by Kiersten Fay
He would let her cool down a little and talk to her tomorrow. Try to explain things better.
* * *
Anya woke, surprised to find she'd fallen asleep in the Sanctuary. Waking to the beautiful sounds of running water and the sweet smells of blooming flowers was wonderful. Stretching her stiff limbs, she basked in it.
Her drowsy mind came into focus. With a scowl, she recalled the conversation from last night, and was seething anew. The bastard had threatened to cage her. If he approached her today, she was going to give him piece of her mind.
Ready for a fight, she stalked toward the training room.
If she was seething when she left the Sanctuary, she was downright maddened with rage when she entered the training room, picked up her sword, and swung it at Calic without warning.
“Whoa, someone woke up grumpy,” he said, dodging her swing.
“Ha! If this is me grumpy, then I'd love to see myself enraged,” she replied, swinging again.
Calic had already grabbed for his sword, and blocked her next attack. “I take it last night didn't go so well.”
“You think? It's shocking that a woman doesn't throw herself at every male who threatened to rob her of her freedom. What is it with you demons anyway?”
“Take away your freedom?”
“Yeah, your arrogant brother told me he wanted to claim me so I'd belong to him, and told me if I left the ship, as originally planned I might add, he would lock me up. Is that a normal demon mating ritual? Build a girl up and then rip her apart from the inside out? Lock her up until her will is gone and she gives in? Is that how you took your…” Anya clamped her mouth shut. Cale's features turned dark. As soon as she'd said the words she wished she could take them back. But it was too late. Her anger had overridden her brain. “I'm sorry,” she said lowering her sword. “Cale, I'm sorry.”
Cale's body had gone tight, his features rigid. “All I'm hearing is your ignorance! You know not of what you speak.”
She opened her mouth to apologize again, but he cut her off.
“Quiet!” He threw his sword to the side. It landed with a loud clang, making Anya jump. “Sit!”
She dropped to the floor where she'd stood. Sword at her side, she watched Calic. His energy had gone from amused to murderous in three-point-two seconds. Lost in her rant, Anya had forgotten Cale's history. His own mate had hurt him badly. She couldn't imagine a worse feeling, loving someone who could deceive without remorse.
Cale was pacing, trying to calm himself before he dealt with her. He took a deep breath, giving her his profile. “It sounds like Sebastian was a dolt about it. And now you're being a dolt.” He took another deep breath. “Tell me what happened.”
Anya hesitated a moment, gathering her thoughts. “He said he believes I'm his mate. He said he wanted me to be his forever. He said once he bites me, I would belong to him.” And he would belong to her, her mind supplied. She vaguely remembered his exact words, “there will be no other for you but me, and no other for me but you.” She shivered. Had she misunderstood everything?
“Do you care for him?”
“Yes.” She didn't hesitate.
“Do you love him?”
She nodded, replying, “Yes.”
“But you're afraid.”
Anya only nodded in response. Cale's anger had quickly receded, though his hurt bubbled near the surface. Guilt tore through her.
“It's not like you'll become his slave after he marks you.” Cale gave a low chuckle. “If anything, it's the other way around. When a male demon takes a mate, he becomes obsessed with pleasing her any way he can. He'd do almost anything to keep her happy.” Calic paused for a moment with a distant look on his face and the barest smile, as if he were remembering some event in his own past. “The way Bastian dotes on you now? You would be treated no less than a queen.”
“But he said he would never let me leave, even if I wanted to.” Which I do, she told herself. I must.
Calic waved a hand in dismissal. “That's to be expected. After a mate is found, there is nothing a male won't do to keep her by his side. When my mate would take a trip into town and was gone too long I would be uneasy until she returned, and that was after I had claimed her. If I'd known she was my mate and had not claimed her, I would have chased after her, ripped the town apart looking for her, until I knew she was safe.”
“You loved her very much, didn't you?”
Calic bowed his head. “There can be no matehood without love.”
“That's a nice thought.”
“Not a thought. Scientific fact. We can sleep with a woman, take one as a companion if we please, but without love, our bodies are unable to make the proper chemicals needed to claim a life mate. When the chemicals are activated, we are driven, sometimes primitively, to mark our mates.”
Anya's heart stopped, then revved into hyper-speed. Sebastian had said he believed she was his mate, then later he'd said, “When I claim you,” not, “If I can claim you.” As if he knew he would be able to.
Was he telling her he loved her? How many times had she seen his fangs at the ready before he backed himself away? And each time she was instinctively unafraid, shockingly eager, to be honest.
Cale was watching her with intent, reading her thoughts through her expressions. With a tilt of his head, he gestured to the door.
Anya had never run so fast in her life, dodging unsuspecting people wandering the halls, on her way to the control room. Only one thing registered in her mind: Sebastian loves me. That was all she needed to know, all she needed to hear come from his lips. Darius be dammed. They would find a way to keep everyone safe. She had faith in Sebastian's ability as a captain to keep the ship hidden. After Sebastian tells her he loves her, and after the lovemaking to follow, she would tell him about Darius. And together they would figure out a way to evade him.
