Freedom (Delroi Prophecy)

by Hunt, Loribelle

  She blinked at the turn of phrase. It was pretty damned apt. She wasn’t sure if that wasn’t exactly what she’d done. Cornered a wild animal. One bent on caging her, taming her. She hastened to rebuild her shields and block the weird connection between their minds that she’d accidentally forged. His growl was menacing, but he didn’t fight her. This time he let her go and she rolled out of bed.

  “Don’t make those plans, Roarr. They aren’t for me.”

  He crossed his arms under her head and gave her a hard stare. “Which plans would those be?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Your little home and family fantasy. I’m not interested in a serious relationship with you or anyone else.”

  “Why is that, Kareena?” he asked softly, almost tenderly. “You’d rather be alone?”

  She paused at the bathroom entrance and an inexplicable pain momentarily gripped her. “I’d rather be free,” she said, then forced herself to move.

  If she expected him to be gone when she returned to the room, she was in for a disappointment. Exasperated, she sighed. “You don’t take a hint well do you?”

  He lounged on her bed gloriously, beautifully naked. It was damned hard to keep her eyes on his face. He grinned. The smug bastard knew just how appealing she found him. The attraction was getting stronger by the second. She should be sated. Impervious. But instead she felt arousal, sharp and cutting, building as if she hadn’t just had him and the best orgasms of her life. She took an aggressive step forward, fighting to think through the growing fog.

  “This isn’t natural. What’s going on?”

  He grabbed her wrist and tugged her down. The towel she’d wrapped around her body fell to the floor.

  “Now you want to listen,” he complained, his eyes focused on the skin he’d exposed. She grabbed the sheet and covered herself.

  “Now would be good,” she snapped.

  “We call it mating lust.”

  She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Falkor had called Janice his mate. She’d figured it was just their way of saying girlfriend or wife.

  “Be more specific.”

  His eyes narrowed at the order, but he answered. The problem was the more she heard the more panicked she became. “My people have a true mate, someone who can only connect with them, our der’lan.”

  She’d wondered what that word meant. “So der’lan means mate.”

  “It translates more closely as mate of my heart. There’s only one, Kareena,” he said firmly.

  “And you think I’m yours?” She ignored the butterflies flying nervously in her stomach, the dread turning her blood to ice.

  “I know you are.”

  She shook her head. Even if she bought any of this, and she didn’t, it wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want to belong to anyone or vice versa. She’d already lost everything, everyone she’d ever loved. She wouldn’t risk that pain again. Besides, she wasn’t sure if she could trust these aliens.

  “You’re wrong,” she said harshly. “I can’t give you what you want.”

  “You mean you won’t,” he said, rolling to his feet. His anger pulsed between them and he started to dress.

  Her nod was more a jerk. “Fair enough.”

  He pressed his lips together, holding back what she was sure would be a hot accusing response if he let it out.

  “Fine, but I need you at dinner tonight.” He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “Food, not sex. Don’t worry, baby, I don’t share well with others and there will be a lot of others there. Parker and Zola are invited, too.”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, because she had the weirdest urge to reach out to him and beg him to understand. He spun on his heel and stalked from the room. His leaving made her feel bereft. She crawled into bed, dragging the covers over her head as she tried to figure out just what the hell was wrong with her. But she didn’t stay there long. She needed to think, needed to meditate in a place where she felt part of something bigger. On Earth, she’d go into the woods or a virgin park, and she’d discovered just such a place on the ship earlier. She didn’t want to go alone, however, didn’t want to be alone. She dressed quickly and was surprised when Parker and Zola stepped into the corridor at the same time.

  “What’s up?” she asked, a little concerned at their somber mood.

  “We aren’t sure how freely we can speak in these rooms,” Parker answered mentally.

  “Just stretching our legs,” Zola said.

  “I know a place,” she answered Parker and smiled at both of them, continuing aloud. “I found a really cool garden yesterday. Let’s go there.”

