“Stop! Stop!” I screamed. My words meant nothing to them. I bounced from lines at my elbows and waist. “Thunderdrop, let me down!”
“Chitter!”
A couple of soldiers tried to break up the fight and ended up flung into the walls and exercise equipment. Thunderdrop crawled all over me strengthening the sparse web in which he had caught me. My fear made his lines of silk seem to shiver. The yells and grunts of the men who flooded onto the deck drowned out my pathetic and unheard pleas. From my vantage point near the ceiling, I could see flashes of long grey hair and short brown hair, but soon the force of the combined soldiers had everything hidden from view.
Thunderdrop sat in front of me on a vertical line that went from floor to ceiling. His dripping venom made tiny pings against the exercise mat beneath us. I couldn’t wipe away the tears that ran down my cheeks to my chest. Thunderdrop had me stuck in place. Calm washed over me like soothing jets of water from my shower as Yukihyo came closer. His hand circled my ankle as feelings of safety and love had me sobbing in relief.
“It’s okay. Good boy. You can let her down now. I’m here.”
“Hiss chitter chitter click.”
“I know. It’s done.”
“Chitter chitter.” Thunderdrop was right to disagree with Yukihyo.
Zared broke free and began to pummel Luca savagely. Yukihyo put himself in front of Thunderdrop and me as soldiers piled onto Zared to restrain him.
“Chirp chitter chirp,” Thunderdrop said which translated into, “I told you so.”
Luca was led away into the lift. Slowly, the noises and breathing of the soldiers began to calm.
“You alright, now?” Eli asked.
“Yes, sir,” Zared responded in a voice heavy with exertion.
Hanging there helplessly in my undies even with Yukihyo and Thunderdrop protecting me, I was terrified that my new husband would unleash his anger on me next. I struggled futilely with the lines of silk.
“Chirp chitter chirp chirp.” Thunderdrop began making soothing little chirps at me.
I remembered how difficult it had been as a child to avoid my father’s punches as they rained down on me. I had tried to protect myself with my arms. After what I had witnessed, I imagined how much more Zared’s would hurt. However, I loved Zared where I hadn’t loved my father, Nathan Green, so that would probably make the beating hurt even worse.
As Thunderdrop began cutting through his lines with his back claws, Yukihyo supported me until he had me cradled in his arms.
“Teagan,” Zared said brokenly.
“Hush, it’s fine, Teagan. Everything is okay,” Yukihyo whispered against my hair. I shook like a sniveling coward and hid my face against his neck.
Yukihyo carried me into the lift. Soon, we were in our shower. Yukihyo sang softly to me in Laconian while helping me to wash away the sticky strands. Then, in our bed, he held me and made love to me all while strengthening our symbiotic bond with waves of calm.
“Teagan, before you saved me….”
“Before we saved each other,” I corrected as I twined our fingers together and snuggled against him.
“I survived without bonds. I didn’t have you, or my mother and female family members. I was like an enraged beast.”
“You seemed calm and professional to me when we first met,” I said as I inhaled his scent into my lungs and cherished the warmth of him beside me.
“What of my reaction to Devan on Malta when he thought to touch you at Ms. Laura’s?”
“Well, I was afraid of him. I was gonna shock him. I asked Luca for a massage and in a public place, so he wouldn’t try anything. I even kept….”
“Kept your bottoms on until he took them off of you while you slept and began having sexual fantasies about you?” Yukihyo stroked my hair. “I had you to calm me, but do you recall how I felt after my display of temper?”
I remembered being turned on. Yukihyo had thought I was disgusted with him. “Oh.”
“Teagan, he may have the ability when he focusses to read thoughts and emotions, but at times he may be too clouded by pain to see them. If ever he needed you, he needs you now.”
I squeezed closer to Yukihyo. I wasn’t too keen on leaving my safe secure spot in bed next to Yukihyo to trudge off to uncertainty. What if Zared had that same anger for me? What if he hit me? He hadn’t even listened to me as I had begged him to stop fighting. Now, I had taken Zared as my husband. With both his telepathic and physical strengths, there was nothing I could do to protect myself against him. Zared had known about Parvacian marriage customs before we had met. He married me as my fifth husband. Had he been hiding his jealousy and rage from me?
