by Mary Auclair
Something he had never thought would happen to him. Something that changed everything.
“Saving Rose is the only thing that counts.”
“Yes, it is.” Arlen inhaled deeply. “Now, I’m going to go make sure my own mate is well. I haven’t seen Maral in four weeks.”
Arlen stood aside and Karian pushed open the door.
Inside was a tall, slimly built male. Trade Minister Knut was waiting for him.
“Minister Knut.” Karian stood in the doorway, leashed violence traveling down his body in successive waves of frustration, coating his tongue with a veneer of bitterness.
Karian’s gaze went to the back of the room, where two tall figures stood at attention, their faces carefully devoid of emotions. Ilarian guards, the best warrior species there was—after the Eok. Trade Minister Knut had chosen his bodyguards well.
Minister Knut was sitting at a small round table, a glass of everfresh juice in his long, elegant fingers. The shining liquid shone softly like a precious stone. Drinking such a liquid was an ostentatious display of wealth and power, with a single glass costing more than the annual salary of most high-ranking officers in the Eok army. It was a message, sent directly to intimidate Karian with his wealth and power.
Dark purple, almost black eyes locked onto Karian, ruthless and cunning. The Avonie male had pale, almost white skin, and his slim body was clad in a traditional diplomatic Ring outfit, with white synthetic silk pants and a coat buttoned to the neck with the Ring emblem embroidered on his chest: a string of planets linked by a chain.
Yes, this was the Ring. As much a protector as an oppressor.
“Commander Karian.” Minister Knut tilted his head and his thin lips stretched in a glacial smile, exposing small, wicked teeth. “It is nice to see you have recovered from your unfortunate encounter with the Cattelan outlaws.”
“An unfortunate encounter?” Karian felt his blood boil and curdle in his veins. “I was kept in a cage for ten years. It seems a little more than unfortunate to me.”
Minister Knut nodded in apparent contrition, which made Karian’s anger all the more burning. A dreadful suspicion insinuated itself in his mind, making him want to close his fingers around the sleek white neck of the Minister and squeeze until his life ran out.
He knew all along. He’s the one behind the slave market. He knew I was in that cage, and didn’t lift a finger to stop it.
The thought made Karian dizzy with a hatred that ran deeper than anything he felt for the Cattelans. Minister Knut wasn’t some low-life, amoral slaver. No, he was a rich diplomat, with enough power and wealth to keep an entire medium-sized city comfortably for a decade. He had no need to amass more riches, no need to betray an old ally other than to feed a perverse greed.
Traitor. You sold me for a sack of gold.
“Why have you come?” Karian’s voice was calm and flat, betraying nothing of his feelings. “I have a hard time thinking you came all the way to Eokim simply to make sure I’m well.”
“As relieved as I am to learn of your safe return to your homeland, it is not.” Minister Knut took a careful sip of the precious juice and smacked his lips in apparent delight. “I am here on a purely business matter, I am afraid.”
Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of, too.
Karian nodded, then made a small gesture for him to continue. He wasn’t going to sit in the company of that treacherous male.
Just as the Minister was about to talk, there was a commotion on the other side of the door. Feminine voices rose and the door opened to reveal a stunned, angry looking Arlen and a flushed Rose.
“What’s happening here?” Rose stalked into the room, her flowing gown moving around her body. “I’ve been waiting for over an hour. Nobody told me anything.”
The fluid, revealing fabric glided over the curves of her body, hinting at the treasures Karian knew were hiding underneath. Minister Knut’s dark stare fixed on Rose’s moving body, sliding over her with an owner’s appreciation.
A growl grew in Karian’s throat, an instinctive reaction to another male looking with envy upon his mate.
“There she is,” Minister Knut said, his lips pursing in delight. “Commander Karian, you have my eternal gratitude for taking such good care of my property.”
Rose stopped dead and stared, wide-eyed, at the Trade Minister. He answered the stare with an opening of his arms, as though he expected Rose to come and take refuge in his embrace.
