Lovers of the Galaxy, Book Two: Bounty Hunters of the Heart (5 page)

Done, he shifted and parted his mate’s butt cheeks
with his cock until he found the tight muscle within.

Oshki slipped his arms around him, drawing him closer
and sliding his hands down to palm his ass. “Finally, we will be
one.”

With his breath hitching, he battled to go slowly.
The only thing he wanted was to push into his mate’s body, feel his
passage hot and tight around his sapin, and fuck him until he
begged to stop. Regardless of the carnal beast screaming for
release deep inside him, he had to be gentle. It had been so long
since either of them had been with anyone, male or female.

“Fuck me!” Oshki raised his hips in an attempt to
force him into his passage. “Please!”

The flash of lightning sliced through the windows,
illuminating the darkening museum. Again, the pets whimpered behind
them.

This was all wrong. How could they be together like
this when the brothers and their mate were dealing with a dangerous
Bone Eater held in the lab? What if something went wrong? Unease
slithered through Miln.

“We cannot do this.” He rose on his hands to look
down into his mate’s incredulous face. “I am uncomfortable with
this storm, and so are Ino and Ka. It is our duty to secure the
base and protect the brothers and their mate, but here we are about
to make love to sate our carnal desires. It is not right.”

Oshki blinked. The expression in his eyes turned from
disbelief to surprise to hurt. “You cannot be serious. We have
waited so long to be together. Here we are on the verge of truly
claiming one another and you want to return to the base? The
brothers will be fine. You know they will die to protect Venus and
their unborn child.”

“That is what bothers me,” he replied gravely. “If
anything should happen to the threesome, I will never forgive
myself. What if the brothers are killed defending them? The child
deserves to grow up with a father.” He sighed and offered Oshki a
pleading look. “I want you so badly, but our duty requires us to
put the needs of others before our own.”

“Please, do not do this. Just let us,” Oskhi hooked
his feet around Miln’s calves, “have a few short minutes of loving
one another.”

Another boom shook the building.

“You know I speak the truth.”

“I want and need you!” He tightened his legs around
Miln’s, drawing him closer and pushing his sapin more snugly
against his asshole.

His worry and sense of duty overrode his desire for
Oshki. His erection abated. If he was going to make love to his
mate, he wanted to claim him when he didn’t have to worry about
their safety or fear Tapio’s surveillance. He wanted to enjoy his
mate without interruption or fear of what was going on elsewhere.
He couldn’t help the way he felt and thought. It was just the way
he was.

“No.” He shook his head. “We must go back and make
sure everyone is well. Venus is performing important and
unpredictable experiments on that Bone Eater, and with such a bad
storm moving in, we should not take any chances.”

A playful smile tweaked Oshki’s lips. “I do not
agree, my warrior. They are perfectly capable of taking care of
themselves for a few minutes.” He wrapped his arms around Miln’s
waist and hugged him. “I say we stay here and then return
after.”

Anger stirred in him. His sapin softened more, and he
growled deep in his throat. “Enough. We will return to base.”

“You worry too much.” His partner cupped the back of
Miln’s head and drew him down for a kiss.

His ire surfacing, he rolled with his mate so that he
was on top. However, the sudden movement caught him off guard.
Seizing his chance, Miln heaved Oshki off him. His mate landed on
his back just off the blanket. However, he scrambled to his feet,
settling into a crouch, his eyes flashing with hurt and fury.

“I know you do not understand,” Miln began in a
soothing tone, “but you need to trust me. I sense we are needed at
the base.”

“You enjoy tormenting me,” he snapped. “You tease but
you cannot commit.”

“If you do not begin using reason”—his anger grew
stronger than before—”I will commit all right. I will commit you to
a cell where you can come to your senses!”

Slowly, Oshki rose to his full height, shoulders
back, arms rigid, with his fists balled at his sides. “You have no
love for me. If you did, you would not do this.”

“Perhaps you need to grow up before we truly
consummate our partnership.” Miln whirled, and naked, walked over
to the pets to coax them out from under the strange conveyance. “I
will take Ka. You take Ino. Once we are certain all is well at the
base camp, we will continue our discussion in our quarters.”