“Izaac, Rozz, and the others didn’t even come to help when Zared lost it.”
Yukihyo rubbed circles on my back. “No, as Zared’s rage grew, they reported it to Kaoti and confined themselves to their quarters just as they have been drilled to do in case of such a situation. They tried to shield you from Zared’s emotions while attempting to control their own.” Yukihyo gave me a gentle squeeze.
I spent time with Niklos and Neema. Thunderdrop proudly preened from his web above Sue. Nico kept telling him what a good boy he was and feeding him tiny pieces of meat. There wasn’t a Ponidi in sight. Eli and Kaoti were with them.
I was afraid to speak to Zared, but then I remembered the tortured sound of my name on his lips. I made it all of the way to his door, but stood there with my arms wrapped around myself not knowing what to do. I didn’t know if he was feeling angry or bitter. I hadn’t felt anything from Zared, Izaac, or any of them. It was possible that Zared hated me, and that they had all purposely shut me out. I myself had a difficult time being a Parvac. Maybe it was all too much for Zared. The door slid open before I could decide what to do.
Zared’s solid black, glittering eyes told me nothing, so I looked down at his bare feet and hugged myself a little tighter. I didn’t even know what to say. In the space between Zared’s feet and my eyes, Zared’s outstretched hand appeared. Hesitantly, I unwound one of my arms from around myself and took it. The dark room behind him grew lighter as my eyes adjusted. However, as I stepped inside and the door closed behind me, it began to change. Tall trees with green leaves stretched out above us, and soft grass tickled the soles of my feet. Inhaling, I drew Arachnean air deep into my lungs. The gentle breeze from the stream reached us blowing strands of our hair. I caught a lock of Zared’s soft grey strands in the fingers of my left hand. His hand was warm and comforting in my right.
Zared didn’t need my words to understand my feelings, nor did he need assurances. With his rage now controlled, all he needed were my lips to his. He held me against his chest and kissed me with a slow torturous worshipfulness. I continued to clutch his hair with one hand, but my other now pressed into the small of his back. Zared’s lips left mine, and he stared into my eyes seemingly absorbing all of my hopes and fears as the distance between us floated off in the breeze along with our clothing. Zared dressed me in delicate kisses until my legs were rendered useless, and I needed his support to remain upright.
Tall, and with muscle definition everywhere I looked, Zared was a warrior, my warrior. Following the trail of short soft hair on his chest, my attention focused on the hard length of his manly appendage. With my hand, I began to explore where my eyes had gone. He sat on a blanket, and I followed. When our bodies joined, he joined our souls. He delivered small pleasures to me through my eyelids, neck, and wrists. I thrashed beneath him no longer capable of matching his rhythm.
“Zared! Zared, please.”
I was atop a pinnacle of aching need and desperate for relief when I found my pleasure. Then, with each intimate thrust, Zared spiraled more through me. I seemed to float away from myself observing in my completely sated state as Zared quickened his thrusts and emptied himself deep within me. Slipping free, Zared positioned my back to his chest and sang to me until I slept. He was present in my dreams, either chasing away or destroying anything that frighte
ned me.
The shifting of the mattress woke me, and when I opened my eyes the mental construct was gone. I was once again on my ship in Zared’s dimly lit room. He stood at his door with his back to me wearing black pants with his long hair falling down his back.
“Bring him to me,” I said of Niklos while I yawned and stretched.
I sensed mild fear, apprehension, and awe from Zared as he held still while Lorca placed Niklos into his arms. Nervously, Zared carried my baby to me. Taking my warm little bundle from him, I smiled, closed my eyes, and smelled his little neck. His freshly changed diaper crinkled under his long baby gown. His eyes opened, and his fingers went into his mouth hungrily when he smelled my milk. I nursed him before he could start screaming.
