by Ann Mayburn
Already she could hear the somehow seductive, persuasive feminine voice blowing in on a vile breeze, urging her to join them, to become a part of the Hive.
“No!” she tried to scream again, but only that damn whisper came out. “Never! I will never join you!”
“Lacey!” Gwarnon shouted right in her ear, so hard it jerked her out of her dreams. “Wake up!”
Sucking in a gasping lungful of air, she clutched at the slippery cream sheets pooling around her bare waist, the sweat on her the skin of her torso cooling in the room’s ambient breeze.
As her lungs struggled to work, Chel sat up from where he’d been lying next to her, his dark eyes wide with worry. “My alyah, what is it?”
“Nightmare,” she gasped out, a hard shiver of revulsion filling her as hints of her dreams floated through her head, quickly losing their substance. “I was back in the arena.”
“Shhhh,” Gwarnon murmured as he pulled her into his arms, leaning back against the headboard of the bed in their shared room at the Baladium.
She’d thought that, after the contest was over, they’d be able to leave right away. Wrong. They had given the women a day to recover, then there was some ceremonial shit they had to do before they could leave the Baladium. The galactic version of PR, she guessed, and there was some business she had to attend to regarding her winnings. Evidently, she was now an obscenely rich woman, as was Roxy.
After the battle in the arena, she’d been brought back to rest and recuperate by a staff that had treated her like a Goddess.
“How soon did I pass out after I got here?” she asked as she traced her fingers through the dark hair on Gwarnon’s arm, admiring the hints of blue.
“We managed to get you onto the bed, and that was it,” Chel said as he ran his hands over her arms again and again, soothing himself. “Though we did take the liberty of cleaning you up as well. Are you hungry?”
Her stomach gurgled, but she shook her head. “I’ll eat in a little bit. How long was I asleep?”
“Ten hours,” Gwarnon said as he nuzzled his head on top of hers. “How are you feeling?”
The nightmares receded as the men stroked her, and she let out a soft sigh against Gwarnon’s chest as she snuggled closer. “Good. I still can’t believe it’s over. It hasn’t really sunk in that we won yet.”
“Well, you did.” Chel wrapped his arms around her and Gwarnon as much as he could, worry and fear trickling through his mostly closed side of the bond. “We are so proud of you, my alyah.”
“You fought like a true Warrior,” Gwarnon rumbled in agreement, then his arms tightened on her as he added, “When we saw the Hive were to be your opponents…”
She swallowed hard, fear dancing its icy fingers down her spine as she remembered the dark tornado of insanity that had sucked her inside of it. “It was terrible.”
“What do you remember?”
The room seemed to grow darker, somehow, as she allowed herself to remember the battle. “I don’t recall everything, but I remember that I was trapped in this river, no, this tornado of souls. Evil souls, corrupt and vile. Then…something bad, worse than the souls around me, started to swim through the tornado toward me. It tried to get me to join them, told me I could be a part of their family, but I refused. I already had a family, and when I thought of them, how much I love them, the darkness kind of…spit me out.”
Gwarnon and Chel exchanged a hard to read look as they no doubt communicated with each other via implant. Their sides of the bond were closed off, but she caught hints of fear and worry. When they looked at her again, they both frowned at her in a way that had her stiffening in Gwarnon’s strong arms.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“We believe you touched the Hive mind,” Chel whispered, his face a pale, cheesy color before he swallowed hard.
“And survived,” Gwarnon continued in a rough voice. “No, not just survived. You somehow hurt them, or did something that caused those two Hive members to commit suicide.”
Searching her memories, Lacey slowly shook her head. “No, I don’t think they killed themselves. I think the…big keeper or guard or whatever that thing in the tornado was made them do it. That thing felt like…a security system of sorts. Like, if one of the Hive were to suddenly stop following the program or presented a threat, it would step in and do…something.”
