by Mikayla Lane
“I want to grow up to be like you Rose.” Dare said still laughing. Picking up one of the other 9mm’s, she expertly checked the weapon.
“Seems to me you already did.” Rose grinned at Dare’s easy handling of the weapon.
“I’ve faced these kinds of guys before. Once or twice.” As much as Dare loved this woman’s confidence, they were all in deep trouble if Dread didn’t get to them soon.
Without really saying anything both women began walking around the small farmhouse, making sure all the windows were shut and locked and closing the doors to the rooms.
The kitchen was the last place to check and Dare checked the window, while Rose checked the door. Satisfied the window was secure; she closed the curtains and turned to Rose.
“Child, you need to run!” It took Dare a second to understand what the woman had said. She’d said it so calmly that Dare wasted precious seconds, rooted to the floor in shock as Brak slowly pushed open the back door; his gun trained on Rose’s head.
“You’ll pay for that bitch.” Brak snarled as he pushed the old woman to the floor once he was in the door.
“Leave her alone Brak, it’s me; you want not her.” Dare rushed to help Rose, but was stopped when he resumed pointing the gun at her head.
“Screw this jerk Dare, Run!” Rose urged her angrily, pretending to wipe dirt off of her pants, she sat up on the floor.
“Bitch! What are you, related to her? Shut up! Just shut the hell up! Dare, out the door or I’ll do this in front of her!” Brak looked irritated at Rose, and Dare didn’t want to take a chance that he would hurt the sweet woman.
“Don’t do it Dare!” If it had been any other situation, Dare would have applauded the woman’s bravado, right now she was terrified that Brak would shoot her for annoying him.
“It’s ok Rose. Broke and I are old friends. See that awesome scar on his face? That was the last time we tangled. He’s not real bright, as you can see.” Dare knew it wouldn’t take much to turn his anger towards her instead of Rose.
“Outside bitch!” Brak held up one of the remote controls the doctor had used to administer the drugs to them and pressed it with an evil smirk.
Dare flipped him off, grinned and gave inward thanks to the little ones who had been smart enough to yank the disc out of her thigh before they had left the lab.
Brak grunted in frustration and pressed the remote again. “Outside!”
“You did say he wasn’t real bright…” Rose teased with a snicker.
“I’m going to kill the bitch if you don’t get the fuck outside now!” Brak shook with anger. It was bad enough that Dare mocked him, but to have the old lady mocking him also was really pissing him off.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… I keep telling you sweetie pie, they just aren’t raising ‘em with any manners anymore. See boy, in my day you didn’t use that kind of language around a lady. And you sure didn’t use it AT a lady. Especially not my lady.” Brak turned towards Tom, who was speaking to him from the back door, when without warning Tom shot him in the shoulder.
Dare lunged across the floor towards his gun and was surprised when a very agile Rose grabbed it first and cracked Brak on the back of the head with it, knocking him out. His head thumped loudly as it hit the floor. Dare wanted to high five Rose.
“Remind me never to offend your woman Tom.” Balduen stood in the living room doorway laughing at Brak sprawled out on the kitchen floor, taken out by an adorable elderly couple half his size. He couldn’t help but hope that he, and Dare would be just like that one day.
“The fool is lucky we got here first; my Rose would have cut his manhood off by now.” Tom grinned with pride as Rose blushed a deep pink color. Dare teared up watching the love pass between the adoring couple.
“Let’s hog tie him and get him in the barn before he wakes. We can deal with him later.” Tom nodded to Balduen and he walked over and easily picked up Brak and carried him out of the door, giving Dare a once over to make sure she was indeed alright. Tom followed him out.
Rose and Dare went to watch the incoming Relian’s from the front porch while they waited for the men to secure Brak and come back.
*****
“We’re almost there. Are you sure you want to do this?” Koda asked Grai for the fourth time. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what Grai had told them earlier. He’d had no idea just how much Grai was keeping from him and was still stunned at the depth of his deception. He could well understand the reason, but was still a little hurt by it.
“It’s the only choice we have. We all know how this is going to play out; we need to play it to our advantage.” Grai paced the conference room back at his office, periodically watching the large video screen and the Relian and Valendran transports both converging on the farmhouse where Dare and Balduen were hiding.
“It will be done. How many of them are there?” Koda nodded to Traze and began checking their weapons, loading and reloading them into their vests and side pants pockets.
Koda shook his head at Traze. The boy was so excited to be on his first mission, as he called it, that he was almost bouncing on the seat in front of him.
“The captains reported thirty seven out of sixty three. They will be easy to spot; they've been painted. Do not allow Dare to be harmed! Please Koda, you know how important this is to me.” Grai clenched his fists and ignored the twinge of guilt he felt over his lack of trust of his brother.
“I know Grai. This affects all of us; we won’t screw it up. Trust us, brother.” Koda ended communication. He knew that no matter what he told his brother, he would still worry until everything happened the way he planned for it to happen. There was far too much at stake not to be concerned.
“We’re a go. You do not leave my side, do you understand me? I mean it Traze! No stupid mistakes or this will be your first and last mission.” Koda’s dark brown gaze stared harshly into his brothers, trying to convey how serious he was. How serious the situation was for them.