That was more than what Karian was able to endure.
Karian growled viciously and came between Rose and the Trade Minister, shielding her with his body. A male hand closed on his arm, and he was secretly grateful for Arlen’s presence. Attacking the Trade Minister while he wore the Ring’s diplomatic colors was a sure way to lose his life. Of course Minister Knut knew exactly what he was doing in provoking Karian.
A quick glance at the two Ilarian guards in the back revealed that they hadn’t moved, but their hands were on the hilts of their ionic swords, ready for any signs of impending violence. Yes, Trade Minister Knut knew exactly what he was doing.
“Who are you?” Rose’s voice was strained, and Karian knew she was fighting not to let it break. She stepped aside and faced the Trade Minister. Her eyes were dark and brewed with a storm from within. She knew already. He saw it in the way her fragile limbs were stiff and her jaw was clenched, making the jugular vein in her neck pulse with anger.
“Do not worry yourself, dear.” Minister Knut stood up, his fine suit falling in clean lines over his slim body. “Tension is not good for your fragile human body. I do not want to have to put you in medical isolation when I bring you back where you belong.”
“Nobody is bringing my mate anywhere!” Karian’s growl turned into a roar at the last word. “You have no authority here.”
“On the contrary.” Minister Knut turned glittering eyes to Karian. “This female is a prime specimen, one that is worth a lot of money to me. I am merely claiming back what is mine.”
“I’m not your property,” Rose exclaimed, her tone turning from uncertainty to anger. “I’m nobody’s property.”
Karian closed his eyes at this, then, when he opened them again, he set them on the smug smile of Minister Knut. This was exactly what the male wanted to hear. That she wasn’t his.
“Rose, keep quiet.” Karian glared at her with as much authority as he could. She flinched, and hurt spread over her face like she’d received a blow. His heart constricted at the sight but he had no choice. “The human is mine under our law. I have mated her in front of witnesses. She cannot be taken from me.”
“But she was not free to be claimed.” Minister Knut’s smile vanished and a frown formed on his brow. There was nothing left of the sophisticated, mild-mannered diplomat. He waved to the two Ilarian guards waiting in the back. The two males took wary steps toward their master, their silver eyes steady on Karian and Arlen. “She is a slave, and unless you can pay her price, I am afraid she will have to be repossessed.”
“I’m not a slave. I never was.” Rose’s voice came again, and even after Karian growled at her, she kept talking. “I am a free human. I have been all my life.”
Minister Knut pursed his lips and reached for the rest of his everfresh juice, emptying the cup before speaking. He kept his gaze fixed on Karian.
“There are no free humans.” He lifted his pointy chin. “That one is the property of the Human Breeding Initiative, unless we can come to an arrangement. A good businessman is always ready to compromise.” Perverse enjoyment leaked from every pore of the Minister’s body. “Information can be extremely valuable. Enough to free you from the debt you will contract if you refuse to hand her over.”
“I know what you’re going to say, Trade Minister,” Karian said. “And my answer is no. I won’t give you the location of the human village.”
“Well then,” the Minister said, the faint black lines of his pupils reducing to hairline fractures in the dark purple irises. “I will be expecting
full payment, or the return of my merchandise by the end of the cycle.” An evil pursing of his thin lips exposed white fangs over skin of alabaster. “As a token of good will, I won’t even charge you for the enjoyment you had of her body so far.”
The words hung in the air for a second, then a furious female cry ripped through the air. Rose rushed to the Minister, her hands in front of her, her fingers curved to scratch eyes and skin. It was only the reflexes born of a life of rigorous training that made it possible for Karian to grab her before she laid a hand on the Trade Minister. That she was ignorant of the Ring’s laws wasn’t going to be an excuse if she faced a capital sentence. There was no mercy to be expected from the Ring.
