Viper (Second Wave Book 1) (16 page)

“Did you ever think that maybe you
should give us the same respect you would give a man, who had done what we
have, and ask to hang out? Ask us to dinner? Because you damn sure can’t tell
me that you guys respect us, what we’ve done and what we can do, when you don’t
even allow us the courtesy of your effort to make us like you.”

Reven drew back like Jax had hit
him. When he moved, Jax slipped out from the table and strode over to Lara.  

“Come on girl, you can bunk with
me. I have a furnished spare bedroom, and we obviously have more than enough in
common to get along.”

Lara was a little surprised when
Jax grabbed her arm and pulled her from the room as all the men, except Grai,
looked on with mouths agape.

Once they hit the hallway, Lara
turned to Jax. “You’re my hero. Thank you.”

Jax just laughed. “No worries. I
have the perfect way to avoid them for a few days. Eventually, they’ll camp
outside my place, but we’ll get a few days of peace at least. Is your back ok?
Will you be able to train?”

“I’m great. Amun said I could go
back to regular activity.” Lara said, following the energetic woman out into
the parking lot. What the woman lacked in stature, she more than made up for in
agility.

The sad little voice behind them
made them both turn back around. “Am I not wanted to?"

Lara’s heart broke at the sight of
the drooping whiskers, lowered eyes and slumped shoulders of the normally
vibrant cat, and she walked over to him and squatted down to pet him.  

“Dog’ee! Of course, you are welcome
at my home as well! You’re more housebroken than most children. Besides, you
can help warn us when the assholes come sneaking around.” Jax said, putting a
grin on the kitty’s face.

“I will proudly stalk them if they
come near you, my ladies!” Dog’ee said, proudly lifting a paw and bowing to
Jax.

Lara giggled at his antics. “You
are the best thing around Dog’ee and the most perfect thing ever to lift
someone’s spirits. Come on, big guy.” Lara said again following Jax through the
parking lot, Dog’ee strutting proudly beside her. As strange as it was, somehow
Lara thought it felt right.

She had to admit she was a little
disappointed that the woman didn’t have a sports car and slid into the front
seat of the sedan that Jax had pointed her fob at.

“Let’s hit the store first and grab
you some clothes. I don’t think my stuff will fit.” Jax turned a bright smile
to Lara as she sped out of the parking lot.

Lara braced herself against the
door as Jax whipped the car down the mountain and around the curves at what
seemed like a breakneck speed. She wasn’t the only one who was a little freaked
either, Dog’ee had his front claws embedded in the back of her seat and
screamed the whole way down. In her ear.

She held her slightly queasy stomach,
willing it settle, when they pulled into a parking space in front of a row of
shops in downtown Dillon.

“Dog’ee no talking, you’ll scare
the humans.” Jax warned the cat.

“Will they let him in? Is it a good
idea?” Lara asked, worried that someone might mistake him for a wild cat and
hurt him.

“No! They think these are cats
specially bred in Sweden by Grai’s company. They allow them free rein around
the area, even in the stores. They’re so friendly and great with the families
here that no one minds. We’ve even had one cat save a child from drowning and
another who found a missing Alzheimer’s patient.” 

“Now let’s go. They don’t have the
best selection, but they can make or order anything you need.” Jax said with a
grin as she got out of the car and headed into the store they parked in front
of, leaving Lara and Dog’ee to follow.

They had no sooner reached Jax,
when an older woman walked up to them. “Jax! It’s so good to see you child! Are
you still giving that handsome Reven a hard time?”

The woman cackled with laughter
before continuing. “Never mind, I can tell by the look on your face that he’s
done pissed you off again! What can I get for you lovely girls today?”

Before Lara had a chance to even
think of what to say, Jax piped in. “Gracie, this is Sgt. Lara Blain, recently
healed and returned from overseas, and she needs everything. She’s my newest
team member so everything will go on the corporate account as usual.”

Lara was stunned and was getting
ready to protest when the shopkeeper clapped her hands together and turned
watery eyes to Lara.

Taking Lara’s hands in her own, she
fought back tears. “It’ll be an honor to help you young lady. Thank you for
your service.” She walked off leaving Lara wondering what the hell, just
happened. Luckily, Jax cleared it up for her.

