by Ivy Barrett
Dare looked around, his gaze wild. “I need to hide you. I’ll tell LeAuntiez—”
“I will not hide like a frightened child,” she stressed. “If you’re sure he won’t harm me, I’ll tell him to his face that I don’t want to leave you and Rook.”
Pulling her into his arms, Dare squeezed her almost painfully tight. “This would be so much easier if we’d claimed you.”
As if to prove his point, someone pounded on the cabin’s main door.
“Open now or I’ll blast my way in!” Though muffled, LeAuntiez deep voice easily penetrated the barrier.
Dare kept her pressed against his chest as he triggered the door with a sharp command.
“The females will not be harmed, but I am under orders to take them directly to Chancellor Savator.”
“Can you escort our ship rather than—”
“No.” His voice rang with absolute finality. Jessica slowly turned around, carefully remaining within the circle of Dare’s arms. “This one will accompany me now. As will the other four.”
“Is ‘this one’ allowed an opinion on the matter?” Trembling inside, she raised her gaze and looked directly at LeAuntiez. Power and authority emanated off the male like heatwaves off a star. She cleared her throat, then told him, “I’d rather stay with Rook and Dare.”
“It’s not my decision, mistress.” His expression relaxed and his tone softened. “The high command wishes to speak with you, so I am to bring you to them.”
“Let her go, Dare,” Rook advised from the doorway. “I already tried every argument.”
“Will I be allowed to return once I’ve answered their questions?” Jessica persisted.
LeAuntiez clasped his hands behind his back, looking massive and indomitable. “That’s not my decision either. I’m just a messenger.” One corner of his mouth lifted in an ironic smile.
Chapter Eleven
“I should throw you both in a detention cell for this little stunt and reassign the Lestrra.” The chancellor paced in front of Rook and Dare, hands clasped behind his back. “Clearly you don’t appreciate your ship.” Each word was more like a snarl than a humanoid verbalization.
“Our ship was not—”
“Silence!” Chancellor Savator’s voice boomed, causing both brothers to startle. Chancellor Savator had been berating Rook and Dare for nearly an hour now. He’d reviewed each bad decision and every possible outcome, each more dire than the last.
Rook gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself with a deep breath. It didn’t work. Jessica had been ripped from his side at the absolute worst moment. She’d been upset after Gat’s attack and confused about the future. He and Dare had barely begun to soothe her uncertainty when LeAuntiez struck out of nowhere. Nothing was going to calm Rook until she was back in his arms.
“You endangered your crew and risked one of my ships for a female.” The chancellor finally stopped pacing and faced them. He’d made both of those points numerous times before. Was he finally nearly the end of his lecture? “The only reason you’re not in restraints right now is because Jessica is your potential mate. I understand that bonding fever can drive otherwise sane males to do irrational things.”
“May we see her, sir?” Dare said softly. “I really need to know she’s unharmed.”
“She’s fine, and no.” Having fully vented his temper, Chancellor Savator finally began to calm. “I find your concern insulting. You know me better than thinking I would harm any female.”
“We trust you, sir.” Rook risked a comment of his own. “It’s LeAuntiez we don’t trust.”
One corner of the chancellor’s mouth lifted in a wry smile. “I’ll tell him you said so.” After a tense pause, the chancellor sighed. “Tell me about Gat Stomptin. Did your mate really murder your first officer?”
“Absolutely not,” Rook stressed. “She defended herself against his attempt to kidnap her. Security recorded the entire incident, which lasted less than a minute by the way.”
“I’ve seen it,” Chancellor Savator admitted. “I just wanted to see how you interpreted her actions. Some commanders wouldn’t care why a female harmed a male. They would blame the female.”
“And you should know us better than that.” Dare grew bolder as the tension ebbed.
“No one can know the truth about Gat,” the chancellor said suddenly. “Concoct whatever story you want as long as it has nothing to do with spying. I have a traitor on the high command and I need to figure out who the fuck he is before he realizes I know about him.”
“Understood,” Rook agreed. “Is there anything we can do to help in that regard?”
“I can’t think of anything right now, but I’ll let you know if that changes.”
Rook nodded. “May we go to Jessica now?”
“I want to speak with her first.”
Rook tensed all over again. “She can be rather spirited, sir. May we prepare her for the interview?”
“No. I want to draw my own conclusion about whether or not she is well suited to your pod. Besides, I still have to convince the ministers not to take you out back and shoot you.”
Rook started to smile, then realized the chancellor wasn’t joking. Rook locked his hands behind his back and said only, “Yes, sir.”
* * *
“They’ll probably auction us off to the highest bidder,” Nikki muttered as she paced beside the round table where the other human females sat. The room was drab and sparsely furnished as if it wasn’t used on a regular basis. Other than the table and chairs, a battered sofa and mismatched chair were the only furnishings.
LeAuntiez had delivered them to Protectorate Headquarters six or seven hours before, then left without a backward glance. The sprawling compound was obviously military and looked as if it had been in existence much longer than the Skarilians had been a threat. Jessica wasn’t sure where the compound was located. From the air everything had looked flat and dry, though not quite as arid as a desert.
