The council chose to believe his lies about a mistake, an incorrect cargo manifest.
I, however, did not. And his repeated attempts to force me to mate with his daughter reeked of further manipulation. How many people would he have been able to intimidate or bribe if I had become Tia’s mate? With a powerful commander as his new son?
“You were very brave, Tiffani,” Tia said. “The news feeds have talked of little else since your arrival.” Tia exhaled a deep breath and her words drew me from my reverie.
“News feeds? What news feeds?” Tiffani looked up at me for an explanation, which I very much did not want to give.
Chapter Nine
Deek
When I took a moment too long to answer, Tia grinned at my mate. “Didn’t they tell you? You’re famous.”
Tiffani paled, swaying, and I frowned at Tia’s antics. “Tia, stop scaring her.”
“Why didn’t you tell her? How many interview requests have you turned down already?”
Tiffani looked up at me with a fierce scowl, clearly growing irritated. “Well?”
With a sigh, I relented. Dax and I had discussed this problem at length in my office just hours ago. Eventually, I was going to be forced to concede. My people wanted to know Tiffani, loved her for saving my life. I was a selfish bastard, keeping her all to myself. The world would understand that my mating fever would take some time to soothe. But I was running out of ways to keep the media away. Before long, the curious would be knocking on our door. “Twenty-two.”
“Oh, my God.” Tiffani’s eyes were round with surprise. “I’m a waitress from Milwaukee. I’m really not that interesting.”
I sighed. “That was just yesterday.”
Tia crossed her arms with a snort. “You can’t hide her in your bedroom forever, Commander.”
Tiffani started to laugh, but still blushed furiously, and reached out to place her hand on Tia’s forearm. “Thanks for the warning.”
Tia looked confused by the touch—my mate was very into touching—but then grinned. “Well, we are family now. And we women need to stick together.”
“That reminds me,” Engel said.
We all looked to him as he pulled something from his pants pocket. It was a small pouch, black with a gold pull string.
“This is for you.” Engel held the pouch out to Tiffani, but looked at me. “A peace offering and apology. Welcome to the family, Tiffani.”
Tiffani took the proffered bag and opened it, letting the contents fall into her small hand. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
The clenched muscles in my neck and jaw relaxed as I saw the necklace. Links of gold entwined with graphite designs engraved with the symbols of our family line. This was the gift I had refused while in the prison cell. But this time, Tia did not offer it to me, but to my mate.
As if reading my mind, Engel looked up at me. “Since Tiffani is your mate and this is a family heirloom, we felt she should have it.”
I glanced at Tia to see if she agreed. She nodded. “It will look great with that dress, Tiffani.”
Tiffani held up the gift, offering it to me. “Will you help?”
“Of course.” I would always help her, be the task large or small.
I lifted the necklace from her palm and ran my fingers along the familiar metal links. I remembered it well. “I used to sit on my grandmother’s lap and play with this when I was very small. I liked the way the lights reflected off the gold.”
“Perhaps our son will do the same someday.” Tiffani offered the vision and turned her back to me. Opening the clasp, I draped the costly jewelry around her neck, leaning to place a kiss on her shoulder. Now I could not stop envisioning my son on Tiffani’s lap, his chubby little hand reaching for the golden links. Truly grateful and humbled by the gift, I released her to face Engel.
“Very generous, Councilor. And it looks perfect on my mate. Thank you.”
Tiffani put her hand on the cool links then offered her thanks as well.
Another couple came to stand beside Engel. He glanced at them and nodded. “You have more guests to greet. We won’t keep you.”
Engel nodded and took Tia by the arm, steering her toward the refreshment table as Tiffani’s words chased them. “Call me, or whatever. I want to go shopping soon!”
“You got it!” Tia’s grin was filled with joy and I let my anger with Engel go. He was an old man playing an age-old game. I’d done my duty. Turned him in. It was time for me to let go of the past and enjoy my future with my new mate.
