Destiny, page 19
Thankfully, the elder hadn’t seen us when I’d been balls deep in my mate in her office.
Destiny hugged her back, briefly, then scowled. “You had me kicked out of the fortress. I know it had to be you.”
Amandine chuckled. “You were the one caught fornicating on sacred ground.”
Or maybe we had. No, that was a different encounter, later, in Destiny’s rooms. After she abandoned me in that tower and thought she’d escaped. So much fucking to keep straight.
“But…”
Amandine’s laugh filled the entire room. “Not that I blame you.” The old woman looked over her shoulder at me, her eyebrows raised. “He is a very fine choice for your mate.”
Destiny’s cheeks turned pink. “But why did you have to get me kicked out? Sure, fornicating wasn’t part of the rules, but he is my mate. It’s a given we’d be doing that.” Destiny waved her hand in the air. “I was onto something. I was really, really close to finding Mom.”
She nodded. “Yes, you were. And had you remained, they would have killed you as they did my best guardian. The walls had eyes and ears, I’m afraid. The moment you climbed the vines and sneaked into my office, you became a target.”
“The vines? What? You?” Destiny was at a loss for words. “You knew we were there?”
My mind went back to that moment when Destiny and I had first met, when my body had awakened for her, a stranger in the dark. Me, buried balls deep in her wet core, Destiny’s back pressed to the wall in the cleric’s office. My hand over her mouth as she came all over my cock, holding in her cries of pleasure so the elder would not know of our presence.
It was my turn to blush. All this time, we’d thought she hadn’t known of our presence. It would appear we had not been nearly as stealthy as we had thought. I rubbed the back of my neck and looked away. It was one thing for everyone to know we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, another to be doing it just out of someone’s view.
“I shall not answer that,” she replied. “You managed to escape, did you not?”
“I—” My tough female looked to me for an answer. I had none.
A corner of the older woman’s mouth tipped up and I decided it was time to change the subject.
“Shall we get on with questioning our prisoner, My Queen?” I shoved Pawl forward toward Captain Turaya, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Pawl had been behind me, hidden by my taller frame until I knew he would pose no threat.
As Pawl moved, I met my mate’s gaze across the room. The sweet smile she gave me was my reward. For now. Later I’d have that soft mouth around my…
“Pawl? You’re Pawl?” The queen paled and swayed on her feet. Captain Turaya shouted in alarm, but he was not about to release the prisoner to go to her.
Trinity caught her mother and helped her into the nearest seat, the queen’s gaze never leaving the prisoner.
“This is impossible,” she murmured. “I don’t understand.”
And neither did we understand her reaction. She’d never seen Pawl before from what we knew.
Pawl shifted from foot to foot, waiting, as we all were, for some kind of explanation for the queen’s reaction.
“What is it, Mom?” Trinity straightened to her full height and looked at Pawl. Eyes narrowed, as if assessing how she could kill him herself depending on what her mother said.
Queen Celene had her head in her hands. “This can’t be happening. I don’t believe it. I can’t.”
“What?” Faith moved too quickly, nearly too fast for me to see, and I determined to ask Destiny about it later. These females all seemed to have odd—abilities. Faith had her fist raised in a fighter’s stance. “What is it?”
“Jesus, Mom. Stop being a drama queen and tell us what the hell is going on.” Destiny’s fist slammed down on the table to accentuate her words and I held back a laugh.
Oh yes, she was mine. All. Fucking. Mine. And she was magnificent. Only my mate would dare insult the queen of our planet and make demands of her at the same time.
For whatever reason, it worked. The queen recovered instantly, standing and walking toward Pawl, her face an expressionless mask. “Where is he?”
Pawl frowned. “Where is who?” He tried to take a step back, but Captain Turaya’s grip was too strong.
“Where is your father?”
Pawl looked from the queen to me. “He’s dead.”
Queen Celene stood before him like a goddess from hell. She was shorter than Pawl, but much more formidable. “Don’t lie to me, boy. Where is your father? Where is Mykel?”
