Stephanie's Challenge

by M. K. Eidem

  "When?" Danton demanded.

  "When Stephanie and I decide it's what we want," he told Danton not backing down.

  "That's not good enough. My sister..."

  "Is sitting right here," she said glaring at her oldest brother. "Nick and I will decide if, and when we have a Union, not you. Now back off or you'll regret it."

  "Oh really," Danton said crossing his arms over his chest challenging her just like he used to do when growing up. "And just how are you going to do that?"

  "By telling Hester Devore that you're interested in her and thinking of taking her to the Union."

  Danton's face lost all its color. "You wouldn't," he whispered.

  "Oh, I would. And coming not only from the Commander, but your sister, she'd be sure to believe me."

  "But... but..." Danton stuttered. "That's blackmail."

  "It is," Stephanie easily agreed. "So back off."

  "Alright, children, that's enough," Jacinda said trying not to laugh. Her daughter knew just where to hit to shut her brother up. She always did. "Danton, this is your sister’s and Nicholas' decision, and you will respect it. And Stephanie, you will absolutely NOT give Hester Devore the impression your brother is interested in her. Ancestors, can you imagine all the comms I'd get from her mother if you did?"

  "I don't believe I know who this Hester Devore is," Nick said, frowning at Jacinda's reaction. Could she and her family be a threat to his King and Queen?

  "Really?" Stephanie looked at him surprised. "She's the daughter of Assemblyman Hector Devore and while she's perfectly harmless," Stephanie knew where her life mate's thoughts had gone, "she's been determined to catch Danton's eye ever since he became an Assemblyman, but now that he's a Prince," she stressed the word. "Well, let's just say she's upped her game."

  "She keeps showing up at my office," Danton muttered.

  "I know," Stephanie laughed. "Archer keeps me informed."

  "Again, you will not encourage her, Stephanie," Jacinda stared down her daughter until she reluctantly nodded. "Good, now that that's all settled we will finally discuss, as a family, what happened tonight and how it will not happen again."

  Barek who had remained silent through much of the night was the first to speak. "I just wanted to say that while I understand how my father's actions might have upset Jacinda, this is how things are handled for Royals."

  "Really?" Kasmira's disbelief was spiced with anger. "Family members aren't informed when another one is in danger?"

  "Not normally," Barek told her, glancing at his father, knowing they were both thinking about Dadrian.

  "Well, we're not a normal Royal Family, and in this family, things like this won't be kept a secret, especially as three of our members will always be the first to know." Jacinda looked from Nick to Stephanie, and then finally Jotham.

  "Jacinda, we've discussed how there will be times that I won't be able to immediately discuss things with you."

  "Which we agreed was fine, but there is never a 'time' when I will not be immediately informed when it concerns our children. That is the way this Royal Family will be doing it." Jacinda turned to look at Jotham.

  "You're right, my love. I'm sorry. I'm just..."

  "Used to being the one making all the decisions by yourself." She reached up to cup one of his cheeks. "You're not alone anymore, Jotham. You have me, and Barek, and my family. Let us help ease that burden you've carried for so long alone... not add to it."

  With a shaky breath, Jotham nodded then leaned down to kiss his life mate.

  Chapter Seventeen

  "Well, that went better than I expected," Nick said later as he and Stephanie entered their quarters.

  "Yeah, although finding out Ethan was alive went a long way in helping the matter." She shrugged off her jacket and headed back to their bedroom. "What else did your contacts tell you?"

  "What makes you think they told me anything else?" he asked following her.

  "Because it wasn't that long ago I was in the Fleet, remember?" After hanging up her jacket, she sat down and started on her boots. "So tell me what you didn't want to say in front of the boys."

  "There are just some questions going around about why the Regulians attacked with such a small force."

  "Maybe it was the only way they could get through our defenses and attack Nuga."

  "Then why didn't they finish the job?"

  "What do you mean?" she asked standing to slide her pants down her legs.

