She watched his eyes flash and his jaw tighten at the question and did not even need to hear the answer to know the truth on this one. She pushed his hand away and stepped out from between the two men. "You brought me to PortSea," she said and was happy when none of her inner hurt came out in her voice. It was ridiculous anyway. Why should being rejected by these men hurt any more than all the times before? "You did your job. There is no reason for us to spend any more time with each other than we already have, so there's no reason you should be privy to any of my secrets."
She looked at Danika, ignoring Tyber's cursing, Lore's loaded quiet as his eyes never left her, and Lucan Warrung completely. "Is there somewhere I can go to be by myself for a bit?"
"You don't need to be by yourself," Tyber ground out as he glared at her. "You've been meditating on your own for days."
At that statement coming from him, she would have laughed at the irony if it wasn't so painful. Trig could not keep the flash of pain and anger from her eyes.
"The time when you had any say in my actions started and ended on your ship, Captain." The bite of the word Captain was not lost on anyone.
Tyber stepped toward her, as if he would lay hands on her again, but Danika was suddenly between them, giving him a reproachful look even as she spoke to Trig. "We have a room ready for you, and Lara and Nori are waiting. I'll take you over."
When more than one male voice rose in argument Danika glared them all down. "I'm sure you gentlemen have some things to discuss and if our guest needs some time away from all of you, then she will get it."
Then she marched them over to a door, high tech but nearly completely hidden by the palm fronds surrounding it. When the door whooshed open at their approach Trig realized it led to a lift. She stepped in with Danika and turned to find all the men on the beach watching them. Lucan had flashing eyes for his Bruha mate, and Barnos looked like he was watching some big comedy of errors with that huge grin on his face.
Lore and Tyber though, they watched her, and from the ticking of Tyber’s jaw and the uncovered heat in his eyes, he did not like watching her walk away from them. Lore looked equally unhappy.
If Trig had been less disciplined the need to make an obscene hand gesture at both of them would have prevailed. The doors closed with a snap.
Beside her Danika snorted delicately, her eyes flashing at Trig in humor. "I would have paid to see that," she said. "Everyone is so convinced you are this serene quiet truthsayer. However do you pull it off?"
Trig slumped back into the wall of the lift, suddenly seeing no humor in the situation. "Years of practice."
Danika lost her smile. "And a great deal of solitude?"
Trig shrugged. "Most people prefer it that way."
"Yes," Danika said. They shared an understanding look. "Few like the idea that all their little lies are heard."
"Does everyone know you are a reader too?"
"Everyone on PortSea is family. But before Lucan ran off the wealthy merchants? No, but it was clear to everyone I was different, and most feared me."
"Or sought to use you," Trig said and it was not a question.
Danika met her eyes and smiled sadly. "Yes."
It was something they both shared. "Am I really safe here?"
Danika sighed. "PortSea is a haven for many that Warrung would either own or destroy. You are as safe as we can make it but eventually he will come, for all of us." She looked back at Trig. "Does he know all that you can do?"
"Nobody does," she said. "Not anyone still living."
"Let us hope for all our sakes that is true," she said. "But as much as he was already searching for you, I do not think we can rely on it."
"So eventually he will come, and I will be at the top of his acquisition list?" That did not sound good at all.
Danika laughed unexpectedly. "At the very top? Perhaps not, but you will be on the list. Along with the rest of us. But at least there is some comfort in the fact that you will not be alone anymore."
Trig could not keep the surprise out of her eyes, or the doubt. She had very briefly felt she could be a part of something and look how that had ended. She would not be so trusting so soon after that last time.
"Tyber and Lore..." Danika started looking conflicted.
"Are not something I want to talk about," Trig interrupted sharply.
Danika sighed but let it go. "I know you think to keep to yourself and safe as you have always done, but fair warning." She tilted her head as if she could hear something Trig could not. And the smile that followed said even more. "I do not think that is going to be possible."
Before she could argue the lift opened, and Trig lost her chance to speak.
"Kelia," Lara said, clearly thrilled to see her. The beautiful brunette with the doe eyes and stubborn adventuress nature did not hesitate before stepping into her space. Right before engulfing Trig in a hug that only a Hetian could give. Warm, welcoming and all encompassing. Lara, as usual left no room around her for distance. "I am so glad you’re here."
Trig accepted the hug because with Lara there was just no other choice. She let the warmth of it chase away her anger and sadness and between that, and the soothing waves of warmth coming from Danika and the vibes of acceptance and protection coming from the small dark-haired Nori standing behind Lara, Trig sighed. Perhaps Danika had a point about not being able to keep to herself on PortSea.
But that did not mean she was giving anyone else a chance. And she forced all thoughts of black and brown eyes away from her thoughts and for the first time in what felt like years, Trig Kelia let down her guard and just relaxed for the moment. There would be time enough to shore up her guards later. In this crowd, she could just be.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tyber watched Trig leave and didn’t need to look at Lore to feel his disquiet. Keeping Lore away from her the past few days had been almost as hard as keeping his own distance. But truthfully, when she had walked away without a word between them and then basically refused to eat or do anything else but meditate and practice what looked to be some form of martial arts he figured it was for the best. But this was the first time he had seen her in person since he had commanded his crew to keep their distance, and after that look he had the bad feeling that his small attempt to protect his crew from a possible traitor was going to bite him on the ass in a big way.
