Absolution (Delroi Prophecy Book 4)

by Loribelle Hunt

  She had no idea what had come over her. She just knew she couldn’t submit so easily, so quickly. He drove into her, held her still when she tried to move. He kissed her, his tongue plunging deep in a way that mimicked what she wanted from his cock. She moaned into his mouth, pressed her chest against his, and reveled in his possession. Damn. How had she ever lived without this? And now she didn’t have to. He was hers anytime she wanted him. She felt his triumph as he deepened the kiss.

  “Say it, der’lan. Out loud. Better yet, why don’t you scream it?”

  With that request--or was it an order?--he lifted her off his cock. She cried out at the loss. He reached behind her and removed the cuffs, then rolled them over. Her ass was on the edge of the bed and he stood between her spread thighs, hands punishing on her hips. He drove into her pussy in measured thrust that almost made her beg for more. Harder, faster, rougher. She bit the words back. It would come to that, she knew, but the longer he dragged it out the better the orgasm would be. He kept one hand on her hip and moved the other to where they were joined. He spread the lips of her sex to expose her clit and brushed his thumb over it. It was a light teasing touch. A denial of the demand in her mind.

  “Squeeze your nipples, sweetheart. Show me how much want it.”

  “You’re in my mind. You know how much I want you.”

  He grinned, thrust deep and slowly withdrew, dragging his cock over her G-spot. She cried out, jerked in his grasp. His thumb stroked her clit harder and leaned down to flick his tongue over nipple.

  “Do it, Anna Leigh.”

  The dominance in his tone was almost enough to make her come. She lifted her hands to palm her breasts, pinched her nipples between a finger and thumb. It felt so good she shared the sensation with him and watched the lust glowing in his eyes morph into pure possession. Leaning down, he took one of her offerings between his lips. Sucked hard and stop just before her orgasm could wash through her. Then he did it again and again. By the time he spoke again he was trembling. Desperate.

  “Who do you belong to love?” he whispered against her ear before nibbling it. “You want relief? You want to come? Tell me.”

  “If I’m yours then you’re mine.” She believed it now. Had been coming to believe it for days.

  He shuddered. “Gods, yes.”

  Then he gave her what they both wanted. They were connected so deeply, so completely she felt every nuance, every touch, every ounce of love he felt for her. His thrusts started out slow and languorous. His gaze never left hers. She mewled a complaint and couldn’t believe the sound had come from her throat. In a sane moment she would have considered it weak and needy, two words she would never in a million years have used to describe herself before she met him.

  “You do the same to me,” he whispered into her mind.

  She could see the truth in his mind. Before she could marvel at it, though, his rhythm changed, became fast and demanding. It was a fast hard ride and she loved every second of it. She was already on edge so each thrust pushed her higher. Every nudge against her G-spot sent streaks of ecstasy rushing through her. He didn’t hold her back from orgasm this time, whispering in her ear, demanding she jump off the ledge with him. It was so intense she felt shattered from the inside out. He collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him close until their breathing evened. He rose enough to look into her eyes, brushed the hair off her face.

  “Mine.”

  “Yours.”

  She was done trying to fight it, trying to save him or herself from heartbreak. He chuckled and pulled the sheet over them.

  “I don’t think you need to worry about that anymore, love.”

  No. She didn’t. She wouldn’t.

  Chapter Eight

  The next few days passed in a blur. Mikail and the Bana rebels were quietly put to death. Most the rebels in another clan, the Petras, had been hunted down and also executed, but their chief and the surviving Tel agents remained at large. She and Zola had both asked about Barak’s spies, but their queries had been politely deflected.

  They hadn’t had any luck locating Zane either. The apartment the Tel agents from the training site had used yielded no leads, nor did their comm devices. Xan’s people had gone over both before they’d reluctantly given them to Barak. If he’d found anything he was keeping it close to the chest. She understood why, she still wasn’t entirely trusted, but it rankled all the same.

