Raines, Elizabeth - Marooned [Wicked Missions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (2 page)
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Authors: Elizabeth Raines
“He’s dead.” He shook his head as he got back to his feet with a groan over the soreness in his body. “That’ll be a thrill to explain to the Fraiquans.” He glanced over to see Matt holding Betinsa’s arm and gently testing for injuries. The woman suddenly appeared…fragile again. As she stood next to Matt, the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. How could he not have noticed how tiny she was? Probably because her personality was so full of life and strength. “I didn’t think that arm looked broken.”
Matt shook his head. “Just sprained I think. But I’m not a doctor.”
“Is there a medscanner on board?” Drake asked Betinsa.
She chuckled, despite the fact she was in obvious pain. Glancing back to her mess of a ship, she said, “I
had
one. But looks like I don’t have much of
anything
now.” She blinked a few times as she stared at the tangled mess of metal that had been the
Mirhala
. “How in the universe did we all survive that crash?”
“You,”
Drake replied. “You’re the reason we survived.”
Her eyes moved to the body of their prisoner. “He didn’t.”
“That’s not your fault,” Matt said, not letting go of her arm. Drake realized Matt had a few injuries as well. He favored his left side, guarding what might be cracked ribs. “He was just sitting in the wrong place on the ship when that monster hit us.”
“I should have been able to avoid that collision.” The hurt was plain in her voice.
“Betinsa…” Matt said in a soothing tone. “You saved our lives. Drake and I are alive because of you.” He leaned in to kiss her forehead, and when he pulled back, she laid her cheek against his chest.
So…the
warrior
became a
woman
when near Matt.
Drake swallowed an entirely strange burst of jealousy at watching the E.B.I. partners exchange such an intimate moment. Wondering if there was more to the couple than a working relationship, he had to admit they looked great together.
Perhaps jealousy wasn’t the right word…
Envy
seemed to fit much better. Drake envied their closeness, especially since they could overcome the fact that they came from different species. Being an ambassador, he’d seen time and time again how much prejudice still existed in the universe. Even on his home planet, different ethnicities still bore the suspicion and hatred of centuries long gone. United Continents Ambassadors were discouraged from forming relationships with aliens. To see Betinsa leaning on Matt and to see him offer her solace touched Drake’s cynical heart.
Betinsa pulled away from Matt. “Now we must find a way to survive.”
“Until we can be rescued. At least we have a decent environment,” Drake replied. “Plenty of trees, and it appears several have fruit. The weather’s kinda nice. Reminds me of where I grew up.”
“On Earth?” Betinsa asked.
Drake nodded. “On the Florida peninsula.”
“We should see what we can salvage from the ship,” Matt said before nodding at her injured arm. “I should make you a sling, Tinsa.”
“’Tis unnecessary. I’m able to work,” she insisted.
Drake let his gaze wander, taking in their surroundings. “Were you able to figure out where we are?”
With a nod, Betinsa said, “I brought us to Katenya.”
“A planet?”
“A small moon. I couldn’t keep the
Mirhala
together long enough to make it to Fraiqua. I chose one of her moons—one with a proper atmosphere.”
That sounded encouraging. “How far do we have to walk to find a settlement?”
A shake of her head set her long curls swaying. The tie holding them in a ponytail must have broken in the crash because the dark ringlets of hair now spilled down to rest against her shoulders and back. “There are no settlements on Katenya. ’Tis a sacred moon—home of the Charhock.”
“The what?” Matt asked.
“The Charhock. Fraiquans believe the Charhock brings peace and prosperity to our world. He’s our savior.”
Drake couldn’t help but snort a laugh. Fraiqua—the entire Rhotan System for that matter—had just ended over a century of violent civil wars. The five planets in the system had united in a fragile peace, but there was still much danger from terrorists.
And prosperity?
Most of the planets were scrambling to keep their populations from famine.
“You mock my traditions, ambassador?” Betinsa asked, her voice hard.
“I just…” Shit, he knew better than that. Ambassadors never made mistakes like that. Hell, his head hurt, his body felt like he’d been plowed over by a bullet train, and he wasn’t guarding his thoughts or his words. “I’m sorry.”
Betinsa’s dark blue eyes flashed fire. “The arrival of the new Charhock brought our peace. After so very long, we again have a Charhock to help us rebuild all that was destroyed.”
“Maybe we should find this Charhock,” Matt said. “Think he can help us get home?”
“Like the Wizard of Oz?” Drake couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“I’ve heard of that story,” Betinsa said, her voice softer. “We shall not see the Charhock, nor shall we ask him to fulfill our wishes or if he’s controlled by a man behind the curtain.”
Matt chuckled, then winced. “Let’s see what we can use from the
Mirhala
. We can build some kind of shelter until help comes. Tinsa, you
did
send a distress signal, right?”
Chapter 2
Tinsa, you did send a distress signal, right?
Betinsa hesitated with her answer. The men had no idea what saving their lives was going to cost her. But what would it cost
them?
Nothing!
She’d find a way to get them off the moon, even if it was the last thing she did in this life.
Had she sent a distress signal that her ship was going to make an emergency landing on Katenya, her family’s life on Fraiqua would have been over. They would’ve been disgraced for centuries to come and their honor stripped away. Were she to show her face after this, her mother would be obliged to rip Betinsa’s throat out with her bare teeth and leave her corpse to rot on their front doorstep for a full month to serve as an example for others who might consider disgracing themselves in the future. It was the only way to restore their name.
