Jax’s words caught Seth off guard. No Saurellian man had ever found a life mate outside their homeworld.
“Are you sure?” he whispered. If what Jax said was true, the implications were incredible. Suddenly there was new hope for all of them.
“Yes, the news came in an official dispatch from the Temple of the Goddess on Saurellia. Apparently he took her there to confirm their bond in front of the priestesses,” Jax said breathlessly. “Do you know what this means? We have a chance! We could all find life mates. It’s almost too much to imagine.”
The younger man fell back against his chair, all but glowing with happiness. Jax’s words kept running through Seth’s mind again and again. There was hope. Maybe he could have Calla, if she was his life mate. Some of his anger fled at the thought of holding her, thrusting into her warm flesh. He wanted her so badly...
“Tell me about this woman,” Seth said suddenly, leaning forward. “Where did she come from? What do the priestesses say about this?”
“Well, she didn’t look Saurellian, but they did a genetic analysis, and she’s definitely of Saurellian stock,”
Jax said, grimacing. “I know, it sounds incredible, but she was actually the daughter of two freed slaves.
Genetically she’s a real mish-mash, because both her parents came from an imperial slave farm. But somewhere in there was a Saurellian. Thank the Goddess for dominant genes!”
“Calla came from a slave farm,” Seth said softly. Jax stared hard at him.
“She left you to die,” he said harshly after a minute. “You can’t think that she might be-“
“Maybe,” Seth said. He looked down and realized his hand was trembling. He held it up before him, fascinated at his reaction. “I haven’t been with another woman since I was with her. I can’t stop thinking about her. And when we were together, I wanted to stay with her, even after months of only one woman.
Doesn’t that sound like a life mate?”
“Yes,” Jax said slowly. “But Seth, she lied to you. For all you know she’s already married to that slave rebel. I know she told you she wasn’t, but she lied to you all along. If she was your life-mate, she wouldn’t even contemplate being with another man after meeting you.”
“But how else do you explain it?” Seth said after a moment’s thought. “Being with her felt so right, so different from any other women I’ve ever been around. She came from a slave farm. Maybe the Goddess chose her for me.”
Jax sat quietly for a minute, then looked up at him.
“If what you say is true, you have to go get her,” he said finally. “You have to know the truth. But why would the Goddess pair you with a woman you could never trust?”
“The Goddess has ordained stranger things,” Seth replied thoughtfully. “If she’s truly my life mate, I’ll simply have to learn to deal with it. And if I find Jess, I’ll take care of him, too. But if she’s really my life mate, then maybe she was telling the truth about him. I can’t imagine the Goddess would give me a woman who already belongs to another man.”
“She’s yours by law,” Jax said, warming to the idea. “You have the right to take her, regardless of whether she’s already with another man. If it’s the Goddess’ will, you don’t have a choice.”
No, he didn’t, Seth thought. He was filled with the most amazing sensation. Sudden joy ran through him as he realized that he, too, might have children. He could build a life for himself, rejoin his brother on Saurellia. He could have Calla. The thought of her, with her soft skin covered in freckles and her long, brown hair wrapped around his fingers made him instantly hard. He had known from the start she was his, he realized, there was simply no doubt about it. He just hadn’t believed such a thing was possible.
Now all he had to do was go and get her.
Jax read his thoughts. “I take it you’re going after her?” he asked with a grin.
“Oh, yes,” Seth said with dark determination.
“Want some company?” Jax asked. “I’m ready for another trip. Beside, the more I travel, the more likely it is I’ll run into my life mate. I want her, Seth. I’m ready for her, wherever she is.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Any ideas where to start?” Jax asked.
“I’ll start by tracing the ship,” Seth said with a smile. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find out where they sold it. We’ll take it from there. Neither of them had ever been out of the system before. They’ll stick out no matter where they go. We’ll find them.”
Chapter 14
Damn, it was hot. Jax wiped one arm across his brow. It came away wet with sweat. Why the hell had Seth’s life mate chosen a planet like Hector Prime to live on? Granted, it was a nature preserve and kind of pretty in its own way. But she could have chosen to live in the north, where it wasn’t so hot and humid.
Looking around him with disgust, Jax studied the small slip of paper one last time. She was living with a woman named Sarai, a Pilgrim. Sarai probably wasn’t a threat, but Jax wasn’t so sure. Pilgrims couldn’t be trusted. They had all learned that the hard way. He’d keep a close eye on this Sarai while they were there, because the last thing Seth needed was a knife in his back. From Seth’s descriptions, she was one tough bitch. She had even killed her own husband.
Jax pushed through the door of the hostel. Seth had asked him to check things out before he contacted Calla, which had seemed a solid plan back on the ship. That was before Jax had realized how damn hot it would be. Now he was doing the grunt work while Seth waited for a full report in comfort.
The hostel’s lobby was even hotter than the street outside, if such a thing was possible. He could feel a bead of sweat running down his back–what had ever possessed him to come here with Seth? This planet was a hell-hole … The hostel’s entryway was small, with a counter across from the door where presumably the women served their customers. No one was behind it, though. In fact, there were no signs of life at all in the hostel.
“Hello?” Jax called. “Is there anybody here? I’m looking for a room.”
Thank the Goddess he wouldn’t actually have to sleep here, Jax thought as he looked around them.
They had rooms booked in a comfortable inn at the center of town. Rooms with climate control.
Jax called out again, but there still wasn’t any response. After a few minutes waiting, he decided to go and find someone. There were two choices–a stairway that went upstairs and a hallway behind the counter. The stairs seemed more public, so they probably provided access to the guest rooms. The hall seemed a better bet.