The Power of Fate (The Triad Series Book 5) (9 page)

Rekk studied Orin’s grim expression as they walked through the town to another public pick-up point for the transit system. Mya was walking ahead of them, her head covered to help her disguise. The male was about the same height as Mya and built on lean lines. Not that he looked puny—his muscularity was more akin to a lightning-fast predator than a weakling.

He was interesting…

“Are you in the military as well, Orin?”

“I’m a cop.”

Rekk considered that. “What exactly do you do?”

“Day-to-day policing of my city.”

“Ah. A peacekeeper, then.”

This surprised a reluctant chuckle out of his companion. “You could say that.”

“It is a worthy occupation.”

Silence fell as they trudged through the mud that had gathered at the side of the road. It was still early in the morning and barely light. The thought of the three of them spending more than one night in one small space had made Mya decide to move out straight after breakfast. Rekk couldn’t decide how he felt about that. He would’ve liked more time to spend getting to know Orin—not that the male seemed in any way likely to accept his friendship. He’d had his shields up permanently since they’d met.

Rekk sighed, and Orin glanced his way.

“It’s not much further.”

“Thank you for your concern. I am unused to walking.”

“Yeah? You look in pretty good shape to me.”

Mayhap the male had noticed him after all…

“I was trapped in one room for many years. They forced me to exercise, but it is not the same as being free to walk where you will.”

Silence. Rekk tried again. “I am grateful to Mya for finding and rescuing me.”

“So I hear.”

“She is not to blame for any of this. Her first thoughts were for you. She was forced to mate with me. I have no claim on her.”

“Yeah? That’s not what she says.”

Rekk stopped walking. “She believes I colluded in her capture?”

“
No
, you idiot, she—”

Mya turned around and came back to stand in between them.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Orin said. “Just shooting the breeze as the humans say.”

She eyed them both suspiciously. “We need to get going. The first train leaves soon, and we have to buy new tickets.”

“Then I shall walk faster.” Rekk said. “The fault is mine.”

Orin picked up his pace, stepping in front of Rekk and joining Mya. Rekk set his teeth and focused on the lights of the transit station ahead. He really was unused to walking. Once they were on the train, mayhap he could sleep and forget the complications surrounding him for just a little while.

Orin grunted as Mya elbowed him hard in the ribs. “What?”

“Why are you being so horrible to him?”

“To your fuck buddy?”

“Don’t call him that.” She scowled at him, the green of her skin darkening. “He is innocent.”

“Funny, that’s what he said about you. Weird how you end up fucking each other’s brains out, and yet neither of you are to blame.”

“You are acting like an asshole.” She shoved him aside and focused on the ticket machine. “Can you make sure he’s okay? I’ll meet you on the platform.”

Orin sighed elaborately. “Fine.”

It was cold this early in the morning, and his breath condensed in the air as he looked around for Rekk. For a moment, he couldn’t see him and he tensed before tentatively dropping his shields. Crap. There he was in all his lush, beckoning, sex-on-legs beauty…

Rekk raised a hand. Orin’s cock twitched as he wordlessly made his way over to the bench where Rekk was sitting.

“Mya’s getting the ticket credits.” Orin sat down beside Rekk. “She’s got to use good old-fashioned untraceable cash, so that’s why it’s taking a while.”

Rekk just nodded, his golden gaze locked on the ground. What the frak was he supposed to say to the other male? It was like he wanted to touch him so badly, yet he knew it would be a mistake. Was that how Mya had felt? Like she just couldn’t stop herself?

“Mya was forced into a mating state.”

Dear Gods, this was bad. Rekk was inside his head despite his shields being at one hundred percent. And, even worse, he wanted him there, wanted to luxuriate in his power, roll around in it, strip him naked and....

“
I am sorry.”

“What for?” Orin didn’t dare reply telepathically. He’d betray way too much.

“
My captors operated on my shields. Sometimes I am unable to stop my thoughts from flowing outward. I am trying to rebuild my skills
.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t want to be shut out. He wanted to be dragged in deeper despite himself.

“
Orin
?”

He took a deep breath and stood up. “Mya’s coming and so is the train. Let’s get onboard.”

