Adrik (Titans #1)

Chapter 20

Before she’d even stepped off the lift, Ember knew it was a horrible idea. But her concern for Nova pushed her to action. She made it two steps before she was grabbed. It happened almost too fast to register, and all she could do was gasp. Heart hammering in her chest, Ember was pinned up against the wall by an enraged, red-skinned Titan, she could only assume was Pitch. His fury-filled reptilian-like eyes bore into hers as a growl rattled from him.

Well, she was mad too. Her small hands were clawed around Pitch’s wrist as Ember glared right back up at him. With a snarl, she choked out, “Where’s Nova? You better not have hurt her!”

Pitch’s furious expression slipped a fraction, and then he was ripped away from her so fast that Ember lurched forward and fell to her knees. Head whipping up, she saw Adrik holding Pitch against the wall like Pitch had just been holding her.

“Sh-she snuck up on me,” Pitch stammered. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

The rolling growl emitting from Pitch had vanished, and a similar sound was now coming from Adrik and holy hell. Ember knew she shouldn’t be turned on by Adrik coming to her rescue, but she was. He’d snatched his own Titan soldier off her and was now holding him in a chokehold while rage was etched in every line of his frame. Ember shook her head and rubbed at her throat, shocked at the absurdity of finding Adrik sexy in the current situation. What’s wrong with me?

***

Adrik didn’t understand the fury and possessiveness that nearly blinded him when he’d stepped out of the lift and saw Pitch with his hands on Ember. Even now, holding Pitch in a punishing grip for the transgression, Adrik knew he was overreacting. Still, he couldn’t stem the fury boiling inside him.

“Ember,” Adrik snarled, eyes still locked on Pitch. “Are you injured?”

“N-no,” Ember stammered and shocked him by saying, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come down here. I was worried about Nova.”

Releasing his hold on Pitch, Adrik felt guilty. He’d just been telling himself earlier to remain objective and steadfast where Ember was concerned, and then one glimpse of another male with his hands on her had him abandoning logic. Turning to Ember, he fumed, “This Level is off limits.”

“I-I didn’t know.”

“I should have warned you.” Adrik looked repentant as he shot Pitch a dark look. Pitch was given more leniency than the other Titans in hopes that he’d heal some of the trauma from his captivity, but harming females was unacceptable.

As if reading his thoughts, Pitch ducked his head and admitted, “I was startled. I’m feeling overly protective of Nova.” He angled his face to the side to glance at the door to his quarters. “I can’t explain it.”

And he didn’t have to. Adrik’s feelings for Ember mirrored Pitch’s.

“I just want to see her,” Ember interjected, getting to her feet. “If I could just see that she’s okay.”

At that, Pitch’s head snapped up, his expression hardening. “No one enters my quarters!”

“Why are your comms offline?” Adrik snapped.

“Th-there always offline.”

Adrik roared, “Level Dread comms! Why are comms off on this entire Level? It violates direct orders, Titan!”

Pitch’s expression blanked. “I… I didn’t disengage them.” His gaze slid to Ember.

Ember snorted, “I wouldn’t know how to do that.”

“Tyrate,” Adrik snarled. “Who disengaged Level Dread Comms?”

Tyrate’s typical immediate response lagged, and Adrik thundered, “Tyrate!”

“Commander,” Tyrate began, “there is no record of any individual disengaging the comms. There was a glitch…”

“What glitch?” Adrik snarled.

“An override,” Tyrate responded. “It emanated from…”

Silence hung in the air before Tyrate continued. “Med Bay, Commander.”

A furious growl erupted from Adrik. It had Ember shying away from him, but his hand shot out and caught her wrist. Yanking her to him, she fell against his chest, a startled gasp escaping her as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Kyan is the traitor?” he demanded roughly.

“No!” Ember panted, shaking her head before she denied it more firmly, “No! No, she’s not! She’s nothing, she’s ill. She’s…”

Adrik shoved Ember into Pitch’s arms. “Secure her in your quarters with the other prisoner. The ship has been breached!” He cast Ember a look of disgust before giving his attention back to Pitch. “Arm yourself and assume the worst.” He shot a pointed glance at the door behind Pitch, indicating that his Titan shouldn’t underestimate Nova. Though it was laughable, even Adrik couldn’t bring himself to believe that the youngest female could be any threat, but he’d not be deceived.

