by Isabel Wroth
Ilaria clicked her tongue and gave a roll of her eyes. “Still, he doubts what he sees.” she muttered to herself.
“How do we know this being who is apparently able to move unseen, unheard and unscented by an entire squadron of warriors is an ally and not an enemy?” Brennaugh demanded, glancing around the room seeking a sign of Ilaria’s presence.
Falken shrugged, rubbing his hand up and down the length of her spine. “Cassie trusts her.”
His answer caused Ilaria to smile and nod, as though that was the perfect thing to say. It seemed to be, evident by the relief and love he felt erupt from Cassie. From the way she turned her face to his chest to let him feel the way her lips curved in a smile.
“Very well.” Tarek grunted, accepting Falken at his word, “What does this female have to tell us?”
Ilaria cleared her throat and folded her hands behind her. “After the devastating events of this morning, I felt it was necessary to set aside my reluctance to deep read the thoughts of those around me.”
Having no idea what Ilaria meant by ‘deep reading’, he opened his mouth to ask and was nearly felled by the shock of Cassie’s voice, whispering across his thoughts.
-Ilaria can read our thoughts with ease, but it unsettles her to invade our privacy by pressing any further past the idle thoughts right there on the surface of our mind. Like how you and I can feel one another’s emotions, but without pressing deeper we wouldn’t know why we were feeling anger or sadness. To deep read means she pushes past the impressions floating on the surface for details.
The other female spared him a glance, a smile curving her lips briefly while she continued to make her report, Falken stuttering over repeating the words aloud as she spoke them.
“I followed the most turbulent thoughts and discovered two prisoners in a barbaric hole beneath this fortress.”
“I completely forgot about that,” Cassie sighed, tilting her head back to look up at him with a tiny frown between her brows. “The commander and his medic, did they cooperate when you went to collect them?”
Falken grunted, tightening his arm around her briefly. “Not exactly. You read their thoughts, Ilaria?”
The alien female inclined her head, her expression conflicted. “I did. I found no evidence to suggest that the commander is in any way connected to the Original Council. No thoughts of them or thoughts of destruction to this interesting pride system of yours. He was most displeased to be under suspicion, however, and I fear that, were he to be approached now by a conspirator, he might be swayed to their cause at the slight he feels he has been given.”
Tarek folded his arms over his chest and gave a thoughtful nod. “Valek is a very proud warrior. I will speak to him and explain. What of the other prisoner? Ramaj, the medic.”
“He is assuredly a conspirator.” Ilaria confirmed with a sad sigh.
Falken frowned as the image of her seemed to waver in and out like a hologram with a faulty connection.
“Outwardly he appeared calm, but inside he was a storm of rage and suspicion. His thoughts centered on twelve males I believe are the principal engineers of this cause, but Ramaj has contact with only three. Those three then report to three above them, those three to the three above them and so on. I have the first three names.”
Profound silence settled over Tarek’s secured room. The shock that so easily the enemy had been discovered and would soon be brought to light, seemed almost too simple. Cassie appeared to be the only one unaffected by speechlessness.
“Ilaria, you keep wavering in and out. Are you alright?” Cassie’s concern had the other female giving a quick smile.
“I am well. I believe my Awakening is near.”
Cassie stiffened with alarm. “Your physical body is about to be pulled from stasis?”
“Yes.” Ilaria looked at her hands as they faded in and out of appearing solid. Turning them over to inspect palm to back, rubbing her thumbs over her fingertips slowly.
Cassie’s devastation rang clearly through Falken’s thoughts. “So, what? You’ll be going home then?”
Ilaria gave a happy hum and dropped her arms to her sides, her bright eyes twinkling with mischief. “My body is already home, Cassie. But yes.”
Cassie’s teeth tugged at her lip a bit. “When?”
“Soon. Not today, but soon. I will be of as much help as I can before I am Awakened.”
