Tremors of the Past (The Omni Towers, #3)

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Alec shook his head in bewilderment. Watching Carl and Kayla interact in the storage area fascinated and baffled him at the same time. He’d wanted to curse the surrounding ineptitude when he’d received the message that Kayla had disappeared from her security detail again. How could three trained guards manage to lose a slip of a girl in an enclosed building? There were only so many places she could have gone.

Carl had jumped in and handled her with a deft hand, even going so far as to get her to agree to backing off the situation with Lars. Alec still didn’t fully understand how the trader had managed to convince her. Kayla’s emotions had been riled up and she’d been ready to argue, but Carl’s words caused her to immediately backpedal. She almost seemed contrite.

When Alec had felt her reach out for him along their bond, it had taken an immeasurable amount of self-control not to give in to her. She was reaching for him more and more, trying to gauge his thoughts and feelings. He wasn’t sure if it was conscious or not, but he couldn’t afford to take any chances. Not now. Not when she’d finally given him hope by acknowledging her feelings for him.

In so many ways, Kayla was naïve to the mechanics of their world. Alec had already made too many mistakes with her by moving too quickly from an energy standpoint. The consequences of scaring her off had become dire. It went against all his instincts, but he needed to suppress their shared energy bond and allow her to get to know him on a level she felt comfortable exploring.

It wasn’t just the energy, either, although that was part of his attraction to her. When Leah, Carl’s reporter friend, had questioned him about his feelings, he hadn’t lied. Those green eyes of hers had captivated him since the first moment he’d seen her in Carl’s camp. Then, once he had a chance to get to know her… he was lost. He’d never met anyone so wonderfully complex and unpredictable. She was a fascinating combination of contradictions. Alec couldn’t help but admire the way she continuously met every obstacle head-on with fierce determination and perseverance.

The Inner Circle had become complacent over the years, including himself. He wasn’t sure if any of them would have been able to thrive on the surface the same way Kayla had. It was a testament to her strength of character, and he admired her all the more for it. Each day he spent with her forced him to see the world in a new light, and he fell a little more in love with the woman who continued to challenge his perspectives.

Alec recalled his promise to Carl about not interfering in their relationship and sighed. It might pain him to do it, but he’d stand by his word. Kayla’s ability to channel energy with such natural grace and talent might take his breath away, but he’d keep his distance. For now. Kayla had no idea of the draw she had to their kind. She was like a d**g he couldn’t seem to get enough of. Even Lars had been taken in by her. Alec clenched his fists, remembering the covetous look he’d seen in his cousin’s eyes and the way he’d touched her.

To make matters worse, no one had heard anything from Lars or the Coalition since OmniLab raided their camp to rescue Kayla and Carl. The silence concerned him almost as much as the growing tensions within the towers.

He glanced at the screen in front of him and skimmed over the latest security report. As he suspected, there was nothing new about the Coalition. However, they’d picked up more chatter from members of the Inner Circle who were growing increasingly disgruntled. The combination of the recent regime change and the threat of the Coalition hovered like a guillotine about to drop. The latest attack on Kayla in the basement was just one more indicator that things were escalating.

Alec drummed his fingers on his armrest, trying to figure out a motive as to why someone within the towers would target Kayla. He could understand why someone would attempt to use her against him, but harming her didn’t make sense. Kayla had nothing to do with council politics.

If this were some sort of political power play, it would make much more sense to target him or Kayla’s mother, Seara. They were both co-leaders of the High Council. However, even if both he and Seara were removed from power, the High Council would remain in control of the governance of the towers.

Frustrated, he pushed away from the desk and began to pace the length of his office. From all reports, most of the population within the towers was thrilled to have Kayla back. Her father, the former High Council leader, had been beloved by the masses, and their adoration had passed along to his daughter. To them, she represented hope and a return to the old ways before Alec’s father had taken over.

He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. Regardless of how he looked at it, an attack against her just didn’t make sense.

Unfortunately, Brant and his security team hadn’t been able to discover anything from the surrounding video footage. The only thing they knew for sure was that whoever was responsible for Kayla’s near fall was an air channeler and had access to the service area in the basement. That didn’t mean much since members of the Inner Circle typically didn’t advertise their elemental alignment. Unlike other civilians, Inner Circle members also had access to the majority of the towers. There were plenty of clues but no solid leads.

Alec paused at the one-way conference room window where Kayla was working with the building designers. He absently brushed his hand against the glass, outlining her image. His desire to protect and be close to her was becoming a near obsession. When he’d agreed to wear the mantle of co-leader after his father’s death, he believed it was in the best interest of the towers. Now, he was no longer sure. Although Seara continued to claim it was the right move, Alec couldn’t help his doubts. Ever since the showdown with Lars, he’d begun to question his loyalty to the towers. He would have given anything in that moment to keep Kayla from harm, and his failure in protecting her still weighed heavily upon him.

