Tangled Shadows (14 page)

“Betrayal and deception,” Galen murmured.

He didn’t have to dig deep to find a memory. The day he introduced Nikolai as his partner, his lifemate, to his family had been engraved in his mind. To say they’d been unhappy with his choice would be an understatement. They’d demanded he break it off or at least meet Nikolai in secret to protect the family’s standing.

Galen hadn’t wanted to hide his love. His honesty and loyalty to Nikolai had cost him his parents. They didn’t want to be connected to a son who affiliated with a Vampire.

Nikolai curled his arms around his waist, bathing Galen in his love.

He took a deep breath and pushed his dedication and loyalty into the line. The dust covered both their hands.

“One left.” Nikolai gripped the pus-white strand next Galen. Each dissolved energy band lessened the frenzy of the surrounding tangle.

“I don’t feel anything,” Nikolai said.

Galen nodded. “It’s pure Naema.”

Nikolai let go of the strand. Galen still felt him in his head, but he couldn’t help the identification. What did this Naema want? Why would he turn traitor and work with Ferals?

Naemas tended to stick to themselves and had limited contact to other species. As the average age for a Naema was five to six hundred years, they tended to amass fortunes. And social standing.

Naemas had a low birth rate and were cliquier than a high school senior class.

Families grew through profitable marriages and business contracts. The further the family line could be traced back, the snobbier and more self-important the members.

Moving up from one of the lesser families was nigh impossible.

Galen met Nikolai’s gaze. His lover nodded.

What the Jade was the opposite of ambition? Galen rubbed his face. They’d already pushed being content and fulfilled into the malicious tangle. What emotion was left?

He went deeper. This Naema had betrayed everything. He didn’t care about the destruction his action may result in, didn’t think about the consequences.

95

Nikolai took his hand. For a moment Galen sank into his partner’s eyes. He could literally see their connection like a shining light linking them.

The care for each other and Brooke, the need to free the trafficked humans and prevent an all-out war slid inside the power strand, but it didn’t dissolve into dust.

Instead energy sparks exploded off it, making them jump back to avoid being burned.

He managed to hang on. The strand now bucked like an unruly Santo-Horse, but he didn’t want to release Nikolai.

Lightning flashed, hitting the ground with a hiss.

They dodged and weaved as if in a ring, but they didn’t let go. Galen ground his teeth as the strand grew hot, burning his palm. He hung on.

The bastard thinks he can throw us off with a bit of pain? Think again.

He struggled to keep his anger and frustration separate, but he managed to push more love and compassion into the bucking energy. It gave one last mighty push and exploded, showering Galen and Nikolai in dust.

For a second Galen saw the inside of a ship, crew running around like headless Gota-Chucks, screams coming from the back.

Then he was back in his own body, in the bed aboard the
Mercy
, Brooke clenching hard around his cock. It had felt as if their little trip had taken ages, but it had been only a few minutes.

Brooke screamed.

96

It had been staggering to watch Galen and Nikolai walk through something that was ultimately her mind. Once they’d stepped inside the tangle, she’d been unable to follow. She got snippets of emotions, but nothing tangible.

They had opened themselves up to her, had invited her into their memories, but Brooke still held back, hesitant about the intimacy of such a close link. She caught one word, which seemed to have intense meaning,
lifemate
, and wanted to know more. Did lifemate explain why the connection between the two of them felt as if their souls had melded?

The last energy line exploding filled her with relief, but she didn’t get a chance to process the change. A deluge of images and emotions flooded her mind, drowning out the here and now. She tried to stem the wave, but torrents tore down every block she put up.

In the end she couldn’t stand it anymore and screamed.

Around the edges of the tsunami overwhelming her, Galen pulled her tight and Nikolai covered her back.

Brooke!
Galen’s voice shouted in her head.
Let it run, don’t try to control it!

Was he insane? Let this madness run rampant?

Brooke pushed against the swell, fought against the memories of crewmembers, people she thought of as friends, screaming while Ferals fed off them, blood splattering.

They didn’t just drink blood, they bathed in it.

Brooke struggled as hard as she could, but her head felt one hyperspace jump from exploding. Her heart pounded in her chest and sweat poured down her face.

How could she stop this?

Galen kissed her hard enough to make her lips bleed. “You need to let go,” Galen repeated again. “Otherwise the blocked memories will overwhelm you. You could end up in a coma.”

“If you don’t let go, I’ll have to bite you to pull you out. Let go now, before it is too late,” Nikolai added.

Brooke felt the worry racing through them, the fear she wouldn’t trust what they said.

The last was the deciding factor. They had done everything in their power to help her, had been open with her once she’d decided to leave the kidnapping behind.

