BENJAR

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN ALIEN BROTHERS

HONEY PHILLIPS

Copyright © 2022 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by Mariah Sinclair

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

CHAPTER 1

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Endark growled as the three males gathered in the barn. The snow that had been falling all day was already a foot deep outside.

“Of course I am,” Benjar said. He kept his voice confident, despite his own doubts about their plan. The chance to finally find a mate, even amongst the human settlers on the other side of the mountain, was too tempting to resist.

“I think you are both fools,” Drakkar drawled, shaking out his wings. The big copper-skinned male wore his usual sardonic expression.

“Then why are you coming with us?” Endark asked, scowling.

Benjar could see the other male’s claws flexing, his lupine features sharpening. Without a mate to temper his more savage impulses, Endark was dangerously close to losing control over his inner beast—another factor that had driven him to propose the scheme.

As for himself, he simply wanted someone to call his own. Someone who would cook for him and care for him in the same loving way that Nelly, their former commander’s new bride, cared for Artek. It was the type of relationship he’d never had and always wanted.

“Because I’m sure that it will be entertaining.” Despite the mocking note in Drakkar’s voice, there was something on his face that made Benjar give him a curious look.

“And you don’t want a human bride for yourself? I know they are a different species, but look how well it’s worked out for the commander.”

A flash of what might have been longing appeared in Drakkar’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that Benjar couldn’t be sure. His winged brother shook his head.

“We Arkani do not even take brides amongst our own species. We prefer to be alone.”

Benjar shivered. He hated being alone, despite the fact that he had spent most of his life that way. That was what had led him to remain with the commander’s squad after he was “volunteered” into the Alliance forces. Seven males, all from different races and all there for different reasons, but somehow they had formed a family. He hated the fighting, but he’d found a band of brothers and he would not abandon them once they had accepted him.

“And I am interested to see if my experiment is successful,” Drakkar added.

Benjar gave him an alarmed look. “You promised us that your formula would not harm the females.”

“It will not.” Another winged shrug. “However, I am not sure how long they will remain unconscious.”

Benjar grinned and headed outside to the waiting sleigh, his tail lashing eagerly behind him. “That will make it so much more interesting.”

Endark growled under his breath as he came to join him, and the horses shied nervously. The big, docile animals were hybrids developed from a species native to the humans’ home planet. While they were usually placid, they knew that Endark was a predator. Right now, his predatory nature was close enough to the surface to make the animals nervous.

“Just get in the sleigh,” Benjar told him as he went to their heads.

They had padded the wagon box on top of the runners with straw and blankets, and the deep sides would help conceal Endark’s presence from the horses. Endark mumbled a protest but obeyed.

Benjar soothed the horses and as soon as they calmed, climbed up onto the narrow bench at the front of the sleigh. Drakkar was already there.

“You aren’t going to fly?” he asked.

“Why waste the energy?” Drakkar raised an eyebrow. “And besides, flying in snow is most uncomfortable.”

Benjar shook his head but picked up the reins. Drakkar still liked to play the part of the arrogant noble he had once been, even though they had all fought the same battles and shared the same meager rations. He’d seen how hard the other male had worked to save anyone who had fallen before the enemy, but Drakkar still used a cynical attitude to conceal his compassion.

The horses set off, the sleigh moving easily over the newly fallen snow as they left the barns behind and headed along the trail next to the river. Satisfaction filled him as he looked around at the ranch. It was located in a wide valley between the mountains, and after two years of hard work, it looked peaceful and prosperous.

When the useless war had finally ended, Artek had proposed that the squad leave behind the bitter memories and find a new place and a new way of life. Endark had heard that the ranch was for sale, and the seven of them had agreed to take it on. It was the best decision Benjar had ever made. The physical labor of restoring the ranch and the serene, natural surroundings had helped all of them to heal.

But something had still been missing and it wasn’t until Artek brought home Nelly, his human bride, that he realized what that was. He wanted a mate—a bride—of his own. The town of human settlers on the other side of the mountains represented the most likely possibility, but he had no idea how to approach one of their females. And then Nelly had told them a tale from human history and he’d realized what they needed to do.

The story involved soldiers returning from war, just like them, only to discover there were no females left for them. A wise man had instructed them to go to a nearby town where there were plenty of females and claim their mates during a dance when they would be happy and joyous. When the commander told them that the human town was holding a harvest dance tonight, it had seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“How are you going to choose a bride?” Drakkar suddenly broke the silence.

“I have a list,” he said proudly. He’d put a lot of thought into his requirements.

“A list?”

“She has to be a good cook, of course.”

“Given your obsession with food, that does not surprise me,” Drakkar said dryly.

“Competent, of course. Someone who can pull her weight on the ranch. And I want someone kind,” he added. The requirement came out more longingly than he intended and he hurried on. “Also, she should be tall and strong, with hair the color of sunlight.”

“Size and hair color should be easy enough, but how are you going to know if she meets your other requirements?”

“I’ll know.” Once again, he sounded more confident than he actually felt.

“I’ll know my mate as soon as I see her,” Endark said. He’d been listening to them talk.

“But what if she’s not there?” Drakkar asked quietly. For once, he sounded curious rather than mocking.

“She has to be.”

They could both hear the desperation in their brother’s voice. Drakkar frowned, but Benjar grinned at Endark over his shoulder.

“I’m sure she will be. I’m sure we’ll all—I mean, both of us—will return with brides.”

Drakkar’s wings fluttered, but he didn’t speak.

As they traveled the length of the valley and then up and over the mountain pass, Benjar continued to consider Drakkar’s question. How will I know?

By the time they were descending towards the town of Wainwright, he’d decided they needed to change their plan.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, and both of the other males groaned. He ignored them. “I know we were intending to join the dance, but I think it might be better to conduct some reconnaissance first. That way we can observe them in their natural habitat.”

Endark immediately agreed. He was half-Vultor, and while the humans had not had much experience with aliens, they had encountered the Vultor often enough to mistrust his species. He’d already had doubts about appearing at the dance.

“What a pity. I was already anticipating the… excitement your arrival would cause,” Drakkar drawled. “And how do you intend to reconnoiter?”

He gave him a cheerful grin. “I’m still working on that part.”

By the time they reached the base of the mountains on the other side of the pass, the snow had stopped falling. The land stretching across to the town was bare of snow, the late season grasses brown and dry between the scattered trees. He guided the horses to the edge of a small thicket.

“We might as well leave the sleigh here. It’s easier to cover the rest of the way on foot. And easier to stay concealed.”

Night had not yet fallen, but it wouldn’t be long until the early winter sunset. Even though it wasn’t snowing, the heavy clouds of the approaching storm cast a gloomy pallor over the afternoon. Lights already shone in most of the windows in town.

“I will fly ahead and observe,” Drakkar said.

Benjar shook his head. “You’re not exactly inconspicuous.”

“You know that most beings never bother to look up. I doubt that humans are any different.”

Before he could argue, Drakkar leaped into the sky and flew towards the town. Despite his glittering scales, he did disappear into the cloud cover, and Benjar shrugged. The other male’s scouting abilities had served them as well as his medical skills during the war.

“I prefer him searching for brides instead of hunting the enemy,” Endark said, echoing his thoughts as he came to join him on the driver’s bench.

“I agree. And at least we won’t need his medical skills tonight. I hope,” he added with a grin.

The other male attempted to return his smile, but Benjar could tell he was still restless and unsettled.

“Are you all right?” he asked softly.

Endark started to snarl at him, then took a deep breath and shook his head.

“I am… struggling. Most males of my kind would have been mated long ago. I had hoped that my human half would overcome that necessity, but it does not seem to be helping. I sometimes think I inherited the worst of each side,” he added bitterly.

“Is that the only reason you’re doing this? For control? Do you not want a mate?”

“More than anything,” Endark burst out, his eyes starting to glow a brilliant green. “But I know better than anyone how difficult it is for a human to accept a Vultor—and I cannot pass as human. What hope do I have?”

“The soldiers in Nelly’s tale were successful in obtaining their brides,” he said reassuringly, even though he suspected the tale had been somewhat apocryphal. Still, even a fictional account of a historic event must have some basis in truth.

Endark shrugged, and they sat in silence waiting for Drakkar to return. Waiting did not suit Benjar’s impatient nature, and his tail lashed restlessly. He was already beginning to consider moving closer when he spotted Drakkar approaching.

“Well?” he demanded as Drakkar swooped down and landed next to the sleigh.

“As I said, no one ever looked up, although…” An odd look crossed Drakkar’s face before he shook his head. “They are very occupied in preparing for this dance. Based on their activities, it will take place in the largest building. I landed long enough to inspect it. There is a partially open window on the upper floor, and it would be a simple matter to scale the wall.”

“Excellent. Let’s go.”

“Don’t forget these.” Drakkar reached under the seat and pulled out a bag, then offered both of them a small atomizer. “One puff in a human’s face will render them unconscious, although as I said I cannot guarantee how long it will last.”

“And it will not hurt them?” he asked again.

“I told you it would not. I do not cause harm,” Drakkar said stiffly.

“I know. I—”

Before he could continue, Endark grabbed one of the bottles.

“Biggest building. One puff,” he growled, then took off towards town, a silvery grey streak in the gloom.

Drakkar sighed. “I hope he does not forget himself.”

“He’s just anxious.” As was he, although he had more control. “I only hope the gods smile on him. I do not like to think what might happen if he doesn’t find his bride.”

“I will watch over him.” Drakkar took a third bottle and flashed his sardonic smile. “Just in case.”

Then he was winging towards town once more. Benjar took a deep breath and set off after his brothers, loping eagerly towards his new bride.

CHAPTER 2

Benjar spotted the location of the dance immediately, not only because it was being held in the largest building but because of the bustle of activity that surrounded it. Males staggered under the weight of buckets of produce and armloads of flowers. Females carried in trays of food, the delightful aromas filling the air and making his mouth water.

He concealed himself in the alley that ran behind the building to observe, briefly wondering if he could manage to steal one of those trays. At one time, necessity had forced him to be quite adept in stealing food. A female placed a tray with a particularly enticing odor on a nearby barrel as she turned to talk to several other females. He was contemplating snagging something off of it before he forced himself to concentrate on his mission instead.

If the female had been the one to prepare the tray, then she certainly met the first of his requirements. As she finished her conversation and turned back to pick up her tray, a young male ran past chasing after a ball and slammed into her. The child immediately apologized, and she smiled at him and handed him something from the tray.

Benjar recognized the treat as one of the cookies that Nelly frequently prepared, although hers had never smelled so delicious. He was even more impressed by the fact that she had responded so calmly to the accident. If he had collided with a worthy citizen at that age, he would have received a blow at the very least, an attempt to haul him off to the local authorities at the worst.

Her kindness satisfied another requirement, and he studied her more closely. Her hair was a light brown, not as pale as sunlight but it would do. She was tall for a human female, although still small compared to his size, and he nodded thoughtfully. She might do.

But despite the fact that she met his criteria, he did not feel the spark of excitement he had expected. He would study her a while longer, he decided as she disappeared into the building.

A check of the alley revealed that he was still alone, so he quickly scaled the back wall of the building. The open window that Drakkar had spotted led into an attic area apparently used for storage, but he could hear the discordant notes of a band rehearsing below. He winced as the noise assaulted his sensitive hearing. Hopefully, they would improve once the dance began.

“Endark?” he whispered softly under cover of the noise.

There was no response, and when he tested the air he couldn’t detect the other male’s scent. He hesitated, wondering if he should go in search of him, but Drakkar had promised to look after their brother. Perhaps he had simply been delayed or distracted.

He turned his attention to finding an observation point instead. A loose board almost directly above the band proved to be the answer. Once he moved it aside, he had a clear view of the entire hall below, and he settled in to wait. Now that he was actually on the hunt, his restlessness disappeared.

He spotted the tall female taking charge of the tables where the food was placed. She had a ready smile and a calm authority that reminded him of Nelly, and he became even more convinced that she would make an excellent bride. But there was no immediate hurry—he would have to wait until the dance was over before approaching her—so he continued to watch as the room gradually filled.

Groups of males gathered to brag and posture while the older females gossiped and complained. The younger males eyed the younger females. The females eyed them back—while pretending to ignore them. He smiled as one of the younger females, a curvy blonde, slipped behind a bank of flowers and pulled out a book. Apparently, not everyone was interested in this courting ritual.

He had never participated in such an event either—although in his case it had been because he was busy fighting to survive—but he found a curious pleasure in watching the advance and retreat of the males and females as the band started to play and the dance began. Many of the females were attractive, but none significantly more so than the cook. She remained calm and friendly, reinforcing his previous impression, and he nodded. He would bring her back to the ranch.

But then there was a muffled sound from directly below him, somehow managing to catch his attention despite the hum of music and conversation. A small dark-haired female leaned against the wall, her hands pressed to her cheeks. He could tell that she was crying and had the strangest urge to comfort her. But then she straightened her shoulders and wiped away the tears. She fussed over her dress, then plastered a smile on her pretty face before she stepped out from behind the decorations that had concealed her.

He felt an unexpected ache in his chest. How many times had he done the same—grinned to hide whatever pain or sorrow he’d been feeling?

He took in a deep breath, trying to identify her scent amongst the myriad of others. There. A sweet scent, but with an unexpectedly spicy undertone. He drew it deeper into his lungs, imprinting it in his memory as she moved gracefully across the room. No trace of unhappiness showed on her face as she exchanged greetings with the other females, before ending up next to an older female. A mother? No, a sister, he decided, given the similarity in their features. The other female also had dark hair and an attractive face, her curves more pronounced although she too was small even for a human.

Too small for life on the ranch, he thought reluctantly as he watched his female talking to her sister. The cook’s tall, sturdy body would be much more appropriate. And considering the intricate details and the amount of lace adorning her pretty blue gown, he doubted she had any experience with the hard work required. No, the cook in her plain green gown would be a much better choice.

But despite his decision, his eyes kept straying to the dark-haired female. And when she and her sister left the dance, it took all of the self-control he had learned over the years not to immediately follow them. Instead, he remained in his hiding place, watching the dance. He amused himself by separating out the various human scents and matching them to their owners while he waited.

When the dance finally came to an end, the cook reaffirmed his opinion of her character by staying to organize the cleanup and working alongside the others who had remained behind. Once everything was tidy, she gathered up a tray of clean dishes and headed for the door. He returned to the window and swiftly made his way down the wall. As he did, he wondered again why Endark had never shown up. Since Drakkar hadn’t alerted him to any trouble, he could only assume that his brother had been successful in his hunt.

Keeping to the shadows of the alley that ran behind the buildings on the main street, he trailed his cook back to her destination. He grinned when he watched her enter the doors of a small restaurant. She truly was a cook. Lights appeared on the floor above the restaurant and he realized she must live there as well. This wall was a little harder to climb, but he used his claws to find purchase and climbed up to the darkened rooms at the rear of the building.

The window was unlocked, and he slipped silently inside a neat bedroom, padding quietly across the floor to the doorway. She was seated at the table in the tidy living area, frowning down at a collection of papers.

Gripping the atomizer, he moved carefully across the room towards her. A board creaked despite his caution, and she started to turn her head. He puffed the atomizer in her face and caught a fleeting glimpse of startled eyes before she crumpled slowly over the table. Drakkar’s formula was as effective as he’d anticipated.

Maybe even too effective, he decided, noticing her complete stillness. He checked her pulse and her breathing, relieved to find both slow and steady. Good. Now to get her back to the sleigh.

He retrieved her dark, practical cloak and wrapped it around her before lifting her carefully into his arms. Once again, he expected to feel a rush of excitement at carrying his new bride, but he felt nothing. Oh, he was aware that he was holding a female—an attractive female—but there was an odd sense of disconnection.

Don’t be ridiculous, he told himself as he carried her back through the bedroom to the window. Skefallas aren’t like the Vultor—we don’t know our mates as soon as we see them. She met all of his criteria, and no doubt they would learn to care for each other in time.

