Cosmic Bounty Read online

  She stood there for a moment staring at the door her men left through, wanting desperately to race after them.

  Kat almost jumped three feet when a hand touched her shoulder. She spun around.

  “I’ll show you to your room. Is there anything you desire?” Yuv asked, picking up her suitcase.

  “Um, I am a little hungry and would like to freshen up, if that’s okay.”

  The brothers all smiled with obvious pleasure.

  “It will be an honor to make a meal for you.” Tev quickly vanished through to another door of the central room.

  “You will have to excuse me, my daughter,” Riv said, “I must get back to my duties.”

  “Oh, don’t let me keep you, please; um, should I call you Dad, or Father or something?”

  The smile on the three, older males broadened.

  “Is the word ‘dad’ another term for father?”

  “Yes.” She smiled back. How easy it was to make these men happy. “Dad is used as a term of affection.”

  Tev paused, his smile quickly replaced with a worried frown.

  “We would have you call us whatever you feel comfortable with.”

  “I like dad; I never really had a dad of my own. My real father left my mother and I when I was still young.”

  Identical expressions of horror crossed their faces. “How could one’s sire leave his child? Such a creature is without honor,” Oul stated.

  They were really big on the honor thing, well, for the men at least.

  “Oh, don’t fret, it’s not that uncommon on my planet. My mum and I got along fine without him.”

  “But Gol told us you were unprotected and were stolen by the Jorval traders.”

  “Something I would like to forget about,” she said with a sad sigh. “Gol and Hul rescued me from a worse fate, I'm sure.”

  The three remaining brothers glanced at each other, as if not sure what to do or say. They were probably used to handling their rude, demanding sheraz.

  “You are officially free. I signed the document myself, so you have no reason to fear. We are more than delighted to have a daughter. In her own way, I know Sarrbeem is also.”

  This was yet to be seen. Kat couldn’t help the thought. She didn’t want to worry her new dads.

  Dads.

  She held in a giggle. She barely had one on Earth and here she was with four. How the tides had turned.

  “Yes, thank you, if you have to go, Dad,” she faced Tev, “please go.”

  They were handsome when they smiled. Tev nodded and quickly headed out the same door her men left through, leaving her with Yuv and Oul.

  “This way, Daughter.” Oul smiled, leading the way to another sliding door. They all looked much the same. It slid open, revealing a long corridor with a few other doors, again all the same shade of yellow. “These are the sleeping quarters. Our sons are down that way.” Oul pointed to the left. “They are out training and will not return until later next week. Our chamber is next to theirs and the third door is Sarrbeem’s. This room, my daughter, is yours.”

  She followed him several feet down to the right and watched as he placed his hand on the panel, sliding the door open. Stepping back, Oul allowed her to enter first.

  She walked into a huge, opulent room; the center was sunken with a large bed. It was covered in the same red and yellow sheets as in her men’s quarters on their ship. There was also a sitting area with a comfortable looking, black sofa, a large screen on the wall, which she knew was the communications device. There was a little table with a single, smaller chair, and near the other end was a single window, rising from the floor, six feet in height and three feet wide.

  “Wow, you could fit my whole house, back on Earth in this single room.”

  “You are pleased, then?” Yuv said from behind her, as she wandered through the suite.

  “Are the buildings on your planet small also?” Oul was studying her with the same expression of curiosity as Yuv.

  She smiled at him. “Not all of them. We like to build big and grand for those who can afford it. And yes, thank you, I’m very pleased.”

  She moved to the window to stare out over the lights of the city. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured in awe. She hadn’t seen much of the city when her men drove her here, to her adoptive family in a windowless, airborne transport, which looked like a giant, black jellybean.

  “The bathing room is through there.” Oul set her case down on the table, eyeing it inquisitively.

  Kat walked over, unzipped her bag and flipped it open to let them look. “These are the only clothes I have. The Jorval trader was at least thoughtful enough to take my bag, when he abducted me.”

