“You know where the Black Rose calls home? You know where her base is?”
Hunter moved closer behind Amy, wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her against his chest. So caught up in her fear and rage for her family, she didn’t protest when he brought her body up against his. She couldn’t worry about that now. She only had enough energy left to worry about her parents. What were those beasts doing to her mother, her sisters, her baby brother?
She knew that Hunter had just as much need for revenge against the Black Rose as she did. When he splayed his large hand over her stomach she felt his anger at the Black Rose—his utter disbelief that his sister was capable of such a thing. She could feel the tension running through his frame as he waited for Chrissie’s answer, so she didn’t try to evade his touch even though being so close to him set her nerves jangling and sent a strange feeling into the pit of her tummy.
“Tell us, Chrissie, please,” Hunter added. “Help us find the others she’s taken. The others she’s tormented as she has you and Amy. Where does she call home?”
Amy held her breath and waited for Chrissie’s answer. Knowing her family needed her, she’d do everything necessary to save them from whatever fate the Black Rose planned for them.
She watched as the other woman sat on her cot, her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. Her anger at her dissipated a bit as she wondered what she would do—what sort of bargains would she have made—had she known her parents and her siblings were in the clutches of the same animals who had abused her?
Chapter Five
With his mate held securely in his arms, Hunter waited impatiently for the woman’s answer. Did she know where Haeda based her slaving operation or didn’t she? He’d much rather spend this time with his mate so close trying to convince her she could trust him than stand here knowing the only reason she allowed his touch was because of the news she’d received.
Once they learned the location of the planet where his sister hid, where Amy’s people were hostages, he could tell Mikel. Then he could focus on his mate while they traveled to their destination. Did he wish he could order Amy to stay out of the coming battle? Of course he did. But, as he held his mate’s trembling body in his arms, felt her fear through their connection, he knew that no matter the danger involved, his mate needed closure. He wanted her to heal emotionally, and to do that, she needed to feel useful and in control. And, that’s something he could give her. Even if the thought of what could happen to her made his heart squeeze in terror. Besides, the followers of the Black Rose would never believe that a true Chantrean woman would ever be the warrior he knew his mate to be.
Finally, Chrissie lifted her head, her eyes pleading for understanding. “I know details. Nearby planets, stars in the sky above the prison itself, but I don’t know the name of the planet. The rebels called it The Black Abyss but I doubt that will help you figure out the planet’s true name.”
Hunter sighed then flexed his shoulders. Amy tensed at his sudden movement then slowly relaxed against him. He couldn’t help but smile. She may not want to trust him, may actively fight trusting him when she felt stronger, but her body, even her subconscious mind already trusted him on some level. He could work with that. It would give him something to hold on to during those times when she was sure to object to his pursuit of her.
“You do know we can’t just let you go, don’t you?” Amy asked. Hunter could hear the cynicism in his mate’s voice. Did she suspect that Chrissie had lied so they’d let her go? Or did she suspect a trap of some kind?
“If this is a trap, Chrissie, you will not escape punishment,” Hunter added. He watched as Chrissie swallowed convulsively then nodded.
“If you get my brother out of there, my parents, then no matter what happens to me, it’s worth it.”
“Fine. But we need more details of the planet you were on if we have any hope of locating it.” Amy remained silent and unnaturally still in his arms. What was going through her mind, he wondered.
As Chrissie closed her eyes, Hunter let his hands slowly run up and down Amy’s sides, her hips. Perhaps if she got used to his touch gradually, her fear of him would slowly dissipate. He could hope anyway. Amy stiffened in his arms at first, but when he made no move to touch her anywhere else, the tension in her body eased just a bit. The sound of Chrissie’s melancholy voice echoing in the small cell jerked him from his thoughts.
“There was a small window high up on one of the walls in my chamber. Sometimes, when the men came to me, I would stare out that window and try to imagine myself somewhere else. Some place where I was free and didn’t have to submit to—” Her voice caught, she swallowed and seemingly shook off the horrifying memory. “A small planet seemed to hover in the distance, a beacon, I guess. Something beautiful.” She sighed, a somewhat wistful sound, then continued speaking. “The beauty of it always struck me as ironic. Here I was, a prisoner, raped daily by my guards but the view from that tiny window captivated me, drew me. I wanted to be able to free my soul from my body and fly to that place where no one would ever be able to touch me again.”
Chrissie shook her head, grimaced. “Anyway, the planet itself looked sea-foam green. It had rings around it. Three of them. Pink then silver then a deep dark purple outer ring. The planet always looked like it was shrouded in mist, no matter the time of day.” She shrugged. “It’s probably planetary gasses but looking up at it, at the mystical beauty of it, gave me a focal point, a place for my mind to escape to, while the guards used my body.” She swallowed then wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks. “Anyway, I did overhear one of the guards say that while half the planet was filled with light and life, the Black Rose chose to make her home on the dark side.”
When Chrissie shuddered and began to rock back and forth once more, Hunter decided to halt the questioning. She couldn’t escape her cell, so he didn’t see any harm in letting her compose herself. They knew where to find her when they needed more answers.
