She assumed many of the settlers accepted and used it. Their main complaints were not being able to use the things the other Euthenians had.
Water, the endless supply of free electricity, the shops where you could purchase foods, both raw and prepared.
It was the things which make life easier they sought. But Emerald knew they’d ask for so much more once negotiations began.
If they began.
The clip clop of the equine’s hoofed feet stopped. Caleb’s arm went out, and he made a fist. All the people behind them stopped as well.
Some rode equines, some came in wagons pulled by equines, and others walked. But nearly all the male settlers were part of the group who had come to the capital to take it over.
Emerald was the only female. Caleb had told them that was his one condition for accepting the role as the uprising’s leader. She was to remain with him, no matter what.
Caleb had been to the palace before. He’d been made to stay with the King and the Prince when he first arrived. His military background was something they feared.
He stayed with them for sixty sunsets before they found him to be a changed man and let him go to the settlement territory. Now he would do to them exactly what they feared most.
Emerald hated the fact Caleb had told her he and Prince Kerr got along wonderfully and he even considered him a friend. And now he was in this position against him.
Her husband was a man of great honor it seemed. He was dead set against a rebellion, but when his father goaded him about it, he gave in and took the position.
“Draw your sword, Love,” he told her.
Emerald leaned forward and whispered, “Caleb, there is no one outside. There should be no bloodshed if at all possible. If we come in armed and ready for a fight, we will surely get one. If we come in docile then this might end peacefully.”
Caleb turned his head just slightly. His words came out slow and stern, “Draw your sword.”
Emerald let out a heavy sigh and did as he told her. The shining palace lay in front of them. It was a beacon of hope to many. It was tearing her apart to be at the head of the uprising.
But she would do whatever her husband asked her to. He had control over the one thing she didn’t, her heart.
CHAPTER 2
Caleb
His heart was pounding against his chest as he looked down at his wife. Her long, blonde hair splayed out on the purple grass outside their little house.
One finger he trailed over her pouting, pink lips. “It’s my duty, Love. Please try to understand. I know more about war and the palace than any other person in our settlement.”
“But you told me you wanted nothing to do with the uprising, Caleb.” Emerald’s eyes searched his. “What if something happens to you?”
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Worried about me, are you? How perfectly sweet you are. We’ve only been married a few days and you fear my death.”
“You are walking right into a war. Of course, I fear your death, husband!” Her hands ran over his broad shoulders.
The two suns shown overhead, pink clouds filled the sky as a gentle breeze blew. The red forest was in the background and the scene was beyond gorgeous, but all he saw was her.
His beautiful wife lay on the purple grass and he lay beside her, stroking his fingers back and forth over her stomach. Caleb leaned in to kiss Emerald.
Her hands ran through his auburn curls and she swirled her tongue around his as they kissed. His heart swelled with love for her and he knew only one thing for certain. She would be at his side through all things.
If they were able to gain control of the palace it would be the two of them who would take over the ruling of Euthenia. A thing which hadn’t sunk into either of their heads completely.
His fingers found the buttons of her dress and he unfastened them, freeing her breasts. In one hand he took one of the plump mounds and fondled it.
Her moan let him know she would like a little more than that and he pulled his mouth from hers, finding her blue eyes gazing up at him. “Caleb, I love you.”
The heartbeats stopped, and he held his breath. She loved him. It was the first time she’d told him those words. Finally, his heart resumed beating, and he said, “I love you, Emerald Booth.”
Kissing her again, hard, this time, he pushed the dress from her shoulders and she unbuttoned his shirt. In no time at all they were naked on the grass in front of their home in the Euthenian countryside.
She sighed as he entered her and then she ran her long legs around him, holding him to her. It was obvious she enjoyed him as her body reacted to his with excitement.
Long strokes he made as he moved inside her. She arched up to meet his strokes and moaned with the pleasure he was giving her.
His mouth left hers, going to her neck. She made a low groan as he nipped at it then sucked the tender flesh just behind her right ear.
Caleb growled as he increased the speed and hardness of his strokes. The need for her grew. Her breath was coming in sharp pants as his force was pushing air from her lungs with each hard thrust.
“Caleb! Yes! Yes!” she cried out as her body pulsed and squeezed around him with her release.
He could take no more and gave into the need to let go. His climax took him to another place. A place where only the two of them existed.
“I love you, Emerald. I will always love you.”
Soft kisses he left all over her face until her hands took his face in them and she stilled him, making him look at her.
“I will always love you too, Caleb. If you feel you have to lead this rebellion, then I will do as you wish.”
