Destiny’s mother looked shaken to her core. “Mykel was not my mate?”
He shook his head. “No. He faked his awakening as part of his plan to put Radella on the throne.”
I had to think this through. King Mykel had been awakened by Lady Radella, the haggard, hate-filled female before us, and got her with child. At the same time, he pretended to be awakened and in love with Queen Celene so he could be king. That had worked. But a guard in the palace, Cray, had been awakened by her and he knew the truth, knew that the king was faking.
I could imagine how Cray had felt. I’d have killed King Mykel, too. Faking love? Duping Cray’s mate? It must have been excruciating to watch. The laws of Alera had extenuating circumstances for murder and protecting a mate was one of them.
“You are mine, babe,” Cray said. “You’ve always been mine.”
Captain Turaya looked confused. We all did. “Then who killed the king? Who orchestrated the attack that night?”
“I did,” Cray answered immediately.
What? Holy shit.
I knew what it was like to be awakened, to be obsessed with my mate, of getting inside her, making her mine. If there was a male who was untrue, someone so duplicitous as to fake an awakening to my female, I’d want him dead, too.
“I discovered Mykel’s plot to murder her, to take over the throne with Radella by his side. I could accept Celene’s choice to love another, but I could not allow him to harm her. She was never in danger that night, Captain.” Cray looked to the elder Turaya. “Not for a moment. It was my blade that took Mykel’s life, and I’d do it again to protect what’s mine. Mine.”
Radella rose and approached Queen Celene. “You. You took Mykel from me. I just wanted a family. A quiet life with my mate. Nothing more. But he had to want you.”
The queen looked sad. “He didn’t want me, Radella. He wanted power. He wanted the throne. So did your father.” Queen Celene raised her finger and pointed it in Radella’s face, her voice going deadly quiet. “And so did you.”
“He loved me! But he had to fuck you. Had to claim the pussy of the virgin queen!” Radella’s eyes were wild, almost feral and she raised her arms as if to choke the queen. Captain Turaya blocked her, gripped her arms and tugged them behind her back with one hand, the ion pistol in his other aimed at her head. Still, she struggled and fought his hold.
Her words were irrational. Mykel didn’t want Celene, he wanted the throne.
“You knew, Radella,” the queen said. “Knew of his intentions.”
“You think I wanted my mate to fuck another?” she spat. “Every time I saw you together, I couldn’t miss the way he looked at you. The smiles, the lover’s touches. Even if they were fake, they were meant for me. He was mine.”
“Would it have been worth it if you’d become queen?” Trinity asked her.
“He died. You came back. It was all for nothing,” Radella countered. “But my son. Don’t hurt Pawl. He’s innocent.”
The queen stared at her, wide-eyed. Thinking. “Did you know Mykel’s intentions all along?” she asked.
Radella shook her head, her hair flinging about, tears forming in her eyes. “He wanted the throne and intended to take it.” The female sobbed outright now.
Pawl shifted on the couch, somehow got himself to standing even with his arms restrained. Thor moved to his side. “Don’t hurt her!” Pawl shouted.
The queen raised her hand. “No, she will not die. No one else dies because of this. Have the guards take her away. She will be questioned more later, but her life has moved from the palace to more… humble accommodations. Take her to the prison.”
7
Destiny
This was like watching Dynasty and Dallas and every daytime soap opera rolled into one. But this was my life.
All I knew was that my mom and sisters were safe. Nix was by my side and Dad was here.
Dad. An entirely different dad than I knew.
“You’re not from Kansas?” I asked Dad.
He looked to me and shook his head and held out his hand to Mom, but she stepped back, shook her head. The anguish in his gaze was horrible to see. I’d never seen them fight, or argue or even bicker. Their love had been obvious at all times.
Dad sighed. “I didn’t expect you to flee that night.” He looked to Captain Turaya. “You did the right thing, protecting her. She surprised us all, leaving the planet. It took me a month to track her transport and I went to Earth. There was nothing on Alera for me anymore without you here, Celene. You were my life.”