As though Amy could read his mind, his mate slowly stepped out of his arms and placed her hand on Chrissie’s bowed head. That simple act of compassion stunned him. He’d doubted he’d be able to offer even that small comfort if their situations were reversed. “Get your rest, Chrissie. I’m sure we’ll have more questions soon.”
With that said, Amy turned away from the prisoner and made her way toward the cell door. As Hunter turned to follow her, Chrissie lay on her side and drew her knees up against her chest. He watched her for a minute, torn between pity and cynicism. She looked so lost and alone, laying there, knowing that her future was in another’s hands. Again. She’d gone from one prison to another, but at least she had a chance of coming out of this nightmare alive. And no one would abuse her here. Perhaps, in time, she would heal and find that she herself had a mate.
By the time he left the prisoner and sealed her cell closed, Amy had disappeared. Rather than chase her down as the lion inside him demanded, Hunter let her go. He didn’t want her to feel trapped or hunted. Letting her go though had to be the hardest decision he ever made. However, just because he wouldn’t chase her down didn’t mean he had to stay ignorant of her location.
Knowing the Manruvian ship had a sentient computer running its systems, Hunter spoke aloud. “Computer?”
“Yes, Prince Shi’Lan?”
“What is the current location of Amy Morgan?”
“Amy Morgan is in the transportation tube on level twenty-three.”
“What is her final destination?”
“Final Destination is the private quarters of Princess Eve Shi’Lan and Prince Taliff Shi’Lan.”
“Thank you, computer. Open a communication channel to Prince Taliff Shi’Lan’s private quarters, please.”
“Working. Communication channel open.”
A few seconds passed then the sound of Taliff’s voice came through the speakers overhead. “This is Taliff Shi’Lan.”
“Hello, brother. I wanted to inform you that my mate is en route to
your quarters. The prisoner delivered some disturbing news to Amy and I think she may feel the need to speak with another woman, someone she considers a friend.”
“Understood. Is there anything I should know?”
“Maybe. I want to speak with Mikel’s navigation officer first. Once I know something definitive, I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds good.”
In the background, Hunter heard a series of chimes then his brother calling out for someone to hold on. “I must go, Hunter. It seems your mate has arrived.”
“Thank you, Taliff. If Amy needs me, I’ll be in our quarters.”
“Of course. I’ll let her know.”
Knowing that Amy needed to feel safe to speak with Eve freely more than anything else right now, Hunter sighed then made his way to their quarters.
* * * *
Amy stood outside Eve’s cabin, unsure whether coming here was the right thing to do. Could she walk through that door, knowing the man who took her from her family, from the only life she’d known, was in there. What choice did she have though? She needed to talk to someone she trusted and though she wanted to trust Hunter, she knew Eve would never betray her. That was about the only thing she could be certain of, especially after what she’d just learned.
“Well, I can’t stay out here all day,” she muttered. Shaking off her nervousness, Amy finally pressed the door chime and waited for someone to answer. By the time the door finally slid open, she’d managed to calm her frayed nerves. Just because Taliff was a man, it didn’t mean that he’d harm her. Maybe if I tell myself that often enough, I’ll start to believe it.
“Come in, Amy. Little Delilah and I were about to read a story. Eve’s in the bathing chamber overseeing Elijah’s bath but she’ll be out shortly.”
Stunned, Amy just shook her head as she slowly made her way farther into the main sitting room of Eve and Taliff’s quarters. “Delilah? Elijah?” she asked, though it was obvious who Delilah was the moment she spotted Taliff sitting on the sofa with a little girl on his lap. She couldn’t be more than two. Tiny and delicate, the child seemed almost ethereal compared to her father. Her strawberry blonde hair hung past her shoulders in waves and her amber eyes sparkled with mischief. The boys were going to be all over her when she reached puberty, if not before.
“Our children. Delilah here will be two in just over one of your Earth months and our son, Elijah, just celebrated his fifth birthday.”
“You’re going to have your hands full when she gets older. You know that don’t you?”
Taliff threw back his head and laughed. “What do you mean when she gets older? She already causes more mischief than her brother ever did.”
Dragging her gaze from the child, Amy finally looked at Taliff. Really looked at him. No wonder Hunter seemed familiar to her when she first looked upon him. Taliff and Hunter were nearly identical in looks and build. Taliff’s hair was a lighter shade than Hunter’s and a good six inches shorter. And, while Taliff’s eye color was the same shade of amber as his mate’s, Hunter’s were green. Other than that, and the aura of power that seemed to surround Hunter, they’d be impossible to tell apart.
As Amy moved closer to the father and daughter, she looked around the room, surprised to see how homey the cabin looked. Taliff sat on a plush brown sofa. It looked like leather but not quite. Several matching chairs were scattered around the room, so she made her way to the one farthest from Taliff. She sat down on the edge of the seat and continued to scan the room. Two end tables flanked the sofa, each covered with plush toys, baby blankets and children’s storybooks. There was a small nook off to the right, which had a small table and chairs set. Pictures of the children hung upon the walls along with prints of several beautiful planetary scenes. Finally, she noticed several closed doors that seemed to branch off the main room.
