“We’ll help you, but you need to be extremely careful.” Cali grabbed her hand. “You have to avoid any females from Titus.”
“Why?” Vareen was taken aback by the urgency of Cali’s warning.
Looking to Nellia and back to her, Cali spoke softly, “It’s widely known that Mica asked you to be his chosen mate and you denied him an answer. Therefore, any woman can challenge you to show Mica they are a better choice than you are.”
“Challenge me? As in a fight?” Vareen couldn’t believe that behavior happened here on Titus.
“Yes. You’ll only be safe when it’s acknowledged that you have accepted Mica as your mate. It’s forbidden to fight over a male or female when a chosen pair has been declared.”
“That’s why the men were acting so strange last night,” Vareen stated with a small smile. The night before suddenly playing back in her mind. Mica and the others were protecting her from being challenged.
“Yes. Angeline is a troublemaker. Believe me, I know.’ Cali laughed slightly at some private joke.
“So I have to get to Mica without being seen or stopped by any woman who may want to challenge me? On top of that, I have to avoid being seen by guards and other clan members?” Vareen laughed heartily at the absurdity of the situation. “Well, that sounds simple enough. If we can get past some Cestori guards to steal a spaceship, how hard can this be?”
Everyone laughed at the reminder of what they’d gone through just a short while ago for Cali. When the hilarity had died down, Vareen got serious.
“We’ll need a distraction,” Vareen bit her lip in thought. How did you distract males with heightened speed, strength, and smell?
“Cali you did say Ambassador Tec’hia is here?” Nellia smiled mischievously. “I think we could use her assistance.”
“She’s from Atheon,” Vareen argued distractedly. “Even with her importance to The Alliance, she won’t be allowed into those tents any more than we are.”
“I don’t want her to try to get us into Mica’s tent,” Nellia denied. “I want her to distract the guards at the tents.”
“Brilliant idea.” Cali and Nellia were both laughing.
“I don’t understand.” Vareen was confused.
“You’ll see.” Cali looked around again. “When do you want to try this?”
“Tonight. Can we speak to the ambassador now?”
“We can try.” Nellia stood up.
“I know her tents are close.” Cali stood as well and Vareen joined them. The three of them swept out of the tent and headed along the paths to find the ambassador.
“How will we know which ones are hers?” Vareen asked. There were so many places to look.
“We’ll know,” Cali laughed.
“How?” Vareen couldn’t stop her frustration.
“We just will,” Cali laughed and Vareen didn’t understand the humor until they turned a corner and she was blinded.
“Okay then.” Vareen stopped short and Nellia almost ran into her. “I’m beginning to see your confidence in discerning the ambassador’s tents from the others.”
“Come on.” Cali gestured impatiently and hurried toward the largest of the oddly glowing tents. As they approached two guards stopped them.
“State your business.”
“We’re here to see Ambassador Tec’hia,” Cali spoke loudly. “We’re friends of hers on an important mission.”
“The ambassador is busy at the moment. Can we take—”
“Cali, is that you?” a voice like tinkling glass called from inside the tent. “Let her in.”
The two guards stepped aside and Vareen followed Cali into the tent. It was supposed to be the same as the hundreds of others around the gathering…but it wasn’t.
Vareen just stopped herself from raising her hand to shield her eyes. The inside of this tent had been altered with flowing streamers, glittering lights, plant life, a water feature and if Vareen wasn’t mistaken, some type of fluttering bugs.
“Cali, I thought I heard your voice.”
Vareen couldn’t believe that the woman in front of her was real. She was wearing a dress that changed color every few seconds from blue to purple to red to black to golden. She was representing all the clans with one dress and what a dress it was. It was a play on the same design the clans wore. The straps met over one shoulder instead of the neck. It also flowed to the ground instead of mid-calf. The layers in her dress began to change color independently of each other and it was enough to make Vareen look into the ambassador’s face. If she kept looking at the dress, she might have a stroke from the strobe effect.