Zared sat beside us on his bed. He remained silent until I laid Niklos down on the bed between us to play. Niklos liked to kick his feet and have me smile as I caught one, kissed its bottom, and released it before repeating the process with the other.
“You love me,” Zared said quietly. “As you do Lord Yukihyo, Quaid, and Nico. You care for Lord Jiri, but more as friends. You chose him for more practical reasons. Those reasons relate directly to the fabric of Parvac society at which you are the center. I know this, but when I saw Luca, at the time, I did not know it. All I could think was that you have me. You did not need him. My hands were empty and could have tended to you.” Before I could put into words my thoughts on Luca Braga, Zared stopped me. “I know. I know too that you consider him. I know everything that you feel and think. From now on, your needs will be above my own. Never again will you have cause to fear me.”
“No, Zared. That’s not right. I’m not more important than you.”
“Yes, you are. You are more important than all of us,” he said of himself and his hybrid brothers.
“No, you are my husband. It was wrong of me to put you in a position that caused you to feel that way. From now on, I won’t allow a man who is not my husband to touch me in a way that could be considered intimate.”
“I don’t want to control you.”
“I don’t want to control you either.” I bent over Niklos so he could grab my face.
“I will apologize to General Braga for my behavior. My jealousy confuses the men of your culture. They do not understand why I would deny you anything that would make you happy.”
I decided to remain silent on the issue.
After dinner and a long-range conversation with Hiroshi, who had finally succeeded in convincing Uncle Lee to relocate to Arachne, Yukihyo and Phillip were feeling nostalgic.
“Come on, baby sister. We’ve got babysitters. We’re having us a movie night. The ship has a great entertainment room,” Phillip said. They were both grinning at me.
“Okay.”
Yukihyo had spent the last hour playing horsey with Neema. He snuffled at my hair like a horse and made neighing and whinnying noises at me until I laughed at him. Encouraged, Yukihyo pretended to rise up and paw at the air with his front hooves. Neema and I were giggling at him. A few of the men shook their heads and laughed, too.
“Would you care for a ride on your stallion, my lady wife?” He winked at me.
I jumped on his back. He gripped me under my thighs and trotted with me to the movie room with the long poufy skirt of my white dress trailing behind us. I was a giggling mess by the time we arrived. Yukihyo chose a couch, and I laid with my head on his lap and my feet on Nico’s. Thunderdrop made himself comfortable on my stomach while I rubbed his legs.
“So, Cupcake. Do you want to watch a documentary?”
“About what?”
“The mating rituals of the indigenous lifeforms of Thalassa,” Phillip answered.
“We aren’t watching porn, Phillip.” A pillow hit Phillip in the head. “Thank you, Fitz.”
“You are welcome, Lady Jiri.”
Violet sat beside Kaoti. Her sickness had passed and left her ravenous. She had a bowl of seared pieces of meat in her lap and refused to share.
I huffed at her. “Violet, I have all of these unwanted suitors and not one of them has brought us any steaks.”
She shook her head in disgust. “They’re worthless.”
Phillip said, “With five husbands, they probably figure you’ve got more than enough meat.”
I rolled my eyes at him. Phillip searched the menu for a movie.
“What happened with that lady on Thalassa?” I asked him.
Phillip frowned. “She was just using me.”
“I thought you enjoyed that,” Yukihyo said.
“I do, but she just wanted to use me to get to Teagan. Who do you think took that video of you slapping Licinius?” Phillip shook his head.
“Did you at least get to slap something in return?” Yukihyo asked.
“Oh, yes, repeatedly. She made me work for it, but don’t worry, Cupcake. She won’t be getting anymore of this after betraying us that way.”
Yukihyo made a noise of disbelief.
With Yukihyo running his fingers through my hair, and Nico rubbing my feet, keeping my eyes open for whatever drama we were watching was difficult. A man leaned over the couch to whisper into Nico’s ear. It was Lieutenant Commander Glous. Nico’s face darkened with anger, and his feelings came to me unfiltered through our bond.
