Nikhil (Kaliszian Book 1)

  The sound of a fist meeting his outer door had him releasing the bead and quickly rising. Crossing the room, he closed the door to his resting chamber so she wouldn’t be disturbed by the fist that was starting to pound harder on his outer door.

  “What?!!” he growled, hitting the crystal that would open the door. The fierce look on his face would have deterred a normal male, but General Treyvon Rayner was no normal male, and Nikhil straightened to attention. “General.”

  “Warrior Nikhil. I was informed congratulations are in order. You have been blessed with a True Mate.”

  “Yes, General,” Nikhil took a step back allowing Treyvon to enter his living area. When Gryf followed, he found his fist clenching. He had always respected Commander Gryf, had always considered him an honorable male, but he had tried to come between him and his Mackenzie, and that Nikhil would never allow.

  "I regret that I upset your True Mate, Squad Leader Nikhil," Gryf spoke first, knowing he was the one at fault.

  Nikhil silently stared at the other male for several moments then stiffly nodded, knowing that was as far as the Commander would go.

  "Why are you here, General?" Nikhil addressed Treyvon.

  "I hoped to speak with your True Mate," Treyvon told him. "We still do not know exactly what the Zaludians were doing and why. We don't know why the Ganglians are assisting them. She might know something as they held her separately."

  "She is resting, and I will not disturb her. Not when there are others you can gather that information from."

  "True, but she was held separately. She might have overheard something. Has she said anything to you?" Treyvon asked.

  "Only that her home world is a place called 'Earth', and that the Ganglians took them from there and brought them here."

  "That's all she said?!!" Gryf's roar of disbelief bounced off the walls, and he took a step toward Nikhil. "You've been with her for hours. She had to have told you more than that!"

  "She's been unconscious nearly the entire time, and unlike you, Commander," while Nikhil's anger rose his voice didn't. "I care more about her well-being than gathering information on the Zaludians."

  "There could be more sites!" Gryf argued back. "More like her being held!"

  "And how would she know that?"

  "Enough! Both of you," Treyvon ordered. "This is getting us nowhere. Squad Leader Nikhil is right. The health of his True Mate is more important than any information she might be able to provide right now. We know from the survivors at other locations that they never traveled from one site to another. There's no reason to think it was any different at this site."

  "But it could be with the number of bodies found..."

  "Nikhil?" The faint voice had all three males turning to look at the closed door.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Mac tried to block out the raised voices filtering in from the outer cave into the small one where she and Jen were sleeping. It didn't often happen, since the guys were always too exhausted when they returned from the mine to argue. But it did happen.

  As their voices grew louder, she frowned. They never got that loud. To do so would draw the attention of the Zaludians, which was never good. Maybe one of them was hurt. She needed to get up and find out what was going on. If she didn't, Jen would, and Jen was struggling enough as it was.

  Forcing her eyes open, Mac stilled when there wasn't the rock ceiling she was used to seeing above her. Where was she? Turning her head to the side, she realized it rested on a pillow, and that her body was lying on a soft bed. There were blankets tucked securely around her. Where the hell was she?

  The careful breath she took teased her senses. It was clean and fresh without the dust that was always prevalent from the mining. There was something in it familiar, though. Listening closer to the voices, she couldn't understand what they were saying, but she could recognize one of them no matter what language he was speaking... Nikhil. Suddenly it all came back to her.

  Nikhil had rescued her from the Zaludians. He said they had all been rescued and even though she hadn't seen anyone yet, she believed him. He hadn't said anything about Jen, about there being another female, only that there were ten males. The guys must still be protecting Jen. She needed to find out if Jen was safe.

  She knew she felt safe with Nikhil, but she didn’t understand why. After all, he was huge by anyone's standards, but he had been so gentle with her. Especially when that other guy, what had Nikhil called him... Commander had been firing questions at her.

