Prime Selection (6 page)

Nadia looked first at Aeron and then at Joen who’d opened his mouth, probably to protest. “This is my responsibility, gentlemen—and, I repeat, my call.”

“But you…”

She silenced Aeron with an icy glare. “Don’t say what you’re thinking. You don’t want to piss me off right now. I’ll have your respect and your cooperation.” She swept a glance around the room at the avid observers. “That goes for every man and woman on this team.”

Aeron stood tall and inclined his head. “You have both. I have complete faith in your abilities.”

“Thank you.” Nadia gave him a weak smile. “And I trust that if my team and I don’t achieve our objectives and something happens that we don’t return, you’ll do what is needed to protect our people. You know the planet and can evade the enemy more easily than I.”

“I should be present on this mission,” Joen said. Lia’s pained gasp drew his gaze, and he shook his head slowly. “Lia, don’t. I’m the expert in communications. The enemy can block our off-planet communications for as long as they want. It’s crucial we get a message out to Alliance and Prime military commands.”

Yes, there was definitely something more than mere attraction going on with these two. Nadia wondered if it was anything like what she felt for Huw Caradoc when they were in the same vicinity. God, she hoped not for Lia’s sake. If Joen held the same attitude about non-Prime women as Huw, Lia was due for a severe disappointment.

Prime males talked a good game about finding a non-Prime mate, but had very little follow-through. Men! Passive-aggressive assholes—no matter the race or culture.

“No, Joen. If something happens and I fail to return, you and Aeron together have a better chance of rigging something to get an emergency call out.” Nadia looked at A’tem.

“I’ll take A’tem and one of the other Prime soldiers from our crew.”

She sent a sideways glance at Aeron. “Two big, strong men from warrior races should protect my little female ass, don’t you think?”

Aeron had the grace to look embarrassed. “My offer to lead the … I never meant to imply you are … weak.”

Nadia let out a snorting laugh. “Yes, you did. It’ll take a lot more than two weeks of team building for Prime males to accept that women can fight as well as a man.”

She stood and rotated her treated shoulder. It twinged but moved smoothly and wouldn’t impede her if she had to fight. “Those bastards attacked our crew on my watch.

They’ll learn that was a mistake.”

She turned to A’tem. “Go with Aeron and find me a volunteer among our Prime crew members.”

A’tem snorted, a smile in his startling blue eyes. “They’re standing in line, Nadia.”

He angled his head at the one critically injured Prime male who’d pulled two injured female crew members out of the line of fire. The Prime soldier sustained multiple direct laser hits but had still managed to get the women to safety before succumbing to his wounds. She’d already entered into her log he should be awarded the Alliance Medal of Valor.

“Every single Prime member of Gold is raging mad over what has happened. Prime turning on Prime is an act of treason,” A’tem said. “They want to find whoever perpetrated this atrocity—be they Prime traitors or hired killers—and kill them.”

“The killing will have to wait until we know what we’re dealing with. We have no clue how many enemies are on the planet and where they’re positioned. Pick me a soldier who has some familiarity with the Prime facility and in particular the underground area where the communications and weapons systems are located.”

Joen spoke up. “If I cannot go, then Crewman Bram Tilga is the one you want. He trained under me. We’ve manned the facilities here as a team for many war games.”

Aeron nodded. “I concur with Joen’s suggestion. I’ll take A’tem to Bram. He is a loyal and fierce fighter. When do you leave, Nadia?”

“Give A’tem and me a chance to eat something—and I need to find another uniform top, one that is a little less airy.” She picked up her shredded top. “Give us thirty standard minutes.”

Aeron inclined his head and left the room with A’tem on his heels. Nadia turned to Lia and angled her head toward the three most severely wounded. “Keep those soldiers alive.”

The doctor nodded. “That’s the plan.”

Nadia grinned at the insulted look on Lia’s face. “Once we gain control of Tarn’s communication system, Mel and Wulf will be here as soon as they can with all the medical facilities you require.”

