CHAPTER I

Errisa squirmed in her state of semi-awareness. She knew where she was; well, sort of. But, she wasn’t quite ready to open her eyes and check out her actual physical surroundings. All she knew for sure was, that despite the aches and pains in her body that told her she had overdone things the day before, she was feeling marvelous.

“So soft,” a husky male voice breathed into Errisa’s ear, and she tensed immediately. She knew whose voice this belonged to, Sten. He was not only spooned up tight against her back, but he had his arms wrapped possessively around her, as his hands cupped her breasts.

Errisa’s gasps of awareness told Sten that she was finally awake enough to realize where she was. This meant she knew what was happening, which was even better, as far as he was concerned. At least, he thought, it would be shortly. He felt her gather herself to move, and he warned her.

“Not now, or this will be over much too soon.”

Errisa had meant to object, but her body had other ideas and the appreciative moan that slipped through her lips, as Sten continued to caress her breast was not intended.

“You are so sensitive to my touch, I love that,” Sten’s breath tickled Errisa’s ear, as he breathed his approval into it.

Errisa’s arousal was growing, and she had no way of knowing how to fight it, even if she could. She was supposed to be mad at this man, for some reason. Right? Why? She didn’t pursue the reason, as she felt his tongue trace the pulse on the side of her neck while his hands continued the exploration of her chest. She squirmed against him again, as she pressed her passion swelled breasts against his hands for more attention.

She then turned to face him demanding more. “Kiss me, Sten,” Errisa spoke in husky entreaty, and as she spoke, she wound her legs around his torso.

Sten’s chuckle of delight was lost in the heat of their kiss. It had been too long, and his Errisa was so receptive to his touch. His hands teased her sides, then her back, relishing in the softness of her skin.

“So beautiful,” Sten murmured, as his lips left Errisa’s to rain even more over her face and neck. Soft. Possessive. Arousing. A promise of more and better to come.

Errisa was lost in the sensation of Sten’s touch. Her body had no mind to guide her movement. Where Sten led, she followed instinctively.

“Show me what you like, where you want me to touch you, to kiss you,” Sten murmured, as his hands touched her body, that seemed more fluid than not.

“Sten,” Errisa murmured, as his lips covered the tip of a breast that had already been sensitized by his earlier attentions. Her moan of delight was mingled with a moan of ecstasy from him.

“I knew it,” Vikor declared loudly, as he walked into the room, with Echoe in tow. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Sten, taking advantage of an innocent like Errisa in such a way.”

Echoe reacted in a different manner, as she sounded shocked. “Errisa! How could you let him do this to you?”

Sten reacted with a snarl, as he rose from the bed to confront his brother. It didn’t matter who Vikor was at this moment. He was too far lost to the heat of the passion that had been driving him forward. At this moment, nothing else mattered but completing the connection that would bind Errisa to him forever. He crossed the room with his hands extended, and teeth bared. His intentions were simple, and well understood by Vikor. In his current state of mind, he could, and would tear the throat out of anyone who stood in his way of accomplishing his goal.

Errisa’s eyes looked dazed, even as she rose from her prone position on the bed, in reaction to her sister’s words. Had she really been doing something wrong? Oh, but it had felt so right to her. She was definitely having trouble focusing on what was happening around her at the moment though. She watched Sten, as he tried to tackle his brother, and she wondered why he was attacking Vikor so viciously? It seemed to be a good thing that his brother knew how to avoid trouble. She looked at Echoe, who seemed more interested in Sten than being concerned about what could happen to her mate.

“Echoe?” Errisa reached out to her sister.

Echoe looked at the worried expression on her sister’s face, and smiled widely, as she went to sit on the side of the bed Errisa was on, while she watched the two men engage in a near battle.

“Sten will kill Vikor,” Errisa spoke her thoughts.

“Only if he catches him,” Echoe assured Errisa. She made it sound unlikely with her flippant tone. “You are such a lucky Siren, Errisa. Have you taken a good look at your man?”

“That isn’t funny, Echoe,” Vikor commented, as he ducked another charge from Sten. He knew what Echoe was looking at, and it wasn’t him at the moment. Siren females were notorious for expressing their views about the male anatomy, and with the erection that Sten hadn’t managed to get under control yet, she had plenty to check out.

As Echoe didn’t seem to be concerned about the two sparring brothers, Errisa decided she had nothing to worry about. She sat on the edge of the bed beside her sister, as she asked.

“What did you mean when you said I was a lucky Siren female?”

