Bonded to the Rakian Berserker (Rakian Warrior Mates #3) - Elin Wyn Page 0,63

shoved her away.

Almost there.

“Esme, stop!” Gavin shouted from the stairway. “You’re too close--”

The bond flared in her chest, so strong that surely it must be visible, must be lighting up this dim underground world.

Esme pushed all of her love, all of the words she hadn’t had a chance to say through it.

I’m so sorry, my mate.

And then she leapt for the railing, dragging Braydon over the side with her.

“You can’t do this!” he bellowed as they fell, arms tangled around each other.

But she could.

And she would.

Braydon’s scream ringing in her ears, Esme closed her eyes, waiting for the icy water to pull her down, only to have them fly open again as she jerked to a stop.

“I’m not letting you go,” Gavin growled, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other clinging to the underside of the platform. “Never.”

A distant splash, far below, was the only sign of Braydon.

Esme wrapped her arms around Gavin’s neck as he pulled them back to the platform, her first words to him, so long ago now, an echo and a promise.

“I knew you’d come.”

31

Gavin couldn’t remember a mission that had ever ended with something that so closely resembled a party.

But as he watched the groups of people clustered around the lush garden Rhela had created on the terrace of Ship, it was the only comparison that came to mind.

Under the spreading branches of a flame tree still holding on to their orange and crimson colored star-shaped leaves, Esme talked intently with Layla and Brynlee.

Children from both of their caravans ran wild around them, but he noticed the children that had been rescued never drifted too far from Layla’s side, darting back and forth just to touch her shoulder, her hair, before going back to their games.

Two little girls had discovered Xandros, and the overgrown puppy was patiently letting them tie his ears back with pink ribbons.

Esme was back in her traveler’s garb, vest over short dress, breaches tucked into boots, braids falling in loops to either side of her face.

As she talked to the other women, her face was filled with excitement, her eyes lit with happiness.

He looked away quickly before the pain in his chest grew too strong and wandered towards one of the tables.

“I’m serious,” Declan said. “you have access to an entire network that would never talk to me. I have access to markets that are hard for you to get into.” He topped off a glass from the pitcher, handed it to Hendrick, filled another for Matilde sitting at his other side.

The burly man took a deep sip, nodded. “It’s an interesting concept,” he admitted. “Never thought about going into business with a townsman before.”

Declan smiled, and Gavin wondered who was actually going to come out on top of this particular little bargain.

Both men would probably be happy thinking they were outsmarting the other.

Nic and Kennet joined the group at the table and Gavin pulled up a chair for himself.

“Thanks to both of you, the story’s out all over the colony,” Nic announced. “Except for the most faithful of families, everyone is pretty shaken by the news.”

Shaken was an understatement.

In the week since the desperate rescue from the laboratory hidden beneath the Archive, Gavin had spoken with shell shocked family after family.

All ripped apart by Braydon’s plan, his twisted quest.

Even some of the families in the Elite who’d adopted children hadn’t realized where those babies came from. Detailed records had been kept and it would take months to track everyone down.

“I’ve run several models of what potential repercussions may be for the colony,” Kennet said, reaching for the pitcher. “All of them predicted a period of great instability, unless changes were made quickly.”

“That’s not great for trade,” Declan muttered, then blushed brightly as Matilde smacked him in the arm. “I do think about other things, I promise.”

“Try harder,” she huffed. “Seriously.”

Hendrick laughed, slapping the younger man on the other shoulder. “We might work well together after all, townsman. Once we can get through this next hurdle.”

Nic rubbed his eyes, and for the twenty or thirty millionth time, Gavin was glad not to be in command.

“The Council can see what’s coming. They’ve petitioned the Rakian Alliance to be accepted as a member planet.”

“That’s what we wanted, wasn’t it?” Gavin’s voice sounded odd, distant even to his own ears. “Someone should be happy.”

He glanced over at Esme again, still deep in conversation with her friends.

She looked happy, too.

“Since Brayden’s position on the Council amounts to tacit complicity in his little program of