Page 15 of Darken
When she agreed to accept Darken as her mate, she had already decided she would love him. She didn’t realize then how easy it would be. It didn’t hurt that he had rescued her from certain torture, if not death.
Although Gina knew she could tell Darken anything, she couldn’t talk about the things Devlin had done to make her hate him. A little pain could enhance a sexual encounter, but Devlin’s BDSM practices went heavy on the sadism. He couldn’t seem to get off until Mindy was screaming and sobbing with the pain he inflicted.
When he started choking her unconscious as part of his repertoire, Gina knew it was only a matter of time before he ended her. If only Gina had worked out the plan faster before the infection set in. Mindy died within days of reaching Farringay
She tamped down the bitter memory, shoving it back into the past where it belonged. She couldn’t let it taint her life with Darken, who made her happier than she ever dreamed.
Every time he made love to her, they shared a telepathic connection that neither could explain.
“Are you possibly a latent telepath?” Darken asked one time as they dressed after bathing.
“It never happened before, but I suppose it’s possible, or it could be the nanites.” Gina pulled her black t-shirt over her head and tucked it into her khaki green cargo pants. Padding over to Darken, she slid her arms around his waist. “I don’t care why it’s happening. It’s wonderful and humbling to see myself through your eyes.”
“Then I think you know what you mean to me.”
“I do, and I feel the same for you.” She pressed against him and smiled up at him.
He took that as an invitation to kiss her lightly and hug her. There was no need to take things further. They had already slaked their sexual appetites three times that morning, once when they awoke and twice in the shower later.
Darken released her after a few moments, and Gina went to put her boots on. They were getting ready to go north to the Enclave village to collect her possessions from her home.
Darken also needed to return the flyer and pick up another sky cycle. Gina’s things would be sent by a small drone. For its size, the sky cycle had a fairly large cargo compartment but not enough room for a large duffle and a couple of boxes.
She knew Darken lamented the loss of the new cycle he brought with him from Phantom, but he vowed he’d rather forfeit his machine than her. The Enclave was providing him a refurbished prewar model, which the rest of the rangers were getting.
Darken could order another one, but it could take a year or more to get it. He got the sky cycle before he learned he was getting his mate. A regular flyer would be more practical when they had a family. But that was something they agreed to postpone for a year or so to give them time to settle in their new life together.
Gina was in a new relationship, and she was moving a thousand miles from all her friends and giving up her job. It was a whole new life for Darken, too, but with the initial danger past, they were relishing the discovery of each other.
Somehow, Gina was sure she’d have known Darken was the one had she met him by chance. He explained that a cyborg could recognize his mate by scent. Gina’s sense of smell was not as sensitive as his, but up close, he exuded a subtle spicy fragrance that made her think ‘mine.’
Gina was excited about the trip to the Enclave for more than just to recover her possessions. Her friends Layna and Danya would be there with their cyborg mates who had a meeting with Commander Vyken Dark. While it wasn’t necessary for them to meet in person, they used the excuse that the women liked to get together.
Darken wasn’t very well acquainted with Commander Dark but held him in high regard because the Commander’s team returned for him when he’d been left for dead. Plus, he wanted to meet her friend Layna’s mate, Axel Rex.
The trip north took a little over three hours.
Chapter Ten
Commander Dark and wife Danya hosted the casual meeting at their house, near the Enclave’s underground headquarters. A cluster of connected green domes comprised the dwelling. The main dome was two stories, with the master bedroom and nursery on the second floor. The smaller domes would be bedrooms for their children when they were old enough.
Downstairs held a separate formal dining room which doubled as a conference room when both Danya and Vyken had business meetings at their home. That left the kitchen/dining area for the women to socialize.
Layna ran up to Gina and hugged her tightly. “Gina, sweetie, I was so scared when I heard you were missing. My father said Devlin is a crazy bastard. He would never have mentioned you were rescued by the cyborgs had he known you are my friend. At least that’s what he told me.” Layna released her and stepped back. “But you look great now.”
“I couldn’t be better. Everything you told me about having a cyborg mate is true. Darken is the best… In every way. I just adore him,” Gina told her.
“It happens fast. When you’re his genetic mate, there is no resisting. I tried,” said Layna. “Come on, let me introduce you to Iris, Jolt’s wife. “I think you know everyone else. Blaze couldn’t make it, so we don’t get to meet his Phoebe yet.”
Layna guided Gina into the kitchen, where Danya and Iris were chatting over mugs of tea. There were two more mugs set at the table and a thermal pot in the center of the table. They looked up and smiled as Gina and Layna joined them.
“Iris, this is Gina. Gina, Iris.”
“Nice to meet you,” they both said almost at once.
“Come, have a seat, and get yourself some tea,” said Danya. “I’m so glad we have this chance to get together. We don’t get to see Layna and Iris nearly enough.”
“I told Iris about your experience with Darken. I didn’t think you’d mind,” Layna told her.
