All For One [Nuworld 3] (4 page)

always would be, her playful Torgo.

It wasn’t Torgo who preoccupied her thoughts however, which would have been a

relief to Darius, who had parked himself on top of the desk facing the wall. No, Tara

couldn’t quit thinking about the Tree People, and why their presence bothered her so

much. She knew nothing about them, other than the brief conversation she’d had with

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Jeth, the messenger. Yet, for some reason, she felt compelled to keep them out of their

city, at arm’s reach, so to speak. Urgency weighed deep inside her that caution was due.

She searched for its source, but to no avail.

What should I do, Crator? Who are these people and why do they approach us? She popped

a grape into her mouth and pondered the possible answers.

“I think I have something here, I do.” Torgo’s voice brought her back to reality, she

and Darius moving to stand behind him at the same time. “Yes, look here. There it is…a

transmission.”

Hesitant anticipation crept through her while Torgo opened a site from the other

side of the mountains. He continually jumped from one landlink to the other, ensuring

a camouflage program ran smoothly, so they wouldn’t be detected breaking into the

Tree Peoples’ transmissions.

While he worked, Tara read the contents on the screen. Some of their words were

odd, but they used the same alphabet and spoke the same language. She read about

tribal activity and predictions of weather. She also discovered why they called

themselves Tree People. Their homes were in the trees. She remembered the huge trees

she’d seen when she’d been there. The trunks were so wide she couldn’t wrap her arms

around them. There was a forest with trees larger than any she’d seen before on the

other side of those mountains. Did all the Tree People live there? She didn’t dwell on

the forest for long. An image of a sleeping baby crept into her thoughts, making her

shudder.

“I dare not push this program, no.” Torgo printed off the information he’d

obtained, then closed the site. “Let me check and see if they ran any detecting devices

while we were linked. Then we can search some more, we can.”

“How long will it take to run your checks?” Darius turned his attention to her.

“Not long.” Torgo stood and stretched, then reached for his coat. “I’ll do it first

thing in the morning.”

“Do it tonight, I say,” Darius ordered.

“Darius, Torgo has a family to get home to.” Tara could tell Torgo was anxious to

leave. “The servants were gossiping about you today.”

“And you ignored all of it.” Torgo’s expression danced with amusement. “Well, let

me give it to you from the source. Yes, Rayla is pregnant. She’ll have her baby after the

new winter.”

“So this will be your fourth child in three winters? The twins put you one up on

yourself.” Darius grinned, and slapped his brother’s back. But then he turned a taunting

look to Tara. “I’m glad to see the Bryon name will flourish due to you, I am.”

Tara recognized the meaning of his words immediately. “If you’d wanted lots of

children you should have claimed a Gothman woman.”

She feared he would never stop hounding her about the anti-conception pills she

took. Tara had never desired a large family, and had no regrets on her life decisions.

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“I didn’t want a Gothman woman or I would have had one. I wanted you,” Darius

growled.

“No, you don’t want me,” she teased. “You want someone who looks like me with

all my power but does whatever you say.”

The two men both laughed. Tara narrowed her gaze on them, although she knew

their humor was in fun. Darius slapped his brother’s arm, and held on as he continued

to laugh.

“I admit, that is one appealing thought, it is.” He reached for her, trying to pull her

in for a hug.

Tara jumped back, slapping his hand away. “More than likely, it will be you doing

as I say before it is the other way around,” she laughed, and then dodged his advances

again.

“Well, I’ll leave you two to your foreplay, I will.” Torgo smiled at Darius’ failed

attempt to capture Tara. When Darius grew serious and turned to his brother, Torgo

spoke quickly. “I will be here at dawn and you’ll have more information by breakfast,

you will. But Tara’s right, I should get home to my family. They need to know their

papa, they do.”

Tara grew serious too and walked around the chair she’d used as an obstacle to

avoid Darius. “I’m glad you’re happy, Torgo.”

She didn’t miss the quick look Torgo gave his brother. “You are happy, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course I am. I have the best of all worlds, I do.” He ruffled her hair and

smiled, but when she searched his eyes, he looked away.

