by Celia Kyle
Hannah took a deep breath and sought a calm that danced just out of reach. It taunted her, showing her what she could have if she’d stop panicking already. Well, panic had been her best friend for more years than she could count so…
“Look, I truly believe in what Cole-Daven is doing. I think the fact that people today are still suffering for the pollution and destruction humans committed in our past is unacceptable. I know that Cole-Daven can fix that with the Preor’s help. I just don’t want to be one of the humans healed.” Please don’t ask me why. Please don’t ask me why.
Elle stepped closer, moving out from under Ivoth’s wing, and drawing nearer to Hannah’s waist. “Why? The pollution mutated our genes. It’s the very core of the disease’s name—Pol Mutation. I don’t understand why you’re so determined to stay as you are.”
“Just…” She shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment, fighting against the growing sting. Her body wanted her to cry, but Hannah had given up on tears a long time ago. “I’ve made my choice. I want to work for Cole-Daven. I want to help others suffering from PM get cured. I don’t want my own touched.” She squeezed her eyes tight and then relaxed before opening them to meet Elle’s gaze. “If that’s a make or break requirement for my position, I’ll resign right now.”
Elle furrowed her brow, confusion etched in every line of her expression, and shook her head slowly. “Hannah, I don’t…”
“You don’t have to understand. You do have to accept my choice or fire me. Those are the only options.” Though it’d kill her to walk away when she knew how much good could be done.
Hannah pulled free of Brukr’s gentle hold and swung her legs over the side of the medical platform. She pushed against the edge and lowered her feet to the ground. Everyone stared as she padded across the crowded room, no one saying a word while she slipped past. She reached the door and stared at the identipad just to its left. One press of her thumb and she’d be free.
She carefully rested her thumb on the reflective surface and waited for it to change from red to green. Then the panel slid aside, granting her exit. She took one step and then another, placing her body just outside the room.
Then she glanced over her shoulder. Brukr’s stare was hot and heavy on her shoulders, but she sought out Elle’s concerned gaze. “Think about it and let me know.”
Chapter Nine
No one spoke until the door slid shut behind Hannah.
It was Jarek who opened his mouth first. “She has a deficiency. You cannot say she does not.” The male ignored his mate’s elbow to his stomach. “Melissa, I will sleep in the house of a dog, but that does not change the truth.”
It was a saying Brukr had not heard in the past, but he would do additional research when he had a free moment. After Hannah received treatment.
“Should we contact Skala joi Donna? His mate was very ill with Pol Mutation before being healed. I do not recall mental deficiency, but she would have more information as a patient.” Chashan spun and hurried to a nearby comm, hands flying over the flat surface.
“Charlie, I cannot set Brukr aflame. A Preor’s fire does not hurt another Preor, you know this.” Ivoth glared at a spot just above his mate’s shoulder. “No, I do not have time to injure him now. We are attempting to decide if Hannah is deficient.”
Brukr tried, he truly did, but he could not take yet another person calling Hannah deficient. Bothersome. Annoying. Frustrating. Beautiful. Seductive. Gorgeous…
“She is not deficient!” Even the ground trembled with Brukr’s roar. The ryaapir unit released a beeping alarm, indicating it’d lost its calibration due to the vibrations. The lights flickered for a moment with the thunderous sound.
And a high-pitched, eardrum burning squeak immediately followed. It seemed his yell frightened the quasti.
He would apologize later. Perhaps.
Everyone stared at Brukr and he straightened his spine. He pushed his shoulders back and stood tall, meeting each male’s gaze. He did not dare clash eyes with Elle or Melissa. Brukr liked his head where it was at. He did not wish to have it separated from his body by a jealous mate.
He cleared his throat and spoke once more. “She is not deficient. I do not know what troubles her, but it is not her mind.”
Or her body. Her kisses could not taste so sweet if more than the Pol Mutation plagued her.
