by Regine Abel
Raven’s consciousness brushed against mine, no doubt to assess if I’d sustained more bruising, but I already knew it wasn’t the case. Shuria hadn’t managed to strike me again. I wasn’t even certain she could have specifically targeted me with the three of us there because I didn’t believe she could actually see us, only sense our presence.
As soon as Chaos carried me out of the test chamber, waves upon waves of worry—some laced with the morbid curiosity of the crowd watching an accident—washed over me. I could only imagine what kind of speculations were going through their heads.
“Oh God! She got hurt again, didn’t she?” Dean Martin asked, guilt, worry, and anger warring within him.
“No,” Raven said reassuringly. “The bruising hasn’t increased, and her psychic void is still healing properly. I believe she’s just burned out from the tremendous effort she just made and her incredible display of power. Sabra needs rest, then a solid meal.”
Rest sounded good. Even as my eyelids suddenly felt like they weighed a ton, Dean Martin’s relief wrapped all around me.
“Yes, of course!” Dean Martin, replied eagerly. “This way to the infirmary.”
Overwhelmed by the need to sleep, I closed my eyes and snuggled against Chaos, feeling safe in his strong arms. He tightened his hold ever so slightly while emitting strong possessive and protective vibes. Cocooned in the warmth of his body and surrounded by his delectably male scent, I yielded to oblivion.
Chapter 4
Chaos
For the hundredth time, I berated myself for selfishly exposing my mate to potential harm before she’d even fully recovered from previous injuries.
My mate.
After all these years, I couldn’t believe my right to finally pronounce these words. And she was so beautiful! Her stunning brown skin, a wonderful mix of copper and bronze, had my fingers twitching with the need to caress its silky perfection. Her lips, plump and pouty, screamed for me to devour them. And that lovely, curly hair had felt so soft against my chest as I carried her and smelled so sweet and delicate, like her.
Damn, the feel of her in my arms…
Remembering how her lovely, black, doe eyes, partly shaded by long eyelashes, had undressed me with wonder when we first met lit a fire in the pit of my stomach.
I painfully swallowed past my swollen mating glands that had been pestering me ever since I’d laid eyes on her. Before the Dragons had joined the Vanguard and helped us fix our fertility issues, not all of us had been so blessed as to have our mating glands activate in the presence of our soulmates. Since then, a number of my brothers had actually discovered their mate among our psychic females they normally didn’t interact with, often merely by walking near a department where they worked.
To think they had been near them all along…
“Are you certain you are rested enough?” I asked, trying to rein in my emotions while Sabra settled in the black leather chair inside our ship’s small conference room. “Two hours of sleep isn’t much under the circumstances.”
With much reluctance, Dean Martin had allowed us to take Sabra aboard the Renegade, the frigate with which we had traveled here. Our medical equipment by far surpassed what they possessed in the colony. I also didn’t want to separate from my mate while she was in that vulnerable state, not that I would admit to it out loud.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Sabra said, tucking a lock of her black hair behind her ear. “If I begin to tire, I will let you know.”
“Good,” I said, relieved.
She was sitting at the round table, big enough to seat ten people, which occupied the left side of the rectangular room. A huge, holographic star map of the galaxy was hiding the giant screen on the back wall on the opposite side. Behind Sabra, a large window looked out onto the open field of the colony’s landing grounds, letting in the sunlight that framed her with a divine halo. Reaching for the hidden door of the cooling unit on the left wall, I retrieved a jug of water and a glass on the shelf above it, which I placed on the table in front of her before filling it. My woman gave me a grateful smile as I took a seat across the round table from her.
I wanted to sit right next to Sabra, but distance would help me remain focused. Instead, Bane and Raven settled on each side of my mate.
“This is Bane,” I said, indicating him with a wave of my hand. “He is the leader of the Dragons division of the Vanguard.”
“Hello,” Bane said with a gentle smile.
