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  “She doesn’t want to be near anyone though.” Colm shook his head. “She doesn’t trust anyone.”

  “Eventually she’ll want to get close to someone if for no other reason than sex. You know how highly sexual our kind is. Just let your mind play out those images for a while and tell me how you feel about it.” Linc felt his heartbeat increase and his muscles tightening simply from thinking about it.

  Colm’s eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. “Fuck, why did you have to put that in my head? Now, I can practically see her and some other man. It makes me want to rip the other man apart. And the only thing I really know about her is that she might be my mate. It makes no sense.”

  “Yes, it does. For all the trouble you have thinking about mates up here.” Linc tapped his head. “There’s part of you that wouldn’t settle for anything less. Why do you think you hadn’t picked one of the women from our Thent when they were willing and well-suited for the position tempermentally? They’d fit perfectly with your plan, but you never even broached the subject.”

  “You knew I was looking at some of the women from our Thent as possible wives, but you never said anything.” Colm frowned and his hand slid from Linc’s hair to cup the back of his neck. “I looked at them, but none of them ever seemed right, even though I couldn’t find anything outwardly wrong. You’re right. They would have suited the position.”

  “They weren’t right because they weren’t your mate.” Linc didn’t see the need to add any more to that. Colm had looked, but inside he’d known that he wouldn’t find what he wanted in any of the women at their Thent.

  “You think so. I couldn’t have just wanted something more than what I’d found?” Colm shook his head. “Do you think that I wouldn’t find a suitable woman ever?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you’d have found a woman to settle on, but do you think she wouldn’t know that she was second best to you and me, just as we would be to her.” Linc knew he wouldn’t be happy with that. He had a feeling that Colm wouldn’t have been happy for long in spite of his doubts and concerns over finding a true mate.

  “Second best. Well, the woman would always have to wonder and think about something such as that, because the bond with you is so solid.” Colm leaned in and nipped at Linc’s lip.

  Linc inhaled sharply at the stinging bite. The move sent a sharp spike of hunger through him as well as a surge of aggression in return. He moved forward and pushed Colm back against the wall. His lips crushed against Colm’s in a hungry kiss.

  Colm’s laugh rolled over his lips. Linc knew he’d just been goaded, but it didn’t matter. Now that he had his hands on Colm, he wasn’t letting go until they were hot, sweaty and sated. He gripped Colm’s shirt and steered him around and to the bed.

  They tumbled onto the slightly lumpy mattress and began rolling and wrestling for dominance. Linc couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He loved the struggle. Colm gave a heave and sent him sprawling onto his back at the edge of the bed.

  Colm didn’t waste any time. He lunged at him. Linc grabbed Colm’s shirt and shoulder. He used the other man’s momentum to carry them both to the floor and ended up on top of his bond brother. He smiled in satisfaction as he pinned the man’s shoulders to the floor.

  “This time is mine.” Linc began unbuttoning Colm’s shirt. He wanted to see and feel everything.

  “And next time is mine.” Colm growled. He threaded his hand into Linc’s hair and kissed him hard. “Are we doing this on the floor?”

  “Do you think the bed would survive much more?” Linc looked at the bed.

  “I think if it breaks, it will give some poor patron a sturdier option and be well worth the cost of replacing it.” Colm glanced at the bed beside them significantly. “Want to give it a try?”

  Linc looked at the bed and then grinned. Colm was right. It would be worth it for the pleasure and time together. Aside from that, it survived their tussle, so there was hope. He rose from the floor, but he didn’t take his eyes off Colm. He didn’t want to stop looking at him.

  “You grab what we’ll need and I’ll get ready.” Colm let his eyes sweep over Linc’s body and he definitely looked hungry.

  “Now don’t go getting any ideas. This time’s mine.” Linc pointed a finger at his friend, but did go get the bottle of lube from their bag.

  “You can have this time, but no one said how long it would be before next time.” Colm’s voice held laughter and anticipation.