That stopped everyone in their tracks. Faith gasped.
The king? The dead king? She was saying King Mykel was Pawl’s father?
“Mom, you must be confused,” Trinity said. “This is Pawl. He’s Radella’s son. Lord Wyse’s grandson. His father was Danoth.”
“Bullshit,” she replied, not looking away from Pawl. “I want to see the DNA on that. This boy is the son of King Mykel. And he looks exactly like his father.” She turned away from Pawl and looked for Amandine. The elder had taken a seat at the table and was examining Pawl as if she’d never seen him before.
“Mom, he’s one of the guys who went to Earth and kidnapped you,” Trinity explained.
“My grandfather arranged it,” Pawl said. “I didn’t know why we were going. He only mentioned bringing an Aleran back from Earth. I had no idea it was a female until we arrived. And then we all had the portable transport beacons. Mine returned me here, to Mytikas. Everyone else”—he dipped his head indicating the queen—“went somewhere else. I had no idea.”
The queen pursed her lips and studied him, then looked to the elder cleric. “Aunt Ama? Do you see the resemblance to Mykel?” She ignored Pawl’s explanation.
“Yes,” Amandine replied. “I see it now. I can’t believe I was so blind.”
“He admitted to trying to seduce my mate, then kill her,” Leo said, stepping forward, hands in fists.
Pawl took a step back, as if the little bit of distance would keep Leo from pummeling him. “My grandfather spouted threats about my mother, told me if I didn’t help, that our enemies would kill her.”
“Who?”
“You!” he shouted. “He said you would kill her. I see now… and I’ve had plenty of time to think of it; he was twisted, mentally insane. He wanted me to fuck my…” He looked away, paled. “He wanted me to fuck and kill my half-sister. He knew… knew who she was.”
Bile rose in my throat and Trinity just stared wide-eyed. Yeah, that was a little gross.
The queen’s voice gentled, but not much. “I don’t think so, Pawl. No one knew the I was pregnant when I escaped. No one. Not even Mykel.”
“And we had no intention of hurting Radella,” Trinity added.
Pawl looked destroyed, now more than ever. Knowing Trinity was his half-sister had pushed him over the edge. “I see that now. All of it.”
Trinity stepped to Leo, took his arm. “Do not harm him. He is just another pawn.”
“I interrogated you,” Thor said, pointing at Pawl. “You admitted to helping in the kidnapping of the queen, of attempting to kill off all of the princesses.”
Pawl licked his lips, lifted his chin. “I did. I also admit to being used. My grandfather, my father, they were ruthless and cunning. Evil. I succumbed to their strength when all I wanted to do was protect my mother.”
I didn’t know if he was lying or not, but I had to believe Pawl would never intentionally fuck his half-sister, or kill her.
“Um, guys, we have a problem,” Faith said. I wasn’t sure when she’d picked up the small comm tablet, but she was looking down at it, Thor glancing over her shoulder. She glanced nervously at her mother. “Remember when Trinity said she’d reached out to Warden Egara, to have her find Dad and get him here?”
Mom nodded. So did Trinity.
“Warden Egara responded. From Earth.” She bit her lip and looked confused.
“Well? Did they find Dad or what?” Trinity asked.
“Yes.” She drew out the one syllable into two.
Destiny let out a whoop. “I knew the stupid feds wouldn’t catch him.”
I didn’t know who the stupid feds were, but it seemed people were unskilled on Earth.
“Is he on his way?” the queen asked.
“No. Not exactly.” Faith looked at her mother and the expression on her face was both confused and apologetic. “Warden Egara said Dad’s already here. She said he transported to Alera a week ago.”
The queen’s Earth… mate… husband had been here on Alera and no one knew? Destiny’s father was… where exactly?
Silence descended. Cold. Hard. Deadly.
The look on the queen’s face when she turned back to Pawl was murderous. “Where is he? What have you people done with my husband?”
Pawl flinched, but remained stoic. The look on his face wasn’t of defiance, but confusion. “I know nothing of this, Queen Celene. I have been in prison since the day Thor interrogated me.”
