My Chameleon Loves [Galactic Nuptials 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (14 page)

Jeni pulled her hands away. “Whoa, big guy. Let’s take one step at a time. I’m not ready for the pitter-patter of little feet just yet.”

Zin laughed. “That’s good because neither are we. We want children eventually, but we’d like a few years to enjoy just being a family before we expand.”

“Well, tell me what being your mate will entail. What will I do? For that matter, what do the two of you do?”

Zin laid back, his hands behind his head. “You’d live with us as our wife in the main palace. Our father delegates various responsibilities to each of us.”

“What kind of responsibilities?”

“For instance, Kernz is in charge of agriculture for the planet. He works with our scientists to determine maximum yields for our crops, as well as brokering the agreement with the Federation of Planets for spots on this and five other food planets.”

“What are you responsible for, Zin?”

“I’m in charge of the military. I work with our military leaders in training our troops for the defense of the planet, and I’m responsible for making trade agreements with other worlds.”

“Like the one you made with Earth that you made me a part of?”

Kernz snickered and placed a kiss on her cheek. “You were the best trade agreement he ever made, love.”

Zin scowled. “To answer your question, yes, like the agreement I made with Earth that brought you here. They’re very interested in a mineral we have an abundance of that when burned is a clean source of energy.”

Jeni bit her lip and studied Zin’s face. “What did you get out of the bargain, besides me?”

Kernz pushed the stray hairs behind Jeni’s ear. “They agreed to let us send small groups to the planet several times a year to look for potential mates. There’s a great female shortage in our people. Since we found you, we know for a fact there could be more fated mates amongst your people. We traded minerals for the right to come and visit so we could search for our Laan Asawa.”

Jeni leaned back. She never imagined her world making such an agreement. But, it really didn’t sound all that awful. They weren’t forcing the women, only allowing the men to come and search. She glanced at Zin. “They won’t force the women to leave Earth, will they?”

“No, of course not. They search for their mates, and if they find them they stay on Earth for a period of courtship. They would only bring a mate back to Arridia if she were totally willing.”

Kernz sat up. “If you come to Arridia you’ll be given some type of responsibility in time. For a while you’ll spend time with a tutor that will help you learn about our history and customs.”

Zin got to his knees and took her right hand while Kernz went to his knees and took her left. They both bowed low, and then Zin looked up. “Jenilyn Montgomery, I am the alpha member of my family unit and acknowledge you are our Laan Asawa. I offer you my heart and my home. Will you come with me to our home on Arridia and let me love you and comfort you and protect you for the rest of our lives?”

Kernz looked up. “Jenilyn Montgomery, I am the beta member of our family unit and acknowledge you are our Laan Asawa. I offer you my heart and my home. Will you come with me to our home on Arridia and let me love you and comfort you and protect you for the rest of our lives?”

Jeni looked at both men and felt her eyes fill with tears. She should have some sort of formal acceptance. She smiled and let her fingers lace through theirs. “Zintssar and Kernztssar, I would be honored to go with you back to Arridia as your mate. I’m not sure how, but I’ve fallen in love with the two of you. I can promise you I’ll be the best wife I can. I’ll love you and take care of you for as long as I live.” Both men surged to their feet, letting their arms tighten around her as they pulled her with them. Jeni giggled. “Never in a million years did I think I’d get something like a marriage proposal from two men while I wasn’t wearing any clothes.”

Zin leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Jeni opened and let his tongue in, reveling in the feel of his licking the inside of her mouth. Panting, he rested his forehead against hers. “I promise you’ll have the best finery Arridia offers for our mating ceremony.”

She stiffened. “Wait a minute. You said a mating ceremony involved sex.”

Kernz threw back his head and laughed. “No, love. A binding ceremony involves sex. We’ll take care of that before we leave Kilara so you’re fully our mate when we return home. The mating ceremony is like your Earth weddings. It’s a ceremony for the people that lets them meet their future queen.”