"Looks like your legendary charm failed you on that one," Barnos said in his usual straightforward and loud manner. "I could feel the bloody cold from here."
Tyber did not bother to argue with Barnos. But he did look at Lore, feeling his own disquiet echoed back to him.
Lucan stepped between them and looked at Tyber. "What did you see that made you think a reader was needed?"
Tyber shook his head. If she was not a threat he was not about to give Lucan any ammunition. "As your lady said," Tyber said forcing his usual smile. "Her secrets are hers to give or keep."
If Lucan were anyone else he would be snarling, but instead he just looked like his jaw was made of iron. His cold eyes promised all sorts of pain, and if Tyber did not know he was relatively safe he might be worried. But they both knew that Danika would not like it if Lucan killed him. And Lucan was not about to do anything that would upset Danika.
Tyber smiled at the man, taking his life in his hands no doubt, but there was just something that tickled him about Lucan's situation. Until Lucan spoke, and he lost his smile.
"From what I saw I'm thinking whatever you think you know; your lady did not tell you her secrets either."
"His lady?" Barnos snorted, his doubt clear. "Not from the look she was giving him. I would say she is definitely not his lady." Barnos looked him over doubtfully. "Thought you were supposed to be the smooth one?"
"She liked him well enough," Sera said coming out of the ship with Mac and the Doc right behind her. Tyber ignored the glare everyone but Mac was giving him. "Until he locked her in her room without any food."
Tyber gritted his teeth, his smil
e long gone. "I did not lock her in her room or tell her not to eat. She did that all on her own."
Sera narrowed her eyes at him. "You told us all to keep our distance. How did you think she was going to react to being basically shunned?"
Mac looked at Tyber's face and then wrapped an arm around Sera's waist and carted her off. No doubt they were headed for the house they had picked out on the island they shared. Sera did not say anything else, letting her mate carry her off but she did glare over his shoulders at Tyber until she was inside the portal that would take them to their home. Doc Henry just shook his head and followed them, giving Tyber his own unhappy look.
He turned to see Barnos, Tuft and Lucan had also walked away, following the path that Danika and Trig had made before them. Lore was the only one still standing with him when he looked again. And he could feel exactly what he thought of all of this. Tyber blew out a breath, not bothering to try and hide when it was Lore and he would know exactly what he was feeling no matter what he said. "I could have handled that better."
"We both know why you did what you did, and why I agreed to it. But yes, in this instance, I have a feeling we may have done more damage than we intended."
"She's angry," he said, wondering who he was trying to convince. "She'll get over it."
Lore looked toward the lift where Trig had disappeared and shook his head. "I am not good with recognizing emotional tells, as you know, but that did not look like anger to me."
"No," Tyber agreed. "But if not anger what?"
"Perhaps we should go ask her," Lore said moving his eyes off the portal, as if finally understanding she was not going to come back out of it.
"I think we need to give her a bit of time to settle down. We can find her tomorrow and ask her then."
"I do not like her being where I cannot see her."
It was the only reason, Tyber knew, that Lore had kept his distance from Trig to begin with, because he could watch her through the com system while she basically shut herself into her room. "At least now she might eat something," Tyber said on a growl. He had not liked that she did not go to meals, or that the few times he had left something for her to eat at her door she had ignored it. She had availed herself on energy drinks so he knew she was not starving herself, but other than that and the vitamin supplements she took every day she had basically fasted after she had realized his crew were off limits to her.
Lore did not look any happier at the reminder then he did, even if logically he knew she had been in no real danger. "Yes, and maybe she will speak to me again," he mused. "I did not like the way she looked through us so coldly."
No, Tyber thought, he had not liked that much either. "We'll give her the night, and then tomorrow we'll make sure she knows trying to push us away won't work."
Lore did not have to tell him he did not think it would be that easy.
He heard it loud and clear without any words being spoken.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
With an empath and a reader in their group it was no wonder that all the women ended up along the shores of the water. Trig could not help her awe at the sight of the sea under two suns. Azure waters that crashed along the sandy shore just beyond their feet was as astoundingly beautiful as the rest of the moon had been.
"How is it that the beach is not crowded with people? The only other natural beach I have seen was overrun with naked beings from many worlds, and the ocean was so crowded with water tech and vehicles you could barely see the water.
"Oooh, sounds like Travins three," Lara said making Trig laugh.
"Yes, I forgot you are almost as traveled as I am with the ambassador as your father, and your own journeys." Trig turned to smile at the other woman, who had left her shoes behind with everyone else. Like Trig she had removed her nanite armor and changed into a simple floral sarong Danika had magicked from somewhere. She could not remember the last time she felt safe enough to be so, well naked. The cool cloth wrapped around her body and tied at her neck leaving her legs, her back and her arms bare to the wind, and the rest of her feeling nearly as unrestrained. The tropical heat no longer stifled, but welcomed, and she had to wonder how long they would last before they were all in the warm waters.
