by Roxie Ray
Apex looked uncannily surprised as Coplan stepped forward and cleared his throat. Whatever Coplan had to say was obviously fresh news for Apex as well.
And something told me, it would not be good news, either.
“Alyse has so far refused a pregnancy test. Given her…relationship to the Rutharian king before his death—”
“Relationship?” I cut him off with a scowl. “Careful, Coplan. I would not call it that—and neither would Alyse, for that matter.”
“Nevertheless. If she is pregnant with the king’s heir, then it could complicate things for us. Greatly. If they should decide to claim the cub—”
“Nonsense.” Apex shook his head and closed his eyes in annoyance. “Without King Var-arak alive to ensure the safety of his own dynasty, the only claiming the Rutharians will want to do will be at the end of a blade. Those who seek to take the throne now are fighting tooth and claw for it. They will not desire to be ruled by a newborn, nor will they allow the blood that has already been shed on the matter to be for naught. If such a cub exists, they will want to kill it, and the mother as well. Nothing more.” He shrugged. “I suppose they believe it is cleaner that way.”
“Er…still.” Coplan tugged at his collar. The idea of Alyse being murdered at Rutharian hands obviously bothered him as much as it enraged me. “We need to determine whether Alyse is pregnant or not, and soon. By her own account, the hormone levels in her body should account for a pregnancy by now, if there is one at all. If she will not agree to be tested, then for her own safety…I fear we may have to insist.”
I sighed with relief at that.
Finally, I would be able to deliver some good news to this meeting. Given everything else that had been said so far, it was obviously much needed.
“We will not have to go to such lengths,” I revealed. “Alyse is only just now ovulating. On Earth, she was a healer. She understands such things. Her assessment of her own body is to be trusted.” And based on her scent alone, I failed to add, I myself can verify it. “She assures me that she would not be ovulating if she were already pregnant. The chance of her carrying the Rutharian king’s heir is nonexistent.”
“And she…is sure of this?” Coplan looked more confused than ever now. “You heard it from her yourself?”
“We are quite sure, Coplan.”
He met my gaze and held it for a long while, as though he was trying to ascertain exactly how I had drawn this information from her—or how she might have come to tell me herself.
Apex broke the silence with his usual candor.
“Well, then. I suppose now we know who Nion was fucking last night.”
An amused snort left Kloran’s nose. With his arms folded over his chest, Haelian smirked in satisfaction.
For a moment, I wished to ask which of them had won their little bet—but the way Coplan’s face paled at Apex’s words told me that to discuss the matter further would be impolite.
“In that case, I should take my leave. There will be…things to attend to. On the ship. Resupplying and such.” He turned to go but paused before he could step away. Once again, his eyes met mine. “I hope you are kind to her, my friend. Should you fail to be, do not think that I am not ready to step in.”
Kloran and Haelian took their leave only moments after Coplan detached himself from our meeting. They had wives they wished to call before they attended to the rest of their diplomatic duties on Newthelia—and in Kloran’s case, a cub as well.
Which left only Apex and me.
It was not like the specter to linger when he did not need to, though.
“Do you have…additional information for me?” I asked, breaking the silence. “I have been keeping watch on the other warriors, but I have not yet witnessed any signs of the traitor in our midst.”
“With one of Lady Idria’s loyal specters on board, a traitor among the warriors is the least of the Avant Lupinia’s problems.” Apex stared me down with his black, unshifting eyes, then glanced around the veranda as if to ensure that we were not being eavesdropped upon. “I only wished to inform you of what Kloran and Haelian failed to mention.”
“If they have plans they are not telling me, then I assume it is with good reason,” I said tentatively. I had my own reservations about trusting Lunarian nobles, but when it came to Kloran and Haelian, I was generally able to put those reservations aside. In a military hierarchy, trusting one’s superiors was the difference between a battle well-fought and a bloodbath in the enemy’s favor.
