, one that might come in handy sometime. Lemac tossed the fork into her garbage can and then turned toward the counter. He picked up a twelve inch, no-stick frying pan and examined it, tested its weight. A mischievous grin appeared on his lips as he patted the skillets bottom. “My heating vessel is bigger than yours, Dgor.” Answering with a cocky smile, Dgor’s eyes flicked to a cast iron pan that also sat on the counter. He snatched it with one hand. “Mine is heavier and thicker.” With a snap of his wrist, Dgor tossed the heavy skillet into the air, flipping it threehundred and sixty degrees and then catching it by the handle. Whoa. Karen noticed that the muscles in Dgor’s arm barely flexed when he pitched the pan, snatching and steadying it as though it were only as heavy as cardboard. How impressive was that? Karen had to use two hands just to lift the thing. Heated arousal suffused her flesh, coiled around inside and Karen fanned herself. Lemac's arms were just as big and likely just as strong. They could squeeze her to death with those bulky limbs and she would love it. Images of those arms wrapped tightly around her, of their naked bodies stretched along her length, powerful hips wildly pumping, flooded her mind. Was there a better way to go? “Finally,” Lemac growled and swung the pan at Dgor's head. “We Flaunt.” Dgor blocked the attack with his own pan, putting a dent in the side of Lemac's skillet as it crashed down, pulling Karen from her pleasant musings. She jumped back just as Dgor charged forward, backing Lemac into the living room, swinging his pan like a mighty sword, knocking the fire alarm from the ceiling and silencing it. “Oh shit!” Karen ran out behind them the word flaunting ringing in her ears. They’d mentioned this before, explained some of it to her, but they couldn’t…not in her living room! Eek! What the hell! Two frying pans crashed together barely missing her head. “What are you doing?” Karen flinched and yelled at the same time. “We’re Flaunting, Tina,” Lemac answered without looking at her, his eyes remaining fixed on Dgor. “You flaunt your skills with frying pans?” Karen straightened her expression bemused. “I usually cook with them.” They shifted, arms swinging, curving horizontally. The bottoms of each skillet slammed together with an ear-piercing crash. Back muscles bulked, shoulders, arms flexed, they shoved and pushed at each other in a show of strength. Lemac grunted and Dgor grunted back, both baring their teeth as one struggled to knock the other down. Dgor broke first, drawing the cast iron skillet back and then whipped it around as though he was swinging an axe. Lemac lifted his own skillet to block it. On impact the pan broke from its handle and flew across the room like a wayward Frisbee. It crashed into one of the doors on Karen's barrister bookcase, shattering the glass. The entire four-shelf unit rocked precariously tossing several paperbacks to the floor. “Hey that’s my favorite no stick pan!” Karen bit her bottom lip, staring at the books, the glass on the floor, her voice becoming more subdued. “I sort of like the bookcase too.” She was dumbfounded, not knowing what to think of their sudden aggression toward one another or what caused it. They'd done this before, appeared to be fighting for possession of her. It made Karen wonder if she’d misinterpreted and only one of them could win her. She would be sorely disappointed, devastated even. How could she love one without the other? Karen's breath hitched. I didn't just admit I loved them. Regardless, it didn’t matter right

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now. They were wrecking her apartment! The emotions had barely sprouted when Lemac came bounding toward her like a speeding train, and she froze, drawn to him, mesmerized, barely registering that he dropped the pan handle and was now drawing that curved weapon from his back, that thing they called a talon arc. In a demonstration of precision and skill he began twirling it over and around her body, so close she could feel the breeze it created, the wickedly honed, sickle-like, but jagged blade on one end barely missing her flesh. He swung again and she nearly pissed her pants, catching only a flash of metal being driven toward her and she dared not flinch because the wrong motion might mean paying with her head. Dgor lunged behind her, his arms outstretched, caging her between them. With two hands on his talon arc he drove it forward blocking Lemac's weapon just a second before it connected with her neck. They halted, glared, eyes narrowing, piercing each other. “She's courageous,” Dgor said. “She's ours,” Lemac responded. Karen was scared stiff. Again, they were moving, creating a loud racket, crashing, destroying her apartment. The tenant next door pounded loudly on the wall. Dgor and Lemac tumbled to the floor and began rolling about. They smashed into a floor lamp and it fell. Her phone started ringing, probably the tenant below making the call. In complete frustration, Karen threw up her hands. “Well there goes the neighborhood.” Stilling herself she listened. Sirens outside blared louder and louder. “And here come the cops.” She'd had enough. Stalking to her bedroom, Karen slammed the door behind her and the struggle between Lemac and Dgor abruptly stopped though each continued to press the convex curves of their weapons to the other’s throat. They stared at the closed door, respiring deeply, attempting to regain their breaths. Moments later, Karen emerged in a fresh body suit, black on the bottom, V-waist pattern, purple on top. She had sneakers on her feet. Without looking at them she headed for her apartment door, irritated feet pounding the floor. She threw open the door and it hit the wall behind it with a bang. The noise was followed by the sound of crumbling plaster, but Karen continued on. What was one hole compared to the mess she was leaving behind? Four flights of stairs and Karen was outside. The smell of exhaust from passing cars pelted her nose, causing her to wrinkle it. She brushed a wayward strand of hair from her eyes and then she sighed at the sound of sirens screaming down the street. “Going for a run, Karen?” Joe Baker, a first floor neighbor was sitting on the front stoop and Karen nodded to him. Two police cars screeched to a stop in the middle of the street. With a quick wave to Joe, Karen jumped the bottom three steps and casually jogged away as if to say the commotion had nothing to do with her. “Stop and put your hands up!” “Damn.” There was no need to look back. As she plodded the sidewalk with an easy stride, Karen pictured the scene behind her--Lemac and Dgor bursting through the building’s front entrance, and the cops ducked behind their vehicles, aiming their guns at the crazy, shirtless guys waving sticks. They would be arrested. God, what if they get shot? Karen had to believe that wouldn’t happen. Her brain was

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going into shut down at the moment, and she couldn’t deal with any of it right now. After a couple minutes of jogging with no gunshot sounds blasting in the air, Karen felt a modicum of relief. Did she really care what happened to them after all they’d done to her--put her through? Of course she cared. She cared a lot. But right now, she was so confused. Her mind was so weary of struggling between reality and insanity and trying to sort through the mess that had become her life. It was all their fault. Let them rot for a few hours. Jog first. It would clear her mind some. Later she would bail them out and demand they explain everything. Central Park was just up ahead. It was the brink of morning, just after dawn and the perimeter of the park was relatively quiet. There were a few early risers or left-over, late night carousers walking at various paces along sidewalks. Some strolled, taking leisurely walks with their dogs or just chatting with the person they walked with. Louis, one of the vendors setting up his cart, waved to her and she waved back. She’d only talked to him a few times, but he was familiar with her daily jogging routine. Anxious to reach one of the inner paths inside of the park, Karen drove her feet faster. She needed to meditate while she jogged, in seclusion, pretending like she always did that no noisy, large city existed, and most recently that Dgor and Lemac hadn’t thundered into her life, turning it upside down. Along the path where she jogged most days, Karen could capture the serenity of nature and freedom of no time constraints. Here, she could ponder her problems, ease her anxieties while she listened to the rhythmic and firm pounding of her feet against the ground, the stretching and compressing of her joints as she tread along, soothing her. Inhaling, Karen relished the smell of morning dew dampening the grass. There was a slight breeze, wispy but warm and calming. Sunlight sprinkled through the trees, dotting everything around her, not too cold and not too warm, just the way she liked it. Finally, she was alone on her favorite path, isolated, with no one around and nothing to worry… Holy crap. Karen skidded to stop and froze. Her mind went numb as she stared openmouthed. They stepped into the path in front of her like they had something to prove, bare chests heaving, muscles flexing, skin glistening with sweat, not from the heat since it wasn’t that hot, but from some kind of heavy straining. Running from the cops perhaps? Karen’s gaze climbed upward. Their expressions were feral and frighteningly determined, their jaws rigidly set. But their eyes sparked, held the greatest intensity, bore through her, perusing her length and stripping her naked with raw lust. Their physiques, brawny, all decadent male, was potently erotic. The scent of them filled the air, locking her feet in place, causing her nipples to peak and her loins to ache, quiver, begging for their touch, their penetration. She was their quarry. They stalked her, would trap and capture her. Nothing was going to get in their way. And this time Karen sensed that there would be no escape. Their attention shifted from her to each other. Their imperious eyes met and locked. No words were spoken but their bodies stiffened further as the antagonism flared between them charging the air. The delta was proffered, and they bowed their heads, a gesture of respect it seemed, though the eye contact between them remained unbroken, leering, two rivals sizing each other up. A muscle in Lemac’s jaw twitched. Dgor straightened, taking an offensive stance. Lemac followed and weapons were drawn. Feral roars rent the air. They lunged. Metal crashed against metal, causing sparks to fly from where they struck. Lemac crouched as Dgor’s weapon swept overhead, and he swung his blade low, driving it laterally. Dgor reacted quickly, stopping its progress with his foot, the action forcing Lemac to draw back. Lemac was on his feet in a flash, the muscles in his arms, his chest flexing as he drove his blade forward and down. It was

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blocked by Dgor, who arced his weapon upward and at an angle, a powerful swing that forced Lemac’s talon to snap to one side. Lemac retaliated, Dgor defended and struck, missing, blocking, fighting back. They moved with mastery, their bodies stretched, muscles taut, threatening, vocalizing with guttural warrior cries and charging, neither relenting their attack. Weapons collided and blades clashed, the tempo of their battle riding high. Closer and closer they came towards her as they fought, crossing ground in raucous pursuit and heavy strides that were fierce and wild. Karen’s heart pounded a raging beat. The air from her lungs was lodged somewhere in her throat. She watched, paralyzed, nervous prey, fearful, but too fascinated by their magnificence to even consider moving an inch, to even close her eyes. In seconds they were on her, over her, weapons flailing around her and she trembled, keenly aware of her vulnerable state in both body and mind. With a roar Lemac spun, arm extended, talon arc swinging wide. She saw nothing except the glint of metal sweeping by her neck and she released a frightful, mewing cry. The blade was stunned motionless by Dgor’s parrying attack and they both halted, glaring, heaving heavy breaths, muscles tensed. Something green and bright--a little round ball of light, whirred by her left side. Lemac leapt and avoided the discharge. It hit and sizzled in the dirt instead. Dgor advanced next. Just an arms length away from Karen he attacked. She never saw it coming, never saw the streak of movement that brought Lemac’s talon to the front of her, but it was there nonetheless. She heard the clank, saw the sparks, saw the tip of that wickedly sharp blade inches from her face, blocked by Lemac’s weapon. Proof--Karen somehow understood that either of them was capable, skilled enough to protect her and that neither of them would ever let another harm her. They would die first. A whimper escaped her throat bringing their attention squarely to her. There was one last movement as the concave of their talon arcs suddenly closed around her. The ends struck and then abruptly halted to lie athwart, Lemac’s blade on top of Dgor’s on one side, and the opposite end beneath. Karen drew a ragged breath as her gaze traveled along the elliptical space they created around her. She was overwhelmed by the entire scene but not witless enough to keep from finding her voice. Tipping her head she looked up at Dgor. “What was that all about?” she whispered breathlessly, awed by the simmering heat of desire blazing in his eyes as he stared down at her. “Trust,” he answered and sheathed his weapon to his back. She heard Lemac do the same behind her. “Trust?” Karen repeated, keenly aware that Lemac had closed in and was grasping her at the hips pulling her tighter to him. His hand slid up the front of her, passing over her breast, lingering to mold his palm around it. He gently squeezed before skimming his thumb over the top teasingly, causing her nipple to peak through the material of her bodysuit. The heat of Lemac's breath fanned along her cheek as his hand then moved on, coming to rest in the middle of her chest, flattening over her breastbone, holding her to him. Karen moaned at the possessive embrace and the ecstatic thrill that danced across her flesh. She quaked as he continued pressing the length of his body hard against her, becoming acutely aware of the stiff erection at the small of her back, just achingly above the crease of her ass, pulsating, sharpening her desire. “One tiny woman between two Tertani males can be a dangerous thing.” Dgor warned her.

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“For whom?” she gasped out. Dgor responded with a slight smile and then watched with hungry eyes as Lemac fondled Karen’s breast, watched the rise and fall of her chest and the heated passion crossing her face as her mouth parted and her eyes drifted shut. His cock throbbed at the sight, his own arousal intensified tenfold by the sensations of Lemac’s lust that fell into his brain unbidden. Stepping closer, he insinuated his hands between the front sides of Lemac’s legs taking possession high on the back of Karen’s thighs, crushing against her until her limbs, her body was effectively pinned between them. Karen’s lids slowly opened and the haze of desire apparent there told them she was sexually at their mercy. Lemac groaned at the thought. Images of mounting Karen, sinking into her heat, feeling her writhe and squirm as he impaled her nearly undid him. His pelvis jerked and he ground into her, causing a fire of passion to rage through his aching loins. The hand that held her hip came up, and Lemac’s fingers danced along the nape of Karen’s neck, pushing their way through her hair until he was cupping the back of her head. His fingers curled and he clenched. Tugging her head back he forced her gaze to meet his half-crazed eyes. She blinked at him with apprehension, her lips parted as if surprised by the act. With unspoken words and a subtle but savagely wicked smile, Lemac lowered his head and sucked her bottom lip into is mouth. He bit down on her supple flesh and held, applied a slight pressure and then growled, asserting an animalistic command of her. Karen tensed and closed her eyes, amazed by the pleasure-pain. Tiny shocks cascaded from that tender spot, radiated along her flesh and culminated, exploded in her core. She bucked her hips feeling Dgor’s erection digging into her from in front and in a near desperate motion she tried to rub herself against it, tried to free herself for a better, a more open position, but Dgor and Lemac held tight, refusing to let her part her legs further. “Do you trust us, Tina?” Lemac released her lip, spoke against her mouth, the smooth rumble, the cadence of his voice resonated inside of her, culling a mass of sensations that wrapped and tormented her from the inside out. “Please,” Karen begged. “You’re driving me crazy. Let me move.” She struggled again, but without reward. And yet, at the same time she was unable to deny that being overpowered and restrained by them, combined with the deep pressure they offered her sensitized body was driving her carnally insane. A mournful sound slipped out of her mouth and Dgor chuckled softly at her mew of frustration. Bringing his mouth to hers as Lemac withdrew, he dragged his tongue along her bottom lip, soothing the area Lemac had just bitten. After several leisurely laps he covered her mouth completely and then thrust his tongue to stake a claim inside. Karen readily opened, eager to kiss him back, deepened the kiss, battling his tongue with her own to gain access to his mouth. She stiffened and arched and moaned her pleasure as Lemac shifted, his hand moving from the center of her chest to play with her breast once more. Nearly at once, Dgor’s hand slipped around her, pushed between her thighs and cupped her mound. He held her intimately, permitting her small degrees of movement to rub against his palm. “You’re wet.” Dgor raised his head from her mouth and eased his hand back. But Karen had no time to protest. A single finger slid between her thighs from behind. “Hot and wet.” Lemac exhaled harshly against her ear. He explored her, stroked her crease with the length of his finger, skimmed her labia with just his fingertips, sought and found her clit pulsing through the material and teased it. “I can smell your arousal as strongly as you can smell ours.” Dgor said to her before

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lowering his head draw a stiffened nipple into his mouth. Karen’s raging libido skyrocketed. Her senses darted everywhere at once. She was amazed she could be so turned on while fully dressed. She cried out. It was too much and then it wasn’t enough. Moisture seeped from her, responding to the feel of Lemac’s finger flicking faster and Dgor sucking on her breast. Her passion drove higher yet and realizing her hands were free, she brought them up to clutch Dgor’s head, her fingers digging through his lustrous mane and grasping tufts of his hair. She started to pant, her climax building, climbing to the brink of ecstasy. “Do you trust us, Tina?” Lemac nipped her ear and then brushed his lips along the line of her jaw. Karen sucked in a breath. “I’m going to cum.” Lemac and Dgor went still. The stimulating ceased, leaving Karen dangling on the frenzied edge of carnal ecstasy. “My god, don’t stop!” “Answer,” Dgor said. Lemac prodded her by tickling her clit and then stopped again. “Yes,” Karen choked out. “I trust you.” She would’ve said she trusted a charging bull if it kept them doing what they were doing to her. Dgor sent Lemac a level look. How far are you going to take this here? Not far. Lemac’s attention moved beyond Dgor. There’s someone coming up the path. Nodding, Dgor moved his hand to the jewel on his hip and pressed it with the pad of his index finger. “Uyo cledal”--Yes, sir? At the sound of the voice, Karen’s sight fell to the jewel. Her eyes went wide. “Critais,” Dgor responded. Transport. In a blink of an eye Karen’s world spun around. “Wait!” she cried as she felt Lemac grasp her from behind. Blackness descended. “Not this time, Tina.”

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Chapter Sixteen Dgor watched with concern as Karen dropped to the floor. Drawing up her knees she hugged them tightly. A low, painful-sounding drone hummed from between her lips as she coiled into a ball. Crouching down, Dgor studied her for a moment and then moved to sit behind her. He splayed his thighs around her hips, gathered her into the contour of his body and tightly held her. With equal concern Lemac kneeled down in front of them both. Is she alright, brethren? At Lemac’s unspoken communication, Dgor shook his head. “Sensory Acceleration, the transporting overwhelmed her.” “We thought this might happen.” Lemac frowned at Karen’s trembling body. “She’s having a severe reaction.” Dgor nodded. “Is everything alright in there, Chiefs?” Tocol’s voice chimed through the commlink on the wall. “Everything’s fine, Tocol.” Dgor told him. “Can I call up our probe now?” “That’s an affirmative.” There was an edge of both relief and happiness in Lemac’s voice when he answered and he couldn’t hide the smile. Finally they had their Tina where she belonged--with them. “Thank the divinities.” They heard Tocol mutter just before the commlink went silent. “Shouldn't we take her to medbay?” Lemac asked Dgor. Dgor checked the status panel on the wall and then shook his head. “The scanning isn't complete. The doors won't decompress until we're assessed as virus-free.” “An apprentice pilot I was training a phase past had the same thing.” Lemac sat on the floor in front of Dgor and Karen. He bent up one knee and leaned on it. “He tolerated the transporting enough to hide his reaction but failed miserably during his first flight in a star jet.” “Was he reassigned?” Dgor asked. He’d read the limited data on sensory acceleration but otherwise had little knowledge about it. The only reason he knew what to do with Karen was because of the encounters he and Lemac had had with her. “He was, to a tactical unit on Dormoth.” Lemac said. “And I think he was thankful for it.” Dgor felt Karen’s body suddenly relax and he looked down at her, noticing that her breathing was also growing more even. “I think her nervous system is calming down.” “You two really know how to wreck a mood.” Karen mumbled into her knees. “What the hell just happened?” “The transporting threw your vestibular system into havoc, Tina.” “Well aren’t we the smart one, Dgor.” She seems a bit testy. Lemac mentally conveyed his observation. “You got anything brilliant to add, Lemac?” Maybe just a bit. Dgor silently returned. “The defensive sensation might lessen once you become accommodated to transporting,

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Karen.” Lemac offered as he pressed a hand to her shoulder. Still without raising her head Karen said. “And where in outer space are you living that makes you think I might do that again?” “Terta Minor, Karen.” Now Karen’s head shot up. “What did you say?” “We’re from Terta Minor, sister planet of Tertia.” “Third Ward of the CalyTron Galaxy.” Dgor added. Karen stiffened. “Ah, that explains it. And here I thought I was going crazy.” “You’re not crazy, Karen.” Lemac told her. “What we’re telling you is the truth. It’s real.” Lemac stood as Karen extracted herself from Dgor’s arms one limb at a time as if to test the molecules around her. He thought she must have morphed while cocooned within Dgor’s embrace because what emerged was not their Tina at all. She was a raging tarki beast that was fit enough to be tied. Drawing up to a full stand Karen glared at Lemac and he drew back slightly at the tight expression on her face and the explosive look in her eyes. On second thought, she’s not testy… “You bastards!” Karen growled through clenched teeth. She was furious, baffled and felt completely deceived. She’s totally pissed. “Tina,” Dgor started to say as he rose to his feet, but snapped his mouth shut when she spun to face him. If her line of vision was a laser weapon he most assuredly would be fried crispy. “Three months!” Karen advanced on him. “Three months I’ve lived in sexual torment, with the two of you popping in and out of my dreams, following me, making me think I was hallucinating, making me feel like I was going insane, and now you’re telling me I’ve been snatched by two fucking aliens! Are you out of your minds?” She slammed her fist hard into his breastbone, her anger surging when he didn’t even flinch. “You’re having a secondary reaction to the transporting, Karen.” Dgor grasped her wrists to stay them. “You need to calm down.” “Fuck you!” With a jerk she freed herself from Dgor’s clutches. “Karen.” Lemac stepped closer to her and took a hold of her upper arm. Her head snapped around. “Fuck you, too!” Drawing back her free arm Karen balled her hand into a fist and swung. “Here’s your secondary reaction!” Lemac’s reflexes kicked in and he blocked the punch with his palm just before it connected with his jaw. He shifted quickly, snatched her wrist and held on, while blocking the other fist as it came up to strike. “You sons-of-a-bitches!” God! She believed what they were telling her, deep down knew it was true. “Let me go Lemac.” She pulled against his clutch to no avail. “Not until you calm down. You’re hysterical.” “I’ll give you hysterical!” With as much force as Karen could muster, she kicked Lemac’s shin, but hit thick boot. Her toes crunched in her sneaker. “Ouch! Son-of-a-bitch.” The pain mellowed her just a fraction and Karen’s shoulders slumped. She took a deep breath, her voice pleading. “Please let me go.” Lemac studied her for a moment. Her chest was heaving and her hands were fisted. Her

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gaze flicked up to his face but then descended immediately to look at the floor, but he saw enough to witness the fire in them. She’s still pissed isn’t she? Dgor sensed Lemac’s thoughts even as he watched his brethren’s expression. I wouldn’t put my hand near her mouth. Despite that, Lemac released her. “Why did you keep the truth from me?” “The Galactic Allegiance forbids revealing ourselves to backward cultures.” “Excuse me for my lack intelligence.” “That’s not what was meant, Karen.” Lemac frowned. Karen’s eyes danced back and forth between them. “Why am I here?” Without warning a sob broke free from her chest, but she swallowed it down. There was no way she was going to start bawling when she wasn’t finished being outraged yet. They both looked back with guilty stares and the room grew silent. “You’re our mate, Karen.” Dgor finally attempted to explain. Karen turned to look at him. She listened as he continued. “We were merely claiming you the Tertian way.” “Claim?” Karen was quiet for the length of several heartbeats. And then she started to seethe. “How barbaric,” she whispered as her eyes scanned the floor. Her voice elevated an octave and her chest started to rise and fall rapidly. She looked up. “How medieval.” I think we’re in deep dung, brethren. Dgor readied himself for another attack. “How arrogant!” Karen snarled. “I’m not even allowed the choice!” I think you’re right. Lemac likewise readied. Karen saw red as the fury hit her full force. “How completely degrading!” And then the melt-down struck. Her fists started flying. “Take me home!” “By transport?” Lemac deflected her flailing hands when she tried to slap at him. Karen froze. Her stomach flipped. She couldn’t go back that way. “Bastards!” Turning she pushed Dgor as hard as she could and then pushed him again when he didn’t budge. Do we let her rage or do we restrain her? Lemac wondered. It took only a spek for Dgor to answer. I say we restrain her. Lifting her foot, Karen attempted to kick him. Dgor grabbed it before she could react and then Lemac came up behind her. He hugged her around the chest as Dgor’s arms locked around her calves. She was instantly off the floor. It was then that Karen came to her senses and realized how ridiculous it was to try to fight two grown men who were double her size and triple her strength. She also realized something else. Lemac had failed to constrict her arms. Ha! Fool! With two hands she reached up and back. She sneered as she clenched two handfuls of Lemac’s hair and pulled hard. His head jerked forward. “Karen…shit! Let go of my hair.” “Give Karen,” Dgor demanded. “Sure right away. What was I thinking?” She yanked harder. It was in that moment that Karen realized a third thing. All of this fighting was making her incredibly horny. Her body started to settle into the thought when she heard a swishing sound. “Arn legin dne ackess’inwa?” I thought the Edification was supposed to ease the Tina’s

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hysteria? Dgor and Lemac turned their heads toward the voice. Tocol stood in the transporter’s open doorway. He was looking quite amused. “It is!” Both brethren answered at the same time as they wrestled with Karen’s struggling body. Tocol leaned a shoulder against the door frame, crossing his arms and one foot over the other. His attention went to Karen. “She’s a lively one.” “We know!” Again they spoke simultaneously. “Aurus, Vean, help them control their Tina before someone gets hurt.” Two Tertani sentrymen stepped into the transporter but halted when Dgor’s arm shot out and he pointed a finger at them. “Touch her and you’re dead!” They both halted and turned to Tocol for orders. Tocol held up his hand, indicating they should wait. It was then that Lemac and Dgor noticed that Karen was no longer moving and they looked down. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide. She had them aimed directly toward Tocol. After exchanging several thoughts, Lemac and Dgor realized just how traumatic this must be for her. They set Karen on her feet and waited for a reaction. There was none, except for her continued staring at Tocol. “Karen,” Dgor took her hand, noticing immediately how limply her arm hung. “This is Tocol Avinahi, the Captain of the Cosmic Springer.” Karen’s eyes rolled up and down his form, taking in his appearance. He wore the same uniform as Lemac and Dgor. His skin was a deep gray. It looked healthy and natural, oddly enough. His hair was a yellow-blonde that fell in layers around his head, ending at the nape of his neck. Strands fell over his forehead partially covering brows that were slightly darker than his skin. The burgundy highlights that ran through it matched the color of his eyes--burgundy eyes-rimmed in gray. They were beautiful. His lips were a soft yellow, as were his lashes, aesthetically contrasting but pleasing to the color of his skin. The angled lines that formed his features were model perfect and Karen supposed he was attractive, but he definitely wasn’t human. It occurred to Karen that when he entered the room he spoke a different language, as did Lemac and Dgor when they responded. She for the most part understood what they were saying and then wondered if she was able to speak it, too. “Nir...ege...teg.” That meant something. Karen only hoped it was the something she was attempting. Tocol smiled gently at the way she mauled the greeting. “Hello to you, as well, Tina Karen,” he answered. “The probe jet is safely docked, Captain. I’m reporting in.” All eyes went to the open door. “What do you want me to do with this rat?” “Jillia?” Karen blinked, not sure if she was seeing her co-worker or not. Even more astonishing was that she had Bart by the scruff of his shirt and when she released him he crumpled to a heap, face-up on the floor. Karen stared at him. He had a half-cocked smile on his face and a daze in his eyes that made her think he was either drugged or experiencing some other euphoria. Her attention drifted back to Jillia. “Before you ask, Karen, I’m a Probe Commander.” Karen’s brows drew together in confusion.

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“I travel ahead of the first star cruisers and chart unexplored galaxies, make first contact when possible, or study the cultures covertly.” Yeah okay, how silly of me not to have figure out that. “What’s wrong with Bart?” “I zapped him with a fun gun.” “I have a fun gun for ya baby doll.” Bart lifted his head and then clunked it back down. “Explain,” Tocol said. “He followed me, discovered my probe ship. I couldn’t leave him there ranting to the earth authorities about our presence.” Jillia glanced at Tocol and shrugged. “Guess I got a little careless.” “I wouldn’t have said anything, sweetheart,” Bart slurred. Karen narrowed her eyes suspiciously. There was more to it than Jillia was offering, particularly since Bart was interpreting the Tertian language though he was speaking in English. “I suppose there’s not much I can do about it now.” Tocol inhaled and then sighed slowly. He didn’t seem happy. “I’m certainly not returning to earth’s orbit.” “Then I can keep him?” Jillia asked. All eyes lowered. Good gawd, Bart! He was kissing his way up Jillia’s booted calf. Where’s your sense of dignity? “As long as the earthling has no objections once he’s sobered.” Tocol answered. “Then yes, he can choose to stay with you.” “I doubt he’ll object.” Jillia reached down and grasped Bart’s collar again, hauling him to his feet. “What a woman.” He ogled her as he swayed. “I take it I’m off duty then?” “You’ve earned your reprieve.” Tocol nodded. “I’ll report to the Allegiance that your assignment here is completed.” “Great!” Jillia turned to leave but stopped and looked at Karen. “By the way, in case you’re wondering, we have meds to prevent bug bites.” She winked at Karen and then dragged Bart away. “Unbelievable,” Karen muttered. “What’s up with the sentrymen, Tocol?” Lemac eyed Vean and Aurus. Tocol turned to him. “We know little of the earthlings’ mating practices.” Tocol’s attention shifted toward Karen and then back to Lemac. “Your Tina already attempted to poison you once for trying to mate with her. I’m just assuring your safety.” Aurus and Vean snickered. Karen snorted, as well. The Captain was assigning bodyguards to protect them from her? That was the funniest thing she ever heard. Lemac and Dgor shifted with irritation at being treated like weaklings. “There’s no need for that, Tocol. I assure you,” Dgor objected. “Until I’m certain of her,” Tocol returned. He never underestimated the capabilities of an unknown species. “I think there is.” “Am I free to walk around this ship?” Karen interrupted, directing her question to Tocol. She spoke in English, but Karen was too weary to attempt the Tertani translation. Tocol tipped his questioningly. He didn’t understand her. “She wants to look around.” Dgor interpreted.

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“You’re not a prisoner, Tina Karen unless you do something to change that.” Tocol studied her face. The woman seemed harmless enough save the combating with her future Sh’em--not an unusual thing for the Trigon female before the mating, however. Still, Tocol had dealt with too many aliens to be deceived by appearances and wouldn’t take any chances. “Let her explore, but watch her carefully,” he ordered Aurus and Vean. After a pause he added. “Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself on something she doesn’t understand.” Some of what the Captain said was difficult to interpret, but Karen got the gist. She walked toward transport room’s exit, glancing briefly at Tocol before shifting her gaze to the two goons who were assigned to follow. She then glanced back at Lemac and Dgor. They would refuse to take her home, Karen was sure. And despite their odd methods of courting her, she really didn’t want to go back. But they didn’t need to know that. Not yet. “Stay away from me,” she said to them before stepping into the corridor. Karen looked right and left. I think I’ll go this way, she decided and turned to her right. We should go after her, brethren. Lemac suggested to Dgor. No. Dgor answered. Let her blow off some of that steam first. She fought hard. Lemac’s mouth crooked a smile. Dgor drew a deep breath into his lungs. You’re as aroused as I am. Excruciatingly. Our Tina is damn sexy when she’s angry. If we don’t mate with her soon my cock’s going to explode. Lemac tilted his head, eyeing his brethren. He and Dgor were nearly the same size and though eventually he’d be forced to admit their skills were even, at the moment the drive toward Dominance was simmering just below the surface. “We can settle this now if you want,” Dgor remarked as he read Lemac’s thoughts, though his line of vision was still aimed at the open door. Tocol heeded the comment. After questioning several of the Tertani sentries on board he had a much better perception of the Changeover and the Dominance instinct that drove the brethren. He also knew that until the time of actual fornication the drive would grow stronger and stronger. Pleasuring themselves with her prior to the bonding ritual would ease some of that but not for long. Pray the Divinities! Tocol implored. He hoped the earth woman didn’t resist them. Otherwise, they would become increasingly violent with each other, and the lengthier time it took to mate with her, the greater the chances of them killing each other over her. In the ancient phases of barbaric Tertian history capturing their female in such a state often led to rape if she fought them too hard. It was unheard of in these modern times, yet Tocol had to consider how grave the situation might become if Dgor and Lemac were driven too far into the Changeover with no mating occurring. He would be forced to protect the woman against his own crew mates--his own friends. “I’m ordering the both of you to the arena for sparring. I’ll post four…” Tocol hesitated and reconsidered. “…six sentry as mediators to keep the two of you from mutilating each other.”

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Chapter Seventeen “Saturn,” Karen remarked as she stared through the observation window. “What was that?” Aurus asked. She kept her head turned toward the glass--or whatever the translucent material was. “We call that planet Saturn.” When she looked at Aurus, he nodded and Karen wondered if he was just being polite because she was murdering the Tertian language or if he understood her and had nothing to say. Turning back to the window Karen saw Uranus approaching. By the time she entered the room, the Cosmic Springer had already passed Mars and she barely caught a glimpse of Jupiter. They were speeding fast toward the edge the solar system and Karen had no intention of missing one more inch of it. What an incredible experience. Karen lifted the mug of taw to her lips and took a sip. The pink, bubbly liquid looked like sparkling wine, but tasted more like water, only better--cleaner, fresher. After Vean pressed a couple of buttons on a panel, the thing just materialized in the middle of the table. The scientist in her wanted to investigate how it worked, and just this device alone excited her. It dawned on Karen that there would likely be a vast amount of advanced technology to experience and she could hardly wait. Karen managed enough of the language to find out from Aurus and Vean that the thing that produced the taw was called a holoplate and worked on the same principles as the transporter. The rest was too complex to learn, mainly because she didn’t understand all of the Tertani words to explain it. But eventually she would become versed enough. “Goodbye,” Karen whispered. In front of her Pluto grew smaller and smaller until it was dot. And then…stars--millions and millions and millions of stars. It was phenomenal and breathtaking and she had trouble tearing her eyes from it, so she stood there several more moments taking it all in. A mix of emotions tangled inside of her. One minute Karen wanted to cry, the next she wanted to laugh. She wished she had Jen to celebrate--cry over this with. Her thoughts went back to Dgor and Lemac and then she wanted to scream. But despite that, Karen was unable to deny how much she wanted to be with them. Not only did she love their touch, she loved their company. They were more familiar to her and she felt closer to them than anyone she’d ever known--on par with Jen. Definitely more than her parents. A crushing feeling struck her chest as she thought about her mother and father. She would miss them despite their ongoing lack of interest in her. And two or three months from now, maybe even four, when they discovered she’d disappeared, they might miss her, too. How sad. Turning away from the window, Karen headed for the door, Aurus and Vean in tow. On her way, she set down her mug and watched it vaporize on the holoplate. Cool. When she reached the outside corridor, Karen stopped. Down at one end a set of double doors slid open and a crewman stepped out. But what caught her attention was the noise coming from inside. It sounded like raucous yelling. Naturally it snagged her curiosity and she headed in that direction. When Karen reached the closed door, she glanced at Aurus and Vean. Neither

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gave any indication she was forbidden to go check it out. Karen tapped the yellow, square tile on the wall similar to the others she’d seen touched by the crew to open a door. Nothing happened. “Your touch identity isn’t programmed into the system.” Aurus told her. Twisting her mouth from side to side Karen thought about that as she stared up at Aurus. Geez, the man was big and tall--kind of scary even. Captain Avinahi must really think her a threat to have such a large, make that two large men to keep an eye on her. “Ah, I forgot,” Karen attempted an evil-eye façade. “I might blow up the ship or something.” She indicated the tile and Aurus activated it for her. When the doors opened, Karen stepped though. The inside was nothing more than a large, open space that looked like a gym. “Dgor!” one of the several sentries in the room bellowed and Karen’s heart took a fluttering leap. Dgor and Lemac, naked from head to toe except for the short loin-type clothes wrapping their hips, were sparring in the center of the room. They were a splendid eyeful, so virile and so agile as they stalked each other, wearing their arrogance like a badge of honor and Karen supposed they deserved to. The weapons they used, more primitive than the talon arcs, were curved but made of wood. To Karen’s relief the blade was missing and there wasn’t a laser tip on the other end. It didn’t make them any less dangerous, however. That was apparent when Lemac swept Dgor off his feet and caused him to slam onto his back. She closed her eyes and held her breath when Lemac swung his weapon, aiming the tip of it at Dgor’s head. The men who watched shouted, but they weren’t egging them on. They were cautioning them to take it easy. Karen opened her eyes without knowing what happened but Dgor was on his feet, his physique stiff with outrage. She tried to keep her mouth shut, really she did, but when Dgor threw down his weapon and grabbed Lemac’s face, banging the back of his head into the wall, Karen grimaced and yelped. Dgor and Lemac alerted to her instantly, and their heads snapped in her direction. Aurus grumbled a curse and then turned to Vean. “Make sure whatever hall they capture her in is cleared of crewmen.” Karen didn’t have time to ponder that because Dgor and Lemac were rapidly pacing toward her. “Oh no.” She held up her hands. “I’m so not ready to deal with the two of you yet.” Like that would stop them. Karen had no choice but to run. She was all too familiar with the expressions on their faces, all too aware of what it meant. They were aroused, not just from the fighting but by her presence, as well. It was exhilarating as much as it was overwhelming and as she ran from corridor to corridor, Karen considered surrendering. But call it pride, call it fear or whatever it was, something inside wouldn’t allow her to give in. And so she continued to run, passing the occasional sentry who moved aside to let her pass, with Aurus and Vean pacing behind her. Neither of them spoke. They merely did their jobs, jogged along to keep watch on her. “Karen!” She shrieked and dug her heels into the floor, coming to a stop. Lemac was standing at the opposite end of the corridor and without hesitation he began closing in. Karen turned and took off in the other direction, but she could hear the sound of his bare feet hitting the floor, growing louder, coming closer. This escape was just not going to happen, a fact that became blatantly clear when she rounded a corner and Dgor was standing right there. They had her before it even registered in her brain.

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Giving her no time to react, Dgor grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her to him. He arched her back, his body coming over her. His head descended capturing her mouth in a crushing kiss, persistent and demanding. When she tried to turn aside he grasped the back of her head, holding her in place. Unable to resist Karen opened for him, accepted his tongue. She moaned at his flavor, so exotic and pleasing to her senses. Dgor pressed further. A single hand slid down and rounded the curve of her bottom, lingered there, his fingers slowly kneading. He tightened his hips against her, his erection thick and profoundly pulsating into her stomach. He growled into her mouth. Two hands slipped in to cup her breasts. Karen wilted, falling back, her arms dropping limply, and Lemac caught her, taking her weight against his chest. “You are a sweet temptation, She'ami,” he whispered in her ear before drawing the lobe into his mouth. A shiver rippled through her and Karen was lost, but she fought to get free. Her brain suddenly began a deep descent and she realized they’d initiated that delta thing. They held the power over her. Dgor broke his hold on her lips and moved downward, pushing Lemac’s hand aside so he could take her breast it into his mouth. He sucked, wetting the cloth covering her as he drew on her, suckling until the nipple peaked through and he could lash at it with his tongue. Lemac’s hand played with her other breast, kneaded it, pinched and plucked. Having both her breasts attended to at once had Karen to jerking at the onslaught of sexual desire flooding her. And then she came back to her senses. The dream state dissolved, bringing her back to reality. She whimpered, the pleasure building, infused when Lemac urged her legs apart and insinuated his thigh between, the action causing her pelvis to tip up, opening her to his exploration. His hand edged along her ribs, continued along her belly until he reached her pussy. He glided his fingers over it, applied pressure, groaning at the tiny throbs as her clit came to life. He rotated his fingers and then stopped. Rubbed up and down and then side to side, gauging her reaction finding what she liked and then he was there. Her hips started to move and her thighs clenched, the scent of her arousal strengthening. “I’ll bet you taste as good as you smell, Tina.” Dgor left her breast and skimmed his mouth the length of her neck. Her flesh tingled in response, heating her, forcing her higher towards climax and nothing was going to bring her down this time. Dgor kissed her again, her head supported against Lemac’s shoulder allowing him enough force to crush his mouth against hers. He exhaled harshly through his nostrils as the groan of pleasure that formed in his throat altered into a low guttural keening. Without any warning he clenched her garment. A ripping sound rent the air and Karen gasped at the coolness that drifted across her now exposed, perspiring skin. Breaking the kiss, Dgor pulled back and his gaze dropped. It only took one look at her lovely breasts to bring more blood to his cock, making him pulse even harder. “Beautiful.” Lemac’s voice purred in Karen’s ear as he gazed over her shoulder and glimpsed her breasts through the tear in her top. Lifting his eyes, he stared at Dgor in aroused confusion, silently questioning his brethren’s action and what he intended to do next. Tearing off their Tina’s clothes was forbidden during the Edification, yet here they were doing it. Karen didn’t care. Wild with passion, all she could think about was easing the growing ache that was building inside of her, driving her toward the edge of ecstasy, and only they could take her there. Grasping Dgor’s hands, she placed them on her breasts and he jerked at the sudden contact with her bare flesh but didn’t let go. His was breathing hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He seemed to be struggling for control and Karen wondered what it

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would take to break him. She gazed into his sapphire eyes, studying their beauty, the sparkle of gold circling the deep blue seeming more intense with his growing lust. Karen panted, and with every intake of air her breasts nudged into his palms, filling them. Dgor reacted, his hands squeezing and relaxing, plying her soft flesh until Karen thought she might cry out with the agony of being deprived of more. Thoughts of him, of them plunging inside of her sent Karen’s libido into overdrive, and her hips moved faster at Lemac’s continued stimulation of her clit. And then Dgor was there, replacing Lemac’s finger with his thumb. While one hand continued to play at her breasts, he worked her clitoris, rotating it in easy circles. The pressure he applied through material was perfect, the way his palm molded around the swell of her mound adding to the sensation. As her hips thrust at him demandingly, Karen pushed harder against Lemac’s body. She felt him give and fall back against the wall behind him. Her head rolled from side to side along his shoulder until Lemac angled his head, halting her movement by trapping her mouth with his own. His tongue probed inside, drugging her with his taste, urging Karen to kiss him back with equal fervor. Only vaguely was she conscious that Lemac’s hands were smoothing up her sides, rounding her shoulders and pushing beneath her arms, drawing them up and over her head. The movement forced their lips apart as his hands continued to ascend until he reached her wrists. Crossing one over the other he captured them in one strong hand, restraining her and stretching her along his length, exposing every bit of the front of her to be touched unhindered. At first, Karen resisted, attempted to pull free of his hold, but Lemac refused to release her, tightened his grip when she struggled, and chuckled. “Fight me harder, Tina. It arouses me.” As if to emphasize, he pushed his shaft, thick and erect at her bottom. His free hand came up to hold her beneath the chin, and he tipped her head back to look at him. His crystal blue, gold-rimmed eyes spoke volumes of his desire for her. “Feel how insane I am to fuck you.” Lemac’s voice quivered, as did his body when he spoke. He rotated his pelvis, groaning as his cock pushed into her once again. Karen went still, felt her arousal sharpened at being subdued and she expelled a strangled gasp. Her vagina went into spasms, weeping moisture, and she rubbed faster against Dgor’s flicking thumb, while wriggling her ass to feel more of Lemac’s hardness. “More,” she pleaded, inhaling and exhaling several labored breaths sucking in their scented blend that she alone was attuned to. “I need to, I…” “You need to cum.” Dgor dropped to his knees. Hooking his hands to the inside of her thighs, he spread her legs wider giving him better access to her muff. When he bent forward, he blew a hot breath through the material covering her. Karen moaned, her eyes drifting shut when his lips surrounded her pussy, massaging it in the same manner that he kissed her mouth. Lemac now touched her breasts. Fanning his fingers across a nipple, he hesitated and then sucked in a breath before surrounding it, holding it fully with his hand. His flesh felt hot on her skin. She felt him shudder behind her, shift, settle his shaft in the crease of her ass. He released Karen’s wrists. Her arms came down and she reached, clenching, pulling at Dgor’s hair holding his mouth to her pussy so she could drive herself against him. He hissed at her harsh pulling and his mouth went wild licking and sucking her pussy through the now soaked material. Grasping her at the hips, Lemac thrust his pelvis, halted, groaned as he fought for control, and then started pumping at her in earnest. A raspy sound broke from Dgor’s throat. Lemac’s impending orgasm swept through his head, acute and imminent as his own.