  So it was no surprise Anna Leigh was uneasy when the last day of the rebirth celebration arrived with no further attacks from either group or information being shared. She felt certain things would come to a head soon. She couldn’t say if it was instinct, a sixth sense, or experience that convinced her, but she was on guard for danger and she was expecting it today. It was no surprise Xan noticed.

  “You’re anticipating trouble,” he murmured.

  She nodded, watching the crowds they walked through on the way to the Keep. She tried to note the clan markings on the warriors they passed, but there were too many. Most she didn’t recognize, but she knew Xan would list them for her later if she asked.

  “If I was planning to make a big public splash, I would do it today.”

  “Why?”

  He knew the answer, was giving her the chance to talk it out and brainstorm options. Smiling, she leaned close and kissed his throat. Damn, she loved him.

  “I’ll be sure to let you remind me of that later,” he said telepathically. The images that filled her mind would have made her stumble if he hadn’t wrapped his arm around her waist. Laughing, she slapped his chest.

  “Stop it. We have work to do.”

  “Why today?” he prodded.

  “It may be the end of the celebration, but there are more people in the city than when the when it opened, and I’d bet almost every clan on the planet is represented here.”

  Since so many clan chiefs were in the city, the Overchief had decided to have an impromptu summit on the recent rebel attacks. It made for a nice big fat target. She suspected that was why he was doing it. She and Xan were on their way there now. There was a long line at the main entrance to the Keep so they went to the warrior compound entrance where they had no trouble getting in. By now everyone knew she was Zola’s mother and of course they recognized Xan.

  They went through the warrior compound and into the main common area in the center of the Keep. Her senses went on high alert. The place was packed. It would be so easy for rebels to go unnoticed with some many different people represented. They couldn’t all vouch for each other, could they? But this was so damned obvious it just felt wrong. Which probably made it brilliant in someone’s mind.

  A raised dais had been erected against the wall on the opposite side of the large room and they wended their way through the throngs to get closer. Every few feet someone stopped them to speak to Xan. Each time her anxiety grew. Finally they drew closer to the dais. She spotted the Overchief and his brother, Alrik, speaking with Barak and Roarr. They were all relaxed and she was surprised at the Overchief’s lack of guards.

  “Is he trying to get himself killed?” she snarled mentally to Xan.

  “He’s trying to end this.”

  It was a disaster in the making. Britt, standing at Barak’s side, met her gaze. Anna Leigh saw her vigilance reflected in the younger woman’s eyes.

  “Do you sense anything specific?” she asked.

  Anna Leigh shook her. “Danger. Hate. Fury.”

  It had grown the closer they got to the Overchief, was now almost overwhelming but she couldn’t raise her shields. If she did she might miss the beginning of the attack. Anticipation and glee suddenly pulsed against her mind. Attack was imminent. A fight broke out in the crowd behind Daggar and Alrik. She and Xan pushed their way through to help, but slowed when Britt reassured her.

  “Three rebels. Dead. None of our people are injured.”

  “That can’t be all of them,” she said to Xan after filling him in.

  “No. A
nd they would have known they couldn’t get to Daggar. There’s another target.”

  His tone was grim, his eyes searching the crowd. Kaal joined them and she was going to ask where Siana was when Xan grunted. She felt a flare of pain before he repressed it and sought out the cause. A warrior shoved through the crowd away from them, Xan already moving to pursue. A group of Bana warriors intercepted and surrounded him. That was when she noticed the blood flowing down Xan’s side.

  “I need Jarek. Xan’s been injured,” she said to Britt.

  His attacker turned to face them then. Xan’s shock filled her mind as they stared at Goran. She reached out for him but her telepathy slid off his mind. She didn’t get the chance to explore the anomaly.

  “Why?” Xan asked in a rasping voice.

  He swayed and pressed a hand against his wound.

  “You need to get to the healer.”

  He looked down at her, wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and let her take some of his weight. Barak, Britt, and Daggar arrived, their fury forceful against her shields, but even it felt wrong.

  “Med Bay,” the Overchief snapped.

  Xan didn’t argue, but he focused a cold glare on Goran. “Bring him,” he ordered Kaal, who held the warrior in a rough grasp. “I want some answers.”

