“Let’s get some food packed, and water.” They went back downstairs to the kitchen and he took down a basket, which he filled with some of the food they had brought with them and also some dried fruit from his cupboards.
Taking her hand, he led her along the path, which took them down to a small jetty. There, bobbing up and down leisurely, was a small wooden boat. Malik climbed aboard, and helped her to do the same. Then he taught her how to raise the mast.
“There, the wind is in our favour. But we have the oars in case we have to row back,” he said.
“I might let you do all the work on this ship,” she said, sitting down at one end out of the way as he sorted out the rigging. “I learn best by watching.”
“Soon you will be able to sail and navigate by the stars. In the summer, we can even take a longer trip, sleep on the beaches, watch the stars come out one by one by the light of a camp fire,” he said, and then added, “We are ready to sail.”
He pushed off from the jetty as the two suns began to head towards the horizon. Chrissi lay back, looking up at the sky. It was a beautiful shade of violet, and she was sure if she closed her eyes, she would wake up and find this whole adventure had been a dream. Or was her father really watching over her? Would the first star to appear in the Karalian sky be him, looking down on her?
She smiled, feeling happy, and at peace. This was real, Malik was real and their baby, growing in her womb, was real. It was her old life that was a dream, and she never wanted to go back to it. Silently, she thanked the girl who was probably still sitting at her cash register asking every woman whom she served if she wanted to enter the lottery.
Trailing her fingers in the cold ocean, Chrissi said to Malik, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Chrissi. And I was thinking, when we get to the reef, I will dive for welans; they have a beautiful stone in their shell.”
“Like an oyster,” she said.
“When I find one, the perfect one, I will have it made into a ring. We might not marry on Karal, but you can still wear my ring as a promise.”
“If you do, I will wear it forever, Malik.”
“And one day on our anniversary, I will bring you flowers.” He smiled down at her. “We will be like husband and wife.”
We already are, she thought. And they sailed into their future in his little boat.
The Hierarchy
“Lytril,” Vanessa said, approaching him, as he stood in the Council Chambers. The other members of the Hier Council had just left, their meeting running on for hours as they discussed what was to be done about the Hrokili.
“Yes, Vanessa,” he said wearily. He loved her, and the child that grew inside her, more than he thought he was capable of loving another being. There were times when he cursed the trouble humans had brought with them, but when he saw Vanessa and thought of the new life growing inside her, all those troubles seemed trivial. His love did not encompass the whole human race, though; that was the difference between the Hierarchy and a Karalian like Okil.
“I have something to show you,” she said and as she drew nearer her saw she was carrying a child in her arms. “Darl said you have not been to see her, so I thought I would bring her to see you.”
“Vanessa, it was not necessary. I would have gone to look at the child when I had time,” Lytril said.
“As the Hier Ruler, you could make time,” she chastised, knowing his words were an excuse. Even when he had his colours completely under control, she could still see through his lies. He had been avoiding the child; he found her disturbing.
Not what she was, but what she symbolised. Her very existence made the Karal different, and it was his job to advise his people and guide them through this change. A difficult task when he felt rudderless.
Vanessa held the child out to him, offering him the chance to hold the very thing that was to be the catalyst which would change his species forever. Reluctantly, he took the small bundle, feeling her weight in his arms, so light for something with such heavy consequences.
Lytril looked down at the sleeping child, her face so innocent, so sweet. “What am I supposed to do, Vanessa?”
As the Hier Ruler, he never asked for advice, but as Vanessa’s mate, he could.
“I think you know. You fight it, but it is wasted energy,” she said, stroking the child’s face. He watched in wonder as colours swept across the baby’s skin. It was real; they had a female Karalian.
“I would rather take what we need and seal us in,” he said.
“No you wouldn’t. You are the Hierarchy, the Hier Ruler, you would never back away from a challenge, and this is a challenge. But it has to be done.” Vanessa moved her hand to stroke his hand and he felt his colours surge. “You are about to make history, Lytril. You will be the first Hier Ruler to work with other species. The Karal pull together for the common good. Now let that encompass other species.”
He handed the child back to her. “We don’t stand a chance once you Earth females have raised Karalian daughters.”
“You mean the next Hier Ruler will be a girl?” Vanessa asked.
“The firstborn is traditionally the heir to the title,” Lytril said.
“I think our daughter will grow up to break traditions. Just like her father.”
“I will join you later, Vanessa,” he said, enjoying her flattery but also knowing it was said with honesty.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To tell the engineers to begin assembling two more defence systems, One for Earth and one for Lilith.”
“And the Hrokili?”
“We aim to destroy them,” he said and then left the chambers, his mind made up. Now was the time for action. Now was the time for war.