  "I mean, the Regulians broke off their attack more than two hours before the Guardian arrived," Nick told her as his gaze traveled over all her smooth exposed skin.

  Stephanie frowned, not noticing Nick's distraction as she put her pants in a hamper. "That's not normal for the Regulians. Why would they do that? A diversion maybe?"

  "Could be," Nick said moving toward her.

  "But for what?" Turning around, she jumped when she found him right behind her.

  "That's for the High Admiral to figure out." He pulled her nearly naked body against his fully clothed one, letting her feel his arousal. "The only thing you need to figure out is if you want me to fuck you against the wall." He trapped her between his chest and the wall. "Or on the bed."

  "What if I want you to do both?" she whispered, her hands sliding his jacket off his shoulders.

  "Then I'd say I'm your man." He shrugged out of his jacket then gripped her hips, and lifted her higher.

  "You are that," she murmured, wrapping her legs around his hips before his lips silenced her. As their tongues sparred, Stephanie rocked her hips against his hard, cloth-covered shaft. The friction against her clit heightened her arousal to the point that she had to rip her mouth from his. "Nick!"

  "That's it, baby. Take what you want," he encouraged capturing one of her eadai covered breasts and sucking it deep into his mouth, his hips keeping up the pressure on her clit.

  "More," she gasped out, as her arms wrapped around his head. "More."

  Ancestors, he loved how responsive his life mate was. Most only saw her beauty and didn't realize there was an amazing woman beneath it. In the very beginning, he'd been one of those people, because her beauty had outshined the Carinian suns. But then he'd gotten to know her, and discovered she was even more beautiful on the inside. Loving, caring, loyal, strong, sexy, responsive, and not shy about letting him know what she wanted. Which right now was him.

  Separating their bodies only long enough to tear off her eadai, free his throbbing shaft then thrust hilt deep into his life mate.

  "Yes!" Stephanie cried out, her arms tightening around him as he completely filled her, hitting that special spot deep inside that drove her crazy. Again, and again, and again. "Like that. Just like that. Don't stop. I'm so close."

  Nick didn't stop. Instead, he transferred his attention to her other breast giving it the same attention as he had the first, wrapped his arm more securely around her then bent his knees and powered up into her even harder. It seemed to be what she needed as her pussy tightened around his shaft like a hot, slick glove causing his balls to pull up, tightening with the need to find his own release. Ripping his mouth from her breast, he looked up, his gaze piercing her passion-filled one.

  "Come for me," he ordered.

  Stephanie could do nothing but obey the man she loved, and her orgasm ripped through her as he continued to thrust, driving her orgasm even higher.

  "Nick!" she cried out.

  "I’ve got you, baby," he growled unable to look away from how beautiful she was when the pleasure hit, her gaze going unfocused. It made him feel like the most powerful man in the universe but even the most powerful had a breaking point and he'd reached his.

  With a shout and one last thrust that he was sure would fuse them together forever, he emptied himself in her.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Stephanie's hand traveled lazily over Nick's perfectly defined chest, enjoying the contrast between hard muscle and soft skin as she lay curled into his side, a leg thrown lazily over his.
After sex in the closet, he'd carried her to their bed, stripped off the one piece of eadai she still wore, then removed his own clothes, and climbed in next to her. She'd never had this sense of peace with any other lover. Oh, there had always been some afterglow when those encounters were over, but they'd never lasted long, and she'd never felt like this. Like she was right where she was always meant to be. It seemed her father was right.

  "What's that little smile for?" he asked as his hand slowly ran up and down her spine. Ancestors, he loved being able to touch her like this.

  "Just thinking about something my dad told me."

  "Are you going to share?" he asked when she didn't elaborate.

  Going up on an elbow, she gazed at him as he lay propped up against the headboard with some pillows. "The funny thing is I'm not sure if he really said it to me or if I dreamed it?"

  "Dreamed it?"

