Praise for the writing of Barbara Karmazin
On the Edge of Time
I must admit -- I am a huge Sci-Fi fan and of course, love romance. Now, I’m a huge Barbara Karmazin fan. Why? Because On the Edge of Time is one of the best sci-fi romance blends I’ve ever read… [I]f you’re up for something new, hot, and titillating, On the Edge of Time is worth your time. -- Tina Burns, The Road to Romance
On the Edge of Time is a fast-paced, truly engrossing read that will have you laughing, sighing, and most assuredly, will leave you hungry for more. Barbara Karmazin is a wonderfully imaginative writer. With incredibly erotic sex scenes and heart stopping action, anyone who loves a sizzling hot science fiction story will love this book. -- Kathi, Sizzling Romances
On the Edge of Time is a fantastic read. The original story line is vastly appealing and well written… The sex scenes are hot enough to cause combustion. Barbara Karmazin created a wonderful story and is someone whose work I will look forward to reading in the future. -- Claudia, Fallen Angel Reviews
On the Edge of Time is a roller coaster ride full of sizzling sexual encounters, action filled scenes, and surprising plot twists. Silk and Onyx along with their world were beautifully described, and the story skillfully written. -- Jennifer Brooks, Coffee Time Romance
On the Edge of Time is now available from Loose Id.
GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
Barbara Karmazin
www.loose-id.com
Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
***** This book is rated:
For substantial explicit sexual content, graphic language, some violence, and situations that some readers may find objectionable (ménage, homoerotic sex, hermaphroditism).
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Barbara Karmazin This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com
Copyright © August 2005 by Barbara Karmazin Excerpt of The Devil’s Triangle copyright June 2005 by Alyssa Brooks All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.
ISBN 1-59632-062-1 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader
Printed in the United States of America
Editor: Erin Mullarkey Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter
Dedication I want to give thanks to all of my wonderful, hard-working critique partners, Rita Sable, Belinda Palmer, Robin Courtright, Khadija, Mirella, Sheri, and Shannon. Your wonderful advice and enthusiastic encouragement helped me complete Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Special thanks to Camille 'Sandy' Anthony. Camille wanted to see sex and more of Drum. I listened to her and added more sex and more scenes with Drum. Grin! And a very special dedication to my Mom, Sophie J. Karmazin, who died at 86 years young on July 9, 2005. I know my Dad was waiting for Mom on the other side I know they're both having fun now instead of suffering all the aches and pains of old age.
Chapter One
Sammy leaned back gingerly on the speedboat’s hot plastic-covered seat. “Ouch!” She pulled her T-shirt away from her body and fanned herself. Sweat trickled down her neck and pooled between the deep cleavage of her breasts. Times like this, she wished she had smaller tits like Twig’s firm apple-sized ones, instead of jiggly grapefruit-sized globes. She should have bought a larger size, darn it. As it was, the bra top of her electric-blue thong swimsuit barely covered her nipples. Hopefully, she’d plastered enough SPF 45 on her arms and face to save herself from a horrendous sunburn. Just because she was half black didn’t mean she could forgo sunscreen. Black people could get sunburned and suffer from sun poisoning, too. Hopefully, the insulated ice pack she’d stuck into her gym bag would keep the chocolate she’d purchased this morning from melting in this heat. Christ! It must be a hundred and ten degrees out here. Her legs were stuck to the chair already. Pants, or a towel on the seat, would have been more practical than a pair of cut-off jean shorts. If she jumped up too fast she’d peel half the skin from the back of her thighs. Twig stood at the bow of the speedboat. The computerized control panel behind her with its holographic windshield looked like the bridge of a futuristic star cruiser. “Well, here we are.” Twig stretched her arms out wide. “Smack dab in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. Not a cloud in the sky. Now you have to admit your crazy books and tarot cards are nothing but pure crap.” Sammy squinted at the blazing hot sun in the empty sky above them and shrugged. A simple boat ride out into the middle of the ocean wasn’t going to change her beliefs in psychic phenomena and psi abilities. She wiped the sweat from her face again. “Yeah, yeah. You were right. Can we go back now?”
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“Not yet. We just got here.” Twig turned, squatted down on her heels, and opened the tiny refrigerator under the control panel. “Damn. It’s hotter than hell. We have Coke, ginger ale, and iced tea. Which do you want?” Sammy lifted her sweat-soaked braid from her neck. She should cut her hair short like Twig’s instead of wearing it long. The sun pounded at her skull with fierce intensity. “Ginger ale sounds good.” The air above the speedboat darkened into a swirl of indigo against the pale, blinding blue of the noonday sky. A tingling sensation raced over Sammy’s body. Goosebumps pebbled her arms despite the intense heat. Her skin felt like it wanted to crawl off her body. Sammy swallowed. “Twig.” She squeezed the word past her suddenly parched throat. Twig continued to rummage through the selection of soda cans in the fridge. “What?” The indigo swirl was spinning now. Each spin went a little faster than the one before. Sprays of water fanned out beneath the darkened area and created miniature rainbows under the glaring sun. “Turn the engine on and get us out of here, right now!” Twig banged her head on the console. “Ouch!” She looked up at the swirling blue tunnel. “What the hell ... Oh, shit!” Twig scrambled to the seat and started flipping switches on the control panel. Nothing happened. The tunnel whirled faster. The boat rocked back and forth. Sprays of water splashed over the sides. A pair of sunglasses and a can of Coke flew up and disappeared into the tunnel.
Shit! Sammy’s hair flew straight up on her head. The suction from the tunnel was trying to pull her inside, too. Twig scrambled to her knees again. She yanked the bright red, waterproof emergency backpack from under the control panel. Then she unhooked the deflated lifeboat pack and oars. “Shit! Damn! Fuck!” Sammy grabbed their gym bags and stumbled across the four-foot section of deck to her best friend’s side. The last thing she wanted to do now was gloat and say, “You should have listened to me.” She’d much rather be wrong and be on their way back to the Florida Keys. A low, keening vibration filled the air. It vibrated her teeth and bones like an enormous dental drill. Twig said something, but Sammy couldn’t hear past the unbearable sound. Twig wrestled the backpack over her shoulders, grabbed the lifeboat, and opened her arms. Sammy grabbed onto Twig’s hand, staggered forward, and held on for dear life. The straps of the gym bags dug into her hands. No matter what happened next, they’d stick it out together.
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The swirling blue tunnel pulled them into its maw. Swifter and swifter they spun into the maelstrom. Flashes of heat lightning flickered all around them. Sammy sucked in a deep breath. A stench like burning hair filled her lungs. What was it? A tornado? A waterspout? It couldn’t be a waterspout; there wasn’t any water around them. Only a roaring darkness with random blinding flashes of light. The final glimpse of light dwindled with astonishing speed until they reached eternity. Then it was snuffed out and became a mere memory, an echo of what might have been. Could it be a tesseract, an intra-dimensional space-time warp? Or space aliens in a UFO? How long did their journey take? Sammy had no idea. It felt like forever. It could have been only a minute. They exploded into bright sunlight and, with a glorious splash, fell about five feet into cool water. Sammy gasped at the sudden shock. She kicked, touched ground with her feet, spat out a mouthful of salt water, then straightened up and opened her eyes. They stood in hip-deep surf. The sky was a brilliant blue. There was no sign of their speedboat. The sun was the same as before, hot and blinding in the sky. A tiny beach glittered about fifteen feet away. A dark, broken cliff of black rock festooned with long, lank strands of seaweed loomed above the enclosed beach. They staggered hand in hand through the white-capped surf and collapsed on the hot sands of the beach. Sammy lifted her head. The jagged outline of a coral reef circling the bay greeted her stunned gaze. She turned around, stared at the waterline on the cliff, and groaned. “We have to get off the beach.” Twig pushed herself to her knees. Sand clung to her legs, her wet clothes, and her soggy sneakers. She stopped trying to brush the sand from her clothes and glared at Sammy. “Why? We just got here.” Sammy waved her hand at the ocean. Then she pointed at the cliff behind them. That was enough to get her point across. The watermarks on the cliff were a good thirty feet up. When high tide came rolling in past the narrow entrance into the bay, it would smash them against the cliffs and drown them. Twig stood up and pulled Sammy to her feet. “Let’s get the hell up that cliff then.” She opened the emergency backpack, rummaged through it, and produced a rope. “We’ll use this to tie everything together and pull it up after us.” Sammy unzipped their gym bags. “I’m not climbing anything wearing only shorts and a T-shirt.” She produced their sweatpants and hooded jackets. “These will help keep us from getting all cut up on those rocks.”
*****
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They barely made it to the top and hauled everything up before the tide came crashing in. That climb was scary as hell. Sammy had gritted her teeth and clawed hand over hand past slippery, slimy rocks and seaweed. Amazing how the adrenaline rush gave them the strength to climb like demons and then turn around to haul the rest of their stuff up without stopping for breath. Huge sprays of water splashed over the edge, drenching them from head to toe. Sammy wrung out the end of her braid and flipped it over her shoulder. Then she dug through the soggy mess in her bag. Twig lay sprawled on her back beside the discarded emergency backpack. She shaded her eyes with her arm. “What are you looking for?” Sammy shot Twig a glare that would slice steel. “I don’t know about you, but after traveling through an intra-dimensional, space-time warp into an alternate reality, climbing that damn cliff, and almost getting drowned by high tide, I need a chocolate fix real bad.” “Sammy.” Twig groaned. “That was a waterspout, not an intra-dimensional warp thingee. Will you shut down your sci-fi stuff for a few minutes and face reality? All we have to do is find a radio in this backpack, call for help, and wait for the Coast Guard to retrieve us.”
Talk about refusing to face reality. Twig was out of her mind. No way was that a waterspout. Sammy found her bag of Hershey’s kisses in the gym bag, ripped it open, handed one to Twig, and kept one for herself. Twig sat back on her heels. Two bright red spots flared on her cheeks. Her green eyes darkened into a cold, hard glare of indignation. “One lousy piece of chocolate after what we just went through? Are you out of your freaking mind?” Sammy carefully unwrapped the foil on her piece and popped it into her mouth. “I don’t think we’re on Earth anymore. We better ration what we have because when it runs out, I don’t think we’ll be able to walk into a store and buy another bag of them.” A disgusted snort exploded from Twig. “We’re on Earth, not in some frigging spacetime warp. The air’s the same. The sky’s the same, and the damn ocean looks and tastes the same as always.” “Look at the trees. Look at the jungle behind you.” Twig turned around. “Yeah, what about it?” She unwrapped her Hershey’s kiss and popped it in her mouth. Sammy shrugged. “You know everything there is to know about animals. You majored in veterinary science. I majored in horticulture. I know plants.” She pointed at the foliage. “That looks like a papaya tree to me. And those trees over there, they’re not real trees. They’re giant ferns that have been extinct for millions of years. They are definitely not modern-day coconut trees. The only place on Earth where that particular species of fern tree
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exists is in the middle of China.” She jerked her thumb at the ocean crashing against the cliff behind them. “This is not the middle of China. I can tell you that much right now.” Twig unzipped the backpack. “Did you hit your head in that waterspout? You’re nuts. We haven’t been transported into a stupid science fiction movie like Jurassic Park. We’re perfectly safe.” “Do we have any weapons?” Twig dug deeper into the pack. “We have an inflatable boat with fold-up oars, a twoman tent, food supplies, a fully stocked emergency medical kit, a flare gun, a pocket knife, and ...” She held aloft two plastic-wrapped boxes containing twenty-four condoms each and shook her head. “We don’t need these things anymore. We had our appointment at the gynecologist last week and got one-year Norplant implants. Should I toss them?” Sammy shook her head. “Nah. Keep ’em. We might be able to trade them for food later.” Twig sighed, rolled her eyes at Sammy, and tossed the condoms into the backpack. She pulled out the flare gun, then a pocketknife, and laid them on the ground. “We could use these as weapons.” She peered inside the pack again, pulled out a pair of binoculars, rose to her feet, and carefully scanned the horizon with them. “What are you looking for?” “A river. A decent source of water. If we find one, we’ll follow it. Somewhere along the way, we’re bound to run into people.” Twig lowered the binoculars and pointed to the left. “Let’s try that direction. I spotted a plateau behind the jungle. At least we’ll be headed away from the ocean. “ Sammy staggered to her feet. She ached from that horrendous climb. Walking would help her relax and work the kinks out of her abused body. “I don’t think there are any dinosaurs here. If there were any around, I’m thinking we would have seen or heard one of them by now.” Twig gave Sammy another one of her “you’re a few bricks short of a full load” looks. She produced a radio from the backpack, pulled out the antenna, and tried the “on” switch. Nothing happened. They didn’t even hear static when she turned the dial back and forth. She shook the radio. An ominous rattling sound came from inside the bright red plastic case. “I think it’s broken. Do you know anything about fixing radios?” A sinking feeling filled Sammy’s gut. The chocolate she’d eaten sat there like a piece of lead. She straightened her shoulders. They needed to focus on what they could do right now instead of wasting time and energy obsessing over things they couldn’t change. “Nope. I don’t know a damn thing about electronics.” Salt crusted her lips, face, and hair. Her sweatpants and jacket were drying into stiff boards against her arms and legs. “Let’s go. I wanna get to that river before dark. Is there anything to drink in that pack?”
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Twig grinned and held up two large bottles of water. She passed one to Sammy, opened hers, and took a nice long drink. Sammy did the same. Water had never tasted as good as it did right now. She didn’t even care that it was lukewarm. All that mattered was that it was wet and wasn’t salty. “Twig.” “Yes?” “I’m scared.” Twig held out her hands. They were shaking. “I’m scared, too. We better get going before it gets too dark to see anything. I’d rather not face danger in the dark.”
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Chapter Two Twig managed a weak grin at Sammy. “Are you ready?” Sammy had already lightened Twig’s load as much as she could by taking the inflatable lifeboat and oars. They’d tied both to Sammy’s back with a piece of rope. They cut another section of the rope into two smaller pieces to use as crude belts. Sammy’s weapon of choice was the pocketknife slung at her waist. With the oars sticking up past Sammy’s head, she looked like one of those mutant ninja turtles Twig’s mom used to watch when she was a kid. Sammy grimaced and shifted her awkward burden to a more comfortable position on her back. “I’m gonna have rope burns on my shoulders by the time we stop.” Twig tucked the flare gun into her belt, clipped a water bottle to the other side, and stuffed the spare flares into her sweatpants pocket. She felt like an archeologist trekking out into the wilderness on a fantastic adventure. Twig swiped a hand across her face. Sweat slicked her neck and face and trickled down her spine. More moisture clung between her breasts and the small of her back. She tried to shift the bulky emergency backpack into a position where the straps wouldn’t dig into her shoulders and chafe her skin. Sammy was right. Rope burns were going to be a major problem for both of them by tonight. Twig’s clothes rubbed against her skin with every move she made. The seawater that had splashed on their clothes had now dried and transformed the fabric into stiff boards streaked with salt crystals. She snorted. If they hadn’t been walking through a jungle of fiftyfoot-tall fern trees, she would have worn just her thong swimsuit and cut-offs in the blistering heat. Long, twisty vines draped the six-foot-diameter tree trunks. But they were in the jungle. Like it or not, they needed the protection of sweatpants and long-sleeved tops. Bare skin made a perfect target for thorns and bloodthirsty insects. Dark green moss
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cushioned the ground. Thick and bouncy under her sneakers, it felt like she was walking on plush carpeting. Fabulous orchids of all hues and shapes blossomed within the tangled mass of vines hanging from the trees. Their perfumes lingered on the air with exotic allure. Birds with brilliantly colored plumage flew back and forth in the canopy above them. Twig also caught a few tantalizing glimpses of small furry creatures clinging to the tree branches but hadn’t managed to catch a clear enough view to identify their exact species. Raucous squawks and beating wings provided a constant background noise in the canopy’s upper levels. Judging by the colors she’d seen so far, the birds might be a species of parrot. Long, slanting bars of sunlight sliced through the shadows under the dense canopy and dappled the ground like strobe lights on a dance floor. The deep shade from the towering trees was the only good thing about their present situation. They didn’t have to worry about sunburn or heatstroke.
This was all her fault. If she hadn’t been such a stubborn pig and insisted on renting a speedboat just to take a joyride into the Bermuda Triangle, they wouldn’t have gotten dumped on this remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Sammy kept lagging behind and swiveling her head back and forth. “Look at that. It’s soapwort.” She pointed at a thick-leaved plant nestled under one of the fern trees. “And that’s aloe.” Light sparkled off a wet surface in a gap between two of the oversized fern trees. Twig felt the tension melting from her shoulders and strode ahead of Sammy. Soon they’d be at the river. Maybe they could catch a fish or two and camp out for the night. The familiar splashing and gurgling of water rushing across the ground reached Twig’s ears. She smiled. Soon, very soon, they’d step out of the shadowed confines of the jungle into the open space beside the river.
Wait a minute. She stopped. Sammy bumped into her and yelped. “Hey! Give me some kind of warning when you’re gonna stop so I don’t break my nose.” Twig grabbed Sammy’s arm. “Sssshhh!” she hissed. “Listen. What do you hear?” Sammy tilted her head to the side. A look of deep concentration stilled her expression into somber lines. Then a relieved smile brightened her face. “Water! I hear water. We’re almost there.” Twig exhaled slowly and kept her voice soft and quiet. “Now tell me. What don’t you hear?” Sammy absently tucked a loose strand of her whiskey-colored hair behind her ear and listened again. A puzzled frown etched her brow. “Why? Is that bad? I don’t hear the birds squawking anymore. The only thing I hear is the river up ahead.”
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Twig pulled the flare gun from her makeshift belt. “When birds and animals go silent, that means there’s a large predator in the vicinity. I don’t think it’s us ’cause they didn’t shut up when we came through their territory. Keep walking. I’ll guard the rear.” Sammy put her hands on her hips and stood with her legs braced wide. “I’m not running out on you now. If there’s something dangerous stalking us, I’m staying right here with you to fight it off.” Twig sighed. “Please, Sammy. Go to the river. Inflate the boat so we can make a quick getaway. I’m coming with you. I just want to watch our back trail so nothing sneaks up on us while you load everything into the lifeboat.” That earned her a grudging “Okay.” Sammy held out her hand for the backpack. Twig eased the bulky pack off her shoulders, gave it to her, and then turned around again with the flare gun held ready in her hands. She glanced over her shoulder. Sammy was hurrying down the path to the river. And it was a definite path. The moss here had a welltrodden appearance. A squeaky, chittering sound filled the air. Soft at first, it gradually grew louder. The sound made the hair on the back of Twig’s neck rise and her stomach do flip-flops. Goosebumps pebbled her skin despite the thick, heavy heat. She shivered, tightened her grip on the gun, and backed away. The sound got louder. Twig kept retreating. She hesitated and risked a second glance over her shoulder. The path remained clear. There were no obstructions to trip her. Innumerable small rustlings filled the area behind the trees and bushes. The rustlings paralleled her retreat down the path. The noise reached a frenzy of invisible movement and the stench of wet fur thickened all around her to the point where she almost gagged. Twig tried breathing through her mouth in a useless attempt to stifle the odor. Giant rats, the size of cocker spaniels, with matted black and brown fur and tiny reddened eyes flowed out onto the path. They opened their mouths wide and displayed razor-sharp teeth. Dirty white foam flecked their muzzles. Twig stopped, braced her feet wide apart, and lifted the pistol in a two-handed grip exactly like they taught her in the extra-credit course she had taken on small weapons use. Twenty feet away was close enough. Any closer and she wouldn’t be able to escape. Slow and steady, she aimed and shot the flare directly into the mass of bodies racing at her. It exploded into them. A fireball gushed up just like gasoline exploding from a burning car. Flaming bodies flew into the air on top of the fireball. They fell to the ground with horrid splats. Horrific squealing and high-pitched, sobbing screams sliced through her bones and deafened her. Twig held her hand in front of her face to shield her eyes from the intense heat. Shit! Black, suffocating smoke saturated with the stench of burning fur and flesh rose up from the
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smoldering bodies. She glanced down and heaved a relieved sigh. At least her clothes weren’t on fire from the backdraft. Twig kept backing up. She retrieved the second flare shell from her pocket. It looked like a bright orange shotgun shell. Only one left. She had better save that flare and make it count. Her hands were shaking so hard it took her three tries to reload the gun. A second wave of rats surged out of the shadows. They swarmed over the sizzling bodies, ripping and tearing at the charred flesh, cannibalizing their packmates. Twig seized her chance to escape. She spun on her heels and ran down the path. Sunlight spilled through a huge gap in the canopy about fifty yards ahead; it shone reddishgold through the leaves and between the tree trunks. Twig quickened her pace. The sun was setting. No way did she want to be in the jungle after dark. She ducked under a luxuriant curtain of vines, burst out into the blazing red sunlight, and teetered on the rockslide that lined the edge of the river. Wide and placid, it promised a little more safety than the trees. Sammy waved her arms. She stood knee deep in the water beside the fully inflated lifeboat. Twig half-slid, half-ran down a section of loose rocks to the beach. Only about thirty more yards to reach the boat. Why had Sammy removed her sweatpants and jacket? Her flimsy thong swimsuit would give her no protection whatsoever against the rats’ teeth and claws.
Speaking of which ... Twig stopped and turned around. Another mass of black and brown furry bodies appeared at the top of the jumble of rocks she’d slid down a few moments ago. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. It was the same adrenalin foreshortening of time she’d always experienced at the height of a diving competition. She never needed to think about the mechanics of the dive, she just did it. And now, without even completing the thought about aiming and shooting, she’d lifted the flare gun in both hands and fired. The flare exploded into the rats with a satisfying whump of flames and heat. She didn’t bother wasting precious time admiring the fireball and charred bodies. A quick pivot on her heels and a short dash down the beach brought her to the river’s edge. She waded into the water. It seeped into her pants and shoes in a sudden cold rush that made her suck in her breath. Sammy handed her an oar. Twig climbed into the lifeboat. Sammy hoisted herself into the boat. “Rats!” she yelled. “Giant rats!” A shudder shook her hunched shoulders. “I hate rats!” She shoved her oar in the water and started paddling like crazy upriver, away from the rats.
Good idea. Twig had no intention of paddling toward the rats. She yelled at Sammy. “Why the hell did you take off your sweats?” Sammy swiveled her head back and gave Twig an astonished stare. Her neat braid had become unraveled and her hair had frizzed into a halo of wild waves around her café-au-lait
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face. The setting sun painted her skin with a blood-red glow. “Because the river looks pretty deep in the middle, and we don’t have any life preservers. Waterlogged sweats will pull us under if we capsize.”
Oh, yeah. Right. Drowning is not a good way to die. Twig laid her oar at her feet for a few seconds while she shucked off her jacket and hurriedly wiggled out of her sweatpants. The setting sun blazed a trail on the water. Sammy lifted her oar and pointed at a crumbling section of red cliff jutting out from the dark mass of green foliage. “That looks like our best chance. Maybe it’ll have caves where we can barricade ourselves.” Twig gripped her oar tighter. She wasn’t too enthusiastic about taking her chances in that part of the jungle either, not after seeing the rats that infested the other side. Dark green foliage loomed above the white sands of the beach on the opposite shore. She didn’t dare look over her shoulder. Rats were excellent swimmers, so she didn’t have any hope that they’d drown trying to follow them upriver. Getting into some kind of shelter before it got dark sounded very appealing right now. Twig bit her lip and concentrated on paddling. The sun was rapidly sinking below the horizon when they beached the lifeboat. A shallow cleft in the cliff wall promised shelter. They jumped out and grabbed the ropes circling the lifeboat’s rim. Because of the difference in height, Twig bent her arms in order to keep her side of the load balanced. It was an awkward struggle. They ran across the white sands and clambered over slimy rocks that kept shifting under their sneakers. Twig found herself sneaking glances at the dense foliage hugging the sides and top of the thirty-foot high cliff. No fat-bodied rats appeared from the shadows. So far, so good. Apparently this side of the river wasn’t their normal territory. There was evidence of past floods in the form of debris, mostly wood, washed up and wedged between the rocks -- an excellent source of firewood. The shallow dent in the cliff wall loomed above them. A small ledge of crumbled rock surrounded it, giving them a fifteen-foot-wide and ten-foot-deep semicircular area to defend. Twig helped Sammy raise the lifeboat up onto the ledge. Sammy boosted her butt up and sat on the ledge beside the lifeboat with her legs dangling over the edge. She unzipped the backpack and dug out a twist-off emergency lightstick and box of matches. A triumphant grin lit up her face. “I’ll help you pile driftwood in a barricade at the base of this and light it with these matches. That should help keep us safe.” Twig rubbed at her forehead. “The binoculars, please. Before we do anything, I want to see if those rats are still following us.” Sammy cast a fearful look at the river, dug out the binoculars, and handed them over.
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Twig studied the river through the magnified lenses. The setting sun made it harder to see but there was still enough light for her to focus on the water. She sighed, lowered the binoculars, and turned around. She didn’t have to say a word. Sammy’s dusky skinned face lost all color. “They’re still following us, aren’t they?” Twig gave an abrupt nod, tossed the binoculars into the lifeboat, turned around, and started gathering up as much driftwood as she could. Now wasn’t the best time in the world to stand around and discuss their options.
***** Fire flickered around the ledge, casting distorted shadows on the cliff behind them in a mockery of the first round of the battle they’d fought and won. A mound of charred rats sizzled and smoked about ten yards away. Red-eyed shapes skulked just out of range of the firelight, circling back and forth. Twig tossed the empty flare gun aside and leaned on the crude spear she’d fashioned out of driftwood. Sammy shifted her spear to her left hand and wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her right hand, smearing the soot on her cheeks even more. She gestured at the thong swimsuits they wore. “We look like heroines from one of those chainmail chick flicks.” Twig shrugged. “Except those chicks would be barefoot instead of wearing practical sneakers.” Sammy’s eyes widened. She gasped and pointed at the sky behind Twig. Twig whirled around with her spear pointed out to defend herself. Two full moons glowed in the sky. Time seemed to stand still as she studied those impossible orbs moving across the black sky. Oh, shit! Wherever we are, it’s not Earth, at least not the Earth I knew
and grew up on. Sammy said in a very small voice, “It’s my fault.” Twig turned around and glared at her. “No. I’m the idiot who rented the boat and took us out into the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. Remember?” Sammy wiped the tears from her face and managed a half-hearted smile. “It doesn’t matter anymore whose fault it is. All I know is that I don’t want to die, and I’m afraid we’ll be dead before morning. It’s too late to worry about whose fault it is.” “Don’t worry about it. We’re alive. Let’s keep it that way, huh?” Sammy was right. They couldn’t change the past. Twig jerked her thumb at the rats. “We’ve got more important things to worry about, like surviving tonight.” With a wistful smile, Sammy pushed her hair behind her ears. “You’re crying.”
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Twig swiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Of course I’m crying. I don’t want to die either.” An unearthly, piercing scream shattered the night. Twig just about jumped out her skin. “What the fuck?” Three brown and cream-colored shapes lunged out of the darkness and landed in the middle of the rats. These new creatures were much larger. They fought in a flurry of action, too fast for human eyes to follow. Fur upon fur, teeth and claws slashing and cutting, whirling in and out, blood splashing upon the ground. As suddenly as the combatants came together, they jumped back. Twig sucked in her breath. Cats! Giant Siamese cats! Cats the size of Great Danes stood above scattered body parts and intestines. Twig traded astonished stares with Sammy. The biggest cat crouched on his haunches and yowled. The sound started out as a low, bone-deep vibration, then swiftly rose up the scale into a horrid off-key wail that shuddered through Twig like an enormous fingernail scraping across a blackboard. The two moons rose higher in the sky, splashing more light on the ground. The shadows deepened and overlapped one another. The cats lunged into battle again. Once more, their movements were too fast to follow. The mêlée lasted longer this time. Ugly, bone-crunching sounds and strangled gurgles punctuated the silent, deadly combat. The fetid smell of blood and feces permeated the air. The smallest of the three cats leaped back to stand on three legs. A steady stream of blood flowed from the cat’s left shoulder. The other two cats ran up to protect their wounded companion. Their vicious lunges and slashes kept the rats at bay. Twig pushed smoldering driftwood aside with her spear and jumped off the ledge. “What the hell are you doing?” Sammy yelled. “Open the first aid supplies and dig out your sewing kit,” Twig yelled back. “Those cats are trying to help us. One of them is wounded. I studied to be a vet, remember? I’m not going to stand around like a jackass when I can do something.” The cat turned around. Twig held out her hand, made an encouraging noise in her throat and beckoned. If her gut instincts about them were wrong, if the cats were wild, then she’d rather die under their claws than under those horrible rats. The cat inclined its head in a regal nod and limped toward her. Twig eased herself down the half slope to the cat’s side, keeping her movements slow and natural so it wouldn’t think she wanted to attack. Finally, she stood beside the animal. The cat lifted its head and gazed at her with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, the clear intense blue of the sky after a spring rain. She held out her hand. The cat licked her fingers with its rough tongue, then limped up the slope to the dubious safety of their ledge.
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She walked beside the animal with her makeshift spear ready to defend against any stragglers. The macabre dance of death continued behind them. They reached the ledge. Twig kicked more smoldering embers aside to clear a path for her patient, tossed her spear up, then braced her hands under the cat’s hind legs so it could clamber up into relative safety. Sammy leaned over the ledge with her spear handy and watched for attacks from the rear as Twig clambered up. Sammy helped the cat lie down on one of the blankets from the backpack while Twig positioned a twist-off emergency flare lightstick at the best possible angle to view the ugly tear in the cat’s shoulder. The first aid kit lay open and ready for use, with bandages, antiseptic, and medication displayed for easy access along with the sewing kit. First aid kits always had bandages and splints but they hardly ever had needles and thread to sew up large wounds. At least this kit had a vial of lidocaine for dental work that she could use as a local anesthetic. As long as she used it sparingly on the cat, there would be more than enough lidocaine around for their own injuries. That is, if they survived. If they didn’t survive, then it wouldn’t matter anyway that she used some to alleviate the cat’s pain. Twig knelt beside the cat. She donned a pair of latex gloves. Her perceptions shifted down to a single focus, that of her patient and the necessary tasks to close her patient’s wound. She cleaned out the gash with bottled water and applied liquid lidocaine to numb the area. Then she held a compress pad over the wound to control the bleeding the way she’d learned in her veterinary surgery internship. Slowly she counted to sixty in her head. Just long enough for the drug to take effect. She stopped and peered at the meager instruments in the kit. A pair of scissors, plastic tweezers, and some butterfly clamps. She lifted the compress, laid it on the cat’s shoulder and used the tweezers to probe for the end of the torn artery that was still spurting blood. “Needle and thread, please.” Sammy handed her a threaded needle. Twig sutured the tear in the artery, accepted a fresh needle and sutured the wound next. An eerie howl and baying sound echoed off the cliff. Twig sat back on her heels and swiveled her head around in a frantic effort to locate the source. It wasn’t coming from the cats; they were still busy fighting the rats. Giant dogs poured out of the shadows, dogs the size of ponies, with long shaggy fur. A living wave of fur and muscle, they galloped in without stopping and fought alongside the two cats. A wagon pulled by four more oversized dogs rolled to a stop on the beach. Two men, clad in soft tanned leather pants and fringed boots, jumped down. They were shirtless and clean-shaven. Their hair hung long and wild down to their waists with two thin braids swinging over their left ears. One had coal-black skin and long, kinky dark hair. The other had dark brown skin and hair bleached so blond it looked white in comparison to his skin. They pulled swords from scabbards slung across their back and waded into battle against the rats.
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The third passenger jumped down from the wagon with sword in hand. Tall, lean, and pale-skinned, this one had straight dark hair. The only difference in attire was a short tan leather vest that barely concealed small, well-shaped breasts. It all had a surrealistic, nightmarish feel. Giant rats, cats, and dogs all tangled together in a bloodthirsty battle. Strange men with swords slicing and stabbing at the rats. Light from those two crazy moons glinted on teeth, claws, and swords in a kaleidoscopic blend of motion. The half-circle of burning driftwood in front of their ledge sent sparks and flames into the night sky. But this wasn’t a dream. Real blood stained the ground and Twig’s gloved hands.
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Chapter Three Teoh leaned against the wagon beside his co-spouse Tallent. He licked his lips and adjusted his aroused rod to a more comfortable position within his buckskin breeches. Two beautiful fem knelt on the ledge. The light from dying fires below the ledge gave him tantalizing glimpses of their dirt-streaked faces and bodies. It was easy to see they were fem. The scraps of cloth they wore over their pubes and nips were too small and flimsy to conceal the telltale bulge of a mem’s or hem’s rod and seed sacs. The mem cats had already jumped onto the ledge, gone to the prostrate body of their mate, and sniffed her over from head to tail. Now both cats were purring their approval and nudging their broad heads with affection against the fem healers’ hands. The taller fem was just the right height to look at Teoh eye to eye. She had short, curly, sun-colored hair and light skin. The shorter, darker-skinned fem had dark, shoulder-length hair the color of fertile earth. The way her hair hung down in tight, wild curls reminded him of a spiral flower’s twisty leaves or the wiry curls of a fem’s pubes. The tall one’s legs were made to wrap around his waist and her round, high breasts were just the right size for squeezing and suckling. Would she like it if he braced her against the cliff and plunged his rod into her pubes from a standing position? The shorter fem had hips meant for hard sex and full, heavy breasts ripe for nuzzling and long sessions of sucking and nipping. He’d love to have her sit on top of his rod and ride him any way she wanted. The lovely curves of their buttocks were fully exposed for viewing pleasure. The thought of planting his rod between their legs from behind made Teoh’s seed sacs ache for release. Could it be that these fem were alone because they only wanted to share sex with other fem? An agonized grunt escaped from Teoh’s mouth.
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“Yes, I agree.” Tallent’s lecherous grin flashed against the black skin of his face. “They’re lovely fem, young and fertile by the look of them. They’re healers. Why are they alone?” Jenner strolled up. He leaned his head to the side and stared at the two strange fem. “Why don’t they have anyone to protect them against the sandrats?” The erect nips on Jenner’s breasts echoed the thick bulge of the erection tenting his breeches. Teoh put his fist to his forehead, grimaced, and made shooing motions with his hands. His co-spouses weren’t helping matters any. Their arousal kept distracting him. He needed to keep his mind clear in order to forge a proper language link with the new fem. Judging by the strangeness of their clothes, speech, and tools, these fem must have come here from a very distant clan. His special talent in language transfer would be needed tonight. Tallent grinned even wider. “We can’t help but be aroused. It’s not every day you find two fertile fem all alone like this.” He darted a lecherous glance at Jenner’s swollen breasts. “You’re leaking milk.” Jenner pulled his vest away from his chest and sighed. “The baby’s way overdue for his next feeding, and we won’t get home until sunrise.” Tallent reached up as if he were going to tweak Jenner’s nipple. “Jamila can feed her baby even when you’re not around.” He grinned. “I can drink the excess milk now so you don’t dry up.” The hem swatted Tallent’s hand aside. “Not now. Wait until after we burn the dead rats. The stench is bad enough. Then I’ll let you drain off the excess milk while we pleasure each other.” Teoh crossed his arms and glared at them. Right about now, he wished he had the gift of speech, just to be able to tell them to shut up. Enough was enough. They were having too much fun distracting him from his duties with their teasing. Jenner smiled and patted his shoulder. “We know you’re nervous. Take your time. Relax. Link with these strange fem and give them our language. You can do it.” Tallent turned around and gazed at the fem with hungry eyes. Two swords hung in the scabbards on his back. The warrior of their family, he had the muscle and skills to wield both swords with equal strength and speed. “Yes. Take your time. Give them our language and see if they’ll agree to travel with us. Jamila was upset when we brought you home from the gathering last year instead of another fem. She said if we can’t convince any more fem to join our family by the end of the year, she’s going to refuse our seed ’cause we’re wearing her out.” Teoh sucked in a deep breath and wiped his sweaty hands on his breeches. He’d considered himself to be the luckiest mem alive when they’d asked him to join their family last summer. When Jamila accepted him into her mind while he poured his seed deep inside her body, he swore he’d never refuse anything she asked of him. And if she wanted more fem for their family, then he’d do everything in his power to woo these two for her. Tallent
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and Jenner backed away into the darkness. Burning the rats should keep them occupied while Teoh taught the fem his language and learned theirs. Teoh let his mind drift. Slow and easy, he breathed in and out. His rod pulsed against his breeches in unison with his exhalations. The familiar ambiance of cat and dog minds flowed into him. They were warm and happy. Keyla, the wounded cat, was sleepy and felt no pain. She remained relaxed and content with the strange fem who’d treated her injury. Beautiful fem. Lovely fem. Fertile fem. Healer fem. Would these strange fem laugh at him and call him an animal like RuRayne did because he could only make grunting sounds, instead of real words like his co-spouses? If he put his sword aside, would that show them he meant them no harm?