More silent communication between the men before Gwarnon said aloud, “Do not speak of this with anyone until I have had a chance to discuss it with Lord Rell.”
“Why? Why are you guys suddenly so scared?”
“What you have just told us could greatly impact our galaxy. Having access to the Hive mind…this could play out many ways, both good and bad.”
“Some may see you as a threat.” Chel soothed himself by stroking his fingers through her curls. “They may wish to lock you away and study you.”
“Or use you for their own personal gain.” Gwarnon gently lifted her off his lap and into Chel’s arms so he could pace. “But first we must figure out what happened. I have sent a message of warning to Nosa and Cormac. They are already on a knife’s edge because of Roxy’s deshanti abilities. They will keep your secrets as we keep theirs.”
“God,” she tipped her head forward so her cheek rested against Chel’s bare, muscled shoulder, his body warm against hers. “Is the bullshit ever gonna end? I thought once the Baladium was over, the hard part would be done, but I feel like the real fight is just starting. I’m just so fuckin’ tired.”
“Forgive us.” Chel rubbed his thumb over her cheek, the bond between them opening slightly so he could send his soothing magic through her body. “We hate that we cannot give you the stress free courtship you deserve.”
Her mind briefly accessed her crystal implant after only the briefest moment of hesitation. No matter how many times Chel reassured her, or how many times she used the crystal without incident, she was still slightly afraid that it would malfunction and cause her more pain. The information she requested flowed through her, and she was vaguely aware of the men talking as she got a brief rundown of some of the thousands of types of courtships the Kadothian males did with their brides.
The lesson cut off as a high priority message came through her crystal implant. Roxy’s voice startled Lacey as she said, “Hey, girl! You wanna be my maid of honor? I’m going through the bonding ceremony in an hour, and I would love it if you guys could be there.”
Glad for the happy distraction, Lacey eagerly nodded, even though Roxy wasn’t there to see it. She said aloud, “Yes!”
Hastily correcting herself as Gwarnon and Chel gave her bemused smiles, she mentally replied, “I would love to.”
“Great. I’ll send the pixies over to glam you up. See you soon!”
“The pixies?” Lacey wondered aloud as she shifted in Gwarnon’s arms. “What is she talking about?”
His gaze went distant, his dark blue eyes becoming almost black before he smiled. “You will see when they get here.”
Two hours later, Lacey found herself practically running down the long corridor of one of the many wings of the Baladium itself, a massive satellite the size of six New York cities put together. It was buzzing with activity and people, all of which came to a stop as she was hustled past by her massive entourage of Baladium guards. The high, domed ceilings of the hallway, which was more like the massive walkway in a high end mall and allowed aliens of various sizes to work on the satellite.
Well, they weren’t actually the alien in this situation. She was.
The weight of the ridiculous spiked crown the Baladium’s staff had dressed her in threatened to topple off her head as she briefly looked down at her cool gold gladiator sandals encrusted with shimmering shells. They went well with the long, flowing, off-white halter dress slit up both the front and the sides, giving her freedom of movement. The garment itself felt like it was made of fabric, but the border at the bottom somehow managed to disappear into a sparkling gold mist th
at continually danced and swirled around her calves. The NevShoo, as her sponsors, were the belle of the ball so to speak, but as the actual combatant, she was being honored as well.
It was utterly over the top, but Lacey had been instructed by the NevShoo that she had to dress the part of the Baladium victor while she was there. They promised she would not have to be there long, but with Roxy out of commission and celebrating her bonding with her men, Lacey had to make an appearance.
Feeling uncomfortably like an exhibit in a circus parade, she tried to only focus on the back of the guard leading the way. Humanoid in form with silvery green skin and a tail, he wore the deep navy uniform of the Baladium security staff and had been nothing but professional and polite with her. In fact, he’d been almost fan boying. All of the Baladium guards had. They were eager to greet her and congratulate her on her victory like she was the star quarterback who’d just won the biggest Super Bowl in the history of the world.