Chapter 7

“Rekk, wake up.”

He groaned as a sharp elbow connected with his ribs.

“
Rekk.”

“What is it?”

He opened his eyes to find Orin tugging at his shirt..

“Mya thinks we picked up some company at the last stop.”

“Etruscan company?” Dread flooded his gut.

“Yeah, so we’re going to move out. Keep your head down and follow Mya. I’ll be right behind you, okay?”

Rekk made sure the hood of his jacket covered his distinctive hair and zipped up the front, shoving his hands deep in the pockets as he slid out of his seat to stand behind Mya. He didn’t dare use his telepathic abilities. He was fairly certain that his potential captors would home in on his signal in a second.

“Let’s go get breakfast,” Mya announced with a smile. “I’m starving!”

She started moving and so did he and Orin. Ahead of them, he could smell cooking food and beverages, which made his uneasy stomach rumble even more. They passed through two of the moving carriages and then paused outside the third, where he could see a line of passengers at a counter and some tables running down one side.

“How long until the next stop?” Orin asked quietly.

“Too long.” Mya’s fingers tapped against the doorframe. “We’re going to have to get ourselves off this train.”

“At this speed?” Orin frowned as he looked at the countryside flashing by the window.

“If we can connect into the automatic locomotion system we can probably slow it down enough for us to jump.”

“You don’t think the transit system has defenses against that?” Orin countered.

Mya’s smile was grim. “Sure they do, but we have Rekk.”

They both looked at him, and he shrugged. “I am willing to do whatever you require of me.”

“You remember when we were in that bathroom, and we joined our hands so I could get into the security system?” Mya said.

“Yes.” He remembered many things about that particular moment. He glanced at the other man. From the look on Orin’s face, he was also getting way more information than he wanted.

Mya took his hand and placed it palm down on the control panel next to the exit door. She put her hand over his and turned to Orin.

“Come on.”

“I doubt you need me.”

“Orin…”

He placed his hand over Mya’s. All three of them gasped as a bolt of heat pulsed through them.

“Okay, let’s be quick. There’s someone coming through the doors of the last carriage.”

Rekk only had time for a quick glance back down the train to see that she was correct, and that one of the males was raising his hand and was probably armed.

“
Now.”

Power pulsed around them, and the train slowed.

“Watch out!” Orin shouted as something whizzed past Rekk’s shoulder and chaos erupted. He took up a firing position as Mya worked on the lock of the door.

“Got it. Let’s go.”

The next thing Rekk knew, Orin shoved him and he was falling and rolling down a steep bank. He had just enough time to draw himself into a tight ball and close his eyes as the train thundered into a tunnel, alarms blaring, and disappeared. His breath was forced out of him as he finally stopped moving and lay on his back, staring up at a particularly vivid blue sky.

A second later, Orin blundered into him. Rekk grabbed hold of his jacket to stop him going any further. He grunted as he took the man’s weight and banged his head on the ground again. For a long while all he did was breathe in and out, which wasn’t easy because Orin’s face was tucked into his shoulder, and every labored breath he took meant he inhaled more of the male’s scent.

Eventually, Orin groaned and attempted to lift his head, his blue gaze fuzzy.

“Frak. You okay down there, Rekk? Thanks for catching me.”

Rekk cleared his throat. “I am… well.”

“Where’s Mya?”

“I have no idea.”

Orin grimaced. “Yeah, seeing as I’ve got you pinned to the ground that was a pretty dumb question.” He placed his hand on Rekk’s chest and attempted to lever himself off before collapsing back. “Frak. I think I’ve damaged my ankle.”

In one smooth motion, Rekk rolled them both over and gently lowered Orin to the ground, straddling his hips.

“Let me look.” He ran his hands down over Orin’s thighs and calves. “Where exactly does it hurt?”

“When you do that? Nowhere.”

Rekk paused to look over his shoulder. “I do not understand.”

“When you touch me? It’s distracting.”

“But my shields are up.”

“It doesn’t make any difference. I can still feel you.”

“Then perhaps I should stop, and—”

“No. It’s my problem.” Orin grabbed his wrist. “Check my left ankle, okay?” His breath hissed out as Rekk curved a hand around the obviously swollen flesh. “My boot caught on something on the way down, and my foot got twisted around.”

