CHAPTER 27
Lena fell asleep to the strong beat of Gauge’s heart in her ear, her pain still there but bearable now.
She had never seen him without a shirt before but wasn’t surprised to find him extremely muscular, even more so than her uncle and father, and serpent males were well developed because of the muscles they used to fly.
“The conversion is going well, young serpent,” the deep, female voice said in her mind.
“I was worried the manipulations I made to your body would not be given time to take hold before the Hunter claimed you. Now, I need you to listen carefully before the pain returns and you wake. The claiming is only half finished. You must not fear initiating sex with the Hunter. The altered abaci must be returned to you. Only then will you feel complete.”
“What is the hurry?” Lena thought back at her, not sure if she was dreaming or if this was real.
“You have a decision to make, Zephralena. Your body is in flux at the moment, not totally serpent, but not vampire either. You must choose which side will be more dominant. Be forewarned. The Hunter will fight to accept you as his mate if you choose to hold to your serpent side. Already he tries to send you away from him. Are you going to let him?”
“Is that why the abaci needs to be returned? Will I become more vampire then?”
“Yes. Your lifespan will be increased as well. Vampires are not true immortals because they can be killed, but if serious injury is avoided, they can theoretically live forever. Serpents are the same as any other shifter. You can live hundreds of years, but not generally thousands. If you are bonded with the Hunter, when you die, so will he.”
“Who are you? What did you do to me? Why did you change me?”
“Who I am is unimportant. Just know that I’m trying to help you and the Hunter. I’m not the enemy, though the Hunter will believe I am.”
“You’re Djinn, aren’t you? Gauge warned me about you. He said you can’t be trusted.”
“I am, but not all of us are the enemy the Hunters believes. Listen carefully, young one. You are in pain now because you are in flux. The Hunter believes you are experiencing a mild conversion, and this is true to a certain extent. But if you want to finish it, if you want to be a true mate to Gauge, you must allow him to return your abaci while your body remains in flux. You will not be given a second chance. If you wait too long, your serpent side will override your weaker vampire side. Your union will remain permanently incomplete.”
Lena knew that her abaci, her essence, had been taken back to Gauge through the stinger of his shaprata before it disconnected.
She knew it would be manipulated by his body, then a portion of it would be returned to her through his semen.
Intimacy didn’t usually happen right away between a Raiden warrior and his claimed mate.
Most Raiden males didn’t bother to seek permission before they stung a female, but they were required by the laws of their people to wait for the female’s permission to initiate sex.
They could not rape her. Of course, the shaprata helped make the warrior more attractive sexually to his chosen mate.
Ngozi hadn’t cared about the laws. He took what he wanted when he wanted.
But he’d also paid a heavy price. After Gauge broke the bond, Ngozi’s father, the Raiden king, stripped him of his title, then handed him over to the serpents to punish as they saw fit.
The king only requested that Ngozi not be tortured or killed.
It would be different with Gauge. The thought of sex still made her heart race, and not in a good way, but she knew Gauge would be gentle with her. In time she would overcome the abuse she’d suffered at the Raiden prince’s hands.
Lena grimaced when her stomach began to cramp.
She had so many questions she wanted to ask this Djinn but already she could feel her fading away.
And like a dream, what was spoken of began to fade as well.
Except for one thing. She needed to initiate sex with Gauge.
Their future life together depended on it.
Lena moaned as her eyes fluttered open, disappointed to find Gauge no longer in the bed with her. She made a fist when her hand started to cramp and pushed to sit up in bed.
“Are you in pain?” Gauge asked.
She turned to find him sitting in a chair, fully clothed in his intimidating black leather and knee-high boots. A quick glance told her there was no one else present in the room. “The cramping is starting again.”
He stood, his expression empty as he walked to her, rolling up his sleeve.
“Where is everyone?” Lena asked.
“Jax, Rafa and Aaliyah returned to the ship. The alpha here is having enough trouble controlling his people, and Rafa’s presence would have made them even more nervous.
Most have never heard of Raiden warriors.
They will come back if we need them. Haven is out helping her mate deal with the elders.
