by Imogene Nix
She wanted to say something, but her brain told her to control her mouth. At least for now, anyway. They obviously think it’s my entire fault. Not that it was, but there didn’t seem much she could say to correct the matter that they would believe. And she’d be damned if she tried. No one had believed her last time, and she was sure they wouldn’t this time either.
From time to time, Galan would look her way and her body’s response was always the same. The long, slow curl of interest, her mouth dried and her eyes searched his inscrutable face.
The woman who remained seated looked as if she were trying for anonymity. But each time he cast a look at her, he had an innate reaction, one he couldn’t control. His fingers itched to trail over her fine skin. So pale. Her eyes were large in her face, and shining beacons to him. Her lips called to him on a primal level and he wondered if they were as soft and tender as they looked. He wanted to close his own over them, to taste and feast upon her. Each time he gave in to the need to look at her, his body quickened with need, his groin tightened and his blood pumped through his veins faster. Not since the passing through the realms of his partner, Gospah, had he felt such a need to connect with another living being. To be with them on every level, and that thought alone disturbed his equilibrium.
But he was flagging and so were the humans who sat opposite him. Horanas had passed while they associated words, hoping to ease communications between them, even though his team had been informed to use the native language. He thanked his men for the preparations they had taken before making contact with the people of this planet, particularly monitoring and decoding their languages. His personal guard caught his eye and with a nod, Galan stood.
“I will retire for now, but it would be the greatest honour to have you join us this rest cycle.” He watched intently as her face tightened further. Something deep inside him told Galan that he must take this human to his ship and offer her his protection. He had always trusted his instincts before and right now they screamed that if he left her behind, he may never see her again. That the anger of the ones who guarded them would boil over.
The one called Seth stood up, knocking over his chair in his excitement. “Yeah, of course we will!”
Galan likened him to an overeager pet. He had to work hard to contain his amusement at the clumsy behaviour, but he wasn’t the one that Galan was concerned about. The woman watched him in silence as she had for horanas. She struck him as an intensely reserved creature, only sharing her thoughts when pushed hard. She seemed like someone who kept her counsel and emotions buried deep within her, but from time to time he caught glimpses of the vibrant nature she buried beneath the reserved façade.
Right now, her eyes glowed with interest and she slowly inclined her head. The movement unconsciously regal, capturing his breath. In a manner befitting a future consort of the king. Just as Gospah had always done. Do not bring Gospah into it, he told himself, but he couldn’t stem the thoughts. They had already captured him.
“It would be my pleasure.” Her voice, now husky with tiredness he assumed, stripped him emotionally. Galan knew then, that he would protect this human. This woman.
“Come then. We will leave.” He held out an arm and she looked at it, before reaching out trembling fingers. He gripped them, amazed to feel a charge shimmer through him.
The Quickening.
Galan inhaled unsteadily. Even with his beloved Gospah he had not felt that. The physical force of connection one made when finally touching your Soul Partner. He let his eyes close for just an instant, savouring the brief connection then opened them to see her watching him.
She wanted to ask what had just occurred. He could see it in the tremulous movement of her lips. But he knew she wouldn’t. Not while Seth was there, in all likelihood. He nodded and his men formed a physical barrier around the three of them then they left the room where they had been contained.
As they exited the building, the one who had challenged them earlier surged forward. “You cannot take them with you.” His face was angry, the mulish set of his chin and lips left Galan moderately amused and he fought to restrain himself once more.
“They will be my guests.” Even as he spoke, his people continued to act as a shield while he inexorably drove them to his ship, where it waited.
“You are not authorised…”
Jessa stepped up to the man. “Oh can it…” Before she could say anything else, Galan moved between them, pulling her to his side. Safe against him.
“I don’t need to be authorised. They are my guests.” Galan let just a hint of his anger show and the guard backed away nervously, eyes flicking from side to side.
As they stepped on to the eli-pad he loosed a sigh of relief as it rose into the ship. Then he turned to watch her face.
Jessa watched as the interior of the ship became apparent. She didn’t know what she had actually expected. Maybe the harsh white of the spaceships in movies, but instead the welcome yellows, pinks and minty-greens soothed her. The alien, Galan, extended an arm. “Come this way.” Her curiosity won her over as she followed him. His footsteps were slow and measured and everywhere he went, others bowed deeply to him.
“What is your rank?” The suspicion that he was more than anyone imagined had risen throughout the hours in the meeting. His ease with commanding people, the way they listened and followed his every direction had been large hints and now this…
“An excellent question. My father is the liege lord.”
His soft smile warmed her, even as she absorbed who he was. He was the son of the planet’s ruler? No wonder he had an air of unconscious command.
“I am his heir. The only one.”
Jessa nodded silently. It all made such sense.
Seth continued bounding beside them, his head moving from side to side, while he peppered questions on the others who walked with them. Jessa let his excited chatter wash over her as they traversed what she was sure, was the length of the ship.
