Severed

  “Well, what am I supposed to think?” I flared. “After the way you guys made me feel when I touched both of you at once?” I could feel my cheeks getting hot but I made myself go on. “And that was only touching your hands! I can’t imagine what would happen if you tried to…to…do other things at the same time. I mean, I—”

  “Ma’ frela, let me assure you here and now that Drace and I have no intention of harming or molesting you sexually or otherwise,” Lucian said sternly, cutting off my fumbling protests. “We need your help to be free of each other as I told you before—that’s all.”

  “And we’re willing to pay for your time,” Drace added.

  I frowned at him scornfully. “And how are you going to pay me? I really doubt we use the same currency and I don’t know of anyplace on Earth that would do an exchange of Denarin money—whatever it is—for dollars.”

  “It’s true our currency is different, but there are some substances which are popular as trading commodities on almost every planet,” Lucian said. “Diamonds, for instance, or gold.”

  That got my interest. Maybe I could deal with this after all.

  “Diamonds and gold, huh?” I said. “How much?”

  Drace and Lucian looked at each other.

  “How much do you have on you? Drace asked. “I only brought a couple of prella-sized bars in case we needed quick currency.”

  “I’ve got ten back at the ship and more on Denaris,” Lucian said.

  “Excuse me,” I interrupted them. “What’s prella-sized?”

  “Show her,” Lucian gestured at the other man.

  Drace reached into the pocket of his tight black trousers which looked like they were made of some kind of leather and withdrew a long, flat bar of solid, gleaming gold. It was about the size of a king-sized Hershey chocolate bar but twice as thick.

  “Oh my God,” I murmured as he handed it over to me. It was extremely heavy and shiny and obviously real. I had never seen so much gold in one place at one time—it was kind of amazing.

  “Well?” Drace asked, frowning. “What do you think?”

  I narrowed my eyes at them. “How many of these did you say you’ll give me?”

  They exchanged another glance which they seemed to be doing more frequently. I wondered if my intervention really had bound them more closely together which made this non-verbal communication easier for them. I also wondered if they realized they seemed to be cooperating more.

  “Say…fifteen bars?” Drace said and at the same time Lucian said, “Fifteen—not a bar more or less.”

  Fifteen solid gold bars. They might be a little hard to convert into money but my aunt had friends who knew people. Speaking of Aunt Celia, she would probably wonder where I had gotten myself off to. I hated to cause her pain and worry but we didn’t speak that much anyway and if I was only going to be gone a few weeks…

  I could quit being a paralegal, I thought, examining the gold bar in my hand. It gleamed mellowly in the lights of the spaceship. I could open that wedding planner business after all—follow my dreams instead of always doing the practical, dull, sensible thing.

  It was a tempting offer—especially since Drace and Lucian had announced they were taking me with them, whether I wanted them to or not. At least maybe by agreeing to their payment I was making myself more of a partner and less of a hostage.

  I hoped, anyway.

  “All right,” I said at last. “But I want to hash out the terms and sign a contract.”

  “This is no problem—we are set up for contracts between all kinds of species here,” the blue centipede, who had been watching quietly, spoke up in his squeaky voice.

  “Agreed,” Lucian said and Drace nodded.

  “I want to be gone from home no longer that one month—one Earth month. That’s thirty days max,” I said sternly. I figured that gave us plenty of time to get to their planet, see the old wise woman to sever their bond, and get me back home again.

  Lucian frowned. “That may be cutting things a bit close, especially if she—”

  “You said it would only take a few weeks,” I interrupted him sternly.

  “It shouldn’t be a problem,” Drace said. He looked at Lucian. “You’ve got a fast ship and Tanta Loro agreed to see us right away last time. I don’t think she’d keep us waiting.”

  “All right.” Lucian nodded. “Agreed.”

  “And I want the fifteen bars of gold even if you guys don’t get separated,” I went on. “I mean, I’ll promise to do my very best for you and do whatever it takes to get you parted but I don’t want to be blamed or stiffed if this doesn’t work. You’re paying for my time here, not just my supposed talent.” Which I didn’t have, even though they kept insisting I was “special” somehow.

