by S. E. Smith
Borj walked down the hallway heading back towards the Council Chambers. He listened with half an ear to Brock and Lan discussing the different women they saw in the magazines Tilly gave them. He couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder once more as a feeling of unease swept over him. He had tried reaching out to Hannah several times but she had blocked him. He needed to figure out a way to slip under the wall she built. It was driving him crazy when she cut him off. It left a huge hole in his soul that ate at him until she opened up to him again. He knew she didn’t even realize she was doing it. She had built those walls at such a young age they were a part of her. He needed to give her time and build her trust in him enough to know he would never hurt her. Borj sighed heavily. He wasn’t doing a very good job of building her trust in him at the moment.
Brock and Lan both gave him a funny look when he let out a long stream of expletives under his breath. Both men shook their head in sympathy as they moved into the Council Chambers. Borj might be there in body but it was obvious to the other two men he was with Hannah in his mind.
Chapter 13
Hannah walked with her head held high and her shoulders back. She refused to let the weight of Borj’s anger with her defeat her. She was used to being alone. Maybe she was meant to be. Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She should have known not to trust him. She should have known better than to trust anyone. Hannah was so focused on her internal turmoil she didn’t recognize the warning in her gut until it was too late.
Hannah turned throwing an arm out behind her to warn the guards following her and twisted as two man came out from one of the alcoves. None of them saw the third man who came up behind them. The guards never made a sound as they sank to the cold, hard floor unconscious. Hannah was able to avoid the first dart that was fired at her but not the second. She looked down dazed as a numbness swept through her. She barely had time to call out one name before everything went dark.
Core caught the female to his hard body before she could hit the hard surface of the floor. He closed his eyes briefly as her sweet scent filled his nose. Core looked at the other two warriors with him. They quickly removed the darts and dragged the guards into the alcove. Moving silently to the window, Core waited as first one than the other warrior jumped down. He gently dropped the female in his arms out the window knowing the warriors would catch her. He moved through the window dropping down on silent feet to the ground below. With a nod, he took the female back into his arms. They moved silently, keeping to the shadows until they reached the thick trees near the high wall. They planned the move carefully knowing where the sentries were. They had just moments before the sentries came back around this side of the building again. It was a lesser used garden. Core and Merrick scoped the palace for several days before coming inside. Core handed the female up to one of the warriors who had already climbed up the tall, thick tree. He followed next. The last warrior moved up the other side of the tree at the same time. Once at the top, they repeated what they did in the palace. This time Core went down first and caught the female as she was dropped into his arms. Within moments, they had vanished on the land gliders they used.
Borj was listening to Lan and Brock give the council an updated report on the security measures and modifications to the portal they had made to make it more difficult for others to try to use. RITA was currently offline due to an upgrade Brock was making but she would be back up shortly. She would be the first and last line of defense with several other safety measures in between to ensure the portals could not be used without proper validation. A self-destruct was incorporated at the first sign of anyone trying to hack into the programming.
Borj jerked when he felt Hannah brush his mind briefly. It was as if she reached for him only to realize it and withdrew again. He bit back a curse of aggravation. She needed to let him in. He reached for her but all he got was the blank wall again. Maybe she needed time alone. A good work out might be what he needed to get rid of this feeling of unease that had started in the pit of his stomach as soon as he heard the Eastern Mountain Clan had been admitted to the palace. Borj looked at Brock and Lan with a gleam in his eye. It had been a while since he beat the shit out of both of them. Maybe it was time to remind them just how important it was to remain vigilant.
Two hours later, Borj dropped down onto the bench wiping the sweat from his face and chest. Brock was lying on the floor of the training room breathing heavily while Lan sat next to him with his head on his knees. Neither man said anything for a few moments.
“So, that was an interesting workout.” Brock said staring up at the ceiling.
Lan raised his head and scowled at Brock. “Workout? I thought it was a definite ass-kicking – ours.” Lan looked over at Borj. “So, what did we do to deserve it this time? Was it the documents Tilly gave us? I mean, I didn’t see your mate in those documents so I can’t imagine you kicking it because we were looking at the other females.”
Brock sat up with a wince. “I can’t imagine it was for not locking the door to the portal room either. We were both in there. Tilly showed us the documents with Hannah in them but except for the one where she was injured, I didn’t see anything else that would have been so bad.” Brock said as he rotated his shoulder and groaned.
Lan stood up. He reached down a hand to help Brock up and both men walked stiffly over to where Borj was sitting. They each grabbed a towel off a small table to the side of the bench and sat down, one on each side of Borj. Borj sat forward twisting the towel between his large hands.
“She cuts me out.” Borj said quietly.
“She cuts you out?” Lan said as he wiped his face. “What do you mean ‘she cuts you out’?”
Borj sat back leaning back against the wall. “Out of her mind. I can’t stand the silence. I reach for her and there is nothing there. The emptiness is suffocating.” Borj replied looking out over the training room with blank eyes.
“Have you told her how it affects you?” Brock asked softly. “Maybe if you told her it would help. She is human. She does not know of our ways.”
