Zen (9 page)

Hammer looked at Zen. “You are done for the day. Get out of here.” He turned to glare at a pissed off Rage. “And you are going to spend the next hour working a punching bag until you have exhausted some of your aggression.”

Rage stormed off toward the equipment room. He grumbled the whole way about damn Felons and interfering Byclops. People leaped out of his way. A Beastial in a fit of temper was a scary thing.

“Thanks, Hammer. I don’t know what his problem is,” Zen said, rubbing his sweat soaked hair.

“Well, I think for everyone’s sake you need to find out. I have known Rage a long time and the only female he was ever this protective over was Rachel. So this Shawna person must have a special meaning to him. Don’t let a female ruin your friendship. Work this out.” Hammer walked off.

“Right, work it out,” Zen sighed. He didn’t want to fight with his friend over a female. But this wasn’t just any female. The more time he spent with Shawna, the more he felt…whole. Granted it had only been two days, but he felt different with her. It didn’t make any kind of sense, but he wasn’t ready to give her up. He only hoped Shawna would give him a chance and not let other people like Rage get in between them.

Shawna opened the door after the pounding started. She had just finished writing the final draft on the preliminary interview with Zen. She and Jimmie reviewed the video feed and had been editing all afternoon. Nigel had been right, Zen was a natural in front of the camera. He looked amazing. And the pictures that Jimmie took of him were hot. She was about to order dinner to be brought up to her suite when the pounding on her door started.

She looked through the security screen on the panel next to the door. It was Rage and there was a short blond woman standing just behind him. Shawna sighed as she turned the locks and opened the door.

“Hi, Rage.” Shawna moved out of the way as the large man pushed inside. The short blond woman followed after him.

“Calm your ass down right now, Rage!” Rachel yelled at her mate. She looked over at Shawna and gave her a half smile. “Sorry. He’s being so hardheaded. I would like to say he’s normally not like this, but I would be lying. I’m Rachel by the way.” She reached out a hand.

Shawna closed the door and took Rachel’s hand. “Shawna.”

“Where are your things? You are packing up and heading home right now.” Rage went in search of Shawna’s bedroom.

Shawna was about to say something but Rachel intervened, “Get your ass back out here right now or I will be moving out pronto!”

Rage was immediately back in the living space glaring down at his mate. “You cannot keep threatening to move out every time you want something.”

“And you can’t keep telling other people how to live their lives. You are not all knowing and you certainly are not the one in charge of Shawna.” Rachel stood her ground. “Now take some deep breaths and calm down. You are scaring your sister.”

Rage looked over at Shawna who had remained by the door. She did look scared. That’s not what he wanted. “I would never harm you.”

Shawna nodded. She slowly made her way closer to him. “I know. It’s just that you are acting so different from the way you were the last time I saw you.”

“The last time?” Rachel asked, sitting down on the sofa. She motioned for Rage to sit down beside her. His big body squeezed in.

Shawna sat in the chair across from them. “I was in an accident a couple of years ago. Rage came to the hospital I was at. I wanted to spend more time with him, get to know him. But my mother…our mother…was not happy he was there.”

Rage snorted, “Yes, our dear mother called hospital security to escort me out of the building.”

“Is that the first time you have seen each other?” Rachel was confused. Rage had mentioned once that he had a half-sister but nothing more.

“Two other times. I saw him when I was six for the first time. I didn’t even know I had a brother. I wanted a sibling desperately, but mother didn’t want us to know about each other. Whenever I asked to see my brother, she would tell me that he was lowlife alien scum just like his father and that we were to have nothing to do with him. When he began to fight for the GCFA, I wrote letters to him. He would write back sometimes. My mother caught on and started intercepting the mail. The next time I saw him was when he came to my high school graduation. He stayed in the background so no one, especially my mother, would see him. I did though.”

Rage looked at her in awe. “You knew I was there?”

She nodded. “I wanted so much to jump in your arms and hug you and tell you how proud I was that you were my brother. But mother was always there getting in the way. And you always kept your distance. When I had my accident, you came and stayed until I was out of recovery. You held my hand when my parents weren’t there to interfere. It meant so much to me.” A tear trailed down the side of her face.

Rachel saw Rage gulp back his emotions. “I think I will order you guys some dinner and let you have some time alone.”

Rage looked up at her in concern. “You’re not staying?”

“You two need to get to know each other. This is a start. Shawna will be here for almost two weeks. You guys will finally be able to have time to bond as brother and sister. I am going to go check on the security measures for the next event. But first, your dinner. Steaks sound okay to both of you?” At their nod Rachel ordered their meals and then left them alone.

“Wow, she’s pretty great,” Shawna said admiringly.

“Yes she is.” Rage smiled with pride.

“Are you going to get married?” Shawna asked curiously.

He frowned. “We’ve mated.”

“Oh, I guess that’s the same as getting married.” She didn’t sound too sure about it though. Rage could tell the doubt in her voice.

