Prime Obsession (31 page)

“We’re at the door to go outside. We only have Prime battle-blades, kindly left in
our little locked room, to defend the back entrance. Send us some backup once I give you
the outside location. Okay?”

“Got it. I’ll send Huw and Iolyn.”

“Oh and besides weapons, send us something to wear—”
Wulf cut in.
“You’re naked!”
Wulf’s gentle touch traveled over her body.
“The
bastards bruised your marking?”
The growl that traveled their connection was like a buzz saw on speed.

“Wulf, Stop—my head!”
Mel grasped her head and fell onto the floor and curled into a fetal position. She dry-heaved until she thought she would choke. The growling stopped as quickly as it had started. Gentle invisible fingers stroked her head in apology.

“I’ll be coming up there with Huw. Don’t engage the enemy. Just give me directions,
lubha.
I’ll be there soon.”

Nadia placed her arm around Mel’s shoulder and brushed some hair from her face.

“What happened? You looked as if you had a convulsion or a fit.” Mel peered up at her friend. The lovely Russian’s cornflower blue eyes were dark with worry. “Wulf has two growls. The sexy-I’m-so-pissed-off-at-you-I-want-to-fuck-you-blind growl and the really-pissed-off-I’ll-kill-you growl. The first makes me hot—

the second one, although aimed at the enemy, hurts me. I just got a dose of both.” Mel neglected to mention the assorted growls he made while making love to her—

some things were just plain private.

Nadia shook her head. “
Dermo
. I’m in trouble then. Huw does the same, although I suspect I don’t feel them as strongly as you.”

The Russian straightened from her crouch and pulled Mel up with her. “Let’s go. I found the same mechanism you used in the room. I opened the outside door and reconnoitered. We are alone up here.”

“For now.” Mel allowed Nadia to help her through the exit.

The sky was overcast. She shivered. “We need cover until Huw and Wulf get here.”

“Huw? He’s coming?” Nadia blushed, a full-body blush that made her head wound look even more bloody. “We’re naked.”

“Can’t be helped. We need clothing and weapons—and backup. Once the enemy realizes we’re gone or that they’re trapped—they’ll use the back way just as we did.” Mel captured Nadia’s eye. “As for Huw, no matter what may or may not be going on between you two—Huw is a gentleman and an officer. He will not goad you about this.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Nadia settled behind a rock with a good view of the entrance and a good defensive position. “I’m afraid he’ll go off half-cocked and get himself killed trying to avenge us.”

Nadia had said “us,” but Mel intuited that her friend had meant just “me.”

“Yeah,” Mel chuckled, “he could do that. He’s very much like his brother. I’m not sure how their mother survived all that alpha-male testosterone all these years. The woman deserves a medal.”

Nadia smiled weakly at Mel’s obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

Mel joined her, crouching down, her arm with the weapon lying lightly across her knees, keeping her maneuverability. “Good choice of rock, Nadia.” Looking around, she sensed Wulf’s current location.

“Wulf, we are half way up the mountain in a direct line of sight from your current
position. I see a path beginning in an outcropping of rocks to your left about twenty
degrees.”

She also sent him an image of what the exit looked like and the position of Nadia’s and her rock.

“Got it. Hold on, love. We’re coming.”

*

“Father. Huw and I will join Nadia and Melina up on the mountain.” Wulf pointed toward the spot Melina had described. “The women are safe, but have minimal weapons and are watching the only back way out of the underground fortifications.”

“They are unhurt?” His father asked, concern for them evident in his dark gold eyes.

“Yes.” Wulf shook his head, swiping shaky fingers through his hair. “No. I think Melina is underplaying their injuries. I sensed her pain—and her concern for Nadia.”

“Nadia is injured?” Huw stiffened and cast an agonized glance at the mountainside.

“Let’s go. I don’t like them up there alone—and undefended.”

“They got themselves away from their captors, brother,” Iolyn said. “I’m sure they are in a defensible position and have armed themselves.”

