Settler's Mine 2: The Lovers

by Mechele Armstrong

  Tania.

  He focused on the grain of the wood in front of him and on the woman waiting at home. She must be the focus of his thoughts, not anyone else. Somehow, he’d find his heartstone and go back to his love. The one he’d pledged to be with for all eternity.

  The way they felt about each other and the fact she had her heartstone and cared for him, had to mean something.

  Had Bren found his satisfaction in his lover’s body? How could he not? Zelda was beautiful. In all the stories he’d heard about the enigmatic owner of Settler’s Mine, they’d never mentioned that detail. Her dark eyes matched her dark skin and set back in her oblong face. High cheekbones drew even more attention to her eyes. She had a full figure with ample hips and breasts that would overflow a man’s hand. Fill a man’s mouth and leave him wanting more.

  Shaking his head at his errant mind, he stepped back as the door opened.

  Zelda sashayed over the threshold, followed by Bren, who had a huge grin on his face. “Amory. Let’s go to my office. Where I expect you to come to see me next time, instead of my rooms. We’ll get a few things settled up.” She took two steps. “Follow me.”

  He trailed behind her. Her hips rocked back and forth, swaying seductively as she weaved into the cavern path.

  His eyes trained on her, never noticing the dent in the rock below his feet, until he’d tripped. Righting himself, he heard Bren’s low chuckle behind him.

  “Put your eyes back in your head, boy. Tongue, too.”

  “I didn’t… I have a woman.” The fresh air smelled dusty. A chill permeated it, making it obvious they were underground. All of Settler’s Mine rested under the slopes of the mountains and rock. They walked down, and then the path arced back up. Others passed by them hefting carts of stones. Miners not only discovered heartstones, many other precious metals and rocks had been taken from the various quarries. The clank of a hammer sounded from further down the path. Busy and bustling, the settlement had a reputation for its success.

  “Sure you do.”

  “I do. A woman who makes Zelda…” Amory bit his tongue, cramming the words back into his mouth, without a way to take back the first ones. Bren would not be happy with the implication, and Zelda was his woman. Had Amory gone crazy to do such a thing?

  “Makes her what?”

  “Look as dull as a rock.” The beautiful Tania shone like a mirror-stone to him, but even he saw the lie in his words. No one could ever out-glow Zelda. His heart stopped before beating again. What the hell was he thinking? Tania would be his. She was the most beautiful, kindest woman he’d ever known. Zelda couldn’t compare to her. Besides, Zelda already had a lover. But, he’d seen no sign she had her second. Perhaps she hadn’t found them yet. Not that it mattered to him. Tania was the only one he wanted to claim him.

  His eyes looked back to train on Bren. What would be the man’s reaction to the insult of his lover? Would Amory survive him?

  Bren’s eyes narrowed as he let out a short laugh. “That’s why you have one of these then, huh?” He fingered the heartstone looped around his own neck. “Makes you an expert on women?”

  Amory had deserved that, but he pursed his lips at the dig. So Bren did take up for his woman, though Zelda had a reputation for being most capable of taking up for herself.

  Most men found their heartstones at puberty. He was old to still be missing his stone. But he would find what he sought. Here. He’d saved up, gotten an inheritance, worked to come here and be able to afford to dig. “I’ll find mine.”

  “You don’t always get what you expect to when you find it.” Bren’s eyes shot ahead to Zelda, who continued to walk ahead of them, not even looking back to see if they followed her. “Finding it, my friend, isn’t always everything you know that you want. But, it works out in the end.”

  “I’m not your friend.”

  Bren shrugged his massive shoulders. Zelda wasn’t a small woman. She was as tall as Amory, who towered over most men in his village, but Bren made them both look petite. He had to be at least six foot seven, if not taller. His muscles flexed with every movement. Amory had seen them tensed and in action when Bren had taken Zelda. His abdomen had even rippled. Not that Amory had ever noticed men before, but Bren’s looks struck him. They stood out, probably because he was such a large man.