  Both of them frowned at this but finally Drace said, “I guess that’s only fair.”

  “I suppose it is.” Lucian sighed. “All right.”

  “And one more thing,” I said, making sure to get all the terms of the contract down—I wasn’t a paralegal for nothing. “No sex. Got it?”

  Lucian looked offended. “You find us unappealing, ma 'frela? That’s a great pity—we find you ravishing.”

  Drace nodded. “It’s one of the few things we agree on.”

  “It’s not that,” I said quickly. “I mean, you’re both big and muscular and hot and…and I’m sure the girls on your planet would think you’re a real catch.” I took a deep breath. “But look at you—you’re freaking huge! I mean, I’m considered tall for a girl on my planet but you guys make me feel practically petite.”

  “Ah—you’re afraid we'd hurt you because of our size,” Drace murmured. “Don’t worry, baby—the females on our home planet aren’t much bigger than you. We know how to be gentle.”

  I could feel my whole body getting warm at his low words and the way he and Lucian were looking at me. I wished desperately that I had on a bra and panties beneath the gray jacket I was wearing. I felt so naked without underwear!

  “It’s not just that,” I said quickly. “I’m going with you in a professional capacity and I’m not some prostitute. I want it understood that this gold you’re paying me does not buy an all-access pass to my body.”

  Lucian frowned. “Have we been disrespectful of you?”

  “We can tell you’re not a pleasure-girl, Rylee,” Drace said, also frowning. “And we’d never treat you like one.”

  “All right, good.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And it’s not that I don’t find you two attractive but I’m not into casual sex—especially not with two guys at once.”

  “So you only have one male and one female when you make love on your planet?” Lucian asked.

  “How does that even work?” Drace asked, shaking his head in apparent disbelief. “How can you be properly pleasured without one male to suck your nipples and another to taste and stroke your pussy?”

  His words sent a hot rush through me and I had a sudden mental image of the two of them “pleasuring” me that way. I pushed it away quickly.

  “We manage just fine, thank you,” I said tightly. “The point is I want a no sex clause put in the contract—it’s a deal breaker for me.”

  “As to that, you do not have to worry, ma 'frela,” Lucian said. “Only psy-bonded partners who want to be together wish to share a female between them and bring her pleasure.” His face darkened. “And that is only when the bonded pair consists of an Alpha and a Beta. Drace and I are both Alphas.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t understand—what does that have to do with it? And what does it mean—both of you are dominant?”

  “It’s one of the reasons we need to get our bond severed,” Drace’s face was as dark as Lucian’s. “I’m sure as hell not going to act as the Beta.”

  “I feel the same.” Lucian glowered at the other man. “I refuse to accept the subservient role—especially sexually.”

  Their explanation was still as clear as mud but if it kept them from wanting to make me into a sexual shish-ka-
bob, I was okay with it.

  “Fine,” I said. “Then you won’t mind putting a no sex clause in the contract.”

  “No, we don’t object,” Lucian said.

  “Good. Then if we can just have it drawn up—” I began.

  “Done!” The high, helium-sucking voice of the blue centipede thing interrupted me.

  “What?” I exclaimed. “Where?”

  “Here.” It waved three of its clawed hands and a glowing screen that appeared to be made out of light was suddenly hanging in the air above our heads. On it, in perfect legalese, was a contract between myself, Lucian, and Drace detailing everything I had specified.

  “Wow,” I said, frankly impressed. Who knew he could whip a contract up so fast? The little blue centipede was a better paralegal than I was!

  But I won’t be a paralegal for much longer, I told myself. I’ll sign this contract, get the gold, and come back home to open my own wedding planning business.

  If I didn’t just wake up first and realize this was an incredibly vivid dream. But for now, I was going with it.

  Already I could see myself, helping happy couples start their lives together. Doing cake tastings and floral arrangements and helping the bride pick the perfect venue and just the right dress…I’ve always loved weddings. It would be so much better and happier than helping angry couples end things. My heart felt as light as sunshine at the thought.

