“I’m sorry. I forgot you were there that night.” She motioned Alyssa forward. “We can go anywhere you like. I just wanted to get you out of here for an hour or so.”
Hurrying out into the courtyard, Alyssa smiled at her friend. “I appreciate the effort. I could definitely use a change of scenery.”
They took one of the express tunnels from the Pavilion to the commerce district. The rounded passageway circumvented the industrial clutter and cut twenty minutes off their trip. Alyssa wasn’t in a hurry to return to her cage, but walking between the largely automated factories and warehouses could be sort of creepy.
Indigo was dressed, as always, in a colorful, flowing skirt and coordinating blouse. With her multi-colored hair loose about her shoulders and mischief sparkling in her bright blue eyes, she reminded Alyssa of a gypsy.
“Have you seen or spoken with Kelsey,” Alyssa asked. “I’m really worried about her.”
Indigo shook her head. “I know she’s still on the Fearless, but that’s about all. Commander Arvik is being even more of a dictator than Dakar. This entire situation is pretty embarrassing for both of them.”
Alyssa cringed. “It was never our intention to hurt or humiliate them.” She heard her own words and sighed. “That’s not true. It was in the beginning, but it’s not now. At least it’s not for me. I can’t speak for Kelsey.”
They walked for a few minutes in silence. Alyssa looked straight ahead, but she could feel Indigo assessing her.
“If Dakar still wants you, will you allow the courtship to continue?” The penetrating question was disguised by Indigo’s playful tone.
“I don’t think it matters.” The admission made Alyssa’s heart ache. “It’s pretty obvious he doesn’t. He walked away from me after my confession and hasn’t looked back.”
“He’s hurt and angry. Surely you can understand that.”
“Of course I can. Anyone could. But everything changed when that first bomb went off.”
They emerged on the lowest level of the commerce tiers, but Indigo led her away from the food court and all the curious people gathered there. “You think Solar Warden was responsible for the bombs or you know they were?”
“I have no evidence to prove it, but I know.” Sadness and frustration crept through her soul as she explained her rationale. Unless Dakar had shared what she’d told him, Indigo didn’t know about Alyssa’s father so she kept her answer generalized. “I don’t know Royce Marsden well, but I know his type. He issued an ultimatum. The battle born flipped him the bird, which left him no choice but retaliation.”
“No one was hurt by what the battle born did,” Indigo pointed out. “Why would Marsden move straight to bloodshed?”
“I don’t know. That part doesn’t make sense to me either.” They strolled along the shops without stopping to consider the wares. Several of the shopkeepers called out to them, but they smiled, waved, and kept right on walking. “Maybe something went wrong. The bomb could have been more destructive than they intended or… I don’t know. It’s hard to believe anyone would have done that intentionally.”
“You feel betrayed by the violence.”
Alyssa looked at Indigo. On the surface Indigo looked like a devil-may-care free spirt, but her breezy appearance hid a sharp intellect. Her penetrating insights were part of what made her such a good councilor and mentor. “I agreed to help slow down the battle born, to complicate their attempts to attract human test subjects. That explosion turned me into a terrorist.”
The tiers were connected by ramps that created a gradual spiral. If they kept walking, they’d end up on the top level, aka rebel headquarters. Alyssa slowed her pace. She didn’t know if Dakar was in his office, but she didn’t want to appear as if she were chasing him.
“Everyone knows you had no part in the explosion,” Indigo insisted. “Even General Lux agrees that you don’t have a violent bone in your body.”
That caught her attention. She didn’t want the battle born to think she was capable of murder, but why did Sedrik have such a pronounced opinion of her when they’d never even been in the same room? “I’ve never met Sedrik Lux. Why is he so certain?”
Indigo looked at her and smiled. “Sedrik might not know you, but he knows Dakar.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Indigo laughed, the sound light and musical. “Sedrik knows his brother would never fall in love with someone capable of murder.” Alyssa’s steps lagged until Indigo stopped walking and turned around. “What’s wrong?”
“If Dakar is so in love with me, why is he avoiding me like the plague? I haven’t seen him since the morning after the explosion.”
“He doesn’t want to become any more attached than he already is if Raylon and Sedrik are determined to prosecute you. He is, however, doing everything in his power to ensure that they don’t.”
“I’m not part of the military. Why is Sedrik involved in the decision at all?”
“Jurisdiction works a little differently with Rodytes. Your misadventure began aboard the Fearless, which is a military vessel. So you can be prosecuted by the military.”
“Wonderful.” Alyssa moved to the railing overlooking the other tiers. They were four levels up, so she could see both up and down through the center of the tiers. “Does this mean I’m an enemy combatant?”
“That’s a human term, but even on Earth it wouldn’t apply. You’d have to be from a nation that’s at war with the U.S.”
A short distance away one of the elevators opened and a young woman came storming out. Her light brown hair was sun streaked, and anger blazed in her green eyes. “Have you seen this?” She held up a datapad as she reached Alyssa and Indigo.
“Have we seen what?” Indigo obviously knew the other woman, but neither bothered with an introduction.
