Of course, many of the Born humans were unhappy with her upcoming nuptials. Sage wasn’t all that concerned with her popularity or public opinion. It wasn’t her job to make them happy. It was her job to make sure they survived and right now she was failing miserably at it. This wedding was her last ditch effort to save their dying race. The thought of accepting a cyborg didn’t terrify her the way it did some other Born women. At least, no more than the thought of accepting any man into her body.
She’d paid dearly the last time she’d done so.
Sage fought the urge to tug up the low cut bodice of her gown, which revealed a great deal more of her than what she was accustomed. It felt as though she’d spill over the scoop-necked bodice at any moment. The ancient gown, fresh from its hermetically sealed status, looked brand new. A dazzling white confection that seemed to glow in the darkened caverns like a lantern in a mine. She had no idea why some long ago ancestor had saved the nonsensical bit of fabric. It certainly wasn’t suited to life on Earth, either above or below ground. It provided neither warmth nor proper coverage. Clothing was for use, not decoration.
Much like Sage herself. And Lily, who many present would have slaughtered for a meal if Sage hadn’t decided to take the dog with her. Pets were a luxury starving people couldn’t afford. But Lily had been the last gift Da had given her and no way would Sage give her best friend over to the hoard. She’d renounced enough for them.
Women whispered as she strode past them and Sage lifted her chin to show them their words didn’t give her a moment’s pause. She’s seen her reflection in the cracked looking glass, she knew exactly how ridiculous she appeared. She was tall for a woman and round where most others were lean. Her hips and ass and thighs stayed padded, even on the brink of starvation. The dress concealed nothing, tight as it was, but at least it was long enough. Her dark hair, which she usually pulled back out of the way, hung down her back in a straight fall of night against the almost white dress. She would have to take pains not to sit on it. If she even could sit, without bursting from the gown.
Sage looked exactly as an obedient sacrifice ought to on its way to the slaughter.
Someone fell into step beside her procession and Lily growled a warning when she saw Uncle Rand, the leader of the colony.
He ignored the dog and said, “You look lovely, niece.”
“Thank you.” He lied of course, but Rand was big on formality. He wore his best clothes which were considerably less tattered than the rest of the rags the Born wore. His dark hair, lightly sprinkled with gray at the temples was perfectly shorn. He would show the cyborgs not a hint of his weakness or his desperation.
“Nervous?” Rand assessed her critically with his cool gray gaze.
Sage fought the urge to fidget under his scrutiny. He didn’t care a fig about her feelings one way or another. He only asked because he didn’t want her to ruin this peace treaty that was the Born’s only hope for survival. “I know my duty.”
“Must you bring that animal with you?” He frowned at the dog, whose hackles rose from her collar down to her tail.
Lily had been a sore spot with him since negotiations began. But the little dog was Sage’s only condition and she knew she’d need her best and only friend in the days to come. Honor and duty be damned, she needed something for herself. All she said was, “I must.”
“Have it your way.” Rand moved toward Otev, the council member who would see to the exodus of the colony after the wedding.
“Are you ready, mistress?” The tallest of the Bred escort asked as they reached the tunnel digger that waited to take them to the heart of the world. He didn’t have to call her mistress, not now that his people were free and she could see by the light in his eyes that he knew it. Lily turned her distaste toward him. The dog was more skittish of men than Sage herself.
She took one last look around the cavern, at the faces of the people she’d known all her life. Some stared back with indifference, more interested in the spectacle than her future. Others didn’t bother to hide their disgust. It didn’t matter to them that she had no choice, was just a bargaining chip for Rand and the Borg-Bred coalition. She, a Born female was about to unite with a cyborg, gifting her mate as heir to their Born clan.
Sage swallowed as she surveyed the room and accepted that her well-being meant nothing to any of them. How ironic that she was their representative, when she didn’t have a friend in the room.
