Paige's Warriors (Bondmates Book 3) (22 page)

“Good. Keep an eye out. I will be out of contact for a few hours while I sleep. Wake me if you run into any issues.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

The moment their feed disconnected, Rell’s mind flew into action, contacting Tren first. That fearful paranoia was back, crushing him and raising his inner beast. After a few moments of bombarding the other man’s shields, Tren’s com link opened.

“What is it?”

“Get Paige out of there, right now. My security has been compromised outside of the medical bay. Get out of there and go to Ambassador Brooks’ quarters. Look behind you.” He sent the computer a mental command to reveal the entrance to a service passage at the back of the room. “Grab her, now and take her through that service tunnel. It goes to a series of maintenance elevators. You have the protocols to operate them all. I’ll erase your presence as you go. Now.”

Tren didn’t bother to argue with Rell, and he followed his friend as he made his way through the ship with Paige, eliminating away any documentation of their movements in order to keep them safe.

They were just reaching Ambassador Brooks’ quarters on the other side of the ship when the first of two explosions ripped through the medical bay, incinerating everyone inside and tearing through the floors above and below it.

***

Ten hours later Rell dragged himself into one of the many temples dedicated to the Lord of Life scattered about the ship. Because of his rank he had access to a small, private temple located in a part of the ship that had been untouched by the carefully planned explosions. Without a doubt, Tren and Paige had been the targets, the bombs detonated in the empty rooms beside the one where Paige and Tren were staying, and news that they’d escaped had been withheld from everyone but a select few. The blast was so intense it vaporized everyone inside so there was no way of knowing exactly who had perished yet. That is, until their broken bondmates lost their minds as their bond vanished.

Unfortunately, many had died, and the fact that someone had been able to manage this kind of destruction on a Reaping ship, what should be one of the safest places in the Universe, was a blow to morale.

His heart ached as the screams of the women who’d lost their mates tore at him. There was a reason bonded couples stayed together and were heavily protected. If one of them were to die, there was a good chance everyone in the bond would die from broken hearts. Rell was pretty sure he’d seen some Matriarchs and their Warrior husbands who wouldn’t survive the night.

It was hours later when he finally left the solitude of the temple and darkness pulled at him, dulling his senses. The world seemed to lose a little bit of color and everything grew dimmer. He fought the depression, the urge to just give up and quit fighting his inner beast, but he was so damn tired. Exhausted by the pain he’d witnessed over the years, the lives he’d taken and the lives he’d seen end all too early. As he moved into his apartment, it took him a moment to realize he wasn’t alone in the living area.

Warmth, flickers of color, and heat all bathed his weary soul as he looked up and found Tren, along with an obviously nervous Paige dressed in a flowing blue gown that exposed her deep cleavage, smiling at him.

“Hi,” Paige said in a squeaky voice as she gave a little wave. “Um, I’m Paige. You must be Rell, Tren’s blood brother. It’s nice to meet you.”

Utterly thrown off his game, he looked at Tren for help and found his friend giving him an amused, but understanding smile. “You told her?”

“I did.”

“All of it?”

“Most of it. The important parts.”

He turned back to Paige as she spoke, devouring her as she met his gaze squarely. “I know you must be tired, and we’ll leave so you can go to bed, but I thought it was important that we thank you for saving us. Tren told me that if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I-I would never let anything harm either of you.”

More warmth flooded him, slowly filling the ragged, empty wounds tearing him apart. She had such a lovely face with a small, pointed jaw, beautiful lips. He was aware of Tren watching them, but didn’t sense any malice from the other man. No, Tren seemed…aroused and happy.

Lord of Life, when was the last time he’d felt this amount of happiness coming through his bond with Tren?

Ducking her head, she looked up at him through her lashes. “I know you wouldn’t.”

Tren stepped behind Paige, and Rell realized for the first time that she’d grown since he’d seen her last. By close to a foot. It put her within easy kissing distance of his six foot five frame, but he would bet his six foot eleven blood brother would still have to duck to reach her lips. Or perhaps he’d pick her up instead and feast on her mouth. They presented such a tempting picture together, and he needed to get them out of there before he did something foolish.

If she touched him, he wouldn’t be able to let her go.

“Thank you for coming, Paige Grant. I am glad you escaped. Now if you will excuse me, I have had a long night.”

Trying to keep from launching himself at her like an animal, he crossed the room to his kitchen, taking out a ceremonial
ri ri
cup before taking out his private bottle of fermented
ri ri
nectar. It was a potent drink, and Tren raised an amused eyebrow as Rell threw back a large mouthful. The drink froze his throat in a painful manner going down before it hit his stomach hot as lava. He gasped in a huge breath of air, then slowly let it out.

