Triumphant (Battle Born Book 14) Read online

  “Sorry. I never saw it. Jim brought me here several weeks later, wanted to show off his new toy.”

  He wasn’t sure he believed her, but he didn’t push. “What sort of things did Jim hide here?”

  “Weapons mostly, but also Evonti technology.”

  “How long has Jim had access to the cavern?” Which was also how long the mystery item had been on Earth.

  With an unconvincing shrug, she turned away from the pool and headed back the way they’d come. “A couple of years. Long before he started hiding his greed behind the Resistance Force.”

  She’d finally brought the conversation full circle, which made his questions more important, and more personal. “How many of the RF leaders know the truth about Abaddon?”

  “Jim didn’t intentionally tell any of them, but Jacob is too damn smart for his own good. I’m pretty sure Simon and his wife know too.”

  Sedrik had never heard of the couple and he only knew Jacob by reputation. Outwardly he appeared to be a good-natured elderly man. But beneath his friendly façade lurked a shrewd, at times cruel, con-man. Without Jacob’s power of persuasion, kidnapping Thea’s grandmother would have been infinitely harder.

  “And Thea?” he asked casually. “How much does she know?”

  Rebecca tensed, her purposeful steps slowing as she reached the outer chamber. “What does Thea have to do with any of this?” Sedrik had seen right through all her bluffs, so she didn’t expect him to swallow this one either. Still, she had to attempt to redirect his attention. “She’s misguided, but she’s not dangerous.”

  “Why didn’t you warn her about Abaddon?”

  The almost playful accusation in his words made her hands clench. How dare he judge a situation he knew nothing about? In many ways, Big Jim was more of a threat than the Evonti. Thea had been protected by her ignorance. “If I’d told her the truth, she’d be dead. Anyone who stands in Jim’s way has a way of disappearing.” He didn’t look convinced, so she returned to the only fact that mattered. “Thea knows nothing. Leave her alone.”

  “She might know more than you realize.” A strange smile lifted one corner of his mouth.

  What was that supposed to mean? Rebecca’s pulse sped and anxiety surged through her system. Thea was the only person who showed Rebecca kindness during her darkest days. Thea’s world had been devastated and yet she worried about, and took risks for, someone she barely knew. Anger boiled inside Rebecca as the implications of his words sank in. Thea was the only one who knew Rebecca’s location. Had this Rodyte bastard tortured the information out of an innocent female?

  A red haze clouded her vision as she whirled to face him. “What did you do to her?”

  “She’s unharmed,” he stressed. “She was on my ship when I left, but she might have—” His eyes widened as she flew at him, fingernails poised to rip into his face. He caught her wrists and drew her toward him. “Calm down.”

  Rebecca was beyond caution, beyond logic. She didn’t care that he was twice her size. She was so tired of manipulation and outright lies, so tired of living in fear, and endangering anyone who helped her. “If you’ve hurt her, I’ll kill you!”

  He wrapped his arms around her, trapping hers between their bodies. She arched and twisted, kicking furiously at his shins.

  “I haven’t hurt her. I—”

  She slammed her forehead into his chest, clipping his chin in the process.

  Apparently losing patience with her tantrum, he bent his knees and banded her legs just below her butt. He slid her up his body until their faces were on a level. The strange purple rings in his eyes glowed and the tension in his jaw revealed his annoyance.

  “I did not hurt her,” he insisted. “Now calm the hells down.”

  “Screw you!” She tried to head-butt him, but he was too fast.

  He turned to the side and pressed her back against the ragged rock wall. Before she could guess his intention, he covered her mouth with his.

  Shocked by his irrational response to her anger, she just hung there in midair for a moment. But his lips were warm and firm, his breath mingling with hers. She felt helpless dangling like a ragdoll, so she wrapped her legs around his lean waist.

