OnsetofDanger

by Aubrey Ross

  “Not this female. She’s a warrior, Vladya fierce to the marrow of her bone.”

  “Then how do we keep her alive, or is that no longer a priority?”

  Bronik looked away from Alexi’s penetrating stare. They’d known each other their entire lives. Neither one of them could keep secrets from the other. They simply knew each other too well. “I’ve offered her my vow.”

  “What?” Shock propelled the word from Alexi’s mouth. “She’s Tara Kovac’s daughter. You cannot be her sworn protector.”

  “Caitlyn is the daughter of Rom strain’s leader. Did that keep you from offering your vow to her?”

  “That was different.”

  “How?” Bronik set his glass down on the table beside his chair and scooted toward the edge of his seat. “Eloise will die without the bond and we both know it. I want her and she could be an invaluable ally with the right motivation.”

  “And you think the ‘right motivation’ hangs between your legs?”

  The hypocrisy in Alexi’s attitude was starting to piss him off. Alexi hadn’t stopped to think about ramifications when he’d claimed Caitlyn. “She’ll be my responsibility. I will not allow her to endanger—”

  “I’m not worried about Strigo strain. I’m worried about you. If you want to fuck her, fuck her but—”

  Bronik found himself standing over Alexi, hand gripping the prince’s throat. And he couldn’t even say how he got there. He forced his hand to release and stepped back, holding both hands up as he muttered. “I’m sorry. I…”

  Alexi rubbed his bruised throat, his gaze narrowed and bright. “What exactly do you feel for this woman?”

  “I don’t know,” Bronik snarled, raking his hair with both hands. His thoughts were convoluted, his emotions volatile. How in the five hells could he hope to explain something he didn’t understand himself? He took several deep breaths before he went on. “I know what I’m feeling isn’t rational but I can’t stop craving her. It started when she interrogated me but it’s gotten much worse. She haunted my dreams while I tracked her, and since she’s been my captive I can’t think of anything else.”

  “Have you had her yet?”

  Alexi’s careful phrasing made Bronik smile. Few things brought out caution in the prince. Few people shared his strength and speed. Bronik just happened to be one of the few. “Not yet.”

  “Then wait until after you’ve had her before you form the bond. In fact, try hard to…scratch the itch before you make any important decisions.”

  “If I fuck her the way I want to fuck her while she’s still this weak, it will kill her. She needs energy and I need her. The only solution is to bond with her now.”

  That set Alexi in motion. He stood and paced the length of the library. The room wasn’t large but Alexi’s boot heels echoed off the polished floorboards. “I’ve heard that the bond can be broken if both parties want it gone and it is dissolved within the first year. It’s painful, but that’s better than being stuck with—”

  Bronik stepped into his path, hands folding into fists. “Why are you so convinced that being joined with Eloise will be hell? You’ve barely spoken with her.”

  “She was reared by Tara Kovac. What more do I need to know?”

  This conversation was going nowhere. If they continued to debate Bronik’s chosen path they’d end up brawling. Rather than continue the argument, Bronik unclenched his fists and changed the subject. “I’ll ask her about the captives. We’ll have to verify anything she tells us, but I need to know if she’s still harboring hope for a return to her strain.”

  “Does she have anywhere else to go? Anyone who will shelter her?”

  “I don’t think so. Simone told me that Eloise has always stayed close to Tara’s side. Many presume she was being groomed to take Tara’s place when and if Tara stepped down. Garrett was the one who was always taking off on mysterious missions. Simone had no idea what he was up to but I suspect Eloise knows.”

  After heaving a frustrated sigh, Alexi returned to his chair. He seemed less agitated, more thoughtful. “I’m glad to hear you don’t intend to trust her even if she submits to you.”

  “I’m not a fool. Trust must be earned and it must be tested.” He crossed his arms over his chest, too restless to sit. “I won’t allow my desire to overwhelm my common sense.”

