Own Her by Jenika Snow

9

Mekenna stared out of the observation deck at the dark-red planet of Hades. It was still a good distance away, and they wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow at some point, but she was one step closer to finally being able to experience what living was like. Could these males be lying about their intentions with her?

Of course they could, but because of her acute Cellulion senses, she would have been able to scent out the lies and deceit from the beginning. Besides, they hadn’t touched her sexually, even though they wanted to, and aside from her taking the initiative with Viktor last night, they had kept their distance.

She left the observation deck and moved into a smaller chamber that held a digital library. There were several levitating chairs, and the electronic pads that sat on the platform in front of the chairs held so many books she couldn’t even count them all. She knew that the world long ago, before the technological advances, had been primitive in so many ways.

She moved over to the chair, grabbed one of the pads, and started skimming through the digital titles that were centuries old, and sat down. The light overhead was not overly bright but gave off enough illumination that she could see the detailed images on the devices, and she lost track of time.

“You’ve been in here for a while.” The deep voice that came from the entrance startled her, and she lifted her head to see Viktor watching her. He wore another pair of leathers, these darker, almost black, and his hair was wet from his clear recent bath. He stepped into the room and smiled down at her. “You’ve been in here for a few hours.”

Had she?

She glanced down at the digital tablet, saw she was already halfway through the story, and realized he was right. Gods, she had been in here for a long time, and she hadn’t even noticed. “I’m sorry.” She smiled and set the tablet down.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. We want you to be able to do as you please, for however long you want to do it. This is your life now, and you are not our prisoner or our servant.”

She swallowed, never hearing such kind words spoken to her before.

“Thank you again.”

He nodded in a gruff way and moved toward the chair across from her. After he was seated, he leaned back and braced his big arms over the back of the chair. “What were you reading?” Viktor asked and nodded with his chin toward the tablet on the table.

“I wasn’t actually reading… because I can’t.” Embarrassment filled her.

“We can put a reading chip in you, if you like?”

She nodded. Servants were not taught such luxuries, especially if they didn’t benefit their owners. “I was looking at the images, and I guess I got lost in it all.” She licked her lips. “But from the images, I gathered it was about a family on Earth trying to survive after the third World War that devastated and destroyed the planet.”

He nodded once. “That is one of Savastian’s favorites. I don’t get to read much, but when I do have the time, I enjoy the newer titles that have come out in this century.” He grinned and flashed her his straight white smile.

“I would assume you three have much more important things to worry about than reading.”

He didn’t respond but continued to stare at her with that piercing dark gaze of his. She felt bared for him, more than a little off-kilter when she was in their presence, but only in the best of ways.

“Would you like to hear about our planet before we arrive tomorrow?” he asked in that deep, slightly hoarse and scratchy voice of his.

Mekenna nodded, licked her lips, and settled back against the soft cushioning of the air chair.

“Although you have human genetics, your Cellulion blood should allow you to live comfortably in the extreme heat of Hades, especially since Sessinea is not much cooler than my home planet.”

Although she had never been to Hades, she did know enough about the red fire planet—that it was extremely hot because of the several suns in the sky, the lava rivers, lakes, and oceans, and of course the fire forest.

“Most Hades warriors live within the protection of the mountains on our planet, but my brothers and I have been living deep within the Fedenya caves in the center of the biggest fire forest called Goomata. It is on the other side of the Vella Mountains, but while protected from the heat and flames of our world, it still has a stabilized temperature to keep our kind comfortable.”

She pictured the fiery world he spoke of. Back on Sessinea, she had seen holographic images of Hades, and other planets in the Stoker Galaxy, and knew that not many forms of life could survive on it. Humans were by far the weakest, but if they stayed out of the extreme heat and elements, they could survive in the protection of caves and mountains.

But her species, even though she was half human, thrived in the heat. Her blue skin allowed the temperature to slowly be absorbed into her body and metabolized. She may appear human and look like her human servant mother, but she was very much a Cellulion alien.

The planet sounded frightening in some aspects, but she also remembered seeing the gorgeous fire oceans and bodies of lava, the towering black mountains and trees that had flames for leaves. It was a heaven and hell kind of world, and soon it would be where she’d spend the rest of her life.

Viktor went on to talk about his world more, giving her these visuals that no hologram could ever achieve. Mekenna found herself leaning forward, anticipating the stories, the creatures that were like monsters from a nightmare but for Hades were everyday occurrences.

How would she survive a planet where the life on it was so dangerous and destructive?

You’ll survive it, because you’ll be free, and any planet that allows you to have that kind of freedom is better than being chained up.

She lifted her hand to her neck, where there was no longer a chain around her throat. Viktor had taken it off as soon as they boarded the ship, and although it was strange to have that piece of metal off, she could still feel it there.

Maybe she always would, because that had been her life since the moment she came out of her mother.