  He tilted his head and took the kiss deeper. His fresh woodsy smell filled her nose as his lips seduced her mouth. He didn’t rush her, didn’t force his way past her lips. Instead, he teased her with his tongue even as his lips soothed her with slow, sliding caresses.

  She felt lightheaded and lethargic. How was he doing this? As if commanded by his will rather than hers, she parted her lips and allowed him inside. His taste spread across her tongue and sank into her being. She’d never encountered anything that smelled or tasted so good.

  Her tongue slid against his and his taste intensified. Heat curled through her body, pooling between her thighs. She groaned, rubbing her mound against him with uninhibited need.

  He grabbed her butt with both hands, guiding their bodies into better alignment. His considerable erection pressed against her clit and they moaned into each other’s mouths.

  Suddenly afraid of the intensity, she jerked her head to the side. “What did you…why did you kiss me?” She panted softly, keeping her face averted.

  “The alternative was to slap you and I thought we’d both enjoy this more.” Shifting her weight to free one of his hands, he guided her head back around. “Do you understand what you’re feeling?”

  “I’m feeling rocks digging into my back and your hand squeezing my ass.”

  He smiled and pulled her away from the wall before he lowered her feet to the floor. But he didn’t step back. He pressed both hands against the wall, caging her with his body. “Rodyte males can recognize potential mates by their scent. With females it often takes taste and touch to create the same reaction.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not your mate.”

  “Not yet,” he whispered, leaning down to nuzzle her hair.

  She shoved against his chest, but only managed to rock him backward slightly. “I will never be anyone’s mate. Been there, done that, and have no desire to go back.”

  “Your hesitation is understandable, but—”

  “There’s no buts about this.” She ducked under his arm and scurried across the room. “Stay the hell away from me!”

  Turning around, he just stared at her in silence, gaze warm and assessing. The bulge in the front of his pants was a more eloquent warning than any words. He might appear calm and collected, but his body still burned with lust.

  She refused to think about how strong he was or how good it felt to be in his arms. She’d always loved kissing, and wow could Sedrik kiss. Helplessly, she raised her fingers to her lips. They still tingled and her heartbeat had yet to resume its usual rhythm. She ached, longing for sensations and emotions she’d given up on years ago.

  He took two steps toward her and she quickly moved away.

  Her retreat took her to the corner with all her supplies. She toed off her shoes and sat on the sleeping bag, drawing her legs up toward her chest. “I still feel odd. Did you slip me something while we were kissing?”

  “In a way, but it wasn’t a drug. Your body is reacting to mine. That’s all there is to it.”

  “Well, make it stop,” she snapped. “I don’t like it.”

  The curve of his lips fell just short of a smile. He seemed conflicted, as if he couldn’t decide whether to continue his seduction or back off for a while. “Once the pull engages, there’s no stopping it. The attraction will grow stronger and stronger until I claim you.”

  She shook her head and looked away from his handsome face. “I don’t accept that. There has to be something we can do.” He didn’t respond, so she looked at him and found passion burning in his eyes. “Are you out of your mind? We are not having sex.”

  He held up both hands. “I didn’t say we should.”

  “You didn’t have to. I know what that look means, what you want.”

  “Oh, I want you.” He ambled
closer. “I can’t pretend otherwise, but I want so much more than sex.” When she just stared back at him, he went on. “How much do you know about Rodytes?”

  “As much as I care to know.” She was being a bitch, but she couldn’t help it. She was terrified of the emotions he’d unleashed with one simple kiss. “Rodytes shouldn’t be here. You’re invaders, dangerous.”

  He looked around the cavern, his chest rising and falling with slow, deep breathes. She could almost hear him counting to ten, a self-calming strategy she frequently used. Apparently realizing he had no other choice, he sat on the floor, to one side of the sleeping bag and folded his long legs in front of him.

  “Then you believe the RF propaganda? Humans gain nothing by—”

  The lights cycled off, plunging the cave into absolute darkness. She’d been so engrossed in the conversation she’d forgotten it was going to happen, but it didn’t upset her. She’d been through it too many times before.

