Page 40 of The Ozar Triad

“We may not have this chance again. And then everything will be to no avail if we don’t have the crystal,” Klaej said.

Rujali looked torn. His gaze pierced her, but she could tell he wanted this crystal. It had to be important to them, otherwise she knew there would be no debate about ‘getting her to safety’.

She rolled her eyes. “Then let’s go get it.”

“It will be dangerous.” Setzan sounded affronted she’d suggested she go.

“Listen, I don’t know if you fully understand this, but I’m a soldier,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “I fight. I’ve done it a long time now. I know what I’m doing.”

All three exchanged looks.

She gritted her teeth. This was exactly the same reaction she’d had with lots of men. First disbelief she did what she did, and then disbelief that she did it so well.

“You ask me to trust you time after time. Now I’m asking you do to the same, and look at your reaction,” she said. “I came for you. Got you out of that cell. Fought that wormy thing and still you doubt me.”

Klaej crossed his arms. She tensed, working herself up for the usual argument.

“She is right,” Klaej said. “We have been blessed with a warrior mate.”

They considered her a warrior mate? Her head jerked back as she gave each of them an incredulous look.

Setzan nodded. “You are strong, Riley. That is not up for debate. I am honored you are prepared to fight at our side.”

Rujali nodded, the beads clacking, “I agree. The four of us stand together, just as it should be. I thank the fates every hour that they brought you to us, Riley. Now, we’ll go and retrieve that crystal and restore life to our land.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time,” Klaej said.

They formed a protective circle around her as they stalked into a tunnel in even deeper darkness than the one before. Adrenaline spiked her blood at the promise of battle, but even more than that, she still reeled with shock. Her world had just shifted in yet another direction. She usually had to fight hard to get men to respect her career. She had to prove herself over and over again all the time. Work three times as hard as any man to earn half the respect. It was exhausting.

It was why she’d kept her heart to herself. Life was hard enough without that sort of weakness.

Yet, every time she thought the worst would happen, they proved they knew her more than she gave them credit for. It was nice.

But it would make the time she would leave them that much harder.

Chapter Sixteen

Klaej

Just the thought of claiming the crystal and then finally claiming their mate was beyond Klaej’s wildest dreams. To have it all so close, yet so uncertain, made his blood heat with longing.

He made sure he stepped close to Riley. If there was an explosion, or if one of the scaled ones attacked, or gods forbid a giant worm attacked them, he would be close enough to protect her. Although she didn’t need him to, it made him feel better.

A smile fought to appear in his mouth at her ferocity. As if she had to prove anything to them. They knew her better than she knew herself. The fates wouldn’t have found her for them if she didn’t, in all ways, complete them.

However, she didn’t know their ways, so she was unsure. But she soon would. Maybe she even did subconsciously. She’d come back for them when she didn’t have to. She’d fought for them, risking her own survival. A mate didn’t do that unless they were connected on a deeper level than even he understood.

She might be afraid because she was unsure of their ways. He wondered if she might even feel the full mate-sync when it happened. Maybe her species was just too different. But surely the fates would have taken that into consideration.

Either way, it was going to happen. There was no way any of them would let her out of their sight, and never again would she be unsure of where she stood.

He could just imagine how it would happen. All three of them filling all her holes. Rujali would take her pussy. Setzan would take her delectable backside, and she would offer her mouth to him. Her mouth, her hands, her body, her soul. All three of them must impale her in the most intimate of ways to ensure her complete acceptance for the sync to fully form.

She was a different species, yes, and maybe without the crystal their mate-bond would not be possible, but soon they would have it. Nobody could deny the power of the crystal. After the mate-sync, she would have no more doubts.

Before then, they would have to show her how it might be between them. And if she resisted, they would show her more. A thrill ran through his body at the thought of keeping her naked and well-loved in their bed, her body sated after reaching numerous orgasms, too tired for her mind to work and doubt herself.

The few times he had been fortunate enough to bring her to completion, she had responded so completely. Once she surrendered her mind, her body was free to seek its release. She was full of thoughts, most of them stopping her from accepting her life-right of being the center of their universe.

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