“Yes, Whitney. But where were they? What was so important that they took the risk.”
Oh, shit. My mouth fell open. “They were there, when Clive dragged me toward that ship, they were already there.”
“Trying to defeat the enemy and complete their mission once and for all. That was the only way they could make sure you were finally safe. If you had stayed in your hut, what would have happened?”
I had to think about that one for about five seconds. I would have snuggled into bed, fallen asleep and woken up none the wiser. Then they would have returned to me, claimed me, and moved on. I never would have known anything was wrong. “God, why do you have to make so much sense?”
Kayson’s mouth tipped up, and he offered a slight shrug of his broad shoulders. “It is easier to see someone else’s issues more often than your own.” Perhaps. “Were they expecting you?”
“You mean was the match a surprise for them?” I asked, frowning.
“Yes. When I was notified I’d been matched, I was on the far side of the planet. I had little time to get to the nearest transport station, let alone contact Mal and Geros.”
I thought of Alarr with Oran and Teig in the middle of their I.C. mission at Trixon suddenly receiving word Alarr been matched. They would have had no warning. I’d sat in the chair in the processing center, and a few minutes later? Whoosh. Transport. Across the galaxy. Gone. “I really don’t know. I walked into the testing building as a volunteer. I’d planned the trip. Knew I was going. After the testing was over, I was quickly matched and transported. But I’d been prepared for it to happen.”
“From the male’s perspective, the experience is very different,” Kayson offered.
I sat down in the chair I’d vacated. No kidding. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that my arrival would have been a total shock to them. Completely unplanned for. A surprise.
“We are eligible to test for a bride after two years of service in the Coalition. It can then take months or even years for a bride to be matched to one of us. I’ve heard some males were in the thick of battle with the Hive when they received notice. Others were sleeping in their bed. Others were serving on battleships across the universe, far away from their home world. I was tested thirteen months ago. I’d all but forgotten I’d even done it. Then—”
“You were notified out of the blue about me,” I finished.
“That’s right. So, your matched mate, the first one, was not only most likely surprised to be matched, but in the middle of an undercover mission for I.C.”
“Kayson, why are you defending them?” I asked. “You don’t even know them.”
“Because you love them, Whitney. And no matter how angry you might be at the moment, you still want to be with them.”
God, he made it so simple.
“They were wrong for deceiving you, but you must consider their situation, the mission they had to complete.” Geros had his arms crossed, but his stance was relaxed. “You must consider what was at stake.”
“I would do anything to keep you safe,” Mal added. His gaze narrowed when I turned toward him, the harsh lines of his face unforgiving and unapologetic. “I would lie to you, Whitney. I would cheat, steal or kill to ensure your safety. I am sure your true mates are no less devoted.”
Kayson nodded. “A mate is the most precious thing. We would all do anything, including tricking and deceiving you, to ensure you were not harmed in any way. Ever.”
“You’re saying they were being honorable when they lied to me?” I asked, for the first time doubting my earlier actions.
“Very. Their first priority was protecting you, even though they knew their actions could hurt you emotionally,” Geros said. “Physically, you were safe. It was the best they could do if they were under orders from the I.C. not to reveal the truth to you.”
“Were you honorable in return?” Kayson asked.
I frowned. “I didn’t deceive them.”
“No, but you discovered the truth and fled,” Kayson continued. “You ran away, didn’t allow them to explain. You were mated, you made a lifelong commitment, and you broke that bond the first time things got difficult.”
“The first time?” I asked, getting angry again. “The first time? This wasn’t the first time a guy lied to me. My father was worse than my mates. He hurt more people than just me. He hurt thousands of people. Destroyed their lives.” I tossed my hands up in the air, unable to contain the anger rising within me. Old scars ran deep, and they ran hot. It didn’t take much to set me off on that topic.
“You are putting the sins of your father upon your mates,” Mal said.
I spun about, my dress swirling around my ankles. Glared. Thought about what he was saying. Shit.
“And because your mates lied to you, regardless of the reason, you still rejected them,” Kayson added. “You would give up a chance at happiness, your perfect match, because you cannot let go of the hurt inflicted upon you by your father? That is not fair to your mates.”
I pursed my lips together because I had no response. He was right. Every word he said was making a lot of sense. Shit. I’d really messed things up.
“You are lucky you are not truly ours,” Geros said. “I would have you over my knee faster than you could say punishment.”
I set my hand on my chest. “Me? Why am I to be spanked? I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Kayson stood, came over to me. “You should have told them the truth of your past. Shared with them. Did you?”
I shook my head. “There wasn’t time.” Which wasn’t completely true. I’d spent a long while talking to Oran, but I hadn’t told him everything.
“After you learned of their actions, you should have made them understand why their actions hurt you so much.”
Geros and Mal stood as well. “You might be on Viken, but you have not let go of your ties to Earth. Sever them, Whitney, so you can move on.”
What the hell was he talking about? I’d volunteered. I’d been tested. I’d left Earth. Given up everything there for a life on Viken. But had I? Were these guys right? Was I still so mad at my father that it tainted everything else? Had I destroyed a relationship with Alarr, Oran and Teig because I thought they were devious like my father?
