by I. T. Lucas
Curious, he arched a brow. “Go on.”
“There is more at stake than just my marital bliss or lack thereof. The Krall’s reputation is of a stuck-up people who look down on the rest of humanity even though genetically we are now more human than Krall. And our ancestors enslaving yours and using them as involuntary blood donors has never been forgotten either. I believe that our mating would help change all that. The future queen mating a human, a well-known and respected Interstellar fleet captain, would be big news and a chance for us to put a positive spin on our culture.”
The princess wasn’t pulling punches. He was still trying to process her proposal on a personal level. Adding global implication wasn’t making it any easier.
Lifting the glass, she emptied the drink down her throat, shook her head, and grimaced. “Wow, this is potent.” She put the glass down. “This is the hardest part.”
There was more?
“Are you familiar with the Kongelian mating ritual?”
“I’ve never mated a Kongelian, but I’ve heard it’s a brutal affair.”
She nodded. “The Krall’s ritual is somewhat similar to that. Answering the summons is not the end of the story. You’ll have to prove worthy by subduing me.”
Jack chuckled. “Since you are not a Kongelian, that won’t be much of a challenge. Not that I’m accepting. I’m just stating a fact.”
“Don’t let my looks fool you. I’m stronger than the average human female, and I’ve been training for years.” She looked away and continued in a near whisper. “An honorable way out is to let me win. If I overpower you, then you are not a suitable mate for me.”
Honorable. Right. As if losing to a female could be honorable. Even if Leia was as powerful as B’Kala, it would still sting to lose.
At this point, however, the summons hadn’t been officially issued, and he could just tell her in so many words to forget about it. Naturally, he could come up with great excuses for why this wasn’t possible and compliment her beauty and attractiveness to lessen the sting.
But the thing was, he didn’t want to refuse her, and not only because she’d tugged at his heart with that sorrowful out she’d given him. Leia didn’t want him to bow out. She wanted him to do his best to prove himself worthy.
Unexpectedly, Jack wanted to prove it too, just not in a physical challenge that involved wrestling her into submission.
On the other hand, if Leia was indeed as strong and as well-trained as she claimed, refusing her stank of sexism, especially since the intimacy of such a wrestling match was not a problem. It was part of the game.
Besides, issuing a challenge and expecting a male to prove his worthiness wasn’t all that different from what human females did. Instead of a physical match that they were most likely to lose, human females invented mind games to test their males’ worthiness.
In Jack’s experience, passing those tests was much more difficult than a wrestling match with the toughest of male opponents. In fact, most human males failed miserably at the games females played with ease. Fortunately, passing a minimum threshold was usually enough.
Except, it didn’t inspire much respect.
Jack had always hated those games even though he could maneuver the maze with the best of them, and at thirty-four, he felt like a jaded old man.
He was also quite sick of the holographic-deck make-believe beauties he bedded on the long space voyages. Crew members were forbidden to him, and shore excursions were too few and far apart to satisfy.
Perhaps marrying the princess wasn’t such a bad idea after all?
The question was whether Leia could join him on the ship. Her mother was still relatively young and nowhere near retirement. Was Leia required to attend court? Or could she join him on his voyages?
The idea of having her with him was growing on Jack by the minute. He loved hanging out with his crew, but he craved the intimacy of a life partner, and he couldn’t have asked for a better one than Leia. Not only was she a stunning beauty, but she was also intelligent, well-spoken, and assertive. Not to mention a bonafide princess.
Reaching across the table, he took her hand and smiled. “I’m honored and delighted to accept your summons, Princess Leia. But…”
19
Leia
Here it goes.
Now Jack was going to list all the reasons why he couldn’t accept, letting her down as gently as he could but still breaking her heart.
Without internalizing it, for years Leia had clung to the idea of one day summoning Jack as a lifeboat. He was her ticket out of the stifling social structure of the Krall nobility, her one chance at true happiness.
“But I’m not willing to give up my post to become a political figure. This can work only if you can join me aboard my ship, and I have to assume that it depends on your duties as the crown princess.”
Slumping into the chair in a most un-princess manner, Leia let out a breath. “Is that the only but, or are there more?”
“For now, that’s the only one.”
If only it were true. She was afraid to hope.
“At this point, my main duty as the crown princess is to find a mate and produce an heir. My mother can assign the few duties she’s given me to someone else. Provided she is in good health, I have about twenty years before she is ready to retire. You might make Admiral by then.”
He chuckled. “I doubt it. I’m a good captain, but much more is needed to become Admiral, which is more of a political post than military. I’m not the best politician, which is something you should be aware of if you expect me to become king one day.” He shook his head. “My mother is going to faint when she hears that. She’s obsessed with royalty.”
It was the first time he’d mentioned his family.
“The British and ours are the only ones remaining.”
He chuckled. “On Earth. There are plenty of monarchies on other planets. She books her vacations according to the palaces she wants to visit.”
