by Viola Grace
“Just until I retrieved her.”
He sighed and put his hand over hers on his chest. “Use her beacon. If you get a response from Deskor, we will be on our way within the hour.”
“We?”
He smiled slowly. “Oh, yes. I am not letting some twit of a prince try and put a claim on my daughter and any heir she may be carrying. If he wants her, he is going to negotiate for the privilege.”
Amerald winced. “So, what should we pack?”
“Full regalia for all of us. The king and queen are easily impressed. We are going to be as impressive as hell.”
He kissed her quickly and gave her a swat on her backside. “That is for trying to hide something from me.”
She winked. “Don’t start if you don’t want to finish.” She laughed and dodged out of his grasp to get the wardrobe keepers into gear and activate her daughter’s tracking signal. It was going to be a busy hour.
* * * *
Tydella’s eyes opened wide as the distinctive burn in her back started up. Her mother knew what was going on. “Oh, hell.”
Ador pulled her in tight. “What is it?”
“My time is running out faster than anticipated.”
He held her. “Four days were promised, and four days it shall be.”
She looked up at him. “You really don’t understand what is coming.”
He smiled. “I don’t care. You are mine for another twenty-six hours.”
Tydella smiled softly. “And then I am gone.”
His gaze went flat, and he reached for her, kissing her and running his hand down her body, which was his reaction to her mentioning separation. His body was attached to her, even if his mouth hadn’t said the words yet.
Her family was on the way, and that was really a thought that she didn’t want to be thinking as he licked his way down her and between her thighs.
She split her focus for a while, but then, Ador’s hands and body locked her focus on him. An hour after she spoke to him, she was back to worrying about her parents’ arrival.
They were going to show up. The burn in her shoulders was on because they were locating her. It also created a hot spot that was easy to track with a sweep through the population.
“What is going on on your back?” Ador swept his arm across the hot spot.
“Ah, my parents are tracking me.”
“What?”
“I have a tracking beacon in case of escape or kidnapping. Don’t worry, I will make sure that I explain it was the former. If I am lucky, it will be my mother that arrives to discuss things with the queen, but I am rarely that lucky.” She thought about leaving Ador, and there were tears in her eyes. She was surprised, fatigue must have eroded her emotional control.
“Why are you crying?”
“I don’t want them to take me away before you are ready to let me go.”
He covered her face with tiny, soft kisses. When he paused, he said, “I don’t want to let you go.”
“I feel the same. I mean, I am a handful, and I always slip my security detail, but I don’t want to let you go either.” She sniffled.
He paused. “Security detail?”
She blinked and cursed at the fatigue mixed with the drain of the beacon. “Yeah. Wealthy protective parents.”
He smiled. “So, they are coming for you?”
Tydella nodded. “They are.”
“So, where was your security detail on the station?”
She chuckled. “I locked them in one of the lounge’s private rooms to buy some time. And I ordered major maintenance on our vessel.”
He threaded his fingers through her hair. “I thought that the ship you had was your vessel.”
“It is the short-range shuttle. That is why I needed to hitch a ride through the gate. It wouldn’t have read my ship, and I would have lost power on the way.”
Ador feathered kisses over her cheeks and lips. “I am glad that you did.”
She inhaled deeply and paused. “It’s over.”
He didn’t pause. “What?”
“Your rut, it’s over.”
He kissed her lips. “It faded an hour ago.”
His tongue tangled with hers, and he pressed her to her back.
She whimpered as her spine flared hot, so he rolled with her to his back. He broke the kiss. “Better?”
She nodded and pushed her torso up with her hands next to him. She could feel his erection against her belly. He stroked her spine and cupped her ass.
He chuckled. “I love the feel of your skin.”
She blushed. “I am not a common mix.”
“I have never been around a woman who feels or smells like you.”
She ducked her head. “That is likely.”
She reached between them and eased him to her opening. His hips flexed, and he slid in a few centimeters.
She shivered and rocked her hips against him in a slow undulation that took him in until they were locked together.
Tydella leaned in to kiss him as she continued the slow rocking of her hips. He gripped her hips, and they rocked together until there was a slow wave of pleasure that swept them both off and left them sweating and panting in a daze.
When they recovered, they headed to the bathtub, and he helped her wash her hair before settling her against him, and they just snuggled together.
“When your people arrive, they will have to go through my mother, and while she might not appreciate your presence, she will defend my choice.”
She wrinkled her nose. “She doesn’t have to, and they will not be coming in via the front door. I am not... human. Part of my genetics are Kaduran.”
He paused. “That is unusual.”
She nodded. “I am aware. They don’t mix with outsiders much.”
She had felt the distance wrap around him the moment that she mentioned the Kaduran genes. She pulled away, and he didn’t hold her. She cleared her throat. “I should have mentioned that earlier. Sorry.”
She looked at him, and his eyes were narrowed.
“Why did you leave me?”
She paused. “Most folk do not respond well to learning I am part Kaduran.”
“Is it the Kadurans that are coming for you?”
She shook her head. “No. They come to visit every few years.”
“So, this is your father’s family that is coming.”
She nodded.
“Fine. Now, come back here. I don’t like you so far away.” He held out his hand, and she took it. He eased her back against him, and they remained in that position until her senses alerted her to incoming and familiar steps. She sprang free of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel.
“What is it?”
She looked at him. “They are here.”
Chapter Six
He surged out of the water, and in a move she had only seen twice, he shook himself dry. Water flew everywhere.
She was grinning. “You can put a towel on.”
He snorted, found the robe, and draped it around her. “You might want to hide the marks on your shoulders. They might not understand.”
Tydella smiled, put her arms through the sleeves, and removed the towel before closing the robe.
She was just toweling her hair when Kimal, Tomath, Yaro, and Uren came in through the door. She turned her head, and the ladies arrived via the window.
Ador was shocked at the Kiidar that were standing in front of them, and her guards formed up around her. Abra brought her some clothing.
“Okay. Guys, seriously. Where are your manners? Ador, this is my security detail. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Prince Ador Hydrocan Kelikian of Deskor. We are on his world, so behave.”
The guys had their backs to her, but the ladies gasped and giggled at the mate marks on her shoulders. Tydella put her finger to her lips to keep them quiet.
She slid on a semi-formal day arrangement—gauzy layers that went on one over another until she wrapped her waist and
bust tightly to smash everything flat. When she was done, she flicked her hair behind her and tapped on Kimal’s shoulder. “Out of the way.”
She stepped through the gap as he let her pass. “Sorry that we didn’t have more time, Ador.”
Abra cleared her throat. “We are here for a few days, Imperial Highness.”
Tydella paused. “What?”
“Your parents have decided to visit. They are expecting you to meet them at the palace in official regalia. We have it in our shuttle.”
Ador stared. “Imperial Highness?”
Abra smiled and drew herself up. “I present the daughter of Kiidar Emperor Tyadino Herrer Lacothere Mendanix of the Dynaris System and the Imperial Consort Kaduran Assassin Amerald Belldella. Her Imperial Highness Tydella Ameralda Mendanix, natural daughter to the emperor and bearer of the next true heir.”
Ador stared. “Next heir?”
“Any child I bear will be the head of the empire. It is a side effect of my being the natural daughter.” She smiled. “I can’t inherit, but I am my father’s only heir, so any child that I have will be the imperial heir. I did tell your mother that I could take care of any accidental issue from our union.”
He stepped toward her, and her guards shifted position. She flapped her hand at them and stepped toward Ador. “So, I guess this is kind of a mood killer.”
He looked at the wall of orange and golden Kiidars in his quarters. “It does clear up a few things. Why did you agree to the time with me?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I needed to distract my parents from a separate occurrence. So, I threw myself on your sword, so to speak.”
Abra coughed. “Your parents are on the way, Your Highness.”
She extended her hand to Ador, but he didn’t respond. “Right. Well, I will be on my way then. It was nice meeting you.”
He looked at her in surprise and then reached out for her and pulled her against him. “Meeting me?”
He kissed her, and she went up on her toes to keep the contact. He was so much taller when they were vertical.
She exhaled slowly when he lifted his head. “Well, I guess I had better go and be there when my parents arrive. You don’t want my mom looking for me.”
He shook his head in bewilderment and stroked her cheek. “No. I guess I wouldn’t.”
Abra cleared her throat. “We need to go now, Your Highness. Your parents’ shuttle is on the way.”
Tydella stepped back. “Right. Well. Goodbye, Ador.”
She turned and left him, focusing on taking the blast from her parents. If they were both here, this was bad.
Her crew formed up around her, and she couldn’t even look behind her. The entire space was taken up with her guards.
She was back to being surrounded and protected. Hooray.
* * * *
Ador pulled his clothing on, and he headed for his vehicle. He wasn’t going to let Tydella go that easily.
His secretary came out of the house and said, “Your Highness, where are you going?”
“To the palace. My mate has been repossessed by her guards, and the emperor is on the way. If you would like to see the clusterfuck of a lifetime, get in.”
Mkkoric got in next to him, and Ador piloted them up and toward the palace, skimming along the edge of the allowable height for vessels and trying to get to his parents before Tydella’s family arrived.
“Your Highness, what did you mean, the emperor?”
“The Kiidar emperor, the overlord of the Dynaris System. Tydella’s father.” Ador glanced at his secretary. “Did you know?”
Mkkoric looked ill. “No, Your Highness. I did not know. Do you think that she holds a grudge?”
Ador chuckled. “I don’t think you need to worry. She was the only one of us who knew what was going on the entire time. Why didn’t the med scan come up with her origin? I am fairly sure she is a unique blend.”
Mkkoric nodded. “I will check with the physician.”
“Never mind. I think Tydella had a hand in that as well. She knew what would happen if her pattern was checked against other species.” He smiled slightly. For someone who looked so innocent, she was very good at seeing a few moves ahead.
