Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 2) (5 page)

They hesitated, then Dev started talking. Dane sat quietly as his brother told her about their mother, and about their father. When he started telling her about this journey and how their father was treating them he started crying and Dane took over the story and finished it.

Daria hugged them, patted their backs and tried to comfort them while she thought about what they'd told her and what she could say to them. "When I was a little girl, my father was a warrior like yours. For a long time I didn't think he cared about me. But, when I got older, I realized that he just didn't know how to be a father. Nobody had ever shown him how you see?"

"Really?" Dane asked, hopefully.

"Sure. It took me a long time to teach him how to be my father but eventually he learned." She smiled encouragingly at him, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. "What does your father like to do?"

Dev jumped into the conversation. "He likes to kill people!"

Daria swallowed, bit her lip then asked, "What else does he like to do?"

"He's smart. Grandfather says someday Father will be the High Ruler of Kadia because everyone respects him."

"Dev? Do you agree with Dane?"

Dev looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

"Maybe he's like my father, and it's up to the two of you to teach him how to be your father. Do you think you can do that?"

"How?" they both spoke in unison.

"Tell me what you've been doing to get his attention."

The boys told her how he'd ignored them until they'd broken the rules he set for them, done their lessons incorrectly, and prepared the wrong food for him.

Dane frowned. "All he does is frown, confine us to the quarters and leave."

"Then I think what you should do is follow the rules he sets for you, do your lessons correctly, prepare him the food he likes and ask him about what he does all day."

The twins looked at each other, nodded and smiled. "We'll try it," Dane said.

"Good. Now, you guys better go." She walked them to the door and watched as they went into the quarters next to hers. She closed her door and eagerly moved to the viewing screen and inserted a disc about Zarronian culture. Sitting on the nearest couch, she picked up the notebook and began making notes about the program.

# # #

Jarek Aulunson approached Thorn as he was preparing to leave for his quarters. "Commander, I have a slight problem with the females. It's probably nothing to worry about but it's puzzling me."

Thorn crossed his arms over his chest and impatiently settled into a warrior's stance. He was eager to see his sons. The past three cycles they'd been behaving differently. For some reason, they'd finally stopped disobeying him and he figured they'd come up with a new plan to irritate him. The previous cycle, Dev hadn't plagued him with a hundred questions about the starship, and Dane had shown more interest in the warriors' training. "What is it, Aulunson?"

"The cycle we transferred the females aboard the Invincible I was in the transfer room and I spoke to one of the Earthlings. I wanted to find her again, but I haven't been able to locate her in any of the females' chambers."

"Are you sure? A lot of females came aboard this time. Maybe you've just overlooked her, Aulunson."

"No, Commander. She's not the kind of female a warrior would overlook. She's almost six feet tall and curvy with blonde hair and the most incredible eyes I've ever seen. They're the color of a wolfen's eyes."

"I see." The inhabitants of Earth were constantly trying to sneak a spy aboard their starships, even though they'd been warned not to do so, and one spy had already been caught and executed. "I want you to search each of the females' chambers again. If you don't find her I want to be informed immediately."

"Yes, Commander."

As Aulunson hurried away, Thorn informed Dag of the problem and told him to keep him informed about the search then he left the bridge and returned to his quarters.

Dane and Dev were busily preparing their lunch. They smiled when he sat down at the table. Dev placed a food tray in front of him. For the third cycle in a row, the tray was filled with his favorite foods. Dane leaned over his shoulder and placed a tankard of ale in front of him, then took a seat to his right, while Dev sat to his left. Thorn sniffed the air and smelled flowers.

"Dane, I think you used the wrong cleansing oil again this morning. You smell like flowers."

His sons and their quarters had smelled like flowers for the last three cycles. For the past two nights, the scent had disturbed his sleep making him restless and filling his dreams with erotic images.

Alarm lit Dane's eyes as he sniffed his arm. He smelled like Daria. She was always hugging him, and Dev, too. They liked it, but they'd better be careful from now on. Uncle Soren had said that when their father was younger he could track a female just by her scent alone. Shrugging, he mumbled that he would be more careful in the future.

