Paradisus (Awakened Book 6)

by Harley Austin

  “I see.”

  “No, I don’t think that you do. You’re not the first prince to approach the throne thinking one can simply attack and defeat the Supreme Emperor with a cadre of Yin.”

  “If such a thing was ever my intent; I agree with you. It would be ill-advised.”

  “Dane—” Rase looked at his much younger brother with love, admiration, but also patronization. “You are barely nine hundred. Your ambition is admirable but misplaced. You have still much to learn about our father. I wouldn’t be saying this if the other siblings were here, but, if I thought for an instant that your little plan would work, I would join you. In an heartbeat.”

  Dane said nothing.

  Rase pursed his lips. “In any event, it won’t matter. The fleets are already deployed. I will descend on the Yin homeworld once we enter the interior of the cloud and rid you of its—deceitful attraction.”

  Dane raised an eyebrow.

  “And then, brother, I will give you the credit.”

  “Why not take the credit for yourself?” Dane asked.

  “Still too young to even understand your own family?” Rase sighed. “Because at some point, my dear Dane, you will need to learn that it is better to have friends than enemies, especially among the princes. Your ambition makes you a much better ally than an enemy.”

  “You flatter me, brother.”

  Rase set down his still mostly full glass on a hovering tray as he prepared to leave.

  “No. No, Dane. It is no flattery. I say what I do only because I fear you.”

  Dane raised his brow slightly.

  “Others would be wise to do the same.”

  Dane watched his elder brother turn and depart, closing the door to Dane’s private chambers behind him.

  Tanner suddenly appeared standing next to Dane.

  “I need to know where Rase’s fleets are heading.”

  “We were watching. But nothing came through the portal. Nothing.”

  “No ships were cloaked? Why would he lie?”

  “He wasn’t lying. His fleets are here. Somewhere.”

  “Tanner. Stay with me but send Ty and Ethan back to Aden. I fear something unspeakable is about to befall your world.”

  76

  L eads of where the Ra where holing up on the planet were few and growing fewer. Despite its small size, Earth was still a very big world with lots of places to hide if one really didn’t want to be found.

  It had been a short and disappointing day with yet another dead end that had left Dark empty-handed. Still, it wasn’t an entirely bad day. He was back in Toronto, about to have dinner at the Canoe, a favorite and rather swanky high-rise restaurant with a grand view overlooking the city. From a small, quiet table, his eyes wandered the busy night skyline below for whatever, while his thoughts bounced from each dead lead wondering—wondering why he was suddenly letting someone rub his shoulders from behind. Why hadn’t he heard them walking up to him? Their fingers were firmly pushing the frustration of the day away from his hard muscles. Still, who was it that was behind him? He leaned into the gently talented massage.

  “Hmmm. You have exactly thirty minutes to stop that, whoever you are,” he warned. Then he caught the scent of someone he’d not seen in months. Emotions welled within him while a soft trepidation filled him at the same time.

  “Don’t be so nervous, Dark,” he heard her whisper. He knew her voice. Her scent. And now he knew exactly who was behind him. He stood up gracefully, with the elegance of a god.

  “Hello, Serena,” he smiled at her, his soft masculine voice captivating her as it always did.

  “Dark.” She smiled back. “Interesting meeting you here. Why do I get the feeling we’re being setup?”

  “I was just wondering the same thing,” he mused.

  “I thought I was meeting someone else for dinner?”

  “Evidently you’re having dinner with me,” he invited with a smile.

  “Evidently.”

  Dark moved around to help her with her chair.

  “Who were you supposed to be meeting?” he asked, sitting down.

  “Just a friend from school who was supposed to be in town.”

  “Alexis?” His eyebrow lifted.

  “I was going to surprise her. Evidently I surprised you instead. Who were you meeting?”

  “No one, actually. I’m chasing down some gods.”

  “All by yourself?”

  “I’ll be alright.”

