Irresistible (Delroi Prophecy)
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Authors: Loribelle Hunt
Loribelle Hunt
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Ó
2013 Loribelle Hunt
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is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents
are either the product of the author's imagination or are used
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TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Kaje Stian, Steward and second in
command of the Clan of the Keep, gathered his warriors and hurried to meet his
chief. Fatigue pounded a tattoo behind his right eye, but it would be hours yet
before he could indulge in sleep. He’d spent the previous night chasing down
the identities of the rebels who’d attacked the temple in their embassy
compound. Now that he had a complete list he set his intelligence officers the
task of digging into their backgrounds.
He was still furious that the sanctity
of the goddess temple had been violated. There were only two on Delroi in active
use and both fell under the protection of his clan. No male was ever allowed
inside. He’d die to protect that right just like the other warriors in his clan.
Except the traitors who’d joined the rebels. They’d been killed when Roarr’s
and Barak’s men had entered. Kaje ground his teeth. Too bad they were dead. He
would like to rip them apart limb by limb.
He took a deep, cleansing breath. He
couldn’t enter his chief’s home filled with homicidal rage. There were three
women inside, under Roarr’s, and by extension Kaje’s, protection. They’d been
held prisoner by a rogue government group on Earth, and apparently were the targets
of yesterday’s violation of the temple. There was one in particular he wanted
to meet.
He nodded absently to those who greeted
him on the street, swung around the corner leading to Roarr’s Saber City home,
and jogged up the steps. He was nervous, a ludicrous situation to find himself
in, but since he was also desperate--another alien emotion--he wasn’t all that
surprised. He paused outside the door long enough to set his sentries, shielding
his face against stinging sand--gods he hated this city--and mentally reviewed
his plea before stepping inside.
It took a minute for his eyes to adjust
to the dim interior. Jarek Idis, the chief's brother and clan's senior healer, not
to mention one hell of a warrior, waited with two women in the foyer. Kaje
suspected the third woman was with Roarr since she was his
der’lan
. She wasn’t the one Kaje sought. He was looking for Parker
Reed and on her planet she was a mind healer, what they called a mental health
counselor. It was not the kind of assistance a Delroi warrior would normally
seek out, but Kaje was out of options.
One of his brother's platoons had been
ambushed and left for dead by rebel forces months ago. Vidar was the only
survivor. He'd healed physically, but the man Kaje knew was gone. He'd become
cold and withdrawn and was taking stupid risks that turned Kaje's hair grey.
He'd threatened Vidar into talking to the Earthling healer. Now he just had to
convince her.
If what Roarr had hinted at about her
ordeal was as bad as Kaje feared that might be easier said than done, however.
As he considered how to proceed, Roarr and the third woman joined them. Kaje
stepped forward to join the small group. Roarr stood close to his
der’lan
and gave Kaje a warning look.
The three women moved together, forming a united front. The redhead, who was
the most fragile looking, met his gaze for only a second before looking away.
Which just left one more, but he was totally unprepared when her bright green
eyes met his and snared him.
Parker Reed, the mind healer, was too
thin and pale. It was obvious she'd been through hell, though her gaze was calm
and he sensed a deep resilience in her. She needed time to recover her strength
and stamina, but she was far from broken. Would that make her more or less
sympathetic to his brother's situation? Not that he could focus very hard on
that question at the moment. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen,
and she was
his
. The minute he looked
into her eyes his world narrowed to include only her. His blood rushed hot and
his cock hardened in insistent demand.
Her eyes widened with a responding heat
for just a moment, before she hid it behind a cool dismissive gaze. That casual
disregard made him want to roar out his claim and act on the primitive need
that had him in its grip. It was a struggle to remember who he was, the kind of
man he was. He pulled on years of training and control to do it. He was a
warrior of the Keep, his mother had been a priestess of the goddess, and he was
not about to claim a woman who wasn’t ready for him. But he damned sure wasn’t
above charming her. Seducing her. Once he could speak again without croaking
like an untried boy.
