by Mikayla Lane
Not willing to let him pull away or stop, this time, she held him tighter.
“Please, please, please,” she whispered as her need for release clawed at her.
Beads of sweat gathered on Haruki’s brow, and his exhaustion warred with his need to make this first time special for her. Just as he thought he had himself under control, Deanna’s desperate pleas laid waste to his composure.
Haruki kissed her deeply as he angled his strokes to ensure he hit the spot that drove her wild and couldn’t believe the intense satisfaction he felt when she gasped, clutched him tightly and exploded.
Her gasps and pants as she trembled in his arms were his complete undoing, and he roared out his own release as she collapsed in his arms.
Haruki held her close as he moved them back to the bench. He collapsed on it and pulled her into his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. They were both silent as they came down from the intense sexual high, and Haruki gently caressed her back.
After several minutes passed, Haruki could feel her falling asleep. He reached behind him and grabbed a wash cloth and cleanser and gently began to wash her back.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a contented yawn.
“I’m bathing my tired mate before I put you to bed,” he whispered, moving to her arms.
Deanna laughed and looked at him with half-lidded eyes.
“You’re going to spoil me,” she whispered, loving the way he gently touched her.
“You should be spoiled,” he said, then kissed the top of her shoulder.
Then minutes later, he carried her out of the bath and stood her on her feet while he swiftly dried her. Picking her back up, he walked into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He pulled the covers over her and kissed her gently on the lips.
“Go to sleep, baby,” he whispered then started to walk away when she grabbed his hand and stopped him.
“Where are you going?” she asked drowsily.
“I’m going to grab a shower, then come in here and pass out beside you,” he said with a smile as he looked down at his beautiful mate.
Deanna snorted and closed her eyes as she snuggled deep into the blankets.
“Hurry back,” she whispered.
When Haruki came back into the room ten minutes later, she was in a deep sleep. He smiled at the sight of her, and as much as he wanted to join her, he had other things to do first. Grabbing the comm, he began scrolling through it, his fingers tapping quietly so he wouldn’t disturb Deanna.
Another two hours passed before he slowly climbed into bed with her, more than ready for some sleep. As he inched closer to her, so he wouldn’t wake her, he was surprised when her blue eyes popped open, and she smiled at him.
“Hi,” she whispered. “Is it still late?”
Haruki smiled at her and pulled her close before he kissed her gently.
“It’s still time to sleep,” he said, closing his eyes.
Deanna slid her leg over his as her hand caressed its way up his chest. He didn’t need to sift her energy to understand what she needed. Pushing his exhaustion aside, Haruki took her mouth in a passionate kiss as he ran his hands over her body. When she was almost breathless, he pulled away and began sliding down her body.
“Where are you going?” she asked with a laugh.
Until she felt the first swipe of his tongue and groaned.
*****
Ainsley waited until she knew everyone was asleep and slipped quietly from her bed. She knew what special gift she wanted to give to her new dad and mom and knew her aunts and uncles would never allow her to go.
“Better to ask forgiveness later than never do anything fun at all,” Ainsley whispered as she pulled the image into her mind and held it as she ported.
Seconds later she was screaming and flailing her arms wildly, unable to draw breath as the water rushed into her nose and mouth. Panicking, Ainsley couldn’t hold an image in her mind so that she could port out. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was the water beginning to glow around her.
“Wake, foolish portal maker,” a loud voice boomed, forcing Ainsley awake. “I would like to know why you are here, Dranovian child.”
Ainsley sat up with wide eyes as she stared around at the completely crystal pyramid sunk in the Atlantic. She was at the very bottom, like in the one in Alaska, with a red glowing rock in front of her. As Ainsley looked up, she could see through the clear crystal to the very top of the pyramid as the ocean life swam around them.
“It’s like that superhero's place in the cold, only this one is underwater,” Ainsley said with a sniff, wondering why she was dry when she was drowning only moments earlier.
“Why are you here, child?” the Talunaha asked.
“I’m sorry,” Ainsley apologized, trying and failing miserably to curtsy. She finally threw her hands up and stood straight. “You know who I am, so you know what they’ve done for me. I want to do something nice back. This place is one that Alderic thinks won’t be accessible to them for a long time, and I can see why!” Ainsley said as she gestured to the deep ocean surrounding them before looking back at the rock.
“But we all know we’ll need you. I’ve come for a gift, not for me, but for them. Something from you to them, until someone can get here one day.”
“That’s outrageous!” the feminine voice echoed around the crystal chamber. “What gives you the right to petition for a gift?”
Ainsley blushed deeply and looked at the floor, her confidence shaken. She thought of Haruki and the others, especially her mate Chris and she pulled her shoulders back and held her head high.
“Love gives me the right. Theirs for me, and mine for them. If that’s not a good enough reason, then you should stay buried,” Ainsley said, keeping her voice even.
“That’s the best reason of all,” the voice murmured. “Look at the wall behind you.”
Ainsley expelled the breath she’d been holding and turned to see the most incredible crystal sword suspended on the wall.
“Oh, my,” she whispered as she walked to it.
As Ainsley drew closer, the sword began to glow from within, turning it a curious blood red color. She stepped back, afraid for a moment.