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He stood. “No, no, no,” Karen protested and opened her eyes, fretful they were going to stop pleasuring her. She was too far gone. Dgor stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, and then clenched her hips just below where Lemac had her. Crouching slightly he stroked his pelvis aligning the length of his cock perfectly with her crease. This he did several times watching the euphoria spread across her face as the motion stimulated her clit. A surge in his shaft brought him to the edge. Shifting his attention from Karen to Lemac, he saw that his brethren’s eyes were closed and he gritted his teeth. Lemac was almost there but was also sentient to Dgor’s thoughts and to his needs, experiencing them as much as he was experiencing his own. Lemac knew what Dgor wanted. Sliding his hands down the back of Karen’s thighs. He lifted her and Dgor open her legs wide, settling himself in between, aligning his erection with her pussy. Tremors shot through them both as they locked Karen between them. Oh god! Karen clenched Dgor at the shoulders, wrapped her legs around his hips crossing her ankles in back to anchor herself to him. His hands slid beneath her bottom to hold her up, and he humped at her, driving her need and his own, seizing her mouth, ravaging it as wildly as his hips pounded on her core. Karen leaned back on Lemac and his hands moved up to her breasts. He cupped them, rolled her nipples between his forefingers and thumbs, as he continued to thrust at her from behind. “Don’t stop,” Karen gasped. She was beginning her euphoric climb. Dgor thumped harder on her pussy, growling animalistic sounds as he pinned Karen between himself and his brethren, the crease of her ass rapping around Lemac’s shaft, riding up and down it with every stroke. Lemac lost it. He grabbed Karen’s waist and bit down on her shoulder. She was breathing hard and he knew she was cumming. The thought sent him flying over the edge. His balls tightened, his erection swelled to unbearable proportions and then surged. A fantastic rush rippled up his shaft erupting in the head of his cock, the force of it so powerful he spewed his load. Releasing his teeth from her flesh he yowled. When she felt the pulsing of Lemac’s climax, and heard the sound of pleasure he made, Karen exploded. The orgasm slammed in a maddening rage. It started first in her clit, seized her vagina and then battered through her trembling body with such astonishing speed, she thought her heart stopped beating. The incredible sensation lingered, a moan let loose from her, and then it burst into thousands of rapturous shards that prickled all over her skin. Dgor followed quickly. He let go of Karen’s rump, praying that Lemac had a good hold of her. His hands slammed on the wall behind Karen and his brethren, one to each side of their heads. His cock thickened, and he rotated his pelvis. His face twisted at the enormity of pleasure shooting through him and his orgasm thundered forth. He threw his head back and yelled. And then none of them moved. For the span of several long moments they merely breathed, savored the calming sensation of post-orgasmic bliss. The world seemed to spin around Karen, but not in an uncomfortable manner. Her mind floated, her body, light as air. She was barely aware when her feet hit the floor and Dgor separated from her. She was unable to react when Lemac slipped out from behind her. She just stood there plastered to the wall, until her knees gave out and she slid to the floor, half in a stupor.

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Thank you very much, come again, she mumbled. There was a brain in her head somewhere. But at the moment it felt like mashed potatoes. It only became apparent after a brief struggle with her thoughts that the space around her felt empty. Karen opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was booted legs. Her eyes skittered up and she was staring at Aurus’ face. His expression was blank, giving no indication of anything whatsoever. Footsteps coming closer had Karen turning her head to look down the corridor. Vean was approaching. “They’re at it again,” he said. Blinking, Karen turned back to Aurus. And then she remember her bodysuit was torn and looked down, relieved to see she was covered--barely, but that was short-lived when it occurred to Karen that both Aurus and Vean were in the corridor when Lemac and Dgor snagged her. He must’ve seen the mortification on her face because Aurus’ expression softened. “You don’t need to fret, Tina. I’m a mated Tertani. It’s nothing I haven’t witnessed before.” Karen’s sight drifted over to Vean and he lifted his hands. “I’m not mated, so I left the corridor.” Their comments should’ve been an indication of something. But right now the only thing Karen could think about was how she was going to support herself on rubber band legs so she could get up and walk.

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Chapter Eighteen “We almost took her!” Tocol watched as Dgor paced a rut in his carpeted floor. “We?” Lemac appeared astounded. “I wasn’t the one clawing at her clothes!” Shaking his head, Tocol appraised the situation. After catching the two of them pushing and shoving at each other just outside of his quarters, Tocol ushered them inside. “I did nothing more than you were thinking.” “Thinking isn’t doing,” Lemac returned. “But doing is exactly what you did.” Tocol wrinkled a confused brow. “What doing did he do?” “You did as much doing as I did!” Dgor retaliated with a snarl, ignoring Tocol. Lemac shot Dgor a threatening look. “Don’t blame your weaknesses on me, brethren.” “Your fucking lust invading my thinking space is my weakness.” “It was my thought of warning that prevented you from violating her further. She deserves better than you.” “Really?” Dgor folded his arms over his chest. “And who might that be?” “She deserves me.” “She would feel nothing for you if she didn’t alert to me first.” “My touch soothed her enough to accept us.” Lemac seethed. “If that’s what you want to believe. But it was me who made you both cum.” Now Lemac was really pissed. Suggesting that he’d taken a submissive position to Dgor, especially during sexing was an insult. With a growl, Lemac lunged at him, his hands clasping at his throat. Dgor mirrored the action and they both struggled to choke each other to death. Tocol had no idea what was going on other than they were being irrational. He wondered briefly if a woman would ever drive him as mad as the Tina Karen did these two. Leaning back to sit on the edge of his desk, he calmly observed their antics. “What’s the matter, Lemac?” Dgor rasped out. “Too weak to take me?” “You’ll be whimpering like a toddling female looking for her mother when I’m done with you.” Lemac coughed out. They were both acting like toddling babes, Tocol thought. “Do not bring my mother into this or you’ll find yourself missing your balls.” Lemac smirked at that, despite his reddening face due to lack of air. “Go right ahead. It’ll be the same as cutting off your own.” “Damn!” Dgor broke his grip first. “Damn this transdelta link we share!” It suddenly occurred to him that as he choked Lemac he felt Lemac choking. Lemac simultaneously realized the same, and even now he still felt like he was choking though Dgor had released his throat. Lemac let his arms drop. Fuck, Dgor cursed. They’re leering gazes crossed. We can’t even kill each other. “The two of you do realize after satisfying your Tina, and for the first time I might add, you left her in the corridor crumpled on the floor.” Both their heads snapped toward Tocol and they stared. “Shit,” Lemac said and turned toward the door.

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“Well, she’s not still lying there.” Of course she isn’t, Dgor rubbed his brow. What idiots we are. You’re an idiot, Lemac responded to his brethren’s thinking. Expelling a breath, Dgor closed his eyes and shook his head. Fine. I’ll be the idiot this time. You get the next. “Where is she?” “Aurus took her to your quarters.” It took Lemac and Dgor only a spek to react. Within moments they were rounding the level five, sector three corridor, the Cosmic Springer’s officer’s area. When Aurus saw them coming, he pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning on and stood at attention. “At ease, sentry.” Lemac’s eyes flicked to the chamber door and then back to Aurus. “Took you long enough,” Aurus remarked. “Where’s Vean?” “The Captain determined only one of us is needed for this posting and dismissed him. Aside from that he’s unmated. It would be improper if he was forced to be a Triconjugal witness if the two of you loose your heads.” Dgor reached for the door’s switch plate, but Aurus pressed a palm to his chest. “She’s been crying.” He paused for effect and then slapped a hand to each of the brethren’s shoulders. “Nice going assholes.” It was insubordination for Aurus to speak to them like that, even if he was correct. They were assholes, so they let the sentry’s comment drop and instead tumbled through the door of their quarters. Aurus followed them inside and took up space against the door after it shut. “Do you really think our Tina is a threat to us?” The disgust on Lemac’s face was apparent as he stared at Aurus. He and Dgor were both still irritated at his continued assignment as their bodyguards. “What I think, Chiefs, is that she needs protecting from the two of you.” Well at least he made no qualms about his feelings. Lemac and Dgor had to respect that in part. It was also uncalled for and thus Lemac reacted, part in irritation, part in shame of himself. “I didn’t ask your opinion, sentry!” Yes, brethren, you did, Dgor silently conveyed. Lemac dropped a silent growl into Dgor’s brain. Aurus undauntedly reacted with a shrug. Calming immediately, Lemac sighed at his own petulance. It would be an up and down impetus for them until they finally sexed their Tina. Lemac and Dgor could only pray that they possessed enough restraint until that time to keep from becoming too violent. Lemac scanned the room. His gaze first fell to the torn clothing on the floor and then rose to the bundle on the bed--a thick comforter that he assumed Karen was hidden beneath. His heart sank. She was swaddled in order to comfort herself and that was something he and Dgor should be doing. Ka! Dgor threw up his hands, drawing Lemac’s attention. Shaking his head, Dgor indicated the platter of food sitting untouched on the table. We didn’t even have the consideration to feed her. This is probably Aurus’ doing. Their eyes converged on the sentry, and Aurus just shrugged again. Slumping to a chair next to the bed, Lemac’s lids fell shut. They were incompetent jerks. What kind of Sh’em would they be to her? Their Tina deserved neither of them. She hasn’t eaten all dawning. Thanks to us. I’m sure we spoiled her appetite. “Why do you always do that?”

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Lured immediately to Karen’s voice, their attention went directly to the bed. Karen was peeking out, the blanket still partially covering her head. She looked absolutely luscious with her lips full and beautifully pink from their kisses--or rather their attack. Guilt taunted them and both brethren frowned. Her hair was disheveled in a sexy sort of way, blonde strands falling over her face. That brought their attention to her eyes. Red and swollen from her tears they blinked back at them. Dgor mentally cringed, and Lemac echoed his own remorseful sentiments over their behavior toward her. “Do what, Tina?” Dgor spoke softly to her as he walked toward the bed and sat on the edge of it. “Stare at each other, make faces.” Lemac snorted. “Do we make faces at each other?” “Yeah, you do.” Karen shimmied out from under the comforter, careful not to leave the thinner linen she was wrapped in behind. “You have these certain expressions, but you don’t say anything.” “We’re saying much, Karen. We’re just not vocalizing it.” Karen pondered Lemac’s words for a moment. And then it dawned. Her mouth fell open in shock, and she raised an index finger, shifting it back and forth between Lemac and Dgor. “Are the two of you telepathic?” Oh that’s all she needed! Karen was still trying to cope with the fact she’d been snatched by aliens. Now they were about to tell her they had paranormal powers! Nothing was out of the question or impossible at this point. She just didn’t want to hear it. “Uch,” Aurus uttered under his breath as his gaze darted around the room, searching for possible weapons the Tina Karen might use. “The brethren of a Trigon are linked, yes.” Dgor answered. She didn’t say anything. Karen just stared. First at Lemac and then she blinked. And then her eyeballs rolled over to Dgor. Neither of them could read her expression and it made them rather edgy. They could only hope she was absorbing the information without getting ready to blow. Finally, Karen spoke. “Can your women do it too?” “No,” Lemac shook his head. “It isn’t necessary.” “Why isn’t it necessary?” “Who would the She’mana be of like mind with? You, Karen, who would you link to?” “The two of you.” Of course, who else? The disfavor on their faces was nearly palpable, and the obvious fact that they didn’t want her inside of their heads annoyed Karen further. It offended her. “But it’s okay for the two of you to encroach into my personal head space without my permission?” “You didn’t like us there?” Dgor was sure her response to them when they entered her sleeping state was a positive one. Second guessing, he had to wonder if they misinterpreted. “That’s beside the point, Dgor. The two of you are connected that way and to me that way, but I’m not to the two of you? It makes me feel left out.” “Our ability to invade your personal space as you put it will dissolve once we’ve physically mated.” Lemac’s chest began to ache with the terrible thought she might reject them. He was sure his heart would never survive it. “And we’re not exactly reading your thoughts during the dream part of the Edification. The three of us…” Lemac paused to think. The gift was never something they had to explain. It was a mystical part of the bonding, accepted by all

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Tertanis as a natural progression in the courting process. “The three of us are experiencing an alternate mental plane,” Dgor finished for him. “You’re not really dreaming.” He sent a mental shrug to Lemac, not really knowing if he explained it correctly or clearly enough, but it sounded good. “Let me get this straight,” Karen said. “You won’t be able to delta me to sleep anymore, but your ability to communicate mentally with each other will remain?” Both of them nodded. They didn’t like the look on her face that their response produced. “Oh, I so have issues with that!” Karen’s voice elevated and her brow wrinkled, though she wasn’t quite yelling. Nevertheless, Aurus discreetly shuffled his way over to where Lemac and Dgor hung their talon arcs, just in case. “It’s a natural part of the Trigon, Karen. Why would this bother you?” Dgor rubbed his forehead in frustration. How could they make her understand? “It’s not fair.” Without another word, she threw the comforter over her head, disappearing underneath it. “Why is it not fair?” “Just leave me alone. I have a headache.” Dgor plucked the comforter from her body and tossed it to the floor. Karen glared at him, her eyes narrowing in annoyance at being exposed when all she wanted to do at the moment was be a coward and hide. “I thought you might have a bottle of spirits under there.” Dgor chuckled. He was teasing her, and his reference to her bean bag chair pity party did make Karen smirk. “A bottle? I don’t even have any clothes.” “We noticed,” Lemac returned. He bent forward and rested a palm on her thigh. “Karen, by no means are we leaving you out just because our means of communicating with each other is different than yours.” Karen’s expressions sobered. “I’m not sure I like the two of you talking about me in front of me behind my back.” Lemac gave her a questioning look. “Do you ever think things about us that you would never say aloud?” “Um-m-m.” The corner of Karen’s lip turned up in a sly manner. “Why no, of course not.” “Uch!” Dgor tipped his head toward the ceiling. “Our Tina is a liar.” Pursing her lips, Karen attempted to tamp another smirk that threatened to break free, but when Dgor leveled his eyes she snorted and then averted her gaze. “Would you want us to have access to every private thought you had, Karen?” Lemac asked. Every private thought, Karen considered. E-w-w. “Actually, I don’t think I would.” “It’s the same for us.” “No, it’s not. The two of you share something I’m never going to be privy to.” “True, our private thoughts.” Pure bewilderment was the only way to describe how all three of them were feeling at the moment. Karen was still confused and Lemac and Dgor were having such a hard time explaining it. But then Dgor realized something that might help her understand the linking a little better and why only the males of a triple shared it.

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“Let me ask you a question, Tina.” Dgor said. “If you took an earth male for a husband would you be able to link with his mind?” “No,” Karen answered sardonically. “Duh.” A grin spread across Lemac’s lips. He enjoyed Karen’s brand of sarcasm. Where are you going with this, brethren? S-h-h, I’m thinking. “It’s the same here, Karen,” Dgor continued. “We may be two to you but in many ways to us, as brethren we’re one, particularly when it comes to our tripling. How could we be good Sh’em to you if we didn’t have an integrated understanding and acceptance of each other first? It would be as if the single mate on earth didn’t understand his own self. I think that would be very unhealthy for him and his relationship with his She’mana. We not only link our thoughts but our emotions, as well.” Dgor and Lemac glanced at each other. “At least we will eventually. We were chosen by the divinities because we are compatible, but it takes the linking for us to accept it and maintain it. Lemac and I will always be of one accord.” That made too much sense for Karen to argue with. And she was fascinated by the emotion sharing thing. “So if one of you is experiencing a sensation the other experiences it also?” Dgor nodded. “Every sensation?” she asked wide-eyed. Again, they exchanged glances, giving Karen her answer. “In more ways than one,” Lemac said. His smile was an amorous one. While pressing an index finger to her lips, Karen’s brain played with that idea a little further. Wow! The whole idea of it was incredibly sexy. The thought of them going wild all over her body and knowing they were feeding each others’ lust…Karen was suddenly lightheaded. And horny. The delicious things she could do to torture them made her mouth water. It really was a good thing, Karen was now grateful that they didn’t have knowledge of her private thoughts. Nope, she really didn’t want them there, inside of her head knowing the things she was thinking. Karen reined in her wayward libido, still needing to ask more questions. “If you’re so compatible, then why do you fight all of the time? I thought the Flaunting would end all of that.” Their expressions changed. Lemac inhaled a deep breath while Dgor laughed outwardly, almost remorsefully. “We haven’t quite accepted it,” Lemac answered. “Not yet.” “Brethren in the throes of the bonding rituals, especially when the time between claiming and breaching is lengthy, are often a bit.” Dgor cleared his throat. “Ill-tempered,” “And competitive.” Lemac told her. “Call it a growing process, just as it is in our relationship with you.” He and Lemac spent the next half hour attempting to explain the Changeover and Dominance to her and why it had become so compelling within them. “Okay, I’m getting this,” Karen said after absorbing all they had to say. “But I won’t lie and tell you it doesn’t scare me.” “That’s why we asked you to trust us, Karen.” Lemac leaned forward and pressed an affection palm to her cheek. “Your reaction is no different than a Tertani Tina’s would be. It’s natural to have fear at first.” That comment sort of made Karen feel good. If she was going to be their mate, she certainly wanted to fit the part.

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“But,” Dgor started. “Like any Tertani woman you must come to trust that it’s nearly impossible for us to ever hurt you.” “You experienced some of that during the Flaunting.” Lemac added. “I did,” Karen admitted. “Trust is something that needs to be earned though, not demanded.” “We’ll work to gain it.” Reaching a hand toward her, Dgor stroked a palm along the back of her head relishing in the silky feel of her shoulder length hair. “There’s other things though.” His touch was soothing, and Karen had to focus to keep from being devoured by it. There were still too many things she needed to say. “Tell us.” Dgor burrowed his fingers through her hair and then let it glide over his palm and slide from his hand. It took every bit of willpower not to run with the images of clenching it to hold her steady while she wrapped her lips around him. He was so enamored by her and completely aroused. But she needed for them to listen to her right now, not act like a couple of horny, sex-starved beasts trying to hump the hell out of her, although it wasn’t far from the truth. “That delta thing you do, putting me to sleep…” “It’s more of a trance,” Lemac corrected her. He snorted mentally at Dgor. Horny, sexstarved beasts? “Whatever.” Karen slashed a hand through the air, her expression serious. “Why do you need to do it?” Stretching his neck from side to side to ease his tension, Dgor’s mind flipped through all the spiritual education he had had since he was a toddling babe. He felt the twinge of angst as Lemac attempted to do the same. They’d taken it all for granted. It was what it was and always had been. Giving Karen a crash course on their culture and beliefs was something unexpected. “The dream linking is for our benefit as much as yours, Tina.” Dgor took a deep breath and began. “It’s easier to be honest when in our most relaxed states, easier to open our hearts and minds, to build trust in each other. It’s a good way for our tripling to begin.” It’s also a good way to snare her if she resists too much. We’re not going to tell her that part of it, Lemac. “Why should I open my heart to either of you?” Indeed, why should she. What had they really proven to her? That they were stronger than she was, had more technological power, could snatch her from the face of her earth and force her to become their mate? Lemac studied her, and when he spoke, his words seemed sincere, his voice warmly inviting. “Because our hearts are wide open for you to care for, Karen.” Oh! How she wanted to lick him all over. But what a pick-up line! These guys were good and they looked so serious. She was fast falling for it, too. She steeled herself against the force of emotions threatening to prevent her from stating her piece and instead rip off the sheet around her, inviting them bend her like a pretzel and lick her, fuck her until she fell apart. “I don’t like it. You both have the ability to initiate it when I have none. I don’t want you to control me that way.” It was an integrity thing and Karen was determined to hang on to at least a shred of it regardless of how dynamic their pull on her was, even without the dream link. “Allow me at least some of my own ways and let my responses to you be what’s natural for me, instead of bringing me to heel like I’m a dog. Allow me some dignity.” Neither responded immediately. The words were harsh to their ears. Degrading her was by no means their intention. But it made sense to them how she could feel that way.

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“Agreed,” they promised. Dgor placed his hand Karen’s shoulder. “Is all of this the reason you were crying?” “I wasn’t crying.” Karen flashed the evil eye in Aurus’ direction. “Did we upset you that badly?” Lemac’s brows drew together with concern and shame as the same sentiment echoed in Dgor’s brain. Karen bit her lip and looked away. It was obvious by the reaction she just gave them there was something deeper bothering her. When they tore her clothing, touched her breasts intimately with no layer of cloth separating them, it was a defiance of the Edification dictates. Did she also sense they were fighting to keep from going further, to keep their lust rage for her at bay? They had violated her body and they feared she hated them for it and because of it would push them away. “Okay.” Gathering her courage, Karen finally spoke. “Here it is in a nutshell.” Nutshell? Is she talking about our testicles, Dgor? I think she’s talking about a food casing. “Don’t think I don’t know when you’re doing that.” Karen’s eyes were hard upon them. They feigned innocent facades. “Doing what?” “When you’re…” A harsh breath expelled from her lungs and then Karen’s irritation softened. Their link was part of them. They couldn’t help themselves. It was how they worked things out, resolved things between them. Karen supposed that was a good thing. Three could be a crowd, but their paranormal cohesiveness was as they told her, definitely needed. “I know when you’re…thinking.” “We can see when you’re thinking too, Tina.” Lemac grinned at her. “You were doing it just now. I guess we’re getting to know each other better.” Geez. Karen couldn’t believe it. His comment was delivered so lightheartedly her irritation faded. There was just something about Lemac and Dgor that made her heart sing. It was impossible to stay mad at them especially when they looked at her the way they were right now. Lemac’s smile melted her, and the compassion she saw in Dgor’s eyes had her wanting to tell him every secret she possessed inside of her. They were aliens--oh god! It was finally starting to sink in. How could she expect them to be anything other than what they are? Who was she to question their culture and beliefs--and their abilities? It still didn’t mean she was going to take their shit, but Karen also knew that she wanted to work it out with them. And right now they were trying to talk to her, and listen. “Thinking again?” Dgor now grinned at her. “Okay, okay.” Karen’s lips tightened. “I accept the linking thing. Its minor compared to what you did to me.” “It was never our intention to violate you like that, Karen.” Lemac frowned. “To act so barbaric, when we ripped your clothes and forced...” “What?” Karen interrupted. “Is that what you think?” “We were rough, aggressive.” Dgor tilted his head, confused at the smirk that was forming on Karen’s lips and the twinkle that seemed to glimmer in her eyes. “I like it when you’re…rough,” she whispered and then immediately glanced aside. Egad! Did she really just admit that to them? Their silence pulled her gaze back to them, but only briefly. When she caught them blinking at her, the shock at her confession and the lust amazingly apparent in their eyes, Karen felt shy and dropped her head away, though the playful smile was still plastered to her face. “You’re making it difficult for us to keep our hands off of your incredible body when you

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talk like that, woman.” Lemac’s gaze meandered all over her before he closed them in an attempt to quell the desire thrumming inside of him. Karen looked up again to see that Dgor was focused on Lemac. The heaviness in his breathing told Karen he was being affected by whatever carnal thought Lemac was envisioning. The hard-on blatantly flexing between his legs was proof--like the one that matched Lemac’s, she noticed as her gaze surreptitiously shifted to the tantalizing bulge of his cock. She didn’t need to read their minds to feel the affects of that. Still, Karen pushed her desire away, even as her fingers itched to touch them both. Her attention strayed to Aurus. He snapped his head to the side as if pretending to be oblivious to their conversation. She appreciated it though she figured he was listening. She turned back to Lemac and Dgor and bucked up. “I had my first climax, well at least my first without it just being me present.” Lemac swallowed hard and Dgor gulped a groan. Their minds strayed as they thought of their Tina masturbating, the images leaving them even more dazed than they already were. “You used me.” The anger in her voice snapped their attention back to reality. “We didn’t use you, Karen.” Lemac moved from the chair and next to her on the side opposite Dgor. “You abandoned me in that hallway like a piece of trash.” “We’re sorry about that Karen. It was a terrible thing to do.” Dgor rubbed his brow. “Damn Dominance urge is clouding our judgment.” “Even worse than that,” Karen diverted her thought. “I don’t care what the Dominance is making you go through, because I’m going through it, too.” Lemac muttered as he and Dgor comprehended her words. Of course she was feeling the affects of the Dominance struggle. Karen was their mate, their woman. She was as much a part of them as they were to each other. It made sense their instinctive actions would have an emotional impact on her, too. “And another thing,” Karen continued. “He…” she pointed a finger at Aurus who pretended to examine the ceiling. “…watched the entire thing.” Karen’s face hardened with a mix of abhorrent pain, anger and betrayal. “Why did you let him watch?” Neither Lemac nor Dgor could figure out what to say. Having mated males witness the breaching, praying for blessings from the divinities over their tripling was a spiritual thing. Aurus remained there just in case, actually of his own accord--just in case Lemac and Dgor took their Tina before the bonding vows were given--to pray for the marriage blessings and testify they indeed mated with her and that she was their She’mana, their wife. Dgor made an attempt to explain it, but had no idea if Karen understood. They also went further with some of the rituals yet to come, some of which she paled at and refused to respond to. “I’m not a fucking machine,” The glare Karen held in her eyes was volatile. “And I mean fucking machine.” Lemac’s mouth dropped open, along with Dgor’s. Did she really think they saw her only that way? Karen shrank back on the bed putting distance between herself and her would be mates. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongues? From the first time you barged into my life it’s exactly how you’ve been treating me.” They were stunned into silence. She was the woman who held their souls, though she obviously didn’t realize it yet.

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Satisfied she’d finally spoken her mind, Karen felt empowered. “And there’s just one more thing.” Lemac and Dgor groaned, both fiercely trying to hold it together. It wasn’t that they didn’t respect what their Tina was saying, and would do anything to make her happy, but her temper was excruciatingly arousing to them right now, stirring the desire to pounce on her, tie her up, hold her down and fuck her silly. If she decided to get up and flee, there would be no help for what they did to her. She would have only herself to blame. Ka! Mentally they were furiously slapping each other down. Their Tina needed them to behave right now. Lifting her arm Karen pointed at Aurus. “Find a way to get rid of him or you won’t have to worry about your little dominance drive because I’m going to cut your nuts off.” Said nuts shrank in both of them. Tell me she means a food casing, Dgor. No, this time I think she’s talking about our testicles. Aurus busted a gut, he was laughing so hard. “I wouldn’t suggest informing the Captain of her threat or there will be sentry filling this room.”

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Chapter Nineteen “Nuh-uh.” Karen shook her head from side to side. “I’m not getting in there.” “Look, Karen.” Dgor jumped beneath the taw spray in the hygiene chamber. “There’s nothing to it.” The beaded liquid orbs pelted his skin, shattering when they struck and wetting him all over, loin cloth and all. “Okay, Dgor. The pink color is pretty and you’re sexy as hell when you’re soaking wet, but I’m still not getting in there.” Just the thought of all those marble-sized balls pinging her flesh had Karen shuddering. “You showered on earth didn’t you?” Lemac asked. “Yeah, but our water flows. That stuff,” Karen pointed at the falling taw. “Would be like repetitively getting zinged with a bb gun.” “A what?” Karen turned to Lemac, who stood behind her, and explained to him exactly what a bb gun was. “Well at least stick your hand in there and test it.” Lemac suggested. “Maybe you won’t have a defensive reaction.” “No.” “You drank the taw earlier.” Dgor tried to reason with her. “Um, yeah, but it was in a mug, not falling all over me, and it bubbled like champagne or maybe a weakened soda. Besides that, I’m not orally defensive.” “Lucky for us.” Dgor flashed his brightest smile. What he meant by that sank in slowly, but when it did, Karen smiled wickedly. “Yeah, lucky for you.” She dropped her gaze unabashedly to his crotch, noticing how enticingly the wet loincloth molded his groin emphasizing a part of him she was dying to see, aching to hold, and yes, put her mouth on. Dgor held out his hand to her. “Come on in and I’ll let you touch it.” “Drop the loincloth, and I’ll think about it.” Karen lifted her eyes to his face. “Tempting, but no.” Reaching out from the shower Dgor grabbed her arm and tried to pull her inside. Karen dug in her heels and easily slid her hand from his slippery, wet grasp. “You can’t go the rest of the journey home without washing.” “Why not?” Dgor wrinkled his nose. “I’ve had enough.” Lemac grasped her around the waist. Lifting her he attempted to carry her into the chamber, but Karen’s limbs flailed outward, and she planted her hands and feet on the tiles framing the shower stall opening. All of her joints locked to resist being pushed through and she braced herself as hard as she could. Karen was totally determined that she was not going in. Dgor stared at her ridiculous position with a brow raised. “The linen is going to slip off.” “I really don’t give two shits about that right now,” Lemac answered while grasping her with one strong arm. He tried to pry away one of her arms with his other hand--damn she was

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strong when afraid. “You could help here, brethren” Karen was screaming. “No! I’m not going in there.” She pushed back, but Dgor snatched her ankles and brought them together, while Lemac freed her hands from the wall. She was in, the taw raining down all over her, and Karen shrieked and tried to escape, but Lemac stepped in behind her. She was trapped between them--her typical place. Her struggle continued in vain until the deep pressure she received from their bodies, allowed her to relax a few margins, enough to realize the taw shower actually felt good. It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t cold. She couldn’t quite detect a temperature. It just felt comfortable. And it didn’t pelt her skin as she expected. When it hit her skin, the pummeling beads felt like a relaxing massage instead. She liked it. She liked it a lot. Karen then became aware that Lemac was shaking behind her. “Are you laughing?” He was indeed. “Divinities help me Karen!” Lemac let loose and started laughing his ass off. “That was the funniest thing I’d ever seen.” Images of a cat with its claws hooked into a door frame as it refused to succumb to whatever it was that its master wanted from it, formed in her brain. Karen started laughing too, feeling foolish all of a sudden. “I can’t believe this linen stayed put during all of this.” Dgor chuckled as he tugged at the top edge of the material wrapped around her body. “Take it off of me.” She dared him, a seductive gleam in her eye. Shaking his head and still grinning, Dgor eased away from her and looked down. His smile faded and he was suddenly captivated. His gaze took a leisurely stroll all over the front of her, lingering at the various tantalizing places on her body. Pictures bounced into Lemac’s brain causing his amusement to subside, as well. He swept an arm across Karen’s chest, caught her shoulder and spun her around. A rush of air expelled from his lungs and he was immediately aroused. “Will you look at this, brethren?” “I was.” “Transparent when wet.” The soaked bed sheet left nothing to their imaginations. Hugging her form, the shape of her breasts were apparent, the duskiness of the tips, her nipples, clearly showing through. The cloth clung to her waist, dipped into her navel and flared with her hips. And her pussy… A-a-h-h, I’m going to die of this. Lemac squeezed his lids tightly shut, tipping his head back as though in pain. He gurgled an anguished sound. “I guess you don’t need to take it off.” Karen leaned on him. Lemac’s chest heaved. Against his skin it felt like she was wearing nothing at all. He hissed through his teeth when she cupped his balls through his loincloth and then squeezed them. The view from the other side was just as appealing. The cloth plastered along her firmly shaped back and around her ass, fitting itself into the crease back there. Dgor’s hands came up and he ran his hands all over it. She was tight and shapely, most likely from her jogging and he was rapt in the feel of her. Karen arched at Dgor’s touch while she tugged at Lemac’s loincloth. Damn it, she wanted the thing off, wanted them naked, hard and plundering towards her--in her. It was frustrating to have to wait.

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Abruptly Dgor stopped touching her and stepped from the hygiene chamber. Lemac wrapped his arms around Karen and crushed her to him. He swung her around so she was no longer beneath the taw, putting her back toward Dgor. Lemac watched as his brethren struggled with the tie on his loincloth until he finally had it loosened and the covering dropped to the floor. Karen tried to turn around, but before she could get a peek at what Dgor was doing, Lemac blocked her movement. It was forbidden she see them naked until they were bonded. Holding her head between his palms, he brought his mouth to hers, distracting her with a searing kiss that had her squirming for more. He didn’t give it to her. Instead he broke the kiss and turned her. Dgor was there. He took over where Lemac left off, taking her mouth, licking her lips, plunging and stroking his tongue with an urgent desire. And then he released her. “I can’t wait to lick you between the legs like that.” He spoke against her lips and then latched his mouth to hers for another kiss. Karen nearly swooned at his words. Oh how she wanted to feel his mouth, flesh to searing flesh making her cum like that. Much to her disappointment, Dgor pulled away again. “Finish your shower. After you’re done there’s a towel and a garment for you near the washing basin.” When he stepped back, Karen noticed he was wearing loose fitting satiny bottoms, deep blue, full length and deliciously hugging his hips. For a moment she was enthralled by the thin trail of dark hair that plunged beneath his waist line. Lifting her hand, she traced it with her finger tip. The muscles in Dgor’s stomach tensed when she traveled beyond the waist of the trousers, over the cloth and down the length of his staff. He was partially erect, but after she palmed his member, it hardened further. Karen looked beyond him and around the bathing room. Lemac was gone. Pity, she would like to be filling her other hand with his erection also. “You’re the most brazen virgin I’ve ever met.” Dgor said to her as he circled her wrist and pulled her hand away from him. “I’ve learned from the best.” Karen returned, her voice a sultry whisper. Dgor didn’t respond. He merely slanted his mouth across hers for another kiss and then broke free. He smiled gently at her before turning to leave the bathing chamber. Karen watched him, taking in the sexy manner of his swagger and how nicely rounded and firm his ass looked. Her lips parted and she released a slow, easy breath as she watched how the muscles flexed beneath the cloth. When he was gone, Karen dropped the bed linen from her body and re-entered the shower, wondering if they waited for her outside and if so, what they had in store for her. Aurus was no longer a concern for her because he was gone. Thankfully, he’d been dismissed when he, along with Dgor and Lemac convinced the Captain that Karen was no threat, or at least in the harmful way. Karen’s alien warriors were now privately all hers. As the taw burst and flowed over her skin, Karen let her hands slip over her breasts and then work their way down to between her thighs. She played with her clit for a bit, but finding it less than satisfying, she stepped from the shower and dried off. After hanging the towel on a hook, Karen examined the clothing they’d left for her. It wasn’t made of the spandex cloth she was used to--needed. A twinge of panic assailed her, but to her surprise, it quickly subsided. Without giving it another thought, Karen picked up the top of the two-piece garment and murmured a pleasurable sound as she exhaled a wispy breath. It felt like cream in her hands the cloth was so smooth. Silky--no, it was beyond silk. She’d never felt anything like it before.

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Karen rubbed it against her body. Her mouth fell open and she closed her eyes. “This is fabulous,” she sighed. Whatever kind of cloth it was, it felt fantastic on her skin, luxurious and so lulling, Karen thought she might cry. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn something so beautiful, and normal. Well, maybe not quite normal, there was nothing normal about this garment, at least not where she came from. But now that she knew about it, Karen would cross the galaxies just to get her hands on it. She might even consider that god-awful transporting if she had to. Karen glanced at the door leading to the room. Had they known how much she would love this material? If she remembered correctly, the bottom Dgor wore was made of the same thing. She’d thought the immense enjoyment she felt was from touching his cock. Belatedly, she realized that some of that pleasure came from also touching the material covering it. It had to feel lush when it caressed his…oh boy… It was suddenly clear just how enjoyable this material could be. Especially for a couple of aliens who were determined to have orgasms without undressing her or themselves. Interesting. This clothing would allow them to easily continue their sexual play without desecrating the edicts of their rituals, and she knew that sexing her would hold their Domination issue at bay, as well. But truth be told, Karen didn’t want them subdued. Their aggressiveness was turning her on in a major way. Better than that, and what they didn’t know, was that she’d figured out how to trigger it, just from the few things they’d said to her and the way they reacted to certain things. For one, the closer they came to having intercourse with her, the greater was their need to battle one another for power. Karen smiled. She was going to research that further. After all, she was a scientist. It was her thing. What harm could a little experimenting do?

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Chapter Twenty “No, that’s not a good tactical maneuver if you….” Lemac stopped talking. He and Dgor looked up from the compusheet they were studying when Karen came into the room. She leaned against the wall next to the bathing chamber entrance. Her arms were crossed over her chest, hands resting atop of her breasts as if she meant to hide them. It was demure but powerfully sensual at the same time, sharply reminding them how vulnerable Karen really was around them. They suspected she didn’t realize how much. If their Tina was aware then she would’ve covered herself more appropriately. The garment they provided was fashioned to hide her intimate areas, make it difficult to give them access, yet the plush material, though not transparent, was thin, its texture designed to stimulate when rubbed against skin. It was perfect for pleasuring during the Edification. As it was Karen donned only the top. Soft on her body, it fell over her curves, the plunging neckline revealing much of her cleavage yet little of her breasts, aside from the nudge of her sweet looking nipples. It was also secure enough to keep her breasts from tumbling out. The material fell lengthwise to her mid-thighs, covering her mound, though the puff of her curls was evident to their eyes by the way the cloth draped her. A delectable treat waited for them there. She looked pretty in the shimmering lavender color--pretty enough to eat. Her naivety was keenly apparent since the bottom of the garment was missing, allowing them to focus on her bare legs, the smooth, feminine shape of them teasing Lemac and Dgor with images of parting those delectable thighs cradling a muff that was just one tug away from their sight. The thought of it had their mouths watering for a taste and their erections jutting to plunge. Did their Tina understand they would both touch her, lick her at the same time--love her together, hard and unrelenting? They thought not because if she understood the magnitude of their desire for her, and what they were capable of she would be running instead of standing there toying with them. I’ll bet my left nut she has nothing else on under there, Lemac channeled to Dgor. How in hellfires do other brethren endure this? I’m going insane. “Put the bottoms on, Karen.” There was a dire warning in Dgor’s eyes when he spoke to her. If she declined, divinities help her. Karen’s response was slow in coming, but her heart was beginning to pound erratically. Something in their demeanors had changed. Something primal was lurking just beneath the surface. It was apparent in how their nostrils flared and in the way their piercing eyes transfixed on her. She could see it in their muscles--in their chests, their abdomens, in biceps that were so taut they could probably snap her like a twig, tensing, relaxing and tensing again as if preparing for a strenuous conquest. They were savage and it captivated her, aroused her, thrilled her. It made her want to do naughty, naughty things. “Put the bottoms on.” Dgor gave her a second chance to respond. “No,” Karen answered immediately this time. She inhaled the awesome scent of them filling the room, more potent than ever before.

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“You’re aware of what could happen.” It wasn’t really a question that Lemac posed to her. Her nod and her subtle smile was the only answer she gave. There was a brief moment when everything in the room seemed to freeze. The only sound was the thumping of three hearts wildly beating. And then Lemac and Dgor exchanged wickedly roguish grins. It was time to play. They only hoped that when it was over they were all unscathed with nothing broken. In particular, their Tina’s hymen. Lemac pounced first. Taken off guard, Karen shrieked and tried to dodge him. The effort was in vain. An arm swooped around her, mashing her body to him and locking her in place. He worked at her mouth, surrounding it with his lips, pulling back, nibbling, licking, and then plunging his tongue in. It wasn’t really a kiss. It was more like a claiming, rough and demanding. His other hand clenched at the side of her thigh, but didn’t linger there long. In one long caress he was beneath the top, his palm grasping her bare bottom. Fucking hell. Dgor closed his eyes. You need to stop, Lemac. Isn’t happening, brethren. Karen’s hands flew to Lemac’s hips. Ah, yes. He wore trousers made of the same material. She ran her hands all over it. Damn, his ass felt great. He shifted his hand, gathering the material of the top in one until it was lifted high, and then his hand dipped underneath, his fingers slipping through her moist crease. A quiet mew escaped Karen’s throat as his fingers located and fondled her clit, flesh touching flesh. When he began to stroke it rhythmically, a cadence of tiny explosions erupted and spread outward from her center, down through her legs and upward through her stomach before dancing along her flesh, plucking every nerve ending in its path. Karen swayed, but Lemac held her, his eyes on her. He was breathing hard, inhaling and exhaling through his mouth, aroused at the dampness that seeped from her vagina. His cock engorged as his mind registered how exquisite it was to finally touch the warmth and softness of her vulva, bared to his hands. “You feel so good, Karen,” he whispered against her lips. Dgor attempted to shake the erotic vision from his head. It wasn’t working. His insides were stirring, not only sexually but a storm was simmering from within as he watched his brethren touch her intimately. Dominance began forcing its way into his reasoning. He saw the male touching her as a rival, and he wanted him away from the female he intended to mate with. She belonged to him. Catching Dgor’s thoughts, Lemac growled his own superiority, taunting Dgor with the facts. It was he who had Karen in his arms. It was his body stretched along hers, his mouth, his fingers that were exciting her. She belonged to him. With a roar that should’ve brought down the walls surrounding them, Dgor was at them. He fisted Lemac’s hair with his hand and wrenched his brethren’s head away from their Tina. Lemac released Karen immediately. Instinctive or common sense, he couldn’t let her be in the way of their angry battle. They would never hurt her. It was almost impossible. Turning, Lemac swung at Dgor, connecting with his jaw. Dgor’s head snapped to one side. As quickly as he received the blow, he struck back with a backhanded strike that landed to the side of Lemac’s face sending him tumbling to the floor. Dgor turned on Karen. Scooping her up in his arms he tossed her onto the bed and came down on top of her. He grasped her head, his

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mouth crushing hers and saw that her eyes revealed every bit of the terror she should be feeling considering it was her actions that had caused all of this. It didn’t matter. Just her presence with them would’ve done the same regardless, even if she’d done nothing. None of this was her fault. She was in the middle of the rituals of the Trigon. It was the mating dance, whether violent or tame it was a progression in the claiming, leading to the tripling with their Tina. In the end, there would be a bond between them that was stronger than any force could penetrate. It was the process that was painstaking, but worth the journey. They would be okay. “Get your dirty hands off of her.” Lemac leapt behind Dgor, his knees falling splayed around both Karen’s and Dgor’s hips. Dgor’s elbow came back in a flash, imbedding into Lemac’s stomach, just below his sternum. Air expelled from Lemac’s lungs and his diaphragm went into spasms, making it difficult for him to breathe, but he would rather suffocate than allow Dgor to have their woman. He lunged, throwing his full weight onto Dgor’s back, and despite the focus of his rage he was aware that Dgor had risen to his hands and knees so there wasn’t a risk of crushing Karen. He felt a shudder when she screamed as his hands swept around and he attempted to puncture his brethren’s eyes with his fingers. Her voice nearly drew his anger back, but Dgor reacted too quickly and came up to his knees. His hands rose to shackle Lemac’s wrists and he yanked his brethren’s hands away, managing to throw him back with his body. They both landed face up on the bed, half hanging off, Dgor on top of his brethren. Lemac bucked and they rolled. There was a thunderous slamming sound as they both crashed to the floor. What the hell have I done? Karen was terrified. She wanted to stop it, but didn’t dare get in the way. Drawing her knees up, she scrambled to the top corner of the bed and shrank against the wall. Briefly her mind was blank. She was about to panic, but then it came to her. They would alert to her if she spoke. It was there on Lemac’s face just before Dgor tossed them backwards and they always had before. Why not now? Her men would come to heel with just the sound of her voice. It didn’t matter how brutal they were being to each other at the moment. Karen had the upper hand when it came to soothing her savage beasts. Before she could utter a word however, she heard the cracking sound of another blow being driven and she winced. Lemac bounded onto the bed and then froze at the sight delivered before him. His woman, tiny and at his mercy was beautiful. “Would you prefer to pound at each other,” Karen spoke calmly. Slowly she opened her legs. “Or would you prefer to pound at this?” Her pussy was fully exposed to his eyes, begging to be taken. Lemac’s tongue swept the length of his bottom lip, and the simple act was so erotic Karen though she might cum on the spot. Dgor’s head rose up and he too halted. Karen stared at them both, watching their chests heaving from their recent exertion, waiting, surprised neither of them was bleeding, though their faces were beginning to bruise. Their hesitation seemed to take an eternity and suddenly feeling reticent, Karen began to withdraw. But then Lemac reached out. He clasped his hands around her ankles and dragged her down onto the bed until she was flat on her back, the material of the top bunching upward. Without giving her any recourse he bent her knees and pushed them apart. His mouth latched onto her pussy before Karen even realized he was moving. “Oh god!” The sensation was immediate and powerful. Karen cocked her hips toward him, aligning her cunt with his mouth. His lips surrounded her vulva completely massaging her labia, his tongue firmly lapping at her flesh.

