3013: CLAIMED by Laurie Roma Read Free Book Online Page B

in an instant, but the disturbing images haunted Serra. Arik turned her into him, shielding her from the terrible memory. “ That is enough. You know why you fear it now. It is over. ”
    “ How could she? How could anyone do something like that? ”
    She was sobbing inside, weeping for the loss of all she had known. The mother she’d thought loved her, and the time that had been lost with Jax and Archer. Both had been taken from her with a betrayal so grievous she might never fully recover.
    Arik was a small comfort as he was still joined in her head. She could feel the fatigue dragging her down, but he stirred in her mind, silently asking her to hold on.
    “ I know that this is difficult for you, but perhaps I can give you something that will help ease your pain. ”
    She couldn’t imagine what could possibly help her after witnessing the monstrous treachery her mother had committed, but she mentally blinked in surprise as Arik began sharing some of his own memories with her. It was a collection of the years she’d been kept away from Jax and Sully. Arik had been friends with them for a long time, and he generously shared each time either Jax or Sully had spoken of her over the years. Each snippet was short, but there were many, and seeing them did help heal her heart that felt as if it had been ripped into pieces.
    When the show was over, she felt exhausted. “ Thank you for that. ”
    “ Rest now, little one. All will be well when you awaken. There will be no pain to keep you from Jax and Archer. ”
    No, pain in her head had disappeared, but the ache in her heart remained. She would have to deal with that later, though. She gave herself over to the black abyss, needing the escape, and prayed that dreams wouldn’t follow her into sleep.

***
    Chapter Four
     
    Archer stared down at Serra as she slept in their bed.
    It had been almost twenty-four hours since she had passed out in the medical center, but Arik had assured them that she was physically unharmed by the mind scan he’d done. Both Archer and Jax had been adamant about taking her out of the medical center and bringing her home so she could rest properly, wanting her to wake in comfort rather than the clinical setting of medical. Since she had accepted them as her bonded, they had every right to make that call.
    Fury filled Archer at the thought of what they’d discovered in the mind scan that Arik had performed. Tania Lysander-Dobbs would pay for her treachery, and she would pay dearly. Archer’s heart had ached when he’d listened to Arik’s recounting of the memory Serra had repressed due to the xili she’d been drugged with. So many years had been stolen from them, but they would make up for them.
    It was a vow that Archer and Jax were determined to fulfill.
    He and Jax had luxurious quarters in one of the most secure buildings in the heart of the Capital. When they’d moved in, they had each claimed a wing of the top floor in the large, multi-tiered suite for their own use, with common areas they shared on the middle floor of the residence. The lower floor housed the gym and a large pool that they both used religiously.
    In the center of the top floor, they’d had a large bedroom built they knew would one day belong to their chosen. Serra. The room had always been meant for her, and seeing her in it brought a lightness to Archer’s heart that he hadn’t felt in years.
    She was truly theirs now.
    With her needs in mind, they had decorated the room with muted shades of lavender and black, knowing that she did better in environments with soft, basic colors. The pale shade of purple was her favorite color, and the light beige matting on the floor was soft to walk on and also gave the added benefit of muffling any sounds that may disturb her in her sanctuary.
    Archer sat on the side of the bed, then he pulled back the covers so he could lie down next to Serra. She barely stirred as he pulled her gently into his arms and tucked the gravity blanket