Tarin glanced toward the door, wondering what took Lorcan so long. He’d gone to check on the women, not seduce them. Why had he not returned? He looked at the clock and verified that his best friend had been gone for over an hour.
“What do you think is taking the captain so long, Tarin?” Benjin, the navigator, frowned at the door. “You don’t think the women have some sort of strange power we haven’t detected, do you?”
With a chuckle, Tarin shook his head. “The only power they have that I can think of is their feminine wiles and an ability to give every male on board a raging hard-on with their scent alone.”
It was true that the aroma surrounding Dana had nearly sent him over the edge more than once. The heady scent of her arousal mixed with fear was a potent combination. Any wolf would have been attracted by the smell of her fear. Tarin didn’t know a male wolf in existence who wouldn’t revel in the scent of a submissive female with the courage of a warrior. It was a strange mixture they all loved. Being a bit of a submissive in the bedroom was one thing. Being terrified to stand up to an aggressor who pushed too hard was quite another. It made them little better than prey. It was a measure of Dana’s courage that she hadn’t fainted dead away when she saw them on the train. She had only succumbed to the oblivion of unconsciousness when they stunned her.
Hell, his cock pulsed with need just thinking about her. Tarin stood to readjust his jumpsuit over his growing erection then turned to the tactical officer. “I’m going to see what’s taking the captain so long. You have the bridge, Benjin.”
“Yes, sir.” Benjin snapped his heels together and bowed. For some reason, the man always stood at his station unless ordered to sit.
Turning, Tarin left the bridge with a frown. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he knew something was up. He felt it in his bones. He also felt a slight ache in his groin, and in his ribs, reminiscent of the time that Lorcan fell from a tree and racked himself up when they were younger. He had even tried to contact him through their mental link with no luck. Something was wrong. It was time he found out what.
After a stop at the armory, Tarin headed for the guest quarters. He could see how the women might think they were prisoners. In a way, they were. Unless the wolves who mated them wanted to return to Earth, they would never see their home planet again.
A shaft of guilt shot through him at the thought. They needed Dana. They hadn’t needed the other two women. It was providence that they were even on the train in the same car as the rest of them. What better way to convince their government that Earth must have protection than to bring back two potential mates along with their own female who had, however unwittingly, sold herself into bondage by accepting their marriage proposal?
No matter how many times he told himself what they did was necessary, he still couldn’t shake the guilt that rode him over kidnapping the three women. They all had the right to believe that they would live out their lives on their own world, with the people they loved. Yet here they were, aboard this vessel headed for Taos with the three women in tow, whether they liked it or not.
Sometimes, Tarin couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel if someone stole his sister away the way they had stolen these women. It was different with Dana. She had admitted she had no one other than her uncle who planned to sell her to a whorehouse for her virginity. She deserved better than that. They all deserved better than the lives they would have had with a human male.
With a wolf, on Taos or on Earth, they would know the true meaning of equality, of partnership, and they would never want for anything for the rest of their lives.
Tarin stood outside the door to the passageway leading to the guest cabins, his gut telling him that all was not right. Depressing the switch, the door opened and he immediately smelled blood. Breaking into a run, he headed for Dana’s room, hoping to find her still in her room and unharmed. The room was empty. The next room was also empty. However, the sight that greeted him at the third room nearly brought him to his knees.
Lorcan lay in a puddle of his own blood, unconscious. He ran to the other man, knelt by his side, and willed his energy to heal his best friend and triad mate. Biting into his wrist, he held it to Lorcan’s mouth. “Drink, dammit. I don’t have a doctor with me, and you need blood fast.” A transfusion would have been better, but Lorcan was almost out of time. This was the best, fastest way to get him the blood he needed so desperately.
“Where are the women?” Tarin wondered for a brief moment if the women were responsible for the condition of his best friend then shook it off as ridiculous. He feared for them. Whoever could do this to a wolf would have no difficulty harming a defenseless earthling. The women had no strange mystical powers other than to bring an otherwise strong wolf to his knees by their scents alone.
