Adrik (Titans #1)

Chapter 9

Adrik stormed down the corridor, his booted feet eating up the spotless metal panels that made up the floor. Barely contained rage had him fighting his animalistic urge to armor up and battle. Apparently, Obaida had trouble getting Ember out of the cell, so he’d requested Kaze’s assistance. Kaze claimed that Ember refused to be removed from the cell and a struggle had ensued. The fact that Ember had been injured had Adrik feeling inexplicably vengeful.

Slamming to a hard stop, Adrik clenched and unclenched his hands as he drew in several calming breaths. Taking stock of himself, he tried to dissect the still-present urge to punch Kaze. Adrik had only ever fought with his brethren in training, but today… Today, his knee-jerk instinct had been to slam his fist as hard as he could into Kaze’s face after Kaze’s flippant admission that Ember had been hurt.

Now, stalled just outside the cargo bay, Adrik fought to compose himself. The level of protective instincts surging through him had—up to this point—been reserved for his species, his crew, and his ship. Feeling battle-ready over Ember made no sense. He didn’t even know her. He repeated the last to himself over and over a few times before finally drawing in one last deep breath and stepping into the holding bay, chalking his rage up to the fact that she was a woman and Titans were protective of females.

The moment Adrik stepped into the cavernous space, his eyes locked on the cell and the tiny figure huddled within. Knees bent, arms wrapped around her legs, and forehead resting against her knees, Ember looked so small that the previously vanquished protective instincts made a vicious resurgence.

Walking to the cell, Adrik’s echoing steps filled the room but drew no attention from Ember.

“E…Em…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “Em-ber.” Her name was difficult to get out, but he managed.

Just as Adrik reached the cell, Ember lifted her head. The moment Adrik saw her face all the air escaped his lungs.

Red blood dripped from her full bottom lip. Dainty brows snapping down, she said something in an angry tone, and by the Gods, Adrik would give anything to know what she just said.

“Tyrate,” Adrik thundered a little too venomously.

“Yes, Chief Commander?”

“Tell Obaida to bring me a tranq gun.”

“Yes, Chief Commander.”

Eyes locked on each other, Adrik and Ember simply frowned at one another. It felt like those tense moments lasted hours, but Ember finally broke eye contact as she struggled to her feet. It wasn’t an easy feat, and when she was finally standing, she swayed unsteadily. Adrik clenched his teeth hard to keep from demanding Tyrate beckon Kaze too.

Rushed steps sounded behind Adrik and then Obaida was standing beside him, tranq gun in hand.

“Put her out and get her to medical,” Adrik demanded.

“We still don’t know the effects of the tranquilizer on the…”

“Now!” Adrik thundered.

Falling silent, Obaida hesitated only a moment before lifting the gun.

For all his days, Adrik will never forget how Ember’s face crumbled into a look of sorrowful resignation as her gaze slid from him to Obaida and the weapon pointed at her. Where Adrik expected fear, there was only weary sad acceptance. Where Adrik expected pleading, Ember instead lifted her chin, her gaze going back to his and holding. Silently, she was challenging him, telling him without words that she wasn’t afraid, and holy Ursa, that had him going hard.

Ember didn’t even flinch when the tranq gun fired and the projectile buried itself in her thigh.

***

Ffffffuck! Ember hissed inwardly, not wanting to show her captors how much the shot to her leg hurt. It was her last show of bravado, and she knew it. She also knew that she’d been courting trouble when she’d battled so vigorously against the two guards who’d attempted to remove her from the cell. They’d been cautious, overly careful so as not to hurt her and she’d taken advantage of their prudence. She could have gone with them willingly, but it just wasn’t in her. She and the other women had been prisoners for so long now that Ember was exhausted. She didn’t want to die, but she also didn’t want to keep being passed from one intergalactic species to another. It was the uncertainty that constantly gnawed at her. She despised living in fear and constantly not knowing what would happen to them was torturous.