“I will locate her and return her to medical.” Hopefully Penelope still tracked Hannah so she would be easy to find. If not, he would search the entire building room by room. And then he would take to the air if she’d somehow escaped.
His dragon was pleased with the idea, the thought that it’d get to be freed for a hunt—even if it was a hunt for something they already owned. Brukr mentally glared at the beast. No one owned another, and even if they did, Hannah would not be owned by him. He was not her mate.
The dragon did not care.
Brukr strode toward the door, intent on beginning his search, but a familiar grip halted his progress. He knew the male almost as well as he knew himself.
“Ivoth.” He murmured the male’s name and turned his head to meet his friend’s gaze.
“Hold, Brukr.” Ivoth did not release him and instead glanced around the room. A simple tilt of his head had the others departing, leaving only Ivoth and Brukr in the space.
Brukr sighed. He did not like the direction of this meeting. Ever since Ivoth mated Elle, the male had gotten into the habit of talking to solve problems. He preferred blades, but if a discussion would earn him his freedom from medical, he would speak.
Ivoth didn’t speak again until the door secured the room. “You have spent much time in Hannah’s company.”
Brukr grunted. He could not deny the truth. He enjoyed being with Hannah even when she frustrated him.
“Triem states you placed your lips on hers.” There was no question in Ivoth’s tone because they both knew Triem would not lie. He would say stoo-pid things, but never lie.
Brukr grunted again.
Ivoth’s boots thudded as he moved to stand in front of Brukr. “She is not one to be used—to be bought.”
Fury stole over him, hot and fast and burning with the fire of his dragon’s soul. It burst up from the very depths of himself and consumed him in a rolling wave of anger. The idea he would ever disrespect Hannah in such a way… It was too much for the dragon to bear. It forced him into action, forced him to shove his friend until the male’s back collided with the wall.
He did not give the male a chance to recover and instead immediately pressed his forearm to Ivoth’s throat. “Never, ever say such a thing again. None would treat her in such a way. I would not treat her in such a way.”
Brukr glared at the other warrior, waiting for the male’s reaction to his actions. Would they battle in the skies or with blades? Brukr preferred blades but was proficient with either method. He would allow Ivoth to choose his method. Ivoth would have his ass handed to him regardless.
He believed that was the saying. He would ask Penelope when he was done battling Ivoth.
Seconds ticked past, and still he waited for Ivoth’s fury. Instead, the male smiled.
So Brukr narrowed his eyes. What game did Ivoth play?
“You have been bitten.” The male sounded happy with that knowledge.
He shook his head. “No, I have not been bitten, though you deserve to have your throat ripped out for believing I would ever treat Hannah in such a way.”
Ivoth grunted and nudged Brukr’s arm in a silent demand for freedom. He released the male. There was not enough room to truly do battle in medical anyway.
“My mate states that love is a bug and it bites. You have been bitten by the bug.”
He snorted and shook his head. “I do not wish to say your mate is deficient in her mind, but I cannot say she is not deficient.”
Ivoth glared but without any true heat. Instead of reprimanding Brukr, he explained. “It is an Earth saying. I state that you have feelings—beyond laying with h
er—for Hannah.”
“I care for her,” he hedged. He would not admit that he thought of nothing but her every moment of every day.
Ivoth saw through him. “It is more than caring, Brukr.”
“She is not my mate. The Knowing…” Brukr sighed and closed his eyes, dropping his head forward. The Knowing was something they wished for from the moment they learned of mates and the bond the couple shared.
To know all that had come before, to have all that knowledge as well as the heart of his perfect match… it was truly a slice of Syh.
“I did not believe Elle was my mate when I claimed her.” A rustle of wings told him that Ivoth shrugged. “Yet I did.”
Brukr opened a single eye. “You claimed her to save her life.”
Another shrug. “I would have claimed her eventually. My heart,” Ivoth rubbed his chest, “my heart and my dragon would not have allowed me to be without her much longer. She is the piece of me I never knew I missed.”
