by L M Lacee
‘Balls! Trina, you are priceless.’ Melody spluttered as Darby between gasp of laughter stated. ‘Balls, so funny.’
Peyton, her eyes filled with laughter, tipped her head to the side and asked. ‘Trina, you think he finally knocked her up?’
Trina hummed, then shrugged. ‘It is possible, I suppose.’
Darby piped up. ‘Nah, I know she takes something for it.’
Just then Kitolin bounded into the room, sleeked out and in full combat mode.
My Kate, you are well? He asked as he stared around suspiciously at the people there.
Kate placed her hand on his head to calm him and shuddered once. Then she straightened her shoulders and with her spine ramrod straight, she firmed her jaw and said. ‘I am well my bondmate. Thank you Trina, I am okay now. It was only a momentary weakness.’
Her voice whisper soft, Trina asked. ‘Kate dearle, did he hurt you, do you need to see Heather?’
Trina took a step back as Kate jumped from her chair. ‘Stop that, of course he didn’t, he is my spirit love.’ She vibrated with anger as her calm, even temper evaporated in defense of her mate. ‘I cannot believe you think he would...’ She looked at Trina’s smiling face. ‘Oh, I am sorry, of course you don’t.’
Trina laughed and hugged her. ‘Emotions, they get us all, Kate. He loves you and he will be desolate for the hurt he thinks he inflicted.’
‘I know.’ She sighed tiredly. ‘Jarrod my friend, will you talk to him please?’
‘I will talk to the both of you later. Comm, me when he returns.’
‘I will.’ She smiled at everyone as she said. ‘I think I need a shower and time with my bondmate, to soothe some ruffled feathers.’
The females nodded as the males asked each other. ‘What feathers?’
Kate and Kitolin walked sedately from the room as Peyton whispered. ‘Jax.’
Monitoring Madam.
‘Thank you, my friend.’
Peyton moved into Kardan’s waiting arms and without a word they left the lounge. Esther watched until the door closed behind the couple, then called out. ‘Okay, we all need to be doing something, somewhere else. So far today has not been a good day people.’
Karen hugged her. ‘Come on, we will see Amelia and get a cup of tea. She will need one by now.’
Cemeru entered and agreed. ‘I like the sound of tea, come Helen, Brenda.’ He took both Helen and Brenda’s arms as he said. ‘We will visit Kenera and talk about conspiracies with Rata and Rita.’
Both females smiled in agreement.
Wolf grinned at Coraan, saying. ‘Let’s go raid the kitchen. I have heard that is a favorite pastime of Terrans.’
Trina laughed as Jarrod took her hand, and Darby smiled as she took Melody’s hand in hers.
‘Yes it is.’
‘Maybe?’ Wolf said to Darby. ‘You dearle Darby, could enlighten us on the wonders of cotton candee.’
She laughed with the rest of them as she whispered. ‘Only Reeve.’
The day that had started out so drastically was not over, but for an hour or two, they could lose themselves in each other.
FORTY-FIVE:
Sometime later, after showers and food, Kardan explained to Peyton what the death howl meant. How it had only been sung once before and by who. Then he explained why the howl changed his voice, which basically consisted of.
‘I strained my voice muscles. Now I speak like this, do you like it?’
Peyton then spent time convincing him how much she enjoyed the new sound of his voice, which consisted of. ‘It is so sexy it makes my toes curl.’
Of course, he then had to examine each toe to see if they indeed curl when he spoke. They had two hours together to help put into perspective the horrors of that morn. A time where they could calm their minds and hearts. So that any decisions they made would be true ones, not ones driven by emotions. That was especially true for Peyton, and she appreciated Kardan’s technique in making sure that did not happen.
FORTY-SIX:
It was decided that Peyton would not go with Kardan to interrogate the prisoners. She explained she did not trust herself not to kill them as soon as she saw them. So it was better he did the questioning. At least they were more likely to learn something from them before dying.
So early that afternoon, Kardan and his brothers made their way to the floor that housed the recently completed holding cells.
