Parallel Heat

by Deidre Knight

  ‘‘Something keeps holding me back,’’ he admitted honestly. ‘‘Maybe because I’m scared of putting Kelsey in danger.’’

  Sabrina gave him a sage smile. ‘‘But she knew the risks going into your marriage.’’

  That much was true. But the thing he most feared was what he hadn’t yet voiced—they didn’t just need to retrieve the data. They needed to upload it into the mitres itself, which meant putting his lifemate in the direct path of danger because he felt certain that US officials had been watching Mirror Lake since the night of his accident. It was the one crucial fact he’d been dodging for days, even though putting the thought into the atmosphere made him shiver with palpable apprehension.

  ‘‘For this to work,’’ he finally said, ‘‘really work, Kelsey has to enter the chamber.’’

  Chapter Ten

  Thea’s commander had required many sacrifices from her over the years, some of them difficult to grant, others almost impossible to bear. But Jared couldn’t be serious about this latest assignment. And she told him so in a whisper, both hands clenched and trembling at her sides. ‘‘Please tell me you understand how difficult this would be for me.’’

  Jared gazed out over the flight hangar from their position in the ready room above, solemn in his demeanor, but did not reply. His dark eyes swept across the deck below them, taking in every plane, every engineer, every possibility. At last, he cleared his throat but never turned to face her. ‘‘You must do it,’’ he insisted simply, bracing both hands on the instrument console. ‘‘I have no other course of action.’’

  ‘‘You have plenty of other choices, cousin!’’ she shouted at his backside. The situation infuriated her as much as it terrified her.

  Slowly he turned to face her, a gentle smile on his face. ‘‘So I am your cousin again, not just your commander? Does this signal your forgiveness?’’

  Thea closed her eyes. ‘‘I can’t stay angry with you, Jared—not about your marriage, you know that. I told you I wanted you to be happy.’’

  His smile faded. ‘‘But that didn’t mean you weren’t upset.’’

  ‘‘I cannot enter the human’s mind.’’ She shook her head emphatically. ‘‘It’s too personal, too intimate—’’

  He took a step toward her. ‘‘Too intimate for Kelsey?’’ His voice softened. ‘‘Or too intimate for you, dear cousin?’’

  ‘‘For me!’’ She flung both hands in the air. ‘‘Of course for me!’’

  ‘‘She won’t be able to know your thoughts,’’ he told her quietly. ‘‘She’s human.’’

  ‘‘She’s mated to you,’’ Thea replied, working to keep her voice calm and even. She felt anything but calm on the inside. ‘‘A link between you both would be the best way to accomplish this transfer.’’

  ‘‘No, it needs to be with a true intuitive like you.’’

  Suddenly, Thea had a realization—something she should have thought of before this moment. ‘‘What makes you so sure that your gifts haven’t passed on to her? If they have, then—’’

  Jared lifted a regal hand, silencing her. ‘‘Because she is human,’’ he repeated, his voice edged with audible tension.

  From his tone, Thea realized Jared actually worried that he had passed his Refarian gifts on to his new wife; naturally he would wonder what such transference might mean to her weaker human anatomy.

  ‘‘For all we know, when humans and Refarians mate, they do receive our gifts,’’ she persisted. ‘‘We know little of her species, especially in these . . . intimate matters.’’ Thea’s faced burned suddenly and she noticed that her cousin’s did too.

  He stared at the floor between them, avoiding her gaze. ‘‘I know my wife extremely well, cousin. Extremely. For many years now I have known her—’’

  ‘‘What does that mean? I thought you met her at Mirror Lake a few weeks ago.’’

  ‘‘Years ago, Thea. I met her at Mirror Lake years ago.’’ He lifted his gaze, staring meaningfully into her eyes. ‘‘The elders wiped our memories of each other—and so I must protect her, don’t you see? They allowed this marriage, but it was not easy convincing them.’’

  ‘‘That can’t be true. The elders would never betray you that way.’’

