“Good choice. When you pick the others, I will meet them to give you my final say.”
“Then we should get to the getting to know you stage.”
“I thought we were already there.” She watched as he laid down on the couch. Words like a tall glass of water came to mind. The muscles in his arms bunched as he raised them over his head. She wanted to know what they felt like when she traced them with her tongue.
His shirt came up pulling out of the jeans it tucked into. She licked her lips as she walked to the couch not able to deny herself the pleasure of getting closer.
“What would you say if I told you I wanted to lie on you?”
He took his hand and started at his neck slowly working it down his body. He caressed his pecs and moved down until his abs were begging her to touch, then he went further down gasping at the thickness that lay between his legs.
“Welcome aboard,” his voice was husky.
There was a knock on the door as she lifted her leg.
“Seriously!” her frustrated voice rang out.
Chapter Nine
“There’s a large dining hall on the lower level?”
“There is, that’s where we will eat tonight.”
Lyrek was putting his foot down. She had stayed locked in their suite for the last three days. At first, she thought she was acting like a temperamental child. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. Soon she realized she was in mourning. Yes, it was her decision to leave her friends and life behind, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss them. No, if given a chance, she wouldn’t have made a different choice and that believe it or not made it harder.
She missed Em like she was suffering from a toothache, but she also missed her other friends and to some small degree she missed her job. It was the sameness, the safety that she had built up over the years. Lyrek understood, but he was right she couldn’t keep hiding.
She was dealing with the reverse problem he and his people were dealing with. She missed her girls and was surrounded by nothing but males. They missed their females and were surrounded by nothing but males. Hmm, maybe it was the same problem.
Lyrek was sitting on the couch waiting for her to get her act together. The male had the patience of Job, it was amazing.
“When do we need to be down there?”
“They’ll start serving in roughly forty-five minutes. I want you to meet some potential candidates for your guard.”
He wasn’t going to give up on that one and she no longer argued it. Protection made sense. She dragged herself up and made it to the bathroom. For a minute she thought about breaking down and then she remembered the look on Lyrek’s face when she woke this morning. He was staring at her in awe or maybe absolute amazement. When she opened her eyes, he smiled at her asking the sun that wasn’t up to shine in their bedroom.
It was those small things that seemed like they didn’t matter that kept her heart beating so fast she could barely find her feet. A brief look in the mirror floored her, not because she had changed, but the way she looked at herself had. With each passing day, she saw herself reflected in Lyrek’s eyes. The woman he saw was much more than she ever thought to be. At times it was too much, then a flutter of rightness would settle in her stomach. The woman who was drowning under the world’s expectations would raise her head. It was those fleeting moments that assured her that humanity had more to offer than they thought.
She stepped in the shower washing quickly. Rial fitted her with a translator for her to understand the conversation around her. They kept it quiet hoping that it would give her an advantage if she needed one.
She walked into the living room wearing a loose sundress and a pair of nice sandals. Casual, but not too casual.
“You look good and smell divine.” Lyrek pulled her into his arms giving her a deep kiss.
“Tease,” she mumbled against his lips. He teased her every night before she fell asleep in his arms, but he still hadn’t sealed the deal. In fact, she would have thought he wasn’t that interested if not for the erection he was constantly sporting around her.
“I want to make sure you survive me.” He took her hand and led her out.
This was their nightly argument. He was sure that she wasn’t going to survive his byema—beast, sabretooth, alien monster—call it what you will, he was sure that it was going to try and kill her.
“Katza,” Jayton brought his hand up and his head down. He was waiting to escort them to the dining hall.
“Jayton,” she acknowledged him. She thought he would give her trouble being one of her guards, but he had acted with the dignity of his position.
“Is there anything I should be aware of?”
“The dining hall is full. Everyone is excited to get their first glance at you.”
Hiding away from Lyrek’s people had not been her finest hour but she needed the time to successfully transition.
“Are there any potential dangers I should be aware of?” Weren’t political coups a thing? If Jayton wasn’t impressed with her being the king’s consort why wouldn’t others feel the same way?
“All I have encountered was curiosity.”
“Since you are on my guard would they tell you if they felt more?”
“That would depend on the person and where they felt my alliance was.”
“And where is your alliance?” She kept her eyes ahead refusing to stop and look at her guard. They had spent time together during the last three days as she stayed away from the others. In that time, she learned that Jayton wasn’t as cut and dry as he pretended to be.
What she wondered was what had he learned about her during their time together.
“My alliance is with my king as it has always been. Now it is with my Katza for as long as she lives.”
She smiled. It was the right answer and the reason she had argued that he be on her team. They stopped before the double doors leading to the dining hall. Jayton stepped up to them and opened them wide.
