by Lily Archer
I close my eyes. I trust them. I let myself go. And I fall asleep.
25
Kyte
“And this one?” I hold up the screen.
Her mind whispers ‘Commander Origami’, but she shoves that thought away. “It’s Commander Oruwani.”
“Correct.” I pull up another one. “And who’s this lovely specimen?”
She leans closer to get a better look. “Why are some of these pictures so blurry? It’s not helping.”
“They were obtained through Granterry reconnaissance. It’s the best they can do.”
“Oh.” She sits back, and it’s as if I can see a weight settling on her shoulders. “We’re really going to be at war, aren’t we? These people, or cyborgs, I guess I should say, we’re studying are real. And they want to kill us, don’t they?”
“Yes.” I lay the screen down on the white blanket. “And yes.”
She pulls her knees to her chest and hugs them. “Aren’t you scared?”
“The Sentients have been a threat all my life.” I scoot closer to her. “I guess I’m used to it. Sort of numb to it, really.”
“Have you ever seen one?” Her brown eyes are fearful.
“Yes.” I pull her into my arms and lean back against the wall.
“Tell me about it.” She settles between my legs, the back of her head on my chest.
“All right.” I kiss her crown. “Several years ago, when I was still a child, the Sentients decided that taking the resources of my homeworld, Latrides, would be a good step toward their plan of eventually overwhelming the fleet. After all, coin doesn’t discriminate. The Sentients could buy ships, virudivan engines, anything they needed to wage their war. One night, several battle cruisers appeared above the planet, and the Sentients began an invasion. But Latrides is a difficult place to conquer.”
“Why’s it called the Ghost Planet?”
I smile. “I rather love that name. The planet has a core of pure energy, not virudivan but a cruder source. For lack of a better word, it burns.”
“The center of your home planet is on fire?” She runs her fingers along my forearm, her touch so light it almost tickles.
“That’s a rudimentary way of looking at it, but yes. The energy pushes through the cracks deep in the planet, up and out until it reaches the surface. Latrides is almost 80 percent oceans. So, the heat dissipates into the oceans and creates—”
“Steam.”
“Right.” I kiss her hair again. I can’t seem to stop. “The planet is always misty, its few cities hidden in the vapor from the energy core. And the energy core also creates the precious metals beneath the surface. It combines with the raw materials underground and forms rich deposits for our mines.”
“How do you mine underwater?”
“You ask smart questions.”
She shrugs and settles against me even more. “You’re the nicest tutor I’ve got. Ceredes tosses me on my back most of the time, Jeren throws knives past my head, but you tell interesting stories.”
“I’m glad you like them. And to answer your question, many Calarians have the ability to create barriers. Some so strong that they can hold back the water so the miners can get their equipment into place and form an air seal over the work site.”
“You did that barrier when we were in the crash.” She turns her head to the side and peers up at me.
“Yes, but like I said, that was because of you. I’ve never had any skill at barriers. My abilities lie in healing and regeneration. But you gave me what I needed to create a protective barrier, one that was strong enough to save us all from the crash.”
“So that was new?”
“That was new.” I slip my fingers under the hem of her shirt, her stomach warm and soft beneath my touch.
“So what happened during the invasion?”
“My mother, the leader of our planet, put up a barrier over our city. Others joined her until it was impenetrable. The Sentient ships dashed themselves against it. When her power began to wane, she summoned our fighters to take to the skies. The battle raged for days, but our ships are perfectly acquainted with the mists of the Ghost Planet, and they’re able to hide and fight, picking off the glowing Sentient ships with ease.”
“Like the Americans picking off the redcoats.”
“Hmm?”
“My country had a war for independence. We learned how to hide behind trees and wear dark clothing when we were fighting. The enemy soldiers wore these bright red coats.”
“Well, that’s foolish.”
“Right. The American fighters picked them off, and we won the war.”
“Then, yes. I guess the same principle applies here. We outgunned them based on our knowledge of the planet, and when the fleet’s squadrons arrived, they chased the rest of them back to the Rift. My mother led the charge that drove them off.”
“Your mom sounds pretty badass.”
“She is. I hope to be half the leader and fighter she is.”
“Wow.” A hint of longing shoots through her, and I get a glimpse of her own mother, and the damage she inflicted on Lana for so many years.
“You didn’t deserve to be hit.” I tread lightly. “You know that, right?”
“I know.” She sighs heavily. “I’m just glad your mom fought for you, not with you.”
I laugh. “Oh, we fight plenty. Trust me. She expects me to return home, mate with a perfect Calarian female, make perfect Calarian offspring, and take up her mantle as ruler of Latrides. And then, in her grand plan, I’ll get her seat on the Council of Regents.”
“But that’s not in your plan?”
“No. My plan is this.” I move my fingers even higher, skirting the bottom of her ribs. “Two nights from now, once finals are finished, I expect all four of us to come together and form the circle.”
She grips my forearm a bit tighter. “Do you all expect me to, you know, to …”
“Mate with us?” I don’t have to read her mind to sense her worry.
“Yeah.”
“No. I think the circle will be sealed when all of us touch. Though the seal will reach full power when we mate.”
