Prime Imperative (The Prime Chronicles Book 3)

by Monette Michaels

  “What can I do to help?”

  No hesitation in his offer at all. He might have hidden things from her, but he was still her protective big brother. He would bend time for her, if needed.

  “I need a place to hide, off the grid, until the Alliance sends someone I know I can trust to get me. I’m at the Oz Space Port. I can easily catch a ride to your jump station.”

  Besides the dive bar and sex club, Damon was also half-owner of the Jump Station Charybdis. The station had a rough reputation. It was frequented by off-duty crews of freighters docking there, mercenaries, disenfranchised citizens of various solar systems, con artists, and others waiting for clearance to enter one of the most volatile and erratic jump gates in the Milky Way.

  “Which carriers should I try first?” She had one in mind, but Damon would know the safest ones. Some of the carriers were nothing more than glorified smugglers.

  “Catch a ride with either one of Mason’s or Brewster’s supply ships.”

  “I’d planned on using Mason.” She grinned. “But thanks for confirming my choice was a good one.”

  He muttered and rubbed a hand over his ever-present beard stubble. “I’ll make the necessary calls to pave your way…”

  She read that to mean he’d make sure all the Mason freighter captains in Oz Space Port would be ready for her. She also imagined he’d threaten them with bodily harm if anything happened to her on the way to the jump station.

  “…lock yourself in the captain’s quarters and don’t come out until you get to the station. If…” he choked on the word, “…something changes, and you need to get off at a stop on the way, call me. I’ll come get you no matter where you’re at. If nothing changes…”

  Damon gave her his patented don’t-mess-with-me-or-pay-the-consequences look he’d aimed at her a lot as she’d grown up and tested her boundaries.

  “…do not leave the freighter docking area once you get to Charybdis. Have the captain page me. I’ll come get you. And, Bria…for the sake of all that is sacred and my sanity, don’t attempt to come to my quarters by yourself.”

  Damon’s quarters, and in fact, all the jump station employees’ living quarters, were on the level connected to the bar. The bar/sex club was a well-defended fortress within the huge no-man’s land, or more specifically the no-female-was-safe-land, of the jump station…it even had an artificial moat. Not that she’d ever seen any of it.

  Bria had only visited Jump Station Charybdis once on a break from college classes. She’d never made it to Hades. In fact, she’d been lucky not to be raped, kidnapped, or killed as soon as she’d stepped off the freighter she’d hitched a ride on. Luckily, Damon had intercepted her before she’d made it much farther than her docking tube. It had taken some fast-talking to keep him from blistering her butt for being there at all.

  “I’m not stupid or suicidal, Damon.”

  His only response was a snort that clearly indicated disbelief.

  “See you soon.” She touched the screen. “Love you, big brother.”

  “Love you more, princess.” His voice was husky, and the heated, raw emotion in his eyes disturbed her.

  Damon’s feelings for her seemed to have changed, grown…more sexual. Damn, she didn’t need this now. He was her brother, and she loved him, but not in a sexual way. She had a mate, one she’d instinctively sought in every man she’d met since leaving Gliese 581C. She had to tell him, prepare him for the reality. Let him get used to the idea before she set foot on the station. Even though she suspected he knew she was Prime, he might not know about her mate.

  “Damon”—she hesitated and worry instantly filled his eyes at her tone—“I’m Prime.”

  And there was the flash again, confirming his knowledge.

  “I have a bonded mate, a gemat…”

  And now he grimaced. Well, shit, he’d also known she was a gemate.

  “…the Prime are looking for him.”

  A look of devastation crossed his face.

  Like a coward, she closed down the call before she lost it and yelled at him for lying all these years—before the tears in her eyes streamed down her cheeks. She prayed he and the family had damn good reasons for hiding everything from her, because if not, her heart would surely break.

  She wiped the tears from her face on her sleeve and then took a couple of breaths to calm herself…to keep from throwing herself into V’niko’s arms and bawling her grief and sense of betrayal into the stalwart Volusian’s shirtfront. He wouldn’t allow her to leave if he felt she was too fragile.