"What was the ambassador doing in Travins? That's nearly the edge of Alliance space," Nori wondered aloud. It had taken some talking to get her out of her armor, but finally she had donned her sarong with a look one could only describe as uncertain. It was the first time Trig had seen the Queen look like a pretty woman, rather than a dangerous weapon. She was certain it was the first time she had seen her out of nanite armor. Looking around Trig had to wonder that she was in such company after the stilted confines of the Ambassadors frigate.
"There was a meeting between two delegations over a land grab. They requested Tryne and the location." Trig grimaced. "I thought Malik's head was going to explode, but one of the delegates had an in with a council member who tied Tryne’s hands. Though," Trig said smiling at the memory. "That did not help him when it came to negotiations. One thing I always liked about your father; he always does the right thing."
Both Nori and Lara smiled, and then almost at the same moment they grimaced. It was uncanny how they seemed to think alike, for being nearly opposites in person.
"We need to com him," Lara said and then sighed like she wasn’t looking forward to it. Not that Trig blamed her. He was going to be seriously displeased.
Then something else occurred. "Please tell me you let him know you were behind my disappearance before now."
Nori looked like she had swallowed something bad. "We didn't want to risk it being picked up over the com by Warrung before you actually made it to the island." She shook her head. "But yes, we need to get on that before he finds out we went to the beach before we called him. The rest will be bad enough."
All thoughts of the water now gone Trig headed toward the room Danika had told her was hers, unless she wanted to claim a house on one of the other islands, where she could either be neighbors with Lara and Barnos and his crew, or pick another island with the crew of the Jezebel. Choices she would make later when she had familiarized herself with PortSea. Apparently Lucan had kicked all the moneyed lords off the island leaving a surplus of mansions to choose from. But none of that mattered to Trig now. She needed to find a com and let the Ambassador and the marines know she was alright.
If she thought she had seen Malik mad before she did not want to think about what he was feeling right now. And the ambassador was going to worry. As one of the few people in her life she liked and trusted, Tryne deserved better. She might not have told her secrets to him or his daughters, but that didn’t mean she did not see them as the closest to family she had since her own.
"Where can I get on the Com?"
All three of the women followed her to her room, a lovely beach cottage that while not as opulent as she had experienced in the past, was her all-time favorite of her travels. Which was nice, considering she might be here for a while with Cor Warrung after her, and PortSea her only safe alternative to him.
"The one in your room will not reach outside of PortSea but I can take you to our secure line," Danika said and then almost in warning she said. "Luc and the others will meet us there."
Trig stopped momentarily at the idea of seeing the men again. She almost made her own grimace face at the thought but restrained herself. Not that it mattered.
Lara was a Heti empath, Danika was a reader, and even Nori was Shakien, which meant her senses were such that she could probably smell emotions. Still Trig wiped her feelings from her face and tried her best to erect the walls she had carefully constructed over the last few days on the Jezebel. She had a feeling that the males of this little island paradise would be as dangerous to her as the females were welcoming. Even if the danger to her was not of a physical variety.
"Fine," she said. Even if all she wanted to do was tell them all to keep their distance. There was a chance that Tyber and Lore would have gone to their own ho
mes anyway since they would not likely want to be in on the call with the Ambassador after they had taken her right from beneath their noses.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
When the four ladies joined them in the courtyard Tyber had to wonder at the look of them. Nothing like a beautiful woman in a sarong. Except maybe four of them. Five once Kira joined them to tell them lunch was ready. Tyber might have enjoyed them all except he had eyes at the moment for only one. The one that refused to acknowledge him.
"Where is Jax?" Sera asked from Mac's lap on one of the bench seats under the trees. Unlike the other women, she had joined them still in her ship standard. "I want to talk to her about some of the changes she made to the engine. There were also a few other tweaks I thought of that I think she could help with."
"She went with Tolan Lark to take Menelaus back to Kenosha. He had a meeting with the Wosite he needed to take in person."
Sera looked at Nori who had answered and raised a brow. "And you stayed behind?"
Nori shrugged. "It's only a short jump in the fire and I have no patience for the Wosite and their games."
"Not to mention they’re all afraid of her," Lara said with her usual smile. Nori glared at her adopted sister but didn't argue the facts.
Since Trig had her own run-ins with the Wosite the first time she had met Lara and Nori she didn't blame her for wanting to miss it. Even if the leader who had tried to sell her and Lara into slavery had been taken care of long ago it still left an impression.
"I just didn't think Shakien could be away from their mates any more than the Bruha can," Sera said looking curious.
Nori shrugged, "He'll be back before I have a chance to go feral and start killing people."
That shut everyone up except Lara who just rolled her eyes at her sister.
Trig decided she was not going to touch that one, and instead ignored both Lore and Tyber who were trying to catch her eye and reminded Danika. "The Com?"
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