  Alexi laughed as he reached for his brandy snifter. “Somehow I think it’s too late for that, my friend.”

  “I’m just following your example.”

  The prince raised his glass and smiled. “Here’s hoping your folly turns out as well as mine.”

  Alexi’s toast had been mostly mocking, but it stayed with Bronik as he returned to the gatehouse. Rather than flash across the small distance, he walked along the graveled path and soaked in the cool night air. With its lush forests and rolling hills, this area felt like one of his home world’s outer provinces. But then Earth had been chosen for exploration because of its similarity to Strigoia Prime.

  He stepped onto the front porch and knocked on the door, not wanting to interrupt Eloise and Simone if they were still visiting.

  “The door won’t open from this side, Simone. You’ll have to let yourself back in.”

  So the healer had already left. He released the lock with a mental command and pulled the door open.

  The gatehouse felt warm and cozy after the brisk night air. Eloise sat at the kitchen table, an open book in her hand. His gaze swept the length of her slim body and then narrowed with displeasure. “Where’d you get the jeans?” She still wore his shirt but her legs were now hidden from view. He hadn’t given her permission to dress, to deprive him of the visual pleasure of her smooth ivory skin. She hasn’t accepted your vow. She’s not yet yours to command. The thought only made him more determined to rectify the situation.

  “Simone brought me a care package. She wanted my captivity to be a little more comfortable.”

  He shut and locked the door, annoyed by Simone’s thoughtfulness. “Has your appetite returned? You didn’t eat much before.”

  “Unlike you?” She laid the book aside and shifted in the chair so she could see him without craning her neck.

  “Is that an offer? I’m always hungry for more of what I was eating before.” He ambled toward her, enjoying her renewed spirit. He couldn’t wait to test her resolve, to strip away her stubbornness layer by layer.

  She ignored the challenge and said, “Simone was a nice surprise, but I should have realized it would have taken a traitor’s help for you to escape the Vancouver compound.” She made “traitor” sound particularly unpleasant.

  He refused to be distracted by the tangent. Past events had led them to this point, but they both needed to be focused on the future. “Then you believe what I told you? If I don’t become your sworn protector, you’ll likely die.”

  Pushing to her feet, she positioned the chair between them, her movements intentionally casual. “Do you understand what will happen to me if I form any kind of alliance with a member of Strigo strain? I will be just as much a traitor as Simone.”

  There was that word again. She was obviously upset by the possibility that the label would be applied to her. “I hate to tell you this, baby doll, but you’re a traitor either way. Be honest with yourself for a moment. After all that you’ve been through, will Tara take you back?” She grasped the back of the chair and stared past him, too obstinate to admit what they both knew. “I’m not just offering you myself. Once you accept my vow, every member of Strigo strain will be obligated to protect you.”

  She scoffed, managing to appear regal despite her bedraggled clothes. “Most members of your strain will find it hard to honor any obligation to me.”

  “Their obligation is not to you. It’s to me.”

  “And no one dares to disappoint a Yeager?” Challenge filled her voice as she shifted her gaze back to his face.

  “That must have been some conversation.” He crossed his arms over his chest. Okay, so letting her speak wi
th the healer might not have been such a good idea. There was nothing he could do about it now. “What else did Simone tell you?”

  “That Caitlyn is here with Prince Alexi. Simone claims it was Caitlyn’s choice, but who really has a choice when Strigo hosts are involved? The only thing your strain likes better than sex is mind-fucking people into submission.”

  For a moment her hostility shocked him. He hadn’t forced anything on her. Where was this bitterness coming from? Then he saw a flicker of fear in her gaze. Apparently she’d realized how bleak her future really was, unless she accepted the assistance of her enemy. If faced with the same possibilities, he would fight tooth and nail. It was unrealistic to think she would meekly bow to the inevitable.

