Triumphant (Battle Born Book 14)

by Cyndi Friberg

It was well past midnight and her turn to share. She was debating what to show him when a scene surged to the surface of her mind. The image seemed to pass through the barrier without conscious effort on her part. She tried to yank it back, but it was too late.

  “What was happening in that scene?” he asked. “The audio was garbled.”

  She tensed. This was definitely not a scene she’d wanted him to see. He already knew enough to make her feel vulnerable. “It was just a fight. I didn’t mean to show you that one.”

  His warm fingers trailed across her face then pushed into her hair and his thumb stroked her lips. “Apparently your subconscious needed to share. Tell me what I’m seeing.” When she didn’t immediately answer, he wrapped his other arm around her hips and pulled her closer, lightly pressing her breasts against his chest.

  With a sigh of defeat, she rested her head on his shoulder and explained. “Jim was so horrible to me at dinner that Jacob told him to cut it out. I knew it would be even worse when he got me alone, so I avoided going to bed for hours. He finally ordered me upstairs. I braced for another beating, or worse, but he just grabbed my arm and used the disk to bring me here.”

  “Was that the first time you’d seen the caverns?” He caressed her back and stroked her hair, his voice soft and soothing.

  She shook her head. “I’d been here twice before but that time was different. He told me the disk was the only way in or out of the caverns. He stressed that there was no back-up key. If he accidentally ‘lost’ it while I was here I’d be stuck, abandoned, forgotten. And best of all, the entire world already thought I was dead, so no one would miss me.”

  “Did he leave you here?”

  “Yes, for hours, alone in the dark.” A violent shudder made her press even closer to his warmth and wrap both her arms around his back. “I’ve never been so terrified.”

  “You’re safe now. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

  For a long time, she just clung to him, absorbing the comfort like a sponge. She ran her hands up and down his back, marveling at the strength so evident in his shape and breathing in his scent. “Round about hour three anger replaced the panic,” she told him. “That’s when I realized he’d given me a way to escape. All I needed was to get my hands on the transport disk and he wouldn’t be able to follow.”

  “But the transport disk returns you to the same place you departed. Doesn’t it?”

  She eased back far enough to see his face. “It stores the past three departure points.”

  “It has no visible controls. How do you make your selection?”

  “Swipe once, twice, or three times. The only challenge is remembering where it’s going to take you.”

  He nodded, his gaze narrowed and bright. “If you departed from a locked room, I’m sure you wanted to return to an earlier departure point. How did you find out the other two locations?”

  “It was a risk, but Jim almost always departed from the garage at one of our rental houses. He stashed things there before bringing them here for long-term storage.”

  He trailed his index finger across her forehead, then tucked her hair behind her ear. “How did you get a hold of the disk if you were being guarded?”

  “It was worse than that after our fight. He locked me in our bedroom and wouldn’t let me see or talk to anyone but him. Luckily, I needed to eat and he ordered Thea to bring my meals. He chose her because he didn’t want to waste the time of anyone important. Arrogant idiot sent me the only person brave enough to help me.”

  “Thea stole the disk and gave it to you?”

  “He kept it locked in a desk drawer. She swore it wasn’t even a challenge, but he would have killed her if he caught her in the act. She risked her life for me.”

  “I promise, all I did was question her. She was never my prisoner.”

  She arched her brows. “Only because she caved before you got angry.”

  A guilty smile parted his lips. “Maybe. But she wouldn’t have been harmed even if I’d decided to detain her.”

  Rebecca took a deep breath and expelled the memories as she exhaled. “I’m done sharing. The past can’t be changed and I’m tired of thinking about it.”

  Desire erupted in his gaze as he whispered, “Then what would you like to do?”

  “I still don’t want to have sex, but…” She sighed, frustrated with herself for being so timid.

  “But?” he prompted.

  “Will you kiss me?”

  “Always. Never hesitate to tell me what you need.” He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, finally ending their long conversation.

