Chapter Three
Thorin sat in the slightly raised chair of the command deck and stared at the yellow-green swirl of color that was planet Keldera. While ensuring the colony ship made it safely to Jasvar was his top concern, he wasn’t sure how long he’d have to stay on the foreign planet since he was to help set up the military command base for the Kelderan colony. Only once Prince Kason and his human bride, the female leader of Jasvar named Taryn Demara, gave the go ahead could he return the colony ship to Keldera with a skeleton crew.
In other words, Thorin had no idea when he would return to his homeworld.
If his mother wasn’t hospitalized and still remembered him, Thorin would feel guilty. However, his mother had the best care he could secure. Him trying to coax memories that would never return only caused hurt to them both. Staying away was the appropriate solution. She had always wanted him to follow his own path.
Besides, he had never truly fit in on Keldera for many reasons he could never reveal.
Nahrenn’s—his head pilot—voice cut through his thoughts. “Final predeparture check complete. The report from engineering clears us to launch when you’re ready, sir.”
Thorin sat taller in his chair. “Then set the coordinates and maneuver us out of the launch base.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Nahrenn said before tapping a series of buttons on the large, flat notescreen in his hand.
While it was impossible to hear the engines whirring to life from his current position, the image on the view screen, of them moving away from the docking station ever so slowly, confirmed the journey had begun.
As soon as the ship cleared the overall maintenance and launch base and was safely in free space, Thorin stood. “Nahrenn, enter the coordinates to Jasvar and continue the journey until further notice. You have command of the deck. I have lingering matters to attend to that can’t wait.”
Nahrenn nodded, handed his notescreen to the next most senior pilot, and walked toward the chair. “Since we cleared the launch base without issue, things should be smooth for the next few hours, until we reach the nearest asteroid field. I’ll reach out if anything arises before then.”
Thorin stood and moved a few feet away. “Signal when we’re an hour away from the field. I’ll be working in my quarters on a special matter, but feel free to disturb me sooner if there’s any sign of trouble.”
Not waiting for Nahrenn’s reply, Thorin exited the command deck and headed toward the nearest elevator. With their flight safely in progress, it was time to start combing through the records of everyone on board. Once he divided them into safe and potential traitor categories, he could begin his investigation for the king. He wouldn’t risk discovery of the delicate matter by working in his small office off the command deck; his rooms would be more easily controlled and contained. The only people with access were him and the Barren female, and he’d make sure to keep any confidential information locked away and out of her reach.
Thorin arrived at the door to his quarters and pressed his thumb to the panel off to the side. It had been a few hours since his encounter with the Barren, so she should have finished cleaning and vacated his space. If not, he’d lodge a formal complaint and request another.
Sure, making the request now would prevent him from seeing her during the journey, but Thorin wasn’t about to sully anyone’s reputation just to make his life easier. Only a coward would choose that path.
As the doors opened and he spotted his shredded bedding laid out on his mattress, he should be angry that the female hadn’t incinerated everything related to his earlier outburst. And yet, considering if the female had replicated a new one, engineering would have the log and while a long shot, they might possibly ask if everything was fine since replicating supplies so soon after launch was suspicious.
The Barren understood discretion. Maybe she was cleverer than he’d thought.
Pushing aside thoughts of her long hair and bared body from one of his visions, he moved to a drawer in the wall where he kept his personal notescreen. However, before he reached it, he noticed light shining from the cleaning quarters. Since it only came on when a life-form with a humanoid-sized heat source was detected, someone had to be in his room. Maybe the antimonarchy troublemaker had come to him, although he had no idea why.
Thorin placed a hand on the gun blaster at his hip and drew the weapon. Ensuring it was set to stun and not kill, he moved quietly and inched his way to the entrance. Once he reached the doorway, his eyes fell upon the unconscious form of Vala Yarlen sprawled out on the floor.
The lights sensing her heat source told him she was alive; the cooling temperature of a dead body wasn’t enough to trigger the automation. The bigger question was why she was out cold on his floor in the first place.
Crouching down, he moved a finger to her neck and stopped when he was a hairbreadth away from touching her skin. Given her invasion into his dreams, her soft skin under his fingertips might cause his baser nature to take over.
No. Drawing on every bit of strength and restraint he possessed, he touched her warm neck to check her pulse.
Instead of focusing on the soft thump of her heartbeat, desire flooded his body. Visions of her naked, screaming his name in pleasure, and digging her nails into his back hard enough to draw blood, played out.
Vala’s weak voice broke through the images. “General? What happened?”
He moved his hand away from her skin as if he’d been burned. “I just discovered you unconscious on the floor. I should be the one asking you what happened.”
She attempted to sit up but quickly slid to the floor again. “I-I don’t know. I came in here, smelled an unusual scent, and had strange visions before waking up at your touch, sir.”
