“Liana, I have so much to apologize to you for and I’m not sure where to even start from,” Ryan whispered, as he ran his hair through his already mussed brown hair.
Leaning back in the patient’s chair in front of the physician’s desk, Liana gripped the arms of the chair and nodded at Ryan. “You could start by telling me what happened up at the Command Center earlier. What were you reading that made you hate me so quickly when only minutes earlier you were in love with me, or at least you thought you were?”
“I received a missive from Mikel Logann’s Head of Security. He liaisons with me concerning the Rebel Army I lead. He investigates all possible new recruits or new relatives of high-ranking recruits. It’s part of his ongoing duties, Liana.”
“Let me guess. He investigated me. What did he find? Did he discover that I didn’t return a library book when I was in high school when I was eight, or that I skipped school when I attended Cornell University at the age of thirteen?”
“This isn’t a laughing matter, Liana. He found a bit more than that. He discovered proof that you were witnessed having meetings with the Black Rose on several occasions since you started working in the Palace, as well as several off-planet meetings on Manruvia.”
“That’s impossible. I’ve never left Manruvia. Ever. And any meeting I’ve ever held outside the lab, I’ve been accompanied by your sister, Amy. Always. And on top of that, I’ve always carried a camera and a listening device on my person whenever I’ve left the laboratory in case something in the environment contributed to our fertility problems and I happened to discover it on my rambles. I’m never out of the office without some form of auditory or video recording machinery equipment running, and no one I’m with would be aware of that. So you tell me when these so-called meetings took place and I can refute them, immediately. All the information is right here on my laptop here on your ship in your medlab. Contessa can access it without my interference to verify that everything I’ve said is true.”
Slowly, Ryan approached his mate, knelt between her knees, spreading them with his hands so that he could get closer to her. “I don’t need Contessa to listen to the recordings, Liana. I know that you’re telling me the truth. Deep down, I knew the truth yesterday even as I destroyed our bond. I let the evil bitch that had victimized me in the past victimize me again, and in doing so, she allowed me to destroy our future. Tell me I didn’t permanently destroy us, please, baby. I can’t live without you. I can’t. I need you in my life. I need you in my bed. And, baby, I desperately need you in my head. Please love, please bond with me again. I need you in my mind, helping me make the right decisions, lending me your strength, feeding me your emotions, your compassion and your faith and goodness. You make me a better man, Liana. You just make me so much more. I don’t want to live another moment without you, and I swear, I’ll try never to make such a bone-headed mistake like that again—at least not without talking it out with you first.”
Ryan held his breath and prayed as he never prayed before. He wrapped his hands over hers, which still gripped the arms of the office chair. What would he do if she turned him down? He didn’t know, but it probably would include some more begging. He could almost guarantee it. Looking deep into Liana’s eyes, he waited for answer. What would it be? Would she mate with him or wouldn’t she?
Chapter Nineteen
Liana so much wanted to believe Ryan. Sincerity flowed like a river, pouring from his heart and soul. His every word spoken was truth. He could not lie to her. His soul was open to her, holding nothing back. But how long would that last? Right now, he seemed so absolutely sincere in everything he said, but could he be swayed from his path? Using her gift as a guide, she’d have to say no, he wouldn’t have, but could she still trust in her gift after what she’d just gone through? In the end though it came to one simple fact—she remembered what it felt like to be bonded to this man, to feel his love wrapped around her, to feel the absolute warmth of his love and caring surround every inch of her as he cherished everything about her. Ryan was right, she couldn’t live another day, another moment with being bound to him either. Together they would discover just who had set them up, who had done their best to rip their worlds apart. And that person would learn one very important fact. Revenge is best served cold and…together.
With calm determination, Liana turned both her hands over, clasping both Ryan’s hands in her own. She felt more than heard his startled gasp and his exalted joy. A quiver of excitement raced through is body, almost at the same time as a rush of pure love and astonishment, followed quickly by amazement. It became nearly impossible to keep up with the rush of emotions flowing so fast and furiously through the large male’s trembling body. He truly felt overwhelmed that she’d accepted him back. And she hadn’t even told him all that entailed. From the looks of things—er, the feel of things, she should say—she didn’t think that that really mattered to him at the moment.
For now, they’d work on rebuilding the trust she’d taken for granted. And they would work together to destroy the vile person, and her accomplices, who had tried to tear them apart—the Black Rose.
When they were finished with her she’d be nothing but an inky smear in Chantrea’s History Books. Besides, the Black Rose didn’t start the fertility problems amongst the Chantreans and the rest of the allies in the known universes, someone else did. She just took advantage of it. That unknown mastermind was their true enemy. It was that person that she and Ryan must truly defeat. The Black Rose was just a speed bump along the way. A practice run as it were.
She wondered what he’d say when he found out just what kind of battle lay ahead of them. She guessed she’d find out soon enough. But not tonight. Tonight was for reconciliation, and hopefully for a little lovemaking before all hell broke loose again. Because Ryan certainly wasn’t going to like it when he found out all the information she’d discovered in the last several weeks concerning the origins of the Chantreans and Manruvians’ fertility problems as well as those on Earth, their own home planet.