“Someone on Earth started a propaganda war that contradicts our PR campaign.” She shoved the datapad into Indigo’s hands then activated the device. Indigo angled the screen so Alyssa could see it too. One video after another played, they were professional and eye-catching, each accusing the battle born of manipulation and mind control. The last video featured Chelsea tearfully explaining how she barely escaped the evil, manipulative battle born.
“That bitch,” Indigo cried. “All of this is utter rubbish.” She handed the datapad back to the stranger, then realized her mistake. “Lexie this is Alyssa. Alyssa meet Lexie Ward. She’s our public relations director.”
For some reason the title made Lexie snicker. “A director has to have a department. It’s just me and Emily.” Then she looked at Alyssa and smiled. “Nice to meet you. Sorry I’m in such a shitty mood.”
“It’s understandable,” Alyssa assured. “Those videos are really dishonest.”
“Emily and I worked so damn hard on our campaign. I really want to hurt someone!” She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. “The worst part is, I’m not sure if responding to this nonsense will make things better or worse.”
“How can it be worse?” Indigo’s tone crackled with indignation. “They make our men sound like monsters. You have to respond.”
“I agree.” Alyssa wasn’t sure if her opinion meant anything, but she offered it anyway. “We have to respond.”
“We?” Lexie challenged. “Aren’t you under house arrest for being a spy?”
“Lexie.” Indigo shook her head. “She isn’t—”
“It’s all right. Her question is legitimate.” Alyssa looked at Lexie as she went on, “I came here on a mission, but it didn’t take long to realize that most of what I’d been told was exaggerated or outright lies.”
The cold accusation in Lexie’s eyes mellowed to speculation. She glanced into the distance then returned her gaze to Alyssa’s face. “Are you willing to go on camera and tell your story?”
“If you think it will help.” Her old life had been obliterated when she told Dakar about her father. She couldn’t go back now if she wanted to, and she didn’t really want to.
“It might. Let me strategize with Emily. If we need you, I’ll contact you.” As abruptly as she’d arrived, Lexie left.
“Is she always so…energetic?”
Indigo smiled. “Lexie is passionate.”
They reversed course and wended their way back down the tiers. The food court was crowded, but it was still a better option than one of the restaurants. Their conversation was lighter, more comfortable. Indigo didn’t know what the rebel leaders had in store for Alyssa so they avoided speculation and spoke of their lives on Earth and their discoveries since coming to Lunar Nine.
“All of this would be easier to endure if I knew Kelsey was okay,” Alyssa said as they put their dishes in the recycler and headed back to the Pavilion.
“I suspect Kelsey is just as worried about you as you are about her.” Indigo walked at Alyssa’s side, their pace leisurely.
“Why would you say that?”
“If she was your bodyguard, then I’m sure she feels guilty for failing you.”
“She didn’t fail me. That’s ridiculous.”
“I agree, but I know how protective people think. Your cover was blown because of Jakkin’s interest in her. That will make Kelsey feel responsible for the current situation.”
Alyssa shook her head. “That’s just silly.” But part of her knew Indigo was right. Kelsey was a trained field agent with years of experience. She’d definitely feel responsible for the trouble they were facing now. Not only was Alyssa unaccustomed to field work, she was Shadow Leader’s daughter. Kelsey would feel like she failed on multiple levels. “I wish there was something I could do to help her.”
“Kaden is good friends with Jakkin. I’ll ask Lexie to pester Kaden for specifics. Recently bonded males tend to be unusually cooperative with their mates.”
“Lexie is married to Dakar’s middle brother?” Alyssa shook her head and smiled. “I’ll never keep all the couples straight.”
“It will be easier once you’ve met them all. Right now most are just faceless names to you.”
“If I’m here that long.” Alyssa sighed. “I wish they’d make up their minds. This waiting is torture.”
As they crossed the courtyard, the door to Dakar’s suite parted and Dakar stood framed by the doorway.
“Looks like the waiting is over.” Indigo reached over and squeezed Alyssa’s hand. “I’ll talk to you later.” Then she turned around and left.
The first thing Alyssa noticed was the heat smoldering in Dakar’s eyes. The second was that the guards were no longer loitering in the courtyard. She took a deep breath and walked up to her potential mate. “Have you guys finally decided what to do with me?”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he stepped back and motioned her into the living room. The door slid closed behind him and she spotted Raylon sitting at the small table against the far wall. Unlike Dakar, there was no warmth in Raylon.
Reluctantly, she crossed the room and sat facing the grim-faced governor. She felt more comfortable with the barrier separating them. Dakar joined them, sitting on her right.
“We have a proposal for you,” Raylon began without preamble.
She nodded, her stomach tied in knots. There was really only one way to redeem a spy, turn them into a double agent. She’d been expecting this, hoping for it actually. It would give her the opportunity to prove where her allegiance now lay. “What do you want me to do?”
“We want to contain Shadow Leader. He won’t be harmed, just taken out of circulation and questioned.”
She stared at him in stunned silence. “You want me to barter my father’s life for mine? Only the worst sort of coward would agree to something like that.”
“His life is not in danger,” Raylon stressed, “and neither is yours. We want information and you know a small fraction of what your father knows.”