  Nikhil had brought her back here to his quarters, and carefully cleansed her. He could have taken advantage of her then, but he didn't. Instead, he cared for her making sure there wasn't one speck of dirt left anywhere on her body. Then he’d tucked her carefully into his bed.

  Reaching up, she touched her hair and for the first time in... she didn't know how long... she could run her fingers through it. It was silky and smooth without a single snarl. Reaching the end of one strand, she frowned feeling something. Lifting the offending strand, she saw there was a bead attached to the end of it. Twirling it between her fingers, she was surprised at how warm it was, how it seemed to glitter at her. But why was it there?

  Holding the bead, a feeling of anxiety filled her. She didn't understand where it was coming from, but she knew something was wrong, and she needed to get to Nikhil. Sitting straight up, she fought her way out of the covers meaning to find him. When the cool air hit, it reminded her she was naked. Looking around the room, she didn't see anything that resembled a closet or dresser, so she pulled one of the blankets off the bed. Wrapping it securely under her arms, she went to find Nikhil.

  "Nikhil?" she called out, moving to where she knew the door had been when she entered the room, but now there was just a solid panel. Running her hands over it, she couldn't find a handle and panicking, she began to pound on the door. Why was she locked in? Was she a prisoner? Had it all been a trick? "Nikhil!"

  One moment she was pounding on a solid, cold door, and the next on a solid, warm chest.

  "Mackenzie.” Nikhil wrapped his arms around her not liking the fear he heard in her voice. "What is wrong? Why aren't you resting?"

  "I heard yelling. What's going on? Why was I locked in?"

  Nikhil wanted to pound Gryf into the floor for waking and scaring his True Mate again. He couldn't do it now, but the next time they met on the training field, Gryf would feel his displeasure.

  "I am sorry we woke you, Little One." His large hands rubbed her bare shoulders trying to reassure her that everything was fine, then frowned when he realized she was wrapped in only a blanket. There were two other males in the room. He pulled her deeper into his embrace.

  "Why was I locked in?" she asked.

  "You weren't. I only closed the door so you could rest undisturbed. I should have realized you might not know how to open it." Pulling her forward slightly, he took her hand and touched it to the crystal on the wall. "This is what you press to open or close the door."

  As she pressed it the crystal, the door closed. Pressing it again, it opened.

  "There is one next to the door in the resting area," he told her.

  "Oh," Mac was starting to feel foolish. "I'm sorry. I guess I over-reacted."

  "You woke up alone in a strange place, and heard angry voices." His voice was quiet as he spoke. "After all you have been through, it is only natural that you reacted the way you did."

  "Why was there yelling?" she asked rubbing her cheek against the bare skin of his chest feeling herself settle.

  "That would be my fault." Hearing the Commander's voice, she immediately stiffened in Nikhil's arms.

  "It is alright, Little One," Nikhil reassured her, his arms tightening.

  "Nikhil, may I be allowed to speak to your Ashe?" Treyvon asked, remembering to speak in Zaludian so she would understand.

  "Mackenzie?" Nikhil looked down at her questioningly.

  "Who is he?" she asked, trying to peek around Nikhil to see who spoke.

 
"General Treyvon Rayner, the Supreme Commander of Kaliszian Defenses," Nikhil told her quietly. "He is the male the Emperor put in charge of discovering why the Zaludians were on Pontus."

  "He's your superior?" she returned just as quietly. Mac wasn't all that familiar with military hierarchy, especially with alien hierarchy, but 'Supreme Commander' and 'put in charge by the Emperor' seemed to indicate that this General was up pretty high.

  "Yes, but that does not matter if you are not ready to speak to him." He saw the unease in her eyes. "Let me take you back to the resting area. It’s too soon."

  "No," Mac resisted when he tried to lead her away. "I'll talk to him, but I don't know what I can tell him, tell any of you."

  Nikhil turned, and Mac got her first real look at the General and felt her breath catch. While she still thought Nikhil was the most gorgeous man she'd ever met, the General ran a close second. He wasn't as broad as Nikhil, but he was taller. And while Nikhil's power was undeniable, the General's was more subtle, but just as powerful.

