Bonded to the Rakian Berserker (Rakian Warrior Mates #3) - Elin Wyn Page 0,13
behind in Kinallen, Gavin and Esme will move onto Raccelton.”
There it was again. The slight bracing of her frame, as if preparing for a blow.
Esme must be worried beyond belief about what was happening with her clan’s youngsters.
But Gavin couldn’t help but wonder about that tiny, almost imperceptible twitch.
Was there something else?
“You’ll have to pretend to be a local,” Nic snapped, his attention riveted to Gavin. “By all rights, this should be Jormoi’s job.”
A flare of rage threatened at the edge of Gavin’s vision, but it subsided quickly.
Not now.
Not if it risked his position in this mission.
“I stay with Esme,” Gavin stated flatly. “That frees Jormoi to keep investigating anything interesting, either in Kinallen or Raccelton. We don’t know where to focus yet, and we’ll cover more ground that way.”
Nic nodded, eyes still narrowed. “That’s reasonable. For now.” He stood, and it was clear the meeting was over.
“We appreciate your assistance. When do you need to get back on the road?” Nic asked Declan.
“If we left now, we wouldn’t make it to Kinallen until long after nightfall,” Declan answered. “An hour after daybreak tomorrow? That’d give us time to be safely in the town walls before curfew.”
“I’ll be ready,” Esme said.
“We all will be,” Nic answered.
Adena came around the table and stood by Esme. “Let’s go get some lunch and start packing for you while the men talk.”
Esme squeezed Gavin’s hand, and then walked away. One glance over her shoulder, her gaze meeting his own with some unknown message, then she stepped through the door into Ship, and out of his sight.
Gavin watched Matilde’s brother as he crossed the clearing, rounded the corner of Ship and passed out of sight.
“What in the name of the void was that about?” Nic snapped as soon as they were alone. “That was a potential ally you nearly killed.”
“I wasn’t going to kill him,” Gavin argued.
He hadn’t been.
Probably.
Probably just damage him. A lot.
“Too many people on this planet are already against us,” Nic pressed. “And you think you’re going to be able to keep it pulled together surrounded by the elites that run this place? How do you know you’re not going to lose it again, get us all kicked out?”
“How exactly do you think they’re going to manage that?” Gavin snapped back. “Surround us with their wagons? Shoot fire arrows at Ship, like we’re one of their villages? They don’t have the tech to do a thing against us and you know it. We’re here until the Alliance wants us out.”
And he was here until Esme was safe, he added silently.
“They may not be able to force us out, but they managed to contact the Alliance before, even if they won’t admit it,” Nic said, sounding as if he was spelling something out to an infant. “If they lodge a protest, that could be trouble enough.” Nic threw his hands up, pacing around the table. “The Rakian Alliance wants this planet, sure. But if they think we’re the wrong Unit to convince the local government to come back into the fold, we’ll be replaced in a heartbeat. You know it as well as I do.”
With sudden clarity Gavin realized Nic was worried.
Not about a complaint on the record. Command Central did whatever the hell it was going to, and an enforcer couldn’t control that.
But on the chance they were ordered away from Crucible, what would happen to the bond between Nic and Adena?
Something in his own chest tore at the thought of leaving.
“I’ll control it,” he said, the fire freezing in his veins at the thought of them being forced to another assignment, another unit brought in to take their place.
Nic eyed him warily. “You sure?”
Gavin wanted to roar, to howl that of course he was sure.
How dare Nic question his ability to do his job?
But he remembered how quickly the rage had swept over him just minutes ago.
“I’m sure,” he said quietly. “I’ll make sure.”
“Well then, we better start getting things ready,” Nic said. The two men headed back towards Ship. “I’m sure the women have already started. We better make sure we’ve got our own part of the plan handled, or we’ll both be hearing about it.”
8
Esme couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder to Gavin, had to fight back the gasp that nearly escaped her lips when their eyes met.
It shouldn’t have felt like his hand was on her skin, that his very gaze was a caress.
He was a nice man.
He was helping her find the children. That was all.