“They have,” Wulf said, “but they’re naked—and their weapons are ancient battle-blades they found in the old fortification.” Both Iolyn and Huw snarled something which would never be translated. “Which is why Huw and I will go get them. Do not attack until you hear my battle cry.”

“Go quickly, my sons,” his father urged. “I’ll direct the attack at your signal.” His father glanced around at the approximately twenty crew men called in from Gold Squadron. “I know your and Melina’s crew will fight superbly.” One sharp jerk of his head was the only acknowledgment he gave his father as he turned and led Huw toward the path that would lead them to the women.

“Wulf,” Huw murmured “What did Melina tell you?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” rasped Wulf, “which is why we’re heading up to play defense rather than attacking and killing the
apayebote
that took our women.”

“Your woman,” Huw corrected. “Nadia is nothing to me but a fellow officer and crew member.”

“Congratulations. You said that with a straight face, brother,” snorted Wulf. “Who are you fooling? You’ve got the hots for Nadia Petrovich and have since you first met her.”

“She is Terran, brother,” Huw said. “I’m holding out for a Prime bond mate such as yours.”

Wulf grunted. “And what if that never occurs? Are you willing to be alone forever?” When his brother didn’t answer, Wulf chanced a sidelong glance. Huw’s face was creased in worry lines. His expression grim—and sad. No, his brother wouldn’t be happy alone. Of the three of them, Huw had always been the most light-hearted, the most family-oriented.

“
Lubha
? Are you okay? We have started toward you.”

“We’re fine. Cold. Thirsty. Sore. But we’ll do. Why are you sad?”

“Huw is denying his attraction to Nadia. Says he wants a Prime mate and will do
without if he doesn’t find one.”

“Well, we’ll see. Once he sees her … well, we’ll see.”

“You were talking with Melina,” Huw stated. “Are they okay?”

“Yes. We’ll see them soon—around the next curve.”

Both of them sped up. Senses wide open, Wulf searched for any unseen enemy lurking in the rocks along the well-trod path. Huw’s head was up, his gaze scanning. His brother caught his glance, and Wulf shook his head. Nothing out there but the women.

Increasing their speed, they rounded the corner.

Melina stood and protected Nadia, who leaned against a rock. Their science officer was pale and bleeding sluggishly from a head wound. Both women sported multiple bruises and cuts.

All of this Wulf took in one glance. He moved toward Melina, who moved toward him. Huw, swearing under his breath, raced to Nadia.

“Melina,” rasped Wulf as he pulled her into his arms. His lips covered her face with gentle, loving kisses as he pressed her gently into his strength and warmth, his face against her hair.

“
Diew
, life with you is never boring.”

“Never. I’ll never leave you.” She stroked his back.

“Promise.”

“I promise.”

Reluctantly he released her. Sweeping a comprehensive glance over her nakedness, he categorized her injuries, then pulled his tunic over his head. He let out a ragged breath, throttling back his anger. “You are not just bruised, little one.”

“Nadia is the one who is hurt. A few bruises aren’t going to stop me,” she said in a huff as she took the shirt he offered and pulled it over her head. “There. Now if I fight I don’t have to worry about my ass hanging out in the wind.” She threw Wulf a jaunty grin. “You can order the attack now, my
gemat
. I can feel the men’s eagerness to kick ass all the way up here.” Wulf laughed. He let out a loud, guttural roar that echoed off the surrounding mountains. Several Prime battle cries answered his. The sound of laser fire soon followed.

Wulf gestured to the defensive position the women had found. “Shall we? I expect some rats shall leave the scene via the back door.”

“Slugs—and they slither,” Mel said as she allowed him to put his arm around her to lead her back to Nadia and Huw.

“What?” Wulf asked.

“Nadia and I decided they were slugs,” Mel explained. “Slimy, cold-blooded and with no spines.”

“I’d like to cut off the
apayebo’s
balls that would treat a woman such as he did you both,” Huw spat. His shirt now covered Nadia and the Russian woman’s head lay on Huw’s thigh, her eyes closed.

