Read Online Devoured: Brides of the Kindred 11 by Evangeline Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Evangeline Anderson
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remember! Tess told
herself fiercely. She clenched her fists at her sides and stared up at the
ceiling, willing the memory away.
“What’s this?” The big warrior sounded as
if he was frowning.
Tess looked down and saw that he was staring
at the small, white scar on her inner thigh. Seeing the mark brought back the
memory she’d been trying so hard to suppress. The heat she’d been feeling
turned to ice down her spine and her stomach clenched in a sick knot of
tension.
“I thought you said you were new. That you
were a prototype,” the warrior said, frowning. “But this looks like a scar—an
old one. Who did this to you, little one? Who hurt you?”
Suddenly Tess couldn’t take it anymore.
She wriggled away from him and scrambled
off the bed. Snagging her dress from the floor, she started pulling it on with
trembling fingers.
“What…?” The warrior was still on his
knees in front of the bed. He looked up at her, frowning in confusion. “What
are you doing?”
“Okay, all right, you got me,” Tess babbled.
“I didn’t want to blow my cover but I can’t…can’t do this. I’m not a Pairing
Puppet. I’m sorry—I’m really sorry.”
His face grew dark and he stood suddenly,
towering over her.
“You’re not a puppet? What are you—some kind of a spy?”
“What? No!” Tess backed away from him, her heart pounding. God, why did he have to be
so big? She had an idea that her
dress was on inside out and backwards but she didn’t care.
“What were you doing at the Pairing House,
posing as a puppet?” he demanded.
“I was hiding, all right?” She was backing
away from him now, fumbling for the door. The anger on the big warrior’s face
was frightening. She had seen that look before often enough in Pierce’s eyes to
know what it meant. Trouble coming… It was written all over his face, brewing like a storm. And she wanted to be
out of the way before it hit.
“I told you things,” he said, his deep voice throbbing with anger. “I did things… forbidden things.”
“No, you didn’t—not really!” Tess
protested, still feeling for the door. “I mean we really didn’t even…”
“We did enough. On my planet the things we
did…the things I told you…” He shook his head. “You let me break the ancient
taboos. Let me believe you weren’t real—that you would keep my secrets.” He was
still advancing on her, his face like a thundercloud.
“I’m sorry!” Tess had found the door at
last but it wouldn’t open. “Look, I’ll go, okay?” she gasped. “I’ll leave the
Mother Ship. I’ll give myself up to the authorities and I’ll never come back, I
swear. You’ll never have to see me again.”
“You can’t—” he began.
But just then, to her vast relief, the
metal door panel at last slid open. Tess practically fell out of it, into the
narrow street.
“Wait a minute.” Moving much more quickly
than such a big man should have been able to, he was suddenly out the door and
had her by the arm.
“Let me go!” Tess yanked against his big
hand but she might as well have been pulling against an iron handcuff. He
wasn’t hurting her but it was clear he wasn’t going to release her either. “Let
me go!” she insisted again.
“No.” He glared at her. “You’re coming
with me.”
“What? No!” She was still pulling against
his hand but he was already marching her down the narrow street. There didn’t
seem to be any hope of escape. Tess felt despair wash over her. “Where are you
taking me?” she asked.
He shot her an angry glance.
“You mentioned wanting to go to the
authorities. I’m taking you to one of them now.”
Chapter Eight
Commander Sylvan looked confused when the
door to his suite slid open.
“Yes, Garron? How can I help you?” His
eyes flickered down to the girl with long reddish-brown hair and dark eyes
Garron had by the arm. “And…who is this?”
“I don’t know who she is but she’s been
hiding in the…in the
herself fiercely. She clenched her fists at her sides and stared up at the
ceiling, willing the memory away.
“What’s this?” The big warrior sounded as
if he was frowning.
Tess looked down and saw that he was staring
at the small, white scar on her inner thigh. Seeing the mark brought back the
memory she’d been trying so hard to suppress. The heat she’d been feeling
turned to ice down her spine and her stomach clenched in a sick knot of
tension.
“I thought you said you were new. That you
were a prototype,” the warrior said, frowning. “But this looks like a scar—an
old one. Who did this to you, little one? Who hurt you?”
Suddenly Tess couldn’t take it anymore.
She wriggled away from him and scrambled
off the bed. Snagging her dress from the floor, she started pulling it on with
trembling fingers.
“What…?” The warrior was still on his
knees in front of the bed. He looked up at her, frowning in confusion. “What
are you doing?”
“Okay, all right, you got me,” Tess babbled.
“I didn’t want to blow my cover but I can’t…can’t do this. I’m not a Pairing
Puppet. I’m sorry—I’m really sorry.”
His face grew dark and he stood suddenly,
towering over her.
“You’re not a puppet? What are you—some kind of a spy?”
“What? No!” Tess backed away from him, her heart pounding. God, why did he have to be
so big? She had an idea that her
dress was on inside out and backwards but she didn’t care.
“What were you doing at the Pairing House,
posing as a puppet?” he demanded.
“I was hiding, all right?” She was backing
away from him now, fumbling for the door. The anger on the big warrior’s face
was frightening. She had seen that look before often enough in Pierce’s eyes to
know what it meant. Trouble coming… It was written all over his face, brewing like a storm. And she wanted to be
out of the way before it hit.
“I told you things,” he said, his deep voice throbbing with anger. “I did things… forbidden things.”
“No, you didn’t—not really!” Tess
protested, still feeling for the door. “I mean we really didn’t even…”
“We did enough. On my planet the things we
did…the things I told you…” He shook his head. “You let me break the ancient
taboos. Let me believe you weren’t real—that you would keep my secrets.” He was
still advancing on her, his face like a thundercloud.
“I’m sorry!” Tess had found the door at
last but it wouldn’t open. “Look, I’ll go, okay?” she gasped. “I’ll leave the
Mother Ship. I’ll give myself up to the authorities and I’ll never come back, I
swear. You’ll never have to see me again.”
“You can’t—” he began.
But just then, to her vast relief, the
metal door panel at last slid open. Tess practically fell out of it, into the
narrow street.
“Wait a minute.” Moving much more quickly
than such a big man should have been able to, he was suddenly out the door and
had her by the arm.
“Let me go!” Tess yanked against his big
hand but she might as well have been pulling against an iron handcuff. He
wasn’t hurting her but it was clear he wasn’t going to release her either. “Let
me go!” she insisted again.
“No.” He glared at her. “You’re coming
with me.”
“What? No!” She was still pulling against
his hand but he was already marching her down the narrow street. There didn’t
seem to be any hope of escape. Tess felt despair wash over her. “Where are you
taking me?” she asked.
He shot her an angry glance.
“You mentioned wanting to go to the
authorities. I’m taking you to one of them now.”
Chapter Eight
Commander Sylvan looked confused when the
door to his suite slid open.
“Yes, Garron? How can I help you?” His
eyes flickered down to the girl with long reddish-brown hair and dark eyes
Garron had by the arm. “And…who is this?”
“I don’t know who she is but she’s been
hiding in the…in the
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