Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge (8 page)

“Of course.
Any time you need to talk—to either of us—we’ll be here. Finding you has eased something inside Eve’s heart, and thus mine, as well. It’s very good to have you back.”

Amy looked away, swallowed past the lump that seemed lodged in her throat then nodded. She needed to get out of here before she did something stupid. Like cry.

When she turned to walk away, Taliff called her name.

“Yes?” she
asked,
her voice just above a whisper in deference to the sleeping child.

“Just so you know
,
Hunter called earlier to say he was returning to your quarters.”

Amy nodded then headed for the door. Yes, she had a lot to think about.

Chapter Six

As Amy wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the
Manruvian
ship, her mind kept running over everything Taliff said. She just didn’t know what to do or what to believe. What would it be like to know absolutely that you could trust another? To know that you’d never have to fear that person’s betrayal…to know that, above all, there was one person in existence that you could trust implicitly. What a relief it would be to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person you spoke with told you the truth. Could something like that really exist? If it did, would she have the courage to face it, to try it?

She had to admit, the idea appealed to her, especially considering the most recent betrayal she’d had to face. But, no matter how appealing the idea, it definitely had one major drawback—Hunter himself. If she agreed to the bonding and it worked, she would be tied to a male.
A very strong and, by the looks of it, very virile male.
Did she have the courage to agree to try such a thing?

How could she ever give herself over to another man? She shuddered. Her stomach clenched and bile began to rise in her throat. Just the thought of being intimate with a man—even Hunter, who’d been nothing but kind—nauseated her.

Do not fear so, my child. I would never pair you with a man who’d do you harm. He is a strong man.
A man of great honor and personal integrity
.

Amy stumbled to a halt, and reached out for the nearest wall as a wave of dizziness washed over her. What the hell? Now she’d begun to hear voices. Well, one anyway.

Tinkling laughter rippled through her mind.
Don’t you know who I am, child?

Closing her eyes, Amy braced herself against the wall and rubbed her forehead. “Should I?” she whispered. She quickly glanced down the hall. Her eyes scanned the corridor in both directions. Thank the Goddess no one stood nearby or they’d hear her talking to herself.

Why would I allow others to witness what passes between us?

“You mean—?”

Just think your thoughts and I shall hear them. And yes, I am Alana, the Mother Goddess of the Chantrean—and others.

Amy hung her head and slid down the wall, unable to continue standing on wobbling legs.
Why? Why speak to me now? Do you know how many times I called out to you, begged you to help me, to let me die?

Great sadness poured through her. She could feel the Goddess’s tears as though they were her own.
Each time you shed a tear, child, I shed one, too. Each time a male violated you, they violated me. Each time you begged for help, I listened. I answered.

Why? Why
couldn’t you
save me, save us all before they raped us, defiled us? You’re a goddess.

Even I must follow certain rules, Amy. So, I did what I could. I found the one person who
could help you when I could not. I found your life mate, the other half of your soul. I found Hunter.

Why him? Why must I need any man?

My child, you and Hunter were always meant to be together. Only with him by your side will you become the woman you were destined to be.

I’m scared
, she confessed. That was the gut-wrenching truth. She was scared—scared to the depths of her soul.

Of course you are, child. Only a fool does not fear the unknown. And you are not a fool. All I ask is that you listen to what Hunter has to say. Listen with your heart not just your mind. It will not lead you astray. Not in this.
Now, enough talking.
If you continue down this corridor, you’ll find the
Manruvian
people’s favorite part of this ship. Let your worries go for now, my child, and enjoy the pleasure found in the
Manruvian’s
home away from home.

Knowing the Goddess spoke true and her worries and fear would still be there later, Amy reluctantly nodded. Pushing herself to her feet, she looked down the hallway to her right. At the very end of the corridor, a single door faced her. A sign hung above it, written in a language she couldn’t read.

Oh well. What did she have to lose but a little time?

Exactly, my child.

Just before she reached for the door release, Amy closed her eyes. She had one last thing she needed to say to the Mother Goddess. Concentrating on the Goddess, Amy initiated contact with her.
Thank you for saving me, no matter how you chose to do so.

I only wish I could have protected you from all that you have suffered.
As quickly as the connection began, it ended.

Shoving all thoughts and worries from her mind, Amy pressed her palm against the identification pad. She shook her head, still amazed at the technology the
Manruvians
and
Chantrean
Lionese
had at their disposal. The pad grew warm beneath her hand as it identified her and in seconds the door slid open.

She’d only had one foot in the door when she stopped, too stunned to walk any farther into the room. One minute she stood in a spaceship heading toward a new planet she’d call home, the next she’d been transported to a seaside getaway.

Turquoise water crested in waves as far as the eye could see. Strange creatures she'd originally thought only fodder for children’s bedtime stories sat sunning themselves on huge rocks and boulders. The scent of salt water wafted past her, ruffling her hair. Cream-colored sea foam washed against the white sandy beach as the waves thrust forward and receded. One of the mermen looked her way, smiled and dove into the water only to jump back out, his entire body rising at least twenty feet over the water. With a twist of his rainbow-colored glistening tail, he
dove
straight back down into a cresting wave.