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She was only vaguely aware that Dgor had climbed onto the bed and was watching Lemac lick her. Her senses sharpened when he bent his head, taking one of her cloth covered nipples into his mouth. He massaged her other breast with his hand. Karen’s eyes shut, her body reeling from the sexual onslaught and she arched from the bed, every muscle tensing as a wave of arousal surged forward. Her fingers sought Lemac’s head, grasping his hair, holding him still so she could pump her hips and rub her clit, taking long swipes at his extended tongue. When his thumb pressed against the opening to her vagina, Karen’s entire body jolted and her inner muscles squeezed around the tip attempting to draw it inside. He circled around her entrance, tormenting her, while his lips closed down on her clit to suck on it. A groan rumbled in Dgor’s throat. He felt Lemac’s impending need to pierce her, knew how close he was to doing so with his fingers. Abruptly his head came up and he snatched Lemac’s wrist, pulling his fingers away from Karen. Nose to nose, they snarled at each other. Lemac and Dgor knew they were going too far but were helpless to prevent it. Though enough reason stuck with them to hold back from penetrating her, the restraint was going to kill them both. Karen eyes were locked on them. She sensed their unspoken communication and instead of being put out by it, she found their unique connection arousing. It somehow solidified her own connection to both of them. They were as Dgor has said, one to each other but also to her. It was impossible to separate them in her heart. And her heart did pound for them, erratically at the moment as their heads hovered just above her snatch. The sight of it was stimulating her and Karen couldn’t help but thrust her pelvis at them, searching for the touch of their tongues. Dgor threw Lemac’s arm to the side and his eyes shifted. He lowered his head and started licking her. Karen moaned and tossed her head back when his tongue plunged inside. “Yes,” she breathed out and then lifted her head while pushing up on her elbows at the same time. Each had a hand on her inner thigh, holding her open. Lemac was staring at her pussy, his gaze fixated on Dgor’s tongue as it dipped in and out of her vagina. Karen’s arousal climbed, intensified when Dgor’s tongue swept up, lifting her clit with a lengthy stroke before burrowing into it to rotate her bud with the tip. They traded, Lemac now taking leisurely laps. Karen watched, entranced by what they were doing to her pussy. Alternating Dgor licked and then Lemac, and then Dgor took a turn again, never breaking the rhythm of their stimulation, pushing Karen closer to climax. Her breathing was coming in shorter and shorter pants, her hips thrusting, Lemac licking, Dgor licking. She was close, so very close to cumming and they were aware of it. Lemac sealed his mouth on her pussy, his tongue flicking as she rocked faster and faster. Dgor was kissing his way up, his hands pushing the garment higher so he could suckle the bare flesh of her abdomen. The heel of his hand pressed at the top of her mons intensifying the stimulation and Karen’s head dropped back to the bed. Her hips began rising, the muscles in her thighs, her ass tightening. Lemac followed, the speed of his lapping increasing as he flattened his tongue between her crease. He supported her bottom with his hands, and then drew her clit between his lips and suckled it. “Oh my lord!” Karen cried. Stretching along her side, Dgor stroked his fingers through the hair on the side of her head. He kissed her briefly and then rose to his knees, his chest hovering over her, one arm

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holding him up. He slipped his other hand around Karen’s wrist and brought her palm to his penis. It was hard. Karen’s fingers curled, wrapping the material of his pants around the shaft. Immediately he began humping while holding her hand steady around his erection. He then began shifting her hand up and down along his length so she was pumping him. The suction on her clit increased. Karen’s other hand clenched at the bed sheet. Lemac groaned into her pussy as her pelvis began to shudder. Dgor pumped her hand harder, faster. He stiffened and elongated further beneath her grasp. He was cumming. She was cumming. An escalating wail began slipping from Karen’s mouth while Dgor released a quick howl. She felt him explode and it set off a chain reaction in her own body. Lemac was murmuring into her pussy. Moisture began to seep. Her hand fell away from Dgor. Tremors jolted through her and Karen came apart, her entire body quaking with her climatic release. Lemac stayed on her, savoring her female scent, devouring her, letting her ride her peak. As she began to relax, he settled her bottom to the bed and climbed over her, nestling his groin between her thighs, pressing his chest to her body. His arms slipped beneath her shoulder blades and he clung to her, while nuzzling into the curve of her neck. Karen wrapped her legs around his waist. His body was trembling wildly, still trapped in heightened arousal. It didn’t take much. Lemac bunch his hips, rotated his pelvis and he was gone. His cock burst and he came. Karen broke into tears. Lifting his head, Lemac frowned. “Did we hurt you? Dgor stroked his palm along her hair. He didn’t think they had. Karen laughed and then started to cry again. Glancing at one another, they grimaced. She was upset. Once again they had violated her, touched her, put their mouths on her without the shield of clothing. They had almost taken her again! The Divinities would doom them to burn in hell.

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Chapter Twenty One Karen peeked into the area the crew called the hash pit. It was the ship’s mess hall. Not like those on earth, where everyone gets in a line and their food is slopped on a tray. Each table had its own holoplate, but the space was also a recreational area for games, listening to music, or whatever entertainment was of interest. They were even allowed to drink liquor there, but only if off duty. Bart was sitting alone at one of the tables. He waved to Karen and she headed over to him. It was the first time Karen had seen him since they first arrived. Apparently Jillia was keeping him quite occupied. Bart whistled at her through his teeth. “The clothes suite you, Karen.” Karen fingered the hem of the sleeveless, mint colored camisole she was wearing. “I’m fully appreciating them.” The material she adored so much was called, redneb. Her matching loose pants were made of the same thing and she was pleased to find out the material was easily obtained and came in many colors. “Strange turn of events our lives have taken, huh?” Bart said to her as she took a seat on the bench at the other side of the table. “Who would’ve guessed?” Karen entered an order into the holoplate and a mug of koepe appeared. It was a warm drink similar to coffee and had the same kick. They both stared at the drink, and Karen suspected Bart was still just as amazed as she was at the technologically advanced device. Grasping the drink, Bart slid it over to Karen. He then smirked at her. Karen took a sip of her koepe while studying Bart over the rim of her mug. He really didn’t seem all that upset he’d been kidnapped. “So tell me Bart, when did you find out Jillia was an alien?” “Not very long ago.” The crooked smile he produced told her much though he said very little. “Fess up.” “Huh?” “Jillia was speaking Tertian and you were answering, so fess up.” When Bart’s smile disappeared and he shifted uncomfortably, Karen knew he was hiding something. “Don’t even tell me you’re an alien, too.” He laughed in response. “I’m an earthling through and through.” Karen glowered at him. “Okay, okay.” Bart held up his hands. “I found out about two months ago when I followed her. Imagine my surprise when I discovered her home was a spaceship, and you should’ve seen how cleverly disguised...” “Two months!” Karen was astounded. “You knew what was happening to me and you never…” “Now hold on, Karen,” Bart cut her off. “I didn’t know a thing about you. The only thing I knew was that Jillia was studying us, that’s it. I had no idea there was another reason she was here.” “Hmm.” Alright, Karen believed him. “What about the language?”

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Bart shrugged. “Jillia helped me learn it.” “Why?” “Let’s just say that once I discovered who she was, it was decided I shouldn’t be allowed to remain on earth.” Karen’s brows rose suspiciously. “But she let you roam free for two months.” “Uh,” Bart looked around, glad they were speaking English. He really didn’t want to get Jillia in trouble. “A fling.” That’s all Karen had to say. Bart’s expression said the rest and she looked at him in disbelief. “Uh, Bart. I have news for you. You’re in outer space and you’re not going back to earth. What happens when this fling is over?” “I guess I find a place in the universe to call home. Earth was getting a little old and tiresome anyway. Did you know I’ve traveled all over the entire globe? It was time for me to get off the planet, to find out where the universe leads to. Infinity blows my mind ya know. The universe has to go somewhere.” That made Karen chuckle. “So you don’t mind that you’ve been kidnapped?” “I’ll let you in on a little secret.” Leaning in, Bart curved a hand around his mouth as if to hide the movements of his lips. “I wasn’t really kidnapped.” “Ah huh, I sort of suspected that.” Karen tipped the mug to her lips and took another sip. She was pensive for a moment. “So why learn the Tertian language instead of Allegiance Proper? I mean it is the universal language spoken in the galaxy we’re headed for.” “I’m learning it now,” Bart answered. “But Jillia figured since this ship is loaded with Tertani and it was what you were learning, I should too.” “Eventually, I’ll learn Allegiance Proper also, I guess. There’s no big hurry right now because the Tertian lingo is what’s commonly spoken on Terta Minor, which is where I’m going.” Karen took another sip of her drink and then gave Bart a quizzical look. “You know what confuses me? How on earth did Jillia manage to learn so much about us in such a short time? “Your computers are easy to hack.” Jillia slid onto the bench next to Bart. An affectionate gaze passed between them. “It was incredible how much information I was able to upload, language translators, those numbers your government assigns to all citizens, credentialing so I could mingle and pass as one of you.” “You spoke English perfectly,” Karen remarked. “Language is one of my talents. I learn quickly. I even picked up a little Juaprito while we were in the jungle.” “I’m a little pissed off at you, Jillia.” Jillia tilted her head. “Why?” “You lied to me.” Karen glanced at Bart. “To us.” “How so?” “First of all, you told us you had extensive field work in research.” “No lie,” Jillia answered. “As a Probe Commander, research is exactly what I do. I just didn’t tell you I studied alien planets. Speaking of which, I’ve just received another assignment.” Her attention went to Bart. “I leave in a few dawnings. Are you coming with me?” “I’d follow you to the ends of the universe, sweetie.” Bart grinned and then winked at Karen. Karen just shook her head at the mushy expression on Bart’s face. She was still dwelling on Jillia’s presence on earth. “What about your name? You said it was French.”

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“I never said it was French. Everyone assumed that.” Pulling her ogling eyes away from Bart, Jillia looked at Karen. “All I ever said was that it was foreign.” Karen glowered at her. “Well, you could’ve at least told me about Dgor and Lemac.” To that statement, Jillia frowned. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know much about the Tertian mating rituals. Frankly I think what they did to you was barbaric and condescending. If I’d realized sooner what they were doing to you, I probably would’ve told you.” “That’s against Allegiance regulations Jillia, and you know that.” Lemac took a seat next to Karen. Leaning over he planted a kiss on the side of her neck and then took her hand into his and held onto it. The gesture was simple, but filled with so much warmth and tenderness, Karen felt her insides melt. The feeling intensified when he grasped her chin, turned her face toward him and brought his lips to hers, touching them gently. He looked into her eyes and smiled. “Ah, true love is something isn’t it?” Jillia’s voice was filled with sarcasm. She entered a choice into the holoplate and activated it. “You have a problem with me showing my mate affection?” Lemac didn’t look at Jillia. He just continued gazing at Karen. “My problem is the egotistical manner in which you and that hulk of a sidekick you’re bonded to descended on her and carried her off like a prized possession.” Jillia removed the platter of nariwob that appeared on the holoplate, setting it between the four of them “It’s a bit archaic don’t you think?” “This stuff is incredible.” Only half listening, Bart popped a red cube into his mouth. “Mmm, tastes like steak. I can’t believe it’s synthetic.” “The females on Dormoth don’t marry,” Lemac leaned his head toward Karen. “If they choose to have offspring, they decide on a suitable male to procreate with, and when the act is done she sends him on his way.” Bart choked on his food. “Guess she failed to mention that.” Karen snorted at Bart and then picked up a chunk of nariwob from the platter and examined the gelatin-like cube. “Don’t worry earthling,” Jillia patted the top of Bart’s head. “I won’t let you impregnate me without your consent. That would be indecent.” “I don’t want kids,” Karen said watching as the cube she was holding turned from yellow to blue. She popped it into her mouth and savored the sweet taste. Lemac’s head snapped around, and Karen turned to face him. His brows twitched slightly and she was pretty sure she knew what the reaction was about, but it was one reality Karen wasn’t prepared to deal. Not yet. Holding up another cube she put it near his mouth. “Mood food?” When it turned from purple to orange he wrapped his lips around it and sucked the food from her fingers. He kept his eyes trained on her. “Why do you call it mood food?” Jillia asked as she poured herself a drink from the pitcher that was now on the holoplate. Turning away from Lemac, Karen explained. “There were these gimmicky rings that were popular on earth. They changed colors and were supposed to reveal your mood.” Karen cast a glance at Lemac, and then did a double-take. He was still staring at her and if she read his expression correctly, he wasn’t happy. “Anyway, whatever you’re in the mood to eat, the nari will eventually taste like that. So I call it mood food.” Grumbling sounds on the other side of the hash pit drew everyone’s attention to where it

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was coming from. Two Tertani crewmen standing with their faces only inches apart appeared to be in some kind of heated conversation. They were both clenching their fists. “Those two,” Lemac said. “Always arguing about something.” “Who are they?” Karen asked. “Calem and Arjim.” Aurus rose from the table he was sitting at, approached to two men and stepped in between them. He said something. They separated and went in different directions. “Ever since they were small babes barely toddling, they’ve despised each other.” Karen harrumphed. “Sort of like you and Dgor.” Lemac tilted his head, his expression astonished. “I don’t hate Dgor, Karen.” “So punching the crap out of someone is the way the two of you show love? Pft, I hope to hell neither of you loves me then.” “I thought you understood all of this?” “What I understand is that the two of you have been avoiding each other since....” Karen glanced at Jillia and Bart, and then lowered her voice. “You know. When you’re sleeping he’s on shift and visa versa, when one is in a room, the other leaves, and I’m stuck somewhere in the middle, not knowing who to turn to.” “Oh this is so our cue to say goodbye.” Jillia rose and Bart followed. “Give him hell, Karen.” Once they were gone, Karen faced Lemac squarely. “So where is Dgor?” “I have no idea,” Lemac stared past her as if searching for something. “He’s closed off his mind to me.” Some emotion passed over his face and then it was gone. “You can do that?” Hurt. It was hurt Karen saw there. “I can block my thoughts to him and he can block his to me. What we can’t do is block each other incoming thoughts.” To that, Karen grimaced. “It seems rather invasive.” Lemac opened his mouth to respond, but became concerned when Karen’s face wrenched and she brought the heels of her hands to the back of her skull. “Karen, what’s happening?” With her hands still planted on her head she looked up at him. “I don’t know, pressure, some kind of pressure in my head. Not a headache but…” Her eyes scanned the area and then fixated on the large observation window on the far wall of the hash pit. She stared at the stars on the other side of it. They seemed to be moving like waves of heat. “Are you alright, Tina?” Lemac was leaning in toward her now, one hand on her back the other touching her thigh. “I think so.” Karen straightened and continued to stare at the stars. The waves started to condense, a rainbow of colors appeared and began streaking by. Grasping the table, Karen tensed. She felt the ship’s speed increase and her stomach flipped. “Can you feel that?” Lemac shook his head. “I don’t feel a thing.” Karen continued to stare at the window. “What is that?” Tipping his head, Lemac followed the line of her gaze to the viewer. “It’s nothing to worry about. We’re passing through a wormhole.” Forgetting the sensations momentarily, Karen’s brows rose. “They’re only hypothetical on earth. So they really exist?” Her attention went back to the window. The colors were fading, becoming wispy and

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then transparent. Stars reappeared and along with them the uncomfortable squeezing inside of Karen’s skull. She closed her eyes and rubbed her head again and then felt the ship decelerate. Within a few seconds the abnormal sensations subsided. Bring her to medbay, brethren. I want to make sure she’s alright. You want to risk us both being in the same room with her? What I want is to make sure she isn’t ill. “Let’s go have you checked out.” Lemac stood and extended his hand, to which Karen promptly accepted. They walked the busy corridors at a leisurely pace, talking. “Jillia has a real issue with your culture.” “Do you?” Lemac asked. “Some things, but nothing I can’t handle.” Karen felt Lemac give her hand a squeeze. “What about the children thing?” Karen opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her gaze dropped to the floor. They walked the length of several corridors before she asked. “You want them?” “Five or six, or seven.” A gulp slid down Karen’s throat. It was something they had never discussed. “The Divinities will change your mind.” He noticed her troubled expression. “What?” Karen looked up at him. Halting, Lemac leaned back against the wall. He pulled Karen against him, his arms holding her tightly around the waist. “They would never create a Trigon with a woman outside of our culture without the intention of bringing us a mate to sire children with.” Karen pursed her lips. “I can’t give you that.” He smiled gently and then kissed her mouth. “You’ll change your mind.” Lifting her fingers to Lemac’s face, she touched his lips. Her heart did a little leap as she gazed at him. There was a boyish charm about him belying the warrior that simmered inside. He’d seen much in his twenty-eight phases, and Karen knew how fierce he could be, but she’d also seen the gentler side of him as well. Children--she couldn’t think about it right now. “It bothers you when Dgor conceals his thoughts from you?” Karen asked him, changing the subject. “It’s a dark feeling,” Lemac returned. “Almost grievous, a sense of emptiness. I suppose it’s why I’ve heard many Sh’em say they avoid doing it unless it’s for imperative reasons.” Something became clear to Karen then. What began as a basic mental linking was evolving and strengthening, the outcome being more than just a simple acceptance of one another as equals. God, she had been completely focused on how they felt about her until now. She had never considered how they would feel about each other in this Trigon. An emotional connection was now being woven. It was happening before her eyes and they were pulling her heart right along with it. She was a complete part of it. She was the reason for it. “Separation between lovers is sometimes unbearable,” she said. It was more of a thought spoken aloud than it was a comment meant for Lemac’s ears. He laughed and then lifted her chin with one of his hands. “Dgor and I aren’t lovers to each other, Tina. We are lovers to you.” “Do you love him?” “Right now I hate his guts.” I’m crushed brethren. Dgor’s thoughts were instantly there. “You just told me you didn’t hate him.”

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True, he did say that. “Let’s just say it’s a love-hate relationship between us right now.” “And when the Changeover is finished?” Karen asked. “Then I suppose I’ll just love him, too.” You’re going to make me cry Lemac. Shut your yap, Dgor. Karen angled her head questioningly at Lemac. “Love him…too?” “Do you love him?” Oh boy. Karen took a deep breath. She wasn’t about to admit to anything at this point. Of course I love him. I love both of you. “The jury is still out on both of you.” “Fair enough.” Lemac released her and then reached sideways along the corridor’s wall. He tapped the plate on the wall and the door next to it slid open. Lifting a hand he indicated that she step inside. Karen was about to move, but Lemac grasped her upper arm. He lowered his lips to her ear. “Love is the only reason we endure this.” Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, studying the bruising on his jaw that was only beginning to fade. Was he saying they loved her? His grip on her loosened and Lemac released her. “You are the only reason we endure this.” He was.

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Chapter Twenty Two “Parietal Lobe,” Dgor read the bioscanner he’d just waved all over Karen’s head. “What about it?” The device bleeped and he double-checked it. “There’s excessive activity in that part of your brain.” “Are you telling me I have an overactive imagination?” Karen grinned at him. “She had the sensation just before we entered the wormhole, Dgor.” Lemac sat behind her on a stool that was abutted to the one she sat on. His thighs were splayed with her body in between them and his hands unconsciously smoothed up and down her thighs. If he only knew what the simple movement was doing to her insides. Talk about imaginations, hers was vividly picturing those hands spreading her wide so Dgor could slip his cock into her. “I felt it just after we emerged from it, too.” Karen squirmed in her seat. “Plus the acceleration and deceleration of the ship.” “Hmm.” Dgor contemplated that. “I’ll do some research to see if there’s any reports of this occurring with anyone else. In the meantime…” His hand lifted and he skimmed his fingers across her lips, his eyes completely focused on her mouth. Karen was keenly aware when Lemac’s hand shifted, sliding up her ribcage to cup her breasts, while Dgor lowered to kiss her. Arousal instantly flared within her, and Karen was thankful they were alone in medbay. This is not a good idea, brethren. Lemac’s shaft engorged. His next thought was to pull away the trousers Karen was wearing and ease his erection inside of her. And he might’ve done it, too, if it wasn’t for Karen’s body going rigid. His hands slipped to her waist holding her, while Dgor leaned back. Worry creasing both their brows as she reached for the back of her head. “It’s happening again,” Karen winced. Dgor scanned her immediately, taking note of the time. He recorded her brain activity, observed the pressure read-outs fall and rise again. And then Karen was stabilized. Reaching for another piece of equipment on the counter nearby, he aimed it toward her. A quick yellow beam flashed in her eyes, and after pressing a few buttons on it, Dgor observed the readout. “Well, doc,” Karen inquired. “Am I going to live?” Dgor’s brow wrinkled. “Hey I was just kidding.” His expression shifted her amusement to concern. With the bioscanner in his hand, Dgor stood and walked to the commlink on the wall. Jesser here, sir, a voice stated. “Is the Captain on the bridge?” “Avinahi here,” Tocol chimed in. “Did we just pass through a wormhole?” “Sector Agen four twenty.” “Give me precise times, Tocol.” Dgor entered the information the Captain provided into the bioscanner, thanked him, and returned to Lemac and Karen. He sat down to examine the scanner. They both looked at him

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curiously and Karen felt Lemac relax behind her. Of course he mentally received the information first. “So I can assume it’s not fatal?” Karen would kick both their asses if they didn’t tell her. “I’ll have to do preliminary testing,” Dgor answered. “But my initial diagnosis is Sensory Acceleration Perception.” “What?” Lemac and Karen voiced at the same time. “Oh great I’m a SAP.” Karen’s laugh was sardonic. “You’re inventing that diagnosis,” Lemac commented. “It has to be called something.” Dgor shrugged. Reaching, he stroked at Karen’s jaw line, his eyes roaming her face, admiring it. “According to the time configurations, you received a signal just before we reached the wormhole and then just after.” “A signal?” Karen’s brows drew together as she scratched the back of her head. “What does that mean?” “It would seem sweet She’ami, that your sensory acceleration has a purpose here in the universe.” His hand slipped beneath her jaw and he pulled her lips to his. He smiled against them. “You’re able to detect wormholes unseen and undetected since the one we passed through is camouflaged even to our mechanical locators.” “Amazing.” Lemac leaned over her shoulder. “We’re only able to find the Agen wormhole through star mapping.” “Really?” Karen tilted her head back, staring in disbelief and then her mood brightened. “I used to think I was just a freak. Now I’m useful freak and a SAP. Oh happy day.” Dgor chuckled. “We’ll see how much of a freak you think you are once you’ve met some of the human and not-so-human beings that live in the CalyTron Galaxy.” The door to medbay slid open. A man in a Tertian uniform and a woman in civvies entered the room. Lemac waved them over. “Come meet our Tina.” “Oh, they’re so cute together,” the woman said, a broad, perky smile on her face as they crossed the room. The woman was wearing a sarong-style skirt and something was jingling. Karen’s attention dropped to her sandaled feet, and she saw that around each ankle there was a bracelet made of at least a hundred overlapping, tiny, crystal rings linked together like a chain. Her attention snapped upward. She was definitely a Tertani woman, Karen noticed, by the gold that rimmed her sky blue irises. She was also pregnant--very pregnant. “She’mana.” The male who accompanied her shook his head from side to side. His brow furled. “I’ve told you men don’t like to be referred to as cute.” Without even a hint that she heard him, the woman turned to him and pinched his cheek. “You, my Sh’em are even cuter.” “Here for your exam?” Dgor retrieved a U-shaped device from one of the cabinets and then fitted it around her belly when she turned toward him. “Karen, This is Syrat and her Sh’em, Merse.” Lemac introduced them. “This is our Tina, Karen ot Whitaker.” Karen stood and extended her hand and when neither of them took it her gaze shifted to Syrat’s face first and then to Merse. She stared at him, and he seemed to have no qualms about staring back at her. Intimidating was a good way to describe him. His hair was darker than Lemac’s and Dgor’s if that was possible. And his eyes--jade, entrapped by the golden Tertian characteristic. He was overwhelmingly large. Sexuality dripped from him like wax melting from candelabrum, and Karen shrank back from his lecherous stare.

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“Merse, knock it off. You’re frightening her.” Syrat rapped him on the stomach. “Isn’t that my purpose as a Prowler?” Oh god! He was one of the males that would help trap her during the Triconjugal Hunt she was told about. Karen shuddered. He was a scary, scary dude. “Don’t worry Karen. It’s my purpose to keep them all away from you.” Syrat told her. Karen’s gaze shifted to Syrat, and then dropped to the rounded belly Dgor was examining. She blinked and stared, and then blinked again. A strange twisting feeling burgeoned inside of Karen’s stomach, and she bit back the urge to cry. “Is she alright?” Syrat asked. Dgor removed the apparatus from her stomach his eyes on Karen. “Something bothering you, Tina?” “Who’s the father?” Crap. Karen hadn’t meant to blurt that out. The room was silent--too silent and then Syrat finally spoke up. “Ka! I understand what she’s asking. The two of you forgot to explain Tertian genetics to her. Shame on you. What else did you forget to tell her?” “I love innocents. I’m going to enjoy stalking this one.” A demonic grin spread across Merse’s face. In a blatant gesture he ran the back of his knuckles along the flesh of Syrat’s neck and deliberately over her breast. He gazed down at his She’mana. “Right after we’ve stalked and captured you, love.” “We’ll see how well you and Reo track me.” Syrat puckered her lips toward Merse and smacked them. She then glimpsed Karen from the corner of her eyes, her expression playful. “They’ve been my Sh’em for a long time. I’m familiar with all of their antics.” Merse’s expression softened as he gazed at Syrat, making him look far less ferocious. “Which only means we’re familiar with yours, as well.” “We’ll see, my Sh’em.” Syrat returned and then questioned Dgor. “So, Chief at Bay Zyet, am I healthy?” “Quite,” Dgor answered. “Only two septdawns, four dawnings, six dials and forty-two min to go.” Karen’s brows rose. “You can pinpoints the exact time of birth?” “Hmm.” Dgor rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure how many speks.” “It was nice to meet you Karen ot Whitaker.” Syrat wrapped her arms around Karen, mashing her baby belly into her as she hugged her tightly. “Come visit me before we dock. I’ll show you my fungi samples.” “Sure,” Karen returned. She didn’t quite know what to do about the woman’s hug so she just let her do it. “It was nice meeting you, too.” Finally Syrat released her. Merse nodded and they left the medbay. Lemac tilted his head from side to side and then stretched his upper limbs. “I’m off duty for the next ten dials and I’m in dire need of sleep.” A confused expression fell across Karen’s face and she shared it with both her mates, her gaze darting back and forth. Should she stay with Dgor, or go with Lemac? “Are you tired?” Lemac asked her as if he understood. Karen shook her head, no. “Then stay and keep Dgor company. There’s quite a bit here I’m sure you’ll find interesting.” She really needs you right now, brethren.

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“I can show some of the advances we’ve made in research, Karen.” Dgor added. Why me and not you? “I would like that,” Karen answered Babies, genetics…you’re the expert on those things and you heard our conversation in the corridor and what she just asked Syrat. Lemac bent and gave Karen a peck on the lips. He pressed a hand atop Dgor’s shoulder and sighed as if he were carrying the entire universe on his shoulders. Dgor returned a weary smile and nodded to his brethren. Lemac then departed. “Tina,” Dgor slipped his hand into Karen’s. “Sit with me.” They sat next to each other at a long counter. Their conversation remained platonic for awhile as Dgor showed her various pieces of medical equipment. He kept gazing at her and it was apparent she was deep in thought responding to him with several uh-huhs and hmms. She was only half listening. “Why in the world does Syrat have fungi in her room?” Karen burst out. Her voice emerged louder than expected. Dgor laughed. “It’s not in her quarters. It’s over there.” He tipped his head toward one area of the medbay. “And she knows you’re a scientist. She is too. Syrat is one of a team of researchers searching for a cure for Brits Scorn.” “Oh, her invitation makes a lot more sense now.” A hint of a smile appeared on Karen’s lips. “Other than Jillia, I didn’t think there were any other women on the ship.” “Merse and Reo are assigned to the Cosmic Springer. Syrat is very close to delivery and they didn’t want to leave her home alone. Family is very important to the Tertani people and Tren ot Dmor our High Chief in Command felt it was essential they remain together at such a time.” “Merse seems to adore her.” “He does. He and Reo both do.” Dgor paused. “As for the paternity of their child ….” Karen cringed. “I’m so embarrassed about that.” “It was a reasonable question, Tina. Lemac and I should’ve been more attentive to the things you needed to know.” “That’s an understatement.” Karen shrugged. She dragged her fingers through her hair and dropped her forearms to her thighs, leaning on them. All the while she kept her gaze averted. “So, who is the father?” “They both are.” “Twins?” Karen questioned as she looked at him. It was possible. “Just one babe.” Now Karen was confused. “But how?” Dgor picked up her hand and held it for a moment. He then brought it to his face and pressed her palm to his cheek before turning slightly and kissing her palm. “Our sperm intertwine before conception. Each carries half the chromosomes needed, eleven and a half to the female ovum’s twenty-three. And before you ask, earth females are compatible with Tertani males.” He paused and then set her hand in his lap, folding his other hand over it. “Lemac and I are compatible with you.” Karen slipped from his grasp and turned away. They were quiet for awhile as she fiddled with the bioscanner, sorting through the multitude of documents she had trouble reading and studying the many pictures the tiny device held. Dgor kept busy entering information on his medical compuscreen, occasionally glancing at Karen. Her expression was forlorn and he had an

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idea as to why. He just needed to wait for the right time to broach the subject. “Here look at this.” Dgor brought up an image on the bioscanner and handed it back to her. “What do you think it is?” Karen scrutinized what appeared to be a microscopic image of cellular structures, studying it for a lengthy time. She focused on various areas, attended to the details provided and then her head tipped as if she’d discovered something. “Can you enlarge it here?” He taught her how to zoom in on what she needed to examine and then just watched her for a bit. Dgor admired her seriousness and how her brow wrinkled and the way she scratched her temple when thinking deeply. With the Flaunting and the claiming and the Dominance battles, not to mention his and Lemac’s persistent lusting after her, he’d forgotten what an intelligent woman Karen really was. “It’s a virus of some sort.” Karen glanced at him and then returned her attention to the screen. “Venereal, if I had to take a guess.” “Brilliant and beautiful,” Dgor was proud she was their mate. “It’s Brit’s Scorn.” Karen nodded. She’d learned about the devastating disease sweeping the CalyTron galaxy and how it was killing their woman. “The only reason you needed me.” Inhaling a lengthy breath, Dgor held it for a moment before blowing it out slowing. He frowned at Karen. “Look at me, Karen.” Lifting her chin, Karen stared straight ahead and then slowly her head rotated in his direction. She faced him squarely, proudly, completely in control, it seemed to him, of every thought passing through her brain. He and Lemac weren’t witless barbarians. They were keenly aware of how much they were putting her through. Karen wasn’t a Tertani woman, yet she faced her mating, as well, if not better than any woman of their culture. Her emotional strength amazed him. Karen would be a wonderful mate and companion to both of them. “You will never be a substitute for what might’ve been. Lemac and I could never in thousands of Epochs imagine ever loving another woman.” That brought tears to Karen’s eyes, but they weren’t tears of joy. “Your Divinities have made a mistake.” Dgor reached around Karen and attempted to slide her into his lap. She resisted, but he wouldn’t relent and she finally gave in. Her frame fit nicely into the mold of his body and she curled into him, bringing her knees up as if she desperately needed comforting. It was awkward holding her while he sat on the small stool. Nevertheless, Dgor pulled her close, hoping he could soothe her pains. “There’s been no mistake, Tina. You are completely and blessedly our mate.” “No,” Karen lifted her head from his shoulder where she was just resting. “You don’t understand. I’m...” Pressing a finger to her lips, Dgor hushed her. “Tell me why you were in that jungle on your planet.” “We were looking for fertility drugs.” “For your research?” “Yes.” “And for you.” “What?” Karen’s entire face wrenched. “We know you’re infertile, love.” Her entire face fell. Karen shook her head. “How?” “The scanners in the transport room are thorough. I’ve examined them and re-examined them many times.”

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“Then it’s time for you to send me home.” “You told Lemac you wanted no children.” Dgor said. “Was your statement truth or fiction?” Karen’s heart felt like it was breaking. She’d found out when she was well into puberty, at age seventeen that she wasn’t ovulating. She didn’t even get periods. The prognosis wasn’t good. There were no drugs to amend it, though she’d tried everything on the market and some experimental things too. It was something Karen learned to deal with, live with and finally accept she would never bear children. And somewhere along the line Karen convinced herself she didn’t want them anyway. “What if I said it was the truth?” She needed to know what his answer was, and then if Lemac felt the same. “It would be an adjustment for us, but it wouldn’t change how much we both adore you. Karen you are our mate for better or worse, and, yes, I am familiar with those words. We accessed your earthly marriage vows. Lemac and I wouldn’t want you any other way than what’s best for you.” “You can’t speak for him.” To that Dgor snickered. “He’s rooted in my head like overgrown weeds. I know exactly how he feels about things.” “Compatible, like in mind.” Karen repeated their words. “Let me tell you this much. If you decide that you want to bear our children, it can be done. Our technology is more advanced than yours and it’s an easy procedure. Your infertility isn’t permanent.” Karen’s mouth fell open. She curled her arms and pressed them against her chest to hold in the incredible joy she felt at his words. And still, it was her decision. She loved them for giving her the choice. She loved them. It was as simple as that. “Now,” Dgor kissed her forehead. “The reason Lemac and I have been avoiding each other is because we can’t stand the anguish we cause you every time the three of us are together.” “What anguish?” Karen had no clue as to what he was talking about. Dgor turned his head aside in shame. “The last time we violated you worse than the time before. You wept and that nearly killed us. It’s incredibly difficult to keep from fully making love to you when we’re together with you. Lemac and I have vowed to stay apart until we’re bonded. It’s the only way.” Karen dropped her face to her palms. She was astounded at what he was saying. She laughed into her hands, sort of laughed, sort of cried, shaking her head in disbelief. Abruptly her head shot up and she bit her lip at Dgor’s torment and worried façade. “It was emotional overload, Dgor. The pleasure you and Lemac gave me was so amazing, so incredible I was overcome. It had nothing to do with how far the two of you went with me. In fact, I welcome you to go further.” “It affected you that powerfully?” Dgor couldn’t believe it. Never had a woman cried for him after orgasm. His ego edged up. What a delight it was to know their Tina was as deeply affected as he and Lemac were to their lovemaking. The relief on Dgor’s face was immense, and deep in his brain he felt Lemac’s heart reflecting the same. His male pride was puffing up a bit too. “If we made love to you before the bonding you wouldn’t despise us for it?” “Are you kidding me?” Karen chuckled. “The two of you are making me insane. I want

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sex with you both and I want it now.” Dgor squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. “Then it’s up to my brethren and me to make sure we stay honorable. Our edicts forbid pre-bonding penetration. We’ve already crossed a major line by stripping you nearly naked.” “I respect your beliefs,” Karen said to him. “But I hope for the sake of them and the sanctity of your spiritual traditions, the two of you have the strength because I’m no more in control over my arousal, probably even less so than either of you. In fact, I’m freaking horny as hell.” Uch, brethren. Dgor pressed into Lemac’s thought waves. We are in so much trouble. And how long did it take you to figure that one out?

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Chapter Twenty Three He took her breath away. Stretched out prone on the bed in their dimly lit quarters, Lemac slept, the lines on his face softened, relaxed, serene. Wisps of hair fell across his cheek. Dark lashes fanned across closed eyes. His lips, slightly parted, were enticingly full, and the thought of kissing them had Karen’s own lips tingling. Brawny beneath perfectly smooth skin, his torso was bare, the line of his spine curving delectably along his back to narrowed hips draped by bed linen. One leg was straightened beneath the covers, and the other, the one closest to the edge was bent up at a slight angle. Both arms were stretched over his head. His breathing was easy, his resting body at peace. Karen responded completely to the sight of him. Her knees felt weak. Her breasts were aching and growing full. Her vagina was clenching with need. He didn’t stir when she stood over him or when she flattened her palm to his back. His skin was hot beneath her touch, hard male, strong, erotically daunting, sexually sweet. She bent and pressed her cheek to the skin there. My god, she loved him. He shifted and turned over, sighed, and continued to sleep. Karen toed off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, straddled his thighs but put none of her weight on him. The nearness of his cock to her sex sent a torrent of tremors scrambling throughout her system, tempting her to settle on him and pump her hips, but she denied herself and instead bent to press her lips to his chest. He sighed once more, twitched when she kissed along his muscled abdomen, groaned in his sleep when she moved upward again and dragged her tongue over the top of his masculine nipple. When his arms lifted and his fingers dug through her hair, Karen knew he’d awakened. Without a word he drew her up, settling her on top and taking her weight on him. He inhaled deeply and captured her lips, kissing her like a man who was desperate to breathe. He tasted sultry. There was no other way to describe it. And she wanted more of him, couldn’t get enough of him, craved to lavish him with just as much pleasure as he wanted to give her. Shifting both legs to his side, Karen slid her hands to the back of his neck and drew back, tugging on him. Lemac rose with her until he was sitting up, their lips still firmly attached. He groaned into her mouth and attempted to turn Karen to her back but she resisted. Lemac came up to his knees bringing Karen with him. Their bodies pressed together, their hands now moving, one touching the other in a near frenzied paced, their lips suckling, their tongues in wild claiming. Karen’s head dropped back and his mouth sought her neck, his hands taking her breasts, kneading them. Her fingers slid to the small of his back, dove beneath the waistband of his pants, and his hips jerked when Karen’s palms rounded his ass, massaging him as fervently as he was massaging her. There was no recourse for him now. The feel of his Tina’s flesh in intimate contact with his skin imprisoned all lucid thinking. His cock flexed eagerly, impatiently, thickening to quickly become fully erect. With a tug, his loosely tied trousers were no longer shielding him. His Tina

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had pushed them from his thighs. “Karen,” wisped from his throat, but it was all Lemac managed to say. Words abandoned him when her hands grasped his penis, cupped his balls, her mouth closing down on the flesh at his neck, gently sucking. He clung to her, his hands clenching at her waist, his head dropping back in pure ecstasy at her sensual assault. He nearly fell back onto the bed with the exquisite pleasure of having her groping him, but instead Lemac growled and thrust into her palms. Karen knelt tall coming face to face with him. Theirs gazes locked in a lusty embrace and she cleaved her lips to his mouth once more. When she tried to pull away Lemac bent forward, reluctant to let her kiss go but Karen broke from him anyway. Her head dipped and he grasped her hair as she suckled at his chest, licked at his nipples and then dragged her tongue down the center of his flesh, moving lower. Lemac’s eyes squeezed shut, his head fell back briefly before tipping forward again and he watched in awed amazement unbelieving of where she was heading and so incredibly excited by it he was unable to stop it from happening. “Ka,” he rasped out and began to breath heavily. Karen was going down on him. Karen was going to suck his cock and was crazed to do so. His skin was hot and smooth against her lips, and she savored the way his muscles rippled and how his pelvis shuddered the closer her mouth came to his erection. She’d explored every part of his genitals with her hands, felt the heaviness of his sac, thickness of his pulsating shaft, and the curvature of it as it stiffened within her grasp and now she ached to see what it looked like. Her mouth fell open when she viewed it for the first time. Sitting back on her haunches she ran the tips of her fingers along the length, felt the silkiness of the head, held the shaft between her two hands and examined the way his cock sloped in a downward curvature. Her breathing quickened. Karen might be a virgin, but she was relatively sure it was typical for men to curve upward--at least most earth men. How would that feel inside? Images of it twisting within her, stroking places Karen only imagined sent torrid shivers searing through her body, tightening in her belly and surging between her thighs. Wetness gathered instantly in her vagina and it contracted hungrily begging to be filled. Her mouth watered. With boldness that Karen had never felt before, she closed her mouth around his cock taking as much as she could get inside. Quickly she discovered that the angle of him and the way it arched over her tongue and slipped into her throat was quite comfortable. “Karen,” Lemac croaked. When she took nearly the entire length of him, he almost blew apart. He pulled back his hips so just the head of his penis was surrounded by her lips and then nearly died of the erotic pleasure when she sucked to hold onto him. Her tongue swirled around the entire tip, and a shuddering groan rode his exhale. His hips began to tremble. Lemac had every intention of pulling out of her mouth, but he thrust back inside instead, pumping into her mouth several times, while he held her head steady. She stroked with her hands and licked with her tongue and Lemac was beyond ceasing, beyond regretting, well past the point of forcing his lust to subside. “Suck on me,” he begged, and Karen complied. Lifting her hands to his hips, she anchored herself to him, her fingers clenching his muscled thighs, shifted to squeeze his ass, while her lips wrapped his shaft. She drew on him, her tongue sweeping in long strokes, circling strokes, dipping the tip of it into the small opening at the end and then sucking the hard length of him some more. His body jerked and the scent of him

