Harbinger (18 page)

“I look forward to their decision.”

* * * * *

Danvier looked into his sister’s luminous eyes and words escaped him. He knew she was recovering incredibly well, that she’d found her mate and seemed content in her situation. Still, she’d suffered so much for so long. And she’d endured it all alone.

“What is this about?” Chandar touched his forearm, gaze narrowed with concern. “You’re scaring me.”

He’d returned to Lunar Nine about an hour ago. Claiming to have a headache, Haven had rushed off to her apartment in residential village one. Pyre’s guard needed to be moved to a secure location and her body needed to be dealt with, so Danvier allowed Haven’s retreat. After making the arrangements for his uninvited guests, he went to the Pavilion where Chandar now resided with Raylon, her bonded mate.

Danvier wanted to do this himself, so the news wouldn’t be so traumatic, but he was failing miserably. They stood in the courtyard in the center of the Pavilion’s six luxury suites. A three-tiered fountain burbled through the tense silence and simulated starlight bathed the area in silvery light.

After giving himself a firm mental shake, he forced the words past the massive lump in his throat. “Pyre tracked Haven to Earth and showed up at Stargazer Ranch. There was an altercation and Pyre was killed. We have her guard in custody and are going to—”

“Mother is dead?” Chandar’s voice was tight, yet emotionless.

Danvier had stopped thinking of Pyre as his mother decades before. “Pyre shot at me but Haven deflected the energy pulse. If she hadn’t been there, I’d be dead.”

“Pyre tried to…” Disbelief widened Chandar’s eyes. “I need to see it. I don’t understand.”

With a heavy sigh, he closed the distance between them. Physical contact wasn’t necessary with another trained mind, but he wasn’t sure how she’d respond to what he was about to show her. “Are you sure?” She nodded, so he gently slipped the memory into her mind. The events scrolled through his own memory as he shared them with her, but there was a surreal distance surrounding them now that kept them from being quite so hurtful.

Compassion softened her expression and she sadly shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Even for her, this is shocking.”

Suddenly, Raylon rushed out of their suite and wrapped his arm around Chandar’s waist. “What’s the matter?” He’d paused long enough to dress, while Chandar had only slipped on a bathrobe in response to Danvier’s untimely visit.

Danvier smiled. It was still strange to see Garin’s fiercest enforcer in loving protector mode. “Pyre Sterling is dead,” Danvier told him. “She came after Haven and paid for it with her life.”

“Thank you.” Raylon made a snarly sound deep in his throat. “You saved me the trouble of killing her myself. That bitch had it coming.”

Chandar looked up at her mate, still appearing rather stunned. “Haven killed her while protecting Danvier.”

Danvier cringed. That made him sound so useless. He was proud of his mate’s bold actions, but it was his job to protect her.

Raylon didn’t seem surprised by the turn of events. “Tandori Tribe breeds powerful females. No one can deny that.”

Raylon had once mated with a Tandori female, long before he’d met Chandar. Danvier didn’t know the details. All he knew was the female had passed beyond many years ago.

“Where is Pyre?” Chandar whispered.

Though the question was rather morbid, Danvier understood Chandar’s need to see the body for herself. Pyre had been more of a malevolent phantom in their lives than a flesh-and-blood mother. Sometimes phantoms were even harder to banish than flesh-and-blood monsters.

“Her body is aboard the
Crusader
.”

She nodded. “Thank you for telling me. I know this was awkward.”

Raylon reached down and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. “Do you need to see her, angel?” Chandar nodded, so he looked at Danvier. “Does Garin know about this?”

Danvier shook his head. “I didn’t want Chandar to hear it from anyone else, so I came straight here.”

“I’ll tell him. Get some sleep. I’m sure there’ll be a briefing in the morning. There always is.” Then Raylon pulled Chandar back into their suite, leaving Danvier alone in the moon-bathed courtyard.

It was well past midnight, but Danvier was wide awake. He glanced toward the door to his suite, then sighed and crossed the courtyard, exiting through the archway leading to the residential villages. He had no doubt Haven was exhausted, but he suspected emotion had more to do with her headache than lack of sleep. If Berlynn was with her, he’d return to the Pavilion and give Haven some room. But he didn’t want her to process this debacle on her own.

Who was he kidding?
He
didn’t want to process this on his own. His mother had tried to kill him and this was the second time he’d watched a parent die right before his eyes. He was no longer a frightened child, far from it. Still, his emotions felt raw, his nerves exposed. He needed the comfort of his mate.

He reached her door on autopilot, his surroundings a blur. His pulse thudded in his ears as he waited for her to respond to the visitor alert. If she was with Berlynn, the computer would likely tell him to leave. Or she could activate an audio response and reinforce her need for privacy.

Tension mounted as the moments ticked by, then the door slid open and Haven grabbed the front of his tunic, dragging him inside.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come.” She pressed him against the wall beside the door and pushed to her tiptoes, obviously trying to reach his mouth.

Happy to assist her, he wrapped his arm around her legs, just below her butt, and slid her up his body. Their mouths found each other, fitting together as if they’d done so for years. Her scent filled his nose and her taste intensified with every swirl of their tongues.

She groaned and relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. The transfer link activated and her emotions flowed into his mind, every bit as conflicted as his. He absorbed the tingling rush, not trying to analyze them, just sharing her pain and offering what comfort he could. Only after the initial surge had stabilized did he realize she’d activated the link. She’d told him she was telepathic, but manipulating mind links required a level of control beyond basic telepathy.

Eventually, they needed to have a talk about everything she was still hiding from him, but the conversation could wait. Tonight was about comfort, his and hers.

He swept her into his arms and reluctantly separated their mouths. “Couch or bed?” He didn’t want to presume her enthusiastic greeting meant what he hoped it meant.

