Prime Salvation (Katieran Prime Book Six)

by K. D. Jones

  His only regret was not taking AriELa up on her offer to stay with her and her mate. She also had his son living with her, too. When she offered ConEL a room, he was not quite comfortable being around everyone. He didn’t want to cause problems so he remained with the other warriors. He hoped that they took the news of him leaving okay. He rang the buzzer to the door and waited nervously.

  TarAK opened the door. “Prime ConEL?”

  “I apologize for coming at this late hour without notice.”

  “It’s no problem. We were all up playing Go Fish.”

  ConEL followed TarAK inside. “Go Fish?”

  “It is a card game the Earth females taught us.”

  AriELa stood when her father entered the room. She gave him a smile. “Prime ConEL, what do we owe the pleasure of your company this evening?” She still had a hard time calling him father.

  “I have been asked by Prime Commander KydEL to travel to Kiljor and then the Colony.”

  “What for?” TarAK asked.

  “I will be working on the Tri-Alliance.” He looked over at his son who watched him with those cautious eyes.

  AriELa took a step closer to him. “How long will you be gone?”

  “Three weeks, maybe more.”

  “Does Lieutenant Daniels know you’re leaving?”

  Kitana! Did everyone know he had a thing for the female warrior? “Yes she knows. In fact, she will be going as well. She has to escort a few of the therapists who will be traveling to assist the people of Kiljor and a female on the Colony.”

  “Will it be dangerous?”

  “I do not believe so.”

  TorEL finally spoke. “I want to go, too.”

  ConEL shook his head. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”

  “Do you expect trouble?” TorEL questioned him.

  ‘No but …”

  “Then I am going. Besides, AriELa and TarAK need to spend some time alone together. They haven’t had a lot of chances for that since I moved in.”

  AriELa looked at her brother with a frown on her face. “We love having you here with us.”

  “I know. I love being here with you, too. But I think you and TarAK need some space. I need that, too. You want to shelter me from the world, but I have already seen the bad side of it. Let me get a chance to see some of the good.”

  AriELa looked at her brother with awe. He didn’t sound like a child, but to her, he was a child that needed to be protected. She didn’t want to send him back out there where he might possibly be taken again or killed.

  “It’s too dangerous right now.”

  “When would a less dangerous time be?” he challenged her.

  AriELa did not have an answer for him. If it were left up to her, she would have him stay there on Katiera forever. AriELa looked at TarAK for help.

  “He’s right. As long as Morins exist, there will always be a possibility of danger. We cannot let our fear keep us from living our lives.”

  Finally she looked at her father who seemed to be unusually pale. Maybe this would be the perfect opportunity for her father and TorEL to bond. “It would have to be your decision. You would have to take responsibility for his safety and care.”

  ConEL gulped. That was a big duty to uphold. He failed his children once before, what if he did so again. He was about to say no when he glanced down at his son. The hopeful expression on his young face was hard to resist.

  “I will care for him and guard him with my own life.”

  “Yes!” TorEL got up and ran to his bedroom.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I have to pack!” TorEL yelled back from the other room.

  AriELa laughed. TarAK and ConEL joined in. It relieved some of the tension in the room. “Thank you for taking him. I know he will enjoy spending some time with you.”

  “I will also enjoy time with him. He is right, though. The two of you need some alone time to bond. You are mates, but you have taken on the burden of parenthood first.”

  “I don’t mind. TorEL is a great young. I love him so much.” AriELa walked her father to the main door of the suite.

  “I’ll be by in the morning to get him.”

  “Be safe. I want you both to come back to me.” She reached out a hand but paused.

  ConEL hated that she would hesitate to reach for him. He took her into his arms and gave her a gentle hug. “Goodnight, daughter.”

  “Goodnight, Father.”

  *****

  The next morning Lucy went out to the landing field where the shuttle awaited her. She was surprised to see that ConEL was bringing his son.

  “Good morning, Prime ConEL, Prime TorEL.”

  “Lieutenant Daniels,” ConEL acknowledged her with a warm smile.

  Lucy tried to ignore the way her heart raced at hearing his raspy voice. She concentrated on TorEL.

  The little boy’s face lit up at seeing the female warrior. “Lieutenant Daniels. I forgot you would be coming, too.”

  “You don’t mind do you?” she asked, giving him a wink.

  “Not at all. You can sit beside me.” He moved over to the middle seat leaving ConEL on one side of him while Lucy was on the other side of him.

  Lucy sat down and quickly glanced up at ConEL. He was wearing a blue warrior’s uniform, which made his eyes pop. He was just gorgeous. She felt herself warming as images of their tryst on the sand played through her mind. Don’t look at him—don’t look at him.

  It was kinda hard not to. Especially when the other Earth women came on board. Two of them were tall and slim with beautiful model worthy looks. The red-haired woman was Dr. Garrett, ConEL’s therapist. It bothered her that this woman had gotten to spend months with ConEL. They seemed to have a very easy relationship.