No. It was the elitists, he was sure of it. After Lorcan took all the blood he dared to give, Tarin stood and made his way to a communications shelf and contacted the medical bay. “Get down here to level six, cabin one, and bring a couple of bags of blood and a stretcher with you. I think we have an elitist on board. Someone has attacked Lorcan, and the women are gone.”
“Yes, Tarin. We’ll be down there in less than two minutes. I’ll transport a tech in with a bag of blood right away. Go search for the women before someone harms them.”
“I’ll stay until your tech arrives, Darin. I don’t want to leave Lorcan vulnerable. The man responsible for this attack may decide to come back and finish the job.”
“As you wish, sir.”
After about thirty seconds, there was a slight shimmer and the tech arrived. It was Leesa, a female from the Harrod province. She mated two of the security personnel about a year ago when they were lucky enough to find her living off the land in the remote province on Taos.
The discovery of Leesa and her two brothers only fueled the elitist claims that there were still many unexplored areas on Taos where a wolf could find his or her mate.
It wasn’t true. There were very few places above ground that they had not explored, and the areas below ground didn’t breed wolves with genes compatible with wolven kind. The den wolves were just that, wolves and nothing more.
Assured of Lorcan’s well-being, Tarin rushed from the room and immediately shifted shape, wishing his clothing away as he did so.
Using his wolf senses, Tarin scented the three women and took off after them at a dead run. Along with their scents, he smelled something familiar, yet couldn’t quite place the wolf.
Whoever had attacked Lorcan had used a mixture of leelan spice and parada pepper to cover their trail. It was an old trick, but still effective.
No matter. He would catch up soon enough and then he would identify the criminal hiding in their ranks. His only hope was that the culprit worked alone.
Chapter Six
Dana led the way through the large vessel, hoping to find a way off. She knew it was a futile effort, but she couldn’t give up the hope that they were still somewhere in Pennsylvania or maybe Ohio in some vast, impossible machine people only saw in their most vivid nightmares.
Deep down, she knew there was no help, there was no local sheriff and the three of them were on their own. In fact, she would have taken them all back to their rooms if she thought she could find them again.
They were lost, plain and simple. It was time to admit that something odd, even fantastic had happened to them, and somehow, they were on some sort of strange spaceship owned by the legendary sky people.
Her only question was, what did they want with her and the other two women they had taken? Gooseflesh covered her skin at the thought. Somehow, letting Lorcan or his friend do the things the soiled doves at her uncle’s establishment had told her about didn’t seem so bad. Did that make her a bad person, a wanton?
Dana hoped not. Because, God help her, she even had visions of loving them both together. The women at Agatha’s had done their best to educate her with all aspects of the duties her new owner would expect of her, including the possibility
that he may want to share her with another man or two. At the time, the idea seemed terrifying. Not so with Lorcan and his friend. In fact, it seemed appealing, even though she would never admit it out loud to anyone.
You are a wanton, Dana. It is as plain as the wart-covered nose on Uncle John’s face. Still, it didn’t matter how wanton she believed herself, no woman deserved to be sold into sexual servitude. Nothing would ever convince her that she should not have escaped her uncle’s clutches.
“Where do you think we should go?” Fleur asked as she dragged her stepmother with her. “Come on, Maman Amelie. We cannot dally. They must be looking for us by now.”
“I don’t think there is anywhere for us to go. We are on a ship.” Dana didn’t want to elaborate on their whereabouts. The stories her father read her about traveling underwater and through space seemed so preposterous that she hadn’t given them credence. What were they to do?
“There is nowhere for you to go, you stupid Earth sluts!”
Amelie and Fleur turned with a gasp. Amelie, ever the difficult one, turned with a snarl. “Don’t you dare call any of us that, you—you cretin.” She raised her chin in the air, looking down her nose at the man. “We are ladies.”
