Invasion of Her Heart (7 page)

“Why would you want me to have her too, when you’ve already claimed her?” Volund stared at him with annoyance mixed with confusion.

“First, I sense she’s your mate as well as mine.” Gesturing wildly, Jaxxon shook his head. “I know it sounds insane, but I sense it here,” he tapped the center of his chest and then touched one temple, “and here. Also, what if we don’t find more human females? Worse, what if you feel nothing for any of the extractees we bring back to this time period? I can’t bear the thought of you being alone.”

“Is it your heart or your guilt speaking, brother?” The harshness in Volund’s voice urged a pang of worry through Jaxxon.

“Both.” With a heavy sigh, Jaxxon conveyed his feelings through his eyes. “I don’t want Venus to feel as though we’re sharing her because she’s possibly the only woman, or that we have no regard for her feelings, but if you just spend time with her, I think y

You’ll both realize there’s something drawing us together in this mating trinity. If, once you’ve spend some time with her, you still think I’ve acted selfishly, then I’ll let the matter drop.” He stepped out of the crushed bricks and debris, closed his eyes, and vanished.

***

Tonto ran ahead of Venus, sniffing the ground and blowing puffs of dust up with each snort. Old rusted playground toys lay in waste across the park. Venus could almost see the children of the past laughing and squealing with joy as they played. A single tear slipped down her cheek, the flash of a past memory surfacing, of her mother as she pushed Venus on one of the swings. She stepped up to one of the metal chains that once held a leather seat and ran her hand down it.

“When I was a child, my mother and father used to bring me here to play. The swings were always my favorite. I used to pretend I was flying, soaring so high.” Venus turned and smiled at Volund as he stepped up behind her. “But that was ages ago.”

She moved back to the path and followed Tonto until they reached the far side of the park. “How is it that you can wear metal armor and yet it doesn’t make any noise when you walk? And isn’t it hot?”

Volund studied her as he walked beside her. “The metal only hardens when we are threatened; otherwise, it breathes like our skin does. It’s an organic matter, plentiful on our planet. It came in handy when we went into battle. On parts of our world we had weather like this, and that is where we found the substance. I could make armor for you, if you’d like. We have extra on our ship. I think it would be best for you to have it if you continue to move around here with those creatures lurking in dark areas.”

Buzzards circled up ahead of them, and Tonto whined, stopping to sample the air currents.

Venus frowned and joined Tonto where he stared down at the ravine that had opened up from the last earthquake, more than a year ago. The gorge stretched at least two miles, and from what she’d estimated, the earth’s crack was about fifteen feet deep. A lump with a white coat snagged her attention. She studied it for a moment. Suddenly realization hit her.

“Dr. Zeon, no!” Venus slid down the hill, tearing dirt and small rocks free to roll down the steep incline. She reached the body and knelt down beside her father’s friend and partner.

His skull had been crushed in. Bites covered his bruised and swollen body, and he clutched a small bag in one of his old, gnarled hands.

“You knew of this man?” Volund knelt next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“His name was Dr. Reginald Zeon. He worked with my parents in their lab. He left with the last group of survivors over two years ago. Dr. Zeon wanted me to go with them, but I refused, since Randle, who I hate, was part of their group. I don’t understand why Dr. Zeon is here, though.” She reached out and took the small, white-leather satchel and opened it. Inside lay his journal and two metal vials that looked like medicine.

Venus pushed everything back into the bag and closed it. She tossed the case into her hunting pack. “I hate to leave him like this, but I have no choice. We can’t be out here when the sun is at its hottest, and we still have a mile to go before we reach my hunting perch.” Venus stepped around the body and continued on her trek.

“I can come back and bury him, if you’d like.” Volund once again draped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

“He won’t be there when we come back this way. The Bone Eaters will drag him off and eat him. They’re most likely watching us right now, but the sun is rising higher, so they’ll not come out now.”

Ka and Ino grunted and dug at the ground behind them.

Venus turned, stepping out of Volund’s grasp, and watched them. “What are they doing?”

