Hara's Legacy (20 page)

By the time Mara returned at the end of six months, Harry had made an indelible mark on the family, and on his stepmother’s heart. Aside from being there to supervise as Callie was examined by Mara and her companion, Prime, Jane did her best to keep clear of the Alvians. She couldn’t hide her feelings easily and her heart was breaking as Harry’s confusion grew. She’d done her best to communicate her deep and unending love for him as she held him that morning, watching the silver craft land in the pasture, even as tears ran down her face.

When the Alvians had been greeted and brought to the house, Jane had her tears under control, though her emotions were in a state of utter turmoil. Only her fear for the rest of the family kept her silent as Mara took the child of her heart away. These unfeeling aliens held all the power. The silent, giant warrior who accompanied Mara and Helas Prime was a living, breathing reminder of their power. If they wanted, they could easily destroy the O’Hara family, probably without a second thought. Jane knew that to protect her daughter and her men, she’d have to let Harry go with his mother, even if Jane’s heart broke at the lack of love his natural mother displayed for her son.

Jane took Callie to the barn and holed up in Justin’s garage while the silver craft took off, the two O’Hara women crying for their lost little man.

Justin found her there and joined the two females in a circle of love and grief. The other brothers knew how much they were hurting and let them be for a while, putting together a small dinner they all could share, as they shared their sorrow.

The house was remarkably quiet for the next few days, only the sounds of sadness permeated the walls.

Callie pined for her brother,

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small as she was, and the O’Hara men battled with their anger and helplessness in the face of the aliens’

technical superiority. Justin knew there was no way to steal his son back from the Alvian city. Though he’d been a special ops warrior before the cataclysm, even his skills were no match for the aliens’

technology.

Likewise, it didn’t sit well with the other brothers that they were so damned helpless against the Alvians.

Late one night, after Harry had been gone only six days, the brothers sat at dinner with their mate, still subdued by sadness though they tried their best to show her how much they loved her and their baby daughter. Nothing and no one could replace young Harry.

“Dammit all to hell and back!” Mick slammed his fist down on the table, shooting to his feet as he became fed up with their inability to do anything but suffer. “Haven’t they taken enough from us already?

They stole our planet, killed everyone and everything we ever knew. Made us change our way of life and hurt the ones we love the most in the process, and now they take the most defenseless of us and subject him to God knows what!”

Mick’s normally calm voice broke on the last bit and it was Jane who moved to take him in her arms as she met Caleb and Justin’s eyes over Mick’s shoulder. She soothed him, allowing him to crush her tight against his chest in his grief. Mick was habitually quiet, more prone to analyzing a situation until he understood it than reacting in anger, but he was out of control now. His emotions stormed around her, compelling her to comfort him, to be there for him.

“You never hurt me, Mick. I just want you to know that.” He stilled and held her away from him, meeting her eyes. The sorrow in his gaze was too deep to bear.

“You can’t tell me having three husbands at once isn’t wrong, Jane. But I’ll be damned if I can give you up.” He crushed her close again, closing his eyes on his brothers’ objections.

“I thought we’d settled all this months ago, Mick.” Caleb’s strong voice rang through the room.

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Jane, for once, felt everything Mick had been concealing behind that icy reserve he’d somehow learned.

Her Mick was seething with guilt and anger that had no outlet. He hated the Alvians with a depth that shocked her and hated what he’d become because of them.

She staggered back from him as he let her go, but she refused to let him leave in such a state. She tried to block his path but he went around her and she had no option but to appeal to his brothers.

“Justin! Stop him!”

When Jane sobbed at the way Mick tore out of her arms, Jane felt Justin’s anger surge. He tackled his younger brother and held him captive while Jane and Caleb moved in front of him.

“Let me go!” Mick tried to kick back at Justin, but he was too skilled a warrior to give Mick any opening.

“Calm down and let’s talk this out,” Caleb said in his steady, calm, determined way.

Just like that, Mick deflated. Jane felt the dam burst inside him as his emotions came pouring through.

She nodded to Justin who lowered his brother into a handy chair. Jane immediately perched on Mick’s lap, holding him close.

Justin pretended not to notice the tears in Mick’s eyes, though he stepped back to let Caleb and Jane handle the situation. He was dealing with the grief in his own way but he trusted in Caleb’s vision.

According to his big brother, there was still a small glimmer of hope that somehow Harry would be returned to them.

Justin prayed daily for that to happen. He’d finally come to terms with the idea there was no way he could get his son back unless the Alvians gave him back. He’d even scouted the perimeter of the alien city, but he knew it was impenetrable to the likes of him. His only hope was that somehow Mara, or one of her kind, would have a change of heart and bring the boy back.

He watched over his family, ready to help if called upon, as Caleb crouched down in front of their youngest brother. Caleb spoke in his

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steady, deep way and Mick seemed to calm. Justin watched Jane for the signs. He knew when Mick was vulnerable like this, she would be feeling everything Mick did, and Justin could get clues as to how Mick was feeling by watching Jane. His brother had become all too adept at hiding his feelings to be able to read anything directly from his body language.

They all missed Harry, each having bonded with him in their own way. As his doctor, Mick had cared for the little tyke and checked on him frequently, helping Jane with both babies and making sure they were healthy. Mick was also the strongest telepath of the family and Harry was already communicating in his own way. Mick had shared more than one humorous story with them about the way his son viewed the world, and his beloved half-sister, from such innocent eyes.

While Justin might be the biological father of both babies, neither Mick nor Caleb seemed to love them any different than if they’d been their own children. The thought pleased Justin, knowing his brothers would be there for the children should something happen to him, just as he knew the brothers would be there for Jane. In this damnably uncertain world, that reassurance went a long way.

