by Gail Koger
I knew if I didn’t merge with Quinn, my chances of survival weren’t good. Mami couldn’t live without my father, and if I was killed, who would search for him? I had to protect my parents, no matter what the cost. If I was going to end up with a Coletti mate for the rest of my life, why not Quinn? He could handle my mother. My father I wasn’t too sure about. I liked the way Quinn kissed, and he was smoking hot. Scooping up a laser pistol, I joined my mind to the warlord’s.
With a shocking ease, our powers combined, and we became one psychic entity. Fate had brought us together, and nothing would stand in the way of our victory. Bellowing a truly scary Coletti battle cry, we hacked, sliced, and shot our way through the Tai-Kok, base security forces, and slavers. We were unstoppable.
A heavily tattooed slaver dodged our sword thrust and shouted, “What are you?”
“Death,” we answered and shot him.
The Overlord’s stern voice intruded on our killing frenzy. “Enough. The Alliance enforcers have arrived. They will assume control of Jandjviles.”
We stopped instantly. When the Overlord issued a direct command, you obeyed. A part of me stared at the sword in my right hand, the laser pistol in my left, and the bodies surrounding us in amazement. We did this. Together. It was a bit scary and totally awesome at the same time.
Quinn’s ghostly mouth brushed my lips. “You’re sure you can’t cook?”
“Positive, but I can learn.”
“Break your mind meld,” Zarek ordered sharply in our heads.
Quinn reluctantly slid out of my mind. “Yes, my lord.”
The loss of Quinn’s mental touch was devastating. I felt alone and empty. I ached for his touch. My eyes widened in horror. Goddess, we had bonded. Quinn was my mate. What would my father think? Who cared? I wanted to kiss every inch of Quinn’s hard, muscular body.
“No kissing or touching until you are twenty-one,” Zarek stated firmly.
What! Was he kidding?
“I do not joke about such matters,” Zarek replied.
Why was the Overlord still in my head? “But we’re mated.”
“The bond is not completed until you join in mind and body,” Zarek corrected.
Desire beat inside me. “That’s an easy fix.”
“If the law is not followed, other warriors can challenge Quinn for you. Because of your unique abilities, many would demand the rite of combat. If they win, you would be forced to mate with them,” Zarek stated.
Cold horror swept over me. “I would kill them first.”
Quinn’s big, callused hands psychically rubbed my shoulders. “We wait. It’s only a few weeks until you come of age.”
“True.” The question was: could I keep my hands off Quinn?
An enforcer in full battle gear approached me cautiously. “I am Captain Cole.” His gaze darted over the pile of bodies. “My lady, we need your assistance with the Katanic shapeshifters. I was told you can communicate with them.”
“I can.”
Captain Cole blurted out, “Your battle skills are remarkable for a female.”
And there it was, testosterone at its finest. “Why are you so surprised?”
The enforcer eyed me nervously. “You are a tiny Farin female. It does not seem possible.”
“I could be a shapeshifter. Have you thought of that?”
“Do not provoke him, Xenia,” Zarek snapped.
Captain Cole’s hand dropped to his laser pistol. “Are you?”
“One more word, Xenia, and you will spend the next year on Tanith cleaning the caverns of Tanezumi dung.” A horrific stench hit me. It was a mixture of rotted eggs and ammonia. An instant later, the image of a fat, ratlike creature formed in my mind.
Detja had told me about them. All they did was eat and shit. I gave the captain a reassuring smile. “I’m merely a warrior like you.”
“I think you are much more.”
“Where are the Katanic shapeshifters?”
He pointed to the slaughter ship. “They went inside.”
I blinked in surprise when my handsome warlord walked up to us. No, the brainwaves were all wrong. It was Adan. “You just had to morph into Quinn?”
He totally ignored me. “The Executioners are investigating the murder,” Adan said in Quinn’s voice.
The enforcer stiffened. “Murder?”
