Tempting Rever (18 page)

“Gently restrain him and don’t mark him up like we do the wild ones.” Coto’s voice was harsh with anger as he spoke. “I want him loaded and carefully watched but let’s hurry. I want to be back across the border by the time he wakes.”

One of the men was crouched by Allot. “He’s alive but he’s seriously injured. His jaw is broken and I think his shoulder is dislocated.”

Coto sighed. “Shoot him with the sleeping pellets to keep him out so he doesn’t suffer from his injures until medical can fix him.”

Coto started walking, still carrying Brenda in his arms where she dangled down the front of his body. She turned her head to glare up at him.

“Traitor.”

He frowned. “I don’t know this word.”

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“Asshole. Do you know that one? You’re a total asshole for betraying Rever like this. Do you know what I’m saying now?”

Coto shook his head and just kept walking. “I did this to save his life. Volder wanted to bring his men into the hunt for both of you. He has highly skilled warriors under his control and he would have made sure Rever died. I knew I had to lead Allot to where I knew Rever would go so we made it to him first. Now be silent.”

Shock tore through her quickly, followed by rage as she stared up at the man over her shoulder. “You told them how to find us?”

“I knew this was where I would take you if I had stolen a woman. It was a comfortable place to raise a family in the Outlander area that Rever could easily defend.

We have been here many times together. I knew, yes, that he would be here. We are very close like brothers.”

“You son of a bitch. And you betray him still? How could you?”

An angry growl tore from Coto. He stopped abruptly and almost dropped Brenda on her feet but he eased her down gently at the last second. He spun her around to make her face him while he gripped her arms just above her elbows. His eyelids narrowed dangerously, rage fixed on his tense features.

“I saved him. Did you hear me when I said Volder was going to send his warriors to the Outlander area to hunt for you both? He would have made sure Rever died for stealing his future bound. That is a killing offense on Zorn if it is not brought before a judge. I had to reach Rever first to capture him to keep him alive. He is my brother in all ways but blood and he is my closest friend.”

“Maybe Volder and his men wouldn’t have found us. Did you ever think of that?

He was in a big hurry to get back to his ship so how much time could he have wasted looking for us? He would have given up really soon if he couldn’t have found us to go back to the
Drais
. Rever and I could have had a future together out here.”

Regret shone in the large man’s strange blue eyes. “It was a chance Hyvin Berrr and I were not willing to take with Rever’s life at stake. Volder has many warriors under his command who Rever trained when they were young so some of them could have known about this place. We were not willing to take the risk.”

Some of her anger left her. “We love each other. Do you understand that? I don’t want to be with Volder. Rever and I belong together.”

The man nodded, misery etched on his features. “Rever obviously is obsessed with you. He left his honor behind, brought shame to his family to be with you but he is bound to another. I am sorry but Zorn law forbids your union. There is nothing to do except save Rever’s life. Even if he must pay by working the harshest camp he will live and you will live. Volder will be angry but he still has honor and it is not admirable to kill women on Zorn. If you love Rever you must put his life over your own happiness and not make this harder for him by resisting the destiny you both must face apart.”

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Pain tore through her. She turned her head away from Coto so he wouldn’t see her tears that fell as she watched four men gently lift the unconscious Rever by each of his limbs. They slowly carried his limp body toward a set of large boulders.

“Where are they taking him?”

“We have vehicles waiting that are hidden from sight of this place or we never would have been able to sneak up on him. I was surprised we got this close but you obviously distract Rever. Releasing the wild males, we had captured near here was my idea knowing he’d protect you by chasing them away. It gave us the opportunity to sneak in from the opposite direction to reach you. Saving Rever’s life is my top priority.

If you truly love him then our mission is the same.”

Brenda turned her head, looking up at the big Zorn, and saw real regret in his silvery blue eyes. “You suck.”

He frowned. “I suck what?”

Frustration welled in her. It was hard to insult Zorn people when they didn’t get half of what she said. “Forget it. I don’t like what you did. I just…” Pain tore through her as she watched Rever be carried from her sight. “I just want to be with him.”