The ambassador was a very beautiful woman. Her hair was done perfectly to frame her heart-shaped face. Her pale eyes were framed by natural black lashes. Her face was devoid of makeup and she still seemed to shine.
“You’ve caught me unaware and I’m a sight without my make-up.” The ambassador embraced both Cali and Nellia.
Vareen wanted to know what she considered put together if this wasn’t her normal look.
When she turned from Nellia, Vareen stepped forward.
“Who have we here?” her voice was questioning but open and friendly.
“Your majesty, this is our friend. Vareen,” Cali introduced her.
With one eyebrow raised at Cali, the ambassador exclaimed, “I told you, Cali. It’s just Risenal. None of that your majesty and ambassador stuff to my friends.”
“Sorry. Risenal.” Cali tried again. “This is Vareen. She is Mica’s chosen mate.”
Vareen felt the sharp sting at the words but forced it back. She was Mica’s chosen mate dammit and she was done waiting for her mind to stop fighting it.
“Vareen.” The woman embraced her and kissed both cheeks. “I’m sorry we didn’t meet at the negotiations but you were already on your way here to Titus with Mica. I have heard so much about you from Nellia and Cali. I feel like we’re already friends.”
Risenal took her hand and pulled her toward a group of four chaise chairs in the middle of her room. There was a canister of some type of drink and glasses on a tray. “Everyone, sit. Tell me what brings you to my humble tent.”
Everyone picked a chaise and Vareen jumped right into her problem. “I need to see Mica. I never answered him when he asked me to be his chosen mate, I left for Cestori instead. I thought it would give me time to think about what I wanted. The instant Diandra faced me with that phaser I knew leaving Mica was a mistake. When they started the realignment on me I knew if given a second chance I wouldn’t waste a second of it.”
“Vareen, I’m so sorry about what was done to you.” Risenal waved a butterfly away when it tried to land on her.
“I’ve recovered my memories and I am ready to move on. I was going to try to get Mica to admit we were more than friends. In my worry over asking Mica how he felt, I wasted time. Now we’ve been separated and Mica doesn’t know that I know. His worry for me might make him lose the challenge. Does any of this make sense?” Vareen had been talking so fast at the end she wasn’t sure if the women would understand what she’d said.
“Yes, It makes sense. What can I do?” Risenal offered Vareen a drink but she declined.
“Well, we have a plan.” Cali leaned close and they all followed suit.
“We’re going to use Vareen’s knowledge of herbs to…incapacitate the guards.”
“I like this plan. Where do I come in?” Risenal looked delighted at being included in their subterfuge.
“We need a distraction, so Nellia can get to their food or drinks.”
“I think I can manage that.” Risenal tapped her finger elegantly on her chin. “I have a dress in mind that might be enough to distract them. When are we doing this?”
“Tonight,” Vareen insisted. “I want Mica to stop worrying about me before the challenges start.”
“Tonight it is then.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Vareen would never doubt Risenal Tec’hia again. The woman was a genius. The dress sh
e’d chosen glowed so brightly that she could see the light from her position at the back of Mica’s tent.
Vareen straightened the black cloak covering her from head to toe. Stepping closer to Mica’s tent so the glow from Risenal’s dress wouldn’t give her away, she listened intently when she heard voices.
“I’m sure I took a wrong turn at that last tent. Do you know where we are Nellia?” Risenal’s voice flitted on the wind.
“I’m sorry Ambassador Tec’hia, I’m new to this area of the gathering. I don’t know where we are.” Nellia answered Risenal. The laughter in Nellia’s voice was obvious to Vareen and she hoped it wasn’t to the guards.
“I’m sorry to disturb your drinks gentlemen, but could you point us in the direction of the merchant pavilion?”
It had been decided to have Risenal talk to the guards while Nellia slipped the correct dose of the plants Vareen had found by the river in their food or drink. It had to be Nellia since the dosing would differ when added to a liquid or sprinkled on a food.