  “You will need more clothing,” Yuv said in a matter-of-fact way. “Sarrbeem enjoys spending our credits. She will enjoy taking you to the markets, to get you whatever you wish for.”

  “And much for herself,” added Oul tightly, glancing at his brother.

  It seemed Sarrbeem’s spending was something of an issue, from the irritation she saw flicker in their expression.

  “I don’t need much, really. I’m happy with what I have. Your family is being more than generous in adopting me.”

  They again looked stunned but quickly hid it. “We insist you have whatever you want. Besides, your quads will cover any expenses.”

  She suspected they were waiting for her to start demanding things and being bossy.

  “I have no wish to insult you, if that is what you want.”

  “What we want is for you to be happy with us. You can have anything you desire.”

  Kat shook her head and smiled. It confused her to see how these big, strong, dominant soldiers were so whipped by their women.

  “What I want is for you not to pander to my wants. As long as I have what I need, I'm happy. Be men, for goodness sake. I am used to males being demanding, not second-guessing everything. Are you not warriors, formidable on the battlefield?”

  “We are.” They stood straighter and prouder.

  “I’ll make a deal with you. Treat me with the same respect and courtesy as a male on Galafrax and I will do the same in return.”

  The men hesitated. “Let us talk with our brothers first.”

  Kat nodded. Riv walked in with a large tray, filled with foods and a large pitcher of liquid.

  “We will leave you to settle. One of us is always here to see to your…” Oul paused. “To your needs. Never hesitate to ask for anything.”

  “Thank you.” Kat smiled. The brothers gave a freaky, simultaneous nod before turning, following each other out.

  For the first time since she was bought by Gol and Hul, she was alone. She had grown so accustomed to one or more of her men being around her, she felt their loss keenly.

  Two Galafraxian weeks, which she understood was eight days to the Earth seven, was going to be hell on her body. The brothers had addicted her to having sex several times a day and night. Kat walked to the table, sniffing the delightful smelling food.

  Surely, two weeks wouldn’t be that bad. She’d be able to talk to her men, touch them, and fuck them, before the two weeks were up, wouldn’t she?

  Chapter Twelve

  Two days later, Kat felt the weight of being a pale-skinned alien among a mass of red, when every Demos citizen they passed stopped to stare. Oul and Riv escorted her through the city to the Qyi-building of civil authority. She understood it was similar to the chambers of births, deaths, and marriages. It seemed this council also handled other things, such as adoptions.

  At the first office, officials barraged her with questions about her planet and the type of civilization she came from. She watched nervously, as they jotted everything down on glowing, transparent data pads. Once the four council quads were satisfied with her answers, they ordered her over to the medical building, because one of the quads on the council doubted her ability to breed healthy, Demos young, stating she appeared too pale and frail.

  In the medical building, the quad team prodded
and poked her, running strange laser beams over her body and taking samples of her blood with some needleless contraption.

  “Your physiology is unique, only a few genetic differences from our own,” the quad doctors informed her, as they helped her down from the examination table.

  “Is that a good thing or bad thing?”

  The medical quads smiled. “We’ll send word of our findings after we’ve examined the data more thoroughly.”

  In other words, they weren’t going to tell her a thing. Fear gripped her heart; what if they weren’t compatible species? Sure, sex was one thing, but having children was a whole other issue.

  If she couldn’t have children, would Hul, Gol, Ric and Div still want her? She was a lone, human woman on a strange, alien world, drowning in strange customs, strange streets and the list went on.

  Kat fought back tears and the urge to run, hide and curl into a ball and cry her heart out. She wanted her men. The urge to sob like a child became stronger, as the dreaded thought hit her. If she didn’t pass their medical exam, would they still want her?

  “Daughter, you are paler than normal. Did the medical team hurt you?”

  Kat startled at the sound of Oul’s voice, which brought her out of her thoughts.

