Sought...Book 3 in the Brides of the Kindred series (29 page)

“He took your
what?”

“He took my pain,” Kat repeated. She went on
to tell her two best friends about the dream she’d had of Deep
being whipped in the cave and how Mother L’rin had showed her that
it was real. “So you see,” she ended in a low voice. “He’s the
reason my head doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“I don’t think it’s your
head
we have
to be concerned with right now. It’s your heart.” Liv put down her
sandwich and wiped her fingers on a napkin before putting an arm
around Kat. “Am I right, Kat-woman?”

“I d-don’t know.” Kat brushed at her eyes
angrily. “I’m sorry—I don’t know why I let him affect me like this.
He’s such a
bastard.”

“He does put the ass in asshole,” Liv agreed
calmly. “But it sounds like he’s not
all
bad.”

“He’s the reason we’re going to the Scourge
home world in the first place,” Kat said, sniffing. “He doesn’t
want to be bonded to me—not even partially bonded. We’re supposed
to find some machine the Scourge invented called ‘the psychic
knife’ to cut ourselves apart.”

“What a jerk!” Sophie said indignantly.
“Don’t you listen to him, Kat. Any guy would be lucky to have
you!”

“Speaking of other guys, how does Lock feel
about all this?” Olivia asked. “It seems to me that he’s always in
the middle of you two—that can’t be easy for him.”

“I don’t know.” Kat shook her head. “We
didn’t talk on the trip back home at all. None of us. But…I’m
pretty sure the two of them were fighting after our argument on
Twin Moons.”

“Really? How could you tell?” Liv looked
interested.

“I’d say Deep’s face was a pretty good
indication. He looks like he slammed head-first into a concrete
wall. And the knuckles on Lock’s right hand are all cut and
bruised.”

“A
fist
fight?” Liv shook her head.
“Really? Because I was under the impression that Twin Kindred never
strike each other—under
any
circumstances. I think it hurts
them just as much to hit their twin as it does to be hit…like they
share the pain they inflict or something like that. That’s what
Baird told me, anyway.”

“Well, I’d say they made an exception to the
no-knuckle-sandwich-between-brothers rule,” Kat said dryly but she
couldn’t help being troubled. “I guess…I guess they were fighting
over me.”

“Lock loves you, doesn’t he?” Sophie said
sympathetically.

Kat nodded. “And I could love him too
if—”

“If Deep wasn’t in the way,” Olivia finished
for her.

But Kat shook her head. “No, that’s not what
I was going to say. I
could
love Lock—hell, I could love
both
of them if there was any chance of my love being
returned.”

“But what about having their emotions in
your head all the time?” Sophie asked. “I thought you hated
that.”

Kat thought of the warm, happy feelings
she’d gotten from both brothers just moments before they were
captured by the natives. “It’s not so bad when they’re in a good
mood. But Deep…”

“Is never in a good mood,” both Liv and
Sophie said.

Kat nodded sadly. “You know, for awhile
there back on Twin Moons, I really thought we were almost on the
same page. I found out what Deep had done for me and then we talked
and it seemed like the three of us were getting really close.
Especially after—” She broke off abruptly, blushing.

“After what?” Sophie and Liv demanded
together. “Come on, Kat—
give.”

“Oh God, you guys, do I
really
have
to say it?” Kat looked at them, pleading with her eyes. “You’re
married women now—or practically married. You get enough hot sex of
your own without hearing about my measly sex life.”

“Are you kidding me? We might get hot sex
but
you
my friend are getting some genuine
ménage a
trois
action,” Liv said. “Or
are
you?”

Kat sighed. “Well…kinda.”

“Kinda? What does that mean?” Sophie
frowned. “When I think how you two pried out the details of how
Sylvan healed me and marked me in that cabin…”

“All right, all right…” Kat held up her
hands in a gesture of defeat. “I’ll tell all. But you can’t
laugh.”

“Why would we laugh?” Sophie grabbed the
platter of oozing cookie sandwiches. “Come on, let’s move this into
the living room.”

“Before I start,” Kat said, once they were
comfortably settled on the large leather couch. “I want to get one
thing straight—what was it that you guys
thought
Baird and
Sylvan knew about Deep before I told you about how he took my
pain?”

“We told you—we’ don’t know,” Liv said and
she and Sophie gave each other an uneasy look.

