Tracking Trisha (14 page)

God, it felt so good to be able to do it without any pain. Trisha still couldn't believe she was as good as new. She really needed to ask Kelan how Bio was able to heal her. She needed to talk to Kelan about a lot of things, Trisha thought with a sigh. She didn't understand all this true mate stuff but she knew something was going on inside her and she wanted to find out what it was and where it was going. All she could think about anymore was Kelan this and Kelan thought. Trisha's lips curved into a small smile when she felt Bio come and lay as close to her chair as possible, propping her huge head on the armrest. Trisha gently stroked the smooth golden head, letting her fingers twirl into the gold. It should have felt weird, but it didn't. A calming warmth seemed to fill her. Bio must have felt it too as her eyes seemed to droop and she let out a little puff of air before they closed all the way. Trisha returned her focus to the conversation at hand when she not only heard the sad tone in Ariel's voice as she talked about her sister, but saw it etched across her face as well.

“Not issues so much as just so much pain.” Ariel was saying. “She lost her husband three years ago and has never recovered from it.”

“Do you think being here is making it harder on her?” Abby asked softly.

Trisha could see the concern and guilt in Abby's eyes as she asked the question. Trisha personally thought this might have been the best thing to have happened to all of them. She knew once her dad was here with her, she would be perfectly happy to stay. She wanted to explore the feelings she had for Kelan and knew there was only one place she could do that, on Valdier. Kelan would never be safe on Earth. She just needed to convince the two most important men in her life that she needed both of them.

Both Trish
a and Ariel
shook their heads at the same time. Ariel gave Abby a small smile, “I think being here was the best thing that ever happened to Carmen. She can’t run away here; at least not like she has been doing. She was looking for a way to die to be with Scott again. She can’t do that here.”

Trish
a couldn't resist adding with a
mischievous smile. “I don’t think Creon is going to let her get away with running anymore.”

“Who’s Creon?” Abby asked looking back and forth as Ariel frowned at Trish
a
.

“Creon is a scary son-of-a-bitch…” Ariel began.

“…Who has the hots for Carmen and is probably the only one who can break through the wall she has built.” Trish
a
finished stubbornly. It was true, she heard about what happened in the transporter room after she and Kelan transported down. It seemed when Creon first met Carmen there was one hell of a fight. What surprised Trisha was it sounded like this Creon guy wouldn't let any of the other warriors near Carmen and it hadn't been because she would have hurt them. From the little she heard, he was roaring MINE at anyone who went near her.

Ariel glared at Trish
a
before she gave a delicate sniff and replied softly. “You’re right, of course. Carmen would never have let go as long as she was back on Earth. I don’t know if this Creon guy will be the one but I have to agree he looked mighty interested when he first saw her.” Trisha almost laughed at that understatement.

“So…” Trish
a
asked looking at Abby. She could tell Ariel wanted to change the subject. “Do you know what this dinner tonight is about? And, has anyone seen Cara?”

Abby laughed as she explained what had happened earlier with Cara. It seemed as of fifteen minutes ago, Trelon was still trying to catch their nimble little dragonfly. “As for the dinner tonight, I don’t know. Zoran has been very hush-hush about it.”

Trisha shook her head as she listened to Cara's new mischief. It was just like her to keep things fun. After visiting for another hour, Trisha decided if she was going to knock Kelan's socks off she better head back to their living quarters. A small smile curved her lips as she thought of the word 'theirs'. She never thought she would meet another man. Hell, she never thought another man would ever want her after her accident, what with her being so broken and scarred. Peter used her injuries as an excuse as to why he wouldn't touch her anymore. Later, he blamed her being confined to a wheelchair on why he was having affairs. What he neglected to tell Trisha was the affairs actually started before her accident. She found out that wonderful little news when she went through some papers he forgot to take with him. Trisha shook her head in self-disgust. She needed to open that black hole again - Peter, damn his hide, had snuck out.

Kelan growled at his brother, Creon, in frustration. Couldn't he read the damn report any faster? Or better yet, just let them read it themselves when they could focus on it better! Between his symbiosis, his mother, and now his brothers he was still in the same position he had been in for the past two weeks- hard and horny. His focus on the topic of Zoran's capture and the Curizan military base Creon found abandon was limited to nil. His brother was safe and they didn't have anything to blow up or anyone to kill. As far as he was concerned everything else could wait until after he claimed his mate. Looking at the position of the sun, he sighed in aggravation. By the time he left here he would need to get ready for the damn dinner Mandra and his mother set up for the human females. He couldn't help but think darkly prehaps Trelon's mate would sabotage it and it would be cancelled. He glanced over to where Trelon was sitting across the table from him. He seemed to be paying about as much attention to the discussion as he was. At the rate they were going, Valdier could be under attack and not one of the brothers would give a damn. So much for the royal
family protecting their people!
Every single one of them, Creon included if the dark scowl on his face was any indication of his mood, were being turned upside down and inside out by a bunch of delicate, infuriating females from another world. Kelan practically yelled out in relief when Zoran finally said there was nothing else they could do for the evening. Kelan suspected Zoran just wanted to get back to his true mate, lucky bastard.
If, no not if,
Kelan thought with grim determination,
when he got Trisha alone tonight he was not leaving their living quarters until he claimed her as his true mate.

