Irresistible (Delroi Prophecy) (4 page)

She felt more than heard his growl.
There were no longer any mental shields between them. No barriers between his
desires and hers. She experienced what he did, knew what he wanted before he
could ask. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed her pussy over the
length of his cock. She
had
to have
him inside her. Couldn’t wait another minute. He lifted his head and stared
into her eyes as she reached between their bodies to guide him.

He froze when she wrapped her hand
around his cock. She wished she could see better. His face was stark, his body
vibrating with leashed power. His erection filled her hand and she was
fascinated by the feel of him. The contrast between the hard length and silky
soft skin. She wanted to taste him.

He groaned. “You can explore later,
baby. I need inside you now. I can't wait.”

Neither could she. She positioned the
head of his cock at her entrance and slowly pushed down. He filled her,
stretched her. It felt incredible. She wanted to drag it out and make the
pleasure last forever, but he had other ideas.

“Next time. I promise,” he whispered, as
if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Hell, he probably did.

Then he gripped her hips and thrust up.
He set a fast, hard rhythm. Thrust, withdraw, thrust. Her body wound tighter,
the pleasure pushing all thoughts but coming out of her mind. She clung to him
while he fucked her, reaching for the orgasm that seemed just out of reach.
When she couldn’t stand it a moment more, he moved a hand between them and rubbed
her clit in firm circles.

“Come for me,
der'lan
.”

His demand shimmered in her mind. She
couldn’t have resisted if she tried. It was beyond pleasure. Her muscles clenched
around him as she came. She gripped his shoulders, bending to his nape and biting
to hold back her cries. The aggression snapped his control and he plunged into
her one, two more times before coming too. His shout was triumphant, his
embrace almost bruising.

It was a long time before her heart
stopped racing and her breathing evened. She lowered her legs, but was so
unsteady she had to cling to him. She'd never felt so satiated. She was limp,
wrung out. Kaje swung her up in his arms and began walking back to the beach.
He set her down on the stairs and gathered their clothes.

“Stay the night,” he whispered, while
they dressed.

She sucked in a deep breath,
instinctively retreating, already regretting her rash behavior. “Bad idea.”

He cocked an eyebrow, his lips tilting
into a half smile. “Excellent idea.”

She shook her head. “I can't.”

She felt his frustration with her
refusal, but he didn’t argue. “I'll take you back to your rooms then.”

“I'm sure I can find my way.”

“I'll take you,” he said firmly. One
look at his expression and she dropped it. It was clear he was going to insist.
She shrugged one shoulder.

“Suit yourself.”

She turned and started up the stairs.
Behind her, he murmured. “I always do.”

The walk to her rooms seemed to take
forever. With each step her reason returned and by the time she entered, regret
had set in. She knew better than to get involved with a playboy even if he was
gorgeous and charming. Hell, she ought to know better than to get involved with
an alien. They were enemies not too long ago.

“Parker,” he said, stroking his knuckles
down the side of her face. The tender touch made her stomach flip flop. He
pressed a quick kiss against her lips before brushing them with his thumb. “I'll
see you tomorrow.”

He didn’t wait for her to agree before
spinning on his heel and leaving. She was still staring at the door when a
knock came. She shook off her strange reaction to Kaje and answered. Zola
stepped inside and gave her a puzzled look.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“How was your date?” Zola countered with
false innocence.

Parker snorted. “It wasn’t a date. Just
dinner with the locals.”

“Sure it was,” she said, wandering
around the room. “Be careful.”

Parker tilted her head to one side and
studied the other woman. They'd only known each other as prisoners, but even
then Parker had never seen her display nerves. Tonight she did.

“What's got you so on edge?”

Zola stopped and rubbed a hand over her
face. “I don’t know. It's just…a feeling. I can't believe Tel would let me go
so easily.”

“The Delroi seem confident Tel can't
even get on their planet much less find any of us.”

“Yeah.” This time Zola snorted. “That
kind of overconfidence gets people killed all the time.”

