Sergei chuckled and climbed out of bed. “And no place to put your weapons.”
“Exactly,” she agreed, reaching into one of her bags to pull out her toiletries. “Besides, if we are meeting with Viktor later, I need to dress in my own clothing.”
Sergei froze, having forgotten all about Viktor. That wasn't a conversation he was eager to have, especially without witnesses. He grabbed his pants and quickly pulled them on. “I'll go see if Lars has any tea for you.”
Valentina paused, lifting her head to regard him suspiciously. Before she could interrogate him, he grabbed a shirt, pulled it over his head, and leaned forward to kiss her. “Do you still take it the same way?”
“You're hiding something,” she accused, a trace of temper in her eyes.
“Extra sweet,” he remembered and headed out of the room before she reached for a nearby weapon.
Valentina's eyes narrowed at the closed door. It was tempting to go after him, but there wasn't enough time. After she finished her morning routine, she grabbed a tank top and pants from her bag and pulled them on. Whatever Sergei was hiding had to do with Viktor. They'd all been in the same training class when they were younger, but Valentina hadn't had much interaction with Viktor back then. It was only over the past few years that she'd had reason to work with him. There must be some shared history she didn't know about between Viktor and Sergei because they were both being cagey.
She buckled her belt and started strapping on her weapons. It was too early to deal with this nonsense. Someone tapped on the door, and she snapped, “Come in.”
Nikolai opened the door, his expression worried. “Are you all right, Valya?”
She sighed and lifted her pant leg to equip another weapon. “Annoyed. Sergei is hiding something.”
“About what?”
“It has to do with Viktor,” she replied, testing the strap to make sure it was secure. When Nikolai didn't reply, she lifted her head to regard him. “You know something?”
He hesitated. “It's probably not what you're thinking. I should let you talk to Sergei about it.”
“Viktor warned me away from Sergei,” she said, watching his reaction. “He even suggested Yuri would have been a better option for this meeting. Why would he say that?”
Nikolai's face remained carefully blank. “Did you have any tea? I told Lars your preference, and he promised to have some available this morning.”
Valentina curled her hands into fists to keep from strangling both of them. She couldn't believe they were going to make her drag the information out of them. With a huff, she grabbed her electrolaser gun and slid it into the holster at her side.
“I will get my damn tea, and then you both will answer my questions,” she declared and stormed past him.
Sergei, Yuri, and Lars were all out in the common room. A small table had been brought out and was covered with a variety of different foods. Sergei smiled warmly at her and held out a cup. She scowled and stomped over to him, snatching the tea from his outstretched hand.
Yuri arched a brow and swallowed whatever he was chewing. “I count at least four weapons on her. I'm impressed, Sergei. I didn't think you would piss her off so quickly.”
“Five,” Sergei said, studying her intently. “You didn't see her walk over here. Her stance is balanced. She has knives on both ankles.”
Yuri glanced down at her pants and reached for another muffin. “Ah, you are correct.”
“Six,” Nikolai said from behind her. “She has a knife strapped to her back too.”
Valentina glared at them and sat on the couch, holding her cup as though it could ward against the stupidity in the room. She took a sip and leaned back, automatically closing her eyes at the exquisite flavors on her tongue. It was tea. Real, potent, and not even close to the imitation beverage they frequently drank in camp. It was even better than the tea she'd had at the café with Brant. Her earlier tension started to melt away in the face of such a heavenly cup of caffeine, and she sighed dreamily.
Sergei cleared his throat. “Lars, I need you to get me a case of that tea.”
“You might want to get a few cases,” Yuri suggested.
“Good point,” Sergei agreed. “Lars, get me a few.”
She ignored them, intent on savoring every last drop of the ambrosia in her cup. Nikolai walked over to her and sat beside her, placing his hand on her knee. “Are you sure you wish to do this, Valya? It will affect you more than us.”
She nodded. “I'll be fine, Kolya. We have a duty to learn about these talents, and this is our best opportunity.”
