by Lea Kirk
“No. No—oh, fuck.” Robyn’s ex scrambled for purchase in the dirt, gaining his feet.
Kyzel sank his talons into the man’s shoulders then gave his wings several full beats. He wobbled under the Earthling’s weight, then righted himself as he carried his prey upward. A moment later, Donahue was safely huddled in the crown of a forty-foot pine tree, blood oozing from the talon wounds. Well, as safely as he could be, given the circumstances.
Kyzel alighted on the branch of the next tree over. “Now, we talk.”
“You’re a fucking maniac!”
“It is true. Such is our way when our mates are in danger.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” The man was the epitome of obstinacy.
“Perhaps I should leave you to reconsider your position…no pun intended, of course.”
Malevolence shot like darts from Donahue’s eyes. “Fuck you, freak.”
Well, there was nothing else to do. “All right, then. I will return after mid-day and we can continue this conversation.”
He rose and balanced on the branch, then unfurled his wings.
“Wait.”
It was all he could do to beat back a grin of triumph. “What?”
“She climbed out the bedroom window and ran away last night.”
“You forced her into your bed?” The words slipped out before he thought to stop them.
“I didn’t have to force her.” Donahue did not hide his grin. “You don’t really think she run off with a freak like you, do you…especially after I told her you kept a very important secret from her?”
Regret sank its talons into his heart.
“That’s right,” Donahue gloated. “I told her about your royal title. She don’t wanna be your queen, that’s what she told me last night. She wanted me.”
“If she truly wanted you, she would not have climbed out the window.”
Donahue snapped his mouth shut. No, Robyn had not shared his bed—willingly, or not.
Kyzel regarded his opponent. “Why are you not out looking for her?”
“I was.” The lie reeked of sourness. “That’s where I was going when you wrecked my car.”
“Of course, you were.” He braced himself for a jump, bunching his legs under him. “I will send someone for you, if I find Robyn alive. And you best hope I do, otherwise it will not go well for you.”
He pushed off the branch, first diving, then swooping upward, catching the still-crisp mountain currents. Behind him, Donahue’s shouts faded with distance.
Had a truck-stop ever looked so wonderful? Robyn stumbled forward from under the trees and blinked hard as tears blurred her vision of the giant asphalt parking lot. Trucks, tour buses, cars, and people. Who would’ve thought she’d ever be so happy to see any of them?
Now, if someone would loan her a phone, she could call Meryl to come pick her up here. Wherever here was.
She gave her cheeks a back-handed swipe. Stupid tears.
“Ma’am?”
She turned, and blinked at the young man halfway out of the cab of a truck.
“Are you okay?” He hopped down.
“Do you have a phone?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Oh, thank goodness. That was easier than she’d expected.
The trucker pulled a cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her. “Sorry, but you look like you spent the night in the woods.”
“Not the whole night, just since three a.m.”
“Do you need me to call an ambulance—?”
“No.” The startled look on his face confirmed she’d spoken too harsh. “I’m sorry. I just want to call my friend to come pick me up.”
He nodded. “That’s cool, that’s cool.”
“Thanks.” She gave him as much of a smile as she could muster.
She pressed the numbers and raised the phone to her ear.
Chapter 18
Three days later
Robyn sat at her dining table, twirling Kyzel’s wing feather between her thumb and forefinger. Even after all these days the scent of nutmeg was still there, as strong and pleasant as it’d been the day she’d found it on her porch. As if he was still standing in the room with her.
But he wasn’t. He hadn’t been since the day she’d come home. The day she’d told him she couldn’t go with him to Bezchi. Couldn’t be his mate, or his queen.
And today, he was leaving, going back to Bezchi. Her heart seemed to fold in on itself like a desolate child in the fetal position. Broken. Shattered. If everything had gone like it was supposed to, she and Kyzel would be in the mountains right now. Just the two of them.
She had made the right choice, hadn’t she? Bezchi was no place for a wingless human who didn’t know squat about it or its people.
Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. She had done a lot of research in the past few days, and Kyzel’s people and planet sounded like her tribe. But, how could she leave her kids? Or the women who turned to her and the shelter for help.
“Mom.” Kathy slid her hands around Robyn’s. “It’s not too late. He doesn’t leave until noon.”
Less than two hours. Robyn exhaled softly. “I know. I’ve been watching the clock since two a.m.”
“C’mon, Mom. After what Dad did, you still want to hang out here?”
“The restraining order will cover that, honey.”
“It takes three weeks just to get the hearing. In the meantime, you don’t have a twenty-four-hour security guard to make sure he stays away.”
“I don’t need a guard—”
“Maybe not now, but eventually. You know how he is.”
“Kathy, please….”
“But there’s no reason for you to stay. Karen, and Kev, and I have all told you we’ll be fine. Even Auntie Meryl agrees. You can visit us, and we’ll even come visit you.”
“No, that’s not it. I love you and your brother and sister, but you are all self-sufficient adults.”
Kathy shook her head. “I don’t get it. What’s keeping you from finding happiness for yourself?”
