Page 20 of Zylonn's Human Bride
“Why did he want to hurt me? What is this blood debt he spoke of?”
Zylonn lifted her out of the corner and carried her to the large sofa on the other side of the room, beside a window that had a perfect view of the forest and mountains. When it wasn’t overcast and storming, that was. In the distance, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, and a moment later, thunder rumbled so loud, the walls of the house rattled. She snuggled deeper in his embrace, and he reveled in the feel of her in his arms, safe and unharmed.
He cleared his throat, preparing to tell her of the reason behind the attack. He had thought the matter long settled, though, and Hethron’s appearance in his home had come as a shock. Had he suspected he had any enemies at all, he would have installed a security system. Most homes on Tarkkua didn’t have one, as most Tarkkuans didn’t even lock their doors at night. Guilt settled on his shoulders. Even though his planet was generally safe, he should have been more cautious, and he vowed to be even more protective of his mate in the future. He would die before he let anything happen to her.
“Hethron’s younger brother, Lazon, was in my mining unit. Not only that, but we shared a bunk and often paired during work. We worked fast together and between the two of us, we usually managed to mine triple or more of the materials as the other males in our unit, on a daily basis. He was my friend,” Zylonn said, his grief over the loss of Lazon lending an extra darkness to the stormy afternoon. He gazed at the trees blowing in the wind, then returned his eyes to Nova before continuing in his story. “Unfortunately, one day his oxygen tank was struck by debris. Before we could get back to the ship, he ran out of air and stopped breathing.”
“And Hethron blamed you for Lazon’s death?”
“He accused me of cold-blooded murder, insisting I must’ve damaged Lazon’s oxygen tank myself in order to claim all the materials we had mined together, but a formal inquiry into the matter proved my innocence. A judge dismissed Hethron’s accusations against me, and I never heard from him again. Not until today. It’s unheard of for a Tarkkuan to disregard a judge’s decision. I am sorry for Hethron’s family, for now they will grieve the loss of another son, but I am not sorry I killed him.” He tightened his hold on her, a deep, low growl rumbling in his throat. “No one touches what’s mine.”
Chapter 16
The storm had passed as quickly as it had rolled in, the dark clouds dispersing and the Tarkkuan sky returning to its normal brilliant shade of aqua blue. Nova sat on the patio that faced the forest, watching as the sun glittered on the droplets covering the trees and underbrush, while the authorities removed Hethron from the house and talked to Zylonn.
She blew out a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. A lot had happened this afternoon. She’d been attacked, had a knife pressed to her throat, and believed she was about to die. But then she’d been saved by Zylonn, who could apparently make objects, and even people, move with his mind.
In all her years of studying the Tarkkuans, she had never learned anything about them that might explain Zylonn’s unusual powers. The word Hethron had called him translated asaberrant. She wondered what other abilities he possessed and if their children would inherit them.
She looked down and realized her hands were shaking in her lap. She twisted her fingers together and focused on breathing in and out. Everything would be fine. She was still alive. Hethron hadn’t harmed a hair on her head, let alone managed to nick her throat in the slightest.
Why then, did she feel so uncertain about the future and her mate?
She’d been on Tarkkua with him for a full month now. He’d told her all there was to know about his family and his past, but he’d omitted his supernatural powers. As she’d fled the bedroom, he’d been in the process of choking Hethron without even laying a hand on the man.
“Nova?”
She turned at the sound of her mate’s deep voice. He entered the patio and sat down beside her, placing an arm around her and drawing her close. She leaned her head on his shoulder, taking comfort in his presence, even if he had been keeping secrets from her. Was there anything else important he hadn’t told her yet, about himself or about this world? During the last month, she’d begun to feel at home on this planet, and with Zylonn, but now she once again felt as uneasy as she had the moment she’d stepped off theZenallia. Once more, she felt like a stranger in a foreign land. Would she always be an outsider looking in?
“The authorities are gone, and Hethron, too.” He ran a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead. His woodsy masculine scent enticed her to snuggle closer, and he responded by lifting her into his lap and cradling her against his chest. “I am sorry for the fright you endured, little human.”
She gulped hard and withdrew partially from him to stare up into his dark gaze. Her heart squeezed with emotion at the tender yet possessive gleam in his eyes. Despite his secrets, she felt safe in his arms and secure in the knowledge that he would protect her from any danger that came their way. But was he hiding anything else?
“Master?”
“Yes, Nova?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about your… abilities? I’ve never heard of a Tarkkuan who can move objects or people with their mind.” A sudden unnerving thought struck her. What if he could read her thoughts? She stared at his chest, awaiting his answer as a ball of worry tightened in her stomach.
“An aberrant—that is what my kind have been called for generations—only uses their powers in matters of life and death. I am sorry I did not tell you of my abilities sooner, little human. I had intended to tell you when I felt the time was right—I didn’t want to frighten you—but it did not occur to me that I would have need to use my powers so soon.”
“I see.” She supposed it made sense. Had he told her on her first night here that he possessed special mental powers, she would have been even more anxious on their wedding night, and she certainly would’ve been downright terrified when he punished her. Her bottom clenched involuntarily at the memory of his hand, and then the leather strap, cracking down on her ass cheeks. “Master, how did you get these powers? Were you born with them, or did you learn them?”
“All the males in my family have psychokinetic abilities. Our sons will have them as well, though it will take them some time to develop them fully, with the proper training, of course. Once, during the time of my great-grandfather, a rogue group of Tarkkuans known as the firebloods set about slaughtering all the aberrants on the planet, but a few managed to escape their notice, before our government rounded up the firebloods and executed them.”
“You didn’t answer my question yet. About having other abilities. Can you do more than move objects and, um, choke people?” she asked, repressing a shudder at the image of Hethron, his eyes bulging and his face bright purple, that flashed in her mind.
He looked thoughtful for a second, then said, “No. That is the extent of it.”
“So, you can’t read thoughts or anything like that?”
“No, little human. Nothing like that. I can’t read your thoughts any more than you can read mine.”
She sighed. “Well, that comes as a relief.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her, his teasing serving to lessen her anxieties. “Why is that, Nova? Do you have a habit of entertaining naughty thoughts?”
She laughed and playfully tapped his chest. “Never. I’m quite pure, in fact. I came to you a virgin, did I not?”
