Divided Read online

  “Enough!” Turning, Truth’s uncle struck the young warrior in the face. He had to reach up to do it but he managed it just the same. Truth’s brother made no move to either deflect or avoid the blow. “That is for disrespecting your elders!” the older male declared.

  “I meant no disrespect,” Truths’ brother said quietly. “I simply spoke the truth of my heart.”

  “Then I will speak the truth of mine,” his mother said stiffly. “Once word gets out—and it will get out—that you are hosting your brother and his ‘mates’ no self respecting female within a thousand click radius will consent to be your bride.”

  “It wouldn’t matter if I hosted the Father of Flight himself, no female would consent to be my bride anyway. Having Truth and his dear ones can’t make any difference there.” The bitterness was back in his voice and his deep turquoise eyes flashed with repressed anger.

  “Fine—have it your own way. I can do nothing more with you.”

  “Yes, Ama.” Truth’s brother bowed respectfully.

  Apparently at a loss with what to do with her younger son, Truth’s mother turned to look at Truth instead.

  “Truth…”she said softly. “It doesn’t have to be this way. I will give you one last chance. Will you abandon these ‘mates’ of yours and come be cleansed of your evil in the holy river? If you will, you may come back home and stay as long as you wish.” Her high voice suddenly became soft with emotion. “Think on it, son—though you are not my blood, I have raised you from a babe. I would not see you so corrupted.”

  For a moment, Far’s heart was in his throat. He could feel the yearning in his brother’s heart—the wish to be accepted, to be loved by the only mother he had ever known. Who would he pick?

  But after a short, tense silence, Truth shook his head.

  “I do not need to think about it, Ama. I love you and all my Rai’ku family but my true people are the Kindred. My future is with Becca and Far. I will not abandon them, even for you.”

  His mother’s eyes went from soft and entreating to hard and flinty in an instant.

  “Very well,” she said stiffly. “Then though it pains me greatly, Truth, I must turn my back on you now and forevermore.” She turned abruptly in a whirl of flowing red sleeves and walked away as quickly as she had come.

  Truth’s uncle stayed only a moment longer.

  “I hope you feel pride in your actions—causing your own ama to disown you,” he said, glowering at Truth.

  “Nothing has ever given me greater pain,” Truth said quietly and indeed, Far could feel the hurt coming from his twin—the unmatchable agony of having lost a parent’s love. “But I cannot change my mind. If you force me to choose between the Rai’ku way of life and the mates I love, I must choose my mates.”

  His uncle shook his head. “Move your shuttle,” he growled, pointing a skinny finger at Truth. Then he also whirled around and left.

  * * * * *

  Becca watched the two of them go with a lump in her throat. She could feel Truth’s pain through their link and it made her want to cry for him—to shed tears he was obviously too stoic to shed himself.

  He knew this would happen when he agreed to bring us here, she thought, looking up at the dark twin, who was watching the receding figures of his mother and uncle. And yet he brought us anyway. He defended us and chose us over his people, over his whole way of life. Because of Far and me, he’s no longer welcome in his own home.

  Suddenly, she couldn’t stand it anymore. Though she had been trying to keep her distance from both twins, the pain spilling through her link with Truth was too much to bear.

  “Oh, Truth, honey…” she whispered, turning to him. Standing on tiptoes, she threw her arms around his neck.

  For a moment he was stiff against her, then he unbent a little and encircled her with his arms. “Rebecca,” he murmured into her hair. Then he looked up at Far. “Brother?”

  The light twin had been hanging back uncertainly but now he came forward and embraced his brother with Becca between them.

  “Truth,” he murmured. “I have never witnessed anything more courageous than what you just did.”

  For a moment they all clung together and Becca enjoyed the warmth of being enveloped by both their large, male bodies. Then she began to be aware of a different kind of warmth—one that was growing between her legs and at the tips of her breasts. Her men began to smell good—really good. Too good. Their dark, masculine scent seemed to invade all her senses and suddenly she wanted to do much more than comfort Truth.

  Or maybe you just want to comfort him in another way, a small voice suggested at the back of her head.

  A mental image of the three of them entwined arose before her mind’s eye. She could see herself between her men—all of them naked and embracing. Could see Truth and Far coming together to fill her as one for a long, leisurely session of love and comfort sex…

  No! That’s exactly what you don’t want to do! she told herself…but somehow the thought lacked conviction. And though she knew she ought to end this three-way embrace which was making her want her men so badly she could barely stand it, she was strangely reluctant to leave their arms.

  “Mmm, Rebecca,” Truth’s voice rumbled in her ear. “You smell good…hot.”

  “She does, Brother,” Far agreed, his deep voice soft and interested. “I think our lady is feeling the effects of our bond.”

  “It…it’s only a partial bond,” Becca protested weakly.

  “It doesn’t have to be,” Truth murmured. “Now more than ever I wish to tie the two of you to me. I—”

  The sound of a throat clearing interrupted him.

  Looking out of the tangle of arms that surrounded her, Becca saw that Truth’s younger brother was still just standing there, watching them. He had a mixture of curiosity and discomfort on his face that made her feel suddenly ashamed.

  “Oh my goodness!” She wriggled out from between Truth and Far and tried to smooth down her hair. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “Uh, we haven’t been together that long but we can feel each other’s emotions and that scene with your mom just made Truth so unhappy and—” She broke off abruptly when she realized he was staring at her quizzically.

  “Rebecca is simply trying to make apologies if we discomforted you, Garron,” Truth said, coming forward. He frowned. “Or is it G’ron now?”

  His brother shook his head. “No, didn’t you hear what I told Ama? It’s still Garron and it is beginning to look like I always will be.” He regarded Becca with those startling turquoise eyes. “Please don’t think I was offended by what I saw, lady. I am half Kindred myself so I understand that there are…urges which cannot be denied. I only thought you might not wish to, uh, gratify them out here in the cold and snow.”

  “Oh. Oh, of course not.” Becca could feel herself blushing. “I, um, we never…we just sort of…”

  “We lost ourselves in one another,” Far said, coming to her rescue. “The bond we share is still new.” He looked at Becca. “And still fragile.”

  Becca knew he was reminding her of the conversation with Kat he’d overheard and she looked away. They were going to have to talk about that soon but what was she going to say? What was she going to decide?

  “If you’d like to walk with me, my lodge isn’t far from here,” Garron offered.

  “That sounds wonderful,” Becca said gratefully. “It’s so cold here.”

  “This is actually a very mild day.” Garron smiled at her. “You should come in winter—then it’s cold.”

  Becca thought she had never been so grateful to make small talk about the weather.

  “Oh?” she said, smiling back. “Tell me all about it, please! This is my first time on any planet but my home world, Earth.” Which was true since the whole trip to Orthanx had been entirely in her mind.

  Too bad everything else you did wasn’t only in your mind, a snarky little voice whispered. Now you’ve got a partial bond and no idea what to do about it.