by R. R. Banks
"When are we leaving?"
"As soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more chance there is that we won't be able to find any useful information in time to help the Light Ones. Everyone who is going with me, gather everything that you might need and after lunch we will head on our way."
The men dispersed, heading to the other houses where they had taken up residence so that they could gather their supplies and prepare for what could be another arduous journey ahead of them. Though they had a map that showed them the way as they had with the settlement, it didn't point out any potential dangers that may exist between the settlement of the Light Ones and the kingdom where they were headed.
"While we're gone, I want you to do everything that you can think of to figure out how to unlock them. You are the one who is in charge now, so you tell the other men what you want them to do and they'll do it for you," Pyra said, clapping one of his massive hands down on Lynx's shoulder.
"Thank you, Pyra," Lynx said, "It really means a lot to me that you are trusting me so much."
Pyra gave a nod and started upstairs to the room he had chosen. He, along with Ty, Vax, and Ciyrs, had been staying in this house with Lynx and Rain. Lynx suddenly realized that the four of them would all be gone, leaving him completely alone with Rain. It was an odd feeling that bordered somewhere between being excited that he was going to get the opportunity to spend some time with her without the other men being in the house, and worry that every moment that he was out of that house she was going to be totally vulnerable. He considered asking one of the other men who were staying behind to come move into the house with him, but he changed his mind. Keeping Rain safe was his lifelong responsibility and he was not going to be able to rely on others to help him all the time, no matter how worried he was about her. He wondered if Pyra felt the same way about Eden, or the others felt the same way about their mates. Maybe that was what made them seem so strong when they finally found their mates. It wasn't really that they weren’t that strong on their own, but that the constant worry about their mates forced them to be stronger so that the fear would not overcome them.
Chapter Five
Zsilvia heard George call her name and for a moment she wondered if she had imagined it. The sudden change of the expression on Eden's face, however, told her that she hadn't. The smaller woman gave her a meaningful look as if imploring her to remember what she had said about George and the potential for his feelings for her, and then turned around with an enormous forced smile.
"There you are!" Eden exclaimed, "Zsilvia has been waiting for you. She thought that you had slipped out and she came out here to look for you, but she couldn't find you so I've been standing here with her chatting. You know how women are."
George looked at her quizzically and then at Zsilvia, who was startled and somewhat put off by Eden's sudden false bubbliness.
"I was inside Ciyrs' shop talking to Zuri. I thought you saw me."
Zsilvia shrugged.
"I guess I was seeing things. Did you two talk about anything interesting?"
She was trying to sound casual, not allowing the emotion that had already begun coursing through her to come through in her voice. Eden was looking between the two of them, her hands cupped around her belly and the smile on her face static as if she couldn't release the muscles enough to make the expression fade now that she had managed to force it into place. Suddenly she seemed to notice the other two looking at her out of the corners of their eyes and the smile finally broke.
"Oh!" she said, glancing back toward the glow of the shop where Zuri had just stepped out of the door, "Now that you've found him, I'm just going to go. I have to talk to Zuri about something."
She rushed away with as much speed as she could muster and Zsilvia returned her gaze to George. His eyes smoldered into hers and she felt her body getting hot. Her heartbeat increased and she felt like she was having trouble keeping her breath even.
"Are you ready to go home?" she asked.
"Sure."
They walked along together and Eden's words repeated themselves through Zsilvia's mind with each step. She wanted to believe them and to open herself enough to give George a chance, but she was struggling even to stand near him without feeling the almost painful internal tug of both wanting desperately to be with him and being frightened enough to want to run. It was as though there were two of her existing within her body and they were trapped in an ongoing fight. One of them was ready to move forward and step into an existence controlled by the moment that she was living and not what lurked behind her eyelids every time she closed her eyes. The other was still very much living in that dark, unsafe world and could not break free of her own imminent existence.
"Blood flow," George said.
"What?" Zsilvia asked, turning toward him to give him a strange look.
"Blood flow. That's what Zuri and I were talking about. You asked if we were talking about anything interesting and that's what we were talking about."
Zsilvia gave a short laugh and nodded, turning back to the road in front of them.
"Oh," she said, "What about blood flow?"
"We were thinking about these locked people and how they haven't moved or breathed or done anything since the Covra froze them in place. That got us thinking about their hearts. If their hearts aren't beating, then the blood isn't flowing through their bodies."
"So? Maybe their hearts stopped at the same time as the rest of their bodies and the blood just kind of settled where it was."
Zsilvia watched George shake his head insistently.
"No. If the blood had just stopped while it was still going through their veins, it would have pooled at the bottoms of their limbs like it does with a corpse. There would be dark discoloration along the bottoms of their arms and in their legs, and even some swelling." He shook his head again, his eyes fixed on the road in front of him as though he could see what he was talking about hovering in the air above the road. "No. The men would have mentioned something like that and they didn't. That means that it isn't just their hearts that stopped, it's everything. Their blood locked, too."
