Hannah's Warrior: Cosmos' Gateway Book 2 (13 page)

“Borj, are you
alright?”
Hannah’s soft voice brushed
against his mind.

“Yes.”
Borj whispered back.
“I will be with
you soon.”

Just as quickly, she was gone but not all the
way. He could still feel the connection between them. It must have
shown briefly on his face because Te’mar finished his drink and
slammed his own glass down on his desk.

“
This is what I mean. The men are
desperate for a mate. The population of females is at a critical
level. The few females that are old enough have already bonded with
a male except for a small number like your daughter, Terra. Soon,
the males will not care if she is their bond mate or not. One of
them will just claim her.” Te’mar said darkly.

Teriff’s face flushed a deep red and Borj
felt his own temper rise at the silent threat to their family.
“Never! I will kill any male who tries to claim Terra without being
her bond mate.” Teriff growled out dangerously.

Te’mar shook his head. “Your best bet would
be to send her away someplace safe. Even the palace walls are no
longer a safe place for an unclaimed female of age.”

Borj stood in the doorway watching as Hannah
laughed at something Tink was saying. Tilly Bell was sitting on the
couch with her ‘husband’s’ arm around her shoulder sipping on a
drink. His brother, J’kar, had a dark scowl on his face as he tried
to catch Tink who was moving around rapidly while retelling how she
met J’kar in an animated voice. His mother was seated in one of the
other chairs. He looked around but did not see his sister, Terra.
Hannah looked up and smiled softly at Borj.

“
How was your meeting?” Hannah asked
curiously. “Your mom said she wasn’t expecting anyone else except
my mom.”

“
Yes, well…” Borj said with a sheepish
grin. “After I explained that you were there and I had no choice
but to bring you, they understood.”

J’kar looked at Borj in amusement as he
finally caught Tink as she twirled by him and pulled her onto his
lap. “Yes. It had nothing to do with the image you were carrying or
the fact you refused to obey a direct order.” J’kar chuckled
out.

Borj’s face flushed as he looked at Hannah’s
parents and his mother. “I knew she was my bond mate the moment I
saw her. I just didn’t expect our first meeting to be so painful an
experience.” He said touching the fading bruise on his
forehead.

Hannah just grinned with a non-sympathetic
look on her face. “That’ll teach you to sneak around in the
dark.”

Tilly laughed with delight. “You tell him,
Hannah. Borj, you should see the frying pan. It is in much worse
shape than your head.”

“
You clobbered him with a frying pan?
Man, that must have hurt!” Tink said in awe.

“
Yes, but not as much as the knee did.”
Hannah added without thinking.

“
The knee?” J’kar asked with a
frown.

Tink, Tilly, and Hannah all burst out
laughing as Angus gave Borj a sympathetic glance. “Hannah has very
good reflexes and her mother made sure all the girls learned basic
safe defense.” Angus said with a slightly apologetic sigh.

Borj’s hand moved to rub the front of his
pants in remembrance. “Yes, so I discovered the hard way.” There
was another burst of laughter from the women at Borj’s
response.

“
What of the meeting, Borj?” His
mother, Tresa, asked quietly as the laughter settled
down.

Borj sighed heavily as he moved to pull
Hannah up out of the chair she was sitting in long enough to sit
before pulling her onto his lap. Hannah started to move but Borj
wrapped his arm determinedly around her waist holding her to him.
He was holding onto his patience by a thread. He knew she would not
appreciate him throwing her over his shoulder but if he didn’t
claim her soon that was exactly what was going to happen.

“Feeling a little
frustrated and impatient, are we?”
Hannah
teased silently wiggling her ass just enough to feel something
harden underneath it.

Hannah fought to keep the
blush from her face as she felt Borj’s cock swelling to an
incredible size under her.
“I will show
you how impatient I am soon, ku lei.”
Borj
replied with a dark promise.