“Thank you. I want you right by my side. Always, right by my side. Together we can show these people how we can all exist together, no one a step ahead, no one a step behind. Together, equals.” He kissed her as he hoped they could pull it all off.
When he was at the castle, he and Kerr had long discussions about the future of The Euthenia Nebula. It was Kerr’s intention to change the way things were done.
Kerr wanted to co-exist peacefully with the Earthlings. Treating the people from Earth as pesky nuisances wasn’t going to cut it, though.
If Caleb could manage to take the palace over, then when the royals arrived back home from their trip to Earth, he and Kerr could work out an agreement which would benefit all.
The king would be a problem. Caleb knew he’d have to be taken out, but he would need it to look like an accident. An illness of some kind, maybe.
It was something his mother was working on. A poison they could slip into his food or drink. Or perhaps a germ he could be infected with.
Whatever the cost, things on The Euthenia Nebula had to change. Though not a thing he wanted, the responsibility had been placed squarely on his shoulders and he meant to do his best.
The touch of Emerald’s hands as they roamed over his muscled back brought his attention back to her.
“Have you begun to realize your new home will be the palace, Love?” He kissed her pink cheek.
Her eyes rolled. “Let’s not talk about such things. I am happy here, with you. I don’t even want to think about the other.”
“You have to think about the other, Emerald. You and I will help rule this planet.” He pulled away from her and stood up, taking her with him.
Holding her hand, he led her to the pond just inside the woods. Strolling along naked as the day they were born as no one was anywhere near where he’d built the small hut, they made their way to bathe.
“The king will never allow that, Caleb. It’s a dream and I am not into looking at a future which is impossible.” She gasped as Caleb stopped and picked her up in his arms and carried her.
“Nothing is impossible, Love. You’ll see. Very soon you will see.”
She let out a shriek as he jumped into the freezing cold water with her in his arms. “Caleb!”
With a hearty laugh, he asked, “Cold?”
Her teeth were chattering,
and she tried to get away from him and out of the cold water. He let her out of his arms but got in front of her so she couldn’t make it out of the small pond.
She giggled and splashed water at him. “This is much too cold. We’ll have to gather water in buckets and warm the water over the fire then bathe in it.”
He swam to her and took her in his arms. “At the palace heated water flows from spouts like magic. They have a central water system and all the residents have it in their homes. They refuse to allow us to tap into it or create our own. Were you aware of that, Emerald?”
She ran her arms around him and pressed her body to his. “I was not. I thought we all wanted to live off the land. You know a simple existence.”
“So you’d rather lug heavy buckets of water just so you can bathe in comfortable temperatures rather than have access to it right in your own home, just like all the other residents of Euthenia have?” He ran his hand through her hair and kissed her cheek.
“Caleb, that’s what we came here for. To live simple lives. It’s not the fault of the Euthenians and there is no need for us to rebel. We picked this life.” She kissed his lips gently. “Call it off Caleb. Use your experience to talk them out of this. People will die.”
“True, but what about our children? Do you wish them to grow up and live in a world where they’re considered only a bit above animals?” he asked her.
Her brows furrowed with the thought. “I suppose they could go back to Earth if they don’t like the way things are done here.”
He shook his head and laughed. “Your parents didn’t explain things to you I guess. You were too young, and they made the decision for you. Signed the paperwork for you.” He tweaked her nose, and she wrinkled it. “None of us can ever return to Earth. It’s over-populated. We all had to sign away our rights as citizens of Earth to come here. Our children can’t just go back. And there’s not room to if we could.”
“So, what you’re telling me is we are stuck here, whether we want to be or not?” Her expression was one of concern. “Caleb, I had no idea. I honestly thought we could leave if we wanted.”
“Other planets won’t allow us to go to them either. We have to make this place our forever home.” He led her out of the pond as her lips had turned blue. And they began walking back to their little house.
He was sure her silence was because she was taking in all he’d told her. She had been left in ignorance for far too long.
Now that she knew the truth, perhaps she’d change her mind about the uprising. Maybe she’d want to help him with the integration which had to happen if the children of all the settlers were ever to have decent lives.
The truth was he always knew, this time would come. As bad as he wanted peace, he wanted a place his children could call home and feel a part of. He’d fight for that, kill for that, and even die for that if it came to it.
CHAPTER 3
Emerald
Evening came and the three moons were all in small phases, leaving the night dark. Caleb had made a small fire inside the house on the dirt floor.
He and Emerald sat on a blanket beside it. Caleb took a lock of her hair, he seemed mesmerized by it.
“The firelight makes you look even more beautiful. Your hair flickers with the flames and sometimes it looks like gold flows through it.” As he let the hair fall, he looked into her eyes.