The room was long and wide. She was expecting cafeteria tables with the seats attached. Instead, she was faced with what looked like long executive tables with comfortable chairs surrounding them. The room was boisterous until the first person looked up and caught sight of her. All the noise died as she stepped into the room.
Not stopping Jade went to the front of the room to climb the stage that was there. Lyrek walked by her side while Jayton walked behind making sure no one got too close to her.
“Hi, I know I’ve been incognito the last couple of days. My name is Jade Steele, like the man of Steele. Tough crowd,” she mumbled when no one smiled at her joke. “He’s a superhero but moving on. I’ll be walking around before we sit to eat so make sure you say hi or wave. There are too many of you to talk to all of you but eventually, I’ll meet you all.” She got down wondering if the sound in her ears was from her heart beating fast or was it her imagination.
Everyone started talking again making her feel a little better and not so much as if the whole room was looking at her. They were looking at her, but now it was more subtle.
“I’m going to walk around,” she told Lyrek who was dogging her steps.
“Pick a direction.”
She threw him a bright smile. “Alone.”
“No.”
“Yes, isn’t that what my guard is for? To make sure nothing happens to me.”
“That’s what I’m for. He’s only necessary when I’m not here.”
“I know.” She went to her tiptoes and kissed him. “They won’t talk to me if you're next to me. They need to see I can move through your world while making it my own without you. Everyone here knows who I am to you, but now they need to know who you are to me. One of those things is that you trust me and you trust your people.”
“Do you come in a slightly less intelligent model?”
“Yes.” He raised a brow interested. “That model doesn’t play well with others.”
“Good thing I prefer this model. You would think I was sending you to
the other side of the dark moon.” He bent down kissed her and watched her walk off with her guard behind her.
Rial walked in and immediately went to the other side of the room to keep watch on her.
Jade took time to stop and say hi to several males as well as wave to a few across the room.
“Is everyone here a potential guard?” She asked the male who was sitting at a table she stopped at.
“Yes. The room is filled with the last of the general’s warriors.” General was the perfect word. Her translator tripped when the male speaking used a word from his language not able to find the right one in English.
“What’s your name?”
“Abadina.”
“Nice to meet you Abadina. What did you do on the ship?”
“Navigation.”
“I would like that, being responsible for finding new worlds. Was it hard to find earth?”
“It was. Your planet is set almost on the rim of the universe.” He launched into an explanation that left her behind in no time. What she liked was the excitement in his voice when he spoke. She kept walking meeting people and finding out what they did for a living until she came to a large door.
Bathroom? She pushed on it slowly but no one yelled. Storage, she walked in to look around. There were boxes filling the shelves as well as cleaning products on the lower shelves and there was someone sitting in the corner hoping to escape her notice.
“Hi,” she stepped closer. He looked familiar like she knew him from somewhere.
“Pete?” He looked like the waiter she met the first night she went to The Theme. The only reason she remembered was because of how quiet he was when he moved.
“Duqa.”
“Huh?”
“My name is Duqa. I know I said Pete I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to give you my real name.”
“Oh,” she didn’t like the fact that he lied to her, but then again what was he supposed to do introduce himself as an alien? “No more lying?”
“No more,” he gave her a brilliant smile.
“Why are you hiding here?”
Before he could say anything Jayton answered for him.
“He’s not a warrior. I’d say he was hoping to avoid notice.”
While she liked Jayton’s honesty, his rudeness was another story.
“Wait for me outside. You can leave the door open.” She cut off the protest she could see coming.
He stepped out leaning against the opposite wall.
“You were about to tell me why you're hiding in the storage room.”
“I’m not a warrior.” His voice was low. He didn’t raise his head to meet her eyes.
She crouched down needing to get closer.
“No need to kneel Katza I will stand!”
“Stay, help me to understand why you were told to present yourself with the other warriors but you are hiding in here.” There was a low comment outside the room, but she ignored it.
“My father served under Commander Lyrek for many years. When this impromptu celebration was pulled together, he could not make it. He asked me to take his spot and give his condolences and congratulations.” His head bent further as the weight of the grief he was carrying was too heavy for him to ever stand again.
“Your father was sick?”
“It depends on who you ask.”
“I am asking you.”
“He was well.”
“But he sent you in his place?”
“Yes.”
“Did you pass on your message?”
“I did.”
“Can I hear it?”
“My dear Lyrek, condolences to you and the crew for what you have lost. There is no time to defend all I can do is make sure some of us survive. After that, you are on your own. I’ve sent to you my son, one day you will need him.”
“Your father sold us out.” Jayton was back in the room fury blazing in his eyes.
Duqa was up standing toe to toe with Jayton. “That’s right he sold you and our planet out. That’s why he and my mother along with my sisters and my other brothers died when the planet was destroyed. That’s why he spent all day trying to get in touch with those in charge who continued to avoid his calls. Now that you know does it relieve the guilt you feel?”
