Mated (The Sandaki Book 1) (23 page)

Rakin and Dev lay down and put her between them, sheltering her. Laira closed her eyes and breathed them in. Their combined scent eased her as nothing else could or would. She didn’t want to talk about what happened, but knew she had to. They had to know what Belleck had said.

“He’s in love with Dev. He’s also crazy. He thought that if he got Rakin out of the way, Dev would fall in love with him.” Laira paused and looked up at them. “He was going to kill Rakin. I don’t know how, but that’s what he was going to do. Oh and he’s the one who sold the equipment to the Silarin. He said he found the plans and built the machine. He told me that he’d only sold it to the one ship, but who the hell knows if he was telling the truth.”

“Why?” Rakin asked. “Why would a Sandaki do something like that?”

She shrugged. “I really have no answer for that. Money, power, I don’t know. All I do know is he’s a few bulbs short of a pack. He had no real grasp of reality. In his mind, all he had to do was get rid of me and you, and Dev would fall right into his waiting arms.”

Dev growled. “I will kill him for threatening what is mine.”

Laira nodded. “Let’s question him first to make sure he was telling me the truth. Also, we have to find out if anyone was working with him.”

“Let us go and do this now so we can put this behind us,” Rakin said. “I will contact Kavich and have him meet us in the cells.”

“Have Dahlem join us,” Dev said. “I have been thinking for a while that I would replace Belleck, and Dahlem, I believe, would make a good Second.”

“I agree with you,” Rakin said.

“Can Zarak go, too?” Laira asked. “The guy’s been in this from the beginning and I think he needs to see it to the end.”

Dev nodded. “Yes, mate, he can. Are you going to appoint Zarak as your Second?”

“Do I get one of those?”

Rakin laughed. “Yes, a Second is a most trusted warrior.”

“Like he has your back no matter what,” Laira said. “I get it. Then yeah, I think Zarak is the man for the job. He’s been with me since the moment I first stumbled out of this cabin. He’s a good guy. A little stiff and formal, but I’ll make him unwind.”

Dev shook his head. “Should we be afraid for him?”

Rakin nodded. “I do not think he knows what he’s gotten himself into.”

Laira rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I promise I won’t break him too much. Now let’s get this done so we can come back here and be together.”

Dev growled low. “Yes, mate, let’s, since I have plans for you when we return.”

Laira stood back and watched Belleck. He was sitting in a small open room that faced out into a central hall. He wore some kind of collar around his neck that blinked with orange lights. She figured this was what held him in the cell. Of course, it could also be the fact that she’d kicked the shit out of his leg. The man moved between clutching his injured knee and whining about how much his face hurt. She wished she’d damaged him worse after everything he’d done.

Dev stepped up and stared at him. “Belleck, you will tell us about the machine you sold the Silarin.”

Without hesitation, he started to talk about where he’d found the plans and how he’d built the device. Damn, was it that easy? Did this guy long to confess?

Zarak stepped up to her and spoke so only she could hear. “The collar around his neck makes him tell the
Taj
all. It is also the reason he stays within the cell. If he steps out beyond the doors, the collar will kill him instantly.”

Belleck spoke at length on his plans and the people involved. Laira knew these people wouldn’t last long. From what she could gather, Sandaki justice was swift and deadly. Then again, they were a warrior culture, so how else would they act? On top of everything, he had betrayed his people, so he definitely deserved whatever happened to him.

“Now you will tell me of your plans to kill Rakin,” Dev demanded.

“I planted a bomb in his office on the planet,” Belleck said with a smile. “Unfortunately, he won’t be there when it goes off. He’s here. I’ll get him. Once he’s gone, you and I can be together.”

Dev shook his head. “Was anyone in on the plan with you?”

“No, that was all me. I built it and placed it.”

Dev’s claws slid out. “I would kill you myself for attempting to harm my mates. However, I must follow the laws we laid down. Belleck, you are sentenced to death for treasonous acts against the Sandaki people. You will choose now, airlock or collar?”

“You don’t understand,” Belleck said, looking stunned. “I did it for you.”

“Airlock or collar?” Dev asked again.

Laira nudged Zarak. “I don’t get it.”

“Belleck gets to choose how he dies. Since we are on the ship it is either through the collar he is wearing or sent out an airlock.”

“Oh,” Laira said, realizing the Sandaki didn’t mess around. When someone was sentenced to death, that was the end. There were no appeals or calling witnesses.

Belleck dropped to one knee. “Please, Dev.”

Rakin stepped forward. “You will refer to him as
Taj
. You are not worthy to say his name. You are not worthy of being a Sandaki warrior. We do not turn on our people. We do not beg.” Belleck leaped up from the floor, but Rakin held out his hand. “Do not speak. You have said enough, traitor. For your crimes against the Sandaki people, you will now forfeit your life.”

Rakin motioned toward the cell. “
Voer
.”

