by Tana Stone
Raas Bron’s pace quickened as we rushed up the steps, his energy obviously fueled by fury. Instead of bare rock at the top of the cliffs, I was surprised to see a series of flat-topped buildings with neat paths winding through them. As we rushed past the structures, I peeked through the windows and saw homey rooms with colorful linens and vanity tables strewn with brushes and pots of pigment. Then it hit me. This was where the pleasurers lived.
I tugged hard on Bron’s hand to stop him, and he glanced back at me, his gaze questioning.
“If they catch me, they’ll execute me,” I said, nodding to one of the small houses. “I need a disguise.”
He cut his eyes to his own battle kilt hanging low on his hips, his skin still damp from the pool. “I doubt there is any disguise that will hide me.”
I looked him up and down then pulled him behind me into one of the small houses. “Never say never.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Bron
My head throbbed as I gaze up at the female draped in layers of diaphanous fabric. The jeweled edge of the face veil sparkled as she leaned closer, her brown eyes the only part of her face visible behind layers of pink and lavender.
“Raas,” she whispered.
I attempted to roll away from her. Where was I, and why was a pleasurer on top of me?
Sitting up, a hood fell away from my head. I glanced down at myself. And why was I dressed in the white robes of the Laurinians?
“Bron,” the female said, putting a hand on my arm as I tried to stand. “It’s me. Don’t you remember where we are?”
I swung my gaze to her, as she unhooked one side of her veil to reveal the bottom half of her face. Alana.
I did remember where we were. I’d brought her to the surface of the pleasure planet, and we’d been in our suite. Then I’d fallen asleep and…
“The Zagrath.” My heart clenched. “They’re here.”
“Not yet,” Alana said, standing and crossing to the window, her multicolor, sheer skirt swishing. “We came in here to disguise ourselves, and you passed out again.”
I touched a hand to my temple. Passed out? That’s right. I hadn’t fallen asleep.
“You did this.” I fought down a wave of nausea. “It’s your fault I feel so weak. Did you do all this to set a trap for me?”
“No!” She swiveled around to face me. “Yes. I’m the reason you’re so zonked out, but I had nothing to do with the imperial invasion.”
My head was heavy and the words sluggish on my lips. “Why should I believe you?”
She put her hands on her hips, the diaphanous sleeves of her dress fluttering. “Because they’re here to kill me, too. If I’d called the Zagrath, why would I be running from them? If I was behind this, all I’d have to do would be wave my arms and let them take you down.”
I stood quickly, grabbing her by the wrist and pinning her to the wall next to the window. “You expect me to believe you after what you’ve just done?”
“I’m so sorry. You have to believe that I didn’t want to hurt you.” Her chest heaved as she peered up at me.
I shook my head to rid myself of the lingering sluggishness. “Drugging me wasn’t hurting me?”
“I thought I was saving you. The only thing I’ve ever been doing since I realized I couldn’t kill you is trying to keep you from getting killed. I knew the empire would come after me with everything they had. I told you before, Bron. I’m a liability to you.”
I searched her face and saw no deception. “Maybe, but you’re also mine to protect.”
“But I’m not.” Tears glittered in her eyes. “I know you want to protect me, but I’m not yours. I don’t have your marks, and I probably never will. I’ve done too many horrible things to ever be anyone’s true mate.”
I shook my head, but she put a hand over my mouth.
“It’s okay. I love you for wanting to protect me. No one’s ever done that for me.” She tightened her jaw. “But now it’s time for me to protect you and leave your horde. You’ll be safer without me and without the empire hunting for me.”
I pushed her hand off my mouth, clasping her wrist and bringing it to my lips, kissing the soft skin and feeling the trill of her pulse. “I can’t do that, Alana. It is done.”
“What’s done?”
“This.” I looked intently at her. “You and me. There’s no undoing what I feel for you or what you feel for me. It’s too late.”
