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EARTH DATE: JULY 25 10:00 AM
Sarisia, Galadin Star System
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FOR THE FIRST TIME since they rescued Theiv from Drace, Brooke went back to their personal suite. She couldn't permit Theiv to make this sacrifice for her. Somewhere in this universe, his true mate must reside. And yet, she knew, that as long as her life was in danger, there was little chance Theiv would take the antidote. Tears rose at the thought, but she pushed them away. She had to find a solution. She had to find a way to free Theiv so that he could have the life he was meant to have.
She walked over and looked out the window, the alien landscape spread out before her in glorious beauty. The sky was blue here, but the grass was teal, and the leaves on the trees were varying shades of purple and red. The flowers were a profusion of color just as on Earth, but their shape and form were different in many ways. She’d been told that the winters were harsh, and the wilderness around the city was dangerous. She had no intention of experiencing either.
She paused, a frown crossing her face. Thorne. What had he said about someone called a bondage breaker? Someone who freed Zemyneah slaves. Still frowning she walked over to the communication system and put in a call to Thorne.
A mere hour later, she sat beside the big warrior on a personal flyer, skimming over the wilderness of Sarisia. “How long till we are there?”
“Not long, Brooke. Why are you doing this?”
Brooke shrugged pretending a nonchalance she was far from feeling. “I do not wish to be a Zemyneah slave. It’s abhorrent to my people.”
Thorne laughed, a rough growl of amusement. “It’s abhorrent to all intelligent people. You and Theiv seemed well suited though. I thought it was more. He did not treat you as if you were merely a slave for his pleasure.”
Brooke glanced at Thorne, her eyes troubled. “Theiv had no more choice than I did in this situation. It’s not right that he risks his life for me. Drace is never going to give up. I am going to be running from him forever. If this ‘bondage breaker’ can break the bond with Theiv, then he will be free and safe.”
Thorne tapped a few commands into the panel before him, then turned and regarded Brooke. “How does Theiv feel about this?”
Brooke shook her head, “He doesn’t know. We tried to get him to take the experimental antidote, but he refused.”
Thorne watched her silently for a long moment. “He will be angry I think.”
“But he will be free, and he will be alive.” Brooke turned away from Thorne. “That is all that matters.”
“No, I do not think so Brooke. Theiv is a man of honor, a man who feels deeply. He wouldn't stay with you if he weren’t committed to you.”
Brooke sighed wistfully. “It’s not something that we will know for sure unless this bond is broken, and he is no longer addicted to the Zemyneah—to me.”
Thorne expertly guided the little craft down in the courtyard of a stone keep, deep in the wilderness.
“Welcome to the Scarlet Light Fortress.” A woman dressed in a red leather uniform, greeted them as they disembarked from the flyer. “Hello, my name is Ava. I’m the Guardian of this fortress. Thorne sent me a message regarding the nature of your Zemyneah technology. Walk with me, Brooke, and we will discuss what can be done. Thorne, please avail yourself of our comforts.
Thorne gave a short nod and headed into the fortress. Ava held out her hand to indicate the direction they would walk. “We will go to the gardens. They are peaceful and we will not be disturbed.”
They’d been seated only a few moments when they heard the arrival of another flyer. Ava assured her that her second would take care of the new visitor and urged her to continue her story. When she was done Ava looked deeply concerned. She lifted her hand, a scarlet glow appearing. “I would like to examine you if you don't object. There will be no pain, or harm, I assure you.”
Brooke nodded her consent, and Ava reached out a hand, careful to not touch her. “You’re Zemyneah, but...” she walked around Brooke, her hand still held out, the red glow growing. “I’ve never encountered the Zeptos that inhabit your blood, and your heritage is confusing. You’re not a species I’ve encountered before, and yet you also contain DNA from several other species. How is this possible?”
“Stop!” A hard male voice, that she knew all too well, interrupted. Brook turned slowly. Standing just a few feet away was Theiv. His legs planted widely, arms crossed, he glared at her, his eyes cold and flinty. “I’ve warned you about running away from me. Why are you doing this, Brooke?”
“I told you, Theiv. It’s not right that you give up your life for me. That you risk your life. That you risk never finding a true mate.”
