3013: PRIMAL

by Laurie Roma

  Since the attack on New Vega, she had closed herself off from everyone. It was an old Helios tradition, to mourn alone to find one’s center again after a loss. Usually, it was out in the jungles on Helix, but she didn’t have that luxury on New Vega. She had closed herself off in her room to grieve in private…and to plan.

  She had contacted everyone she could think of to look for any sign of Quilla, and that task had paid off. Reva knew where Quilla had fled to after escaping New Vega, but she was no longer there. Still, it was a place to start.

  Now, it was time to go hunting.

  Reva knew that the males in the docking bay hadn’t been expecting her. Despite her seclusion, she had friends on New Vega that kept her informed about what was going on. It was how she knew that Mya had been converted. It was also why she knew that the Tarins would be facing down a very angry Alpha Maddox Adaro.

  She strode into the docking bay, aware that everyone’s attention had turned toward her—except Maddox and Malik. The situation was as she’d expected. All the males in the room were tense, their tempers held together by very thin threads that could snap at any moment. But fighting wasn’t what was needed. They had to allow the Tarins in so strategies could be made without wasting more time.

  Since the Tarins’ ship had landed in the bay farthest away from the entrance into New Vega, Reva hurried her pace to cross the expanse of the massive room. As she did, she took a good look at their ship. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever seen before. It was the size and shape of one of the Alliance Sentinels, but the dark silvery material it was made of told her that the Dragon Warriors had altered it in some way.

  A few of the Krytos males hidden in the shadows of the docking bay started to protest as she passed them, but she didn’t care. They knew better than to try to stop her, but they didn’t want her there because they were unsure of the Tarins. However, she was there to help all of them. Too many dicks in a room could cause unnecessary problems, and they didn’t have time to fuck around with all of that.

  She could, and would, cut through all of their posturing bullshit.

  Reva had taken care of her appearance before she’d come down to the docking bay, not wanting anyone to see the signs of her grief. But the other males in the room didn’t matter. She wasn’t really there for them. There was only one male that she cared about at the moment, for too many reasons to count.

  Her heart thundered in her chest as she looked at the group of Tarins. They were all large males, each standing a little over seven feet tall. Each of them had glossy black hair—some kept shorter than others—and they had eyes that were completely black, making them look like deep wells of darkness. Other races thought the Tarins were barbaric demons to be feared, but Reva had always thought the energy vampires were fascinating…and none more than Lord Malik Rego.

  There was something about the male that captivated her.

  All of the Tarins were wearing tight-fitting black armor that was standard for most of their race. She barely spared the others a glance as she stared at the way the lightweight, flexible material molded to Malik’s strong body, highlighting the ridges of his sculpted abs and thick muscular chest and arms.

  Her steps almost faltered as she noticed the new addition to their armor. The black emblem blended into the material, but she could see it clearly. It was the Rego crest, his emblem of a snarling venar, a wild, dangerous animal on Tartarus that vaguely looked like a Helios in shifted form, and seeing it on his chest made something inside of her ache.

  Malik was dark and dangerous, with a handsome face, and a strong, chiseled jaw. She knew he had a dimple on each of his cheeks when he smiled, and gods, did she love those tiny depressions. Some might think they were imperfections, but she thought they made his face almost irresistible. When she’d first met him, she’d found him so attractive that she’d gotten dazed just from looking at him. Thinking about that, her eyes trailed up, and her breath caught as she met his hot gaze.

  For the first time since she had discovered that her family was dead, she felt something besides pain and grief. She felt another sort of need, and she didn’t fight it. Not like she had the last time she’d seen him.

  Memories slammed into her head. Malik might be in protective black armor that sculpted to his body, but she remembered feeling of all that bronzed skin stretched over his hard muscles. She knew because she had touched every inch of him with her hands…and her mouth.

  And she had loved every minute of it.