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intensified. Karen squirmed with excitement, pleased he seemed to be enjoying what she was doing to him, amazed at how completely natural it felt to put her mouth on him. Through the haze of her arousal her senses sharpened, and Karen knew precisely when he was at the door. How was anybody’s guess but he was there, outside in the corridor. Karen didn’t need to turn when the door slid open, his fragrance filled the room. There was no need to question who’d entered. Karen knew what she did to Lemac would cause her other mate to completely unravel. He would be unable to stay away. She knew Dgor would come. And in more ways than one, she mused. His breathing grew heavier and a low guttural sound rumbled in his throat as he approached them. At first Karen wondered how Dgor might react, but without hesitation he climbed onto the bed and his hands were instantly exploring her entire body, his lips kissing her neck, her shoulders, her back. He took liberty slipping his hands beneath her top to feel her breasts, pluck at her nipples teasing them until they stiffened achingly. As she continued to suck on Lemac, Dgor hovered over her, and when he shoved his hands down her pants, his fingers taking direct aim at her clitoris Karen completely lost the pace on Lemac’s cock. She stilled as an ardent cascade of chaotic tremors brought her to the edge of carnal release. And then Dgor did something so erotic that Karen was sure it would plunge her over the edge. He took the same digit that was stimulating her vulva and slipped it into her mouth so that her tongue was not only licking Lemac’s shaft but Dgor’s stroking finger, as well. She tasted herself and Lemac, mixed with the unique and pleasing flavor of Dgor’s skin. The scent of her mates rushed through her nostrils, the blend of their fragrance intoxicating her, making her wild with need. Rising to her knees, Karen released Lemac, but Dgor’s finger remained and she sucked on it with as much fervor as she had Lemac’s cock. Her back stretched along the front of Dgor and he braced her with his body, clamping her legs between his thighs. He flattened the palm of his other hand at her belly to keep her from falling to the side. Karen’s gaze fell to where Lemac was now pumping his cock with one hand. His other hand slipped down the front of her pants and he flicked her clit with his finger. Karen’s head fell back onto Dgor’s shoulder as her orgasm began to seek her. As he continued to manipulate her with his finger, Lemac laid claim to her lips, plunging his tongue immediately into the hollow of her mouth. Karen moaned with excitement, her body shifting restlessly. Her hands reached back to clench Dgor’s ass, and just her touch caused his pelvis to lurch forward, the hard ridge of him pushing into the small of her back. She wanted to touch his flesh, wanted to put her mouth on him and do what she’d done to Lemac. Breaking free of his grasp, Karen twisted her body and went to all fours. Lemac didn’t remove his hand, but followed and continued to play with her pussy as she turned around. Dgor opened his mouth to say something, but Karen had his pants yanked down before he could react, and she was stroking his penis. His thick length curved upward, stretched longer in her hand as she caressed it. The heat that radiated from his shaft was feverish and Karen lowered her head to take his erection into her mouth. Dgor grasped her head and groaned low, undulating his hips gently as the head of his staff nudge the back of her throat. He stroked a few times and then released a guttural protest when his cock dropped from her mouth. But Karen repositioned herself between them, tucking her legs beneath her body and sitting on her heels. The shift forced Lemac’s hand from between her legs and he rose to a tall kneel. She took hold of his erection and then grasped onto Dgor’s at the same time. Lemac moved closer to his brethren, anticipating her next move. “Holy fucking hell spirits,” Dgor squeezed his eyes shut. Karen had taken both their cocks, fitted them together and sucked both their heads into

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her mouth. Her tongue swept between and then moved in figure eights around one full crown and then the other. Lemac clenched his teeth willing his body to keep still. He sensed Dgor, who battled his own need to thrust. They were Tertani males and her action fed their lust as she attempted to imitate with her mouth what her vagina would do for them. It was almost a relief when Karen pulled her mouth off. Together they were too much for her sweet lips to take in. But she didn’t let go of them. Karen licked and sucked at Lemac and then switched to lick and suck Dgor, working her hand up and down on one cock, while she attended to the other with her mouth. “Ka!” Lemac grunted. His balls were beginning to tightened, ready to release. It was then that Dgor scooped an arm around her hips and lifted Karen to her hands and knees, positioning her legs between his thighs. “Your pleasure Tina, before ours,” he said to her. His hand dipped into her pants again, the tip of his index finger circling her opening. Uch! How he wanted to put it inside of her, but resisted. Instead he gathered her moisture and then swept his finger between her labia wetting her entire crease. Karen exhaled a moan. The simple motion caused her to seep further, drenching his hand. “Dgor,” she rasped out. “You feel magnificent,” he said and continued to massage her. Lemac’s eyes drifted shut. He could feel what Dgor’s fingers were doing to their mate’s cunt, how wet she was and how stiff her clit had become. His shaft throbbed and swelled when his brethren’s fingers circled the opening of her vagina, teasing her inner labia, imagining her tightness as he eased in and out of her, could feel…Ah, he groaned and his lids bolted open. His eyes rolled back in his head. Karen was sucking his cock again, her mouth hot on his flesh, her lips soft and pleasing. He was afraid to look down, afraid that the sight would cause him to lose his load, but as if of its own accord his head dropped anyway. He began to pump, his hand caressing her jaw and then skimming over her hair, reaching lower to fondle her covered breast through her top. Sensuality graced her face and, cupping her cheek, he felt that that it was flushed with heat. He and Dgor looked up, thoughts passed through their minds. Neither of them was going to last much longer. Dgor straightened. Grasping his cock, he slipped it between Karen’s juncture, the length dragging the creamy redneb material between her labia. He retreated and slid forward again, and then held her at the hips and picked up the pace finding a steady rhythm that was pleasurable to them both. Karen shuddered at the stimulation to her clit and the incredible prickles rimming her vagina with each of his forward and backward thrusts. She began to pant around Lemac, her hot breath fanning along his rod, the hard flex of him telling her she was pushing him closer to the edge. She was close, too. Arching her back and pushing against Dgor’s pelvis, she squeezed her inner thigh muscles, tightening around Dgor’s thrusting cock. He slowed, stroking the head of his penis against her clit. Briefly she pulled free of Lemac. “Faster,” she said to Dgor and returned her mouth to Lemac’s cock. He pounded her then and Karen’s loins began to thrum. In her mind, she imagined their erections pressed together, fitting as one, prodding and pushing, sliding into her vagina. The visions were mind-blowing, exciting, incredible. Karen began to murmur, quietly at first, but the

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sound grew louder. Her body stiffened and relaxed, stiffened again. The images in her mind became explosive and she wanted to scream out for them to fuck her, but instead she writhed. “Move your mouth,” Lemac rasped and Karen shook her head even as he stiffened inside. “I’m going to cum, Tina,” his voice was pleading. “I don’t have the strength to force you. Move your mouth.” Again Karen shook her head, refusing. Hot liquid filled her mouth, she clamped around Lemac’s spewing cock, his fullness muffling her cries as he pulsed into her. She swallowed. Behind her Dgor stroked a frenzied rhythm, his erection sliding between her thighs, the head of it grazing her cloth-cover clit with every forward and backward drive and she ruptured, a powerful surge of pleasure bursting up her back and through her limbs as her orgasm hit hard. Dgor rode her for several more strokes and then growled in pleasure as he pulled back from her. One of his hands wrapped around his shaft and he pumped frantically. The other hand yanked down her pants, and he spilled his semen into the crease of her ass. The three of them went still, basking in post-orgasmic bliss. The only movement, the only sound in the room, was the heavy breathing that lingered. “Was it okay?” Karen asked, drawing another breath. “Did I do it right?” Lemac and Dgor locked astonished gazes. Neither could believe that she needed to ask that, but then again, how would she know. Emotion overtook them both. Karen was truly theirs and only theirs. Where they worried before that she would have trouble handling them, they were now sure she could take them both. Their Tina was an incredible woman. “It was amazing, evala'luso.” Lemac answered. “Am I really your hearts passion?” she asked. “Now and forever,” Dgor returned this time. Without regard he grabbed the corner of the sheet to wipe his cum from her. Karen smiled with satisfaction and lowered to the bed. Lemac and Dgor did the same. We’re never going to make it home for the bonding, brethren. Lemac wrapped his arm around Karen’s shoulders, settling her upper body onto his chest. I know, Dgor responded, throwing one arm over her thighs just below her bottom and resting his cheek in the small of her back. They didn’t bother to rearrange their clothes.

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Chapter Twenty Four “This is highly irregular.” “Pontiff, they’re useless, dangerous in this condition.” Tocol pleaded with the lead elder of the Mahatma Tribunal, a spiritual man that had nothing to do with his own beliefs but held great power over those of the Tertani people. “Again we had to separate them. One had a dagger to the other’s throat and I have no doubt he was going to use it.” “Tocol, no!” Dgor bounded into the Captain’s office, uninvited. Lemac came in behind. “Not here. We won’t partake of our sacred mating rituals on a ship in outer space!” Calmly Tocol turned away from commlink viewer to face his crewmen--his longtime friends. “I’m pulling rank and ordering the marriage commence.” “You can’t do that,” Dgor asserted. “As Captain of this vessel I have that ordination.” “It’s a desecration of our sacred beliefs!” Lemac yelled. “And how close are you to desecrating your sacred beliefs in regard to breaching your Tina.” Dgor and Lemac glowered at him, expressing nothing. On the view screen, Pontiff Jer’s brow lifted. “I’m duty-bound to your future She’mana.” Tocol continued. “She’s at risk of physical harm by the two of you as the violence continues to steadily increase.” “We could never harm her!” Lemac protested. “Maybe.” “There’s no maybe about it, Tocol.” Dgor insisted. “In the dawnings of old, Tertani males in heightened Dominance were known to rape their Tinas. Is this not true?” Pontiff Jer spoke up. “It was, yes, in the more barbaric times, but rare and unlikely in these modern dawnings. Our males are much more civilized.” “Then tell me about the brethren in the throes of Dominance, Pontiff.” Tocol asked. “Is it possible they may inflict injuries on each other that are fatal?” “Hmm.” The Pontiff rubbed his bearded chin between his fingers and thumb, pondering that question for a moment. “I only recall a single incident a long time ago when…” His voice trailed off and he winced. Tocol nodded. His mind was made up. He turned to Lemac and Dgor. “Do you wish to make her a widow before she’s even a wife?” Neither of the brethren wanted to admit that they would lose so much control that one might do severe bodily harm to the other, but they also couldn’t deny that they were completely cohesive when they made love to their Tina. After their last lovemaking session with her, denying themselves full copulation with her had triggered an even greater Dominance rage. Rationally they both knew that the Changeover would never be totally realized, their acceptance of each other as equals would remain unconsummated until they wholly mated with Karen physically.

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“Merse and Reo were original choices for our Prowlers, and since their She’mana, Syrat is aboard, we have one complete Trigon, but we need two others, Tocol.” Dgor glanced at Lemac who gave him a mental nod. They could wait no longer. “Spiritual Tradition and the blessing of our tripling by the Divinities can only be assured by the prayers of three times three.” Lemac informed their Captain. “We must have two more Trigons.” “The brethren are correct, Captain Avinahi,” the Pontiff Jer chimed in. “Three times three holds the mysteries of the triad. The first elements being patience, kindness, trust, The second selflessness, strength of mind and body, and loyalty, and the third, faith, hope and unconditional love.” Tocol thought about that for a moment. “The Sh’em Korgin and Belor and their woman Blue, and the Trigon ot Celyn are all aboard ship.” “We know both of these triples.” Lemac said as he received Dgor’s channeled thoughts on the matter. “We are compatible with them for the Triconjugal Hunt. Dgor and I could comfortably link with them.” “Then it is done,” the Pontiff Jer concluded. “I will remain near a commlink unit. Contact me when it is time to oversee the Triconjugal Blessing.” The commlink viewer faded and for a moment the three of them just stood there. Lemac rubbed his brow and then grunted. “This is unnatural. The Hunt should take place on Tertian soil.” Dgor pressed a palm to the top of Lemac’s shoulder. A mental exchange of companionable warmth passed between them. Already the thought of the bonding was increasing their cohesiveness to each other. The Dominance urge, for the moment was alleviated. **** “Karen!” Syrat treaded the corridor at a fast pace. When she reached Karen, she grasped her at the shoulders. “Aren’t you excited?” “Excited about what?” Karen had just woken up and was still feeling a bit groggy. Lemac and Dgor had left their quarters. She assumed they were both on duty and so Karen had decided to look for Bart and perhaps get some breakfast in the hash pit. “Your bonding of course!” Syrat expressed her surprise. “Merse and Reo just told me the Triconjugal Rites are beginning as of right now.” “All of them, here?” Karen frowned. “But why?” “Uch! I guess one of them attempted to slash the other’s throat early this dawning. Not sure who.” Syrat waved a nonchalant hand in the air. “Doesn’t matter. The Captain contacted the Pontiff and it’s all been arranged.” The color drained from Karen’s face. “Oh, oh are you alright?” Syrat fanned Karen with her hand. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, Karen squeezed her eyes shut, trying to absorb what Syrat was saying. They were at it again, trying to hurt each other, despite the fantastic sexual fun they had all shared the evening before. On a sigh, Karen had to admit their aggressiveness was getting worse. It seemed as though Lemac and Dgor were suffering from some deep pressure of another sort. But that wasn’t what had her head swimming at the moment. She was getting married? “Oh crap!” Karen began to pace. She tensed at the butterfly sensation tormenting her stomach. Was she ready for this? She had to be. Even if she refused, Dgor and Lemac would still

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drag her to the altar, or whatever place the vows were normally given. Normally? “Is there a chapel on board?” Karen asked Syrat. “A what?” Karen shook her head in frustration. She’d spoken in English. “Uh-uh…” Clenching her hands into fists, Karen searched for the word. “Shodusog!” “Ah, a temple.” Syrat nodded. “We have an area to worship and pray.” Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Karen’s eyes widened. If they were giving her the vows today, that meant she was going to lose her virginity. They would be free to… They weren’t going to fit. Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, S-h-h-i-t! It struck Karen that all along she had been relying on their Tertian honor. As long as they remained unwed, Dgor and Lemac would restrain themselves. Restrain themselves? How much more aggressive could they possibly get than what she’d already seen. “Hide me!” “Now?” Syrat tipped her head in question. “Yes now!” Syrat shrugged. “Okay” Grasping Karen’s hand, Syrat started running with her, and Karen was amazed at how fast the pregnant woman could move. “I’ve never sprinted before the vows.” Syrat laughed. “This could be fun. We must find Celyn and Kari so they can help.” “Who are they?” Karen asked as she trotted along. “The other She’mana.” “There’s more women onboard?” “There are. They’re crew members.” Cool. Karen thought. I wonder what they do. “Where are we going Syrat?” “I haven’t got a clue, but as soon as I smell my Sh’em, we’ll just haul off in the opposite direction. You need to sniff for yours, as well.” Karen burst out laughing. “I need to what?” “Sniff for them!” “Wait Syrat, stop.” Syrat halted and pressed her fingers to her mouth, scanning the area as if to determine which way would be safe to move on to. She reiterated for Karen. “You need to sniff for Lemac and Dgor. It’s your only way to tell if they’re near. “Yeah, okay.” Karen chuckled inwardly and then sniffed the air. The smile on her mouth collapsed. “Where are they coming from?” Syrat didn’t need to be told. The expression on Karen’s face told her enough. She’d picked up her mates’ scents. Karen pointed behind Syrat who then jerked her by the wrist and took the corridor to the left. They only traveled several feet before stopping in front of a door. Syrat activated the switch plate, the door slid open and she yanked Karen inside, sealing the opening behind them. They were in a broom closet. Not that there were any brooms, but there was equipment that Karen thought could be cleaning devices. “Safe for now.” Syrat began to say. “I’m sure they…” The door whooshed open again. “Going somewhere, Tina?” Lemac said. Dgor stood with him and their mouths revealed grins that she swore held nothing but

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lecherous intent. Snatching her arms, they hauled her from her hiding place. Should she fight them? What the hell, why not? Karen began to struggle, attempting to free herself, but Dgor heaved her up and bodily tossed her over one shoulder. “Hey! I thought…” Karen’s arms flailed into empty air. “Wait.” Dgor stopped. Lemac came up behind them and Karen reached upward grabbing his shoulders and climbing up. They were eye to eye. “How did you know I was in there?” “We had the ship’s scanners locate you.” “That’s not fare.” Karen glowered at Lemac and then jumped when Dgor caressed her bottom. “What’s not fare about it?” Lemac tilted his head and smiled at her. “The hunt…” “Takes place following the vows.” Dgor answered. “What would be the point of running then?” “All Tinas run.” Lemac’s smile broadened. “The thought of being breached scares the piss out of them.” “Really?” Karen asked. Lemac nodded. “That’s ridiculous,” she responded. Lemac gave her a quick peck on the lips and then removed her hands from her shoulders lowering her and then releasing her so she dangled down the length of Dgor’s back. They started walking again. “I should really take a bite out of your ass, Dgor.” “Be my guest,” he answered. Abruptly he turned and entered another door, stepping into the ship’s elevator. Karen didn’t mind, even in her upside down position. The transport moved so smoothly, Karen couldn’t detect it. She’d been taking the various elevators on the Cosmic Springer since she arrived and without a reaction. “Fourth level,” Lemac instructed the sensor. The door shut and then a few moments later opened again. They stepped out, took several paces and then several more, a turn and then another and they were inside another room. Male chanting rent the air, and when Dgor set Karen on her feet, she checked the place out. It was subtly lit inside, the lighting giving the atmosphere a sanctified feel. She couldn’t see the walls. They were recessed into dark voids beyond thick wooden pillars that encircled the area they stood in. A mosaic of a delta was centered in the middle of the large floor. Tocol stood at the edge of the perimeter, next to a commlink view screen that seemed completely out of place. The image showed another room similar to the one they were in. On the screen a robed and hooded figure stood in the forefront of several other robed and hooded figures--the Mahatma Tribunal, Karen assumed. Opposite the screen and on the other side of Karen, Lemac and Dgor, were the six Triconjugal Prowlers. Merse was the only one she recognized. They sat crisscrossed on the floor, in a semi-circle, all of their hands forming the delta, eyes closed and chanting the Triconjugal mantra. Karen was unable to discern what was being said. The words were spoken in the ancient Tertian language, now used only at ceremonial events. Tipping her head upward, Karen noticed the ceiling was domed. It ascended to maybe thirty feet at its highest point and the entire concave emitted a bright blue that glittered like sequins. Energy--Karen could swear she felt a strange, surreal energy showering down on them

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from above. Yep, definitely the temple. This was it. She was getting married. Karen frowned at her attire. Not much of a wedding gown. She’d always picture that her wedding day would be different. Especially with how wealthy her parents were. The entire event would’ve been a lavish affair, the best money could buy. And the guests--no doubt the elite of the social elite if her mother had a say, which she would’ve. Karen’s mood turned somber. A void inside overcame her. It wasn’t missing the large, expensive wedding that upset her though. She didn’t care about the extravagance, never really had. In fact, Karen much preferred the intimacy of marrying this way--well, as intimate as it could get with six Tertani Sh’em, all strangers, following them all the way to the marriage bed. Taking notice of her unhappy face, Dgor lifted her chin with his hand. “What’s wrong, Tina?” A tear fell freely from the corner of one of her eyes when Karen closed them. “I miss my mother.” It took her by surprise. She’d never missed either of her parent’s before, but then again, Karen always had access to them at least by phone if she wanted. Now she was light years away and the prospect of never seeing either of them again was suddenly painful. Lemac stepped behind her and gathered her in his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder. “Some dawning we’ll be able to visit there. We promise, evala'luso.” “If the Krellians discovered earth, they would attempt to overpower it just as they are now attempting to rule the CalyTron Galaxy,” Dgor added. “We have to do our best to keep your home’s whereabouts unknown.” “Bring the Tina ot Whitaker forward,” the Pontiff Jer spoke from the commlink unit. It was at that point Tocol nodded to them and dismissed himself from the temple. He wasn’t a Tertani, nor was he mated. Thus, he was forbidden from being present during the Triconjugal ceremonies. He would only be allowed to attend the celebration that would follow. That however, was at the present being planned by Dgor’s and Lemac’s families to take place on Terta Minor. “What if I told you I wanted to go home right now?” Karen stepped out of Lemac’s arms and stood between him and Dgor. They both stiffened and the emotion that passed between them was so acutely readable to Karen she nearly bellowed that she was only kidding. Talk about applying deep pressure. It was what she had intended to do, though. They’d said they loved her, in more ways than one, and Karen needed to know how much before she let the rituals continue. “Is that what you want?” Dgor searched her eyes, his lips slightly parted. His breath was moving between them quickly as if he were panicked. What she wanted right now was to dip her tongue between those savory lips. “Do you have any idea how much you’ve taken me away from, and without giving me a choice?” Both their insides churned with angst. They weren’t so consumed by desire for her that they didn’t realize how they’d disrupted her life. “Would you have us return you to earth and just end our Trigon?” You’re not seriously considering it, brethren. Are you? Lemac growled into Dgor’s head. If he was seeking a Dominance battle, those words would most certainly instigate one. “Is there a problem, brethren?” Pontiff Jer spoke. Respectfully, Dgor and Lemac turned to the viewer and bowed their heads while

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presenting the delta to the spiritual tribune. “Our Tina is a trifle nervous,” Lemac answered. “We’re merely attempting to calm her.” The Pontiff nodded. “Karen,” Dgor turned back to her. “What would you have us do?” “Would you live there with me?” Lemac glanced at Dgor. They channeled, discussing her query and then coming to a mental agreement. “If living with you on your home world meant having you as our She’mana.” Lemac took both of her hands into his. He was actually trembling with the dread she might refuse them-insist on leaving them. “Then we would without further question.” Oh…Karen’s nose tickled at his answer and she sniffed. Tears threatened to burst through. Could she love them more than she did at the moment? “I would only wish that you might give our home a chance, to see if you could be happy there.” Dgor dragged his knuckles along the line of her jaw. He was unable to suppress the ache in is chest at the idea of losing her. “It’s a place of tranquility. We don’t have the chaos of your cities. The air is clean. The moss that grows from the soil is thick and smooth. I believe it would appeal to your skin. The colors, though your earth colors are charming, on Terta Minor are beautiful.” For several anguishing moments Karen was silent. And then she finally asked. “You would give up everything for me?” They both nodded, each contemplating if the Allegiance would even grant them discharge from the military regiment and if not, how they would manage not only going AWOL but getting the three of them back to earth without hijacking a space cruiser. Karen noted the subtle hint of concern on their faces though they tried to hide it. She completely understood the implications of their conceding to what she was asking of them. They had duties not only to their own people but to the whole of the Calytron galaxy, as well. She smiled slowly at their answer, knowing immediately what her decision would be. The idea of them living on earth was of course absurd. No one could ever know where they were from, and she couldn’t legally claim them both as husbands. Aside from that, Karen had the feeling that confining them to earth would make them insane, despite the fact she had enough money to support the three of them and they would lack for nothing. Still, she strongly doubted they would be happy. On Terta Minor however, Karen sensed to her very soul she could be contented there. “How do I ever say thank you for giving that to me?” Karen told them both. “I’m so anxious to go home.” There was barely a twitch in either of their faces and they gulped inconspicuously but Karen was aware of the reactions any way. She’d grown so accustomed to every nuance in their expressions, every mannerism no matter how slight that she didn’t need to read their minds to have an idea of what they were thinking. At the moment, it was easy for Karen to tell how emotionally difficult the decision was for them. “I think Terta Minor will be a wonderful home for me.” Karen finally told them, unable to torment them any longer. At first they stared at her as if she’d said nothing, but when it finally sank in, Lemac closed his eyes and sighed, his tense muscles visibly relaxing. Dgor cupped her cheek with his palm, ran his thumb along her lips and pressed his mouth to her temple. In relief, he expelled a shuddering exhaled. Each then took one of Karen’s hands and then led her forward. “The Tina, Karen ot Whitaker,” Dgor said to the waiting members of the Tribunal.

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The Pontiff Jer appeared momentarily confused and the brethren knew why. It was customary for the spiritual leader to scrutinize the female mate for acceptability and make his approval. Mostly ceremonial in these modern times, and by no means was a Tina ever rejected, their women still found it archaic and insulting. Old habits were hard to break however, especially when it came to spirituality, so most Tertani overlooked it, though some were pushing harder for change. As for Dgor and Lemac they were thankful the Pontiff couldn’t reach through the screen to scrutinize their Tina’s assets. And they were just starting to relax over it when the Pontiff made his demand. “Turn around, Tina Karen ot Whitaker,” he said. The brethren groaned when Karen narrowed her eyes. “Why?” she asked. “It’s rude to question me child, though I’ll allow you some reprieve since you’re not of our kind.” “Thanks for the welcome,” she mumbled. What a pompous asshole. “I don’t think so.” Lemac and Dgor stood stock still. They were desperately trying not to laugh. How would the Pontiff react to her insolence? “Comply female!” The Pontiff shouted, his voice booming from the commlink viewer and shattering the air around them. It echoed throughout the room. All three of them startled and the Prowlers behind them must have as well, because they all stopped chanting. “I’ll comply if you turn around first so I can get a gander at you.” The Pontiff looked appalled. “For what reason would I do this?” “You are my new spiritual leader correct?” “I am,” he answered with a hint of caution in his voice. “I’m denouncing my own faith to marry into your race in order to breed with your kind instead of my own. Is that not correct?” “It is,” the Pontiff answered, his eyes now narrowing. “I’ve been chosen by your Divinities to be one of many who will assure the continuation of your people, true?” “The truth is apparent.” “Well then.” Karen laced her fingers together and then let her arms hang casually in front of her. “It’s the Tribunal who should be seeking my approval.” The silence in the hall was deafening. Fucking hell, Lemac groaned mentally and Dgor mirrored the sentiment. If the Tribunal refused to give their blessing, the marriage could be doomed. Still, they couldn’t help but be extremely proud of how she confidently stood up to their revered but arrogant spiritual leader. After several moments of glaring at her through the commlink image screen, the Pontiff finally reacted. He pulled off his hood as did the rest of the Tribunal members, and then he stepped closer to the viewer. “A fine, spirited woman you’ve found!” He smiled. “And may the Divinities help you. You’re both going to need it.” Lemac and Dgor both nodded, keeping their smiles modest. He’d given his blessing, even if it was offered in a somewhat cryptic manner. Karen however was in shock. Not because he was accepting her but because she was expecting that an old, wrinkled, crow was hidden under that hood. The Pontiff Jer was completely opposite of what she was expecting. He looked to be about thirty-five years old, though she suspected he was older. His skin was modestly tan and smooth as silk. His hair was a rich, deep brown with streaks of black and incredibly shiny--

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Pantene hair, ending in short turned-out curls just slightly past his ears. And his eyes--wow! They were the color of a plum and rimmed in gold. He was angelically gorgeous. “Wow.” Karen was in awe, so much so she was oblivious to her breathy voice as she spoke aloud. “You’re beautiful.” Behind them, the Prowlers snickered quietly. The Pontiff appeared stunned and seemed to blush. Dgor and Lemac forced a serious demeanor, though it was extremely difficult since they were on the verge of laughing hysterically. But they managed. Raising their arms, they formed a transdelta link, Dgor with his right, Lemac with his left. At the same time they offered their opposite hands to Karen so that she might do the same. A wave of nerves curled in Karen’s belly as her fingers and thumbs met theirs and she too was forming a delta with each of them. The Prowlers began chanting again. “By the grace of the divinities do you humbly accept the gift of this tripling?” the Pontiff began. In unison Lemac and Dgor replied. “With open faith,” They’d taught Karen the ancient vows so she knew what they were going to say, though there was nothing for her to repeat to them. The Triconjugal Blessing in essence was their gift, their promise to her. “Are you willing to freely give your patience, your loyalty and your understanding to the Tina Karen who stands before you?” “Always,” again they answered together. “Lay down your lives to protect her?” “Without hesitation.” “Accept all offspring she gives you?” “With joy.” O-o-h. There was a slight wince on both their faces at those words. Karen had yet to tell them she wanted a truckload of children. “From this day forward, I give my decree that Lemac ot Rean and Dgor ot Zyat will henceforth be known as Lemac and Dgor ot Karen. Together you will be called the Sh’em ot Karen.” “Witnesses, I now present the Trigon ot Karen,” the Pontiff proclaimed. The three of them were about to turn to the Prowlers when from the darkened recesses of temple a woman’s wild scream emerged. And hell holy fires, a pregnant woman came flying out of nowhere, followed by two other women, older, middle-aged perhaps, and one of them was blue. Not in the lack-of-oxygen sort of color. Her skin was actually blue. All three wielded daggers. Their intrusion had the Prowlers jumping to their feet and shouting. It was Syrat who stepped between Karen and her new Sh’em. An intelligent, strategic move, Karen thought. They wouldn’t dare to physically challenge a pregnant woman.

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Chapter Twenty Five The fourth level had been cleared of personnel, giving the Triconjugal participants the entire area to partake in the rituals. This particular area of the ship was where all the amenities to provide comforts to the crew were located--the hash pit, one of four observatories, the temple, one of two workout arenas, and a swimming hall. Karen was sure the crew couldn’t be all that pleased about losing access to their entertainment areas, and they would be confined to eating their meals either in their rooms or in one of the other observatories. When Karen expressed her thoughts to Syrat, the woman rubbed her brow worriedly as she inspected their surroundings and then commented that the hunt wasn’t going to take that long since they were constricted by so many boundaries. “This isn’t the way the Triconjugal Hunt is supposed to be is it?” Karen asked the three women who stood in the corridor with her. “We’re at a disadvantage,” Syrat said. “We should’ve insisted our Sh’em didn’t translink.” One of the other women, not the blue one said. “It’ll be too easy to be captured if we see one at the end of a corridor and he channels to a Prowler on the opposite end. At least in the Tertian forests we’d have several directions to run in. Here, we’re trapped by walls.” The blue woman then spewed several words that Karen couldn’t understand. “You have to speak Tertian, Blue,” Syrat told her. “It’s all Karen understands right now.” “Blue?” Karen’s brows lifted. “Her name is really Blue?” “It’s just what we call her,” the other woman answered. “We can’t pronounce her real name. I’m Celyn by the way.” “Nice to meet you.” Karen smiled cordially. “I didn’t realize there were anymore women onboard besides Syrat and Jillia.” “We’re part of the crew,” Celyn returned. “Blue and I are both engineers.” “Wow.” Karen reacted with surprise. She was learning quickly that the Tertian society wasn’t as male dominated as she had initially thought. “Aren’t all the women forced to stay on the home planets?” “We’re not forced,” Blue corrected her. “We choose to because of the war. It’s extremely dangerous. Celyn and I are for the most part, past child bearing age and therefore less apt to be targets for the Krellian radicals. And since our children are grown and on their own, we’re free to seek our own interests, travel with our Sh’em, and work wherever in the galaxy we wish.” Karen nodded. That was good to hear. “So what is your real name by the way?” Blue squawked a sound that Karen wasn’t even going to attempt to imitate. “I guess I’ll just call you Blue.” Syrat suddenly became edgy and began pacing. “We need to run, they’re linked by now.” “First we need a plan.” Celyn’s head shifted back and forth following Syrat’s gait. “We don’t have time for making plans,” Syrat said nervously. “Or they’ll capture us before the hunt has even started.” “Not if we outsmart them.” Celyn flashed a sly grin toward Blue. “What do you think, the vents?”

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“Oh, that’s perfect Celyn.” Blue pranced a few paces down the hall and Karen noticed that like Syrat, the woman jingled. Karen look downward and beneath the cuffs of the trousers she wore, Karen caught a glimpse of anklets that seemed identical to Syrat’s. A fashion fad perhaps? Blue stopped in front of a large square panel and then knelt down. She ran her fingers along the top length of it. There was a click and it slid open, disappearing inside of the wall. “They’ll figure it out eventually, but for now we have the upper hand. In you go.” Blue motioned to the women. Celyn crawled in first and then Karen peeked in next. As she watched the Tertani woman crawling through she saw that Celyn also wore the ankle rings. She made a mental to note to ask about them. For now she was concerned with crawling into the vent. “Is this safe?” Karen asked. “It’s completely safe,” Blue answered her. Still, Karen was less than convinced. “Are you sure?” “I ought to be. Celyn and I designed this ship.” She smirked. “We know everything about it right down to the bolts holding the thing together.” Karen released a short chuckle and then shook her head. Ducking, she entered the vent. Inside, Celyn was on her hands and knees and there was plenty of room for them to crawl. It was a good thing, too, because there was no way Syrat could manage this by crawling on her rounded belly. As for Karen, the closed-in space felt much like being cocooned, similar to the way she liked to wrap herself to calm her nervous system. The square-shaped vent was immaculate, and the pearly panels that it was constructed with were smooth and neutral in temperature to the touch. Karen felt she would have no problem negotiating the network, unless they had to climb up or down. The idea of that made her shudder. “Follow me,” Celyn instructed. “We can get to the other levels from here if we need to. We designed these vents with a duel purpose. The first being for air exchange, the second as a means to access areas of the ship should we be overthrown by an enemy.” “I’m not climbing up or down,” Karen warned. “They’ll just have to capture me.” After about what Karen estimated to be a half an hour of crawling, Celyn halted in a networking area of vents shaped like a half of a wagon wheel and extending from a semi-circular area. Six times on the way they had to still themselves because one of them scented their Sh’em and knew they were lurking on the other side of the walls. Karen considered that if she had to do this on her own, she would get completely lost. The vent accesses were made of some kind of porous material and they weren’t clear, which meant she would have to open every one of them to see where she was. It wouldn’t help that the inside of the vents were marked with symbols identifying the location. Karen could only partially interpret some of the lettering and she most assuredly didn’t want to end up in someone’s hygiene chamber, particularly if it was in use. That could be embarrassing. “This really isn’t all that much fun,” Celyn commented as she turned to lay down on her back. “My knees are starting to ache,” Syrat added, taking a position on her side. “The hunt is so much better in the forests.” “Why are we even bothering?” Karen chose to recline on her back as Celyn had. “This seems so forced.” “She’s right,” Blue agreed. She sat up, giving her head room by sticking it inside of an overhead vent. “Although I’m finding it quite humorous that our Sh’em are likely dumbfounded

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at this point.” “I have to agree with that.” Celyn chuckled quietly and the rest of the women joined her. “For that alone this is worth it.” **** Lemac and Dgor were disappointed. The constrictions of hunting their Tina aboard a star cruiser where much less appealing than the unimpeded terrain of their planet. It felt forced. And it was likely they would trap her easily. Nevertheless they still felt joy at finally being bonded to Karen and would do their best to enjoy and celebrate their union with her completely. Their joy was short-lived however when they, along with all of their Prowlers discovered that the women were nowhere to be found. They couldn’t have just vanished. Merse was channeling to his brethren Reo while stalking up the corridor leading to the hash pit. He stopped and looked inside. Korgin, one of Blue’s Sh’em was standing in the middle of the room. He shook is head in the negative at Merse. I’m in the observatory. Lemac expressed. Nothing here. I’ve check storage, and every room before and after. Kar, one of Celyn’s Sh’em informed them. They’re not in the training arena either. This comment came from Belor, Blue’s other Sh’em. Could they have gone back to the temple? No, Dgor answered. Let me guess, Reo returned. You’re in there and it’s empty. Frustration was the only way to describe their condition, mentally, but sexually, as well, because the transdelta linking between the newly bonded Sh’em and the Prowlers always put them in a high state of arousal. It’s what innately drove them to hunt their females. With no more ideas to consider, the eight Tertani men gathered in the hash pit to do what men typically liked to do--secondary to sex that is. They ate. And they drank. “They’re probably on another level of the ship.” Merse suggested. He was sprawled on one of the tables face up and staring at the ceiling. “I doubt it,” Dgor said. “I’ve commlinked some of the crew and no one has seen them.” “Are we near any inhabitable planets?” Reo downed his drink and then set it on the holoplate for a refill. “Could they have transported off of the ship?” Dgor shook his head. “Checked that too.” “We should use the scanners,” Merse suggested. “No,” Lemac answered. “We’ll find them without use of modern techniques.” Lemac settled further onto the bench he was sitting on. He was facing away from the table and propping his elbows on its top. Looking around he considered every possibility of where the women might be hiding. Where? They’re all cunning. What would I do? Hmm… Suddenly he started and a victorious grin spread across his lips. He slapped Dgor across the chest with the back of his hand and then indicated with a nod to the wall on the other side of the hash pit. Catching the direction of his thoughts Merse sat up quickly and the rest of the Prowlers alerted, as well. The answer was there the entire time, in every corridor, in every room, so obvious they couldn’t believe it hadn’t become apparent sooner. “Brilliant,” Dgor said.

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But not brilliant enough. They’d located their prey **** Syrat was the first to be pounced on. Blue, who crawled behind her suddenly turned the corner into an intersecting vent and as she did, Syrat shrieked, causing Celyn and Karen to turn around. With incredible speed Merse was scurrying the length of the vent toward his She’mana. He quickly reached her, grabbing Syrat by the ankles preventing her from going any further. “Oh tarki shit,” Syrat said. “I think they figured it out.” While Karen continued to stare behind her, Celyn scrambled upward into an ascending vent. She had no sooner disappeared through the thing when she wailed. Another one bites the dust. It then occurred to Karen the chances were probable that the Sh’em were mentally channeling her whereabouts to Lemac and Dgor. “Well, time to go.” Karen turned her head forward and released a scream so loud it reverberated throughout the venting system. One of the Prowlers was kneeling in front of her, his face so close she could feel his breathing. “Reo, I presume?” Karen gulped. The bastard was grinning--wickedly. If his She’mana wasn’t there, Karen would surely be trapped because he would’ve held her until Lemac and Dgor arrived. But since Syrat was present, he was much more interested in his wife. Reo clutched Karen’s wrists and pulled her arms out from under her. Karen’s chest hit the vent floor. Without as much as an apology, Reo started climbing on top of her and Karen had no choice but to flatten herself so he could crawl over her. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes when it became apparent he had a hard-on. There was no mistaking the rigid bulge that was dragging over the top of her head and then down along her back as Reo made his way toward Syrat. When he was finally off of her, Karen lifted her head and looked back. Reo had stopped, head twisted to stare at her over his shoulder, and he was smiling lecherously. Karen flushed, snapped her eyes shut and turned away. He was wearing the traditional Tertian mating loin and had to be aware his genitals were partially exposed because of his quadruped position. “If it wasn’t so tight in here, She’mana we’d be mounting you at this moment.” Karen heard Reo say. Opening her eyes, she glanced back. Reo was on his stomach facing away from her. He was lowering his mouth to kiss Syrat who was on her side and Merse--oh gawd! His face was buried between her legs. Karen scampered away. At the same time Blue screamed and Karen knew she was now alone. But she had no intention of staying in the air vents. The whole thing was ridiculous as far as Karen was concerned. “Tina’s running from their mates,” she mumbled. Karen couldn’t even fathom what made them do it. “What a stupid and unnecessary tradition.” When she spied the next vent access, Karen fidgeted with it and her fingers connected with some kind of switch. The panel in front of her went clear and she could see directly into the fourth level’s observatory. It was empty. “Wow.” Karen reversed the switch and the panel turned opaque once more. Celyn told her the vents could be used if ever the ship was hijacked, and Karen had a feeling the access panel worked like a two-way mirror. “What a great spying device.”

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Karen continued to feel her way along the edge, finally finding the release latch. It opened and she crawled out. Freedom. Her best guess was that they had been inside of the venting system for about ten hours and Karen was stiff, hungry and thirsty. Standing and stretching languidly, she surveyed her surroundings, sighing when her back cracked as she twisted her body about. Her attention went to the holoplate. No better time than the present to take advantage. Ordering a plate of nari and a cool mug of taw, Karen sat on one of the backless sofas in the room to enjoy her meal. She didn’t dawdle, however, because she was anxious to find Lemac and Dgor. It would’ve been nice to be sharing the meal with them, but Karen opted to eat alone because food would be the last thing on their minds and she really wanted to eat. After her belly was thoroughly satiated and her thirst quenched, Karen left the observatory. Outside in the corridor, she took in a whiff of air through her nose, and then laughed at herself for doing it. Still, she had to admit it was a good way to detect her Sh’em. Warmth suffused Karen. My Sh’em. “I’m married, Jen.” Karen felt a bittersweet pang. “I wish I could be sharing this with you. I miss you so much.” She rubbed her nose and then sniffed. And then Karen stilled. She sniffed again. At first she thought she scented Lemac and Dgor but it faded. Images of them touching her flashed in her brain. Finally after months of sexual torment they were going to make love to her. A bundle of nerves suddenly dropped into her stomach. She was scared and somewhat surprised by that because the sex was something Karen had been craving since the very night Lemac and Dgor stepped into her sleeping brain. Karen began walking up the corridor, thinking how ominous the silence was. There was no sign of any of the Prowlers. Of course they all could still be screwing their She’manas. But when they finished, Karen knew the Prowlers would rejoin the hunt. But where were Lemac and Dgor? This is getting creepy, Karen thought as she checked room after room. And with every corner she came to, Karen turned into it cautiously, aware that she had to run into one of them soon. Soon suddenly came--in the form of a fragrance that had her swooning. Dgor. She would recognize his scent anywhere. But where was he? Karen peeked around the next corner. Nothing. Now confused, Karen continued trekking through the corridors. The scent faded only to be replaced by another. Lemac. She turned around and around, and around. And then opened the nearby door that led to the gym. “Hello?” Karen’s voice echoed back. The place was empty. Lemac’s scent faded. With a gulp Karen receded from the doorway as it closed. Her Sh’em were stalking her--watching, waiting. They would pounce when they were ready and she had no idea where or when that would be. Slowly she moved from place to place, catching their scents in the air and nothing more except the silence. It was unnerving Karen. Where were they hiding? A whisper flowed from nowhere, followed by another. Karen shrieked and sprinted. God she was getting jumpy! She scented them again. Where the hell are they? she wondered as she came to halt. “Oh my god!” It hit her like a ton of bricks. They were in the wall! More specifically, the vents.

