AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tov pressed in against her side, wrapping his arm around her waist. “If it looks as if they are going to give other males access to you, we will spirit you away on one of my ships.” He turned her head to the side and claimed her mouth, his lips firm, tongue bold and demanding.
His emotions flowed across their link, saturating Cara’s mind with possessive desire. He didn’t just want her body, he already considered her his mate. The combustible need didn’t surprise her, but the deep longing was so very different from his severe exterior.
“We can sense you just as clearly as you sense us,” he whispered against her parted lips. “Signal us at any time and we will come get you.”
Merrik turned her head back around as soon as Tov released her. “You belong to us.” He kissed her just as passionately though his lips were less forceful, his affection offered freely. “We will not allow anything or anyone to change that simple fact.”
The shuttle arrived a short time later and Cara sat alone in dejected silence. She was looking forward to seeing Flora again, but she hated the uncertainty brought about by the new circumstances. Staring out the window of the shuttle made it easy to pretend she was on a small commuter plane back on Earth. Unfortunately, the unleashed power pulsing inside her mocked her efforts to turn back time. She was not human and pretending otherwise was a waste of time.
The topography of Altor was very different from Earth’s. Rather than large continents and expansive oceans, Altor was made up of long, narrow strips of land. According to Cara’s research, the land masses were called tepios. The bodies of water in between were known as aquinas. Tov’s estate was in a city on Tepio C and the shuttle was headed to Hanoto, the largest city on Altor, which was situated on Tepio B.
Cara couldn’t help compare her parents’ house to Tov’s and now Narotu’s. All three would be considered mansions back on Earth, yet each was very different. Tov’s house had a bold, rustic style. Her parents’ was all stuffy luxury. Narotu’s house was the biggest yet, the neighborhood most impressive. Built entirely of gleaming white stone and oversized windows, this house had sharp geometric lines and flat rooftops. The shuttle set down on a wide semi-circular drive and the pilot escorted Cara to the front door. Cara was taken to the ‘morning room’ by a middle-aged female with sharp gray eyes and salt-and-pepper hair.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the female said. “They will be with you momentarily.”
Cara hoped ‘they’ meant Flora and her mates. Dealing with Tov and Merrik was challenging enough. She would much rather have Flora there too.
Footsteps in the hallway announced her visitors, but Cara tensed when Iris and Raina stepped into the room rather than Flora and her mates. “Where is Flora?” she asked, not bothering to pretend she was glad to see her grandmother.
“It’s nice to see you too,” Raina muttered.
Cara walked over and hugged her cousin. “I’m glad to see you. I just wish you had chosen a different companion.”
“Oh, I didn’t choose her,” Raina objected. “Iris is our warden until Flora arrives.”
“And when will that be?” Iris likely knew the answer, but Cara kept her gaze fixed on Raina.
“Being hateful to me serves no purpose,” Iris said angrily. “All I did was try to protect you.”
“By forcing us to live a lie?” Cara whipped her head around and glared. “I am twenty-five years old. When did you plan to tell me the truth of who and what I am?”
“Would you have believed me if I told you?” Iris challenged.
There was truth in what she said, but it was also a copout. Iris and Autumn had fled to Earth hoping to protect the younger generation. Keeping the truth from them, however, was inexcusable. If they had been told while Autumn was still alive, she might have been able to train them, give them enough control so that they could have kept their power suppressed indefinitely. All the possibilities were irrelevant because Iris had not trusted them with the truth.
Dismissing Iris with a disdainful look, Cara turned back to Raina. “Where will I be sleeping? I would like to lie down for a bit, hopefully catch my breath before Flora gets here.”
“We’re staying in the guest house. I’ll show you the way.”
CHAPTER6
Cara spent the afternoon with Raina. They walked through the gardens and sat by the pool sharing all their frustrations about Altorian rules and the expectations of their families.
“My parents are horrible,” Cara told her cousin, not interested in going into details. “It was obvious from the start that the only interest they had in me was converting me into some form of profit. What about yours?”
Raina’s laugh was harsh and bitter. “Same thing. They sent me to the Citadel to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. If Flora hadn’t seen me and put a stop to it, I would likely be mated right now.”
“It’s a stay of execution, not a pardon,” Cara pointed out. “We are conduits. It doesn’t matter how loudly we argue or how much we object. We will be claimed by two aggressive males and we’ll spend the rest of our lives as part of a power triad.”
Rather than offer her opinion on the subject, Raina asked, “Why are you being so hard on Grandma? None of this is her fault.”
“I disagree. If she had been honest with us once we were old enough to understand, we might have been able to keep the Altorians from finding us.”
“We don’t know that.” Raina shook her head and sighed. “We were taken to Earth to protect us. You’re not being fair to her.”
Cara didn’t want to fight with Raina. She didn’t even want to fight with Iris. She was just hurt and unsure of what the future held. She sat on the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water. Instead of responding to Raina’s charge, she asked, “Why do you continue to use the name Raina? You’re perpetuating the lie.”
“It’s the only name I’ve ever known,” Raina pointed out. “Why switch to Cara? You spent over twenty years as Aspen Hays.”