***** The black man and tall, tanned woman threw the rest of the rats onto the bonfire they’d piled on the riverbank. A thick column of flames and black smoke rose into a vast shadow, blotting out the stars above them. The stench of burning fur and the crackling sounds of bones popping in the fire assaulted Sammy’s senses. It was surrealistic, as if they had been transported into the pits of hell where demons tossed bodies into the flames. Sammy edged closer to Twig and rubbed her arms. All of a sudden, she felt very naked in her thong swimsuit and sneakers, with the tall blond guy standing about ten feet away and staring at them. Two silver rings glinted at his pierced nipples. More silver rings traced the outline of both ears. He must have had at least ten rings in each ear. This man nodded at them. He pulled a strip of leather from his pants pocket and tied his bushy hair into a ponytail. The blatant bulge of a sizable hard-on in the front of his buckskin pants kept catching Sammy’s gaze. She bit her lip. More clothing on her should put a damper on his arousal. She bent over, unzipped her gym bag, dug out her filthy sweatpants and hurriedly pulled them on. Twig whispered, “Did you see how the other one played with that girl’s tits and how they kept stopping to kiss and dry hump each other in between picking up the rats?” She grabbed her gym bag, found her grubby sweatpants, and donned them, too. “I get the feeling they’re expecting a little fun and games with us after they’re finished cleaning off the beach.” Sammy inclined her head in a barely perceptible nod. It was too late to run away. Hell, they’d never be able to escape with all the huge dogs and cats lying on the ground licking their paws and watching them. The blond guy unbuckled the scabbard for the sword that hung down his back. He placed his weapon on the ground, then held out his empty hands and approached them with slow, non-threatening steps. The wounded cat lifted her head and mrrffed. Twig went to her knees by the cat and scratched her behind her ears. “Hush, darling. It’s all right. No one’s going to hurt you. Don’t
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move. I don’t want you to open your wound and start bleeding again.” The cat twisted her head and licked Twig’s wrist with a long, rough slurp. The blond guy climbed onto their ledge. Sammy moistened her suddenly parched lips with the tip of her tongue. A shy, hesitant smile lit up his face.
Okay. So he’s not a rapist. Now what? She exhaled her pent-up breath, stuck her finger in between her breasts, and said, “My name is Sammy. It’s short for Samantha.” The man cocked his head sideways. His gaze lingered on her breasts and the stiff peaks of her nipples. Sammy resisted the urge to cover them with her hands. Twig stepped forward and pointed to herself. “My name is Irene, but everyone calls me Twig.” The man held his hand at his throat, opened his mouth, managed a guttural grunt, then dropped his hand and shrugged.
What the hell? Sammy frowned. Was he trying to tell them he couldn’t talk? She’d distinctly heard the other two talking to him before they went off to burn the rats. Why did they leave him here to approach them if he was mute? He sat down in a cross-legged position, crooked his hand at Sammy to come closer, and then patted the ground in front of him. His hands were large, with big-boned wrists. How old was this guy? Eighteen? Nineteen? From the looks of his wrists, he hadn’t grown into the size of his hands yet. She’d never liked younger guys before, but he was different. He didn’t act like a brainless kid. Judging by the way his friends interacted with him, they considered him a man. But then again, primitive societies based adult status on totally different criteria than mere chronological age. She seated herself on the spot he indicated and crossed her legs, too. He sat with his back perfectly straight, placed his hands palm-up on his knees in the classic yoga relaxation pose, and took long, slow breaths. He was focusing and centering himself. Did he want her to do that, too? Sammy settled her butt on the ground, rested her hands with palms facing up on her knees, and matched her breathing to his. Warm earth under her ass. Cool wind tickled her skin and played with the ends of her hair. The bonfire blazed high against the sparkling waters of the river flowing down to the sea. Moonlight from two moons cast doubled shadows across the stones. Peace, relaxation, and contentment shimmered in and out of her with each breath. Too bad she’d left her tarot cards at the hotel room. Now would be the perfect time to consult them. The man gave her another shy smile, lifted his hands and held them up in front of him. Sammy copied his gesture.
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He moved his hands closer. She moved hers closer. They touched fingertips and laid their hands palm to palm. His hands were warm and strong. He curled his fingers around hers. They connected. Light exploded in her mind and blinded her. They became one. Every muscle in their faces and bodies tightened in a curling spasm that felt like pain and pleasure all mixed up together. They tumbled down, down, down the years into childhood. She was a little girl again, a toddler listening to her mother sing lullabies. “Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top ... Down in the valley, the valley so low, hang your head over, hear the wind blow ... A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket, wrote a letter to my love and on the way I lost it, I lost it.” Words and gestures and memories flowed in and out like the ebb and flow of the tide, constantly moving and overlapping time and place and form. Sammy became a little boy named Teoh listening to his hem sing songs and playing jump games in the meadow. “Dig a dog, dance a cat, round and round we go where nobody knows the end ...”
***** Oh, shit! Twig glanced at her watch, then clenched her hands so hard her fingernails dug into her palms. What the hell had this guy done to Sammy? Both of them looked like they were in a trance. Hell! Their chests moved up and down in the exact same rhythm of breathing. Their eyeballs moved under their closed eyelids in the classic REM movements of deep dreaming sleep. If she touched one of them ... If she tried to pull Sammy away from this guy, would she flop around on the ground in a weird seizure and start foaming at her mouth? What was this guy doing to her? Twig edged closer. She didn’t like this. Not one bit. Sammy was always too darn trusting for her own good. The male cat jumped onto the ledge and positioned himself between her and Sammy in a classic blocking move. He didn’t growl or hiss at her. His ears remained erect. He didn’t hunch his shoulders, and she didn’t see any fur ridged on his back. He tilted his head. His brilliant blue eyes caught the firelight, glowed in the dark just like normal cats’ eyes did, and now looked like translucent green marbles. She took another step closer. The male cat flattened his ears against his head.
Uh-oh! Bad move! Tackling two hundred odd pounds of enraged cat with her bare hands wasn’t exactly the best idea in the world.
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Twig sucked in a ragged breath. She stood like a statue and waited for her heart to stop galloping in her chest like a runaway horse. Breathe in. Breathe out. She risked a cautious look under lowered eyelids at Sammy and the guy. They remained frozen in place, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, holding hands, and breathing in unison. Finally, Twig held out her empty hands and backed up step by step until she stood beside the wounded female cat. Then she lowered her body to the ground and rested her hand on her patient. The male cat plopped down on his haunches and continued to gaze at her with unblinking eyes. Another glance at her watch told her seven minutes had passed so far. Twig moistened her parched lips with her tongue. Damn it! Patience was not her middle name. She hated waiting. Hopefully, this mumbo-jumbo act between Sammy and this guy wouldn’t last too much longer.
***** A kaleidoscope cascade of words and memories flickered through Sammy, in and out, back and forth. Mom and Dad, fem and mem and hem. Children jumping rope, and ollie, ollie, oxen free, playing with wooden swords, wrestling, shooting arrows at trees, laying stones out to drink in light for the night. Night lights, glow lights, glow stones. Sammy opened her eyes. Doubled vision rushed through her in a stomach-twisting whirl. She gazed back at her body from inside the man’s body. Her mind had become entangled with his, flipped inside him like a mirror. Breathe in and out. Balls and cock hung from her crotch. Her nipples tingled. They looked hard like little pebbles under the thin material of her thong swimsuit. She ... No! He wanted to touch her nipples, tweak them with his fingers, suck them, nip them with his teeth, roll them like tiny pearls under his tongue. He opened his hands. She flowed back into herself and gasped for air. Her heart galloped in her chest like a runaway train. Sweat dripped down her back. Worry and fear filled Twig’s voice. “What did he do to you? Are you all right?” Sammy twisted her head around and opened her mouth. Her voice sounded strange and rough like she’d never talked before in her life. “How long did it take? How long did we sit here and hold hands?” Twig’s face had a greenish cast under her skin as if she’d just seen a ghost. “An hour. I timed it with my watch. You looked weird, like you were hypnotized or in a coma. What happened?”
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Sammy rested her hands on her knees and took a couple of deep, slow breaths. Words and images fell into place in her mind like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. “He’s a telepath. He just traded languages with me. I know his language now, and he knows ours.” Twig shook her head. “You’re talking crazy stuff again. That’s impossible.” Sammy pointed at the two moons coasting across the sky. “Those moons tell us that we’re in another reality. Another Earth.” She patted the ground beside her. “Don’t be a wuss. It’s not going to hurt. It’s easy. Just sit down, relax and let him hold hands with you. His name is Teoh. He’ll take you back to the time when you were a baby and a child, to the time when you absorbed language like a sponge. You’ll see. It’s an amazing sensation.”
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Chapter Four Teoh released Twig’s hands. Words, phrases, and concepts whirled inside Twig’s brain. Her stomach kept flip-flopping under the dizzy feeling of too much information crammed into her skull. Hell, a roller coaster ride with twenty loops would feel better than this. She swallowed the vomit that welled up in her throat and managed to focus on Teoh’s face without seeing double. A slight smile softened his mouth, shy and reassuring at the same time. Even though he was a good four years younger than her, he acted a lot older than the guys her age back home. She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and rose to her feet. Teoh hadn’t ruthlessly rummaged through her thoughts. He’d gone straight to the childish section of her mind where she retained the ability to learn languages. Letting him inside her mind wasn’t as invasive an experience as she’d expected it to be. Other than a sharp, graphic sensation of lust for her and Sammy, he’d kept his private thoughts under control. Twig felt she needed more time to assimilate their language. Everything had happened way too fast for her abused mind. Sammy had made herself comfortable by stretching out on the ground a few feet away with her head pillowed on one of the gym bags. She staggered to her feet, smothered a huge yawn behind her hand, and whispered in English. “There. It wasn’t that bad, was it? Now we know their language and can communicate with them.” Teoh’s two companions approached the ledge. The man had coal-black skin and waistlong dreadlocks now confined in a thick ponytail. The woman had fastened her hair into a ponytail, too. The man levered himself onto the ledge with the one-handed motion of a trained athlete. Three-inch wide silver bands circled his wrists.
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Silver studs glinted at his earlobes. Unlike Teoh, his nipples remained unadorned. Despite his heavy musculature and broad shoulders, he moved with the poise of a dancer, perfectly controlled and balanced. Tall and strong, not overly muscled like a bodybuilder, he had the graceful, fluid physique of a gymnast. Except he was tall, about six-one. Standing in front of him, she felt delicate and petite instead of huge and clumsy like she usually felt around most guys. A line of crisp black curls traced the center of his sculpted abdomen and disappeared into the top of his buckskin pants. An impressive erection bulged within those pants. Her mouth went dry. All she had to do was untie the thongs at his waistband and ... Sammy elbowed her in the side. “Whoa! Nice view there.” Twig jerked her head up and focused her gaze on his face instead. Soft golden highlights glinted within rich, whiskey-colored eyes. Her face felt like it was on fire, especially the tips of her ears. She cleared her throat and said in his language, “Hello.” The man’s hesitant smile broadened into a full-grown grin. Laugh lines crinkled around his eyes and mouth. He didn’t look as young as Teoh. By her best guess, he was in his early twenties like her and Sammy. He flashed an appreciative grin at her. “My name is Tallent.” A long, lingering perusal of Twig’s and Sammy’s faces and breasts accompanied his introduction. Despite the bold appraisal in his eyes, Tallent kept his distance and his hands to himself. Twig tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. Her hair was a total mess, all sticky and stiff with salt water dried into it. Dirt, sweat, dried salt, and blood smeared every available inch of her skin. Tallent reached back without looking and pulled the third rescuer, the tall, lanky woman wearing a fringed vest and breeches, onto the ledge beside him. “This is Jenner.” Jenner stepped forward. She was the same height as Twig, five-ten. A multitude of silver hoop earrings just like Teoh’s ringed Jenner’s ears. Red feathers decorated her small braids and light brown ponytail. Her nose had a bump in the middle, like it had been broken once. Not conventionally pretty. But not ugly either. Her features were strong, yet feminine, like a woman soldier. Faint laugh lines crinkled at the corners of warm hazel-green eyes. Thick, long, dark eyelashes accented those eyes. Eyelashes any woman would die to have. Jenner checked Twig, then Sammy, over from head to toe with a frankly appreciative gaze as if she wanted to fuck them, too.
Did this mean Jenner was a lesbian, or maybe bisexual? Twig crossed her arms and thought about donning her hooded sweat jacket. Tallent opened his hands. A puzzled frown etched his brow. “Does your clan have too many fem that you decided to leave and find a new home elsewhere? Your elders must be
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fools to allow two healers to travel into a strange land without the protection of trained warriors.” Teoh clapped his hands and caught everyone’s attention. He held up two fingers, pointed at the moons with both fingers, inclined his head at Twig and Sammy, held up one finger, and pointed at the moons again. Tallent exchanged a startled stare with Jenner, then said to Twig and Sammy, “Your world has only one moon. You’re not from here. You’re Godsends. A door opened between our world and yours, and you stepped through.” Jenner’s face lit up with eager agreement. “This is wonderful. The last Godsends to cross over to our world were all mem. You’re the first fem Godsends in over fifty summers.” Jenner frowned, tapped her forefinger on her chin, and gave a decisive nod. “That’s why you’re alone, why your clothes are strange, and why you don’t have any proper weapons to protect yourselves.” Twig sucked in her bottom lip. Wait a minute. Jenner’s voice was low-pitched and husky, more like a man’s voice than a woman’s. A quick glance at Jenner’s throat confirmed no obvious Adam’s apple. No sign of a mustache or beard, either. Obviously a woman. Not a man wearing women’s clothes. Besides which, she had breasts. Sammy grabbed Twig’s arm and blurted out in English instead of their language. “Oh, shit! Look! Look at Jenner’s pants. He’s not a woman. He’s a hermaphrodite. Don’t they have any women here?” Twig lowered her gaze. Sammy was right. That bulge tenting the front of Jenner’s pants was an erection, not a figment of her imagination.
Oh, shit. He’s a hermaphrodite ... hermaphrodite ... hermaphrodite. The word repeated in an endless loop in Twig’s head. Talk about freaking out. She stood there, sucked in a long, slow breath, and tried not to hyperventilate or pass out from sheer shock. She pulled her gaze away from Jenner’s crotch and back to his face. Or should she be thinking her face? Jenner tilted his head to the side. He glanced down at the hard-on in his pants and shifted his gaze to Twig and Sammy. His ... No. Which pronoun should she be using for him? Then, as soon as Twig thought this question, the correct word from their language appeared in her mind. Hem. The correct
noun for a hermaphrodite was hem. Jenner’s smile broadened. He pointed at his breasts, ran his hand over the hard bulge in the front of his pants, and said, “I’m a hem. I have mem and fem sex parts. Our fem is at home.” Tallent smiled and linked hands with Jenner. The bulge in his pants was even thicker and harder than Jenner’s. “Our fem’s name is Jamila. She’s at home with our baby.”
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He turned and gestured at the bonfire shooting showers of sparks out into the night behind them. “It’s not safe for you here. There are too many sandrats this close to the sea. Will you ride with us to our home and meet the rest of our family? After that, if you want to go to the next town, we’ll take you there. As healers, no matter where you come from, any town will be eager to give you a place to live and pay you for your work.” A strangled sound escaped Twig’s throat. What should she say? She didn’t want to go anywhere with them. What she wanted to do was wake up and find out this was all just a bad dream. Sammy’s fingers dug into Twig’s arm like claws. “They’re right. We can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous. And we can’t go back the way we came. What are we supposed to do? Wade into the ocean, fight off sandrats, and hope we don’t drown while we’re waiting for that door to open again and take us away? We can’t click our heels three times and wish our way home again. We’re stuck here, and we might as well make the best of things by accepting their offer for a ride before we travel on to the nearest town.” Twig turned her head. Sammy looked just as worried as she felt. “Are you out of your frigging mind?” she muttered in English. “We don’t know these people. They could be rapists or mass murderers.” Sammy lifted her chin. Angry sparks glimmered in the depths of her dark and implacable stare. “They saved our lives. Teoh gave us their language without taking over our minds. He could have done anything he wanted when we left our minds open to him, but he didn’t. He left our private thoughts alone and only went to the part of our minds that deals with language. We have no choice but to trust them for now.” Her gaze shifted to the bonfire, and she wrinkled her nose at the stench of burning fur. “How long do you think we’ll survive without their help and the help of their dogs and cats?” Twig gulped. Her stomach flipped over a couple of times. She was so scared, she wanted to fall to her knees and puke until she couldn’t puke anymore. Sammy was right. They didn’t have any other choice except to die, and she didn’t want to die. Not now. Certainly not with a bunch of giant rats tearing her apart with their teeth and claws and feasting on her steaming guts.
***** Tallent was a warrior, not a scriber who could sway others with pretty words and poetry. When the healer fem agreed to travel with them, he wondered if they would object if he tried to touch their soft skin. Would they let him? Would they like it if he sucked their nips into hard pearls under his tongue? Would they cry out with pleasure while he plunged his rod deep inside them and gave them his seed?
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Instead he kept his hands at his side and his motions slow and reassuring despite the way his rod wanted to escape his breeches and explore their warm, wet pubes. As a warrior, he could read the way they rolled their eyes at him like wild dogs and hunched their shoulders when he and his co-spouses neared them. These fem feared him and his cospouses. On the other hand, both fem cast appreciative glances at the way his hardened rod tented his breeches. That was a good sign. That meant they liked sex with mem, too. He squatted on his heels by the bandaged cat. Keyla’s blue eyes were dark with pain. She raised her head, mrrfed at him, and let her head fall to the ground. Slowly, carefully, he slid his hands under her and lifted her into his arms. He rose to his feet and cradled the cougar-sized cat against his chest like a child. Her tail hung over his arm and slapped against his legs while he carried her to the wagon. The shorter fem, Sammy, leaned against the wagon and flashed him a shy smile. Tallent’s heart skipped a beat. She’d smiled at him! Dark, wild curls fanned out around her dusky-skinned face. Her voluptuous breasts bounced with every move she made. He’d have his hands full holding onto them. Would she like him to suck her slow and gentle or take her hard, fast, and rough? The taller fem hurried to his side. Twig, her name was Irene but she liked to be called Twig. Such a strange friendname. One day, he’d like to ask her how she’d gotten it. Twig stroked Keyla’s furred head. “Be careful. I don’t want you to open her wound again.” Tallent held his breath. What he wouldn’t give to have her touch his face like that. To have her smile at him, too. Her breasts were lovely and well-shaped, with hard nips sticking up under the thin fabric that barely covered them. Her breasts were larger than Jenner’s but not as large as her friend’s. Would Twig and Sammy allow him to ride them from behind and spill his seed into their ass while one of his co-spouses took them from the front? Would they moan and wiggle their hips against him for more if he laid them down, pushed their legs apart and slowly licked the warm, pink flesh of their pubes? He exhaled his pent-up breath, strode to the wagon, and eased Keyla onto the blanket. Both fem climbed inside and gave him a perfect view of the way their beautiful ass cheeks filled their breeches. His hands itched to cup them, spread them apart and insert his finger inside to prepare them for easy entry. Tallent turned away. His grandfather was a Godsend. His grandfather used to say how he never wanted to return to his own world because it was so much better here. He must be patient and let these new fem see for themselves that this world was good for them. His grandfather used to say that this world was better because they didn’t judge you by the color of your skin. What did skin color have to do with who you were? Dogs and cats had different
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colors in their fur -- colors that only made them look better and made it easier to identify them. So far, none of the words his grandfather had taught him matched the words these fem used. But then, his grandfather came from an island called Haiti and spoke Français. From what his grandfather explained to him when he was a boy, they had many different languages in this other world. Tallent’s heart galloped in his chest like a puppy after a long chase. He must be patient. When they saw how happy Jamila was and how well her co-spouses cared for her, these fem would relax and choose to stay with his family. He walked around to the front of the wagon and checked the harnesses on the dogs. Drak and Druggan, the two lead dogs, were the strongest and largest of the pack, standing a full head taller than him, with deep, broad chests twice the size of his. He reached up and patted the rough fur on Drak’s shoulder. Drak needed a good bathing. Tomorrow morning, after they’d arrived home, he’d ride Drak bareback and take him out for a thorough scrubbing in the river. Drak gave a soft woof, leaned his head down and washed Tallent’s face with one swipe of his long tongue. Shaking his head and chuckling at the dog’s clumsy affection, Tallent backed away, climbed up into the front seat beside Jenner and Teoh, and gathered the reins in his hands. The dead bodies of the deer they’d hunted earlier had been transferred from the wagon onto the backs of the next three largest dogs. The rest of the dogs and cats fanned out and raced alongside their wagon. They had a long, hard night of riding before they reached home. A simple click of Tallent’s tongue against the roof of his mouth told Drak and Druggan to start moving. The wagon lurched under him and rolled forward.
***** Twig braced her legs against the floor of the wagon when it started moving. It rolled along at a smooth, easy pace. Their technology must be a lot higher than she expected if they used springs to cushion the shock of the rough terrain. She arched her eyebrows at Sammy. Sammy crawled over the deflated life raft, unzipped their gym bags, dug out their grimy T-shirts, and donned one. “What about you? Do you need one, too?” Twig rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms. Now that they were moving along at a fast clip, the breeze did feel a bit cool. “Yeah. Sure.” She held up her hand. Sammy tossed her one. By the time Twig pulled her shirt over her head and tucked it into the waistband of her sweats, Sammy had crawled over and plopped down beside her. The cat’s sapphire blue gaze
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followed every move she made. How intelligent were the animals? Did they have bigger brains along with larger bodies? Judging by the way they responded to everything Tallent, Teoh, and Jenner said, Twig had the impression the animals understood human speech very well. Why was Teoh mute? He had no scars around his throat, which meant he must have been born that way. Were all telepaths born mute here? Sammy leaned closer and whispered, “Twig.” Twig kept her voice low too. “Yeah.” “So far they’re all very polite.” “This is true.” Sammy slanted a nervous glance at the backs of their three rescuers sitting side by side on the front seat of the wagon. “It’s quite obvious that they’re all very horny, too.” Twig leaned her head back against the wooden side. If she admitted she wouldn’t mind going to bed with both of the guys, would Sammy think she was a slut? “Yeah. I noticed that, too.” Sammy snagged the straps of their gym bags with the toe of her sneaker. She passed one to Twig, laid hers down and stretched herself out with it under her head as a pillow. “Good night. I’m too tired to think coherently right now.” Twig pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. The stars, the constellations were exactly the same. The only real difference in the sky above her was those damn moons. Every time she caught a glimpse of those moons, her heart jumped in her chest, and she knew she’d never see her mom, dad, brothers, and sisters again. She didn’t even have a chance to say “Goodbye.” They probably believed she was dead, her body lost in the ocean within the Bermuda Triangle. Oh, God, that thought hurt most of all.
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Chapter Five The dogs loped at a smooth gait that seemed slow but ate up the distance at a rapid pace. Jenner scooted sideways on the wagon seat while Tallent looped the reins over the side post. Bred for intelligence, the dogs knew the way home without direct guidance. A cool breeze tousled Jenner’s hair and face but did nothing to ease his erection. It was sheer torture having two lovely fem within arm’s reach who he dared not touch for fear of frightening them away. Slow and careful would be the best way to woo these new fem and convince them to join their family. Because he hadn’t heard any talking or whispering for the last fifteen senmins, Jenner turned sideways and checked the back of the wagon. Twig and Sammy lay curled up side by side with their heads pillowed on their carry sacks. They’d donned thin white tunics that failed to conceal the lush contours of their breasts. Tight blue breeches displayed the charms of both fems’ taut and well-rounded buttocks to their best advantage. Dirt smudges and tangled hair only made them appear even more appealing. He savored the way his balls tightened at the thought of their soft hands upon his body. They were brave and strong as well as beautiful. He’d much rather have fem who weren’t afraid to work and get their hands dirty than pampered beauties who expected mem and hem to service their every whim at a moment’s notice. Oh, yes, taking the time to woo and tease Sammy and Twig into accepting his hem sexual talents should prove very stimulating. Sammy and Twig. Short, simple names. Names that matched both fems’ open friendliness and willingness to adapt to the strangeness of their new lives as Godsends. If they had arrived a scant twenty or thirty senmins later, both Sammy and Twig might have been torn apart by the sandrats. A chill raced down Jenner’s spine. He gulped and swallowed the bile souring his mouth at that thought. The fact that they were out hunting meat this day for their family was a lucky break. When Tallent had spotted the smoke from
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the fires the fem set while fighting off the sandrats, they’d aborted their hunt and rode there as fast as they could. The touch of a hand on Jenner’s arm brought his attention back to Teoh and Tallent. Teoh flashed Jenner a shy smile. Tallent smiled even more broadly and brushed his hand against Jenner’s crotch, sending a delicious jolt of pleasure that curled his toes. Jenner grinned at the thick bulges distorting the front of his co-spouses’ breeches. They were just as aroused as he was by the two lovely fem sleeping in the wagon behind them. Teoh and Tallent braced their feet on the footboard, leaned against the back of the seat, and loosened the front ties of their breeches. Their long, thick shafts jumped out, already primed for diligent attention and servicing. Jenner licked his lips and grinned at his co-spouses. Teoh and Tallent always showed how much they loved and appreciated him with their constant attention and tender caresses. Joining this family two summers ago was the best thing that had ever happened to him. They didn’t care if he wasn’t one of the prettier hem, with large breasts and a small, finger-length rod. They loved him just the way he was, with his full-sized hem rod and small breasts. Teoh and Tallent opened Jenner’s vest. He leaned back in the seat and let them unfasten the ties on his breeches, then braced his feet and let his hands circle Teoh’s and Tallent’s eager erections on either side of him. Tallent reached over, slipped his long fingers into Jenner’s hair, and leaned in for a tongue-tangling, demanding kiss. Tallent’s long, dreadlocked hair slid over Jenner’s shoulder and raised goosebumps down his arms. He cupped Jenner’s left breast with his callused hand and pinched the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Jenner hazed on the swift arousal jolting through him from that single pinch. His rod jerked into hardness in sweet stabs of pleasure under Tallent’s gentle tweaks of his nipple. At the same time, Teoh’s hot mouth on Jenner’s right breast combined with strong, easy strokes of his hand on Jenner’s groin tilted him over into pure sensation. He stroked his hands in a familiar rhythm, slipping and sliding the full length and rubbing callused thumbs over the soft tips of his co-spouses’ shafts. Pre-seed from the rounded heads moistened his fingers. Teoh nipped Jenner’s nipple between his teeth and sent another shock of pure sensation into Jenner’s groin that made him feel like he was going to explode. Tallent groaned and ended their kiss. He leaned down to fasten his mouth on Jenner’s left nipple. More jolts of pure pleasure exploded through Jenner. Would Sammy and Twig enjoy his hem breasts as much as he’d enjoy sucking, tweaking, and nipping at their fem breasts? He hoped so. How long would he have to wait before soft, small fem fingers touched his breasts? To feel their lovely mouths licking and nibbling at his nips, then swinging down to fasten upon his erection while giving him access to the sweet nectar of the small bud within their pubes.
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Jenner moved his hands faster. Up and down, stroking, coaxing. Images of thrusting deep into the tight, wet heat of both fems’ pubes, one after the other, filled his mind. He knew the same images filled his co-spouses’ minds. Teoh and Tallent sucked harder on his nips. Their hands stroked faster across his body. More pre-seed moistened Jenner’s fingers. He pictured Sammy and Twig lying naked before him. They smiled and opened their legs eagerly to accept him and his co-spouses in their mouths, pubes, and asses. Hot, wet drops of Teoh’s pre-seed splashed and dripped over Jenner’s hand. He imagined Teoh’s strong back and body pumping seed into the fem named Sammy. Then he pictured himself plunging into Twig’s ass while Tallent held Twig’s legs apart and pumped into her pubes with eager abandon. That last image triggered Jenner’s orgasm. Seed burned its way up to erupt and spill in pleasure over his co-spouses’ hands. He tightened his grip on Tallent and Teoh, rubbed his thumb across the soft, bulbous tips, then held on while their erections jumped and jerked like living creatures shooting their seed out into the night.
Air. Jenner sagged back, relinquished his grip on both co-spouses, opened his eyes and sucked a long, shuddering breath. A quick glance over one shoulder reassured him that Sammy and Twig had slept through their furtive session. Of course, it wasn’t as satisfying as pleasuring two fem and spilling his seed inside their soft, curvy and loving bodies but it did serve the purpose of giving temporary and mutual release from arousal. This way they could take their time and not make any hasty and fumbling moves while wooing Sammy and Twig and convincing these fem to join their family. Jenner accepted the rag from Teoh with shaking hands, cleaned the sticky seed from his rod and breeches, and passed it to Tallent. Jenner tucked his rod inside his breeches, tied the waistband shut, then pulled the vest over his breasts and fastened it. Not all Godsends accepted their way of life as easily as Tallent’s grandfather did. They must be careful not to frighten Sammy and Twig into leaving them and joining the crazed descendants of those Godsends who had established a fortress on the other side of their island. Blinded by their strange religion that called hem abominations, the descendants of those Godsends lived only to raid towns, slaughter mem and hem, and steal fem and babies and raise them to live under their bizarre beliefs.
***** The constant rocking motion of the wagon had lulled Sammy into a deep, dreamless sleep. When the wagon stopped moving, she opened her eyes and met the bemused, sapphire gaze of the wounded cat. Oh, shit. Hell of a thing to wake up to. They were still here in a very odd alternate reality of Earth.
Home.
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She could never go home again. Never see her mother or father, find a job, rent an apartment, fall in love and get married. Tears flooded Sammy’s eyes and blinded her momentarily. She scrubbed them away with the back of her hand. Having a pity party wasn’t going to make her feel better. Giant rats, cats, and dogs were only the least of what she’d had to adjust to during the last couple of hours. She’d also had to accept Teoh as a mute telepath and the fact that Jenner was a hermaphrodite.
Did hermaphrodites have sex with only men, only women, or both? Jenner didn’t seem like a woman to her. He acted just like a man, a man who was very comfortable with his breasts and the sexual organs he had inside his pants. Sammy tried to visualize his genitals but couldn’t. What would he say if she asked him to show her?
Whoa! Don’t go there. If she asked him that, he’d probably think that was a come-on. One thing for sure, she wasn’t ready to handle that kind of reaction from him right now. Sammy rolled over and managed to push up into a sitting position. Every muscle in her body ached as if she’d been beaten and thrown into an alley to die. A nice hot shower and a massage would feel great. Or a massage, then a shower. She didn’t care which came first, as long as she got them and could move without feeling like she was a hundred and fifty years old instead of only twenty-two. Sammy raked her hand through the snarled mass of matted curls on her head. Hopefully, they had combs and decent shampoo here. She’d hate to have to shave her head bald just to gain control over her hair again. Speaking of which, Twig better wake up, too. They must have arrived at their destination, whatever it was. Sammy stretched her leg out and nudged Twig in the ribs with the toe of her sneaker. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” Twig rolled over with a loud groan, opened her eyes, and scrunched her face up into a pained and very annoyed glare. “Damn it. We’re still here. It wasn’t a dream.” She pushed up onto her hands and knees, crawled over beside Sammy, and collapsed against the side of the wagon like a rag doll. “I feel like shit. Do you think they have hot showers or are we going to have to clean all this dirt and dried blood off ourselves with a bucket of cold water?” Sammy shrugged. At least they’d be clean. A few shivers would be worth the hassle just to feel clean again. The sun had already risen and flooded the area with its light, so she didn’t have any problems seeing things. They had stopped at the base of a red sandstone cliff that towered up into the clouds. The river was at their right. Sand and driftwood littered the ground. Teoh, Tallent, and Jenner were leading their pack of giant dogs into a large wooden structure that looked like a barn.
That wasn’t where they lived, was it? Twig pointed at Tallent and Teoh leading the dogs and their packs of meat into a second log cabin structure nestled at the base of the cliff. “They probably have to hunt at
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least once a week just to supply meat for everyone. I wonder if that’s a smokehouse. Maybe that’s the only way they have to preserve meat.” Sammy shrugged. “They don’t have just meat in those backpacks. I saw bundles of herbs and other edible plants. You’re right about them having to go out at least once a week just to keep their food supplies constant.” Twig pumped her fist in the air. “Yes! I figured it out now. They’re the original ancestors for Irish Wolfhounds. That’s what kind of dogs they are! That’s why they’re so large.” Sammy squinted at the barn and smoke house where Tallent and Teoh had taken their oversized dogs. “Really?” “Yes!” Twig sagged back with a relieved smile on her face. “Remember when we took that Celtic history course as an elective together? Remember the chapter about the Fianna and their wolfhounds?” Sammy scrunched her eyes shut and visualized the faded cover of the Celtic history book from that class. Bit and pieces of information flowed back into her brain. Having an almost photographic memory was always a plus, even though it also meant her brain was cluttered with the oddest scraps of information. She recited the words from Professor Dillon’s last lecture the day before their final exam. “The Celts brought with them huge hounds the like of which the Mediterranean people had never seen. These dogs were the ancestors of the Irish Wolfhounds. They went into battle, hunted, ate, slept, and roamed alongside their Celtic masters. Although the Great Dane can be taller and the St. Bernard or Newfoundland can be heavier, the Wolfhound’s combined height and weight ratio earns it the ‘Largest Dog in the World’ title.” Sammy opened her eyes. She jerked her chin at the giant Siamese cat lying beside Twig. “And what’s your explanation for her?” Twig reached over and scratched the cat under the chin. A huge purr greeted this caress. “This is a different Earth reality. The two moons proved that to us. On our version of Earth, we have cougars and other large cats this size. I can accept the fact that Siamese cats became a large breed in this reality. And those rats.” She shrugged. “Wharf rats grow to the size of small dogs, so it’s not that strange to find them here, too.” Sammy shook her head and grinned. Leave it to Twig to come up with an explanation that satisfied her sensibilities and logical mind. Hey! As long as it made Twig happy, she wasn’t going to argue with her. Besides which, Twig’s explanations for all the larger-sized animals made sense to her, too. As for why they’d have Irish Wolfhounds in the middle of an island in the Atlantic Ocean instead of Ireland, Sammy decided she better not get onto that topic, because if she blurted out how she thought the Bermuda Triangle had dumped them on the mythical continent of Atlantis, then Twig would go into total shock. Let her figure it out on her own.
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Twig leaned back and twisted her head up to study the cliff. “Holy shit! Will you look at that? How the hell are we supposed to get up there anyway? Climb ropes? I’m too sore to do that right now.” Sammy tilted her head up and shaded her eyes with her hand. Twig was right. Those openings looked like windows about sixty feet above them in the cliff. She didn’t see any steps going up the side of the cliff or rope ladders hanging down. The way her body hurt, no way in hell was she going to be able to make it up that cliff. Plus, she didn’t see any rocks jutting out or holes to jam her hands and feet inside like they’d used to climb up that first cliff when they didn’t have any other choice. This cliff went straight up and down, perfectly smooth. Twig elbowed her in the ribs. Sammy lowered her hand from her face and gave her best friend an annoyed glare. “What?” Twig pointed at the bottom of the cliff. Sammy turned her head. A door. A large wooden door at the base of the cliff swung open. Four brown-haired men wearing buckskin pants stepped out from the shadowed entrance. The fourth man towered over the other three like a giant. He wore a black leather apron over his buckskin pants and bare chest. A petite, black-haired woman balancing a baby on her hip stepped out of the doorway next. Then a small, red-haired child wearing a sleeveless white shift darted out and skipped ahead to join the men. The woman curled her bare feet in the white sand of the beach. She wore a simple scrap of pale green cloth tied around her waist and a second scarf tied around her breasts. Long, dark hair cascaded to her hips. Petite and curvy, she waved and shouted a greeting at Jenner, who was standing in the doorway of the smokehouse. He ran across the sandy beach to them. The men shouted welcomes at Jenner. Hugs were exchanged. Jenner took the baby from the young woman, opened his vest, exposed a nice pair of small, milk-swollen breasts, and put the baby to his right breast. They were too far away for Sammy to hear his words, but it wasn’t that hard to figure out what Jenner was saying because everyone turned and looked at the wagon. Sammy exchanged a worried look with Twig. “I feel like shit and look like something the cat dragged home. Hell of a way to meet everyone.” Twig raked her hands through the snarled blond curls on her head, then dropped her hands away from that hopeless task and shrugged. “I hope to hell they have hot water and some kind of decent soap. I hate taking cold baths.”
*****
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Four men stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the back of the wagon. Their avid gazes explored every inch of Sammy and Twig, from their tangled hair to their faces, their breasts, hips, and sneakers. Sammy felt her nipples harden into obvious peaks under the men’s gazes. She curled her fingers into fists just to keep herself from covering her breasts with her hands. The petite, black-haired woman yelled behind the men. “All of you big idiots get out of my way! Now! Where are your manners?” The men ducked their heads and moved aside with abashed grins on their faces. Teoh stood out simply because he was the only blond-haired man in the group. The woman strode forward holding onto Jenner’s arm. Her slanted eyes were a deep violet color that glowed against her golden skin. Nestled in Jenner’s other arm, the baby continued nursing at his exposed breast with loud, sucking sounds. The little girl pushed in between the tallest man’s legs. Sammy cleared her throat and said, “Hi. I’m Sammy, and this is Twig.” The little girl pulled on the tall man’s pants leg and held out her arms. He scooped her up and placed her inside the wagon. She tugged at the hem of her shift to straighten it, flipped her dark red braid over her shoulder, and bobbed her head at Twig and Sammy. “I am Tiana.” Then she turned and pointed at the woman smiling up at her. “This is my mommy, Jamila.” She waved her hand at the tallest man and said with a proud smile. “This is my daddy, Goran.” She gave another expansive wave at Jenner and the baby. “Jenn’s my hem-mommy. Dunar’s my baby brother.” A very pleased smile lit up her face when she pointed at the two husky brown-haired men with laughing emerald eyes who were obviously identical twins. “Their names are Dain and Levon.” She smothered a giggle with the back of her hand. Then she smoothed her face into a solemn mask of formality despite the merry twinkle in her violet eyes and said, “Mommy says we can’t tell for sure if Dain or Levon is Dunar’s daddy, so Dunar has two daddies.” Finally, she turned to the lean-muscled, dark-haired older man in the group. Silver hair streaked his temples. Faded claw marks scored his chest and arms. His eyes were a deep, dark blue. “This is Niall.” Niall stepped forward, smiled, gave a half-bow and studied Twig and then Sammy. Open appreciation glinted within his lingering stare. “Welcome to our home. When you require the services of a mem, all you need to do is ask, and I will do my best to make your stay pleasant.”
