Page 26 of The Arabis Triad

“Nothing good. But we know where our crystal is, and we plan to retrieve it.”

He nuzzled her neck, his hand trailing lower. A finger finally slid through her soaking folds, just tracing the curve beneath her body. It was hard to think when he was doing things like this to her.

“But why did it light up for me? And the other crystal for Lucie?”

“Because you are our true mate. One we haven’t found for ten long years.”

He entered her with a tilt and dip of his finger. “Now you understand why you are so important and precious to us, and how we will do anything to bring you the pleasure you deserve.”

One hand delved into her center, while the other massaged her breast. She slipped her hand behind her, fingers circling his rigid cock. There was more to this issue, but at the moment, she couldn’t form a coherent thought even if she wanted to. She couldn’t possibly believe in the magical power of this crystal. More logically, it had to be related to her body’s electrical current, or something similar.

She’d written an article about water diviners, and the divining rods worked better with people who conducted more natural electricity. When she’d touched the crystal, there’d been an electrical exchange and a resulting light show. Certainly nothing to suggest fated mates or anything that would enable her to become a baby machine to three hot, hunky guys.

But they weren’t human, were they? They were aliens from a culture she knew nothing about. Relationships might work that way on their planet—with their own species. She wasn’t their species, though. She was human, and that was the trouble with the whole concept.

They all thought she was something she was not. That she would unite them and form this Quad. It wasn’t going to happen.

They seemed like nice guys—really nice guys, if she was being totally honest with herself—and they’d rescued everyone they could from the cargo hold, including Lucie.

Maybe if Earth did have this mate thing, children wouldn’t be brought up by abusive and neglectful parents. She wouldn’t have suffered a shitty childhood she’d brought right along with her to adulthood. She couldn’t quite reconcile the actions of these aliens to the bastards she’d had the misfortune to know.

In the end, men were all the same. They would hurt her, physically or emotionally, and she would leave them before they could inflict more damage. It was the way of the world. Maybe this mate thing was what Earth needed.

Give it up for the magical capabilities of a crystal. No sweat. No fuss. No need for fathers to leave wives and children when it wasn’t working. They knew it would work before they even set eyes on each other, by the sounds of it.

But, as nice—who was she kidding, they were seriously hot, virile species of the opposite sex—as Coltan, Paxt and Ashir were, she knew she would also leave them. She didn’t want to stop them from finding a woman from their own planet and building a life with their true mate. If she stayed around, they’d never find her.

A pang of jealousy was like a stab to the heart. Frowning, she wondered why she’d even felt that.

“Hmmm. I can hear those gears churning in your head. If you’re thinking, I’m doing something wrong,” Coltan said.

He spun her around to face him, lifted her up, and put her back to the wall. She wound her arms about his neck and her legs about his waist. She squeaked when she realized the compromising situation she’d put herself in.

She went to drop her legs, but he stepped close, grinding himself against her lower body, trapping her. In doing so, he smashed his abdomen against her clit. He tilted his hips, rubbing himself against her.

She held him tight, limbs trembling as he crushed his lips against hers. His tongue swept into her mouth, dancing against her own. He kept up the pressure, his cock sliding in the cleft of her buttocks.

Sweet pressure built and built. She tensed, every muscle rigid in anticipation before a final slant of his hips had her soaring over the edge. She screamed into his mouth and he swallowed the sound. He followed her over the edge as his cock throbbed behind her.

This was perfect. They all were perfect.

She only hoped she had the strength to leave when the time came.

Chapter Eleven

Coltan

Coltan knew Evelyn’s mind was heavy despite having received pleasure. If only she could understand how momentous it was that he and his brothers had actually found their fated mate. How miraculous. Yet, maybe she didn’t understand how deep their connection was. He had to put it down to the fact her species just didn’t have such a thing, if what she said was to be believed. He could barely comprehend just one man to one woman.

What happened if something happened to her mate? How could she protect herself and any offspring they might have? And to leave finding a mate without the help of the Fates! How could that last a lifetime and beyond?

She also had not mentioned any mate-sync, and again, he had to wonder if that existed for her. It would seem that she might need more time to adjust to her new life.

That was all right. He and his brothers were more than up to the task of showing her what it meant to have mates.

When they were able to mate-sync her, all would be revealed. There would be no question in her mind as to how they felt. Four souls would become one, and each would know what the others felt. Truth. Confusion. Sadness and love. She would know it all.

For now, maybe they should meet her halfway. Show her how they felt doing something human. Like this ‘date’ activity she spoke of.

---