After taking a deep breath, she went on in a more modulated tone. “Lana, you, better than anyone, know what it’s like to have a failed mating. Everyone thinks once it’s decreed, it’s a done deal. However, mistakes can be made, lab tests flawed, and just because a computer says two people are a match, doesn’t make it true.”
“But—”
“No buts! Ram is not the father of this baby. We aren’t mates and never will be, the same as you and Trask, evidently.”
Her friend flinched.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” Eryn declared upon seeing her reaction. “I didn’t mean… I shouldn’t have mentioned… Damn my big mouth. I know you had strong feelings for the general—”
Lana held up her hand.
Though she insisted she was over her handsome alien, Eryn didn’t buy it. For the mention of his name to cause such a reaction, her anguish palpable, she was as messed up and haunted by her former mate as Eryn.
More so than any of the others, Lana had taken to the powerful Primarian who had claimed her. And General Trask had been as enamored with her. They appeared to be a perfect match. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to go home, everyone had been stunned when Lana was the first in line with her bags packed, seeming desperate to get off the planet, leaving her besotted and utterly confounded warrior behind.
Adamant she wanted to leave, she maintained her position until Primaria became a distant blip on their radar screen then she’d deflated, as if the abundant joy she’d once had for life had been sucked right out of her. And ever since, she’d refused to explain her sudden change of heart to anyone.
“I’m sorry, Lana, I’m a shit friend and shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” she replied after a moment, her tone flat, although her tense, closed-off body language spoke of her pain. “It doesn’t change the fact my mating with Trask failed, and when I left, it hurt, a lot. But leaving was my choice, Eryn, the only one I had.”
“What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now. After I got home, I had to find a way to move forward. Like you, I wanted to finish what we started, to build a new life on a new world before this one blows to smithereens. If doing so means keeping the Primarians happy by helping with the prospective mates, so be it. I’ve accepted my fate.” She glanced away, uncertain, as though she’d done no such thing. A moment later, determination filled her face, and her chin came up, her gaze locking on Eryn. “My story and my fate are irrelevant. We’re talking about you, the pregnant one. The one who isn’t sleeping night after night. You and your baby can’t go on this way. And neither can I.”
Not surprisingly, Lana had turned the conversation around, making it about her needs, the sleep-deprived roommate of the crazy, pregnant, orgasming at the top of her lungs, in the wee hours of the night basket case down the hall. Playing the guilt card worked well because Eryn felt genuinely sorry for disturbing her sleep.
“I’m preparing for a mission in less than a week. I need sleep. Please, if not for your sake or your child,” she implored, “do this for me. See a doctor, a psychiatrist, or a voodoo priestess, I don’t care which, just get help so we can all get some rest.”
“I really am sorry,” Eryn murmured, though committed to nothing.
Lana stared at her for a moment, not having noticed or too tired to fight anymore. She then nodded, turned on her heel, and headed back down the short hall to her room.
Eryn slumped against the doorframe. With eyes closed tight, she pressed her forehead against the cool wood, reflecting on all Lana had said. The baby, taking that moment to make its presence known, gave her a vicious kick right in her bladder. The urge to pee suddenly overwhelming, she spun, sending the door swinging shut behind her as she rushed to her small bathroom.
She took care of business then washed her hands. Still feeling sticky and hot, she leaned forward and, with her eyes closed, splashed cool water on her face. When she did, Ram’s image reappeared in her mind. The lover from her dreams, but also the wild, gorgeous barbarian she had encountered the first day in the forest. The man who haunted her became a swirling, flashing montage of images in her head—Ram, standing proud, determined, and incredibly sexy in his scarlet warrior’s tunic and snug black pants. Playful Ram, grinning and teasing her gently, which he did at the oddest times, a captivating dimple appearing in his cheek when he smiled.
No matter which moment popped into her head, she found him breathtaking, more so than any man she’d ever seen—especially when he gazed into her eyes, his own becoming like liquid gold from the heat of his desire.
Her last time with Ram haunted her the most, however. She’d never seen him so angry, with his jaw clenched and his mouth set into a hard line, hatred making his gilded gaze seem cold and distant rather than warm and approachable.
A tremor of revulsion swept through her. Aimed inward, her disgust mixed with shame and regret for the unforgiveable thing she’d done. She’d never forget what he said to her.
When she raised her head, she stared with scorn at her reflection while water dripped from her chin and off her red-tipped black lashes. Did he ever think of her? Or had he expunged her from his mind when he walked away? Did he remember with fondness the few tender moments they’d shared, when she’d been civil and hadn’t incited his anger?
Did his image of her match the one in the mirror—flushed cheeks, mane of deep-auburn hair tumbled around her face and shoulders, lips parted on quick intakes of breath? Did he think of her this way? Or become aroused, like she did, when the stirring memories of their time together made her heart race and her skin tingle, as though sparked by static electricity. Could it be he longed for her with the same intensity she did for him?
Doubtful. He despised everything about her. If his parting words hadn’t made it clear, the anger emanating off him in waves, his tensely held shoulders, and the tic in his jaw as he glared at her would have.