His hand flowed through her hair, pushing her long hair back off her neck. His lips came to rest on her neck.
She closed her eyes. The softness of his lips as he moved them over her skin and down to the hollow of her throat made her feel warm deep in her stomach.
The sound of the rain beating on the roof came in a sudden burst and the wind began to blow.
But all Emerald could think about was how Caleb’s lips felt like tiny pillows full of jelly and covered in satin. Never could she have imagined a man’s lips being been so soft.
Caleb’s hands were rough from working, yet he moved them over her skin so lightly, they flowed over her body like water over a stone.
Moving his body to sit behind hers, he straddled her. His long legs on either side of hers. He kissed the back of her neck as he moved his hands around her, cupping her breasts in them. Emerald’s breath came out in a long sigh.
The touch of his hands on the outside of her dress made her breasts swell with anticipation.
His lips grazed her ear. “I love you, Emerald. Listen to the rain, love.” He pulled the hair off her other shoulder, running his lips over it, slowly and softly as he pulled her dress down, revealing her silky skin.
The touch of his lips left her dizzy. She let her body fall back against his. His lips ran back up her neck.
Gently he pressed his hand to her cheek, pushing at it, gently, but firmly, making her face turn towards him. His lips found hers, and this time, she felt a pulse in hers, begging for his lips to press harder on hers. She moved her head closer so he could harden his kiss.
Caleb moved his body from behind hers to in front in a quick movement Emerald never felt until he was in front of her, pulling at her dress as his lips pressed harder onto hers.
His lips left hers, only long enough to pull her dress off, and then he was back in front of her. He pushed her back on the blanket as his lips touched hers again, laying his body out next to hers.
Forcefully he pushed his tongue out of his mouth and into hers. Emerald moaned with the sensation and stroked his tongue with hers.
As his tongue ran around hers, he moved his hand up to squeeze her breast. He moved his mouth off of hers and down to the breast in his hand.
Her breaths were ragged, she ached for his mouth to come back to hers and fill it again.
His tongue licked at her nipple. He pulled the nipple into his mouth, kissing it with his tongue, the same way he’d kissed her mouth.
She ran her hand to the back of his head and held him to her. Then watched as his head bobbed a bit as he sucked it and sent an incredible sensation to a place deep inside her.
Caleb released her breast though it was un-beckoned, leaving Emerald looking up at him as he stood up.
She reached out for him to come back into her arms. He began to take his clothes off, his eyes on hers, watching her response.
Thunder crashed outside, the firelight shone out around him as she looked up at him. Standing still in front of her, she knew what he wanted her to do.
Her eyes started at the top of his auburn curls she’d messed up as she’d ran her hands through it while he kissed her. His shoulders seemed broader, somehow in the fire’s light.
His skin glistened as a light sheen of sweat covered his body. Darkened eyes looked back at her, reminding her of the storm which had begun to rage outside.
The way his pectoral muscles filled his wide chest impressed her. Her gaze moved to his defined abdominal muscles.
Standing at attention, she found his ample manhood ready and waiting. Last of all she took in his thickly muscled legs and felt her body growing increasingly hotter.
Caleb reached out and pulled the only clothes left on her off. He picked her up and placed her on the bed. She lay naked on the bed as he looked at her.
“You are beyond beautiful, Emerald. I love you. I will never hurt you. You will always be safe with me.” He stretched his arms out for her to come into.
She rose from the bed, letting him envelop her in his arms. His head hung over her shoulder. Pressing her lips to his ear, she said, “I love you, too, Caleb.”
“You’ve made me very happy. Now, I’m going to make you that happy as well, Love,” he said as he gently laid her back on their bed.
Her dark blue eyes looked up at him, then closed as his lips touched hers. Gently he pushed his tongue through her parted lips.
A groan escaped her when he left them. Making him smile. “I’ll be back to satisfy your need for my kiss, Love. I want to show you what else feels good.”
His lips trailed down her throat. Leaving small kisses between her breasts
, down to her stomach. Once his lips touched her inner thigh, her hands tangled up in his hair. “What are you doing?” Her voice was tense.
“Lie back and relax, you’re going to like it, I promise. If you don’t, just tell me to stop. I warn you to mean it if you do, as I won’t be doing it to you anymore if you ask me not to, and I think you’ll hate yourself if that happens.” His lips touched the small bud at her apex, making her shudder.
He hesitated before kissing it again, lest she felt the urge for him to quit. “Again,” she said, almost too quietly for him to hear.
Alien Romance Box Set: Romantic Suspense: Alien Destiny: Scifi Alien Romance Adventure Romantic Suspence Trilogy (Complete Series Box Set Books 1-3) Page 122