  She had met Malik during her first visit to Tartarus, and there had been an immediate attraction between them that she’d tried to ignore. It hadn’t been easy, though. Malik had a magnetic personality that drew people to him, and it seemed like he was there every time she turned around, tempting her.

  She had gotten a chance to watch him with Jaden Tor, and both were surprisingly normal despite being lords. Then again, she didn’t know much about the Tarins beside what she’d observed, so she’d soaked up the experience.

  They had been on Tartarus to find stolen xili plants that were used as a mind-controlling drug, and she and Skylar Stryker-V’Dir had allowed themselves to be taken into the slaver’s camp where the plants were located. They had fought their way free, and Reva had shifted into her cat-form to search for the plants hidden within the network of caves. Malik had been fighting outside of the caves with the other warriors, and she had joined in the battle as soon as she could.

  When she’d returned to her other form, Malik had been enraged when his men and Lord Tor’s had seen her naked. It baffled her that other races viewed nudity as something wrong or offensive. They either became embarrassed or uncomfortable, and sometimes males and females became aroused. As a shifter, she didn’t think twice about being naked in front of others. It was common for her people, though, she did object when people leered at her or assumed she was an easy lay.

  Malik hadn’t liked the other males seeing her nude body, and for some strange reason, instead of angering her, it had charmed her. When they’d gotten back to Tor Palace, Reva had enjoyed drinking and talking with the Tarins and the human members of the Strike Force Team, but she had really stayed awake just to spend more time with Malik.

  The next night had been Skylar’s welcome home celebration, and while she had enjoyed the party with her father, Jaden Tor, and her two bonded, Dominic Stryker and Arik V’Dir, Reva and Malik had slipped away to the room she had been given while she’d been staying at the palace. They had touched and tasted every inch of each other’s bodies, spending countless hours wrapped around one another.

  After that, Reva had gone back to Rego Palace with Malik, where they had spent the next few days locked away in his bedchamber, trying to sate the lust they had for one another. However, the need hadn’t abated. The longer they were together, the more Reva had wanted him.

  When she’d first met him, Malik had pushed every damn button she had, annoying her and challenging her. She wasn’t exactly sure when or how irritation had changed to desire, but it had. Their strength of wills matched, and perhaps that was the reason they had come together with such intense need.

  Her time with him had been weeks ago, but Reva still hadn’t even wanted to look at another male. She’d missed talking to Malik, the sound of his laughter, and she definitely missed his scent. Gods, thinking about those nights with him had her body heating, her core growing damp from remembering him touching and tasting her just as thoroughly as she had him. They’d only had one passionate week together, then she’d had to leave, and it was a decision she had regretted ever since.

  It hadn’t been her choice, though, because her life hadn’t been her own. Reva had been held to her sworn duty as her mother’s guard, and Solange had called her back to New Vega. And so, Reva had left Tartarus. Her word was her bond, and she had explained that to Malik. She wasn’t sure that he’d understood her reason for leaving, but then again, he might not have cared.

  Added to that, her mother had basically commanded for Reva to tak
e at least three Helios males to secure her position in the tribe. No matter how many times Reva had told her that wasn’t going to happen, Solange had continuously thrown males her way.

  Unlike the Dragon Warriors and the D’Aire, the Helios didn’t have mates. They used instincts to choose their companions, and relied on their senses of smell, physical attraction, and just plain personal preferences. If they felt strongly about their companion, they could choose to life-lock with them, which meant they could take each other’s blood to be able to speak to one another telepathically.

  It was a bond that Reva wanted, but not with just anyone.

  Her mother and fathers had never life-locked. Their relationship had been more of a political alliance than anything else, and Reva didn’t want that. She had received male attention for years, but it was all for the wrong reasons. It wasn’t about feelings, it was about status and the Golaris name.

  Reva had wanted to let her heart decide who her companions would be. She’d wanted someone who would put her first, no matter the circumstances. Someone who was as devoted to their family as she was. Ultimately, she wanted to find love, but she’d never thought she’d ever find someone she’d want forever with…until she’d met Malik.