Hannah froze as she absorbed what was
happening. She was actually teasing Borj! This was so new to her
she wasn’t sure what to think or feel. Analyzing it, she decided
she liked it. She liked the sense of power it gave her to know Borj
reacted that way to her but she also liked the feeling coursing
through her. There was that excited adrenaline rush she got during
a dangerous photo shoot or when she knew everything was just right.
Her sixth sense was telling her that this was right. Hannah looked
at her mom and noticed she was watching her with a soft,
understanding smile lighting her eyes. She looked to her dad and he
gave her a wink and a small nod. Hannah’s lips curved as she
blushed and inclined her head shyly.

“
Borj?” Tresa asked again breaking into
his thoughts. “The council?”

“
Everything went as expected. Once I
proved my claim on Hannah they understood I had no choice but to
return with her. I also explained it would be unfair to expect
their mother to be forcibly removed from her mate since we knew
what happens when we are separated from our own.” Borj said
quietly. He paused for a moment looking at J’kar before continuing.
“There was also concern about the human male that was brought back.
It appears he is under the protection of the Eastern Mountain Clan.
He made promises of telling them of the human females.” Borj said
darkly.

J’kar sat forward tightening his grip around
Tink. “How did you learn this? I have not received a report from
Lan yet.” J’kar responded harshly.

“
Te’mar. He would not say what his
source was but I believe him. He said Bachman was about to be
terminated when the holovid was discovered. Once played, he used it
as a bargaining tool…his life for more information on human
females. Fortunately, there was nothing about the portal on it and
he was unconscious when he was taken. Te’mar fears they will try to
take the females and use them to find out how they came here and
where their planet is.” Borj informed all of them.

“
Oh, dear. That could be a problem.”
Tilly said leaning back against Angus. “How secure are the portal
devices and the room? Cosmos needs to be aware as well so he can
set up additional security on his end.”

“
I’m sure they are already working on
that, sweetheart.” Angus assured his wife. He turned to look at
J’kar. “I am concerned with the safety of my wife and daughters
here, though. I won’t have anything happen to them.” Angus said
forcefully.

“
I have already posted additional
guards throughout the palace.” J’kar assured Angus.

“
Nevertheless, I would like to see what
arrangements have been set in place. While I may not be a warrior
such as yourselves, I am a writer. As a writer, I can often see
things other people tend to miss or overlook. You would be
surprised at how many countries I have been to and found ways
around their security systems by doing some simple research and
observations.” Angus said firmly letting both men know he would not
stand passively by if there was a possibility of his family being
in danger.

Borj bowed his head in acknowledgement. “You
have a right to know as the male of your family. I will have Lan
meet with you and your beautiful mate to review our security
measures.” Borj said quietly looking to J’kar who also nodded in
agreement.

Tilly sniffed indigently at the mention of
Angus being the ‘male’ of the family but bit her tongue. It would
appear there were quite a few things these aliens needed to learn
besides how to let a female have fun during sex. Tilly relaxed back
as she felt Angus gently squeeze her shoulder in understanding. He
knew her so well.

“
Was there anything else?” J’kar asked
as he gently rubbed Tink’s still flat belly.

“
Te’mar also mentioned concern about
Terra.” Borj continued, hesitantly looking at his
mother.

J’kar frowned. “What about Terra?” He growled
out lowly.

Tink patted her hands over his. “Down boy,
you’re squeezing.”

J’kar muttered a silent apology and kissed
the back of Tink’s neck enjoying the shiver that ran through his
mate at the touch of his lips. As soon as he found out what threat
there was to Terra he was taking his mate back to their living
quarters. He grimaced when he felt Tink’s elbow in his ribs. He
must have been thinking loudly again.

“You were. I guess I’ll
just have to tie you up and have my wicked way with you. Maybe I
can…”
J’kar groaned as the vivid pictures
Tink began thinking made him swell with need.

Tilly glanced at the painful expression on
J’kar’s face in fascination. “Is she talking dirty to you,
sweetheart? You look like Angus after we’ve been…” Tilly’s words
died as Angus swung her around to silence her with his lips.

