Page 52 of Triplets for the Barbarians

“You bet your sweet ass we could do that,” I chuckle dryly.

It’s gruesome, an awful thing to do. If I were to try that on Earth, I’d probably go on trial for crimes against humanity. But this isn’t Earth, and the stakes are far too high for my morality to intervene in any manner that doesn’t secure a resounding victory. Whatever it takes, we’ll do it. And if the old channels are still functional, then we could very well profit from the volcano looming over Opal City to save us.

For the first time in a long time, I can almost feel the wheels in my head turning, countless possibilities swirling in my mind as the prospect of a future with Yossul and Fadai seems less of a wild dream and more of a potential reality.

What will I do for it? What am I truly willing to do for it? In my mind, I talk a big, ruthless game. But how far am I ready to go in order to survive and secure my own life, my own happiness?

How far are the Kreek brothers willing to go? They’ve been warring with the Sky Tribe for years. They were at it long before I came along, and I know they went too far more than once to protect their clans and their people.

What will they do for their soulmate?

For the possibility of a family together?

I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

20

Jewel

Evening finds me in our bedroom, tired from a whole day spent with racing thoughts and a constant deluge of “what if” scenarios to sort through. No matter how well we plan the city’s defense operations and regardless of our drive, we are still potential victims of an early demise. We’re still subject to fate’s whims, powerless in the face of death. We can only do the best we can with what we’ve got, and that may not be enough.

Fear is a powerful incentive, but it’s also exhausting.

Freshly bathed and wrapped in a white silk robe, I sit by the wide-open terrace doors, watching the suns dissolving into the western horizon. Their wild pink glow turns the sky purple and makes Mount Kaos look like a silent giant watching over us.

Steam rises from its shimmering orange tip, where the mysterious inner fire of Sunna still simmers. Those are powerful healing waters that Cynthia intends to use for the plague cure. I’ve spoken to Solomon’s widows, and they’ve agreed to let us drink from the peculiar spring as well. We’ll go there first thing in the morning and have our fill.

Whatever minerals and natural vitamins are in it, the inner fire gives whoever drinks it great clarity, increased strength, sharpened senses, and better reflexes. Everything I’ll need to operate at a level that may very well put me out of reach of the enemy’s capabilities, if only by a few degrees. Every bit counts.

I’m alone with my thoughts, and they are poor company. My engineering skills aren’t as sharp as I could’ve made them while I lived on Earth, but not once did I imagine I’d be in this position. Not once did I imagine I’d need such knowledge to devise a sky scanner that could help me find the starship once it’s launched.

The device itself isn’t ready. I doubt it will ever be ready, not without certain sensors and lenses that need years to be designed and implemented. What I’ve managed to put together doesn’t even cover a five-hundred-mile radius. If the starship is launched from farther away, the device may not be able to pick up its signal in time. It irks me because we’ve yet to gather any verifiable intel on the vessel’s position.

The doors open, and I glance over my shoulder.

Yossul and Fadai come in, looking as tired as I feel, their broad shoulders down and their red gazes lowered. Yet I find comfort in their presence—the kind of soothing my soul desperately needed, so I get up from my seat overlooking the terrace and walk over to my men, my body already aching for them.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, my fingers combing through my long, brown hair as I let it flow over my shoulder. I enjoy its silky feel, courtesy of Kaos’s thermal waters and Neya’s proprietary blend of herbal oils. There are perks to being a guest of the widows in Opal City. “Do you need me anywhere on base?”

“The only place we need you right now is here with us,” Fadai replies with a soft smile.

“We’ve done enough work for today,” Yossul adds, peeling his dark red coat off his massive torso. I love the smell of him, even after a hard day. His scent is strong and masculine, filling my lungs and lighting a fire between my legs. “Right now, we only wish to rest and relax.”

“Well, then,” I say, biting my lower lip as I let my silk robe fall to the floor, my feet bare as I take deliberate steps toward them. “Shall I help?”

They both look at me with ravenous glares that wander up and down my body, taking in every detail, every inch of soft skin—theirs for the taking, along with my soul. Piece by piece, their clothes join my robe on the marble tiles while I feast my eyes on their powerful bodies—ropes of bulging muscles beneath smooth, red skin, black hairs curling across their big chests.

My fingers tingle at the sight of their broad shoulders and strong arms. Their tails flail behind them, the spikes at the end whistling with each lash, while their swirling horns glisten in the amber candlelight.

“You could help, yes,” Yossul declares, his voice so low and raspy, it’s a most delicious purr. “You could start by getting on your knees.”

“On my knees,” I reply, smiling. “Whatever for?”

“Aren’t you hungry, my love?” Fadai asks.

Moaning softly, I cup my breasts and squeeze them gently, well aware that their giant cocks are swelling and hardening before my eyes. I can’t wait to feel them both inside me, damn near ripping me apart as they possess me.

But first, I’m eager to indulge my demons, one lick at a time. “I’m famished,” I tell them and drop to my knees. “Positively famished.”

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