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Chapter Twenty Six Karen’s chest was pounding hard, and she was now moving quickly from hall to hall. Over and over she could hear them by the noise they made, and then it was followed by nothing at all. The fact that Karen knew they were there but couldn’t see them was freaking her out. “Show yourselves!” she shrieked without expecting anything. That is until Merse pounced in front of her, dropping from an access panel above, nearly scaring her to death. An ear shattering scream tore from her throat and Karen bolted, only to come face to chest with Reo as he stepped into her path and she slammed into him. He grasped her arms to keep her from rebounding and falling onto her ass. Immediately he released her and Karen jumped back, tensing at his expression, which was provokingly severe. Reo started for her. Karen turned and ran, passing Merse who was now blocking one of the corridors. She turned a corner and another Prowler was standing there, feet splayed, arms crossed. He shook his head from side to side, telling her no. It was acutely apparent to Karen now that she was being corralled. That thought was verified when she attempted to shove by two Prowlers filling the entrance to yet another corridor. One of them grabbed her forearm, preventing her from getting through. “Mik and Rjok?” Karen glanced upward at them. She was referring to Celyn’s Sh’em. They shook their heads in the negative. “Then it must be Belor and Korgin.” Karen couldn’t believe she remembered all of their names, especially feeling as edgy as she was right now. Wolfish smiles creased their lips, and the one who grabbed her arm pointed behind her. Karen spun around and realized that all six Prowlers had blocked her in, all eyes intense on her, menacingly daring her to challenge them. There was nowhere to go except through the door she now faced. The temple. They wouldn’t demand Karen go to her Sh’em. They also wouldn’t let her flee this time either. And Karen understood that as soon as she walked through that door she was giving her consent. There was no turning back once she did that. But it also didn’t mean Karen had to succumb quietly, that she couldn’t fight them just a little, or a lot, maybe. As scared as she was, the thought of forcing Lemac and Dgor to capture her was potently enthralling. Reo moved toward the entrance and activated the switch. Taking a deep, but shaky breath Karen stepped closer to the now open door. She didn’t need to see Lemac and Dgor to know they were in the temple. Their blended scent rushed at her immediately, drugging her, luring her in. Karen took a step inside, stopped and then stepped in further. She scanned the area. Once again she noticed the ambient light that descended from the dome in the ceiling, but it was slightly brighter this time, casting an ethereal, blue glow that descended and covered the area like a spot light. Across from where she stood, just inside of the circular area, a large, cushioned mat that had been set on the floor caused a new set of nerves to quicken within her. Karen inhaled sharply and then turned her attention to the flames--at least that’s what she thought they were. They danced from a large bowl-shaped votive set on a low

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table next to the bedding. The light radiating from it bubbled randomly upward before effervescing into shimmering bursts of fluorescent blue and then dissipating. It added to the surrealism of the atmosphere. An amused thought slid through Karen’s brain and she snorted, thinking about Blue, and how blue she must’ve looked on her wedding day. Karen’s gaze shifted from the fire to the other items on the table. There was a small, teardrop shaped vial, a crystal decanter containing an amber-colored liquid and a single crystal goblet. Behind her the entrance to the temple remained open. Glancing over her shoulder, Karen saw that the Prowlers lingered outside. Reo was leaning his back against the door frame, his head bowed almost meditatively. Mik was pacing while Belor rested against a corridor wall. His eyes were closed, his hands formed the delta and he was pressing his fingers to his lips. He was praying. The remaining Prowlers, she couldn’t see, but they were there, preparing to beseech their Divinities. Knowing they would be present had Karen turning her head away with uneasiness. She didn’t know if she could do it, but at the same time understood the deeply spiritual significance of blessing the first Trigon mating. Closing her eyes, Karen concentrated on her breathing. The air moving in and out of her lungs was rapid but shallow and she was becoming dizzy. Her lips parted and Karen drew a deep breath, held it, and then released it slowly, opening her eyes as she did so. From opposite sides of the dark recesses beyond the pillars, Dgor and Lemac emerged. Karen went breathless again. The only thing they wore was appreciative smiles and the short plum-colored loincloths wrapping their waists and hips. Karen’s body trembled at the sight of them, all male, muscles perfectly honed, hard and ready to plunder her body. “Are you okay, Tina?” Lemac asked her, his voice a seductive rumble. Karen shook her head from side to side and sucked in a gulp of air. “No,” she breathed out as sparks of arousal charged through her, catching her unprepared for her body’s bold response. Her throat went dry, and she swallowed, feeling completely vulnerable. She took a step back, stretching the distance, but Lemac ambled closer, determination in his tenement, lust in his eyes. Her gaze shifted in Dgor’s direction. He was moving now, as well, taking long strides, stalking directly towards her. Karen scampered backwards against one of the pillars. Reaching back, she clung to it as if her life depended on it. She inhaled and exhaled rapidly, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Part of her was intrigued by this foreplay of predator and prey, another part of her was fearful. Either way, they were both exciting her. But it was also overwhelming her a bit, and Karen wanted to regain some of her wits, so she gasped out a warning. “Don’t even dare to come closer.” “Rule number one, She’mana.” Dgor’s eyes meandered the length of her body as his hand skimmed across his groin. And then he started again, strutting toward her, closing the gap at a leisurely pace. “Daring your Sh’em is a dangerous thing.” Karen’s gaze fell to his hips, and she became rapt by his sexy swagger, captivated by the swollen bulge that was apparent beneath the cloth he wore. Her sight flickered upward and their gazes locked. A quiver erupted low in her bell and she grew wet with desire. “Rule number two,” Dgor continued. From out of nowhere Lemac’s hand slid down her arm “Keep your eyes on us both.” Karen shrieked. Startled out of the wits she was trying to gather, she flew to the other side of the temple dug in her heals and spun around. Karen was so focused on Dgor that she was completely

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unaware that Lemac moved into the shadows and was approaching her from behind. Lemac folded his arms across his chest and studied her. “I sort of liked her against the pillar, brethren.” He paused for a moment to stroke his gaze over her form. “She’d look sexy as hell tied to it naked and at our mercy.” “You wouldn’t d….” Karen’s mouth snapped shut. Her attention shifted to Dgor, and she could see in every nuance of his expression that he sincerely wanted her to dare them. Without any warning, Lemac rushed directly for her, drawing Karen’s attention, and she was momentarily stunned at how wild he looked. Dgor closed in. Karen alerted and took a swing at him when he was close enough. His arm shot out and he snatched her forearm, preventing Karen from striking him. Within an instant he had his other arm wrapped around the front of her and with a jerk, Karen’s back slammed against his chest, the impact causing her to expel a gust of air accompanied by a stunted groan. She started to struggle. “The only thing you’re doing is arousing us further.” Dgor’s voice rumbled in her ear, his breath fanning across her cheek. “Give.” “No.” Karen threw her legs forward just as Lemac stalked in front of her. He grabbed her ankles and then her sneakers were suddenly flying through the air and thudding to the floor somewhere. Karen kicked again, the dorsum of her right foot catching Lemac beneath the chin, causing his head to snap back. She grimaced, hoping he was okay. Behind her Dgor grunted, sensing the pain. His grip on Karen loosened only a fraction but it was just enough for her to escape by dropping free. She started to scramble on hands and knees but Lemac was down and lurching after her. He grasped her ankles once more and then pulled, straightening her legs and forcing Karen flat. She yelped as he dragged her, belly down arms overhead, across the floor. With one clean sweep his arms curled around her waist and he lifted her. Karen flailed and she screamed, but to no avail. “Put me down!” Ignoring her, Lemac stalked to the cushions and knelt, plopping her into them, face up. He fell down beside her. Karen twisted around and scampered to her feet but Dgor stepped in her path and she was instantly in his arms and trapped again. Damn. He leaned on her pushing her with his weight and Karen couldn’t hold him. She tumbled back only to be caught by Lemac who was on his feet behind her. He lost his balance and they all went down into the cushion, Karen sprawled face up on top of Lemac and Dgor coming partially down on top of them both. “Naughty, naughty woman,” Dgor said to her and lowered to capture her lips with his mouth. Karen attempted to avoid his kiss by thrashing her head from side to side. It was the only option she had because her body was quite effectively pinned between them. The pressure felt wonderful, despite the fact she was unable to move a muscle. When Lemac clasped her beneath the chin, Karen was no longer able to move her head either. Squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her lips tightly together she scrunched her expression with vehement determination to make Dgor’s kiss as unpleasant for him as possible. It didn’t work. He merely started planting undeterred kisses all over her face. Some emotion shifted inside of Karen. Unable to hold such a strained position any longer, she let go. And then burst out laughing. Dgor tilted his head back and smiled broadly, drew himself off of her and sat back on his haunches. He wagged a finger at her “You wife, are trouble.” “Problem handling it?” Karen sat up. Ha! Who the hell was she trying to kid?

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“Not in the least.” Lemac leaned his chest against her back, settling his hands around her body and on top of her thighs. He nuzzled into the crook of her neck, drawing a smile and a sigh from Karen. She closed her eyes briefly, enjoying Lemac’s affection and then opened them again in time to catch Dgor admiring her before he closed in to capture her mouth. His lips moved over hers, caressing, his tongue teasing, but he withdrew before the kiss deepened. Keeping his eyes fixed directly on her he reached toward the table to retrieve the decanter. Lemac picked up the goblet and held it toward Dgor to be filled with the amber liquid. He then took a sip, savoring the taste before he swallowed. As he handed the cup to Dgor, Lemac tipped Karen’s head back to gain access to her mouth. He licked at her lips. She opened for him, and his tongue plundered inward. Karen murmured a pleasurable sound. The wine mixed with his own unique flavor tasted incredible and she sank into him for more. He responded by kissing her hungrily before releasing her. His kiss dazed her somewhat, warmed her, and she exhaled appreciatively. Dgor then slid his hand to the back of her neck, drawing her away from Lemac. He tipped the rim of the goblet toward her and Karen let him pour a small amount of the liquid into her mouth. Before she could swallow he sealed his mouth with hers, and swept his tongue over hers, taking the liquid she held, exploring her flavor as it mixed with the wine. Easing away, he handed the goblet back to Lemac who took another sip and then continue where Dgor left off, bending to taste her. His kiss was firm, but not rough, coaxing but not demanding. Her body began to awaken to him, the feeling intensifying when Dgor flattened his hand against her belly. Lemac lifted his head, his eyes roaming her face for awhile before handing her into Dgor’s embrace. Pulling her closer, one arm cradled around her back, Dgor again offered the goblet to her and she accepted it. “Do I finally get to swallow some?” Karen smiled over the rim before taking a hardy gulp. “Maybe I’ll catch a buzz.” Dgor returned a soft smile as he took the goblet from her and set it on the table. “That, woman, is one cosmic trail we don’t intend to explore this eve.” He then lifted his hand, threading his fingers through her hair. Curving them around the back of her head, he began to draw her closer. Karen didn’t wait for his kiss. Instead, she grasped his head and pulled him down, thrusting her tongue immediately into his mouth. She felt him grin against her. Lemac’s hands were moving beneath her camisole, skimming up her sides and lifting the material as he ascended. Karen arched her back, moaned at the heat of his hands. The titillating sensation radiated through her, stimulated by Lemac’s touch and Dgor’s lips now pressing along her chin and along the line of her throat. Dgor withdrew the arm that held her. As Lemac turned up the hem of her top Karen willingly lifted her arms and the garment was drawn over her head. Lemac tossed it aside. Both his and Dgor’s attention focused on her breasts, now bared to their eyes. At first Karen blinked timidly, trembled as Lemac reclined her in his arms and Dgor edged along her side. There was something different in the way they gazed at her this time. They were seducing her without limitations, no inhibitions, their hands, their mouths, and now their bodies free to explore, to plunge inside. The chanting began and Karen’s lids opened. They’d moved so quietly she didn’t even know they were there. But now that she was aware, Karen’s body tensed and when she attempted to turn her head to the side they sat on, Lemac lifted his head and molded his palm to her cheek,

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urging her to face toward him. Dgor moved further up, blocking her view of the Prowlers. “Look at us not them,” Lemac said to her. Karen nodded, focusing on her Sh’em, yet still finding it difficult to relax. Her eyes drifted shut when Dgor brought his head to her breast and sucked one of her nipples. She shuddered when Lemac did the same to the one on the other side. Shifting her from his arms, Lemac lowered her to the cushions. Karen opened her eyes and watched as his fingers deftly undid the knot to his loin cloth and he removed it from his hips. She admired his form wanting to touch him, wanting to hold his cock in her hand and feel the magnificent downward curve of him, put it inside of her body. It flexed and grew harder and Karen’s heart raced as she reached to wrap her hand around it. She tugged, telling him to bring it closer. Lemac came down to all fours, his pelvis lowered toward her face. Her hand fell away and Lemac took himself and brushed the head of his cock over her lips until they parted. He circled around just inside, groaning when Karen licked the tip. Dgor was easing down her pants, his hands kneading her flesh, his mouth brushing her mound and along her thighs as he inched the material lower and lower, finally stripping them from her body. When Karen attempted to part for him he stayed her, climbed over her, trapped her legs between his knees, holding them closed. Sitting back, he pressed his weight only slightly down on her thighs. The heat from his groin, his balls nestling in the crease where her legs came together radiated into her flesh. She felt herself growing wet, her vagina contracting, seeking to be filled. Lemac slid his cock from her hand, her mouth and sat back. Karen moaned, arching her back when Lemac’s hand touched her, plied at her breast, flicked at her nipple. Dgor’s thumb slipped between her labia. Finding her clit, he rotated on it, just a few times, enough to stimulate it, enough to cause every muscle below Karen’s waist to erupt into spasms. And then he withdrew and she whimpered in protest, but watched anxiously as Dgor loosened the knot on his loincloth and shed himself of it. His shaft fell free. Hot and rigid, it rested on top of her legs. “Turn over,” Dgor patted the side of her hip and climbed off of her. Karen shifted, propping up on her elbows and while Lemac continued to tease one breast, Dgor brought his hand to the other breast, traced around the curve of it with his fingertips and then continued on to run his palm along the concave of her waist. Lemac slid his hand over her shoulder and put slight pressure on her shoulder blades. In a low voice he echoed Dgor. “Turn over.” After hesitating for only a moment, Karen complied and rolled to her belly, wondering what they were up to. She sighed quietly when Dgor pressed his lips to the small of her back and then grasped the rounded parts of her ass in his two hands, kissing all over the flesh there. Tucking her arms, Karen turned her head to the side and rested her cheek on her folded forearms. Lemac picked up the tear-shaped vial, poured the liquid inside into a palm and then handed it to Dgor, before vigorously rubbing his palms together. He flattened his hands on her and Karen murmured in pleasure when Lemac began massaging her shoulders and neck. Dgor added to the pleasure when he did the same at the small of her back, his thumbs rotating deeply around her spine, kneading his way up and then down again, before doing the same to her buttocks and her thighs. Their hands were slick, the oil on them heating with the friction, suffusing every muscle in Karen’s body and releasing the last of the tension that she was still clinging to. She melted into the cushion, yielding to the sensual strokes as their hands worked up and down along her flesh. Her mind began slipping into carnal desire and all else around Karen began to fade, the

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chanting of the Prowlers now a low buzzing to Karen ears. They became insignificant, nonexistent as every part of her entangled with desire. “You’re beautiful, She’mana.” Lemac slid along her side, lying next to her. His smile was gentle as his fingers stroked through her hair. Karen’s lips parted on a slow exhale when Dgor’s fingers slid over her bottom and slipped between her thighs. His fingers glided between her labia from behind. Her hips began to undulate at the torrid sensation caused by his slippery stroke. As her hips rose, Dgor slid his arm beneath her and he lifted Karen until she shifted to her knees, her bottom in the air. Releasing her he pushed his palms to the inside of her knees urging them wide apart and then knelt between them. At first Karen felt timid at being so exposed, until she felt his probing finger and couldn’t help but squeeze around it. At the same time Lemac was kissing his way down her back, adding to the delicious torment of building arousal. When his lips reached her bottom he straddled her, facing backwards. Dgor played with her clit as Lemac stroked his erection along her lower spine, slipping along the crease of her ass, and then she felt two fingers probing her vagina. They didn’t penetrate, but only dipped slightly inside, circling and tugging gently as if attempting to open her. One of them licked her. Oh god! Both of them licked her. It felt so much different from this position, so deliciously primal that Karen almost begged them to hump her on the spot. She sucked in a breath of air, and then thought her heart might’ve stopped as a massive surge of excitement quaked its way through her body. Again their fingers explored and thrust and she felt pressure, but it wasn’t deep. They whispered something to each other as one of them flicked at her clit, and then Lemac moved off her while Dgor grasped her hips and turned her over. They continued their exquisite massage all over the front of her, Lemac concentrating on spreading oil at her temples, along her jaw, over her breasts, up and down her arms while Dgor attended to her abdomen and legs, paying particular care to her inner thighs, taking casual sweeps over her labia, skimming over her clit in torturously brief strokes. Having their hands all over her was making Karen crazy, leaving her restlessly yearning. Even so, the massage was exquisite, soothing her senses yet awakening her at the same time. Just when Karen thought she couldn’t take any more, Lemac and Dgor took their ministrations to a greater height. From calming caresses and quick carnal taunts, their touches became completely sexual. Dgor bent her knees and spread her thighs wide. He slid to lie flat between them and opened his mouth, covering her pussy completely. He sucked on the entire area before closing around her clit, sipping it between his lips and then starting all over again. His finger swirled into the opening of her vagina. Lemac joined him. With one hand kneading her breast he shifted so his head was over her pelvis. Dgor slipped his hand beneath her ass, lifting and exposing Karen further and then they both angled their heads, one giving the other room. Their tongues went to work licking her pussy, her clit, sucking the inner lips around her vagina, probing the opening. “Oh!” Karen fisted the cushion beneath her, tensing and thrusting, the urge to orgasm building. Again both of their fingers played with her vagina, pushing a little deeper this time. Karen tensed as pressure turned to discomfort and they eased back. Lemac shifted again, kissing trails over her stomach, pausing to lap at her nipples and then taking possession of her mouth. His finger remained inside of her as did Dgor’s. Lemac kissed her hard, while Dgor continued sucking her pussy. The suction on her tongue and on her clit were even, equally rhythmic, the feeling of it so intense that an incredible urgency erupted in both areas, ran rampant through her

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body, collided in her belly and shot immediately back to her pussy. Karen moaned into Lemac’s mouth and both her Sh’em groaned in return. She cocked her hips upward, pressing into Dgor’s mouth, eased slightly and than pushed at him again. Their fingers stroked deeper, the pressure building. Lemac’s tongue sucked harder on hers while Dgor’s tongue flicked faster, Their fingers dove and then pulled back, the pace of the movement increasing. Karen’s hips convulsed. She broke away from Lemac’s mouth, and he moved to suckle beneath her chin as her body arched. Karen crooned, low at first and then escalating. Her orgasm smoldered, teetered on the edge, and then in one potent gush it ripped through her. A third finger entered her and then a fourth, they plunged, forceful and deep, tearing through her hymen and then staying completely imbedded inside and pushing hard. Oh my god! Karen screeched. Even as the pain struck her she was cumming, their fingers jammed inside of her exactly what she needed. It was mind-blowing, irrational and so completely sensational that Karen was sure she was coming apart at the seams. When her body finally began to relax and her mind emerged from its prurient fog, Karen slowly opened her eyes. She found Lemac staring down at her with an expression that seemed almost fascinated. “You’re a vision, She’mana.” Lemac said as he stroked her hair. “I love you, woman.” Between her heavy respirations Karen kept swallowing, trying to slow her breaths. The only response she managed to his lovely words was to reach and press her palm over his heart. They gently eased their fingers from her body and then Lemac sat back as Dgor climbed over her. “Never in thousands of epochs did I ever believe I could love someone as much as I love you my wife.” Dgor said to her. Karen lifted her head and kissed his lips. “Make love to me,” she whispered. Her eyes shifted to Lemac. “I need you both.” Dgor and Lemac locked gaze and Karen could tell they were exchanging thoughts. Lemac then spoke, sharing their concern with her. “We can’t mate with you.”

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Chapter Twenty Seven “What?” Karen pushed up to her elbows and stared at them in disbelief. Even the Prowlers stopped chanting and were staring at them. Karen twisted her head and glared at the six males. “Mind your business!” They all dropped their heads en masse. Yeah, like they weren’t still listening. Bet they never heard this one before. “We’re afraid of hurting you.” Dgor explained. Karen felt how violently Dgor was trembling and also noticed how tense Lemac seemed to be. He, too, shook with tremors. They were fighting to contain their arousal, afraid of hurting her. When did all of this come about? “After all that chasing and pouncing…” and dry humping. “You’re not going to have actual intercourse with me?” Karen thought they’d lost their minds. “One at a time,” Dgor answered. “We’ve decided. The other will leave and the channeling will be blocked by the one who isn’t with you.” “What for?” Oh, Karen was about to clobber them with the decanter of wine. “To prevent us from losing control and having both of us mating with you at the same time.” “Isn’t that what’s natural for you?” “It is,” Lemac answered this time. “But it’s not what’s natural for you, Karen.” “And you believe I can’t handle this, why?” “You’re tight.” Dgor replied. “So?” “Too tight,” Lemac answered. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” “You’re not physically a Tertani woman.” “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” “Tertani females are physically able to accommodate their mates, their two mates.” Karen had no idea what they meant. Were Tertani females larger down there or something? She didn’t really want to discuss that right now, but it was so obvious Dgor and Lemac were worried about it. She thought for a few moments and then spoke. “The Divinities would never have brought us together if loving me sexually was impossible.” Dgor rubbed his temple. It was almost exactly what he’d said on earth when they were stalking her. His restraint began to crumble. He felt Lemac’s begin to give way, as well. It was all either of them could do to keep from smashing her in between their bodies and plunging into her depths, they were so overwrought with lust for her right now. “It may not be what the Divinities intend for us.” Dgor’s voice was strained. He sounded as if he was ready to snap at any moment. Karen blinked in disbelief. She was absolutely positive it was what the Divinities wanted--what she wanted. “I trust you,” Karen finally said.

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“You’re trust might be displaced,” Lemac answered. He reached toward her and then halted, thinking better of touching her in the condition he was in right now. “You’ve seen how rough we can get.” Karen knew. And she’d be lying if she tried to claim that it didn’t frighten her just a little. Nevertheless, the Edification had achieved its purpose, making her acutely aware of how they could be. But that wildness, that aggressiveness was exactly what her body craved, what her body needed to be completely satisfied. They’d also more than proven that she was safe with them. What could Karen say to convince them it would all be right? Was she even convinced herself? “All those years of being unable to tolerate a man’s touch,” Karen began. “I’m twentyfive. Are you aware of how odd it is in my society for a woman to still be a virgin at that age?” They didn’t respond, but she knew they were listening. “There was no Tertani mate for either of you on your planet or in your galaxy for that matter, or you would’ve found her.” Good god Karen hated the idea of them being with someone else. “And on my world there was no one for me. Do you both realize you are the first to ever get that close to my body, to be able to put your lips on me, to touch me? Your Divinities may have found me for you, but equally they found you for me.” Still they said nothing. A pang suddenly toiled inside her chest, and Karen’s expression fell. Her gaze lowered and she wrinkled her brow. There was something else. Something that she hoped would be the best reason for them. On a heavy inhale Karen lifted intensely serious eyes to them. “How will I ever have children? You want to deprive me of them?” Dgor’s heart pounded, and Lemac, well he was completely unsure if he heard her correctly. Dare he hope? You heard her correctly, brethren. Dgor reassured him. She just told us she wants to bear children. And Karen was absolutely correct. They couldn’t get her with child unless they ejaculated within seconds of each other. It was ridiculous to think one could sex her, hop off and have the other run in and jump on her in time for their sperm to entwine. Aside from that, what kind of lovemaking would that be? Lemac and Dgor were sure it would be completely unsatisfying to all of them. Lemac and Dgor locked gazes. Something feral and male exploded between them. And that was all she wrote. With a nod, Dgor lifted his hips. Bracing himself on his forearms, the head of his erection found her opening and he eased inside of her part way. When he felt that she was relaxed he pushed in fully and groaned. She was incredibly tight around him. Beside them, Lemac grunted. His eyes were squeezed shut. He experienced every exquisite sensation Dgor was feeling as he sank into their She’mana. Karen on the other hand was gritting her teeth. Oh fuck! It hurts like hell. “I’m hurting you.” Dgor eased back. “Just me alone, and you’re feeling pain.” “No, I’m not,” Karen lied. She grabbed his ass and tried to force him back inside of her. Karen’s determination shredded his control and he sank into her again. She murmured her discomfort. “You’re not giving up on this are you She’mana?” Lemac was down next to her and

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whispering in her ear. “It’ll be my mission to make you both miserable till the day I die if you refuse to keep going.” Karen panted and then pleaded. “Please, keep going.” She willed the anxiety from her muscles, concentrating on melting, relaxing into the cushion. Dgor pumped twice and stopped. He pumped four times and then stopped. He flexed inside of her. Karen gasped. A titillating sensation began rippling inside of her vagina. What the hell is that? Whatever it was it felt good--really good. “Do that again,” she demanded. A lusty smile creased Dgor’s lips he flexed once more, withdrew and thrust his cock into her over and over. He stopped and then flexed his rigid cock several more times while imbedded inside of her. Karen wriggled her hips, testing the feel of him. Her eyes drifted shut and she smiled. Dgor chuckled softly, pleased at her enjoyment. His hips gyrated and he began a rhythm, pumping into her with strong, steady strokes. Karen’s insides were bursting. She loved what he was doing, what she feeling. She clamped her vaginal muscles around his shaft as hard as she could, and the sensation intensified. “More,” Karen breathed out. Her lips parted as he engorged inside of her. She started thrusting at him, grasping at his hips, seeking deeper penetration. “All of it now!” “Yes,” Dgor rasped out. “As much as you want my She’mana.” He continued driving into her, taking rapid gulps of air into his lungs, frantically trying to keep from cumming yet. But she was hot and moist around him, the juices of her sex permitting him full access to her. His hips undulated faster and through the haze of impending orgasm he heard his brethren, felt Lemac’s frenzied lust. With every speck of constraint he could muster, Dgor bunched his hips on an outward drive and forced himself to keep from thrusting again. It was pure agony, but he withdrew from her and rolled away. Feeling abandoned and suddenly empty Karen cried her disapproval. But her excitement was renewed when Lemac crawled on top of her, taking his brethren’s place. His hand grasped her thighs and he spread them wider, momentarily gazing at her pussy, enjoying the shape of her, the swell of her labia, the opening ready to pull him inside. His thumb swiped at her clit and his finger pushed into her. “I want you to feel me this way, before we take you our natural way,” Lemac grasped his shaft and started guiding it into her channel. What? “O-o-h-h.” Karen’s eyeballs rolled back into her head and her body shuddered as the head of Lemac’s cock pushed in and then out, dragging along the back wall of her vagina.. His downward curving cock arched inside of her stabbing into places she hadn’t even known existed. Her muscles clamped down, but she couldn’t mold around him, the shape of him making him feel twice his size. Oh god, she couldn’t hold him! Lemac grasped one of her legs and lifted it over his shoulder. He humped her. Karen’s arms slammed outward onto the cushion and she completely opened for him. He withdrew and plunged, withdrew and plunged. Karen’s hips quivered erratically as he continued his thrusts. Dgor’s head came between them and started sucking her tits. She whimpered. Something was building inside of her vagina. She didn’t know what, but it felt amazing. Taking her other leg Lemac placed it over his other shoulder and then continued to pump into her over and over again. Dgor reclined to their sides, and he was in awe of how much he enjoyed watching Lemac fucking her, stimulating her, making her mew out with pleasure. It antagonized

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his own arousal and suddenly he needed her. Sensing Dgor’s exploding desire, Lemac removed her legs from his shoulders and dropped them as he turned Karen to the side, continuing his thrusts as he did so. Karen moaned. It felt like he was twisting around inside of her. Lemac fell behind her and withdrew. At the exact same time Dgor grasped her leg and threw it over his thigh, aligning her with his erection. He found her opening immediately and plummeted deep and hard. The change in angle his cock created assaulted a new erotic pleasure point further inside of her. “Oh my…oh!” Karen wailed. It was pure ecstasy. “Don’t stop.” It’s now or never, brethren. Dgor channeled to Lemac as he started to pound into her. Lemac grasped Karen’s hips. They both shifted closer to her, compressing her between them, giving her body the hard pressure it needed. On an outward pull Lemac joined Dgor and they both rammed deeply into her. Karen’s mind went berserk, lightening exploding in tiny bursts behind her eyes. She had no idea what was happening, other than becoming blissfully unhinged. Everything else was mute. She could feel them, forceful, erect and thrusting, alternating, pistoning and then thrusting together. Harder they drove and higher she climbed, her vagina quaking in thrilling waves of erotic pleasure that radiated upward through her body and downward through her limbs. They held her tightly, the grunts and groans that expelled from their throats feeding the carnal hunger that continued to erupt inside of her. They grew impossibly thicker, longer, expanding her, filling her, and Karen squeezed her eyes shut to experience every fabulous, tactile sensation that was rupturing inside. She gushed with carnal moisture that further eased their way, accepting them fully. A yowl escaped Lemac’s throat followed by Dgor’s feral mating growl. Lemac’s arms slipped to the front Karen’s body, beneath her upper arms, and then curved over her shoulders. His clamped down on her like a harness. Dgor’s arm wrapped tighter, gripping firmly around her waist. They plowed into her harder, faster, their hold pushing her down on their cocks, keeping her from being hurdled away by the force of their actions. Dgor threw back his head and growled loudly. Lemac’s head came forward and he clamped his teeth down on her shoulder. Karen expelled a gasped. She loved it when he bit her. “Holy hell!” Dgor yelled out. Their cocks went completely rigid. There was a moment of steady engorgement, a strangling tightness in their balls. And then they ruptured, pulsated, ejaculated with a force so explosive it boggled both their minds. Karen was half crying and half laughing. Her body was convulsing so hard she was grateful they held her so tightly. Hell, she didn’t even know if she was scraped raw after what just happened and frankly, she didn’t give a damn. Jen had told her about this and she never believed it could be that good. Karen now understood what the rage of the g-spot felt like. She also now understood what it meant to be fucked silly. And instead of being exhausted, the adrenaline was pumping through her. Karen felt completely exhilarated. “Anyone for round two?” Karen panted and then laughed when they grunted and both completely collapsed. She laughed again. “Sorry, guess I was too much for you.” That was the wrong thing to say. They both withdrew. Lemac fell to his back and rolled her around, bringing her face down on top of him. Her thighs straddled him and he spread them further by opening his legs. His still rigid member thrust into her.

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“Uh, uh.” Karen sucked in a quick breath and then Dgor moved in behind her. “Rule number three, She’mana,” he said just as he cocked his hips toward her. “It isn’t wise to assume we’ve ever had enough of you.”

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Chapter Twenty Eight “I think they killed her.” “That is the face of a woman who has been well and truly fucked.” Hmm? Karen was coming slowly to consciousness. Someone was talking but it wasn’t her voice or her Sh’em’s she heard. With a struggle she began emerging from what was a heavy, comfortable sleep. A contented smile creased Karen’s lips. She was pressed between Lemac and Dgor and it felt wonderful. She didn’t think she’d ever need her weighted blanket or bean bag chairs again as long as her Sh’em could give her all the deep pressure she needed--in more ways than one. Who the heck was talking? Karen knew they were still in the temple, having stayed there to sleep, and it occurred to her that the crew might now be permitted to enter if they needed to worship or something. No one might care that the three of them were entangled in post-carnal bliss, but she sure did. Aside from that they were all still naked. Geez! Karen’s eyes opened slowly. She was being stared at. Merse and another Tertani male were crouched down alongside the mat. And of course Merse was eyeing her with that typical leer of his. The man was intimidation personified. Karen looked down. The three of them were covered by a linen throw. Now where did that come from? Tugging it higher on her chest, Karen clenched at it as though the cover might suddenly fly off of her. She sat up. Images of the eve before came into her head and she blushed profusely at Merse having been there to witness it. “What are you doing here?” Karen asked him. His smile was filled with amusement. Likely he saw how embarrassed she was. “We brought food.” The other Tertani lifted a platter of nariwob. Next to his feet on the floor there was another tray with a pitcher and three mugs. “Oh, that’s very….” Karen’s brows drew together. His consideration sort of surprised her. “…kind of you.” “We also wanted to welcome you to the family.” He nodded his head almost reverently as did the other male. Karen’s quizzical expression sharpened. “Family?” “My brothers,” Lemac spoke behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Karen saw that he was awake and propped up on his elbow. “Merse is your brother?” “And Jien.” Karen turned forward and the other Tertani smiled at her. “I would’ve enjoyed being part of the hunt, fe’ami.” Jien called her sister. “But I’m unmated.” Oh good, nothing like keeping it a family affair. “Any other brother or sisters I should know about?” Dgor was stirring. He rolled to his back and stretched his arms over his head though he

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had yet to open his eyes. “Not here. I have four brothers who serve the Allegiance elsewhere.” “Oh, well good,” Karen mumbled. “Can’t wait to sit around the dinner table talking about my breeching.” “Mmm.” Lemac nuzzled her neck. “We told you it’s only announced to the Tribunal that our bonding has been consummated. After that they say no more.” “Earth abolished the primitive tradition of showing the woman was a virgin centuries ago.” “Are you saying we’re barbaric?” Shifting closer, Lemac pressed his hips against her. His cock twitched against her leg. “Aside from that it’s not to show you were a virgin. It’s testimony that the marriage is legal and blessed.” Lemac nuzzled closer, but Karen jerked back and glared at him, her expression black with warning. She wasn’t about to give a repeat performance of last night. “Yeah, it’s a little outdated for a modern society.” “Most Tertani could care less about the declaration, but some traditions die hard.” Dgor kissed the tip of her nose as he smiled at her. “And we still want the Divinities blessings.” “We’re both on duty, so we have to go.” Merse said as he stood. “I brought fresh clothing along with the food. Uch, and a bowl of taw and a cleansing cloth for your She’mana.” He elbowed Jien and they both left. “It’s likely Syrat had him bring the fresh clothes and the taw.” Dgor yawned. stretched his arms again and sat up. “What’s the taw and clothes for?” Karen began scooting to the bottom of the mat, taking the linen with her. She grimaced with the movement. Oh boy, she was sore--legs, arms, body, crotch, especially her crotch. Reaching the end of the mat she bent up her legs ready to stand. Oh-h, she was really sore down there. Karen stood. “OH my gawd!” It felt like someone had cleaned her out with sandpaper. Moving the linen, Karen took a peek at herself. The color drained from her face. There were blood stains all over her inner legs. She swayed. “Ka!” Dgor went for her. “She’s going to faint.” She fell back and Dgor’s arms broke her fall. Karen tried to focus, her brain rocking away in her head as she sank back into the cushion. “I don’t know what happened. The sight of blood doesn’t usually bother me, even if it’s my own.” “It’s not the sight of it, She’mana,” Dgor told her. “It’s the loss of it. You stood up too fast.” Lemac reached for the bowl of taw and rung out the cleansing rag. He lifted the linen from her lower body and gently began cleaning her. “We warned that you were too tight,” he said as he rinsed the rag, rung it out again and went back to dabbing her. “Am I going to be okay?” “You’re going to fine.” Dgor smiled at her and planted a kiss on her mouth. He poured her a drink from the pitcher Merse and Jien brought. “Here, sit up slowly and drink this.” “What is it?” Karen asked. Dgor helped her sit and then handed her the mug. She took a sip and then wrinkled her nose. The fluid tasted like plain soda water. “It’s a fortified, nutrient drink. It replaces the electrolytes and minerals you lost last eve.” “Am I in that bad a shape?” Karen sipped at the drink again and then took a larger swallow just in case.

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“Dehydrated more than anything.” Lemac picked up the platter offering her food once she was securely upright. “How are you feeling?” “The dizziness is subsiding, but I still feel strange.” Karen frowned as she pinched a cube of blue nari in her fingers and then slipped it into her mouth. “I feel a strange vibration. I don’t like it.” Dgor rubbed her back. “I don’t feel anything.” “Oh,” Karen grimaced. “It’s getting worse.” Lemac and Dgor exchanged concerned glances. They absolutely detected no vibrations whatsoever. Do you think it’s a sensory reaction? Lemac channeled. It seems to be, but to what? Something horrible shattered through her a split of a second before the Cosmic Springer convulsed violently. It lasted for several frightening moments and Karen literally bent in half, her entire body screaming at the offensive, tormenting jolting of the ship and the shrilling sounds of alarms stripping the air. “Shit!” Lemac was on his feet and grabbing for their clothing. “That was an explosion. Get dressed.” Needless to say, Dgor and Lemac were dressed in the Tertian uniforms Merse had brought a lot more quickly than Karen. Lemac was half out the door when Dgor grasped her hand and hastily pulled her into the hall outside. Crewmen were racing up and down the corridors. Vean passed and Dgor released Karen and grabbed his arm “What’s going on?” “Cosmic busters,” he answered. “Cloaked or uncloaked?” “Cloaked.” Dgor mumbled a curse. “What are those?” Karen asked. Her aching body forgotten as adrenalin rushed through her. Whatever they were she didn’t like the sound of it. “Damage to the ship?” Dgor asked Vean. “Not us,” Vean returned. “It was the Dustmaker.” “Are we trapped in it, as well?” “No, but two other ships are.” Dgor snatched Karen’s hand again and started pulling her quickly along. “Dgor?” Karen beseeched. She was really becoming scared now. “A trap set by the Krellian Radicals.” Dgor started pulling her along again. “It’s artificial antimatter that explodes when matter passes through it. These are cloaked. They can’t be seen.” “You mean like a mine field?” Karen asked him as they entered one of the level’s elevators. Oh, she didn’t like the sound of this. And most certainly did like the vibration that was still buzzing through her body. It was the same sensation she felt before the last explosion. “Bridge,” he instructed as they stepped inside. The doors closed. “Explain mine fields.” “Mine fields…bombs,” Karen returned. “Explosives buried in the ground. If you step on them you blow up.” “That’s exactly what it is,” Dgor answered. “Except these are hidden in outer space.” “They just develop out there?” “No, they’re artificial.” Dgor looked down at her, measuring her concern, but he wouldn’t lie to her. “It’s a Krellian weapon.” The elevator doors separated and they both stepped out. For the first time, Karen was on

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the bridge of the Cosmic Springer. Her gaze darted everywhere at once. The place was high-tech. Blinking consoles lined the side and front of the large, elliptical room, manned by at least twenty crewmen all in the plum and black Tertian uniforms. With fascination she watched the activity. The console to the left seemed to be a communication center with three crewman busy having conversations with whoever. Each of them had wireless devices in their ears with pieces that looped around to their mouths. They weren’t much different than typical, earth headphones. Towards the front, there were more control panels. Lemac was there, bent over a console examining some data on a computer screen. Karen’s attention went beyond him to the enormous window to the front. Her mouth fell open. There in outer space were two ships, maybe not as large as the Cosmic Springer, as far as she could tell, but at least four times bigger than a Boeing seven-forty-seven. One of them had been damaged. But that’s not what had her gasping. Debris floated everywhere with what was obviously an explosion. There was only a piece of fuselage remaining and around it several bodies were floating. “Oh my God!” Karen covered her face and turned around. Tocol who had been standing off to one side, spoke. “Chief, you know it’s against regulation…” “We weren’t about to leave her without knowing where on the ship she might be safe.” Dgor answered. He wrapped his arms around Karen and then led her to a bench against a wall where he urged her to sit. “Are you okay She’mana?” Karen dropped her hands to see Dgor kneeling in front of her. Lemac was there in an instant sitting beside her. “Now that we know our ship is in danger maybe we should get her off the bridge.” “No, it’s okay. I just didn’t expect that.” Karen shuddered. Her eyes drifted back to the window and then darted its length. The vibration that still clung to her seemed to be drilling its way from outer space and directly to her insides. It appeared to be coming from the right side of the window. “Where’s the vibration coming from?” “Seldin, Open communications with the Spirit Rider” Tocol ordered a crewman before turning to Karen. “What vibration?” “It started just before the explosion,” Dgor answered for her. “Contact,” Seldin said. With Tocol’s question unanswered, all eyes on the bridge focused toward the window. A spiraling beam appeared within its frame and then stretched until it became a square shape. It was about one third smaller than the bridge’s viewing window and centered in the middle. A woman appeared on the screen. Behind her Karen could see frantic bustling. The sense of urgency in the people there was palpable. “Captain Lejin here,” the woman said. “How are you Thessa?” Tocol answered. “I’ve been better, Tocol.” The Spirit Rider’s Captain shook her head as she examined something on the console in front of her. “What’s your status?” Thessa looked up and exhaled harshly. “The impact from the debris when the Vengeance was destroyed damaged our life support systems. We’re at minimum and we have about three dials at best before we’re down to zero. Our scanners are down, as well, so I guess it’s up to you to get us out of this mess.” “The two ships you’re seeing, Karen,” Lemac began, "are refugee ships from the First Ward, carrying evacuees who are attempting to escape from the war zones. They’re being

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brought to safety." “So much for safety,” Karen returned. “The Allegiance ship that was destroyed was escorting them?” Lemac nodded and then he wrinkled his brow pensively. “We’re usually able to detect the cosmic busters and avoid them, though occasionally accidents do happen.” “Okay Thessa." Tocol glanced at Lemac. “Let’s get this done.” Lemac nodded and then stood. He moved to the seat at the front console replacing the crewman who was there prior. “Thessa, We're going to attempt to navigate you through it. I’m detecting the buster to your port side.” "Ready when you are Chief." Karen grimaced. The vibration suddenly felt like it was scraping through her. It shifted from the right and seemed to be hitting from the left side now. It was beginning to make her head throb. “Wait.” Lemac rumbled. “What is it?” Thessa held up a hand indicating that her navigators should halt. “There’s been a shift.” Lemac’s gaze darted across the compuscreen reading the incoming signals. “From what I’m getting the buster is now migrating to starboard. Move by ten degrees to port.” “Got it, Lemac,” Thessa acknowledged. Port, that’s left. Karen’s brow wrinkled. And then she had a thought. “Why can’t they just transport everyone over here?” “Because they would still be physically passing through space and could collide with one of the busters.” Dgor slipped his arm around her shoulder noting the fret in her expression. “Don’t worry She’mana, we’ll get them out of there.” Looking up, Karen saw one of the spaceships outside turning slightly. It began moving. The vibrations rattled over her again, scurrying toward the right side of her body. Her jaw tightened. The sensation was beginning to irritate her to no end and if it didn’t end soon, Karen thought she might vomit. “Halt! Damn it.” Lemac tensed and then shook his head. “It shifted again and I can’t detect it.” One of the crewmen sitting next to him leaned in and whispered as he pointed to the compuscreen. Lemac nodded, agreeing with whatever was said. “Proceed slowly. These busters are behaving more erratically than we’re used to. The signals are inconsistent and I want to make sure I have them pinpointed.” Lemac instructed. “Fifteen degrees to starboard, Thessa,” No, Karen mouthed. Jesus. She could feel them. If she stared hard enough at the window and into space beyond it, she could almost see them. Her ophthalmologist once told Karen that her visual acuity was abnormally sharp--another sensory issue, though that one was a blessing rather than a curse. “No,” she said a bit louder. Cool…I think I can reach it. No, Jen. Just let it go… Tipping his head toward her, Dgor studied Karen’s expression, feeling her body tense beneath his arm. Is she alright? Lemac channeled. “Continue, Thessa, ten degrees to starboard.” “No!” Karen said more loudly as she watched the craft move closer to where the

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vibration was coming from. She flew to her feet, her mouth falling open as an incredible panic began building inside of her. “What is it, She’mana?” Dgor came to her side. His palm flattened in the middle of her back, his voice filled with concern. Karen shook her head, her eyes desperately scanning the screen wondering if this was happening, wondering if she was only imagining it. This thing--this feeling, it was intense rapidly vibrating energy and she could sense it. Karen knew it was there. “It’s on the right.” “Thessa halt.” Tocol, who overheard the comment spun around facing Karen. “How do you know this?” Tipping back her head to look at Tocol, Karen was about to tell him she didn’t know, but before she could say anything Dgor answered for her. “She has sensory acceleration.” Tocol’s gaze shifted from Karen to Dgor and back to Karen again. “She’s able to detect the explosives?” Dgor dragged his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure, maybe.” “A metaphysical ability.” Tocol silently considered the situation. “If she’s right and we’re wrong…” “Well, somebody better make a decision here,” Thessa spoke through the view screen and everyone’s attention went to her. “My bio-engineers have just informed me we have a systems failure. In approximately one quarter dial all life support systems will shut down.” Glances were exchanged between the crew as the tension in the air thickened. “You’ve used this ability before She’mana Karen?” Tocol asked. He prayed the spirits she would say yes. But she didn’t. “I’ve sensed things that others can’t detect, but I’ve never experienced this before.” “Lemac,” Tocol began. “What do you know about the possibility of decoys sending us false signals?” “I know we’re close to developing them but whether or not the Krellians have…” Lemac shrugged. “Anything’s possible.” “Secure transmissions, Seldin,” Tocol ordered his communications crewman. “See what you can find out.” Next Tocol turned to Dgor. “What’s your opinion?” “She was able to detect a cloaked wormhole, but I have little data on SA and its abilities.” Dgor turned to Karen. “How strongly do you feel about this?” Karen gazed toward the bridge’s window and beyond the screen into outer space. Several starfighters were flying the perimeter of the Cosmic Springer. The vibration shifted again, somewhere more central, somewhere behind the screen framing Thessa and back to Karen’s right. The sensation was strong. “I’m....” Jen be careful. “I’m positive.” Karen could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She couldn’t let them die, not like she did with Jennifer. “Ten mins until life support is lost,” Thessa reminded them that they had little time to make a decision. “Can we send out an unmanned starfighter to test this?” Dgor suggested. “There’s no time for that,” Thessa answered. “She’s right,” Tocol said. He stared at Karen for a moment. “I’m not sure it’s wise to take faith in something we know so little about. Lemac your thoughts?” “Seven mins.” Thessa voice held obvious stress. “Do something now or we’ll all be dead

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by the time you get us locked in to your port entry.” Lemac turned worried eyes toward Karen. His gaze shifted toward Dgor, knowing already what his brethren thought. “I’m sorry She’mana. It’s too much of a chance.” “No! You have to trust me on this, Lemac!” The pain in Karen’s face sliced through him and intensified when she turned pleading eyes to Dgor. “I can’t recommend it either.” Dgor looked at Karen with bewilderment. He wanted to trust she had the ability, but he just couldn’t. “It hasn’t been researched.” “Oh God.” Karen closed her eyes. Jen, please…you’re scaring me. “Please don’t do this. I know what I’m talking about.” Ignoring Karen, Tocol spun toward the front of the bridge. “Proceed.” Lemac continued to fixate his gaze on Karen. She was clearly upset and most likely her anger would emerge soon. It was a judgment call and he truly felt it was the best one, as did Tocol and Dgor. Turning away from her he studied the screen. “Fifteen degrees to,” Lemac hesitated. His screen indicated another shift. “It’s higher now, Thessa. Descend and come forward.” Just a little more…Got it! Shit! Karen… “NO!” Karen was on her feet. Jen! The cosmic buster was lower and in front of the ship. There was a blinding white light and Karen felt Dgor brush past her, halting in his tracks just a few feet away. The Cosmic Springer quaked roughly. It was enough to knock them off balance, but not off of their feet. Thessa only had time to blink before the screen filled with fiery streaks before going blank. The Spirit Rider was in pieces. Alarms sounded again. Karen screamed, “Jen!” before doubling over and dropping her face to her hands. Lemac twisted in his seat, his face pale. Dgor caught his anguish instantly and then spun to look at Karen. Slowly, she came upright. Her mouth was open and the terror on her face was painfully apparent. A sharp pang of angst tormented his chest and Dgor knew immediately he was in the middle of a horror that both Lemac and Karen were reliving. He knew what Lemac’s was. As for Karen’s, he wasn’t sure, though he suspected. Dgor started for Karen and when he reached her, he attempted to pull her into his embrace but she stiffened and backed away. It was then he felt Lemac regaining his senses and his brethren was instantly at his side. “Karen,” Lemac reached for her halting when she shook her head. She didn’t say anything, only whimpered a sorrowful cry. The shock glazing her eyes was immense, and neither of them knew what to do. “Chief Dgor,” Seldin said. “You’re needed in medbay, some of our starfighter pilots were injured during the explosion.” For a moment Dgor hesitated, not knowing whether to choose his wife or his duty. He didn’t have a choice. Hastily he headed for the elevator, hoping Lemac would be able to soothe her. A shocked silence shrouded the bridge. Tocol stared at the view screen where Thessa’s image once was, now black and devoid. Some of the crew had their heads down. Other’s concentrated on whatever work it was they did on the bridge. No one spoke a word. “I knew.” Karen broke the silence. She stared through the window, observing the floating debris and the ship that remained out there, floating in space. Her gaze riveted on Lemac, who

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still stood in front of her. “I knew and none of you wanted to listen….” Her voice trailed off, and Karen’s eyes darted to Tocol and then swept around the bridge, briefly pausing on every face there that was staring back at her. Lemac and Dgor wouldn’t listen. They asked her to trust them yet they couldn’t trust her. They were her mates, her Sh’em. What kind of relationship did she have with them if there wasn’t trust between them? She wasn’t a dimwit after all. They didn’t recognize her intelligence or the fact that she would never put lives at risk if she wasn’t sure about the advice she was giving. Something crushed painfully in Karen’s chest. She was mated to men who didn’t know her, who didn’t understand that she had sense in her brain. They were just like everyone else in her life, her parents, her college acquaintances, her colleagues… Lemac started to reach for her. “Back off,” Karen broke the silence, uncaring if her voice sounded sharp. “Don’t touch me.” “Sir,” Seldin addressed Tocol. “The Aspire requests contact.” Tocol exhaled slowly, closed his eyes briefly and then his gaze shifted to Karen. “Bring them up on the screen.” A male figure materialized on the viewer and Karen stared at him, taken aback a bit when she saw his skin color was somewhat of a beige hue. His light brown brows were furled, canvassing worried cooper-colored eyes. His hair was raven, cut short and with thin streaks of yellow coursing through it that reminded Karen of someone who was slightly graying as the color would be on earth. Yes, he was graying, or yellowing--middle-aged perhaps. “I’m hoping you don’t have the same fate in store for us, Captain?” the man spoke. Tocol turned to Karen. He blinked at her several times before speaking. “Where are they?” Turning her head toward him, Karen wasn’t quite registering that he was asking for her help. Shock continued to rattle her system. The anguish would come. Shut down--Karen just wanted to go into shut down and hide. She didn’t want to relive the pain again, yet here she was, reliving it. “Karen,” Lemac drew her attention to him. “Help us. Help them.” They wanted her to locate the cosmic blasters. Closing her eyes, Karen attempted to determine what was happening inside of her--shock, grief, betrayal, but no vibration. The sensation was gone. “There’s no more cosmic busters,” she finally answered. “They’ve all been detonated.” Karen didn’t wait to see the Aspire arrive to safety. She already knew it would. At the moment she had other things on her mind. With one last glance at Lemac she turned and left the bridge.