  No, Amory wasn’t at Settler’s Mine to make friends or to find confidants. He wanted to locate his heartstone, wanted to go home and claim the woman he desired for his own. Some said there were men who never found their heartstones. They lived to be old, never knowing the touch of a woman or anyone else. No, that wouldn’t be him. He’d find a way to experience Tania’s touch. He had to.

  “Would you two keep up?” Zelda had finally looked back to see how far behind they traveled. Her pretty face pinched.

  His hand itched to smooth out the lines in her face. Clenching it by his side, he quickened his pace.

  Bren moved quickly forward. “Come on. Z doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” His broad back left Amory behind. “And what Zelda wants, Zelda gets.”

  “I bet.” Amory moved quickly, his legs having to work to keep up with Bren’s longer ones.

  Her long cinnamon-colored hair swept behind her as she pushed through a door in the cavern wall. “Come in. Let’s settle you up.”

  Yes, the quicker he settled this up, the quicker he’d be on his way back, heartstone finally in hand. “I already have the perfect place in the mine in mind to dig.” He pulled out the schematics, ready to get down to business. Once he had his claim staked, he didn’t plan to leave it but for food and sleep.

  * * * * *

  Gemini took a swig of the copper-colored alcohol. The burning started at the back of his mouth and followed all the way down his throat. Tenack and Swill sauntered into the bar and over to the table where he sat. They all nodded in the way of greeting. Tenack pulled his wooden chair around backwards and sat down.

  A nervous-looking waitress approached. “What can I get for you?” What had they done before he’d gotten there to make her so nervous? Or, was it merely their looks that made her tremble like that?

  Swill looked at Gemini’s glass. “W’at’s ’e got?”

  “It’s Tenaglian whisky.” He chugged the rest of it, letting the burn fill his stomach completely. It came with a few kicks and surprises. They’d find that out in time if they ordered the drink.

  “I’ll take one of t’ose.”

  “Me, too.” Tenack leered at the waitress’s cleavage.

  She swallowed, taking a step back and running for the bar, which was your standard outpost place, except bigger. The table, bar, and seats were all metal. Neon lights tried to beam away the shadow. Like everything else here at Settler’s Mine, it had been carved from the rock of the cavern itself.

  She was not the first woman to have that reaction to Tenack. Must be the four eyes thing. Or else, Tenack had been doing things he’d been ordered not to do. He was supposed to have kept a low profile while he did snooping around Settler’s Mine. If they kept to themselves, not many would notice the small, burly men. Both were short and stocky, about the same size. Tenack had red hair, while Swill’s was almost a whitish gold. “What did you two find out?”

  “S’e’s mated to a fellow named Bren.” Swill nodded to them both. “T’ey ’ave a set of rooms off t’e sout’ern cavern. S’e never leaves the mine. Not since s’e acquired it back all t’ose years ago. ’Er workers like ’er, but say s’e’s a ’ard ass.”

  Tenack nodded. “Ayep.”

  “You’ve been here for a day. And, that’s all you’ve found out?” Gemini looked back and forth between his accomplices. This information would in no way help him with his mission. No wonder they’d come cheaply bought. After the last mission, he should have expected this, but he’d thought recognizance would be easy enough for them to handle. He’d altered their records enough so that they looked harmless. Zelda personally approved anyone who came on her mine.

  “Ayep.” All of
Tenack’s eyes blinked at him.

  “Gentlemen, I could have found that after an hour of being here. Hell, half of that, I knew before coming here.”

  The waitress came back and set all their drinks down. She was careful to set Tenack’s down from across the table.

  He blew a kiss, mouthing, “Later.”

  Her eyes widened, and she stepped back quickly. When she reached the bartender, she talked, motioning with her hands, and tried not to look back.

  “Tenack, keep your dicks to yourself while we’re here. I don’t want any trouble to raise Zelda’s suspicions.” If only the two men in front of him required heartstones to get it up. But, neither was of Quatar descent.

  Tenack socked back his own whisky. “Ayep.” He didn’t have any reaction, though Gemini watched him closely for it. Hell, he must not be of a race the whisky affected. Too bad.