Kardan stood with his hand raised to wave over the scanner and stopped and bowed his head. His brothers waited and wondered if he had decided not to enter. Finally, he turned to stare at each one of them. ‘Brothers, I want you to understand, what I am about to do is neither justice nor revenge, it is just necessary.’
As he expected, they said nothing. Kardan looked at Hawk. ‘Brother, you were always our voice of reason. Swear to me, you will not allow me to kill them before we have answers.’
Hawk shook his head. ‘I want to say yes, but I think you are asking for more than I am capable of giving. She is my Hope and my heart hurts for what she has endured and for what Peyton will have to do.’
When he stopped talking, the brothers waited they knew he would do as Kardan asked, and the toll it would take on him. Hawk sighed loudly, then straightened his shoulders and nodded.
‘I will do as you ask.’
Kardan nodded in relief. ‘I thank you.’
Hawk grinned and said. ‘You will owe me. I will endeavor to drown myself in alcohol on the way back to Maikonia and you will run interference with Karen for me.’
Wolf whined. ‘Could we not just ask Peyton to explain something instead?’
Hawk snarled and pointed at Wolf. ‘No, that would be too easy.’
Reeve sighed. ‘You say easy, but we all know what that female does with words has to be heard to be believed.’
Kardan shook his head at their humor and said. ‘Agreed.’
They entered the room to find seven people sitting on one side of a table. Kardan and Hawk took the chairs opposite them as Wolf and Reeve leaned against the wall.
After a few moments, Kardan asked. ‘Why, I ask myself, am I sitting across from seven people responsible for the kidnapping and trauma inflicted on my daughter. When I should be enjoying time with my family.’
Kardan waited for an answer from any of the four males they had seized from the abandoned building. He was to be out of luck: they all sat with sneers or blank, almost bored expressions on their faces.
He glanced at the one female and two males who Marlo and had apprehended. They were roughed up with split lips and several noticeable bruises. It also appeared they did not have an answer either. Perhaps he thought it was because they could not get past the fear choking them.
His voice hardened as he asked. ‘I want to understand why you would place so little value on your lives.’
‘Who says we do?’ The large scarred male named Wes asked.
Kardan already knew who it was that had hurt Hope. As with Carrick, he was able to watch Hope’s memories and see what she’d experienced that morn.
‘You would be Wes Scrigtons. Dishonored soldier turned Raider, from Murturins crew.’
The large male’s head reared back as he sneered. ‘You know Murturins?’
‘My brothers and I ran with him for a time. It is not that I find it hard to believe he has stooped to kidnapping. It is just for him to have done so to my daughter belies belief, does it not brothers?’
Reeve shifted and said. ‘I would not have thought he was brave enough. It is amazing what a male will do for credits.’
Wes moved restlessly. ‘We had a parting of the ways a while back.’
Kardan nodded and looked at the next male. ‘I see. You are Fenimrr, no last name. From Shonner Jen’s crew.’
He was the male that had carried, then thrown his Hope. Kardan could still smell his daughter’s urine on him. He felt the anger pulse in his blood for vengeance and quickly let it bleed away or all would be lost.
Hawk asked without
moving an eyelash. Brother, are you well?
I am.
Maintaining the same even tones, Kardan observed. ‘Again, I find it hard to believe Shonner Jen has taken up kidnapping.’ He spread his hands wide. ‘Considering who she is.’
The male said nothing, just stared straight ahead, but everyone could see the telltale tick by his right eye.
Kardan nodded. ‘I see, you too had a parting of the ways.’
Hawk concluded. ‘It must be going around.’
‘Maybe it is a disease of the mind?’ Wolf offered as Reeve snorted in disgust.
Kardan stared at the two green males who looked pale. ‘You two are obviously brothers and if I had to guess, which I do not. I would say you are from the Undinly family of traders. I am at a loss to understand why you would jeopardize your house’s trading business and the lives of your family and their families for this endeavor.’
When neither of them spoke, Kardan raised a dark eyebrow. ‘Well, as it seems, you have nothing to say. Let us ask the ones you belong to and see what it is they are forfeiting for your lives.’
