by S. E. Smith
There were a large number of files to sift through, and in the meantime, she had adhered to her assignment to grovel at the Trivators’ feet for the past six weeks. It should have shown the Usoleum Council that she would make an excellent Ambassador to the Trivator Council here on their planet. But once again, her hopes were crushed. Sula was the only living Usoleum with experience on Earth, and she was now reassigned there to finish her original task, which was to clean up the mess Badrick left behind – almost two Earth years later! Her only hope for any kind of real success with the humans lay in parsing useful information from those files. To get even the slightest bit of trust and good will on Earth, she needed to be able to answer the question preying on everyone’s mind: where were the rest of the missing human women?
Sula still had a couple of days left on Rathon, however, and part of reassuring the Trivators and the Alliance that everything was under control included attending some ceremony between a member of Chancellor Razor’s family and a Trivator warrior. It would begin in a couple of hours, and if she was not able to gain control of her emotions before the ceremony, her career would be in even worse shape than it already was.
“This is an insult!” Sula hissed, discarding her maudlin misery in favor of the more empowering anger she had felt earlier. “If Father thinks my brothers are so much better at diplomacy than I am, then one of them should be the one to attend the ceremony, not me! When they need a problem solved, they send me in to fix it. Father knows I am more than qualified for the ambassador position. Yet he gives the position to Sirius, the progeny who is least qualified. All Sirius wants to do is chase women that he couldn’t do anything with and play at the gaming tables! He isn’t even fit to be – to be – to care for the racers in the stables, much less be the Ambassador to the Trivators,” Sula muttered with a slashing wave of her hand in the air.
Sula released a long sigh and stepped through the narrow chasm in the rocks. She gazed out at the water protected by the small cove for several seconds before she walked toward it, drawn to the soothing waves. She missed her world. It was mostly water and her people were born within its beautiful seas. They live on land, but the water is where they find solace.
Sula’s hand moved to the tie of the gown and she released it. The garment fell to the sand around her feet. Her body was covered in a form-fitting dark blue suit made for the water. She spread her fingers and the fine membranes between them spread like small webs. Stepping forward, she relished the first touch of the water against her skin. Pleasure coursed through her, cooling her fury and soothing her despair.
Her gaze scanned the water. The waves broke against the reef almost two hundred meters offshore. It would be a short swim for her, but she could do it several times before she had to return to her temporary lodging to prepare for the ceremony. Sula slowly walked forward until she was deep enough to sink down below the surface.
The two almost invisible slits along her neck opened and she drew water into her gills. The refreshing liquid filled the second set of lungs with life-giving fluid, extracting the oxygen trapped in the water into her blood when she exhaled. She loved living and working near an ocean. A shudder went through her when she thought of her next assignment. It was so far from the large oceans that covered most of Earth. There was a long, narrow lake, but it wasn’t the same. She would have to make periodic trips to the coast to satisfy her body's craving for the salty water.
And I’ll need to swim frequently to keep from killing that arrogant human male if he is still there, Sula thought. Perhaps I will be lucky and he will already be dead, and a more reasonable human will have replaced him.
Remorse swept through her at her hateful thoughts. It was so unlike her. She hated the idea of hurting anything or anyone. Her six older brothers teased her, saying that was why it was ridiculous that she would even consider becoming a member of the Alliance Council.
Sula pushed the negative thoughts away. She would lose herself in the pleasures of the ocean around her. Pushing off the bottom, her body cut through the crystal-clear liquid like a laser cutter through steel. All around her, colorful fish and plant life flourished in a world few could appreciate.
The cove was protected from the larger marine life that lived on the other side of the reef. She had researched Rathon’s oceanographic environment and decided it would be best to stay within the protected barriers that sheltered the coast line. ‘Nature’s unique fencing’ is the way Sula liked to think of it.
She was starting to feel more herself, more collected, but a wave of longing swept through her to just let go, to be wild for a few unadulterated minutes – not the frazzled, bitter release from the beach, but something… untouchable. To hell with her father’s belief that she wasn’t capable of dealing with the stress of being a leading member of the Usoleum Council or an integral part of the Alliance. She knew she could if she was given the opportunity.
Closing her eyes, she twisted until she was facing upward and allowed her body to slowly sink to the bottom. She relaxed her arms and a serene smile curved her lips. Maybe she would just forget about the ceremony and stay here all day. It wasn’t as if it really mattered if she attended. No one, especially the Trivator male and his human mate, would even miss her.
Finally, the peace that Sula had been searching for settled over her. Her body floated above the soft white sand. The light from the rising sun created shafts of glittering beams that reflected off the silver threads in her bodysuit and made them sparkle like diamonds. She was unaware of how ethereal she looked against the satin bottom of the ocean, or the fact that she wasn’t alone.
Chapter Two
Destin dove beneath the waves and began swimming toward shore. As much as he hated it, he needed to get back to the house. He had promised Ami that he would make her some mouse-shaped pancakes this morning just like he used to do for her mommy.
