by Susan Hayes
“Being linked to a single program is causing you crippling headaches. Do you really want to see what would happen if you were linked to the entire ship?”
She pursed her lips. “You have a point.”
Several projections appeared in the air at the center of the room. “These are all the scans we took since I started getting the headaches. See anything?” she asked, waving to the images.
Braxon looked again, trying to see whatever it was she was talking about. They’d gone over these scans several times and seen nothing that would explain the headaches. After a minute or two, he shook his head in frustration. “What are we supposed to be seeing?”
“That’s just it. There’s nothing there, and I think I’ve figured out why. We’ve never taken a scan when the headaches first start.”
“No,” Tyran objected right away.
“You want to trigger an event here and scan it?” Braxon didn’t like the idea any more than Tyr did.
“How else are we going to figure out what the problem is? It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. It usually takes an hour or so for the pain to get bad. I’ll be okay.”
“No more than three minutes. I don’t care if we have the data by then or not,” Tyr finally said.
“But if we…”
Tyr cut her off. “Three minutes. You might be willing to risk more, but I’m not.”
“And neither am I.” Braxon pointed to one of the beds. “And you’re going to do exactly what we say, agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“And you’ll tell us the second you feel any pain or discomfort?” Tyr asked.
Her shoulders tensed, her expression went blank, and she didn’t answer right away. Stubborn female.
“This isn’t going to happen until you agree to our terms,” Tyr informed her.
Braxon tried a slightly different approach. “If it were Tyr or I having this issue, you’d want to know if we were hurting, wouldn’t you?”
Her body language softened. “I would.”
He managed to keep from smiling at her admission, but it wasn’t easy. “We care about you, too.”
“Okay.” She raised her hands with her smallest fingers outstretched in an odd gesture. “I pinkie swear that I’ll tell you if I get so much as a tingle.”
He and Tyr looked at her hand, then at each other. “We’re not familiar with this ritual.”
“I’d be surprised if you were. Join your pinkie fingers with mine, yeah, like that.” She curled her fingers around theirs. “If I feel any discomfort, I’ll tell you right away.”
“Witnessed,” Tyr acknowledged, and a second later she was untangling herself and bounced over to the bed.
Braxon manned the scanner while Tyr took hold of their mate’s hand. At Braxon’s signal, Tyr began to speak to Phaedra in Vardarian. He was quoting a classic love poem and having her translate the complex phrases into her own language and repeating them out loud.
After only a few lines, the real-time scans showed a subtle change, but not where he expected it.
“Stop,” he said without looking up. Within a few seconds, the scan returned to normal.
“Again.” This time the change showed up even faster, and he knew exactly what the problem was. “That’s enough.”
Phaedra hadn’t told them her theory before the test because she wanted their interpretation to be unbiased. Now, he wanted to hear it. “Before I tell you what I saw, what was your theory?”
“Feedback between my existing implants and the only new piece of tech I’ve added in the last six months.” She sat up “Am I right?”
With a flick of his fingers, Braxon sent the images from the screen to be projected so they could all see them. “You were right. Somehow, the receiver is interfering with the translation program and it’s affecting your neural pathways in the area around it.”
“So, we take it out. Problem solved,” she said.
“If we do that, you won’t have any way to communicate with us if we’re apart.”
“Sure we will. You’ve both been given comm devices. And we’re not apart that often. Not with security so tight.”
“I’d rather you stop using the translator,” Tyr said.
Her eyes narrowed and the set of her jaw shifted. “And I’d rather not be useless.”
This again. It bothered Braxon that she still felt that she had to prove herself. Why couldn’t she understand that she was part of them, now? “How many times will we have to say it before you believe us? You’re not useless. Your contribution isn’t being measured in terms of what you do, or how well you perform.”
“You’re not our liaison, Phaedra. You’re our mahaya,” Tyr said.
“Why can’t I be both?”
Braxon got to his feet, seething with frustration. She was pushing them away again, and he didn’t know how to stop it. All his life he’d struggled to be accepted by those around him.
“Braxon?” she called his name as he headed for the door.
He ignored her and lengthened his stride. He needed to be alone.
“Braxon!” this time her voice cracked. “Where are you going?”
“I need to get off this ship for a while.”
“Take two of the guards with you.”
“I will.”
Tyr would already know where he was going. There were only two things that helped his anrik think. The first was flying, but so far, they hadn’t found anywhere suitable to do more than a quick stretch of their wings. The other activity was to lose himself in the rituals of combat. Braxon was on his way to the Nova Club’s training area to spar.
Chapter Thirteen
Tyr could almost see the walls around Phaedra’s heart start to crumble as she watched Braxon walk away. She looked vulnerable and sad. As much as it hurt him to see her unhappy, it gave him hope, too. Her feelings for them were growing stronger… just as his were for her.
“He’s coming back, right?”
He moved in closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “He’ll be back. It’s always been like this. When he gets angry, he needs to be alone. Usually he goes flying. Since he can’t do that, he’ll do the next best thing to blow off steam.”
