“He will be otherwise occupied.”
“Not all of the time, or he can take me after this Bale business is taken care of.”
An unintelligible mutter passed from his lips. She was about to ask him to repeat himself when he changed the subject. “The colonists think Kristos and I are Harlan’s nephews from Norway. You two will be cousins who are visiting us.”
“Kissing cousins?” she asked.
In the review mirror she saw Lucian’s lips tighten for a second before a brief grin emerged and he gave his head a little shake. That tiny crack in his venerable armor of irritation sent a shivery thrill to her tummy and she wanted to make him do it again.
His eyes met hers in the mirror. “This may be an impossible request, but can you try to remain inconspicuous?”
“Me? Why I practically fade into the wallpaper.”
He let loose a snort of laughter. “All you have to do is walk into a room and you attract attention, that I am not oblivious to, but if you can turn down your brightness, it will make protecting you easier.”
Was that a compliment? “I make no promises, but I can try to not be so spectacular.”
Those green eyes of his sparkled and his suppressed laughter tickled her exposed skin. “That is all I ask, Your Highness.”
“Shall I wear a shroud and communicate solely by hand signals?”
“Perfect.” He looked at her again in the mirror and shocked her with a wink. His smile widened when she laughed with her surprise.
Soon they came upon a sign that read Cedar. Population 3552. An anxiety of a different sort fluttered in her stomach and had her fingers clutching the hem of her jacket.
Since landing on Earth, she spent almost all of her time in the city. Occasionally one of her friends whisked her out on a weekend away to another metropolis, but she never had the desire to explore Little Town, USA. From what she had heard, the smaller the colony, the smaller the mind, and she hated when anyone was discouraged from following their heart’s desires.
What would Cedar’s residents think of her, she wondered, because she had no intention of remaining shut away the entire three days. Isolation was as claustrophobic as a straitjacket and compelled her to do irrational things. Besides, if she stayed hidden, how would she ever learn more information about her new favorite obsession?
Hundred-foot pine trees gave way to tiny ranch-style houses and picket-fence-lined roads. The thinner the trees grew, the more difficult she found it to breathe. Why she wanted the approval of absolute strangers was beyond her. She had thought that need to be accepted was long gone, yet a single car ride brought a magnifying mirror up to the lie she had been telling herself the last few years.
They rounded a bend and she spotted a dark wooden house with the words Cedar Sports and Marine emblazoned across the roofline in big red letters. As they approached, Kristos appeared on the deck accompanied by an older man and a woman dressed in a tan uniform. The clothes may have been designed for a man, but on her they emphasized the power of her femininity, and her innate sexuality only added to her air of authority.
Envy curled around Amaryllis in a cloyingly bitter ache. She didn’t need her powers of empathy to know Kristos and his wife had found their perfect match in each other that went beyond their shared hair and eye color. Their contentment smashed through the glass of the car window and slammed Amaryllis in the chest.
What would it be like to have someone know you so intimately, feel your every fear and desire and act upon them accordingly? The trust one would have to place in the other was one of the most frightening things imaginable. And yet she still had those girlish dreams to find someone like that for herself.
Maybe in another lifetime.
Under the layer of the mates’ solidarity, Amaryllis picked up the prickly sensation of apprehension, which made her smile. Whatever did they have to be nervous about? She was the stranger intruding upon their world. If anything, they should feel put out by the inconvenience.
Well, there was no need for all of them to be on edge. What was the phrase? Yes, she’d take the bull by the balls and make everyone happy.
Before Lucian brought the vehicle to a full stop, Amaryllis jumped out and raced up the porch steps.
“Kristosllanos,” she shouted and threw her arms around his shoulders for a tight hug. She pulled back to place a kiss on each cheek then laid her hands on either side of his lean face. “It is so good to see you. Congratulations on your bonding. My mother would have been so happy for you. She always thought of you as more of a son than guard. You know she would have had the biggest, most lavish wedding gift created for you and be begging you to produce babies for her to spoil.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” The words came out in a low, harsh whisper and his eyes filled with tears. His chest expanded as if an invisible heaviness rose from his body and he was able to breathe with ease for the first time in a long while.
A matching sting blurred her own vision. To know he held on to the guilt for so long angered her as much as it did cement her affection for this fine warrior.
It should not have surprised her that no one held Kristos more accountable for his unwitting role in her mother’s death than Kristos. She had been en route to Earth when she had read the news reports in her spacecraft. The accounts she had heard about his punishment and subsequent banishment had broken her heart, for Queen Moira had loved her guard and would have never wanted him hurt by the actions she had taken. The blame lay elsewhere, and she hoped that Kristos would finally be able to put the past behind him.
Hmm, it seemed both brothers still had a lot of healing to do.
His Adam’s apple bobbed twice, then he managed a watery smile and placed a kiss onto each of her palms. “It is good to see you too. If I had known you were so close, I would have come to see you.”
She looked over her shoulder to see Lucian with his ever-present scowl and shot him a tight smile. “Yes, I’ve heard my location was a well-guarded secret. But enough about that, please, I want to meet your wife.”
