by Pearl Foxx
“That’s why we have the Draqon with us,” Nestan said. “He was in a cage, injured and alone. He must have been abducted by my father’s people. They’re even more dangerous now. Caj, my father, Felks, all of them are absolutely brutal. The things they’ve done, the things I’ve seen …” He seemed to lose his voice, and before she knew what she was doing, she had placed her hand over his shaking one.
She took over, speaking when he ran out of words. “While I was there, they burnt the other human women alive because they were too sick to sell for trade.”
Vera let out a gasp, and both Gerrit and Rayner began to growl.
While she explained everything that had happened over the past few days, Nestan leaned down and picked up the Draqon baby. She wondered if he even realized he’d reached out to the creature for comfort. There was an instinct both to nurture and be nurtured. Something he’d clearly never received from his own family, but he was more than capable of giving. The baby snuggled up in his arms and played with Nestan’s hair still wrapped in the tie, trying to pull it out so that he could tangle up his claws in the braids and knots.
When she finished explaining, taking her time to let Nestan collect himself, she took a deep breath and sat back in her chair. The stress of her arrival to Kladuu lifted like a yoke off her shoulders. They had help now. They would be able to help other women and Kladians before Savas had a chance to hurt them. The burden had been passed along to someone else, and now, finally, she could search for her sister.
“We need help. Someone the Hylas are actually afraid of.” Leaning forward, Gerrit placed his hands on the giant table.
Rayner shook his head. “Who?”
“The Katu might help us,” Nestan remarked. “They’re fighting the same fight as us.”
“Good.” Gerrit stared hard at Nestan. Slowly, his focus shifted to the baby. “And we send out a call to the Draqons. We tell them we’ve rescued one of their young from the flesh traders and ask them to meet with us under a truce. We need allies. Strong, powerful allies. Ones that won’t back down from a fight with Savas and the Hylas.”
“That feels like madness.” Rayner took Vera’s hand. “The Draqons have been our sworn enemies for generations. The Katu aren’t much better.”
Gerrit raked a hand through his hair. “These are mad times. Our secret is out. To protect Kladuu, we must be ready to fight if the humans come. We need to be united against one enemy.”
Behind them, the donjon’s front door opened.
Before Linnea could turn around and see who the newcomer was, she heard a soft, familiar voice say, “Linnea?”
She turned.
Her sister, Jude, stood in the doorway.
Chapter Ten
Nestan
Nestan’s fingers gripped the edge of his seat at Linnea’s scream.
It took him a moment before he registered that she was shouting her sister’s name, Jude. He had to take a deep breath, his adrenaline rushing, telling him he needed to fight to protect her and keep her safe, no matter what. It didn’t help that Linnea had bolted out of her chair and rushed across the room, crushing the other woman into her arms.
Gerrit rose to his feet, his frown heavy with confusion. “This is your sister, Jude?” When Jude didn’t respond, Gerrit turned to Nestan. “Jude is my mate. She crashed here two months ago. How did you find her sister?”
“She was at Savas’s camp?” Rayner asked before Nestan could even answer Gerrit’s question.
“What is this planet?” Vera shook her head as she watched the sisters clutching each other. “A new tourist hotspot or something?”
All the activity—so many people all talking at once in one room—was overwhelming. Nestan felt like the noise was closing in on him and keeping him from moving. His heartbeat sped up as he watched the sisters embrace. The voice in the back of his head told him he should be glad for Linnea because her sister was safe, and of all places here, but he couldn’t help the fight or flight instinct that told his canines to descend and his nails to shift into claws.
He took deep breaths to calm himself, and the Draqon baby climbed into his lap and pressed against his chest as if knowing he needed the reassurance. Wrapping an arm around the baby, he held it close, clutching it tighter than he normally would but needing the reassurance of its warmth and soft breath against his neck.
“Linnea,” the dark-haired woman pulled away from her sister and held her at arm’s length, looking her up and down, “how the hell are you here? How did you get on Kladuu?”
“I came to save you,” Linnea replied before pulling her sister back into a tight embrace. Nestan couldn’t see Linnea’s face, but Jude’s spoke of complete confusion and utter shock.
Jude. She was Gerrit’s mate and Linnea’s sister. How many times had he seen Linnea crying for her lost sister? The entire time she was here with Gerrit. In Clan Vilka.
“What? Came to save me? Didn’t you get my message?”
Gerrit walked toward the sisters, placing a hand on Jude’s shoulder. Nestan’s best friend had changed since the last time he’d seen him. He had a grace and authority about him that the old Nestan would’ve teased him for, but now, seeing how much Gerrit had grown into a man, simply reminded Nestan that they were both ultimately their fathers’ sons.
“Jude, if your sister came to retrieve you, I’d guess she never received your message.”
Jude’s eyes got huge as she swayed and then clamped her hands into fists. “If you never got my message, how the fuck did you get here?”
Linnea recoiled as if she’d been struck, her sister’s harsh voice affecting her stronger than Nestan would have expected. His instinct was to go to her and place his own hand on her shoulder the way Gerrit had calmed Jude with his touch, but Linnea wasn’t his, never would be his.
