Cosmic Bounty Read online

  Hul turned, moved along the wall and waved his hand. Kat realized the whole bulkhead was one large storage area.

  He opened another panel and fetched a long, silver, cylindrical instrument. He then held out his hand to her. “Come.” He commanded firmly, in a tone holding no sway to argue.

  She hesitated, still uncertain of this brother, but pushed the doubt to the back of her mind. She placed her feet on the cool metal floor and immediately felt the vibrations of the ship skating up her legs, through her body.

  She walked across the quarters and placed her pale, trembling hand in his deep red one.

  Hul’s hand closed over hers. He tugged her over to the chair. She gasped when he lifted her, setting her on the seat, her legs dangling a few inches off the floor. Hul knelt in front of her, pushing up her the hem of her sundress. She tensed, watching him, unsure of his intent.

  “Relax,” he said in a low, husky tone. “This will make you feel better.”

  He bunched only one side of her dress over her hip before pressing the device to her skin. It hissed and she felt a slight tingle, which spread throughout her side.

  A few seconds later, the discomfort she felt eased before vanishing altogether. He lowered her skirt taking her hands and placing her back on her feet. She stretched and felt good. He must have seen the question in her eyes.

  “It’s a pain inhibitor,” he explained.

  “Oh, um, thank you.”

  He rose to his feet, before bending down to capture her lips in a surprisingly tender kiss. Kat leaned into him, moaning softly, feeling the kiss quickly turn more heated. His tongue demanded entrance past her lips, and she willingly opened. He explored, tasted and teased, leaving her gasping for breath when he finally pulled back.

  As her passion-filled cloud cleared, Kat came to realize the steady hum of the floor no longer whispered against her toes. He suddenly settled back into the chair she had been sitting on a moment before, with her on his lap. Just like Ric did before.

  She drew in a deep breath and blinked to help clear her heated and muddled thoughts. Hul reached around her and picked up something resembling a green sausage, lifting it to her lips.

  “Eat now.”

  “I can feed myself, you know,” she ground out, folding her arms in front of her. Her body quickly sobered, annoyance setting in.

  He must have picked up on her defensive state. “Does it offend you I want to feed you?”

  “Depends on why you want to feed me,” she countered.

  “It brings me pleasure to see you eat from my hand. Is that not reason enough?”

  “No, not if I am only thought of as a simple pet to feed.”

  “Are you going to argue about everything I choose to do?”

  “Yes, if it gets my point across.” She tried to climb off his lap, but he dropped the green sausage and pinned her in place. She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck.

  “Are Demos women meek and submissive?” Kat couldn’t help but ask.

  “No, far from it. We have to fight and prove ourselves worthy to even attempt a mounting.”

  His statement stunned Kat into momentary silence, and her brain raced.

  “Oh, should I have fought you?” Not that Kat wanted to, when her only weapon at her disposal was her sharp tongue.

  “No. We were not trying to sway you into being our sheraz. We enjoy that you are easy to accept us and easy to please.”

  “So, is that what I am, an easy, accepting pet,” she snapped.

  The vibrations of Hul’s low growl of disapproval only proved to spark her body to life. Her skin prickled with sensual goose bumps and her pussy flooded with cream. Yup, most definitely a horny twit. Damn it!

  Hul picked up the sausage thing again. “Eat,” he barked in an uncompromising, commanding tone.

  Something in Kat’s brain clicked. Without thought, she leaned forward and took a bite, chewed and swallowed. She gasped, and then started coughing and choking, waving her arms wildly, when the horrible sausage set her mouth and throat on fire.

  Tears filled her eyes. “Water,” she gasped in a blind panic.

  A cup rim pressed against her lips; she seized it, gulping down soothing, fresh water.

  “Easy there, little pet.” Hul picked her up and set her on the bed, swiftly re-filling the cup. But the water did little to ease the burning.

  Kat struggled to pull air into her lungs, trying to cough at the same time, tears now streaming down her heated cheeks.