They were my generals, and I was their soldier. I could not come to doubt that what they did, they did with good intentions.
“They have reason,” Apex assured me. “I simply do not agree with it. Will you listen to what I have to say or not?”
I bit my tongue for a moment, then nodded.
I trusted Haelian and Kloran, but if Apex believed I should know something, then it was difficult not to take him up on the offer.
“There is a Rutharian outpost not far from here. It sits between Newthelia and Lunaria. I have found a human being kept by the garrison there. Kloran and Haelian have already agreed that it is their duty to see her freed before the Avant Lupinia returns to our home.”
“That is good, then, is it not?”
Apex reached out to me and laid his hand on my shoulder.
“The leader of the garrison is a drunkard, Nion. I found myself in the same cantina as him in my own mission—do not ask me why.”
“I know you are not able to disclose the specifics of your missions, Apex. I would not dream of pressing you for them.”
“You are a good soldier, Nion. And, I think, a friend to me—though it feels as awkward for me to say as I am sure you find that to hear.” He had that right, at least. Only a few short weeks ago, I had been as distrusting of Apex as I was of any other specter under Lady Idria’s command. For a specter to call a warrior such as myself friend…it was, perhaps, the first time such a thing had been said since the specters had been established. It was a gesture I would not soon forget.
“Tell me, then.”
“He was bragging at the bar. Not only of the human female he had captive within the outpost, but of his other misdeeds as well. He spoke at length of a Lunarian warrior he had tortured some time ago. Mutilated. Killed.” I wished for a moment that Apex’s black eyes had the ability to change color with his emotions. Instead, I only had the steely sound of his voice and the churning of my own stomach as I realized what he was about to say next. “He carried a war prize, Nion. A green braid. The same shade as your own hair.”
I reached up to clutch at my own messy green waves. My heart crushed inward at his words—but the more it crumpled, the more it fueled the rage that was coursing through my veins.
“Hyian.” I spoke my brother’s name in a growl. “You have found his killer.”
“I believe so, yes. Haelian and Kloran, I think, did not believe it was to your benefit to know the identity of the Rutharian who had killed him. They fear it will complicate the mission. I, on the other hand…” Apex squeezed my shoulder as he held my gaze. “I thought you should know. That is all. Do with the information what you will.”
Apex left the veranda swiftly. When I finally gained control of my thoughts enough to consider pressing him for more information, he was already far out of sight.
He must have known, though, what a great gift he had just bestowed upon me. For such a long time, especially before Alyse came into my life, my only true desire had been to see Hyian’s murderer brought to justice.
And now, finally, I would have my chance.
I did not begrudge Haelian and Kloran for keeping this information from me. They were not wrong—now that I knew who we would be fighting our next battle against, I would stop at nothing to achieve my goal.
I simply had to ensure that when we stormed the Rutharian outpost, regardless of what my generals told me, I could be in the right place at the right time.
When the battle began, I would set out in se
arch of Hyian’s killer.
By the time it ended, the Rutharian who had murdered my brother would finally have paid for what he had done.
17
Alyse
In a lot of ways, knowing that I was ovulating was a relief. No more dark cloud of potential pregnancy hanging over my head. No more need to bite Coplan’s hand as he tried to force a test on me. No more worry. No more grief. I could finally put what had happened aboard Var-arak’s ship behind me. This time. For good.
In a lot more ways, though, it was a huge honking pain in my ass. And my breasts. And my pussy. And my head, which was still reeling from the night Nion and I had shared for the entire rest of the day.
“Was he good, at least?” Leonix held up a garish red feathered outfit and gave it a discerning look, then discarded it in the no pile with the other rejects on my bed.
“He was…yes,” I said with a nervous giggle. I hadn’t meant to tell Leonix that Nion had made me come. I hadn’t meant to tell anyone. But as soon as she saw me, it was like somehow, she’d already known. My girlfriends on Earth had been the exact same way—although, to Leonix’s credit, I enjoyed her company far more than I’d ever enjoyed that of the spoiled friends I’d left behind. “He was…sweet. And kind. And a little bit forceful, but, ah…” I was blushing just talking about it. “I think I kind of liked that.”
