Defender (Battle Born Book 4) (11 page)

“It’s really quite simple. The IG’s new leader will agree to co-sponsor anything I propose to the steering committee or I’ll unleash chaos like they’ve never seen. My harbingers will look into the future and sabotage every deal they make. Their ventures will fail and their new technologies will find their way into the hands of off-world competitors. Research and development is expensive. And without new technologies, the IG is just a bunch of men playing dress up.”

“If I’m not mistaken,” he spoke with infinite care, having learned long ago how quickly her mood could change. “The only harbinger with that sort of range is no longer in residence.”

She glared at him. His brutal honesty was a necessary irritant. He was the only person in her inner circle that didn’t just tell her what she wanted to hear. Right now, however, the trait was particularly annoying. “Chandar’s absence is temporary. Now, I’m tired of talking.”

In an instant, he was behind her, fingers tangled in her long hair. “Will you give or receive?”

Excitement tingled down her spine. They both enjoyed being in control and yet they both enjoyed surrendering control to another, which made them ideal sexual partners. If Arrix were organic, their relationship might have become more than physical. Unfortunately, he wasn’t even a harbinger. His bloodline was pure and elite, but all his abilities were courtesy of integrated technology.

“Give,” she decided and he immediately released her hair and sank to his knees.

He really was an impressive example of Rodyte masculinity. His thick dark hair fell past his shoulders in gleaming waves and his features were rugged while still retaining a certain grace. Her skin looked particularly pale next to his bronzed flesh. And she frequently found herself lost in his ink-black eyes.

“Undress,” she directed.

He remained on his knees, which made the process awkward. She watched him in silent approval, amused by his struggle.

“May I speak, mistress?”

“As if I could stop you.” She shook her head. “That’s the one aspect of your role that you’ve never quit mastered.”

His grin was unapologetic. “My sister is still a member of Javin’s household staff. Shall I make inquiries on your behalf?”

She’d forgotten about his sister, seldom bothered with the personal lives of her subordinates. “Make inquiries, but not on my behalf. I don’t want those arrogant bastards to know I give a damn.”

“Understood.”

He was naked now and she was fully dressed. The contrast made her feel powerful.

“May I ask a question?”

Irritation surged at his persistence. She wanted him quiet and still, submissively waiting for whatever she chose to do with him. “Does it relate to Javin?”

“No, mistress. Completely different subject.”

“Fine.” She harrumphed.

“How is Chandar progressing?”

She tensed. Questions about her children were guaranteed to darken her mood and her mood was plenty dark already. “My daughter’s wellbeing is none of your business.”

“I only ask because you’ve been so distracted by her situation.”

Wanting the conversation over, so they could move on to more interesting pursuits, she gave in and updated him. “Chandar’s mental health is still fragile, but the hybrid healer seems to be a legitimate benefit. I’ve felt ripples of Chandar’s power and both my agents at Lunar Nine advice patience. I’m inclined to agree.”

He nodded and dared to glance at her. “How much longer will you wait to go get her? I know you’ve missed her terribly.”

“Soon. Her power needs to be a bit stronger before she’s ready for my return.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Now are you ready to submit or should we move this into the playroom?”

After indulging in a sexy smile, he raised his brawny arms and interlaced his fingers behind his head. He moved his legs farther apart, drawing her attention to his massive erection. “Forgive me, mistress. I await your command.”

* * * * *

Chandar awoke the following morning feeling refreshed and relaxed for the first time since her rescue. Her conversation with Raylon hadn’t ended the way she’d wanted it to, but they’d made progress, significant progress. The memory of their kisses had followed her into sleep, filling her dreams with sensual possibilities.

She showered, and dressed in one of her harbinger robes. It had been fun to play dress up, but she needed to deal with reality now. Her recovery was also progressing. Not as quickly as she would have liked, yet each day brought her a bit closer to her goals.

Danvier was in the dining room when she arrived. She greeted him with a smile then went to the nutria-gen and made her selections.

“Where did you go when you left us last night?” His tone was casual, nonconfrontational. Still she understood what he was really asking. Had she spent last night in Raylon’s bed?