“My job.” Robyn leaned forward in her chair. “Honey, there are people out there, women, who are in worse situations than I ever was. And I’m in the position to be able to help them, to get them into safe places, get them jobs. I can make a—”
Bang, bang, bang.
The booming knock at the front door was as startling as it was a relief. “Hold on.”
She slid her hand from between Kathy’s and pushed out of the chair.
Her daughter slumped back in her chair; her lips pursed in a sour pout. “Probably Dad.”
God, don’t let it be Kevin. Although, it wouldn’t surprise her. Maybe Kathy was right, and the restraining order wouldn’t be enough. She could literally be walking into his grip right now.
She peered through the newly installed peek hole. Is that a man nipple?
Her heart fluttered to life again and she yanked on the doorknob a little harder than normal. The heat of the late summer morning rolled over her and she tipped her head back. Her gaze met the heterochromatic eyes of the winged man on her porch.
“Ms. Donahue.”
“R-Rol?” Not at all the Bezchian she’d hoped to see again.
He nodded. “May I come in?”
“Why?” Well, that was rude of her, but so what.
“There is something very important we must discuss before I leave, and I am not in the position to take no for an answer.”
“Oh, really?” The fight wasn’t in her, though. She sighed and moved away from the door. “Fine. Come in, then.”
It took him a few minutes to contort his way into the house, but soon enough he was filling the living room in the same dominating way Kyzel had. Only without all the sexiness.
“Ms. Kathy.” Rol nodded at her daughter.
Her daughter narrowed her eyes at him. “Hello, Rol.”
That seemed to be all the greeting either of them
was interested in giving the other.
Rol turned his attention back to Robyn, his wings drooping until the tips brushed the hardwood floor. “My behavior toward you outside your office that day was inexcusable. I have hurt you, and I have hurt my friend and my monarch.” He lowered himself to one knee, planted one fist to the floor for balance, and dipped his head. “I have come to apologize and beg your forgiveness.”
“Uh.” She cast a glance at Kathy and her daughter shrugged. No help there. She redirected her attention to the top of his brown and gray-mottled feather cap. “That was a pretty crappy thing you did.”
He nodded, but didn’t look up. “Yes. One I hope to rectify before I leave.”
Rectify seemed too optimistic. The act, and the resulting fallout, couldn’t be erased, but at the very least she could help him ease the mild animosity between them.
“Okay.” She made a shrugging gesture with her hands. “Okay, Rol. I’ll forgive you. It may take me a while to look at the incident objectively, but I think you were doing what you thought was right for your people.”
And, put like that, it seemed like a small weight had lifted off her shoulders.
Rol raised his head and met her gaze. “Thank you, kee mohap. May I rise?”
“Uh, yes.” The guy must be feeling pretty sorry to ask her permission to stand up. Or maybe it was a Bezchian thing, being in someone else’s nest. House. Home. Now she was thinking in Bezchian terms.
Rol stood and stared down at her with his eyes of two different colors. “My purpose here is twofold.”
“Oh? What else is on your mind?”
“Kyzel.”
“No—”
“Please, hear me out. My time is limited.”
The scrape of the dining chair over the hardwood seemed unusually loud. Kathy stood, leaning forward with her palms flat against the table top. “She’ll listen.”
Robyn stared, mouth hanging open, at her daughter. “I will?”
“Mom.” There was a finality in her voice, almost identical to the tone Robyn had used with her kids when they were younger.
She raised her hands in a frustrated surrender. “Fine.”
Geez, it was like their parent/child roles had abruptly switched.
“Thank you.” Rol inclined his head toward Kathy, then his attention was back on Robyn. “I have never seen Kyzel happier than when he was with you. And since the last time he saw you, I have never seen him more devastated. Now, here, I see you and the same sorrow haunts your eyes. You are hurting as much as he. At one time it would have pained me to admit this, but no longer. Kyzel was right; he is your mate, and you are his.”
“What about Careene? She was his mate, too, and a great queen for your people.” She gave her head a shake. “I can’t compete with that.”
“You are wrong, Robyn Earth-born. No one expects you to compete with Careene; only to be the best you can be in your own right. Careene loved her fledglings and her clan. She cared for Kyzel, but there was never true love between them—only deep respect. Respect enough for her to extract a death-bed vow from him that he take his next mate for love. So, he came here to fulfill that vow, and met you. You touched him, Robyn Martin. You have a piece of him he has never, and will never, give to another. His heart.”
“They’ll never accept me, Rol. Your people. How could they trust a human to have their best interests at heart?” And why did a part of her ache to prove she did?
“Because love matches are rare, and they will see and honor what you share with their monarch, as I do.”
She so wanted to believe that, but…. “I can’t, Rol. I have people here who depend on me. Women with little hope and in desperate positions. I can’t abandon them.”
“As a monarch, you will be in a position to help them.”
“Help them? From hundreds of thousands of light years away?” A huff of disbelief escaped her. “How?”
Rol dipped his chin and fixed her with a think about it look. “Do you know how many times I have heard the story of your first date to the bird sanctuary?”
“What does the sanctuary have to do…?” Oh, my gosh. A sanctuary.
