Page 88 of Stealing Mercury
He might not understand the history and politics of the Earth Alliance, but he knew when things made her happy and sad. For him, that was all he needed to know and as far as she was concerned it was more than enough.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “That’s a good thing. It means he wasn’t as selfish as I thought. But he never told me. And it doesn’t make up for everything else he did.”
“Drake claimed your father was a friend of Grande Owens.” Mercury offered up the slight with no malice, but Samantha bristled at the thought of it.
“No way would he deal with that dune-slug.” That, she was sure of.
“I didn’t think so either,” he said. “I know his daughter and such a woman could not have been born to a man who accepted the suffering of others.”
She cupped his hand where he still held her. “It isn’t important what he did in the past. We have plenty to worry about in the present.”
“But your father—”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I thought he was a complete bastard. Turns out it was my own insecurity that was the real problem.” She held his intense gaze for several minutes and he allowed it, letting her think her way through to what she needed to say. That was Mercury. He always knew what she needed. In his eyes there was complete acceptance. Complete confidence of who he was. Stars, she didn’t want to lose him. Not to Roma and not to her own fears. She looked down and studied her knees, unable to face him with fear choking her. Her heart pounded and she couldn’t breathe. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes with you.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “Don’t be afraid...”
She pushed back, needing to gage his reaction to what she wanted, no, needed to talk to him about. “I know you made a promise to Carn. But you’re going back, taking that risk, it’s about more than that isn’t it? You’re pack bonded with his mate.”
He turned her in his lap and wrapped both big hands around her face. “Youare my mate.” When she started to argue he silenced her with a look. “I know you don’t believe it yet, but it’s true.”
She pressed her lips together to stop the protests she wanted to spew out. She wouldn’t allow him to distract her. She needed an answer. “But you’re bonded?” This time she made it a clear question. Demanded an answer, even if she knew the answer and didn’t want the confirmation.
“I was bonded to her, but nothing comes before mates. Carn knows this. Hera knows this.”
She swallowed against the lump that formed deep in her throat. “It was the one thing I swore, Mercury. That I’d never fall in love with a man who couldn’t give me his whole heart. Who wouldn’t be with only me. I know it isn’t fair after I had sex with Lo... but I couldn’t bear it if you were with someone else. I couldn’t.”
“We’re mated,” he said. “I’ll never touch another. Think, Samantha. Think of Carn. He’s my pack brother and he cares for you, but he doesn’t touch you. He can’t touch any female but his mate. This is our way. I need no one but you.”
She wanted to believe him and she was terrified to let herself believe. Maybe if she didn’t believe now it would hurt less if— No! She couldn’t think that way. She loved Mercury whether she wanted to or not. He’d never lied to her. She had to trust him or end it and she knew she couldn’t leave him now.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve been wrong about a lot of things lately. Maybe there’s one more thing I’ve been wrong about.”
He sat quiet, waiting.
“Maybe I’ve been wrong about not having any way to help you get back to Hera. I think it’s time I go back to the port and make a few calls.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
TheMugandGrub,Haverlee, Krena
Gollerra Sector
2210.171
Mercury walked proudly at his mate’s side all day as she worked amongst the Golley at the space port, contacted old friends, and called in old favors on his behalf. He’d thought he’d seen her strong and confident when he’d watched her through the bars of his cage as she took on the whip-master and his guard. He’d thought he’d seen her at her most courageous when she’d crawled down the side of a collapsed ravine and gone head-first down a dark hole to save Carn’s life. He’d thought he’d seen her clever and competent when she’d exhausted herself, single handedly flying the unfamiliar, low-on-fuel transport to Haverlee. But he knew now he’d been wrong.
The woman beside him was the one who’d snuck into the port as a child and changed her future. He suspected this woman was stronger, more confident, more courageous than he’d yet seen. The events of the morning had led her back to herself and a fierce joy for her wrapped around his heart, even as it fed the doubt in his gut. Doubt that he could keep her with him after they freed Hera. Doubt that she would accept his mate-claim. Doubt that she would ever find him worthy.
When they arrived at the backdoor to the Mug and Grub, a small crowd waited outside in the twilight. The humans all had mugs in their hands, several were propped against the exterior of the building. As they approached, the humans fixed their attention on Samantha. They all dressed alike in shades of pale blue and gray and wore heavy boots similar to the ones Samantha and the men of her father’s crew had worn.
“Do you know them?”
“Yes,” she said. “I haven’t seen them in years, but yes.”
He urged Samantha forward and signaled Lo with a low-sound bark. The command went unanswered, but Mercury knew Lo lurked in the shadows. “You should introduce them before Lo decides to shred them.”
Samantha hurried forward and he thought he heard her whisper the wordfriendsunder her breath as she approached them. Her voice sparkled with happiness as she called each of them by name, three males and two females. Mercury forgot Lo’s discomfort and bristled with his own when she allowed the males to hug her. He wanted to knock them away and then he wanted to strip her clothes off her and roll around with her on the silken bed sheets in her mother’s tent until she smelled only of him.