  A garden on a spaceship that conveniently had a waterfall. If anyplace was safe from listening devices it was the most likely they could access. No one spoke until they were on a curved bench close enough to get sprayed. Kareena already felt better.

  “So?” she asked.

  “Has anyone questioned you? About why we were prisoners? Who we are? Anything?”

  “No. You?”

  Parker pressed her lips together and shook her head. “What I’d really love to know is how they knew to look for us.”

  Zola’s total lack of expression was telling.

  “What?” Kareena asked.

  “Tel. I stole something they want and someone hoped if I escaped, I’d lead them to it.”

  “Kind of hard to do that on a spaceship heading to Delroi,” Parker said dryly.

  “I couldn’t anyway,” Zola said. “I gave it to an underground telepath then had him remove the memory from my mind. I don’t even remember who the telepath was.”

  “There’s only a handful of people strong enough to do that,” Kareena said. And if she could identify several of them, she wouldn’t put it past Tel to track them down either.

  Zola shook her head, granting one of her rare small smiles. “There are a lot more than you think. Tel, rebels, foreign operatives. I know that information is safe. It’s why they let me live so long. If they’d found it I would have been killed long ago.”

  “So why would they tip off the Delroi?”

  She sighed. “I’m guessing the committee decided if they weren’t getting it back they might as well kill me.”

  “But you think someone believed you might still be useful.”

  She hesitated so long Kareena knew there was more to it than that.

  “No. This more a debt paid. I can’t say more than that.”

  “Okay, we won’t ask more about that. For now.” And maybe they wouldn’t have to. It was possible it was all over now, that Tel wouldn’t come looking for them and Delroi wouldn’t require payment for sanctuary.

  “If it becomes necessary, I’ll tell you as much as I can, but you know the less you know about my past the better.”

  Kareena did know which was why she didn’t push Zola for answers. They’d survived this long without questioning each other’s honor or integrity. She wouldn’t change the rules of the game now. Besides, they wouldn’t be returning to Earth and what were the chances of Tel tracking them down halfway across the galaxy?

  “So what do we tell them when they ask?” Parker asked softly. “And why are they waiting? What are the chances they’re playing a bigger game, using us to either get to Tel or forge an alliance with them?”

  “Very little, I think,” Zola said earnestly, leaning forward. “We tried to infiltrate their forces and didn’t get anywhere. They wanted complete surrender, never played any of us against the other. Look at the peace accord.”

  “So why go through so much trouble to rescue three Earth women?”

  Zola shrugged. “You got me.”

  Kareena wasn’t buying it. “They’re conquerors. I can’t believe they’d save us just out of the goodness of their hearts.”

  “Me either,” Parker said. Zola didn’t look convinced. “You know something more?”

  “No. I don’t believe we’re in any imminent danger, but I have no idea why they did what they did or what they have
planned for us. I just can’t believe it’s as political pawns.”

  “So what do they want?” Parker asked again, frustration straining her voice.

  Kareena didn’t offer an opinion, but she had a growing suspicion. Roarr hadn’t questioned her about her captivity, hadn’t asked what her value was as a prisoner, but he’d made it damned clear he wanted her. He wanted to possess her, to own her. Maybe her earlier assessment was right. Maybe she was a war prize. The scary thing was a part of her didn’t care. The wanton greedy side that was blown away just remembering the sex. If only it could be so simple.

  “Maybe we’ll discover something at dinner,” Kareena finally said, answering Parker’s question.

  But Kareena couldn’t escape the feeling she already knew.

  “There’s something else we have to worry about,” Zola said, looking uneasy. “Tel won’t give up. The general populace doesn’t know a thing about any of us, but within our spheres we’re all well known. The underground knew you were being held. Someone will tip them off that you’ve been rescued and by who, if they figure it out. If you were just anyone they might let you go, but you aren’t. You’re a symbol of the resistance, both of you.”

