by Zara Zenia
It was a question that I had often asked myself. I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering and thinking back to the last conversation that I’d had with Mulkaro. The night before my brothers and I left, I went to him in the cover of night. It was a conversation that I’d never shared with anyone. My brothers would have been furious if they’d known that I risked his wrath. My arrogance could have cost not only my freedom but theirs as well.
“Have you come to bid me farewell, brother?” Mulkaro had asked.
I kneeled before him as was the custom and waited for him to tap my shoulder before rising. He took his time, lording his power over me. Arrogance again. He always thought that his world was the only one that existed and it could ruin our entire planet.
“I’ve come to ask for your pardon. Please brother, I mean no threat to your rule. I only want to be here to aid you on your journey of life.”
“Do the others know you are here risking everything for your own personal gain?” he asked, a cold tone in his voice.
“I don’t do this for my own gain. I do this for the good of the people.”
“The good of the people? Then why don’t you renounce your royal lineage and come to me as a commoner and not a man of royal blood.”
I glared at him, “You know that is a death sentence. Our enemies sit in the darkness, waiting for one of us to defect.”
“Fear? From you Zaruv?” he smirked. “I would think that you of all people would appreciate the challenge.”
I took a deep breath, “I am not afraid of my own death, but for my brothers’ safety. The last time a royal defected, the entire house was wiped clean and sent away. I’ve never heard of a ship safely making it away from our planet when it carried defectors. You know the risk I run for our brothers.”
Mulkaro turned away from me and ascended to his throne, looking down at me as he sat. “Because of our old ties, I will overlook your transgressions this once. I will not be so forgiving a second time. I will not see you again, Zaruv. Go live your life in peace and let me do the same.”
“Mulkaro, our brothers,” I tried once again.
He glared down at me and tapped his staff on the floor. The guards that had been lurking in the shadows stepped forward, ready to remove me by force if needed.
“You and your brothers are no longer my concern. The day my father died, I became an only child. You and the others are nothing to me but a threat to my rule. I won’t tell you again, Zaruv.”
“There was nothing more to be said between the two of us. My brothers and I left the next day and started our journey into exile,” I finished softly. “So, to answer your question, yes. I was a threat to him and I am not sure that risk is entirely gone. I loved Mulkaro but the more time I’ve had to think about it, the more I see that he will be our end if someone doesn’t step in.”
“Won't that mean war?”
I shook my head, “I don’t want to start a war, but the time might come when I have to turn against my brother. That’s not something I look forward to contemplating.”
Jennifer looked at me in earnest for the first time, as if she was seeing something inside me that hadn’t been there before. She smiled and slid her hand across the seat. With a racing heart, I followed suit and our fingers brushed together. Jennifer leaned closer to me and I was unable to stop myself from playing into her hand.
Chapter 6
Jennifer
A shudder ran down my body. His skin seemed to ignite a desire inside of me that was almost overpowering. His lips were so close to mine, all I had to do was lean forward and they would touch. I wanted him, I wanted him like a woman dying of thirst needed water. My heart was racing, I had no control over my body. Just as we were about to kiss, a shrill alarm sounded from the dash and I quickly pulled away, my cheeks red.
“We’re getting close,” I said, recovering from the moment.
He sighed and looked as flushed as I felt. “Great.”
I laughed, “You should be happy we are almost there. Hopefully, your brother didn’t leave the crash site or worse, was found by outlanders.”
“Outlanders?” he asked.
I nodded, “Men who don’t want to live in the colonies. They think the law doesn’t apply to them. Most of the caravans between outposts leave with heavy guards.”
“You didn’t say anything about them when we were leaving.”
“Yeah,” I said as I shrugged. “I didn’t think you would want a big party to look for your brother. It would bring up more questions that I don’t feel like answering. Plus, I have you to protect me. Right?”
He frowned, “I suppose. I would like to keep as low a profile as possible.”
