Taming the Raven's Son (Galactic Lust) (17 page)

A piercing cry ripped into her head, bringing with it all
the pain she’d recently left.

Breathe, woman! I won’t allow this. Do you understand?
You must not die!

An eternity swept by under the crushing weight and heat of
bodies that’d been pulled on top of them. Sage’s hips and chest screamed in
pain. At least it wasn’t from smoldering embers or outright flames. The stench
of burned flesh filled her nostrils and sickened her stomach. She couldn’t
recall how she’d wound up beneath the bodies.

Heat and Jacob stirred and the heavy bodies slid away.
“Jacob!” a woman exclaimed.

Sage opened her eyes in time to see Jacob shoot to his feet
and rush the woman standing near. Before he reached her, many men jumped on
him, crushing him to the stone floor.

Heat stood, grabbed Sage’s upper arm and lifted her. He
dragged her over bodies, away from the activity. Her mouth fell open as she
reached for Jacob.

“No,” Heat bellowed, “didn’t you see him?”

Soldiers struggled to keep Jacob down. He threw them off.
More men appeared, casting aside weapons, trying to control him with brute
force. Jacob would have none of it.

“Let me go to him!” Sage screamed, tugging in an attempt to
escape.

“I promised to keep you safe. You’ll stay here, with me.”

“Jacob,” the woman with long, pitch-black hair screamed.

Jacob shook his head and calmed for a moment. He stared. A
second later, he fought his captors harder. Sage turned to Heat and wrapped her
arms around him. He embraced her, offering her protection. Once he relaxed, she
shoved against him, dislodging his hold.

She ran to Jacob, fending off the men trying to grab her.
Just as she reached him, someone lifted her. She screamed in frustration and
anger. Jacob turned toward her. He raised his face to the ceiling and bellowed
in rage after seeing her restrained by the soldiers.

He knocked down five men, discarding them mechanically
before grabbing her. He raced across the arena floor, jumped and landed in the
first row of burned-out seats, holding her around the waist in a death grip.

Too stunned to move, barely able to breathe, she looked into
his face and saw an animal. The reflection of light in the black orbs danced as
he scanned the crowd gathering on the arena floor. His body tensed and
tightened. Many of the guards drew their weapons.

A very tall, sandy-blond-haired man stepped forward. The
soldiers stepped away in deference to him. The man disarmed himself, throwing
his weapon to the ground. The black-haired woman walked to his side.

“Jacob,” the man said in a deep, authoritative voice. “Stand
down.”

“Please,” the woman added, extending her upturned palms to
him.

Jacob’s gaze darted from left to right. He scanned the
people quickly as his heart hammered in his chest, the veins in his neck
distended from rushing blood. Did he search for a weak point to attack?

She placed her palm upon his cheek. She regretted her
inability to keep it from shaking. “Jacob, I’m hurt.”

He scanned her as he set her on her feet. She took advantage
of the distance and held his face in her hands. She swallowed, refusing to show
any trace of fear. “My hip and side, Jacob,” she said, balancing her weight on
her left leg. “Something’s wrong.”

The insignificant throbbing she’d noticed when they’d been
buried in bodies escalated into excruciating pain when she’d tried to bear her
weight. He moved his hands over her, poking and prodding. When he grasped her
hips and applied pressure, she crumpled. He drew her into his arms and the pain
in her hip exploded.

“Oh!”

Jacob’s hold lightened until she could breathe.

“Son,” the man with the gleaming medals adorning his uniform
said, “she needs a med unit.”

Jacob’s father?

“Please,” the woman added, “fight the Raven. The animal
within served you well. Kept you alive. It’s time for the man to return.”

Jacob blinked and shook his head. The woman drew near. “Let
me help you.”

She reached out slowly and the strum of guns coming to life
echoed in the building. Jacob lowered his chin and bared his teeth. The woman
gazed at Sage. “Tell him it’s all right. Soothe him, miss.”

“Jacob,” Sage said, fighting back tears. “Allow her near.
Come back to me. I need you.”

The anger faded from his expression as he gazed down at her.
The woman walked forward and grasped his forearm. She smiled. “Place the Raven
aside, my dear Jacob. This lovely miss needs your attention right now.”