Falken repeated that for the benefit of Tarek and Brennaugh, and a thoughtful look crossed Tarek’s face. He rubbed at his jaw while he stared at his boots, eyes unfocused, not knowing that Ilaria was intently staring at the Asho with a soft, sympathetic expression. When she spoke, Falken repeated every word.
“I will do what you desire, great king. Your brother need not ever know unless you wish to tell him.” Tarek’s head jerked up and his surprise was evident. Falken tilted his head in the direction of the alien female, and Tarek cleared his throat uncomfortably before responding.
“Ever since our return…ever since T’mai so readily gave me back the pride, I have struggled with trusting his motives. He is my blood, my responsibility since I, myself, was a cub. I have struggled to not make him feel as though he no longer holds a place of honor within his own pride. Angry at myself for considering my brother to be a threat to my mate and cubs. I would be in your debt, Ilaria, if you were able to read the thoughts in his heart so that I can lay my doubts aside.”
Ilaria graciously agreed and had Falken not known Tarek better than all else, he would have missed the there and gone again flash of relief across the Asho’s hard face. Brennaugh summoned T’mai and not long later, the previous pride ruler and his true mate both entered the secured room.
T’mai was the exact copy of his brother, only slightly shorter and carried the darker complexion of their sire. He looked older than Tarek despite being several hundred earth-years younger. The toll of betrayal by those closest to him having added fine threads of silver to the black of his mane and lines around his eyes that should have taken almost a millennium to etch. T’mai had an air of somber sadness to him these days and had Elenna not come to Saraz when she had, Falken wondered how long T’mai would have survived.
Elenna was small like Gwen, but unlike Gwen, Elenna was quiet and gentle. A soothing, sweet presence Falken imagined, hoped, was great solace and a source of happiness to a male who had served his pride with honor and been repaid with treachery. T’mai’s former mate was false, a cruel bitch with ice in her veins and a black hole where a heart should have beat. Dead now, thank the stars, after having poisoned T’mai for years with a moss that caused a reaction to force a mating where there was none.
T’mai didn’t speak of her to anyone, and no one spoke to him of her.
Cassie smiled in welcome to Elenna and, in a show of affection all of the human females made a habit of expressing whenever T’mai was present, Cassie went to the previous Asho and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek before hugging Elenna. It enraged Falken’s beast to see Cassie do it, but even before their bond he had understood the significance of the gesture.
The human females, vulnerable and so much smaller than any of the Sarazen males, gave T’mai their trust.
Falken didn’t like the lips of his mate on another male’s flesh, but he was moved and humbled by her gesture, and so was T’mai. Knowing how difficult it was for their male mates, T’mai always kept his hands behind his back when the females approached and stood very still to accept their chaste kisses. Accepting the affection as a brother to his sisters, which was exactly how the hybrid females treated T’mai. As a brother and a warrior they respected.
Falken could see how some of the age faded from T’mai each time the females practiced this little habit of theirs, thus he and all the other mated warriors allowed it. When Cassie came back to him, it shamefully crossed his mind to kiss the faint taste of another male from her skin.
Cassie slid right into his waiting arms and rubbed her face against his chest, her lips up his throat, to coat hersel
f in his scent. Her smile and the warm pulse of understanding had muscles he hadn’t realized had turned to stone, un-knot and ease with her immediate gesture.
An uncontrolled little rumble escaped him, his beast wanting to roll through their link to rub up against hers.
~You know we don’t like it when you do that, don’t you, Cassie?
She responded to his mental growl with a scrape of her teeth over his collar bone.
-We do. But we’re not going to stop. T’mai deserves our loyalty as much as Tarek. He’s a good guy.
Falken sighed softly, knowing he didn’t have to say any more. Cassie’s certainty was her foremost feeling, and right behind that was her absolute love for him. Tarek caught his eye and Falken remembered what he was supposed to be doing. The Asho updated T’mai on the capture of Valek and his medic, their involvement that they were aware of at this point, all while Ilaria moved to be within touching distance of T’mai to do her deep reading. A handful of heartbeats passed before Ilaria stepped back, wavering in and out slightly.