His expression tightened. “I never do anything I don't want to do.”
“It’s still not right, Theiv. It’s too much to ask of anyone.”
Theiv growled, and Brooke looked at him, alarmed. “Go ahead, Brooke. Have the bond broken. You’re still not leaving here without me, and I guarantee you that I will fuck you until that bond comes back stronger than ever. You’re mine, and I will never let you go.”
“You want a Zemyneah slave that badly?” Brooke flinched and looked away.
Theiv strode forward and grabbed her by her arms, giving her a tiny shake. “You are not my Zemyneah. You’re my dragon marked mate. A Zemyneah slave doesn’t bear the mark of a mighty dragon. It’s impossible. Zemyneah slaves don’t bear an Amberisian mating mark. It’s not possible. And yet you bear both marks. Put there by my hands, by my seed spilled deep inside you, by my lips and tongue as I tasted every inch of you. You’re not my slave, Brooke. You never have been. You’re my heart, you’re my soul, you’re my beloved, the woman I will protect for all eternity.
A tear slipped down Brooke’s cheek, and she lifted a trembling hand to Theiv’s face. “You love me?”
“Without limits, Brooke. I love you with all my heart and with all that I am. It is my honor to protect you.” His hand lifted and he cupped her neck, the warmth of his palm covering the small red dragon that marked her as his. “I’ve told the Emperor that we will be mated tonight.”
Brooke laughed and wiped a tear away. “Don’t you think you need to ask first?”
Theiv regarded her seriously for a long moment. “I’m asking, Brooke. From the beginnings of time the dragon warriors have joined with their women in a sacred binding that can never be broken. You are the keeper of my heart. I am your defender, your protector, your shield. With great reverence I ask for the gift of your trust. I ask for the right to call you mine. I ask for a place for my soul to call home.”
Brooke’s hand covered her mouth, tears filled her eyes as she understood the depth of his feelings for her. “Yes,” she whispered, then louder. “Yes!”
Theiv solemnly indicated a box carved with exquisitely detailed dragons, that Brooke hadn’t noticed in the heat of their words. He opened the lid and withdrew something, turning to Brooke. “As a symbol of my protection, I ask you to wear the emblems of the Dragon Warriors. He held out a slender band of gold, which sort of looked as if it could be a bracelet. Brooke looked at it, puzzled, but nodded her consent. Theiv took her right hand and slid the band onto her wrist. The metal began to warm, and in a sudden blaze of ruby red light, transformed into a dragon that curled itself from elbow to wrist around her arm. The head of the dragon came to rest on the back of her hand, the tail winding around her arm to settle by her elbow. Its eyes were ruby red jewels, it’s scales intricately etched and edged in a deep ruby red, every detail from its eyes to its wings were so finely wrought that it appeared to be a living creature. Brooke gasped and looked at Theiv, her eyes wide. He smiled. “It’s an automation. Your Zeptos are even now coding it to you. It will protect you if it ever senses danger.”
Brooke moved her wrist experimentally, the weightless automation moved with her in a smooth undulation, never hindering her movement in any way. She looked up with wide eyes. Theiv turned her slightly and then he fit a delicate semi-circle of gold over her left ear, again the burst of ruby red light and the warmth as a delicate dragon transformed and clung to the side and point of her ear. She reached up, touched it, and turned questioning eyes to him. “If you are in danger, it will fly directly to me. It has the capacity to travel great distances, even through space if needed.”
He took her left hand, pressed a kiss to the palm, and slid a band of gold over her ring finger. Once more, the band transformed into a dragon. A tiny glittering red dragon. “It sends a signal that is coded to my Zepto’s, Brooke, so that I will always be able to find you. It also creates an impenetrable force field around the wearer to prevent it’s removal and to protect the wearer from harm.”
Theiv slid his hand along her cheek, and into the short strands of her hair, as he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Brooke,” he whispered as he took her mouth in a gentle kiss.
“I love you, too, Theiv,” she said between kisses, knowing that, finally, she had found a safe place for her heart.
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~The End~
Next Book
The Codes of Creation Multiverse: Realm of The Forsaken Series:
Forsaken
Coming Soon
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