“Make love to me, Ryan Morgan. We must forge the Mate Bond between us. I don’t want you to hold off any longer. I swear it feels like half of me is missing and there is a gaping hole in my heart and soul—in my mind—where you should be. I can’t take it anymore, Ryan.”
“Oh Goddess, Oh Goddess, I thought I’d have to be the one begging on my hands and knees on all night long, begging you for the bonding again.” Ryan didn’t bother to wipe the tears that ran unchecked down his cheeks from sheer happiness, nor did he try to conceal his smile or hide his joy. Instead, he pressed closer to Liana and gently wrapped his arms around his woman, and squeezed her, somehow both tenderly and possessively.
Liana smiled. For now, that was enough. It was definitely enough for now. They’d work out the rest later. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against Ryan’s ear, gently bit the bottom of his right ear lobe and whispered, “Aren’t you going to take me to bed?”
* * * *
Ryan grasped Liana’s fingers in his own, gently lifting the tips to his lips, kissing each of her fingers in reverence. He’d never take her or their relationship for granted again. Never. Again. Sweeping Liana into his arms, he raised his face towards the bulkhead. “Contessa, lock-on to the biorhythms of Liana Peterson and myself and transport us directly to my chambers. You have control of the ship. Contact us in case of an emergency.”
“Understood. Transportation working. May I say, Congratulations, again, Ms. Peterson and that I hope you’re here to stay this time? The Commander needs someone to keep him in line from time to time, and there only so much Contessa can do.”
Liana laughed. “Why thank you, Contessa. I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll step outside while he finishes the proper security protocol with you.”
“Do so. Once we are finished, I’ll leave you to become reacquainted and remain on radio silence until we meet up with your security detail, or until such time as something requires your immediate attention.”
&nb
sp; “Thanks again, Contessa. We’ll announce when to remove the door locks and free the locks on the isolation stores.”
As Liana left Command Deck to allow the Commander to give Contessa the new security codes, to prevent further hacking and false missives such as the one that been fabricated to discredit her, she found herself surrounded and soon in the arms of Amy and Hunter Shi’Lan, Mikel and MaryAnn Logann and Taliff and Eve Shi’Lan.
Literally picked up, hugged and passed from one set of arms to another before finally finding her feet again, Liana was surprised at the homecoming, feeling like a guest of honor when not too long ago she’d been treated as a traitor instead.
When Amy wrapped her in her arms and told her to never act so foolishly again, she kept her mouth shut, because of course she wouldn’t. That didn’t mean she would sit on her ass either. She’d instead make some very thorough, thought-out plans using old maps and city systems to ensure that when they attacked the Black Rose, she’d never see it coming. Liana would make sure not one innocent civilian would be in harm’s way either. Not this time. The Black Rose’s Days were numbered. Finally.
As soon as the greetings were over, Amy pulled Liana aside and began to scold her in the most loving way. “How could you do what you did, Liana? Did you not think for even one minute what losing you would mean to us?”
Liana wrinkled up her brow, looked around to make sure the others weren’t listening but of course they were. “I made sure you had plenty of blood to clone. I didn’t leave you in the lurch.”
Amy gasped then slapped Liana across her arm. “Are you crazy? Leave us in the lurch? You would have left us without you? You are more are more important than your job, or what you can contribute to our society, or even what you can contribute to our gene pool. You make us all better people, Liana, and without you, this world would be a poorer place to live. Don’t ever doubt that you’re loved just for you ever again. And I mean ever again, Liana because that’s just plain crazy talk!”
Liana closed her eyes and gave a slow wistful shake of her head. “Not everyone we love can love us back no matter how much we might wish they would.”
“And some can make utter jackasses of themselves because they don’t believe in the love they do feel because it comes on so fast and is so completely overwhelming,” Ryan said.
Liana wasn’t sure what shocked her more, seeing Ryan down on his knees, his hands outstretched, begging for forgiveness as his friends looked on—some of the most powerful people in the Universe—as he again apologized by calling himself a jackass and apparently meaning it. Or doing all that in a submissive position, something no Chantrean Alpha from Earth would ever do, not even on his deathbed, so that he might have a chance to earn his mate’s trust back.
A small smile curled up the corner of Liana’s lip as she watched the wariness and doubt creep into his submissive posture, but he didn’t waver, remained on his knees, hands held out, head bowed and waited for her decision. “Ryan Morgan, would you like to join me for the evening meal tonight? I think we have a lot to repair, and our marriage is only the beginning. I found out some horrible news in the last two days and I must bring you up to speed on it that ASAP as you’re the Rebel Leader—if you still hold that role, that is,” she mumbled.
“If I still hold that role?”
“You have been nearly completely incommunicado the last couple days and the Goddess could not reach you. She did not have the same problem with me. You can have the role again if that’s is acceptable to her, moyo.”
Ryan gasped.
Liana jumped up and squeezed Ryan’s hand, running her hand over his forehead, down his chest. Looking around to make sure they weren’t under some silent attack, Liana used her own body to protect as much of Ryan’s kneeling body as she could. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“That’s the first time you called me that since I broke the bond with you.”