Volund laughed. “It seems our pets have found something to eat. Watch.” They dug harder, dirt flying. In seconds, Venus heard the hiss of a snake.

She started to stop them, but Volund grabbed her. “They love snakes. On our planet, we never had to worry about the poisonous ones, because our pets think they’re treats.”

Shaking her head, Venus slipped out of Volund’s hold and pressed on. Every time he touched her, she couldn’t think straight. The crotch of her shorts was already damp, and she didn’t need the Bone Eaters catching a whiff of her intimate scent.

“You know, you really shouldn’t touch me like that.” Venus peeked over at Volund, and he smiled at her.

“And why shouldn’t I touch you? I happen to like the feel of your skin. It’s soft against mine.” He stepped in front of Venus, invading her personal space, and gazed down at her. Volund smelled of something foreign, something she didn’t recognize, but all the same, his presence calmed and simultaneously excited her. He gripped both of her arms, sliding his hands down until his callused fingers twined with her smaller more slender ones. He brought her hands up and kissed each her of knuckles.

Venus thought it was hot earlier, but now her body was burning up from more than just the sun. She recognized the warrior in him, but when Volund touched her as if she were a fragile porcelain doll, she didn’t know what to think or how to act.

It bothered her that she was so turned on by not just one man, but two.

Disturbed by the sensations coursing through her, Venus retreated a couple of steps and stumbled, but Volund steadied her so she could get her bearings again.

“Venus?” he pressed. The irises of his eyes flared.

“Because you’re distracting me,” she finally responded with a tremor in her voice. “And I don’t need the Bone Eaters picking up my scent.” She winced at her choice of words.

Volund pulled her tighter to his side, his armor disappearing to reveal—Venus gulped, disbelieving her eyes—ten-pack abs underneath. She ran her hands up his chest and tried to push back.

“Why would your scent be any different, Venus?” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and then snapping them open. His pupils flickered. “Ah, so my touch excites you? Then maybe we should go back and explore the possibilities?” He leaned close and scraped his teeth against her neck.

“Stop it, Volund! I have to hunt today. We need the meat. Fruit and vegetables only go so far.” She ducked under his arm, escaping. “And there will be no exploring of
anything
. You and your brother both need to slow down.” She desperately needed space. Every time either of the big warriors encroached on her personal space, her brain shut down and her senses spun out of control. With determination, she took off jogging toward her hunting perch.

Chapter Seven

Resting on her belly across the tree stand’s platform, Venus shifted her M-16 and pointed it out over the abandoned soccer field as she waited and hoped for game to appear. Although a bit stunted, the oak tree was still stout enough for the hunting perch. Volund lay half on top of her. She liked the touch of his body, but at the same time, it overwhelmed her. For crying out loud, she’d already told him she needed some space. She glanced down at the ground ten feet away. She could just climb down and find a hiding place in the bushes instead, but the heat and humidity drained her resolve.

“Could you at least allow me some room to shoot, if given the opportunity?” She pressed her elbow into his ribs. “Please?”

He didn’t move, so she tried a different tactic.

“Tell me about your wife, Volund. How long were you two together?”

He stiffened and rolled to his side as if he felt guilty for touching her. “We were together for over forty of your Earth years. We grew up in the same village, and I knew she was meant to be mine.” Volund sighed and draped one leg over her hips and thighs. He settled his hand on her lower back and rubbed the bare skin there. “On our planet, she was a healer. She helped deliver babies and healed women’s injuries. She would always tell me I needed to relax more, that I was too protective of her, but look what happened. I listened to her and went hunting, leaving her unprotected. Now she’s gone.”

As she listened to his story, the pain in his words still seemed fresh. Venus marveled over how his background and loss seemed to affect her. She twined her fingers with his, bringing them up to kiss his hand. “Volund, how were you to know raiders would destroy your village? Your wife sounds like she was a lovely woman.” She waited until Volund met her gaze and then said, “Tell me something. If the reverse happened and you were killed instead of her, would you want her to withdraw from living life to the fullest and become a mere shell of who she once was?”