“Tell me about your family. If it’s okay, that is. I don’t want to pry.”
It wasn’t that she wanted to hear all about them right at that moment, there would be plenty of time to do so later, but the alternative was talking about the summons, which had exhausted her by now, or awkward silence, which was even worse.
“Forgive me for being pragmatic, but before we start chitchatting about this and that, I need to know what else is involved in this summons business, and where do we go from here. Do you announce it? Does your mother have to approve? How does it work?”
He was right. It was better to get all the details out of the way so he could make an informed decision. Dragging it out would only make her miserable.
“The summons is a private thing. I write it down and send it to you. Usually, it is done by a messenger, but since we are voyaging together, I’ll just hand it to you. You read through it and either accept by signing your name or return it unsigned, which is considered a great insult.”
“What does the summons say? Is it like a marriage contract?”
“It’s more like a letter of intent. When you answer the summons, you agree to follow the steps outlined in it. In the old days, if the joining resulted in a pregnancy, the signed summons was used as proof of paternity. Now it’s like an engagement. A step before a regular wedding ceremony.”
“Provided I can wrestle you down to the mat, so to speak. Who is going to be the referee?”
Leia felt her cheeks heat up. Hopefully, he was just teasing her. “It’s not a wrestling match in a gym, and there is no referee.”
“What happens if someone lies?”
That was inconceivable. ”My people have many faults, but lack of honor is not one of them. My word and yours will do.”
20
Jack
“Okay, so how is it going to go down. You hand me the summons, I sign it, and then what?”
Leia’s dark complexion turned so red she looked almost purple. “We retire to my quarters.”
“And
then what?”
She cleared her throat and looked away. “You said that you are familiar with the Kongelian mating ritual. It’s very similar. You go on the offense, and I defend myself.”
As the implications sunk in, Jack’s enthusiasm evaporated in a puff of putrid smoke. What he’d imagined was a wrestling match, not an attack. “This is not going to work. I’m not a rapist.”
“It’s not like that. I’ll go on the offense too. It’s a game.” She blushed even deeper. “If you wish, I can give you a holographic vid to watch. I think it will answer all your questions.”
He arched a brow. “Krall pornography?”
“Educational material.”
“Well then, why don’t we watch it together?”
It was fascinating to watch her face change hues once again, only now the color drained away, leaving her skin looking grayish.
“I’d rather not. It’s too embarrassing.”
“If we are to become a couple, embarrassment has no place between us. Did you watch it?”
“Of course. How else would I know what to do?”
He leaned forward. “Did it arouse you?”
“Yes,” she said in a whisper.
He pushed to his feet and offered her a hand up. “Let’s go to your quarters and get that vid. I just hope I can still reserve one of the holographic chambers for us tonight.”
“Tonight?” Leia squeaked.
“Are you losing your nerve, Princess?”
“No, of course not. It’s just that I haven’t drafted the summons yet, and things might get out of hand…”
It was a good excuse, but he wasn’t letting her off the hook so easily.
Leia had cast the net, caught her big fat fish, but it seemed that she hadn’t thought beyond that point. Which was fine. She’d done her part, and now it was his turn to take over and lead the way.
Pulling her against his chest, he threaded his fingers through her long, lush hair and pulled her head back. “I wanted to do this since the first moment I saw you.” He crushed his lips over hers.
At first, Leia gave token resistance, but when he held on tight, she melted into him, her tall body going soft against his until he was propping her weight with his arm around her middle.
When he finally let go of her lips, they remained parted.
Her eyes still closed, she murmured, “I’ve never been kissed before. I can’t believe that I waited so long.”
He couldn’t either. Tradition or not, Leia should have at least stolen a few kisses. She was too honorable for her own good. “I’m going to make sure to catch you up on all that you’ve missed.”
“I’ll hold you to this promise.”
“I’m good for it, and I’m also good for a retroactive summons. No one needs to know what happened first.” He waggled his brows. “The summoning or the joining.”
“You are naughty.” She lifted her lips to his and kissed him softly. “But for once in my life, I want to be naughty too. With you.”
“That’s my girl.”
21
Leia
The holographic chamber back home wasn’t nearly as sophisticated as the one aboard Jack’s ship, and the experience of watching the vid this time was startlingly different, especially after Jack had superimposed it on another program. In this modified version, they were standing at a window and watching the other couple in a building across the alley.
Leia had watched the same vid a thousand times, pleasuring herself while imagining that she was the woman engaged in the rough play with the handsome male. The couple wasn’t real, but the generated images were near perfect. Live pornography had been outlawed centuries ago, and all that remained were these masterful simulations that looked real enough to fool the senses, especially when watched from a distance.
She was just getting into it when Jack halted the play. “I think I’ve seen enough,” he said as he offered her a hand up.