“Of course.” He drew his woman forward. “Your Highness, may I present to you my wife, Brett. Alskata, this is Her Royal Highness, the Princess Amaryllis Moira Mathea Rosenorn.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” Brett dipped into an awkward bow-curtsy posture.
“Please, call me Amaryllis, for I hope you and I will become great friends.” She clasped Brett’s face between her hands and bestowed a kiss of friendship on each cheek. “I thank you for providing me shelter during this rather unwelcome situation. I only wish we could have met under different circumstances.”
“Locking up bad guys is my calling. I’m happy to provide whatever assistance I can.”
“As long as you’re kept out of Bale’s reach,” Kristos added.
The flash of defiance that sparked in Brett’s jade-green eyes tickled Amaryllis. “We shall see, sweetie.”
“I see you have experienced the joys of being mated to a Llanos.” Amaryllis laughed and turned to the man standing off to the side. “You must be Harlan. I’ve heard so much about you. It appears you are now my uncle too. I do hope I become your favorite niece.” She kissed his whiskered cheek.
His peach skin turned a rosy red, and with his white beard, Harlan reminded her of the paintings of Santa Claus that decorated the city each winter. He tugged at the straps of his overalls and had to clear his throat before he said, “Welcome to my home, Ms. Amaryllis. I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“I’m sure we’ll have great fun.”
“The house is on the other side of the store. Let’s get you inside and settled in your room. It’s not much, but you’ll be comfortable, and Dhavin will be right next door to you.”
“Your generosity is really all I require.”
“Wait.” Lucian stopped them before they crossed the threshold. “There’s been a change of plans. The princess will stay with Kristos and Brett.”
“Why?” Kristos asked. “Not that w
e wouldn’t love to have you, Your Highness, but I thought she was staying here where Harlan and Dhavin can keep an eye on her while we patrol.”
“I have recently come across some new information and I think it best she stay with you.”
“What information?”
Lucian glanced briefly at his cousin. “Come with me and I’ll fill you in. We won’t be long. Dhavin, if you will join us.”
“Why do they do that?” Brett muttered as she glared at their retreating backs with her hands planted on her hips. “Like I’m not going to find out what they’re talking about anyway.”
“Lucian probably thinks he’s protecting my modesty. You see, he learned this morning that Dhavin and I have…a history together.”
Harlan choked on a breath of air as Brett’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Really?” she drew out in long syllables. “Are you two still an item?”
“No, but we are good friends. However, the general does not like his guards being friendly with the royals, and he forgets that my personal business is just that, mine.”
“I was wondering why he was looking like something crawled up his ass and twisted his intestines. Not that he’s usually a laid-back kind of guy, but he does seem more intense than normal. Even for a Llanos.”
Amaryllis tossed her head back and laughed from her belly. Brett joined her and Amaryllis felt an instant kinship form between the two of them. “So true. No wonder you are in a position of power. You are as observant as you are intelligent and beautiful.”
Brett bit her lip as a flush of pink stained her cheeks. “I think that’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received. Thank you.”
“Rubbish,” Harlan interjected. “We say nice things to her all the time, she just has a hard time believing it.” He patted Brett on the shoulder then offered his arm to Amaryllis. “While the young’uns are blustering about, why don’t I take you on a little tour of the place?”
“I would love that.”
The interior of the store was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Amaryllis had never seen so many guns lining one wall since her time spent in the armory back home. On the opposite wall hung the rifle’s more peaceful cousins, the fishing rods, separated by racks of raincoats and shiny hip-waders, and shelves stocked with camping gear she never imagined existed. Did humans really enjoy spending their time off out in the woods so much?
When Harlan offered her a cup of coffee, she declined with a polite smile. If the acrid stench of burnt caffeine hadn’t warned her, Brett’s brief, but violent, shake of the head confirmed her decision.
Outside orange and red kayaks were lined up like soldiers ready to depart on their next mission and an oversized raft rested on the bank of the river, beckoning her to climb in and play in the rapids.
“That looks like such fun. Do you go often?” she asked Harlan.
“No, my rafting days are long over, so I leave it to the boys.”
“And you miss it.”
“I do.” A wicked light entered his eyes. “But I’m not without a bit of adventure now and again.” He waggled his brows and checked over his shoulder before looking at them as if he were about to impart a great secret. “Follow me.”
Behind the store was a large shed that housed more rafting and kayaking equipment. In the corner sat six motorbikes, each with a helmet hanging off a handlebar.
“Harlan,” Brett exclaimed. “You still ride?”
“On occasion, when the weather’s good and no one’s around to tell me I’m too old to be on one of these things. But I do enjoy a good ride through the woods now and again.”
“Why so many?” Amaryllis trailed a finger over a worn seat and noticed a number spray painted on the tank. “You rent them out?”
“Sure do. During the tourist season.”
“I don’t fault you for the impulse, Harlan. I love to ride too. Once it’s in your blood, the calling never leaves.”
“You ride bikes, Princess?” Brett appeared more stunned by that than at Harlan’s declaration.