That was romantic.
Pawl dropped back down on the couch, probably glad the attention was off of him.
“I found you and wanted to keep you all for myself. The attraction was instant, wasn’t it, love?” Dad’s voice had gone soft in the way he always spoke to Mom.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. “We could have gone back to Alera.”
He shook his head. “I admit, I was selfish. On Earth, I had you all to myself. Mates together. No throne, no enemies. I knew Mykel was working with others. At least Radella. Most likely her father.”
“Lord Wyse,” Thor said.
Dad looked to him, nodded.
“You were safe on Earth and that was all that mattered. For twenty-seven years, we were safe.”
“You didn’t know I was pregnant,” she replied.
This time, when he stepped toward her, she let him. He took her hands, held them both. “No. I hated the baby you carried, a living sign of Mykel, of the man who’d played you falsely, who’d wanted you dead.”
Trinity turned into Leo, who wrapped his arm around her. The queen tried to tug her hands away.
“But one look when she was born, those blue eyes, I was hooked. I couldn’t put the sins of the father upon an innocent child. She was a part of you.”
Trinity turned in Leo’s hold, looked to Dad.
“You know I love you, Trinity. As I do all my girls. All four of my girls.”
“Because you’re Aleran, you weren’t too stunned when I told you the truth, that I was from a far off planet.”
He laughed. “I remember that conversation. It was just like out of a movie. No, I wasn’t surprised. I tried to be, but I’m not a great actor.”
“You faked learning Aleran,” she added, starting to see a pattern to their lives. Our lives.
I remembered Dad learning Aleran right along with us when we were little.
“I protected you, Celene. With my heart, my body. I’d do it again.” He shrugged. “And I have.”
It was as if a big ass light bulb went off over my head. “You put the bomb in that building.”
“Yes.” He didn’t seem the least bit sorry. “They were all loyal to Mykel, could have harmed you all again. My mate. My daughters. I protect what’s mine.”
“And the others?”
“There is much to take in, but Pawl here made it clear who wanted you dead… who wanted you all dead. Not twenty-seven years ago, because there never was an actual coup.”
“The kidnapping,” Mom stated.
“You were safe, we were happy. But then you were found.”
“Wyse,” Pawl said from the couch.
I moved to one of the chairs, dropped down in it.
“Wyse found Mom,” I said.
“After all that time?” Mom asked.
“He was an evil asshole, but I ensured we were well-hidden,” Dad added. “Until we weren’t.”
“Until I contacted Warden Egara about my stupid Ardor,” Trinity said.
Dad’s mouth opened and he stared. Obviously, he never knew about that. “After all three of you didn’t get your Ardor at the time most females do, I just thought it wouldn’t happen on Earth.”
Nix came over and sat on the arm of my chair, ever protective.
“Wyse found me and wanted me dead. Wanted the necklace… that’s why he kept torturing me for it,” Mom said.
Dad tried to pull her in for a hug, but she evaded his to
uch with a skill I admired. These Aleran males were not easy to evade. Not that I wanted to get away from Nix, but still, I was taking notes.
Dad sighed and dropped his hands back to his sides. “If Wyse weren’t dead, I’d kill him all over again.”
“He wanted the throne for my mother,” Pawl said. “Kidnap the queen, get the necklace. When the queen never returned, the people would have accepted my mother. She was already ruling.”
“Only we came looking for you, Mom,” I added. “Wyse learned there had been another transport from Earth and sent the group to have us killed that night. He didn’t know we were the princesses, just that we were from Earth. Which meant trouble.”
“And that’s when we first crossed paths,” Nix said, tugging on my hair.
“When I was awakened,” Leo added, kissing Trinity.
“Then we sneaked into the citadel and our spires lit. He had four people to kill before Radella could rule, even with the necklace.”
“He kept me alive so I could tell him where the jewels were,” Mom said.