Jeni groaned. “Future queen!”

Zin rubbed his hand up and down her back. “Relax, flower. There’s plenty of time for you to get used to the idea. Our father is still young, and it will be years before he’s ready to step down.”

Kernz stiffened. “Shhh.” He stared intently over Jeni’s head.

“What is it?” asked Zin.

“Get dressed. We’re going to have company.”

Zin grabbed Jeni’s clothes and thrust them into her hand. “You heard my brother. Get dressed quickly.” He glanced at Kernz. “Can you tell who?”

Kernz raised his head, sniffed the air and then cursed. “I can smell Rich and two scents I’m not familiar with.”

Zin pulled his shirt over his head. “Where the hell are Rmantk and the others? How would we have gotten strangers here when the shuttle is not due until tomorrow?”

“I have no idea, but right now we need a plan. Did you bring any weapons with you?”

“No, everything is in my pack back at the cabin.”

“We’ve got to find a place to hide Jeni. We know Rich has a weapon.”

Jeni grabbed Zin’s arm. “If you can smell Rich, I wonder where Danny is?”

Zin shrugged. “No point in guessing. Come on and we’ll find a safe place to stash you while we deal with this trash.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the rocky outcroppings. Moving her quickly to the other side of the falls, he stopped and stared intently toward the rocks. “Do you see it, Kernz?”

Jeni frowned and peered at the waterfall. “See what?”

Kernz moved forward and smiled. “Perfect. We can protect her easily. There’s only one vulnerable side.”

Jeni felt childish stamping her foot. “See what?”

Zin patted her shoulder and took her hand again. “It’s a cave, flower. We’ll hide you there and take up positions out here to take out anyone that gets close.”

Jeni spotted the small opening behind a group of large bushes. She let Zin pull her toward the cave, her feet slowing automatically. “Shouldn’t you like, check it out first? I mean, maybe it’s already home to somebody, or something.”

He patted her shoulder. “Relax, flower. We could scent if there were anything or anyone inside. I promise you’ll be safe and we’ll be right out here close enough for you to scream if you sense danger.”

Jeni bit her lip and opened her mouth to argue, then purposefully clamped her lips together. She gave a hesitant nod and moved toward the cave. There was bright sunlight at the entrance, diminishing to total darkness deeper into the cavern. She hesitated when she inhaled the stale air heavy with the smell of stagnant water. She could hear the muffled sounds of wind in the trees outside.

“See,” Zin said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Jeni took a couple of steps and shivered. “Easy for you to say.” The dirt floor was littered with dead leaves and twigs. She tripped on an exposed root, her hand landing on the stone wall slick with dripping water. She pulled her hand back quickly, wiping the moisture on her pants. “I should probably tell you now. If I bump into some big spider web, I’m screaming and running for home.”

Zin chuckled and hugged her close. “Stay here, flower. Try to be as quiet as you can. We’re going to find out what these men want, and then we’ll be back for you. Do not come out for anyone except Kernz, myself or one of your guards.”

“I can’t believe you told me they were just friends from Arridia.”

“My apologies, my Laan Asawa. We did not think you were ready to know the truth.”

“Yeah, well I’ll forgive you this time, but from now on only the truth please.”

“You have my word, flower.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best to stay quiet until you come back, but you have to promise me you’ll be back and that you’ll be careful. Rich has a mean streak, and he’s capable of just about anything.”

“Don’t worry, love. We’ll come back to you. And don’t be afraid. We’ll be close enough to hear if you need help.”

Jeni watched as Zin walked out. He took a moment to move some more brush in front of the opening, plunging her hiding place into total darkness.

* * * *

Zin moved quietly to join Kernz where he hid in some brush. “Did you find out who’s out there?”

“There are at least three males. Rich and Danny plus a stranger. I haven’t seen any of our guards. Do you suppose these men took them out?”