She wished her dear old Da was here today. She needed his guidance, his soft encouragement to help firm her resolve. Sage was terribly afraid she would take one look at her “mate” as the cyborgs called it and run screaming from the hall.
When another man made a lewd gesture she thought it would serve them all right if she did leave them to rot.
“Yes,” Sage said to the Bred who’d addressed her. “And my name is Sage. This is Lily. What should I call you?”
“Lewin,” The man’s smile reached his chocolate brown eyes. And he offered his hand for her pet. Lily sniffed and backed away hurriedly. The small dog was worthless as a protector.
Lewin straightened up. “I am to be your escort until the ceremony. If you need anything, just ask.”
“Thank you.” The only thing she needed was to put something between herself and the loathsome stares of the crowd. Sage lifted her skirts so she could climb the steps into the tunneler to wait for her uncle.
The inside was small and cramped. She took in her surroundings with a glance and slid to the back, trying to stave off terror when Lewin followed her inside the vehicle. Panic clawed her chest as the big Bred male encroached on her space but she shut her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, not allowing her emotions to overrule her good judgment. They won’t hurt me, it would violate the treaty.
Too bad she hadn’t found a way to reason with her fear. Lily tucked herself against the back of Sage’s legs in silent support.
“No one here will harm you, little one.” Lewin said softly.
At first she thought he was reassuring the dog, but when she opened her eyes she saw that Lewin had focused on her. She wondered how he knew, if her panic appeared as ugly on the outside as it did in her heart.
He shifted slightly, clearly trying to give her more room. “My Only One suffers the same…affliction. She doesn’t like tight spaces or to be surrounded by strange males. When we were first freed she lost consciousness from her fright on the trip below ground. Nothing would soothe her fear, not even knowing we were to be free.” He was gentle and tactful and Sage appreciated his discretion.
Talking helped. Something about the low, gentle cadence of his voice reassured her. “And how is she doing now?”
Lewin smiled again, pride etched across his features. “She is expecting our second young.”
“Congratulations. I wish you both good health and fortune.” How odd that this man she’d just met was so decent to her while the people she sacrificed herself for had nothing but snide remarks to toss her way.
Lewin opened his mouth to reply but her uncle appeared and he thought better of it. Smart man. Rand would not like her to be conversing with a Bred, no matter how innocent or well intentioned. Rand blamed the Bred for their current predicament.
After her uncle had taken his seat, the pilot pointed the nose of the tunneler at the ground. Sage closed her eyes and reached down to stroke Lily’s soft ear.
Here goes everything.
The noise of the machine drilling through the earth wasn’t enough to drown out the worries that plagued her. Not about the Bred males or even the confined space, no. Her mind had leapt ahead to meeting her soon-to-be-husband for the first time.
Though Sage had been present for the negotiations between the Born and other factions, her intended hadn’t shown up at the summit. It was strange, almost as though he had no interest in their union, or the commingling of their people. He’d signed his name to the document though, the agreement between their people for both the marriage and the merger of the factions.
Wh
en she asked Cormack, the Bred representative, abut why Dayen wasn’t in attendance his explanation had been vague and unsatisfying. Uncle Rand had a different take on her future groom’s absence.
“The cyborgs are assessing the level of our desperation. They wanted to see if we’d been willing to agree without meeting the man who is to inherit the clan. To see if I’d marry you off to one of their monstrosities sight unseen.”
Personally Sage thought he was more of a monstrosity because he hadn’t hesitated or even asked if that was all right with her.
Strictly speaking, the other factions didn’t insist on the union. It was the Born that insisted that their leader must have ties of either blood or marriage to the colony. And since she was the only female from their line, she was the sacrificial goat.
Stop that. It’s not helping anything.
As much as she resented her role, she couldn’t see another way for herself or the remaining Born. Without the Bred to do the work, their numbers had dwindled. People died from starvation or exposure to the elements. She had nowhere to run, and refusing this merger would have been an insult to the other factions and a death sentence for those still on the surface.
