Forced Handfasting (14 page)

“Do you hurt anywhere?” the healer asked as he began to run his hand over each of her small limbs to check for broken bones or lacerations.

Jahan stepped away from the table and pulled Sam into his arms. He had to hold her for just a minute while the healer was distracted. He buried his nose in her golden hair and inhaled deeply. Gods she smelled so good!

Sam wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. “Jahan, what’s wrong?” She had to tilt her head back so that she would be able to see his face.

“She’s small. I don’t know how she survived out there all alone.” A tremor racked his body with thoughts of what might have happened to her if he had not spotted her movement. “I have let my people down.”

“Don’t you talk like that? How could you have known she was out there?”

“That’s just it; I don’t know how many more may still be alive out there.” He crushed her thin frame to his chest. “I have to go back out there, and search for any more survivors.”

“I’ll go with you!”

He pulled back and gave her a look of horror. “No! I will not subject my wife to the devastation I saw.”

“But…,”

Jahan cut her off, “No buts. You will remain in here along with everyone else.”

His eyes told her all she needed to know, and that he would not bend on this. He couldn’t go out there searching for survivors knowing that he would be putting his own mate in jeopardy.

“You must understand, my love. I can’t search for others if I have to be conscious of your safety at all times. I only just found you and will not risk losing you. It’s bad enough that one of my people has betrayed me, and our way of life; killing gods knows how many. I would never be able to live if I lost you.” He searched her face for any understanding. Her face had been defiant when he first told her no, but as he explained himself, he saw the softness fill her precious features once again.

“Ok, but you have to promise to be careful.” Her hold around his waist tightened as she looked up at him.

“That, I can do,” he replied with a small smile.

“When will you go back out?” she asked.

“Tomorrow morning. I’ll take Niko with me.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“My lord?” The call of healer interrupted their private moment.

“How is she,” he asked. Bankee was sitting up on the examination table now eating a small treat the healer had given her.

“She is well with the exception of a few bumps, bruises, and the cut on her head. She should recover just fine. You can take her now. Just bring her back to me in a few days’ time so that I can recheck her head.” He lifted Bankee off the table to stand her on the floor next Sam.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Jahan placed his hand on the older man’s shoulder in a gesture of gratitude.

The three of them exited the healer’s room. Jahan held Bankee’s hand as they walked in the direction of the dining room. He figured she had to be hungry despite the two small snacks she had already consumed. Not to mention he was hungry himself.

“Jahan,” Sam leaned in close so that only he would hear her, “What are you going to with her? I mean, with her parents being gone and everything.”

Jahan looked from Sam then to Bankee. What was he going to do with her? He didn’t have a clue on how to take care of a child.

“I guess, I’ll see if one of the other families will take her.” Somehow that didn’t feel right saying that. He didn’t feel right pawning the child off to someone else.

“Could I…could I take care of her,” Sam asked hesitantly?

Jahan stopped dead in his tracks. “You want to watch after her?”

“I do.”             

He felt a surge of happiness pass through him with his mate’s words. “Why? Why would you want to take someone else’s child, and care for her when you have no children of your own?”

“I was a teacher back on Earth remember, and she…and she has no one.” Tears glistened in Sam’s eyes as she spoke. “She is alone, and needs someone who will care for her.” She paused for a moment. “Before…before you found me I was in my first year of teaching. I loved my students and wanted to make a difference in their young lives. I had one student who came to me after the school year started. His name was, is, Ronnie. He was in the state’s foster care system because he was taken away from his parents due to abuse. He was such a shy, withdrawn thing but by the end of the school year he had flourished, and was happy again. His foster parents loved him to pieces.” She looked over to Bankee, who was staring at the other children running around in the play area.

Jahan saw the look on her face, and automatically knew that she and Bankee belonged together. “She is ours then.”

Sam’s face lit up with pure joy. “Really? She can stay with us?”

“I won’t have it any other way if that is what you wish.”

Samantha’s face beamed with happiness as she reached up to place a kiss on his lips. “Thank you!”