“It’s something about Deep’s past,” Sophie
said. “Something really bad, I think. Sylvan said you aren’t in any
danger from him though, if that’s any consolation.”

“Not much.” Kat’s stomach did a flip. “God,
I wonder what it was? And even if Deep won’t tell me, why doesn’t
Lock?”

Sophie shrugged. “Who knows? Why didn’t he
tell you about how Deep had taken your pain?”

“Baird says there’s a huge stigma among the
Kindred in being involved in a tragedy involving a potential mate,”
Olivia said.

“A potential mate? And
tragedy?
That’s the word he used?” Kat raised an eyebrow.

“Yup.” Liv nodded. “It’s like a blot on
their character—a shame they can never live down. Maybe Lock is
ashamed
to tell you about whatever it is.”

“Maybe,” Kat said thoughtfully. “Or maybe
Deep won’t let him.” She sighed. “He never has wanted to let me
in—not even a little bit. He blocks me constantly.”

“Well, you won’t have to put up with it for
much longer,” Sophie said comfortingly. “But…do you really think
it’s safe, going to the Scourge home world?”

“Baird says it’s completely deserted,” Liv
said. “There was this big battle there about fifty years ago and
the Kindred annihilated almost everyone living there—which were all
men, by the way, since the Scourge have no females. The few that
were left packed up and flew off in the Fathership. They’ve been
growing more warriors in these huge, disgusting vats ever since but
they can’t have any babies naturally because they have no
women.”

“I wonder if that has anything to do with
that weird prophesy they’re always talking about?” Sophie said in a
low voice. “And with cousin Lauren. You don’t think she’s…they took
her to…to…uh, replenish their race, do you? I mean, because when
they had me in that ship they were talking about…about
breeding
and—” She broke off, clearly too upset to
finish.

Olivia shivered and gave her sister a
comforting hug. “I know it was awful, Sophie but it’s over now. And
as for what they want with Lauren, maybe Kat can find out. That’s
the excuse Baird used to the Council,” she explained turning to
Kat. “You guys are going to hunt for traces of Lauren and also see
if you can get any more information on the Scourge prophesy.”

“So we’re on a fact finding mission that
just happens to double as a psychic soul-divorce,” Kat said dryly.
“Lovely.”

“It’s better than being tied to a man who
doesn’t love you,” Sophie said, straightening up. “You know that,
Kat.”

“Yes, I know.” Kat sighed and ran a hand
through her hair. “I thought about that a lot while we were on Twin
Moons. Mostly because of, you know, my mom and dad.”

“They…weren’t very happy together, were
they?” Sophie asked tactfully.

“Our house was a war zone,” Kat said flatly.
“They were always screaming insults at each other, throwing
things…hitting each other. That’s why I was always over at
your
house.” She shook her head. “I swore to myself that I
would never be with a man I didn’t love with my whole heart, who
loved me the same way. I
can’t
be with someone I’m
constantly fighting with—someone who doesn’t want me.”

“Of
course
you can’t,” Sophie
exclaimed. “Just wait until they cut you lose, Kat, and find some
other nice Kindred. Try a Blood Kindred like Sylvan—they’re
wonderful.”

“I would have to put in a vote for a Beast
Kindred,” Olivia said, grinning. “Not only are they the best
lovers, they’re the best cooks too. Baird has been making me
something new every night.”

“Better than his first attempt at pizza, I
hope?” Kat said, trying to smile.

Liv grinned. “
Much
better. Baird’s
come a long way from the days when he thought fruit cocktail was a
good topping option.”

Kat sighed. “They sound great and both of
your husbands are wonderful men…”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming,” Sophie
murmured.

“But, I’m just not interested.” Kat sighed
and put her head in her hands. “I don’t know, maybe when this is
all over with I’ll just go back to Earth and try to find a regular
human guy. One who doesn’t force me to feel his painful emotions
all the time, one without a tortured secret past, one who doesn’t
freaking have to have his brother in bed with him to have sex.”

Liv snorted. “Uh, sorry Kat but that came
out sounding really
wrong.”

Kat waved a hand. “You know what I mean.
It’s not sexual—not between
them,
anyway. But they seriously
can’t touch me unless the other one is too, or it hurts them.”