“Is Nadia okay, brother?” Wulf asked.

Melina nudged him in his side. His gaze captured hers and she winked.

“Huw is not all that indifferent, now is he?”

“I agree. But it will not be an easy battle. I am assuming Nadia is in denial also?”

“Some. Wulf, she’s empathic. She can differentiate between the growls.”

“Ahhh. It will be interesting to watch, eh?”

Mel grinned and nodded. Her smile left her face as her head jerked up. Her nostrils flared as if she smelled something bad.

Wulf sniffed the air, tuning into her senses. At first, he found nothing, then he smelled it too. The sharp acidic smell of sweat brought on by sphincter-weakening fear.

The slugs were close to the fortification exit.

“Huw! Arm Nadia and take your positions. The battle is coming to us,” Wulf ordered as he pulled Melina to another outcropping. He shoved a laser pistol into her hands, then took his place at her side. “Shoot to kill, my love. I want these
apayebote
dead.”

“What about questioning them?” Melina asked as she aimed the pistol at the door to the fortification. “The leader is not Beria nor Luka. It is someone else.”

“That’s right,
lubha
.” Wulf aimed his laser rifle. “My bitch of an aunt admitted she had lost control of the purists she used to further her own agenda. She didn’t even care that she’d started something that might destroy our world.”

“Bitch is right,” snarled Melina. “Did you strangle her?” Wulf laughed harshly. “No, but I promised to if you were hurt.”

“They’re coming,” Mel replied. “Huw. Nadia. Be alert.”

“Nadia is unconscious, Melina,” Huw muttered. “Point out the
apayebo
that did this.

I want to slice him up into little pieces and then grind them under my heel.”

“Just shoot. If he isn’t in this bunch,” Melina replied with a snarl of her own, “I’ll take you to him personally. He tried to rape Nadia after she stopped him from beating on my
gemate
marking.”

“Huw, I will help you kill this offal,” Wulf said, his tones colder than the Alliance’s prison planet in winter.

Huw nodded. “I get first dibs, though.”

“Agreed.” Wulf growled, then said, “Sorry,
lubha
. I forgot your head hurts.” Melina kissed his bare arm. “Growl all you want. Our combined adrenaline rush has made me forget all about it.”

At that point the door opened and five Prime males ran out of the mountainside.

Wulf took out the first man. Melina got the second. Huw got the third. With three down, the other two were outnumbered. They dropped their weapons and raised their hands.

“I’ll jam the door mechanism from this side, trapping any others,” Mel offered.

Wulf sent her an angry glance. “Why didn’t you do that before?”

“I wanted to see how familiar they were with the facility,” she said. “Also, it reveals something about the enemy.”

“What’s that?” snarled Wulf, so angry that he almost spit the words.

“They aren’t well-trained,” Mel pulled up the key pad and entered a lock-down code.

“The ones we’ve gone against in the past had some military background. I wanted to see what the dirtside rebels were made of. No militarily trained soldiers would’ve poured out the back that way. They would’ve had defenses inside, lured our men in and, picked them off one-by-one.”

“Like you did on Obam IV?” Wulf smiled. “Okay, I see your point. And your conclusion?”

“The rebels we dealt with on the
Galanti
were recruited by Beria and Luka from family members for their own ends. I think you’ll find that the first two rebels, Prolow and Ullyn, were distant family members of Luka’s who had purist leanings.”

“Beria and Luka,” spat one of the two rebels still standing. “Opportunistic, selfish aristocrats the both of them. They were not truly of the cause.”

“That’s the beta-slug, talking. Alpha-slug is dead over there,” Mel said. “Beta was the one who assaulted both Nadia and me.”

Huw roared and dropped the other man that he’d tied up with the man’s own clothing. He lunged at beta-slug and knocked him to the ground. The man stayed down, cowering at Huw’s feet. “Get up, you coward. Let’s see how you fight against a man instead of helpless, naked women.”