“There is no deception, no knowledge of the Original Council, and only love for his family,” Ilaria confirmed with a sad sigh. She shook her head as she reached out to brush her incorporeal knuckles along T’mai’s cheek. “He is true.”
With that, Ilaria disappeared from sight and Falken gave Tarek a nod to silently say all was well. The Asho gave no indication of his relief, but approached his brother and reached out to squeeze his hand over T’mai’s shoulder.
“If you are willing to help me, I have need of you, brother.”
T’mai was visibly surprised by the gravity in Tarek’s voice. His scent confirming his uncertainty and his immediate eagerness. T’mai took hold of Tarek’s opposite shoulder and without hesitation said, “Tell me what you need, and I will see it done.”
“I want you to bring me the members of this Original Council.”
T’mai didn’t even bother to hide his surprise. “Me?”
“Yes, brother. You.” Tarek actually cracked a hint of a smile. “Unless you feel you are not up to the task?”
“I am capable!” T’mai shot back with a hint of a growl. Pausing to measure his next words when his mate reached out to lay her hand on his arm with a gentle smile. “I am capable and I am honored you would trust me with this task. I question why you would, when you have others who have proven their worth to you.”
Falken was honored to be present to hear the words his commander, his Asho, gave to a male anyone else would treat as a rival.
“When we were young, our sire often set us against one another in an effort to make us prove to him which was the better son. Do you remember?”
T’mai ducked his head in a tight nod. “I remember. He separated us, left us in the wilderness, promising respect and esteem to the one who returned to the fortress first. You would always find me and we returned together. I accused you once of trying to prove to him that I was too weak to survive on my own.”
“Do you believe there is truth to that? That I believe you are weak?”
There was shame evident in T’mai’s voice, but he didn’t look away when he answered. “After all that has happened, how could you not?”
“Does your little mate think you are weak?” Tarek countered.
“She thinks he is the strongest male she has ever met.” Elenna replied confidently, making T’mai flush as she reached up to tenderly brush a silver lock of hair from where it had fallen across his brow.
“A weak male would not have survived for so long with so much treachery around him.” Brennaugh interjected in a tone that suggested noting but fact.
Falken didn’t hesitate to add his opinion on the matter. “A weak male would not have been so much of a threat as to require such constant surveillance.”
Falken hadn’t said Niora’s name, but the reminder of her still caused T’mai to bare his teeth with anger. His powerful body twitching with the depth of his rage. Luckily, Elenna was right there to soothe him and Tarek didn’t let go of T’mai’s shoulder. If anything, the Asho drew his younger brother closer.
“A weak male, would never have allowed the power you held over this pride go without a bitter, jealous fight. You honored me, and yourself, and I am ashamed to say that I suspected you of treachery for a time.”
T’mai took a deep breath and nodded, as though having expected that to have been Tarek’s feeling. “I would have suspected you as well.”
Tarek gave his brother a small push to get his attention. “I would not return to the fortress without you when we were cubs, because I knew then as I know now, we are strongest when we work as one. I would not have agreed to command the armada and give my place as Asho to you, if I had not believed you were strong enough to lead the pride.”
To Falken’s way of thinking, the continued manner in which T’mai had comported himself with honor and patience was only testament to the true depth of his strength. Cassie seemed to agree as she sighed softly and continued to snuggle against his chest.
T’mai straightened as a warrior coming to attention, lifting his chin with a renewed and visible sense of pride. “You have three names, you said?”
Twelve
Cassie purred in her sleep. Soft little rumbles of contentment Falken hadn’t ever heard her make before. Or perhaps it he had simply missed witnessing such an adorable occurrence due to his absences. The lights had yet to rise with the sun outside the fortress, so for now his mate was bathed in the dim sparkle from the mineral lights above their bed. It had become a rather habitual pastime for him to wake before she did to simply watch her sleep. Two weeks ago, Cassie had curled around her pillows in the big middle of the bed, clutching them as though they alone could comfort her.