Tiffani
While I was enjoying the party, I had the same thoughts as Deek. I wanted to leave and get my mate naked. I was used to seeing him either in his armor or naked, but in fancy clothes, in what I thought of as an Atlan tuxedo, he looked… incredible. Edible.
And yet I had been the one to promise Sarah we would remain until the final guests were gone. Therefore, I had to restrain myself and resist my mate until the very end. If I even mentioned an interest in leaving, or even in just finding a quiet room somewhere and having an Atlan quickie, Deek would have tossed me over his shoulder and shouted out a goodbye. And so I just reveled in his constant attention, his constant touch, and enjoyed something I’d never had before—a smoking-hot man’s undivided attention.
It was because he was always touching me that I sensed a change in him before anyone else. His hand became hot to the touch, as if he were feverish. He became restless. His eyes, which had been calm and content all evening, now darted at every man who passed, searched every shadow for danger. He moved closer to me, hovering to the point of being ridiculous.
I appreciated the fact that he was protective, but this was a bit extreme. It was literally as if he couldn’t be more than a few inches from me. He held me around the waist or shoulder at all times, forcing our bodies to touch constantly. He spoke less to the guests. Within a matter of minutes he was reduced to single-word replies. Grunts, even.
I looked up at him and noticed he was sweating and tugging at the collar of his shirt. His skin was flushed and his eyes were dark, so much darker than I’d seen. Except when—
Oh, shit.
“Deek,” I said, tugging on his hand. “What’s wrong?”
The couple standing with us noticed the change in him and retreated quickly, their eyes wary as they whispered to each other.
“Fever,” he growled.
“Let’s get you out of here,” I murmured, tugging on his hand to steer him out of the room. Fortunately, he allowed me to pull him along.
“Commander.”
Engel Steen stepped in front of us, blocking our way. His gaze shifted between me and Deek, then settled on my mate with a frown.
“Is there a problem?” he asked.
Shaking my head and offering him a fake smile, I tried to move around him, pulling a very big Atlan commander in the throes of mating fever behind me. “No, no problem. We’re just very eager to… um, to be alone.”
Engel put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “You have yet to meet the other councilor that just arrived. He will be very disappointed to have—”
Deek’s beast growled at the man’s touch and I instantly remembered that mated Atlans had a no-touching rule. Pulling back from Engel’s hand, I broke the councilor’s contact with my shoulder, but it was too late. Deek’s growl turned into an all-out roar, which practically shook the walls of Dax and Sarah’s house.
Everyone quieted and turned toward us. Before my eyes, Deek changed. His teeth became more pronounced, more like fangs. His chest and shoulders bulged, his arms nearly doubling in size as the muscle fibers expanded into the beast’s fighting mode. He grew nearly a foot taller, his spine elongating as he rose to tower above everyone in the room.
“Deek. Calm down.” I couldn’t help but stare at him, for while he’d been in beast mode at the jail cell, I’d never watched the actual transformation before. It was like watching an old episode of The Incredible Hulk on TV, but at least his clothes didn’t rip and fall in
to tatters. Seemed the Atlans made their clothes with beast mode in mind.
“He’s still got the fever,” Engel said, wide-eyed, as he put his hands out before him and backed away.
Deek was panting and only my hand on his chest kept him from jumping Engel.
“No touch,” Deek said, his voice that dark, deep rumble I remembered from before we mated.
“Step away, Engel. You shouldn’t have touched me,” I told him.
Engel took another step back. “I regret that now, but that is not what we should be focusing on.”
Dax and Sarah came to stand next to most of the partygoers, who were gathering. The male warriors shoved their mates behind them, just in case. In moments we were completely surrounded by over a dozen warriors whose sharp gazes and tense stance let me know they were ready to take Deek down at any moment.
Oh, shit. I turned to Deek, touched his cheek. “Deek, baby, calm down.”
He wouldn’t even look at me as Engel stepped forward again. It looked as if he might be coming closer, which made me wince and Deek roar.
