Enticed & Seduced Page 2
“They’re good kids,” Ry said. “We’re happy to help, but we’ll get those stones for you first. You’ll want to keep up production.”
“Yes, I want everything to proceed as normal. I’m lucky Ransom included me in his plans. He is more hands-on than our father was, and it has made Ransom’s illness easier to handle. I owe my brother a great deal.”
“Which you are repaying with your careful guardianship,” Mogens said.
A burst of pleasure suffused Gryffnn. “I’m doing my best, but I worry about Aideen. The dragon woman is cunning and unpredictable.”
A faint tinkle filled the air along with a chilly burst. “Welcome, Niran,” Gryffnn called.
An instant later, Niran and three Incorporeal men shimmered in to view.
“Good welcome.” Niran, the leader of the Incorporeal people, pressed his hands together and bowed his head. “Excellent. You’re here, Ryman. I have three volunteers to aid you when you travel to collect stones.”
“No,” Gryffnn said. “It’s dangerous for them on the other side of the mountains. What if they spring a pirate’s trap? I can’t let you do it.”
“Our scientists have been working on a method to make the invisible traps visible,” Niran said. “An excellent opportunity to test our invention.”
Gryffnn exchanged a glance with Ry, caught his imperceptible nod.
“We intend to leave at once instead of tom-cycle,” Ry said. “What preparations do you require? Are you ready to leave?”
* * * * *
Kaya pressed the return call button on her comm, her hand trembling as she waited for her brother Tayte to answer. Her gut hollowed, and she paced the corridor to rid herself of the nervous energy residing in her middle.
“Kaya?”
“Yes. What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Mother is dead.”
Kaya swallowed, her hand tightening on her comm. “What happened?”
“A coup.”
“Oh, goddess,” Kaya whispered. “I wish I’d taken the risk and called her. She’s been on my mind. I picked up my comm half a dozen times…”
“She understood,” Tayte said. “It was too dangerous.”
“How did you learn of the coup?”
“That’s the other thing,” Tayte said. “I need to speak with you in person. I’m on my way to Viros and will arrive in three cycles.”
“We’re on Narenda at present, completing a contract for the dragon shifters.”
“No problem. That’s closer.”
“It’s a closed planet,” Kaya said, her mind racing in dozens of directions at once. Her mother dead. Tayte on the way to visit her. A relationship with Gryffnn.
“Kaya,” Tayte said, his tone sharp. “It’s imperative I see you, and I don’t have a lot of time. Fix it for me. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, of course,” Kaya said, his arrogant, bossy big-brother abruptness dialing back her panic.
“I will arrive tom-cycle. See you then.” A shrill cry sounded on his end and the comm disconnected.
Kaya frowned. She didn’t see her brother often. The last time had been a brief stop-off after their Christmas visit to Earth and Camryn’s people.
The door to the office opened as she slid her comm back into her pocket. Her mother was dead. She blinked, refusing to let tears fall. When she’d fled Sitnam, she hadn’t cried. Weeping now changed nothing.
Her mother was dead.
If the leaders of the coup learned of her existence, she’d die too.
No, crying wouldn’t solve a thing.
“Kaya, we’re leaving to collect stones now,” Ry said. “You ready?”
She nodded. “Yes. I need a quick word with Gryffnn before we go. Two, three mins tops.” Without waiting for an answer, she hustled into the office to find Gryffnn still seated behind the big desk, his dark head bowed and an air of defeat clear in his mien. “Gryffnn, am I interrupting? I need to ask you something before we leave for the collection fields.”
Gryffnn straightened, his hazel gaze piercing her. “Problem? Have you changed your mind?”
No, if anything, seeing Gryffnn’s rare vulnerability when he usually swaggered and oozed confidence, firmed her decision to help him. Sharing her body with the dragon shifter wouldn’t present a hardship. Like his older brother, Gryffnn drew the eye with his shaggy black hair and robust build. She’d only seen his dragon twice, but still recalled his vibrant red as he’d zapped through the sky while teaching his son to control his fire.
