Free Defiance by Beth D. Carter Page A

the military, I fought with my father. I
said some horrible things. I was a bad son, and now, I’m a bad Xyran .”
    “No, you’re not. Does your father
know about your path of vengeance?”
    He shook his head. “No. I have not
talked to my father since Julyah’s death. But I will
contact him now to find a way to get Rell back to her
people.”
    “Thank you,” she said. “I know that
might be hard to do.”
    He shrugged. “David has been trying
to get me to contact him this past year.”
    “Are you two lovers?”
    “In public he is my slave. But
privately, I took him as my blood-kin. No one knows, except you.”
    “I don’t know what that means. Is
that like being married?”
    “Our relationship is an emotional
bond that cannot be broken,” he explained. “We live together, sleep together,
fight together, and we care for one another if we’re injured. We are everything
to each other, and we want to be everything to you.”
    “But you just met me,” she said. “Or,
more accurately, you just abducted me. How can that possibly mean forever?”
    “Our scents are never wrong,” he
told her. “If you were Xyran , you would know.”
    “But I’m not Xyran ,
and outside of sex, are we even compatible? These are intense circumstances,
and usually those feelings aren’t real.”
    He took her hand and kissed the
back. His tongue licked over her skin, causing her belly to tighten as quivers
had her pussy leaking with renewed desire.
    “You think too much with your
head,” he murmured. “Think with your instincts.”
    She frowned but didn’t say
anything. What could she say? Yes, part of her recognized the primitive
reaction she had each and every time Laith or David
touched her. But logic told her that trusting her hormones was stupid. She
didn’t belong out here in space with two freedom fighters.
    Or did she?
    “I’ve got us on autopilot,” he
said. “Why don’t we clean up and then lie down and try to sleep? It will take a
day to reach my contact.”
    “Could I have another blanket and
pillow? Rell has mine.”
    He shook his head. “You will sleep
between David and myself , where a true mate belongs.”
    “I’ve not agreed to becoming your mate,” she reminded him.
    “Yet.”
     

Chapter Ten
     
    David tried turning on his side. White
hot fire shot up his side, jolting him awake. He pressed a hand against where
the pain was localized and wondered what the hell had happened.
    “You are doing well,” Laith whispered.
    He turned his head and saw that Laith was separated from him by Jordan ’s sleeping form. He studied
his Xyran partner carefully and saw a change in him. He
leaned over Jordan and smelled her skin.
    “I may not be Xyran ,
but I can smell you on her,” he said.
    “You were right, David. She is the
woman for us. Our mate.”
    “She agreed?”
    “She gave herself to me,” Laith replied softly. “I count that as a yes.”
    “Unless she said it and gave you a
definite yes, don’t be fooled by her temporary
compliance,” David said, grimacing a little at the lingering pain. “Damn, I’m a
little jealous I missed it. I hope you made her first time pleasant.”
    “If you were not wounded I would
call you out for that insult,” Laith said darkly.
    “If I wasn’t wounded we’d both be
sleeping in post-coital bliss. I must say, she’s quite peaceful when she’s
unconscious. I think I like her best like this, between both of us.”
    “She is going to be quite a
handful.”
    “Yes, but perfect
for our lives. She’s a good fighter, she’s protective, loyal and smart,
and I have no doubt that if she’s ever captured she will exasperate her captor to
death.” He and Laith shared an amused grin. “How long
have I been out?”
    “Not long. As soon as we’re close
enough I plan on calling my father.”
    David blinked. What had he missed? “You’re
going to contact your father? Out of the blue?”
    “I needed a solution on how to
return the child.”
    “Oh. I’d