by Anna Carven
“What makes you say that?”
“You’re competent and stubborn. Good combination. Makes you valuable to a team… but not always good at following orders.”
“How would you know?”
“We’re all a bit like that here.” Left unchecked, any of the First Division warriors could wreak havoc and cause massive death and destruction. That was why they needed Tarak in charge.
“Huh.” Alexis snorted in disbelief, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. He liked her all the more for it.
The lights were on inside the room. Normally, it would be dark in here save for the cold, distant burn of starlight, because Kordolians saw perfectly well in the shadows.
Either Tarak was being considerate of Alexis, or there was another human here.
Abbey. He could hear her shifting around. She, out of all the humans, was the noisiest one by far. Same went for that wild little offspring of theirs.
They saw Tarak first. The General was in deep thought; he stood by the window staring out into space, his hands clasped behind his back. Abbey was there too, sitting in the boss’s command chair. She was barefoot, one leg folded beneath the other in a casual way that was completely unbefitting of her surroundings.
Her presence here didn’t surprise him. When it suited him, Tarak would involve her in his decision making—mostly when there was some sensitive human issue that required her input.
Obviously, she was here for Alexis’s benefit.
That was significant. The boss was making an effort to ensure Alexis was comfortable.
Abbey’s influence, no doubt.
“There is a problem on Tharos,” Tarak said, not bothering with any sort of greeting or formality.
Straight to the point. Typical.
“Problem?” Alexis’s voice was sharp with concern as she strode into the cavernous space, giving Abbey a small greeting wave. “What kind of problem?”
She seemed to be taking this Tharian business very seriously, almost personally, as if Anuk were her own flesh and blood. He saw the determination in her eyes, in the tight angle of her jaw. There was no fear of Tarak at all, and he was a man who could bring lesser beings to their knees in fear with just a look.
This was who she was; the person she’d been on Earth, this so-called detective. A truth-seeker.
Goddess, she was fucking beautiful.
“Some time ago, I sent a surveillance ship to Tharos’s orbit to map the terrain and gather data on the remaining population. Until now, it had not encountered any significant outside activity.”
“Outside activity…” Nythian repeated, the words barely registering. He was in a trance, his senses heightened, flooded with her intoxicating scent, the addictive rhythm of her heartbeat, the memory of her taste on his lips…
Abbey hadn’t said a word, but she was watching him intensely.
Alexis gave him a sidelong glance, and she was calm.
A goddess.
Was he the only one in this fucking room who was seething?
“A ship has landed on Tharos,” Tarak said calmly, turning away from the window to face them. A dark smile threatened to curve his lips as he made eye contact with Nythian. “Do you care to hazard a guess at what kind of beings might have taken an interest in the Ghost Planet?” Now he was being a little ironic.
Nythian tried to think through the fog of his lust. Was this how it was for the others once they found their mates? Was it always like this?
Kaiin’s hells. He didn’t know how long he could last.
“If I had to wager my horns on it,” he drawled, concealing the storm inside him, “I would say it was some silver-skinned bastards with a hard-on for all things Imperial.”
“Kythia might be secure,” Tarak added for Alexis’s benefit, “but the Empire’s reach is long, even in death. There are colonies and sub-colonies and minor outposts of Kordolians scattered throughout the Nine Galaxies. Some have surrendered and accepted our terms. Some are openly hostile. Some have gone underground. We are still cleaning up the mess. With time, all those who oppose us will be subjugated, but until then, we must crush all insurrection. I do not know what these Kordolians want with the Tharians, but whatever it is, they won’t get it. We will deal with them.”
“Hold on a minute…” Alexis’s stance was loose and relaxed, but her gaze was sharp. “I appreciate you all taking me in and working literal miracles on my body, but you haven’t told me anything about who you really are, or what your purpose is. I need some context here, please.” Her eyes flicked back and forth between Tarak and Nythian. He became aware of the sheen on her face—humans sweated when they exerted themselves—the way her rich brown skin glistened, and absurdly, he wanted to lick her, to taste her salty sweetness.
A growl rose in his throat, but he choked it off. Abbey was still giving him that weird look. Alexis’s cheeks darkened, the dusky blush extending to the tips of her ears.
Goddess almighty, he wanted to devour her.
“Sorry Alexis,” Abbey said, and her interruption probably saved Nythian from doing something ridiculous just now. “You’ve been through a lot. It was hard to know how much to tell you at first. I thought it better to give you space to recover from all that first…” She made a sympathetic face. “Remember what I told you, though?”
“They’re the good guys… well, relatively.”
“Relatively, hmm?” Tarak raised an eyebrow at Abbey.
“Do you disagree with my analysis, husband?”
Tarak gave his mate an indulgent look. “Unlike our former masters, we are not planning on enslaving the human race. We have entered into a protection treaty with your Federation.”
“So you’re… not from the Empire?”
“Not anymore. The Empire is dead.”
“They’re on our side,” Abbey added, but her eyes were only for Tarak. She looked at him proudly. Kaiin’s hells, sometimes these two were impossible. “They started the rebellion that brought down the Empire.”
