CHAPTER 11
Gauge knew he should have left Lena in her quarters, or taken her to stay with Seraphym, but a part of him preferred having her in his sight.
It didn’t matter that he could reach her telepathically in seconds if something went wrong.
He still didn’t know if he could work his powers through her, like he’d be able to with a true eillelé, though just speaking through her might be enough to warn off potential threats.
The captain of Oberon turned to face him when he entered the bridge, lowering her eyes a moment.
“Hunter,” she murmured respectfully, turning her gaze to Lena, a questioning look in her eyes.
Instead of wearing the black or brown leather of a Hunter or tracker, the crew of Oberon wore uniforms—black pants with a dark green top—made from cothsilk, a sturdy synthetic material.
The captain and officers also wore short black jackets.
The captain’s jacket was decorated with a silver insignia of a firebird on her collar.
Two silver stripes signified a first officer, one for an officer.
If they removed the jacket, they were indistinguishable from the rest of the crew.
“Captain Eisher,” Gauge said, “This is Zephralena, of the Cliff Dwellers Clan of Leviathan. She would like to join us on the bridge as we prepare to fold space.”
“Zephralena,” the captain murmured, tipping her head in acknowledgement. “Welcome aboard Oberon.”
“Thank you,” Lena said. “I’ve never been on the bridge of a ship before. Raiden warriors rarely agree to take serpents into space.”
“I can understand this where your males are concerned, as they could present a problem if they shifted forms on a ship, but unless I’m mistaken, females don’t shift.”
“Catalan females can shift, but Catalan are a private species. They seldom come down from their mountain homes, let alone interact with Raiden warriors. Leviathan females rarely leave the protection of their clans. With few exceptions, they are given no opportunity to travel by ship.”
Gauge doubted the captain noticed Lena’s slight stiffening. She had been one of those exceptions, but it had not been by choice, nor had it been a pleasant experience.
“Understandable,” the captain said. “Until Raiden warriors change their ways, most species will try to protect their females from being claimed against their will.” Captain Eisher frowned when Lena flinched.
“Forgive me, please. I’ve been informed about your past with the Nekbet prince.
We Laizahlian do not condone any species being forced against their will, but especially so where a mating is concerned.
If you have need of anything while you are on my ship, don’t hesitate to ask. ”
“Thank you,” Lena murmured.
Gauge didn’t pull away when Lena reached for his arm. He ignored the captain’s curious look when he took hold of her elbow and escorted her to a chair. He took a moment to strap Lena in, just to be safe, then returned his attention to the captain. “Has the Raiden fighter arrived yet?”
“They landed in shuttle bay four a few minutes ago. We are preparing to break orbit now. It will take about ninety minutes to reach a point where we can safely fold space.” She offered Lena a faint smile.
“I’m afraid there won’t be much to see or do until then.
I’ll activate the front screen so you can see what is right outside the ship. ”
“Thank you,” Lena said, returning her smile. Her mouth dropped open when the screen popped to life, showing her the planet Raiden beneath them. “Magnificent,” she murmured. “So beautiful.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” the captain said, then she returned her attention to Gauge. “Hunter, would you like to assist us in setting a course for Earth when we fold space. I need to know how close to their solar system you want us to exit.”
“Of course,” Gauge said. He glanced back at Lena as he followed the captain, but her attention remained on the front screen.
“Is there a problem?” Gauge asked. He knew the captain would already have the necessary coordinates.
“No, not really. I’m just curious, Hunter, why we are going to such lengths to try to help a Raiden male claim a mate, especially a human when they have been off limits for so many centuries.”
“If we end up going to war with Djinn again, we will need the cooperation of the serpents, Captain. We can’t reach the serpents without going through the six ruling Houses of Raiden. Kiernan is the crown prince of the House of Sabula.”
“I understand why the prince and his guard are here, but what is the reason for bringing three serpents on my ship?”
Gauge stiffened. “Zephralena is the only daughter of one of the most powerful serpent alphas on Raiden. If we fail to find Kiernan an acceptable mate, she has agreed to allow him to sting her. The other two are her uncle, Seraphym, and his mate, Samantha. They are here to make sure no harm comes to his niece.”
“I see.” The captain nodded thoughtfully. “So you believe war with Djinn is a possibility?”
“I do. How much has the council told you?”
“Only that a small group of diplomats from Laizahlia has been sent to Earth to open a channel of communication with their leaders. Once you have concluded your business with the Raiden prince, we are ordered to remain close in case assistance is needed. It is hard to say how human authorities will react. They have no clue they are not alone in the universe.”
