Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge (15 page)

Amy nodded. The fear in her eyes replaced the hazy afterglow of lovemaking she’d just worn. He quickly eased out of his mate, and without even putting her down raced toward their closets. He stopped halfway between the “his and hers” closets, not approaching either of them but the empty wall space between them.

 
After pressing a hidden release switch in one of the seams along the wall, a huge double hanging rack of uniforms and
Manruvian
pressure suits came sliding out of the wall. The pressure suits needed to be donned immediately in case of a loss of atmosphere or air contamination. Let’s just hope they both managed to get into them on time.

After selecting a suit for himself he looked up over at his mate. A look of grim determination was all he could see as she slipped her legs into the form fitting material. The material was the same as that of the mate bonds.

Hunter snorted.

What’s so funny?

I’m just thankful we completed the mating before this happened.

Why’s that?

Because once
Manruvians
scent their future mate, they go into mating heat. If this happens while wearing the suit, it becomes a part of them and can’t be taken off. The suits begin to affect the two mates and their libidos. It also works on other shifters.
His gaze became thoughtful.
I don’t know about full humans though.

What do you mean?

If one or both fights the union, the suits will make any unmated pair sexually frustrated to the point of pain before allowing the suits to dissolve just enough that intercourse can happen. And that can only happen if there is no danger to their bodies and both people are mentally accepting of the mating. Until then, all that’ll happen is an extreme case of sexual need and no release in sight—for either of them. Only once the male is lodged in the woman’s channel, the mating heat begins to subside and only when all danger has passed in the atmosphere will the suits completely dissolve into the mates’ skin as with the mate bonds.

Amy’s eyes widened.
Oh crap, I sure hope
Mikel
either has already started bonding with whoever his mate is, or doesn’t fully catch her scent until the danger is past then.

Hunter nodded. He couldn’t agree more.

They were both pulling the fitted masks over their faces when
Mikel
burst through the door of his cabin. He’d already donned his pressurized suit. In fact, now that he thought about it, the title of the suit and what it was used for compared to what it looked like might be cause for explanation.

Because,
Mikel
fully adorned in the
Manruvian
pressure suit looked like he was about to go diving in an ocean. The only thing missing from the suits were an air tank and those were unnecessary as the material converted the outside, polluted air into breathable, oxygenated air.

“We’ve got to secure the decks. We’re putting all the non-warrior trained women and children in one central location so they’re easier to protect. All the other men and women with training will be searching the ship, one level at a time until we find whoever is causing trouble on this ship,”

Amy looked from him to
Mikel
then lifted her head proudly. “Do you have an Empath on board? It would be helpful to have several who could catch someone lying about why they are where they are.”

“I have about half a dozen, Amy Shi’Lan. What do you suggest?”

“Then I suggest each team or each level have one Empath put in place that can question stragglers on the levels, those that don’t seem in any hurry to be somewhere.”

Hunter nodded. “That is a very wise idea.”

“And I’ll be on one of the teams. I’ve always hidden my abilities.” She paused. “Among my people on Earth, I would be considered a freak so I’ve always suppressed them, but I think it’s time I used them how they were meant to be used,” Amy added.

How could Hunter refuse her? Not only was it a sound idea, but his mate needed to be needed, to discover her own self-worth.

Decision reached, Hunter nodded. “Fine, let’s go. Taliff will guard Eve as well as all the women and children along with his security team. You and I, along with
Mikel
here and his warriors will search the ship.”

He turned to
Mikel
. “Is that alright with you?”

Mikel
smiled. “It’s more of a plan than I had. Let me organize the teams. Meet me outside the Rec. Room. It’s the closest area of the ship to where the damage was done.”

Hunter didn’t want to ask
Mikel
this, but somebody had to say it.
“Sabotage?”

Mikel
grimaced. “Looks like it. The fuel cell was tampered with. The environmental and gravitational systems are going haywire. And worst of all, the ship’s shielding has been completely disabled.”

“Well,” Hunter said, “let’s not waste any more time finding the culprit or culprits. You can never be too careful.”

Mikel
clasped Hunter’s forearm in a warrior’s embrace.
“Agreed.”

Amy adjusted her facemask one last time then said, “I suggest we check the prisoner level first. The Black Rose has a habit of killing her compatriots when they’ve outgrown their usefulness.”

Grimacing, Hunter placed the palm of his hand against her lower back. “If it’s alright with
Mikel
, we’ll check there on our way to the Recreation Room.”

“No, that’s fine and it saves us from wasting time waiting. You and Amy and your royal bodyguards head down to the prison level. When
it’s
all clear there, head to the rendezvous location.”

Hunter and Amy, and his two bodyguards, Andre and
Meric
, made quick time getting to the prisoner level.
Unfortunately, it looked like someone else got to it first. Laser scorches pit marked the walls. Cell doors had been blasted off their hinges. And when they reached Chrissie’s cell it looked like a small battle had occurred there. Blood splattered the walls, bedding was shredded. Furniture and clothes had been tossed every which way. Even the metal ledge that was her bed looked partially melted.

Beside him, Amy trembled. “Where’s Chrissie? Where the hell is Chrissie?”

His guards searched the room. Finally, after nearly five minutes of searching the tiny cell,
Meric
approached Hunter, a piece of paper in his hand.

“What is it? Hunter, what is it?” Amy cried.