Engel froze and turned to Dax. “Commander Deek’s mating fever has returned. You must summon the guards at once.”
I wanted to punch Engel for stating the obvious about Deek’s condition, but I wanted to kick him in the balls for daring suggest they drag my mate back to prison.
I whirled on Dax. “Don’t you dare. Just help me get him out of here. I’m his mate. He’ll be fine.”
“No touch,” Deek repeated, his eyes focused on Engel with laser sharpness, his hands tightly clenched into fists. “Mate.”
“Mate?” Engel said, voice incredulous, and a bit too loud for my liking. “She can’t be your mate. Look at you.”
Engel lifted his arm and waved it through the air. Everyone turned to look at Deek, whose eyes were nearly bulging from his head as he processed Engel’s claim. His breathing was rushed and ragged, as if he had just been in battle.
“Don’t listen to him, Deek. I’m your mate. I don’t care what he says.”
Apparently, when being challenged by another warlord, the woman being argued over became invisible, because Deek picked me up and set me down behind him, out of the way.
“Mate!” Deek shouted.
“She can’t be your mate, Commander. Or you wouldn’t be losing control.” His tone wasn’t loud or argumentative, it was patronizing, as if he were explaining two plus two to a five-year-old.
“Don’t mansplain your bullshit to me, Engel.” I shoved around Deek’s giant torso to scowl at Engel. Stupid ass. If he’d just let me get Deek out of here in the first place, none of this would be happening. God help me, I upgraded kicking him in the nuts to shoving a boot up his ass.
“I am simply stating the obvious, dear. You aren’t his mate. You can’t be.”
Before I could even scream at Deek to stop, he’d lunged at Engel. The older man was knocked to the floor and Deek literally jumped on top of him, arm raised to punch him. Or worse.
I screamed, but it was mixed in with the shouts of surprise from the others.
Dax stepped forward and grabbed Deek’s raised arm. But Deek was enraged, and it took four more of the waiting warriors to restrain him.
“Deek!” he shouted, using all of his Atlan warlord strength to tug him off Engel Steen. “Get control of your beast. Now!” Dax turned to me. “Tiffani! Get over here and help us!”
I ran to Deek’s side and placed my hand on the sides of his waist, wrapping my arms around him so he would know I was near. It seemed to help, but I knew if the others released him, he would once more lunge for the councilor.
“Gods, that man has lost control. The fever has made him a madman!” Engel was lying on his back on the floor, his arms raised to defend himself. A small cut was on his brow, but I had no idea how he’d gotten it since Deek hadn’t actually punched him.
Tia dropped to her knees beside her father, worry on her face, but looked to Deek with a mixture of horror and sadness. “This can’t be happening.” Her gaze drifted to mine and I stared her down, daring her to repeat the nonsense about Deek not being mine. He was mine. Mine!
Dax stood between Deek and Engel, pushing Deek back with all of his strength.
I didn’t care about Engel, only for Deek. The beast seethed and raged. Sweat dripped from his face and his eyes. God, his eyes were wild. My Deek was no longer there, only the beast.
“Deek,” Dax said. “Commander.”
Deek growled at the last, trying to break past the beast to find his voice.
“Commander,” Dax repeated. “Stand down.”
“Mine,” Deek growled. “Mate.”
The beast did not like the idea of me not actually being his mate. While it made me feel good to know the beast was so adamant about me belonging to him, I knew this little interlude meant trouble for Deek.
“That warlord has lost all control!” Engel shouted. “You saw him. You saw what he did.”
He spoke to the guests and they nodded their heads, watching as Deek still fought for control over his beast. The mating fever was known by all and easily recognized. Hell, I’d been on Atlan a week and I knew what it looked like.
The guests started to murmur.
The fever returned.
Their mating wasn’t true.
Obviously, the alien woman was not his real mate.
He needs to be put away.
How sad. He’s going to be executed.
Chapter Ten
Tiffani
Executed?
The word sliced through my heart. How dare these strangers question what we shared? They knew nothing about our match, of what we were to each other.