She watched him with a wary gaze, and he
realized with sharp painful clarity that she found him intimidating. He wasn’t
surprised exactly, but he was disappointed. And resolute. He didn’t want to see
fear in her eyes when she looked at him, so he didn’t approach her yet. Roarr
introduced everyone. Planning his next move, Kaje fell into a guard position as
they left the house for the shuttle pad.
But during the hour and half flight to
the Keep, he didn’t come up with anything feasible. His one attempt at
conversation was shot down, which was probably a good thing. His instinct was
to take her somewhere private, convince her to strip, and learn every inch of
her body. The urge was strong, hammering in his veins, so he paid little
attention as they landed and disembarked. While he'd been distracted, they'd
been making plans and before he knew it he was falling into step behind Jarek
to show them to their quarters. Jarek was distracting the other woman, Zola,
with a description of the fortress leaving Parker all for Kaje. He wasn’t alone
with her, but it was damned good start. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take long to get
her right where he wanted her. He didn’t bother to hide his anticipation as he
turned to her.
“I'm Kaje Stian,” he introduced himself.
“I know. Roarr said,” she reminded him.
She gave him a guarded look and bit her bottom lip. He barely a repressed a
groan. He wanted to do that. He wanted to taste every inch of her. Kiss and nip
his way over her smooth skin, learn every dip and curve and mark. A pretty
blush spread up her neck to her face. She sucked in a breath and slowly
released it.
“As you know, I'm Parker and I'd
appreciate if you didn’t project desires like that quite so forcefully,” she
said primly.
“You're a telepath.”
It was more a reminder to himself than a
question. He’d read the mission report Falkor Trace had filed with his brother,
the Saber Clan chief, Barak. She pressed her lips together and nodded once. He
wanted to draw her out. He wanted to know more about her. Hell, he wanted to
know everything. Would she sigh or moan or cry out when he thrust into her? She
glared at him and he tried, he honestly did, to change the direction of his
thoughts. It was a lost cause.
“Come on,” he said lightly, wanting to
tempt her. “Aren't you the least bit curious?”
He could sense she shared the
attraction. It was the very beginning of the forming of the mate bond, he
realized. He'd just have to keep stoking the fire. Keep working at breaking
down her resistance.
“Are you always this pushy?” she asked.
The tart tone was in no one way a turn off.
“Oh that wasn’t pushy, darling.” If she
was the least bit receptive he could show her pushy. She glared at him. “Projecting
again?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Sorry,” he said, but they both knew he
wasn’t repentant at all. “Let me make it up to you then. I know a nice quiet
spot to watch the sun set. I'll even feed you dinner.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Come on,” he cajoled. “It'll be fun.
Besides our city is beautiful. It would be a shame to miss it.”
She almost cracked a smile. “I'm sure I
can see it on my own or with my friends.”
He risked touching her, placing his
fingers on the inside of her wrist, over a tattoo of a stylized sun that
fascinated him. It was very similar to the tattoo a novice got when she
ascended to apprentice status in the goddess cult. Her pulse fluttered, and he
slowly moved his fingertips up and down her forearm. He marveled at the feel of
her skin, soft and smooth. Her heart raced though her expression gave nothing
away. She allowed the touch a moment more before pulling away and holding her
arm against her stomach.
“Please don’t that,” she whispered.
He wanted to test her, wanted to know if
she avoided his touch because it hurt or because it broke down the barriers she
was trying to erect between them. Since he didn’t know the details of her
captivity or how her powers worked, he let it drop and changed the subject.
“So dinner is out of the question?”
She smiled as if she was grateful he was
letting her off the hook and shook her head. “I'm afraid it is. I can barely it
make through dinner these days without falling asleep. Watching the sunset is
definitely out.”
“An early evening on your balcony then,”
he said seriously, recalling why he'd sought her out. “I need your help with
something.”