“What are you gentlemen guarding here? I don’t recall being told about this section of the gathering.”
“We are responsible for keeping a challenged male in seclusion Ambassador Tec’hia,” one of the guards spoke to Risenal. “This is Mica Jataci’s tent. He is to remain alone during the challenge trials.”
“The merchant tent is that direction.” Vareen heard another guard break in.
“The poor fellow is all alone?” Risenal asked. “Won’t he have visitors?”
“No. Visitors are strictly prohibited. Nobody will come to this tent and we check at random intervals to make sure he stays alone.”
Vareen knew that she had about two hours if the dose worked on them. It had been interesting trying to calculate for their increased metabolism. The dose Nellia was going to use was the highest they dared. According to the book, when they woke up they wouldn’t realize time had passed.
“What about the other guards? Won’t they come to this tent to visit or cover for you? If you were to walk a visitor to the merchant pavilion for example,” Risenal asked casually.
“No. We are under strict orders to maintain our positions at all times.”
“I see. Very honorable of you. Now, which direction did you say? I’m sorry I didn’t see you pointing, my dress is awfully bright.”
“That way.” The voices shifted and moved as the guards tried to point Risenal in the right direction.
“This way?” Risenal’s voice was confused. “That looks like the food court.”
“Not that way.” The guards moved again. “That way.”
“I think I have it. Thank you, gentlemen. I do plan to enjoy these challenges. Come along Nellia, guards.”
Vareen saw the glow of Risenal’s dress move along the path. She had to wait now to see if the guards would drink it.
“That ambassador is one beautiful woman,” one of the guards commented.
“I heard she is a princess of her country. Her father appointed her as ambassador in order for her to learn more about the worlds they are allied with.”
“A princess? That would explain the guards protecting her. Did you see their faces? It’s like they were set in stone.”
“When we moved to show her down the right path I thought they were going to try to intervene.”
“I almost wish they had. It might have proven to be an interesting fight.”
Both guards laughed. “A toast, to the fight that almost was.”
There was the clink of glasses and then Vareen held her breath. This was it.
Walking along the back of the tent she calculated and then taking a small device from her pocket she made a slit in the material. The tents were all built the same. If she cut in the right place she would end up in Mica’s bedroom. Nobody would see that she’d been here when she used a fusing device she’d gotten from Dani to fix the slice she was making. Mica’s tent would look just like all the others.
Taking great care not to make the hole too large, she slipped between the seams and carefully pulled the material back together. She was in Mica’s bedroom. The bed was empty. The covers and pillows were thrown about on the mattress as if in disinterest. Mica must be in the living room. She hurried that direction and still didn’t see him.
Chancing a look outside of the tent, she saw both guards sitting prone where they’d been toasting. Their faces were slack, their breathing steady. At least she hadn’t killed them.
Closing the flap, she went to turn and was engulfed in a vice-like grip.
“What are you doing in my tent?” Mica’s voice growled, low and vicious. “Give me one good reason not to call the guards?” His arms tightened painfully and Vareen worried she might suffocate before getting out that it was her.
“M-mica,” she rasped out. “It’s m-me.” After wheezing those words, she was completely out of breath. Mica’s hold on her was stony and unyielding.
“Var?” His hold relaxed instantly and she was turned in his arms without being put down. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe—”
“Mica,” Vareen wrapped her arms around his neck. “I had to see you.” She punctuated each word with kisses to his chin and jaw. Wherever she could reach.
Mica tried to pull away, but only half-heartedly. If he’d wanted to she wouldn’t be able to hold onto him. “Var,” he groaned. “You don’t know—”
Vareen rubbed her chest against his, damning the material of her cloak and dress for being in the way.
“I do know.” Vareen couldn’t stand it any longer and ran her fingers through his hair. Pulling his face down she delighted in the electric blue his eyes had become. Standing on tip-toe she put her mouth against his. Her lips moved softly at first, remembering the feel of being close.
