Sought(65)

“I’m not completely out of reach,” she said quietly. “I’m just frightened. Feeling your emotions all the time—that’s pretty overwhelming. And you…you can be pretty scary sometimes.” She lifted her chin. “Not that I’m afraid of you.”

He studied her for a long moment. “Maybe I’m afraid of you—did you think about that?”

“Why?” Kat frowned. “You’re a hundred times stronger than me. You could probably break me in half with your pinky finger.”

“It isn’t physical pain that frightens me,” he said hoarsely. “That’s nothing. It’s—”

At that moment five or six of the pink-skinned natives came into the cave, voices echoing in the darkness with their strange language. Kat caught parts of several different haikus, though none of them made much sense.

“Deep,” she said apprehensively.

“Stay behind me.” Deep dropped her hands and stood protectively in front of her. He was so big she had to peer around him to catch sight of their captors.

Suddenly a new voice rang in the cave. “It’s all right. Deep—Kat—don’t worry.” Lock suddenly appeared behind the armed natives. “It’s all right,” he said again. “They’re just moving us to the guest hut.”

“The guest hut?” Deep sounded skeptical. “Why are we going there?”

“I convinced the chief that we’re not going to run away.” Lock reached them at last. Then he nodded and said something to the natives who grunted back and began to lead the way out of the cave.

“So are we stuck here?” Kat started to head for the entrance but her foot slipped on a loose stone and she nearly fell. “Whoa!”

“Be careful!” Deep caught her by the arm. “Are you all right?” he asked frowning. “Still weak?”

“A little weak but I’m fine,” Kat assured him.

“Perhaps I should assist you, just in case.” Lock came up on her other side and took her hand.

“A good idea, Brother,” Deep said, letting her go at once. “Be certain she doesn’t trip—the ground here is treacherous.”

“Yes, it’s very dangerous.” Kat reached for the dark twin and took him by the hand. She saw Deep’s startled look as she entwined their fingers and she gave him a tentative smile in return. “So dangerous that I need both of you to help me.”

“If you’re certain…” Deep looked down at their hands as though he couldn’t believe she was touching him when she didn’t have to.

Kat could scarcely believe it herself. Now that all three of them were touching skin-to-skin, she could feel the familiar tingle of sexual electricity traveling through her body. But strangely enough, she had no urge to pull away and end it as she always had before. Instead she held both brothers’ hands tightly and smiled at both of them as they exited the cave.

It wasn’t far from the rocky cave in the hillside to a small village of grass huts, enclosed by a high wall of sharpened green stakes. Their captors led them past the gates and through the middle of the native town.

Kat tightened her grip on the twins’ hands and tried not to notice how people were gawking at them. Apparently having strangers in town was big news—especially if they were aliens from another land. She saw family units, all with two males and one female, and numerous pink children running around and playing in the lush belsh that carpeted the ground. The women stopped drawing water from the well and the children ceased their chatter as Kat and her men walked past. Well, I always did want to be a show-stopper, she thought wryly, smiling at one of the many children who were staring gape-jawed at them.

At last they reached a circular grass hut near the outskirts of town and their guards motioned for them to go in.

“Thank you.” Kat ducked inside, grateful to be out of the public eye. She wanted to explore the grass hut they found themselves in but she was already tired again. “So what kind of deal did you make with the chief?” she asked Lock, as she sat on a straw-stuffed cushion covered in the same velvety belsh as the ground. “God, I’m wiped.”

“Are you all right?” Deep, who had been checking the hut, his eyes narrowed for possible threats, looked at her with concern.

“Fine.” She waved a hand at him. “Still just a little tired, that’s all.”

“You mean weak.” He came to sit beside her and nodded at his brother. “Lock, come. Kat needs both of us now.”

“With pleasure.” Lock settled himself on her other side. “Is there a problem?”