Forbidden

Chapter Three

Doriena floated in a sea of endless, puffy clouds in an excited aurora. The colors swirled around her and changed like images in a multifaceted mirror. A soft warm breeze caressed her nude body, and she stretched much like her cat might.

Soothing images floated through the clouds, and she knew there was a doctor somewhere -- probably her mother’s best friend, Dr. Mara Jenson -- trying her damnedest to make her comfortable and relax her troubled mind. Healing tubes were great, but Mara had pointed out on many occasions the best medicine is sometimes restful sleep.

Well, this was certainly soothing.

At least it was until her imagination kicked in.

Coming toward her in the distance were two very large, very nude males. They were both formidable in appearance, but nothing about them scared her in the least. She had no doubt who they were.

Her stepbrother and Bakac were two men she had always thought unattainable. There was nothing she could ever recall to lead her to believe either of them was interested in her as more than a sister or friend. In fact, although she had pursued Bakac recently, she knew in no uncertain terms he considered her off limits in a physical way because of Alex.

But, oh, she had fantasized!

Like now.

Both walks might have been cocky, both grins sexy, but each man was very different in both appearance and demeanor. Alex swaggered, blatantly arrogant. Bakac was more sensual, contained power that needed no arrogance to showcase himself. Both men had bodies that would do any god on any world proud and were enough to cause her to cream instantly. Had she not been bonelessly relaxed already, she would have surely melted into a puddle of sensual goo.

Neither said a word, but both reached for her. She lay on her back, suspended in the air between them, Alex at her head, Bakac at her feet. Alex’s hands kneaded her shoulders and down the length of her arms gently but firmly. Bakac did the same with her feet and legs and before long, muscles still sore from her ordeal began to loosen and relax.

They worked her limbs for what seemed like hours. She didn’t want them to stop, so they didn’t.

Still, neither said a word.

After a time, something changed in the nature of their touches. Neither of them massaged anything other than her limbs, but the feel of their hands became almost erotic. Alex rubbed and kneaded the underside of her arm while Bakac massaged her feet and ankles, and the two of them were flipping sexual switches she didn’t know she had.

Her cunt clenched once when Bakac stimulated a particularly sensitive part of her foot and she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips. When he smiled, she gasped again.

It was the most seductive smile she had ever seen, and in that instant everything changed.

Subtle touches were now sexual torment.

Alex bent to lick the well of her collarbone as Bakac grinned once more before sucking her big toe into his mouth. It took all her strength of will not to jump. As it was, she cried out at the unexpected sensation and arched her neck to guide Alex more firmly against her flesh.

Two mouths feasted on her in two different ways, each with an erotic quality all its own. Alex apparently preferred a more straightforward approach, whereas Bakac favored teasing and tormenting. Each had devastating consequences on her nervous system.

Leaving her foot for a short time, Bakac gave her that heart-stopping grin before making a swipe from her heel to her big toe. She tried to watch, fascinated, as he sucked each toe on each foot, but Alex turned her head to him and took her mouth in a gentle kiss.

Well, gentle and plundering at the same time.

There was not a spot in her mouth within reach of his tongue that he did not explore. She surrendered willingly, eagerly. All she wanted was these two men.

Always.

Forever.

Alex kissed her so completely, so totally satisfying her every curiosity about what his lips would feel like on hers, she almost missed Bakac’s advance up her leg. He nibbled and licked and sucked his way to her knee and started working on the inside of one leg. Just when she pulled herself away from Alex to watch Bakac’s progress, he stopped and started all over again with her other leg.

Doriena lay back with a groan and Alex smiled down at her. He trailed kisses up her neck, across her jaw line to her mouth, up her cheeks to her temples, and finally settling on her left ear. He licked around the shell, dipping his tongue ever so slightly inside and pulling back to blow gently. The cool sensation sent chills over her body and she whimpered a little and stiffened with the unbearable pleasure these two men so expertly created with their mouths.

Damn!

Bakac made his way back up her other thigh, and she again looked down at him, expecting him to dip his head and finally put her burning clit out of its misery. Instead, he stopped and snared her gaze. He looked so fierce that Doriena should have been afraid of him.

But she wasn’t. She had known Bakac most of her life. She trusted him the same way she trusted Alex. If the two of them wanted to take her down the road to dark, carnal pleasures, she’d follow them willingly. Never looking back.

