Living among the Stars (Sky Riders #2)

by Rebecca Lorino Pond

  The cold breath was something entirely different, but he would have to wait ask about it later. As the smoke cleared away from the shuttle, he noticed that the door was popped open. Could it have opened upon impact and they were all dead inside? Wasting no more time, he slipped past the broke door.

  The inside was still filled with smoke, but enough light came through the front to allow him to see two bodies slumped over in their seats.

  “Kelly!” he screamed as he went to the first body. He gently lifted the female’s head and saw it wasn’t Kelly. Putting two fingers against the female’s throat to check for a pulse, he found she was dead. He turned his attention to the only other female who was on board the shuttle, Kelly.

  His hands were shaking as he lifted her head with one hand while using his other to brush back the hair that had fallen over her face.

  “Kelly? Baby?” He patted her pale cheek. “Wake up, sweetheart.” He repeated the motions of finding a pulse in the side of his mate’s neck. At first his didn’t feel anything which sent his heart crashing. “No! Not possible!” He shifted her head more to the side so that he could find a better spot. Pressing more firmly on her tender skin, he waited several seconds to feel the pulse of life.

  He was losing hope when he felt a feathered lit beat touch his fingertips. It was the sign he was looking and nearly busted a gut in joy at it. She was alive! She had survived the horrible crash he had caused!

  He swiftly unbuckled her from the seat then lifted her gently up out of it. The smoke inside was becoming too much for even to tolerate, so he quickly reached the door of the shuttle and sucked in some much needed fresh air. He could only imagine how much damage may have been done to Kelly’s lungs after being in a smoke filled cabin for so long of a time. She was still in grave danger from smoke inhalation, so he didn’t have much time to lose in getting her back to his ship.

  Serelath! Go check the front of the shuttle for any other survivors! Hurry, we haven’t much time.

  His dragon and Kelly’s sped by in their smaller forms and into the shuttle. A minute or more passed before they emerged again with their report.

  There are two bodies inside. One is female and the other is a male in a guard uniform. They are both deceased. How is your mate? Serelath flittered around in the air near his head as he carried Kelly back to his ship.

  “Not good at the moment, but she’s alive. We need to get her up to the medical unit now!”

  Reaching his ship, he gently placed Kelly in the seat where the two dragons had sat during the flight down. He was strapping her in when he thought about how the hell two dragons were going inside with Kelly. He was about to turn around and tell them he would send for another fighter to come get them when he noticed that the dragons had shifted down to a size he had never seen them shift into.

  He smiled at Serelath and Parath. “Thank you, my friends.”

  Both dragons were now about half the size of an infant. Each one flew into the seat where Kelly was and settled down on her lap with ease.

  We will monitor as you fly. We will inform you if she makes a turn for the worse, Serelath said.

  “Thank you,” he said then climbed into the front seat.

  The ride up to the main ship seemed to take a lifetime. Kelly began to cough and hack until he thought her lungs were going to pop out. Serelath had placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, but it was doing little good.

  You need to hurry, Parath chimed into his head.

  I am pushing the fighter a hard as I can, he replied to the request. It took several minutes to leave the surface of Napra far behind. The darkness of space closed in around the ship as it raced towards the bigger ship. He had to dodge debris from the exploded fighters must have engaged his fighters when he had gone after Zol’tsa’s shuttle. Several of his own fighters flew up alongside him to protect him as he travelled to his ship.

  “Vulmar?” He waited for a response from his brother.

  “Did you find her?”

  “Yes! Have a medical stretcher waiting for us when we arrive and alert the doc,” he said. “Her breathing is unstable but she is alive.”

  “You got it!”

  The trek to the ship took forever by his standards. He could landed his fighter soon enough and get Kelly out and onto a stretcher. He lifted her limb body out of the back seat and transferred her gently to stretcher that was waiting. The medics secured her to the medical equipment then lead her out of the docking bay. He followed alongside Kelly and held her hand. He didn’t want her to think she was still alone and afraid if she suddenly woke up.

  The doctor was standing by as directed when they arrived in the medical unit. The man immediately jumped into action by assessing the damage to Kelly’s outward appearance.

  “I need a full body scan pronto!”

  Kharis reluctantly let go of her hand and took a step back. The last thing he wanted to be was a nuisance to the staff as they worked to save his mate. He gave them as much room as they needed to work.

  He leaned against the wall in time for the body scanner to float into the room and position itself over Kelly’s prone body. A medic pushed one simple button to get the test up and running. It wasn’t long before results started to spew on the computer screen.

  The doctor stood with his index finger pressed to his lips as he read the results.

  “How is she,” Kharis asked no longer content to stand back and wait for answers.

