Mage

by Cyndi Friberg

  Lexie’s smile was tinged with sadness. “Most humans don’t mate for life. In fact, fewer and fewer are bothering to mate at all.” His startled expression made her laugh. “Oh we still have sex like crazy. We just don’t stay with one person very long.”

  Vox bit back a caustic reply. Obviously, Lexie didn’t feel that way. She’d allowed a permanent bond with her Rodyte mate. “Did you actually meet Matthew or was your opinion of him based strictly on Emily’s descriptions?”

  “I met him several times. He was really good looking and talented. It was easy to understand why Emily was attracted to him. She’s always been drawn to creative people.”

  “Creative? You mentioned talent before. What was Matthew’s profession?”

  “Matthew was a musician, played in an alt-rock band.”

  He didn’t understand the sarcastic inflection she put on the last phrase, so he asked, “Did Emily accept his dishonorable offer?”

  “Afraid so. They lived together for almost two years.” Lexie paused, staring down into her coffee as she gathered her thoughts, or struggled with her emotions. Likely, some of each. “I knew the breakup was ugly, that Emily took it really hard, but she refused to talk about the specifics. I was in my first serious relationship at the time, so I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have been. We’d go for months without seeing each other, which was why…” She sighed and pushed her mug away. Her hands trembled and she kept tucking her hair behind her ear. “I should have been there for her and I wasn’t. I’ll regret that until the day I die.”

  An “ugly” breakup didn’t often lead to the sort of emotional defenses Emily had erected. There had to be more to the story. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I found out about the rest several years after it happened,” Lexie went on, “but I was still horrified. According to Aunt Olivia, Matthew’s roommate moved out two weeks before Matthew met Emily. He desperately needed someone to help with expenses. That’s why he went after Emily with such focus.”

  “Is this creature still alive?”

  Lexie smiled, but her eyes reflected sadness and regret. “You haven’t heard anything yet. He went back to part-time work once Emily moved in and let her shoulder the majority of their expenses. You see, Matthew wanted to be a rock star, and Emily was his meal ticket. He was using her from day one, but she was too in love to see it.”

  “What opened her eyes?” He braced himself for the emotional avalanche sure to follow. This self-absorbed wannabe rock star had emotionally crippled his mate. Anger and the need for retribution already boiled within him and Lexie’s explanation had only begun.

  “They were already well into the downward spiral when everything just imploded. His band was playing regularly in bars, even doing some regional touring. There was a continual stream of booze, drugs, and other women, but not a lot of money.”

  “If humans don’t mate for life, why didn’t Emily end the relationship?”

  “Hope. Things had been good in the beginning. Emily kept convincing herself that things would change, that the Matthew she fell in love with would return.”

  “But that Matthew didn’t exist, had never existed?” She only nodded, so he asked, “Who finally ended the relationship?”

  Another tense pause followed, then Lexie sighed. “Emily went off the Pill because the hormones were giving her migraines. I don’t know the specifics, but one night they didn’t use a condom and Emily ended up pregnant.”

  A complex storm of emotions inundated him in one brutal deluge. “Emily has a child?” Vox loved children, felt they were one of the brightest blessings in the universe, but this would further compromise Emily’s worthiness in the eyes of his father.

  Before he could unravel the tangled emotions, she shook her head. “Matthew insisted she end the pregnancy. He’d stressed from the start that he didn’t want kids and Emily had agreed.”

  He just stared at her, horrified by the agonizing decisions his mate had faced all by herself.

  “Emily refused to have an abortion. They fought about it for weeks. Matthew saw his meal ticket slipping away and he wasn’t going to allow that to happen. Playing rock star is expensive, but the bastard wasn’t about to give it up and get a real job.”

  “You indicated that she doesn’t have a child. Did she finally give in to Matthew’s pressure?”

  “Oh no. All of Matthew’s demands just made her more determined to have the baby. Little by little the lessons from her childhood came back. Matthew was everything her mother warned her about and worse. She was about four months along when she left him and moved back in with her mom.”

