by Bertina Mars
Lana stared at Akketon as if he had suddenly sprouted another head; as he had full control of his body, he was certain that evolution had not occurred.
“Lana, if you hate it here, I will return you to your world – but please understand, everything inside of me needs you to stay.”
Shock – that was the best way to describe the way that she was feeling at the moment. A man that apparently had known that she was coming had just declared that she was his intended mate. How was a solidly raised, Earth girl supposed to react to that?
Svetlana Belezenevich, for once it wasn’t her father’s voice in her head. No, it was her mother’s. At the sound, Lana winced internally, her mother had expressed from her deathbed her fear that Lana would end up lonely, married to her work, if she followed her father’s path into the sciences.
Svetlana, here is a man that wants you above all others. Look at him, he could have anyone that he wanted with his power, his position…his body.
Mother! Lana interjected into her own subconscious mother’s lecture. What? You should consider it – by that I mean that you should accept his proposal. Internal Lana rolled her eyes and then she focused and took a good, long look at the spectacular example of a man in front of her.
Well, I don’t have anyone back on Earth…Not to mention, I, in no way want to continue to work at Harrison Labs, so I really have nowhere to go.
At that moment, one of Akketon’s warriors came into the room, he nodded to Akketon, but faced her.
“I believe that your communications equipment is working.”
“Well, let us go see if it really is.” He held out his hand to Lana, and when she took it, he led her from the room.
---
He had instructed the tech savvy of his warriors to work on Lana’s salvaged communication equipment in a small antechamber on the first level of the citadel. They were about to walk into the chamber when Lana stopped him a few strides from the door.
“Wait. Before I go in there, just in case I get in contact with Earth…”
“Lana, I’ll help you with whatever you decide.” Because he turned away, Akketon missed the annoyed look that his mate cast at his back.
The men were gathered around the rough reconstruction of Lana’s more primitive equipment – they were playing with the switches, but moved out of the way when she approached to play with a series of them herself.
Suddenly, the screens came on and the audio portion of the communications system crackled and buzzed to life.
Lana turned to Akketon, her excitement plainly written on her face. “It's working,” she whispered delightedly. “Can you believe it?”
Akketon smiled at her. He was excited for her. However, he was also concerned. He couldn't help but wonder if now that she had contact with her home world, will she stay?
He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lana was his mate. Akketon couldn't imagine breeding with a female other than her and his position was not like that of Varan's, Akketon did not have the luxury of saying that he did not desire to breed.
Unfortunately, it was expected, it was insisted on; if he didn't breed and provide suitable offspring to eventually ascend his position, he would lose that position entirely. He needed his mate. Yet, not for the first time, he wondered would he truly be able to hold on to her.
Static buzzed through the communications equipment. They were rather crude in comparison to the technology to which he was accustomed but they were compatible with that of her superiors on the little blue, green, and brown Planet she called Earth.
The static buzzed intermittently for a couple of minutes, and then suddenly, it seemed to clear. A tone sounded signaling the beginnings of a transmission.
At that tone, Lana turned back to him and smiled, “By the way, I am going to tell them that I will not be returning to Earth.” Akketon did not have an opportunity to comment after recovering from the shock of Lana accepting the position of his mate before she started transmitting.
“Dr. Zinevich of Harrison Labs, this is Harrison Labs home base. Dr. Zinevich of Harrison Labs, this is Harrison Labs home base. If you can hear this, please contact. Can you hear us?” The static suddenly buzzed again before a new voice broke over the Communications system.
“This is Harrison Labs looking for Dr. Zinevich. Dr. Zinevich are you out there? Transponders indicate that you may have reached it to the Target destination. Can you confirm?”
Lana hit a series of control buttons before leaning in close to the device and speaking.
This is Dr. Zinevich. This is Dr. Lana Zinevich. I did in fact make it to target destination, planet locally known as Raspett. However, the ship sustained extensive damage. In fact, the ship is completely destroyed. Honestly, I'm shocked that I survived the crash.
The passage through the Asteroid Belt damaged artificial gravity, communication systems, as well as the landing protocol equipment. That sucker couldn't land. I almost had to be scraped off the side of a cliff.”
A third voice suddenly buzzed on to the communications. Furthermore, it seemed that the Earthlings had managed to get video up and running on their end – a static image crackled on the screen and there, Akketon could see a group of people.
Of the observable group, some were gesturing at others, it seemed as though they were trying to figure out the location of one of their own. Someone that Lana would need to speak with.
In the meantime a man, a little older, but one that Akketon could tell had seen conflict and the battle stepped front and center, dominating the visual display. When Lana saw the man, she spoke out to him, obviously recognizing him.
“Mr. Lulling, it's a pleasure to see you again.” Akketon could tell that there was a delay to the audio transmission – I would get so annoyed if I had to deal with this on a regular basis – as nothing registered on the man’s face for a number of seconds.
“Hello Doctor Zinevich. It is a true pleasure to see you as well. We are very glad that you are alive. How are things there? Has there been any headway in negotiations?” Lana sighed, and considered her response for a minute.
