by Keri Kruspe
“Only a male weak in character will hold a defenseless female captive and brag about killing her for others to witness,” the husky, deep tones of her TrueBond announced. A large, three-fingered hand grabbed Headman Addison by the throat and hauled him away from her. Ki threw a hard punch at the man’s jaw.
The middle-aged leader fell with a thud next to the other unconscious guard sprawled on the grassy ground.
Tom, the camera-holding dolt, squealed and dropped it on the ground. He moved to run but Ki’s voice stopped him.
“Boy, you will pick up that vid device and continue.”
Tom hesitated for a nanosecond before he scrambled and fumbled with the camera to point it in their direction.
That feed wasn’t going to make good viewing, with all the shaking the kid did.
Addison groaned.
Ki picked the man up by his neck and dangled his feet off the ground.
The man struggled, scratching and punching the hand around his throat as his face turned purple.
“I am putting the people of Earth on notice.” Ki plopped the man back on the ground, but didn’t release his firm hold.
The natural beige color returned to the man’s face as he gulped for air even as he continued to tug at the hard grip.
“My name is M’alalu Ki E’eur of the planet Zerin. Leader Cantor is my TrueBond and under my personal protection,” he snarled, fangs on full display. “And I will not allow any harm to come to her. Nor will I allow violence to befall the rest of humanity as Earth gains admittance into the civilized galaxy.”
Ki released his hold before he clipped the man on the back of the head. The Headman flopped unconscious at his feet. With a self-satisfied smirk, Ki went to help her stand. His eyes narrowed as he examined her face before he lowered his mouth to cover hers.
The warmth of his kiss was deep and soul shattering, assuring her he would always be there for her.
He stroked a firm, masculine claim.
Sherri, in turn, twined her arms around his neck and pressed as close as she could to his wide chest and staked her own claim.
He rumbled an approval and rested his massive palms between her bottom and waist.
The nubs at the side of his tongue burst with the spicy flavor she craved.
Ki eased back and smiled when he rested his forehead against hers.
She returned his blatant display of love before she claimed him in a kiss that devastated them both.
EPILOGUE
KI
The Royal Palace of Zerin—one solar year later
Ki leaned back into the deceptively soft cushions of the lounger in the personal suite of his king and friend, Qay. He had always liked this particular family room. It housed their small group in understated opulence. The colors were neutral, the flooring a high sheen of natural wood overlaid with heavy, colorful rugs in a range of jewel tones. The walls were a relaxing hue of beige with an undertone of the royal emerald green. One side of the room boasted a long, tan couch big enough that six individuals could relax in comfort. On the side of the room where Ki relaxed sat three lounge chairs in thick faux animal hides. Their hues varied from whimsical almond to brunet brown.
On his right sat his long-time friend, King Qay, in his favorite chair.
Qay had his feet planted firmly on the ground as he clutched a mellow amber drink in one hand. Occasionally, he’d take a sip.
To Ki’s left, the new Chancellor of the Federation Consortium, D’zia E’etu, relaxed, absorbed in the conversation. The male was Qay’s cousin and all-around pain in Ki’s ass.
D’zia sat on his own acorn-brown lounger with his feet up and crossed at the ankles.
Oddly enough, D’zia wasn’t enjoying any alcoholic beverage but instead abstained throughout the evening. A quick glance at the heir crystal nestled in D’zia’s temple confirmed Ki’s suspicions. The color was changing at a slow pace. One click it was a dark emerald and the next it was a light green. Well, well, well. D’zia’s TrueBond had conceived and now carried twins—a boy and a girl. Ki hid a smirk with a sip of his drink.
One thing D’zia hadn’t given up was his habit of teasing and finding humor in most situations. That personality trait usually grated on Ki’s nerves, but tonight he’d let the annoying norakthed get away with whatever nonsense he spouted.
