Tarjen

by Susan Hayes

  “You think we could still be in danger? You said the attack was over.”

  “I believe it is over. I am still going in first.” He set down her bags and took the lightstone from her.

  Her brows rose. “Anyone ever mention you’re bossy?”

  “I am a high-ranking officer in the Royal Guard. Giving orders is part of my job. So is safeguarding those in my care.”

  “I’m not in your care, though. And as nice as our kiss was, I’m not really yours. Once we’re out of this mess, you and I need to talk.”

  Her words cut him to the core. He pointed to her and Melody, then thumped his hand to his chest. “You are mine, Aria Frasier. The Spark proves it. We will talk soon, but nothing you say is going to change the fact we’re destined to spend our lives together.”

  He shoved open the door and stalked inside, almost hoping there was some threat beyond the door. That way, he could demonstrate his prowess as a warrior, and her protector. His initial plans had been reduced to rubble, but that didn’t change anything. He was a soldier. He always had contingency plans. They were together now, and he would make this work. He would simply have to find another way to show Aria he was worthy of her.

  Every time she thought she had figured out what kind of man Tarjen was, he showed her another facet of himself. He was brave, certainly. And when those big hands of his had gently lifted Melody out of the sling with such care and tenderness, it made her heart ache. That was the kind of man Melody deserved to have in her life. Too bad he was also stubborn as hell. His insistence that they were destined to be together was rankling, and the way he took charge of everything was – hot. Wait. No. It was annoying. Not hot at all. The same voice laughed at her from the back of her mind. Liar.

  Great. Now she was arguing with herself.

  While she’d been distracted with her inner dialogue, Tarjen had entered the locker room. She moved to the doorway, not wanting to be left alone in the darkening hallway. It felt like an eon had passed before he walked back towards her.

  “It’s safe, and I found a place we can be comfortable.” He gestured her inside and then moved past her to gather up her bags. When he returned, he placed a gentle hand on her back and guided her inside.

  His touch was like a brand searing her skin. She gasped softly, almost stumbling as an answering heat blossomed inside of her, filling her veins with fire. He caught her and drew her back against the solid bulk of his body to steady her, triggering a maelstrom of needs and wants that threatened to consume her.

  “Are you well?” he asked, one hand on her hip and the other wrapped around her and Melody.

  Hell no, she wasn’t well. She was losing her damned mind. Why else would she turn into a gooey puddle of hormones every time Tarjen touched her? “I’m fine. You just uh, startled me. Your hand is really warm.”

  He frowned. “When I touched you, did you feel heat? Heat that went past the point of contact?”

  “Uh, yeah.” That was an understatement and a half, but she wasn’t about to admit the truth.

  “That is…concerning. I had hoped we would have more time before the effects of the Scorching began.”

  “Whoa. What effects? And what the hell is the Scorching? There was nothing in the information your people sent about any of this.” She pulled out of his embrace and turned to face him, her heart pounding against her ribs. What was he talking about?

  “I think you will want to sit for this conversation.” He raised the light source so it illuminated the room. The walls were all fitted with identical alcoves and shelves of polished wood, each marked with a player’s number and a photo of that player. There were hooks for uniforms, and chairs set in front of each locker for the players to use as they dressed.

  She started towards one of the chairs, but Tarjen shook his head and pointed. “This way.”

  “You speak English very well, but you don’t seem to be familiar with a few words - like please.”

  He glanced down at her, his lips curving into a brain-meltingly sexy smile. “Please, seska. There are more comfortable furnishings in the other room.”

  She couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you. I’m sure Melody would be happy to be out of her sling, too. That’s the second time you’ve called me seska. What does it mean?”

  “It is a term of endearment in my language. In your language, it would be similar to calling someone the beloved of my heart.”

  She didn’t respond to that. They’d barely met. How could she be his beloved anything? He led them through a short hallway to a lounge area. There were chairs and couches scattered around the room, as well as a few tables and a water cooler.