“What do you mean, what am I doing here? I’m doing exactly what you would have done. If I never came home, you would have been the first one out there searching for me, no matter where you had to go. So why shouldn’t I do the same thing? For once it was my turn to save you. For all I knew you were here with the flesh traders.”
“How do you know about the flesh traders?” Jude’s voice turned dark.
“That’s how I got here.” Narrowing her eyes, Linnea leaned in toward her sister, her own fists clenching. “I stowed away on a slaver ship, sending myself across the universe to try to save my sister, who I thought was dead, in trouble, or sold for sex. You could have been at the hands of one of those Hylas.”
Jude stumbled backward, shaking her head. “No. No. I sent you a message. I made sure that we got something through. We stopped all the transmission blockers.” She looked up at Gerrit. “Didn’t we?”
“Rayner?” Gerrit asked his Beta.
Rayner nodded. “It should’ve gone through. There’s nothing on our end that could stop the message from being received by your personal transmission code.”
“My personal transmission code?” Linnea said, her voice seething. “They change, Jude. I don’t work in the auxiliary galley anymore. I got a promotion to the main kitchen as a sous chef. You would have been proud of me if you’d been around to know about it. My transmission code is completely different because my staff designation changed. So, whatever you thought you sent probably went to some random person who has no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
As Linnea spoke, her voice growing icier with each word, Jude’s mouth fell open, her wide eyes stretching wider. An expression of horror turned her face pale. “I’m so sorry …” She stepped toward her sister, her hands out as if to embrace her, but Linnea just shook her head and backed away.
“I can’t believe you would stay here and not make sure I knew you are safe and alive. I can’t believe you could leave me like that.”
Nestan saw the tears welling in her eyes and recognized her desperation. It was the look of somebody who needed to get out of where they were; even if it didn’t make sense, even if it wasn’t logical, she needed to escap
e.
He stood up, hoisting the Draqon baby up on his shoulder, and forced himself into the verbal melee between the sisters. “I think we should go back to my barracks,” he said.
Gerrit shook his head and Jude opened her mouth to speak, but for once Nestan found his voice in time to stand up, if not for himself for Linnea. “I understand there’s a lot to talk about, and there was a miscommunication, and everybody here is upset, but Linnea needs some time away from this. And I think it would do me some good to be alone for a while, too. So, we’re just going to go and we can talk later.” His voice shook with hesitancy, but the demand was clear.
Gerrit nodded his head, wrapping an arm around Jude’s upper arm as if preparing to restrain her.
Nestan only needed to look at Linnea for her to reach out and take his hand. They walked out of the donjon together, and he navigated his way through the servant alleys, which were mostly vacant these days since the servant revolt.
They wound their way through the mountain until they came to an open space where rows of platforms built into the rock face piled on top of each other. They were like balconies overlooking the main market area with a line of doors leading to the small rooms of individual guards and single Vilkas.
Nestan led her up two flights of stairs in silence. She would talk if she wanted to. He wasn’t about to force her to say or do anything she didn’t want to. She’d been through enough, and if anyone understood what it felt like to need a few moments of quiet to steady their brain, it was him.
When they came to his door, he opened it with a pass of his hand in front of the scan screen. The door slid open and they stepped inside.
“Main computer, please accept registration for a new command dweller,” he said.
Overhead the AI responded, “Please state your name.”
After a nod from him, Linnea responded, “Linnea Quincy.”
“Please press your hand against the panel.” A panel next to the door glowed green and she pressed her hand against it, shooting a questioning glance at him.
“New dweller registered. Thank you, Linnea.”
He stepped further into his dwelling and the lights automatically came on. It was small, made only for one person—two chairs, a small table, bed, and a hutch in which he could store his clothes and other personal items. It wasn’t a lot of space for two people.
“The computer allows you to come and go as you please. I didn’t want you to feel like you are locked in here. Anyway, this is where I live.” Nestan gestured around him, unsure of what she would think of his humble housing.
The tears finally fell from her eyes and she sat on the edge of the bed. “Thank you, Nestan. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
He shifted his weight, uncertain how to respond to the tremble he heard in her voice.
Leaning forward, she pressed her head into her hands. “I just can’t believe my sister left me. She wanted to stay here just because of some man. She didn’t even make sure I’d received her message. She … she could have at least come back to tell me herself what was going on.” Her voice cracked. “I would have returned with her if that’s what she wanted.”
Sitting in one of the small chairs, he fingered his black Katu pants. He peered around, trying to figure out what to say that would make her feel better, but there was nothing. He crossed one leg over the other, and the Draqon baby on his shoulder jumped down to snuggle into his lap. Without thinking, he began scratching its tiny triangular ears.
He returned his gaze to Linnea and saw that her tears were falling fast. He picked up the baby and settled it into the chair, telling it with a hand motion to stay and hoping that would work.
When he sat next to her, she threw her arms around his neck, and he bit his cheek to keep himself from pulling away. Her tears against his shoulder and her arms around his neck broke his heart into tiny pieces. A heart he didn’t know had anything left to break. As she cried, he wrapped one arm around her waist, and with a deep breath pulled her against him. Soon they were wrapped up in each other’s arms and he was smoothing her hair.