But I couldn’t deny the fever had returned.
“Call the guards,” Engel said as he stood, legs shaky. “Tia, hurry and summon the guards. He must be put away. He’s a danger to himself and everyone in this room.” Engel’s gaze turned to me and he softened his voice. “Including you, dear. I’m so sorry.”
Dax was murmuring to Deek, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I moved to stand before my mate, hoping both my touch and the sight of me safe and whole would soothe him. I couldn’t fuck him in front of these guests, but at this point it wouldn’t matter. We’d fucked like rabbits for days and yet the fever had returned to claim him.
As I touched Deek’s hot skin, Engel’s somber gaze watched every move I made. He didn’t believe I was Deek’s one true mate. I could see it in his eyes. I wore the cuffs, which were supposed to be designed to help the males control their beasts. I had no idea how the circuitry worked on the warlords who wore them, but I’d tested the perimeter of my own cuffs two days ago and had collapsed in agony when I’d gone too far from his side. He’d argued with me, not wanting me to suffer, but I’d been adamant about testing them.
And wished I had listened to him. It was like being struck by a Taser.
So, I’d stayed at his side, content to do so, and not because it fucking hurt otherwise. I’d allowed him take my body whenever he wanted. I’d given him everything. Everything. And it wasn’t enough.
I knew that I was no good for him now. I could offer him nothing. No matter how badly I wanted more, I wasn’t the right woman for him. Perhaps Engel was right. Other than the cuffs, we had no proof of a mating bond between us, whatever that even meant. I’d been told at least a half-dozen times that an Atlan’s mate was the only one who could control her mate’s beast. The only person in the universe an Atlan in beast mode would listen to.
Well, I’d failed at that, too.
The guards came through the doors with their ion blasters raised.
“Put those fucking weapons away,” Dax shouted at them. “He’s a commander in fever, not a criminal.”
“He knocked me down. Everyone saw it. I’m sorry, Dax. I know he’s your friend, but he’s dangerous,” Engel countered.
Engel looked to me as he said the last as Deek was put in restraints above his forearms.
The guards started
to lead him toward the door.
“Mate,” Deek growled.
“She must go with him,” Dax insisted.
I didn’t want to leave Deek’s side, but I had not expected Dax to say I had to go to the jail with him. I could do nothing to help him control his beast. I had no idea why he’d responded to me the first time, although he hadn’t been as out of control as he was now.
“He will hurt her!” Tia countered, coming to stand beside me. “You can stay with me,” she said, looking at me with sad eyes.
“She must go,” Dax repeated. “They are cuffed.”
The cuffs. That was why I had to go. Not because I was Deek’s mate, but because the pain would be too great for us to be apart.
“I will go,” I said, lifting my chin and moving to stand behind the guards. This was one of the most mortifying—and heartbreaking—moments of my life. Everyone knew that I failed, that I wasn’t enough for a commander. That I wasn’t his mate. I’d failed.
“I will stay with him,” I murmured past a lump in my throat. I would not cry.
“In jail?” Tia countered.
“I’ve been there before. I am not afraid.” And the truth of it was, I couldn’t bear to leave his side.
“He won’t be there long, I’m afraid.” Engel sidled up to his daughter’s shoulder with a resigned sigh. “In cases like this, the execution order will most likely be reinstated and carried out swiftly.”
It was like he’d stabbed me in the gut with a dagger. “How long does he have?” I wasn’t afraid of the jail. I was afraid of what was going to happen to Deek. It was because of me that he was in trouble again. I didn’t mate him correctly. His seed didn’t take, or bond, or whatever. I wasn’t enough for him. I hadn’t pleased his beast enough.
“Hours.” Dax answered my question. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I didn’t have time for a mental breakdown. They were leading my mate out into a large vehicle of some kind for transport to the prison.
Deek was going to die. This time, I wasn’t going to be able to save him.
Tamed By The Beast (Interstellar Brides Book 7) Page 10