“I’m not an idiot Koda. The fact you and Grai have never given me a reason to act mature doesn’t mean I’m not. I know what this means. For all of us. And I’ve known about most of it for years. I’ve just been waiting for everyone to trust me.” Traze turned away from Koda’s penetrating stare before he saw the hurt reflected in them.
Last thing he wanted was for his brother to know how much it had bothered him to be treated like an ornament in a room instead of an intelligent, matured man.
That’s why he knew most of what Grai had told them earlier. However, Grai wasn’t the only one of his brothers who spoke freely in front of him, thinking he was too immature to realize the magnitude of what was being said.
They were going to have another talk when they got done with this, there was more going on than even Grai knew. Things that would endanger their plans. And Traze wanted the exact same thing that Grai and Koda wanted; and he wasn’t going to let that dream be ruined. By anyone.
“Brother, we may still see you as the baby we raised, but only because we have loved you so deeply and wished to protect you as mother would have. Forgive us if we forgot that you also grew into a fine man.” Koda gave Traze’s shoulder a strong squeeze of support. He’d have to talk to Grai about giving Traze a lot more responsibility in these new machinations that Grai had set into motion.
The boy… the man, Koda mentally corrected himself, deserved a chance to be treated like an equal. If any of this was going to succeed, they were going to have to go against all of their natural instincts and trust one another.
Traze gave a sharp nod before saying, “Look alive, we got here just in time.”
Koda looked out the transport view screen and saw the Valendran transport begin to descend in a clearing next to the farmhouse. With one last look at Traze, he gave the order for their other two transports to descend and piloted theirs slowly to the ground.
He quickly secured his ship and headed to the hatch; Traze close on his heels. Hopping to the ground he grinned widely and sl
apped Traze on the back, as they faced the men who had come down the mountain after the escaping Dare and Balduen.
The energy in the air was thick with excitement and expectation, and it spread quickly among the men and their beasts. There was nothing more primal and enjoyable to a Relian and his beast than a good fight. Especially ones that ended in the death of an enemy. And this fight would definitely accomplish that.
Looking out across the large field, he watched the Valendrans converge on the farmhouse. Some stayed on the porch with the two couples; the rest took up defensive positions.
“On my command…” Koda said loudly to his men, holding up a hand to stall them until the right moment. He would allow no mistakes.
Chapter Seventeen
Jax and Reven ran to the porch of the house where Dare and Balduen were waiting with Tom and Rose. Reven was relaying the situation to Ivint and Banatar through the comm. They had not expected the size of the Relian force that had already amassed on the other side of a field. They were dangerously outnumbered with the additional support the Relian transports had brought moments ago.
Reaching Dare, Jax grabbed her into a tight hug, before quickly pulling away to look her up and down to make sure she was alright. The only indication that she even saw Balduen was a brief narrowing of her eyes at him.
“We need to go, come on. Both of you.” Jax ordered, looking across the field nervously.
“Jax, we won’t leave Tom and Rose to deal with this.” Dare moved away from her friend and fellow warrior and looked over to the brave couple who had risked their lives for her and Balduen. There was no way she could leave them with a field full of Relian’s. They would be tortured for any information and killed.
Balduen came up behind her and pulled her up against his chest. Putting a protective hand over her stomach, he gave her a tender kiss to the top of her head.
“You need to go with her. I will stay with Reven, and the others until Tom and Rose are safe.” Balduen’s tone of voice said that he wasn’t going to argue with her about it either.
Dare was torn between going home to her family and staying with Tom and Rose. Her obligation to these wonderful people won out, and she was getting ready to make her argument for staying when a new voice cut in.
“I do not think that it will be necessary to be concerned.”
Everyone turned curious stares on Dread, not understanding what he meant until they followed him, and Vipers gaze across the field. Several dozen heavily armed Relian’s started across the field towards them.
“Two hundred yards Sir!” One of the men shouted from the right of Dare.
Dread stepped several feet in front of the Valendrans and held up his hand as if to stop them from preparing for battle.
“Wait… Viper?” Dread turned disbelieving eyes on his brother, who looked just as perplexed.
“I hear it as well. I don’t understand it, but it is genuine.” Viper replied, his surprise written on his face.
“What’s going on?” Reven asked, hoping the Tezarian had some good news.
“Can you hear it Balduen?” Dread asked, ignoring Reven for a moment.
“I hear it. What do you think of it?” Dare offered, looking up at Balduen to see if he’d acknowledge that he heard it as well. Balduen nodded and looked to Dread and Viper for an explanation.
“I think we only have a few minutes to wait to see if it’s true.” Dread said cryptically, not taking his eyes from the field.
“What the hell is going on?” Jax demanded, signaling her team to take up positions.
“I don’t think they are going to attack us. Just hold your fire. Watch.” Jax stared at Dread like he’d lost his mind before looking to Reven to see why he wasn’t flipping out on the guy. If he wasn’t up to standing up to the guy, she would. He was obviously nuts. She was about to give the Tezarian a quick lesson on the Relian’s when Viper spoke.
