by K. D. Jones
She giggled. She couldn’t help it. “I will tell you immediately if he transgresses against me.”
TarAK harrumphed as he pulled AriELa behind him out of the Meal Room. He didn’t say anything until they got inside the blue lift, which was designated for the seventh and eighth floors only.
“What were you thinking?” he demanded of her.
“I was enjoying my meal with friends.”
TarAK took a step closer to her making her back up against the wall of the elevator. “They were not thinking friendly thoughts of you, AriELa. They were thinking of sexual ones.”
AriELa shook her head. “That’s not true. How would you know that?”
“Any male would think sexual thoughts about you. You are a beautiful female.” TarAK was within an inch of her.
She could feel his warm breath. Her brain seemed to get stuck on one thought. “You think I’m beautiful?”
TarAK emitted a low sexual growl without thinking. Her scent was getting to him, fogging up his mind. This was a mistake, being inside a small enclosure alone with her. He didn’t mean to lean forward, but he did. He was an inch away from her lips. He could taste her sweet breath. Then the doors to the elevator opened and ended the spell he had been under. He jerked away from her.
“Go to your suite, Prima.” He gently pushed her out of the elevator and hit the close button. Kitana, I’m in trouble.
“What in Kitana?” AriELa stood there staring at the closed door of the elevator. She couldn’t believe what just happened. TarAK had said she was beautiful and he acted jealous that she was spending time with other males. He almost kissed her then walked away from her. She wasn’t sure what she was angrier about; him suddenly acting jealous or him not kissing her.
She made her way back to her suite. She needed to forget what happened. He was probably just feeling bad from being rejected by Cassie. It didn’t mean anything. That’s what she told herself over and over as she prepared for bed, but she still dreamed of him when she went to sleep.
*****
She was back in the Meal Room eating with AtOM and LanER. TarAK came in and fought the other two males. The other males suddenly disappeared and TarAK sat down across from her. They talked about all kinds of things. They laughed and smiled just like any other couple.
The lights in the Meal Room faded and suddenly there were stars above them. TarAK reached out and caressed her hand. AriELa smiled at him shyly. “TarAK,” she whispered his name.
She leaned across the table at the same time he did. Their lips met with soft, gentle touches. TarAK pulled her closer with one hand by gently cupping the back of her head. AriELa groaned from the pleasure his kiss brought.
The next thing she knew, TarAK pulled her across the table and pushed her onto her back. He stood between her legs and leaned over her. All their clothes faded away and they were skin to skin.
“AriELa,” he moaned her name as he trailed kisses down her neck. His large hands squeezed her breasts and played with her nipples.
She wanted more. She needed more. She arched her back, offering her breasts to his demanding lips. He suckled her causing a rising heat within her. An ache grew in her lower stomach. She felt desperate. Her hips rose up against him without her thinking about it. He ground himself against her and started a rippling effect within her. Her inner muscles clamped down.
“TarAK!” she called out as she released.
*****
AriELa awoke, drenched in sweat. Her dream seemed so real. Her body still tingled from her dream-induced release. She never felt like that before, it was so strange and unnerving.
A knock sounded at her door. “AriELa, are you okay?”
Oh Kitana! Her aunt must have heard her call out. “I’m fine. Just had a bad dream.”
“Do you need anything to drink?”
“I’ll take a quick shower and then come out to get something.”
“Okay. I’ll be out here for you if you need me.”
“Thanks, Aunt SandELa.”
AriELa went to take a shower. Her body felt sensitive. She lathered up her sponge with a specially made all natural cleanser that smelled of the ocean, fresh and clean. It felt good to have the warm water run down her skin.
When she finished and got dressed, she went out to the main part of the suite. Her aunt was sitting at the kitchen table with two glasses of the green water from Katiera’s water supply. She pushed the glass forward when AriELa sat down.
“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” her aunt asked her while giving her a piercing look.
Uh oh. She knew it wasn’t the truth. “No. It was more disturbing than a nightmare. How are RendEL and Cassie doing?” She wanted to change the subject in the worst way.
SandELa let it slide. “Ren had some good news.”
“What?”
“They are going to mate officially.”
“That’s wonderful news. We can help her plan the ceremony.” AriELa’s eyes brightened with excitement.
SandELa nodded her head. “I offered our assistance and Cassie was grateful.”
“Will her friend, Captain Malone, want to help with the planning?”
SandELa laughed. “I don’t think so. KydEL is keeping her and the other female warriors busy.”
AriELa smiled. “I heard about the training session on the beach. I shared the Evening Meal with a couple of the warriors. Captain Malone knocked Kyd on his backside.”
SandELa looked shocked. “But she is so much smaller than he is. She is even smaller than Katieran women. That is amazing.”
“I want to ask her if she would be willing to train me,” AriELa said carefully, not sure how her aunt was going to react.
“You want her to train you to be a warrior?”
“Not a warrior. I think that would take years to train for, but I would love to learn how to protect myself. I think it would be important for all our females to be able to do that.”
SandELa slowly nodded her head as she thought about what AriELa said. “If our females had learned some form of defense, we may not have been easy prey to the invasion by the Morins all those years ago. Many of our females were either taken, killed, or infected with the virus.”
“That’s what I was thinking. Maybe Captain Malone and the other female warriors would agree to offer classes for all our females.”
“There may be some resistance from KydEL and RendEL. Our males are very protective and may take offense, thinking that our females do not believe in their abilities to defend us,” SandELa told her.
“They can’t protect us all the time.”
“Perhaps we could speak with Cassie first. It would be easier to convince RendEL if Cassie was behind the idea.”
AriELa smiled at her aunt. “That’s a great idea.”
There was a short pause as both women took a sip of their water. “So tell me about the two warriors you shared Evening Meal with.”
AriELa blushed. “It was AtOM and LanER. They were very pleasant and fun to be around. Then TarAK came and ruined it all.”
SandELa raised an eyebrow up at her. “TarAK? How did he ruin your fun?”
“We were laughing and talking. Then TarAK comes up to the table and orders me back to my suite. He accuses AtOM and LanER of flirting with me, which is ridiculous.”
“Were they?”
AriELa shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. It’s none of his business.”
“I’ve known TarAK for a long time. His mother was a good friend of mine. Do you want me to speak with him?”
AriELa shook her head. “No, it doesn’t matter now. I told him that it wasn’t his business.”
SandELa gave her a shrewd look. “Was he jealous?”
AriELa thought back to TarAK’s reaction and it did fit. Was he jealous? Did it matter? She shrugged her shoulders.
Chapter Five
The arrival EWG (Earth World Government) to verify the conditions and treatment of the Earth females was anticipated, but it also brought some
unexpected problems to Katiera, several to be dealt with actually.
AriELa stood with her Aunt SandELa and her three cousins, RendEL, KydEL, and SydEL. Cassie remained in her suite with TarAK guarding over her. This was the first time she had seen Earth males. They seemed to range in all different ages and sizes. They were smaller in build than Katieran males. AriELa wasn’t impressed with them.
Her eyes caught on an Earth female making her way to them. She was about the same height as Katieran females with golden brown hair. KydEL turned to her and her aunt letting them know who the female was. “That’s Lindsey Carreli, the Katieran Advisor for Earth Relations that we hired back on Earth.”
“Miss Carreli, welcome to Katiera,” RendEL greeted the Earth female with the Earth’s strange custom of shaking hands. AriELa had never seen that before. Then Ren introduced Miss Carreli to AriELa and her aunt.
Miss Carreli had brought her own family with her to Katiera, which included her little sister, Lisa, and her father, Leo. AriELa noticed her aunt was touching her hair and she blushed when she looked at the older Earth male. Interesting.
AriELa was drawn to the little girl. She was absolutely adorable. She asked RendEL, “Are you really a prince?” From RendEL’s quick explanation, a prince was the same as a Prime and a princess was the same as a Prima.
While her aunt took Miss Carreli’s father and sister up to their suite, AriELa remained with RendEL. She would show Miss Carreli to her suite after the introductions were made with the EWG. She was curious about the other female. Her cousins seemed to respect her opinion a great deal.
Tensions were high throughout the day. The Earth male who had gotten Cassie with young was now on Katiera. Which had her cousin, KydEL, keeping a close eye on RendEL to prevent him from going after the Earth male.
Then the unexpected visitor also arriving with the EWG, a Senator Rowe, turned out to be the father of Erica Rowe, who briefly dated RendEL. She hadn’t taken it well when RendEL told her he was going to pursue Cassie. The female attacked Cassie in public. One of the Katieran Laws stated plainly that females and young are to be protected at all times. For the Earth female to endanger the life of a precious young could have resulted in her own death. RendEL took a different approach by having her confined to her suite until she could be returned to Earth. However, now her father had come to Katiera and he was demanding to see his daughter. Things had just got a lot more complicated.
*****
An hour and a half later, AriELa showed Miss Carreli to her suite where her family was waiting. She took the opportunity to ask her some questions, “Miss Carreli, are all females on Earth treated with equal respect as the males?”
“For the most part. There are still areas of the world that pay men more, give the men higher-ranking positions in the military and government. But with women far outnumbering the men on Earth, many positions have to go to the women.”
“What are the males like on Earth?”
Miss Carreli laughed. “Men are almost the same everywhere you go. You’ll find good men, bad men, weak men, strong men, men who treat you like they think they are your father, and men who want you to treat them like you were their mother. They’re just…men.”
AriELa wasn’t sure about all she was saying. She didn’t have a lot of experience with men. None, in fact. She was as untouched as the rare and delicate lotus bloom on the fourth quadrant Luna. No one touches it in fear of making it die. Yet without touch, the lotus bloom lives a shorter shelf life than all other plants in the Katieran Solar System.
She parted ways with Miss Carreli and headed back to her suite. On her way to the eighth floor, she encountered TarAK, who had been tasked as Cassie’s security while the EWG was on Katiera, being relieved from duty by RendEL.
She nodded her head but didn’t talk to him. She could feel his eyes following her all the way down the hallway, but he didn’t approach. That was the story of her life. Men might look at her, but they didn’t come near her. It hurt and made her angry at the same time.