  ‘‘But they did.’’ He leveled her with his most serious gaze at her and she knew he was telling truth. ‘‘They recognized our connection even as mere children. I was fifteen that summer, coming of age. They knew I-I . . .’’ His voice trailed off, the blush in his dark face deepening.

  ‘‘You were entering your first season,’’ she finished simply.

  He gave a solemn nod, but said nothing more. Suddenly Jared’s bond with his wife came into sharp, obvious relief. He had experienced his awakening with her. No wonder their reconnection, all these years later, had proved so powerful and the bond so overwhelmingly easy to engage. She had captured his heart at the most crucial moment for any Refarian male—the moment of his sexual and spiritual stirring. To have found someone he loved at that precise moment—well, Thea could hardly blame her king for having chased that kind of love across the galaxies, never fully forgetting.

  She closed her eyes, trying to process his revelations. ‘‘They wiped your memories—both of yours?’’ she asked. ‘‘But somehow you remembered?’’

  ‘‘When we met again and I made the temporary bond with her in order to leave the data—our connection from those many years ago was reopened. They couldn’t keep us from one another.’’

  ‘‘Apparently not.’’ Despite herself, bitterness tinged her words, but Jared either refused to acknowledge it or did not notice.

  He clasped her shoulder, his dark gaze locking with her own. ‘‘If they catch wind of the mitres data inside her mind . . .’’ Jared wrapped both dark arms around himself in a protective gesture, his voice growing intense and quiet. ‘‘I need your help, Thea. Please don’t deny what I beg of you. Please don’t refuse Kelsey, either. She needs you even more than I.’’

  Suddenly all her excuses seemed pale and flimsy in the face of Jared’s earnest plea. ‘‘Are you certain I’m the right one?’’ she asked. ‘‘You’re as intuitive as I am.’’

  ‘‘Hardly.’’ He snorted in self-derision. ‘‘I’m completely awkward and unskilled. You know how weak my abilities are.’’

  ‘‘And whose fault is that?’’ She couldn’t help smiling. Jared had always been self-deprecating when it came to his gods-given gifts.

  ‘‘I’m a leader, a rebel, a soldier—’’

  ‘‘And a natural-born intuitive who has always denied his giftings,’’ she urged him, reaching out to touch his arm. ‘‘Why wouldn’t you try to reach into her mind? You left the data there.’’

  ‘‘Because I love her, Thea. And right now, she’s in tremendous danger. You are the only one I trust to do this—and to do it right.’’

  Thea was out of arguments. She bristled at the thought of a temporary link with the woman who had stolen her intended, but she still served her king with all her heart and her mind, and this was what he now required.

  ‘‘When? Tell me when.’’

  ‘‘Tonight. But the more important question, cousin, is where.’’

  Thea’s eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. It had never once occurred to her that the location would be important. ‘‘I just assumed—’’

  ‘‘You and a team must take her to the mitres,’’ he answered evenly. ‘‘That, Lieutenant, is why this mission is so critical. It’s about Kelsey, yes, but it’s about the future of our resistance as well. You must take my wife into the chamber this night. And help download the codes from within her . . . into the mitres weapon.’’

  All at once Thea swore the future opened before her eyes—and what she saw ahead of them, the entire army of their rebellion, was only murky, concealed danger.

  The transport lifted smoothly off the ground, a fluid motion enabled by the craft’s soundless motor and advanced propulsion. Unlike the Refarians’ stealth fighter planes, whi
ch were launched via a catapult system from within the mountain, the transports were somewhat like the humans’ helicopters—only sleeker, stealthy, and undetectable. Thea knew that heading to Mirror Lake wasn’t a safe move, not after Jared’s recent crash nearby. By all rights they should stay clear of the location for a few months, but despite her aversion to linking with the human, she had to agree with Jared about the mission’s priority.

  She’d given it a great deal of thought, all afternoon and into the evening hours leading up to this moment. Now, despite her earlier complaints, she felt edgy. Ready. Determined. She had trained for moments precisely like this one. Besides, she hadn’t spent so many months studying Prince Arienn’s journals about the mitres and its significance not to feel a sense of hushed expectation about entering the chamber. It would be an almost holy moment for her. It was the seat of their power, their one true weapon that could turn the tide in this godsforsaken war that had gone on too long.

