Home > Lacey's Warriors (Bondmates #6)(2)

Lacey's Warriors (Bondmates #6)(2)
Author: Ann Mayburn

“My Lord,” Gwarnon quickly said. “I have found the women, but I am afraid the news isn’t good.”

“The women?” Lord Rell asked.

“Yes, Lady Roxy and another Earth woman are being held by the NevShoo. They…” The holo image of Gwarnon shook his head. “They are being entered to fight in the Baladium.”

“What the fucking fuck?!” Lord Rell roared, the Earth curse words mixing with a blend of other language’s foulest phrases.

Chel gripped the edge of the carved ivory stone baluster at the edge of the platform. His brain raced as he checked with the Baladium betting sites through his implant. There, plain as day, he found proof of Gwarnon’s words—two Earth women, with heavy betting and large sums of money being placed on their odds of their surviving the Baladium.

The Baladium had been around for centuries, a fight club of sorts where the winners were awarded with the Bel’Tan Galaxy’s greatest treasures and the Baladium’s protection. Kadothian Warriors were strictly prohibited from taking part in the contest, as the Baladium itself was on the edge of Hive Territory, in a region where Kadothia had no influence. It was one of the worst possible places Lady Roxy could end up, and Chel tried to fight off the sense of defeat tearing at him.

“The NevShoo need someone to come fix the crystal implants they are using for the Earth women. Evidently, whoever smuggled them in put in defective implants, or just implants that do not work properly with a non-transitioned Earth mind. I am going to assume the role of a Smuggler Prince and gain access to the women and replace their implants.”

“Then what?” Chel asked with a sarcastic snarl. “What in the name of the Lord’s balls are we supposed to do then? How do we get them out of the Baladium?”

“The NevShoo are in desperate need of a Baladium win,” Lord Rell murmured, his eyes darting about as he spoke. “They will not release the women to us, so that is not a road we can take.”

“And, even if they were willing?” Gwarnon’s grim image added. “The Baladium will not. The women are registered combatants, under the Baladium’s protection. Getting them out of there will be next to impossible. Perhaps, if I had an armada or two, we could fight our way out, but that is not realistic.”

“No,” Lord Rell agreed. “Are you sure there is no way to get them out?”

“I won’t know until I see the conditions they are being kept in, but from what I know of the Baladium’s security forces, it would be unwise. Chance of failure 98%.”

“First things first…” Lord Rell glanced over his shoulder toward the manor, then went silent for a moment before returning his attention to Chel and Gwarnon’s image. “We have to fix whatever has gone wrong with their crystal implants. They could easily destroy both women’s minds.”

“Agreed,” Chel quickly said. “If I may, my Lord, I request permission to travel with Gwarnon to the Baladium. I have experience with Earth women’s reactions to their crystal implants and have been working extensively with Lady Casey to fine tune hers.”

“Agreed,” Lord Rell said after a moment. “I don’t need to tell you both, but this is a Top-Secret mission. If you’re caught, I’ll protect you the best I can, but you must be careful. The majority of the High Congress will approve of the rescue of an Earth bride who has already begun the Transition to Matriarch, but some members of the High Congress would happily ban every Earth woman from Kadothia, if they could. None will be happy that I’ve kept this information from them.”

“We have a very short window of time. I’m preparing the ship and assembling our crew as we speak,” Gwarnon said, and his image looked off to the side for a moment.

Lord Rell was gazing at the orchard again, his strong profile standing out in sharp relief against the turbulent sky on the outside of the bubble. “You are right. Time is of the essence. Chel, grab what you need for the crystal implants.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Chel said as his mind was already assembling the tools and supplies he would need for their journey.

“Only contact me on the channel I’m sending you. Tell no one, other than your crew, where you’re going.” Lord Rell’s unyielding face softened for a brief moment. “You are two of my best men—loyal, brave, and honorable. It would greatly trouble me if we lost you as well. Please, be safe, and may the Lord of Life bless your journey.”

 

Hours later, Chel lay back in the wide bed on Gwarnon’s specialized smuggler ship. The sleek craft was made for speed and fabled to be all but invisible in the hands of the right pilot. They needed that stealth as they flew deeper and deeper into unfriendly territory hidden in the far reaches of the Bel’Tan Galaxy. Chel was glad to note his bond with Lady Casey easily held up across the distance, and he sent a prayer of thanks to the Lord of Life. Though the Hive wasn’t particularly active in this section of the Galaxy, the Baladium’s conglomeration of planets made formidable enemies that even the Hive didn’t want to face in battle.

Gwarnon exited the small cleansing room to Chel’s right. The soft amber lighting made the deep blue streaks in his blood brother’s black hair appear almost as dark as ink. Bare to the waist, Gwarnon’s body was a testament to strength and physical fitness—sculpted muscles covered in scarred golden skin, with two dimples on his lower back right above his ass.

Turning to watch Gwarnon ready himself for bed, Chel marveled at the rare moment of shared intimacy.

Keeping their bond a secret from Lady Melissi was one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do. On his own, he probably would have told the bitch the day they bonded, just so he didn’t have to hide his feelings for Gwarnon. But his blood brother had forbidden it, and Chel respected his wishes. Gwarnon had already lost one blood brother and his Matriarch, though Chel believed that wasn’t true. Oh, Jestin had been Gwarnon’s blood brother, and would have been Chel’s future husband as well-if he’d lived. But he was sure the woman Jestin had claimed to have found on a distant planet right before they both died wasn’t their Matriarch.

Turning to face Chel, Gwarnon gave him something he never gave anyone else, vulnerability. The cold, imposing mask, the robot-like display of emotions, the utter lack of warmth that was normally Gwarnon’s default expression, melted away. Instead of ice, his dark blue eyes, streaked with faint hints of silver lightning, seemed to glow with love. Chel immediately sat up and opened his arms to his blood brother, his heart filling with its own joy that surged between their bond.

In moments, Gwarnon tangled up in Chel’s arms on the bed. They lay on their sides, face to face.

“It is good to see you,” Chel said in a low voice as he stroked back Gwarnon’s hair. “I have missed you.”

Gwarnon rubbed his nose against Chel’s, a brush of their lips sending pleasurable shivers down his spine. “And I you.”

Giving in to temptation, Chel traced his tongue over the bow of Gwarnon’s lips, their bond saying everything their mouths could not. It had been months since he’d last felt his beloved’s arms, and Chel’s cock quickly swelled to the point of pain. Without breaking their kiss, Gwarnon slid his hand between them and under the sheet, gripping onto Chel’s erection with a hard squeeze.

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