  After leaving Tartarus, Reva had tried to forget about him, but it hadn’t worked. She dreamed about him, thought about him constantly. Hell, she’d even lied to her friends when she’d told them that no male had caught her interest. Then again, she hadn’t been interested in anyone on New Vega, so it had been truth. She kept her time with Malik a secret in her heart, and thought that the memories would have to last her a lifetime.

  Malik was a lord, royalty by Tarin standards, and bound to his world. Reva was a Helios guard, tied to family and duty. A relationship between them would have been impossible. And now that her obligation was over, she didn’t deserve him. She didn’t deserve to be happy after what she’d done. Or more accurately, what she hadn’t done. Still, Reva would take any moments of joy she could get.

  Life was far too short to do otherwise.

  As she walked past Maddox, Jax, and Sully, she heard them let out a low curse. Normally, she would have laughed at that. She loved aggravating her male friends whenever she could, but right now, she ignored them. Heading straight past the trio of males, she didn’t stop until she was standing right in front of Malik.

  With their eyes locked, it was as if they were the only two people in the room. She saw heat flare in his dark gaze, then it was banked, gone as if it had never been. Reva took a slow, deep breath, drawing his scent into her lungs. Just the smell of him made her want to purr and step closer so she could press her nose against the crook of his neck to take more of him in.

  She was frozen inside, had been for days, and she needed his warmth. She wanted him to put his arms around her to hold her close. To help chase away the nightmares that had been haunting her since she’d lost her family. But he wouldn’t. Not with the crowd of people surrounding them, and she wasn’t sure he’d even want to after she’d left him.

  “I’m going to kill your sister,” she said softly, trying to keep the words between them. She wanted it to be clear from the beginning, and was braced for his anger. But it didn’t come. Instead, he gave her a small smile that confused the hell out of her.

  Gods, those dimples were going to be the death of her.

  “You are going to have to get in line, little cat,” he murmured quietly. “I believe I will have that pleasure.”

  Cocking her head to the side, she studied him as she pushed her lust aside. He looked tired, but he kept his expression carefully blank. She watched as his lips thinned and his body tightened with tension. Not because of the other males in the room, she surmised, but because of her. Could he be waiting for her recrimination? Waiting for her to attack?

  To blame him for what his sister had done?

  In a way it made sense, but that wasn’t why she was there. Quilla’s crimes weren’t Malik’s. He was his own person, and she didn’t hold him accountable for what she’d done. For fuck’s sake, she had met Quilla, and hadn’t seen any sign that the female was a demented psychopath. From what she’d heard, Jaden and Katra Tor had met Quilla as well, and if the Dragon Warriors hadn’t seen the evil in Malik’s sister, then no one could have…well, except for maybe a D’Aire seeker.

  She had fought alongside Malik, and she’d sensed he was disgusted with the slavers on his planet. They had all thought that taking down the slavers that had stolen the xili plants would have been the end of that danger, but that was before the Genesis Project drug was released. And Malik didn’t have anything to do with that. Honestly, it was the fault of the elite who had told Quilla about the Genesis Project. If he hadn’t, the drug would have been taken back to Earth, where it would have been destroyed. Instead, the elite’s greed had cost dozens of people their lives.

  Reva wouldn’t blame all of the humans for that elite’s crimes, just as she didn’t blame all of the Tarins for what Quilla and the slavers had done. But the others in the room didn’t know Malik like she did. They saw the Tarins as dangerous beings, but so was her race. The human’s treaty with the Tarins wasn’t as strong as the one with the Helios, though, and she understood their hesitation to trust.

  She just didn’t have time or energy to deal with it.

  Lowering her voice so it was barely audible, she whispered, “I guess we’ll see who will claim that pleasure when we find her.”