  One hour down, at least eleven to go and already he’d kissed her. How in the world was she going to survive until tomorrow?

  Before she could pull herself together, he reached across the sleeping bag and picked up the lantern. She couldn’t see him, but the familiar clank of the lantern’s handle as he searched for the power switch told her what he was doing. The lantern created a circle of light that didn’t quite reach the walls. Still, it was infinitely better than the alternative.

  “Can Rodytes see in the dark?” she asked softly. Now that her panic had begun to recede, she felt bad for being so rude.

  “Our night vision isn’t perfect, but we see well enough for basic tasks.” He set the lantern down in front of her then returned to his earlier position.

  “You can move onto the sleeping bag if you promise not to touch me. The floor is going to feel cold fast.”

  He stayed where he was, gaze smoldering. “I won’t make a promise I know I can’t keep.” He didn’t say more. There was no need. Sensual awareness still arced between them, drawing them toward each other, making them ache.

  She pressed her thighs together and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. Maybe a spirited debate would distract her from the need pulsing through her body. “I’m not a true believer in RF principles. Humans can learn much from Rodytes, but it’s extremely hard to believe that you want nothing more from us than willing females.”

  That seemed to confuse him. He shook his head as he explained, “We want mates and the possibility of accessing our magic. Nothing, in this or any universe, is more important, more valuable to us than that.”

  He’d listed finding a mate before accessing his magic. The thought was sweet and sentimental, but even harder to believe than his claim that the battle born weren’t interested in wealth or resources. The men in her life certainly hadn’t treated her as if she was “more important, more valuable” than anything else. But then, the men in her life were human, not Rodyte.

  Unwilling to delve any deeper into the concept, she moved on to a new point. “If that’s true, it makes you more dangerous, not less.”

  His brows scrunched up in a mild scowl. “How do you figure that?”

  “Females must not be volunteering fast enough for your liking. Already, some battle born ships are just taking what they want. I saw it on the news. Someone was about to take a selfie when a woman behind them vanished.”

  “We weren’t responsible and we’re desperately trying to locate the ones who are.”

  “If the battle born didn’t kidnap those women, who did?”

  “They’re a band of mercenaries called the Outcasts. And just so there is no confusion, by definition many of them are battle born, but they are not part of our rebellion. Outcasts don’t recognize any authority but their own.”

  “Then how can you ever stop them?”

  He tensed, growing intensely serious. “There’s one possibility that others keep bringing up to me. Personally, I believe it’s a waste of time, but we’re rapidly running out of options.”

  “What’s the possibility?” she prompted.

  “The Outcasts are ruled by an overlord, but his second-in-command calls himself Arton the Heretic. Before he joined the Outcasts, he was known as Arton Lux.”

  “Isn’t Lux your last name?” He nodded. “How are you related?”

  “Humans would call us half-brothers, but Rodytes don’t make that distinction. We have a common father, so Arton is and will always be my brother. Even if he won’t acknowledge the fact.”

  Clearly the rift still caused him pain, so she hesitated to dig deeper. Still, he’d piqued her curiosity. “So you’re hoping to contact your estranged brother and convince him to stop kidnapping human females?” It sounded even worse out loud than it had in her mind, and yet he nodded.

  “The others believe Arton is our best hope. Kage Razel, their overlord, is ruthless and self-serving. He only cares about what’s best for the Outcasts.”

  “What makes them think your brother will be any more reasonable than his boss?”

  “We don’t know that he will,” he admitted, “but we need to find out. If not, we’ll have to stop the Outcasts by force and none of us want that.”

  “The Evonti, the battle born, and now the Outcasts.” She shook her head. “And you wonder why humans don’t trust aliens.”

  They fell into a thoughtful silence. Rebecca was surprised by how comfortable she was talking with Sedrik. Usually men, especially handsome men, intimidated her. If he’d wanted to harm her, he would have done so long before now. Unless she still possessed information he wanted. The thought sent a chill down her spine.