  He walked to the table and pulled out a chair. Then he turned it around and straddled the seat, resting his folded arms across the back. This was really Caitlyn’s story to tell, but he needed to defuse this situation fast or he wouldn’t have enough time to form the bond before Eloise required energy again.

  “Tell me about Inatta Emil,” he prompted.

  “Inatta?” Her brows scrunched together and alarm sparked deep in her eyes, but she quickly hid her concern behind a blasé mask. “What do the Rom have to do with anything?”

  “Inatta is leader of Rom strain here on Earth. Correct?”

  “Yes, but Rom strain hasn’t blended well with humans. They are no threat to anyone.”

  “They’re the only strain with psychic abilities. Anyone who can accurately predict the future is both valuable and dangerous.”

  She moved her chair away from his then mirrored his pose. “Why are we talking about the Rom?” Even clad in snug denim, her spread thighs were distracting.

  “Caitlyn is Inatta’s daughter.” He just flung the fact out there and waited for a reaction that never came. Her face remained calm, her pose almost relaxed. “She was working undercover in Vladya strain when Prince Alexi found her.”

  “More like she found him, but it’s still impossible. The blood of each host is tasted before they’re allowed anywhere near my m—Tara.”

  Caitlyn was merely a segue so he didn’t linger on the point. He needed to know the location of the Rom captives. “Are you aware that Tara has captured some newly initiated Rom hosts?” Bronik searched Eloise’s gaze as he waited for her answer. She didn’t immediate look away but a protective haze settled over her expression.

  She was silent so long Bronik thought she wouldn’t answer. Her features tensed. Her lips pressed then parted. She took a deep breath then sighed as she said, “I’m aware.”

  Her honesty pleased him, yet he couldn’t help wondering why she’d told him. She had to have an ulterior motive. She was far from ready to trust him. “Where are they? Inatta is within her rights to treat this as an act of war. None of us wants that.”

  “Inatta is no threat to Vladya strain and Tara knows it.”

  Leaning forward, Bronik grabbed the back of Eloise’s chair and dragged her toward him, not stopping until her face was inches from his. “Prince Alexi is Caitlyn’s sworn protector. That means every member of her family is under his protection as well. Do you understand what that means?” Eloise licked her lips and it took a concerted effort for Bronik not to lean down and kiss her. He wanted to suck her tongue into his mouth and nibble on her lips until they were both breathless and hungry for more. “Edrick would rather not escalate the conflict but he’s prepared to launch an offensive against Vladya strain if Tara doesn’t release the Rom captives. Just tell me where they are and we can avert a war.”

  “Anything I know is compromised.” Her gaze was steady and calm as she looked into his eyes. “They will have moved the captives by now.”

  “Tell me where they were and likely destinations for their relocation.”

  “I’d rather barter.”

  “The terms I laid out are nonnegotiable. My protection for your submission, no exceptions, no conditions.” His tone grew steely and tension crept across his features. This was important but so was forming the bond. He’d try one last time to awaken her symbionts then he’d use their link to force-feed them energy. Both procedures would take time and dawn was less than two hours away. That didn’t leave much time for verbal sparring.

  She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and took a deep breath. “Submission is impossible without trust. This can be the foundation on which that trust is built.”

  He grasped the back of her chair again, battling his desire to touch her. Once this turned physical there would be no stopping until they were both soaked in sweat and panting. “I want information about the Rom captives. What do you want in return?”

  “Basically the same. Tara entrusted the Rom captives entirely to Garrett. What I know about the project I learned on my own. I will give you a list of lab locations, but I’d like you to explain why the captives were taken and what Tara is trying to accomplish.”

  “Tara didn’t trust you with the details?” He couldn’t help feeling as if she was working some sort of angle. Tara considered Eloise her daughter. Why wouldn’t she be privy to anything that affected Vladya strain?

  “Tara doesn’t trust anyone. She frequently segments information so that she is the only one who has all the answers. Garrett was kept in the dark about my operations and I wasn’t informed about his. That’s just the way things worked.”