Holy shit! Sammy gulped. She better get her mind out of the gutter. He hadn’t said what she thought he’d just said, had he? Just because Niall offered his services as a mem didn’t mean he was saying he’d fuck the both of them anytime they wanted.
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Chapter Six The thick wicker floor of the basket shook under Sammy’s feet. It rose at a sedate pace inside the narrow stone shaft. Their destination was a square of bright light about three stories above them. Everyone, humans and cats, were wedged into the basket so tightly that no matter which way Sammy turned, she felt a hard-muscled human body or furry cat body. The musky scent of male sweat filled her nostrils. Goran, the biggest man in the group, towered half a head over the rest of the men. He stood in the middle of the basket and cranked the handle on the winch. The iron chain clinked around the metal wheel. The muscles in his linebacker’s back and arms bunched like steel cables under his steady turns. Niall, the older guy with the scars, cradled the wounded cat against his chest like a baby. Despite his lean build, he was deceptively strong. That cat weighed at least a hundred pounds. Sammy shook her head. She still couldn’t get over the size of the animals here. Goran’s golden-brown eyes matched the color of his hair. He flashed a tentative smile at Sammy when she glanced in his direction. On the other side of the crowded basket, flanked by the twins, Dain and Levon, Twig flashed a strained grin at Sammy. This said a lot, considering the way both men gazed longingly at Twig’s rounded breasts sticking up under her thin T-shirt. They licked their lips and looked like they wanted to make love to her right there in front of everyone. Sammy bit her lip and tried to ignore the way her pussy dripped at the thought of having two of these men at the same time. She needed to figure out their relationships first. The last thing she and Twig needed was to get Jamila pissed off at them because she thought they were trying to steal her husband. Or was it husbands? Jamila’s daughter, Tiana, had already made it clear that different men in this group had fathered both her and her baby brother.
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She and Twig didn’t know enough about this alternate Earth to survive on their own. Securing the good will of their hosts should be their first priority. At least their hosts had a low-tech elevator system powered by hand-cranked winches and pulleys instead of ladders or stairs. Even now, just the thought of climbing a ladder made her bones ache. Their standard of living was a lot higher than she had expected from the leather and buckskin clothing they wore, more along the lines of medieval technology rather than Neanderthal cave dwellers. Sammy tilted her head back. The basket moved higher. The square of light above them grew brighter. Another minute or so and she’d see the interior of their home. Teoh stood behind her. He slid a strong arm around her waist and steadied her against him. His erection nudged her buttocks. More moisture flooded her pussy at the thought of him fucking her standing up against one of the cave walls, or doing her doggie style.
Damn it! Every time she thought about making love to Teoh, a guilty twinge would stab her like she was a dirty old lady robbing the cradle. Sammy shook her head. That was a stupid reaction. This was a more primitive culture. They probably considered fourteen to be an adult. In reality, the four years’ age difference between them wasn’t really that much. Jenner moved closer. His arm bumped into Sammy. His small breasts were fully exposed because he was busy nursing the fat infant he cradled. The baby toyed with the feathers twirling at the end of Jenner’s braid and sucked with loud, greedy noises. Jamila smiled and rested her hand on Jenner’s other breast. “I missed riding your hem rod.” She tweaked his nipple to a hard peak. Droplets of milk moistened her fingers. She lifted her hand to her mouth and licked the liquid from her fingertips with a lascivious smile on her face. Jenner gave her a lusty grin. “Don’t worry, my sweet,” he drawled. “I’ll bury my rod in you after I finish feeding the baby.” Amused male chuckles and carnal stares greeted their openly sexual exchange. Teoh’s sizable cock swelled harder behind Sammy’s buttocks. Sammy smothered a quick gasp and gnawed on her lip. Holy hell! What kind of people had she and Twig gotten mixed up with? Was group sex the norm for their culture? Or was this an outlaw band of adults living on their own because of their promiscuous sexuality? The wicker basket settled at the top of the shaft. Bright sunlight flooded the cavern from a row of windows carved out of the opposite wall. Goran leaned over the side of the basket and cranked a heavy steel plate across the floor until it sealed the opening through which they’d ascended. Then he winched the basket down until it settled on the solid metal platform. All in all, a very efficient and secure arrangement that protected their cavern home from attack, whether it be humans or more of those giant rats.
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Strong, lingering hands guided Sammy from the basket. She moved closer to Twig, cleared her throat and made sure she voiced her request in a loud, clear tones. “Do you have a place where we can clean the dirt from ourselves? Alone?” “Yes. Please.” Twig gave her a grateful glance that spoke volumes. “We need ... some privacy.” She inclined her head at the wounded cat still cradled in Niall’s arms. “But first, I want to check the bandages on my patient and make sure she’s settled down properly.”
***** A real shower. Twig turned the metal valve on the pipe sticking out of the stone wall. Steaming hot water gushed out. She stepped under it, closed her eyes and luxuriated in the sensation of the liquid sluicing over her aching body. All right. This she could take. Despite the fact that their hosts literally lived in a cave, they had the basic luxuries of a civilized society rather than a primitive one. Then again, the ancient Romans, Cretans, Egyptians, and Chinese invented plumbing thousands of years ago, too, so it wasn’t that surprising a development here. A rude finger poked her in the ribs. Twig stepped back, swiped wet hair from her face and glared at Sammy. “Hey! I’m not done yet.” Sammy handed her a wad of sliced up plant fibers. “You want to get clean, don’t you? This is soapwort. Wet it, crush the plants, and rub them over your skin. It’ll foam up into suds just like a bar of soap.” She jerked her chin at the tub of water and wooden rack in the corner of the cavern room. “We can scrub the salt water and dirt from our clothes in there and hang them out to dry.” Twig nodded. “What are we going to wear then?” Sammy pointed at the bench beside the curtained doorway. “While you were standing under the shower with your eyes closed, totally oblivious to everything, Jamila brought in a couple of Jenner’s pants and vests. She said her clothes are too small for us but these should fit until she can make more for us.” “Yeah.” Twig wet the plants and squeezed them. Greenish suds foamed out between her fingers. “Oh, shit.” “What’s wrong?” Sammy stared at her with a worried expression on her face. “Are your hands itching? Are you allergic to the plants?” Twig shook her head and gingerly scrubbed herself. “No. It’s everything.” She waved her hand at the sunlight streaming into the rough cavern from slits carved in the wall. “We’ve landed in an alternate Earth reality. Now we’re busy taking a shower and talking about washing our clothes like it’s something that happens to us every day.”
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Sammy grabbed another handful of soapwort. She opened the second valve on the pipe. More hot water streamed out. She stepped under and hurriedly scrubbed her hair with the sudsy plants. “We’re adjusting. We don’t have any other choice but to adjust.” Twig soaped her hair and rinsed off the suds. “Did you notice how openly sexual everyone here is?” Sammy rolled her eyes. She continued washing herself. Her heavy breasts bounced and jiggled under her vigorous scrubbing. She switched into English instead of the language they’d acquired from Teoh. “I’m not sure what to do or say. So far, we know Jamila’s sexually involved with at least three men and Jenner here. All the guys are hot and horny. That much I can tell, but I think we should keep our distance until we figure everyone’s relationship to everyone else. I don’t want us to get thrown out for trying to steal one of Jamila’s lovers.” Twig lowered her voice to a whisper. “I know what you mean. Because Jenner’s a hem, I think not only is Jenner one of Jamila’s lovers, I think the men are his lovers, too.” Sammy nodded. “Does the fact that Jenner’s a hem bother you?” Twig shook her head. “Not really. He’s nice. I like him.” Plus, she kept trying to visualize him without his pants. Did he have a regular sized cock like a man, or a little one like a young boy? Did he have a pussy too? As for the other guys ... Like Sammy said, the whole situation was so confusing she didn’t know how to respond to the sizable erections that kept bulging up inside their pants. Would Sammy think she was a slut if she went off into one of the smaller caverns and satisfied the twins’ openly sexual admiration? The thought of making love to Teoh and Tallent had crossed her mind, too. Niall, the older one with wildcat scars on his arms and the silver at his temples, wasn’t bad looking either. No doubt he’d be a very experienced lover, who knew how to prolong sexual pleasure. Twig hurriedly finished soaping herself and ducked back under the water to rinse off. She had better cool herself down. No more thoughts about sex. With the number of animals their hosts owned, her degree in veterinary science should prove helpful in adjusting to their new lives here. Provided she didn’t collapse from sexual frustration while waiting to figure out how to handle living with six hot studmuffins and one horny hermaphrodite. Sammy stepped out of the shower, went to the bench, picked up a small wooden bowl and returned with it. Twig peered inside the bowl. An oily white liquid filled it to the brim. Sammy said, “This is a coconut oil mixture that Jamila said they use on their hair and skin as a rinse to keep from drying out too much from the soap.” Sammy tilted the bowl at her. Twig cupped her hands. The mixture flowed out from the bowl like syrup and felt like cream rinse.
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Twig sniffed it. The coconut scent wasn’t that strong, and she’d rather have tangle-free hair than a dry, frizzed-out mess. Besides which, Sammy had majored in horticulture. She trusted her judgment about what plant products were safe for them to use. Sammy lifted the bowl, poured the rest of the solution over her hair, and rubbed it over her body. Then she stepped back under the hot water to rinse off a second time. Twig grinned and followed her lead. It didn’t take long. Only a few more minutes to finish her shower and turn off the water. She followed Sammy back to the bench. Not bad, not bad at all. Her hair and skin felt soft and silky as if she’d finished an expensive spa treatment. The coarse towels piled on the bench were soft and clean, too. Twig held one to her face and inhaled the faint coconut scent. Obviously, they used the same solution to rinse their clothing, too. She picked up a pair of the loose drawstring fabric pants. So far it looked like they only wore leather and buckskins for hunting and exploring. This made sense. Tanning leather was a long, dirty, and tedious process. At home, they wore cloth. Did they weave their own or trade for clothing in a town? And if so, where was this town? Twig shrugged. She followed Sammy’s lead and wore nothing under the new attire. She’d find out those details later. Right now, it was enough that she had clothes to wear other than the one pair of shorts and sweatpants she’d brought in her gym bag. After her swimsuit dried, she’d use it as underwear. Sammy’s pants were a little long. She rolled the hems up to her knees. Twig tried on one of the vests and knotted the ties. Yep. Good thing she was wearing her bikini top. Jenner’s soft tan vest barely covered her thirty-four B-sized boobs. Vests must be standard wear for women and hermaphrodites. None of the men she saw here bothered to wear them. As for Sammy’s generous thirty-six D’s. Well ... Twig bit her lip and shook her head. The way Sammy’s boobs stuck up out of her vest, she looked like a harem dancer. Two pairs of leather sandals were the next item on the bench. The leather ties allowed them to adjust the fit to their feet. Sammy leaned back on the bench and combed out her damp curls with a metal comb. When she finished she handed the comb to Twig and jerked her thumb at the washbasin. “We might as well get busy and clean our clothes, too.” Twig snorted as she ran the comb through her shorter hair and tucked the loose strands behind her ears. Doing laundry by hand wasn’t her idea of fun, but she wasn’t going to complain. Last night, she had almost been killed and eaten by giant rats. She frowned at the narrow openings that let the sunlight into their cavern room. “Why do they have red bark and branches spread out inside all the window holes in the walls? For decoration?”
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Sammy grinned. “That’s cinnamon. It’s an excellent mosquito repellant.” Cool! Twig grinned back at Sammy. Scratching mosquito bites and worrying about Yellow Fever wasn’t her idea of fun, either. It didn’t take long to wash and rinse their stuff using the soapwort and coconut rinse. A little splashing took care of the dirt. Two pairs of hands to wring out the clothes turned that into a relatively simple task, also. They draped everything on the wooden rack positioned under the large window. The sunlight streaming in was hot and the air was dry. Their clothes should dry in no time at all. Finally, Twig stood back with her hands on her hips and cocked her head at the thick leather curtain that covered the entrance. “Do you wanna wait for someone to come back for us, or should we just take our own private tour?” Sammy cocked her head. “Do you hear that steady clanging sound?” “Yeah,” Twig said warily. “What about it?” “I think they have their own smithy here. Let’s go check it out. I bet you Goran’s their smith. He has the arms and shoulders for that kind of work.”
***** Sparks flew up and splashed against Goran’s thick leather apron with each beat of his hammer against the cherry red metal. Flames roared in the smelter in front of him heating more lumps of metal for him to pull out and hammer into shape. Sweat poured down his back and shoulders. The thick leather headband that protected his eyes from the burning salt of his sweat was soaked already. He stopped and lifted the flattened bar aloft. It glowed with heat, flawless and ready for the next step of his creation. The two new fem were lovely. Godsends. Both of them. Sent here by a God’s whim. The taller one, named Twig, had sun-kissed light hair. Her legs were strong and lean, and she had high, proud breasts. He’d love to have her wrap those legs around him while he sank his rod into her with her back pressed against a cavern wall. The shorter fem, named Sammy, had soft dark skin and twisty-curly hair that begged him to stroke her with tender hands. He was so much larger than her, he’d have to lie down and let her ride his rod while he feasted on her bouncy breasts. That way, he wouldn’t have to fear crushing her under him with his weight. He put the large hammer aside, laid the bar across the anvil, and switched to a smaller hammer for the finer details. Tapping swiftly across the flattened shaft, he created stylized impressions of leaves twisting up to the shape of a six-petaled flower. He put the hammer aside. The delicate lines of his creation shimmered upon the softened metal. With a quick flick of his wrists, he twirled the metal flower staff around and
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thrust it into a barrel of cold water. Steam hissed and billowed around the heavy leather gauntlets that protected his hands. A cool draft against his back told him that the entry curtain had been moved aside. He turned around. His voice froze in his throat. The two new fem stood in the doorway. Both of them were now garbed in loose trousers and vests that emphasized their curvy hips and breasts. He pulled the flower rod from the water and held it aloft. “I made this for you.” Then he pointed at the second finished flower staff lying on the table. “Two staves, one for each of you.” He bowed. “Please accept my gifts. I welcome you to my home and hope you decide to stay and join our family.”
***** Sammy curled her fingers around Goran’s gorgeous gift. The metal was still warm to the touch. Pride glowed in Goran’s light brown gaze. The fire behind him splashed red and gold highlights across his tanned and very muscular torso. Thick veins ridged his arms. Sammy licked her lips. Damn! He was huge. Six-foot-six and built like a pro wrestler from all his blacksmithing work. Jamila was so tiny. Barely five feet tall. He’d crush her if he tried to do her in the missionary position. Jamila probably sat on top of Goran and had a wild ride. Then again, maybe he liked to do her doggie style. Hell, he looked strong enough to simply lift Jamila onto him and fuck her standing up. Speaking of which, why was Goran giving them gifts and slanting horny glances at them if he was already hooked up with Jamila? “You’re Tiana’s father,” Sammy blurted out. “Yes, he is.” Jamila said behind her. “He’s an excellent father, and his virility is already proven.” Sammy spun around, her face flaming with guilty heat. What the hell was Jamila going to think about her guy forging metal flowers and giving them to two strange women who had just arrived here a couple of hours ago? She tucked the flower behind her back. Her mind went blank. She just stood there like a dodo. Jamila’s face appeared open and welcoming despite the awkward situation of her guy giving them presents. She grabbed both Sammy’s and Twig’s hands. “Come on. I want to show you around. We have a lot of things to discuss.” She flashed an eager smile at Goran. “Fem talk.” Relief glowed on Goran’s face. He wiped his hands on his leather apron. “Yes! Fem talk is a wonderful idea. I’ll help the others cook the deer they brought home for tonight’s meal. Us mem will be able to get better acquainted with Sammy and Twig then.”
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Chapter Seven Jamila kept her pace slow and easy while she led the way down the curving passageway. Both Twig and Sammy accepted the gifts Goran had forged for them. That was a very promising sign, and she hoped this meant their arrival was an answer to their prayers. If Sammy and Twig didn’t like Goran, if they’d found him unattractive, they would have refused the metal flowers. Courtship was a tricky process. Jamila knew she must be careful. If she appeared too eager, these fem might decide to wait until the annual spring trading festival. There, Twig and Sammy would have a wider selection of mates to choose from. Last spring, when she and her family went to the gathering, she’d hoped they’d add another fem or two. Instead, they’d found Teoh. Not that she wasn’t happy with Teoh. As the youngest mem in her family, his rod rose to attention at the slightest hint of lovemaking. He’d proven to be a very fast learner. Adding Teoh to her family had required many exciting group sessions in bed, against the wall, and on the floor. But loving six mem and one hem tired her out. Plus, if these fem became a part of her family, she’d also gain the special experience of watching them pleasure her mates. The taller fem, Twig, stopped to peer at the empty baskets set in equally spaced niches in the wall. “Why do you have these half-made baskets here?” She poked at the large gaps in the weave. “Are you waiting for a better time to finish them up?” Jamila chuckled. “I wove the baskets this way to use for the glowstones. Tiana’s task is to bring the stones outside in the morning to soak up the light. At night we return them to the baskets so we can see.” Sammy stroked the open wicker framework with the tip of her finger. “Glowstones?” She murmured. “I read about them in my ancient history class. The Romans placed special
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mineral deposits in the middle of some of their roads. Those minerals were stimulated by daylight and would emit light and guide travelers safely after dark.” Twig nodded. “I took that class too.” She stepped back from the basket. Fear darkened her face. “What color do these stones glow after dark?” Jamila frowned. Why was Twig afraid of an empty basket for glowstones? The stones were everywhere, easy to dig from the ground. She’d never thought about their color before. What was so important about that? “They’re black rocks with white crystals sticking out on their surface. The white crystals glow a blue-green color, like seawater.” The shorter fem, Sammy, poked her companion in the ribs with her elbow. “That sounds like calcite. Don’t worry. They’re not radioactive.” “What is this word, ‘radioactive’?” Jamila asked. Twig frowned and thought for a few sensecs. Then she said, “Radioactive is a dangerous stone that glows all the time. Too much contact with one of them will make you sick. You get sores on your skin and die from internal bleeding.” Jamila smiled. Twig worried about her family’s health. This was good sign. She peered at Twig’s and then Sammy’s taut abdomens. There weren’t any birthing lines on their skin. Perhaps they had those stretchy coverings for mem rods that earlier Godsends had brought with them. Those sheaths would be very helpful for her and give her a break from having children too close together. Nursing a baby only prevented pregnancy for one change of seasons. She cleared her throat. “Jenner said you’re Godsends. True?” Sammy nodded and smiled. “This is true. We’re not from around here. This means we might not know the same things you know.” “Do you have special things with you to keep you from having babies? Things that can be put over mem rods and keep the seed from getting inside your bellies?” Sammy’s mouth dropped open. She exchanged a startled look with Twig. Then she grinned. “Ah, yes, actually we do. We found two packs of those coverings in our emergency backpack. There are twenty-four in each pack. You can have them if you want. We don’t need them.” She touched a ridged bump that was the size of a baby’s finger on her left arm, then pointed to an identical ridge on Twig’s left arm. “These little sticks under our skin are implants our healer put in our arms last week during our annual visit. They’re dipped in a special medicine that seeps into our bodies little by little and keeps us from having babies for one year.” Jamila gasped. A full year of making love to two new fem without any fear of making babies would feel strange for her family. Her mem would be startled to think they’d have to wait so long to see any children from Twig and Sammy. But, on the other hand, this could be a good thing, too. Having babies too close together often weakened a woman for childbirth. That was a horrible way to die. She
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clapped her hands together. “Jenner said you’re healers. I’m so happy you came here with my mem and Jenn. Two healer fem will be a wonderful help to our family.” Twig shook her head. “My training was how to heal animals, not people.” Jamila frowned. “You took care of Keyla when she was bitten by the sandrats and sewed up her wound. This means you can apply the same healing skills you used on our cat for people. True?” Twig exchanged another startled stare with Sammy. “Yes,” she said slowly. “This is true.” “Good.” Jamila grabbed their hands again. “I want to show you Ansa, our other fem cat. She sleeps with the children and guards them now that she’s pregnant.”
***** Handling a hundred-seventy-five-pound cat while she whelped a litter of kittens or sewing up a wound in an animal’s leg was more Twig’s speed. She shuddered at the responsibility of performing surgery and providing ongoing medical care for human patients. Hell, just the thought scared her spitless. She wasn’t a physician, not by a long shot. But then, in this culture, the specialized training she’d had for animal surgery was probably a lot more training than the usual medical care these people received. Twig followed Jamila and Sammy into a small chamber. The walls showed the marks of axes and chisels. They’d carved this room from solid rock. Sunlight slanted over the floor from a narrow slit in the wall. An empty basket for glowstones waited in a niche below that window slit. Against the far wall, Tiana and her baby brother slept in a wooden box bed. Curled in each other’s arms like a pair of puppies, their faces were totally relaxed and content. Ansa, the cat, lay sprawled on a blanket beside the bed. Brilliant blue eyes followed Twig’s and Sammy’s every move when they strolled into the room. Her belly was round and hard as a drum and her teats were swollen. She’d have more than enough milk for her kits. Twig kept her approach slow and non-threatening. She sank to the floor and held her hand in front of Ansa’s broad nose. “You’re so pretty,” she murmured in soft, soothing tones. The cat considered her for a few moments. She sniffed Twig’s hand and swiped her rough tongue over her fingers. Twig smiled. Ansa had accepted her. She stroked the cat’s side. The kittens within Ansa’s distended abdomen kicked at her hand. Judging by the size of her belly, she was due any day now. The only other items of furniture in the chamber were a small table, two flat-topped trunks, and two child-sized chairs in the corner. Twig guessed that one trunk held extra clothes and diapers for the children while the other one might be for their dirty clothes. A
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tower of blocks and toy animals carved from wood in meticulous detail adorned the table. A rag doll dressed in loose red pants and vest occupied one of the chairs. Sammy settled on the bottom of the bed beside Jamila. She ran her hand over the fabric-covered bedpad without awakening the sleeping occupants. “This is nice. Where will we be sleeping?” Jamila tucked the trailing ends of her long black hair behind her ears. “We have extra beds we made for our future children if you want to use them.” She flashed a hopeful smile and ducked her head. “Or if you prefer good company and pleasure for the night, you’re welcome to join us in our bed.” Twig froze. She played the words over in her mind backward and then forward just to make sure she heard them right and wasn’t jumping to the wrong conclusion. But no matter how hard she tried to change the sequence, the answer came out the same. Jamila had just proposed group sex for the night as if it was a normal offer she gave to all guests. Then again, maybe she had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Twig smiled. “You said ‘our bed.’ Does this mean all of you sleep in the same bed?” Jamila swiveled her head back and forth between Twig and Sammy. A puzzled frown etched her face. “Yes. Of course we all sleep in the same bed. We’re a family. Did I offend you with my offer? I know I should have asked my mem first, but I didn’t because I already know they’re eager to make your stay with us pleasant.”
Awk! When in Rome, do as the Romans do? The Eskimos had a custom of offering their wives as a form of hospitality to their guests. This sounded like a similar custom, except it was an offer for group sex. She’d already fantasized making love to the twins, but not all the guys and Jenner at the same time. Wow! Talk about a mind-boggling, all-night sex extravaganza! Both she and Sammy would be walking bowlegged the next morning. Would Sammy think she was a slut if she said yes? Twig risked a quick glance sideways. Shocked comprehension filled her best friend’s face. Hell, Sammy was actually blushing. That wasn’t easy to spot with her darker complexion. Jamila’s face was getting very worried now. “My mem and hem are very skilled in giving pleasure to fem.” Sammy cleared her throat. “That’s a very generous offer, Jamila, but we just got here. We need a little more time to settle in before we’re comfortable enough to even consider getting to know everyone in such an intimate setting.” She turned to Twig. “I know I need to have a nice long talk with my friend about this, too.” “Ah. Yes. Right. We need to talk this over.” Twig blurted out her agreement as fast as possible. Damn it! Her pussy was wet already just thinking about the possible combinations. She wasn’t a slut. Neither was Sammy. Not by a long shot. But they weren’t on Earth anymore, and this culture went by different rules. Would Sammy see it that way too, or say, “No way, José”?
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Jamila’s shoulders drooped. Her soft lips curved down. “I suppose you’re tired after all you’ve been through.” She hugged herself and shuddered. “Sandrats are a horrid way to die.” Another pensive frown furrowed her brow. “Six mem and one hem might be too tiring for you to handle right away. Tonight, after we eat, you could pick out one or two mem each for yourselves. You’re guests, and we want you to feel welcome here.” “Ah. Yes. Thank you,” Twig said quickly. “But first, do you have any extra beds we can use instead?” She stretched her arms over her head and managed an elaborate yawn. “I don’t know about Sammy, but I’m still tired. I didn’t sleep very well in the wagon last night. We need a little time to rest before supper.” Jamila’s eyes widened. She gave an understanding nod. “I’m a fool. Of course, you’re exhausted. Teoh, Jenner, and Tallent are resting now because they stayed up all night bringing you here.” She tapped her chin and grinned. “You could rest with them if you want warm bodies to snuggle against instead of sleeping alone.” Mischief filled her face. “I’m sure they’ll be very accommodating when they awaken and find you there with them.” Twig was blushing so hard now her face felt like it was on fire. She forced another yawn. “I think we’d rather just rest in the extra beds first.” Jamila jumped to her feet. “Follow me, then. I’ll show you where they are.”
***** Sammy strolled through the adjoining caverns, taking her time while she stroked the gleaming wood of the beds and fingered the tightly woven sheets and covers. They weren’t guest bedrooms, per se. Instead, as Jamila had thoughtfully explained, her mem had completed these rooms in anticipation of more children for their family. They weren’t the kind of beds she was used to either. They were box beds like the ones described in her ancient history class. Large wooden boxes against the wall filled with soft cushioning feathers and grasses. A thin padded quilt on top of this material served as the mattress. Sheets, pillows, and another light cover provided the rest of the bedding. She turned around. Sunlight spilled into the cavern from narrow slits in the back wall. A single open doorway linked both rooms. Twig climbed into the box bed in the adjoining cavern. She took her time fluffing the pillow and making herself comfortable. Sammy cleared her throat. “Well. What do you think?” Twig arched her eyebrows and waved her hand at the matching sturdy table and set of chairs in both rooms. “It’s not that bad.” Sammy strode over to Twig’s bed and sat on the edge. She might as well bring everything out into the open instead of pussyfooting around the truth. It made no sense to hide their heads in the sand and pretend Jamila’s offer hadn’t happened. They were best friends. If they couldn’t be honest with each other about their feelings and reactions to the
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open sexual customs of their hosts, then they weren’t as good friends as she thought they were. “I’m not talking about our accommodations. I’m talking about the fact that Jamila hasn’t one drop of jealousy in her body. She’s very eager to share her lovers with us.” Two bright red spots highlighted Twig’s cheeks. She sat up, crossed her legs and leaned against the wall with an annoyed sigh. Her gaze remained wary. “We’re not on Earth anymore.” She shrugged. “Or rather, this isn’t the Earth we grew up on.” “No, it’s not.” The red spots in Twig’s cheeks darkened. She lifted her chin and stared at Sammy. “I’m tempted, but at the same time I’m scared because I’ve never done anything like this before.” She ducked her head and rubbed her hand across the sheets. “I don’t want you to think I’m a slut because I like the idea of having sex with all of them.” Sammy nodded. Good. They were getting this out into the open between them. “I know what you mean. I wouldn’t mind trying out the guys, either. On the other hand, it’s embarrassing to think about making love to one man while you’re in the same bed with me, let alone six men and a hermaphrodite. Plus, we’d have Jamila joining us, too. I don’t know what to think or feel about this. We’ve always talked about the hot sex we’ve had with our boyfriends, but when it comes to participation, that’s always been private.” She tapped her fingers on the edge of the bed and arched her eyebrows. “Remember that night we joked about trying out a swingers club? That idea never got past the joking stage.” All the tension disappeared from Twig’s face. She grinned. “I remember that night. We got totally smashed on Bailey’s Irish Cream. After you staggered off to your room to sleep, I got so hot thinking about it that I had to use my vibrator to take care of myself. You’re right. This isn’t the Earth where we grew up. Their customs are totally different from what we’re used to. I’m thinking we have to adapt or turn into two very frustrated women. What do you suggest?” Sammy snorted and grinned back at her. “I’m thinking we should just play it by ear, take things slowly at first and don’t jump into anything until we feel comfortable. Right now, I’m ready to take a nap. I have the feeling we’re gonna need it before the night is over.”
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Chapter Eight Twig peeked into the adjoining cavern. Sammy lay stretched out in the other bed box with her eyes closed. All right. She might as well close her eyes too for a few minutes. Not that she’d be able to sleep with hot images of trying out all the guys galloping through her mind in a stampede of triple-X movies. Should she wait for them to make the first move or simply walk up and start kissing the one she wanted? Then, there were the twins, Dain and Levon. Maybe she should pull both men aside and pursue a few of her wilder fantasies. She could start things out by getting on her knees with the twins standing on either side of her. Feel the cream drip from her pussy while they untied their pants and let them slide down to their ankles. Their identical cocks would stick out straight and hard, all ready for a little hot sucking back and forth. Back and forth. Twig opened her eyes and checked her watch. Holy shit! Forty-five minutes had passed. She must have been more tired than she thought and actually fallen asleep. She propped herself on her elbow and craned her neck to peer into the adjoining cavern. Yep. Sammy was still out like a light. Twig sat up. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and retrieved her sandals. The thought of having sex with men who were relative strangers while her best friend watched still made her feel a bit embarrassed. But now, while Sammy remained in an exhausted sleep, was the perfect opportunity to test the metaphorical waters ahead of time in a relatively guilt-free fashion. She tiptoed into the shadowy corridor, carrying the sandals. This added precaution kept the betraying sound of the leather soles slapping against the stone floor from waking up her buddy. She chewed on her lip. Which way should she go? Where was everybody? A steady thumping sound drifted down the corridor. She tilted her head and listened. Okay. She might as well find out what was going on there first.
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She slipped around the curving passageway to the next doorway and peered inside. Jamila sat in front of a loom. Her feet and hands moved with blinding speed on the pedals while shuttles slid back and forth across the threads. Tiana sat beside Jamila with her brow furrowed while she wove a small swatch of fabric on her child-sized loom. One of the male cats reclined in the corner of the room. It yawned, exposing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Dunar, the baby boy, crawled over the cat’s furry body like a kitten and pulled at his ears. Twig cleared her throat. “Where is everyone?” Jamila stopped weaving, turned sideways and smiled. “Dain and Levon went down to groom the dogs.” Jamila jerked her head at a wooden ladder leading up to a hole in the roof in the right-hand corner of the cavern. “Niall and Goran are upstairs. Goran’s cooking the deer for supper, and Niall’s making more arrows and bows for hunting.” She pointed over her shoulder to the left. “Teoh, Tallent, and Jenner are still sleeping in our bed in at the end of this corridor.” Twig put the sandals on her feet. “Thank you.” She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat and said, “My healing skills involve animals. Do you think Dain and Levon would mind if I went down and helped them with the dogs?” Jamila tapped her chin with her forefinger. “They’d love to have your help.” Her smile broadened into a lusty grin. She pointed at the basket of fruit on a table in the opposite corner of the cavern. “You might want to bring them something to eat, too. Take your time. We won’t be eating supper until after dark.” Twig recognized papaya but had no idea what the other odd-shaped and colored fruits were. Then again, Sammy was the one who majored in horticulture, not her. No big deal. If she really wanted to know she could always get Sammy to name them for her. Twig scooped up the basket. “Thanks, Jamila. I’ll see you later.”
***** Sammy opened her eyes and enjoyed a long, lingering stretch. She must have been more tired than she thought to have conked out so thoroughly. Speaking of which, had Twig fallen asleep, too? She climbed out of her bed box and checked. Nope! Twig’s bed was empty. She was probably out exploring. That sounded like an excellent idea, one she should try also. A quick brush of her hand over her pants and vest took care of the wrinkles. Jamila and the others probably slept in the nude. Sammy slipped her sandals on. Where was everybody? A soft thumping sound drifted through the doorway. She eased into the corridor. Sound meant activity, and activity meant people. Sure enough, the sound led her to Jamila and Tiana busy weaving cloth on two looms. Sammy leaned in the doorway. “Have you seen Twig?”
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Jamila’s smile was both welcoming and unsurprised. She pointed down. “Twig went down to help the twins groom the dogs.” Sammy smothered a snicker. Twig wasn’t wasting any time now, was she? She jerked her thumb at a ladder in the corner leading to a hole in the cavern roof. “What’s up there?” Jamila’s smile broadened. “Niall and Goran are cooking supper up there. I’m sure they’ll be very happy to have your help with the preparations.” Interesting. Since Twig had gone downstairs to see the twins, then a little visit upstairs with Niall and Goran would be exactly what Sammy needed. “Thank you, Jamila. That’s a great suggestion.” She strolled over to the ladder. A metal trapdoor was propped open at the top. Two thick metal straps to insert bars on the inside of the trapdoor provided security against forced entry from that direction. Sunlight splashed on the floor through the opening. Obviously, upstairs was the plateau itself. Which made sense. Why take the risk of smoke inhalation within the confines of the caverns when they could cook outdoors?
***** Twig stopped in the doorway at the bottom of the cliff dwelling. The river splashed like a playful child under the morning sun. Fern and palm trees soared over the banks, dappling the pristine waters with shade. Barely thirty yards in front of her, the twins stood hip deep in water, like a pair of Playgirl centerfold models. Dark hair feathered their chests and arrowed down their abdomens. Small silver rings sparkled at their earlobes, nipples, and navels. Their wet brown hair hung straight to the middle of their backs. Her mouth went dry. Oh, my! Long, sculpted muscles on their backs, chests and arms rippled with their slow, careful movements. They were scraping beard stubble from each other’s faces with sharp knives. Their discarded pants and sandals lay on dry rocks at the edge of the river, guarded by twenty of the pony-sized wolfhounds. She moistened her parched lips with the tip of her tongue. “I can do this. It’s not like we’re actually going to have sex right here on the ground. All I have to do is talk to them.” And took a shaky step out into the sunlight. The dogs lifted their ears in unison, turned their heads, jumped up, and galloped at her in a rampaging surge of gleaming mahogany, black and tan fur. She braced her feet for the onslaught. It took only moments for their massive bodies to surround her. The dogs glowed with healthy strength and energy. Their slightly damp fur smelled clean and sweet with the scent of soapwort. Now that they’d finished the messy job of grooming the dogs, it made perfect sense that Dain and Levon would take care of their own grooming next.
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Hot dog breath ruffled her hair and cold wet noses nudged her body. The tallest and boldest dog stuffed his big nose right in Twig’s crotch and took a gusty sample of her body odor. The smallest dog stuck his nose in her basket and snuffled at the fruit. She pushed their heads aside with her hand. “Go away, doggies. I’m supposed to be feeding the guys, not you.” She strolled forward. Her legs wobbled under her. The dogs moved aside. They loped back and forth in circles around her, keeping pace with her steps. The twins turned, smiled, and waved at her. They ducked their heads under the water and rinsed their faces. A few seconds later, they turned and splashed out of the river to the shore.
Ohmyohmyohmyohmy! Twig gulped. The twins’ uncut erections hardened rapidly until they jutted out from the thick, curly hair between their muscular thighs like matching stick shifts. Thick veins pulsed along the length of each shaft. One cock angled to the right, the other to the left. The only other difference she could see was that the twin on the right had a slightly huskier build than the other. By her best guess, he weighed ten pounds more than his brother. Moving with practiced ease, both men slipped their pants on and knotted the drawstrings at their waists. They squeezed excess water from their hair and tied the long ends into ponytails with leather strips. Dain and Levon approached her. Identical appreciative stares raked her body. Their eyes were a shade of dark green, but with pupils dilated they looked black under the direct sunlight. Both men reached out as if they were going to grab her by the waist and dropped their hands to their sides with abashed smiles. Twig’s heart skipped a few more beats. She didn’t bother counting. Her rock-hard nipples rubbed against the rough fabric of her vest. Moisture trickled from her and soaked the fabric between her legs. Hopefully, the twins would think the damp spot in the front of her pants came from one of the dogs’ noses rather than her aroused pussy. The twins snapped their fingers and pointed at the dogs. “Go. Hunt.” The dogs turned as one and galloped single-file past the wooden bunkhouse into the thick jungle foliage. A brief image of dropping to her knees between their swollen cocks and swallowing their come flashed into Twig’s mind from the enthusiastic and depraved voices whispering in her head. Down girl! She held out the basket. “Are you hungry? I brought you something to eat.” The slightly huskier twin, whose cock angled to the right, reached for the basket. Twig held up her hand. “Not so fast. I need to get it straight in my head which one you are.” He pointed at his chest. “I’m Dain. The easy way to tell us apart is here. My nipple rings are ovals. Levon’s are circles.”