  “Oh, no, it’s okay, really.” She plastered a false smile on her lips.

  Tev offered his arm, and they walked back to the large lift they had arrived in, before heading out to the front of the building. A black, sleek, jellybean-shaped hover car waited.

  “Are you well? Do you need to rest?” Tev helped her into the jellybean car.

  Mentally, Kat felt tired, worrying over her future, but the last thing she wanted was to also worry her new parents.

  “I am fine. Why?”

  “Sarrbeem wishes to take you to the southern markets for new clothing. She and the others are already there waiting for our arrival.”

  “Oh, okay then, best not to keep them waiting.”

  Tev commanded the car to take them to the south market. Kat sucked in a deep breath. Hopefully, the distraction of a market would help make her feel better; after all, what woman didn’t like shopping.

  ****

  The market was a mass of red skin and black hair. It bustled with voices yelling, engines grinding and strange music coming from behind closed doors, as they passed. Delicious cooking scents wafted through the heated air. They passed what Kat guessed to be the Demos version of bars and restaurants. She saw Demos women gathered in clusters, at tables talking, laughing, and drinking, while men stood around them looking fierce and protective.

  Kat had yet to see someone, other than the medical team, wearing any kind of sleeves. She wore her yellow summer dress, as the climate varied from warm at night to steaming hot during the day.

  Kat couldn’t help but stare. In turn she was stared at, many quad brothers turning their full attention to her, some even going so far as to follow for a moment, to get a better look.

  Thankfully, all four of her fathers came out with them, two in front of her and two behind them.

  Kat was too caught up in the bustle of activity around her to really notice Sarrbeem tugging her along beside her, like some prized pet. They moved from stall to stall. Sarrbeem picked garment after garment, piling them into Kat’s arms. Kat gave a distressed look to Yuv and Tev.

  Perceptively, they gave her an understanding nod and whispered to their brothers. Oul and Riv moved in behind Sarrbeem and whispered something into her ear, while Riv and Tev moved Kat out of the way. Whatever it was they whispered to their wife, it made her eyes light up greedily. She glanced once at Kat, before she let her men lead her away.

  Bemused, Kat glanced up at Riv and Tev. “Where are they going?”

  “We promised to treat her to a Krindlic. It is a rare and expensive delicacy on Galafrax.”

  “Oh, I didn’t want you to go to any trouble on my account.” Kat placed the weighty pile of clothing back on the table.

  The two brothers smiled warmly. “You are no trouble, Daughter. Choose what you need; the others will not be back for a while. Krindlics need to be caught and killed fresh.”

  “Um, okay.” Kat as sure as hell didn’t want to know what a Krindlic was, if it needed to be caught and killed for them to feed on.

  Kat moved deeper into the store they entered. Two of the sellers leered at her, as she picked through the clothing, making her feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. She tried on two of the garments hanging on the racks around them. Unfortunately, everything was made to fit the Demos-sized women. There was nothing to accommodate her large breast size.

  Kat sighed. “Nothing is going to fit me. I may need a few custom made clothes.”

  “You are a feast for the eye, pretty female.” The seller’s eyes were riveted to her chest. “I have never seen the likes of such a bountiful female. Are you an unmated female? For you I would create any clothing you desired.”

  “She is not, and she is under our protection,” Yuv growled, steeping forward, glaring at the seller.

  The man’s eyes widened and glanced at his brother, before respectfully nodding. Kat noticed the seller eyed the emblems on Yuv and Tev’s clothing. She made a mental note to ask them about it later.

  “Apologies, we were merely curious.” He turned back to look at Kat, the hunger still evident in his gaze. Kat shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. “I can do a fitting and make clothing worthy of your loveliness.”

  Unsure, Kat glanced at Yuv and Tev. “If it is what you need, daughter.” Her adopting fathers smiled with genuine warmth.

  “Yes, it’s what I need. I feel like a sore thumb in this.” She motioned to her yellow dress.