  “Are you okay, Bria?” V’niko looked over his shoulder. “You sounded distressed at the end.”

  “My brother…” She shook her head and gave V’niko a reassuring smile that must’ve fallen far short of the mark since he frowned even more. “He knew I was…”

  “Prime?” V’niko asked.

  “Yes. He and the family hid it from me all these years.”

  V’niko nodded, his face solemn. “Maybe they had a good reason. I could tell from his voice he loves you, wants to protect you. You will be safe with him.”

  “Yes. But I can’t love him the way he wants. To me, he’s the brother who cleaned my scraped knees and stopped the bullies from taunting me. I have a mate, one I’ve searched for without knowing it all my life.” She’d never, in her wildest dreams, thought of Damon in a sexual way.

  “Yes, I heard that is the way with Prime bond-mates. Bria…” V’niko swept a lone tear off her cheek. “…if your brother loves you, he will wish you to be happy, yes?”

  “I hope so, V’niko, I really do.” But she doubted it.

  After taking a few seconds to pull herself together, Bria placed her next call—to the only person in the Alliance Military she trusted one hundred percent. Since her last call to the Alliance Command seemed to have been intercepted by an enemy to the Prime, she couldn’t trust that a second call would bring any better results. Someone had ordered her kidnapping, for what ultimate purposes only Holtsclaw, Joelo, and their employer knew.

  This call would go directly to Dr. Lia Morgan-Dakkin, her contact on the Galanti. The Alliance starship could swing by Jump Station Charybdis and pick her up. She’d then ride with them back to Oz to get her team.

  The call wasn’t answered. She was switched to Lia’s message box. Bria left a brief video message outlining what had happened, what she needed, and where she’d be.

  “Let’s go, V’niko.” Her gut—or her Prime battle-mate instincts—urged her to move. She pictured Holtsclaw and Joelo tearing up the hostelry to find her. By now, they could even be searching the central mall, which, thank the One, was huge and crowded. It would take them some time to search all the private and public areas between the hostelry and the passenger departure area.

  But the imposters wouldn’t think of looking at the freighter docks which was where she now headed. V’niko once again covered her back.

  No woman in her right mind traveled on freighters alone, especially ships traveling to Jump Station Charybdis. That would be what allowed her to get away without a trace.

  When they arrived at the entrance to the freighter docks, V’niko held out his hand. “Your com unit?”

  She handed it to him.

  “Buy a new one as soon as you can,” he ordered. “Call me when you arrive at your brother’s.” He hesitated, then added, “Bria, I hope all goes well between you and your brother.”

  “Me, too. I’ll call as soon as I can.” She touched his arm and squeezed it. “Thank you for everything.”

  “It has been my honor. I will see you when you return to Oz. A’nan and I will take good care of your people.”

  “I know you will.”

  He nodded then left. She almost called him back. His hyper-alertness, his kindness, and big male frame made her feel safe and cared for.

  She shook off the momentary weakness. She needed to stay alert—and, somehow, obtain a weapon.

  Weapon buying was out, for now, but staying alert was someth
ing she could do. Bria concentrated and found she could read the auras of the people closest to her without interference from the massive amount of other people. It was tiring, but she didn’t want anyone sneaking up on her as Jotak had.

  With her psychic abilities at full force, she made her way to the Mason Freight Company offices on the lowest level of the docks. She ignored the looks of interest colored with a healthy dose of lust and paid a deaf ear to the lewd suggestions on how she could make some extra money.

  Bria didn’t relax her guard until she was on a Mason ship heading to resupply Jump Station Charybdis. Damon had come through. The captain had been watching for her. He sneaked her aboard, gave her a choice of weapons from his own cache—she chose a slender knife akin to a Terran stiletto with a sheath she could strap to her thigh—and then gave her sole possession of his cabin. The door was locked with a guard stationed in the hallway.

  As safe as she could be, she lay down. Exhausted, she fell into a restless sleep. Her dreams were alternately filled with images of Jotak chasing her with the help of Holtsclaw and Joelo and those of Damon and a faceless Prime male fighting, the winner claiming her as his own.

