by S. E. Smith
“I know where the dining room is,” Sara said. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for any of the men to come here. Emma becomes more withdrawn when anyone else comes near her.”
Abby glanced over to where Emma was sitting and staring out the window. “I don’t think that is possible,” she murmured softly. “I’m worried about her. It is like she is fading away a little more each day. Should I send the healer to see her again?”
“No,” Sara said heavily. “The last time he came she locked herself in the bathroom. It took me two and a half days to get her to open the door. This hasn’t been easy… for either one of us but especially her. She was held longer and that man…,” her voice broke as she remembered what she had been subjected to.
“What about Audrey?” Abby said, looking at Sara. “She is human. She is an OB-Gyn.”
Sara looked over her shoulder at Emma and nodded. “That might be a good idea. Maybe she can come see her tomorrow. The only time I really see Emma react is when Cara comes to visit with the twins. She actually smiled the last time she came.”
“How could anyone not smile when those two are in the room?” Abby asked with a roll of her eyes. “They are so much like Cara it’s scary. They get into everything. I swear Trelon is going to lock Amber and Jade in a tower when they get older to keep all the ‘dragons’ away,” she added just as Zohar let out a loud cry cutting any further conversation short.
Abby gave a muttered apology before she hurried out the door. Sara turned and looked at Emma and let out a deep sigh. She was at a loss as how to help the young woman. She hoped Audrey could do something before the girl with the soft voice that had kept her sane during their captivity disappeared forever.
Chapter 5
“Do you have the equipment ready?” Adalard asked as he met up with Ha’ven later that night.
“Of course,” Ha’ven remarked with a raised eyebrow. “I finished setting up the shield late this afternoon. Now the only thing that needs to be done is to tie Trelon’s mate up before she dismantles the damn thing. She drove me nuts with her questions and I swear if I catch her ‘tweaking’ it again I’m going to be the one tying her up and delivering her with a bow on her head to Trelon. How he can keep up with her I have no idea. I was exhausted and needed a strong drink after just thirty minutes in her company,” he finished dryly.
Adalard chuckled. “I was talking to Jarak, Kelan’s head of security from his warship. Did you know that she broadcasted Trelon’s PVC out over the V’ager’s communications system?” Adalard asked biting his lip to keep from laughing.
“She did what?” Ha’ven asked in disbelief. “Why would she do that? What did Trelon say? What happened? I mean, I can’t believe she is still alive.”
Adalard tried to keep a straight face but it was impossible. He was fighting the laughter so hard tears were rolling down his cheeks. He breathed deeply and opened his mouth to tell Ha’ven what happened but every time he did he burst into laughter again.
“What’s so damn funny?” Trelon asked as he and Cara came up to where Ha’ven and Adalard were standing in the hallway outside the dining area.
“I was… I was… trying… to tell… Ha’ven about… your…” Adalard struggled to say before he gasped in a deep breath and burst out. “PVC!”
Trelon’s face turned dark with a scowl at the reminder of what Cara had done to his Personal Virtual Companion. Not that he needed it any longer but it still burned that everyone in the known galaxies knew his every fantasy. If that wasn’t bad enough, he still got requests for copies.
Cara rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “It wasn’t that funny! Besides, I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was about plumbing pipe. That is what we call it back on Earth.”
“Plumbing pipe?” Ha’ven asked confused. “How could you mistake it for piping? Didn’t you see what was on it?”
Cara rolled her eyes and looked at Ha’ven like he was a first class idiot. “Duh! I didn’t look at the video before I sent it because I thought it was an instruction on plumbing. Besides, I was more interested in seeing if the modifications to the communications system would increase the distance of the distribution of the signal. If you ask me, there really isn’t that much difference between the piping from home and what was on the video.”
“Do you even know what a PVC is?” Ha’ven asked in disbelief looking at Cara like she had lost her mind.
Trelon looked at his friend like he would love to kill him right there while Adalard melted back against the wall holding his sides. Ha’ven looked at Trelon who was glaring at him and waving his hand back and forth across his throat behind Cara’s back. Ha’ven shook his head and turned to look at Cara whose lips were curved into a mischievous smile.
“Of course,” she replied cheerfully. “The only differences between your PVC and the ones back home is you can only watch yours. Personally, I like the real thing. Of course, Trelon is built like you wouldn’t believe. His cock is the size of …” A low curse broke Cara’s detailed description off.
Ha’ven’s mouth dropped open, Adalard crowed in delight and Trelon groaned as he wrapped his arms around his tiny mate and carried her into the dining room. Ha’ven’s eyes followed his friend whose face had turned a decidedly darker shade of red at his mate’s words. He decided that Trelon not only needed to tie his mate up but he needed to gag her as well.
“Did she just describe Trelon’s….?” Ha’ven asked looking at Adalard who was wiping the corner of his eye on his shirt.
“Yes, she did,” Adalard said with a grin. “I’m telling you, this species is very entertaining.”