Jade saw both Lyrek and Rial approaching from different sides. She gave them a small shake of her head, either she was in charge of her security or they were worthless to her.
“Stand down Jayton.”
He took a deep breath before backing up to the wall.
“He could have saved us.”
“He tried.” That was the truth Duqa carried around it was heavy on his slim shoulders.
“He sent you here for a reason. Will you be part of my guard?”
Duqa was looking between her and the safety of the corner he had been sitting in.
“Yes, my queen.”
“Go sit at my guard's table. If you are questioned, tell them I sent you.”
Lyrek walked up to her. “Your guard will be interesting, to say the least.”
“I’m here to shake things up, let’s go eat.”
Chapter Ten
“You’re making quite a stir with your picks for your guard.” They were outside walking in the garden she saw the first day they came.
“I heard someone call them the underdogs.” That was how the word that was being used was translated to her. No one was aware of her translator so they felt free to talk around her although they never said anything inflammatory. She was sure that was more of them protecting themselves than protecting her.
“Jayton is the only fighter you have.”
“Don’t look down on my medic and my seer.” She explained what a seer was. Lyrek confirmed that Duqa’s father used to have uncanny information that helped them more than once. That sealed the deal for her. His father sent him and she was going to take advantage of that help.
“I was thinking…” she gave him a sly smile looking around at the empty garden. She never messed around outside, now she wondered what she had been doing all her life. Her fingers walked up his chest until she tugged on the neck of the tee he was wearing.
“You were thinking?” His voice came out deeper as he stepped closer.
“I was thinking if you can catch me then maybe you can have me.” She turned around and broke out into a sprint. The chase wasn’t going to last that long, but at least she was wearing running shoes and not flip flops.
“I’m giving you a head start to make it a challenge,” he called from behind her.
She needed a hiding spot. The garden turned into a maze one with all types of pretty dead ends.
“My queen.” The gardener stood when she came flying past him.
“Don’t mind me, I’m looking for a place to hide Lyrek is chasing me.” She couldn’t stop laughing and breathing hard he was going to find her soon.
“Come with me.” He stuck out his hand, and she grabbed it. He ran towards a wall of purple and blue flowers nuzzled in green leaves.
She expected to hit it face first, they ran through them. She looked around seeing the sky above her. Below her was the wall of the maze. The gardener placed his fingers over his lips.
“Jade!” Lyrek’s voice carried before he finally made an appearance in the maze. “Where are you love?”
She found herself giggling silently as he looked for her.
“I know you were here, but where are you now?” He stalked off in the wrong direction. “When I get my hands on you woman, I’m gonna…” His voice faded off.
“How did you know that was there?”
“It’s part of what I do. I make sure there is a path of escape if possible.”
“You’re not the gardener?”
“No, my brother and I work in the garden because it slows our minds down. It gives us a chance to envision what we want to happen.”
“I like that, slowing your mind down. I spent hours doing that when I was younger. It was the only way I could see myself b
ecoming what I dreamed of.”
“What did you dream of?”
“At first I wanted to become an accountant. They make good money or so I was always told as a child. When I reached college, I wanted a little more. So, I went into business, my goal was to rise to become the CEO of a fast-growing company.”
“Did you?”
“I made it to president, one step away from the dream.”
“Why did you leave?”
She shrugged. It was a good life. “I wanted more. I don’t think I was made to sit in offices day after day, year after year. I did it though, and I saw my company grow. Then one day I wanted what I didn’t have, the adventure, the right to sleep in. Maybe I wanted to be queen, but I didn’t know it.”
He was quiet for a long time. “My name is Raja.” He sank down to the platform they were standing on. Jade sat next to him.
“This is Tayje,” he pointed to the form that materialized beside her. “He’s my brother.”
“My queen,” he bowed. “Are we hiding?”
“She’s playing with Lyrek who should be getting concerned right about… now.”
“Jade!” His bellow could be heard over both the garden and the maze.
“I think it’s time to make an appearance.” They took her hands and once again she was on the ground. Raja was in front of her and Tayje was in the back as they made a run for where Lyrek was about to destroy the maze.
“Lyrek.” He turned those gold eyes on her and her knees almost buckled. He was filled with anger and sadness. He thought she was gone.
“Jade.” The longing in his voice almost stilled her beating heart.
“I’m here.” She threw herself in his arms barely stopping herself from begging that he never look that devastated again in his life. “I’m not leaving. I can’t promise but it’ll take a lot to drag me away from you.”
He picked her up carrying her away.
“Both of you report to Jayton you’re on my guard team.” She called behind her before she lost herself into snuggling into Lyrek’s arms. No one stopped them as he carried her to their suite of rooms.
“I couldn’t find you.” The words were so simple but she saw the complete devastation in his eyes.
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