Why did everything have to be so far away on this ship? She was barely halfway there. The image of their future together invaded her mind. Silly old dreams that she'd never thought would come true: Sebastian, holding their beloved children in his arms, smiling at her with that wicked grin of his. Their children would be beautiful, half demon half whatever-she-was. That was something else they could discover together.
Anya was smiling as she raced through the control room doors. Then her stomach dropped into her feet. Her throat turned to ash, and her lungs ceased working.
Like a nightmare made flesh, Darius was scowling down at her.
Chapter 16
Anya dove for cover, which happened to be only a few feet away—an extruding part of the wall that would hide her from Darius—but she leapt as if it were ten feet away, succeeding not only in shielding herself, but also slamming her shoulder into the hard wall.
It didn't hurt. She only noted that it should have hurt.
Her body had gone instantly numb. Also noted, was the fact that she couldn't breathe, trying to remain silent while gasping for air. A hot white flood of terror blasted through her. Her body suddenly lost all strength. Unable to hold itself up, she slid down the smooth metal wall until she lay huddled on the floor. There she froze, with her rapid heartbeat drumming in her ears, and her throat burning for breath.
It was possible Darius hadn't seen her, she quickly assured herself.
Sebastian stood at his console, staring straight at Darius' face displayed on the large screen at his front. His lips were moving, but she couldn't comprehend what he was saying. The rush of blood from her too-fast beating heart obscured her hearing. Sebastian must have noticed her entrance, and clumsy attempt at finding cover, but he looked as he always did—calm, confident, and arrogant, as if she wasn't there.
Did he just smile? At Darius! At the scourge of my existence!
Her breaths were still coming short and her vision was dimming. He's here, He's here, her mind kept repeating, as if she didn't already know that. He's found me! What have I done?
I've condemned everyone.
Sebastian seemed b
lissfully unaware of the danger peering back at him, looking calmly into the eyes of a murderous psychopath and…grinning. Anya needed to warn him. Needed to tell him to get away before it was too late. Before they were all destroyed, by the monster lurking ever closer.
Gripping her neck with one hand, she tried to will her throat to work properly. She couldn't get enough air. The harsh pounding of her heart was becoming painful. With shaky fingers, she clutched her chest, attempting to take slow, deep breaths to calm herself. Luckily she hadn't eaten yet today, because her stomach was ready to evacuate.
Vision dimming, she took one last pleading look at Sebastian before she was sucked into unconsciousness.
* * *
——
* * *
Sebastian tucked Anya into his bed. She was still unconscious, but her skin was once again warm, her breathing normal at last.
Just after she'd passed out, and he was able to cut transmission with Darius, he'd finally—after painstakingly trying to ignore her panicked state, while engaged with Darius—wrapped her in his arms and tried to wake her.
Her skin was freezing and her lips were turning blue. She'd gone into a severe state of shock.
After ordering his crew to send for the doctor, he'd raced her up the stairs and held under the warm water, squeezing her tight against him until she had stopped shivering. Then, out of the shower, he'd stripped off her wet clothes, put her in one of his shirts, and laid her under the covers.
The doctor came and went, confirming that she had most likely experienced a traumatic shock, and she just needed to rest. He'd offered to house her in sickbay until she regained consciousness, but after a quick glance at Sebastian, he wisely recanted before leaving her to Sebastian's care. He requested to be informed when she woke.
Sebastian slipped under the covers and pulled her against him, her back to his chest, offering her the warmth from his body. Resting his hand between her breasts, he allowed the beating of her heart to soothe his anxiety for her.
Now he knew the truth. Knew who had hurt his Anya. Who he needed to kill.
During the conversation with Darius, Sebastian had been pushed to the Edge. While in that muddled and crazed state, he had never had to display so much self-control in his life.
He replayed the events in his mind.
Soon after he had woken this morning, regarding his empty bed and thinking Anya should have been in it, he'd tried to find her. Her room was empty so he'd tried the training room. In an irritated tone, Cale informed him she hadn't shown up yet. Sebastian didn't stick around long enough for Cale to start griping about punctuality. It was obvious she was avoiding him, but he was sure he'd see her at lunchtime when she brought the cart of food. He had planned to speak with her then.
But as soon as he entered his control room, the crew roared at him in a panic. A large ship was detected coming straight for them.
Ordering the crew to their stations, his instinct to protect took over and they prepared to defend Marada. Energy was diverting to the shields, as the large ship drew closer. Then recognition had griped him, and a sinking feeling had developed in the pit of his stomach.
This was no coincidence.
“It's The Extarga. We're being hailed,” Aidan announced.
There was one reason, and one reason only, that would bring Darius this far into the warring zones. Sebastian plastered his face with a relaxed arrogance that felt more forced than it ever had before, and opened transmission.
“Darius,” he greeted with a false nonchalance, while envisioning his hands squeezing around the man's neck. “What a surprise to see you here in the zones. I didn't think you ventured this far, careful of the pirates. We've been targeted once already.”
“I did not track you down for a friendly chat. I have urgent business.” His tone was bored, as if it were routine to chase down a merchant ship through one of the most dangerous coordinates in space.