“Her and her husband Henry’s only
son, Mike, was killed in the first Iraq war. She’s got a real soft spot for vets,
so she won’t be the least offended if you come in, in your camo and weapons to
shop.” Lara looked at Jax curiously, wondering why the hell she would ever go
shopping like that.

“Hey, don’t give me that look,
there are certain times when you want to really irritate someone and Gracie,
here can work her magic on anything and make you look like sex in heels in no
time.” Jax sniffed and flipped through the shirts on a rack.

Lara just laughed as Gracie walked
up with a stack of catalogues in her arms. “The basics are here in the store,
but we can order things that are more your style.”

Lara’s face kind of fell. She’d
never really learned style. She was practical, even as a child. Who needed
heels when you trampled through the forest all the time?

“I don’t really have a style, so
the basics are fine with me.” Lara said, a little miffed when Jax sucked in a
breath and Gracie looked horrified, like she’d just committed a grave offense.

“Oh honey! You have a style! We
just have to find it!” Gracie said beginning to get excited at the thought of
playing with Lara’s wardrobe.  

Jax turned to Lara, eyeing up her
sweat pants and white t-shirt clad body. “You have the perfect legs for
stilettos.” Jax said to Lara’s mortification.

“Red. With a black skirt and white blouse."
Gracie added, making Lara turn pleading eyes to her, silently begging her not
to help Jax.

*****

Viper glared at Reven with accusing
eyes. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s your woman who wanted to live somewhere
else!” Reven said defensively.  

Grai leaned back in his chair,
pulling the now sleeping Tristan closer to his chest; he covered his son’s ears
and waited for the fireworks. He didn’t have long to wait.

“If you had properly claimed your
mate by now she wouldn’t have been able to offer her fucking advice and her
home to my mate!” Viper growled, standing to his feet and leaning his clenched
fists on the table in front of him.

“What the hell business is it of yours,
whether or not I’ve claimed my mate!” Reven growled back, coming to his feet as
well.

Grai watched with amusement as
Traze came sneaking back into the room and grabbed a seat next to him. David wasn’t
far behind and looked a little harried. He was going to have to speak to Traze
again about his abuse of the poor human. Although, he had to admit that David
had done wonders with the boy in just a few weeks.

“It’s my business when you don’t
take care of your own mate, and she interferes with my mate!” Viper growled
back through gritted teeth.

“Can’t we all just get along?”
Traze said with a huge grin, slouching in his chair.

The angry glares sent towards his
brother, told Grai this was getting out of hand, and it was time for him to
intervene. He stood slowly, so as not to wake his son and turned to both men.

“The problem isn’t with the women;
it's with you. Both of you. Jax was right; they have scraped and fought their
whole lives, not only for their own survival but for others. When you discount
their feelings and what they want, you do treat them as if they don’t matter to
you as anything other than a baby factory.”

“In Jax’s case, have you ever asked
her to dinner or told her to join you? Did you ask her to live with you or tell
her? Would you ask a team member to dinner or tell them? All you’re doing is
showing her disrespect, and you’re pushing her away.”

Grai turned to Viper. “If you do
what he is doing, then expect the same results with Lara. It’s no wonder they
have banded together. If I were you, I would tread carefully. Those two are
dangerous separately, together… well I think you should watch your backs.
Closely.”

“What makes you an expert? Viper
asked with a snarl.

Grai just grinned before heading to
the door. He turned his head to the men. “I’m not. I’m just the guy with the
human mate who adores me that I am going home to, with my sleeping son in my
arms.”

Grai headed out the door, satisfied
with the silence of the men behind him. He really hoped they figured it out
soon. The tension between Reven and Jax had been bad enough, if Viper and Lara
were going to add to it, then something would have to be done.

Grai’s mind whirled with ideas as
he gently laid his son in the back seat of his SUV and then headed home.

Viper and Reven just stared at each
other for a few minutes, the tension between them barely dissipated even though
their minds were still thinking about what Grai had said.