He made his way through the increasingly dark and silent town, fighting the urge to look for the pretty dark-haired female. The snow had finally reached this side of the mountains, and the ground was already covered with a layer of white by the time he reached the sleigh. The horses stood placidly as he placed the cook in the sleigh bed and covered her with blankets before pulling the tarp over it to keep off the snow.

Where were his brothers? Had Drakkar also succumbed to the lure of a bride? That would make four of them mated and he hummed thoughtfully. He was sure Callum had no interest in females and Gilmat seemed perfectly content with his plants, but he wondered if their matings would leave Frantor feeling even more alone. The heavily scarred male had already retreated far too much from the world.

Perhaps he needed a bride just as much as they did—someone to love him and remind him that he was a worthy male. He remembered the pretty female’s joyful smile. Surely she could lighten even Frantor’s gloom. Part of him hated the thought of her with another male, but if she was on the ranch at least he would be able to see her frequently.

Mind made up, he checked the sleeping cook again, then headed back to town, his pace increasing to a run in the eager anticipation of finding his female.

CHAPTER 3

Crack!

The sound of the slap echoed through the small storage room behind the town hall, startling Thomas enough that he let Ruby go.

“What did you do that for?” he snapped.

“To stop your assault on me.”

“Assault?” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not that naïve. You knew what you were doing when you agreed to meet me here.”

“You said you only wanted to talk.”

In truth, she’d expected him to flirt outrageously, perhaps even to sneak a kiss. She hadn’t expected him to try and stick his tongue down her throat or grab her breast in a painful grip.

“Why would I want to talk to a silly little girl? I have far better uses for that mouth of yours.”

He took a step towards her, and she backed up.

“You come any closer and I’ll scream.”

The music from the dance was still playing but not loud enough to drown out a scream.

“I’ll tell everyone you lured me back here,” he sneered.

Despite the nerves making her heart pound, she gave him her best innocent look.

“I’ll say the opposite—and who do you think they’ll believe? You know everyone thinks I’m far too young and innocent to be capable of such a thing.”

As annoying as she usually found that mistaken assumption, for once it might come in useful.

“Fine,” he snapped. “But stay the hell away from me in the future.”

He stormed to the door and left. She followed him, afraid that he might return and test her threat. To her relief, he was nowhere in sight and she sagged back against the wall as the first tear trickled down her cheek. Thomas was a good bit older than her, but she’d always found him attractive and enjoyed his flattery. How had their encounter gone so wrong so quickly?

Because you didn’t think.

She could hear her sister Pearl’s voice in her head as clearly as if she were standing next to her. She could even see the worried look on her face—which she would no doubt be wearing now if she had realized Ruby was missing.

It wasn’t like Pearl not to notice when she slipped away to meet Thomas, but then her sister hadn’t been herself since Nelly, the shopkeeper’s daughter, married one of the aliens who lived on the old ranch deep in the mountains.

When Ruby asked her about her abstraction, she’d said it was because she missed her friend. But Ruby suspected it had more to do with the huge, silent alien who had accompanied Nelly’s husband. She was neither as silly nor as stupid as people seemed to assume, and she’d seen the way her sister’s eyes had followed the big male. Ruby had to admit that he wasn’t bad looking, even if he was kind of old. And his horns were definitely intriguing.

But both Nelly and the aliens were gone now and soon snow would close the pass. They wouldn’t see them again until the spring—which meant both she and her sister were stuck with the unexciting men of Wainwright. She sighed and scrubbed away the tears. Then she adjusted the ruffle around her neck to hide the place where Thomas had torn her gown and went to find her sister.

With the ease of long practice, she pasted a happy smile on her face as she made her way back across the room to Pearl’s side. Her sister was listening to Mrs. Watson’s complaints with her usual serene expression, although Ruby suspected it was as false as her own smile.

“I really don’t know what gets into that girl,” Mrs. Watson lamented. She was a big, imposing woman with an irritating voice and a fondness for elaborate jewelry. “We had Desmond Potter over for tea yesterday, and Julia completely forgot about it. When I sent for her, her hands were stained from working with all those plants of hers and her hair was a complete mess. How can I expect dear Desmond to overlook such shortcomings?”

Since Mr. Potter was an older man who had already buried two wives and Julie was a young and very pretty girl, Ruby suspected he would have no difficulty whatsoever overlooking her dishevelment.

“Perhaps she’s not yet ready for marriage,” Pearl suggested gently.

“Nonsense. She’s almost over the hill already. I do not believe in late marriages.”

Or in missing the chance to add to her bank account. Rumor had it that Mr. Potter was prepared to settle a handsome sum upon his new bride.

“You should be thinking of a marriage for your sister,” Mrs. Watson continued.

“There’s plenty of time for that,” Pearl stared down at her teacup, but Ruby didn’t think she was actually seeing the contents. “Early marriages do not always work out.”

“No, I suppose we can’t all be as lucky as you were with your William. Such a charming man. Now excuse me while I go find my daughter.”

Mrs. Watson put down her cup and sailed off, not noticing the way Pearl had flinched at the mention of her deceased husband. William had chosen to keep his cruelty behind closed doors, but Ruby had lived with them. Even though Pearl had tried to hide it from her, she had seen how much her sister had suffered at that bastard’s hands. She put her arm around her sister.

“Don’t pay any attention to her.”

“I try not to, but I can’t help feeling sorry for poor Julie. She has to live with her.”

“If I was her, I would be willing to get married just to get away from her,” she muttered.

“But not enough to marry Mr. Potter, I suspect.”

Ruby gave an exaggerated shudder, and they both laughed.

“Although she’s not entirely wrong about the fact that I’m old enough to get married,” she added. “I’m almost twenty.”

“You’ve only just turned nineteen and you are too young,” Pearl said firmly, and Ruby sighed.

It was a familiar argument. Their town had been founded more than fifty years ago by Josiah Wainwright, an eccentric billionaire who decided to leave an overpopulated and polluted Earth behind and settle on Cresca. He had purchased the land, built the town, and set up the homesteads. Then he’d offered the chance to leave Earth to all of his employees, and most of them had gratefully accepted.

But his benevolence had come at a cost. Convinced that people had been happier in Earth’s past, he had put in place a number of guidelines designed to replicate that simpler time—including a very conservative attitude towards marriage.

By the time she’d turned eighteen, most of her friends were already married, and now she and Julie were the only ones in their age group who had not tied the knot. Pearl had remained adamantly against the prospect, and given the results of her marriage Ruby couldn’t entirely blame her. But it didn’t stop her from longing for love and adventure and romance. A longing that occasionally led to bad decisions, such as her encounter with Thomas in the storage room. She sighed, the memory making her shudder.

“Is something wrong, sweetie? I thought I’d have to drag you off the dance floor.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She would eventually tell Pearl about what happened, but she couldn’t face it tonight. “I guess I’m a little tired. You look tired as well,” she added, examining her sister’s face.

Pearl was as pretty as ever, but there were shadows beneath her eyes.

“I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“I wonder if that has anything to do with a certain tall purple alien,” she teased, and watched in satisfaction as a tide of pink washed over her sister’s face.

Pearl could deny it all she liked, but Ruby knew there was more to her sleepless nights than just missing her friend Nelly.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, I know I promised we could stay until the end, but perhaps…”

“If you want to leave, it’s fine with me. Especially if you make me a cup of your special cocoa when we get home.”

“You’re sure? I usually have to drag you away.”

Pearl’s gaze was just as discerning and her own cheeks threatened to turn pink, but she forced herself to shrug.

“Same town, same people. I’m fine with leaving.”

Pearl nodded and they circled the room, saying their goodbyes. She giggled when she saw Mrs. Watson still searching for Julie. She had spotted her friend slipping behind one of the fall arrangements flanking the stage earlier. That had been about the same time she’d been letting Thomas lure her out of the room, and the memory erased her smile.

They retrieved their cloaks and stepped out of the building into a winter wonderland. By tomorrow morning it would be an icy slush, but right now the newly falling snow made everything look magical. She smiled as they walked through the silent town, the snow crunching beneath their feet.

“It’s so pretty,” she said.

“I always enjoy the first snowfall, even though I know how many more will follow.”

“It also means sledding and skating and bonfires by the lake.”

“And a long winter where we are more than normally cut off.”

Pearl was right. Josiah had chosen this place to found the town in large part due to its isolation. Other than a few supply wagons, they wouldn’t see anyone else until the spring. But Pearl wasn’t looking across the farmlands in the direction of the nearest human settlement. She was looking up at the mountains behind the town—and the pass that led through those mountains to the vast ranch Josiah had built for a bride who never came. The ranch had sat empty for several years after his death before the aliens purchased it.

Although they knew the purchasers were all members of a former military squad, no one knew quite how many of them there were. The only two who had ever appeared in town were the one that Nelly had married and his silent companion—the one who seemed to fascinate her sister.

“I wonder how many there are,” she said aloud.

“He didn’t mention—” Her sister bit her lip. “I mean, how many of what?”

She laughed and hugged Pearl’s arm. “You know I was talking about the aliens. Maybe there’s one for me back on the ranch.”

Her sister shivered. “Don’t say that. I already lost Nelly—I don’t want to lose you too.”

“You’re never going to lose me,” she promised as they reached their gate.

William had built the large, imposing house before he and Pearl were married, and even though they had lived there ever since, it still didn’t feel like home to her. She suspected that her sister felt equally uncomfortable. Even though William was long gone, fortunately killed in a riding accident, his presence still seemed to lay heavily over the house.

Pearl made hot cocoa, just as she had promised, and the two of them sat in front of the fire sipping it. Neither of them spoke, and her sister finally shot her a worried glance.

“Are you sure you’re all right? Usually you have a lot more to say after a dance.”

Once again she was tempted to tell her sister what had happened, but she didn’t want to think about it anymore. Not tonight.

“I’m just tired,” she said. “I think I’ll head up to bed.”

“I think I’ll join you.”

Pearl banked the fire and washed the mugs, and then they climbed the stairs together. When they reached Ruby’s room, her sister put her hand on her arm.

“You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course,” she said, not quite managing to look her sister in the eye.

She did intend to tell her, but she also knew how upset her sister would be. Even though only eight years separated them, Pearl was more like her mother than her sister in some ways. Their mother had died when Ruby was very young, and Pearl had been the one who raised her.

“Now I’m going to go to bed and dream of alien males,” she said lightly. “You should do the same.”

Her sister laughed and gave her a hug. “Maybe I will at that.”

Her room was the one place in the house that truly felt like hers. Pearl had braved her husband’s wrath in order to make it the room of Ruby’s dreams. But tonight the pretty lace curtains and the profusion of pillows didn’t seem as comforting as usual. Even the new nightgown that Pearl had surprised her with didn’t make her smile when she pulled it on. The soft cotton had lace flounces at the hem, wrists, and neck, but the scooped neckline revealed the upper swell of her breasts and she could see a red mark from where Thomas had grabbed her. She shuddered and tugged the neck higher, determined to put him out of her mind. She twirled in front of the mirror, forcing herself to admire the way the delicate fabric floated around her. She refused to let the memory of that bastard spoil her pleasure in her sister’s gift.

Think about alien men instead, she told herself. Sexy alien men.

It seemed far safer to indulge in a fantasy about an unknown alien than the disappointing human men in town. As she turned out the light and slipped under the covers, she let her imagination drift to the valley beyond the mountain pass. She had a sudden vision of a huge rose-colored male with leonine features and a wild mane, so real she could almost touch him. In her sleep, she even reached out to him, but then a thick floral scent filled her head and she sank into darkness.

CHAPTER 4

The tread creaked beneath Benjar’s foot and he froze. Tracing his female’s scent had been even easier than he’d hoped. Despite the falling snow, the scent had lingered in the cold air and he had followed it to a large house set back from the street. The sight had actually made him pause for a moment. It was a far cry from his modest—from Frantor’s modest dwelling.

But the brides taken by the soldiers in Nelly’s story had been happy with their new lives. They would make sure that their human brides were equally happy.

The doors had been locked, but entering a locked door was one of the first talents he’d been forced to acquire after his father’s death. It opened with a quiet click, and he stepped triumphantly inside. A grand staircase led up from the entry hall, but he soon discovered that every step had a tendency to creak and groan beneath his feet. His heart was pounding by the time he made it to the top, but there were no cries of alarm from the occupants.

Her bedroom was easy to identify, and he quietly slipped inside. Enough light penetrated through the lace curtains that he could make out the small curvy figure in the middle of the big bed. He padded across the room, then hesitated, looking down at the pretty, innocent face. Perhaps he shouldn’t…

Her eyes blinked open, a dark mysterious blue in the dim light, and he was sure that she could see him. She started to raise her hand, and, afraid she would cry out, he sent a puff of Drakkar’s formula into her face. She sighed and her eyes fluttered closed as she settled into a deeper sleep.

Bending over her, he opened his mouth and drew in her scent through the special receptacle on the roof of his mouth. A feeling of rightness settled over him—a feeling that had been absent with the cook.

No, he told himself. She is for Frantor.

Fighting his instinctive rejection of the thought, he carefully drew back the covers, then suppressed a groan. A thin gown clung to every inch of soft, feminine curves. Despite her small stature, she had full breasts and a deliciously curved ass. His cock responded immediately, swelling in its sheath and threatening to emerge.

Frantor, he reminded himself as he turned away from the tempting sight. She needed a cloak to protect her from the cold—and his ardent gaze. Most of the items in her wardrobe were far too frivolous for either purpose, but he eventually found a thick blue velvet cape that would work.

As he bent down to wrap it around her, the material of her gown pulled tight across her breasts, the shadow of her areolae and the soft tips of her nipple clearly visible through the thin cloth. He wanted to touch, to explore, to tease the small buds into tight peaks, but he forced himself to simply cover her with the cloak before gathering her in his arms.

The same feeling of rightness swept over him, but he ignored it, tucking her against him before bounding down the stairs. He hoped the speed of his passage would mitigate the inevitable creaks, and he made it out the door without hearing any sign of life. Still, he was not about to take any chance of losing the precious female in his arms, and he raced back to the sleigh as quickly as he could.

When he reached it, Drakkar was perched on the seat, a black cloaked bundle in his arms. It looked almost too small to be a human female, but what else could he have retrieved from the town?

“I thought you weren’t interested.”

Drakkar shrugged, and the cloak slipped for a fraction of a second, revealing bright golden hair. He immediately bent down and carefully pulled the cloak back in place.

“I am…”

“Curious?” Benjar supplied when the other male hesitated. “You can’t experiment on a human female.”

“I swear on my honor that they—she—will come to no harm.”

Before Benjar could question him further, Drakkar nodded back in the direction of town. “Endark is returning. Since the two of you are safe, I am returning to the mountains.”

“You’re going to fly all—”

It was too late. Drakkar’s wings spread and he leaped into the air, apparently forgetting his previous complaints about the difficulty of flying in the snow. Benjar shook his head and reluctantly placed his female in the wagon next to the cook, still sleeping peacefully.

Endark joined him a moment later, a female also cradled in his arms. His brother didn’t even look at him, completely focused on the female he was carrying.

“Who’s that?”

“Mine,” Endark snarled, hunching his body over the female.

He sighed. “I know that. I wasn’t trying to take her.”

“You cannot have her.”

“I don’t intend to try.” He gestured at the sleigh. “I already have my female.”

“You brought two females? Barbarian.”

“They’re not both for me,” he said airily. “I thought that a female might help Frantor as well. Nelly has made some progress, but maybe having a female of his own will help him.”

The woman in Endark’s arms whimpered, and he immediately bent over her, stroking her hair and making a soft rumbling noise until she settled again.

“We should go,” Benjar said.

He expected Endark to jump at the suggestion, but instead he frowned at him.

“What about Gilmat?”

“What about him?”

“He won’t have a bride. He’ll be the only one.”

Benjar was about to protest that Gilmat had decided not to come, but then he looked at the woman in Endark’s arms and the two in the cart. He knew what it was like to be the only one without someone. He gave an abrupt nod.

“I will fetch another.”

Still he hesitated, looking at the wagon.

“You will remain and make sure that she, I mean they, are safe?”

