However, if she kept trying to hide things from Ryven, it would probably backfire. And just the thought of never seeing her male again squeezed her heart.
So she took a deep breath and let the words spill from her lips. "I don't want to hurt you, Ryven. I want to be your bride, I do. But I don't want to say yes until I'm sure we're out of danger."
He cupped her cheek. "I don't remember asking."
"Well, no, but you all but have."
The corner of his mouth ticked up. "I might have a solution, then, to put your mind at ease."
Her hands went to his shoulders. "This had better be good news."
"Oh, it is. I'll wait for you to ask me to be your lord."
She blinked. "That's highly unusual."
He raised his brows. "And we are a usual couple? I'm not sure many males capture a princess's attention, let alone form a mind-bond with one."
She searched his gaze for any negative emotions. "Are you really okay with that? To be honest, I keep waiting for you to run the other way at something I do."
He took her face with both of his hands. "You are a brilliant, talented female, Kalahn. Kind, funny, and plenty stubborn. I'm here because of all those things. I love you."
Her breath hitched. "You love me?"
"Yes, I do. Maybe I should've waited to tell you, so as to cause less of a distraction. But you left me little choice, what with you talking about how I'm going to leave. I'm not going anywhere. And not just because of the mental bond, either. You're the only female I think of when it comes to my dreams and my future. So, Kalahn tro el Vallen, you're stuck with me. And I'll be waiting for your proposal when you're ready."
Nothing but love emanated from Ryven's mental presence.
He told the truth.
She fell a little more in love with him, but Borzet's warning rang inside her head: The stronger the bond becomes between you and Ryven, the greater the chance you may kill him during such a delicate assignment. You require more training to protect him.
So rather than say anything, she pulled his head down and distracted him with kisses until it was time to leave for their first joint training session.
Chapter Seventeen
On the sixth day of their joint training sessions, Ryven projected a small tendril of his mental self out toward Kalahn. Borzet was nearby, observing everything they did. While it was odd to have a third person inside his and Kalahn's shared space, it was nothing more than a precaution. If needed, Borzet would step in and coax Kalahn to stop drawing power from Ryven.
Because if she took too much, it could kill him.
Not that the risk deterred him in any way. After all, not only did he trust her not to hurt him, he was also pretty sure she'd never propose to him until her mission was complete.
Kalahn finally brushed against his tendril and said, Let me know as soon as you feel weak.
As I tell you every day at practice, I will. Now, go.
Kalahn's objective was to smash through an outer barrier Borzet had constructed around his fortress signature. If she could crack Borzet's multilayered, complexly woven shield, Kalahn would be ready to tackle the female assassin's. While part Hirlanzian, she wasn't as skilled as Borzet, at least according to Syzel's observations over the past few weeks.
While he had faith in Kalahn's abilities—it was hard not to after every new thing she did to amaze him—it was still difficult for him to watch Kalahn as she gathered her strength and sent some of her mental energy outside of their signature. Especially while he did nothing.
However, he was intelligent enough to admit that while he was skilled in many things, Kalahn was superior in this. He needed to hold back.
He didn't know how long Kalahn took scouting out weaknesses in Borzet's shield, but her mental presence eventually brushed against the tendril he'd offered. Brace yourself.
Even though he'd experienced the same power draw several times before, it was still a shock. It was as if someone punched him in the stomach repeatedly and all he could do was try to catch his breath.
Focusing on his love for Kalahn, Ryven dug deep and managed to offer her more. He could sense her gratitude through the bond.
Several moments passed and he wondered if Kalahn would ever attack. He only had about ten more seconds before he'd have to sever their connection and rest his brain until the next day.
Sending encouragement through their bond, he placed his trust in Kalahn and continued to give her every bit of strength he possessed.
Kalahn hit Borzet's shield with a direct hit, the boom vibrating through even Kalahn's mental walls. Light blazed at the contact, and for a few seconds, Ryven couldn't see anything. Had she succeeded? Was today yet another failure?
Kalahn ceased drawing energy from Ryven as the light dimmed. He had just enough energy left to peer out toward Borzet's mental signature.
From his vantage point, he couldn't tell if the shield had cracked or not. Since it was a specially constructed target and not Borzet's own protection, no thoughts streamed outward as they should do with the female assassin.
But as soon as joy emanated from Kalahn, he knew she'd done it. His mental voice was weak as he said, Good job, love.
She sent him an image of a closer look at the crack, which was a good eight feet in length. More than long enough to allow thoughts to escape and be projected to those nearby.
Kalahn should be ready to do the real thing.
Before she could say anything, Borzet jumped in. Retreat and let's discuss outside the plane.
Outside the plane meant talking with their mouths instead of their minds.
Once Borzet was gone from their shared space, Kalahn quickly patched up the opening to the outside, gave a quick, comforting swirl around Ryven's presence, and then said aloud, "Even you can't deny I succeeded this time, Borzet."
The male nodded. "Yes, but I think you're celebrating a little prematurely."
Kalahn frowned. "Why?"
Borzet answered, "Because there are still some mental booby traps that I need to show you how to disarm."
The training session had been set up to emulate the real-life scenario, so Kalahn was physically on the opposite side of the room; she and Ryven wouldn't be together when Kalahn finally went after the female assassin. Otherwise, he would've given her a reassuring hug. He said, "It's still a big step, Kalahn. And I'm still alive, so that's something."
"Don't joke about that, Ryven." She closed the distance between them and cupped his cheek. "Did I take too much?"
He placed his hand over hers. "No. I will tell you when it's too much."
As she stared into his eyes, Ryven wished Borzet wasn't in the same room as them. He wanted nothing more than to draw Kalahn into his lap, hold her close, and forget about everything else for a little while. He trusted in her abilities, but Ryven knew firsthand that sometimes the most skilled individuals still didn't come back from a battle or assignment. Too many of his fellow warriors had never returned, despite many of them being the best of the best.
Which meant he wanted to treasure every moment he had with Kalahn that he could.
Borzet cleared his throat, the usual signal to remind them that the training session wasn't over yet.
Kalahn stroked his cheek, mentally whispered to him alone, Don't worry, before turning away to face Borzet again. "Tell me exactly what else I need to learn. Because I'm starting to think you have orders from my brother to keep devising new items to tackle so that I'm never ready."
"I wouldn't do that," Borzet stated. "However, I won't risk you before you're ready. Your mind is too powerful to waste. With it, we might be able to form treaties with nearby planets that have telepaths and further protect everyone on Jasvar. We all need you to come out the other side unscathed."
Ryven suspected that the male knew more than he had told them about his homeworld of Hirlanzia, and that they might be one of the ones Borzet wished to form a treaty with. Once everything was sorted with Kalahn's mission, Ryven would have to find out more.
&n
bsp; His female sighed. "While I'm all for creating a peaceful galaxy, I want to protect Jasvar and Keldera first before engaging in intergalactic diplomacy. So I repeat: How many more things must I learn before I can tackle this assignment?"
Kalahn never moved her gaze from Borzet until he finally replied, "Only two more essential items remain. If you can manage to stay apart from your bond-mate during the day, then we could probably be finished by the end of the week."
Hirlanzians called the person they formed a mind-bond with their bond-mate. Ryven wasn't too sure of the term as he would much prefer calling her his bride.
Kalahn nodded. "I can do that. Give me half an hour to rest and say goodbye, and then teach me everything I need to know, Borzet. The longer we wait, the greater the chance the female assassin becomes out of the loop with regards to information."
It was possible the assassin communicated via telepathy, but no one had been able to determine if she did so or not. Especially if she were bonded with another telepath, then their communications would be undetectable inside their shared signature.
Even though Ryven played a supportive role, Kalahn had insisted he know everything she did.
Borzet moved to the door. "Thirty minutes. And I warn you, it won't be easy, Kalahn. The less distracted you are, the better."
He exited the room, and Kalahn sighed as she sat next to Ryven. He instantly put an arm around her. "What distraction is he talking about?"
"Caught that did you?" she murmured.
"Kalahn, whatever it is, just tell me."
~~~
For a split second, Kalahn wished she were just a normal female, able to lounge about all day in the arms of her male. In such a scenario she could speak her mind and not worry about causing possible pain to Ryven.
But then she remembered her family, especially Kajala and her unborn baby, and the wish faded away. They needed her protection and it was time to stop being a coward.
Sitting up so she could look into Ryven's eyes, she finally answered him. "The distraction on my mind is that I might kill you."
Ryven frowned. "There's a low chance of that, especially given all the training we've done."
"No, there's more to it."
He raised his brows in question, staring her down. Ryven would never brush things aside and leave her alone.
Which was exactly what Kalahn needed after a life of her father and brothers doing exactly that. True, they were trying to make amends for never asking her what she wanted, but Ryven would always be the male to demand the truth, even when she didn't want to give it.
Placing a hand on his chest, she brushed her fingers against his warm skin a few times. She finally murmured, "There's something about the mind-bond you need to know." Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes again. How a male had eyes such a beautiful shade of teal, Kalahn would never understand. "As two people start to care more about each other, the bond becomes even stronger."
"Isn't that a positive?"
"With most people, yes. But with us, it's dangerous."
He stroked her lower back. "Explain the details to me, because right now you're not making a lot of sense."
There was no going back now. "As corny as this is going to sound, the more we care about each other, the greater our signatures will meld and eventually, we'll appear as one to everyone else."
He smiled. "Even though having a thorny flower constantly swirling and appearing to prick my cat in the butt isn't the most intimidating, I think I can handle that."
"Ryven, be serious. It also means I can take as much power from you as I wish, with or without permission, let alone any realization that I'm about to kill you."
He shook his head. "I find it hard to believe you'd ever do that."
"Borzet says many telepaths of my level have done it to their bond-mates by accident in the past. And usually the couples more in love were affected the most because of their bond being the strongest."
He stilled his hand a second. "This information itself isn't the distraction, is it?"
"Am I projecting again?"