  “Sure you will. Mitchell Dark always goes it alone.” She smiled as a waiter poured her a glass of wine and refilled Dark’s.

  “You look beautiful this evening.” He complimented touching his wine glass to hers. She did look beautiful; her evening dress was stunning.

  “You’re looking nice as well. You’ve gotten more handsome since the last time I saw you.”

  “You’re the same,” he set down his glass. “It’s impossible to improve perfection.”

  “If I didn’t know you were sincere I’d say you were flattering me.”

  “I don’t lie.” His eyes met hers.

  “I know you don’t. That’s one of the things I appreciate about you. How is Kari? Everything going okay with you two?”

  He nodded. “We’re fine.” He smiled.

  “That’s good. It’s nice to see a goddess who’s actually married.”

  “Speaking of married goddesses, Serena,” Dark began, “did Kari put you up to this? Meeting me here?”

  Serena shook her head beautifully. “No. I honestly thought I was just meeting Alex. Why? Did Kari want us talking about something?”

  Dark sighed. “I made her promise to stay out of it. Maybe she didn’t exactly hear me all that clearly,” he half smirked that somehow made his face look even more handsome with a dimple appearing on one side of his face.

  “Dark, you don’t exactly tell an Apostle what to do. Especially that particular Apostle. So what did you want to talk to me about?”

  “Kari’s a goddess.”

  “That’s hardly news.”

  “Jules is one now too.” He raised his eyebrow.

  “Oh,” the epiphany only took a moment. “I see. And now the incomparable Admiral Dark is feeling outclassed?” She mused with another smile.

  Dark blushed a little and looked down the table.

  “Hey.” She reached out her hand taking his. It was exactly the wrong thing to do between the two of them. Her touch was wonderfully enchanting, electrifying against his skin. It made both of their pulses jump when she touched him. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  “I know, but—”

  “Dark. You’re chasing down the off worlders?”

  “Serena, stop reading my mind.”

  “Stop holding my hand.”

  “Yea, like that’s going to happen.” His grin was gorgeous as he curled his fingers around hers.

  “I keep forgetting how strong we are—when we’re together.”

  “I don’t.” He looked sincerely into her eyes.

  It had only been a few months, but seeing Dark again was having its typical affect on Serena’s feelings. The, tall, dark, and incredibly handsome military bad boy was enough to send any girl over the edge, but the man was also married, and happily so. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop their biology from kicking into overdrive when the two of them were anywhere within a mile of each other—let alone touching. Serena’s empathy seemed to be able to hone in on Dark like a heat-seeking missile. And right now, that’s exactly what Serena’s body wanted more than anything in the world, to be sharing some heat—with him.

  But Serena could also feel his concern. Memories of the two of them only months ago were still vivid in his mind, but she also knew the kind of man he was. Principled. Disciplined. Honorable. Still, that hadn’t stopped the two of them while Dark was briefly her bodyguard and stand-in trainer. Rion was busy doing God only knew what so Jerrod had asked Dark to step in to continue her training. One thing had become beyond obvious betwee
n the two of them; they were made for each other. Their attraction had been uncanny, powerful. Like, ‘she needed to have his children’ kind of powerful.

  “Whoever set us up like this—” Serena began.

  “Is going to get pounded.” Dark assured her.

  “Dark, maybe this is fate and there’s a reason for it.”

  “I can’t, Serena.”

  “Honestly, Dark, I don’t think either of us have a choice at this point. It’s a trap.”

  He sighed. His fingers were already wrapped around hers. He couldn’t walk away from Serena right now if he tried. Dark pursed his lips. Her body had already cast its spell over his.

  He watched Serena’s eyes softly light with a subtle glow as their surroundings smoothly blurred and changed. They were still seated at their table but now they were in an evening lit, open loft apartment overlooking a city and a river he didn’t recognize immediately. The city lights glistening off the river were beautiful. He looked around at the nice feminine touches of the industrial-looking space.