  The crowd parted for them to pass, and a couple of minutes later Xan pulled off his shirt and sat on the edge of the bed. Anna Leigh watched as Jarek cleaned away the blood which was already slowing. It was a shallow wound, thank God. Xan had sensed the threat and twisted away just in time to avoid a life threatening injury. Assured he would fine, she turned to Goran, reaching for his mind again. And again, her telepathy slid off without penetrating his thoughts.

  “I’ve never encountered a shield like his. I thought Britt vetted him?”

  “Yes. I’ve been in his mind before, too. I knew he was a telepath, but I’ve never sensed this level of power or this kind of betrayal.”

  “Explain yourself,” Xan ordered.

  The Overchief looked like he might object but then he stepped back to observe. Anna Leigh opened her senses to take in all the nuances in the room. Something was really not right about this. Before Goran could say anything, Xiri rushed in. Looking back and forth between her cousin and her mate, she paled, a stricken look crossing her face.

  “What have you done?” she asked Goran.

  “What I had to do to protect you,” he answered softly, the look his eyes just as agonized as Xiri’s expression.

  The Banas in the room froze, but she noticed the Overchief and his people didn’t seem surprised or confused. The atmosphere in the room changed from full on fury to cautious suspicion. What the hell was going on?

  “Goran,” Xan said, using his commander’s tone. “You tried to kill your clan chief. Why shouldn’t I execute you for it?”

  “No offense, my lord, but if I had truly wanted you dead you would be. You trained me yourself so you know that.”

  Xan cocked an eyebrow, but made no comment. Anna Leigh felt grudging respect in his mind. And a healthy dose of regret.

  “What was your intent then?” he asked.

  Goran exhaled a pent up breath. “I couldn’t get close to warn you any other way. The Earthlings are with what’s left of the Petra rebels. One of their telepaths thinks he inserted a compulsion in my mind to kill you. I was told if I fought it, they’d kill Xiri.”

  Xan glared at Barak. “My man is one of your spies, clan chief?” Barak nodded. “You didn’t think I needed that information? I put my cousin’s life in his hands.”

  “She wasn’t in danger, Xan. She’s been visiting her friends in the goddess temple for the last few days. I had to let this play out. It was the only way to get the information we need to finish this,” Barak said.

  Xan’s anger pulsed against her skin and he turned to glare at Goran. “If she’s been in the temple, they shouldn’t have been able to use her against you.”

  “Cousin,” Xiri said softly. “I can’t stay locked inside the temple forever.”

  “Did you know?” Xan asked.

  It hurt him that she might not have trusted him to protect her, but Xiri shook her head.

  “You have names and locations?” he asked Goran.

  “Yes I do, my lord,” he said, satisfaction thick in the response. Then he turned to her. “I know where your son is, my lady. They are…uncertain of his stability after the attack on your daughter so he is kept a prisoner.”

  Roarr entered the conversation then. He sounded as pissed off as Xan and Anna Leigh guessed he’d also been kept in the dark. “We need those addresses now before they discover you failed at your task.”

  “Put out the word that he did succeed and in the confusion managed to escape. We’ll go after Zane,” Xan told Roarr. The Overchief and Barak didn’t argue. “But I want the head of the man who dared threaten my cousin.”

  Roarr nodded agreement, indicating Goran. “I want proof he can be trusted.”

  Parker stepped up, looking fragile and ethereal. Anna Leigh knew that for a false impression. The power in her mind was staggering.

  “I’ll probably need your help,” she said to Anna Leigh. “I need to make sure he can’t hide information from me.”

  “Of course.”

  “Lower your shields,” Parker said softly.

  Goran looked to Xan for approval before complying.

  “Do it,” he ordered.

  Goran’s eyes widened when he realized both women had entered his mind. His thoughts and memories were neatly ordered. The only ones he tensed at their viewing were the intimate hours spent with his mate. Finally, Anna Leigh was convinced he told the truth and was a spy not a rebel. Still, he’d attacked his clan chief. She withdrew from his mind and nodded at Xan, while Parker rattled off names and three addresses in the city below them.