Hannah groaned while Tink giggled. “Aw, mom!
This is visual information your children really don’t need to
know.” Hannah said closing her eyes as her mom started running her
hands over her dad. “Borj, just tell J’kar what you were going to
say so we can leave these two alone. They have a new place to
initiate.”

Tink laughed out loud. “Yeah, they have a
whole new planet, you mean.”

Borj cleared his throat as he watched with
growing hunger as Angus reluctantly released his wife. Both of them
were breathing a little heavy and had a glazed look on their face.
Angus pushed his glasses back into place before nodding for Borj to
continue.

“
Te’mar is afraid some of the men are
getting desperate at not being able to find their bond mate. There
are a few females who are of age and still unclaimed. Terra is one
of them. He fears the men will no longer wait to see if a bond mate
can be found for these females but take them against their will. He
wonders if even the palace is safe enough to protect her. Others
have sent their unclaimed females to the Island of Maree until the
next mating ceremony. He suggested it might be better to send Terra
away as well.” Borj explained in a reserved voice.

J’kar frowned while Tresa gasped. “But, it is
so far. How would she be safer away from her family? She would hate
it. It is like a prison. You know she will refuse. There is nothing
for her to do there. Her research, her love of …” Tresa’s voice
faded at the resigned looks on both of her sons’ faces.

“
Father has already agreed to send
her.” Borj said quietly hating the pain he saw come across his
mother’s face.

Angus cleared his throat before speaking. “I
know this is none of my business but are you sure that is a wise
decision? I mean, sending all the ‘unclaimed’ females to this
place? It seems to be the perfect set up for disaster. You have all
your eggs in one basket. No matter how secure it may appear, no
place is completely invincible. You’ve just placed all the females
in an easier place to be taken in a large number.” Angus said
frowning as different scenarios ran through his head.

J’kar looked at Angus for a moment. “What
would you suggest then to protect her?”

“
I know!” Tink said excitedly. “I
know!”

“
What, sweetheart?” Tilly asked
curiously.

“
Send her to Cosmos! Then you know no
one can get her! Between Cosmos and RITA they can make sure no one
comes through and he will protect her. He also has the lab there.
She loves to tinker as much as he does.” Tink said
excitedly.

“
She could have your old room.” Hannah
said with a growing smile. “He would do everything he could to
protect her.”

"Never! Look what happened to you on your
world." J'kar growled out fiercely.

"And to you." Borj said quietly but just as
fiercely.

"Nonsense." Tilly responded calmly. "Those
were both very isolated occurrances. Plus, if Cosmos knows Terra is
under his protection he will be very diligent to ensure her
safety."

"She's right. I would trust Cosmos with all
three of my daughters and have." Angus added.

"But, she would be alone with the male."
J'kar growled out protectively.

Tink twisted in J'kar's lap and grabbed both
sides of his face forcing him to look her in the eye. "So was I,
for several years. He is the perfect gentleman." Tink growled out
in a voice that warned J'kar he was walking on thin ice if he was
thinking of insulting Cosmos.

Borj rubbed his chin before responding. "I
have met the male and he did seem very protective of Hannah and
Tink. Terra would be much happier there than on Maree. The only
problem would be getting father's agreement to sending her."

Tresa smiled suddenly. "Oh, I don't think
that will be much of a problem. I have gotten very good at getting
his agreement. I think with Tilly's help, I can come up with some
very creative ways to get him to change his mind." Tresa said with
a mischievous smile curving her delicate lips.

Tilly's eyes brightened. "I have just the
thing. I brought all of Cosmos' magazines he had hidden. I'm sure
we can get some wonderful ideas from them."

Hannah groaned while Tink's mouth formed a
silent 'oh'. Angus chuckled. "Perhaps, we can help test some of
those ideas ourselves." He growled out softly against his wife's
ear.

Chapter 10

Borj walked slowly through the corridors with
Hannah tucked securely at his side. It took every ounce of his
considerable self-restraint not to just pick her up and run with
her to his living quarters. He couldn't hear her fears as she was
blocking him from her mind but he could feel the slight tremble in
her fingers which were laced through his.