Mick quieted as Caleb reasoned with him. Jane sat on his lap, soothing him with her presence and her soft, stroking hands.

“Mick,” she said, “you have to let go of this guilt you carry. If not for all three of you, I’d have been dead in the cataclysm. Even before that, if not for the O’Hara brothers?all of you?I don’t know where I’d have been. After Daddy passed on, and even before that, you three protected me. You know how hard my gift was to live with in the old world. You three made my life easier, you made me whole. And now…” Tears choked her voice. “Now you’ve given me the best life I could possibly hope for. I wouldn’t change a thing. Except perhaps for this lingering guilt you’ve been hiding. It’s not good, Mick.

And it’s not right. The old world is gone. Only together can we live in this new one. And if I have no problem with it, then neither should you.”

“But I love you so much, Jane.” His whispered words carried to the other brothers, even if he hadn’t wanted them to. “I didn’t ever want to hurt you.”

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“The only way you could hurt me is to stop loving me.” Mick’s eyes lightened and Jane’s shoulders lost most of the tension she’d been holding. Justin could tell from Jane’s response that Mick’s storm was subsiding.

“Stop loving you?” Mick smiled up into her eyes. “Never gonna happen, sweet pea. I’ve loved you since you were five years old and I’ll love you ‘til I die.”

Tears of joy ran down Jane’s face as she kissed Mick, wrapping him tightly in her arms and planting small kisses all over his face and neck. When he started to return the favor, it was Justin who pulled the couple to their feet and directed them toward the largest bed in the house.

When Justin turned to leave after opening the bedroom door and ushering them inside, it was Mick who stopped him. The hand on his arm and the serious look in Mick’s eyes spoke volumes.

“You’ve lost a son,” Mick said with difficulty. “As did we all. I’m sorry, Justin. If there’d been a way to prevent it…”

Justin nodded. “I know. I feel the same. And I thank you for the sentiment.”

“Get Caleb,” Jane said, turning Mick’s attention to her. “I think we all need some together time.”

“Are you sure?” Justin knew she felt all their reactions and could tell how Mick was taking the idea. For his own part, Justin was always up for a ménage with her and his brothers. Hell, he was already getting hard, just thinking about it.

Jane held Mick’s eyes as she nodded. “We’re sure.”

Justin turned quick as a flash to get Caleb, who’d been cleaning things in the kitchen and checking on Callie, asleep in her crib, letting nature and Jane’s loving empathy run its course. Caleb didn’t seem too surprised by the summons. He just grinned and followed Justin back down the hall to the bedroom, satisfaction oozing from him now the family was together again.

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“Get on the bed, Mick.” Jane’s order surprised them all. She didn’t often take a dominant role when she made love with any of the brothers, but they were all amenable to her desires. If she wanted to call the shots, they’d let her. In fact, it was kind of exciting.

Already naked and hard, Mick complied. He scooted to the middle of the huge bed, watching and waiting while his brothers kissed and caressed their woman. Caleb stroked her breasts while he kissed her deeply, and Justin’s hands petted between her legs, his lips nuzzling the sensitive spot on the nape of her neck as he stood behind her. It was an enticing sight and Mick lay back, one hand stroking himself while he pillowed his head on the other, enjoying the view.

After a few moments, Jane turned in their embrace and stared directly at Mick, holding his gaze as Justin and Caleb’s mouths found her breasts, their teeth raking gently over her nipples as she shivered. Mick smiled at the siren’s call of her body, undulating with need while his brothers stroked her to a level of excitement they would all enjoy.

She moved slightly, stepping out of their embrace and put one knee on the bed. She crawled toward Mick’s erection as if she only had that one single goal on her mind. Reaching, she took him in her hand first, then brought her mouth down for a quick lick.

Releasing his cock, she moved her lips up his body, nipping and kissing his rock hard abdomen, his chest, his neck. When she reached his jaw, she played a minute before locking her lips to his for a long, hard, deep kiss. All the while, she crawled over him, positioning her wet opening over his long, thick cock. She pressed down onto him as she released his mouth, then pushed up to present her breasts for his enjoyment.

“You feel so good, Mick,” she breathed, concentrating on the youngest brother while the other two watched. She heard Caleb move toward the bed while Justin opened a drawer somewhere behind her.

She settled on Mick’s cock, making a few up and down motions as if to accustom herself to his size and shape. She spread her slick essence

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over them both, but then stopped. Turning her head, she winked at Justin.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

Caleb chuckled and Justin’s devilish smile said the rest as he stalked over to the bed. Mick reached around her, lifting and separating the soft cheeks of her ass for his brother while Justin prepared her for the dominating entrance he’d taught her and that she’d come to crave.

“Your wish is my command, milady.” Justin growled into her ear as he moved over her, taking his time but entering her with a gentle force that would not be denied. “Never let it be said I kept you waiting.” She moaned when he was in her fully, both men feeling the pinch of the double penetration and the way it made her tighter and impossibly hotter. Justin bit her neck as she arched back, then subsided, knowing there was a third element not yet in play.

Justin swiveled his gaze to Caleb as he took his favored position. He wrapped one big palm around Jane’s head to support her as she took him into the warm, wet recesses of her mouth the way he loved.

“That’s my girl,” Caleb crooned to her. “Take it all, sweetheart. Suck me down.” With an unspoken signal, the three men began to move, seeking the pleasure they’d come to know with this woman they loved as no one else on Earth. They didn’t share her like this often, but every once in a while this triple penetration bonded them, making them all greater than the sum of their parts, pleasing her and themselves in a way that was unique and special.