by Tana Stone
“Toraan.” My uncle put a hand on my shoulder for a moment. “I never wonder about your actions. There is nothing you do that does not have a purpose. Nothing that does not play a part in a larger plan.”
Expressed like that it sounded calculating and cold, but it had been how he’d trained me, so he did not mean to voice disapproval.
“As I mentioned, the female escaped from a Zagrath ship. She was intended as an imperial admiral’s bride.”
My uncle’s brow quirked up. “I take it she did not find this admiral to her liking?”
“He is old and repulsive,” I said. “According to her.”
“And how did you come upon this escape artist?”
I turned to look out over the colony, resting my arms on the stone rail. “We responded to a call from Kaalek’s horde. When we arrived, Kaalek and Kratos were in the process of running the empire off a planet.”
“You saw your brothers?”
I shook my head without looking at him. “We’d maintained invisibility for a tactical advantage and were preparing to attack an imperial battleship when we saw the transport slipping away from it. The actions were subversive, so we followed.”
My uncle let out a chuckle. “You always did love a good hunt or solving a puzzle.”
“We waited until we were sure it was an escape, then we immobilized the ship and took it onboard.”
“You thought it was a Zagrath traitor?”
Nodding, I glanced up at him. “It made sense that one of their fighters had gone rogue. We thought we’d nabbed a prisoner who could give us information about the enemy.”
“And instead, you got a human bride.”
“In a wedding gown.”
My uncle let out a throaty laugh. “What I would have given to have seen your face.”
Since I’d been starstruck when I’d first seen Rachael, I doubt my slack-jawed expression is what he would have expected.
“I take it you soon found a way to turn the situation to your advantage, like I taught you?”
My heart beat faster at the memory. “I made a deal with her. She needed protection from the empire, and she was willing to tell me what she knew about them in exchange for keeping her out of the admiral’s clutches.”
“A smart deal to make. Keeping a human on board is a small price to pay for Zagrath secrets.”
“That is what I thought.” Clouds moved over the sun, blocking the warmth of the rays for a moment.
“If the secrets were genuine,” he added.
“I believe they are.” I straightened. “According to the conversations she overheard from the admiral and his officers, they know of the existence of our colonies.”
My uncle went still. “They know of Zendaren and the others? We have kept the locations secret for millennia.”
“They are certain they exist—and I do not know how—but they have no knowledge of the locations.”
Raas Maassen blew out a breath, his shoulders sagging. “Are they searching for us?”
I bit my lower lip. “This admiral seems determined to find Vandar colonies and destroy them.”
My uncle’s brow furrowed. “What is his name, this admiral who hates us so?”
“Admiral Kurmog.”
The old Raas clutched the railing, his knuckles going white. “Kurmog.” He said the name like a curse.
“You know him?” I had not personally encountered an imperial admiral named Kurmog, nor was I aware we’d raided any of his ships when I was apprenticing under my uncle, or after I’d taken control of the horde.
He pressed his lips together into a hard line before expelling a hiss of breath. “Long before you joined me on my warbird. It was one of the reasons your father and I became estranged.”
I was quiet so he could continue. Although it had been no secret that my father and uncle—two of the Vandar’s most notable Raas’—had stopped speaking before I was born, I had never had the temerity to ask why.
“Your father and I were not always at each other’s throats. Even though we were very different warriors, when we were younger, we would often fly and raid together. Our hordes were like one.”
I had never heard this. It was hard to imagine a time when my uncle and father were not bitter foes.
“We were liberating an alien planet together. The imperial ships had been able to harvest some of the planet’s technology, so I wanted to board the lead ship and take it, while your father insisted we blow it from the sky. Our argument distracted us from the battle and the enemy ship with the technology managed to get away. Your father was so enraged he blew up every remaining enemy ship, taking out some of the forces from the alien planet in the process.”
I drew in a breath. “He destroyed those we were trying to free?”
“It was not his intention, but yes.” My uncle’s face was twisted with regret. “I was livid and accused him of being reckless and dangerous and not fit to be Raas. He claimed that it was my inability to make the hard decisions that had caused the Zagrath to get away with the valuable technology. We were both right, but we were also responsible for many innocent deaths.”
“I have never heard this.”
The old Raas looked even older than his years as he rubbed a palm over his forehead. “It was not a point of pride for us. The planet we were liberating blamed us for the death of their people and the destruction of their air defenses. They refused any more of our help, and ended up accepting imperial rule.”
Although this had happened before my tenure as a raider, I still felt ill at the thought. “And Kurmog?”
“The name of the remaining captain of the alien air defenses. The one who told us to leave their planet and welcomed the empire.”
I let what he’d told me sink in, but it was almost hard to believe. “It appears he has not gotten over it—and now he’s a Zagrath admiral.”
“And now the Vandar have taken his bride.”
I cursed to myself then out loud. “Vrak. I knew none of this when I decided to humiliate him.”
