Her new friend’s eyes flew wide. Adria had learned quickly women from Earth weren’t used to Primaria’s dominant warriors and their belief all females needed a male to protect them, whether a mate, father, or brother.
“She isn’t mated,” she told him, sending Amy an apologetic look.
“She’ll have to go to Milton’s, then. Mr. Kincaid activated the disaster plan, which means we direct everyone to the restaurant.”
Amy nodded and turned to leave.
“I’m sorry,” Adria called after her.
“Don’t worry about it.” Amy’s response disappeared with her in the rapidly thickening cloud of smoke.
Adria scowled at her guard. “You left a woman to fend for herself during an emergency. There aren’t but a handful here. How could you?”
The stairwell exit door opened, and three more residents came out. Two men and another woman about her age. “Make your way to the emergency shelter at Milton’s Diner,” he instructed them.
When they nodded and took off, Remus muttered, “At least some humans know how to follow orders. As am I, Adria. Would you have me cram them all into the tiny vehicle like those disgusting fish in a can?”
“What? No. I wasn’t suggesting any such thing, but one woman wouldn’t take up much room. She could have sat on my lap.”
“You have yet to see the vehicle. I barely fit, and even then, my knees are jammed under my chin.”
A roaring sound and a loud crack resounded through the night as a large flame-engulfed branch fell to the ground not far away. With the wind shift, the fire was moving closer to the hall.
Remus’ fingers tightened on her arm. “No more arguing, Adria. We need to go. The general will assign me to ditch digging for the rest of my career if he hears of even a single singed hair on your head.”
“All right,” she agreed as she hurried toward the front of the building with him. “But if something happens to her while wandering alone in the smoke and darkness, I’ll assign you to digging ditches.”
Her threat held no weight. She had no authority. He knew that as well as she did, but lines of worry formed around his mouth when she mentioned Amy being alone, and his eyes kept darting in the direction they’d last seen her.
“Forget it, she’s gone and on her own now, thanks to you,” Adria muttered
“What’s gotten into you?” he demanded shortly, her own snappishness rubbing off on him. “You’re more argumentative than you ever were.”
“And you’re more hardheaded. Are you sure you and Tarus didn’t swap places?” she rejoined. “All this time, I thought you were the nicer twin.”
“Nice has no place when it comes to duty, Adria. Or keeping you alive.”
Arriving at the tiny solar car, Adria saw the truth of his words. It was bigger than a sardine can, but not by much.
A warrior’s instinct was to protect and defend as much as fight. He’d only been following orders, but Amy was the first hope of a friend she had on the colony, other than Beck. With him, she was on shaky ground, and by deserting Amy, both were in jeopardy.
Remorse surged within her for snapping at her guard. “I’m sorry for being such a shrew. Amy was my friend, one of the few I have here.”
“After I drop you off at the clinic, I’ll check to see she made it safely to Milton’s. Will that ease your mind?”
“Would you? Thank you.”
“For a friend of yours, of course, I will, Adri. Although I would have done so regardless.”
“It’s no excuse, but this hasn’t been a stellar day, and it doesn’t look like it will be over anytime soon.”
“Likely not.” He started the vehicle, and they took off. “Adria?”
“Yeah?”
“Your friend is very attractive. She said she doesn’t have a mate, but does she have a human male she’s interested in?”
She turned her head to study him. “I don’t think so. She transferred here last week discouraged because she didn’t match at home. It’s a shame. I find her bright and witty and very approachable, as well as pretty. She would be perfect for a Primarian male of the warrior type.”
He grunted, a response not uncommon for Tarus no matter the situation, but less so for Remus.
“Are you feeling all right? I made that unfair comparison to your brother, but you’re not acting like yourself.”
“I, too, have had a trying day, and with this fire, it has turned into a trying night.”
“After this is all over, I could introduce you to Amy. She lives on the same floor as me.”
“I’d like that. She is very attractive,” he repeated.
As she thought about a budding romance between the usually sweet, easy-natured warrior and full-of-life Amethyst Stone, the beginnings of a smile curved her lips. But as her focus turned to her and Beck, it faded. She regretted not having her own go-between to help her smooth things over. Although even a skilled third-party mediator might have trouble resolving what was wrong between the two of them.
CHAOS REIGNED IN THE city. Sirens blared, the silly humans living in the large residential building—at least three hundred of them would be at home this time of night—were running around in confusion, while the emergency team assisted by their Primarian protectors were focused on putting out his little distraction.
All was going according to plan.
With only a thin sliver of moon lighting his way, Orleon let instinct guide him through the darkness as he left his observation point at the top of a ridge north of their town. Their primitive conditions had made his task more difficult. If not for the blue orbs providing all the power he needed, his mission would have been an abject failure. Instead, he was anxious to make this first update since the testy one with Tergen three months past.
The blaze he’d set in the woods was a diversion. His hope, with the ship’s crew and Primarian ground forces focused on extinguishing the fire, they wouldn’t notice the minute spike in gamma radiation when he initiated his temporary uplink and signaled command again.
