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“I agree, but there is also another reason.” Cylex paused to make sure everyone was listening to him. “It was my responsibility to keep Raina safe and I failed. Jevara knows I will come after her. He doubtlessly intends to humiliate and then kill me. That’s the reason for the recording. Jevara is challenging me, and maybe Laidon.”
“If Raina is just bait, is she still in danger?” Flora sounded hopeful.
Not wanting to give her false hope, he shook his head. “Jevara has wanted to control a power triad for decades. The fact that Raina was my responsibility is a bonus. I betrayed him, chose the Citadel over him. That sort of insult cannot go unpunished.”
“He likely feels the same way about Laidon,” Tov commented. “You have both been disloyal and must now be destroyed.”
Cylex’s only response was a tense nod.
Zevon studied him silently for a moment then sighed. “I had planned on sending you and Laidon out again. All of the reasons I threw you two together the first time are still valid. But it sounds like another team needs to go. I refuse to allow that bastard to manipulate me any more than he already has.”
“I think that would be unwise, sir. If I don’t respond to this, he will endanger someone else. We would likely find a body next time rather than a recording. I have to go, and the sooner the better.”
“Why do you say that with such urgency?” Cara wanted to know. “We all know what a bastard Jevara is.”
He had sidestepped this earlier. Kern’s occupation was not a detail the females needed to know. “Suffice it to say that Kern’s involvement is responsible for my tone.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Flora snapped. Apparently, anger was replacing her worry. “Who the fuck is Kern?”
Cylex sighed, then cleared his throat. “He is an assassin, Jevara’s favorite to be exact. He is also a trainer, one of the most ruthless I have ever encountered.”
“Trainer?” The devastation in Flora’s tone hinted that she knew exactly what he meant. “He trains…” Apparently, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Unruly females,” Cylex confirmed quietly, making sure there were no misunderstandings.
Cara looked just as stricken, but she combatted it with information. “Will he train her for the emperor or for her mates?”
“I do not know.” Lying to them now would make things worse, not better, but he still tried to be tactful with his answers. “Jevara will take his time choosing her mates. Their loyalty must be unwavering. If he cannot control them, he cannot control her. That gives us some time; not a lot, but some.”
“Are you sure Kern isn’t one of her mates?” Zevon wanted to know. “His magic is damn impressive and he is clearly loyal to Jevara.”
Cylex shook his head. Kern’s loyalty was a complicated issue, but the question was easily answered. “Jevara would never allow Kern to claim Raina. Jevara is intensely tribalistic, and Kern’s bloodline is not pure.”
“Understood.” Zevon blew out a sigh of frustration. “You are in the best position to plan this mission, but it needs to be stealthy as hell.”
“I agree.”
“Then what do you need from me?” It was not a question Cylex ever expected to hear from the president of the Citadel.
“I have a team in mind,” Cylex assured him, “but I need your fastest ship.”
“It’s yours,” Zevon stated. “Leave as soon as possible, and bring her back safely!”
* * *
Kern stared down at the female kneeling before him begging to be fucked. Raina’s hips were raised, head lowered, wet pussy on display. The scent of her arousal hung heavy in the air, evocative and intoxicating. Part of him wanted to shove his cock deep and give her a fast, hard ride. If that was all she wanted from him, all she needed, he would not hesitate. But she needed a mate. No, she was Altorian. She neededtwomates, and that’s why his cock was still in his pants.
Raina stirred emotions, soul-deep longings that Kern had believed dead inside him. He did not want a mate. Swore that he would never risk the sort of pain he’d experienced when his mate was killed. But he could not deny what he was feeling. The moment he saw her, touched her, smelled her, he knew she was his mate. No, she was a genetically compatible female capable of becoming his mate. She was more attractive to him than other females, harder to resist, but he could and would resist claiming her. He did not want a mate!
His hands folded into tight fists and his cock bucked against his pants. This was not the mission. Raina was meant to bond with two of the rebels. The resistance fighters desperately needed the awesome power of a bonded triad. Kern didn’t mind assisting his friends. Everyone in this star system understood that Jevara needed to be replaced, but Kern had no desire to be a soldier. He existed in the shadows, separate from ordinary society.
“I need itnow!” The desperation in her tone made the words sound more like a demand than a plea.
His dominant nature stirred. Conduits did not issue orders to their mates. His little pet needed to learn her place.
She was in the grip of activation, his logic argued. She could not be held accountable for her actions. He was a trainer who specialized in steely discipline. If anyone could stabilize her power without actually bonding with her, wasn’t it him? There was no one more qualified to undertake this challenge. Besides, what choice did he have? Spontaneous activation was dangerous. If he didn’t control the release of her Altorian Fire, it would drive her mad and possibly consume the entire ship.
He reached down and gripped her upper arm, drawing her to her feet. If he was going to fuck his captive, it was not going to happen on the cold hard deck. She didn’t resist as he led her into the small aft cabin. With a retractable bed and built-in compartments, the space could also be used for additional cargo storage. His primary interest, however, was the elaborate restraint system that could be utilized for sex or interrogation. As desperate as she was right now, the bindings would not be necessary. But he suspected they would make things easier once his cum calmed her down.
