Valan's Bondmate (27 page)

"What do you mean, Minda? I thought you and Cam were getting along."

"We are, and that's the problem. The only time he treats me like a mate is when we're in bed together. The rest of the time he treats me like I'm his little sister or something." She hesitated for a moment and Lia saw her eyes glisten with tears. "I think Cam was in love with someone else. I think she died when Selik and Gorm attacked Zarronia."

"Oh, Minda, I'm so sorry. But, don't give up. Even if he was it was a long time ago."

"That's what I keep telling myself. But, now, Cam can go to any of these females for pleasure."

"But, only you can share his fever and give him children," Lia said.

"I know but I love him and I worry some cycle he'll send me away."

"Doctor Veeson said that Zarronians chose one bondmate for life and Cam chose you. I don’t think he will ever send you away." Lia thought about the fact Valan knew she loved him but he never said he loved her. Somehow she had to discover how Valan felt. Lost in her thoughts, she would have passed the tavern if Valan hadn't grabbed her arm and led her through the door. It was almost clean inside and not very crowded. From the entrance hall she could see the drinking room. There were only about ten people in there and they all seemed to be watching each other while they sipped glasses of some kind of green liquid.

Cam pounded on the counter and a door swung open. The fattest man Lia ever saw walked through it. When he saw them he yelled a greeting to Valan and Cam, his voice booming through the hallway, and hurting Lia's ears. His head was completely bald and shiny with sweat, and his face was covered with gray whiskers. When he slapped his hands on the counter, she noticed the thumbs of both hands were missing.

"Are our rooms ready, No-Thumbs?"

"Yes, they are. When I told my daughters you and the Commander were coming they insisted on giving you the two best rooms in the place." Then, leering at Minda and Lia, he asked, "You know I don’t allow males to bring their own entertainment to my place? If you want pleasure—you use my girls."

Valan growled at him and stepped forward. "Watch what you say, or I'll chop you up and feed you to some Zylian larvae. This is my bondmate." He grasped Lia's waist and pulled her to his side.

"Well, I'll be a slug's uncle. I heard rumors you'd found compatible females," Two-Thumbs said. "My girls aren't going to like it. They've been getting ready for you ever since I told them you were coming."

Before Valan could answer, he heard two shrill screams behind him. Thinking they were about to be attacked, he pushed Lia behind him and spun around. A soft body hit him, and he staggered back a step. He heard Cam grunt and saw the other sister jump into his arms.

"Oh, Valan. We've waited and waited for you and Cam to arrive. We have a room ready with food and Zarronian wine."

Lia watched as the female clung to Valan and then looked at the female clinging to Cam, they were identical in appearance. The one in Valan's arms was kissing his neck and running her hands under his vest. She wanted to scratch her eyes out.

Valan pushed the female away and stepped back, holding her off with one hand on her shoulder. "Krisna, I've brought my bondmate, Lia, with me."

The girl looked at her and sneered. "Who is this female, Valan?"

"I told you. This is my bondmate, Lia."

"Send her away. I don't like her. Who is the other female?"

Cam spoke up, as he replaced the female in his arms with Minda. "This is my bondmate, Minda."

Their disappointed wails filled the air. Valan could feel Lia trembling and he pulled her against him and said, "Show us to our rooms, Krisna."

"I don't want to. You do it, Trisna," Krisna said, but Trisna already stomped away. Krisna glared with hatred at Lia then stormed after her twin.

Two-Thumbs cleared his throat and drew their attention as he held out two security cards. "Yours are the two rooms at the end of the hall. Across from each other, Commander Eirikson."

Valan nodded and pulled his reluctant bondmate up the stairs and down the hall. He chose the room on the right, and shoved her into it. Closing the door behind them.

Lia wandered around the room, inspecting it. There was a large bed covered with a brightly colored blanket, a clothes rack, and a table and four chairs. The table was covered with food and three bottles of Zarronian wine. There was a sweet, musky odor in the air. She looked for the source and found it. A small stick burned in a holder beside the bed and gave off the odor.

Valan saw what she was looking at and cursed. He strode over to it, picked it up and threw it out the window.

"Why did you do that?"

