Parallel Heat (20 page)

Jared nodded. ‘‘Go on—I’m listening.’’

‘‘I can help you develop your intuition. Help you extract the information from Kelsey’s mind—and upload it into the mitres.’’

‘‘What makes you so certain?’’

‘‘Because my gift is unique—and because my duty is to guide you in your
own
gifts. It’s part of why I’m here. You know the role of the Madjin throughout history. We train and teach—not just protect.’’ Marco lifted his chin proudly, but despite his outer calm, he was shaking inside. It took a serious set of balls to tell Jared—his king and a man two years older than he was—that he was here to train him.

And yet Jared didn’t flinch; he turned to him seriously. ‘‘What are you suggesting?’’

‘‘That I work with you both—begin a series of training sessions—and help you master your own intuition, my lord. You’ve got the ability, you’ve just resisted it.’’

Jared stared at him, mouth open, and then, much to Marco’s surprise, he began to laugh. ‘‘How do you know that? Thea I’m used to knowing my mind, but she’s fought beside me for years—’’

‘‘Because
I’m
intuitive—same as you. And I can teach you how to know things the exact same way. But only if you’re willing.’’

Jared rose suddenly, pacing the room with the tightly constrained energy of a wildcat—first in one direction, then another—until at last he spun to face Marco. ‘‘Yes,’’ he said. ‘‘Yes, this is what is needed. I am willing indeed. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to protect my people . . . and to save my wife.’’

Chapter Fourteen

Scott Dillon’s mouth was dry and his body sore; he was relatively sure they broken some of his ribs when they worked him over upon his capture. He’d been airlifted to an unknown location, camouflaged in an Air Force uniform before armed military escorts had driven him into an underground facility. After that, he’d passed out cold. Drugs had been administered to him, no doubt. And he’d been manacled and bound ever since. Was it daytime? Night? He couldn’t be certain at all. Stirring on the concrete floor of a small, dark room, he tried to lift his head, only to discover that they had him trussed up like a prize bird. Hands bound behind his back, feet chained to a small desk.

With a groan, he pressed his cheek against the floor and prayed that All, who had always watched his back and kept him safe, might get him out of this mess alive.

They just want to question me,
he tried to assure himself,
and they have no evidence or reason to hold me. These Americans have civil liberties. Without any direct link or evidence, they can’t keep me here.

At that precise moment he heard a buzzer sound, a door open, and there was the sound of footsteps, then the scrape of a chair. ‘‘So you’re awake now,’’ a human male said. Scott sniffed at the air, revolted by the odor of sweat mixed with tobacco, but did not reply. The room was completely dark, so he could see nothing.

‘‘Lieutenant Dillon, we have much to discuss—and I suggest you plan to talk.’’

Shit. They knew his name, an his rank, which meant he had only one option: to refuse to speak English.

A pair of hands jerked him onto his knees and he cried out; his ribs were bruised and swollen. The overhead light came on, and he winced at the startling brightness. As his eyes adjusted he saw that two Air Force officers stood over him. They would be his interrogators, which was hardly a surprise since they’d been his captors too. No doubt he was currently in Cheyenne, at Warren Air Force Base.

‘‘Will you cooperate?’’ the beefy, second man asked. He wore a colonel’s insignia on his shoulder.

Scott gave a brief nod, but said nothing, and they hauled him onto his feet, unfastening his hands from behind his back. His feet remained manacled together, attached to a chain on the table leg. The other man, the sweaty one Scott presumed would be his interrogator, smiled at him and indicated the chair across the table.

‘‘Good. Then let’s begin by discussing Refaria.’’

 
Thea scrambled down the path that led from the cabin to the security perimeter along the main road. Snow and glazed rocks caused her feet to slide, but she had to get away, had to breathe. The sun had set and they still had no idea where Scott had been taken, more than twelve hours after his capture. She loved her commanding officer like a brother, and now their enemies had him. Those horrid, despicable humans who didn’t have a clue that Jared and Scott—all of them—were risking their lives to protect this planet.

Tears burned her eyes, and still she stumbled headlong into the darkness. The emotions were too familiar, reminding her of all the people she’d lost back on Refaria. All the bloodshed. She couldn’t add Scott to that list, not him of all people.