  “The man-hater.” He cringed. How in creation would he ever be able to help free her from all this pain?

  “Yeah. And Aunt Olivia’s attitude grew even worse after that. Emily’s predicament reinforced Aunt Olivia’s bitterness. Like I said, she has many faults, but she loves Emily like crazy.”

  “What happened to the baby?” He was almost afraid to ask. Already the situation she described was intolerable, heartbreaking. “Did she arrange for an adoption?”

  “According to Aunt Olivia’s drunken confession, Emily couldn’t decide what she wanted to do. That’s why no one else knew about the baby. Emily insisted on keeping it a secret until she made up her mind. If she gave the baby up for adoption, she would simply pretend it never happened and get on with her life.”

  “You never saw her during this time, never guessed that she was pregnant?”

  Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head. “I was dealing with my own romantic issues and Emily was so depressed because of the breakup, she refused to see anyone. Aunt Olivia told me to give her some time, so I did.”

  “What did Emily finally decide?”

  “Seven months into the pregnancy, she went into labor. The doctors did everything they could to stop her contractions, but nothing worked. By then Emily had accepted that she was going to be a mother and had just started to get excited about all that would mean.” Emotion closed her throat for a moment, then she released a strangled sob. Suddenly, Kaden was there pulling her out of the chair and into his arms. She hugged her mate tightly, accepting his comfort, before she regained enough composure to finish the tragic story. She turned around without stepping out of Kaden’s embrace, clearly strengthened by his support. “The baby weighed less than two pounds, but according to Aunt Olivia she was perfect. She lived for thirty-seven minutes, just long enough to shatter what little remained of Emily’s heart.” Lexie furiously blinked back tears.

  Vox felt as if she’d just kicked him in the gut. The emotional roller coaster she described must have been devastating. One by one all of Emily’s hopes and dreams had been smashed right before her eyes. He wanted to run to her and offer whatever comfort she’d accept, but doubtlessly she’d shut down completely if she realized he knew about her past.

  “Aunt Olivia kept blaming Emily’s depression on the breakup. If Emily hadn’t been foolish enough to trust a man, she wouldn’t be curled up in the corner crying her eyes out. She figured if Emily wanted anyone to know about the baby, she’d tell them.” Another shuddering breath escaped before she concluded, “To my knowledge, Emily never told anyone. She bottled it all up inside, then started running from the pain. She took any assignment she could find that kept her on the move, far away from anything resembling the life she’d almost known.”

  “Does Matthew still draw breath?” Fury strengthened the question this time.

  Lexie shook her head. “He was so determined to live like a rock star that he died like one.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “He overdosed three months after Emily left him. Choked to death on his own vomit.”

  “Good, then I won’t have to kill him.” Part of Vox, the dark, primal part, was disappointed. It would have felt wonderful to personally deliver justice to Emily’s abuser.

  Tense silence followed as Vox processed his emotions and Lexie regained composure. Lexie had
already been more forthcoming than he’d expected, but Vox had one last question. “There has been no one since Matthew? Not even a casual flirtation?”

  “I didn’t say that. There have been two that I know of, but Emily didn’t take either seriously. It was obvious to everyone—including both men—that she was just passing time. Scratching an itch before she headed off on her next adventure.”

  His only response was a stiff nod. He couldn’t blame Emily for having such a cavalier attitude. He’d scratched an itch a few times down through the years. Still, it bothered him greatly to think of his mate with anyone but him.

  “Now you know.” Lexie pulled in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “The only question left is, what are you going to do about it?”

  * * * * *

  Emily heard an odd noise and sprang up in bed, instantly awake. Her heart thudded in her chest and a vague sense of wrong sped her respiration. Where was she and how had she gotten here? She took a deep breath, searching her memory. Vox. This was Vox’s cabin at Stargazer Ranch.

