by 1
“I have never considered myself as an exotic before.”
Patrig gave her a slow smile. “You are one of a kind, my dear. One of a kind.”
“Then, perhaps my one-of-a-kind self should join with you and get on this unrequited love thing.” She grinned and looked from one male to the other. “When do we leave?”
Brenawyn sat in the navigator seat, her hands stroking over the mixed suit that Alara had brought in. Crimson robes were attached at the shoulder and flowed to the ground. Her bodysuit was muted pewter that matched Tracker’s skin tone rather well.
At her request, Gray had given her some swatches of fabric and Bren had created pockets within the robe. Ever since she was on the streets, she had enjoyed pockets inside her clothing even if she didn’t need them. Without pockets, she always felt naked.
“Stop fussing with it. You look lovely. The colony elders are waiting for us on Raxos and you are perfect.”
“You mean my clothing is perfect.”
“No, you are perfect and it is time that you knew it.”
His hands stayed on the controls, but she could almost feel a caress down her cheek. She blushed and stared out at the stars, hypnotized by the contrast of light and dark that surrounded them.
She kept her lips together and her mind calm while they flew through the stars.
“If you need some reading material, Might put a file in the com centre. It will outline everything we know about Polai Markos.” Tracker was changing from the affectionate male into the effective Guardsman before her eyes.
She brought up the file and started doing research. Polai was a male who kept to his self but managed to complete his education by working through six jobs in order to pay for it. He was young, attractive and had no interest in any of the women of Raxos beyond cursory encounters that seemed to end affably on both parts.
“Wow, they really get detailed records for you.”
Tracker’s lips curved in a smug smile. “Relay is excellent at managing the data stream. She can find almost anything that you have ever said over an uncoded com and several things you have said on a coded one.”
She raised her eyebrows. “It is a good thing that I don’t have anyone to call.”
He grinned. “I suppose it is, though that is no longer true.”
She smiled. “I suppose so. How long until we reach Raxos?”
“An hour.”
“Good. Would you like a cup of tea or anything? I am going to get a glass of water.” She unclasped her harness and stood with one hand on his shoulder.
He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her hand. “Water would be wonderful. Thank you, Bren.”
She wandered back to the galley and filled two travel bottles with water. Returning to the cockpit, she took her place at his side. “Here you go. How did you get into the Sector Guard anyway?”
“I wondered when you were going to ask me that. I was recruited from my home world.”
“How did they find out about you?”
“My guess is that Relay had been watching the data streams for any mention of talents. I had done a little bit of work for local authorities and it had made the local news streams. The next thing I knew, I was being courted by the Alliance for the Sector Guard project and on my first solo mission, I happened to meet a charming pickpocket who made a distinct impression on me.”
She sipped at the water slowly, trying not to let her pleasure show. “I see.”
“Indeed, well, there is our destination.”
Raxos was a glowing jewel in the darkness. Brenawyn held her breath as she was about to set foot on the fourth planet in her lifetime. Whether she and Tracker were partners in the Guard or she was simply tagging along, her life had gotten far more interesting.
Chapter Eight
An Oefric met them at the shuttle pad. He inclined his head in greeting. “Welcome to Raxos. I am Etien Mathijen, Alpha of the Oefric shifters. I hear that you are looking for one of our colonists.”
Tracker walked forward and clasped arms with the other male. “I am Tracker, this is Healer Brenawyn.”
“We have tried to contact the botany team, but they are in a dead zone. You will have to go in on foot.” Etien smiled and gestured to the nearby skimmer. “I have uploaded a map to their last known location, but since Raxos has promised a lifelong home to all, I can’t really roust him myself. Whatever you tell him, his decision to leave or stay is his alone.”
Tracker nodded. “Understood. We will update you when we return to the shuttle.”
With a simple nod, Etien dismissed them and a short wave wished them luck.
Tracker escorted her to the skimmer and took the controls. It was a standing-platform skimmer, so Bren held onto the guardrail as they rose and started to move across the landscape.
The map showed a jungle as their target, so Tracker took them away from the settled areas and into the wilderness of Raxos. When they flew through a thunderstorm, he activated a dome and they went from windswept to sheltered in an instant.
“Do you do this kind of thing often?” Her thoughts voiced themselves without her willing them to.
“What kind of thing?”
“Hunting runaway fiancés. Searching for people who wanted to run from their pasts as well as their homes?”
“More often than I would like. We don’t know if Polai still has feelings for the pretty princess or not. The only way to know is to ask.”
She nodded at that piece of wisdom and gripped the back of the pilot seat as he increased their speed until they were moving in a blur of passing greenery. The jungle thickened and so did the storm, hammering at their shield until the drumming was endless.
They came out of the storm in a rush of blinding light and Tracker eased their speed and slowly landed the skimmer.
“Come along, Bren. Our prey is this way.” Tracker exited the skimmer and helped her to the mossy ground.
“If you insist. Let me know if I am slowing you down.”