“So he set out to have me killed,” Trinity replied.
“It seems that’s where he got me involved once again,” Pawl admitted.
Leo growled.
“Zel,” Captain Turaya said.
“By then, we were mated and well-protected,” Trinity said, glancing up at Leo. “Wyse couldn’t get to me.”
“So he went after me,” Faith continued. “He tried to take me away, to that Optimus Unit special prison. But you stopped him.” Thor wrapped an arm about her, held her close. “It was your mom who almost killed me. It wasn’t just Wyse!”
Thor shook his head. “She tried to poison you because she didn’t want you to be my mate, remember? She wanted power, not a maid for a daughter-in-law. Her attempt had nothing to do with all this.”
“But she conspired with Wyse,” she countered.
He gave her a squeeze. “I think she fell for his evil, but she truly wanted power. And if she’d known you were a princess, she’d have had it all along. Her greed killed her.”
That was so fucking sad.
“Wyse tried to kill Trinity and then stopped?”
“Yes, because I killed him,” Dad said.
Holy shit, Dad had killed a lot of people. All for Mom.
“Who else did you kill?” Mom asked.
“My family knew we would return eventually. When I arrived, I contacted warriors I could trust among the clerics and the Optimus Unit. They found where Wyse was holding you prisoner. I sent the clerics in to kill the man with the scar on his face, Wyse’s second. I tracked an evil female cleric when I heard she had threatened your life, I summoned Mykel’s supporters to the meeting where I planned to destroy them all with a bomb. The list is long, Celene.” Dad looked to the males in the room. “I did it to defend my mate, my daughters. I do not apologize. I feel no remorse. My family was in danger. I did what had to be done. You must understand.”
Captain Turaya went over to Pawl, removed the restraints from his wrists and lowered himself into a chair across from me. He suddenly looked old.
“You killed King Mykel in defense of your mate. You went to Earth to be with her in peace. Wyse found her after all these years and wanted her for the jewels and then to finally give his daughter the crown he thought she deserved. But the princesses ruined his plans by just being alive. He attempted to kill Princess Trinity, but you arrived and took him out, and everyone else involved in hurting your family. Past and present.”
Dad nodded. “That is correct. When I located my mate, I decided she was safest remaining in the prison cell, under my people’s care, where I knew no one could harm her. But she derailed my plans once again, with another escape.” Dad looked at Mom, a smile of apology on his face. “I shall never underestimate you again, mate.”
“Holy shit,” Leo muttered.
Mom stood, stunned. Processing. Thinking. Something. “The warm blankets. The food. Those stupid guards promising to take care of me? That was all you?”
“Yes, babe. I couldn’t show my face until I had Radella under control. Until after the meeting that would destroy what remained of Mykel’s plot.”
All at once, she launched herself at Dad. He caught her, lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs about his waist.
Holy shit. Mom and Dad were kissing. Like serious, make out kissing.
After a very uncomfortable minute, Mom lifted her head. “Alone. Now.”
Dad grinned, and playfully swatted her ass. I could never unsee my dad spanking my mom, even if it was over her clothing. “Yes, My Queen.”
He turned and carried Mom out of the room.
I looked at my sisters. They looked at me.
“Holy shit.” Trinity collapsed on the chair Dad had vacated. “I can’t believe this. Any of it.”
“Me neither.” Faith pulled Thor close and burrowed into his chest. “I think I need a margarita.”
“Amen to that,” Faith said.
Nix looked at me, a question in his eyes.
“Alcohol, Nix. It’s alcohol.”
Captain Turaya chuckled and slapped Pawl on the shoulder. “Come on, boy. No one is dying today. And we’ve got plenty of fine Aleran wine downstairs in the kitchens.”
Pawl left with the captain, and I didn’t much care where they took him. Trinity probably felt differently, for she watched the two men leave with a thoughtful expression on her face. “What do we do with my brother?”
“Our brother,” Faith said. “If he’s yours, he’s ours too. That’s how this family works.”