“No, I’m fine with that. I’ve made a promise and won’t go back on my word. It’s something else.” She hesitated.
“Speak freely, Kaya. You have nothing to fear from me.” He rose and rounded the desk, clasping both her hands in his. He squeezed them, his gaze serious. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
She nodded, taking in his height and powerful physique. His broad shoulders and a peek of his tribal tattoo. Having seen him shirtless before, she knew his tattoo extended across his chest and over his back. His skin was much darker than hers, a deep tan while his eyes bore a faint slant. At times of high emotion, as with any of the dragons, his scales became more visible. Red, in his case, to match his dragon.
“Tayte, my brother has something urgent to discuss with me. He wishes to speak with me in person and was flying to Viros. I told him I was here. Can he have clearance to land? He should arrive later this cycle or early tom-cycle.”
“Has Ry met him?”
“Yes. We stopped at his home base for two cycles before we arrived at Viros.” Kaya didn’t mention specifics or the large distance between Slyvia and Viros. Habit kept her silent to protect her brother.
“All right,” Gryffnn said. “He is welcome. Ry expects to return later this eve. If you’re delayed for any reason, I will greet him myself.”
“Thank you.” Kaya started to retreat.
“I believe we should seal our bargain with a kiss,” Gryffnn said.
Kaya froze. Her tongue slid along her bottom lip, moistening it. “Ry is impatient to leave.”
Gryffnn strode toward her, intent in his gleaming hazel eyes. “He can wait.”
“I…um…”
Gryffnn halted her dithering, by drawing her close and sealing his mouth over hers. His lips were hot yet soft, his tongue bold as he wrapped strong arms around her and kissed her as no man had ever kissed her. She clung, her knees no longer holding her upright, and enjoyed the hell out of the embrace.
When he parted their mouths and released her, she had difficulty processing her reaction. One thought bashed around inside her head like those pinball games Camryn had introduced them to on Earth. Gryffnn bore hidden depths, and now curiosity filled her. She’d thought she’d enjoy pretending to be his mate, but now, after his decadent kiss, she looked forward to completing the favor.
“I’d better go. I’ll see you later.”
Gryffnn smiled, and it held enough smug male satisfaction to fan her temper. He’d better not consider bossing her around or expecting her to run around after him and emulate a slave.
“I look forward to our evening,” he said in a rumbly, sexy purr. Then, he straightened, resolve settling on his features. “I’d better explain this to Hallam before Aideen and her clan contact us about their expected arrival.”
Kaya’s irritation seeped away at the mention of his son. “Will Hallam be all right?”
“We’ve discussed his mother before, and why we no longer live together. Don’t worry. He’s a good kid. He won’t make life difficult for you. I want him to understand what’s going on so Aiden and Caley won’t take him unawares.”
Kaya nodded and bolted, aware of her friends waiting. She’d be a stand-in mother for Hallam. Perhaps, with her lack of experience, this charade wasn’t the best idea.
“Kaya!” Ry shouted.
She put on a burst of speed and ran down the passage and the stairs leading to the ground floor.
“Sorry, I had to ask Gryffnn a favor. It was important.”
Ry’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. “We’re on a timeline. Save your friends with benefits for later.”
“We didn’t make out,” Kaya said indignantly.
“Then why do your clothes reek of Gryffnn?” Camryn inserted herself into the conversation.
Kaya scowled and lifted her charcoal gray tunic to her nose. She sniffed and shot a glance at Ry and Camryn. Her friends were grinning, their amusement digging into their features.
Kaya huffed. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She stomped to the area where Nanu had landed the tender, trying to outrun her friends’ laughter and the anxiety that had seized her mind the instant her brother had said he needed to speak with her in person.
Both concerns followed her as if attached by invisible strings. She swallowed as she stormed up the ramp and dropped onto a tender seat. Her past had caught up with her. If she hadn’t sensed that already, the prickling of her pointy ears was the next big clue.