“Be careful what you wish for, little warrior,” Bakac’s voice whispered inside her head. “Our passions are darker than an innocent such as you could ever imagine.”

No sooner had Bakac stopped speaking than Alex bit her neck, sharply, before laving the small hurt with his tongue. Doriena cried out before she could stop herself…

* * *

Doriena awoke to find both men staring at her from opposite sides of the room with identical looks of lust in their eyes. Unfortunately, her mother and father were there also.

“Doriena!” Her mother was at her side in an instant, checking her pulse, pushing her back into the bed when she tried to rise. “Are you all right? You screamed in your sleep.”

“I -- I’m fine, Mother,” she managed to stammer. She felt guilty as hell, like she’d been caught doing something naughty. Which she had, except no one knew.

She managed to convince herself of that until she looked at Alex and Bakac again. They knew exactly what she had been dreaming. She was sure of it.

And she knew what that meant, too.

Worse, they were right. She wasn’t ready for this. “Mom.” She reached for her mother, who enfolded her in her arms and held her tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. Thank God Bakac was with you.”

“It would have been okay if he hadn’t been.” She pulled away from her mother then, feeling defensive now. “My status chip would have alerted Medical of my need for assistance.”

“It shouldn’t have happened at all.” Bakac stared at her a moment before turning to Kahn. “Your daughter pulled an apprentice warrior from the wall. Her injuries occurred because he fell on top of her.”

Her father looked at her sharply, his eyes piercing. He was in “General” mode now. Over the course of her life, she had seen this switch many times, though she had never been the cause of such a look before. “You pulled another warrior from the wall during a battle?”

Honesty was always the best approach with her father. He always gave an opportunity for one to explain one’s actions, so she kept her answer short and focused.

“Yes. I did.”

“And you had a reason for doing this, yes?”

“I did.”

“Then explain yourself, apprentice.”

“Kahn.” Her mother placed a hand on Kahn’s shoulder, but he brushed her off, not looking at her. Her mother seemed miffed, but didn’t press whatever issue she had.

“He was pulling the slower warriors from the wall to better his own time. Apparently, with the threat of real weapons fire removed from the battle, several warriors are using the advantage to set record completions. I shouldn’t have let my anger cloud my judgment, but this particular warrior has put others in danger more than once.”

Kahn looked to Bakac. “Is this true?”

“Yes, sir.” Bakac didn’t hesitate in the slightest. “It was well known, sir.”

“Then why was this not stopped by someone other than an apprentice warrior?” Kahn’s words exploded throughout the room. Doriena had never seen her father actually angry. Gothe’marans were experts at hiding any emotion, especially during battle. Her father might show love and affection as a father and husband, but as a member of Military Command, he never showed emotion.

Until today.

“I will deal with this at the Academy.” He looked directly at Bakac. “Then I will hear why you didn’t tell me about this personally.”

“Father.” Alex spoke for the first time. His voice sounded husky, like he desperately needed a drink of water. He cleared his throat. “Bakac had another duty that interfered with everything else. I have no doubt that, if he’d had the time, he would have told you what was going on.”

Kahn’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Alex. “And that duty?”

“He was shadowing Doriena night and day. The only time he had a break was when she was at home, which ended when she left to stay at the Academy. Thanks to me, he’s had no time for anything other than keeping an eye on Doriena.”

Alex looked as if he was preparing to say more, but one look from Kahn and his mouth snapped shut. Her brother wasn’t one to back down from anyone, but he had too much respect for their father to argue with him in front of others.

She sucked in a breath.

She actually felt his frustration at not being able to defend himself and Bakac. She felt the love and respect he had for both their parents. And his lust for her was simmering there in the background. He was hoping no one noticed the damned raging hard-on he had at the moment, and he was hoping like hell he didn’t have to fuck Bakac. Literally.

She couldn’t help herself. The giggle broke free before she could stop it. Everyone looked at her, but her eyes locked with Alex’s and she had to swallow another giggle.

“I am not changing my mind about that!” Alex’s outburst was enough to draw attention away from her, and she looked at Bakac. He was not amused. In fact, he looked very uncomfortable indeed. Apparently, he felt the same way Alex did.

Anna looked at the three of them in turn. Doriena felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. If anyone could put this together, it was her mother. She just hoped Anna could keep that little bit of information to herself.

Kahn’s head whipped around to his wife and the disbelieving look on his face answered that question. “Absolutely not!”