  “There’s nothing more you can tell me than she has a lover and she’s a good boss? That’s all the recon you could do?” Gemini twirled the glass around on the table. Not the Bavarian crystal he’d been raised with, but it would do for this place. At least, the glass was clean, which was unusual for spots along the border.

  “Somet’ing odd did ’appen a few days ago. Everyone’s talking about it.” Swill sipped from his glass, before choking back a cough. He fanned a hand in front of his mouth, opening and closing it as if to get rid of the sensations from within. To some, the alcohol would feel like a hot sauce, setting their mouth and tongue on fire, but without causing injury. Some burned with more than just a flavor. Swill must have Proletariat ancestors in his family tree. Interesting. Would it cause damage? Or merely the sensation of burning? Only time would tell.

  Gemini’s lip curled up. “So tell me what it is.”

  “A man went into t’eir private space.”

  “So?”

  “’E survived.”

  Gemini arched a brow. “So he did?” Zelda had been rumored to be a bitch who never let anyone get away with anything around the mine. No one went into her personal quarters. This was news. “Who?”

  “Some newcomer.” Swill licked his lips, which must be flaming by now. Red spots had erupted everywhere the liquid had touched. “’E keeps to ’imself.”

  “Ayep.” Tenack downed the rest of his drink. Good thing it hadn’t been him with the flaming mouth. He might have ceased talking at all.

  “I want to know all there is to know about this newcomer. He might be useful to me.” Anyone that Zelda didn’t kill for breaking rules must be special. All he had to do was find out why, and maybe he’d have found the key for unsettling the mine’s mistress.

  “W’y are you after t’is place? It’s nice and all, but t’ere’s plenty of mines along t’e border.” Swill opened and closed his mouth, trying to fan air in.

  “That’s my business. Yours is to help me take it. That’s all you need to be concerned with. Find this boy. I want to know who he is and what he pisses when he pisses.” Gemini rose to his feet, leaving his two minions behind. What would Swill’s mouth look like next time he saw him? If he even had one left?

  Chapter Two

  Bren sauntered around the corner of the mine, doing his usual early morning patrol. He yawned, scratching idly at his ear. Zelda would be walking the other side of the mine before paperwork. Otherwise, he’d still be in bed with her. Enjoying the morning instead of walking currently worked sections of the mine.

  A person flurried around the corner, knocking their body into his.

  Bren reached out with his hands to catch and keep the person from plowing further into him or losing their balance.

  Tan eyes widened up at him as the face lifted just a little as they were so close in height. Tousled blond hair rested above the face that stared into his.

  Amory.

  Bren’s mouth grew dry and his heartbeat plunged ahead with a rapid pace. The man’s wiry body pressed into him. He could feel the roped muscles shifting under his fingertips. His cock roared to life at the sizzling contact of their bodies.

  Bren had never been attracted to another man before. Shit, he rarely had time to notice anyone beyond Zelda. She kept his libido busy. What was it about this baby-faced man that kept his eyes coming back for more as they had during their first encounter? That kept him hard like he was right now?

  Amory made a sound in his throat and pulled away from Bren. He ran his arms over his clothes as though dusting himself off. “Sorry about that.”

  Bren wanted to pull Amory back against him. He made his lips curve into a smile. “No worries. Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “To dig, of course.”

  Of course. Amory had been there a few days, and he dug like a man possessed. He’d gone through all the heartstones already found. He’d picked his place to dig, saying he felt the spot was perfect for him finding his heartstone. Most people had a radar that drew them to the spot for their heartstone, but some didn’t. Some never found them. Would Amory?

  Once he found his heartstone, Amory could fuck. He could find a mate. Or two.

  “Of course.” Bren shook off that thought. Zelda, though she could, wouldn’t touch anyone who wasn’t a mate. Said banging anyone else was too much trouble unless a mating glow had been signaled.

  Would she make an exception for their friend?

  Maybe she’d bring him to their bed after he’d found his heartstone. Maybe screwing him would get Amory out of their systems.

  Bren continued, “Maybe you’ll get lucky today. Find your heart.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” Amory wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  Bren stepped alongside him as Amory took a step further into the mine, heading for his site.