The lights on the collar started to blink and Belleck clutched at his neck as he gagged. Zarak stepped in front of Laira, blocking her view of what happened next. She knew, as
Taja
, she should watch the execution. However, she couldn’t. It was horrible enough that Rakin and Dev had to observe the execution. Unfortunately, she could still hear Belleck gasp and cry out. Eventually, silence followed.

Zarak stepped away from her and she saw Belleck lying in the cell, obviously dead. Rakin and Dev stared without an iota of emotion on their faces, she knew it was a lie though. She could feel them both. They were sad, angry, and confused.

Her mates turned and moved toward the exit. Laira stepped up and put her arm through Dev’s. He hesitated and looked down at her. Whatever he saw when he looked at her made him relax, because he gave her a slight smile. She turned to Rakin, taking his hand, and the three of them left the area.

Rakin climbed out of the shower. The events of the day had taken on a surreal quality he couldn’t shake. The need to understand what drove Belleck ate at him. All Sandaki were raised with the same values, the same ideals, and yet Belleck went against everything.

“Please tell me what’s put the frown on your face?” Laira asked him as he came out of the bathing room.

“I don’t understand,” he said, coming to sit next to her on the bed. “How could Belleck do this? How could he betray us so completely? And why didn’t we see it? Did we fail him in some way?”

“Nope, stop right there,” Laira said. “Dev, where are you?”

He came in from the sitting area, and she patted the bed beside her. He came over to sit, and Rakin knew the same things eating at him were eating at Dev, too.

“Okay, so I need the two of you to listen closely,” their mate said. “I need you to focus, and really take this in.”

Rakin nodded, and he saw Dev do the same. She looked back and forth between the two of them, probably making sure she had their undivided attention. She did, since Rakin loved to look at his mate. She was beautiful, but it was beyond that. She shone with an inner brilliance that had called to him from the beginning.

“You asked how Belleck could have done this and why you didn’t see it coming. Here’s the deal, sometimes people are assholes. You didn’t fail him in any way. In fact, you probably gave him opportunities others would die to have. He didn’t appreciate it. He wanted more. He wanted everything, but he didn’t want to work for it. Hell no, he wanted things handed to him. I’ve learned that no matter what you do for some people, fuck, you could give them the moon, sun, and stars, and they’d still want more. It’s a lack in them. Maybe they lack a moral compass or some shit, whatever it is, these people are just wrong. And because they’re wrong, they don’t care who they hurt or what they have to do to get what they want. Because, ultimately, in the end, that’s all they care about, getting what they want.” She sat back against the headboard and rubbed her face. “I’m just sorry the two of you got caught in the shit he created. I’m sorry that because of his actions it makes you doubt yourselves. You need to remember, he made his own decisions. It had nothing to do with you. You didn’t drive him to it or whatever. He was a big boy and decided to do what he did.”

Rakin nodded wearily. “You’re right, mate.”

“Damn straight, I’m right.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “The two of you are men, not gods. You cannot control the decisions people make. And I’ll stop talking now before I begin to sing ‘Let It Go’.”

“You do not think we are gods?” Dev asked her.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re both awesomely amazing, and I love you, but you’re not gods.”

“Perhaps,” Dev said, “we could convince you that we are gods.”

“And just how are you going to do that?”

In the blink of an eye, Dev was on her, pinning her to the bed. Laira flapped her hands at him. “Get off, you big goof. We’re supposed to be having a serious discussion. I’m trying to cheer up the two of you.”

Rakin smiled. “I think there are better ways than talking to make us feel happy, mate.”

“That’s such a lame line.” She struggled to get away from Dev. “Do you expect it to work?”

“No, maybe this will,” Dev said, as he leaned down to suckle on one of her nipples.

Rakin pulled the sheets from her until she was exposed. “Hold her, Dev, I want to taste our mate’s pussy.”

“Oh my…fuck, you pervs, get off.”

Rakin burst out laughing as Laira shrieked and pretended to shove Dev away. He was truly happy, and he was with the people who meant more to him than life. He didn’t know what the future would bring them, but he was positive that as long as they were together they could face anything.

“Okay, you’ve had it, pals.” Laira fought her hair out of her face and jammed her fingers into Dev’s side. The huge warrior roared with laughter and rolled away from her as she pounced on him. Rakin leaped in to help her pin Dev down as they wrestled and laughed and loved into the night.

Gwendolyn Cease has been writing ever since she was old enough to pick up a pen. From the very beginning, her stories involved handsome heroes, tough heroines, and happily ever after. Even as she slogged through two undergraduate degrees and a master's in education, writing remained a top priority.

Currently, Gwendolyn lives in Kentucky with her amazing sister and their incredibly spoiled cats. If you'd like to contact her, she'd love to hear from you. She loves to hear from anyone who enjoys a good book. You can find her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @GwendolynCease.

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