“You are bitches.”
“Oh!” Amelie, obviously having had enough of the man’s insults, stepped closer and slapped the man. “We are ladies!”
“No, cunt. You are dead.” Suddenly, the man was no longer there. In his place was a hideous creature like those Dana had seen on the train. After a moment, even that creature was gone, replaced by a snarling, ugly, mangy-looking wolf.
Saliva dripped from its gray muzzle as it stared down the older woman. Its head lowered, it stalked Amelie like prey, moving slowly closer and closer as it growled and snarled during its approach.
Amelie and Fleur screamed while Dana stood still, staring at the creature, her mouth clamped shut with shock. Unable to move, she remained frozen with fear, her hands fisted at her sides as she watched the…the thing lunge forward and attack Amelie.
Fleur screamed and jumped on the creature’s back. “Help me. This demon will kill Maman Amelie!”
Spurred to action by Fleur’s cry, Dana used the new freedom afforded her by her new attire and kicked the wolf in the jaw, barely missing Fleur’s and Amelie’s heads in the process.
The contact hurt her bare foot, but the high-pitched cry of the wolf prompted Dana to lash out with another kick. Fleur, having barely missed her first attack, moved out of the way, just before contact.
Even with the three of them fighting the strange animal off Amelie, the wolf managed to tear into the woman’s shoulder, drawing blood and gore from beneath the strange outfit she wore. Dana gagged at the sight.
Just when Dana was certain the beast would kill them all, another wolf appeared from nowhere and attacked. The animal didn’t attack Amelie as the other did, but focused its attention on the aggressor instead. The new wolf was bigger, stronger and soon overpowered the beast that mauled her newest friend.
The altercation soon ended when the larger wolf ripped the throat out of the other then looked up, still licking the blood from its mouth. Trotting to her, it tilted its head sideways as though trying to communicate.
Dana wanted to rush to Amelie as did Fleur, but something told her the wolf wanted her attention. Kneeling down, she looked the animal in the eyes. “Thank you for saving us.” She felt herself a fool for talking to an animal like this, but she also felt he deserved something for his trouble. She couldn’t bring herself to pat him on the head for fear of drawing back a nub where her hand and fingers should be. After all, she had just witnessed the raw power of this animal as it killed one of its own.
Swallowing thickly, Dana stood up and moved slowly toward her friends. She had to see how Amelie fared. A sharp tingling sensation shot down her spine when she turned her back on the animal. Spinning around, she gasped when she saw the other man from the train standing just where the wolf had been.
Looking down, she cast her gaze around for the animal, her brow furrowing as she searched. “Where did the wolf go?” She spun back around. “He was just here.” Dana clasped her hands in front of her stomach. Somewhere deep inside her, she knew the answer, but didn’t want to admit it, even to herself. Were they stuck here on a strange, flying ship full of monsters?
“What wolf?”
Dana sighed with relief. His expression convinced her he knew nothing of what she spoke. “There was a wolf. He…” Pausing, she pointed to the dead animal with a trembling hand. “He killed that wolf and just disappeared.”
Chapter Seven
Tarin stared at his mate for a moment and tried to think straight. God, she was beautiful, even with her hair that hideous, crappy brown color. Her green eyes sparkled at him as he took in her beauty, and he felt his cock harden.
He couldn’t wait to get her in bed. He wanted to taste her, to lay her down and eat her slick pussy until she screamed. Then and only then would he climb back up her lithe form and fuck her until she screamed again.
Dragging his gaze from Dana, Tarin looked over at the wolf he just killed, his expression grim. He knew he’d never liked that asshole. Kalb was always negative. He was a naysayer in almost everything they did. He should have known the fucker was an elitist.
Taking a deep breath, Tarin barely suppressed the growl that wanted to burst free from his chest. Not only was he angry at Kalb, he was angry at himself for not spotting the son of a bitch long ago. He sighed, wondering how many more elitists were on board waiting to kill the women when they least expected it.