That was certainly true. Still, he had no idea how stubborn her father could be. “He’ll die before he tells you anything. I mean that literally.”
“On Earth that might be an option, but we have tactics at our disposal that humans do not.”
She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but it wasn’t hard to imagine. Harbingers and nanobots, even Indigo was rumored to have some sort of magic power. “What happens if I refuse?”
“Then your case will be given to a tribunal for sentencing. You’ve admitted that you’re a fraud and a spy, so there’s no reason for a long and costly trial.”
“What is the usual sentence for those infractions?”
“Death.”
He said the word with such finality Alyssa slumped in her chair. Offer up her father as a sacrifice or become a martyr for a resistance in which she no longer believed. It wasn’t much of a choice. “You promise his life is not in danger?”
“Contrary to what you’ve been taught, we are not murderers. We’re interested in information. That is all.”
Without agreeing or refusing to cooperate with him, she changed the subject. “Am I allowed to know what’s happening with Kelsey? Her involvement is indirect at most.”
“Kelsey is fine. If you cooperate with us, she’ll be released as soon as your mission is completed.”
Easily reading between the lines, she tensed. “She’s a hostage? What happens to her if I fail?”
“She’s not a hostage,” Raylon insisted. “We just can’t have her warning your father or anyone else associated with Solar Warden.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she didn’t argue. “What are the specifics of my mission?”
“Tomorrow morning, you and Dakar will depart in one of the Phantoms. Contact your father and tell him you were discovered, but Dakar helped you escape.”
“I’m not sure that’s believable. Dakar would never betray the battle born.”
“A newly bonded male will do anything to protect his mate,” Raylon said emphatically.
Her heart flipped over in her chest. They expected Dakar to claim her. She looked at him, but his features remained blank. All she could see was the desire in his eyes. “You’ve agreed to this?”
“It was my intention to claim you all along. Why should this change anything?”
The question was so preposterous she laughed. “It changed everything. I won’t bond with a man who despises me, not even to save my life.”
“For a week or so after a mating bond is formed, it’s possible to sever it,” Raylon told her. “Whether or not you choose to do so is up to you and Dakar.”
“There is no reason for him to claim me. Humans can’t sense the bond like Rodytes can. All we have to do is tell my father we’re mated and then convince him it’s true.”
“There are other advantages to the link,” Raylon persisted. “Allowing Dakar to claim you is part of the deal. And the condition is nonnegotiable.”
“This is absurd. I’m not opposed to—”
Raylon ignored her objection and finished outlining the plan. “Once you’ve made contact with your father, Dakar will identify, or create, an opportunity for a strike team to capture Shadow Leader. Your part in the mission will conclude as soon as your father is our prisoner. Kelsey will be released, and whether or not you return to Lunar Nine is up to you and Dakar.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “If Dakar has claimed you by morning, the plan will proceed. If he has not, I’ll convene a tribunal.” With that said, he nodded to Dakar and left the suite.
Chapter Nine
Dakar watched emotions pass across Alyssa’s delicate features as Raylon rattled off the plan. Anger, then disbelief, and finally tense resignation. Raylon left and Alyssa finally looked at Dakar again.
“Why did you agree to this? It’s basically blackmail.” Vulnerability surged through the other emotions written on her delicate features. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms.
“You’re my mate. Nothing can change that fact.”
She shook her head. “What’s happening to us can’t become part of a mission. It takes something wonderful and makes it…d
irty.”
He hadn’t reluctantly agreed to claim her because of the mission. He was desperate to claim her because she was his mate and he was falling in love with her. But he wasn’t quite ready to let her off the hook for her earlier behavior. “Why did you insist I mark you the night of the explosion?”
Her expression fell and regret filled her eyes. “I couldn’t move about freely without your mark.”
She hadn’t lied or made an excuse. He was pleased by her candor. “How was that any different than what they want us to do now?”
“It wasn’t.” She lowered her gaze. She was so emotionally exposed right now he could crush her with a scowl or a few harsh words. “This isn’t how I want it to be between you and me. I want…”
He stood and came around the table, unable to resist the need to touch her any longer. “Finish the sentence.” He pulled her up out of her chair, but held her away from him. “What do you want from me?”
“I want this to be real. I want you to claim me because you care about me.”
“Care about you?” One of his hands tangled in the back of her hair and tilted her face up. Their gazes locked and he let her see the true intensity of his feelings. “That’s insulting. I’m obsessed with you. I crave your touch and I’m desperate to protect you. I want to spend the rest of my life at your side, providing for your needs and ensuring your happiness. Is that real enough for you?”
Tears swam behind her lashes, but she frantically blinked them back. “Do you finally believe I was going to tell you, that I had no intention of betraying you?”
“I do.” He covered her mouth with his, the kiss slow and deep. “No one will ever come between us again. Not your father, not my bosses, no one.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rocked to the balls of her feet. “No one,” she agreed, and then kissed him just as passionately as he’d kissed her.
There was nothing more to say, nothing that couldn’t be resolved after they had satisfied the hunger consuming them both. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, peppering kisses across her face and down her neck as he went. She tore the tie from the back of his hair and freed the thick mass.
Enforcer (Battle Born Book 11) Page 13