by Laurie Roma
“Is there a problem?”
“He cannot be with her. She’s a lady, Katra.”
“Of a palace without a leader, once we kill him. You told me you offered the position to Calum and he turned it down. Why not offer it to Ryodan? You trust him, and he obviously cares for her…”
“Are you sure?”
Katra searched for few seconds, then replayed every moment of Jaden’s memories where he had witnessed Ryodan and Kylie interacting with one another. Clearly, Jaden had overlooked the incidents, but what Katra saw was a male that was in love with a female who was above his station.
Jaden glanced over to her and slowly smiled. “I see what you mean now.”
Teya walked to the table, then hesitated when she saw that the only free seat was between two males. Jaden gestured to Isak, and he slid over, leaving his seat next to Gianna open. Teya gifted him with a small smile as she sat down.
“I’m sorry we slept so long, Lord Tor.”
“You needed your rest. We will talk after you eat.” Jaden shot a pointed look at Rego, who looked like he was about to start grilling the females with questions, and got a curt nod of understanding in return.
Rego would wait…but not for long.
Seneca hurried over to the table with another server and provided Kylie and Teya with massive amounts of food. Jaden waited until they were almost finished eating before he addressed the warrior trying to ignore the lady next to him. “Ryodan?”
“My lord?”
“How would you feel about taking over Lomar Palace once this is all over?”
Kylie choked on her food, then picked up a goblet of wine to gulp some down. Ryodan’s face looked as if it had turned to stone. “You talk of giving Lady Kylie’s home away as if she isn’t here.”
“I’m not giving her home away, I’m talking about you running it with her.”
Kylie and Ryodan shared a look, then he said, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Lady Kylie?”
Kylie was breathless when she answered. “Yes, Lord Tor?”
“Do you care for Ryodan? Enough to take him as your consort?”
She cast a quick glance at Ryodan and blushed again. “Yes, my lord.”
“But your father—” Ryodan argued.
“Is gone,” Kylie said with tears in her eyes. “He was the one who wanted me to be with another lord, not I. But you might not want me as your consort after you hear—”
“I would be honored to claim you as my consort, no matter what has happened.” He leaned down to kiss her lightly, then they clasped hands. Ryodan cleared his throat before saying, “We will see to Lomar Palace after this is all done.”
“Good,” Jaden said, basking in the wave of approval and gratitude Katra sent to him through their bond. “In order for that to happen, we are going to need details. Calum, clear the room.”
“Yes, my lord.” Calum stood up and hurried to do his lord’s bidding.
When the great hall was cleared, Kylie looked at Teya, then said. “I think perhaps I should begin. Over the past few years, I noticed an influx of new warriors at our palace. It wasn’t that obvious at first, but the more new faces had me questioning things. During that time, my father had been getting weaker. I thought it was because my mother had been gone since she was killed during that attack on her convoy, but I believe my cousins were slowly poisoning him.”
“We saw Pirus a few months ago,” Rego pointed out. “He seemed fine.”
“Of course he did. He would never let anyone see that he was weak,” Kylie protested. “But he was. I was spending more and more time trying to take care of him. He relied on my cousins to see to the palace while he was recovering, but I knew they couldn’t be trusted. I tried talking to my father about all of my suspicions. He didn’t want to hear it. When you had your meeting five months ago, I tried to attend, but my father refused to take me with him. Shortly after, I sent word to you, asking you to come, but—”
“I never got a message from you,” Jaden told her.
“No, my message was never sent. The response I received said you were too busy to make the journey up north, but I knew it wasn’t from you. They must have known I suspected them, because right after that, Telok and Ellion murdered my father. Then, everything changed.”
Kylie began to weep, and Ryodan put his arm around her, drawing her close to him. She buried her face into his chest and cried softly.
Teya blew out her breath and gripped her hands together on the table. “It was a slaughter. The warriors Telok and Ellion had brought into the palace killed everyone who was loyal to old Lord Lomar. All the males, that is. The females were rounded up and taken as slaves. I’ve only been of age a few years, but Ellion had been pressuring me for a long time to accept him, even though my heart belonged to another. When…when the palace was taken, Ellion killed my consort and chained me up in his room. It was months before I could get free, but during that time I heard private conversations…things that I hope you can use.”
Not wasting any more time, Rego asked, “Who is the traitor at my palace?”
Teya blanched at the harsh tone of his voice, but she met his gaze directly. “I don’t know that, my lord. I only know there is one. Whoever it is has been feeding information to Telok for years according to what I’ve heard.”
Rego’s fist slammed into the table, startling all the females except for Katra.
“There are ways to track your traitor,” Katra told him, then held up a hand before he could speak. “I have some thoughts on that, which we can discuss later. I am more interested in learning about Korsek right now.”
Katra cursed as she realized Kylie and Teya didn’t have language converters yet. “Can you ask her—”
“Tell us what you know about Korsek.”
“He planned it all,” Teya said quickly, answering Jaden’s question. “Telok has been following orders from Korsek for years. I remember Ellion and Telok being very angry that Lord Khan had been given the formula for the xili drug.”
