Vision of Seduction (19 page)

you. Your cravings are actually a clue about what you need and what the

planet needs to thrive."

As much as Katelyn hated to admit it, it made sense. Even Earth had an

energy coexistence with its inhabitants, whether they realized it or not.

Tador seemed to operate under that same principle but on an exponential

scale.

She pursed her lips, screwing up her courage. "Just Alyssandra." She gazed

around the room—everywhere but at the two men. "Nothing for the lady's

maids, just the queen." She shrugged. "Those are the only other women I've

met."

Ryan and Grayson exchanged a look that said there was something they

weren't telling her.

Frustration and a flash of anger coursed through Katelyn and she gritted

her teeth. "Okay." She poked her index fingers toward both of their chests

and tilted her chin back to look up at them. "What exactly did that look

mean? I have a right to know what's going on here because it pertains to

me."

"You're just as bossy as you always were, Katie-Cat." Ryan grinned

unapologetically, just like she remembered. "We don't know what it means

yet. Usually an attraction to specific people—besides the obvious—means

the planet needs something from the two of you, or the two of you need

something from it.

"Anyone else?" Grayson's voice was calm and devoid of any emotion,

which told Katelyn how much of his true feelings he was hiding behind

that cool veneer. For some reason, her answer was important to him, but

she wasn't sure why.

"Other than you, you mean?" she shot back.

When Grayson didn't react at all, her irritation mounted.

Ryan cleared his throat gently beside her. "I think what Grayson is so

poorly fishing for is if you're attracted to me or the king."

Grayson's lips thinned into a hard line, confirming Ryan's words.

Ah, jealous, are we?

Katelyn mentally shook her head. Grayson was a six-foot-plus walking wet

dream, and yet he still had insecurities? She guessed everyone had their

own demons to fight. "Well, King Stone is extremely attractive, and I do

seem to have a penchant for men with dark hair, olive skin, and purple

eyes."

Grayson's eyes hardened, and Katelyn bit back a smile. She shouldn't enjoy

baiting him, but after his possessive Neanderthal display earlier, he

deserved it. She whirled her finger in the air toward Ryan. "Turn around so

I can see the full package and judge your effect on me."

Ryan laughed and complied, posing and running his hands down over his

tight ass for her inspection. However, when his profile would've shown her

the side of his face marred with the scar he dropped his chin so his

shoulder-length hair again slid over his cheek to hide the worst of it.

She wasn't sure why he bothered—even that angry scar didn't detract from

his appeal. His compact body was truly a thing of beauty. She would love

to see him entirely naked, but it would be more of an appreciation for male

beauty than for lust. "I have to say, you grew up to be rather yummy,

Prince ... er ... Ryan. Especially those biceps." She eyed the impressive

forearms and resisted the urge to trace them with her fingers. "But, nope,

sorry."

Ryan gave a dramatic sigh. "Lost to the old man, did I? Ah, well, may I say,

Katie-Cat, that you have grown into an extremely stunning woman

yourself. And if you ever realize what a total and utter ass Grayson is, I

shall still be here waiting to save you."

Katelyn's lips quirked at Ryan's teasing tone, and then she glanced toward

Grayson, who didn't seem amused. The male ego was a fragile and

interesting thing to behold. "Stone and Ryan are perfect male specimens,

and all three of you together are a group-sex fantasy waiting to happen,

but that gut-deep lust reaction happens only with you and the queen. Does

that answer your question?" She frowned and then said under her breath,

"Even though it doesn't answer any of mine about why."

Grayson's expression didn't change, but she immediately sensed a change

in his energy aura. Almost as though it relaxed with relief.

The two men again exchanged the look that spoke volumes, but this time

she sensed confusion instead of an exchange of knowledge.

Good, maybe they aren't intentionally keeping things from me. Maybe they are

just as confused as I am.

Grayson nodded toward Ryan, apparently done with their previous

conversation. "Anyway, did you need something, Ryan? I hadn't expected

anyone to be here today."

Katelyn resisted the urge to punch Grayson in the stomach. Instead, she bit

her tongue and let them talk.

Ryan seemed oblivious to Katelyn's irritation. "I didn't realize you wouldn't

be alone. I just returned from ... my trip and wanted to talk with you.

Alyssandra told me where you'd gone." He glanced at Katelyn and then

back at Grayson. "But I can catch up with you later at the castle."

Katelyn wondered if the slight hesitation had been intentional. And, if so,

why would he be reluctant to speak about it in front of her? But, she

reminded herself, Ryan's trip was none of her business. "Why don't you

two go ahead and catch up?" She smiled over her shoulder at Grayson to

let him know she wasn't angry. "I can poke around outside and entertain

myself. You can come find me when you're done, and then I can head back

to the castle and grab a shower before lunch."

***

Grayson watched Katelyn disappear through the opening in the rock face

and wished Ryan could have waited another hour or so before interrupting

them. Katelyn hadn't been frightened by him but by what she was feeling.

"Well, that was interesting." Ryan's eyes tracked Katelyn's retreating form,

too, and Grayson fisted his hands to keep from forcefully changing his

friend's line of sight. "I've thought about that feisty little redheaded

playmate often over the years. But I never would've guessed she was our

Seer."

"You could've told us about her at any point during the past fifteen years,

you know."

Ryan shrugged. "She was my memory and mine alone." He grinned. "Or so

I thought."

"Didn't you have something to tell me?"

"Yes, but before I do, I just want to make sure you are good to her."

Anger simmered in Grayson's veins, making his heart pound. "It's too late

to ask me to switch to the Healer, Ryan." Grayson's tone was low and

serious, and he was shocked at how much he meant those words. He

couldn't imagine Ryan or any man with Katelyn, and he didn't want to.