She trusted Galen and Nikolai.

Brooke stopped fighting her memories.

97

She clung to both Galen and Nikolai, who’d curled even more tightly around her.

They stayed close to her in real life and in her head.

She relaxed as much as she could. The memories raced through her, but she stopped trying to focus on anything specific. Brooke hoped once this was through, everything would settle back to where it needed to be, and she would find the memories in the correct place, making sense.

It didn’t mean waiting for the wave to finish was much fun. Her heart hammered and her head had reached launch point. She gritted her teeth. She couldn’t hold on much longer.

They held her even closer, making sure as much skin as possible touched. It was difficult to breathe with both holding her so tightly, but Brooke didn’t care. She was too grateful for the closeness.

Her nails dug into Galen’s shoulder. “Galen.”

“We’ve got you, Brooke, hang in there. Not much longer, don’t give up.” His words helped her cling to consciousness. He was right. The flood, which had washed away everything she was, began to slow to a fast-running river, and then to a trickle until nothing new came rushing in.

Brooke exhaled and unclenched her muscles. They were still connected, but Brooke’s arousal had drained away. She wanted them surrounding her, but wasn’t up for hot monkey-sex.

“We’ve got you,
milaya
,” Nikolai murmured at her ear. He moved back, leaving her body and walking into the washroom. Only then did she realize their arousal had diminished as well.

Galen chuckled, shadows under his eyes. “Believe me, this is in direct response to your feelings. We want you with us all the way.”

Brooke relaxed even further and Galen gently disengaged himself, but still held her close. She slipped off his body and snuggled next to him. Her muscles felt as if she’d been piloting a ship through battle for hours without break. It had happened before, so she knew what to expect. “I need a shower,” she mumbled against Galen’s shoulder.

He held her. “Sleep first, we can clean up once you’ve gained some strength.” Brooke wanted to move, but couldn’t make her body respond. She gave in and closed her eyes.

She’d get a shower in a moment.

* * * * *

Nikolai stepped back inside the cabin after cleaning up. Brooke had passed out and Galen studied her sleeping face as if he expected to find the meaning of life in it.

Galen looked up at him. “She is everything.”

98

Nikolai’s eyes blurred. His partner was right. Brooke had taken hold of not only their hearts, but also their souls. There was no going back.

He gently wiped her down with a moist cloth and then scrambled onto the bed to take up the already familiar position around her back. “What do you think our chances are?” He kissed her shoulder and met Galen’s gaze.

His lover curled his hand around Nikolai’s cheek. “I believe she feels as strongly about us as we do about her.”

Nikolai nodded, feeling as if the Obsfabra Peaks, one of the highest mountain ranges in the system, rested on his chest. “She trusted us,” he whispered.

“She did.”

But until she declared herself, there was always a chance she’d change her mind.

And there was the wall behind which she hid parts of herself.

Nikolai stretched his arm across Brooke until his hand rested on Galen’s thigh. He needed the contact.

Galen gripped his hand. “We’ll be in the Hamil Quadrant in five hours, in orbit of Abanthe in six. She’ll need a couple of those to recuperate. Once she’s more settled, we can go through what happened. Hopefully she will provide a workable lead to the Ferals.”

Nikolai’s fangs snapped down. Those bastards had put Brooke through hell with the tangle stuck in her brain. He wanted the
scecxis
in front of him right now so he could tear them limb from limb like they’d done in Brooke’s memories.

He stroked his thumb across Galen’s hand.

Galen hadn’t said anything about the Naema yet. That last energy strand had been powerful. Finding out more about his involvement with the Ferals would be priority after tracking down the Vampires and any clues about the missing settlers.

Galen leaned across and kissed him. Their lips met, the familiarity and connection hitting Nikolai in the heart. It sometimes happened like that, the realization of how much Galen enriched his life, how lucky they’d been to find each other.

Nikolai ended the kiss and caressed Galen’s lips.
I want to lie in bed with you and
Brooke as long as we can and soak up the moment.
The mind-to-mind speech was more intimate.

Galen’s smile lit up his face. He nodded.

Nikolai closed his eyes.

* * * * *

Three hours later Galen extracted himself from the tangle of limbs and grabbed a shower. Fighting the web had taken its toll. The sleep had helped. Now he needed food.

99

While making breakfast he heard Nikolai and Brooke in the shower. He grinned when he felt Nikolai’s need and saw Brooke’s heartfelt response. When her fist closed around Nikolai’s cock he had to lean against the counter.

As much as he wanted to join in, time was running short. They tended to get carried away. He gritted his teeth and continued to make eggs and bacon for breakfast.

