The poor man’s shoulders slumped and he leaned down, running his hand over the translucent cover enclosing the woman he obviously adored. “The women convinced us to allow Mindy to expose herself, to draw out the traitor.”
“What women?” Zed asked.
“Mine. And Tark’s. The High Councilor’s mate is also from Earth, a beautiful female named Eva. Earth females are stubborn, as I’m sure you have realized.” While he was speaking to Violet, he glanced at me, then Calder and Zed as he said the last. “Mindy and Eva conspired and then convinced us to allow it. In my hubris, I believed I could keep her safe, that the traitor would strike at me or Tark and not at one of our mates.”
“You were wrong.” Violet’s challenge went unanswered by her new brother, which was a good thing, because Calder was dangerously quiet, staring at Mindy beneath the healing pod’s cover, most likely imaging it was our Violet bleeding and injured. In pain.
No fucking way would he have allowed the action that put Mindy beneath the glass.
Goran raised his gaze to Violet and they stared at one another over the woman they both loved. “I was wrong. The attack was swift and organized. The assassin was in and out in the space of a few seconds. No one even saw him.”
Zed cleared his throat. “What does this assassin gain by striking down a helpless female?”
Violet’s shoulders stiffened at the word helpless, but she swallowed hard and waited for Goran’s answer. It was true, here on Trion, women were quite helpless, dependent upon their dominant mate. It was what they wanted, content to let their male lead. Yet looking at Goran, while he held the control, Mindy was the one with the power. The power to reduce him to the simplest male, completely at her mercy.
“The councilors, especially High Councilor Tark, have always displayed their dominance and worth by the quality of female who chooses to serve him, to kneel at his feet and openly display her submission to her master to everyone who sees them. The more valuable the female, the greater the trust and respect she bestows upon her mate. With Eva unable to attend because of the late stages of her pregnancy, and political unrest between the councilors, Tark would have been at a disadvantage with me there to support him without Mindy kneeling before me. The balance of power on Trion is very delicate, moored in politics and tradition that dates back thousands of years.”
“So, my helpless sister on her knees in front of a bunch of councilors gives you and this Tark guy more power?”
Goran nodded. “Yes.”
“This is insane.” Violet threw up her hands and blinked. Hard. “I don’t understand.”
“Mindy is rare and beautiful. An Interstellar Bride. Revered and respected above all others. As is Eva. Only three warriors on the council hold such a gift, me included. Councilor Roark is powerful, and Tark’s ally. His Earth mate is Natalie. Tark himself is the High Councilor of all Trion and has Eva. I am sworn to him, his second. I have been his for years. To have three such valuable females in one councilor’s alliance gives him much power and respect across the entire planet. With power comes stability. Control. Especially with Natalie giving Roark a son and Eva to soon give Tark a child. There are those who would love to take what is ours. Or destroy them.”
“You mean kill my sister. Kill Eva, too. Natalie.”
“Yes. There were several attempts to murder Natalie and their son, as well. There are many councilors who still follow the old ways, like the bastard Bertok, who demands that we return to the ancient traditions of sharing a female in the councilors’ tent, of beating our females into submission instead of training her through endless pleasure. He was greatly angered when Tark’s mate arrived, when Tark refused to take Eva for the first time in front of the others. When he would not beat her or give her to Bertok to use as he wished.”
Violet frowned. “That’s disgusting.”
I agreed. While Calder liked to show off his mate, let others see him fuck her, to let them see her pleasure, it was out of pride. This…this debasing was nothing like it. Calder would never give Violet to another besides her mates. He would not see her hurt or harmed just to prove his strength. None of us would.
“Is it?” Goran countered, studying Violet. “It was our way, years ago, to share a female. Is it not the Viken way as well? Did you not appear here today with three mates devoted to you?”
“That’s different. They’re not mine. Not all of them. They’re kind of on loan until I choose which one I want to keep.”
My breath caught as I listened to her. They’re not mine.
“And you wish to choose between them?”
“No.”
Thank fark, as Goran would say. She didn’t wish to choose, but felt she had to. This would change. We’d prove it to her. It would be all three of us for her
, as all our subconscious minds wanted.
“They would walk away, rather than share your love?” Goran’s eyebrows rose in shock and he avoided looking at any of us, her mates, staring directly into Violet’s eyes. “Then your mates are fools. I would share Mindy with a dozen warriors if that was what she needed to be safe and happy.”
“A dozen?” Violet didn’t hide her irritation now. Her fists were clenched at her sides and Calder’s relaxed repose against the wall was gone as he stepped forward, ready to intervene if Violet physically attacked the general. Well, intervene, or beat the hell out of the man. I wasn’t sure which. “This planet sucks. Mindy is going to get better, and then I’m taking her home. With me. Where no crazy old man wants to fuck her in front of the council because it makes him feel more powerful, or demands to watch you beat her.”
Goran’s eyes narrowed. “What Bertok wants and what I will allow are two different things entirely. Mindy is mine. She surrendered herself to my care when she accepted the match. When she arrived here and accepted my cock into her willing body. I do not beat my mate. Sometimes, she begs for a bite of pain. Sometimes she needs things only I can provide. I care for her and place her life and well-being above my own. Never insult me in that manner again. You love your sister, as I do, and so I will forgive your outburst this once. Do not make the same mistake again. No one will take her from me and live. Do not threaten me, female.” He took a step closer to Violet, but while he was angry, I knew by his tirade he would not harm my mate. He was angry at Mindy being hurt and this speech was for his own peace of mind as much as to explain his stance to his new sister-in-law. “Do not threaten what is mine.”
“Or what?” Violet asked, placing her hands on her hips. “You’re going to beat me, too? Try it. Try it and see what it gets you.”
Oh, fuck. Zed moved now. Violet shook with rage and things were going from bad to worse. Calder was too protective of Violet to see reason, and Zed was too cold and calculating to pull back. Goran had just threatened our mate.
I walked forward and pulled Violet away from the ReGen pod, wrapped my arms around her from behind, tucked her in close. She struggled for a few seconds…not trying to get away from me. More like a vent for her rage. I held her until she stopped moving, until she calmed down a little. Thank the gods Zed and Calder stilled as well.