Drago cleared his throat. “I know I
haven’t been around here much, and I have no clue how to treat a mate. I do
know how I treat my friends and isn’t your mate supposed to be your best
friend? Hell, I don’t know. I’m going back to your place. I need some sleep.”

“We’ll drop you off; we need to go
as well. We’re getting up early to train.” David said, stressing the last
sentence as he glared at Traze.

“Fine! Make me miss all the good
shit!” Traze said grumpily as he followed David and Drago out of the room.

“They’re asking us to go against
our nature! How the hell can we accept that?” Reven growled pacing the length
of his side of the table.

“It sounds like a minor compromise
which will end in you getting your mate. What is it you have now?” Ratoka asked
before he stood and left the room.

“We need a plan. If they’re going
to work together, then we need to do the same.” Viper said, getting Reven’s
attention.

“Yes, that’s the perfect idea.
Because Reven’s done such a great job so far with Jax! You two are stupid. If I
were you, I’d take Grai’s advice. In case you two geniuses missed it, he’s
going home to his mate. Don’t involve me in your stupid shit.” Dread said.

When his words seemed to have
little to no impact on the two men obviously speaking privately through the
Shengari’, Dread stood and walked out of the room. He’d give it a week before
their scheme blew up in their face, and Viper came running to him to help.

Until then, he was going to talk
with Drago and find out how he was able to connect with her so easily and try
it himself. It was time he got to know his new sister instead of trying to make
her into the old one; he thought as he drove home.

Chapter
Fifteen

Dread walked into the house and
headed directly into the kitchen where he heard Drago puttering around. He
wasn’t sure when Viper was going to be back and there were a few things he
wanted answers to, without Viper around.

“How can you so easily put aside
your anger? All those years of pain and watching our brother waste away in body
and soul… why is it so easy for you?” Dread asked his brother wearily before
sitting down at the kitchen table.

Drago turned to his older brother
and shook his head sadly. He grabbed two cups and filled them with the coffee
they had all become addicted to as Ratoka walked through the front door without
knocking.

Without skipping a beat, Drago
filled another cup and set it down in front of the man as he sat beside Dread.
“Dread and I were just talking about how I can so easily deal with Kinara’s
return. You’re just in time for my answer.” Drago said as he poured a quarter
cup of sugar into his coffee before passing the sugar bowl over to Ratoka.

Dread was pissed that he wouldn’t
be able to have this conversation with Drago alone, but wanted answers so bad
he would put up with it in order to get them.

Drago cleared his throat. “I’m
pissed as hell actually. About everything. I think what angers me the most is
that if we had only figured it out sooner, we could have saved Jacordan this
time.”

“Can we even do a Death Rite or do
we have to live with the fact that yet another slow response on our part has
damned his soul to the lost worlds for eternity? Will he be reborn again here?”

“Is it the One God’s goal to punish
him and Kinara forever by this vicious cycle of being lost and found? Because I
can’t think of any good reason to punish them in such a cruel way. That is what
angers me! Not knowing if this is some tragic loop for them to suffer over
again.” Drago slammed his fist so hard on the table the now empty coffee cups
and sugar bowl danced in the air before crashing back down.

Dread’s mind was rocked with
Drago’s words. He had been so busy with his own thoughts and anger he hadn’t
even considered anything else. The thought of Jacordan and Kinara’s souls being
lost for eternity physically shook him with horror.

Dread and Drago looked up in
surprise when Viper sat down at the table with them. Dread was surprised that
he hadn’t noticed that Viper had even come in the house.

“The one thing I can assure you of,
is that we have time to do the Death Rite for Jacordan, so your souls will be
reunited with his in the after death. You saw what we accomplished for Grai’s
mother, we will succeed for Jacordan. He will not be lost this time.” Ratoka
said, confident that the ritual would be easy to do… this time.

“What of Kinara? Is she destined to
die before she and Viper can be together?” Drago said gruffly, his anger still
smoldering.

“You know better than that. Do not
be like Viper, and allow your anger to cloud your thoughts.” Ratoka said
shooting a meaningful glance at Viper and Dread, who both looked away from him.

“Then help me understand what I am
supposed to feel.” Drago said with frustration clear in his voice.