  “We’ll need some kind of written equivalent so we can sign it,” Lucian said.

  “Done!” Almost before I could blink, the centipede was holding out three copies of the contract on rich, creamy parchment which was thicker and heavier than any paper I’d ever felt before.

  I checked my copy over just to be sure everything was there. Time limit—check…fifteen gold bars in payment—check…no sex clause (this one made me blush for some reason)—check. There were even lines by all three of our names, which I assumed was for our signatures, down at the bottom.

  “Looks good,” I said. “Does anybody have a pen?”

  “Oh—you cannot sign this kind of contract with any writing implement.” The centipede—who I was kind of getting used to—looked shocked. If a three foot tall blue alien centipede can look shocked, I mean.

  “No?” I frowned at him. “Then how do you sign?”

  “In blood,” Lucian answered for him, as though it was no big deal.

  “What?” I looked at him uneasily.

  “He’s right. Blood is binding.” Drace nodded.

  “But…I’m not going to slit my wrist just to sign a contract,” I protested.

  “You don’t have to. Look.” Lucian opened his mouth and I saw his teeth—the two where a human’s canine teeth would be—grow suddenly long and sharp, almost like a snake’s fangs. He pressed the pad of his right thumb casually to one needle-sharp point and I saw a small droplet of crimson blood well up on his green skin. Well, at least now I knew they bled the same color as me, despite their different skin colors.

  As I watched, Lucian pressed the bloody pad of his thumb to the line on his copy of the contract beside his name. He then did the same for Drace’s contract and also mine. He pulled a clean white piece of cloth which looked a little like a handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapped it around his thumb. Then he reached for my hand.

  “Will you allow me? I can pierce your flesh quickly and efficiently.”

  “Um…” I held back, looking at those bright, white fangs uneasily. Even more than his immense height and his olive green skin, they made him seem scary and alien.

  Lucian seemed to see the fear in my eyes.

  “Come, ma 'frela,” he said gently. “I will not hurt you—you will feel barely a prick.”

  “Well…” I looked at him uncertainly and then eyed Drace. “Are you going to bite him too?” I asked, playing for time.

  “No fucking way,” Drace growled.

  “Naturally not,” Lucian said stiffly. “An Alpha of the Fang Clan bites only his bonded mates—his female and his Beta. Drace is neither of those to me.”

  “Oh, all right.” I shrugged. “Well, then…how is Drace going to cut his finger?”

  “Like this.” The big blue alien suddenly produced the most enormous knife I’d ever seen. Seriously, I wondered how and where he’d been hiding it. The edge gleamed cruelly in the ship’s light and I couldn’t help gasping when he drew it over his finger, making a deep incision that began to drip crimson at once.

  “Oh my God—look what you did to yourself!” I exclaimed. “That’s really deep!”

  “Just a scratch.” Drace pressed his bloody fingertip to all three of our contracts as though it was no big deal. Then, instead of wrapping his finger in a handkerchief like Lucian had, he simply popped it in his mouth.

  “What are you—” I began.

  “Healing himself,” Lucian said in a low voice. “Males of the Claw Clan are able to heal the wounds of themselves and their mates—it’s one of their Goddess-given gifts.”

  Sure enough, when Drace took his finger out of his mouth, I saw that it was completely healed without even a scratch to show where the long, wicked blade had cut him.

  “Oh my God,” I said faintly. “That’s…impossible.”

  Drace shrugged. “No it’s not. I’ll heal you too after Lucian pricks your finger.” He cleared his throat. “If you want me to.”

  I looked at him and then at Lucian. Both of the big aliens were giving me strangely intense looks. I had the feeling they both wanted me to let them do this—to wound me and to heal me—although I couldn’t imagine why. And I didn’t exactly think they knew why either.

  “Is this normal?” I asked, reluctantly extending my right pointer finger to Lucian. “I mean, with, uh, bonded mates on your planet?”