“It won’t hurt you. As the child of a Dranovian, it can’t harm you. Take it, and give it to Sotier Mikal Cold T’Alq before the Consecration as our gift,” the voice said.
“Wow . . . I mean really, wow,” Ainsley said, still not touching the giant sword. It was so big she didn’t think she could carry it. “I was kind of hoping for something more for my dad and his mate, though. How do you know Mikal might be the new Sotier?”
The voice laughed, the sound echoing around the room.
“You are bold and courageous, and I admire that. It will serve you and my warriors well in the times ahead. Mikal will be the Sotier, I can feel it in the energy. Come behind me for another gift,” the Talunaha said.
Ainsley moved curiously around to the other side of the rock and looked around for what the voice was talking about and saw nothing.
“Now look on the table by the wall,” the voice directed.
Ainsley turned around and saw the crystal table. She walked over and stood to look down on it for several minutes, still not understanding what was on it.
“It’s a crystal ball?” Ainsley asked, wondering if that was what the Talunaha was talking about.
“It is an orb, child, and something that your new mother will love,” the Talunaha said.
Ainsley picked up the ordinary looking crystal ball and gasped when symbols and hieroglyphs began floating in the air around her.
“What is it?” Ainsley whispered as she reached out her other hand to touch the symbols and even letters.
“It the world’s Rosetta stone. Every language ever written on this planet since we arrived is within that orb. With it, she can decode many secrets of Terra,” the Talunaha explained as Ainsley smiled.
“That’s so perfect! Thank you!” Ainsley shouted.
She put the palm-sized orb in her pocket and headed over to the sword, wondering if she’d be able to lift it.
“What is your name? Can I tell them?” Ainsley asked.
“I am Ran-Tyrna, and yes, you may tell them. And you are welcome, little portal maker,” the Talunaha said. “Your presence has been most pleasant.”
“You won’t mind if I come back?” Ainsley asked. “I really like it here. I promise I won’t ask for anything else! Just a peaceful place to chill, and maybe you can teach me more about my new family and other things. You know, so I don’t feel so stupid sometimes about everything.”
“You are never stupid, Ainsley, and you are welcome back anytime. I will leave the chamber without water, so you won’t drink so much of the sea next time,” Ran-Tyrna said with a chuckle in her voice.
“Not gonna lie, that seriously sucked. I was so scared I almost wet myself, and not with sea water either. Hey, is this in the Bermuda Triangle?” Ainsley asked, looking up again and finally realizing where she must be.
“Yes, the humans call this area that. But it was once known as something much greater,” Ran-Tyrna admitted.
“Holy shit, your portal is busy as hell! You take boats, planes, and tanker ships! What planet do they go to? Can you imagine what those poor people think when a ship just shows up in their front yard and some unlucky humans start freaking out on them?” Ainsley whispered in amazement.
“That is a story for another time. You must go now, your family is looking for you,” Ran-Tyrna warned. “The sword will allow you to carry it until you give it to your Sotier. I look forward to when you return, and we can talk.”
Ainsley’s mouth formed an O of surprise before she grabbed the sword and yanked it off the wall without thought. She ran to the Talunaha and stood before the glowing red rock.
“Thank you so much, Ran,” Ainsley whispered with a huge smile. “I can’t wait to come back! I have so many questions!”
“Go,” Ran-Tyrna whispered.
Ainsley disappeared and appeared back in her room just as she heard everyone calling out her name. Looking around she slid the sword under her covers and hopped into bed, glad her pajamas weren’t still soaked from the seawater even though she could feel some grit from the salt.
“Hey! What’s everyone so excited about?” Ainsley called out, pretending not to know what was happening.
Several brothers rushed into the room and stopped short when they saw her sitting up in bed.
“Don’t play that innocent shit with us!” Shane snapped as he ran over and hugged her.
“You weren’t here. Where did you go?” Luca demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
Angel pushed her way past the guys and plopped down on the bed, waving her hand at her brothers crowding the room.
“Get out! Girl talk!” she yelled at them.
The girls ignored the hemming and hawing from the men as the room cleared and Angel looked down at Ainsley.
“I know you’re kind of used to doing your own thing, but you’re family, and we care about you a lot. That means you can’t just disappear and scare the hell out of us. We were getting ready to call your dad. What’s he going to think if he can’t trust us to keep you safe while he’s gone?” Angel asked gently, trying not to upset the girl.
“I’m sorry. I really am,” Ainsley whispered, feeling terrible about it. “I really wanted to get a present for Dad and Deanna.”
“We could have gone with you. You didn’t have to disappear and go off by yourself,” Angel said.
“No,” Ainsley said, shaking her head. “You couldn’t have gone there. I can’t say any more. I really can’t.”
Angel sighed, knowing it had to do with all the secrecy between her brothers since they’d gotten back from Alaska. She was a Prime and knew what they’d found. She and Lara had already discussed the thin line they would have to walk with their mates because of what they knew and couldn’t speak of.
“OK, we’ll let it go this time. But, no more unless you tell someone,” Angel warned, figuring she’d talk to the girl in the morning about knowing of her brother’s secret.