So why had she committed such a profoundly unforgiveable sin? Why had she risked losing everything that she held dear? Why had she not simply taken the honorable route and hit the
Mirhala’s
self-destruct when she realized there was no other place she could reach?
Because she couldn’t let Matt Newton die. Nor could she let her arrogance and overconfidence kill Drake Keller. She now bore the responsibility for the death of their prisoner, even though his life had been forfeit from the moment the new Fraiquan government demanded that he be returned to his home planet. Had he stepped foot on his home soil, his execution would have been swift and not horribly merciful. That notion did little to alleviate her profound guilt.
How was she supposed to tell these men—these two men she respected and admired—that she’d landed on Katenya—the forbidden moon? How could she reveal that no one would ever come to their rescue here unless she could arrange a miracle? How could she admit that by bringing them here, she’d made herself a potential sacrifice to the Charhock?
“Tinsa?” Matt’s hand settled on her shoulder. “You did send the distress call, right?” he asked again.
She couldn’t lie to her partner. “No. I didn’t send any messages.”
His brown eyes widened, and his hand tightened. “I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I.” Drake’s tone was harsher than Matt’s. Probably because her partner would have a harder time accepting her betrayal than an ambassador, a man who was probably more accustomed to duplicity.
“I…couldn’t. I couldn’t let anyone know that we’ve come to Katenya. It’s forbidden for anyone to set foot on this sacred moon.”
Matt turned her toward him, making her tilt her head up to be able to look him in the eye. She owed him that much despite how desperately she wished she didn’t have to face him. To turn away would have shown cowardice. Her honor made her straighten her spine and meet his dark eyes with her own. “Sacred?” he asked. “If this place is sacred, why did you put us down here? Surely we could have—”
“There was no other place. The
Mirhala
was breaking apart. I couldn’t let you die. I couldn’t let the ambassador die.”
“And what will your punishment be, Betinsa?” Drake asked, stepping to Matt’s side. He was taller than her partner, but leaner of build. The two of them seemed to tower over her, but she felt no fear. Their curiosity radiated from them like auras.
Betinsa had expected anger, yet none came. How could they forgive her for so great a crime against them?
They don’t understand
. She would have to explain it to the men, wanting to incite their anger. Anger would be righteous. Anger would be deserved. Anger would strengthen her to handle the choices she’d have to make in the days to come. “I have let aliens touch the pure land of the Charhock. My punishment can be only death. But I’ve placed you both in danger. That was my greatest sin.”
There. She’d admitted it. She’d confessed. She waited for either—or both of them—to strike her for her impudence.
Matt’s dark eyes grew soft and warm. “Oh, Tinsa… You didn’t do anything wrong. You saved our lives.”
His understanding only made her feel worse. She clenched her fists at her sides, wanting them to hit her. “I should never have done such a thing. I vow to you now that before I face what I must, I shall see you both away from this place and safely home to Earth.” She pounded her fist against her heart to seal her promise.
“You knew death might be a consequence when you landed here?”
“Landed? Hardly,” she replied. “I put down a ship that was being torn apart by an asteroid field I should have been able to fly through.”
Matt’s smile seemed too knowing for her taste. “Ah… So
that’s
it. You’re blaming yourself for the crash.”
“I was the pilot! I should never have put your lives in jeopardy! I let my pride take control!” Her frustrated shouts seemed to hang in the air for a long time, adding to her humiliation. Warriors never showed emotion. They made decisions with clear heads and only the thought of doing what honor demanded. She’d let her feelings for Matt get in the way of her duty. To add even more disgrace, she’d wept in front of the men and now aired her emotions freely. “You’re supposed to hate me now! I
want
you to hate me now!”
Matt gathered Betinsa into his arms, as if knowing she was losing the self-control she held so dear. She only allowed his comfort for a moment before struggling against him. He released her with a sigh heavy enough to brush her cheeks. “We need to find out what we have left to use,” she snapped, hating how much she wanted to throw herself back into his embrace to let him comfort her. “Then we need to create some kind of shelter until I can figure out what to do.”
“Until
we
figure out what to do.” Drake pointed to the closest copse of trees. “We can use some of those branches to make a lean-to.”
Betinsa shook her head. “We mustn’t stay on the ground when the suns set.”
“Why?” the ambassador asked.
She nodded at the holes dug in the ground around the bases of several trees. “I believe those are gremtil dens. If they are, we’re in danger.”
“Gremtil?” Matt asked.
“We have them in Fraiqua’s forests as well. They come out at night to scavenge the ground for carrion, but they would destroy anything living as well. Should we sleep down here, we’ll become their feast.”
Looking up to the twin suns, Matt frowned. “How long do we have before they set?”
“Perhaps six hours,” she replied. “We should get to work now.”
* * * *
“Hey, Drake?” Matt asked. “Ever read
Swiss Family Robinson
back on Earth?”
“Not familiar with that one,” Drake called down as he reached for another piece of wood that Matt passed up before Drake raised it higher to Betinsa. She’d done a good job lashing together a deck for them to use while they slept. “What brings it to mind?”
“It’s the story of a family who was shipwrecked and built themselves a wonderful tree house to call home.” The platform they’d constructed was larger than some bedrooms back on Earth. “We did a nice job of this, didn’t we?”