by Delia Roan
I can’t do this!
A louder sob escaped from Jenna. She kicked off her shoes and tucked her toes into the thick plush of the carpet beneath her. She’d spent so long wrapped up in her memories, and now she had to face the truth: she wasn’t crazy.
Aliens exist.
He exists.
A noise from the next room made her freeze. Jenna bit down on her arm to stop a whimper from escaping. She heard a thump and a squeak as someone tried the window. Then the closet door opened, spilling light into the darkness.
Jenna threw a hand over her face, and peered up at the figure in the doorway. The tall figure crouched down onto his haunches, and she realized it was him.
Kovos. The official called him Kovos. It seemed strange to put a name to his face after all these years.
He studied her for a moment, and she took the time to return the favor. His skin resembled smoothly polished stone engraved with tiny scales. Delicate swirls of pale blue and soft red ran across his cheeks and down his neck. He played with a tassel from the edge of his robes. His face had grown more angular over the years. He lifted his obsidian eyes to hers, and she felt a jolt.
He felt it too, because he lowered his eyes to the ground once more. Slowly, he reached a hand to his chest, and rested it there for a moment. With a sigh, he undid the clasp of his shirt, and pulled the collar open. Jenna’s eyes flicked to the strong planes of his chest, where the pale swirls continued.
She flushed as she raised her eyes to find him watching her.
Suddenly Kovos tensed. He tilted his head, as if listening. Jenna strained her ears but heard nothing. She yelped when Kovos pushed his way inside the closet and shut the door behind him. The room plunged into darkness, and a hand clamped down on her mouth.
“Hush,” Kovos whispered.
Jenna’s heart thundered in her chest, but she remained silent. Kovos removed his hand and settled down beside her, his shoulder brushing hers. Her nose filled with the scent of his skin. Like warm wood and spices. The heat from his skin radiated through their clothing. She became aware of the sound of voices and footsteps outside.
Even though they spoke in Ennoi, Jenna shrank back, leaning into Kovos’s arm. She groped for his shoulder, trying to steady herself. He stiffened, then reached out and took her hand.
Together, they sat in the darkness until the searchers moved on. Jenna’s hand grew sweaty, but she didn’t want to pull it away. Kovos’s bulk reassured her and his warmth made her drowsy. Since waking up on the ship, she’d fought sleep. Even in the single-person pod that brought her to the capital city, she’d forced herself to remain awake. With those creatures all around her, she’d been too afraid to close her eyes.
Beside her, Kovos sighed. Jenna heard a rustling sound, and then a weak light emanated from a device held in Kovos’s hand. The light barely illuminated the space, but it allowed Jenna to get a sense of Kovos.
“Greetings,” he said. “It has been a while.”
Jenna licked her lips. She didn’t know how to respond. “Yes,” she said.
He seemed less frightening here in the dimness than he had on stage. There, his presence had filled the room, and he had commanded everyone’s attention. Now, he seemed to be making himself appear harmless.
Which man was the real version?
Kovos cleared his throat. “I have many questions…” His voice trailed off.
“Why are we hiding?” Jenna blurted the words out.
Don’t let him ask too many questions. Don’t let him know the truth.
“I am not hiding,” Kovos said. He sounded offended by her accusation.
“Well, what do you call sitting in the dark, whispering to each other?”
Kovos chuckled. “I do not know.” He squeezed her hand. “I would rather sit in the dark with you than deal with the wrath of the Council.” He leaned his head back. “Lithyon can deal with it for a while.”
“I’m sorry I caused trouble for you.”
“It’s not your fault that they are…” From the slight breeze fluttering the strands of her hair, Jenna guessed Kovos gestured in frustration.
“Unreasonable dumbasses?” she supplied.
Kovos paused. When he spoke, his voice held amusement. “The translation is unclear. Illogical mute buttocks? I suppose they are full of feces. It works.”