“If they aren’t already on their way.” Joen moved to stand behind Lia and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I think our co-captains would be worried that they hadn’t heard from us since we landed.”

Joen’s manner toward Lia was possessive and protective. It struck her they had already begun an even more intimate relationship than she realized. Joen had fully embraced his attraction for Lia. Their auras meshed in the same way Mel and Wulf’s did.

How that was possible was a question for another time and place.

Nadia was happy for the couple. And for a split second, she was optimistic that maybe she and Huw could find the same oneness.

Wanting what her two friends had, she reached for the intimate mind-to-mind link she had with Huw, the one that had made itself known two weeks ago on a Cejuru Prime mountainside as Huw’s touch and scent awakened her deeply buried libido.

Unlike the last time she’d reached for Huw, the link was no longer buried in a deep well of blackness. But it was faint, still not strong enough to connect with him mind to mind or even read his emotions.

Either she was getting stronger or he was getting closer.

Why she reached for a man who continued to avoid her and deny this unique bond, she didn’t know. It seemed to be instinctive in times of stress or other strong emotions.

Not once had Huw tried to reach her.

What a glutton for punishment you are, Nadia. The man doesn’t want you. You
aren’t Prime.

Nadia barely managed to beat down the need to try again. She dragged her mind back to the situation at hand. “I agree. They could already be on their way here. We missed two checkins so far. Mel is probably having conniptions by now.”

She walked to the doorway, paused, and looked back. Joen nuzzled Lia’s nape. Lia reached back with one arm to pull his head closer. A pang of envy hit her hard. Damn Huw’s stubborn Prime hide. They could have what Lia and Joen had found—she knew it deep in her soul.

Nadia cleared her throat, but Joen didn’t let go of Lia. His blazing golden eyes dared her to call him out on the intimacy. She wasn’t that petty. If shit happened, this might be the last time the two would ever spend together. “If Wulf and Mel are on their way, I don’t want them rushing in unprepared for the extent of the perfidy. Those guards I mentioned at the Prime military compound?”

“Yes?” Joen’s arms went around Lia as he sheltered her against him as if to protect her from an attack.

“They were manning the super-laser artillery.”

Joen swore. Lia gasped and clutched at his arm. Every soldier who flew the galaxy had seen what super-lasers, part of most planets’ defense systems, could do to space vehicles. No soldier ever wanted to be on a ship struck by the giant weapons.

“I don’t want our people running into ship killers. Our people don’t know the military facility has been compromised. They’d be sitting ducks. If I need backup, I’ll communicate my needs to Aeron.”

So many things could go wrong, but she had to do this because those were her peers and soldiers on the
Galanti
and the other Gold ships that would come to their aid. They could be killed. She’d do
anything
to keep them alive—even if it meant going on a suicide mission into the depths of enemy-held territory, even if it meant contacting the man who denied the bond between them, the bond which was her only means of warning them about the danger.

Deliberately, she reached for the psychic connection with Huw. He was closer—the
Galanti
was on its way to Tarn.

This time she blasted her message with everything in her and hoped he’d be receptive for once.

Careful, it’s a trap!

His sister-kin turned. “Yes, Huw?”

“Did you just send me a mental message?”

“No.” Mel frowned and looked at Wulf. “Wulf?”

Wulf shrugged and turned toward his brother. “You know such a communication is impossible, Huw. Melina can sense your moods, your emotions, but she can only speak telepathically with me. Why do you ask?”

Huw wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Everyone on the Command Deck stared at him. As much as he wanted to deny he’d heard a female voice he’d hoped was Mel’s and not Nadia’s, the warning could be important. “I received a warning. Tarn is a trap. To be careful.”

Wulf approached Huw and leaned over to whisper next to his ear. “Was the warning from Nadia?”

Huw nodded, and his brother’s expression turned pensive.

The One knew Huw hadn’t asked for this preternatural connection with Nadia. He was far too attracted to her the way it was; there were times when he’d dream of her and expect her to be in his bed when he awoke.

