Cherished (Intergalactic Loyalties) (2 page)

A vibration shook the ship and she braced herself. Her heart skipped in her chest and she listened intently, trying to figure out what was going on. A woman cried out near her and she heard the Tarnans racing down the hall. Had they been hit by something?

Deciding the best place for her right then was probably her quarters, she got up and felt her way down the hall. She could still hear the men, but they sounded several halls away, probably near the ship’s docking station, an area she passed frequently. Had someone boarded them? A shiver raked her body. She only hoped they were friendly.

Lucie inched her way down the hall, pausing when she saw someone large looming ahead of her. The clothing was wrong for a Tarnan. His hair was dark, like a Tarnan’s, but skin held a bluish color. Not a dark blue, a medium steel blue. His clothes were black and from the creak she heard, she assumed it was leather. She was close enough to tell his eyes were a light, silvery color. From the tales she’d heard while on the transport ship to Keshpa, she knew who stood in front of her. A Tourmalane warrior.

She froze, not knowing what to do. She couldn’t very well run from him, and even if she tried he would probably catch her. Had the Tourmalanes overtaken the ship? She’d heard they weren’t necessarily a violent people, but their warriors were feared throughout the galaxies. Lucie stared at him, feeling like a trapped mouse, waiting to be the cat’s dinner.

He moved closer and she felt a shudder rake her body. The heat emanating from him surrounded her, his scent teasing her nose. It reminded her of the piney woods in her Georgia home back on Earth. It was a clean, sweet scent that had her breathing deeper, wanting to take him into her lungs and hold him there. It had been a long time since she’d smelled something that reminded her of home, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to let go of it, even if she was scared half to death right then.

Her body defied the logic of her mind, which was shouting for her to back away, to run. Lifting a hand toward him, she brushed her fingers over his torso, feeling the smooth leather of his vest beneath her fingertips. He seemed to be studying her, as if not quite sure what to make of her. Or maybe he was just afraid of frightening her. Slowly, he reached for her, his large hands settling on her waist. The press of his palms against her seared her, making her heat from the inside out. Liquid heat pooled low in her belly and she let out a startled gasp. She’d never had such an intense response to someone before, especially a stranger she couldn’t even see.

“You’re not frightened of me?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly. It smoothed over her like warm honey, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

“I’m terrified,” she admitted.

His grip tightened on her waist, then he lifted a hand to her cheek, caressing her. “So soft.”

Lucie heard the sounds of fighting not far away and wondered how this Tourmalane had slipped past the Tarnans. He hadn’t done anything to harm her, just arouse her. She wasn’t even sure that was intentional, just her traitorous body responding to someone it shouldn’t.

He leaned down, his nose tracing her cheek before he pressed his lips to hers. It was the first time she’d been kissed in years, and exceeded all of her dreams. His lips were soft and gentle against hers, a contrast to the large hardened warrior standing before her. They moved with sensuous grace against her lips, coaxing her to join him. Of their own volition, her hands lifted and she placed her palms on either side of his face as she kissed him back.

It felt like a hundred butterflies had taken flight in her stomach and were now swirling their way through her body, all of her senses coming alive. The rasp of his whiskers against her fingers, the scrape of that stubble against her skin as he kissed her, it sent a thrill racing through her. It sounded like war was being waged around them, and yet he cocooned her in his arms, his body lightly pressing against her curves.

All too soon, he pulled away, spinning to face a group of men who had entered the hall. Tarnans. He reached behind him to wrap an arm around her waist, dragging her up against his body, as if he were shielding her from the group. Surely he didn’t think they would harm her? Placing her palms against his back, she felt his muscles tense and strain.

“Let the woman go!”

She recognized the voice as belonging to Bynt. The Tourmalane hadn’t done anything to hurt her. They wouldn’t injure him, would they? The thought of the powerful warrior in front of her getting hurt had her clenching her fists in his vest.

“I claim this woman as my own,” her warrior declared.

Wait,
her
warrior? And had he really just said he wanted her to belong to him? As what, a slave?

Bynt growled at him. “She’s ours! Your crew has either been killed or detained. Hand her over if you want to keep your life.”

She tried to move by the warrior, not wanting his blood to be shed on her account, but his arm tightened around her. Obviously whatever had affected her during the kiss, he’d felt as well. She couldn’t think of another reason he’d be so intent on hanging onto her.

“The woman is ill. Don’t hurt her,” another voice said. This one she recognized as Ghel. Was that really how he saw her? As ill, because of her blindness? She was some feeble creature to him?

She felt her warrior pause. “Ill?”

“I’m not ill,” she said indignantly. “I’m blind.”

He glanced at her over his shoulder before returning his gaze to the Tarnans.

“You heard the woman,” he told them. “She isn’t ill.”

“Let her go,” Bynt said. “Give her to us and we’ll let you go free. You can find another woman, one who is whole.”

Lucie felt herself deflate inside. Of course that’s how people would see her. Wasn’t that how she saw herself most days? Feeble. Less than a woman. Useless to anyone and everyone. Why did the Tarnans try so hard to save her if their opinion of her was so low? They should be grateful to be rid of such a burden, she thought bitterly. “I can see a little. And my other senses work perfectly well, thank you,” she mumbled.

The arm around her tightened a moment, as if he were reassuring her.

“If you harm me, my father will destroy you and your people,” her warrior said. “You know what I say is true.”

“Who you are is of little consequence to us. You’ve boarded our vessel without permission, intent on plundering like a common pirate. The law is on our side and you know it.” She heard the ice in Bynt’s voice and shivered.

“This is your last warning,” Ghel said.

“A blast from your weapon could go through me and harm the woman,” her warrior said. “If you value her at all, you won’t shoot me.”

“There’s no escape,” another Tarnan said. She thought it might be Xan. “Turn yourself over to us and no one will be harmed.”

Her warrior gave a bitter laugh. “Except for the men of mine you’ve already killed, you mean?”

“Why did you board this ship?” Xan asked.

Her warrior shrugged. “We were passing close to Keshpa and heard the news. Four Keshpans escaped with their slaves. Only three vessels were in orbit at the time. One was yours.”

“And the other two?” Xan asked.

“We checked them first. They were clean.”

“Is there a bounty on them?” Bynt asked. “Is that what you’re after?”

Her warrior gave a mirthless laugh. “Your planet isn’t the only one lacking in females. There are less than a dozen females left on my world. The plague that spread through Tourmalane twenty years ago wiped out almost the entire female population. Most who survived are past childbearing years. If we wish to survive, we must claim women from other species. Everyone knows that Keshpa is known for abducting human women. They’re the most beautiful to us, the most coveted on my planet. I merely thought to lighten your load a bit.”

Lucie felt her heart sink. If he truly wanted someone to raise a family with, it couldn’t be her. As much as she wanted to grab onto him and never let go, she knew she needed to step away. If they would let him go, he could find someone worthy of him. Her heart ached at the thought of him kissing another woman the way he’d kissed her. It was foolish, thinking he’d never been with a woman before, but it had been a nice thought that maybe she could have been the last woman in his life.

She pushed at his back, trying to distance herself.

He glanced her way. “Why are you struggling now?”

“You need someone who can give you children. I’m a blind woman who can’t even take care of herself, much less a baby. I’m not what you need.”

“Lucie!” Ghel sounded scandalized. “You were actually thinking of leaving with this barbarian?”

“If I remain,” she said softly. “Will you let him go? Return him to his ship safely?”

“No,” her warrior growled at her. “I don’t care about lack of sight. You’re mine.”

Her heart thrilled at those words. The idea of belonging to someone who wanted her, who didn’t see her as a burden… It was wonderful, but she knew it couldn’t be. “They aren’t going to let you leave with me,” she tried to reason.

“Then I’ll die protecting you,” he vowed.

Her breath hitched in her throat. “They won’t harm me. Please, save yourself.”

He turned slightly to face her and it was all the distraction the Tarnans needed. They rushed him, tackling him to the hard metal floor. Lucie was knocked out of the way, her breath leaving her as her body slammed into the unforgiving wall. The back of her head cracked against the metal and she saw stars, felt her body list to the side, and then she was on her hands and knees.