I was afraid I would have to step between the queen and our prisoner, but Destiny beat me to it, cutting off her mother’s advance and saving me from the difficult choice. With her arm out, she halted the woman’s steps. “Mom, calm down. We need him alive. Dead men tell no tales, remember. That’s why he’s here. Everyone else is dead. And we learned some stuff. A little incestuous and creepy, but still, new stuff.”
Queen Celene’s gaze held a combination of rage and terror I well understood. I’d felt the same anytime Destiny was in danger.
As my queen, I would have been honor bound to let her pass. Allow her to slice Pawl’s throat, if she so desired. But as Destiny’s mate, I had a duty to discover the truth so I could protect her from our enemies. Not her enemies. Ours.
If they threatened my mate, I would destroy them all.
But we needed Pawl alive to find them.
“Princess Destiny is correct, My Queen,” I offered. “We need him alive.”
And I felt a tiny bit sorry for the fucker.
After several tense seconds, the queen walked back to the table and sat down. “He’s not the only one. I want Radella brought to me.” She poked her finger at the table, her voice full of command. “Now. I don’t care if you have to drag her out of her bed, drag her naked through the streets, put her in chains. Bring her to me. Now.”
Captain Turaya shoved Pawl in my direction and I took hold of his upper arm, holding him motionless so he posed no threat to anyone in the room. He couldn’t do much with the restraints, but I wouldn’t put it past him to try, even as broken as he appeared to be from the latest revelations.
Before he could move, a loud boom sounded behind my mate. She turned, weapon drawn. Thor spun, shoved Faith behind his back. Leo grabbed Trinity and pushed her to the floor. Captain Turaya jumped in front of the queen.
We stood, weapons raised, facing the newly forming opening in the wall.
No, the secret tunnels. Fuck. We were under attack.
“Not again.” Captain Turaya had his weapon drawn, his face grave, and I realized this was how the attack on the queen had happened all those years ago. They’d used the tunnels. Just as Zel had used them to try to harm Trinity.
“We should seal those fucking tunnels,” I told the captain.
“Too late for that now.” He moved forward and I’d had enough. I shoved Pawl to the ground, set my knee in his back.
“If you move from this spot I will kill you myself.” Pawl nodded his agreement and remained still as I moved closer to the queen. In this moment, I had to trust Destiny to take care of herself. I had a job to do. I was a queen’s guard, and even being Destiny’s mate did not release me from that duty. “Stand behind me, My Queen.”
6
Nix
* * *
A small white garment placed on the end of a stick emerged from the door. Captain Turaya fired and struck true. The fabric caught on fire.
“Wait!” Destiny yelled the order and we all froze, unmoving. “They’re waving a white flag!”
“What the hell?” Trinity peeked out from behind Leo’s back. When he put his hand on her head and shoved her out of the line of danger, she weaved and popped out the other side. I heard his growl of protest.
“What is this white flag?” I asked.
“It’s an Earth thing.” Destiny spoke loudly, but didn’t take her eyes, or her ion blaster, off the gaping entrance to the room. “All right. White flag. You surrender. We won’t fire. Come out with your hands up.”
Lady Radella walked forward with her arms raised, palms forward. She lumbered awkwardly, one high-heeled shoe on her left foot, her right foot bare. Her fine yellow gown was stained and torn, as if she’d been shoved to the ground many times over. Her face was tear-streaked, but her gaze was defiant and filled with hate. Irrational. Burning hot.
Lady Radella? What the fuck?
Behind was a man I’d never seen before, but based on Destiny’s reaction, I knew instantly who he was. Her father. Adam. From Earth.
He shoved Lady Radella farther into the room and she stumbled. She didn’t look happy. In fact, she looked miserable. I wasn’t sure where the danger rested with the duo.
“Dad!” Destiny put her gun down and ran toward him, leaping into his arms as she’d never leaped into mine. Jealousy reared its ugly head, but I bit it back. He was her father. Of course, she loved him. He had raised her to be strong. A warrior. He had helped her become the perfect female for me.
