by Becca Van
“Nothing is wrong, my tatra.”
“I think there is.” She squeezed his hand but kept her voice low so the other warriors wouldn’t hear her. “Why don’t you tell me what is bothering you? If this relationship is going to work we all need to be open and honest with each other.”
Froz sighed. “You are right, of course, but now isn’t the time. We can talk later when there are less people around. All right?”
Darcy nodded and swallowed. She just hoped she hadn’t done anything to upset him or the others, but when she glanced at Drac, Plat, Lowl, and Cark, they didn’t seemed concerned about anything.
As she pushed back from the table a warrior came rushing into the hall. “Westerners are coming.”
Her mates shoved their chairs back and rushed across the room, their hands going to the weapons clipped to their pants. Drac stopped midway and then hurried back to her, holding her by the shoulders as he scowled down at her. She could feel his angst but knew it wasn’t directed at her. “You will stay inside, little Darcy. We don’t know why they are here, and I need to know you are safe.”
Darcy wanted to go and see what was happening, but from the fierce look in Drac’s eyes, she wasn’t going anywhere until she’d answered with what he wanted to hear. “Okay. I’ll see if I can find Isa.”
“Thank you.” The scowl left Drac’s face as he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, before he released her and hurried away.
The first thing Darcy did was hurry to the door and peek out. She gasped when she saw all the warriors on hover bikes and quickly backed away. Her guys and their warriors had formed a wall blocking the entrance to the courtyard and the mansion.
Since she couldn’t go outside right now, she decided to track down Isa and find out if there was any music to be found. She found her in the kitchens talking with the cooks about the evening meal and she didn’t want to interrupt, so she backed out and headed for the back door.
Surely it would be safe, since her mates and their men were dealing with the intrusion? Darcy hated being inside all the time and she needed some fresh air and exercise. Maybe someone in the houses out back could tell her about how they made music on this planet.
She opened the door and cautiously looked around before exiting. There was no one about, so she was safe. Darcy walked toward the first house, which was only about two hundred yards away, and she was about to knock on the door when she heard it. Her heart filled with joy when she heard the soft tune. She lowered her hand and swayed in rhythm to the flute-like sound. It had been what felt like forever since she’d danced and her feet seemed to have a mind of their own.
She turned, her arms lifting, and she danced. She didn’t care that she had boots on her feet or warrior-type pants on her legs. The material was soft and moved each time she did. Darcy was so lost in the music it wasn’t until a shadow crossed her body that she realized she wasn’t alone. The hair on her nape prickled and as she turned to face whoever was behind her, she readied to defend herself.
Darcy relaxed when she saw Isa. “What are you doing?”
“It’s called dancing.”
“You look very beautiful when you dance. I would like to see more, but now you must come back inside.”
“Why?”
“Some of the rulers of the Western Province are asking to see you. It’s not safe.”
Darcy sighed. “Surely they wouldn’t hurt me? I thought I heard that the warriors of Zennox protect women?”
“That is true, but that doesn’t mean they will not try and take you for their own.”
“But I’m already mated to my guys.”
“They do not know that, Senna Darcy. Please, we must remain out of sight.”
“Okay. I was supposed to give another self-defense class, but I can see that isn’t going to happen. I need something else to do, Isa. I can’t just walk around bored all day. Maybe you can let me help you with the household duties?”
Darcy nearly snorted at the horrified look on Isa’s face, but she wasn’t about to back down. She needed more to fulfill her, because she was so used to being busy. She couldn’t very well sign the women up for dance class, there weren’t enough of them.
Isa must have seen the determined look in her eyes, because she sighed but nodded in agreement.
They never made it inside.
Darcy was so intent on talking with Isa she didn’t know anyone was behind them until a hand covered her mouth, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she was lifted off the ground.
She struggled and yelled, but the sound was muffled and the man holding her was too strong. She glanced out of the side of her eye and saw that Isa had been slung over another man’s shoulder. Darcy wondered why the other woman wasn’t yelling and struggling, but from the way she wasn’t moving she looked like she was unconscious. She hoped she had passed out with fright and hadn’t been hurt. When she realized that Isa wouldn’t be able to escape and she wouldn’t be able to take down the two men, Darcy stopped trying to escape.
For now she would play along and hopefully if Isa wasn’t injured they would be able to get away.
Then she thought of her mates and remembered they could feel her emotions. She reached out to them trying to push her anger aside and portray fear through their connection, but she just couldn’t manage it. She was too pissed off at herself at being caught unaware. Plus, her men had somehow blocked her out. She couldn’t feel them so she figured that they wouldn’t be able to feel her. With a sigh of resignation, she let the big brute carry her toward the hover cycles.
The men were cagey and kept to the back of the houses and out of sight. With the hand over her mouth, even if she called out to try and alert one of the homeowners to her predicament, she knew they wouldn’t hear her.
Darcy would have to bide her time. Maybe she and Isa would be able to get free before they got to wherever they were going.
