by L M Lacee
Harm as an Assaen had his own uniform of sorts, he placed his clothes and extra weapons in the trunk as he waited for Rave’s answer.
Because you will tell Heather and then she will tell Melody and then she will tell Netta and then she will tell Darby and…
‘I understand. So basically it is Peyton you do not want to know?’
Rave sighed. Yes.
‘You are living in dreamland as Heather says, if you think that female does not already know, but keep your secret for now.’ He told him slyly. ‘Salmah will make you a good mate.’
Rave said nothing just snorted as Harm smiled and comm`d his brother. ‘Sedeen!’
‘Yes brother.’
‘We leave on an away mission.’
‘I will prepare. Dangerous?’
‘I hope so.’ They grinned like sharks as they disconnected.
A few mins later Heather arrived back. ‘Rave are you excited about becoming an uncle?’
I am and about going on mission.
‘Okay, well I know I feel better knowing you are coming.’
He bowed his head to her, he liked his bonds mate, and she brushed him every eve. He had discovered it was surprisingly peaceful. She told Harm, ‘Everything is squared away on board Prowler I. I have only to pack.’ She eyed her treasure as her heart rate picked up and asked as she stripped off her top. ‘We have all day, it is not even mid- afternoon yet. What I wonder should we do until we have to be at eve- meal?’
Harm said to Rave. ‘Leave and lock it behind you please my bond.’ As he followed his mate into their cleansing room accompanied by Heather’s throaty laughter when Harm asked. ‘Heather, my treasure what did you have in mind?’
It was all Rave needed to hear before he used the airlift securing it behind him.
THIRTY-FOUR:
Willian looked out the window and saw nothing of the beautiful mountain range or the low-lying clouds. The anger that pulsed through him caused blindness to all that surrounded him. Just as the tattoo of outrage hammering against his skull caused him to become deaf to all but his own thoughts.
Lady Esther had demanded he attend eve-meal, which he grudgingly had done. He had not partaken of any conversations and had seethed through three courses. He had listened as everyone talked of the missions, which had decided as he played with his food he would not go on.
As soon as he thought enough time had passed, he excused himself and hurried from the dining room with the weight of everyone’s eyes on him. His resolution to leave the Hex had wavered under their silent pressure. So he ended up here in what Lady Brenda called the study. Which was a strange name to call a lounge, but everyone called it that now?
He breathed deeply trying to regain control over his thoughts but just when he was positive he had mastered himself. He heard a soft noise behind him; and knew who it would be, he could not stop his body’s response as he saw her reflection in the window. Renewed anger pulsed once more and words fought his demand for silence. Finally, they burst from him. ‘I do not understand why?’
Peyton answered in a voice that said, I have no idea what you mean. ‘Why… what?’
She had watched the angry young Warrior as he had sat at her table, refusing to be drawn into conversation, barely touching his meal. He left as soon as he thought he could get away with it and not seem impolite. She had thought he had left the building until she sensed him in here. Deciding she could not leave without poking the bear, as Melody would say, and make it right with the angry young Warrior. She excused herself from the table and followed him into the lounge.
While Willian had moved through these last few days he had vacillated between anger and outrage. Every day he performed his duties and at night he walked the streets unable to settle enough to sleep. When he finally thought he could sleep, he found he was restless, it was because she had gone to that place and done that thing. He shied away from calling it betrayal, but his heart felt that she had betrayed his trust. His mind knew she had not, but his heart would not believe his mind.
It was luneras since his back was repaired but he was still trapped and now he was angry all over again. Especially as more people came into the room, stubborn and uncaring of what they thought he asked. ‘Why you went to that place.’
‘Did you think I would allow them to go unpunished?’
‘Yes... yes, I did. You had no right. It was not yours to do?’
‘No right… I had no right!’ She whirled around to stand in front of him with clenched fists as she demanded. ‘Then who did?’