  "Yeah, right after Jotham offered me the position of Commander, I had the most vivid dream about Dad. We were sitting at the sukan court where I used to play, talking about the cycle when I switched from playing offense to defense."

  "I bet you were good at both."

  "I did okay on offense, but it was on the defensive side that I excelled. Everyone said I was a natural."

  "I can see that."

  "But I never would have known that, if one of the other players hadn't gotten hurt. I went in for her, and it became my position." Nick didn't say anything, seeing the similarities. "In my dream, Dad said, ‘Don’t be afraid to take the path you didn't expect, because when you do, it just might lead you to where you were always meant to be,’ and he was right. If I hadn't gotten injured, I wouldn't be here with you, because in your arms is where I was always meant to be. I love you."

  Nick couldn't speak for a moment, the love shining so clearly in her eyes causing his throat to tighten. What had he ever done in his life to deserve her? She was the most amazing creature he'd ever met, and she was his!

  "And I will love you, Stephanie Anne Michelakakis, until the day I meet the ancestors and beyond," he murmured sealing his vow with a soft, gentle kiss.

  This time their love-making was slow, soft, and gentle but no less intense. Each of them drew out every touch, every kiss, so the other knew just how much they were loved and cherished. But finally, the growing passion between them became too much and together they found their release.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  The next few weeks passed in a flurry of activity. Peter Chamberlain and his family arrived along with fifty Royal Guards. The Royal Wing couldn't house that many Guards, so accommodations were found for them in the Royal and Palace Guards’ quarters, which had ruffled some feathers.

  The next RGTP class had begun and so far neither Peter nor Trent had needed to cut any of the applicants. In fact from the reports she'd been receiving, they were advancing quicker than expected.

  Ethan had returned from Nuga, and there'd been another family dinner but without all the drama this time. Ethan had congratulated Nick, all the while teasing him as to whether he was really sure he wanted his sister as his life mate. Nick had just laughed, his eyes twinkling, as he looked at her. It had been a good night.

  And then there was the Union.

  Ancestors, it was less than a moon cycle away. The graduates from the RGTP would be jacketed less than a week before it occurred and would immediately assume their duties. She just hoped it was enough. Hoped she was doing enough.

  "Stop worrying so," Nick told her as he walked into her office.

  "What?" she asked looking up from her comm.

  "You've got this. Everything is planned out and under control for the Union."

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "Because the best Commander on the planet is in charge, and she has the best Royal and Palace Guards to rely on.”

  "Well that's true," she leaned back in her chair smiling. "So what are you doing here this time of the day?"

  "Jotham is taking the afternoon off and spending it with Jacinda in their wing."

  "Really?" she pulled up their schedules on her comm and saw that changes had been made since earlier that morning.

  "Yes, he transferred all his meetings to Barek."

  "Good for Jotham. It's about time he let Barek do more. He's been chomping at the bit to get more involved. So what are you going to do with your free time?"

  "I was going to go get in some sparring time. Want to join me?"

  Stephanie looked at her desk and then her schedule. Nothing was pressing on either, and she hadn't had a good sparring match since she'd been injured. Oh, she'd kept up on her stretching and weight training but none of the hand to hand that had so dominated her training before. It was more than time to get back to it.

  "As long as you promise to not go easy on me. I need to know what I have to work on to get back into top form."

  Nick was silent for a moment then said. "I won't go easy on you, but I'm also not going to take advantage of your weaknesses."

  "That doesn't help me, Nick. I need you to treat me like every other guard."

  "But you’re not. You're my life mate and," he held up a hand silencing her when she was about to argue, "While you are a highly trained guard, you have to relearn what you can and can't do because of your injury. You won't be able to do that if I full out attack you. You wouldn't do that if the situation was reversed, so don't ask me to."

  Stephanie hated that he was right. Her life mate already knew her so well. It was a blessing and sometimes a curse.

  "You're right. Let me go change, and I'll meet you in the training room."