“The captain will sort him out.”
High Cleric Amandine stood for the first time since she’d entered the room. “I must return to the cleric’s fortress and report this. We will send out a formal announcement and make sure the entire planet knows the queen has returned. The people will expect a ceremony of some kind. At the very least, she must introduce Lord Cray as her mate, and also Destiny as her daughter.”
Me? I forgot. No one knew I existed. Not yet, anyway. But I was in no hurry, and apparently, neither were my sisters.
“Wine first.” Trinity stood and pulled Leo behind her out of the room. “Dinner in bed. Breakfast in bed. Let’s spend a week in bed. I need some sleep.”
Leo was on her heels and scooped her up into his arms as they left the room. “Anything you want, mate.”
Thor pulled Faith close and she tucked herself against his side like one of the zebcats I’d heard so much about. “See you later, Des. I want to go home, and I know Mom and Dad won’t come up for air for days.”
“True.” She was right. On their last anniversary, they’d kicked us out of the house and told us to stay somewhere else for a full week.
A warm hand settled on the back of my neck and I recognized my mate’s touch, leaned into his strength. His heat. Just… him.
Faith and Thor disappeared and I turned in his arms. “Let’s get out of here before they get loud enough for me to hear them through the door.” I already could, if I were being honest, but listening to my Mom’s moans of pleasure was too creepy, so I pretended it was rats in the walls and walked as fast as I could out of the room. Just… ewww. “Parents are not supposed to fuck like rabbits.”
Nix left the doors to the queen’s solar open behind us and issued orders to a nearby guard to gather six men and stand guard both at the entrance here, in the hallway, and inside, at the mouth of the secret tunnel.
I hid a grin just imagining what those guards might hear later.
Better them than me.
Nix pulled me along behind him once the guards returned and took up their positions. “So, mate, what, exactly, is a rabbit and how do they fuck?”
I choked on my laughter, his expression so serious there was no ignoring the question. “Rabbits are very small, furry, adorable creatures that are well-known for making a lot of babies on Earth.”
“And you think your parents are like these rabbits?” His raised eyebrows were evi
dence that he was about to argue.
“No. Not really. It’s just a saying. We say it when two people like to have sex constantly and can’t keep their hands off each other.”
He grinned and wrapped his arms around my waist as he backed me into our room. “Then I would very much like to fuck you like a rabbit, mate.”
“God, you’re adorable.”
“I am a rabbit set to fuck you for days without ceasing.” I was half naked before he was done with the sentence. He dropped to his knees and pulled the rest of my clothes from my body. “But first, I am hungry, female.”
His mouth. My pussy.
Oh, hell yeah. We both were starving for each other.
Always would be.
8
Destiny
I’d been to the citadel before, but it had been at night. Pitch black all around, the citadel and the single spire that was lit a beacon. Sure, it had been all aglow, austere and yet beautiful at the same time. Brilliant white that seemed to come from the inside out. A perimeter of gorgeous flowers, grass and a park-like setting. But it was also ruthless, an invisible barrier that kept all who were not chosen from entering.
We’d stunned Leo with an ion pistol and run past the guards to gain entrance that first night. We sisters had separated then, putting our plans into motion. Faith headed for the Jax house. I disappeared within the clerical order. Trinity faced the world, became Princess Trinity and led Alera until Mom was found.
That had been the plan, and it had worked. Despite all the insanity, our plan had worked.
And now? Mom was here. So was all of Mytikas, spread out before the citadel like a crowd at the Capitol Building when the US swore in a new president. The weather was perfect: bright skies, a warm breeze… perhaps the powers of the citadel affected the warm weather. The sun was setting, the building becoming brighter, the spires glowing more fiercely by the minute. As for the mood of the crowd? They cheered. Chanted. Everyone was boisterous and full of joy.
That was all because of Mom.
Ascension Saga, Book 9: Interstellar Brides®: Ascension Saga Page 7