“And you would have claimed her? Without the Knowing?” Brukr straightened and spread his arms wide. “And lived away from all others so you could not meet your true mate?”
“I would sacrifice anything to remain with Elle.” So matter of fact. There was no hesitation in Ivoth’s voice. “And I believe you feel the same about Hannah.”
He wished to snort but did not. Making light of his emotions for Hannah seemed… wrong.
Instead, he focused on thoughts in his mind that’d pressed on him since his time as a sixth warrior. “Syh only gives deserving males,“ he’d almost said honorable males, but Brukr was far from honorable, “mates with the Knowing.” He paused and waited for Ivoth’s agreement. Once the male nodded, Brukr continued. “If I do not experience the Knowing with a female, perhaps Syh has found I am undeserving. Would it be right to claim a female if Syh does not believe I should have her?”
Not undeserving—dishonorable.
“Why do you not believe yourself honorable? Deserving?”
Brukr winced. “I did not say I was not. I only ask—”
“You have held this belief for many turnings. You are an honorable deserving male, Brukr sen Zak’lu. You would not be honored by the emperor if that was not true.”
That reminder made Brukr wince, and he fought to suppress the motion. He did not need the male digging into Brukr’s feelings. “A male is not made with a single action.”
Ivoth tilted his head to the side. “Elle indicates human dragonlets can be made after only one sharing.”
He opened his mouth to respond and snapped it shut again. He was not sure how to respond. Instead, he focused on their discussion. Warriors in Preor Tower did not argue. Not after young Violet cried when Radoo last shouted at Triem in the hallway.
“Our discussion is about Hannah and her health. I will locate her.” Brukr turned and took one step before Ivoth stopped him once more. He’d truly hoped to escape but that would not happen.
“Brukr, if your feelings are strong, it is possible that she is your mate. Pol Mutation does not allow for the Knowing to form. Skala did not truly know that Donna was his until she was healed. I did not know Elle was mine until she was well. It is still possible she is your mate.”
Brukr couldn’t allow himself to hope. Not when he was sure Syh had still not forgiven him for his cowardice.
Dishonor. Why would Syh grant someone like him a future filled with love and dragonlets?
Syh wouldn’t.
“I…” Do not know what I wish to say. Being without words made him mentally groan. He was not a young male any longer. He could not get away with whatever he wished. “I am assigned as her guard. I care for her as a male cares for any under his protection.”
“And the kiss?”
Brukr could not hold Ivoth’s gaze as the untruth left his lips. “I was told it was an effective method of quieting females. I only sought to silence her.”
Ivoth snorted. “I will not call you a liar, but one of us has not been speaking the truth in this room, and it is not me.”
He ignored the insult. Could it truly be an insult if it was a fact? Brukr did not believe so. “I am not a male that deserves a mate, Ivoth. I do not let my mind drift so far that I believe it is a possibility. I will not touch Hannah again and will act only as her guard.”
It would kill him to do more and then discover she belonged to another.
“You are one of the most honorable males I know, Brukr. You saved the emperor’s life.”
Brukr quirked his lips in a rueful smile. “Did I?”
“You are being stoo-pid on purpose. All know that you took a blade for the emperor. You nearly lost your head!” Ivoth gestured at Brukr’s neck.
If only all Preor knew the truth.
“It does not matter.”
“Not matter?”
Brukr ignored Ivoth’s shout. “I was nothing more than a sixth—”
The room’s lights flashed and a screeching alarm filled the air, silencing them both in an instant. They both waited, one second stretching into two as if it was an eternity while they waited for Penelope to speak.
The alarm had been triggered. The Preor were under attack.
Brukr reached behind him and wrapped his hands around the hilts of his war blades. The metal was sharp, the katoth handles worn with age, and countless had died on the glistening edge. He wondered how many more lives he would claim today. If someone dared attack the Preor, they deserved whatever punishment a dragon could issue.
Ivoth did the same, their movements instinctual, and then Penelope gave them what they desired.