At a time when OmniLab could least afford any liabilities, his feelings for Kayla had become his greatest weakness. Alec pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. There was nothing to be done about it until Kayla was ready to embrace her heritage. Unfortunately, even if she were willing, that time wasn’t now. He couldn’t afford to create a rift between her and Carl. Until the threats against OmniLab and Kayla were resolved, Alec needed the trader’s help. Once again, this morning’s attack proved that decision to be the correct one.

Alec sighed and lifted his head. He studied Kayla through the one-way mirror and the corners of his lips curved upward. Now that he’d found her, it was impossible to imagine a life without her in it. She was exquisite and unlike any other Inner Circle member he’d ever met.

Unmindful of the dress she now wore, Kayla was sprawled out on the floor with the female designer. Her shoes had disappeared again to whereabouts unknown, and she’d apparently convinced the normally straight-laced designer to remove hers too.

Notes and designs were scattered around, and even though they’d just met, the scene had the appearance of a meeting with an old friend. Kayla suddenly threw her head back and laughed at something the other woman said. The life and sensuality in that small movement captivated him.

Apparently, he wasn’t alone. The other designer was sitting in a chair at the conference table and eyeing Kayla’s legs with far more interest than he should. Brant stood against the wall in the room and glared at the oblivious man. When Kayla shifted, causing her dress to slip even further up her thigh, the male designer leaned forward expectantly. Alec could almost see him drooling.

Without pausing to consider his actions, Alec crossed the room and flung open the door. The conversation in the room halted. Kayla glanced up and gave him a brilliant smile while the other woman scrambled to a standing position. The female designer quickly smoothed down her chestnut hair and tried to make herself presentable. The male designer also hastily stood.

“Alec!” Kayla rose to her feet. Her obvious pleasure at seeing him flowed through their bond and staggered him. How did this woman get him so twisted up? She grabbed his hands and pulled him over to where she’d been sitting. Her touch was like a soothing balm on his soul.

She leaned against him, pressing her hand against his chest. He looked down into her guileless green eyes and wondered if she even realized she’d been seeking his touch more often.

“Wait until you see the ideas Marline has come up with. She’s fantastic,” she said.

A flustered Marline seemed to collect herself enough to pick up one of the tablets off the floor. She offered Alec a nervous smile as she handed it to him.

He glanced down at the design, immediately impressed at the extensive workup. “It looks like you’ve made quite a bit of progress.”

Kayla beamed up at him. He faltered for a moment. If he could keep this look in her eyes all the time, he’d consider threatening or cajoling every single council member into agreeing to this ruin rat tower idea. Unable to resist, he raised his hand and brushed his thumb across her cheek. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. His gaze lowered to her mouth, and he swallowed. He was never going to survive this. She was an impossible temptation.

Alec took a deep breath and forced himself to turn back to the efficient Marline. “Have you been able to determine what building materials you’ll need?”

Marline pressed a button on the tablet and a list populated the screen. “We’re still working out the details. Kay— Er, Mistress Rath’Varein has some interesting ideas about features that would cater specifically to the needs of the new tenants. We’ll need to do some additional research since we currently don’t have anything like that here. I think we can get the information from our pre-war archives.”

Alec arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Kayla didn’t answer right away. He looked down to find her still looking up at him with a pensive expression. He could sense her trying to explore their bond, but her thoughts were a confusing jumble of conflicted emotions. Without opening their bond more, Alec wasn’t able to get a clear view, and he wasn’t willing to risk it. After a moment, she averted her gaze and offered a small shrug.

“Um, yeah. It’s great as a base of operations, but the ruin rats aren’t going to want to give up their lifestyle. It’ll need to be easy for them to come and go, and they’ll need a place to store their speeders. The goal of this building shouldn’t be to keep the occupants inside, but instead offer a haven from the outside world. Besides, you’re going to need people to work the surface and hunt for resources. Why can’t the ruin rats do that and earn their keep?”

Alec paused. He hadn’t considered using them in that capacity in exchange for housing. It was similar to what they were doing now with trading for supplies, except on a larger scale. Her idea had merit.

“You’re right.” He turned to the male designer who’d remained silent through the conversation. Alec narrowed his eyes at the man whose gaze now seemed glued to Kayla’s chest. Alec barely resisted the urge to pummel him. “What are your thoughts, John?”