A quick movement on D’zia’s shoulder drew Ki’s attention to the spybot, JR10. While the bot might resembled an Earth spider, he was anything but. He was one of the most sophisticated AIs around, and his caustic temperament made D’zia look demure in comparison. Even now, the bot was going on and on about some adventure he’d just experienced with the AI ship, Elemi, in the Estraa sector. Something about joining Shysutá and her merry band of AoA mercenaries in recovering a kidnapped royal from a ruling house of the Consortium.
Apparently, the Erkeks who’d done the deed hadn’t wanted to give up their captive to a small spider, a self-aware ship, a pissed-off Runihura male, and a bossy human female. Too bad the disgraced species hadn’t known whom they dealt with when they took the princess. Not only did the little group save her, but they also destroyed an important sector of the Erkek Empire.
A trickle of feminine laughter from across the room caught his attention. Sitting with the other females on the long tan couch sat his TrueBond, Sherri, with her two friends, Aimee and Lora E’etu. Lora’s AI companion, JR11, a smaller version of JR10, rested on one of Lora’s shoulders.
The females’ heads were close together as they whispered in hushed tones.
Ki frowned. Nothing good could come from them plotting in lowered voices. The only interruption in their conversation was when his Royal Highness, one-year-old Prince Ryox Argent E’etu, ran away from the grownups…without garments on his lower half. With a squeal of maniacal baby laughter, he avoided his human mother who chased after him with outstretched arms and a red face while calling out for the escaped toddler to stop.
“… and then Elemi zapped him on the ass!” JR10 was winding down his narrative with a wave of a slender foreleg.
Both D’zia and Qay chuckled at the punch line.
Ki raised an eyebrow. No reason they had to know he hadn’t been paying attention.
“D’zia, how does it feel now that you’ve been officially voted in as the Chancellor for the next ten solar years?” Ki took another sip of his fiery drink.
The startling color of D’zia’s turquoise eyes filled with humor while the deep dimples at the sides of his smile warned of the smartass answer coming. “I’m living the high life, my friend.” D’zia deadpanned. “Good thing there’s plenty of time for things to go sideways.”
While Ki had no idea what “sideways” meant, two could play the smartass game. He gave the other male a slight nod with a stony expression. “Your acknowledgement of the inevitability is hereby noted.”
JR10 whooped and landed on his back with his twelve legs waving in the air as he laughed. “Ya see, dude? This guy is mega funny!” The bot laid on his torso with his legs folded under him and the colors in his compound eyes reflected the room’s light as he swiveled his attention between the three.
Qay gave a snort and rolled his eyes as he took another sip. Living with his human TrueBond was affecting his friend’s mannerisms.
Ki’s frown expanded. Did he display human behaviors as well? Something to think about…
D’zia’s smile turned into a flat line when he scrunched his face. “Actually, things are a hectic mess. I get thousands of demands every day to ‘fix’ something or someone U’unk screwed. And they all want it now.” With thin lips, he continued. “You wouldn’t believe the illegal things that he’d been doing for the last fifty years. There’s enough evidence to keep the lawgivers busy for decades.”
The younger male narrowed his eyes at Qay. “Good thing he ‘conveniently’ died on Earth, isn’t it?”
Qay shrugged. “The male’s in an unknown location and is quite harmless in his present mental condition.”
D’z
ia snorted. “I still don’t understand why you let that fruking puntneji live. He should be tried and executed for his crimes.”
“Well—” Qay took another small swallow of his drink and sat back. “—two reasons.” He rested the round glass on the flat of his belly. “First, a trial would uncover everything U’unk has done in the last fifty years. The deep scandal would tear the fabric of the Federation Consortium apart.” He nodded at D’zia. “Only now are you scratching the surface of what he was capable of. Can you imagine a trial uncovering not only what he did but also how he did it? Zerin and the nine systems would fall into a civil war because there isn’t a member system he hasn’t harmed or taken advantage of in some way.”