  Chapter 5

  Starship Galanti en route to Planet Oz

  Iolyn tore off his sweaty clothing and tossed it into the cleaning unit. Naked, he stalked to the bar in his quarters and poured himself a shot of Valerian whiskey and drank it in one long gulp. Then he poured another. Maybe getting drunk would help haze the morass of fury, fear, and frustration boiling in his gut—in his head.

  Almost twelve standard hours had passed since they’d left Tooh 2 where he’d learned of his precious gemate Brianna’s existence—and of her danger. It felt like a lifetime.

  He snarled and slammed the half-empty glass on the counter. Ansu bhau! He was tens of thousands of light years away and could do nothing to protect her. The inability to act threatened to drive him crazy. Every primitive instinct urged him to seek out the stalker threatening his mate and tear the apayebo apart. Then he’d take Brianna in his arms and shelter her from all peril.

  But he could do nothing because he was—Too. Far. Away.

  So, instead of being a man and protecting his mate, he’d spent the last few hours, ripping apart his quarters and putting them back together in preparation for her arrival. His quarters hadn’t been all that bad, but his brothers’ gemates, Mel and Nadia, had insisted upon the thorough cleaning and redecoration. It was their way of distracting him—and siphoning off some of his rampant energy.

  The distraction had worked, but only for a short time.

  Iolyn clenched his fists and paced like a wild animal in a cage. He needed action. If he didn’t release some of his pent-up emotions, he could inadvertently hurt someone. He would have to take his brothers up on their offer of hand-to-hand combat before he escalated into full-blown batel rabia—the Prime battle rage. Batel rabia plus close quarters equaled extreme bodily damage. Good for fighting enemies, and men who threatened a man’s mate, but bad for fellow crew members.

  He took in a frustrated breath and noted he stank of anger, fear, and his earlier physical labor. This was something he had control over.

  Entering the shower, he turned on the jets. As the hot water pummeled his aching muscles, he used a mind-over-matter exercise taught to all Prime warriors and forced himself to relax—muscle by muscle, beginning with his neck all the way to his toes.

  While his body loosened up, he couldn’t shut down his mind. His mind’s eye created all sorts of horrible images and worst-case-scenarios concerning his little mate.

  His lips twisted in a self-deprecatory grin. Now he knew how his brother Wulf had felt when first learning of Mel; she’d also been a Lost One and was now the co-captain of the Galanti. He could especially relate to his brother Huw’s extreme turmoil over mating with Nadia, a Terran who had the latent DNA to be marked by a Prime. Both women had been exposed to peril, and his brothers reacted just as he did now.

  Mating was a Prime imperative and had never been taken lightly by their society. Finding a compatible female with whom to mate was even more crucial now with a negative population growth. A Prime’s gemate was the center of his personal universe. Danger to such a precious being wasn’t taken lightly.

  Iolyn rubbed a soapy hand over the faded mating mark on his chest. He’d received the mark during a particularly vicious siege of the Cejuru solar system by the Antareans. Under a dire state of emergency, the Elder Council had made the extreme decision to expose all unmarked males and females, no matter their age, to one another. The bond mark wasn’t determined by sex hormones, but instead was initiated by an olfactory neuro-chemical reaction when a male was exposed to the scent of his perfect genetic mate. After the bonding ceremony, all the women and children were sent away so they wouldn’t be killed during the conflagration.

  Iolyn had been one-standard-year-old at the time. He never knew the name of the child with whom he’d bonded.

  As one of the heirs of the leader of the Prime, he wasn’t sent away. He, his brothers, and mother had been hidden away on Cejuru Borus, an isolated planetoid in the Cejuru system. The Antareans totally bypassed what they saw as a desolate, uninhabitable rock.

  After the Antareans had been defeated and driven back into Andromeda Galaxy, the women and children began coming home. But Brianna hadn’t. She, and dozens of other women and children, had become the Lost Ones.