  Linc turned and watched as Colm stripped out of his shirt and stepped out of his black leather pants. Linc tossed the bottle onto the covers and quickly tugged at his own clothing. He couldn’t get out of them fast enough. He wanted to be skin to skin with his lover now.

  “How do you want me, Linc?” Colm stood on the side of the bed and eyed Linc speculatively.

  “On your back. I want to see your face as I fuck you.” Linc climbed onto the bed and waited as Colm lay down on his back in the middle.

  “I like that. I get to see your face as well.” Colm brought a hand up to stroke along Linc’s jaw. “Then I can picture just how you’ll look as I take you.”

  Linc laughed and reached down to circle Colm’s cock with his fingers. “You’re not focused enough on me. I’ll have to see what I can do about that.”

  He leaned down and kissed Colm aggressively. Colm didn’t let him lead long. Their tongues dueled and played. All the while, Linc drew his hand up and down Colm’s cock. They were both breathing hard when he drew back. Linc drew in a ragged breath and tried to concentrate, but the ache in his balls was pushing away all rational thought beyond the need to fuck.

  He grabbed the bottle of lube, lifted one of Colm’s legs onto his shoulder and began preparing his lover. He worked one of his oil-slick fingers between the taut cheeks of Colm’s buttocks and drew his fingers around the muscular ring. Even though his body burned with the need to drive deep, he took his time working the oil into the tight channel. While he spread the lubricant, his hand trailed occasionally up to Colm’s balls and cock, teasing and tormenting to keep the heat high.

  “You are so going to pay when it’s my turn.” Colm gritted through clenched teeth. His hips lifted as Linc’s hand pumped his cock.

  “That’s supposed to make me stop? All it does is encourage me to enjoy this even more.” Linc smiled wickedly and drew his thumb over the head of Colm’s shaft, smoothing the bead of pre-cum there into the skin. He looked up and saw the strain on his friend’s face. He knew that he needed to stop teasing so much if he didn’t want Colm to come before he was inside him.

  Linc moved between Colm’s thighs. He hooked his lover’s knees over his shoulders. He drew in a slow breath when his cock brushed against Colm’s buttocks. Linc was close to coming and didn’t know how long he’d be able to hold on to his control. The head of his shaft pressed at the tight ring. He clenched his jaw as Colm’s muscles slowly stretched, giving him access.

  The clenching heat surrounding him felt so good. He began pumping slowly into Colm. Colm’s hips lifted into the strokes. Colm’s fingers gripped a handful of his hair and pulled him down. Sharp teeth nipped along his shoulder, drawing a hissing breath from Linc. Linc’s hips slammed down involuntarily, driving deep. Colm drew Linc closer for a fierce kiss.

  His tongue drove deep and Linc felt his control slipping away with every breath. Colm used his teeth and tongue to pull away every shred of restraint. The stinging little nips along his lips and jaw sent sharp pulses straight to his balls. Colm didn’t give him a chance to even take a deep breath. His hips punched up and the flexing muscles pushed Linc right over the edge.

  Linc pulled almost completely out and then drove deep. His mouth claimed Colm’s as his hips thrust forward. Colm met each stroke. His grip tightened and his body lifted. Linc could tell Colm was close. Colm stiffened and groaned. His body shook and Linc barely felt the warm semen hit his stomach. He continued to grind into Colm. His balls pulled tight, aching with the need to release. A sharp nip on his shoulde
r threw him over the edge. His hips ground hard against Colm as he came. The aching tightness exploded, rushing over him in a blinding rush of tingling pleasure.

  He pulled back and let Colm’s legs fall to the bed before he lay down on the bed beside his lover. He let his hand rest on Colm’s stomach and just enjoyed the lingering pleasure.

  “We’ll go slowly. I’m not saying I agree to your whole plan, but we’ll get to know her and see if we can help her. She does need some training for the magic inside of her now. While we’re doing that, we’ll see. Even though I don’t want to see her in someone else’s arms, I don’t know if I can get past my own problems about true mates.” Colm’s fingers tangled in Linc’s hair.