My uncle shook his head slowly. “It does not matter. His hate for the Vandar has been festering for half a lifetime. You did not bring it upon us.”
No, I thought. My father did.
“He will never forgive the female for running from him and into the arms of the Vandar. I hope you are prepared to offer her permanent protection. Or is that why you are here? Are you leaving her with us?”
“I have no intention of leaving her. As I said before, I’ve taken her as my mate.”
“As part of your deal to protect her, yes? Giving her the designation as the mate of a Raas to ensure the Vandar will guard her with our lives.”
“That was my original intent, but now I wish to give her more than that,” I told him. “I wish to give her the protection of my mating marks.”
Chapter 31
Toraan
Raas Maassen held my gaze, his own somber. “Mating marks are not something you can choose to give, nephew.”
Now that I was Raas, my uncle never referred to me as his nephew anymore, but he was clearly making a point. I shifted under his scrutiny. “I understand the way our mating marks work.”
“Then you know it is pointless to hope for them, unless she is your one true mate. Besides, she is not Vandar.”
I drew in a breath as the clouds shifted to reveal the sun, and the warm beams returned to my face. “She would not be the first human to get mating marks. Kratos and his human bride share them.”
Shock crossed my uncle’s face. “Your eldest brother took a mate? A human mate?” He shook his head. “Impossible. He is still leading his horde as Raas.”
We maintained a strict policy of non-communication with our colonies. It prevented the enemy from intercepting transmissions, and tracking their origination points.
“I assure you, it is possible.” Although I had not seen the mating marks on my brother or his human mate, it had been confirmed by his majak in communication with mine. Besides, salacious news l
ike that had spread through the hordes like wildfire. “He took a human female as a prisoner, and they formed enough of a bond that she took his marks. She now travels with him aboard his warbird. I hear that she dresses like a Vandar raider.”
“Kratos?” Disbelief tinged his voice. He did not know my brothers like he knew me, but he knew enough of them to know they were not the type of raiders to go against Vandar tradition lightly.
“Rumor has it that Kaalek also has a human female on his ship, but I do not know if she is his mate, or if they share mating marks.”
The old Raas staggered back, catching himself with one hand on the railing. “How can it be that half of the warriors leading our hordes are involved with human females?”
“They are humans, not Zagrath.” It was a subtle distinction, but a crucial one. “And my female was running from the enemy.”
My uncle grunted an acknowledgment of this. “You cannot shield her from the empire without taking her as your mate?”
“If she is mated to a Raas, she will have the protection and firepower of every Vandar to defend her.”
His gaze searched my face. “That is the only reason?”
I didn’t want to admit that what had started out as a strategic deal had become something else for me. I couldn’t admit that Rachael was more to me than a way to strike a blow to the empire, not without admitting that being with her had opened my heart and made me feel again. My emotions were too fresh and too fragile, and I barely understood them myself. Besides, I didn’t know if Rachael felt the same way.
She enjoyed my attentions, but I could not be certain that her moans and cries of pleasure were not the natural reactions of a female who had never been allowed much sexual pleasure. I’d certainly helped release her from her cocoon, but I didn’t know if her feelings for me went beyond our physical connection. A little voice reminded me that if she did feel something deeper, she would be wearing my marks already.
“Toraan?” My uncle studied me, no doubt reading my conflicted emotions.
“Even if she does not take my marks, I have sworn to protect her and take her as my mate.”
“Even if it means your heart will be broken again?”
His sharp words were a stinging reminder that I had been rejected before. I tightened my hands into fists. “This is not the same. Rachael will keep her end of the bargain.”
The old Raas put his hands on my shoulders, his touch instantly diffusing my defensiveness. “You deserve more than a female who is bound to you out of obligation. I know I taught you that strategy is the most important skill a Raas can have, but strategy does not work when it comes to the heart. You cannot make a deal to find your one true mate.”
“I never thought I would find my true mate. I gave up on that dream long ago.”
My uncle squeezed my arms. “Vandar warriors never give up.”
“Then I am not giving up on Rachael.”
He pressed his lips together and dropped his hands. “Then it is done.” He turned on his heel. “I need to confer with our security officers. The Zagrath might not have found us, but their search makes us more vulnerable.” He glanced at me over his shoulder before leaving the balcony. “I am grateful to you for bringing this news to us, and I am glad to see you again, Toraan.”
I watched him go, but did not follow. Instead, I turned and looked out over the colorful, fabric peaks of the colony. Streets wound between the houses in a meandering pattern, broken up with flowering patches of green. Beyond the tented houses stretched fields of gold—grain that would be harvested to feed the residents—and animals grazing on tightly-cropped grass. I imagined this was what the home world of Vandar had looked like before we’d been forced off it centuries before. But then, our hordes had not used stone to make buildings permanent or technology to fly through the skies. I wondered sometimes if our progress had all been good.