  “All right. Give me the lab locations as well as probable sites for the relocation and I’ll tell you what I know about the project.”

  “Half now and half later.” She began to relax as they moved closer to consensus. “I’ll list the original locations, you tell me about the project and then I’ll offer suggestions for where the captives might be now.”

  “Deal.” He took out his phone, launched the texting screen then handed the device to Eloise.

  “Who am I texting?”

  “List the original locations. I’ll have Edrick check them out and if they seem legitimate, I’ll fill you in on the project.”

  “I thought we were trying to build trust.” She accepted the phone and started the list, not waiting for his reply.

  “Trust is offered then tested. It’s either strengthened or damaged by the outcome of the test.”

  She chuckled as her thumbs flew across the small screen. “That’s a rather suspicious approach to building trust.” She finished the list and handed the phone back to Bronik. “There might have been more but those are the locations I was able to verify.”

  He scrolled through the list, added a quick message of his own then sent the text to Edrick. “You said you’ve been investigating this on your own. How much have you learned about the captives?”

  “They’re all female, between the ages of twenty and forty and recently initiated into Rom strain. Beyond that I wasn’t able to learn much of anything. Garrett’s security is a lot more sophisticated than Tara’s. He uses technology to safeguard his secrets while she avoids it altogether.”

  The phone vibrated and Bronik glanced down. Edrick’s response indicated that he already knew about two of the locations, which confirmed their legitimacy. He was checking into the others and stressed caution as Bronik moved forward. Bronik only had a rudimentary understanding of the subject, so it was unlikely he would tell her anything Vladya strain didn’t already know. Still, he understood her curiosity and hoped the information exchange would give them a common ground.

  “Everyone on Strigoia Prime has the same blood type. It’s likely that our bodies have evolved over the ages to better accommodate our symbionts.” He slipped the phone back into his pocket and rested his hands on the back of his chair. “Because humans have different blood types, they don’t always make good hosts for Strigoian symbionts.”

  “Strigo strain has done very well on Earth. It’s only Rom and Levari strains that have struggled.”

  Her confusion was troubling, though not surprising. It was shocking how little human hosts knew about the origins of their symbionts. “I was referring to our plan
et of origin, not the specific strain. Why are human hosts kept ignorant about Strigoia Prime?”

  “Information is power and the strain leaders on Earth tend to be paranoid. Every time I asked Tara about Strigoia Prime, she insisted her life began the day she set foot on Earth.”

  “Then how did you learn what little you know?”

  “Gossip, talking with hosts from other strains and Garrett. His hunger for information is even more demanding than mine.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Back to the captives,” she suggested.

  “As you said, Strigo and Vladya strains are strong enough to survive in all human blood types. The Rom, however, only survive in AB positive blood.” He’d just begun his explanation but her reaction gave him pause. She scooted off the chair and stood, staring down at him with obvious suspicion. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. Go on.”

  He didn’t buy it for a minute. Her face paled and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Then why do you look like you’re about to throw up?”

  “I’ll tell you once you’ve finished explaining.”

  “Tell me now.”

  “I’m not sure what it means yet. Go on.”

  He stood as well and shoved both chairs back under the table. He didn’t try to touch her, didn’t want to compound her anxiety, but he wanted nothing between them if the conflict inside her erupted or she tried to do something foolish. The stress of her captivity had to be incredible and hosts were most dangerous when they thought they had nothing to lose.

  Keeping his voice low and even, he continued his explanation. “The differences in human blood have created symbiotic characteristics that don’t exist on Strigoia Prime.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Rom strain can only survive in AB positive blood, but when they’re lucky enough to find a suitable host they become more powerful than any Rom host on Strigoia Prime.”

  “I’ve heard all sorts of stories about what Rom hosts can do, but the only Rom seer I’ve known personally is Zanty.”