She arched an eyebrow. “What could I
possibly help you with?”
“My brother,” he said softly, aware of
the open crowded courtyard they were passing through to get to the family
quarters. He didn’t continue his explanation until they were in a less
populated patch.
“I understand you're a counselor.” He stumbled
over the strange word, but pushed on. “I'd prefer to speak privately.”
He could tell he had her interest and
her sympathy. Perhaps she'd read his mind. In any other person that would have
bothered him, but she was his
der'lan
.
He didn’t have any secrets from her. They turned into a corridor, and then
another before passing the secure area that led to the Idis family's private
wing. He had to force himself to follow Jarek. Kaje wanted her in his rooms.
Soon. He kept the vow to himself.
“We'll get your prints coded for the
door later,” Jarek told the women as they passed through.
Kaje already had access, but he hoped
like hell he wouldn’t need it to see Parker. He had his own suite of rooms on
the opposite side of the fortress, just as opulent as these, and she belonged
there. He'd never had a problem with patience before. He'd served as a diplomat
many times for the Overchief, Daggar Torfa, and he was an excellent negotiator.
The patience that served him so well then was sadly lacking now, however.
The guest wing was empty at the moment
so he assumed Lady Rona had had the best rooms made ready, and he was right. He
and Parker followed Jarek down the long corridor to the very end where two
suites faced each. He opened the door on the left and motioned Kaje to the
opposite. He fit his palm over the access panel and the door slid away. It was
habit to enter first. He was a warrior escorting a woman and no place was ever
one hundred percent secure. She didn’t wait for him to clear the space though.
He checked the rooms quickly and found her on the living area balcony.
It hung out over the water and the sea
crashed onto the beach far below. She stood with her elbows on the railing,
bent a little at the waist with her head tilted back. The wind whipped at her
long curly hair. Her lips curved in a smile he was pretty sure she didn’t
realize was inviting and sultry. He stood beside her, hip propped against the
rail and just watched her, amazed at how contented that made him. Finally, she
opened her eyes and looked him over.
“You're still here.”
He laughed. Well, at least he knew where
he stood.
“You look very at home here. Like a sea
fairy,” he teased. “I couldn’t resist watching until you dove out of my grasp.”
She snorted. “Yeah right.”
“It’s true,” he insisted, reaching out
to brush a fly away strand of hair away from her face. “Here you are, beautiful
and enchanting. My very own fairy if I'm quick enough to catch you.”
She rolled her eyes before turning her
back on him and walking inside. He followed, puzzled. He sensed her
embarrassment, sensed her withdraw, and concluded she wasn’t accustomed to compliments.
Wasn’t used to attention. What the hell was wrong with the men on Earth? He
watched her explore the room, unsure of how to proceed. If she was any other
woman, he'd charm her, seduce her. They'd both know they weren’t
der'lans
and treat the affair
accordingly. She was the mate of his heart, however. Yes he wanted to tease
her, wanted to play with her, but he suspected she would think it was just a
game when actually he was deadly serious.
She stopped at the refreshment area on a
far wall and swung the cooler door open.
“I don’t know what most of this stuff
is,” she said.
It was as good a place to start as any.
She knew nothing of his world and he was a little surprised at how eager he was
to show her everything. He joined her, peered over her shoulder and reached for
a bottle
gazzi.
Then he found two
glasses in the cabinet above the counter.
She accepted a glass while he turned
back to the cooler for a selection of local fruits.
“It's
gazzi,
” he said. “You would call it wine, I believe.”
“We had some on the ship on the way
here.”
It was deep blue and sweet. A very
common drink on Delroi. He sipped at his own then began to chop fruit and lay
it on a plate. He was starving, but he doubted she was up to his idea of the
midday meal. He opened the cooler to see what else was available and found a
precut selection of meats. He set it on the counter too before checking out the
storage cabinets and turning back with two plates. She'd taken the stool
opposite his position and watched him with a bemused smile.