Teo, Seraphym and Samantha are out in the living area. ”
“How are you feeling, Gauge?”
“I’m fully recovered.”
Why was he acting so cold, so distant? “Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me?”
“Of course not,” he replied, but his cold expression remained.
Lena closed her eyes when her arms and legs began to cramp.
She wanted to push Gauge to talk to her but couldn’t turn down the blood when he offered his wrist. The blood didn’t burn as badly this time when it hit her stomach.
In fact, she could feel it start to absorb into her system, the cramping lessening by the second.
When he thought she’d had enough, Gauge twisted his wrist out of her grip, then brought it to his mouth to heal the small wounds.
“I’m going to leave at sundown to return to the ship.
I need to make plans to go find the Umi queen and our missing Hunter.
You should be fine taking blood from Seraphym and Samantha now.
Raif and Haven will also stop by to check on you. ”
“What are you doing, Gauge?” she asked, trying to fight off her growing unease. “I thought you were going to take me with you.”
“That was before you started to go through a conversion. Your symptoms are minor so far, but we don’t know how long it will last, or if it will get worse.
It could be days, and I’ve already wasted too much time.
We need the Umi queen here to deal with the shifters of this world.
The negative reaction of the elders has proven that. ”
He’s wasted too much time? Is that what I’ve become to Gauge, a waste of time?
Lena had expected to feel hurt by his rejection, so her rising anger surprised her.
“Was this just a game to you, Gauge?” she snapped.
“Poor little serpent female needs a friend to help her gain her confidence. I don’t need your pity.
I care about you, Gauge.” No, she loved him but suspected he would struggle to love her back.
“I thought you were different from all the other males I know. I thought you really cared about me. I thought you were my mate.”
“Lena, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to fight the pull of the shaprata, but I refuse to trap you in a relationship with someone like me.
I’m not capable of giving you the love and affection you deserve.
While I’m gone you need to think about where you want to live.
I can take you back to Raiden, back to your clan, but you might want to consider staying here.
I’m hoping, because of your minor symptoms, that you won’t become like me.
There is a chance your need for blood will fade over time.
But if it doesn’t, I’m afraid your people might reject you.
If their reaction to Samantha and the Catalan serpents is anything to go by, the Leviathan have not shown themselves to be open to anyone different from themselves. ”
Lena looked away from him, feeling a coldness settle in her chest. Her freezing heart thumped heavily, struggling to beat.
“You used me to save your life because of the shaprata. Maybe you blamed me for it even happening. Now I’m not important anymore.
I trusted you, Gauge. I would have been better off had you not pretended to care.
You should have let the Sabula prince claim me. ”
“That’s not true, and I think you know it.
You’re just angry. I do care, Lena, more than you know, but I can’t give you what you need.
I can’t give any female what she needs. I’m too old, too set in my ways.
Once the newness of the relationship wears off, you’ll most certainly become unhappy with me.
It’s better if we end it now. I’m not Raiden.
I won’t die if we don’t complete the union.
In time you’ll find a real mate, one who is capable of loving you the way you deserve. ”
Gauge did love her. She knew it deep in her heart, but he didn’t want to admit it. He preferred lying to himself, and her. “Just leave,” she growled. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” Not right now anyway. She rolled to her side, giving him her back.
“I’ll send Samantha in to sit with you. If you have trouble taking blood from anyone but a Laizahlian, Sam or Seraphym can contact the ship and someone suitable will be transported down.”
When she refused to acknowledge him, Gauge left, leaving the door to the bedroom open. Lena didn’t know how long she sat there, not seeing anything. If she allowed herself to dwell on what Gauge had said, she would start screaming, and maybe this time she wouldn’t stop.
She didn’t turn to look when someone entered, the door closing softly behind them. Lena had expected Samantha, so she was surprised when Teo began to speak.
“Gauge is acting like a fool because he’s afraid, Lena.
And a Hunter of his age doesn’t handle fear well.
He thinks what he feels for you isn’t real.
He believes a Djinn is responsible, that she is somehow manipulating both of you.
He’s afraid of causing more harm, of hurting you worse than you’ve already been hurt. ”
Lena frowned when Teo mentioned Djinn. She vaguely remembered a deep voice telling her something about running out of time.
“What if he’s right, Teo? What if we are both being played by a Djinn?
” She pushed up to lean against the headboard, looking over at the tracker.
She found him sitting in the same chair Gauge had used earlier.
Teo shrugged. “If you both get what you need, does it matter how it came about?” Teo held up his hand when she started to reply.
“No, hear me out, Lena. We strongly suspect Djinn are responsible for all the human mates recently found by our people, and the powers Aaliyah exhibited are definitely from Djinn. If she had not been claimed by Rafa, it’s very likely one of our Hunters would have been drawn to her.
If we pull blood on your uncle’s mate, Samantha, I’d be willing to bet that a Djinn was involved with her too.
Many serpents have taken human mates here on Earth, and full humans do not suddenly change into serpents, even when injected with venom.
” He paused, allowing his words to sink in.
“Let me ask you something; do you think Seraphym cares that Sam didn’t start out as a serpent?
Does it in any way lesson his love for her? ”
She shook her head. “No, he gave up everything, his high standing in the clan, his very home, for Samantha. He loves her unconditionally.”
“Of course he does. And what about Rafa? Djinn are considered mortal enemies of Raiden. Do you think Rafa will abandon Aaliyah when he learns for sure that she carries Djinn genes?”
“No,” she said softly. “Rafa will fight to the death to keep Aaliyah safe and at his side.”
Teo leaned forward. “I believe Djinn made a mistake when they manipulated human genes with their own DNA. They believe they’ll be able to use these hybrid females to help them retake control of Earth.
They’re wrong, Lena. And if one means to use you to control Gauge, she made a big mistake there too.
You are far stronger than you know. Trust yourself.
Prove this Djinn, and Gauge, wrong. Don’t let the idiot male push you away.
If you want him, you need to fight for him. ”
“If he doesn’t want me, I don’t want to force myself on him, Teo.”
“Trust me, he wants you. He just doesn’t believe he deserves you.
Or he’s convinced himself you’ll be happier with another serpent.
Listen to me, Lena. All Hunters are emotionally crippled.
Ancients like Gauge are forced to squash down their personal feelings.
There’s no room for emotions in their job, not anger or empathy.
They might hesitate when they need to act quickly.
I told you he is scared, and he is, of the emotions you bring out in him.
I’ve been Gauge’s tracker for hundreds of years, and the only time I’ve ever seen him show any real feelings, any real fear, is with you.
Not just now, but right from the very beginning.
Even before your memory block failed, I know he used to check in on you. ”
Lena sighed, slumping in the bed. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to reach him.”
Teo grinned. “Right now, you’re doing exactly what he intended, pushing him away. If you want to force the big idiot’s hand, I think I have an idea that might help, but it has to be your decision. It will backfire if he thinks it’s all due to my actions.”
“What do I need to do?”
Teo grinned. “The first thing you need to do is get out of bed.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the ship. That’s where Gauge is. The coward is trying to hide from us both, but we won’t let him. He thinks distance will help him bury his growing affection for you. In his mind he believes he is setting you free.”
Lena smiled when he stood and held out his hand. She didn’t hesitate to take it, allowing him to help her get out of bed.
“I told Sam what I have planned, but I think it’s best we leave without telling your uncle or he’ll demand to be brought along.
I really don’t want Seraphym and Gauge going at each other’s throat, especially on a ship.
It’ll be a disaster if your uncle shifts forms there.
Oh, and one more thing. I’m afraid it’s going to hurt when they transport us back to the ship.
Gauge won’t be here to block your pain.”
“That’s okay. I already hurt.”
Teo grimaced as he pulled his communicator free from his belt. “Trust me, this will be a whole different level of pain. If we had time, I would contact Jax, but we need to hurry. Gauge means to leave within a few hours to try to find the Umi queen and our missing Hunter.”
“It’s okay, Teo. I’ll be fine.” She took her place next to him, but soon learned Teo was right. She couldn’t have anticipated this level of pain.