She dusted her firm backside off. Rising to his feet, Sevan purposely lost his balance just so he could use her to steady himself. The second he took hold of her upper arms his entire body lurched back into a state of mind numbing need. Lorelei gasped and he could only hope the feeling was mutual.
“Thank you,” Sevan said softly as he caressed the backs of her toned arms, hoping that she would catch their private joke line. She didn’t react to it.
Instead, Lorelei’s blue gaze raked over him and he wanted to see it above him once more. He wanted to feel her in the flesh while they reenacted the dreams that had haunted him. The call of her lush lips was too much. Bending down, Sevan went to capture them and felt the heavy weight of so many stares that he halted in mid-motion.
“Dare I ask what the two of you were bickering about this time?” Nina said, appearing next to her sister and motioning to the hulk of a man. “And why in the world were you on the floor?”
Lorelei turned a bit, still staying close to him but focusing on her sister. “It was nothing. Christian and I seem to do that for sport now.”
Christian crossed his large arms over his chest, doing his best to look intimidating. “That is the only sport I seem to get from my wife anymore, Nina.”
Wife?
Nina laughed. “Watch your tongue, Christian. If you keep calling her your wife before the ceremony actually takes place you’re likely to jinx it.”
Lorelei was to marry Christian? No. That couldn’t be. Sevan stared at her, desperate for her to announce it wasn’t true, that it was some sort of joke. No way could she ever take another man into her, not after what they shared. Not after she’d allowed him to lay claim to her. His chest tightened as the realization that the dreams were quite possibly only one-sided hit him. What force would bring her image forth in his sleep, allowing him to experience a love like no other only to give her to another the moment they met?
“Christian.” Lorelei shook her head slightly, exhaling as she went. “Please refrain from discussing marriage in front of others. There is a time and place. This is not it.”
“Please refrain from bringing your human terms for what occurs. You share their blood but you share ours as well. Never forget that, Lorelei. And try not to forget the sins of your ancestors. I am not in the habit of raising other….”
Lorelei pulled away from him and directed her attention to Christian. Sevan would have been jealous had he not sensed the rage within her. Nina apparently sensed it as well because she moved next to her sister quickly and offered her a small smile.
“Jacquelyn listens,” she whispered to Lorelei.
Lifting her hands up, Lorelei tipped her head back and forth. He watched in awe as a slight wind began to twirl around her. Jordan gasped but Sevan just stared at her, already knowing how very special she truly was. Her hair lifted slightly and the oppressing feeling of rage dissipated instantly. She went to Christian and cupped his face. The second she pressed her lips to his, Sevan saw red.
He moved fast to snatch Lorelei away from the man but found Jordan seizing hold of him. “Captain.”
The warning fell on deaf ears. The only thing that mattered was Lorelei and the fact that she was in the arms of another man. A small spark of light passed from her lips to his, causing Sevan to stop his struggle against Jordan’s grasp.
Lorelei drew back from Christian as he shook his head slightly, seeming to come out of a daze. He looked down at Lorelei with wide eyes. “It happened again, didn’t it?”
Sevan wanted to know what the man was talking about but held his tongue.
Nina touched Christian’s arm. “How much can you remember?”
“I knew what I was saying was wrong but I couldn’t stop. Lorelei, I didn’t mean to pin you to the ground. I….”
Lorelei smiled and Sevan’s heart beat madly in his chest. He wanted that directed at him, not the psycho before her. “Christian, we will beat him. I promise you this. See how far you’ve come in seven months? You’re now able to recall what you do during the spells and even fight him. I watched you hesitate a little bit ago and when you tackled me you should have crushed me. You didn’t. See, we will beat him.”
Christian snorted. “Is that before or after he uses one of us to kill you, Lorelei? I am a threat to you and shall remove myself from the premises. Change all of the access codes and give the information only to the females. It might be wise to section the males off and quarantine them again until the passing of the moons. His power weakens after that and will take some time to recover.”