“Hello,” Sabra replied, the look of wonder on her face somewhat rubbing me the wrong way. “I’ve heard much about you and your brothers, and the way you saved so many Xians in the battle on Zekuro. It’s a tremendous honor to meet you.”
Bane’s light grey skin slightly darkened with embarrassment. Since they’d joined the Vanguard, I’d come to realize that behind his tough, grumpy, and sarcastic exterior, Bane hid a sensible soul who’d always perceived himself as a monster and feared rejection because of who his sire was. Even though he’d started to gain more confidence, he still struggled with the idea that he could inspire respect and admiration from the members of the Coalition.
“You flatter me,” Bane replied.
“You obviously know Raven,” I continued.
Sabra nodded and addressed him with a friendly smile.
“Later, I will introduce you to the rest of the crew as they may wish to ask you a few more questions after they’ve seen the recording of this interview,” I said. “For now, I would like you to tell us in your own words what happened the day you got the psychic bruises.”
My mate nodded again and shifted on her seat before launching into a thorough retelling of the events.
“Was it initiated the same way as what happened today during the test?” Raven asked when she finished.
“Yes,” Sabra responded. “I was just sucked into her Dream Walk.”
“Except, I doubt it’s a Dream Walk,” I said, frowning. “She didn’t draw you into some made up fantasy to mess with your head. You were technically eavesdropping on a very emotional situation for her. Shuria’s aggressive reaction whenever she detected your presence supports the theory that she didn’t want you there, witnessing her distress.”
“She’s very proud,” Bane said, clasping his hands on the table before him. “She would definitely not want to be seen the way you’ve described. So, why the heck is she drawing you in?”
“That’s a good point,” Raven said, eyeing Sabra pensively. “That cave scene we saw earlier didn’t feel like a Dream Walk. It actually felt like when our bodies have died and our souls are kept safe in the shelter of a psychic Shield. Only Xians and Shields are able to see us then. It’s like Shuria pulled your consciousness to her, and you brought us along for the ride. But how?”
Sabra chewed her bottom lip and shook her head, having no answer for us.
“The thing is, I don’t even understand how we connect at all,” Sabra said. “I know her psychic signature now, but when I tried to connect directly with her, she’s outside of my range.”
“You are not to attempt connecting with her again,” I said sternly, my hearts skipping a beat at the thought of what harm Shuria could cause her. “It is far too dangerous. That female has been conditioned to kill Coalition members on sight. You will not take unnecessary risks.”
For a second, she appeared to want to argue, but then conceded.
“I understand,” she said calmly. “But, please know that I wasn’t acting in a reckless fashion. We needed to determine whether or not they represented a clear and present danger to the colony.”
“They do not,” I replied in a gentler tone. “We have reasons to believe she’s currently on Fobos, which would explain why, even at rank five, you are unable to reach her.”
“Wait, what?” Sabra exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. “I’m rank five?”
“Oh yeah,” I said with a chuckle. “The chamber continued to track your psychic performance while you took us on a trip lightyears away from here. If possibl
e, it probably would have given you a rank six,” I added teasingly.
“Oh Maker!” Sabra exclaimed, pressing her hands to her cheeks in disbelief. “Does that mean…?”
“That you will be receiving an invitation as an Aspirant to the Vanguard?” I asked teasingly. “Absolutely.”
My hearts swelled to see her eyes misting with joy and the way she tried to contain her happiness when she clearly wanted to shout at the top of her lungs.
“Welcome aboard,” Bane said with a kind smile.
“Looking forward to training you,” Raven added.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! You won’t regret it,” Sabra said with a shaky voice.
“I’m sure we won’t,” I replied, when I wanted to say it was impossible for me to regret having my soulmate by my side. “However, coming back to these incidents, have you ever experienced something similar before with someone else?”
“No, never,” she immediately responded while shaking her head. “I’ve had Dream Walks before, but my empathic abilities never worked there. Plus, it was always scenarios that I, or the person I shared it with, had agreed upon, and that I voluntarily joined.”
