Forbidden (A Serian Novel) (9 page)

"Laili and I made plans to escape and bought Scramblers to block detection from the PODs. We were attacked in our home before we could leave, and she was taken. I couldn't sense her anywhere, so I was forced to do it alone. I took down the four Antika guards and forced the pilots to fly the ship to Cryok."

"What?" Nasim flattened his large hands on the table. "And you're alive?"

"They never harmed me, maybe a little touchy, but nothing else. Well, I was attacked on the ship, but the one I knew saved me. He's a good friend to me. They put me to sleep the rest of the trip until we arrived."

"What about your friend?" Talia put her hand on Anara's.

All she could do was shake her head and try to keep the tears from slipping free. "I don't think she lived. I searched all over without any signs of her. Those soldiers were chasing me too. I think it had to do with me running into Ryder that day at the market. He's the Commander's son. Jacrar was the one who killed my parents."

Talia jumped up and wrapped her arms around Anara. "I'm so sorry."

"And now he's the one chasing me." She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"See! I told you, you needed to sleep. Come on and I'll show you to the extra bedroom. We'll share, just like old times." Talia grabbed Anara's hand and pulled her down the hall.

The room looked bigger than the home Anara and Laili shared on Seria. Not huge, but bigger than any other place she’d slept in. She looked at the bed and wanted to cry. On Seria, they’d slept on the floor with a tattered blanket and pillow.

"Here's an old shirt for you to sleep in, and tomo
rrow I'll give you some more clothes to wear. Though, I love the outfit you're wearing." Talia hugged her close. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

Anara wanted to believe her words, but when Talia pulled away, she could see her own worry reflected in Talia's eyes.

After lying in bed for too long, sleep finally won the battle. She dreamed about him.

Brown eyes fixed on her with desire and danced with delight at her every movement. She let herself savor the sight of him.

His unbuttoned shirt gave her a perfect view of his hard chest. She touched the taut skin, feeling crisp hairs against her fingertips.

"I want this to be real," she murmured against his lips. He smiled; the small dimple on his right cheek caught her attention and she lightly kissed the indent
ation. Unlike real life, she felt brave in her dream. It made no sense how she could take down so many men, yet she feared the feelings she had for one.

"I am real and I'm coming for you soon. I hope you like to be spanked because I'm going to punish you for your little stunt." His voice sounded so strong and nothing
like a dream.

Anara's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and excitement. Liquid heat pooled between her legs. Even in a dream, he drove her body to do things she didn't think possible.

"Stay away from me. Tell them you lost me and leave. I have help and they won't let you take me back. You'll be dead before you get the chance." She hated how her voice strained. As much as she should hate him and want him dead, she didn't.

"I'm not taking you back to Seria, but I will find you." He disappeared without another word.

She awoke with a jerk. Something pulled her to him and she didn't like it.

Talia's voice traveled through the vents.

"You're crazy. There's no way for a half-breed to really mate with a Serian. We can get pregnant, but for us to have a Serian mate or even a human one is impossible." Talia's voice sounded nervous. "Nasim?"

"I'm not sure. I heard a rumor about Serians mating with humans. Not just falling in love, but actually finding
their true mates on Earth. Why do you think some of the most law-abiding Serians end up breaking laws just to be with a human or half-breed? I don't think mates just have to be Serians." He didn't sound happy.

Mate? No, he had to be wrong.

"If that's true, then why did Elders make up the shitty rule about interbreeding?" Talia asked.

"Why do they come up with any of their laws?"

"This isn't good. If he's her Lamira, they couldn't bear to stay apart long."

"What if he's dead?" Nasim's hash words caused Anara to flinch. "If his defeat keeps her safe, I'll do what's needed."

"You can't." Talia's voice grew close.

Anara heard the knob turn, so she lay back, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep as she listened to Talia. She couldn't handle talking about Ryder now. Not after hearing that he could be her Lamira. He could be her other half, who she never expected to find; she didn't even believe such stories. Stories say Lamiras enhance each other's gifts and they could never live apart. Ryder would be able to find her no matter if she hid herself or not.

"If the stories are true, the loss would nearly kill her. She would be here, but to lose her other half would kill who she is inside." Talia walked inside the room and then shut the door.

The conversation ended, but Anara couldn't sleep anymore.

What if her mate didn't want her in the way a mate should? After all, she saw his face after they kissed. Ryder didn't want her. No way was he her mate.

Chapter Fourteen

Slade took a deep breath and stepped into the small, cold room with a blanket. It would get him in trouble, but he couldn't stand the thought of the healer shivering alone. When he walked in, she was curled up on her side with her eyes closed.

Long lashes rested on her cheeks and he was almost glad he didn't have to see those green eyes again. There was no telling what he'd end up doing next. It was bad enough he brought her the blanket and even researched her. Laili's whole body was shaking, and when he crouched beside her, he touched her forehead.

