Atlantean's Quest Volume 1 Page 28

  Coridan slowed, then approached her. “Forgive me.” He bowed his head. “I have upset you and that was not my intention.”

  “It’s all right.” She shifted uncomfortably. “No harm done.”

  “I noticed his scent on you and assumed you had chosen to become his mate,” he said, his tone clipped. He watched her closely. Perhaps to see her reaction.

  Jac put on her courtroom face. “No,” she said. “I may have joined with him, but I’m not anyone’s mate.” She poked him in the chest as she spoke. “Got it?”

  He absently rubbed the spot she’d touched, then his demeanor changed. Coridan looked way too pleased for Jac’s peace of mind.

  “I’m looking for my friend, not for any entanglements.” Jac didn’t know why she felt the need to explain herself. Normally, she didn’t get defensive. She continued walking. Coridan matched her stride. “As soon as I find her, we’ll get the hell out of here, and out of everyone’s hair. You guys can go back to doing whatever it is you do and we’ll return to the city.” Jac glanced his way.

  For a second his face shifted to a hard determined mask, but then quickly smoothed. He hadn’t said anything, but then he hadn’t needed to.

  Jac’s gut clenched. Something wasn’t right here. He wasn’t telling her everything. “Rachel’s okay, isn’t she?” She didn’t bother to hide the worry in her voice. Why hadn’t she asked sooner? Jac put her hand out to stop him.

  Coridan stilled. “The Queen is well. Her babe develops quickly. In another week it will have strength enough to be able to operate the transport from within her womb.” His eyes flashed again, but this time in what looked like anticipation.

  “Did you say b-baby?” Jac sputtered. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. The sound of the creatures in the jungle faded until all she heard was her heart stampeding in her chest.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “How can she be pregnant? She hasn’t been down here that long.” Jac thought of Ares and how quickly they’d fallen into bed. Her head swam.

  “Are you—?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Jac waved him away. She simply needed a second to let everything sink in. Then she’d be able to formulate a plan. Yeah, that’s what she needed, a new plan. Rachel was pregnant. She swayed and then shot him a quick look, her gaze narrowing to slivers of ice. “Who’s the father?”

  Please don’t say Ares. The thought swept through her mind before she could stop it. It was followed by a wave of nausea.

  “’Tis not Ares,” he said frowning.

  Ares was an obvious guess on Coridan’s part considering their earlier conversation. Jac let out the breath she wasn’t aware she held. Relief surged through her veins. “If it’s not Ares, then who’s the father?”

  “How do you know it’s not me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

  She shrugged. “Lucky guess.”

  Coridan didn’t seem pleased with her answer. “The father is our King, Eros.” He made the announcement as if that would explain everything.

  It didn’t. Not by a long shot. Jac still couldn’t believe that Rachel was pregnant. How had her friend managed to come down here and get herself knocked up in a matter of weeks? Rachel may be on the timid side, but she was ambitious. Her promotion at the museum meant everything to her. She wouldn’t throw it all away for some guy—even if he were gorgeous and a king. They had to be keeping her against her will.

  And what in the hell was a transport if an unborn baby could operate it? Jac’s head began to pound. They were all insane. None of this Star Trek crap made sense. She needed to stick to the facts. The truth never let her down. It held no real surprises. If Jac could do that, then everything would be all right.

  It had to be.

  Her friend couldn’t be happy down here with these delusional people, who believed they were Atlanteans and several thousand years old. If Rachel was pregnant and happy, then Jac had come all this way for nothing. Her next thought almost knocked her legs out from under her. What if I’m pregnant? She swallowed hard and refused to consider that possibility. It was unthinkable. She lifted her chin in challenge. Conflict was safe, familiar, and she needed the tension desperately. “So do you think you’re over three thousand years old, too?”

  Coridan threw his head back and laughed. It was a gloriously infectious sound that made her smile despite the raw emotions tearing at her insides. He shook his head, sending blond hair over his broad shoulders. “I am not that old.”

  “I didn’t think so,” Jac said, ignoring the fact that he hadn’t actually answered her question.

