Undaunted (Battle Born Book 6) (21 page)

Rather than allowing her zeal to annoy him, Garin motioned toward Raylon. “Take it up with the program’s coordinator. He needs all the help he can get.”

Raylon objected with a silent glare.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he pushed back from his desk and stood. “I promised to make breakfast for my soon-to-be-mate.”

“Have fun.” Raylon smiled. “If we need you, we know where to find you.”

* * * * *

They’d just finished breakfast when a runner arrived with Berlynn’s belongings. She was dressed in his bathrobe, which suited him just fine. But she was much too headstrong to remain in his cabin and he couldn’t have her wandering about the ship in his bathrobe.

“Am I moving in?”

She didn’t sound displeased by the idea. Still, he felt the need to clarify. “That would be my preference, but I’ll assign you a cabin if you insist.”

“I thought I made my preference clear last night.” Her cheeks flushed as she met his steady gaze.

They’d made love three times and each time made it even harder for him not to claim her. Touching her, being inside her, was only the beginning and his body knew it. “Then put your things wherever you like, as long as they’re put away.”

She looked around the orderly room and smiled. “I’ve agreed to bond with a neat freak. This should be interesting.”

They’d already showered, so she selected a dress and went to the bathroom to put it on. The impulse was amusing after everything they’d done the night before, but Garin didn’t want to embarrass her.

“General Lux to General Nox.”

Sedrik’s voice came over the room’s external speakers rather than through his com-bots, so Garin responded verbally. “This is Nox. Go ahead.”

“There’s a Rex Dravon claiming that you asked to speak with him.” Sedrik sounded doubtful, which was likely the reason for the external com. Sedrik wanted Dravon to hear Garin refuse to see him.

Sedrik was destined for disappointment. Garin had sent out a message last night, not sure if the contact information Rex had given him was accurate or not. “Bring him here, Sedrik. I’m not quite finished with breakfast.”

“Copy that. We’re on our way.”

It would take twelve to sixteen minutes for them to reach his cabin, as long as they’d been in one of the hangar bays. Garin gathered up the dishes and brought them to the recycler with a smile. Berlynn was right, he was a neat freak. He stashed her bags in one of the compartments then printed another pot of civata brew. Military strictures had abraded Rex Dravon, so Garin’s approach needed to be casual.

Garin had returned to the table and was about to pour himself another mug of civata brew when Berlynn strolled out of the bedroom. His heart flipped over in his chest and his hand shook so badly he had to lower the pot from which he’d been about to pour. She’d gathered the front of her hair back from her face then left the silky mass loose down her back. The golden strands created a nimbus around her delicate figures. The dress was simple, yet elegant. The bronze fabric skimmed her curves from shoulder to knee, the style was fitted without being provocative yet it was a sexy departure from her usual garb.

“I’m running out of dresses.” She smoothed the fabric over her hips, her smile tentative. “This one is more appropriate for a cocktail party.”

He stood and pulled out her chair. “You’re stunning, but I should lock you in my bedroom until I’ve claimed you.”

She turned her head sharply and smiled back at him. “I’m pretty sure your scent covers every inch of my body, even after the shower this morning.” She was remembering the night before, if her fiery blush was any indication.

“We’re about to have visitors,” he warned her as he returned to his seat.

As if to prove his point, the computer announced, “Sedrik Lux to see you, sir.”

“Access approved.”

The doors parted and Sedrik ushered Rex Dravon into the room. Sedrik looked annoyed, while Dravon looked around, his expression openly assessing.

“Daaamn,” Dravon muttered. “Nice ship.”

Without leaving his seat at the head of the dining room table, Garin motioned toward the empty chairs. “Join us. Both of you.”

Dravon sauntered to the table and sat across from Berlynn. His golden phitons shimmered as he smiled at her. “You clean up well.”

“So do you.”

Her tone was pleasant, not playful, so Garin kept his growl to himself. The front of Dravon’s long dark hair was neatly braided and his beard had been recently trimmed, but he still looked like a Bilarrian pirate.

“I didn’t catch your name the other night,” Dravon prompted.

“She’s my mate,” Garin cut in as Berlynn was about to answer. “That’s all you need to know.”

Dravon narrowed his gaze as he shifted his attention to Garin. “Your scent is hard to miss, but I don’t sense a mating bond.”

Rather than taking Dravon’s bait, Garin said, “I didn’t ask you here so we could fight over my female. Would you like to know why I did?”

“I sure as hells would,” Sedrik muttered. “He’s a deserter. He has no place on this ship.”

“I had a very good reason for what I did.” Dravon’s hostile gaze snapped over to Sedrik. “Unlike you, I didn’t have a powerful family to cover up my mistakes.”

“Sedrik, if you can’t remain civil. I’ll speak with you later.”

Sedrik was clearly shocked by Garin’s defense of the other man, but he said nothing more.

“So, why’d you ask me here?” Dravon folded his arms over is chest and pressed back into his chair.

“Why are you still in this star system?” Garin countered.

Dravon chuckled. “Here we go again. Do you ever just answer a question?”

“Yes.” When Dravon just glared at Garin, he went on. “You’re either interested in the transformation program or you’re still contemplating my capture. Which is it?”

“Why does it need to be one or the other? I’m intrigued by the possibility of unleashing my magic, but the bounty on your head is also intriguing.”

“Fair enough. I have a proposition for you.” He glanced around the table before he explained. Sedrik watched them closely, yet remained silent. Berlynn sipped her civata brew with apparent indifference, but Garin spotted the curious gleam in her eyes. “I need to get close to Quinton, preferably somewhere other than the palace.”

“So I pretend to capture you and trade you for the bounty? Is that what you have in mind?”

“Not a chance,” Sedrik flared. “What’s to keep him from double-crossing you? Deserters can’t be trusted.”

“There are a couple of things, actually,” Garin assured him. “First, Quinton’s lying. He doesn’t have the bounty he’s promised Dravon. He’s squandered away the fortune left to him by his brother’s sudden death.”

“Can you prove that?” Dravon wanted to know.

“I can, once we’ve come to an agreement.”

Dravon acknowledged the claim with a tense nod. “You said there were a couple of reasons.”

“I’m going to hold your crew and the
Marauder
as collateral, until we return from Rodymia with Quinton.”

Sedrik smiled, apparently satisfied with the outcome.

Dravon, on the other hand, did not look happy. “You have my ship?”

“You don’t care about your crew, just your ship?” Berlynn sounded horrified, but Garin kept his gaze on his reluctant guest.

“My crew can take care of themselves.” Like Garin, Dravon didn’t even look at her. “How did you find the
Marauder
? She was in full stealth mode.”

“Same way you found the
Phantom
, more or less. We used the power spike caused by your bio-stream engines to locate your ship.”

He muttered something profane under his breath. “I came here in good faith, because
you
asked me to.”

“Your crew will not be harmed, nor will your ship. And if you’re not interested in my deal, you’re free to go. However, I’m also offering an opportunity to participate in the transformation program—if the mission is completed successfully.”

“I can just take out Quinton,” Dravon offered. “It would be a whole lot easier than trying to capture him.”

Garin shook his head. “I want him alive, at least for now.”

Dravon chuckled. “That’s what Quinton said, almost word for word.”

“Why are you so determined to capture him rather than remove the obstacle permanently?” Sedrik wanted to know. “This isn’t the first time the suggestion has come up.”

“Because of Paytor.” The others looked confused, so Garin explained, “Paytor’s not just going through the motions. He’s a loyalist to the marrow of his bones. He swore to honor and protect the house of Keire. He considers it a sacred duty. If Quinton is out of favor with the Rodyte people, that’s one thing, but if Quinton dies at the hands of the battle born, Paytor will never rest until he exacts revenge.”

“And he has the
Triumphant
and all the ships commanded by elite officers at his disposal.” Sedrik nodded, finally understanding Garin’s choice.

“Okay, so let’s capture the bastard,” Dravon relented with a grin. “When do we leave?”

“As soon as we can alter the
Vengeance
enough to pass for the
Marauder,
” Garin told him. “They’re roughly the same shape and size. Only someone who really knows ships would spot the imposter.”

“Or we could just take my ship,” Dravon suggested.

Garin pushed back from the table and stood. “And have you lock up the controls halfway to Rodymia. I don’t think so.” The other two males stood as well. Berlynn watched them silently, but remained seated. “You can join your crewmembers in the brig until we’re ready to leave or Sedrik can take you to one of the cafeterias. It shouldn’t take too long to switch transponders and duplicate external markings.”

Dravon didn’t indicate his choice as he followed Sedrik from the cabin.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Berlynn asked after the others had gone.

Garin stood behind his chair, resting his hands on the tall, padded back. “It’s the best move we’ve got right now. Quinton has to know I’m ready to set things in motion. Even he isn’t that oblivious.”

“So how is this going to work?” A lock of hair had escaped the clip holding it back, so she tucked it behind her ear. “Rex might be able to walk you in the front door, but how are you going to escape once you grab Quinton?”

“That depends on the location. If we can get Quinton to come to the fake
Marauder
, it should be relatively easy.”

“That’s a massive ‘if’. Quinton might be that foolish, but I doubt his security team will allow it.”

Her attitude was annoying, yet encouraging. Before he’d met Berlynn, only his brothers and Raylon felt comfortable enough to challenge him. “Once we know the location, we’ll assess the situation and devise a specific strategy. Likely it will involve the
Fearless
and bio-streaming.”

“Can you bio-stream through shields? Haven said the palace spaceport is heavily shielded.”

Garin moved in front of her and pulled her up out of her chair. “Are you just being argumentative or are you worried about me?”

Her arms folded against her chest, creating a barrier between their bodies. “Of course, I’m worried about you, but I might be able to help.”

“No.” Finality rang through his tone and reverberated through his being. He would not allow his mate to endanger herself for any reason.

“Most full-blood Tandoris can teleport,” she reminded him.

“I don’t care. You’re not going.”

She ignored his stubborn outburst and continued, “I’m like a sprinter. My range is limited, but I can teleport fast and accurately.”

Hating himself for even asking, he had to know, “Can you take others with you?”

“I’ve teleported with two passengers, but never with three. That doesn’t mean I can’t. It just means I’ve not yet tried it.”

“And you’re not going to,” he stressed. “There’s no reason to put you in danger.”

“You don’t know that yet. And you won’t until you find out where Quinton agrees to meet you.”

She had a valid point, but there was no way he was going to admit the fact out loud. Luckily, someone pinged his com-bots. He pointed toward his ear. “I need to take this,” he told her even though the caller had yet to identify themselves. “This is General Nox, go on.” He moved a short distance away and pivoted, so that he could still see her in his peripheral vision.

“This is Letos. Is this connection secure?”

“It is. What’s going on?” He hadn’t spoken to the interim head of the Integration Guild since before their alliance was formed. He liked Letos and wanted to trust him, but their interactions had been limited.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” Letos began. “According to my source in the palace, a small party of armed soldiers marched right past security and then escorted Quinton out a back door. They weren’t by any chance yours?”

“No. Does your source know where they took him?”

“No clue. They walked out into the garden and then just disappeared. Sounds to me like they were bio-streamed up to a ship.”