But Sierra didn’t seem happy at the moment. “I was hoping to have time to plan for Shasta and Kinley to visit.”
“Well, I don’t regret coming,” Shasta said. She wanted to find her Dormrelian warrior and nothing, not some terrorist group or some stupid alien law, was going to stop her.
Her mother’s gaze narrowed on her face, and she frowned at Shasta. “No wandering. No exploring. You’re not familiar enough with Dormrelian law to go outside.”
“I’m a visitor. I’m sure it can’t be that bad to go out and mingle,” Shasta said and flicked her hair back.
Her mother shook her head sharply. “It’s too risky. Dormrelian customs are different than ours, Shasta. I only know their past laws and those were pretty strange. Don’t push this.”
But Shasta had already formed a plan. It shouldn’t be hard to find Andev Juno in the capital city. And she wasn’t going to miss her opportunity.
* * * *
Andev had seen her arrive with her mother and he resisted the urge to push through the crowd and carry her off. The insanity around them was disconcerting. People shoved and elbowed to get closer. Several Dormrela shouted the word “savior” in their native tongue. He wondered what other results from the Ang interference would be.
It shouldn’t surprise him that the arrival of Elise Pasquel would create a frenzy. Rumor that she had held the future of the Dormrela and the Ang in her slender hands and destroyed it rather than allow either side to own it was common.
When he returned to his hoverbike, the roar of the engine didn’t calm him as it usually did. She was here, and he was being manipulated into trapping her. He had a feeling that the shuttle Sierra Majii had booked for the following day was going to be delayed. The Dormrelian council was not going to let this opportunity slip by them.
He’d planned to return to the Majii household and formally visit Shasta and her mother. But the night worked out differently.
After his daily working schedule, he was dressing when his vid phone rang.
“Councilwoman Patel,” he said when the woman’s face appeared.
“Andev, you must help.”
The urgency in her voice startled him. “What’s happened?”
“Shasta Pasquel has left the Majii’s home and stolen a hoverbike. She’s currently at The Bilana.”
Shit! Shit! Shit! He knew exactly why she was in that club. What she didn’t know is that it wasn’t just a dance club. Shasta was clearly not well versed in Dormrelian law about the Hadaji and visiting any place like The Bilana would make her eligible for the roster. Sexual hookups were common, even encouraged there. Common practice meant being seen in a place like that only three days before the Hadaji would make her fair game…for anyone. There were too many hormones flying around. Despite her humanity, she’d be viewed as a potential sexual partner in this charged environment. Shasta would start a damn riot.
In ten minutes he was on his hoverbike and screeching to a halt in front of the club. No one questioned him when he tossed the keys to a valet and plunged through the door.
The beat of the music rumbled through his bones, and he peered through the throng of people. The lights were flashing greenish red and purple. Off and on, the effect threw the writhing bodies into shadow. Yet, he spotted Shasta immediately.
She’d changed from the modest flight suit she’d worn when she disembarked to a glittering white silvery dress that reflected the lights and the colors. Her blonde hair was loose and spun around her as she danced. The air was thick with arousal and danger. Several male Dormrela were too close to her.
Weaving his way through the dancers, he finally reached Shasta and put his hand on her arm. Like when the Dormrelian guard had touched her, Shasta exploded, her hand chopping toward his neck. Andev countered her easily but held her hand in his, his gaze locked with hers.
She stared at him. “Andev,” she mouthed.
He should have picked her up and hauled her off the dance floor. But she wrapped her arm around his neck and slid her body against him. He lost his fucking mind. More like adversaries than lovers, they danced to the beat, her breath hot on his skin, her beads of sweat dripping on his cysuit.
One of the other males growled and tried to step between them. Andev responded by instinct rather than with his damn brain. He crouched, facing the intruder, who immediately backed off. Shasta distracted him by grinding her pelvis against his back.
He spun around and wound one hand in her hair. Whatever restraints he’d put on himself were destroyed by her touch. Against his better judgment, he yanked her closer, his lips punishing her, devouring her.