For a split second, Thorin’s heart stopped beating. “Describe the scent.”
She frowned. “I don’t know, sir. I have nothing to compare it to. Not unpleasant, but strangely addictive.”
Thorin stood and backed slightly away. “That’s impossible.”
Vala continued to stare at his feet for a few beats before finally meeting his gaze. “What aren’t you telling me, sir?”
Thorin was torn between three actions: bolting from his room, imprisoning the female to silence her, and scooping her up to take her to his bed and live out one of his erotic dreams.
She couldn’t know it, but Vala Yarlen’s reaction to his scent denoted her as a less rosy version of a Kelderan’s destined bride—she was a Brevkan’s possession.
Little was known about Brevkan mating and courting rituals. However, during the throes of war, a few females on Keldera had experienced what the Brevkan called the claiming of a possession.
Only a Brevkan male’s potential possession could smell their post-orgasm musk. And if the male in question wasn’t present to relieve his urges and fill her with his seed, she would fall unconscious and wake up partially paralyzed. The few stories he’d found also pointed out that if the male left without ever possessing her, the female in question never walked again. Something to do with ensuring a female couldn’t run away from a wild-eyed Brevkan male.
If Vala was indeed his possession, then he either had to sleep with her or leave her partially paralyzed for the rest of her life.
As the female looked to the floor again, he barely resisted swearing and debated what to do. It looked like his father’s cursed genetics had surfaced once more to throw his life into chaos.
~~~
Vala focused on rhythmic breathing and tried her best not to panic. She could handle Thorin’s tall, muscled form standing over her, even with the deep frown etched between his brows.
But as she tried yet again to move her legs, nothing happened and she had no idea why.
Her recent genetic health scan had revealed no known diseases or pending afflictions. Something was wrong.
She dared to meet Thorin’s gaze again. Disgust warred with anger. With his black hair framing his chiseled, pale-blue face, he was both terrifying and glorious.
Even a few months ago, Vala would’ve meekly remained quiet and awaited the general’s order on how to proceed. But after her recent interactions with Keldera’s princess and her constantly prodding Vala to speak her mind, she couldn’t help but blurt out, “What aren’t you telling me?” As his frown deepened, she added, “Sir.”
As he remained silent, Vala battled the urge to speak again. However, Thorin finally replied, “Telling you will have consequences. Namely, you’ll be confined to my quarters for the entire journey and remain under my watch.”
She swallowed. “I-I don’t dally with the warriors.” She should leave it there, but the rest of her thoughts spilled out. “I won’t change my stance, not even for a general, sir.”
What had she done? Speaking out of turn to any Kelderan soldier merited punishment, but to do so to a general was worse.
He could take her life and no one would be the wiser. High-ranking officers had the power to make people disappear.
When Thorin’s voice echoed in the room, it was filled with disgust as he barked, “Neither one of us has a choice about the matter. You must dally with me.”
If she weren’t a Barren, Vala would state that she had no interest in him and his disrespectful ways. She wouldn’t sully her body with his touch.
Unfortunately, the law prevented her from revealing her true feelings. She might not be able to move her legs, but she still dreamed of living on Jasvar and seeing her friends. She couldn’t do that if she were imprisoned for a minor disobedience. She suspected he would punish her that way since if Thorin had wanted to hit her or worse, he would’ve done so already.
At her silence, he finally spoke again. “You have two choices. First, you leave my quarters and most likely remain paralyzed for the rest of your life. Or, second, I take you to bed, claim you, and keep you in my care until we arrive on Jasvar. Which will it be? Speak freely with me, Barren. I don’t have time to dance around your hesitant words or actions.”
She blinked. She’d never heard of a general giving a Barren permission to speak freely unless she were a mistress.
Aware her future and life hung in the balance, she risked following his order to speak her mind. “First, tell me why you’re certain I’ll remain paralyzed?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “I just know. And before you suggest a medic will be able to cure you, I doubt it will work. Only I know the cause of your paralysis. Regardless of what either of us wants, either I claim you or you become even more of a burden to society.”
She resisted wincing at his words. Being infertile was bad enough in a Kelderan’s eyes, but a crippled one was ten times worse.
Thorin Jarrell definitely didn’t tame his words to lessen their emotional impact.
Anger bubbled inside her. It was almost as if Thorin was determined to force her hand.
Not only that, it was as if he were punishing her out of spite. Maybe what she’d once taken as gratitude for helping him not that long ago, to root out the traitors and rescue Prince Kason, had really been a farce. After all, most males would see a female helping out a soldier as a sign of weakness.
Thorin prompted, “I need an answer. I have much to do, and your condition only delays more important tasks.”
