Brides of the Kindred Volume One Read online

  She finished the drink and someone fluffed a pillow behind her head and drew a light blanket over her naked body. “Sleep now,” the familiar voice murmured. “I must tend to my brother. He’s almost healed so maybe next time…”

  But he didn’t finish what he was saying.

  “Next time what?” Kat wanted to demand. But she felt so warm and comfortable she couldn’t be bothered to form the words. Instead she slid into darkness and let herself dream.

  * * * * *

  “You’re healing well.” Lock eyed the broad expanse of his twin’s back critically. “Of course, there will be scars. Extensive scars, I’m afraid.”

  Deep, who was sitting at the edge of the large bed they shared, grunted noncommittally. “All warriors have scars.”

  “Most get them in battle, though.” Gently, Lock smoothed some of the healing lotion Mother L’rin had given them over his brother’s wounds. Most of them were nothing but pinkish-white lines now, criss-crossing the tan expanse of Deep’s back. The wise woman had been right—he was healing remarkably quickly. His body, anyway. Lock feared that he would carry the memory of the beating with him forever. Not that he would admit to caring about such a thing—or anything for that matter. “Do you want to help me attend Kat again tonight?” he asked, changing the subject.

  Deep frowned. “She’s not going to be happy when she finds out we’ve been bathing her while she’s unconscious, you know.”

  “We drape towels over her to preserve her modesty,” Lock protested. “Besides, we’re only acting on Mother L’rin’s orders. She said Kat needed to spend plenty of time in the bathing pool—warm water is healing.”

  “Kat won’t see it like that,” Deep predicted sourly. “She’ll think it’s a violation. And she’ll think the same thing about completing the soul bond.”

  “We have to complete the bond. Nothing else will heal her fractured spirit.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t want to be healed. Maybe she’d rather be dead than bonded to the two of us,” Deep snapped. “Did you ever think about that?”

  “I know what you’re thinking but Kat isn’t like that. She isn’t like her,” Lock said in a low voice.

  “So you say.” Deep frowned moodily.

  “We swore to Sophia and Olivia that we would do everything in our power to protect and heal Kat,” Lock reminded his brother.

  “We’re doing a wonderful job so far, aren’t we?” Deep snarled. “We’re the reason she’s sick in the first place. We should never have used her as a focus. Never let ourselves feel…” He shook his head.

  “It’s too late for those regrets now,” Lock said softly, dabbing more lotion on his brother’s back. He could feel how tense Deep was—could see it in the way his broad shoulders bunched with misery. The emotion echoed inside his heart, making him ache for his twin. “All we can do is try to heal her, to undo the damage we’ve done.”

  “By completing a soul bond with a female who never wants to take the next step and make the physical bond with us as well? What good will it do any of us to have half a bond?” Deep demanded.

  “It will heal the lady Kat,” Lock said firmly, trying to ignore his own fears. “That’s all that matters right now.”

  Deep sighed and his broad shoulders slumped. “Have it your way, Brother. But don’t be surprised if she wants nothing to do with you—with either one of us—when this is over.”

  * * * * *

  Four, large warm hands on her body woke her up. They weren’t touching her anywhere inappropriate—shoulders, hips, thighs—but they were there, on her bare skin. Bare skin…oh my God—I’m naked! And so were the large, male bodies bracketing her own. She could feel their muscular warmth against her back and breasts, surrounding her, invading her, owning her. The familiar current of sexual electricity was running through her body—the feeling she always got when Deep and Lock were touching her bare skin at the same time. When the three of them were…

  Kat’s eyes flew open and she found herself looking into Lock’s melted chocolate gaze.

  “Welcome back to the land of the living, my lady,” he murmured with a smile. “We’re very glad to have you back.”

  “Lock’s right—you gave us quite a scare,” Deep’s voice rumbled from behind her. “We didn’t think you would make it, there for awhile.”

  “I almost died,” Kat blurted, the memory momentarily overcoming her shock at finding herself naked between them. “I was floating above my own body, looking down. I saw you talking about me. And then…” She frowned. “I had another dream. It was terrible but—”

  “But it’s over now,” Lock finished for her, soothingly. “You’re getting better, Kat, but you’re not out of danger yet.”

  “In my dream you were taking me to Twin Moons. Where am I?” she demanded.

  “I would think that would be obvious,” Deep growled in her ear. “You’re in our bed, little Kat. And that’s where you’re going to stay until you’re all better.”

  “What are you talking about?” She struggled to get up but they held her down, gently but firmly.

  “Don’t be upset,” Lock pleaded. “We won’t hurt you, my lady. You must know that by now.”

  “Look, I don’t know what you two think you’re doing, but I’m not interested in any more joinings. Especially after the way I felt after our last one. I had a headache so bad I felt like my skull was going to split in two.”

  “We fully comprehend your pain,” Lock said.

  “Easy for you to say,” Kat muttered. “You can talk about it all you want but—”

  “It’s not just talk.” Deep’s voice was unexpectedly somber. “Lock and I know what we put you through. And we can’t tell you how much we regret it.”

  Kat sighed. “All right—it’s not like it’s all your fault. After all, I was the one who asked for that last joining in order to find Sophie. I guess you could say I got what was coming to me.”

  “No.” Lock shook his head. “We were dabbling in an area we didn’t fully understand. We never should have used you as a focus in the first place.”

  “And we have no interest in doing it again now,” Deep continued. “What we’re trying to do is heal you.”

  “Heal me? You’re trying to heal me by rubbing your…by rubbing against me?” Kat didn’t even try to keep the skepticism out of her voice. “Yeah, right.”

  “Truly, my lady.” Lock’s brown eyes were earnest. “Mother L’rin—”

  “Who?”

  “The healer we brought you to our home planet to see,” Deep supplied. “She’s an expert in the seeker/finder/focus relationship as well as a master of her craft.”

  “Okay, let me get this straight,” Kat said. “I was at death’s door so you two brought me home to the wise old healer lady to be cured. And her ‘prescription’ was for us to all get naked together in bed?” She twisted around to frown at Deep. “Can you see why I’m not buying this? I mean come, on guys—give me a break!”

  “It’s true.” Deep glared at her, his coal black eyes burning. “Your spirit has been fractured by the stress of acting as our focus. Until we bind it securely back to your body, you’re in danger of dying.”

  “Deep is right,” Lock said softly. “Your spirit could become untethered again at any time.”

  “Well that’s a risk I guess I’ll have to take,” Kat snapped. “I’ll let you know if I see a bright tunnel and start hearing the voices of dead relatives telling me to ‘go into the light.’ Until then, you two can keep your hands and your, uh, other body parts to yourselves.”

  She started to sit up and this time, as if by mutual consent, they let her. But the moment she was upright, dizziness swept over her, making the world spin and the room dance. She had a vague impression of a large, masculine space lit by soft, glowing lights in the corners. Then she had to put her head in her hands and shut her eyes to keep from getting sick.

  “My lady? Are you all right?” Lock’s voice was anxious.

  “Fine. I’m just