Page watched him with a worried look as she whispered to Tren, “Is he okay?”

Shaking his head, he toyed with the round cup before him rather than meeting her eyes. “Please, Matriarch, I am very tired and my self-control is not good.”

“I don’t understand.”

Tren replied in a low rumble, “He is having a hard time keeping himself from touching you, tasting you, and burying his cock deep inside of your wet heat.”

“Oh.” That little breathy sound went right to his cock, and Rell wanted to reach down and squeeze himself in a vain effort to relieve the ache. “Really?”

Her disbelief had Rell giving a rough laugh. “You have no idea how much I want to do all those things and more to you, little bride, but you do not know me, and I understand it takes time for Earth brides to adjust to the Kadothian way of life.”

“Rell, look at me.”

He could no more ignore her gentle command than order his heart not to beat, so he raised his head and lost himself in her warmth.

“Not all Earth brides need time. Some of us know what we want right away and aren’t afraid to take it.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean,” she said as she closed the distance between them in slow, measured steps, “is that we belong together, and both of us know it. Now, please kiss me, Rell, and prove I’m right.”

Reaching out, he none too gently yanked her to his body, all finesse and grace gone in the face of his roaring hunger. She’d given him permission to taste her, and that was all the encouragement he needed to take what he so desperately wanted. He couldn’t help but snarl as he lowered his mouth to hers and desperately hoped he was not scaring her. As the warm and musky smell of her arousal reached him, he managed to check himself enough to gentle his kiss right before their lips touched.

One simple press of their lips and bliss filled him as he wrapped her in his arms, pressing her body to his while her lips opened for him on a sigh.

The crush of her breasts to his chest, her soft belly to his rock hard cock, and her ample bottom filling his hands as he caressed her drove him wild with need. Paige responded to his lust like only a bondmate would, feeding on his desire and giving him back her own, the somehow soft but intense heat of her feminine passion surprising him with how different it felt. Experimenting, he changed their kiss, seducing her mouth with his, licking at her and taking in her flavor. He nibbled her lips and growled in approval as she laced her fingers into his hair.

“Take it out,” she whispered.

Rell thought she was talking to him until he felt Tren’s presence at his back. A hard shiver raced from his scalp to his toes as Tren slowly undid his braid, the other man’s long fingers familiar with the task. Paige continued to kiss him, moving her sweet mouth from his lips and down along his jaw before reaching his throat. With a low moan, she raked her teeth over his neck and he sucked in a deep breath, her essence light on his tongue.

Tren threaded his fingers through Rell’s hair and pulled, sending tingles through his scalp. “Take us to your bedroom.”

“But”—he struggled to think past the pounding in his cock—“we have to protect Paige.”

She laced her hands behind his neck and leaned back, looking up at him with a serious set to her mouth. “Bonding with me is the best way of protecting me.”

Rell started to argue, but Tren moved back around so he was standing behind Paige. “Hear us out. Out of respect for what happened today, we are canceling our large bonding ceremony. There will be mourning tomorrow for those lost in today’s attack, and I do not want to taint the day with the media and gossip spectacle our bonding ceremony will become. Instead, it will be a private ritual—and we want you there.”

Though he was proud to be there as a witness to their bonding ceremony, it still hurt. “I would be honored to witness for you.”

“Actually,” Paige said with a soft, nervous laugh to her voice that drew his gaze back to her. “I was hoping maybe you’d like to bond with me as well. Tren said we can all get married…er, bonded at the same time.”

He tried to think of some reason why they couldn’t, unable to believe this was even happening.

Trying to buy himself some time to think, he said to Tren, “You will have to file your formal bond with the High Council two weeks after you arrive on Kadothia, as will I, and everyone will know.”

“Yes,” Tren agreed while slowly tracing his fingertips up and down the side of Paige’s creamy pale neck. “But the threat against me is already very real and deadly. I would rather have you out in the open at my side, rather than hidden away like a dirty secret. You deserve better.”

Rell looked down at Paige, then cupped her chin in his hand, tipping her face up to him. “And what of you, little bride? Are you willing to take the risk of openly bonding me?”

“Absolutely,” Paige said with a small smile that revealed a dimple in her cheek.