Lorelei shook her head. “No, Christian. You will stay with us. Your place is here.”
“It’s getting to the point that I’m over reacting to every tiny thing you do. I know that the elders arranged a marriage between us even though we both know it wasn’t to be. I cannot replace Samson. Yet I can’t stop the hate that burns when I think of you with another man. I want you to be happy, Lorelei. I do. Why am I suddenly jealous of every aspect of your life?” Christian cupped her cheek and Sevan wanted to beat him until he lost consciousness. “I will never forget waking to find you the way I did and I will never forget knowing it was I who caused it.”
Nina moved forward fast and pushed him hard. “You did not cause anything. He could just as easily manipulate the men standing among us now and attack her. He picked you to prove a point. The man is a lunatic, Christian, and wants to make the biggest statement he can. Having you, the Chieftain, destroy Lorelei would be the ultimate irony. The only thing that could top that would be for Lorelei’s true mate to arrive and slit her throat because he deemed it so.”
Sevan stiffened.
Lorelei laughed. “Always a ray of light, aren’t you, Nina?”
“I’m honest.”
Jordan sighed. “Brutally so.”
Everyone just stared at him. Nina cast him a dirty look and Jordan winked at her. For a moment Sevan thought she might actually punch Jordan. He wouldn’t stop her. Seeing his brother get his ass kicked by a girl would be hilarious.
Christian nodded. “I shall take my leave of you all now.”
Nina and Lorelei grabbed hold of him. Nina shook her head. “He can manipulate any man’s thoughts at will. It is a risk we both know and watch for. We know that we are only truly safe with one another, carefully removed from the male population but we also know that these men he uses are our friends, brothers, husbands or fathers. They aren’t monsters. They are people we love. Removing ourselves from them means he wins yet again.”
Sevan glanced at Jordan and found him staring at Nina with possessiveness in his eyes. Was it possible that his brother was as taken by Nina as Sevan was with Lorelei? Could it be that fate had intervened and caused the rupture in the fuel tanks to get them here on purpose?
“Uhh, is there something we should know about?” Jordan asked, eyeing Nina carefully.
It was Lorelei who answered. “Nina, see to it that our men are aiding in the repair of their vessel and that they are stocked with food and any additional supplies they require. Captain, what is the ratio of females to males aboard your ship?”
Curious as to why her tone was now so cold, Sevan tipped his head and watched her carefully. “I believe it about seven to three, males being the majority. Why?”
Nina stared at him. “Alert your females that they are to watch their male crewmen carefully. It would be wise to suggest they go to a portion of your vessel that they can seal themselves in if need be. We have such locations here and they are most welcome to use them. I can assure you that the facilities are extremely comfortable and quite safe from attack.”
“From attack? Watch the male crewmen? What the hell is going on here?”
Christian stepped forth. “My apologies for my lack of manners, Captain Sevan. I am Chieftain Christian Beauden. You have already met two of my head advisors, Lorelei and Nina Janelle. Nina is head of security and defense and Lorelei’s skills do not have a particular label but it is safe to say she is a powerful leader among ou
r people. While it is nice to have visitors among us this is not the best time. To explain it would take longer than you are permitted to be here. It is safe to say that should you or any of your men begin to feel a tugging, the slightest of mental pulls, perhaps a driving suggestion or urge then you should hand your weapon to the nearest female and back away fast. Notify whoever is closest that it has occurred and expect to be placed in restraints until it is clear you no longer pose a threat to anyone.”
Sevan’s mouth dropped open. “What? Neither I nor my men pose a threat to anyone who isn’t trying to kill us.”
“Captain,” Christian said, softly. “As much as I would love to debate this matter with you, it’s pointless. Do as I instructed or live with the knowledge that you may hurt or possibly murder someone against your will.” Christian glanced at Lorelei. “From your responsiveness to Lorelei, my guess would be that you are a prime target for manipulation. Currently, it is Lorelei he wishes to destroy. That being said, no females are safe when he strikes so all males pose a risk.”
