Stolen - Nhys Glover Page 0,70

were massing up there when we left. They’re occupying maybe the last fifty miles before the ocean.’

‘So we have to get closer than we are, but not too close. And put ourselves in a place where a rescue craft can land?’ I checked.

‘That’s the way of it. I wish Dad had warned us what to expect. It feels all kinds of wrong that he let this happen. I keep thinking they must be in dire straits. He’d need to be really distracted to leave us unprepared like this.’

I had to wonder what it would be like to always have someone constantly warning you of future dangers. Not the ‘be careful crossing the road’ kind of warnings, but real warnings of things that would definitely happen if you continued along your current path. It would drive me crazy.

But I decided to soothe Rian as best I could. ‘There seem to be a lot of factors to be considered. The Vargeez prepping for invasion, us, the storm damage, the witches and the Darkness, not to mention how many other missing Danans there are out there waiting to be rescued. How can your dad be expected to keep up with all that?’

I felt him sigh. ‘You’re right. I kind of expect Dad to put us first. But maybe that’s childish thinking. Maybe a Danan warrior needs to learn to stand on his own feet. Or on his Theran feet.’ He added the last as a joke, and I laughed with him.

‘Charsus has been gone a while.’

I felt him nod. ‘At least he left me his body. It feels weird to move around in it without him looking over my shoulder all the time. If I’m not careful I’ll forget I have a co-pilot and start thinking of this as my real body.’

‘It is your real body. Just not your original body,’ I said.

I’d say and do anything to encourage him to stay. If he continued to see Charsus’ body as just a loaner, then he’d always be prepping to leave. If he felt at home in the new body, he’d consider staying permanently. Or that was my way of thinking.

‘You really care about the Theran, don’t you?’ Lain said, obviously picking up on my feelings.

‘I’m thinking about Rian, not Charsus,’ I sniped back. ‘But yes, I do care about Charsus, as well. I have no idea why I seem to be drawn to so many of you. I feel like a slut, to be honest.’

‘Being drawn to me and my brothers is normal,’ he offered grudgingly.

‘Rian is one of your brothers.’ I countered.

‘Rian died. Whatever resides in the Theran is not my brother any longer,’ he exclaimed in frustration, his arms around me growing tighter as his agitation increased.

So much for the idea that sleeping with him would ease the situation. It actually seemed to have made it worse.

‘If Rian wasn’t your brother we wouldn’t have been able to Mind Speak. That’s only for podmates, isn’t it?’ I argued, yet again.

Lain mentally collapsed on a deep, tired sigh. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on. I just know what I feel.’

‘Then you need to trust my feelings if not your own. If your main purpose in life is now my safety and wellbeing then you need to trust me to know what is right for me. And, by extension, us.’

I was running out of arguments. This wasn’t a logical or rational situation we were dealing with. This was some deep-seated biological need. I understood male posturing and possessiveness on Earth. This seemed to go one step further. It was as if I didn’t really matter in this game they played to claim me.

‘No!’ Lain exclaimed.

He was quickly echoed by Rian and Charsus, who seemed to be back.

‘No, what? That I’m not just the prize you all want? The womb you plan to make use of? The podmate you’ve been told you need to feel complete? Where do I, Jenna Smith, figure into this?’

“You are everything!” Lain exclaimed aloud, panting as he ran.

“What’s happening?” Nial said, suddenly aware he was missing out on another argument.

It wasn’t fair that they should be excluded. Sometime soon I needed to remedy the situation. My magic vagina would make it possible for me to have even more grumpy males stomping around in my head!

Charsus chuckled. I knew it was over my use of the term ‘magic vagina’. His humor released some of my stress. I giggled with him. I got a sense that he saw the