“The minute you walked in the room, I knew he’d freaked you out. Looks exactly like his father, doesn’t he? Happens to everyone. Hi, I’m Cassie. This is Severus, the love of my life. The one you looked at like you wanted to tear her eyes out is Lina, my best friend. On the other side is Cato and his mate Luna. Come on, sit by me. We’re going to get along just fine, red. I like a woman ready to fight for her man.”
Tana felt a hot flush rip up from her chest to her hairline before she could get a word out of her mouth. “Oh! No, you’re mistaken. Lucien isn’t…I mean the emperor isn’t…you know…mine.”
Cassie reached over and pulled out the chair next to hers. She threw her a lopsided grin and snorted. “Lie to yourself all you want, sweetie. You’re a dead giveaway.”
Chapter 30
The sweetest voice rose up and saved Tana from further embarrassment as she gawked at the pretty blonde.
“Cassie! You’re going to scare her. Don’t worry, Tana, she’s a total sweetheart. Like she said, we’re best friends and I’ll make sure she behaves herself. Sit, please. I’m sure you’re starving. The kitchen staff said your dinner plate was untouched.”
Goodness, Lina was too adorable. She would’ve felt bad if she’d actually kicked her ass. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Thank you.”
Sliding onto the chair next to Cassie, Tana glanced to Kallon. He was leaning over and placing a gentle kiss to the cheek of the dark-haired beauty named Luna, then took the seat next to her. She had fabulous blue eyes and was just as breathtaking as the other two. The huge, extremely handsome man sitting next to her couldn’t keep his eyes from roaming every inch of Luna’s face. Tana could tell he was totally smitten as he held her long braid in his hand and caressed the strands. He was intimidating as hell with a monstrous tattoo running down his right arm and ball studs lining one ear. The blue tips on his spiked hair just made him even more unique. He flipped his eyes up and caught her staring. When he smiled, Tana couldn’t look away. The words “fallen angel” whispered through her brain. He had the same intriguing eye color as his mate. Geez, were there any ugly Insedi?
“Nice to meet you, Tana. I’m Cato. This is Luna, my mate. She’s also Kallon’s cousin.”
Luna graced her with a brilliant smile and Tana immediately liked her.
“Hi, Tana. I’m glad you made it safely off that planet. The way the emperor spoke of you, I knew you were extraordinary. He said that you saved them.”
Tana felt heat hit her cheeks again. “No. I didn’t do anything special. They all rescued me.” From the corner of her eye, she saw the prince lean forward.
“I beg to differ. Confiscating the device that held my father captive was miraculous. He told us that you acquired it while two males were fighting and you were injured. You were very brave. The way you handled the weapons that allowed the warriors to continue the battle with the Dar Kan is commendable. You’d make a fine warrior, according to my father. I would have to agree.”
Tana had tried to follow what he’d been saying, but the resemblance to Lucien was uncanny and kept her mind in a wild spin. His voice was completely different, but she could see many traits they shared. The intense green eyes held the same unmistakable intelligence and he carried himself in the same confident manner. He could look right into her soul, just like Lucien. She finally realized he’d stopped talking and she figured she’d better say something.
“Uh, thank you.”
Kallon’s voice helped her break away from his piercing gaze. “Trejani, I’d hoped to see your father this morning. Will he be joining us soon? I also see that Ulixes is late as well.”
“No, they departed before the sun topped the mountain. Father discovered that Maxim left last night to hunt kruthka and decided to join him. After being cooped up for so long on Glaxon 8, he said he needed to get away for a while. They took Bellator with them. He seems to appreciate a good hunt. Ulixes will use the time to convince him that Protonecis needs a strong king to lead them. I don’t envy him the task.”
Tana hoped her face wasn’t showing the signs of abject disappointment that Kallon’s was. She jumped when Drusus called her name.
“Father sends his regrets that he couldn’t see you off. He asked that you understand and forgive him. He wishes you a happy life once you return to Earth. As a thank-you for your assistance in the victory over the Dar Kan, he’s put other things in place that I’m sure you’ll find pleasing. You’ll stay with Cato and Luna until the scenario for your rescue is finalized. If anyone can assure its success, it’s Cato.”