Sabra opened her mouth to say something, hesitated, and then seemed to change her mind.
“What is it?” I asked. “You can speak freely. Every detail counts.”
“It might be silly, but I think Shuria reaches out to me in her moments of greatest distress,” Sabra said. “I can feel that she loves those children, but they’re abnormal. And they are either dying or turning rabid, forcing her to kill them.”
“Could they be her offspring?” I asked Bane.
“No, they aren’t,” Sabra intervened, drawing surprised looks from the three of us. “The one girl that became enraged called her Aunt Shuria, not mother. The emotions emanating from her towards them were loving and protective but not maternal.”
“Aunt Shuria… I believe they could be the surviving offspring of Queen Pahiven, the modified Mimic that General Khutu has put in place of Queen Aitxa,” Bane said. “Kryptid DNA is strong. It’s been almost two years since he’s executed Aitxa with the avowed goal of building a new super army of Soldiers he’d sire on Pahiven. Yet, after all this time, we haven’t seen or heard from him.”
“I agree,” Raven said. “The General is never quiet this long. After the battle on Zekuro, he completed his plans to usurp the throne. That he hasn’t followed through with his threat of massive invasions implies something has gone wrong.”
“And those mutant children would explain it,” I mused out loud.
“The General never launches an offensive unless he is fairly certain to prevail,” Bane said. “Judging by what you’ve seen of the young mutants, the question is are they the few failed ones, or are they the few healthy enough to survive?”
“Don’t quote me on this, but I believe they are the few survivors,” Sabra said timidly, no doubt fearing overstepping.
“What makes you think so?” I asked, encouragingly.
“Thinking back on both instances, Shuria’s emotions screamed desperation.” Sabra’s beautiful obsidian eyes went out of focus as she reminisced. “In the forest, that desperation was mixed with a sliver of hope. Although, it was that kind of hope where you don’t really think it will work, but it gives you something to hold on to. In the cave, it was more like fatalism and resignation. She’s convinced they’re fighting a losing battle but is determined to fight to the bitter end.”
“A losing battle for the children?” Raven asked.
“Yes,” Sabra replied with conviction. “She thinks they will all die and blames herself for it.”
“How can you be certain?” I asked.
“I can’t be,” Sabra conceded. “I’m an Empath, not a mind-reader. But the emotions she, and the other adult Mimics, projected were strong and clear enough for me to feel confident about my assessment.”
And I loved that confidence. I had no use for a meek female, both as my Soulcatcher and as my partner. Tabitha had spoiled me in many ways with being a tough and badass leader, managing the women and our battle strategy while we crushed the enemies. She didn’t hesitate to take calculated risks to save us and our women with the same rabid devotion as a Warrior, as if she, too, possessed Gomenzi Dragon blood. Finding a replacement that could rival Tabitha’s skills after she became her mate’s Soulcatcher instead had been impossible. I didn’t know my Sabra, yet, but her dark eyes spoke of a similar strength, as did her mesmerizing aura.
“If we could save them, we might win Shuria over and get her to cooperate with us,” Bane said.
I ran my fingers over my hair, pondering. “That’s assuming she lets us come close enough to talk instead of going insane on sight.”
“We can hail her first, when we’re close to her location,” Bane said. “I can ask Silzi to record us a message incentivizing Shuria to cooperate. They are sisters and were very close.”
“That might work,” I said, nodding. “Tabitha is currently surveying Fobos, trying to pinpoint their location and finding us a safe place to land. I will escort Sabra back to the Academy, and then we can get going.”
I hated the thought of parting from my mate so soon, and the crestfallen expression on her face did nothing to help.
“I would be happy to tag along and help,” Sabra offered, her eyes flicking between the three of us before settling on me, pleading. “I already have a connection with her. What if she reaches out to me again while you’re on your way there?”