Kelan headed for the door. He was half way down the corridor when he heard his name called out. The only reason he slowed down was because it was his mother. Kelan looked at her as she walked quickly towards him. He knew the look on her face and it did not bode well for his peace of mind. She was on a mission and Kelan somehow suspected it involved his mate.

"Hello again,
Dola
." Kelan said giving Morian a light kiss on her cheek. "I would have thought you would be making sure all the preparations for the dinner were completed."

Morian gave Kelan a reproving look. "Of course, I made sure everything was prepared. I need to talk to you about your true mate." Morian said as she threaded her arm through Kelan's and began walking towards his living quarters with him.

Kelan frowned. "What of her?" He asked suspiciously.

"You must return her to her home world as soon as possible." Morian began.

"NEVER!" The word exploded out of Kelan before he could even think to hold it back. His dragon came to life in a sudden fury. It would never let its mate go.
Mine! She is mine!
It snarled possessively.
Calm, my friend, I will never let our mate go.
Kelan reached inward to calm the swirling fire threatening to escape him. How could his mother even suggest he return his true mate? She knew that was
impossible
.

Morian stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned to stand in front of Kelan. She continued gently but firmly. "You must return her to her home so she can bring her father back. There is much you do not know about your mate. She loves her father very much and he is her only living family. She is slowly tearing herself apart knowing the type of pain he is feeling at losing her." Morian paused when she saw the stubborn set to Kelan's jaw. "Kelan..." Morian waited until Kelan looked down into her eyes. "...remember the pain of your own father's loss. Now, imagine what it would have been like if you could have prevented it, or worse, never knew what happened to him. For a parent, it is even worse. When Zoran was taken and I did not know where he was or what was happening to him..." Morian's eyes filled with tears as she remembered the pain and despair she felt at the loss of her oldest son. "...it is unbearable. You cannot leave Trisha's father to spend the rest of his existance not knowing. You cannot sentence Trisha to live the rest of hers with the pain and regret of not being able to let him know she is safe and happy."

Kelan's jaw worked back and forth. "
Dola
, I can not let her go." Kelan said in a strained voice. He and his dragon were terrified. Was he meant to lose his true mate before he ever had a chance to claim her? He wondered.

"Take her back but return with both of them. Only then will your true mate know peace." Morian said softly.

Kelan nodded
distractedly
to the guards stationed outside of his rooms.
He entered quietly
,
not sure of the reception he would receive after talking with his mother
.
H
is mind
was
buzzing with all the possible outcomes. Ever since he met the human female his life was no longer his own. He could not believe how much it had
changed in such a short time.
He knew he would have to take Trisha back to Earth. He only hoped she would return with him, with or without her father.

He was beginning to discover the human females did not feel the same complusion to mate as a Valdier female. A Valdier female would not care what happened to anyone other than her mate. The human females cared about others
, often times above themselves
.

He often wondered what made his own mother different from the average Valdier female. Was it b
ecause of her royal blood that i
s said to come directly from the gods and goddesses? Was it because she never met her true mate? He knew she loved his father passionately but there was never the binding of souls with his father's dragon or
his father’s
symbiosis. When his father was killed in the hunting accident that took the life of his uncle as well, his father's symbiosis, which his father foolishly sent off o
n its own, returned to the hive. The location of the hive is
known o
nly by his older brother, Zoran, and his symbiosis. Should something happen to him, than the next royal blood’s symbiosis would guide the new king to it. Some think the symbioses are actually the blood of the gods and goddesses sent to protect the Valdier warriors. Those who do not live by the code of the Valdier warrior loose the right of the symbioses’ protection and healing powers and normally do not survive long.

Kelan walked through the living area into his sleeping quarters. He was in the process of removing his shirt when he heard a soft gasp. Jerking the shirt the rest of the way over his head, he looked in stunned disbelief at the vision before him. All thoughts and doubts, as well as all of his blood flow, went south. Kelan let his shirt drop to the floor. He took a small step forward before he stopped, clenching his fists tightly and praying he could remain in control.

Trisha looked at Kelan and wondered if she had made a tactical error. She should never, ever have let Ariel pick out and modify the design for a dress. She knew what Ariel was like. She liked to wear daring outfits that showed off all the curves. Ariel insisted on coming in and helping her get ready for the dinner tonight. Trisha sat through two hours of agonizing torture as Ariel braided and twisted Trisha’s hair up into an elaborate hair-do any movie star would envy. Then, she brought out the dress the dressmaker altered. It was a stunning gold and black sleeveless halter gown with a scooped neckline and no back to speak of. There was a slit running from her hip all the way down to the floor. Black sandals with glittering gold gems peeked out from under the hem. Bio made sure Trisha had plenty of jewels. There were delicate wraps of gold threading through her hair. Thin ribbons of gold hung from her ears and a delicate chain with a tiny dragon in the shape and color of Kelan hung from her neck. Bio decided to finish off the accessories with twin gold armbands around Trisha’s forearms. Each one was of a dragon, one of Kelan and one of a female intertwined. Ariel only applied a small amount of makeup to Trisha’s face. She said all Trisha really needed to do was enhance her already dark eyes. The outlining Ariel did around Trisha’s eyes gave her an exotic look and brought out the dark, chocolate brown in them.