Thorn nodded and turned to Dev. "How did the math lesson go?"

"Fine, Father. There was only one problem I couldn't solve, but Da-"

"I helped him, Father," Dane spoken loudly, trying to cover for his twin. He sent a warning look Dev's way, reminding him not to say her name in front of their father.

Thorn saw the rapid exchange and hid a grin. He and Soren had always helped each other when they were their age. "Excellent! I'm very pleased with your progress, Dev." Turning to Dane, he asked him how his science lesson had gone.

"Fine, Father." Then, remembering what Daria had told them, he asked him, "How did your morning go, Father?"

Startled, Thorn took a sip of the ale and wondered what they'd done now. Usually, they avoided speaking to him. He looked at first one then the other. They returned his gaze, waiting for him to answer Dane's question. "My morning went fine, Dane."

"Excellent! So, we will reach Zarronia on schedule?"

Without thinking, Thorn ruffled Dane's hair. "Yes, Dane. We will be home right on schedule."

Dane smoothed his hair, then asked, "Are the engines doing as well as you hoped they would, Father?"

Thorn had just taken a bite of sticky pastry, and the question caught him by surprise. Choking, he nodded, then wondered why they were suddenly so interested in his work.

Dev leaned forward, drawing his attention. A long strand of black hair fell over his forehead. "Father, can we tour the shuttle bay today? You said we could."

"Later this afternoon, Dev. After the two of you have finished your lessons."

As soon as they finished their meal the boys began clearing the table without being told to while Thorn paged through their lesson books. When they joined him, he gave them new assignments for the afternoon. They surprised him by sitting down and beginning the work without grumbling first. Usually, they gave him a hard time about the amount of work he gave them.

"Boys, I'll be in my office off the bridge if you need me. Alright?"

They nodded, then returned to their lessons. As he walked to the bridge he wondered about their behavior. What had happened to change them? He'd learned more about them during the past three cycles than he'd learned in the previous two annuals. He passed through the bridge, entered his office and went to his desk and contacted Dag. "Has Aulunson reported in yet?"

"Yes, Thorn. He and his team have checked two of the females' quarters. They haven't found her yet."

"Did they secure the quarters after they searched them?"

"Yes. We've placed two guards at each door leading into all five of the females' quarters. So far, all of the registered females have been accounted for."

"Good. I'm in my office. When Aulunson finishes bring him to me Dag."

"Alright, Thorn. You don't expect him to find her do you?"

"No. We've got a spy on board, Dag." Thorn abruptly disconnected the communicator. He detested spies. Especially female spies. She be lucky if he didn't cast her out into space after he forced her to tell him who'd sent her and how she'd gotten aboard. He pulled some charts toward him and began working on them. An hour later the doors to his quarters opened and Dane and Dev strolled in.

"We've finished our lessons, Father. Can we go to the shuttle bay now?" Dev asked, eager to explore the shuttles and the bay where they were kept.

"Not yet, Dev. I want the two of you to return to your quarters and stay there until I come for you."

"Can't we stay here, Father? We'll be quiet. Won't we Dane?"

"Yes, we will. Can we, Father?"

Thorn looked at them. They were sturdy little boys. Both of them tall for their age and well built, although Dane was slightly larger than Dev. Relenting, he told them they could stay. "Dev, here is the book on starship design I promised to show you." He handed the large well-illustrated book to him, then handed another one to Dane.

"Look, Dev." Dane held up the book so Dev could see it. "It's Great-Grandfather's book about the war with the Wrothians." Eagerly, he dropped to the floor behind Thorn's desk and began paging through it. Dev dropped down beside him.

Thorn watched them for a moment, then returned to his charts. Twenty micro-units later, Dag and Aulunson asked for permission to enter. He granted it and waited while they moved to stand before his desk.

"Commander, we didn't find the female. I studied each one of the Earthlings and she is not in the females' quarters," Aulunson said.

