Invasion Earth (6 page)

Her smile was brittle. “You think they don’t
have something similar themselves? They came half way across the
galaxy to start this war.”

And for what? Earth was in near ruins. They
had no resources left worth mentioning. Was it really about women?
The idea seemed preposterous. But if there was another motive,
damned if she could see it. She shook her head.

“I don’t see another way, Colonel, but if you
figure something out be sure to let me know.”

She moved to stand but again he stopped
her.

“You’re in the best position to find their
weakness.”

She arched her eyebrows in an effort to cover
her reaction to the suggestion. She was a soldier; it was what she
should be doing. Looking for their motives. Ferreting out their
strengths and weaknesses. So why did the idea leave such a bad
taste in her mouth? She wished Britt and Kendall were with her.
Both were old Army friends, Kendall a doctor and Britt one of
Laney’s best spies. They were the only two people she trusted
implicitly. They were usually her best advisors and if ever she
needed a sounding board the time was now.

Eldridge stood and walked towards the
doorway. Pausing he looked back over his shoulder and met her
gaze.

“Think about it, Sergeant Major.”

Damn the man. She would be thinking of little
else.

When she was alone she turned to the window
she’d been avoiding staring out of before and took a deep breath.
Looked out in wonder. The view was magnificent. The inky black
background was filled with pinpricks of light and the moon hung
huge and close. She lifted her fingers to the glass, traced its
shape. They were so close she almost felt as if she could reach out
and touch it. Somewhere on board there must be a window that
overlooked the Earth. She wanted to see it and promised herself
she’d find it later.

She concentrated on what that view would look
like, forcing thoughts of Earth conspiracies and alien invaders
from her mind. What would she give to go back two years? To go back
to a time when her biggest concern was subduing the rebellion of a
local protectorate or figuring out which of her soldiers should be
promoted? She sighed and forced herself to face the hard truth. It
had never been that simple.

She heard soft steps behind her, saw a man’s
reflection in the glass. The first thing she noticed was that he
carried himself like Alrik and she thrust the image away. Then she
realized she knew this man. Well, not personally. But she’d seen
him on Earth
before
the invasion. Her smile was grim as she
studied his image in the glass. This was something she knew how to
do. Let the games begin.

***

Barak ducked behind one of the big bulkheads
as the Earth Colonel left the room. He wasn’t sure what to do with
this new information, so he waited for the woman, to see what her
next move would be. When she didn’t exit, he stepped out of the
shadows and walked the few feet to the open doorway. Her back was
to him, and he studied her a few moments trying to decide if she
was a threat or not.

“You might as well come in,” she said softly,
then turned her head to look over her shoulder.

He caught his breath. Reminded himself she
belonged to the Commander. But she was stunning. No way around it.
Her hair was loose and hung down her back. Her carriage was regal.
As if she’d been born to be a prince’s
der’lan
. And it
appeared she had been. The question was could she be trusted? Mates
did not always live peacefully together. A fact he had unfortunate
first hand knowledge of. His parents had made an art of misery.

She stood before a large view port that
looked out onto the planet’s lone moon. If they’d been on the other
side of the ship she’d be able to see Earth and the vast Delroi
armada. These rooms had been chosen for that reason, a small
concealment of their real strength.

He met her gaze, nodded, but didn’t speak.
After a few seconds she returned her perusal to the window before
her. She was as composed as any leader he’d ever met and that left
him uncertain. He hated uncertainty. He’d been on Earth for two
years, insinuating his way into the Earth Army. He’d had some
opportunity to study her.

She was calm. Controlled. Brilliant.
Practically a legend to her own people. As far as the symbolism
went, there was no better choice than Sergeant Major Laney
Bradford. A well respected leader of Earth mating one of the ruling
sons of Delroi. Perfect. Except he couldn’t believe she would go so
peacefully, give in so easily. Not this woman. Not the Butcher of
Roses. Alrik wasn’t worried and that was fine. But it was Barak’s
job to think of these things. His job to stay one step ahead. Which
is why he’d been lurking in the hallway when she’d spoken to
Eldridge. That one was up to no good. Barak just hadn’t figured out
how yet.

