by Ivy Barrett
“You betrayed our trust,” Belton said quietly, back to sullen gloom. “We have treated you with respect, even affection. Moxtel risked the wrath of a king to secure Brianne’s release. And still, you don’t trust us.”
Her gaze flew to Belton’s, her expression pleading, “What king? If she’s really out of danger, where is she?”
“Knowing the details is also a privilege you’ve not yet earned,” Moxtel reminded, shooting Belton a warning glare. Moxtel turned her face toward him and lifted her chin until she met his gaze. “Have I ever lied to you?”
“How would I know?” she cried, cheeks flushed with anger. “I have no way of confirming anything you’ve told me.”
“Really?” He drew his hand back, too distracted by the softness of her skin. “You’ve spent endless hours with Tarn, and yet she has not confirmed or refuted everything you learned from us? What sort of a spy are you if you can’t figure out basic information gathering techniques?”
“You know I’m not a spy,” she insisted. “I’m a determined sister, and I’ve only gathered information that will lead to Brianne’s release.”
He narrowed his gaze and pushed his hand into her hair. “Then, why is guilt written all over your face?”
“Shit,” she whispered. Apparently, she’d forgotten he was a magister. “I’ve gathered all the information I can, but I only have one goal, and I’ve only contacted Celeste. I am not a Ventori spy.”
There were no physical indications of an emotional surge following the statement, so he believed her. “Stand.” He allowed her to rise but kept his hand in her hair. “The hunters routinely destroy anything on the female’s person before they risk bringing their prize onboard. Where was the transmitter hidden, and where is it now?”
“It was sewn into the back of my dress. That’s why I switched into a shirt that first night.”
It must have been tiny or extremely thin. He remembered the dress well. It skimmed her body, outlining her lovely curves. “Where is it now?”
“Compartment above the workstation.”
Without having to be asked, Belton crossed the room and retrieved the device. He returned to them and handed it to Moxtel. He looked it over, his other hand still in her hair. “This is Ventori tech,” he snarled. “If you’re not a spy, where the fuck did you get this?”
“Same place as the comm-cluster. I used to work for the government, so I still have acquaintances with access to things like that. I’m self-employed now. I am not a spy.” She glanced at him then away, her eyes suddenly moisture bright. “I didn’t do this to hurt you or Belton. I did it to—”
“You do not have permission to use my name,” Belton snapped, but his expression reflected hurt rather than anger.
“Sorry, Sir. I’m rattled. I sent the message hours ago. I thought...”
“You thought you got away with betraying us,” Belton concluded.
“It took our communications specialist most of the day,” Moxtel slipped the device into his pocket, then tightened his fingers into a careful fist. “But he’s persistent and loyal.”
“Why would I be loyal to beings that enslaved me and hundreds of my race?” Her lips began to tremble, and her emotions became too conflicted to interpret. “You claim to have honor and valor, yet you treat other species as if we have no real value. That is neither honorable nor valorous. And respect must be earned, even from a slave. You can control behavior through fear, but true obedience must be offered, not taken.”
“Have we mistreated you?” The hurt in Belton’s gaze seeped into his voice. “I don’t think of you as a slave. You must know that.”
“Master does,” she said softly without looking at Moxtel. “To him, I’m a warm body, and nothing more.”
A fist gripped Moxtel’s heart and refused to let go. He slowly released her hair and lowered his arm. How the fuck had she turned this around? He had no intention of confessing his love until he understood—his love? His mind stumbled over the admission. He loved Lorna?
Of course you fucking love her, Belton sneered in his mind. We both do, and you better pull your head out of your ass, or we’re going to lose her.
She betrayed us! he shot back, but that blasted fist squeezed so damn tight he could barely breathe. “Are you on birth control?” he blurted, staring into her eyes and watching her closely to judge her reaction.
“What does that have to do with anything?” She appeared genuinely bewildered by the abrupt subject change. “You told me it didn’t matter that humans and Yashonty aren’t compatible.”