  She exchanged a look with Parker. Neither of them had considered that. The guilt that spiked through her heart at abandoning her people was a jagged edge. Still, she reasoned, she was no use to them dead.

  “I need to get word to the underground,” she whispered. Someone would have to step into her place. Hell, probably already had. The thought soothed her conflicted heart, alleviated some of the guilt.

  “And you?” she asked Zola.

  She snorted. “They will definitely come after me.”

  “How? They’re being watched for now.”

  Zola gave her a look that made it clear she thought Kareena’s brains weren’t yet recovered from their captivity. “They’ll fake a background and send a powerful telepath. One who can control minds and wipe memories if necessary.”

  Kareena knew that. She just hadn’t allowed herself to think about. “We’re screwed.”

  Zola grinned, and then broke into laughter. It transformed her from reserved and almost dour to young and carefree and gorgeous.

  “Sorry,” she said, getting herself under control. “I don’t know about you two, but I have no intention of giving up my freedom. And between the three of us, we can handle a telepath no matter how strong.”

  “You think they’ll only send one?” Parker asked what Kareena was wondering.

  Zola nodded. “The first time or two. Logistically it will be much easier. After that, I’ll have to get creative.”

  There was an unholy glee in the other woman’s eyes that made Kareena damned sure she didn’t want to know how Zola intended to do that.

  Chapter Five

  Roarr leaned against the wall outside her door unsure of how he should precede and that just pissed him off. She was his der’lan and she was trying her damnedest to get out of it. It was perplexing. Maddening. If she would just tell him what her objections were, he was certain he could overcome them. There was no denying the physical attraction. Even after two cold showers he was primed and ready. He knew she would be, too. They were too explosive together to remain unaffected. He’d never tire of her. Of her body beneath his, moving with his. Her cries when she came apart in his arms.

  What wasn’t to love about that kind of connection? Why was she fighting it? One thing he knew for sure. He had to convince her soon, before the primitive side of him took over and he took the choice from her hands. Now was as good a time as any to start the convincing. Taking a deep breath, he straightened, knocked, and didn’t bother waiting for an invitation to enter.

  “Are the customs that different on Delroi?” she asked waspishly, slipping into her shoes.

  He shrugged one shoulder. “Not with one’s der’lan.”

  She stepped into the corridor with him. “I thought we were dropping that.”

  “Nope,” he said, borrowing an Earth word. “You’d just like me too.”

  She huffed and changed the subject. “I thought Parker and Zola were coming too?” she asked when he led her away.

  “They said they weren’t up for it.”

  He could feel her incredulity and knew he’d guessed right. If he’d given her the chance, she’d have done the same.

  “Who is this dinner with?” she ground out.

  “The ship’s commander, one of his lieutenants, and their der’lans. On another ship, he’d called the captain but this is Daggar’s personal ship so the rules are a little different.”

  She dragged him to a stop in the middle of the hall and glared. “Is this some kind of ambush?”

  “Why would you think that?” he asked trying to sound innocent. “Falkor won’t be separated from Janice and she isn’t up for it, which leaves the final evening meal of the trip with the commander to me.”

  “And why am I going?”

  He shrugged. “You’re a guest. Don’t guests traditionally dine with the ship’s captain on Earth?”

  He didn’t think she believed him, but she stopped arguing and changed the subject. “So we’ll be there tomorrow?”

  “You’ll be on Delroi in time for lunch,” he responded.

  Kareena considered protesting, but the truth was while she rarely let anyone get close to her, she was an extrovert. She liked people. She enjoyed company. And she’d never admit it to Roarr, but she’d been craving interaction with some of the people she’d soon be living with. Besides, it was time she got some answers.

  He led her to a section of the ship that had been barred from her on her explorations. “The ship’s bridge and senior officer quarters are here,” he told her as if he knew she’d wondered why. Hell, he probably did. She thought she’d rebuilt her shields, but when he looked her she wasn’t so sure.

