A Barbarian Bonding (The Instinct Book 2) Read online

  “You did?” Mandy gaped.

  “Oh yes.” She smiled. “He tired me out. Me. He also annoyed my husbands, and I knew he’d never work into my rotation. I had to let him go to keep the peace with the guys. I tell you, you have no idea what you’re missing.” Natla paused. “So when are you going to say yes to the new guys?”

  “Excuse me?”

  They both paused as a few of the dock workers came in to grab their pay, then left. “You know.” Natla nodded at the door. “My favorite pair of muscle men have been eyeballing you since they got here. When are you going to say yes and put them out of their misery?”

  Mandy flushed. “No way. If anything, they’re looking at me only because I’m standing near you.” Natla was gorgeous, especially by human standards. Venetians and Earthers shared common ancestry, but the Venetians had an uncommon beauty that was nearly mesmerizing to the opposite sex.

  “Good try, honey. But they haven’t glanced my way once. And after seeing what Kahl could do, I wouldn’t say no to trying that pair on for size. But they just aren’t interested.” Natla grinned. “Come on. Live a little. You’ve been alone since you got here. It’s been nearly a year, Mandy… Unless I’m missing something? Is there someone special I don’t know about?”

  “No. It’s just…” Mandy glanced away. “I still miss Paul.” Her imaginary dead fiancé.

  Natla groaned. “I’m sorry. I should know better than to tease you. But you know you have to move on. It’s not natural for a woman to go so long without sex.” Not for a Venetian. On Venus 4, females had inhumanly high drives, thus Natla’s many husbands.

  “Even for Earthers,” Natla added before Mandy could argue, “a year is too long. Look, if you’re not ready for sex, at least try for some male companionship. You can’t get much safer than barbarians. They’re famous for being super respectful of women, and especially careful of women they want to bed.”

  Mandy started feeling overly warm again. “Geez, Natla. Can we talk about something else?”

  Natla shrugged. “Sure. Why not? How about we talk about Lisa? What do you think she’s up to? I hear she mated Maht and is having his baby.”

  “Already? She’s only been gone two months.”

  “They work fast.” Natla nodded. “Sometimes the females mate with one male, sometimes they mate with two. Depends on what clan they’re with.”

  “What clan are Zehn and Lore from?” As if Mandy didn’t already know, but she wanted to see what Natla had to say.

  “Funny you should ask. They’re from the Vyctore Clan. From what I gather, they’re the toughest clan in the Cloud Tribe.”

  Mandy knew a little about the barbarians. There were three tribes of them covering the planet. Closest to the resort were the Cloud Tribe, some fifty thousand strong. The Cloud Tribe had a bunch of clans. Apparently, Lore and Zehn came from the same clan as Kahl and Maht. She didn’t know much more about the Vyctore other than that their men had mated one of the humans working in Welcome and another who’d been about to start her job there.

  A fact that didn’t sit well with the resort’s investors.

  Management had been paying strict attention to their security forces. But no one could blame the barbarians for doing anything improper. Lisa and Skye had left and mated of their own volition.

  But not Mandy. She had a life to enjoy, a past to ignore, and a future to plan. Away from here. Enough time had passed that she’d probably be safe to leave Ussed. That’s if she could manage a way off this planet without losing her new identity—or her control. She glanced at the waste basket and forced herself to concentrate on maintaining her inner shields.

  More time passed, the routine familiar. She continued to hear talk about the barbarian skirmish with the Earthers. Zehn and Lore had become warrior favorites with her fellow employees, mostly because they hadn’t yet bedded anyone, and everyone was dying to know what they wanted in a bed partner. For all that the barbarians didn’t mingle much with the offworlders, a few of them had indulged in some heady nights in the past. Like Kahl. Natla, you sly dog.

  But not Mandy.

  Deep down, she lamented her growing loneliness, even while knowing she’d done the right thing. No barbarian, alien, or Earther would tempt her into making that colossal mistake again. Sex, while pleasurable, could be dangerous for a woman like her. In more ways than one.