“Well?” Dana stood staring at him as though waiting for something.
Oh, right, she’d asked a question about where his wolf had gone. Tarin shrugged. “I saw no one but you three and the dead wolf when I arrived, ma’am.” The lie slipped easily off Tarin’s tongue. He wanted to tell her what he was but thought better of it. The three women had just been traumatized and one needed medical assistance. He didn’t need any of them freaking out on him at this point.
He moved to a communication terminal and radioed medical for the second time that day. “Darin, I need another team sent down here to deck five, section fifteen.” He felt inadequate as a protector, a mate. The women should have been safe here.
“Another of our crewmembers?” Darin sounded shocked. Taking one wolf by surprise was hard enough, two or more should be impossible.
“No. It’s one of the women.” Tarin closed his eyes and shook his head. “Send a retrieval crew down with a body bag while you’re at it.”
“The retrieval crew will arrive in ten minutes. I’ll have Leesa there in about one. You may want to shelter them or answer questions later.”
Questions were the least of his worries. Right now they needed help for the woman, fast. Otherwise they may have to change her right now and that would be difficult without at least one mate to anchor her. She could go mad. He ignored the possibility that merely finding out about their kind could drive the woman over the edge.
“Just send her down here. I’ll answer questions if they arise.”
“As you wish, sir. She should be ready in a moment.”
“How is Lorcan doing?”
“It was touch-and-go for a bit, but he’s doing fine now. He should be up and about in a few minutes. He regained consciousness about ten minutes ago and told me the whole story. He’d already be with you if I didn’t have him strapped down. He wanted to help you kill that bastard, Kalb.” The other man chuckled. “In fact, he’s giving me death-to-you looks right now. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold him here without him chewing through the straps.”
“I wouldn’t keep him long enough to find out. You may find yourself launched into space through a decompression chamber.” Tarin chuckled. “Thank you for saving him.”
“You’re welcome. I think I’ll take your advice. The captain does not look pleased.”
Darin ended the conversation just as Leesa appeared in front of
the women. Dana’s mouth dropped open with shock as the other woman fainted. The injured woman was already unconscious, which was probably for the best since the pain would have been too much for her to bear, otherwise. Her shoulder was nothing more than mangled muscle and protruding bone. It would probably be a miracle if she survived. She was human after all.
Leesa knelt beside the unconscious women and scanned them all, including Dana. “I should take these two to the medical bay,” she said, indicating the two who were out cold. “This one can stay with you. She’s had a bit of a shock, but she’s a strong one.” Leesa looked up at him and smiled. “You and the captain have chosen well. Congratulations.”
Tarin scowled at her. “Just take those two to the doctor and leave us to make our way back. If the captain is well, tell him where we are.”
Lowering her gaze to the floor in apology, Leesa nodded. “Yes, sir.” Turning her attention back to the two women, she spoke into a radio she carried with her. Soon, the three women shimmered and disappeared into nothingness.
Dana screamed. “Where did they go?” She spun around, looking for her companions. “And who is Kalb?”
“This is Kalb.” Tarin gave the dead wolf a kick. “He is an aberration—part of a group that calls themselves the elitists. Not all of us want to harm you.” Tarin moved to take her in his arms, but she backed away, her gaze wild with fear. “There is nothing to fear, Dana. Leesa has merely taken them to the medical bay to see the doctor. You heard us talking. Did you think we spoke in code?”
He knew this probably wasn’t the time to bait her, but she must overcome her fear some way, even if it meant he angered her to the point of arguing with him. He hoped she would fight and show him how strong she was.
When she narrowed her eyes and thinned her lips, Tarin wanted to smile, but didn’t dare. This was the mate he wanted, the woman who answered his and Lorcan’s ad in a Philadelphia newspaper. The little spitfire who would risk all to escape her uncle and the future he had planned for her.
Mail-Order Bride [Taos Wolven Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4