The man’s eyes flew up to meet his, suddenly aware he’d been caught ogling the High Council leader’s fiancée. It didn’t take a telepathic connection to know exactly what the man’s thoughts were. The designer cleared his throat and stammered, “I-I’m sure it’s an excellent idea. We should investigate it.”

“Why don’t you do that back in your office?” Alec bit out.

The man paled and quickly gathered up his belongings. Marline frowned, darting her gaze between the other designer and Alec. She was clearly worried her partner had jeopardized working on such an illustrious project.

Alec turned back to Marline and gestured to the designs scattered on the floor. He had to remind himself it wasn’t necessarily her fault if her partner was an i***t. Besides, Kayla had obviously taken a liking to the woman.

“You’ve done excellent work so far, Marline. Perhaps you and Mistress Rath’Varein can resume your discussions and plans tomorrow. Around this same time?”

Marline’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Of course. It’ll be my pleasure.” She gave Kayla a warm smile and began collecting her things.

Alec caught Brant’s attention and gestured toward the other designer. In a low voice, he said, “I want him banned from this tower. Marline may return, but John’s services are no longer needed.”

Brant nodded and immediately followed the designer out of the room. Alec had no doubt his instructions would be carried out, and the man wouldn’t be permitted near Kayla in the future. He glanced down to find Kayla’s arms folded across her chest and her green eyes lit up with humor. She’d obviously overheard him.

“Do you disagree with my decision?” he asked her telepathically.

She c****d her head to study him. “Nope. Although I’m surprised Marline hasn’t ditched him before now. The guy’s an idiot.”

He didn’t answer right away and instead waited until Marline left the room. In truth, he needed some time to decide how to respond. Alec wasn’t sure Kayla would take too kindly to his initial reaction of wanting to tear the man apart for daring to look at the woman who belonged to him. Kayla hadn’t yet realized most of their kind were fiercely possessive. He’d noticed her instincts kick in several times, but she had the remarkable and infuriating ability to suppress and even reject them.

“I didn’t care for the way that insufferable man was watching you.”

Kayla blinked. “I thought you were annoyed with him because he wasn’t contributing. He just sat there and let Marline do all the work.”

Alec paused. Was she truly unaware of her allure? He opened their bond slightly and was taken aback by her genuine surprise. He chuckled and shook his head. This woman was going to drive him insane.

“He wasn’t working because he was too busy undressing you with his eyes.”

She frowned and shrugged. “Well, either way, he’s a dumbass. I think he’s been taking advantage of Marline for a while now. She didn’t say anything, but I got the impression he’s been using some of her ideas and passing them off as his own.”

Alec watched as she turned away and bent down under the table to locate her shoes. The hem of her dress slid upward as she stretched, revealing a creamy expanse of her thighs. He swallowed. No wonder the designer was practically drooling while she crawled around on the floor. Any warm-blooded male would do the same.

Kayla turned halfway and held up her shoes in victory. As she slipped them back on her feet, her dress hiked up even further to reveal a hint of black lace covering her most intimate parts.

“I like her though. She’s smart and knows how to cut through the bullshit. I had more fun today than I thought I would.”

“Kayla,” he croaked, “please. Stand up.”

She paused and leaned forward to look up at him, a question in her eyes. He made the mistake of glancing down again and the soft curves of her cleavage beckoned him. More black lace. What the hell had Seara been thinking to buy her this dress? He couldn’t take it anymore. Alec reached down and pulled her to her feet. Without saying another word, he drew her into his arms and held her tightly. He knew he shouldn’t, but he just needed to hold her for a moment until he managed to get himself under control.

Kayla stiffened against him and reached out across their bond. Some of his emotions filtered through, and whatever she sensed caused her to relax in his arms. Inch by inch, her body began to mold against his. Sliding his hand around to rest against the small of her back, he pressed his face against her hair. He’d needed to touch her like this for days, ever since Lars had hurt her and she’d collapsed in his arms. His fingers tightened reflexively, remembering the fear of almost losing her.

“Just one more minute,” he whispered and inhaled deeply, wanting to breathe her in forever. She smelled like wild abandon and every promise he’d ever beheld. Alec closed his eyes and wished he could stay in this moment forever. Even without the energy, this woman captivated him completely.

He forced himself to pull back and clamp down on their bond. Keeping it open and letting her invade all his senses was too dangerous. His self-control around her was tenuous at best. The confused expression in her eyes wounded him, but the alternative would be far worse. Alec couldn’t risk alienating the trader. Not now. “I shouldn’t have done that. I… I need to get you back to Carl.”

“That’s not necessary. I’m here.”