No Rules (21 page)

She stiffened at hearing the other woman's name but vowed she wouldn't make an issue out of it.

“What's wrong?” Of course he picked up on it.

“It's not important.”

“Alison, if you know something—” He cut himself off as another roar resonated from behind them. “We don't have time for games. Tell me what made you tense up like that.”

From his demeanor, she knew he wouldn't let it go until she told him. “It's you, sneaking off to be with Dani.”

Hopping over a pit she would have stumbled into, he pulled her across, flush against his side. “I was trying to protect you. If you didn't know I didn't think you'd be hurt.”

Though there was nothing funny about their situation, a laugh escaped. “Right, like me being ignorant of you sleeping with another woman makes it all okay.”

He stopped dead in his tracks and she slammed into his back. “What?” His voice was low, quiet.

“I saw you. With her.”

He shot her an incredulous look. “You were
jealous
?
That's
why you followed me here?”

Another roar filled her with panic. “Later, we'll hash this out later.”

Torchlights spilled from the cavern up ahead. Picking up his pace, he practically yanked her arm out of the socket dragging her forward. “I found them, but we have a bigger problem.”

Dani strode to his side. “Report.”

“Helcat trying to break through at the point of the landslide.”

Dani cursed heatedly. “If it gets through, not only are we dead but so is the entire village.”

“Options?” Fenton patted Ari's back. The little girl sniffled but was otherwise quiet.

“We have to collapse the tunnels completely. Does anyone have explosive compound?”

Three of the patrollers dug in their packs.

Dani's eyes met Alison's. “My mother would banish us from the village if she knew we had this sort of technology.”

“She won't hear it from me.”

“Good. Then let's head back out, find a weak point far enough from the village that we can blow the whole thing.”

“What about training?” Fenton asked.

“The whole point was to save the people. They can't train if they are dead. We'll have to convince my mother to let the breeders fight or evacuate. If the creatures are desperate enough to dig through rock, our fortress won't hold them much longer.”

Without another word they charged up the tunnel. Fenton never let go of Alison's hand and she knew she was slowing him down.

“Save yourself and Ari,” she panted. “Don't wait for me.”

“Shut up,” he grunted, his grip tightening on her arm.

She had no idea how far they traveled, only that her lungs and legs were burning from overuse. She fell at one point, but Del hauled her to her feet, barely breaking stride.

“Here,” Dani called at a bottleneck in the tunnel. Several others converged at the same point. “Give me the explosive and detonators.”

A roar echoed through the walls and the ground seemed to shake. “It's through!” one of the patrollers shouted.

“Chem whips at the ready.” Dani knelt down. “As soon as this is armed, we need to run.”

Despite her exhaustion it took all of Alison's willpower not to bolt, knowing that thing was barreling down the darkened pathways, sniffing them out.

“No,” Dani breathed, pounding her fist on the wall.

“What's wrong?” Fenton asked.

She turned to face him, her expression grim. “The delay won't work. Someone has to stay behind and set it off manually.”

Another roar, even closer this time.

“I'll do it.” Del started unfastening Ari's carrier.

“No!” Alison shouted. “She needs you, let me stay.”

“Both of you are going so shut up.” Dani turned to one of the patrollers. “Tell Kel I love him.”

The woman nodded and clapped Dani on the shoulder. “May peace find you.”

“Dani, no.” Fenton shook his head. “Your people need you.”

She turned to face him, face them both. “Yes, they do. They are getting all I have to give. It is up to you to convince my mother of the danger. Safe journey, alien warrior, protect your blessings.”

Instead of the embrace Alison expected, Del thumped his hand over his heart then grabbed Alison's hand. “Let's go.”

She followed him, the patrollers bringing up the rear. Her heart thudded with every step, but she ran for all she was worth.

The opening to the sanctuary was in sight when entire tunnel shook. Del moved faster, gripping her sweaty hand in his as dust and smoke billowed out around them, choking them.

Del covered Ari's face with one hand, the other still holding hers. “Drop the torch and cover your face—” He broke off, coughing.