“Who the hell is he and what do you mean prime target for manipulation?” Sevan asked, confused and concerned for Lorelei’s safety. “I would never hurt her. I’ve thought she was a figment of my imagination for….” He stopped instantly, not wanting to reveal that he’d dreamed of her.
Lorelei locked gazes with him and his body tightened. “Captain, please do as Nina asked. I don’t want anything to happen to you or your crew. Had your ship not been in such a dire state of need I would have had it escorted to the next planet over for your own safety. You and the people who have come with you are my responsibility to keep safe. I was the one who allowed you to dock. I never expected that Stegian and the others would attempt to strike out during the day. All I can ask is that you take every precaution necessary to assure your safety and that of your crew.”
No longer did Sevan feel the need to argue for answers. The raw emotion in Lorelei’s eyes told him that the steps were needed. He pressed the communicator chip on his waist and kept his eyes on Lorelei. “This is the Captain, all female personnel are to report to level two and are to lock it down at the first sign of trouble. No males are permitted on that level. Non-lethal force is permitted to ensure they stay off it. This remains in effect until a native female from this planet notifies you otherwise. Captain out.”
Jordan moved forward. “Sevan, why in the hell are you only allowing females from here to tell them to come out?”
“Because he realizes that should any of you be compromised, himself included, that you would have access to the females and could possibly harm them,” Lorelei said, as she teared up. “Thank you, Captain. Should the worst happen I can assure you that we will see them to safety and do everything within our power to break the hold on any males that have been used.”
Nina glanced at Sevan and then Lorelei. “I think it best that we get them in and out as fast as possible. I can feel your energy circling them all, protecting them from Stegian. He’s powerful, Lorelei. You can’t keep that amount of energy up for an extended period and you know it. You already exude enough strength just to keep Christian semi-guarded at all times. You sleep longer than you should and eat less than needed. It’s not healthy and our concern for you grows daily. If you fail and your personal shields crumble, he will have open access to your mind. I don’t even want to imagine what he’ll do to you. He hates us, Lorelei. But mostly, it’s you he blames for not winning the last massive strike. And I think we all know that you are the first one he wants to see dead, Lorelei. In his eyes you pose the biggest threat.”
“I will never submit willingly to him, Nina. I’ll leave him no choice but to kill me.”
“What?” Sevan asked, suddenly panicked.
Lorelei smiled. “Tell me, Captain, if you found yourself in hostile territory and in the enemy’s hands would you submit to them or not?”
Sevan’s brow creased. “No I wouldn’t submit to them.”
“Neither will I.”
Sevan went to question this but stopped when Lorelei put her hands in the air and closed her eyes. Nina and Christian stiffened. Her breathing grew shallow as her lip began to tremble. She faced him fast. “No, he knows that offworlders are here. He fears this group for some reason,” she said, staring at Sevan with wide eyes seeming to search for something. Her eyes flickered closed briefly and she gasped. “He believes that many mates for our people reside upon the vessel. He’s not waiting for suns set to attack. He’s doing it now.”
A loud howling noise sounded all around them. Sevan watched as the women grabbed their sides, each one touching weapons that were slightly different from his own. He grabbed his sidearm, uneasy about how close the animal sounded. “What was that?”
Lorelei and Nina exchanged weary glances and Christian moved in closer. “Nina, do a full security sweep of the perimeter and I’ll double check that the compound computer system is still in operation. I don’t want a repeat of last time.”
Nina looked towards the corridor junction and put her hand out. A small panel slid back, revealing controls. “All guards on full alert. This is not a drill. I repeat. This is not a drill.”
Christian nodded before turning to leave.
“Christian, wait,” Lorelei said, taking a step closer to him. Sevan wanted to sweep her up in his arms and take her as far away from the blond Adonis as he could but he held back. He didn’t expect to compete with a man who looked to be cast from stone. Sure, he was fit. In fact, he was rather bulky in the way of muscles too, but nowhere near Christian’s size. “I’ll check the computers. You know who you need to protect. Jacquelyn needs you near. I’ll be fine and you know I can do it. Or at least get them all to spit blue sparks at me.” She laughed softly and rubbed her cheek where the mark had been.