Jaden stiffened, and his voice was flat when he spoke. “Korsek gave Khan the formula?”
“According to what I heard, years ago, there was some other lord who accessed the knowledge of what xili does. Korsek learned about it from him, then he convinced Lord Khan to steal the plants and bring them here to Tartarus so they could try to mass produce it. When you took Lord Khan down, Ellion and Telok were furious. Telok believed he should have been the one entrusted with that. Telok has direct access to Korsek somehow, and Ellion was just expected to follow orders.”
Ryodan frowned. “What exactly has Korsek been ordering Telok to do?”
“Build his army, stash alien weapons and other technology at the palace.”
“How in hellfire has Telok gotten his hands on alien technology?” Rego demanded.
“There has to be someone in the Alliance working with this asshole. Do you know who it is?” Matt Malloy asked.
Teya looked at him blankly, and Rego repeated Malloy’s question since she couldn’t understand what the human had said.
“I don’t know that,” Teya said, looking overwhelmed from all their questions. “But I know they somehow have two ships. They are hidden in the mountains and have something that makes it so they can’t be seen.”
“Fuck, they have vessels with stealth tech. That’s why we can’t track them,” Malloy spat out.
“How in the hell did they get two of our vessels?” Lieutenant Caporele asked.
“They might not be ours,” Malloy countered. “They probably got them through the black market. Mercs with sell anything for the right price. That’s also how they’ve probably been getting kidnapped females from all over the universe. But how the hell are they paying for all of this?”
“Mineral ore,” Jaden guessed. “Just like the deal I made with your people, this Korsek must have sold some of the mineral to whoever gave them the ships. It’s probably why Korsek recruited Ellion and Telok in the first place. Lomar Palace is located on a mounta
in rich with the ore.”
Rego sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh. “So, we have a traitor to find, a black market network to cut off, Lomar Palace to conquer, and we still have to find Korsek. Have I left anything out?”
“No, that pretty much sums up just how fucked we are,” Malloy stated.
Braec laughed. “Cheer up. At least things can’t get any worse—”
His words were cut off when a loud explosion was heard coming from outside the palace walls. Everyone at the table jumped up as the doors to the great hall were thrown open.
A warrior rushed in and shouted, “Lord Tor, we are under attack!”
Jaden ordered the females to stay inside as he drew his sword and ran toward the doorway. Katra ignored his order and followed him and the other males outside. When they reached the front steps, Katra saw that the courtyard was in chaos. The thick front gate guarding the castle from invaders had been destroyed. Debris from the explosion littered the ground, and a cloud of smoke made it difficult to see.
Jaden let out a war cry and warriors poured out of every doorway, coming at their lord’s call. Swords were drawn and everyone prepared for battle.
Rego glanced over at him. “Do you think it’s Telok?”
Jaden shook his head. “He can’t know about Ellion’s death yet.”
“Should I call for reinforcements?” Commander Malloy asked.
The cloud of smoke was so thick that she knew no one else could see through it, but she could. Using her enhanced vision, Katra’s eyes narrowed as she saw two figures striding through the mist. When they got a little closer, recognition was instant. She blinked, hoping that she was seeing things, then she swore viciously.
Jaden’s head whipped around. “What is it, Katra?”
“I know who—”
“Is it Korsek?”
“Nay, much worse,” she growled as she pushed past him and stomped down the steps.
“Katra, wait. What the hell is going on?” Jaden kept pace with her as the others remained frozen in shock. When the smoke cleared enough to show the two male intruders, warriors began attacking them, only to be flung away without anyone touching them.
“Stop!” Katra roared.
Jaden grabbed hold of her arm, stilling her movement. “What the fuck—?”
“My brothers have arrived.”
His jaw dropped open. “Xavier and Galan are here? They wouldn’t leave Alexis—”
“Not those brothers…the royal pains in my ass.”
One of the male intruders waved his hand, and the smoke instantly cleared, allowing the two large male Dragon Warriors moving toward the center of the courtyard to be seen by all. They were identical in appearance, with long, flowing black hair with two braids hanging down at their temples. Their large, muscular bodies flowed with an unnatural grace that made it seem like they were gliding across the ground instead of actually walking.
When they got to the middle of the courtyard they came to a stop, legs braced apart in a battle stance she was all too familiar with. Their glowing silver eyes matched Katra’s perfectly, and they wore the same black vest and pants that she favored, but the golden skin of their arms and torsos were clear of markings, unlike the tribal tattoos that covered her. They were stunning in appearance as most of her kind were, but where Katra’s appeal was of an almost breathtaking loveliness, the males’ harsh beauty was all the more lethal.
One of them had the nerve to grin. “Hello, little sister.”
“Damn you, Killian! Look what you have done!”
“You know how I like to make an entrance.”
The other brother laughed when Katra growled in rage. “Come now, is that any way to greet your brothers?”
Jaden thought they were both completely mad.
“This is my home, Ryker!” Katra shouted. “You will fix my gate or…”
One dark brow quirked up. “Or what, brat?”