*
Don’t miss
Warriors of Karal
Part Four
(February 2016)
*
Sign up to the
Harmony Raines Newsletter
For special offers and new releases
Other Books By Harmony Raines
Other Books By Harmony Raines
Visit Harmony Raines Author Page On Kindle
***
***UK Harmony Raines Author Page On Kindle***
***
Bear Creek Clan and Bear Bluff Clan
suggested reading order
(each can be read as a standalone)
Rescued by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book One)
Finding Her Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Two)
Tamed by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Three)
Snowbound With The Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Four)
Biker Bear Billionaire (Bear Creek Clan Book Five)
Bound To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book One)
Doctor Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book Two)
Stranded With Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Three)
A Bride for the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Six)
Home Or Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Four)
Fated To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Five)
Lonely Bear (Bear Bluff Book Six)
Forbidden Bear (Biker Bears Book One)
Secret Bear (Biker Bears Book Two)
Wolf Valley Raiders
Redeem the Wolf
To Catch A Wolf
Reclaim the Wolf
Awakening the Alpha
Christmas Bear Brothers
Santa Paws
Christmas Catastrophe
Bear Humbug
Chosen by the Karal
Deceit
Love
Power
Hunger
Devotion
Warriors of Karal
Stranded
Found
Taken
Shifters Prime
Sleeping Lions
Living a Lion
Her Dragon's Bane Serial
Soul Of The Dragon
Blood Of The Dragon
Heart Of The Dragon
Love Of The Dragon
Fate Of The Minotaur<
br />
Mate Of The Dragon
Bound To The Flame - A Virgin For The Dragon
When the dragon egg hatches for Trinity she becomes the Dragon Princess and must remain pure until the dragon comes back to claim her as his mate on her twenty first birthday.
An Heir For The Flame (Dragon Fantasy Romance)
The elder dragons have predicted that Trinity will conceive the new dragon child tonight. So she mates with ShanRohit under the full moon.
Waiting For Curves (Curves For Her Wolf) (BBW Erotic Romance)
Curves For Her Wolf Doctor (The Greystone Wolves - BBW Paranormal Erotic Romance)
Mistaken Curves (Her First Time With A Wolf) (BBW Erotic Romance)
Sold To The Wolf (Auctioned Curves For The Werewolf) (BBW Erotic Romance)
Curves For The Lone Wolf (BBW Erotic Romance)
An Auction Of Curves (BBW Erotic Romance)
Anna (Curves in the Family (BBW Erotic Romance))
Heated Curves (Curves For Her Firefighter) (BBW Erotic Romance)
Words Unwritten (Curves For Her Soldier) (BBW Erotic Romance)
Christmas Curves (BBW Erotic Romance)
Winning Her Curves (previously titled Virgin Curves)
Returning For His First Love
For The Love Of The Wolf (Erotic Romance Fairy Tales)
Marianne : Unmarked (His) (Paranormal Shifter Romance)
Bred By The Unicorn (Virgin Paranormal Erotic Romance)
The Escort Box Set
***
The Escort Series
The Escort (The Escort Series Part One)(Free in some regions)
The Escort (The Escort Series Part Two)
The Escort (The Escort Series Part Three)
A Curvy Christmas: Robin's Romance (BBW Romance)
Helen’s story:
His Secretary (Her Second Chance Book One)
Captured By The
Hannoth Barbarians
Captured By The Barbarian: Cilla Part One
Claimed By The Barbarians: Cilla Part Two
Taken By The Barbarians: Dinah
Tilda - Captured By The Hannoth Barbarians
Thandor - Captured By The Hannoth Barbarians
Princess Yolanda - Captured By The Hannoth Barbarians
Bound By The Barbarian: Tirim
Bound To The Barbarian: Tirim Part 2 (Reluctant Gay Sex)
Captured By The Barbarians: Scarla
Tamed By The Barbarian: Shona Part One
Hunted By The Barbarian: Shona Part 2
Teaching The Barbarian: Petra
***
Saved By The Pack
Alice
Sarah
***
Not In Kindle Unlimited
The Dualis
(Mate of the Cave Bear)
Found (Book One)
Lost (Book Two)
Return (Book Three)
Shifters Of Spellholm - The Bears
Her First Time With A Bear (Book 1)
Too Much To Bear (Book 2)
Bear With Me (Book 3)
***
Curves
***
Curves For Her Bears (BBW Shifter Erotic Romance)
Saving You, Saving Me (Bad Boys Love Big Girls (BBW Erotic Romance))
Rachel (Curves in the Family Part One (BBW Erotic Romance))
Snowbound Curves (Curves For Her Brother's Best Friend BBW Erotic Romance)
BBW - Curves For Her Soldier
Longing For Her Soldier (Curves For Her Brother's Best Friend BBW Erotic Romance)
Return To Sender (Curves For Her Soldier) (BBW Erotic Romance)
BBW - Greystone Wolves
A Virgin For The Wolf (Curves For Her Werewolf Boss) (BBW Erotic Romance)
***
Curves For Her Cowboy (BBW Billionaire Cowboy Erotic Romance)
Betrayed Curves
***
A Virgin For The Billionaire
***
Behind Closed Doors
Stories filled with lust, sex and, of course, love.
***
Continue reading What Katy Did First (First Time Virgin Sex)
What Katy Did Next (Oral sex, Domination)
What Katy Did Then (BDSM, Sex In The Car)
What Katy Did With Her Billionaire Boss (Billionaire Erotic Romance)
Crystal and Roxie, Rockstar Sex (Ménage Threesome First Time Anal Sex)
Jamie, Cowboy Lust (First Time Gay Sex)
Jamie, Cowboy Love (Whipping Gay Cowboy Erotica)
Jamie, Cowboy Gangbang (The Initiation Of Jamie)
***
Sex And Marriage
Awakenings
Spank Me Professor(Spanking Role Play)
Taken (Warriors of Karal Book 3) Page 13