A flash of what looked like metallic wings attempted to catch her attention, but she kept her head facing forward. While she would love the chance to just sit on a bench off to the side and observe all the marvels around her, she needed to focus. From what she’d gathered, she’d be presented with her winnings during a ceremony that involved a lot of speeches. The Baladium was a weird combination of government and corporation, an entity with fingers—or would it be tentacles? —in many pies.
As they entered the opulent hallway, she paused for a moment, her breath stuck in her throat as she took in the sheer magnificence surrounding her.
Red, shimmering walls flickered with gold and silver sparkles moved in rhythmic, shifting patterns. Golden light streamed from overhead, burnishing everything around including the high ceiling where people with wings perched on carved crystal balconies. There was also a gigantic tank on the far wall filled with thick green liquid. Slender, furry, almost otter looking creatures stared back at her from the murky fluid.
A booming voice rolled through the air, accompanied by music her mind identified as the Baladium’s victory song. The crowd roared in response, and her guards flanked a long walkway through the crowd, pressing them back so she could walk past with Gwarnon and Chel on either side. Originally, she was going to attend the ceremony without them in order to hide the men’s involvement from the general public, but Gwarnon assured her she would want them there.
Now, she was glad he’d insisted they attend because she clung to them mentally and physically as the unfamiliar tones and pitches assaulted her ears, sounds made by creatures that were in no way, shape, or form human.
Her crystal implant started to supply her with information on the various creatures as she walked past them, but she forced it to stop. Her mind was already busy enough trying to figure out how to get out of the mess she was in. How in the world was she supposed to get her mom and daughter without making the men feel like she’d betrayed them? They’d been nothing but loyal to her, but if she involved them in her efforts to return to Earth, she knew they’d be in major trouble.
More than they were already in.
They tried to hide it from her, but she could tell they were worried about the arrival of the Kadothian representative. From what she’d been able to learn, their helping her in the Baladium broke like twenty major laws, and things could go very badly for them if they didn’t manage to convince the High Congress that they had no choice but to aid Lacey and Roxy while hiding the fact that they existed from the High Congress.
Somehow, she had to do what she could to protect them, but also reassure them that she would return.
Something permanent.
Something that would leave no doubt in their minds that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with them.
“After this dog and pony show is over,” she sent through their private mental link, “I want to get bonded as soon as possible.”
Gwarnon, dressed in his solid black Kadothian Warrior uniform and looking utterly fuckable, gave her a sharp look while Chel smiled at her with obvious happiness.
“Are you sure?” Chel’s smooth voice flowed through her mind like a cool forest stream. “If you wish for a more elaborate ceremony, I am sure the Baladium would help arrange it. I was told by Lady Casey that most Earth women dream of their wedding day. Do not mistake me, we would bond with you right here, right this moment, but we want you to have everything you have ever desired.”
“Yes, I am completely sure,” she replied smiling back at Chel as he beamed at her.
“My alyah,” Gwarnon’s mental voice growled through her head. “While I am eager to bond you as quickly as possible, may I request a few hours to arrange our bonding ceremony? We have been rushed on every aspect of our courtship—please allow me the honor of making our bonding as special as possible for you. Honor you as you deserve.”
God, he really was sweet.
Reaching up, she touched his cheek as she sent him a mental reply, “Of course. I think this dress would make a good wedding gown, don’t you?”
Gwarnon’s gaze burned with a raw desire that made her nipples peak as he whispered, “Absolutely.”
They were led to an interesting couch that conformed to her body as soon as she sat, then the back extended like taffy and formed an amazing lacey semi-canopy over them, dripping with faceted crystals that sparkled like diamonds on fire. The couch moved smoothly and a podium with the current directors of the Baladium slid into view to much fanfare from the crowd.
Lacey tried to keep her mind focused on the festivities, but as the representatives made speech after speech, her thoughts wandered to how much her mom and Jillian would have loved this. Her mother especially, with her love of all things fantasy and beauty. She’d be having a field day, and Jillian would be equally impressed.