Qay tapped a finger on the rim of the glass. “And secondly, we owe Lok for the way U’unk made him disappear without anyone being the wiser.” A slight flush stained his prominent cheekbones. “The Special Triad is going to look into how easy it was for U’unk to replace Lok in the Senate before he became Chancellor. Anyway, the Triad and I agree the decision was Lok’s—whether U’unk lived or not. He said all he wanted to do was take care of his brother for the rest of their lives. The only stipulation was he didn’t want to worry about finances nor have the threat of anyone looking for them.” Qay shrugged and his eyes became unfocused. “I tried to talk him out of it. I told him he should live his own life, but he insisted it was too late for him. Said he’d been out of circulation far too long and had no desire to reenter civilization.” He blinked and brought his focus back. “Lok has a way to contact us if he changes his mind.”
Ki took a healthy sip of his own drink and enjoyed the smooth, slow burn. “Do you think he’ll abuse U’unk? As retribution?”
Qay shook his head. “No, and that’s the unbelievable part. For some reason, Lok loves his brother and wants to take care of him.” He pursed his lips together. “Not that I would blame him if he did want revenge.”
“And what about you?” D’zia turned the conversation over to Qay. “Is being the king everything you’d hoped and dreamed of?”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far.” Qay’s voice was muffled in his drink glass as he took another sip. “While the day-to-day responsibilities are hard enough, it’s the toll on Aimee and Ryox that bothers me.”
Ki frowned. “Is there a problem?” He rested the tumbler on a nearby side table and leaned forward. He didn’t like the pensive look on Qay’s face when he talked about his TrueBond and child.
“Yes and no.” The answer came out in a slow drawl as Qay watched Aimee wrestling with their rambunctious toddler as she tried to put clothes on his naked lower body.
Aimee laughed at her baby as Lora and Sherri playfully argued what type of restraints to use.
“While our people have for the most part accepted Aimee, there is a growing unrest at having a human in the ruling house. The council has had several vigorous debates already, but so far the consensus has been in our favor.” He shrugged and brought his attention back to their small group. “Nothing we can’t handle, but I’m working on contingency plans if needed.”
“You can count on us to help whenever!” JR10 emphasized from D’zia’s shoulder.
Qay nodded in acknowledgment. “I appreciate that, JR10.”
“So, Ki, my man.” JR10 turned his bulbous multi-colored eyes his way. “How’s it goin’ on Earth?”
Ki tilted his head as he considered his answer. “As well as can be expected, I suppose.”
Qay narrowed his eyes with a frown. “Are you still having problems there?”
“I deal with humans every day.” Ki gave an uncharacteristic snort. “Of course I’m having problems.” He shrugged and leaned back while he retrieved his glass and took a sip of his own beverage before crossing an ankle over bended knee. The Braliader mix in the bottom of his glass was a beautiful swirl of red and black liqueur that would kill anyone else after the first taste. Without his Crart/Solaherra heritage, Ki couldn’t drink it. However, Grirryrth loved the fiery liquor and Ki had no problem indulging him whenever he was at Qay’s palace. Especially since it was the only place in the Federation Consortium to find the illegal liquid.
Qay kept the rare bottle under personal lock.
Ki appreciated his friend never questioning his ability to enjoy the poisonous drink. Of course, it helped when Ki finally let his friends know Gryrrith and Cheithe’s history. Both of his friends had peered at him before they shrugged and went on to discuss other things. “But, I have found my purpose in life not only in being with Sherri but in helping her fledgling species survive. Every day brings new challenges, and more often than not, I find myself in the middle of a paradigm shift on my long-held beliefs.” He devoured his gorgeous TrueBond with his eyes as he spoke. She was the reason he’d finally become a whole male. He who had once been a two-dimensional creature of habit. Watching her speak to her friends with a slight smile on her gorgeous face gave him a deep sense of belonging.
