by Kate Pearce
“How do you do that me?”
He grinned. “We’re mates. It will always be like this between us.”
She fought the urges to laugh and cry. “We won’t survive it.”
The longer they lay pressed skin to skin the more she wanted him. When she shifted to wrap her legs around his hips, however, she couldn’t repress a flinch. The sex had been damned good, but she was sore and he knew it. He stood, lifted her into his arms, and carried her through his room and into the bathroom. He let her stand, held her steady when she swayed, and opened the spigots on the tub. He helped her in then settled in behind her. The water warmed her skin, soothed all the places that ached on her body. He reached for a bar of soap and lathered his hands, using them to gently wash her. She let herself drift, trying to absorb all the changes to her life. The biggest one was in the bath with her, stroking her to comfort not arouse this time.
“What would have happened if my grandparents hadn’t sent you looking for me?”
“I would have found you anyway, darlin’, and soon. I am a smuggler remember? And Clark runs one of the biggest operations on Earth.”
She appreciated that he didn’t refer to man as her father even if she’d accepted it all this time.
“Why are you a smuggler? With your technology surely you don’t need to be.”
He laughed. “Most of the trading I do is completely above board. Smuggling gives me access to information the Delroi and I couldn’t get to otherwise. In this case, someone has been selling Delroi medicine to Clark. He turns around and sells it at an outrageous mark-up in countries that refuse to accept their assistance. The Delroi wanted to know who it was.”
“The shipment he was supposed to sell to you? What happened to it?”
“It’s in my hold.”
He sounded cat in the milk proud of himself. His amusement filled her mind and she suddenly understood why. She craned her neck to look back at him.
“You stole it from Clark and the Delroi? Wouldn’t they have just given it to you? Or sold it to you?”
His grin was unrepentant. “Sometimes the Delroi need a little reminder of what we’re capable of.”
She had no idea what to make of that, but his amusement was contagious. “So you’re going to turn around and sell it to someone else.”
“No, I’m taking it to one of our outposts a couple of days from here. It’s small and not well-established yet. They could use the shipment.”
He was taking her to another planet. She’d stared at the night sky for years wondering what was out there and if she’d ever see it. Maybe it was an urge she’d inherited from her father. Excitement filled her.
“Are you going to deliver it yourself? Can I go?”
“Of course. Where I go, you go, baby.”
She relaxed back against him. “Will you tell me more? More about your people?”
“We have hundreds of colonies and outposts throughout the galaxy. Varangian means traveler in our native language, which is Delroi. The outpost we’re going to is our youngest, established fifty years ago. It’s called Novgorod.”
“That’s an old Viking city on Earth. Were they another colony?”
“Know your history, huh?”
The probing question embarrassed her. She didn’t want to admit her interest in him went beyond their meeting today.
“I saw you when you met my fa—when you met Clark.” She shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant. “I was curious.”
She’d found a lot on Earth’s Vikings of course, much less on the space version. The gossip rags had plenty to say about the Delroi and Varangian people but she doubted even one word of it was true. The stories ranged from cruelty to Utopias. The all agreed that both species were extremely protective and possessive of their women, however. That much she knew was true.
“I wasn’t sure if you saw me. You must have sensed we belong to each other even then.”
She liked the way he phrased that. It made her feel like they were on equal footing. Partners like he’d suggestion earlier. He stood and reached to help her up.
“Water’s getting cold, and I for one, am hungry. I’ll answer your questions while I make us dinner.”
It was hard to focus on questions when he stood there wet and naked in all his glory. He caught her hand when she reached to touch him, wanting to learn every ridge and scar and tattoo.
“You’re sore. You need more time to recover. And you need to eat.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?”
“All the time.”
He dried them both quickly and led the way back into the bedroom. Her duffle set on top of one of two large, wood dressers. He grabbed clothes out of the other one.
“Why don’t you unpack while I start dinner?”
He was dressed and gone in seconds. She opened her bag and checked the drawers, found them all empty. The task was completed in minutes. Not sure where to put her boots and bag, she set them on the floor next to the furniture, and went to find Stone. He was frying something that smelled like steak and a large salad bowl sat on the table. He handed her a glass of wine and told her to sit down. She studied him while she did, then looked around the apartment. It had three rooms, was comforting and cozy but she couldn’t imagine two people living in it without constantly bumping into each other.
“Do you have a home on a planet somewhere? Or on Delroi?”
Shaking his head he set two plates on the table and handed her silverware. “My position doesn’t allow me to stay in one place long.”
That sounded ominous. “What is your position?”
“I’m leader of the Varangians. The one the tribes chose to follow. I’m always moving among them. Making sure everyone is working together. Keeping the peace. Until the warrior-king makes himself known, that’s my job.”
Warrior-king? Things just kept getting stranger and more interesting. “You’re going to have to explain that one.”
