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  Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head. “I caused you to lose your rooms at the inn. I shouldn’t have ever tried to contact you. I knew it could bring trouble to you, but I never thought that I would cause so much of it.”

  Colm held up his hands. He wasn’t going to let her take the blame for that. “It wasn’t you. Sure, people were stunned when Linc flew through the air, but most of the men there chalked it up to you pushing him and him tripping. Now, if one of the men at the bar hadn’t started mouthing off and took a swing at me, we’d still have a room.”

  “He’s shortening the tale a lot, but in essence, after you left, a fight broke out and the innkeeper threw us out because the other people involved were locals.” Linc smiled.

  “Still—” Cami began.

  “Still nothing. This was our doing. You caused a scene. We can handle that and the fight was our doing.” Colm frowned. It bothered him that she didn’t believe him. Not in an irritated way, but in a this-isn’t-right-and-I-need-to-change-it way. “The men are probably waiting with the mican. We need to be on our way.”

  Saddling and preparing the large, powerfully muscled riding animals as well as the pack animals and wagons wouldn’t take much time at all. Every man with them had done it hundreds of times.

  “We’d better get moving, then.” Her eyes moved from one of them to the other and then settled on him. He didn’t need to see how she stayed out of striking distance to know that she considered him a bigger threat than Linc.

  “You’ll know when he’s angry. He doesn’t hide it well.” Linc smiled, stepped to the side and gave her room to start back.

  She nodded and stepped forward, but he could tell that she still was wary. Her eyes kept moving and her body tensed as if she needed to be ready to move at the slightest notice. That had to change. He didn’t know how they were going to manage it, but somehow they needed to gain her trust.

  Chapter Three

  Cami blinked, aware that she was dreaming, but she couldn’t do anything to change what she was seeing. She looked down and saw Colm and Linc. Colm kissed someone and his hand swept around and disappeared as if he were lifting the woman. Linc ran his hands up a rounded thigh. Cami frowned. Gods, she didn’t want to watch them make love to another woman. Colm drew back and dipped down. She found herself staring at her own face.

  She felt a tugging in her core. The next instant, she was looking up at Colm. She blinked. Sensation pounded through her. Soft strokes of calloused fingers across her nipples and warm lips moving over hers. Desire thrummed through her with every beat of her heart. Slick moisture coated her pussy and inner thighs. Her eyes widened as she felt a hand on her thigh. Her eyes flew down her body. Linc’s hand eased over her thigh again and then smoothed inward, tipping her thigh outward.

  “I remember that look.” Colm laughed softly. His lips brushed along her shoulder. “It’s almost the same as the first times we were all together. You never seemed to expect another set of hands or lips touching you.”

  “It’s been a while since we’ve seen it, though. Is something wrong, nari?” Linc’s hand cupped her cheek. He looked concerned and his voice rumbled through her as though it was a rolling bolt of thunder.

  She swallowed hard and shook her head. They couldn’t be calling her mate. This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be the future. They didn’t want a mate. Colm didn’t want a real mate. It had to be a dream, a simple dream. Shock and disbelief did little to cool the hunger building inside her. Even though she knew it was impossible, she wanted to touch them, hold them and make them hers.

  “Seems as if it’s something to me, but if you want to pretend for a little while, we can try to go back to what we were doing before you got startled.” Linc traced his finger over her upper lip.

  Anything, she’d try anything to change the subject, because she wasn’t going to try to explain this, even to a dream Linc and Colm. “Just kiss me.”

  “I love kissing you.” Colm nibbled his way along her jaw and cheek to her lips.

  She turned her head and fastened her mouth to his. Her tongue slid against his. His big hand cupped the back of her head and gentled the kiss. Hands drew up her outer thighs and spread them wide. She drew in a breath and stiffened, but Colm didn’t release her.

  “It’s just Linc, nari,” Colm whispered the words against her lips.