After Viktor was finished speaking, he stood and went over to the window that showed the vast collection of planets and space. “Come stand by me, mate.”

She moved her hands over her thighs, took a deep, steadying breath, and rose, then moved toward him. For several moments, they just stood there, neither speaking, but the silence and atmosphere surrounding them comfortable.

“Did he harm you badly?” Viktor asked in a low, deep, and threatening voice.

She didn’t respond at first but did stare at him, thinking about his question. Mekenna didn’t want to talk about this, didn’t want to bring up what her life had been like. She was free now, as they had said to her, and so she exercised that right, hoping it didn’t backfire on her.

“Viktor, I would really prefer not to talk about that.” She looked at him, feeling unusual for speaking her mind at all. Although she had never done so in her entire life, Mekenna did see herself as a strong female. She was no longer in that situation, felt herself starting to become even stronger still as each hour passed and she was moving farther away from Sessinea.

Viktor turned and faced her, and for several minutes, he just watched her, not speaking, just breathing evenly. There was this hint of anger on his face, but she could scent that it wasn’t directed toward her.

“We should have killed him when we were there. Letting him live was the worst mistake I’ve made.”

That statement touched something so deep inside her that she knew these three men would forever be engrained in her. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and cupped his face. His flesh had slight stubble on his cheeks but was warm to the touch. He also leaned into her hold, and this wave of emotion moved through her.

“We may have just come into each other’s lives, but female—” He paused a moment, “—you have no idea how much control you have over us.”

Her heart slammed into her ribs, threatening to burst free. “Those are strong words, warrior.” Her throat was dry, closing in and making it difficult to breathe.

“Yes, but they are the truth. We knew as soon as we saw you that you were to be ours to claim,” Savastian said from behind her, and she looked over her shoulder. Fillip and Savastian stood in the entryway. For some reason, she wasn’t nervous or surprised to see them, their bodies damp from bathing and their focuses right on her.

Before she could answer, Viktor had his thumb and forefinger on her chin. He turned her head so she faced him again and claimed her mouth.

“You are ours, Mekenna, but you hold so much power over us,” he murmured against her lips. Viktor pressed her back to the glass and continued to kiss her. He started a slow pump and grind against her, and dammit she was helpless against the onslaught of his passion.

When she opened her eyes, she watched as Savastian and Fillip stared at them, observing the entire encounter. The dampness from Viktor’s recent bath coated his flesh, moved along her arms and neck because he was so close to her, and had her gently moaning into his mouth.

This drugged-like feeling swarmed through her. He started licking and sucking at her lips and then moved his mouth lower to repeat that action at her throat. She rested her head on the glass, stared at the brothers, and felt this voyeuristic energy fill her. When Viktor moved his hand down her hip and grabbed the gown she wore, he moved it up her thigh and kept it bunched at her waist.

“This is okay, dimina?”

She was stunned that he had even asked her if it was okay to touch her, but even more shocked that he had called her the Hades word for “little flower.” He pulled back so he could look in her face, and she stared into his dark eyes. After she nodded and whispered that she wanted this, he placed his hand on her pussy.

She wore no undergarments, and the feel of his warm, thick fingers had a gasp leaving her. It was like that one sound, and her acceptance of this, started something monumental. Savastian and Fillip groaned deeply, and Viktor pressed his fingers harder against her flesh.

A cry of pleasure left her when he slipped a thick finger between her folds. He stroked her while sucking at the flesh at the base of her throat. He slipped that finger into her body, stretching to the point pleasure and pain consumed her, then pumped that digit into her, slowly and easily, thrusting his erection into her belly.

Viktor pressed his thumb against her clit hard enough to have stars dancing in her vision. It was agony and ecstasy all rolled into one ball. She reached out and held tightly to his biceps and curled her nails into his flesh.

“That’s it, Mekenna. Let go, and I’ll make you feel so good,” he whispered against her neck. He pressed the pad of his finger deeper inside her.

“Oh gods—”

“A Hades male likes it rough, hard, and fast. We fuck with determination, want our female to scream out as she comes around our cocks.” His voice was low, and she heard his brothers groan, as if they were confirming what Viktor said. He leaned in, and his humid, sweet breath brushed along her cheek. “I want you a trembling mess under me, want you sucking Savastian’s cock while Fillip fucks your ass,” he groaned. “Fuck, we want you any and all ways we can get you, dimina.” He ground himself into her faster, with more power. “I can smell how wet you are for us, and know you like my brothers watching as I bring you pleasure.”

She bit her lip hard enough she tasted blood, then nodded. His cock gave a mighty jerk, and she gasped when he ran his tongue over her lip and licked the blood off. Mekenna dug her nails deeper into his skin, and before she could beg him for more, Viktor had her in his arms and strode out of the library.

Tonight she’d give herself to these males, and there would be no stopping it.