Dex was restless. An unfamiliar anxiety gripped him. He didn't like it or its affect on his fabled iron control. He knew the cause. The human female. Those violet eyes reminded him of Felinia's vivid, vibrant and breathtaking oceans. Sailing the water during a Felinia sunset was his favorite part of living on the homeworld. It was interesting that her eyes were that color.
"My son, are you all right?"
Dex grimaced. His father's constant concern was wearing thin, and it reinforced his feeling of losing control.
"I am fine, Father. I was only thinking." About her, but he didn't let that thought slip out.
His father's unconvinced expression made Dex brace for more probing questions.
"Dex, you are my son and the heir to our empire. If you are not fit for this mission, I will remove you," Renten warned.
"Remove me?" Dex stared, surprised by this turn in the conversation. "I am fit, my King." He saw disbelief in his father's eyes. "What do I need to do to prove it?"
"It is not a matter of proof, my son. You have behaved strangely, ever since your foray into the female's mind."
"I reacted to the intrusion. I do not believe or feel that I am a danger to this mission. If I do become one, I expect to be removed immediately." Dex stood proudly. His father questioned his strength of will. He would find a way to show he still had it.
Renten sighed. "Very well, Dex. Do not think I am above removing you if the need arises."
"Thank you, my King." Dex bowed and straightened.
A wave of pain and fear stabbed into Dex's mind, and he dropped to his knees with a snarl. He clutched at his head and saw his father and the two guards down as well.
"What was that?" Renten roared and staggered to his feet.
The two guards, Dipaw and Nipaw, rose and immediately checked the room for intruders.
Dex was motionless. Those emotions...he recognized the person behind them. He sprang to his feet, his eyes glowing with rage. He let out an ear-splitting yowl of challenge, startling his father and the guards.
"Dex?" His father reached for him, but Dex ran toward the door. His only thought was to protect a certain human female.
"Dex, stop right now! That is an order!"
He didn't heed his father's words, and when Dipaw and Nipaw moved to block him, Dex teleported.
He appeared inside a large room, claws out and fangs bared. He noted in one sweeping glance the positions of the room's occupants. He was outnumbered, but that didn't bother him. He had eyes only for her. His little human. He sniffed the air, smelled the blood, and growled when he saw her bleeding back.
"Greetings. Am I interrupting anything?" Dex snarled.
Maussey's red face and ire did not faze Dex, nor did the pompous male's next words.
"You are not allowed in here. This is a private matter. Leave immediately!"
"No can do. I am here to learn about your planet and its people. Is this how you treat each other?"
"I am sure in your world, if a member disobeys the rules, they are punished, correct?"
Dex didn't want to admit anything to the human scum, but he couldn't dispute the words either. "Yes."
"That is the same here. She broke our rules and is being disciplined as a result. I'm sure you understand how that goes."
Dex gritted his teeth. He reached out to touch her mind and was appalled at the intense agony she was in. It took him a moment to realize that her bondmate was not shielding her. He glanced over at the other male and glared.
::Why do you not shield her mind? She is suffering!::
::That is the point! I couldn't prevent this. Don't you think I would, if I could?:: Jeremy snapped.
Dex pondered that bit of news. ::Is this normal?::
::No, Prince Dex, it is not. At least, not the controller part of it.::
::Controller?::
::Yes. It is the metal ring around her neck that shuts down and prevents all psionic activity. In effect, it makes us human. The Brigadier General is making it worse for her out of spite. And I can't do anything to help her. You think you're upset? Imagine how I feel. I'm her partner, her anchor. She shouldn't even be here, having to take this from that arrogant bastard.::
Too stunned to reply, Dex stood there, badly wanting to help, yet unsure of how to proceed. He felt his father and their guards teleport into the room.
::Father! I must help her. Even her bondmate does nothing to ease her suffering.::
::My son, I heard what the human male said. We cannot interfere.::
::Maybe you won't, but I will.::
Dex leaped out of his father's reach and sprinted toward the Brigadier General and the man with the whip. He yowled loud enough to make the men twitch as he prepared to pounce.
"No! Don't do it!"
Dex froze and glanced over at the female. Had he misheard her words?