“I’ve seen you before,” she said, her voice
low, a little husky with an edge of steel under it. “Wearing the
uniform of one of my brigades.”

He got the message. Sergeant Major Bradford
was not a woman to be taken lightly. She turned around to face him.
Her hands hung loosely at her sides, her chin tilted slightly up in
the air. He had a vision of her garbed formally for court standing
before the throne back home that nearly knocked him to his knees.
It wasn’t just her beauty or her composure. It was the fiery
intelligence blazing from her eyes that nearly did him in.

She arched one eyebrow, her lips twisting
into a wry half smile. “What? Did you think I didn’t know I had
Delroi spies in my midst?”

He stared at her, unsure how to reply. He
must be slipping. She chuckled and slid a finger down the side of
her face.

“The tattoos are distinctive.”

He nodded and rubbed his palm over the tribal
markings over the right side of his face. Of course they were. But
most people didn’t pay close enough attention to recall where
they’d seen them and he made a huge effort not to catch the notice
of the more observant ones. He’d underestimated her.

She smiled, her eyes flashing a challenge.
“So what do we do about it? Spying on me on Earth. Spying on me
here. One assumes you aren’t operating without direction.”

An accusation against Alrik? He bowed deeply
to her, as he would on Delroi when she was Alrik’s acknowledged
mate. Surprise flashed across her face before it was quickly
concealed. He grinned.

“I am an insomniac roaming the halls at
night, my lady. Nothing more or less.”

Again she raised one of those perfectly
arched eyebrows. “I must be the Queen of England then.”

With those parting words she left the room
and he went in search of a computer to find out who this mysterious
queen was.

***

Alrik woke hard and wanting. And alone. He
panicked for a minute before reason set it. Laney was on board a
spaceship in orbit; he felt her presence nearby. She couldn’t go
far. And they were bonded, which would hold her close even more
than the physical captivity. All the warriors on board knew she was
his
der’lan
. No one would aid her escape or dare harm
her.

He crawled out of bed and into the shower,
setting the hot spray to pound in to his tense shoulders. His
der’lan
was going to be more difficult to woo than he
thought. He shouldn’t have been surprised and maybe a part of him
expected it. She was not the kind of woman who’d easily submit and
that pleased him. But as the humans would say, it chapped his ass
at the same time. There was the bond but there was also a different
kind of connection. Or was that just chemistry? Was his desire to
know her, know what made her tick a result of merging biologies or
something else? He had to assume it was the otherness that
intrigued him. After all, he’d been fascinated with her before
their first encounter across that desert valley. Of course then
he’d also been wondering if there was a way to have her killed
without the blame being placed on the Delroi. That was out of the
question now. Thank the gods he hadn’t given into the need for
vengeance after Roses.

He finished the shower and reluctantly
dragged his clothes on. His nerve endings were raw from wanting her
and the rough fabric scraped over his skin. He gritted his teeth
against the painful sensation, his anger rising the harder his cock
throbbed for release. She should be here to relieve the
pressure.

He reached out with his mind, seeking her out
in the halls of the ship. He connected with her in the large
conference room where the talks would be held, surrounded by her
generals. He sensed her leaning close to one as he whispered in her
ear, felt her shock as Alrik moved into her thoughts. She wondered
if the man who spoke softly to her could get her out of the bond.
He’d expected that. That she would struggle to gain her freedom
before she accepted their fate. But he hadn’t expected the surge of
jealousy. She was
his
woman and she’d turned to another man
for help.

This time the punishment he imagined for her
would be reality and he shared the vision with her as he left his
room and strode down the corridor to her. When the talks broke for
lunch, she would remain behind. With him. He’d strip her slowly,
maybe with his teeth. His lips curled back in a snarl. He’d mark
her. Mar that creamy pale skin that she’d damn well better start
accepting was his. But he was getting ahead of himself.