*****
The next few days seemed to go by so slowly. She and her aunt hosted quite a few activities involving the EWG. At first the Earth males did not seem to have the same attitude toward approaching her, but the moment they realized she was a Prima and what Prima was, they backed off.
Her aunt had begun to dress differently as well. Normally her Katieran dresses were conservative and often had straps for each arm. However lately, she noticed her aunt wore dresses that had one neck strap or no straps at all. She also started to wear her long hair down. AriELa suspected it had something to do with Leo Carreli, Lindsey’s father. They had started spending a lot of time together.
She was happy for her aunt. She had taken AriELa in her home to raise after her family had been attacked and killed by the Morins. She was like a second mother to her and SandELa deserved to be happy. AriELa just wished that she could find happiness for herself.
In fact, there were times AriELa watched over Leo’s youngest daughter, Lisa, whenever Lindsey wasn’t available. She enjoyed spending time with the little girl. She taught her the most about Earth and in turn, she taught the little girl more about Katiera. Lisa especially loved to hear the stories involving the Goddess KatieRI.
“What does the Goddess look like?” little Lisa asked her with a child’s curiosity.
“There are varying stories about the Goddess KatieRI. But most of those describe her as being much darker in her appearance.” She quoted the poem her mother had told her when she had been a young:
“Our Goddess KatieRI,
a lovely vision in white.
Her smooth ebony skin,
as dark as the night.
With silky, black hair,
twinkling suns in her eyes.
Her beauty so fair,
her love be the prize.”
“That is so beautiful,” the little one sighed a dreamy sigh.
“My mother taught me that. She also told me the moment the war God KiljOR looked upon the Goddess, he knew she was his bond mate. He pursued her until she agreed to mate with him.”
“You’re mother died?”
AriELa gulped. “Yes, many years ago.”
“My mother left me. She didn’t want a family anymore.”
Oh Goddess. AriELa’s heart went out to her. “But you have your father and sister who love you very much.”
“I know and I love them back, but sometimes I wish…I wish I had a mother.”
AriELa took the little girl in her arms. “My Aunt SandELa took me in and raised me when my family died, but I sometimes wish that I had my mother and father. Even now I still miss them.”
*****
As the day of the mating ceremony approached, everyone became more and more anxious. Cassie had to remain in the suite at all times. TarAK was her security liaison so he stayed with her. AriELa envied the time they spent together. It was clear to everyone that Cassie and RendEL were true bond mates and both deeply in love with one another. One cousin down, she wondered if the others would soon follow and when it was finally going to be her turn.
She also wondered if TarAK still harbored affection for the Earth female. It didn’t matter anyway. She was a Prima. Only another Prime or someone on a council would offer to mate her. She was thinking of accepting the first available offer, just so she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.
Chapter Six
The day before RendEL and Cassie’s mating ceremony—all Kitana broke loose. Cassie was taken off planet by the Earth male who had left her with young, along with Senator Rowe and his daughter, Erica, all with plans to dispose of Cassie in space. Captain Malone, the female warrior from Earth, slowed down their plans with the assistance from their neighbors, the Kiljorn Nation.
The Kiljorn people were originally from Katiera, but they broke off and created their own world many years ago. There had been disagreements between both the Kiljorns and the Katierans. The Kiljorns were visiting Katiera to start negotiations for an all
iance against the Morins.
The troubles seemed to keep coming, the episode with the EWG sending Cassie into labor and the reason AriEla found herself sitting in the Medic Wing waiting area with her aunt and two cousins along with a lot of others. All waiting on the birth of the first set of twins to be born on Katiera in nearly a millennia.
While everyone waited, she was briefly introduced to the Kiljorn Prime Leader, KadEN. He was a very attractive male. She suspected that there was a purpose behind his interest in her. After all, she was the only Prima available for mating. Well, if you didn’t count her aunt.
“What do you think of the Kiljorn Prime Leader?” her aunt asked her in a low voice. Both Katierans and Kiljorns had advanced hearing so she didn’t want to speak too loudly.
AriELa shrugged. “He seems to be a nice male. He has a lot to say.”
“Would you be opposed to a mating with him?”
AriELa turned to look in her aunt’s curious eyes. “Why?”
“He is showing interest in you. He’s a Prime and you’re a Prima. It would not be a bad match.”
“He’s not my bond mate. That concerns me.”
SandELa smiled at her sadly for a moment. “I was not a bond mate for my KrendEL. We still loved each other and had three sons. I do not regret one moment of it.”
“You’re right. Bond mates are so rare. I am grateful Ren found his, but who’s to say anyone else will? I would be open to a possible match with the Kiljorn Prime Leader.”
They didn’t talk anymore about it. The room had grown especially quiet, and then there were two distinct cries. The twins, GabriELa and IsabELa, were finally born.
*****
Three days after the twins’ birth it seemed like all of Katiera was on the sandy shore in front of the green waters of Katiera to witness the mating ceremony. Cassie stood beside RendEL as the two suns were setting in the background making everything glow golden. It was beautiful. Both AriELa and SandELa held the two young in their arms while watching her cousin and Cassie exchange their ceremonial words.