Tana felt a light patting on her leg and looked over to Cassie. Her golden eyes were sad. She seemed to know that the news had devastated her. It was written all over her face. Lina was right, she really was a sweetheart. Glancing to the other women, she could tell they were sympathizing as well. It was as if her heartbreak had released a female hormone that only they could detect.
The men continued to talk amongst themselves, but Tana heard nothing. She pasted a smile on her face and graciously accepted the food passed to her. She even managed to tell them the story of the beast without losing her shit. She was a robot acting out the part of an Earth woman waiting patiently to be taken home. And it was killing her.
* * * *
Tana lay flat on her back and stared up into the night sky. Well, that was interesting. Obviously, there had to be a better way to exit a vortex instead of ass first. Pulling her hands up, she double-checked to assure herself that everything had reformed like it should. Glancing up she stared at the blackness of the ‘hole’ she’d just shot through. Two large boulders sat to either side of the wavering mass. They looked like tall sentries guarding the best-kept secret on the planet. What a surreal trip! She heard a soft chuckle and felt a large hand wrap around hers. It was Sotarios.
“Don’t worry. I landed the exact same way on my first time through. Maxim still won’t let me live it down. Let’s get you out of the way before Kallon comes through and steps on your belly. I had Keos’s boot print on mine for two days.”
Laughing, she grabbed his hand and rose up. “Good to know. I won’t feel so ashamed now. Did Cato or Luna see me? We’ll have to swear them to secrecy.”
“Nope, they’re already down by the helicopter waiting for us.”
“Sweet. My pride’s still intact.” Dusting her ass off, Tana followed Sotarios away from the entrance. “How many times have you been through, Sotarios? I figured the elite guard had to stay close to home.”
Sotarios relaxed against a boulder and shrugged. “Five, maybe six times, I think. I only came over so Maxim could teach me to fly the helicopter. I’m sort of glad he wanted to hunt. I missed coming over here. There are some warriors I haven’t seen in a while. It’ll be nice to catch up.”
Sotarios was the most open of all the Insedi she’d met. They’d definitely bonded on Glaxon 8. At least he blushed less than the others when she’d tried to start a conversation. She wanted to ask him some questions about the mate search on Earth, but he surprised her with his soft comment.
“I’m surprised he let you go.”
“What?”
“Lucien. He let you go. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around that. Mates are rare and he let you walk away. He needs his ass kicked.”
Tana was glad the moon wasn’t in full glow to show off her pink cheeks. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Sotarios. I’m not his mate. I don’t know how many times I have to tell everyone this. Sending me back should be your first clue.”
“Did he kiss you?”
She felt her throat constrict at the memory. “Yes, but I could tell he reacted badly to it that first time. I thought he was having a seizure. He was upset afterward and made me go back to camp. It was obvious that his body rejected me.” She frowned when he untangled his arms and his mouth hung open.
“A seizure? Did he look like he was in excruciating pain or maybe even passed out?
“Yes. It was very scary.”
Suddenly, he threw his
head back and let out a raucous laugh.
Frowning, she punched him on the arm. Damn, she might as well have struck the boulder. “What the hell is so funny about that?”
“No, sweetness. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at the situation. We were all correct. Every damn one of us could see it plain as day, no matter how many times he tried to act differently. You’re his mate. Plain and simple. Well, his Occasio, at least. If you were fully mated, there’s no way you’d be standing here right now.”
“Damn it, Sotarios. What the hell are you talking about?” He turned his head as soon as Kallon stepped from the vortex.
“Tell you what, Tana. This conversation is going to need some finessing, and there’s your best bet. Ask him the first chance you get. Come on, we need to get you to Cato’s.”
She watched openmouthed as Sotarios pushed away from the boulder and headed toward Kallon.
“Shit, Kallon. You get stuck in a whirlpool? Took you long enough.”