Ratoka chuckled. “How can I tell
you how to feel about the grass? Or the table?” Ratoka held up a hand when Dread
and Drago looked to argue with him.

“It is the same. Answer me this, do
you love her any less because she looks differently? Or because she doesn’t
remember? How do you punish someone with your anger and mistrust who doesn’t
even remember who you are or what you’ve shared in the past?”

“That is what you are doing. All of
you, in your own way, are punishing her for your feelings of the past. She
reminds you of your perceived failure in saving them, and of the pain you felt
when you lost them.”

Ratoka turned and looked directly
at Viper before adding. “She reminds you of your own mistakes. That is what you
are having trouble with. It is not Lara or Kinara. It is you.”

All three brothers looked down at
the table, each of them thinking of what Ratoka had said. Drago finally got up,
grabbed the coffee pot and a cup for Viper and refilled all of their mugs.

“How do we get over it so quickly
when it’s been a hundred years in the making?” Dread asked, running his finger
over the rim of the cup absently.

Ratoka chuckled, irritating the
brothers. “I do not mean to laugh at you. I was just wondering, if Lara will
have the same questions about all of you when she finally remembers. Are there
things you would not want her thinking this hard about? Or would you prefer
that she just be happy you are together again?”

“The attitude you are presenting to
her, could easily be perceived as how you would like her to treat you when she
finally remembers. Be careful what energy you make her feel.” Ratoka said
before standing up and strolling out of the front door the same irritating way
that he walked in. Without a word. Or a knock.

The three brothers were silent for
long moments, wrapped in their own thoughts. Drago got up again and went to
make more coffee when Dread stopped him.

“I don’t want anymore, but thank
you brother.”

When Viper shook his head at Drago
as well, he rinsed the pot in the sink and kept himself busy straightening up
the already spotless kitchen.

“I love her now as strongly as I
did then.” Viper said, breaking the tense silence among the brothers.

“I love her too. She is still our
sister and your mate. Even if she never remembers everything, I will still love
her the same.” Drago admitted before turning his back to them to clean out the
refrigerator.

All of the coffee he had drank and
the emotional energy running through him kept him from sitting down. He had
always needed to stay busy when he needed to deal with his emotions. It used to
help. For some reason, since he had arrived on this planet, his energy had been
going haywire. He had thought it was Lara, but he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Dread looked at both of his pitiful
brothers and sighed heavily. “I love her as well. I just don’t know what to
think of all of this.”

Drago turned angry eyes to his brother.
“What is there to think about? It is Kinara. Our sister. Whatever mistakes she
and Jacordan made that may have contributed to their deaths no longer matters!”

“There is no longer any blame that
needs to be placed! Or do we plan on torturing her forever over a mistake? One
made by all of us! We were just as much at fault as she and Jacordan! Or do you
plan on forgetting that small detail?”

Viper looked over at Drago and
considered telling him that most of what he was throwing in the trash had just
recently been purchased. The wild and angry look in his eyes told Viper that he
would be better suited to keeping his mouth shut and replacing the groceries
later.

“I did not say I was blaming her!”
Dread said, trying to defend himself against Drago’s accusation.

“That’s a lie and you know it!
You’re angry and hurt and you’re worried about Viper and me. Whether you want
to admit it or not, you’re scared. Scared of losing her again and of what will
happen to us.”

“Enough of it already! You may want
to hold onto your fear, protect yourself from being hurt again, but I will
choose to be a family again. To trust that this time will be different. That I
won’t make the same mistakes again and drive her to making the same decisions
that cost her the life she should have had. You two can do whatever you want. I
will learn of who she grew up to be in this life and love her as my sister.”
Drago said, throwing one last item in the trash can before storming out of the
kitchen and down the hallway to his bedroom.

“Why didn’t you tell him he was
throwing out all of our food?” Dread asked Viper after Drago was out of
earshot.

“Yeah right! I noticed you didn’t
bother to tell him either.” Viper said, getting up and opening the refrigerator
door to a completely bare interior. Drago had even thrown out all of the
condiments.

Dread chuckled. “I wasn’t getting
in the way of his busy work.”

“You didn’t want to piss him off
any more than he already was.” Viper said, calling his brother on his silence
with Drago.