She wasn’t sure if Zola was paranoid or
had reason to be suspicious, but she agreed that eventually Tel would come
after one or all of them. “Do you think we're in any immediate danger?”

“Probably not.” She sighed. “I'm just
antsy. I'm in a place I don’t know. With people I know little about.”

Parker didn’t like it much either, but
for a woman like Zola, used to living deep in the shadows, knowing everyone's
secrets, it had to be hell.

“So what do you want to do about it?”

Finally, Zola relaxed and smiled. “Recon.
Start inside the Keep and then go out into the city.”

“Easier said than done. They don’t want
any women leaving the Keep alone.”

“Oh, I'll find a way.”

Parker laughed. She didn’t doubt Zola
for an instant. “I have an appointment at noon, but I can help until then.”

She wanted to learn her way around too.
Never knew when that kind of information might come in handy.

“See you at breakfast then,” Zola said
then left.

Chapter Four

The computer chimed that every
encryption available on--and off-- the market was up and running. Anna Leigh
Gray took a deep breath, smoothed her expression, and signed in, praying the
extra program on her system worked as she’d been promised. She needed them to
see her old image
not
her new face. None
of them trusted enough to meet in person at the moment, which definitely worked
in her favor.

When it had become clear the committee
was leaning towards ordering Zola’s execution, Anna Leigh had used her
daughter’s resources to reach out to Britt Anderson. Then she’d made sure that
she was unavailable for the next full meeting. One that had taken out all but
six members of Tel’s leadership with the help of the Delroi. Before her
daughter’s rescue, she’d found a very discreet, very expensive plastic surgeon,
a member of the underground, who’d given her such a complete makeover she
should be able to disappear anywhere. But not until she had more information.
Not until she knew which operatives had been sent to Delroi.

She might need the bargaining power.

Was that mercenary? She didn’t care.
She’d lost one child to Tel. She wouldn’t lose the other. Thankfully, as the
others signed on, she saw no indication that her subterfuge wasn’t working.

“We’re all here, let’s get started,”
Patrick, their de facto leader, said. “What do we know?”

“They’re definitely on Delroi. The
attempt to take them failed. We should go to the final measure,” Clark said.

Killing Zola and the other two prisoners.
Anna Leigh didn’t wince, though that was her
child
he was talking about. She didn’t react or comment. She knew
Zola would be on her guard, but she also knew Clark would never let her go.
Zola knew who his agents were. Or had before she’d had the information removed
by an unknown telepath. Anna Leigh had helped him escape, though neither of
them were aware of that. As far as Zola was concerned, her mother was the
enemy. Zola was alive and free so Anna Leigh didn’t have a problem with that.
But she knew it wouldn’t last long if she didn’t do something.

“Your agents are still active?” someone
else asked.

Clark nodded. “They, and my contacts,
are secure.”

That was a problem for Anna Leigh. Not
only did she not know who they were, she didn’t know how many he had or how he
had gotten them on planet. She needed that information to save her daughter and
bargain for her own freedom. And she had a plan to get it. Clark’s mind would
be useless when she was done, but she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. He’d do
the same to her given half the chance.

The conversation went on to cover
recruitment, critical ongoing operations, and possibly elevating some of their
more seasoned subordinates to the committee. Anna Leigh replied when necessary,
but her mind was focused on the job to come. Like all the others in this
private chat, she couldn’t be traced using her internet connection. She’d
learned long ago how to hide and how to find those who were hiding. The icon on
her screen indicated she was in Capitol City where everyone expected her to be.
In truth, she was in Old Miami mere blocks away from Clark.

And it was time to do the dirty work.

She signed off, shut down the slim
computer before slipping it into her pack, and headed out of the office she’d “borrowed”.
The owners would never know she’d been there and she’d never return. The rest
of her things were already packed in the old beat up car she’d paid cash for a
few days ago. She tossed her bag inside, drove two blocks to a busy shopping
area and parked.