The tunnel spit them out onto the lawn, still rumbling from the explosion. Del tugged her down onto a mossy patch, still hacking. The patrollers collapsed nearby. As the dust settled, all eyes turned to the opening.

“Nothing could survive that.” Even as she said the words she hoped they weren't true.

People moved closer, men and women coming to gawk at the carnage. Gwella pushed through the gathering crowd. “What happened? Report!”

The patroller with the shorn hair, the one Dani had instructed, stood up. “A helcat broke through the rockslide. Dani brought the mountain down to make sure it wouldn't get to the village.”

“Where is she?” Gwella's voice was hollow.

“Empress, I'm sorry, she stayed behind to ensure our escape.”

Gwella swayed on her feet as though the ground still shook. Her eyes appeared unfocused. Alison rose and moved toward her. “I'm so sorry.” She tried to wrap her arms around the distraught woman, but Gwella wasn't having it.

“You! You and your breeder did this. Cost my daughter her life!” she spat, her voice full of venom. Turning to her patrollers, she ordered, “Seize them.”

“D
el? Can you hear me?” Alison's soft voice and cool hands on his face pulled him out of the fog he'd been floating in.

He groaned, wishing she'd left him there. His bones ached, his head pounded, and his mouth felt gritty, as if he'd been eating sand. Opening his eyes, he squinted into the gloom. Beneath him the floor felt hard and cold. They were in a stone room, a heavy wooden door the only exit. “What happened?” His voice was weak and reedy.

Her hands smoothed his hair back from his face. “What's the last thing you remember?”

Struggling to sit up, he fought his body's weakness. The effort nearly exhausted him. Alison wrapped her arms around herself. He blinked at her in the darkness and guessed she couldn't see at all. He wavered slightly but considered it a victory when he didn't fall flat on his face. Propping himself against the wall, he searched his mind for the last thing that had happened.

“Dani, in the caves.” He closed his eyes, remembering her sacrifice. He'd left soldiers behind before, but this had been different. For one thing, he hadn't been in command. If he had he would have ordered her to safety. They'd made it out, him with Alison's hand in his and Ari strapped to his chest—

His eyes flew open. “Where's Ari? Is she still sick?”

“She's upstairs and she's fine. I can hear her crying from time to time. Gwella's breeder is looking after her.”

He sagged, grateful for that much. “What was wrong with her?”

“The same thing that was wrong with you, whatever it was. Some kind of viral infection by the look of it. It took you down almost as soon as we were brought here, almost a week ago by my count.”

A week. No wonder he felt so awful. He turned to look at her, saw her barely repressed fear. “You've been taking care of me alone all this time?”

“I did the best I could. With what they gave me, which wasn't much. Gwella's still irate.” She paused and cleared her throat. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a meteor landed squarely on my head but I'll live. Are you all right?” He fought back the storm of worry that he'd left her and Ari unprotected for a week.

“I'm fine. I was just scared.”

Scared that he would die and she'd be alone. He imagined what it would be like for him if she wasn't here. Unbearable didn't begin to cover it. “Thank you.”

She didn't say anything, just looked toward the door. “What are we going to do now?”

He rose to his feet, bracing himself on the wall. “Maybe I can phase—”

She exploded to her feet and clapped a hand over his mouth. “Don't even think it, Del. We're in enough trouble already. Gwella's talking about banishing us.”

He moved her hand aside. “We can't let that happen. If we don't convince Gwella to leave, the helcats will do us all in. That one who chased us through the tunnels was starving, desperate, and it broke through a rock wall. How long will this settlement hold against a dozen of them?”

She hugged herself even more tightly. “This is all my fault. If not for me, you and Ari would have gone to the empaths' homeworld and be safely settling in to a new life. I'm sorry, so sorry I fucked everything up for you.” She slid down the wall and put her face in her hands.

He sat next to her, grateful for the excuse to be off his feet. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her tightly against him. “Hush now.”

Sobs racked her entire body, a week's worth of pent-up fear and frustration finding an outlet. He held her and let her cry, occasionally murmuring that it would be all right.