The mental barriers between them shattered, and their minds touched. Her thought was loud and clear. “I found you!”
“What are you doing here?” he snapped at her in her mind.
“Looking for you.”
“You’re in more trouble than you know.” Couldn’t she see what she’d done, what came next? She made it so easy for the council and for him. It should have given him a sense of satisfaction. Instead, he was frustrated, angry at her for forcing his hand
Her gaze narrowed on him, their thoughts tumbling over each other. “I’ve never…connected with someone like this.”
“God, Shasta, you drive me insane.” He couldn’t soften his kiss. His mind could feel her confusion, how near she was to figuring out who he truly was.
Someone jostled them, and they were torn apart. Suddenly, the crowd was menacing, the music too loud, the dancers were closing in.
Andev’s stomach flipped when he realized Shasta had been swallowed up by the surrounding throng. He gritted his teeth and plunged in after them.
*
Strange hands grabbed Shasta and pulled her down. She stumbled, but regained her balance before she hit the floor with her face. The noise was deafening, and Shasta almost panicked when a large hand from the crowd gripped the hem of her dress and tore it. She lashed out, and her hand connected with hard flesh. Grimly, she fought off several hands, almost mindless with fear.
Suddenly, a massive Dormrelian male arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her back. She gasped, and her arms flailed as the male lifted her off her feet. Like a sack of potatoes, she was tossed over his shoulder. Her nostrils were filled with a familiar scent.
It was Andev.
“Put me down,” she snapped, yelling to be heard over the cacophony of sound.
“Later, Miss Pasquel,” he said calmly.
She gritted her teeth and curled her fists. Why couldn’t she read him now? She was touching him, but there was nothing but his hard scales beneath the rough fabric of his jacket. The crowd broke through the barriers behind them and rushed toward her. A huge Dormrelian male tossed a set of keys to Andev. Surprisingly gentle, he placed her on a hoverbike, and she glanced up into his face. Even though he’d kissed her, she hadn’t paid close attention to details.
Four eyes, but one set of two were different than the other set. The upper eyes were a plain brown. But the lower two were a deep, chocolate brown. His features were angled and harsh, the shadows adding to the rather dark expression. His hair was brown and curly, looking soft to the touch, and she longed to slide her fingers through it.
Solidly built, he resembled a huge brick wall, all muscle. She glanced up and stared. Several Dormrelian males were engaged in a battle and the noise was deafening. Her rescuer banded two arms around her, two other hands on the handlebars. He kick-started the bike and roared away from the club that was now in a full-blown riot. Sirens screamed around them, but Andev sped quickly back to the Majii residence.
He screeched his tires at the front gate and stepped off the bike. Rather than wait until Shasta dismounted, he hauled her off the seat and gripped her arm all the way past Terek’s guards to the front door.
Terek answered the door and stared at her like she had bugs crawling out her ears. “What the hell?”
Andev jerked her forward and pushed her over the threshold like she was some errant teenager
who had snuck out.
Which is exactly what she’d acted like. Shame swamped her. Would she never learn? The way to deal with stress was not to party, to dance, to misbehave. But she’d done it again. And why? Because they told her she couldn’t.
“You know what this means, Ambassador.” Andev’s tone was serious, scary serious.
“The council—”
“Will insist,” Andev interrupted him. “She just made it easier.”
Shasta glared at him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Andev glanced at her, something odd flickering in his gaze. “I’m talking about consequences for your actions, Ms. Pasquel.”
A spike of fear shot through Shasta. And she did what she always did with it. She got pissed off. “I’m leaving tomorrow. You can go to hell.”
One of his eyebrows rose. “That was how I looked at it.”
Terek gently shoved her behind him. “They cannot do this. She isn’t—”
“She was the minute she stepped off that shuttle.”
“Wait a minute,” Shasta snapped. “What are you talking about? I’m not what?”
Andev’s gaze was locked with Terek’s. “You danced on the eve of the Hadaji, Ms. Pasquel. You are now a Mafada, an alien subject to Dormrelian law.” He shifted his glance to her. “Arguably, you were when you arrived, but tonight? You just made it official.”
