Nikhil (Kaliszian Book 1) (30 page)

"I don't know," Treyvon responded angrily. "Or why. Defender! What have you got?"

"General, it's a Zaludian ship, heavily armed."

"How the fuck did it get past you?!!"

"They had all the proper codes and passwords, General, including a false visual projection that only dropped when they armed their weapons."

"Where are they attacking?" Treyvon demanded.

"The base, General."

"Return fire!" he ordered.

"They've already landed within the compound, General. If I fire now,
I
will destroy the base!"

"Fuck!" Treyvon turned to the pilot, "Get us there! Now!"

"Yes, General!" the pilot responded.

"Why would the Zaludians attack?" Gryf questioned over the roar of the engines. "We know they've been here now. It's not like they can resume mining."

"They want something." Treyvon's mind was racing, narrowing down all the possibilities and he didn't like the few that remained. He looked to Nikhil.

"Mackenzie," Nikhil said through stiff lips. "They had planned on selling her to a Pleasure House."

"True," Gryf said, "and while her uniqueness would have brought a high price, it doesn't warrant this level of attack."

"It might if she were breeding compatible with the Tornians," Treyvon told him quietly.

"What?!!" Nikhil moved toward Treyvon. "What are you saying?!!"

"The female, the one that was with Emperor Vasteri when he crashed, was similar in size and skin tone to your Mackenzie, Nikhil."

"She's human?" Nikhil asked.

"I don't know for sure. Vasteri stayed very close to her, and I only interacted with her for a short time. Vasteri claimed her as his Empress," Treyvon informed him.

"That still doesn't mean..." Gryf started.

"I've heard a rumor that she is with offspring," Treyvon said, "which means..."

"That the Tornians will be searching for more like her," Nikhil responded.

"Yes," Treyvon nodded.

"You think the Tornians are behind this?" Gryf questioned in obvious disbelief.

"No. The Tornians are an honorable race. If they were going to attack,
they
would attack, not send Zaludians. But that doesn't mean the Zaludians don't see an opportunity here. If Mackenzie was truly breeding compatible with the Tornians then..."

"Then she would be the most valuable female in the universe and there are those in the Tornian Empire that would pay whatever was asked to obtain her," Nikhil finished through clenched teeth.

"Yes," Treyvon agreed.

"How long ago did you hear this rumor about the Empress?" Nikhil demanded.

"Right before we discovered the humans."

"And you didn't tell me?!!" Nikhil growled threateningly, his hands fisting. "When you learned Mackenzie was my True Mate and that there might be a threat against her?"

"There was no threat. It hasn't been confirmed yet that the Empress is with offspring or even that she is human! Nikhil! Do you really think I would knowingly allow harm to come to the first True Mate the Kaliszian Empire has seen in over five-hundred years, let alone
yours
?!!"

Nikhil knew Treyvon; he was an honorable male that Nikhil had always admired and felt fortunate to call him friend. He was also loyal to his warriors and people, always putting them before his own needs. He would never knowingly allow Nikhil's Ashe to be harmed. He forced himself to calm. "No. You of all males would never allow a female to be harmed."

"We won't let them take her, Nikhil," Treyvon told him. "She is yours."

"She is," Nikhil agreed, reaching up to touch the empty braid that had once held his Ashe and True Mate beads. Goddess, how he wished he wore Mackenzie's so he would know if she were okay."

"The base is in sight, General," the pilot informed them, and all eyes looked on in horror at the smoke and flames that were rising from the survivors’ area.

"Goddess," Gryf whispered."

"Battle Stations!" Treyvon ordered.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

The first explosion knocked Mac off her feet as she crossed the room to talk to Onp and Nroa. The second had her curling up into a ball, trying to protect herself from all the flying debris as the outer wall of the room was blown out.

Carefully, Mac moved to sit up and took in the devastation that only moments ago had been a room full of people. The exterior wall that had opened into a small, walled area was gone, and those further out were only rubble. As the smoke and dust began to clear, she saw a ship was landing.

"Mackenzie!" Onp suddenly materialized at her side. "Are you injured?"

"I... I don't think so," she said slightly dazed trying to take in all the destruction she was seeing. "What's going on?"

"Then come, we must get you out of here!" He told her, ignoring her question as he pulled her to her feet.

"Get me out?" she asked looking around in horror at the mangled bodies.

"Yes. We are under attack! We must get you to safety."

"No, we need to help the injured." She jerked her arm out of his hold, her eyes frantically searching where Jen had been. All she found was turned over cots. "Jen!" she screamed starting to run across the room. "Where are you?!!"

"Mackenzie, no!" Onp shouted, knocking her down when blaster fire suddenly filled the room. Rolling, he pulled his blaster and returned fire. "Go!" he ordered still firing. "Find some place to hide until we can get you out of here."

Mac immediately obeyed, crawling toward where she'd last seen Jen, ignoring the glass that was cutting into her skin.

"Jen!" she screamed. "Jen!"

"Over here," a faint voice called back.

"Jen!" she called out again moving toward the voice. "I'm coming, Jen"

Mac had just moved another cot out of her way to find Jen huddled back in a corner when she saw Jen's eyes widen in fear before she screamed out a warning. "Mac! Behind you!"

Mac swung around and screamed out in horror at the Zaludian moving toward her.
Oh my God!
Her mind screamed.
It's the Zaludians! She couldn't let them take her! She'd never survive it again!
She crab-crawled back away from him as fast as she could, but she didn't get far before the Zaludian grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the floor.

Mac clawed at the hand holding her but only managed to shred her fingers on the spiked glove covering it. Her mind screamed for Nikhil as the room began to dim and darkness started to invade her vision.

"No!" Mac barely heard the enraged scream, but she was suddenly dropped and she sucked in a much-needed breath. Rolling over, she meant to run, but instead, she froze when she saw Jen on the Zaludian's back, stabbing him repeatedly with one of Nikhil's blades.

The Zaludian reared back in pain, frantically reaching behind him to pull Jen away before throwing her against the wall. Her head hit with a sickening thud, and she collapsed into a boneless heap on the floor.

"Jen!" Mac screamed, but the Zaludian was on her again, this time swinging his fist and Mac's world went black.

T
he transport had barely touched down behind the Zaludian ship before Nikhil had opened the hatch, a blaster in one hand, his sword in the other. He jumped out and was running toward the survivors’ area. They'd all heard the comms from Onp and Nroa calling for reinforcements, saying they were under direct attack and taking heavy casualties. He prayed to the Goddess that his Mackenzie wasn't one of them.

More Zaludians poured out of their ship trying to slow them down, but Nikhil just carved a path through them, never more thankful for his massive size and strength. Any that got close, he ended with his sword. Those further away he cut down with his blaster. No one was stopping him from getting to his Mackenzie's side.

He had just reached what had been the exterior wall of the building when he heard his Mackenzie's scream and saw a Zaludian strike her in the face, the sharp spikes of his gloves shredding her delicate, pale skin.

"No!" his roar was filled with all the rage and pain that filled his soul as he watched her head snap back. He fired at the Zaludian, sending him to meet Daco, then reaching his Mackenzie's side dropped his weapons, catching her before she hit the ground.

"Mackenzie!" he whispered as her ravaged face fell back over his arm. He didn't notice how Onp, Nroa, Gryf, and Treyvon instantly formed a protective circle around them. Didn't notice that the human males and Nekeoks were fighting the Zaludians with anything they could find. His entire focus was on his Mackenzie.

"Get her to Luol!" Treyvon ordered. "Onp, Nroa, Gryf, clear a path."

"General, the base is not secure," Gryf informed him.

"Which is why Onp and Nroa will accompany Nikhil and make sure he and his Ashe get to medical. Gryf, you will remain with me, and we will finish eradicating this filth from our planet."

"Agreed, General," Gryf responded, and he started clearing the path to what had once been the entrance to the area.

Nikhil swept Mackenzie up in his arms and relied on those he most trusted to protect them both on their way to medical. "Hold on, Little One," he whispered.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Hold on, Little One..."

The words whispered through her mind, and her soul reached out for them. She needed them, him to survive, but he and the words faded away.