His face became dark as his eyes screamed pain at her. ‘No one… it was mine to bear. My burden, not yours. There was no need. You think you did anything good by going there, it accomplished nothing. I was still hurt.’
Peyton paced around him as she said. ‘How selfish of you to hoard those scars and all that hurt for yourself.’
‘Selfish... I am not selfish. I was sparing you that pain and fear!’ He roared and forgot to censor his words as he told her. ‘You will not listen, I never wanted you to go there. It was not your place; you are not my family. You had no right.’
Every person in that room waited for someone to stop him, for someone to die tying. No one spoke and no one moved. Peneria walked softly in from the kitchen and was almost knocked off her feet, as pain washed over her in one long wave. She saw him immediately and felt the burden he shouldered and the ice surrounding his heart, saw how his mind was held together with determination only, and bled for him. His pain mixed with hers now and almost dropped her to her knees. Ipeara grabbed her hand as they stood like the others and watched the scene play out.
Peyton snarled. ‘No right! How dare you say I have no right?’
Willian angrier than he had ever been in his life demanded as he roared. ‘Who are you to tell me that? Who are you to come into my pain, my life and see that?’
Calm! Hawk mind-sent to the people there, as restless hands and feet moved. This is not the time for you to interfere. Wait.
Peyton floated until she was eye level with him and took his angry face between her hands. Willian remained motionless as his eyes flashed with pain. She stared into his eyes which held shame and softly told him with love coating each word.
‘You have been mine since the first day you walked into my home on Earth. When you interrupted my very first speech. When you lay in the regenerator as your back was peeled for four days because you would not refuse my gift, even though you feared what was to happen. You became mine when you followed me onto the moon and then sat by my side until Heather arrived. When you shelter Darby from people she does not know, because you know she has fears. You are mine when you come and see my child each morn, even though you are angry with me. And especially when you hold Esther’s hand as she remembers her Harry, and my dearle brother, you are mine every min of every day when you smile.’
Willian’s eyes were covered by his lashes so she was unable to see what he was feeling, his face remained impassive as she told him. ‘You have been mine from the min you fell into my heart, so do not tell me I have no rights. They hurt you, and they were punished for it. You wear the scars no longer on your skin but in here.’ She placed one hand on his heart and one on his forehead. ‘They are large and ugly, they stop you from being you. So yes, I wanted justice for you… your family wanted justice for you. We wanted to bring to light what they had done, so they could not do to others what they had done to you.’
He whispered. ‘I feared you would see how weak I was.’
She held his face to hers and whispered. ‘Never doubt you are courageous. There is no weakness in you. Every day for the last two yentas, you showed that and still do. You have been my heart brother from the first moment you stepped into my life. It is my honor to love and protect you. So I ask again, did you really think I would do nothing?’
‘You don’t understand, I am not whole, there are parts that do not work all the time. I cannot explain.’
‘I get that Willian, I really do. M
ost of us have been there. You rise each morn, dress and go about your day and then at night you try to sleep so you can do it all over again the next day, right?’
‘I do.’
‘Willian we all do that, every day we wake and do things, some good, some bad, some not so good, some not so bad. But we do them every day to make our lives and other people’s lives better, to find our balance. You are not so different from the rest of us. A wise male told me, it is not the experience that we go through that defines us. It is how we deal afterward that shows us what type of person we are. Tell me Willian, brother of my heart, what type of person are you?’
He stared at her for several long mins, then said. ‘I do not know. I want to be strong, worthy and capable, but I am not. I need help, you are right I know you are. The scars I carry are holding me there… always there.’
Peyton nodded. ‘That is not all true, yes you are not letting go of that time but you are strong and you are most definitely worthy and capable. What you are, brother is on the training mat waiting for an opponent. Not realizing that the opponent is yourself. You are warring with yourself, so you need help with that.’
‘Alright.’ He softly agreed.
She smiled and kissed his cheek as she asked. ‘So we are good?’
‘Yes we are good.’ He then asked. ‘Is it tiring doing this?’ His arms snaked around her waist, taking her weight as she said. ‘I’m getting the hang of it.’