  “I’m not asking you to instantly agree. Even if you did, we’d still have the problem of unmasking her without losing any trust she’s given us. That’s not going to be an easy problem to solve if we decide to do it.” Linc grimaced. Getting Colm’s cooperation was the least of his worries. In spite of his fears, Colm would realize that it was the way it was supposed to be. Eventually.

  “Not easy, it will be nearly impossible.” Colm shook his head.

  “I think we’re up to the challenge. If nothing else comes to us, we can try bargaining it away piece by piece.” Linc grimaced. Not that he could see that working. They didn’t have anything that she wanted that much or if they did, they didn’t know about it at this point.

  They would find some way through her barriers. He wasn’t prepared to accept anything else. Once Colm stopped letting fear push at him, Colm wouldn’t tolerate it, either. The mating attraction would help them a little. He’d felt it before with Colm and knew the pull was too strong to be ignored. She might fight it, but would be drawn closer to them with each passing day. Hopefully, with that closeness, she’d learn to trust them.

  Chapter Five

  Looking back on the last few days, Cami was amazed that everything had been so normal. She’d received a few strange looks from the men. It hadn’t been as bad as she’d thought. She could tell they didn’t see her in the same way as before, though. In truth, the change in how they looked at her was a little worrying. Before, she’d noticed sympathy and protectiveness. Now overall, the men didn’t seem to see her as a victim or fragile.

  Not necessarily a bad thing, but she wished Colm and Linc still saw her that way. After losing control, she knew they didn’t retaliate. Still, she wasn’t ready to give them her complete trust. On the other hand, they seemed determined to close the distance she’d put between them.

  They were more attentive now. It wasn’t just because they knew she was having trouble with the magic inside her. She wished it was that simple. She could deal with them focusing on her to keep her from having another accidental magic release.

  They began teaching her a few techniques to control the power inside of her. She couldn’t control it when it was at its highest, but if she caught it before it went too high, she could handle it. Most of the methods had nothing to do with applying the magic, which frustrated her a little. She wanted to learn to use it as well as have the ability to impose her will on the power within her.

  Linc and Colm had taken an interest in her. The magic seemed to be the least of their focus when they were near her. Speculation burned in their eyes as well as curiosity whenever she looked at them. Today, it seemed even worse.

  One of the michkal, the huge shaggy-haired beasts that pulled the wagons, had been hurt when it had stepped in a hole along the side of the washed-out road. They managed to get to the next town on the way to the travel-gate, but wouldn’t be going anywhere until they found another to pull the heavy wagon. The tall mican were powerful and great for riding, but couldn’t pull the same load as one michkal. That left them waiting until a suitable animal was found.

  In the meantime, Cami decided to get a good look at the market. The little town didn’t appear much different from the others they’d passed through on the way to Colm and Linc’s world, but something about it caught her attention. Maybe it was the cheerful colors of the houses around the square or the flower boxes filled with gorgeous summer blooms that seemed to be everywhere.

  She walked into the cobbled square and stopped. The scent of roasting meat swirled on the warm air and mixed with that of spices sold in a nearby stall. Her eyes swept over the stalls, stopping on a stall covered with mounds of colorful, ripe fruit before moving on to other wares. The large area was a maze of stalls offering almost anything imaginable.

  Only a few people wandered among the maze of stalls. She smiled. Now this, she could enjoy. She strolled along one row, content for the moment to merely look. Avan was close. He’d followed her as soon as she’d stepped away from the main group near the entrance to the market. He stayed back, but in a way, she was glad he was close.

  She could relax a little. If anyone even looked as if they might come after her, she’d get a good warning. Not that she expected that here. Nothing felt off here. She’d learned to trust the freaky dreams and feelings coming to her since she’d broken the crystal.