  The other two therapists, one tall with brown hair. Which she flipped a lot, garnering attention from the pilot and co-pilot. The other was a short Hispanic woman with black hair and dark brown eyes. The last woman was the linguist, Dr. Connell that helped Dr. Morris set up the culture classes given on the transport ship. She was short, very curvy, blond hair and big blue eyes.

  “Howdy, ya’ll,” the shorter female named Lizzie greeted them.

  The other women were busy asking ConEL questions. He politely answered them and laughed at their jokes.

  Lucy was floored. She had never heard him really laugh before. Watching him was like watching a complete stranger. His eyes were similar, but there was less of a haunting look to them. It bothered her that she did not really know him, and yet she had sex with him. She didn’t normally do things like that.

  Her attention was drawn to the red-haired woman laughing at something ConEL told her. Every time the woman laughed, it was like someone scratching his or her nails down a chalkboard.

  “Are you alright, Lieutenant?” TorEL asked from beside her.

  She glanced down and noticed that she had gripped the arm to her seat in a tight grip. Her knuckles were turning white, and that was saying a lot considering her mocha coloring. She forced a smile to her face.

  “I’m fine, but I think you can call me Lucy.”

  “And you can call me TorEL or Tor for short. Cassie and Jaxon call me Tor. I like it.”

  “I like it, too, Tor.”

  “So what have you been doing since you came to Katiera?”

  “Learning stuff. They put me in some kind of school. There’s one other kid there with me so it’s not so bad. I like Lindsey’s sister.”

  “School is important.”

  “That’s what Cassie says, but she doesn’t have to go.”

  Lucy smiled. He sounded like any other kid who didn’t like school. She was glad to see that he was adjusting to things.

  “What was the Southside like?” Tor asked her curiously.

  She focused on the viewing screen above her as she spoke to avoid glaring at the red-haired woman. “It was a rougher territory than the rest of Katiera. The suns are hotter there. The nights are colder. The terrain is mostly rocks and
trees except for the small sandy shoreline. It’s actually very similar to training locations back on Earth.”

  “Have you been in many battles since you became a warrior?”

  “A few. Two small battles on Earth when the borders were being taken down. Some of the countries didn’t want that to happen. They didn’t believe that one Earth World Government could work for everyone.”

  “Did you kill a lot of people?”

  She hesitated. How did a person answer that in the right way? “I fired on my enemies only. Never anyone that wasn’t a soldier…warrior.”

  “Have you been hurt in battle?”

  She laughed. “Quite a few times. I had shots on my left leg. Jaxon swore it I connected the shot marks it would look like Mickey Mouse.”

  “Who is Mickey Mouse?”

  “It’s a children’s cartoon character. Anyway, the marks are still there even though they have faded a little over time.”

  “Your medics should have implanted nanos to heal the wounds.”

  “We didn’t have nanotechnology on our planet before Prime Leader RendEL came to negotiate with the EWG.”

  She hadn’t noticed the rest of the group on the shuttle had gotten quiet. She turned to look and found everyone watching her. Crap, she didn’t want to be the center of attention.

  She looked away. It was an uncomfortable situation. However, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as what happened earlier that morning. She had already packed her bag the night before. When she got up she showered, dressed, and was getting a small snack from the kitchenette.

  The buzzer to the door went off. She opened the door to find AtOM standing in the hallway.

  “AtOM, is something wrong?”

  “You are leaving with the Prime to go on the transport?” he asked.

  She let him inside and they went to the main living space. “My suite mates are still sleeping so let’s keep our voices down.”

  “You are going off with another male?”

  “Prime Commander KydEL asked me to go. I agreed.”

  “Why was Prime ConEL there? He is still in mid-training.”

  “I was called to the operations room late last night. ConEL was with me at the time and he decided to come with me.”

  AtOM looked like someone had punched him in the gut. “You were with the Prime this past evening?”

  Lucy looked away. She had never led him on, but she still felt guilty. She knew that he had a thing for her.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have feelings for him?”

  “Yes.” She just didn’t understand what those feelings were, but she did feel something for ConEL. It’s what kept her from accepting AtOM’s attentions while they were on Southside.

  He took a step closer to her and reached out to cup her cheek. “I would be a better male for you.”

  “AtOM…”

  “I would be…but I am not the male you want.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her softly, gently. His kisses caught her off guard. However, he wasn’t ConEL. He pulled away from her.

  “I will be here for you if you change your mind.” He turned and walked out leaving her feeling confused and bereft.

  “Are you okay Lucy?” Tor asked, making her come out of her deep thoughts.

  “I’m fine. I am very excited.”

  “Me, too.” Tor was practically jumping in his seat from his excitement.

  She looked over to find ConEL watching her. Immediately her body reacted. She would never forget the feel of him inside her. She could still feel him stretching her. Next time she wanted there to be no barrier between her body and his. Next time? What the hell was she thinking?

  * * *

  Chapter Twelve

  They had been shuttled to a Kiljorn Transport. Commander TylOR was waiting for them on the docking bay. Lucy had seen the Kiljorn Commander before. He was taller than most Katierans and Kiljorns, almost seven feet tall. He was completely bald. The Kiljorns and the Colonists had the same gold pupils as did the Katierans. TylOR was one of the first to find the escape pod after Lucy, ConEL, and TorEL evacuated the Morin ship.

