The Tracker's Quest: (Forced To Serve #6)

by Donna McDonald

  “Maybe my words are not as poetic as yours, but I know I didn’t say it wasn’t good. Bonding with you is good Ji. But I can’t change the way I look at such things in the middle of feeling the suffering of every female around me. Their energy calls out for relief of their burdens. It is all I can think of while I am here in my father’s canton.”

  When no response came to her explanation, she knew Ji had not heard her. He had likely gone back out to the main area without waiting to hear what else she might say. She palmed her breasts as she washed them and felt sorry for herself. She really wished Ji had stayed to do it for her. She really wished she could make him understand how hard she was trying to make peace with both her culture and her feelings for him. He had given her so much and all she seemed to do was hurt him.

  Chapter 8

  Seta thought about the night as she dressed the next morning. She and Ji had slept naked together, but he had kept to his side of the giant bed. The physical distance he put between them had made her feel rejected and alone. Perhaps it had been his intention—his way of making sure they were even yet again.

  This morning he still slept, but she had escaped the bed the moment her awareness had begun.

  The knock on the door she rushed to answer had him stirring slightly, but he didn’t turn to face her. She quietly opened the door to let their morning meal be delivered. The female snuck a covetous glance at Ji as the cover slipped off his back and down low on his hips.

  “The Siren is very beautiful. You are lucky to serve a male who looks like that every day,” she whispered softly.

  “Yes. I am lucky. The Siren is my preferred suitor,” Seta whispered softly back.

  “May the Creators direct the will of the great Trax in your favor then,” the server replied.

  “Thank you for bringing our food,” Seta said, bowing her head respectfully. The female seemed unsure of what to do in return, but eventually nodded and fled.

  Seta closed the door softly behind the female. When she turned, Ji was staring at her, so she bowed her head to him as well. The moment of acknowledging his presence was too awkward for her to hold his gaze. She gave him her back as she started laying out their food.

  “I asked for some of our more traditional dishes so you could have some variety. Once we head into the desert, the food is bland and uninteresting. I can’t even imagine what the miners eat, though I have heard that they feed massive crops with underground springs. Most of Ethos relies on trade with other planets to have enough for our population.”

  “Seta—stop,” Ji whispered, closing his eyes. “You don’t have to fill the silence between us. I—you hurt my feelings and I reacted poorly. I’m sorry to have caused you such discomfort with me.”

  Seta shook her head. “You have caused me no discomfort. I tried to express myself and chose my words poorly. Until you, I never practiced intimate talk with a male after bonding. I assure you I meant no disrespect to your. . .Siren abilities.”

  “You told the server I was your preferred suitor,” Ji pointed out, still amazed at having heard her saying those words. “Did it bother you to say that to her?”

  Seta swallowed, considered, and shook her head again. “No—it didn’t bother me—but I also don’t think we shall maintain the connection for long. What is being a mate? It is an agreement. I have given you more than any other male. Mate or not, logic would dictate the connection between us needs to be honored. I’m sorry if I indicated I did not feel that way about what we did—because I do—feel that way, I mean.”

  Rising from the bed where he’d denied himself the pleasure of holding her, Ji walked to where Seta stood by the table.

  “Do you truly always feel violated?” he asked. It still hurt him greatly to think so.

  Seta sighed. “No answer I give you will make you less disappointed in me.”

  “Your reaction is unacceptable. You must change your reaction,” Ji declared.

  Seta crossed her arms. “You don’t have the power to change what I feel.”

  Ji snorted, leaned down, and kissed her hard and full on the mouth. “I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?” He kissed her again, more gently this time. Time, he decided. He just needed time.

  “Would you mind getting dressed before we eat?” Seta asked.

  Ji snorted. “Why? Am I too tempting like this?”

  Seta picked a speck on the wall and stared. “I would rather not answer the question, but if I must, the word I would choose is distracting.”