“You should mate with him, then.” Leonix held up a two more outfits as I choked on the sip of tea I’d just taken. “Which do you prefer? Pink, or gray?”
“Pink,” I sputtered. I placed the tea back down on the bedside table before Leonix said something else to make me inhale more of it. “But…you think so? I mean, I think I’d like to—”
“Do it, then.” Leonix said it casually, like it was the easiest thing in the world. “You do not need my permission.”
“It’s not that simple, though.” I sighed and stared at the soft little slippers on my feet. They were cute, although a little furry for my taste. “Is it?”
Leonix rolled her eyes and pressed the pink outfit into my hands. “What is stopping you?”
“I just…” Now, my cheeks were beet red and burning. “I haven’t been with anyone since, you know. Since I was rescued.”
“You were not with anyone then, either.” Leonix voice lowered to a growl. “What was taken from you, you cannot get back—but you are still whole, Alyse. You are a perfectly healthy, attractive female. And as you said yourself, it is time for you to breed. When I go into heat—if I go into heat—you can believe me that I will not hesitate to find myself the correct male to do so with. And you do not have the trappings of nobility to contend with as I do. You are quite lucky, in that regard.”
“You think so?”
“Of course. Nion does not have land, or money, or a title, but he would be a good mate for you. He is strong and considerate. A far better choice than any of the mateless Lunarian lords I know—and I know them all.”
“I don’t care about land or money. Or titles, either.” I’d had enough of all of that on Earth. Being gold-class within the sectors had come with a lot of privilege, yes. I’d never had to worry about having a roof over my head or enough money to buy food. Even if I hadn’t gone to med school, my trust fund would have provided for anything practical that I wanted. But I’d seen what that privilege did to people, too. The more I thought about it, the less I missed my old friends. My old life. Felicia was probably in the mountains right now, trash-talking some bartender she thought was prettier than her and throwing up champagne in a fake, uninspiring snowdrift. “I’m just afraid of disappointing him, I guess. What if I freak out or something? What if my body shuts down and I leave him with, you know, blue balls?”
“Lunarian men do not have blue balls,” Leonix scoffed. “Their testicles are as orange as the rest of them, I can assure you.”
“I mean, what if I can’t get him off? I don’t know if I can be…I don’t know. Sexy. Desirable. Not after what happened on the Rutharian ship.”
“That is the benefit of Lunarian males, I suppose.” Leonix shrugged and moved to claim my cup of tea for herself. “If you simply tell him what you need from him, I am sure he will not be against leading. You do not need to be sex-ee. You simply need to be clear with him—and be yourself.”
“So I just…tell him that I want him to fuck me?” That seemed…entirely too easy.
Leonix rolled her eyes. “Not like that. Tell him that you yearn for him, Alyse. Offer yourself to him. Lunarian males are possessive, forward creatures when they are able to be. He only needs your consent. After that, he will take care of the rest.”
When Leonix left, I picked up the outfit she’d left for me off of the bed and stared down at it for a long time. It was, in her words, traditional Newthelian eveningwear—but on Earth, we would have just called it lingerie. The pink fabric of the bra and panties had the soft, smooth feel of silk but all the intricacy of lace. The bra was beaded with pearls and the panties had several structured, dramatic slits on the sides. When I slipped out of my bathrobe and put them on, the slits looked like fingers reaching around my hips to squeeze my ass.
Over all of it, I pulled on a sheer robe not so much unlike the one that I’d worn on the Rutharian ship. I could still remember the way Nion had taken that robe from me when he’d traded me his shirt instead. It was like he’d held out his hand and offered to take the weight of several worlds off my shoulders. When he’d thrown the robe aside, part of me believed he really had, too.