"I don't like the smell it releases." He sat down on the bed and waited for her questions about Krisna and Trisna.

"It reminds me of an incense the Wrothians use for arousal." Lia wandered to the table and sampled the food on the trays. Suddenly, she was starving. "This is really good, Valan. Aren't you hungry?"

"No. Aren't you going to ask me about Krisna and Trisna?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No."

"Then, I won't." She already knew what she needed to know. Valan shared pleasure with them in the past. What she wanted to ask was would he do it again in the future but she didn't think she could bear to know the answer. A small worry line appeared between her brows and before she could stop herself, she asked him, "Do you love me, Valan?"

He was stunned by the question. He didn't really know what he felt for her, but he didn't want to love her. Love made a warrior vulnerable. He watched her and realized she was waiting for his answer.

"It's alright, Valan. I know you don't." Her voice broke on the last word. She lowered her eyes, so he wouldn't see how badly he'd hurt her. She shouldn't have asked—hadn't meant to ask.

"It doesn't really matter, does it? You're happy aren't you? Happy with your life on Zarronia with me?"

Lia nodded. Her hair caught the sunlight coming through the window and a tear fell to her gown, then another. Her mother had been right. Her dream of a man who loved only her had been foolish. She forced the tears away and sent him a watery smile. "Yes, Valan. I'm happy on Zarronia."

"With me? And, our babies?"

"Yes. With you and the babies."

She told him what she knew he wanted to hear, so why was he looking awful? He kneeled beside her and brushed the tears from her cheeks, then slid his arms around her and pulled her forward. Burying his head against her breasts, he held her like that for a long time.

She stilled her tears and met his eyes as he finally looked at her. Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled. "You promised to show me the Lanterian silkbeetle trees."

She wished she knew what he was thinking as he stared at her.  He looked so intense and for a moment sad, but as quickly as it appeared it was gone. "Finish eating, little cat, and then we'll go."

A few minutes later they collected Cam and Minda from their room and walked away from the village. The scenery around them was yellow. Everything on Lanteria was yellow. The dirt, the trees, the bushes and flowers. Even the sky looked yellow. It was like living in a glass of stinkgoat milk. Surprisingly, once they left the buildings behind the air smelled sweet. The fragrance grew stronger as they approached a forest of giant trees.

The trees were huge and so high Lia couldn't see their tops. The leaves were as big as the bed in their room at the tavern, and they barely moved in the breeze that lifted the hair around her face. As they drew closer, she heard a soft clicking sound.

Valan drew her to a halt a few feet from a tree. "Look up and watch the trunk. Do you hear the clicking sound?"

"Yes."

"In a moment, we'll see one of the silkbeetles appear carrying a piece of a leaf to its den."

She leaned back against him and looked up. The clicking sound grew louder and suddenly a giant bug appeared. It was bright blue and as big as a food tray. It carried part of a leaf in a beak-like mouth and had long claws on each of its many legs. As it got closer, Lia could see the top of its head was covered with dozens of black eyes. Then it disappeared into a hole in the ground at the base of the tree.

"Each tree has a family of silkbeetles nesting at its base. When the weather grows colder the Lanterians fill the dens with smoke, and a man crawls in and brings out the balls of silk."

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"Only if the smoke hasn't been in the den long enough and the silkbeetles are still awake."

"What happens then? If they are awake, I mean?"

"The man carries a stick. If the silkbeetles are awake, he keeps them away from him and crawls out. Then, more smoke is pumped into the den and they wait. As far as I know, no man has ever been hurt by a silkbeetle."

"Where do the bugs get the silk?"

"It's in the leaves of the trees, Minda. The silkbeetles chew it, then spin it into dozens of cocoons where they lay their eggs. Once their young have hatched the balls of silk are shoved aside."

As Valan and Cam explained the silkbeetles, several more crawled down the trunk and disappeared into the den. The sky grew darker as they watched the giant bugs come and go.

"We better get back to the tavern, Valan. We don't want to get caught out with Minda and Lia after dark."

Valan nodded, pulling Lia to his side and following Cam and Minda toward the village.

"What happens after dark?"

"All of the undesirables come out and raise hell. We don't want to have to fight anyone with you and Minda present."