  “First and for most, she has a lot of smoke in her lungs that needs to be dispelled. After that, I will be able to determine the amount of damage to her lungs. Next, she had four fractures ribs which will be easy to heal. The concussion to the head is rather nasty, but nothing she won’t pull through either. My primary concern is her air passages. Humans are different than us in that aspect.” The doctor looked at Kharis after reading the final results.

  “In what respect?” he asked.

  “Well, from what I have been studying of the human body, their bronchial tubes in the lungs are much thinner than ours. About half the size to be exact. How long do you suppose she was submerged in the smoke,” the doctor asked.

  “At least fifteen to twenty minutes,” Kharis replied with dread.

  “That’s what I was afraid of. The smoke has been in her lungs far too long not to have suffered some permanent damage.”

  Kharis’ heart sank. What his beloved die because of his foolish mistake? Would she survive only to die in a few days’ time? The guilt was already starting to eat at him. He should have known better than to fire any kind of a pulsar at the smaller, fragile shuttle. This would be a mistake he would have to live with the rest of his life.

  “But…but is she…is she going to..,” he couldn’t bring himself to say the word.

  The doctor must have been reading his mind because he interjected quickly and set him start. “Die? No, no, no! She definitely will not die, but I think she will have to deal with the after effects for some time if not the rest of her life.” The doctor smiled at him. “But she will live a happy and full life!”

  Kharis’ knees nearly buckled out from under him. His mate would live! He would make sure she was well taken care off and protected whether she like it or not! He was going to take her home and lock her away just for his peace of mind!

  No, you won’t! Serelath shouted at him. You know very well our Kelly would never let that happen!

  I know! I know! It was just a thought, he replied.

  Chapter 23

  A couple of days later and back on Qetera, Kelly was still confined to bed. It was driving her insane to be confined to one room since there wasn’t much else wrong with her. Sure the shortness of breath still hung around, but it was something she was going to have to get used to.

  After she had regained consciousness back on Kharis’ ship, the doctor told her the extent of the damage to her lungs. At first, she had taken it hard and had cried, but after a while she realized things could have been a lot worse. So what she had scarred lu
ngs now? At least she was still breathing!

  Kharis had stayed by her side the whole way back to Qetera. Vulmar had shown up in her room shortly after she had awakened and volunteered to take the ship back so that Kharis wouldn’t have to leave her bedside. She would be forever grateful to her brother-in-law for allowing her this time with Kharis. A time when she needed him the most.

  Her time away from her mate made her come to the conclusion that she loved Kharis more than anything in the entire universe. She thought back to how much she had fought to stay away from him and had to laugh. She wished she would have had the advantage Kharis had in knowing that she was the one from him. Back on Earth, love was a complicated thing that often ended in sadness and despair. But, out here, on Qetera, the men or women, had the knowledge to know when he or she met their true life mate. She never again wanted to be without him.

  The sun was shining through the window of their bedroom and spreading its fingers onto the bedspread that covered her legs. She was so tired of staying bed! Without another thought, she flipped back the offending blanket and swung her bare legs out of the bed. Her feet touched the cold, stone floor, but it wasn’t about to stop her from going outside onto the balcony.

  She opened the door that headed to the balcony then stepped out. She left the door open in case Kharis came in and couldn’t find her. The sun warmed her chilled face as soon as she stepped into its light. It felt wonderful to be outside again after being cooped up for so long. She wasn’t used to having to stay indoors, even as a cop she was outside in all kinds of weather.

  She walked over to the railing to lean against it. Her long, blond hair whipped around in the breeze making her feel somewhat human again. There was a garden-fresh feel to the air as it skimmed across her skin and a smell she had come to love while on Qetera. It reminded her of the beginning of Fall back on Earth when the leaves were falling to the ground. The sound of a chainsaw could be heard cutting down fresh wood for the upcoming winter and the green grass of summer slowly fading to brown as it died for the winter.

  The Circle of Life was coming around again, but it would be different here on Qetera. She had no idea if the seasons here coincided with those of Earth’s, which she doubted, but she didn’t care. This was her home now and home was where she would stay. Earth was a mess and hadn’t shown much progress in recovering from the damage done to it over a century ago. She wanted to live where she could breathe fresh air and not worry if it were going to kill her. She wanted to raise her children in a world that was thriving rather than dying. There wasn’t anything left for her back on Earth other than her house and few belongings. Her rash decision to get her and Maggie off-world because of Maggie’s ex had been the best decision she had ever made.

  “What are you doing out here?”

  The deep, commanding voice scared the crap out of her. She whirled around to find Kharis standing behind her with his hands on his narrow waist, glaring down at her. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by his sheer size much less his bark.

  “I am sick of staying inside!”

  “You are supposed to be in bed. Now, come one,” he said and held out a hand to her.

  She shook her head. “No, I won’t go back inside yet. I am fine, Kharis! I promise.”

  “I want you back in that bed now!” A muscle twitched in his cheek as he took a step forward. “I will carry you back if you deny me.”