So real, she thought. “It looks so real.”

“It’s as real as you want it to be.” She whipped her head around, surprised to see
Mikel
standing behind her.

She looked back toward the ocean, shook her head in wonder.
“How?”

“Our technology is very advanced, even more so than the
Chantreans
. To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure how the scientists are able to do most of what they do.”

“The mermen, mermaids,” she said, pointing out toward the water, “they’re real?”

Behind her,
Mikel
chuckled. “You could say that. I, too, can shift into what you see out there. Our people love the water, though as you can see, it’s not necessary for us to live in it.”

Amy nodded then turned back toward
Mikel
too stunned to say anything more about the fantastical reality of
mer
-people. “I want to thank you for saving me, for saving all the others. Without you, I never would have gotten out of there—not alive, anyway.”

Mikel
shook his head. “That’s not true. Hunter would have come for you crawling on his stomach if he had to. Nothing would have stopped him. For five years he hunted for those his sister had abducted, determined to find you all. But once you woke, once he connected to you, nothing mattered but getting to you, rescuing you.”

Amy swallowed, feeling self-conscious. What exactly could she say to that? “Well, thank you for accompanying him. I am just sorry you were harmed in the rescue.”

“I know a way you can make it up to me.”

Though nervous about what favor he’d ask, Amy owed him. “What can I do?”

“When Hunter asks you to wear the mate bonds, agree. If you are not truly his mate, nothing will happen. If you were meant to be with him what more could you want than a male who would do anything for you, including die for you?”

“When you put it that way, but I don’t know —“

He raised his
hand,
halting the excuse she already had waiting on the tip of her tongue. “I dream of one day finding my mate. I know what it’s like to fantasize about the day I’d finally meet her and know that I’d never be alone again. I know what it’s like to wonder if she’s even out there. But now he knows and though he’d never push you for more than you could give, I don’t think I’d have the willpower to do the same.” His mouth twisted into a sad smile. “Anyway, I am long overdue for a good swim and the water is calling my name.”

Amy nodded and watched as he skirted around her and headed down the beach. Yes, she definitely had a lot to think about and what better place than at the beach.

After toeing off her sneakers and rolling up the pant legs on her jeans as high as they would go, Amy headed toward the shoreline, in the opposite direction she’d seen
Mikel
take. She imagined a lot of people would want to reassure themselves that
Mikel
was fine, so being anywhere near him would not be conductive to quiet introspection.

Only when she looked behind her and could barely make out the others in the distance did she stop and look out into the ocean. It amazed her, this technology the
Manruvians
possessed. She truly felt as though she were walking along a beach on Earth. Seeing no one nearby, Amy sat down in the surf, letting the waves gently wash over her feet, her calves.

She tilted her head back. Resting back on her elbows, she closed her eyes and let the heat of the sun wash over her skin as the water caressed her flesh. It felt so good, so real.

“And what has put such a beautiful smile on your face?”

Amy yelped, unable to stop herself. She hadn’t realized she was no longer alone. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself looking into Hunter’s twinkling green eyes. His long golden-red hair hung past his shoulders in loose waves. The muscles in his thighs and chest flexed as he squatted beside her. As her gaze roamed over his body she gasped. Her eyes grew wide.

Hunter didn’t have a stitch of clothes on. And he was huge.
Everywhere huge.

She turned away, her cheeks burning at the fact that she wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, her cheeks burned with mortification because, for once, she wondered if a man truly could bring a woman to pleasure as she'd heard.

Reaching out, he tucked a strand of her own red hair behind her ear. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“You want to sit here?
With me?”
Though why the idea surprised her she had no idea.
Unable to think of anything to say, Amy simply nodded. Now what had she gotten herself into?

* * * *

“The
Manruvians
love this place. Their home world is mostly water. It’s quite a bit like your world, actually.” He leaned back, resting on his elbows in quite the same way as she was. “This is their way of relaxing. They don’t mind if we join them, in fact, they enjoy our company.” He grinned. “Personally, I think they enjoy showing off to other species.” He shrugged. “Who wouldn’t want to be able to launch themselves into the air like that?” He pointed out to another merman who had jumped high into the air, doing a summersault on the way down.

“I suppose you’re right. I would show off if I could do that too, I imagine.”

She kept her gaze out over the water. He figured it was much easier than looking at him and dealing with the strange feelings he invoked in her. He felt her attraction through their bond, if only he could convince her that’s what it was.

He rolled onto his side. Just a small movement would put his most private part in contact with her hand. She didn’t move, she merely stayed stiffly by his side to show she hadn’t even noticed what he’d done. Their connection was strong, he just wondered if it was strong enough.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

She turned, careful to keep her gaze above his neck. “Yes?”

“Don’t think I want to force you into anything. I’m asking and it’s all right for you to say no. It is your right to refuse me.”

“Refuse you what?”

He ran his hands through his hair, nervous. “Before I make my request, there is something you must know.” By the Goddess, he didn’t know how she would take the news he needed to impart.

“What is it, Hunter?”

“When we took to you the medical bay for healing, the doctor’s discovered something.”

Hunter watched as Amy shuddered and her face paled. “What? What did they find?”