The surgeon had done a brilliant job.
Not only did she look totally different, she looked ten years younger. Her hair
was professionally died a couple of shades darker than her natural medium blond
and she wore colored contacts. If anything gave her away, it would be her
psychic energy. But she’d had years to learn how to shield her mind and she was
damned good at it. The guards at Clark’s front door didn’t bat an eye when she
walked past. In only took a few minutes to reach the cross street and circle
around to the back. After stretching her senses, she determined there was no
guard there. She easily scaled the back wall, staying in the shadows. She only
sensed one mind inside. Clark. Arrogant and stupid. He made what she had to do so
much simpler.

It was easy to get in the house, easy to
sneak up behind him and press the hypodermic against his throat. He reacted
precious seconds too late. The drugs were powerful--a paralytic and talent
suppressor--and
fast
. Recognition
slowly dawned in his eyes as she swung a chair around to face him.

“Anna Leigh,” he croaked.

She smiled and his eyes widened in fear.

“What do you want?”

“Everything. Every dirty little secret
you have, Clark, even if I have to leave you a vegetable to get it.”

She was dead serious and he saw it.

“Why?”

She debated not telling him but what was
the harm? He wasn’t going to be able to pass it on. “You should have let my
daughter go.”

She didn’t wait for a response, just set
to work stripping his shields. She did it fast, not caring if it hurt,
repressing her revulsion at the feel of his mind. She looked for knowledge of
spies and informants on Earth and Delroi. Unfortunately, he was very good at
hiding information, even from himself. She found code words instead of names.
Dozens of them. They couldn’t all be active. Could they? If they were how the
hell had Clark hid it from the rest of the committee? She searched for more, breaking
down shields he had on other sections of his mind, and found the names of the
Tel members who had worked with him. Most of them were dead.

There was a knock on the door before she
could look for anything else. “Mr. Clark?” someone called. “You missed your
check in.”

The door rattled. Out of time. She cleanly
slit his throat and went out the way she’d come.

Chapter Five

Parker wasn’t surprised when Kareena
joined them for a late breakfast. Nope. That wasn’t what froze her tongue. It
was the overwhelming sense of joy in her friend’s eyes, the excitement in her
mind. Parker sensed a mental bond, strong and unbreakable, between her friend
and Roarr. She gaped, couldn’t seem to help herself. Kareena had always sworn
to keep herself distant. To protect her heart.

“I know,” Kareena said, buttering a
piece of toast. “I can’t believe it either.”

“Are you nuts?” Parker asked. What if it
didn’t work out? What if he was the enemy? Kareena grinned.

“I’m taking it on faith.”

Zola was quiet, suspiciously so, but
Parker knew she was taking everything in.

“Did you two hear about the temple
attack?” Kareena asked.

“Yes,” Parker answered. She’d already
filled Zola in.

“Good. We have complete access to the
Keep and the temple. If you want to go out into the city, you’ll need an
escort. I can’t get Roarr to budge on that.”

Parker was stunned. She couldn’t believe
Kareena was accepting a man limiting her movements. Kareena met her gaze.

“I’m pregnant,” she said softly. “He’s a
little overprotective. I am certain we’re safe with Roarr, his family, and he
trusts the Stian’s absolutely.”

Parker felt her unease though.

“What’s bothering you then?” Zola
finally spoke.

“Tel won’t stop. We all know that. And
these rebels…I don’t think they’ll stop either.” Kareena told them about the
upcoming Rebirth Celebration, a rededication of the temple to the goddess, and
the eminent guest list.

“All of the women from Earth in or close
to positions of power will be here. In one place,” Zola said. “And only two of them
are not psychically gifted. That makes a damned tempting target.”

Kareena nodded. “I thought the same
thing.”

“Have you discussed this with anyone?”
Zola asked.

“You up for a little walk? I think you
should meet my new mother in law.”

Parker blinked. “That serious?”

“Which part?” Kareena responded
guilelessly.

Parker snorted. “Kareena.”

She sobered, met Parker’s gaze then
Zola’s. “Be careful. These men can forge a mental bond with a woman.”

Parker found it hard to read Zola
generally, but at Kareena’s words, she felt a spike of alarm.