*
“Why did you bring Shasta?” Sierra burst out. “It’s only three days to the Hadaji. The eve. Now is the time when the conclaves are decided. She should have stayed indoors, away from the Dormrela.”
“We have diplomatic immunity—” Elise sputtered.
“You have diplomatic immunity,” Sierra said and threw up her hands. “Shasta won’t be recognized as an ambassador. She’s subject to Dormrela law. She was the minute she stepped off that shuttle.”
“They wouldn’t.” Elise’s face lost color.
Shasta’s stomach tightened. What the hell were they talking about? “What’s a Mafada? The Hadaji? Someone want to fill me in?”
The night was quiet now, but everyone had been awakened when Andev dragged Shasta home. Sierra clutched a shimmering robe around her body. “Come into the living room and Terek and I will explain,” Sierra said.
She licked her lips and shot nervous glances at her new mate. “Mom, we have something to tell you, something that will explain a lot.”
“Oh?” Elise’s eyebrows rose.
Sierra met Shasta’s gaze. “You have to promise to keep this quiet for the time being.”
“Spill it,” Shasta said again.
“Promise,” Sierra said, her gaze steady. Her sister hadn’t had this much backbone when she’d been on Asberek.
“Maybe it would be better if we show them, my love.” Terek stroked Sierra’s back in a comforting gesture.
“But what if Shasta—”
Terek squeezed her shoulder. “She is your sister. We will trust her.”
Sierra pursed her lips together and nodded. Terek reached up to his shoulder and pressed down.
Before Shasta’s very eyes, most of the scales, two of Terek’s arms, and two of his eyes disappeared and Terek stood there—human.
Elise sat down abruptly. Shasta couldn’t seem to close her mouth. Human? Human. Terek Majii was human. “Shasta?” her sister’s voice penetrated the fog.
“I don’t understand,” she managed to say through a tight throat.
“Sit down.” Sierra gently took Shasta’s arm and led her to a long couch. Her sister took a deep breath. “Mom, remember the markings on the wall at the temple? The ones that Kliro read as a blood sacrifice using the stones?”
“How could I forget?” Elise’s voice was cold, and she glared at Terek.
“He misread it.”
Elise’s gaze jerked to Sierra’s face. For some reason, Shasta’s attention stayed on her mother. If her mother knew what was going on, it would be okay. Right? But Elise looked stunned. Not good.
Sierra continued. “The stones held DNA, just as you proved, the DNA Dad has. The DNA all three of us have.” She glanced at Shasta. “And it’s the only thing that will save the children of the humans who live on Dormrela.”
“Exactly how did humans end up on Dormrela?” Elise’s lips were pursed and white.
Sierra shot a glance at Terek, who nodded. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “When the Ang brought Earthlings they’d abducted to Asberek, the Dormrela kidnapped them. Several of them. They believed they were saving them, but…” Sierra stopped and licked her lips. “I’m not going to say that what happened was good.”
“They experimented on them, bred them like cattle, right?” Elise shot to her feet and confronted Terek. “Your government specializes in denials. Aren’t you going to give me some now?”
Shasta was numb. Humans on Dormrela, who looked like Dormrelians, who wore disguises. Too many thoughts were streaming through her head, slamming her from one impossible thought to another.
Sierra stepped in front of her mate to face her mother. “There was a reason.”
“I don’t give a shit about the reasons,” Elise snapped.
“You will.” Sierra held her mother’s accusing gaze. For a moment, Shasta marveled at the change in her sister. It wasn’t just the decorative braids or the bright color on her face. It was the core strength, the confidence that she had now. Sierra stood in front of Elise Pasquel calmly. “They’re dying, Mom. All of them. The Ang saw it, and the Dormrela have worsened the whole thing. For thousands of years, their DNA has slowly been killing them.” She glanced at Shasta. “The closed rings represent DNA strands. They’re rigid, prone to defects and problems. The Ang were trying to fix the problem, but they used brute force and coercion, alienating the Dormrela. The tactics with Earth were slightly different, but it’s almost too late now.”
