Taming the Raven's Son (Galactic Lust) (10 page)

He climbed the steps of the arena. She’d become still and
quiet. Her mood certainly didn’t suggest anger or fury. The damage went a lot
deeper.

We haven’t time for hurt feelings or nonsense, Sage. Let
me show you how things can be between a man and woman. Fill my ears with your
beautiful moans. Pretend to care for me. It won’t last for long. I promise.

Sovereign viewed them through the camera, wishing he could
hear their dialogue. Damn Ryker for having the ability to keep expressions from
his face. He could almost guarantee Heat had told Ryker why the arena was under
repairs. Sovereign chuckled.

There’s a reason I followed you, Ryker.

Derron, Grimm’s half brother, had been years younger. He
would’ve straightened out in time. He’d never meant to kill anyone. A simple
robbery escalated to a life-and-death struggle. Derron survived. Others died.
Grimm tracked his brother’s escapades. He’d tried warning him how the
Governance viewed his actions.

He’d been too young to understand and heed the advice. He’d
gotten a taste of blood and money and craved more. Rehabilitation would’ve been
the proper route to take. But the Governance hadn’t seen it that way.

“Sovereign, sir?” one of his men asked.

“What?”

“We’ve detected predator felines at the perimeter. Should we
sound the alarm?”

Any number of things could happen with the beasts roaming
the town. It’d been hours since anyone had died. Today was a splendid day for
it. He’d make sure one of Ryker’s men fell victim. Would Ryker show some
emotion this time? Grimm doubted it. Governance hunters didn’t possess
emotions. At least not normal ones.

“No, not immediately,” Grimm replied, savoring the prospect
of punishing Ryker, knowing the death of his followers caused him pain even if
he couldn’t express it properly. “Have our men take cover, though. I’ll give
the signal when to warn the others.”

“Yes, sir.”

Grimm pushed Ryker in an attempt to break him. Even after
sustaining heavy losses, the hunter hadn’t shed a tear while burying the dead.
After so much turmoil, would he form an attachment to the woman? Of course he
would. She was soft and pretty and would garner his attention. His actions
proved he needed to nurture and care for her.

If Ryker refused to use the wickerwhip on her, Grimm would
have someone take his place. Ryker would be restrained to watch her perish.
Maybe then Grimm could witness a glimpse of anguish on his stony face.
Something to let Grimm know he’d made the bastard feel pain from a loss. After
all, why shouldn’t Ryker suffer too? Losing Derron cost Grimm his position in
the Governance. Revenge was the only motivation in his life worth pursuing after
that.

An eye for an eye
.

* * * * *

Sage insisted on walking back to the main building. The
pebbles beneath her feet didn’t hurt nearly as badly as before. She’d gone numb
from the news Heat had witnessed her surrender to Jacob. It shouldn’t matter,
but it did. A brisk wind whipped against them. Neither Heat nor Jacob appeared
affected by the frequent gusts. If Jacob hadn’t held her arm, she would’ve
blown away.

The homes they passed had been fabricated from stone, much
like the larger structure where Jacob resided. Each dwelling boasted its own
plot of land. She’d heard of worlds where people lived like this. So much space
and freedom was difficult to comprehend.

“The buildings interest you?” Jacob asked.

Actually, not much attracted her attention at the moment
except going home, back to a comfortable, predictable life. Still, she wouldn’t
mind a bit of history. “The structures all appear to be the same age.”

“They were constructed shortly after we arrived. Prevelor
was a virtual wasteland before we came.”

“Why did you settle here?”

“The climate’s mild. The soil fertile, able to sustain life.
It’s not on any trade route or shipping lane. We could live in relative peace
without interference from others.”

“Isolated.”

“Quiet.”

She looked beyond the immediate structures to the larger
ones looming in the distance. As with the arena, they stood in disrepair. She
could easily imagine how this city might’ve looked before Sovereign arrived. In
a barbaric sort of way, it would’ve been majestic. A bit primitive perhaps, but
habitable.

