“No,” she whispered, horrified by the thought. “Please don't. I couldn't bear to have anything happen to either of you.”
“Then I'll console myself with that thought. I'll speak with your father and officially announce my concession.”
She took a step forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Hayden.”
He put his arms around her, drawing her close, and whispered, “Be happy, Ari.”
“You too, Hayden,” she whispered and pulled away from him. He really was a good man, just not the right man for her. But one day, he'd find the person he was meant to be with. After all, Fate had a way of giving them a nudge in the right direction.
As she headed back down the breezeway, her heart felt lighter. Each step she took forward was one step closer to her future. At the end of the breezeway, Alec was waiting with a worried expression on his face.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Our courtship is over. He's conceded to you.”
Alec's shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her into his arms. “Thank the gods. I didn't want to have to kill him.”
Ariana frowned. “He said the same thing about you.”
Alec scowled, glancing down the breezeway again. “Did he? It's been a while since I last dueled…”
“Don't even think about it,” Ariana warned and then giggled at the mischievous glint in his eyes.
Alec grinned. “I have something for you.”
She tilted her head, watching him curiously as he reached into his pocket to withdraw a small object. He held it out in his hand, and she gasped. It was her ring, the same one with the stone that reminded her of Alec's eyes.
“You must have dropped it in Sergei's room,” he murmured, taking her left hand and sliding it on her finger. “It got me thinking though. What do you think about having a claiming ceremony at the end of the month?”
Her eyes widened. “A wedding?”
“Yes,” he murmured, tracing the ring on her hand with his finger. “I want everyone to know you're mine, Ariana Alivette. Humans and Drac'Kin alike. We could even have it in Seara's gardens, if you want.”
She blinked back her tears, wanting everything he offered. He really was the man of her dreams, and even more importantly, the man of her future. “Yes, Alec, I'd love to marry you.”
“My bondmate, soon to also be my wife,” he murmured, his eyes filled with adoration and love. He lowered his head, claiming her mouth in a passionate embrace that sent her heart soaring. When he pulled away, he cupped her face and sent a strong wave of love-infused energy over her. “I'm not sure I can wait to have you move in with me. I don't want to spend another night without you in my bed.”
Ariana smiled up at him, embracing him with her energy and her heart. “You don't have to wait. From now until the last of the energy in this world is a memory, I'm yours.”
Flames of Redemption
The Omni Towers Series, Book 5
Beware the games that can leave you burned …
Valentina has spent her life working as an elite agent for the Coalition. After a rescue effort goes horribly wrong, she's taken to the Omni Towers where she finds herself embroiled in a masterful game of chess and she's the hunted queen.
With the Coalition poised on the brink of civil war and ready to rescind their alliance with The Omni Towers, Valentina must quickly get to the bottom of who is behind the sinister plot targeting their leadership.
When shipments of weapons go missing and buried secrets emerge, Valentina is forced into facing her past and playing the deadliest game of her life. Unfortunately, the stakes of this gamble are higher than anyone could have anticipated and not even a love forged in fire may be enough to save their people from destruction.
Chapter One
The air pressure shifted in the darkened room, indicating the door had been opened. Valentina, pretending to be asleep, continued to breathe deep, regular breaths. The intruder's movements were silent, but she could sense him moving along the wall and toward the bed.
She counted the seconds and anticipated the closing distance, her heartbeat slowing in time with the progression of her would-be assailant. When he was almost within touching distance, she rolled out of bed and threw a scalpel in his direction. It planted itself into the wall with a thump, and she dropped to the ground, waiting for retaliation.
“Ah, Valechka, you always did have trouble holding on to your weapons.”
Her eyes narrowed at the taunt, and she withdrew her one remaining scalpel. “If I had known it was you, Seryozha, I would not have missed.”
“You wish to dance?”
Thankful he couldn't see her smile in the darkness, Valentina slipped under the bed, trying to track his movements. She was better at stealth, but Sergei usually had more patience. Tilting her head, she focused on each of her senses to detect his location. He was moving around the edge of the bed, his confident footsteps painstakingly slow and noiseless. If they hadn't been trained by the same people, she never would’ve known he was there. She slid out from the opposite side of the bed, determined to approach him from behind.
Palming the second scalpel, she moved forward in the darkness and froze. How could he be back on the other side of the bed? She waited, knowing it was a trap but unsure of where he was.
“Behind you,” Sergei whispered next to her ear before grabbing her wrist and bending it backward, causing the makeshift weapon to fall to the ground with a clatter. She followed it, using the momentum of her weight to force him to either release her wrist or unbalance him. He let go and jumped backward, narrowly missing her leg swiping out toward him.
Anticipating the move, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her in his direction. She slid along the ground and kicked out, forcing him to unhand her again. Valentina rolled away, pushed off the ground, and sprung back to her feet. The movement pulled at her abdominal injury, and she inhaled sharply.
“Lights on, eighty percent,” Sergei ordered, and light flooded the room. Valentina blinked at him and frowned, annoyed he'd curtailed their game too soon. A few more minutes and she would have been able to get the other scalpel out of the wall.