He should have been concerned about the cook, but he found himself much more concerned about his pretty little female. No. Frantor’s female, he reminded himself. Ignoring the ache in his chest, he only waited until Endark nodded before heading back to town. He had just the female in mind.

Following his nose down the main street, he found himself in front of a large house, even more impressive than the one from which he obtained his female. Frantor’s female. A wrought-iron fence surrounded the entire property, and within the grounds he could see rigidly controlled rows of shrubs and neat, graveled paths, already disappearing beneath the increasing snowfall.

For a moment he hesitated, thinking about the lush chaos of Gilmat’s greenhouse, but then he remembered the female he’d chosen for his brother hiding behind a bank of flowers with her nose in a book. He was sure she would be perfect.

Scaling the fence presented no difficulty, and having learned his lesson from retrieving his female, he jumped to the porch roof and entered through a window directly onto the second floor. A wide hallway with a thick, padded carpet that muffled his steps ran down the center of the house. After that, it was easy enough to identify the female’s room was at the far end. When he entered, he saw a small but lush conservatory opening off of it and smiled. Perfect.

He was almost to the bed when he remembered Drakkar’s formula and fumbled for the atomizer in his pocket. He squirted a small puff in her face. Her nose twitched, but then she sighed and settled deeper into sleep. Unlike the other females, there were no practical outer garments in her wardrobe, only a series of ornate cloaks that were designed for looks rather than use. Instead, he wrapped her in the quilt from her bed and picked her up.

Just as he reached the door he heard a sound from the corridor—a woman, complaining in a loud and irritating voice. The atomizer was almost empty, and he would have to get close to her to use it. He turned to the window instead, and looked down. It wasn’t too far for him to jump, although the bushes directly beneath the window would make the landing a little tricky. The voice from the corridor was getting louder, so he shrugged, opened the window, and jumped, landing awkwardly on one leg before collapsing to his knees.

Definitely not my most graceful landing.

He’d also whacked his elbow against the siding on the way down, sending an unpleasant feeling throughout his body, but both he and the female were intact. He rose to his feet and hurried back to the fence. He’d just made it to the other side when lights started coming on in the house. He took off at a run, his blood singing with excitement. In the peaceful two years that he’d been on the ranch, he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed an adventure.

CHAPTER 5

As Benjar raced out of town and back towards the sleigh, he thought he heard something behind him, but when he turned to look, all he could see were the sparse trees and the snow-covered ground. A few more lights were coming on in town, but there was no sound of pursuit.

Endark was waiting, still cradling his female. Benjar added Gilmat’s bride to the wagon, then gave the other male an expectant look.

“Aren’t you going to put her down?”

“No.”

“She will be warmer back here with the others—and you have work to do.”

Endark growled, and Benjar suspected he was on the verge of racing away with his female, but he finally nodded. He gently placed her inside before pulling the cover closed, but he kept his hand on the wagon until Benjar nudged him.

“Come on. I saw some lights before I left, and I want to get out of here before someone starts looking for the females.”

“No one is taking my female,” Endark growled, startling the horses.

“Then stop frightening the horses.”

His own voice was a low growl as he went to the horses’ heads. He didn’t like the idea of anyone taking his—their—females either, but neither did he want Endark startling the horses into bolting.

He petted them soothingly, then returned to find his brother sniffing the air.

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know. I thought I detected…” Endark shook his head. “I’m not sure. And now the wind is coming from the mountains.”

“And bringing the snow with it,” he said as they climbed onto the seat. “We need to make it back across the pass before it gets too heavy.”

Endark gave him a fierce grin. “Yes, although it will make my job easier.”

“Then let’s get going.”

He urged the horses into motion and headed for the pass. He couldn’t resist another look back at the town, but there was still no sign of pursuit. Excellent.

They spoke little on the ride although Endark remained twitchy, frequently looking back over his shoulder at the wagon, even though there was nothing to see but the snow-covered tarp over it. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the top of the pass. It was still a fair distance to the ranch house, but knowing they were on their own land gave him a feeling of safety.

And satisfaction, knowing that he was bringing his bride home. He chose to ignore the fact that it was the pretty little female’s face that appeared in his mind at the thought.

“How far do we need to go?” he asked.

“Down past the storage building. That should be safe enough.”

He nodded and clucked to the horses. They responded eagerly, equally aware that they were getting closer to their barn. He brought them to a halt again outside the large warehouse they used to temporarily store any goods they intended to sell.

“This will do. Wait here.” Despite his words, Endark hesitated. “You will ensure that my bride comes to no harm.”

“Of course. I will watch over her just as you watched over mine.”

“I might have been a little preoccupied,” Endark admitted.

He grinned, remembering the way Endark had been clinging to his female when he returned. “I’m sure you were. But I won’t even look at my bride until you return.”

His brother nodded, but lingered a moment longer before disappearing into the woods.

The snow continued to fall and he was extremely tempted to crawl into the wagon with his bride—just to take shelter, he assured himself—but he knew that it would be a distraction. Instead he hunched over his seat and occupied himself by thinking of all the additional improvements his bride might wish him to make to their cabin.

A strand of straw swirled past his face and he frowned. How had that escaped the wagon? When he looked back over his shoulder, the cover still seemed to be intact. Before he could climb down and investigate, Endark reappeared. He was breathing heavily, but he gave Benjar another fierce grin.

“It’s time.”

A sharp crack sounded, immediately followed by two more. There was a moment of silence, then a low rumbling began to fill the air, gradually increasing until he could feel it vibrating in his bones. Despite the low visibility, he saw a huge mass of snow shear away from the nearest peak and descend with deceptive slowness down the mountainside. Rocks tumbled and trees snapped in half as the roar grew even more deafening, clouds of white shooting into the air as the heavy weight of the snow filled the pass, completely blocking it.

The noise gradually died away, and he turned back to Endark. He expected to find his brother’s face full of triumph, but instead it was drawn and strained. He circled to the back of the wagon, pulling his female into his arms with a harsh sound.

“I have… I have to get to my den.” Endark’s voice was guttural, almost unrecognizable, and Benjar nodded.

“Go. I’ll take care of the other females.”

Endark nodded and took off, the cloak slipping back to reveal the female’s red hair streaming back over his shoulder. Benjar only hoped that Endark’s mate would be able to bring him peace.

But in the meantime, he had three other females to care for. Remembering the floating straw, he checked to make sure that all three were still safely settled, then headed down the valley towards the ranch in the thickening snow.

Relief filled him when he finally reached the barns. He drove the horses into their barn, and unhitched them. As he put them in their stalls and wiped them down, he tried to decide how to go about delivering the additional brides. If he gave Frantor the choice, he was quite sure that his brother would reject the female. But from the steadily increasing snow, if he did not discover her until the morning, he might not have a choice except to keep her until the storm passed.

Benjar grinned and reached for… the cook.

Even though he had chosen her for himself, he couldn’t make himself believe that she was the right bride for him. The pretty little female might not meet any of his requirements, but it didn’t matter. He knew she was his.

And besides, he told himself, Nelly had reached Frantor with her cooking. Perhaps another cook would be equally as successful. Pleased with his reasoning, he picked up the female and left the barn, making sure the doors were closed tightly behind him.

The path along the bank was already knee deep in snow and getting deeper with every step. Soon, even he would have a hard time maneuvering through it. Frantor lived in the former mill house next to the river. The upper level of the large building had originally been used for grinding grain and now served as Frantor’s living area. The lower level had been converted into his workshop.

Benjar didn’t bother to knock, sliding the door to the lower level open only far enough to slip inside. The place was almost pathologically neat, with all of the tools organized on their pegs. Even the disassembled machinery on the worktable had been organized. But it was a workshop, not a living area. He could hear Frantor upstairs, pacing back and forth, and his heart ached for his wounded brother. Hopefully the female he was carrying could finally bring him peace. But where could he leave her?

He looked around again and noticed a curtained niche under the stairs. Behind the curtain, he discovered a padded alcove. The bed was neatly made, but from the strength of Frantor’s scent, he suspected his brother slept here more often than not. He lowered the female onto the bed and covered her with a blanket, then slipped silently back through the door.

He fought his way back through the snow to the barn, already impatient to return to his cabin with his female, and decided to take a more direct approach with Gilmat. He picked up the quilt covered female and hurried past the snow-covered planting beds to the huge greenhouse where Gilmat lived and worked. He pounded on the door until Gilmat appeared. The big male’s green tendrils were disheveled, and he gave Benjar a sleepy look.

“What are you doing here?”

“I have a present for you.” He thrust the female at Gilmat, and Gilmat automatically put out his hands to catch her.

“I don’t understand.”

The other male froze as he stared down at the quilt wrapped bundle.

“She’s your bride. Take care of her,” he yelled, already racing back to the barn.

Even though he didn’t look back, he kept his ears perked until he heard the sound of the greenhouse door closing. Excellent. Now all that remained was carrying his own bride home.

She had moved in her sleep, and even though still safe in the cart, her cloak had fallen away to reveal that pretty, innocent face. I have to be crazy, he thought. There was no way she was suited for life on the ranch. But it was too late—it had been too late from the moment he’d seen her wipe away her tears and put on a joyful expression. How many times had he done the same?

He wrapped her cloak around her once more and set off into the night. It was a steep climb up the side of the mountain to the upper pastures and the old line cabin he had refurbished for his bride. Normally, it wouldn’t have taken him long despite the climb. But with the rapidly deepening snow, the increasing intensity of the wind, and the gusts of snow obscuring his vision, it took much longer.

Even as familiar as he was with the path, he began to wonder if he’d lost his way. He stopped to check on his female, but he’d kept her tucked so closely against his chest that her face, hands, and feet were all still warm and protected.

Perhaps I should return to the main ranch house, he thought as he tucked her in again. But even though Nelly had been the one to tell them the historical story, he had a sneaking suspicion that she would insist on taking his bride away from him and supervising their courtship. No. She was his mate, his bride. He wasn’t letting anyone keep her from him.

He trudged on. More minutes passed, and just when he was on the point of accepting defeat and returning, he caught the familiar scent of his cabin on the swirling wind. With a relieved grin he kept moving, almost colliding with the wall of the cabin. He found the door and opened it, a great gust of wind and snow entering with him. He managed to slam it shut, then slumped down against the wall, his female curled safely on his lap.

He had done it. He had brought home his bride.

CHAPTER 6

Ruby woke with her head on a velvet pillow, soft and warm and smelling deliciously of wild herbs. Her sister’s arm lay heavily across her waist and she smiled. It had been a long time since she’d curled up with Pearl for comfort. Eyes still closed, she reached down to pat her sister’s hand and instead found a much, much larger hand covered with the same velvet as her pillow. Her eyes flew open.

Instead of the familiar comfort of her bedroom, she saw a rustic cabin, illuminated only by the fire flickering in a wood stove and an old fashioned oil lamp. Where am I? The hand beneath hers flexed, and she looked down to see dark rose-colored fur and sharp white claws extending from the fingertips. She screamed and started struggling wildly, falling the short distance to the floor when the arm immediately released her. A face appeared at the edge of the bed, looking down at her anxiously.

“Are you all right?”

She was too shocked to respond. Brilliant blue eyes with horizontal pupils were set in a face that was decidedly not human. He had high cheekbones and a wide, flattened nose, along with a prominent, almost muzzle-like chin, and when he spoke, she saw the white flash of fangs behind full, sensuous lips.

“Are you all right?” he repeated. “I shouldn’t have let you fall.”

Under other circumstances, she might have appreciated his deep, rumbling voice. Right now she was still too busy panicking and trying to figure out what happened. And why did he look oddly familiar?

“You’re one of those aliens.”

The wide mouth curled into a grin, revealing those disturbing fangs even more clearly. She squeaked and scooted back across the floor.

“Aren’t we all aliens here on Cresca?” he asked rhetorically. “But if you mean that I’m not human, you are correct.”

“Yes, I was pretty sure about that. Does that mean this is the Wainwright ranch?”

“It used to be. But now it’s ours. And yours,” he added as he sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed.

Damn, he was big. The two alien males who usually came to town were also, but she’d never been alone with one of them in a small cabin. He seemed to take up most of the space in the room. Her gaze traveled down to where his wild mane brushed broad shoulders and then further down across a huge muscular chest before his words finally penetrated.

“What do you mean mine?”

He grinned again and she shivered, even though it was an unexpectedly charming smile.

“We agreed that all of our brides would have a share in the ranch.”

“B-bride?” she whispered.

“Exactly.” He beamed at her. “I am Benjar. What is your name, little bride?”

“My name is Ruby—but I am not your bride!”

“Of course you are. I went and carried you from the place of dancing.” He frowned. “Although you were not full of joy, even though you tried to look as if you were.”

How could he have known that? Pearl was the only one who ever seemed to see past the smiling face she put on for the world.

“How did you know—” she started, then shook her head. It was irrelevant. “Why do you think that the fact that I was at the dance means that you can make me your bride?”

“Nelly told us a story from your history. About the wise man who told the lonely soldiers to find their brides at the dance and bring them home.”

“But you didn’t take me from the dance.” She suddenly realized why he looked familiar. “You were in my bedroom!”

“Yes, but you were at the dance so it still meets the criteria in the story.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and that’s not how you find a bride!”

He grinned again, seemingly unperturbed by her objection, and rose to his feet. Damn, that was a lot of fur covered muscle on display. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of tight, knee-length pants that clung lovingly to the outsized bulge between his legs. She quickly jerked her eyes away from him, then jumped when two enormous hands closed on her upper arms and he lifted her effortlessly to her feet. The top of her head barely reached his chest, and she could feel the warmth of his body against her as his intriguing herbal scent filled her head.

“I’m surprised that all females weren’t educated in the history of your people. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you.” Those bright blue eyes seemed to glow as they traveled down over her body. “It will be a pleasure to teach my new bride.”

She was suddenly conscious of the fact that all she was wearing was the very pretty—and very thin—nightgown. Her nipples tightened at the heat in his gaze, pressing against the thin cloth with a tingling sensation she had never experienced before, but she resolutely ignored the reaction.

“Stop saying I’m your bride.” She crossed her arms over her chest, hiding the aching peaks, and glared at him. “In order to get married, you have to appear before the registrar, and both parties have to agree.”

He only shrugged. “I understand there are additional human customs. We can take care of that after the pass opens in the spring.”

“After the pass opens?” She tightened her knees to stop them from shaking.

“Yes. It was blocked by an avalanche.”

For the first time he looked away from her, and she had a sudden suspicion that he wasn’t telling her everything, but she was too overwhelmed by the knowledge that the pass was closed.

“It can’t be. How will I get back to town? To my sister?”

Oh, God, Pearl would be panicking about her disappearance.

“Your sister? Oh yes, the older female who accompanied you to the dance.”

“You were at the dance?” she asked, then shook her head. “That’s not important. What is important is that she’s going to be worried sick. You have to take me back.”

A flash of what might have been guilt crossed his face, before he shrugged and turned away.

“It’s too late now. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

The last words sounded almost like he was trying to convince himself, and she stomped her foot.

“She won’t be fine. You have to take me back. Now.”

“I can’t do that.” Still not looking at her, he moved over to the kitchen area next to the woodstove. “What ingredients do you need?”

“Ingredients?”

He turned and grinned at her, any trace of guilt or remorse gone from his expression.

“I have a variety of supplies that you can choose from when you cook for me.”

Cook for him? Was that his idea of what a bride did? Considering the size of the bulge in his pants and the heat in his gaze, she wasn’t entirely sure that cooking was all he had in mind, but it was better than the alternative. There were only two problems. One, she couldn’t cook. And two, she had no intention of staying with him long enough to try. She had to get away from him.

He was between her and the door, but even if he wasn’t, she could hear the wind howling around the cabin and see the snow beating against the windows. She couldn’t run outside in her bare feet. She looked around again, noticing her cloak hanging by the door along with some other outdoor supplies. She would need them to make her way through the snow, which meant that she needed time to get ready—without interference from her “husband.”