  She wandered through the stalls idly, but stopped when she found herself in a section filled with cloth and metal wares. She admired the cloth for a short time. Turning and strolling to the next stall, she found herself drawn to a table covered with buckles, ornamental metal belts, bangles and buttons, as well as a few nice knives.

  As she walked up to the table, the young, dark-haired man behind it smiled at her. His eyes didn’t cut to her cheek or shy away as others had. She smiled back. As she looked at one of the bracelets, he came around the table.

  “It’s nice work, yes? My brother makes these.” The man picked up the bracelet to display the dangling charms better.

  “It’s very pretty. Your brother is very good at what he does.” She fingered one of the charms and glanced up at him through her lashes. He didn’t seem disgusted by her scar at all.

  “There are—” The man’s words cut off abruptly as a large body suddenly stepped between them.

  She looked up past the black shirt and broad shoulders to the black hair and aggressive lines of Colm’s face. He scowled at the vendor. The man scurried behind the table. She glared at him. What was his problem and why was he even here?

  “It’s time to go. They’re getting the michkal and will have it ready soon.” Colm’s voice was hard. He didn’t take his eyes off the man behind the table.

  She frowned at his back, but wasn’t going to argue with him in front of the stranger. Nodding, she muttered a quiet thank-you before turning away from the table. She didn’t get far before Colm was right beside her. They walked back to the main group of Santir.

  She didn’t know if something had delayed the others or if Colm hadn’t been telling the complete truth. They had to wait a while longer before the michkal arrived and they could begin their journey again. Colm didn’t leave her side the entire time. She wondered what caused that. He couldn’t feel possessive about her. They were curious and there was something else in his eyes, but she didn’t know what.

  Cami watched him as they rode to the next town, but couldn’t come up with any reason for his behavior. She focused her eyes ahead and her thoughts on the next few days. Tomorrow, they’d reach the travel-gate and go to the world where their Thent was located. From what she understood, the Thent wasn’t near the gate. They maintained an armed presence at the gate for security. The journey wasn’t quite over, but an end was in sight.

  The thought of being surrounded by more people made her a little nervous, even if it was only for a short time. On the other hand, getting off the mican for more than a night was a dream of hers. She hoped that Laed and Kynar weren’t too long in following them. An extended stay would be hard on more than her nerves. She didn’t know how long she’d be able to resist the temptation to get close to Colm and Linc. The pull to them hadn’t lessened even a little.

  Once they reached the inn, Cami retreated to her room for privacy before she had to join the others for a meal. She took a
bath, but had to keep it short. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself by arriving too late. She dressed in a black skirt and a clean, cream shirt because she needed a change from travel clothes even if it was only for a short time before she went to bed.

  With her hair hanging free down her back, she almost felt normal. At least, she did until she walked into the inn’s dining room and caught the expression of a woman at a table near the door. The woman’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Cami almost turned on her heel and headed for her room, but she straightened her shoulders and concentrated on getting to the table where Avan, the chatar and the healer sat.

  Forcing herself to focus on the room and not who might be looking at her, she kept moving. Decorative lamps hung from beams across the ceiling over the tables, creating pools of light and shadow. She made her way through the tables and chose one of the empty seats. Sitting down, she nodded to the healer and the chatar before smiling at Avan.

  Cami took a deep breath as she settled into the seat. Their food was delivered almost immediately. She began eating without really noticing what was on her plate. Her focus remained on what had happened and her reaction.

  She wasn’t going to let someone staring send her into hiding. The staring made her angry, but she didn’t want to run. Well, not too much. There was still the desire to pull in on herself, to take shelter, but she didn’t think she’d have stayed only days ago.

  Something had changed, though. She’d grown comfortable around these men. That was true and might be part of the new confidence. It wasn’t all of it. Some part of her had faded after the beating and especially when she discovered the damage to her leg. She hadn’t felt as though she was the same person since Kynar and Laed had attacked her. Maybe she was getting a little of her spirit back.