“Look to the far left… now all the way across the front.”
Everyone stared across the dimly lit field, the sound of repeated pops drifting on the wind before another dark form fell and hit the ground.
Everything became quiet, even the wind stilled as the Valendrans watched dark forms converge on the fallen.
Dare listened intently to the unfamiliar voice, repeating the same statement, using the generic Shengari’ path in her mind and looked to Balduen, Dread and Viper to make sure they were hearing the same shocking thing.
“There is no harm in doing it. We can still get him if they don’t.” Dread said to Balduen and Dare as Viper climbed onto the porch roof and took up a sniper position.
“What the hell is going on? What the hell just happened?” Jax was just as stunned as everyone else and didn’t trust that she had actually witnessed it.
Balduen didn’t answer and just walked to the barn. He returned a few minutes later with Brak. His hands were tied behind his back, and a rag tied tightly to his mouth; he fought Balduen’s strong hold until he saw the men across the field.
“What are you doing?” Reven asked in surprise, grabbing Balduen’s other arm.
“We’re ending this.” Balduen said through gritted teeth. He walked Brak to the edge of the field and pushed him violently forward.
“Go, they want to trade you for the lives of the elderly couple.” Balduen watched angrily as Brak looked at the Valendrans one more time before turning and running across the field towards his people.
“I got him.” Viper said from the roof, staring down the sight of his rifle, finger on the trigger.
Brak ran full out, not wanting to give the Valendrans a chance to pop him in the back like the cowards they were. It wasn’t until he got closer to his people that he saw one of their captains leaning down with a light stone held to the body of a dead Relian. In moments, the stone had turned the flesh to dust, and he watched blankly as the wind picked up the dust and blew it away.
His steps slowed until he was walking as he saw dozens of Relian bodies being dusted. He looked up as Grai’s sniveling little brother headed toward him at a swift pace. He could have thought of a better person than the annoying brat to ensure him safely to the camp, but would take what he could get. What had happened here, he wondered, did the Valendrans kill this many before help arrived?
“Your failure as a Relian is only surpassed by your failure to follow orders. She was not to be harmed. We can accept no rogue’s among our people.” Traze said with disgust before raising his weapon to Brak’s shocked face, and pulling the trigger.
Holding his own light stone to Brak’s body he waited until the stone dissolved the flesh into dust before standing and facing what he knew had to be the stunned Valendrans on the other side of the field.
He bowed with a dramatic flourish and sent one last message through the Shengari’, before following his brother and their men into the transports.
“What the hell just happened? Anyone?” Jax asked turning around to face Dare, Balduen and Dread.
“They wanted Brak in exchange for Tom and Rose being left in peace.” Dare said woodenly, still staring across the field in surprise.
“They just executed a couple of dozen of their own men, including Brak! It had to be more than that! How do we know they aren’t coming back?” Jax was beyond irritated. She hated when things didn’t go as she planned or expected. And nothing about this entire mission came close to going right.
“We can explain later, but I do not believe they will return.” Dread assured her as Viper climbed back down from the roof.
“You should be ok now; they won’t come back. Thank you so much, for everything. You are amazing.” Dare sniffed as she fought her tears and hugged Rose tightly to her.
“Child, you don’t worry none about me and Tom here. And you and Baldy come back any time, you hear?” Rose pulled away from Dare’s hug and patted her hand with a kind smile.
‘Baldy’? Reven mouthed to Balduen with a huge grin. Yeah, he was never going to let him live that one down; he thought with a smi
le, glad the young man was back safe.
Jax stood around looking frustrated and pissy, while Balduen and Dare said their good-bye’s to the elderly couple, then followed behind them into the transport. She couldn’t help but smile for her friend when Balduen kept her hand and his and her body close to him. It was hard not to notice the happiness on Dare’s face.
Jax just hoped that the future would be kind to them and the child she carried.
*****
The welcome home had been a bit more of a strained event than Dare had hoped it would be. As excited as her father was to have her home, he showed the same amount of enthusiasm in ignoring Balduen existed.
When she’d begged to be allowed to rest before going through debrief, everyone had readily agreed it would be fine. Until her father found out that she had planned on taking Balduen into her quarters with her. It had taken her twenty long minutes to convince her father that whether he liked it or not, Balduen was not only there to stay, but her mate. And she had no intentions of pretending otherwise.
He’d turned such a dark shade of red, even the Valendran doctor, Amun rushed to check on him. Not that it did any good since her father had only stormed off.
Luckily, for her and Balduen, the Valendran leader had not been nearly such as asshole as her father had been. Not only did Ivint welcome her, but appeared to be truly happy that she and Balduen were together. She had a lot of catching up to do on everything that had happened while she had been gone, it appeared Balduen did as well.
All of that needed to wait though, she hadn’t been kidding when she begged for rest. She was absolutely exhausted and honestly didn’t think she had ever felt so tired in her life. She shuffled down the familiar hallway of the Knoxville warehouse, leading Balduen to the room that was assigned to her and hoping that the bed would be set up at least.