“I’m not sure you have a say in this, dear.” The faintest smile graced Anna’s lips. Doriena was more than a little relieved to know there was at least a chance that her mother was on their side.

“I most certainly do have a say. She’s my daughter!” He slashed his hand through the air in a quick angry motion. “ I forbid it !”

“She’s a grown woman, Kahn.”

Kahn pinned both Alex and Bakac with a deadly glare, which was something considering both men were on opposite sides of the room. Turning from one to the other, he said, “Don’t get me wrong, I love you both. Bakac, you’ve been like a son to me, and Alex is not only my son, but my heir. I accepted him as my own when I took his mother as my mate.” He turned back to Alex. “But if either of you make her cry -- even once -- and I find out about it, I swear by the Holy Universe, I’ll kill you both!”

Doriena had never seen her father look so fierce. Apparently, this was why he’d gotten the name “Kahn the Merciless.”

“Father,” she said softly, “do you really think I could have found a man anywhere who would have my well-being so firmly in his mind? You’ve raised Alex and I as siblings. For all intents and purposes, he is my brother.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “He may make me crazy sometimes, but he’s always been there for me. And Bakac has apparently been willing to put his career on the line to protect me when I was supposed to be working on my own. Could you have found anyone who would do that?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” Kahn held up his hand. “You’re my daughter. You don’t need anyone but me.” He glared at the two men. “Especially two who have lived in your shadow most of their lives and still seek their own pleasures. They will only bring you heartbreak.”

The stabbing in her heart surprised her. Her father’s words hurt. It took her a moment to figure it out, but the pain wasn’t her own. It was Alex’s.

When she looked at him, his face was blank, but he focused on nothing. He just looked straight ahead somewhere above Kahn’s head. Like a soldier being dressed down by his superior.

“Dad!” She never called him that unless she wanted his undivided attention. “How can you possibly say that?”

“Because it’s true.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Doriena, you have no idea what passes as sexual entertainment for these two.” He waved a hand at the two men, momentarily taking his eyes off his daughter. “Don’t bother trying to deny it -- I’m head of Military Command and ruler on this world. I know your tastes, whether I want to or not.” Turning back to Doriena, he continued, “Trust me when I say you’re not ready for this.”

“I know,” she said softly, “but I’ve never backed away from anything my whole life and I’m not about to shrink away from my soul’s mates simply because I’m not as worldly as they are.” When Kahn would have spoken again, she interrupted. “Would you have given up Mother if she had stretched your limits sexually?”

Anna cleared her throat and coughed once, softly. “Don’t answer that or I’ll kick your ass right here, Kahn.”

The great Kahn the Merciless actually blushed.

And he conceded defeat as gracefully as he could.

“Well, if you need me to kill either one of them, don’t hesitate to ask.” He gave the men another menacing look, then said, “Damn it, Doriena. You’re not supposed to grow up.”

She watched her father leave, followed by her mother who smiled and winked at her. “Don’t worry, dear. He’s just afraid to lose you.” Then Anna looked at her son. “He’s really very proud of you, Alex. You’ve grown into a fine man. But fathers and daughters have a different relationship. You’ll understand someday.”

After Anna left, Doriena looked at Alex and Bakac. No one spoke for a few moments.

“Well,” she said after she cleared her throat, “I’ll be leaving soon, I’m sure. Perhaps we should all go someplace private and discuss this later?”

Alex said nothing, but Bakac straightened from his place leaning against a wall. “I think that would be wise. We’ll meet you at my mountain estate tonight.”

“Meet me?” She had expected they would all go together.

“Yes. I want you to have the means to leave if you wish.”

Doriena swallowed. What the hell could they possibly do to make her want to leave? She tried to reach out to them, but couldn’t sense anything. Everything she had ever been taught about soul’s mates suggested that their connection had to grow and develop over time, but not being able to pick feelings, emotions, or even thoughts out at will was damn inconvenient.

“Father’s right, Doriena.” Alex spoke, never looking at her, but at Bakac, as if he simply couldn’t meet her eyes. “We have advanced tastes. Bakac is wise to suggest you have a way out if you can’t handle it.”

“You’re making me nervous.” She tried to laugh it off, but her words were true. For all her bravado, could she really handle not one, but both men?

Not bloody likely.

“Good.” Alex rose from his seat beside her bed and headed for the door, not saying another word.

Bakac followed, leaving Doriena to contemplate their future.