“You did that?” Alexis’s eyes were wide as she sought out Nythian. “You…”
Nythian shrugged. He didn’t care much for glory-seeking. Right now, he was more occupied with the very large and increasingly hard problem in his pants. “They were getting out of hand,” he rasped. “And we were getting tired of doing all their dirty work.”
“You were part of the Imperial Military? It all makes sense now.” There was relief in her voice, and a hint of awe.
“They’re a little rough around the edges, but they’re not without their charms,” Abbey said slyly, making Nythian wonder what she was really up to.
“I can see that now,” Alexis agreed, and the two women shared a silent look. He’d seen humans do that before; sometimes he swore they had secret telepathic abilities. “So you people are free from Imperial tyranny; masterless warriors who are free to cruise around the Universe with a whole bunch of military hardware that can destroy or enslave entire planets.” She sighed and muttered something in her native tongue that made Abbey smile. “That’s a potentially terrifying prospect, if you ask me.”
“We are not interested in enslaving other races,” Tarak said quietly. “Our philosophy is simple. We do not believe in wanton cruelty and destruction. We protect what is ours and destroy those who would seek to harm us. That is all.”
“So you’re saying you’re the arbiters and final executioners. Who’s going to hold you to account?”
Tarak glanced at Abbey, his hard features softening a minuscule amount.
“Don’t misunderstand,” Abbey moved to Tarak’s side and he put a possessive hand on her waist. “He’s very much his own Kordolian. He’s going to do whatever the hell he wants, but he also likes to keep me happy.”
The whole thing was so natural, so comfortable, that Nythian almost envied the boss for having reached such a state. He wanted the same thing with Alexis. He wanted her to feel so comfortable and secure in his presence that she would drop all her barriers and let him in c
ompletely.
“The situation on Tharos must be resolved,” Tarak declared. “The soul that was wrongly bonded to Enki must be allowed to return to her people. A peace offering of sorts, to show them we bear no ill intentions.” His expression turned cold. “But before we allow you to set foot on that planet, we must ensure that it is safe. You will continue your training here with Nythian and the Silent One while we secure the environment. Once it is safe, Nythian will escort you to the intact part of Marenja.”
“Marenja?”
“The capital of the Tharian Nation.”
“Oh. How long will it take? I’d rather have this over and done with.” It was the slight twitch of her left eye that gave away Alexis’s unease, her disquiet.
“I do not know. We have yet to assess and neutralize the threat.” Tarak shrugged. “It will take as long as it takes. We will not put your safety at—”
“No…” Alexis dropped to her knees, and it took Nythian a moment to realize what was going on.
A whimper escaped her lips. Her eyes went blank, her features twisting.
Her hands flew to the sides of her head.
She was in pain!
The soft sound of her distressed cries provoked a deep, primal response inside him. The thing that was making her suffer… he wanted to tear it apart with his bare hands. His horn-buds throbbed, the pain in his head becoming sharp and vicious and unbearable. A faint red haze came down across his vision like a curtain. He blinked furiously, trying to clear it.
Before he realized what he was doing, he was in motion, seeing nothing but her, but Tarak was closer, and the General dropped to his haunches before her, grabbing her upper arms to steady her before she lost her balance and fell. “What is wrong, huma—”
How dare he lay his hands on her!
Nythian’s anger flared white-hot. All his training and discipline fell apart as he barreled into his commander, tackling him with an outstretched arm. Taken by surprise, Tarak fell backwards, but he quickly regained his balance.
Nythian’s fist flew toward Tarak’s face…
“S-stop, Nythian.” Alexis’s voice was the only thing that could cut through his insanity right now.
The only thing.
He froze.
Shit.
What in Kaiin’s Hells had just happened to him?
Breathing heavily, he managed to regain half his senses. The red haze dissipated, and he caught a rare look on Tarak’s face.
A hint of a smile, concealed so quickly he almost missed it.
It occurred to him that the boss had made no attempt whatsoever to block his punch. That was unheard of.
“Go to your human, Nythian,” Tarak said softly in Kordolian.
Nythian didn’t waste another moment. He dropped to his knees in front of Alexis, taking her slender wrists into his hands. Her transformed hand was especially warm, her obsidian nanite-impregnated skin smooth against his fingers.
She winced and took a great shuddering breath. “It’s Anuk. She’s dying. She says she needs to return to Tharos as soon as possible. She needs to communicate with her people again, and then she must pass through something called the Aukon before she dies. It’s very important for them… all of them.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “The Tharians have suffered so much. I don’t care if it’s dangerous. I’ll go with you.”
All of a sudden, the tension drained from her features. She looked up at him, her expression strong and determined.
Nythian wanted to kiss her again, slowly, tenderly, soaking up her all her pain. He was barely aware of Tarak and Abbey in the background as he took her hands into his. “This is important to you, huh?”
“Anuk gave me a chance to live again. I can’t just let her die without carrying out her wishes. I’d be…” She shook her head, knowing she’d never get over the feeling of loss. “I know you can protect me.”
Instead of quelling his mating fever, her words only added fuel to his fire. He inhaled her scent, trembling slightly as her presence washed over him.
