Barrack looked up when his brother stepped into the kitchen, then went back to studying the food packaging. He wished there was a way to retrieve the food replicator from their ship. He turned the package over, trying to decipher how to prepare the food by the images.

“We should have learned to read our mate’s language. This makes no sense to me,” he grumbled.

Brogan looked over his shoulder and wiggled his nose in distaste. “It was difficult enough learning to speak it. There is not enough in that package to feed one, much less three people,” he noted.

“I did not hear any screams,” Barrack casually commented. “I assume that means she is no longer afraid of us.”

Brogan chuckled and Barrack glanced at him with envy. He had sat with Delilah the first part of the night before changing places with Brogan. Delilah’s two beasts had become animated and tried to play with his dragon, and Barrack had decided it would be better to leave the room so they didn’t disturb their mistress.

“She has fire in her,” Brogan said with a chuckle. “Where are her beasts? She has a great attachment to them and warned us to care for them.”

Barrack nodded toward the front sitting room. “They like lying in front of the fire,” he said.

He looked up when he heard the sound of an alarm. That alarm had sounded nearly a dozen times, mostly when a large gust of wind buffeted the house. He had traced the noise to a large box that was obviously used to generate power.

“Her power source is in danger,” he commented.

Brogan nodded. “I noticed the same thing last night before I came up. The thin lines we saw leading to the house must supply it. I am surprised it has not gone off before now. I was thinking…,” he said before his voice faded and his eyes glazed.

Barrack stiffened at the same time as his brother. The connection with their symbiots now included Delilah. By the time he had lowered her onto the bed last night, he and Brogan’s symbiots had already been fluttering over her, claiming her. There was absolutely no doubt that Delilah was their mate. Even if Aikaterina hadn’t shown them, their reaction to Delilah, and that of their symbiots and dragons, sealed their fates.

He bowed his head, focusing on Delilah through his symbiot wrapped around her right wrist. Brogan’s symbiot graced her left wrist. Half of his symbiot was also upstairs on her bed. It had formed a warm blanket that monitored her comfort throughout the night.

Their symbiots were the reason that they could give Delilah a little more space and time to adjust to their presence. If she tried to trick them as she had yesterday, their symbiots would alert them and then prevent her from doing anything that could endanger her life.

“Goddess, every time she brushes my symbiot across her skin I can feel it,” Brogan hissed, his eyes closed.

“I know,” Barrack replied in a strained voice as he experienced the same pleasure-torture.

Barrack turned his back to his brother, pressed his bent arm against the cold device that stored the food, and rested his forehead against his arm. He moved his other hand to his cock, which had filled until he was afraid he’d embarrass himself. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the images his symbiot was sending to him, for the moment uncaring that what he was doing was probably wrong.

After centuries of waiting, he justified his invasion of Delilah’s privacy with the promise that he would confess – one day – about his lack of control. Until then, he was going to enjoy every nanosecond of his misconduct. In his mind, he replaced the image of the symbiot and Delilah’s hand with his own hand.

His symbiot warmed with delight, understanding his need to experience this first moment of exploration. A soft groan slipped from his lips and he fought the urge to charge upstairs. He unconsciously rocked his hips forward when she slid her hand down between her legs. At that moment, he wished he was a bar of soap.

“Soap? Really?” Brogan snickered.

“Shut up and get out of my head. This is my fantasy,” he muttered, returning his focus to the soap bubbles.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Delilah was toweling herself off. She had cut short her deliciously hot shower when she’d noticed the light in the bathroom flickering. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck covered in soap bubbles with no running water. The idea of having to do a mad dash downstairs to the breaker box and back up again in a towel with two strangers in the house was also a great motivator.

She pulled off the shower cap and hung it on the hook in the shower to dry, then picked up her bra, and fastened it. She winced when she felt a slight tingle to her left nipple where the bracelet touched it. Taking a closer look at it, she ran her finger along the smooth, silky surface, looking for a reason. It was warm, but she didn’t feel anything pointy. She looked down, gently probing her nipple, but didn’t feel anything unusual. Shrugging, she finished pulling her bra on before grabbing the thigh-length burgundy sweater that she had found down at the Alleghany Cares thrift shop.