Jenna stifled a giggle in her sleeve. What the hell? Never in a million years did she imagine her hero would have a sense of humor. Comforting, gentle, yes. But funny, too? With broad shoulders and those piercing dark eyes like swirling galaxies in space?
A lump rose in her throat. She needed to say it. She’d been holding onto the words for nearly fifteen years. Her hand squeezed Kovos’s, and he squeezed hers back.
“I- I wanted to say something.”
“Hmmm?”
“Thank you.” Her voice came out in a rush. Jenna wanted to bolt away, but she needed him to hear her. She closed her eyes against the memories. If she lingered on them, she wouldn’t be able to speak. “For what you did back then. I know you saved me.”
“Jenna.”
“Let me finish, please.”
She pulled her hand free, and ran it up his arm. His smooth skin felt like sun-warmed stone. She used his shoulder to pull herself up to her knees, then fumbled her hand to his face. Her fingers rested on his cheek, and for a moment, he leaned into her hand. The fine stands of his hair brushed her skin.
“I’ve owed you for every single day I’ve lived since then,” she said. “Thank you, Kovos.”
At his name, he suddenly stilled and his body tensed. Jenna leaned forward. She intended to kiss him on the cheek, to show appreciation from her nine-year-old self, but at the last moment Kovos turned his head. Their lips met, a delicate touch.
Jenna pulled back, surprised, but Kovos groaned and wrapped his hands in her hair. The light snuffed out as the device rolled onto the floor. Kovos pulled her close and crushed his mouth to hers. For a moment, Jenna was lost. He’d caught her unaware. Under the heat of his determined mouth, she melted and let herself yield.
Her belly quivered, and if she hadn’t already been on the floor, her knees would have buckled.
When was my last kiss?
She tried to remember, but reason fled, along with her will to resist. She clutched the silky fabric of his shirt and pressed herself to him. Under his shirt, she could feel his powerful chest. Her breasts tingled from his warmth. His heartbeat galloped, and she held on for the ride.
His mouth moved against hers, and his tongue flicked against her lips. She invited him into her mouth, letting his tongue slip onto hers, and reveled at the taste of him. Even the headiest wine or the richest chocolate couldn’t compare. Her eyebrows raised when she felt the nip of fangs on her lower lip. The teasing sent jolts of pleasure across her chest, tightening her nipples.
An ache developed in her belly, and slowly slid downward. Her thighs twitched and for a moment, she wanted to tumble backward, taking Kovos with her. He aroused her in ways no other man ever had. She wanted him, and she needed him. Jenna moaned and he tightened his arms around her.
Too tight!
She yelped, feeling her ribs bend under his strength.
Instantly, he loosened his embrace.
“Did I hurt you?” His voice was thick.
Jenna winced, upset by the distance between them. The air seemed frigid without his closeness. “I’m okay.”
She reached for him again, to rekindle the flame. Kovos leaned back.
“That is not the kind of thanks I expected,” he said, with a teasing lilt to his voice.
Jenna froze. A flush bloomed across her cheeks, and her ears grew hot. “That was not the kind of thanks I was offering.”
She scrambled to her feet, but Kovos grabbed her by the hand and drew her back to the ground. Kovos brushed his hands through her hair, smoothing it down. Then he pulled the collar of her gown straight again.
When he finally spoke, his voice carried a heavy coat of regret.
“My apologies. It was not my intention to make you feel unsettled. I did not mean to insult your integrity.”
He placed a kiss upon her hand, and then helped her to her feet. Light flooded the closet as he opened the door. He brushed his clothing, and refastened his collar. Gone was the gentle man in the closet. Kovos wore his royal mantle once more. Even the tilt of his head seemed different to Jenna.
Which man is the real one?
“As much as this diversion has been interesting,” Kovos said, “I feel we must return to our responsibilities.”
Jenna gave a tight-lipped smile. “Of course.”
Kovos returned her smile, but his was tinged with an emotion Jenna couldn’t place. Regret? Sadness? Loneliness? If she knew him better, she might have been able to place it.
You seemed to know him well enough in the dark.