“I didn’t think we were, but you’ve triggered mating fever in Belton and me. The Yashonty are always sexually aggressive, but what we’ve been feeling is only supposed to happen with a potential mate.”
She staggered back a step, frantically reaching for her gown. “I wondered in the beginning.” She snatched up the garment and held it in front of her like a shield. “But you were so definitive, seemed insulted by the possibility.”
“Does this mean...” Belton’s jaw dropped, and his expression went blank, then he snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. “Could she be a life-bringer?”
The fear in her eyes both angered and confused Moxtel. “I had never heard of such a thing at the time, but you had. Hadn’t you? You knew about the Rh anomaly.”
“What are you talking about?” Belton asked.
He answered Belton’s question but kept his gaze fixed on their potential mate. Lorna was their potential mate. Allowing his mind to use the phrase sent his pulse racing even faster. “A protein common in human blood is highly toxic to us, especially our developing young. Lorna’s blood lacks this protein, so chances are greatly improved that she could carry our offspring to term.”
“That doesn’t mean you can get me pregnant,” she objected. “At least not usually.”
Fascinated, Moxtel set his anger aside for a moment. If she was well acquainted with the transformation program, she could help him determine how seriously they should pursue Vikrin’s claims. They’d circle around to her misbehavior. This was too important. More was at stake than his and Belton’s happiness. This involved the entire Yashonty race. “Have there been spontaneous pregnancies between humans and Ventori, or were all of the offspring created through the transformation program?”
“Why should I tell you anything?” she cried. “You’ve taken away my freedom and my dignity. You treat me like a convenient whore and offer nothing but food in return. You won’t even let me use your goddamn name.” By the end of her rant, tears streamed down her face, and she looked utterly miserable. Worse, the emotions twisting through her mind perfectly matched her expression. She was hurt and angry, frustrated and humiliated by his continual rebuffs.
Gods above, he’d been such a fool.
Belton moved toward her, but Moxtel got there first. He pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back, burying his face in her hair. “I care about you, Lorna,” he said softly. “I care deeply.”
“Then why are you always so cold?” They both seemed more comfortable pouring out their hearts without having to look at each other. “I’ve needed a kiss or a kind word so many times, and you always turn away.”
“I want so much more from you than I’ve ever wanted before. It’s dangerous and impossible. Or so I thought until today. Why didn’t you tell us about the Rh anomaly?”
She eased back and looked up at him, eyes tear-bright and filled with warmth. “I didn’t expect to feel anything for either of you. I don’t want to love you, but my heart doesn’t care. I hate that you take slaves. I find that reprehensible, regardless of the superficial justifications. And preying on females, when you claim to revere us, is even worse. It makes you cowards.”
A shocking rush of shame overtook his mind. He’d never felt bad about the concept before.
You never allowed yourself to think about it before, Belton butted in.
Well, I’m certainly thinking about it now.
I’ve always thought it was w
rong, Belton reminded. But I’m not a magister, nor am I one of Ram’s closest friends.
Shut up. She has enough power without your assistance.
“This shit is what got me spanked the other night,” Lorna grumbled. “Would you please speak out loud?”
“I was just reminding my stubborn cousin that I agree with you,” Belton told her. “Our treatment of alien females is wrong.”
Her brows arched in challenge and she pointed out, “That didn’t keep you from accepting your turn on the officer rotation.”
He had the decency to look ashamed, but all he said was, “If I hadn’t claimed you, you never would have met Moxtel. He is literally the only one on this ship who could have gotten Brianne back for you.”
She heaved a frustrated sigh as she casually put on the borrowed gown. It was a silent statement, a firm and final rejection of her role as body-slave. Moxtel tensed. His dominant nature demanded that he take control of the situation and respond to the subtle defiance.
Let it go. If she’s our mate, she must be courted, not controlled, Belton warned.