  Chapter Five

  Arton hated being summoned to Kage’s quarters like an errant teen. Technically he was subordinate to the overlord, but he was also Kage’s best friend and trusted advisor. He considered the Relentless his ship as much as Kage’s, though he’d never say that out loud. The door to the commander’s quarters opened automatically as Arton approached, so clearly Kage was expecting him.

  “There you are.” Kage turned from a holo-diagram of the Outcast fleet’s current location as Arton stepped into the living room turned expanded office. Planning for the coming exodus had clearly taken over the overlord’s life. “I want to depart in three days. Can you finish up by then?”

  Finish up? Arton almost laughed. Kage made it sound like he was tidying a kitchen or gathering supplies. He was meticulously selecting potential mates for all the Outcasts. His decisions would shape the future for generations to come. “I need more personnel and more ships if you want it completed that quickly.”

  “Take as many as you like. Everyone’s just waiting around anyway.” For the first time in years, Kage wore a simple uniform rather than his outlandish “barbarian” costume. His long black hair was slicked back from his face and the beginning of a beard shadowed his jaw. He looked disappointingly normal. Arton much preferred the more dramatic appearance.

  “What’s with the uniform?” Arton asked.

  “I’ve got too much to do to put on airs,” he said impatiently. “And so do you. What’s your count? How many are we short?”

  “Three hundred, give or take.”

  “Three hundred?” His voice rose half an octave. “What’s taking so long?”

  Arton glared at him. “I’m not filling a grocery list. Each female must be assessed.”

  “No longer,” Kage snapped. “The last three hundred will be wildcards. If they’re genetically compatible, they’re approved, as of now.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  Kage locked his hands behind his back and faced off with Arton. “It wasn’t a suggestion. Everyone is restless as hell. If we keep pushing back the departure date, something is going to erupt. We are departing in three days, with or without your target number.”

  His “target number” was one female for every Outcast. If they left with fewer, he could just imagine the sorts of eruptions they’d be dealing with down the line. Even so, it was obvious Kage had made up his mind. “I’ll be ready, sir. May I borrow Rex Dravon?”

  Kage narrowed his gaze, but relaxed his stance. “Why do you need Rex? He’s been scrounging all sorts of hard-to-find items for me.”

  Scrounging likely meant stealing. Rex had a wonderfully fluid sense of propriety. “I need someone I trust to help keep track of the females. There are too many of them now for one person to adequately supervise.”

  After a moment’s silent debate, Kage shook his head. “I need Rex. Take Torrin. He’ll scare the shit out of even the biggest troublemaker.”

  Arton chuckled. That was certainly true. Torrin Havier was perhaps the most intimidating person Arton had ever met. He could bring any female to tears with a look. “All right. Are you sure we can trust him?” Torrin hadn’t been with the brotherhood long, but Kage had been adamant about his recruitment. Arton didn’t disagree, but neither did he share Kage’s enthusiasm. He was waiting for more information before he made up his mind about the mysterious Torrin.
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br />   “You can trust him,” Kage insisted. “I personally vouch for his behavior.”

  “Your word is good enough for me.” He rolled his shoulders. Like the rest of the Outcasts, he was anxious to start their great adventure. “Was there anything else?”

  “I know you’ve located the geneticist. Has she been collected?”

  “Not yet. I’m leaving her for last. Once she disappears, all hell will break loose.” She was too important to the battle born for there to be any lesser reaction. Dr. Lily Fontenot had also thrown a hurdle in his path that Arton had yet to figure out how to clear. She hadn’t done it intentionally, had no idea she was a target. Lily was brilliant, and invaluable to their plans. They could not leave without her. Her knowledge and expertise would make it possible for the Outcasts to launch their own transformation program. And having access to actual magic would be imperative as many of their technologies gradually ran out of power. “She transferred ships and it has caused some complications.”

  “Why? Wasn’t she on the Intrepid?” Arton nodded. “Where’d she go?”

  “The Triumphant,” he admitted with a cringe.