She gave him a wild-eyed look. “Another female?”
“What? No! There are no other females for us. Not now, not ever. How could you even think we’d do that to you?”
“Because it’s happened before,” she confessed, her voice softer now.
“It will never happen again. Not with us. We waited a lifetime to find you, and now we’ll never desire anyone else.”
“You say that with such confidence. I’m not so sure.”
“You aren’t Vardarian. If you like, I can show you the proof of it later. Studies have been done.” He chuckled. “You are not the first female of a different species to be concerned.”
“I’d like that. So, if he can’t fly and isn’t uh… seeking company elsewhere, where is he?”
“He’ll be on his way to the Nova Club. The owners invited us to use their training area anytime we liked.”
“Okay. Not thrilled about that option either. What is it with you males and the need to beat on each other?”
“It helps clear the mind and vent strong emotions.”
“I didn’t mean to piss him off – I mean, make him angry with me.”
“He’s not angry with anyone. He is caught up in feelings from his past. Tangled.”
“Frustrated?” Phaedra closed her hands into fists and shook them. “Like you can’t figure out all the things you’re feeling?”
“Yes. Frustrated. Braxon has spent his life being judged by his parentage instead of his actions. Even as my anrik, he faced rejection and derision.”
“But why is he angry now? No one here is rejecting him.”
“No?” He gave her a long look.
“I’m not. I mean, that wasn’t about him. It’s about me. I need…” she trailed off, her hands fluttering in front of her like a pair of bewilder
ed birds.
He caught her hands in his, stilling them. “You’ve been alone too long, little warrior. You’ve forgotten what it’s like to be connected to someone else.”
“Maybe. Should I apologize? I can do it right now.”
He shook his head. “Give him some time.”
“Do you really want me to remove the receiver? I will, but if I do, you have to promise that you’ll stay close to us.”
She thought about it, then sighed and shook her head. “If it’s that important to the two of you, then leave it.”
“Your safety is what’s important.”
“Then leave it in for now. When Alyson gets back, I’m going to talk to her about having the three of us fitted with the same kind of devices the cyborgs use. I’m pretty sure Zale can build them for us.”
“I’d like that. If we’re sure it’s safe for all of us.” He touched the spot where her receiver sat behind her ear. “We were careless when we implanted this without testing what it might do. I won’t take that kind of chance again.”
“When you put it like that, I’m more inclined to agree with you. I’m not good with demands, remember?”
He chuckled and scooped her into his arms. “I’m learning more about you all the time.”
“Where are we going?”
“You are supposed to be resting. Since you didn’t do that today, I’m going to make sure you do so tonight.”
“If you take me to bed, I don’t see how I’m going to get any rest.” She didn’t sound at all concerned at the idea.
“Which is why we’re not going to bed. I’m taking you to the most relaxing place on this ship.”
She sighed happily. “The bath? I had planned on using that today, but the day got away from me.”
“Well, you’re not getting away from me. Yes, we’re going to the bath. The water is already running.”
“I really, really need to get myself wired to this ship,” she muttered as he carried her back down the hall to their quarters.
“Take out the receiver and we’ll discuss it.”
“This would be so much easier if you would just say yes and stop arguing with me.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” It was the first time he’d been alone with her for more than a few moments since they had first met, and he intended to make the most of it. Even tonight had been full of talk of the corporations and potential deals, not to mention the constant shadow of danger that hung over them all.
“You’re thinking too hard,” she said, gently stroking a finger between his brows to smooth out the furrowed skin. “I’m not the only one who needs to rest. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen you really relax since we met. Don’t you ever want to just stop and let someone else take over? Braxon’s more than capable, but you never let him take the lead.”
“Braxon’s a fine leader, and so are you.” She had no idea how much he wanted to step aside sometimes, but he didn’t know how. Not, yet. His sister might have been the heir, but he always had duties of his own. Their father’s accidental death had put Neha on the throne before she was ready, and she’d leaned heavily on Tyran, relying on his guidance and their mother’s wisdom. The problem was, she hadn’t stopped relying on them. This entire plan, the scouting mission, the dream of a colony of their own, it was all so that he could finally step away from his sister’s shadow and claim a life of his own.
He thought that leaving court would be enough for him to start finding a new way to do things. It hadn’t. Braxon still defaulted to him. The beings from this part of the galaxy assumed he was the one in command because of his title. The only one who didn’t expect him to be in charge was Phaedra, and he kept trying to tell her what to do, anyway. He really needed to stop doing that, but the habits of a lifetime were harder to break than he’d expected. The only change he’d managed to make was finding the strength to defy his sister, or at least, ignore her.
The order to return home had come yesterday. He hadn’t responded yet. Hadn’t told Braxon or Phaedra, either. He’d have to tell them soon, and then he hoped the three of them could decide on a plan, together. But before that happened, the three of them needed to be in the same room and thinking clearly. Maybe tomorrow morning.