“I’m sorry.” The large Zorn warrior gently gripped her arm. “We must go.”

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Fear filled Brenda as she met the furious eyes of the Zorn leader and Hyvin Berrr was definitely pissed off. His muscles bulged on his arms, which were clearly revealed in the tight sleeveless shirt he wore. Her gaze drifted lower to glance at what looked similar to pirate breeches. Sweat beaded his buffed up body making it obvious that he’d been working out or doing something physically challenging. When he spun away, pacing in the large chamber she was led to, she saw his hair was pulled back with a leather strap in a ponytail that fell down his back to his ass.

Memories hit her of the last time she’d seen the Zorn leader a week before when he’d sent her to Rever’s home. It seemed to her as if more time than that had passed, almost a lifetime ago, and now she was standing before him again waiting for him to tell her what was going to happen to her.

“He will be fine,” Coto said softly to the Zorn leader. “He did not become alert on the return trip. They restrained him so when he wakes he won’t be able to fight.”

Hyvin Berrr turned, sharp teeth showing as his mouth opened, and a growl tore from his throat. “My son is being charged with stealing a woman.” The man’s glare fixed on Brenda. “This is your fault, woman. My son has lost his reason after your body taunted him.”

“Are you joking?” She frowned at the man. “Have you seen Tina? She’s the one with the body. I’m…” She swallowed as the man’s face darkened with rage, letting her know he was really ticked off and she seemed to be pissing him off more. “I’m not as attractive as her. This has nothing to do with my body. We love each other.”

The leader snarled and spun away again, pacing the large room. Coto looked miserable as he watched the other man.

Coto took a deep breath. “I know this is bad, Father. I know what Rever did was insanity but he loves her.”

Hyvin Berrr growled. “I know this like I know Rever and he had to feel very strongly for her to take her to the Outlander area.” He stopped pacing and slowly turned to meet Coto’s eyes. “What do I do? I must follow the law even though it is my own offspring. I will lose respect if I don’t and a leader without that is no leader at all. I can have the charges dropped but he will never forgive me for handing over his woman to another warrior. He will hunt down Volder and kill him to reclaim her.”

Shock tore through Brenda.
Will Rever come after me?
Part of her rejoiced and then part of her was frightened. Logic told her that if he came after her it could get Rever killed. Volder lived on a spaceship with warriors under his command and Rever would have to go on that ship to get her since she knew that’s where Volder would take her to live.

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“He would not,” Coto shook his head. “It would be a battle he could not win.”

“He won’t see it that way.” The Zorn leader looked miserable. “I know he will fight to the death for his woman because I would do the same and he is much like me. If I had a woman who gripped my heart that tightly I would do anything to keep her.”

Sadness flashed in his eyes. “I have no answer this time.”

The chamber doors opened, startling Brenda. Dread hit her as she turned her head, hoping it wasn’t Volder. The tall Zorn woman who walked into the room was almost as muscular as one of the males and seeing her stunned Brenda. The Zorn was dressed as if she were a man in leather tight pants and a tight male shirt that revealed she wasn’t wearing a bra since her breasts swayed as she marched forward. Her hair was cut to her shoulders, another oddity since all the Zorn women had long hair, and then the strange woman fixed her furious attention directly on Hyvin Berrr.

“I was informed Rever was returned.” The woman stormed right up to Hyvin Berrr, glaring at him. “I won’t be humiliated by having your son work in some camp like a criminal, Berrr.” The woman twisted her head, a pair of almost black eyes turning on Brenda.

Shaken by the amount of rage directed at her, Brenda took a step back, feeling the Zorn’s hatred almost as if it were a physical blow. The woman’s face was a little harsh and definitely cold. A growl came from the woman, her sharp teeth showing as her eyelids narrowed.

“You are what my son threw his pride away for?” Disgust showed on her features.

“If you are dead you can’t be the object of our shame any longer.” She moved, coming at Brenda.