Her gaze darted to the door as sounds of battle drifted up from the cliffs below. “It’s not too late. Let me go and draw their fire. They’ll follow me, and leave your raiders alone.”
Dropping her wrist, l lowered my lips to hers, kissing her softly. “Do you really think I could ever let you go?”
She whimpered as her lips sank into mine, kissing me back with a sad yearning. When she pulled away, she blinked up at me. “You’d rather die than let me go?”
I cupped her face in one hand, stroking the pad of my thumb across her jawline. “I would rather have a valiant death defending the female I love, than live a life of emptiness without her.” I shrugged. “Besides, eternal life in Zedna with the old gods is not such a bad fate.”
The noise of battle grew louder.
“Any chance I can hitch a ride with you to Zedna?” Alana asked, giving me a weak smile.
My heart squeezed as I memorized the lines of her face and the curve of her lips. Then my eyes wandered to the dark lines curling up her throat beneath the sheer fabric of the veil.
“Alana.” The word was choked as I gaped at her, then tore at her veil.
She let out a small yelp, looking down at the bare skin I’d exposed—skin that was emblazoned with my mating marks. We were both silent for a moment, then I opened the white robe covering my chest.
Alana sucked in a breath. “Your marks are…growing.”
A swell of possessive pride filled my chest. “We will share the same marks. There will be no doubt to anyone who sees that you truly belong to me.”
Her stunned expression didn’t change, so I grabbed her by the shoulders.
She finally tipped her head back and locked her eyes on mine. “It’s been so long since I mattered to anyone.”
“You more than matter to me,” I said, pressing a palm to her marks, the heat of her flesh making my own skin ignite. “You are my mate. You are my world. And I won’t let anyone take you from me for even a second.”
She hitched in a breath and drew herself up to her full height. “Then we have some Zagrath ass to kick.”
I grinned at her. “That’s my bad little assassin.”
“When I’m killing Zagrath, you can call me Mantis.”
Chapter Forty
Alana
Bron tossed off the white cloak as we ran from the house, but there was no time for me to change from the elaborate silks of the pleasurer. But it was better if my appearance confused them, so I hooked my veil across my face.
“Stay behind me,” Raas Bron growled, as the thudding footsteps on stone grew louder.
I laughed, stepping out from behind him. “As if.”
He opened his mouth to argue, then groaned and shook his head. “What did I do to earn such a stubborn mate?”
“I’m assuming that’s rhetorical, or would you like a list of reasons?”
He gave me another tortured look and pulled me with him into a tight alley between the houses.
“The element of surprise,” I said, nudging him in the ribs. “Good thinking.”
There was no time for him to respond as the first imperial soldier crested the top of the cliff. Sun glinted off the familiar helmets as the faceless fighters ran up two-by-two, their crisp, smoke-blue uniforms out of place in the idyllic setting.
“I would say to wait until we see the whites of their eyes,” Bron whispered, “but in this case, that won’t work.”
“Watch this,” I said, stepping in front of them before he could stop me.
The soldiers skidded to a stop, clearly startled
by the appearance of a Laurinian pleasurer.
“The Vandar warlord ran up there.” I waved a hand toward a narrow passageway a few houses down.
The lead soldier nodded, and they ran forward, not even glancing to the side where Bron stood.
“One good thing about the imperial helmets,” I told him as I waited until the soldiers had passed us. “They can’t hear for shit.”
When the last soldier had entered the narrow alley, Bron ran forward, slashing at their backs with his axe. Since they were pinned in, he was able to mow them down before the ones at the front even noticed or heard.
“Stupid helmets,” I muttered, then spun around as I heard more fighters coming over the top.
They hesitated when they saw me, then stopped fully when Bron emerged from the alley with blood dripping from his blade. He walked to stand next to me, and I gave them a wide smile.
With a yell, the Zagrath soldiers surged forward. My heart pounded, and my hands tingled with excitement. This is what I’d been missing—a real fight.