  Tev frowned in concern. “You have injured your finger?”

  Kat giggled. “No, it means I stand out—just a human expression. We have many silly sayings.”

  The men relaxed. “Give her anything she wishes,” Yuv commanded the clothing merchants.

  The men nodded.

  With Yuv and Tev watching, the clothing merchants quickly measured her, proclaiming she would soon have new clothing, worthy of her beauty. The only clothing Kat took was a light cloak in a deep red color, to cover her yellow dress, wanting something to help her to blend in. Yuv escorted her back out into the market street, while Tev paid for the purchases.

  “You will need suitable moonush to tread in.”

  “Moonush?”

  Yuv pointed to her feet.

  Kat grinned. “Shoes.”

  “Shoes,” Tev repeated in English, watching his lips match the word.

  “Your language is musical. I shall enjoy learning it. Our family specializes in alien languages.”

  “I’m more than happy to help. There is so much I still have to learn. But I’m still not sure what I am expected to do on your planet.”

  “You will soon be declared a Demos female. You are not expected to do anything, other than provide sons and a daughter.”

  Tev rejoined them and they resumed a leisurely pace past other market stalls. She paid little attention to the strange wares, thinking about what her fathers told her.

  “So, in other words, my men want to keep me barefoot and pregnant?” she asked, after a moment’s silence.

  “You do not have to go without ‘shoes’,” Yuv said from her other side.

  Kat huffed out an annoyed breath. “What if I wish to learn an occupation on Galafrax? Will I be allowed to work? I am not used to being idle.”

  The brothers exchanged glances above her head. “I think it best you discuss it with your quads, once you are claimed.”

  Before she could ask another question, a loud trumpeting sound suddenly blasted through the market, hurting Kat’s ears. She watched, amazed as the crowed parted, clearing the street. Her fathers pulled her back near the entrance of a bustling bar.

  Yuv bent down closer to her ear. “You will find this interesting, Kat. It is a formal procession to the right of claiming.”

  Kat saw an open, hover
jellybean coming down the street. Within it, a Demos woman sat with four males. The woman smiled smugly, as it cruised past. Behind, at a brisk pace, marched sixteen men, four sets of proud-looking quads, each one decked out like a gladiator in straps of leather.

  “Behind the air cruiser are the quads who wish to lay claim to the female. They are heading for the Center Qyi, Grand Palace of the High Lords and rulers of Galafrax. Inside the palace is the arena where they will battle, proving their worth to claiming the chosen female.”

  Tev pointed to the huge, central pyramid in the middle of the city. The massive building loomed over every other structure.

  “Will that have to happen to me, too?”

  “Every Demos female goes through this right. Yes, you will have to do this also; it is a great honor, and the more quads which follow to do battle, the higher the honor.”

  Kat didn’t like the idea of being paraded through the street, but would endure anything to be with her set of quads. She missed them, wishing they were at the markets with her, helping and teaching her to learn about their world. Something odd struck her as she studied the men and women around her.

  “Yuv, what happens if one brother dies and they are no longer a set of Quads?”

  “We have the band of lost brothers. If one or more are lost in battle or war, they seek out and adopt more into a family. We learned early in our civilization we do not cope well out of our sets.”

  “Then you would not do well on earth. While we seek out others for company, we have a saying: two’s company, three’s a crowd.”

  Yuv smiled. “Then let us be a crowd.”

  Kat laughed at his smile.

  Before he could answer, a set of quads suddenly burst through the crowd, right behind them, knocking both Yuv and Tev, standing on either side of her. More men joined in and suddenly a fight broke out.

  A sweaty hand suddenly clamped over her nose and mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist. They pulled her backward through the crowd of onlookers. She fought wildly, as panic flooded through her. She couldn’t breathe. Her fingers dug into the hand over her mouth, while she struggled to suck in air. Spots started to swim before her eyes, and her strength left her. She sagged against her abductor before blacking out.