“It will come as a shock, but they’ll have no choice but to cooperate with us or risk the destruction of their entire world. Earth will fall without our assistance.”
“By cooperate, you mean allow Raiden warriors to claim human females for a mate?” The captain’s expression remained neutral, but Gauge knew she was extremely bothered by this thought.
“Not by force. The Sabula prince is a test. Kiernan is desperate, but he must still convince a female to accept him before he stings her.”
“How desperate, Gauge? Humans aren’t like us. They don’t always immediately recognize a compatible mate.”
“I have several females in mind who might be willing. They are already aware of us. It will still be up to Kiernan to convince one of them that he will make her a good mate.” And if he couldn’t, Lena would accept his claim. Just the thought caused a knot to form in his stomach.
The captain stared at him a moment, then turned her attention to one of her officers. “System check.”
Gauge left her to return to Lena.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“Yes, it won’t be long before we approach the area where we’ll fold space.”
“Will I be able to stay here?”
“It would be better if you returned to your quarters. I’ve been told the first experience can be unsettling.”
“I need to see, Gauge. Please.” When she shuddered, he suspected there was more going on than she let on.
He stared at her for a moment, tempted to read her mind.
Unlike humans, who tended to throw their every thought at him, serpents were raised using telepathy, which meant they were also taught to erect mental shields.
Lena’s would not be difficult to tear down, but he wouldn’t do that to her, not unless forced.
“We can remain here, but should you become overwhelmed, tell me and I will take you back to your quarters.”
“Thank you,” she said, visibly relaxing as she returned her attention to the front screen.
Gauge watched Lena instead of the screen.
He felt an odd pulse behind his eyes, as if his power was trying to activate.
It matched the painful throb in his jaw.
This had never happened to him before, and he wasn’t sure what to think about it.
If Teo were here, his tracker would say it was because Lena was his mate.
If she were a true eillelé, he would have no control over sharing his power with her . . . but she wasn’t.
But was that true? What she had described upon first laying eyes on him, the spark of power, reminded him of a first meeting between true eillelés. If they had been true mates, he would have also felt it, and he hadn’t.
But you already know why, he thought to himself.
Lena was already a part of you. You carry her essence inside you, her abaci.
The exchange of power from her side to him had already happened.
No Laizahlian before him had ever stripped a Raiden warrior of a female’s abaci.
No one knew what the full consequences would be, including him.
But Gauge suspected he would soon find out.
*
Ninety minutes later, lights began to flash along the top edge of the bridge.
Gauge took a seat next to Lena and strapped himself in.
On the screen in front of them, he could see a white strip opening in space.
It didn’t look wide enough to fit a ship of this size, but he knew this was an illusion.
In reality, they could fit twenty ships this size through the opening.
“Will it hurt when we go through?” Lena asked, her expression showing awe by the view in front of them.
“It shouldn’t.”
“Have you done this before?”
“No.” He usually traveled by transporter, which was painful for most beings.
He stared at her hand a moment when she held it out, taking in the almost delicate claws at the tips of her fingers.
Ignoring the odd looks he received from the bridge’s crew, he took her hand and squeezed lightly.
“You’ll be fine, Lena. I won’t let anything happen to you. ”
“I know. I trust you.”
But why does she trust me? She has no reason to trust any male.
“Because I wouldn’t be here without you, Gauge,” she said softly.
“When the memory block you set in my mind fell, I thought I would suffocate from the emotional pain. Then you were there. You talked to me, helped me learn to breathe again. Whenever I became overwhelmed by those horrible memories, you were there, distracting me. Without you, I would not have survived with my sanity intact.”
Gauge struggled not to react. Somehow this little serpent female had managed to break through his mental shields.
She’d picked up his thoughts. This had not happened since before he became a Hunter.
Thousands of years ago. He could barely think back that far.
Not even a Djinn could break through an ancient Hunter’s shields.
Only a true mate, an eillelé, could do so because they carried half their soul.
They were already a physical part of each other. He felt the blood drain from his face.
“Gauge, are you all right?” she said softly. “Did I say something wrong? Why are you so pale?”
She didn’t realize what she’d done. “No, child, you’ve done nothing wrong,” he replied, relieved for the distraction when the captain spoke.
“Prepare for entry,” the captain said, taking a seat herself.
Gauge nodded toward the slit in space they were about to go through. He kept hold of Lena’s hand, just in case there was any pain involved. Or so he told himself. In truth, he liked the feel of her small hand in his.
‘Because she is your mate,’ came Teo’s imagined voice in his head. ‘Because this female must be protected. Your own life depends on it.’
No, he told himself. Lena was an innocent. She must be protected, even from himself if it became necessary.