The rest of the evening went by in a flash. The three of them went to the dining room to get something to eat then returned to their rooms where Sam made up a temporary bed for Bankee. While his two ladies had finished up eating, he had slipped away for a moment to ask on of the soldiers, who was designated as the supply clerk, if he could find an extra bed, and have it brought to his quarters when he had the chance. The soldier returned shortly to inform him that all the beds had already been distributed, but he could have one put together in the morning. For now, Bankee was given a pallet to sleep on.

He sat on the sofa in their quarter as Sam prepared their new houseguest for bed. Bankee was given a shower then dressed in a set of clean clothes, which she was ecstatic to put on. The child had a whole new look to her once she was clean, and feed. Her hair, which he had assumed was dark brown, was actually a lite brown. When he went in to take his shower, he saw the evidence of the amount of dirt that was on the child in the bottom of the shower.

The feel of the hot water running over his tired muscles relaxed him. The tension, and worry from the day slipped down the drain at his feet in the same manner as the dirt did. He quickly dried his body then pulled on a pair of sleeping trunks before he entered their room again. The lights were dimmed, but there was enough light for him to make his way to the bed he shared with Sam.

Bankee’s tiny body was curled up underneath a pile of blankets, and snoring away. He had to smile at the thought of how safe she must feel now that she was out of danger. He crawled into the bed next to Sam and pulled her to him. Her warm body curled into his as he tucked her head beneath his chin. Her hand came up to rest on his bare chest at the same time a soft sigh escaped her parted lips.

He stared up at the rocky ceiling as he lay there listening to the two females who were now a part of his life. Not long ago he was alone, and searching for a mate. In a short time, the goddess had seen fit to grace him with a beautiful wife, and now, a beautiful child. From this moment on Bankee was his child, his daughter.

His fingers softly grazed up, and down Sam’s back as he drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow he would go out and look for any other survivors from the war started by one of their own.

Chapter 13

Rahman wanted to know if his scouts had found a way into Jahan’s lair yet. It was taking entirely too long for his men to discover the entrance, and bring the fool to him. Everything balanced on capturing Jahan and destroying the hold he had on Uxslore forever. He had waited far too long for Uxslore to be his, and rule as he saw fit.

He thought when he had given the go for the attack to start that it would have been over quickly. His element of surprise hadn’t worked as he had planned even though the amount of damage his fighters had been able to cause was tremendous. But, how the fuck had his nemesis managed to survive the assault on his home? He had to have had a way out into the mountain, something he hadn’t been aware of beforehand.

Not being able to get rid of Jahan was gnawing at him every day. He wanted the man dead but only by his hands now. He wanted it to be up front, and personal now. For over thirty cycles now, the little brat had annoyed the hell out of him. When Jahan was growing up, and would show up at the council meeting with his father, he had wanted to pull the kid to the side, and strangle him, but his father was far too protective of his eldest son. Guards were regularly, and consistently with the young Jahan, so he never got a clear chance of disposing of the boy before he grew into a man.

Now his chances of getting rid of Jahan forever seem to be dwindling fast. Someway or somehow he needed to catch Jahan off guard. Or, a thought just crossed his mind; he could bait him.

“Yes! That’s it! Bait!” he spoke out loud to himself as he slowly circled the temporary structure he was using as his base. He picked up the hand-held radio on his desk. “Tomar!” he yelled into it.

“Yes sir!” the reply came back.

“Come here,” he spoke harshly.

Thirty seconds later Tomar came rushing into his office, and stood at attention. “Has anyone come back from scouting yet?”

“No, sir. They are all still out, but I expect one of them to be reporting in soon. It’s near check-in time, and they all report in without failure.”

“Good, good. As soon as you hear something, come inform me.” He stopped in the doorway to look out into the big room where his command center was situated.

“Yes, sir,” Tomar replied then exited the room.

Rahman was anxious to know what his men had found out today. Most days were a disappointment for him since nothing new had been found out in the last several days. If he didn’t start to receive any satisfaction from his scouts, he’ll start to execute them if they didn’t bring him the information he wanted.

Not long after Tomar had left, the sound of footsteps neared his office door which had been left open. He turned to face whoever was coming, and soon saw Tomar coming his way with a tablet in his hand.

“Do you have something?”