The man from the great hall had called her a Borg whore. Maybe she was, having sold herself in the contract, but that was the last thing she ever would have wanted. Sage didn’t know how to be a wife. She had no female relatives to teach her any of the feminine arts. Her sexual curiosity had been brutalized out of her, and now even if she’d had someone to ask, she wouldn’t for fear of dredging up the cesspool of repugnant memory.
What would her new role entail, other than spreading her legs when the time came and taking him in like a good little brood mare? Goosebumps broke out over her skin as she imagined it. Remembered it. A man’s weight on top of her, pinning her to the mattress, touching her whenever he desired, shoving himself into her, ignoring her cries of pain….
She shuddered at the memory and Lily pressed against her as their vehicle bounced though the tunnel it created. Her insides lurched from more than the bumpy ride. If there was anything in her stomach she might have expelled it.
Her eyes slid to Lewin who was watching her carefully. Maybe Dayen of the Bred and Borg alliances would be like him. Kind, reassuring, considerate. A man like that wouldn’t be too dreadful. Maybe he’d be patient and wait for her to be ready to share her body with him.
She snorted. And maybe the earth would start spinning again of its own volition.
The tunneler slowed to a stop. Her teeth sank into her lower lip and she waited and tried valiantly to steady her nerves. Da had taught her that it was best to bulldoze through unpleasant tasks, to get past them as quickly as possible. Endure what could not be overcome and move on to the next phase of her life.
The Bred guards exited first, followed by Uncle Rand, who didn’t spare her a glance. Uncaring if she got dog hair all over the precious dress, Sage scooped Lily up and held her close. Her furry companion shook, probably sensing her mistress’s anxiety.
Just have to endure it. Then move on to the next phase.
The being a Borg whore phase.
Fuck it. Sage lost her battle with her tears and sobbed into Lily’s soft fur, hating herself for being completely helpless and more scared then she’d ever been. She wasn’t strong enough to see what awaited her outside.
Perhaps they’ll forget about me.
Even as she thought it though, she knew her uncle wouldn’t forget. But too damn bad. If Dayen wanted her—and his absence from both the summit and the retrieval party suggested he didn’t—he’d have to come in and drag her out by her hair.
Before she could think it through, she lunged for the now empty cockpit and punched in the sequence the way she’d seen the pilot do. The shocked expressions on the men’s faces were almost comical as the doors sealed shut. But it was the cold fury on Rand’s features that made her heart speed up. Deep down, Sage knew that if she opened the doors now he’d throttle her for embarrassing him that way, wedding and treaty be damned
Oh, mercy what have I done?
Chapter Two
Under normal circumstances, Dayen avoided crowds. More people meant more minds churning and buzzing with unrestrained thoughts. The press of too many images was like a riptide that would grab hold and do its damndest to mentally drown him.
These circumstances were far from normal.
His bride-to-be had locked herself inside a tunneler and refused to come out. He kept expecting to hear the whirr of the engine and see the spiral tip aim for freedom. Could she simply have cold feet? Somehow he didn’t think so. What had frightened her so?
A crowd had gathered around the tunneler, but moved aside as he approached. His enhanced vision recognized the man pounding on the door as the leader of the Born colony and his mate’s uncle, Rand. The man’s face was contorted with rage as he pummeled the immobile vehicle.
“Open this door, immediately or I swear you will regret this.” Instead of shouting, Rand spoke quietly but there was no mistaking the edge of menace in his voice. Dayen caught a glimpse of the man’s thoughts and the beast inside him roared to the fore to protect his mate from any man who meant her harm.
He lunged forward, unsure of what he intended, but his father got there first. With a hand on the Born’s shoulder his father spoke quietly, though Dayen could still hear, even over the murmuring crowd.
“She’s obviously frightened. I suggest we give her time to work this out.” Cormack caught his eye and indicated he could handle the Born leader. The beast wanted blood, but Dayen wrestled it for control. He’d ruin the treaty and possibly doom them all if he gave in to his rabid fury.