  “Shit,” Kage sneered. “Your brother’s security is best in the fleet. Can you find someone else?”

  Arton shook his head. “We need Lily. Not only was she trained by the doctor heading the battle born program, she’s even more familiar with human genetics than her mentor. No one else will do.”

  “Torrin had clearance for the Triumphant,” Kage pointed out. “See if his authorizations are still valid.”

  It was doubtful, but worth a check. “And if they’re not?”

  “We’ll figure out something.” Finally Kage flashed one of his characteristic grins. “We always do.”

  * * * * *

  Sedrik lowered Rebecca to her back on the sleeping bag as their kiss went on and on. Her legs were already wrapped around him, so all he had to do was rock his hips to slide his aching cock against her softness. If they’d been naked—and if she’d been willing—he could have pushed into her snug core, claiming his mate once and for all. But she wasn’t willing, not yet. However, she was closer to surrender than ever before. The progress they’d made gave him the strength to rein in his surging desire.

  The position was much too tempting, however. He knew he could feed the pull, build upon the longing smoldering inside her. Once she lost herself completely in the hunger, she’d likely give in and invite him inside, but he wanted her wide awake and fully present for their first joining. If he took her while she was intoxicated, she’d resent him, likely reject him, once the urgency passed. So he rolled to his side, taking her with him. They had to remain close for both to fit on the sleeping bag. He sat up long enough to turn off the lantern and spread a blanket on top of them, then settled in for the rest of the night.

  He slipped one arm under her neck and held her against him with the other. Their legs entwined as she snuggled even closer. “This is nice,” she whispered, her warm breath teasing his neck.

  “Get some sleep, if you can,” he suggested. “We still have several hours before the transport disk resets.”

  He felt her nod, then her body relaxed. It was the sweetest kind of torture to hold her in his arms and yet not touch her, not the way he wanted to anyway. He closed his eyes, trying to follow his own advice. Sleep was likely the only escape from the pull’s relentless demands. Her scent surrounded him and her softness comforted. His mate was in his arms. All he had to do was convince her to accept his claim.

  Before coming to Earth, he’d given up on ever finding a compatible female willing to accept the limitations of his background. He was trapped between worlds. The elite shunned him as tainted, yet the masses considered him “privileged”, unworthy of serious consideration because he hadn’t worked hard enough for the lifestyle he enjoyed.

  Well, all the prejudice and frustration was in the past. Thanks to the battle born rebellion—and the female in his arms—his future was bursting with potential. The rebellion had already obtained many of their objectives, but his courting of Rebecca had barely begun. The abuse in her past and her indoctrination by the Resistance Force would make the goal unusually hard to achieve. He’d never been intimidated by a challenge and he had no intention of starting now. Overcoming impossible odds was a family specialty. His mother and father were proof positive of Lux tenacity.

  The thought eased his mind and allowed him to relax. A few minutes later he joined Rebecca in slumber.

  Rebecca wiggled out of his arms and scrambled away, jarring Sedrik from sleep. She fumbled around until she found the lantern and flipped it on. He blinked several times and sat up, confused by her sudden hostility. Then he realized her mood change hadn’t been abrupt, he’d been sleeping. “Are you all right?” He ran his hand over his face as his mind shook off the last of the haze.

  “I’m fine,” she insisted, but confusion and regret shadowed her gaze. “Just anxious to get out of here.” She gathered her shoes and sat on the cooler, making it easier to don the footwear. Her movements were hurried as if she couldn’t wait to be away from him.

  He sighed, frustrated by their digression. “Are you sure the disk has reset?” He wouldn’t mind if it took another hour or so before functionality was restored. Having Rebecca confined in the caverns made it much harder for her to run away from her feelings, and clearly that was her current strategy.

  “The only real way to determine if it’s ready or not is to try it.” She held up her hands, fingers splayed. “At the moment, I don’t have it.”