A shiver ran through her when a draft of cold air flowed out of the vent in the floor from the old furnace that piped heat through the house. She slipped on a pair of lace and silk panties and groaned in frustration. She’d forgotten to grab a pair of thermal underwear to put on under her jeans.

Walking over to the door, she placed her ear against it. When she didn’t hear anything, she unlocked the bathroom door and peeked out. Silence and warmth greeted her. She needed to install the small gas fireplace in the bathroom soon. It was still in the box down in the cellar. Up until now, she had been leaving the bathroom door open to allow some heat to enter the bathroom.

She opened the door, glanced quickly at the closed door to her bedroom and hurried over to her dresser. Pulling open the drawer where she kept her cold weather undies, she pulled out a pair of thermals and shut the drawer. Turning, she was about to step into the leggings when a movement on her bed caught her attention. She looked up and froze. A massive golden cat was lying in the center of her king-size bed. It rose to its feet, stretched, and yawned, revealing two canine teeth that had to be at least ten inches long, and as sharp as a butcher’s knife.

Delilah released a bloodcurdling scream that would have made Fay Wray envious. The creature shook and the golden mane swirled around its head. Her mouth remained open even as the sound of the scream faded. She watched in astonishment as the creature sneezed and sat down like it was one of her dogs – on her side of the bed! It had moved her pillow to the end of the bed, and now it rubbed its chin against it.

“Oh, hell no!” she growled, her eyes flaring before she glared at the creature. “That is my side! If you aren’t going to eat me, then move your ass over to the other side of the bed – and quit rubbing on my pillow! God, you’re as bad as the dogs,” she groaned.

* * *

Brogan made it to the staircase a half second before Barrack. His long legs took the steps three at a time as he charged up to the second floor. His heart was pounding as he slid into the wall at the top and bounced off. Even though Barrack’s symbiot was trying to reassure them that everything was alright, the sound of Delilah’s terrified scream had sent a shockwave of fear through him.

Brogan burst through the door, barely managing to keep from ripping it off its hinges. His wild eyes searched the room, stopping on Delilah who was pointing a shaking finger at something. Rotating on his heel to see who she was yelling at, he drew in a shuddering breath when Barrack’s symbiot turned its head and grinned at him.

“What happened?” he demanded, taking a deep, calming breath.

“What happened? What happened? Do you not see that there is a huge… thing, on my bed? What in the hell is it?” Delilah demanded, stomping her foot. “I swear, ever since you two appeared in my house strange shit has been happening. Will you leave my damn pillow alone?” she turned and snapped. “I told you to get your ass on the other side of the bed!”

Brogan watched with relieved amusement as Delilah reached out and grabbed the corner of her pillow, jerking it out of the symbiot’s reach. She held it, along with a pair of brightly colored leggings and a blue pair of pants against her heaving chest.

His gaze followed the movement of her breasts, remembering the small tweak he had given her nipple when she brushed his symbiot bracelet over it. The grin on his face was quickly hidden when he felt Barrack elbow him to the side so he could enter the room. He stepped aside, but his eyes hungrily moved over Delilah’s bare legs.

“Eyes to the face, alien man,” she ordered, snapping her fingers.

Brogan immediately raised his eyes to her face. He couldn’t keep the grin from his lips when he saw the exasperation on her face. She pursed her lips and shook her head.

“Men! I swear, if you are aliens, then all of you come from the same place – Planet Horneywood! Now, will someone please tell me what in the hell that… thing is?!” she demanded again with a pointed look at him.

“Barrack’s symbiot. Mine is currently watching your beasts downstairs,” he replied.

“Barrack’s symbiot – oh, well that explains everything,” she sarcastically replied. “Can you expand upon that? My definition of a symbiot and yours may be slightly different. I want to know if I need to worry about that thing eating me or taking over my body.”

“The only ones who will be eating you are us,” Barrack replied, reaching out to stroke his symbiot when it shimmered.

Behave, Brogan warned the symbiot. She isn’t ready yet. Remember what Asim, Pearl, Jaguin, and Sara told us.