Horror hit Brenda the second she understood the woman was going to kill her. She didn’t know why but the woman definitely had the look of murder in her cold, evil-looking dark eyes. Brenda backed up and almost stumbled over Coto’s foot in the process of getting out of the other woman’s way. Coto moved to block the advancing woman from reaching her.

Hyvin Berrr moved too, he lunged forward to grab the woman’s arm and spun her around as he halted her. “No, Alluwn. Rever loves her.”

“Love?” The woman hissed. “That is for fools and weak females.”

Sadness flashed over the Zorn leader’s face. “I am aware of your opinion of emotions. He is your son and he would hate you even more if you were to attack his woman.” He paused. “I won’t allow it.”

Shock tore through Brenda, her mouth dropping open.
That was Hyvin Berrr’s
bound? That woman is Rever’s mother? Rever definitely takes after his father in looks.
The woman was glaring at Hyvin Berrr as if she were ready to kill him. If he wasn’t gripping both of her arms Brenda wondered if the Zorn woman would have hit him or at least tried to. Brenda pressed her lips together.

The woman moved, pushing against the man’s larger body, going almost nose to nose with him. “Do you think I care? They are your sons and I won’t live with the 95

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shame caused by one of them due to his lack of control. Aliens are fine to mount but he stole that one, abandoned his bound, and now I look weak. They will think I raised a warrior without self-control.”

He snorted. “No one would accuse you of that. Your brutality is well known, my bound.”

Alluwn hissed. “You will stop the shame and kill the alien to be done with it.”

“I won’t and you don’t give me orders.”

The couple glared at each other but Alluwn finally lowered her eyes. “What are you going to do about this?”

“I am deciding,” Hyvin Berrr said quietly.

“There is nothing to decide. If you won’t kill the pathetic alien then send her off the planet with the warrior who wants her. He commands the
Drais
, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then send her off our world to be rid of her and I will handle Rever.”

Hyvin Berrr growled. “You will stay away from my son. Don’t you have some male to go bend for?”

Alluwn hissed. “I don’t allow males to mount me. I mount them.”

He gave her a shove. “Then go and never come here again. You made your choice.

We are bound until death because I made a vow but you made one as well. Stay away from my sons. You have no right to come here to demand anything.”

The woman growled and shot Brenda a murderous look. Her angry focus shifted to Coto and a cold smile curved on her lips. “Hello, Coto. Why don’t you come give your second mother a kiss?”

Coto looked pissed off as he growled. “No.”

Hyvin Berrr snarled. “Leave now.”

The woman turned her head, still smiling coldly. “Don’t you want to watch a man being mounted by me? I always wanted Coto but he wouldn’t touch me. He feels that useless emotional bond to you for taking him into our home. It is pathetic for a true warrior to allow emotion to rule his physical self. Watching me taking a male is the closest you will ever come seeing my body that way again. I know how good it feels for you to release your seed into a woman. Does it hurt when you remember what that was like? Do you burn with the desire to feel it again?”

Two massive arms crossed over his chest as Hyvin Berrr’s blue eyes turned ice cold.

“If it is you then I don’t hurt or burn with desire to release myself into a woman.”

Rage filled her features. “Make sure this mess is fixed. Do your duty by me.”

“Always,” he snarled.

Alluwn stormed out of the room and slammed the massive door closed behind her.

Coto released Brenda to take a step closer to Hyvin Berr but then halted. He watched the other man with concern.

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“It is not your fault she is like that.”

The Zorn leader nodded slowly. “I’m aware. What are your suggestions?”

“I don’t know what to do either, Father. I am failing you.”

Hyvin Berrr walked forward to put his large hand on Coto’s shoulder. “You could never fail me. I am always proud of you and remember you saved Rever’s life today.

They will arrive soon and when they do, we will deal with this together.”

Coto reached up, his hand gripping the other man’s shoulder. “Together we stand.”

“Together we stand.” Hyvin Berrr repeated.

Both men released each other when the doors opened again and in unison they turned to face whoever walked in. Brenda twisted around to look too and felt instant dread when Volder and five males dressed in the same uniforms stormed into the room.