“Okay.” She breathes out. “But what if …” What if I want to be with all three of you? I hear the whisper of her thoughts, and my knot tightens.
“We aren’t going to push you into anything, but I can assure you, the moment you say you’re ready, the three of us will give you exactly what you need. More pleasure than you’ve ever felt. I don’t want to overpromise, of course, but I will happily lick you until you scream for me to stop. And when I’m inside you?” I push my hips up just enough for her to feel what she’s doing to me. “I won’t stop until you’re utterly wrung out, every bit of release shared with the three of us.”
“You are too much.” She shifts, her ass teasing my hardness. “And you’re trying to get to second base.” Her tone is chiding, but she doesn’t move my hand.
“I don’t know what you just said, but you’re probably right.”
She sighs. “The fleet can give us languages like zap into our brains, but it can’t give us all the all the understanding. That’s a shortcoming.”
I edge my fingers higher and enjoy the goosebumps that rise along her skin. “Some things we have to learn for ourselves.” I press my lips to her ear. “Like fucking.”
She shivers. “You, um, you researched that word, huh?”
“Deeply.” I move my hand higher. “I rather enjoyed what I discovered. You have a filthy mouth, apparently.”
“Yep.”
“One that needs kissing.”
“Definitely.” She whimpers when my fingers graze the bottom of her breast.
Her slick scent is overwhelming, and I need to taste it. Need to give her every bit of me. But I can’t. Not yet. Not without Jeren and Ceredes. My brothers need this as much as I do.
With a sigh, I pull my hand back.
The tension in her unwinds, and she takes a deep breath. “I can’t survive many mo
re of these close calls.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” She scoots away from me and grabs her screen. “I’m going to study with Tilda and Uaxin. They’re safe.”
“I’m safe,” I protest, but she’s already out the door.
I lie back on the bed and yell into my hands. She’s not the only one who can’t take much more.
26
Lana
“At least we won’t stand out too much.” I stare at the choices of ball gowns. Well, three gowns and a smart pantsuit. They’re arranged in the Omega lounge, the spot where we’re all supposed to congregate and have togetherness, I guess. Instead, the Omegas stick to their cliques and, standing next to Tilda, I admit I do, too.
“That’s the idea. We’re all supposed to be like nameless, faceless members of the fleet. All equal … well, except for the commanders. And the regents.” She frowns. “And the nobles from planets that have a nobility system.”
“Like Kyte?”
“Like him.” She picks at the pantsuit model. “I think I’m going with this.”
“Cool.” I have my eye on the only poofy gown. I redraw it in my mind, adding a tighter bodice with fleet accents and a curvier silhouette. But I suppose I can’t be too picky. I never got to go to prom. Mom said I’d just get pregnant and then she’d have another mouth to feed. This is my do-over. A plain one, but that doesn’t matter so much.
“You should do that one.” Tilda circles around the black ballgown. “Maybe it’ll stop the Alphas from drooling over your hips since they’ll be hidden in all the fabric.”
“My hips are wide.” I smack my butt. “Child-bearing hips, they call them on Earth.”
“Exactly.” She snorts a laugh. “That’s like a mating call to the Alphas.”
I pull the bodice tighter on the model. “I’m not a broodmare, Tilda.”
“Sure you aren’t.” She doesn’t sound convinced. “Hey, how did you do in Master Rav’s final? I had to go to the infirmary after the eye incident.”
I shudder. Master Rav got a little too exuberant when she aimed her stick at Tilda, and the result was … utterly disgusting. But at least Onin could repair the exploded eyeball.
“Seems like Onin can fix anything.” I run my fingers along her dark eyebrow. “Not a sign of the, um, accident.”
“He’s good. Sad, though, what happened to him.”
“Huh? What did I miss?”
“Oh, just one of those tragic tales of an Omega losing their Alpha.”
“How did he lose his Alpha?”
“Eh, it’s kind of fuzzy in my memory, but I know he was devastated.” She searches through the pantsuit rack for her size. “So, did you pass?”
“I got a nice bruise on the back of my legs, and I didn’t manage to touch her, but she said I did okay enough to move on to next term.”
“You passed!” Her face lights up and she hugs me.
“Thanks.” I pat her and try to breathe through her death grip. “Now tell me about Onin.”
“Not much to tell. After his Alpha died, he chose to come back to the academy and work in the infirmary. It’s where they trained together, so he’s got lots of good memories there.” She shrugs. “When a bonded pair is ripped apart, something dies in the one left behind. It’s horrible, but it happens.”
Ilwen appears in the portal, her gaze going straight to me.
“Play it cool this time,” I remind Tilda.
“I know. You’ve only told me fifty times.”
“Well, you have a temper and—” I zip it as Ilwen approaches.
“You two are going to look stunning in these.” She motions to the outfits as Unar appears behind her, a deep maroon something draped across her arms.
“What are you up to?” I cross my arms, but not too tight in case she goes rabid again.
“Nothing.” She grins, her two little fangs extra pointy. “I’ve just chosen a little something special for Ceredes tomorrow. It fits just right, though loose enough, I suppose. Plenty easy for him to slip it off me when we’re done presiding over the ball.”