  The day progressed, and through an open window, Mandy saw the suns begin to set. She and Natla finished working some logistical concerns for new employees, meal shortages for the night shift, and payments due to certain staff members not on the regular rotation.

  Once the office emptied, she and Natla closed up. “Do you ever wonder what the barbarians think of us?” Mandy speculated.

  “I know what they think of you.” Natla winked. “But I’m sure they find the rest of us primitive. Our reliance on technology isn’t something they’re fond of. I’ve been at the resort going on three years. I’ve met my share of them, and most have been polite and pleasant, but nothing you’d call friendly outside of a sexual liaison here or there. They tolerate us because of the treaty, but until lately, they’ve never looked at us as equals, like someone to take to mate.” A noted reference to Lisa and Skye.

  Yet one more reason to stay away from the sexy giants. Mandy had grown up being considered nothing but property. No way she’d do that again.

  Annoyed at the thought, Mandy growled, “Funny, because they’re the ones who seem primitive to me.” They wore loincloths, for goodness sake.

  Natla shook her head. “It’s all about perspective, I guess. Now let’s get out of here and talk more tomorrow. Husbands 2 and 4 are off tonight. I’ve got plans.” Natla wiggled her eyebrows.

  Mandy laughed and walked Natla to her cabana, then continued on her path toward her own. She’d accepted the unit farthest from the resort for privacy reasons. Though near enough to her neighboring Welcome attendants, her unit was located around a bend, giving her a small semblance of privacy, as well as access to a hidden lagoon she often lounged in when off work.

  So far from the center of the resort, and situated behind a rock wall accessed only by a small opening she had to crawl through to access, Mandy spent her evenings under the moonlight, surrounded by nothing but warm water, sweet flowers, and lush greenery.

  The three moons overhead promised a bright night, and after taking a short meal in the form of a nutrition bar, she grabbed a synth towel and walked toward her grotto. Peace and quiet, finally.

  She shifted around the bush shielding the entrance, then crawled through the stone opening. A few feet inside, just as she started to get to rise, she heard rustling in front of her. She froze. The murmur of low voices came to her. What sounded like… Zehn and Lore?

  Though they’d left her small gifts before, they’d never intruded at night, and certainly never near her grotto. She crawled the short distance to the shrubs surrounding her tiny lagoon and peered over them, astounded to see the giant warriors in her special spot. How had they fit through the entrance? Had they been spying on her to find her hidden paradise?

  “I do not need this. I can wait,” she heard Lore say. The quieter of the two, he seemed more intense than his partner.

  Both males dwarfed her. Their breadth of shoulder, sheer mass, and muscular frames intimidated the heck out of her. It didn’t help that both men were drool-worthy. The flesh-colored tribal tattoo on Lore’s chest darkened, then faded as suddenly.

  Zehn’s coloring echoed Lore’s, pulsing with a hint of red before fading.

  She couldn’t stop herself from crawling closer, then froze when she cracked a stick underfoot.

  The barbarians didn’t seem to notice, intent on each other.

  She felt something in the air, a sweltering of energy that seemed to reach out and caress her like the softest breeze.

  “You cannot go so long. You know this.” Zehn sounded concerned.

  So beautiful, was all she could think as they took off their clothes. What lit
tle they wore, their boots, arm-bracers, and loincloths pooled on the ground. To her astonishment, Lore stepped closer to Zehn, his entire body stiff. Yes, entire body. The man was hung like a Gongonzee donkey, and so close to Zehn, he caught his huge erection between their bodies.

  Not a problem for Zehn, apparently, because the large male drew Lore in for a kiss.

  No wonder the guys hadn’t bedded any of the females. They were gay. That made so much—sad—sense.

  The kissing turned ravenous, and she felt their need as if the pair had been fondling her. She never would have guessed how sexy it could be to watch other people get it on. Then again, these two weren’t just people. The muscles flexing and glowing under the bright moonlight overhead tantalized her with the temptation to touch.

  Zehn’s ass should have a shrine built to it, it was that spectacular. Their arms locked around each other, and more tattoos swirled over their shoulders, the colors fluctuating, rhythmic and pulsating faster.

