Page 12 of Courting Mayhem

“Even against you?”

“When you have seen six hundred years, maybe.” His grip became painful. “You will allow Derek to merge with you, or you will never see your fathers again.”

He meant it. The thought of them locked away on some distant penal colony was horrifying. “That would be a mistake. The Warhammers are the best hunters in the galaxy.”

“If you agree to my terms, you and your fathers can continue hunting. But Derek will be in command of your team,” Zarek replied.

That wouldn’t go over very well. We could always lose Derek on a backwater planet and avoiding Zarek’s hunters would be easy enough. My shields were strong enough to keep the old man from taking total control of my mind. “I agree to your terms.”

Derek teleported into the room. “She challenged you?” The shock in his voice was amusing.

“She did. Did you bring Mayhem a shirt?”

Derek tapped his bracelet, and his armor shrank away, exposing his black tee-shirt and worn jeans. “Yes.” He held up a red tee-shirt with the Tower of Terror logo on the front. “Since she was so fond of this ride, I got her a souvenir.”

One look at Derek’s face and I knew he wasn’t any happier about the Overlord’s plans than me. “Aw, that was so sweet of you. Who knew warlords liked to shop?”

Zarek released me. “No tricks little one.”

“Who me? Wouldn’t think of it.” Plus, he’d probably punch my lights out. I bolted upright, snatched the shirt out of Derek’s hands and hurriedly pulled it on. Swell. The shirt was three sizes too big and hung past my knees.

Power flared in the room as Zarek, and Derek began to argue telepathically.

I wished I could link with them and listen in, but if I got inside their heads, I might never make it back out. I shuddered. Zarek’s mind would be a damn scary place to visit. Besides they had to be quarreling about me.

Derek gestured at me and snapped, “She’s younger than my daughter.”

Whoa! He had a daughter.

“Mayhem is twenty-one,” Zarek corrected.

“What?” Derek’s gaze raked over me. “You’re twenty-one?”

“I am. The trip to the Magic Kingdom was to celebrate me reaching twenty-one years without destroying a planet or killing anyone.”

Derek scowled. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

“No.” What a butthead. “Let me put it another way. Coming here was a birthday gift from my fathers.”

“I’m not looking for another mate and even if I was, I wouldn’t choose her. She’s an undisciplined child,” Derek growled.

I blinked. Wait. He already had a mate.

“Viola has been dead for over twenty-two years,” Zarek snapped.

“She was my one true love. No one can take her place.”

I scowled at them. “The last thing I want to do is hook up with a grumpy old man who still mourns his lost love.”

Zarek’s power roiled around the room. “This is not open to debate. The two of you are well matched and you have much in common with her fathers. You need to let go of the past and bond with Mayhem.”

With a grunt of pain, Derek dropped to one knee. He clamped his right arm to this chest. “I am yours to command in all things but this, my lord.”

“Is this bond thing really necessary now? Isn’t recovering the Shebu more important.”

Zarek stared at me for a long moment. “I will allow you time to get to know each other.”

Whew! A reprieve. “How long?”

---