by Lucy Kelly
Gateway to HeVan by Lucy Kelly
Gateway to HeVan
The Nephilim
Book Four
by Lucy Kelly
Mark of the Nephilim logo © Copyright 2012 by MvN
© Copyright November 2013 MvN
ISBN#9781311956774
All cover art and logo © Copyright November 2013 by JK Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Edited by Victoria Novack
Artwork by JK Publishing, Inc.
Published by JK Publishing, Inc.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com, and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publishing company.
Piracy
Please always be aware of where you are purchasing your electronic books and from whom. Only purchase from reputable, licensed individuals such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, etc. If ever in doubt, let the author know of a suspected site illegally selling their works—remember to include a link to the site where you have found a book you suspect of being pirated. It only takes a moment of your time, but you will forever have the gratitude of an author.
About the eBook Purchased
Your purchase of this eBook allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resale or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this eBook. This eBook cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer-to-peer program, free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this eBook, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this eBook anymore, you must delete it from your computer.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
If you find any eBooks being sold or shared illegally, please contact the author or the publishing company.
JK Publishing bookstore: www.shop.jkpublishingbooks.com
Email: [email protected]
Dedication
I’d like to dedicate this book to all of my readers. I had a lot of stuff going on this past year and it took longer than I wanted to finish this book. You all hung in there with me so this one’s for you.
Lucy Kelly
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
Books by Lucy Kelly
Excerpt from HeVan Sent
Rane’s Giant
Excerpt from the Queen’s World
Chapter One
“Space, the final frontier, to seek out new life and new civilizations…to boldly go where no woman…”
“Grace!” Addie giggled. “Enough with the Star Trek monologue. You’re not even getting it right. Poor Gene Roddenberry must be spinning in his grave.”
Grace turned away from the viewport and walked over to sit on a chair next to her sister. Addie was ensconced in a special foam and gel medical chair. It gave her maximum comfort while monitoring her and the babies’ life signs at all times. Addie was determined to take the babies to full term so she put up with spending all her time in this chair. She knew the advanced technology of the Nephilim was giving her an opportunity she wouldn’t have gotten on Earth.
“So, are you ready to take over a world?” asked Grace.
Addie made a face, “You talk as if I’m making a military coup. They’re the ones who made me the queen. I had very little to say about it. I intend to do a lot of delegating. People need to remember my husbands and my babies are going to be taking up a large chunk of my time. To tell you the truth, Grace, the idea of an entire world dependent on me scares the shit out of me. If I didn’t have all the support I’ve been getting, I don’t know what I’d do. Other than Malpha, there isn’t any real opposition and I intend to use the Council quite a bit. They have all the experience and can help me a lot during the transition.”
“Addie, I’m in awe of the enormity of what you’re taking on—six babies on top of becoming Queen of HeVan. Did you ever wish you’d held off on getting pregnant?”
“Actually, I really wanted a baby. Six—it nearly gave me a heart attack, but I’m in love with them already and can’t wait to meet them.”
Addie picked up her protein shake and took a sip. “These are the most delicious things. Don’t you just love them?”
Grace ran her hand over her own baby bump, “Yes, I like the lime citrus flavor the best. It’s the easiest way to get the calories we need without becoming total oinkers.”
She tried to look down at her ankles to see if they were swollen but couldn’t see them. She sighed and leaned back in her chair and attempted to swing her feet up—still no luck.
“What are you doing?” asked Addie, giving her sister a strange look.
“I’m trying to see if my ankles are swollen,” said Grace, as she tried to twist around in another direction and nearly fell off her chair.
Just as her center of gravity shifted and she started to right herself, the door opened. One of her mates, Justyn, stood in the doorway. Turning to see who it was, she lost her balance again. He leapt forward to keep her from falling. The two of them wound up on the floor and both Addie and Grace burst into laughter.
Justyn lifted Grace gently off him then he stood and helped her back into the chair. As soon as he saw that she was settled, he stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. Grace looked up into his face. It was a long way up, since she was sitting down and he was a couple of inches over seven feet tall. He also had the largest build of her three husbands. Generally, he had a calm and quiet personality but when he was angry, look out!
“Grace, why were you falling out of the chair? Am I not going to be able to leave you alone? Why are you always trying to do things you cannot do?” he asked.