  He turned his head and looked at Linc. She didn’t have to see his expression to know that he wondered what was wrong with her. Linc drew his fingers over her clit. She gasped and a shiver ripped over her body. The sweet, intense sensation rippled through her, spreading until she ached for more of it.

  “Do it again.” She met Linc’s eyes.

  He smiled and deliberately trailed his fingers over the glistening lips of her pussy. Just when she thought he’d flick across the hood of her clit, Colm pressed her back against the mattress. Her eyes caught on the expanse of broad chest so near to her and she couldn’t stop running her hands across the warm flesh. She enjoyed the feel of his muscles beneath her fingers for a time before letting them wander to the dark, flat nipples. She scraped her nails across them before pinching one.

  Colm captured her hands and smiled down at her with wicked intent. “Maybe I’d like to play with you too.”

  “Kiss me again.” She licked her lips as nervousness fluttered through her. She tugged a little against his hold. Being trapped or secured made her nervous.

  He looked down at her and released one of her hands before nuzzling her neck. “I’m going to kiss you my way.”

  His mouth trailed over her shoulder. She wriggled at the slight, tickling sensation. All of her senses seemed to heighten. She didn’t know what he was going to do. Her skin tingled with each touch. His tongue swirled across her shoulder and then he kissed his way down her chest.

  Her fingers threaded into his hair. She wanted his mouth on her breast. He blew a hot puff of air over the taut nipple. She shivered and arched her back. His tongue flicked over the tip in a teasing little lash. She tightened her hand on his hair, trying to get his mouth on that aching point. He didn’t budge. A fingertip brushed her clit. Her hips bucked up in demand.

  Linc’s hands pressed her thighs wider. He moved between them and caught her eyes. “I’m going to get a taste of you.”

  Her eyes widened, but before she could do more than draw in a breath, his tongue swiped from her entrance up over her clit. Her hand tightened in Colm’s hair and her body bowed as a slice of raw pleasure slammed through her. Linc didn’t hesitate. His tongue swept across her clit again and again.

  Colm’s hand cupped her breast just as his mouth closed over the peak of the other. The combined sensation washed over her and she couldn’t think. Two fingers pushed into her pussy and began a slow counter to the flick of Linc’s tongue. Her hips lifted into the stroke of his tongue and fingers.

  The slight scrape of Colm’s teeth over her nipple drew a moan from her. Her head tossed from side to side as they drove her desire higher. Two tongues swirled over her flesh. Linc’s tongue lashed her clit and his fingers fucked into her. Colm’s teeth scraped across her nipple. The sizzling heat tightened. Linc’s fingers stroked deep and he sucked her clit into his mouth. She licked her lips. She couldn’t take much more. Her body bowed as raw heat exploded within her.

  Cami shook with the force of the orgasm. She rolled onto her side and curled up a bit. The hard ground beneath her mat seemed even more unforgiving as the pleasure slowly faded.

  That had been so intense. She had felt the wet heat of their mouths against her skin, felt the pressure of their fingers against her. So real. As much as she hated the dreams where she was an observer, she’d rather watch than be drawn into another dream similar to that one. Even now, she couldn’t help wondering if that was a vision of the future. She didn’t need the hope. She wiped at a tear. There wouldn’t ever be anything as good as that between her and them.

  The dreams only added to the problem. Part of her wanted nothing more than
to grab onto any slight chance of happiness. She had to remember the facts. She had problems trusting men in power and those two ruled a Thent, an entire clan of Santir. On top of that, they didn’t want a mate, Colm especially. In the dreams, she’d heard him say he’d never take a true mate. She didn’t know why, but after seeing him fuck so many other women in those visions, she knew it was better they never know of the link between them.

  Chapter Four

  Linc watched the chatar usher Cami to her room at the inn where they’d stopped for the night. His eyes dropped to the enticing sway of her hips even as he studied the two people. Vin kept up a steady flow of talk. Most of it didn’t require any reply by her, but occasionally he’d ask her a question or try to draw her out a little. Cami listened and for once seemed almost comfortable around the other man. Vin really made an effort with her. He sat with her and Avan whenever they stopped to eat. When they were traveling, he stayed near her. That made Linc even more curious about her than ever. What made her so important?