  After the Galanti’s last mission failed to find any surviving Lost Ones, Iolyn had been on the cusp of making the decision to search for a non-Prime mate, one he could mark and mate as Huw had with Nadia, something which had been previously inconceivable.

  He was relieved he hadn’t begun that search. Brianna would complete the mind-body-soul trinity with him. He’d be whole for the first time in his life. His gemat marking would again bloom with color and vitality.

  “Thanks and blessed be the One,” he murmured. “Protect Brianna until I can do so myself.” And then he planned to protect, cherish, and love her for the rest of their lives and beyond.

  After drying off and getting dressed, he sat at his desk and pulled up the official Alliance files on Dr. Brianna Martin on the monitor.

  The three-dimensional color image was lifelike. He traced her features with a shaking finger and imagined how soft and warm her creamy golden skin would be.

  Her pillowy lips were unsmiling, but her amber eyes sparked with humor and joy. Her glossy, dark hair was twisted on top of her head. A couple of wavy tresses had escaped and framed her oval-shaped face. He’d wager her hair was thick and silky in texture. He could almost feel the long curls caressing his naked chest, brushing over his gemat marking, and inciting him to a state of painful arousal as he held her close in their bed.

  He groaned and shuddered—was forced to adjust his cock as it hardened at the thought of having her beneath him, taking him deeply inside her sex. “Diew, torture yourself, why don’t you?” he muttered.

  Soon. Patience. It will happen.

  His gemate was a very beautiful woman. An intelligent one. She was a woman any man would wish to claim as his own.

  He fisted his hands. No, he couldn’t…wouldn’t think about any other males she might have been with. He couldn’t expect her to be a virgin. She was raised as a Terran. She would have dated, experimented sexually. He growled and could feel his rage heating once more. He took several deep breaths and beat his anger back.

  He’d be surprised if she were very experienced, though. His sister-kin Mel had told him once that intimacy with other men had been doable, but felt wrong, uncomfortable. Nadia had admitted the same once she met Huw and began to bond to him. And Nadia was a Terran with latent Prime DNA.

  Once Iolyn had completed the final physical bonding with Brianna, she’d be his and no other would dare touch her ever again.

  “Brianna.” He liked the sound of her name on his lips. He’d looked up the origins of the name. It was Terran Irish and meant “strong.”

  And s
he would’ve had to have been. At the tender age of one-standard-year, she’d survived an evacuation in a time of war, pursuit by the enemy, and a crash landing, according to the records the Alliance had eventually found once they knew where to look, and who knew what other dangers as she’d grown.

  Her Terran parents had named her well. He would tell them so when he took Brianna home to visit the people who’d nurtured her, kept her safe…for him.

  Brianna’s official file didn’t contain much about her life before she left Gliese 581C, a farming planet. Her adoptive parents, John and Mary Martin, were descendants of farmers who’d emigrated from Earth to the water planets of the Gliese system and tilled the scattered, fertile land masses.

  He imagined his gemate must’ve lived an idyllic childhood before she went off-planet to attend university and achieved multiple degrees with highest honors. His mate’s research in hominid species genetics, in particular cross-hominid fertility, was cutting edge. This would make her a target of the Pure Bloods and any hominid-hating race such as the Antareans, even if she hadn’t been his mate. Being his gemate just placed a bigger target on her back.

  This worried him. Brianna wouldn’t have the training to protect herself as Mel had as an Alliance military officer. Brianna would need him to protect her—and for the moment, he couldn’t.

  As his worries and fear about what could be happening to his mate took over his mind once more, his com unit beeped.

  “Yes?” The word barely escaped past the tension-tightened muscles of his throat.

  “Iolyn…” Wulf’s voice was low and filled with an emotion that had dread settling in Iolyn’s gut and raising the hairs on the nape of his neck. “…come to the Captain’s Board Room. We have news.”

  Iolyn surged from his chair, knocking it over. He grabbed his com unit and ran from his quarters.

  “What happened? Is Brianna all right?” He couldn’t keep the panic out of his voice. He slammed his palm on the elevator pad and grunted his relief when the door opened immediately. “Command Deck,” he ordered even before the doors had closed.