Ruby (5 page)

Sol scowled. “You’ve always been stubborn! I understand why Rion asked Makis to share his woman now. The idea of the clan coming and taking her makes me ill. The idea of having pups and no one to protect them if something happens to me is beyond brutal. You are the only man I would ask to mate with her. Watching you share this joy with me is a gift I would ask you to give.” He moved off the cot and slid down next to his brother. He took Ruby’s hand and placed it in Isser’s. Isser looked at his blood brother with confusion. “I would give my mate to you in the way of our kind. I would ask you to accept the role of guardian if I die.”

Isser frowned. Anger infused his expression. Ruby didn’t understand what a guardian did and why this mattered to Sol. Weren’t they just asking Isser to share her as a mate—a husband?

“A guardian is more than a mate. He will belong to you even more than I do. If Isser accepts, his children are mine, and mine are his. You belong to us equally, but he can never take another mate. If he accepts, he is giving up his chance to have a family of his alone. It is a duty only a man who loves his brother and his brother’s woman would accept. You will take him to your bed at least once a month, more if you choose,”
Sol explained with his thoughts.

Having him in her head would take some getting used to. She’d spent every day of her life in training to belong completely to a religion. Maybe that was why it was so easy to adapt and accept these males so thoroughly. She couldn’t muster resistance. They were hers.

Chapter Five

Ruby squeezed Isser’s hand. A spasm doubled her over, and she released her hold on him. Ruby cried out, and Sol picked her up. “Oh, damn it, Isser, please. I can’t. Not yet. Go into the emergency supplies. Hurry.”

Isser jumped up and ran to the storage cupboard of emergency supplies. “Grab the candle and bottle of wine,” Sol shouted.

“What the fuck? Why are these here?” Isser asked suspiciously.

“It was Jewel’s idea. She said it never hurts to be prepared. There is a bottle of wine and a package of candles in both shuttles. I think she’s been hoping for another female. There’s no time to argue. Bring them here.”

Isser obeyed the other wolf. He felt hollow, wooden. He’d never considered this could really happen, but here he was getting ready for the most important duty of his life.

“Yes!” The admission burst from him before he really thought about the words. “I accept the role of guardian. I will keep your mate in my heart as my mate and your children as my children.”

“Good, now get your furry ass over here and make sure you have matches too.”

Isser’s hands shook as he carried the supplies. There was no backing out once it began. He and Sol would be united and share a family from this day forward.

“Light the damn candle. Hurry,” Sol commanded.

Isser fumbled, but he managed not to drop the wine bottle as he set it down. He lit the candle and handed it to Ruby and took a deep breath as he gazed into the warm yellow-brown eyes of the woman who would be his.

“I will savor the sweetness of this woman and be a light to guide her and her children in your absence. I will be the guardian of your family and share your joyous burden,” Isser said. He spoke quietly, but some of his confidence returned.

“Close your eyes, my sweet mate. I do not want the sight of blood to stir your tiger,” Sol said to Ruby. She immediately obeyed.

“You know what to do,” he said. Isser poured some wine into a small glass and grabbed the knife he’d taken from the emergency supplies. Isser bled into the glass of wine before licking his wound to help with the healing and handing the glass to Sol.

“I accept your vow, and I cherish the light you bring to my family and nurture the sweetness of your bond. Thank you, my brother.” Sol gazed at Ruby. “Open your eyes and blow out the candle if you accept him as your guardian.”

Ruby glanced at Isser. She gave him a tender smile and blew. A gray tendril of smoke snaked into the air and away from the extinguished wick. Isser’s cock grew into an erection. He licked his lips nervously as he gazed down at the woman who’d just accepted him as hers.

“Drink all the wine. This bond is of blood. We will unite until death. You are ours to share, Ruby. There is no changing your mind once you drink. Take Isser inside and drink him as he will drink you,” Sol said.

Isser’s cock began to harden more as he pressed the glass to her lips and she drank. He’d never ached for a woman as he did now for Ruby. She closed her eyes, and she allowed him to give her the wine. She drank it all. When she opened her eyes, she glanced nervously at him. Isser could breathe. He focused on her as he tried to see if she’d accepted him. Performing the ritual was not the same thing as feeling it. She was in his heart—soul—but was he in hers? He squinted, as if he could adjust the world by changing his focus.