“The Tai-Kok captured a female and her child,” I interjected. “Females and children are precious to the Katanic. They will not allow her murderer or murderers to go unpunished.”
“I must confer with my commander. Excuse me for a moment.” The captain hurried off.
Adan cocked his head to one side. “Did you know your eyes are glowing?”
“They get this way right before I kill someone.” I shot him.
Adan transformed back to his true form. “Crazy female. Why are you shooting me?”
“Because you are an idiot, and you almost got me killed.” I shot him again.
“Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore.”
What in the nine hells was that? It almost sounded like a donkey braying. I scanned the area for the source and stiffened in alarm.
The Executioners were floating down the slaughter ship’s loading ramp. “Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore.”
“Why are they making that noise?”
“They are laughing,” Adan answered.
“At what?”
“Me.” Adan held up a tentacle when I opened my mouth. “Because you shot me. Twice.”
“You deserved it.” Up close, the Executioners were even more frightening. The tremendous power radiating from them made me want to run far, far away. I kept waiting for them to pounce, but all they did was inspect me like I was an interesting but odd specimen.
A deep voice resonated in my head. “You are the female who saved the child?”
Before I could answer, Adan butted in. “Xenia is also a witness to the murder.”
What? I stomped on one of Adan’s tentacles. “Goddess, are you deliberately trying to get me killed?”
He jerked it away, knocking me off balance. Before I could do a face-plant, the bigger Executioner’s tentacle thingy caught me and gently set me on my feet.
“Uh, thanks.”
With a growl of annoyance, the Overlord mentally stepped in and showed the Executioners my memories of rescuing Clio.
Her little voice echoed in my head. “Scared. Momma was crying. Why they hurt her?”
“We found evidence the Tai-Kok are responsible for her death,” the bigger Executioner stated.
“They will be punished,” another Executioner announced.
I had to know. “How?”
“We will destroy their worlds,” they said in unison.
“You can do that?”
“We can. You belong to the Overlord?”
“She is blood of my blood,” Zarek responded.
“We offer safe passage to you and yours.” An incandescent orange light popped into existence. The light spun faster and faster and faster until it became an enormous vortex. “The council has been informed of your actions, Adan. The death order has been lifted for now. It has been decided you will care for the child until the father can be found.”
“I will treat Clio as my own,” Adan assured them.
“Keep her safe or suffer the consequences.”
As one, the Executioners stepped into the vortex. Slurppp! They were gone.
I sagged in relief. They hadn’t eaten me.
Adan said, “I will return you to your mate.”
“No! I’m not riding the vortex again.” I dodged his tentacle. “I’ll see if I can hitch a ride with the enforcers.”
“If you want to find your father, you will go with him, Xenia,” Zarek advised.
Quinn added, “I have chocolate.”
“Fine.” I let Adan wrap me in tentacles. I loved being slimed.
Chapter Nine
The vortex spat us out on the
bridge of Quinn’s ship. Slashes of lightning danced and pulsed over the walls.
I shuddered and shook. Slime dripped off me. “I’m never, ever doing that again.”
Adan released me. “You are unharmed, little female, but you bruised my tentacle.”
“I’m going to do more than bruise a tentacle,” I snarled and pulled my laser pistol. It squirted out of my hand. “Drekk!”
Quinn caught it. “Open up.” He held out an unwrapped French Mint candy.
I did a good imitation of a hungry baby bird, and he popped it in my mouth. All that chocolaty goodness hit my taste buds. Goddess, I needed that. My nerves began to settle.
My warlord gave me a brain-fuzzing, sensual smile. “Better?”
“Getting there,” I gasped as a bolt of arousal hit me. I suddenly wanted to lick every inch of Quinn’s very fine body.
Adan transformed into a young teenage boy with glasses and a scar in the form of a lightning bolt on his forehead.
“The harmless wizard disguise doesn’t work on you,” I said sarcastically.
“Females find this form very attractive.”
A growl rumbled in my chest.