Galan seemed content to let her remain silent, and she was thankful. That little buzz that she had experienced when they’d touched had unsettled her. Together with knowing that when Galan left she was in deep trouble made her feel quite uncertain and even with the thought her stomach churned and tossed.
Finally at the end of the long pastel hall he halted and pressed his hand against the wall. “Seth? This will be your chamber for the rest cycle.” Jessa peered within as Seth entered. The room was large, spacious and calming with the walls glowing in muted tones of blue and green. A large bed lay in the centre of the room and tinkling chimes piped through the air. A cursory goodnight came from Seth as he moved around.
A man, not quite as tall as Galan, appeared at his shoulder. He didn’t have the same commanding air, but was comfortable with his position and level of authority, she decided.
“Joras, if you could ensure that Seth has everything he requires.” Joras bowed and Galan extended his hand, touching her briefly and once more the insistent buzz of connection shook her. Joras must have seen her step away quickly. He frowned at Galan who shook his head once.
“Come this way, Jessa.” His voice was more of a caress.
Her mouth dried at the way it made her feel, like molten treacle had invaded her limbs. He steered her towards another point, where he once again touched the wall. This time a much larger room opened before her. It was tinted in hues of pale mauve and blues. Jessa moved forward, entranced. So beautifully decorated. “It’s perfect, Galan!” She swung back to see his eyes watching her. A blush stained his cheeks.
“As are you, Jessa.” He moved forward slowly, until he stood opposite her. His breath feathered over her sensitised skin. He raised a shaky hand to her cheek, and lightly caressed it. “As. Are. You.” He leant forward and their lips met. Her stomach quivered and she couldn’t ignore the reaction of her body. Then he pulled away with a tiny smile and left her there.
The kiss was sensuous and soft while the room glowed subtly with shades of red and green.
>
Chapter Three
The muted lights from the night before slowly brightened as Jessa stretched lazily on the bed, slowly waking.
After Galan had finally left, it had taken her ages to finally settle. The plush ablution room where she had showered in the night before amazed her, fitted out with a softly rounded cleaning unit and even the toilet had been warmed to skin temperature. Once she had climbed into the bed, it had conformed to her body, cradling her as she’d drifted off and the lights had dimmed. If she didn’t know better, Jessa would have thought the room tested both her body temperature and heart rate.
With a sigh she rose, pulling the loose robe, which had been draped on the end of the bed, around her body. It slipped over her naked skin and she sighed at the wickedly sensual pleasure it brought. A chime pealed and before she could answer, the door slid open to let Galan within. Her heart rate increased. The room glowed in tones of greens and red again, as it had done the night before. She carefully placed that information in her brain for discussion later.
“Good morning, Jessa.” He bowed formally.
She returned it, realising too late that the gown didn’t close properly. His eyes gleamed at the sight displayed and for an instant she wondered what he thought. Then she mentally shook herself, wondering where that thought had come from.
The red glow in the room increased.
“Umm, the room’s colour changes.”
“It does. Depending on your feelings. The reaction of the body to stimuli.”
She felt her cheeks burning, now she had the answer to her earlier question. He smiled at her, but she noted the blush on his cheeks deepened and his eyes gleamed as he looked her over. With nerveless fingers, she pulled the gaping edges of the light robe together as reality set in. This is an alien. One I’ve only just met!
He placed his fingers over her hand and she gasped at the intense reaction. “You honour me.” His voice was deep and husky. A deep thrill filled her. “Soon…” he whispered the words close to her lips. She wanted to melt at the promise of ecstasy to come.
Jessa ran her hand over his fingers. She savoured the supple warmth of his touch, his intimate caress and the way he smoothed the silky fabric covering her breast. Her breath caught and she wobbled slightly from the intense emotions that roiled within.
“Oh God…” The breathy words escaped and she couldn’t control the shudder that racked her body.
In response, his slow movements stopped. “You do not…”
His words died away. She looked at him, noting the grave expression on his face. For an instant she sensed his concern then it was gone. His eyes shuttered and the keen sense of loss startled her.
“No…Galan…” She reached out a hand but he shushed her.
“If you do not feel…”
“But I do, Galan. I feel it quite intensely. And it scares me.” His mouth quirked into a smile and the corners of his deep blue eyes crinkled.
“Then for you, we will slow down.” But he touched his lips to hers and the frisson of electricity shot through her as she opened her mouth for him. The movement was so slight and slow, yet it still stole her very breath. Leaving her gasping in a sea of need while certain regions of her body nearly melted.
She moved her fingers up his arms, before grasping his shoulders. Firm and warm under her grip. Wide and strong as her body sagged against his.
Leaning into him was a shock. Jessa really didn’t know what she had expected. The white tunic had not hinted at the strong and muscular chest that she now sprawled against. Or the intense feeling of safety she would find in his arms.
“Galan…” she whispered the word and he rumbled with laughter.
“I know.”
“Not yet…” She winced, hearing the pleading tone in her voice.
