Alcandian Soul Read online

  “Look out, Cass-girl…here comes reality again.” She chuckled at her own sarcasm and wrinkled her nose as she caught a whiff of her own dirty skin.

  Smoothing a hand over her arm, she marveled at the smooth skin. No discomfort, just silky skin. The pool was still visible and it looked way too inviting to her sore body.

  She glared at the curtain that was a sorry excuse for a door in her opinion. Looking at the three plush armchairs, she pushed one of them across the floor. The thing was heavy and it took all her strength to shove it into the doorway. Maybe it wouldn’t block the view completely but it would give her some warning if company showed up.

  Two minutes later she was in the water and a little purr escaped her lips. She played with the buttons, pushing different ones as she experimented with different heat levels and combinations. There wasn’t a bar of soap—she pressed a button and the water somehow cleaned all the oil and grime right off her skin. Cassandra hesitated as she considered dunking her head. Her hair was nowhere near the long, lush length that Zeva and Jessica sported but it was her one feminine attribute. Currently it was braided and pinned to her head in compliance with Army dress code. The last thing she wanted was to lose it because of the bathing pool’s ability to remove hair.

  Lifting her arm, she compared one hand to the other. Tiny blonde hair still covered one hand while the other was smooth. Apparently the pool wasn’t malfunctioning. Pulling the pins out of her hair, she combed her fingers through it before submersing. Covered in water, Master Lee’s fish image sprang to mind, making her laugh.

  She’d sure like to be able to leave without disturbing the local pond to alert the warriors to her passing. She pushed up out of the water as a twist of pain went through her heart. It was deep and she shivered as her eyes stung with unshed tears. She stood in shock at the emotional response to leaving Alcandar. Her logical brain struggled to absorb it as the pain bled through her. That sort of tightening in your heart that only someone who had endured a broken heart could understand.

  Even her temper didn’t rise to help her combat that unexpected reluctance to leave. The pool lost all its allure as she stepped out of it. Water trailed across the tile floor as she moved towards the closet, looking for something to dry off with. She shivered again as the night air blew right in through the open window.

  “Warriors’ Hall means man temperature,” Cassandra grumbled as she fumbled with a large fluffy fabric that looked sort of like a towel. Cole and Dyne sprang into her thoughts as she struggled to cover her skin. Goose bumps covered her limbs while she fought with the oversized piece of fabric. Thinking about them instantly soothed the ache that had been twisting her heart.

  She didn’t argue but instead enjoyed recalling exactly how they complemented one another. Cole was blond, Dyne dark. Boy, if they hadn’t kidnapped her she just might be tempted to sample a wild night of ménage fantasy. A girl couldn’t ask for better partners. Her nipples tingled as she recalled exactly how interested both warriors had been in doing exactly that. Their cocks hard and pressing against her, betraying their own emotions even if their faces didn’t tell her very much. At least she wasn’t the only one dealing with the odd attraction. It was meager comfort, but kind of soothing at least from the angle that she could do something about the throb in her clit if she wanted. Well, that wouldn’t be happening any time soon because she was still miffed at Cole and his buddy Dyne.

  They should have just kept her to begin with.

  Her eyes widened as she tugged on the fabric and tossed a bunch of it over her shoulder like a toga. Oh great! Just what she needed, her own brain was turning traitor.

  “The purple one is smaller and constructed for females.”

  Cassandra jumped again. She twisted around and stumbled back a step into the closet. Dyne offered her a satisfied grin right before his eyes surveyed her body. Her skin tingled as his gaze slipped down her length. Dyne didn’t rush either, the warrior knew she was watching him and wanted her to know that he enjoyed looking at her.

  “Although, I believe the larger one is wiser at this moment.” Dyne’s voice was dark and husky. There was a soft warning edge it that made her passage ache. Cassandra tore her eyes away from Dyne, searching for Cole. Jesus! She had to remember to keep an eye out for the other one.

  Cole sat the chair down in its original location. She glared at his ability to lift the thing when she’d been reduced to shoving it across the tile. He straightened up and caught her look. “No one will enter without your permission.”

  “Oh really? Then you two are a figment of my imagination, right?”

  Cole offered her a shrug as she raised an eyebrow at him. “We are different.”

