“Damn it,” he muttered, jaw clenching. “I’m not going to last. This feels too damn good.” A few strokes later he cried out, shuddering violently.
She felt his warm seed gush into her and shivered, nearly coming for a third time. She’d never allowed her partners to ride “bareback”. It felt wonderful yet unfamiliar. That pretty much described this entire episode. Rodytes were disease free and pregnancy wasn’t an issue because they weren’t compatible. The unwanted thought was like a bucket of ice water. She sighed and turned her face away.
He wouldn’t allow the retreat. Turning her face back around, he asked, “What caused the sadness in your eyes?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m just wishing for things neither of us can change.”
He sighed and separated their bodies, sprawling at her side. “I wish we were compatible too, but wishing doesn’t make it real.”
“I’m aware and I’m not upset. It was just a passing thought.” She rolled onto her side and pressed against his, using his shoulder for a pillow. “This was wonderful. Do you feel better? You were pretty grumpy when we started.”
“Grumpy?” He laughed. “Is that what you call it? I was about ready to strangle you.”
“I don’t want to start another fight, but I have to say one thing on the subject before I let it go.” For tonight, she finished silently. “If you’re not comfortable talking to me, I’ll deal with it. But you need to talk to someone. The bitterness is eating you up from the inside. Even a powerless human can see that much.”
He looked at her, but the animosity didn’t reignite. “I’ve lived with the bitterness my entire adult life. I wouldn’t know how to begin.”
“You begin by wanting it gone,” she suggested carefully, not wanting to anger him. “I need to ask a question about the situation, not your past.”
“All right.”
“How will you contact one of the Lux brothers without revealing our location to the battle born?”
He chuckled, then shifted his gaze to the ceiling. “I didn’t intend to use traditional lines of communication.”
“Then how?”
“I’ll visit one of their dreams.”
“You’re a dreamwalker?” She propped herself up on her forearm so she could see his face. “I read about them, but I’ve never met one.”
He grinned but still stared straight ahead. “How would you know unless they told you?”
“Good point.”
“And I’m not an actual dreamwalker. I can only interact with...” he sighed and admitted, “those with whom I share blood.”
“So you could contact your father, but not your step-mother?” She regretted the question the second it passed her lips.
“Actually, I dream shared with Skyla once, but she was pregnant with Sedrik at the time. Just barely, but it was enough.”
According to Lily’s research, Skyla Lux had extremely strong psychic powers, so she likely had something to do with the dream meld too. Rather than risk annoying him, she kept to the subject at hand. “Then which one will you target?”
“I’ll start with Sedrik. He’s the battle born general after all. Everything that takes place in Earth-space falls under his authority.”
She didn’t miss the mockery in his voice. “And if Sedrik won’t let you in, you’ll try Kaden.”
He nodded, then finally looked at her. “You were assigned to both of their ships. Did you know either of them well?”
She shook her head, but a guilty blush spread across her cheeks.
His gaze narrowed and his body tensed. “Why don’t I believe you?”
She was foolish to admit what had made her blush, but she could sense his determination to know. “I didn’t know either of them well, but I wouldn’t have minded getting to know General Lux a little better.”
“You had a crush on Sedrik?” He sounded almost amused.
She shrugged, trying to downplay the admission. “Every female in his orbit has a crush on Sedrik Lux.”
Arton dragged her on top of him and arranged her to straddle his lap. “Put me inside you and ride me. Now!”
As penance went, this was not so bad. She lifted up and guided him back to her entrance. She was wet, in fact really slippery from their mutual pleasure. She carefully lowered herself onto his impressive length, groaning as he filled her completely. “Oh yeah,” she sighed.
He steadied her hips but held perfectly still. “Ride me,” he ordered with more urgency.
She closed her eyes as she obeyed, unable to watch the bitter anger resurge within his gaze. Why wouldn’t he let it out permanently? She rocked faster, taking him deeper. Maybe if they did this often enough, the past would eventually stay buried where it belonged.