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Chapter Twenty Nine “You’re kidding?” Bart looked at Karen with disbelief after she finished explaining what she was experiencing. “I knew there was something weird about you, but who would’ve guessed.” The daggers that Jillia and Karen stabbed at Bart could’ve sliced through diamonds, but he wasn’t fazed. His attention shifted between the two of them and then he merely shrugged. “What?” Ignoring Bart, Jillia reassumed the conversation with Karen. “Everyone on the ship is talking about it.” Karen answered with a shrug, attempting to appear impassive. Truthfully, she was devastated that she had failed to help, that she had failed to convince them. She was such a failure. “Where have you been?” Syrat came tramping down the corridor, stopping in front of the three of them. “Are you alright?” “I’ve been sleeping in the observatory.” Karen answered. She was still amazed at how lithe Syrat’s movements were despite her advanced pregnancy. “Dgor and Lemac just won’t leave me alone. They keep apologizing and begging for forgiveness when what I need right now is some space.” “I just may be joining you in the observatory.” Syrat informed her, the tone of her voice filled with irritation. “I’m looking to teach my Sh’em a lesson. “Oh, here’s where I exit,” Jillia said. “I’m not getting in the middle of any marriage squabbles. Aside from that I have to get my ship ready for departure this eve.” “You’re leaving tonight?” Karen frowned at them. She didn’t want them to leave. Though Jillia was alien, Karen liked her a lot. And her relationship with Bart was now well beyond being just Karen’s colleague, more than a friend. She’d begun to think of Bart, and Jillia for that matter, as family. “Hey, don’t look so glum.” Bart smiled. “I’m sure our paths will cross again.” “I hope so, Bart.” Karen placed one hand on each of his shoulders and stretched up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Weird but I feel a connection to you now. You’re a small piece of home…earth to me.” “Earth was a good time. This will be a blast.” Bart stepped back from Karen and affectionately palmed her cheek. He then turned to Jillia. “You ready to go?” “I’m a frequent flyer to Angard,” Jillia told Karen as she and Bart turned to leave. “I’ll let you know when we’re at the way station and you can come visit us.” “To infinity and beyond.” Bart beamed a smile as he and Jillia turned to leave. Syrat and Karen watched them disappear around the corner of the corridor where they’d all been standing and talking and then Karen returned her attention to Syrat. “Now tell me what’s going on with your Sh’em.” Leaning back against a wall Syrat admired her rounded belly as she rubbed it. “We’ve seen many things in the galaxies we’ve visited. I told my Sh’em it was an idiotic decision to ignore your ability.”

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‘I appreciate your faith, Syrat, but I could’ve been wrong.” Karen was actually trying to convince herself, give herself the benefit of a doubt. It wasn’t working. She knew what she had felt on the bridge. “You weren’t wrong.” Syrat slashed a hand through the air and then looked at Karen. Her expression filled with irritation. “When I expressed my opinion about them ignoring your abilities, my Sh’em told me I was being irrational. They told me my pregnancy chemicals were affecting my brain.” A hormonal pregnant Tertani female, Karen thought. Imagine that. What were Merse and Reo thinking? “Of course I became angry,” Syrat continued. “Of course,” Karen returned. “And that resulted in them saying I was overreacting, which of course…” Syrat’s voice rose to almost a shrilling octave. “…caused me to become even angrier. They had the nerve to tell me to stop acting an over-emotional female.” A brow lifted on Karen’s forehead. She wasn’t about to say anything, but the animation in Syrat’s voice did make her sound as if she was being a bit melodramatic. Still, Karen had to agree that her Sh’em were being insensitive. “So you said you’re going to get back at them, how?” “I don’t know.” Syrat began pacing the floor, back and forth, back and forth, her finger tapping at her lips as she considered what to do. Suddenly she halted and looked up at Karen. Her eyes lit so brightly they could’ve illuminated the dark side of the moon. Syrat looked positively mischievous. “Oh, I don’t like that expression, Syrat.” A heart cord plucked inside Karen’s chest. Syrat was reminding her of Jen at the moment right before coming up with some devilish plan that would lead to getting them both into trouble. “What are you thinking?” “Come on.” Syrat slipped her hand into Karen’s and started pulling her down the corridor. “Where are we going?” A wily smile crossed Syrat's lips. “We’re getting off of this ship.” **** “I’m sorry She’mana Syrat.” Vean was apologetic as he scanned the rosters on his compusheet. “I don’t have authorization for you, or She’mana Karen to enter the launching platform.” Syrat grabbed Vean’s vest and jerked him forward, her voice turning gruff. “Then get authorization!” Vean cocked his head back as he eyed Syrat warily. Though he was unmated, there was one thing he’d learned about a Tertani female intent on fleeing. Don’t mess with them. Nodding, Vean activated the commlink on the wall next to him. He then pretended to study the compusheet he held while waiting for the Captain’s response. Karen regarded them almost numbly. Somehow Syrat had convinced Jillia into taking them onboard her probe ship and Karen didn’t give Syrat much of an argument. The destruction of the refugee space ship forced her buried guilt and agony over being unable to save Jen to resurface with a vengeance--wounds that had never healed. An anguished pang twisted inside of Karen and she bit back the tears threatening to surface. The sensory defensiveness was the reason Jen was killed, and now Karen had learned the affliction she had hated dealing with all of her life

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had a purpose, an amazing purpose. She actually could’ve saved lives because of it. But now in an ironic twist, her inability to fight the Captain, her Sh’em was putting risk to Syrat’s life. Here in her last stages of pregnancy the Tertani woman was fleeing from the safety of the ship to God only knows where, and if she got hurt, or worse…Karen’s mind was spinning. There was no way in the universe Karen would let Syrat’s blood wash her hands. And the only way Karen could think of to try and keep that from happening was to go with her, even if it killed her. Oh lord please don’t let this kill me. “Tocol here.” The Captain’s voice sounded from the commlink unit. “Captain, there’s an issue at the platform that needs your immediate attention.” There was a pause, and then. “Can it wait?” “Don’t think so, sir.” “I’ll be right down.” “There,” Syrat said. “Nothing to it.” “I think you’re just feeling mischievous, Syrat, and you want an accomplice to keep company with you.” Karen said to her. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Vean muttered. Syrat narrowed her eyes at him, but she didn’t deny it. Instead, she bent close to Karen and spoke quietly in her ear. “The sex is always fabulous when they catch you.” “You’re doing this for the sex?” Karen was taken aback, her voice slightly louder than she intended. Beside her Vean cleared his throat and when both women looked at him he appeared to be blushing. His obvious embarrassment not only caused Syrat to laugh, but drew a chuckle from Karen, too. “Not this time,” Syrat rubbed her belly. “I’m nesting.” At the same time Karen opened her mouth to question that, Vean murmured. “Spirits help your Sh’em.” “What seems to be the problem here?” Tocol eyed Syrat and Karen speculatively as he approached the security desk Vean stood at. His gaze shifted to the Tertani warrior. “The She’mana Karen and She’mana Syrat are requesting clearance to enter the launching platform.” “For what reason?” Knowing Syrat for as long as he had, Tocol pretty much knew what she was up to. “We’re leaving the ship.” Syrat’s matter-of-fact tone revealed she believed the issue was closed no matter how the Captain responded. Tocol’s gaze dropped to Syrat’s pregnant belly before angling up to examine Karen’s face. “I’m not sure leaving the ship is wise.” “It’s not for you to say, Captain.” Syrat returned. “Neither of us are prisoners. We’re not sworn to any duty and you can’t force us to stay.” Vean and Tocol exchanged glances. “The Probe Commander confirms she’ll take them with her.” Vean shrugged. They all glanced toward Jillia’s ship. Bart waved to them through the cockpit window. Jillia’s head popped up from whatever it was she was doing beneath the ship’s dash and she leaned forward before lifting her hands upward and then shrugging as if to say, well? “When is her scheduled launch?” Tocol sighed heavily. Syrat was correct with her claim. There were civilians. No legalities would allow him to force the women to stay. Their Sh’em

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would most assuredly be furious. Mentally Tocol groaned, suspecting a severe head throb was on the horizon. “She’s waiting clearance to launch, that’s all,” Vean answered. Again Tocol sighed and mulled over the situation. He had no authority over Jillia Dalij. She was a free agent working for the Allegiance and he couldn’t order her to stay. Tocol considered how he might stall them, possibly order a delayed departure, but he couldn’t come up with a legal reason that wouldn’t land him in hot taw. There was nothing he could do. Taking the scheduling list from Vean, Tocol removed the stylus at the side and signed his name onto the computer sheet, grumbling at his lack of creativity at finding a purpose to keep them here. “They’re authorized.” Syrat clapped gleefully and elbowed Karen’s arm. “Come on. Let’s go.” They both began to pace rapidly toward Jillia’s ship. “Syrat!” Merse was stalking rapidly toward the launching platform with Reo just behind him. “Get your ass back here, woman!” Syrat laughed as she stopped briefly to glance at her mates, pleased when security prevented them from entering the launch area. “Oh, that will work,” she yelled. “Always has before, right?” Karen, too, was looking back at them, wondering if Lemac and Dgor would be coming next or if they even knew what she was doing. They were both on duty--probably not. Syrat’s Sh’em however, were arguing with Tocol and then something happened. The Captain threw up his hands, showing a rare emotional moment and then picked up the scheduling list, putting marks on it with the stylus. Merse and Reo pushed past security. “Oh, sucking hellfires!” Syrat screeched. She grabbed Karen’s wrist. “Run!” Neither of them hesitated further. They did run, as fast as they could toward Jillia’s ship, hitting the ramp leading inside with heavy feet and pounding hearts. Jillia apparently was watching their hasty escape because as soon as they were inside of her craft the ramp went up. “Get yourselves strapped in,” Jillia instructed them when they entered the cockpit. “Welcome aboard, ladies,” Bart greeted them. Suddenly, Karen felt alarmed. In her experience “strapped in” was directly related to something moving fast possible spinning, especially where a harness was involved, and spinning fast was the last thing Karen wanted to experience. “Oh shit,” she mumbled. Yup, there was most definitely a harness attached to the seat she was glaring at. A jet speeding down the runway was barely tolerable. How would her nervous system react to being jettisoned into space like a rock from a sling shot? “Let me off.” Karen could feel the panic rising. “I’ve changed my mind.” “Too late, baby.” Jillia told her. “We’re cleared to launch and I’m launching.” The engines revved. Glancing out the window, Karen saw that Merse and Reo were being ushered away from the ship by other sentry on the platform and to a safe distance. They were being argumentative but were also retreating, likely realizing at this point they had no choice. “Respect,” Syrat returned. “You have to teach your Sh’em respect or else they will never take you seriously.” Syrat stared through the window and waved smugly at her glaring Sh’em. Her action caused them both to stiffen and Karen could almost see their shackles rising. But there was

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something else on their faces. It was fear at what Syrat was doing, most likely fear for her safety and that of their unborn child. Karen carried that fear, too. “Strap in already!” Jillia yelled as the engines began to whirr. The ship lifted slightly and shifted. Syrat turned from the window and seeing that her cohort stood stock still, she glanced at the contoured seat just behind Karen and then stalked toward her. Before Karen knew what was happening Syrat pushed her down into the cushioned seat and was buckling her into it. Too numb to speak, Karen heard the clicking of clasps and watched as everyone secured themselves for take-off. “Don’t worry.” Syrat smiled as she spoke softly. “Your Sh’em will only love you and want you more for this.” Okay. Karen was as nervous as hell, but was also convinced this was the right thing for her to do. She needed to ensure Syrat’s safety and if worse came to worse, Jillia and Bart were her friends. They’d take care of her. The platform doors began to close as the ship swayed and rotated. “Fucking hell,” Karen mumbled borrowing one of Lemac’s favorite curses. She sucked in a breath and forgot how to exhale at the sight of all those stars, literally millions of them as the outer doors opened. They shot forward and Karen screamed before completely blacking out.

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Chapter Thirty “You did what!” Dgor stared at Tocol with disbelief. Lemac was as equally astonished. I’m going to kill him. Tocol rubbed his forehead, making a mental note that he needed to request that he never again be assigned to command a ship with a Trigon aboard. They were by far, too much trouble. “They haven’t even been gone for a full dial.” Reo was pacing the floor in Tocol’s office. “Syrat’s about to give birth to our child!” Syrat’s impending delivery brought Dgor up short. He stared at the Sh’em ot Syrat becoming equally as worried for their woman as much as he was for Karen. Spirits be damned! If one thing was for sure, Tocol Avinahi was going to release at least one if not two of the Cosmic Springer’s starfighters and allow the four of them to give chase after their women. “I had surveillance tract their departure route for as long as they were able,” Tocol told them. “Where are they headed?” Merse questioned. “At first they seemed destined for the Sixth Ward…” “Blazing hell!” Dgor bellowed. “That place is a shit hole.” Karen knows nothing about intergalactic protocol, Lemac’s anxious thoughts flooded Dgor’s brain. Closing his eyes he rubbed his worried brow. She’ll get eaten alive. “Fuck!” Reo yelled quite loudly. “The pirating cartels sell babies there!” Merse said nothing. He merely lunged at Tocol, but Lemac intervened, followed by Dgor who subdued the irate Sh’em. “It will do us no good to attack the Captain,” Dgor reasoned with Merse. “We won’t be able to retrieve our She’manas if we’re locked in the brig.” Tocol never flinched, allowing his sentry--his good friends to vent their anger. He had no intention of throwing any of them in the brig, even if one of them did have the audacity to strike him. Watching Merse and seeing that his tension eased, Tocol strolled toward his desk, leaning against its edge. He picked up the compusheet that was lying on top and tapped on the screen. “You all underestimate me.” “Meaning?” Lemac asked as he and Dgor released Merse. “Do you think I would’ve let the probe ship carry your women into a less than reputable part of the galaxy?” Dgor grinned, understanding dawning. Tocol may have been unable to prevent their mates from leaving, but he would never allow them to risk their safety. Family was important to Tocol and he would swear to protect all that he loved and all that his friends loved, as well. The man was that dedicated. “You have one of our star jets following them.” “Not one of ours. Chief Loyal, Rjant ot Pel’r has a regiment on the perimeter. He was more than willing to throw interference.” Tocol answered. “He’s reported that for whatever reason, however, the Probe Commander redirected her course and they are now heading for safe territory…Angard. Their estimated time of arrival is…” Tocol checked the data on the compusheet. “Eight dials and twenty mins. Our estimated time of arrival to way station is fourteen dials and forty mins.”

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“You can’t mean to keep us onboard until then?” Now Lemac was beginning to become irritated--and restless, as well. He and Dgor were impatient to chase their mate. There was no doubt Reo and Merse felt the same. Just as Lemac, Merse was Chief at Arms, a fighter pilot with the Allegiance and an experienced galactic navigator. Both men were aware of the quickest routes to anywhere in the CalyTron Galaxy and to many places beyond, as well. They knew they could catch their She’manas easily with the speed-efficient starfigher craft on board. “I ordered inspections on your vessels at the moment the Probe Commander’s ship departed.” Tocol was already well aware that these Sh’em weren’t going to sit quietly while their mates fled them. “They’ve been cleared to launch.” Dgor nodded appreciatively at Tocol and then slapped the back of his hand against Lemac’s chest. “Let’s go.” **** “Son-of-a-bitch Karen,” Bart dabbed a cloth at the blood trickling from her nose. She was still panic-dazed, unable to move and breathing rapidly. “Take a deep breath, woman. You’re hyperventilating.” “Wow, you really weren’t kidding about that sensory stuff were you?” Jillia stood just behind Bart hands on hips and watching him attend to Karen. Abruptly, she turned to Syrat. “And you. It would’ve been nice to know you were about to go into labor.” Karen’s gaze shifted from Bart to Jillia and then to Syrat. Labor? That reorganized her senses. “Labor?” With a heavy intake of air, Karen sat up straighter, noticing her harness had been undone. There was a wet, cold cloth on her forehead that immediately dropped into her lap with the movement. She stared at it for a moment before picking it up and then brushing at the moist spot it left behind. Her attention returned to Syrat. “You’re going to have that baby, now?” she mumbled from behind the cloth Bart held to her nose. “Well, not right this min,” Syrat returned casually. “My laboring has started, but I won’t give birth until late eve on the morrow.” Jillia harrumphed. “And that’s why I’ve changed course for Angard.” Returning to her pilot’s seat, Jillia plopped into it and began fidgeting with the control panel in front of her. “You’re done bleeding.” Bart lowered the cloth from Karen’s nose and examined it before looking at her face. “Does your nose do that when you’re scared?” “It only does that when I’m feeling extreme anxiety because of sensory overload.” Karen answered as she turned her attention to Syrat. “So I take it we’re no longer running?” “Oh, we’re still running.” Syrat grinned as she rubbed her belly. “We’re just doing it on Terta Minor.” Karen glowered at her. “I don’t get it, Syrat.” Syrat opened her mouth to respond, but instead she grimaced as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Oh, no you don’t,” Jillia warned as she watched Syrat breathe through a labor pain. “You just better keep that thing inside of you until we’re safely on Angard. I’m not delivering any babies.” “Hey I might give it go.” Bart smirked. “Anybody got a baseball mitt?” “What’s a baseball mitt?” Syrat asked.

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“Nothing, never mind.” Karen scowled at Bart before returning her attention to Syrat. “I’m still not getting this need of yours to run.” “I’m nesting.” “You said that before.” Karen looked at her with confusion. “Isn’t nesting when you start cleaning the house and preparing the baby’s room and stuff like that?” “You mean domestic things?” Syrat seemed appalled at Karen’s question. “Uh, yeah.” Laughter filled the cockpit. “That’s completely strange Karen ot Whitaker. Is that how women do it on your earth?” “I believe so,” Karen answered. “Well it’s in the nature of Tertani women…” “Okay, okay,” Karen held up both hands. “To flee. I get it.” “Yes, but truthfully it is in a way doing those domestic things you mentioned.” Syrat returned. “Our nesting means we hunt and gather in preparation for the baby’s coming.” “Weird,” Bart mumbled. “You haven’t seen anything weird yet, honey.” Jillia chucked Bart’s cheek with her fingers and that dreamy half-cocked expression that made Karen want to puke, began spreading across his face. “Geez,” Karen shook her head. “He’s besotted.” “Naw, just horny,” Bart returned and Jillia snorted. “Some things never changed.” Slumping in her seat, Karen glanced over to where Syrat was sitting. She was humming softly and caressing her stomach, but her right foot was tapping nervously on the floor, belying what would otherwise appear a quiet scene. “And here they come,” Jillia said while staring at a monitor in front of her. “Who?” Syrat stood straight up, staring intensely in Jillia’s direction. Her underlying nervousness suddenly blossomed and she began to pace. “Two starfighters,” Jillia answered. “They’ve identified themselves as Tertani from the Cosmic Springer.” “Our Sh’em.” Syrat’s grin was filled with delight, but there was also mischief in her eyes. “Out run them.” “What!” Jillia and Karen said simultaneously. “Oh, this is going to be fun.” Bart rubbed his hands together as he settled back into his seat. “Oh, no it’s not!” Karen objected as she watched Bart strap into his harness. “Merse ot Syrat requests visual contact,” Bart said to Jillia. “Granted,” Jillia returned. “We have visuals!” Bart activated a switch on the console and then glanced over his shoulder toward Karen. “I’m learning to fly this hot rod.” Karen glanced at Syrat to catch her reaction to seeing her Sh’em as they appeared on the imager in front of them. Syrat was smiling, and her eyes seemed to be admiring them, yet they still held the mischief that Karen had seen in them before they departed the Cosmic Springer. This is Chief Lemac ot Karen of the Intergalactic Allegiance. I’m requesting visual contact. An arousing shudder tickled its way up Karen’s spine when she heard Lemac’s commanding voice and the way announced himself as her mate. Without even guessing she knew that Dgor was with him, too, and it occurred to her that she was anxious to see them.

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Jillia nodded. “Split the image.” As the image of Syrat’s Sh’em narrowed, Karen watched as Lemac and Dgor appeared in the cockpit’s window. The sight of her Sh’em nearly knocked her off of her feet. They looked fabulous, both in their Tertian uniforms, their expressions filled with determination as they caught sight of her. It was apparent that if they could, Lemac and Dgor would’ve pounced through that imaging screen and directly onto her with the way their eyes were meandering all over her body at the moment. The wetness that was seeping between Karen’s legs was a sure indication she wanted them, too. She felt the craving to have them touching her, licking her breasts, playing at her pussy with their fingers. Karen wanted them all over her, around her, inside of her. “Do you see what running does to them?” Syrat stood beside her now speaking low into Karen’s ear. “They look positively predatory.” “We request permission to interface our vessel with yours.” Dgor was speaking to Jillia, but when he was finished his gaze flicked back to Karen. Her body heated at the hungry lust in his eyes that reflected the same fervent look Lemac was giving her. She could almost feel them caressing her flesh, penetrating her. Perhaps running wasn’t such a bad idea. “Deny the request,” Syrat said and then smirked at Karen who turned to frown at her. “Syrat!” Merse yelled. “I heard that. And you will get your ass back to us where you belong.” The only response Syrat offered was a snort as she sat down into her seat and fastened her harness. “Opening the interlocking compartment,” Jillia told Dgor. She then spoke to Syrat. “I repeat. I am not going to try and outrun an Allegiance starfighter.” “External view,” Bart said. The screen faded to be replaced by a view of outer space. In the middle of it there were two craft that were shaped very similar to the Air Force’s stealth fighters. They were black like them too. On of them was moving closer and as it did Jillia began moving the probe ship and operating controls on the console. There was a series of hums and something was shifting. “What’s the matter Probe Commander?” Syrat goaded. “Not up for the challenge?” “Begin docking maneuvers,” Jillia lifted a cocky brow at Syrat. As for Karen, she only half-listened to Syrat’s taunting, instead focusing on the imager and watching with fascination as the starship proceeded to dock with them. “This vessel is probably a piece of crap.” Syrat surveyed the cockpit area. “You’re right. It will probably break apart if you even try to go half the speed of the starfighter.” “Contact in five mins.” Jillia narrowed her eyes at Syrat. “I could outrun them if I wanted to, but I don’t intend to do that.” “Would you do it for sixteen thousand credics?” “Damn it Syrat!” Merse’s voice came over the commlink. Apparently he’d heard her offer. “Are you nesting?” “Yup,” she answered. The sounds of men cursing could be heard in the background, not by just her other Sh’em Reo, but Dgor and Lemac, as well. Uh oh. Karen sat down in her seat and latched her harness. The way the men reacted concordantly told her they understood something about a pregnant Tertani female that she was only beginning to comprehend. Her inner senses advised her to strap in.

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“How much money is that?” Bart asked. “It’s the equivalent of fifty thousand earth dollars.” Jillia answered. “Oh crap.” Karen mumbled. The enthusiasm on Jillia’s face told her that Syrat had struck a cord by offering money. “You have access to that amount?” Jillia asked Syrat and then spoke to the ship that was ready to dock with them. “Contact in four mins.” Syrat flashed a boastful grin. “I’m loaded.” “Yeah baby!” Bart buckled in. “Accelerating!” Jillia was buckled into her seat before anyone could blink and the probe ship flipped ninety degrees. “You’d better not being lying to me about that lady!” “Son-of-bitch!” Karen’s fingers dug into the armrest of her seat as they began speeding through space and what felt like time, too. Syrat was laughing. Their Sh’em’s cursing voices faded. Stars were whizzing by them and it was too much for Karen to take in so she closed her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing so she wouldn’t pass out again. “Their closing in!” Bart yelled. “No, they’re not.” Jillia returned. For several lengthy moments, there was little conversation in the probe ship’s cockpit, other than Jillia and Bart mumbling things to each other. And then something odd occurred to Karen. She assumed that because they were fleeing from hers and Syrat’s Sh’em that the ship was making quick maneuvers, but she couldn’t detect any movement. Odd. With the thought of how fast they were moving her senses should be screeching into overdrive, but they weren’t. Karen’s entire body began to relax. “Why can’t I feel this?” “You’re in outer space,” Jillia began to explained. “The gravity is contained within the ship and therefore remains where it should be, below your body.” “Wow.” Karen was amazed. “So my equilibrium won’t be thrown off.” “That’s correct.” “Then why did I feel the acceleration when we left the Cosmic Springer?” “Because we were moving laterally and away from the gravity pull of the starship. The same thing would’ve happened as we pulled away from the stronger gravity of a planet or way station, as well.” Jillia grinned at her. “But if you had stayed conscious long enough you would’ve have realized the sensation passes quickly once we leave the platform and the gravity inside of this ship adjust.” “The only thing you need to accommodate to…,” Bart began to say when Karen opened her eyes. “Oh god!” Her stomach flipped as the stars on the other side of the window seemed to spin and shift to and fro. Karen’s eyes squeezed shut again. “As I was saying…,” Bart began again but interrupted his own train of thought as he stared at the wrenched expression on her face. “Geez, Karen that must suck.” “You only have to get used the visuals,” Jillia finished for him. Karen’s lids lifted and she stared at the floor. “Yeah, I happened to notice that. I never did like those three-d, cinema one-eighty, virtual reality movies.” “This is Lemac ot Karen…” “Hell spirits!” Syrat bellowed at the sound of the voice coming from the commlink. “They found us.” “…this is Allegiance starfighter 56 Ara Rebellion. We order that you suspend progress so

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that we can come aboard for inspection.” “Like I would obey that order,” Jillia snickered. “Ah, for the love of money.” Bart threw his head to look upward, shaking it back and forth as he grinned. “Yeah, well sorry baby.” Jillia reached across and patted his knee. “I hate to burst your cosmic bubble, but those starfighers are equipped with traction beams and I’m afraid my sensors detect they are trying to detain us.” “Maneuver away from them.” Syrat’s body went rigid even with being strapped into her seat. Syrat’s determination to escape was infectious, and Karen was beginning to feel the same enthusiasm for the cat and mouse game she was playing, the thought of getting eaten in a different sort of way once her Sh’em snagged her was enticing Karen further. “But they haven’t got us yet, right? We can get away.” “I have evasive tactics I could use.” Jillia studied the data on the console in front of her. Still she began slowing the speed of the probe ship. “But I’m afraid they’ll only capture us eventually, and this chase is burning up a lot of expensive fuel.” “Not fifty thousand dollars worth,” Bart commented. “Why don’t we use that wormhole for a fast get away?” Karen rubbed at her right temple where the pressure inside was building. “What wormhole?” Jillia flashed a sideward glance in her direction. Squinting Karen could almost see the denser space swirling on the other side of the window, but had to look away because the sensations were disturbing her. “It’s over there.” She lifted her arm and pointed. “Cloaked,” Jillia murmured. “Damn things are all over the place.” Bart rubbed his hands together. “Looks like forty-five degrees starboard to me.” Jillia fidgeted with the controls, preparing the ship for acceleration. “Get ready.” Syrat pulled at her harness to check that is was secure. Karen closed her eyes. “Go baby!” She heard Bart say, and assumed they were racing through the galaxy. “Won’t they follow us in?” Karen asked. “I’ve set the wormhole’s coordinates,” Jillia answered her. “I’m luring the starfighters away and then swinging back so they won’t see we’ve entered it.” “This is so much fun!” Syrat said excitedly. “O-o-h!” The pained cry caused Karen’s eyes to bolt open and snap in Syrat’s direction. She was holding her belly. “Shit.” “Success!” Jillia gave Bart a high-five. “Now I have to figure out where in blazing hellfires we are. And what are you shouting about back there?” “Oh!” Syrat yelled again causing Bart and Jillia to turn their heads. They then turned and exchanged glances. “Shit!” came from their mouths in unison. Karen glowered at her. “Please tell me you’re not about to have that baby.” “What? Oh.” Syrat laughed. “The baby isn’t due for dials.” “Hot damn!” Jillia exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention. “I can’t believe they haven’t discovered this wormhole. It’s so close.” “Who?” Bart asked. The smile on Jillia’s lips held an affect of triumph. “The Allegiance. We’re only a quarter dial away from Angard.” She waggled a finger at

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Chapter Thirty One “What the fuck!” Reo’s voice resonated loud through the commlink ear pieces Dgor and Lemac wore. “Beats the hell spirits out of me.” Lemac hurriedly analyzed the data he was receiving from the vessel’s computer. “I have no idea where they went.” Dgor studied the information and then pointed. “We lost tracking of them here.” “I know Karen is upset with us at the moment…” Lemac adjusted his crotch. “But her fleeing from us is making me so fucking hard right now.” “At least you’ll likely be lucky enough to give her a tumble.” Merse’s voice emitted from the commlink. “Ours is nesting. We won’t be able to tumble Syrat for quite a few septdawnings.” I said that out loud didn’t I? Lemac frowned as Dgor nodded at him. “You weren’t supposed to hear that, brother.” “Like it’s something we didn’t know.” Merse returned and then paused. Mumbling could be heard as he and Reo conversed. “We’re attempting to contact any other vessels in the area that may have encountered them.” Dgor wrinkled a pensive brow. “There’s no way that probe ship could’ve out run a couple of Allegiance starfighers.” A sound signaled in his ear. There was another incoming transmission so he checked the communications panel to identify the caller. Still connected with Merse and Reo’s ship, Lemac trained on Dgor’s thoughts and within moments they were exchanging grins. “Angard,” Lemac said aloud for the benefit of Merse and Reo. “We just received the same message,” Merse answered. “But how in sucking black holes did they get there so fast?” Are you thinking what I’m thinking, brethren? Dgor channeled to Lemac. I’m always thinking what you’re thinking, brethren. Lemac then spoke to their partner starfigher. “Not a black hole Merse. A wormhole…cloaked.” “Perfect,” Reo returned this time. “I like the idea of pursuing our mates on familiar ground. Let’s find that wormhole and go home.” Does she realize how insanely aroused we’re going to get if we’re forced to go prowling after her when we get home? Lemac flashed a wicked grin as he thought about that. I’m more concerned about her forgiveness, Dgor answered, though he wholeheartedly agreed with his brethren’s train of thought. They were both quite sure Karen would be roaming the forests if Syrat had her way. The She’mana ot Merse and Reo was a woman who had an affinity with taking flight. Particularly when she was nesting. Syrat would no doubt encourage their She’mana to accompany her and he truly believed that though Karen was an earthling, she was spiritually chosen for them and therefore would behave as any Tertani mate. Dgor and Lemac were only beginning to understand the incredible sexual urges that drove Tertani Sh’em to pursuit when their female decided to run from them. The excitement they both felt was staggering and nearly intolerable, the drive to seek her impossible to negate.

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Momentarily Dgor stared at Lemac. His cock pulsated as he shared images of their woman in the throes of passion, his tongue lapping at her pussy while watching his brethren palming her breasts and kissing her mouth. Their She’mana was a beautiful woman, sensual and soft, kind and caring. Intelligent. Dgor inhaled slowly as if to be taking in her essence. Her sense of humor… Lemac smiled with appreciation at how Karen made him laugh. I’m in love with her. His gaze met Dgor’s, who mirrored the sentiment. They were madly in love with her. And not giving her their trust on the bridge of the Cosmic Springer, seeing the pain on her lovely face was crushing their hearts. They thought it impossible to hurt the woman they loved? How wrong and how remorseful they were. “We’ve got a lock on it.” Merse’s voice through the commlink interrupted their thoughts. “It’s a cloaked shifter, Category A.” “Hmm, makes sense to me now,” Lemac returned. The wormhole Merse spoke of was a type that had a tendency to shrink and repel away from any energy coming toward it. Pinpoint accuracy and a quick maneuver were needed to open it. Thinking about Karen, Dgor smiled appreciatively. “They’re almost impossible to detect unless…” “…you have a special gift as our Karen does.” Lemac thumped Dgor’s shoulder with the back of his hand before tugging at the harness strapping him to the pilot’s seat. “Let’s go get our wife, brethren.” **** Karen stood on the docking platforms with Bart and Syrat waiting for Jillia to return with authorization to fly down to Terta Minor. Her attention was darting everywhere. Though they hadn’t moved beyond the checkpoints to explore the entire space station, what she’d seen so far looked like something spawned from the screen of a Star Battles movie. Angard was a fascinating place. One of the most significant functions of the way station was comparable to what border patrols did on earth, but on a much larger, highly technical scale. It was a major part of the security sanctions the Allegiance had in place to not only impede illegal trafficking, but also to prevent the spread of undesirable diseases, most particularly Brits Scorn which was already threatening the future of CalyTron. All space craft were required by the ISDS to dock for inspection and biological scanning on Angard. Otherwise they were forbidden to enter the Third Ward in CalyTron. The security operation in and of itself was phenomenal. But it was the people--and Karen thought of the word people loosely--that were drawing her attention now. For the whole of the two hours it took to pass through security on the station Karen had seen a hodgepodge of alien beings. Though skin colors varied to great spectral degrees, most appeared human enough, two arms, two legs--well some did have four, but for the most part they weren’t physically much different from earthlings. In fact, some of the beings were identical to earthlings. Take the Dormothians for instance. Side by side it would be impossible to tell an earth human and a Dormothian apart. It was the less than human creatures, however, that nearly had Karen’s eyeballs popping out and rolling onto the floor. There were the Junparians with their tube-like bodies that curved in an S-shape and shifted side to side as they walked. Karen was amazed that when they stretched upward they were nearly ten feet tall. She laughed when Syrat said they slithered on the

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ground too, that is until she watched one scamper on all fours down one of the hallways like a lizard on the loose. And then there were the two beings she was gawking at now. They were absolutely bizarre. “Trypolu,” Syrat leaned in and whispered into Karen’s ear. She then pressed an index finger against her own lips. “They have exceptional hearing so sh-h-h.” Karen nodded as she attempted to discreetly inspect the pair. They actually had eyes in the back of their big bald skulls--big, round yellow eyes that resembled an owl’s glare. There were eyes in the front of their heads also. With a smirk, Karen thought about the mothers back on earth who woefully proclaimed they needed eyes in the back of their heads to keep up with their children. Now wouldn’t those come in handy? Trypolu children must really have a hard time getting away with anything. Then again, Karen didn’t know what a Trypolu family unit was like. Maybe they shoved their young-uns out of the nest at a certain age. They looked like birds after all. Their lips came to a point and did nearly resemble a bird’s beak, though they were still essentially lips not beaks-black-colored lips. Their hair appeared feathery too, and they had talon-like fingernails that were at least four inches long. One of them was tapping away at some kind of hand-held electronic beeping thing, and Karen was amazed at the adeptness with which he--she-manipulated the object with the tips of those sharpened claws. It reminded Karen of Liddy Meyer. She was one of the secretaries at Westbrook Pharmaceuticals who typed amazingly fast using the tips of her one inch long, pink-polished fingernails. Karen didn’t remember ever noticing a broken one. Karen frowned as thoughts of home seeped into her mind, her mother foremost in her thoughts. Did the internationally known, billionaire socialite, Janice Elizabeth Christina LidellWhitaker even know that her daughter had disappeared yet? Did she even care? Westbrook might have notified her parents when Karen didn’t show up for work after a few days, so it was likely her parents were aware by now that Karen was gone and a police report filed. And of course there would be a publicly announced world-wide mega-reward, perhaps a couple million dollars that led to her whereabouts. Her parent’s loathed it when one of their possessions was tampered with. An unexpected lump billowed in Karen’s throat and her sarcastic attitude toward her parents disintegrated. She swallowed as grief caused her chest to tighten. When Jen had died her mother had flown home from Belize immediately to offer emotional support and comfort, staying in Karen’s apartment for three weeks without uttering one negative comment about how tiny the place was, even though by most people’s standards it wasn’t all that tiny. Her mother really did love her despite being self-absorbed, otherwise she wouldn’t have cut short her holiday to come to Karen’s side, right? Karen’s eyes watered. Come to think about it, despite the fact her mother’s phone calls and visits home were few and far between, she was actually always there when Karen needed her. Like the time when she was eight years old and her tonsils had to come out. Her mother had flown home from Venice. She didn’t get there until Karen was discharged from the hospital, but she did get there nonetheless, popsicles in hand. And when Jen’s life support was disconnected, Karen’s mother was by her side as they listened in mournful silence when the heart monitor flat-lined. At the wake, Frederick, Jen’s fiancée lost it and verbally attacked Karen, blaming her for Jen’s death. He was yelling loudly and Karen was crying, but her mother’s maternal instincts must’ve kicked

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in because she got right into his face defending Karen like a post-partum feline protecting her young. The only problem was Karen blamed herself for Jen’s death. But Karen realized it was time to find closure--to make peace with the guilt she’d lived with for the past several years. Caw! Karen jumped, the high-pitched noise that rent the air startling her from her thoughts. It was the Trypolu. One of them appeared to be laughing, the bird-like squawk spewing from his mouth. Caw! “I’ll be damned,” Bart said. Apparently he, too, was watching the alien birdmen. “That is really, really strange,” Karen commented. Yet her inquisitive nature had her wondering if the Trypolu actually did evolve from some ancient bird on their planet. It would be interesting research, she was thinking just as an oncoming whirring sound caused Karen to duck. “You’re going to get yourself arrested,” Bart teased her. “And here it comes.” Karen scowled at him. “I can’t help it.” Another hover patroller had just whizzed through the air above her head. Her evasive reaction registered on the orb--again, causing suspicion, and the robotic device abruptly changed direction and returned to float in front of her face. Karen straightened, and as per regulation she stared into the large convex diaphragm that pulsated beneath the Smokey glass-like orb. A bluish beam of light tunneled into her eyes. She listened to the series of clicks and high-pitched beeps as the device scanned her irises. At least Karen knew what to do this time. The flying security orbs were making her nervous and the first time one buzzed across the top of her coming so close she felt a breeze on her scalp, Karen shrieked, covered her head, and ducked. With all of the noise, the murmurs, activity and what-not going on, Jillia and Syrat didn’t notice immediately, and when Karen refused to look at the thing--apparently it was ordering her to do so, an alarm began blaring from within its rounded structure. Golden lights began to spark from it, and before Karen knew what was happening, five more of the hover patrollers had surrounded her. How was she to know what the damn thing was saying? She didn’t speak Allegiance Proper. It was Jillia who came to her rescue, thank god. And luckily Lemac and Dgor had already transmitted her personal and biological information to Angard otherwise she might’ve been detained and interrogated. That really would’ve sucked. The whole incident passed but not before Karen drew the attention of every humanoid within hearing and seeing distance. Of course all were staring at her. How embarrassing! And creepy since many of the eyes trained on her were attached to heads and bodies that reminded Karen of a few really frightening nightmares she’d had as a child. Several shudders rippled through her body at the thought. “Are you done yet?” Karen stared at the patroller that was now identifying her. The equivalent of a huh? sound emerged from its little, mechanical throat. Apparently he didn’t understand plain English. Karen stuck her tongue out at it and the orb responded with robotic chuckle at the gesture. Determining she was no threat it ascended and drifted on its way. “So.” Karen turned to Syrat, her eyes stalling on a small, yellow-furred creature hunching its way along the floor like a giant inch worm. She did a double take and furled her brow when the creature yipped a sound, her attention lingering. Where was its mouth? “How many residents live here?” “Four thousand.” Syrat’s answered.