Which was accompanied by groans and she was sure she heard someone mutter bat shit crazy, but could not swear to it. Then, as her feet touched the floor, Willian let her go and leaned down whispering. ‘Thank you.’
‘Willian, you should know by now we look after our own. Now I know this may be hard for you, but I brought the Emperors two daughters back with me and I know you have not met them yet. Ipeara is a pilot in training on Maikonia III and Peneria, her sister is heading up our new investigative unit. So can you cope with meeting them?’
‘We will see, will we not?’
‘Yes we will.’
Peyton nodded to Peneria and Ipeara to come forward. Ipeara was on a two-day pass to see her sister as the ship replenished for Kerol’s away mission. As they hesitantly moved closer. Peyton smiled and made the introductions. ‘Willian this is Peneria and Ipeara Patamogol, from Patamoglian.’
Willian braced himself for the fear and revulsion to steal over him. He expected the usual tightening of his back and to fight the waves of nausea that accompanied the thought of Patamoglian. Although he sounded brave when answering Peyton he wondered if he truly was. To confront two females from Patamoglian could be more than he may be able to cope with, especially so soon after his confrontation with Peyton. But as he allowed himself to look at them, he felt none of his normal responses. What he saw were two tall beautiful slim females, with muscles in all the right places. They both had long black hair with pointed ears and the round eyes not uncommon for their species. What was not common were the three emerald rings in their gray eyes.
Ipeara smiled and bowed her head. ‘Captain Willian.’
Willian nodded. ‘Pilot Ipeara.’
The huge smile she blessed him with almost knocked him back a step, it was so joyful. ‘How did you know? That is amazing.’ She turned to her sister, who had not spoken. ‘Peneria, he knew without being told who I was. That means I look like a Warbird pilot already?’
Willian could not help himself; he would have to cold-hearted not to have been charmed by the sweet female. Peneria kept her eyes on the male and her hearts under control as they seemed to want to jump from her chest as she admonished her sister. ‘I heard Ipeara, stop chattering.’
Willian dropped to the floor unconscious, Peneria lost all of her reserve and fell next to him as she demanded in a voice that threatened death. ‘What happened?’ She looked at Peyton and growled deep in her throat. ‘What happened to him? He is mine. Tell me who I need to kill. I demand to know who did this.’
Peyton pulled Ipeara away as she went to touch her sister. ‘No dearle one, she is not in her right mind, wait.’ Then she looked down at the couple and said to no one in particular. ‘I really never saw that coming?’
‘Really, that is all you have to say Star Girl?’ Heather asked as she knelt next to the couple.
‘I could say more but…’
Heather scolded. ‘Oh hush. Now Peneria…’
Jarrod came forward carrying Avana’s daughter Koana. Peyton kissed her cheek. ‘Greetings, little blue berry, how is my girl?’
She smiled cheekily at Peyton and blew a bubble, as Jarrod asked. ‘Well Peyton, was this part of your plan?’
She snarled softly in return. ‘You know you are just a tad annoying right?’
‘I have been saying that for yentas.’ Avana said as she took her daughter from her brother.
‘Brothers!’ They both said together as they all watched Brenda take Ipeara firmly in hand and start to explain what was happening with her sister.
‘Mama… Mama! Rayvan tearfully yelled as he entered the sitting room with Darby and Draykin.
‘He is so clingy since I got back. I think he knows we are going away again. I told him he was coming.’ She mumbled to Avana.
‘What can I say, he felt your distress while you were away and don’t leave him again.’
‘Wow! That was sage advice from the Sene.’
‘Common sense really.’ She looked at Peyton and arched her eyebrows, saying. ‘You should use it now and again.’
‘You are just as annoying as your brother.’
‘No, I am not. Take that back and stop calling my baby a berry. I looked it up, and she is not round and fuzzy.’
