Vareen & Mica (The Alliance Book 2) (12 page)

“It’s very dangerous.” Nellia was wearing the purple dress of Renari
since she was a guest of Cali’s. Despite the current topic, her face was
relaxed and Vareen hadn’t seen her this confident in a long time. The betrayal
of Diandra and being imprisoned on Cestori had taken a toll on both of them.
Spending the last weeks helping those on Cestori and traveling to Atheon as a
medical emissary had brought out the best in Nellia.

“There isn’t a way to get into his tent,” Cali argued and then looked
over her shoulder to make sure Drake hadn’t returned.

Currently,
Cali and Nellia were on
the couch and she was across from them in a chair.

“There is,” Vareen insisted. “You know I’ve always enjoyed horticulture. During
my stay at the hospital and at Mica’s I took the time to read about different
plants and their properties here on Titus. I won’t have to go far to get the
items we need.”

“You will have to get the dose exactly right or you might kill someone,”
Nellia frowned at her.

“That is where you come in Doctor Adet,” Vareen smiled confidently. “I
followed both of you into more trouble at the Academy then I can count. All I’m
asking is that you help me reach Mica.”

Cali eyed her, “Why do you need to see him so badly?”

Vareen didn’t bother to hide her feelings, “Because he asked me a very
important question and needs to know my answer. I’ve been waiting so long to
give it.”

“You remember something from your time together?” Both Cali and Nellia
gasped in excitement.

 
“How much?” Nellia pressed closer.

“It’s all come back to me and I realize that Mica needs me,” Vareen
answered solemnly.

“We’ll help you, but you need to be extremely careful.” Cali grabbed her
hand. “You have to avoid any females from Titus.”

“Why?” Vareen was taken aback by the urgency of Cali’s warning.

Looking to Nellia and back to her, Cali spoke softly, “It’s widely known
that Mica asked you to be his chosen mate and you denied him an answer.
Therefore, any woman can challenge you to show Mica they are a better choice
than you are.”

“Challenge me? As in a fight?” Vareen couldn’t believe that behavior
happened here on Titus.

“Yes. You’ll only be safe when it’s acknowledged that you have accepted
Mica as your mate. It’s forbidden to fight over a male or female when a chosen
pair has been declared.”

“That’s why the men were acting so strange last
night,
” Vareen stated with a small smile. The night before suddenly
playing back in her mind. Mica and the others were protecting her from being
challenged.

“Yes. Angeline is a troublemaker.
Believe
me,
I know.’ Cali laughed slightly at some private joke.

“So I have to get to Mica without being seen or stopped by any woman who
may want to challenge me? On top of
that,
I have to avoid being seen by guards and other clan members?” Vareen laughed
heartily at the absurdity of the situation. “Well, that sounds simple enough. If
we can get past some Cestori guards to steal a spaceship, how hard can this
be?”

Everyone laughed at the reminder of what they’d gone through just a short
while ago for Cali. When the hilarity had died down, Vareen got serious.

“We’ll need a distraction,” Vareen bit her lip in thought. How did you
distract males with heightened speed, strength, and smell?

“Cali you did say Ambassador Tec’hia is here?” Nellia smiled
mischievously. “I think we could use her assistance.”

“She’s from Atheon,” Vareen argued distractedly. “Even with her
importance to The Alliance, she won’t be allowed into those tents any more than
we are.”

“I don’t want her to try to get us into Mica’s tent,” Nellia denied. “I
want her to distract the guards at the tents.”

“Brilliant idea.” Cali and Nellia were both laughing.

“I don’t understand.” Vareen was confused.

“You’ll see.” Cali looked around again. “When do you want to try this?”

“Tonight. Can we speak to the ambassador now?”

“We can try.” Nellia stood up.

“I know her tents are close.” Cali stood as well and Vareen joined them.
The three of them swept out of the tent and headed along the paths to find the
ambassador.

“How will we know which ones are hers?” Vareen asked. There were so many
places to look.

“We’ll know,” Cali laughed.

“How?” Vareen couldn’t stop her frustration.

“We just will,” Cali laughed and Vareen didn’t understand the humor until
they turned a corner and she was blinded.