Lady Radella kept walking, moving slowly toward the table. She collapsed into a seat next to Amandine as if she had every right to be seated there. As far as I knew, she did.
“Adam!” The queen stepped forward, but I put out one arm to stop her progress, keeping her close enough that I could place her behind me in an instant if things went bad. The shocked look on her face as she looked at her mate had me far from relaxed. She did not look nearly as happy, nor as accepting, as her daughter. “Adam?” she repeated. “What is going on here? Why are you with… Radella? Why are you with her in the tunnels?”
“Mother, are you all right?” Pawl shouted from the floor, but there was no way he was getting up to help her. His concern for his mother was evident, but my threat held, and he was smart enough to know I’d meant what I said. If he moved, I’d blast him.
Destiny released her father and he set her gently aside.
The man looked to the queen. “Celene, babe, I can explain everything.”
Babe? Was that an earth endearment? Because the queen was a female fully grown. She was not an infant.
Celene pursed her lips, clearly displeased. Ah, I’d seen that look from her daughter as well. “Don’t babe me. You’ve been on Alera a week. Start talking.”
He moved forward and the queen nudged my hand, the one holding my blaster. “Nix, if he takes one more step, shoot him.”
“Yes, my queen.” I raised the weapon, held it steady, despite Destiny’s strangled cry. She moved her body to stand between her father and my weapon.
“Nix, no!”
“Move, Destiny,” I replied, my voice steely.
“Mom! This is Dad we’re talking about here! What the fuck?”
“Move, Destiny.” Her mother issued the order this time, and Destiny put her hands on her hips in refusal.
“Nix, can you still take the shot?” the queen asked.
Faith and Trinity hadn’t moved, only gasped when they saw their father. But they seemed as stunned as I was with all that was happening. The queen said Pawl looked like the long-dead king. The tunnel door was open and hanging from its hinges. Radella looked like she’d seen better days and then an Earthling appeared. Not just any Earthling, the queen’s Earth male and my mate’s father.
I judged the distance, the margin of error, the placement of Destiny’s head in proximity to her father’s. It would be close. Goddess damn it. “Yes.” If I had to. If it was life or death.
“Excellent,” the queen replied, clasping her fingers together in front of her. Captain Turaya moved to her side, ready to defend her in this room yet again. Leo hovered by Trinity and Faith still. Thor had his hand on his mate’s shoulder, who had come out from behind him when she discovered the threat was her father, but Thor looked ready to tug her behind him once again if needed.
“Now, Adam, start explaining.” She looked at Radella. At Pawl, who was still on the floor. Back to her Earthling mate. “All of this.”
But it was Amandine who spoke. I’d completely forgotten her presence. “Well, I can start,” she said. “His name isn’t Adam. He is Lord Buchan Adamos Cray. Born and raised on Alera. He is Aleran, Celene. I knew him as a boy. Knew his father.”
That completely deflated my mate. “What?” She stepped out of the way of my shot and stood facing the man she’d known only as her father for her entire life. Her Earth father. “What? Dad? You’re Aleran?”
“Dad!” Faith yelled, narrowing her eyes in a mix of hurt and confusion.
Holy fuck. What was going on here?
Destiny looked lost. It was in her eyes. Nowhere else. But I knew. When she moved across the room to stand next to me, she nudged Pawl on the floor with her boot as she moved behind him, blaster aimed at his face. “Sit up. Your Mommy is here, and you all have some fucking explaining to do.”
Pawl wiggled about, but it was near impossible for him to do as commanded with his wrists restrained. I reached down, grabbed him by the biceps and hoisted him to his feet.
Trinity stepped in front of him, poked him in the chest. “You should be very thankful the consort got in my bed instead of you.”
“No kidding,” he muttered and actually shuddered. The idea of what he’d almost done had settled in.
Leo came up to her and tugged her back, his gaze murderous on Pawl. I didn’t blame him one bit. I was also impressed with his restraint. Punching a guy with his arms restrained wasn’t honorable.