Ahead of her she heard a noise and stopped stock-still for a moment. There was someone just below her on the trail, probably one of the patrols. But then she caught the familiar, earthy scent of Marco McKinley, even before she made out his shadow in the snowy, moonlit path below her.

She took several more steps in his direction, slipping and sliding. She’d never needed another person so badly in all her life; her heartbreak over Scott’s capture had clearly left her too emotional.
I have to pull it together.
But clear flashes of images flipped through her mind: Marek holding her, wrestling her body beneath his own angrily. Bad love, possessive fury, brutal passion. Had it ever been good for them in that other life?

Tears immediately burned her eyes, and all their mutual protests fell to pieces in her heart.
I don’t care if it can only lead to pain,
she thought, stepping over a fallen limb.
I don’t care about duty or obligation. I only want to be with him!

 
Marco stood near the security gate, all his senses on alert. He kept inhaling deeply, trying to detect the scent of their enemy, the frigid air burning his lungs. It was almost might and other patrols were on duty, but as Madjin to those back up the mountainside, he couldn’t rationalize being anywhere else but on this security detail. With Scott Dillon taken, all his fears for his king and queen had intensified multifold. He was thankful for the full moon and that it lit the path clearly, taking some of the edge off the darkness.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair, brushing it off of his forehead, as he turned back along the path that tracked beside the main road. He raised his night-vision binoculars to study the terrain, but was alarmed when he heard a soft rustling behind him. He spun on his heel, inhaling quickly, as he raised a hand to throw up his shield. But the scent that quickly filled his senses wasn’t that of the enemy; it was the heady perfume of wildflowers touched by sunlight.

Thea stood just above him on the path. The moonlight shimmered over her long blond hair, which fell loose and wild over her shoulders. Shadows played across her features, obscuring her face.

‘‘Thea,’’ he whispered, his heart pounding frantically. ‘‘Why the hell are you out here?’’ She’d scared the living shit out of him, appearing from nowhere. It wasn’t safe for her to be here, either, and not just because of their enemies.

‘‘I’m sorry.’’ Her voice sounded broken. ‘‘I was . . .’’ Then he got it—of course, she was devastated by Scott Dillon’s capture. The two of them were obviously very close, and he had hardly seen her since their return to base camp.

‘‘You were what?’’ he asked much more gently, taking several steps closer. She stared down at the ground between them, then turned as if to walk away. He caught her arm, spinning her back toward him. ‘‘Tell me, Thea. Tell me why you came down here.’’

She shook her head, taking a step back. ‘‘I had a dream—about the ambush last night, and I felt so trapped,’’ she whispered. ‘‘Scott. . . .’’ He could see her so clearly now, the moon illuminating her water blue eyes perfectly. ‘‘And I was worried about you; I knew you were out here on patrol . . . It was stupid. I’ll go.’’

She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he tightened his grip on her small wrist. ‘‘I’m okay,’’ he stated simply after a long moment.

‘‘I see that now,’’ she breathed, and he realized he’d been stepping slowly closer toward her so that only the smallest distance separated them.

‘‘You shouldn’t have come out here,’’ he chided her, stroking her hair. ‘‘It’s far too dangerous.’’

‘‘I see that now too.’’

And her simple words were too much for him—he had no choice but to kiss her. He cupped her face within his hands, and bent down toward her. Gods in heaven, she was so small, much more delicate even than he’d realized in his bed the other night. But finally their lips did meet as she tilted her face up toward him. Her breath was incredibly warm, and her mouth even softer than he remembered. They kissed slowly, their lips just lingering together for a long moment, and he felt her tongue dart within his mouth.

Then the most unexpected thing happened . . . something absolutely exploded between them. All the tantalizing desire they’d been toying with just ripped wide open, and Marco felt energy roil all through his body. In his stomach, his chest, all along his skin. Nothing had prepared him for it; nothing possibly could have.

Her sure hands threaded through his hair as she trailed kisses across his jaw, down onto his neck. He nipped at her ear, kneading her thick hair within his hands, as he worked her backward against a nearby tree, pinning her there with his body. He already strained painfully within his uniform pants, and now he knew she could feel it. But this time he didn’t care . . . he
wanted
her to know just how strongly she affected him. He was dizzy with it, desperate as the heat just kept cresting within his body.