“Thanks for the warning,” Zola said to
Kareena, and it was heartfelt. What the hell was that about? Parker didn’t get
the chance to pursue it. Zola stood, cleared away the plates, and moved towards
the door. “Let’s go meet your mother in law.”

“What time is it? I need to be back by
noon,” Parker said as they left the guest wing.

Kareena pulled a sleek Delroi
communicator from her pocket and glanced at it.

“You have a couple hours. Plenty of
time.”

The comm unit reminded her how cut off
she was from everything she knew. It made her nervous.

“We could use a couple of those,” she
said.

Kareena nodded. “I’m sure Rona can take
care of it.”

They left the corridor their rooms were
on and entered a huge space, with soaring ceilings and alcoves along the length
with seating. It was empty. About halfway through they passed another door that
required a palm print for entry.

Curious, she pointed at it. “Is that
where the family wing is?”

“This is all part of the family wing.
That’s where the family’s private quarters are.”

“So this is the promenade,” she said
softly. She’d meant to ask last night but had forgotten. Good thing they’d
decided to go on this little walk. Kareena slanted her an inquisitiveness
glance.

“Yes. Who are you meeting?”

“One of Kaje’s brothers. Vidar.”

“And?”

Parker shook her head. “Personal.”

Kareena understood, but she could see
Zola didn’t. “I was a counselor on Earth. I’d prefer that not get around here.
Warriors are cagey enough as it.”

Zola nodded. “They don’t strike me as
the type that likes to talk much.”

Kareena laughed.

“What?” Zola asked.

“Some of them talk,” she said dryly.
Parker assumed she was talking about Roarr.

“Kaje is pretty chatty, too,” she
muttered.

They’d entered and left the big common
area they’d entered yesterday after the shuttle landed, and found themselves
back where they started. Kareena led them to what at first appeared to be a
solid wall. She placed her palm against a plate that was remarkably well
camouflaged and led the way into a tunnel. It lit up as they walked forward,
until finally it opened into a narrow gorge. Her mouth fell open.

“Holy shit,” she whispered.

Kareena grinned. “Impressive, huh?”

Impressive wasn’t even close. The walls
soared high, the sky a bright clear blue above them. But it was the temple that
was stunning. It was carved into the side of the cliff, columns several stories
high with two statues flanking it just as tall. Both were women. One a warrior,
one a healer. Other figures were carved into the stone above the high arch.
Flabbergasted, she followed Kareena and Zola across the sand to the steps that
led inside. Lady Rona met them at the door with a friendly smile.

“I’m glad to see the three of you up and
about,” she said. “Come inside.”

They got the grand tour. It was an
incredible temple. Spacious meeting rooms, alter rooms, kitchens and a
cafeteria. And then they entered an area she could only describe as a stadium.
It was massive and the back wall was open to the air and sea. All around them,
women trained. Martial arts, weight lifting, and an area that looked to be
shooting stands. It was the last thing she expected to see women doing on
Delroi, and her shock must have shown through.

Rona smirked. “Not what you expected?
The Keep is a bit different from the other warrior clans.”

“Yeah, I heard that but I didn’t expect
to see this,” Parker said.

She knew given half a chance Kaje would
pamper her, try to protect her to the point she wanted to throttle him. She
hadn’t gone snooping in his head but that was easy enough to read. This would
make him crazy.

Rona shrugged. “Most prefer to forget
the goddess cult still exists or that we all train as warriors. There are few
of us so it’s easy to do so.”

Interesting. That would make them
excellent spies. Or assassins. She met Zola’s gaze and knew she was thinking
the same. Rona’s smile was pure Cheshire cat.

“Few of you, except here, I’m guessing,”
Zola spoke for the first time. “And maybe other parts of the south?”

“There are some clans that are more
welcoming than others. And some fathers prefer their daughters’ guards be
women.” She shrugged. “No one feels threatened by us.”

“The perfect camouflage,” Parker said. Rona
just smiled.

“We actually wanted to talk to you about
something else,” Kareena said, looking around. “But perhaps someplace more
private.”