  She waited while the males greeted one another first. As advanced as their people were technologically, they still behaved in an almost chauvinistic way. At least their behavior appeared that way. However, they didn’t think less of women, just the opposite. They held women up as precious and to be protected. However, the thinking that women could not protect themselves was what needed to be revised.

  ”It is good to see you again, Prime ConEL.”

  “Yes, and it is good to see you, too. Do you remember my son, TorEL, and Lieutenant Daniels?”

  ConEL introduced her. Did that mean anything?

  “Prime TorEL, are you starting your warrior training early?” TylOR reached out to clasp Tor’s forearm. The little boy beamed at being acknowledged warrior to warrior.

  “Maybe.”

  “No.”

  Both TorEL and ConEL answered at the same time. Then they frowned at one another. TylOR laughed.

  “You two are definitely related then. You sound like my younger brother and I when we disagree.”

  Lucy smiled at the mention of AshOR, TylOR’s younger brother from the Colony. The man was a constant flirt.

  “How is your brother, Commander?” Lucy reached out a hand to clasp forearms with TylOR.

  He looked at her hand for a moment then greeted her the way he had the males. “He is making my life miserable. I guess that means he is thriving here. You are looking as beautiful as ever.”

  Lucy blushed. She should be used to men commenting on her looks. She was exotic to them, but she forgot at sometimes that she was an attractive woman. She never paid that much attention to herself. Not in a long, long time.

  “Thank you.”

  A growl from behind her made her jerk her hand out of TylOR’s grasp. She turned to see ConEL glaring daggers at her and TylOR. Men!

  TylOR directed his men to show everyone to their room. His eyes caught on the little short woman with the blue eyes, Lizzie. “My Lieutenants will escort you to your rooms.” He made his way over to the short woman and leaned down to speak to her. The woman slapped his face and stormed off. Well, that was interesting.

  Lucy and the others were taken to their quarters. The linguist and the other two therapists were going to share a room. Their pilot and co-pilot shared a room. Con and Tor were sharing a room. That left only her and the redheaded bitch to share a room together. Just what she needed. They all said they would meet each other for the Midday Meal. They would reach Kiljor by the next day. That’s where they were dropping off the other two therapists. She wished it were the damn redhead that was staying on Kiljor. She was going to have to share the same room with the blasted woman for two and a half or even three days before they reached the Colony. Just freaking peachy!

  *****

  ConEL watched as his son explored their sleeping quarters. It was similar to the ones on a Katieran Transport. He supposed that Tor had been too traumatized by everything the last time they were on the transport to pay any attention to details. He did now though. Con sat on the edge of his bed and simply watched and answered Tor’s questions.

  “Do we have quarters like this?”

  “Yes.”

  “The Kiljorns and Colonists are just like us right?”

  “Yes…for the most part. The Colonists have more side effects or mutations than the Katierans and Kiljorns.”

  “Do they have an extra eye or two heads or something?”

  Con laughed. “No, nothing like that. More like, variations or more extreme enhancements. For instance, Commander TylOR and his brother both share a mutation that inhibits the hair to grow on their bodies. The Colony’s Leader LarIS has a strong mental ability.”

  “That’s who Lucy was talking to in her head when she rescued us?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Did it hurt her to talk to him?”

  He frowned. He had never as
ked her that. It bothered him the other male connected with her on such a personal level. He had not even bothered to ask if that connection hurt.

  “I don’t think so. She never complained except for that it irritated her.”

  Tor looked at his father curiously. “You like the female warrior don’t you?”

  Con didn’t know how to answer that. “She is a fine warrior and we owe her a great deal.”

  “But you like her a lot more than the other females. You smell different when you are around Lucy.”

  Kitana. He smelled Con’s arousal for the female, though Tor was too young still to understand what he smelled. “I do like her.”

  “She likes you, too. She smells different when she is around you.”

  “She does?” Con’s interest picked up a lot more.

  “Are you okay with me liking her?” Con hadn’t thought once about how his family might handle him being interested in another female.

  “I think its fine. AriELa may not be so fine though. She had stronger memories of mother than I do.”

  Damn, there was a complication he never foreseen. His daughter and Lucy may not get along. What was he going to do about that?

  *****

  Midday Meal was interesting. Commander TylOR introduced his brother, AshOR, to everyone. He was a slightly shorter version of TylOR. Both were amazing looking men. Lizzie kept avoiding eye contact with TylOR and his brother had no problems figuring out there was tension between his brother and the short woman. He seemed to enjoy making it worse by sitting right beside her.

  AshOR was an equal opportunity flirt though. He gave each and every woman there his most charming smile and asked questions, all while giving her a look that said he would be happy to take care of all their needs. Lucy wasn’t out of his radar either.

  “Lieutenant Daniels, you get more beautiful each time I see you.”

  Lucy gave him a tight smile. She wasn’t up for his antics. “I have a weapon and won’t hesitate to use it.”

  The male actually looked like he turned pale. ConEL snorted out a laugh. The others at the table also joined in the laughter. AshOR excused himself and left the Meal Room.