Pieces of Three (14 page)

They both turned. A huge male Gatarian approached followed by three others. “Your present?”

“No.” Porter put his hand over his eyes.

“Don’t try to shift and outrun us. You may have the strength, but we have the speed.” The male corralled them forward.

“I think we have a misunderstanding.” Julian held the necklace out to him.

One of the other cats swiped it away.

“Come on.” The male cat pointed ahead.

They walked forward. “Port.” They could shift and get out of there in a second.

“Alyssa.” Porter growled. “They know she’s there.”

“Plus, then we would show up without clothes. That would be bad.” He shook his head. “What would she think then?” Arriving back at their female with nothing on after docking on Gatari would make them guilty even if they’d done nothing.

They were taken to a wood building and locked in a metal cell.

“Why would you steal that when we were supposed to be getting supplies?” Porter took him by the collar.

“We’re supposed to be pirates. Alyssa needed something to make her happy.” They had no money, how would they get out of here?

“This is the second time. She’s a better pirate than we are.” Porter released him.

He paced the perimeter of the cell, bumping into Porter twice. No wonder Alyssa hated small spaces. They needed room to stretch out. “You know her name means to cure madness. That’s interesting, don’t you think?”

Porter glared at him. “From the alyssum flower. I’ve used it in cures myself.”

“Sort of interesting she came to us then.” Once more he walked around, ending up right back where he started.

“It’s more like we came to her.”

“Somehow, we need to negotiate ourselves out of here. She’s going to be scared.” His heart racing at the image of her being all alone, he grabbed the bars of the cell.

“We can’t leave her alone out there.” Porter joined him. “This is bad.”

Right as he primed to tear the cell apart, the door burst open. Alyssa and one of the male cats entered.

“Alyssa!” He shook the bars. They allowed her to run around an unfamiliar island without their protection.

“Be quiet.” Porter kicked him.

“Stop it.” He elbowed Porter back.

“Both of you stop it and be quiet.” She stepped up to the cell, pointed at him and then at Porter then turned her back to them. “That’s them.”

The male rubbed his chin. “They were caught stealing a very valuable piece of jewelry.”

“It was a present.” He called out.

Alyssa didn’t acknowledge he spoke. “What will it take to get them out?”

“They need to make recompense and to pay the fines, or they’re staying right there.”

Alyssa tapped her foot.

Porter huffed. Julian shook his head. They had no money or anything of any value except the woman in front of them.

“I have something better than money.” She glanced up at the cat.

The male paused, looked her up and down and smiled. “Oh, do you now?”

Beyond his control, Julian’s fangs grew in his mouth.

“I’m going to kill you.” Porter shook the bar.

“Even better than that.” She stepped back and pulled a small wooden box out of her bag.

Julian couldn’t think if anything better than her, but held his breath and his words.

“You’ve heard of the Antiamorphis drug on Anthros?” She lifted the lid to the box.

The cat held up his hand. “Listen here.”

Both he and Porter leaned over to see what she brought with her.

“This is the injection.” She pointed to something in the box. “This is the antidote.”

“I thought those were lost with the shipwreck,” Porter whispered. “Those should be ours.”

At the moment he could only muster a nod. Why did she hide them? Did she think she might need to use them?

“Who are you?” The cat reached forward.

She pulled back. “My name is Alyssa Wilkinson, I am a former Liaison for Anthros.”

“How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?”

She lifted the syringe. “I am happy to give you a demonstration.”

“I believe you.” The scent of the male’s fear saturated the room. “We’ll take them in exchange for the Lykans.”

“That’s not all.” She returned the syringe to the box and closed the lid. “We also need the supplies to fix our ship and I want you to promise to use this for research not as a weapon.”

“We will do as you ask.” The cat unlocked their cell.

She placed the box in his hand. “Thank you.”

He and Porter collided with each other exiting the cell. They took their spots on either side of Alyssa.

“We will be by in the morning to pick up what we need.” Porter led them toward the door.