He tensed.

“You’re a very handsome man, Volund. What if there’s a mate here on Earth for you? Would you deny her your love?”

He said nothing.

Venus looked back out across the field. “How old are you?”

Volund laughed. “We stopped aging at the human age of twenty five. I’m one hundred and forty Earth years, and you think me handsome?”

“One-hundred-and-forty-years old? Now I know you two are too old for me. As far as handsome goes, I haven’t seen many men for a while, so maybe I need to see a few more before I can really judge.” Venus laughed, trying to lighten his mood.

His grip tightened around her hand. “Why did you lie about your doctor friend?”

Guilt slid over her, heating her skin even more. She’d forgotten about her little white lie. “It was a way to warn you and your brother off when you showed up in my quarters. What did you expect me to do? Jump into your arms? I had no idea who you two were or what you might do to me, so I lied about having a man around.”

Volund nodded, comprehension in his eyes. “I would have done the same if I had been in your position.” With his thumb, he stroked the skin on the top of her hand. Even that gentle touch fired lust through Venus. “You don’t need to see any other men, and being older does have some advantages.”

She turned to laugh at him, but as she did so, Volund captured her head between his hands, bringing his lips down to hers. He slid his tongue into her mouth and wrapped it around hers, stroking it. The taste of him was similar to his brother but with more spice, as if he’d eaten something loaded with ginger and cinnamon, and the residue still lingered upon his tongue.

Venus moaned. Her nipples hardened, and her pussy heated.
Not again. I just made love to Jaxxon a few hours ago…but…this seems so natural!

He broke the kiss, pulled her rifle out of her hand and flipped her onto her back. “It seems my brother was right. You are beautiful—and it also seems you might be destined to mate with both of us.” He kissed down her neck to the vee of her shirt and then between her breasts.

“Volund, we’re here to hunt. Besides, I belong to no one unless I choose it.” Venus tried to push him back, but he grabbed her wrists gently with one hand and held them above her head.

“Ino and Ka will alert us when an animal comes close,” he mumbled against her bosom as he used his finger armor to cut her T-shirt in half, exposing her breasts. “And you have the right to deny me, so speak now if you do not want me as a mate.”

She sighed, fighting the intense craving that grew steadily in her loins. “Funny, your brother said the same thing last night.”

***

Volund didn’t know what was coming over him. He had to have Venus, had to make her his. No, he couldn’t do that. She was already Jaxxon’s. Wait, what had he said earlier?

‘Spend time with her, see how you feel about her and let her do the same with you. She is stubborn, but beneath her rock-hard exterior is a woman who wants someone to love.’

Nuzzling her neck, Volund contemplated his brother’s words. Could it be true?

Was it possible Venus was destined to be both his and Jaxxon’s mate? If she accepted him, then could they both love her without fighting over her? As he kissed up her throat and captured her mouth, locking lips with her, her contented sigh spoke volumes to Volund.

She is ours! We belong together, as three!

He deepened the kiss, his tongue delicately entering her mouth. She murmured her approval and smoothed her hands over his shoulders, down his back.

Desire raced through Volund, rendering him momentarily breathless. His sapin hardened and pushed against its thin covering. He shifted so his hips lay half across Venus’s.

“I don’t want you to feel as though Jaxxon and I are taking advantage of you,” he said, once he broke the kiss. “You do have a choice. However, you must know that both my brother and I have this sense about you, and it whispers that something has brought us together to become three—a trinity mating. Jaxxon wants you to be happy, Venus, and that is my true desire as well.” He nuzzled her neck. “This is your last chance. Tell me no, and I will leave you alone.”

“I want you,” Venus gasped. She stared up at him with large, light-brown eyes. Need swirled in them. “I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t help myself. Make love to me, Volund.”

With a low growl, he claimed her lips once more. He stroked her tongue with his, and she moaned into his mouth, arching her hips. The pressure of her pelvis against his member forced his lust to jump several degrees. He groaned and ravaged her mouth. She fell lax under him, her body soft, pliant, willing.