Chapter Seven
Needing the focus of deep meditation, Arton carefully disentangled himself from Lily’s warm body and scooted out of bed. They’d spent the past five hours alone in his cabin, laughing and talking like old friends. They ate dinner practically naked, then shared pleasure for the third time. It was amazing how easily she was able to...light his darkness. The phrase sounded foolish even in his mind, but that was what she did. She radiated warmth, hope and happiness, and his anger and bitterness just seemed to evaporate.
She’d said the first step toward healing was wanting the bitterness gone. He’d never cared if he was bitter before. In fact, it worked to his advantage to stay angry all the time. But Lily shouldn’t be burdened with a bitter, angry male. She deserved someone who could see the joy in life and make her laugh whenever she became discouraged. Someone like Dr. Dimples.
Arton tensed. Just thinking of her in the arms of anyone else made him aggressive. He had no idea why, but she’d accepted his claim and he was determined to keep her!
He couldn’t think about this right now. Jillian’s life was on the line and the transformation program was on hold until the Ghost Guide issue was resolved.
With his purpose renewed, he walked into the living room. He grabbed the uniform pants he’d discarded earlier and stepped into them. At times clothes were distracting, but right now being naked reminded him of the warm, willing female sleeping in his bed.
He moved to the far corner of the cabin, away from everything and sat down, facing the walls. His legs were folded in front of him and he closed his eyes, tuning out his surroundings entirely. The trance came quickly. He’d had decades of practice to perfect the technique.
Releasing his inner being, he drifted through the vast currents of time and space, allowing himself a moment to acclimate. His awareness expanded beyond corporeal senses, yet without sensory input it was harder to understand what he perceived.
Slowly, he summoned a detailed image of the Triumphant into his mind. The ship was massive, one of the largest and most sophisticated ships the Rodyte military had ever produced. Arton sensed the ship in the distance, the energy of thousands of lives pulsing with myriad emotions. Ambition and impatience wrapped around hope and wistfulness. Rushing. People spent so much of their lives hurrying from one place to another. He propelled himself toward the target, dreading what came next.
Sedrik, the oldest and most successful of the three Lux brothers. He was also the most like their father. They were both career military, patriotic and sanctimonious. But Kryton Lux had been elite, privileged and powerful, his success assured from birth. Sedrik, on the other hand, was battle born. He had fought, in fact, kicked and clawed for everything he’d ever accomplished. In a rare moment of brutal honesty, Arton admitted that there was much about Sedrik to admire.
There was also much to resent.
Setting aside both extremes, Arton focused on Sedrik without feeling anything at all. Strong features and a piercing gaze, stubbornness and ambition. It only took Arton a moment to lock onto Sedrik’s signal. His energy pulsed with vitality and...contentment? Arton snorted. Who wouldn’t be contented in Sedrik’s life?
The fearsome general lay curved around Rebecca, his newly claimed mate. They were already aslee
p, thank the gods, but they radiated post-coital bliss. Rather than let their obvious happiness bother him, Arton focused on Sedrik alone. Sedrik’s energy felt different than the last time Arton had touched his mind. Of course. They were bonded now. Apparently, she had succeeded in releasing Sedrik’s magic.
The development gave Arton pause. Did he dare even try this then? Entering someone’s mind without permission, even for a harmless conversation, was considered an assault by most societies. Sedrik was no longer latent. He’d only had access to his power for a few weeks, but many skills could be mastered quickly.
Frustration surged through Arton. It wasn’t really like he had a choice. The Outcasts’ new world was pointless without the transformation program. And despite Lily’s logical explanation for the phenomenon, Arton thought the Ghost Guide was real.
Sedrik’s mind was at peace. Why shouldn’t it be? The bastard had everything. A successful career, beautiful mate, and supportive family. All the things Arton would never, could never attain. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, Arton channeled his resentment into determination and focused again on the task at hand.