Sage relaxed as Jacob took deeper and deeper breaths. Her
arms shook and pain crawled over every centimeter of her body. She could feel
each twinge of discomfort.

Rather than the keening cry of the Raven filling his head, a
soothing, lulling call replaced the war howl. He understood his mother meant
him no harm as the consoling, hypnotic non-verbal communication reached him
when little else could.

“Sage,” he said, gazing down at his exhausted and battered
woman.

“Yes, Jacob,” she said as her eyes closed and her face
turned toward his chest.

“Come, Jacob,” his mother urged, tugging on his forearm.
“Let‘s take you to the ship. Many others have gone already.”

The cry of the Raven hadn’t been a dream. “Thank you.”

“Had you not disappeared off the grid years ago,” his father
said in his usual flat tone, “this would’ve never happened.”

Jacob deserved worse than his father’s anger for what had
happened since Sovereign had landed. He’d been responsible for many lives. A
great number of those souls had been taken to the afterlife under his
leadership.

Sage choked and grabbed the front of his burnt shirt with
her fist. Her need for medical attention lessened the stupor surrounding him.
He followed his mother as she led them out of the arena to the clear, warm
night beyond. The people of Prevelor were transported in small groups. Above,
they’d receive the very best medical care, food and for the first time in over
a year, peace and safety.

* * * * *

Sage quietly sat while Jacob, his mother and father talked.
Seated at a table in the corner of the mess hall, soldiers as well as
inhabitants from Prevelor came and went. She marveled at the extensive crew on
the ship. She knew about the Governance but could never have imagined its
soldiers could be so compassionate. After her recent life experiences, she
realized she knew very little about the universe.

“And, Miss McVaughn,” Lieutenant General Ryker said,
breaking into her thoughts, “what are your plans? You’re not going to attempt
to go back to Bastillous, are you?”

“Father.” Jacob pushed his empty plate to the center of the
table.

“Gage,” his mother said, placing her hand on his father’s
arm. “She’s barely an hour out of medical. Let’s not pressure her.”

The icy, blue-eyed gaze of Jacob’s father remained trained
on Sage. He wanted an answer. Sage couldn’t figure out where his hostility came
from. “Lieutenant General Ryker,” she began before clearing her throat, placing
her fork down. “It’s unsure what my position is there.”

“They ordered your murder. Could they make it any clearer?”

Sage closed her eyes and shut him out. The warmth of Jacob’s
hand in hers slowed her racing heart.

What in the hell am I supposed to do? Why is Jacob’s
father speaking to me like this?

“You have an interest in Jacob,” he said.

When Sage opened her eyes, she found not only his father,
but his mother scrutinizing her reaction. Prior to that moment, Jacob’s mother,
Reina, demonstrated nothing but composure and kindness. Her intense expression
showed something else.

Sage glanced up to find Jacob gazing at her. Tears gathered
in her eyes before she stared at her lap. She wanted nothing more than to spend
the rest of her life with him. But she’d been thrust upon him. He’d been forced
to care for her.

“Miss McVaughn, answer me. Do you have an interest in
Jacob?”

She glared at his father. “How am I supposed to answer? I
don’t know what day it is. I don’t know specifically where I am in the
universe. I couldn’t tell you for sure what I just ate, although it was very
good.” She stood and Jacob kept hold of her hand. “What do my feelings toward
Jacob have to do with a damn thing?”

He stood and although he remained across the table, she
found herself leaning back. Could she be court-martialed for speaking to him
disrespectfully? She didn’t care at the moment. His rudeness prompted her
rebuttal. In fact, he deserved worse.

“Please, Sage, sit down.” Jacob’s father’s hands were balled
into fists at the ends of his long arms.

She sat.

It’s only because you changed the tone of your voice.

If he wanted to talk, he’d better keep calm and remain
civil.

He folded his hands and placed them on the table. “Forgive
me for being curt. At times, I tend to lack the decorum necessary when dealing
with sensitive situations.”

Her shoulders slumped as she leaned against the chair.
You
and your son both.