A deafening siren blared and people scrambled into nearby
buildings. Jacob pulled her from her feet and ran at a jaw-rattling pace.
Events happened so quickly, she couldn’t gain her bearings. With a jolt, Jacob
released her and she flew through the air before landing in a heap on the soft
ground off the roadway.

Roars and screams echoed around her. She flipped over and
sat up, trying to figure out what was happening. Jacob jumped to his feet.

Heat stood to his right, crouched slightly with his massive
forearms raised. It was a battle stance. She recognized it from broadcasts of
military police fighting down an insurgence. Jacob had also assumed a similar
pose. Within the blink of an eye, a huge, white, four-legged animal leapt
toward him.

Long fangs, glowing eyes and bared claws flew at him. He
deflected the creature’s paws with his arm and fell back, using his feet to
kick it high into the air. On its descent, Heat grabbed its fangs with
unbelievable speed, threw his body into the beast and wrenched its neck. The
loud death crack sickened her.

From his back, Jacob threw his feet into the air. His body
followed, bringing him to a thudding landing, crouched on his feet. He stood
and whipped around, scanning the vicinity before he stopped, facing her.
“Heat!”

Heat released the animal, kicked it in the face and spun in
her direction. His hands fisted as he drew a massive breath. The animalistic
roar that emerged from him raised the hairs at the back of her neck and on her
arms.

What’s wrong with him?

Jacob reached down and grabbed a flat stone from the ground,
his unblinking eyes trained on her the entire time. With a quick flick of his
hand, he cut his wrist.

“Jacob?”

“Don’t move,” he replied. He held out his blood-soaked wrist
in her direction. “Don’t speak. Don’t breathe.”

Something nudged her back and she closed her eyes. A warm
stench washed over her as something breathed on the back of her head.

There’s one behind me!
Her lips moved but she didn’t
utter the words.

A massive weight handed on her shoulder, toppling her to her
side.

I won’t look. I don’t want to see it.

Heat bellowed and the animal grunted before it expelled
another hot breath onto her neck.
Whuff, whuff, whuff.

She opened her eyes as it leapt over her and ran toward
Jacob. Heat flew forward as it pounced on Jacob. She turned away, frantically
searching for something, anything to help. In the distance, armed guards
appeared. They’d never make it in time.

Beside the nearest house, a long rod leaned against a
staircase. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted with every ounce of power in
her body. She slid to a stop, grabbing the spear-like rod before turning and
slamming her back onto the stone.

The creature twisted and dug its claws into the ground,
thrusting itself into a dead run. It came at her. Her legs weakened and she
dropped to the ground, holding the pole under her arm, pointing it at the
charging beast.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Her eyes squeezed tight as her body
braced for the killing impact.

The rod jerked.

A deafening roar shook her body.

A second of silence and then a bone-crushing force smashed
her flat to the ground. The animal covering her heaved as it screamed in pain.
It thrashed up and down, knocking the air from her lungs.

Die, please die already!

She couldn’t move a centimeter with its massive weight
pinning her. It inhaled deeply before groaning out a final breath. A large claw
pressed into her arm as it succumbed to its wounds.

The heat and weight of the animal made her gasp for air.
None was available. She panicked as she realized even though she’d lived
through the attack, the damn thing would smother her to death. The rush of
adrenaline gave her strength to try to fight her way from beneath. She
couldn’t.

Dizzy and nauseous, she swayed as the ground beneath her
started spinning faster and faster. The strangest memory materialized. Surely
close to death, she should’ve thought about the things most important to her.
Instead Jacob appeared. His face was shrouded behind a mask of excruciating
pleasure.

Jacob!

Jacob and Heat ran toward the fallen beast. Guards slid to a
stop around them. Without being told what to do, they all grabbed handfuls of
fur. When Heat counted to three, they all tugged and pulled the beast from atop
Sage.

Blood covered her limp body. He worked his hands and arms
beneath her before lifting her gently, reverently into his arms.

“Hurry,” one of the guards said. “Her only chance is the med
unit in the main building.”