“Your eyes are glowing again,” Adan commented.
I tried to pull my knife, but the sucker kept slipping out of my hand.
Quinn stepped in front of me. “Go feed your kid, Adan.”
“As you command,” Adan snipped. He took one look at me and quickly left.
“I really, really want to hurt him.”
“I know, but it would upset Detja.” My wonderful warlord stuffed more chocolate in my mouth.
“Oh Goddess,” I moaned. “I think I love you.”
“Chocolate is the way to a woman’s heart.” Quinn fed me a third piece.
“Learned that from your sister, huh?”
“I did. A hot shower, some clean clothes, and you will be as good as new,” Quinn said.
I looked around the bridge of the ship. “Where is my mother?”
“She’s on a time-out,” Quinn replied without a twinge of remorse.
I parroted, “A time-out?”
“Zarek shared his real-time vid of the events on Jandjviles. Your mother couldn’t handle seeing you in the middle of all those Tai-Kok warriors, and freaked out. She would scream, faint, wake up, and start screaming again. I put her in the holding cell.”
In Quinn’s mind, it was a logical move, but my mother was never this quiet. “Did you gag her?”
“No, I shot her with her own tranquilizer dart.” There was a gleam of satisfaction in Quinn’s eyes.
“And Clio?”
“Is with her. She needed a nap too.”
“Please tell me you didn’t dart her?”
“Of course not. Clio’s a baby.” Quinn placed a candy in his mouth. He leaned over, kissed me, and at the same time slid the chocolate between my lips.
We both lapped at the melting candy until it was gone.
I sucked Quinn’s chocolaty tongue into my mouth and licked it until there was nothing left but him. I liked the way Quinn tasted, felt. I wiped slime off his chin. “How did you know I love chocolate kisses?”
“I’m psychic.”
I gasped as Quinn’s hard hands cupped my breasts. “And horny.”
“Very horny,” he agreed. His thumbs stroked my nipples into hard points. “I can’t wait to claim you.”
A shudder shook me as Quinn psychically gave my nipples a slow, firm lick. “Why wait?”
Zarek suddenly popped up on the view screen. “Did we not just have this conversation? There will be no more chocolate kisses or touching, psychic or otherwise, until Xenia turns twenty-one,” the Overlord barked. “Are you clear on that?”
Quinn snapped to attention. “Yes, my lord.”
“This is your last warning. Next time, I will discipline you.”
My temper flared to life, and I stepped in front of Quinn. “The drekk you will. No one hurts my mate, not even you. So back the hell off.”
“Back the hell off?”
The sheer menace in the Overlord’s voice was frightening, but I was too angry to care.
Quinn shoved me behind him. “Please accept my apology. Xenia is still in battle mode and did not mean to challenge you.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Challenge accepted. I will pit you against Detja.”
Reality smacked me between the eyes. I had seen Detja fight. I wouldn’t last five seconds. I peered around Quinn’s back. “Is it too late to apologize, my lord?”
“Lose the attitude and smart mouth, Xenia, or no chocolate for the next year, and don’t forget the dung duty,” Zarek replied.
I banged my head against Quinn’s back. That would teach me to mouth off to the Overlord. “It won’t happen again, my lord,” I mumbled, wiping frantically at the slime marks on the back of my warlord’s spiffy battle suit.
“Can you speak up? I didn’t quite hear you,” Zarek said in an icy tone.
“It won’t happen again.”
“Good. Go find Lysis. Let him know I filed your claim on Qeeturah with the Federation and informed them of Nilus’s actions. They issued a warrant for his arrest.”
“Thank you, my lord. My father will be pleased.”
“I protect my own.” The screen went black.
“Well, that was unexpected.”
“I have discovered that, while Zarek can be a cold bastard and a harsh taskmaster, he genuinely cares for his people.”
“Detja is the same way. Got more chocolate?”
“I do, but shower first. You’re making a mess of my floors.”