“She has accepted you as her guardian, Isser. We are one,” Sol said.

Relief filled Isser so deeply he fought not to sag as a result. The air left his lungs slowly. When he took his next breath, he felt different. Ruby had made him whole when he didn’t even know he needed her love to fill him.

Ruby twisted into a ball on the cot, moaning. Isser’s joy turned into terror.

“She hurts. Damn it. Don’t just stand there. Make love to her.”

Isser nodded. His cock remained hard.

Sol slid onto the cot behind Ruby. He took her in his arms and began rubbing her back, shoulders, and neck. She relaxed and leaned back against his chest. His hands went around her. He played with her breasts. Sol kissed her throat, and she bent her head so his lips gained better access to the long, thin column of her neck. The younger wolf nuzzled her behind the ear tenderly. She glanced up at Isser and held out her hand in invitation. Ruby spread her long pale legs widely. Isser went to her and took the hand she offered. She smiled up at him, and his heart swelled. Then she cried out and wrapped her arms around her midsection.

“I will care for you today and until the day I die,” he uttered. “What can I do?”

“Make my pain go away,” she murmured in response. “Make me feel good.”

He knelt between her legs and pushed them as far apart as they would go. He allowed himself a moment to savor the sight and scent of her desire. Her body was glorious. His mouth found her ready pussy. He licked at her ambrosia and lost himself in the taste and texture of her body. Closing his eyes, he focused on pleasuring her. Her whimpers and cries told him he was doing well. He heard Sol murmuring sweet love words in her ear. Love swelled in his heart for both of them.

“Thank you, Brother. I will care for her and love her. I will not let you down. I would give my life to protect her and any children she brings to our pack.”
Isser thought the words on the private channel of communication he and Sol shared.

“I would trust no one else.”
Sol returned the thought.

Isser’s heart swelled. His face remained firmly pressed between Ruby’s lovely legs. He continued to enjoy her, and she squirmed under his attentiveness. Ruby screamed, and he listened to her come. A spurt of moisture touched his chin, and he rubbed his stubbled chin against her wet clit. Ruby wailed, and she thrashed wildly. Isser stood and positioned himself on the cot. In a single thrust, he was deep in her tight, wet warmth. Her muscles contracted around him, and he fought to hold back. He was so close, but he refused to come until she had finished. Isser pulled back and then entered her again with a hard quick pump. Ruby wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Love…I love you!” she cried out in mindless passion. “I love you both!”

Sol kissed the side of her face, but his eyes focused on Isser. Something intense passed between the men as they loved this woman—their woman. Isser moved faster. Ruby’s keening wail of delight echoed in the small space. When her screams had died to whimpers, Isser let go. With a long groan, he released himself inside her. Ruby’s arms remained locked tightly around his neck. His heart beat in time with hers. The force of his love for this woman stole his breath.

“We are one,” he groaned.

“Yes,” she replied softly. Volumes of unspoken words stretched out between them. This was more than he’d ever hoped to have. She’d given him the dream.

He tilted his head to see Sol. “Thank you.”

The younger wolf closed his eyes and gave a long, steady nod. When he opened them, he pinned Isser with a powerful gaze. Gratitude flourished in his expression. “No, thank you.”

“I have never felt so complete,” Ruby whispered. “This—it’s as if I’ve been sleeping and you’ve come and woken me.”

“You’ll never sleep again, sweet. It’s good you’ve been getting your rest,” Isser teased. He leaned forward and captured her mouth with his. Ruby wrapped her arms around Isser’s neck. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before their lips made contact. The kiss was tender at first before Isser pulled her closer. He kissed her with demanding strength. She whimpered against his lips. Her body relaxed against his, and everything about her posture was submissive. The sensation thrilled his inner wolf. His cock remained lodged deeply inside the warmth of his woman. Nothing in his life had ever felt more like home.

