Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge (16 page)

Amy licked her lips nervously then searched his gaze. Was it the right time to tell him what she was feeling? What if something happened to her during the coming battle? And that thought was all it took for her to make her decision. After taking a deep breath, she laid her other hand against his heart, once again caressed his cheek, as she looked deep into his eyes.
I think I love you, Hunter. I’m not sure I could live my life without you. Not anymore. You’re my blessing
.

Amy’s heart clenched when she noticed the tears filling her mate’s eyes. He didn’t even try to hide them from her. When he let them flow freely down his cheeks even though they stood in the middle of a busy corridor, she knew she loved this man. If it was the last thing she did, she’d show him just how much his love for her, his faith in her strengths, and his belief in her courage meant to her.

Wrapping her hand around the nape of his neck, she slowly pulled his head down. She stood on her tiptoes, leaned in and lightly skimmed his lips with her tongue. When he gasped, surprised more than likely by her boldness, she took full advantage. She kissed him, tangling her tongue with his, lingering and savoring his taste. Only when her knees began to quake and threaten to buckle did she slowly draw the kiss to an end.

She turned her face into his neck, doing her best to control her wildly beating heart. She heard Hunter clear his throat just before he tipped her face up to his. This time he searched her gaze, seeming to look for something.

“What was that all about,
moya
?”

She met his gaze without flinching and spoke from the heart. “I don’t think I love you. I know I do. It felt the right time to show you, that’s all.”

“Oh,
Moya
, the gift of your love will be treasured all the days of my life and beyond.”

Now, tears filled her eyes, and she too let them fall. She didn’t care what the others in the corridor watching them thought. All that mattered to her was that Hunter loved her and she loved him. That’s it. That’s all that mattered.

Amy looked around the crowded corridor and smiled. “Haven’t you all seen a mated pair in love before?” she said, shaking her head in amusement. She turned back to Hunter. “I think we better get to Chrissie. She should awaken soon from the healing chamber.”

Hunter dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose then stepped back. “You’re right. Let’s get things figured out, speak to the navigator on this ship, and see about destroying the Black Rose and rescuing all their hostages. After that, you and I are going to spend some time exploring just how much we love each other,” he whispered, following that brazen statement with a wink.

Amy couldn’t help but chuckle as she reached for Hunter’s hand. “Sounds like a plan to me.” Taking her at her word apparently, Hunter made no stops on his way to the medical bay.

Tears filled Amy’s eyes as they entered the medical bay. Chrissie still lay beneath a healing force field, one that kept her vital signs at normal levels while she stayed within its protective barrier. Amy swiped her hand over her face. How could someone be so cruel as to leave someone as sweet and kind as Chrissie for dead? How could they do that to her? Her rage for the Black Rose grew as she watched the last of the bruises heal and Chrissie opened her eyes.

The golden field around her lowered and she turned to Amy. “Why didn’t you just let me die? Dead I can no longer be used as a weapon against you.
Against my family.”

“That wouldn’t have been fair to your mate, Chrissie,” Amy said, gently helping the woman from the table.

“I don’t want a mate! I—I couldn’t bear to have another man touch me the way these men have.”

Amy looked to Hunter, then toward the door.
Do you mind leaving us, for a moment? I don’t mind that you hear what is said, but I’m sure that Chrissie isn’t comfortable with you here.

I
agree,
moya
. She looks rather lost and alone.
Aloud he said, “I’ll just be outside in the corridor,
moya
. I think perhaps you two
need
some time alone together.”

* * * *

Hunter moved out into the corridor and paced while trying not to listen to the women’s whispers. Chrissie had her right to her privacy and he would not do his mate any favors by listening in to her fears and proving that males couldn’t be trusted.

He strode to the nearest console and punched a series of buttons. “Taliff
Shi’Lan’s
quarters, please.”

After a moment’s pause, what sounded like sheer chaos answered from the other end of their
connection.
After a bout of laughter and a few girlish squeals, Eve answered, “Yes? This is Eve.”

 
Hunter leaned against the wall, wondering if he would ever have a home-life like his brother’s. He may be crown prince of their people, but he would give every bit of it up for a life like his brother’s—one filled with the comfort and laughter of his own children.

“Eve, this is Hunter. Chrissie has just woken and Amy is with her. I thought you might like to join them. Chrissie is having a crisis.”

“I’ll be right there.” Silence from the other end told him she’d ended their transmission. Now there was nothing to do, but stand with his hands in his pockets and wait. Perhaps he should hunt down
Mikel
and see how he fared in his new predicament. It surely couldn’t be a good thing to be stuck in a pressure suit with one’s unwilling mate wandering about. Maybe he could help take his mind off matters for a bit.

With that in mind, Hunter called out, “Computer, send me to
Mikel’s
location, please.”

“Working.”

“By the way, what do they call you?” he asked as he found himself watching
Mikel
beating the crap out of a training
bot
.

“I am
Skalldari
.”

“Thank you,
Skalldari
. I see you brought me straight to Prince
Logann
as I asked.” And not a moment too soon, he thought to himself. “I should be fine. If Amy Shi’Lan requests my presence, please notify me at once.”

“Yes, High Prince Shi’Lan.”

Hunter continued to watch
Mikel
pound the robotic sparring partner for a few more minutes. It always amazed Hunter how the
Manruvians
created a training
bot
that looked perfectly humanoid. If you didn’t know it was an AI training
bot
, you’d never guess by looking at it.