“No!” Ember bellowed. “Wait! Kyan didn’t do anything! We didn’t do anything!”

Adrik turned and stalked down the corridor, his armor rippling into place. Behind him, Ember shouted, “I don’t know what’s happening, but it wasn’t us! It wasn’t Kyan, Adrik, I swear it!”

But Adrik wasn’t listening. His hand was on the comms at his throat, the back-up communications system worked independently of Tyrate or the ship. “Decode: Status Creed. Repeat, Decode: Status Creed. Kaze, secure prisoner Vashti!” Releasing the comm, he barked, “Tyrate, shut down for a full diagnostic, now! That’s an order!”

Tyrate buzzed an odd sound then responded, “Yeszzz, Commander.”

The lights on the Cressida blinked, and the ship hummed as a temporary power surge shot through it.

Lips thinning, Adrik turned his attention to Pitch. “Secure both females and guard this door! We are under Status Creed, do you understand?” To his shock, Pitch didn’t immediately affirm.

“Commander, Nova’s finally resting,” Pitch countered. “She’s finally been sleeping steadily. Obviously, she needs this time to recuperate her strength. Perhaps we should wait and...”

Adrik had enough. Patience at its limit and fury filling him for how easily these “weak” females had gotten through his Titan’s defenses, he loosed a feral-sounding roar. Hand shooting out, he grabbed Pitch by the throat and shoved him hard up against the door, going nose-to-nose with his subordinate.

“It was not a request!” Adrik snarled. “And last I checked, I am the Commander of this vessel. If you wish to refuse an order or would like to challenge for my position, do so now!”

Startled, Pitch held Adrik’s gaze before he wheezed out, “A-apologies, Commander.”

The second the acquiescence was out, Adrik released him and raged, “The ship has been infiltrated!” He shot Ember a dark look. He ordered again as he turned to leave. “Get Ember secured now!”

Behind him, Adrik heard Ember plead, “Wait! I want to come with you.”

Of course she did. Kyan was the mole Adrik had suspected one or all of them were from the start. Betrayal bit harder than it should have, and Adrik turned to glare at Ember as he thundered accusatorily, “Did you know? Did you know Kyan was sent here to destroy us?”

“What?” Ember breathed out, shaking her head. “No. She wasn’t! It’s not even possible.”

Turning fully, he stalked back toward Ember, stopping to demand, “Explain it. Explain the infiltration of my ship and the corruption of my ship’s AI. Explain why the source of this treachery comes from Med Bay. My Med Bay,” he snarled taking a step closer to loom over her. “The enemy is either my own Titan Medicus, Obaida, or the recently acquired human, Kyan.”

“It’s not, Kyan!” Ember yelled, knowing her denial was irrational. It sounded lame even to her own ears. Still, she knew Kyan wouldn’t, couldn’t have done what Adrik believed. It simply wasn’t possible. The women had been together for many cycles. Too many to count. She knew Kyan. What Adrik was suspecting couldn’t have possible been done by any of the women. “You’re being deceived, but not by us! Focus!” she challenged. “Someone, some thing is using us to distract you. But it’s not us, Adrik. I swear it on my life!”

Adrik’s fierce viridescent eyes flashed with fury as they narrowed on Ember. Lifting his chin haughtily, he looked down his regal nose at her and sneered, “Prove it!”

The problem was she couldn’t, and they both knew it.

Savage anger filled Adrik’s being with the realization that he actually wanted to believe her. He wanted to trust Ember, and it was not only infuriating but also embarrassing. It was tantamount to how Pitch had just challenged a direct order for the sake of Nova’s rest. It was pathetic. He and his Titans were folding under the charms of these females and that was what had worried Adrik from the start.

Shooting Ember one last scathing look, he turned to stalk away when she caught his arm. Instantly stilling, he pinched his eyes closed at the memory of what had happened the last time she’d dared to touch him without permission.

Behind him, Ember whispered, “Please, let me come with you.”

There was a beat of silence before she offered, “If Kyan is the source of this treachery, then you can kill us both.”