D’zia was asking Qay about a procedure involving humans wanting to visit other planets when a tantalizing scent twitched Ki’s nose. His dick hardened and his heart raced. What was that? Grirryrth rumbled as Ki’s skin flushed with the mating oils. He gripped the sides of the chair until the thick leather ripped. He gave a startled glance at the others, and was relieved that no one noticed his lack of control.
Except his mate. Sherri sent him a slumberous gaze, her glorious lips pursed. Her hand found the bottom of her loose auburn braid and twirled it around an elegant finger. She tilted her head and licked her full lips with a pink tongue. The clear crystal in her MalDerVon scroll twinkled in the low light.
Ki’s gut seized. What was that aroma?
An image of Sherri plump and ripe with his child clouded his vision. Ah…that’s what was different. His TrueBond was ovulating. Ki waited for the crushing sensation to arrive…the one that told him to run as fast as he could to avoid fathering offspring.
It never came. Instead, a profound joy flooded and stole his heart. Yes, he wanted a child…a child with Sherri’s intelligence and beauty. A sense of completion and purpose filled him. Ki slid her a slow look. His hands itched to touch her soft skin. He took in a deep breath to inhale the spicy-sweet scent of his aroused female. The distance between them irritated him as the mating oils persisted in seeping out.
Enough.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.” Ki interrupted the conversation, put the glass on a nearby table, and stood. “It seems I have a previous engagement.” Ignoring the knowing smiles and smirks of his friends, he crossed the room focused on Sherri.
When he came close, her exotic eyes narrowed and her sensuous lips curled upwards at the corners. She straightened, which thrust her breasts in his direction.
No male alive would ignore the invitation she sent. Ki stopped in front of her with an extended hand. “Come, TrueBond. Time to go home. There are things to discuss.”
Sherri beamed and enfolded her warmth and strength with his.
Perfection settled deep within...a sense of wanting to go home that he’d missed for so long.
Then things became clear. He didn’t need to go home, he was home. The TrueBond he held in his arms embodied his sanctuary; his place of refuge, of solace, and most of all…love.
She was all the redemption he’d ever need.
Thank you for reading Ki’s Redemption!
Before you go, if you enjoyed the story, please take a minute to leave a review. Good, honest reviews are worth their weight in gold to an author. They let other readers know its okay to take a chance on a new author (like me!). Not to mention, it makes my day when I hear from readers ;)
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Best to you and yours,
Keri
Acknowledgments
No writer has a better group of folks that help to make a dream come true:
The great team at Barany’s School of Fiction. You keep me on track and motivated better than anyone
else.
To the cheerleaders at WSB – I really appreciate that none of you roll your eyes when I yet again bring the conversation around to my writing.
To Jacqueline Sweet (sexy…sexy covers), ELF the editor, and Sidekick Jenn. As always, you’re right there with what I need. You are invaluable and irreplaceable.
To the awesome Goobs, you are a constant source of inspiration. To Barb…what can I say? I wouldn’t be me without ya!
To my friends and family – I am nothing without you. You make me whole, you make me viable, and most of all…you make me crazy. Damn…life is good!
About Keri
“Author of otherworldly romantic adventures”
Keri Kruspe has been an author since the age of twelve and has always been fascinated with otherworldly stories that end in Happily Ever After. Her current works, An Alien Exchange trilogy had its first release Winter 2018. The trilogy continues with D’zia’s Dilemma and concludes with Ki’s Redemption.
A native Nevadan, Keri resides with her family in the wilds of Northwest Michigan where she enjoys the stark change in seasons and the pleasures each one brings. An avid reader, Keri loves an enjoyable bottle of red wine, a variety of delicious foods and watching action/adventure movies…usually at the same time. You can find her most days immersed in her fantasy world on her latest novel while foot tappin’ to classic rock. When not absorbed in her writing, Keri works alongside her husband in building their dream home or discovering intelligent life in America in their RV.
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