“So,” says Cyrus, “if you believe she was sent to… distract us, you wouldn’t want her present at the business meeting tonight. In her pleasure dress.”
This deal is worth nearly half a billion credits… but suddenly I don’t care if I’m distracted. Having the controls to Mia’s dress would be priceless.
Gallus opens The Art of War, but doesn’t look down at it. He has it memorized at this point, but he has a far-off look. “There is one other thing we must consider.”
“Yes?”
“It is possible she is our mate.”
I swallow hard as a rush of hope wells up inside me – hope that I quickly clamp down on. I pride myself on being logical, rational, and detached. I can’t allow my emotions – the poison of hope – to sway my decision-making progress.
But if Mia was our mate…
My first instinct is to dismiss such a possibility. While it’s true that Aurelians spend their entire lives seeking their Fated Mate, the possibility of it happening is so remote – so inconceivable – that I have long since tried to remain rational and not get my hopes up. I am satisfied with my love for Lalana – short and bittersweet as that was.
But as much as the rational part of me think it’s impossible – infinitesimally unlikely given the billions of human souls spread across millions of light years – it would make sense, given how Mia has such an effect on me.
And, if that was true…
Our Fated Mate.
But, no - I don’t want to even entertain that possibility. It’s almost as if the mere thought of it might snuff out any chance of it ever actually being true. All our lives, all Aurelians have dreamed of it – it is our born purpose, after all.
Every time I enter another woman, a woman who smelled right, and then learned that she was not the one woman in the universe who could give my triad a future, it was a bitter disappointment, each one worse than the last.
And now, this.
I don’t trust Mia…
…but the truth? She could be a murderer, and yet I would forgive her. I would forgive her everything and anything if she was our Fated Mate.
I look to our leader.
“Gallus, it’s in your nature to be full of greed…”
He holds up a warning hand.
“Perhaps, Varian – but you do feel it, too. There’s something about her that’s special…” He narrows his eyes. “…but she’s drawing away from us.”
I tap my fingers against the now-empty bar, where once those three precious, crystal glasses stood. Gallus’s words make me think, though. I just can’t understand Mia. I could taste her lust. She ached for us, just as we ached for her – but just when she was about to give herself to us, she pulled away.
I take a deep breath. All our auras are calmer now, but they still aren’t yet relaxed, and there’s still the underlying buzz of desperate need.
Cyrus shakes his head. “I thought I knew what she wanted. Perhaps we were too much – too soon. She is a virgin, after all.”
I shoot him a dark glare. “We? This was all your doing, Cyrus.”
Cyrus bristles, standing up to his full height in front of me.
It’s been a while since we’ve squared off against each other like this, but it’s not the first time. Since even before our hundred years of service were completed, arguments occasionally came to blows between us. We’ve never held a grudge – it was always better than letting resentment simmer beneath the surface. Bruises and bloody noses heal faster than that.
But, right now? If it comes to it, I’ll wrestle him to the ground and give him a shot in the head for good measure.
Cyrus snaps: “She was enjoying it until you two interrupted.”
Gallus steps between us. “Men, be still. Tonight will be the test. If she dons the pleasure dress as demanded, and serves us during the business dinner… Well, then we are making progress with her. If she refuses, we must find another angle of attack.”
“Attack?” Cyrus snorts. “Is that from The Art of War as well?”
Gallus turns to his battle-brother and growls: “The art of war and the art of love have many parallels.” He taps the leather cover of the book. “It would do you well to read this again and make notice of them.”
Cyrus snorts.
I let them bicker. My mind is focused on Gallus’s words – and the image they conjure up inside my head.
The pleasure dress. When Mia puts it on, she’ll know exactly what it is, and why we chose it for her. It’s woven from fine strands of material that do far more than just caress and excite her body. If she was on the brink of giving in to us earlier, the pleasure dress will send her over the edge – until instead of resisting us, she’ll be begging us.
My cock hardens even more at the thought - something I thought impossible.
I bark: “Good. Then, tonight will tell the tale.” I narrow my eyes. “Nevertheless, I’m going to keep an eye on that one. I still think it’s possible she’s a spy.”
I’m certainly not convinced that she’s as innocent as Gallus and Cyrus might believe.
Perhaps I should have Aurelian intelligence check out her story. They’ll be able to track down the merchant and run the contract of work through the database.
I frown.
Though with an off-world employer, who has already left the planet… It will be hard to know the truth, either way.
Life had been so simple, until Mia came into it. Now, she’s filled all of our minds. Before we encountered her, all I could think about was securing this huge business deal and expanding our empire into the food and agriculture business on Deemak....
…now, all I can think of is the sweet satisfaction of being fully, completely inside of Mia. I yearn for that moment of bliss when I feel her body opening up against my need, surrendering completely to