The flush on her face returned. When she looked up, Kovos examined her face. He raised a brow, and she shook her head. Maybe she knew him well enough to know when he worried about her.
“I’m fine,” she said. She squared her shoulders, pushing away the thought. It had been so long. She just got carried away. Not the time. Not the right man. She shot a glance at Kovos through her lashes while she fussed with her dress. But oh, how she wished they could return to the closet’s darkness.
“I guess we have to see the Council now?”
“Yes, it is time to see the illogical mute buttocks.”
CHAPTER FOUR
KOVOS
As they walked together back to the council chambers, a steady stream of curse words filtered through Kovos’s head.
Reprobate. Opportunistic pervert.
What had he been thinking?
The truth was, he hadn’t thought at all.
Somewhere between seeing Jenna at the ceremony, and feeling her hand on his arm, he’d lost the ability to remain objective. When she’d pressed herself against him and said his name so sweetly, his chest — and his trousers — grew tight. In fact, his chest ached, like he couldn’t breathe properly.
He shot a glance at Jenna, who admired the art on the far wall, and adjusted the front of his pants. They were uncomfortably tight.
Thinking about the chaos awaiting him helped subdue his passion. The Council would be furious. It had taken years of careful negotiation to allow him to Bond with Lithyon. It made the various Ennoi leaders nervous when one powerful leader united with another. Kovos’s people controlled a resources rich planet, while Lithyon’s people controlled trade routes through space.
Separately, each held enough power to strong-arm the Council into whatever position they wanted. Together, they could reshape Ennoi civilization. They shared a common goal: to bring peace and prosperity to all Ennoi, and it would have been a perfect match.
Except for her not being my Avowed, nor I hers.
Jenna gasped, and Kovos whipped his head toward her. She ran down a corridor, and peered out a window. Kovos changed direction, and took his time walking toward her. With her head sticking out the window, he had a glorious view of her delicious backside.
Below were the ornamental gardens: rich colors and lush vegetation grew in neatly ordered rows, flanked by tall trees. The garden had been designed with special care, and the colors and textures of the leaves worked in perfect harmony. A trill of birdsong floated up from the greenery below.
“It’s all so beautiful!” She wore a contented smile, and Kovos had an urge to see what else would bring that smile to her face.
“Yes, it’s perfection,” Kovos said. Finally he pulled his eyes away from her curves and took in the landscape beyond. “My mother planted these gardens in memory of my father.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. It’s clear that you loved him.”
“Even after all these years, his absence hurts.” He leaned against the balcony. “What of your parents?”
Jenna turned her face away from Kovos. “It was just Mom, my sister and me.” Her voice was high pitched, and her words rushed. “My father stepped out of the picture as soon as I was born.”
Kovos frowned. “That is dishonorable. A man should care for his mate and his young.”
“Dishonorable is a nice way of putting it.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t old enough to remember him so I don’t really care. Mel- Melissa, my sister, said he wasn’t worth remembering.”
She has pain. The way she flippantly spoke about him, Kovos couldn’t imagine her absent father caused it. Yet her words held sadness and loss. He wanted to wipe away whatever stained her heart. He wanted to let in the sun and have her walk among the flowers without a single care.
“It must have been difficult for you… after,” he said. His mother always said burdens shared were lighter than those borne alone. Perhaps he could ease her griefs. He placed a hand upon her shoulder.
To his surprise, Jenna jerked away. “We should be getting back.” She turned and marched back toward the main hallway.
Kovos followed, a frown marring his brow. Had he broken protocol? Did humans not speak of certain matters?
When they reached the main rooms, Dovena stopped her pacing and wrapped her arms around her son. “There you are! The entire city is in upheaval searching for you.” She turned to a guard. “Go tell Honor Guard Yaldir that his Lordship has been found. The rest of you can clear out.” She waved her hands at the servants, who bowed and hurried away.
Once the room emptied, she turned to her son. “Now, I think you have some explaining to do, Kovostad Ar’Cadam.”