“She’s making sure that Bryon blood of yours doesn’t run too thick, she is.” Darius

teased about his previous infidelity, and simultaneously wrapped his arms tightly

around Tara’s waist and pulled her backside to his front.

“Her and Rayla both,” Torgo muttered, and waved his goodbyes as he left the

room.

“The man is whipped, he is,” Darius muttered with disgust, and began nibbling her

neck.

She fought the sensations Darius had the power to create in her, and struggled for

freedom. His muscles locked like iron around her, heat swarming from his body,

saturating her and fogging her mind with need for him. His body could have been a

steel wall behind her, with his arousal pressed against her backside. Darius’ sex drive

had never been a minor contribution to their relationship, and Tara loved that about

him. But she also knew that his needs could get the better of him, and had gotten him

into trouble more than once.

“He’s a good man who suffers from his brother’s reputation,” she pointed out, and

struggled some more to free herself.

Darius flipped her around so she faced him, and tilted her face upward with one

large hand firmly planted on her neck.

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“The reputation is ancient history, it is. Gothman is bored and therefore forced to

continually drag out old stories. Our people need some excitement, they do. It will

challenge us to encounter a new race.” He lowered his mouth to hers, demanding she

submit with a kiss that was hot and breathtaking.

She opened her mouth to his and let him feast. Both of his arms reached around her,

while he controlled her mouth with his tongue.

“You would spill your people’s blood for the excitement of it?” she asked through

gasps, when he finally pulled away.

“I said nothing of blood spilling, although Gothman will fight if provoked, they

will.” His eyes undressed her, and she feared she’d have little luck with this discussion

if they continued with their play.

“I don’t like this, Darius. We need to be very cautious.”

“We’ll talk about this in the morning. There are times when you will do as you’re

told, yes.” He breathed the words into her face while lifting her and attacking her

breasts with his mouth through her clothing.

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Chapter Three

“You can’t risk being seen by anyone,” Andru lectured, while securing a small bag

to her back.

He’d packed a change of clothes for her, just in case. It wouldn’t do for her to return

home messed up after a day’s adventure. He also packed a meat and cheese sandwich,

along with fresh fruit and a tube of cold water.

“You’re acting like an overprotective mama,” Ana teased, as he re-secured the long

braid she’d wrapped on her head.

He’d often braided and styled her long locks when they were younger, before one

of his father’s guards made him aware that it wasn’t a manly act.

After hugging his sister and reminding her to think responsibly, he secured a

Runner tracking device to the underside of the seat on her glider. It was common

knowledge among the Bryon family that Ana removed any bugs from her glider when

she cleaned it. Andru informed her this one was for her protection and it better remain

where he put it.

Ana had discovered that her mama had often left her clan without protection at

Ana’s age. Her mama was a great warrior stifled by the man who’d claimed her. Tara

had bitten off more than she could chew with the great Lord Darius and would never

admit it. Ana saw this fact clearly, however. She would be just like her mama, but she

wouldn’t let a man tell her what to do.

She put all thoughts of her family behind her as she left Bryton and headed east

toward the mountains. Ana flew across the plateau at incredible speed, thanking Crator

she wasn’t noticed. Usually she loved flying her glider across the open high land. Its

waving hills called her to explore them, to learn about every blade of grass and every

tree and every running brook. Today, she didn’t notice her beloved land. She sought an

adventure. She’d set her mind to finding out who that man was and that was what she

was going to do.

She pushed the glider to even higher speeds. Her stomach leaped when she first

noticed the mountain range spread out east of her. She turned the accelerator on her

glider forcing it to travel faster than it had before. The naked eye would have had

difficulty following her across the open land.

She flew up to the large mountain where she’d seen the man previously. Gracefully,

she maneuvered her glider in and out of large rock formations as she searched the area

for any sign of life. Who was this man who had watched her the past few days? Ana felt

no concern that she might be putting herself into danger. She was a Runner with sixteen

winters behind her, she knew how to defend herself. Not to mention the fact that he

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waved at her yesterday, he had already extended a form of greeting and today she

simply would carry through on that.

Ana jumped, however, when her comm beeped in her ear. The excitement of her

adventure had her on edge. She certainly wasn’t scared.

“Ana, where are you?” Her brother’s tone indicated his concern.