“Yes, sir. One scout in the east quadrant of the mountain reports activity. Two men were seen clearly away debris, but the scout couldn’t get close enough to see who it was without being detected. Another report, from the scouting camp setup on the river bank, believes they were being watched from the water. A ship of some sort was cloaked, but a waiver of the cloak gave their position away.” Tomar read straight from the glowing tablet in his hands.

“Why didn’t they respond?” This small bit of info angered him. If the enemy had been that close, why hadn’t they tried to take them down?

“The report says as soon as the waiver occurred the ship left. They weren’t able to aim their weapons quick enough to try, and make a shot.”

“I want the camp moved! The idiots gave away their position. As for the other location, I want a scout near it at all times. It’s obviously something of importance to them. We might be able to jump on one of them if they come back.” Rahman walked around in circles again as he thought about what he wanted to be done. “I also want some men sent up the mountain on foot. Search any remaining houses and building for survivors. If any are found, bring them to me.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else,” Tomar asked.

“I’ll call for you if I need you again.”

Tomar retreated back out in the command center. Rahman smiled inwardly. With the information he had just received, he should be able to find out where the fuck Jahan was hiding. If need be, he would go out himself and search every inch of that fucking mountain!

******

Jahan had got up before Sam, and Bankee woke up. He didn’t want Sam to try to follow him when he went out in search of any other survivors. The last thing he needed was to worry about her safety. If he left before she rose then, he would be long gone, and she would be unable to try, and follow him.

He watched her sleep for a second before he leaned forward, and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. He glance over at Bankee and saw she was buried beneath the pile of blankets. The poor little thing had been alone, hungry, and scared until he came along, and found her. What would have happened if he hadn’t seen her movements? She would still be out there all alone.

Seeing her lying there motivated him to get moving. He headed out their living quarters, and to the garage where the ship he requested should be waiting. He had informed Niko late last night he wanted him to accompany him on a mission along with a few others. The ship they were to take was much larger than the one he had gone out in yesterday with his brother, but he felt as if it would better suit his needs if survivors are found.

“About time your ass got here,” Niko said as he approached the ship.

He really wasn’t in the mood for Niko’s comments. “Get in the ship, and shut up.”

“Yep, the same old cheery Jahan is taking us for a ride boys. I sure hope you all brought your knees boots because the shit is going to get deep in here today!” Niko laughed as he boarded the ship. The men they were taking with them were already on board and strapped in their seats.

“Niko!” Jahan shouted.

“I’m coming; I’m coming!” Niko slipped into the pilot’s seat and strapped his large frame into it. “Man, why are you so touchy this morning?”

Jahan instantly felt bad for snapping at his longtime friend. Niko was the last person he should be snapping at since his friend had gotten him out of more than one tight squeeze during their growing years.

“Sorry man. It is just the thought of more of our people out there in need has bothered me all night. Rahman is going to pay if I ever get my hands on him.” He squeezed the handles of his seat as his anger rose to a boiling point. He couldn’t allow himself to take out his anger on the ones that have remained faithful to him.

              Niko started the ship up then guided her carefully out the open doors of the garage. “I understand, man. I know how you feel. I’ve been with you a long time, and we’ve seen a lot of crap together but I never thought I would see some of the Uxslore people turn against you. I am dumbfounded by it all.”

              “I have lain awake many nights since this started, trying to figure out where I went wrong.” Jahan wiped roughly at his face with both of his hands. The stress and lack of sleep of getting to him but he needed to keep it together!

              “I’m there for you man, you know that, and these guys.” Niko jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the crew sitting in the rear of the ship. “And I know Samantha is behind you.”

              “Umm…Samantha. I may have made a mammoth mistake in bringing her here.” The thought of something happening to his wife left him with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

              “Are you crazy? That female is the best thing ever to happen to you!”

              “I’m not so sure now. I may have condemned us both to death along with most of the inhabitants of Uxslore. What I should have done was return her to her home. I took it upon myself and was selfish in wanting to keep her.” Jahan shook his head in shame.

              “Dude, you need a swift kick in the ass! Yea buying her was one thing, and you forcing her to handfast to you was another, but from what I can see, you two are made for each other! You need to get your head out of your ass, and see that the goddess brought you two together for a reason!”