“Soon, though. Very soon.” Jessa closed her eyes.
* * * *
While they had broken their fast, Galan had watched with wonder as the reactions and emotions had played over Jessa’s face. He’d thought long and hard about the interaction between them in her cabin, since they had pulled apart. His body had betrayed the arousal that had plagued him during his rest cycle, only now it had increased to a level of pain.
In the past, he could have pleasured himself or taken the option of waiting until the feeling finally passed. Now it felt wrong to seek release in the former ways. With Gospah it hadn’t been something he had worried about, seeing as he had never really been a sexual creature before meeting Jessa. Suddenly he was dealing with a female who intrigued, aroused and yes, to be honest, teased his senses, albeit unknowingly he was sure.
They had withdrawn from each other slowly and he ached at the loss of her warmth against him. Instead he had waited while she’d retired to the ablution chamber to wash and dress in her own clothes once more, before he had escorted her through the ship. The waiting had been difficult, left alone with his thoughts and the memory of her soft body in his arms.
Their conversation once more returned to the cool and unemotional discussion of space travel and their respective languages during the meal. For the first time since the problem had arisen on his planet, hopefulness filled him. Maybe, just maybe he might also find a partner. One who would accept him as a man, not just the heir and one day ruler—something he feared above all. Perhaps he could talk Jessa into returning to his planet with him. And maybe she would agree to partner him for the duration of their lives.
Confusion and concern warred within him. How did he broach a problem like this? They needed the agreement of the ruling bodies on the planet. They couldn’t just kidnap the women from here and drop them off on Hesparia, though that idea had been canvassed as an option, initially, by some of the senators.
“So how did you find out about us?” The words shook him from his introspective thoughts.
“We have known of this planet for hundreds of jahrs, once the truth of our history had been rediscovered. It seems, millennia ago, the founders of our planet seeded a number of others with residents. In the early years, from what we have learnt, there was ongoing communication between them, but then something happened. We lost contact and with it, the communications skills and knowledge that we shared.” He smiled, watching as she returned a small grin. The feeling of warmth filled him once more and his chest tightened. Now that he had found the one who should be his partner, he needed to find a way to keep her.
“So, there is a reason you are here, though, isn’t there?” Seth voiced the question that concerned him.
How could he explain about the women? The need to rebuild the stocks of females it would take to fill the gene pool once more? The question that he was sure could affect the outcome of any agreement between himself and Jessa.
They could have come much earlier, when the problem first came to notice. But there had been barriers stopping them, he reminded himself grimly. They had only realised in the last few jahr that the inhabitants of earth had progressed sufficiently to allow them, under the terms of the United Galactic Treaty to be considered for contact.
“We have a problem. Our gene pool was seriously depleted some generations ago and our scientists sought ways to…” Galan breathed deeply, this was so much more difficult than he had expected, he allowed silently to himself. “They manipulated genes, which have unfortunately degraded since the experimentation took place. At the time we didn’t know that this would be the outcome. Our women are unable to sustain a full lifespan, because their genetic makeup has been altered. They also cannot reproduce.” Galan waited in silence for the response he expected.
Jessa looked horrified at his answers, her face flushed as she leant forward. “How could that possibly happen? What is wrong with letting life develop naturally?”
Galan nodded. “I agree. After that, we learnt the importance of your words. Truly, if we could take back those actions, I know many of us would.” He thought of the emotions he’d previously experienced, watching Gospah fade away before his eyes. The pain and loss that had plag
ued him was so much less now. The grief that had dragged at his mind like a fog on a valley floor leaving him unable to function clearly, was silently slipping away.
She moved her fingers to his hand. “You lost someone close to you, didn’t you, Galan?”
“My mother, my sister and…my partner. Gospah. Most of us here did. We all have felt the pain of loss.” Before retiring, Galan had removed the image of Gospah from the entry to his office. She would remain a part of his past, but his future awaited him. He accepted it was time, without regret. He accepted it was time to move on, and seek a bright new life for himself, perhaps.
“I’m so sorry.” He could see her surreptitiously clearing the tears from her eyes with the tips of her fingers. “It must be so hard for you.” Her voice was husky, resulting in an unfamiliar tightening of his chest.
“It has been many yars… Is that right?” He struggled with the unfamiliar word.
A tiny burble of laughter erupted from between her lips. “Years. Many years.” Jessa laid a hand on the table and he couldn’t restrain his actions, laying one of his on top, feeling the light rub of her thumb on his while she watched him, as if asking a question.
“Of course, that is not the only reason we have made contact. We also desire allies.”
Jessa smiled, pulling away. “Really? Why is that?”
He smiled. “Small planet. Agrarian in nature.”
Jessa wrinkled her nose and he felt captivation weave through him. It would be so very easy to be lost in the web that Jessa wove effortlessly. “Umm…should we go down and continue the negotiations? You really should meet with the officials.”
“I would, but do you believe they will allow you to continue to participate?”
“Probably not.” He felt her gaze settle on his once more.