Jacob staggered and Heat grabbed his arm, steadying him. A
guard turned to take her from his grasp. Heat shoved him aside as they hurried
to the main building. In the background, one of Sovereign’s men contacted the
guards inside. He instructed them to have the unit powered up and ready.

As he jogged, Sage bounced lifelessly, her arms and legs
swinging freely, blood spattering his pants legs and leaving a trail behind
them. He whispered, “I told you to stay still. Damn you. I told you not to
move.”

Sovereign stood at the top of the stairs, blocking the way.
Jacob would kill him or die trying to get her to the med unit.

She won’t die like this. Nor will she die by my hand
.

He’d lost too much in his life. His youth, his early
adulthood, Deedra and then his home. Something inside him fractured at the
thought of losing Sage too. Tiny talons dug at his stomach, opening a hole,
allowing something wonderful and terrible to spill out of its hiding place. For
the first time in many years, he didn’t have complete control of himself. The
scent of blood accompanied by the wounded woman in his arms created a whirlwind
of unnatural emotions.

What’s happening?

To his surprise, the guards running ahead of them stopped
halfway up the stairs, forming a barrier between Jacob and Sovereign.

Neither he nor Heat questioned their actions. More than
likely, though, they didn’t want the main attraction in their entertainment to
die. Without her, there’d be no public whipping. They ran inside before
pounding up the winding staircase. Guards waited outside the room that housed
the med unit. It lay open and waiting when they stepped inside. He placed Sage
within the enclosure and lowered the lid.

Anger and self-loathing filled his gut. The alarm should’ve
sounded sooner. The animals could’ve been detected miles away. Had no one been
watching the monitors? This wouldn’t have happened if he’d been in charge. He
pounded his fists against the glass containment unit, damning himself for not
moving quicker, acting faster.

The hinges on the door to the room groaned shut, leaving him
and Heat alone with his mortally wounded meek.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“The hell it isn’t.”

The glass beneath his fists rose and he stepped back. Heat
stopped the glass from completely rising and closed it once more. “A
malfunction. Nothing more.” Heat mumbled the words.

If the glass raised that quickly, it likely meant she’d died
in his arms on the way to the unit. Was that what’d caused the unusual
stirrings deep within him? Had he neglected to hold her gently for her last
breath? Had she managed to slip away without even a moan to denote her passing?

The lid rose once more and Jacob closed his eyes. No
malfunction shut the unit down. The trail of blood she’d left spoke for itself.
Heat grasped his shoulder. “You have my sympathies, Jacob.”

I’ve lost her.

A heavy sigh came from the blood-soaked woman and Jacob
stepped to her side. He grabbed her wrist and felt for a pulse. Thank the stars
he found a strong and regular beat thudding beneath the skin. Heat reached past
him and raised her gown. Jacob swallowed the anger from his friend’s perusal.
Heat was merely checking for wounds.

The growing smile on his friend’s face relayed there weren’t
any. “You’ve been saddled with one extremely lucky, overly brave, obviously
stupid, blatantly disobedient woman, Jacob.”

Jacob smoothed the bloody gown back into place, placed her
hand on her stomach and lowered the glass. He adjusted the controls and the
chamber filled with white steam. Sovereign didn’t spy within the room because
no one spent any real amount of time in there.

“What are you doing?” Heat asked.

“If she emerges now and Sovereign finds out,” Jacob said,
“he won’t permit her a reprieve for her recent brush with death. If she lies
inside while the unit cleans and massages her for the next few hours, she will
have earned the right to some coddling and special care.”

Heat chuckled before wiping the grin from his face. “Well
then, with all the blood covering her, it should take hours to mend her.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“And while the unit tries to save her,” Heat said, grasping
Jacob’s forearm, “we should take advantage of the old-fashioned medical cabinet
and suture your wrist.”

Blood continued to run from the gash. “I could wait for her
to finish.”

“You’d run dry by then.” He slapped Jacob on the back and
walked to the cabinet. “Despite my size, I once had a reputation for being very
gentle.”

“In the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen it.”

“Ah, well, that’s because you haven’t seen me with a woman.”

Jacob chuckled. “You’re
not
comparing me to a woman,
are you?”