“Okay then.” Vareen stopped short and Nellia almost ran into her. “I’m
beginning to see your confidence in discerning the ambassador’s tents from the
others.”

“Come on.” Cali gestured impatiently and hurried toward the largest of
the oddly glowing tents. As they approached two guards stopped them.

“State your business.”

“We’re here to see Ambassador Tec’hia,” Cali spoke loudly. “We’re friends
of hers on an important mission.”

“The ambassador is busy at the moment. Can we take—”

“Cali, is that you?” a voice like tinkling glass called from inside the
tent. “Let her in.”

The two guards stepped aside and Vareen followed Cali into the tent. It
was supposed to be the same as the hundreds of others around the gathering…but
it wasn’t.

Vareen just stopped herself from raising her hand to shield her eyes. The
inside of this tent had been altered with flowing streamers, glittering lights,
plant life, a water feature and if Vareen wasn’t mistaken, some type of fluttering
bugs.

“Cali, I thought I heard your voice.”

Vareen couldn’t believe that the woman in front of her was real. She was
wearing a dress that changed color every few seconds from blue to purple to red
to black to golden. She was representing all the clans with one dress and what
a dress it was. It was a play on the same design the
clans
wore. The straps met over one shoulder instead of the neck.
It also flowed to the ground instead of mid-calf. The layers in her dress began
to change color independently of each other and it was enough to make Vareen
look into the ambassador’s face. If she kept looking at the dress, she might
have a stroke from the strobe effect.

The ambassador was a very beautiful woman. Her hair was done perfectly to
frame her heart-shaped face. Her pale eyes were framed by natural black lashes.
Her face was devoid of
makeup
and she
still seemed to shine.

“You’ve caught me unaware and I’m a sight without my make-up.” The
ambassador embraced both Cali and Nellia.

Vareen wanted to know what she considered put together if this wasn’t her
normal look.

When she turned from Nellia, Vareen stepped forward.

“Who have we here?” her voice was questioning but open and friendly.

“Your majesty, this is our friend. Vareen,” Cali introduced her.

With one eyebrow raised at Cali, the ambassador exclaimed, “I told
you,
Cali. It’s just Risenal. None of that your
majesty and ambassador stuff to my friends.”

“Sorry. Risenal.” Cali tried again. “This is Vareen. She is Mica’s chosen
mate.”

Vareen felt the sharp sting at the
words
but forced it back. She was Mica’s chosen mate dammit and she was done waiting
for her mind to stop fighting it.

“Vareen.” The woman embraced her and kissed both cheeks. “I’m sorry we
didn’t meet at the negotiations but you were already on your way here to Titus
with Mica. I have heard so much about you from Nellia and Cali. I feel like
we’re already friends.”

Risenal took her hand and pulled her toward a group of four chaise chairs
in the middle of her room. There was a canister of some type of drink and
glasses on a tray. “Everyone, sit. Tell me what brings you to my humble tent.”

Everyone picked a chaise and Vareen jumped right into her problem. “I
need to see Mica. I never answered him when he asked me to be his chosen mate,
I left for Cestori instead. I thought it would give me time to think about what
I wanted. The instant Diandra faced me with that
phaser
I knew leaving Mica was a mistake. When they started the
realignment on me I knew if given a second chance I wouldn’t waste a second of
it.”

“Vareen, I’m so sorry about what was done to you.” Risenal waved a
butterfly away when it tried to land on her.

“I’ve recovered my memories and I am ready to move on. I was going to try
to get Mica to admit we were more than friends. In my worry over asking Mica
how he
felt,
I wasted time. Now we’ve
been separated and Mica doesn’t know that I know. His worry for me might make
him lose the challenge. Does any of this make sense?” Vareen had been talking
so fast at the end she wasn’t sure if the women would understand what she’d
said.

“Yes,
It
makes sense. What can I do?” Risenal
offered Vareen a drink but she declined.

“Well, we have a
plan
.” Cali leaned
close and they all followed suit.

“We’re going to use Vareen’s knowledge of herbs to…
incapacitate
the guards.”