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“Fantastic!” Bart rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. “Four thousand people on a huge space complex with all the conveniences of a small city. Man, I would love to check the place out.” “Is that…” Karen’s interest was still on the wormy critter. It appeared to be sniffing something on the floor. “…intelligent life?” “No it’s a sulpre.” Syrat snorted as she trained her eyes on the object of Karen’s focus. “A pet. They’re dumb little shit heads. See what that one is doing? It’s licking up something from the floor that will probably cause is to vomit.” Sure enough, the sulpre wheezed and then convulsed. Something similar to a slimy hairball plopped from the end that Karen assumed housed its mouth. She heaved slightly when the creature appeared to be sniffing the wad it upchucked before sucking it back from where it came from. “That was gross.” Karen commented. “As I said, stupid little…” Syrat paused. A strained grunt accompanied by a wince, slipped from her mouth and she pressed a palm to her belly, holding the position for several seconds before relaxing as the contraction subsided. Karen observed her. She knew the delivery time was nearing and was so damn thankful to be in a sophisticated--yeah. Her mouth twisted dubiously as she regarded the eclectic mix of living creatures mulling around the area. “Civilization,” Karen murmured. She never dreamed tamed society would ever look like this. Well anyway, she was glad she wouldn’t have to attempt to deliver Syrat’s baby. “We’ve got clearance for take off, let’s go.” Jillia beckoned the three of them as she turned to head toward the ship. She smacked Bart on the ass as she passed him. He responded with his typical goofy grin and puppy following routine. “Ka!” Syrat laughed. “Just in time!” Syrat’s attention was drawn to the opposite end of the platform and Karen followed the line of her gaze. The starfighters Lemac and Dgor were flying, along with the other one carrying Syrat’s Sh’em, were side by side in the docking bays. Karen’s attention lingered on the hatch to one of the vessels but when it didn’t open right away she looked at the other one. Merse and Reo were disembarking. They spotted Syrat immediately and their eyes locked on her. Syrat waved. Merse and Reo started forward and Syrat laughed again. She knew there was nothing her Sh’em could do to stop her. In fact, they couldn’t even reach her because they were stuck on the other side of the transparent partition where arrivals awaited inpections and scanning. Apparently Reo and Merse knew it, too, because they began to spew what appeared to be a string of curses, though Karen couldn’t hear what they were saying. She had a feeling, however, they were warning Syrat to keep her ass in place. Syrat of course, just as before, wasn’t about to listen. Instead she sauntered toward Jillia’s probe ship, said butt swaggering. The provoking smirk she gave them spoke volumes about the mischief Syrat intended. The woman was definitely trouble, though Karen was beginning to understand the natural tendency of Tertani males to become aroused by their female’s fleeing. Despite being irritated by Syrat’s behavior, the lust that flamed in Merse and Reo’s eyes when Syrat strutted away from them was keenly apparent. It had Karen wondering just how aroused her own Sh’em would become if she were to flee them. Actually, she was doing exactly that at the moment. The

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thought had Karen shifting her gaze to the other Tertian starfighter once more. Lemac and Dgor were stepping onto the platform and sure enough their attention was riveted directly on her. She felt their heated gaze on her before she even had a chance to look at them fully. “Karen.” Syrat was beckoning her with a wave of her palm. “Let’s go before our Sh’em are cleared through security and able to progress to this side.” Karen ignored her. Her heart was too busy bouncing all over her chest to think beyond what she was seeing. Lemac and Dgor looked fabulous in their Tertian uniforms, all male and brawn and sexier than she’d ever seen them. They were hers, both of them and she loved them with a passion she’d never felt before. Until now, Karen hadn’t realized just how much she loved Lemac and Dgor. They were her companions, her lovers, her friends. She trusted them implicitly with, her heart, her senses... Her life. And with that revelation Karen forgave her Sh’em. What happened on the bridge of the Cosmic Springer no longer mattered. They had done what they had to do. They had done their jobs, and she respected them for that. As a scientist, without proof, Karen would’ve made the exact same decision. Karen’s eyelids lowered as excitement seized her. At the moment it was her body that wanted to give over that trust. The thought of their hard bodies stretching all over her naked form had Karen yearning for their touch, shivering for the caress of their hands all over her, their lips kissing her mouth, sucking at her breasts, licking at her sex. Oh…to be filled by them, to feel their stiffened cocks passionately dueling to slip inside of her vagina. Moisture seeped between her legs. She could nearly feel the gentle pressure from Dgor’s hips rotating, pressing, stimulating her clitoris, his hard shaft stirring inside as she clamped down and rubbed her muff on him, the sensation surging toward orgasm. A quick breath of air escaped Karen’s lungs. Her feminine muscles began to spasm, she lifted her gaze to focus on Lemac. Her breathing accelerated to soft rhythmic pants as she watched him descend the ramp leading from their starfigher to the main platform area. Karen’s body began to thrum. Her nipples peaked with thoughts of his tongue lapping them while his hands tenderly fondling them. The warmth of his flesh, of Dgor’s flesh, the exquisite quivering of arousal as they both tangled around her, tucked her body between them, made love to her, had Karen aching for them to come and get her. As if he heard her thoughts, Lemac stepped closer and then halted. Dgor came up beside him. It was then she saw it. Their bodies shifted in a manner that only Karen understood. She knew them well enough to interpret the subtle movements. Dgor rolled his shoulders as if attempting to gain control. His nostrils flared. Lemac arched his back slightly, the movement causing his pelvis to rock so tenuously it was likely no one noticed. But Karen saw it. And she also noticed the change in his eyes. They were absolutely smoldering. The Tertian male instinct was kicking in. As they saw it, their mate was fleeing from them, and it was making them wild. It was feeding Karen’s own arousal too. Hmm…Maybe there was something in this prey and prowler worth considering. The response from her Sh’em was unmistakable and keenly apparent in the erotic blend of their scents now infusing the air around her despite being on opposite sides of the security wall. And their eyes--the gold that rimmed their sensually blue irises sparkling more brightly than ever before was a telltale sign that they were sexually stimulated. “Don’t get any ideas about waiting for them!” Jillia stomped down the ramp leading to

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her ship’s hatch and headed in Karen’s direction. “Why not?” Karen asked without looking away from her mates. “Because security measures for changing a ship’s passenger docket would delay us longer than I’m willing to stay. You are getting on this ship if I have to hog tie you and carry you aboard myself.” Karen was too focused on her mates to respond. Through the partition that separated them, Dgor and Lemac laid incredibly intense gaze on her. And what she saw as they gazed at her was deeper than lust, more profound than mere desire. She could sense it, feel it rolling through her, the affinity of the emotion upon her was so strong it nearly paralyzed her. Her gaze locked on Dgor first, and there was no mistaking the soundless words that formed on his lips. I love you. Karen’s breathing hitch and all else around her became null, as her attention slipped to Lemac who nodded as he smiled. It was a warm smile that reflected exactly what Dgor was saying. Evala'luso, he mouthed, maybe even said aloud though Karen couldn’t hear his voice over the noisy atmosphere. He pressed a palm to his chest over the area of his heart. They loved her. Karen felt the impact of their emotions straight to her bones, and she nearly wilted on the spot--would’ve if Jillia hadn’t snatched her by the wrist. “No, you don’t.” Jillia tugged at her. “We are out of here.” Karen smiled warmly at Dgor and Lemac, but the passion of love that passed between them was shattered by Syrat’s high pitched wail, the sound so loud that several heads turned toward Jillia’s ship seeking the source of distress. Reo and Merse reacted almost violently. Both darted forward and Karen was convinced they would’ve torn through the wall if Lemac and Dgor hadn’t stepped in front of them, Dgor’s palm landing firmly to Reo’s chest and Lemac grasping Merse’s upper arm. A few choice words were exchanged, which seemed to calm Syrat’s Sh’em a bit. Lemac then glanced over his shoulder at her. It was followed with the same by Dgor. “You can let go, Jillia. I’m coming with you.” Karen’s sight remained trained on her Sh’em as she tugged free of Jillia’s grasp. She smirked mischievously as she turned to walk toward the probe ship, catching the heated lust that ignited in her Sh’em’s eyes as she moved further from them. They would pursue her. If she evaded them long enough, they would become more determined to capture her, and when they did, they would ravage her. The thought was tantalizing. Karen had already experienced their ravaging before and absolutely loved it. Karen’s mood turned serious as she ascended the ramp to the ship. No longer was she looking at Dgor and Lemac but was instead focused straight ahead. She had to depart the way station without them. It was for a more important reason than being pursued by her mates, however. Syrat, was determined to flee, and Karen felt responsible for her. It wasn’t just because she was fond of the Tertani woman, though that was part of it. Syrat and her bubbly personality reminded her of Jen. And Syrat was pregnant. Jen had been pregnant. And it was Karen’s fault her best friend and the baby she was carrying died. Syrat and her child would be safe. Come hell or high water, Karen was going to see to

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Chapter Thirty Two “This is insane, Syrat.” At first the whole idea of being hunted by her Sh’em in the same way they stalked her in the rainforest seemed exciting. Now however, Karen’s concern was increasing by leaps and bounds as she aimlessly followed a very persistent Syrat through the Terta Minor forests. Though Syrat had told her this is what she would be doing, Karen didn’t fully believe it--not at the time. She did now. Syrat groaned again for the umpteenth time in what seemed like a full hour. Her contractions were getting closer together and Karen was getting nervous. If only Merse and Reo had arrived on Angard sooner. They would have Syrat in a cozy, modern facility where she could give birth safely. “I wouldn’t have stayed at the med facility.” Syrat’s eyes twinkled with the mirth she seemed to be enjoying at Karen’s expense. “How did you know what I was thinking?” Karen glowered at her. “And what’s so funny?” “You should see the expression on your face Karen ot Whitaker.” Unconsciously, Karen lifted her fingers and touched her own face as if to feel the expression Syrat referred to. Damn it! Karen’s hand dropped. She knew exactly how she was feeling! Here the two of them were, traipsing through the planet’s forests with nothing but the clothes on their back and the little blade Syrat was carrying to cut apart things. And that was exactly what she was doing, hacking at the stalks of the plum-colored leaves so large Karen could swear they were prehistoric. Humph, at least they both had comfortable moccasin-like shoes on. “Why would you even want to give birth in the dirt?” Karen scanned the area and then reconsidered her statement. Okay maybe, just maybe the plum moss covering the ground everywhere would make a nice, soft bed. By the way Karen’s feet sunk into it as they hiked, it certainly felt plush beneath her soles. If she was braver, Karen might remove her shoes to test that theory against her bare feet, but she wasn’t quite ready for that yet. “For epochs, Tertani women have been nesting in natural surroundings.” Syrat held out the leaves she’d just cut from the branches. “Here, hold these while I gather more sundries.” Hesitating, Karen eyeballed the foliage. Nesting. Was Syrat actually intending to build a nest? No way! “What about the pain, the risks?” As if on cue, Syrat winced and grunted as another contraction began. She shoved the leaves at Karen and rasped out. “Take these please.” Karen reacted empathetically, her body becoming as tense as Syrat’s was. She stared warily at the large leaves, unsure if she even wanted to touch them. But so far nothing she’d experienced in the Terta Minor forests was offensive to her. In fact, most of the tactile sensations she’d encountered were actually pleasurable. Even the foliage that brushed against her exposed skin as they hiked along, wasn’t bothersome. It was so contrary to her typical reactions to tactile

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encounters on earth. Reaching, Karen tentatively skimmed her palm across one of leaves Syrat held. It had a velvety feel and was pleasantly appealing. Karen was really beginning to believe she could live comfortably on Terta Minor. The planet even smelled pleasant. Maybe that deep pressure from Lemac’s and Dgor’s bodies was doing the trick. The bodysuit was something she certainly didn’t seem to need anymore. Karen smiled amorously. She couldn’t wait to be writhing between her Sh’em’s hard forms once again. Mmm, to be crushed between their hot bodies while they rubbed her all over. Her eyes fell to the mossy ground as she took the plants from Syrat. How would that feel against her naked ass? Plush and pretty damn good I bet. Karen took the large leaves from Syrat and tucked them beneath her arm. Apparently the contraction had passed because Syrat turned and began her forest trek once again. Karen followed. Her mind was elsewhere however. Images of Dgor and Lemac stripping off her clothes and lowering her to that mossy, plum blanket were occupying her thoughts. She imagined Dgor spreading her legs to wedge his hips between her thighs and how exquisite his hardened shaft would feel sliding into her. Lemac would be kissing her breasts--he seemed to love doing that, and she could hear him murmuring his pleasure at doing so. Karen released a slow stream of air through puckered lips. Her nipples immediately hardened at the thought. Damn! She was getting really horny. A groan snapped Karen from her lusty thoughts, concern resurfacing as she watched Syrat grimace her way through yet another contraction. This one seemed harder than the last, the way Syrat wrapped her belly with her arms being a good indication of that. And she was doubled over. The delivery time was coming close and Karen had no idea what the hell to do if the baby came before Dgor arrived to deliver it. They had no medical supplies, no communication devices to call for help…shit. “Syrat, you didn’t answer my question.” “What question?” Syrat panted out from her half bent position. When the contraction passed, she exhaled slowly through puckered lips and then stood upright. She then began to examine a large bunch of long palmate branches as if nothing else was happening. Karen stared at her silently. But then she remembered the question Karen asked. “Oh … the pain. I’ve endured it before. I’ll endure it again. Tertani women are accustomed to it,” Syrat answered nonchalantly as she sawed through the plants with her blade until she acquired a significant tuft of them. “And eventually the massive bleeding subsides” Karen felt the color drain from her face. Massive bleeding? Her feet stopped moving. Opening her mouth she attempted to speak but nothing would come out. “I’m joking.” Syrat laughed at the look of horror on Karen’s face. “There are herbal plants here in the forests that are harmless to my baby but will ease my pains. And massive bleeding is a complication not the norm.” Karen blinked several times, her stomach still flipping uneasily, before realizing Syrat was teasing her. And then it sank in. “Lord almighty, Syrat! If I wasn’t so concerned about your safety I’d choke the living daylights out of you for scaring me like that!” “I can’t help myself,” Syrat snorted. “You’re so gullible.” “Hey, I am not gullible.” Standing akimbo and frowning, Karen protested. “I’m just unfamiliar with all of the Tertian traditions.” Syrat tilted her head. “True, but I’m still having fun with you.” Karen couldn’t help but smirk. It was friendly teasing and she understood that. Jen used to lightheartedly tease her like that. A wrenching in Karen’s chest sobered her, and she closed her eyes.

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Noticing the change in Karen’s mood, Syrat pressed her palm to Karen’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” “Just thinking about a friend of mine who died.” Karen opened her eyes. “You remind me of her.” “Well I’m your friend for life, Karen.” Syrat slipped her knife into a small sheath clipped to the waist of her skirt. She then smiled warmly at Karen before piling the branches she’d just cut into Karen’s arms. She then turned away and began walking again. “I’m also your sister by law. Tertani’s are very loyal to their family and friends. You’ll soon see that.” “Many earthlings are, too,” Karen commented as she jerked her head aside to avoid a springing branch from a bush that Syrat just brushed by. “You were loyal to this friend.” Syrat had stopped walking and was now looking at her. “I can see the sadness of losing her in your eyes.” Karen nodded but said nothing more. She hadn’t discussed Jen’s death with anyone. Not her mother or her acquaintances or the psychiatrists she’d seen--no one. Her anguish about it had always been suffered in silence. At times she buried her memories deep and was able to forget for awhile. But with all of the events unfolding in Karen’s life lately, thoughts of Jen had been lodged continuously in the forefront of her mind. Even still, Karen was unsure if she could speak about it out loud. “So,” she began in an attempt to divert the discussion. “What do you plan on doing with all of these plants?” “I’m nesting,” Syrat answered without glancing back. “Oh, yeah, silly me.” Karen wrinkled a sarcastic brow. “That explains it much more clearly.” Syrat chuckled quietly but otherwise said nothing. They hiked in silence for awhile, eventually reaching what appeared to be a wall made of hanging vines. Tipping her head upward Karen searched for their origin of the deep red curtain draping the trail. They seemed to be growing from a thick branch extending from an enormous tree. “It’s ancient.” Syrat flattened her palms against the trunk, leaning into it and gazing up at the tree as if it were a well-adored lover. “We regard the rigas with reverence. They’re the oldest of trees on the planet. They don’t reproduce, so far as we know and there’s been no record of one ever dying either.” Karen examined the riga with awe. It was just as large, perhaps even larger than a redwood, except its bark was more of a burgundy color, and it’s rounded leaves a plum. “An immortal tree.” “So far.” Syrat pushed away from the trunk and began running her fingers along the hanging vines. “Its eternal existence seems to be symbiotic with these sali plants, which do reproduce and die.” Reaching, Karen, too, ran her fingers along the two inch thick strands before gently pinching one between her fingers and thumb. It had tepidly damp and cushioned feel, sort of like a warm sponge. “The rigas are always found near the forest gardens.” Syrat swept the vine drapery aside and stepped through them. Karen followed, and what met her gaze was absolutely beautiful. It was an oasis of color, staged in the middle of the deep tones of the plum forest. Flowers and leafy plants of silver and pinks, lavender and various hues of blues sprouted everywhere from the mossy terrace. A small waterfall of the champagne pink taw tumbled softly into a humble brook that stretched through

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the center of it. The wispy sound of the streaming liquid and the scents of the botanicals were subtle and soothingly pleasurable. “Wow,” was all Karen managed to say for the moment as she strolled toward the stream. She knelt down, placed the leaves she had tucked under her arm onto the ground beside her and then dipped her hand into taw. Swallowing, Karen realized her throat was incredibly parched. “Is this drinkable?” “Absolutely.” Joining Karen, Syrat knelt down next to her. She cupped her hands, scooped the taw into them and then drank. With a single, curved palm, Karen did the same a couple of times before wiping her hand on her pant leg to dry it. She loved taw. The effervescence properties of the liquid stimulated the inside of her mouth, just like a mouthwash would, but without the sharp bite of antiseptic. It had a crisp taste and was amazingly refreshing. “Tertani believe the divinities honor the rigas and that laboring in the presence of such a great arbor blesses offspring with a lengthy and healthy life.” Syrat sat back on her haunches once she was done drinking. “This is a lovely place to have a child.” Karen admired her surroundings. She was beginning to reconsider her thoughts about giving birth in sterile, clinical surroundings. Giving birth. Her insides warmed at the idea. “O-h-h-h!” On second thought… “Oh crap.” Karen grimaced. Syrat had rolled to her side and was curled into a ball. Another contraction was striking. “What do you need me to do?” “Fuck you!” Syrat spat. “Ok-a-y-y,” There really wasn’t much Karen could do, not that she would know how to do it. So she just sat there and waited for Syrat to calm down. “But you might want to wait until the contraction passes.” Silence followed the comment. And when what Karen had said started to sink in, Syrat started to laugh. Pushing herself to a sit and crossing her legs, and still chuckling she reached around Karen and dragged the palmates into her lap. “I wouldn’t be in this condition if I preferred to do that.” She smiled wryly and waggled her eyebrows a few times. Karen chuckled while she curiously observed what Syrat was doing with the leaves. She was weaving something. “Here,” Syrat dumped several stems in front of Karen. “You might as well learn to do this.” “What am I learning to do?” Frustration filled Karen as she attempted to copy Syrat’s pattern. The woman was deftly twining the leaves and doing it so fast Karen was lost immediately. Rightfully so. She’d never weaved anything beyond a boondoggle. “This will serve a purpose two-fold.” Holding up what she’d created so far, Syrat examined her work, pulled apart a couple of weaves and then began again. “First I’ll use it to gather the herbs I’ll need.” She rubbed her belly. “And maybe some food. I’m hungry…” Her voice trailed off and at that moment, Karen’s stomach growled. She was hungry, too. When Syrat didn’t comment further, Karen looked up. Syrat was staring with a dumbfounded expression on her face--staring at Karen’s poor excuse for a basket. Karen couldn’t blame her. What she created barely resembled anything useful--okay it didn’t resemble anything useful at

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all. It looked more like a scarecrow flattened by a tractor trailer with its crushed untucked ends sticking out everywhere. “I guess basket weaving one-o-one isn’t my forte.” Karen set the whatever it was aside. “Let’s start with something simple.” Grabbing what was left of the palmates, Syrat laid several of them parallel to each other and in front of Karen. She then picked up a single leaf and began weaving. “Under, over, under, over.” Syrat paused and looked at Karen. Her brows raised questioningly. “You can do this can’t you?” “Very funny.” Karen picked up the palmate and continued the weave where Syrat left off. “Over, under, over, under…so, what’s the second purpose for the basket?” “After my son’s birth, it serves as a sling that I’ll carry him home in.” “Him.” Karen had never thought about what the sex of the baby would be. “What are you naming him?” “We’ll call him Hanjek,” Syrat answered. “It’s an ancestral name of honor. It means youngest warrior.” “Is this your first?” Once again Syrat was silent and when Karen glanced at her, she saw that Syrat was sniffing the air. “My Sh’em are here.” Syrat sniffed harder. “They’re prowling around us somewhere.” Karen’s heart raced as her gaze darted around. If Merse and Reo where here, it must mean that Dgor and Lemac were on the planet, too. She excitedly sniffed the air and then chuckled at herself. She was sniffing for her mates. It was sort of funny to think about but it was a good way to detect them. Or not detect them. “My Sh’em aren’t here.” Karen couldn’t hide her disappointment. “I’m sure they’re nearby, as well.” Placing a comforting hand on Karen’s arm, Syrat grinned. “You fled. No mated Tertani male can resist the chase. It heats their blood. You’ll see.” Shrugging, Karen returned to her project, wondering what the hell she was actually going to do with the mat she was making. Maybe she could put it front of the door of her home on Terta Minor and wipe her feet on it. “This is my sixth.” Syrat rubbed her belly. “What?” Karen gulped. From what she knew, subsequent babies after the first practically fell out. “That’s wonderful.” She hoped to hell and holy waters the men arrived soon. “Ka!” Syrat shouted. Oh, Karen didn’t like the way Syrat had hiked her skirt and was presently staring beneath the hem in the direction of her crotch. “Please don’t tell me your water broke.” “It broke.” “Ya know,” Karen tipped back her head and stared at the rose-colored sky, “I asked you not to tell me that.” “Okay, it didn’t break.” Karen chuckled. “You’re a real hoot.” “It’s all part of the process.” With a smirk, Syrat lowered her skirt. Grabbing the large, velvety leaves they’d gathered, she calmly lined her now finished basket-slash-baby carrier with two of them. When she was finished Syrat stood up and brushed at her clothing. She snatched the basket and hooked the handles over her forearm. “Let’s go. I need anesthetics for the rest of the

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labor.” “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Karen scrambled to her feet and chased after Syrat who was now skirting the bank of the stream. “Shouldn’t you be lying down or something?” Without decreasing her pace, Syrat reached into a slit in her skirt that Karen didn’t even know she had and pulled out a time crystal. “Soon.” Turning, she began walking again. “Great.” Karen rubbed her brow as she continued to follow Syrat. “Can’t wait. It was then that her attention was drawn to the jingling of the anklets Syrat was wearing. Karen had grown so accustomed to hearing the subtle chiming sound they made, she nearly forgot Syrat and the other women were wearing them. “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she said. “I noticed you and the other woman on the Cosmic Springer wore the same jewelry around their ankles. What are they?” “These?” Syrat hiked her skirt a bit as she walked. “They’re my fetter charms.” “You’re…huh?” Karen knew what a fetter was but she still didn’t understand. “Following the Triconjugal mating we celebrate the tripling. The Mahatma Tribunal attends to bless the union. At that time my Sh’em declare our binding by placing the fetter charms, one around each ankle. It’s an ancient practice.” “Why don’t I have fetter charms?” Karen felt a bit negated since Dgor and Lemac hadn’t given them to her. “Ka!” Syrat light slapped her fingertips against her forehead. “That’s what your Sh’em are doing.” “What are they doing?” “Preparing for the celebration and feast. That is when you’ll receive the fetters.” “A wedding reception?” A subtle smile curled Karen’s lips and she felt warmth spreading all over her, inside and out. “We have those on earth, but we give each other rings for our fingers and that’s done during the vows.” She was excited to receive the Tertian marriage symbols, but it was mixed with apprehension, as well. She wondered if she would be unable to tolerate them. Jewelry was something Karen never wore, not even a watch. That she always carried in her bag. Much to her jewelry-loving mother’s disappointment, Karen couldn’t stand the way it felt on her. And she owned thousands of dollars worth of jewelry that was never worn. In fact, Karen had given quite a few pieces to Jen, who adored it. Jen. Karen’s stomach flipped, and she swallowed the lump swelling in her throat. The buried grief and guilt was surfacing with a vengeance, and Karen hated that it was happening when she’d fought so hard to tamp it down. It was something she had avoided coping with, but coping with it now seemed inevitable. “Here we are!” Syrat wrapped her hand around a bush of long, thin stems. “Catch the berries.” Taking the basket, Karen held it toward the plant. Syrat pulled her hand upwards causing the aqua berries to pop from their stems. This she did to several of the plants aiming toward the basket until satisfied enough was gathered. It was then Syrat yelled out, her upper body bending, both of her arms wrapping her belly. The twisted countenance on Syrat’s face confirmed that this contraction was a grueling one. Syrat dropped to her knees, splaying her hands over her swollen abdomen and Karen knelt beside her. “Pressure,” Syrat gasped. “Fist, lower back, now!” Balling her hand Karen pushed into the small of Syrat’s back, to the right of her spine.

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“Here? Is that right?” “Other side.” Karen switched. “Push harder.” “Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” Geez! It felt as though Karen was burrowing her fist into Syrat’s flesh so hard she would surely leave bruises. Whatever. Who was she to question the needs of a woman experiencing enough pain to choke the daylights out of the closest living thing? Meaning her. “Ka! That was a nasty one,” Syrat said as her body began to relax. She came up on her knees. “We should go back.” Karen eased back her fist. It sounded like a good idea to her. They both stood and Karen picked up the basket, shifting the loop handle over her forearm as they began walking the return path leading back to the stream. “Tell me about these.” “They’re called lisia,” Syrat returned. “It has an anesthetic property and can be applied topically.” “And it’s safe?” Scooping some of the lisia into her palm, Karen watched the rounded berries roll back into the basket as she tipped her hand sideways. “And it really works?” She’d love to see the research on the drug. “Absolutely or I wouldn’t waste my time gathering them if they didn’t.” Syrat chuckled. “After all, I’ve done this five times already.” It was a short walk back to the stream, and Karen was grateful because by the time they arrived Syrat was experiencing yet another hard contraction. When it was over, she took the large leaves that were left and blanketed and area of the ground with them leaving two of them unused. She sat down on the leafy bed. “I can’t crush the lisia right now. It degrades too fast,” Syrat told Karen. “If I’m in too much pain will you do this for me? Crush half of them onto the leaves to make two compresses, one for my back and the other, place it over my lower belly.” “Okay, of course I will,” Karen reassured her, sitting down on the moss beside Syrat. She was silent for a moment, her thoughts turning to Syrat’s lurking Sh’em. It seemed as though that should be their job. How disappointing if Tertani men preferred to pace in the proverbial waiting room instead of witnessing their child’s birth. “Why aren’t Merse and Reo here? Is it typical to let a wife give birth alone?” “I’m not alone.” Syrat touched Karen’s shoulder with her fingertips. “You’re here. But my Sh’em will be with me well before the birth. They stay away because this is the bonding time between blood mother and spirit mother.” “What’s a spirit mother?” Tipping her head upward, Karen scanned the skies above as if a celestial being might appear. You never know. After all, this wasn’t Kansas plains she was romping in. “A spirit mother,” Syrat began. “Is the chosen female who I would be honored to be my surrogate if it became impossible for me to care for my child.” That brought Karen up short. Her head dropped and she leveled her eyes with Syrat’s. The stunned expression on Karen’s face caused Syrat’s grin to fade. “Perhaps I should’ve asked your permission first?” “No, I’m just ….” Karen flattened her palm against her breastbone. Emotion overwhelmed her. She had been supposed to be godmother to Jen’s baby, and now Syrat… “You

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chose me?” “O-o-o-h-h-h!” Syrat’s right arm came up and wrapped around her belly, drew up her knees and rolled to her side. “Now I need to lie down.” “Sounds like a plan to me.” Karen tensed when Syrat let out a wail. It was the loudest one yet, and she suspected Syrat was about to go into heavy labor. Merse and Reo, who Syrat claimed were nearby, better know what the hell they were doing when it came to delivering a baby because Karen sure as hell on fire didn’t. “Pain!” Syrat screamed and then began to pant. “This fucking hurts!” Without being asked to do the obvious, Karen went to work crushing the lisia and spreading the gel inside the berries over the surface of the leaves to create the medicated poultice that Syrat needed. She watched as Syrat calmed, but her reprieve was minimal because another contraction began almost immediately. “Are Merse and Reo coming soon?” Karen watched Syrat slide her skirt over her hips along with her panties, removing them completely from her body. She tossed them aside. “Soon,” Syrat gasped out and then turned on her side. “Put the lisia swatch on my lower back.” Karen pressed the medicated leaf against Syrat’s flesh and held her palm over it for a couple of minutes. “How’s that?” “O-o-h, that is so much better.” Syrat returned to lying face up, the lisia now compressed beneath her. “Now I need you to examine me.” “What?” Karen couldn’t help but widen her eyes at the request and the fact that Syrat was now drawing up her knees and parting them. “You’ve got to be joking?” “I’m not.” Syrat lifted her head and met Karen eye to eye. “I want you to tell me how I’m progressing.” Good lord almighty. A blush suffused Karen’s cheeks and rippled its way straight down to her toes, but what choice did she have but to look? After all, she was sitting right there and Syrat was completely exposed. “What do you need me to do?” Oh please don’t let this involve any probing. “How far am I dilated?” Syrat’s hand came around and she spread her labia apart. Karen was starting to regret being chosen as spirit mother. “How am I supposed to tell that?” “Oh, for divinities sake, Karen, just look. You’ll be able to estimate.” On a heavy sigh Karen bent her head and peeked at Syrat’s crotch. Her face fell. “Oh my lord!” “What?” Syrat lifted her head, every sign of panic beginning to spread across her face. Karen glanced up at Syrat and then back down. Up and then down. Up and then down again. “What!” Syrat screamed. Karen stared at it. And stared at it. And stared at it. “Sucking black holes! Tell me what the fuck is wrong!” Syrat demanded. “Uh, Syrat?” “What?” “You have two…er…you have two…two…two vaginas.” Syrat blinked. And then she blinked again. Her brows lifted. “I do?” “Uh huh.” Karen nodded as she looked up. How could she not know that? Their gazes met and neither of them moved.

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And then… “Of course I have two vaginas!” Syrat laughed so loudly and so forcefully Karen was sure the baby was going to shoot right out of her. “I have two mates! What did you think Tertani women looked like down there?” “You wanna know the truth?” Shifting uneasily, Karen dropped her gaze, giving Syrat a sheepish look out of the corner of her eyes. “Tertani vaginas were the last thing on my mind.” Syrat’s laughter quieted to a soft chortle and she giggled a few more times before taking a deep breath. “Oh my. I never considered you wouldn’t know.” “Syrat?” Karen pursed her lips. “Y-e-e-s-s?” Syrat was still attempting to stifle her amusement, but her body still shook with the laugh she was trying to tamp. “Well, which hole does the baby come out of?” Syrat’s face crinkled, and she shook her head. And then she bellowed out another roaring laugh her feet lifting and then slapping to the ground as she held her belly. Karen glowered. “I guess the poultice is working.” “Ka! I’m sorry Karen.” Swallowing, Syrat took a deep breath and then released one last short laugh before forcing a serious façade, yet mirth still twinkled in her eyes. “Ka…A Tertian anatomy lesson I suppose is appropriate. My last child was birthed through the opening closer to my front. It alternates. This time the babe will come out of the one closer to my back. Now tell me that one is the bigger one.” “Uh,” Karen’s eyes dropped and she stared at Syrat’s crotch for a moment sizing up both her openings. Damn this is weird. That’s weird. One was definitely opened more than the other. She took a quick estimate “Yeah, the bottom one is widened by about this much.” Karen spread her thumb and index finger to show Syrat how much she was dilated. “That’s good then everything is fine.” “If you say so,” Karen returned and then. “Syrat?” Syrat was panting so Karen waited. The lisia seemed to be working since she wasn’t crying out in pain with the contraction she was having at the moment. “What?” Syrat asked finally. Karen’s eyes flicked to Syrat’s face and then down again. “Can I stop looking at your crotch now?” “I didn’t know you were still looking at it. Do you still need to be looking at it?” “I don’t suppose I do.” Karen blushed again and she shifted her attention, her gaze dropping to the second poultice she’d made. “Do you want the rest of the lisia on your stomach yet?” “Yes, I need that one, too.” Syrat grasped Karen’s wrist. “Thank you for being here with me.” The tension Karen was feeling drained away as she pressed the second medicated swatch to Syrat’s abdomen.. “You got it girlfriend.” A genuine sense of endearment surfaced along with her words, and she realized how much she really liked Syrat. It was an honor to Karen that she’d been chosen to be Hanjek’s spirit mother as much as when Jen asked her to be godmother. But surely there was someone more deserving. Karen pondered that for a moment and then decided to ask. “Why did you make me Hanjek’s spirit mother? There must be some other woman who…” “No,” Syrat interrupted. “The spirit mother for each child is divinely chosen. As soon as I met you the Divinities spoke and I knew deep in my soul you were the one. I knew you would

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give your own life if necessary to protect my son.” “I would protect you, too, Syrat. That’s the reason I came with you.” Syrat smiled softly. “I had a feeling.” R-rup. What the hell was that? Karen’s attention snapped toward where she thought the sound was coming from. At first she saw nothing so she scanned their surroundings. Her gaze shot past something moving and then snapped back. At the edge of the stream about thirty feet away was a tiny creature, no larger than a toy poodle, in fact it looked like a poodle. The creature stood staring at her. It was covered in lavender fur that fluffed from its body like a puff ball, except for its limbs and long-snouted face where the fur was closely cropped. It had no tail and its eyes were completely sable with no indication of a pupil or white area. “Oh my goodness, isn’t that adorable.” Karen rose to her feet and as she did the animal shuddered. “I’m not going to hurt you little fellow.” “Don’t antagonize it.” Syrat muttered. “What is it?” Karen wrinkled a questioning brow as she glanced at Syrat, who was scooting backwards on her bottom. “It’s a fifon and it’s getting angry.” Syrat released a moan. “Hell blazing bastards please, not a contraction, not now.” “But it’s so tiny.” Returning her attention to the fifon--what a cute little name for it-Karen tilted her head sideways as the creature shuddered again. This time a little more ardently. “I think it’s just scared.” “Dangerous…” Syrat rasped out through her contraction. She wrapped her right arm around her belly while pulling the knife from her pocket with her left hand. R-rup. The fifon’s fur poofed out further, and its body began quaking. Karen was confused. How could something so pretty and petite be dangerous? Nevertheless she bent and picked up a baseball size rock that was near her feet. This was an alien planet and she’d learned rather quickly that things weren’t always what they seemed. “Are you sure about this, Syrat? It looks harmless.” As if it were spring-loaded, the fifon sprang off of all fours and into the air a foot or so, landing in the same spot. Behind her, Karen heard Syrat’s gasp and the sound of her moving across the ground. Glancing over her shoulder Karen saw that Syrat was sinking into some bushes. Her eyes were wide with fear. “That protection you promised.” Syrat’s expression was wrought with worry. Her eyes were wide and fixed on the creature. “Is about to be tested Karen ot Whitaker.” A grating shrill screeched so loudly through the air, Karen thought her eardrums splintered. She snapped her head back around. “Oh my God!” “Karen run!”