"No, I'm just relying on my powers of deduction."
In any other situation, she would probably lightly hit him and ask him to tone it down. However, Ryven's teasing nature had already helped her body relax a fraction, alleviating some of her stress at least. "Couldn't you be a little bit awful? That way I could get this over with quicker," she muttered.
He spoke in an overly dramatic voice. "Oh, Kalahn, you're such an awful, weak person. I can't stand you at all. I'm trying not to vomit as we speak." Rolling her eyes, she did hit him, and he grinned. "See? You don't want me to act any differently."
"No, I don't."
His gaze turned serious. "Then talk to me, love."
At his endearment, she found the courage to speak the truth. "I love you, okay? And I've been trying to keep it to myself so as to keep our bond weaker. But it's proving more of a distraction than I'd bargained for."
He grinned wider than she'd ever seen before. "You love me?"
"Didn't I just say that?" She hid her face against his chest. "I may as well have just signed your death warrant."
"Kalahn tro el Vallen, look at me." When she met his gaze, the fierceness there stole her breath away. He continued, "I've witnessed many a male resist love, thinking it would make them weak and vulnerable, including your brother Kason. But in every instance, it only made them stronger. It will be the same for us, love. I guarantee it."
She shook her head. "But you can't guarantee it, and none of them had a mind-bond, either."
He raised his brows. "So that's it? You tell me you love me and then give up? That's very un-Kalahn like of you."
She growled. "I'm just trying to protect you, you infuriating man."
He cupped her cheek. "Then trust that I will protect you, too, even if it means telling you to hold back. If you think I'm just going to let you drain the life out of me without a peep, then you don't know me at all. You might be the stronger telepath, but I'm strong in my own right, too."
Covering his hand with hers, she asked, "You think you could stop me, if it came to it?"
"I'm sure you can give me pointers, but I won't let you kill me, because then that means I'll never be able to do this again." He kissed her gently and pulled back a fraction. "Not to mention that I can't let myself die before I fulfill as many of your dirty fantasies as possible."
She groaned. "That again."
"Yes, that again." He kissed her once more. "I'm going to use every motivation available to protect our future."
As she stared into Ryven's eyes, all she could think about was how much she loved him. Maybe, just maybe, that would help her protect him instead of hurt him. "Then maybe I need some more motivation, just in case."
He chuckled. "You're getting as bad as me, love."
She moved to straddle his hips and looped her arms around his neck. "Are you really going to decline an open offer to kiss me, and more?"
His gaze turned heated. "I'll kiss you and make you orgasm, but I won't claim you until after you complete the mission. That should be good motivation for you."
He moved his hips under her, his already hard cock brushing against her center. Kalahn sucked in a breath. "You play dirty."
"Always, love, always," he murmured before he kissed her, fondled her, and did everything but claim her with his cock. By the time she screamed his name, Kalahn had added quite a bit more motivation toward her will to succeed.
Chapter Eighteen
Kalahn paced the small room inside one of the Jasvarian mountains, her skirts flying with each turn. All she wanted to do was get started, so where in the world was Kason?
Ryven said from across the room, "Your brother will be here soon."
She stopped in her tracks. "He's late, and Kason is never late."
"Stop surmising the worst. He does run the Kelderan colony after all."
She growled. "How are you so calm?"
Ryven shrugged. "I meditated ea
rlier, not to mention that this isn't the first battle I've gone into." He moved close enough to take one of her hands. "Every warrior acts like you do the first time, love. But worrying and fretting won't help you in the end."
She glanced to the side. "Don't you think I know that? But there's so much at stake. And if I fail…"
She could lose some of the people most important to her. Maybe even all of them if the traitors succeeded in their plot to assassinate every member of her family.
He placed a finger under her chin and gently forced her gaze up. "I have faith in your abilities. However, if something does go wrong, there will be other options, love. And I'll be here to help you find them, if need be."
She sighed. "I know that. I'm just not the most patient person in the world."
"You don't say?" he said with a grin.
She stuck out her tongue. "You're supposed to be on my side."
He pulled her up against his chest. "I am on your side. But if you think I'm going to lie to you and sugarcoat things, then you're in for a rude awakening."
Leaning against him, she said, "No, don't ever do that. I've had enough of that over the course of my life."
He nodded. "That's what I thought."
He pressed his lips to hers, and Kalahn worked on memorizing the feel and taste of her male.
She'd barely gotten started when Ryven broke the kiss to murmur, "I'm not going anywhere, so don't treat this like it's the last time."
Before she could reply, he kissed her again and took it deeper. Kalahn lost all sense of place, completely consumed with Ryven's heat, taste, and touch.
She had no idea how much time passed before her brother's voice filled the room. "I may not be against Ryven as your future lord, but I'd rather not see him kissing my little sister."
Kalahn turned to face the voice. Kason stood there, with his bride, Taryn, grinning at his side. Taryn leaned against her male. "It's still the new period when it's all about stealing kisses. Don't take that away from them."
Kason grunted. "They've had far more time alone than we did. They should be able to control themselves."
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