Slave Gold (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4

  She shifted in his arms, her ass wiggling in his lap and rubbing against his hard cock. He wasn’t sure how much more torture he could stand. Thrusting an arm into the air, he signaled his brothers and his men that it was time to take a break.

  Nudging his horse and putting slight pressure on the reins, he slowed his cantering mount to a walk and then finally to a halt.

  “Why are we stopping here?” Shannon asked. “There is nothing here but meadows.”

  “I thought you might like a break,” Darby replied. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m okay. But I’m glad to rest. I was beginning to stiffen up.”

  Darby wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her so he could dismount. Once his feet were on the ground, he pulled her from the saddle, waited for her to get her legs steady beneath her, and then released her. Shannon groaned as she began to walk, obviously in more pain than she had let on, but the more she moved the more her muscles seemed to loosen.

  “How long before we reach your house?” she asked as she walked toward him.

  “It will be a few more hours,” Gilmore answered as he came up behind Shannon. “Are you hungry, little one?”

  “No, but I could do with a drink.”

  “Here,” Barclay said, handing her a flask. “There is water inside.”

  After they had all rested for a short time and slaked their thirst, they headed back to the horses. Darby wanted to continue holding Shannon in his lap and arms but didn’t think his libido could stand any more stimulation. Plus his brothers needed to spend some time with her. He wanted her to be comfortable with all three of them, because he knew without a doubt that Shannon had been sent to them by Branwen. She was their mate, and now they needed to woo her heart and body to accepting them.

  He gestured to Gilmore as he followed her to his horse. When she turned to face him, he took her hand and led her to his brother. When Gilmore was settled atop his animal, Darby grasped Shannon’s waist and lifted her.

  As he walked away he felt her eyes follow him and smiled. It seemed he had succeeded in forming a small bond with her while she had ridden with him. Now he hoped she would form an attachment to Gil. He’d noticed the way she’d looked at Barclay last night and this morning. Shannon had already figured out that his eldest brother by a few minutes was the most demanding of the three of them. As he had last night, he was usually the one to take charge. Yet she watched them all when she didn’t think they were looking. Because they were warriors first and foremost, they had learned to be more alert and knew when eyes followed.

  Gaining his mount, he nudged his horse forward. He couldn’t wait to get home to their dwelling and get Shannon settled. Then the real courting would begin. Darby only hoped she wouldn’t let her Earth culture of mating with one man stop her from being with the three of them. But he and his brothers would do their damnedest to win her heart.

  Chapter Five

  Shannon didn’t know how long they had been riding since the last break they’d had, but she was so tired and achy from being in one position that she thought she might start screaming if they didn’t stop soon. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask if they could stop, large shapes in the distance drew her attention. There were buildings ahead. Thank you, God.

  “Is that where we’re going?”

  “Yes, that is our village, little one. It won’t be much longer before you can stretch your aching muscles and rest,” Gilmore responded.

  How the hell does he know what I’m feeling? Shannon thought to herself and shifted once more. Oh duh, you stupid woman, you haven’t sat still for the last hour.

  An hour later, Shannon got her first view of their village. The buildings were made of materials unfamiliar to her, but they looked so similar to the houses in Moab it was uncanny, and the gardens were filled with flowers as well as what she thought were vegetables.

  “How many people live in your village?”

  “Hmm,” Gilmore mused as if thinking out loud, “all our warriors of course, and a few of them are mated, so their wives and children. We have a few older women and the elderly retired warriors. All in all I would estimate about two thousand.”

  “Why do you have so many men with you?” Shannon questioned, turning slightly and looking up to see his face. “What were you doing when you found me?”

  “This is only a few of our men, little one. We would never leave our village unprotected. And we were out hunting when we found you. As I’m sure you saw, we hunted for venison, which will feed our people for quite some time.”

  “But”—Shannon frowned as she glanced back at the buildings and then up to Gilmore—“you look like you are an advanced race. You have nice-looking homes from what I can see. Why do you need to hunt for your food?”

  “We do have advanced technology. There are hover transports and medical devices, and we use them if necessary, but not to excess. Generations ago it was decided we would live environmentally, as one with our planet. We still use our modern gadgets, but they have been made so that they don’t upset the ecology of our world. Our planet took many generations to heal, and now that our air and water are clean, we want to keep it that way for the future.”

  Men, a handful of women, and some children came out of their houses to greet the returning warriors. Shannon saw there were four times as many men as women and the single men who didn’t have women beside them were staring at her. She shifted in Gilmore’s lap again and looked away, more than a little uncomfortable at being the center of attention. A moment later she wished she hadn’t, because as she tried to find a male-free zone to look at, her eyes connected with a fierce-looking man and his brothers as they stared at her with open leers on their faces. Heat suffused her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze. She didn’t like the way they made her skin crawl and vowed to stay away from them.