Nikolai’s synth blood was already breathing on the counter.

He sent Nikolai a prod to bring things to an end. His partner groaned, but twenty minutes later Brooke and Nikolai walked in the kitchen.

Brooke’s smile grew when she saw Galen. She walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss before turning to pour a cup of tea. For a second Galen just stood there, stunned.

Nikolai grinned like a kid in the choc-toff candy store and came up for a kiss of his own, one that involved tongue, teeth and the fight for supremacy.

“I didn’t want you to feel left out,” he chuckled.

Galen smirked. “I’m in your head, how could I feel left out?” Brooke filled plates for Galen and her and took out the necessary utensils. Nikolai flopped down on a chair and sipped the blood.

Galen loved the scene of domestic bliss. He wanted every morning to be like this, to have them sit together and enjoy a meal.

He cleared his throat and randomly opened cupboards for a moment.
It will happen,
Galen. What you wish for will be our future,
Nikolai said in his mind.

Galen composed his features and sat down.

Brooke had been waiting for him and began to eat. “What’s next?” Galen studied her face. She had rings under her eyes, but overall she looked healthier, as if an invisible load had been lifted off her shoulders. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, thanks. The sleep helped.”

Nikolai pushed the plate closer to her and took the fork away. “It won’t do you much good if you’re pushing the food from one end of the plate to the next.” He loaded the fork. “Open up.”

Brooke followed that order with a smile and Nikolai fed her breakfast. They didn’t say much, the underlying tension of what was to come present. Once everybody had finished, Galen refilled Brooke’s and his teas. Nikolai shook his head when Galen asked if he would like more blood.

They moved from the small eating area to the bridge. Nikolai sat in the copilot chair and pulled Brooke onto his lap.

Galen settled into the pilot chair. “How are your memories?” Brooke swallowed. “All there, unfortunately, in graphic detail.”

“Will you let us walk through?” Galen asked.

100

Brooke looked at him. Galen read the struggles in her eyes, the guilt.

Nikolai tucked her closer. “We will be with you every step of the way,” he assured her.

Galen took her hand. “Remember all this has happened already. As horrible as it may be, it has happened. Your friends have been dead for weeks and by remembering, you will help bring their killers to justice and honor their memories.” Brooke nodded. She patted Nikolai’s hand and slid off his lap. “How do we do this?”

Galen ordered another chair to form. “Have a seat and relax.” Brooke sat, but tension still vibrated through her body.

“Have you noticed anything different this morning?” Galen asked.

She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

He’s talking about the fact that we are inside your shields now,
Nikolai inserted himself into the conversation, talking mind-to-mind to both of them.

Brooke froze, but after a deep breath worked on loosening her muscles again.
So…I
can now talk to you in my head?
she asked.

Galen’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest and his cock turned rock hard. Having her respond with mindtalk was beautiful and intimate.
Yes,
he replied. He read worry in her eyes and hastened to reassure her.
We won’t go where you don’t want us.

It hurt that she felt she had to keep parts of herself protected, but he hoped time would take care of her fear. As a human she didn’t know about lifemates, the connection and trust that were the base of such a relationship.

She’d been tapping her fingers, but came to a decision before Galen could work on more reassurance.
Here we go
, she said and closed her eyes.

Galen entered her memories. Nikolai and he stood on the bridge of the
Nebokka
, next to their Brooke, and watched Memory-Brooke go through flight-check. Galen admired her poise and easy relationship with her crew. He read loyalty in her people.

They admired their captain and trusted her to lead right.

How wrong they were
, Brooke said.

Galen sent her his warmth.
Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Memory-Brooke talked briefly to her copilot and then walked off the bridge. They followed her through the ship, observing as she stopped intermittently to talk to crew until she reached the cargo area. The
Nebokka
was a medium-sized vessel with twenty-three crewmembers, but the cargo area took up close to sixty percent of the ship’s space.

They all watched as hibernation chambers floated aboard, each filled with a settler.

It wasn’t strictly necessary for the relative short trip to be in hibernation, but it was cheaper to store the settlers in this manner than having to feed over one hundred people for a couple of weeks.

101

Once everything had been settled and Memory-Brooke was satisfied with the loading, she returned to the bridge. The
Nebokka
left port.

Can you fast-forward to the day of the attack?
Nikolai asked.

Brooke nodded and closed her eyes. For a moment everything around them lost focus and blurred into an amalgamation of colors. Seconds later they were on the bridge again.

Galen wanted to pull Brooke out and hold her. She’d paled and the rings under her eyes were more pronounced.
Focus on the leader of the Ferals, not on what they’ve done.
He wasn’t sure if she’d heard him.