He swam only a short distance when he caught a glimpse of something sparkling under the water. Surfacing, he glanced around with a frown before he took a deep breath and dove back down. He blinked when he saw the body of a young woman floating along the bottom. His heart thundered in dismay. He had seen enough death in his lifetime. The beautiful woman floating serenely near the bottom was too young to face such a fate.
Kicking downward with hard, powerful strokes, he reached for her. His eyes burned from the salt water, but he refused to close them. He grabbed her arm and quickly pulled her against his hard length, then changed his grip to hold her more securely around the waist as his feet pushed off the bottom.
Her slender hands clutched his bare shoulders, and her brilliant, light blue eyes snapped open. Destin and the woman locked gazes in mutual shock. Her delicate, pale blue lips parted, and Destin was afraid she would instinctively draw in a mouthful of water. Unsure of what else to do, he covered her lips with his. The moment his lips touched hers, a wave of heat swept through him and he couldn’t help but wonder if he had captured a real, live siren.
Destin knew he should release her – or at least her lips – when they surfaced, but the fire that had ignited when he pressed his lips to hers appeared to have short-circuited that part of his brain. She was not helping his resolve, either. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, but she didn’t push him away and her soft lips trembled slightly as her breath mingled with his. It took several seconds before he finally forced his body to obey his command to stop. He reluctantly lifted his head, but still kept her firmly pressed against him.
“Are you okay?” he asked, blinking to clear his eyes of the salt water.
“I… You… Of course, I’m… You!” the woman sputtered before her eyes widened in recognition. “You aren’t supposed to be here!”
Destin’s lips curved up at the corners. “Where am I supposed to be?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, studying her face with a growing sense of dismay. “I know you…,” he started to say.
“You should be back on that horrid, barbaric world,” the woman snapped, pushing against his should
ers. “Release me!”
Recognition hit Destin hard. His arms slackened enough that the woman – Jersula Ikera – was able to pull away from him. She pushed at the water to put some space between them, her light blue eyes flashing with fire. This was a much different woman than the one he had briefly met back on Earth. This one was…. The sudden image of a siren flashed through his mind.
Trouble, he thought with a grimace, twisting around and striking out for the shore. The moment he was in shallow enough water to put his feet down, he did. He wanted to put as much distance as possible between him and the Usoleum Councilor he had met back on Earth.
He ran the back of his hand across his heated lips. He could still taste her. It was a good thing his back was to her, otherwise she would notice the physical evidence of his reaction to her. It suddenly occurred to him that she would have been aware of it when she was pressed against him.
Damn it! Well, he wasn’t going to remind her by giving her a second look. He was sure that would thrill her even more – not.
Destin muttered a string of expletives under his breath as he exited the water. He strode across the beach, passing the film of dark blue material lying against the white sand. He kept his back to her while he grabbed his jogging pants and pulled them on with stiff fingers. He ran his fingers through his soaked hair. The dark brown strands were cut into a short, military style and would dry soon enough.
Destin grabbed his T-shirt off the boulder. It was still damp from his run and he decided it wasn’t worth pulling it on. He drew in a deep, calming breath and slowly released it before turning around to make sure Jersula had made it back to shore. He would feel pretty rotten if she drowned while he was trying to hide the major hard-on he had. He could just see himself trying to explain that to Razor and the Trivator council!
A frustrated groan escaped him when he saw her emerge from the water in the form-fitting blue material that left very little to the imagination. Destin’s gaze froze on the twin peaks of her nipples pressing against the fabric, and he swallowed hard. They were hard pebbles, perfect for….
“It has been too damn long since I’ve been with a woman,” he muttered under his breath.
He forced his eyes back to her face. His lips quirked up at the corners when he saw her eyes were still shooting indignant sparks. She looked a hell of a lot different than she did when he’d first met her. He had found her fascinating then, too, which hadn’t helped his temper during their one and only meeting.
Her long silky white hair, glacier blue eyes, and unusual blue lips had made it difficult to look away. She was an ethereal ice queen. At the time, he was furious with himself for reacting like that to an alien. He had thought she must have been cast in the same mold as Badrick, but the woman angrily snatching up the silky fabric off the sand was anything but icy. He remembered her heated breaths and the softness of her lips.
She clutched the fabric in front of her and her long legs cut across the loose crystals, quickly closing the distance between them. He couldn’t help but notice that her hair was the same color as the sparkling sand. Her cheeks were a slightly darker blue than before and matched the deep color of her eyes. He would have to remember that when she was angry, her eyes changed to the color of the ocean back home.
She was breathing heavily by the time she stopped in front of him. His gaze swept over her face, noticing the strand of hair stuck to her cheek. Without thinking, he tenderly brushed it back.
“I’m glad you are alright. When I first saw you floating along the bottom, I feared you were dead,” he murmured.