Things had changed a great deal since she’d walked away from him in such a disturbing fashion. Their worlds had found peace in alliance. And the brief time she’d spent with him had changed her, too. She often wondered if he would like this version of her any better.
With a tormented groan, she twisted away from the mirror and reached for the hand towel on the rack, breaking the cycle of recriminations. She dried off without looking at herself again because she didn’t like what she saw.
Even though it was too early to get up, going back to bed to toss and turn for three more hours would be pointless. She dropped the rough scrap of terrycloth in the sink and went to get ready for another monotonous day.
Like Lana, she found little pleasure in life anymore. The baby should have made her feel different, except, with uncertainty surrounding it all, she couldn’t summon the emotions most first-time mothers experienced—excitement, happiness, hope.
Hugging her budding belly, she whispered, “Maybe if I had any concept of what our future holds.”
2
High above the atmosphere, watching like a guardian in the sky, the Primarian battle cruiser, the Intrepid, maintained a constant orbit. It did so from a distance, giving the anxious governments of Earth the semblance of safety. All pretense. Their ship had proximity and the capability to intervene in seconds, if needed.
While Ram navigated the winding corridors on his way to the bridge, he considered their situation. Cognizant of the fact an advanced race with superior weaponry hovered above their planet, most of the human leaders said nothing, likely out of pride. What choice did they have other than watch their world crumble around them?
Still, it made for some awkward negotiations. Ram had been a part of many such talks but preferred leaving it to Commander Roth, the leading authority on this mission, and Maggie. Once the captain of the Earth ship, Odyssey, and Roth’s former captive, she was now his willing mate, and because of her unique perspective into both worlds, served in a dual role as the Primarian liaison and Earth ambassador. The coup
le had an aptitude for diplomacy, as opposed to Ram, the Master Warrior, used a more hands-on approach to keeping the peace.
Ram turned down the long corridor leading to the lift, pushing thoughts of Roth and Maggie aside. Seeing them together reminded him of Eryn. And nothing good ever came of remembering their time together, bringing only pain and grief.
His anger had dissipated with the weeks and months passed. However, if he dwelled on their brief mating, and their parting, it would begin simmering again. No good would come of his brooding; he kept telling himself. Besides, he had to get some sleep. He didn’t need dreams of his treacherous, one-time mate disturbing him.
He heaved a protracted sigh while forcing himself to a faster pace. Although he’d have rather gone straight to his quarters, to sink into the hot, soothing waters of the bathing pool awaiting him, he couldn’t seek the comforts of a bath or his bed until after a planned briefing with Allon, the Intrepid’s captain.
When he entered the lift and rode up six levels to the command center, he ignored the tired, achy muscles in his back and shoulders protesting the additional duty, and mentally laid out the rest of the evening’s agenda.
First, the briefing, second, a nice long soak then bed.
When he arrived on the bridge, the crew not engaged in active duties of engineering the ship came to attention. After signaling them to be at ease, he crossed to the small alcove on the uppermost level where Allon awaited to give his report. Ordinarily, this would have been dealt with by the commander, but with Roth entangled in political negotiations almost daily, as second-in-command, many of his duties had fallen to him.
This left Ram pulled in many different directions, including overseeing much of the integration, processing, and scheduling of travel for both mates to Primaria, and construction teams to the colony on Ventorcopia—what the humans had dubbed New Earth. In addition, he and his warriors had been called upon to assist the human’s military from time to time, most often in a crisis when they required extra resources—manpower primarily.
Thus, the reason for his fatigue.
They had just completed a three-day joint assignment with a local platoon in a nearby town. Inundated with heavy rains for over a week, the townspeople required help defending against the rising flood waters. Unfortunately, the mission turned into a search and rescue of citizens who had refused to leave their homes, becoming trapped when the river crested higher than expected, and the raging water overflowed its banks by twenty feet.
After they worked for seventy-two Earth hours straight, the rain stopped. With cleanup efforts just beginning, Ram and his men found themselves released for something the Earth soldiers call R&R. Rest and relaxation, a foreign concept to Primarian warriors with work yet to do, came as a surprise. But the presence of seven-foot-tall aliens in the small town caused more of a stir than it helped —especially when the news media arrived. With lives no longer in peril, he agreed with the Mayor and Army officer in charge and returned to the base.
Although his men had settled in, Roth still had this one last duty. He could have received the briefing by remote interface from the base, but the lure of the hot pool in his stateroom and his big bed were too great, so he transported up to the Intrepid for the night.
With fatigue weighing upon him, he sorely wished he could skip tonight’s report. But with the Earth in constant chaos, warring factions at odds all over the globe, and the ever-changing, always-volatile weather, a missed briefing could put the mission and his people at risk.
“Let’s make this quick. I’m dead on my feet,” he uttered, getting right to it when he joined the captain in the darkened conference room adjacent to the bridge. However, when Ram saw the 3-D holographic image of the Earth appear above the projection table, it didn’t take him long to identify the topic of their discussion.
“Faex.” He muttered the curse while he took a seat next to Allon in one of the seven vacant chairs, his hopes for a quick briefing appeared unlikely tonight.