Glaring at him, I was thankful when the crash site came into the clearing. I was ready to rip into him. I’d gone out of my way to make sure that he was kept safe, but he didn’t seem to care about anything but finding his brothers. The threat to my own person didn’t seem to matter as much. The tension was still thick between us as I parked the hovercar and jumped down, grabbing my medical bag and continuing on, not waiting for him to follow.
Zaruv quickly came to my side and pulled me to a stop. His lingering touch reminding me of the effect that he had. “Why don’t you stay behind me? I don’t know what state my brother is going to be in.”
“Oh,” I shot back. “So, now you’re worried about me? I don’t think so.”
I shoved past him and kept walking. The brisk night and strong winds had done a fantastic job of hiding the escape pod. Looking at it from the road, you wouldn’t have thought it was a crash. It looked like another mound of dust covering the ruins of a long-forgotten war unless you knew that there was something more to be looking for.
He stormed past me, his long strides making it hard to keep up with him. I could tell from his posture, that he was angry with me but I didn’t care. He was the one who didn’t give a damn, so why should I? I did my best to focus on the task at hand, making sure that no one was around. I saw nothing but sand and red sky around us. There was no danger except for Zaruv himself.
Zaruv brushed away the sand covering the pod in wide sweeps until he found a flashing keypad. He quickly keyed in a number and the pod opened. Inside, I saw his brother who looked remarkably like Zaruv himself. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought they were twins. He shook his brother gently as I stood watched a few feet away. The man started to move, his eyes opening with a sudden shock.
“Easy Ragal, it’s me, brother. You are safe now.” Zaruv said to him gently as he unstrapped Ragal.
“What in God’s name happened? Where the hell are we?” Ragal asked as he stumbled out of the pod.
“We are not where we are supposed to be. This is Jennifer, she saved my life and now yours at great personal risk.”
Ragal looked me up and down, his eyes lightening and a stunning smile crossing his lips. He approached me, his hand held out in offering. My cheeks flushed red and my eyes darted to Zaruv who was rolling his own eyes. I took Ragal’s hand and shook it gently. His reflexes seemed fine. I’d witnessed two of the crashed pods now and I continued to be stunned by the health of the aliens. Neither of them seemed hurt at all.
“It seems I owe you my life. I don’t believe I’ve ever met a more beautiful humanoid in all my life. Tell me, are all the woman of your planet so breathtaking?”
I laughed, though the noise sounded foreign and shrill to me. “Are you all so charming? Between you and Zaruv, you’d think I was a princess.”
“Oh no,” whispered Ragal as he kissed my hand. “I have met many princesses and your beauty makes them all pale in comparison.”
Zaruv cleared his throat and I glanced over at him. He looked irritated by the exchange and I couldn’t help but feel a little ping of joy. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn that he was jealous of Ragal. Playing it up, I giggled and let the color flood my cheeks. He’d made it clear I didn’t matter, so why should I care if he was upset. I ran my hand up Ragal’s arm, feeling his muscles as they strained aga
inst his uniform.
“We should probably get you looked over, just to make sure there are no lingering side effects from the crash.”
“You mean spend more time with you? Nothing sounds better,” he said smoothly.
“He seems just fine to me,” muttered Zaruv.
I glared at Zaruv, “I would think you would be more concerned with your brother’s health, Zaruv. Maybe you can see if anything from the wreck is salvageable while we go over there.”
Jerking my head to a clearing a little way from the wreck, I tugged Ragal behind me. Zaruv was right, Ragal probably had no lingering effects, but I was enjoying myself. Ragal seemed to like the time alone too, a little bit too much. It seemed like he found a reason to brush against me or touch my hand as often as possible. While it was fun to upset Zaruv at first, I found myself being pulled back to the prince I’d met the day before.
I shoved my supplies back in my bag as Ragal asked, “Done so soon? I was just getting comfortable too.”
I smiled as I would with any other man making a pass at me. “Your vitals are great considering what you just went through. I don’t see any reason we can’t go help Zaruv.”