With a low snarl, Oshki approached and held his hand
out to Ino, who trotted over with trepidation, obviously sensing
his fury.

“Do not scare the animals,” Miln admonished. “They
have no part in our disagreement.”

“Do not speak to me. I cannot bear to even look at
you right now.” With that, Oskhi retrieved his tool belt and
trans-shifted, taking Ino with him.

Pain sliced through him. He loved Oshki, but how
could he be mated to a warrior who couldn’t see reason? With a
thick heaviness in the center of his chest, he patted Ka. “Let us
go. I have a feeling we are needed.”

As if the animal understood, it issued a plaintive
whine.

“I know how you feel.” He scooped up his tool belt
and then gripped the pet’s collar. “Time to go deal with trouble.”
With that, he trans-shifted to base.

The wail of the bank’s security system assaulted
Miln’s ears as he materialized on the ground floor. He glimpsed
Oshki running across the front room past the strange cutout windows
of one wall and then to the door leading to the back hall. With Ino
and Ka growling at either side of him, he sprinted after his
mate.

Once he reached the lab just steps behind Oshki, he
halted at the scene before him. At the entrance to the confinement
cell, Venus stood wringing her hands as her mates examined the
damaged door.

Dread washed over him. “What happened here?”

She spun on her heel, but upon seeing them naked, her
anxious expression shifted to one of surprise. “Uh…the Bone Eater
escaped. Somehow it got out of its bindings and then knew enough to
pull the pins from the door to get out of the cell. It did the same
to the back exit. That’s what set the alarm off.”

“It appears the creatures are more intelligent that
you thought,” Oshki observed.

“I know and that scares the hell out of me.” She
brightened when her mates returned. “Did you find which way the
B.E. went?”

The brothers both shook their heads.

“Your test subject is long gone,” Volund
explained.

Picking up the hinge pins from the floor, Jaxxon
examined them and then motioned for his brother to help him set the
door up. Quickly, he slipped the pins into the slots and used a
tool from his belt to hammer them in place again.

“I never even thought of the hinges,” Venus said more
to herself than anyone else. “It didn’t occur to me that the Bone
Eaters might have some intelligence above an animal’s, or perhaps
remember how to do some things from their human lives.”

“It is a simple matter of replacing the doors with
something more secure.” Miln tried calming her.

She nodded, her lower lip trembling. “All that
work…for nothing. Now I’ll have to start over on a different test
subject.”

He was glad that his brother-friends sandwiched her
between them, hugging her tightly. In her condition, she needed all
the comforting she could get.

Meeting his gaze under Jaxxon’s arm, she asked, “Why
are you two naked?”

“We were…uh….” Oshki glanced at him. “Trying on Old
West clothing when he suddenly sensed there was trouble here.”

She quirked a fine eyebrow at him and then at Oshki.
“Right.”

The brothers chuckled, but politely kept their gazes
trained elsewhere.

Thankful for their discreetness, Miln announced, “We
should finish packing our gear. We will check in later.”

Trans-shifting, Oshki vanished, leaving him to deal
with any last, uncomfortable questions that might be asked.

***

Miln returned to their living quarters. There, he
found his mate already gathering gear, supplies, and the items
needed to travel back in time. Oshki placed their silver travel
packs full of Old West attire on the table. He glanced up at him,
eyes flinty with anger. Quickly, he turned and strode into their
sleeping area for their Azutuan clothing. When he returned with
everything, he tossed Miln’s tilk on the floor at his feet.

Dismayed with his mate’s blatant surliness, he
questioned, “How long are you going to be angry with me,
Oshki?”

“Right now I do not want to speak to you.” His words
came out clipped.

Despair claimed him, and he sighed heavily. “I
understand, but you are taking it too far.”