  Malik’s body went rigid as he got what she was telling him. “No. You are not going.”

  Yes, Reva was a warrior, but the journey would be dangerous. He also didn’t want her anywhere near his sister, because Quilla would try to kill them all. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Reva…it was a vow.

  And he would die keeping it.

  “I wasn’t asking for permission. I will be going with you,” she declared.

  Malik wanted to pull her to him. Standing so near the female that meant so much to him without touching her was difficult. Hellfire, it was actually painful. Her amber eyes were cold and flat, and that wasn’t like her. She was usually so bright and beautiful, had come to be a vibrant star in his dark life, but at the moment she was stoic and detached.

  At one time he would have done anything to claim Reva for his own, but he couldn’t taint her with the shame he bore.

  Perhaps that was the reason for the distance she was putting between them.

  As Maddox, Jax and Sullivan stepped forward, Reva turned, making sure to stand in front of him as she faced the other males. Malik was taller than she was, almost by a foot, so he could easily see over her head. But it was the principal behind the gesture that mattered, and it warmed his heart even as it offended his pride. Immediately, he moved to her side, then took another step forward, his large body partly shielding hers.

  He would never stand behind a female. It wasn’t in his nature.

  Reva fought the urge to roll her eyes as she shifted so she was facing all of the males. “Instead of watching you piss all over each other down here in the dark, can we move this up to the conference room?”

  “Nice visual.” Jax scowled at her, then his expression softened as he said, “We haven’t seen you since we arrived, Reva. Wait a second. If you haven’t been leaving your room, how did you know we were meeting with the Tarins today?”

  From your chosen, she thought, but didn’t say out loud. Serra Spartan-Archer had been one of the people feeding Reva information, but she didn’t want to tell them that. To be fair, they were standing under lights shining down from the ceiling, but she wanted to make a point about the other Krytos males hiding in the shadows. She knew they were there in case the Tarins attacked, but she was confident that wouldn’t happen.

  And she had a plan in place to prove it.

  She tapped the face of her wrist unit without looking down at it to send a message she had programed before entering the docking bay. “Does it really matter? I know.”

  Maddox glared at her as he gr
owled, “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Do not speak to her that way,” Malik snapped.

  Reva did roll her eyes this time. Males could be so aggravating. If Maddox was angry with her for not being around the last few days, he would just have to get the fuck over it. Though, seeing the concern in his dark eyes told her that his tone was more about worry than annoyance. Still, she sighed heavily before saying, “So, I guess that’s a no to taking this inside.”

  Maddox looked her over without answering, then he turned away and took an aggressive step toward Malik. “I am Maddox Adaro, Alpha here on New Vega. You and your males will each be questioned before you are allowed inside. You will follow my rules here, or you will leave.”

  “I am Lord Malik Rego. If you believed I was a criminal like my sister, why did you let us in?”

  Before Maddox could respond, Sullivan Archer stepped in, trying to defuse the tension. “It’s good to see you, Lord Rego, though I wish it were under better circumstances. Perhaps Reva is right, and we should go somewhere more comfortable.”

  Malik didn’t take his gaze from Maddox. “Comfort is of no issue to me.”

  There was a long beat of silence before Jax spoke. “I thought Jaden and Katra were coming with you.”

  “They will be here shortly,” Malik said curtly.

  “Then maybe we should wait—”

  “Enough of this!” Maddox shouted. “You were told to stay on your vessel. You will all be questioned before you’re allowed inside. And I swear, if you cause any problems here, I will gut you, bathe in your blood, then toss your dead bodies out of the airlock.”

  “Talk about visuals,” Jax muttered under his breath.

  Reva glanced over as the doors to the docking bay opened again and a lone figure walked inside. She relaxed when she recognized Chal A’Lir, a D’Aire who owned a restaurant on New Vega with his keeper, Diera. He paused taking a few seconds to look around the room before he focused on their group highlighted underneath the lights.