But this new robe was the color of my favorite roses back on Earth, the elegant, pale pink ones that had grown in the garden of my parents’ estate. I gave a little spin in it in front of the mirror and was surprised to find that it didn’t make me feel anything like that other robe had. In the black robe, I’d felt on display against my will. Gawked at.
In this, though…
I felt like I wouldn’t just be stared at. I’d be seen.
And in the wake of Leonix’s advice, there was only one person I wanted to see me right now.
I just hoped I wouldn’t make an ass of myself asking him for what I wanted.
The door to our room didn’t open again until long after lunch. As the Newthelian sun sank beneath the buildings on the horizon, I was actually starting to get a little worried. How long could a simple meeting with Haelian and Kloran take?
“I am sorry I was gone for so long, Alyse.” Nion opened the door gently and turned to close it just as softly. He looked like he was in a bad mood—but he hadn’t seen me yet. “After my debriefing, I had much to think about. I took a long walk through the gardens to clear my head, but I fear it did not do much good. Did you have a pleasant lunch with—”
Finally, Nion glanced up to look at me. As soon as he did, his jaw nearly crashed to the floor.
“Yes, Nion?” I asked, the picture of innocence as I posed for him, one hand on my hip and my body angled to give him the best view.
“Blood,” he swore beneath his breath. “Alyse…”
“What?” I smiled. “Is it the outfit?”
“It is you, you damnable, enchanting female.” Tentatively, Nion took a step forward. It looked like he was using all of his strength to hold himself back—and like he didn’t want to in the least.
“What about me?” I asked, still playing coy. It wasn’t often that I had the opportunity to get the jump on Lunaria’s fiercest warrior, after all.
I’d ask him for what I wanted soon. But before then…
No, I wanted to really enjoy this. Just for a little bit longer.
“I think,” Nion said with a ragged breath. “You need to tell me what this is about—before I decide for myself.”
“I think you know what this is about, Nion.” Still smiling, I slipped the robe from my shoulders and let it fall to the floor.
“Say it, Alyse.” His lips pulled back in a snarl—but not a fearsome one. No, this one dripped with wanting.
Good. I wanted him too.
“I’ve been thin
king about last night all day, Nion.” I took a step toward him, smoothing my hands down my waist to my hips. I’d never given much thought to my body before, but I had an idea of what my best features probably were. Every inch of my skin that I touched, I was imagining Nion touching instead.
Judging by the way his pants were looking a little tighter than normal, I was pretty sure he was doing the same.
“I want to take control of my body again.” I took another step closer, then another, until I could grab his hand and place it against the bare skin of my waist. “And I want you to help me.”
“Help you…or take control for you?” Nion’s gaze was fixed firmly on the place where his fingers brushed against my waist.
I smiled and turned my lips up toward him. He was too tall and I was too short to kiss him easily, but I figured what I was about to say would give him a big enough hint as to what I as after.
“Why not both?” I asked in a whisper. “Take me, Nion. Make love to me. Please?”
Nion’s hand slipped lower on my waist. He curled his fingers around my hip and raised his other hand to caress my cheek. But there was still hesitation in his eyes.
“Are you sure, Alyse? You know what you’re asking for?”
“I do.” I nodded, then closed my eyes and rubbed my cheek against his knuckles. “I want you.”
When I opened my eyes again, Nion’s irises were deep, dark blue.
He grabbed me in an instant. As he pulled me toward him, he crushed his lips against mine, hard and hungry. His tongue slipped into my mouth and lashed out against my own. He tasted fresh and sweet. Delicious.
It only made me want him that much more.
“I will be good to you, Alyse,” he promised as he drew away. But there was something devious flashing in his eyes as he said it, too. “But if you want this, then you will have to obey me. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I breathed. I was in complete awe of him.
“Good.” Nion smirked, then pushed me back a half step. “Then get on the bed. Now.”