Night of the Zandians (Zandian Brides 1)

Jax holds up his hands. “All right, all right. She’s way more. Looks smart. She’s the medic, right?”

“Riya.”

She looked at me earlier and blushed, just as she had when she treated my wounds last night. When I had my hand under that short tunic cupping her tight little ass. Veck. I’m hard just thinking about it. “Her name is Riya.” Her name sounds exotic and delicious, like she looks.

“We need to claim her,” I tell Jax, and scowl. I don’t even know why I’m saying this—I don’t want a female. But I’m sure as veck not letting this one slip through my fingers, either. “Before another warrior does.” My fists close at the thought of some other Zandian with Riya.

“I think she’s already yours, cousin.”

I want to throat-punch Jax for his characteristic light-hearted and positive outlook.

“No. You need to charm her. You and Ronan. She’ll be afraid of me.”

Jax eyes me, not missing that I’m holding something back. “What did you do to her?”

“What did I miss?” Ronan comes up in a hurry, panting as he jogs. “I was on guard duty onboard the palatial pod and just got relieved.”

“What did you miss?” Jax rolls his eyes. “Just about the most life-altering thing you can ever imagine. Great planet rotation to be lazy.”

“Go veck yourself.” Ronan punches him in the arm. “Tell me,” he demands, more seriously this time, picking up on the tension in the courtyard.

“It appears,” Jax says, his voice collected, “the three of us are going to share one mate. A human. From what the king just announced, it sounds like Zandians can apply as a team, which must include a female, to receive a homestead here.”

“Hot Zandian star!” The thrill in Ronan’s voice is evident. “It’s about time. I’ve been dreaming of a nice little Zandian homestead my whole life. And a female to share? That just sweetens it all the more. This is the best news I could imagine.” He throws his arms around our shoulders. He laughs out loud. “This is the best planet rotation, cousins!”

“You don’t care that we all have to share one mate?” My voice comes out more forcefully than I intend. Yes, we’ve shared females, the three of us, in random encounters, and we all enjoyed it that way. But long-term, a mate with whom we are expected to bond and protect? It seems complex and troublesome. What if I want to kill them both every time they touch Riya?

There’s no doubt in my mind now that she’ll be our female. I’ve been dying to claim her lush little body from the moment I saw her out on the battlefield trying to drag the wounded in by herself.

She’s fierce. And the way she lifted her chin when I threatened to warm her ass for leaving the safety of the downed ship was adorable. A little warrior exists behind that alluring peachy flesh of hers.

And then there’s those vecking thighs…

Stars, if I don’t get to be the one to pry them open and taste her honey first, I might throttle both my cousins.

Ronan smiles, and I scowl again. Ronan is always so… excited about things. It irritates the veck out of me. “I never thought I’d be lucky enough to get a mate.” Ronan shrugs. “I don’t mind. I share everything with you two, anyway. Why not our future?”

Easy for him to say. With his ever-present smile and jokes, Ronan has a way of making friends with any and every being in the galaxy. Naturally Ronan wouldn’t mind anything.

“Which female do we get? Is it the one with the bare thighs?” Ronan leans to look in the direction of the medbay. “Is she… ours?”

I’m simultaneously relieved and pissed that Ronan’s already picked the same female Jax and I agreed on. At least we won’t argue, but I hate that he’s been drooling over her. But it is interesting that all three of us have zeroed in on her. What does it mean? Probably nothing, other than we share the same taste in women.

“We don’t know yet,” I snap. “We don’t know how the females will be distributed. I assume we have to make her willing, but who knows? They may use Daneth’s gene matching technology like they did when they bought the king’s mate.”

All three of us bare our teeth at the thought of not getting to make this choice on our own.

“She smells… good.” Ronan smiles.

“When have you smelled her?” I growl, jealousy flooding my veins.

“Calm down, cousin.” Ronan elbows me. “I’ve never seen you act so possessive before. Don’t worry, I’ve not mated her in secret. I happened to pass her just now and I noticed her scent.”

I grunt, ignoring the relief that courses through me. Not that it matters. If I have to share a female, I’ll have to accept the fact that she is all of ours.

“Her name is Riya,” I force myself to say. “And I think you two should go and talk to her.”

Ronan shoots a quizzical glance at Jax.