She wanted to narrow her eyes at his dismissal of her paralysis. Her years of training and caution faded. “The Barren are notorious about keeping secrets. Please tell me the cause and then I’ll make my decision.”
“No. If you don’t tell me your choice in the next minute, I will make the decision for you.”
“You can’t do that. Even Barren have rights.”
“I can and I will. Despite my reputation and what you probably have heard about me, I assure you that I’m trying to help you. I swear on my mother’s life that I don’t wish to harm you.”
As Thorin stood tall, made a fist, and thumped it over his heart, her jaw dropped. A general never saluted a Barren. It was as if the king bowed to an animal herder—it defied logic.
Maybe he was being honorable. Only sharing her body would give her the truth.
She eyed Thorin’s broad shoulders and bare chest. His markings were a dark blue, signaling calmness, which contradicted the emotions she’d seen in his eyes.
Her gaze trailed lower to the large bulge pressing against his tight warrior pants. Even if she agreed to his unusual demand, there was no way he would fit inside her. During her years of practicing medicine, she had seen a number of males’ sexual organs. Thorin was far bigger than any she had seen before.
Thorin’s husky voice garnered her attention. “Your eyes and flashing markings tell me that you aren’t afraid of me, but merely curious. My decision is thus—you will remain in my quarters until you are ready for my claiming.”
She looked up and swore Thorin’s eyes glowed a second before returning to normal. She’d never heard of a Kelderan male’s eyes doing that.
He spoke again before she could react. “I’ll move you to my bed now. You have my word that I won’t touch you more than necessary until you ask for it.”
“Then vow it,” she said before she could stop herself. After all, if he gave her enough time, Vala might be able to find a solution on her own and never have to experience Thorin claiming her body.
Thorin never blinked at her demand. “I vow it and will give up my general rank if I break it.”
She somehow doubted he’d follow through, but his words eased her nervousness a little. It also gave her a small glimmer of hope that she could escape without an arrest record as well as her virginity intact.
Since he still waited for her to respond, Vala nodded. “Okay.”
Squatting, he scooped her up and jostled her gently against his chest. His warm, muscled skin under her palms sent a little thrill through her body.
She frowned. The male was forcing her hand and making decisions without her. She should hate him.
Yet she couldn’t resist tracing one of the markings on his chest, and Thorin grunted. Looking up, she waited for his reprimand. Touching a Kelderan’s skin was intimate and Vala had no right doing so without permission. However, the only part of him that moved were his nostrils as they flared.
In the blink of an eye, he was across the room and gently laying her on his bed. The instant he released her, she shivered at the drop in temperature.
Thorin moved to the door. “I’ll return with a hover chair programmed to only function inside these rooms. I will also fetch a more suitable blanket to keep you warm. Your thumbprint will be removed from the pre-approved personnel for my quarters, so there is no reason to try and escape. It won’t work. Until I return.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Thorin exited the room.
As the door slid closed and locked, Vala hugged her upper body. She’d been a fool to allow his warm body to distract her from asking important questions when she had the chance. Namely, why Thorin had been surprised at her description of the smell and ensuing unconsciousness.
Maybe he hadn’t paralyzed her on purpose.
Not that she would use that as an excuse for his behavior. She wasn’t sure he understood honor, which was the crucial pillar of Kelderan warrior training.
The only good thing was that Thorin hadn’t tried to take her straight away. She didn’t completely believe his tale about her remaining paralyzed for the rest of her life unless she welcomed him into her body. Something else had to be going on, unless the general had a secret life of drugging females and convincing them only he could cure them.
She glanced down at her legs, but no amount of concentration made them move.
What if she never walked again? Life would be hard enough on a new planet, but Jasvar’s technology was far behind the Kelderans’. And even with everything the colony ship was bringing to their new home, building and maintaining hover chairs would be low on the list of priorities.
Vala might end up having less freedom than she already had in the present.
No. She couldn’t afford to think like that. After all, she’d only been awake for a short while. For all she knew, her legs could start working again within the hour.
However, just in case, she would spend what time she had doing research. Thorin would be busy taking care of the ship and its passengers. She didn’t expect him to return anytime soon.
All she needed was a notescreen. Before departure, Vala had stored every medical tome she could find into her personal virtual storage area. She needed to delve into them to hopefully find the cause of her paralysis and then pinpoint any potential remedies.
Yes, finding a cure on her own was her top priority. She didn’t have time to worry about her legs or the what-ifs in her future.
Besides, she needed a clear head when Thorin returned. Fear would only impair her brain and ability to think.
Because there had to be a way for her to regain her freedom and not dally with Thorin. After seeing the destruction of his quarters, she could only imagine what he was like when naked and free above her. A warm touch meant nothing if she ended up bruised and scarred for the rest of her life because of his violent side.