  "Ashe Mackenzie," the General bowed slightly to her, "it is an honor to meet you."

  "Honor?" Mac sat on the couch where Nikhil indicated. "Why is it an honor?"

  "Because you are Nikhil's Ashe." Treyvon frowned at Nikhil, who shook his head ever so slightly.

  "Nikhil's Ashe?" she looked up at Nikhil questioningly. "I thought Ashe was just a sign of respect."

  "It is," Treyvon quickly informed her, wondering what to say.

  "There is more to it, Mackenzie," Nikhil admitted, reaching for the edge of the blanket that had shifted exposing a pale calf. Then he put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "But I would prefer to explain it to you later, in private."

  Mac was silent for a moment, her gaze searching Nikhil's. There was something there, something he was uneasy about, but he wasn't trying to hide it from her, just asking her to wait so he could explain. "Alright," she told him then looked to the General and waited.

  "Ashe Mackenzie," the General sat down in a chair across from her. "It is our understanding that the Ganglians took you from your home world, a place you call Earth."

  "Yes."

  "Can you tell us where that planet is?"

  "No." Her short, blunt answer seemed to surprise the General.

  "Why not?"

  "Because I don't know where it is." Her tone implied that should be obvious.

  "How is that possible?!!" Gryf demanded, glaring at her as if she were an idiot. "Every species knows where they are from!"

  Mac had worked with men all her life; it was the majority of her guide business. There had been plenty of them that thought they were better and smarter than her just because they were male. She didn't know why she thought it would be different with these males just because they could travel in space, especially after meeting the Ganglians and Zaludians. Well, she didn't back down on Earth, and she wasn't going to back down here.

  "I do know where I'm from. It's a planet called Earth! That you've never heard of it isn't my fault!"

  Treyvon's eyes widened slightly at how she challenged his Commander, and Nikhil looked down at her with pride. His True Mate had been through a great deal, but she hadn't let it break her as it had so many of the other survivors. She was strong and had fire. She was the perfect True Mate for him.

  "Ashe Mackenzie," Treyvon's words broke the stare down Gryf and Mackenzie were having. "You are currently on the planet Pontus. Does that mean anything to you?"

  "No. Should it?" she asked.

  "It is a small planet in the Kaliszian Empire near the Tornian Empire," Treyvon told her.

  "Okay."

  "That means nothing to you?" Treyvon questioned.

  "No."

  "What about the planets Crurn, Imroz, Dzhalil or Kuzbass?" Treyvon continued to question.

  "Never heard of them."

  "Luda or Tornian?" Treyvon tried again.

  "No."

  Treyvon leaned back in his chair, thinking. This female didn't appear unintelligent, or uneducated, even though she did not know how to open a door. But different species did things differently. "What planets do you know then? What ones do you travel to?"

  "You mean physically or with satellites?"

  "Physically."

  "We've only ever traveled to our moon. We don't have any ships like the one the Ganglians took us in."

  "You..." Treyvon looked at her in shock. "You do not travel to other worlds? Do not interact with other species?"

  "No. While there are those that believe there is life on other planets, we've never had any direct contact with them. Not until the Ganglians took us. And now that we've 'interacted,' as you so nicely put it," she gave Treyvon a hard look, "with the Ganglians and Zaludians, I can honestly say we're not missing much!"

  "I can understand that," Treyvon agreed. "You have unfortunately experienced two of the worst species in the Known Universes. Had I been able to prevent it, I would have. And if possible would like to make sure they are not the first the rest of your species encounter, but I need your help to do that."

  "My help?"

  "Yes, we have no idea where your home world is."

  "What? How is that possible? I mean we were brought here on a ship."

  "On a Ganglian ship," Treyvon said, "and none of them we have encountered contained any information on any previously unknown planets or species."

  "How is that possible? Were we the only ones taken?"