  Gilmore stopped in front of the largest building in the village, which seemed to be situated in the center of town. Barclay was the first to dismount, and then he reached up and helped her down. Shannon couldn’t prevent a moan from escaping as her stiff muscles were stretched after being motionless for so long. She was grateful when he held her waist as she got her legs back beneath her. She hoped she would be able to move without falling flat on her face.

  “Come, we will get you settled.” Barclay wrapped an arm around her waist and urged her toward the large building. “We will introduce you to our people a little at a time. Otherwise you will never remember everyone and will be overwhelmed.”

  Shannon was surprised that the inside of their house was similar to the ones in Utah, but there were still differences. Their furniture looked comfortable but more chunky and solid than some of the pieces she had seen back home. Considering the three men’s size as well as their warriors’, she supposed it was to be expected. The house was clean and seemed airy since it was so open. The walls were a light cream, and the floors were tiled in a terra-cotta shade. Barclay led her into a large kitchen, and even though the appliances looked similar to home, they were different—more high tech.

  She heard footsteps, and Darby and Gilmore entered the room as Barclay guided her to a seat at a massive table on the other side of the kitchen counter.

  “How many people live here with you?” Shannon asked curiously as she looked around.

  “Only the three of us, little one,” Gilmore said, striding over and sitting beside her.

  “Then why…”

  “We have meetings with our warriors often, Shannon, and need to accommodate more than just ourselves. Our discussions often take place over a meal. We train constantly in case of another alien invasion. Our people vowed not to be caught unaware again. Plus, for generations we used training as a means to stay strong. Strength is needed for hunting and for the protection of our people.” Darby sat on her other side, and Barclay brought over a tray with glasses and a jug filled with what looked like water. He sat across from her.

  “So you can cook?”

  “Yes.” Gilmore gripped her hand and held it in his. “But we have an elder woman come into our home daily to do the cooking and cleaning. We don’t have much time to see to such things since we have warriors to train and matters of the village to see to.”

  “What are you to these people?” Shannon asked, hoping they would understand her question.

  “We are the guardians of our village.” Darby poured the liquid into a glass and handed it to her. “We preside over everyone and make sure our people have everything they need.”

  “What? Like royalty or the government?”

  “More like your government back on Earth rather than royalty.”

  “In other words, what you say goes?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Barclay said. “We still convene with our warriors and our people and listen to their advice, but the ultimate decision in anything regarding the village is ours.”

  “Hmm, must be nice to be in charge.”

  “It comes with great responsibility, little one,” Gilmore stated seriously.

  Shannon covered her mouth and yawned. She didn’t understand why she was so tired. It wasn’t like she’d worked her ass off or anything. In fact she had spent most of the day on her backside in the lap of one of the brothers.

  “Drink up, Shannon. You are probably slightly dehydrated. Then I will show you your room so you may rest.”

  She did as Darby suggested and drank. Once finished she did feel a little better, but the past day and a half were taking a toll.

  Gilmore rose to his feet and took her hand. He helped her up and led her from the room. Shannon would have looked around more, but she was too weary to take much more in, so she followed Gilmore through the house and down a long hallway to the door at the end. Ushering her inside, he showed her where the door to the adjoining bathroom was as well as the closet. The room was huge and absolutely gorgeous with its cream walls and ceiling. The bed was large enough to sleep six and was covered in a quilt of green and blue hues as well as matching pillows.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said around a yawn.

  “Rest, Shannon,” Gilmore commanded as he made his way to the door. “In the morning we will talk.”

  Shannon stripped off and crawled into bed. Before sleep claimed her, the last thought to cross her mind was how the hell am I going to get back home?

  * * * *

  Barclay made some java while Gilmore showed Shannon to her room. He only hoped Shannon would accept the love and attention of three men. Although he hadn’t known her long she was already working her way into his heart. She was a feisty little thing and curious. She had asked so many questions on the way to their village she was like an inquisitive child.

  Gilmore sat down at the large table after getting some java. “Did you see the way Tren Saval and his brothers were looking at Shannon?”

  “Yes.” Barclay scowled. “So did Shannon. I could see from the way she pressed herself back into Gil that she was very uncomfortable. I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and hide her away from Tren, Kai, and Garth.”

  “I’ll have a word with the men,” Darby said. “Shannon is ours and deserves the respect of all our warriors.”

  “How are we going to woo her? She is our mate and there is no chance in hell I want her left alone. One of the other warriors could get it into their heads to mate with her.” Gilmore scowled.

  “We are going to have to woo her, and quickly. We can’t allow any of the warriors to lay claim to her,” Barclay said.

  “So we begin courting her as of tomorrow?” Gilmore asked.

  “Yes,” Barclay replied. “We will each spend some time with her throughout the day, and we will all eat our meals with her. Once we claim her, none of the men will be able to touch her.”

  “We know that, Barclay, but what if she won’t accept us into her body? You know the bond between us will only be secured if we make love with her.”

