Now, Niklas sat next to Brianna. Watching her, he knew she was awake, yet he loathed to force her to do anything more. He’d already taken her from everything and everyone she’d ever known. He was forcing her to accompany him to his world where she would know no one. He reached out and took her hand in his.
He
needed the contact, even if she didn’t.
She jerked her hand from his and opened her eyes. Brianna looked at him, her eyes filled with contempt, her voice dripping with loathing. “Take me home,” she demanded. “You had no right to bring me here.” She slid to the other side of the big bed and wiped her hand off on the comforter as if his touch were somehow dirty.
Niklas reached for her, needing to make contact. “You know I cannot.” He shook his head. Her anguish tore through him, a dull knife digging into his heart.
She pushed herself up, and swinging her legs over the opposite side of the bed, sat with her back to him, her head down. “Take me home. You have no right to do this.” Brianna stared at the lower part of the wall in front of her as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.
Niklas stood. He admired her strong will. He didn’t know if he would be doing as well in her situation. “You know I cannot take you back home, Brianna. I need you, my people need you.”
“You are so full of it, Niklas. No wonder your eyes are brown.” Brianna stood, marched over to the curtained window and drew the cloth wide.
Niklas knew she had hoped to prove him a liar. He could tell she hadn’t expected to see the darkness of space before her. The glittering stars streamed by as they raced back to
Terrna, the ship’s engines rumbling as they carried them at three times light speed
. His heart ached for her. He watched as the fight drained from her, knew when she finally understood there really was no going back. He willed her to understand, hoping she could find it in her heart to forgive him one day.
Brianna’s shoulders slumped, sinking down onto her knees. She held her head in her hands. Sobs racked her small frame.
Niklas tried to comfort her, but she shook him off. “I’m nothing more than your prisoner. I’m nothing more than a means to an end.” She looked up at him with swollen, tear-filled eyes. “You never really wanted anything more from me, did you?” She wiped her eyes as though ashamed they held her tears. “Your words of love and life mates were just that, weren’t they? They were nothing but words, empty promises from a man desperate to save his people no matter who he hurt.”
Niklas stepped closer, reaching for her and stopped when he saw her flinch away. He closed his hand into a fist to keep from touching her again. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he fought for something to say. Anything that he thought she would believe. “You are so much more than that,
Laharra
. You have to know, you are so much more to me than that.”
“Don’t… Don’t you
ever
call me that again.” Tears ran down her face. “If you truly cared about me at all, you wouldn’t have done this,” she choked the words out. Brianna wrapped her arms around her stomach, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
“I do care,
Laharra
. I care for my mother, my sister. I care for everyone on my world.” He kept his voice flat, emotionless. If an unfeeling bastard was what she saw, what she expected, that was what she would get. “You must also understand, had I left you on your world, those who wish to stop me would see you dead. The man who watched us together on the beach would have killed you.”
Brianna’s breath left her with a whoosh. Her eyes darted to his, obviously wanting to see truth there.
Niklas resigned himself to the fact that she hated him now. He would save his world and, in the doing, would save her as well. But she would hate him for it. “Come, you need to eat.”
* * * *
His voice was soft as he reached out, offering his hand. He was still trying to care for her. Even after the animosity she’d shown. She ignored his proffered hand until he dropped it to his side, then fell into step behind him as he led her toward the dining area.
Brianna’s eyes followed his movements. The way his long legs ate up the distance so effortlessly as he walked. How was she ever going to resist him? Even now, when she was furious, she was still attracted to his dark good looks, his gentle, caring ways. How could she keep him from taking over her life?
She almost laughed aloud, barely stopping the sharp sarcastic sound. The last thing she wanted to do was draw his attention again. What was she thinking? He
had
taken over her life, and she was still attracted. She just hoped she wouldn’t get burned too badly. She tried to pay attention on their trek through the ship, as she wanted to know her way around. But following him through one corridor after another, she came to realize it was going to take a long, long time to learn her way around. This was no small vessel. She’d never find her way back to her room alone.
A thought shimmered in her head. Though it was very brief, and he’d tried to censor it, she understood. “I will not share a room with you, Niklas. If that’s your room, I want another.” Her tone was flat. She meant it. She refused to share his bed. He could force her to accompany him, but she refused to sleep with him again. Willingly.
He turned to look into her eyes. “You will stay where I know you are safe.” His tone brooked no argument.
Brianna knew she was going to have to pick her battles wisely. So she decided to let that slide. For now. But if he tried to crawl in bed with her, she’d show him a few moves she learned from Amber. “Why would I be safer there?” she asked nonchalantly, sliding her fingers along the cream-colored wall as they walked. She quickened her pace to catch up with him.
“It has magnetic locks. Unlike the others, there is no way into that room without the codes.” He shrugged, “Unless, of course, you are foolish enough to grant entrance to someone without the codes.
“It is the only one with magnetic locks because…” Brianna wasn’t sure how she felt about him thinking her foolish.
”Because it is mine.” Niklas said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She’d hurt his feelings. Big deal. He was a big boy. He’d get over it. He’d hurt her too. The jerk had taken her from everything and everyone she’d ever loved, Brianna choked back a sob. “Killer!” She’d never see his adorable face again. Never hear his high-pitched bark. Never see him proudly lay a wet, disgusting, spit covered mouse at her feet. Blinded by tears, Brianna stumbled in the corridor.