“Wait.” Rekk concentrated. “I don’t think it is broken, just sprained.”

“Great,” Orin muttered. “How about you go find Mya and bring her here so we can regroup and get moving again?”

“If you
can
move.”

“I’ll do whatever is necessary. Don’t worry about me.”

Rekk got unsteadily to his feet. Further down the slope, he spotted another figure and waved. Mya waved back, and to his relief, scrambled toward him.

“You guys okay?” she called.

“Orin has twisted his ankle.”

She winced. “Frak. Can he walk?”

Rekk offered her his hand to help her up the last few steps of the bank. “Come and find out for yourself.”

Mya left Orin’s shoe in place and wrapped the bit of his ankle she could see with strips torn off her T-shirt. From the way he set his jaw, he was in considerable pain but determined not to say anything.

She consulted her internal map and checked their position. “There’s a town just over this hill. We’ll head there and find somewhere to stay.”

Rekk nodded, his worried gaze fixed on Orin, who was attempting to stand. Without her saying anything, he took Orin’s arm and wrapped it around his neck. She took up her position on Orin’s other side.

“We can do this.”

It seemed to take forever to get down the slope. The whole time, Mya was aware of the hairs on the back of her neck twitching as she anticipated another Etruscan attack. Why the hell did they want Rekk back so badly? She supposed only the Oracle would be able to help them answer that, and, if they didn’t get under cover soon, they might never get far enough to find out.

“Building right on the edge of town is a hotel,” Rekk said quietly. “Is it too obvious?”

“I don’t think it matters at this point, do you?” Orin answered for her. “How many threesomes comprised of a green-skinned Hakron, a blond God, and a limping cop are going to be hanging out around here? Once we get a room, at least we can protect ourselves and call in reinforcements.”

“He’s right.” Mya fixed her gaze on the brightly lit hotel sign. “Let’s go for it.”

It was an automated hotel with no visible staff. With Rekk and Orin shielding her thoughts, all she had to do was pick up the keycard from a box in the lobby using the password supplied in her reservation. Just to be on the safe side, she booked two rooms and took both keycards. They could choose the best defensible space.

At least Orin still had his weapons, although they’d left the backpack containing their clothes on the train. There was nothing in the pack that would help their pursuers.

They picked the room on the ground floor corner that faced the rear of the hotel. It was quiet round the back and there were several escape routes into the forest if they were attacked. It was also easier for Orin if he had to move fast.

“Let’s go in.” Mya went first, her weapon out. Rekk brought Orin in and gently sat him on the side of the bed as she checked out the bathroom.

“All clear.”

Orin groaned and lay back on the pillows, his face white with pain. Mya locked the door and sat beside him. She took his hand.

“Do we need to get you a doctor?”

“Nope. I just need to get this damned shoe off and ice the joint.”

“I’ll go get some ice and see if there are any shops around.” Mya immediately went back to the door. “Can you help Orin if he needs anything, Rekk?”

“Yes.” Rekk nodded. “Unless you think I should accompany you.”

“I’m good and I’ll be less conspicuous on my own.”

Orin slowly sat up and stared down at his damaged foot, which Rekk had propped up on a pillow. Of all the times for him to get injured, this had to be the worst.

“Rekk, I have a knife in my pocket. Cut the laces.”

He handed over the knife and waited as Rekk fixed his attention on the damage.

“It will be better it I can untangle the knots. You will need the shoe again at some point.”

“Sure, whatever, just get it done.”

“I’ll be as careful as I can.”

“Yeah, don’t cut anything that looks like a toe or anything useful, okay?”

Rekk smiled. “Your sense of humor is remarkable.”

Orin attempted a shrug. “I’m a police officer. We live and die by our stupid jokes.”

“I should imagine that is true.” Rekk carefully worked on another loop of the tangled lace. “Calling me a blond god was another of your jokes, yes?”

“No.”

Rekk went still. “Then it was an insult?”

“You’re kidding, right? You ever look in the mirror, big boy?”

“I try not to. All I see is a stupid fool who allowed himself to be held captive for years and… used.”