She was scorching to the touch and he knew instantly she was sick. The first thing he did was run back to shut the door and then sat down. He pulled her up into his arms, expecting her to awake and fight him, but she didn't. A white light glowed around them and Slade took a second to study it before getting to work.

He placed both his hands on her cheeks and closed his eyes. It took a lot of concentration since his healing abilities were not as strong as hers. Suddenly, her body jerked and he nearly lost his hold on her until she calmed down.

A few minutes went by and he touched her forehead again, but this time he did it with his lips. She felt normal, except for the strange shock that was sent straight to his groin. He moved her from his lap to keep her from waking with his erection pressed against her or even her waking to a stranger Serian holding her.

He instantly felt a loss when her soft weight was gone. It didn't matter; his job was to keep an eye on things, even though Jacrar managed to keep Slade from
finding out anything important. He didn't need to get attached to the healer, especially since she was a half-breed—that would get him and her both killed.

When she started to rouse, he made sure the blanket covered her and left quickly. He locked the door and turned around to find Mikhail standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

The male stood taller than Slade, but was built on the slimmer side. He didn't have Antika blood in him like Slade. Not too many knew much about Mikhail. All they knew was that it was a good thing he wore dark shades to cover his eyes. It was a little disturbing to have his completely white eyes staring you down.

"What do you think you're doing, Slade? There's a rumor you've been keeping men from this room."

"They intend to rape her. She's innocent. Isn't that why we're here? To help others." Slade knew that wasn't the real problem.

"We're here to help people, but in the long run. Right now you should be protecting your cover, not the girl. It's why you shouldn't get close to any of the slaves. If you get killed, then it's all for nothing." Mikhail removed his glasses, keeping his head down as he rubbed his eyes.

His hands fisted at his sides as he tried to keep from punching Mikhail. "I'll be careful. Either way you don't need to worry about whether I'll expose you or the others. I know better and will keep my mouth shut if I'm interrogated."

"Why don't you just help her escape? We've done it before and can try and get her out."

Slade thought about that. For some reason he liked having her close to watch over. "And some of those have been caught and killed. I can't chance it."

"If you continue in this direction, then we'll all need to stay clear of you until either you start using your head again instead of your dick or you end up dead because
of her." Mikhail strode away without giving Slade a chance to speak again.

As much as he knew Mikhail was right, Slade coul
dn't stop helping her. Even if all he did was keep the men from hurting her. There was no way he'd be able to get her out without Jacrar coming after them both, since he'd been informed that Slade was helping her. If only he'd never taken her food that night, then maybe everything would still be the same.

Except, she'd probably already be dead.

****

Laili awoke covered with a clean blanket and she didn’t have a fever anymore. At first she'd been able to heal herself when the fever struck, but it became too much and she ju
st gave into the sleep that had pulled at her.

Outside, she heard deep voices and walked over to the door. One of them was Slade, the blue-eyed Antika. As she listened, she realized that Slade was the only reason she hadn't been raped. The night she first saw him, she heard him make two of them leave and it shocked her.

He'd said it was because they'd end up killing her or getting her pregnant in their state of mind. She'd believed that was the only reason, but now it all made sense.

She listened more and gasped. He was risking his life to protect her. There was no way she could let him do that. Next time he came to her, she'd have to make him reconsider helping her. She didn't want to be raped or beaten. She also didn't want him to be hurt or killed because of her, so it was the only thing she could do to repay him.

Hopefully, her death would be quick.

Chapter Fifteen

Ryder looked down at the home his little trouble-maker was hidden in. Something had changed with her essence. He could still see her silver and pink colors mixed together, but they didn't look as bright as before, almost a dull shade of what she was. He worried that she was sick. Sometimes sickness could change someone's color.

Two other people occupied the house with Anara, but he couldn't get a clear read off them. The two energies he caught looked grey, like those of humans. Without knowing what kind of situation he was walking into by going up to the door, Ryder voted to wait.

Soon, light spilled out the opened door, exposing a tall and bulky figure. The male's head turned, as if he knew Ryder stood there, before he trudged away.

Jealousy erupted inside, making him take a step after the man. He slowed his breaths to dispel his anger. Ryder didn't like the thought of her with another man. He scanned the house again and could tell the other human slept, which made it an opportune time to get to Anara.

Outside the window closest to Anara, a small click echoed through the air. And not a good click. Ryder stopped dead in his tracks and then spun around to find the same man with a gun pointed in his face. He really loved his job. The man not being human surprised him more than the weapon. Another half-breed? Ryder decided it best to act with caution.

"Who are you?" The man’s stern voice broke the silence. His cold eyes watched Ryder closely as he waited on him to screw up.

"I'm here on orders and before you become my new order, I suggest you leave me to finish my job." Strong electricity filled the air as the half-breed's anger increased and Ryder realized his mistake. Of course, the half-breed would have Antika blood.

The half-breed tightened his finger on the trigger and Ryder waited for the pain. He felt relief when the bullet hit the ground. He didn't flinch, but his father always taught him never to show fear.

"I think I'll do the suggesting with anything to do with Anara." A smug smile formed.