  Amory stopped short to glare at Bren. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought I’d walk you down to your mining spot. See what’s shaking.” The path Bren would take would be on his way to do a scan of the mine for anything that looked like trouble. Without a security chief, Zelda and he both had to patrol. And this way, he’d keep an eye on Amory’s progress.

  Amory frowned. His lips pursed up as though he’d eaten a sour persimmon. “Why? Why are you keeping tabs on me?”

  Bren shrugged. “No reason. Just thought I’d walk you down.”

  “Well, don’t. Don’t do me any favors. I don’t need you or Zelda checking up on me. I’m going to find my heartstone and get the hell off this rock.”

  “And back to that woman.”

  Amory had a woman back home. Shitting crazy talk. The Fates would never give in to such a whim of fancy. Amory was going to be crushed when he went back to this woman, and the stone didn’t glow. The young man would be hurt.

  Bren frowned. Amory’s going home would happen soon enough, only for him to have his hopes demolished. Bren didn’t like that. There was nothing he could do to change it. And yet, he wanted to alter the outcome. Shit. Why? Why did this man’s fate and emotions already mean so much to him when he saw naïve souls like this every day?

  “Damn right.”

  “You know it doesn’t work that way.” Bren folded his arms across his chest.

  “What doesn’t?”

  “Finding a mate. The Fates decide who you are mated to. Not you.” Bren had seen others wanting to be mated to someone they knew. That rarely happened. More often than not, Bren had seen people who didn’t like each other mated. He bit back a snicker, thinking about the last two: rival bounty hunters he’d seen suddenly thrust into the position of being mates. Fate had a sense of humor.

  A stubborn look broke out across Amory’s face. “I will be mated to Tania. I vowed it, just like I pledged I’d come back home to her. I won’t have this conversation with you. You aren’t my friend, or my big brother. You’re only the owner of the mine where I’m digging.”

  As Bren was hardly thinking brotherly thoughts about Amory, and the ones he had were all too friendly, he was inclined to agree with part of Amory’s speech. “Suit yourself. Just giving you some advice.”

 
Amory wouldn’t take the words into his head or his heart. Bren could already see that. Amory had gotten hung up in the Etruscan vows being sacred. Shitting shame, Amory was going to have to find out things the hard way.

  “Weren’t you a boy when Zelda was mated to you?” Amory sneered, his face twisting up. “How do you know anything about the way Quatarians are mated?

  Bren’s arms tightened around his chest. Yes, the man loved to snap back when he became uncomfortable. “Look, asshole, I was young when I was mated, but I see things all the time here. This is a heartstone mine.”

  “Yeah, where you bilk people for platinum to find the missing piece of themselves.”

  “It’s a place where dreams and reality collide on a regular basis. And you’d better get in touch with reality. That’s all I’m saying.” Shit, the man had attitude. Just like someone else he knew who already warmed his bed.

  Without a word, Amory stalked off, heading for his digging spot.

  Whistling a tune, Bren gave him a minute, then went the same direction. Only a few minutes later, he expected to find Amory digging in his spot. But Amory wasn’t there.

  Bren frowned, looking around for the blond man. Where could he be? His heart pounded. Had Amory found his heartstone already? And gone? Shit, he wouldn’t be seeing him again. Why did that make him feel so lost? Amory was right. He was digging in their mine and that was all. No need for all these feelings. And desires.

  After looking a few parsecs away, he located Amory. At another’s man’s dig site. Not a good thing to do at a mine.

  “Amory?”

  Amory didn’t move from the spot where he was digging. “What?”

  “This isn’t your site to dig.” Bren folded his arms as he watched. What was the man doing? Digging wasn’t allowed on other people’s sites without their permission. People had been killed, or worse, over less when it came to heartstones and dig sites. He carefully looked around for the owner. Surely Amory wouldn’t be that stupid?

  “I know that.”

  “Then, what are you doing…” Bren broke off as a man he couldn’t remember the name of came around the bend. A man with his arm in a sling. He’d broken it a few days back with a bad fall. Dr. Castille’s report had come across Zelda’s desk.