“Yes, Mother,” he replied, “I believe I do.”
They settled into Dovena’s personal rooms. She dismissed the servants and took a seat. Dovena eyed Jenna up and down, and then turned her attention to her son. “Talk.”
“Are you ready?” Kovos asked Jenna. Am I?
Jenna’s face paled, but she kept her chin up. “Yes.”
“It is about time,” Dovena snapped. “How in the name of all that is sacred is this human your Avowed?”
Kovos raised his hand. “Mother, you have strong opinions, but in this matter you must listen first and ask questions later. Agreed?”
Dovena opened her mouth, then closed it with a snap. “It shall be so.”
Kovos leaned his head against the wall, letting the coolness seep into his skin.
“As a youth,” he began, “I caused my parents great suffering.”
He’d been a wild child, seeking thrills at any cost. Dovena had been heavy with her third child, and confined to bed. Arthon had been too young to keep up with a teenage Kovos. Their father had been at war. Kovos had flirted with danger, hanging off the backs of fast-moving vehicles and climbing the walls of the palace to find the highest vantage points. He’d picked fights with ferocious beasts, dancing ahead of their claws and teeth with a grin on his face.
“His stars aligned,” Dovena murmured. “Thank them for his lack of grave injuries.”
“I sought trouble,” he said. “So when Father hired Sykorian mercenaries, I found every excuse to be around them.”
In truth, he’d admired them. They weren’t constrained by the trappings of royalty. When they bowed, they smirked at the ground. When a lady passed, they openly stared at her figure. And when a foolish princeling had approached them, they’d filled his head with stories of battle and glory.
Looking back now, it made him sick, but back then, it seemed like every Sykorian’s life teemed with excitement his own lacked. He’d lapped up the stories, and begged for more. Eventually, they got used to his presence, and after a while, they began to forget he was there.
That was how he heard about a secret mission assigned to some of the mercenaries. He gathered as much intel about it as he could, and when he knew enough, he packed a bag.
“I sneaked onto their ship that night.” Kovos’s hand bunched. “I had no clue where they were going, who had ordered them out, or even
how long we would be gone.”
He’d spent several days hiding in an access path under the floorboards of the ship. When the Sykorians slept, he foraged for food, never taking enough to raise suspicion. Once he was certain they were in deep space, he’d emerged.
“They threatened to kill me,” he said. “Among other less pleasant things.”
In the end, he’d sworn upon his honor that he would keep the details of the mission a secret. They’d decided to spare him, since a missing prince would only raise suspicion. They watched him like a hawk, but he ingratiated himself. Every task and chore the Sykorians hated, he took on. He prepared meals, scrubbed middens and dishes, and even cleaned out the cargo hold as they requested.
By the time they’d completed the trip, he’d shown his usefulness, but still knew nothing about the mission. From preparing the cargo holds, he’d gathered they were picking up a shipment. Kovos suspected the load would be illegal, like stolen goods or strip-mined minerals. Safer to steal such items from a distant planet than from an Ennoi ruled one.
Their destination was a pretty jewel of planet, wreathed in green and blue, and a swirl of white clouds. A small away team settled onto a shuttle, and to his delight, the Sykorians permitted Kovos to join them.
The locals called the planet ‘Earth,’ after the fertile soil that nurtured the forest in which they landed. The Sykorians referred to it as The Mud. Kovos marveled at the light air, the spindly trees and the glorious emerald foliage. He'd been on other planets colonized by the Ennoi but this place charmed him.
He helped set up tents for the Sykorians, and his own tent in the center of the camp. Kovos wanted to stay in plain sight of the Sykorians so he could keep their trust. Then they watched the sunset and the stars emerge.
“The Sykorians waited but for what, I did not know.”
Jenna shuddered. He wanted to take her in his arms. To comfort her. She knew where this story went. She’d lived it.
“Several hours after dark, a second transport ship arrived. They were upset by my presence but the Sykorians I’d traveled with vouched for me.