The Bad, Bad, Most Horrible Cycle
Kaya stared out a porthole, taking in the stone wall and buildings that made up the dragons’ main compound. One large stone mansion where Gryffnn’s family lived and at least twenty smaller homes. Colorful plants i
n red and green, blue and yellow, contrasted with the gray stone of the buildings. Outside the wall that surrounded the grounds was the road that led to the township where many other dragons lived alongside the Incorporeal people. To the left, was an immense flat green area where the dragons trained and the youngsters played and learned to control their dragon powers.
Narenda was a tropical planet with a profusion of plants and a pleasing heat that Kaya enjoyed, yet it had a mountainous region, the spine of the mountain range running the length of the largest land mass. This was the source of the stones the dragons used to make the jewelry they sold for enormous sums. But something contained within the mountains caused a dragon sickness known as resonation. A double-edge sword since the dragons relied on the precious stones for their livelihoods.
Ransom Drake lay in a coma, suffering from the resonation because he’d risked going too close to learn more about the mystery mine high in the mountains.
Lucky for her and the rest of the Indy crew, the dragon’s problem became a lucrative contract.
Nanu guided the tender toward the mountains, skirting the range until they reached the lower peaks at the far end. A river began here from a myriad small streams that ran down the slopes and converged to one silver rush of water.
She glimpsed a turquoise blue lake, and it tossed her back to her childhood. Her mother, even though she’d ruled their people, had stolen time from her duties and responsibilities to take her and Tayte to visit the wilderness area. Happier times before custom and tradition interfered with her childhood, thrusting her into adulthood way too soon.
Phrull it. What did Tayte want to discuss? He’d informed her of their mother’s death. What else could be so hush-hush he’d refused to tell her over the comm system?
“Kaya. Kaya, child? Is something wrong?” Mogens’s gentle voice ripped her back to the present.
“I don’t think you’ve listened to a word of our plan,” Ry said. “If your mind is in the gutter and thinking about sex with Gryffnn, stop. This is business. We’ve committed to our contract with the dragons, and I refuse to fail.”
“She’s daydreaming about flying through the skies on a dragon’s back,” Nanu said with a sly wink.
“No, I wasn’t. Grata, you keep telling me dragon flying is reserved for mates. Gryffnn and I will be pretend mates, so it’s against the dragon rules.” Kaya swiped her hand over her face and sucked in a deep breath. “Gryffnn wasn’t on my mind. I have thought little about my promise, to be honest.”
“You’ve been weird ever since you took the comm call,” Nanu commented. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know,” Kaya said, frustrated with her brother and with the insistent prickling of her ears.
Camryn wrinkled her nose. “Well, which is it?”
“No idea,” Kaya said, trying to decide if this unsettled sensation in her gut held merit. “Tayte has something to discuss with me, something he wouldn’t or couldn’t tell me on the comm. He’s coming to visit and should arrive either this eve or early tom-cycle.”
“Tayte’s visiting?” Ry asked. “I’ll enjoy meeting him again.”
“Me too,” Camryn said. “You should’ve said earlier. We could’ve done this trip without you.” She smiled at the three silent Incorporeal men who sat beside her. “We have extra help.”
“No, it’s best if I keep busy.” Despite trusting her friends with her life, habit made her refrain from mentioning her mother. Maintaining her cover, her safety, meant keeping quiet about her connection with the Sitnam tribe. It could place her friends in danger too. With luck, the distance between this galaxy and the solar system encompassing Sitnam meant they remained safe.
Aware she’d drive herself crazy if she continued in this vein, she forced her mind to the upcoming task. “What’s the plan for our collection this cycle?”
Ry rolled his eyes. Obviously, he was repeating himself, which was why he was giving her attitude. “For safety, we’re splitting into teams. You and Seedric. Nanu and Wen. Mogens and Roden. Camryn is with me. Once Nanu lands, we’ll split into these pairs and collect as much as we can in four marks. I want to leave enough whitelight for us to check the area where we discovered the mine.