The Raas swung his axe wide, knocking down the first soldiers. I dodged blaster fire, dipping low and sweeping my leg out and sending two fighters to the ground. When one dropped his blaster and it skittered across the stone, I dove for it.
I closed my fingers around the familiar, cool metal, spinning and firing at the imperial forces battling Bron. My aim hadn’t suffered from lack of practice, my chest shots killing several instantly.
Bron glanced at me and grinned. “Nice shooting.”
“We can’t all be badasses with a battle axe.”
We couldn’t celebrate for long. More soldiers appeared from the stairs, rushing forward. Bron deflected their blaster fire while I fired off as many shots as I could.
Suddenly pain seared across my shoulder, and I dropped the blaster. Glancing at my bloody sleeve, I quickly assessed that it wasn’t a deep wound, but it was bleeding, and I couldn’t see where the blaster had fallen.
Ducking low, I ran for one of the alleys as heat scorched across the top of my head.
“Son of a bitch,” I said. Another millimeter, and I’d have been dead.
I held a hand over my wound as I sucked in a breath. I needed to get back out there and help Bron. Tearing off my face veil, I tied it above my shoulder wound, using my teeth to pull the knot tight and staunch the blood.
“That should hold it.” Now I needed to locate a blaster and help Bron. No way was he going to have all the fun.
An imperial soldier stepped into the alleyway, blocking my path. “I thought that was you.” Instead of shooting me, he pulled off his helmet and tossed it to the ground.
I squinted at the Zagrath with dirty blond hair cut short and icy blue eyes. It was the one who’d given me the bruises before I’d left to be captured by the Vandar. The one who’d enjoyed hurting me way too much.
“You,” I said, spitting out the word.
He gave me a leering smile. “Remember me, do you, sweetheart?”
“I’m not your sweetheart.” I fisted my hands by my side. “But, yeah, I remember you. You were on my list of people to kill. Thanks for coming here and making it easier.”
He laughed. “You think you’re going to kill me? You’re the most wanted person in the galaxy. There’s a bounty on your head so large you’ll never make it off this planet, much less out of this alley.”
I gave him a hard smile. “We’ll see.”
His gaze moved down my body. “I have to say, Mantis. I like your new clothes. Is that what Vandar whores wear?”
Rage coursed through me, but I didn’t respond. I was too busy trying to figure out how I was going to kill a Zagrath fighter who was armed with a blaster, when I had nothing but a grudge and a wounded arm.
“Don’t want to tell me?” He shook his head as he advanced on me. “I don’t blame you. If I’d been whoring myself to the enemy, I wouldn’t want to admit it, either.”
I wanted to yell for Bron, but I could hear him grunting as he fought off the other soldiers, their blaster fire ricocheting through the air. If I called out for help, it might distract him in his battle, which could mean death.
The fighter lunged for me. I jumped up and spun in midair, kicking out and landing a blow to his chest. He staggered back, but remained upright, cursing at me.
“You want to hit me again?” I yelled. “Come and get it.”
“I don’t want to hit you this time.” He spit onto the ground. “I’m going to fuck you raw.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Over my dead body.”
He cracked his neck as he moved toward me. “That works for me.”
I backed away, but kept my low battle stance. I needed to get away from this guy and find a blaster. If I could run fast enough and circle around to the battle, I should be able to get a blaster off one of the dead soldiers. That is, if this asshole didn’t shoot me in the back.
I drew in a breath. It didn’t matter. I had to try. Spinning on my heel, I took off running, keeping my head low in case he fired. But instead of blaster fire, all I heard was the pounding of his feet behind mine. Then a strong arm hooked around my waist, and I was flying backward.
He threw me to the ground, landing on top of me and pinning my arms to my side. I gasped for breath, but the wind had been knocked out of me. I could only open and close my mouth, as he pressed his body on top of mine. His breath was hot and desperate, as he fumbled with my skirts while roughly nudging my legs apart.