"Please, your Highness, don't do it."
Her words were whispered, and he stalked to her side. "Why not?" he demanded.
"You are better than this. Please, leave now. I don't want the Brigadier General to get you kicked off the planet."
Dex was flabbergasted. Though she was hurting, she was worried about him being forced to leave her world. Amazing, simply amazing. Her courage humbled him. He bowed his head until his face was near hers. He smelled her exhaustion, pain, and terror.
"For you, I will leave. But know this, I do not consider this matter closed."
"Thank you, your Highness."
Jewels winced, and he rubbed his cheek against hers. A jolt hit hi,m and he blinked. She gasped and gazed over at him wide-eyed. He couldn't stand it any longer. He wanted to soothe her. His mind reached for hers, and for a brief moment, he managed to shield her from all the mental noise.
He felt her surprise, wonder, and some other emotion that he didn't catch.
"We will speak again." Dex stepped away and turned to glare at Maussey in challenge. He backed away one step at a time, his eyes on the vindictive male, until he was beside his father.
He didn't resist when his father teleported them back to their quarters.
"Dex, my son." His father reached for him.
Dex moved out of reach. "I don't want to hear it, Father!" he snarled and headed for his room, slamming the door shut. He would demand to speak to a psionic. He needed to know why anyone would be so barbaric to another. He needed information, too, about his human female. He would make good on his promise and help her.
* * *
Maussey was pissed at the Gatoan Prince's unexpected arrival. He also thought he was going to die when the big cat threatened violence. The Prince had suddenly grown silent, and Maussey realized that Colonel Lingley was telepathically explaining to the irate alien what was happening. When the King and his guards arrived, Maussey started to sweat and considered calling in his own soldiers. It proved unnecessary, however, because, surprisingly enough, the Lieutenant asked the Prince to leave. And the Gatoan did.
There was silence after the group's disappearance. Maussey turned to Sergeant Tennyson. "Finish it."
Tennyson nodded as the final five blows fell heavily across the Lieutenant's back.
The last blows wrenched sobs from the girl, and Maussey was pleased. Finally, he'd broken her. He smiled, and it grew wider at the hate-filled glower Colonel Lingley threw in his direction.
"That will be all, Sergeant. Colonel Lingley, Sergeant Tennyson, you will be marked as witnesses to this disciplinary session. Lt. Enbran, you will be let go, but there are two more stipulations. One, you cannot seek medical attention for your back, and two, you must wear the controller until tomorrow morning. At that time, your sentence will be complete. Sergeant, release her."
Maussey saw Lingley's mouth open to object, but the other man thought better of it and frowned instead. He didn't care what Lingley did. Enbran had been humiliated, her good reputation sullied. That was all that mattered to Maussey.
Tennyson released the ankle chains and then the shackles. Jewels slid to the floor, and Jeremy rushed to her side.
The pair of them made Maussey sick. "Tennyson, let's go. Oh, and Colonel, if you try to remove the controller, an alarm will sound and the Lieutenant will be forced to wear it for two more days. Please try and restrain yourself." He chuckled as he and Tennyson left the two psionics alone.
* * *
Jeremy wished looks could kill. He detested that man. He glanced down at Jewels' flushed face and bleeding back. "Hey, Kid, how are you doing?"
"It hurts," she whimpered and closed her eyes.
"I know. I can't help you at all. I will get you to your quarters. Do you want me to stay with you?"
"Yes, please," she moaned and shivered.
Jeremy carefully picked her up and teleported to her bedroom. He laid Jewels down on her side before hurrying to get a towel. He wet it and came back. No one said he couldn't clean her wounds. He tried to be gentle, but Jewels still cried out several times, and a few sobs escaped her.
He chucked the bloody towel into the laundry chute. Jeremy snagged a chair from the kitchen and set it up beside Jewels' bed. She was already asleep and would be out for hours as her mind tried to cope with the assault of so many minds against hers.
"We will take him down, Kid. Believe me, that scum's days are numbered." Jeremy settled down to sleep and wondered how the Prince had known Jewels was in trouble. He would have to ask later. Jeremy sighed and let sleep claim him.