They’d been escorted to a barracks for what remained of the night, though none of them had gotten any sleep. The following morning they’d been brought to this lounge and offered a simple breakfast. No one ate much either.
“They’re going to locate our potential mates and let them fight over us,” Laura predicted, though her baby blue eyes hinted at excitement, not dread.
Nikki spun toward the curvy blonde, dark eyes flashing. “You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you? All the attention sounds like fun. Well, what if a five-man pod shows up to claim you? Will you enjoy the attention then?”
“I’m not even sure I want children,” Olivia interjected before Laura could respond to Nikki’s provocation. “Why would anyone in their right mind bring a baby into this screwed-up world.”
“Survival.” Jessica knew the others would mock anything she said. According to them, she was brainwashed and unreliable, even a traitor to her kind. “If they don’t claim mates and have children, their species will be lost forever.”
“The Skarilians killed all the Ventori females.” Nikki looked at her, anger slowly turning to challenge as their gazes locked. “Their species is extinct already. There is nothing anyone can do about it.”
“So they should just lie down and die?” Nikki’s attitude was starting to piss her off. They were all scared. There was no reason for Nikki to be so negative. “If human males had all been killed, would you just give up?”
“We’ve all seen your potential mates,” Nikki reminded. “No one is surprised that you’re suddenly so philanthropic.”
“They keep saying nothing will be forced on us.” Erin’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “And I keep telling them I want to go home. If they really aren’t going to force us, then why am I still here?”
Jessica reached over and squeezed the younger woman’s hand. Deep smudges shadowed her blue eyes and her red hair looked lank and dull. Was she attempting to make herself less attractive, or was she just too depressed to take care of herself?
“They wo
n’t force you.” She waited until Erin met her gaze to go on. “Rook and Dare know I’m interested in them, but they still won’t claim me until I tell them I’m ready.”
“Well, I’ll never be ready, so all of this is a waste of time.”
She understood Erin’s reticence, but Erin hadn’t felt the elemental connection—not to mention the heightened desire—triggered by compatible males.
“Do you know what Camp Accord is?” Laura asked a few minutes later. “One of the guards asked us if we were going to be taken there. None of us had ever heard of it before.”
Jessica nodded. “It’s a Ventori colony. I don’t know much about it other than it’s located in the U.S. and they want it to focus on the developing families.”
“Families?” Nikki sneered. “Don’t you mean pods? The Ventori don’t have families.”
The door was suddenly thrown open, drawing everyone’s attention to the Ventori male standing there. Sapphire blue strands threaded through his short dark hair, creating a subtle, yet interesting pattern. Tall and sleekly muscled, he seemed less brutish than many of the Ventori. Until he sauntered closer. His stride rolled, each movement indolent and filled with confidence. Vivid blue lines marbled his dark eyes, his gaze intense despite his relaxed appearance. He noticed her stare and smiled. His lips slowly parted, making him look rakish. Who was this male and why was he here?
“Which one of you is Jessica?” He looked around the table as he waited for an answer.
No one spoke. Everyone stared straight ahead, silently rebelling. Unfortunately, straight ahead for Jessica had her gazing at the Ventori.
He chuckled, dimples forming to each side of his mouth. “Fine. We’ll do this the uncivilized way.”
What the hell did that mean?
Clasping his hands behind his back, he strolled around the table. He reached Olivia first and leaned down. She ducked and twisted trying to avoid any contact with the stranger. The Ventori didn’t even try to touch her. He just brought his face close to hers and inhaled.
Shit! He was searching for the scent of other males. Or was he searching for something else? Was he compatible with one of the others? Holy crap, was he compatible with her?
Whatever he was searching for, Olivia didn’t have it.
Neither did Laura.
Erin scooted her chair closer to Jessica, eyes wide and filled with dread. “What is he doing? Why is he… sniffing everyone?”
“Ventori males can recognize a potential mate by her scent,” Nikki told Erin, inadvertently drawing the Ventori’s attention.
“Very true.” He ambled toward her and his gaze locked with hers. “But that’s not what I’m doing. Ventori males can also detect the scent of other Ventori males. This room reeks of Fortar pod. However, you all smell so good, it’s hard to pinpoint the source.”
Heat crawled up Jessica’s neck and exploded across her cheeks as she thought of all the ways she’d absorbed their scent.
The newcomer circled Nikki. Pausing at her back, he leaned in close and inhaled deeply. His eyes narrowed and his head tilted as he inhaled again and again.
“Enough already!” She took two steps forward and whirled to face him. “Who the hell are you anyway?”
“Tarlon Orellian.” He flashed his charming smile, then bowed from the waist. “You smell amazing, sweetheart, but you’re not Jessica.”
His casual statement made Jessica tense. The better a female smelled, the more compatible she was with the person scenting her. Was Tarlon one of Nikki’s potential mates? Nikki looked anything but pleased with the possibility. Her gaze followed Tarlon, but her expression was openly hostile.
Before Jessica could decide, he returned to the table and continued his search. He only sniffed once in Erin’s direction, then focused on Jessica. “Ah, there you are. Hello, Jessica.”
She scooted back from the table and stood before asking, “What do you want with me?”