“How badly are you hurt?” Moving forward, he reached for her shirt.
Valentina narrowed her eyes and took a step backward before he could make contact. “I did not invite you to touch me, Sergei.”
He froze and lowered his hands to his sides. They stared at each other for several heartbeats, both assessing and considering. The few minutes she'd seen him in Sofia's camp hadn't been nearly enough time to notice all the changes. His blond hair was longer than when she'd last seen him, reaching almost to his shoulders. He used to wear it much shorter, but now he looked much more like one of these Omnis. She tilted her head, wondering if that had been his intention so he could better fit in with them.
His physique had filled out even more too. He'd once been as slender as her, with gray eyes too large for his face. The changes were appealing, though, even if she noticed a few more scars than he'd had before. Then again, they all had more scars. Some were more easily seen than others.
He straightened his body and took another step toward her. “Nikolai wanted me to make sure you were well. Let me see the injury.”
Valentina carefully kept her face blank; inwardly, she doubted Nikolai had said any such thing. Sure, Nikolai was probably concerned. After all, what good is a blunted blade? But Sergei needed to be reminded she wasn't his weapon to wield.
Taking another step backward, Valentina lowered herself onto the bed and began unbuttoning her shirt. She shrugged out of it and dropped it beside her casually as if she didn't care she was only wearing a bra. Tracing downward from her collarbone, she moved her hand over her breasts and to her abdomen where Pavel's blade had entered. Sergei swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as his heated gaze followed her leisurely movements. There was no outward sign of a wound; only a small line marred the surface of her skin.
But Sergei wasn't particularly focused on lookin
g for a scar.
He moved toward her, and she leaned back on the bed, letting him see the invitation in her eyes. “If Nikolai wanted you to make sure I'm well, then do whatever he wishes. You know I would never refuse any of Nikolai's orders.”
Sergei froze, his entire body tensing, and his jaw clenched. He grabbed her shirt and threw it at her. “Get dressed, Valentina. If you wish to whore for him, that's your choice. I'm not interested.”
Feigning indifference, she picked up the shirt and turned away from him so he wouldn't see her hands shake when she put it back on.
He dropped something onto the nearby table. “This is Pavel's blade.”
Valentina turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the knife Pavel had used on her when she'd gone to Sofia's camp to help rescue Ariana. Unable to suppress her shock and confusion, she reached out, her fingers sliding over the hilt of the blade. For Sergei to be gifting this to her meant he'd declared vengeance in her name, and it was now settled. She lifted her head to meet his eyes, the light gray color reminding her of another blade from long ago.
It was enough to make her turn away, her heart clenching at the memory. She pulled back her hand. “You should give this to Ariana or her lover. They'll want to know.”
Sergei paused for a long moment, the weighted silence making it difficult for her to breathe. She forced her body to stay relaxed, mentally chastising herself for revealing too much. If given the opportunity, he'd use it against her, just as she would with him.
“The blade is for you, Valechka.”
Her heart thudded in her chest, and she turned around to face him. A hundred questions went through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them. She couldn't even force herself to make a flippant response to drive him away. As though sensing her weakness, he took a step toward her.
Valentina looked up into his eyes, drowning in their gray depths. There was a small ring of gold around his irises as though an internal flame lit him from within. He took another step in her direction, and she swallowed as the heat from his body radiated outward, offering to chase away any lingering shadows of memory.
Almost of its own volition, she raised her hand and rested it against his chest. His nearness seared her skin like a brand, but she couldn't bring herself to push him away. He moved even closer, pinning her against the edge of the bed. His magnetism pulled her in, captivating her, and demanded she surrender to its insistent plea.
Footsteps sounded in the outside hallway, rapidly growing closer. Shoving him away, Valentina snatched the knife from the table, tucked it into the back of her waistband, and slid back on the bed just as the door opened. Sergei had already moved several steps away, pretending to inspect the empty juice container on her table.
Brant, the security agent who had escorted her back to the towers after her injury, halted at the sight of them. She flashed him a genuine smile in greeting, part of her relieved by his timely interruption. The last thing she needed was to get caught in Sergei's web.
Brant eyed Sergei with a frown before turning back to her. “Am I interrupting?”
She shook her head, motioning for him to come in. “No, we're finished catching up.” You have no idea, but you just saved me from myself.
Sergei leaned against the wall, making it clear he wasn't going anywhere. Valentina glanced at him, doing her best to keep her expression blank but wishing he would take the hint and leave. Please don't make me try to hurt you, Seryozha. Just go.
Brant placed a small box and a large covered cup on the table beside her. “You didn't seem to like the cookies here in the medical center, so I thought you might want to try these.”
Touched by the gesture, she scooted over to investigate. “You brought me cookies?”
Inside the box were several cookies that didn't bear any resemblance to the small, biscuit-style offerings the medical center had given her earlier. She picked one up, the heady aroma of sugar and spices wafting toward her nose. They were still warm. Breaking off a piece, she offered it to Brant. Once he'd put it in his mouth and swallowed, she took a bite. Leaning back on the bed, she closed her eyes and let out a soft moan at the explosion of flavors on her tongue. They were heavenly—decadent, rich, and better than anything she'd ever tasted.