  And Kelsey Wells Bennett contained the power to unlock it all, a fact that both galled her and awed her at the exact same time.

  Thea buckled in on the transport’s side bench, avoiding Kelsey, who faced her across the aisle. For a brief moment, however, their gazes locked. Her new queen wore a determined, almost proud expression on her freckled face, her wild hair drawn back into a tight braid for the occasion. Thea gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment; the woman was beautiful, to a degree. But Thea had no doubt that it was far more than Kelsey’s looks that had snared her cousin. The human possessed a strong intelligence, visible even in her simplest glances. It was something that, despite all her inner complaints, attracted Thea to the human. Made her want to know Kelsey. But she quickly dismissed the thought, glancing away from her and about the transport.

  Four of them were going on the mission: Scott, Kelsey, Thea, and—gods help her—Marco. When Jared had flagged Marco for such an important mission, she’d been surprised. Why would her commander trust his new bride with someone he hardly knew at all, and just because he said he was a protector? She pegged his reasoning on whatever had transpired during her king’s long meeting with Sabrina, after which Jared had emerged from his upstairs study and begun firing off orders.

  Marco was buckled in two seats down from her, an empty space between them. Thank the gods! Every part of her body and mind was aware of his close physical proximity. She’d managed to give him the full tour of the base without another ‘‘encounter,’’ but only barely. There’d been another odd moment inside the dark elders’ chambers when she’d sworn he was going to kiss her all over again. The man needed to decide what was and wasn’t possible for a Madjin; he couldn’t keep leading her to the edge, tempting her, then backing away.

  He’d entered the transport after her, and for a brief moment their gazes had locked. Impossible, but he seemed even more beautiful than before, his face half shadowed by a late-day beard, his skin appearing darker and his eyes even richer than the night before. His bloodline was so purely Refarian that she marveled that he walked around Jackson without shifting. Not that he didn’t appear fully human, but the dangerous darkness that seemed to emanate from his very soul felt distinctly Refarian to her. It was the same kind of dark grace that Jared possessed. Natural, exotic, gorgeous.

  The transport headed smoothly off the mountain and into the inky darkness surrounding the Tetons. It was well past one a.m., a time they had pegged as the safest for entering the mitres chamber undetected. Suddenly from beside her she heard the clattering sound of a harness buckling. Marco was sliding one seat over to sit directly beside her!

  Panicked, she faced forward, training her eyes on Kelsey. The woman smiled at her, a warm and open look on her face that only made Thea feel even more trapped. Marco settled next to her, his muscular thigh pushing into hers as he began refastening his harness. Why the hell did you move? she wanted to demand. It had been so much easier without feeling his firm body pushing against hers, which only reminded her of what it had been like to lie in his arms last night.

  It was all she could do not to groan out loud. Against her cheek she felt sudden hot breath. ‘‘You seemed lonely over here,’’ he whispered in her ear—so low only she would hear.

  She cut her eyes sideways at him in annoyance. He knew what they’d agreed upon last night and then again today—after all, he’d been the one who insisted they couldn’t get together. He returned her gaze with a sexy half smile—and once again his single dimple appeared. Every look he gave her, every time he smiled, it seemed he was intentionally seducing her.

  ‘‘So, are you?’’ he asked a little more loudly.

  ‘‘No, Mr. McKinley, I am preparing myself mentally for our mission,’’ she shot back at him. ‘‘I thought, as a Madjin, you would be all about that.’’

  He gave her a serious nod. ‘‘Already done. Of course I’ll continue honing my perceptions,’’ he said, ‘‘but it’s a good twenty minutes to Mirror Lake.’’

  Just enough time for you to taunt me, she thought, again closing her eyes. She rubbed both her palms over her thighs, working to still her thoughts. To center herself. But then she felt the electric heat of Marco’s knuckles barely graze her hand. Such a subtle touch, it was meant only for her. She kept her eyes closed, aching to feel him again. He shifted slightly in his seat, pushing his hip firmly against hers.