  "No. There was a ship six weeks ago now, a Ganglian ship. It is what brought our attention to what was happening here on Pontus." He gave her a regretful look. "They carried Jerboaian males in their haul that we believe they were going to sell to the Zaludians for the mines... and a female. But they deleted all their navigational history."

  "A female?"

  "Mackenzie," Nikhil turned to face her, not liking how pale she'd suddenly become.

  "A Jerboaian female?" she asked, remembering the terrified squeals of the Jerboaian females as they'd been dragged away, one by one, until there were none left. Even worse, she could still hear the pain-filled cries that followed. But even more terrible was when they stopped and all you heard was the hum of the ship's engine. And you knew...

  "No. She was similar to you, yet still very different, and the Ganglians severely abused her. It is why we need to understand why they abused her and not you." Treyvon flinched when Nikhil began to growl angrily at him. He understood Nikhil's anger and he hated pressing a female like this, especially one that had obviously survived a great deal, but they needed this information. The Ganglians would never have sold a female to the Zaludians. There was no point in it. They would have used her themselves then sold her if she managed to survive.

  "They didn't know I was female," she whispered, putting a hand on Nikhil's chest and to Treyvon's surprise, the growling stopped.

  "How could they not know?" Treyvon asked because looking at her now, there was no way he would mistake her for anything other than what she was, a beautiful female.

  "We were all dressed the same. My hair was pulled up, and it wasn't this long." She touched the hair hanging down past her shoulders, absently fingering the bead in her hair. "The guys made sure they never did."

  "You’re saying the Ganglians never knew you were female?" Treyvon asked in disbelief.

  "No. I mean yes, they never knew. They may be vicious, savage creatures," her eyes flashed at Treyvon, "but they aren't that smart. Neither were the Zaludians. They just believed what the Ganglians told them."

  "Yes, they would," Treyvon agreed. "Can you tell us more?"

  "M... more?" She was surprised when her voice broke on the word, but even more so when she began to tremble.

  "Enough!" Nikhil swept her up into his arms and rose. "This is too much, too soon. She needs rest."

  "Wait." That one soft word from Mac had Nikhil pausing. "The female..." Mac turned tear-filled eyes to Treyvon, who had risen when Nikhil had. "The one the Ganglians abused... What happened to her?"


  "Emperor Wray Vasteri of the Tornian Empire was able to save and heal her. She is now his Empress."

  With a nod, she laid her head against Nikhil's chest, and he carried her away.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Nikhil carefully laid his Mackenzie down in the center of his bed, then pulled the other covers over her, and felt his heart clench at the tears that were streaming down her face. He didn't need to touch his True Mate bead to know she was in pain.

  "What can I do, Mackenzie?"

  "Hold me? Will you just hold me for a little bit?"

  "I will hold you for as long as you wish." Reaching down, he quickly removed his boots then climbed onto the bed with her, and pulled her into his arms. "I am here, Little One, I am here."

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  "We need to get more information from her, Treyvon," Gryf said.

  Treyvon looked through the door that Nikhil had forgotten to close, and watched his most powerful warrior pull the crying female into his massive arms with more care than a mother cradling her newly presented offspring. "Not tonight, Gryf," he replied quietly.

  "But..." then cut himself off when Treyvon turned his glowing blue eyes on him.

  "If that was your True Mate," his head gestured to the couple on the bed, "would you put anything before what was best for her? After all that she has been through? Even us? We have been here six weeks, and unfortunately, I'm coming to believe she has been here a great deal longer than us."

  "That can't be," Gryf denied. "She is too small and fragile to survive the mines. She couldn't have been there that long."

  "She has because no Ganglian or Zaludian ship has landed on Pontus since we have arrived. Unless you believe they have been able to slip through our defenses."

  "Impossible! We can identify every ship within a half a day of Pontus."

  "So what does that tell you, Gryf? I know what it tells me."

  "And what is that?"

  "That we have underestimated these humans, just as the Ganglians and Zaludians did."