  “How did you capture Thea and what made you think she knew anything about me?” she asked after a long pause.

  “Abaddon sent Thea on a recruiting mission and it got away from her. Before it was over, we’d recruited her instead.”

  He made it sound so simple, so inevitable. Did he honestly think everyone would support the battle born eventually? What an arrogant jerk. “Who did Abaddon want her to recruit?”

  “Jenna Fermont.”

  “The big-shot lawyer?” Jenna Fermont had prosecuted the battle born commander involved in the L.A. massacre. Rebecca didn’t know much about Jenna, but apparently Abaddon did.

  “Yes, but Jenna is now mated to her opponent in the court case that made her famous, so Thea didn’t have a chance.”

  “Figures.” Rebecca shook her head and dragged her gaze away from Sedrik. These freaking Rodytes were like candy to a sugar junkie. It was really unfair. “Have any of you ever failed to claim your mate?” The question sent a chill down her spine.

  “Of course there have been failures. No relationship comes with guarantees, but the mating bond strips away lies and pretenses. Both male and female can see into their mate’s mind. They feel what the other person feels, so there can be no deceit between them.”

  “Seriously.” Unsure what to believe, she glanced at him then away. “That sounds way too good to be true.”

  He chuckled. “Then you’ll have an even harder time believing this. Genetic compatibility heightens attraction. When compatible couples interact, their bodies are flooded with hormones and pheromones that make them want each other. The potency of those pheromones is determined by their genetics, so the more compatible a couple is, the more strongly they’re attracted to each other. It’s nature’s way of ensuring that the couples with the best chance of creating viable offspring end up together.”

  Then they must be a perfect match. She sighed. One kiss and she was still aching for more. If anything, the need was growing stronger, not fading away. “Back to Thea,” she insisted, refusing to be completely derailed by the tangent. “Is she your prisoner?”

  “No. I’m not even sure she’s still on my ship. It’s more likely she’s back in New York with Jenna’s mother. That’s where Thea has been staying since the RF realized she’d been turned.”

  “Is she being protected? You can’t underestimate Jim. He’s ruthless, and worse, his f
amily has been career military for generations. They are incredibly well-connected.”

  “She’s being protected,” Sedrik assured her, but something she said clearly bothered him. “Abaddon claims to control one third of the U.S. military. If he utilized Jim’s connections, could that claim be true?”

  She thought about it for a moment. “There are a lot of angry people on Earth right now. They’re afraid and feel threatened by all the changes, so they’d jump at the opportunity to lash out. I don’t know one way or the other, but I’d take the claim seriously.”

  He nodded, then said, “My turn.”

  Heat suffused her face and her nipples tingled. The hunger was definitely growing. “Your turn for what?”

  “To ask you questions.” He shifted position, stretching his legs out in front of him.

  “That’s only fair.” Besides, her body was making it really hard to concentrate right now.

  “Were you aware that you’re named in a gruesome propaganda video? The narrator claims that you participated in our transformation program and died horribly as a result.”

  She nodded, unable to meet his penetrating stare. Her husband hated her so much that he’d told the entire world that she was dead. What did that say about her? “I’ve seen it.”

  “What did they gain by spreading that lie? The images were damning, but why bring you into it?”

  “It was a threat.” The admission was so strained, the words were barely audible, and she still couldn’t bear to look at him. “Jim, or Abaddon, or both, wanted me to know I would die a horrible death when they caught me, and that no one would question my disappearance because I was already dead.”

  “Wow.” The shock in his tone only compounded her misery. “That’s cold.” Then, as if realizing what he’d said, he added, “I’m sorry that you’ve gone through all of this.”

  The lump in her throat prevented her from responding.

  Suddenly, his warm hands framed her face. He eased her head back, guiding her gaze toward his. “No one will ever threaten you again.”