"What does that mean, though?"
"We think that perhaps if we can get their blood flowing again, it would unlock their entire bodies."
"That's amazing," Zsilvia told him, stunned that they would come up with something that complex, "Do you have any idea how you would be able to do that?"
"Not yet. Since the Denynso don't use the same technology as the people of Earth we can't use the same things that we would use there, so Zuri, Samira, and I are trying to come up with alternative ways to use the same basic principles but with the resources available to us here."
"What about Eden?"
"Her scientific background is mostly plants and animal life. She is going through some of her notes and researching as much as she can to see if there may be anything that she can think of that is applicable. She did mention that there are several animals and bugs on Earth that she has researched that use a very similar attack method to immobilize their prey before eating them. The difference, though, is that the victims of those creatures maintain their brainwaves and heartbeat while in their locked state."
They had arrived at George's cabin and Zsilvia stopped. There was a tense moment as they looked at each other, their eyes melding with such intensity it was as if the rest of the world around them had completely faded away. Zsilvia felt herself falling into George again, her heart, mind, and body magnetizing to him so that she felt like she couldn't step away. He stepped slightly closer to her and their breath lingered, blending between them and tracing down her body. His fingers lifted and she felt them gently stroke down the side of her face. It was a tender, cautious touch, yet it made her body shiver.
George stepped forward again until the heat radiating off of both of their bodies grew. He leaned toward her slightly, brushing his lips against hers. She had seen him beautifully bare and held his tempting erection in her hand, yet that kiss, the first that h
e had given her, took her breath away. He lifted his mouth away from hers just slightly and their eyes opened so that they looked at each other. His seemed to search hers, gauging her reaction to his touch. When she didn't move away from him, he placed his hands on her hips and held her steady while he dipped his head to kiss her again.
This time he kissed her with greater intensity, his mouth pressing down into hers and his tongue touching the inside of her lips to coax them open. The taste of him touched her tongue and made her even hungrier for him, but the pressure of his fingers on her hips made her hesitate. As she pulled back, the pressure released, but his mouth didn't move from hers. Zsilvia relaxed into the kiss, allowing the need for him to take over the thoughts that were flooding her mind.
When the kiss ended, George moved his lips from hers to her ear.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" he whispered.
His breath felt hot against her neck and her body clenched in response as if searching for him.
"Yes," she said.
Though she had expected him to ask her to come inside with him then, there was something in the question that was even more thrilling and she felt breathless answering him.
"Good," he replied.
He kissed her a final time and then walked into the house, wishing her goodnight just before closing the door. Zsilvia walked home with a smile on her lips that was unlike anything she had experienced in as long as she could remember. She couldn’t wait until the next day when she could see George again. Perhaps if she fought herself hard enough, she would finally get through the horrible thoughts and be able to enjoy the mate she thought she would never have the opportunity to have.
Chapter Six
Zsilvia sat in the bath letting the warm water soothe her. She had coiled her hair on top of her head but the tendrils that hung around her neck curled with the steam rising off of the surface of the bath. She filled her palms with lavender soap and stroked them over her body. The feeling made her think of George and she let her eyes drift closed as she imagined that the touch was coming from his hands. The herbal smell coming from the soap only seemed to intensify the desire that built low in her belly as she thought of him and she took a deeper breath to draw it in.
Her hand drifted lower on her body and she let it sweep over her hipbones. Cupping one hand over her breast, she let the other slip lower so that it dipped between her thighs and into her folds. The sensation made her back arch and her lips part as it drew a gasp from deep in her lungs. Images of George formed behind her eyes and she focused on him, remembering him peeling away his shirt and releasing the button on his pants to allow her to touch him. The thoughts of him moved to the way that he kissed her, his lips brushing hers tenderly. She imagined that same sensation moving along her body, tracing a trail down her neck and onto her chest.
Letting the thoughts of George's mouth guide her, Zsilvia let her fingers play along her nipples, imagining him take them between his lips and teasing them with his tongue. As her hand continued to stroke between her thighs, venturing upward to focus on the hypersensitive pearl of flesh at the top, she thought of him touching her, exploring her body the way that she had his. She thought of the coarse hair on his chest, imagining what it would feel like pressed against the bare skin of her naked body, rubbing against her as his body moved over hers.
Suddenly Zsilvia's body contracted and she cried out against the force of the climax that tore through her. The washes rushed over her, the spasms making her wish even more that he was buried inside her so that he could feel her body responding so intensely to him. Finally it eased and she relaxed down into the water, allowing it to calm her.