They reached the lights of Tarva as the cycle ended, and the streets were even more crowded than before. Lia gasped when she saw a warrior shove a pleasure-giver up against the side of a building and raise the hem of her gown.
Surely, they weren't fucking?
But she realized they were. Right there in front of everyone. The woman saw Lia staring and winked, then yelled it would cost her to watch. Lia blushed and looked away. After that she kept her eyes lowered to the ground.

They reached the tavern and Minda said she wanted a bath and Lia agreed with her. Lanteria was so hot. It would feel wonderful to take a cool bath. Cam said he would guard the bathing chamber door while Valan arranged for food to be brought to his and Minda’s chamber where they would eat dinner together. 

Cam waited in the hall while Minda and Lia went to get clean gowns and drying cloths, then took them to the bathing chamber. A few minutes later he heard a sound at the end of the hallway but didn’t see anyone hiding in the shadows. He took a step toward the sound then stopped when he heard steps coming up the stairs behind him, and Valan appeared. He signaled and Valan withdrew the stunner from his vest, and crept along the wall into the shadows. In a moment he was back.

"I didn't see anything and the outside door is locked. But, Krisna and Trisna are up to their old tricks. The smell of incense stick is so strong down there it made me dizzy. I'd better open the windows in my chamber before Minda and Lia finish bathing."

"Check my room too although I don't think they got in there," Cam said. "I activated a security box before we left. You know the code."

"Tor! I was in such a hurry to distract Lia, I didn't even think to activate the one I brought." He strode away, wondering if any of his or Lia's things were missing. The incense cloud hit him as soon as he opened the door. Krisna and Trisna giggled and beckoned to him. They were laying on the bed, bare as the cycle they'd been born.

"Out, now," he said, holding the door open for them.

They giggled at his angry roar. He stalked to the bed and pulled them from it. They wrapped their arms around him and Trisna pushed on his vest as Krisna reached for the laces on his pants.

The incense was so thick in the air he could taste it. It made him dizzy, but it didn't arouse him. He grabbed a wrist in each hand and dragged them towards the door. Their legs tangled with his and he crashed to the floor. Before he could get up, they crawled on top of him giggling.

Lia heard the crash and ran to their chamber. She took one look and turned away. Cam and Minda stood behind her, looking into the room. Cam glanced at her then stepped past her and into the room. Lia blushed with humiliation.

"Let's go to my chamber, Lia," Minda said.

"No. You go."

"Lia?"

"Please, Minda, just go," Lia said.

Minda hesitated, then went into her chamber. Lia watched the door close, and with a last look at Valan she ran. Past the bathing chamber and down the stairs and out of the tavern. She pushed through the crowds of people, feeling hands grabbing at her. She darted into an alley and hid in the shadows, trying to catch her breath and think.

She looked around and realized she shouldn't have left the tavern. Someone walked by the end of the alley and she stepped back, deeper into the shadows. Where could she go? She'd never make it back to the tavern. Maybe she could go to the shuttle. She was close to the edge of Tavra. The pilot would call Valan and he would come get her. She remembered the tracking device in her bands and decided to stay where she was and let him find her. She watched the end of the alley for Valan but after waiting for several micro-units and he didn't appear, she angrily decided he was too busy with his pleasure-givers to come and find her. She took a step toward the end of the alley but a hand came over her shoulder and covered her mouth. Her screams were muffled behind the palm of her captor.

An arm slid around her waist and lifted her. She clawed at his hands and kicked her legs. Her teeth bit into the hand over her mouth. She heard a grunt of pain and then felt a hard object hit her head.

***

"You fool! Didn't you see the bands on her arms? Her bondmate will never stop searching for her."

"It was dark in the alley. You told me to bring you a female and I did. How was I to know she belongs to a Zarronian warrior?"

"We'll have to get rid of her. Get Falm and the two of you take her into the wilderness and leave her."

The sound of their voices woke Lia. Slowly, painfully, she forced herself to stay awake and listen. Something was tied around her mouth. She tried to reach up and remove it, and discovered her hands were tied behind her back, and her ankles were tied as well. She opened her eyes and looked around. They’d left her tied and lying on the floor. Two men sat at a table a few feet from her and were arguing about her.