Page 24 of A Mate for Vasek (Tallean Mercenaries #11)

Vasek

Vasek leaned back onto the rough bark of the tree.

He’d been hiding outside of Dawn’s door all night, and he wasn’t proud of it.

He’d followed her and Dex back last night after she’d joined the crew for a soak at the baths and a dinner at one of the on-site pubs.

He now had a set of nail marks on his biological hand from how hard he’d clenched his fist to stop himself from barreling toward them to rip her away from the human male.

Luckily, Dex had not tried to go into her room or even share a kiss. The male could live another day.

Vasek had been invited to the baths as well, but had declined after realizing she was going to be there. He’d given a barely believable excuse, and he was sure he’d either offended his old friend, or Kean knew something was wrong.

And something was wrong. Because he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Dawn since the moment he’d left her the other day.

He wasn’t stupid. He knew what this was. This was the start of the mate bond.

It wasn’t too late, though. If he avoided her from now on, the bond wouldn’t fully develop, and he’d be safe. Then why the fuck was he camping out in front of her door, hidden behind a bush like some creep?

He watched as the young male making a delivery to her door walked away. Had the package been for Dawn? Or for the young female?

What he really should be doing was finding out more about Ranek and his whereabouts. The news was that he was already in the outer planets.

“Should I be worried that you are sneaking around in my gardens watching a female currently under my protection?”

Vasek whipped around to find Kean leaning against the next tree over. How had he gotten in here without Vasek hearing?

“I…” Vasek had no response.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for the past galactic hour. I should’ve just come here last night when one of my guards reported a male hiding in front of one of the female dorms. You’re lucky I recognized your ugly mug and told him not to knock you out.”

Shit. Was that who’d been trying to comm him?

“Are we going to have a problem, Vasek?”

“No. I was just leaving.”

“Right you are. You’re coming with me for an important meeting.”

Vasek frowned, but followed the male through the intricate gardens to his office, curious as to what type of important meeting Kean had planned the morning before the big party celebrating the unification of Vosthea under his rule.

Vasek tensed the moment he saw the male sitting at the table. Ranek.

“Sit,” Kean demanded, pointing to a chair at the other end, but still on the same side of the desk. Two armed guards settled in front of each door, as if to say they were sealed in until Kean chose to release them.

Vasek did, feeling the heat of Ranek’s eyes on him.

His brother looked so different, so much leaner after years of captivity, but he recognized him all the same.

They shared the same dark, nearly black-green eyes as their sire.

Ranek had cleaned up and looked presentable, and was even wearing a typical merchant’s outfit.

“You are both guests at my stronghold, and I expect no trouble to come from either of you. Every year, there are attempts on my and my mate’s lives at these events. I do not need to be babysitting quarreling brothers as well.”

Kean set a tumbler each of an amber liquid in front of them. “Drink and promise there will be no fighting or violence from the two of you in my compound.”

Vasek looked over at his brother, and the realization that he sat next to a virtual stranger had his chest tightening.

It had been so long. He no longer knew who sat next to him.

Did Ranek still hold him accountable for not saving his mate?

Ranek had been held in a Dominion facility for so long, Vasek wondered if there was any part of his brother left.

It was Ranek who took the cup first, downing the liquid in one gulp. “You have my word, Kean.” He put the cup down, then placed his hand on his chest, pinkie side out. “I owe you for getting me out.”

Kean had gotten Ranek out? Suddenly, Vasek felt a sense of guilt, but pushed it back, reminding himself that his brother had taken his hand in a fit of rage and given him the scars on his face.

It had felt like a fair trade at the time when Vasek had left him locked up in a Dominion facility for life.

And here, Kean was simply asking them to put the past behind them and stay civil. He wasn’t even asking them to make up and work together.

Vasek realized both males were watching him now. If Ranek could promise not to cause trouble, then it was the least Vasek could do. He took the glass and drank the liquor down. “You have my word.”

“Good. “ Kean sealed it all by chugging his cup as well.

“Now, my friends. Go get ready for the party of a lifetime.”

***

Vasek arrived at the party late. He’d considered not showing up at all when he’d gotten news that the newest addition to the stronghold arrived looking sexy as hell and ready to break hearts, but he didn’t want Kean to think that he’d missed the celebration because of his brother.

Kean was one person he didn’t want to get on the bad side of, considering Vasek did more than half of his business on Vosthea.

Kean was also a fair and honorable male and had always had an open offer for Vasek to join him here.

Vasek needed to be there. Here on the outer planets, as it was in the Dominion, connections held the key to survival.

He noticed Dawn immediately. It was impossible not to.

She practically radiated with beauty and grace.

She was dancing with the females from the New Horizon .

The chime-like sound of her laughter struck something in his heart that had him wanting to fall to his knees in front of her and offer her the universe.

Kean, Zharor, Ulrek, and their mates were only one table over, and Delaney, Sarah, and Christy were dancing their way over to join them.

Ulrek was there as himself, like he had been at the baths.

Truly, at this point, the fact that Uzzar was Ulrek was an open secret; all they had to do was look at the humans on the crew.

While some of Ulrek’s Tallean crew went out in disguise when they needed to, the humans rarely did, relying on the fact that many Talleans thought all humans looked the same.

Which was just silly. Humans came in so many varieties; they most definitely did not all look the same.

Like Dawn with her green eyes and golden streaks in her hair. She was definitely the most beautiful female there. That was very clear to Vasek.

“Vasek!” It was Zharor who saw him standing there like an idiot and waved him over.

Before he could even consult his brain, his legs were moving on their own, bringing him toward Kean’s second-in-command, and closer to Dawn.

“So nice of you to finally join us. Thought you weren’t going to show.”

This was when Vasek noticed Ranek sitting off at another table. His brother must’ve decided to make the most of his freedom because there was a drink in his hand and several used Euphora pods on the table. There was also a female on each thigh.

Well, at least one of them was having fun.

Dawn had noticed him; it was impossible to ignore the burn of her gaze on him.

He wanted to go to her, pull her into his arms, and dance to the driving beat that rumbled the dance floor.

Instead, he took the drink Kean was handing to him and raised it into the air before downing it.

The other males joined him. And it wasn’t long before the strong drink was pulsing through his blood along with a generous amount of Euphora.

Back in the Dominion, Vasek had avoided the stuff. But Kean’s Euphora was clean and strong, and designed to be less addictive, not more. As long as it didn’t become a habit, it wasn’t detrimental.

He noticed there were smaller tabs in a bright pink color. He picked one up. “What’s this?”

“One eighth doses for the humans,” Kean replied. “Some of the males need two, but it’s a good dose for many of the smaller females.”

Vasek followed the male’s gaze to the dancing females, and regretted it immediately.

Dawn’s body moved to the beat, the slit on her skirt showing plenty of skin.

It flashed glimpses of her thighs and even the bottom crease of her ass.

There were several pairs of male eyes on her, and one Tallean male had braved the circle to dance next to her.

He was young, extremely fit and in his prime, and Dawn must have noticed because she was encouraging him with her smile.

“If you don’t claim her, someone will, my friend.”

Vasek glared at his friend.

“It’s not like you’re hiding it very well. Don’t think we didn’t know you were following us around yesterday. You want her. So go get her.”

Even as Kean said the words, the music changed, becoming a little slower, and instead of bouncing like they were doing, many of the females slowed, their movements turning sexy and hinting at something more carnal.

Dawn did too, and the male was most definitely reacting to her.

He pulled her into his arms, and Dawn let out a giggle.

That was it. Vasek had had enough. He stood and stormed toward them.