She looked at the man holding Isa when he turned and grinned at the guy holding her. Fear skittered up her spine when she saw it was one of the leaders of the Western Province. The day they had seen her outside and stared at her with lust slammed into her mind. Darcy shivered and wished she’d taken heed when Isa had urged her inside. She wished she hadn’t been so damn stubborn because if she hadn’t, she and Isa might not be in this predicament.
Guilt assailed her. Isa was in trouble because of her. There was no way she was going to leave the other woman to deal with this alone.
“I’m going to take my hand away,” the guy holding her said. “If you scream, I will hurt you. Do you understand?”
Another frisson of trepidation raced up her spine. Darcy knew that voice. He was the oldest brother of the Western Province Leaders. She hoped that she could talk him out of taking them, but wasn’t about to hold her breath. She nodded, drew in a deep breath when he removed his hand, and turned her head to look up and back at him. “Why are you doing this?”
“You don’t get to ask any questions,” Borg stated emphatically. “You will be the one answering.”
“Why don’t we go inside and talk about whatever it is you want?”
“I don’t have a death wish, female. The Bim brethren would never let me set foot inside their home.”
“Why are you taking me?”
“Patience, female. All will be revealed.” Borg held onto her tighter as he straddled the hover bike and plonked her down in front of him. She looked over at his brother and saw that he was being careful of Isa. He’d placed her across his lap, with her head resting on his chest.
“What did you do to her?” she asked angrily.
“I did nothing.” He frowned. When Darcy saw the scowl, she remembered the man’s name. He was Starg Lom, Borg’s brother.
Darcy shoved at the arm wrapped tightly around her waist, but Borg just squeezed a little harder, letting her know he wasn’t going to release her. “Then why is she unconscious?”
“She fainted with fear,” Starg said angrily. “I do not harm females.”
Darcy felt some of the tension ease from her muscles. At least she and Isa wouldn’t be hurt, or so she hoped.
She tried to form a plan in her mind, but every which way she turned she ended up leaving Isa behind, and that she couldn’t do.
Darcy was going to have to go along for the ride. Hopefully once these men had what they wanted, they would let them go. What worried her the most was how her mates were going to react when they found out she was missing. She had no idea if the connection she had with them worked over long distances, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.
* * * *
“What are we going to do?” Drac asked as he and his brethren went back inside.
“We can’t tell them where Darcy is from until she says it’s all right.” Cark poured himself a drink and flopped down into a chair.
“Have any of you discussed this with our tatra?” Plark asked.
“No, we haven’t had the chance,” Froz answered.
“Where is our mate?” Lowl looked toward the doorway.
“She was going to find Isa,” Drac said.
“I’m glad she stayed hidden this time.” Plat ran his fingers through his hair.
“Why did they need to send so many warriors to ask a simple question?” Drac pushed to his feet and began to pace. “Surely one would have been enough.”
“You and I know that things between the provinces can get out of hand.”
“But not so out of hand that the rulers would send half their warriors,” Plark interjected. ‘They…”
Froz stood up so fast his chair toppled over behind him. “Lower your shields.”
Drac immediately lowered the wall he’d placed around his emotions and mind. He and his brethren hadn’t wanted their mate to feel their anxiety and anger when the spokesman the Western Leaders had sent had begun asking questions about her. And although he felt a little bad for hiding things from her, he hadn’t wanted to upset his mate.
When his shields were down, all he felt was his brethren’s emotions. He tried to connect with Darcy but felt nothing. That’s when it hit him. He and his brothers had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. They had let the pharming warriors out front distract them, while someone had infiltrated their home and taken their tatra.
“Pharm!”
“I knew we should have ordered our mate’s guard to stay with her,” Cark spat out angrily. “Why the pharm didn’t you listen to me?”
Froz scowled at Cark. “Because I thought she would be safe inside the walls of our home,” he roared his answer. “Find Isa.”
“Sen’s Bim,” one of the young warrior servers called out as he rushed into the room. Drac wanted to rush over and shake him for interrupting, but when he saw how pale the boy’s face was, he stayed where he was.
“What is it?” Plat asked.
“Cook saw two men carrying your tatra and Isa away.”
Drac hurried over to stand in front of him, but Froz got their first. “Who?”
“It was Borg and Starg Lom. The leaders of the Western Province.” The boy gulped and backed away.
“Guards,” Drac shouted as he hurried toward the back door. They were going to need every available warrior with them. He and his brethren were going to do everything they could to get their mate back. Even if it meant killing every warrior of the Western Province.
Chapter Eleven
It seemed to take forever to get to the Western Province, but Darcy was pleased to see that Isa was fine. She’d woken up and when she’d met Darcy’s gaze, she’d looked scared out of her mind.
Darcy had smiled at Isa, trying to reassure the woman that everything was okay, but wasn’t sure she’d succeeded when she hadn’t smiled back. She kept trying to connect with her men, but other than a small surge a while ago, she hadn’t felt anything.