“We’re not certain about traps in this area. We won’t sense them, but Seedric, Wen and Roden will test their invention. The sec you discover a trap, send out an alert, and we’ll work out a way to spring it without the Incorporeal people getting injured. Clear?”
“Yes,” Nanu said. “Do the dragons require a particular colored stone this trip?”
“Gryffnn informed me he wanted a mixture, and if we come across the purple-blackish stones—the Narendanite—we should grab that. Questions?” Ry asked.
“No,” Kaya said.
“Your plan is logical,” Seedric said. “Can we patch our comms into your system? With other Incorporeal people, it’s not necessary. We can shimmer to whoever we wish to speak, but your people don’t enjoy our unannounced presence.”
“Sure.” Ry held up his comm to the one Seedric produced. He repeated the procedure with the other Incorporeals. “One last thing. Watch out for those plants. Make sure you pick up the salt water pistols before you leave the tender.”
“Slimy suckers,” Kaya muttered. “I intend to stay far away.” She scanned the open, stony grounds below. “I can’t see any in the dry creek bed down there. I still suffer nightmares about them trying to eat us. And the smell.” She wrinkled her nose.
Camryn shuddered. “I had nightmares about them for cycles afterward.”
Nanu landed the tender on a flattish area and powered down. The purr of the propulsion unit ceased and along with the others, Kaya disembarked.
“Four marks, then meet back here,” Ry said.
“Aye, captain.” Kaya gave him a cheeky salute that had Camryn grinning. “Are you ready, Seedric?” Kaya scooped up a collecting bag, handed it to Seedric, and picked up a second for herself. She draped it over her shoulder, shoved a water pistol into her pocket and straightened. “We’ll go east,” she said to Seedric.
The gravel and dirt crunched beneath her boots as she strode toward the valley she’d noticed as they landed. Both she and Seedric scanned the ground for the stones favored by the dragons.
“Perhaps we’ll have more luck in the next valley,” Kaya said. “We’ve collected here several times and picked the area clean.”
A man of few words, Seedric nodded and continued walking at her side.
Once they crossed the dry creek bed and rounded a cliff, the chatter from her friends faded. Kaya scrutinized the ground and let her mind wander back to Tayte and whatever he wanted to discuss with her.
“Ah.” Seedric pounced on several small pebbles and picked them up. “You were right. There are better pickings in this valley.”
Kaya nodded. “Keep an eye on me and don’t wander too far away. I will not be the one who has to tell Niran I lost you.”
“I am an adult.”
“You are,” Kaya agreed. “But other species and races consider you a prize. Relaxing your guard or over confidence might end in capture.”
Seedric searched her face, his white eyelashes fluttering. “The voice of experience?”
As a young girl she’d thought herself impervious to their planet’s enemies. Her mother’s private guard were the best, and they watched her. Once she grew older, she’d trained with her mother and increased her proficiency at fighting and self-defense. A botched abduction attempt had shown her confidence had been misplaced when unknown assailants had injured her and almost spirited her away. Now, she trained hard and kept her wits about her. Her mother had lost her life, and she’d been strong and well-trained.
She shook herself. Mind on the task. Ah. A reddish glitter caught her attention. She picked up a stone the size of her palm and scrubbed away the dirt clinging to it. Two smaller stones grabbed her attention, and she scooped them up. Soon, her collection bag dragged on the back of her neck from the added weight. Now and then, she scanned their surroundings to check for plants and to make certain Seedric remained safe.
Oh! A purple stone. It glinted under the whitelight, drawing her closer. With another glance at Seedric, she darted toward the violet sparkle. From her position, she could see into the next valley. A shiny flash of silver caught her attention. She straightened, trying to make out the moving object. A person. It was an upright figure in a suit, and they were collecting stones.