Tarjen

by Susan Hayes

  He couldn’t wait to get Aria on board the Firebrand. She’d be safe there, and safer still once they returned to Pyros. He wouldn’t be able to offer her riches or power, but he would ensure that she was cherished and protected every day for the rest of her life.

  The door to their area opened and an upbeat blonde woman appeared and spoke to them in English. “It’s almost time. Your matches are all out there, waiting for you. Every single one of them.”

  There was a collective sigh of relief from around the room.

  “I’ll be giving you the signal to start in less than a minute. Good luck.” She smiled at them and then switched to Pyrosian. “May the gods bless you all on this day.”

  Around him, everyone checked their clothes and hair one last time. Tarjen focused on another set of details. He had his welcoming words to Aria memorized. His room back on the Firebrand was stocked with a wide variety of human delicacies that he’d arranged to be transported to the ship already. He had researched courting rituals for her species and tried to follow as many of them as he could. There were chocolates and several dozen roses, and in his pocket was a ring set with a golden gem from the mountains of Pyros.

  He went over his mental checklist one more time and smiled to himself. He was as prepared as he could possibly be.

  “It’s go time. File out in order, find your seat, and remember to smile!” The blonde opened the double doors and stepped out of the way.

  It was a short walk to the open air of the stadium, but it felt like they were marching forever by the time they reached the end of the tunnel and he stepped out into the dazzling sunlight.

  Applause and cheers erupted as they emerged, the noise so deafening Tarjen felt the ground beneath him vibrating. The royal shuttle was already descending, and he had a stab of guilt that he wasn’t onboard with the rest of Joran’s guards. Today, that wasn’t his mission, he reminded himself. Today, his mission was Aria.

  He scanned the area where the human females were already seated, and his heart leaped as he spotted Aria seated right up front. He knew it was her. He had memorized her face from the pictures in her file. What none of those pictures had shown was the child she was holding. Was it hers? Was his mate already claimed by another? What little social media presence his mate had was focused on her work as a counsellor. There had been almost no mention of her personal life, and the governments of Earth had forbidden the Pyrosians from prying too much into the female’s private lives.

  The roar of the crowd grew exponentially louder, and the ground shifted again. A shockwave slammed into him, pushing him forward as the cheers of welcome turned to terrified screams, and the stadium erupted into chaos.

  He took off at a run for the last place he’d seen Aria. He had to get to her. Had to protect her.

  As he ran, he caught sight of the shuttle hurtling up and away from whatever insanity was unfolding around him. Another explosion nearly knocked him off his feet, and the ringing in his ears blocked out the screams of fear and pain. He pushed through the panicked crowd, looking for Aria. Other males were doing the same thing, but there were fewer of them than there should have been. He’d been in battle before. He knew what lay behind him: carnage and destruction. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t. He had to find her.

  There! He caught sight of her red dress and veered toward it. She was caught up in a crowd of human females darting around like a flock of frightened birds. He lost her again and ran blindly through the crowd, hoping to find her before anything else happened.

  An ear-shattering roar tore through the stadium, and a massive winged shape took to the air. Vadir’s Romaki guest, Prince Radek, must have shifted forms, despite his vow not to.

  He caught another flash of red and forgot about Radek and his broken promises. She’d managed to break free of the crowd and was ducking into a tunnel much like the one he’d walked through a few minutes ago. He sprinted after her, calling her name.

  She disappeared into the tunnel, and then there was a brilliant flash of light and another explosion, this one close enough the force sent him flying backward. He hit the ground hard but was on his feet in seconds. He couldn’t hear anything, and his vision was marred by the afterimages of the explosion, but he staggered toward the tunnel entrance. Only the entrance wasn’t there anymore. Huge chunks of concrete tumbled into the space, forming a barricade.

  “Flames and fury!” he cursed. There was only one way to reach Aria now. He shoved up the sleeve of his shirt, uncovering the teleportation device he’d strapped to his wrist before leaving his quarters. It was programmed to take him back to the safety of a nearby shuttle in case of emergency. This was definitely an emergency, but he had no intention of returning to the ship without Aria. He’d made a plan, and by the Gods, he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from completing it.

  He adjusted the coordinates, doublechecked them, and squared his shoulders. He had to find his mate. Once he did that, he’d be able to introduce himself.

  That was the next step in his plan, and it would take more than a few explosions to stop that from happening. He hit the final key and braced himself for the unpleasant sensations that always accompanied teleportation. It would be worth it though, once he found Aria and made sure she was safe.

  Chapter Three

  “This is the last time we listen to your Aunt Piper,” Aria crooned to her baby, trying to keep her tone light, despite the insanity surrounding them. There was no pattern to the explosions, no way to know which direction led to safety, so she’d chosen at random. When the crowd engulfed her, she had pushed through them. There was no safety to be found in numbers.

  Melody was wailing in fear, and Aria was tempted to wail along with her. Instead, she held tight to her little girl and hurried across the stadium floor toward an entrance identical to the one Eva had taken her through. It had to be a way out. Chunks of concrete and debris were strewn across the ground, forcing her to move slower than she would have liked. If only she’d been smart and worn her sensible shoes, she’d be outside by now.