“That may be true, but you aren’t part of the Vanguard, yet,” I argued. “I cannot bring a civilian on a potentially dangerous mission.”
“Well, you confirmed I successfully passed the test and that I’m officially an Aspirant now, which technically makes me part of the Vanguard and therefore not a civilian,” Sabra countered, holding my gaze unwaveringly.
“She’s got a point,” Bane said with an amused smirk.
“She could get hurt,” I replied lamely.
“A reality we all accepted when we signed up for the PTP program,” Sabra deadpanned. “As I recall, Legion’s mate Ayana also participated in her first mission as an Aspirant. She saved both your lives,” she added, indicating Raven and me, “helped prevent the massacre on Jaylon, and assisted in the rescue of many of your Soulcatchers. I don’t pretend to be her, but if you give me a chance, I know I can help.”
“She’s got you there,” Raven said with a chuckle.
I glared at him. A part of me rejoiced at the thought of keeping my woman with me, the other feared what harm might befall her. To this day, the memory of Meredith—my very first human Soulcatcher—haunted me. She had been such a beautiful soul. Lack of training had been her downfall alongside so many of our earlier Soulcatchers.
But Sabra has been training her whole life unlike the first human Soulcatchers.
And yet, I couldn’t shake the nauseous feeling I always got whenever a new recruit was to join her first mission. It was even truer of Sabra.
“My mate is going to like you,” Bane said with an amused glimmer in his multifaceted eyes.
“I hope so,” Sabra said with a shy smile. “I’m a big fan of hers.”
Sabra turned back to me, and her smile faded as my face—or possibly my emotions—broadcast my reluctance. I forced myself to rein in the latter. While Empaths were great on diplomatic missions, it made me feel vulnerable for her to be able to read me. I felt mortified at the thought that she might already be aware of my fierce attraction to her.
“Why are you so reluctant to consider my participation in this mission?” Sabra asked, looking genuinely confused. “Surely, you’ve read my file? I scored among the top students in all of my classes. My psychological, physical, and psychic evaluations are stellar, and I have a personal recommendation from the Dean himself. Is it my aura? Is it showing me to be unsuitable or unworthy?”
I shook my head, guilt gnawing at me for having unjustly distressed her. “No, Sabra! No. You have a stunning a
ura and an impressive background. I might be overly cautious, but you have already overextended yourself, and this shortly after an injury.”
“Stop punishing her for being your soulmate. You need her on this mission,” Raven mind-spoke to me in a stern voice. “Did you forget how you pressured Legion and me to bring our own mates on far more dangerous missions than this, shortly after they joined the Vanguard? She has earned the right to tag along.”
Shame washed over me. Yes, I had given both of them a hard time about trying to protect their mates to the detriment of the Vanguard and the countless lives we were trying to save.
“I’m fine!” Sabra argued.
“She will be okay,” Raven chimed in. “It’s a two-day trip to Fobos. She’ll have plenty of time to rest until then.”
“Shuria has a volatile temper,” Bane cautioned. “Having an Empath with us will greatly help handle communications with her. There also has to be a reason she keeps reaching out to Sabra. It sounds like a call for help. I’m with Raven on this; we need to bring her on this mission. Between you, Wrath, me, and our girls, we’ll have no problem keeping her safe if it comes to that.”
“Plus, having an extra Soulcatcher won’t hurt, since you don’t personally have one,” Raven added mockingly.
I heaved a sigh while Sabra stared at me with hopeful eyes. “Very well,” I said with reluctance. “But if she gets hurt, you’ll both answer to me for it.”
Bane and Raven snorted while Sabra beamed at me. Joy made her even more beautiful.
“Thank you! You won’t regret it,” she said with excitement.
She cast a grateful smile at Bane, who smiled back, then at Raven who winked at her.
“Well then, I’ll go inform the Dean of this change of plan,” Raven said, rising to his feet. “Then I’ll grab my flock of new Aspirants and go home to my mate.”