When Borg stopped his hover bike outside of the large building she presumed was his and his brother’s home, he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside. She didn’t like being held by him, but hoped that by seeming to be cooperative that he and his brothers would become complacent and she and Isa could escape.
Darcy sighed with relief when he placed her on her feet and swept out a hand as he bowed to her. “Welcome, females. Please, come, we will get you some refreshments.”
Isa moved close to her when Starg put her down and Darcy clasped her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze, and then followed Borg to the massive table in the hall-type feasting room.
“Why are we here?” Darcy asked as she and Isa sat down.
“What is your name?” Starg demanded more than asked as he sat across from her. Borg took the seat next to him.
“Darcy. Now answer my question,” she ordered in a firm voice.
“Where are you from, Darcy?” Borg’s eyes ran over her face, her breasts, and to her waist before making the return journey.
She didn’t like the way he looked at her, but since she was his captive, she kept her mouth shut. “Why do you want to know?”
“Answer the question,” Starg yelled.
Isa flinched and whimpered. Darcy pushed to her feet, placed her hands on the table, and glared at both the men.
“Go. To. Hell.”
Borg sat back with a surprised look on his face. His mouth had dropped open and his eyebrows had risen.
Darcy had to restrain herself from smirking. It looked like these arrogant assholes weren’t used to be stood up to by a woman. Well, they were about to learn how stubborn human women could be.
“This one has fire,” another male voice said. Darcy stood up straight and turned her head. Three more men similar in looks to Borg and Starg entered the room. “It would be fun to tame such a female.”
Darcy’s stomach dropped, the knot of dread heavy in her stomach. What the hell were these idiots up to? They had to know that her mates would be coming for her. What were they hoping to achieve by kidnapping her and Isa? Were they trying to start a war? From what she’d heard, beside petty fighting and bickering over material things, these men hadn’t really warred for a long time. Why would they risk a full-out war over her? What she really should be asking was why they wanted to know where she was from. She had a really bad feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Darcy, these are my brethren, Larg, Forg, and Varg. You’ve already met Starg and myself.”
“What are you up to, Borg? Why do you and your brothers want to know where I’m from?” Darcy lowered herself back into her seat. She patted Isa’s hand under the cover of the table when she tried to push herself further back into her chair.
“We need females on our world. As you are probably aware by now, there are too few and our race is dying,” Borg explained.
“So let me get this straight. You took me against my will and now you expect me to tell you where I’m from so you can…what? Go to my planet and kidnap more women?” Darcy’s voice rose in outrage. There was no way in hell she was going to tell these bastards about Earth. Especially if they were planning to take women against their will. “What would you do with them if you managed to convince a woman to mate with you? Will you treat her like a breeding machine?”
“What is a breeding machine?”
“Don’t you have translation implants like my mates?”
If she hadn’t been watching them carefully, she would have missed it. Starg and Borg’s faces paled and they looked almost scared. She cocked her head as she thought back over what she’d just said and then gazed at the other three. They looked as pale as their brothers.
“You didn’t know I was their mate, did you?”
“No, you can’t be. No other females are compatible with our kind,” Forg said as he sank down into a chair as if his legs were about to give out.
“You would know this how?” Darcy asked.
“We have spent many moon risings searching the galaxies for a mate. None of the females we’ve encountered were suitable.” Varg poured himself a drink and gulped down the contents.
> “Suitable as in…?”
“We cannot bear young with them,” Larg answered.
“So you don’t care what the female looks like, whether she’d be willing to leave her family and home? All you care about is getting her pregnant and continuing your gene pool?” She took a deep breath when she realized her voice had become strident with anger. Why were men so dense? Why did they think they could just take what they wanted without having to face the consequences? Did they think women were put on the earth, or rather, in the galaxies to be used without having any control over their own lives?
“What is this gene pool?” Starg questioned.
“Every male and female have genes and when they have sex, and the female becomes pregnant, gets a babe in her belly, the genes of the male and female are combined to create a child.”
“You think we only want to get a female with a youngling?” Borg asked angrily.
“That’s what it sounds like to me.”
“Darcy…” Borg sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “Yes, we want younglings, but we are lonely. We’ve heard all the stories about mates but we’ll never have the chance to experience such a thing if we cannot find compatible females. We want to be able to bond with our tatra heart, bodies, and minds. Surely if you are mated to the Bim brethren, you would understand?”
Darcy did, but she needed to hear that these men weren’t only wanting to women to continue their bloodline. But from the sad expressions on their faces, she had underestimated them.
“Show us your mating mark,” Varg demanded.
“Excuse me?”
“Please, Senna Darcy?” Varg asked in a softer voice. “It would give us hope to know we are able to have a female of our own.”
Darcy glanced at Isa and saw the woman give a slight nod. With a sigh, she turned her back to the men and, after getting her left arm out of the shirt sleeve, she tugged the neckline of the material from her shoulder until the small glowing pentagon and star above her breast was exposed. She turned back to show the Lom men.