This was the most exquisite agony.
Did she understand what kind of effect she had on him? Perhaps she did, because she went very, very still.
Ba-ba-bump. Her heart made an extra beat. She forgot to breathe.
Fear?
No, arousal.
He could smell it; sweet and intoxicating.
Damned female. She was testing him beyond limits he didn’t even know existed.
“So, is that an affirmative?” She was looking at him strangely.
“Whatever you want,” he said thickly.
He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. Right now, he would give her anything she asked for.
Anything.
“We are not going to take unnecessary risks,” Tarak said coldly, cutting through Nythian’s glorious, maddening trance. “You will go to Tharos only once the threat has been analyzed and neutralized.”
Alexis glared. “I don’t want to waste any time. This is critical. She doesn’t have long. If you’d felt what I felt just now…” She moved closer to Nythian, as if seeking his protection. “I might be your guest, prisoner, whatever, but I’ve been hurt by your kind, too. They nearly killed me.”
A growl escaped Nythian’s throat. His claws were on the verge of flicking out, but he kept them at bay—only just. Anyone who was responsible for her suffering, even if they were only remotely connected…
He would find them and kill them.
Every last one of them.
Alexis squeezed his hands, holding him tightly. She was the only one that could temper his rage right now.
“What I’m saying,” she continued, “is that I’m willing to take the risk.”
“To deliver Anuk Pranaka-teh to this portal.”
“Yes.”
Tarak stared at her, his expression cryptic.
Nythian stewed in a hot mix of anger and lust, torn between the need to protect her and the desire to know her.
It would be so easy to lock her away, to keep her cocooned behind Callidum walls for his own desires, but he wouldn’t do that.
On a deep, instinctive level, he knew she needed this. It was part of her healing.
“She won’t be risking anything,” he growled. “Send a force to deal with the invaders, give me the hardware I need, and I’ll make sure she gets there and back in one piece.” He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.
“Nythian…” She sounded surprised. Why should she be surprised? This was the most natural thing. She was safer by his side than anywhere else in the Universe.
“Very well,” Tarak agreed. “I do not understand this situation entirely, nor am I going to attempt to. Just get it done, Nythian. A small battle-squadron will be assigned to the Tharos mission. Once you leave here, you have the equivalent of five Earth days until you reach Tharos.” He turned his attention upon Alexis. “Until then, you are ours completely. You are to obey our commands completely. Nythian will continue your combat training. Ashrael will be arriving soon to provide you with psychic instruction. Zharek will continue to monitor your physical state. From now on, every waking moment will be spent in training. Do you understand, human?”
“We understand.” Nythian pulled her closer, overcome with the sudden urge to fight Tarak. He didn’t like that another male could speak to his human like this, even if it was his commander, even if Tarak’s plans made perfect sense.
He didn’t care that his intentions toward her were perfectly obvious to the others.
He was too far gone.
“Wow,” Abbey whispered, but she didn’t seem entirely surprised. “Don’t worry, honey. You are so safe with him.”
Nythian became aware of a presence behind him. He turned and saw Enki. “What is he doing here?”
Enki tipped his head in acknowledgement but said nothing. He leaned back and crossed his arms, becoming a shadow as his exo-armor blended with the obsidian wall behind him.
He was different now. Ever since the Tharian ha
d left his body and bonded with Alexis, he’d been much calmer, the madness extinguished from his amber eyes.
“Shift change,” Tarak snapped in Kordolian. “Enki will guard her for the time being. I need to discuss things with you.”
Nythian’s inner beast craved the prospect of a fight, but he didn’t want to leave Alexis. The thought of leaving her in the presence of another male, even one who was already mated… it was unbearable.
He showed his fangs, ready for a confrontation.
“You’re going to have to get used to this, Nythian,” Abbey said calmly, not intimidated by him in the slightest. “You can’t be going around trying to fight every male that’s in her presence.” She seemed mildly amused, as if she’d seen this kind of thing a hundred times before. “Don’t worry. It wears off after a while… a little.”
Alexis’s eyes bugged. “What the ever-loving hell is going on here?”
“Oh, you’re coming with me, girl. We need to have a talk. Meanwhile, they’re going to discuss things in Kordolian First Division Warrior-speak.”
“Huh.” Alexis gently disentangled her hands from his, brushing her fingertips over his palms in a gentle caress that set his nerve endings on fire. She gave him a strange look. “You know, I think that might actually be a good idea.”
She was so calm. How could she be so fucking calm? When they’d first started this long, torturous, blissful dance, she’d been all over the place, and he’d been in control.
Now it was the other way around.
“Nythian,” Tarak growled, and there was a dangerous edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before. “Training chamber, now.”
Nythian stiffened, anger and bloodlust coursing through his veins. Being in close quarters with two other dominant males was making him a little bit crazy right now.
He was on the verge of disobeying his commander…
Settle down, idiot!
But he was loyal to Tarak for a reason, and if there was one person who understood the storm inside him, it was his General. More than once, Tarak had stopped him from doing something he would have regretted later.