Borj looked at Brock. “I said things to her I should not have. I hurt her.”
Lan leaned back against the wall as well. “What did you do? I cannot imagine you doing anything to physically hurt her so what did you say?”
“I told her I was restricting her to our living quarters under guard until further notice. She would not be allowed out unless I escorted her.” Borj said. “She reminded me I promised her I would never cage her. I would always let her be free.”
Brock shrugged his shoulders. “She is a female. She should not be out unescorted. She will learn.” He said standing up and tossing his towel into a cleaning bin. “Go to her and take her mind off it. Bite her if necessary. She will forgive you and if not, you can always tie her up until she does.”
Lan threw his towel at Brock. “That will go over really well. I don’t think that will help him at all. Apologize to her. Tell her you were just upset. I have been listening to what Tink and Tilly have been saying. The females of that world are strong and stubborn. They are also very independent. Angus often talks of the things Tilly does. He trusts her to tell him if she needs help.” Lan said.
Borj looked up at Lan. “Angus told you this? That his mate asks for help when she needs it?”
Borj was silent as he thought back to the Council Chamber room. Angus had come in but he did not seem upset that his mate had been in the middle of a fight. He looked at her proudly and stood beside her and his daughters as if…as if he trusted them to know what to do and how to do it. When Tink started crying he took both women in his arms and slowly walked them out.
“Gods, I have to let Hannah know I did not mean it.” Borj said surging to his feet. “I promised to never cage her and I will not.”
Borj was almost to the door when one of the guards he sent with Hannah staggered through the door. Borj caught the man as his knees collapsed under him. Lan and Brock rushed forward helping Borj lay th
e man down on the floor.
“They took her.” The man whispered disoriented. “Not sure how many.”
Borj felt a chill run over his sweat laden body. “Who took Hannah?”
The man shook his head as if to clear it. “Not sure. She tried to warn us but something hit us from behind. Not sure what…” The man’s voice faded as if he was still groggy.
“Look.” Lan said quietly.
Borj watched as Lan turned the man just enough they could see the small pin pick in his neck. Borj let out a curse as he pushed up off the floor. He slammed out of the training room and broke into a fast run. Reaching out with his mind, he called to Hannah. Borj felt like his heart was being torn out of his chest when all he felt was a void of blackness instead of her warmth. He passed the other guard who was leaning against the wall. He vaguely heard Brock yell for more help behind him and the sound of running feet. Pushing against the door leading into his living quarters, Borj yelled for Hannah. Turning around in a circle, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He turned as J’kar and his father burst through the door.
Dropping his hands to his sides, he snarled out. “They took her. Those dead sons-of-bitches took my mate.”
Hannah woke slowly. She could feel the drug still in her system. It made her feel sluggish and disoriented. She tried moving her fingers and found it was difficult to focus on them. She kept her breathing even and her eyes close letting her other senses take over. She wasn’t physically up to escaping yet but mentally she was getting there. She just needed to listen and find out where in the hell she was and who took her. If she could get her hands on the darts they used she was going to shoved them up every one of the sons-of-bitches asses. She was royally pissed she had been caught off guard. That was another reason it was better to go it alone, Hannah thought distractedly. If I’m alone I don’t let shit distract me.
Hannah felt her body being lifted carefully. She was being carried up a steep slant from the feel of it. She hoped whoever was carrying her got winded! She knew she wasn’t a lightweight. Unfortunately, carrying her up a steep slope didn’t seem to even begin to tire the bastard. Fact number one, whoever took her was in very good shape. Not good for me, Hannah thought. She could smell the fresh air and what smelled like trees. Hannah let her eyes crack open just a tiny bit so she could see through her lashes. She caught glimpses of trees and dark shadows but not much else. Not wanting them to know she was awake, she closed her eyes.
“Take her up to my home. I want to know the minute she is awake.” A deep, smooth voice said.
It took everything in Hannah not to react when she heard the voice. She knew who had her now. It was the huge warrior from the council chambers. Maybe he was pissed she knocked him out. If so, he was going to be even more pissed when she escaped.
Hannah felt the arms around her tighten for a moment before the man holding her moved again. A moment later she could feel the change as if she were in some type of open-air elevator. Going up. Hannah thought in silent amusement. She might be able to use this to her advantage. Hannah felt the arms shift her slightly as the man stepped out of the lift. She fought her body’s reaction to the cooler temperature as he stepped inside some type of structure.
“Who is she?” A young feminine voice asked in excitement. “Are we keeping her?”
“Nadine, hush.” An older woman said softly. “Core, who is she? I have never seen this species before.”
“She looks like the male Merrick has, only she is not scary like him.” Nadine whispered. “Is she hurt? She is very pretty.”
Core chuckled. “Yes, she is. No, she is not hurt. I had to dart her to bring her here.”
The older woman gasped. “Why would you do such a thing? It is not our way to take a female against her will.”