“It’s such a rush. I have two Harleys and a Triumph. That one is my favorite. I’ve never been on a dirt bike before.”
“You should go while you’re here. There’s a nice little path that follows the river that’s great for beginners.”
Amaryllis looked out onto the parking lot where the three men were involved in a heated conversation. The brothers were talking at the same time while Dhavin stared them down with his arms crossed and the muscles of his biceps flexing with restrained action.
She looked up at Harlan and batted her lashes. “Is the path long?”
“Fifteen minutes, unless you deviate to the path that heads toward the falls. That one takes about an hour.”
“You know, I would love to see more of Cedar’s countryside, and since the men are still occupied, I think there is no better time than the present.”
Brett glanced out to the roosters clucking like a bunch of hens and released a wide smile. “I like the red one.”
Amaryllis smiled back. “I knew we were going to be great friends. I like the red one too.”
* * * * *
“Lucian, there is no reason to change the plan. Amaryllis will be fine here with me.”
Dhavin was going to have to stop linking himself and the princess together or else the vein pounding in Lucian’s forehead was going to explode.
“What happened?” his brother asked. “Why the change?”
Lucian glanced up at the three spectators watching them from the porch and switched to their native language. “Dhavin has violated the princess, and I think it best to keep them separated.”
“What?”
“We had sex, and it was mutual. I did not violate her.”
Kristos rounded on his cousin. “You touched the princess?”
“She needed me!”
“That’s grounds for execution!”
“Enough,” Lucian roared. “Regardless of your past, the truth of the matter is she has you wrapped around her delicate little finger. I believe your focus has been compromised.”
Dhavin let loose with a bark of laughter. “This from the man who wants to fuck her so badly, I can taste your lust for her.”
To hear his deepest shame blurted out with such crudeness smacked him like a metal gauntlet across the cheek. “That is not true.”
Amaryllis let go with a peal of laughter that brought all of their heads around. The low, flirty notes gripped him by the balls and shot down his shaft, as if to punish him for spouting such a blatant lie.
“What are you really worried about, Lucian? Do you think that in the middle of the night Amaryllis is going to remember the pleasure she found in my arms and seek me out? That it will be me holding her by her silken hair while I feed her my cock? She likes it hard and rough, and I know just how to satisfy her.”
Only Kristos’ strong arm banded across his chest kept Lucian from taking his cousin to the gravel and striking a killing blow. “Don’t you speak of her in such a vulgar manner.”
“She likes it vulgar.”
“Dhavin,” Kristos shouted. “Do you want to die?”
“You didn’t have to spend the entire day trapped between the two of them, snipping and bitching at each other when all they wanted was to strip naked and fuck. The tension was unbearable. I was tempted to leave them in the car all day until they finally jumped each other so we could all move on. Perhaps now you will get over yourself, Lucian, and go to her.”
Lucian clamped his teeth together. Damn, he thought he had controlled his emotions better. Nonetheless, he would not give in to the temptation.
“If you continue to speak of the princess with such disrespect, I will gut you where you stand.”
Dhavin rolled his eyes at the threat. “I speak the truth. Do not worry about me keeping my focus. I will lay down my life to protect Amaryllis, as I have since the day I made my oath to the House of Rosenorn.”
“And what of you, Lucian?”
&
nbsp; He looked at his brother as if he’d grown a second head. “I will protect her ’til my last breath. I am Llanos. Never question that.”
“I mean, do you desire her for your own?”
With every beat of his hearts, but admitting that was not a good idea at this time. Possibly never.
“My feelings for the princess are irrelevant. It is my honor to protect her and protect her I will.”
The two men shared a look that said they weren’t buying his bullshit.
“What is wrong with you wanting her, Lucian?” Dhavin asked. “She’s a beautiful woman. Vibrant. Passionate. And she desires you too. What is stopping you?”
Dhavin was the devil sitting on his shoulder, seducing him with what he shouldn’t covet, yet craved more than anything he ever wanted. Only his honor kept him from crossing the line he had spent his entire life defending.
“I am her servant and always will be. I will stand by her bed, but never warm it.”
His cousin shook his head. “You are a fool.”
Then a fool he shall be.
The high-pitched wail of an engine rent the air. Lucian turned toward the sound in time to see a streak of red with silver hair trailing behind like a flag disappear into the tree line.
“Harlan! What have you done?”
The older man shrugged. “She has experience. Besides, she’s only going on the short trail. She’ll be back in a minute.”
“Or she could be killed.”
Without a second thought, Lucian was off, racing after the trail of dust and exhaust that snaked around giant tree trunks, ferns and blackberry bushes.
“Amaryllis!” he shouted with all the force he could muster.
His lungs ached and his thighs burned as he ran faster than any human on the planet. She maintained just out of his reach, which only spoke of the dangerous speed she used over the rough terrain.
The turnabout came up and she blew past it, heading deeper into the woods and following the lip of the gorge. Rocks shot out from under the rear tire, skittering over the edge and into the rushing Cedar River a hundred feet below.
“Amaryllis! Halt! I command you!” he forced out from a throat tight with fear.
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