Moxtel knew his cousin was right, yet his primal nature would much rather conquer than compromise. It took all the strength he possessed and a lifetime of discipline to restrain his feral demands.
With her body fully covered, she finally looked at Moxtel, eyes cautious yet hopeful. “May I please know how you arranged for Brianne’s release and what will happen to her once she arrives on this ship?”
He didn’t know the second answer, and the first would likely make her angry all over again.
“We have to tell her, Moxtel,” Belton said it out loud, so he obviously wanted Lorna to know he was on her side.
Annoyed by his cousin’s choice, Moxtel paused for a moment of self-examination. If he wanted Lorna to even consider him as her protector, he had to change his attitude drastically. He was a dominant, aggressive male, nothing and no one could change his basic nature, but he must be willing to bend on those things that were negotiable.
“The situation was largely out of my control when you asked for my assistance.” He chose his words carefully, not wanting to exacerbate an already volatile conversation. “Exotic Pets is a vast corporation with more wealth and power than many planetary governments. Their clientele is exclusive and—”
“I understand all that, Mox—Master.” She sighed after using the title. “You did all you could. I just want to know what that was, and when I’ll see Brianne again.”
He took a deep breath, forcing back his raging hormones. “If this is to become a relationship, and I very much hope it is, I’d like you to call me Moxtel.” Before she could react, he added, “Unless we’re having sex, of course.”
“Of course.” She smiled. “I understand what you need from me while we’re being intimate, and I’m happy to give it because it’s what I need too.”
Moved by a force he didn’t quite understand, he slid his fingertips across her cheek, then into her soft hair. Instead of using her glorious mane to control her as he had done so often, he splayed his fingers against the back of her head and lowered his face toward hers. “I want things to be different between us.” He kissed her softly, tenderly, allowing affection to swell within his heart as his lips slid over hers. “Even if you never conceive, I want you in my life.”
She pushed back and searched his gaze, her expression tense and uncertain. “Do you mean that, or are you just avoiding my questions?”
He framed her face with his hands and touched his forehead to hers. “The only way to get Brianne back from Exotic Pets was to buy her before the auction. This was extremely expensive, far beyond what any Yashonty could afford.”
“That’s why you’re now indebted to a king?”
Her eyes were closed, and their faces were too close for him to read her expression. “Yes. My uncle is the king of Rylar. He agreed to buy Brianne in exchange for a favor he refused to define. I agreed to do anything he asked as long as it didn’t require me to take an innocent life.”
She twisted out of his light embrace and moved back so she could see him without tilting her head so far back. “Does he have her? Is he... using her even now?”
If there was any hope for a future together, he had to be honest with her. He searched for the words to make her understand without breaking her heart, but Belton rescued him from the impossible situation.
Belton moved up beside her and wrapped his arm around her back. She instinctively turned toward him and melted against his chest. “Sweetheart, Brianne’s virginity was forfeit as soon as Exotic Pets took possession of her. Eltor will not harm her in any way. Females all over the galaxy find him extremely appealing.”
Even knowing he couldn’t have done any better, Moxtel cringed, then waited for her inevitable outburst.
Chapter Eight
Twisting out of Belton’s embrace, Lorna rotated from one to the other as she unleashed her temper. “I’m supposed to feel better that my sister is being raped by a good-looking king? Have you lost your fucking mind? If your ‘hunters’ hadn’t kidnapped her in the first place, none of this would be happening! This is wrong on so many levels I can’t decide who to hate the most.”
“We could not change what had already taken place,” Moxtel said firmly, yet calmly. His pale purple eyes were filled with compassion for a change, but she found the excuse hollow.
“Let’s focus on the things we can change,” Belton reinforced in the same semi-condescending tone.
She closed her eyes, ready to scream, then blew out a shuddering breath. A temper tantrum might feel damn good right about now, but it didn’t bring them any closer to a workable solution. “You’re right. Just give me a minute. I’ll pull it together.”