  She didn’t move. She kept perfectly still, ablaze with fire. Here it was again! She craved her Change so suddenly, so unexpectedly, all because he had touched her hand. No man had ever elicited such natural desires in her. Briefly, she lingered on an image of revealing herself to Marco. Of standing before him, naked, and then in the power of a moment, transforming to her most natural form.

  Would he be shocked? Horrified? Last night he’d claimed to know all about her dual nature.

  She licked her lips in heated anticipation, feeling her hands tremble against her thighs. She’d never been more physically aware of anyone than she was of Marco. The man was a terrible seducer of women. How could he possibly claim to be a virgin, with these kinds of deliberate maneuvers?

  ‘‘I don’t have enough room,’’ she finally managed to choke out, her voice sounding like that of a panting schoolgirl.

  ‘‘Hmm,’’ was all he said, but he didn’t budge. She turned sideways in her seat and found him smiling at her again, a faint blush having crept into his dark face.

  ‘‘Could you move over a bit?’’

  ‘‘I could,’’ he teased—again intentionally keeping his voice so low that it wouldn’t be heard by Kelsey or Scott from where they were seated across the aisle.

  ‘‘You’re impossible,’’ she muttered under her breath.

  He leaned his head close beside hers, breathing against her cheek. ‘‘Why, Lieutenant Haven, am I bothering you?’’

  She said nothing, only gave him a scathing glance, feeling her face burn as if she were in heat. He laughed softly, and at last shifted in his seat, giving her a bit more room.

  Strange, but as badly as she’d wanted him to move, now that he had, she wanted nothing so much as to have him near again.

  They touched down at the base of the rocky incline where the mitres chamber was located. She had made the climb before, in the daylight, and while it wasn’t easy, it was traversable enough. Now she wore her night-vision goggles, as did all the others, and worked to regulate her breathing. She knew the human authorities were nearby, the FBI from what they had been told, but positioned on the far side of the lake. Their transport’s stealth was leagues ahead of anything the humans possessed, so they had easily flown under the humans’ noses without detection. A quick drop, and the transport had jetted away soundlessly, leaving their team of four here on the ground.

  It was time to move quickly, they all knew that, and Scott began the climb, assuming the lead. Kelsey followed after, then Marco, and now Thea had the rear.

  There were a few scrawny lodgepole pines, but mostly scratchy little saplings, the kind that grew from crevices. Parts of the
trail grew more thickly wooded, and at those times Thea increased her pace, not wanting to fall behind the others—all of whom had longer strides than she did. Yet again, as at so many other critical military junctures, she cursed her petite size.

  Arriving at the top of the trail, a large outcropping of rocks jutted toward the lake below. They stepped into the cleft that dipped back into the side of the cliff. Now was the moment they had spent so many years waiting and hoping for. Thea prayed that the data truly was secure within Kelsey’s mind.

  The group of them crouched low, Marco taking a security position, studying the trail and the sweeping landscape below for enemies of either the Antousian or human variety. Scott urged Kelsey against the side of a large boulder, wordlessly indicating the most secure position. His pulse rifle in hand, he too assumed a protective position. Even with his night-vision goggles on, Thea could read the message in Scott’s eyes: Get on with it, and let’s get out of here. Fast.

  Kelsey gave a nod, extending both of her hands—a receptive gesture that surprised Thea. None of their own species was so open, not after so many years of warfare. Wordlessly, Thea drew both of Kelsey’s hands within her own, focusing all of her intuitive abilities on a mind-link. With a shiver, she immediately felt the woman’s consciousness. Thea bristled, wanting to retreat, but Kelsey was so forceful, so open, so focused, that it was almost as if she chased after Thea. After her initial recoil, Thea pushed forward again, this time meeting Kelsey in the center of the tentative link.

  Can you hear me? came the human’s familiar voice within her own mind.

  Yes. I can hear you. Unlike Kelsey, her own voice sounded belligerent.

  How do we . . . do this? Kelsey replied, her voice soft but confident.

  You don’t do anything. I do it.

  Of course. I’m ready.