“Warriors report. Intruders in front of Preor Tower. Hannah in danger.”
Hannah.
Hannah.
Her name pounded inside his mind, repeating over and over again.
And with it came a new feeling, a new sensation that… was not his.
Panic.
Chapter Ten
Anger fueled her as she strode from medical and pushed her on while she stomped down the hallway. Of course, there was more than a little heartache mixed in her emotions as well. Pain from the possible—likely—loss of her job with Cole-Daven. Not because of the money, but because of what she could have done for others.
It was fine, though. Cole-Daven would be okay without her. They had Kate and Violet as well as CeCe. There were others, too. Women who struggled just as much as Hannah. Struggles the public could identify with. Hannah wasn’t the only one who was on her feet for hours at a time just to eke out an existence.
Her eyes stung, tears gathering and blurring her vision. She wasn’t sure why they formed. She must have gotten dust or something in them because she didn’t cry. Not when she reported her father. Not after her first, painful gen mod. And not when she’d last been discovered by overzealous media. She’d broken her arm that day. Someone had knocked her down, and then…
“Where y’going?” A small voice, feminine and high-pitched, drew her attention. The words were immediately followed by an equally small hand sliding into Hannah’s. “Can I come?”
Hannah sniffled and pulled her lips into a smile, pushing away her sadness in the face of Violet’s innate joy. Even when Violet was ill with a Pol Mutation flare, she was filled with happiness. The only time she was anything but cheerful was when Kate caught her doing something she shouldn’t.
“Just going outside for a breath of fresh air.” Hannah jerked her head backward. “The big guys are getting on my nerves.”
Violet nodded, eyes wide. “They bother Aunt Kate, too. She says they’re annoying and if she wanted someone to wipe her ass, she woulda institutionalized herself.”
Hannah wasn’t going to laugh at the little girl. She wasn’t. And then… she did. She released a giggle that turned into an outright laugh that managed to push away some of the sadness and anger that still clouded her mind. “I don’t think Aunt Kate wants you to say ass.”
Violet’s small face grew serious and she nodded slowly. “I’m s’posed to say bottom
.” Then she shook her head. “But they don’t try to wipe my bottom and I don’t see any of the dragons trying to wipe her bottom, so I don’t understand why she’s so cranky.”
Hannah bit her lip. “I think she just means that they’re annoying.”
The little girl shrugged. “I like them. Triem takes me to the roof to play sometimes.” She released Hannah’s hand and darted ahead. “I get to run, run, run.” Violet hopped. “And jump… and he flies and catches me.”
Hannah rubbed her forehead and made a mental note to tell Kate about Triem’s version of babysitting. “Maybe you shouldn’t play that game. It’s dangerous, huh?”
Violet shook her head, golden curls swinging back and forth. “Nope. Triem said he’d never let anything happen to a dragonlet.” She pointed at herself. “And I’m one.”
Yeah, she’d tell Kate all about Triem.
Except… she wasn’t going to see Kate again. Not if Ivoth and Elle demanded treatment as the price of her job.
“I see.” She couldn’t help but imagine the kid leaping off the top of the skyscraper, trusting a Preor to fly down and snatch her into his arms before she collided with the beach below. “It sounds scary though. You should talk to Aunt Kate about it.”
Violet wrinkled her nose. “She’ll tell me I can’t do it anymore.”
“So maybe you shouldn’t?”
“Nope, I like it.” Violet skipped ahead, traveling down the hallway twenty or thirty feet before circling back. So joyous. So carefree. Had Hannah ever been like that?
No. Not at Violet’s age. Maybe when she was younger. Maybe when her mother had still been alive. But at Violet’s age, Hannah had walked into a law officer’s station, and things had never been the same since.
Violet reached the end of the hall and stood just to the right of the double doors that led to the parking lot in front of Preor Tower. Beyond that were the streets and highways of Tampa. Within the twisting and twining maze was Hannah’s old apartment—her old life. The one she’d return to now that her time with Cole-Daven was at an end.