“Nadu, she can give us answers. You know the males of our clan grow restless and more dangerous every day. The ‘Tag Krell Manok is the only clan that knows where her planet is. She is not the only one they have. I saw two others. One is the bond mate of J’kar ‘Tag Krell Manok.” Core said as he smoothed a strand of hair away from Hannah’s face gently.
Hannah felt someone pick up her left hand. The hand was small, more delicate than the one touching her face so she suspected it belonged to one of the women in the room. A soft gasp followed as her palm was turned upward.
“You must return her, Core. She is already bonded. She has the mating mark. You cannot keep her. It will be dangerous. Her mate will come. You will bring war to our people. There are not enough warriors to fight against a clan as large or as strong as the ‘Tag Krell Manok.” Nadu said urgently.
Hannah felt the hand gently caressing her cheek and fought to hold still. She did not want to be touched by anyone else. She could feel the panic building in her as old nightmares surged to the surface. If he didn’t stop she was so going to have to kick his ass.
“I want her, Nadu. I mean to have her. Her mate turned from her when she needed him. He sent her away. I will never do that.” Core said looking up at his mother.
Hannah felt like she had heard enough. The man was sitting next to her and she could feel the knife attached to his waist. The moment the older woman released her hand, Hannah surged up swinging around at the same time and grabbing the knife. In one fluid move, she had her arm around the man’s neck and the knife pressed hard enough against his jugular that she actually pierced the skin.
“Back off!” Hannah said coldly. She moved just enough to keep the man off balance. “I said, back off!”
The older woman gasped again and pulled a young girl who looked to be about eleven or twelve back behind her. Hannah glanced around the room. It looked like some type of bedroom. She pulled the knife tighter when she felt the man’s muscles under her tense.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Hannah said softly in his ear. “I’ll slit your throat before you would even know it.”
Core froze at the cold, deadly words. He knew she would do it. There was something in her voice that made him believe her. He forced his body to relax. A part of him was cursing at letting his guard down. He had been so focused on her beauty and how small and delicate she was when he should have been remembering how quickly she was able to knock Merrick out. She was indeed a mate for a warrior.
“We mean you no harm.” Core choked out as the pressure increased as she moved further back keeping him off balance so it was difficult to move.
“I’m sure that is exactly what the serial killer said to his next victim. I’m really not interested in what you have to say. I know what you want and you can go to hell before I give you any information.” Hannah said coldly never taking her eyes off the doorway leading into the other room.
Hannah wondered vaguely if the men here were close enough to humans to be affected by some of the moves she learned from her mom. After her attack, Hannah spent years training in martial arts. Her mom decided it would help her in several ways: The biggest way being to build her mental strength and the second to make her feel better about protecting herself should she ever need it. Hannah decided so far the males appeared close enough to human males it might work. She could only hope she didn’t kill the huge guy in her arms. Hannah let her arm slide around Core’s neck and began applying pressure. At first, she didn’t think it was going to work but a moment later she felt him stiffen in alarm. He started to struggle but she increased the pressure pulling him further back until he had to use his arms to prevent from falling.
“Shush, you will only be going to sleep.” Hannah whispered in his ear.
Core was surprised at first when he felt the female slide her arm around his neck and press but he wasn’t alarmed. It wasn’t until his vision started to get fuzzy that he began to feel that something wasn’t right. When she increased the pressure, he realized he was about to lose consciousness. He started to struggle but his limbs felt weak. By then, it was too late. He slumped just as her softly spoken words registered in his mind.
Nadine cried out when she sa
w her older brother’s eyes close and his body slump backwards. Hannah slipped out from under the huge male and moved on silent feet towards the two females. She didn’t want to scare the little girl but she knew she might not have much choice.
“He’s not hurt. He is just sleeping.” Hannah said gently looking at the little girl. Turning to the older woman, Hannah asked quietly. “Where am I and how far is it from the city I was taken from?”
The older woman looked at her son before turning her head to look at Hannah proudly. “As you said, you may go to ‘hell’ before I tell you.” Nadu said.
Hannah couldn’t quite keep the grin from her face. “I guess you’re mad at me. Is he related to you?” Hannah asked.
Nadu looked at the unusual female in front of her and couldn’t quite keep her own lips from curving. “My son.” She replied.
Hannah nodded. “I didn’t hurt him but I don’t have much time before he wakes. I just want to go back to my family. Surely you can understand that. Your son had no right to take me against my will.” Hannah pleaded quietly.
Nadu looked at Core again before looking into Hannah’s eyes. “You are our hope. He had no choice but to grasp it when it was within his reach. There is no way for you to escape. Lay down the weapon. We mean you no harm.” Nadu said calmly.
Hannah shook her head. “I can’t.” Waving the knife at Nadu and Nadine, Hannah nodded towards a small door. “I need you to step through that door. I hope it is a closet otherwise I am going to have to tie you up and I really don’t have the time to do that.”
Nadu took Nadine’s hand in hers and walked to the door. Hannah breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw it was a closet. Once both females were inside, Hannah grabbed a chair from the corner and wedged it against the door. She checked to make sure Core was still out and quickly ripped up some of the bedding to tie him up. Not as good as the tie straps but it would have to do.