  Stepping behind her, Ji circled his hands around the front of her body to cup both her breasts. She groaned and leaned forward into his palms. He squeezed gently, lovingly.

  “Mine,” he whispered. “This response is mine. These are mine. I take good care of what is mine, Seta Trax.”

  He smiled as Seta groaned again when he let go. Dipping his head to her throat, he kissed the spot where his love bite had temporarily branded her. He lingered in his kiss until she shivered, then moved away from her to get dressed while his restraint was still in place.

  “Dress for the desert today, Ji. Wear a face scarf and cover your arms. We leave as soon as we’ve eaten,” she said.

  “Good. Now the real adventure begins,” Ji said, disappearing into the cleansing area.

  Seta sank into a chair at the table and touched her forehead to its cool surface.

  What kind of danger had she gotten them into for the sake of her revenge? What if that future Ji kept talking about never got to happen because something happened to him?

  “Rena. . .I should not have done this. . .not even for you. Please ask those Creators you believe in to help me get us out of this.”

  But no answer to her prayer resonated within her mind. She did however feel a stirring in her gut. Zorinda again. The churn of power was becoming more and more familiar. It vied with Ji’s kisses for being addicting.

  When she heard the click of Ji’s weapon holster being locked into place over his chest, Seta rose and set out the food with a heavy heart.

  ***

  Throughout the trip, Ji had slowly and purposefully gotten more friendly with the Ethosian male sitting next to him. While nothing Arghane shared had been of great value yet, he had gotten a feel for where they were on the planet and how far they had travelled to get there. He had a sense of Arghane having resigned himself to something, but had not yet determined what the male was hiding from him.

  They travelled in two vehicles. One with two guards held belongings and provisions. The other held the four of them.

  “This is an efficient means of travel, Chief Arghane. What kind of levitation does this means of transport use?”

  Ji turned his head to look directly at the male behind the controls of their vehicle. It gave him a chance to glance into the backseat at Seta and the guard who kept sneaking glances at her legs. The leggings she wore to conceal her assets did nothing but outline their perfect shape, but she had not been willing to look for something less form fitting.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Seta turn a fierce-eyed glare to the younger male. Startled at seeing such power emanating from her gaze, the male turned sharply away. This whole adventure was helping him view the demon as a huge asset for Seta.

  “We call these desert-ships zaggs. They are a bit wobbly in certain weather conditions, but they repel the sand quite easily most days. There is a rock that is mined on-planet that provides the means to levitate them enough to be propelled forward by the Ethosian form of power crystals. I’ve heard that the mining cantons have tried exporting the rocks and crystals to other planets, but apparently they are attuned only to Ethosian soil.”

  Ji made a sympathetic noise. Everything on this planet was focused on wealth and accumulation. Such primitive thinking mostly just annoyed him.

  “How much desert does Ethos have?” he asked.

  Arghane shrugged. “Too much in my opinion, but I am stuck in Suzerain Trax’s canton for another two Earth years. Then my contract ends. At that time, h
e will award me three fertile females from his corral. There is a greener area canton on the other side of the planet where I intend to settle. It is at the edge of my homeland. With my settlement from Trax and my three females, I will start my own house. If they are fertile, I will be set for life.”

  Ji raised an eyebrow. “Does every male aspire to rule a canton like Suzerain Trax?”

  Arghane shook his head and laughed. “No. Of course not. It takes great business skills to achieve what Suzerain Trax has achieved. But I would like my servitude to have been worth the decade I spent doing it. The first five offspring will be allowed to choose their mates, so you really can’t make the best deals until you have the sixth and so on.”

  “On my planet of Rylen there is a free commerce without the need to barter females as commodity. Most citizens choose to serve each other modestly with their gifts while otherwise seeking to have fulfilling lives. I come from one of many ruling houses, but as the youngest member of my family, my duties to provide opportunities to the people are not as mandatory as they are for my eldest sibling. Jacun was practically forced to become a businessman. Fortunately his expertise was in that area so it worked out to everyone’s satisfaction. I am grateful that my service to the Peace Alliance was condoned or I’d be stuck teaching flight at the Rylen academy.”