He located the recessed opening of the cave and bent low to traverse the winding debris-strewn access tunnel that led to the interior chamber. This location was far superior to his last, and much more protected from accidental discovery. If he hadn’t been in and out hundreds of times as he worked tirelessly to make preparations for the arrivals, he’d have trouble finding it, especially in the dark.
“I assume since I’m hearing from you again you are making progress,” Tergen stated, not bothering with a greeting at all this time.
“Yes, Your Eminence. I’m pleased to report everything is falling into place. All will be in readiness after the rains dissipate.”
“You’re sure they’re well hidden? Sorin will not be pleased if they are discovered.”
“Would I be careless with so much riding on this?” he replied shortly.
As expected, his superior offered no apology for the slight. “Then, we wait. What of your plan for Primaria?”
“We infiltrate their world the same way.”
“How?” Tergen demanded. “The security is impenetrable, unlike this fledgling colony.”
“Yes, things here remain very primitive, but not for long. They have transitioned from solar energy to a uladite power grid like their hosts enjoy on their homeworld. And I heard their global security force field will be in place very soon.”
“You must exit before that happens. Your plan to overtake Primaria cannot come to fruition if you are trapped there.”
“Agreed, but I’m certain it will work even if the forcefield is active.” His brother didn’t know what he did and Orleon couldn’t keep the smugness from his tone.
“Explain how you are so confident of success when others have tried and failed for at least two decades.”
“I encountered one of their females here.”
“I don’t believe it. Those overprotective barbarians would never allow one of their few precious females off-planet.”
“They did in this
case. She is a healer assigned to care for these humans. Something happened that they sent her away for a time, but my tracker says she has returned. I expect if she comes and goes, she will return home again. When she does, she will be me.”
Tergen chortled gleefully, the sound grating on Orleon’s nerves. The one benefit of being a scout was also a disadvantage; they spent a great deal of time alone. Just this small amount of conversation made him want to scream or throw another blue orb. When they ended their nomadic existence and claimed Primaria as their home, he’d have to get used to interacting with others of his kind.
“This tracker. How did you get close enough to plant it?”
“I’ve watched them for months.” What else did he have to do? “I can mimic their mannerisms, their speech, even the phrasing a translation program cannot isolate. During a chance encounter with her one night, I imbedded a monitoring device on her person. Off-planet, it was useless, but it’s working again now that she has returned.”
“This encounter wasn’t mere chance, it was fortuitous, and will fulfill our destiny.” The exarch’s eyes narrowed as he considered him via the display. “I’m impressed, Orleon. Shocked, but impressed. You have skills I was unaware of.”
He blinked in surprise. Though intertwined with the usual disdain for his abilities, a compliment was rare from his brother. In fact, he’d never received one from him—ever.
“Thank you, Your Eminence,” he replied with a slight bow. “I will be done with the second stage in days. If all goes as I expected, my next report will be issued from Ariad, Primaria’s capital city.”
“Excellent! I will advise Sorin that all we must do is bide our time.”
“Yes, and let nature on Terra Nova nurture our future here.”
Chapter Ten
Organized bedlam. It was the best label Beck could come up as he stood just inside the entrance to Milton’s, surveying the mass of pajama-clad people crammed inside. They had plenty of blankets, food, and water, but not nearly enough cots. Many of the displaced residents would have to sleep on the floor, unfortunately. And there weren’t nearly enough medical personnel to see to those suffering from smoke inhalation. The constant hacking and wheezing made it sound more like a hospital ward than a shelter.
The most severe cases had been transferred to the clinic, but they only had six beds. A full-service hospital and two other clinics were under construction, but he just couldn’t make things happen fast enough. He had resources, manpower, the full support of the transition coalition countries at home and of Primaria—who had exceeded what was required under the treaty—but the one thing he didn’t have was time.
“Dr. Juna!” he called as the doctor rushed to the table of medical supplies set up against the far wall.
She slowed, though not by much, so he kept pace with her.
“This is craziness, Beck. Is the fire under control? If it continues to spread and we have more victims—”
“The ERT leader reported in a few minutes ago. The fire is essentially contained. They are just dealing with hot spots, smoldering ash, and surveillance to make sure it doesn’t reignite if the wind picks up again.”
She blew out a breath, her shoulders slumping with fatigue. “Thank goodness for that.”
“How are you holding up? Do you have enough help?”
“No. We’re short staffed in the clinic on a daily basis. For emergencies on a scale such as this... Well, we can only triage and work through the cases, hoping we get to everyone before they get critical.”
“I saw Adria has returned, but I don’t see her here. Is she at the clinic?”
“No, and we need her. Last I heard, her guards were bickering over whether she could stay at the clinic under guard or should transport up to the ship until they determined what this was about. Since Ellar came down shortly after, it seems Tarus won. Which means we’re back to square one as far as trained staff is concerned.”
“Doctor, can you check on my daughter next?” The woman calling for her sounded a bit frantic.
“I need to go.”
“Let me know if any of us untrained folks can help, Juna.”