Now she lay relaxed on her back, one long arm thrown up above her head, the other across her chest. Her face was turned towards him, her hair in a wild tangle around her shoulders. The blanket had pulled down on her left side to allow one tiny nipple to peek out, the darker pink skin relaxed and soft. He couldn’t help himself, couldn’t keep his hands from her tempting flesh.
Falken brushed his knuckles down the length of her arm, smiling when she grumbled and rolled to her side to face him, the blanket dropping even lower so now both breasts were bare. The soft mounds rising and falling slowly with each little purr of a breath. He licked his lips and leaned in to get his mouth on such beauty, but his comm unit beeped softly from its place beside the bed.
Not wanting to wake Cassie, Falken swallowed his growl of displeasure and reached for the thin cuff, slapping it on his wrist as he carefully left the bed.
“Yes?” he hissed, glancing back to find Cassie asleep still.
“Pardon the intrusion so early, Commander. The Asho has requested your presence in the interrogation room.”
Raking a hand through his mane, Falken looked again at his mate. Her eyes were glowing now in the darkness of their room, an odd, sweet look on her face. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. He could feel her sleepy understanding radiating along their bond as he responded.
“I will arrive shortly.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Falken quickly typed out a summons to his personal squad, to Zarak and Matem, to be prepared to attend and guard his mate should she desire to leave their suite.
“Duty calls, huh?” Cassie’s voice was thick with sleep. Her arms now curled in front of her, her cheek resting on her folded hands.
Falken put a knee to their bed and sat down beside her, stroking his palm along the bare length of her spine. She smiled for him, and though he could feel her comfortable acceptance, he still felt the need to reassure her.
“I shouldn’t be long. Tarek has called me to the interrogation room. I am uncertain how I may be of assistance, but at this hour, the need must be great.”
Cassie hummed and lifted her face for the kiss he bent to give her.
-Suns not even up, so I bet you’re right.
Her fingers tangled in his mane to hol
d him close, her other arm slipping around his shoulders with a little laugh of amusement. Able to speak mind to mind now, she didn’t have to take her mouth from his. Falken groaned, tormented by his desire to remain in this bed with his mate forever, and his duty to answer the call of his king.
~Cassie, love, I have to go.
-I know. Take your time. I’m going to look around for Ilaria again. I’m worried she had her Awakening and I didn’t get to say goodbye.
~Zarak, Matem and the others will go with you.
Cassie wrinkled her nose as she drew back, giving him one more little peck of a kiss before she lay back. He let her draw the air to protest, but no more.
“Their presence at your side when I am not there is not up for negotiation.” In reaction to his hard tone, Cassie just clicked her tongue.
“Why them? They all think I’m crazy.”
Falken huffed in amusement and picked a lock of her fair hair from her cheek, brushing a kiss to the soft skin it had covered. Unable to help himself from pressing a string of kisses down her throat to nuzzle at the hollow between her breasts.
“They do not think you are crazed, my one, and I trust them with my life. With yours. Otherwise, you must remain in our quarters until I return.” Her immediate outrage was clear along their bond.
Falken had a momentary debate as he remembered the end result of their previous fights this last week, over coding and his ideas versus her ideas. Or his orders that she go nowhere unattended. The argument resolution was usually a sensual feast of delights. Falken was discovering his mate was especially passionate once he had gotten her to submit to him after a boisterous argument.
Arguments she usually forgot, or chose to forget, once the haze of release had her in its thrall. Not to say that he always won those arguments, thus far the count of victory was in her favor, but it was most rewarding to communicate and resolve important issues with his mate in such a way.
Unfortunately, he did not have the time. Tarek was expecting him.
“We have not yet identified Setar’s murderer. Until we do, until there is not a shadow of doubt left in anyone’s mind that you and the other mates are safe, you may not roam unattended as you have so foolishly been doing.”