  Goran straightened. Faced Xan. “What will happen to me?”

  Barak looked chagrined. “You attacked your clan chief. Why doesn’t matter.”

  Xan stared at him a long moment before looking to his cousin, his expression softening. “I only have two options. Both are horrible choices for Xiri but with the second at least she wouldn’t have to deal with your death.”

  “If you banish me, we’ll both be ostracized,” he said softly, not looking at Xiri. “Death would be kinder for her. She would still have a home. Still have a family.”

  “No!” Xiri rushed to him, cupped his face between her hands but his posture, the remote look in his eyes never changed.

  Anna Leigh felt badly for the young woman, but she agreed with Xan and Goran. He couldn’t stay in the clan and if he took Xiri with him she would have to walk away from everything and everyone she knew.

  “Don’t do this,” Xiri whispered. “Don’t leave me.”

  Goran’s composure cracked and he wrapped his arms around her. Anna Leigh could hardly bare to watch. She saw Goran’s choice in his eyes. He kissed Xiri then gently released her to step forward.

  “Death,” he said softly, even calmly, to Xan though she felt his turmoil.

  Before Xan could respond, Daggar interrupted. “There is another option. If they would have you.”

  The Earthlings in the room were confused but she saw immediate understanding on the faces of all the warriors and Xiri.

  “What other option?” Zola asked.

  “The Varangians.”

  Her daughter scowled, then huffed a laugh. “Vikings?”

  Daggar grinned. “You know of the Varangian Guard?”

  “Are you saying the Varangian Guard in Earth history, the Vikings, were Delroi?”

  “Yes, in the beginning at least. The Varangians, which means traveler in our language, have always been explorers. They have colonies throughout the galaxy. Centuries ago one of their ships crashed on Earth. While they waited for rescue they…integrated with the culture.”

  She wasn’t sure how to take that. Some of the Vikings were aliens? “Their mythology?” Zola, always the schol
ar, asked.

  Daggar shook his head. “Earth in origin, though you will find common names among the Varangians.”

  “Fascinating,” Anna Leigh murmured. She focused on Goran, wondering what his decision would be.

  Xiri was in his arms again, looking up at him intently. “Let’s do it.”

  “They won’t take me, us, without a direct request from the Overchief,” he cautioned.

  “I wouldn’t have brought it up if I was unwilling to do that.”

  Goran nodded. “I accept then.”

  Xiri scowled. “We accept. I go with you.”

  Anna Leigh approved of her gumption though she felt Xan’s sadness. She slipped her hand into his, squeezed.

  “I’d like to help bring in the rebels first,” Goran said.

  “I don’t have a problem with that.” He looked at Barak and Daggar. “Any objections?”

  Neither protested. “I am contacting the Varangians now, however,” Daggar said. “They’re leader is in orbit. He’ll be waiting when we’re finished.”

  “We should move now then,” Zola said.

  Anna Leigh felt and shared her daughter’s impatience, but she didn’t want her in the fight. They had no idea what to expect from Zane. Seeing the determination in her eyes, however, Anna Leigh didn’t bother arguing with Zola about staying behind. They split into two groups, Xan and Roarr leading the one rescuing Zane while Barak and Daggar went after the other nests of rebels.

  The house wasn’t far. She couldn’t believe how close the enemy had been for the last several weeks. How close her son had been. They split into groups, searching for ways to sneak in. The rebels made it easy. None of the entrances were guarded. That kind of arrogance got people killed. She and Xan followed four Bana warriors through the kitchen door. She didn’t even get the chance to fire her weapon. She walked by three dead rebels into a wide hall. The hiss of a laser pistol could be heard in another room and a moment later Zola, Jarek at her side, entered the front door. Parker and Kareena followed seconds later, just as the remaining Delroi rebels rushed down the stairs. They lifted their weapons to fire but had apparently forgotten who they faced. The pistols were jerked from their hands and turned on them. Zola’s power pulsed in the air, her fury palpable.