“Not of the sort of headway that Dr. Pursad is looking for. Unfortunately, I seriously doubt that any headway will be made on that front in the near future.” Akketon watched the man, Mister Lulling, he would have been successful in hiding his expression if another warrior wasn’t watching.
Lulling was disappointed and expecting trouble from another quadrant. From whoever was above him. Apparently, Lana’s supposed failure wouldn’t be well received.
“So,” Lulling continued, “Where are the Raspettians, are they here with you?”
In that moment, Akketon realized that the only one within the view of the visual transmission was Lana. When she glanced over at Akketon, he knew that that had been an intentional decision on her part.
He shook his head, bid her to deny his and his men’s presence for the time being. Lana focused back on the device in front of her. “Not at the moment Mr. Lulling.”
“Ahh,” was all that he managed to reply before the rest of the Earthlings started to murmur around him and another man pushed his way through the crowd and shoved Mister Lulling aside.
“Zinevich,” the address from the newest communicator slipped past his lips in a snarl. As the man – Akketon assumed that it was a man – fought for a degree of composure; Akketon took a hard look at the man that judging by his mate’s stiffness, was her superior.
The man was relatively effeminate in his features and while Akketon knew that he would easily crush the man in a physical altercation, if it weren’t for Akketon’s more unusual abilities, the man would have a chance of winning through underhanded means.
There was no question that this man would not show a single hesitation, wouldn’t flinch at the dishonor of his actions in such means gaurenteed his own victory.
Did he know the kind of beings that he was shipping Lana off to? If that was the case, there wasn’t a force in the entire galaxy that would convince Akketon to c
ome to some sort of agreement that would benefit the man.
“Dr. Pursad,” Lana started carefully. Akketon soon knew why she approached the conversation with seeming tentativeness – Pursad started talking over her.
“What has been accomplished? Have you even managed to do your job? I approved your employment to this organization, with the expectation that you would actually do the tasks assigned you; instead, you trash a multi-billion dollar project and have been treating as a vacation. Where is Blathan? He is the one that I have been in negotiations with?
We made a number of initial agreements – all you had to do, was be there, to finalize them. And what have you managed, nothing! To think that I discover that your father was the renowned scientist, Belezenevich; it looks to me that the apple fell quite far from the tree. Unless you are the more accurate measure of your father’s supposed worth…”
Akketon was finished – he had been finished since Pursad had uttered the name Blathan, the former ruler of Raspett, one of the only Raspettians that Akketon had executed, the twisted deranged being that he had told Lana about, though he had not given her his name.
Akketon reached over and took his mate by the shoulder and pulled her from in front of the visual transmitter and took her place, cutting off the little man’s tirade.
Lana took up the position that Akketon vacated and watched the visual display. It seemed that Akketon’s face was enough to temporarily render Dr. Pursad speechless. Akketon waited until that unique state for the doctor passed.
“Who the hell are you?” Lana managed to not laugh, when she heard her now ex-superior’s, though she really needed to inform him of that, voice pitch when he asked that question.
“I am Akketon of the planet Rap’te, now ruler of Raspett – the planet that you callously sent Lana to. I had been willing to consider an agreement for a sharing of technology with you – unfortunately you mentioned the name, Blathan, the previous ruler of this world.
Had you mentioned any other Raspettian, I would have let you get away with your selfish arrogance, but by speaking that name, I know that you were trading Lana to that demented, curse of a being, for the science and technology that you so covet.” Pursad tried into interject into Akketon’s speech.
“Now see here…”
“No, you see! You are in no position to negotiate with me; you are nothing more than a pockmark of the face of your race. Lana is staying. This is a decision that she made herself and I had intended for her to share that news herself, but I will not allow you to berate her and treat a woman that you betrayed with such a lack of respect.” Akketon looked over at Lana, and then let his gaze drift over to Varan, who nodded – understanding the message – and carefully drew Lana back.
“Not only will she not return, I have no intention of orchestrating a share of advancements that would propel your science hundreds of years forward – beyond that which you could possibly obtain in your lifetime. But I will show you something – I will show you the end of your valued position and I will show you power that exists far beyond your tiny planet’s reach.”
For the first time, Akketon left his eyes open when he let his power loose. For the first time, he saw the incredible breadth of it and why his friend, Varan, so loved to watch Akketon loose the tendrils of energy.
This time, the net unraveled and the tendrils of energy surged into the equipment in front of him. Akketon’s energy rode the transmission waves through space, all the way to earth and into the computer systems at Harrison Labs.
Akketon then allowed his power to pump into every piece of machinery, frying the circuits and obliterating Pursad’s research, advancements that had not made their way onto the market, Akketon destroyed the man’s life’s work.
When Akketon willed the destruction of all of the records to occur on the screen that Pursad was staring at, next to Akketon’s own face, he watched the arrogant worm’s face. Akketon watched Pursad witness the destruction, and reveled in putting the fool into his place.
