Kiljorn Commander (12 page)

StrykER leaned forward with interest. “So you basically break it apart, dissect the language. Then you build it back up piece by piece to make it whole again.”

Lizzie’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “Exactly.”

“Interrogation is a little bit similar to that. I have to break apart a statement, dissect it. I need to see if it there are holes in their story. Then I have to put it back together piece by piece to find the truth,” StrykER told her.

The food arrived and a silence fell while everyone ate. TylOR and AshOR kept putting food on her plate when she wasn’t looking. She glared at both of them. “Stop it!” she whispered angrily. They both shrugged their shoulders. She looked up and spotted StrykER watching them. He raised an eyebrow in question but she refused to say anything. She just made herself eat the food on her plate the best she could. But if one of them tried to put something else on her plate she might just stab them with her fork.
Damn controlling men!

The conversation was kept light and the meal went by reasonably fine. It wasn’t until KadEN asked a loaded question to TylOR that things went to hell.

“Commander, when you depart tomorrow, I will make sure your mate has all that she needs here on Kiljor until you return.”

“I appreciate that, Prime Leader,” TylOR said, nodding at his friend.

Lizzie glared at the two of them. “What are you talking about? I’m not remaining here. I have an assignment on the next Katieran refugee transport. I have to meet up with them.”

“No.” TylOR shook his head.

“Absolutely not,” AshOR also spoke up.

She looked at the two of them. “Excuse me? It is not up to you, either of you.”

“It is too dangerous. Not only are we still unsure where the Morins are, but now we have the Purist rebels to deal with. They could be anyone. We have no way of knowing. It is just too dangerous. Besides, you are my mate now, so you do not have to do these assignments anymore. I will provide for you,” TylOR told her with confidence that what he said would be done.

Lizzie was about to let TylOR have it when AshOR spoke up, “I hate to be in agreement with anything my brother says, but he is right. It is too dangerous.”

Lizzie felt railroaded by the two men. “AshOR, I thought you were my friend.”

“I am more than your friend. You mated my brother, which makes you my family. I protect my family.”

Holy crap!
The first time the two brothers ever agreed on anything and it was to deny her a choice in what she does with her life. She knew her face was turning red with anger. She was about to go off on somebody, possibly two somebodies.

“Miss Connell’s translating abilities might come in handy. Perhaps she should come along, but not to the Katieran transport, but to assist with translating Morin transmissions,” StrykER suggested while eating his food.

The two brothers glared at the other male. StrykER had not made himself any friends with that suggestion. AshOR sighed before saying, “Fine, Lizzie can come with me on my transport.”

“When the fires of Kitana go out! If she goes it will be on my transport with me since I am her bond mate!”

“We can let Lizzie decide which transport she will go on.” AshOR knew this would only anger TylOR more. He so did love pushing his big brother’s buttons.

Lizzie stood slowly placing her napkin on the table. “Thank you for a lovely dinner, Prime Leader KadEN and Prima Lindsey. Everything was delicious. If you will excuse me, I am suddenly not feeling well.” She looked over at StrykER. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

StrykER smiled at her with mischief in his eyes. “I look forward to seeing more of you on the transport, whichever one you choose.”

Lizzie didn’t wait for TylOR. She gave both brothers an icy stare that had been known to make her students burst into tears. She stormed out of the Primes’ suite slamming the door shut behind.
Damn irritating men!
She couldn’t shoot them and they were just too damn big to hide the bodies.
Ugh!

Chapter Fourteen

“Well, that was certainly entertaining,” StrykER commented while still eating his food. He couldn’t help the smirk that was on his face.

TylOR growled and looked like he was about to launch himself at the other male. KadEN had to step in. “Commander!”

TylOR instead stood abruptly. “Thank you for dinner. I will see you in the morning before we leave.” He bowed at Prima Lindsey and then left the table.

AshOR stood as well. “Thank you for a very enjoyable dinner. Goodnight.” He also bowed at Lindsey and followed his brother out of the suite.

KadEN sagged back in his seat.
What a night
. He looked over at StrykER who was smiling contentedly while he ate his dessert. The male was strange.

*****

“TylOR!” AshOR called out as he walked faster to catch up to his furious brother.

“What?”

“Could you stop for a moment while we have a conversation like, well not like family, but as civilized people?”

TylOR stopped walking and turned to glare at his younger brother. “Talk!”

“Look, I did not want Lizzie going on the transport either, but she has her mind made. From my experience, when a female as headstrong as our Lizzie makes up her mind there is not much you can do to stop it. I suggest you give her time to cool down.”

“First off, she is not
our
Lizzie. She is
my
bond mate. Second, I do not need you to tell me how to deal with my female!”

AshOR held up his hands. “Whoa. I am just trying to help.”

“Why do you care? You don’t care about anyone except yourself and maybe EllinOR.”

“I am not the unfeeling, selfish male you think I am. Granted, I have behaved that way. Part of me enjoys watching you squirm. I guess I am resentful after all these years of having never been able to live up to your shadow.”

“What are you talking about?” TylOR asked, crossing his arms against his chest.

AshOR snorted. “Goddess knows you look just like him right now.”

“Like who?”

“Our father,” AshOR’s response was met with silence. He continued, “The great Colonial Leader talked all the time of his son back on Kiljor. All his accomplishments—How he was top of his class—How fast he rose through the military ranks. The day you were announced the Commander position for Kiljor, father was ecstatic. No father could be prouder.”

“Then there was me. The second son—Always in trouble—Never good enough. Constantly being compared to my older brother and never being able to live up to what his prodigal son has achieved.”

TylOR was floored by what he was hearing. “But he stayed with
you
. He didn’t leave you or EllinOR like he left me. He chose you over me.”

“His choice wasn’t really a choice. He was too different for the Katierans, too different for the Kiljorns. He wanted to be somewhere where he could fit in. He would have brought your mother and you if she had chosen differently. He wanted that. If she had chosen to come with him, EllinOR and I would never have existed. How do you think it feels to grow up knowing that if your father could have chosen, he would have chosen to not have you be born?” AshOR’s voice cracked a little with emotion. He struggled to regain his composure.

For the first time TylOR saw past AshOR’s carefree façade to a little boy who only wanted his father’s love. He could relate to that. He felt that too.

“Our father loved you and EllinOR. He was protective of the two of you. I do not believe he would have chosen any differently. In the end, he had three children that he cared for.” Did he just say that? It sounded so…reasonable.

AshOR tried to push aside the emotional outburst they just went through. “I think that’s enough of our father issues. The real reason we are standing here in the hallway is because of Lizzie. Whether you like it or not, I care about her. She is your bond mate, which makes her my sister. I want only to keep her safe.”

TylOR was feeling much calmer now. “I do not want her left alone with StyrkER.”

“Agreed. That male gives me the creeps.”

TylOR snorted. “But he is an excellent interrogator.” He sighed as he looked at is younger brother. He had never before had to ask another male for advice, but AshOR seemed to understand the Earth females much better than he did.

“What should I do…about Elizabeth?”

AshOR chuckled. “From my experiences with Earth Females, I have learned two things will work every time.”

TylOR waited and waited but AshOR was being overconfident holding back. He was near the end of his tolerance. “What two things?”

“One, the male is always in the wrong so the male has to say he is sorry.”

“But what if I am not in the wrong?” TylOR asked with confusion.

“You are male so you will always be in the wrong in her mind.”

“That is ridiculous. I have to apologize even if I am right?”

“Yes, and apologize even if you don’t know what you did wrong to begin with. Practice saying, ‘Honey, I was wrong and you were right’. It works every time.” AshOR nodded his head.

TylOR tried it out. “Honey, I was wrong and you were right.”

“Yes. Oh and add at the end, ‘please forgive me’. I swear that last part gets a smile from her.”