“Agreed.” The other man blew out a breath of frustration. “A day doesn’t go by on this Maker-be-damned alien world without an earthquake, tornado, or hurricane.”
“Give me the worst first,” Ram urged with a weary sigh.
“An 8.9 undersea quake in the Pacific has spawned a tsunami which is projected to strike the coast of Japan in four time cycles—I mean hours, Earth hours.” Allon paused, frowning. “I keep forgetting the term.”
He waved it off. “Go on.”
“Our advance detection system allowed sufficient time to alert officials. They are evacuating those in its path to safety. Regrettably, the inevitable destruction will be devastating.”
Allon was right; this constant state of crisis had become situation normal. With a disaster happening somewhere on Earth almost every day— chaos, property damage, and most of all, loss of life—people had become disheartened. The only bright spot, when undecided countries at last accepted the volatility of their circumstance and realized it was foolish not to plan or take action for the inevitable, they became willing to negotiate. Every day the alliance expanded, open to all willing to abide by the treaty.
Unfortunately, many holdouts that feared foreigners remained. And what could be more foreign than an alien race from a far-off galaxy they hadn’t known existed until a few months ago? Ignoring the scientists’ dire predictions, and shunning all negotiations, these opposing governments isolated themselves, perpetuating their denial of the dismal future they faced by keeping the unstable Earth as their home.
He rubbed his tired eyes. “Is that all?”
Allon shook his head. “Hardly.” With a wave of his hands, he repositioned the holographic globe.
Ram would have had to be blind to miss the blanket of thick, white clouds covering a large portion of the Atlantic Ocean. “Another hurricane?”
“Two, actually.” He zoomed in on the affected location. “They rise out of the warm tropical waters almost faster than we can track them. The good news is these are fast moving storms, so perhaps the flooding won’t be quite so severe.”
“I just came from a flood,” Ram muttered. “This damn planet is mostly water, and the damage it can wreak is devastating.”
“Yes, and they have an unusual fondness for it. Why build such large cities where they are so vulnerable?”
He could only shrug, having wondered the same thing himself. “Is there time to evacuate the target zone?”
“Not enough. They’re both category 6 and are not projected to diminish by landfall.”
“Aren’t they all category 6 these days?” he grumbled.
“Yes,” came Allon’s succinct response. “And each one seems to get stronger. Before long, they’ll have to expand their scale again.” It had been less than two months since a sixth category had been added by the International Hurricane Center.
“Where and when?”
“Both have a similar trajectory threatening the coastlines of the Caribbean Islands, Eastern Central America, and the southeastern region of the United States. Our computer predicts landfall in twelve hours. The second will follow in another six to ten.”
“Back-to-back hits. Damn, that’s going to be tough.”
“Yes. The roadways are already packed with evacuees, and you know from past storms, many coastal residents won’t leave their property unattended, even to go to a local shelter. They’ll insist on riding it out; many will be stranded, if they survive.”
“Fools,” Ram bit out. “Haven’t they learned yet a category 6 is deadly?”
“Sadly, no.” Also showing the strain of concern, Allon who was usually stoic, rubbed a hand across his tense jaw. “And in the case of some of the island people, they have no choice. After the last storm destroyed so much, they don’t have enough high ground and shelters to run to.”
They both fell silent, staring at the hovering globe. There was nothing they could do except pray for lives to be spared. In much the same shape, the citizens and governments in the storm’s pat
h had no recourse other than to brace for nature’s force and deal with the damage in the aftermath.
“We need to step up our preparation efforts on Ventorcopia. I think time’s running out.”
“Agreed. But establishing necessary services and building shelter for so many takes time. We leave with our first group of mates and ten more construction crews next week.”
Coming to his feet, Ram heaved a ragged breath. “Not a day too soon for me.”
“General Trask is coming to relieve you, isn’t he?”
“Not this trip. The Primmum got tagged for the task.”
He chuckled. “Your warriors will enjoy the respite.”
“They better not! I’ll have Krager’s head if he allows them to slack off and get soft.”
“I’m sure he’ll follow your example.”
“Or face my wrath,” he grunted. Although well trained, as the heir and first successor to the Princep, Krager, the Primmum Ectus, had assumed a more diplomatic role of late. Foremost a warrior, after being away from daily training, he’d likely be rusty. But Kerr insisted all his leaders be involved with the integration, despite being spread thin between Primaria, Earth, the new colony, and a host of other enterprises around the galaxy. The man was capable, even so, Ram planned to have a word with Krager, or several, before he left.
Thinking about Kerr and Krager, both close kin to him, made Ram realize how much he missed them, the rest of his family, and everything about Primaria. His eyes returned to the globe and the white blanket of circular clouds. Especially the lack of constant turmoil from the ever-changing weather.
“It will be good to be home, if only for a short while.”
“Are you planning to seek another match while you’re there?”
His already-bad mood soured further with the question. If Allon hadn’t been such a close friend, he would have chewed him a new one for asking. It had been almost six months since the abrupt end to his mating with Eryn, and he still couldn’t talk about it.
His Rebellious Mate (Primarian Mates Book 3) Page 2