He chuckled. “He isn’t running from us. He is just out of com range. Some of these hills have peculiar sonic properties as well as a lot of mineral compounds that interfere with transmissions.”
She shrugged and followed him into the jungle. The new clothing that she was wearing defended her against the lashes of the leaves and even the adapted robes came in handy as the jungle tugged and yanked at her.
Tracker seemed to slip through the jungle without it touching him, but he slowed his pace to let her keep up. She followed him blindly, trusting him to lead her to their goal.
It was amazing to her that she did trust him without hesitation. Out of all the men and women she had met in her life, she trusted three implicitly, her mother and father and then Tracker.
Running with the family on Gwellen, she always needed to keep her guard up. With Therin, being on her guard was imperative as was keeping distance between them.
She wanted absolutely no distance between herself and Tracker and that in itself sent shockwaves through her. Images of their bodies tangled together haunted her thoughts every time she had a moment alone. It was damned distracting, but all she could think of was touching him again and feeling bare skin under her hands instead of the uniform.
She grumbled as they continued to stomp through the jungle. It may be part of his job, but she didn’t have to like it.
The botany camp appeared so suddenly that Bren almost stumbled into Tracker when he came to a halt.
“We’re here.”
She leaned against him. “So we are. Now to find Polai and ask him if he remembers Miriil.”
He nodded. “I will let you handle that. I am better with the tracking than the talking about lost loves.”
She chuckled. “I wondered why you wanted me along for the ride.”
He let out a low growl and wrapped his arms around her before she passed him and entered the camp. With a swift movement, he threaded his fingers in her hair and held her for his kiss. She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck,
holding on for dear life as she met his tongue with her own. Her pulse pounded, her skin became sensitive beyond bearing and she was just about to wrap her thighs around his when someone nearby cleared his throat.
Trackers backed away from her slowly and together, they turned to see the man who joined them.
He had the look of a boy who had recently hit manhood with a vengeance. His hair was dark and his feline eyes were amused. “I cannot imagine that you came all this way just to make out in the jungle. What can I do for you?”
She stayed in the curve of Tracker’s arm as she turned to face the newcomer. “I am Healer Brenawyn of the Citadel and this is Tracker of the Sector Guard. We are seeking Polai Markos. We have a message and possibly a mission for him.”
The man nodded. “Come and have some tea. You have found the man you are seeking.”
Tracker kept his arm around her as they entered the camp and Polai set up a table and chairs for them.
With the cool-mint tea in their cups, they sat together and Polai looked at them expectantly. “Is it a message from the Alliance? Has my application for life on Raxos been rejected?”
Brenawyn smiled. “Nothing like that. I have a question for you to answer.”
“What is it?”
“Do you still love Miriil of the Yeven Clan?”
He froze and put his cup down. “Who are you to ask me that?” A glowing fury ran across his features and Bren fought her grin.
“I will take that as a yes. Her father has arranged for her courtship competition and she wants you there. She still loves you and if you are willing, we will take you to Warshos.”
She took another sip of tea and paused as a familiar feeling ran through her. “Tracker, stop drinking your tea. Polai may have a resistance to it, but we don’t.”
Under the table, she ran her hand along Tracker’s thigh. She healed the effects of the sedative and smiled brightly at the man they had come to speak to while the world swam in front of her eyes. “I am sorry, Tracker, but I will have to take a nap now.”
She watched the table tilt and then arms were holding her and keeping her safe.
* * * *
Tracker kept his voice low. “What did you poison her with?”
Polai held up his hands. “It was a mild sedative. I have been building up a tolerance for it. I forgot about it until she mentioned it. It will wear off in an hour or so.”
Tracker shifted Bren until she was cradled in his lap. She was boneless, but her ivory skin still held a hint of a flush from their kiss. Her chest rose and fell evenly and her hair slithered over his arm in a rush of pale silk.
Polai started mixing a separate pot of tea. “I used to look at Miriil like that, until her father caught us. I was on a ship so fast that I wasn’t even conscious before we took off. I have no idea what his Imperial Highness told his daughter, but I bet it wasn’t flattering.”
Tracker’s urge to kill Polai disappeared when he saw the definite grief on his face. “It probably was not.” He stroked Bren’s cheek and smiled as she rubbed her face against his hand. “Are you willing to fight for Miriil?”
Polai threw some herbs in a pot and watched them steep. “If she wants me, I am willing to try. Do you think you can get me into the event without her father barring us from it?”
Tracker stroked Bren’s cheek again. “I have just the all-access pass with me. You only need to keep from knocking her out again.”
Polai poured some more tea. “This will counteract the sedative I gave her. It is a simple stimulant. Raxos has a wealth of vegetation and herbs that can be used for a multitude of purposes. It is a wonderful planet and I will be sorry to see it go.”
“Then, you are coming with us? Bren will be happy about that.” He smiled and shifted her against him, his arousal caressed by her lush thighs with every minute move. It was pure torture and he was committing it to memory.
“How is it that you were unaffected by the tea?” Polai’s question seemed genuine.