Instantly the wall showed three screens. On one was Red Murturins, leader of the Murturins Raiders. He was a large, red haired, scarred male, who had one eye which was more red than amber. It was said that at one time he had been very handsome, a pretty boy. The story that was often told and retold was that his family had been wealthy planet miners. When he had been a youth, Assaens had killed his entire family, in a planet wide take over.
Kardan knew it for the lie it was, Red Murturins never came from wealthy mining people. He was born on a pleasure planet, and like his mother had been sold many times before he was twenty. Not long after he turned twenty-five, he was sold to a pleasure planet where he organized a rebellion. Kardan was told, Red had made a deal with a small crew of Raiders. What he offered them to do his bidding Kardan never found out, but he reasoned the enticement must have been substantial. Because the Raiders killed the owner and guards of the pleasure planet the very night they arrived. Then Red and his small band of followers burnt the Raiders alive in the locked pleasure house, with everyone who was unfortunate enough to be there that night. Which included Red’s own mother.
He then joined the Raiders and climbed the ranks to be a Leader of his own Crew. He is a fearsome male with no loyalty or compassion, it is rumored even the secretive Raiders council fears the large male.
Murturins Raiders were not the largest fleet, but they were one of the wealthiest. They remained untouched, due to Red’s shrewdness in knowing when he was being deceived and the lethal consequences if he was crossed. So far no one had lived to say they had done either. The Roeah brothers had crewed on many ships over their lifetime for information and to sharpen skills and learn new ones. Amusingly enough, Red had a very healthy respect for Kardan and his brothers. It is said the Roeah brothers were the only people who had ever left Red without suffering any retaliation.
FORTY-SEVEN:
On the next screen was Shonner Jen, leader of the second largest Raider crew in the Universe. Unlike Red Murturins, Shonner Jen had a large wealthy fleet of ships under her command, and was not shy about making sure everyone knew she did.
Shonner Jen was just over six foot six inches tall. Kardan had often heard her referred to as a male’s wet dream, and as he looked at her now, he understood the reference. She was still one of the most elegant females he had ever met. Her beauty transcended all others, and yet beyond that he would admit she had the coldest heart he had ever encountered, male or female. Her skin tone was a rich caramel, which only enhanced her perfectly unmarred face, which he knew was unlike the rest of her body. He was never sure if the scars that covered most of her body were self-inflected or not. Her hair, he noticed, was green and cut military short. Compared to the long brilliant blue color it had been when he and Reeve had crewed with her.
She stared at Reeve while her long, sharp, poison-tipped green nails tapped on the arm of her command chair. Reeve moved restlessly, indicating he was uncomfortable with her attention. While Hawk and Wolf would not know why she stared at him, Kardan did.
Shonner Jen was fascinated with Reeve and had spent the majority of the time they had crewed with her. Trying to get him into her bed or to sign on as her first officer, so she could get him into her bed. She never believed Reeve was incapable of having sex and convinced herself he refused her because he wanted more than she was willing to surrender.
Reeve never understood why she chased him as she had. Kardan believed it had to do with genetics. He believed Shonner Jen wanted to breed a race of Raiders, using Reeve as the sperm donor.
What Kardan and Reeve knew of her was that she hated most people and trusted no one. Unlike Red Murturins, Shonner Jen’s family had been rich, and owned several wealthy planets until Raiders came to her home world and kidnapped her family. Fortunately or unfortunately as the youngest child she had been hidden from the Raiders. Sadly her parents, sisters and two brothers were not so lucky, they were taken and held for ransom. Her grandfather used every means possible over three luneras to reach an agreement other than paying the ransom demanded for his family’s return. When all else failed, he negotiated the payment. Sadly, by that time, the Raiders had raped her mother, sisters and two brothers to death while making her father watch. He was the only survivor and was returned to Jen and his parents when the ransom was finally paid.