  A rush of heat and emotion accompanied the thought. He’d kissed her, wrapped his arms around her and tasted her mouth. It had been so long since anyone looked at her with desire in their eyes. She’d almost forgotten what it felt like. And then he’d pulled her into bed with him, just wanting her near, needing to feel her beside him as he slept and recovered his strength. She’d felt safe and sheltered, warm inside and out.

  Drawn by the direction of her thoughts, an image from the past stirred. A face she’d banished long ago. She refused to think his name, not willing to empower the memory. Pressure banded her chest and tears made her eyes burn. She’d vowed not to waste time or energy on the past and for the most part she’d kept that vow. But this new temptation, so unexpected and surreal, made it almost impossible to resist the memories.

  Men can’t be trusted, and handsome men are the worst. They lie and cheat, manipulate and betray. Only a fool would allow themselves to be used by a man. Her mother’s voice drove away the images, both recent and long past. Emily refused to let bitterness consume her, but she’d found few examples to prove her mother wrong.

  Until she met Vox.

  Vox had been selfless and protective, charming and gallant. He’d—

  —Endangered your life because of his pride. If he’d been honest about his weakness, you wouldn’t have spent all those hours in the wilderness. Her inner voice suddenly sounded just like her mother.

  With a frustrated sigh, she tossed back the covers and crawled out of bed. Vox had probably gone up to the main house to let the others know they’d returned. Her wrist only hurt when she moved it just right and the swelling was nearly gone. It was more of an annoyance than an injury now, thanks to Vox’s healing power. She went into the adjacent bathroom and shook out her cargo pants. They were still damp. She’d been so concerned about Vox when they arrived that she hadn’t hung them up. The borrowed T-shirt fell to her knees, so she wasn’t indecent, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving the cabin in nothing but an oversized shirt.

  After draping her damp clothes over the towel rack so they’d finish drying, she walked out into the cabin’s main room. Sunlight spilled in through the blinds covering the large front window. She went to the window and peered outside. Other similar cabins fanned out in a semicircle around the main house, Rachel’s house. Stargazer Ranch. She still wasn’t sure what the battle born intended to do here. Lexie had sidestepped the question, but Emily wasn’t sure if the evasion had been intentional or if other topics had just been more important at the time. The complex was relatively small and secluded, unless there was more to the ranch than what she’d seen so far. She’d learned a lot about the battle born in the past twenty-four hours. Still, she had no doubt there was much more to learn.

  Movement drew her attention to the main house. Vox and Lexie stepped out onto the railed deck. Lexie had an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. When had Lexie started wearing dresses? Emily had thought it odd yesterday when Lexie showed up in a skirt. Two days in a row was downright suspicious.

  Vox carried a large tray laden with covered dishes and beverage containers. He’d dressed in one of the outfits she’d seen hanging in his closet. From this distance, the pants looked solid brown, but she knew they were actually made of intricately woven strips of something that looked and felt like leather. His tunic was dark green, the hem elaborately embroidered in gold. On anyone else, the dated style would have seemed like a costume. Vox’s regal bearing and restrained strength, however, perfectly matched the unusual garments.

  She opened the front door as they neared the cabin, but kept her body partial hidden behind the door. “Did you bring me presents?” She greeted them with a smile.

  “Rachel insisted on making a hot breakfast for everyone.” Lexie motioned toward the tray. “That includes you. And I brought some clean clothes, courtesy of Rachel as well.”

  “Thank God. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do until my pants dry.” Lexie handed her the overnight bag and Emily said, “I’ll be right back.”

  She returned to the bathroom and quickly dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved sweater. The jeans were tighter than she would have liked, but at least they were clean and dry. Rachel had even provided a comb and brush, various hairbands and barrettes, and deodorant. After working her hair into a thick braid and securing the end with an elastic band, Emily hurried back into the cabin’s main room.

  “Were you able to call off the search?” she asked no one in particular as she joined Vox and Lexie at the square table across the room.