Unable to taper his rage, Ryder jumped the ove
rgrown male. He spun, foot in the air, to kick the gun out of his opponent's hands. The half-breed's face went from cocky to shocked to pissed in a matter of seconds.

Ryder should've expected the raw power of the half-breed. As fast as he could blink, he landed flat on the ground with a huge foot against his throat. He grabbed the foot with all his strength, causing his attacker to stumble back. Ryder took his chance and drew his gun.

"Stop!" All train of thought vanished as Anara threw her body in front of his weapon to protect the large ogre. She looked healthy as ever, if maybe a little angry.

Ryder's rage amplified when the half-breed's arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her behind him.

"I've only tried to protect you, Anara." He understood she couldn't trust him completely. Ryder felt her pain, confusion, and anger rolling inside her, though her face only showed calm.

She stepped closer to him. "Then you tried to kill my brother?"

Brother,
not
lover.

Relief dissipated his anger and jealousy to a bare minimum. "He attacked me first."

Anara spun away from him and Ryder hid his smile as he imagined what kind of look she gave her brother.

Her brother's cold face dropped, causing him to look
like a small child in trouble. He shrugged. "He was the one skulking around the house."

"Don't give me that. You knew he would come. Go inside. I have to speak with him." Ryder bit his tongue to keep from laughing as she waved her hand toward the house.

"You think I'm just going to leave you alone with him?"

Ryder might have felt a little insulted at the disgust on her brother's face if he didn't feel the same about the ogre.

"Go! He hasn't hurt me yet." She turned away from her brother without another glance.

She lied. Anara's pain tore through him and any humor he felt before disappeared. When her brother finally left, Ryder reached for her. He expected her to jerk away, but she didn't. Her hand felt too soft in his and flawless compared to the scars and roughness that layered his.

"Why did you come? You can't be here to save me, a half-breed." She spat the words at him.

"You're wrong. I'm here to save you, but I shouldn't be." Even with his life in danger, Ryder didn't want to take the chance of her being harmed. He didn't unde
rstand why she caused such a strong pull on him and he didn't care.

She jerked away from his touch as if burned. "If you don't want to, then I stick to my first question. Why?"

Ryder stood there lost for words. He couldn't seem to do anything but make things worse. "I'm not good with words, Anara. I shouldn't be here, because even if I can save you, I could ultimately put you in more danger. Don't think for one minute I don't want to be here. I'm no genius, but even I can see there's something pulling us together."

"Lamira."

The one word vanquished every other thought occupying his mind. How could he have missed the obvious signs? His Lamira stood directly before him. A half-breed.

The memory of his mother and Mark hit him and then he knew she was right. The white light used to fascinate him as a child. His mother said it meant they were made for each other.

As his mate, a lot more trouble followed her than either of them realized. His father killed his mother for mating with a human and now Jacrar waited for Ryder to screw up enough to get rid of him for good. Now he knew why his father sent men after her. If he'd heard about the white light that showed when they touched, then he probably knew exactly what it meant.

Ryder needed to work harder to gain her trust. No matter what, he'd make sure she was safe from his father and then he'd leave her for good. It was the only way to keep her safe.

****

Waves crashed and winds whispered around her. She felt Ryder's struggle for an explanation. She knew he didn't want a half-breed for a mate. Lamiras ended up together without choice. And this mating was so wrong.

"Anara." He reached for her hand and his rough voice sent a shiver down her spine.

She forced herself to keep from reaching back, but failed to pull away. "I know you don't want this. Believe me when I say this was the last thing I needed." His gaze darted away from her. She felt his pain. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm running for my life. How could we be together when your kind is who I run from?"

He gave her a smile she'd grown addicted to. "You're one of us, too."

"No, I'm a half-breed."

Trying to think about him being like all the other Serians didn't work. Their bond showed her the truth inside him and she couldn't see him as the monster she wanted to see. It would be absurd for her to open her heart to him. Her mother opened up for a human and that carelessness resulted in her death.

Anara had no other choice. She needed to convince him to leave.

"If you go, they'll never find me. I can hide my presence." If only she could've shielded herself from him. Not that she knew she'd actually survive without him if the stories were true.

Ryder snorted. "Jacrar won’t give up. He's ruthless and gets everything he wants, and right now that's you."

"I can protect myself, and Nasim will protect me." She twisted her fingers together as she wished for life to get easier and for him to understand.

He grabbed her shoulders as if to shake some sense into her. "No, he can't. Jacrar has an army he controls. Do you really think one half-breed can protect you? If anything, you've only put your family in danger."

Her chest grew tight, her breathing labored. She should've stayed away from Nasim and Talia. Hearing the words come out of Ryder’s mouth made the danger real. An army. She'd led an army straight to her loved ones. Her knees buckled and strong arms gathered her up before she hit the ground.

"I'm truly sorry. None of this is your fault. You needed your family and you did what anyone else would have. I just wish you realize you need me . . . ."
As I need you.