  “Your place?”

  “One of them.” She smiled.

  “I’m not staying—long.” He lied. It wasn’t actually a lie, he really didn’t want to stay long; but he knew fate likely had made other plans.

  “Don’t fight it, Mitch. No one will think less of us.”

  The lights within the large open space dimmed out as a soft fire sprang to life within a long glass-wall gas fireplace that created a kind of separation between the main space and the bedroom area. Serena took his hand and opened his palm. She slipped the shining band of gold from his finger and placed it next to his glass on the linen covered table.

  Both stood and gracefully embraced. Serena shook back her long dark hair, her green eyes catching the natural firelight beautifully.

  With everything he was capable of Dark fought the instinct that now raced through every fiber of his body. But he desperately wanted Serena’s lips on his. He felt her open pout brush lightly against his; her warm sweet breath a subtle fragrant allure. He could feel her heart beating rapidly. He didn’t know if his was even beating at all at the moment. The only thing that he knew was that Serena’s lips were now moving over his. And right now, that was everything in the world he wanted and needed.

  In Dark’s arms, Serena was completely captured by not just his warm masculine scent and hard body, but by whom the man was. There were all kinds of mysteries that swirled around the demigod. He was the head of the powerful Dark Clan. As the husband of an apostle he had the allegiance of the Dominion at his beck and call. To complete his forbidden intrigue, he was also best friends with Rion.

  Dark was principled. Arrogant. With a reputation of being an incredible lover. He also killed people. The man was dangerous. And it was partially that feeling of being with danger that now moved her as she slipped his shirt from his shoulders to move her hands over his smooth bare chest while his lips finely, subtly tasted hers.

  “You should kiss me harder,” she complained.

  “No.”

  “God—please,” she pleaded through his light kiss.

  He sighed in a rippled breath. He was doing everything he could to keep himself from just ravaging her lips.

  “You’re torturing me.”

  “You need to be tortured. Slowly.”

  “Ahhh,” she protested.

  For long moments that grew into eternal minutes each kissed softly, slowly losing pieces of clothing to the floor until there was nothing left between them. Dark lifted her from her feet, carried her to her room and then rested her onto her the smooth duvet. Serena wrapped her arms around his wide back and her soft legs around the thick muscles of his legs as the two of them kissed sweetly, softly, lightly.

  Dark deliciously made love to her lips. His hands moved softly over her skin as they made out breathlessly wrapped together. Serena became lost in the man’s kiss, the way his body just so elegantly and sensuously moved with hers.

  She rocked her hips feeling his tongue gliding along the inside of her lip, and only then did she suddenly realize that he was already fully, completely tall and firm inside her. But he wasn’t moving himself within her. Just making out with his thick hard rod sensuously filling her as they kissed.

  “You’re going to make me come,” she realized. His body was barely moving against hers, but his lips lightly danced over her pout and then onto her neck as his hips moved imperceptivity against her tight hard clit.

  “AAAHHH!” Serena called out into his mouth, her back arching as her body gripped his with the powerful detonation. Serena screamed as another bolt of ecstasy rocked her body! Dammit! How? How was he doing this to her? They were only kissing!

  She pressed her clit tightly against his front.

  “God—Dark,” she breathed, her chest rising and falling heavily with the sudden intense release.

  “You’re so beautiful when you’re coming, Serena.” He masculine voice calm, his hand gripping her ass lightly, pulling them closer together with his thick male filling her.

  She could sense his own breathing getting deeper. Her feelings entwined in his, she lightly teased his ecstatic feelings, causing his concentration to falter.

  “I—” he took a sudden uncontrolled breath, “keep forgetting you can do that.” His pulse jumped. She easily brought his emotions to the breaking point, and had him calling her name, whimpering softly against her lips.