She touched him below his parka, rubbing her flat palms across his chest, and he slipped his hands beneath her sweater, right up against her warm, smooth skin.

Unable to stop himself, he growled his need for her—loudly. But he couldn’t control his Refarian nature, not with her. Not like this. At the sound of his mating cry, Thea threw her head back, arching against the tree where he had pinned her. She made her own, much softer, answering growl of kittenish pleasure. He dipped his head lower, nibbling at her collarbone, licking, tasting. And, ah, so beautiful, taking her scent into his lungs. For a long moment the overpowering sweetness of her aroma dizzied him—so much so, he had to still for a moment.

‘‘Thea,’’ he panted, burying his face against the top of her head, ‘‘I have never . . .’’
Never what? Never ached like this? Longed like this? Never made love to anyone in my life?

She took hold of both his hips, pulling his groin tight against her. His hardened cock pushed into the softer flesh of her belly, making his face burn. She smiled up at him, holding onto his waist with both hands. ‘‘Never what?’’ she asked seriously.

‘‘Never needed a woman like this,’’ he barely managed to whisper. ‘‘I’m sorry.’’

She frowned at him. ‘‘Why would you be sorry?’’

‘‘You’re upset—I can’t give you . . . anything.’’

‘‘I was upset when I came out here,’’ she explained patiently, staring up into his eyes. ‘‘But the minute I saw you, Marco? The moment you spoke and I felt your protection . . . there was only one hope for me. Just like the other night. That you’d make love to me.’’

He sucked in a breath of air, pressing his eyes shut. ‘‘I told you that I can’t.’’

‘‘That was before,’’ she whispered huskily, slipping one hand between their two bodies, then gently between his legs. Slowly, arousingly, she took hold of his erection through the material of his uniform pants, which did nothing to protect him from the erotic touch of his lieutenant. He wrestled with her, grasping her wrist, trying to stop her.

‘‘Please, Thea—’’ he choked, trembling with his intense need for her. ‘‘I beg you, please.’’

She stilled—but did not remove her hand. ‘‘Am I doing it wrong?’’ she asked earnestly, searching his face.

He couldn’t help laughing. ‘‘Hell no!’’ He released her wrist, clasping her shoulders. Slowly he pushed away, leaving her breathless and with lips parted, still backed up against the tree. ‘‘That was perfect.’’

‘‘Then why did you stop me?’’

He smiled at her, adjusting his pants so that his jutting hard-on wouldn’t be so apparent by the bright moonlight. ‘‘Because otherwise, Thea Haven, I’d have dropped you to this frozen ground and fucked you senseless. That’s why. Not terribly romantic, but there you have it.’’

‘‘What if I wanted that?’’ she asked, pushing off from the tree. He began to walk along the trail, hoping she would let him leave her. Praying to All to give him enough strength to walk away.

‘‘Doesn’t matter,’’ he told her, trying to sound cold and unfeeling. Behind him, he heard the crunch of leaves and frozen ground as she matched him pace for pace.

‘‘It does to me.’’

‘‘I’m Madjin,’’ he reminded her again. ‘‘We don’t take lovers.’’

‘‘I’m a soldier. We don’t abstain.’’

He spun on her, hot jealousy bursting forth within him. Unexpected, but absolutely suffocating. ‘‘Who the hell’s had you, Thea? You tell me now or—’’ He clenched his hands at both sides, ready to storm any of Jared’s military compounds. Whoever had slept with his Thea would know his wrath.

‘‘Or what? You’ll make love to me, right here, right now?’’ She snorted. ‘‘Now that’s a threat.’’

He took hold of her by the shoulders, wrestling to still his frantic heartbeat. ‘‘Just because I can’t have you doesn’t mean I’m not jealous,’’ he confessed in a hushed voice. ‘‘Doesn’t mean I don’t want you, more than you’ll ever understand.’’

‘‘Your Madjin rules are insane. It’s asking too much, that you remain alone.’’ She shook her head, staring at the ground between them. For long moments neither of them spoke, with only the nighttime wood noises filling the void. Then, at last, she raised her clear blue eyes and leveled him with her gaze. ‘‘I wouldn’t tell anyone,’’ she whispered. ‘‘It could just be our secret.’’

‘‘Who has had you?’’ he countered in as even a voice as he could muster. ‘‘Many? Few? Hundreds? At least tell me that.’’