“Leave while you still can, Minister,” Karian growled. “You have overstayed your welcome on Eokian soil.”
With one last assessing look at Rose, the Minister calmly walked out of the room.
CHAPTER 18
ROSE
T he door closed on Minister Knut’s back with a clean, muffled sound, and Rose turned to Karian, fury coursing down her nerves like sparks of electric fire.
Mad wasn’t even close to describing how she felt.
“You should have stayed silent!” Karian’s face contorted in anger when he turned to face her. “You have no idea what you could have done.”
“Are you for real?” Rose glared at Karian, transposing all her pent-up anger to him. “You’re saying this is my fault? That I should have been a good little slave and shut my mouth?”
“You’re not a slave.” Karian’s eyes shone with fury and his mouth had a cruel edge. “You’re my mate. You should trust me to do what’s best for you.”
“How could I trust you when you tell another male that I’m your property?” Her voice rose, and by the end of the sentence, she was screaming. “That male told you I was a slave and all you could say was that I was yours, not his? This isn’t what I signed up for. I’m nobody’s property.”
“You’re mine by law,” Karian raged. “You have to obey when I give orders.”
“Are you listening to yourself?” Rose felt hot, angry tears burn her eyes and it took all her willpower not to let them fall. “I should never have trusted you.”
Karian’s mouth closed to a painfully tight line, tendons ran lines of tensions in his neck. He took a step toward her, and she stifled her impulse to step back. She wasn’t backing down, not this time, not ever. Not when he betrayed everything she fought for.
“By saying you’re not mine, you’re only complicating things.” Karian spoke with barely held control. “Minister Knut is searching for any way to invalidate our mating. He claimed you were an escaped slave, and that I had no right to claim you as mate. All he cares about now is to recover you and to find out where the rest of the free humans are.”
Rose sustained Karian’s glare, her chest heaving up and down in fast, jagged succession. Forcing her breathing to return to normal, she let the meaning of his words enter her mind. She realized she wasn’t angry with him. She was scared and confused, and more than a little hurt at the idea of being a mere possession, but she wasn’t angry with him. Not when he had sacrificed his own chance at happiness to repay the life debt he had toward her.
“So, he is the one?” Rose asked softly.
“That was Trade Minister Knut,” Karian answered. When he looked upon her again, all traces of anger had left his face. Instead, he looked worried and tired. “He’s the Ring’s Trade Minister, as well as the director of the Human Breeding Initiative. He owns the human breeding facility, and he’s the one who approves all sales of human specimens. His family owns all the rights to the Earth’s natural resources.”
“That’s why he says he owns me.” Rose felt a terrible calm settle on her mind. The person who possessed control over the fate of those trapped inside the breeding facility was always so clouded in shadows that she had begun to envision him as a bogeyman, a creature larger than life, and more terrifying. Now that she knew the face of her enemy, it left her cold. “He’s the one who’s trying to find my family and enslave them.”
“He’s incredibly powerful, and he’s richer than you can possibly imagine. He’s going to try everything he can to prevent me from putting that motion through the Ring, and believe me, he can do a lot, even here on Eok soil.”
The strange cold lifted and Rose felt a new savagery fill her mind. “We should kill him.” The words were soft, but what she felt was anything but. She could almost feel her satisfaction at ending the smug Minister’s life. “Before he leaves Eokim.”
“That’s what he hoped I would try today.” Karian shook his head. “He was wearing the colors of the Ring—as a diplomat. Prime Councilor Aarv’s punishment would have been fast and merciless. Hundreds of thousands of Eok lives would have been lost. Females and younglings, the elderly, it wouldn’t have mattered. There is no pity for those who defy the Ring.”
“How could the Prime Councilor of the Ring do something so hideous?” Rose stared with horror at Karian. “How could he hurt helpless children?”