TylOR practiced again. “Honey, I was wrong and you were right. Please forgive me.”

“You got it.”

“If apologizing for no reason is the first thing, what is the second thing?”

“Females want to feel like the decisions are theirs. So tell her something like, ‘I will support your decision’.

TylOR frowned. “But I may not agree with her decision if it puts her in danger.”

“Does not matter. If you tell her you support her decision, she will defer to what you think and you can manipulate her into deciding what you want her to decide to begin with,” AshOR said it like it was the most simple thing in the world.

“That is very controlling and devious,” TylOR commented with a bit of disdain.

“Hey, when it comes to protecting our females, we might have to be a little controlling and devious.” AshOR defended himself.

“True,” TylOR admitted grudgingly.

“Good luck, brother.” AshOR turned and walked away. TylOR headed toward his suite with dread and anticipation.

*****

Lizzie was furious. TylOR and AshOR were so…so male! She went to take a shower then she was heading to bed. Maybe she would be asleep before TylOR came home. She did not want to deal with him right then.

She undressed, kicking her dress to the floor of the bathroom. She turned on the shower to let the temperature warm up. She turned it hotter than usual because she wanted it steamy. She stepped inside the large shower stall and felt the heat soak into her skin relaxing her immediately. She took the soap and washed her body then worked on her long curly hair. A sound caught her attention and she turned toward the bathroom door. TylOR.

He stood there watching her with desire in his eyes.
Oh no
.
That so not going to happen.
“I thought I locked the door.”

“I unlocked it.”

“Go away.” She covered her breasts with her hands the best she could.

He frowned. He did not like her covering herself from his view. He took his clothes off quickly dropping them to the floor.

“Wait! What are you doing?”

TylOR entered the shower stall. This was much better. Her lovely pale skin glistened with the water flowing down her body.

“TylOR, why are you in here? I am mad at you!”

He nodded his head. “I am wrong and you were right.”
Wait, he was supposed to add something else to it. What was it?

“You were wrong?” Her nudity forgotten with what he had just said. Men didn’t just admit they were wrong.

“Yes.”
What was he supposed to add?
“You will forgive me now?” At her frown he knew he had said it wrong. “Will you…will you please forgive me?”
Yes, that was it
. He waited for the smile that was supposed to happen. Instead, he received a slap across the face.

“Get out!” Lizzie pointed to the door of the bathroom.

“I do not understand. You are supposed to forgive me.” TylOR refused to move.

“So you think you can give me a false apology and all will be forgiven?” she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest, which drew his attention.

“Yes. AshOR said…”

“AshOR! You listened to AshOR?” She was livid that he would talk about their relationship to someone else instead of coming to her.

“He has more experience with Earth females than I do.”

“Listen up, buddy, your brother may be a bit of a player, but he doesn’t have a mate, now does he?”

TylOR thought about it and frowned. She was right. He took advice from a male that was not mated. Not too smart. “No, he is not.”

“I am just so furious. What else did he tell you to say?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t…”

“Tell me!”

“He said to tell you that I will support your decision.”

She fumed. “You would
say
that you supported my decision but you really wouldn’t, would you?”

“Not if it put you in danger,” he admitted.

“I am so mad right now!” She forgot she was naked and put her hands on her hips while she mumbled unpleasant things.

Seeing her like that, worked up, breathing heavy, pinkened skin, those breasts bouncing with each deep breath she took was making him…aroused. He wasn’t the only one to notice his body’s reaction.

“Oh hell no! You think you are going to get some after this little stunt…”

He stopped her tirade the only way he knew how, he pulled her tight into his body and took her mouth in a searing kiss. She tasted just as delicious as she looked. He could not wait to get inside of her.

Lizzie’s anger quickly shifted into fiery flames of desire. She reached up and clasped his shoulders pulling herself up onto him. She practically climbed him like a monkey climbing a tree. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed her aching pussy against his thick hard shaft.

“Please.” She found herself begging for him. She had never begged any man for anything. But she needed him.