A place of safety. A place to heal and start over without fear of being hunted down by angry exes.
Wonder filled her, and she met his gaze. “Rol…that could work.”
“You are in a rare position to be a monarch for both our people, kee mohap. If you will just embrace the gift before you. Please.”
This made so much sense. More than walking away from the one love of her life. Because there would never be another who came anywhere close to stirring what she felt for Kyzel.
“Kee mohap?” That sounded so familiar. “What’s that mean?”
“My monarch.” Rol’s smile was somewhere between knowing and smug. “Your decision is needed, as your mate will depart from the galactic spaceport soon.”
Everything good came in the winged package named Kyzel. Her future, her passion, lay with this amazing, loving man. Her heart seemed to shatter within her chest. She met Kathy’s sparkling gaze. Her daughter was grinning as if she’d already figured out how her mom would respond.
Smart alec, kid.
Damp warmth streamed over Robyn’s face and she touched her fingertips to her cheeks. When had the tears started?
“Mom?”
Robyn swallowed hard then nodded. “I need help packing.”
“Where is Prime Advisor Rol? A short errand should not take so long.”
Elder Kai had a way of stating the obvious, but all Kyzel could do was give his shoulders a shrug. There was nothing left within him to make much more of a response. Not when he was moments away from leaving the birth-world of the woman he loved…and would never see again. He would be mated by the elders when he arrived home, without love. That much had been evident in the subversive looks Elder Kai had been giving him the past few days.
Fyad made a non-committal grunt and raised one hand to shield his eyes. “There he is.” A giant grin lightened the man’s face. “He did it! She came.”
Kyzel frowned, and followed Fyad’s line of sight. Indeed, through the shimmering desert air the wavering form of a Bezchian flight was visible, coming closer. And he did appear to be carrying something, or someone, in his arms. He blinked, shifting to hunting vision, and the scene became clear. Robyn was in his friend’s arms, waving one hand while the other was hooked around Rol’s neck.
She is here!
The spike of elation dimmed. But why had she come? They had said their goodbyes days ago, for what it was worth.
“We do not have time for this.” Elder Kai groused. “We must go.”
The rush of air from Rol’s wings swirled the desert heat and sand around him. His friend’s feet had barely touched the ground when Robyn wiggled out of his arms.
“Kyzel.”
Without a thought, he spread his arms in invitation, and she did not hesitate. Three steps and she had wrapped her arms around him as if she would never let go. “I’m sorry…I was stupid…don’t go.”
He dipped his head and inhaled her sweet scent. “I must. My duties….”
She tipped her head back. “I want to go with you.”
He blinked at her, wonder filling him like sunshine. Somewhere nearby, tires squealed and car doors slammed, but it hardly mattered. If there was any danger, Fyad would take care of it.
She wants to come with me!
“Are you certain?” Just in case he had not heard correctly.
“One hundred percent.”
There was no hint of doubt in her eyes. “Robyn—”
“Oh, Jesus, just say yes.” Meryl’s voice cut through his confusion.
“No.” He moved his hands to Robyn’s shoulders and bent until he was eye level with her. “Instead, I will say, I love you, Robyn Martin, but I will not settle for you just coming with me. I want you to be my mate in all ways.”
She grinned. “Yes. For the rest o
f our lives, yes. And we’re going to Bezchi.”
“What about your commitments here?”
She tapped her finger against the tip of his nose. “I have a plan to talk over with you.”
Then her soft full lips were on his, parting more than enough for him to explore her mouth with his tongue. To savor her sweetness, then draw her into him.
A gasp came from Elder Kai’s direction. Of course, the mate matcher would not be happy with the situation.
Rol cleared his throat, loudly. “My monarch, the ship awaits.”
Kyzel pulled back and gazed into her beautiful eyes. “Go, say your good-byes, Robyn Raptorclaw. I will be patient.” They had the rest of their lives, after all.
It took her about ten minutes, but finally hugs, tears, and promises to visit had all been made. Then she was back at his side, her hand in his as he led her up the ramp.
A vibration in his leather carrier startled him. “What is this?” He reached inside the carrier and pulled out the small device. “Oh, no.”
“What?” Robyn’s concerned gaze was on him.
“I forgot to leave Ms. Vogel’s phone at the suite, and I think she is calling me to remind me.” He flicked his finger over the screen and raised the phone to his ear. “Hello.”
“Kyzel, thank God.” Ms. Vogel sounded relieved. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of your friend, Rol with an update on his application.”
“His app—”
“Do not let him leave. A match has been found!”
He turned his gaze toward Rol’s. “A ma—”
“He can use your phone, just have him bring it over to the office at two o’clock. Oh, and we’ll leave him in the same suite, too. I gotta go…have another client waiting.”
The line clicked off, and Kyzel lowered the phone with a frown. “Rol, you did not tell me you had applied to the Silverstar Agency.”
Rol tilted his head to one side. “I did not.”
Kyzel held up the cell phone. “Then why does Ms. Vogel say a match has been found for you?”
“That…that is not possible.” Rol’s feathers fluffed with agitation.