The next day Zsilvia walked to George's house, the smile on her face was soft and secretive, hiding the satisfaction still coursing through her. She longed for the first moment of seeing him, and when he stepped out of the house she saw he held a similar smile. Even if she imagined that smile, the thought made her tremble and she had to struggle to control herself.
"Are we still on for tonight after we leave Ciyrs'?" he asked, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her waist.
"Absolutely," she said.
George kissed the tip of her nose and they started together toward the shop. As soon as they got to the corner of the road in front of the shop, however, they saw the other women coming out. Zuri was in front, the look on her face drawn and tense.
"Is something wrong?" George asked, starting to jog toward them.
"Creia said that he just got communication from another shuttle saying they will be arriving in a few minutes."
"Another shuttle?" Zsilvia asked, "Did you know that there was someone else coming?"
"No," Zuri answered, "and neither did Creia. He doesn't seem too happy about it, but he says that it is an official university shuttle so he is going to allow it to land and he will figure out what to do from there. He wants us to be there when the shuttle arrives, though."
George and Zsilvia joined the women and they rushed toward the front of the compound. The shuttle had already landed by the time that they got to the landing platform, and there was a sense of tension and nervousness among the group as they stared at the door waiting for it to open so that they could see who may be arriving unexpectedly. Finally the door hissed and slid out of the way. The captain stepped out followed by the flight attendant. A moment later a woman appeared at the door and out of the corner of her eye Zsilvia saw a broad smile break across George's face. He stepped away from her and rushed up the steps onto the platform to the woman.
"Ivy!" he cried happily, "I didn't think you were going to be able to come!"
The slim blond woman grinned at George and leapt into his arms, giving him a tight hug.
"I know!" she exclaimed, "I didn't think that I would be able to, either, but I moved some stuff around and hopped on the next shuttle that was available."
George stepped back and took both of Ivy's hands in his. Zsilvia's heart felt like it was shattering. She watched him stare into the young woman's face, the smile on his face only seeming to get bigger with each passing moment. Who was this woman and why did he seem so excited to see her? Was it possible that it was wife? She hadn't seen a wedding band on his hand and he hadn't mentioned a woman in his life on Earth, but she knew from stories she had heard that that didn't always mean that there wasn't a woman around, just that the man was choosing not to mention it.
She sank back into the back of the group. She didn't want to see any more. Not caring any longer who might notice, she turned and ran away from the loading platform toward the meeting hall. She needed to get away from everything that was happening. More than that, she needed to get to Creia before the group of women and George did. They would arrive for the traditional greeting for the woman who he called Ivy and Zsilvia wanted the opportunity to talk with him first so that she could request to be removed from her position as his guard and protector.
"Absolutely not, Zsilvia."
Her heart sank even lower than she could have imagined and she took an imploring step toward the king.
"Please, sir. I don't think I can handle any more of this responsibility, especially with this new arrival. It seems that George and this woman know each other quite well and I do not want to be put into the position of guarding both of them."
"This woman's sudden and unexpected appearance is even more reason why I need you to remain in your position," Creia said, "All of us need to be vigilant now and aware of any potential threats. Though the shuttle is from the university and they tell me that she was originally scheduled to come with George, I do not want to take any chances. You will remain in your position, and I will assign one of the others to this new woman."
"Yes, sir."
Zsilvia felt completely defeated. She didn't know how she was going to overcome this. The thought of not only having to continue to be around George was difficult enough, but having to be around him while also having to watch him with that woman was more than she could bear. She was just stepping
back away from the platform when the group walked through the door. They were talking animatedly, but the sound of Creia's booming voice silenced them instantly.
"Please approach the platform."
Ivy walked toward them and Zsilvia felt even more of a pang within her. The woman was young and incredibly beautiful. Her hair was not bright and yellowish like Zuri's. It was paler and shimmery as it stretched nearly to her narrow waist. Though she was taller than the other human women except for Zuri and Samira, she was very delicate looking. Small, precise features, pale eyes, and long, slim limbs made her look fragile but in a precious, treasured way rather than with a sickly or damaged hint like Leia and Elianna had when they first encountered them.
"Hello. I'm Ivy," she said brightly.
Creia's face did not change. Instead, he leaned slightly forward toward her, his eyes evaluating her for several long seconds.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I'm here to be part of the exchange program with the university," she said, sounding slightly confused, "I am George's research assistant."
A bit of relief moved through her, but Zsilvia wouldn't let herself feel completely at ease about George again. Her being his research assistant did not excuse the friendly greeting or the way that she had smiled at him. Eden spoke of being a research assistant as well and that had always come with suggestions and indecent proposals that were never fulfilled because of the disdain she felt for the researcher who eventually became her boss as she moved up through the ranks within the company. Perhaps the same kinds of feelings existed for George and instead of rejecting them, Ivy had returned them. This wasn't something she was likely to share with the king within the first few seconds of meeting him.