“I like this plan. Where do I come in?” Risenal looked delighted at being
included in their subterfuge.

“We need a distraction, so Nellia can get to their food or drinks.”

“I think I can manage that.” Risenal tapped her finger elegantly on her
chin. “I have a dress in mind that might be enough to distract them. When are
we doing this?”

“Tonight,” Vareen insisted. “I want Mica to stop worrying about me before
the challenges start.”

“Tonight it is then.”

Vareen would never doubt Risenal Tec’hia again. The woman was a genius. The
dress she’d chosen glowed so brightly that she could see the light from her
position at the back of Mica’s tent.

Vareen straightened the black cloak covering her from head to toe.
Stepping closer to Mica’s tent so the glow from Risenal’s dress wouldn’t give
her away, she listened intently when she heard voices.

“I’m sure I took a wrong turn at that last tent. Do you know where we are
Nellia?” Risenal’s voice flitted on the wind.

“I’m sorry Ambassador Tec’hia, I’m new to this area of the gathering. I
don’t know where we are.” Nellia answered Risenal. The laughter in Nellia’s
voice was obvious to Vareen and she hoped it wasn’t to the guards.

“I’m sorry to disturb your drinks gentlemen, but could you point us in
the direction of the merchant pavilion?”

It had been decided to have Risenal talk to the guards while Nellia
slipped the correct dose of the plants Vareen had found by the river in their
food or drink. It had to be Nellia since the dosing would differ when added to
a liquid or sprinkled on a food.

“What are you gentlemen guarding here? I don’t recall being told about
this section of the gathering.”

“We are responsible for keeping a challenged male in seclusion Ambassador
Tec’hia,” one of the guards spoke to Risenal. “This is Mica Jataci’s tent. He is
to remain alone during the challenge trials.”

“The merchant tent is that direction.” Vareen heard another guard break
in.

“The poor fellow is all alone?” Risenal asked. “Won’t he have visitors?”

“No. Visitors are strictly prohibited. Nobody will come to this tent and
we check at random intervals to make sure he stays alone.”

Vareen knew that she had about two hours if the dose worked on them. It
had been interesting trying to calculate for their increased metabolism. The
dose Nellia was going to use was the highest they dared. According to the book,
when they woke up they wouldn’t realize time had passed.

“What about the other guards? Won’t they come to this tent to visit or
cover for you? If you were to walk a visitor to the merchant pavilion for
example,” Risenal asked casually.

“No. We are under strict orders to maintain our positions at all times.”

“I see. Very honorable of you.
Now,
which direction did you
say?
I’m sorry I
didn’t see you pointing, my dress is awfully bright.”

“That way.” The voices shifted and moved as the guards tried to point
Risenal in the right direction.

“This way?” Risenal’s voice was confused. “That looks like the food
court.”

“Not that way.” The guards moved again. “That way.”

“I think I have it. Thank
you,
gentlemen. I do plan to enjoy these challenges. Come along Nellia, guards.”

Vareen saw the glow of Risenal’s dress move along the path. She had to
wait now to see if the guards would drink it.

“That ambassador is one beautiful woman,” one of the guards commented.

“I heard she is a princess of her country. Her father appointed her as
ambassador
in order for her to learn more about
the worlds they are allied with.”

“A princess? That would explain the guards protecting her. Did you see
their faces? It’s like they were set in stone.”

“When we moved to show her down the right path I thought they were going
to try to intervene.”

“I almost wish they had. It might have proven to be an interesting
fight.”

Both guards laughed. “A toast, to the fight that almost was.”

There was the clink of glasses and then Vareen held her breath. This was
it.

Walking along the back of the tent she calculated and then taking a small
device from her pocket she made a slit in the material. The tents were all
built the same. If she cut in the right place she would end up in Mica’s bedroom.
Nobody would see that she’d been here when she used a fusing device she’d
gotten from Dani to fix the slice she was making. Mica’s tent would look just
like all the others.

Taking great care not to make the hole too large, she slipped between the
seams and carefully pulled the material back together. She was in Mica’s
bedroom. The bed was empty. The covers and pillows were
thrown
about on the mattress as if in disinterest. Mica must be in
the living room. She hurried that direction and still didn’t see him.

