by Lizzy Ford
“A’Ran, I want to try one more time to discuss a peace deal. This one will make reparations for the loss of your planet,” Jetr said. “I ask for your attention one last time, as a personal favor to me.”
His words were followed by a long silence. The men around him shifted with Romas shaking his head. No image appeared on the screen, and she began to wonder if A’Ran would respond, even to her. Jetr’s confident gaze remained on the viewer.
“The Council and Qatwal has nothing I want,” A’Ran’s low voice said at last. Her heart soared at the sound despite his sharp tone. She fidgeted, waiting to see him on the viewer.
“First, the Council offers to fund the relocation of your people from the Anshan moon to a suitable planet. The Council will fund everything.”
“There is nothing new in your offer, Jetr.”
“Second,” Jetr continued, unruffled. “Mison has an offer for you.” He turned to Romas’s father.
“I require peace with the Anshan,” Mison boomed. “An end to the blood feud that has existed between my family and yours.”
A’Ran said nothing. Jetr glanced at Mison, who glanced at her.
“I will offer one last compromise before the Council sends in its armies to destroy you,” Mison continued. “A prisoner exchange.”
“You can have your men. You’ll need them after I destroy the rest of them,” A’Ran replied.
Romas motioned her forward. Surprised, she hesitated before crossing to him. Jetr stepped beside her, and Mison looked hard at her.
“You have not asked what I offer you,” Mison said.
“You’ve captured none of my men, and Jetr is no more a prisoner than anyone else in your house,” A’Ran growled. “If this is all you— ”
“Your nishani.”
“My nishani is dead!”
“For which you blame me, even though you destroyed her!”
“My greatest mistake was not destroying you sooner,” A’Ran said with chilling calmness. “Jetr, ask no more favors of me.”
Romas motioned for her to speak. She felt panicked and sick at her stomach, uncertain what to say. In the end, she spoke his name.
“A’Ran.”
Silence. Jetr nudged her.
“Romas rescued me from the cave before you blew up the mines. He took me to the planet I came from. Evelyn returned for me a few days ago.” As she spoke, the words became easier. “I don’t know what happened, but I want to come home. I shouldn’t have left. I shouldn’t have been so stupid as to not be able to see that what I wanted was right in front of me. I want to come home.”
She could almost see him thinking. When the quiet stretched uncomfortably long, she spoke again. “A’Ran?”
“I’m here, nishani,” he said in a hushed tone. The edge of cold rage was gone from his voice. “Jetr, I will accept the Council’s offer. Mison, I accept your prisoner exchange and will release your men on the moon nearest to Qatwal. I am coming to your location. I can track nishani. If you try to harm her or me, everyone in your compound will be destroyed.”
“I understand,” Mison said with a frown.
“It will be an honor to see you again,” Jetr said.
The click of A’Ran hanging up was audible. It broke the men around her from their frozen apprehension, and several of them moved away. Mison and Romas spoke quietly while Jetr turned to her.
Her thoughts were flying again in anticipation of seeing A’Ran. Even her breathing was quick as she waited.
“Come. We’ll await him outside,” Jetr said, and took her arm. He led her through the men, who stared at her warily, and down several halls.
She’d never thought she’d ever hear A’Ran’s voice again, let alone see him! Tears rose, and she wiped them away, scared something would go wrong at the last minute. Mison might try to blow A’Ran up, or the Council change its mind, or A’Ran would destroy everything to win his war, even if it meant losing her.
The emotions she’d buried when she’d thought no one was coming for her bubbled. Her body shook from the inside out before they stepped into the chilly night to await her fate.
Fate.
She thought of the image she’d seen so long ago when she met A’Ran, the vision of them walking together on the dead planet. She’d been destined for him— and Anshan— since before she ever met him! She tossed her head back to stare at the stars. They’d escaped Qatwal on a night such as this. All she could think about was seeing, touching, kissing A’Ran and experiencing the odd energy that ran between them.
Her emotions tumbling, her body shaking, she stepped away quickly from the doorway when Romas and his father stepped from the dwelling into the night. Neither spoke to her, only stood quietly while their warriors remained in the hallway behind them. One of the warriors emerged, spoke to Romas, and retreated.
“The attacks have stopped,” Romas reported.
She looked in the direction where orange and red lights had bloomed earlier. The sky was dark and peaceful. The hum of a spacecraft made her pulse leap again, and her eyes found the small craft descending from the sky to a landing point a hundred meters away. The craft door opened, and a figure strode out. She felt the energy even from the distance and started forward. Jetr caught her arm, shaking his head.
Agitated, she waited. Mison drew abreast of Jetr, and Jetr stepped forward as A’Ran stopped a safe distance away. She gazed at him in the moons’ light, tears building again. Everything from his unshaven jaw to his crooked nose drew her hungry gaze, and she took him in, feeling as if she’d never truly seen him before. His fierceness took her breath away, and the dark circles beneath his eyes drew her sympathy.
“You both know how agreements are recorded,” Jetr said, holding out his arm with the armband. Mison did so as well. “You both must agree to the terms you made, and I will agree on behalf of the Council.”
A’Ran held out his arm as well, saying, “I agree.” Mison echoed his words, as did Jetr. The three bands lit up and faded, and all three men dropped their arms. Jetr stood aside. A’Ran’s gaze turned to her. Despite the piercing gaze she’d never quite gotten used to, she stepped past Jetr and looked up at her mate, taking him in breathlessly once again. She doubted she’d ever get used to his towering size or strength. He was beautiful in the moonlight, with the gentle light of the moons clashing with his ferocious warrior body. His large frame radiated heat. She couldn’t quell the deep ache within her that longed for his touch.
They gazed at each other for a long moment, each taking the other in.
“I made my choice,” she whispered. “Thought you might want to know.”
“I do,” he replied in a tone just as quiet.
“Anshan is mine. You can come with me, if you want,” she joked.
He touched her face gently, the slightest smile crossing his features. The hot energy of Anshan branded her from the inside out, and she shuddered. She needed him too much to wait and closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him. His heat and the charged Anshan life force washed over her, through her.
She was home.
“Did you really blow up Anshan?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Wasn’t that a little brash?”
“It was a high-risk, strategic choice, like kidnapping my lifemate from the Qatwali,” he replied, wrapping his arms securely around her. A laugh bubbled from within her, along with tears. Her gaze blurred, and hot moisture burned down her cheeks.
“Nishani … Kiera … ” he said softly. She pulled away enough to look at him. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with a large thumb. “Forgive me. I’ve been a warrior for too long to understand how to be the lifemate you deserve. It should not have taken this to make me appreciate what I have.”
“I’ve been a fool, too, A’Ran.” They stood in silence, comfortable and whole in each other’s arms. She wanted to curl up in a ball and sob until she fell asleep, relieved and ecstatic to be with him again. “We better go. I have to clean up the mess you made
of Anshan.”
“No, nishani. First, we will go to the other moon of Anshan, where we can be alone for several days. I will make amends for my behavior.” His voice was husky and low, his grip around her tightening. Desire fed into her swirling emotions. “Then we go to Anshan.”
“Together?”
“Yes, Kiera. We will create a new beginning for our people and heal our planet together.”
She managed a smile, too overwhelmed by her emotions to speak. He pulled away to take her hand, and they walked hand-in-hand toward the small spacecraft. Her gaze went once more to A’Ran’s face as they walked.
Fate, she thought. I owe you one.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE