Cleo
CLEO
Maxym captures my mouth with one of his demanding kisses, his thoughtbond a whirl of desire, fear, and pleasure, plenty of which seems to have made it to his crotch as what I feel pressing against me is not his armor.
“What are you doing here, little scrap?” he asks once I’m released. “I told Retah to keep you at the dwelling.”
“You really think he could stop me?” I respond, looking over my shoulder at a sheepish looking Retah. “Once Tibi got involved, he didn’t have much choice, and as far as we could tell, the battle against the Bogarok is almost won.”
Maxym’s gaze lands on the still twitching body of the Bogarok behind Retah.
“You…killed it,” he says to the massive gold Sarkarnii Retah identified as Draco, the Sarkarnii leader. “You saved me.”
Draco is impassive for a second or two before a smile hitches up the corner of his mouth.
“And you were going to kill me.” He looks over at the even bigger green Sarkarnii. “What did I say about honorable, Draxx?”
“I say you’re going to get your head nevving blown off one of these nova-days,” Draxx grumbles. “Or removed by a Gryn warrior.”
“Drasus says he’s finished up with the final two planet-side ships.” The blue Sarkarnii looks up from a small comm device.
“And Daeos?” Draco asks.
“He’s secured the ships in orbit. Drelix has taken out the ones over Sartak.”
Draco nods. “Good work, Drega.”
“Please.” I turn to the huge gold Sarkarnii, swallowing hard as he turns his dangerous gaze on me. “One of our friends has family on those ships. They were being held hostage. Can you make sure they’re unharmed?”
Draco nods over at Drega who turns away to have a conversation with what looks like a bright red Sarkarnii.
Maxym pulls me tighter against him, one wing stretched protectively around me. His thoughtbond is filled with growls in the presence of all these males, but he’s doing an excellent job of hiding his vexation.
“We have what the Bogarok and the Varangy came for,” Retah says. “They’re working for a Protoex.”
“Nev,” Drega growls, “it’s been a long time since we came across one of those.”
Maxym’s feathers rattle almost uncontrollably and all three Sarkarnii stare at him.
“It’s possible…” he says, “a Protoex was responsible for…” Maxym shakes his head, and his frustration fires down the bond. “I can’t remember.”
“This nevver’s even more messed up than Daeos was,” Draxx rumbles.
“But he was a glorious gladiator,” Drega replies, looking up from his vid-screen.
“I am a gladiator,” Maxym growls.
“Not anymore,” Retah says. “Look.”
The smoke is beginning to clear, and as it does, the ruins of the dome jut up like a set of broken teeth. “It looks like you are free, Maxym, finally.”
I feel pain spike through him as his thoughts go to Klynn and the captain.
“We got out. I’m sure they did too,” I whisper.
“I’m not sure anything could destroy Klynn.” Maxym rallies, throwing his shoulders and wings back.
“So, we have a free Gryn on our hands.” Drega grins over at Draxx. “And a mated one at that.”
“Mated to a human female no less,” Draxx rasps.
This time I don’t get any say in what happens as Maxym shoves me behind him.
“This female is MINE,” he growls. “And I need to nest for her,” he adds desperately.
“I had heard Gryn were feral.” Draco flashes his fangs. “But I would never get between a warrior and his mate.”
He turns to the other two Sarkarnii. “Let’s get this wrapped up,” he says before returning to Maxym and me. “And I need to hear all about what the Bogarok and Varangy wanted.”
Draco takes up a considerable amount of room in what I thought was a pretty spacious dwelling. He’s been supplied with plenty of food by Tibi, who fussed around him as if he was royalty (something he clearly felt he deserved), and plenty of mead-wine from Retah.
I’m sat on a slightly lumpy gladiator because he refused to let me go anywhere else, especially with the Sarkarnii in close proximity.
“Tatatunga was being used as a base for the Galactic Council to store their special information,” Retah begins. “Turns out, it was under the dome.” He nods at Maxym.
“ Special information ?”
“Their dirty secrets. How much they are involved in the trafficking of species like me, like my mate,” Maxym growls. “All the other things they did, while pretending to be upholding order in the galaxy.”
Maxym has removed his helmet and is taking full advantage of the though bond, where Retah and I have looked at the info on the data cubes.
I might not have wings but mine are itching like crazy. He wants to be anywhere but here, and his desire to nest is something which has my heart pounding.
Not least because of what he wants to do to me in it.
“And this information”—Draco leans back in the chair—“it’s for sale?”
“No!” I say.
“Yes!” Retah says.
Draco moves his gaze between the two of us, smoke curling from one nostril as he contemplates our response.
“We don’t want to sell it.” I glare at Retah. “It needs to be somewhere safe, somewhere the Galactic Council will never get their hands on it.”
“I’m not sure all of the Galactic Council have hands,” Retah says, seemingly impervious to my ire, “but is correct, which is a shame. Those on the Council who have benefitted from what is contained on these cubes will fall if they are no longer able to access them. It means freedom for those enslaved by their work, and it means justice for those killed.”
He looks at Maxym long and hard.
“I will not be driven by revenge,” Maxym says, “nor violence, nor the fight.” His arm curls around me, hand spanning my stomach. “I have my mate, my fate, my guiding star. What’s on those cubes is no interest to me, not anymore. I make no claim over them.”
Draco releases a cloud of smoke and downs the rest of a tankard of mead-ale.
“You’re far too honorable, gladiator,” he says. “Far more honorable than any on the Council.” He lifts his lip, showing the sharpest of white fangs. “It’s no secret the Sarkarnii don’t trust the Council. After all, we ended up in the Kirakos because some within wished to hide their involvement in the destruction of our world.”
Retah huffs out a breath, dipping his horns at Draco.
“Yours too, Prince Baronn,” Draco acknowledges, “although you seem to have carved a life for yourself, here.”
“My family made many grave errors with both their approach to the Liderc and what happened on Kaeh-Leks. It is something I will be paying for for the rest of my life,” Retah says, his voice filled with infinite sadness.
“We all lost much,” Draco intones, “but we’ve been able to take those who controlled the Liderc to task.” He turns his attention on Maxym and me. “There is room on our planet for you, should you wish it. I can always accommodate an honorable warrior and his resourceful mate. And I will happily protect the information you have liberated within our hoard.”