Forbidden (A Serian Novel) (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Laili looked over at Ryder's still body and ran to him as the others fought. She didn't know if he'd survive, but she had to move him away from the fighting. She managed to get him near the corner of the room. When she looked up, she saw one of Anara's friends holding his side and ran over to him.

"Move your hands, I can help." He did as she asked. Laili did what she could to ease the pain as his vessels and tissue knitted back together.

His face drew in pain, then relaxed. Dipping his head forward, he looked her in the eyes, gratitude shining through. "Thank you."

To one side of the room, Slade fought against two Serians, one male and one female. Laili grabbed a discarded blade and charged the female. She was no fighter and the female definitely had Antika blood, but Laili would do her best.

Slade's blue eyes narrowed on Laili for a second, before returning to his male opponent. "Laili, get out of here."

"I can handle it on my own, if you'd just quit di
stracting me." The weapon was knocked out of her hands and she got into hand to hand combat with the female.

"Me?
You're
distracting me!" Slade jumped into the air and slammed his foot into the female's stomach, then went back to his own fight.

Laili couldn't be angry since now she'd have an u
pper hand against the Antika, but she really hated that he didn't think she was strong enough. And why did he have to care about her being in danger? It was her choice to help him.

She picked the weapon back up and held it against the female's neck.

"A thank you would be nice." Slade's comment was ignored.

She would not even look up for that one.
Macho men and their hero complex. He drove her insane.

****

Slade's heart was pounding and not because he was fighting, but because Laili was fighting. What was she thinking jumping in on his fight? He could've taken both of the Antikas down. They were young and not as well trained in hand to hand combat.

At least he’d managed to get the female down long enough for Laili to get her contained. It didn't stop him from wanting to grab her and kiss her. He really needed to get as far from her as he could when it was all over with. Until their laws changed, he couldn't be with a half-breed.

She ignored his comment about being thanked and he laughed. A sharp pain across his arm brought him back to reality and the fight he was in the middle of. Now he had two males against him. He saw a weapon on the ground and maneuvered around, deflecting their attack.

As he ducked to miss a swing with the blade, he grabbed the deadly weapon that Anara had carried with her. Slade couldn't bring himself to kill these guys without giving them a chance to choose sides. With Jacrar alive, not too many were fearless enough to choose, but maybe if they could take him out, they'd do what was right.

Slade raised the weapon slightly and fired at the legs. The two men fell to the ground crying out in pain. Slade kept the weapon pointed at them. "Don't move and I won't kill you."

The oldest reached beside him to grab another knife and threw it at Slade. The knife missed, but Slade didn't when he fired three times into the male's chest. The other Antika stared at his dead comrade. "I said not to move."

He looked over to check that Laili was okay and found her watching him, fear in her eyes. She was seeing who he truly was. Maybe it was for the best that she feared him.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ryder gasped for air and leaped up.
Alive?
He glanced around at the swords, fists, and legs swinging.

Nasim took down two as Gage started with another. The female he assumed was Talia nailed her opponent in the groin with a grin plastered across her face. Ryder winced. Laili held a blade against the only female Antika his father allowed and Slade had another on the ground. He didn't recognize one of the half-breeds and figured he had to be Isen, another brother of Anara’s.

What had happened to Anara?

Positive energy consumed him and everyone stopped fighting. Then he saw another half-breed holding her head, eyes squeezed tight.

"Acacia?" Nasim ran to her, but stopped short when she jerked away from his touch.

Ryder stepped forward to stop Nasim as electricity sparked around him and Acacia.
Nasim clenched and un-clenched his fists, taking deep breaths, before everything calmed.

Acacia's face turned pale and she ran out of the room with Talia following closely.

With the distractions surrounding him, he nearly missed his father sneaking out the door. He wouldn't let the man get away easy. With his strength already back to normal, he ran after Jacrar. Once outside in the open, his father waited for him, gun aimed at Ryder's chest.

"Why won't you die?" His father's mouth twisted into a scowl and his gaze darted back and forth, as if searching for something.
Or someone.

A shot rang out through the air, and Ryder waited for the pain. He searched for a wound.
Nothing. His eyes caught movement in the distance before the figure disappeared. He watched his father's shocked face as blood gushed from his chest. Jacrar fell to the ground. Ryder felt no remorse. Only peace.

He leaned over his father and couldn't help the twinge of pain. Not for the man on the ground before him, but for Mark, the only real father he’d ever known.
For his mother. And for Tryxa. Ryder cherished the short time he’d spent with them, and now he cherished seeing his father get what he deserved.