Stopping, he turned to face her. Niklas grabbed her upper arms, lifting her slightly off her feet. “Stop this, Brianna, you are only making yourself ill!”
She could hear the anger in his voice, and his expression was hard. He was trying to keep himself from projecting his emotions. He was angry. She may have been quick to condemn him, but what did he expect? She had no idea why he’d done what he had and she wasn’t sure she cared to find out. She wasn’t the one being irrational or unwilling to listen to reason.
He
was the one in the wrong,
he
was the kidnapper.
Niklas kept her shoulders in a firm grip, his thumbs brushing the clavicle on each side, causing gooseflesh to rise on her skin. “We left
nothing
behind, Brianna. Everything you had is here, on this ship. Everything.” His eyes searched her face.
She could see his anger, felt it as it rolled from him in waves. She felt his frustration, fear, and helplessness where she was concerned. That knowledge allowed her to relax a bit. He was so used to being in control. He had no idea how to handle this situation where he had none. It almost made her feel better, knowing that he had no idea how to handle her.
Her ability to read his emotions grew every time they shared their minds. She felt his regret over her abduction, his love for her. She licked suddenly dry lips, looking everywhere but at his too handsome face.
* * * *
It encouraged him when she didn’t wrench herself free of his hold. And she hadn’t repeated her order not to touch her. Perhaps he was making progress. Even a little progress was better than none. “Come with me,
Laharra
, and we will find you something to eat.” He took her hand, tangling their fingers together.
They were close to the ship’s cafeteria, she could smell it, when they heard a shriek come from the other end of the corridor. Suddenly, Niklas was running toward the sound, heedless of his own safety.
“Stay behind me,” he called over his shoulder.
His fear for her safety shimmered in Brianna’s mind. What kind of job did he have that danger followed him onto his own ship? She ran to catch up with him. After all he had done, she still felt fear for him. She came to a halt just outside the door, standing behind him, his massive frame blocking the doorway, sheltering her from danger. His shoulders were shaking. Was he crying? No. He was laughing! Another shriek rent the air, followed by high-pitched giggles.
Niklas raised his arm and, pulling her under his shoulder, entered the room, which was filled with strange looking equipment. A young woman lay on her back on a low flat table, surrounded by what looked like weights hanging suspended in midair. The woman was pinned. Killer stood on her hair, licking her face, behind her ears.
“Stop. Stop it,” she said, her words barely intelligible. She was laughing so hard it was hard for her to speak.
“Killer!” Brianna cried. She ran to the woman, picked him up and hugged him to her. She looked at Niklas, tears in her eyes. He may be a Neanderthal, but he’d just earned some points. He’d brought Killer along. He must have known how much it would hurt her to leave him.
Niklas cleared his throat, his voice thick. “I told you we brought everything with us.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze.
“I thought you were just talking about my things, not Killer.” Brianna said, still hugging Killer to her chest. She reached up with her free hand to swipe at the tears streaking down her face.
“Yes, well, I did say everything. Would you care to see the rest of your things?” He extended an arm toward the door.
She nodded eagerly. A smile brightened her face.
“After you have something to eat,” he bargained, raising a brow.
“You’ve got a deal.” Brianna agreed. Not only because she wanted to be sure all her things were indeed on board this ship, but also because she was starving.
Chapter Fourteen
“How big
is
this ship, Niklas?” Brianna asked, looking around the cargo bay in awe. Killer danced around their feet as they walked. Brianna decided to let him run since that was what he’d been doing all along anyway. She didn’t see a problem since he seemed to know his way around already. Knowing Killer, he probably had the entire crew doting on him anyway.
She looked around the large space, her eyes wide. Her whole
house would fit just in this one space. It was like a warehouse, this one enormous room. Crates sat in one corner of the immense space, her furniture among them.
“It’s big,
Laharra
, the flagship of my…planet’s fleet.” He walked to the center of the room, then turned to indicate she should follow.
Brianna ignored Niklas’s outstretched hand and walked across the hold to her things. She searched through her furniture until she found her dresser behind her armoire and bookcases. She opened the top drawer, sighing with relief when she saw her things still there. “They didn’t remove anything from here, did they?”
“No,
Laharra
, everything is where you left it.” He moved closer. He wanted her to trust him. “Just as you left it.”
She looked at him, smiled sadly. “Not
exactly
where I left it, Niklas.”
* * * *
“What do you seek,
Laharra
?” Niklas hoped he hadn’t made a huge mistake and taken the wrong woman. His heart told him she was the woman he sought, but only the
Heart of Terrna
could prove it. She may be his
El’edal
, but if she possessed the stone, she was indeed The One.
Brianna frowned as she dug through the dresser drawer. “I can’t find my pendant. It should be in this drawer, but I can’t seem to… Here it is!” She pulled a small box from the drawer, opened it and showed Niklas the stone.
He was in shock. It was a milky multi-colored orb, which began to glow when she slipped the chain over her head. A rainbow of colors glistened from it as she walked beneath the lights.
“
The Heart of Terrna
,” Niklas whispered. His hand reached out of its own volition and he touched the stone. A brilliant sphere of white light surrounded them, warmed them, connected them and, for a split second, their thoughts were one.
He jerked his hand from the stone. He couldn’t have moved faster had he been burned. He had seen Brianna’s thoughts. Now he knew, not only was she frightened, but she still cared for him. She was angry that he’d forced her compliance and angrier still that she knew the faeries were on his side.