*****
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When Sammy climbed out the trapdoor, both Niall and Goran stopped what they were doing. Two heads on opposite ends of the sunlit plateau turned to her with the eager attention of tigers sighting new prey. Goran stood in front of an open fire pit where the cuts of deer and slices of large yams twirled on a spit like an oversized shish kabob. Niall sat cross-legged on a piece of tanned deer hide, creating a longbow. Stacked beside him were four more bows and eight bundles of finished arrows.
Act casual, Sammy reminded herself. You’re just checking out the scenery, not planning to jump anyone’s bones. She strolled toward the firepit. Yeah. Right. Stop kidding yourself, girl. A section of ground had been cleared and planted with herbs and vegetables. The adjoining section contained a small orchard of custard apple, guava, papaya, black sapote, breadnut, and avocado trees. Sammy breathed a sigh of relief. Their diet wasn’t all meat. A wooden fence partitioned yet another square of land. Inside the fence, a rooster watched over a dozen hens perched inside an open-sided chicken coop. Sammy lifted her eyebrow at the coop’s flimsy construction and a few seconds later mentally slapped her head. The fence wasn’t there to stop determined predators. The enclosure was meant only to slow them down for a few minutes. The open walls gave the chickens a chance to escape. She stopped a few feet away from the slowly roasting meat and grinned at Goran. “Supper smells good.” Goran stepped around the firepit until he stood inches away from her. Damn, he was big. He must be at least six-six compared to her height of five-foot-three. Sammy craned her head back and gazed at his face instead of his well-proportioned chest. He gestured at an overflowing basket a few feet away. “If you’re hungry now, we have some fresh fruit for you.” “You smell delicious,” Niall’s appreciative voice said right behind Sammy. Her heart jumped in her chest at the carnal undertones in his baritone murmur. He must be one hell of a hunter to be able to sneak up on her so easily. Either that or she was so distracted by Goran’s close proximity, a herd of elephants would have been able to walk up without her noticing them. She was literally sandwiched between two hunky guys. Sammy turned around. Niall’s gaze was eager and open, just like his smile. He picked up the basket of fruit and held out his hand. “Come and sit in the shade with us. We can eat there in comfort.”
***** “This is nice.” Twig stroked the fine-grained wood of the table. The bunkhouse had a double row of straw-filled stalls for the dogs running down the length of the fifty-foot-long enclosure. At the front, they’d created a separate room with a double box bed, table, and
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chairs. She inclined her head at the bed. “This way if any of the dogs are ill or whelping puppies, you’re able to sleep nearby and handle all emergencies.” Gah! She was chattering like a silly teenager in the throes of her first crush. Dain selected two different fruits from the basket. He pointed at the lopsided yellow one. “This is cream fruit.” Then touched the shiny green one with brown speckles. “This is brown fruit.” Twig frowned. “Why don’t you call them yellow fruit and green fruit by the color of their skins?” Levon grinned. “Because that’s the color of their fruit.” He sliced both in half and sure enough, the yellow-skinned one had a creamy white layer inside and the shiny green one had a dark-brown custard interior. The cream fruit had a single large brown seed in its center, while the brown one had small seeds in the middle, like an apple. Whatever they were, they both looked and smelled tasty. Twig reached out with a hesitant finger but Dain stopped her with his hand upon hers. He eyed her from head to toe with a smoldering look that sizzled through her like molten lava. “Come to the bed with us and let us feed you.” Twig glanced at the bed. It became suddenly hard to breathe as she considered the thought of exactly what they wanted to feed her. Dain reached up with his other hand and slowly stroked her mouth with the tip of his finger. “Whenever you want us to stop, we’ll stop.”
Now they were finally getting down to the good stuff. The ball was in her court. All she had to do was say no and they’d back off. So, what the hell was she waiting for? Twig sucked his finger into her mouth. She slowly released it with a Mae West smile. “I thought you’d never ask.” Dain and Levon grinned and placed their hands on the small of her back. Their gesture was an eager, yet gentle nudge toward the bed. Damn! It felt heavenly having all this testosterone-laden attention. She strutted like a queen to their destination, kicked off her sandals and stretched out with her head on the pillow. The twins climbed in on either side of her. Each held a halved fruit in his free hand. Dain scooped a dollop of the cream fruit with his forefinger and transferred it to her mouth.
Yum! It tasted cool and creamy like vanilla pudding. Twig sucked his finger greedily. Dain pulled his finger from her mouth. He leaned closer. His dark green eyes darkened even more. “You missed some on your lip. Let me take care of it for you.” He brushed his lips against hers.
Yes! Twig curled her fingers into his hair and arched her body toward him for more. He responded with an eager groan. His long, hard cock bumped and rubbed against her hip. They parted. Dain’s grin matched hers.
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She turned her head to Levon. He held up his finger, smeared with a generous helping of the brown fruit, and gave her a plaintive look. “My turn now. I hope you’re still hungry.” She opened her mouth and accepted his finger next. This time the taste was like a mild chocolate custard. Very good! Hot damn! A girl could get addicted to these guys. Levon didn’t waste any time diving in for his kiss, either. He pulled her against him and greedily devoured her mouth. His hips bucked against her so hard that if they hadn’t been wearing pants, his cock would have slid right inside her. Having Dain’s cock probing at her ass just as eagerly had her ready to explode with excitement. Her pussy was drenched with anticipation of a dual penetration. Oh, yes! She was going to enjoy the ride of her life with these guys. The kiss ended. Two identical pairs of emerald eyes studied her with the same carnal question simmering within their depths. Twig licked her lips. “That was good. I want more.” Matching grins answered her. Two pairs of deft hands untied her vest and freed her breasts. Hard, callused fingers tweaked her nipples, sending shocks of pleasure straight to her pussy. She squirmed between both men, imprisoned by their hands. The solid columns of their erections nudged her hips. They released their grip on her breasts for a few seconds in order to retrieve their discarded fruit halves. Dain scooped out a dollop of cream fruit and carefully smeared it over her right nipple. Levon adorned her left nipple with an equally generous helping of brown fruit. She sucked in her breath and waited for their hot mouths to feast on her nipples. The twins’ grins broadened. They put the fruits aside. Instead of going for her breasts, they eased their hands down her waist and untied the drawstring of her pants, tugging them down. Twig didn’t resist. Hell! She lifted her hips so they could slide the pants far enough for her to kick them off. Dain and Levon moved in on her with practiced skill. Two heads lowered to her breasts. Two hot, greedy mouths latched onto her swollen nipples and sucked. Two sets of fingers parted her pussy curls and found her clit. Twig closed her eyes, held on to the backs of their heads and whimpered at the delicious rush of pleasure sending her straight into sensory overload. They sucked harder. She sighed and opened her legs wide for them. Levon stroked her clit with long, easy circles of his thumb. Dain moistened his finger along her pussy and gently penetrated her anus. The twins teased her. They enticed her. Slow and gentle, they stroked her and sucked her to the edge of orgasm. She moaned and moved against their skilled fingers. They probed deeper, easing into a steady rhythm that matched her writhing hips.
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Oh, God! Pleasure ripped through her in molten waves. Over and over again. Her body convulsed between them. Her pussy grabbed at the fingers inside her. She wanted more. She wanted their cocks inside her now. Two gentle fingers probed her ass. Two equally skilled fingers probed her pussy. Two talented mouths sucked and nibbled her breasts. Three fingers dipped into her from both sides now. Harder and faster. She screamed and ground her hips against them for more while her first orgasm ripped through her like bolts of lightning. Finally, they released her. She collapsed. Dain and Levon stroked her shaking body with soothing, callused hands. When she stopped shaking and her breathing returned to normal, they both arched their eyebrows at her. Levon touched her mouth with his finger. “Would you like to ride our rods now?” She shook her head. “I want to taste them first.” Delight lit up their faces. Moving with eager abandon, they removed their pants and smeared the rest of their fruit over their engorged cocks. Cream fruit garnished Dain’s and brown fruit adorned Levon’s. A vanilla-and-chocolate taste fest for her personal banquet. They knelt on either side of her face. Two hard cocks awaited her pleasure. She cupped the solid weight of their taut balls. The scent of sweet fruit overlay the distinctive masculine aroma of their bodies. Both men groaned. They lifted their hips and pushed their cocks closer to her mouth. She circled the thick shafts with her hands. Back and forth she licked the fruit from both swollen cockheads, making sure she paid equal attention to them. White droplets of pre-come dripped from the tips. She licked the translucent liquid off. The salty tang of their sex enhanced the taste of creamy white and brown fruit in her mouth. She milked both cocks from crown to base with long, slow, even strokes. Two fat cockheads took turns slipping in and out of her hungry mouth, deeper and harder with each dip. Two cocks twitched under her hands. She stopped and smiled up at them. Their dark green eyes were black and glazed over with carnal admiration. “Are your rods ready to fuck me now?” “Yes!” they shouted as one. Then they scooted down until they were lying beside her again. Levon rolled over on his back, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her on top of him. She straddled his hips and slowly lowered her pussy onto his cock. The wide tip parted her pussy lips, and she slid down inch by glorious inch until he filled her up completely. Her heart thundered in her chest when Dain moved in behind her. Would it hurt? Would she be able to accommodate his cock in her ass too?
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Dain ran his hands down her back and sides. “It’s all right.” He leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Relax, my beautiful woman. I won’t hurt you. I’ll never hurt you.” He rubbed the tip of his cock between her ass cheeks. Pre-come dribbled out and moistened her anus. Levon reached up to her breasts. He rubbed his thumbs over her pouting nipples and smiled at her. “You’re gorgeous. Let me suck them.” She leaned forward and let her breasts dangle in front of his face. This lifted her ass up. Dain slid one finger inside slowly. Levon sucked one swollen nipple into his mouth and pinched the other one between his fingers. Twig relaxed. There wasn’t going to be any pain. They knew exactly what they were doing and would take their time with her. She sighed with pleasure and rocked her hips against the cock in her pussy. Dain slid two fingers into her anus and stretched her wider. She groaned and pushed her ass up for more when he withdrew his fingers. Levon grabbed her hips and pushed his cock deeper, making her clit bump against his pubic bone. At the same time, he gave her nipple a gentle bite that wrung a gasp from her parted lips. Three fingers stroked her anus now. Or was it four? She didn’t care. Levon rocked his hips under her. She rocked back and squeezed his cock with her pussy. All she knew was the delightful sensation of in and out from both sides. Stretching her, teasing her to the limit. Dain pulled his fingers from her anus in one easy stroke. He leaned closer. The tip of his cock slid inside on the next stroke. Oh, God! He was inside her now! She tensed up. Dain wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt. I promise.” His breath gusted across her ear. Levon held her hips and stroked his hands up and down her sides. Dain moved his hands to her breasts and tweaked her nipples. She breathed out a long, relaxing breath, pushed slowly back with her hips and accepted the rest of Dain’s cock in her ass. He was right. There was no pain, only a sensation of incredible fullness of two eager cocks inside her now. They rocked her between them in a slow and gentle rhythm. Two pairs of hands held her secure between their muscular bodies in a tight yet tender embrace. They rolled her over together so they were lying sideways now. Two men strong enough to hold her as if she weighed nothing between them. She wrapped her arms and legs around Levon. They shared another hard, tonguetangling kiss. Dain tucked his head into her neck and sucked on her shoulder.
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Slow and easy, they rocked her. In and out, two cocks entering and withdrawing. Two hard-muscled bodies cradled her between them with exquisite tenderness. Two sets of silver nipple rings rubbed against her chest and back, teasing her with their cool, hard texture. She threw her head back, arched her back, and tightened her grip on Levon. Dain groaned. His fingers dug into her waist. Both men increased the tempo of their thrusting inside her. Yes! She bucked between them, grinding her aching clit against Levon’s body in a greedy demand for more. They gave it to her exactly like she wanted, in long, hard strokes. Two cocks pounded into her. Two sets of balls slapped against her thighs and ass. Two equally aroused men gasped and groaned their delight with each eager thrust into her body. It was so much better than she’d imagined. The total power of having them both loving her at the same time boggled her mind. Knowing she turned them on so much they couldn’t even wait to take turns, they had to share her body between them and love her together. Two men giving her everything they had and more, eagerly responding to her every wish. Over and over, faster and faster. Wave after wave of endless pleasure crashed through her with explosive intensity. She squeezed her pussy and ass on both cocks, milking them for more, for every drop they had. Long bursts of hot come poured into her from the twins. Her ecstatic cries scaled up into a keening yell that matched the roars of pleasure from both men. It was fantastic. Simply fantastic.
***** Stretched out on the tanned hides between both men, Sammy felt like she’d been transported into a fantasy world with her own private harem. Goran sat behind her where his muscular thighs provided the perfect pillow for her head. Niall selected another custard apple and black sapote from the basket. “Do you want some more?” Sammy grinned and shook her head. As much as she loved the contrasting tastes of creamy vanilla and mild chocolate from the tropical fruits, she had more important needs on her mind. Like the impressive erection in Niall’s pants. And, even though she couldn’t see Goran’s lap from this angle, she had the feeling he was equally if not more aroused, judging by the way he kept touching her face and hair. She patted the space beside her. “Jamila says you’re very good at pleasing fem.” Niall put the basket aside and lay down beside her with commendable alacrity. He propped himself on one elbow and looked her up and down with a lusty glint in his bright blue eyes. The silver hair threading his temples looked very distinctive against his dark
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brown hair and tanned skin. But then, Sammy had always liked older men. Experience and willingness to explore new ground made them excellent lovers. Niall traced her mouth with the tip of his finger. “I would be more than happy to show you my skills,” he whispered while his finger moved down her neck and settled at the pulse point in her throat. The muscles in Goran’s leg flexed under her head. He reached down and cupped her chin in his hand. “I’m not as skilled as Niall, but I’m willing to learn.”
Oh, yes! Sammy twisted her head back and smiled at him. Goran’s golden brown eyes were hot and gentle. His open smile told her he’d have no problems taking care of her needs along with his co-spouse. When Sammy twisted her head back to Goran, the movement also arched her back and lifted her breasts closer to Niall’s hand. He didn’t waste any time responding. His fingers slid inside her vest and cupped her flesh with easy familiarity. Goran leaned down and fastened his mouth on hers in a long, hard kiss. Niall’s skilled fingers unfastened her vest. Sammy squirmed under the sudden sensation of Niall’s hot mouth sucking her nipple. Goran held her steady and deepened his kiss with eager probes of his tongue. Goran released her mouth. Niall released her breast. She looked back and forth between both men. Now what? It didn’t take long to get the answer to her unspoken question. Goran pulled her up into his lap and cradled her against his broad chest like a baby. She grinned, wrapped her arms around Goran’s neck. Niall knelt between her feet. His deft hands untied the waistband of her pants. The hard length of Goran’s cock under her ass felt wonderful. She squirmed to a more comfortable position on that long bulge while Niall peeled her pants off. Goran groaned. His eager humping under her ass told her what he wanted to do next. Sammy was beyond caring about shame. Her pussy was drenched already just thinking about both men servicing her. She tightened her grip around Goran’s neck. He cupped her breast with his big hand and stared at her with hungry eyes. Niall positioned himself between her legs. He tapped her thigh with his hand. She looked down at his smiling face. He touched her clit with the tip of his finger and slowly teased her with his gentle touch. “Your pubes look soft and pink and ready for loving. Do you mind if I taste them?” “Yes. Please. Go ahead.” She leaned back against Goran’s arm and lifted her hips. Goran tweaked her nipple. She gasped and arched her breast into his questing mouth. Niall’s equally hot mouth fastened on her clit.
Oh, God! It was sheer ecstasy. Both men had her twisting and humping like a demon under their attentions. Every time she thought she’d reached a new plateau of sensation, Goran would switch breasts while Niall’s talented tongue flicked over her swollen clit. Swift
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determined sucks and bites on her nipples sent shock after shock vibrating to her pussy. Niall’s tongue moved faster. His fingers probed deeper.
Holy shit! Her pussy clenched and squeezed his fingers. She wrapped her fingers into Goran’s hair and held onto him while he sucked her breasts. She ground her clit against Niall’s wicked tongue. Rippling waves of mindless pleasure exploded through her. She collapsed against Goran’s chest. She didn’t remember screaming but she must have because her throat was raw. Soothing hands stroked her trembling body. Goran’s hard cock still nudged her ass through his pants. Finally she turned her head up. He grinned. “Are you ready to ride my rod now, my little bird?” She arched her eyebrows at him. “Doggie style?” His face got red. The look in his eyes shimmered with carnal anticipation. He gulped, licked his lips and nodded his head eagerly. That was all the encouragement she needed to climb off his lap and position herself on hands and knees. To her surprise, instead of Goran immediately mounting her, both men knelt on either side of her and teased her with their hands again. Over and over they caressed her body, gave delicious little tweaks to her nipples. It didn’t take long for them to have her arching her back under their hands like a cat. When their fingers dipped into her holes, she ground her hips against them for more. When she’d reached the point of humping their fingers like a madwoman, they pulled out. Two strong, callused hands grabbed her waist and held her still. An engorged cockhead nudged her pussy lips apart. She looked over her shoulder. Goran knelt behind her with a look of deep concentration on his face. His big hands held her like a toy. He bucked his hips. His thick shaft stretched the walls of her pussy apart and slid another couple of inches into her. Damn! He felt huge! She braced her knees and waited while he eased the rest of his lovely cock inside, all the way in. Yes! “Oh, yes, God. Oh, God, you feel good.” Goran whispered. His golden-brown eyes were glazed over with pleasure. His face was flushed and sweat ran down his hairy chest. “You’re tight. Just the way I like my fem.” She turned her head to the side. Niall stood watching them with his pants off. He stroked his thick erection with one hand. When he saw her staring at him, he grinned, slicked his pre-come over the bulbous head and lazily fisted his hand down the length of his eager cock. More pre-come dripped from the tip. She licked her lips in blatant invitation. Niall laughed and shook his head. “Little brown bird, I’m not a young man any more. I’m going to wait and take my turn rather than waste my seed on your lovely mouth.” Which was just as well, because Goran pumped his cock into her with all the frenzied abandon of a young man experiencing the first fuck of his life. Long and thick, slamming into
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her so hard and fast she had to dig her hands into the hides under her and brace her knees to keep from getting knocked over. Niall watching them and stroking himself turned her on even more. She arched her back and ground her hips onto Goran’s cock. His grunts and groans grew louder along with the wild plunges deep into her pussy. Never before had she had two men loving her like this. It felt damn good and made her feel like the sexiest woman in the world, knowing they wanted her so bad. Goran’s big fingers dug into her waist. He held her tight and slammed into her one last time with a loud yell. Hot jets of come gushed into her pussy. When he pulled out of her, she slumped to the ground, then rolled over onto her back. Niall came over and took Goran’s place. He knelt between her knees and looked her over from head to pussy. His cock jutted straight out from his crotch, hard and ready for action. Sammy stretched out like cat in heat, with bouncing breasts and wide open legs. She cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples. Niall licked his lips. A carnal smile formed on his mouth. Slowly, with teasing deliberateness, she eased her hands over her belly and combed her fingers through the wet, wiry curls of her pussy. Goran’s sticky come spilled out onto her fingers and down the inside of her thighs. Niall’s fingers joined hers. He rolled her engorged clit between his thumb and forefinger like a marble. She gasped with sudden delight under the sensations his skilled touch wrung from her body. His grin widened. “Are you ready to take me now, little bird?” She lifted her legs and hooked her feet over his shoulders. That was all the answer he needed. Niall braced his arms on either side of her. He plunged into her in one long, stupendous movement that slammed his balls against her ass. Slow and hard, he tantalized her with long, easy strokes. She wiggled her hips in a corkscrew motion, matching him move for move, feeling the crescendo of another orgasm building up within her. Goran knelt by her head. She turned her head to the side and licked the salty come from the soft tip of his twitching cock. Niall increased his strokes into a slightly faster pace. She met him with eager twists of her hips. Goran’s cock hardened and dipped a little further into her mouth. Not deep, just far enough for her to take the first couple of inches and taste him. Goran sat back on his heels. His cock slid out of her mouth. Goran circled his cock with one hand. She threw her head back. Goran’s hard doggie fuck had already primed her. It didn’t take long to lose control under Niall’s pistoning hips. His balls slapped against her buttocks with each eager plunge into her. Then it happened. Her pussy walls spasmed around Niall’s long, hard pounding cock. Pleasure peaked and soared to ecstasy. This time she heard herself scream while a second glorious orgasm galloped through her.
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“Yes. Yes! That’s it, my beautiful little brown bird,” Niall yelled. His hands tightened around her waist. He pinned her to the ground with his weight and shot a full load of hot, wet come into her. As for Goran, well ... He milked his cock furiously with one hand and showered a second load of sticky white come on the ground. A few minutes later, Sammy relaxed on the deerskin hides between both men, totally satisfied and happy. Niall propped his head up on his elbow and traced a lazy finger over her nipples. “If you give us a little more time to recover our strength, we can attempt a few more positions.” She looked at Goran. He nodded his head eagerly. “I’m willing to try again whenever you’re ready.” Again? Holy shit! If they kept this up, she’d never survive nighttime too. Sammy shook her head. “I think I should wait until after supper.”
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Chapter Nine Twig laughed and splashed into the river with the twins play-chasing her. The water felt cold on her nude body, but she didn’t mind because of the hot sun blazing above her. Judging by the way the sweat trickled down her neck, the temperature must be at least eighty degrees and it wasn’t even midday yet. Dain and Levon caught her when the water reached her knees. Mounds of soapwort left over from washing the dogs dotted the rocks. Both men scooped up the green plants, crushed them between their hands, and lathered her body. They squeezed her breasts and tweaked her nipples until she squirmed between their insistent hands. Dain dribbled water over her left breast and Levon did the same to her right. Then they fastened their hot mouths on her peaked nipples. Hollows appeared in their cheeks under their eager suckling. She wrapped her fingers in their hair and curled her toes in the sand under the jolting pulses their hard suckling sent to her pussy. Her knees buckled. She held onto their muscled shoulders. The twins lifted their heads and flashed matching sexy grins. Dain went to his knees in the water in front of her and Levon dropped to her rear. Strong, callused hands soaped her ass and pussy, cleaning the sticky trails of drying come from her buttocks, pussy and the tender skin of her inner thighs. She arched her back shamelessly and humped their probing fingers. The memory of both men fucking her ass and pussy flooded her mind. Whoa! Just the thought of their hot cocks twitching inside her and pouring hot, creamy come made her want a repeat performance. An unearthly wail rent the air. Twig gasped. Dain and Levon released her and jumped to their feet. The sound repeated and echoed off the cliff walls. Louder than life, a harsh, keening screech, filled with pain and fear. Comprehension flared in Dain’s emerald green eyes. “Ansa!”
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Twig stared at him. “Who is Ansa?” Levon wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. Tension filled his voice. “Ansa is our pregnant cat. This is her first litter. She sounds terrified.” Dain took her hand. “Come. You’re a healer. Ansa needs you. She’s screaming because she’s going to have her kits now and doesn’t know what’s happening to her.” A third, frightened cat scream echoed off the cliff wall.
Ansa needed her now! Twig scrambled with them out of the water to the pile of clothing they’d left on the riverbank. The three of them donned their pants, grabbed their sandals, and ran barefooted to the open doorway at the base of the cliff dwelling. Twig climbed into the wicker basket elevator with the twins, slipped her vest on, hurriedly knotted the leather ties over her wet breasts, and shoved her feet into her sandals.
***** Ansa’s first wail cut through Tallent’s dreams like a sword. He jumped out of the bed box with his heart pounding and his body ready to defend against attack. Teoh and Jenner awoke in a tangle of arms and legs. By the time the cat’s second agonized shriek ripped through the air, they had donned their pants. Tallent turned his head. The screams were coming from the weaving chamber. He rushed down the corridor and into the chaos of the adjoining cavern. Jamila and the children huddled behind the looms. The wooden ladder to the rooftop shook under Goran, Niall, and Sammy’s hasty descent. Ansa paced the entire back wall of the cavern. Her ears lay flat against her skull, and her long tail whipped back and forth. A massive contraction rippled through her body. The frantic cat screamed, twisted her head around, and snapped at her blood-streaked hindquarters, trying to stop the pain. Her engorged nipples dripped milk upon the floor. Hursa and Junos, the two mem cats, paced warily a few feet distant from her. Worried croons hummed in their throats. Blood smeared their ears where Ansa had nipped and clawed at them in her fear. Keyla, the wounded fem cat, crouched to the side with her ears flattened to her skull. Sammy climbed down the ladder followed by Niall and Goran. A few sensecs later, Twig, Dain, and Levon rushed in from the corridor and stumbled to a stop. Twig carried a small square case with a red cross painted on its cover in her white-knuckled hands. Tallent turned his back on them. Ansa needed their help. He grabbed Teoh’s hands and stared into his co-spouse’s eyes. This was the young man’s moment of truth. Was Teoh’s mind power strong enough to break through Ansa’s fear? “Can you calm her?” he whispered.
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Teoh’s brown-skinned face had a greenish tinge. He gulped. The sun pouring through the wall openings made his pale hair appear pure white against his dark brown skin. He tightened his mouth into a narrow line, straightened his shoulders, and managed a grim nod. Tallent led the way and shielded Teoh with his body. All the cats and dogs living here obeyed him as their pack leader. He had raised and trained them since they were kits and pups small enough to carry in one hand. Now, Ansa weighed almost as much as he, and her claws were long enough to rip his throat out with a single swipe. He held out his empty hands and pitched his voice to a soothing murmur. “Ansa, I’m here now. Hush, my darling. I’ll help you. I’ll take care of you.” She stopped and stared at him. Another contraction rippled through her body. She opened her mouth and yowled again. But this time, instead of twisting her head around to bite her flanks, she walked stifflegged to him. Ansa’s beautiful blue eyes were dark with fear. He held his hands out and continued his approach with calm, confident steps while Teoh and Jenner followed his lead. Tallent’s rushing heart settled into a normal pace. Four strides brought him to Ansa’s side. He cupped her head in his hands. Teoh moved behind the cat and placed his hands behind her flattened ears. He took a deep breath and his eyes rolled back in his head until only the whites showed. Tallent scratched the cat in her favorite spot under her chin. “Hush, my darling,” he murmured. “We’re with you now. Everything will be all right. Your babies will be born, and you will no longer feel any pain. Hush.” Ansa shook like a tree in a storm. Her legs trembled under her. The ripple of yet another contraction flowed across her flanks. She panted. A low, keening whine echoed from the cat’s jaws and Teoh’s throat at the same time. More watery blood trickled down her hind legs, saturating the fur. She sagged to the floor, pulling Tallent and Teoh to their knees beside her. Tears flowed down Teoh’s agonized face as he absorbed the cat’s pain. His breathing shifted and he panted along with the cat. She rested her head upon Teoh’s knees. Her eyes glazed over. Tallent released his grip upon Ansa’s muzzle. Now that Teoh had established a link with her mind, he no longer feared she’d lash out at either one of them. He ran his hands over her side and felt the hard, squirming lumps of the kits waiting to be born. Jenner sank to the ground beside Teoh. He wiped the sweat and tears from his co-spouse’s mind-hazed face and ran his strong and gentle hem hands over Teoh’s shaking body. Tallent sucked in a deep breath. The first whelping was always risky, especially with a cat. More intelligent than dogs, they needed experienced, loving hands to prevent panic under the new and painful experience, just like a human fem.
*****
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Twig stood in the doorway. Her heart slammed against her chest under the adrenaline rush of what she was going to attempt. With the added weight of the kits in her distended belly, Ansa weighed at least a hundred and ninety pounds, all of this in swift, hard muscle. The giant cat’s sharp claws and teeth were more than capable of ripping them apart. At first, when Teoh touched the panther-sized cat and his eyes rolled back in his head, she thought he’d gone into cardiac arrest from the shock of his telepathic link with the cat’s animal mind. She was wrong. Instead, he channeled Ansa’s pain into himself and eased her to the ground. Even though she’d always belittled Sammy’s belief in telepathy as a crackpot dream, Twig knew this ability was supposed to be a rare psychic gift, not magic. On the other hand, actually being present while Teoh used his gift was a hell of a lot different than seeing a fictionalized special effects enactment in a paranormal movie. Whatever and however Teoh’s telepathy worked, she was damned grateful he knew how to use his talent to calm Ansa. Goran returned with a bucket of steaming water and a handful of clean cloths. Sammy grabbed them and arched her eyebrows at Twig. Twig sucked in a deep breath. Sammy was right. What the hell was she doing standing here with her mouth gaping open like an idiot instead of using her veterinary training? She tightened her grip on the emergency medical case she’d remembered to snag before coming in here and rushed over to Ansa. The poor thing. After all, this was her first whelping. Ansa had no idea what was happening to her. She knelt on the floor beside the cat’s hindquarters, opened the case and donned a pair of surgical gloves. A swift glance at the cat’s swollen belly showed four hard lumps waiting for birth. Twig lifted Ansa’s blood-matted leg out of the way so she could have a clear view of the birth canal. Shit! One foot and a tail were part way out. A breech birth. No wonder Ansa was screaming with pain. Twig watched the cat’s flank and waited for the next contraction. I’m not going to do a caesarean. I’m not going to do a caesarean. She sucked in a deep breath and willed her racing heart to slow down. The area wasn’t sterile. She didn’t have the proper tools or anesthesia. Ansa shivered. A rippling wave from another contraction shifted through the muscles at the top of her stomach and flowed toward her hindquarters. Twig leaned forward, grabbed the kit’s wet foot and shoved the breeched baby back into Ansa’s birth canal. Ansa and Teoh panted in unison. A low whine escaped their strained throats. The slippery kit twisted in her hand. She tightened her grip, pushed her arm up further and turned to the right. The body moved in the direction she wanted. A second leg, the front paw slipped past her fingers. Her fingertips touched the kit’s head, now positioned at the proper angle. She pulled her arm back. More birth water seeped out onto the floor. Sammy wiped Twig’s hand and arm clean with a wet rag. Tallent nodded at her. Admiration and trust in her skills glowed in his dark-eyed gaze. What if she was wrong? Would she have to attempt a caesarean and risk killing Ansa to save her kits?
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The next contraction rippled across Ansa’s flank. Twig held her breath and waited. This time, the rounded shape of a kit’s head appeared from the open birth canal. Twig reached behind the head and turned the shoulders slightly to ease them past. Ansa and Teoh panted harder. A soft yowl escaped the cat’s throat. Her paws scrabbled against the floor. The kitten slid the rest of the way out along with the placental sac. Sammy handed Twig a wet rag and prepared a second rag. Between the two of them they cleaned mucus from the kit’s mouth and nose. A deep shudder shook through the tiny body. The baby cat opened its mouth and wailed. Tiny paws tipped with needle-sharp claws struggled on the floor. Teoh released his hold on Ansa’s head. She twisted sideways and sniffed her baby. Her long tongue swiped over the baby’s matted fur and cleaned the sides. She reached the umbilical cord and bit it down to a stub. While Ansa ate the placenta, Twig pushed the struggling baby over to the cat’s belly. The kit rooted against Ansa until its hungry mouth latched onto one of her swollen teats. Ansa cleaned her newborn’s hindquarters with her long tongue while the kit sucked greedily and pumped its paws on her. Ansa flopped back on her side. The next contraction rippled through her flank. Another wet head, a smaller head this time, appeared between her legs. A second kitten slid out easily onto the floor. Twig dipped a towel in the water bucket, wrung it out and cleaned the kitten’s mouth and nose. The kitten managed a plaintive wail. Tiny paws struggled to crawl. Ansa leaned over and took care of her task of cleaning and biting off the umbilical cord. Her baby fumbled across the floor under encouraging nudges of Ansa’s broad nose and found its way to nourishment. Two more contractions later, two more kittens were born. Twig and Sammy moved with precision through the motions of sorting the babies out. They sat back on their heels and waited while Ansa bit off the cords. The kittens struggled across the floor to their mother’s side, and rooted around until they latched onto swollen teats. Ansa collapsed on the floor. Seconds later, she gazed at her babies greedily kneading and suckling at her teats. A loud purr rumbled from her throat. Ansa dipped her head and licked at the matted wet mess of birthing fluids saturating her babies. Soft cream-colored kittens with brown tipped ears and paws appeared under her ministrations. Four bellies swelled hard and round with milk. Miniscule purrs rumbled from their tiny bodies. Twig peeled the surgical gloves off and tossed them onto the mound of discarded rags. Strong hands lifted Twig to her feet. She exchanged a triumphant grin with Sammy. The men had carried in a second bucket of hot water and two handfuls of rags. They washed Ansa’s hindquarters and cleaned the rest of the pale pink birth fluids from the floor. Tallent rose to his feet and went to Teoh’s side. He and Jenner helped Teoh stand. They halfcarried him between them to a chair. He slumped down with a haggard sigh. His white-
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blond hair and pale blue eyes made a startling contrast against the whipped chocolate color of his face. Sweat soaked his hair. It hung in limp strands around his shoulders. Tiana hunkered down beside Ansa. Sheer delight glowed on her face while she watched the kittens nurse. Dunar, the baby boy, lay curled in a ball on a blanket in the other corner of the room with his thumb in his mouth. He’d fallen asleep during all the excitement. Jamila carried a pitcher of water and a basket of fruit to Teoh. He accepted with shaking hands and drank the entire offering with long, greedy gulps. Next, he devoured five fruits one after the other like a starving man on death row. Finally, he sagged back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Jamila smiled and left him with Tallent and Jenner. She went to Tiana and whispered soft words of praise to Ansa for her beautiful babies.
Teoh! Of them all, he had risked the most to calm Ansa. Without his mental skills, Ansa might have attacked her or Tallent when they assisted the cat with her labor. A large cat strong enough to disembowel any one of them with a single stroke of her claws. Twig looked at Sammy. She jerked her head at Teoh. “He helped us. He needs us now.” Sammy’s hazel eyes softened with startled comprehension. She nodded. Hand in hand, they walked together to Teoh. He lifted his head and focused his weary gaze upon their faces. Tallent and Jenner stepped aside and flanked Teoh. They rested one hand on their co-spouse’s shoulder in mutual support. Twig and Sammy held out their hands. Teoh smiled an eager smile and accepted their invitation. With their help, he rose to his feet. They led him out into the corridor. He walked with slow, shaky steps between them. The shower. They would bring him to the shower first. Afterwards, who knew what would happen?
***** Tallent exchanged a bemused stare with Jenner. That mind meld with Ansa had drained Teoh’s strength to that of a baby. It looked like Twig and Sammy had interesting plans for Teoh despite his weakened state. Tallent grinned wickedly at the images that flooded his mind. On the other hand, a long shower with two lovely fem might be exactly what Teoh needed to regain his strength and rise to the occasion. The self-satisfied looks on Goran, Niall, Dain, and Levon’s faces stopped him for a moment. Niall’s grin had a decidedly carnal cast. He arched a sardonic eyebrow. “The new fem have already allowed us to show them how much we want them to stay here and join our family. I have the feeling we’ll be able to demonstrate more of our skills after supper.” Jamila strolled over to them with an eager bounce in her steps. “That’s good. I’ve been lonely for fem. Mem are nice, but with only one hem here, we need more fem for our family to grow.”
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Goran swung her up into his arms, cradled her like a child against his massive chest and gave her a long, lusty kiss. After it ended, he said, “Just because we’re looking over the new fem doesn’t mean we’re going to forget your needs.” She giggled and slapped him lightly on his chest. “I know that. Besides, I’m looking forward to this. Two more fem will give me more time to recover from all the loving.” Tallent went to them. He brushed his finger along Jamila’s cheek. “Are you sure?” She grabbed his finger and brushed her lips over the callused tip. “I want both of you to go and assist Teoh.” An indulgent smile softened her face. “He did very well today. That was the first time Teoh ever did a mind meld during a whelping. You know how worn out he’ll be after that ordeal. He’ll need your help to satisfy the new fem. I don’t want them to feel neglected.” She slapped Niall’s and Dain’s hands away from her breasts. “Later. Save your strength for tonight when Tiana’s sleeping. I want everything to be perfect.”