Unnoticed on the floor, Dane and Dev exchanged anxious frowns. Dane signaled to Dev to remain quiet.

"Aulunson, I want you to post guards in every corridor on every floor of the starship. Now." After he left, Thorn turned to Dag. "Gather security in the auditorium. We're going to search the ship until we find her."

Nodding, Dag hurried away.

"Father?"

Dane's voice startled him. He'd forgotten his sons were present. "I'm going to take you and Dev back to our quarters." Seeing the books in their hands, he told them they could take them with them, then he hurried them out the door. When they arrived at their quarters, he quickly searched the rooms. "Dane, after I leave, I want you to activate the security lock. Don't open it for anyone but me or Dag. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father."

"Good. I don't know when I'll return but I'll contact you later." He ruffled their hair as he passed them. In the corridor he waited until he heard the locking mechanism engage then he left for the auditorium.

Dane waited one micro-unit, then he opened the door and ran to Daria's quarters. "Daria, you have to come to our quarters. Right now!"

"Dane, sweetie, what's wrong? Is it Dev? Is he hurt?" She knelt next to him.

"No. No. They know you're here and they're going to search the ship, but Father has already searched our quarters. It's the only place you can hide."

Panicking, she rose and began grabbing her belongings. "Quickly, Dane, grab the books and the discs." As he stacked them into a pile, Dev entered. "Dev, come with me."

Going into the bedroom, Daria pulled the shirts they'd brought her from the closet. She almost missed the wig on the floor. She picked it up and handed it and the shirts to Dev. Dane stood in the doorway watching them. She smoothed the cover on the bed, then went into the bathing chamber and wiped away all evidence of her presence. As they went through the living area, she checked to make sure nothing was out of place. "Alright. Let's go." She took her notebook and several of the books from Dane and followed them to their quarters.

It was exactly like hers except the couches were black and the carpet was a silvery-grey. Dev led her into their bedroom while Dane replaced the books and discs on the shelves where they belonged. Their room had two twin beds. She shoved her notebook under one of the mattresses.

Dev appeared in the doorway. "Daria, I can't reach the hangers in Father's closet."

"Alright, Dev." She followed him into his father's room. He held the shirts out to her and she replaced them on the oversized hangers. When the last one was hung up they returned to their room.

How long would it take for them to search the starship? She couldn't stay here indefinitely. The boys sat down, one on each side of her. Their little hands patted her arms in a childish display of support. She put her arms around their shoulders and hugged them.

"Don't worry, Daria. We won't let them hurt you," Dane said.

She smiled at him. "I know you guys will try to protect me but I want you to promise that you won't interfere if they find me. I don't want anything to happen to either of you. Will you promise to do that?"

They hesitated to make the promise.

"If you won't promise, I'm going to leave and turn myself in to your father," she warned them.

"Alright, I promise," Dev told her.

"Dane?"

"Me, too," he mumbled.

"Good. Now, show me the lessons you did this afternoon."

They hurried off to get their books. She gazed around her. This was only a short reprieve. They were still too close to Earth and it would be too easy for them to return her. She had to stay hidden for a few more cycles. Surely, there was somewhere on a ship this size where she could hide.

When Dane returned she asked him. He thought for a moment, then he turned to Dev and whispered in his ear. Dev nodded. "There might be one place. Maybe."

Eagerly, she leaned forward. "Where Dane?"

"On the fourth floor. We were exploring one day and we went up there. There are some ladies there who help the warriors concentrate."

"Concentrate?" Daria asked.

"Yes. When they need help they go there and the ladies help them concentrate," Dane said.

"The warriors need help to think? Why?"

"We don't know," Dev said. "Grandfather says that sometimes a warrior needs a female to help him see things more clearly."

She thought she was beginning to understand. Madami Valan had told her that the warriors held their females in great esteem and often turned to them for their opinions. The females on the fourth floor must be advisors of some sort. A galactic version of an advice column. "Are these females old?"