She heard her warrior cry out for her a moment before the blackness overtook her.

Dryxel felt his heart contract when saw Lucie hit the wall. There was a startled look on her face, right before she fell to the ground. He felt a roar building in his throat as he reached for her. When she slumped onto her side, her eyes closed, he completely lost it, bucking against the Tarnans, trying to free himself to go to her aid. He’d claimed her in front of witnesses. She was his! His to protect, and the Tarnans were keeping him from her side.

He twisted in their grasp, kicking out and catching one of them in the thigh. The Tarnan wrestled him to the ground, flat on his stomach, and shoved his face into the floor. Rage poured through him, followed closely by fear for his woman. What would become of her? Would the Tarnans take care of her? What if she was seriously injured? He struggled, but they clapped wrist irons on him.

The one who seemed to be the leader of the small group hauled him up and began propelling him down the hall. He fought them the whole way, knowing that if they succeeded in taking him to the holding cells he might never see Lucie again. The moment he’d seen her, he’d been spellbound. He’d never seen a more gorgeous creature in his life, and while she’d trembled she hadn’t run from him. He knew now she hadn’t run because of her blindness, but she’d let him hold her, kiss her.

They entered the darkness of the holding area. A quick scan showed he was their only prisoner at the moment. His heart was heavy with the loss of his brethren, but they had died trying to protect their planet from extinction. He knew they would gladly give their lives again, even if it meant he only managed to escape with Lucie.

He’d sent out a signal to the other Tourmalane ships nearby, letting them know where he was and what he was doing. He knew if he didn’t check in that it would only be a matter of time before someone came to rescue him. If the Tarnans expected his men were coming, there would be a bloodbath, and he wasn’t sure who would win. The Tarnans seemed intent on keeping their women, and he couldn’t blame them.

They shoved him into a cell and the door clanged shut, the lock grating as it turned. It wasn’t a new cell, for which he should be thankful. If he had the use of his hands, it would be easy enough to pick the lock and escape. No one used key locks anymore, but it seemed this was an older ship and hadn’t been updated. His hands flexed, the metal of the cuffs biting into his skin. They weren’t made for a male his size.

“If you’re on your best behavior, we’ll release you at the next space station,” he was told by the one with long hair. “I’m sure someone there will return you to your father.”

Dryxel was thirty-seven and hardly needed his father, but he knew his sire would be furious when he heard about Dryxel’s capture. If the Tarnans thought they could capture the Tourmalane prince without any repercussions, they were sadly mistaken. They’d as good as declared war, even if he had been the one to enter their ship uninvited.

He paced his six by six cell, wondering if Lucie was all right. His gut clenched as he thought of her lying there, unconscious. His father had told him he’d know his destined mate when he met her, but he hadn’t believed him. Then he’d seen Lucie. If her beauty hadn’t been enough to draw him in, the taste of her certainly would. She’d tasted like the nectar from the passion flowers on his planet, a delicacy few could afford.

His hands clenched again as he studied his cell. There was a cot along one wall that looked most uncomfortable. A waste receptacle was in the corner and he cringed at the thought of being exposed while he relieved himself. It was degrading to say the least. While he knew his men would come to his rescue, it might be a while. He could sit in this cell for at least a day, maybe more. He wondered if they would free his hands at some point, preferably before he pissed his pants.

Dryxel didn’t know how long he paced, but his stomach began cramping from hunger. He knew at least one meal cycle had to have passed, perhaps even two. His thoughts were chaotic in his worry for his mate. He may not have sealed the claim yet, but that didn’t make Lucie any less his princess.

He remembered her words in the hall. She’d been fearful that she was inadequate for him because of her vision. What she didn’t realize was that as his mate, she would have all the help she needed. Probably more than she wanted. Had his mother still been alive, she would have loved Lucie, of that he was certain. His father was bound to adore her. If he could just get off this damn ship!

The door across the room opened and a Tarnan stepped through. Dryxel faced him, wondering if they’d come to execute him. Surely they would have sent more than one? How insulting!