Lars's commlink beeped, and he glanced down at it. “Alec and Ariana will be here shortly. There was another incident at Hayden's club last night. He's running a few minutes behind.”
Valentina put her tea aside and looked over where Sergei was standing. “While we're waiting, you can tell me about Viktor.”
Sergei frowned. “Are you sure you wouldn't like more tea first, Valechka?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Later.”
Sergei sighed and leaned against the wall. “Viktor and I have never gotten along.”
Valentina tapped her foot impatiently. “I'm aware of your history, Sergei. Why did he warn me away from you?”
Now it was Sergei's turn to narrow his eyes. “What exactly did he say to you?”
“He didn't want me to see you alone. Why would he say that?”
Yuri chuckled and went back to perusing the breakfast table. “Viktor has always wanted to fuck you, Valya. Sergei is competition.”
“Viktor would fuck anything with two legs,” she retorted, watching while Yuri shoved almost an entire muffin in his mouth and began to chew. It was rather impressive how much food he managed to put away.
Nikolai leaned back on the couch, draping his arm behind her. “Perhaps, but Sergei has always been more protective of you than either Yuri or myself. He handled the situation a bit more forcefully than we expected, especially after he overheard a few things Viktor said about you.”
Valentina looked up at Sergei. “What did you do?”
Sergei shrugged. “I warned him away from you.”
She crossed her arms. “How?”
Sergei hesitated. “I may have sent him to the infirmary.” He paused and added, “A few times.”
Yuri coughed. “Four times.”
Sergei scowled at him. “You helped me with one of them.”
Yuri shrugged but didn't deny it.
Valentina tilted her head to study Sergei. This might have possibilities. If there was that much tension between the two of them, she could definitely take advantage of the situation to keep Viktor off guard. “When Viktor gets here, I don't want him to know we've reconciled.”
Sergei's eyes narrowed. “No, Valechka. I will kill him if he touches you.”
“Then you cannot accompany me,” she replied with a shrug. “I need information from him, and he will be more inclined to talk if he doesn't believe I'm sharing your bed.”
Sergei's jaw clenched, and he looked as though he was ready to argue.
Nikolai sighed. “She's right, Sergei. You cannot interfere in this. I'm not fond of him, either, but Viktor has always been more forthcoming with her.”
Valentina stood and walked over to Sergei. Resting her hands on his chest, she said, “You will be the one in my bed tonight, Seryozha. Never him. I need you to trust me to do what is needed.”
“It's him I don't trust, especially with you,” Sergei admitted with a sigh. “You're precious to me, Valechka, and he is not a good man. But I will do my best to go along with your plan.”
She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss against his lips. He fisted his hand in her hair and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss.
“Didn't you do enough of that last night?” Yuri asked with a full mouth.
Sergei broke their kiss but didn't release her. “No.”
Valentina looked up at him, debating whether they had time to slip back into her room. Judging by Sergei's heated expressi
on, he was wondering the same thing.
Lars cleared his throat. “They should be here any minute.”
Nikolai picked up her tea and offered it to her. “You should try to eat something before they arrive, Valya. You may not get another opportunity this morning.”
She nodded, and Sergei released her. Wandering over to the table, she took a sip of her tea and eyed the selection. Sergei brushed his hand against her back. “Will you trust me?”
Valentina looked up at him and nodded. He reached over and picked up one of the muffins. “It's a blueberry muffin. I think you'll enjoy it.”
Curious, she put down her tea and took a bite of the muffin. It was rich, sweet, and almost as good as the cookies she'd had the other day.
Sergei chuckled. “We may need to get some of the muffins to go along with your tea and cookies.”
“I can understand why you like living here,” she admitted, licking a crumb off her finger.
Sergei leaned in close and whispered, “If you keep licking your finger like that, we will forget about training, and I will drag you back into your bedroom.”