  Not that he hadn’t been more than curious from the first. The pull to get closer to her was enough on its own to get his attention. He’d felt attraction to women before and he was attracted to her, but he felt drawn to her. He wanted to know everything about her. Although she masked her scent and kept her distance from them, he didn’t think that it was simply that mystery. The feeling was too intense. He wanted her with them.

  “Vin still trying to get her to talk?” Colm came up the stairs behind him.

  “Yes. Still not sure exactly what he’s trying to get her to tell him or to see. I asked, but he didn’t tell me anything.” Linc frowned. “He’s protective of her, though.”

  “Maybe he’s trying to get her to see that we’re not the false Ardin. You can tell by the look in her eyes that she doesn’t trust us.” Colm’s hand flattened against his back, urging him down the inn’s hallway.

  “If I’d gone through what she’s gone through, I’d probably still be in the forest. I would have tried to kill them first. I don’t think I’d ever be able to trust someone else having any power over me again. She’s stronger than she thinks.” Linc exhaled heavily, but continued to their room two doors down from Cami’s. Fully gaining her trust wasn’t going to be easy. “But there’s something more to it.”

  “Vin always has a reason. If it was important to the Thent, he’d tell us.” Colm shrugged.

  “If it was danger or could lead to danger, he would, but you know him, he’s not the type to hint or give us clues if he thinks it something we should already know or see. If he thinks it’s obvious, then we’re missing something.” Linc shook his head and opened the door to their room.

  It was very plain. Everything was brown from floor to the walls and the furniture didn’t look as though it would take much activity. The bed appeared in even worse condition than the rickety dresser. It rested at a slight angle even without weight on it. The blanket spread across the mattress appeared thin, but he’d seen worse.

  “Something obvious that involves her and keeping her with us.” Colm shook his head. “Maybe we’re supposed to help her learn to trust Ardin or simply someone in authority.”

  “I don’t think it’s anything that simple. I think that it might be directly related to us. You’ve seen the way she’s acted. She’s relaxed around some of the other men, but with us, she’s still wary.” Linc frowned as he sat on the bed. It sagged and groaned, but didn’t collapse beneath him.

  “She was beaten and cut by men who called themselves the Ardin of her old Thent. That probably has more than a little to do with it.” Colm shut the door and leaned against the wall next to it. He pulled the leather tie from his black hair and tossed it onto the dresser.

  Linc shook his head. Colm was trying to avoid thinking deeper about this. Linc knew why, but he couldn’t let him hide from it. Colm needed to begin to see the truth, because getting through to her wasn’t going to be easy.

  “That’s not the only reason. If it was, she’s seen enough of our behavior to relax a little. She watches us, though, and keeps a careful distance between us.” Linc met Colm’s golden eyes. “We both know she has things she’s holding back from us.”

  “She wants to keep her distance. She doesn’t want any ties with a Thent. You know that.” Colm came away from the wall and paced over to the bed, but the glare he slashed over at Linc spoke of his agitation even more than the movement.

  Linc could feel Colm’s frustration and knew it had to be high. Their bond as tierna, bond brothers tied with magic and blood, was extraordinarily strong, but only occasionally were they able to sense feelings from each other. Most often, it was focused thoughts. When they did feel something, it was sure to be intense.

  “Colm, her behavior and Vin’s attention to her both point to something different. She doesn’t want to be close to us and I’m certain that it’s not only because we’re Ardin.” Linc scowled, but remained seated as his remark had Colm swinging around to pace the length of the room again.

  “You know the list of what she could be to us isn’t that long. The question is, do we let her keep the secrets or work to strip them away and reveal it? Are we prepared to face the truth?” Colm gave Linc a long, hard look.