As I allowed the scenery to soothe me, doubt crept into my mind. As much as it frustrated me to have my uncle question my strategy and my intent, I knew he was right. I could not force mating marks, and so far it looked like that part of my plan was a failure. I flinched at this. I despised failure. I’d always believed deep in my soul that if I planned well enough and worked diligently, I would not fail. But I was failing at this, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I could not make Rachael love me, even if I loved her.
I jerked back, startled by the realization. Was it possible that I loved her? I frowned. Even though I’d spent most of the journey to Zendaren with my cock buried inside her, I had not expected my desire to grow into something deeper. She’d been a mission, but now I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered to myself. The lack of black marks curling across her skin were proof that she did not share my feelings. At that moment, I despised being a Vandar and having such an outward display of devotion. Could I stomach the humiliation of taking a mate who did not wear my marks—ever? I swallowed down the ache in my gut, reminding myself that I still claimed her as a mate. I’d made a promise.
I closed my eyes and groaned.
“It can’t be that bad, Toraan.”
The sultry, female voice from behind me made my eyes pop open. It had been a long time, but I could never forget that voice. “Lila.” I did not turn, but braced my arms wide on the stone railing.
She laughed, the sound throaty. “You can’t look at me?”
I gritted my teeth and turned. She was just as I remembered her—tall and beautiful with jet-black hair she wore in a high bun that contrasted with her alabaster skin. Long lashes fluttered as she curved her red lips into a seductive smile I’d seen many times before. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, of course.” She joined me at the overlook, her tail moving as languidly as she did. “I’ve been waiting for you to return.”
I folded my arms over my chest. I did not have to look down at her, but I narrowed my gaze. “You rejected me and took another mate.”
Something flickered behind her eyes, but her smile didn’t falter. “I was young and impatient. I should have waited for you.”
“You mean you should have waited for me to be named Raas.”
“Toraan.” She placed one slender hand on my chest and leaned into me. “Do you really think so little of me?”
“I think you got bored of waiting and took a raider who would warm your bed.”
Lila pulled her hand back as if she’d been burned. “I did not know when you would return. Every other female was taking a mate.”
Even though she was beautiful, she no longer stirred my desire. I saw nothing but cold calculation, and part of me wondered how I’d ever been so enamored of her. The smile I’d once found enchanting looked hard and brittle, and her seductive touch now felt practiced.
“I no longer blame you,” I said. “But I also have nothing to say to you.”
“You don’t mean that.” Her voice cracked even as her tail swished behind her.
I took a step back. “Why are you here, Lila?”
She released a breath and her smile vanished. She tugged at the neckline of her gown. “Because of this.” There was nothing but creamy skin from her throat to the swell of her breasts. “I still don’t have mating marks.”
Her revelation was startling. I’d assumed she had taken her mate because they’d formed marks with each other. It had never occurred to me that she’d still be lacking in marks after so long. Without marks, there could be no offspring.
“Don’t you see?” She released her grip on her dress and the fabric returned to cover her chest. “I made a horrible mistake that affected both of us. We’re supposed to be together. It was always supposed to be you and me. That’s why neither of us have marks.”
I stared at her, taking in what she’d said. I refused to believe that the female who’d broken my heart was my one true mate. But what she’d said was true. Neither of us had formed mating marks with another, and obviously not for l
ack of trying.
“It does not matter,” I managed to say. “We both have mates.”
“Mates we will never share marks with.” Her tone was bitter even as her tail curled around my leg. “We will never have children or a legacy. Is that really what you want?”
My mind swirled with conflicting thoughts, but I shook my head and flickered her tail away with my own. “It does not matter. It is done.”
Lila’s smile returned as she backed away from me. “What is done can be undone.”
Chapter 32
Rachael
“I should wait for Toraan.” I stopped at the door to the large hall, wiping my palms down the soft fabric of my new dress, then instantly regretting it.
I didn’t need to worry. The seamstress wasn’t paying attention to me. Her eyes were on the boisterous crowd filling the long, feasting hall, even as one hand was on my back, prodding me forward.
“My instructions were to deliver you to the dais. The Raas will join you there.” She huffed out a breath. “Vaes.”
I scanned the expansive space for Toraan, but couldn’t spot him anywhere. It wasn’t an easy feat to pick him out of the crowd, since all the Vandar had dark hair and wore battle kilts. All the males, that was. The female Vandar were split into two camps—some were dressed in kilts and armor like the raiders, and others wore dresses that draped long over their legs.
The Vandar seamstress who’d been tasked with dressing me for the occasion had gone with the latter option, creating a simple dress out of a shimmery, gold fabric that hung from one shoulder, gathered at my waist, and cascaded to the floor. Although my arms were bare, my legs were completely covered.
She seemed proud of her creation, although I got the feeling she wasn’t thrilled I was human. She’d made more than a few disapproving noises as she’d fitted me, especially when she’d realized I had no tail.
“The banquet is a great honor,” the old woman said, as she attempted to move me through the tall, arched doorway. “And everyone wants to see the human Toraan brought back from his raiding campaign.”