After taking Jacrar’s gun, Ryder opened up his mind to connect with Anara.

Fear ate him from the inside and he took a moment before realizing it was
her
fear he felt. Rage clawed through him until he saw red. He took off at a run and didn't stop until he made his way to the old home his father let his friends use for numerous unlawful projects.

Ryder burst through doors until he found her stru
ggling to break free from a man he knew to be just as cruel as Jacrar.

"Malik."
He tackled the creep.

Anara screamed as she fell backward. He wanted to help her, but he hated men like his father and Malik getting away with the evil they caused.

The man had hurt his Lamira. As he beat Malik's face over and over he remembered the story about the Serian who betrayed her. Everything clicked into place as he saw her own thoughts about the monster and Ryder wanted to slap himself for not realizing sooner. He could kill the Serian who beat Anara and left her to die.

He couldn't stop until Malik died.

Anara screamed at him.

He could feel her fear for him. Her fear that his rage would push him somewhere he couldn't come back from. As long as Malik ceased to exist, Ryder didn't care.

Hands shaking, he pulled out his father's gun and aimed at the sleazeball. He felt Anara's gaze on him, and didn't want her to see his brutality. "Get out, Anara!"

"No. Don't do it. You can have him punished, but don't do this yourself," she said, voice cracking.

His chest ached. Would she despise him for killing Malik? Did she still care for him?

No!
She yelled through their link.
Only you, Ryder.

He felt relief and lifted his weapon, then slammed it into Malik's head, just to make sure he wouldn't awake right away.

After moving off of the bastard's body, he grunted when Anara jumped into his arms. Evidence of his need pressed against her as she rained kisses over his face. Ryder grabbed and kissed her, never wanted to let her go again.

Anara pulled back first and watched him with her pupils dilated. Her cheeks flushed a few shades
darker, she looked more beautiful than ever. "We need to find the others and . . . ." She studied her hands as her cheeks turned an even brighter shade of blue.

"What is it?" Ryder asked. When she didn't answer, he searched through their link. Her embarrassment filled him and he knew right away what worried her. "You knocked Mikhail out?"

She nodded. "I thought Malik had come back for me. I didn't realize Mikhail would show up. You guys are so sneaky."

Ryder raised his brows. "I'm sure he didn't do an
ything to deserve punishment. We'll need to get someone to retrieve Malik and Mikhail."

As if on cue, Nasim came through the door, his gaze taking in the scene. "Good to see you two alive."

"Good to be alive," Ryder said.

"Not for long. Did you think you could get rid of me that easily?" Malik's words stopped them all.

Ryder twisted around and shoved Anara behind him when he saw the weapon aimed at his head. If not for the weapon, then Ryder wouldn't worry by the way Malik swayed on his feet and his eyes were nearly swollen shut.

Before he could fire, Nasim shot him between the eyes.

"Asshole." Nasim lowered his weapon.

Ryder wanted to kick himself. When his chance c
ame, he should've killed Malik.

"Thank you." He didn't know when it happened, but he actually liked the half-breed.

"No problem." Nasim started to leave.

"Wait. Mikhail is knocked out in one of the rooms." Ryder grabbed Anara's hand and walked out the bathroom door and away from the dead body. "We'll head back to the others."

With a nod, Nasim left them alone.

Unable to wait, Ryder kissed Anara, hard and fast. "Let's leave before Mikhail awakes and realizes what you did."

She laughed and followed him out the door.

They jogged back to the others. Everyone, including the Serians, stood around Jacrar's body.

Ryder heard whispers around him.

"He's finally gone."

"What do we do now?"

"Who killed him?"

"Ryder."

Ryder stepped forward, but never took his arm from around Anara's neck. "I didn't kill him."

"If you didn't, then who did?" Mikhail asked as Nasim helped him keep his footing.

"I did." A figure stepped from the shadows, his black hair tied back to hang just past his neck. Ice blue eyes seemed to look right through Ryder. Power radiated from him. He placed his hand over his heart and bowed slightly. "I'm Torin.
Son of Gaelan."

Ryder knew the name well,
and shoved Anara behind him. An Elder's son, whose gift exceeded that of all others. He didn't chance letting the Serian near Anara.

Torin smiled. "I'm not here to punish your half-breed. I came searching for another half-breed. I heard a rumor that your father held one prisoner."

Laili gasped. She stepped back behind Nasim, then buried her face against his back.

Torin winked at Laili. "Not you. Unfortunately, the half-breed I've searched for isn't here.
At least not anymore. I just happened to be in the perfect spot when Jacrar planned to kill you. I couldn't let that happen and I couldn’t let the opportunity slip. He's been a nuisance and needed to be stopped."