“I spoke briefly with Raylon, then went to my suite.” She set down her tray and joined him at the table. “Did you guys just finish that one episode or did you watch more?”

“We just finished the one. We’ll be watching more this evening.”

Zilor and Indigo walked in a few minutes later and the conversation flew around the table. Indigo was good at engaging everyone in conversations. She was funny and likable, two characteristics that would never apply to Chandar.

“You’re awfully quiet this morning,” Indigo said as the men paused for bites of their food.

“I was just listening.” Chandar manufactured a smile.

Raylon entered the room, drawing Chandar’s attention like a magnet. He paused at the nutria-gen kiosk for a mug of fragrant
civata
brew then sat beside her. “Good morning.” He angled his chair so he could look at her without twisting his neck. “Did you sleep well?”

“Not as well as I did the night before.” Heat crawled up her neck at her own boldness.

“We’ll have to do something about that. Won’t we?”

Before she could answer, a stranger entered the dining room. With closely clipped dark hair, squared shoulders, raised chin, and piercing blue-ringed eyes, his bearing was blatantly militant. The gold stripes on his black uniform were slightly wider than Raylon’s and the emblem on his chest was even more elaborate. Chandar quickly analyzed the clues. There was only one rebel with a rank higher than Raylon’s. This was Garin Nox.

Garin stopped just inside the room and assessed the situation. His gaze quickly swept the occupants and landed on Chandar.

She sank down in her chair, barely resisting the urge to crawl under the table.

Raylon caught her elbow and whispered, “It’s all right, love. I know why he’s here. You don’t need to be afraid of Garin.”

“I can’t do this.” She tried to scoot her chair back, but suddenly Indigo was behind her.

The healer put her hands on Chandar’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “No one’s going to hurt you. We won’t let them.”

“That’s right, angel. Anyone that wants you has to come through us.”

Their combined support helped Chandar relax enough to breathe. Just because Garin emanated aggression in waves didn’t mean he’d turn that aggression on her.

Without asking permission, the general pulled out a chair and sat down. The table was round, but suddenly Garin’s area felt like the head of the table. “Good morning.” Everyone echoed the greeting and Indigo returned to her place beside Zilor before Garin went on. “I won’t take up much of your time, but this is important.”

“What’s up?” Danvier didn’t seem to be the least bit affected by the general’s unexpected appearance. But that wasn’t surprising. Danvier served Garin. According to her brother, they both resisted the traditional labels of master and servant, but Garin had allowed Danvier to form the metaphysical bond harbingers needed to stabilize their visions. Chandar couldn’t help feeling envious of that bond.

Garin looked at Raylon. “Did you fill them in on the meeting yesterday?”

Raylon shook his head. “I knew you were headed this way. Didn’t want to be redundant.”

“That’s right,” Indigo muttered, more or less to herself. “You met with the human taskforce.”

Garin shifted his gaze to his younger brother’s mate and offered her a quick smile. “Indeed, but Nazerel and Morgan had less to say than Ulrik Tandori.”

Indigo gasped. “The Tandoris showed up?” She looked at Zilor, myriad emotions animating her expression. “Do they specialize in dramatic entrances?” She was referring to Vinton Tandori’s uninvited appearance in the middle of her living room. It was one of many stories Indigo had shared, hoping to build trust with Chandar.

The comment prompted Garin to clarify. “Ulrik is Vinton’s brother. I’m not sure which one’s older. Vinton’s daughter, Berlynn, was there as well.”

“Berlynn?” Indigo echoed. “Do you mean the canine shifter Chandar saw in her vision?”

“Yes.” Garin’s tone grew terse as annoyance pressed his lips together. Indigo wasn’t used to receiving information from a superior, and Garin wasn’t used to interruptions. Any of his men would have been reprimanded by now. Why was he restraining himself with Indigo? The dynamic was so curious, Chandar had trouble paying attention to what he was saying. “It’s Morgan’s job to keep track of alien activities on Earth. When Vinton’s cabin exploded, she sent a team to investigate. They found enough in the rubble to confirm Vinton’s death, so Morgan contacted Tandori Tribe. When she asked who wanted Vinton dead, Ulrik immediately thought of us.”