“Take all the time you need,” Moxtel said, his voice as close to gentle as she had ever heard. “Let us know what you need. If it’s within our power, it’s yours.”
This was what she’d wanted from him, what she’d needed so many times. Still, she hadn’t missed the subtle reminder that their influence had limits. “How well do you know this Rylar king?” She slipped her hands into the pockets of her robe and finally opened her eyes. They both looked so worried, so upset. She’d seen Belton like this before, but never Moxtel. Her heart fluttered oddly. He claimed to want a relationship even if she couldn’t conceive. She hadn’t really believed him, until now.
“King Eltor of Rylar was married to my aunt. She was almost twenty years younger than my mother, so the king and I are roughly the same age,” Moxtel explained. “I spent several summers on Rylar. That’s how Eltor and I became friends, but we are not extremely close.” He closed the distance between them and gently pulled her hand out of her pocket so he could hold it between his. Her heart fluttered a little harder, and the familiar ache erupted between her thighs. “He won’t harm her, love. I promise, and he will release her. He gave me his word, and King Eltor can be trusted to keep his word.”
She had to choose her battles, and there was no way to deny this one was lost before she became involved. “Do you know when?” She moved a little closer, tired of fighting, tired of worrying about all the conflicts surrounding them when her own future was so uncertain. She wanted to focus on the three people in the room, define and solidify their relationship. She hadn’t set out to find mates, never expected this to lead to... true love? It was laughable. She didn’t even believe in the concept. Yet here they stood, looking at her with such devotion. It brought tears to her eyes.
“I confirmed that Eltor has her,” Moxtel said, “but no one is sure where they are. As you can imagine, he has a variety of properties on several planets. They could be almost anywhere.”
“He will contact us,” Belton assured. “You’ll see her again soon.”
There was nothing more Lorna could do for Brianne until she was released. It was more than likely Brianne had already lost her virginity to the alien king. It wasn’t easy, but Lorna let it go. For now. She would regroup and continue the fight once things
were settled between Moxtel, Belton, and her.
Placing her free hand on Moxtel’s chest, she asked, “If I’m no longer your slave, then what am I? What do you want me to be?”
He glanced at Belton, then stared deep into her eyes. “You’re our mate, Lorna. I don’t care what label Yashonty law slaps on this relationship. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Belton.”
Belton moved in close behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist as he brushed the hair away from her neck. “We want you to stay with us and bond with us. If that link eventually leads to children, we will both be thrilled.”
“But even if it doesn’t,” Moxtel stressed, moving his hands to her shoulders. Their lower bodies were flush, but her torso angled back so she could see his face. With Belton pressed against her back, she felt surrounded by them, safe and secure for the first time in many years. “We want you as our mate, our life partner, our wife.” He paused, looking almost uncertain as he asked, “What do you want from us? You said you don’t want children right now. Under what circumstance would you welcome offspring?”
She started to answer, then a staggering realization eclipsed her other thoughts. Life-bringers were allowed to choose their protectors. If she didn’t choose them, they had to release her. Did that only apply if she conceived? She wasn’t sure. Did she have to deliver a live baby to be considered a life-bringer or was the possibility of offspring enough?
Why would she want to return to Earth?
She loved her sisters. They would always be a priority in her life. However, making them the only priority had left her feeling isolated and forgotten. The exhaustive demands of FBI assignments had filled the void for a time, yet even that hadn’t been enough. None of her personal relationships lasted. Each had lacked that spark, that instinctual connection she’d always craved.
She looked at Moxtel and then glanced back at Belton, analyzing her feelings with brutal honesty. They were so different from anyone she’d ever known, and not just physically. They were utterly focused and confident in a way most humans had lost. Their thoughts and beliefs were shaped by a culture so vastly different from hers that she found it fascinating, almost primitive. Yet they were intelligent and willing to learn. And there was so much they could teach her. Having access to their technology would keep her riveted for years.