His expression cleared. He looked appalled. “That is not what I said.” Slowly enunciating his words, he said, “You will be linking with my brother.”

Now it was her turn to look confused. “I don’t understand.”

Likentooka deep breathas hegathered his patience for the battle ahead. He should have told her last night as he had planned, but he had procrastinated, not wanting to disrupt their harmony. He could no longer wait. “These are dangerous times, Sharon. Believe me, I see that as a guardian every day. I have protected you from harm so far, but I will not always be with you. You are linked with me through our merging, but Shimerian law and custom require at least one other link. If you were in distress, I would know it and come to your aid. But, the second link with a close friend or family member is to ensure that someone else is available as well.”

She cautiously nodded her head. “I can understand the theory, but I’m not merging with Tair.”

His eyes went hard. “No, you will not merge with Tair.”

“What do you mean by linking then?” She was calming down. He wasn’t talking about her having sex with Tair. Maybe this wasn’t as bad as she thought.

“He will link to you mentally. Think of it as a pathway from your mind to his.”

“You mean he’ll be in my head, too?” She was not having two guys traipsing around her thoughts whenever they wanted. Liken was bad enough.

“Not really,sherree. His mind will pierce the shield I have built for you and leave an opening for him like a doorway.” His voice was reassuring. He was glad to see her calming.

She didn’t really like the idea of a doorway in her head. “Can anybody walk in?”

“No, only Tair and, of course, me.”

She mulled it over. “Can he walk in anytime he wants and just know what I’m thinking?”

Again, he answered in that reasonable tone. “He would only travel the link if you were in distress,sherree. Tair is trustworthy. He will not spy on your private thoughts. He will hear when you broadcast loudly, but otherwise your thoughts are safe.” They would be even safer when he taught her to broadcast less openly, but the process would take time.

She couldn’t shake her unease. She liked Tair. She could even understand having a second hotline installed as a backup for emergencies. She didn’t like the thought of giving anyone access to her mind. She didn’t have any choice with Liken. It was too late. They were already merged. Linking with Tair, however, was still within her power to choose. Another thought occurred. “Why did you say tomorrow? Were you just suggesting we get it over with then?”

Liken’s mouth firmed. “Tomorrow is the tenth day of our knowing period. Merging and linking must be complete by the end of that day. It is the law.”

She looked indignant. “Screw the law.”

He felt his temper begin to stir, but held it back. “Again, it is there for your protection, Sharon. Females on this planet are cherished and protected above all else.”

“From what? This place is peaceful. It’s not exactly a hotbed of crime. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be protected against!” She was trying to sort through the confusion.

In a careful voice he told her. “When we merged, I built a shield to protect you. It is not invincible. But when Tair layers his strength over mine, you will be safe from nearly anyone. There is evil on this planet, just as evil exists on your own. The difference is that on my planet, an evil man can use his mind to cause harm. He can literally probe into the minds of others. If they fight him, he can cause a great deal of damage. When I probe someone who is unwilling, I do it with great skill and care. I do not cause harm. I care whether I hurt or kill someone.”

His mouth was grim. “You cannot even imagine what occurs when a criminal attempts a merge on an unwilling female. She will fight him because it is instinctive. When I merged with you, as a human you had absolutely no defenses. You were not able to struggle and I was careful to cause no damage. Now that I have put defenses in place for you by building a shield, for someone to try to force a merge…”

His voice trailed off as if he didn’t even want to contemplate it. “It would take a lot to break my shielding. If it broke, you might survive, but the damage would be terrible. By adding Tair’s shielding to mine, we increase the odds that it would never happen.”

He paused, drew a deep breath, and continued. “I would see you protected to the greatest degree possible. Adding Tair’s shielding to mine is necessary,sherree.”

Sharon nodded her head in understanding, but she wasn’t completely sure that it was really necessary. This mental shielding business was bizarre.

To make sure she understood his point, he gave her an example. “What if I put a piece of cloth over a peach? I could take a needle and it would take only a pinprick through the cloth to get to the peach.”

Holding her gaze, he willed her to take his next words seriously. “Now what if I take a metal bowl and place it over that same peach? It would take a sharp hammer and considerable force to punch through the metal. But if the hammer punched through, you know what would happen to the peach.”

She looked sick. “I see what you mean.” There was no missing that imagery. “So between you and Tair, nobody’s gonna get through.”

He hoped she was right. “There are no guarantees,sherree. Tair and I are both very strong shielders. It would be nearly impossible. I cannot lie and tell you it could not happen. I can only say that we would probably all three die in such a case.”

His words struck right into her heart. He would protect her with his life. Tair would protect her with his life. Her chest tightened with the thought. In a desperate attempt to lighten the moment, she blurted out, “Who says guys can’t commit?”

He let out a startled laugh. For a moment there, he had been mortally afraid she was going to cry or something equally as terrifying. With tremendous relief, he said, “Indeed, we poor males are often judged most unfairly.” He winked.

She laughed, too. Regaining her composure, she became serious again. “Alright, I’ll link with Tair. What exactly do we need to do tomorrow?”

He was past the first obstacle but he knew her agreement was not secure. Bracing himself for the explosion, he said calmly, “At the point of your orgasm, while we are merged, he will link with you.” He waited in silence for her to work it out.

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. “That’s bizarre. Why the point of orgasm?” She still hadn’t considered the rest of his statement.

“At the point of orgasm,sherree, you are most vulnerable. You are out of control, unable to think. Your senses and the power of our minds merging will overwhelm you. There is no chance you will try to fight him.”

“Couldn’t he just link with me in my sleep?”she suggested hopefully.It seemed more logical and less bizarre.

“I cannot merge with you when you are sleeping without sleeping myself. Tair will need my help to get past my shielding. Besides, you might awaken and try to fight him.” The tension of waiting was killing him.

“But how will he know the exact point of orgasm?” A sudden thought crossed her mind but she couldn’t believe it.

Very calmly, speaking softly, Liken said. “Because he will be with us.”

Her eyes widened and she shook her head in automatic denial. “With us?!” Her heart began pounding and she felt lightheaded. “What do you mean with us?!”

“He will be in the room with us. Once I have merged with you, he will be touching you. He will wait and then link with you when you come.” His voice was firm.The expected explosion occurred immediately.

“No way!I can’t believe this! I can’t believe you would even go along with this!” Her voice began to get shrill. “One minute you tell me you and Tair would die trying to protect me. The next minute you casually announce that the three of us…”