“Calm down, I was just trying to look at my feet. The belly got in the way and messed up my center of balance, that’s all. We’re just fine. You have nothing to worry abou
t,” she said.
“Just like I had nothing to worry about when you tried to lead the warrior training exercises? Or when you tried to teach self-defense classes to the emigrating women?” he asked.
At this point, Grace stood. “Look, I’m just trying to do my job. The safety of every male and female on the ship is my responsibility.”
When she tried to get up into his face, her belly preceded her and knocked into him. Addie couldn’t hold back any more and started laughing again. Her sister, the former Chicago detective, was so used to being in control of everything, including her body. She wasn’t used to limitations and carrying triplets. Her body was growing faster than she could adjust. All her life, she’d lived up to her name; she had never been a gawky teen.
Addie stopped laughing and really looked at her sister. She finally noticed what she hadn’t previously seen. She gave a little boost to the power she’d inherited from her many times great-grandmother, the former Nam-Nin, Tamiel, the High Queen of HeVan. Little golden sparks flickered in the air around her.
“Justyn, I need you to leave me alone with my sister,” she said, without looking in his direction. “Come back in half an hour. And bring your brothers.”
He glanced over at her and seeing the golden glow, his eyes opened wide. Grace had gone quiet, she’d turned away and walked over to the cold unit to get a protein shake for herself and another for Addie. Justyn nodded and left the room, stopping to give Grace a thorough kiss first.
“See, Addie, I’ve still got it. He backed right down. Maybe later I’ll do some defense drills with the space defense team,” said Grace, taking a sip of her drink. “Hey, how come you’ve gone all glowy?”
“I want to tell you how sorry I am, Grace. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own situation, I haven’t been much of a sister to you. Why didn’t you tell me how scared you are about this pregnancy?” she asked.
Grace said nothing for a moment. She fiddled with her beverage container. Finally, she looked up at her sister.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“Because you’re my sister and I know you better than anyone else. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you before now,” said Addie.
“It’s just—how can I complain about being the size of a barn when you’re the size of a whale?” she asked and they both laughed. “You received those queen powers, Addie, and I’m just a scared human girl with three husbands. How weird is that? I know I’ve got powers, too. But honey, after you were made queen and received your super powers, it was like something out of a comic book. My ability to find truth and clues to crimes doesn’t help me now. I can’t do any of the things I usually do to make me feel better,” said Grace.
“You mean like shooting your gun, or working out at the dojo, beating up recruits, stuff like that? Grace, you’re carrying triplets. It’s normal to have concerns. You have me and you have your mates. Instead of talking about it, you’re acting as if you’re not pregnant. Honey, that’s not a beach ball under your shirt,” said Addie, pointing her finger.
“Yeah, well…I wanted to wait a while before motherhood. Exactly how am I supposed to be head of the HeVanian police or army or whatever, when I’m going to have three babies to take care of? I’m not ready for this,” she cried, as real tears started to flow down her face. “I was totally looking forward to kicking alien ass and now I’m going to be changing diapers.”
“Don’t you want the babies?” asked Addie.
“Of course I want them. I love them! That’s the problem—I’m being torn in different directions,” said Grace.
“You’re forgetting a couple of very important things, sis. First, those three husbands of yours love you beyond anything and will be helping you care for those babies. Something tells me you might have to fight them for time with the little ones. The other big thing is—it’s a world run by women, remember? I mean—duh! Don’t you think they would have worked out the whole work and family thing by now? What you need is to unload and relax,” Addie said with a soft smile.
Addie couldn’t leave the chair without help, so Grace went over to give her a hug. At least she tried to give her a hug. Their respective baby bellies kept getting in the way so they settled for a knuckle bump.
After that, Addie shared some of the things she’d actually been keeping to herself. They cried a little and laughed a little and talked about how their lives had changed in such a short time.
Grace was just promising to start acting like a pregnant woman when the door opened. Grace’s three mates, Jalen, Jett and Justyn, entered the room. Right behind them, were Addie’s three mates, Arjun, Rune and Kylan.
Justyn walked over to Grace. He saw she’d been crying. Holding her face in his hands, he wiped her cheeks with his thumbs. In her eyes, he saw what he was looking for. Where there was turmoil, now there was peace, acceptance, and happiness. Running his hands down her neck to her shoulders, the tension she held had dissipated also. As he leaned forward to give her a kiss, Addie waved Jalen to her side to whisper in his ear.