***** Teoh closed his eyes. Soft, small hands rubbed foamy soap plants over his hair and skin and his shoulders, caressed his back, toyed with the silver rings at his nips, traced the lines of his belly to his shaft. His seed sacs tightened under their gentle touches. Both fem moved down to his legs and feet next. Soaping him, soothing him. They led him under the shower and opened the faucet. Warm water sluiced over his body, washing away the soap and sweat, loosening his tight muscles. When he stepped from the water and leaned against the wall, both fem snuggled their curvy bodies, one tall, one short, on either side of him. Twig rested her head on his left shoulder and Sammy laid her head on his chest. She flicked her tongue over the stiff peak of his nip. Teoh wrapped his arms around their waists. He opened his heart and mind. Warm tendrils of love flowed inside, washing away the tattered fragments of Ansa’s pain and fear lingering within his soul. Their fingers curled around his half-roused rod. He opened his eyes, sent a pulse of regret and the image of his sagging rod into their minds along with a sad sigh. Twig lifted her head and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry. I know helping Ansa took a lot out of you. I can wait.” Sammy rolled the foreskin back and flicked her thumb across the soft exposed tip. His rod twitched and reared its head under her caress. “That’s fine with me, too,” she murmured. Her warm breath gusted across the damp curls of his chest. “Twig’s right. We have plenty of time to enjoy your rod after supper, when you’ve eaten and regained your strength.” Tallent and Jenner strolled through the open doorway with matching smiles lighting their faces. Jenner removed his vest. The hard peaks of his nips jutted from his small breasts.
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Tallent and Jenner untied their pants, let them fall to their feet and kicked them off, proudly displaying their erections. Teoh grinned and sagged against the wall. It didn’t matter if he was too tired to shoot his seed into the fem. Seeing, hearing, and feeling all this loving around him was enough for now. Everything was as it should be.
***** Sammy stared. She couldn’t help but stare. Ever since she realized Jenner was a hermaphrodite, she’d been dying of curiosity to see exactly how his genitals looked. And now, she had the full view. Teoh sagged back against the wall. His strong arm tightened around her waist. Total love and acceptance flowed into her from him, pooling into heat between her legs. Tallent was all male. Skin black as coal. Tall and strong, the corded muscles of his belly tapered down to the wiry curls around his uncut cock. The tight pouch of his testicles dangled below. White droplets of pre-come dripped from the engorged, bulbous, purple head. His gaze lingered on her and then Twig with equal intensity. Jenner flashed a shy smile. His breasts were small, tipped with hard nipples. Lean muscles defined his stomach. Nestled in the soft brown curls at his groin, his cock swelled with arousal. Not quite as long as Tallent’s, but just as thick. The head stopped right below his belly button. Instead of a pouch for his testicles below his cock, the skin folded back into the rounded curves of pussy lips. Teoh’s love and acceptance flowed into Sammy in a gentle rush. She smiled, opened her legs, and humped her hips in blatant invitation. Her nipples were so hard already they ached for sucking. She linked gazes with Jenner. Pointed at him. Then crooked her finger. He and Tallent exchanged ecstatic grins and approached. Their cocks swayed under their quick steps. Tallent rushed into Twig’s open arms. Jenner went to Sammy. Happiness lit up Jenner’s face as he pulled her to him. His cock bumped her belly in a solid column of his readiness to make love. His hard nipples brushed against hers. Her stomach knotted. She licked her suddenly parched lips. A confused jumble of anticipation, arousal, and fear fluttered in her gut. With a gentle touch to her jaw, Jenner tilted her head up. His hazel eyes were both questioning and wary. “Are you sure?” he asked. “If you’re not ready to make love to a hem, I’ll understand.” She could say no. Sammy swallowed the lump in her throat, lifted her hand to his face, and touched the hard planes of his cheekbone.
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She didn’t want to say no. His erection twitched against her stomach. Moisture dampened the wiry curls at her crotch. Despite her fear of the unknown, she knew she wanted him. Sammy smiled. She touched his lips and let her hand slide down his throat. Jenner’s racing pulse hammered against her fingertips. She moved her hand lower. His small breast filled her hand perfectly. She ran her thumb over the dark nub of his nipple. Jenner groaned. His cock twitched against her stomach a second time. He loosened his grip around her waist and cupped her breast. A swift pinch of his fingers across the nipple sent a bolt of pleasure straight to her groin. She gasped and rubbed her hips against the solid column of Jenner’s arousal. He cupped her ass with his other hand, pulled her tight against him, and lowered his face. His hot mouth latched onto her nipple. She gasped, grabbed his hair, and arched her back into the sudden sensation of his teeth and tongue pulling at her flesh. Jenner lifted his head. Total joy lit up his face. He kissed her. No hesitation with that kiss. Hard and demanding, his tongue probed her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and met his kiss eagerly, humping against him. That was all Jenner needed. He gave her another swift, hard kiss. Then lowered his face to her breast and latched onto her swollen nipple a second time, sending wave after wave of delicious shocks through her. She threw her head back. Teoh grunted softly. She looked at him. Teoh had dropped his hand from her waist. He curled the fingers of his left hand around his cock and slowly stroked the hard length from base to crown. Carnal hunger and love filled his dark blue eyes. An eager, carnal smile matched his gaze, a gaze that lingered on Jenner’s face at her breast. Sammy grinned at Teoh. She let her gaze drift past him to Twig. Twig already had her arms and legs wrapped around Tallent’s black, chiseled body. Tallent had Twig pressed against the wall. His hands cupped her ass. He held her weight easily with his strong arms. Face buried at her neck, he wasn’t wasting any time. The tight muscles in his ass bunched while he slammed into her with swift, hard strokes. Teoh splayed the fingers of his right hand across Twig’s waist. Then he leaned over and fastened his mouth upon Sammy’s in a fierce, demanding kiss.
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Teoh’s loving arousal slammed into her. Not only Teoh’s love, but also Jenner’s love in endless, overlapping waves of unfettered emotion coupled with the echo of Twig and Tallent’s pleasure. Sammy closed her eyes and kissed Teoh back just as greedily. She lifted her leg and ground her pussy against Jenner. Soft moans escaped her throat under the double onslaught of Teoh’s kiss and Jenner’s hot mouth at her breast. She wanted some hard fucking, too. She tightened her grip on Jenner’s head. Jenner shifted his hand under her leg. He pulled back for entry. His cock moved down her belly. The bulbous tip pushed past her swollen clit and parted her pussy lips.
Yes! More! She wanted more! She wanted all of him in her. Now! Sammy wrapped her leg around Jenner’s waist and tilted her hips up for easy entry. The hard, solid length of him slid inside, stretching her and filling her all the way up. His skilled mouth tugged on her nipple with each deep plunge of his cock, sending double jolts of pleasure straight to her crotch. Teoh’s tongue dipped deep inside her mouth. The shocking feedback of Teoh’s fingers on Twig’s breast flowed into Sammy from him. She felt Tallent’s cock sliding into Twig as if he were fucking her, too. Sammy rode Jenner’s pounding cock. The shocks of pleasure coursing through her body from Jenner’s cock and mouth flowed into Teoh. She felt Teoh’s cock rising hard under his pumping hand. Felt her wet, hot pussy clamping tight around Jenner’s flesh. Felt Twig stretching under Tallent’s thick erection. She heard Tallent’s flesh slapping against Twig in eager abandon. Twig’s voice rose into an enthusiastic keen. “Ohshitohshit. Yes. Goodgoodgood.” Twig and Tallent’s orgasm ripped into Teoh. He channeled them into Sammy. The tripled sensation exploded into a crashing wave of love and carnal pleasure through her into Jenner. Time stopped. Jenner’s cock jumped and twitched inside her. His come jetted out, hot and wet. Her pussy walls spasmed and grabbed onto his pulsing cock. The hem’s orgasm joined hers in a glorious outpouring that raced back into Teoh, Twig, and Tallent and tore a guttural groan from all of them. Teoh’s come splattered across her skin along with the wondrous glory of his release. They had become five bodies linked as one. They shared thought, love, and total body sensation in one long, glorious rush of combined pleasure. They collapsed together. The solid wall braced them and kept them from falling. Aftershocks of shared love and pleasure raced through their shaking bodies like miniearthquakes. Eternity passed. They untangled themselves.
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Sammy opened her eyes. Her legs trembled under her. She shared satiated grins with her lovers. And Twig. Tiana’s high-pitched voice rose in the corridor. “Fire! We went up and saw a cloud of black smoke above the trees. A big fire is burning outside.”
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Chapter Ten Jamila’s heart thundered in her chest. Columns of thick black smoke billowed above the towering treetops of the jungle canopy and united into one huge cloud high in the sky.
Fire! Tiana ran across the clearing on the plateau and grabbed Jamila’s hand. Her daughter’s dark red braids bounced on her shoulders. “Mommy, I’m afraid.” Jamila knelt and put on a brave smile. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let the raiders hurt you or your baby brother.” Tiana scrubbed the tears from her face with the back of her hand. Jamila tilted her chin at the two Godsend fem standing beside Niall. “Remember, if anything happens to me, if you’re separated from me, you stay with Twig and Sammy. They’ll take care of you and Dunar. ” All the color leached from Tiana’s little face. The brown freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks stood out like apple seeds against her golden skin. She gulped. “Yes, Mommy.” “Waterforge.” Niall’s grim voice broke the silence. Twig touched his elbow. “Is Waterforge the name of the town that’s burning?” Niall shaded his eyes with his hand and studied the smoke for a few sensecs. He shook his head. “Waterforge is our clan home. There’s not enough smoke. Their defenses are strong. It looks to me like the raiders burned the outlying farms and crops, not the town itself.” He turned and focused his gaze on Jamila. Concern darkened his light blue eyes to dusky twilight. “We have to try and save their hem before the raiders kill them.”
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Memories of birds and maggots feasting upon her parents’ torn and mutilated bodies filled Jamila’s mind. No! She must not think those thoughts. The raiders would not kill her new family. Jamila nodded. Time was short. She rose to her feet and took Tiana by the hand. “Come on. We have work to do.” Twig and Sammy followed her. The ladder shook under their hasty steps. Jamila went to Ansa. The cat swiveled her ears forward in friendly greeting. A proud purr rumbled from her throat. They must move Ansa and her kittens to a better location. No telling how long they’d be gone. Ansa needed free access to food and water during their absence. She picked up a sleeping kitten and cradled the soft, furry body in the crook of her arm like a baby. “Help me carry them down to the bunkhouse. We’ll put them in the bed. Ansa will follow.” Twig exchanged a confused stare with Sammy. “Why are we moving the kittens?” Jamila’s jaw dropped open. They didn’t understand. She pointed at Ansa. “There isn’t enough food inside the caverns for her to survive alone. Plus, I have no idea how long we’ll be away. She can’t jump down the shaft or lower the wicker basket to get in and out while we’re gone.” Sammy scooped a kitten into her arms. “Why are we leaving? Why not stay here while the mem and Jenner go to Waterforge?” Jamila took a deep breath. How was she going to explain this properly? Dunar, her baby son, lay curled up in a ball against Hursh, the younger male cat. She could leave him in Hursh’s care while they moved the kittens. “We can’t stay here. You’re healers, not warriors. I know how to handle a spear and shoot arrows, but that won’t be enough to hold off a large raiding party. Help me move the cats outside.” Dubious silence descended while the three of them and her daughter traversed the corridor, each carrying one kitten. Ansa wove her body back and forth between them sniffing at her babies and emitting anxious mrrps. Keyla, the wounded cat, limped after them while Junos, the larger male cat, took the rearmost position. When they arrived at the wicker basket, Jamila tilted her chin at her daughter. “Sit in the corner, Tiana. We’ll pile the rest of the kittens around you. That will free our hands while we crank the basket down to the ground.” After they got the animals settled, Jamila fastened the wicker gate shut in the basket’s side. Twig and Sammy took hold of the winch handle and slowly lowered them down the shaft. Twig tipped an eyebrow at Jamila. “Who are these raiders and why are they attacking Waterforge?” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “In order to explain why they hate us, I have to tell you about the past first.”
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“Go ahead.” Sammy’s voice remained calm and reasonable despite the dubious expression on her face. “I’m thinking we’d be safer to stay here than run into the raiding party attacking Waterforge. The more information you give us the easier it’ll be for us to understand your logic.” Jamila folded her hands, composed her face, and stood with her head held high in the traditional storyteller’s pose. “The Change occurred five hundred summers ago.” “The Change?” Twig asked. Jamila nodded. “The Change happened when a star flew across the sky. This star grew a long tail of light and split the Moon in half with a mighty roar. Large pieces of the divided Moon fell down in flames upon the land, killing many people and burning cities everywhere. The settlements had thousands and thousands of people with many strange wagons that moved under their own power. Those wagons burst into flames under the falling pieces of the Moon. Black oil and many poisons spilled on the ground and sea, killing more people. Earth shakes roared across the land and toppled homes into deep holes. Huge waves crashed against the shores. Giant wind tunnels appeared and sucked entire settlements into the sky. No one was safe anywhere. At night, the sky flared into many colors. The people fled into the country looking for food and shelter. Everyone fought one another trying to live.” The basket settled on the ground. They sorted out the kittens, cuddled their softly furred burdens and walked single-file to the bunkhouse. It didn’t take long to convince Ansa to join her babies. The mother cat jumped on the bed. She checked her kits from head to toe, then lay back with a contented purr while they suckled her milk-swollen teats. Jamila took position a short distance away. She gestured at Twig and Sammy to sit on the bed. They complied. Tiana climbed up and sat between them. Both fem curved their arms around Tiana’s shoulders and waited with attentive looks. Jamila bowed to them, composed her face and body and began anew. “After the Change, after the ground stopped shaking, people found places to live, learned how to grow food, built safe settlements, and had more babies to replace all the children who’d died.” She pointed at the sky. “The Change continued. Instead of just mem and fem babies, we now had hem babies and babies like Teoh who couldn’t speak but were able to link their minds with people and animals. The fighting continued until a hem Prophet was born. He came across the land preaching the ways of peace. Great Hem Gorlois taught us how to form a new family that included mem, fem, and hem. Hem Gorlois taught us how to work together and become a strong people again.” Twig pursed her lips. “Hem Gorlois stopped the fighting.” Jamila nodded. “Little by little, the people prospered under Gorlois’s leadership. His teachings made sense. In the beginning, God created people in his image as hem. Hem grew lonely. They could not have babies. God looked upon the Earth and saw their sadness and loneliness. God split hem in half and created mem and fem.
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“Over the years, more mem and fem were born and hem disappeared. But then, the Change occurred, and many people died. God looked down and saw we needed hem again. God also decided we need people who were mute like Teoh but knew how to link minds to help us talk again. We learned that the best way to have more healthy babies was to form larger families that included all the sexes: hem, fem, and mem.” Sammy nodded. “But what does all of this have to do with the raiders?” Jamila inclined her head at Sammy and then Twig. “You’re Godsends. Over the years, Godsends appeared across the land. Like you, they came from another Earth, where they had different languages and knew many strange things. People like Teoh were able to teach Godsends how to talk with us. Many Godsends joined our families.” Jamila sighed. “But not all Godsends joined us. Another group of Godsends formed their own village. They saw our hem as evil abominations who must be destroyed in order to purify our families. Their priests said that the only true family was one mem and one fem to raise children.” Twig’s face darkened with anger. “The fighting began again.” Jamila folded her hands. “The fighting continues to this day. Those Godsends formed their own settlements under their own laws. They do not prosper, because they kill all hem babies at birth. After a fem has three hem babies, no matter how many mem and fem babies she makes, they kill her, too, because they claim she is unclean and not fit to breed proper babies. Because of their laws, they do not have enough fem. When their fem population drops too low, they raid our towns for new fem in order to fulfill their law of one fem for every mem.” Shock, horror, comprehension, and disgust chased across Twig and Sammy’s faces. Jamila smiled. The tense knot in her belly loosened. These fem Godsends were not like the raiders. They hadn’t rejected Jenner. They’d accepted him as he was. The next part of the tale would dig up bones long buried and reopen old wounds in her heart but it needed telling. She’d hoped to wait until Tiana was older, but her daughter needed this information now. Her survival and the survival of her baby brother depended on her acceptance and knowledge of the cold, hard truth. She spread her hands wide, lifted her palms up, then turned them down. “When I was the same age as Tiana, raiders came to my farm. They killed my fathers, my hem parents, and four of my older hem brothers. I survived because one of my mothers hid me with Dunar, my baby hem brother, in a secret hole in the wall of our home. “The raiders took my fem mothers away, and I never saw them again. After they left, I carried Dunar on my back and walked for six days under the tall trees. I found fruits, berries, and water along the way and fed Dunar the best I could. Every night, I climbed a tree with him, and we slept in the branches where it was safer.” Twig gulped. “Where did you go?”
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Jamila shrugged. “To Waterforge. Another family adopted Dunar and me. When Dunar and I grew old enough to choose, we found mem at the summer festival and began our own families.” She flashed a proud smile at her baby. “Of course, when my first baby boy was born, I named him Dunar after my hem brother.” Twig and Sammy exchanged a considering stare. A silent message passed between them as surely as if they’d used Teoh’s finger talk. Twig’s green eyes were dark and somber when she turned to Jamila. “That’s why you want to go with Jenner and your mem to Waterforge. You’d rather take your chances with them than stay here and risk capture by the raiders.” “Yes.” Twig said. “I believe you’re making the right decision. I’ll go with you.” Sammy hugged Tiana to her side. She lifted her chin. “I’m going with you, too. We’ll pack all of our healing things with us and do what we can to help the survivors.”
***** Twig knelt on the floor. The stone felt cool and hard under her knees. She smoothed her hands over the tough, indigo canvas of her gym bag. They’d divided the first aid supplies and chocolate candy equally between them, snagged their dried swimsuits and sweats from the bathing room, and hurriedly packed with shaking hands. They’d replaced their sandals with clean socks and sneakers. Sneakers would protect their feet more than sandals while trudging through the jungle. Even though it made sense to follow Jamila’s lead and join their expedition into the jungle, actually doing what they’d agreed to still felt strange. On the other hand, staying here with Sammy, not knowing when the others would return or if they were dead, would feel just as strange. If the raiders came and attacked while the others were gone, then what would they do? Neither she nor Sammy knew how to fight a determined party of trained warriors, let alone kill, even if it was in self-defense. Sammy tapped her shoulder. “Are you ready?” Twig sat back on her heels. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. What about you?” Sammy hunched her shoulders in a half-shrug. Her café-au-lait face had a greenish tinge beneath the warm bronze skin tones. “I’m scared.” “Have you changed your mind? Do you want to stay here instead?” Sammy shook her head. “What are we going to do if they don’t come back? How the hell are we going to defend this place all by ourselves? Not going and not knowing what happened to them is worse than staying here.” Twig rose to her feet and hugged Sammy. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m scared, too.” For a few minutes, they stood in silence, savoring the comfort of just holding on to one another.
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Sammy sighed. “We’ve only been here for a couple of days, yet I feel like I belong here, like they’re family now. Part of it has to do with the way Teoh linked us together in the shower and made us feel everything together. The rest comes from the way they’ve accepted us so easily, especially Jamila. You’d think she’d be jealous, but she’s not. It’s hard to explain.” Twig pulled away. She held up her shaking hands. “OhmyGod. You’re right. I never thought I’d say that to you. Me, the logical one. The one who never believed any of that flaky new age psychobabble you were always trying. I have to believe you. That damn spacetime warp, or whatever the hell you want to call it, sucked us into an alternate reality Earth with two moons, via the Bermuda Triangle. We fought off giant rats. We’ve hooked up with six men, one woman, and a hermaphrodite living together in a group marriage. They’ve welcomed us into their family with open arms. Now, we’re going off into the jungle to try and rescue captives from Godsend raiders who hate hermaphrodites.” She ran her hands through her hair. “Oh, the hell with it. We got on this crazy roller coaster ride two days ago. Like it or not, we’re stuck here. There’s no jumping off for us.” Sammy tucked the wild mass of her golden-brown hair behind her ears. She twisted one of the long spiral curls around her finger. The greenish cast under her skin lessened, and her almond-shaped, dark chocolate eyes looked hopeful now instead of worried. The corners of her mouth lifted into a shaky smile. “Yeah. All we can do is hold on tight and hope we survive what happens next. We made it this far; we might as well go the rest of the way.”
***** For all her brave words, Sammy’s heart pounded in her chest, and her stomach remained tied up in knots. The sun blazed down on the plateau relentlessly. Her head hurt. Everyone worked in grim, silent efficiency, each one doing his or her part to get ready, packing food and water, checking scabbards, harnesses and buckles, sharpening weapons, and selecting arrows for their bows. Goran handed out padded shirts and chainmail tunics. He even had a chainmail blanket for the baby. Jamila and Jenner had already bundled up all the meat and yams from the spit and extinguished the cooking fire. Tiana sat on the ground and cradled her baby brother Dunar in her chubby arms. Clouds of black smoke continued to billow up over the jungle canopy. Five pony-sized dogs waited patiently while the men strapped leather bags and bundles to their backs. The rest of the dogs, fourteen of them, lay panting in the shade, waiting for orders. Junos, the largest male cat, sat at the edge of the clearing, his ears pricked erect. Dark blue eyes gazed at Sammy in silent appraisal. The only sign of agitation was the way his tail whipped back and forth in the dust.
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The other three cats, kittens, and one dog remained in the stable on the lower beach. That way they could hunt on their own and take care of the kittens until they returned. And if they didn’t return, the animals knew how to survive on their own. Twig carried a small clay pot over to Sammy. She peered inside at a pale translucent cream and sniffed. A strong cinnamon odor tickled her nose. “What’s this?” “Jamila said this stuff is supposed to keep insects away from us when we’re in the jungle.” Sammy blinked. “She’s right.” She dug her fingers into the cream and slathered it over her arms, face, neck, cleavage, and midriff. She turned her back to Twig and lifted her hair from her neck. “Make sure you cover every bit of exposed skin.”
***** Twig trudged behind Jamila and Tiana. If an eight-year-old child could do this, then she was damned well going to keep walking without whining like a spoiled baby about her aching legs and feet. The jungle was the usual claustrophobic mess with dark, dense vegetation. Flowering vines hung in long streamers from the thick canopy of towering fern trees. The cloying scent of flowers, plants, and damp soil filled her lungs. Sunlight dappled the ground vegetation through holes in the canopy. The liquid air trickled down her face and body, making her itch under the padded shirt and chainmail tunic. Her hair was soaked and clung to her scalp like a wet mop. Every now and then she contemplated rubbing against a tree like a bear in order to scratch every inch of her back. At least she kept her hair short. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how everyone else endured this heat even with their hair pulled back into ponytails or braids. Five pack-laden dogs paced their little caravan. The rest of the dogs ranged ahead, making sure they weren’t going to run into any surprises or ambushes along the way. The only redeeming factor was that she didn’t have to worry about insect bites. The cinnamonscented lotion on her skin did an excellent job of repelling the nasty critters. They stopped in a small clearing created by a toppled fern tree. The huge trunk was at least twenty feet in diameter, just like the giant sequoias from Washington state. The setting sun painted the air a bright flamingo pink. Twig checked the ground for snakes, lizards, and insects before she plopped down. Scratching at a bug bite on her ass was the last thing she needed. Jamila slipped the straps of the leather pouch from her shoulders where she’d carried baby Dunar and slumped on a log beside Twig. She flashed a weary smile, peeled off her chainmail tunic, unlaced her shirt, and proceeded to nurse her hungry child. Tiana flung herself to the ground and lay in front of them with her head resting on her crossed arms.
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Jenner and Sammy consulted over a bunch of dried herbs before they went to the gaping hole at the root end of the fallen tree. They crawled inside. About five minutes later, they backed out. Thin streamers of white smoke billowed out from cracks along the length of the tree. The men unpacked and fed the dogs first. After they completed that task, they broke off sections of bark, covered the bark with large leaves, and carefully portioned out slices of meat and yams onto their makeshift plates. Leather drinking flasks filled with a selection of fruit juices completed the supper preparations. Twig’s stomach growled. Soon, she told herself. Soon, we’ll be able to eat. She nudged Jamila’s arm and pointed at the smoke wreathing the fallen tree trunk. “What are they doing?” “The smoke will clear out all the insects inside the tree. That way we can sleep there all night without any unwanted guests crawling into our bedding.”
***** Teoh leaned against a tree. The rough bark against his skin kept him alert despite his weariness. If they didn’t try to help rescue the victims of this newest raid, his heart would never rest. At the same time, fear rode his soul at the thought of losing his family and seeing Jenner’s mutilated body tossed aside like offal. He forced another bite of cold meat down his throat. Moonlight splashed the tiny clearing with just enough light to see the fems’ somber faces while they huddled in the center and ate. A whisper of movement behind the fems and children caught his eye. He drew his sword. More swords hissed from his co-spouses’ scabbards. Dogs flowed out of the shadows and raced around with their tongues hanging out. Teoh breathed a sigh of relief and returned his sword to his scabbard. He approached the largest dog, Artus. It was up to him to obtain the necessary information. He wrapped his arms around the dog’s neck and breathed in the animal’s warm, furry odor. Strong and sure that Teoh would never harm him, Artus stood as still as stone. Teoh rested his head against the dog’s flank, closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Artus’s warm, furry thoughts rushed into him. Dog and man, they combined into one entity. He breathed in the familiar man scent, felt warm fur coating his limbs, and knew the peace of safety and welcome within the pack. His vision changed. Trees blurred above him. The world shifted into a colorless flatness of black, white, and shades of gray. Hot sunlight splashed his back under the trees. He heard sounds with a sudden clarity that roared into his pricked ears. Birds called in the canopy. Tiana, the female human puppy, whispered soft words to the male human cub. A universe of
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smells stampeded around him, wet grass, dark earth trampled by paws, the hot sweetness of a mouse, acrid smoke from the fallen tree trunk, and mem smell leaning against him. Teoh sank deeper into Artus, probing for recent memories. A wild mélange of scents, trees, flowers, grass, dogs, and smaller animals fleeing from the running shapes of his pack rushed through his nostrils. Moisture dripped from his tongue. Run and search. Find bad mem. Watch mem. Mem scent, dog scent ahead! Many mem. Many dogs. Fire scent. Danger ahead. He slowed to a walk. Keep scent. Follow scent. Hide in shadows. Crawl. Grass tickled his belly. Small stones rolled under his paws. Poke nose through tall grass. Watch mem. Many mem. Many hem and fem. Many memcubs crying. The scent of crushed grass and dried blood flooded his nostrils. Sun burning hot on his back. Dogs running. Mem running. More dogs circled the trampled down grass, roamed under the trees, searching for new scents. The fur between his shoulders rose. He bared his sharp teeth. A low growl rumbled in his chest. Kill mem. Kill strange dogs. No! Do not kill. Many mem. Many dogs. Bring more mem. Fight together. Crawl back. Keep scent away from strange dogs. Snap at pack mates. Drive them back. Growl. Push them back with legs stiff. Run. Run. Run. All run together. Deep into the shadows. Bring images. Bring scent trail. Sun goes from sky. Darkness comes. Run. Run. Run. Scent ahead. My mem. My pack. Home. Home. Home. Tail wagging hard. Happy. Happy. Happy. Mem body holding him tight. Mem sweat in his nose. Go back inside body. Colors too bright. Can’t smell. Pull mem hands away. Teoh stepped back. Sweat ran down his face. He had hands again instead of paws. He saw colors now. Artus swiped his long tongue across Teoh’s face. Then the dog loped away to join his pack mates eating the leftover meat handed out by Jenner, Dain, and Levon. Goran remained on guard at the end of their camp. Teoh gathered his breath, turned around, and gestured with his shaking hands at Tallent and Niall for them to come closer to him. Now he must transfer the memories, sight, sound, and scent to his co-spouses.
***** By the time they’d accepted and sorted out the images Teoh had gleaned from Artus’s mind, both moons had risen, giving just enough light to paint the air with silver. Niall squatted on his heels and sucked in a deep breath. The scent of crushed leaves and night-
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blooming flowers drenched the cool night air. He smoothed out the black, moisture-laden dirt with his hand. The odds didn’t look good. Despite the greater risk of torture, mutilation, and death because of his hem status, Niall knew better than to ask Jenner to stay behind and protect the fem while the mem attacked the raiders. He used a sharp stick and gouged out a rough map. “It isn’t much of a plan, but it’s the best one I have. Feel free to suggest changes.” He drew an X at the bottom of the wavy line. “The raiders stopped here and made their camp at the edge of the western gorge.” Then he pointed at the small circle to the left of the gorge. “This is where we are now. Hopefully, we’re far enough away to miss any scouting parties.” A flick of his wrist carved a broad arrow to the left and north. “Waterforge is in this direction. If we circle around that way, I believe we will be able to join those who follow and help them rescue their fem and hem from the raiders. Our animals are war-trained. They should help tip the balance in our favor.” His heart skipped a beat under Jamila’s worried gaze. Would this be the last time he’d ever see her? To watch her children grow up? He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try to help Waterforge’s people. The grim expressions on his co-spouses’ faces matched his resolve. They’d already figured out the odds and ordered their hearts and minds to the possibility of death. He turned to the dogs. His gaze settled on gentle Shuska with the white paws and chest. She loved the children with a passion and would fight to the death to protect them. If one of the raiders’ scouting parties found them, her bravery would give them time to escape. “Shuska will stay here with you.” A bright smile lit up Tiana’s face. She jumped to her feet and flung herself against Shuska’s side in a determined hug. “Shuska will sleep with me.” The top of Tiana’s head barely reached the middle of Shuska’s white chest. The massive dog’s thick fur was almost the exact same shade as Tiana’s dark red hair. Her sharp teeth were as long as Goran’s fingers and her paws larger than the child’s head. She would fight to protect Tiana and the others. The image of Shuska’s body lying in a pool of blood with a sword through her heart flashed into Niall’s mind. He ordered his face into a calm appearance. This was the best choice he could make under the circumstances. Letting the others see his fears would serve no purpose. A long stare at the fem, one after the other, emphasized the next stage, the most critical part of his plans. “If we fail to return by the second dawn, I want you to go to Waterforge. You will receive a good welcome and be able to find new homes there.” Twig and Sammy went very still, their eyes dark with understanding. They clasped hands and managed stiff nods of agreement. He steeled his heart against the thought of never
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seeing them join his family and the joy of watching their bellies ripen with the promise of more children. Jamila’s sweet mouth tightened into stubborn lines. Tears shimmered in her almondshaped eyes. She shook her head. “Three dawns. We will wait for three dawns before we give up on you.” Niall unclenched his hands. “Then you will go to Waterforge.” “Yes.”
***** The rough tree bark dug into Jenner’s back. Moon glow gave the small clearing a ghostly, almost dreamlike appearance. The scent of flowers hung heavy in the air. They’d chosen to forgo the false safety of a fire. Fire would only betray their location to the enemy and blind them to dangers lurking in the shadows. He welcomed the solid weight of Tiana’s small body tucked against his side. The baby fisted his hand and suckled at his breast. This might be the last time he’d ever have a chance to hold either child again. He switched Dunar to his other breast. The baby latched his hungry mouth on the swollen nip. Milk surged down in a familiar rush. Twig and Goran bent over to pick up leather sacks filled with extra food. The rounded swell of their taut fem and mem buttocks snagged Jenner’s gaze. His loins swelled to instant agony within the confines of his breeches. He snorted. The primal need to share seed, to love them all one last time overruled normal concerns. Jamila sank to the ground beside him. She took Dunar into her arms and settled the baby over her shoulder to burp him. The cool night air danced over Jenner’s wet nip. He pulled his vest closed and knotted the leather ties. For an instant, Jamila stared at him, her eyes dark with unspoken love and fear. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Their mouths tangled in swift heat. Tiana squirmed between them and climbed on Jenner’s lap. They sagged back. He curved his arm around the child. She wrapped her chubby arms around Jenner’s neck in fierce demand. Tears glittered at the corners of her eyes. “I wanna go home. I don’t want you to leave. I wish we were all back home again.” Tiana buried her face against his shoulder. Jenner stroked the top of her head. The aromas of coconut and cinnamon in her hair filled his nostrils. He sighed. Was the hope of their return better than no hope at all? “I promise you, darling. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we all go home together.” “Where’s my kiss, little bit?” Goran roared. He scooped Tiana into his arms and spun her around so hard her braids stood straight out.
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Laughing and teasing, the rest of the mem came over. They tossed Tiana from arm to arm and bestowed loud kisses on her chubby cheeks. Twig and Sammy moved into the boisterous round of farewells. Jenner threaded his fingers through Jamila’s hand. He surged to his feet, helped her stand and join the whirlpool of activity. One after the other, he kissed them all. He hugged the fem tight against him and let them feel his hard arousal. Soft breasts pressed against his smaller hem ones. Each kiss turned into a long, lingering embrace and grinding hips. He savored the feel of his co-spouses’ hard-muscled bodies under his hands and the solid columns of their rods bumping against his in fierce need. By all the Gods above and below, he wanted nothing more than to stay and love them all with hands, mouth, and body. All too soon, it was over. They separated with sad sighs, donned chainmail, buckled on their weapons, and followed the dogs into the dark night of the forest.
Don’t look back. If he looked back, he’d stop and never leave.
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Chapter Eleven Jamila knew she should try to rest but sleep wouldn’t come. Stretched out on the folded bedding, her body spooned beside Twig and Sammy, she straightened her right leg, easing the twitch that threatened to erupt. Baby Dunar slumbered in the crook of her arm, blissfully unaware of any dangers they might face. Tiana snuggled on Jamila’s chest, equally reassured by the protective warmth of her mother’s body. Every little sound caught her attention, from the rustle of a breeze sifting through the leaves to the solitary “coqui” of a tree frog’s croak. Sammy’s body lying behind Jamila felt stiff and tense as if she also lay awake in the darkness counting her heartbeats and pretending to sleep. Frail tendrils of moonlight slipped past the hairline cracks in the hollowed-out curve of tree trunk over her head. Light that outlined the shadowed edges of Dunar’s chubby cheek and his thumb in his mouth. She inhaled his familiar baby milk breath along with the faint scent of cinnamon lotion on his skin. She shifted her attention to the rough bark under her fingertips. The odors of dry, musty wood and crushed vegetation filled her lungs. Shuska prowled the perimeter. She’d be able to hear and scent danger long before any human guard. Bred for intelligence, Shuska understood hundreds of verbal commands and knew how to answer simple questions by banging her tail once for yes and twice for no. Lying awake like this would serve no purpose. Jamila bit her lip and smothered a sigh. She should sleep while she had the chance and conserve her strength for when she’d need it most. A vibration quivered in the air. Jamila sucked in a breath. She heard the thump, thump, thump of her heart, the gentle schussing of Tiana’s breathing. The tree shook under her. A huge shadow loomed within the dark entrance. Jamila eased her arm out from under the baby.
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The shadow crawled forward. Moonlight skipped across a furred back. Shuska’s white chest appeared first, then her white paws. Jamila’s heart settled in her chest. Shuska must have seen or heard something important outside. She wouldn’t disturb them without reason. Jamila sat up and carefully adjusted Tiana’s sleeping weight on her lap. Sammy and Twig scrambled to sit up behind her. The dog crept closer and butted her wet nose against her mistress’s hand. “Danger?” Jamila whispered. Shuska tapped her tail once to answer yes. Jamila moistened her dry lips with the tip of her tongue. “Mem?” She whispered. Shuska tapped her tail. “Good mem.” Shuska’s tail tapped twice for no. “Bad mem.” Shuska tapped her tail once again for yes. Now what? Should they stay here and hope no one investigated the hollow tree trunk? There was only one exit. Waiting here felt too much like they were sitting in a trap. Should she send Shuska out to fight the mem and give them time to escape? No! The thought of Shuska throwing her life away while they slipped away like thieves turned her insides to ice. Jamila dug her fingers into the thick fur around the dog’s neck. Shuska could use her senses to help them avoid detection. The problem was finding the right words for the dog to understand what she wanted. “Shuska take everyone safe place.” A long tongue swiped over Jamila’s cheek. Shuska thumped her tail once. She turned around and looked over her shoulder, as if she wanted them to follow her. Jamila turned, held her finger to her lips and pointed at the bundles of food and supplies. Twig and Sammy nodded. Both fem put on their soft padded shoes. They tightened the belts around their waists and put long knives in the scabbards. Crouched over the supplies, they made their selections and took two bundles in each hand. Jamila placed her hand over Tiana’s mouth and gently shook her awake. Tiana’s body jumped under her touch. Tiana scrambled to her feet and grabbed onto Shuska’s neck. Jamila held her finger to her mouth again. Tiana nodded, accepted Dunar, and hugged her still sleeping baby brother to her chest. Jamila slipped short leather boots over Tiana’s feet, donned her own boots, then selected four bundles of food and supplies. No time to pull on the chainmail tunics. The distinctive metallic noise would betray them. The long knives belted to their waists would have to suffice as weapons.
