“Sounds like Florida.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “except no hurricanes or tornadoes.”
“That alone is a big plus. What about the mud covering everything? Is it here to stay? If so, I should think Mudville or Sludge City might be good names for our lovely capital.”
He chuckled low in her ear, the sound sending a delicious shiver down her spine and making her think of other things aside from rain and mud. “The sludge is around for a while I’m afraid. Although, once the drainage systems are in, the standing water and rivers of mud in the streets won’t be anywhere near as bad.”
“I hope not. I forgot to pack my hip waders.”
His fingers tightened in a squeeze. “Building from scratch takes time, galita. And with more settlers comes expansion. There are plans already to build to the north in an area with a more temperate climate. Moving southward is an option for those who prefer hot and dry. It is much like your Earth.”
“Except for the twin suns and frequent solar storms.”
“Mm, this is true, except I’m told our scientists are close to a solution for the communication problems during those debilitating storms. Until then, it is more of an inconvenience than anything. Things are improving every day, and remember, we are not forever destined to live here if we like one of the other settlements better.”
In a positive mood of late, Ram didn’t dwell on the troubles they had before coming here, and never mentioned essentially being exiled from his home because of her, but it had to weigh on his mind. She’d lost her home, too, but had no choice with it falling apart around them. But her actions had taken away his freedom to choose, as well as separated him from family and friends. He had so many reasons to resent her. No wonder he couldn’t bring himself to have more tender feelings for her, like love.
“Eryn.”
“Hm…” She replied, still lost in thought and feeling sorry for him, more so than herself.
“What are your plans for the day?”
Although she felt like curling up in a corner and crying for a month, she plastered on a fake smile then turned and looked up at him. “More work on the common room at residence hall number three. The others are already at capacity. No one wants to leave their family behind to travel across the galaxies to live in a tent in the mud. Once this one is up and running, we can contract with more construction teams, especially if they can bring along the wife and kids. And did you know the school is almost finished, too? Which is another incentive. We’re rapidly making strides toward becoming a fully functioning colony.”
He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Though he never had trouble teasing or touching when they were intimate, outside the bedroom he maintained a distance between them. She angled her head, welcoming this affectionate gesture from him, something she hoped would come easier for him every day.
As he ran his thumb along her jaw, she tried to suppress the pain of her unrequited love for her mate. Having to settle for affection was the price she’d pay to have Ram in her life and keep Cierra with her.
“I hear you’re handy with spackle and a paintbrush.”
“Yes. Never would I have imagined. It keeps me busy and makes me feel like I’m helping. I’ve always been good with my hands, and I’ve proven I can pound a mean nail and screw with the best of them.”
His eyes lit with humor. “I’d have to agree with the hands and the screwing part, at the very least.”
“What? Oh, no. I didn’t mean…” Her stammering amused him, and he burst into laughter.
“Ram!”
But he was too far gone.
“Very funny, you know I was talking about tools!” Although she acted put out, she thought it a positive sign that he could let loose and laugh in her company. “How do you know what screw means, anyway?” she asked once he’d wound down.
“I worked on the base alongside your soldiers for months, remember?” He bent and placed a kiss along her jaw. “I picked up a lot of their slang. And although I don’t let it fly around you, your mate can curse like a crusty old soldier.”
She laughed, imagining him dropping an f-bomb other than using it as a verb while they were intimate, or his favored faex when angry, which he swore didn’t mean what she assumed it did.
“Will you miss me while I’m gone the next two days?” His voice carried a more serious note.
“Yes, and Cierra will miss her daddy singing her to sleep.”
“Don’t let word of that get out, woman. You’ll damage my reputation.”
“Ha. You and your warriors put on a good show, like you’re tough as nails, but you melt when a baby is anywhere near. I have a hard time getting her back from them sometimes.”
“It isn’t often they get to be around babies, mate. The birth rate has been essentially nonexistent these past twenty years, with females even more of a rarity. This makes Cierra extra special to them.”
“They’re all gentle with her, Ram. I don’t mind the attention. Even from Rollin.”
“You two have… How do you earthlings put it, buried the hammer?”
She giggled. “You mean buried the hatchet. And yes, we’ve made our peace. I apologized, as did he. Right before he accused me of being dishonorable and fighting dirty.”
His mouth tightened a fraction, indicating his displeasure. “That wasn’t well done of him after a sincere apology. I’ll have another word.”
“No, Ram, things are settled between us. And it’s not as though he was wrong. When you’re a woman fighting to prove yourself, you gotta pull out all the stops. It helped that I taught him a few new moves, small badass female style.”
He gave her an indulgent smile and shook his head. “I can say with certainty, mate, life with you will never be dull.”
He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers. The kiss, which could hardly be called one, left her wanting more, but he had already gone to retrieve the small bag he’d packed for his short trip away. A group of Earth scientists had requested a visit to the new uladite stores located in some caves in the distant mountains. Ram and several of his warriors were leading the mission as well as providing security for the planned three-day trip. It would be her first overnight separation from him since they reunited, and she wasn’t pleased with her tepid farewell. She’d never been the needy type, and she didn’t want to appear clingy, not with her apprehension over the uneven attachment in their relationship, so she didn’t complain, although she did have a few concerns she felt were valid.