“I promise,” Ainsley whispered and threw her arms around Angel. “Thank you, for caring.”
“We love you lots, kid. No more scaring us. Now go to sleep,” Angel said.
She waited until Ainsley laid back down, tucked her in and kissed her forehead.
“Good night, kiddo. We’re glad you’re back and safe,” Angel whispered then left the room.
Ainsley’s leg bumped into the sword under her covers, and she grinned as she pulled the orb out of her pajama pocket and held it up. Her room was lit by a muted glow as the symbols and letters appeared in the air around her. Smiling, she hid it back under the covers before anyone noticed the light and came back in her room.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Deanna woke slowly and tried to stretch, but Haruki was wrapped so tightly around her that she couldn’t. She smiled and wiggled around until she was able to slip out of his arms and slide from the bed.
She couldn’t help but smile when she saw his face relaxed in sleep, looking more like a boy than the alien warrior that he was. Deanna padded quietly into the bathroom and when she was done, went down the hallway into the kitchen for a drink of water and something to stop the growling in her stomach.
“What the hell?” she whispered as she looked at the living room that was now packed with beautifully wrapped bags and packages.
Deanna shrieked when she felt strong arms come around her, then smiled up at Haruki when he kissed her shoulder and wrapped her in a robe.
“What is this?” she asked, gesturing to the items covering the furniture.
“You have no clothes, so I ordered some things for you,” Haruki said with a shrug as he headed into the kitchen.
Deanna just looked around the room in shock.
“This is all for me?” she squeaked out.
Haruki grabbed two steaming mugs of coffee from the replicator and handed her one of them before taking a sip.
“Yeah, except for that present for Ainsley from the weapons master. Where is that? I’d like to see it,” he said as he started looking through the bags and boxes.
A stack of boxes tumbled to the floor, and Deanna just shook her head at the absurdity of it all.
“What the hell did you buy? The whole ship?” she asked. “And how did you know my sizes?”
“Your sizes were calculated when you put the mediband on. The nanos are pretty thorough. I bought everything I thought you might need for now and figured you could get the rest when we get back home,” he replied, still digging through Deanna’s things.
Deanna ran a hand through her hair and huffed out a breath, wondering where to begin. Suddenly, Haruki gave her a small box.
“Start with this one,” he said with a wink before he went back to digging.
Deanna looked at the little box that covered her palm and slowly opened it. She gasped when she saw what was inside and lifted the delicate chain from the box.
“Where did you find it?” she whispered as tears popped into her eyes.
Haruki took the necklace from her and moved behind her so he could clasp it around her neck. When he was done, he kissed her neck and held her.
“I felt it in the dirt beneath my hand after I was shot and put it in my pocket. After my shower, I found it and called one of the jewelers to fix it,” he said.
Deanna sniffed back her tears as she turned in his arms and hugged him.
“It’s the only thing I have left of my parents. I didn’t know where I lost it and thought it was gone forever. Thank you,” she whispered, reaching up to finger the locket with her mom and dad’s pictures in it.
“I’m glad I found it,” Haruki replied, then his stomach growled loudly.
Deanna laughed and pulled away.
“I’m starving to death, too. Let’s eat something,” she said.
Haruki grinned as he walked back into the k
itchen and pulled open the fridge, glad to see a ton of food already prepared for them inside. He started pulling out platters of meats, cheeses, fruits and bread and putting them on the counter.
“Can we go back today?” Deanna blurted out.
Haruki stopped pulling food out and looked at her in surprise.
“You really don’t like space that much?” he asked.
“No!” Deanna rushed to assure him. “I just think that Ainsley needs you there. You’ve only recently adopted her and spent most of that time globe trotting a portal and pyramids. She needs her dad.”
“You sound like you’re talking from experience,” Haruki said, hoping she’d explain why she’d have such an insight.
“My parents were always somewhere around the world. I was with them most of the time, but when I couldn’t it meant the world to me that they put seeing me above everything else,” Deanna said and gestured to the room. “After finishing a job, mom and dad would have never taken a side trip like this because it meant more to them to be home with me. Considering the danger of what you do, I think our children should be treated that way too.”
“Our children?” Haruki repeated with a grin as he pulled her into his arms.
“Well yeah,” Deanna said, leaning back to look up at him. “I don’t mind adopting more kids, but I’d like to have some of our own one day too. After I learn how to fight.”
Haruki closed his eyes and cursed. He knew there was a “but” in there and dreaded what it would be.
“But?” he prompted.
“I think if you’re going to teach Ainsley to fight, you can teach both of us. If I’m going to be a parent, I want to know how to protect my kids. The world is so fucked up, and I want to be able to help when the time comes,” Deanna said, unwilling to give in on this particular subject. It was too important to her.
Haruki surprised her by nodding his head.
“There are two boxes by the door. One is yours, the other is Ainsley’s. Go open yours,” he said then turned her around and gave her a gentle push in that direction.
Deanna sighed in frustration, wondering why he thought opening presents during a serious discussion was a good idea. Determined not to let the conversation go, she grabbed the box with her name on it and brought it over to the counter. She shook her head when she saw him casually making a sandwich.