She gave him a sultry smile and whispered, “Maybe it will not be my finger I lick when you do.”
Sergei muttered a curse and took another step toward her just as the doorbell chimed. Lars walked over to the door, and Valentina picked up her tea again, smiling over the rim of her cup. Sergei was too much fun to tease.
Alec, Ariana, and a very attractive dark-haired man entered the room. Valentina studied their body language carefully, noting there was a small amount of tension between the two men.
Alec walked over to them. “Hayden, I'd like you to meet Nikolai, Valentina, and Yuri. You already know Sergei.”
Hayden gave them all a brief nod, his eyes lingering on her for a long moment. “It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Although, I'm a little confused as to why you asked me to meet you here this morning, Alec.”
Alec clasped his hands behind his back. “I need your word that whatever we discuss will not be repeated.”
Hayden arched a brow. “I'm intrigued, but I won't make any promises.”
Ariana took a small step toward him and placed her hand on his arm. “Please, Hayden. Bringing you here was my idea. You're one of the few people in the towers I trust implicitly. We need your help with a rather sensitive matter.”
Hayden's amber eyes softened, and he nodded. “Very well, Ari. You have my word I will not reveal anything. What do you need?”
Alec gestured to Sergei. “We need you to help train a fire channeler.”
Hayden's eyes widened, his expression shocked. “You're one of us?”
“He is,” Ariana agreed with a small smile. “So is Valentina, but I'll be training her. She's a water channeler.”
Hayden's gaze flew to her, and he studied her for a long moment, his expression warming. Something about him reminded her of Sergei, and she felt her body automatically respond. His mouth curved upward, and he held out his hand to her in greeting. She slipped her hand in his and gasped at the almost erotic sensation of heat that flowed through her at his touch.
Sergei slammed Hayden into the wall, a knife at his throat before anyone could react. Nikolai and Yuri jumped forward, trying to pull him off. Hayden's eyes were wide with shock and fear.
Lars shouted, “Sergei, you don't want to do this.”
“Valentina!” Nikolai barked.
She jumped into action, moving forward and placing her hand on Sergei's arm to let him know it was her approaching him. Sliding between the two men, she placed her hands on Sergei's chest and in their language, she urged, “Look at me, Seryozha.”
Sergei glanced down at her but didn't remove the knife from Hayden's throat. She could feel the blade heating in his hand, and she suspected Sergei was just barely keeping a tenuous grasp on his usual tight control. She ran her hands upward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Keeping her voice soft, she tilted her head and asked, “Will you leave me again?”
“Never,” he swore.
“Show me.”
Sergei lowered the weapon and put his hands on her backside, lifting her up and against him. Wrapping her legs around him, she nipped at his bottom lip. He complied with her unspoken demand, continuing to kiss her as her cooler water energy extinguished the flames of his anger. She broke their kiss and glanced over to see Hayden watching them warily. Sergei lowered her back to the ground but didn't release her.
The dark-haired man turned to Alec with a scowl. “You could have warned me she was his mate.”
“I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to try such a thing without learning the situation,” Alec retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “You're lucky he didn't actually cut your throat.”
Hayden rubbed his neck where the knife had pressed against him. “You have my apology, Sergei. I had no idea she was claimed.”
Sergei inclined his head but didn't respond. He relaxed his arms around her a fraction though. Valentina bit her lip and leaned against him. If she had any hope in staying by his side, it was imperative they get this situation under control. When Hayden had channeled energy toward her, she'd felt Nikolai and Yuri's anxiety skyrocket as well. Sergei had only acted upon it first.
“I'm afraid that won't be the only challenge we have in training them,” Alec admitted, glancing at Nikolai. “Is it all right if we tell him the rest?”
Nikolai frowned. “I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice, especially given what just happened.”
Alec gestured to Sergei. “Hayden, try to create a connection with him. I don't think you'll believe me until you experience it for yourself.”
Hayden's eyes narrowed on Alec. “Is this a trick?”