She had lovely, dark lashes that framed her eyes like lace and her skin was so smooth beneath his touch. Tren pulled her hair back into one hand and held it tight, making Paige’s breath catch and her hips press into Rell’s. He looked up at Tren and found the other man grinning at Rell’s questioning expression. When he gripped even harder, adding a real sting, she let out a mewing sound that he didn’t know whether it meant pain or pleasure.

Loosening his grip on her a bit, Rell licked at the smooth line of her neck, tasting her desire in her sweat.

With the pleasure of her heavy on his tongue, he growled out, “Does she like spice?”

Tren smiled wide. “Yes, she likes the spice of pain with her pleasure. She is completely unaware in the ways of a man and a woman.”

“Hey,” Paige panted as Rell continued to slowly caress her neck with his lips and teeth. “I’m not ignorant. I read. I watch movies, kinky movies at that. Just because I was messed up about men doesn’t mean I didn’t have normal cravings just like any other girl. Just because I was a virgin before Tren doesn’t mean I’ve no idea what to do with a dick.”

Unable to help himself, Rell burst into laughter as he held her close, ignoring her threatening little growls as she tried to wiggle out of his arms. As if she had any chance against a trained Warrior. He could hold her to him, keep her still, as he forced her struggling, wet, and aroused body down onto his cock.

After so many years without Tren’s thoughts, it startled him to realize the other man had sent him a mental fantasy that he’d received clear as day. Tren had always been able to send psychic images, but the detail of this one was so good it was almost three dimensional, immersive.

His laughter left him as he stared in wonder at his blood brother. “Your ability to send mental images has greatly improved.”

Tren jerked back, his eyes wide. “You think I have gained psychic strength?”

“I do.” He looked down at Paige, her pupils still dilated with desire. “But we will discuss that later. First I need to find out just how much spice my bride likes in her bed play.”

Paige Grant

The tone of Rell’s voice had turned almost menacing as he stared down at her, his blue with faint hints of green eyes faintly glowing with arousal. According to what she’d read, that distinct glow was one of the trademarks of Northern Kadothians, those pale and glowing eyes, and she found them fascinating. Actually, she found everything about him fascinating.

While she’d been trapped in Jaz’s quarters along with Casey, the women had fed her information about Lord Rell Thantoh. Paige couldn’t access the ship’s computer directly because she was dead, or pretending to be dead or something. Basically she was on lockdown at the moment, so her friends played videos for her about the arrogant and handsome Lord Rell Thantoh. He was honorable, kind, brave, fiercely protective of the Negotiator class, and a vengeful dick. It was well known throughout the galaxy that Lord Rell would make your life very, very miserable for a very long time if you annoyed his Negotiators during their assigned duties. It made the Warriors who specialized in the Negotiator class’s jobs a lot easier. After all, they had to run around the galaxy and keep the hundreds of thousands of treaties and other political bullshit running smoothly between the Kadothian Empire and the rest of the Bel’Tan Galaxy.

And Lord Rell, Lead High Council for the Cliffs of Goeth, had an enormous amount of power. In addition to his political clout, he was also a feared Warrior who was unbelievably deadly during combat. She’d seen recordings of some of the battles he’d been in, and her heart had stopped a couple times when he’d had close calls.

There were thousands of stories about Lord Rell, but none of them ever linked Tren and Rell as potential bondmates. It was quite impressive when she thought about it. They were together for over a thousand years, but not once did they get exposed. Other than a brief note that Tren and Rell had been roommates at the military school, there was no mention of Tren as anything other than a political adversary. When the men did interact in public with each other, it was often during heated debates before the High Council on opposing sides. It made her wonder if they’d been truly arguing, or if they’d both been secretly working on the same side and fooling everyone.

It was possible. After all, they were neighbors and no one suspected that they were anything more than two men who happened to share property. People had initially wondered why Rell had chosen the Cliffs of Goeth for his territory, but he got such a prime piece of land that anyone would have wanted it. The fact that it was adjacent to Tren’s territory, which was equally sought after, was easily dismissed.

It was like owning a Hawaiian Island; your neighboring islands might be owned by assholes, but the surroundings more than made up for it. But in Tren and Rell’s case they’d secretly worked together for the day when they’d find their bondmate and combine their territories. That was why Tren’s territory had a Matriarch’s Palace ready to go, while Rell claimed he wanted to wait until he met his bondmate so he could build her a place she’d like. In reality, Rell had spent years finding the perfect spot on Tren’s land and designed an amazingly beautiful palace for her to live in even though he couldn’t openly be a part of the construction.

She smiled up at him. “You designed the Matriarch’s Palace.”

He flushed, his high cheekbones burning with an oddly dark color. “I did.”