“You can relax, Amy. Nothing and no one here will harm you, though I don’t expect you to take my word for that.”
Amy stiffened. Deep inside she knew Taliff wouldn’t harm her, especially with a child in the room, but she couldn’t seem to help her reactions. “Oh, I’m fine.” She prayed he had no idea she wanted to run from the room and find some place to hide from everyone, including Eve. Licking her lips, Amy tried to think of some conversational tidbit to distract her. “How long will Eve be, did you say?”
Taliff chuckled softly and his eyes twinkled in mirth. “She should be walking through the door behind you any second.’
Amy nodded then looked down at her lap. A smile twisted her lips when she noticed she had her hands fisted in her tunic. “Oh, I wanted to thank you and Eve for arranging the clothing. It was various generous of her to give me something out of her own wardrobe.”
“Those aren’t Eve’s clothes, Amy. Hunter had her work with a tailor before we left Chantrea to make those for you. As soon as he felt the connection with you, he’d started making the arrangements. He insisted Eve not overlook even the tiniest detail.”
“Oh.” What else could she say? Confused and uncertain she once again glanced around the room. What was taking Eve so long?
Taliff nodded, perhaps seeming to understand her confusion, because he added, “Do you know what a mate bond is, Amy?”
This she could at least answer truthfully. “No, not really.”
“Maybe if I explain it, it will help you understand just how safe you are on this ship.”
She nodded, knowing that learning all she could about her new situation would only help her in the end. Knowledge was power after all, or so the saying went, anyway. “Okay. What exactly is the mate bond?”
“Let me ask you something. When you’re near Hunter can you feel his emotions, catch a quick glimpse of his thoughts at times?”
Amy nodded. At first, she’d thought herself crazy but after a while, she hardly seemed to notice it. “Sometimes,” she agreed.
“Well, imagine that a hundred, a thousand times over. Right now, you and Hunter share a connection. A mate connection. Hunter can feel some of what you feel, hear some of your thoughts, just as you can feel his, but right now you’re mostly closed off to each other. But, once you actually bond with him, you’ll know his every thought, feel everything he feels. One mate cannot lie to the other once they bond.”
“You mean, if I bond with him, however that’s done, he can’t betray me?”
Taliff winced. “Not exactly. What I mean to say is, you’ll know if he’s going to betray you the moment he thinks it.” Shaking his head, Taliff laid his now sleeping daughter next to him on the sofa and after tucking a blanket around her, leaned forward. “I’m not explaining this well. The thing is, Amy, once a Chantrean male feels that connection with his mate he has two choices. Complete the bond with her or not. If he completes the mate bond, all his thoughts, all his needs, center on her. She becomes his everything, tied to him in life and death.”
He raised his hand when she started to object. “Yes, some men cheat, but that happens with every species, be they human, Chantrean, or Manruvian. But, those that complete the bonding using the Mate Bonds, do not. It’s impossible. Your souls bind together. Your hearts and minds become one. He will never be able to betray you and you him once you bond. Because you share emotions, betraying you would become as abhorrent a thought to him as it would be to you and vice versa. ”
Taking a deep breath, Amy tried to digest everything Taliff had said. And not said in his brief summation. She had a lot to think about. Getting to her feet, Amy quickly glanced over at the sleeping child. She looked so peaceful lying there. If only Amy could find such peacefulness in her dreams. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Amy looked to Taliff. “Tell Eve I shall return later. I have much to think about.”
“Of course. Any time you need to talk—to either of us—we’ll be here. Finding you has eased something inside Eve’s heart, and thus mine, as well. It’s very good to have you back.”
Amy looked away, swallowed past the lump that seemed lodged in her throat then nodded. She needed t
o get out of here before she did something stupid. Like cry.
When she turned to walk away, Taliff called her name.
“Yes?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper in deference to the sleeping child.
“Just so you know, Hunter called earlier to say he was returning to your quarters.”
Amy nodded then headed for the door. Yes, she had a lot to think about.
Chapter Six
As Amy wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the Manruvian ship, her mind kept running over everything Taliff said. She just didn’t know what to do or what to believe. What would it be like to know absolutely that you could trust another? To know that you’d never have to fear that person’s betrayal…to know that, above all, there was one person in existence that you could trust implicitly. What a relief it would be to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person you spoke with told you the truth. Could something like that really exist? If it did, would she have the courage to face it, to try it?
She had to admit, the idea appealed to her, especially considering the most recent betrayal she’d had to face. But, no matter how appealing the idea, it definitely had one major drawback—Hunter himself. If she agreed to the bonding and it worked, she would be tied to a male. A very strong and, by the looks of it, very virile male. Did she have the courage to agree to try such a thing?
How could she ever give herself over to another man? She shuddered. Her stomach clenched and bile began to rise in her throat. Just the thought of being intimate with a man—even Hunter, who’d been nothing but kind—nauseated her.
Do not fear so, my child. I would never pair you with a man who’d do you harm. He is a strong man. A man of great honor and personal integrity.
Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge Page 5