  The rushing of heavy footsteps outside the door alarmed her, as the door whooshed open, admitting one of the brothers. She couldn’t tell from her blurred vision which one it was.

  “What by the Ice Plains have you done to her?”

  “Ossisso does not agree with her, it seems,” Hul explained, way too calmly for her liking.

  “Damn it, Hul! I doubt she has your fire pit of a stomach. She needs soft foods.”

  “I only wanted to share my favorites with our little pet.” Concern started to lace Hul’s tone.

  Ric shoved Hul out of the way. She heard him growl at his brother.

  “Take slow, deep breaths, Kat,” Ric commanded, gently. “Fetch me Yolick milk; it will soothe her throat and settle her stomach.”

  Hul muttered under his breath, while Ric wiped the tears from her face. A moment later she felt another cup placed against her lips. She swallowed down a sweet, thick, coconut-tasting milk.

  Ric was right; the milk coated and soothed her burning mouth and throat, like a healing balm.

  “Thank you,” she managed to whisper, before glancing up at Hul. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was trying to kill me.”

  Hul stood, looking formidable with his legs apart and his arms folded across his chest, glaring at her.

  “No one meant to harm you. Hul’s choice of foods is not to everyone’s tastes.” Ric smiled kindly. She found herself smiling back. Hul, in a seeming huff, turned and stomped out of the quarters, the door silently sliding shut behind him.

  “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to upset him,” she said as an afterthought.

  “You didn’t, little Kat. He’ll recover. Feeling better now?”

  She nodded. Ric reached out, fingering the fabric of her sundress. “This suits you—very beautiful. Is this kind of clothing common on your planet?”

  “Um, in the warmer parts, yes.” She felt herself blushing at his compliment, suddenly feeling rather shy, even after everything they had shared.

  “Our planet is warm. Not from the sun, but the great lakes of fire which burn night and day. I will see if I can have similar clothing made for you, and what should we do with your mane of hair?”

  Kat’s hands flew to her hair, mortified. Her hair must be an absolute mass of tangles.

  “Um, I have a hair brush in my bag, if you still have my bag?”

  Ric got off the bed and walked to the same invisible storage area, waving his hand over a lower part of the wall, revealing her burgundy suitcase. He brought it over to her.

  A pang of loss washed over her, as she studied the only thing she had left from her home. She swallowed back the lump of emotion and unzipped the case, rummaging through her clothes to pull out a bristled brush before re-zipping it again. Ric removed it, putting it back into the storage unit.

  She started working at the knots, smoothing out her hair while Ric watched in obvious fascination.

  “Your women don’t have long hair?”

  “Not like this. Out of tradition, hair is short, better to battle with. Even our women keep it short, so there is no need to tend it other than washing.”

  “On Earth, hair can be a woman’s crowning glory, or so I’ve heard. We like to do all sorts of things with it, wear it many different ways.”

  “It is beautiful, so soft. It is a melding of different shades of color. It is quite mesmerizing, but then again, so are you.”

  Again she couldn’t help the rise of a blush through her cheeks. Ric chuckled and reached for the han
d and removed the brush from her grip.

  She was a little confused at his action until he turned her slightly on the bed, taking over the task of brushing her long hair.

  She sighed at how wonderful it felt.

  “Hul told me you have to fight for the women on Demos. Is that true?”

  “What else has he been telling you?” He glided the brush through her hair in long, soothing strokes.

  “Not much, other than bossing me around.”

  “Do not worry your lovely head about Hul. We may be quads, but are as individual as you can get in some aspects. Hul is more, um…” He hesitated.

  She guessed he was contemplating if he should tell her or not.

  “Serious, dominant?” she offered.

  She heard the smile in Ric’s voice. “You’re very astute. I must remember that.”

  Her felt her lips twitch up in a grin.

  “And you’re the family caretaker; Gol likes to be in charge, and Div is an outrageous flirt. No, it’s not hard to see your personality traits. You even walk and talk slightly different. So are you going to answer my first question?”