“It’s amazingly beautiful. Like a palace out of a fairy tale.”

“A fairy tale,” Tren supplied from behind her, “is a type of story her people tell about magic, romance, and living happily ever after.”

“Ahhh, a bonding tale.”

She laughed and leaned back in his strong arms, taking in his finely formed features, the air of maturity and control that radiated from him. Yes, here was a man who liked to be in charge. It was part of who he was, and she smiled as she realized she was starting to get a feel for his soul. Rell’s essence was entirely different from Tren’s, yet still alluring. Where Tren was strength and raw muscle mixed with anger and rage, Rell was ice cold control and a deadly intelligence that almost intimidated her. However, their feelings for her were nearly the same. Like vanilla ice cream and French vanilla ice cream. Deliciously the same, but different.

“What are you thinking?” Rell murmured as he cupped her bottom and squeezed. “Tren, can you read her?”

“Not yet. I am unsure if we will be able to communicate with words or images. She gets some that I send her, but it is mainly emotions. Strong emotions.”

Paige tipped her head back to smile at him, and Tren dipped down, kissing her gently. When he pulled back his mouth was replaced right away with Rell’s soft lips. A tiny bit of unease went through her that she’d gone so quickly from one man to the other. Then Rell stroked his tongue along hers, and she groaned deep in her throat. Tren stepped up behind her, his erection poking at her back and his lust roaring through their bond.

She managed to close down her side of the connection a bit, using techniques she’d learned from Casey and Jaz. It allowed her to pull back enough to function instead of just becoming limp with need. Having two men’s arousal scorching her mind was just too much. She couldn’t appreciate what she was feeling, and that was unacceptable. This was a moment she wanted to cherish forever.

“Touch me,” she pleaded.

“Take her to your bed, Rell. Show her the kind of pleasure you can give her. Make our bride ride your cock so I can watch her sweet sex swallow you.”

Paige turned in Rell’s arms to face Tren. “You aren’t going to join us?”

“No, for the first time between you and Rell, I will watch. Believe me, it is no hardship. Remember how I made you orgasm without touching you from my own release?”

Biting her bottom lip, she nodded and tried to keep from wiggling. That had been hot. Super hot.

“I will feel the same with you and Rell, but even better because I will be feeling both your pleasure. If I was a lazy lover, I could spend the rest of my days lying back and watching you, having the most amazing sensations without moving a muscle. When we get to Kadothia, I will do that for you one day, fuck Rell over and over while you lie on our bed, watching us, climaxing until the sheets are wet beneath your body.”

“Or perhaps I’ll be fucking
him
,” Rell sneered with a territorial growl that had the hair on her arms standing up.

Jaz had told her about this, how Kadothian men did a constant game of Dominance and submission with each other. It was in their nature to fight, and while they would battle with each other for dominance, sometimes physically, they wouldn’t really hurt each other. Casey said it was sexy as hell when her husbands wrestled, and Paige’s mind was suddenly filled with images of an oil slicked Rell and Tren grappling together—naked.

“But first,” Tren said with a wicked smile that pulled at his scarred jaw, “I want to watch him fuck you, Paige. Are you willing to give me that?”

She couldn’t help the giggles that escaped. “Seriously? You say that like having sex with Rell is some chore.”

Rell’s deep laughter soothed her, and she smiled up at him as he said, “I can assure you, I do not find the idea of mating with you to be a chore at all, beautiful Paige. Come with me.”

Another little bout of anxiety hit her as she followed him into the room she knew would be his sleeping quarters. Tren followed her, and when she looked over her shoulder at him, he smiled at her and her unease melted away. The change in lighting made her pay attention to her surroundings, and she couldn’t help but stop and admire the room. While the living room and kitchen area was plain and unadorned, the bedroom was another story.

It was the private pavilion of the Matriarch’s Palace, a vast outdoor space that suspended over the valley below, protected from prying eyes by technology and architecture. The floor was made up of a myriad of radiant shells that glowed pale blue, purple, pink, and green at night. Above them an invisible dome kept away the night insects and creatures, leaving them an outdoor paradise to enjoy together. A valley dotted with the twinkling lights of homes and buildings spread out before them, and in the not too far distance, an ocean gleamed, reflecting the light of the eleven moons shining in the sky.

It was amazing, maybe one of the most beautiful views in the Universe.