He was still standing expectantly by the stove. The kitchen area next to him consisted of a counter holding a small sink with a hand pump. A set of open shelves below the counter were stacked with pots and pans, and they gave her an idea. She gave him her patented sweet, innocent smile as she walked over to him.

“Of course. I’d be happy to cook for you.”

He frowned, and once again she found herself wondering why her fake smile didn’t fool him, but she hurried on.

“If you could just add a little wood to the fire, please.”

He bent down to pick up a log, and she was briefly distracted by how nicely those tight pants clung to his remarkably fine ass—and the tail swishing against it—but she snatched her gaze away and picked up a heavy cast iron frying pan.

“How hot do you—”

Clang!

The frying pan collided with his skull, and he dropped to the ground. Her stomach rolled, and she felt sick as she bent down over him. Relief filled her when she realized that he was still breathing and the wound was only bleeding the smallest amount. Hardly noticeable, really, she told herself.

Fighting back the impulse to tend to the wound, she hurried over to the pegs next to the door. In addition to her cloak, there was another cloak that clearly belonged to him, and she decided she would take both. She suspected that the warmth would be welcome, and perhaps it would dissuade him from following her.

At least I hope it will, she thought, casting a nervous glance back at the big still body. His boots were far too large for her, but there were several scarves on the rack and she wrapped them around her feet, tying them in place as best she could. She put her hand on the door, then hesitated. Biting her lip, she went back to check on him one more time. He was still breathing steadily, and the wound already seemed to be closing.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, then hurried off.

The wind caught the door when she opened it, sending a freezing gust of snow into the cabin. She shivered, almost tempted to stay, but the thought of her sister gave her courage. After everything Pearl had done for her, she couldn’t leave her alone to worry about her all winter. She stepped out into the snow and pulled the door shut behind her.

Despite the heavy snowfall, the sky had lightened enough that it must be morning. Was Pearl already awake? Had she discovered her absence?

Although the snow was still falling steadily, the winds had died down enough for her to be able to make out her immediate surroundings. The cabin was at one side of a large open area—a pasture or a meadow—but a tree covered hillside sloped down in front of the cabin. She decided she must be on the slope of one of the mountains surrounding the ranch. Some of the old men in town had worked on the ranch before Josiah realized that his bride was never coming to join him and turned into a recluse. From what she remembered of their stories, a river ran down the center of the valley, and that was where the ranch house was located.

Although she wanted to get back to town as soon as possible, she would need help making it over the blocked pass—if the pass was actually blocked. She decided she would be better off asking Nelly for help instead of attempting it herself. No matter what Benjar had said, she didn’t for one minute believe that Nelly had put him up to this. The older woman was friends with her sister more than her, but Ruby knew her well enough to know that she would never suggest kidnapping a bride. She would start there, she decided, and began making her way down the mountain.

CHAPTER 7

The throbbing pain in Benjar’s head finally penetrated his consciousness, and he groaned, gingerly probing the wound. No real damage, but his little bride had certainly left her mark. Her reaction seemed a little out of proportion, but he couldn’t fault her spirit. He shook his head and immediately regretted it, then grinned and rose to his feet.

“I guess that means you don’t want to cook for me?”

The teasing question died away when he realized the cabin was empty. Ruby wasn’t sitting at the table next to the window or in the rocking chair by the fire or, even more unfortunately, waiting in the bed. Could she be in the small bathing room behind the stove wall?

He knocked cautiously on the door, but there was no response. He knew that humans could be overly modest, but he was starting to worry.

“Ruby? I’m coming in unless you talk to me.”

Still no response, and he opened the door a few inches. Empty.

He looked around again, but even with her small size, there was absolutely no place for her to hide. As he searched the room, he noticed for the first time that both her cloak and his had disappeared from the hooks next to the door.

Fuck. She had run away.

He started to shake his head again and swiftly thought better of it, but he couldn’t prevent a grin as he started pulling on his outer clothes. He knew he had chosen the right female. He couldn’t imagine the practical cook hitting him over the head, let alone running off into the snow. And he did so love a chase.

But his humor faded quickly as he opened the door and realized how much snow was still falling. The wind had dropped, and the flakes looked almost gentle compared to the previous night, but the snow was growing steadily deeper. He winced when he remembered that she had been barefoot and clad only in her nightgown when he took her. Even though she had taken the cloaks, humans were too fragile for these conditions.

He set off as swiftly as possible through the deep snow. Fortunately, her tracks were still visible even though they were rapidly filling with snow. He tried to catch her scent, but the fact that the wind had dropped made it more difficult.

If she had been properly dressed—and a willing participant—he might have enjoyed the hunt. Instead, he found himself growing increasingly worried. Was she really that unhappy that he had taken her? Nelly’s story hadn’t mentioned that the brides objected to being carried away, although now that he considered it, even Nelly had taken some time to adjust to the ranch, and Artek hadn’t had to carry her off.

You weren’t thinking, said a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like the commander’s. Artek had lectured him frequently about the perils of acting too impulsively—but this time someone else might be in trouble as a result of his actions.

An unusual feeling of remorse swept over him. He had to find her and make sure that she was all right. I will find her, he vowed, but even as he did the wind started to swirl again and the visibility began to drop. The clouds of white would make it even harder to spot her.

Fortunately, he finally caught a hint of her sweet, delicious scent in the swirling winds. His inner hunter growled in satisfaction. Anxious not to lose the trail, he increased his speed, but as he rushed around a thicket of trees, he hit a patch of ice. He scrambled desperately for a foothold, cursing the fact that he was wearing boots and didn’t have his claws available to sink into the ground, but it was too late.

His feet shot out from under him, and he slid across the icy patch, slamming against one of the trees. A searing pain shot through his leg as a jagged branch, half-hidden beneath the snow, plunged into his thigh.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pulled himself off the branch, then swore again at the steadily spreading patch of red beneath his leg. The wound needed to be treated, but he was afraid that if he returned to the cabin, he would lose all trace of Ruby. His wound was far less important than finding her—he could recover from the injury, but being lost in the storm would be fatal for her.

He took a deep breath, grabbed the tree, and pulled himself to his feet, trying not to roar at the pain. Dizziness washed over him and he swayed, but he held on to the tree and forced himself to breathe slowly and steadily. As he did, he caught her scent again. She was climbing down the slope below him, and he headed after her, treading as cautiously as possible despite the increasing pain of his injury.

“Dammit.”

The sound of the soft curse made him smile. He had found his quarry. He plunged through another patch of trees, no longer watching his step, and found his bride. She was sitting on a rock, struggling with a scarf she had wrapped around her legs. Horror filled him when he saw her pale naked foot.

“You’re out here without anything to protect your feet?” he roared.

She jumped, but then she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“It’s not like you kidnapped me with all my clothes. The scarves were the only things I could find.”

“Then you shouldn’t have left the cabin,’’ he said in exasperation as he sat down next to her on the rock and started pulling off his boots.

“I wasn’t going to wait around and find out what else you had in mind besides cooking for you.”

She was still glaring at him—and looking remarkably pretty doing so—but then her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned her approval as he slipped his boots on over her icy feet. In spite of his frustration, in spite of the cold, and in spite of his injury, his cock immediately responded to that breathless exclamation of pleasure. He wanted to hear it again, hopefully as he slid his cock into her sweet little body.

“What about you?” she asked a moment later. “I can’t take your boots.”

“It’s actually easier to walk in the snow when I have access to my claws.”

He started to hold out his foot and show her, then winced as the pain in his leg flared again. Her eyes widened.

“Oh my God! You’re bleeding.”

“That’s what happens when you have to rescue your female from the consequences of her own actions,” he said with a martyred expression.

Her sympathetic look faded, replaced by a scowl.

“This female wouldn’t have had to take foolish actions if you hadn’t kidnapped her.”

Guilt swept over him again, and he gave her a remorseful smile.

“Perhaps you are right.” A gust of wind swept through the small clearing, the icy chill penetrating even his thick fur, and he saw her shiver. “But we have to return to the cabin. We can’t go any further in this weather.”

She shivered again and pulled her cloaks tighter around her neck. At least she’d had the sense to pull his on over her much thinner one.

“I suppose you’re right.” She gave his leg an uneasy look. “Can you walk?”

“Of course I can,” he said with more hope than certainty. The throbbing in his leg was increasing, and he was starting to feel a little dizzy. “Why didn’t you take the boots to begin with?”

“Because they’re too big,”

She stood up and tried to step forward. Her foot promptly slipped out of the boot.

“You see? It was a nice thought, but you might as well keep them.”

“There’s always a way,” he assured her, picking up the discarded scarves.

He wrapped them securely around the boots and then around her calves, tying the boots in place. It had been a long time since he had been forced to make do with anything he could scrounge, but he hadn’t lost his skills. He nodded with satisfaction as she tried to take another step and this time the boots stayed on.

“How did you know how to do that?” she asked.

“It’s all due to my misspent youth,” he said lightly, but from the look on her face, she wasn’t entirely convinced.

Her legs had been delightfully silky beneath his fingers, but they had also been cold. They needed to return to shelter as soon as possible.

“Now will you come back to the cabin with me? Please?”

She looked down at her feet, and then at the barely visible hillside disappearing below them and bit her lip.

“Do you promise not to do anything I don’t want you to do?”

“I promise,” he said immediately. “I would never do anything to harm you.”

“I’m not sure those two things are exactly the same, but all right. Let’s go back.”

Triumph filled him as they set off. He wasn’t sure how long the storm would last, but it would give him a chance to woo his new bride. It had been a long time since his charm had failed him, and he had never needed it as much as he needed it now.

Unfortunately, his sense of triumph quickly faded as they struggled back up the mountainside. He tried to use his much larger body to shelter her from the increasingly tempestuous gusts, but the wind was swirling so rapidly that it was difficult to do so. The wound on his thigh was growing steadily more painful, but he gritted his teeth and forged on. She was relying on him to get her to safety.

They made it out of the tree line and onto the edge of the pasture where his cabin was located. Under normal circumstances it would be clearly visible, but now the swirling clouds of white concealed it completely. He took a step in the right direction and his leg started to crumple. He braced himself for the fall, but instead a small body thrust itself under his arm and somehow managed to keep him upright.

“Lean on me,” she ordered.

“You’re too small. And I’m supposed to be helping you.”

Despite his protest, he couldn’t deny that the additional support helped.

She rolled her eyes. “You men are all alike.”

“I am not a man.”

“Yes, yes, I’ve noticed. Now shut up and lean on me.”

He grinned, delighted by his bride’s fierceness, and left his arm around her shoulders. Together they managed to stagger across the pasture. Waves of dizziness washed over him with increasing frequency, but he managed to keep them on the right path. She continued to help support him, even as he was forced to put more weight on her small shoulders.

The world narrowed to painful step after painful step. Only the small, warm body pressed against his side kept him from giving into the increasing urge to just lie down and sleep. Heat began to pulsate from his wounded leg, spreading rapidly through his body. At one point he almost started tearing off his clothing, but somehow she managed to scold him into continuing.

The cabin reared out of the snow so abruptly that he stumbled against the door, almost falling and taking Ruby with him. Somehow, he managed to remain upright long enough to wrest the door open and stumble through.

She is safe.

Despite his triumph, dizziness filled him. For a moment, he thought the blizzard had followed him inside as swirling sparks of white floated in front of his vision before everything went black.

CHAPTER 8

As soon as the door closed behind them, Benjar started to sway, his weight coming down even more heavily on Ruby’s shoulder. Afraid he was going to fall on her, she managed to push him in the general direction of the bed, and to her relief he collapsed down onto the mattress. His head fell back against the covers, his legs still hanging over the edge as his eyes closed.

Dammit. Now what was she going to do?

“I should just leave you there,” she muttered, but she didn’t mean it.

It was partially her fault that he’d been injured—only a tiny bit, she assured herself, but she had to admit she’d been feeling pretty desperate when he found her. Her first response at seeing his huge leonine figure walking into the clearing had been one of enormous relief. Of course, he’d spoiled it by opening his mouth and yelling at her. On the other hand, he had come for her even after he’d hurt himself.

She sighed and went over to the bed, intending to move his legs up onto the mattress. As she grew closer, she saw the spreading darkness on his pants. His wound was still bleeding.

“Benjar?”

She put a tentative hand on his shoulder when he didn’t respond, then winced. He was burning hot. It could have been due to his alien anatomy, but although he’d been warm when she’d woken up with him earlier, he hadn’t been that warm. What if he was seriously injured? What if he… died?

Panic threatened to choke her for a moment, but she forced herself to breathe and think. If only Pearl was here. Her sister was always taking care of people and tending to the sick. The thought of her sister helped settle her nerves. Pearl never permitted Ruby to accompany her when she was taking care of someone who was sick, but she would talk to her afterwards about the things she had done. What would her sister do if she were here?

Ruby was pretty sure that she needed to stop the bleeding and bring down his fever. But how? She thought Ruby had mentioned cold baths, but there was no way she could carry him into the bathroom. For that matter, did the cabin even have a bathroom?

She looked around again, and this time she noticed two interior doors, one in the kitchen area and one on the back wall next to the wood stove. The kitchen door opened into a lean to, enclosed but unheated. Neat stacks of wood occupied one side and she gave them a grateful glance. At least she didn’t have to worry about them freezing. The other end held cured furs and several huge pieces of frozen meat, neither of them much use to her right now.

When she opened the other door, she found a long narrow bathroom. The wall separating it from the main room was made of stone, and she could feel the heat from the wood stove radiating from the stone. The other walls were lined with freshly cut wood with a pleasant herbal scent. Although it was a relief to know she wouldn’t have to go out in the storm to attend to her bodily needs, it didn’t help with Benjar’s situation. She took one of the towels hanging next to the door, wet it down, and then returned to the bed and laid it across his forehead.

His eyes flickered open, but they were dull and unseeing—a far cry from the brilliant blue she remembered.

“Hot,” he gasped. “Th… thirsty.”

That was one thing she could handle. She jumped up and pumped some water from the kitchen sink into a glass. When she came back, he had started to struggle with his clothes.

“Hot,” he repeated.

“All right. Let me help you.”

Between the two of them, they managed to wrestle off his heavy jacket and underlying shirt. His movements were uncoordinated, his gaze still unfocused, but he eventually responded to her instructions enough that she could maneuver the clothes off of him.

When he fumbled with his pants, she started to object, but then she looked at the dark stain on the material and bit her lip. The wound would need to be tended. He fumbled at the waistband while she pulled on the legs. They came off with a sudden rush, sending her to the floor on her bottom as he yelped and then fell silent.

Oh, no. Did he hurt himself?

She scrambled to her feet, then gulped. He had fallen back on the mattress. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was even. And he was completely naked.

She’d only intended to pull off his outer clothing—she’d assumed he was wearing something beneath them. I was wrong, she thought as her eyes traveled down over that huge, muscular body and she gulped again.

She’d never actually seen a human penis, but she was quite sure they didn’t look like this. Instead of a column of flesh, he had a thick sheath marked by a tuft of lighter colored fur. The heavy balls were more what she would have expected, but they seemed extremely large. In fact, everything about him seemed very… big.

How could he even have thought that they would be physically compatible? But despite that, she could feel her body responding to the sight of his naked body. She had the oddest desire to explore it further—to run her hands over that muscled chest and perhaps even to discover if the fur covering those giant balls was as soft as it looked.

No, she told herself firmly. It’s utterly impossible. I just need to figure out how to help him heal.

Resolutely, she forced herself to focus on the wound. The jagged hole was large enough to make her flinch, but she didn’t think it was life-threatening. Even the bleeding seemed to have slowed to a sluggish trickle now that he wasn’t moving.

Since he was still unconscious, she decided it was a good time to try and clean the wound. She started gently wiping away the blood that matted his short, dense fur, but when she got closer to the actual wound, a growl rumbled through his chest. His hands flexed and she remembered those sharp claws emerging from his fingertips. As she hesitated, his tail came up to bat at her hand and she grabbed it. The muscle beneath the soft fur tensed, but she ran her fingers soothingly down the thick length.

“I’m just trying to help him,” she said, then immediately felt ridiculous. Why was she talking to a tail?