  Again he seemed to hesitate, as if thinking it over before finally answering.

  “It is true, Demos females have high standards. When a female is ready to become a sheraz, she will often choose one to three sets of quads she deems worthy. Then it is up to them to prove in combat and in the bed chamber just how worthy to protect and care for her needs they are.”

  Another wave of homesickness and sadness swept through her, as she felt the difference in their cultures.

  “I see, but that will not be a choice for me. I am after all still just property.” Kat struggled to hold back the tears.

  The strokes on her hair stopped. Ric’s strong warm arms surrounded her, lifting her and pulling her onto his lap. She sighed as he cradled her head against his chest, offering the comfort she badly needed.

  “Gol may very well tear me to pieces for telling you this, but you are an intelligent creature and deserve to know.”

  She tensed in his arms, wondering what Gol didn’t want her to know.

  “We have plans to set you free when we reach Demos in a few days' time.”

  Her stomach tightened in sudden panic. They were going to leave her? “But I thought females had to be protected, what will I do—”

  Ric placed his large middle finger over her lips, cutting her off.

  “We have arranged for you to be adopted into a well-respected family. You have nothing to fear.”

  “You don’t want to keep me?” She raised her head to meet his gaze.

  “Oh, sweet little Kat, how wrong you are. We all want to keep you, desperately, which is why we are setting you free.”

  “But, but … I don’t understand.”

  Ric chuckled. “How else can we make you our sheraz?”

  It suddenly dawned on her. Her jaw dropped open and Ric’s smile broadened. Her heart began to melt along with her body, staring into Ric’s smoldering gaze.

  “Why do you want to do that?” Her voice sounded low and husky, even to her own ears.

  “Why wouldn’t we? In this universe, when you find something rare and special, you grab hold and never let go.”

  “You think I’m rare and special?” she asked, in disbelief. “You know nothing about my race, apart from what you’ve seen of me. I could be the ugliest female on Earth, for all you know. My own husband didn’t want me because my body was too fat for his tastes.” The words sprouted out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  Ric’s red brow creased. Damn, he was gorgeous even when scowling at her. They were so humanlike, if not for their red skin and huge frames.

  “Too fat?” Ric gawked in disbelief. “Have you not noticed how small you are compared to us? I fear any human female smaller than you would simply not do, added to the fact no other creature in the universe could possibly be as beautiful as we all see you to be.”

  Tears welled behind Kat’s eyes at Ric’s endearing words. It struck a deep chord within her heart. Every passing moment she spent with one or all of the brothers, the fonder she grew of them. Never had someone or rather ‘anyone’, ever made her feel so cherished, so special.

  “That’s very sweet of you, but … why would Gol tear you to pieces for telling me?”

  “Once you are free and the adoption proceedings complete, then many other brothers will vie for you to be their sheraz. Gol fears, as we all fear, you will not choose us.”

  Chapter Eight

  Would she find another round of four brothers more appealing than the ones she already had? Somehow, she very much doubted it. The situation gave her a great deal of power. Well, once she was free.

  “I think,” she said slowly, twisting in Ric’s arms to face him, “we all need to sit down and have a talk. If I’m going to be a part of your world and your lives, then I want to know everything about it.”

  “Does this mean you will choose us?” he asked, his tone and expression hopeful.

  “That depends on what information I get and how this whole process works. You and your brothers have been nothing but nice, and I appreciate that, and I am fond of you all.” More like a drool-crazy, horny twit over the brothers.

  “So, please understand, I’ve been snatched from my world, without my permission, mistreated, sold, thrust into a world I never could have dreamed existed.”

  Ric gently stroked her cheek. “You are doing remarkably well, for someone so small. You are strong of will and mind. I will call the others, and we will talk to you, tell you everything you need to know.”

  Kat smiled, jumping to her knees and throwing her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered, planting a kiss on his lips, which seemed to surprise him.