  She knew he meant what he said. Over the last few days, he had been obsessed with seeing to her every need and want. He even went as after as insisting on bathing her which had been pure torture for her since she was dying to jump his bones! His latest threat had her moving to the side to put a chair between her and her imposing husband.

  “Now, Kharis, really. You are ridiculous! My legs are fine, my arms are okay, and everything else is good. I want to stay outside.” She gave him her best smile to try and convince him.

  She nearly tripped over her own feet when Kharis suddenly launched his massive body towards her. He had her in his arms in no time flat and she wondered how in the hell could someone so big move so quickly!

  “I want you back in my bed!” He growled down at her.

  Instinctively, she raised her hands to his chest. Her fingers absentmindedly toyed with the lone button on his shirt as she thought of what to say.

  Kharis lower his face until he was eye level with her then move to whisper in her. “Are you going to do as I ask?”

  His breath tickled the fine hairs on her ear sending tingles of pleasure down to her core. Slowly, but surely, she shook her head in defiance. If he wanted her back in the stupid bed then she would make him carry her.

  She tried to lean back some from him, but was held in place by his arms. His hands had somehow found their way down to the globes of her ass and softly massaged each one. “No…I…am staying out…out here,” she said barely above a whisper. His hands were becoming more eager and his lips had found the soft skin of her ear lobe. Goosebumps rose up on her uncovered arms when he sucked on her ear then pulled her tight against his frame. She instantly felt his cock press into her belly as his hands held her firmly in place.

  “Are you sure you want to stay out here,” he whispered in her ear after letting it go. “I don’t think anyone can see us, but I thought maybe you would prefer some privacy.”

  It took several seconds for his intentions to sink in. When she realized what he wanted, she smiled and let one of her hands slip further down until she was able to cup his cock in her much smaller hand.

  Kharis growled in her and pressed himself into her hand. “Gods, I have missed you!” He didn’t give her a chance to reply. He captured her mouth with his in a kiss so deep and emotional, she nearly cried out. Everything she had bottled up over the years and in her time of capture came flooding out. She kissed him with a ferocity she didn’t know existed inside her.

  Kharis leaned forward and scooped her up into his arms and returned to the bedroom. He dumped her unceremoniously on the big bed then stood over her, watching her. A smile began to play on his lips as his hands went to the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head.

  “So, my little human, you want to defy me by getting out of that bed. I think I might have to teach you a lesson or two about listening to me!”

  She swallowed in nervous anticipation. The muscles in his belly rippled when he threw his shirt carelessly to the side. The muscles in his upper arms bulged when he pushed his flight pants down his hips and legs to reveal his hard cock. Her eyes darted to it and her heart sped up. Just thinking about how that cock would feel inside of her made her juices start to flow.

  During her recovery time, Kharis had not laid one hand her even thought she had begged him to do so more than once. She gathered he had been afraid to touch her after coming so close to losing her, but she wasn’t going to stand for it much longer. Last night they had gotten into a knockdown, drag down fight over the way he was treating her. She had eventually told him if he kept treating her like she was about to break, she was going to move back to Etor’s and find a way back to Earth. Unfortunately, her tactic didn’t go over so well when he whirled out of the room and didn’t return until just now.

  “What do you say, love, to me teaching you a lesson?”

  “Go right ahead. I’m not scared of you,” she teased back. She lifted her hands to her breasts and gave them a slight squeeze. She got the reaction she was looking for when she saw Kharis’ eyes darken with lust. “Go on, show me!” She scooted all the back on the bed until she could lay her head on the pillow.

  “Oh, I am going to show you all right!” He crept across the bed on his hands and knees until he had her pinned down into the mattress. He leaned down over her to touch his lips to hers, igniting the flames to a full blaze. His tongue skimmed her lips before asking for entrance into her warmth. She happily obliged and let him in. It was then the beast in him surged forward to claim her again.

  His mouth moved and nipped over hers. She panted as the feelings of
full arousal swept over her. She needed to feel his skin next hers! If she didn’t, she thought for sure she would burn up. Kharis must have read her thoughts because one of his hands slid down her flat belly to the edge of his long shirt she wore as a nightgown. His fingers walked the material up until he was able to caress her the side of her breast. She sucked in a hiss as if his touch had burned her, marked her as his. Their kiss became more and more desperate as they let their hand roam over each other, but it still wasn’t enough. She wanted him inside her.

  “Please,” she begged as she grinded her hips against his. She was too impatiently for foreplay right now.

  Kharis pulled his head back a fraction, “No. This isn’t going to go quick, my love. This is your punishment remember?” His straying hand moved back south until he cupped her pussy in his hand. “I’ve missed this.” The palm of his hands rubbed directly over her most sensitive pot. One long, thick finger fanned down to slip between her slick folds to find her soaking. “Let’s see just how wet you are for me,” he murmured against her mouth.