Beyond the lust for her beautiful body, he liked and admired her. She was a strong, intelligent woman. But if he succumbed to this intense attraction and courted her … what would happen later if he found his true
gemate
on their mission to seek the Lost Ones? If he found and marked his
gemate
, then he would hurt not only Nadia but also the
gemate.

He would dishonor the Prime woman who was destined to be his mate and the Terran woman he’d prematurely wooed.

Honor and fair play demanded he wait until after the search for the Lost Ones before he made any overt attempt to court Nadia. He’d made a decision after the rescue of Nadia and Mel two weeks ago to keep Nadia at arm’s length until the mission was complete.

But it grew harder and harder to maintain such a distance. The mental link between them, whatever it was, grew stronger each time he was near her. He’d begun avoiding her—and it had still grown stronger.

Maybe Nadia was a Terran witch or a psychic? He’d read about such anomalies when studying the cultures with which the Prime would come into contact once they’d joined the Galactic Alliance. This link between them could not be a sign of a Prime mating—Nadia was Terran, not Prime.

Mercenaries. Super-lasers. Danger
.
Mercenaries. Super-lasers. Danger.

Mercenaries. Super-lasers. Danger.

Huw gasped and shot out of his chair.

“What is it, brother?” Wulf placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him when he would have fallen.

“Nothing … no, not nothing.” He couldn’t deny the voice. The message was crucial to their safety. Nadia—and he had no doubt now it was her voice and mental touch—was trying to warn them. There was more than just a communication issue on Tarn. “I, um, keep hearing the same words over and over.”

He lied. There was more than just the words, but he couldn’t admit to his brother Nadia had drawn on him somehow for strength and energy. She was injured, exhausted, and in pain—and how in Balcon’s depths had he sensed those things? And he definitely couldn’t explain how he knew Nadia was leading herself and two others into what could be a suicide mission.

Fear struck him in the chest and he gasped for breath. He was too far away to help— to stop Nadia from walking into danger.

“
Diew!
We need to hurry.” Huw looked at his brothers, Iolyn having come to stand by Wulf. Both of them sheltered him from the gazes of the command deck crew. “And we need to be careful. The training facility is in the hands of mercenaries—and they have activated the super-lasers.”

Wulf grunted. “I believe your source.” He mumbled so only his brothers could hear.

“The telepathy must be of the same kind that occurs between me and Melina.”

Huw shook his head. “No! This is different.” It had to be. Nadia wasn’t his
gemate
and that meant she couldn’t be a battle-mate either. Nadia had to be a strong telepath.

Huw thumped the area over his heart with his fisted hand. “I have no marking. This isn’t what you and Mel have.”

Mel had come to join them. She covered Huw’s fist with her hand and squeezed gently. “Whatever this is, Huw, we’ll trust it. The situation on the planet was suspect to begin with…” she stroked a comforting hand down his arm, “…we’ll deal with whatever is happening between you and Nadia … later. Once we have her and our fellow soldiers back.”

“There is nothing to deal with. She isn’t Prime.” Huw turned back to his station.

“She’s not my
gemate.
”

“Stubborn ass,” Iolyn muttered as he passed by.

“Shut up,
bak
.” Huw snarled the epithet for a motherless son of a fucked bovine.

“It’s none of your business.”

“
Ansu bhau
!” Wulf said. “We will discuss this later as a family and not on the Command Deck as we head into danger.” Wulf stared at him until he had to look away from the anger and dominance in his older brother’s eyes. “You and Nadia will have medical tests done. We’ll send them to the Alliance Astrobiology lab on Tau Ceti for evaluation.”

When Huw opened his mouth to protest, Wulf cut him off. “That is an order from your commanding officer. Right now,” Wulf turned to glare at the fascinated command deck crew, “we are going to Red Alert. Maximum speed, Mr. J’ar.”

“Aye, sir.” J’ar programmed the helm and the resulting surge from accelerating from cruising speed to maximum vibrated the deck.

The alert was sounded. The Command Deck became a beehive of activity as systems were monitored and decks reported in. The
Galanti
and its crew were preparing for battle.