The bed in the center of the room was a huge circular bowl shape filled with furs and pillows in pastel colors. Elaborate carvings with elegant and flowing forms covered the bowl, and as she got closer she ran her hand over the image of a feminine form dancing. The wood was smooth beneath her palm, but had odd streaks of copper that gleamed in the warm moonlight. Instead of Earth’s more silver glow, these moons gleamed gold.

“This bed is gorgeous. What is it made out of?”

“It’s the shell of a giant
chamblin
nut. It takes forever to soften it enough to carve into and it is very difficult to obtain.”

“Why is that?”

“Because giant crabs eat
chamblin
nuts, and they are territorial.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Good point.”

Rell stood before her and held out his hand while Tren vaulted onto the huge bed and got comfortable, quickly removing his clothing until he was nude.

“He is beautiful, is he not?” Rell murmured.

Blushing, she looked back at him, loving how his hair was as pale as starlight. Surrounded by the image of an unfamiliar cosmos, he seemed completely unreal. Surely this was a dream and she would awaken at any moment, then spend the rest of her life trying to recapture this fantasy.

“Easy,
alyah
,” Rell whispered. “We will go slowly. Your spirit is so young, and taking on the weight of two battered Warriors’ souls is bound to be taxing. This is all about you, Paige. Your needs come first.”

“But I want you to be happy as well. I want you.”

“Oh, you will have me, little bride, but on my terms. I am a man who likes control, and I promise you, if you allow us to care for you as we see fit, you will reap rewards like nothing an Earth male could ever give to you.”

With that, he began to strip out of his dark blue armor and a wave of lust came from Tren, filtering through Paige’s shields and heating her blood further. She couldn’t blame the other man. Rell was a work of art. Where Tren was huge slabs of muscle, Rell was cut strength, long and lean. When his pale cock with its lilac tint bobbed into view, she made a small, hungry sound that would have been embarrassing if Tren hadn’t growled as well. But his gaze wasn’t on Rell, he was watching her.

Their eyes met, and Rell stepped behind her, the tip of his erection wet with pre-cum against her back. “How attached are you to this garment?”

“Um, not at all?”

His pleased hum was quickly followed by the snarl of tearing fabric as he shredded the dress from her body. Once she was nude, he knelt before her, not touching her, only examining her slowly with a pleased smile. She could feel his desire for her and it gave her the confidence to hold still before his admiring gaze, turning her body when he motioned to her, with a sassy swish of her hips. To her surprise, he gave her butt a hard slap that had her going to her toes.

“Look at that,” he said reverently before he grabbed her hips and hauled her back to where he was kneeling. “So pink after my tap.”

When he licked over that warmed skin on her body, she cried out, gripping the edge of the bed to steady herself. His tongue was long, firm, and magical. She almost fell again when he slid that wonderful tongue over her labia in a long swipe that had her seeing stars. Firm hands grasped her arms and before she knew it she was up and over the edge of the bowl, falling among the blankets, furs, and pillows. It was like a super comfy, intimate nest with a stunning view of the night sky.

Rell landed next to her in an elegant leap and smiled. “Do you like it?”

“It’s absolutely amazing. Is this a real place on Kadothia?”

“Yes. Tren did the interior of your Matriarch’s palace, but I added the bed. A local artisan made it.”

She lifted her head to smile over at the dark-haired man idly stroking his erection as he watched them with heavy eyes. “It’s lovely.”

“Paige, come here.”

The sexual purr in Rell’s voice had her turning quickly back to him. He sat back on his haunches and ran something through his hands. It took her a moment to realize it was a long, pale blue ribbon of cloth that held a faint shimmer. As he slid the fabric between his fingers, his thick shaft pulsed. She could just imagine what it would feel like to have him inside of her, to grip him tight with her body as she filled with that delicious tension right before her body released.

“Put your hands together, over your head.” She did as he asked, her breath coming a little faster as he looped the cloth around both wrists, binding them together. “Beautiful. I want you to keep your hands there. If you don’t, Tren will hold you down.”

She licked her lips, unable to decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

From nearby, Tren made a low tsking sound. “I think she likes that idea.”

“I know she does,” Rell murmured. “Spread your legs, Paige.”

She did as he asked, her belly quivering as he stared between her legs, the tip of his tongue coming out and wetting his lips. Her body ached for him, and when he ran his finger through her juices, she couldn’t help but arch her hips into his touch. With an evil, but teasing smile, he looked up and played with her folds, spreading her moisture up to her clit. Once he tapped that bundle of nerves, she stiffened then undulated, needing more. She could feel how much he wanted her, how badly his dick throbbed with the need to release. Beyond the physical desires she found his emotional cravings were even more powerful.