“It’s good that she’s happy here,” he whispered against her blonde locks. “Kladuu is beautiful. It was a wonderful place to grow up, and if she had to crash anywhere, being near Gerrit was the best thing that could have happened. I know you’ve only seen the harsh and wild parts of my planet, but I promise you the people Jude was with are good people. Gerrit has been my best friend since as early as I can remember. My mother died when I was very young, and at home, it was only ever my father and me. Most of the other children didn’t really like me very much, but Gerrit …” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Gerrit always made sure I had enough to eat even when my father forgot. He took me into his home, and his parents always treated me like an equal. It didn’t matter that my father constantly had a snide remark or a nasty rebuff for his Alpha. All that mattered was that Gerrit was my cousin, and if Jude had to come here and was lucky enough to fall in love with someone like him, I think you should be happy for her.”
Linnea’s chest heaved and she pulled away enough to wipe her face with the back of her hand. “I know. And I saw how happy she looked. I just can’t get over how miserable I’ve been. How alone and scared. Coming here has been horrible. If it wasn’t for you …”
She lifted her eyes, and he couldn’t turn away from her gaze. His breath caught in his throat, and even though he knew it was coming, the press of her lips against his was a shock. How could someone so sweet and good think that finding him was worth all the pain she suffered?
Running a hand through his tangled hair, she deepened their kiss.
His groan escaped him before he could stop it. He didn’t want to want her. He didn’t want to subject her to someone like him—someone who wasn’t even strong enough to resist his father. He hadn’t been able to make an escape for himself. It had taken the push of Linnea’s gentle strength and the Draqon baby for him to even make a serious try at it.
“Maybe, maybe we shouldn’t …”
Linnea smiled, running a thumb over his scarred eyebrow. With a glint in her eyes, she asked, “Shouldn’t what?”
The innocence of her question and the playfulness of her voice made Nestan break out laughing. He couldn’t resist her charms. No matter what demons lurked under his skin, she brought him back to himself.
Disentangling himself from her touch, he stood. “The other door leads to the bathroom.” He moved toward the wardrobe and opened a door, pulling out the familiar pants and tunic he usually wore. But that was in a past life; he wasn’t used to such softness anymore.
He regarded her, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t think I have anything that will fit you.”
Linnea chuckled, smoothing down the black shift dress the Katu had given her. “I’m okay. I like this dress. It’s more like the kind of thing I would’ve worn at home.”
“Really? When you arrived you are wearing pants and boots like one of those Falconers.”
Chuckling again, she leaned back on her elbows. “No, that was just for ease of movement. I didn’t know what I was going to find once I got here. Normally I’m a dress kind of girl when I’m not wearing a uniform for work.”
He shifted from one foot to the other, the Vilkan clothes still in his hands. “What do you usually do?”
“I work in the kitchens. Mostly I like to bake. That’s my specialty and what I went to school for. But these days I’ve been working as a sous chef. I don’t know if you have those here, but it’s basically like the second in command in the kitchen. I was hoping to have a kitchen or maybe a bakery of my own one day.”
Everything he learned about her was new and surprising. She had dreams and hopes and a spontaneous spirit that made him want to be a better man. “I was one of Gerrit’s guards. Which honestly wasn’t much of a job. Since he was the upcoming Alpha, my job was to stay as close to him as possible. So basically, I got to hang out with my best friend all day.”
“That sounds l
ike a pretty good job to me.”
Nestan shifted on his feet again and glanced down at the Draqon baby. “It appears our new friend has settled in for some sleep. We could both probably use some rest. Do you want to change into anything?”
Yawning, she shook her head.
He excused himself to the tiny bathroom. When he closed the door behind him, he took a couple of deep breaths.
She’s in my room. Should I sleep on the floor?
He should certainly offer to sleep on the floor. But last night he hadn’t slept on the platform though. She’d wanted him in the hammock with her. She’d wanted him next to her.
His hands shook as he took off the Katu pants and slipped on the dark Arakid silk slacks. He’d brought in a tunic top, but now that he stood there with it in his hands, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to put it on or not. He’d been with her for only a few days, but the idea of sleeping next to her fully dressed seemed like a barrier he didn’t want between them. But he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.
Placing the shirt on the small sink, he stared at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were gaunt and his eyes hollowed out—like someone had taken a scooper and spooned all the life out of him. How could she look at this face and see something worth smiling at? How could she look at this body and see something she wanted to kiss, something she wanted to hold her?
But she did. He knew she did. He just didn’t know if he could.
He stepped out into the room to find her already snuggled in his small bed, nestled under the covers with her head on his pillow.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she said, her voice muffled beneath his blankets. “I just couldn’t resist. It’s so soft.”
“That’s fine. I’ll … I’ll just sleep on the floor.” He reached for his pillow, but before he could pull away, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist.
“That’s a ridiculous thing to do.”
He averted his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. “I didn’t want to presume …”
“Presume away.” She pulled him toward her, and when he landed on the bed, he tried to keep himself on top of the covers. “What are you doing?”