  “UHHH—GOD! SERENA!” Dark whispered with an intensity that left her yearning for him to actually be rocking his long shaft within her. But even unmoving within her, Dark wasn’t immune to her teasing wiles. She felt his desire explode within him as his passion released within her. His cock pulsed several times, again and again, spilling heavily, forcefully, as they continued to kiss teasingly, lightly.

  Dark buried his cock as deeply as he could into her. “Oh, Serena,” their tongues met yet again. “You are so going to get seriously kissed now,” he warned against her lips, feeling the last tremors of his release deliver his full seed into her completely unprotected. His voice had said kissed, but that was not what his body was saying as he pressed himself tightly, as deeply as he could into her.

  The feelings between them were primal. She wanted him buried deeply within her, seeding her with every ounce of his passion.

  Both recovered slowly from the intense release of ecstasy, softly locked in each other’s arms, wrapped around each other’s legs.

  “Is this is how you like to makeout.” She smiled through another light kiss, reveling in the ecstatic high that still moved in ripples through her body.

  “Only with you.”

  Serena felt Dark’s solid male move warmly within her, his hips rocking ever so softly against hers, the base of his shaft slipping against her tight clit.

  “Oh, Dark,” she breathed. “That’s going to make me—”

  “You’re so beautiful, Serena. I need to watch you come again.”

  She couldn’t respond. He had her; moving within her, drawing up her desire. In another few moments he’d have the powerful sun goddess completely out of control once again. Vulnerable. Safe. His.

  * * * * *

  Where are we?” Paige took one of the command seats within the small command bridge of the interior of their Kir vessel.

  “Good question.” Rowan’s mind linked with the vessel’s stellar cartography to display their local region.

  “We’re still in our own galaxy.”

  “Huh?” Paige began. “I thought the portal was supposed to take us to Andromeda?”

  “Yea, that was my thinkin’ as well. Somehow, we’re not there.”

  Their comparatively tiny ship sped invisibly alongside yet another massive fleet of Ra vessels that seemed to be reorganizing themselves from a kind of conical formation into what looked like other fleet geometrics.

  “See here,” Rowan got Paige’s attention. “They speed through the portal in this tight array, probably at close to warp. Then once they’re through on the ot
her side they re-assume these defensive formations.” He pointed out the new configurations the large and smaller vessels were taking.

  “Why would they need to assume a defensive formation?”

  “Because, my dear Paige, somehow, we’re not on the outside anymore.”

  “What are you saying? Outside of what?”

  “This is our position. Deep space.” The three-dimensional map then zoomed smaller.

  “Wait, that’s our Kuiper Belt.”

  “Yea. And the fleet you’re lookin’ at outside is sitting right above it.”

  “Then, we just jumped into the inside of the cloud.” She alarmed. “Right past our defenses.”

  “Yea.” Rowan frowned. “And now I know where that other vessel came from.”

  “What other vessel?”

  “The one Ty and Ethan watched getting fried off the coast of Saturn several months back not far from the Paradisus. My guess is that the Imperium’s been making test jumps into the cloud for a while now. Trying to get their vessels past the defense perimeter. Looks like they’ve finally succeeded.”

  “We have to warn Earth.”

  “I can’t send a communication. The Ra might pick it up.”

  “How do we warn them?”

  “Paige,” Rowan’s steely eyes met hers. “Take a good hard look around us. Look at the size of this fleet. That flagship out there is damn near as big a Neptune. Even if we could warn them. What are they going to do?”

  “God—Rowan,” she breathed.

  “Paige, there’s a reason why Brenda left.”

  “But—all those people Rowan. Still on Earth.”

  “We can’t help them, Paige.”

  “What do we do? We can’t just—”

  Rowan shook his head. “We’re just one tiny vessel. I could deplete every weapon on this ship and still not scratch a dent into this fleet.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Nothin’. We wait.”

  “For what?”

  “See what happens.”

  “And if they destroy the Earth?”

  Rowan’s eyes met hers. “Then we leave, Paige. Just you and I.”

  “Where do we go?”