“Prime Councilor Aarv isn’t a he. She is the matriarch of the Mantrilla.” Karian’s gaze turned serious, and Rose had the distinct feeling she should be afraid. “The Mantrilla have little in common with species like ours, who nurture their young and live in mated pairs. Every decade, each female lays a hundred eggs, and their young prey on each other until only the strongest remain. Their males are few and weak, and generally do not survive the sexual encounter with the females. They revere power and strength. Prime Councilor Aarv will have no qualms about killing Eok younglings.”
Silence fell between them, and Rose contemplated the horror of what Minister Knut was willing to do to protect his wealth.
“He’s a monster.” She talked with a closed throat, her voice a barely audible whisper.
Karian nodded. “This is who we are dealing with. He might not be a warrior, but he’s ruthless, and will stop at nothing to keep what he believes is his.”
“What happens if he wins?” Rose hugged herself. “What of the people in my village, my family?”
Karian stayed silent, but the hard line of his mouth softened. Pity and sadness showed in his eyes.
She didn’t need Karian’s answer. She knew. If there was no motion in front of the Ring’s Council, there was no protection for the humans living free back on Earth. For a motion to even be considered, proof was needed. The only proof was Rose. If anything were to happen to her, the humans would be lost.
The weight of the responsibility that lay on her shoulders felt like a blanket of lead, making it hard to breathe. The immensity of the task Karian had committed to for her sake made her head dizzy. She didn’t understand why he had decided to help her so. By rescuing her from Saarmak, he had already repaid his debt. By tying his life to hers in a mating, he was now as much a target as she was.
The Trade Minister wouldn’t abandon the search, not now. It was only a matter of time before the village was found. Her only hope was that Karian’s people found it before the Minister. Even then, they would protect only her close family: her mother, her brothers. She wasn’t even sure Eokian law would protect Aliena, as she wasn’t a blood relation, but she had been a part of Rose’s family since her own mother died, leaving her an orphan.
“Don’t worry, Pretty Thing.”
Karian’s tone was calm, but there was a fire burning underneath his words. Now that his anger had subsided, Rose recognized the telltale signs of arousal in his fiery blue eyes, in the way his gaze lingered on her face, her lips, her throat. He was the warm, stunningly attractive Karian from the pod again. The one who had made her feel safe and protected. The one who had regarded her with respect and admiration. Rose felt the tingling of desire wake in her body.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, or your family. Soon my brothers will find your village.”
Karian reached for her, and she gratefully nestled her head in the hollow of his neck. Rose closed her eyes and allowed herself to
rest in the scent of him. It soothed her, allowed her gnawing fear to subside to a manageable level.
“I trust you.” She twisted in his arms, and wasn’t surprised to feel the hard push of his arousal.
Heat spread in her body, concentrating between her legs, making her burn with a craving that had nothing to do with the dangers ahead.
Karian’s hand slid to the small of her back and his fingers spread, pushing softly on her body to press her against him. His warm mouth closed on the tender flesh of her neck, and an inferno of desire coursed along her nerves, making her skin prickle with heat and raw, untamed lust.
CHAPTER 19
KARIAN
M idnight God, she feels good.
Her smell was in his nostrils, her soft body molded to his like perfection. His instincts rose unbidden, and Karian felt the urge of possession rise up, wild and violent.
He reigned in his most primal instinct, knowing the savagery of his desire would hurt his new mate, make her fear him. He would not suffer the fear of him in her eyes, would not allow it. He would never hurt her, was unable to. Rose was the oxygen in the air, the color in the sky and the fabric of life itself.
He wanted to take her, make her body bend to his will, and feel her quiver with rapture. He wanted to hear her scream his name in ecstasy.
As Rose’s hot breath caressed his body, Karian raged against his desires. The savagery of the Mating Venom was filling his veins, and even though he had planned on returning home before he sealed the union, he knew he couldn’t wait. Not now that she was hot and melting in his arms.
“Rose, slow down.” He lifted his arms from the small of her back, allowing her to step away. “We should wait until we’re safely home.”