He lost track of how long they sat there, but gradually the haze over his mind dissipated, leaving him able to remember.

She'd quieted but he sensed she hadn't fallen asleep. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her, but his need to clear the air compelled him to speak. “Do you really think I was sneaking off to have sex with Dani?”

Her posture stiffened and she sat up, turning to face him. He saw her eyes scanning, searching for him in the darkness. “I didn't know what to think. All I knew was that you left and it was obvious you were hiding something from me.”

As the remembered fear surfaced, his grip on her tightened. “So instead of waiting to ask me about it, you risked your life, Ari's life, and for what? To confirm your suspicions? You never trusted me at all, did you?” His voice grew louder with every syllable.

She tried to pull out of his grip, almost succeeded thanks to his weakened state. “Don't yell at me. I know I fucked up.”

Seething, he released her and rose to his feet. His weakness didn't help ease his ire. “That doesn't begin to fix this. We're going to die, Alison. With Dani's help at least we stood a chance of convincing Gwella, but now that she's gone . . .” He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.

“I'm sorry,” she mumbled again, a huddled tribute to misery.

Closing his eyes, he tried to find his calm center. Shouting at her wouldn't do any good. She recognized her mistake, and it was his as well. Was it right to ask her to trust him when he'd kept things from her? The woman had spent the better part of a week caring for him, cleaning him, spoon-feeding him, and doing her best to ensure he lived long enough to give them a fighting chance.

“I'm sorry too. I should have told you what was going on with Dani and Kel and the breeders. Don't assume all the fault is yours.”

She nodded and rested her head on her knees.

Standing here thinking about all the ways they went wrong wouldn't help either of them. After another slow breath he forced his weakened body to move.

Instinctively, he fell into the first of his forms, then another and another. His motions were slow, choppy, and it took longer than usual. He was sweating, muscles shaking but he pushed onward.

A scuffling sound drew his attention. “What are you doing?”

It was lighter in the room when he opened his eyes, and the way her gaze fixed on him indicated she could see him. “My training forms. Helps me regain my balance, hone my body in preparation to fight.”

Slowly, she rose to her feet. Her beautiful clothes were in tatters, and clean streaks reminded him of her recent tears. “Teach me.”

“What?” He stopped mid-form and stood, facing her.

“I'm sick of being useless. The women on this planet are supposed to be strong, capable. Teach me how to live up to their expectations. I want to fight by your side, not be a damn liability that slows you down.”

It took a moment for him to realize his mouth was hanging open. Sincerity flashed in her eyes, her willingness to let him teach her to fight radiating from her posture. She was determined.

She took his breath away.

“I don't know how long we have,” he rasped.

She moved into a stance mimicking his own. “Then we'd better get started.”

 

Every muscle in Alison's body was limp from fatigue. How sad was it that Fenton came off of a week of illness and he was still in better shape than her? She couldn't remember the last time she'd worked so hard at anything. Probably never.

But she had to admit, her body felt better for the exertion. When the patroller opened the door to deliver the tray with their morning meal, she nearly collapsed in exhaustion.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You two reek.”

“And you're observant,” Alison said with false sweetness. “How about you ask if we can shower at some point?” The waste receptacle in the small room had no chemical foam. She'd made do with a bucket, unwilling to risk Gwella's wrath. After a week she'd grown used to the smell. Who'd have thought?

“It'd be a public service. Of course, your stench might slow the helcats down, so maybe you want to go on stinking.”

“Get yourself kidnapped and come back with some new insults. I've heard them all.”

The door banged behind the patroller, and Alison caught Fenton eyeing her. “What?”

“You did well with the forms,” he murmured after the patroller left. “Most people don't have your focus.”

“I'm highly motivated.” She gratefully took the cup of water he extended to her.

Fenton eyed her as he drank from his own cup. “How long since you last slept?”

She'd been napping spooned up against him every night, sharing her warmth right after she sponge-bathed him as best she could by using her underwear and cold water from the bucket. They had no blankets, no creature comforts at all. If not for the meals delivered regularly, she'd think Gwella wanted them to rot down here. The only reason she was still sane was because she'd focused all of her attention on seeing Del through his sickness.