“Oh, I thought it appropriate,” she said, blushing.
Lifting his hand, Ryan traced the curve of her cheekbone, the line of her jaw, the fullness of her quivering bottom lip. “When we’re alone, I’ll really like to get back to those plans we’d been making earlier before all this company interrupted us.”
Liana could feel the blush spreading across her skin. Thank the Goddess her darker skin tone tended to hide her blush more easily than those with paler complexions. “I’d like that, too,” she admitted.
Clearing her throat, Amy elbowed her mate, Hunter and winked at the others. “We’ve all seen that Liana is healthy for ourselves, so let’s leave them alone to spend some time together. We’ll all meet up again tomorrow on Chantrea and try and figure out how you were deceived, Ryan. Someone had to go through several layers of security to pull that off. In the meantime, enjoy your night off, and we’ll all do the same.”
Liana watched as within seconds, each of the couples had called their individual ships and had transported from the Retribution’s medical lab. Even the Mother Goddess Alana had disappeared. Oddly, Liana couldn’t remember exactly when she’d left, compared to when the others had arrived, with all the other chaos going on around her. She should feel a bit more guilty about that than she did, shouldn’t she?
A happy giggle sounded in her ear and she knew she was forgiven.
Of course you are, my child. As I said, you have much yet to accomplish and much of that you can’t do without your mate. You’ve already decided to take him back in your mind, it’s now up to your heart, your soul and your body to follow through with that decision, and I’m sure you don’t want me here witnessing it.
Liana tried her best to contain her blush so Ryan wouldn’t know she was speaking such intimate thoughts to the Goddess. Thank goodness, the Mate Bond wasn’t working anymore. It isn’t, is it? she asked, wanting clarification on that point. She’d be completely embarrassed if he’d overheard some of her most recent thoughts since she’d woken.
No, my daughter, only you can reinitiate the bond between you. When you’re ready, just think about building a bridge between your minds of the hardest material you can think of and that should do it. It should only take seconds to work if you’re absolutely positive it’s the right decision for you to make.
Thank you for answering my questions, Mother, now I guess I should let him get off his knees. “As good as you look down there kneeling at my feet, I don’t want your submission, Ryan. I never have.”
“Then what do you want?” he asked, squeezing and rubbing her thighs as he continued to look up deep into her eyes.
“I just wanted your trust. To be your partner, and your lover. Was that so much to ask?”
“Then I’m begging you, let’s put the past in the past where it belongs and start over, tonight. Start fresh, like today’s the first day of the rest of our lives. The first day of our forever.”
Liana’s body burned like the Fire Rivers from Chantrea’s Volcanic Moon of Valgus, hotter in her wet core than on the surface. What was it about this man? Whenever he was near, passion overtook her, as hot as lava and as fierce as… Yes, as fierce as an Ancient Lionese Warrior.
Looking at Ryan now, she could almost forget the hurt he caused her, could almost ignore the painful hours she passed, knowing just how much those hours hurt him as well. Would punishing him further help either of them, when he knew that as an Empath she could feel his very real remorse at his actions and his very true desire to do whatever she asked of him in order to take her as a mate again? She couldn’t let what others thought she should do influence this decision, or what would make her look weak or strong—an Omega to others rather and an equal, an Alpha to match her mate. It was her future, Ryan’s, and no one else’s.
Wrapping her arms tightly around her mate, she looked up toward the ceiling as she’d seen all the others do when speaking to their sentient computer systems. “Contessa, take us to the Master Bedchamber meant for the highest ranking mated family member on the Retribution, please. We’ll need all of our belongings moved to that
location over the next few days as well. Please inform all necessary parties of the housing relocation.”
“As you ordered, Liana Peterson. Transportation begins in three seconds. Two. One. Transportation Complete. I will begin sending over your luggage and personal belongings in approximately three hours, and a small meal in two. Will that be all?”
Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. “You might want to make the meal closer to three hours and start sending our belongings in four. I believe that we have a lot of catching up to do, Contessa.”
“As you say, Commander Morgan. Contessa Out.”
Liana reached forward, gripped Ryan’s hands harder and pulled Ryan into a standing position. “I like that idea. Take me to bed, Ryan and let’s start on making our forever.”
Ryan’s smile could have powered the Chantrean Palace for a month, it was so wide and bright. Like he’d been given all his birthday and Christmas gifts for a century in a single night. Maybe they could make this work after all. She couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter Twenty
When she tried to lead Ryan to the bed, he swung her up and over his shoulders with surprising strength and speed. She never even saw the move coming. Slung over his shoulder, her face just an inch shy of his luscious ass, she watched it bunch and sway while he made his way across the room.
“Dammit, Ryan. Put me down. I thought we were going to start this off the right way.”
“We are. I’m not going to hold back who I am really am from you. I know you can handle me, in bed and out of it. You are strong enough, love—strong enough to take on anyone one, even the Black Rose. You can certainly handle a dominant lover,” he murmured, as he gently slapped her bottom then followed it up with a cherishing caress.
Worlds Apart 4: Ryan's Hope Page 12