Zin shook his head. “Unlikely. They’re no match for Rmantk and his men. My guess would be Rich and Danny left the farm during the night without our knowledge. I think we let security get lax in the past few days because we knew they were leaving.”

“How do you want to handle this since we don’t know who the other men are?”

Zin smiled. “Maybe it’s time for them to learn what we can do.” He stood up and looked up at the suns, clasping his hands together over his chest. He closed his eyes and felt a ball of heat surround him. He gritted his teeth as his bones popped, his skin stretching, and his face lengthening. Slowly he turned into a Hayop, a beast of his own world. He now resembled an Earth panther, only bigger. He knew he was an impressive sight, almost fifteen feet in length and a good five feet at the shoulder. Just opening his mouth to bare his teeth might be enough to send them racing back to Earth. He glanced over at Kernz and saw him grinning.

“That should scare the crap out of them, Brother.”

Zin growled and nudged his leg.

“I’m not going to shift unless I have to. It would be better if one of us were able to communicate or negotiate with them. I can always fade away if I have to.”

Zin’s head turned when he heard rustling in the leaves.

“Someone’s coming but I can’t pick up the scent with all the moisture in the air.” Kernz motioned toward the trail. “Come on. Let’s go check it out. Jeni should be safe as long as she stays inside the cave.”

* * * *

Jeni shivered as she stepped back into the shadows. She was far enough from the entrance for the darkness to be absolute, playing tricks on her sense of time and space. She reached out and placed her hand against the bumpy stone wall in an attempt to anchor herself in the dark world. She thought about her men and sighed. Rich and Danny wouldn’t hesitate to kill them if they worked for Carl and Robert. She didn’t want them hurt. She’d finally found the kind of love she’d always longed for, and she wasn’t going to give it up without a fight. “Maybe if I give them the account number, they’d just take it and go.” Then she thought about her friend, Linda, and had to hold back a sob.
If I give them back the money it’s like saying whatever they did to Linda was okay. They won’t be held responsible for anything.

With a trembling hand she brushed at the tears on her face. “But that’s better than losing Zin or Kernz.”
They shouldn’t have to pay for my actions. They don’t deserve that.
Zin had said they’d be close enough to hear if she called out.
I’ll just give them the information Carl needs to access his money and have them send the guys on their way
. She moved toward the lighted entrance and then heard the sound of crunching leaves and twigs outside.

She stilled, pressing herself against the cold, wet stone wall, her gaze flicking across the unyielding darkness. Her stomach clenched at the unmistakable sound of muffled voices. She knew her men would have called out, so she moved farther into the darkness, jamming her hands in fissures for handholds as she made her way along the bumpy, stone wall. She stifled a cry when she slipped on a patch of wet rock, scraping against the wall.

Jeni froze when someone began pulling at the bush covering the cave’s entrance. A fist of stone poked in her back as she leaned against the damp wall. She needed to hide. Someone she didn’t know was making their way into her cave, and she mustn’t let them find her. She inched her way back, wondering how far back the cave went. She hadn’t gone far in the pitch darkness before she found a small, side tunnel. She had to get down on her hands and knees to crawl in, sweeping aside the loose rock, struggling through the narrow entrance for only a yard before it narrowed to only a foot high beside a trickle of water. The roar of the falls was loud, masking any sounds from the main cavern. The ceiling was so low she had to rest on her side in the dank, cold crevice. The water from the falls seeped through her clothing, the walls seeming to close in around her. Where were Zin and Kernz? When she heard a scraping noise, her head jerked up, colliding with the hard stone ceiling. Pain shot through her temple right before a dark veil fell over her eyes.

Rich looked at Danny and scowled. “Are you sure?”

Danny nodded. “Yes. I did like you told me and stayed up in that tree a ways back. I kept watch all morning with them binoculars you gave me.” He grinned lasciviously. “You should’ve seen them, Rich. Hell, better than watching porn on the net. They were going at each other like animals in heat.”