“Your mate is feeling down. She’s singing the ‘I’m fat and no one could possibly think I’m sexy’ song. So I suggest you take her to your stateroom and show her how beautiful she is. She also needs to relax more. She’s my only sister and I want her to feel as wonderful as she looks. You’re falling down on the job and need to do something about it,” Addie commanded in a low voice, along with a few other suggestions.
“My queen, it will be a pleasure to prove to her exactly how beautiful she is and how much we love her,” he said.
Stepping away, he whispered in his brother Jett’s ear. Moment’s later, Grace waved goodbye to her sister as her Ankida gathered her up and left the room.
“I see Grace has not been the only one crying this day,” said Arjun, leaning over to kiss away the dampness. “It is amazing to me how you can look more and more beautiful every day.” He gave her a somber look. “I also have had a word with the medicals; a soothing bath followed by a sensual massage has been prescribed.”
“Never let it be said I didn’t follow doctor’s orders,” said Addie, giving her mates a smile as they reached for her.
Several hours and several orgasms later, Addie—with the help of her mates and many strategically placed pillows, closed her eyes and felt herself sliding toward sleep.
Moments later, the ship’s alarms sounded battle stations.
Chapter Two
As the alarm blared, blast shields instantly closed over the exterior viewports. Addie felt a slight sensation of movement as the section of the ship she was in lowered from its raised position at the top of the ship into the hull. Another set of blast shields closed over the top.
This was the most protected area of the ship. If necessary, it would separate. Equipped with its own auxiliary engines, it could take off at a high rate of speed. Keeping the High Queen from harm was of the utmost importance.
“What’s going on?” Addie asked in a slurred voice, pushing her bright red hair away from her face.
“I’m not sure, the safety precautions have been put in place. Rune will stay with you while Kylan and I find out,” said her mate, Arjun, before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.
Luckily, Kylan had also stopped the alarm from continuing its harsh sound in their quarters. They didn’t want Addie to become agitated. She needed her rest, especially now.
As they quickly dressed, Arjun and Kylan watched as Rune slowly massaged Addie’s back, encouraging her to go back to sleep. Turning his head, he gave Arjun a slight nod.
At his signal that Addie had truly fallen asleep, the expressions on their faces hardened. Reaching into a cupboard, they pulled out weapons and strapped on holsters. Kylan passed a stun stick to Rune before following Arjun from the room.
It was too dangerous to use laser weapons within the confines of a ship in space. For this reason, they each had a stun stick, as well as their bladed weapons. They could be used as a contact stunner or as a fighting baton. Both
Arjun and Kylan, as warrior commanders, were experts with both weapons.
Opening the door to the hall, six of their most trusted warriors entered. They would remain within the queen’s quarters in case it became necessary to separate from the main ship. She would have extra protection, including one of their best pilots. Stepping into the hall, they could hear the alarm still sounding. Another six warriors were coming down the corridor to take up positions.
“We’re putting the safety of the Nam-Nin in your hands,” Arjun said to the lead warrior.
“We will keep her safe. No one will come near,” he answered, vowing his life to protect his queen.
Arjun gave them a sharp look and nodded his head. Then he and Kylan quickly made their way to the Bridge.
“Status report!” said Arjun.
The crew member in charge of the vessel during this shift stood and moved to an empty station, allowing Arjun to take the Central Command chair. Too keyed up to sit, Arjun stayed in front of his chair, while Kylan took the second chair to the right, which set slightly behind the central chair. He immediately swung a console over his lap, brought up the screen and started typing in commands.
“Commander, we’ve reached the next Gate. When we started the sequence to open it and make the jump to the KowLer star system, we discovered the sequence had been interrupted. The Gatekeeper does not answer our hails. The science officer has noted some strange energy signatures in the area. Also, when we tried to hail the Gatekeeper, a high speed transmission was sent out—although not to us,” reported the Watch Commander.
“Wake up Commander Rale and ask for him and his brothers’ presence on the Bridge. Contact the Venger; have them take up a protective position between us and the Gate. Launch fighters to take up stations around our ship,” said Arjun.