“Oh, come on sister. I know you are an innocent, but even you couldn’t miss getting a good look and feel of what you were about to receive,” Echoe teased. She could tell by Errisa’s confusion that the reason for all the teasing hadn’t quite connected in her mind yet.

“A little help would be appreciated here girls,” Vikor shouted, as he narrowly missed another lunge by Sten.

Everyone could tell by now that Sten was beginning to get his needs under control. The attacks were less frequent, and delivered with less intent. He was beginning to pay attention to what was going on around him, and even his arousal had waned. He shook his head to clear it one last time, and glared at Vikor, who returned his look with one of sheepish delight.

“Glad to see you have returned to us,” Vikor declared. He then wound an arm around Sten’s shoulders and led him back to where their mates were sitting, grinning like the naughty twins they were.

“I must say, brother,” Vikor spoke to congratulate Sten, “You have managed to snag a prime Siren female.”

Sten didn’t have to be told what Vikor was doing. His brother was trying to get a little of his own back at Echoe, for the remark she had made about Errisa being a lucky Siren female. He smiled smugly about that, although he wasn’t done giving his brother a helping hand.

“I don’t believe there is a better suited female for me on Mars, so keep that in mind.”

Echoe wasn’t about to rise to the bait. She knew where they stood with each other. There would never be another male for her but Vikor, and she was happy with that.

“We know our feelings on this, Sten, but do you?” Echoe asked.

“I was about to prove that in the best way possible, just before your untimely arrival,” Sten declared.

“Good grief, male attitude,” Echoe replied with a roll of her eyes for emphasis. “Any siren female will do, especially in the dark.”

“You know better than that, or you would have never chosen me, as I had you,” Vikor felt he had to defend his brother, in the name of all Siren males.

“Now comes the hurt tones and pouting. Poor thing, you want mama to kiss it better?” Echoe teased.

Vikor took the thought that Echoe’s comment brought to mind, and nearly chocked, as he grinned and accepted.

“I am ready whenever you are.”

“We can all see that,” Echoe laughed, as she turned to Errisa with some news she had only shared with Vikor so far.

“I know no one can see any signs of it, but in a little over a year, you two will become an aunt and uncle. When we were on Tantalus, we conceived a child, before Vikor returned to Mars. He or she will be the first born of the generation leaving Mars. Or at least, I assume so,” Echoe announced.

“That is wonderful news. Mother and Father will be beyond happy. They keep hinting that they have wanted Grandchildren for a long time, but no one seemed to be cooperating, until now.” Errisa noted.

“We could do a little cooperating, if certain people allowed nature to take its course,” Sten grumbled, as he looked pointedly at Vikor.

Vikor grinned unrepentantly, as he answered, “We are glad to be of service.”

“I am sure of that,” Sten returned, with a frown.

Sten knew where this was going. He had made Vikor’s time of courting Echoe an exercise of frustration for his brother. Vikor would be determined to return the favor. He was just going to have to find a way to outfox his brother and his mate.

“Errisa will be staying here, as Prime Siren Female after this. Grandfather says he will come to join you as chaperone,” Echoe informed her sister and Sten of their parents’ decision.

Errisa and Sten both smiled, although his didn’t last for long, as Vikor made another surprise announcement of his own. “In celebration of our upcoming parenthood, I passed temporary control of my colony to Jered. They are also expecting to announce an upcoming addition to the family, and I thought they could use a little time to themselves. They were happy to hear it, especially as the area was already cleared of all but the essentials.”

“Are you and Echoe going to change places with them, so that mother can spend more time with her during her pregnancy? Errisa asked.

“No, Jered decided that as the cavern that was passed over to him was so empty, he would use the Tantalarian sleds to move the people from our colony to the one where Mother and Father dwell. That idea sparked another, and the next two to complete clearing their caverns, will combine their colonies to create one. That way it would be much simpler to move everyone to the Mother Ship when it arrives. There will be only three pickup spots, rather than spreading their equipment out so far.” Vikor stated.

“There is still a lot to do here. This cavern was very badly neglected. It will take time and people to finish stripping the caves.” Sten reported.

“So we understand, which is why Echoe and I are moving in. As we have finished what needs to be done in ours, we will help here,” Vikor replied with a pleased smile. “Our belongings have already been relocated. All non-essentials are in the caves with the rest of the family’s.

“Then you will be staying here with us?” Errisa squealed happily at the prospect.

Sten didn’t look as pleased about it. He closed his eyes and frowned. It didn’t take much imagination to realize that Errisa’s Grandfather, as well as her sister and his brother, living in the same cave system, while they tried to conduct their initial mating would become a form of hell for him. Luckily, that would only last for a short time, if he had his way about it.