He shrugged, his disinterest not quite believable. “I don’t want anything with you. The high command, on the other hand, wishes to speak with you.”
If she refused, he’d likely drag her from the room or summon guards to motivate her cooperation. The Ventori weren’t known for their patience.
He motioned toward the door and she reluctantly walked across the room. The hallway was a dead end to her left, so she headed right. “You’re not part of the high command, I take it.” He actually seemed more down-to-earth than the other Ventori she’d met, though no less dangerous.
“My brother is, and that’s enough pomposity for one pod. If you ask me.”
“Have they decided what to do with us?”
His laugh was downright wicked. “Didn’t Fortar pod make that clear enough for you?”
She shot him an annoyed look. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“Your potential mates offered the high command an example they’ve chosen to adopt.”
“Meaning?” Unless he was taking her to a really remote location, she needed him to get to the point.
“Rather than reinventing the wheel, they’re going to make arrangements for the pod with the highest compatibility index to buy out each female’s contract. That way she’ll only be obligated to abide by the conditions she agreed to in the first place.”
Just like Rook had done with Layhee pod. The strategy made it hard for the female to argue, because she’d willingly signed the contract. Except for Erin. She was a unique case. “Then the thirty-day clause is still in effect?”
He glanced at her and grinned. “Any Ventori pod that can’t convince their female to mate with them in thirty days deserves to lose her.”
If anyone could make him eat his words it was Nikki. Suddenly, Jessica hoped the two were compatible. The fireworks would be very amusing. Besides, Tarlon seemed likeable and didn’t take himself too seriously. If he could penetrate Nikki’s emotional defenses, they might make a good couple.
Only trouble was, the Ventori didn’t form couples. They formed pods. And somehow, a harmonious match between Nikki and a member of the high command seemed much less likely.
Tarlon stopped beside large arched double doors. “Don’t let them intimidate you. They aren’t as mean as they look.” His head tilted and he pressed his lips together. “Well, Chancellor Savator is. And so is LeAuntiez, but he’s not technically on the council.”
She shook her head. “You should have stopped while you were ahead.”
“I see the spirit in your eyes. You’ll do fine.” He opened one side of the entrance and motioned her inside.
Jessica’s knees felt weak and wobbly as she crossed the room. A seven-member panel sat around a large oval table. Three males lined each side and one occupied the far end. LeAuntiez stood behind the man on the end. Even without his wings unfurled, he looked brooding and dangerous—and beautiful.
There were no empty chairs, so Jessica simply moved to the head of the table and stood there waiting for one of them to speak. Her gaze skimmed over their stoic faces. The council members each had dark hair streaked with a brighter color. The male on the end had green accents in his hair and eyes. Was this Chancellor Savator?
“Fortar pod claims that you’re their mate,” the male on the end began without bothering with an introduction. “Do you concur?”
“And you are?”
His black and green eyes narrowed, then a faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Bronsen Savator, Chancellor of the Ventori Protectorate. Are you impressed?”
His dry wit was unexpected, yet welcome. She licked her lips and allowed herself a small smile. “I’d be more impressed if you’d give me some definitive answers.”
“Answer my questions and I’ll answer yours.”
“I accept that I’m genetically compatible with Fortar pod,” she told him. “Whether or not I accept their claim, however, is between them and me.”
“I disagree. There are four other pods with a compatibility index high enough to trigger mating fever with you.
If you reject Fortar pod, we expect you to consider one of the others.”
She tensed, resenting his autocratic tone. “You can expect anything you like. I agreed to offer pleasure to one pod, and one pod only. I won’t be passed around until my thirty days is through.”
The chancellor glanced over his shoulder. “Are they all this rebellious?”
LeAuntiez made a noncommittal grunt then shrugged. “Fortar pod indulged her.”
“That doesn’t surprise me with Dare, but Rook knows better.”
Several of the males chuckled, but one with pale blue streaks in his hair asked, “Which way are you leaning? Do you still intend to enact the thirty-day clause?”
“And you are?” She didn’t really care about his name. It just bothered her that they didn’t think she was important enough for basic courtesies.
He smiled at her. The change in his expression made the silver-blue in his eyes shimmer. “Minister Sintar Orellian.” So this was Tarlon’s brother. He didn’t seem nearly as pompous as the chancellor, or LeAuntiez. Minister Orellian took time to introduce the other five ministers before returning to the subject at hand. “I understand that you’re not ready to reveal your final decision, but Rook claims that you were ready to accept them right before the Lestrra malfunctioned.”
Tired of her own indecision, and suspecting it was dangerous in this setting, she took a deep breath and admitted, “It’s quite likely I will accept their claim.”
“Thank you for your honesty,” Minister Orellian responded. “Did Tarlon tell you what we’ve decided about the other females?”
More comfortable with Minister Orellian than the chancellor, she faced Orellian and did her best to ignore everyone else. “As I understand it, compatible pods will be allowed to buy out their contracts. That seems fair as long as they are only required to consider one pod.”
“Unacceptable,” Savator snapped. “We don’t expect each female to have sex with all the pods, but they will spend time with other prospects if they reject their first pod.”