“Jacob’s expressed a desire to marry you.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“It’s important to know if you feel the same.”

Jacob cleared his throat. “That’ll be enough, Father.”

“Not this time. You’ve been trained as a Governance hunter.
You were reared in the military. This once, I’m ordering you to remain silent
while I discern what Ms. McVaughn’s intentions are.”

Jacob rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. No wonder
Jacob had run from everything he’d known. His father was little more than a
bully.

“As you know, Ms. McVaughn—”

“A few seconds ago you called me by my given name. I’d
prefer you use it now.”

Both his father and his mother smiled. His mother’s appeared
genuine. “As you wish, Sage,” he said. “Perhaps I’ve been too blunt. For that I
beg your pardon.”

“You have it.”

“We’ve lost Jacob once and don’t intend for that to happen
again. Surely you can understand.”

She glanced down at the large, gentle hand clasping hers.
“Yes, I can.”

“The Governance is immensely interested in Prevelor and I’m
to make decisions regarding the harvest of sedious from there. Because the man
who referred to himself as
Sovereign
is dead, control of the outpost is
returned to Jacob. Because of his Governance background, the president has
agreed to allow him to continue to preside over it.”

“Is that really up to the Governance to decide?”

Gage leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and stared
at her. “Jacob and I have spoken. He realizes an alliance with the Governance
is the only way to protect this outpost. Because it has something the
Governance needs, I can offer protection.”

“So let’s cut to the chase. You have Jacob back. He’ll allow
you to mine Prevelor, and the Governance gets its minerals. Everyone’s happy.
What do I have to do with the equation?”

His mother opened her palm and placed it on the table.
“You’re a woman of business. You did well at Bastillous. They no longer have a
position for you.”

Sage stared.

“I don’t bring this to your attention to point out your
limited choices. In fact, many other prestigious enterprises have begun a
bidding war for your expertise.”

It took a full minute for Sage to digest the news. “Really?”

“Yes. In all fairness, you need to have all the information
to make an informed decision.”

“I don’t understand. Why must I decide anything right now?”

Jacob turned to face her. “Dearest Sage, I want and need
you. You have to stay with me. Contrary to how our relationship began, I’m
asking, not demanding. Will you become my wife?”

She sighed. “Why is this so important?”

“I understand if you don’t feel the same as I do.”

She couldn’t gaze into his icy-blue eyes any longer and
looked instead at his large, warms hands wrapping her in safety. For once, she
allowed her heart to guide her and placed aside the common sense that’d been
drilled into her every fiber. “I want you, Jacob.” She cleared her throat.
Declaring something like this was terrifying. With his parents in attendance,
she almost didn’t finish what she’d wanted to say. “I don’t want that other
life anymore. I want to work with you to bring Prevelor to its full potential.”

He stood and pulled her from her feet, wrapping his arms
around her waist. He whispered, “Then hear it all before you give yourself to
me.”

The dire warning in his tone sent frosty dread washing over
her spine.

“They won’t allow me to preside over Prevelor without you
because of the animal hiding in my soul. Just as my mother’s place in the
Governance is assured only because of my father. I need you to know this up
front. There won’t be secrets between us. So if you think I’m using you to get
this station, say no. If you believe I love you and will care for you with my
life, say yes.”

Jacob had been the only person in her life who
hadn’t
really used her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, savoring
the hesitancy of his lips. He’d been afraid that once she learned the condition
of his rule over Prevelor, she’d run.

“Foolish man,” she said, stroking his hair, adoring the
silken strands as they danced through her fingers. “I know a good deal when I
hear it.”

His father laughed and his mother said, “Welcome to the
Governance, Sage. And more importantly, welcome to our family.”

Sage sighed, liking the sound of that more and more. Jacob
placed her on her feet but kept a possessive arm across her shoulders. He
turned to his parents. “And now that you have a wedding to arrange, perhaps
you’ll tell me what you plan to do with my friend.”

“Heat?” she asked, gazing from Jacob to his parents.

Jacob smiled. “It appears as though he owes a debt to the
Governance.”

“A very large one,” his father said. “You know I could have
him hanged for piracy.”