Slime was pooling around my boots. Was Quinn a clean freak?
Adan walked onto the bridge, holding Clio. “I’m taking her to a feeding ground.”
“Define feeding ground,” I shot back.
“A planet that is inhabited by furry little creatures that are easy for younglings to hunt.”
“Promise me you will take good care of Clio.”
“You have my word.” Adan morphed into a large, black silky ball with tentacles, and the orange light popped into existence.
Quinn dodged a lightning bolt as the maelstrom got bigger.
“Eleni is awake,” Adan added as he stepped into the vortex. With a loud cracking pop, the twister vanished.
I let out a long breath. Once Mami woke up, it wouldn’t take her long to work herself into a frenzy over Quinn’s treatment. Thank the Goddess I had my father’s temperament.
“Go take your shower. I’ll handle your mother,” Quinn said.
Would it reflect badly on me if I said not being responsible for my mother for a couple of hours would be a dream come true? Probably. “You would do that for me?”
I felt Quinn’s fleeting mental caress. “And more.”
He was a keeper. “You do realize what you’re getting yourself into? My family is a bit cockeyed.”
“Darlin’, I have an Askole in mine. I’m sure I can persuade Eleni to listen to me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Have you met my mother? She’s highly intelligent, but doesn’t have a lick of common sense. She’s emotional, easily frightened, and she doesn’t follow orders. At all. My father and I have our hands full trying to keep her out of trouble.”
“How does she feel about chocolate?”
My warlord was a cunning male. “She loves it.” I smiled at Quinn. “You sure you want to do this? My mother is one of a kind.”
“Darlin’, so am I,” Quinn responded with a wink.
My mother’s scream echoed down the hallway.
“Last chance to make a run for it.”
“Warlords never run, and I’ll have Eleni eating out of my hand.” Quinn teleported away.
The screams stopped abruptly. Color me surprised. The chocolate had worked.
Another scream sounded and was abruptly cut off.
I hoped Quinn hadn’t used the tranquilizer
dart on Mami again. Once Papa found out what Quinn had done, he wasn’t going to be pleased. And when Papa got mad, people got hurt. The last thing I wanted was for the two of them to fight.
Chapter Ten
The chocolate had worked. Temporarily. Mami might be a chocoholic like me, but once she fixated on something, she never stopped until she achieved her goal. Like becoming an archaeologist, finding Qeeturah, and now rescuing Papa. Her tenacity was one trait I was glad I had inherited.
As the hot water pounded my sore muscles, I carefully eased into Quinn’s mind and eavesdropped on his conversation with my mother.
“I’ve programmed the tracking scanners to do a deep scan of the area. If Lysis has taken refuge in a cavern, we will find him.”
Displeasure in her voice, Mami asked, “What are your intentions toward my daughter?”
Hadn’t seen that one coming.
“Xenia is my mate.”
“Lysis will never allow it.”
“The Overlord knows and approves,” Quinn countered.
Mami retorted, “Zarek also granted Lysis the power to veto any warrior he didn’t consider worthy of my daughter. You have no honor. You shot me, a helpless female, with the tranquilizer gun.”
“Helpless you’re not, and you shot me first,” Quinn pointed out.
“I did it to protect my daughter.”
“To break our mental bond would cause irreparable damage to Xenia’s mind.”
I scowled. Not to mention Quinn’s.
“Until I can discuss this matter with Lysis, you will not touch her.” My mother’s voice was venomous.
I didn’t think Mami had it in her to go toe-to-toe with a warlord. I stood corrected.
“You have my word I will not touch her until she is twenty-one.”
“If you do, I will have Lysis neuter you.”
“I see where Xenia gets her mean streak from,” Quinn replied. There was a touch of laughter in his voice.
“You find this amusing?”
“Not at all, ma’am.”
“I do not like you,” Mami huffed and stormed off.
I linked with Quinn. “After spending more quality time with my mother, do you still want me as your mate? My parents and I are a package deal.”