“Will do, Beck.”
As he watched her move to the cots and sit down on the edge to examine a girl not more than four by his guess, he decided it was better Adria wasn’t here. It had been a long day and a much longer night. He was exhausted, and, seeing her again, with his control limited by fatigue, he’d be hard pressed to remain distant.
They hadn’t parted on good terms. She’d been angrier than he’d ever seen her, more so than at the clinic that long-ago day with Lana. She’d been cool, her tongue biting, her scorn dripping, and that was after having a year to come to terms with what she’d done to Trask. With Beck, in the heat of the moment, she’d been livid—her exotic eyes flashing, her color heightened—and absolutely beautiful.
Weeks ago, on Primaria, he’d been surprised to run into her. Her anger was gone, but replaced by...what? Not quite fear, more like shock, or perhaps disappointment. Then, she’d run from him. He’d been stunned then frustrated and angry. Even though they hadn’t known one another long, what they’d shared had been deeper than friendship, the intimacy poignant. Certainly worth more than to be written off so quickly, no matter what she believed he had done.
The anger simmering since the park bubbled up. She was lucky not to be here within arm’s reach because he’d been itching to do as he’d promised weeks ago and turn her round ass over his knee for a blistering. Wouldn’t that shock her to her Primarian toes? What he wanted more, however, was to take her in his arms and kiss her, and so much more.
“Beck, the ERT chief is out front asking for you.”
“I’m on my way, Milt. Thanks.” That he was here, rather than at the fire, Beck took as a hopeful sign. Pushing his feelings for the exasperating Primarian beauty aside, he strode to the door to tackle the next obstacle keeping him from his bed tonight.
EXHAUSTED AFTER A FIFTEEN-hour day, Adria could barely keep her eyes open, and Remus had to practically carry her up the stairs. This made her third day back, and they weren’t getting easier. First, it was the fire and an influx of respiratory ailments from the smoke. Next, more respiratory ailments, but not from humans affected by the blaze. It was winter, which went hand in hand, or rather, Kleenex in hand with the sniffles, snots, and fever, as Juna called it.
Tonight, was her first night in her apartment since waking up to the shrieking smoke alarm. The hard-fought battle she’d won with Remus to stay and help had been quickly overridden by Tarus.
“I’m not willing to risk my career, not to mention my manhood, which is what the general threatened to lop off if we let any harm come to her.”
Remus, the likeable twin, had looked at her with wide eyes, swallowed hard, and capitulated with his twin’s reasoning.
She was able to negotiate a compromise, though she was hoarse from pleading by the time both warriors agreed. The solution, work at the clinic by day but, at night, return to the safety of a stateroom on the Intrepid, hundreds of miles above the planet’s surface, surrounded by warriors.
Three nights aboard ship was enough to make Adria stir crazy. Worse, since she shuttled down with a warrior escort who took her directly to work, and up again immediately after the clinic closed, she had zero opportunity to see Beck, let alone speak to him and apologize.
It would have to wait, however. As tired as she was, she could hardly think straight, and she didn’t want to trip over her tongue, say something stupid, and make matters worse. And, if it turned out he’d found a mate in the beautiful blonde, she didn’t want to break down and blubber like a baby, or, worse, profess her undying love and beg him to “ditch the bitch” and be with her instead—another apropos Earth phrase courtesy of either Eryn or Eva.
When she entered the building, she was shocked it didn’t smell of smoke. According to Remus, Beck had sent crews in to ventilate and clean the entire building. If the fire had been inside, instead of sm
oke blowing in from outside, it might have been weeks before it was livable again, and, with space at a premium, and Milton “pitching a fit”—Beck’s terminology not Remus’—that would have made an already untenable situation far worse.
Once he left her, with a warning to stay put, Adria managed to stay on her feet long enough to shower then, without bothering to dry her hair or put on a warm nightgown, she collapsed face first across the bed and yanked a blanket over her.
When she closed her eyes, bone tired and aching from head to foot, unbelievably, sleep wouldn’t come.
After tossing and turning for an hour, she sat up with a scream of frustration. When the sound stopped bouncing off the walls, the silence of her apartment closed in on her, and the guilt.
“Time,” she said aloud.
“It’s 11:50 p.m., paulova. You should be asleep dreaming about me doing incredible things to your gorgeous body.”
“Ew!” she shrieked. “Alarm. Off!”
How could she have forgotten? Lana had programed her voice-activated clock, one of the few automations in her archaic apartment, with her brother’s voice in seduction mode.
“She must enjoy self-flagellation, too,” Adria muttered as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. For the woman to deliberately wake each day to the mate she loved beyond life but had given up so he could be happy had to be the definition of self-inflicted torture.
But she put that from her mind and got dressed, bundling up against the chill wind and bitter-cold night, to do much the same thing and try to salvage things with Beck.
Though prepared to walk the several blocks to his business on the other end of town, she happily hitched a ride with a neighbor heading to the Watering Hole for a “little Irish to warm his blood.”
Bound by Fate Page 16