Sula’s lips parted in surprise. She swallowed and lifted her hand to touch her cheek, pausing when she felt his hand hovering near it.
“Why… Why did you kiss me?” she asked softly.
Destin dropped his hand to his side and he glanced over her shoulder to the ocean behind her. In his mind, the countless faces of those he had to bury over the years superimposed over her face as she lay so still under the water. He didn’t look at her when he replied.
“I thought you had drowned. When I touched you, you opened your eyes and I saw your lips part. I was afraid that you would inhale water and choke. It was the only way I could think of to protect you,” he replied with a shrug. “Anyway, I’m glad you are okay. I apologize if I offended you. It wasn’t intentional. I’ve got to go,” he said in a stiff tone.
“I…,” Sula started to say, but her voice faded when he turned and started to walk away. “Human… Destin!”
Sula’s soft voice called out behind him before he had gone more than a few strides. Destin slowed to a stop and partially turned to look back at the alien ice queen who had captured his attention over a year ago. He waited for her to speak again. She swallowed and lifted her chin.
“Thank you,” she said. “… for trying to save me, even though it was not necessary.”
Destin bowed his head in acknowledgement and turned away. As ghosts from his past rose up to choke him, he knew he needed to put some space between them. Sula was alive, not dead like so many others he had been responsible for. Over the past year, he had worked hard on learning to control the haunting thoughts that often tried to drown him. There were too many would’ve, could’ve, should’ve moments over the last seven years that could never be changed. Dwelling on those memories did nothing but pull him into a deep abyss that threatened to suffocate him.
Sula was in no danger at all and that should be the end of it. There was no reason to keep touching her. It threw him off balance that he had this aching need to feel her lithe body against his again, regardless of whether he had a reason or not.
This reaction was much more intense than the first time he saw her. At that time, he was still reeling from everything that had happened – Colbert’s death, Kali being wounded and leaving the planet, the loss of the men who had fought beside him, and the realization that he now had what he wanted – Chicago to rebuild. That, on top of discovering how many women and young girls had been kidnapped from Earth for the Usoleum Councilor’s greed, made his physical attraction to the new Councilor too much to deal with at the time.
Destin focused on the narrow gap in the rocks in front of him. The moment he was on the other side, he broke into a fast jog. He didn’t stop until he reached the back gate to Kali and Razor’s home.
When Sula had called out to him, her gaze was focused on the maze of scars across his back. When he half turned, she noticed more on his thick arms and chest, but it was the one on his left cheek that had briefly frozen the words on her lips. Her fingers had ached to trace it. What had happened to him back on the planet he called home?
She didn’t move until he had disappeared. Glancing down, she shook out the silk cover and slipped it back on. A frown creased her brow when she saw a necklace in the sand near the boulder where Destin Parks had retrieved his clothes.
She walked over to it and picked it up. Her fingers brushed the sand from the small oval disk. Strange symbols, written in the language of the humans, were engraved on the front of it. The medallion appeared to be able to slide apart. Unsure if she should try to see what was inside or not, Sula bit her lip and looked back in the direction Destin had disappeared.
“What harm can it do?” she murmured with a shrug.
It took her a moment to figure out how to work the slide. A tiny catch held it closed. Once the catch was released, the rectangular metal piece slid open. On the side facing her was the image of a young, dark-haired little girl smiling back at her. Frowning, she turned the piece over and saw another image, this one slightly faded. It was of an older woman. She had the same dark hair and shining eyes of the little girl – and of Destin. A series of numbers were etched into the back of the medallion.
Sula knew this must be Destin’s family. She carefully closed the piece and pushed the catch back into place. The long, leather cord had a clasp at the end. Destin must have taken it off before he went for a swim.
Her gaze moved back out to the water. For a moment
, she could feel his lips against hers and his strong hands on her waist. Her eyelashes fluttered down and a soft moan escaped her when she remembered his body against hers. She had never felt such a reaction to a male before and it shocked her. Especially given who he was and how he had reacted to her when they first met. It was surreal.
Sula lifted the necklace and fastened it around her neck. She had no pockets and didn’t want to take a chance of losing it. She would find out where Destin was staying and have a courier deliver it to him. She went through the gap in the rocks and retraced her earlier steps, this time at a slower pace. Her fingers trembled slightly when she lifted them to touch the medallion.
“Well, now I know that Destin Parks did not die back on his planet. What I would like to know is why he is here on Rathon,” she whispered, staring down the long beach. “And will he be staying here or returning to his world?”
A growing sense of urgency filled her the closer she got to her transport. She needed answers. It might take her a while to find them, but she was very tenacious. She wouldn’t stop until she found out what she wanted to know about a certain human male.
Chapter Three
Destin grinned when he saw Kali in a dress. This had to be a first since she was about… two years old! The brief glare she gave him showed she was well aware of his amused appraisal. He bent over and picked up Ami in his arms. She was wearing a pair of pink tights and a white dress.
