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Cara shook her head. Her entire life on Earth no longer felt real. She started to tell Raina about Tov and Merrik, but thought better of it. She needed to know exactly what Flora had planned before she revealed that she had formed an attachment with a couple of potential mates. “Who and what I was on Earth has never felt so far away.”
Iris exited the house and joined them beside the pool a short time later. Her steps were hesitant, expression cautious. “Flora and her mates just set down in front of the house. You two should put yourselves back together.”
Raina, who wore a bathing suit, rushed over to where she had left her clothes and hurriedly dressed.
Cara drew her feet out of the pool and stood up. She still couldn’t look at her grandmother without wanting to start a fight so she kept her face averted. She dried off her feet and slipped on her sandals. If casual clothes weren’t sufficient, Flora could tell her to change. She was through taking orders from Iris.
“You can’t ignore me forever,” Iris said as Cara brushed past her.
“I can try.”
Raina dashed into the house, clearly excited for the reunion. “Flora!”
Cara followed, unable to hide her reluctance. Flora likely thought she had rescued Cara, but Cara felt as if she had been ripped from the arms of… her mates? Was she ready to let Tov and Merrik claim her? Would she ever be happy if someone else controlled her life?
Flora stood in the entryway flanked by two large Altorian males. One had reddish-gold hair and eyes. According to Iris, his name was Noratu and he was Flora’s source. The other male had long dark hair, not unlike Tov’s. But unlike Tov, this controller had night-black eyes and was clean-shaven. His name was Draven.
“How did you convince her parents to release her?” Flora asked.
Cara wasn’t sure if she meant Raina or her.
Raina threw herself into Flora’s arms and hugged her tightly. Flora laughed, then said, “I missed you too.”
Cara stayed back until Raina moved out of the way, then she hugged Flora as well. Her eyes were filled with tears, but it had more to do with Tov and Merrik than seeing her cousin again. Quickly reinforcing the role she was supposed to play, Cara pretended to know nothing about what was going on. She was curious to see how Flora would justify buying control of her cousins, and how much control Draven and Noratu would allow. They were Altorian males after all.
“My parents wouldn’t tell me anything and Iris is being just as cagey.” Cara glared at Iris again for good measure. “Do you know why we’re here?”
“Your parents were horrible to you,” Raina objected sharply. Raina had always been more willing to go with the flow than Cara. “Would you rather stay with them?”
She hadn’t been with her parents. She had been with Tov and Merrik. “That’s not the point and you know it.”
“Girls, let’s try to—”
Incensed that Iris would dare to intrude, Cara snapped, “You lied to me my entire life. I am through listening to you.”
“Aspen, I know you’re upset, but—”
Overcome by emotions she could no longer conceal, Cara felt a sob building in her throat. “My name isCara.Aspen was a fabrication forced on me by two liars who claimed to love me! I reject your bullshit, and I hate all of you!” She ran down the hallway and burst out the side door, sprinting toward the guest house.
She threw herself onto her bed and indulged in a good long cry. She ached for Merrik’s strong arms and Tov’s ruthless passion. She could sense them in the distance, which only made her miss them more. Would Flora allow her to bond with them if Cara told her that’s what she wanted? Was it what she wanted? She enjoyed being with them, and not just in bed. But she could not live without control. She had to make decisions and offer opinions that others would honor. The dynamics of a power triad seemed very different from that.
Long minutes later, she heard someone enter the guest house. A soft knock made Cara glance over her shoulder. The door wasn’t closed, but Flora was clearly waiting for an invitation. Her mates weren’t with her and neither was Iris, so Cara sat up. “How brainwashed are you? Can you get us out of here? I might not belong on Earth anymore, but I want no part of what goes on at the Citadel!” Just thinking about the assessment brought a host of emotions flooding back through Cara. She had never felt so helpless in her life, never been so objectified. Yet each time Tov and Merrik touched her, the circumstances hadn’t mattered. She had only wanted to please them, and be pleased by them. “Will you help us escape?”
She hadn’t meant to sound so desperate, but the restlessness was rising again. She pushed her sleeves up and rubbed her arms. Hadn’t they stabilized these yearnings when they unleashed her power? She stood, then dropped back down on the edge of the bed. She wasn’t angry anymore, hadn’t really been angry at Flora. She felt anxious and restless and most of allneedy.
“Have the dreams started yet? Do you feel feverish, especially at night? Are you finding it hard to sleep?”
Cara still didn’t know why she was here. Pushing to her feet, Cara started pacing, unable to remain still. Was Flora going to let her decide who she would mate with or if she wanted mates at all? Or was Flora simply another person determined to control her? “It’s stress. My parents were abusive. You wouldn’t believe the things they allowed to happen to me. On Earth they would be arrested.”
Flora moved closer and Cara noticed Raina lurking in the hallway. Should she go close the door? No, Raina had a right to know what was going on.
“What sort of things?” Flora prompted. “Altorians approach many things differently than humans do, but there are strict laws against abuse.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Not until Flora explained what her mates intended to do.
“My mates represent you now. They are your advocates. If you were harmed in any way, they will see that the culprits are punished. Even if those culprits are your parents.”
“I… you might not think it’s as bad as I do.” She looked at Raina warily. “You both seem pretty accepting of all this shit.”