  She sank down onto one of the couches with a tired sigh and lifted Melody out of the sling. The moment she set Melody down on the couch, she started exploring. “Tarjen, can you please raise the light up so I can make sure it’s safe for Melody if I put her on the floor?”

  “Of course. What dangers are we looking for?”

  She got back to her feet, picked up Melody, and walked around the room. “Electrical outlets, sharp objects and anything small enough for her to put in her mouth.”

  “Why would she eat something that might harm her?”

  “Because babies put everything in their mouths. It’s how they learn about things. Taste, texture, temperature. As a mother, it’s terrifying, but that’s how she learns.”

  Satisfied there was nothing in the immediate area to worry about, she placed Melody on the floor and finally got to sit down. The fear and adrenaline were fading now, leaving her weary and uncertain.

  Tarjen pulled one of the chairs in close and seated himself so they’re knees were almost touching. “The only small child I have ever spent time with is Hope. She is the daughter of my commander, Kash, and his mate, Gwen. Gwen is from Earth, too. I am not sure, but I believe her daughter is only a little younger than Melody.”

  “Gwen? You mean the spokeswoman for the Star-Crossed Dating Agency? You know her?” Aria reached down to help Melody get to her feet. She clung to Aria’s skirt, chortling happily to herself as she fought to stay standing.

  “As one of the prince’s guards, I have met all the human females that currently live on Pyros, but I consider, Gwen, Princess Maggie, and Lisa to be friends. They are all from Vancouver, and they are eager to meet you and help you adjust to life on Pyros. Gwen will be pleased to have a playmate for Hope living at the palace.”

  Aria’s thought process derailed and crashed. “The palace? You live in a palace? And you still haven’t told me what the Scorching is. And why do you call me seska when we’ve barely met? I have a hundred or so questions, and we still need to talk about the fact that I can’t go with you. This…us… it can’t work.”

  Tarjen’s brow creased and he shook his head. “It will work. It has to. We are bound together for the rest of our lives, Aria Frasier. There is no way to undo what has been done.”

  Aria reached down to grip her daughter’s hand. “And what, exactly, has been done?”

  “We are bonded. You witnessed the Spark. It is a sign that we are destined for each other.” He paused, his dark eyes full of regret. “It also heralds the beginning of the Scorching, a mating fever that will consume us both for the next two of your days. That is what you are feeling right now.” He touched one hand to his chest, his voice lowering to a low rumble. “And so am I.”

  Chapter Four

  Aria’s panicked expression tore at his heart. She was his true mate, yet she was looking at him as if he were a threat to her and her daughter instead of their protector.

  “There has to be a way to undo this Spark thing. We barely know each other!” Aria’s blue eyes narrowed. “And why didn’t the information packet mention the Scorching? That’s a hell of an omission! What else aren’t you telling me?”

  “There is no reversing the Spark. We believe it is the will of the Gods and welcome the moment we discover our mate. As for the choice not to mention the Scorching, that decision was made by King
Janus and his advisors. They thought the females of your world would misunderstand and refuse to sign up if they thought they might be forced to do something against their will.”

  “They’d be right about that!”

  Sensing her mother’s distress, Melody screwed up her tiny face and began to wail. Without thinking, Tarjen reached down and lifted the crying child into his arms, rocking her the way his mother had once rocked himself and his brothers. “Hush, little star, no need for tears.”

  Aria kept hold of Melody’s hand and tried to draw her away from him. “Give her to me. She doesn’t like strangers. You’re going to make it worse.”

  Despite her mother’s warning, Melody quieted, settling into his arms with an acceptance that warmed his heart. Now if only her mother would trust him the way her daughter did…

  Some of the anger in Aria’s eyes faded as she watched her little girl’s reaction to him. “She doesn’t usually do that.”

  “Perhaps she can sense that there is a bond between us, even if you aren’t ready to, yet.”

