Triad

joining with Pajackok and Ragtow just before I came over to this time. They need you. Their people need you too.”

Ignoring the part about the men needing her, Onatah focused on the confirmation her sister had just given her. “So it’s true. I’m no longer in 1816. Am I even in the same area as before? Or did I land across the ocean in the land of the white man?”

Jack answered for Orenda. “You’re in a small cabin outside the town of Gananoque. You’re in Canada, Onatah. From what Orenda has told me, we’re simply on the other side of the river from where your village used to stand.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Then it’s true-the fire destroyed everything?”

“According to the history books, yes. The Americans burned down many villages and drove many Native Americans from their homes. The Iroquois nation is no longer as mighty as it once was.” Ragtow took her hand in his. “So if you went back it would be to 276

a burned out village with many of your clan already dead. We’d have to find another village and another clan to accept us.”

She stared up at him. “Us?”

“Yes.” Ragtow pressed the back of her hand against his mouth. A gasp escaped her before she could stop it. The certainty in his eyes astonished her. “Where you go, ma puissance, so do we. So whatever choice you decide we will follow.”

“You don’t have to make your decision now, sister. You have until the full moon fades to decide if you and your mates stay in this time or go back home. Before you decided give this time a chance. There are plenty of opportunities here for a healer of your magnitude. Jack works at the hospital and the free clinic. He helps those who can’t afford the most basic of health care. Ragtow works at the production plant in Research and Development and makes unbelievable instruments to help the healers of this time.”

Tears filled Onatah’s eyes. “And you? What does thou do during this time?”

“I work at a casino.”

Onatah tried the word out on her tongue. “A casino? What is…a casino?”

“It’s a place where men and women alike come and wager money on cards and other games of chance.”

“Thou does this wagering?”

Orenda shook her head and sat down next to her sister. “No, I don’t wager. I watch to make sure no one cheats.”

Staring at her sister, what she’d said had made sense. Before she’d died…no

‘time traveled to the future’… Orenda had settled many disputes between the warriors and their own chieftain. The chief himself had come to her for her prophecies. If her 277

sister could make a spot for herself in this new time, who was to say she couldn’t? With her family gone and everything familiar gone, what was waiting for her in the past? Her head hurt and she leaned back trying to clear her mind.

“Don’t think so hard about it. You have three days before the full moon fades from the northern sky. If you wish to return home wait by the river where Jack and Ragtow brought you ashore, then the path for you to return home will appear.” Orenda placed her hand over Onatah’s and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. “Now it’s time for me to go. I have my shift starting in less than an hour and I’d better get a move on before my boss decides to write me up for being late again. I love you baby sister. I’ll be back to visit before the full moon fades. Take this time to get to know your mates.” She leaned in and pressed a kiss against Onatah’s forehead before slipping back out of the room.

She was slightly dazed as her gaze focused on the hot stares coming from the men who were destined to be her mates. She shivered when her body reacted to their obvious desires. When Jack moved, she held up a hand.

“Wait! Please wait.”

He stilled even though her protest did little to dampen the desire she saw in his gaze.

“What is it, Onatah? Are you scared now that your sister has left? We won’t hurt you. We held you between us throughout the night and you remained in your untried state despite our desire.” His voice was hoarse with his deepening desire as he reached for his braids and began to loosen his hair.

Unable to help herself she sat mesmerized as he finished loosening his hair.

When his hands reached for the buttons on his shirt, she adverted her eyes to only be ensnared by Ragtow’s matter of fact removal of his clothes. The soft tunic covering his wide chest was now gone and his hands were smoothly unfastening his breaches.

Licking her lips, she jerked her eyes away from the tempting sight. How was she supposed to resist when no matter which way she turned they were tantalizing her senses and stroking her own need higher?

“Don’t hide from us, ma puissance. ” The need in Ragtow’s voice had her swallowing and looking her eyes on his face. His desire was plain to see and she felt a curious melting in her core when he stood and shucked his breeches. It took all of her willpower to not let her gaze fall to his sex. Even as badly as she wanted to see if her dream was correct, she didn’t trust herself not to beg for his hard length in her mouth as she had in the dream. She was virginal but did not feel like it. Only loose women thought such daring exciting thoughts.

The shift of weight on the bed next to her had her turning to see Jack stretched out on his side next to her. He was quite naked and didn’t seem to be the least bit self-conscious of the fact. Gripping the edge of the blanket in her fingers, she tried to focus on anything other than her need. Each breath she took brought their intoxicating scent deeper into her lungs.

The bed rocked once more as Ragtow settled his muscular frame on the other side of her. She glanced back and forth between them uncertain how to react to the idea she was surrounded by two very virile and vastly aroused males. This was beyond her scope as a healer let alone a woman.

“I…thou…” A flush washed over her while she tried to cope with their closeness.

“Shh.” Ragtow’s voice was soft as he slid one arm between her head and the bedding. His arm cradled her head as he bent to brush his lips across hers. Despite the silence coming from her other side, she was almost sure Jack was watching every caress of his cousin’s lips against hers. When a deep hiss came from her left, she knew she’d been right.

“Dammit, Ragtow, quit fooling around. Kiss her like you mean it or I will.”

Ragtow lifted his head and gazed down at her with a question in his dark eyes.

“Aye.” Reaching up, she buried her fingers in his hair and pulled his head down to hers and pressed her mouth to his. A moan built deep inside of her as the rightness of what she was doing washed over her. Her very strict upbringing was being drowned out by the lust which had her in its grips. She wanted them, one or the other or both together. What was more-she needed them.

When Ragtow finally lifted from her mouth, he sat her up and stripped the soft shirt off her with help from Jack before he arranged her amongst the pillows. “We need you, Onatah. In ways that are sure to scare a virgin such as yourself. We’ll try to control it but we can’t promise there won’t come a time when we…”

“You’re fumbling this, Ragtow!” Jack’s voice had a hint of laughter in it. “What my dear cousin is trying to explain to you is for our triad to form both of us will have to take you together. Do you understand what that means?” Still laying on his side, his face was mere inches from hers.

She blushed. “Like the dream?”

“Close. Instead of using your mouth, ma tranqilite, we shall share you between us.”

The healer in her was intrigued. “How? Tis not possible.”

Ragtow chuckled at Jack’s stunned expression. “Now who’s fumbling, cousin?”

Lifting her leg over his hip, Ragtow traced his fingers up her inner thigh. “A woman has two portals she may pleasure her lovers with. While one lover slides deep inside her here…” His fingers traced the seam of her pussy lips before trailing down them to rest against the tightly furled entrance to her bottom. “…another may enter here. It allows the woman to pleasure both of her lovers while they in turn pleasure her. I’ve been told the pleasure which comes from sharing a woman this way is like no other in power and joy.”

She moistened her lips. “I’m not sure if I…”