  “Apparently so,” Vox responded. “No one showed up while I was there.”

  “Rachel called everyone and told them not to come,” Lexie clarified. “Eat before it gets completely cold.”

  Vox chuckled. “You’re starting to sound like Rachel.” He lifted one of the lids and handed Emily a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, and golden hash browns.”

  Emily felt her eyes widen. “There’s no way I’ll be able to eat all of this.”

  “That’s Rachel’s only weakness as a cook. She always makes way too much.” Lexie handed her a napkin-wrapped bundle, then poured her a mug of coffee.

  After looking from Lexie to Vox and back, Emily unwrapped the flatware and spread the napkin on her lap. “Why do I feel like I’m about to be ambushed?”

  Lexie shook her head and smiled. “You’ve already endured the ambush, but it was interrupted by your unscheduled side trip to God knows where.”

  The reminder clearly irritated Vox. He pressed back into his chair and his expression tensed.

  “Are you feeling better?” Emily asked him. “I was really worried about you.”

  Her concern seemed to lighten his mood. His gaze smoldered and a faint smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. “I’m much improved, and all the food Rachel insisted I eat should help even more. How is your wrist this morning?”

  “Nearly there as well.” She lifted her arm and carefully demonstrated her increased range of motion. Then she turned back to Lexie and asked, “So what’s on the agenda for today?” She munched away as she waited for Lexie to explain.

  “Kaden arrived last night in one of the Phantoms. It’s a super-fast shuttle, so it can take us to Lunar Nine in less than an hour. You can look around, talk to a few people, and then decide if you want to stay or have someone fly you back to Africa.”

  Emily paused. The day’s schedule was what she’d expected, but Lexie had mentioned Kaden with such nonchalance that it immediately made Emily suspicious. “Who is Kaden? This isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned him.”

  A knowing smile parted Vox’s lips, but Lexie shrugged. “He’s commander of the Intrepid, which is the hospital ship on which they’re conducting the clinical trials.”

  Vox asked Lexie a question in a language Emily didn’t understand. Wait a minute. When and how had Lexie learned an alien language? She’d flunked out of Spanish back in high school.r />
  Before Emily could confront her cousin about the development, someone knocked on the cabin’s front door.

  “It’s open,” Vox called, apparently expecting the visitor.

  Emily turned and watched as a tall, muscular man entered the cabin. He was dressed all in black, except for the golden stripes running down his sleeves and pant legs. There were no insignias or rank indicators, yet the outfit was clearly a uniform. Dark hair just brushed his shoulders and whiskers shadowed his jawline, contradicting the neatness of his clothing. His features were ruggedly handsome and his purple-ringed dark eyes were focused on Lexie and only Lexie.

  “Good morning, Commander Lux,” Lexie’s expression communicated import, yet Emily couldn’t decipher the exact message.

  “Good morning, Ms. Ward.”

  His tone held just a hint of sarcasm and understanding unfurled inside Emily. They were lovers, or well on their way to becoming intimate. No wonder Lexie was dancing around the issue. They couldn’t have known each other for more than a couple of weeks.

  “How long have you two been together?” Emily blurted.

  Lexie’s gaze flew to her and guilt flashed in her green eyes. “What makes you think we’re a couple?”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “Pa-leeze. The chemistry between you two is palpable.”

  Bright pink color blossomed across Lexie’s cheeks, but her gaze was still locked on the commander. “When a Rodyte male encounters a genetically compatible female his body gives off a combination of pheromones. If the female is physically attracted to him, these pheromones amplify the attraction, making it incredibly hard to resist.”

  Emily looked at Vox, her heart suddenly pounding. Did Bilarrians give off these pheromones too? Was that why she couldn’t stop thinking about him?

  His only response to her unspoken question was a knowing smile that made her heart beat even faster.

  “The stronger the natural attraction, the more powerful the pheromones,” Lexie went on. “So Rodyte courtships tend to be fast and incredibly intense.”