“We’re all supposed to choose from these.” Tilda snatches her pantsuit from the rack.
“I’m the Omega Commander.” Ilwen toys with a lock of her lavender hair. “So I get to stand out. I already do, anyway.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I mean, you’re pink. How many pink people do you meet?”
Her fake smile fades. “No, human. I stand out because I’m better than you.”
“Did you ace your flying exam?” Tilda steps toward her.
“What?”
“If you’re so special, then I assume you aced your flying exam and got top marks in Master Lintaru’s class. Right?”
Ilwen’s façade begins to crack. “Well, I—”
“No, you didn’t get either. Because I got the honors in Master Lintaru’s class, and Lana took the top spot in flight class.”
“Tilda.” I touch her forearm. “Remember what we talked about.”
“It’s true.” She jerks her chin at me. “You got top marks. Flaunt it.” She tosses her hair for effect.
She’s right. It was under Master Daviti’s protest, but he couldn’t deny me, not when I was the student who came the closest to winning his exercise. Next term, though, I’m going to get him.
“You think any of that matters?” Ilwen’s voice rises. “I’m going up-fleet with Ceredes. We are mates. And tomorrow night, we’re going to seal it. He’s been dying to mate with me from the moment he saw me, and I’m going to give him what he’s been after.”
I scratch my nose. “But, wouldn’t that make you a profligate?”
Ilwen hisses, her claws sharpening. “Don’t you dare use that word on me.”
“I’m just saying.” I shrug. “Seems like you’d be a pro-flig-ate—” I enunciate each syllable like a punch to her smug face “—if you were to let Ceredes hit it without getting the fleet go-ahead. Right?”
“Now who’s the one with the temper?” Tilda mutters and lines up next to me, her stance loose.
She’s right. I’m regressing to my smartass self. But no one talks about Ceredes like that. Not in front of me. He’s not some ornament for Ilwen’s arm, a ticket to get a cushy assignment in leadership.
Ilwen steps to me. I don’t back down.
“The next time you get in my way, you’re going to get hurt.” She snarls. “I want you to know that I warned you.”
“Back off.” Tilda disappears and re-appears behind Ilwen.
Ilwen casts a quick glance over her shoulder. “Let’s go.” She snatches her dress from Unar and storms from the room. Unar follows, her head down.
“Well, that was fun.” I sink into one of the soft, white chairs.
Tilda picks at the collar of her chosen outfit. “How’s life in the dorm room?”
“I avoid it.”
“How?” She sits next to me.
I made a mistake saying that. I’m not supposed to talk about spending my nights with the guys. I shrug it off. “Oh, you know, just studying with you and practicing—anything I can do to keep out of her way.”
She cuts her eyes at me. “You mean like sleeping with three Alphas?”
“Shhh!” I glance around, but no one’s near. “How did you know?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m a Granterry.”
I lean back and melt into the chair. “A spy.”
“Yep. I pretty much know everything there is to know around here. Including what you’re doing out and about at night. Besides, who do you think has been covering for you with Ilwen? I’ve told her you’re in my room.”
“I’m so stupid. I didn’t even think about that. I just figured she’d assume I was with you.”
“She’s been checking in, believe me.” She slings her arm along the back of my chair. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
I nod. Guilt begins to gnaw at me. After all, I’ve been keeping the circle a secret from her. But Kyte made clear that
we can’t say a word. So I haven’t. And I won’t. Besides, after the ball, it could be that everyone will know about it.
“Stop thinking so much.” She stands and stretches. “You’ll hurt your little human brain.”
I laugh. “Rude.”
“Come on. We can have a late-night snack.” She offers me her hand. “I’ll show you my secret meat stash.”
“That’s gross.” I take her hand, our friendship sealed despite secrets kept. “And I’d love to.”
27
Ceredes
Ilwen is keeping me waiting. Of course. I stalk back and forth in front of the Omega dorms as others greet their dates and head to the ballroom. Jeren and Kyte wait off to the side, all three of us in the black dress uniform. I wonder what gown Lana chose. We haven’t discussed the ball as much as what we plan to do once it’s begun. But now I can’t help but look up—look for her—every time the doors open.
But I won’t be escorting her. I grit my teeth. Jeren and Kyte will get that honor while I have to walk with Ilwen, speak with Ilwen, not strangle Ilwen.
“Calm down.” Kyte walks over to me.
“You calm down.” I know he’s just as nervous.
“Let’s all calm down.” Jeren puts a hand on my arm, stopping me from pacing. “She’s going to be beautiful. But we can handle it, all right? We’ve been sleeping with her for a week, after all. And we’ve been strong the entire time. We’ve got this.”
“Besides, we won’t be at the ball for long.” Kyte swipes away nonexistent dust from his uniform. “Once we’ve made the circle, she’ll be sealed to us forever.”
“We’ll be everything she needs.” Jeren claps me on the arm.
“I’m ready.” I give them a terse nod.
“I’m ready, too.” Kyte hesitates, then continues in an even quieter voice, “But are you ready to seal it all the way?”