  “You will become accustomed to us.” Dyne’s voice was rich with determination now. “On Alcandar we like to begin with sharing a meal to learn about each other.”

  “Sure, we do that on Earth too. It’s called a date, and I’m not dating you.”

  Cassandra tried to sound firm but it was really a test of her character considering she was wearing a towel toga and her hair was slowly dripping. The weird thing about it was the way both warriors looked at her. Pleasure lit their eyes, and it wasn’t the sort of look that any male could fake. They were attracted to her—plain, simple and undeniable. It was humbling in a way because she was completely stripped of all of the things that she might normally thought made her attractive. It was just her. About the only thing that she might even consider date-worthy was the fact that she was clean. The knowledge made her uncomfortable as she grappled with a ripple of shame over her surly attitude. Guys who valued a girl for her inner self were rare and definitely not in the jerk category. According to that logic, she should be savoring the encounter, not mouthing off to them.

  She was suddenly tired. So bloody fatigued she ached with it.

  Cassandra gasped as she felt Dyne inside her mind once again. She was too practical to just toss out any possibility of believing in the fact that the warrior could touch her mind. It felt too real. “Excuse me, Dyne, but get out of my head. Please.”

  The huge warrior actually offered her a half bow but a satisfied smile turned his lips. “You will learn to enjoy the feeling.”

  That actually frightened her. It was the sort of fear that was half excitement. The way you felt when you were going to attempt a daredevil stunt. Half your body was quivering with a rush of excitement while the logical part of your brain was warning you that you just might be dead before it was over. Spending the night pressed between the two hard, ultra-male bodies just might kill her, but it would be one hell of a ride.

  “I would enjoy privacy to get dressed.”

  In response, both warriors simply turned and faced the blue curtain. Their wide backs faced her. Their literal obedience made her temper simmer. Her eyes shot to Cole’s back as she detected a slight tremor in his torso. The brute was amused by his game.

  “Nice try, Somerton, but you know exactly what I meant.”

  Cole grabbed her gauntlet before it hit the floor. He turned and moved across the floor with amazing speed. She’d somehow gained a false sense of security, thinking he was at arm’s length. Two seconds after tossing his surname at his back, she was pressed against his frame once again. This time, when their eyes meet, she stared at him, anticipating the blue electric light. It shot through his eyes like lightning in a storm bank, hypnotic in its ability to strike her world without warning or any control.

  Yeah, that’s exactly what lightning was.

  Leaning down, Cole actually sniffed her skin next to her ear. His hands tightened slightly around her arms as his chest shook with a rumble. Oh, it was faint but she still caught the growl that rose from his throat. The sound shot down her spine and sent her clit into a tempo that terrified her with its sudden and acute appearance.

  “Let loose.” Her best enlisted Army woman voice flung that command at Cole. His fingers were loosening even as his eyes narrowed with annoyance. Her feet touched the tile and she sighed
with relief right before Cole braced his hand on the wall behind her. His scent filled her nose as she frantically tried to clamp down on her own excitement. Heat was surging through her, making her skin ultrasensitive. Just a little touch would feel so good. She shivered as she anticipated Cole stroking her.

  “Deny you see it, Cassandra.” Cole’s voice was low but that didn’t hide the dangerous note in it. “Give me a reason to prove it to you.”

  There was no mistaking exactly what “it” was. The need to drop her toga and just be free flowed through her mind. Cole slowly pushed into her thoughts as she raised her eyes and stared into his once again. The temptation to double-check was too much. She watched the blue electricity with fascination this time, actually enjoying the hard reality. Sometimes it was a relief to know that your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you.

  But that didn’t change her reason for being mad at him. Raging hormones and all, she was not going to let sexual hunger transform her into a doormat for any male.

  “That wasn’t what made me mad and you know it, Somerton.” Cole’s cheek twitched as she very precisely pronounced his surname, making sure to hit all the syllables. “You understood what I meant when I asked for privacy. Maybe Dyne didn’t but you’re human. Playing stupid just makes you into another piece of brass that’s intent on dicking around with me.”