I hated my father. My brother was just like him. They’d ruined me. And now, it was pretty fucking clear they still had their grips on me. They were winning, even from a jail cell.
“God, I’m a whiny bitch, aren’t I?” I asked, my shoulders drooping. “I’ve been blaming everyone else for my problems. Just like my father.”
Kayson shook his head. “No, you are honorable, Whitney. Good. I doubt you are much like him. But you must let him go.”
“How?” I asked.
“Confront him. End it and move on.”
“How?” I repeated. “I’m like, ten light-years away.”
All three males smiled. “It seems being friends with the queen has many perks. I’m sure she can arrange a comm call to another planet easily enough.”
He had spoken true. Half an hour later, I sat in Queen Leah’s office in front of a large comm screen staring at my father. What I saw shocked me. Gone was the strong, invincible leader of our family. The self-made multimillionaire. The Wall Street wizard. Before me was a haggard old man with gray hair, too little meat on his bones, and a defeated look in his eyes.
I’d been allowing him to hold my heart hostage all this time. No more.
“Hello, Father.”
“Whitney, baby? Is that really you?” He leaned forward and squinted through a pair of scratched glasses, the drab prison uniform not doing much to help the grayish tinge of his skin. He looked… weak. Broken. Pathetic, really.
“Yes, Dad. It’s me.”
“Where are you? How are you doing?”
“I’m good. I’m good. I’m on another planet. I left Earth and volunteered in the Interstellar Brides Program. I went to a planet called Viken.” I told him the truth in a matter of fact tone. I didn’t expect
him to care, not really. But then, my father never did what I expected him to do.
He burst into tears. “Are you happy, baby? That’s all I care about. Did you find a good man to take care of you?”
“Three of them. And yes.” They were good, honorable men. Or males. Whatever. “They’re good ones, Dad. I’m happy. I’m not coming home. Tell mom I love her.”
He was too busy wiping his eyes to hear what I’d said, or he didn’t care enough to be scandalized by the number of mates I had. “Your brother is a mess, baby. A mess. Are you going to call him, too?”
I thought about my brother, about all the years we’d spent barely being civil to one another. We’d never been close, and I realized that despite the fact that we were blood, I didn’t love him. Not really. I loved the idea of having a big brother, someone to protect me. I loved the idea of him. But my brother? He was an asshole. Pure and simple.
“No. I’m not going to talk to him. I just wanted to let you know that I’m all right. I’m happy.”
“Good. I’m so glad.” He wiped away another tear. “I’ll tell your mother. I promise you that.”
“Thanks. I have to go now.”
He nodded and blew me a kiss. “Be happy, baby. Live your life. Forget all about me and this mess.”
With that, I ended the comm and stared at the now blank screen. I felt a thousand pounds lighter. And just like that, I was done. Finished. Free. I let the idea of a perfect family die. I let go of the idea I’d carried of what my father should have been like, what my older brother was supposed to mean to me. How much I was supposed to love him.
And the truth was a revelation. I owed him nothing. I owed my father nothing. My mother? Nothing.
They were blood. They’d given me life. But they’d done nothing since to earn my love. My loyalty. My trust. I’d been raised in a web of lies, and I was not a spider, I was not like the rest of my family. I was different.
And so were my mates. I realized that now. Just because they’d lied to me, did not make them like my father. I needed a new perspective, which was difficult when the spider’s web was the only life I knew.
Queen Leah appeared at the door and cleared her throat. “Houston, we have a problem.”
That got my attention and confused looks from the three Viken males in the room. “What is it?” I asked.
She grinned at me. “Ready or not, there are three Viken males in the transport room threatening to tear this place apart to find you.”
“Holy shit.” My heart raced like a rollercoaster. Alarr. Oran. Teig. They’d come for me after all. “They’re here?”
“Oh, yeah. And they are not being very cooperative. My guys are trying to hold them off to give you—” she looked pointedly at Kayson, Geros and Mal— “time to disappear.”
I thought Kayson would be angry, but he threw his head back and laughed. “Point taken, my queen.” He walked to me, bent low, and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead. “Should you have need, I will be close by until we know you are settled and taken care of.”
Geros growled from behind him. “Properly, this time.”
Mal bowed low. “A pleasure, my lady. I assume it is wrong of me to hope your mates fail and you realize your heart will break each moment you are far from my side.”
Leah chuckled. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.” She looked at me and winked. “Your mates are hot… but don’t tell my guys I said so.”
“We are hot as well,” Mal insisted.
I smiled at him. “Yes, you are. But you’ll have to get the next Earth girl who comes this way. I’m already taken.”
Kayson bowed slightly and indicted with his palm up that I should accompany Leah and leave them behind. I did so, but turned back at the door to look over the three males who could have been mine. “Thank you.”
“It was our pleasure.” Kayson’s gaze was soft but disappointed. I understood, but I couldn’t give them my heart. It wasn’t mine to offer. Not anymore.
As I hurried beside Leah toward the transport room, I heard Alarr’s booming voice.