  A terrible noise tore through the air behind her, and she bolted the last few feet into the tunnel. Once she made it inside there was no more debris, so she kept running, desperate to get clear of the destruction. Once she was outside, she could start looking for Piper and Haley.

  She only got a few meters before there was another explosion. This one was close enough it shook the ground and sent her tumbling forward, the shockwave almost lifting her off her feet. She hit the ground on her side, both arms wrapped around Melody.

  There was a thunderous boom somewhere in the distance. All the lights flickered and then went out. She was alone in the dark.

  Still winded by her fall, her senses scrambled, Aria forced herself back to her feet. Fear tried to take hold, but she pushed it back and made herself focus on the only thing that mattered. Melody. Her baby was a warm, comforting weight against her chest.

  “You okay, little one?” She ran her hands over every inch of her child, soothing her as she checked for injuries. By the time she was done, Melody was quieter, and Aria breathed a sigh of relief. “No owies or booboos. Thank heavens.”

  She reached out one hand and started shuffling in a cautious circle, searching for a wall to use as a guide. She wandered for what felt like an eternity in the darkness, her nerves screaming, but finally her hand brushed against something solid.

  “Thank god.” She leaned her back against the wall and gave herself a moment. She was running on instinct and adrenaline. She needed to calm down and start thinking clearly. She took a few cleansing breaths, counting out the seconds of each exhalation. Just as she started feeling more centered, she heard something in the darkness, and fear turned her blood to ice water in a heartbeat. Who was out there? What was out there in the dark?

  “Hello?”

  “Aria? Are you unhurt?” A stranger’s voice called out.

  “Who are you? Where are you? I can’t see anything.”

  A hand touched
her shoulder and a brilliant blue spark arced through the air, chasing away the dark for a moment. Once she saw the spark, she knew exactly who was with her. Her Pyrosian match had tracked her down somehow, and now both of them would have to face the consequences. I shouldn’t have come today. He’s going to be so disappointed.

  “Tarjen?”

  A pale golden light filled the air, and she found herself staring into the face of her match. “Greetings, Aria of Earth. Thank the gods you are unhurt.” He raised the hand holding the light source so he could see her better. “You are unhurt, yes? You and the child?”

  “We’re okay. This is Melody.” She paused before adding. “My daughter.” She expected Tarjen to pull away or say something dismissive. The last thing in the world she expected the tall, broad-shouldered male to do was to reach out and stroke a calloused finger over Melody’s tiny hand.

  “Greetings, Melody of Earth.”

  Melody grabbed his finger. “Bee-bee.”

  He frowned in confusion. “I do not know that expression.”

  “That’s because the only one who knows what it means is Melody. She can’t really talk yet, she’s too young. I guess you don’t have many children on your world, do you? I mean, with the lack of females and all…” She was babbling, but it was hard not to given the circumstances.

  “Your daughter is beautiful, as are you.” He gently removed his finger from Melody’s grasp and pointed into the looming darkness. “I wish to talk with you, but first, we should get you and the little one to safety.”

  “I want to get out of here. I need to make sure my sister and my friend are safe, too. They were in the stands, watching. Do you think they’re okay?”

  Tarjen couldn’t know any more than she did, but he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and nodded. “We’ll find them, seska.”

  She took a good look at the man who believed they were destined to be together forever. He looked much like his picture, though he was much bigger in person than she had expected. Seeing someone’s height listed was one thing, but actually looking up at someone over six feet tall with shoulders as wide as his…that was another matter. It was crazy, but she caught herself wondering what he’d look like without his shirt. Was he as muscular and hard as he appeared? What would he taste like when he kissed me?

  She slammed the brakes on that line of thinking. They needed to get out of here, and then she needed to tell him that it wasn’t going to work. That she hadn’t meant to accept the match. Of course, she had planned on telling him all of this before he touched her. Before the Spark had blazed between them, confirming their compatibility.

  He led them down the tunnel, but it wasn’t long before they could see that it was blocked by a pile of rubble.

  “Is that the way you came in?” she asked.

  He cocked his arm toward her, indicating a strange device strapped to his wrist. “I used a teleporter. It was the only way I could reach you.”

  “You have a teleporter? That’s a thing?” She stared at the device in amazement. “So, you can just teleport us all out of here, right?”

  He sighed and shook his head. “It’s too dangerous to use it unless I know the exact coordinates and can confirm the location is clear. Plus, I’m not sure what it might do to Melody. The process is…unpleasant.”

  “Then we won’t do it.” She wouldn’t risk hurting Melody. “Wait. If it’s dangerous to teleport without knowing where you are going, how’d you get to us?”

  Tarjen turned, his solemn gaze meeting hers. He reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing her. “You are mine to protect, and I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t with you.”

  She stared up at him, shocked. “You risked being hurt to get to me? Why?”

  He shrugged and leaned in closer. “You are my true mate, Aria. The one the Gods created to walk at my side. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to ensure your safety, and your happiness.”