  That was right. He’d slipped it in to his pocket the night before. Damn good thing, too. In her current mood, she just might have flashed out and left him here while she made preparations for her escape. She wasn’t coldhearted enough to leave him here to die, especially after experiencing that horror for herself, but she’d use any situation to her advantage. He had no doubt about that.

  He grabbed his boots and pulled one on as he tried to plan his next move. His thumb encountered the panic button as he reached for the second boot. He paused. If he activated the emergency signal now and left it in the cave, would they be able to pinpoint the cave’s location? It was certainly worth a try. He slipped the tiny disk out of its slot, turned it on with a firm squeeze, then tossed it onto the sleeping bag.

  Not wanting Rebecca to realize what he’d done—explaining why he’d waited so long to summon help would be a little complicated—he tugged on his second boot and moved away from the sleeping bag.

  “So what are your plans?” he asked casually.

  She seemed surprised by the question. “What do you mean? Do I have a choice? I thought I was your prisoner.”

  He had to look away from her. Didn’t she realize how insulting he found the assumption? Had their five-hour exchange, not to mention the pleasure he’d given her, taught her nothing? “You’re my mate, Rebecca, not my prisoner. I’d prefer to take you to my ship, where it will be much easier to protect you, but the choice is yours. If you have other priorities, things you must accomplish, I’ll help you complete them.”

  Their gazes locked when he looked at her again. She sat on the cooler, fully dressed, clearly ready to depart, yet uncertainty was written on her features. She started to say something, then lowered her gaze and sighed. “I want to find the triangulated location. I honestly think that’s the key to defeating Abaddon.”

  He wanted to believe her focus was beating Abaddon and not escaping him, but she wouldn’t even look at him. “Any location is easier to find from the air.”

  She glanced up then stood and crossed to the stack of supplies, suddenly needing to organize the items. “I’d appreciate any help you can give me.”

  Her words promised cooperation while her actions warned of betrayal. He hoped he was misreading her body language, but that was unlikely. Thanks to their memory transfer, he knew her too well. Whenever she felt threatened or unsure, she ran. If a physical escape wasn’t possible, she retreated into herself until
the danger passed, but she always retreated.

  Many equated the strategy with weakness or a lack of spirit. Sedrik knew warfare too well to accept that conclusion. Rebecca didn’t run from conflict because she was afraid. Thanks to her feckless ex-husband, there was very little left in life with the power to frighten her. After being beaten down over and over, she’d learned to focus on survival rather than winning. If it was obvious a battle couldn’t be won, she’d withdraw and wait until the situation changed, usually through planning and hard work. However, if she set up a battle so she had a realistic chance of success, then she’d fight to the death to take down her adversary. Unfortunately, he was relatively sure she still thought of him as an opponent rather than an ally.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the transport disk. “How many swipes? Where do you want to go?”

  “None of my past locations are near our target, but that shouldn’t be a problem in one of your ships.” She sounded much more convincing than she looked. “Swipe once. Rowville is as good a place as any to begin our search.” A hint of cunning sparked in her gaze, reinforcing his belief that she was up to something.

  “One swipe it is.” He motioned her closer, dreading the conflict about to develop. He’d have to treat her like a prisoner until she stopped running away. Protecting his mate was his primary responsibility, even if that meant protecting her from herself.

  She moved toward him with obvious reluctance. Was this really the same woman who had cried out as he drove her to orgasm with his mouth? She’d slept in his arms so peaceful and trusting, yet this morning, in the blink of an eye, all that changed.

  He held out his hand and she took it as her gaze focused on his chest. He wanted to take her face between his hands and tilt her head until she looked into his eyes. He’d demand to know what she had planned and she’d stubbornly refuse to tell him. Then he’d kiss the information out of her.

  Despite the temptation, he only entwined their fingers and swiped his thumb across the disk. Evonti teleportation was faster and smoother than bio-streaming. He’d been impressed by the lack of vertigo the first time he experienced the rush and this time was no different. One second they stood in the cavern. An instant later they’d returned to the alley in Rowville.