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Chapter Thirty Three A shriek echoed through the treetop canopy. Merse and Reo exchanged glances. It was Syrat and that was no labor cry they heard. She was some other kind of distress. Dropping the collection of sjachas and thoreja flowers their She’mana enjoyed bathing and scenting her body with following a birthing, they both bolted toward the stream. Merse activated the commlink attached to his belt. “Dgor, Lemac you need to come quickly.” **** Karen was running, grateful the path was cleared enough to ensure her footing. After she bonked the fifon on the noggin’ with the rock, it yelped before curling into a motionless ball reminding her of a potato bug attempting to protect itself. The smell dispelling from it was putrid, and Syrat warned her not to touch the fifon’s fur with her hands because the liquid seeping from its pores and drenching its coat had paralytic properties. Okay, I believe you. So Karen poked it with a stick and it sprang to life, nearly taking off her arm. The god damned thing had a mouth like an anaconda’s, spreading wide, nearly to a hundred and eighty degrees, and fangs that accompanied two rows of razor-sharp teeth. Geez! And why the hell was it angry anyway? She and Syrat were minding their own business. What nerve it had to attack them for no apparent reason! Well at least the fifon wasn’t a fast runner. Rather it sluggishly bounced around, zigzagging sluggishly to and fro like a bunny on valium. It was easy to outrun. But with Syrat’s contractions quickly progressing, Karen antagonized the funky little demon further, persistently yelling and jabbing at it with the poor excuse for a weapon she was holding. It bit the twig in half and that was it. Defenseless Karen bolted with the fifon hopping after her. It was her intention to lure the creature away from Syrat. Not that Karen was all that happy for herself at the moment. And there was a slight problem. She didn’t know where the little bastard was hiding. “Here puppy, puppy, puppy.” Karen tiptoed quietly along the path. Every now and then she heard the bushes ruffle and that cutsie little r-rup sound it made. She’d like to rip the r-rup right out of it. The Son-of-a-bitch was tracking her. and she was scared witless imagining it springing out of the bushes to shred her apart. Karen sprinted hopefully putting distance between them. **** They didn’t mean to frighten her half to death, but the prowling urge was on full impact now that their feet were planted firmly on home soil. The rock-solid erections they both had certainly didn’t assist with any rational thinking either. They were cheating of course. In an attempt to keep Karen from detecting their scents Lemac and Dgor were keeping their distance and utilizing the help of Belor and Korgin along with their commlinks keep informed of her whereabouts. But that wasn’t the cheating part. Sh’em often helped other brethren track a fleeing She’mana. It was Korgin’s talent with animal sounds that was the cheating part. No doubt the blood had rushed from the Sh’em ot Karen’s larger heads to their smaller ones because their She’mana would without a doubt be completely pissed off when she

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discovered that the fifon she thought was stalking her was really Lemac and Dgor. But Lemac had bagged the creature some distance back, while Dgor assisted Syrat with her delivery. Karen was safe even though she didn’t know that. Is your conscience bothering you even slightly, brethren? Lemac channeled to Dgor. A stiff prick has no conscience. Hmm, must be true since my conscience seems to be missing, as well. The deception seemed like fair play to them. Karen had yet to be fettered and her Sh’em were therefore unable to listen for her movements. Additionally, with the mind link between them and their prowlers now dissolved, they saw themselves at a disadvantage. R-rup. Korgin’s perfect imitation of the fifon came from the path ahead. Crouching low and moving between the trees and shrubbery Lemac and Dgor headed in Korgin’s direction. There. Lemac indicated were Korgin was hidden in the brush. Korgin spotted them and signaled it was safe for them to approach. “Where is she?” Dgor asked when they were close enough to whisper. “Belor circled around,” Korgin answered. “He’s at the crossroad, and is camouflaging the Dominion trail and leaving the trail to the plains accessible.” Dgor and Lemac exchanged wicked grins. Their motive was to divert Karen onto the path that emerged from the forests and onto the open flatlands. Once there, Korgin would bellow the shrill a fifon used just before attacking. The brethren were eagerly anticipating giving chase when Karen darted across fields. They hoped she would run for a distance before realizing it was them behind her. After all, when one is attempting escape, looking back would slow one’s pace. It would be a foolish thing to do and their Karen was no fool. She’s going to feel like one when she discovers what we’ve done. Dgor grimaced. Ka! His conscience was surfacing. It didn’t affect his hard-on. Korgin suddenly mumbled a curse, drawing their attention. “Your She’mana is no longer in the forest. Blue, however, is.” “Humph.” Dgor was well aware of what that meant. “I suppose Belor is already prowling after her?” The answer never came. Anxious to stalk his own She’mana, Korgin was already treading down the trail. “I’m suddenly not sure this plan of yours was a good idea, Lemac.” Why is it our plans suddenly become my plans when things might not turn out the way we planned? Lemac lifted questioning brows as he channeled his thoughts to his brethren. “If Blue reaches Karen before we do….” Dgor’s voice trailed off. They were attempting to reproduce the thrill of stalking Karen in the jungles on her planet, except they longed to prowl on their own home soil. She had run before because she was frightened of them. But now that she was mated with them they assumed Karen would turn to her mates instead just as an earthling wife might. It was something they suspected on Angard as they gazed at her beautiful face. Their She’mana wanted to wait for them. After all, she wasn’t a Tertani female. So a simulation seemed like a good idea. Especially for two horny and newly mated Tertani men who had sex on the brain and were already randy from chasing their She’mana half way across the galaxy. This plan was idiotic. Lemac sighed inwardly sensing his brethren’s agreement. Particularly since Karen was already upset with them. Dgor patted Lemac’s shoulder. “Let’s go get our She’mana and hope we can grovel for

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forgiveness.” **** “Of all the idiotic…!” Overcome with shock and disbelief, the air in Karen’s lungs seized. It was only after several seconds without breathing that she reminded herself to exhale. She brought her hand to her forehead and then shook her head from side to side. “I overheard Korgin talking to your Sh’em by commlink,” Blue continued snitching on the men. “It was only right that you should be informed of what they were up to.” Anger or hurt, which one did Karen feel? Both, yes both. She was going to kill them, right after she beat them to a pulp. “I can’t believe how insensitive they are!” Blue sniffed the air, becoming obviously nervous. Her head darted around as if expecting unwanted company at any moment. “My Sh’em purposely rile me, hoping I’ll stalk from them.” Karen lifted her head, her expression inquisitive. “What for?” “I’m not Tertani.” Blue shrugged. “Fleeing isn’t an innate thing for me. But if they anger me enough and I want to get back at them, then I stand my ground. They hate that.” Karen stared at her. She understood the Tertian instincts but had never truly realized how important they were to her Sh’em’s society. “Then why the hell didn’t they marry Tertani women!” Lemac and Dgor had to be aware when they had claimed her that she lacked the genetics in her bloodstream. But then again, that’s why they’d conjured this idiotic plot, the idiots. Movement at the forest edge had Karen’s attention snapping in that direction. Ah, the culprits in question were emerging from amongst the trees. Karen pointed a finger at them. “Don’t!” Her warning must’ve fell on deaf ears because Lemac and Dgor continued to stalk toward her. It was only when Blue shrieked that they halted. Belor hurdled out of nowhere it seemed, and with long, rapid strides he closed in on where Karen and Blue stood. Well, where Blue had stood. The woman was already dashing away, running in large circles over the moss. Karen watched the chase with curiosity. Blue was laughing, as if she was enjoying the stupid game. Tilting her head, Karen watched the pursuit with interest. It actually did sort of look like fun. Blue began zigzagging across the moss as Belor began closing the gap between them. It was Korgin who snatched Blue first, however. Leaping from behind a bush, he stepped in Blue’s path, stopping her forward progress with his outstretched hands, his body giving in a backward motion to absorb the shock of her body’s impact. Before Karen knew what was happening, clothes were flying and damn, all three of them were butt naked. Surely they’re not going to… Yep, they were. Karen tipped her head sideways and mumbled. “I didn’t realize Blue was so flexible.” It occurred to Karen that she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. As a matter of fact, she was getting aroused. “Is sex in public common to the Tertian culture?” Karen inhaled deeply. The scent of Dgor and Lemac filtered into her nostrils, blended and coalesced, becoming the unique fragrance familiar only to her. Fragrance? “Oh damn it!” Karen spun. Sure enough her Sh’em were right behind her, the carnal intent sparkling in their gorgeous eyes unmistakable. It excited Karen. But it also irritated the hell out of her. Well at least at the moment it did. They weren’t going to get away with it. So what if her crotch was tingling and her vaginal walls were quivering with spasms in

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anxious anticipation of being plunged into. Karen had issues to deal with, and a great part of those issues involved her darling Sh’em. Now if only she could will her hardened nipples to stop puckering. “Did you think you could cool my temper and inflame my libido once you had me melting in your arms?” Karen crossed her arms over her chest after noting both of her mates’ gazes were fixated there. Hmm, yes, I think we did. “No evala'luso that’s not what we expected.” Lemac voiced aloud. Do you really think she would melt for us, brethren? Has before, Dgor channeled his arrogant thought. Probably will again. Not wanting to discuss this in the presence of…Karen glanced at Blue and her mates. They were going at it like cats in heat and they weren’t even having intercourse yet. But it certainly looked as though they were about to. Ugh! Turning she began stomping away. Of course Lemac and Dgor followed her. She didn’t have to turn around to know that. “Did you think I was going to laugh about the fact you nearly scared me out of my wits with this fifon act!” Once my mouth was attached to your pussy while Lemac sealed your mouth with a kiss? I suppose we did. “No She’mana, that’s not what we expected.” Now Dgor was feeling the guilt. What absolute dimwits they were. Speak for yourself, brethren. “Karen,” Lemac increased his pace, hopeful when she stopped and turned around, but halted when Karen shrunk away from him. Spirits help me, I can’t stand the hurt in her eyes. “It was your running that triggered the ancient prowling instinct in us to begin with. We couldn’t help but chase your pretty, little bottom.” Shaking her head, Karen spun around and began treading away from them again. Without a doubt his eyes were riveted to her ass. The adoring expression Lemac had on his face when he voiced that last comment made Karen want to smile, but she forces a flat look instead. Compliments would get them nowhere right now. She’s a scientist, lamebrain. Dgor silently scolded. I think rather than appeal to her female senses she’d appreciate a more objective approach. Lemac mentally shrugged. Go for it. Dgor then spoke aloud. “The longer it takes to capture our mate, the more powerful the instinctive sex urge and thus the stimulation of sperm production. It’s all a part of our genetic nature and most apt to lead to breeding.” “A reproductive protection mechanism to ensure the continuation of the race,” Karen then set her jaw, pressing her lips together. That was good. Interesting approach they both took in an attempt to sooth her anger. “You understand then.” Again Karen stopped. She hesitated and then pivoted, facing them. “Bullshit I understand! Both of you, you’re not a couple of impulsive, pubescent teenage boys with underdeveloped frontal lobes and wayward libidos. What were you thinking?” Wrapping her arms around her trunk and squeezing, Karen became aware that her entire body was trembling. She was on emotional overload and desperately attempting to keep herself in control. Ka, she’s really pissed off. Lemac rubbed a worried brow. More than that, Dgor returned, observing the array of emotions crossing their She’mana’s face. She looks as if her nerves are fraying. Inhaling deeply, Karen turned around and continued walking away from them again. No

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words were exchanged for the expanse of several long minutes. Perhaps even longer. They were linking, mentally discussing how to get her to forgive them. Karen sensed that. It was a natural thing for them to do. It occurred to her their shared reasoning really was no different than one person trying to reason through a situation in his or her own mind, except this was better. Two heads are always better than one, right? They’ll figure it out eventually. “Please stop following me.” Karen had left the flatland and was back in the forests, hiking a different path. “We can’t, She’mana,” Dgor answered. “Yeah, I know. Tertian nature.” “It’s more than that,” Dgor returned. “We love you, and want to make sure you’re safe.” Oh crap. That did it. Nothing profound in his words but nonetheless enough to bring tears to her eyes. “I need to be alone.” Karen’s feet began to move faster. So did theirs. Before Karen knew it, her fast pace broke into a run. So did theirs. She had always said that running was a catharsis for her and this was no different. And Karen had no control over the welling inside of her threatening to overflow. To her surprise it emerged as an incredible bout of laughter. She was laughing. But it was far from a pleasurable reaction. It was much more like hysteria. The emotional dam inside of Karen was about to collapse and there was nothing she could do to stop the wave of delirium from crashing through. In her own head Karen thought the time had come. She was going crazy. Whether she welcomed it or not, insanity had finally found her. The horror of watching Jen die, the unbearable guilt that followed. Years of loneliness and isolation as she attempted to deal with a body that barely functioned in normal society, of parents who abandoned her, of friends who didn’t understand, of being claimed by two men who for the love of God turned out to be aliens. Karen laughed harder. Her chest hurt. She couldn’t breathe and because of that she was forced to stop running. Doubling over she braced her palms against her knees. The laughter yielded into spasmodic weeping. Tears welled and then poured over her cheeks, and with it the anguish that had been hiding deep within. Karen’s voice began to escalate until it pierced the air as a mournful wail. She collapsed, and as she did Lemac caught her, gathering her to his chest. And Dgor caught them both. The three of them sank to the ground, Karen safely wrapped between her mates. And she wept.

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Chapter Thirty Four “We were vacationing in Valle de Bravos, Mexico right after graduation from college.” Karen sniffed and rubbed a knuckle below her eye to swipe at the moisture there. “Everyone wanted to fly but I didn’t do well with planes so we drove.” A chill jolted through Karen, though she wasn’t cold. Lemac’s arms tightened around her. She sat between his thighs, leaning against his chest. Her knees were bent. Dgor was facing her and hugging her calves. Karen’s feet were planted in the center of his crisscrossed legs. He wasn’t looking at her but instead rested a cheek on the top of Karen’s knees, listening. “Jen’s fiancée…I know he never really liked me.” Pausing, Karen became pensive her eyes lowering. “…Frederick was pissed and wanted to leave me behind. “Fretereck?” Lemac exchanged glances with Dgor. They both snorted. “Close,” Karen tipped back her head and looked at Lemac. He planted a soft kiss on her lips. “It’s the Tertian word for asshole,” Dgor commented. He saw a subtle grin appear when she turned to toward him, but it faded quickly, her mood becoming somber again. “Jen insisted that if I wasn’t going, neither was she.” Karen’s gaze darted back and forth looking at nothing in particular as she coaxed out the memories. “Frederick relented. We turned it into a three week road trip since none of us had any obligations or places to be at the time. It was fun, or at least it started out that way. Even Frederick loosened up after a couple of days.” A hard lump formed in Karen’s throat forcing her to swallow several times. It settled in her chest, weighing heavily on her heart. She closed her eyes and then felt Dgor’s lips. He kissed first one knee and then the other before resting his chin atop of them ready to listen some more. “Jen and I went to the Café de La Sol for some food. Frederick and two other college friends, Russell and Lisa decided to go hang gliding and we would meet them later. Jen didn’t want to participate because she was three months pregnant, and me,” Karen paused as she opened her eyes. “You know why I wouldn’t do it.” What is hang gliding, Dgor? Not a clue, but it sounds like something I wouldn’t want to do either. “We went to meet them when we were finished eating,” Karen continued. “And we climbed one of the trails to get a better view. There was a clearing where Jen could take some great pictures, but there was also a cliff there with at least a sixty-five foot drop to the ground below. I stayed at least twenty feet back, but Jen, she stood so close to the rim I could swear she was curling her toes over the rim to keep her balance.” “A bee.” Karen began to sob. “A god damn bee landed on her arm and she jerked. The camera fell out of her hand and went over the edge.” Oh crap! “Jen peered over.” Cool! It landed on a ledge. I think I can reach it. No, Jen. Just let it go. “She got down on her belly with her arms over the side.” Jen, please get back up. You’re scaring me.

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Tipping her face skyward, Karen squeezed her lids tightly together. Shudders racked her body, and she released a sorrowful cry. “Shh, tell us what happened.” Lemac whispered. He continued to hold her firmly though she struggled in his arms as if trying to escape. “I can’t!” Dgor reached and molded his hand beneath her chin. Leveling her face, his eyes meshed with hers. “Yes, you can, She’mana. Give over some of your pain.” Again, Karen swallowed hard. But in Dgor’s eyes she saw the strength he offered and in like she felt the security in Lemac’s arms. They loved her and wouldn’t judge her. They would treat her vulnerabilities with care. After a long silence, Karen began to speak again. “I watched her slide just a fraction over the edge.” Ugh! Just a little more. Jen be careful. Got it! Shit! Karen I’m too far over. Come over here and pull me back up. “I hesitated. I just couldn’t force my body to move forward, to go near the edge of that cliff.” The color suddenly drained from Karen’s face. Her expression went blank as her body went numb. Her voice emerged flat--emotionless. “She yelled for my help again. Frederick was yelling at me from his hang glider and something surged inside of me. Adrenaline maybe, but I ran toward her.” Staring beyond Dgor Karen let go. She let the memories spill through. “Oh my God!” she cried. “I was a second too late! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” Karen covered her face and the sobs broke loose. “She slid over the side of the cliff before I could get to her. I almost had her! If only ….” Lemac and Dgor said nothing. They simply held onto her, giving Karen the emotional space she needed to release her grief. “It was my fault, oh God! I let her die. I killed her!” Karen cried for several moments before sniffing and regaining some of her composure. She lifted her head, her expression blank, the only telltale signs of her pain cradled in the tears streaming down her face. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. “Jen lived for three days, but the brain damage was too great and she died. Frederick blamed me.” “And the child?” Dgor asked. “She miscarried before the ambulance even got her to the hospital. I loved that baby as much as Jen did.” Karen lifted her head to look at Dgor. “And when Syrat…oh…” Karen’s eyes widened with horror. “Oh, my lord, Syrat!” “Gave birth to Hanjek, a beautiful baby boy.” Dgor smiled softly as he reached up to stroke his fingers along her hair. “I was there for the delivery, as were Merse and Reo. They’re doing fine.” On a heavy sigh, Karen’s body visibly relaxed. Syrat was safe. She then realized Lemac had been silent for quite awhile. Tipping her face toward his, Karen saw that his expression seemed as pained as her insides felt. She could tell his thoughts were far, far away. “Lemac?” Stirring slightly in response to Karen’s voice, he blinked several times as if emerging from a trance. His attention shifted toward Dgor who nodded. Something transpired between them and Karen could almost feel the intensity of the emotional strength she knew they were sharing. It was apparent in both their eyes and she was glad for it. They’d need that mutual

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strength to survive with the emotional basket case of a wife they’d married. “What happened on the Cosmic Springer…,” Lemac began. Turning in his arms, Karen pressed a palm to his chest. His expression held volumes of sadness. “That was the second time I failed to trust instincts, choosing logic instead.” His body stiffened, the muscles along the line of his jaw tensing. “And I’m so angry at myself for that.” “I had a part in that as well, brethren.” Dgor remarked. “No." Lemac shook his head ruefully. “Ultimately I could've convinced Tocol to trust Karen. My gut was telling me she was right, but I ignored it.” “No, no. You can’t blame yourself for that." Karen straightened, looking him directly in the eyes. “It was a logical decision. In the same situation, without having any proof, I would've made the same choice. I’m not angry at anyone for that except maybe myself for not being more insistent.” Lemac didn't respond to Karen's comment. Instead his thoughts moved elsewhere. "I was leading a group of refugees through the Yejatr terrain. That's a planet in the Fifth Ward. Families...” He paused and his eyes fell closed. “Children.” When he opened them again, Karen's chest ached at the anguish she saw there. “The radicals ravaged most of the planet and with the exception of a few remote areas our transport capabilities were blocked. I was ordered to take a specific route to one of our Ops locations where we could evacuate as many inhabitants as possible. There was a young boy in our group who kept insisting ambushes existed along that path. He'd seen the radical’s encampments while playing in the woods. He offered an alternate escape route familiar to him. Something in my gut told me that I should heed him, but his villagers assured me the boy was known for his exaggerated tales. Still there was something I sensed...” Turning his head aside, Lemac focused at a point in the distance, his throat working up and down with his hard swallows. "I commlinked Ops and our surveillance team assured me the route was clear. It wasn't. We fought off a violent attack. In the end, six of nineteen escaped including me.” A muscle in Lemac's jaw twitched and it was apparent he was clenching his teeth. His gaze dropped to meet Karen's. There was moisture in his eyes. “I'll never forget the expression of devastation on that child's face just before Krellian fire tore him apart. Again Lemac turned his head aside, staring away. He paused momentarily before closing his eyes once more. “I should've died with him.” Self-blame…guilt. Karen understood that all too well. She also knew there was nothing anyone could say that would ease the torment he carried inside because of it. There was no use in trying. The most they could do was support and comfort each other when the pain became too much to bear. Still there was one thing Karen did want to say. “If you had died with him, then I never would've known your love.” Lemac’s attention fell to her. His palm came up to cup her cheek. His gaze darted back and forth across her face pensively. The tension lines in his expression then softened. “Perhaps if you were able to reach your friend, her weight might’ve dragged you over that edge, as well.” Karen’s gaze lowered. “There were so many times I wished I had gone over with her.” “To be deprived of your love?” Crooking a finger beneath her chin, Lemac tipped Karen’s face toward him. Her gaze shifted upward to meet his. “Before you evala’luso, I walked like the living dead.”

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“More like the living deranged,” Dgor finally commented. “There were many dawnings before we became brethren I was sure you’d gone completely insane during those sorties in battlespace. You’ve softened him, She’mana, maybe even healed him. And now I have to be tormented by his sorry ass and his less than humorous sense of humor.” Lemac snorted. “And I plan to torment you for many phases to come, brethren.” “There’s nothing I wish for myself more.” “I guess fate is a strange thing.” A bittersweet smile graced Karen’s face. “And perhaps the fate you were handed is the reason Syrat now lives.” Dgor offered. Karen felt a strange sort of lightness all of a sudden. Though she would always feel responsible, at least in part, for Jen’s death, it was time to make peace with the tragedy. If there was one thing Karen was sure of, Jen would be so angry with her if she knew how much Karen was punishing herself for the accident. And it was an accident. Deep down Karen was aware of that. In truth, however, Karen wanted to believe that if she had reached Jen sooner she would’ve been able to hang on to her best friend. But as Lemac suggested, chances were actually against that. Jen was twenty-five pounds heavier than Karen. Maybe adrenalin would’ve played its part, but she wasn’t going to even deal with maybe this or maybe that. Even so, Karen had been mentally hanging onto Jen ever since, and she was afraid to release her. I love you, Jen. But I have to let go now. It’s time for me to move on with my life, but I promise I’ll never forget you. “Maybe Hanjek will be a great leader someday.” Karen swiped at a tear that fell from the corner of her eye. Goodbyes were so damn hard. “Maybe he’ll be a great healer,” Dgor mused. “Or find a cure for Brit’s Scorn.” “In the mean time I think we should think about what our own children might do.” Lemac nuzzled Karen’s neck, his breath hot upon her. “And get started making those children.” Sex on the brain. Geez! Damn their scents were thrilling her. What a libido she had. Karen hoped Lemac and Dgor felt as randy as she did. As much as she hated to admit it, and despite the gamut of feelings just wrung from her system, running from her mates and having them stalk after her was stimulating. In fact, Karen was down right horny now that she was emotionally cleansed. “Dgor hasn’t fixed that part of me yet.” Karen smiled sensually at Lemac. What a world of fixing both he and Lemac had done to her soul and sense of well-being. For the first time in all of her life, Karen felt complete. “Then we’d better make sure we have it down correctly when he does,” Lemac whispered as he skimmed his hand along the inside of Karen’s thigh. In response, Karen’s hips shifted and then her entire body writhed when she felt Dgor’s hands slipping around her waist from behind. His lips pressed against her neck while Lemac’s hand slipped up to mold around her breast. He leaned toward her, covering her lips with his mouth. His tongue slipped in and she sucked on it. Tiny ripples of pleasure began pulsing through her body. Standing, Karen inhaled deeply, her body squirming at the erotic feel of their hands--four hands skimming her body, caressing her between the legs, running downward on her thighs, as she stood up and away from them. Ah, she wanted them to rip her clothes off and was sure they would if she indicated that’s what she wanted. Bending forward, Karen braced her hands atop Lemac’s shoulders, her breasts teasing his face. She wiggled her ass, her body seizing with ravenous desire when Dgor grasped her thighs and buried his face in her muff and then blew a heavy, heated breath directly through the material. At the same time Lemac captured a

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breast with his hand, and then bent his head, letting his tongue lap and wet the material as it sought her nipple. Karen nearly lost it then. But as much as she was wet with need to be sexed by them, she wasn’t quite ready to let her Sh’em off the hook for scaring the crap out of her. Before Lemac and Dgor even realized what was happening, Karen was rushing up the path at a full sprint. “Catch me if you can!” she yelled and then laughed. Of course the torment for her Sh’em wouldn’t be in the chase. That was going to be an extreme pleasure. The torment was in the length of time it took for them to capture and sex her. And Karen intended to evade them for as long as possible, despite her raging need. But, oh, the reward of that would be exquisite! Smiling, Karen’s feet hit the flatlands at full speed. Without thinking her shirt was off. She stumbled briefly when she grasp first one shoe and then the other and flung them. And then nearly fell, still laughing as her legs entangled in her pants before they too, along with her panties, came off. She intended to feel every sensory sensation the world she now lived in had to offer, the breeze against her skin, the moss below her feet. She was going to run her hands along the rough bark of a tree. Maybe she would even climb a tree some day and then jump into a stream. Karen was free--free from the deep pressure she needed to function in a socially and physically offensive society, free from the constraints that hindered her from experiencing life to its fullest, free from the deep pressure of clinging to guilt for the sake of holding on to the one person who had always accepted and believed in her. There was only one kind of deep pressure that she would thrive on from now on. And at the moment the source of it was closing in behind her.

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Epilogue “Word of your abilities has spread like meteor fire across the Allegiance territories.” Dgor told her as he monitored Karen’s vitals being displayed on the medical compuscreen. “Am I going to have to start transporting everywhere to start helping out in situations like the one on the Cosmic Springer?” Great. That’s all I need. As much as Karen’s sensory defensiveness was resolving, thanks to Dgor’s and Lemac’s fabulous brand of sex…er sensory input techniques, Karen was enjoying many activities she never thought she’d engage in. Transporting wasn’t one of them, however. The sensation still made her head topsy-turvy and caused her stomach to flip. “Actually, we’re receiving reports of some with possibly the same abilities who previously misunderstood what they were.” The scanners made another pass over Karen’s midsection and Dgor smiled. She was pregnant but didn’t know that yet. He would let her make that discovery on her own and then reveal the good news to him and Lemac. “Many are children. Region Si’s edu-commune here on Terta Minor has integrated some of these children into their programs. They could use someone like you to help train these youngsters.” “Really?” Wincing Karen lifted her hand and touched the translucent screen in front of her indicating where the source of pressure was located. Lemac entered the results into the compuscreen database. Amazing. She was ten for ten with detecting the locations of the simulated wormhole signals he was creating. There was a swishing sound as the medbay door slid open. “Commander!” Lemac stood from his seat and presented the delta. Likewise, Dgor did the same. Karen however pinched the blindfold covering her eyes and pulled it down slightly, allowing her to see who had entered. Commander? “At ease and I’m off duty so I’m here as a friend.” the Commander said. His attention drifted toward Karen, his eyes remaining fixed on her as he spoke. “How are you Rjant?” Lemac approached him. Smiling widely he slapped a hand to each side of the Commander’s shoulders. “I’m well.” Rjant’s gaze flicked to Lemac but snapped immediately back to Karen. “How are the tests are going?” “Preliminary results are promising.” Dgor answered. Nodding, Rjant approached Karen, coming to a stop in front of her where she sat on a bench. He lowered to the empty stool nearby and faced her squarely. “Do all females from your world possess the gift of sensory acceleration?” “On my world it’s considered a disorder, and no,” Karen answered. There was no way this guy could be a Commander. He didn’t look a day over seventeen. Unconsciously Karen’s eyes wandered the length of his body. Well at least his face looked that young. The rest of him was all virile man. Karen looked up, and to her horror he was staring directly at her, his brows raised. Karen blushed. Good gracious, she’d been scrutinizing his body and he watched her do it. How embarrassing! “Forgive me,” the Commander said.

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“Huh?” Forgive you? Rjant grinned. “I’ve recently linked with Tren ot Dmor. We are brethren.” “A suitable match,” Dgor returned. The Commander ot Dmor was the High Chief, ruler of Tertia. With Rjant holding the title of Chief Loyal, he, too, was high ranking, a second Commander to be specific and addressed as thus. “As I was saying,” Rjant continued as he stood. “I apologize for staring so intensely at you She’mana Karen, but our Tina is from your world.” “From earth? Cool!” That was exciting news to Karen. It would be great to have company from her home planet and to catch up on world events. To have another earthling woman… “Ka! Claim your Tina quickly!” Lemac interrupted as he stalked over and grasped Rjant roughly by the shoulders spinning him around. He speared him with deadly serious eyes. “I have only a few words of advice for you. Do not hesitate. Do not follow her all over the starfucking planet… “Do not pass go?” Karen reacted sarcastically to Lemac’s advice. “Do not even give her a chance to question who you are?” “Exactly,” Lemac confirmed without looking at her. “Find your woman, go to her, Flaunt and snatch her quickly. Explain nothing!” “I’ll keep that in…” “Oh come on! I wasn’t that hard to claim!” Karen interrupted. The brows on Dgor’s forehead lifted. “We chased you from one side of your planet to the other…” “So what.” Karen snorted at the notion. “Your means of travel is much more efficient than ours. That really shouldn’t be an issue.” “We were attacked by strange snapping creatures in those murky waters of your planet’s thickened jungle.” Lemac added. “Well that was foolish.” Karen shrugged. “Not my fault you didn’t rent a boat.” “You tried to poison us!” Dgor reminded her. “Well hell.” Crossing her leg, Karen gently bounced it up and down in a nonchalant manner. The fetter charm around that ankle chinked. “I wasn’t trying to kill you, just make you a little sick.” A smile formed on the Commander’s lips at her feistiness. “You Karen ot Whitaker will make our Tertani females proud to have you within their folds.” “Well, thank you.” Karen’s eyes twinkled with mirth. Okay, maybe she had given them a hard time, but it wasn’t on purpose at first. It would be from now on, though. The sex was exceptionally fantastic following a good chase and capture. “It was a pleasure to meet you She’mana Karen.” Rjant nodded toward her. “My own Triconjugal Hunt will be a pleasure with your Trigon a part of it.” Dgor and Lemac grinned scampishly at Rjant who returned a similar grin of his own before leaving through the medbay doors. “I absolutely revel in the prowling.” Lemac said as his eyes fell to Karen. The devouring look he gave her, and the thickening bulge outlined by his trousers was proof of that. Karen certainly noticed. It also meant something else. Dgor was likely getting a hard-on, too. Her gaze shifted. Yep, there it is. She couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to experience someone else’s arousal, someone else’s orgasm, while you were experiencing your own. The thought that her Sh’em experienced that was making her horny.

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Karen squirmed in her seat. “We need to finish these tests,” Dgor suggested, but the raspy tone in his voice indicated he’d rather be doing something else. Licking her pussy maybe? Karen’s vagina muscles contracted with the image of that. Ka I want to lick her pussy. Dgor’s stray thought wandered into Lemac’s brain and he returned a mental sigh. “Work,” Lemac cleared his throat. Returning to the control console he sat down. “Karen, the blindfold.” With harrumph at her unsatiated arousal, Karen slipped the material over her eyes. “So, I spoke to Syr…” A bone rattling vibration zipped through Karen’s body, causing her to shudder at the offensive sensation. She gurgled her discomfort while cringing at the same time. “I hate vibration Lemac. Are we almost done with the tests?” “Almost.” But Lemac really wasn’t done yet. At least with the vibration he wasn’t. Changing a few settings on the control panel he flashed a roguish grin at Dgor who returned a lazy smirk. “As I was saying, I…” Again Karen halted mid-sentence and sucked in a breath. Did something just pulse against my left nipple? “Lemac did you…” She gasped again. Now her other nipple was being stimulated. Her senses receded, but still lingering arousal perked fully to life. A wave of erotic heat surged through Karen, and a moan escaped her. Part of the vibration shifted taking direct aim between her legs and stimulating her clit through her pants while part of it still titillated her nipples. Her hips shifted. That felt really good. The vibration continued to stimulate her and Karen’s head fell back. She moaned. Her breathing deepened, catching the rhythm with her now pumping hips. Every pleasure point along the length of her body quivered with excitement and Karen began to pant. The tension in her vagina built. Her clit throbbed. Sliding seeking fingers over her parting thighs, Karen was ready to stimulate her pussy further when Dgor’s hand caught her wrist. Gently he pulled her arms around to her back, restraining her. When she attempted to withdraw them his grip tightened, hindering her movement. He chuckled low. At the same time his lips pressed at the side of her neck, nuzzling and kissing her there. Karen pumped faster, her pussy tightening, her clit pulsing and swelling with excitement as her orgasm started building. She opened her legs wider. The pressure found her, pressing into her lower belly just above her pubic bone--Oh, right over the area of her g-spot. Lemac did that from the console. It felt like the heel of a hand, yet he wasn’t even touching her. “You are so beautiful in the throes of arousal,” Dgor whispered in her ear. This was incredible! Her body was going into sexual shock at the unseen sensations assailing her and they hadn’t even given her their cocks. The thought had Karen’s vaginal muscles clamping down. She was wet, moisture seeping, soaking her panties. And then she was hit with their scents, potent and consuming and possessing her, taunting her sensually, sexually, and Karen moaned louder. She thrust her chest forward as her hips rocked faster, greedily savoring the wonderful stimulation until a rush of wild pleasure thrummed its way through her entire body. “I’m going to cum,” she rasped out. Lemac murmured a sound of appreciation. he was instantly there, stripping Karen of her pants, and she felt the cool air as it hit her sensitive, overly stimulated pussy. His fingers parted

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her lips and then his tongue touched her, flicking back and forth across her clit, causing Karen to push at him, tense and throw her legs wider. Her shirt was off before she realized it and Dgor was kneading her breasts, cupping them. And then he leaned her back sucking first one distended nipple and then the other before kissing his way upward along her throat, to her chin, her mouth claiming it, dipping his tongue to taste her. Taste her…oh god! Lemac was thrusting his tongue, fucking her with it, one finger rubbed back and forth over her clit and then circling around on it. His mouth returned and he removed his fingers. Lemac sucked on her and thrust two fingers inward. She came. Her hips jerked at him and tensed. The orgasm hit a furious rise, and Karen released a breathy murmur and grabbed the back of Lemac’s head, holding him solidly to her as he continued to draw on her pussy with his mouth while pumping and twisting his fingers inside of her. The heel of his hand pressed above her pubic bone and at the same time he curled his fingers and dragged them over the bundle of nerves embedded in her vaginal wall. Karen cried out and her climax exploded in a spray of moisture and pulsing throbs and clenching muscles that seized her clit, her vagina, her stomach, racing in torrents along her flesh causing shudders of nearly unbearable pleasure to pound through body. “Oh! Lemac…Dgor!” “The scent of you is incredible,” Lemac mumble against her feminine folds and then he licked her. “The taste of you unforgettable.” He rose to his knees, plunged his cock into her. Grasping her hips, Lemac sank deep filling her. He pulled back and sank again over and over and over again until she heard his groan of satisfaction and felt the rapid pulsations as he squirted inside of her. Karen was in a mindless fog. Lemac’s repeated assault on her pussy triggered a new wave of erotic sensations to awaken inside of her. Lemac slipped out of her and Karen was only half aware that Dgor was shifting behind her, lifting her, slipping his legs beneath her and between her thighs spreading her wide. His pants were off. When he had removed them she had no idea. All Karen could focus on was the explosive sensations driving her toward another orgasmic climb and the fantastic feel of the two men who were taking her there. As Dgor grasped Karen’s waist, Lemac slid his hands around to support her bottom. Her feet hit the floor offering meager support for her wobbly legs, but it didn’t matter. They both held her there now, used their strength to lift her body so Dgor could poise his erection at her opening. He thrust slightly upward and the head of his cock opened her. It felt exquisite and Karen arched her back, squeezing her vaginal muscles, craving the penetration, anticipating, waiting. He plunged, causing her to fall forward, her hands clenching Lemac’s shoulders for support as Dgor and Lemac lifted her again and jerked her down onto Dgor’s thick length once more. Karen moaned. He was deep and she loved it, loved the cramming sensation as he pushed up and began pounding into her while Lemac took his turn sucking on her breasts, his fingers working at her clit once more, four fingers flattened and rubbing over it vigorously at an angle. Karen was going to cum again. “Harder,” she begged Dgor and they slammed her down onto him. “Yes!” Lifting her slightly he pounded upward furiously pumping into her body. The rigid length of him stiffened further, while Lemac continued to suck at her tits, feeding Karen’s own soaring arousal. Dgor came. On a roar he spurted into her, and Karen could feel the searing heat of his juices filling her as another orgasm burst through her, as well.

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Lemac rubbed her slower, moving in circular motions and pressing just a little harder, giving Karen the pressure she needed to fully enjoy the climax flowing through her. He watched with complete satisfaction, enthralled by the flush on her face and the rapture in her expression as she came. Taking her into his arms as she collapsed against him, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her. Dgor slid from the bench, falling to his knees still embedded inside of Karen and pressed against the length of Karen’s back. She was effectively compressed between them, exactly where she wanted to be. The pressure from their bodies comforting, loving, deep…just the way she liked it. Just the way she always knew she needed it. And there was nothing insane about it. **** So Bart, did you ever find out where the universe led to? Uh…er…yeah I did. It leads to its farthest point. But what’s beyond its farthest point? Um… Starbucks…

The End.

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Read TheTrigon Rituals Alea, Rjant and Tren's story. A top-rated bestselling erotic romance Available in print and e-book formats From New Concepts Publishing http://www.newconceptspublishing.com

The Trigon Rituals Basics and Definitions Call to the Trigon - Two Tertani males mystically brought together for the purpose of claiming a female mate. Transdelta Link - the blending of two Tertani male minds. Males of the same Trigon are constantly linked. They call refer to themselves as being of like minds. During the Triconjugal Hunt, the prowlers’ minds are linked during a Transdelta meditation ritual. It dissolves once the Tina is claimed and sexually mated. This ability allows the Trigon males to become cohesive, bonding in a way that will allow them to fully understand, cooperate and accept each other, thus enhancing their relationship with their woman. Tertani females do not have this capability. Brethren - the nomenclature shared between two males of the same Trigon Tina - female virgin or innocent Sh’em – the two married males of the Trigon She’ mana - married female of the Trigon Trigon - type of marriage common on the planets Tertia and Terta Minor consisting of two males and one female.

NOTE: In the Trigon, the males take the name of the female. For example if the She’ mana’s name is Alea as in the book, her mates, Tren and Rjant will be know collectively as the Sh’em ot Alea, and the union as the Trigon ot Alea. The Sh’em also attach their female’s name to their own birth names after they marry, dropping their own mothers’ names. i.e. Tren ot Alea. Their offspring will also carry the name of their mother attached to their first names. Edification - the preparation of the virgin female by her Trigon mates to decrease her apprehension and intimidation of the upcoming Triconjugal consummation. During the first sexual encounter with her Sh’em, a female will frequently becomes overwhelmed by two overpowering warriors intent on ravaging her body. She may become hysterical. The edification

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helps to increase her trust in her mates and to ease her fears. The Edification begins when the brethren link mentally and begin their seduction of the Tina while she is in a dream state. It later becomes physical but the dictates of Edification state a layer of clothing must separate the males from their female. Kissing, fondling, simulated copulation (better known as a “dry hump” ~grin~) culminating in climax is acceptable and encouraged. Flaunting - the initial self-introduction of the Trigon males to their chosen female mate to intrigue her. During the flaunting, the males spar with each other, to demonstrate their masculine prowess, and to peak her interest in accepting them as her Sh’em. The exhibition is performed using the talon arc and is typically a friendly spar between the two males. Triconjugal Blessing – bonding words offered to the Tina by her future Sh’em which precedes the hunt and subsequent mating. Triconjugal Ceremony - The sacred ritual of marriage mating, following the capture of the Trigon males’ female. The Triconjugal Prowlers, after having mated with their own She’mana, bear witness to the consummation. During this ritual the male Prowlers sit and encircle the new Trigon sitting cross-legged around them and with their hands held in Delta position. They chant the ancient words that bring health and fertility to the new triple. At this time the transdelta within the group is broken, but not the mental thought sharing that occurs between males of the same Trigon. That blessing remains intact. The Trigon females are not present, but gather in a separate location to continue the celebration and await their males’ return. The wedded males are usually quite randy after bearing witness, much to the enjoyment of their females. Triconjugal Hunt - The pre-wedding, predatory ritual during which chosen married females, and the claimed Tina, flee from their mates, to be hunted and captured by them. The Triconjugal prowlers, once they have captured their females, are expected to fornicate, to diminish their frenzy, before witnessing the breaching of the virgin female. Triconjugal Prowlers - The wedded males who are invited by the betrothed Trigon males to participate in the Triconjugal hunt. The hunters must already be mated. In the early days of the planet’s history, while the males lived in organized and domesticated encampments, the females banned together in packs, roaming freely and untamed in the savannas. Despite their lack of civility, the females were quite cunning about eluding their males. Even so, when their pursuing mates did manage to outwit her, the female’s extraordinary running speed and agility often allowed her to avert capture. Because of this, it was the Trigon prowlers’ duty to assist the Trigon males in tracking their Tina through telepathic linking, informing them of her location. Ritual of Dominance – An aggressive and sometimes violent battle between the Trigon brethren, each fighting for supremacy. It is an instinctive hostility that develops as the need to mate becomes more and more urgent. In a true Trigon the brethren are equally matched, one cannot defeat the other. This ritual is the final proof that they indeed are equal and compatibly matched. The males are often soothed by the presence of their Tina which in turn aids them in accepting each other as equals, further strengthening their bond to each other and dedication to

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their woman. In ancient times the males were often so battered by the time they relented, they were incapable of mating until their wounds healed. In modern times, now being less savage in nature, the brethren typically relented before either of them was injured too severely.

The Changeover – the natural transition to total acceptance of equality by the brethren following their Dominance struggle. NOTE: There is a secondary and vital purpose for the Changeover. If for some reason the brethren are unable to claim their female, often this is due to the death of the Tina prior to the marriage, the Dominance battle becomes a complete struggle for autonomy by the two Tertani males. Without their woman, the transdelta linking is pointless and through this battle the mental cohabitation that the two men share will eventually be broken and each goes his separate way. It should be noted that this is by no means a happy event, as each male will go through a period of grieving due to loss of their woman and break from each other, no different than a widow or a widower might grieve. Also, it isn't unheard of for the brethren to be re-linked in the future should the Mahatma Divinities bless them with another female, though this isn't always the case, for it is important that the new woman also be compatible with both of them.

Talon arc - a curved thin weapon, similar to an archery bow, approximately four feet in length and two inches in diameter, made of a highly resistant Smokey colored metal. A talon or claw shaped blade with a single barb is attached to one end. The other end throws laser orbs that can be set on stun or kill. Contact with this same end will cause and shock that when set to high drive will render its victim unconscious for hours. Set on low drive it merely delivers minor jolt that’s uncomfortable but not damaging. The handle is made of a thick leather cord, wrapped to a length of twelve inches. The talon arc is sheathed at the warrior’s back and is attached to a baldric belt. During the flaunting, only the clashing of arcs, similar to a sword fight, is demonstrated, and because the Trigon mates are in constant telepathic link during the flaunting it is highly unlikely either of them will be hurt. Tertian - the word properly used to refer to any inanimate objects of the Tertia and Terta Minor planets. Tertani - the word properly used to refer to the inhabitants of the Tertia and Terta Minor planets. Delta - The position the hands are held in during meditation and during sacred ceremonies including the Triconjugal Ceremony, often bringing forth a transcendental manifestation. Mahatma Divinities - ancient mystical spirits of the Tertia and Terta Minor planets

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Mahatma Tribunal - court of law and law makers consisting of twelve Tertani males brought by mystical summoning similar to the way that Tertani men are called to the Trigon. Members of the Mahatma Tribunal are celibate. Credics - the universal monetary device used throughout the CalyTron Galaxy. Each individual had his or her disc and could transfer or receive funds with it. The disc keeps record of all transactions and credit balances and is the means to buy and sell. Wards - the six districts within the CalyTron galaxy consisting of fifty-two inhabited planets and many uninhabited. First Ward: Location of the planet Geminus (Home of Windi Britny) and the planet Krell (Place of Tocol’s heritage) - native planet of the prince who raped Windi Britny resulting in the outbreak of Brit's Scorn

Jonhi,

Second Ward: Location of Puratan - the satellite colonies established for those infected with Brits Scorn disease and the planet Junpar Third Ward: Location of the sister planets Tertia and Terta Minor, as well as several other inhabited planets. Fourth Ward: Dormoth (Ruled by the monarch King Dred) Fifth Ward: Galactic Allegiance: The political system, peace keeping and watchdog group of the CalyTron Galaxy consisting of member representatives of the fifty-two inhabited planets. Their mission was to ensure harmony between the planets and to prevent any single planet or planetary system from forcing their own rules of governing on other alien societies. Though each planet maintained their own armed forces, the Galactic Allegiance also maintained security throughout the galaxy with a regiment of warriors enlisted from the various planets. Intergalactic System for Disease and Sickness Control (ISDS): Medical Interplanetary Community in the CalyTron Galaxy that monitors, controls and researches diseases. Krellian Radicals: Those part of the military forces that sought to control all planets in the CalyTron galaxy. These forces had their beginnings on the planet Krell where Brits Scorn originated. No longer contained to just the planet however, a Krellian Radical is now identified as any person, regardless of planetary origination, fighting on the side of the Krellians. Brits Scorn: Devastating disease that driving the galaxy’s inhabitants into extinction. There is no cure as of yet. By the time the disease was recognized, it had spread to epidemic proportions. Of the fifty-two inhabited planets in the galaxy only twenty-two remained untainted. These planets are under strict regulations by the ISDS to keep the disease from spreading across their boundaries. Persistent scanning of the inhabitants had been ordered by the ISDS is in the hopes of eradicating the disease before it completely consumed those planets and the rest of the

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CalyTron galaxy. The Krellians have control of six of the fifty-two planets conquered after a massive invasion. All six of these planets are rampant with Brits Scorn

It began on Krell, about three hundred phases back. Jonhi, the king’s son, became enamored by Windi Britny, enchantress queen from the planet of Geminus. The queen refused Jonhi's offers. Angered by this, he raped her. In her fury over being violated, Windi Britny cast a barrier fog around her planet to keep outsiders away and then put her people to sleep. And before she died of hemorrhage from her own virginal blood, she cursed all Krellians and doomed them by throwing down her wrath in the form of diseased spores let loose in the Krellian atmosphere. Those that inhaled the spores became infected. Some Krellians did managed to escape the planet before contracting the disease. The Nature of Brits Scorn Disease: -The disease can only be contracted by inhaling the spores or through sexual intercourse. -Infected males typically lived to their life’s full expectancy while the disease slowly ate away at their minds, making them violently aggressive, but no less intelligent. A typical sign that someone is suffering from the disease is frothing at the mouth. -Adult infected females do not become aggressive, but usually die within three to five phases. The cause of death is heart failure following a relentless attack of seizures. -Other females might not contract the disease but can become carriers infect the males they had sex with. -Babies born to infected mother are prone to a hodgepodge of anomalies. If they were also infected it was typical for them to die within the first year of life. Others were merely carriers and grew to adulthood, but they were isolated from society and sent to Puratan. -Some babies are born completely free of the disease. Unfortunately, the females were sterile, but for some unknown reason the males were not. As Brits Scorn began spreading throughout the galaxy fewer fertile females were being born, while the adult woman began to die. Krellian inhabitants found themselves in a dire situation, one that threatened to drive them to extinction. For this reason, they looked toward other planetary establishments to save them. Thus, in their madness from being tainted with the disease, they began their reign of war, spreading Brits Scorn throughout the galaxy, instead of turning to the Galactic Allegiance for help. Because of this, the CalyTron galaxy in its entirety, now suffers from a shortage of woman. Puratan: a system of secured colonies, where those tainted with Brits Scorn were banished to live out the remainder of their lives.

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TIME MEASURES Spek - second Min- star minute Dial-star hour Dawning- one star day Septdawn- one star week or seven dawnings Lunar Cycle- one month, four Septdawnings Phase- one star year Epoch- century/one hundred years

LANGUAGE Ickqu--soon Hucm ickqu--very soon Critais -- Transport. Uyo cledal--Yes, sir Ta het wiev aspec --We’re in the observatory Tond therob su--See that we are not disturbed. Ayn--No Tuclure ont Tertani--I am not Tertani She' ami - woman She'mana - wife Sh'em - husband or husbands evala'luso - my heart’s passion Fosu'obua--stunning Stuj roftib--Only for awhile

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