I managed to regain my breath enough to struggle against him, but he was too heavy, and I was still weak. I gathered all the breath I could and screamed, “Bron!”
The soldier’s movements halted for a second, then he crushed his mouth to mine. Even though I knew it was to keep me from screaming again, his lips were punishing as they groped me. I opened my mouth, finding his tongue and biting down.
He reared back and backhanded me across the cheek. “Bitch!”
Even though the slap brought tears to my eyes, I used his momentary distraction to bring my knee up hard between his legs. While he gasped in pain, I scrambled to my knees. I didn’t get far before he’d pulled me back, this time forcing me onto my stomach with my face shoved into the gritty stone. He shoved my skirts up as he fumbled to part my legs again. Fear clawed in my throat as I jerked up and tried to head butt him.
He dodged me and slammed my head back down. “Nice try, but it’s time you pay for betraying the empire.” He emitted a cruel laugh. “And I’m not going to be gentle.”
Something hard pressed between my legs, and then his full weight was on me, forcing my breath out again. I braced myself for more as I attempted to draw a breath, but instead, something sticky trickled down my neck. Then the weight of his body was gone, and there was panting behind me.
I craned my neck, hoping it was not another imperial soldier.
Chapter Forty-One
Bron
The imperial fighters came at me fast and hard, pouring over the top of the cliff like scurrying Jerpithian ants. They had blasters drawn, but I was faster with my battle axe, blocking their fire and causing the beams to ricochet away from me. When they came closer, I crouched low and swiped out, taking out an entire row of them below the knees. The soldiers coming up after them stumbled over the writhing bodies of Zagrath clutching their bloody stumps. I used the distraction to take off a few of their heads, the shiny helmets flying through the air and landing on the rock with a crack.
Between the screams of agony and the rushing of my own blood in my ears, I could hear little but the battle. Until her voice pierced through the grunting and wailing. Alana was calling my name.
Spinning around, I scoured the top of the cliff for her. She’d been right by my side when the fight had begun. Now, she was nowhere to be seen.
I ducked as blaster fire rained over me, slicing my axe through the air to take out the last soldiers rushing toward me. Then I held my breath, my chest burning, and listened again. There it was. The sound of furious grunts
and Zagrath curses.
I ran toward the noise, slipping down an alleyway and spotting the imperial solider first. He was straddling Alana, his hand forcing her head down while he fumbled with his pants and kneed her legs open. Her skirts were pushed up around her waist and her ass was bare.
Fury drove me forward, my vision clouded with red rage as I swung my axe high and brought it down between the soldier’s shoulder blades. A sharp breath was expelled from his chest, along with a bubble of blood from his mouth as he twisted around to look up at me with shocked eyes before slumping forward.
Lifting the body off Alana, I jerked my bloody blade from his back, then tossed his corpse aside like the trash it was.
She swiveled her head to me, her eyes still wild with panic and anger. When she saw me and then the dead Zagrath, she squeezed her eyes shut.
I calmed my own ragged breath as I knelt beside her. Although I wanted to kill a thousand Zagrath to pay for what they’d done to her, I’d have to settle for the dead body bleeding out beside me. And I’d have to quell my rage in order to comfort her.
I pulled her skirts down and noted that her knees were bloody. If I could have killed the man a second time, I would have. Instead I brushed a tangle of hair out of her eyes. “Did he hurt you badly?”
Alana shook her head even though her hands were trembling. “You came.”
Curling an arm around her waist, I pulled her up. “I will always come for you.”
She leaned into me for a moment, her body warm against mine. Then she cut her gaze to the unmoving imperial soldier. “I’m glad you killed him.”
“The pleasure was all mine.”
Alana laughed weakly. “I believe you.”
Taking her face in my hands, I wiped away a trickle of blood from her bottom lip. “The empire has no claim on you anymore.” I lowered my mouth to hers, feathering my lips across her bruised one. “You are mine.”