Ruby by Ashlynn Monroe Read Free Book Online Page A

whimpered against Sol’s lips. Ruby threw her arms around his brother’s neck. Isser smelled her desire, and it made his cock hard. He gulped down a lungful of air.
    Another rumbling told him he wasn’t imagining the sound. The vessel was near. It was time to worry. There was no reason a ship would enter the planet’s atmosphere unless they were coming for them or having an emergency. Isser rushed up to the pilot’s seat and glanced at the console. Any distressed ship would be throwing a wide signal, and their ship detected nothing. Whoever had landed was not trying to communicate. He double-checked the radar, and it was still clear. The interloper’s ship was cloaked. If it weren’t for the planet’s higher gravity field, they’d have landed stealthily. His animal nature saved him, and Isser’s hearing had alerted him to the arrival when the ship’s advanced warning system had nothing to offer.
    Isser rolled away from Ruby, and his cock slid out of her. He regretted breaking the contact.
    “What is it?” She sounded even more worried. Anger that his woman was distressed made his wolf wild once more.
    “I heard something. I’m just going to go have a look. It’s all right, love,” he assured her as he pulled on his pants. He grabbed his weapons belt off the floor and clicked it into place. The security of having the laser within reach calmed his wolf to a small degree.
    The crashing thud of an impact against the ship sent him off balance, and as he stumbled back, he grabbed the back of the copilot’s seat. His head snapped toward the cot, and his entire focus was on his woman and her safety. Sol held her in one arm as he gripped the side of the welded-down cot with the other. Relief surfaced. He was glad the responsibility for her safety was dual. They’d both die for her. He wouldn’t lose her to Lilymann. He’d fought many times in his life, but this battle’s importance eclipsed everything. He’d experienced too much loss. He wouldn’t watch her die at the hands of enemies as his mother had. He’d fight for her, and he saw the same fire in Sol’s expression. Together they’d keep her from harm.
    Wild alarms blared from the console illuminating the room in red-and-blue strobe flashes of color. Ruby’s eyes widened, and she clung tightly to Sol. She never looked away from Isser.
    “Are you okay?” Sol asked.
    She nodded mutely.
    “What the hell was that all about?” Sol muttered.
    “I don’t know, but…” Isser paused as he spoke. “I’m sure as fuck going to go find out. Stay here and stay hidden, love.” He and Ruby exchanged a long, desperate look. He hoped their happiness wasn’t going to be so drastically short-lived. She nodded to him. Her yellow-brown eyes glowed in the dim light. Seeing her tiger lying in wait just below the surface gave him a ridiculously exaggerated surge of pride. His woman was fierce, but that didn’t mean he was willing to take the risk of letting her fight.
    He looked at Sol. His brother gave him a single steady nod and let go of Ruby. He had his pants on and a laser in hand quickly. Both men gave Ruby a final look. Sol rushed forward and began warming up the shuttle.
    “Be careful,” she whispered passionately. Isser’s heart ached as a thrill shot through him. She cared. She really did love them. Mating was such a quick biological process that sometimes it was hard to rationalize. Seeing her terror, for them, proved her whimpered words of love during their earlier passion had been true. Ruby loved him—them. The realization made him buoyant. This feeling also made him resolute. His woman would survive. She would come to no harm.
    “We’ll protect her, Brother,” Sol thought to him privately.
    He’d been projecting louder than he’d thought. The tension in the shuttle was so thick it was almost a physical entity. Ruby stood up. Sol stepped forward and cupped the side of Ruby’s face.

Chapter Six
    Something pounded loudly against the ship. The