Abstract and continually changing, Sedrik’s dream was filled with color and light. Arton gradually sank into the scene, meshing and flowing with the vital energy until he incorporated himself into the surreal images.
Sedrik sat on a rocky outcropping overlooking the crashing waves of the Froxtar Sea. The silver-blue sky was filled with water-color clouds and brightly plumed birds. Behind him Lux Manor sat on a grassy hill in all its palatial glory, exactly as Arton remembered it from his youth. Were it not for the harbinger gene, all this might have come to Arton once Kryton Lux passed beyond. Instead, it would pass to his battle born sons, and Arton—like all harbingers—was expected to do without any form of creature comfort. A fresh wave of resentment threatened his concentration, but he stubbornly forced it aside.
He wanted to have this over with as quickly as possible, so he pulled his being into a concentrated column and formed a visual representation of his physical body. He wore a dark blue tunic and dove-gray pants, the traditional garb for male harbingers. The tunic was decorated with shimmering silver embroidery. His was intricate and elaborate, denoting his status as organic.
Sedrik hadn’t reacted to his arrival. So, how to begin? He took a deep breath and spoke in a calm, clear tone. “I mean you no harm. I just want to talk.”
Sedrik whipped his head around and fury ignited in his eyes. He vaulted off the rocks and dove for Arton. “You worthless son of a bitch! Where did you take the human females?” He swung for Arton’s face, but his fist passed right through the image. “Coward! Solidify so we can finish what you started on my ship!”
Knowing a physical confrontation would be self-defeating, Arton had planned it like this. “The females are safe,” he stressed. “Every single one of them is unharmed.”
“I don’t believe you,” Sedrik sneered. “Let me speak with Thea Cline.”
Arton hesitated. Bringing an untrained mind into a dream meld wasn’t easy. He wasn’t sure he could accomplish it. Of course, he’d never admit that to Sedrik. “I can’t trust Thea to behave. She’s hotheaded and impulsive. Will Lily do?”
“I suppose.”
Sedrik’s gaze narrowed subtly and Arton felt someone push against his shields. But it wasn’t Sedrik. How strange. “Back off your friend or I’m out of here.”
“My friend?” He even managed to sound innocent, but the other being was still there, digging, burrowing with shocking tenacity.
Arton reinforced his shields, then sent out a pain pulse, dislodging the intruder.
Sedrik immediately reacted to the person’s distress. His expression didn’t change, but his mental focus shifted. It had to be Rebecca. “I can talk to your mate if you’d rather. She seems determined to contact me.”
“Leave her out of this.” Sedrik made it sound like a threat.
“Then back her off!”
The pressure abated and he no longer sensed the other presence in the meld. She was likely still there. Soul bonds were continually active. At the very least, she was sensing everything Sedrik felt.
“Bring Lily here. This conversation goes no farther until I have assurances that none of the women have been harmed.”
Arton reached for her, but his signal wasn’t strong enough to connect without breaking contact with Sedrik’s dream. Damn it. It was dangerous to admit any sort of weakness to the enemy. But he needed this, all the Outcasts did. He couldn’t let pride stand in the way of progress.
Despising each word as he spoke it, he said, “I must siphon energy from this meld to bring her here.”
“Understood.”
He pulled a steady stream of Sedrik’s energy into his being, shocked by the concentration of the molecules. His gaze shot to Sedrik and the bastard grinned, clearly relishing Arton’s reaction. He hadn’t felt energy this alive since—he dream shared with Skyla! Understanding the cause now, Arton was amazed by the similarities. Sedrik might look and act like his father, but there was much of his mother in him too.
Feeling almost dizzy, Arton reached for Lily again. She stirred sleepily. I need you to speak with Sedrik. I’m going to bring you to where we are. Don’t struggle or I could injure you.
All right. Her mind was still a bit foggy, which made his job easier.