Alec shook his head. “Not in the way you're thinking.”
Hayden approached Sergei cautiously and held out his hand, making a point not to even look in Valentina’s direction. He was smart, she'd give him that much.
Sergei released her and took Hayden's outstretched hand. When nothing happened, Hayden frowned.
Lars cleared his throat. “You need to lower your guard so he can form a connection like we did yesterday.”
Valentina swallowed. They'd all gotten so used to keeping everything so tightly contained, it was much more difficult to relax their mental shields. For the second time in as many days, all four of them released their reservations and embraced the bond they'd formed years ago. Awareness filled each of them, and she felt the moment when another fire channeler entered the fray.
Hayden's mouth dropped open as he released Sergei's hand, staring at each of them in disbelief. “All four of you? How is this even possible?”
Nikolai and Yuri approached her. Nikolai put his arm around her waist and drew her against him. “It's a long story, and one we may share with your people one day. But right now, we need to know if you can you train Sergei.”
Hayden swallowed, his gaze landing on her briefly before moving back to Sergei. “I need to test your strength. I'm assuming you have some rudimentary knowledge if you managed to form a bond. Is that correct?”
Sergei hesitated and then admitted, “Our bond was formed out of necessity. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to explore our abilities in depth. Our people are not as understanding about such things. It was my hope to learn something of your ways by integrating with OmniLab.”
“I see,” Hayden said with a frown. “Can you send a small amount of energy toward me?”
Sergei did as he requested, and Hayden nodded. “Good. You're stronger than I expected. I can definitely show you a few of the basics.”
Sergei frowned. “I'm more interested in learning how to control my temper. The rest can be learned later.”
Hayden's brow furrowed. “Your temper? What do you—” He paused, and his eyes fell on her again. “I see. You're falling into a rage whenever she's threatened.”
Sergei nodded. “Valentina can handle most threats without my interference, but if she's hurt, I lose control.”
“Yes,” Hayden mused. “I can see how that could be a problem. Very well. We'll work on that first. I have a feeling your discipline will come in handy for this part.” He gestured to the couch. “Have a seat with me, and let's talk.”
Chapter Eighteen
Valentina had been sitting on the floor working with Nikolai and Ariana for almost an hour. Sergei had spent that time training with Hayden, while Yuri was doing exercises with Lars and Alec. She and Nikolai had far more in common than she first realized, with some of their skills overlapping. Ariana was a patient and understanding teacher, and Valentina had learned far more than she ever thought possible in such a short amount of time.
Her commlink beeped, and she reached into her pocket. It was time to meet with Viktor and focus on discovering who was responsible for the stolen weapons. She glanced over at Sergei, who met her gaze and nodded in understanding.
Valentina turned back to the young woman training them. “Thank you for your help, Ariana. I have a meeting, but I would enjoy working with you again another time.”
Ariana beamed a smile at her. “I'd like that. You've all done remarkably well.”
Nikolai placed his hand on Valentina's arm. “Yuri and I will monitor you from here and review the security feeds from yesterday. If you have any issues, we can be there in minutes.”
“It will be fine, Kolya,” she assured him, not the slightest bit worried. “Sergei will be with me, and I've handled Viktor before.”
He nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Be safe, Valya.”
Sergei walked over to them and held out his hand to help her up. “Are you ready?”
Valentina nodded and grabbed her UV-protective jacket before heading out into the hall with him. As they walked toward the priority elevator, she said, “We cannot go in together. I will wait in the reception area and pretend I just arrived, and you can come down to get us after Viktor arrives.”
Sergei frowned but didn't argue. The elevator shot downward, and she watched the numbers display on the screen overhead. She pulled a small microphone out of her pocket, activated it, and attached it to the inside of her arm sheath. Once it was secure and out of sight, she pulled on her jacket. “Testing notification requested.”
The Omni Towers Boxed Set (Books 4-6): A Dystopian Fantasy Series Page 53