Nina stopped dead in her tracks, and spun around to face Lorelei. “Do you think that’s wise, Lorelei?” There was an edge to her voice that told Sevan she knew damn well that it wasn’t wise, but wasn’t about to call her sister out on it in front of the group.
Red lights flashed in the hallway and an alarm went off. Nina shook her head. “We have a security breech.”
“Capitain Janelle, this is Until Leader Essen. I have three injured and one missing. We’re in the fourteenth sector along back climate control boosters. We don’t have a visual but they’re near us,” a voice said over the compound sound system.
“UL Essen, I’m on my way.” Nina glanced at Christian and then Lorelei. “If they’ve made it that far they could make it to the education facility.”
Lorelei gasped. “The children are still in session.”
Nina nodded. “Christian and I will head to section fourteen. Lorelei, you’ll need to check on the computer system. We’ll cover the children.” She lifted her hand toward the open panel. It was then that Sevan noticed the slight buzz in the air. “Jacquelyn, I know you’re listening. Lock down your room and allow no one to enter until you are told otherwise.”
Christian pushed past Nina and grabbed Lorelei’s arm. “Promise that you’ll be careful. You know what he’s after and what he will do to get to you.”
Sevan saw the array of emotions move over Lorelei’s face and knew that whatever came out of her mouth would be a lie. He felt so connected with her and he didn’t even know her. It was unnerving to say the least. “I promise. Be careful.”
The large man ran off in the other direction and Sevan noticed that Nina had left as well. He looked at his brother and found him staring off in the direction Nina had gone. “Stay here and supervise the repairs and our men.”
“What are you going to do?” Jordan asked.
Sevan met Lorelei’s gaze and smiled. “I’m planning on going with her to check the compound’s computer systems and see to the children’s safety.”
“Right. Then I’m going with Nina and Christian,” Jordan replied.
Chapter Five
Lorelei ran down the corridor, followed closely by Sevan. Why she’d let the outsider follo
w her was still unclear. She should have ordered them off the planet, or never allowed them to dock in the first place. Her instincts had been right. This was no place for them. It wasn’t a place for anyone.
“How much farther?” Sevan yelled over the sound of the alarm.
She slowed her pace and let him catch up to her. Reaching out, she touched his arm lightly. The compulsion to just feel his skin had been on her since she’d first laid eyes on him. Part of her still couldn’t believe that the man she’d dreamt of for the last six months was real, the other part wanted to test just how real he truly was.
Sevan moved in closer to her, dwarfing her frame. At five foot six, she wasn’t short but he seemed to tower over her. His mouth twitched and it took everything in her not to touch his full lips. She wasn’t used to men like him, men who ran around in full officer fatigues and who didn’t have hair as long as hers. Christian hardly ever wore a shirt, more often than not opting only for a vest for warmth. Her people tried to wear the least amount of clothes, leaving their protective markings free to do what they were created to do--heal, guard, and draw power from the land.
Sevan looked down at her hand on his arm and ran his finger, lightly over the first of her faint markings. “Did it hurt?” He asked, taking yet another step closer to her. “Getting these tattoos … did it hurt?”
She knew what tattoos were. She’d studied enough about the human culture and Earth to understand, and her markings weren’t tattoos. “They aren’t what you think they are.”
“You’re beautiful … errr … I mean they’re beautiful.”
Smiling, Lorelei studied Sevan closely, not wanting to feel anything for him but failing miserably. Too many nights he’d come in the form of dreams and had taken her to levels of ecstasy that she couldn’t just turn a blind eye. “Thank you. We’re all born with them. Each person’s means something else. Some declare their owner to be a warrior. Others mean scholar, healer, leader and so on. The list is endless. Many of the markings are forms of protection or good wishes. They come from the Shamenian side of my ancestry.”
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