  “Was…okay,” Lore growled when Zehn kissed his way down Lore’s throat. “Still steady.”

  “No.” Zehn continued to kiss lower. “Not okay. Phelthar connecting us all. So hot…” Mandy held her breath, wondering just how low Zehn planned to go.

  She had her answer as he knelt before Lore.

  Mother of Galactic Night, when he kissed the tip of Lore’s cock, she thought she’d spontaneously combust. The air grew warmer around her, and she knew she needed to contain her energy before they realized she was near.

  As if he’d sensed her panic, Lore looked over at the bushes she hid behind. Then he cupped the back of Zehn’s head in the sexiest move she’d ever seen. “More.” He pulled Zehn closer, and she watched as one huge, scary, kneeling barbarian deep-throated his friend.

  Lore tilted his head back and let out a long moan.

  Mandy didn’t want to watch anymore, because the more she saw, the more difficult it was to keep her distance from the sexy pair. She was burning up but unable to look away. Her entire body throbbed, her nipples stiff points, her sex slick with desire for the men pleasuring each other.

  Before the heat could consume the vegetation around her, it left her in a rush, and she gasped, for once free of the fury within.

  Lore started pumping into Zehn’s mouth, his low grunts and groans exciting in the extreme.

  Then the heat returned, but this time it centered between her legs. She felt sexual desire burning her up, no hint of real danger to anything but her libido. Panting in time with Lore, she felt herself cresting an orgasm without any stimulation but the sight of the barbarians in lust. Except she caught and held on the precipice, so close, but not there. Not yet.

  Lore swore and stiffened, and she knew he’d just come in Zehn’s mouth. To her astonishment, he stared over at her once more, both eyes now eyes glowing a deep green. Could he see her through the shrubbery?

  She didn’t have much time to wonder, because Zehn stood and turned Lore to brace himself against a nearby tree. From their position, she had the perfect view, watching from the side as Zehn shoved his friend’s feet wider.

  Oh, God. He’s going to fuck him. Right here. In front of me.

  The desire within surged once more, that pesky orgasm so close she could almost touch it.

  Zehn grasped his huge member and nudged at Lore’s ass, then pushed. She watched him power in and out of his partner, the sex raw, lusty, and stunningly powerful. A strange excitement filled her, as if she experienced the same building arousal, the same climb toward climax as Zehn strained and gripped Lore’s hips, pounding away. Then he shouted and jerked, pouring into his partner.

  The heat continued to expand, her body no longer her own as she was finally swept away in an orgasm that made her see stars. She had no idea if she’d screamed or just thought she had, but since the men remained joined together and hadn’t moved, she must have imagined it.

  Zehn withdrew from Lore, groaned, and milked himself of more seed over Lore’s ass. He wiped himself against Lore’s lower back, then stepped away, breathing hard.

  Lore turned, and the pair cleaned up in the lagoon. “Soon,” Lore said and patted his friend on the shoulder. “She’s already tied to us. But soon she’ll be ready for more.”

  Zehn nodded. They dressed and paused, then turned as one to stare at her shrubbery, where she continued to kneel, trembling, needy, and confused. They nodded. To her? Then walked away, deeper into the cave that should have had no exit.

  After a moment, she stood and had to blink to clear her vision. She walked after them, trying to find where they’d gone. To her surprise, hidden behind a wall of trees she found a large gap between the massive boulders surrounding her refuge. To access it, a person would need to come from the jungle to the south of the resort. Which explained why no employee or visitor had ever found it, as offworlders always remained in occupied areas. But the barbarians never ventured far from their quarters across the compound, so how had they spotted it?

  And they’d nodded to her.

  Hell. They’d known she was there. She could feel it.

  But what did that mean?

  Had they been performing for an audience? Did they want her to join in next time? Would they—wait. Next time?

  “I’m seriously perverted, getting off on two men sexing it up. Bad, bad, Mandy.” She grumbled to herself, undressed, and soaked away her worries, still not sure what it meant that she’d lost her fire, or that she’d climaxed from watching the men.

  She didn’t know which alarmed her more. Because she wanted to see the pair in action again.

  Yep. That confirms it. I am very, very stupid. And I’ve stayed here much longer than I should have. It’s time to leave.

  Chapter Three

  LORE HADN’T FELT so good in a long time. Sex with Zehn always satisfied. They’d pair-bonded long ago, back before the clan had been open in allowing males to bond with other males. In many tribes, male-to-male pairing—simple sex—was still frowned upon.

  But Talzec, their clan leader, looked out for his people. With so few females available for bonding, the men had pressing needs they couldn’t fulfill. The instinct inside all of them, the need to tie themselves to the land and each other—phelthar—could overwhelm even the strongest of them.

  That their alpha understood this and condoned same gender bonding spoke highly of his regard for their people. He himself had bonded with his beta, as well as the human female, Skye. The triad continued to grow stronger, tied to each other, the land, and the clan. Because of them, Lore and Zehn had considered finding a human female for bonding.

  As he and Zehn sought their prescribed quarters, he wondered if Zehn had felt the power from their female, or if only Lore was sensitive to it. He’d always been different than his peers. His eye coloring a clear indicator that one of his ancestors had dallied with an offworlder.

  Barbarians had black hair, tan skin, and golden eyes. Not green. And they couldn’t communicate with their minds, the way he did. Yet Lore had always been closer to Zehn than any other. Throughout their childhood, their entry into warrior training, and beyond, he’d felt a kinship with the male. A deep and abiding love.

  Nothing could keep him from Zehn. Not even Zehn’s caution about clan forgiveness. In the beginning, Lore and his bond-mate had been private. But he thought his leaders had known, though they’d never said anything. It helped that Lore and Zehn were two of the best fighters in the clan.

  “Strong enough to take care of one hot little human,” Zehn murmured, and Lore realized he’d left himself wide open.

  He often did that with Zehn, knowing his partner would never betray him. “She has power,” he admitted. “Such heat. Had I not syphoned her energy, she would have burned the jungle around us.”

  Because of course they’d known where she went for privacy. Though Lore hadn’t planned to engage with Zehn in front of her. Not until they’d known if the sexy Earther had the same hang-ups many of her brethren did.

  “You took a risk” he
said to Zehn.

  They entered their quarters, a small hut complete with two comfortable beds, an overhead fan, and artificial light. The accompanied sanitary unit was nice, he had to admit, but he and Zehn continued to sleep on the ground, not used to such soft, small, mattresses.

  “We had to know if she’d accept us as a pair. She does.” Zehn grinned. “And you gave me much tonight.” He drew closer and kissed Lore, his tongue a distraction all its own. “But not enough. Do you save your second seed for the female?”

  Lore nodded, breathless. “You spent yours, I noticed.”

  “I could not hold on, not with the feel of her gaze upon me. She is connected to us, you’re right. I don’t know how much longer I can wait.” He groaned and placed Lore’s hand over his cock.

  Lore cupped a massive erection, not surprised talk of their future mate had aroused Zehn anew. He was hard as well and trying to control himself. A male’s first seed expelled a build up of energy, allowing the barbarian to control his instinct. But the second seed, that which would join with a female for purposes of procreation, could also be used to mark territory. Zehn had spattered Lore’s back with his second seed, the fluid absorbed into Lore’s skin, the scent unmistakable to fellow barbarians but odorless to anyone else.

  As if anyone could ever mistake Zehn and Lore for anything but bond-mates.

  “You need another release?” he asked and leaned forward to take Zehn’s nipple in his mouth.

  “Yes,” Zehn hissed and let Lore masturbate him to completion. Then he returned the favor, and both men knew they’d need to wash themselves before presenting in public again.

  “So sad that a small female can destroy a warrior’s composure,” Lore said.

  Zehn nodded. “Embarrassing. We tell no one.”

  “Agreed.”

  The next day passed like many others, with the men watching over the visitor transport dock. A larger than usual number of humans arrived, but unlike the previous day, these didn’t do more than exclaim over the sights and scents, while giving Lore and Zehn a careful distance.