Now he was awake and she had a new task. Operation Learn to Kick Some Ass.

Fenton eyed the soup. “Doesn't seem like enough for two.”

“It's really not. You have it, you need to regain your strength.” Her stomach rumbled as though staging a protest.

He blinked. “You've been feeding it all to me, haven't you?”

Glancing away, she picked at a tear on her grubby pants. “Not all.” She'd had a spoonful or two, just enough to make sure she could keep on tending him until he was well enough to look after himself.

“Why?”

“You were sick, you needed the nutrition.”

Shoving the bowl at her, he gritted, “Eat all of this.”

One look at his face and she knew better than to protest. The soup was bitter, but at least it was hot. She ate about half, then tried to hand it to him. He looked from her to the bowl and back again, glaring.

“I'll dump it out,” she threatened.

“I'll force it down your throat,” he snarled right back.

A jolt of lust went right through her, like she'd been struck by lightning. He'd defend her, even against herself. He was probably still angry with her about landing them here in the first place, yet he took care of her, sacrificed for her.

Was there anything sexier?

She finished the soup and set the bowl by the door.

“You should try to rest some more. We both should.” Fenton scratched at the stubble that grew in around his scar, giving him an even more sinister mien. His hair had grown shaggy since she'd first spotted him, but his shoulders still squared off with military precision. Alison had been with her share of handsome men, but there was just more about Del Fenton. More virile, more rugged, and untamable.

Her face heated and she tore her focus from him. What was her major malfunction? Nothing should turn on her libido when she looked and smelled the way she did.

They took turns using the bathroom, washing up as best they could. Alison went first, scrubbing at the grime until her skin turned red. The water was cold and she was shivering by the time she was done but at least her skin felt clean.

Though she shifted around it was impossible to get comfortable on the icy stone floor. She missed her man-sized pillow and the heat that radiated from him like the sun. If she asked him she knew he'd hold her again, but she didn't want to force him to curl up with her if he hated her, simply out of pity.

“Is your feminine flow over?” Fenton asked from the doorway.

“Yesterday. I couldn't take the device out, though.” And she hadn't been about to ask the bitchy patroller to help with that.

He waited, standing to the side of the doorway. It was too dark for her to read his features but his posture looked rigid and his unswerving gaze pinned her in place. “What?”

“I'm waiting for you to ask me to help you.”

Hell
no. He'd have to pin her down and rip her pants off. Which could be fun but not for the purpose he was intending. She tried to wave it off. “I'm sure it's fine.”

Moving closer, he stood directly above her, so she had to crane her neck to look at him. Always considerate, he crouched before her and stared her down. “Those devices were designed the way they were purposefully. So that every female of age had a safeguard, a way to let the breeders around her know she was sexually unavailable. If one was inserted by another's hand it has to be removed by them as well. And it does have to be removed. So again, I'm waiting.”

Her lip trembled and she sank her teeth into it to steady it while gathering her thoughts. Neon-blue eyes consumed her, sped her heart until it raced. “I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything for me. I know you must hate me, that it's probably pure torture for you to be locked up in here with me after what I did. Honestly, Del, I hate myself for endangering Ari and landing us into this mess. If I had the option to get away from myself, I would take it.”

“Alison,” he breathed, crouching down until their eyes met. Tight lines formed between his eyebrows, the smallest show of concern on his otherwise implacable façade. His eyes, though, were always the first to heat. Or maybe they never stopped burning with his deeply guarded passions. His arms reached for her. “Come here.”

Stepping into his embrace was the most natural thing in the world to her. He held her head against his chest and she listened to the steady thrumming of his heartbeat.

He didn't say anything, just cradled her. Slowly her shoulders lost their tension, relaxing into the heat of him. She might have fallen asleep, even standing up if he didn't sink to his knees before her.

She sucked in a breath when he hooked his thumbs around her waistband. How had she forgotten his intention?

But she did want that thing removed from her body, and if he knew how to do it, had volunteered for the task, she would ignore her mental discomfort.