  “Your public service record said you were once a captain of your own ship. Now you’re a lieutenant. That reduction in rank had to hurt,” Arghane said.

  Ji shrugged. “Not really. It was not a matter of demerit, but rather a choice. My reason sits in the seat behind me. I have no regrets about it.”

  “A female? You gave up your career for a female?” Arghane laughed. “I could never do that.”

  Ji shrugged again. “Why not? You’ve already admitted to sacrificing a decade for three of them. If you were Siren, you would be proud to choose to follow a female because your desire would mean that you had found your perfect mate. The search is much harder than most species understand it to be.”

  Arghane laughed. “I think Seta has used some of her mystical power to deceive you, Siren. Your mate is far from perfect. I can see why the challenge of her stoicism would appeal to your kind. I confess that witnessing her great passion as a warrior does make me wonder what it would be like to feel her full passion directed at me. But as much as she hates all males, I doubt that will ever get to happen—even with you. No offense.”

  “None taken, Chief. But if you feel she is not worth the effort, why did you bid for her?” Ji asked.

  Arghane grinned. “My offer is being considered, but it is nowhere near the amount you pledged. I simply offered the suzerain one more year of service to add Seta to my corral.”

  “Indeed. I don’t think that would work out well. Seta’s quite deadly when she’s upset. It would be quite the financial loss for you if she decided to kill the other three females you are earning,” Ji said, fighting not to grin when the male winced.

  Arghane nodded as he laughed at the Siren’s jesting. “That’s a good point. From an Ethosian point of view, Seta of Trax is totally ruined now anyway. If the rumors about Sirens are true. . .” he teased.

  “Trust me, Chief—the rumors about Sirens are all true,” Ji said. He grinned as he felt Seta’s gaze boring into his back, but to her credit she never said a word.

  The moment lost all amusement for him when Ji found himself wondering what Seta’s true thoughts were on the matter.

  Chapter 9

  Five miserably hot and dusty Earth hours later, their convoy stopped in a space where the sand ended and the rocky terrain began. Beyond the small stony expanse that formed a transition, steep inclines of more rock rose to tower over the rest of the land.

  Seta looked out at the rugged landscape in wonderment. It was hard to believe it was part of the same planet she had known. If the desert was an inhospitable host, the rocky inclines were menacing and promised death. No part of Ethos was pleasant. But that was not a fact that aided her mental state. She consoled herself with the fact that at least the rocks were different.

  Chief Arghane and the guard sitting next to her climbed from their vehicle and walked around stretching their legs. Ji got out next and reached back to offer her a hand to step out. She took it even as she glared at him for offering. She could no longer tell what Ji did for show and what he did because it was his preference. Not knowing how to tell the difference greatly irritated her.

  “Have we arrived at our final destination?” Ji asked, directing the question to their untrustworthy guides. Arghane nodded without answering.

  Seta watched Arghane walk back to talk to the two males in the second vehicle. Her gaze stayed on him as she spoke her thoughts to Ji. “This must be the beginning of the mining canton’s land. The transports require sand to work, so they’ll have to be left here. I doubt Arghane would leave the vehicles unattended, so I’m guessing you and I will be venturing into the mining canton alone.”

  Ji looked at the rocky ground they had to cover and then at Seta’s feet. “Your footwear is completely insufficient for walking that terrain.”

  Seta nodded. His assessment was true. But it didn’t change anything. “Yes. I agree. But my footwear is in compliance with Ethosian law. I will manage. Your concern over it is not helpful. I will manage. Keep focused on our task.”

  Ignoring Ji’s frown over her orders, Seta walked to the edge of the sand. Peering out and up, more doubts swept through her about dragging him into something so challenging and dangerous.

  Arghane returned just as she turned her attention back.