But the growling stopped and she continued stroking his tail soothingly with one hand while she cleaned his wound with the other. She thought she remembered Pearl saying something about leaving a puncture wound open to drain, so with a sigh of relief she decided not to try closing it.

It wasn’t until she put down the towel she’d been using that she looked across and realized that the head of his cock had emerged from its sheath—glistening, dark purple, and ridiculously large.

Her mouth dropped open. She knew that men grew larger when they were aroused. Pearl had explained the mechanics of sex to her as soon as she had her first menses. Sylvie, one of her married friends, had been even more frank—but this was nothing like she had imagined.

And why was he aroused? Surely the pain of having his wound cleaned wouldn’t excite him? She frowned and absently gave his tail another stroke. His cock jumped. Oh.

She quickly dropped his tail, but the soft, tufted tip immediately nudged her hand again. Despite the sudden impulse to keep stroking, to see just how big he would get, she gently pushed his tail away.

“He’s hurt. I can’t take advantage of him.”

She sighed as she realized she was talking to his tail again, then stood and pulled the quilt up over most of his lower body, only leaving the wound exposed so it wouldn’t stick to the cloth.

He was still asleep—or unconscious—and she put her hand on his forehead. Still far too hot. She wet another towel and tried placing it across his head, but it grew warm again almost as soon as she put it there. Eventually, she opened one of the windows just enough to expose the towel to the icy outside air. It froze almost immediately, but it stayed cool for much longer when she placed it across his forehead.

Every time it started to heat up, she replaced it with another frozen one, using the time in between to search the kitchen area. There were two huge containers full of cookies and a massive supply of candles, but very little else that she recognized. She did manage to find both tea and sugar and made a pot of hot sweet tea.

As she sipped a cup, she gave him a worried stare. His fever hadn’t abated, although as far she could tell, it also hadn’t gotten any worse. He alternated between periods of deathly stillness and times when he thrashed so restlessly that she was afraid he would throw himself off the bed. Still wary of the claws emerging from those big fingers, she did her best to calm him. Fortunately, he seemed to respond to her voice, and although his tail wrapped itself around her wrist each time, she refused to stroke it again.

The storm never let up, and the dim light coming into the cabin grew steadily darker. It was almost nightfall when his eyes finally opened. To her disappointment, they were still dull and unfocused, but he managed to respond to her voice enough to drink some tea before falling back into a restless sleep.

She had found some jerky in one of the kitchen cupboards and steeped it in hot water to make broth. When she tried to get it down him the next time he was conscious, he gulped at it eagerly before falling asleep again.

The night dragged on, his restless periods increasing. Several times, she was on the verge of panic when his movements grew so wild that she was afraid she would be unable to restrain him. But each time, the sound of her voice eventually managed to calm him. It wasn’t until a dim light started to creep into the cabin once more that he finally seemed to settle into a deeper, more natural sleep. She sank down at the table and burst into tears of relief. Thank God she wouldn’t have his death on her conscience.

As her tears subsided, exhaustion swept over her. The desperate trek through the woods and then the long night of worry had taken its toll. She yawned and looked over at the bed. An unmarried woman was not supposed to share a bed with a man—especially not an alien man—but no doubt being kidnapped had already ruined her reputation and she was tired.

At least I don’t have to worry about him taking advantage of me, she thought as she yawned again and headed for the bed.

It was a big bed, but he seemed to take up more than his fair share. Still, she really didn’t have an alternative. She slipped in on his unwounded side and cautiously let her head rest on the velvety soft fur of his bicep. It felt as comfortable as she remembered, and with a tired sigh she fell asleep.

CHAPTER 9

Benjar awoke with a pounding head and a throbbing ache in his leg. Every muscle in his body felt limp and exhausted. Well, almost every muscle. His cock had fully emerged from its sheath, rock hard and throbbing with an entirely different kind of ache. It was currently nestled between the soft mounds of Ruby’s ass, and despite his other aches and pains, he’d never felt more content.

She’d stayed with him.

Most of the previous day—and night, he amended—was a blur of pain and heat, but he remembered that she had been there. He remembered her voice talking to him, her cooling touch on his brow, and satisfying his thirst. He had another kind of thirst now, and he couldn’t resist rocking his hips gently against her, groaning silently as his cock slipped back and forth between her buttocks. For a moment, she seemed to push back against him, but then she yelped and scrambled out of the bed, knocking against his wounded leg in the process. It was his turn to yelp.

She gave him an angry look. “You promised me you wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want you to do.”

“I wasn’t doing anything.”

His voice came out hoarse and strained, but she didn’t stop glaring at him. She really had the most enchanting scowl.

“Then what do you call that?”

“Just a normal physical reaction.”

He tried to flash her his usual grin, but a wave of weakness swept over him. Her gaze sharpened.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s the fever.”

“Do you need a cold towel?”

In spite of the tremors that seized his body, the worry on her face comforted him. Perhaps she was beginning to care for him as well.

“Yes,” he admitted.

He sank back against the pillows, and a moment later an icy cloth covered his brow. He shivered, then sighed with relief.

“I thought your fever had broken.”

He forced his eyes open and saw her worried face hovering over him. Why was that wrinkle between her brows so adorable, he wondered absently.

“It’s not adorable,” she said, a rush of pink tinting her cheeks, and he realized he had spoken out loud.

Fuck. This wasn’t good.

“The fever heals, but it also takes a toll on the body.” He tried to think, to remember what he needed to tell her. “Better to stay away from me. I might hurt you accidentally.”

“Don’t be silly. You always calm down when you hear my voice.”

His eyes were starting to close again, but he smiled.

“That’s because you’re my mate.”

He thought he heard her sigh as he drifted off again. The healing fever was how his people had recovered from their injuries before the advent of modern medical technology. He’d gone through it several times when he was young and without resources.

The first time he’d experienced the fever was when he was injured trying to defend his painstakingly gathered meal from a much larger and older male. He remembered little of the actual fever, but somehow he’d managed to crawl into a culvert small enough to evade the larger predators who hunted the streets. He remembered darkness and burning heat alternating with icy cold, and he remembered lapping at the damp walls, desperate for water.

He had survived that bout, just as he had survived the others, but that had been many years ago. Even though he had been wounded during the war, none of his wounds had been serious and Drakkar had always been on hand to tend to him.

“But you’re better now?” she asked anxiously.

He hesitated, his deeply ingrained reluctance to admit weakness tying his tongue, but he knew he was being foolish. He forced himself to shake his head.

“Somewhat. But the fever will continue for several more days.”

“What should I do?”

Take care of me, he thought, but he would never allow the words to leave his mouth.

“The cold cloths?” she asked when he didn’t respond. “And the broth? Do they help?”

“Yes. But you don’t have to—”

“Of course I do. You may be a kidnapper—and an annoying one—but you did come after me. Besides, my sister told me that even annoying people deserve care.”

She flashed him an impish grin, and his heart melted. He responded with a grin of his own.

“And even annoying people appreciate it.”

The word struck a little too close to home, and he let his head sink back against the pillow. A wave of dizziness rushed over him, and his eyes drifted closed.

He flitted in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day, fever dreams haunting him and following him into wakefulness.

“Don’t leave me!”

The words echoed in his ears as he opened his eyes and saw Ruby’s worried face hovering over him again.

“I’m not going to leave you.”

He nodded, unwilling to tell her that he’d been dreaming. In his dream, he’d been five years old again, watching his mother walk away down the street while his father held onto him.

“She doesn’t want us, either of us,” his father said grimly.

He’d called out anyway, but she never even looked back.

He didn’t remember much before she left, but he remembered the time afterwards all too clearly. He remembered his father gradually sinking into drinking and despair until he too left Benjar behind. He remembered shivering outside their house as strange men hauled his father’s body away. And he remembered the desperate years of trying to find food and shelter and avoid the dangers of the street.

Until he finally discovered that a quick smile and a charming manner could ease his way—and detract from his even quicker fingers. His skill with the cards and the dice eventually enabled him to win his own ship. He’d thought he had everything he needed, but although he enjoyed his travels and his often reckless adventures, he still felt as if there was something missing.

When the Alliance fleet had impounded his ship and assigned him to Artek’s combat squad, he had no intention of staying. But it had taken him very little time to realize he’d finally found acceptance—that the odd assortment of soldiers had become his new family.

But even more than he wanted a family, he wanted a mate. Someone to love and cherish—and to love and cherish him. The females he had encountered over the years had frequently been beautiful, always entertaining, but he couldn’t think of one of them who would have stayed with him during a fever.

I chose well, he thought, watching Ruby as she set the kettle on the top of the stove. But as much as he valued her warm heart, it certainly didn’t hurt that it came in such an attractive package. A momentary break in the storm allowed enough light through the windows to render her pretty little nightgown translucent. His cock stirred in its sheath as she turned to the side and he saw the soft swell of her breasts clearly outlined beneath the thin fabric. The material also clung to the delightfully curved ass that had cradled his erection so welcomingly. The head of his cock began to push free at the memory, but he put his hand over, forcing it back into its sheath.

“Is something wrong?”

He realized he was grimacing at the unpleasant sensation and forced himself to grin instead.

“I was just thinking that you’re cooking for me after all,” he said provocatively.

She gave him that adorable scowl.

“If you consider pouring water over dried jerky to be cooking, I feel sorry for you.”

“You should feel sorry for me.” He gave her his most pitiful look. “You should come and stroke my fevered brow.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want me to stroke?” she asked, and immediately turned pink. A memory surfaced—small fingers stroking his tail—and his cock threatened to emerge again.

“I didn’t dream it, did I? You were stroking my tail.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned back to the kettle, but he saw more of the pretty pink rise to her cheeks.

Interesting. Perhaps his little bride was not as shy as he had assumed she would be. Intrigued, he started to sit up and pursue the matter but he only made it halfway before his head started to spin again. He reluctantly dropped back down on the pillow. Exploring his bride’s limits would have to wait.

CHAPTER 10

Ruby sighed as Benjar fell asleep again. She had hoped that he was on the mend and she wouldn’t be as worried about having to care for him. The responsibility of looking after him weighed heavily on her shoulders, although she had to admit it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling. Pearl was always so calm and knowledgeable that it had been easy to let her take the lead. While this wasn’t exactly how she would have pictured taking on more responsibility, the fact that she had managed so far gave her an odd feeling of pride.

Armed with that new feeling of competence, she returned to the kitchen area, determined to prepare something to eat other than broth. The slabs of frozen meat were too big for her to handle, so she started investigating the other supplies. There were several canisters of dried grains and another one of flour. If I had some butter, maybe I could make biscuits, she thought doubtfully. But her search didn’t reveal any butter and she abandoned the idea. She also had no idea of what to do with the grain.

She sighed again and pulled a couple of cookies out of the jar. Nibbling on them, she wandered over to the window. The snow continued to fall, the drift against the side of the cabin almost reaching the window. She wasn’t going anywhere in the near future.

Although she worried about her sister, the thought of remaining in the cabin for a while no longer bothered her. She had wanted adventure and romance and even if this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, it was certainly more interesting than listening to Sylvie brag about her husband or the ladies in Pearl’s sewing circle gossip about the latest scandal. Her little adventure was going to give them grist for months.

She looked over at the huge figure in the bed. He had turned on his side and his tail had slipped out from beneath the covers, swinging slowly back and forth. He was certainly different, she thought, her mind flashing back to the thick sheath between his legs, but he was also undeniably attractive.

Darkness closed in outside, and she yawned, still tired from previous events. This time, she didn’t even hesitate before turning down the oil lamp and crawling in next to him.

She woke up tucked against his side again, his tail around her waist. This time, she was facing him, her head on his chest and her hand resting on the short dense fur covering his stomach. She could feel the ridges of his abdominal muscles beneath her hand and couldn’t resist running her fingers slowly across them.

She had seen men without their shirts before, usually working outside during the heat of the summer. Once she and Sylvie had even hidden behind the Mickelson’s barn to watch a wrestling match between two men clad only in shorts. But no one she had ever seen had so many muscles. Her hand drifted a little lower until she felt the tip of his sheath.

Excitement raced through her body and the tips of her breasts tingled. She pressed a little closer against his side, trying to relieve the sudden pressure but it only made them ache more.

Something nudged her hand and she looked down to find the head of his cock had emerged from its sheath—as swollen and purple as she remembered. She snuck a peek at his face, but his eyes were still closed. Knowing that he slept gave her the courage to explore a little more.

She brushed a cautious finger across that broad head, hot and slick to the touch, and it responded immediately. Several more inches of his shaft emerged, just as thick, but below the head were rows of small, light pink spikes. Spikes? The thought horrified her, but when she tentatively touched one, she found it far less intimidating than she’d expected. Each little spike was firm, but rubbery rather than hard, and the tips were rounded rather than sharp. She dragged her fingers across them thoughtfully. She knew her cheeks were turning pink, but she couldn’t help wondering what they would feel like inside a woman.

“Exploring again, little bride?”

She snatched her hand away as if his cock had caught fire and looked up to see Benjar grinning down at her. His eyes were still shadowed, his face strained, but his grin looked more like it had when she first saw him.

“You’re awake.”

“I was having a very pleasant dream about my new bride, but it was interrupted by the even more pleasant sensation of her hand on my cock.”

“I didn’t mean to touch you.”

“You slipped and your hand landed there accidentally?” he asked politely, but his eyes gleamed.

“You know it didn’t,” she said crossly. “I’ve just never seen a… a cock before.”

“Since I’m pretty sure I’m the only Skefalla on Cresca, that doesn’t surprise me.” His gaze sharpened. “Or did you mean that you’ve never seen any cock?”

Her cheeks felt as if they were burning, but she nodded. It was nothing to be ashamed of.

“A virgin bride,” he said thoughtfully. “I didn’t take that into consideration.”

“It seems to me that there were a lot of things you didn’t take into consideration.”

He only grinned wider at her sharp rebuttal.

“You are quite right, but how can I regret any of them when I have you here in my bed with your sweet little hand on my cock?”

“I told you I didn’t mean to… to take advantage of you.”

“Feel free to explore my body at any time,” he said magnanimously. “It’s a bride’s prerogative.”

“I didn’t agree to be your bride either.”

He looked so hurt that she had the absurd desire to apologize, but then he put a gentle hand on her cheek.

“I still belong to you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“Yes, I do. You’re brave and beautiful and caring. You have a passionate spirit and a zest for life. I know you care for others, and I hope that in time you will grow to care for me.”

An unexpected lump filled her throat. He was the only one other than her sister who seemed to think there was more to her than just a pretty face.

“I can’t stay with you. I have to get back to my sister.”

“No one ever stays,” he said so softly that the words were barely audible, but the vulnerability on his face gave her courage.

“Since it doesn’t seem as if I’m going anywhere until the storm ends, maybe we can use this time to get to know each other better?”

An impish grin replaced the sorrow on his face.

“Of course.”

He took her hand and placed it directly over his cock. The shock made her giggle, and she didn’t pull her hand away quite as quickly as she probably should have done. She shook her finger at him.

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

“I thought you wanted to explore?” he said innocently.

She was surprisingly tempted, but she shook her head.

“How about if we just start with a kiss?”

A strange expression crossed his face, and she wondered if kissing was something his people did. But then he threaded a big hand through her hair and pulled her closer. He nuzzled his cheek against her neck in an oddly sensuous gesture, then covered her mouth with his. She gasped as his tongue slid into her mouth, thicker and rougher than a human tongue but sending sparks of pleasure through her system.

He definitely knows how to kiss.

He started off gentle, almost teasing, but quickly escalated the kiss until her senses were swimming. His fingers kneaded her scalp as he pulled her closer with his other hand and she went willingly, clinging to those massive velvety shoulders. It wasn’t until she felt the insistent press of his erection against her stomach that she thought to draw back.

He made no attempt to stop her, but his hand lingered on her waist, warm and oddly reassuring.

“Do you think you know me better now?” he asked, surprising a laugh out of her.

“If we weren’t married before, we definitely should be after that kiss. But we’re not married,” she added hastily.