“I have a quick recovery time.” The double entendre was lost on the woman in his arms, but he didn’t care. She was relaxed and defenceless and he was only too happy to guard her while she slept. It was the least he could do for all she had been through.
He had studied her records from Gwellen and her arrests had shadowed details that he had interpreted from his time with law enforcement. She had lived a life on the edge of survival and he had nothing but admiration for her coming out of it with her dignity intact.
Polai poured the tea between two cups, cooling it. “Can you get her to drink this? Even a small bit will help.”
Tracker shifted her in his arms and took the cup. He held her against his shoulder and pressed the cup to her lips. She sipped, coughed and her lids fluttered wildly. She opened her eyes wide enough to look at him with her pupils dilated.
“Drink, Bren.”
She sipped greedily and tension filled her body as she came back to consciousness.
Tracker watched her closely and when she was more alert, he put the cup down and placed his hands against her hip.
His arousal beat at his senses, her scent filled his nostrils and all he could think about was peeling her out of that uniform, but he restrained himself with intense effort.
She blinked and turned to their target. “Polai, will you come with us?”
Her husky voice ran along Tracker’s nerves, but he kept himself under control.
Polai smiled. “With such an example of love to accompany me, how could I not?”
Chapter Nine
Warshos was a bland world. None of the colours that were visible had any strength or intensity.
Looking at what would be her fifth world, Bren was a little disappointed. “Polai, this world really bites.”
He sighed from behind them. “I am aware, but it is my home. Was my home.”
Tracker grinned. “It will be again if you wish it to be. How is the withdrawal coming?”
Bren checked her patient and touched his arm again, helping to flush out any residual sedative.
Polai smiled, his sharpened teeth extended. “It is accelerating now. I will be in fighting form by the time we land.”
Tracker looked at the warnings flaring across his screens. “Speaking of warnings, we are getting them hot and heavy from Warshos. Are you ready, Bren?”
She smiled and nodded. “Let me give it a try.”
She breathed in and opened the com. “This is the Sector Guard shuttle craft out of Teklan Base requesting authorization to land at the request of Imperial Princess Miriil.”
There was silence for a moment and then the com opened and they received a message. “Please identify yourself, honoured guest.”
She grinned even though the person on the other end of the unit couldn’t see her. “We are Tracker of the Sector Guard and I am Healer Brenawyn of the Trinial and our champion.”
Another short delay while they waited and then a far more dignified voice came through the com. “Be welcome Healer Brenawyn and entourage. We look forward to seeing you when you land.”
Location information streamed through their system and Tracker grinned at her. They turned the open line off and Bren sat back. “So, you were right about them wanting to see a Trinial in person. What do we do if there are any formal events?”
Tracker smiled, “We wear our uniforms with pride. We haven’t had time to get you a set of formals yet. Don’t worry, you look amazing.”
She frowned at him but ran her fingers through her hair before loosening the confining braids she had put in before they left Raxos. “You start landing, I am going to straighten my hair.”
She passed Polai and smiled at his dramatically changed appearance. If he was an example of his species, they were creepier than hell. No wonder he had consumed a sedative like standard tea.
Miriil had looked like a normal female who could have been one of a dozen races. She had a moderate skin tone and standard proportions in the vid, but Bren supposed that she could have
been eight feet tall and not looked any different.
Staring at herself in the lav mirror, Bren grimaced. She used a brush and some mist to straighten her locks and when they were all poker straight, she frowned again. “It is as good as it will get, I suppose.”
Having long, straight hair was a mark of femininity on several worlds, including Trin. Unbound, her hair hung straight to her waist and was cut straight at the edges. Her eyes were pale blue and her skin was pale. If it weren’t for the burgundy and grey of her robes, she wouldn’t have any colour at all.
The ship rocked and she left the lav to return to her seat.
“We are entering the atmosphere. Hold tight.”
Bren strapped herself in and gripped the arms of her seat. The shuttle rocked and twisted as it cut through layers of temperature and gases.
The data that they had been given had their shuttle settling near some very extravagant vehicles. Bren took a deep breath and wrapped her composure around her. This was just another kind of con job and she had to pull it off or she would not satisfactorily conclude this assignment.
“Just be yourself, Brenawyn. You have more style and grace than you give yourself credit for.” Tracker was firmly in Guardsman mode.
Polai was on his feet the moment that they passed him. He knew his role in the upcoming events and he was willing to play it to the hilt.
A dignitary was waiting for them and greeted them with a smile. “Her Imperial Highness is waiting for you in the grand tent. Guest quarters are being prepared for you, Healer. It is an honour to meet one of your kind.”
She inclined her head and smiled politely. “Please, we are eager to speak with Her Imperial Highness.”
“Oh, of course.” The court noble immediately smiled and bustled off, gesturing for them to follow him.
Bren threw her shoulders back and took Tracker’s arm as they walked across the tarmac. Polai walked quietly behind them, but Bren could feel his strength returning. Whatever he was going to have to do here to win the hand of the princess, he was in the best shape Bren could provide him with.