  “The rest of the journey is yours to make, daughter of Trax. We’ll make camp here for three Earth days. On the fourth we will assume you are not returning.”

  “Aren’t any of you going with us?” Ji asked.

  Arghane grinned and shook his head. “No. What are you worried about, Siren? You’re taking a vicious warrior with you. I’ve already lost several males to this impossible task. I see no reason to lose more. My orders were only to see that you and Seta get here and back across the desert. I will honor that charge. . .if you return in time.”

  Seta snorted. “Fine. We will need three days of provisions and a medical emergency kit. One sleep roll will be sufficient. We’ll take an extra charge pack for our weapons as well.”

  Arghane laughed. “You have grown very bossy again, Seta. Maybe I’ll only send enough provisions for the Siren.”

  Before Ji had a chance to react poorly to Arghane’s threat, Seta walked closer, calling to Zorinda as she did so. “Yes. I have grown quite bossy. . .but don’t forget I’ve grown quite dangerous as well. Now give me what I asked for so Ji and I can be on our way. You know we will need to find shelter before early light fail and the animals start roaming.”

  “What kind of animals?” Ji asked.

  Seta looked at Ji and then back at Arghane. “Don’t worry, Ji. They’re not the kind that eat you, but they are the kind that will fight you for the food you carry. I’m sure Chief Arghane has packed some flash flint crystals with stay away in them. Right?”

  Arghane frowned and nodded. “Of course. I would not send you to your actual death, Seta of Trax. If it finds you, I prefer to report back to your sire that you earned your eternal rest.”

  Seta snorted. “You should pray that it doesn’t find you while it’s looking for me.”

  Arghane’s laughter made her want to do drastic things to the disrespectful male. Tired of waiting for him to cooperate, she headed to the second jeep to obtain the supplies she had requested.

  It didn’t take long for her and Ji to gather and load their supplies into their walking packs. There was only one medical kit and Arghane refused to let them take more than a few cursory items. Hoisting her share of the supplies to her shoulders, Seta wasted no time heading off into the rocky terrain. Putting distance between them and Arghane was only an illusion of freedom, but at the moment she needed the breathing space so she could start to think more clearly.

&n
bsp; Not much time passed with them climbing through the more challenging rock faces before she had to slow down. The terrain was indeed a punishment to the soles of her feet through the thin coverings she wore.

  “Stop,” Ji ordered. “Go sit on that rock. I have an idea.”

  Sighing at the delay and his order, Seta dropped her pack and reluctantly did as she was told. Out here where it was just the two of them, it was like being on a mission again together. Those two years she spent obeying Ji when he was her captain made it almost natural to fall back into the habit.

  Removing a stripped down version of a Peace Alliance emergency kit from his pack, Ji came and knelt at her feet. Slipping off the pretty but impractical foot coverings he had rightly called insufficient, she watched as he proceeded to use the two small compression bandages from it to loosely wrap her feet until they were covered.

  “This extra layer should offer you a little more protection than you have now. If I had been thinking more clearly this morning, I would have insisted you be allowed to wear your uniform boots. This mistreatment of you is unacceptable.”

  Seta turned the first foot he’d finished to inspect the work. It was definitely better. “I’m glad you didn’t tell Arghane that, Ji. They wouldn’t have matched nearly as well with this skirt.”

  Ji’s hands slowed as he snickered, then laughed. His anger drifted away. “Tell me that’s a joke, Seta.”

  Seta studied the top of Ji’s head as it was bent over her feet, easing her foot coverings back on over his handiwork. His braid trailed down his back, almost dragging the ground as he knelt.

  “Yes. This time I was making a joke. But I can recall a time not so long ago when no comment I made would have been one. Knowing I can find humor in this madness makes me miss Rena even more. She tried for so long to foster a sense of humor in me.”

  “Well, I’m glad our suffering brings some good with it.” Ji finished the second foot in less time than the first. He stood and returned the rest of the supplies to his pack. “There. How do they feel now?”