Shaking his head, Kallon slung his bag over his shoulder. “Only at the entrance. Cassie and the Filia caught me before I stepped inside. They made me promise to show Tana Sixth Street before we hauled her off to her island.” He turned and gave her a beautiful smile.
“I was also asked to invite you back to Texas for a permanent stay once you get the rescue out of the way. Cassie wants to remind you that Texas has the best-looking horses.”
Tana frowned. “Horses?”
He grinned and linked his arm with hers. “Yes, the emperor said that you loved horses and would want to see them running on a wide-open plain. What better place than the biggest state there is?”
Biting her lip to keep from bursting into tears, Tana dipped her head and pretended to study the ground. “Yes, that sounds nice.”
Tana was glad he had a firm grip on her arm or she would have staggered to her knees. Her mind spun from realizing Lucien had remembered that simple, innocent conversation.
* * * *
Lucien wasn’t prepared for the hard shove to his shoulder or the breath-stealing tumble to the ground. He knew he’d made a mistake as soon as his sword skittered across the grass. Rolling to his back, he watched Maxim’s large body spring high over his legs. The warrior’s sword quickly found the neck of the kruthka charging mere feet away from them both. After the death squeals subsided, Maxim swung around and gave him a chastising glare.
“Emperor, if you’re not going to pay attention, I suggest you go back to camp. That thing was inches from skewering your ass.”
“Maxim, I’ve told you eight times now to call me Lucien. I am not the emperor out here.” Reaching up to clasp the offered hand, Lucien pulled himself to his feet.
“Fine, then. Lucien. Get your ass back to the camp if you’re not going to hunt with your whole brain in play. I’m not going to babysit you and I sure as hell don’t want to be the one remembered as having let the emperor die on this mountain.”
Chuckling, Lucien retrieved his sword and slipped it back in its sheath. “Fair enough. I guess I deserved that.” Maxim clapped him on the back and snorted.
“Go get Bellator. He can help us drag this bastard back. I’m sure he’s finished stripping down the last one. He’s pretty damn good with a blade. Surprised the hell out of me.”
“Yes he is. At first I thought I might find one buried in my back when he found out that Tana is off-world now.” Lucien felt his stomach flip the second he said her name. Two days had passed and he still felt like a raw wound. His attempt at fractus had been a dismal failure. One hour into full mist form and he couldn’t bring himself to fully break the bond he’d made with her. He raised his brows when Maxim just gave him a blank stare. “What?”
“I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with you.”
Quickly looking down his body for signs of blood, Lucien glanced back up. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention, that’s all.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. How could you let your mate go, Lucien? What did she do that was so bad that you’d turn your back on her?”
Lucien straightened his spine and started walking toward camp. He threw a flippant answer over his shoulder.
“She’s not my mate and she wanted to go home. It’s that simple. There’s nothing amiss.” He inwardly cringed when he heard Maxim’s heavy footfalls right behind him.
“For someone so intelligent, you’re surprising me. Did you think I didn’t feel the warmth of your necklace when we all embraced after the first kill? I didn’t see the glow so assumed you weren’t revealing the news until you’d finalized the last mark.”
Lucien stopped dead in his tracks. He swallowed a few times then continued walking. “It was from the heat of the battle and the day was warm. You’re mistaken.” He wasn’t prepared for the big hand grabbing his bicep and spinning him around. He’d never seen such a serious look on Maxim’s face before.
“Were you lying when you said you weren’t the emperor out here?”
“No, I wasn’t lying.”
“Good.”
The crack he received to his jaw set him promptly on his ass.
“Fuck! What the hell did you do that for?” Leaping to his feet, he glared at the massive warrior and figured he was about to get his butt kicked if the look on the male’s face was any indication. Instead, Maxim drew to his full height and narrowed his steel-gray eyes.
