[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
smooth surface of Ulric s head, smiling softly when he moaned his pleasure. Ulric placed a kiss to her breast, startling a brighter smile from her. Thank you, Ulric said softly. Before Stella had a chance to respond, the ship shook violently. Faris sat bolt upright, but wasn t as quick as Ulric. The other man raced across the room, nearly losing his footing when another powerful shake hit them. Ulric slammed his hand against the com panel. Bridge, report! A loud crackle from the com filled the room, followed by the voice of a panicked crew member. 68 Mistress Rules Commander! It s the Tensans. They are attacking the ship. 69 Christine d Abo Chapter Six Ulric finished belting his pants as he strode through the door to the bridge. Report. He knew Faris wasn t far behind him, but wasn t sure how the young man would react given the situation. There d been so many factors leading up to the attack, Faris communication to the ambassador was merely the tipping point. It was clear to Ulric after his last communication with Ambassador Gravlin, it was only a matter of time before the other man would try to remove him from the situation. He was the main thing preventing the ambassador from getting what he wanted control of the planet. While Ulric knew Faris considered him a friend and would do almost anything for him, duty was also paramount to the younger man. Commander. Ulric s aide ran to his side and saluted crisply. The Tensan ships broke position from the other side of the planet and charged us. There was no communication before they opened fire. Our shields are holding and it doesn t appear they have the firepower to break through. If they receive reinforcements before we do, we re in trouble. Goddess. The Yetai? No other ships have arrived. They seem to be heeding our warnings and are keeping away. Ulric squeezed his hands into fists. Good. That will limit the damage. Faris stepped beside Ulric and held out his hand. Can I see the reports? Do you really want to be here? Ulric turned his head, hoping to catch Faris gaze. If Gravlin suspects you ve crossed sides, he ll kill you upon your return. I haven t crossed sides. I m here as a representative of my people. Faris cocked an eyebrow and scowled. It struck Ulric as odd that less than an hour ago he d been buried 70 Mistress Rules balls-deep inside the other man s ass. Ulric pushed those thoughts from his mind as Faris continued. What I can offer you is a conduit for communication. I m the ambassador s prime after all. Just because he has betrayed our government with this unauthorized attack, doesn t mean I have to stand by and let it happen. Communication the thing that had gotten them into this mess in the first place. No. Ulric, if he does anything close to the maneuver he pulled last time, I ll personally give the command to fire on his ship. I said no. We are in the position of power and he s angered me. Plus he wanted to protect Faris in the dubious event Gravlin won. Ulric knew Faris could in all likelihood handle the situation. However, this was his ship and crew and he wasn t about to leave their fates to a man who d lost all faith in his own abilities. Contact the ambassador, Ulric told his aide. Bring him up on the screen as soon as you connect. The moment the man left, Faris grabbed Ulric s arm and pulled him close. I know I failed you before, but give me a chance to redeem myself. Ulric wanted to. You blame yourself for the attack on the outpost. Faris closed his eyes. If I hadn t contacted the ambassador and told him of your stalled negotiations with the Yetai, none of this would have happened. You would have convinced the outpost settlers to leave and my people would never have snuck in, armed beyond necessity. Possibly. Or it may have happened anyway and there still wouldn t have been anything you could do about it. Faris stared at him for a moment, before a small frown tugged at his lips. Is that the only reason you don t want me involved? Commander! They are firing on us again, Ulric s second-in-command shouted. 71 Christine d Abo Ulric looked up in time to see a barrage of missiles pummel into their forward shields. The entire ship rocked hard as it did its best to compensate for the attack. Faris was knocked into Ulric s side, while several others fell to the floor. Ulric righted his friend and looked up in time to see Stella standing in the doorway. Her too pale face and wide eyes gave her the appearance of a frightened child. She d pulled one of his shirts over her corset, though she still wore her boots. Her hair had pulled free from her elaborate design to now hang loose over her shoulders. If she didn t look so terrified, she would have been stunning. Shit, he muttered, releasing Faris to march to her side. What the hell are you doing here? I& She shook her head, seeming genuinely confused by the insanity unfolding around them. She leaned into his embrace. I wanted to see what was going on. This is dangerous, Stella. Go back to your quarters and I ll check on you when I ve put these bastards in their place. Stella was the strongest person Ulric had ever met. She d survived more shit than most people could even think of. He knew this situation was dangerously close to the one he d found her in over a year and a half ago under attack and uncertain of the outcome. Long before they d come to their arrangement. Her fingers dug into his forearm and she let out a strangled gasp. Please, Ulric. Stella never begged. I promise, things will be fine. Trust me to look after them and go back to your room. Please, let me be here. I ll stay in the hall out of the way. Her gaze darted around the command room. I need to know. Ulric rubbed his thumb along her cheek. Know what? That you re in charge out here. 72 Mistress Rules He knew she wasn t a weak woman. Stella was intelligent and understood the importance of aligning herself with the right man. But she was also scared from a life of pain and torture. She gave him so much, it was the least he could do. Then stay. Her gaze shifted to a spot beyond him. When he turned to look, he saw she was staring at Faris. Can he help us? Possibly. Ulric kissed her temple. I m not sure I want him to. Stella squeezed his arm again, shifting her body to mask the motion or draw the attention of those who were trying not to openly stare. You need to let him if he can. It s the only way he ll ever come to trust his abilities again. He needs to be useful so he can learn to forgive himself. Of course, she was the expert at reading other people. This was his beautiful, perceptive Stella. Ulric leaned in and kissed her briefly on the lips. Thank you. No farther than here, okay? I can t have you getting in the way. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |