Mated (The Sandaki Book 1) (18 page)

“We did what we had to, to protect our people,” Dev said. “We rebelled and forced out the ones in power. In the course of events, people looked to us, to our leadership and our strength. In the end, the people bent their knees to us. We are the
Taj Katan
by right of conquest, and we stay the
Taj Katan
because we show our people respect.”

“Thank you for sharing the history of your people,” Laira said as she ran her fingers through Rakin’s hair.

“Our people,” he said. “You are Sandaki, just as we are.”

Laira shook her head and started to reply, but Dev cut her off. “You were taken against your will and changed. You told Rakin you look nothing like you did before. Is this not correct?”

“Well yeah, the Silarin certainly didn’t want me the way I looked before. I wasn’t perfect.”

“Never say that.” Rakin sat up to look at her. “You were born the way you were, so you were perfect.”

She smiled. “Thanks, I didn’t look like this.”

“And that’s what makes you Sandaki,” Dev said. “We too were created to look the way we do, just as you were created to look the way you do.”

“So what’s the plan now?” Laira asked.

Rakin stretched and purred under her touch. “It depends. If you wish to know what we could do right this moment, I’m sure we could come up with some things.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Good try, I was questioning what our plans are for the Silarin and the other guys?”

“I thought that might be the case,” Rakin said with a sigh. “The Silarin are a larger problem. The equipment they used on you resembles what was used to create the Sandaki. We need to find out where it came from and destroy it. The Silarin aren’t advanced enough to create it themselves, so they either found it or bought it.”

“You’re afraid they’re one step away from creating an army?” she asked.

“That too. I am more concerned with how many people they are using it on. How many people can no longer return home because of what the Silarin have done to them?” Rakin asked. “How many people have they made into what they were not meant to be, all for profit?”

“Thank you,” she said as once again tears sprung up. “Thank you for caring about people others don’t care about. The Silarin look at us as a commodity and never think about what they’re stealing from us.” She used the sheet to wipe her eyes. “Hey, can we see about returning the girls to their homes? For some of them, it might be possible. I don’t know.”

“Yes,” Dev said without hesitation.

“Haldise will talk to them,” Rakin said, “to find out where they are from and if it’s possible. Then we will send them home. She also wants to speak to you about your abduction.”

“Well there’s a cheery topic,” Laira said, rolling her eyes. “Who is Haldise? I think I saw her once, and you’ve mentioned her.”

“She is our
Visoka Preestrinna
,” Dev said.

She shook her head. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”

Dev paused for a long moment. “I think the translation would be High Priestess.”

“So she’s a religious figure?”

Rakin shook his head. “I do not know what religious is.”

She was stumped. How to explain religion to someone? An amorphous thing people kill each other over? Yeah, she didn’t think that would go over too well. “When you worship something bigger than yourself…a higher power, and there’s a group of you that do it together then it’s called a religion. I don’t think I explained that very well.”

“Perhaps that is where it originally came from. I do not know,” Dev said and looked to Rakin, who shrugged. “She can foresee events, among other talents.”

“She asked to come with me when the Silarin crossed into our space. She never makes requests without there being a reason. I think she knew what she would find on the Silarin vessel.”

Laira put her head on Dev’s shoulder as she continued to run her fingers through Rakin’s hair. This was the longest she’d been with them without sex happening, and it was fairly disconcerting. She couldn’t say she didn’t want them, because she did, but the need wasn’t overpowering and all-consuming. She almost thought of giving a fist pump for having control of her body, again, but she was too comfortable to move so just did it mentally.
Go me!

“Do the Sandaki have music?”

“We have songs we sing before we go into battle,” Rakin said.

“No one writes and performs songs just about regular stuff? You know boy meets girl or guy really sucks for breaking up with me?”

Both men shook their heads and she sighed. “That’s too bad. I love music, so it’s a good thing you downloaded the stuff from my world. Maybe I’ll start a revolution, and people will start writing their own music. Do you want to hear a song from my planet?”

“Yes,” Rakin said.

“Okay, I’ll play you one that was way popular when I was taken. I want to hear “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.”

The music started, and Laira began to bop along. She loved the song, and it made her smile just to hear it. When she looked at Dev and Rakin they had twin looks of shock and perhaps a bit of horror mixed in. She started giggling. She imagined the song was probably a bit too much for people who only heard battle songs.

Once the song ended, they sat in silence for a long moment until Rakin finally spoke. “That was interesting.”

Laira couldn’t help herself and laughed. “I don’t think he wrote the song for that kind of nonreaction.”

“Why did he write the song?” Dev asked cautiously.

“So people would get up and dance and be happy.”

He nodded and made a noncommittal sound, which sent Laira into laughter again. Before anyone could say anything, a beeping interrupted them. To Laira it sounded like the text message alert on a phone; however, she doubted very much that any of these people needed a cell to contact one another.

“What is it?” Rakin spoke aloud.

A male voice came from nowhere and everywhere all at once. “I am sorry to interrupt you,
Taj
. The slaves are demanding to see the
Taja
.”

“Could you not refer to them as slaves,” Laira said, remembering her promise. “We weren’t when we were with the Silarin and we’re not now.”

“My apologies,
Taja
. I did not think.”

“Why don’t we refer to them as our guests?” Laira suggested. “And let Isha know I am heading to see her.”

“Of course,” the man said hesitantly.

“Is that all?” Rakin demanded.

“Yes,
Taj
.”

“Well, that was bossy of me,” Laira declared. “I interrupted you. I’m sorry.”

Rakin shook his head. “The call was for you. You were correct. They should not be referred to as slaves.”

