Anna and the Three Generals by Suzanne Graham Page A

console chair. As he sat, he tapped the comm channel screen. “Hawk One to Hawk Three, are you receiving?”
    “Hawk Three receiving, sir,” Marco’s voice came through clearly over the speaker. “I have you in sight.”
    “Proceed,” Vadim answered.
    “Aye, aye, sir.”
    Anna stood back and observed as the two skilled men handled the controls with ease and got Marco’s runabout onboard safely. She was fascinated with their precision and confidence. It made her miss her lab terribly, even though she’d only been gone a day.
    She was tired of being out of her element, of not knowing what was going on around her, of not being in control of her life. But if she had to hand control over to someone else, she was grateful it was these men before her. They instilled confidence with their proficiency. The Council had chosen her mates well. The men didn’t seem to break a sweat as they handled this crisis with the Open Air Society.
    “Hello, Generals.” Marco’s accented voice boomed from the doorway of the bridge.
    Anna turned to look at her third mate.
    “Hello, Anna.” His tone softened for his greeting for her.
    “Hi, Marco,” she answered, feeling extremely self-conscious suddenly. She’d grown so comfortable with Kojo and Vadim, but Marco was practically a stranger. They hadn’t had much time together before they’d been separated on First Quadrant. Her old insecurities about meeting new people surfaced, and she found it hard to maintain eye contact with him.
    “Marco,” Vadim’s curt voice cut through her thoughts, “take Anna to the captain’s quarters. You need to complete the first step of the mating.”
    Anna’s cheeks heated as she realized that Vadim was ordering her and Marco to go have intercourse. All her nervous awkwardness about sex returned.
    Even though she’d enjoyed her experiences with Kojo and Vadim, she didn’t know how she was going to get through it with Marco. Vadim had taken her before she could get nervous. All she’d had to do was follow his commands. With Kojo, she’d felt like they’d had time to get to know each other a little, and she’d been attracted to him. Her time with Marco had been so brief in comparison.
    “I see you took advantage of my absence to secure your position,” Marco addressed Kojo.
    “I didn’t take advantage of anything. I only took what was offered,” Kojo responded.
    The tension on the bridge made the hair on Anna’s nape ruffle, adding to her nervousness about mating with Marco. Vadim apparently wanted her to go into the captain’s quarters and join with Marco as if it were as routine as brushing her teeth. She glanced at the dark-haired, dark-eyed man. At least she felt the stirrings of attraction to him.
    “Go now,” Vadim ordered, pointing to the hallway. “This needs to be finished before we get to Fourth Quadrant. Then, we will complete the final step of the mating in my quarters in sector forty.”
    Oh, stars above. That just ratcheted up her anxiety to a whole new level. She’d been happily blocking out the thought of the four of them together all at once. One man at a time was sensory overwhelming enough. How the hellitude was she going to deal with all three men at the same time?
    Marco reached for her elbow to guide her off the bridge, and she jumped at his touch.
    “Relax, Anna.” His tone soothed.
    She met his gaze and thought his eyes looked a little sad. Had she hurt him? Could he feel her reluctance to mate with him?
    When they got to the captain’s quarters, she turned to face him. Hesitantly, she raised her palm to his cheek. “I’m sorry.”
    He studied her for a moment. “For what?”
    “For my uneasiness about our joining.”
    His eyelids closed as he bowed his head. “I’m sorry I am not worthy of you.”
    Anna’s heart lurched. “No!” With both her hands on his cheeks, she tugged until he met her gaze again. “That’s not at all what I meant. It has nothing to do with you. It’s me. Only me.