Somewhat to her surprise, he didn’t attempt to argue.

“Unless you wish to continue your explorations, it would probably be best if we got up.”

He shifted restlessly as he spoke.

“Is your leg bothering you?”

“It’s not my leg.”

She looked down and blushed again. He was still rampantly erect, the thick shaft swollen and glistening.

“Does it hurt?” It certainly looked uncomfortable.

“Don’t worry, little bride. I’ll take care of it.”

To her complete shock, he put a big hand around his cock and tugged. She wasn’t that innocent—she knew people could pleasure themselves, even though her own efforts in that direction had not been particularly satisfactory—but she’d never expected a man to touch himself in front of her. I should look away, she told herself, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from that big hand slowly pulling on the thick shaft.

“Do you want to help?”

She heard the teasing note in his voice, but a sudden reckless impulse made her place her hand just above his. She couldn’t close her hand around him, but he didn’t seem to care. He groaned as she matched his strokes, and a corresponding excitement started to build in her own body. The barbs circling his shaft pressed intriguingly against her hand as she slid it up and down next to his.

“What are these for?” she asked breathlessly.

“To please a female,” he growled, sending a shiver down her spine.

His tail came up to flick back and forth across her nipples, adding to the sensations coursing through her body. Remembering his previous reaction, she took hold of his tail, stroking it with the same rhythm she was using on his cock. He roared, and a flood of thick, hot liquid covered her hand. Her body quivered, on the verge of something she didn’t quite understand, and then she realized he had gone limp against her.

She started to panic, then discovered he was still breathing slowly and steadily. He’d simply passed out. Despite the lingering ache of arousal, a slow smile curved her lips. Getting to know each other was going to be a very interesting experience.

CHAPTER 11

“Nelly doesn’t use that much salt,” Benjar said judiciously two days later.

He was—reluctantly—lying in bed and watching his bride cook. Or perhaps it would be better to say he was watching her attempt to cook. Her efforts so far had not been particularly successful, but he was still convinced that he’d made the right decision in choosing her.

If only his fever would abate. It still swept over him whenever he attempted to do anything even remotely strenuous. This morning, it had been hacking a piece off the frozen side of beef hanging in his lean to. The way Ruby’s eyes had widened at the sight had pleased his masculine ego, but the effort it required from his weakened body had sent him back to their bed.

Their bed. How much he liked the sound of those words. With his encouragement, she had continued her explorations of his body, although she had yet to let him reciprocate. He suspected that being the one to touch him gave her the feeling of control she needed. As torturous as it was to feel her soft little hands on his body without responding, he had no intention of rushing her. Of course, that didn’t mean he couldn’t encourage her.

This morning, she had actually stretched her sweet little mouth around the head of his cock, the sight and feel sending him into an immediate climax. At least this time he hadn’t passed out afterwards, but he’d been dreaming of tasting her ever since. He’d been trying to decide on the best way to convince her while he watched her cook.

But now her hands went to her hips again as she turned and glared at him. Did she realize how much he enjoyed seeing her in that position? How much it accentuated the ripe curve of her hips? He was so distracted by the sight that it took him a moment to realize what she was saying.

“Maybe you should have married Nelly since she’s so much better at this than I am.”

“I couldn’t marry Nelly—she’s already married to the commander. Not that I wanted to marry her,” he added hastily when her face darkened. “She’s more like a… a sister.”

Not that he had any idea what it would be like to have a sister, but it seemed a safe bet. Her face softened, but her hands were still on her hips.

“Then maybe you should have married a cook instead.”

“I almost did,” he admitted, then winced. He knew better than to tell one female that he’d considered another female. Sure enough, she was scowling again.

“Who?” she demanded.

If he didn’t know better, he’d think she sounded jealous.

“I don’t know her name, but she was preparing food at the dance.”

“You mean Florie? She’s almost as old as Pearl.”

“And nowhere near as beautiful as you,” he said cheerfully.

“Wait a minute—you said before that you were at the dance, but I’m sure no one saw you. Where were you?”

“Up in the attic, watching. The females at the dance were supposed to be happy and joyful.” He studied her pretty face. “But I knew you weren’t joyful, even though you tried to look as if you were.”

“You said that before too. How did you know?”

“I saw you. I saw you wipe away your tears and smile. And that’s when I knew you were my bride.”

He had known, even though it had taken his mind a little longer to catch up with his heart.

She sighed. “I didn’t want to worry Pearl.”

“I suspected as much. Sometimes it’s easier to pretend to be happy than to explain why we are not.”

She gave him a penetrating look, and he had the uneasy suspicion that she had seen far more than he would have wished, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she returned to the subject of the dance.

“You said we were told. How many of you came to town looking for brides? For that matter, how many of you are here on the ranch?”

“Seven of us live here. Obviously, you know that Artek and Nelly are already married. Endark and Drakkar were with me the night of the dance, although only Endark was looking for a bride. Gilmat and Frantor stayed behind.”

She frowned. “That’s only six.”

“I didn’t include Callum because we all know that he will never take a bride. He avoids females. I think something happened in his past, but he’s never discussed it.”

“Callum?”

“Big, gloomy male? He’s our second-in-command, and he’s the one who always accompanies the commander on his trips to town.”

“So that’s Callum,” she said thoughtfully, tapping her lips.

An unexpected spike of jealousy speared through him. Why was she so interested in the other male? Before he could demand an answer, she laughed.

“I’m not so sure he’s as uninterested in women as you seem to think. He and my sister can’t keep their eyes off each other.”

Relief filled him. “Your sister is interested in him?”

A shadow crossed her face, and he cursed himself for reminding her of her sister.

“But he definitely wasn’t part of the bride hunt,” he said, determined to distract her.

The diversion worked. She returned to the previous subject.

“The two who came with you—Endark and Drakkar—did they steal women as well?”

“They were each carrying a bride,” he admitted, and she frowned.

“Who did they take?”

“I don’t know. And I didn’t see either female’s face so I can’t describe them.”

She gave him a troubled look. “Benjar, don’t you see how wrong this is? What if those women already have husbands or families?”

“None of us would ever steal a female who was already taken.”

I hope. He wasn’t entirely sure that anything would have stopped Endark from claiming his mate.

“That doesn’t mean they didn’t have parents, or sisters. Someone who would worry about them.”

That unfamiliar sense of guilt swept over him again. It worked out in the historical event, he reminded himself, trying to take comfort in that fact. Should he mention that they had brought brides for Frantor and Gilmat as well? He hesitated, trying to decide the best way to frame what had happened, but then the contents of the pot overflowed onto the stove. By the time that had been dealt with, she had dropped the subject of the dance and he decided not to bring it back up.

“I guess that didn’t work out so well,” she said, looking at the unappetizing remnants of the stew she’d tried to cook.

“Let’s see what we can do to fix it.”

He climbed out of bed, ignoring her protests. The room spun a little, but he remained on his feet.

“I thought you didn’t know how to cook.”

“I don’t, but I did help Nelly in the kitchen a lot. Most of my brothers don’t really enjoy being inside.”

“But it doesn’t bother you?”

He put his arm around her waist and bent down to murmur in her ear. “A cozy den with a beautiful female? I can’t think of anything I’d like more.”

He saw her shiver and her nipples thrust against the fabric of her shirt—his shirt, actually, since she’d decided to wash her nightgown and needed something else to wear. Unfortunately, she’d ignored his suggestion that she simply remain naked. For a moment she leaned into him, but then he saw her tense.

“As long as there’s food, of course,” he added, smiling when she relaxed and grinned up at him.

“Of course. I sometimes wonder if that’s all you ever think about.”

“It’s definitely not the only thing,” he assured her, bending down to nuzzle his cheek against the side of her neck. He hid a smile when she shivered again, and moved over to the stove. “Now, what can we do to save this meal?”

His legs felt a little shaky, but they held, and together they worked to rescue the stew. He was surprised to realize how much he had picked up from working with Nelly. But although he was gratified by the results, he was even more satisfied with Ruby’s response to him.

He took advantage of the time working together to get her more accustomed to his touch. He wrapped his tail around her waist and tugged her against him for a quick hug. He whispered in her ear again, and this time he let his tongue briefly caress the delicate shell of her ear. He patted the soft curve of her ass every time he passed behind her.

She responded beautifully, the sweet scent of her arousal mingling with the aromas of their food, and by the time they sat down to eat, she was no longer shying away from him. Of course, her arousal had the inevitable effect on him. His cock began to push free, throbbing as he watched her small pink mouth close around a forkful of food and moan her approval.

“This is amazing. You don’t need a cook after all.”

“I’m not sure that I would call it amazing,” he said modestly, then grinned at her. “Although perhaps in comparison…”

She laughed. “You don’t have to rub it in. I know I’m a terrible cook.”

“What would you like me to rub?” he asked, deliberately misunderstanding her. “Here perhaps?”

He slid his hand slowly up and down her arm, gently kneading the silky skin, and she smiled at him.

“Or perhaps here?”

He put his hand on her thigh and repeated the gesture, sliding up towards the intoxicating warmth between her legs. She tensed for a moment, but she didn’t object, and then her legs parted a little further, far enough to let his fingers brush the damp, silky curls that shielded her innocence.

Her eyes widened when he touched her curls, and he quickly moved to her other arm, massaging it the same way. When his strokes slowed, she licked her lips, and this time when he put his hand on her other leg, she immediately opened to him.

Afraid of overwhelming her, he took his time, simply trailing his fingers briefly through the silky curls before returning to her upper body. On his second circuit, she bit her lip, then put her hand over his, pushing it firmly against her folds. They both groaned.

He went to his knees in front of her, his hand still cupping her mound. He let her grow accustomed to his touch, not moving until she squirmed against him. He finally let his finger slide between those delicate folds, gently running the length of her slit. When he brushed across a small, hardened nub hidden at the top, she quivered, her breath quickening.

Ah. An external clitoris. He had heard of such a thing, of course, but had never encountered one before. Skefalla females kept their clits hidden deep within their bodies where a male’s barbs would stimulate them. Would she still enjoy his barbs, he wondered as he let his fingers glide back down to her entrance. Ridiculously, impossibly small, he thought, but he couldn’t resist probing the tempting opening, and to his surprise, he was able to slowly work his finger inside.

Once again, he groaned, unable to help imagining how that tight, silky channel would feel clasped around his shaft. But a single finger was far smaller than his cock. Could she take more?

When he tried to add a second digit, her body resisted. Her eyes flew open, a hint of apprehension beginning to replace the dazed pleasure. He immediately returned to the slow, soothing strokes, lingering over that intriguing little nub as her body tightened. Inspired, he left his thumb to caress the hardened bud while he inserted his finger once again. Her hips shifted restlessly, but not in an attempt to get away. To his delight, she raised her hands to her breasts, massaging the soft mounds.

“Good girl,” he growled. “Now let me see you play with those pretty little nipples.”

She shocked him again by lifting her shirt over her head, leaving her delightfully naked in front of him. Her hands immediately returned to her breasts, but she gave him an impish grin which he was sure mirrored his own.

“If you insist,” she whispered.

He was so fascinated by the sight of her small fingers pulling on the rosy tips of her breasts that his strokes slowed. She made an impatient noise and thrust her hips forward in silent demand. He grinned and returned to the rhythmic thrusts.

This time when he tried to add a second finger, she only pulled harder on her swollen nipples as he worked his way inside. The narrow passage clung to his fingers as he started to withdraw them, and he began a gentle in-and-out rhythm as he increased the pressure on her clit. Her eyes suddenly flew open.

“I feel so strange,” she gasped.

“That’s the way it’s supposed to feel. Trust me.”

And good girl that she was, she obeyed, her eyes locked on his as he curled his fingers against the inside of her channel. Her entire body shuddered, and then her channel milked him in long, tight waves. His cock erupted, splattering both of them with sticky pink seed.

His head spun, but he refused to give into the dizziness that threatened. Instead, he continued to stroke slowly in and out of her body until her tremors finally died away and she pushed weakly at his arm. He pulled his fingers free, then immediately tugged her forward onto his lap, unconcerned about the mess, and she snuggled against him, equally unconcerned. He pressed his mouth to her hair, breathing in her scent through the scent receptacle in his mouth as he gently stroked her back.

The warmth and silence of the cabin surrounded them, disturbed only by the snowy gusts beating ineffectually at the walls.

This. This closeness was what he had wanted. This was what had led him to the admittedly outrageous step of stealing a bride.

Contentment filled him as he held his bride tightly in his arms.

She finally tilted her head back and gave him a shy smile.

“I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

“Have you not touched yourself?”

The pretty pink rose in her cheeks.

“I tried, but I always felt like I was chasing something I couldn’t quite find.” She bit her lip. “I thought I came close a couple of times but it was nothing like that.”

“You were very brave. I know it can be overwhelming, especially the first time.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “My good girl.”

He actually felt her quiver before he gently lifted her free and stood. He wanted to sweep her up into his arms, but he wasn’t sure that he had regained all his strength. Instead, he settled for pulling her to her feet and tucking her under his arm.

“And now I think perhaps we had best cleanse ourselves.”

She looked down at the streak of pink smeared across her stomach and the small drops scattered across his fur and glistening in her dark curls, and smiled.

“I guess there’s something to be said for being naked after all. It makes the cleanup easier.”

The head of his cock peeped out, and she laughed and ran the teasing finger across it before taking his hand.

“Let’s take a shower. Since you were such a good boy, I’ll even let you wash me.”

His doubts about his strength disappeared, and he snatched her up in his arms, determined to get to the shower as quickly as possible. And although his legs were shaking by the time he’d finished bathing her, it was worth every minute.

CHAPTER 12

Ruby slipped carefully out of bed, trying not to wake Benjar. Last night had been a revelation. He had devoted most of it to showing her how wonderful her body could feel and he deserved his rest. Despite his protests, he still hadn’t completely recovered. Although the actual wound had healed nicely and the bouts of fever had almost stopped, the process had drained him and he hadn’t returned to his full strength.

She paused next to the bed for a moment, looking down at him. In spite of his size and his impressive natural weapons, he looked somehow innocent in his sleep, the trace of vulnerability he was so determined to hide while he was awake more obvious. She wanted to bend down and smooth his mane away from his face, to kiss away the faint crease between his brows and make him smile.

Instead, she slipped one of his shirts over her head and went to the kitchen area, quietly adding a log to the stove and setting the kettle on to boil. While she waited for it to heat, she put away the clean dishes from the previous night and set out one of the smaller pieces of meat to thaw.

It wasn’t until she sat down with her tea that she thought about how different her life had become. In town she would have slept late and come down to a breakfast that Pearl had prepared. She would have sat in the kitchen and talked to her sister while Pearl cleaned up, but it wouldn’t have occurred to either of them that she could help.

She looked down at her hands. They were still reddened from the constant rotation of wet, icy towels. She had a burn on her little finger from where she’d brushed it against the hot kettle, and three of her nails were broken from carrying in wood. They looked like a stranger’s hands, but she smiled. For the first time in her life, she actually felt useful.

I don’t want to go back.

The truth of that statement hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks. She didn’t want to return to her pampered life. She wanted to stay here in this cozy cabin. With Benjar.

Because I love him.

That realization came with a sudden sure knowledge. Somehow, his warmth and humor, his passionate intensity and his aching tenderness had slipped around her defenses. My husband, she thought, and smiled again.

But as much as she wanted to simply remain here with him, she couldn’t. She loved her sister too much to leave her to worry all winter. As soon as the storm was over, she would have to find a way back across the pass. She rose and went to the window, peering out at the drifting snow, oddly relieved that it didn’t appear to be letting up any time in the near future.

Two warm arms curved around her from behind, and she smiled, resting her hands over his and stroking the velvety fur covering his muscular forearms.

“I was trying to let you rest.”

“Mmm. How could I rest when you were so far away from me?”

He bent down and nuzzled her neck, taking a deep breath.

“Why do you do that?” It was almost as if he were breathing her in.

“There are scent receptacles in my mouth. They respond to the scent of my mate. My bride.”

She turned and looked up at him.