Ryan held Grayson's gaze without flinching. "I'm not competing with you,

Gray. It would be a bit like tumbling my sister. But I do care for her and

would like a chance to know the woman she has become." Ryan broke eye

contact to glance down before returning Grayson's gaze. "I still see a lot of

that little girl within her. A little girl who was an outcast and set her own

boundaries so no one would get too close. Just have a care with her, is all I

ask."

At Ryan's sincere tone, Grayson's temper banked and receded. How could

he fault Ryan for protecting her? In fact, he would probably think less of

his friend if he hadn't. "You have my word. She's a very special woman."

Ryan studied Grayson for a long moment before nodding. "Good." His

stance relaxed, and he glanced at the entrance to make sure no one had

entered. "Listen, the reason I came looking for you ... I've had no luck at all

finding the Healer, but I did find something very interesting."

Foreboding prickled over Grayson's skin, and he knew whatever Ryan had

found was significant. "Tell me."

"I stopped by Rita's shop to see how the guards were getting along and if

they've sighted any of the Cunts nearby." Ryan paused dramatically, and

Grayson considered wringing his friend's neck. This sense of drama was

only entertaining when Grayson was already in the know and Ryan was

practicing his timing on someone else.

"And?" Grayson prompted, trying to keep his voice even. If he showed

irritation, Ryan would only drag the information out further.

"And the guards heard from an informant that Rita has been dating one of

the Cunt warriors and is now thought to be engaged to the man—she

showed up wearing a sizable diamond on her finger the next morning."

"Damn. I knew I wasn't going to like this." Grayson sighed. "I wonder if

Katelyn knows him or has met him. Most likely Sela put him in place to

stay close to Katelyn."

"That was my thought. He also slipped inside Rita's apartment last night

and was seen leaving. The team let him go, hoping to find out what he's up

to rather than take him out now."

Grayson turned over this new development in his mind. Not only was Rita

in danger but also Katelyn. The Cunts were masters of using those you

loved against you, and from what Grayson could tell, Katelyn was

something of a loner, and Rita seemed to be her only close confidant. The

Klatch had to speed up their timetable somehow and hope Katelyn didn't

run from the triangle.

"I know what you're thinking, Gray. But she hasn't been here long enough

not to bolt if you tell her about Rita or about the triangle. We have to trust

the guards to keep Rita safe so we can let Katelyn settle in."

"We have only one more day until her twenty-fourth birthday. She needs to

be ready for the coming-of-age ceremony by then." Grayson's cock

hardened inside his breeches as he thought about sliding inside Katelyn.

She wasn't the queen, so her coming-of-age would be a simple joining with

the Klatch of her choice. Grayson planned to be that man and hoped he

could tell her before then.

While it was a simple ceremony, Katelyn had already shown an affinity for

the energy of Tador, so their lovemaking, combined with that milestone,

might have some interesting side effects that couldn't be explained away

except with the truth. He sighed and brushed his hair away from his face.

"Let's just hope she's ready."

"For all our sakes."

11

Katelyn stepped out into the dark tunnel and turned right, trailing her

fingers along the wall so she didn't stumble in the dim, pink glow.

She followed the curve of the wall rather than veering off toward the path

she and Grayson had followed on the way in. This new path wound

around several pools until it came to an outcropping of rock nearly as tall

as Grayson. The rhythmic sounds of waves echoed around her and made

her wonder if there was some type of waterfall farther down that was

causing the wave effect. Muted swishing sounds she couldn't figure out

rent the air, making the mountain sound like it was breathing in time with

the waves.

Katelyn's curiosity peaked, and she peered around the side of the rocky

outcropping. Her breath caught at the sight before her.

Five people glistened, wet and naked, inside a pool that seemed barely

larger than the ones she had already seen—but none of the occupants

seemed to mind.

One woman was sandwiched between two muscular men who were

obviously having sex with her, even though the water hid everything

below their chests. The remaining two men were just as nicely built as

Grayson but several years younger, possibly in their early twenties. They

were buried to their necks in the water and kissed each other with more

passion than she had seen between some male/female couples. They

threaded their fingers through each other's thick, dark hair, and the

tenderness in their motions made her heart ache.

A slow throb began between her legs, and her nipples tightened.

Katelyn had never seen two men together, and she couldn't look away,

now that she had. She assumed from a basic anatomy perspective that,

because they were face-to-face, they hadn't had sex yet, and she was

surprised to find that she wanted to stay and watch.

Now she understood why she had thought the wave sounds were

echoing—each time the men thrust inside the woman from the front and

rear, it made the water lap against the sides of the pool. Their labored

breathing and low moans were what had sounded like the mountain

breathing.

A soft scuff sounded behind her.

Katelyn jumped, a small squeak escaping from her throat as she whirled

around.

Grayson stood, smiling down at her, and she had the strange sensation of

being caught doing something forbidden. He motioned her to follow him,

and he walked softly away from the pool and its five inhabitants. "I didn't

mean to startle you. I figured you didn't want them to see you watching,

because you stayed out of sight."

"Thanks." Her body still thrummed from even the quick glimpse of the

activities in the pool. "I'm going to have to go toy shopping if I stay on this

freaking planet much longer."

A crease of confusion and concern formed between Grayson's dark brows.

"I've never met anyone who wants children's toys after a voyeuristic

experience."

Katelyn allowed herself a huff of laughter. "I didn't mean those kinds of

toys. Don't the Klatch have sex toys?"

Understanding lit Grayson's features, along with what Katelyn could only