“If my sister is right you’ve already met him. Zane Gray. He’s an Earthling assassin. He was brainwashed to kill his mother and sister, but he fought it the compulsion and he’s been with us a few months. He’s better now but Gypsy hasn’t been able to restore him completely yet.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes. The steak was excellent. Tender and succulent. There was some kind of spicy pepper in the salad she’d never seen before but loved at first bite. He didn’t speak again until he cleared the dishes. He rinsed them and showed her how to start the automatic dishwasher.
“Go sit, baby. I’ll bring us a drink.”
When he returned he had two glasses filled with a dark amber liquid. She raised her eyebrows as she accepted one. “Beer?”
“Taste it.”
It was smooth with a hint of honey and spice. She’d spent plenty of time behind the bar back home. She knew her beer. “Nice. You should try smuggling this.”
He laughed. “Believe me, we do.”
She loved his laugh. His face relaxed and she could feel his good humor. Could feel his affection. He sobered too quickly.
“My sister will ask you to help Zane sooner rather than later. She’ll tell you it’s vital. It is but I won’t let her pressure you.”
“Why is it so important?” she asked. Her heart went out to the man who’d had half his soul ripped away. She wanted to help him if she could.
“The Delroi call women like my sister mystics. She’s a telepath and a seer. We call her kind witches.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter what you call her. She’s an integral part of our society and represents her conclave. She’s their spokesperson, you’d say. For the last several years, the witches have been having visions of a war. They say it’s going to sweep across the galaxy like a huge rising tide and that the warrior-king is the only one who can help us.”
“Sounds like a story. Like Ragnarok.”
She’d stumbled across the Viking myth in her research. He huffed, sobering in a way she sensed was unusual for him. She saw the weight
of caring for his people in his eyes. He took the responsibility seriously. She liked him all the more for it.
“I’d appreciate it if you don’t say that too loud,” he said. “It’s an ancient story our people apparently took to Earth with them centuries ago. Some are whispering of it already. The last thing I need is that kind of panic.”
She couldn’t argue with him. He knew these people; she didn’t.
He ran his fingertips up the outside of her arm. Goosebumps rose in the trail and energy streaked along her veins straight to her clit. God, she was in so much trouble. One innocent touch and she wanted to jump his bones. He stroked her arm again then took her hand, lifted her palm to his lips and pressed a kiss to her skin.
“Do you always let someone else do all the talking?”
*
“Guess I’m not much of a talker.”
She was gorgeous and inquisitive, his mate, but he hadn’t missed how she gave away so little information about herself. He wanted to take her back to bed. Make love to her nice and slow. How would she react if he told her that? He got the feeling she’d retreat. If he bound them together now she wouldn’t be able to hide anything from him, but he couldn’t forget the warning about her lack of shielding. He’d have to draw her out the old fashioned way.
“Tell me about your life. What was your childhood like?”
He was almost afraid to hear the answer to that one. It couldn’t have been good for growing up under Clark Hall’s not so gentle care. He’d seen the way he treated his men. If Stone found out he’d laid a hand on Jolie, he’d demand the Delroi hand him over so he could meet Viking justice. She was his mate. He had that right.
“It wasn’t as bad as you’re imagining,” she said soothingly, lifting a hand to cup the side of his face. One finger, light and gentle, traced the curve of his lips.
“Tell me,” he demanded.
“As a child it was lonely. I was the only child inside the compound until I 13. My friend Verity came with mother, Marie, then. Clark brought her in as a whore. She was a recovering drug addict, but she’d been a teacher. No one would hire her so she became one of my tutors.”
Her voice softened when she talked about the woman. Stone would get her out if he could, but he the feeling she was already gone. “What happened to her?”
Jolie sighed and lowered her hand to her lap. “Two of my father’s men decided they couldn’t live without her. Unfortunately, they couldn’t decide which one would give her up. No one ever bothered to ask her. Anyway, they confronted each other one night. She was killed.”
She twisted her hands and he pulled her close. He kissed her temple and stroked her hair, the only thing he could think to comfort her.
“And her daughter?”
“Verity. She’s my age. This happened in the summer. The war with the Alliance was raging back them so there constant power outages. It was so damned hot inside we couldn’t bear it. We were hanging out with the other teenagers and younger members of the crew in the parking lot.”
Something about her tone made him still. What else had happened that night? Outside in that parking lot with people who should have been loyal to her. He brought their hands to his mouth and scraped his teeth over her knuckles.
“Tell me the rest.” The demand was soft but unmistakeable.
For a moment he thought she’d refuse. She trembled in his arms and not in the good way. “It’s my fault she died. There was a guy, not much more than a boy really, a recent edition to the crew. He liked me. I thought he might be a...few minutes of freedom. My—Clark. Thought differently. While Marie was getting killed, my father was murdering Mathew. I so have two deaths on my head from that night.”
He would definitely be contacting the Delroi. He wanted a piece of Clark Hall and he wanted the bastard to suffer for a good long time.
“None of that was your fault, baby. Hall had a responsibility to his people. It’s not your fault he wasn’t man enough to own up to it.”
He could see she didn’t believe him. He’d work on that over time. “What happened to her daughter?”