When she was naked, bare and at his mercy,
he’d spin her around, place her hands flat on the surface of the
conference table and spank that pretty ass just as she deserved.
And when he felt she’d learned the lesson, that it was very
dangerous to deny your mate or make him jealous, he’d fuck her just
as she stood. Fuck her into submission. He’d finish with her just
in time for the lunch crowd to return, securing her promise there
would be no more sneaking out of his bed or he’d tie her to it.

He felt her shock and reluctant arousal as he
shared the vision. Smiled as he felt her determination harden. She
hadn’t accepted that they would be together. He, on the other hand,
knew it was a foregone conclusion, but the chase would be
interesting. It surprised him how much he was looking forward to
tangling with his wary mate. Life would never be boring.

His steps slowed as he approached the door to
the conference room and he pulled his thoughts together, focused on
the talks to come. Two of his soldiers stood guard outside and
snapped to attention, their palms fisting and thudding once over
their hearts. Then one stepped aside and slapped the panel that
forced the door to slide open. Alrik nodded as he stepped
through.

The first thing he did when he stepped inside
was seek Laney out. She stood near a table by the wall where
refreshments had been set out, talking with her friend. There was
very little distance between them and Alrik sent her the image of a
crouched growling beast. She stepped away, but her eyes when they
met his were narrowed, angry. It irritated her to be ordered
around, but infuriated her that she complied. She turned her back
to him and continued speaking with her people. He grinned at her
show of rebellion. He couldn’t wait to bring her to heel, but first
things first.

Taking note of the natural division in the
room, he turned and strode towards his men. Daggar hadn’t arrived
yet, but several of their top and most trusted generals were
already present. He nodded to them as he passed, but his attention
was on Barak Trace. The spymaster. Trace stood apart, in the
shadows. His identity was so secret, the rumors of his fierce
skills so terrifying, that the people who did know who he was
tended to steer clear. He was the kind of bogeyman mothers used to
scare their children into obedience. No one wanted to find
themselves under the scrutiny of Barak Trace.

“Barak.” Alrik nodded as he stopped next to
the spy. He was a little surprised to see his old friend at this
meeting. It didn’t bode well. “Problems?”

The other man shrugged and Alrik studied him,
trying to determine if there was some real worry or if Barak was
just indulging his naturally suspicious nature. It was impossible
to read the man. He was big and imposing like everyone of the
warrior caste, with the tribal tattoos of the southern rebels
stretching down one side of his face and neck. He stood relaxed,
loose limbed, no air of expectation about him. Simple curiosity
then. Alrik scowled. Except nothing was ever simple with Barak. He
was known to keep his thoughts close to his chest and wouldn’t
necessarily share them with Alrik unless he had something concrete
to cause alarm.

Barak jerked his chin towards Laney. “What’s
she like?”

Alrik allowed himself a small reluctant
smile. “Stubborn.”

As if sensing their scrutiny, she lifted her
head and met his gaze. Her stare was level, controlled. Then she
turned and looked at Barak. An assessing gleam lit her eyes and she
tilted her head to one side, frowning like she was trying to figure
out why he looked familiar.

“She’s suspicious of you,” Alrik said.

Barak frowned his disapproval. “Didn’t read
the report I sent over this morning? I spoke to her in their common
room last night. She knows what I am. Recognized me from
Earth.”

Damn. That possibility should have occurred
to him. Barak had been on Earth months longer than the rest of
them, gathering intelligence. He’d wormed his way into the Alliance
army. Back home on Delroi the man’s tattoos set him apart, but the
Earthlings seemed to have an obsession with marking their bodies
and it wasn’t so uncommon here. They considered it art. Still, on
the face and neck were not so common. He should have realized Laney
would remember Barak and he didn’t want her questioning too closely
what the spy was doing now that they were in peace talks.