Hunter turned toward his mate, knowing she could see the pain in his eyes. “It’s a letter from the Black Rose.”

“What does it say? Please, you’re worrying me. What does it say?”

Chapter Eleven

“Which of my traitors do I kill, dear brother? Those who would only help my cause because I hold their families or should I kill their families themselves? I hear you have found your mate. Did you know that her brother is the only male born to her pride in the last nineteen years?

Should we kill him or should we continue to torture him with the drugs that make him the animal he has now become? You choose, dear brother, who shall live and who shall die? You will never find us. The Black Rose will forever be out of your reach.”

Amy fell to her knees. “Nineteen? He’s nineteen now?” Somehow the passage of years hadn’t reached to her brother. He’d remained the loveable teenager he’d always been in her mind. “How can so many years be lost? How does one woman feel that she has the right to do this?” She fisted her hands, her anger finally showing in the changing color of her skintight pressure suit. “What gives her the right? What makes her think she has the right to interfere, to torture and dictate other’s lives the way she does?”

Hunter took her by the arm and practically dragged her from the area to the rendezvous point. On their way, they found a severely injured Chrissie. Her arms were bent at odd angles. Her face was battered and bruised, barely recognizable. Cuts, some minor, some inches deep, ran up and down her entire body.

Amy searched her mind ruthlessly to see if she’d been left as a spy or for dead. Apparently it was the latter as the woman knew nothing and was near death. They quickly transported her into medical stasis and headed toward the recreation room. As soon as they reached
Mikel
, they found him directing his people.

“Did you find any traitors on board?”

He nodded.
“A few.
Some were influenced by drugs. Others were just fanatics, following The Black Rose. But your mate’s suggestion of taking
Empaths
along was a wonderful idea. There were several spies. It was a good thing they weren’t in areas where they were privy to any sensitive information. She still knows nothing of our plan. This was just another raid to gather single females. By the looks of it, she has no idea about our impending raid.”

“
Hull
breach now repaired, recommend removal of environmental suits,” the computer announced as Maryann walked into the room tugging on the facemask.

“Why the hell can’t I take this thing off and what the hell is that I feel crawling up my
aiieee
!”

“Uh oh,” Amy muttered as she slid her own face mask off. Behind her she heard a muttered, “By the Goddess, not now.” She whipped her head around to find
Mikel
on his knees, quaking. His gray pressure suit was quickly changing colors and within seconds had turned vibrantly red.

Amy turned her head and looked back to Maryann. Her suit had changed colors too and now matched
Mikel’s
. Maryann had her eyes squeezed tight as she panted.

“Well, Hunter, it seems these two need a few minutes alone. Why don’t we go back to the medical bay and check on Chrissie while the computer counts personnel and finds out just how many people the Black Rose seized this time.”

Hunter smiled at
Mikel
who had begun to groan. Beneath his facemask sweat pooled and heated hunger filled
Mikel’s
gaze. “I think that’s an excellent idea, Amy. I think these two have some serious talking to do.”

Amy watched Hunter’s shoulders shake as they made their way out of the Recreation Room. He may like
Mikel
but he was certainly finding this situation humorous.

You think
Mikel’s
situation is funny, do you?

Well, yes, actually, I do.
Mikel
has been searching for his mate as long as I have. The fact that the suit won’t free him until she commits to him, I find incredibly ironic.

Well how do you think Maryann feels? Her body is being used against her again, but this time she has nothing and no one to fight but her own fears. She’s going to feel helpless, then angry that her body is betraying her. I don’t think anything about this is funny.

Hunter shook his head and sighed
. Put that way, I must agree.

Amy smiled then elbowed him in the ribs.
Tell you what, when all the danger has passed, let’s see who can withstand the pressure in the suit better, you or me? Can they be programmed to work like that on a mated couple?

It would work if we abstain long enough before putting them on—especially if you’re in heat.
Hunter quirked an eyebrow and smiled as though the bet had already been won
. I’ll have to take you up on that when we have the time. But right now, we need to question Chrissie then head to our targets. We aren’t going to let this latest attack change our plans, no matter what my sister thinks.

Amy squeezed his hand in comfort then went silent. She couldn’t imagine what it must feel like for Hunter knowing his sister was the Black Rose and was responsible for the horrendous acts of slavery and sexual torture of others. When she opened herself to the bond she could feel his sense of guilt. It was eating him alive.

She stopped dead in her tracks.
Faced her mate.
“Hunter,” she said, lifting her hand to caress his cheek, “what your sister has done as the Black Rose is not your fault. The fact that she’s still free is not your fault. Eventually, she will get caught. She will pay for her crimes. And in the meantime, we’re going to continue doing just what we are—rescuing those she’s captured.”

Hunter smiled slightly then closed his eyes as he leaned into her hand as though savoring her touch. “You are too good for me, love. I don’t think I’ll ever deserve you. I’ll pray to the Goddess everyday, thanking her for blessing me with you for a mate.”

Amy could feel the heat flooding her cheeks, could feel Hunter’s sincerity blasting through their bond. He truly felt she was the greatest blessing of his life and she couldn’t quite believe it. Her life, her psyche, was so messed up, she might never be whole yet he thought she was a blessing.

And you are, my mate. I will never, ever regret that you are mine. The Goddess blessed me and that’s all there is to it. Get used to it. You’re mine and I’m never letting you get away from me.