  “Tarjen—” Her words were cut off by a kiss so hot it turned all her arguments to ash in an instant. His mouth slanted over hers in an act of primal possession. His hand moved from her cheek to spear into her hair, sending the carefully placed bobby pins flying. He drew her in close, near enough she could feel the heat radiating off his body. He curved his big body around Melody, being careful not to crush her between them.

  Aria gave in to desire and kissed him back. The instant she parted her lips, he growled low in his throat and took the kiss deeper. Need tore through her like wildfire and she rose on her toes to meet him, her hand gripping the fabric of his shirt. If another explosion had gone off at that moment, she wouldn’t have noticed. His kiss was all-consuming, and his touch brought feeling back to parts of her body she had forgotten existed.

  She was supposed to be telling him this was a mistake. That she wasn’t the woman he was waiting for. But how the hell was she going to do that when she wasn’t sure she believed it anymore?

  Two thoughts crashed through Tarjen’s mind as he kissed Aria for the first time. She was utterly perfect, and he didn’t deserve her. Not that he’d let that fact stop him from claiming her. He’d seen the blue light of the Spark as it had arced between them. They were true mates. Soon, the Scorching would take hold of them, driving them into a mating fever that would last for at least two of Earth’s solar cycles.

  The fever was already affecting him. He’d planned every moment of their meeting, but now that she was in his arms, all he wanted to do was keep kissing her until they both went up in flames. Her hair was as dark as the night sky, soft and cool against his skin as he wrapped it around his fingers and tugged her head back. She barely came to his shoulder, so he had to lean down to kiss her properly. He wanted to crush her soft body against his, but she was still holding her daughter, and he wouldn’t risk injuring Melody, not even in the thrall of the Scorching. The Gods had given him two females to protect, and he would die before he failed either of them again.

  “We have to stop.” Aria tore her mouth from his and pushed back, putting unwanted distance between them.

  He knew she was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to let her go. It was already getting difficult to think logically, and it would only get worse as the Scorching grew stronger. Flames. He needed to explain that to her as well. While the human females were aware of the Spark, they had only been told that they would be leaving with their new mates for a few Earth days to get to know each other. Even the human females already on Pyros agreed it was necessary to keep the truth about the mating fever a secret until after the Gathering. There was too much at stake to risk any misunderstandings or outright lies by those who opposed the Pyrosian claiming human females for their own.

  He finally released her, though he stole another brief kiss before letting go of her hair. “I need to find a way to communicate with my people. Do you have one of the cell phone devices?”

  She groaned and bowed her head. “I am so stupid. I totally forgot about it. The damned thing even has a flashlight.”

  He hated hearing her disparage herself. Of all the females present, she was the only one he’d seen who hadn’t panicked. He caught her chin in one hand and coaxed her head up so she was looking at him. “You are not stupid. I do not like to hear you use such words to describe yourself. I’ve read your profile. You are an educated, intelligent woman. Your clear thinking is why you’re safe in here instead of out there with the others, risking injury or worse.”

  She scoffed and moved her head away from his hand. “I got myself trapped with no way to contact anyone for help. There’s no way my phone is going to work in here. If you hadn’t come after me…”

  “Whatever the attack was about, it’s over now. There hasn’t been an explosion since I teleported. We would have heard or felt it. They’ll be looking for survivors now. Someone would have found you eventually.” He held out his hand. “You got yourself and Melody to safety. And if you’re willing to sacrifice your phone to the cause, I believe I can use the power supply to boost my communicator
’s signal.

  “It’s in my purse, Which is pinned under the bag for Melody’s things.” She tried to reach it, but the sling and her daughter were in the way.

  He should have taken the bags for her, but instead he handed Aria the lightstone he’d brought with him and lifted Melody out of the sling. He cradled the baby in his arms and stared down at her in amazement. She was his to protect. His family. His future. He touched the cap of dark hair, marveling at its softness. She reached for him, grabbing his finger again, her tiny hand dwarfed by his. Without really realizing it, he lapsed into his own language. “You are as beautiful as your mother, and just as precious. I will watch over you all of your life and raise you as if you were my own.”

  Aria watched carefully until she was sure Melody was alright, then she got the bags untangled and pulled out her phone. “Here.” She offered it to him. “I’ll take Melody again.”

  He wasn’t ready to let go of her yet, but he had to. He needed to let someone know where they were, and to do that, he needed both hands and a place to work. He returned Melody to her mother, scooped both her bags off the ground, and looked around. “We need to find somewhere more comfortable for us to wait.”

  Aria raised the lightstone and looked around them. “There’s a door over here.” He moved to her side and they approached the door together.

  “Whitecaps?” He asked. While he’d learned to speak English fluently, he had not yet mastered reading the language.

  “It’s our soccer team. The Whitecaps. This is the door to their dressing room. There should be a place to sit down and maybe even some water in here.” She started to push the door open, but he stopped her with a touch of his hand.

  “I’ll go in first. I know it is unlikely anyone is inside, but I need to be sure before you enter.”