Very carefully, he wrapped himself around her and drew her into the meld. She didn’t resist in any way, and the infusion of Sedrik’s energy made the maneuver almost routine. Remarkable. Clothing her in a standard uniform, he manifested her image so she could interact more easily with Sedrik.
She looked around, eyes wide with awe. “This is...amazing.”
“Lily, are you unharmed?” Sedrik’s tone snapped with authority and concern.
She shook away the haze and looked at the general. “Yes, sir. We’ve been treated well, all things considered. In fact,” she glanced at Arton, then added, “many of the females don’t consider themselves captives anymore.”
“Do you?”
It took her much too long to answer, but when she did, her words pleased him.
“No, sir. I don’t want anyone harmed, so I’m helping them with their transformation program.”
Sedrik’s features hardened even more and his lips pressed together. “Have you been claimed by one of them? Are you under the influence of bonding fever?”
Her sad little smile made Arton’s heart ache. “I’m not compatible with any of the battle born. You know that, sir.”
Each time she said “sir” Arton cringed. And knowing she was attracted to Sedrik made the deference even more annoying. “Are you satisfied? I’m about to send her back.”
“Yes,” Sedrik muttered begrudgingly.
Arton released his hold on Lily, steadying her precious being until she was back where she belonged. “We’ve run into a snag.”
“Have you now?” Sedrik’s lips curved in a humorless smile and he folded his arms across his chest. “Isn’t that just too bad.”
He didn’t need to know all the details, so Arton got right to the point. “How do I contact the Ghost Guide?”
Sedrik shrugged, but cunning gleamed in his dark eyes. “Don’t know anything about it.”
Suddenly Rebecca appeared. Curly brown hair framed her flushed face and anger flashed in her green eyes. She faced her mate, fists planted on her hips. “Stop shutting me out! This concerns me just as much as it concerns you.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near you,” Sedrik insisted.
“Well, it’s not up to you.” With the issue settled, at least in her mind, she turned to Arton. “How many transformations have you attempted? Was anyone harmed?”
Had he found a reluctant ally? He would take whatever help he could find at this point. “Only one and yes.”
Her eyes filled with compassion. “How badly?”
He glanced at Sedrik before admitting. “The female is in a coma.”
“Damn it.” She
turned back to Sedrik. “I could go—”
“Absolutely not!”
“But Lily said—”
“I don’t care what Lily said,” he shouted. “We are not going to assist those criminals in any way.”
“Don’t raise your voice to me! If human females are in danger, I’ll do what I think is best.” She harrumphed then took a deep breath. “Being that my mate prefers not to help you, I suggest you contact your mother.”
Arton set his teeth and glared. “My mother has passed beyond.”
“Sorry. Your step-mother.” She made an impatient face. “Just com Skyla. I better not say any more or my mate will strangle me.”
Sedrik had locked his hands behind his back as if he were still struggling to contain the impulse. “You’ve already said way too much and you know it.”
“Com her,” she urged Arton, then disappeared.
Sedrik started to say something then sighed and shook his head. He suddenly looked sad and tired. “Why didn’t Kage ask to be included in our program. It was always intended for anyone battle born.”
He seemed genuinely confused, so Arton answered honestly. “We wanted a clean break, no ties to anyone or anything.”
“Yet, here you are, asking for help. Doesn’t that amount to the same thing?”
His tone was less combative, so Arton just shrugged.
They stared at each other for a long time, both too proud to make the first move. Finally, Sedrik sighed and spoke in a fast, frustrated tone. “All the females in my life keep insisting that I need to forgive you. I doubt you’ll give a shit even if I do, but here goes. This conflict has gone on much too long. We’re your family. We want you back.”
Something vague and nearly forgotten stirred in Arton’s soul. Several sarcastic retorts popped into his mind. Instead, he shook his head and said, “It’s better this way.”
Heretic Page 11
