Van, Becca - Her Norland Warriors (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Online Free Page A

about the three brothers and wanted to go with Dagr. He led her to a long table at the front of the room, where Hakon, Loki, and several other giant men were seated.
    Dagr seated her in an empty throne-like chair next to Hakon and took the empty chair on her left. The room quieted, the chattering of male voices diminishing until there was total silence. All eyes were on her.
    Jess squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with all the attention, and then froze when Dagr and Hakon placed their large palms on her thighs. She began to feel warm, her blood heating, but what astounded her most was to find herself feeling calm. Hakon removed his hand from her thigh and stood.
    “I would like to introduce our bond mate, Jessamine Flanagan,” Hakon stated.
    The cheers and whistles which followed his statement were deafening. Hakon began again once the men quieted, and Jess listened intently.
    “We were lucky enough to find her on the space transport that was in trouble. We have decided to stop our pirating for a few months. I know many of you are still without bond mates and that some of you have been lucky enough to meet them on our raids for cargo, and for that, I am sorry. But if we keep raiding, the Earth people will not travel, and then none of you will find your mates. My brothers and I have decreed to wait four months before we will allow raiding to begin again. By then the stratosphere messages advising of our raiding will have ceased. I am sorry to give you this bad news. I know how hard it is to not have a bond mate, as do my brothers. But in the long run, we will have more females to meet and the chance to woo them into our hearts and beds. Now it is time for celebration. Bring the feasting food, and let the celebrations begin.”
    Jess watched as young men, boys really, brought in platter after platter of strange-looking food. The tables were ladened with it. She had never seen so much food in her life, but then she had never seen so many men in one room either. She was conscious of the stares in her direction and began to squirm and fidget. She wrung her fingers together, her body beginning to shake. She had never been a confident person, and to be up in front of the staring Norland men and her traveling companions from Earth was rather disconcerting.
    “Breathe, Jess. Take deep breaths and let them out slowly,” Hakon said, placing a hand on her back between her shoulders.
    Jess wriggled in her seat, trying to dislodge Hakon’s comforting touch. She didn’t want to be comforted. She didn’t want to eat. She didn’t even want to be here up in front of everyone. She wanted to be with the others. Her breath rasped out of her constricted throat, and her skin was covered in a sheen of perspiration. Her heart was jumping and pounding rapidly in her chest. Maybe she was dying. She felt as if she was having a heart attack. Then two more hands were on her body. Dagr had placed his hand on her thigh, and Loki had reached over to take her hand in his.
    The panic began to recede. Her breathing slowed, as did her heartbeat, and her body began to relax. She felt too languid now. She was in danger of falling asleep. Her eyelids were heavy, her muscles lax. Loki gave her a smile and withdrew his hand. Jess felt the sleepiness leaving her. She was on her feet before they could stop her.
    “What did you do to me?” Jess asked suspiciously.
    “Sit down,” Dagr said, taking her hand in his and tugging her back into her seat. “We were only trying to calm your panic, and we succeeded. Why would that bother you?”
    “Why? Why? What else have you been doing to control me? How is that even possible?”
    “We are empathic, Jessamine. And we have the skills to calm hysterical women,” Hakon told her.
    “Do you mean to tell me your powers, whatever they are, only work on women? That’s not fair,” Jess wailed.
    “That’s not what I said. You are making a spectacle of yourself, Jess. Now, if you have any questions, we will answer