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They tiptoed into the night and followed the dog single-file. Shuska led them along a narrow game trail that doubled back on itself and took them deep into the underbrush. Moving with care, trying not to make a sound, they pushed aside low-hanging branches and slipped away into the darkness. The metallic rasp of chainmail rubbing against cloth broke the silence. Shuska stopped behind a huge fern tree. They joined the dog and crouched low beneath the bushes. Leaves and branches obscured their trail. Long streamers of moonlight lit the clearing thirty yards below them. Five mem strode out, two dark-haired, two light-haired and one bald, with three-day beards on their faces. Battered chainmail hung to their knees over grimy black breeches and boots. Long swords flashed against the darkness. Slowly, the mem circled the open ground; their gazes focused for movements in the shadows, broken branches, and flattened vegetation. Jamila bit her lip. She’d tried her best to sweep the ground with leaves and obscure footprints before they’d entered the tree trunk for the night. Hopefully, there wasn’t enough light to allow easy tracking by the raiders. The bald-headed one climbed into the hollow entrance of the fallen tree. A few breaths later, his triumphant cry split the air. Three mem rushed inside. The fifth remained on guard outside, turning his head back and forth scanning the perimeter for attack. One of the men shouted. “They left food and clothing behind. Feel the wood. It’s still warm from their body heat. They must be close by.” Jamila wrapped her arms around Shuska’s neck and whispered in the dog’s ear. “Go away. Bark. Bad mem follow. Far away. Leave bad mem. No fight. Come back alone.” A low whine escaped from Shuska’s throat. A shiver raced through the dog’s rough fur. She sat on her haunches, thumped her tail once for yes, dropped to her belly, and crawled backward into the bushes. They waited. The four mem came out of the hollow tree. Discarded chainmail tunics and bundles dangled from their hands. They divided their spoils into five equal portions and fastened the bundles onto their backs. The bald-headed man returned to the hollow base of the fallen tree, squatted on his heels, and studied the ground for tracks. Shuska barked from the opposite end of the clearing. All the mem jumped, spun around and ran in that direction with their swords drawn. Shuska barked again, this time her bark sounded further away. Jamila sagged against the tree. “First we wait,” she whispered. “If Shuska does not return by dawn, then we’ll have to leave and try for the safety of Waterforge on our own.”
*****
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Sammy sank to the ground. That was too close. They’d almost been caught. Her panicked heart wouldn’t stop pounding against her chest. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Nothing she could do now except try to relax a bit while they waited. The rough tree bark dug into her shoulder blades. No matter what choice they made, the answer spelled danger. Jamila was right. Staying here when the raiders knew about their hideaway in the hollow tree trunk would be sheer stupidity on their part. Sending Shuska away to lead the raiders off on a false trail was the lesser of two evils. Hopefully, Shuska would be able to circle back to them. Having the huge dog lead them and protect them against large carnivores felt a hell of a lot safer than stumbling through this tangled vegetation in the middle of the night on their own. A shiver raced down her spine. She rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms and closed her eyes. A hand grabbed her shoulder and shook her. Twig said, “Sammy, wake up. I don’t see how you can sleep at a time like this.”
What the hell? Sammy opened her eyes. Her heart thumped against her chest like a runaway train. “I fell asleep?” “Yeah. You were out like a light.” Twig held out her hand. “We’ve got to get going.” Shuska crouched on the ground a few feet away. The huge dog licked her paws in calm unconcern. Sammy breathed a sigh of relief and let Twig pull her to her feet. Hours later, she slogged along like a robot, too tired to think, let alone feel. The night had turned into an endless trek of mindless and repetitious actions. Walk. Lift vines. Duck.
Walk. Lift vines. Duck. Keep walking single file. And for God’s sake, don’t make a sound. Dried mud had transformed her sneakers into hard-shelled weights and plastered her pants to her legs. Sweat ran down her face, neck, and spine. Two moons traveled across the night sky and cast confusing double shadows over the ground. Tree frogs croaked. Birds and small animals squawked and screeched at odd intervals. She bit her lip and kept on walking. The night changed from moonlit shadows to the odd half-light, half-dark of pre-dawn Impossible as it seemed, the saturated air felt heavier and wetter against her face than it had felt all night long. A distant roar filled her ears. She stopped. The others stopped, too. Jamila stood with her hand on Shuska’s back. The sky, what little they could see past rents in the thick canopy of trees and leaves overhead, had a pinkish glow. “Oh, no.” Jamila said in a soft murmur. “We’re headed in the wrong direction.” “Ah, where exactly are we headed?” Sammy asked, her voice wary. Jamila turned. Dunar sucked his thumb inside the sling that held the baby to her back. Her worried gaze lingered on Tiana clinging to her leg. “I know that sound. It’s the waterfall at the end of the gorge. I asked Shuska to take us to a safe place. The only problem is, for
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Shuska, she feels safest when she’s with her pack. She’s bringing us to where her pack is waiting to attack the raiders camped at the gorge with their captives.” “Oh, great.” Sammy wiped the sweat from her face with one hand. “What are we going to do now?” Jamila stared down their back trail. Her shoulders slumped. She looked so scared and worn out, Sammy wished she could just wrap her arms around her in comfort. “We can’t go back. If we try to go back, we’ll run into the mem from last night. We don’t have any choice but to keep following Shuska’s lead and try not to get caught between both groups of warriors.”
***** Twig crawled down the slope to the tangled bushes. She squeezed under them alongside Jamila and Sammy. Fifteen yards behind her, Tiana and the baby slept together on the blankets they’d spread beneath the shade of a small fern tree. Shuska panted beside Twig. Her rough fur was hot against her side. The morning sun blazed down with fierce heat. Small scrub-type trees and vines provided a tangled cover on a hill above a meadow of tall grass and wildflowers. The raider encampment sprawled on the trampled grass at the edge of the gorge about three hundred yards distant. They’d separated the captives into two groups of adults, children, and babies huddled together on the ground and guarded by men and dogs. A half circle of thirty-five tents dotted the ground. A massive waterfall spilled over a cliff a few miles upstream. The thundering roar was bad enough at this distance; if they had been standing beside the waterfall, it would have been deafening. Twig estimated the gorge was at least ten miles deep and twice as wide. Huge fern trees and flowering vines turned both sides into walls of green splashed with vivid splotches of crimson, magenta, gold, indigo, and violet. In the center of the encampment, three men wearing long white robes stood with raised arms. Their voices droned on and on in a series of endless chants, but the words were unintelligible at this distance. The rest of the men crowded around them, clapped their hands, and stomped their feet in a monotonous one-two-three beat. “What are they doing?” Twig whispered. Jamila gnawed on her fingernails. “I don’t know,” she whispered back. “I was just a little girl when the raiders came to my home. I never saw or heard anything like this.” Sammy glared down at the men. “It looks and sounds like a religious cult to me. Like they’re preparing for a sacrifice.” Twig stiffened. Sammy was right. “Sacrifice!” Jamila sobbed. “No.”
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Ten men separated from the crowd. They marched over to the smaller group of captives. There they seized a tall, slender individual with long dark hair and golden skin. A rough struggle with the men occurred. They punched and kicked their victim and removed every scrap of clothing. Then they dragged the nude, blood-streaked form out into the open. “No.” Jamila keened. Tears spilled from her dark violet eyes and streaked her goldskinned face. “That’s my hem brother, Dunar. That’s why they have the captives separated into two groups. Everyone in his group is a hem.” She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “He’s the first one. They’ll cut off his breasts and his sex, and kill him. They’ll kill all the hem, one at a time -- even the babies. I can’t stay here. I can’t watch them kill him.” Twig dug her fingers into Jamila’s arm. “You’ll never make it to his side. They’ll kill you. What about your children? They need you to live.” “What’s that?” Sammy pointed at a swarm of what looked like little black matchsticks rising from the trees at the left side of the encampment. “Arrows!” Jamila rose to her knees. “Those are arrows! Our people are attacking.” She crawled backward and called Shuska to her side. Twig held her breath. The arrows sank in graceful arcs over the campsite and landed in the middle of the crowd. Men fell to the ground with cries of pain. Yells and screams filled the air. The crowd disintegrated into a whirlpool of fallen, arrow-pierced bodies. The rest of them ran in all directions, grabbed bows, and drew their swords. Dunar was fighting and struggling with his captors. More armed men exploded out of the jungle into the clearing, waving swords and yelling battle cries. The adult captives threw their bodies over the children and babies. Twig crawled backward out of the bushes along with Sammy. Jamila hugged Tiana and kissed her. “Take care of your brother.” She unsheathed her knife and ran down the slope. Shuska galloped after her mistress and swiftly took the lead, barking and growling. Tiana sat on the blanket with the sleeping baby curled up in her lap. She gazed at Twig and Sammy. Tears glittered in her eyes. “Go help my mommy. I’ll stay here.” Twig stared at Sammy. Neither one of them was a trained fighter. Sammy unsheathed her knife. A determined, yet scared expression darkened her face. “We’ll help your mommy, Tiana.” She slanted a deliberate look at the battered first aid kit. Twig’s heart slammed against her chest. Right! If they survived the battle, first aid was going to be a major concern. She took a few deep breaths to settle her heart, then grabbed the kit and pulled the long knife from her scabbard. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to strike to kill, but she did know enough about human anatomy to slice tendons and disable her opponents.
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She gave Tiana a reassuring nod. No sense in letting the child know she was scared out of her wits, too. “You take care of your brother. We’ll come back for you.’’
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Chapter Twelve Pale pink streaked the edges of the sky visible through the tangled leaves of the jungle canopy. Bird cries greeted the sun. The sound of their wings echoed loudly above the silent group of men, dogs, and cats gathered under the vine-shrouded trees. The raiders’ camp waited a half-mile away. Tallent secured bow and arrows in the cases slung over his back. A quilted shirt padded his shoulders under the added weight of a chainmail tunic. He checked the twin swords sheathed at his hips. Short double-edged blades with leather-wrapped grips, his father had gifted both to him after he’d completed his warrior’s training. He shrugged in a useless attempt to loosen the tight tension of his muscles. Garbed in similar tunics, breeches, and soft buckskin boots, his co-spouses exchanged grim nods with him. Niall carried a war bow with a hundred-pound pull rather than the shorter sixty-pound hunting bows they normally used. He, of course, would be one of the archers who’d begin the attack. Six throwing axes hung from Goran’s belt. He carried a battleaxe in the scabbard over his back. No surprise there. The muscles he’d gained from long hours of hammering iron on the forge served him best with those weapons rather than a short sword. The rest of their co-spouses wielded short swords as their primary weapon. Knives strapped to their legs and hunting bows slung over their backs provided backup. If all went well, they’d survive the coming battle with only minor wounds. Teoh was the co-spouse he worried about the most. Young and untried, Teoh’s only experience in fighting had been against wild pigs and fierce lizards of the interior. The first kill was always the hardest upon any warrior.
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Grim-faced mem and hem warriors from Waterforge waited in the deep shadows surrounding Tallent. They adjusted their weapons one last time. Drum Landborn, their onyx-skinned war leader, strode out and stopped in the center. Cruel burn and whip marks striped his face, back, and arms with thick, raised scars. He wore a hardened leather cap to protect his bald scalp. A heavy sword two full arm-lengths long hung over his back. Wide leather bands secured his arms from wrist to elbow. His chainmail tunic clinked in the tense silence. He inclined his head at the pack of dogs and two cats sitting with erect ears beside Tallent and his co-spouses. Their eyes glowed in the shadows. “We know the prowess of your animals and appreciate their assistance.” He looked at armed warriors, one after the other. “You know the plan. Go. Take your positions. Wait until the second volley of arrows is launched before you begin the attack.” Drum Landborn unsheathed his sword, turned, and entered the thick jungle vegetation. He moved with the silent grace of a cat along a twisted game trail. Wordlessly, they followed. The sky blazed in brilliant pinks and golds above the trees.
***** Niall selected a position behind the line of archers. His heavier bow had a longer reach than their shorter ones. The morning heat promised a long, hot day. Sweat beaded his face already. He unwrapped the arrows he’d prepared beforehand, slid them into his quiver, and kept one ready in his hand. The dogs and cats surrounded him. They crouched, muscles tense under their sleek fur. Their ears lay flat against their heads while they waited for his signal. The situation did not look good. Thin tendrils of black smoke stained the clear blue sky. A stray breeze brought the scent of roasting meat from the raiders’ campfires. They had already separated the captives into two groups, with hem of all ages from infants to adults in the second group. Two raiders selected the first hem sacrifice. They tore off his clothes, and beat him until blood striped his golden-skinned body from head to foot. Soon, carrion birds would fly high above the gorge and feast on the broken bodies tossed over the side. Niall sucked in a breath. That hair. That skin color. That face. The captive the raiders kicked and dragged between them was Dunar, Jamila’s hem brother! The priest’s chants scaled higher. The raiders swayed and roared with anticipation. The line of archers lifted their bows. They nocked their arrows. Niall rose, his feet stamping down into the archer’s T formation. He lifted his bow, placed the arrow, and drew the string back to the angle of his jaw, pulling the stave back into a half-circle. Horn, wood, and sinew creaked. He closed his left eye and sighted on the raider sentry silhouetted against the dawn three hundred arm lengths away like an image painted
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on a practice target. The triangle of the arrowhead touched the outer edge of the riser. He lowered his left hand until the head met the black outline below him. Air gusted out in a controlled whoosh while he put the muscles of his gut, back, and shoulders into the effort. It wasn’t just a matter of raw arm strength. You had to know how to apply the effort properly. He let the string fall off the balls of his fingers. Crack-whippt! The string lashed the hard leather armband covering his forearm. The bow surged back against his left arm with the recoil. The arrow flicked out, blurring with speed, spinning through the air in a flickering, shallow curve. Then, he heard the flat heavy smack of steel striking flesh, a thick, wet sound. The sentry pivoted. Blood coughed out from his wide-open mouth in a bright fountain of red liquid. The gray feather danced below his left shoulder blade. Point and shaft dripped red from his chest. He toppled to the ground in slow motion. A multitude of crack-whippts filled the air from the first volley of the rest of the archers. Their aim was true. A single glance with his trained eye at the arrows’ flight told him they would miss the captives and land on their intended targets among the raiders. Niall reached back with his right hand, plucked the second shaft from his quiver. Nock, draw, aim, loose, recoil. His second target, a raider with his hand fisted in a fem’s long, redblond hair, toppled over with an arrow through his face. The second volley of arrows blurred into the sky. Bubbling screams and enraged shouts announced the results of the first volley. His co-spouses rose from their crouched positions behind the bushes, unsheathed their swords, and joined Waterforge’s warriors in the rush to battle. Dust spiraled up beneath the pounding run of their booted feet. Battle cries drowned out the screams of the wounded and dying. The pack of pony-sized dogs and cats exploded into the light next in a flood of fur, long teeth, and sharp, vicious claws. Niall followed, bow and arrows ready to use to protect his co-spouses.
***** The sun blazed down upon chaos. Blood sprayed through the air and slicked the ground. Dogs snapped and snarled. Their sharp teeth bit at faces and arms. Cats knocked enemies down, clawed, and bit their throats, holding them down for the kill. One of the raiders slipped and fell. He slashed at Tallent’s side. Sparks flew. Metal links broke off his tunic in soft, popping sounds. Tallent whirled and slashed with a clean blow. The edge of his sword sliced through his attacker’s wrist with a crackle of crushed bone. The raider shrieked with pain, clutching his mutilated arm with his left hand. Blood poured from the stump and soaked the ground.
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Another raider lunged forward swinging a double-bladed ax. Tallent ducked low, spun aside, and jumped up on the balls of his feet. His sword blurred up, then down and caught the axman at the join of neck and shoulder. Bone parted with a greenstick snap. Shock vibrated up his arm. His opponent’s pale blue eyes went wide, and the spark of life within them vanished. He wrenched at the steel with desperate haste and beat a spearhead aside with his other sword. The sagging weight of the dead man tore the braided leather grip out of his hand. He spun around, dodged the spear a second time, and lunged forward under the shaft, his arm aimed straight and true into the gut. He pulled the blade back. Blood and entrails spilled out and plopped on the dirt in wet, feces-tainted splashes. A hatchet skimmed off his shoulder, rattling along the rings of his armor. A hasty side turn took him out of range. The hatchet man stepped in, trying to grapple. Tallent lashed out with his sword. The point took his enemy in the face. Bone crumbled. Blood sprayed out. The raider staggered back, screaming. Two snarling dogs raced by, their flanks matted with blood and dirt. A woman jumped on a raider’s back, black hair streaming past her shoulders. She plunged her knife into his neck. Jamila! Tallent’s heart slammed into his chest. What was she doing here? How did she get here? He lunged forward, stabbed the raider in the heart with his blade and stepped back. Jamila jumped off. The raider fell to his knees, then toppled over face down on the redsoaked ground. Twig and Sammy ran up, their faces wild with fear. Dark blood dripped from their knife blades. Shuska raced in, snarling with rage. She jumped up, knocked over another attacker, and ripped out his throat with a single bite. Tallent picked up his enemy’s discarded sword. He spun around in a complete circle with both swords held ready in his hands, his gaze scanning for enemies. No time to wonder how or why his fem were here. He must protect them. Two raiders ran at him, their faces red with rage. Tallent rushed forward, his blades glittering in the sunlight. He ducked under the slow swings of his enemies’ blades. Steel met steel in cold, hard chimes like bells ringing from the heights. A torrent of fiery sparks rained around Tallent’s wrists. He thrust with swift, brutal efficiency, making every move count. Loud screams answered the bright flash of his twin blades. He sliced into flesh and bone. The glittering arcs slung red droplets yards into the air. Blood sprayed against his clothes, skin, and hair.
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Shuska slammed past in a growling rush and took out a third attacker.
***** Niall shot with deadly accuracy into the milling bodies. Each shot toppled an enemy. His co-spouses fought in deadly silence ahead of him. Swords clanged. Shouts and screams blurred into the sounds of death. He reached for his last arrow. A flood of captive fem and hem surged into the fray, screaming and clawing barehanded at the raiders. Three fem and a dog raced past a tattered tent, knives shining in their hands. Their hair -- black, blond, and brown -- flew back in tangles behind their heads. The taller blond fem carried a white metal case with a fat red cross emblazoned on the side. His heart slammed into his chest. Jamila, Twig, and Sammy were here! How? He opened his mouth to call out their names. A raider surged after his fem with sword upraised. Blood dripped from the end of that sword. Niall raised his bow. He placed the arrow. Nock. Draw. Aim. Loose. Recoil. The arrow whirred through the air and sank in the raider’s heart. Blood gushed from his mouth. He had just enough time to look surprised before he collapsed, feet kicking in his final death throes. Jamila jumped and flung herself upon the back of a raider. She raised her arm. Her knife flashed down. Tallent ran to her, sword in hand. There was a harsh whoosh behind Niall. Danger! He dropped his bow, spun around, and drew his sword. The enemy’s long sword swung down from right to left, a blow that would have lopped off his head if he hadn’t turned. He moved into the stroke. Their blades struck in a long skreeeeeell of metal against metal. Steel slanted away, redirected by the angle of impact. The weight of his enemy’s sword nearly tore the hilt of his from his hand. The enemy stood twisted to the right, locked for a split sensec by the momentum of his two-handed blow. No warrior, no matter how strong, could stop the motion of such a heavy sword after putting all his muscles into a full swing. Niall struck. His lighter sword whistled through the air and clove through the warrior’s arm. The sickening crunch of bone splintering under his blow made the hair on his scalp bristle. An unearthly yowl split the air. Brown and tan fur blurred past Niall and crashed into his enemy. Hursh, the male cat, finished the warrior off with a single bite and swipe of his claws. Niall whirled around. He ran to join Tallent.
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***** Twig sank to her knees beside Sammy. They exchanged looks of pure shock and realization. Her hands shook. Oh, God. It was over. They’d won. Jamila ran past Twig and hugged her hem brother. Dark bruises and streaks of blood painted his golden skin with garish lines. They ended their embrace and Jamila handed him a pair of torn pants and vest. He grinned and slipped them on. Twig opened the first aid kit. She held out her hand to Sammy. They staggered to their feet. Their day had just begun. Hopefully, they’d be able to save most of the wounded from gruesome injuries and painful death. Sammy took two steps forward and stopped. “Tiana! We forgot about Tiana.” She turned around.
Oh, shit! Twig turned around, too. The small sturdy figure of a young girl trudged down the slope behind the encampment, carrying a baby tight against her chest. Her red-brown braids bounced on her shoulders. Tiana had decided not to wait. She’d seen for herself that the battle was over and her mommy was safe.
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Chapter Thirteen Controlled chaos was the only way Twig could describe the situation. At the other end of the camp, they’d put all the able-bodied prisoners to work digging graves for the dead. On this end, they’d linked a group of tents together as protection against the cruel burning rays of sun for the wounded combatants from both sides. Children walked up and down the tent bringing water and clean rags for the healers. They didn’t have any beds or cots, just blankets on the hard ground. Hard to say how many cuts she’d stitched together, how many broken arms and legs she’d splinted and how many amputations she’d worked on. She’d lost count a couple of hours ago. Thank God, Sammy was there to help her. So far she hadn’t seen Jenner or the guys here. Hopefully that meant they were all alive and not badly wounded. Tears blurred her vision. She blinked them away. No! Don’t even think about the possibility that they might be dead. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to function anymore. She had one patient to check before she could rest. He had an amputated hand and was one of the raiders. The only reason he’d survived so far was the crude tourniquet created from a strip of leather and a stick above his wrist. Otherwise, he would have bled to death. Everything was on a first-come, first-served basis here instead of a triage system. Twig knelt by his side, opened the first aid kit and pulled on a new pair of surgical gloves. He gazed at her with haunted, pain-filled eyes. She bit her lip. Damn it! He was just a kid. Fifteen years old was her best guess. She cleaned dirt and grime from the oozing stump, applied an antibiotic cream, covered the raw area with clean gauze pads, and wrapped an elastic bandage around the entire mess. The only thing she could give him for pain was a couple of Tylenol tablets. She was down to the last bottle of fifty Tylenol tablets and six pairs of surgical gloves. The emergency supply kit from that boat wasn’t meant to handle this many people.
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The boy’s grateful stare stabbed into her like a knife. She managed to give him a reassuring smile and pat on his arm before she rose to her feet. Anything else and she’d start crying from the sheer horror of it all. Her legs wobbled under her, and she felt like falling on her face and never getting up again. She exchanged a weary look with Sammy, linked arms with her, and muttered, “They never show this part in those action adventure movies.” Sammy arched a sardonic eyebrow. “Those movies were entertainment, not reality. No one wants to see what they do with the bodies and the wounded after a battle.” A tall, broad-shouldered man met them at the exit. Thick, corded muscles bulged on his arms and legs. Twig couldn’t tell how old he was, only that he was an older man. He could have been forty, maybe fifty years old. Black as coal and bald, with dark, raised scars across his face and arms, he stared at them, an unreadable expression within his intent gaze. “You are the two new Godsend fem, Twig and Sammy?” Twig exchanged a wary glance with Sammy. Did this mean he considered them the enemy, too, because the raiders’ ancestors had been Godsends? Was he going to say they shouldn’t have wasted their healing skills on any of the wounded raiders? She straightened her weary shoulders and met his gaze without flinching. “We are.” He extended his hand. “I am Drum Landborn. We will soon be returning to Waterforge. I want to offer you and your friends the hospitality of my home and family when you arrive there.” He motioned at the tent behind them. “Waterforge’s temporary lodging will be full while we care for the wounded and find homes for the prisoners.”
Oh! Twig blinked. Every time she thought she had things figured out, this culture threw her a new curve. She shook hands with him. His callused grip had the careful gentleness of a very strong man. A wistful expression filled his eyes. He lifted his hand to her face and said, “May I?”
May he what? She cleared her throat and said, “Sure.” He traced her mouth with his thumb. A slow heat pooled inside her under this simple caress. What the hell was she doing reacting to him like this? Was it because she was nothing but a slut who’d fuck anyone? Twig stepped back and away from his hand. Drum smiled. “You are very lovely. I would be pleased to introduce you to my family.” Twig gulped. Looking at him, talking to him like this made her feel weird, like she was being unfaithful even though nothing had happened between them. It wasn’t as if she’d made any promises. Just because she’d made love to Jamila’s men didn’t meant she belonged to them. “Thank you.” He nodded, turned to Sammy and extended his hand. Sammy flashed a hesitant smile and shook hands with him. He touched a spiral of Sammy’s hair, twisted the end around his finger, then tucked it behind her ear. His hand lingered against her cheek. “You are also very lovely. Remember, I offer you complete hospitality with my family.”
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Sammy cleared her throat. “Ah, yes. But right now we have to find our friends, make sure they’re not hurt, and find out what their plans are before we make any of our own.” Drum stepped to the side and back, giving them clear passage to leave. Twig grabbed Sammy’s hand and hurried out into the sunlight. Her heart thumped against her chest. How many subtle and not so subtle invitations were they going to receive before the day ended? And ... what in heaven’s name were they supposed to do about them? All of a sudden, Sammy stopped dead in her tracks and yanked her hand out of Twig’s grasp. Twig turned around in a complete circle. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. But then again, what was ordinary about anything that had happened to them in the last couple of days? “What’s wrong?” Sammy looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “We have to talk.”
Oh, boy. She really didn’t want to get into this right now. “About what?” An angry flush stained Sammy’s honey-brown cheeks. She spoke in careful, precise tones as if she were talking to a small child. “That guy made a pass at the both of us. I wanna know what you intend to do about it. Are you going to take him up on that offer to spend time with his family or what?” “What are you going to do?” Twig asked. Sammy shook her head. “I asked first. You answer first.”
Great. Leave it to Sammy to put me in the hot seat first. Twig raked her hand through her hair. A big clump of dried blood fell out. She grimaced. What she wouldn’t give for a decent shower or a bath right now. Sammy’s glare deepened. She tapped her foot. Twig held up her hands. “All right. All right. I’m thinking. Give me a few minutes.” “Okay.” Sammy was right. She better figure out what she wanted now before things got real messy. She couldn’t just go with the flow anymore. Hiding her head in the sand and pretending nothing was going on wasn’t going to work either. Twig groaned, then said, “I’ve only known Jamila and her family for a few days ...” Her voice trailed off. How the hell was she going to explain her confused feelings? “And ...” Sammy prompted her to continue. “I like them a lot, but ...” She glanced over her shoulder at Drum’s tall, muscled figure still standing by the tents about twenty yards behind her. His head went up and he flashed an eager smile at her. Twig quickly averted her gaze. Don’t encourage him. The situation was bad enough already. Sammy arched her eyebrows.
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Twig licked her suddenly parched lips and plowed on. She might as well get this all out in the open between them. “Drum’s nice. He’s also very, very masculine. If I met him before I met the others I might have considered his offer but now ...” She gave an exasperated sigh. “The way he touched my mouth felt sexy.” She shrugged. “But he also made me feel weird like I was cheating. I don’t know what to think. Everything’s happening too fast.” Sammy nodded slowly. “Me, too. Let’s find our gang, ask them where they’re staying when we get to Waterforge, and see if we can sort things out a bit more between us.”
***** Tallent stood in the shadows with Niall. Their orders were to prowl the outskirts with the remaining dogs and cats and guard against raider scouts and attacks. The long line of fem, hem, children, and wounded walked hand in hand to Waterforge. Their feet had flattened a wide trail beneath the thick canopy of the towering trees, a trail that would vanish by the next full moons under the rapid growth of the jungle vegetation. Those whose wounds prevented them from walking lay strapped in pole litters dragged behind the largest and strongest dogs. He didn’t mind the guard duty. That was necessary and proper for the safety of both fem and children. His concern was with Waterforge’s mem rather than a few rogue raiders in the depths of the jungle. If they’d only had a little more time to convince Twig and Sammy to stay with his family. He didn’t want to lose them. Not now. Not ever. Niall looked him over. “Why have we dropped back? Have you seen or heard enemies approaching from this direction?” Tallent licked his finger and checked the wind’s direction again. Good. They remained downwind. As long as he kept his voice low, the only one who would hear his words was Niall. He glanced at the dog slipping through the bushes beside him. “Gemm hasn’t scented or heard any enemies.” A raised eyebrow dismissed this statement as irrelevant. Niall could always read his moods with a single glance. He might as well tell his co-spouse the reason behind his disturbed thoughts. Tallent jerked his head at the people they guarded. “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t like the way Waterforge’s mem and hem look at Twig and Sammy.” Comprehension flickered across Niall’s face. He slowed his steps to a crawl. “There isn’t much we can do about that. Twig and Sammy are free to choose the family they want.” Tallent pressed his lips together and stared at the trees without seeing them. A frustrated sigh escaped. “I know. I wish we’d had more time with them to convince them to stay with us.” Niall rubbed his hand across his face. “I heard Drum Landborn has already approached them and offered them his family’s hospitality.”
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Tallent sucked in a deep breath. He relaxed his fisted hands. Letting his jealous fears overrule logic into a foolish attack would not help him or his co-spouses. “Drum’s family is wealthy.” He conceded this obvious fact. But wealth wasn’t the most important factor in a fem’s choice. The mem in his family were strong and fit. Teoh had already proven his mind link by giving their language to Twig and Sammy. Jenner hadn’t demonstrated his full hem loving skills yet. They still had a chance. Niall’s face went serious. “The two fem and two hem in Drum’s family have borne eight children during the last four summers. We have only two children after seven summers with one fem.” Tallent stopped in his tracks and shook his head. “Eight children in four summers? How can this be?” “Drum’s seed is strong. His features mark one set of twins and a set of triplets.” Tallent bit his lip. If they asked Jamila to bear child after child without any breaks in between, she’d leave them. And she’d be right to leave them for asking her to face such an unfair burden. This was why Jamila wanted them to find more fem for their family. More fem would allow them to prosper as a family and balance the load of childbirth. He slogged forward, heedless of the thorns that snagged his breeches. How could they compete against the wealth and proven fertility record of Drum’s family? What could they say? What could they do to convince Twig and Sammy to choose them?
***** During the last two miles of their trek, the refugees came out of the jungle onto a wide, well-traveled dirt road, filled with pole litters pulled by pony-sized dogs. Twig and Sammy plodded alongside one of the wagons. They passed burned out homesteads and fields. The road curved upwards onto a gentle ramp that ended at the base of Waterforge’s walls. The setting sun painted the white stone with brilliant golds and pinks. A series of waterfalls spilled over the terraced slopes of the city into a broad river that swirled under a massive stone bridge that brought them to the city gates. Sammy shaded her eyes and squinted through the dust-fogged air at the twenty-footwide wooden drawbridge gate looming a full four stories high above the travelers. “Look! There’s Jamila.” Twig perked up immediately and took off with her long-legged stride. Sammy didn’t mind; all she had to do was stay behind Twig and let her nudge people aside, using her height to keep Jamila in sight. Twig dodged a litter loaded with wounded and staggered to where Jamila stood in the deepening shadows of the town’s wall. A long red scarf secured baby Dunar to his mother’s back. Tiana leaned beside Jamila’s leg. Sweat mixed with dust streaked her freckled face with wavy brown lines. Six guards armed with spears and bows monitored the entrance but they
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didn’t do anything to stop the traffic going in and out. They probably had a set time when they pulled up the drawbridge and secured the city for the night. Sammy swept Jamila into a hearty hug. It felt good to see her again, safe and sound, even if she was a bit battered and weary from the long hike to Waterforge. Hell, she’d probably crawl out of bed with every bone in her body aching and be hobbling around like an old lady tomorrow morning. Walking half the night and most of the day was not her idea of a good time. Her abused feet were growing calluses on top of blisters. Jamila’s radiant smile matched Sammy’s mood. Plus, she had a fantastic idea of how to solve the dilemma of Drum’s invitation without getting in trouble. “Jamila, why are you standing out here? Don’t you have a place to stay yet?” Jamila pointed at the crowded road. “If I wait here the rest of my family will find me easier. I know they’re guarding the rear, so they’ll be here in a little while.” She lifted her shoulder in a half-shrug. “My hem brother’s family has a small house. I don’t know if they have room for us.” A pensive frown furrowed her brow. “The public sleeping houses will be filled with refugees until they sort out where they’re going to live. Maybe we can sleep in the courtyard at Dunar’s house.” Sammy slanted a wary glance at Twig. Poker-faced described her bland expression exactly. Hopefully that meant she’d figured out what was going on and wouldn’t throw any roadblocks into the mix.
Oh, well! Sammy crossed her fingers. She bit her lip and studied Jamila. “I have an idea. Do you know how to find Drum Landborn’s home?” Jamila frowned even harder. “I do. Why?” Sammy did her best imitation of casual indifference. “He stopped by the tent where we were taking care of the wounded and offered the hospitality of his house when we arrive in Waterforge.” Jamila’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. “He did?” Sammy nodded. “Oh, yes, he did. Twig heard him. He has a large house, right?” “Ah, yes, his house is large.” A wary tone permeated Jamila’s voice. Sammy grinned. “Then it’s settled. As soon as the others get here, we should go to Drum’s house and accept his hospitality.”
***** In a hopeless attempt to stop gawking like a country bumpkin, Twig controlled her stares at the stones glowing beneath her feet. Night had settled upon Waterforge. The streets turned into rivers of fluorescent blue-green light. Glowstones outlined windows and doors, too, turning Waterforge into a city of beautiful, eerie, and magical light. She loved it.
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The thought of all the time and work the original settlers spent creating this city was simply amazing. Twig knew the ancient Romans had used a similar process to provide light at night for some of their roads, but that was only a few stones placed at critical intervals, not entire streets. The stones absorbed sunlight during the day and released it as light after dark. A simple, effective, and environmentally safe method that worked so much better than burning torches or installing gas lamps. Then again, the giddy sensations that filled her and made her want to skip across the stones like a child at a county fair could be because they were all together again. Plus, with seventeen massive dogs and one oversized cat added to their group, they made a pretty sizable crowd of their own while they strolled through the city. The streets flowed with life. People bustled about their business in colorful robes and breeches. Jewels sparkled at ears, necks, wrists, and ankles. Straw baskets and clay pots full of merchandise floated above it all, balanced on the heads of mem, hem, and fem porters and shoppers. The heady aromas of spicy food and drink wafted from the open doors of taverns and restaurants. Laughter, music, and loud voices raised in song lingered in the air. At odd corners, people cooked treats on braziers, their red coals glowing like fireflies in the night. They cooked up fish, meats, and sweet breads; the scent of frying food and the sizzle of hot fat mixed with the sounds and smells of people passing by. They left the bazaar area behind and moved into a section of wide avenues. Fern trees towered above the glowing paving stones of quiet, residential streets. Walled courtyards surrounded the stone houses, with glowstones evenly spaced within elaborate wooden screened windows for additional light. Stars and twin half-moons sparkled in the black night sky. They stopped in front of a carved wooden door. Seven feet tall and three feet wide, a black wrought-iron knocker in the shape of a dog graced the center. More black wrought iron formed the hinges, doorknob, and handle. Twig looked at Jamila. “Is this the right house?” Jamila pointed at the lines and dots of glowstones beside the gate in the shape of a drum and a fern tree. “That’s the sign for his name. This is his house.” The dogs settled on their haunches in a half circle behind them and panted with their tongues hanging out. Dust clung to their matted fur. Hursh yawned, licked his paw, and washed his face. The cat’s blue eyes glowed like sapphires in the light. Niall stepped forward, the corners of his mouth tilted up in a sardonic grin. The glowstones painted his hair, the lines of his face, and corded muscles of his chest and arms in fluorescent blue-green, giving him the unearthly appearance of an Elf Lord poised to vanish in the moonlight. “If he refuses to extend his hospitality to all of us, we’ll try Dunar’s courtyard next.” He lifted the carved head of the knocker and banged it against the door.
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Chapter Fourteen Drum’s hot gaze scorched Twig’s skin. Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Twig returned his smile and let him grasp her hand. He reached out and took hold of Sammy’s hand, too. She and Sammy strolled with him through a beaded crystal curtain into the adjoining room. The rest followed. Rich carpets covered the floor and embroidered sofas with plump cushions lined three walls. Wooden screens over the windows had floral patterns carved into them that let in light and air while maintaining privacy. Glowstones suspended in baskets along the walls gave a steady blue-green light to the room. Two fem and two hem swooped down upon Jamila. Rings and bracelets of gold and silver adorned their ears, navels, wrists, and ankles. Soft pastel-colored robes clung to their bodies like second skins. Twig spotted the darker shapes of their nipples and the outlines of their pubic areas through the translucent fabric. Jeweled clasps fastened the fabric at their left shoulders. A strip of matching fabric belted the waists. Slit to the hips on both sides, every movement displayed their legs and their lack of undergarments. Were these sleeping robes, or the clothes they wore for public daytime wear? They cuddled baby Dunar and offered Tiana honey-glazed muffins. The two hem were tall, with tousled, long dark hair, well-shaped breasts, and soft, languid eyes, rather than lean and hard-muscled with small breasts like Jenner. The fem were shorter, with equally full breasts. One fem had pale skin and long reddish-brown hair. The other fem had dark brown skin like Teoh and blond hair that curled around her shoulders. Four mem took seats on the arms of the sofas. Barefooted, of medium height, broadshouldered, with loosely tied cloth pants displaying taut stomachs, they looked to be in their late twenties or early thirties. Their hair and skin color ranged from blond with onyx skin to coal-black with golden skin. Two of the mem wore no jewelry. The other two wore silver
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rings through ears, nipples, and navels. All four radiated a calm confidence in Drum as the natural leader of their family the same way Jamila’s family looked to Niall for direction. Age and experience counted for a lot in this culture. Then again, that made sense; mistakes in this world would kill you. Those who survived past a certain age had learned their lessons the hard way. Twig slipped her hand from Drum’s gentle grasp. This was the same man she’d seen wielding a two-handed claymore in the middle of the battle against the raiders. The same kind of sword made famous by ancient Scots in her world, except, with his coal-black skin, he was definitely not a Scotsman. A frisson of alert anticipation hummed across her nerves. She knew better than to make the mistake of assuming he was a slow-witted, musclebound warrior. Keen intelligence glowed in the velvet depths of his dark chocolate eyes. Instead of refusing to let them in when they showed up on his doorstep, his eyes underwent a quicksilver change from surprise to a very appreciative gleam. She and Sammy had apparently made themselves more attractive to him by presenting him with a challenge. If they had strategy games like chess, he probably relished the intellectual rush when an opponent won against him. And if the opponent was a woman or hermaphrodite ... Whoa! She bet there’d be a lot of sensual fireworks afterwards. Twig dropped her gaze from his face. That didn’t help matters any. The damp spot of pre-come at the top of the large bulge in the front of his loosely tied pants clearly showed their unanticipated arrival had interrupted him in conjugal bed play with his family. She’d probably locate identical clues of sexual play if she checked his co-spouses’ pants. Twig focused on Drum’s face again, a much safer view. “I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t been able to accommodate our animals.” Humor sparkled in his eyes and deepened into a predatory stare. “We also have extra chambers if you and your Godsend companion prefer to sleep alone.”