“There was that too…” Dread
admitted with a blush.

Drago was not only the largest of
the brothers, he was also the most intelligent and sensitive. He would destroy
anything that threatened his family, but where they were concerned he was a
giant baby, wearing his love and affection for them on his sleeve. Until he was
angered as he was now.

The normally quiet and lovable man
rarely chose sides among his family, preferring to allow those involved to work
things out for themselves. The few times that Drago had chosen sides in the
past, he had always been right. That irritated Dread even more.

“Damn…” Dread muttered to himself,
while Viper looked at him oddly.

“What?” Viper asked.

“I hate when he is right.” Dread
said quietly.

“About which part?” Viper said with
a snort.

“All of it.” Dread admitted
reluctantly.

Viper sighed and put his chin in
his hands. “Yeah, that’s the same conclusion I came to as well. What do we do?”

“She’s our sister, the woman you
love, we have to fix it.” Dread said, certain it would be easy to accomplish if
the three brothers could put their effort into making it work.

“She looked pretty pissed off when
she left with Jax. That’s the part of the new Kinara that I think I am having
the hardest time dealing with. The part of her that’s so strong and hardened
now. A warrior that almost died again with Jacordan and in those woods with me.”

“I’m so tempted to put her back
into another protective bubble to keep her safe, yet it’s what caused her to
rebel and go off with the rest of you the last time.” Viper said, his emotions
just as confused as his mind on how to fix things with Lara.

Giving up was not an option. He
would not lose her again. Even if he had to fight alongside of her in her new
life here. He would not make the same mistakes that caused her death the last
time.

“It was more than that, Viper. If
we plan on fixing it this time, you need to really think about the problems in
your relationship that created her desire for adventure to begin with. That can
only be answered by you.”

“For my part, I will no longer try
to judge who she is now in comparison to who she was then. And try my best to
learn who Lara is, the new Lara. The rest, you must figure out on your own
brother.” Dread said standing up and putting a comforting hand on Viper’s
shoulder.

“Drago and I are here for you. No
matter what.” Dread said before walking down the hallway to his own room,
leaving Viper to his own thoughts.

Viper watched his brother disappear
down the hallway, his mind spinning with confusion and fear. He spent hours
replaying their life together over and over again in his head trying to figure
out where he had gone wrong. It was dawn before he finally thought of a
solution.

*****

Lara and Jax were comfortably
ensconced on Jax’s living room furniture. Each stretched out on a loveseat, a
quart of ice cream in each of their hands. It was the most comfortable and
relaxed Lara had been since she’d woken up in the MedLab.

“Did Reven really act that way
towards you?” Lara couldn’t help but ask, her curiosity getting the better of
her since Jax had made the accusations at Reven in the conference room.

“No, he was worse than that. I just
mouthed off on some of the more mild garbage he’s pulled. Don’t get me wrong,
there is not a part of me that isn’t so attracted to the man that I drool
sometimes. But his arrogance and attitude are enough to make me want to kill
him.” Jax admitted, anger and frustration lacing her words.

“His world is the one with the
gender imbalance problems right?” Lara asked, trying to figure out all the
information that she’d heard since awakening.

Jax sighed dramatically. “Yeah,
that’s the one. Sadly, the fools think that things should work as quickly as it
does on their planet when they find their mate, without any consideration for
how we’ve lived here or how we feel about things.”

“He seems to care for you a great
deal.” Lara said off-handedly, thinking of Viper and his brothers and hoping
they were well.

Jax snorted. “Yeah, he cares enough
to try and interfere with my missions, with my being assigned missions and
every other damn part of my life he thinks he can invade. To him, this is just
another battle skirmish that he’s determined to win.”

“You really think it’s just the
challenge that he’s after?” Lara asked, turning to Jax who didn’t look like she
believed what she’d just said either.

Jax growled in frustration before
attacking her ice cream with her spoon. “I don’t know anymore. What I need is a
few days away from the man.”

Lara sighed and nodded her head,
putting the lid back on her ice cream and putting it back in the freezer. “That
sounds like a good idea. You’d love it at my cabin. It’s peaceful and easier to
hide.” Lara said with a small smile, wishing she was there already.