  “It is normal for two males to take care of one female,” Lucian admitted. He took my hand in his but instead of biting my finger, he pressed a gentle kiss to my fingertip instead.

  For some reason the tender gesture made my heart bang against my ribs.

  “But you don’t usually see a Triumvirate including a male from the Fang Clan and a male from the Claw Clan,” Drace said, frowning. “We’re rivals—enemies.”

  Which was probably just another reason they wanted to be free of each other. I wondered if I could help them—I certainly hadn’t been able to so far. But either way, I got paid—as soon as I signed the contract, anyway. Which meant I needed to get this over with.

  I watched, unprotesting, as Lucian opened his mouth and pressed the pad of my index finger to the tip of his gleaming white fang.

  I gave a little gasp but not because of the pain—I felt a bolt of pleasure go through me when he bit me as well. It wasn’t as intense as the orgasm I’d had when I was holding hands with both of them at once but it most definitely made my nipples hard all over again and caused my pussy to tingle.

  “Hey—you said no sex! It’s right there in the freaking contract.” I tried to jerk my hand away but Lucian held on to it for a moment.

  “Carefully, ma 'frela. You don’t want to injure yourself on my fangs.” He let me go slowly, his big hand lingering on mine. “And I was not touching you sexually—it’s just that the bite of a Fang Clan male can be quite…pleasurable to the right person.”

  “Is that why you won’t bite Drace?” I said, beginning to understand. “Because it would be too intimate? Too, uh, sexual?”

  Both of them frowned.

  “Of course not,” Lucian said quickly. “Drace is not my true mate or my Beta—he would get no pleasure from my bite—only excruciating pain.”

  “Not that I’d want pleasure from another male like that,” Drace growled. “I’m no Beta.”

  Huh—there was something going on here. Something that made them want to be apart besides the fact that they had been bonded accidentally and were from rival clans. I considered it as I pressed my bleeding fingertip to all three contracts.

  “Will you let me to heal you?” Drace asked, when I finished.

/>   I cocked my head at him as I gave him my finger.

  “Will you heal Lucian too? I think his thumb is still bleeding.”

  The big blue alien’s face grew dark and he shook his head.

  “I can’t heal him for the same reason he can’t bite me without giving me pain. We’re not true mates.”

  “And I am no Beta either,” Lucian put in, scowling.

  Again with the “I’m not a Beta” thing. I was beginning to wonder about that but any questions I might have asked were wiped from my mind when Drace sucked my finger between his lips and began to lick it gently.

  I won’t lie—it felt exactly like he was licking me someplace else. Someplace south of the border, if you know what I mean. Not that I had much experience with that—Phillip certainly hadn’t been interested in it. But it was still a strange sensation to feel the soft licking and sucking between my legs almost as much as I felt it in my wounded fingertip.

  “Are…are you almost done?” My voice sounded high and breathy in my own ears. I wasn’t surprised by the pleasure this time—I had halfway expected it after the feeling of Lucian’s fangs sinking into me had given me such a jolt. But it was still uncomfortable to feel so incredibly aroused by the touch of someone who was still mostly a stranger.

  Or was he? After everything we’d been through since we met each other, I was actually beginning to feel like I knew these guys, even if they were seven foot tall aliens.

  At last, Drace let my finger slip slowly from between his lips.

  “Finished,” he murmured and there was a hunger in his half-lidded eyes that made something low in my belly clench with an answering heat.

  Stop it! I told myself. You just signed a contract saying no sex! And that’s exactly the way you want it!

  “Well,” I said, trying to make my voice sound light and unconcerned. “I guess that’s that. We’re all set to go.”

  “Oh man—this is so bad man! Please!” moaned Phillip from the corner.

  I sighed. “Except for one thing.”

  Chapter Seven

  Lucian

  We had a long debate about what to do with the male who had menaced Rylee. Drace, predictably, wanted to kill him outright or at least flush him out the airlock and let him die in space. It was a crude solution at best, but I found myself agreeing with him—though I had no right to feel protective and possessive of Rylee, I did. Any male who harmed her or even tried to harm her deserved to die.