“Thousands upon thousands of your people dream on a daily basis of finding their mate, Lucien. I’ve been on Earth for five years and have yet to meet mine. No matter how many necks I caress or lips I devour, not one has warmed the tooth. Hell, poor Caelius is nearly mad from the search. Your misfortune of being captured led directly to her discovery. Have you even comprehended the enormity of what the cosmos laid out for you? It’s a gods damn miracle.”
Maxim’s broad shoulders slumped as if his anger was too much to carry. He suddenly cocked his head to the side and his frown deepened. Lucien felt like Maxim was seeing him for the first time and it made him nervous. The husky, strained words confirmed his fear.
“How do you think it makes me feel to know that my very own emperor would cast that unbelievable fortune aside as if it was an annoyance? That day in the senate chambers, you gave so many of us hope. The tunnel build, the training, and your belief in how we should treat our potentials led me to believe that you would welcome yours gladly into your life. I’m so disappointed in you right now I feel as if my heart will explode.”
Lucien stared at the wide back that was steadily walking away from him. He cleared his throat and called out to him.
“Maxim. I’m so sorry. You’re right. I’ve been an idiot.” The disgusted warrior whirled around and raised his palms.
“Then explain it to me. I need to understand the workings of your mind. I don’t want to lose the tremendous amount of respect I’ve had for you since I was old enough to know you existed. It now hangs on a very fragile thread.”
Fuck! The warrior had done for him in two minutes what he had been unable to do since the moment he’d realized what Tana was to him—to own the truth. Now it was time to spill it from his lips.
“I thought I was protecting her.”
“From what?”
“Me.”
“What possible harm could you ever do to that sweet thing? I saw how you looked at her. You love her.”
“Yes. Yes I do. She spoke to me once of her desire to live out in the countryside and watch her beloved horses running free. Junia had the same wish to be away from the court and live in that manner. It destroyed our relationship. I’ve had no true mate for centuries. I couldn’t go through that again.”
“She’s not Junia.”
“Gods! You have no idea how right you are. She’s nothing like her. When the sun set with Junia, the moon rose and brought me Tana. She’s strong, confident, and so very intelligent in regards to seeing the truth of things. I watched her closely when one of the Earth males had perished. She could have broken, but she r
ecovered in seconds. I could see the realization cross her face that others make decisions that impact their lives and there is nothing to be done. You move on and you survive. She battled a full-grown male, twice, and came away victorious. She fought beside me and helped our warriors to live. She’s breathtaking.”
“Well, that sounds like you’ve found your empress, Lucien.”
Lucien turned and stared at Bellator standing next to the dead kruthka. Ulixes stood behind him with the sling for dragging in their kills slung over his shoulder. His mouth was opened in surprise.
Lucien nodded. “Yes, I believe that I have.”
“Good. I was tired of playing the game of love and watching you ignore all of my valiant efforts.”
Frowning, Lucien shook his head. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
Bellator laughed. “I will admit, the first time I laid my eyes upon Tana, I was smitten. She is a very beautiful woman. But, it was what I found in her eyes that had me snared. I could see that she was extremely intelligent. When you failed to claim her, I was sure I could win her as my queen.” Dropping the pouches slung over his shoulder, Bellator moved closer and shrugged. He held his palms out in surrender then dropped them back to his side.
“Alas, on the second day of pursuit, I could see that she had eyes just for you. Yet, you kept turning the poor thing away. I thought perhaps if I continued to play the role of pursuer, you would wise up and make her yours. I was surprised when you sent her away. Now I understand. You had obviously lost your mind.”
Lucien felt confusion marring his features. “Why would you do such a thing, Bellator? How is my relationship to Tana any of your concern?”
Chapter 31
Lucien watched Bellator’s laughing gray eyes turn soft and understanding just before he released a heavy sigh.
“I did it because of what Basilius did to you. He killed your mate. That was unforgivable. I saw an opportunity to right his wrong and I took it. There is nothing that will ever compensate for the devastating loss of so many, but helping along just one bit of happiness seemed like a good place to start. You were blind to what was right in front of you, Lucien. I just gave it a little push.” He snorted and gestured toward Maxim.
Fueled by Lust: Lucien (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 26