"Nikhil!" she cried out, but Nikhil didn't respond. Someone else did.

"Why do you call out for the one you thought to refuse?" a melodic voice questioned.

Mac spun around to find the most stunningly, beautiful woman she had ever seen standing just a short distance behind her, and instinctively she knew she was the Goddess.

"What?" she questioned.

"Why do you call out for the male you thought to refuse?" she asked again.

"I never refused Nikhil!"

"You thought to refuse his True Mate bead. It is the same as refusing him."

"It is
not
the same! This,” she grabbed the strand of hair holding the bead, "has nothing to do with what I feel for Nikhil!"

"Then I will remove it." The Goddess reached out and was shocked when her hand was slapped away.

"You will not touch it!" One instant Mac found herself growling at the Goddess, the next there was an explosion and she was flying across the floor. The largest male she had ever seen was leaning down over her, his glowing eyes glaring at her. He was even larger than Nikhil, and while his eyes glowed like a Kaliszian, his long, dark hair covered his entire head, and his skin seemed to change colors like a chameleon.

"Raiden!" the Goddess exclaimed.

"She
harmed
you!" he growled.

"I shouldn't have tried to remove her True Mate bead," the Goddess was immediately at his side.

"That matters not! No one harms you!"

"Then tell her to keep her hands to herself," Mac found herself saying, her anger replacing her fear.

The male gave her a shocked look before he stood and an amazing smile transformed his scowling face into one that stole her breath. He was the most handsome male she had ever seen.

"Thank you," he told her, his deep voice seeming to fill the universe.

"He's mine," the Goddess said, stepping between them and the temperature of the room dropped drastically. "
My
mate."

It was a struggle, but Mac was finally able to pull her gaze from the male to look at the Goddess. "Good. Great. Fine. I've already got a male, and he's all I want."

"Really? Then why did you threaten to cut off his True Mate bead?"

"Because I don't need it to know he's mine." Mac's gaze ran over her. "I see
you
don't wear a True Mate bead. Are you sure he,” she nodded toward Raiden, “is your True Mate?" she asked raising a questioning eyebrow.

Mac wasn't prepared for how dark everything suddenly became or how the ground beneath her shook, but she felt the rage emanating from both of them.

"
You dare question our bond!??"
they both roared.

"Sucks, doesn't it?!! To have others question your commitment all because of some bead!"

Raiden was the first of the two to calm, and he gave her a considering look. "You are very brave for one so small."

"Am I?" Mac asked.

"Yes. Few are willing to stand up to me," Raiden told her.

"Perhaps that's because you knock them on their ass first and ask questions later," Mac told him.

"Perhaps." Raiden took a step back, extending his hand to help her up. Mac took it and with that touch understood so much more than she had before. With his touch, he allowed her to see how he and the Goddess fell in love, how a lower God named Daco destroyed the people he had left behind to be with his mate, and how they suffered. Daco hadn't been able to drive Raiden out of the memory of the Kaliszian people as he had hoped though, but they had nearly destroyed themselves trying to find what Raiden had, a True Mate. Because of that, Raiden and the Goddess had created the True Mate bead.

Gasping at the onslaught of information, she ripped her hand from his.

"Now you see," he told her.

"Yes, but the bead you created no longer brings comfort or peace to the Kaliszian people," Mac told him quietly.

"What do you mean?" Raiden demanded.

"When you," she looked to the Goddess, "cursed the Kaliszians with the Great Infection, you didn't just kill the plants that feed their bodies, you killed what they needed to feed their souls! Their True Mates."

"Impossible!" The Goddess moved to stand in front of her mate, her eyes blazing into Mac's.

"But it's true. I am the first person your True Mate bead has transferred to in nearly five-hundred years."

"No!" The Goddess stumbled back looking up at her mate in horror. "Raiden, that can't be true! It was never what I intended."

"I know, my love. I know," he said, pulling her into the safety of his arms.

"What
did
you intend?" Mac asked. "Because from what I have seen you meant to destroy those you once held dear."

"I was in such a rage when I learned what Emperor Berto did to his young female offspring... How others allowed it... I wanted to punish them, make them hurt as much as I did, as those young females had."