  Cole pulled a deep breath into his lungs. Cassandra’s scent flooded his brain as he clamped his attention around her words. She was being blunt and he deserved the kick in the pants. Calling him “brass” was harsh. The nickname for an officer was Cassandra’s way of telling him they would never be able to work their differences out. At least among the Army ranks that was true.

  “You’re not enlisted here on Alcandar.” Cole forced his hands to push off the wall. “But I was being a dick.”

  “What does that mean?” Dyne wasn’t happy. The warrior frowned at her and she felt a tingle of shame tugging at her cheeks for using so blunt a term, even if it did fit. Stepping away from Cole, Cassandra held on to her toga as she moved across the floor.

  “It means that there are males in the Army who forget that women can be very helpful and not just on their backs. I said ‘dicking around’ because Cole was thinking with his genitals and I don’t appreciate it.” Moving her eyes between both men, she straightened her spine and refused to budge. “Relationships are more than sexual appeal. You two might be able to corner me, and my body just might be interested in being overwhelmed, but that does not build trust. All it does it prove to me that you two are a pair of dicks who don’t much care about me beyond getting laid.”

  Harsh but true. She flinched at her own words but stood tall as Dyne and Cole absorbed them.

  Dyne suddenly grinned at her. “I understand. Your point is well-founded. We should be on equal terms.” His eyes flashed with warning right before he uncrossed his arms and unbuttoned his uniform coat. His fingers moved incredibly fast.

  “Don’t—”

  The rest of her protest died a smooth death as Dyne bared his chest. One hundred percent beefcake stood in front of her and her eyes drank in the sight. Her teeth bit into her lower lip as she tried not to notice the way her clit began throbbing again. This time, there was nothing her logic might say that was going to interfere in the heat surging though her blood. It moved down her body and into her belly. A deep need rose from her passage to be filled.

  “That isn’t what I meant, Dyne.” Her voice was a husky whisper, like something from a Forties movie. Dyne lifted a dark eyebrow at her before he moved closer. He stroked the side of her face with a warm hand and sensation ran through the skin-toskin contact. Pleasure shot down her nerve endings, increasing that need to join him in discarding her towel.

  “What you fail to understand, Cassandra, is that we are as surprised as you. The difference is that I have spent my adult life anticipating the moment that I might encounter my mate. Unlike humans, I have been raised to treasure this moment. You are reacting in shock, while I am eagerly enjoying my surprise.”

  Dyne fingered the part of the towel she had tossed over her shoulder. He slowly grasped it before pulling it towards him. The weight of it left her shoulder and that allowed the part that was wrapped around her breasts to begin to loosen. He might have snapped it off her, baring her instantly, but the slow motion made it so damn romantic. His words were settling in her heart, building on that idea that he found her attractive, uncombed hair and all. Cole tossed his uniform jacket on top of Dyne’s discarded one, teasing her with the fact that he was also bare-chested behind her.

  “But I confess to being extremely eager to unwrap my surprise and play with it.” Dyne gave a swift jerk on the towel before he released the corner he held. Gravity was working perfectly on Alcandar. The fabric slithered down her legs to pool around her ankles. His eyes swept her nude body as her breath caught in her throat. She felt both males inside her head as need flared up. It wasn’t a matter of resisting anymore, the distance between their bodies was too much to endure. She craved being pressed against Dyne and there was nothing more important than feeding her desire.

  “You are perfection, heloni.”

  Cassandra wasn’t sure what the endearment meant, only that it sounded incredibly sexy. Dyne’s voice was deep and husky. He moved forward and lowered his frame onto one knee. A moment later his hands gently touched her waist. His fingers fanned out, stroking her skin as he moved up towards her bare breasts. A hard chest pressed against her back as Cole joined their embrace. She caught his scent and the two combined in her senses, making her dizzy with the rapture. It was so complete, she willingly let herself drown in it.

  “Amazing, isn’t it, Cassandra?” Cole leaned over her neck as his hands closed around each of her hips. There was something ultra-intimate about the way he grasped her hips—it was a prelude to mating. His hold on her lower body, placing her at his command. A shiver shook her body as Dyne’s hands cupped her breasts.