  They entered a comfortable dining room. There was a table that sat eight, but the other two couples lingered at the expanse of glass overlooking space. It wasn’t the vast expanse of black emptiness she’d grown accustomed to. A star was visible in the distance and a blue planet was much closer. It looked huge and swollen.

  “We’re in your solar system,” she guessed.

  “Yes,” he said, setting his palm on her lower back and steering her forward.

  The waiting group turned to greet them. She’d met the commander and his first lieutenant, both tall severe Delroi warriors. She was surprised at the tender, almost reverent look that came over the captain’s face when he turned to his mate, however. The woman said hello softly, stilted, and Kareena read her reserve as shyness not timidity. She smiled back at the younger woman, hoping to put her at ease. The other woman she’d met when she arrived, the healer who’d treated Janice. She assessed Kareena with a bold, friendly gaze before offering her hand. Kareena liked her instantly. They all sat at the table and Roarr handed her a glass of blue wine. She savored it a minute before Erika, the healer, spoke.

  “So Kareena, what do you do on Earth?”

  She froze until Roarr’s mind surround her with warmth and reassurance, then a slight pressure. A request for entrance. She let her own open to him.

  “They know you were a prisoner we liberated. Nothing more.”

  “And no one objects to my being here? I could be an axe murderer for all y’all know.”

  His reply was heavy with sensual amusement. “Are you, baby? Perhaps I should keep you tied up in bed then. For my own safety, of course.”

  “I’m not amused.”

  “Hmm, maybe not. But you are turned on.”

  “I’m a self defense instructor. Well, I was,” she spoke aloud, desperate to banish his voice, the images he shared with her mentally.

  For a moment, disapproval swamped her and again Roarr’s warmth surrounded her, rescued her. “Perhaps you will be again, Kareena.” His voice was clear and concise, almost a rebuke against the other men at the table.

  The commander’s eyes registered surprise then understan
ding. “I forget you’re from the Keep,” he said.

  “The Keep?” she asked.

  “You would call it the capital city of my clan. I have a few things to settle in Saber City, but we’ll journey to the Keep as soon as possible.”

  That surprised her and he brushed a finger over her scowl. “What?”

  “I assumed you would take us to Laney Bradford.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “You know I have no intention of giving you up,” he admonished mentally.

  She knew he didn’t want to, but she had expected others to have more say in what happened once they arrived. If she wasn’t so surprised, she would have given him a non-response. She didn’t know any of these people. She had no idea who to trust.

  “As far as political prisoners go, I’m pretty valuable. There are a lot of people on Earth who’d pay a fortune for me.” Sadly, that wasn’t an exaggeration.

  “What, angel? You don’t trust me to protect you?” He looked amused more than insulted though. “You aren’t our prisoner.”

  She hadn’t believed that before. Not really. She wasn’t sure if she believed it now. She’d figured asylum would just be another form of captivity, kinder perhaps, but the same thing in the end.

  “If you’re travelling, Roarr, you should bring Kareena to visit us in the green zone. We’ll be at home for the next few months,” Erika said.

  Kareena knew she intrigued the other woman and sensed a friend. If her mate disapproved of the invitation, he hid it well.

  Roarr nodded. “Thank you. Perhaps we will in a few weeks.”

  She was irritated he was making plans for her like they were together, a couple, but she was unsure of where she stood exactly with these aliens so kept her protest to herself. She’d confront him later.

  “What about you, Delia,” she asked the other woman. “What do you do?”

  “Oh, not much,” she said, self deprecating. “Right now I’m just travelling with Zaren.”

  He smiled at her and lifted her hand to his lips brushing a kiss over them. Kareena was stunned at the change that came over him. “That isn’t true, sweetheart,” he said, then looked at Kareena. “Delia is president of the weaver’s guild in the capital. Daggar’s city.”