Chancing a look outside of the tent, she saw both guards sitting prone
where they’d been toasting. Their faces were
slack
,
their breathing steady. At least she hadn’t killed them.

Closing the flap, she went to turn and was engulfed in a vice-like grip.

“What are you doing in my tent?” Mica’s voice growled, low and vicious.
“Give me one good reason not to call the guards?” His arms tightened painfully
and Vareen worried she might suffocate before getting out that it was her.

“M-mica,” she rasped out. “It’s m-me.” After wheezing those words, she
was completely out of breath. Mica’s hold on her was stony and unyielding.

“Var?” His hold relaxed instantly and she was turned in his arms without
being put down. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe—”

“Mica,” Vareen wrapped her arms around his neck. “I had to see you.” She
punctuated each word with kisses to his chin and jaw. Wherever she could reach.

Mica tried to pull away, but only half-heartedly. If he’d wanted to she
wouldn’t be able to hold onto him. “Var,” he groaned. “You don’t know—”

Vareen rubbed her chest against his, damning the material of her cloak
and dress for being in the way.

 
“I do know.” Vareen couldn’t stand
it any longer and ran her fingers
through
his hair. Pulling his face down she delighted in the electric blue his eyes had
become. Standing on tip-toe she put her mouth against his. Her lips moved
softly at first, remembering the feel of being close.

Mica trembled once and then his hands moved to her ass
cheeks
to pull her higher against him. The
force of his hold was fierce. The pressure of his arousal against her stomach
strong and thick.

Vareen moaned and Mica swallowed the sound. Their tongues were suddenly
in a fierce battle for supremacy. Vareen took hold of Mica’s shirt and pulled.
Buttons flew around the room to land with soft pings. With more ferocity
than
she’d intended Mica’s shirt went flying
off. How she managed it with him still holding her against him, she didn’t
care. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she’d felt every inch of skin.

Breaking their kiss Mica gasped. “The guards.”

“Won’t be bothering us,” Vareen bit at his neck, licking and sucking. “I
dosed them with a sleeping agent.”

Growling low Mica tugged at her cloak.

“I need that, don’t tear it,” Vareen protested.

Mica put her down long enough to gently remove the cloak, then she was
back in his arms. One piece of clothing down, one more to go. With the layers
in her dress, Vareen was able to wrap her legs around Mica’s hips. Both of them
froze, their gazes caught and held with the sensation of being so intimately
pressed together.

“Var. I can’t.” Mica went to pry her away.

“Why?” Vareen knew it wasn’t for lack of desire.

“The doctor,” Mica groaned again when she moved against him.

“He’s an idiot,” Vareen moved again. “So are you for listening to him.”

“We’re friends,” Mica tried to dissuade her. Vareen felt her heart swell
with the realization that Mica was still trying to protect her.

“We’re not friends,” Vareen stressed. Her fingers moved to the fastening
of his pants.

“We are lovers.” Her fingers opened the clasp.

 
“We are partners.” She worked the
pants open.

“We are
chosen,
mates.” Her fingers
managed to clasp onto his rigid arousal and squeezed. “Now stop talking. We
only have two hours at best.”

*****

 
“I love
you,
Mica.” Vareen pressed a kiss to his chest.

Rolling her under him Mica kissed her fiercely, propping his weight on
his forearms, “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I failed you—”

Vareen put a finger to his lips, “No. I chose to go to Cestori. No more
doubts, no more wasted time. I know the dangers I’m facing with the women of
Titus and I’ll be careful. You focus on winning this challenge. I’m your chosen
mate and you’ll do as I say…because I say so.” Vareen teased him and Mica
laughed at her choice of words.

With him still buried inside her, his laughter caused her body to spasm
around him.

“Var.” He moved his hips and her eyes widened. “How long did you say we
had?”

Vareen groaned and opened her legs wider, drawing Mica deeper. “About one
hour and forty minutes now.”

“I think I can improve on my last effort.” Mica flexed his hips and
Vareen gasped.

Indeed, he could.