Sophie shook her head. “That’s so
weird
.”

“Weirder than being bitten every single time
you have sex?” Liv said, frowning. “Weirder than any of the other
stuff that goes with being a Kindred bride?”

“Well, I
guess
not,” Sophie said,
shrugging. “But you have to admit, it’s not what we’re used
to.”

“Different isn’t always bad,” Liv said. “And
love comes in all shapes and sizes. Maybe Deep is
afraid
to
let himself love you, Kat. Maybe because of whatever it was that
happened he feels
unworthy
of your love.”

Kat frowned. “He
did
say something
about me being unattainable—like the moon or the stars or something
like that.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But then he went
right back to being a jerk.”

“He went back into his protective shell,”
Olivia said. “I’m telling you, Kat—I bet he loves you just as much
as Lock does—in his own way.”

“Yeah? Well he could have fooled me,” Kat
said sarcastically. “He can’t
wait
to get rid of our bond.
He…” she trailed off, shaking her head. She was feeling weaker and
weaker as she spoke but she didn’t want to show it.

“He what?” Sophie asked.

Kat sighed wearily.
Need to get out of
here and go lie down.
“He—”

Just then the holo link buzzed, interrupting
her.

“Oh, hang on a minute. Hold that thought,”
Sophie said. She ran to the link and hit the accept button.
Immediately a winking blue dot appeared about a foot above the
black cube of the holo link. It slowly expanded to show the stern
features of a Blood Kindred warrior.

“Excuse me, mate of my commander,” he said
formally, nodding at Sophie—a gesture which looked odd since only
his head was being projected. “Communications officer Bastian here.
Forgive me for interrupting you at home but I’m afraid there is a
planet to ship call coming in for you from Earth in the viewing
room.”

“Oh?” Olivia came to stand beside her
sister. “Who is it?”

“A human male by the name of Detective Adam
Rast. He claims to have spoken to both your mates before, but now
he wishes to speak to you as well.” He nodded at Liv and Sophie,
including them both.

“Well, you can tell him to just—” Liv
began.

“Wait!” Sophie put a hand on her twin’s arm.
“He’s the one searching for Lauren. We’ll take it,” she told the
communications officer. “We’ll be in the viewing room in five
minutes.”

“Very well. I will inform him.” The holo
head nodded again and then winked out.

“Why did you do that?” Olivia demanded,
frowning. “What can we possibly tell him?”

“The truth.” Sophie’s face was paper-pale
but she looked determined. “It’s not fair to do anything else.”

“Sophie, we can’t just—”

“Look, girls, you two are going to have to
work this out between you. I’m beat.” Kat rose carefully, trying
not to let them see how weak she was. She hoped neither of her
friends noticed how white her knuckles were as she gripped the arm
of the couch for support.

“You’re going?” Sophie asked. “But you
haven’t even told us the dirty details of your time on Twin Moons
yet.”

“And you’re folding space for the Scourge
home world tomorrow morning,” Liv added.

“Sorry girls.” Kat tried to laugh but it
came out as more of a croak and she had to turn it into a cough.
“Looks like you’ll have to grill me later.”

“Kat, are you
sure
you’re okay?” Liv
looked at her critically. “I mean, you still don’t seem like
yourself.”

“Of course she doesn’t,” Sophie jumped to
her defense. “Her soul is still tangled up with Deep and Lock’s.
She won’t be back to her old self until she gets all that
straightened out. Right, Kat?”

“Right.” Kat nodded. God, she was
so
tired.
Have to get out of here.
“And as anyone knows, a good
night’s sleep is really important before getting a soul-divorce. So
I’m going to hit the hay.”

Sophie gave her a hug. “We’ll be there to
see you off, tomorrow,” she promised.

“You don’t have to do that,” Kat protested.
“I’m sure we’re leaving at some ungodly hour.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Olivia hugged her too. “We
wouldn’t miss it.”

I hope I don’t miss it either! Hope I’m
not too weak to get there. Or in too much pain…
The beginnings
of a headache were throbbing behind her eyes ominously. Kat tried
to smile. “Okay, you win. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

It took every ounce of strength she could
muster to stand straight and walk out the door as though nothing
was wrong. But somehow she managed. She even managed to get to her
own suite without falling over. Once there, however, she collapsed
on the bed and put a hand over her eyes.