“Thanks.” She leaned down and kissed him. “I have another question. So, when you want to communicate with each other, like just happened, how do you know where to call? Does the computer or whatever it is know where you are?”

Dev answered. “Each Sandaki is equipped with a tracker so the ship knows where we are. When Rakin and I are in our quarters, the COM knows to call our cabin. We do not want anyone to contact us directly. If we decide we don’t wish to talk we can disregard it if we wish.”

“That’s cool, kind of like hitting ignore on a cell phone. So what if you’re not in your cabin? How does someone get ahold of you?”

“We have internal COM systems too,” Dev said. “It is like communicating with our minds.”

“Okay, that is way fucking cool,” she said and kissed Dev. Damn, this whole idea of having two men was insane. Hot. But insane. Before she allowed her mind to spin off into porn territory, she eased from the bed. “I’d better go see the girls. I’m sure they’re worried about me after the whole running away deal. I never even thought about them. I’m a horrible friend.”

“You will dress.” Dev watched her attempt to adjust her sheet.

“I don’t have any clothes. Okay, I take that back, I had clothes, but they’re destroyed.”

“Wear my sash as you did before.” Rakin rolled over onto his stomach so he too could watch her.

“Knock it off,” she told them. “You’re looking at me and talking, and I won’t be able to leave if you keep it up.”

Rakin laughed. “We aren’t doing anything, mate.”

“Whatever,” she said, flapping a hand at him. “You’re tricky and trying to…trick me. I won’t fall for it.” She whipped one end of the sheet over her shoulder and put her hands on her hips. “Hey, wait a minute. The girls loaned me a bodysuit deal. Can I have another?”

Dev climbed off the bed. “You did not get clothing for our mate?”

Rakin shrugged. “We didn’t get to that part. Since she’s been here, our
talla
hasn’t needed clothing.”

Laira rolled her eyes. “So that’s your justification for letting me run around half-naked? I didn’t need clothes, so I didn’t get any?”

Rakin smiled. “You have mostly been naked in our bed, so I didn’t think about clothing you.”

“Yes, however I need something other than a sheet and the shitty stuff the Silarin put me in.”

Rakin nodded. “You are right. As
Taja
you must be clothed as a Sandaki. Once you are back in our rooms, I prefer you in the sheet.”

“Whatevs, dude, I just need something to wear that will cover my bits. Snip, snap let’s go.”

Dev took her hand and led her to the main room. He placed his palm in the middle of a black patch on the wall. A moment later, a large panel slid out. “You will need to take the sheet off.”

Laira immediately dumped the sheet, more than ready to get into anything comfortable. She looked up to find Dev watching her, and she shivered. The man was seriously hot, but she couldn’t let him distract her. She had to visit her friends. They were worried. “Dev, I need clothes.”

He gave her one last long look then turned back to the panel. He tapped at it, and a box on the wall lit up. He slid a door aside and pulled a pile of black items out. Dev separated them to show boots, like he and Rakin wore, and a black bodysuit. Laira could have squealed and clapped she was so excited to see something other than the tissue from the Silarins or something she’d had to borrow.

She pulled it on and sighed at the softness of the fabric. It was so comfortable, and she finally wore something that belonged to her. She didn’t even care that she looked like a cat burglar from the movies; it felt good.

“So the palm thing is really cool. Can I do that?” She came over to inspect what had to be a sophisticated computer.

“Unfortunately, no,” Dev said, as he leaned down and nuzzled at her neck. “As children we are injected with a solution that builds a neural connection to all the equipment we use.”

“I wonder if it would work on Laira?” Rakin leaned in the doorway and watched them. “The equipment used on her is similar to what was used to create us.”

“Yeah, no thanks. If it’s going to hurt, then never mind.”

“If it would hurt you, we wouldn’t do it.” Rakin approached and took her hand. “You have been hurt enough. We can scan you to see if it’s even possible. If so, then you will have access to the same things we do.”

“Let me think about it.”

“Of course.” Rakin kissed her as Dev nibbled at her neck.

“No,” Laira said, forcing herself away from them. “You’re doing it again. Stop. I have to go see the girls.” She put her feet into the boots, and they immediately molded to her feet. They were the most comfortable pair of shoes she’d ever owned.

Rakin placed the copper signifier of his office on her shoulder then wrapped it around her hips and tied it. “Now you are ready to go out.”

She kissed both of them and exited the room before she was convinced to stay. Zarak was waiting for her outside the door and bowed when she stepped up to him. “Hey, dude, how’s it going?”

“Umm, fine
Taja
.”

They walked through the corridors and Laira wondered what Zarak’s job was. The man had to have something better to do than walk with her. She glanced over at him, but decided to wait and talk to Rakin and Dev first. Maybe the two of them wanted him with her. If so, she didn’t think she needed it. She doubted anyone on the ship would hurt her—not with Rakin and Dev both as her mates.

Her friends surrounded her as soon as she burst into the room. Damn, she missed them and vowed to spend as much time as possible with them.

“Are you well?” Isha asked, leading her over to sit down.

“I’m fine.”

“We worried when the warrior ran at us,” Chal said.

Garja nodded. “We ran like you said and all ended up here. You never came.”

Laira shook her head. “You’re not going to believe it. The guy who ran at us is named Dev and he is co-ruler with Rakin. He’s also my mate. I have no idea. I don’t get it, but there it is.”

“So you have sex with both of them?” Isha asked, clearly fascinated.

“Yes,” Laira said, feeling herself color. “Now that I have, I feel good. I mean, wait, okay yeah it felt way good, but now I feel more like myself and in control. Before, my emotions were all over the place, and I just couldn’t get a handle. Now, I feel really grounded and solid. Does that make sense?”