  A very different kind of spark gleamed in her gaze as she locked eyes with him. “You still haven’t finished explaining everything. I’m not even discussing bonds or the future until I know what the hell is going on. I want answers, and I want to get out of here so I can find my sister and my friend.”

  Tarjen set the lightstone down on the floor and reached for Aria’s hand. She didn’t offer it, but she didn’t withdraw when he placed his hand over hers. “We are destined for each other, seska. You were told that you’d be coming with me for a few of your days to get to know each other, yes?”

  “Yes. But that’s hardly the same thing.” She drew a long breath, her hand tensing beneath his. “And I wasn’t going to go with you, anyway.”

  Her words stunned him. “You weren’t? Then why did you accept the match? Why come at all?”

  She bit her lip and sighed. “It was an accident. I didn’t see the email until my sister told me about her invitation to this event. She wasn’t matched, but she was in the database and got invited. I thought I’d cancelled my profile. Then I saw the email and I was so nervous I pushed the wrong part of the screen. I didn’t plan any of this, but once I’d done it, I couldn’t find a way to reverse my choice. This was all a mistake, Tarjen.”

  “The Gods don’t make mistakes.” He stopped the protest he knew was coming by sealing her lips with a kiss.

  The Scorching swept through him, burning away every thought in his head save one: he needed more. More kisses. More touching. More of her. Nothing else mattered. He eased himself to the floor, carefully setting Melody down beside him before taking hold of Aria and pulling her into his lap. As her soft weight settled on his thighs he uttered a low groan. This was what he craved more than the air he breathed. Her. Aria. His true mate.

  He threaded his fingers into her hair, drawing her in close enough to kiss again. This time, she came willingly, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pressed in close and opened her mouth to him. He accepted her invitation and took the kiss deeper, his tongue dancing with hers. He allowed himself to give in to the temptation to touch her, exploring her soft, welcoming body. He palmed one of her breasts and she uttered a low, needy moan, arching herself against his hand. She was as lost as he was, both consumed by the Scorching.

  “Ma-ma-ma,” A child’s voice cut through the lust that fogged his mind, dragging him back to reality. Guilt and shame crashed over him in an icy wave that doused the fires of the Scorching, allowing him to think clearly. He had failed them, again. Aria and her daughter were his to protect, and yet, instead of working to get them free, he’d given in to the mating fever. I don’t deserve them.

  He tore his mouth from Aria’s and straightened, putting as much distance as he could between them. Not an easy thing to do when his mate was nestled in his lap. He needed to regain control and remember the plan, and the promises, he had made. He had to keep them safe.

  Aria looked up at him with a wounded expression, her eyes full of confusion and hurt one second, then carefully shuttered and blank the next. She turned from him to reach for Melody, drawing the little girl into her arms.

  Without a word, she scrambled out of his arms and away, never easing her hold on her daughter. Once she was seated on the furniture again, she buried her face in Melody’s cap of soft hair and crooned, “Mommy’s here, little one. I’ve got you.”

  “I will make the adjustments needed to boost the signal on my communicator and make contact with the Firebrand. We’ll be out of here soon. You have my word.”

  Aria murmured something that sounded like an agreement, but she didn’t look at him. She was withdrawing. No doubt questioning his ability to protect her the way a mate should. Given how he had been acting, she was right to worry. She deserved so much better.

  Once they were safely onboard the Firebrand, he would do whatever it took to prove to her that he was worthy of the gift the Gods had bestowed upon him - his beautiful Aria, and her daughter.

  She’d forgotten about Melody. What kind of mother fell into a man’s arms and completely forgot about her baby? No, she hadn’t even been in the arms of a man. She’d been making out with an alien. Guilt curdled in her stomach, but even that wasn’t enough to cool the fires raging inside her. She still wanted him. Hell, she was literally aching for him to touch her again. Not that it seemed likely he would. Since breaking off their kiss and pulling away, he hadn’t even looked at her. So much for being his true mate. Once he’d gotten a feel for the extra weight she’d tried to hide under her dress, he’d pulled away.