“It is nice to finally see you in a dress for once,” Killian commented. “Perhaps we should take a picture so everyone will actually believe it when we tell them of this monumental occasion.”
“That is it. I am going to kill you!”
Katra pulled away from Jaden’s hold and launched herself at the brothers. Manifesting her sword in her hand, she struck out at Ryker, but he produced his own sword to stop her from cutting his head off.
Ryker shared a look with his brother. “Killian, I think our little sister might be a little upset with us.”
“Looks like it.”
Katra’s temper exploded. Instantly, she changed her clothing and was dressed as they were in her warrior’s garb of black vest and matching pants. Filled with fury, she attacked again. Killian had his own sword in his hand and a smile on his lips as he joined in the fight.
Jaden watched in stunned silence, unable to move, as Katra did her best to kill both of her brothers. Alarm raced through him even though he could feel the affection Katra felt for them beneath her anger. Still, the fight was brutal. The three of them moving almost faster than his eyes could see, and that was with his enhanced vision that he’d received after he’d blood bonded with her. None of the fighters used magic, but then again, they didn’t need to as their exceptional skills were plain to see.
“Holy fucking shit…” Malloy whispered as he came to a stop next to Jaden.
Rego joined them on Jaden’s other side, his dark eyes wide with shock. “Now I understand why the Dragon Warriors are so feared throughout the entire universe.”
“You should see her in her dragon form…or when she’s using magic while fighting.”
Calum shot him a look. “What in the worlds have you gotten yourself into, Tor?”
“Apparently a very vicious family,” Jaden said dryly.
Braec came forward. “My lord…Lady Katra is…”
“What?”
“Scary as hell?” Caporele offered.
“Magnificent.” Braec gulped. “I cannot believe I tried provoking her earlier.”
“Just remember this if you ever have the urge to again,” Jaden warned sagely.
Braec nodded vigorously, and all the males winced when one of Katra’s brothers said something that made her snarl furiously. They couldn’t hear the words, but whatever they were definitely pissed her off enough to put a new determination in her quest for their blood.
Jaden looked around the courtyard of his palace and saw every single one of his warriors was standing there, watching their new lady fight with her brothers. On each of their faces he saw the shock, but by reading their energy he was also aware of the deep sense of pride they all felt at seeing how fierce Jaden’s mate and consort was.
A sound from behind had him turning, and he saw that even the females had ventured outside, coming out to stand on the front steps to watch. He felt the same type of energy coming from them as he did from the warriors, but there was something more. Something that felt a lot like…envy.
Suddenly, Jaden realized that Katra was more than just his mate and consort. She wasn’t even just his lady to be admired, or a warrior that his people could respect. Being an outsider or a being from another race didn’t matter…Katra had just become a beacon of hope for all the females on his planet.
No, not just the females. For all Tarins.
The sheer force of the love he felt for her almost made him weak in the knees. “Katra…”
“I am a little busy right now, mate.”
“They are your brothers. You can’t kill them.”
“Hellfire.”
Jaden laughed at the disgust in her voice and her use of his swear word, then he simply stared back as his friends, and the warriors surrounding him all looked at him as if he’d just lost his mind.
It was Killian that called an end to the fight, making all three swords disappear at the same time. He caught Katra mid-lunge and picked her up in his strong arms, hugging her smaller frame to him as he kissed her cheek. “I have missed you, my little Katra.”
She st
ruggled for a moment, then her arms went around his neck and she hugged him back. “Fix my gate.”
Killian laughed as he handed her over to Ryker, who treated her to another crushing embrace. Gasps were heard from all the Tarins as the gate magically repaired itself, as if the explosion had never happened.
“You are going to lead a very interesting life from here on out, my friend,” Rego murmured. “That is, if they don’t kill you first.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Katra pulled back a little so she could stare at Ryker’s face. It didn’t bother her at all that he held her suspended so her feet weren’t touching the ground. “What are you doing here?”
“Would you believe we just missed you?”
She snorted in derision. “Not for a moment.”
“We heard of your mating,” Killian said as he stood beside them. “Our parents want you home.”
“I am not leaving.”
Killian sighed. “We figured that, which is why we needed to come see what kind of primitive world you now call your home to make sure you were well.”
“Ryker, put me down.”
He did as she asked, then Katra braced her hands on her hips as she glared at both of her brothers. Most of her anger had been worked out through sweat and the heat of the combat she had just participated in. Cleaning herself of the remnants of her efforts, she couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation. “Could you not have just knocked on the gate to announce you were here? Or better yet, why did you not contact me through our bond?”
“Look around you, little sister,” Ryker ordered. “Your new mate and his people know exactly who and what you are now. We needed to see if they would be proud to call you their own, or if you would remain an outsider to them.”
“If they did not accept you, we would not have allowed you to stay here,” Killian added.
Her glowing eyes flared brighter with her anger. “You do not allow me—”
“Anything,” Ryker finished. “Aye, we know. If we ever had a say in your actions, you would have never gotten on our stupid brothers’ ship and gone to Earth with them.”
“I still do not know what Xavier and Galan were thinking—”
“Enough!” Katra growled.