  “Ares has always boasted of his accomplishments.” Coridan’s lips pulled tight over his teeth.

  Jac watched him. Envy, jealousy, and something else swam in his blue eyes. There was definitely no love lost between the two men. He continued to vent and she had the sudden urge to do the same.

  “He’s the most arrogant man I’ve ever met,” Jac added. “He thinks everyone should fall in line with his demands, while refusing to give an inch. Which is so not happening.”

  Coridan turned to Jac, all trace of humor gone. “You could always teach him a lesson,” he said hesitantly.

  Jac didn’t like the look in his eyes, but she figured she’d hear him out. After all, Ares could stand to be brought down a notch or two. “What do you have in mind?”

  Coridan swallowed and he licked his full lips. “’Tis your right to not accept his proposed mating, if a challenge is set forth.”

  She snorted, throwing her arms in the air. “Have you seen the size of Ares? Who in their right mind would challenge him?”

  His expression hardened. “Me.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  Jac placed her hands on her hips. “What’s in it for you? I know you’re not suggesting this out of the goodness of your heart.”

  Coridan clenched and unclenched his hands. “I, too, would like to see Ares bow to defeat, just once.”

  She ran her fingers through her short hair. “What exactly would have to happen? I don’t want him to get hurt.” It was the truth. Ares might be arrogant and overbearing, but she didn’t want harm to come to him. Just the thought left her strangely panicked.

  “A moment ago you all but declared that he was invincible,” Coridan said.

  “No one is invincible,” Jac said, picturing her father.

  “Good,” he said. “At least we agree on one thing. Now let me explain what would have to happen. When Ares returns to the village, I would have to challenge him for the right to mate with you,” he said carefully.

  “Hold the phone.” Jac’s gaped, a second before her anger returned. “Nobody said anything about mating. Didn’t I just tell you I wasn’t interested in having a mate?” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Weren’t you listening? You guys are all the same, a bunch of loincloth wearing Neanderthals. I don’t know why I waste my breath.”

  Coridan waited for her to finish before speaking. “I heard your words. I would not force you to mate with me. That is an abomination amongst my people. I would do nothing, unless you allowed it.” His eyes wandered to her breasts, then lower. He didn’t even try to hide his hunger. “Of course if you did allow it, I could make it mutually beneficial for the both of us. I am a highly-skilled lover. I am confident you would not regret your decision.”

  Her eyes narrowed. Jac wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. Any other time if a man looking like Coridan had propositioned her, she would have jumped at the chance to be with him. But now, after all that had happened between her and Ares, it didn’t feel right.

  Damn it. She had to snap out of this. Get over it, Jac. Get over him. She owed no loyalty to anyone but Rachel. Coridan stood before her, offering an opportunity to change her circumstances and Jac wasn’t going to be a fool and pass it by. She steadied her voice. “Beneficial, how? And don’t you dare tell me you were just talking about sex.”

  He held his hands out to sho
w he had nothing to hide. “I would get to see Ares defeated and you could return to your people in the end, if that is what you truly wished.”

  “That’s all? You wouldn’t want a little extra something, something?” The whole situation sounded too good to be true, there had to be a catch. Her lawyer senses were tingling and they were never wrong.

  He cleared his throat. “I do not deny that I find you pleasing to look at and would love to sink my shaft in you. I spoke the truth before.”

  Coridan glanced down. Jac followed his gaze. She could see his hard-on from beneath his loincloth. Great. These damn men were too virile for their own good. Her gaze shot back to his face.

  “What about Rachel?”

  He blew out a heavy breath. “Queen Rachel would have to make her own decision on whether to remain with Eros or return with you. I cannot choose for her.”

  Jac was afraid he was going to say that. Her heart hurt thinking about leaving Rachel behind. She couldn’t do it. She was her best friend. But there was no way she could stay. Her life, her work, everything she knew and loved was in New York. If Eros looked anything like Ares and Coridan, then Jac knew she was in for an uphill battle. To stay or go would be a tough decision by itself, but if Rachel was carrying Eros’s baby, then that decision would be doubly hard, if not impossible.