“But Berlynn knew better.” Chandar had hoped to avoid his attention, but this was too important. “She saw who killed her father.”

Garin nodded then paused for a patient smile. “We haven’t been officially introduced. I’m General Garin Nox.”

It always surprised her how different Raylon was with her. His inherent brutality seemed to melt away each time they touched. Apparently, each Rodyte warrior had the capability of controlling his natural aggression. Some just chose to revel in it instead. She shook away the distracting thoughts and focused on the rebellion’s leader. Everyone trusted this man, looked to him for the hard decisions. “I know who you are.” Was their trust justified? Did she dare trust him too? “You’re Danvier’s master.” And unlike other harbingers, Danvier had chosen Garin for his master. She motioned toward her brother without taking her eyes off the general.

“I prefer anchor, and you’re correct. Berlynn knew a female murdered her father. However, that didn’t exonerate the battle born. Ulrik pointed out that Milanni could have been acting on our behalf. To their knowledge, she didn’t benefit from Vinton’s death.”

“Neither did we,” Zilor stressed.

“Vinton’s death was more accident than murder,” Chandar persisted. “I don’t think Milanni went there to kill him. She was basically defending herself against Vinton’s attack.”

“Berlynn agrees with you,” Garin told her. “She was much more reasonable than her uncle, given the circumstances.”

“Were you able to accomplish anything or did the Tandoris shift the focus of the meeting?” Zilor’s voice sounded gruff and irritated.

Chandar understood his annoyance. The rebellion desperately needed to move forward. Garin’s confrontation with Quinton had created momentum. If they weren’t able to build upon it, the effort would be lost.

“They definitely shifted the focus.” Garin sounded as frustrated as his brother, though his expression remained calm. “We spoke about all sorts of things, but it all came down to the battle born against Tandori Tribe. Morgan and Nazerel reluctantly agreed that they have no reason to stand in the crossfire. The players might be in Earth’s star system, but this is a Rodyte problem. The females we need are members of Tandori Tribe, which forces us to negotiate with Ulrik.”

“What did he want from us?” Zilor asked.

“Something we’ve been trying to attain ever since we arrived,” Raylon told him. “The location of the
Relentless
.”

“We can’t find the
Relentless.
As you said, we’ve tried everything we can think of and nothing has worked. Even Akim is too smart to make the same mistake twice.” Zilor looked from Raylon to Garin and back. “Why does Ulrik want Akim anyway?”

“He doesn’t want Akim. We do. He wants someone else on the ship. We’re pretty sure that’s where Milanni is hiding,” Garin told him. “Akim was her mentor. It makes sense that she would run to him. And being on the
Relentless
explains why Ulrik and all his trackers can’t find her.”

“One of us needs to have a vision.” Danvier looked at her, his expression grim. “That’s why Garin’s here.”

“It’s our only hope,” Garin reinforced. “Ulrik won’t even consider any of our proposals until after his brother has been avenged. And without the cooperation of Tandori Tribe, our transformation study is dead in the water.”

“I can’t just bring on a vision,” Chandar cried. “My power has just begun to return. I have no control over it right now.”

“I’ve located someone I hope can help you with that,” Garin told her. Without further explanation, he stood and walked from the dining room.

“What did he mean?” She looked at Raylon and then Danvier, as panic welled inside her. “Is he coming back?”

Raylon took her hand between his, gently stroking her fingers. “No one is going to harm you.”

At the moment, his reassurance just focused her attention on her fear. “I don’t want to meet anyone else. I’m not ready for all this.”

Before she could escape to her suite, however, Garin returned. And he wasn’t alone.

The man at Garin’s side wasn’t as tall or as muscular as the general, but energy pulsed from him in tangible waves. His brown hair was short on the sides yet longer on top, a wavy strand drooping over his forehead. Blood-red phitons glowed within his warm brown eyes. From broad forehead to strong jawline, his features were symmetrical and pleasing. The stranger approached the table, his attention focused on Chandar. His mouth curved into a cautious smile while his gaze bore into hers.

She clutched Raylon’s hand, her heart thundering in her breast. She knew this man. He was Vox Loriet. Even the rhythm of his energy was familiar and yet the details of their interaction remained lost in her fractured memory.