  Quickly, his arms wrapped around her. He immediately took control of her simple kiss, deepened it and turned it into something hot and carnal.

  ****

  Ric couldn’t help himself when it came to this female in his arms. She kissed him! Never had a female kissed him or initiated the first touch. It was the male’s duty to make the first move.

  Her oh-so-soft-form felt so good pressed against the harder planes of his body. He never wanted to let her out of his arms. Even for her smaller stature, she fit with him and his brothers perfectly. There was nothing about their woman he could not see as perfect; her willingness, a few choice words and tender touches and she melted into tender compliance. Perfect!

  He liked the ease of Katrina, compared to how much they had to work to lure a Demos female to their beds. Despite a little bickering every now and then, over cultural differences, they didn’t have to prove their strength and ability to bring her pleasure. Demos females were not required to lift a finger when it came to pleasure. It was their obligation to touch, taste, kiss and bring her to completion. Then, even after all the effort, they were not guaranteed she would agree to be their sheraz.

  Fear stole through Ric. He gripped Kat tighter to him, growling softly at the thought of other quads discovering how beautiful and complacent she was. He did not want any other quad touching what was theirs. Raw, possessive emotions gripped him. He and his brothers would make sure no other could lure her away from them. She was theirs!

  Soft, feminine whimpers penetrated his lust-drunk brain. His rod was so damn hard he was sure he could drive space rivets with it. He wanted to be inside her again. The memory of how good she felt, the way her hot, wet heat enveloped his long, aching rod. It was sheer bliss on a scale he’d never before felt.

  He pulled his mouth from hers to taste her sweet, salty skin along her jaw line and throat. He found every part of her addictive. He felt her lungs expand in a deep desperate breath.

  “Oh, Ric,” came her soft plea, “take this off, let me touch you.” She was tugging at his uniform top.

  “Anything for you, my little Kat.” He pulled back to see her eyes, dark with the same passion. She wanted him. No female had ever looked at him with such desire.

&
nbsp; In record time, he stripped off his uniform top. It took all his self-control not to dive back into her, when she poked her little pink tongue out, leaving a trail of wet moisture on her pouty, full, pink lips.

  Her little fingers trailed. He groaned at the feel of her hands running over his shoulder, across his chest, down to his lower stomach.

  “You’ve got an amazing body; you all do.”

  Ric couldn’t help his smile of masculine pride, realizing she found him and his brothers attractive.

  “Is that all you like, little Kat?” he teased lightly.

  “Hummm, for starters. Let me up and I'll show you what else I like. Take off your boots and pants for me.”

  It wasn’t a demand, just a gentle request, which he was more than happy to comply with.

  Jumping from the bed, he enjoyed the sound of her soft, musical giggle, as she watched him almost trip over as he hurriedly undid his combat boots and ripped down his pants.

  She scrambled back on the bed, her eyes fixed on him, their depths almost matching the hunger he felt deep within.

  “Lay down, please, on your back. Will you let me explore you, as you did me?”

  He met her warm, green gaze. It would damn near kill him, but by the Ice Plains, it would be worth it.

  “Anything you wish. I will try to control my impulse to throw you down and mount you.”

  “I see.” Her lust-darkened eyes gleamed with wicked intent. He did as she bade, wondering what she was going to do. Her gaze skimmed down his body.

  “My, my, this big fellow looks a little angry.” Her hand reached out, curling around his throbbing, hard rod.

  He hissed at her scalding touch—so good. “Little Kat,” he warned.

  She moved her body over his, her hair spilling over her shoulder, brushing against his stomach, while she carefully touched him, exploring his skin.

  He burned hotter than the deepest fire pits, and groaned when she lowered her mouth, licking the nub of his chest. He had to fist the sheets, so as not to grab her and flip her over, burying his rod into her tight sheath.

  She seemed to be enjoying her exploration, and there was no way he was going to stop her. It was a complete, novel experience, to be pleasured instead of doing the pleasuring.