Valentina opened her eyes and sat up to reach for the tea, hesitating for a fraction of a second at the realization that both men were staring at her with heated expressions. Well, that was rather unintended, but it might have some benefits. She pulled off the cover of her tea and offered the cup to Brant. He chuckled but drank from the cup before handing it back to her. She beamed a smile at him and took a sip.
The moment the tea passed her lips, she realized she'd found another piece of nirvana. It wasn't only the taste, but the smell too. She inhaled deeply, her senses alighting as she breathed in the light floral scent. There was no comparison between this delicacy and the imitation brew they offered back in her camp on the surface. Was it any wonder Sergei was intent on staying if this was just a sample of what the towers had to offer?
“Brant, these are heavenly. Even my babushka never made anything this divine, and she was a wonderful cook.”
Brant smiled, obviously pleased by the praise. “Well, you lost a lot of blood, and the doctor wants you to try to replenish your fluids. Since you refused medical treatment, I thought cookies and tea might be the way to encourage you to keep drinking. There's a small café down a few levels. I can take you there when you're better so you can try some of their other items.”
Sergei pushed off the wall, his gaze furious. “You refused medical treatment?”
Holding his gaze, Valentina reached over to break off another piece of the cookie. Shoving it in her mouth, she began to slowly chew, taking her time so he would have to wait for a response. His eyes narrowed, the small throbbing vein on his neck the only other outward sign he was angry. She swallowed the last bite and made a dramatic show of licking a stray crumb off her thumb. Sergei's eyes lowered to her thumb, and he swallowed, his expression suddenly guarded.
“I did,” she agreed. “They wanted to give me some sort of blood substitute. You know how I feel about needles.”
What she didn't need to say was that she didn't trust these people. The only reason she decided to eat and drink the items Brant brought was because he had shared them with her both times. So far, Brant hadn't given her the slightest hint his motives were dishonest. This would be the way if he were going to do something nefarious though. Those cookies really were divine.
Sergei, however, was a different story. He may be living here with these Omnis, but two of their people had just abducted an OmniLab resident. Even though she'd intervened to rescue Ariana, there was no way in hell she’d allow these Omnis to do any sort of treatment until she knew whether there would be repercussions from Pavel and Sofia's actions.
“This is not acceptable, Valentina,” Sergei retorted, clearly not agreeing with her assessment.
She shrugged and picked up the tea again, taking a long sip. If he wanted to be foolish and trust these people without testing them, that was his decision. She had another scar on her hip to remind her about the dangers in trusting people.
Sergei turned to Brant. “Bring the doctor in here. She will agree to whatever treatment they decide.”
Valentina put the cup down. “No. I am not in any danger, and this is my decision.”
“You will, or I will strap you to this bed!” he shouted in their native language, all traces of his earlier calm gone.
She pushed herself out of bed and stood in front of him, refusing to back down. “If you so much as try it, I'll pull out Pavel's blade and gut you right here. Then you can be the one to receive their treatment. You do not have any right to dictate to me, Sergei.”
“I do if you're being foolish. You nearly died today, Valentina. You should not have been anywhere near that camp to begin with.”
“You didn't give us a choice!” she yelled, jabbing her finger against his chest. �
��Nikolai said our alliance was in danger. I was the closest person to Sofia's camp. My life is nothing compared to the thousands of our people at risk.”
“Your life means everything!” he roared, grabbing her wrist and yanking her close. “Nikolai promised he would keep you out of harm's way if I took this assignment.”
She jerked her hand away and shoved him. “It was never your place to make an agreement on my behalf, Sergei.”
The door opened, and a vaguely familiar man entered the room. He hesitated for a moment, his blue eyes regarding them both curiously. “Is everything all right in here?”
“Everything is fine, Lars,” Sergei snapped, not looking away from her.
Valentina glanced again at the newcomer and tilted her head to study him. So this was Lars, one of the exiles Sergei had rescued. She'd seen him at Sofia's camp but didn't realize he was the one who’d started them all down this path with OmniLab.
Interesting.
Brant cleared his throat. “Valentina is correct. She's not in any danger. The doctor merely wanted her to keep drinking to replenish her fluids. She just needs to rest and finish healing.”
Sergei's jaw clenched, and he took a step back. “When will she be released?”
Brant hesitated. “She can leave now, but they would prefer to monitor her for a few days to make sure she doesn't reopen the wound. I spoke with Alec, and he wanted to extend the invitation to have her stay in the towers until she's fully recovered.”
“Your offer is generous, but I need to return to the surface,” she replied, eager to put some distance between her and Sergei.
“No,” Sergei said in a clipped tone. “You will remain here for now.”
She turned back to glare at him. “I will not. I have responsibilities on the surface.”
“They will wait until you are fully recovered,” he said in a low growl, edging closer again.
The Omni Towers Boxed Set (Books 4-6): A Dystopian Fantasy Series Page 28