Now, leg bleeding and vision slowly collapsing inward, Ember didn’t miss the slight hiss of the projectile the second it embedded in her flesh. Something had been injected, and she could only assume it was some form of poison. Funny, this far away from Earth, she was still disposable. It didn’t matter that she was female and females were rare. Even in the multi-verse, fair-colored females were the most desirable. Their pale complexions and corn-silk hair made the others seem ethereal, almost angelic. Nova and Kyan’s submissiveness was a stark contrast to Ember’s stubbornness. She was the black sheep and because of it she was being disposed of. It had her feeling disappointment in the dark captor who was watching her intently. Secretly, she’d hoped he might feel some form of kinship with her because when the others had forcibly taken Kyan and Nova, they hadn’t been wearing their armor. She’d assumed the males would all look similar, but they didn’t. The leader was dark as night while the others had skin that was crimson. Because he was darker than his brethren, the way she was darker than her sisters, she’d prayed there would be some connection, some empathy. There was none.

Fading quickly, Ember inwardly bid farewell to the girls, sending up a quick little prayer for the three women she’d come to consider sisters. Reaching for the cell bars, she staggered even as she heard the familiar sound of the cell door opening. Too weak to fight, she drew in a breath and held it as a dry heave hit her stomach. If there were anything in her belly, it would have come up. Instead, she groaned and clamped a shaking hand over her stomach. Eyes unfocused, everything began to spin so violently that she didn’t even realize she was falling until strong arms caught her.

The heat of the body she was pressed up against was so welcome that she leaned more firmly into it, knowing there was nothing to be ashamed of since she was dying anyway. She may as well enjoy one minuscule reprieve in her final moments.

More of her captors’ low rough words filled the air around her and were either spoken softly or her hearing was fading now too.

So what? It’s all over now . No more fear, no more fighting. A tear slipped free and slid down her cheek. Ember couldn’t help but smile at her easy escape. Finally, she’d find peace.

***

Adrik shouldn’t have touched Ember. He knew it as soon as he caught her. The instant his skin met hers, his dual hearts started racing like he was in the thick of battle. Chills blasted up his spine and goosebumps washed over his skin so fiercely that it caused an involuntary ripple of his armor. The display had Obaida jerking back from him with a hushed curse.

Titans were always in control. In complete and total control. But right now, Adrik didn’t feel in control. Every instinct inside him raged for him to find whoever had drawn Ember’s blood and make them pay. It wasn’t rational. His mind knew Kaze would never intentionally harm a female, but his instincts were too raw. It took great effort for Adrik to force a state of calm, and the longer he held Ember in his arms, the more difficult it became to maintain. The sweet feminine scent wafting up from her mingled with the coppery tang of her blood and evoked fierce emotions, the likes of which he’d never experienced. The onslaught of emotions warred within him, the foremost being the need to protect. That feeling was followed closely by the need to claim and that had Adrik turning to Obaida and shoving Ember into the medic’s arms. The instant he passed her to Obaida, everything inside him raged for him to reclaim the injured and vulnerable female. It didn’t feel right permitting another male to touch her.

“Get her to medical and check her over,” Adrik snapped, forcing his attention away from Ember even as guilt clawed at his insides. Just seeing Ember in Obaida’s arms had Adrik throttling the snarl that wrenched its way up his throat. He wasn’t successful in the effort.

“Commander?” Obaida questioned cautiously. “What’s happening?”

Turning quickly, Adrik stalked out of the holding bay. Hands clenching and unclenching at the need to touch Ember again. Adrik couldn’t fight the realization that she felt very…significant.

“Adrik!”

Adrik ignored Obaida’s query. He didn’t want to discuss Ember or his reaction to her. He knew that Obaida had witnessed his momentary loss of control, but nothing could be done about it now.

Obaida tried again, “Adrik! Wait!”

But Adrik didn’t slow. With the steady cadence of booted feet that belied his inner turmoil, he stalked out of the cargo hold to the lift that would take him back up to the bridge.