“Is that why you chose me? Because I smell good?”

For once his face remained sober, considering her question.

“Not exactly. I told you I knew as soon as I saw you at the dance. Something about you just called me, even though you didn’t meet any of the criteria on my list,” he added, the smile returning to his eyes.

She laughed. “You mean because I can’t cook?”

“That was certainly a consideration,” he said with mock solemnity. “And I was afraid you were too small and delicate. I didn’t realize that I had chosen a warrior bride who would hit me over the head and flee into a blizzard.”

She couldn’t quite hide her smile. She liked being thought of as a warrior woman rather than just another pretty woman.

“I didn’t really catch your scent until I was carrying you away,” he continued. “But it only confirmed what I already knew.”

“Why did you really do it, Benjar?” she asked softly. “And don’t tell me how you were inspired by historical events. Your commander came to town and found himself a bride without having to steal her away. You could have done the same.”

“Could I?” He let go of her and paced the short distance back and forth across the cabin, his tail lashing behind him. “What do I have to offer a female? I have a home here on the ranch, but is that enough to satisfy a female?”

“No woman is going to choose whether or not to marry someone based on his property,” she said tartly. “You choose to marry someone because of who they are.”

“And what if I am not enough?”

The vulnerability had returned to his face and she went to him, stopping his pacing by putting her arms around his waist. His tail came up and circled her arm.

“I would have chosen you,” she said quietly. “I do choose you.”

The look of astonishment on his face made her chest ache. Who had hurt him so badly that he didn’t think he was worthy of love?

“You mean you agree to be my bride?”

She might not have his scent receptacles, but she understood what he meant by a sense of rightness. This felt right.

“I do.”

He roared in triumph and lifted her into his arms, dancing her around the cabin as she laughed and clung to his shoulders. He finally stopped his wild cavorting and smiled down at her.

“I love you, you know.”

“I do,” she repeated. “And I love you too.”

There was that flicker of astonishment again, and then he was kissing her, fiercely, hungrily, as she buried her hands in his mane and kissed him back. He carried her over to the bed, and stripped off her shirt. Her nipples were already taut from his kiss, but they tightened even more from the appreciation in his eyes as he gazed down at her naked body.

“You are so beautiful.”

“So are you,” she said truthfully, admiring his strong, muscular body. “Now come and join me. I think it’s time we consummated this marriage.”

“Are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

She half-expected him to pounce on her, but instead he pulled her gently into his arms and kissed her. This time, the kiss was slow and tender. He took his time, worshiping her with his mouth, but despite the slow pace her arousal continued to build. His tail flicked back and forth across her breasts, the soft tip caressing them, and the very delicacy of the touch made them ache even more.

He seemed content just to hold her and kiss her, but her body was humming with excitement. She wanted more of the delights he had so recently taught her. Catching hold of his tail, she gave it a long, slow stroke, smiling against his mouth when he groaned.

“Little tease.”

“You’re the one who’s taking it slow.”

“This is your first time. I don’t want to rush you. I want it to be special.”

“It will be special because it’s with you. That’s the only part that matters.” She squeezed his tail a little harder and gave him a teasing grin. “That is, if you ever get around to it.”

He returned her grin, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling.

“Just for that, I should go even slower.”

But despite his words, the now familiar weight of his hand settled between her legs and she arched into his touch. He growled his approval as his fingers slid easily through the slick heat between her folds.

“You see?” she whispered. “I am ready.”

“Not yet. I have to open you first.”

He sounded as if he were reminding himself, but she didn’t protest as the first thick digit worked its way inside. He slipped his thumb across her clit, and just that quickly, a short, sharp climax rippled through her body.

She gasped and clung to his shoulders as she tightened around his finger. God, that felt good. How much better was it going to feel once his cock was inside her? He gave a low growl and rubbed his face against her neck.

“I told you I was ready. Now hurry up.”

He huffed a laugh, but despite her order and despite the swollen length of his fully emerged cock, he took his time, slowly adding a second finger, and then a third. The third finger was the hardest to take, but he gradually worked his way inside, coaxing her body to accept him and sending her into another climax

When her shudders finally died away, she could see the strain on his face, but he gave her a challenging grin.

“Are you ready for more?”

Something that was not entirely apprehension rippled through her as she looked at the thick length of his cock and the barbs circling his shaft, and she nodded. He moved over her, unusually clumsy in his haste. The broad head of his cock was at her entrance before a thought occurred to her.

“Wait a minute.”

He froze immediately.

“You’re not ready?”

“It’s not that,” she assured him, wrapping her legs around his hips to keep him from moving away. “It’s just…”

“Just what?” he asked, no hint of impatience in his voice, despite the obvious urgency of his desire, and her heart melted a little more.

“I don’t want to get pregnant. At least, not right now.”

He shook his head.

“You won’t. You are not in heat.”

“How can you tell?”

“By your scent.”

He opened his mouth and took in another breath. His hips jerked in response, and his cock slid up between her folds, his barbs scraping across her clit. The sensation made her whole body shudder with pleasure, and she almost missed his next words.

“You smell wonderful. Rich, sweet, intoxicating—but not fertile.”

“That’s good,” she said breathlessly, trying to rock against his cock. “Now can we get on with it?”

He laughed. “Impatient little bride.”

But once again he placed himself at her entrance, and then he pushed. Despite his preparation, her body had to stretch to take him, the fiery burn making her quiver. Then he stroked her clit and the sting began to transition into a heated urgency, even as her body struggled to accommodate the massive invader. She could feel the rippling sensation of his barbs entering her as he thrust deeper and deeper until at last he had buried himself completely inside her body.

They were both panting, and she could see his muscles straining with the effort not to move as he waited for her to adjust. Her body hovered on a knife edge between pleasure and pain as her channel fluttered wildly around him. But then he started to pull out and the withdrawal caused his barbs to rake across her sensitive inner walls, sending her flying into an overwhelming climax. Her body shook compulsively in his arms as stars danced in front of her eyes. She heard him roar, felt him moving inside her, but she was helpless to respond, battered by the waves of pleasure that swept through her body over and over again until he erupted inside her with a final rush of heat.

CHAPTER 13

Benjar collapsed down over Ruby, his heart still racing madly. He barely remembered to shift his weight to one side to avoid crushing her as a surprising tide of emotions swept over him. His body felt limp and satisfied, the pleasure of being buried in her tight little body still overwhelming him. But it was more than the sheer physical sensation, no matter how magnificent it had been. It was being with his mate. His bride. His love.

She said she loved me.

The memory filled him with satisfaction but couldn’t completely erase a lingering sense of apprehension. Would it last? His mother had said she loved him, but it hadn’t stopped her from leaving him.

As if she sensed his doubts, her arms came up to circle his neck, holding him against her, and he snuggled into her embrace, breathing her in.

“That was amazing,” she whispered. “Thank you, Benjar.”

Her comment surprised him, and he resolutely pushed his fears aside, raising his head to smile down at her.

“I believe I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

“Maybe we can thank each other.”

She studied his expression, and perhaps a trace of his doubts remained because she put her small hand on his face.

“I love you.”

He nuzzled against her hand with a sigh of relief. I’m just being foolish, he told himself.

“I love you too. And to prove it, I will cook breakfast for you.”

She gave him a wide-eyed, innocent look.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to try?”

“Quite sure,” he said firmly and she laughed.

He started to withdraw from her body, his barbs scraping slowly across her inner walls. She gasped, and then he felt the silky tightness of her channel convulsing around him once again. His cock started to swell in response, but he forced himself to pull free. Her eyes fluttered open, her cheeks flushed.

“That was unexpected.”

“Indeed. I didn’t realize that my cooking made you so excited.”

“Yes, I’m sure that was it. I’m sure it had nothing to do with your amazing c-cock.”

The color in her cheeks darkened adorably as she stuttered over the word and he tossed his mane.

“I am a male of many talents.”

He brushed a kiss against her mouth, then rose and sauntered to the kitchen area, letting his tail swish behind him and smiling when he heard her laugh.

He cooked her breakfast, and they ate together at the table in front of the window. The snow had stopped falling for the time being, and he could see the undisturbed whiteness of the pasture leading to the snow-covered trees stretching up the mountainside. She followed his gaze, the thoughtful look he had seen earlier reappearing.

“I’m going to miss this place,” she said softly, and pain lanced through his chest as if he’d been struck by a physical weapon. She was already planning on leaving him?

“What do you mean you will miss it?” he asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

“I have to get back to my sister. You must understand that.”

He remembered seeing them together at the dance. The affection between them had been obvious, but that didn’t make it hurt any less that she would choose her sister over him. Why am I surprised, he asked himself. Hadn’t he learned that a vow of love was meaningless?

“Why do you have to return?” The question came out as a harsh growl, and she frowned at him.

“Because she must be going crazy wondering what happened to me. She’s taken care of me my whole life.” She put her small hand on top of his, but for once her touch didn’t comfort him. “Our mother died while I was very young, and Pearl was the one who raised me. After our father died, she even married a terrible man just to provide a home for me. In some ways she’s more like my mother than my sister.”

Her words only increased the ache in his chest.

“At least you had someone to act as your mother,” he snarled as he flung himself away from the table.

His chair hit the floor with a sharp crack, the sound shocking in the quiet room but he was too upset to care.

“I should have known,” he muttered, pacing back and forth, but the room was too small to handle his agitation and he headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to run,” he snapped and escaped into the snow-covered pasture.

“Benjar, wait…”

Her words floated after him, but he ignored them. The snow was too thick for him to actually run, but he fought his way through the pasture until he reached the tree line. It wasn’t as deep under the trees, and he moved faster, heading up the mountainside. He didn’t know where he was going—he was just desperate to escape the empty pain echoing in his chest.

At last he emerged from the trees onto a ledge high above the valley. The clouds still hung low and heavy, but there was enough visibility for him to see the main cluster of ranch buildings far below. He would still have a home here, still have his brothers and the family he had found, but even that knowledge couldn’t fill the gaping hole inside him.

The sound of wings drew him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Drakkar circling high overhead. His brother must have seen him too because he swooped down to land next to him.

“You are a long way from your cabin. And your bride.”

He shook his head.

“I’m not sure that she is my bride.” Even if she had said the words.

“Indeed?” Drakkar sighed, an unusually vulnerable sound. “I always suspected it would not be as simple as Nelly made it sound.”

“Then why did you do it? I thought your kind preferred to be alone.”

“So did I. It is… difficult to discover that perhaps being alone is just lonely.”

“Yes. Are you having problems with your bride as well?”

But Drakkar had resumed his mask. He gave Benjar his usual mocking smile and pointed at the clouds.

“It will be snowing again soon. If you wish to return to your cabin, you had best go now.” Drakkar leaped into the air and soared upwards, quickly disappearing into the lowering clouds.

Did he want to return to his cabin?

Yes. Despite the pain of knowing that he could not keep Ruby, it would be foolish not to seize every moment that he could with her. He never should have left.

He headed back down the mountainside, moving as quickly as he could, but it began to snow long before he reached the pasture and by the time he emerged from the trees, the snow was swirling so fiercely that he had to rely on his sense of smell to make his way to the cabin.

He entered on a gust of icy wind, slamming the door shut behind him as Ruby rushed over to him.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”

“You were?” he asked hopefully, unable to help noticing how pretty she looked when she was angry.

“Of course I was, you idiot.” She stomped her foot. “I love you, remember?”

“Then why are you going to leave me?” The words burst out before he could stop them.

“What do you mean I’m going to leave you?”

“You said you were going back to your sister.”

“Yes, to let her know that I’m all right. And to tell her about you. I’m not planning to stay with her, Benjar.”

The hope burning inside him was almost painful. “You weren’t going to stay with her?”

“Of course not. We’re married, aren’t we? That means we stay together.” She scowled at him. “That is unless one of us is an idiot who goes rushing off into a snowstorm. Why did you do that?”

“Because I thought you were going to leave me.”

“So you decided to hurry it along?” Despite the scolding tone, her face had softened.

“I suppose part of me always thought it was inevitable.”

“Well, it’s not. You’re stuck with me now. It’s part of the marriage vows.”

Thank the gods.

“What exactly are these vows?” he asked eagerly.

She wrinkled her nose.

“I’m not sure I remember exactly. I know there’s something about being together for richer or poorer.”

“Since we both have a share in the ranch, that one should be all right.”

“We do?”

“Yes. I told you the first night that all the brides would have a share.”

“I was a little distracted at the time,” she muttered. “But let me think about what else is in the vows. There’s the part about remaining together in sickness or in health, but I think we’ve been through that one already.”

“Yes, so you must remain healthy,” he said firmly. The thought of her being ill horrified him.

“That’s all I remember, except for the most important one. To love and cherish each other.”

His chest ached as he smiled at her. “I had already made that vow.”

“So had I.” She took his hand and started to lead him towards the stove. “Now, come over here and warm up. You must be half-frozen.”

The cold didn’t bother him, but he let her pull him along, delighted that she wished to care for him.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “Are you sure those are all the vows?”

“I think so. At least the important ones. Why?”

He gave her a sad face. “I was hoping they included something about cooking for your husband.”

She started to giggle. And then he kissed her, and somehow they ended up back in the bed where she proceeded to warm him in an entirely different and much more pleasurable way.

CHAPTER 14

“I’ve been thinking,” Benjar said a few mornings later.

They were still in bed, but he lifted up on his elbow to watch her, his blue eyes sparkling, and she smiled.

“Should I be worried by such an unusual event?”

He flicked her nose.

“No. And stop being provocative. It makes me want to come up with creative ways to respond.”

“That’s hardly a deterrent,” she pointed out, closing her fingers around his tail and tugging it lightly.

He gave a soft growl of approval, but then he flicked her nose again.

“Stop doing that!”

“Then stop stroking my tail.” He grinned. “At least long enough for me to tell you my plan.”

She gave his tail a quick squeeze anyway, then folded her hands demurely across her breasts.

“Go ahead.”

“I think the storm may be coming to an end. The calm periods between the heavy snows are increasing, and the winds have dropped. I suspect it will blow itself out in the next day or two.”

She had mixed feelings about his news. She enjoyed being alone with him in the cabin, the two of them working together, but once the storm ended that would have to change. She had to find a way to contact Pearl and let her know that she was all right.

“And what happens then?” she asked.

“I’m sure that the avalanche has rendered the pass impassable to horses or any kind of wagon, but it’s just possible that two determined people might make their way across it.”

“Two?” she whispered, her heart beating wildly.

“Of course. You didn’t think I’d send you off on your own, did you? You’re mine, Ruby.”

Despite the confident words, she could still see the tiny shadow of doubt in his eyes, and she buried her hands in his mane, tugging him closer.

“Yours,” she agreed, and kissed him.

The kiss rapidly escalated, but when he reached for her nightgown, she stopped him.

“Do you really think we can make it across?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, then gave her a reckless grin. “But won’t it be fun to try?”

Her own sense of adventure flared to match his.

“Yes, it would.”

“Good. Then that’s settled. Now you may stroke my tail,” he said regally, settling back against the pillows.

“Or perhaps your tail could stroke me.”

She laughed when he turned to her so eagerly he almost fell out of bed. And although the stroking turned out to be mutual, she had absolutely no complaints.

The storm did continue to diminish over the next few days, and they used the time to prepare for the trip. Her first goal was to make some more practical clothes. Her sewing experience had been limited to embroidering handkerchiefs rather than anything more useful, but even if the results were a long way from Pearl’s small, neat stitches, she managed to alter two of his shirts and a pair of pants into something that was at least a closer approximation of her size.

Benjar also went to work. He retrieved a frozen skin from the lean to, and once it had thawed, he created a pair of knee-high boots that laced up the front for her. During one of the lulls in the snow, he insisted on venturing out into the woods, returning with a few long, thin branches. They reminded her of the switches one of her teachers liked to use, and she gave them a suspicious look.

“What are those for?”

“You’ll see.”

He cut the branches into shorter pieces and soaked them, but it wasn’t until he began curving them into place that she understood.

“You’re making snowshoes.”