That wasn’t a good sign. “Did it repulse you?” She cringed in anticipation of his answer.
“Not at all. But I’d rather be doing than watching.” He tugged on her hand and brought her against his body. “My quarters or yours?”
“Yours.” She didn’t want to run the risk of one of her delegates deciding to pay her a visit.
“That’s the right answer.” He kissed her, his hands roaming over her back and inching toward her bottom.
She was supposed to give him a hard time, to struggle and scratch and hiss at him the way the female in the vid had done, but Leia just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not with Jack. She wanted him too much to even pretend to fight him off.
Letting go of her lips, he looked into her eyes. “I was expecting a vicious tigress, not a soft kitten. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I like you soft and sweet. But weren’t you supposed to bite and scratch me like that female in the vid?”
“I was. I just don’t feel like doing it. My predatory Krall instincts are apparently nonexistent.”
“Hmm. I have an idea about how to kick them into gear.” He tugged on her hand. “Follow me.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“Just the control panel. Are you familiar with obstacle courses?”
“I have one at home.”
“The one I have programmed is like nothing you’ve seen before. It’s a simulation of the one in the academy, only tougher.”
She arched a brow. “Are we going to compete?”
“We are going to play a game. I’ll give you a one-minute head start, and then I’m going to chase you. When I catch you, you are going to concede defeat and surrender to me.”
“That’s perfect. It fulfills all the requirements without me having to actually fight you. You are a genius!” She kissed his cheek.
Looking smug, he wrapped his arm around her middle. “No, sweetheart, you are the genius for choosing to summon such a clever mate.”
22
Jack
After Jack had chosen the preferred settings for the game he wanted to play, he watched with fascination as Leia stripped out of her ceremonial robes, shedding layer after layer until all that was left on her tall, athletic body were a pair of black boy shorts and a matching sports bra.
If not for the tiny fangs making an appearance whenever she smiled, she would have looked like any other human woman her age.
Only more beautiful than most.
“You are gorgeous.” He reached for her arm and rubbed his palm over the smooth skin. “And much slimmer without all those acres of fabric.”
She looked down at her body. “Am I too skinny?”
“You are perfect. Ready to race?”
She looked him up and down. “Aren’t you going to change into something more comfortable as well?”
In honor of the delegation, Jack was wearing his formal dress uniform, but he wasn’t about to strip Tarzan style, chasing his Jane in his underwear.
Instead, he shrugged off his jacket, kicked off his shoes, and took off his socks. The obstacle course required the kind of acrobatics that necessitated the use of toes.
“You have nice feet,” Leia said. “When we are alone together in our quarters, I want you to always walk barefoot.”
They hadn’t mated yet, and she was already getting bossy with him. Not that he minded. Jack appreciated a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t shy about asking for it.
Leia fit the bill and then some. Jack hadn’t expected his future wife to be the one doing the proposing, and he certainly hadn’t expected to say yes.
And yet, here he was.
“Aren’t you putting the cart in front of the horse? I have to catch you first.”
She grinned. “I know you will.”
“Don’t make it easy for me. I’m looking forward to a challenging chase.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m going to give you a chase to remember.” She winked. “Start counting.”
He could’ve asked the computer to sound the countdown, but it was mo
re fun to pretend the jungle was real and not computer generated.
The moment he said one, Leia sprinted ahead, caught a hanging rope, and swung herself up onto a bridge, then kept running.
He’d expected her to be good, but not that good. She was much faster and nimbler than he’d anticipated, and Jack realized that a minute was too long of a head start.
It was too late to change the rules at this point in the game, though.
Forcing himself to pace his counting, Jack sprang into action the moment he reached sixty. By then Leia had disappeared in the jungle, and unless she proceeded with utmost stealth, she was probably hiding somewhere.
Having the home advantage and endless hours of practice meant that Jack could traverse the course with his eyes closed, but the place was huge and provided numerous hiding spots.
He could spend all night searching for his princess.
Over the next hour or so, Jack went through every hiding place he could think of, but he came up with a lot of nothing. She must have been moving from one spot to another without making a sound and without leaving a trace.
There had been no broken branches and no fallen leaves to indicate her passage.
When Leia had promised him a chase to remember, she hadn’t been kidding. And she was good. While he couldn’t see her changing positions, she obviously saw him.
A change of tactic was needed.
First of all, the white dress pants and the white T-shirt had to go. To make things more interesting, he’d chosen the night mode, and in the darkness, his clothes were the opposite of camouflage gear, giving him away.
It seemed that he was going to do this Tarzan style after all.
Ducking into a hiding spot, he took the garments off, folded them, and tucked them under a rock.
Clad in only a pair of black underwear, he crouched low and proceeded soundlessly toward the tallest tree in the obstacle course. He’d climbed it many times before, but that didn’t make the task any easier. The sucker was smooth, and the distance between branches made it nearly impossible to climb, even for a tall guy like him.