“Bed.” Her eyes were wide and luminous as she looked into his. “I’m tired of pretending to be stronger than I am. And I want to stop fighting what I feel for you, if only for tonight.”

The qualifier bothered him, but he needed her too badly to start a fight. “No more pretending.” He paused for a long, deep kiss then strode toward the nearest doorway.

She shook her head and pointed to the other door with a hesitant smile.

Like the entire apartment, the bedroom was compact and utilitarian. They’d be much more comfortable in his suite at the Pavilion, but he wasn’t about to suggest they move tonight. It would give her time to think, to second guess herself, to remember all the reasons she didn’t want a mate.

The lights had been activated by their entrance, but she decreased the illumination to twenty-five percent with a soft voice command. He set her down on the edge of the bed then went to work on his clothing. His boots hit the floor with a loud
thunk
and he pulled his tunic off over his head.

When he wore nothing but his pants, he turned his attention back to her. She wore pull-on pants and a sleeveless top that clung to her breasts. Already her nipples formed distinct peaks in the clingy material. He didn’t allow his gaze to linger. Instead he motioned toward her feet. She leaned back slightly and straightened her legs. He grasped the band around each ankle and pulled the pants off with one firm tug. She laughed at the semi-violent motion and took off the shirt before he could attack it as well.

His ravenous gaze swept her naked body from head to toe, then ascended slowly, lingering on all the places he longed to touch. He bent one knee to the bed, meaning to join her on the mattress, but she held up her hand and shook her head.

“Not until you lose the pants.”

Their gazes locked and he released the seal on the front of his pants. Then her gaze swept down as he eased the garment past his hips. He’d been hard since he left the Pavilion. Now his cock twitched, desperate for her attention. Her eyes narrowed and she caught her lower lip between her teeth. Longing pulsed across their link, echoing the frantic beating of his heart.

She scooted into the middle of the bed and he stretched out on his side, facing her. Slipping one arm beneath her neck, he bent and covered her mouth with his. Her lips parted and her tongue greeted him with a sensual slide.

Intoxicated by her sweet response, he explored her warm mouth. He’d wanted to kiss her for so long. He’d never tire of the wet tangle of tongues and silken rub of her lips against his. She rolled to her side as well, pressing her breasts against his chest. His need for her intensified, tightening his balls and making his cock buck against her belly. He couldn’t wait much longer, but he wanted this to be perfect for both of them.

He drew her leg up onto his hip then eased his hand between their bodies. Apparently, understanding his intent, she angled her pelvis, giving him better access to her intimate flesh. He covered her mound with his palm, absorbing the heat as emotions rushed into his mind. Fear still tainted her need, but she wasn’t afraid of him. She was afraid of how badly she wanted this, and how easily they’d found each other.

Gently, he parted her folds and pushed two fingers into her slick core. Her inner muscles tensed around him, caressing his fingers with warmth and pressure. He slowly separated their mouths and whispered, “Look at me, love.” Her lashes fluttered then her lids rose, exposing her beautiful eyes. Her phitons were vivid purple in a field of endless black. “I will never intentionally harm you.”

“I know.”

He drew his fingers nearly out then thrust deep, making her gasp. Her lids began to droop. “No. Look into my eyes. Look into my soul. See exactly who’s touching you.”

Then he opened his mind to her as he filled her with his fingers. His thumb rubbed across and around her clit as his hand shuttled between her thighs. All the while she searched his gaze, probing his mind with bold intention. She accepted his offer and penetrated more deeply with each thrust of his hand.

Soon her emotions mixed so completely with his that he stopped trying to figure out where each feeling emanated. She rocked her hips, matching each motion of his hand, taking his fingers deeper. She clutched his shoulders, panting harshly as her arousal spiraled out of control. A strangled cry tore from her throat, then her core captured his fingers with powerful, rippling spasms.

He watched her come, awed by her beauty as she abandoned herself completely to the pleasure. Before the last ripple passed, he rolled her to her back and settled on his knees between her thighs. He grasped her hands, entwining their fingers as he drew her hands to either side of her head. Then he positioned himself at her entrance and waited for her gaze to refocus.

Reality returned slowly as Haven floated in a tingling world of languid bliss. The orgasm had been wonderful, yet she was even more amazed by the intimacy of moving unrestricted through his mind. He’d held nothing back, shielded no memory or thought regardless of how dark or tormented. She felt humbled by his trust and a little bit frightened by his true power. She and her brothers were the strongest members of Tandori Tribe, but her abilities paled beside the immense power at Danvier’s command.

She blinked away the lingering muddle and looked into his eyes. His shimmering silver phitons had expanded, nearly tripling in size. He arched over her, pinning her hands to the bed as he waited to enter her body.

“You are my mate.” He paused as if to see if she’d argue. When she didn’t, his expression softened, his gaze caressing her face. “I know you’re not ready to accept it, but I won’t pretend that sex will ever be enough for me.”

Before she could reply, he thrust his entire length into her core, driving the breath from her lungs. His fiery being pushed into her mind as well, igniting sensations all over her body. She drew her knees up along his sides as her body stretched around his thickness. She felt impaled, utterly filled mentally and physically.

Her breath returned with a soft gasp as he slowly drew his hips back then paused with his tip barely inside her. His gaze promised pleasure, yet there was something dark and possessive there as well. He thrust again, the impact almost jarring. Then any pretense at civility fell away as he began to move in earnest. Each long, hard drive was a claim upon her body. She was his and he was making damn sure she understood his intention.

Despite her fear of commitment, her body responded like never before. The more aggressive he became, the more intensely she responded. She arched her back, eagerly taking all he had to give. Their pelvises slapped so loudly she feared the sound would echo beyond the room.