“My king, this is not acceptable. Where is she? You will not keep me from my mate!”
My body responded as I’d known it would. Heat pumped through my veins. My pussy grew wet, and I was having trouble getting air into my too hot lungs. Lust. Love. Desire. Need. Trust—yes, trust. It was all a tangle as I shoved my way through the corridor filled with royal guards to throw myself at Alarr.
He caught me and spun me around. He tried to talk, but I kissed him.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away.”
He crushed me to him as Oran and Teig crowded around us. I was surrounded by my three mates, exactly where I wanted to be.
“I do not wish to remain here a moment longer.” Oran’s hand touched my cheek. “We are stationed on Battleship Zeus. Our private quarters are prepared. Will you accompany us, Whitney?”
I looked from him to Teig, who appeared as wicked and delightfully naughty as always, to Alarr, my rock. His arms had not loosened their hold, and I hoped they never would.
“You are no longer mine, Whitney. It is your choice. But should you come with us, I vow we will never lie to you again. We understand what our lies cost you now, and I will never forgive myself for hurting you.”
He was so tall. So strong. So Alarr. My anchor was back, and I felt free. Courageous. Strong.
Strong enough to trust.
“Yes. I’ll go with you. Only if you promise to make it official this time.” I kissed him on the lips quickly so I would not lose my mind or my control in front of all these witnesses. “I am yours, mates. I vow to trust you, never to judge you without asking questions. Never to run from you.”
“Ever, female. Or I will tie you up and make you beg for days.” Oran was joking, I thought, but wasn’t exactly sure. My body didn’t care, his words made my nipples pebble and my core grow damp and needy.
“Promise?” I whispered.
Alarr growled and looked over my head at the transport tech. “Transport us to Battleship Zeus. Now.”
The transport room buzzed with energy, and I knew in mere moments, I’d be somewhere else. Anywhere else. It didn’t matter where I went, as long as I was with my mates.
“Bye, Whitney! Call me!” Leah yelled the instructions over the noise of the room as my mates wrapped around me and the transport took us.
12
Whitney, Battleship Zeus, Personal Quarters
“I want to see the ship,” I said, looking around the living space.
We’d transported to the Battleship Zeus, which I’d been told was named after the commanding officer, a huge Prillon who my mates really respected. We’d arrived, they’d made sure I wasn’t weary from the third transport in three days, then led me directly here.
I’d seen a transport room, which was far from exciting, a series of hallways, which all looked the same except for the color of a stripe on the wall, and inside their new quarters. Alarr had said their individual quarters had been traded for this larger space for mated fighters. I didn’t know of any other race besides Viken who mated in threes, therefore I had to assume this was the biggest room they had.
It was like an apartment on Earth with a living room and dining area in one. The kitchen was replaced with an S-Gen built into the wall, and the views of Central Park I was familiar with were replaced by space. Black, never-ending space filled with an infinite number of stars. Just to the left, if I craned my neck to see it, was a planet. An honest to god planet with three moons and rings like Saturn. Except it was green, the most beautiful shade of green I’d ever seen. It was beautiful. Cold. Very foreign.
Yet I wasn’t alone in this vast universe, on this strange ship, my new home. God, Whitney Mason from Earth, was living with three aliens on a spaceship.
How insane was that?
Insane as I might be, I spun on my heel, and there they were, my three aliens.
I couldn’t help but grin. They were so different, yet I
loved them all.
Alarr, with his arms crossed over his chest, an intensity about him but with an equal need to please.
Teig, with his rogue smile and patient demeanor.
Oran, with his possessive streak as wide as the battleship.
One dark playboy, one fair dominant, one red-haired alpha leader who kept us all connected.
A gray uniform, a brown uniform, and a black one.
So different.
I walked over to them, ran my hand across one chest to the next, then the next.
They didn’t move, didn’t speak, barely breathed.
Waiting.
For me.
I still wore the dress from Viken. While their uniforms indicated their home planet, my dress was a more blatant sign of the mates I belonged to. We’d passed several people between the transport room and here, but I was the only one dressed as if I were headed to a garden party, not battle.
It wasn’t cold on the ship, but it didn’t have the soft, humid air of Viken either. I would not last in such a light garment. And underwear would probably be a good thing.
But the way they were looking at me, I felt as if I were lucky to be wearing the dress at all. Or unlucky?
The playful thought made me smile. It felt good, that smile. I was all in with these males, my mates. For better or worse, thick or thin, sickness or health. I’d jumped off the cliff and trusted them to catch me.
Their gazes became more heated by the moment. Their stares, which had only been affixed upon mine until now, began to rove over my body. I heated—why had I just thought the ship was chilly?—and my nipples hardened. My pussy clenched with eager anticipation.
“We have wronged you, mate,” Alarr said. “We have yet to claim you fully. If you allow us, we will rectify that now.”
So stilted. So stiff. I stifled a smile because he was serious. We’d talked through the hot mess that had been the beginning of our match. We were past that now. To me, we’d left all of that behind on Viken. We would start over. Here. Together.
Viken Command: Interstellar Brides® Program: Book 18 Page 14