The symbiot responded to his chiding by sending Delilah a vivid image of her between the two men. Brogan winced when he heard Delilah’s sudden hiss. His gaze shifted from the symbiot to her shocked face. The intense desire to kiss her overshadowed his common sense.

Brogan stepped in front of her and cupped her face. “You are so beautiful to me,” he murmured before he bent his head toward her.

The stars that swam before his eyes had nothing to do with the kiss he had wanted and everything to do with her knee impacting his groin. This was the second time his manhood had received such abusive treatment in a matter of hours.

He removed his hands from her face as the intense pain registered. His knees trembled and he stumbled back, trying to remain upright when all he wanted to do was curl up on the floor. It would appear the Goddess was going to grant him his wish because when he leaned forward, Delilah delivered a powerful punch to his recently healed nose and a right hook to his jaw.

“What the… why did you do that?” Barrack asked in a startled voice.

“Two words: personal space. Remember them,” she growled.

“Where… where did you learn to fight like this?” Brogan groaned.

He rolled onto his back and looked up at her. He had one hand on his throbbing nose, the other on his equally pounding crotch, and his eyes were glued to a pair of black silk panties. She had dropped her pillow and the clothing she had been clutching when she hit him.

She flushed and gripped the sides of her sweater, pulling it tight as she scooted to the side. She bent at the last second and grabbed the leggings and the blue pants from the floor.

“It’s called boxing. I learned it from a book. You might want to try reading one about respecting other people’s personal space,” she snapped before she straightened and strode over to the bathroom door with a toss of her head. “And tell that thing to get off my side of the damn bed!” she added, before slamming the door and locking it.

Brogan turned his head and stared up at the ceiling. He released his nose and reached for the pillow that was lying on the floor next to him. Grunting, he shoved it under his head and relaxed before he commanded the symbiot wrapped around his wrist to heal his bruised body once again.

His chuckle blended with Barrack’s. He shook his head. Their quiet chuckles turned to full-fledged laughter, drawing more groans from him as the small symbiot moved from one spot to another.

“She read it in a book,” Barrack repeated, taking a deep breath and shaking his head in amazement.

“Personal space – I need to read…. Goddess, I don’t know what hurts worse, my balls, my jaw, my nose, or my pride,” Brogan admitted, closing his eyes. “She has a very strong punch for someone so small.”

“As long as she takes it out on you, I’ll be fine,” Barrack retorted. “You should have seen your face, brother. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such shock on it before.”

Brogan tilted his head and looked up at Barrack. “Me? You should have seen yours when she hit you between the eyes with the shovel. She is upset you bent it, by the way. You will have to repair her tool,” he said, wincing when he realized that he had a cut on his lip. “I never want to be kicked or kneed in the groin again.”

“You could try wearing a cup,” Delilah commented as she opened the bathroom door, completely dressed this time.

Brogan looked at her with a frown. “Why would I put a cup in my pants?” he asked.

He followed her with his eyes as she walked over to him and bent over his prone figure. She looked down at him and grinned, her eyes glittering with amusement. He warily watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Baseball, sweetheart,” she said before she pulled her pillow out from under his head. “And my pillow is off limits to dogs, symbiots, and alien males.”

He winced when the back of his head thudded against the carpeted floor. He guessed he should be thankful the floor underneath was wooden and his head had only been a few inches from it. She straightened and tossed her pillow on the bed. Barrack quickly moved from her side of the bed when she glared at him. She turned on her heel and walked out of the bedroom door.

“Where are you going?” Brogan demanded, sitting up as she exited the room.

“To the kitchen,” she called over her shoulder. “I’m still starving, despite someone’s promise of food.”

For a moment, he sat on the floor watching her walk down the long hallway. He waved his symbiot away when it moved to run over the back of his head. He knew he had a stupid grin on his face, but he couldn’t help it. Their mate definitely wasn’t afraid of them.

I no have to read book to know how to bite, his dragon informed him with a gleeful sigh.

Oh, shut up, he muttered, grabbing Barrack’s hand when his brother offered it to him.