“She agreed to this,” Rand seethed. “Agreed to abide by the terms.”
“I’m sure she will. It’s just a case of the jitters. Come, let’s look over the contracts and give her a little room to breathe.”
The bastard clearly wanted to argue but he didn’t. Dayen picked up on the thoughts that flashed through his mind, the options Rand considered and discarded. He also discovered the man’s distaste for the factions other than the Born. His prejudice was sour, but not half as awful as the punishments he planned for Sage.
Dayen clenched his fists, his control fraying. He’ll never get the chance.
Allora arrived and banished the crowd with a haughty look and a loudly uttered “Don’t you all have work to be about?” For once, his mother’s overwhelming personality was a relief instead of a barb. She cleared obstacles from his path. Dayen’s gaze returned to the tunneler where his woman was held up.
Mine, the beast snarled. It wanted to tear the vehicle apart to retrieve her but Dayen convinced it to let him try first. She was safe enough and apparently not intending to flee. He reached forwarded to lay a hand against the smooth metal door that separated them. She was so close, almost his.
But what would he do with her? The beast craved her body, his cock ached for her, but if they touched, her thoughts would invade his mind to a deafening degree. What sort of man couldn’t make love to his woman?
A broken one.
Without the distraction of the crowd, her thoughts were already tumbling around in his head. Not electric like his mother’s, less volatile but more ethereal and intangible. She thought in images as well as words. Through her mind’s eye he saw a dog in her arms, longing for her father, felt the fear of her uncle. The man had beaten her before, for some offense she didn’t recall.
And she was afraid of Dayen. He was the reason she’d locked herself in the tunneler, had braved her uncle’s wrath and her people’s demise. She’d rather face the consequences of her brash actions than him.
Her pure terror of him stung, the cyborg she was promised to but hadn’t met. She had as many questions as he, all jumbled up in the unrefined way of a person on the verge of panic. Would he be kind to her, or was she in store for more abuse? She worried that he would force intimacy on her. Dayen laid his head against the door. She was there, right there and
she dreaded meeting him.
The few glimpses of her he’d caught from a distance hadn’t been enough. He wanted to strip her down to her skin and study every inch of her at his leisure. Staying away from her had been a new kind of torture but he knew his possessive inner nature would have ruined the negotiations. And she feared intimacy with him, sex with him. Her mind flashed to the terrifying images he’d dreamt and he wanted to roar in agony. She’d been raped. Some male had hurt his mate.
Some soon to be dead male.
He’d almost decided to give over to the mindless beast, to let it seek vengeance, when her voice called through the door.
“Is anyone there?”
He closed his eyes and swayed a bit. If her thoughts had been chaotic her words were a soft flowing river of warmth, bathing him in a golden light.
“Me,” he replied, so that he could hear her again.
A pause and he sensed her moving closer to the door. “Who are you?”
If he told her his name, she’d know who he was and she was so on edge that her fear would unleash the beast. That would be the worst outcome because the monster wanted to destroy any who threatened its mate. It didn’t understand that she feared him, that she needed to be reassured. Control was what was called for, not bloodshed. So instead of identifying himself he called out. “A friend.”
“Is my uncle still out there?” There was a tremor in her voice as she asked.
“No one is out here but me, sweet. Are you all right? Can I bring you anything?”
“I’m fine.” It was a lie, she was anything but fine. He knew her dress, the one the Born bastard had insisted she wear chafed, that she was cold and hungry and frightened. And worried over her dog, of all things. She knew her uncle wouldn’t hurt her in front of the other factions, but she feared he’d take his wrath out on Lily. Dayen wouldn’t let that happen, but had no way to reassure her without revealing himself.
He regretted agreeing to the marriage clause without consideration for what she would think. Though he had no way of knowing she’d be coerced into it at the time. He’d simply been relieved that he would get to make such a public claim on her.
B Cubed #3 Borg Page 2