“If we’re such fine leaders, why are you still calling the shots?” she asked as they entered his quarters.
He set her back on her feet and cupped her face in his hands. “Because I don’t know how to step back, and Braxon has never been in a position where he could lead. Not until we came out here.”
A spark of annoyance flared in her green eyes. “I have to say, I’m not a fan of your homeworld or the way they do things there. When we create this colony of ours, a lot of things are going to have to change.”
“Yes, they will.” This was why the ancestors had chosen this pink-haired female from another world to be their mahaya. Not only did she understand their dreams, she had the strength of will to make it happen. Buoyed up by hope, happiness, and something far stronger than either, he leaned down, intending to kiss her when a phrase he had never uttered before fell from his lips. “I love you.”
Her brows raised in surprise. “You’re not supposed to say that, yet. It’s too soon.”
“Not for me, it isn’t.”
She reached for him, her fingers clasping the back of his neck and pulling him down closer. “If there’s anyone in the galaxy I think I’d ever fall in love with, it’s you and Braxon. I’m just not there yet.”
Disappointment pricked his heart like a thousand tiny needles, but he also remembered what the cyborg males had told him about human courtship. He needed to be patient. She’d said it herself. She wasn’t in love with them, yet. He dipped his head and sealed her mouth with his. He needed her. Not just her body, but her fire. She was the brightest star in his universe, a blaze of light and glory that would guide him through the rest of his days.
Phaedra’s heart was doing backflips and her head was spinning as Tyr kissed her. His mouth was as hot as freshly welded steel as he claimed her, his fingers tangling in her hair to draw her head back as he took the kiss deeper. A low, primal growl rumbled up from the depths of his chest, the vibration traveling from his body to hers. She stood on her toes and leaned into him until they were fused together from thigh to chest.
Pheromones flooded the air between them, and the fires of the mating fever ignited like an open flame reacting to rocket fuel. Heat and need consumed her, along with emotions she wasn’t ready to acknowledge. He started easing her out of her clothes, uttering a low groan as his hands slid over her hips, pushing her loose-fitting pants down with ease. She started undressing him, too, her need for him at war with the pleasure she took in exploring his hard body. She heard the now familiar sound of his wings unfurling and reached around to stroke the sensitive skin normally hidden beneath.
“You have no idea how good that feels.”
“I think I do. Sometimes when you or Braxon touches me, I can’t breathe it feels so right.”
He stepped out of his pants and gathered her back into his arms for one last kiss. “That’s exactly how it feels.”
They didn’t let go of each other as they made their way back to the luxurious bathing room, both of them already lost in a fog of desire and need. Warm mist shrouded her body as they moved toward the tub. The air was scented, and it took her a moment to recognize it. “Vanilla?”
“I did some reading. This scent is one your species finds relaxing.”
She was touched that he had even thought about it. It was one of his many surprising traits. He was arrogant and driven, but he could also be sweet and attentive. “It’s also one of my favorites. My mom wasn’t really the domestic type, but every once in a while, for birthdays or if I’d had a really bad day, she’d bake cookies for me. Vanilla always reminds me of her.”
“You miss her. I miss my father, too.” He stepped into the tub first, then lifted her beside him. The water was the perfect temperature, and there were bubbling cur
rents flowing around her legs and feet.
“I do. I think we’ll always miss the ones we’ve lost.”
He moved behind her, sweeping back her hair to brush a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder before sinking down into the water with a sigh. “When I fly, sometimes I can hear his voice in the wind. It’s been too long since I’ve flown.”
She joined Tyran in the water, submerging herself and then pushing back so that she was curled into his side. One of his wings curled around her back, and his arm encircled her waist as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.
She turned and captured his mouth with hers and he hauled her into his arms.
“No more talking,” he muttered between kisses that grew more demanding with each second that passed.
There was so much raw need in his tone that she shivered in delightful anticipation of what was to come.
Instead of letting her settle across his lap so that she was facing him, he turned her so that her back was to his chest. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and reached around to cup her breasts. “Need you.”
“You have me,” she whispered back.
“Not yet. Not until we’re bonded.” He let his fangs touch her neck, exerting just enough pressure to dent her skin without breaking it.
“Soon.”
“Don’t make us wait too long, little warrior. We’re not as strong as you think. Not when it comes to you.”
His skin brightened to a gleaming silver and his fingers closed on her nipples, tugging and pinching them with just enough force to add a bit of pain to her pleasure. His cock jutted up between them, and each time she wriggled, it pulsed and thickened.
His touch was turning her brain to molten slag. She couldn’t think anymore. Didn’t want to. The subtle, spicy musk of his scent blended with the vanilla. Every breath she took pushed it deep into her lungs, marking her. Making her ache with needs and wants.
“You smell good,” she murmured.
“As do you. Like the most amazing meal in the world. A feast of all my favorite things. From the first time I caught your scent, I knew you were mine.”