“Is this marriage thing such a big deal to humans?” Rage asked.

“Well, the wedding is for most human women. It’s something we fantasize about as little girls.”

“My Rachel isn’t like most human females.”

“Maybe not, but there has to be some part of her that longs for some kind of wedding.”

The dinner arrived and Shawna let the staff bring in the food. She and Rage sat the dining table and ate while talking about their lives. She told him about growing up with her restrictive and conservative family. He told her about his life with the GCFA and Rachel.

“I often wondered what it would have been like if mother had taken me with her,” Rage admitted.

“I can tell you that it wouldn't have been anything special. I grew up with her and she's always all about appearances. She has never been very motherly. I got more affection from the house staff than my own parents. Father being a Senator is big in politics and wants to protect his image. I had to look just right, act just right, and date just the right men. I learned early on that nothing I did was ever going to be good enough to satisfy them.”

“How did they handle you taking on this story and coming here?” Rage asked.

“Father was too busy to pay any attention. Mother flipped a lid. She tried to call my boss and demand that he fire me.”

“She didn’t.” Rage was shocked.

“Oh she did. She thought she could bully him. My boss doesn’t like to be threatened. He asked how I wanted to handle this. I told my mother if she ever interfered with my career again that I would have a three way with a Plutian and Voltan and start popping little purple halfsie babies out left and right.” Shawna took another sip of her wine.

“Oh boy. I bet she just loved that,” Rage laughed.

“She backed off quickly. I know I have a temporary reprieve with her. She’ll be back on my case about marrying an ‘appropriate’ man real soon.”

“You could though, marry someone appropriate. A full human like you, who is rich and could take care of you. Not some bum of a fighter who is known throughout the galaxy as a playboy.” Rage gave her a pointed look.

“I’m not dating Zen. He is just a story. What I don’t understand is why you would be against it to begin with. I thought you guys were friends.”

“We are. But that doesn’t mean I think he is good enough to be with my baby sister,” Rage said with force.

Shawna should be angry but hearing him call her his sister made tears form in her eyes. “I have to confess something.”

“Has he touched you? Did he pressure you? I will kill him!” Rage was about to stand and hunt down Zen.

“No! No! Nothing like that. I just have to confess that I requested this assignment so I could come here…and spend time with you.”

“Really?” Rage looked pleased and shocked at the same time.

“Yeah, I wanted to get to know my big brother.”

“I…am glad. I still don’t want you near Zen, but I am grateful to be able to spend time with you too...little sister.”

Zen had walked up and down the hallway Shawna’s suite was on. He wanted to go see her but didn’t want to come across as too strong. Maybe he could call her and just see if she was busy.

He had walked to the end of the hallway and was making his way back when Shawna’s door opened. He moved to the side to hide in the shadows. A tall male walked out. When he turned back to the door Zen could make out Rage’s features. He watched as Shawna hugged Rage and then went back inside her suite.
What the hell?

He watched Rage get on the elevator. Every part of him wanted to hunt down Rage and tear him limb by limb. How dare he touch Shawna? What about Rage’s mate, Rachel? He needed to find out what was between them.

The next day Zen ordered breakfast to be brought to his suite. He was going to take his time in getting his appearance just right. He had to impress Shawna. Especially since there were two other males coming with them that day. He had to make sure he stood out to her. He also needed to look trustworthy so she would open up to him. He had so many questions for her.

He wore his dark blue silk shirt with dress pants. He left a few of the buttons undone at the top of his shirt exposing skin. He pulled his hair back and used a tie to secure it. He hoped this look was sexy.

He headed down to the lobby where he would meet up with the rest. The ship had just docked at the port. The first GCFA event would be tomorrow night. He had a fight he had to prepare for.

The elevator doors opened and he noticed Nigel right away. The other male stood there in his fancy business suit. Zen had to grudgingly admit he was a good-looking male. Even if he was a slightly older, he was well-built, almost as big as the fighters and he carried a confidence that was well honed. Unlike the confidence that Zen most times pretended to have. How was he supposed to compete with a rich, successful male like Nigel?

“Hello, Zen. Good to see you.” Halfsies didn’t shake hands with one another. They did it only with humans because it was their custom.

Zen nodded at the other male. “Good, Nigel. Are you going to be with us the whole time?”
Say no, say no.

“Actually, no. I will accompany you to the first charity event but then I have to leave early for a meeting.”

“That’s a shame,” Zen said it but he didn’t mean it at all.

Both males turned when the elevators opened again and Shawna stepped out, followed by her cameraman.
Damn, she looked beautiful
. She had her dark hair pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun. Tendrils fell down caressing her flawless face. She wore a brown sleeveless top and a tight knee length skirt. Her heels were only half an inch high but they showed off her lovely legs. She wore light makeup with pale pink lipstick. Those lips were made for kissing and Zen wanted to kiss them badly.