When it looked like his friend had finally started to slow down, he cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Mikel
grunted. “Stop training program.” As the training
bot
headed back toward its storage room,
Mikel
walked over toward one of the benches scattered throughout the gym. After sitting down, he finally looked up and met Hunter’s gaze. “I heard you come in. I’m surprised you didn’t just jump in. It wouldn’t be the first time we sparred.”

Hunter walked up to his friend and sat down beside him then snickered. “No thanks. I’m not in the mood to get bruised and battered. I’d bet, in the mood you’re in, you’d beat the crap out of me. I figured, maybe you needed to talk with someone more.”

He looked at
Mikel
,
saw the strain on his face. His pressure suit had turned a lighter shade of red, so at least his libido had calmed a bit though one whiff of his mate’s scent and he’d be right back where he was before his impromptu workout. “How are you?
Really?
It’s difficult to know your mate fears your touch, your presence, through no fault of your own. Believe me. I know. It’s hard to look at her and know that she was out there, unprotected and countless others forced themselves on her while you would have cherished the very ground where she walks. ”

Mikel
hung his head and let his shoulders droop. “You’re right. And now, knowing that my mate is on the same ship, that all I have to do is ask
Skalldari
her location and be transported to her side makes it difficult if not impossible to do just that. Yet I can’t. It is her right to come to me, her choice. I just hope she does it soon. You know how long I’ve hunted for my mate. Decades, Hunter. It’s been decades since I’ve started my search.”

Hunter nodded, knowing full well how much his long-time confidant had wanted to find his mate, to have a companion and life partner to come home to, to build a family with.

“How do I make myself stay away from her?” He punched the bulkhead to his left. “How long must I stay away from her? How much time will she need?”

“You will stay away from her as long as it takes, because you know that right now it’s what she needs. Until this battle is fought, getting anywhere near Maryann will endanger you. As the mating heat takes over, it will distract you both. You must stay away from her to protect her. When it’s safe, then you can gently pursue her, help her deal with her fears.” He smiled. “Send her small gifts while you must keep your distance. Your scent will not affect her as much. Since she is human you can communicate with her from a distance—court her from a distance.”

Mikel
nodded but Hunter wasn’t through giving his friend advice. “Amy pointed something out to me that I thought you should know. Maryann is going to be frightened at first, which is normal, but Amy thinks that eventually, Maryann will become angry, enraged that her body seems to be betraying her, making the choices for her as her rapists had. My advice, when it happens—and it will—don’t take it personally. In effect, because of the pressure suit, it’s forcing her to accept a mate, to be intimate with a virtual stranger. Get to know her and let her get to know you, even if it’s from a distance.”

Sighing,
Mikel
looked off toward the viewport to his right. “I know you’re right, and your words make sense, but that isn’t going to make this any easier to deal with.”

“Do you really want easy?’

Mikel
shook his head, chuckling. “No, I’ve never taken the easy path. You know that. So, what brings you here besides worrying about my well-being?”

“I think it’s time that we head toward
Drimada
. My sister knows I’m not going to just give up, but Chrissie didn’t tell her that we know where she’s based her operations, though she and Myra did their best to torture the information out of her. If we hurry, we might be able to get the
Chantrean
and
Manruvian
fleets in position before she even becomes aware that we are there.”

“Then what are we waiting for?
Skalldari
?”

“Yes, Prince
Logann
?”

“Transport the two of us to the command deck and plot our course to
Drimada
. Also, contact the rest of the
Manruvian
fleet, giving them the coordinates of
Drimada
. They should head there immediately, keeping their ships cloaked. Then, send a coded transmission to King Shi’Lan on
Chantrea
and ask for their assistance. Let him know where our ships will be and tell him to meet us there as soon as possible.” He turned to Hunter, his gaze intent now that he had something to focus on.
“Anything else?”

“Not that I can think of. I contacted my father while Amy was still unconscious. He’s had all our ships readied for battle and is just awaiting our target location.”

“Good.”

“You have your orders,
Skalldari
.”

“Working.”

In less than a second, Hunter and
Mikel
stood on the command deck. Already he could feel the slight tremble beneath his feet, as the ship made its course corrections, changing directions as it headed toward
Drimada
, toward the upcoming battle. He could only hope and pray that Amy’s family still lived. He didn’t want her hurt anymore. Losing her family might be more than she could handle.

Knowing you’ll be by my side no matter the outcome of the upcoming battle, will be all the support I’ll need, though I too hope that my family still lives, that my father doesn’t turn away from my mother because of her pregnancy, that my brother can be saved from your sister and can live with the guilt of what he has done to helpless women because of the drugs they have fed him.”

I don’t know about your brother and what he can live with when it comes to the acts he’s committed but as for your parents, the
Manruvian
mate bonds will bond your parents as we’ve bonded. He’ll know beyond a doubt that the child she carries is his.

 
He felt her sigh of relief through their bond and was thankful he could offer her that small comfort.
Is all well with the three of you?

Yes, we’re still in the medical bay but Eve was just about to leave to be with Taliff and her children.

And you?
Will you be heading to our quarters soon?

I’ll be leaving momentarily. I’m just waiting until I know that Chrissie has fallen into a healing sleep. Oh, and Maryann stopped by. She was agitated so I sent her to the Recreation Room. I thought spending some time on the beach might calm her.