Oh, boy! He’s not wasting any time with his verbal probes. He’s trying to find out if Sammy and I are already sexually involved with Jamila’s family or still looking for lovers. Twig didn’t dare glance at Sammy for help. Drum would immediately read that look and believe she and Sammy were free to accept his and his co-spouses’ overtures. Oh, well, Sammy had started this with her suggestion that they accept Drum’s invitation of hospitality. Twig refrained from rubbing her hands with glee while she made the next move in this game of wits. Instead, she let her gaze linger on Jenner and her mem one after the other. She’d sampled their charms already and wouldn’t mind a few more sessions of their lovemaking skills. A wicked smile formed with natural ease on her mouth. “I don’t know about Sammy, but I don’t want to sleep alone. I’d rather stay with my friends if that’s all right with you.” Talk about stoking the fires. The heat in Drum’s gaze went from smolder to instant inferno. He inclined his head in a brief nod. “You are guests in my house. All you need to do is ask, and I will strive to satisfy your wishes.”
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Jamila sashayed up and slipped her arm around Twig’s waist. She lifted her grimy arm in regal grace. “As guests, I assume we will have the opportunity to wash away the dust of today’s journey prior to sleeping.” Drum grinned and gestured at his wives, both fem and hem. “Fatima, Sabina, Rahil, and Waheed will escort you to the bathing rooms.” He studied Jenner’s lean-muscled body and the worn hilt of his sword, then asked in neutral tones, “Will you be bathing with the fem and children or with the mem?” Jenner stood tall. His small breasts strained against the ties of his vest. The bulge beneath the front ties of his pants became even more prominent. He joined hands with Sammy, studied Drum with a suggestive glint in his hazel eyes, and drawled, “I’m a hem. I bathe with the fem, of course.” Drum and his mem co-spouses exchanged startled glances. Then all of them eyeballed Jenner and his mem from head to toe with blatantly sexual interest.
Awk! Twig sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. From the way she was reading things, the acceptance of hem had blurred the lines between male and female so thoroughly that bisexuality was the norm. What did this mean in the context of hospitality within their culture? Were Drum’s fem and hem planning on sharing not only the bath but also other personal attentions with her and Sammy? Were Drum and his co-spouses planning on sharing the same kind of hospitality with the other mem? Not that she was homophobic; it was just that the thought of making love to a woman had never appealed to her before. Twig didn’t know what to think. On the other hand, she never in her life had considered making love to a hermaphrodite, either, before she met Jenner. But now that she’d actually seen him in the nude, now that she’d felt the overflow of him making love to Sammy channeled into her through Teoh’s mindlink, she didn’t know what she thought anymore. Talk about confusing. She was getting a headache trying to sort out all the implications and conflicting emotions.
What was that old Chinese curse? May you live in interesting times! It was too late to pull Jamila aside for a long talk about cultural differences. Like it or not, she was going to have to brazen this through and hope Sammy didn’t try to kill her for opening her mouth and setting them up for lord knew what.
***** Soaped and rinsed, Tiana sat in the corner on a pile of clean towels and played with the baby. Their happy cries filled Jenner’s heart with joy. He soaped himself from head to toe and ducked under the shower. Hot water sluiced over his head and body, rinsing away dried blood, dirt, and grime. Steam billowed around his feet. A groan of pleasure escaped from him as his aching muscles loosened under the heat.
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Jamila, Sammy, and Twig slipped and splashed in the soapy water. Their soft-skinned breasts and sleek arms bumped against him in complete abandon. Peals of their bright fem laughter echoed from the tiled walls and ceilings. Contentment hummed through his tired bones. His rod rose to half-mast, ready to please if needed but also willing to wait. The simple pleasures of cuddling and falling asleep afterwards in a tangled embrace would be enough to satisfy him for now. Then, when morning came, his rod and pubes would be rested and primed to use on all, mem and fem, in heart-pounding explorations of shared love. “Are your children clean now? Are they hungry?” Twig spun around and clung to his arm. What had startled her so? He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Sabina, the taller, blond-haired, brown-skinned fem, stood in the doorway. She stepped inside, followed by Fatima, her fem co-spouse, and Rahil and Waheed, their hem co-spouses. Tiana stood up. A clumsy knot secured a towel about her waist. Her hand failed to hide a vast yawn. “I’m not hungry now.” She glanced at the naked baby curled fast asleep on the towels at her bare feet. “Dunar’s not hungry either. Where are we going to sleep?” Waheed went to her and scooped her into his arms. “We have plenty of room for you with our children. Do you want to sleep with them?” Tiana frowned. “How old are they?” An indulgent smile softened Waheed’s thin-lipped mouth. “The twins are four. The triplets are two. The others are four, three, and a baby like your brother.” Tiana’s face brightened up right away. “Good. They’re not all babies. The older ones can play lots of different games with me.” Waheed said, “Let’s go then.” He inclined his head at Sabina. She rushed over, picked up Dunar, and wrapped him in another towel. They left together, leaving Fatima and Rahil behind to handle host duties. Fatima and Rahil flashed shy smiles. They touched the jeweled clasps at their shoulders. “Do you need our assistance?” Fatima murmured. Rahil waved his arm at the side door. “Or would you prefer to try out the hot pool in the next room? We can join you there and provide all pleasures.” Twig went very still against Jenner’s side. He tightened his arm around her waist in reassurance. A heady mix of pride, loving concern, and protectiveness washed over him. Rahil and Fatima were total strangers to her, and she obviously felt uncomfortable sharing pleasure with them because of this. He let his gaze linger with polite appreciation on Fatima’s and Rahil’s curves.
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A swift gesture at his half-roused rod reinforced the genuine regret in his voice at refusing their well-intended offer of full hospitality. “My apologies. We traveled all day and night from our home, fought, took care of wounded, and then walked the rest of another day from the raiders camp to Waterforge. We’re tired and not able to properly respond to your care.”
***** “They’re asleep.” Rather than admit he was just as disappointed as Goran, Tallent arched his eyebrow. “Maybe we should have accepted our hosts’ offer to share pleasure in the bath.” He grabbed his crotch and wagged the stiff length of his rod at the sleeping forms. A bead of translucent seed clung to the swollen purple-black head. Goran gave him a disbelieving stare. He looked down at his aroused rod with a rueful grin and shrugged. “No. This is much better. I’d rather save my seed than waste it on strangers and not be able to satisfy my family in the morning.” He eased his bulk into the bed, taking great care not to disturb or awaken Jenner and the fem. Tallent exchanged broad smiles with the rest of his co-spouses, and they hurriedly followed Goran’s lead. In a matter of moments, they settled down, spooning their bodies together and slipping their hands around the sleeping forms. Tallent splayed his hands under Sammy’s warm breasts and pressed his rod between the soft mounds of her buttocks while Teoh wrapped his arms around Tallent. Teoh’s stiff sex nudged the small of Tallent’s back, a column of solid flesh waiting to spill seed in mem, hem, or fem as needed. Tallent closed his eyes and sighed with happiness. Oh, yes, come morning they’d all be rested and ready to love. Strong mem muscles sheltered him. Lush fem and hem curves awaited him. All family to love and cherish. Anticipation skipped through him with images of what he’d do in the morning. He’d share kisses with all. He’d plunge his rod into as many as he could and pour his seed into all until he collapsed. Afterwards, he’d share long, lazy embraces where he’d taste and lick his co-spouses’ seed from mouths, breasts, pubes, and rods. Then, at the end, they’d climb out of the bed, find the large bathing pools, and see if they had any energy left to rouse one another to even more pleasure. Yes. Life was good.
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Chapter Fifteen The sound of kisses and gentle whispered voices penetrated her sleep. Strong arms held her in a warm embrace against a well-muscled body. Warm, callused fingers splayed across her breasts. Sammy opened her eyes. Teoh grinned at her. He traced her lips with the tip of his finger. His erection bumped against her belly. Droplets of pre-come trickled onto her skin. A hot mouth latched onto her right nipple and sent a jolt of pleasure through her body. Who? The top of Tallent’s dread-locked hair met her startled gaze. His skilled lips and tongue brought her nipple into a hard peak of intense sensation. The mattress rocked and bounced on both sides of her in the steady, pounding rhythm of sex. Soft male grunts and mingled moans of mutual pleasure provided a natural counterpart to the motions. She turned her head to Teoh. He kissed her. Their minds linked in a glorious wave of overlapping emotions and unspoken words. His love, his need to touch, feel, tease, and fuck her roared through Sammy. He made her feel like the sexiest woman in the universe. She splayed her fingers across his chest and let him feel the way her pussy clenched with anticipation for his cock. Teoh threw his head back in a soundless laugh of joy. He reached down to Tallent’s hands. They linked their fingers together and caressed her breasts. Teoh’s need exploded in a long loop that linked the three of them together. Thoughts and feelings from both men rebounded into Sammy overlapped with the joyous shock of their strong, male presences and the coiled energy of their aroused sex ready to penetrate her and fill her with seed.
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Teoh moved up onto his knees. The purple-red, plum-shaped head and thick shaft of his engorged cock swayed in front of her face. She licked the white bead of fluid nestled in the slit at the tip. Salty come-taste filled her mouth. She tightened her fingers around him and sucked him inside. Skilled fingers and mouth fastened onto her sex and melted her pussy into a pool of molten heat. She opened her legs and arched her back. Teoh’s cock slid into her wide-open mouth. Her hips bucked and jerked in a mindless demand for more pleasure. Hot, wet mouths sucked harder on nipple and clit. Electric shocks of joyous sensation ricocheted from her into three minds. Their love and anticipation echoed back into her in a wave of overlapping emotions. Strong hands grabbed her ass and lifted her hips. She wrapped her legs around a leanmuscled waist. Jenner’s hem cock slammed into her aching pussy, all the way in, exactly the way she wanted.
Yes! “Love you. Love you. Love you.” Jenner’s voice matched the furious beat of his hips ramming his hem cock into her pussy. Teoh pumped his cock in her mouth. She felt the hot walls of her pussy wrapped around Jenner’s flesh. She felt his pleasure, the tight sensation of plunging deep inside her. She felt his pussy go wet and eager for loving. Teoh pulled back. She opened her hand. His cock slid out of her mouth. Hard flesh bumped into her cheek from the other side. She turned her head. Tallent’s cock, proudly erect and coal black, swung in front of her face. She opened her mouth and accepted him. Teoh scooted down. Jenner pounded into her. Hard and eager, she twisted her hips against him, wanting all of him. She felt Teoh’s cock enter Jenner’s pussy. The force of their double fuck rammed into her. The mattress bounced under them. Groans, cries, and the sounds of bodies joined in more loving echoed her pleasure. Jenner’s cock jerked and pumped hot come into her sex. She tightened her legs around his waist and twisted her hips under the screaming pleasure of her first orgasm. He pulled out.
No! Don’t stop! She lifted her hips for more. Tallent pulled his cock from her mouth. He slid down, smiled at her, held her chin with his hand, and kissed her.
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Teoh grabbed her hips. He moved himself between her legs and took Jenner’s place. His long, hard shaft rammed past the hot trickle of Jenner’s slick come dripping from her pussy.
Oh, God. Yes. Sammy groaned and ground her hips against his like a wild cat. She savored the weight and texture of his sex filling and fucking her. Accepted the love he poured into her from his mind. There was no shame. No guilt. Only joy. He loved her. They loved her. He wanted her. They wanted her. She felt like the sexiest woman in the world accepting their loving and knowing they also loved Jamila and Twig and wanted to make love to them in between loving her. Carnal images of Niall, Dain, Levon, and Goran taking turns at loving her rushed through her brain. Mind-boggling and delicious. Tallent moved down to her breasts again. Touching, squeezing, sucking. Jenner came up to kiss her. His kisses were gentle and greedy. The taste of her juices slicked his mouth. Teoh reamed into her eager pussy in long, hard strokes. Wave after wave of pleasure rocketed through her. She dug her fingers into Tallent’s and Jenner’s hair and cried out with joy. Hard, guttural grunts exploded from Teoh’s mouth. He slammed his hips against her twisting body and poured his hot, sticky-white come into her. By the time Teoh pulled out, Jenner scooted up and Tallent moved down. Jenner’s half-roused cock bobbed in front of her face. The plump lips of his hem pussy flared beneath his cock. She slid her fingers into the soft folds. His cock twitched and hardened with her deliberate probes inside his womansex. She lifted her hips eagerly onto Tallent’s cock. He quickly adjusted the rhythm of his hips to the swift dips of Teoh’s finger into her anus. She licked, sucked, and stroked Jenner’s hem cock and pussy, and opened her mind to Teoh’s telepathic transfer of his co-spouse’s joyous reactions to her caresses. Teoh’s and Tallent’s emotions and thoughts spilled into her and Jenner. Four minds linked as one in a jumbled kaleidoscope of love, sensual movements, and touches. Four minds shared the way Tallent’s engorged cock stretched the walls of her sex. He pistoned into her in frenzied need. His balls slapped against her ass. They felt Teoh’s gentle fingers dipping into her nether hole and reveled in the exquisite joy of how her pussy walls clenched and grabbed for more cock. The sudden peaking waves of her orgasm and Tallent’s explosive release of seed into her body ripped through all four of them in an endless, soundless cry of joyous love. They collapsed together in a scrambled linkage of minds and bodies. Sammy closed her eyes and took a few moments to catch her breath. Hands shifted. The mattress sagged and bounced under her while bodies changed position. She rolled over onto her side in
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anticipation of more loving. Her heart thundered in her ears. Soft breasts with large, hard nipples pressed against hers. Slender arms held her tight and warm; demanding lips met hers in a long, breathless kiss.
Wait a minute! Soft breasts? Jenner’s nipples weren’t that large, were they? She broke the kiss. Jamila smiled at her. The satiated look in her slanted, dark violet eyes gave her the appearance of a cat purring. Her long black hair tumbled like silk over her shoulder. She moved her leg. Sticky come leaked from Jamila’s crotch and moistened the tangled curls over Sammy’s clit. Over Jamila’s shoulder, Sammy spotted Niall and Tallent embracing and kissing each other. Twig was braced on her hands and knees with her face buried between Jenner’s legs while Dain took her doggie style. His twin sat on his heels behind them, watching and waiting while he fisted his cock in long, easy strokes. Goran crawled across the mattress to her and Jamila. His erection swayed between his legs, the engorged head a deep red-purple. He braced himself on his hands and knees above her and Jamila. The long column of his sex bounced on their bellies. Jamila laughed and wiggled beneath him. She pushed Sammy’s legs apart with her knee and ran her hand down between their bellies. Sammy felt weird and excited at the same time. She followed Jamila’s lead, touched the other woman’s breasts with tentative hands and tweaked the sensitive flesh of her new partner’s nipples. She’d never made love to a woman before. Jamila’s curvy body didn’t feel that much different from Jenner’s. And ... the way she loved Jamila was the same as the love she had for Jenner and the guys. The sudden realization bounced through her like a bolt of lightning. She loved them! All of them! Jamila slid her hand past the wet curls at Sammy’s crotch with practiced ease and rolled the tender flesh of her clit between her thumb and forefinger like a marble. Sammy gasped at the sudden jolt of pleasure. She ground her clit against Jamila’s skilled fingers. Goran grinned. “Two for one. I like this.” He reached down and caught the hard tips of both women’s nipples between his fingers. Sammy laughed, slid her hand down to Jamila’s sex, and rubbed her fingers against her new woman lover’s clit under his skillful tweaks. Back and forth Goran tugged and pulled at their nipples, teasing them into tentative hip-grinding humps against each other’s hands and fingers. A slow heat built up in Sammy’s crotch. She wiggled harder, grinding her aching clit against Jamila’s slender fingers. Goran’s voice deepened into a soft singsong croon. “That’s it. Fem fuck. Fem fuck. Good fuck. Love hard. Love more. Get ready for me. Fem fuck. Good fuck.” His hands moved
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faster, touching, stroking, squeezing, tweaking. Pre-come dripped from the engorged head of his stiff cock onto their bellies. Liquid heat built up within Sammy into a trembling, aching peak. Jamila’s eyes went wide. She threw her head back. Her fingers moved faster against Sammy’s clit. She banged the slippery bead of her clit against Sammy’s fingers. Small keening moans escaped past her parted lips. Teoh knelt behind Sammy. He placed one hand on her shoulder, the other on Jamila’s.
OhGod,ohGod,ohGod. She couldn’t tell whose orgasm was whose, only hold on and feel everything in one huge slow-motion explosion of sensation.
***** Tallent lay between Goran and Twig. He rested his head in the hollow below Goran’s massive shoulder. The steady beat of his co-spouse’s heart thundered in his ears. Salt-tinged sweat matted the dark curls on Goran’s chest. Lying together in this state of total relaxation and satisfaction felt wonderful. Soft whispers, kisses, and gentle caresses gave the perfect ending to their frenzied whirl of lovemaking. Tallent ran his hand up and down Twig’s arm in long, lazy strokes. Goosebumps pebbled her skin under his fingers. Trails of sticky, dry seed stained her face, breasts, and pubes. Spilling the last drop of himself into her ass while she drank Goran’s seed had been a joyous ride, a ride he intended to repeat as often as possible in every position and combination of fem, hem, and mem possible. A tentative knock sounded on the wooden door of the guest chamber. This caused a mad scramble for the sheets tangled at the foot of their bed. Niall arched a sardonic eyebrow and checked everyone over before he spoke. “Enter.” The door opened halfway. Tiana’s head appeared around the edge along with the heads of six smaller children whose hair and skin color ranged from coal black to golden brown. The smallest child flashed a gap-toothed smile at them. Tiana skipped into the room. She stopped and twirled around to show off her new clothing, a pair of loose red pants and matching vest with white and yellow embroidered flowers. White ribbons adorned her neatly combed and braided chestnut-red hair. The rest of the children crowded in behind her. Their pants and matching vests partook of every color of the rainbow. All went barefoot, as was proper on the clean tiled floors and brightly patterned carpets of this house. They wouldn’t don sandals and slippers until they ventured outside into the dusty, hard stone-paved streets. Tiana crossed her arms and glared at them. She sniffed and wrinkled her nose with annoyance. A childish pout formed on her mouth. “Are you finished with all your kissy stuff now? We sat on the floor and waited and waited until you stopped making noise before I knocked on the door.”
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Jamila held out her arms. “Yes, baby. The kissy stuff’s over now.” Tiana ran to the bed, climbed over various legs and snuggled into her mother’s embrace. “I’m hungry.” Jamila grinned at her. “We have to take a shower first, then get dressed in clean clothes before we can eat.” Tiana sighed, plopped back on Jamila’s lap and shook a warning finger at her mother. “Don’t take too long with your shower. No more kissy stuff.” She fixed a conscientious bigsister expression on her face. “Dunar’s not hungry. Sabina and Waheed fed him along with their baby when he woke up.” Jamila laughed. “No more kissy stuff. I promise.”
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Chapter Sixteen Sammy sat back in her chair. The oversized round table gave them more than enough room to sit and enjoy their breakfast in casual comfort. The banana bread, still moist and warm from the oven, was pure ambrosia. She licked the breadcrumbs from her fingers and waved away another helping of spiced scrambled eggs and onion-garnished potato slices. If she attempted to walk, she’d probably waddle like a penguin. And judging by the satiated expressions on everyone else’s faces, they felt just as stuffed. Korgan and the kids had finished eating a few minutes ago at a separate table and had already run outside to play. An inexplicable yearning had transformed his face for a split second when he’d hesitated before joining his charges in the courtyard. Their happy laughter and young voices chanting jump rope rhymes floated in through the vines and flowers carved in the wooden window screens. Drum had been the perfect host, soft-spoken, polite, and considerate, the complete opposite of her first sight of him at the raiders’ camp. There, he’d been a warrior, standing tall with his huge sword, cutting down all who opposed him. The fact that she and Twig had spent the morning hours making love with Jamila’s family seemed to have increased rather than decreased his interest. He’d steered the conversation into a discussion of Waterforge’s prosperity and the many choices she and Sammy had if they decided to live there. He said that a healer of Twig’s skill would command the highest price. He also said if they both decided to stay and work together as healer and herbalist, they’d be able to choose their own customers and worksite. When Drum mentioned the lack of access to luxury goods at Jamila’s chosen home out in the wild country, sparks had glittered in her dark violet eyes. Jenner snatched her hand, held her gaze, and shook his head. She’d laid her fork down, swallowed her anger, and sat with two bright red spots of rage blazing on her honey-brown cheekbones.
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Drum was right. It would be safer for them to stay in Waterforge rather than return to the boonies with Jamila’s family. The standard of living was a lot higher here. They wouldn’t have to learn how to weave their own clothing, wear buckskins, raise and harvest their own fruits and vegetables to supplement the meat the men brought home from their hunts, and bake their own bread. In Waterforge, they could buy all their food, clothing, herbal supplies, and luxuries at the market. Sammy picked up a bright red ceramic mug and sipped at cool mango juice. She needed more time to make a decision. She needed to talk this over with Twig first. Drum sat back with a contented sigh and looked around the table. He pressed his left leg against Sammy’s. The thin fabric of their silken pants failed to shield her from the solid weight of his hard-muscled flesh. She lifted her head and met the smoldering heat of his dark-eyed, intent gaze. Sudden moisture pooled in her crotch. She jerked her leg away from his.
Damn it! Why the hell was her traitorous body responding to his blatant masculinity like a total slut? Her nipples were so hard, they itched! Just the thought of how good it would feel to have him sucking them while he slammed his cock into her pussy had her squirming in her seat like a pre-teen in the throes of her first crush. Making love to Jamila’s family this morning had been the most fabulous and exquisitely loving encounter she’d ever experienced. Yet despite that, everyone was acting like she and Twig were still uncommitted. The cultural expectations here were too confusing. Were they, or were they not, part of Jamila’s family now? Drum rose to his feet. “I see that everyone is well rested and fed.” His co-spouses -- fem, hem, and mem -- pushed their chairs back and jumped to their feet. They exchanged eager smiles with him. Drum stood tall with his shoulders back. Slabs of thick muscle rippled upon his massive chest. Warm fragrances of coconut and cinnamon oils mingled with the masculine sweat and musk radiating from his ebony skin. A tantalizing line of tight black curls spiraled down from his washboard abs to the ties that cinched the waist of his crimson pants. He cleared his throat and spoke in a formal cadence that contradicted the robust gleam in his dark chocolate eyes. “I and my family stand ready to fulfill our obligations to you, our guests.” Sammy slanted a wary look at Twig seated at Drum’s right hand. She had a sneaky feeling he wasn’t talking about dessert. A strong, callused hand settled upon her left shoulder. Sammy whipped her head up and back and linked gazes with Esham, one of Drum’s mem co-spouses. He flashed her an openly admiring and sensual smile. Gold flecks within his light brown eyes matched the golden hairs that dusted the bronzed skin on his arms. He’d braided his dark blond hair into a thick plait dangling to the middle of his back. Whipcord strong, the lean muscles of his belly tapered down to the narrow arrow of golden curls above his white silk pants.
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Drum settled his hand on her other shoulder. “Will we be sufficient to satisfy your needs?” The deep bass tones of his voice skipped over her skin like liquid velvet. She turned her head again. All around the table, the others were already engaged in more, intriguing, after-breakfast activities. Malik, another one of Drum’s mem co-spouses, had Jamila curled up on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shared a long, passionate kiss. He unfastened her bodice with one hand and exposed her rounded breasts for his attentions. Dain and Levon had Waheed sandwiched between them. They fondled the hem’s breasts, cock, and ass through the sheer fabric of his clothing and rained eager kisses on his face and neck. Teoh and Tallent exited the room, holding hands with Sabina and Aamir. At the same time, Goran, Niall, and Jenner slipped out the other exit with Fawn and Jahan.
Oh, shit! They take their hospitality rules very literally in this culture. Sammy leaned forward. She risked a second look at Twig. Rahil, Drum’s other hem co-spouse, clasped hands with Twig and tugged her to her feet. A bright red blush stained Twig’s cheeks. Olive-skinned with straight black hair, Rahil cupped her face between his slender hands and placed a hesitant kiss upon her parted lips. Drum touched Sammy’s shoulder. She looked at him. He held out his hand. “Come with us. We will satisfy every one of your wishes.” She swallowed against the tight lump blocking her throat, accepted his hand, and let him pull her to her feet. Slowly, with her heart hammering in her ears, she splayed her fingers across the hard, muscled expanse of his chest. A low, rumbling chuckle exploded from his throat. He scooped her up with one arm. He held her against him as if she were a small child instead of a woman.
Oh, my! She didn’t feel like a child, though. Not with her breasts pressed against his bare chest and her legs wrapped around his waist. The thin fabric of her bodice and pants failed to shield her hardened nipples and soaked pussy from the solid heat of his skin. Panic rushed through her like wild fire. “Wait.” She dug her fingers into Drum’s shoulders and turned to Twig for help. “I can’t. Not alone.” Esham and Rahil held Twig between them. Bright laughter glowed upon their eager faces. Twig had a dazed expression on her face. Her blush settled down to a pink stain on her cheeks. “That’s right,” she said. “We stay together.” Drum stroked Sammy’s back with his free hand in a soothing, reassuring touch as if he were gentling a wild animal. “You are our guests. Your wishes are our commands. Anything you want, we will do for you.”
*****
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Twig entered the specially prepared guest chamber with Esham and Rahil. Her brain was going full speed ahead. Too bad her body was still in a state of numb shock. Pale cream tiles lined the walls. Ornately carved red sandalwood screens shielded the windows. The onyx-colored floorboards glowed with burnished perfection. Quilts and pillows in berry-bright reds, blues, and greens lay in a tumbled mess across the oversized bed. Blue glass bottles and red clay pots filled with scented oils and creams adorned a low wooden table beside the bed. Dildos ranging in size from a slender three inches to a massive twelve-inch monster lay behind the bottles and jars. Last but not least, an assortment of feathered items, leather whips, and restraints hung on the wall behind the bed. Twig stopped dead in her tracks. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. She’d gone along with this so far because saying no to what was apparently a well-established cultural custom of this reality would make her and Sammy come across as ignorant, illmannered children instead of full grown women who knew how to handle themselves. “I think you’ve made a mistake here. We’re not the kind of fem who like pain and bondage.” Esham and Rahil turned sideways. The hard columns of their erections pressed against her hips. Dark brown and golden-brown eyes studied her with quiet certainty. Rahil’s full breasts cradled her left arm. Esham traced her mouth with a gentle fingertip. “That’s good. We get no pleasure from hurting anyone or letting them hurt us.” His smile widened into an openly carnal grin. “What we enjoy is satisfying our guests.” Twig’s mouth went dry at the thought of him and Rahil doing her any way she wanted. A glance over Esham’s shoulder showed her that Drum had Sammy pinned against the wall. He cupped her buttocks and supported her weight easily with one hand. Sammy was busy kissing him, totally oblivious to anyone and anything in the room. The muscles in his ass bunched under his pants while he humped her in a slow, deliberate, corkscrew movement.
Whew! Sammy had reached the boiling point already! And she still had all her clothes on. The sheets were going to fry right off the bed when they moved there. Esham and Rahil untied their pants and stepped out of them.
Oh, my! Twig gulped. Esham’s cock swung thick and heavy over his balls. Rahil’s cock wasn’t as thick as Jenner’s but still looked long enough to give her some very interesting action. Esham moved closer. He stared into her eyes for a long moment. The soft, wet tip of his engorged cock nudged her navel. Rahil moved behind her. He caught her by the waist and pulled her back against him. His soft breasts flattened against her back. The thin fabric of her pants rubbed against her ass under the pressure of his erection.
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Twig wrapped her arms around Esham’s neck. The lean, corded muscles of his shoulders bunched under her embrace. Esham touched her face with his finger. He brushed her lips with a swift, tender kiss. She smiled and wiggled against him. A joyous smile lit up his face. He fastened his mouth upon hers and let his tongue probe with hot, hungry intent against hers. Rahil lowered his head and pressed his lips against her neck. He slid his hands under her bodice, squeezed her breasts and tweaked the hardened peaks of her nipples. His slender hem cock pushed at her ass. Twig melted under their skilled mouths, hands, and grinding hips. They untied her bodice and pants with gentle fingers. She shrugged the bodice off. Her pants slid down her hips to her feet. She stepped out of them and kicked them aside. There was no reason, no need for her to feel guilty. Everything they offered was given joyously, with loving affection. They held her trembling body between them. She returned their kisses. They pulled her close. She braced her feet on the floor, opened her legs, and lifted her hips in carnal need. Esham’s large cock filled her pussy. Rahil’s slender hem cock slid into her ass.
Whoa! Oh, yes! Yes. Yes. Yes. Their slow, even strokes swiftly turned into the hard, pounding sex she craved. Strong arms supported her weight, kept her standing between them. Their bodies slapped against her from front and back with complete abandon. Two cocks drilled her. They slammed into her without mercy, meeting the demands of her writhing hips. Desire roared into an inferno, a lava-hot fire that began at her crotch and raced through her in glorious release. Their come pulsed into her. Her pussy and ass clenched in greedy acceptance of their come. Finally, they stopped. Their hearts raced with hers. Hot, sticky come dripped down the inside of her thighs. She stood between them on trembling legs, her mind and body satiated and serene.
***** Every inch of Sammy’s body tingled with relaxed anticipation under Drum’s touch. If she were a cat, she’d be purring. He poured another dollop of scented lotion on her belly and rubbed the warm liquid into her skin. His fingers dipped into the curls of her sex. He flicked his thumb across her clit. She gasped under the sudden jolt of pleasure he wrung from her with that simple touch. She didn’t have to look at Twig. The sound effects of their rutting bodies told her Esham and Rahil were taking care of her best friend’s needs with spectacular enthusiasm.
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Drum sat back on his heels. His rampant cock stood at full attention, massive, long, and hard, with pre-come dripping from the purple-black bulbous tip. He looked even better than she’d imagined. All man. Tall, strong, and heavily muscled, he waited ready and eager to service her. Sammy licked her lips. Her pussy walls clenched at the thought of him ramming into her with all the brutal strength and power coiled within his huge body. The wet, swollen peaks of her nipples ached already from his mouth’s talented sucking. He fisted and stroked the length of his cock. The foreskin moved easily under his hand. Thick veins stood out against the scented oil glistening on his ebony skin. Scars from old battle wounds marked his body. Scars that made him even more attractive to her gaze, scars that proved he’d survived danger and was prepared to fight again if necessary. “Tell me what you want me to do next.” There was no guilt, no shame, and no assumption of infidelity in the possessive heat of his intent gaze. He wanted her. This massive man, with arms, legs, and torso muscled like a pro wrestler, wanted to make love to her in every way possible. Knowing she had such complete power and control, knowing he’d do anything she wanted him to do, made her feel like the sexiest woman in the world. She lifted her legs and rested her feet on his shoulders. He reached down. Sammy gasped. Her hips jerked under the relentless, circular strokes of his thumb across her swollen clit. She dug her nails into the quilt. The man was teasing the hell out of her. How much longer would she have to wait? Drum leaned forward. He bracketed her body with his hands. The head of his cock nudged her pussy lips apart. “How do you want me to take you?” He shifted his weight. “Do you want me to take you slow and easy?” His cock eased inside her, inch by excruciating inch, stretching her, opening her up so wide she thought she was going to split. She sucked in a deep breath. Just when she thought he couldn’t go any further, a few more inches slid in, filling her so completely she felt like the head was going to come out through her back. Then, he withdrew himself. She whimpered and twisted her hips, trying to keep him inside. But, no, he pulled that glorious column all the way out, teasing her with slow, tender movements, leaving her empty again. “Or do you want me to take you fast and hard?” She braced herself. Her throat hurt. Her entire body trembled with need. Her heart thumped against her chest like a wild animal struggling to escape. “Yes.” She managed a soft whisper past the tight tension that held her captive under his body. “I want you to do me hard and fast. Make me scream. Make me cry out for more.” And he did. He slammed into her in one long, hard shove.
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“Aiiii!” Her scream echoed off the ceiling. He didn’t stop. In and out, he drilled her helpless pussy with that cock. His balls slapped against her ass cheeks. Slabs of corded muscles bunched and moved across his chest and arms. The thick veins on his neck writhed under his skin, pumping blood to his cock as he hammered her. She locked her heels behind his head, dug her hands and nails into the quilt and pounded back at him. Harsh grunts and groans exploded from him with each slam of his cock into her.
Yes! Yes! Yes! She twisted and flailed under his pounding body in desperate demand for more, more, more! Hot, aching need roared through her in a storm of desire, pleasure, and tingling sensation. He increased the pace. Hot, salty sweat poured down from him, dripped onto her belly, and soaked the quilts beneath her. Her body jerked and jumped in mindless, uncontrolled frenzy under him as if she were in the throes of an epileptic seizure. She threw her head back. An endless scream poured from her open mouth, a scream of pleasure from multiple orgasms crashing through her body from head to toe. He slammed into her one last time. He threw his head back and roared his pleasure. Hot, thick come exploded into her. His cock jumped and twitched inside her. Jet after jet of his come poured into her with each throbbing twitch. There wasn’t enough room for his come inside her. The white, sticky liquid squeezed past the thick, black column of his cock, past the swollen lips of her pussy onto the quilt beneath them.
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Chapter Seventeen Twig peered in the mirror at the tiny blue ribbons tied into the short curls of her hair. They matched the embroidered flowers on her cream-colored vest and pants. Drum’s fem wives, Fatima and Sabina, and his hem co-spouses, Rahil and Waheed, were still fussing over what to do with the long spirals of Sammy’s hair that hung down to the middle of her back. They were getting ready to take them on a tour of the town. Twig inspected her face in the mirror again. Yes, her cheeks were flushed. No surprise there. Images of the hot loving she and Sammy had shared this morning kept popping into her mind at the oddest moments. “Orgy” wasn’t the right word to use for what they’d experienced. An orgy implied mindless fucking with a bunch of strangers in a one-night stand with no strings or emotional bonds afterwards. Jamila and her co-spouses weren’t strangers, and instead of fucking, they made love with joyous exuberance and tenderness. Teoh’s telepathic mind link and Jenner’s hermaphrodite body had helped her overcome her inhibitions against lesbian sex. Instead of an awkward and stilted encounter, making love to Jamila had blossomed into a natural and spontaneous expression of mutual affection and exploration of sensual pleasure. The guys’ relaxed acceptance of each other’s masculinity while they kissed and loved one another had turned her on even more. Oh, yes. They weren’t in Kansas anymore. Bisexuality was the norm for this culture. As for Drum ... Holy shit! ... After this morning’s performance, there was no getting around the fact of his lovemaking skills. After he finished doing Sammy, he’d rolled over on his back and let Twig climb on and ride his cock. Esham and Rahil weren’t able to recover their erections as fast as Drum. Instead, they took turns eating Sammy’s pussy, making her come over and over again until she begged them to stop.
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What was Sammy thinking right now? Was she thinking about marrying Jamila and her family? Or was she thinking about accepting Drum’s offer to join his family and open up an herbal shop under his patronage? Twig gnawed on her lip. Drum’s offer was tempting, very tempting. And, judging by the way Jamila and the others were acting, just because she and Sammy had made love to them this morning didn’t mean they’d made a commitment to stay with them.
Damn it! She hated having to make decisions that would change her life entirely. Nothing she said or did would change the fact that she was stuck here, in a strange new reality of Earth. How she lived here, how she spent the rest of her life was her choice alone. The only problem was she had no idea what she wanted to do. Should she leave with Jamila and marry her family or stay behind in Waterforge as a respected healer with her own private practice and take her time choosing which family she wanted to marry?
