Page 34 of Their Shared Mate
The answer with Victor was easy. He was personable and even-tempered, intelligent and ambitious. He would make any woman a solid mate.
Raphael on the other hand was more complicated. She hadn’t liked him when she first met him, but the more time she spent with him the more intrigued she was by him. The other eagles respected and trusted him enough to elect him as co-leader. She was impressed by all he’d overcome in his life.
She found no fault with either of them physically. There was no doubt that they were sexually compatible, but Raphael’s need for pain was concerning. Unfortunately, the only way she could make a definitive decision was to spend more time with them, which would doubtlessly mean more sex.
Sniffing away the last of her tears, she wet down her hair and reached for what she hoped was shampoo. As she lathered her thick locks, her mind drifted back to what had just happened in the bedroom. She’d known that having sex was likely tonight, but her reaction to their dominance surprised her. Submission never interested her before. She always thought she was too strong, too independent to give up control.
Yet as soon as they took control, she’d had one incredible orgasm after another. And that floaty feeling. She’d never experienced anything like that before. Even the pain had only added to the pleasure if she were brutally honest with herself.
Okay, so the sex had been amazing, but what did this mean in the long run? Were Raphael and Victor the right males for her? Could she be content as theirsharedmate?
She rinsed her hair and poured body wash into the palm of her hand. She’d barely begun to explore Eagle Village, but she wasintrigued by what she’d learned. Being surrounded by ambitious scientists was far more appealing to her than interacting with professional soldiers.
Victor tapped on the shower door a few minutes later. “Mind if I join you?”
She started to tell him that she was finished, but changed her mind. “Come in.”
He stepped into the enclosure and quickly closed the door. “You okay? We were pretty rough with you, especially for a first time.”
She nervously licked her lips. “I’m fine. A little sore, but I’ll survive.”
He adjusted the spray so it covered them both, then pulled her into his arms. “Show me where it hurts and I’ll be happy to rub it.”
She laughed, snuggling against his warm body. “I might take you up on that.”
“Your emotions are all over the place.” His voice was warm and nonjudgmental. He just sounded concerned. “I think you need to talk about what you’re feeling.”
“I feel like the universe is being redefined and there’s nothing I can do about it,” she admitted. “I was told about the tracker nanobots, but part of me still expected to go home.”
His warm hand stroked up and down her back, soothing rather than arousing her. “You don’t feel that way anymore?”
She shook her head, leaning back just far enough so she could see his face. “Courting means I’m planning a future on Rydaria. And that means I’m never going home.”
He framed her face with his hands and looked deep into her eyes. “No, it means that you’re starting to accept that, like it or not, Rydariais your home.”
She nodded, but the realization made her sad. Tightening her arms around him, she pressed her body against his and soaked in the comfort of his strong embrace. “This feels nice.”
“Oh, my love, nice will never do.” He lowered his head and captured her mouth in a slow, deep kiss.
CHAPTER 5
Raphael slept later the following morning than he had in months. Victor had already departed, but Claire snuggled against Raphael’s side, her warm breath teasing his bare skin. Her features appeared delicate and serene, and her soft body fit perfectly in his embrace. For a moment all Raphael could do was gaze at her lovely face and gently stroke her hair. Without defiance flashing in her eyes and challenging words flying from her mouth, she looked young and innocent. He knew they’d not yet convinced her to accept their claim, but she had responded wonderfully to their sensual demands.
They’d shared pleasure three times the night before. Just thinking about being inside her had his cock hardening all over again. Sensations were heightened and emotions were more acute with a potential mate. The feline hybrids had warned him that it would be different than any sexual experience in his past, but his imagination hadn’t begun to capture the true intensity.
And it wasn’t just the pleasure that gave him hope and had him dreaming about the future. They’d spent hours in bed talking in between bouts of passion. She seemed genuinely interested in them and she’d shared intimate details about her life as well.It felt natural to be with her, almost preordained. He smiled and shook away the thought. He was a scientist. He believed in genetic compatibility and environmental conditioning, not fate.
Not wanting to disturb Claire, Raphael carefully disentangled their bodies and crawled out of bed. Victor had left a new outfit for her. It was the sort of thoughtfulness that frequently slipped past Raphael. That’s why they made a good team. Victor was detail oriented and focused. Raphael formed social connections easily and specialized in motivation.
Raphael took a quick shower and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved tee. Four molecular conversion units were placed strategically around the village allowing the hybrids to print clothing, household, medical, and building supplies. Food was grown in large greenhouses and was prepared the old-fashioned way. Most on Earth would consider the conditions primitive, but Raphael enjoyed the simplicity. Earth had become crowded and highly mechanized. People spent more time in cyberspace than interacting with human beings.
He put the kettle on to boil and sent a telepathic ping to Gabriel.
His brother responded immediately.Did she wear you out? You slept through our meeting this morning.
Raphael cringed. He’d forgotten all about their meeting with Diego. The Shadow Team leader was nearly as prickly as Gabriel. The brothers had interacted with the lion shifter long before their villages aligned, but their relationship had never been more important.I’m sorry. Last night was… eventful.
He imagined Gabriel chuckling.No doubt.
