Page 58 of Fractured Souls

This was the most exquisite agony.

Did she understand what kind of effect she had on him? Perhaps she did, because she went very, very still.

Ba-ba-bump. Her heart made an extra beat. She forgot to breathe.

Fear?

No, arousal.

He could smell it; sweet and intoxicating.

Damned female. She was testing him beyond limits he didn’t even know existed.

“So, is that an affirmative?” She was looking at him strangely.

“Whatever you want,” he said thickly.

He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. Right now, he would give her anything she asked for.

Anything.

“We are not going to take unnecessary risks,” Tarak said coldly, cutting through Nythian’s glorious, maddening trance. “You will go to Tharos only once the threat has been analyzed and neutralized.”

Alexis glared. “I don’t want to waste any time. This is critical. She doesn’t have long. If you’d felt what I felt just now…” She moved closer to Nythian, as if seeking his protection. “I might be your guest, prisoner, whatever, but I’ve been hurt by your kind, too. They nearly killed me.”

A growl escaped Nythian’s throat. His claws were on the verge of flicking out, but he kept them at bay—only just. Anyone who was responsible for her suffering, even if they were only remotely connected…

He would find them and kill them.

Every last one of them.

Alexis squeezed his hands, holding him tightly. She was the only one that could temper his rage right now.

“What I’m saying,” she continued, “is that I’m willing to take the risk.”

“To deliver Anuk Pranaka-teh to this portal.”

“Yes.”

Tarak stared at her, his expression cryptic.

Nythian stewed in a hot mix of anger and lust, torn between the need to protect her and the desire to know her.

It would be so easy to lock her away, to keep her cocooned behind Callidum walls for his own desires, but he wouldn’t do that.

On a deep, instinctive level, he knew she needed this. It was part of her healing.

“She won’t be risking anything,” he growled. “Send a force to deal with the invaders, give me the hardware I need, and I’ll make sure she gets there and back in one piece.” He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.

“Nythian…” She sounded surprised. Why should she be surprised? This was the most natural thing. She was safer by his side than anywhere else in the Universe.

“Very well,” Tarak agreed. “I do not understand this situation entirely, nor am I going to attempt to. Just get it done, Nythian. A small battle-squadron will be assigned to the Tharos mission. Once you leave here, you have the equivalent of five Earth days until you reach Tharos.” He turned his attention upon Alexis. “Until then, you are ours completely. You are to obey our commands completely. Nythian will continue your combat training. Ashrael will be arriving soon to provide you with psychic instruction. Zharek will continue to monitor your physical state. From now on, every waking moment will be spent in training. Do you understand, human?”

“We understand.” Nythian pulled her closer, overcome with the sudden urge to fight Tarak. He didn’t like that another male could speak to his human like this, even if it was his commander, even if Tarak’s plans made perfect sense.

He didn’t care that his intentions toward her were perfectly obvious to the others.

He was too far gone.

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