“Liaison Wilkinson!” The cat called out to her.

They all turned around.

“I wouldn’t want you to go without your present.” Their jailor dangled the necklace from his fingers.

She took the bauble and the three of them walked outside into the night air.

They made their way down a path. Both he and Porter stopped and allowed her to get a few feet ahead.

She spun toward them, put her hands on her hips and looked up. “The moon is still full.”

They both stared at her. The questions piling up in his mind all centered all those syringes, some poison, some a cure, exactly like real life.

“I suppose if it affects the tides why shouldn’t it affect those who may be more in tune to nature?” Almost as if she were trying to emulate the movements of one of the female felines, she sauntered up to them.

He opened his mouth.

She put her fingers to his lips silencing him and reached for Porter.

His shipmate leaned forward with no resistance.

“Remember the day in the forest when you tormented me and told me I don’t feel it?” She pulled Porter closer.

Porter nodded.

“Maybe I do.” She gave him a quick peck, a little taste, a tease. “How bad is it now?”

“Getting worse.” Porter’s voice came out strained.

“You’re angry and you’re irritated, and my guess would be the females here riled you up. Your eyes are glowing.” She ran her tongue along Porter’s bottom lip and her hand over the front of his pants. “I was right.”

Porter grabbed her and deepened the kiss.

Julian kept his gaze focused on them. His erection snaked down his leg even though she completely ignored him.

At last, she pulled back and turned to him.

She didn’t give him any sexy banter, or teasing, she simply took his shirt, pulled him down and kissed him.

No, her kiss wasn’t soft, and sweet that of someone who only recently mated for the first time. Her kiss owned him and took over his whole body, and he forgot everything except the urgent need surging through him. By the time her tongue connected with his he wanted to throw her down on the ground and have his way with her right there.

“If you’re going to have a lunar cycle, I can take care of any urges you have, no need for cats. They did say all the shifters want humans.”

For all the confidence she oozed in the office, and even out here, her voice shook at the mention of females. He glanced at Porter. No doubt he picked up on the same thing.

“Well, then our human needs to learn how to deal with the animals.” They needed to give her a lesson and they needed to satiate themselves. He picked her up and quite literally slung her over his shoulder. “If I were you, I would hang on.” Without any warning, he shifted. His clothes tore away leaving his other side, the one where the desire, the lust and the cravings took over and wouldn’t be abated.

“Julian!” She dug her fingers into his fur.

“Let’s go!” Porter transformed as well.

Together they ran toward the ship, weaving through the trees, letting the light breeze waft over them. At first she shook, still timid of their wolf form, but as they neared the sea she calmed down, the arousal that encompassed her earlier reappeared. Damn, if she didn’t like a little animal after all.

Without any hesitation they leapt onto the deck. Porter burst through the door to their quarters and he deposited her on the bed.

Still in their animal form, they took their time circling the bed stopping on either side of her. They needed to show her a different type of foreplay.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, her focus darted between them, her heartbeat sped the same way it did right before she climaxed.

He wanted to push her, find out what her limits were, and Porter must have wanted the same. Without shifting, Porter leaned over the bed took her shirt between his teeth and ripped it away.

“Oh.” She covered her chest and recoiled.

Rather than allow her to retreat, he joined them, stared into her eyes as he moved closer and inhaled her scent. Yes, she might seem shocked, but her body told him something different.

Unable to wait much longer he turned and remembering to keep his control, ripped her shorts away.

She crossed her legs. “What are you doing?”

They slid up either side of her.

“Julian.” She shuddered, but reached out and raked her nails through his fur.

He answered by nuzzling her neck.

“Porter.” She treated Porter to the same attention, scratching down his pelt while revealing her breasts at the same time.

A low growl escaped Porter’s throat and used his nose to prod her back on the bed.

She resisted and he wondered if they’d pushed her too far, but then again he had to know how far she would let them go. Where did the trust end? Her next move might even answer some of the many questions he had about those injections.