He took my hand, “I don’t see any rush. My brother lives for adventure. No doubt he’s already plotting a move against the ship that did this.”
“Really?” I said, frowning. “He didn’t seem to care about anything but finding you and your brothers.”
“My brothers!” Gasped Ragal. “Your beauty must have jumbled my mind. Did they not land near us?”
“No,” said Zaruv. “Their pods landed much further away. Since you were closest, we came to you first. Now we must get back to the outpost and prepare for the next leg of our journey. You will be well accommodated in Jennifer’s home while we look.”
“What?” Ragal said with me in unison.
“He’s coming with us?” I asked.
Zaruv glared at me, “I see no reason to put him in any further danger. He can recover at your apartment while we travel.”
“Brother, I believe I should come with you. You don’t know what dangers this land holds.”
“No,” said Zaruv in a low tone.
I could sense the need for privacy. I quickly stepped away from them and made myself look busy by putting away my bag. Zaruv was acting strangely. I’d thought he would be thrilled to recover at least one of his brothers so easily, but he seemed angry. I couldn’t keep myself from listening to the conversation, even though I was further away. My hearing was better than most who lived on the planet. I wasn’t born to the harsh climate and invasive sand.
“I know what dangers you can pose though, Ragal,” Zaruv whispered.
Ragal laughed, “Don’t tell me you’ve already laid claim to the young humanoid. That hardly seems fair.”
“I have no claim to anyone, Jennifer included. She is helping us and that is all. I think you would be best served to stay back while we look for the others.”
“Ahh,” whispered Ragal. “You may have no claim over her, Zaruv; but it seems she’s laid claim to you no matter what. Tell me, are you really willing to risk her life so that she only has once prince to choose from?”
I had heard enough. Slamming down the cargo hold on the hovercar I spun around and glared at the two stunned men. I stomped over to them, standing within inches of Zaruv and assuring myself that he saw just how irritated I really was. He stumbled back a step, Ragal had a playful smile dancing across his face though. I didn’t seem to put the same fear into him that I did Zaruv but in all honesty, I didn’t care. Zaruv was the one acting like a jerk. Or at least he’s the only one I cared about acting that way.
“You two are worse than human men!” I screamed at Zaruv. “I am not some prize to be fought over like a couple of Infernians.”
Ragal scoffed, “We would never come to blows with each other. Please, Jennifer, we are not heathens!”
“Really?” I hissed. “Because right now you are both acting like it. I don’t want either of you okay? I have enough going on in my life that I don’t want some prince trying to get with me. Now, can we please go back?”
“Absolutely!” Ragal said, unfazed by my outburst. “Would you be so kind as to teach me to fly this contraption?”
I rolled my eyes, “You don’t need to drive. I know how to handle it just fine.”
“You drive?” he asked, stunned.
Zaruv cleared his throat, “Of course she does, Ragal. This isn’t like our home. Their customs are strange, but so far I have found nothing too worrisome about a female behind the controls of the hovercar.”
“Still, I am a prince of knowledge. I would be eternally grateful to learn,” he said sweetly.
I saw Zaruv roll his eyes. I knew showing Ragal how to control the hovercar would irritate him, something that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do. After the way he had acted, he was lucky that I was talking with him at all. I grinned at Ragal and stepped aside to show him the controls. As we started to talk, I let Zaruv and my anger slip away. I still had a great deal of time to spend with the handsome prince, I didn’t need to keep watch over him all the time.
It only took a few minutes of talking before Ragal was behind the controls. I begrudgingly sat dangerously close to Zaruv. When he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, I almost bit his head off until I felt the reason why. Ragal pushed the hovercar to its limits, sending my body backward, even closer to Zaruv. Part of me wanted to yell at Ragal but part of me wanted to thank him for doing what I didn’t have the guts to do on my own. I nestled down next to Zaruv, avoiding looking at him as my cheeks flushed again.