He propped himself up on his arm and let the joy flow over him in waves. Energized and playful, he fought the urge to tackle her and his blood brother. Freedom like this hadn’t been in his soul since he was just a pup. She yawned. Turning sleepy eyes on him, she gazed contently up into his face. Isser cradled the back of her head in his hands. Isser marveled at the miracle of holding her. This was all he’d ever wanted and more than he’d dared to hope. He had a woman. Ruby was his mate. Sharing her with his beloved friend and blood brother only made everything more fulfilling. He was hers. Always.

The deep commitment rattled him, and he sucked in a breath. Her eyes widened slightly. Tipping her face up higher with his index finger, Isser gazed down at her. Isser’s soul relished the nourishing sight. She filled the cavernous emptiness that had plagued him all of his adult life. He rubbed his thumbs tenderly over her high cheekbones and smiled down at her. “Beautiful.” Isser whispered the word as if it were a prayer.

The rumble of a midsize transport landing was unmistakable. No one should be landing here. The sense of danger prickled down his spine, and he shook off the feeling. He still held her close, and without conscious thought, he pulled her tighter against him. Another distant mechanical roar caused Isser to pause. He held still—listening. His eyes narrowed, and every instinct in his body roared to life.
Protect. Protect. Protect. Protect
. Protecting his mate was the only thing that mattered.

The wolf’s mantra echoed in his mind formlessly. Nothing mattered except Ruby’s safety. Sol even took second place in his concerns. He’d die for his woman, and his blood brother, but he hoped that wouldn’t be required today. He had much more interesting things he wanted to do for Ruby. Using a measure of control beyond anything he’d needed in the past, he reined in the wolf. With sheer willful determination, Isser kept himself calm and in human form.

“Did you hear that?” Sol asked as he sat up. He’d gone from sleepy to fully alert in an instant.

Ruby reached up and touched the side of his face. His body was still intertwined with hers. “Your eyes were glowing. What’s the matter?” Her voice shook slightly. The sound of her fear made his wolf crazy again, and he had to take a deep, calming breath. He had to be better and stronger than he’d been before. His mate deserved a man who wasn’t controlled by only his instinct.

She took his hand tenderly in hers. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers in a crushing, demanding kiss. The sight intensified Isser’s passion. He was breathing hard. He clenched his fists. The elation of seeing Sol and Ruby together brought him joy and stirred his own desire. Glorious. Honest. Stunning. He relished this moment of perfection. Their woman panted and whimpered against Sol’s lips. Ruby threw her arms around his brother’s neck. Isser smelled her desire, and it made his cock hard. He gulped down a lungful of air.

Another rumbling told him he wasn’t imagining the sound. The vessel was near. It was time to worry. There was no reason a ship would enter the planet’s atmosphere unless they were coming for them or having an emergency. Isser rushed up to the pilot’s seat and glanced at the console. Any distressed ship would be throwing a wide signal, and their ship detected nothing. Whoever had landed was not trying to communicate. He double-checked the radar, and it was still clear. The interloper’s ship was cloaked. If it weren’t for the planet’s higher gravity field, they’d have landed stealthily. His animal nature saved him, and Isser’s hearing had alerted him to the arrival when the ship’s advanced warning system had nothing to offer.

Isser rolled away from Ruby, and his cock slid out of her. He regretted breaking the contact.

“What is it?” She sounded even more worried. Anger that his woman was distressed made his wolf wild once more.

“I heard something. I’m just going to go have a look. It’s all right, love,” he assured her as he pulled on his pants. He grabbed his weapons belt off the floor and clicked it into place. The security of having the laser within reach calmed his wolf to a small degree.

The crashing thud of an impact against the ship sent him off balance, and as he stumbled back, he grabbed the back of the copilot’s seat. His head snapped toward the cot, and his entire focus was on his woman and her safety. Sol held her in one arm as he gripped the side of the welded-down cot with the other. Relief surfaced. He was glad the responsibility for her safety was dual. They’d both die for her. He wouldn’t lose her to Lilymann. He’d fought many times in his life, but this battle’s importance eclipsed everything. He’d experienced too much loss. He wouldn’t watch her die at the hands of enemies as his mother had. He’d fight for her, and he saw the same fire in Sol’s expression. Together they’d keep her from harm.

Wild alarms blared from the console illuminating the room in red-and-blue strobe flashes of color. Ruby’s eyes widened, and she clung tightly to Sol. She never looked away from Isser.