Terek’s hands rested on Sierra’s shoulders, lightly, possessively. Shasta had an intense pang of jealousy. “What exactly does this have to do with me and this Hadaji?”
“We’re the genetic endgame, Shasta,” her sister told her gently. “Our DNA opens the strands, heals the genetic damage. It’s our blood that can save them all.”
Yeah, great. No pressure. This was nothing new. She’d heard this all her life. “We’ve always known that.”
Sierra took Shasta’s hand. “Knowing it in my head and seeing it up close is different. We can’t just give injections of our blood, though that works with unborn fetuses. The Dormrelian council wants you, Shasta.”
“All of them at once or one at a time?” she quipped. Okay, so maybe being a smart ass at this point wasn’t smart, but she was starting to get pissed.
Terek snorted. Well, at least he had a sense of humor. “Tell her about the rebellion.”
Sierra nodded. “There are people who…want to eradicate the human population on Dormrela. So far, the government has officially denied the existence of humans here, but high ranking families have split from the council and begun their own…solution to our problem.”
Elise’s gaze narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Extermination. Genocide.” Terek stated baldly.
“Why won’t your council do something?” Shasta demanded.
“Because the side of the council wants to breed for a solution, but if that was revealed, the Dormrela would rebel. So, they secretly mate humans, seeking a genetic key to save us. But all the matings are voluntary.” Terek kept his hands on Sierra’s shoulders, a sign of their connection that was obvious to anyone who saw them. “The Sidharta force full-blooded Dormrela to mate and exterminate anyone who isn’t pure.”
Blood rushed from Shasta’s head. “How is that different than what the council forced Sierra to do?”
Terek met her furious gaze calmly. “Sierra chose. Yes, the council gave your father no alternative. But ultimately, your sister chose to be with me. She wants to save my people. The humans on Dormrela.”
Sierra glanced at her mate. “She won
’t agree, Terek. We need to get her off Dormrela if she refuses.”
“Agree to what?” Shasta snapped, and she curled her hands into fists. “Damn it! What is going on?”
Sierra tightened her lips. “In three days, the Hadaji will give low caste the opportunity to choose a mate for a turn or seventy-two hours. Normally, they would just insist that you participate, choose a mate from the Dormrelian population. But the council has declared you as subject to the Council, a mafada. They can’t pass up the opportunity, Shasta. They cannot allow your mating to be random. They need us.”
“They can insist all they want,” Shasta said. “I won’t go willingly.”
“By mating to a powerful Dormrelian warrior, you’ll be protected from the rebels,” Terek said. “Every minute you’re here, you’re in danger.”
“Then I’ll just go home,” she said firmly.
Sierra sighed. “That’s your right, of course. The political fallout will be severe, and relations between Asberek and Dormrela will suffer.”
Shasta pursed her lips and said nothing. But there was a part of her that realized that her foolish rush to Dormrela to find some warrior had led to an “incident”. One that might cost her the freedom she didn’t enjoy much anyway.
Sierra exchanged a glance with Terek. “Before you refuse, I want you to see what’s at stake.”
“You sound like you had this all worked out, like you knew I was coming,” she said, a sense of betrayal slamming into her.
“I was planning on talking to you about this,” Sierra said. “But circumstances have changed, and now, you’re here. I wanted to wait until the political atmosphere wasn’t so charged, but I truly didn’t know you were coming to Dormrela.” Her sister stroked Shasta’s hand. “This isn’t how I wanted to ask you to help us.”
Shasta tightened her lips, determined to resist. “Fine. Show me.”
Her mother wrapped an arm around her. “I’m sorry, little bud.”
The familiar nickname steadied her. Little bud. Her father’s name for her. Kinley had always been so beautiful and their father called her his “Asberek flower”. As a small girl, Shasta had demanded her father acknowledge her beauty as well. Her father had called her little bud and it stuck.
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