***** Sammy squinted at the sun blazing down on the stone walled houses painted in brilliant hues of white, blue, red, and green. Another hot day. No major surprise there. After all, this area was smack dab in the middle of the tropic zone. Jamila said the rainy season would start in ten days and last for three full moons. At least they hadn’t wound up near the north pole. She hated the thought of freezing her butt off in the snow and ice. Her head was whirling already from the bustling crowd, flamboyant sights, and mouthwatering aromas of Waterforge’s market. They had everything and anything for sale here. One aisle of stands sold swords, chainmail, leather belts, and boots. Vendors produced an endless variety of foods and beverages. Fabrics in every texture and color, ranging from plain swatches to intricately embroidered lengths dripping with beads and pearls, hung from another aisle of stands. It was a mall, giant yard sale, and farmers’ market all rolled up into one huge gathering, but louder, hotter, and crazier. Interestingly enough, the pack of eight kids skipping along with them, including Tiana, were surprisingly well behaved despite the temptations around them. No pushing, shoving, or yelling. Then again, having all of their parents along had a strong restraining influence on any hijinks they might be contemplating. At seven years old, Tiana was the oldest of the bunch. The set of four-year-old twin boys were Jano and Ranu. Dimico and Camryn, the two older hem half-siblings, were four and three years old, respectively. Next was a set of triplets, aged three, one girl, one hem, and one boy, named Nalina, Wali, and Taron. The fem toddler perched on Drum’s shoulder, drumming her heels on his broad chest, was Basaria. Drum’s progeny were the twins and triplets, with their coal-black skin and kinky hair. The rest of the children had pale gold skin and wavy hair. Obviously one or more of his co-spouses had fathered them.
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Hot damn! Sammy stopped in front of a jeweler’s stand. Bracelets, necklaces, and earrings in gold and silver swung from their stands, gleaming in the sun. Precious gemstones in every size and color sparkled amid the many stranded necklaces. Twig stopped beside her. She pointed at a ruby teardrop suspended from a silver necklace that looked like miniature daisies linked together. “That’s gorgeous. It must have taken forever to create.” Drum leaned over the counter and peered at the necklace. He looked at Sammy and then Twig. “Would you like me to purchase two of them for you?”
Oh, shit! She backed away with her hands held up in front of her. “No, thank you. We were just looking.” Then gave Twig a panicked look. “Right?” Twig backed away, too. “That’s right. We were just looking.” Talk about a close call. The last thing they needed was to let him buy jewels for them. Sammy grabbed Twig’s hand and pulled her over to a stand loaded with embroidered fabrics and sewing tools. “OhmyGod. Look at those needles. They’re small enough to be used for surgery. You can use them to replenish the supplies in our first aid kit.” Twig leaned over the counter. “You’re right. They’re perfect.” She pointed at the spools of thread stacked on the side. “Those are silk. I can use them to sew up wounds.” Jamila hurried over, a pleased smile on her face. “I’ll get them for you. I need needles and thread for my sewing kit.” She pulled out a dagger from its sheath at her waist, traded it for three packets of needles and fifteen spools of thread, then tucked them away in the leather pouch tied to her belt. Sammy backed away and continued walking through the marketplace. At the end of the long aisle, Drum led them onto a side street. He brought them to a three-story, flatroofed building with narrow slit windows and they followed him inside.
What was so important about this building? Sammy wondered. The cavernous, shadowed interior gave the stone-walled structure the appearance of a warehouse. But, instead of row after row of crates, it was packed with people walking to an elevated platform at the rear. Was it a stage? Were they going to watch a play or listen to musicians and singers? They threaded their way through the crowed and moved closer. Sammy’s eyes finally adjusted to the dim light inside the building. About fifty of the captured raiders stood, sat, or reclined on cots on this platform. Many of them still wore bloodstained clothes and bandages. Thick metal rings circled their necks. Sammy stopped dead in her tracks and released Jamila’s hand. “What the hell is this?” She pointed an accusing finger at the platform. “A slave market?” Drum turned around and stared at her with a puzzled expression on his face. “All of these men are here of their own free will. They’ve chosen to offer their labor for one year in order to gain full rights as citizens of Waterforge. The labor collars will be removed when
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they become citizens. Those who wish to return to their former city and lives will remain imprisoned until the truce meeting at the end of the summer and released during the prisoner exchange.” “Oh.” Her face felt like it was on fire. She managed a shaky nod, squared her shoulders, and went forward to get a better look at the men and the process of choosing who worked for whom. Every time she turned around this alternate reality and culture pulled a new surprise on her. There weren’t any chains or cuffs confining the men. They moved freely around the platform, talking quietly with the people who came up to them. She eased closer to the platform. Her soft-soled slippers made gritty, scratchy sounds against the stone floor. Tantalizing scraps of conversation caught her attention. A tall, blond-haired raider showed his hands to a family group of four mem, two hem, and two fem and said, “I know glassblowing. You won’t regret taking a chance on me.” A raider with long dark hair gazed wistfully at three fem. “I’m a hard worker.” The teenager whose wrist had been amputated, the one they’d bandaged back at the raiders’ camp, jumped up from his cot with his face all lit up. Sammy turned to see what had sparked the sudden hope in his eyes. He was watching Twig laughing and talking with Jamila. All right. It looked like she had jumped to the wrong conclusion here. No one was shackled here against his will. They weren’t slaves. She heard a soft thump on the ground behind her and started to turn around. A hardmuscled hand covered her mouth and pulled her back so fast and strong, she felt her feet leave the ground. Her attacker snaked his other arm around her chest, pinned her arms to her side and pressed the edge of a dagger against her throat. “Don’t anyone move!” he shouted. “Or I’ll kill her.” The world shifted into sharp, crystal-clear shards of thought, sight, and sound. She stood frozen in mindless terror. Her heart slammed against her chest. The air went totally still and heavy in her lungs. She felt the cold tickle of steel against her throat. The crowd turned in slow motion, open-mouthed. Tallent whirled around with all the lazy grace of a cat getting ready to stretch. His dreadlocks rippled around his head and shoulders like a multitude of tiny snakes. He reached over his left shoulder. Twig clung to Jamila’s hand, frozen in mid-step, her face as white as a ghost. Sammy went limp and sagged against her attacker. The acrid odor of his sweat filled her nostrils. He shifted his grip and squashed her breasts under his arm. Her blood pulsed beneath the slender blade at her throat.
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The raider youth with the amputated hand stared at her, the pupils of his eyes dilated wide and black with shocked comprehension. He held his bandaged stump high and whirled it around in a wild swing. “Wait!” Then he ran straight at her. Her attacker shifted his feet. A blurred silver streak whizzed past her cheek and landed with a meaty thump beside her ear. Blood sprayed out past her face in a fine mist. Her attacker’s arms lost their strength. His body collapsed behind her like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The blade sliced into her throat. Blood shot out in a bright red fountain.
I’m dying. He slit my throat. She toppled backward and landed on top of her attacker. The air whooshed out of her lungs. She pressed her hands against the slippery, wet gash in her neck with no memory of actually lifting them to her throat. Blood kept spurting out in steady pulses through her cold fingers. The youth with the amputated hand knelt on her left side. Twig knelt on her right side. She jammed her fingers past Sammy’s fingers. “I’ve got it!” The blood flow slowed down to a trickle. Twig shouted, “Jamila! Hurry! I need a needle and thread. Now!” A line of lava-hot pain throbbed across Sammy’s throat. Jamila ran up and handed Twig a threaded needle. Twig looked at the youth with the amputated hand kneeling beside her. “Can you see where I’m holding the vein?” He nodded, reached with his good hand for Sammy’s throat and dug his fingers in beside Twig’s. More blood sprayed out for a split second, then slowed to a trickle again. Twig grabbed the needle. Jenner knelt beside Twig with a pan of water and clean cloths in his hands. Between him and Twig, they settled into a pattern of one stitch and one dab of wet cloth at Sammy’s neck. The youth eased his hand away. Her throat wasn’t bleeding anymore, just oozing. Her attacker must be dead. No one seemed worried about moving his body from under her. Twig leaned closer and kept sewing at her neck. The bright needle flickered in the dim light of the warehouse. In and out. In and out. Sammy closed her eyes. Damn! It hurts! She focused on the searing agony of pain at her throat and welcomed each sharp, twisting jab of the needle. Pain is good. It means I’m alive.
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Chapter Eighteen Twig knotted the final stitch on Sammy’s throat. She sat back on her heels and clamped her hands together to keep them from shaking. Sammy was alive. She must focus on this truth, this reality, not images of her best friend lying there with her throat cut open like a slaughtered pig. Now that Twig had finished the hardest job, Jenner knelt beside her and took over with confident familiarity. He dipped cloths in the bowl of water and cleaned the blood from Sammy’s skin. A numb relief filled her while she let him work. Thank God, he knew exactly what he was doing. Jenner wrapped another long strip of clean white fabric around Sammy’s neck and carefully covered the slender line of stitches. Finally, he tied the ends off in a secure knot, checking with his fingers to make sure the bandage didn’t choke or bind her throat. Blood loss, shock, and fear bleached the creamy rich café-au-lait color of Sammy’s skin into a stark, jaundiced appearance. Her pupils had dilated into bleak, black holes. “Talk now?” Sammy said in a raspy, hesitant whisper. Twig held up her hand. “Wait a minute.” Sammy was still lying on top of her attacker’s body. The dagger Tallent had thrown with a single flip of his wrist into the man’s eye had killed him immediately. A half-inch to the left and the deadly blade would have pierced Sammy’s head instead. She eased her hand behind Sammy’s head and shoulder. Jenner and the young raider boy hurried to assist her. Between the three of them, they lifted Sammy to a sitting position first and helped her to stand on shaky legs. The crowd rushed in and removed the dead raider’s body. Sammy let her eyes track them instead of turning her head, as if that tiny movement might reopen her wound. “Why?” she croaked.
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The young raider with the amputated hand swiped his remaining hand through the ragged ends of his dirty blond hair. He edged closer and glared at the bloody corpse of Sammy’s attacker, then curled his lip in unadulterated contempt. “Banos was the laziest mem I ever knew. He worked his last two fem wives to death. That’s why he came on the raid. He needed another wife.” The youth shifted his gaze to Sammy’s bandaged throat. His eyes were a turquoise color that loomed startlingly bright against the dark tan of his skin. “She just happened to be the closest fem around when Banos made his bid to escape rather than work for his freedom.” Twig arched her eyebrow. This kid was one of the raiders. Why was he being so helpful? As far as she knew he shouldn’t want to have anything to do with Waterforge’s people. “What’s your name?” She jerked her chin at the men carrying the dead guy out. “Aren’t you just as bad as him? You came here to kidnap fem, too, and kill their families.” The boy blushed to the roots of his hair. “My name’s Korgan.” He ducked his head, stared at his bare feet sticking out from his tattered breeches and mumbled. “My mom and dad died when I was a baby. I don’t have any status because I’m an orphan. The only chance I had to get a wife was to come on the raid.” Tallent circled the boy and studied him from all angles like a horse for sale. “You’re not a very good fighter.” Korgan’s blush deepened into a blaze of crimson across his face. He mumbled. “I’m a scriber, not a warrior.” “Look at me!” Tallent barked out his words. “Do you remember me?” The boy jerked his head up and stared at Tallent. Dark bronze hair hung in loose waves around his thin shoulders. Shocked recognition flickered across his face. He gulped and managed an abrupt nod. “Y-yes! You’re the warrior who cut off my hand.” “Do you hate me for that?” Korgan whipped his head back and forth in fierce denial. “No. You could have killed me. Instead, you took me out of the battle with a single stroke and moved on.” The grim expression on Tallent’s face eased. He slanted a look at the bandaged stump of the boy’s right wrist. “Can you scribe with your left hand?” Korgan dared to shift his gaze to Jamila, Sammy, and then Twig. A curious mixture of wistful hope and lusty admiration glowed on his face. “I can learn.” Jenner spoke next. “How do you feel about hem?” “I d-d-don’t know.” Korgan’s gaze skittered across Jenner’s breasts and crotch. His blush blazed up into crimson again. “I never met a hem before.” Twig tightened her grip around Sammy’s waist. What the hell was going on here? It sounded like they were interviewing Korgan. If so, for what?
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The rest of the men came up and stared at Korgan. Compared to them, his slender build and beardless face gave him the appearance of a youth rather than a man. Jamila tilted her head to the side. Of the three women, she was the only one shorter than Korgan. Twig smothered a grin. That wouldn’t last long; guys usually didn’t go through their final growth spurt until they hit seventeen or eighteen. She arched an eyebrow at him in inquiry. “How old are you?” He jerked his head up, squared his shoulders, and tried to look taller than he was. His jaw twitched. “In a few more months, I’ll have fifteen summers.” Jamila pursed her lips. “Our law says you must have seventeen summers before you can receive adult mem status.” Panic flickered across Korgan’s face. He looked at the men with a desperate plea in his eyes. “If you take me, I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’ll sleep in the children’s room. I’ll work hard. I’ll learn how to use my left hand. Anything you want me to do, I’ll do it.” Twig exchanged a wary stare with Sammy. Jamila and the others were interviewing Korgan. He thought she and Sammy were part of the family, too, and was hoping they’d make him a full member of the family and take him into bed with them after he’d turned seventeen. Holy shit! No wonder he was so anxious for them to accept his services. Jamila tapped her chin with her finger and looked Korgan over from head to toe. “There’s no guarantee to keep you with us after your first year of service.” He bobbed his head in anxious agreement. “I know. I understand. Just give me a chance. If you don’t want me to stay after the first year, I’ll return to the market and hire myself out again.”
***** “Are you all right now?” Sammy blinked. She didn’t remember walking back to Drum’s house but that’s where she was now. To be exact, she stood in his courtyard beneath the branches of a papaya tree. The sun was high in the sky. Noontime already. She focused on Twig’s anxious face. “I’m fine.” Twig grabbed Sammy’s chin and stared into her eyes. She shook her head. “You’re not fine. Your pupils are still dilated.” She eased Sammy back until she sat on a stone bench at the base of the tree. “Stay here. Don’t move. I’m going to get Tylenol from the first aid kit and the last tube of antibiotic cream.” Sight, sound, and sensation flickered through her in disjointed flashes. The frozen moment when Tallent’s dagger flashed past her ear. The soft, wet thud when the blade buried itself in her attacker’s eye. The miniscule twitch of his hand beneath her chin. Two bright red sprays of blood arcing past her face. One from her neck, the other from her attacker’s eye.
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I almost died. Cold. She was so cold. Shivers raced up and down her body. Her teeth chattered. Sammy hugged herself. A hot sun blazed down upon her, and she was freezing. A shadow blocked the sunlight. She lifted her head. Goran stood in front of her. He scooped her up in his arms like a baby and cradled her against him.
Hot! His chest felt so warm against her cheek. “She’s shaking. She needs help. Now!” Goran yelled. Jamila and Jenner hurried toward them. Jamila wrapped a cover around her, soft, warm, and fluffy, like a baby’s blanket. Jenner held a steaming mug of hot liquid in front of her lips. “Drink,” he said. “This is willow bark tea. It will take away the pain and fever.”
Willow bark tea! The herbal form of aspirin! Sammy flashed him a grateful smile and took a cautious sip. A sweet, lemony flavor filled her mouth. He’d added honey to the bitter liquid. The worried face of the youth hovered nearby. Tiana clung to his hand. He carried Dunar in his other arm, the bandaged stump supported the baby’s diapered bottom. Dunar squirmed and drummed his heels against the youth’s side. “Korgan,” Sammy said. “That’s your name. Right?” He flashed her a comforting smile. “Don’t be afraid. The shakes will go away. When I lost my hand, I had the shakes, too.” Sammy finished drinking the willow bark tea. Korgan was right. After all, he’d almost died, too. He could have bled to death when Tallent cut off his hand. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to accept Korgan’s services for a year. She blinked. Wait a minute! Was she a member of Jamila’s family now, or not? What about Twig? Shouldn’t they have been given a chance to say no instead of strangers like Korgan making an automatic assumption that they were members of Jamila’s family? Was this culture so informal that they didn’t have marriage ceremonies or courtship rituals?
***** Jamila twisted her fingers together. As the only fem in the family, she was the logical person to explain their customs to Twig and Sammy. She took a deep breath and unclasped her hands. Jenner sat down beside her and gave her a smile of encouragement.
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She looked at her mem. Niall and Goran flanked the doorway, arms crossed, their backs against the wall. Tallent paced in front of them. Dain and Levon sat on opposite ends of the sofa and gave her anxious stares. Teoh sat in the middle, equally worried. Korgan sat cross-legged on the floor with Tiana and the baby, totally unaware of the importance of what they wanted to discuss. Niall said, “The Guild House proclaimed a Promenade for tonight.” Goran nodded. “They had to. The Guild House doesn’t have enough room to take in all the fem and hem widowed during this last raid.” Jamila swallowed against the knot in her throat. They weren’t as wealthy as the other families. Sammy had almost died today. She and Twig might decide it was safer to live in Waterforge than in their cave home at the edge of the jungle. Tallent stopped. “Twig and Sammy don’t know about the Promenade. You have to tell them.” Jamila nodded. “They might not want to stay with us. They might choose another family.” Anguish flared in Tallent’s dark-eyed gaze. “I know this.” He sighed. “They’re free fem. They have the right to choose, and we must abide by their choice.” Korgan swiveled his head back and forth. His eyes widened like a child seeing a thunderstorm for the first time. “Twig and Sammy aren’t your wives?” “They’re Godsends, newly arrived a few days ago.” Jamila kept her voice quiet and calm. She rose to her feet and wiped her hands on her pants legs. “I will go to Twig and Sammy now. I will tell them about the Promenade. Then take them to the Guild House where they can select Festival garb and prepare for tonight’s choosing.”
***** Sammy stopped in the corridor and let a bunch of giggling fem skip past her and Twig. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can stay here and work in the Healer’s Hall.” Twig turned around and looked over Sammy as if she had suddenly grown horns and a tail. “What’s gotten into you?” Her pensive gaze stopped at the strip of white fabric covering the nearly healed cut on Sammy’s neck. She reached out with a shaky hand and squeezed her arm. “I’m worried about your mental health. After all, you almost died. Are you sure you’re all right and not feeling post-traumatic stress? Just because that guy attacked you doesn’t mean you can spend the rest of your life hiding from danger. I want to do this. I’m not going to stay here and live like a nun. What about you?” Sammy opened her hands. Crescent-shaped gouges from her fingernails marked the palms. “I was wondering. We’re going to make a major decision in our lives tonight. Are we going to choose together or are we going to choose separately?”
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Twig’s eyes widened. “Why would we choose separately? Aren’t we in this together?” Sammy sagged back against the wall. “Me, too. I wanted to make sure we’re on the same wavelength here.” She tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. “Besides, we have a whole year to try out a family before we sign a permanent marriage contract. I didn’t want you thinking you were locked into going along with my choice if you didn’t want to.” Twig tsked and shook her head. “Girlfriend. We got into this reality together. We’re gonna stay together. And, if we can’t come to an agreement about which family we want to live with after we do this Promenade, we can always stay here and work in the Healer’s Hall until the next Promenade happens.” Sammy grinned at her. They linked hands and joined the crowd of fem and hem walking into the Guild House’s changing room. Silken fabrics in a startling array of pastels and metallic colors lay in haphazard mounds on the tables in the center of the room. More fabrics embroidered with seed pearls, sparkling jewels, multicolored feathers, and tiny gold and silver bells spilled from other tables. Mirrors and jars of paint waited along the back wall for them to add and admire the finishing touches to their outfits. Three fem and two hem prowled around the piles, selecting fabrics and trying on different combinations. Two more fem pinned a pair of oversized orange butterfly wings on a third hem’s flowing purple gown. Silver pins tipped with pearls fastened the ends of the gown at both shoulders. The fabric was so thin and transparent, it displayed voluptuous breasts and the bulbous head of a half-roused cock nestled in the dark curls of his crotch to their best advantage. A silver belt cinched the waist, and silver beads decorated the long black braid of hair coiled around his head like a crown. A fem with coal-black skin and fire-engine–red hair posed in front of mirror in a white fur thong. Silver rings pierced her ears and nipples. More silver beads and pearls dangled around her neck. Another silver ring pierced her navel. Tiny white feathers adorned her hair. She looked over her shoulder at the taut curves of her ass and legs, picked up a jar, dipped her finger into it, and proceeded to paint white swirls on her buttocks, arms, legs, and stomach. Sammy hurried over to the tables with Twig. Regardless of the outcome, just participating was going to be a blast. She missed the simple pleasure of getting dressed up in sexy outfits and going out on the town. It didn’t take long to find two pairs of white suede thongs and bras decorated with cobalt blue fringe and beads. Then she picked out two pairs of matching thigh-high suede boots. “What about these? We can use feathers, those turquoise and silver necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and blue body paint to complete our outfits.” Twig looked her over from head to toe. She grinned and rubbed her hands together. “That’ll work. Those boots say ‘fuck me,’ and they’ll make my legs look even longer than they are. How about if I tie your hair up with ribbons and use a pair of silver skewers to hold
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everything together and make you look taller? You’ll look so sexy when I leave a few ringlets out to spiral down behind your ears and neck.” Sammy studied her friend’s face with a critical eye. Twig had acquired a light tan and a dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks since they’d arrived here. “I’ll paint blue daisies around our belly buttons, on our arms, legs, then our backs and butts.” She tapped her chin with her finger. “Blue eyelids and a line of tiny blue teardrops and swirls down our cheeks will add the finishing touches.”
***** Twig joined hands with Sammy. They strutted in their thigh-high boots along the crowded Promenade. Mem, hem, and fem eyeballed them with sizzling, carnal stares that shivered through Twig like lightning bolts. Her hard nipples pressed against the bra top while the suede thong rubbed against her clit with every step she took. Needless to say, her pussy reacted by saturating the thin strip of suede between her legs with her juices. All in all, she felt extremely sexy and horny right now. One thing for sure, with this culture, they didn’t have to worry about anyone yelling crude insults at them because they were holding hands. Besides, they’d been through so much together, Twig felt like she and Sammy were sisters now in addition to being best friends. The Promenade was a huge street that circled the fountain. Fem and hem strolled slowly around in the inner side of the street. Families with their children ambled in the opposite direction on the outer edge of the street. In the middle of the street, between the two lines of walkers, single mem, fem, and hem showcased their skills and work abilities in more direct fashion. Fifty drummers, mem, fem, and hem, stood and sat on the edge of a five-tiered fountain that dominated the center of the town square. Tall, feathered headdresses of white, red, blue, and green bobbed on their heads. Their drums ranged in size from bongo drums to four-foottall ones decorated with paint and beads. They laughed. Their rapidly moving hands pounded out a rousing mambo dance step that made your feet skip to the beat. Boom, boom, boom, boomatop, boomatop, boom, boom, boom. Giddy excitement pulsed through the air. Night had fallen. A cool breeze skipped along the street, trailing teasing fingers through hair and pressing loose clothing against bodies. A multitude of stars and two moons glittered above the courtyards, roofs, and treetops all around the town square. Multicolored orchids swayed in baskets hanging from poles affixed to walls and windowsills. The paving stones glowed in the streets and created magical trails of blue-green light. More glowstones lit up every available window, and metal sconces were affixed to the tops of lampposts. On the very outer edge of the Promenade, street vendors had set up stalls with hot and cold food and drink. The mouth-watering aromas of fried meats and spiced breads filled the air.
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A short, stocky guy with dark hair tied back in a ponytail and olive skin stood beside a portable forge and blacksmithing tools. He wore black leather pants and apron. His arms, shoulders, and chest bulged with muscle. He wasn’t as tall and strong as Goran, but then, he was only about eighteen or nineteen years old, hoping to either join a family or be claimed by one or more of the single fem and hem strolling around the inner circle. A dark-haired hem sat a few feet away upon a beautifully handcrafted chair. Two chests of drawers and small table also helped showcase his carpentry skills. A trio of brown-haired siblings who looked like they might be a year apart in ages wore plain black loincloths. Paint striped their brown-skinned bodies with white zigzags. Mem, fem, and hem, they stood in a triangular formation and juggled swords back and forth between them in a deadly display of flashing blades. Twig kept her pace slow and sedate just like the rest of the fem and hem on their side of the street, even though her heart was thumping overtime with all the sights bombarding her. “Whoa! Look at that!” She pointed at two guys wearing loincloths doing somersaults in the middle of the street. Sweat ran down their gleaming faces and bodies, highlighting their lean-muscled arms and legs and the tight, taut curves of their buttocks. Sammy nudged her in the side. “Over there to the right. I think those siblings are telepaths like Teoh.” Twig turned her head. This pair of siblings had their heads shaved on both sides, leaving a center strip of hair braided to their hips. The taller, older one had dark brown hair; the shorter, younger one had pale blond hair. Both wore flowing white pants in a thin, transparent fabric that highlighted their erect cocks. Matching silver nipple rings accented one’s very muscular and male chest and the other’s small, perky hem breasts. They waved at Twig and moved their hands and fingers in a series of rapid gestures and signs indicating their obvious interest and lack of vocal cords. “Whoa!” Sammy muttered. “Look at the arms and wrists on that hem.” She swiveled her head around. The hem in question stood proudly beside a table filled with glass bowls, vases, and statues. A dark brown leather apron protected his breasts, abdomen, crotch, and legs. Twig gave a soft whistle of appreciation. “You have to have strong wrists and arms to be a glassblower.” A brown-skinned mem wearing silky black breeches that matched his buzz-cut hair stood alone and proud. He tilted his head back, threw his arms wide, and sang a song of love and joy with a voice so pure and clean that Twig’s breath stopped in her throat. Two more ponytailed men clad in plain buckskin breeches showed off their pack of six dogs. The huge dogs watched their masters with alert, intelligent eyes. Their dark chestnut fur glowed with health. They sat, rolled over, crawled on their bellies, and played dead with both verbal commands and hand signals.
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“OhmyGod!” Sammy said. “Look at Drum. He and his family are decked out to the nines.” Twig looked. Not only were Drum and his family wearing filmy white robes and breeches, they had donned thick armbands of copper and silver from wrist to elbow, a multitude of glittering silver earrings, necklaces, nipple rings, and anklets. Their children skipped and danced proudly with their parents, wearing breeches and side slit tunics in shades of rust, cobalt, mint green, and magenta. Jamila and her family were next in line. Jamila and Tiana wore tunics of pale blue fabric. Matching circles of blue flowers crowned their heads. They’d left their hair long and loose. Korgan marched with his head held high behind them in plain white breeches and baby Dunar in a sling across his back. Jenner and the guys looked fabulous. They’d chosen pale suede loincloths and headbands to display their muscular mem and hem bodies. Sammy whispered, “No one’s choosing anyone yet.”
Boom, boom, boom, boomatop, boomatop, boom__boom boom. The musicians pounding their drums beside the Promenade kept perfect time with her heart. Twig whispered back. “Looks to me like if we appear too eager to choose, we’ll come across like dumb hicks from the country. Let’s keep walking around. I bet no one does any choosing until they’ve circled at least three times and eyeballed everyone.” She winked at Sammy. “Besides, this is fun. It’s like being at Mardi Gras, spring break, a Chinatown parade, and a Fourth of July celebration all wrapped up into one big package deal.”
***** The first circuit had been pure pleasure. Tallent’s sex had stiffened into rock-hard arousal when Twig and Sammy strutted past them on the other side of the Promenade. Those high boots showcased the delightful curves of their legs and brought all gazes to the tiny white triangles of velvet soft suede at their pubes and the high, tight globes of their buttocks. As for their breasts, the scraps of suede confining them teased all gazes with thoughts of pulling them off and sucking on their sweet nips. By the third circuit his seed sacs had swollen with painful urgency inside his breeches. Fear reached out with icy claws and ripped at his heart. He lengthened his stride until he paced Jamila. “They haven’t chosen yet. Do you think they changed their minds about us?” Jamila tilted her head, tapped her fingers on her chin and looked him over. She peered at the way his carefully styled dreadlocks rippled down to the middle of his back. She lowered her gaze to the lean muscles of his abdomen and the stiff bulge in his loincloth. The lascivious smile on her soft mouth matched the bright gleam in her eyes. She turned her head and studied the exposed curves of his ass. “Don’t worry so much. The night is young. I remember when Jenner and I chose you, Goran, and Niall. I’ve never regretted
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that choice, even if it took us five trips around the square before we found the courage to approach you.” She was right. He’d been in agony that night. Hoping and waiting and wondering if he’d have to return home in abject failure because no fem or hem wanted to sign a first-year contract of cohabitation with him and his best friends. Jenner strolled up beside them. He slanted a deliberate stare at the sword-juggling trio. “Jamila, what do you think of them? They look promising. If no one approaches them after two more circuits, how about if you and I see if they might want to live out in the middle of nowhere with our family?” Jamila pursed her lips and narrowed her gaze at the trio. “They show promising flexibility with their hand and eye skills. Still, Tallent is a much better warrior. He could teach them a lot about swordsmanship.” She tsked and shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. On the other hand, we’d gain a fem and a hem with the extra mem.” Jenner pointed at the carpenter. “What about that hem? We could always use one with his skills.” Tallent rolled his shoulders. At least their chattering assessment kept him from swiveling his head around and watching Twig and Sammy like a callow youth during his first choosing. They completed a fourth circuit, then a fifth. More and more fem and hem broke stride and ambled across the street. They completed a sixth circuit. Twig and Sammy crossed the street. Drum slowed his steps, waved, and smiled at both fem. They smiled, slowed their steps also, and exchanged softly voiced words -- words the drumbeats kept him from hearing. Tallent’s heart slammed against his chest. No! Twig shook her head. Sammy laughed and shook her head also. They strolled past Drum’s family. Long, carnal, pelvic-grinding strides bounced and jiggled the bright blue flowers painted on their lithe bodies to their best advantage. His mouth went dry. Both fem walked up to Jenner and Jamila and clasped hands with them. “We’ve decided to choose you and your family. Do you accept our choice?” Jenner and Jamila shouted, “Yes! We accept your choice.” The booming drumbeats from the Promenade musicians thundered to a crescendo along with his soaring heart. He jumped with joy, pumped his fisted hands above his head and shouted, “Yes!”
*****
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Sammy grabbed Twig by the arm, pulled her back from climbing the short flight of stone steps to the pavilion and whispered, “Now I’m scared. What if we screw things up and they don’t want us to stay with them after our first year of trial marriage.” Twig’s eyes widened. “Then we better make sure that doesn’t happen, right?” Sammy nodded. “Right.” They squared their shoulders, marched up the steps, and joined Jamila and her family in front of a long, wooden table. A dark-robed trio -- one of each sex, of course -- waited with somber-faced dignity behind the table. The hem member of the trio had light green eyes. He peered at them and pursed his lips. “You are aware this is a temporary contract and there will not be a full ceremony and festivities until a full year has passed?” Sammy glanced at Twig. She had gone totally white beneath her light tan. Great! Now that they’d come to the moment of truth, Ms. Yakkity-Yak had lost the power of speech. What would she be like a year from now? Would she run for the hills rather than go through a full marriage ceremony? “We understand.” The fem tapped her finger on a sheet of paper inscribed with weird squiggles and dots. “Can you read or write? Do you have a scriber among you to bear witness to your marks?” Jamila pushed Korgan forward. “He is our scriber.” Korgan leaned over the table and read the writing on the paper. Sammy pulled Twig closer and muttered, “I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna make sure he teaches us how to read and write in their language. This is ridiculous.” Korgan stepped back. “The contract is valid. I will witness their marks.” Sammy bit her lip and tried not to giggle while they all stepped up, one at a time, picked up the sticks, dipped them in black ink and inscribed an X on the bottom of the document. When everything was said and done, she shared a triumphant smile with Twig. Joy flew through her in a heart-stopping rush. Oh, yes! They’d come a long way in the past week, from sheer terror while running away from enormous rats, to love and safety with their new family. One thing for sure, she had every intention of having tons of fun during the next year loving them back with all her heart and soul. A lot could happen in a year’s time, but no matter what, she was gonna make sure they didn’t screw up.
Barbara Karmazin With twenty-nine and a half years of experience as a bilingual (Spanish/English) caseworker under her belt, Barbara Karmazin utilizes a unique blend of multicultural knowledge for her Science Fiction. She incorporates the same sense of adventure and wonder to her SF/Erotica stories. Barbara loves new ideas and is willing to write about all versions of sexuality, both human and alien, while maintaining a fast paced SF adventure plot that will leave you gasping in more ways than one. Affectionately known by the nickname of ‘Chainsaw’ by her many critique partners, she brings a fresh look and enthusiasm for ‘out of the box’ SF/Fantasy and Paranormal Erotica and Romance stories. Check out Barbara’s website at http://www.sff.net/people/selkiewife/, or send an email to her at
[email protected].
***** Read on for a tantalizing glimpse of
The Devil’s Triangle by Alyssa Brooks Available Now from Loose Id
The Devil’s Triangle Joe was a tickler. He used his tongue, his fingers, his breath, with soft, barely contacting strokes. As they brushed over her skin, tingles of excitement ran straight to her sex. His every ministration made her arch and twist. Her pussy clenched. Her whole body went hot and needy with every whisper of his attention. The way he touched her, it was easy to imagine he was Josh. Josh had touched her like that. Gently. Teasingly. Just enough to drive her absolutely crazy for more, but never enough to fulfill her heightening needs. Not until he was ready to release her. As she envisioned her late husband, instead of the stranger above her, tingles of hot, wanton need flooded her. Her body had not been touched in so very long. Once started, she could not stop. The switch had been flicked on. She was hungry. Famished. She needed to be fulfilled. Her breasts ached, her nipples having grown so intensely hard they were like two mountainous peaks jutting from her mounds. Every inch of her skin prickled. Burned. Ached. Especially her pussy, which constantly contracted as if begging to be filled. And yet, Joe's every touch felt empty. Not tantalizing enough. Despite the raw need flooding through her, it was Gage her mind wished for. Gage she wanted touching her. The lust controlling her moves felt empty. Driven as she was, it was like apple pie without whipped cream. Just not satisfying. The low-to-the-floor hammock rocked back and forth under them. They sank so close to the ground, her bare ass breezed across the rough wooden floorboards. Joe bent his head to her breasts, juggling them in his grasp as he licked at her nipples. His tongue traced over the areolas, moving so slowly, she wanted to kick him into gear. Forever he licked at her breast, teasing every inch of the sensitive skin. The words burned in her. She wanted to scream, “Enough!” She wanted to beg for something more. Maybe she should stop this. Yet, she couldn't. Her body and mind were such a mess, no decision seemed right. Her sex was a hot tunnel, pulsing with need to be fulfilled after all these years. She was so wet, so overtaken by pulsing need. Every inch of her skin was alive, burning with lust at every touch. But her mind was a battlefield of emotions. She needed Joe. She needed Josh. She wanted Gage. And suddenly, to her surprise, he arrived, like her thoughts had hook and reeled him in. She heard him before she saw him, the jangle of the curtain of shells brushing aside. His steps were light, pausing as he stepped in the room. She did not need to see him to know. She could feel him. His ache.
Alyssa Brooks
Arching her back, she rolled her head to look at him. His lips curled, his gaze that of an animal. Clearly, he was jealous. But even more, his stare was ravenous. “Gage,” she whispered. Joe scooted off her, allowing her to sit. She dangled her feet over the hammock, her heels brushing the floor as it rocked. Joe bent before her on one knee. His hands ran over her legs in his soft way, and she shuddered. The nearer his fingers drew to her pussy lips, running over her thigh where her honey dampened her legs, the more she was flooded by wanton ideas. Gage was here. She was ready. If only ... She couldn't utter the words. Couldn't push Joe away. Didn't want to. Yet ... To her surprise, Joe glanced at Gage with a blank look. For a moment he just stared at him. Hard. Then he continued his hot, ravenous kisses over her breasts. “I want you, Cheri.” He sucked hard, really hard, pulling her nipples between his teeth. They stretched and popped from his mouth. Now they were so hard they felt as if they would explode. His mouth trailed over her, then abruptly stopped. He grasped her sides, lifting her. In one abrupt, unexpected movement, he sat on the hammock and pulled her onto his lap. His cock plunged into her, invading so deep he butted up against her womb. Her tunnel stretched to accommodate him, having not had sex in so long. She cried out in shock, pleasure, and even slight pain. She hadn't expected that. Immediately Joe began to ram into her. At the same time, an animalistic growl emanated from Gage. He sounded like a tiger ready to attack. Was Joe trying to start a fight? Joe's thrusts increased, his pace faster and more driven. He reached around to pinch at her nipples, as if to assert his dominance. They rolled under the pressure his fingers applied. “I know you want me. But you want him, as well. I'm willing to compromise, let you get him out of your system now. Because when you're mine, you're mine, and that will be soon. But tonight, I'll share you.” Cheri opened her mouth to speak, her mind whirling. Never had any such thing been proposed to her. She looked to Gage, her insides trembling. How he would react? Surely he would do no such thing. Surely she wouldn't. Would she? What was wrong with her? This wasn't something she'd do. Was it? Gage's tongue flicked over his full lips. “Don't say anything.”
*****
The Devil’s Triangle
What people are saying about
The Devil’s Triangle The Devil’s Triangle starts off with a bang and keeps you involved in this well paced story… It’s a keeper that fans of sexy paranormal romances will certainly enjoy! -- Patrice Storie, Just Erotic Romance Reviews
The Devil’s Triangle stretches your imagination…The sex is raw and uninhibited. With dueling story lines, interpersonal conflicts, and those pesky little island rules to get around, you’ll be entertained throughout. -- Holly, Euro-Reviews This is a touching story of a mother and a son who have to come to terms that both are adults, and can choose their own paths when it comes to their lives… Alyssa Brooks has written another top notch story. -- Shayla Quote, Romance Junkies