Mica trembled once and then his hands moved to her ass cheeks to pull her higher against him. The force of his hold was fierce. The pressure of his arousal against her stomach strong and thick.
Vareen moaned and Mica swallowed the sound. Their tongues were suddenly in a fierce battle for supremacy. Vareen took hold of Mica’s shirt and pulled. Buttons flew around the room to land with soft pings. With more ferocity than she’d intended Mica’s shirt went flying off. How she managed it with him still holding her against him, she didn’t care. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she’d felt every inch of skin.
Breaking their kiss Mica gasped. “The guards.”
“Won’t be bothering us,” Vareen bit at his neck, licking and sucking. “I dosed them with a sleeping agent.”
Growling low Mica tugged at her cloak.
“I need that, don’t tear it,” Vareen protested.
Mica put her down long enough to gently remove the cloak, then she was back in his arms. One piece of clothing down, one more to go. With the layers in her dress, Vareen was able to wrap her legs around Mica’s hips. Both of them froze, their gazes caught and held with the sensation of being so intimately pressed together.
“Var. I can’t.” Mica went to pry her away.
“Why?” Vareen knew it wasn’t for lack of desire.
“The doctor,” Mica groaned again when she moved against him.
“He’s an idiot,” Vareen moved again. “So are you for listening to him.”
“We’re friends,” Mica tried to dissuade her. Vareen felt her heart swell with the realization that Mica was still trying to protect her.
“We’re not friends,” Vareen stressed. Her fingers moved to the fastening of his pants.
“We are lovers.” Her fingers opened the clasp.
“We are partners.” She worked the pants open.
“We are chosen, mates.” Her fingers managed to clasp onto his rigid arousal and squeezed. “Now stop talking. We only have two hours at best.”
*****
“I love you, Mica.” Vareen pressed a kiss to his chest.
Rolling her under him Mica kissed her fiercely, propping his weight on his forearms, “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I failed you—”
Vareen put a finger to his lips, “No. I chose to go to Cestori. No more doubts, no more wasted time. I know the dangers I’m facing with the women of Titus and I’ll be careful. You focus on winning this challenge. I’m your chosen mate and you’ll do as I say…because I say so.” Vareen teased him and Mica laughed at her choice of words.
With him still buried inside her, his laughter caused her body to spasm around him.
“Var.” He moved his hips and her eyes widened. “How long did you say we had?”
Vareen groaned and opened her legs wider, drawing Mica deeper. “About one hour and forty minutes now.”
“I think I can improve on my last effort.” Mica flexed his hips and Vareen gasped.
Indeed, he could.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Vareen looked at Mica’s beloved face and resisted tracing a finger along his jaw. She didn’t want to wake him. Their time was almost up and she had to sneak back out before being caught. Mica falling asleep was a testament to how tired he was.
Forcing herself off the bed, she found her dress and cloak. She quickly put the garments on and made her way to the open seam. Taking one last glance at Mica, his perfect form sprawled in bed without a covering, Vareen slipped outside.
Taking the fusing device from where she’d hidden it, Vareen made short work of closing the hole she’d made. Replacing the fusing unit back in its hiding place she made sure the cloak covered her and fled from behind Mica’s tent.
Finding the path in the dark to the Jataci tents wasn’t easy. She got lost and finally ended up asking a group of intoxicated male partiers which way to go. They’d been very helpful and complimentary about what a good time could be had if she joined them. Vareen had just ignored their offers and waited. Eventually, they’d pointed to the correct path and she’d ran hell bent back to her tent.
Dani was busy networking with the people of Metari in order to further her desire to work in their zone, so Vareen knew she wouldn’t be seeing her sister-in-law tonight. Cali, Nellia, and Risenal were going to wait until morning for a full report. That left her with the rest of the night to worry about what the first trial would bring.
Vareen & Mica (The Alliance Book 2) Page 12