              Jahan listened to Niko’s words. He knew his friend was right but at the moment it didn’t feel right knowing that he may have caused her death prematurely. He just prayed that the goddess was right in bringing them together.

              The ship glided quietly through the morning air. Off in the distance storm clouds were forming and would probably be upon the mountain sometime later that afternoon. A hefty wind lifted the ship now, and then causing a sudden drop in altitude. The first place they planned on checking was the former market area at the base of the mountain. Up until that day, it hadn’t been safe for a search party to go down to the market. With a surprise attack that turned into a war, most of the Uxslore residents were not prepared for the aftermath.

              The army that Jahan kept staffed had relaxed their guard, and they were now paying the price for it. Most of the fighter ships that had been out in the open were destroyed, leaving them with only a few he had stashed inside the mountain as precaution. He still hadn’t heard anything from the Flox on whether or not they would send aid to Uxslore. He feared that if he didn’t hear something soon from the newly formed alliance or if he didn’t gain an edge in the war itself, all would be lost.

              All he knew for the time being, and after looking at his beloved home, he would have to go in search of another planet his people could call home. The land on the mountain and surrounding area was scorched and would take decades if not centuries for the acreage to heal. Also, there was no telling if Rahman had used any chemicals on the land in order to prevent it from healing after this dreadful fight was over.

              Niko landed their ship on the outskirts of what used to be a market. Looking out the window up close at the area made his heart sink. There was no way possible anyone could have survived the onslaught that occurred here.

              “Let’s go take a look around,” he said as he unstrapped himself. His men were already standing, and waiting for him to exit the ship first. “I want to go in groups of three. No one is to go off on their own. Is that clear?”

              “Yes, my lord.” The reply was unanimous.

              “Check your weapons, and be prepared for anything. Make sure if you shoot, you are shooting at the enemy, not a survivor!” Jahan checked his laser as he gave out his commands.

              Each soldier exited the ship with weapons drawn. There wasn’t much left to search, but what remained needed to be gone through. Not one of the colorful tents that once housed goods for sale remained. Remnants of the colorful tops could be found scattered and burned on the ground as the group made their way through the deserted area. Bits and pieces of broken pottery and glass lay on the ground mixed in with the other unidentifiable debris. As the group moved over the destroyed market, the crunch of the glass sounded loudly in the air like firecrackers.

              Only the movement of the wind disturbed anything on the ground. A roll of thunder in the background gave the scene an eerie feeling of death and decay. A rustling noise to their left had the entire group of men shifting their attention in its direction only to find a small critter digging through the mass of garbage.

              As they neared what used to be the middle of a large market, Jahan gave out the instructions to break off in groups of three. He, Niko, and Tully veered to the right in order to search a small section of the main market office that still stood. The door into the office was blown off its hinges and was lying inside the gloomy room. Every pane of glass had been blown free of the windows, and lay on the floor with some larger pieces protruding from the walls. If anyone had been in the room when the explosion took place, he or she surely would have been killed, but as far as he could tell, no one had been in the room since there wasn’t any sign of blood.

              “Tully, keep a look out while Niko, and I go in here. I don’t want anyone sneaking up on us.”

              Tully nodded in response then stood near a window that gave him an advantage point to view most of the market, and surrounding area. Jahan and Niko moved cautiously into the next room that was much darker than the outside room. The room they were in must have been where the merchants came to pay the taxes on the goods that consumers had bought that day. A decent sized safe was embedded into the wall, but the door hung by one hinge. A quick look inside revealed it to be empty.

              “I don’t think we are going to find very much here,” Niko commented as he kicked aside a broken chair. “If there was anything left after the attack, it’s long gone now.”

              “I’m not looking for stuff. I’m looking for people,” he said gruffly. He didn’t give a shit about any of the stuff they might be able to salvage. He wanted to find living people! His people!”

              “Choo!”

              Jahan and Niko instantly looked at each other. “Did you hear that,” Niko asked in a whispered tone.

              Jahan nodded then pointed to the only other door in the room, the relief room. He held up his finger to his lips as an indication for Niko to remain quiet as he carefully made his way over to the closed door. With his booted foot, he nudged the partially open door further open until he could get a glimpse inside the small enclosure. The sound of a foot scraping against the floor caused him to halt his forward movement.