Ha’ven shook his head as Adalard went into the dining room. He drew in a deep breath and thanked the Goddess that he had no desire to be entertained by one of them. He had several females he enjoyed company with back on Ceran-Pax and that was all he needed. Besides, until he could find a way to contain the sudden waves of power that ebbed and flowed inside him, he couldn’t even think of having a permanent mate. A slight shudder went through him at the thought.
I would rather go back to war with the Sarafin and the Valdier before settling for just one female, especially from a frustrating species like these humans, he thought with a grimace.
Unfortunately, it would appear the Goddess was not listening to his offering of thanks. He knew he was in trouble the moment he stepped into the dining room. A wave of power unlike anything he had ever felt before swelled inside of him, swirling and churning until invisible bands burst from him and shot across the room.
His first thought was he had to find a safe place to release it before he killed everyone in the palace. His second thought was there was no way he would get far enough away to be able to protect them. But, it was his third thought that almost brought him to his knees in front of everyone in the room… he had found his mate.
*.*.*
Emma sat quietly next to Sara looking down at the empty plate in front of her. She hadn’t wanted to come. She wanted to stay in the safety of their rooms until darkness fell. Then, she would slip out and find her way to the edge of the garden.
Sara had refused to let her stay behind. Emma wished she could be as strong as Sara. Sara had been thrown into the cell next to hers the night after Betsy had been murdered. Emma had listened as she had cursed at the men who had brought her. She had no idea of what was about to happen to her but Emma did.
They had ignored Emma throughout the night and the next several days. She heard one of them joke that it was no fun killing when the victim was unaware of what was happening. Emma had crawled over to the metal door and tried to warn Sara. It had been hard to think as her head hurt so badly. Sara had finally quieted down enough to hear Emma’s softly spoken words.
They had been left blissfully alone for the next four days before they had both been dragged out of their cells to the beautifully decorated office of Javier Cuello. The horrid man was back and this time, Emma knew she would not be given the reprieve of just a beati
ng. Sara had cursed and fought until they strung her up on the poles. Even then, she refused to give in. By the fifth lash of the whip, her wretched screams echoed along with the men’s laughter and taunts. By the fifteenth, she was barely conscious and still they continued.
When Emma struggled to throw herself in front of the man with the whip, another had struck her in the head knocking her to the floor. Cuello had ordered the man who hit her to force her to sit up and watch. Shortly after that, things had become very strange when the door suddenly burst open and long, golden tentacles stretched out through the room, imprisoning the men. She didn’t remember much afterwards until she awoke in a strange room and learned she was no longer on Earth.
She refused to look at the strange creatures who had taken her. They had been kind so far but she didn’t trust them any more than she trusted the men who had kidnapped her. She saw what they changed into. She saw them fighting with each other when she was on the warship. They had been savage in both forms.
The golden creatures had been kind but they had also changed into horrifying shapes with long, dagger-like teeth and claws. None of them came near her. It was as if they knew she was terrified of them.
She had finally just remained in the small cabin they had given her. She had sat for hours looking out at the black nothingness and wondering what would become of her. Eventually, she had stopped caring. Sara came to visit her every day but even that didn’t brighten Emma’s mood. She was worried about what would happen to her mother if no one went to visit her. Was this her punishment for leaving her mom alone to seek out a life of her own? She had been wrong to think it was better to live life to the fullest. Her life had been full before only she had been too short-sighted to appreciate it.
Emma gasped as a sudden shock hit her slender body, jerking her out of her private torment. Her head jerked up and she looked around in confusion. Her body tingled with a strange awareness that she had never felt before. She felt like someone had just hit her with a Taser.
Her blue eyes searched the area, pausing at the doorway where a tall muscular male stood staring back at her in equal astonishment. His violet eyes stared at her with an intensity that made her blush and she had to force her eyes to pull away from him. Her face flamed as she looked down at her clenched hands.
Why is he staring at me? She wondered in confusion. I don’t want him staring at me. What if he comes near me?
Panic built at the thought of the huge male approaching her. She knew there was no way she could escape him. He looked like he could break her with one hand tied behind his back. She doubted if she even came up to his chest!
“Are you alright?” Sara asked, leaning toward her. “You look flushed.”
Emma looked at Sara with huge, wary eyes before she turned away when the large male who was sitting on the other side of Sara leaned forward to look at her as well. The male had shown up as they exited their living quarters. Sara had gripped Emma’s hand so hard when she saw him that there was no way Emma could have escaped back into their rooms.
“Does she have need of a healer?” Jaguin asked, looking at the delicate figure that appeared to shrink into her seat at his question.
Sara shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Can’t you go sit somewhere else?” She asked testily.
Jaguin smiled at Sara. “No,” he replied.
Emma listened as Sara snorted and said something rude to the male. Her eyes rose just far enough so she could look to see if the male by the door was still staring at her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see him. Her heart was just slowing down when the chair beside her pulled away from the table and someone sat down. She was too busy processing the strange feelings rushing through her to acknowledge the person. In the back of her mind, she hoped it was Cara. She had watched as the perpetually cheerful woman with red and purple hair had been carried into the room by another enormous male. The tiny woman had been laughing. Emma loved to listen to Cara’s infectious laugh.