  Why had she let Haley and Piper talk her into this? It was crazy and pointless. Once she knew her sister was safe, she was going to kill her. She closed her eyes and squeezed Melody tight. Please, oh please, let Piper and Haley be safe. If something had happened to them…

  Melody squirmed in her arms and started wailing in protest.

  “Sorry, baby. Am I squishing you?” She reluctantly eased her hold on her daughter, but Melody didn’t want to be held. She continued to wriggle and kick, her cries getting louder. It didn’t take long for Aria to recognize the problem. “You need a fresh diaper and a nap, don’t you?”

  The familiar task of changing a diaper helped her recover from the day’s ongoing insanity. By the time she had Melody tucked into a makeshift bed, Aria was herself again, or at least as close a proximation as she could manage. Taking a seat on the couch right next to Melody, she started to hum a favourite lullaby, hoping to get her daughter to sleep for at least a little while.

  Tarjen was still sitting on the floor, the lightstone giving off enough light for him to work. He had her phone in pieces on the floor, along with what must be his communicator. He had a small gadget that looked a little like a Swiss Army knife and was using it to do…something to her phone’s battery.

  “You sing beautifully,” he said in soft tones.

  She shook her head, embarrassed. “No, I don’t. My mother had a beautiful voice. She was a classically trained soprano. Neither Piper nor I inherited her gift.”

  His brows furrowed as he fixed her with an intense look. “I like the way you sing. Your voice is pretty, and I could hear how much your daughter means to you. Your heart was in the notes.”

  Her heart did a triple-flip in her chest, but she shut down her body’s traitorous reactions before she lost control again. She cemented her resolve by reminding them both where her priorities lay. “Melody is the most important thing in my life. I’d die to protect her, and I will do everything in my power to give her the best life I can.”

  “You are her protector,” he mused, nodding. “As I am both of yours.”

  “I want more for Melody than just a protector.”

  He raised his gaze to hers, and once again she had to fight the urge to throw herself off the couch and back into his arms. “What else do you want, seska?”

  That was the billion-dollar question. She raised her hands in a gesture of confusion. “I don’t
know. I, well, I know I want someone kind. And faithful. That’s a must.”

  He nodded, listening without interrupting her as he continued to tinker with the communicator.

  “And?” he prompted when she didn’t say anything more.

  “And someone who will love Melody unconditionally, even though she isn’t his by blood.” She hesitated, then added. “And my sister thinks I deserve someone who wants to take care of me and will make me the center of their universe.”

  When she was finished, he raised the communicator in triumph. “It will work now. As soon as I have contacted the Firebrand, I will address what you have said.”

  She wanted to scream. Every time they seemed to be making some kind of progress, he withdrew. How the hell was this going to work if they couldn’t even have a simple conversation? Not that she was expecting it to work. In fact, there was no it. No them. No chance. And if I keep repeating that, maybe my hormones will come out of hyperdrive.

  He got to his feet, picking up the lightstone and placing it in her hands before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I heard all you said, and I wish to answer, but my first duty is to protect you both and get you to safety.”

  “Thank you for explaining.”

  “I am not used to explaining myself to others. The only ones I answer to are the royal family and my commander, Kash.” He sighed. “I did not take that into consideration when I prepared for this meeting. I will strive to do better.”

  “You prepared for this? For meeting me? How?”

  He smiled and stroked her cheek, and for a second his eyes seemed to gleam gold in the dim light. “I will explain once I have made contact. And once we are back on board, I will be able to show you, too.”

  He moved to the far side of the room and tapped something on the side of the device. It lit up and he grinned at her, then started speaking words she couldn’t begin to understand. His tone sharpened, and each syllable crackled and snapped as he spoke. Another male voice answered in what seemed to be the same language, and after a few short minutes, he shut off the communicator. The only words she recognized in the entire conversation were her name, Melody, Haley, and Piper.