The shuttle that Tydella was in had just lifted off and was heading toward the palace. It seemed that he was going to beat them to their destination by ten minutes. He was one step ahead of her, for ten minutes.
* * * *
Tydella wasn’t pouting, she was trying not to bite her nails. She sat with her hands in her lap and tangled her fingers. None of her guards were speaking to her right now. Despite most of them being close to a decade older than she was, when it came to dealing with her parents, they were all going to catch hell.
The small vessel that zipped away from the house probably contained Ador. He was going to warn his parents that the emperor was on the way. She chuckled. She could see how that would be unsettling. Hell, she was unsettled, and she had grown up with her father.
Kimal glanced at her from the controls. “Is that him?”
“Probably.”
“Do you want me to shoot him out of the sky?” Kimal grimaced.
“You do, and I will put my claws through your throat and leave Abra a widow.” She used her sweetest tone.
Her guards were suddenly wary. She rarely threatened to use her claws. Her mother had told her that deadly force was only called for in defense of loved ones. Tydella blinked. No way. She had issued the threat without a thought and didn’t regret it. No one was killing her except him.
She blinked at that realization. She put her head in her hands and groaned. “No, nope, definitely not.”
Sashen smiled at her. “You just had an epiphany. Those hurt.”
“Yeah. You are not kidding.” She looked at her friend. “It was just a few days, right?”
Sashen chuckled. “You have been around literally thousands of Kiidar. Have any of them set you off like he does?”
Tydella widened her eyes. “No.”
“Then, a few minutes was all you needed.” Sashen smiled. “It was how I picked Uren.”
Uren looked over, and he smiled. “I believe that you will acknowledge that I did the picking.”
Sashen waved him off. “I caught his scent in the court, and I followed him into the guards’ changing room. He was half-naked, and when I caught his stripe pattern, I memorized it.” She smiled. “Of course, at that point, I was grabbed and tossed back into the main hall, but that was it. He was going to be mine.”
Uren blinked. “Huh. That is new. I had no idea that you were the creeper that was tossed out that day. I mean, I had already gotten myself into your path four times by that point, I am glad it finally worked.”
The guys chuckled, and the ladies frowned. Sashen just winked at Tydella, and Tydella had no idea that that meant.
She watched the approaching palace on the viewscreen. There was a shuttle that was meeting them at the local port, and Tydella was a little nervous at the occupants’ reactions to her situation.
Her parents were usually fairly accepting of her little adventures, but this one was not little. This adventure was going to have lasting consequences; there was usually only one reason for a rut to end early. Her body chemistry changed, so his chemistry changed. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the possibility of a child, but she had wanted to have a lover, so this was part of the consequences she was going to have to deal with.
She exited the shuttle at the port, and her guards lined up in honour-guard formation. She walked toward the imperial shuttle and went down on one knee as the door opened, and the passengers began to emerge.
She waited with her head down until two sets of boots were standing in front of her.
“Tydella, what have you gotten yourself into? Get up.” Her father sighed.
She peeped up at him, and he had a wry smile on his lips. “Something impulsive?”
He snorted and caught her in a ti
ght embrace. “Your mother was worried. You know how she gets when she’s worried?”
Tydella blinked. “Stabby?”
He squeezed her. “Something like that. I see that your guards didn’t have enough sense to run you through a sonic shower before you greeted me.”
She winced. She still smelled like Ador. “It has been a helluva day.”
He squeezed her again. “I can tell. Do you want to keep him?”
She was stuck where she was. “Ideally, yes. I don’t know why before you ask.”
“Well, his parents have been trying to get a proper princess here to interview, so I think you might have a shot. Will you fight for him?”
She smiled slowly, and he gave her enough room to look up at him. “No, I won’t fight, but I will win.”
“That’s my girl.”
He ruffled her hair, and her mother reached out and hugged her. This embrace was far more egalitarian. Tydella could at least look her mother in the eye.
“Aw, sweety, you look exhausted.”
Tydella smiled. “I haven’t slept since the beacon came on. Can you turn it off?”
“Of course. Now that we have you, we don’t need to look for you.” Her mother looked toward the court secretary, and Darmon keyed something into a data pad, stopping the burn in her back.
The relief was so extreme, Tydella burst into tears. Her mother stroked her hair, and her father put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly, and he started to growl as he peeled the neckline of her day robes aside.
“He didn’t get you to a medic?”
She blushed. “Um, no. I was going to bother with that when I was on my way out.”
Amerald cleared her throat. “I think your father needs a hug.”
The imperial consort hugged the emperor because he realized that his daughter had just taken a mate without his authorization, consent, or knowledge. It was a sweet moment until Amerald grabbed his butt.
Tydella snickered. Her father glared at her. She bowed. “Apologies. That was just hilarious.”
Her father sighed. “What are we going to do with you?”
Her mother smiled. “Well, you refused to let me send her into combat or on assassination assignments, so we are going to have to deal with her peculiar methods of taking action. I just never imagined that she would leap into the arms of the first Kiidar she took a proper fancy to.”