She smiled, her warmth genuine. “Verity. We’ve always been good friends. She’s still back there. She has a little girl now. They were gone today but if there’s a way to get her out, take her someplace safe...” she said, letting the thought trail off. She sounded so hopeful he couldn’t deny her.
“We’ll go back for them after we drop off the shipment. They’ll be safe here or on one of the colonies if she prefers.”
“Thank you.”
This was not the kind of gratitude he wanted from his mate. It felt more like supplicant to master. Not what he wanted, what he needed, at all.
“You never ask for anything do you? Never let anyone take care of you?”
“Why would I? I can take care of myself. I always have.”
“Even when you were a little girl?”
She gave him a weird look, something he couldn’t decipher. “Especially then.”
If it was possible she broke his heart a little. Tore at his soul. No child should be forced to fend for themselves. He sensed sympathy would be rejected, however. She’d consider it an insult and he saw the steel in her.
“Do you work? How do you spend your time?”
“I work in the bar sometimes. Go with my dad—no, Clark. That is gonna take some getting used to. Anyway, I went with him on deals sometimes, to see if I could read anything. It’s probably good I couldn’t get much,” she murmured. “Once he realized I wouldn’t be much use he pretty much left me alone.”
She’d let him in her mind a little though, and he knew that wasn’t the whole truth.
“You did more than that, baby. You made friends. Kept his books.”
She titled her head. “You know that? Or I subconsciously shared it?”
“You shared it.” He ran her hands up and down her sides. “Were you going to take over his operation?”
She shrugged. “I could have. I figured I would for most of my life. The Delroi came and I felt...I don’t know. Like I was waiting for something, you know?”
He started to respond but she spoke over him. “Of course you don’t know. Hell, I don’t have a clue what I was expecting.”
He took her face in his hands, forced her to meet his eyes. There could be no doubts about this. “You were waiting for me,” he said.
He claimed her mouth. Sweet, luscious, his. She was all his. She laughed against his lips.
“Arrogant,” she teased.
“When it comes to my woman? Hell yes.”
They were both laughing when he took her to bed.
6
Jolie woke alone, but she was warm and sated and her body ached in all kinds of delicious places. It had been two days since Stone had claimed her. She’d spent most of that time in bed with him or working on shielding with her grandmother. She was sure she’d got the hang of it but Stone was holding back. She figured as soon as her shields were good, he’d do his little prayer thing to bind them together, but he hadn’t. Either he’d changed his mind or he was waiting for her to make up her own mind. And okay, that was fair. Couldn’t blame a man for wanting some kind of sign from the woman he wanted that she shared the feeling, right?
The sex was incredible, but where did it go from there? She needed so much more. She was pretty sure Stone would give it to her if she just took the leap. They’d come to a kind of agreement. She knew how hard it was for him to not complete that link while he waited for her to not only to figure out the shielding but also to choose him. To accept him. He didn’t realize yet she’d done that the day she met him.
But she wouldn’t let anything ruin this day. She was going to actually set foot on an alien planet. She couldn’t freaking wait. When she heard voices from the other room, she rolled out of bed and got dressed, though she would have liked to lounge around a bit more. She hadn’t really met anyone yet, and had a brief spurt of insecurity before Stone filled her mind.
The apartment was
packed when she walked out. Something was definitely wrong. She was uncomfortable when she walked through. Most of the inhabitants were male and huge. The women were sultry and she felt their power. It was unlike any social situation she’d ever found herself in, but when she approached, Stone held his arm open for her to slip under while he continued to speak to his men.
“Jolie this is Archer, my second in command. We’re coming up to Novgorod. There appears to be a problem.”
She may still have a block on her abilities but she could access enough to know that was a serious understatement.
“What happened?” she asked as Gypsy joined them.
“We don’t know yet. They aren’t answering our calls and we aren’t picking up anything on our sensors,” Stone said.
“But you know something’s wrong?”
She could feel it now. A heavy sense of sorrow and loss but nothing had happened on the ship. Maybe it was just their expectations. Their fears. She wasn’t as excited about seeing this new planet now.
“They aren’t answering our hails,” Stone said. “We just reached orbit. The first shuttle will leave in a few minutes.”
There was an unspoken question in his eyes she thought. Maybe. It was damned frustrating. If they were bonded, she’d know what he wanted from her now. He was the leader of his people. His woman had to be strong too. She straightened her shoulders and looked up into his gaze.
“Where you go, I go. That was the promise, right?” she asked softly.
She’d said the right thing. He crushed her close. His men looked at her with respect. The women were led by Gypsy and she knew above all else, Gypsy needed her.
“Let’s head to the shuttle then,” Stone said.
An hour later she stepped off the shuttle ramp and wished she’d stayed where the hell she was. They landed a couple miles from the small town, but she didn’t need the distance to know there’d been a massacre here. As soon as her feet hit the dirt the ghosts swarmed. Dozens of them. Angry and fearful and panicked and sorrowful. They were all talking at once. Screaming at her. She pulled her arms up over her head and backed up.
