Page 28 of Tamed

There was still a surreal quality to the events that kept Kendra from accepting that what she was experiencing could become the rest of her life. A few short months ago she’d been on Earth believing that humans were alone in the universe. Now she was half a galaxy away being courted by two of the most powerful males in the star system. She found her mates fascinating, challenging, and sexy as hell. She had no idea why fate had been so generous but she wasn’t about to argue.

Zevon and Arcon had appointments first thing in the morning nine days into their courtship. Eden and Ansley had been away from the Citadel on missions so Kendra invited them to breakfast. This was the first time she’d seen either since Arcon started courting her. Arcon walked Kendra to the dining hall and kissed her in full view of everyone present. By the time she reached the table where her friends sat, they were staring at her in wide-eyed disbelief.

“When did that happen?” Eden cried as Kendra sat down.

“Does Zevon know?” Ansley asked, forehead creased by her confusion.

“Of course Zevon knows,” Kendra objected. “I would never allow another male to touch me unless Zevon knew and approved.”

“But they’re both controllers.” Eden looked as confused as Ansley.

“Arcon qualified as both a controller and a source, but he prefers the role of source,” Kendra clarified.

“Then this isn’t just physical? You three are forming a triad?” Eden shook her head, but she was smiling brightly. “Holy shit, woman. When you go for it, you really go for it. Half the conduits on this outpost wish they were you right now.”

A pleased smile parted Kendra’s lips. She knew Arcon was popular with other females, but Zevon was too intimidating to attract many wannabe mates. She didn’t care what anyone else thought. The combination was perfect for her and that was all that mattered. “Nothing is decided yet. We’re simply courting.”

Ansley and Eden both laughed, then Eden said, “You might be courting, but I saw the look in Arcon’s eyes. His decision is set in stone. He intends to claim you.”

“And Zevon is even more possessive than Arcon,” Ansley added. “I hope you know what you’re doing because those two together are going to be hell on wheels.”

“Go back to the beginning,” Eden urged. “How did Arcon end up in bed with you and Zevon? Did Zevon recruit him, or did you finally get up the nerve to tell Arcon how you felt about him?”

“It was mostly Zevon,” Kendra admitted. “He asked if I had a source in mind, and I told him I was attracted to Arcon. They talked it over and the rest just happened.” In an explosion of blinding passion and aggressive dominance, it happened, but Kendra’s friends didn’t need to know the details.

“Well, congratulations,” Eden said. “You did good, girlfriend. Really good.”

“What’s it like with the two of them?” Ansley laughed when she saw Kendra’s shocked expression. “I didn’t mean in bed. How do Zevon and Arcon get along the rest of the time? They both have such strong personalities.”

“And Tandor and Jobek don’t?” Kendra laughed. “I think every conduit has to contend with the clash of strong personalities. That’s what courting is all about. Each triad learns how to operate as a team in and out of bed.”

“So what’s this going to do to the alliance?” Eden wanted to know. “The leaders of Houkdi are expecting two conduits in about ten days and they’re only going to get one.”

Kendra cringed. This was a complication she’d been trying not to think about. “I drew number five. Six and seven were asked if they wanted to switch to Houkdi. Not surprisingly, they said no. Number eight chose Houkdi already, so that means number nine would have been left with Houkdi if I hadn’t participated in the selection process. I’m sure she’s not happy about it, but number nine will now be going to Houkdi. That’s the only fair solution.”

“Who drew number nine?” Ansley asked.

“Jessie,” Kendra admitted with a sigh. “Zevon thinks it will do her good. Houkdi tribesmen are notorious for being strict. All I know is she won’t accept this without making a scene. Knowing Jessie, a very ugly scene.”

“I suspect you’re right,” Ansley conceded, “but I don’t see any other way to maintain the integrity of the process.”

“And Jessie agreed to the process,” Eden stressed. “She would have been number eight if you hadn’t drawn a number.”

“I agree. I’m just not sure…”

White noise suddenly filled Kendra’s ears, and her vision faded away from the outside in. For just a moment, she hung suspended in total darkness, isolated and unable to move. Fear expanded through her confusion and she tried to struggle within the void. What was this? What the hell was happening to her?

A room formed in front of her, coming into focus gradually. The walls were ivory accented in gold and the floor looked like marble. Opulent was the only word she could think of to describe it, but a strange sense of foreboding hung like a cloud over the scene.

In front of her stood a dais, and on the dais was a throne. It took her a moment to recognize the male seated upon the throne. She’d seen images of him a couple of times, but the news feeds hadn’t captured the arrogant malevolence of Emperor Jevara of Torret.

Jevara pushed to his feet and walked down the stairs, anger flashing in his blue-green eyes. He sneered, lips moving, but Kendra couldn’t hear what he was saying.

The scene expanded and Kendra saw the other male. Tall and lean with short auburn hair, the other male faced Jevara, hands clasped behind his back. His lips moved, likely responding to whatever the emperor had said.

What good were the images if she couldn’t hear their words? She focused, pulling energy into her mind as she listened more intently. Kendra’s ears buzzed and gradually their voices manifested in her mind.

“You sanctimonious prick.” The voice was sharp with anger and Jevara’s mouth wasn’t moving, so Kendra presumed the words had come from the second male. “Every planet in this star system had ships out hunting for those females. No one could have done better,” the stranger insisted.

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