Peyton grinned at her outrage, she had wondered how long it would take her to research the name. Rayvan ran to her, and she scooped him into her arms as Darby, who had been with the two boys, came over holding Draykin. She looked down at Willian and said. ‘Dayam missed it.’
‘Dam... Dam.’ Rayvan repeated.
‘Darby?’ Peyton yelped.
‘What?’
‘You cussed, now Rayvan is saying it.’
‘Oops, me bad. Rayvan baby don’t say that.’
‘Kay Auniee Darby.’
‘Good boy, love you.’
‘Kay, love you.’
Peyton’s mouth dropped open as her voice reached the next octave. ‘Oh my stars, you taught him to say love?’
Darby smiled at her, in what Peyton considered a smart ass sister way. Then she just totally ignored Peyton and asked Avana. ‘So what happened?’
Peyton’s hand reached for her, but Melody was suddenly standing in front of her saying. ‘Now little lady there is no killin’ till we are on the ship.’
‘But Melody, she taught…’
‘Don’t care, dems the rules.’
Peyton demanded to know. ‘Since when?’
‘Since I was deputized sheriff. Now quit it, I am needed elsewhere for a few mins, so play nice.’
Peyton growled but said nothing more; Melody in her sheriff mood was nobody to annoy. Meanwhile, Avana and the others had given Darby a quick rundown on what had happened. Peyton heard her ask of Peneria. ‘So she lost it right?’
Avana nodded. ‘Yes, she seems to have. Darby, did you know Peyton calls Koana a blue berry?’
Darby shook her head and innocently said. ‘She does, that is so bad.’
Peyton growled. ‘You know Avana she said it first.’
It was Avana’s turn to shake her head and say. ‘That is so sad, blaming someone else, so sad Peyton.’
She walked away, leaving Peyton staring after her with her mouth hanging open. She snapped it shut when she heard Darby giggle… actually giggle.
She hissed at her. ‘So not coming.’
Darby just raised her eyebrows without commenting, then she turned her attention to Heather. Who was giving Peneria a quick tutorial about the effects some Warriors felt when they found their mates.
Peyton asked Ipeara as she came back to s
tand with them. ‘Ipeara hon, what happens when Pattamogytes find their spouse?’
‘Oh I don’t know. I will have to ask my father, our matings are all arranged with compatible partners usually in our thirteenth yenta. Then when the houses say it is time, we are introduced and the ceremony is held.’
Everyone looked at the couple on the floor and then at Ipeara, finally looking at Peyton who sighed and said. ‘Well this is going to cause problems, he will kill any that come for her.’
‘If she does not first,’ Ipeara stated, ‘she can be quite intense about what she considers hers. She never likes to share anything. Believe me I know, I lived with her for yentas.’
Netta, who had slipped in next to Darby, asked. ‘Ipeara are either of you betrothed?’
She looked at her blankly for a min, then laughed. ‘Hayda no, our Papa would never have thought to do so, without talking to us first.’
Darby asked. ‘What of your mother and her family?’
Ipeara raised both brows. ‘Well yes, that could have happened. We will have to ask Papa.’
Peyton said. ‘I will speak with your father. How he will take this. I have no idea?’
‘Maybe, we should wait awhile before telling him.’ Ipeara suggested, at Peyton’s look, she said. ‘It will serve no purpose to upset him now. He is in the beginning stages of restructuring their world.’ She said hopefully. ‘Maybe he will never know.’
Netta asked. ‘Why? Will he be angered.’
‘Oh, he may not be, but I just don’t want to go back there. Fathers are strange like that.’
Peyton sighed. ‘We cannot hide it from him, and no you will not be made to go back, so don’t worry.’
Ipeara looked stubborn for a min as she asked. ‘Why do we have to tell him?’
Netta grinned and said. ‘This is why, Jarrod if you would please.’
Jarrod lifted his sleeves and showed Ipeara the markings around each wrist given by the Star Child when he mated.
Ipeara shook her head. ‘Stars, I forgot about them, those he is going to notice.’