Lana, realized what was happening and stepped up to Akketon, stepping within the scope of his raging energy. She watched the display from Earth, watched the room go dark till only one light source remained – the screen framing Akketon’s face to Pursad.
“There are many who think that one has to physically or technologically dominate in order to establish their position among the planets whose races travel the stars – no, all I have to do is take from you and cast you back into darkness. Good bye. No interstellar race will communicate with you – we will find another of your world to deal with.” The screen went black and Akketon called his power and energy back to him.
“Did you really fry everything?” Lana’s voice whispered up to him.
“Yes, he will never recover.”
“Oh. That’s a lot of power,” Lana looked around the room, “and I see that I am not the only one who has never seen that kind of display before.”
She was right of course, none of his men, save Varan, had ever seen the display of his power. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be horrified by the obvious manifestation of his mixed heritage, instead they merely seemed in awe of the power itself.
Before Akketon could comment, the chimes signaling the evening meal sounded. Lana looked up at him and cocked one sleek brow.
“I’m hungry,” his mate remarked.
“Destruction can do that to anyone,” Akketon retorted.
Chapter 8
Lana had retired from the meal a good amount of time before Akketon. Akketon was worried that stepping within the scope of his power had drained her.
So when she had expressed her unusual weariness, Akketon had bid her retire to bed. Unfortunately, he had been unable to follow her from the feasting hall as soon as he would have liked.
The men were still ribbing him over his present to his mate. There weren’t many women who would find destruction to be romantic. Sure, it had been technological destruction – the power of his will was really an incredible thing – and no one had been hurt, but the man that had put her in danger would spend the rest of his life trying to reproduce what was lost.
What Akketon hadn’t told his lovely Lana was that just before the destruction of her former home; he had followed the indicators in the files and exposed Pursad’s extensive flaws to many people that the man’s own records deemed important; Akketon had stripped the man of his reputation.
Reputation – that was the true penalty for endangering Akketon’s mate, and then abusing her when she had finally been able to communicate back with the little blue, green, and brown planet.
Had Akketon had physical access to the arrogant scum, he couldn’t be sure what he would have done, but whatever his course of action would have been, Akketon had to be happy with the action that he had managed.
It was late; the night was moonless so darkness permeated every expanse of the halls of the citadel. Akketon reached his chambers, but as he pushed open the door, he wondered if he would find his mate sleeping in his…their bed, or if he would have to go back down three flights of stairs and collect her from an entirely different wing of the building.
The door swung wide, but Akketon was careful to make sure it didn’t crash into the wall as he gazed over at the bed and the woman curled-up at its center.
A single bed silk hid the sleek curves of her body, as the room was warm enough that she needed little else. After shutting the chamber door, Akketon approached the bed and sat down on it at the base. As he stripped off his shoes, Akketon felt his mate stirring.
He did particularly enjoy thinking of Lana as his mate.
After tossing his boots to the floor, Akketon stood to strip off the rough cloth pants he favored; he turned and found Lana sitting up, watching him.
He smirked as the rough cloth slid down his legs and pooled at his feet. Considering Akketon had abandoned his sword, sword belt and bracers in the great hall, it didn’t take much for him to be nude.
Moving like one of the big cats that had once ru
led whole sections of Earthling continents, Akketon put a knee on the bed and proceeded to crawl up it. Lana scooted back playfully – the couple hours of sleep had rejuvenated her – until her back connected with the headboard.
Akketon stalked her up the bed, his hair swinging into his face, until he framed her body with his own against the decorative wood frame. He smiled and moved his hand from above her shoulder to her neck – stroking her skin, gently bringing her soon-to-be sizzling nerve endings to life.
When a soft moan slipped past the barricade of her lips, Akketon stroked his fingers from her throat, down and across her breasts; his touch drew her closer to him. Lana sighed, her breath fanning over his shoulder.
It was as she had suspected the first time she saw him. The man was pure sex. He lounged most of the length of the giant bed. She could feel his abdomen against her thighs – from the firm ridges of muscle that knitted across his lower ribs, to the rippling waves around his navel, to the sharp half-v of tight flesh stretched over one hip.
Further down, she could feel the heating, hardening shaft of hard, ridged flesh that was, even now intimidating, even though Lana knew just how much pleasure he could bring when using that built in tool of his body.
Akketon grasped her hips and pulled her back down on to the cushion of the bed then he set his hands loose over her skin. As he explored downward with one hand, the other was working its way upward, stroking the curves of her body.
His fingers passed over her, from shin to thigh, from thigh to the curve of her ass. He lingered on her rear, kneading and squeezing in between the stroking caresses.
The hand that had been playing between throat and breast firmly met the sensitive mound of flesh. Akketon palmed her breast before his fingers focused on her nipple. They tweaked and tugged on the tender bundle of nerves.
Lana had to swallow hard and remind herself to breathe as he touched her. Her hands moved restlessly in the swaths of shimmering silks. Akketon continued to stir the fire of desire within her with his hands even as he levered his body up so that he could look down at her.