The gentle, loving father she had known died with his wife and children, leaving a bitter, hate filled male. He never forgave his parents for their complicity in his family’s deaths, and over the following yentas, his hatred for his father and mother grew. He instilled within Jen that same hatred along with the promise of retaliation.
The day Jen turned eighteen, she took her mother’s family name of Shonner, and her father took his life. It is said she took days to kill her grandparents almost as many as it took for her grandfather to pay the ransom. Over the following ten yentas, she hunted the Raiders responsible for her family’s deaths. Killing every male, female and child who belonged to them, no one was spared. It was rumored she spent days killing each one. Kardan did not doubt this, he had witnessed her method of killing first hand. Now she raided for the life of it. There was nothing else she could do, even if she had wanted to.
On the third screen was Lasing Undinly, of the trading house Undinly.
‘Greetings, I am Amahka Elite Kardan Roeah. Mate to the Star Daughter of your Universe. Today our eldest daughter of ten yentas was kidnapped, brutalized and terrorized by four of these males.’ He pointed to each of the four bound males.
‘I would like to state we know they did this heinous act without your knowledge or consent. I cannot, as they have declined to speak to me. Do you need time to formulate an answer to the charges?’
‘What charges, I heard no charges?’ Blustered Red Murturins.
Kardan eyed the male with dislike as he said. ‘Charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap and responsibility for these males.’
Shonner Jen’s eyes were riveted on Reeve and she purred as she spoke, an unusual tone for the dark queen. ‘Reeve, I have heard that thy release of bonds make it possible for you to mate.’
‘This is so, Shonner Jen.’
She twined her fingers together as she purred even softer. ‘I offer you a ship or ships and my bed, will you come to me?’
Reeve crossed his enormous arms over his chest. ‘Nay, Shonner Jen. I am already mated, I believe she will not share.’
Jen smiled and ran her pink tongue over her soft lips as she said. ‘You will not put her aside?’
Reeve stilled as he carefully replied. ‘Nay, Shonner Jen, I will not.’
Coyly, she tipped her head to the side as she purred. ‘Mayhap I can do so for you.’
Reeve uncrossed his arms and his voice sharpened. ‘Nay, Shonner Jen. You should be aware of three points. Firstly; Warriors mate for life. Secondly; my mate will kill you or I will if you try for her. Thirdly; the Star Daughter is her s
ister, and she is on speaking terms with the Star Child. Now if you think you have enough needar credits. You may try for my mate.’
Shonner Jen’s, head jerked back as though he had slapped her. Her skin paled and her white eyes widened as her voice lost its purr and became as sharp as a blade. She flicked her eyes toward Kardan and snapped. ‘We concede, he was ours, do with him as you wish.’
Like Red Murturins, she had a very respectful attitude toward Kardan and his brothers. Hers was tainted with fear, she had seen what they could do when they released the holds on their Rie. So with those memories crowding her mind and the sting of Reeve’s rejection, she confessed. ‘A female, Leinii Undinly from the Capital, reportedly Governor Interkinn’s representative comm’d me two wekens past. She asked me to hire out my crew to do a kidnapping. She said it was to kidnap someone close to the Star Daughter. I thought it was too ambitious, even for the Governor. I turned her down. Apparently some of my crew decided not to. Several days ago, thirty-nine of my crew went missing.’
Red Murturins said. ‘I concede, the same female came to me and I also turned her down. It seems fifty of my crew, including my second, decided I was wrong. Do with him as you wish, send me his head.’
Kardan stared at the two Leaders, his eyes turned purple as his Rie rose within him. Both Raiders had seen this before and knew they would not like what came next. They braced themselves as best as they could. His voice was as rough as a thunderstorm when he spoke, causing all within his hearing to shudder in unconscious terror. ‘I see and this female spoke to you both, two wekens ago.’
They both replied at the same time. ‘Yes.’
‘And only days ago your crew went missing?’
Again they answered. ‘Yes.’
‘Neither of you thought to reach out to the Star Daughter or myself to warn us of the attempt.’
He looked at Shonner Jen, who shook her head. ‘I did not, what reason would I have known to reach out to you Elite?’