“Are the caves dangerous? With the radiation, I mean.”
“We have protective gear that makes it safe.”
He had already said his good-byes when he put his daughter down for her morning nap. At the door, he paused. “I have warriors scheduled to keep watch and escort you when you go out.”
“Is it necessary? Everyone here seems accepting of the alliance.”
“After what happened with the Purists and the attack back on Earth, I’m not taking any chances. Obey me on this, Eryn. I want to know you and our daughter are safe.”
“I don’t plan on being difficult, Ram.”
“Excellent. Knowing that, I can focus on work and not worry while I’m away.” He fell silent, holding her gaze for a moment longer. “I must go. They’ll be waiting.”
“Please, be careful.”
“Always. I have a family I’m eager to get back to already.”
That was sweet, but she wondered if he only had her to return to, would he come back at all?
“Don’t worry, Eryn,” he added, mistaking the reason for her frown. “It’s a low-risk mission, much safer than some of the other tasks I’ve done since we arrived.”
Her eyes widened. “What other tasks?”
He smiled instead of answering. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone, galita.”
“I’ll ask the same of you, Master Ram,” she shot back, catching the flash of his dimple as he walked out the door.
* * *
“Are you sure Ram
won’t mind?”
“He won’t be back for a few days and I’d appreciate the company for dinner. Besides, Marnie Walker, the construction foreman’s wife from 2F brought me a welcome-to-the-colony cake. Can you remember the last time you had cake? And it’s chocolate, your favorite.”
“It’s been ages. How or why would I say no to such a tempting offer?”
When they arrived at her apartment, the suns had set, which cast the main room into darkness, except for a red flashing light in the hall. She gave the voice command for the lights, and brought Cierra in, setting her carrier down and leaving her undisturbed to finish out her nap.
She walked to Ram’s open office door, paused briefly then crossed to the communications console. The blinking icon on the vid-screen indicated an incoming message; red meant urgent. Curious to see what it could be about, she opened it with a single touch, blinking in surprise when a Primarian, dressed in the formal robes of the elder council came on screen. His dour expression before he spoke the first word made it obvious he wasn’t bearing good news.
“Master Warrior, Ramikin. Your mate is ordered by the elder council to answer charges of treason and duplicity in the explosion in the North Mountain Mine. She has seventy-two time cycles to comply. If she does not appear, as her mate, you will be charged in her stead. Further, per the code of law, noncompliance is considered an admission of guilt. Thus, you will be stripped of your title, position, properties, and your Warrior status. You will also be considered a fugitive from justice, and a subversive against the government of Primaria and its people. As you know, these crimes are subject to the harshest of our penalties.”
The message ended there without a good-bye, an over and out, or so much as a kiss my ass. Dire message delivered, the screen went blank, leaving Eryn staring at it frozen with dread.
“Holy shit!” came the exclamation from behind her.
Having forgotten Lana’s presence, Eryn jumped. Then she turned to her friend, who stared at the dark screen equally shocked. “Can they summon me like that? And strip Ram of everything?”
“The council is powerful.”
“More so than the Princep?” Fear shook her insides, making her voice quiver. “Maybe I can appeal to Max Kerr for help.”
“I’m not sure how it all works, but after Eva escaped, they charged her with treason. Because she left her fated mate.”
“I remember, Kerr almost died from the separation.”
“Yes, she arrived home to save him, just in time. However, with him still weak and recovering, the council took it upon themselves to summon her to face charges.”
“Like this?” She waved at the black screen.
“Worse. They came to their residence and took her away. They found her guilty and ordered her publicly flogged. Barely able to stand, Kerr came in and announced he would take the whipping for her, which was within his rights. She wouldn’t allow it, knowing he couldn’t withstand it. In the end, there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it, and, with a caring hand, carried out her punishment himself.”
“I can’t let Ram lose everything, Lana. It would be another black mark on my side of the ledger, and I have plenty already, believe me.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m going to face the council.”
“Without Ram?”
“He isn’t expected back from the caves for a few more days. Besides, we only have three days to get there, and it’s a two-day trip. I have no choice but to leave without him.”
“I think you have plenty of choices, the first being getting word to your mate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to be you when he finds out about this.”
“I will send word, somehow, but I can’t wait, Lana. Will you come with me, to take care of Cierra?”
She frowned, shaking her head. “I can’t. I swore when I left I wouldn’t go back.”
“Because of Trask?”
“I have my reasons.”
“You can stay aboard ship. I’ll go down, face the council, take my licks, and be back.”
“You make a public flogging sound like no more than a spanking over Ram’s knee.”
“As long as it’s not a whipping to the death, I’ll endure.”
“Ram wouldn’t want this. He loves you.”
“If that were only true.”
“Eryn!” she cried in surprise. “What are you saying?”