Torin started to leave,
then turned. "Now you keep quiet around here and no one will bother you. I promise you that."

"Wait! Why would you help me?" Ryder didn't u
nderstand why an Elder's son would save his life. Did he not follow his father's way of life?

"Let's just say we have a mutual acquaintance who wants to see things change on our planet. I'll be around." He gave them a slight wave and disappeared into the shadows without another word.

Everyone stood stiff. No one had ever met an Elder or their children in person. Ryder shook his head, turned to Anara and wrapped his arms around her. He needed to feel her alive and unharmed.

He looked at the men standing around. Five of J
acrar's soldiers stood together in a group and away from the others. Nasim, Talia, Gage, Isen, and the healer stood together. He realized the healer had to be Laili, Anara's closest friend. His father had never caught Anara, but he captured Laili. Ryder smiled at Mikhail who held his nose while glaring at Anara.

Gage stepped forward. "You're the leader of the
Antikas now. What will you do?"

"I need to speak to my mate alone." He looked down into her eyes. No one would take her away from him ever again and if they didn't fight for the right to be together, then there was always that chance.

Ryder pulled her farther away from the others until only she could hear. "I will leave with you if you want. If not, then we will fight to change Seria as Torin said. I love you and won't lose you again. I swear to you."

Everything around him seemed to stop in time as he waited for her answer. She’d come back to Seria to rescue him, but he still feared her reaction. "My life here was nothing I wanted to go back to."

Ryder's throat started to close until she spoke again.

"There are others who need help and you have that chance. I want to do everything I can to help you. I will never leave your side again. I love you too and you'd have to knock me out and toss me on a ship before I'd leave you." Tears fell down her cheeks.
"Which you'd better not do."

He couldn't speak. She said exactly what he wanted to hear, so he kissed her.

"Thank you."

More Antika soldiers joined them. "Are you sure about this? This life will be hard and there will be plenty of Serians going against us."

He didn't want to change her mind, but he needed her to know what they'd be up against.

"I'm completely sure." She kissed him again. "Don't
worry, I'll protect you against the big bad Serians.

He laughed and pulled her back to the waiting Ser
ians. "We've come to an agreement. We're staying on Seria and I'm taking over my father's place."

The remaining soldiers exchanged looks.

"My father is dead and I know most of you are relieved. I want things around here to change. If we have help, we can hopefully change the way we've been forced to live on our planet. The Elders have to be stopped or they need to change the laws of Seria."

Fear now hovered above the soldiers like a dark cloud.

Ryder understood the emotion. The Elders wouldn't be easy to take down. "My Lamira is a half-breed and I love her. No one will do any harm to her or be disrespectful to her. You will regret it. I'm not my father, but he did raise me and I've learned how to punish over the years. If you screw up, whatever, but if you hurt Anara or any other half-breed, then expect punishment. If you don't want to stay under my command, I suggest you leave now."

Nasim, Gage, Mikhail, Slade, Isen, Talia, and Laili moved to stand at his back.

None of the soldiers moved, not even the slightest twitch until one by one they each held a fist in front of their necks to show their allegiance.

Anara let go of him and went to her siblings. "I know you've built a life on Earth. You three should go back home, and take Laili with you."

She took Laili's hand. "You deserve to see how beautiful Earth is. We never imagined it to be as beautiful as we used to talk about."

Ryder's chest tightened. He didn't deserve her.

"I'm not leaving. Acacia's still here and there are other half-breeds who are treated as we were. I want to help change that." Nasim kissed Anara's cheek and then turned to Ryder. He placed his fist over his own neck. "I'll fight for your army."

"Me too."
Isen did the same.

"There's no way I'm losing you again," Talia said and pulled Anara into a big hug.

Laili stood quietly with her hands held behind her back. "If you want to go to Earth, then I'll make sure you get a safe passage."

She stood there with big eyes staring at him. Then
she shook her head. "No. I want to help too."

"It's settled then." Anara looked up at him and smiled.

He knew then that she was happy. "I need to take you back to my room for some alone time."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded.

His erection already strained against his tattered pants. He slapped Gage on the shoulder. "Will you please get everyone settled? I need time with my Lamira."

Gage laughed. "I understand."

Uncaring what the others thought, Ryder picked Anara up in his arms and carried her off to his bedroom. A room he hadn't occupied in a long time. His father's was the largest in the house, but Ryder couldn't see himself staying in the same room his father had slept in.