In my mind, Izaac said, “Warships have converged on our location and herd the Empress off course. Those serving as our escorts are outnumbered and are being fired upon. We are being forced to change course for Daphoene.”
“Phillip, let’s see the main viewer,” I said as I sat up.
Phillip ran through the menu showing us real drama. I stared at the screen and attempted to count the moving ships. It appeared at least twenty warships of various sizes surrounded us.
“Why are they doing this? What do they hope to accomplish?”
“They represent rival houses and are determined to show you their worth,” Nico answered.
“Oh, for shit’s sake. What the hell do I have to do to get these fuckers to leave me the hell alone?”
“Teagan, language,” Yukihyo admonished.
Dario hailed us.
“Put him through here,” Nico ordered.
Dario’s black hair and brown eyes filled the screen. “Princess Probus, I do not wish for you to be alarmed. However, I advise putting down on Daphoene and attempting to resolve matters.”
“Dario, what is their problem? How does this get resolved?”
“They have come to protect you.”
“From?”
Nico spoke up. “They each think they are protecting you from the error of accepting an unworthy warrior as a husband.”
“Who might that be?” I asked.
“Anyone who isn’t them. Each one believes he is the right choice for you above all others,” Zared answered.
“Phillip, announce that I’ve had a heart attack and died. That might get rid of them.”
“Shame on you, Teagan,” Phillip said.
“That would be cruel. Although I know you are joking out of exasperation, saying such a thing would cause widespread pain and mourning,” Fitz said.
“I just want them to leave us alone. Can’t we outrun them?”
“They would attack and destroy Licinius and his crew. They are furious with him. So, yes. Let us outrun them and go where you wish,” Eli said.
“This is all my fault, but I’ve done everything everyone wants. I only want to be with my family. Is it selfish of me? I’m so tired of them all pursuing me like I’m a shaggy mountain goat in heat. I just want us all to be alone. I want my family without strangers constantly barging into our lives and tossing us all up into the air. They keep pushing and pulling me like they have strings attached to me the way Thunderdrop did. Thunderdrop was protecting me. These warriors just want to use me. I hate it. I wish we could all hide from them, but look how fast they find us. We can’t run away to Chione. I could never do that to Papa. My heart would break without him.”
I withdrew internally
behind a hastily erected wall of confusion and misery where I could wallow in my own pain with my troubled thoughts for a while. Yukihyo, Zared, and Izaac were always so quick to soothe me that it made figuring out my own feelings difficult. Nico went with Glous to the bridge. Yukihyo held me while I cried frustrated tears against his neck.
“Teagan,” Eli said as he sat beside me in the space Nico had vacated. Eli took my hand in his. “You are in no danger. I will not allow anyone to hurt you. I will never leave you. All of those ships seem daunting, but no one onboard those vessels would think of harming you. Patience will sort this all out.” Eli’s hand warmed mine that now felt so cold and small.
“Let me talk to them.”
Eli placed a kiss upon my knuckles. “As you wish,” he said as he stood and approached the vid-screen opening communications systems. Yukihyo walked with me to stand beside him. I kept my arm linked with Yukihyo’s and reached down for Eli’s hand.
When the channel opened, I said, “I’m not sure what it is you are all trying to accomplish. However, you are hindering our efforts to resolve this issue. All of you are frightening me. I wish for you to disperse and cease your interference. Obviously, I have ruined everything. Before I came to the Empire, Parvac wasn’t at war amongst herself.”
I took my hands from Yukihyo and Eli and covered my face while I cried. There was nothing I could do. I had no real influence or power. I was a toy they all fought over. Eli’s strong arms enclosed me against the safety of his chest where I cried a little harder. I moved my hands from my face and hugged him around his ribs.
“The Princess was happy and smiling while I had her at home on Thalassa, for a while at least,” Fitz said coldly. “She wants to visit her family on Naxa. However, your inane machinations intrude upon her happiness yet again.”
“If the Princess wishes to visit Naxa, why is her ship set on a course to Apellan?”
Omnes Videntes (The Space Merchants Book 4) Page 26