God, how she missed them.
After closing down her bond tight between her and the men, she allowed herself to briefly feel the depressing emotions she blocked off in her mind. Negative feelings to be dealt with later being compartmentalized so she could get through the battle ahead. The constant worry and grief that she kept locked away as she thought about how much she missed her family. Yes, she’d be bringing her daughter back with her, but she’d have to leave behind her mom, and that was a pain she couldn’t even contemplate. Her mom had always been her rock, the best mom any kid could ever hope for, and Lacey’s best friend. The thought of never feeling her mom’s hug, smelling her magnolia perfume, or hearing her laughter broke her heart. And it would kill her mom to lose both Lacey and Jillian.
Chel gave her a slight nudge with his elbow, snapping her out of her worries as she realized her name was being said.
Both men stood and helped her up, and she clasped their hands in her own as Gwarnon whispered in her mind that they were going to go through her list of prizes, then there would be a brief reception and afterward they would ‘rest’ before the bonding ceremony. He left no doubt in her mind what his idea of ‘rest’ entailed, and she gave a little shiver as Chel subtly caressed her lower back where it was exposed by the glamorous gown.
The crown atop her head shifted a little bit, and she straightened her posture as the Baladium representative, a gray green humanoid with long purple antennas growing out of its forehead, began to recite a list of riches that were now hers. She barely understood a word the representative was saying, her mind busy interacting with her crystal implant to try and understand what was being given to her and what planet those riches had been donated by. Her mind was stumbling through a list of properties she now owned when the representative started to list the people.
Slaves.
Gwarnon gave her hand a sharp squeeze as he said via the implant, “My lady, what has you so angry?”
“I own people!” she mentally yelled. “I have slaves.”
“You do,” Chel replied while rubbing his thumb on her lower back, “though we find the idea abhorrent, and the Kadothian’s banned slavery generations ago, we do not control the Bel’Tan Galaxy, and many cult
ures permit or thrive on slavery.”
“Well, I don’t!” she thought back as her stomach curdled, the man still listing the living beings she now owned.
“We know,” Chel said, and the soothing balm of his voice helped her control her temper. “And we promise you that we will help you do whatever you want, but first you must complete the ceremony and accept your riches, so you do indeed own them.”
Gritting her teeth, she kept her gaze focused ahead as the ceremony wound down. The NevShoo were present in a massive clear case where they floated, their tentacles waving back and forth. They reminded her of octopuses in a way, and she watched as their tentacles eased between one color and another while the center of their mass remained their solid color. Despite everything that had happened, she was truly glad she’d managed to help their gentle race.
Her mind stilled for a moment as she realized that her winnings weren’t completely a bad thing—at least not for the people whose lives were considered a form of currency in this galaxy. While she might not be able to save everyone, she could free her slaves. She bet Roxy, who was excused from the ceremony by the NevShoo due to her bonding, would do the same.
Returning to Earth would have to wait just a little longer. Before she left, she wanted to make sure that her instructions as to what to do with her newfound wealth and the slaves were clear. Just in case she didn’t return, for whatever reason. She wasn’t a fool—sneaking through the wormhole wasn’t going to be easy, and the journey was fraught with potential dangers.
A blare of music made her startle before Gwarnon said, “Wave to the crowd. Our part is done.”
Smiling, she did just that, leaving the cheering masses behind, the crowds getting smaller and smaller as they left the Baladium and were transported back to Gwarnon’s ship for the first time since her match.
The moment they materialized on the transporter, a small cheer went up from the waiting crowd of men. Mostly Kadothian, they were all as handsome as a cover models for fitness magazines and were good men who were intensely loyal to Chel and Gwarnon. While some were more reserved, they’d all spent hours training her in their various forms of combat and had been genuinely friendly despite her—at times—snarly temper.
