Fire's Touch (The Enlightened Species Book Three)

Chapter Two

Soon. The thought brought a smile to Mick. The Mesa, Arizona Human Integration Campus was not an exciting vacation destination, but the commandant, Shane Einar, had come to Mick a month ago and offered him a position teaching advanced reconnaissance to the students—the same position he currently had, yet he’d taken the job. It was where Mattie was stationed. Once the psychic energy weave finished another round of re-enforcements, the SOSC felt it would be strong enough to protect Mick on the mainland. The extreme security measures Commandant Einar had approved just for him to teach a class had filled Mick with gratitude. Did the commandant know of Mick and Mattie’s … friendship?

Thick tropical leaves brushed his arms and legs as he wandered down the familiar path to the pond that had become his refuge. It had been more than four years since Mick Tenor’s defection from his father, Osiris, in favor of the Symbiosis of Species Council. Four years on the SOSC’s pacific island known as Meshy Hell. Four years of having to fight compulsions his father had buried into his subconscious without Mick’s knowledge or approval.

The healers working with him to manage the paternal bond his father had to him were beginning to sound like a broken record. There was no telling how many compulsions Osiris had planted; there was also no way of knowing when one would overtake him, or what it would incite him to do. He understood that. It didn’t mean he liked it.

He carried an Epi shot loaded with a powerful animal tranquilizer just in case he felt a compulsion coming on. Thankfully he’d only had to use it once. Well, Mattie had used it on him—in self-defense—when he tried to kill her while under the dark influence. An amazing Tellus warrior, Mattie had never lost her cool. She shocked him with a pulse of electromagnetic energy generated from her body, found the Epi pen, and knocked him out quickly without any hesitation.

At that point in their budding friendship, he hadn’t shared much of his background with her, though pretty much everyone on campus was aware that Mick’s father’s organization was extensive, global, and one of the few that was powerful enough to pose a real threat to the SOSC and the entire world. Osiris exceeded the “rogue” qualifications many times over. The greatest advantage the SOSC had over Mick’s father was the symbiosis of the three enlightened species. Osiris believed the Volaticus Elven purebloods should rule and subjugate all other life forms, a belief Mick prayed would soon be his father’s downfall. Only with Osiris’s death would Mick be truly free.

Only after he tried to attack his best friend in the world did he tell Mattie everything. He even shared with her the horrors of what he personally had done at the command of his father. She had been understanding, even forgiven him the atrocities he’d done to Tellus captives, forgiveness he hadn’t expected from her or anyone, really. Eventually their relationship had developed sexually and further enhanced their friendship. Mattie was absolutely stunning. With her mocha skin, dark hair, and amber eyes, Mick had been physically attracted to her immediately.

A calm silence freed his mind when the pond came into view. He picked up a few stones and skipped them over the water. He missed Mattie so much his heart constricted in his chest. This was more than his spot … it was their spot. She’d made him aware before they’d taken their relationship to a sexual level that they could never grow beyond friends with benefits. Mattie was in line for her mother’s crown, though Mattie had no interest in being queen of her colony. Unfortunately, for Mattie, being heir to the crown and throne meant her marriage was contracted. Mattie liked the prince she was promised to; they were pretty good friends. The problem was, neither of them wanted to marry the other, nor could they figure out a way to get out of the arranged marriage. Instead they used loopholes to keep delaying the nuptials.

He and Mattie’s arrangement was more than Mick felt he deserved. They could tell each other anything. She was playful, smart, beautiful, and funny. Mick loved everything about her. Truth be known, he’d been in love with her since the day they met.