  “We can’t force her. We have to give her time to become comfortable with us. Hopefully she will accept us when she knows us a little better.” Barclay sighed and ran his hand over his face. “She is never to be left alone. One of us will be with her at all times.”

  “Somehow I don’t think Shannon will be happy with that. She is of Earth, brother. You have seen the digital data and the history of how the women fought for the same rights as their men back in the twenty-first century. She has already shown she is no pushover.” Gilmore leaned back in his chair and sighed.

  “Maybe we should train her in the ways of the warrior like our women,” Darby suggested.

  “No!” Barclay almost shouted. “She is different from our women. Her body isn’t as hard as theirs. Do you really want her to be like our women? To see that soft, beautiful body form more muscle?”

  “No. I like Shannon just as she is,” Darby replied.

  “Then it will be up to us to keep her safe. If we cannot be with her, then she will not be permitted to leave the dwelling. Maybe Shannon can help out elder woman Swan in the house and the garden.”

  “I don’t think having Shannon work in the garden is a good idea,” Gilmore said. “She would be in full view of the training field. I don’t want any of our warriors distracted from their training or looking at our woman.”

  “Let Shannon get comfortable first,” Barclay sighed. “We need to get to know her and let her decide what she wants to do. Once we have her heart, the rest will follow easily enough.”

  “I hope you’re right, brother. The last thing we want is for Shannon to look for a way back home.”

  “Do you think she’ll be able to?”

  “I’m not sure, but we have to make sure we keep her happy. I don’t want to find out what that feisty little female will do if she’s riled.”

  “It will definitely be interesting to see her reactions as we court her.” Darby smiled.

  “Yes, but don’t push her too hard or fast. I can just see her giving us a piece of her mind if she becomes angry.”

  “I love a feisty woman.” Gilmore smirked.

  “We all do, Gil, but give her time to get used to us first.”

  Barclay understood his brother’s excitement, but he couldn’t bear the thought of their impatience scaring her away—back to Earth or, equally unthinkable, into the arms of someone like Tren.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, Shannon headed toward the kitchen. The deep rumble of male voices caused shivers to traverse her spine. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room and stopped when three sets of eyes pinned her. A sound to her right drew her attention, and she saw an elderly woman staring at her with curiosity.

  “Shannon, this is elder woman Swan. She cooks most of our meals and cleans our dwelling.”

  “Hi.” Shannon offered the woman a smile.

  “Please, sit down, Shannon, and I will get you some breakfast.”

  “What time is it?” Shannon asked as she took a seat at the table.

  “It is still early, honey.” Barclay reached over and held her hand. “We didn’t expect you to be up yet.”

  “I always get up with the sun. What are we doing today?”

  “We will be training with the men, but one of us will stay with you at all times.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter. I am a grown woman and used to looking after myself. Please, just go about your business. I’m sure I can find something to do to occupy my time.”

  “That’s not possible,” Darby stated inflexibly.

  “Why the hell not?” Shannon frowned at him and then his brothers.

  “It’s not that we don’t trust you, Shannon, but you have to realize there are a lot of single men here. You are going to be too much of a temptation to some. We would hate for you to get into trouble,” Barclay said firmly.

  “Look, I know you mean well, but I can look after myself. I’ve been on my own since I was fifteen years old. A few sharp words are all it would take to nip any flirtatiousness in the bud.”

  “You aren’t going to have the opportunity to find out, Shannon,” Darby said vehemently. “You don’t even know how things work here. Most of the men are warriors and much bigger and stronger than you. I’m sorry, honey, but you aren’t strong enough to fight any of them off if they become too aggressive.”

  “Darby and Barclay are right, Shannon.” Gilmore patted her hand. “There aren’t many women here, and you are different than what our warriors are used to. I’ve already caught a few men looking at you, and I didn’t like the way they were staring at you.”

  Shannon shivered and knew they had seen her body quake when they frowned at her.

  “I see you understand, don’t you, Shannon?” Barclay clasped her hand and pulled her from her seat. She let out a little squeak, but that was cut off when she landed on his lap. “Don’t you worry about those warriors. We will be talking to them very soon. Once we lay down the law, they will leave you alone or answer to me. Now, why were you alone at such a young age? Where were your sire and mother?”

  Shannon looked up into Barclay’s blue eyes and saw the determined intensity in them. He meant every word he’d said. He would talk to his men. She only hoped that didn’t make them angry.

  She could tell he wouldn’t let her dodge his questions either. Hesitantly, she began, “Um, I don’t know who my father was. My mom never told me, and she didn’t put his name on my birth certificate.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control her emotions. “She was a really hard woman. I don’t think she ever truly wanted a child, so she never showed me any affection. From the time I could walk and talk and do things for myself, she left me to it. When I was fifteen she was killed in a car accident and I was placed in foster care, which didn’t make anything better.”

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