  Linc knew that list and he knew exactly why Colm didn’t want to give it much thought. She could be a mate to one of their men or someone they knew and they were supposed to keep her safe. There was also the possibility that she was their mate. As well as one or two others that were much less likely to apply considering the circumstances and that Vin had said nothing to hint that it would be something beyond what would be obvious.

  “No, that isn’t the question. Regardless of what we do, she won’t be able to keep those secrets for long. Maybe if it doesn’t take long, she’d be able to make it through the time to bring these men to justice. Do you really intend to let her walk away and disappear as you know she means to do? It’s obvious she doesn’t want to be with a Thent. Who would? But that fear isn’t going to resolve on its own.” Linc rose and paced over to the rickety dresser the inn provided for its patrons.

  It would probably break apart if he leaned against it. She’d fight having her defenses stripped away and the truth revealed. Doing it could destroy any trust she had in them. It wasn’t that damn easy and his bond brother was part of the reason that it wasn’t simply about revealing her secrets.

  “You’re right. She wants to walk away from everything to do with life in a Thent and especially anything to do with Ardin.” Colm looked down at his boots. The muscles along his shoulders bunched, stretching the white material of his shirt.

  “Colm, I know you don’t want to lose a mate, but you’re more likely to lose me than you are a female mate. She’ll have the haven we create for her as protection. Anyone coming after her will have to go through our men and us. I’ll be out there fighting right beside you.” Linc knew logic wasn’t going to make him suddenly see that a mate could be a good thing. Colm had seen firsthand the torment the loss of a mate could cause when it happened to his brother. Colm’s brother had fallen apart at his mate’s death.

  “I know that.” Colm’s voice roughened.

  Linc knew Colm was trying to think everything out and come up with the best solution for everyone. He was trying to work it out rationally and that was last thing that Linc wanted. Colm needed to trust his instincts on this, not his head.

  “Colm, don’t shut down on me here.” Linc walked over and grabbed Colm by the arms. With a sharp shake, he drew Colm’s focus back to him. He knew it would get a reaction out of the other man and would prevent cold logic from ruling.

  “You’ve made your decision. Why are you making an issue of this? You know I’ll go along with you on this.” Colm stalked over to the window and looked out at the city beyond. Linc was fairly sure he didn’t see anything though.

  “Do you want to have to pay for every piece of furniture in this room? Don’t give me that ‘I don’t care’ attitude. It’s your decision too an
d I’m not going to make it for you so you can resent both me and her.” Linc stalked over and stood beside him. “Do you think that would be good for any of us? Not to mention the fact that she’s gone through enough without having to deal with your foul moods and being treated as if she’s anything but what you want.”

  “So what do you suggest, Linc? We have to make a decision. And she’ll have to deal with my foul moods regardless. Do you really think that I can be nice the entire time she’s with us, even if it’s only a short time? Someone’s going to make me angry.” Colm turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Linc.

  Linc ruefully acknowledged that that was true. While Colm was even-tempered for the most part, when he did get angry, there was no hiding it. She’d see it at some point.

  “I suggest that we get to know her. We don’t have to decide what we’re going to do about her just yet, but we watch and learn. You aren’t the only one with issues here. She’s hiding, Colm, from everyone and everything. She has scars that need to heal and I’m not talking about the marks on her body.” Linc put a hand on Colm’s shoulder and tugged him around to face him.

  “And you have no problems of your own?” Colm brushed Linc’s hand on his shoulder aside and took a step forward.

  “Not with trusting or the mate bond.” Linc shrugged, but Colm was right. They all had their own particular troubles. “But gaining her trust isn’t going to be easy. It will probably be impossible if we don’t both want it. So we take it slow with her.”

  “Why is this so important to you?” Colm laced his fingers into Linc’s hair and tugged lightly.

  “Because if we’re right, she’s meant to be with us. You know I’m possessive and the thought of my mate in another man’s arms makes me angry enough to kill. Regardless of your feelings about true mates, how would you feel if you saw the woman you suspected of being your mate in the arms of someone other than me?” Linc watched as that penetrated Colm’s thoughts.