Rona arched an eyebrow. Precise. Perfect.
So feminine. Parker was jealous as hell. She’d never been able to pull off that
cool woman of the world thing.

“Come with me,” their host said, leading
them through one of many corridors to a large, well used office. Shelves lined
three walls and were loaded with books and scrolls. A desk sat on the left side
facing a cozy sitting area. The opposite wall was glass doors that led onto a
wide balcony. The doors were all open and the scent and sound of the sea
comforted Parker. She relaxed as she took a seat. “What’s on your mind,
Kareena?”

“Our enemies won’t give us up as easily
as some expect,” she said carefully. “The Rebirth Celebration, with so many
Earth women here in the Keep, is an open invitation.”

Rona was silent for a couple of minutes and
it felt like a lifetime. “What is it you want?”

“We need to get to know this city.”

Rona shook her head. “You are Roarr’s
der’lan
and you’re pregnant. He can’t
interfere on temple matters or the running of the goddess cult. But this oversteps
my bounds. It’s not about the cult.”

“I know.” Kareena nodded. “I’m not
asking for me. But if Parker and Zola were members of the cult, and unmated,
and guests of the clan chief, shouldn’t they have free reign to go where they
wish?”

“You’re that concerned about this Tel
group?”

“Yes,” they all answered together.

“Well, I can name you priestesses easy
enough. That won’t stop the warriors in the Keep from trying to protect you,
though.”

Parker knew nothing of their structure
but could guess after last night’s dinner conversation. “Novice, apprentice,
priestess?” she asked.

“Yes.” She sounded curious.

Parker held her wrist up and Rona’s
smile brightened. She slid her sleeve up to reveal a similar sun tattoo. Above
it on her forearm was a crescent moon with a sword through it.

“You’ll have to get these too. I keep a
tattooist in the temple. She’s free this morning if you are.”

Parker hoped her enthusiasm didn’t show.
Not for being accepted so easily, though that was nice, but for the needle.
Tattoos were addictive. She stood and went to stand by the open doors, needing
the calming effect the crash of waves gave her.

“There’s…I was going to say one more
thing, but really there are many,” Zola said. “But first, can we talk to the
others? Janice and Sergei Trace in particular?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Rona said. “What
else?”

“I’d love to talk to Laney Bradford and
the Earth ambassador, too. I was part of Tel from the day I was born. I might
see something they don’t.”

Parker stared at her. She hadn’t
realized Zola was that deep in the organization. Rona cocked her head to one
side and studied Zola. It was an assassin’s gaze. Zola’s response was the same,
and Parker unconsciously took a step back. She forced herself to still when she
realized she’d done it.

“And yet you were a prisoner of Tel.
Why? Did they have reason to lock you up?” Rona asked.

Zola gave her a grim smile. “I spoke in
opposition. Tel won’t tolerate that.”

It wasn’t enough information for Parker,
but Rona seemed to accept it. “You’re afraid they’ll come after you here.”

“I’m sure they will,” Zola said. “They
don’t like loose ends.”

“You’re a loose end?”

Parker got the feeling she was totally
missing the conversation.

“I am.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have come here
then,” Rona said sharply.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Zola said and
she sounded regretful. “But I’m here now and we all have to deal with it. I
think Tel might be involved with your rebels.”

That got her a sharp look from all of
them. “How?” Rona asked.

“I don’t know.” She heaved a weary
frustrated sigh. “I heard that one of the committee members had managed to get
some spies through the Delroi camp, and they aligned with your rebels. But I don’t
have the names and I was a prisoner the last year.”

“Why did they hold you that long?”
Parker asked. “Without ripping open your mind?”

“Even with the talent suppressing drug,
they’d have to really destroy my mind to get at what I know.”

“Which is?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. I had it
removed. Probably the names of the agents on Delroi. That isn’t what saved us.”

“What did?” Rona asked.

“I was high in the hierarchy. I did have
some allies. I can’t say anything more until I talk to Janice and Sergei,” she
said, and Parker knew she wasn’t lying but she wasn’t telling the whole truth
either. For now, she let it go. She had a tattoo to get and then a commitment
to make.