“I think teaching him was the best idea you’ve had yet,” Zaruv whispered seductively in my ear. “Maybe we should bring him with us after all.”
I shoved myself away from Zaruv but it did no good. The force pushed me back against him and I resigned myself to the closeness. It was going to be a long few days with the handsome prince.
Chapter 7
Zaruv
The trip back to the outpost was mostly silent until we reached the gates. Jennifer guided us through them without any problems, just as she had done before. She was a remarkable woman, it was no wonder my brother took notice of her. I clenched my jaw as we rode quietly through town. Ragal making a pass at Jennifer seemed to ignite a fire inside of me, one of pure jealousy. If Ragal reacted so strongly to her beauty, there was no doubt in my mind that my other brothers would too.
“Here, stop here,” Jennifer whispered.
I looked around, “This isn’t the entrance to your building.”
“No,” she said in a hushed tone. “This is the back entrance that leads directly to the apartments.”
“Why didn’t we use this way before?”
“Because there was no point, now there are three of us. I don’t want to raise anyone’s suspicions.” She dangled her keys in front of Ragal. “The red door, can you open it for us?”
Ragal thumbed the silver key, “My Lord. This technology is ancient. Tell me, do you have indoor water?”
Jennifer glared at him and I reached for her arm, speaking firmly. “Don’t be a dunvib, Ragal. Of course, she has indoor plumbing. Go, before someone notices us.”
Ragal rolled his eyes but said nothing more as he tromped up the steps. I was about to apologize for his behavior but when I turned back to Jennifer, she tossed several bags in my arms. She was in a hurry and I knew why. No doubt the awful woman next door would have heard us arrive. Jennifer was clever to send Ragal first. He would be safely inside before the nosy creature was even to the door.
“Jennifer? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she muttered as she walked quietly up the steps.
When we neared the landing, I set down the bags and touched her shoulder. Something was definitely going through her mind. No doubt I would be stirring more trouble by asking. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to know if there was anything I could do to make her feel better. I didn’t want to be a burden o
n her but I had nowhere else to go. My brothers and I were at her mercy. I had to know what she was thinking.
“Jennifer, please? You know that you can talk to me, right?”
“And say what? I don’t like you and your brother fawning over me?” she said. “It didn’t seem to work last time.”
I wrinkled my nose at her words. “I don’t believe we were fawning. I don’t even know what that means.”
“You got the gist of it though, didn’t you?”
“How can you blame us? You are a stunning woman! You should take the affections of a prince more heartedly.”
“You should learn to keep your jealous mouth shut!” she shouted back.
I lost it entirely, pulling her into my arms and crushing her against me. Her hands wove around the back of my neck as she gently dragged her nails along my skin. My tongue laid claim to her mouth, exploring her sweet taste as our mouths melded together. Every inch of my body seemed rigid with desire. I could feel the passion as it lit and simmered, begging to be released in a moment of pure pleasure. She pressed against me, her perfect breasts crushing against my chest.
I longed to rip the clothing away that stood between us. When I heard the subtle sound of a door opening, I ignored it. I hoped that Jennifer would too, but I felt her body tense and knew she was going to pull away from me. Against my desire, I let her go. It would do no good to try and keep her within my embrace. She was a strong willed and stubborn woman, qualities that I found most enticing. Immediately she looked to her door, but when I saw her face harden, I knew it wasn’t my playful brother that had interrupted us.
“Damn,” I muttered.
Jennifer straightened herself at once, her aura turning cold. “Hello, Courtney. I see you are up later than usual.”
“A good thing too, you never know what kind of riff-raff might come wandering in.”
Her gaze landed pointedly onto me before noticing my arm still wrapped around Jennifer. During my brief stay on the planet, I’d already formed a strong dislike of Courtney. It was more than her intrusive nature. I sensed a malice in her directed toward Jennifer and I didn’t like it one bit. I wouldn’t let her twisted sense of right and wrong bring harm to Jennifer, not while I was still breathing.