Determinant -Guardians of Vesturon [3] by A.M. Hargrove Page B

father. “Rayn, what are you doing? Release him now!” he commanded.
    I heard the words in my mind, Release, and immediately fell to my knees, sucking in as much air as I could. I was still incapable of moving, as I crouched there, recovering. The Power of Command was a talent known only to Vesturions and not everyone had the capability to perform it. My ability with it was only moderate at best.
    “What is going on here? I demand an explanation!” my father shouted, his voice reverberating.
    “I was protecting my mate, Father!” Rayn exclaimed.
    “Against what?”
    “Rykerian,” Rayn answered sheepishly.
    I was still on the floor, regaining control of my body bit by bit. I flexed my hands and arms, testing them to see if they were functional. Finally I rose to my feet, unsteadily.
    “Well?” my father asked me.
    “I informed Maddie she could not see January, and she used Telekinesis to bind me to the ceiling. Then Rayn came in and she released me but he commanded me to be still.” I rubbed and shook my arms, trying to bring life back to them.
    “You were threatening my mate!” Rayn snarled.
    “Stop! You two are acting like children!” my father exclaimed.
    My father just shook his head, assessing the situation. “Maddie, my daughter, you know I have a terribly soft spot in my heart for you, but in this instance, you have no choice but to defer to Rykerian. He is leader here and his decision stands. You cannot see January at this time.”
    Then he turned to Rayn, and his eyes launched daggers at him. “Do not ever abuse your Power of Command again. Am I clear? Rykerian is your brother and when you enter this Compound, he is your leader and his rule stands. Do you honestly think he would harm your mate? He would give up his life for her Rayn!” Both my brother and his mate looked thoroughly chastised.
    They approached me and simultaneously began apologizing.
    “Maddie, there is a good reason you cannot see her. As I stated, her mind is very fragile. She is angry with me for saving her life. She will not discuss it and I am baffled by her behavior. But we need her assistance, and desperately so. It is so important that she regain her strength both physically and mentally, because she faces an important task ahead.”
    Maddie nodded her head in understanding. I could feel her thoughts trying to push their way into my mind and I gave her a dark look. She was not welcome there.
    “Down to the Command Center. All of you. Now!” my father ordered.
    My father, Rowan, was the Great Ruler of Vesturon. My brother Rayn, the first-born, is in training to someday assume that role. He recently united with his soul mate, Maddie, whom he met here on Earth during her rescue from a serial killer. Their attraction and subsequent bonding was instantaneous, as is common between Vesturions when they find their soul mates. At first, there were issues because at the time, it was believed that Maddie was human. Since then, we discovered she had Vesturion blood lines stemming from both of her parents, who died when she was quite young.
    Maddie and Rayn were a perfect match. Their relationship had not been easy for either of them. Rocky best described it. Eventually they learned to work things out between them and were now happily mated. You wouldn’t have to know them to see they shared an unbreakable bond of love. Rayn was handsome, with black hair and bright green eyes and his mate was beautiful in every sense of the word. Copper hair and eyes to match, she was a headstrong female. Rayn had met his match in her. His protective instincts went overboard where she was concerned.
    We all took our seats around the conference table in the Command Center. My father, Rayn, Maddie, Tesslar and myself were present.
    I had two other brothers, Therron and Xarrid, but they were on the planet Xanthus, helping to reestablish a ruling authority. The Xanthians had surrendered to us a few months ago after causing much havoc in the universe. My