  "I've got your clothes right here," he said and gestured to the bag at his feet that she hadn't noticed. "I'll see you in a few."

  Stephanie just shook her head as he left, closing the door. Sometimes that man just amazed her. Picking up the bag, she locked the door then began to strip.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  "I didn't expect to see you here today," Kort commented when Nick entered the training room.

  "Why?" Nick asked, as he dropped down to the mat next to Kort and began stretching. "We're both off thanks to Jotham and Jacinda deciding to spend their afternoon together."

  "I know, I just thought maybe you'd be able to sweet talk our Commander into doing the same thing."

  "Maybe I did," Nick told him, smirking.

  "Really, so if you did why are you here?" Just as he finished speaking, the door opened, and Stephanie walked in wearing her sparring gear.

  "Hey, Kort," Stephanie dropped down next to them and began her own stretching routine. "Taking advantage of your sudden time off too?"

  "Uh, yeah."

  The next few minutes passed in companionable silence as they limbered up, other guards entering and leaving as they did.

  "Ready?" Nick asked, rising up to bounce lightly on his toes.

  "Ready," Stephanie said, coming to her own feet before moving to the designated sparring area, pulling on her gloves as she did. It surprised her how good it felt to be pulling the fingerless gloves with knuckle protectors on again. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed this part of her training.

  "Show me what you’ve got, Michelakakis," Nick challenged, stepping into the area once his gloves were on.

  "Not sure you can handle what 'I've got,' Deffand," she challenged back enjoying the smack talk as she moved around the area. It seemed she'd missed that too.

  Nick just grinned then his expression turned serious. He lunged at her, testing her defenses, but instead of blocking him as he expected, she grabbed one of his arms and stepping to the side used his momentum to throw him to the mat.

  Flipping onto his back, he found her grinning down at him as she bounced on her toes several feet away. "So it's like that, is it?"

  "It's exactly like that," she told him.

  Neither of them noticed the crowd that had begun to gather as their sparring got serious. Nick landed a few blows, as did Stephanie, but overall they were pretty evenly matched. Steph
anie used her training and special skills she'd learned from Peter to counter against Nick's larger and more aggressive moves. It caused Nick to miss more than he connected, at least until one of his swings slipped under her defenses. It drove into her unprotected side and knocked the wind out of the one lung she had.

  She dropped like a brick.

  "Stephanie!" Nick was immediately on his knees beside her. "Get a medic!" he yelled over his shoulder.

  "No!" Stephanie gasped out weakly as she rolled onto her back, her eyes tightly closed so she could concentrate on the relaxation techniques Bliant had taught her for just this type of situation. "Just give me a minute."

  "I guess we now know who should have been named Commander." The satisfaction in the voice was easily heard by all, and while Stephanie knew she should recognize it, right now her mind was occupied with more important things. Like trying to breath. "Women shouldn't be guards, especially Royal ones."

  Oh, she recognized it now. Woodrow.

  "You fucking foabhor!" Nick surged to his feet to face the man who had just insulted his life mate.

  "Nick," Stephanie said sitting up, her voice stronger. "Stop."

  "No fucking way." Nick stormed across the mat toward Woodrow. He would have reached him if Kort and one of the guards from the House of Protection who’d come in to work out, hadn't grabbed him by the arms forcing him back.

  "Captain, you will stand down! Now! That's an order!" Stephanie rose to her feet.

  "Captain," Woodrow stepped back a confused look on his face. "I'm on your side. We all are." He gestured around the room not noticing how everyone moved away from him.

  "You're only making it worse, man," Kort muttered so only Nick could hear and finally, after taking a deep breath, Nick stopped struggling, and they released him.

  "Sergeant Woodrow." Stephanie moved to the edge of the mat, not revealing the discomfort she was still feeling. "What are you doing in the Palace today instead of with your detail in Comorin?"

  Stephanie could tell Woodrow wanted to ignore her, especially after what he'd just witnessed, but couldn't ignore a question from a superior officer.