“Track us down? This isn't about our latest contract is it? We settled the bill. Negotiations are long finished.”
“This has nothing to do with that, though an incident did occur, possibly the same day.”
“Now Darius, my men unloaded every last piece of cargo…”
“This is not about the cargo!” Exasperation perked through his bored tone.
Sebastian's forced smile made him feel like his face was going to crack. But he knew from experience that it was believable. If he was good at one thing, it was controlling his outward appearance, even when inside he was seething. “Oh. Then how can I help you?”
Darius wasted no time. “A dangerous convict escaped my prison around the time of our dealings. I'll need to send some men aboard to search your ship.”
He ground his teeth together, quickly calculating the weapons to ship ratio. The Extarga was a massive ship, equipped with advanced weaponry, much of which Sebastian had sold to him over the years. There was no way Marada could take it in a fair fight.
“A convict? You want to search my ship for a convict?” His voice was disbelieving. “Are you accusing me of harboring a criminal from your ship?” He let out a short laugh.
“No, I believe a mentally ill convict has stowed away on your ship. I would like permission to come aboard.”
“Captain Darius, have you seen the size of my ship? There's hardly room for my crew. Not to mention, we've not been near your ship for months. I think if a man was hiding on my ship we'd have noticed by now.” Sebastian's crew laughed, as if on cue, at the absurdity of it.
Most of them had already become painfully aware of the situation. An undertone of unease flooded the room. Many of the crew had grown fond of Anya and didn't want to see her taken away any more than he did.
“It's not a man I'm looking for,” Darius nearly growled.
“A woman criminal? Surely you are joking. Captain, my crew is mostly men. Trust me. A woman would have an even harder time staying hidden on this ship.”
The crew hooted and hollered with not-so-fake enthusiasm.
Darius continued in a drab tone. “I know it seems farfetched, but in good conscience I cannot rest until I've found this person. Yours is only one of many ships I intend to search. I'm sure I'll find nothing, but I must be thorough.”
“I commend you, Captain,” Sebastian replied on an almost sarcastic tone, though his rage flared at Darius' act of playing the hero. “Most people, these days, would just write it off and let the man—I mean woman—go instead of wasting valuable resources. Tell me what did this criminal do that merits such a vigilant chase?”
“She's a thief and a murderer, without conscience or morals. She had come aboard my ship disguised as a stranded victim of pirates, and betrayed our hospitality at the first opportunity.”
“Well, there's your first mistake. Pirates would never leave behind a woman. She'd be part of the take.”
Again the crew laughed and hollered.
“Yes, thank you, I'll remember to seek your council in the future.” Disdain dripped from his words. “She had killed many of my crew, intending to take over, before I put a stop to it.”
“Fascinating. Is this a large woman we speak of, burly perhaps?”
“No, she's just under five and a half feet.”
Sebastian made his eyes widen in shock. “Such a wee creature caused you so much trouble?” He coupled his surprise with a mocking smile. “Between you and me, I wouldn't be spreading that around.”
Darius kept his features cool, but his eyes revealed the anger Sebastian was inciting. Good. It will throw him off balance.
“Just let me aboard so I can have a quick look, and I'll be on my way.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot.” He didn't miss the flash of warning in Darius' eyes.
Just then someone entered the control room. He didn't have to look to know who it was. His every cell was tuned to her presence, her scent. He used all his strength to keep himself in check. He couldn't look at her, though he badly wanted to.
Anya inhaled a sharp gasp
and flung herself to cover.
Although Darius couldn't see her, he would be able to hear her if she didn't keep quiet. From the corner of his eye, it didn't seem she could make much noise, even if she wanted to. He knew she was in the throes of a panic and could do nothing about it, lest he make Darius suspicious. Many of the crew exchanged worried glances, but kept to their posts.
“Why, might I ask, can you not?” Darius continued, unaware. Danger lurked in his tone.
“I've recently entered into a contract,” Sebastian explained, exuding the appearance of ease, as if Darius' pursuit was a trifling matter. “I won't bore you with the details, but a condition of the contract is that no one is to enter or leave my ship until delivery is made. The Serakians were brought in to activate wards around my ship.” Sebastian never thought he'd be thankful for the wards, and thus a credible excuse. “Feel free to scan the ship and see for yourself.”
“Convenient.”
“Convenient? It's damn inconvenient. Many of my crew have been more than a month without a woman. Their tempers are getting difficult to tolerate. Whatever happened to the good old honor system?” Sebastian allowed himself another glance from the corner of his eye. Anya was slumped on the floor, pain etched in her features. “Tell you what. I'll have my crew do a thorough search of the ship and get back to you in an hour.”
“How far until your drop-off? We'll follow you,” Darius pushed.
“We still have far to go. You'd be waiting months. We came through the warring zones hoping to shave off some time, but the pirates have been a nuisance.”
“I thought you said you'd only been attacked once.”
“Yes, but we've had to double back and change our route to avoid further conflict.” Sebastian was great at lying when it came to protecting his family. “I promise you we will do a thorough search. I'll just need to tell the men that there's possibly a wee woman hiding on the ship and the first one to find her…well, you get the idea.”