  “I’m just as shocked as you are. Did you know that?” Cole leaned closer to her ear before he gently bit the lobe. Dyne’s thumbs rubbed over the hard points of her nipples and she shuddered as pleasure raced down to her clit. Never once had she noticed just how good a man’s hands could feel on her breasts. Cassandra opened her eyes and looked at Dyne. She suddenly understood exactly why his touch sent pleasure coursing through her.

  He wasn’t groping her. The warrior knelt in front of her and the look on his face was one of complete enjoyment. He wasn’t rushing her through the petting stage so that he could get to the fucking. Cole’s hands on her hips smoothed and massaged, only moving slightly over her belly before he returned to his starting point.

  The reason was simple. They were seducing her. Never once had she felt as valued as she did right there between them. They weren’t trying to lay her, they were attempting to make love with her.

  Cole’s lips grazed her neck and she lifted her chin to stretch out the column of her throat for him. A soft chuckle shook his chest as he began to lay a trail of light kisses along the sensitive skin. All of her nerve endings were alive and begging for their moment beneath his lips. Dyne leaned forward and gently licked one of her nipples. She shuddered harshly and Cole smoothed her back into place with his hold on her hips. Dyne growled softly around her nipple as his tongue flicked over it.

  All of her well-thought-out protests evaporated. There was no need to talk, only to feel. Sensation rose around her and her lovers as her hands stroked Dyne’s shoulders. The warrior muttered an approval as he moved to her opposite breast and licked the hard nipple waiting its turn. Cassandra trailed her fingers over the wide shoulders in front of her as Cole moved his hand lower across her belly. He teased the hair covering her mons as he gently bit her neck. The little bite stung, but the tiny pain increased the level of intensity. She wanted more of their strength.

  A mutter of delight escaped her lips and Cole felt his brain flood with need. He wanted to draw more of the same little sounds from her lips,
until she didn’t care what anyone thought and just screamed out her pleasure. It was a blunt craving, one fueled by the male-dominated culture on Alcandar. There was an unspoken respect for the warriors who managed to make their mates heard. But it was more intense than that. What truly drove the desire was the fact that Cassandra couldn’t continue her struggle once he’d proven just how much her body enjoyed his touch. He moved a hand over her belly and right into her slit. She shivered against his hold but her hips gave a small jerk towards his touch.

  “We promised to introduce you to Alcandian things you’d enjoy, didn’t we, Cassandra?”

  Her eyes flew open as Cole’s voice hit her. It was full of a dark promise and Dyne released her nipple in response. Dyne looked up at her face as Cole gently fingered her clit. Pleasure shot up her passage as her hips bucked towards that single point of contact, needing more pressure. Panic tried to claim her attention as she felt the unmistakable tightening of an approaching climax. Dyne cupped her chin and forced her gaze to connect with his as Cole began to rub her clit harder. She licked her lower lip as her panting breath dried out the sensitive tissue.

  “You are more beautiful than any dream, heloni.” Dyne’s voice was rough with emotion. He held her chin steady as a whimper broke through her lips. A hard glint entered his eyes before he let her go. He lifted one of her thighs up into the air as he moved his shoulder under her knee. Cole’s finger slipped away from her clit and she moaned at the loss. Need chewed at her to beg him to return and finish off the climax burning through her.

  She didn’t have to voice that need.

  Dyne smoothed her pubic hair away from her slit and leaned towards her. She cried out as his tongue touched her overstimulated clit. Cole caught her chin and turned her face back towards him. His mouth sealed the next cry inside her mouth as Dyne’s tongue flicked back and forth over her clit. Dyne cupped one side of her bottom to press her to his mouth. Cole’s tongue thrust deep inside her mouth and her body clenched as pleasure tightened around her clit. The climax broke and she yelled because it was impossible to contain anything. Her body was one huge mass of intensity that refused to be contained. She bucked towards Dyne as Cole clamped her head in place to capture her cry with his kiss. One thick finger penetrated her sheath as the pleasure ripped through her. The walls of her passage tried to grip that digit as she leaned completely on Cole. Her heart was racing as she tried to draw enough oxygen into her lungs to keep up with the muscle. Her body relaxed completely as Dyne withdrew his finger and lowered her thigh. Her face turned scarlet as she recognized exactly what she’d allowed to happen. Cole stroked the burning surface of her face as a cocky grin met her embarrassed look.