“It’s probably more accurate to say that I’m trying. Gilmat experimented with them last winter, although he’s much better at getting the wood to bend correctly.”

But despite a fair number of muttered curses, he managed to make them each a pair. During another break in the snow, they went outside to practice. They turned out to be more difficult to use than she’d realized, but she refused to give up despite the burning in her calf muscles. She’d actually managed to circle the cabin twice when the sun unexpectedly appeared.

The sunlight sparkled off the snow and highlighted the peaks soaring up behind them. In the other direction the valley spread out below them, and she thought she caught a glimpse of the distant ranch buildings. If their attempt to cross the pass failed, she decided they should go to Nelly and ask for advice. Maybe she has a secret supply of messenger birds, she thought with a smile, just before a soft ball of snow splattered across her chest.

“What did you do that for?” she spluttered.

“Who me?”

Benjar looked so innocent that she could almost believe he hadn’t been the one to throw the snowball, but he couldn’t hide the twinkle in his eyes. He’s going to pay for that, she thought as she bent down to gather her own snowball.

Given his size and speed, the outcome of the fight was never in doubt, but she managed to get in a few hits of her own before her snowshoes betrayed her and she fell backward into the snow.

“Ruby! Are you all right?”

Benjar leaned over her, his face worried. The sunlight highlighted all the different colors in his mane and his strong features—no longer alien, but infinitely beloved.

“I’m not sure,” she whispered, and he bent closer.

As soon as he did, she took the handful of snow she’d collected and pushed it into his face. He roared with outrage and she giggled helplessly at the offended look on his face.

“You are in deep trouble, little bride,” he growled, and she smiled up at him.

“It was worth it just to see the look on your face.”

He laughed, his outrage disappearing as quickly as it had surfaced, then bent his head and kissed her. His lips were icy from the snow, but the shock of the cold vanished into the heat of his kiss. His wonderfully hot, rough tongue stroked hers, and her nipples tightened. He slid his hand under her shirt, his chilly fingers making her gasp, but when he started tugging on her nipples she forgot about the chill.

It wasn’t until his hand slid lower and her shirt slid up that the cold finally penetrated and she shivered. He immediately stopped what he was doing and stood up, carrying her with him.

“You are not equipped for this weather. I shouldn’t have stopped to play.”

“I was enjoying it,” she protested.

The contrast of hot and cold had been curiously exciting. He gave her a speculative look, then shook his head.

“It’s too cold out here.”

She sighed, but admitted he was probably right. The fleeting sunlight had already begun to fade and the wind was picking up. As soon as they were inside the cabin he insisted she take a hot shower, but to her surprise, he didn’t join her. It wasn’t until she emerged, warm and glowing from the shower, to find him waiting that she understood why.

He was already naked, the last rays of the disappearing sun playing across that big, strong body. He had cleared everything off the table—except for a bucket of snow.

“This is a much better place to play,” he purred, and a low pulse of anticipation started between her legs.

“Are you sure?” she asked innocently, letting the towel slip lower to reveal a hint of nipple.

“Very sure.”

He stalked towards her, then swept her up in his arms and laid her out across the table. For some reason, she felt more exposed here than if she’d been lying across the bed, and her nipples tightened even more as he pulled the towel free.

Scooping up a small amount of snow, he ran it delicately across a taut bud. The icy prickle made her back arch, but then his mouth followed - hot and wet and wonderful. He laved the small peak until it was hard and throbbing, then raised his head to admire the swollen tip. Once again, he brushed it with snow and she cried out, the conflicting sensations sending her arousal soaring.

He grinned and started again on her other breast. He went back and forth between them until she was quivering, her body hovering on the edge of orgasm, and then he parted her legs.

“You can’t,” she protested weakly, already shivering with anticipation.

“I most certainly can.”

This time, he started with his mouth, his rough tongue teasing her clit until it was swollen and throbbing. When he finally lifted his head, she braced herself, but nothing could prepare her for the shock of cold, so icy it burned—and immediately swept her body into an orgasm that seemed to come from her entire body.

She was still shuddering when he plunged into her, his barbs scraping against her sensitized flesh and sending her straight into a second climax. He kept thrusting into her quivering channel over and over again until he roared out his own climax, the heated rush of his seed a sharp contrast to the previous chill of the snow.

He half collapsed against her and she put her arms around his neck, holding him close. She knew how much he needed this contact after they made love, and she relished it as well. She ran her fingers through his mane, humming softly, until he raised his head and grinned at her.

“Now wasn’t that better than being outside?”

“I suppose,” she said with mock reluctance, and he flicked her nose.

“Brat.”

He slowly withdrew, making her insides quiver again as those amazing barbs teased her still sensitive flesh, and stood. She sat up as well, realizing why he had chosen the table as she took in the patches of melted snow everywhere.

“I think I need another shower now.”

“And this time I will join you,” he said and she saw his cock start to peep out of its sheath again.

She laughed. “Don’t you ever get enough?”

“I could never get enough of you.”

His face was unexpectedly solemn, and a lump appeared in her throat before she smiled and held out her hand.

“Then take me to the shower, my husband.”

CHAPTER 15

The weather continued to improve, and Ruby spent time outside every day, practicing with her snowshoes. After two days without any new snow falling, Benjar announced it was time to leave. They decided to leave as soon as the sun was up the next morning, hoping to make the journey in one day.

Despite her attempts to reassure him, she knew that a part of him was still worried about what would happen when they reached Wainwright and it was reflected in the urgency of his lovemaking that night. Afterwards, she spent a long time holding him as he rubbed his face almost frantically against her neck, marking her over and over with his scent.

Although she would never give him up, she also worried about Pearl’s reaction. Her sister had always been so protective of her. Ruby could only hope that she would understand how happy Benjar made her. Neither one of them slept well, and as soon as the sky began to lighten they abandoned the attempt and prepared to leave.

After spending most of her time either naked or dressed only in one of his shirts, it felt strange to pull on the layers of garments she had altered, but she knew she would appreciate the warmth. She laced up her boots, tied a scarf around her neck and face, fastened the cloak he had given her, and announced she was ready.

Benjar slung the leather satchel he had filled with supplies over his shoulder and grinned at her. His mood had improved now that he could funnel his nerves into activity.

“What a shame to cover up all that pretty pink skin. All I can see are your eyes.”

“You’ve seen plenty of the rest of me. And I can’t hike through the snow naked.”

He groaned and clutched his shaft in mock agony.

“But now I will be envisioning you that way the entire time.”

She gave his tail a provocative stroke as she headed for the door.

“Good. That should keep you warm.”

The air outside was cold and crisp, and she took in a deep breath. The heavy covering of snow gave the valley an almost magical appearance, sparkling as the first rays of the sun reached it. The herds of hybrid buffalo that were moving around the pastures next to the river now that the storm had passed looked like mystical creatures in the early morning light.

A plume of smoke rose above the ranch house further down the valley and she hoped they were making the right decision. They had discussed going to Artek and Nelly for help, but in the end they had decided to try the pass on their own since the only way to get a message to town was to send someone. And she wanted to see her sister, not just send her a message.

Despite that, her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the wall of white blocking the end of the valley.

“Do you really think we can do this?”

“I think we will do our best.” He flicked her nose. “Don’t worry, little bride. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“If I remember correctly, I was the one who had to rescue you last time.”

“You were the one who set off without any boots,” he reminded her.

She laughed and settled into the now familiar gliding steps required by the snowshoes, continuing to tease him as they set off down the mountain. Even when they started up the long slope that was all that was left of the pass, her spirits remained high.

“Isn’t it strange how things work out? Right before the dance, I was trying to convince my sister I was ready for love and adventure and romance, and now I’m off on an adventure with the male I love.”

“I notice you didn’t mention romance,” he said dryly.

“That part might have to wait until we find a bed. Or even a table,” she added innocently and giggled when he stumbled.

After that, she saved her breath for the climb.

“That’s the storage building up ahead,” Benjar said finally, pointing to a long, low building, half-buried in a snowbank. “We can rest there for a while.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

Despite how much she had practiced, her calves still ached from the effort of using the snowshoes.

“Ruby!” a feminine voice cried, and she looked up to see someone racing towards her.

It took her shocked brain far longer than it should have to realize that it was her sister, but then she was running across the snow as quickly as she could manage. They collided halfway in between, both of them crying and laughing and peppering each other with questions they didn’t take time to answer.

Benjar was only a step away from her, and then she saw Callum looming behind her sister. What was he doing here? Benjar had assured her that he hadn’t taken part in the bride hunt.

She had questions, so many questions, but all that mattered right now was that she and her sister were back together again and she hugged her even more tightly.

When she finally drew back, swiping at the tears freezing on her cheeks, Benjar was still hovering anxiously next to her. She gave him a reassuring smile and held out her hand. He took it immediately, big warm fingers curling tightly around hers.

“Pearl, I’d like you to meet my husband, Benjar.”

“Husband?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. The lack of paperwork didn’t bother her at all.

Her sister studied her face anxiously. “And you’re happy?”

“Yes,” she said, even more firmly.

Pearl sighed, but then she gave Benjar a warm smile.

“In that case, Benjar, welcome to the family.”

She felt his hand relax before he grinned and swept her sister a bow, and she bit back a sigh of relief. She had her husband and her sister—and possibly even a brother-in-law, she thought watching the way Callum hovered over Pearl. Love, adventure, romance—and family. Everything was perfect.

EPILOGUE

Seven months later…

“It’s a girl,” Drakkar announced as he emerged from the bedroom, and Ruby’s eyes filled with tears.

Benjar gathered her close as the rest of his brothers cheered. They had all gathered at the ranch house for the birth of Nelly’s child, and Ruby had been unusually silent ever since they arrived.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It’s just…”

“Just what?” he asked, leading her out of the ranch house to the swing on the covered porch and pulling her onto his lap.

“I know we decided to wait. I know that we wanted to enjoy our time alone together. But…”

“But what, little bride?”

“But now I want a baby,” she wailed.

His cock stiffened immediately, threatening to escape his sheath. The thought of her delicious body growing ripe with their child made him shudder with desire.

“All right,” he agreed.

She wiped her eyes and frowned up at him, her brows drawing together in that adorable way.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. If you are sure that’s what you want, I would be delighted. I love you, Ruby. And I would love to expand our family. To share that love with a child.”

A child who would never have to suffer from a mother who walked away. He knew to the depths of his soul that Ruby would never willingly leave their child.

“Then let’s do it.” A huge smile crossed her face. “Let’s make a baby.”

“Right here?” he asked, surprised but not unwilling.

He would just have to keep his senses alert to make sure that no one else was treated to the sight of his beautiful bride. Since he was well aware that his little bride had an adventurous streak, he wasn’t surprised when he caught the sweet scent of her arousal. But after a moment’s thought, she shook her head.

“If anyone caught us, Pearl would be upset. I have a better idea.”

She smiled and jumped up off his lap, then held out an imperious hand. He hid his own smile and took it, his cock throbbing anxiously as he waited to discover what he had in mind. She led him down the slope and into one of the barns, empty now with the horses out enjoying the spring fields.

“Here?”

“Why not?” She gave him a provocative look. “The first time I was ever kissed it was in a barn.”

“I have never kissed you here,” he growled and started stalking towards her.

She squeaked and backed away.

“It was a long time ago,” she said breathlessly. “And not very memorable.”

He pounced, but she slipped behind a bale of hay. Apparently, his bride wanted to play. He obliged, chasing her around the barn until she was breathless and giggling. He could have caught her at any time, but he loved seeing her smiling and happy.

She was still giggling when he finally caught her, but her amusement quickly faded as she looked up at him.

“You told me this was where you brought me the first night—where you finally admitted that I was the right bride for you.”

He shuddered at the memory. What if he had ignored his instincts and given Ruby to Frantor? And yet somehow he suspected they would still have found their way to each other.

“That’s why I thought it would be a good place to try for a baby,” she added.

How could he argue? Especially when she turned her back to him and slowly pulled up her pretty new dress to reveal her even prettier—and completely naked—ass.

“Where are your drawers?” he demanded.

“Oops. I must have forgotten them.” She gave him an innocent look over her shoulder as he stepped closer and ran his hand over her bare silky skin. “Does that make me a bad girl?”

“Oh no,” he growled. “You’re my very good girl.”

He felt her quiver at the words, a trickle of moisture sliding down her leg, and the intoxicating scent of her arousal filled his head. He leaned closer, nuzzling her neck, and realized why her scent was especially tempting today.

“You’re fertile.” His cock sprang from his sheath so quickly that he almost swayed.

“Mmm. I thought it was about that time.” She wiggled her ass against him. “Aren’t you going to take advantage of it?”

“Absolutely.”

He lifted her higher over the bale, so high that her feet were no longer touching the ground but she was at the perfect angle for his cock. Despite the throbbing urgency of his erection, he paused to admire the sight of her pale, perfect ass. There was something especially erotic about the bare lines of her tailless back and he ran his hand down over the smooth skin to her pretty little folds, already pink and glistening.

She wiggled again, but she had very little leverage in this position, and she made a frustrated sound.

“Benjar, please.”

He slid his hand further beneath her, strumming her clit the way she liked.

“Is this what you want?”

“No,” she gasped. “I mean, yes, but not just that.”

“Greedy girl. Is this what you mean?”

He replaced his hand with his cock, sliding his barbs back and forth across her clit, until fine tremors skated across her skin.

“Inside me. I want you inside me.”

He grasped her hips, lifting her a little higher, and obeyed. She was climaxing before he was even fully seated, the tight, milking pulses almost impossible to resist, but he gritted his teeth and held on. When her shudders finally died away, he began to move, rocking slowly and gently in and out of her body as he lowered his face to her neck. She tilted her head, giving him greater access as he rubbed his cheek against her skin, marking her with his scent.

Their mingled scents drove his arousal even higher, and his control began to slip, the speed of his thrusts increasing. She hummed her approval, trying to push back against him despite her restrained position, and he held her even tighter, plunging into her tight, welcoming heat over and over. She cried out, her channel milking him again, and this time he could not resist, erupting inside her with a roar of satisfaction.

His knees threatened to give way and he reluctantly withdrew, knowing that his barbs would trigger another orgasm and help draw his seed deep inside her. As soon as she stopped quivering, he lifted her into his arms and sank to the ground, keeping her cradled against him.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if I became pregnant right away?” she murmured.

“I see no reason why you should not.”

She laughed. “It doesn’t always happen the first time.”

“Then we will keep trying.”

“That’s true. And we could experiment with different positions.”

His cock started to emerge, and she laughed again. “I see you approve of that idea.”

“I approve of everything to do with you.”

“My sweet husband.”

“I am yours,” he agreed. “And you are my perfect little bride.”

And at long last, he truly believed it. She loved him, and she would never leave him.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you so much for reading Benjar! I love the fact that he’s so different from Artek - but just as determined to please his bride! I’d having so much fun with this series and I can’t wait to share the adventures of the rest of the brothers with you!

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As usual, I have to thank my readers for coming on these adventures with me - I couldn’t do it without you!

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

* * *

Up next!

Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers

continues with Callum!

Callum swore off females a long time ago. Pearl has no interest in men after her disastrous marriage. But when a blizzard traps them together, can they finally find a way to escape their troubled pasts?

Click here to order Callum!

* * *

To make sure you don’t miss out on any new releases, deals, or updates, click here to sign up for my newsletter!

OTHER TITLES

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

Olivia and the Orc

Pandora and the Prisoner

Quinn and the Queller

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers

Artek

Benjar

Callum

Folsom Planet Blues

Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast

Alien Most Wanted: Prison Mate

Alien Most Wanted: Mastermind

Alien Most Wanted: Unchained

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

A Home for the Alien Warrior

A Gift for the Alien Warrior

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Anthologies

Claimed Among the Stars

Adamant Spirits

Pets in Space 7

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

Honey loves to hear from her wonderful readers! You can stalk her at any of the following locations…

www.facebook.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

www.bookbub.com/authors/honey-phillips

www.instagram.com/HoneyPhillipsAuthor

www.honeyphillips.com