  Being forever practical, Jac weighed her odds. It was better stick with Coridan for the time being, he was biddable and could be controlled. Unlike Ares who was a dangerous wildcard that could pop up out of nowhere. It didn’t help that he was savagely sexy, completely dominant, and way too tempting to boot.

  She took a deep breath. Yep, it was better to go with Coridan’s plan for now. She’d at least see Rachel again and get in a little payback for Ares’s high-handed ways. For some reason the idea wasn’t as appealing as it had been moments ago.

  Ares picked up Jac’s scent along with an all too familiar one. The shock caused him to stumble. He clamped his jaw and sniffed the air once again. Rage bubbled beneath the surface as he registered Coridan’s male musk. He’d made no mistake. The young warrior had found Jac and they were headed back to the village. The muscles in Ares’s body tightened as something close to panic struck. He couldn’t lose her. Not when he’d just found the only woman who could ever claim his heart.

  He came upon the remnants of a snare. Had he stumbled upon Jac or had he trapped her? The thought of him stalking Jac, then trapping her choked the air from his lungs. What was Coridan doing so far away from the village?

  Ares scanned the area, searching for any signs that they might have joined. His heart slammed so hard in his chest, it was nigh unto bursting. How could Jac betray him like that? Had he not shown her of his feelings? Pain ripped through him, knocking the breath from his lungs. If he could get his hands on Coridan right now, Ares knew he’d kill him. There was no doubt in his mind.

  He raised his hand and sent out an energy burst. A tree exploded thirty yards from where he stood. Monkeys screamed and leapt to nearby branches as bits of wood fell to the ground. Ares raised his fists to the sky and roared. Anguish from deep in his core, bellowed out, spewing to the heavens.

  His mighty body shook and his vision blurred. He wiped a palm across his face. It came away with wetness. He stared at the moisture—entranced. Never in all the years of his existence had he ever shed a single tear. Jac did not deserve his tears, nor did she deserve his love. But even as the wayward thoughts trickled through his tormented mind, Ares knew he’d fight with his last breath to get her back. He could have no other.

  Jac was his—only his. She’d held his heart from the moment he’d set eyes upon her.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Seven

  At dusk, Jac and Coridan arrived at the village. The last of the sun’s rays crept behind the cover of the trees leaving everything in gray shadow. Jac couldn’t believe it. Blonde, Aryan looking people with curious aqua eyes watched them. The group gathered in the center of the encampment, around a huge fire. No one came forward in greeting—their shocked expressions said it all.

  Jac held her head high and met all their gazes. She was about to stop Coridan when she heard a scream. All heads turned in the direction of the sound. A small brown haired woman pushed past the people until she stood in front of the group, facing Jac and Coridan.

  “Jac! You’re really here,” she shouted and rushed forward, stopping short as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

  Shock slammed into Jac. Her mouse of a friend, Rachel, had transformed into the goddess Jac always knew she could be. Her long brown hair hung loose, falling down her back like an enchanted fairy. She was bare from the waist up, with only two gold hoops accenting her nipples. Gone was the modest, meek woman she’d hidden her true nature behind. Surely her eyes deceived her. Rachel wore a long sheer, aqua colored skirt low on her full hips, which showed off her softly rounded belly. Unbidden tears sprang to Jac’s eyes and she quickly brushed them away. Rachel reached her and threw her arms around her neck.

  “I’ve missed you so much.” Tears streamed down Rachel’s face.

  “You didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easily, did you? I’m here to rescue you.”

  “Are you alone? Did Brigit come with you?”

  “No, I left her back in New York, but she’s really worried about you. We both were.” Jac laughed, but the sound was pained. “Of course, not so worried that she’d skip MercuryCon, you know Brigit. All I have to say is she better water my poor plants while I’m gone.”

  Rachel giggled, pulling back from the hug, a smile beaming across her face. “You and your urban jungle.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” Rachel bit her lip, her chocolate eyes sparkling with moisture in the fading light. “I didn’t mean to worry you guys.”