“What is your name, female?” A dark voice whispered in her right ear. “I am called Ha’ven.”
Emma froze as the voice washed through her, crashing against the wall of ice inside her. She wanted to gasp out in anger at the feelings that were threatening to awake in a torrential wave. She wanted to push away from the surge that threatened to tear down the barricades that she had erected to protect herself.
“You are too thin,” Ha’ven continued harshly. “You need to eat.”
Emma turned her head when long, slender fingers held a piece of meat in front of her mouth encouraging her to take a bite. Her lips tightened and annoyance burned through her. She would bite something if he didn’t leave her alone.
I’ll bite one of those fingers off! She thought savagely, shocking herself.
“You will eat, misha petite,” the honey voice continued.
“Leave her alone,” Sara hissed protectively under her breath.
Ha’ven’s eyes glittered back in challenge at the dark anger reflected in the pale female sitting on the other side of the woman who had knocked the breath out of him. No one would keep him from his mate. The pull of her power against his would not allow him to turn away even though he wanted to. The force with which his power blended with hers was like two super strong Neodymium magnets attracted to each other.
“She is too thin,” Ha’ven replied with a shrug as he picked up a piece of the delicious fruit from his plate and held it up to Emma’s lips. “If she does not wish me to feed her, she can tell me herself,” he added mockingly.
“Ha’ven,” Jaguin said quietly looking at Emma’s still face as she stared straight ahead. “This one is not for you, my friend. She is not well.”
Ha’ven’s eyes narrowed as he took in the translucent complexion of Emma’s face. He pulled at the energy pulsing feverishly inside him and directed it toward the female sitting beside him. He could see the colors of his essence swirling furiously around her as if seeking a way in. Astonishingly, she was pushing it away. He had never known another species with an ability similar to the Curizan. One who could harness power and manipulate it the way they did. Nor did he know of any other that could push his power away except perhaps a member of the royal family.
A silent curse escaped him as he looked first at the woman sitting on the other side of his mate before shifting to look at the other human females in the room. He could see no other evidence of power such as those of the Curizan pulsing from them. The only other one had been the human male. His eyes glanced briefly at Paul who was watching him through narrow, thoughtful eyes.
His gaze locked with Adalard. His brother had turned and looked at him in warning. Adalard shook his head and touched the corner of his eye. Ha’ven realized his eyes must be glowing with the barely contained power pulsing through him. Breathing deeply, he forced it back down and muttered a small meditation chant to strengthen the shields he had erected to contain it.
“What is wrong with her?” Ha’ven asked, moving his hand to touch one of Emma’s hands which were clenched in her lap.
“She was…” Jaguin started to say before he looked at the woman at his side.
“We were kidnapped, tortured and almost killed,” Sara said through clenched teeth. “We just want to be left alone. Is that too much to ask? Emma was held longer and…” Sara’s voice faded before she muttered a low curse under her breath. “She hasn’t spoken since she woke on the spaceship. I can barely get her to eat. Please…” She looked at Ha’ven with a combination of a plea and a demand. “Just… leave her alone.”
Ha’ven looked at the pale hand clenched tightly in his own. A smile curved his lips. He could see what no other could, the colors of her power twisting with his own. The bands were beautiful as they danced with each other before twisting into an unbreakable bond. He felt the uncontrollable power in his own body being absorbed into hers. He wasn’t sure but he may have discovered the miracle he was seeking. For the first time since before his capture, he felt… balanced.
Fury washed through Emma. She pulled her hand out of the male named Ha’ven’s grip with a sharp jerk and rose out of her seat with the grace earned from years of dancing. She schooled her features to remain blank as she turned to leave. Sara started to rise but Emma wanted to be alone. Resting her hand briefly on the other woman’s shoulder, she shook her head before hurriedly walking out of the room.
Chapter 6
Ha’ven’s eyes followed the slender female as she rushed from the room. He turned and looked at Adalard who was watching him with raised eyebrows and a confused look on his face. He didn’t have time to explain to his brother what was going on. Hell, he wasn’t sure what was happening. He just knew he needed to find the woman before she disappeared.
Shrugging his shoulders, he rose from the table and turned to follow the woman. Whether either of them liked the fact, she was his mate and some instinct deep inside him knew he needed her. He paused when he found Creon standing between him and the doorway.
“You haven’t eaten,” Creon pointed out, shifting slightly to the left when Ha’ven moved to step around him. “If you wish some company, my friend, I’m sure I can find more than one female in the palace that would be happy to be with you tonight.”
Ha’ven glowered at his soon to be ‘former’ friend if he didn’t move out of his way. He had no desire to visit with any other female. The only one he was interested in was getting further away as he stood wasting time.
“I want only one female,” Ha’ven said in a deadly calm voice. “And you are keeping me from her.”
Creon shook his head. “The human females are off limits, Ha’ven. Especially the one that just left. They are under our protection.”