She gave them a quick glance, closed her eyes and laid back.

Complete acceptance. Of all the gifts she had to give, that one action was the rarest and most priceless.

In an instant, he and Porter returned to their human state. Porter kissed her while he nibbled her neck and ran his hands over her body.

She opened her eyes and used them for leverage to sit up. He grabbed her and kissed her deep, a delicacy he knew he should savor when he needed to devour. It seemed like ages since he had relief and she was the only one who could quench his craving. His erection pulsed and stood straight out in search of fulfillment. He massaged her breast and inched his hand down to feel her.

Before he reached his goal she put her hand on his chest and pushed him back. She held up one finger and moved over to Porter.

Rather than his harsh grabbing, Porter leaned back on his elbows giving her an invitation to do as she wished though his own erection and the way he clutched the covers told a different tale.

On all fours, she crawled over him, her hard nipples skimming his body, her hair falling down around her face. She kissed his chest, his neck and at last his lips. Still, Porter didn’t as much touch her.

Unable to move, breathe, or take his focus off her, he simply lay there, aroused to the point of agony watching her.

She reached down, took Porter into her hand and guided him inside her. The light between them vanished.

Porter hissed but Julian let out a moan of his own, wishing he were the one embedded deep inside her.

She dragged her hips over him in slow grinds that Julian knew would never be enough to satiate his friend. Porter needed it hard and fast, had to have it, it was ingrained in them, especially after coming out of a shift where they could have easily taken her. The time for control would come later.

“Alyssa.” Porter’s voice pleaded with her, yet he only fell back on the bed and let her continue the torture.

Once more, she rose up on her knees and inch by inch and took her time coming down where she gyrated her hips in a circle. She repeated her action over and over again. If she were trying to be sexy, she was succeeding by huge margins. In fact if his own arousal wasn’t all encompassing, he would be enjoying the view immensely.

How Porter endured her unintentional torment was beyond him. He couldn’t take it and was stroking himself to relieve some of the pressure while watching her incredible show.

Porter panted. “More.” He bucked hips.

“No, no.” She shook her head, and slowed her pace even further.

“Alyssa.” Porter tried again.

“Don’t move.” She continued, her breath becoming ragged as her own release started to grow.

Porter squirmed.

“Oh, God.” She gasped. “I’m almost there.”

“Julian!” At last Porter yelled out.

The way Porter called to him only inflamed him further. He took Alyssa by the hips. “Turn to me.”

“Why?” She managed to twist herself around, facing him with her backside to Porter.

“You turned him on too much, he can’t take it.” He held her up and steady. “Brace yourself on me.”

Porter’s first thrust almost knocked them both over. “Yes.”

She grabbed on to his shoulders and banged against his body with every one of Porter’s strokes. He slid his hand down her body and rubbed her most sensitive spot, swearing she was as swollen with need as well.

“Julian, harder,” she begged.

“Ah.” Porter cried out and the bed shook.

She sucked in her breath, but managed to reach down and take hold of his erection.

“Squeeze tighter.” He looked down taking in the way her hand barely reached around him.

She complied, but then teased him by tickling her fingertips over the head.

“Porter hurry, I need her.” He moved his hips with her.

“Alyssa, please.” Porter continued his onslaught.

“Julian.” She shook. “Julian.”

He pressed the heel of his palm to her. “Tell Porter.”

“Now Porter.” She lowered her head as her end hit her and let out a little coo.

Porter slammed into her, his body went rigid, and he sucked in his breath as he emptied himself inside her. “Yes.” He pushed deeper, no doubt another round of pure pleasure coursing through him. It was all Julian could do to hold Alyssa steady. “Lord.” He hit his fist into the bed.

The moment Porter relaxed, he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her toward him and moved her to her back, landing on top of her. “I can’t wait another second.” With the words out he entered her.

The evidence of both her and Porter’s arousal encompassed him, welcomed him and he moved inside her. After long last he had her. “Wrap your legs around me.”