  “Yeah, well—” Jac shrugged. “I hear you’re going to be a momma?”

  Rachel practically glowed. “You heard right. Can you believe it?”

  Jac swallowed the lump in her throat and pasted a smile on her face. No she couldn’t believe it. But she’d pretend like she could. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.” And she truly was happy for Rachel. It was the whole situation she found a little hard to accept.

  Rachel frowned. “Where’s Ares?”

  Jac opened her mouth to answer, when Ares stepped from the jungle, fury emanating from every pore. His emerald eyes flared with fire as he looked from Coridan back to her. Yep, he was definitely pissed.

  “Speak of the devil,” Jac whispered loud enough for Rachel to hear.

  Rachel stared wide-eyed at Ares. “What happened?”

  “My Queen,” Ares approached and dropped to his knees before Rachel, quickly kissing her left and right nipple, then just as swiftly rose. A wave of jealousy rushed through Jac, one she instantly crushed.

  Rachel’s brow furrowed. “Jac, what’s going on?”

  Jac glanced at Ares, her eyes boring holes into him, and then answered her friend. “There’s nothing to tell.” She saw a tic begin in his jaw as he squared his shoulders to face her. “And honestly, I could ask you the same question. What’s with the Queen of the Jungle routine?”

  With speed that left her blinking, Ares reached out and grasped Jac’s arms. “We need to speak.” He started to pull her away from the crowd, when Coridan stepped forward.

  “Unhand her,” Coridan bit out, warning flashing in his aqua eyes.

  Ares’s body tensed and then went deathly still. His gaze swung around to face the warrior, his eyes narrowed. His lips thinned until he was baring his teeth. Jac felt the tremor in Ares’s fingertips as he fought for control. He took a deep breath and pulled her behind him, shackling her wrist with one hand.

  “You dare challenge me for my mate?” Ares’s voice dropped low, menacing, deadly.

  Jac shivered. Maybe this challenge business wasn’t such a good idea.

  “You have not officially gone through the mating ceremony,” Coridan spat. The muscles in his arms flexed
and he clenched his fists. “Ask Jac, who she chooses to lay with in the bed furs.”

  Have you joined with Coridan? the whispered question in her head smoldered with anger and—hurt?

  “What? No!” Jac trembled beneath Ares’s grip.

  His thumb stroked back and forth along her pulse, whether to soothe or inflame, she couldn’t be sure. Jac’s heart leapt, sending awareness racing through her body. He brushed her again, this time to comfort.

  Unfortunately her reaction to that simple touch was anything but comforting. With each stroke, she went up in flames.

  “Damn you,” Jac muttered under her breath. “Why can’t you just let me go?”

  Ares flinched. You wish to go with Coridan? He asked in her mind, then slowly turned to face her. There was a wealth of hurt and pride glistening in his green depths.

  No, was Jac’s first thought, but she wasn’t about to tell Ares that. She thought about telling him yes, but that would be a lie, and considering his current mood it wasn’t a good idea to lie to him. Besides, she detested liars. “I don’t want either of you,” she ground out, trying to pull out of his hands.

  Jac stared at Ares, waiting for a reaction to her words, anything that would indicate he’d heard her and understood. Instead he appeared relaxed, almost relieved as he rubbed her hand once more. She tensed, surely he was smart enough to take her seriously. He arched a brow and then turned his attention back to his rival, while Jac struggled to escape from his grasp.

  “I ask again, are you challenging me, Coridan Antares?”

  Coridan stepped forward. Jac stared at the trees for a moment and counted to ten. They had about five seconds to knock this shit off or she would throttle them both. This wasn’t at all like he had described. It seemed more dangerous, possibly life threatening, instead of a comeuppance. She knew there was a catch. She should’ve listened to her gut.

  Rachel’s eyes were the size of saucers as she watched the two warriors square off. She rubbed her hands along her arms. A huge blond man gracefully stepped from the crowd, exuding strength, power, and authority.