Stepping into his black tilk, Oshki pulled it up his
legs and then settled it over his hips to fasten it with the sticky
readhesive attached to one flap. “You fear commitment. Therefore,
you will look for any excuse that puts you in a good light.” He
jerked on first one boot and then the other, their horned tips
gleaming in the overhead lights. When he straightened, he threw
Miln a cold look. “Like I said, I really do not want to talk to you
right now, so please leave me alone. We have a job to do, so let us
take our stuff to the ship, and then once you have checked in with
the brothers, we will leave to manage this Randle person.”

Pain and outrage coursed through him. Tremors of
bewilderment riddled his body. Although he knew it was natural for
couples to have arguments and differing opinions, he’d honestly
believed Oshki was more sensible than this. He struggled to contain
his anger, understanding that his mate felt jilted, but when the
lives of others depended on them both—not to mention the dozens of
others due to arrive soon on Earth—they couldn’t put their wants
and needs before the care and security of others. Frustrated, his
ire mounting, he reminded himself that lashing back at his mate
would only make matters worse.

“No matter what you are thinking or feeling right
now,” he said as he picked up the packs, “I do love you.”

His partner said nothing. He merely gathered various
items into his arms and then trans-shifted.

“By The Twelve Galaxies!” Miln stood still for a
moment as he battled the fury trying to rule his heart and common
sense. Once he had it under control, he whirled and stalked out of
their quarters and down the corridor. At the threesome’s chambers,
he stopped and knocked on the door.

Volund opened it. “Ah, I see you are ready to
go.”

Too upset to speak, he nodded.

Frowning, Volund looked him up and down, his deep red
eyes assessing. “I do not know what is wrong between you two, but I
hope the two of you can work it out.”

With effort, Miln found his voice. “He does not seem
to understand that when we are to protect others, our personal
needs and wants mean nothing. Our duty is always to think of
everyone else first.”

“Ah, so you two were in the middle of something when
you sensed you were needed here. Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

Volund nodded and then clapped Miln on the shoulder.
“I now understand your dilemma. Oshki is still young, but if he
does not exercise common sense in his duty then he may have to be
removed from it and given another task. I said nothing to him this
time about returning before his guard duty was completed today. I
felt it would be better if you handled it. However, if he continues
to ignore you, he may have to be relieved as a security officer.
Worse, your duties may very well end your partnership.”

The implications of Volund’s observation weighed
heavily in the hall.

A shaky breath escaped him. “The latter is what
worries me.”

“Report when you reach your destination,” Volund told
him, “so we know you have arrived safely and on the correct
date.”

The sympathy on his friend’s face was more than Miln
could bear, but thankfully the warrior had changed the subject. He
placed his hand on Volund’s shoulder to show his respect and
friendship. “We will report back as soon as we have assessed our
situation. What will be the time lapse for transmissions?”

“Roughly twenty-four Earth hours. The time channel
for reports works strangely with the alternate dimensions
surrounding and crisscrossing this planet and its history.”

“Noted. Oshki is in the process of trans-shifting our
stuff to the ship, so we will leave shortly.” He turned to go then
halted and looked back at Volund. “Is Venus well?”

The expression on Volund’s face shifted from sympathy
to protectiveness and concern. “She is fine, but it worries us that
she has so much stress weighing on her. The Bone Eater’s escape
really upset her.”

“I wish you all well,” said Miln. “Hopefully this
trek into time will not take long and we will be back soon so we
can return to our duties here. I am guessing the next Azutuans will
have arrived by the time we return?”

“If all goes well, yes.”

“I pray we are all together again in a few days.” He
strode down the hall.

“Be careful,” Volund called, “and do not
underestimate your quarry.”

Turning and then walking backward several steps, Miln
saluted Volund. He whirled around just as he reached his quarters,
where he found all the supplies and gear for their trip gone. Using
his Trans Shifter rod, he gave himself another shot. Tingling
assailed his body, and with the dizzying rush from a new dose
surging in his veins, he materialized in the ship.

“Fasten yourself in your seat,” Oshki ordered
frostily once he noticed Miln behind him. “We are ready to leave.”
He returned his attention to a brightly lit scanner flooded with
hundreds of Azutuan symbols and words. He motioned toward the
adjoining seat, aglow with sensors and tools that monitored the
occupant’s vitals. “The ship is set to go back to 1847.”