She brushed by her friend, needing to get out of the office to breathe. Once in the open living room she began to pace, agitated for many reasons. “He had no choice in this, Lana. I…well, without going into specifics, we breached by accident. And he is with me out of duty and because of Cierra, not love.”
“How do you breach by accident? Did he trip and his cock just happened to slide up inside you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, whirling on her.
“Well, what else am I to think? Neither of you are teenagers ignorant of the facts of life.”
“If you must know, I tied him to the bed and climbed on top of him, and—”
“You didn’t?” Lana breathed, her eyes wide as saucers.
“I did,” she groaned, starting to pace again, her agitated stride taking her up and down the length of the polished wood plank floor. She rubbed her temples, trying to fend off the building headache. “I still can’t believe it. He told me no, Lana, so in essence, I ra— Uh, forced myself on him.” As always, she couldn’t bring herself to say it, too ashamed by her actions.
“Is force possible with a Primarian male? They walk around hard 24/7.”
She halted, her tormented mind seeing only the image of how she’d left Ram, furious and tied to his bed. “He warmed to the idea, but I violated him, Lana. There is no way around it. And, it was our first time.”
Her friend took a quick intake of breath. “You mean you spent weeks with him, and in all that time, you never…?”
Eryn shook her head, finding it ironic her friend was more surprised over what Ram didn’t do than what she did.
“I denied him, Lana. While the other couples were mate bonding and transforming, he respected my wishes. When I said no, it meant no. But when he said it to me, I didn’t listen. And afterward, he became angry.” The sound of his roar as she fled his house still echoed in her head. “No,” she choked out the word, “he was enraged with me afterward.”
“Because you left him, honey, not because you seduced him.”
Lana didn’t understand, not having been there or in the med-bay that awful day. “The point is I can’t let him sacrifice more for me, not when I’ve taken so much already. I vowed never again. I’ll stand trial for the charges. Besides, I’m innocent. Surely, I can make them see the truth.” She took a step toward her. “Lana, please, say you’ll come.”
“Fine, but only if you send a message to Ram today.”
“I will, I promise.”
“Good, then I can pray he will get there in time to spank some sense into you, if not to at least save you from your overactive sense of self-sacrifice and guilt.”
* * *
The following morning, with baby and Lana in tow, she arrived for the first shuttle of the day. It hadn’t been easy to slip by the guard Ram had assigned to her, but, with Lana distracting him, she’d escaped out the back door. After that hurdle, she expected to be home-free. Now, they faced one more, a large one, in the form of a green-shirted Primarian standing at the top of the boarding ramp. Though not a warrior, he still towered over her six-foot frame by at least eight inches. A technician, as his tunic indicated, and intelligent, like all the others in his class—engineers, scientists, mechanics. She just hoped he could be swayed by feminine wiles because, at this point, it was all she had left in her bag of tricks.
He glanced up from his tablet as they approached, and his eyes widened. She couldn’t imagine the fact she was a woman shocked him—three others waited behind them. But the five-month-old infant she held in her arms gave her identity away.
“You’re Mast
er Ramikin’s mate.” After stating the obvious, his eyes moved over the paved lot behind her. “Is he accompanying you? I had no word he planned to shuttle up to the ship today.”
“It’s just us three, Captain.” Eryn smiled, trying to act as if their boarding was no big deal.
“I’m Flinn, the co-pilot today. Captain Noran is in command.”
“Good. Two qualified pilots. We are in excellent hands.” She smiled even brighter and made to step by him.
“A moment. You are not on my passenger list. What is the purpose of your trip today, and who authorized it?”
Not expecting to be questioned so closely, considering shuttle flights traveled back and forth between the ship and the planet multiple times a day, the flimsiness of her plan became apparent. “We, the baby and I, that is, have to, um…” She shot Lana a non-verbal plea for help.
“They have an appointment with your physic.”
Brilliant. Lana’s quick thinking may have saved them.
He frowned. “On the Intrepid? Why can’t it be done at the clinic?”
Following her friend’s lead, Eryn explained, “We’re having tests run. You know, because Cierra is one of the first human-Primarian babies born, and…”
“They can only be done on board the ship,” Lana supplied, again, thinking fast on her feet.
“Yes.” Eryn nodded, adding to their story, trying to make it sound believable. “The clinic here on New Earth is coming along, but it doesn’t have the specialized equipment to run this particular test.”
Unconvinced, he twisted his head and called to someone inside the shuttle. “Did you know Master Ram’s mate and child were traveling off planet today, Noran? Says she’s having testing done in med-bay.”
“This is the first I’ve heard,” came the booming reply. In a moment, another tall, dark-haired male, this one in the red tunic of the warrior class, joined them at the shuttle doors. His brows slammed together when he eyed her sleeping baby in her arms. “We aren’t equipped for passengers, Ram’s mate. We stripped out the seats to allow for transport of equipment and supplies. Knowing that, I’m surprised the Master would send you alone, if at all.”
His Rebellious Mate (Primarian Mates Book 3) Page 32