by Ciara Lake
“What?” He blinked.
“You didn’t answer me.” She tilted her head to the side, eyeing him as if curious. “Is something wrong? Besides the obvious?” She snickered sarcastically.
“No, nothing’s wrong.” He shook his head. “I’m fine. Let’s go.” He motioned with his head for her to go ahead down the hall. Zalora turned to lead the way. She grabbed two of the children’s hands.
“Come on. Let’s hold hands.” Her voice was singsong. The children latched on to her as well as each other. The other women followed with Val close behind. As they approached a central area, the temperature warmed and the lighting increased. Val could hear many voices talking and giggling. Mostly it sounded like children. Turning a corner, they entered a large brightly lit room lined with cots, chairs, as well as several tables in the room’s center. The room was filled with children and about twenty adult women.
“So many children.” Val walked into the room. Little eyes looked up at him. “Where are their parents?” He looked at Zalora then crouched down near one of the dining tables to seem less intimidating. He’d already hung his riffle on his back when they entered the shelter.
“Most were in the government buildings, which were hit hardest.” Anya stepped closer. “The children were in schools, in houses or apartment buildings. Therefore, more children survived with their teachers as well as their care providers. So what you see here are mostly orphans.” She whispered the last part, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
“I see.” Val looked around. “A loaddisk can take a hundred at a time. I’d like to make sure we have at least six adults with each load, if we can. Zalora is to stay with me. I’ll be taking Zalora in my spacedisk to my big ship.” He looked up then directly at Zalora as if daring her to disagree.
“I’ll go with you only to go to another location on Tallusia. We need to set up a base camp to help with injured. I’ll leave here only after we’ve cleared these people out of this shelter. I want you to leave some men here in this area to continue to search for survivors.”
“I’d planned to.”
“Good.” She nodded then helped the children clear a table. “I won’t leave Tallusia until I absolutely have to. Do you understand me?” She glared at him.
“Yes, Princess, I do understand what you’re saying.”
“Don’t.” She flashed her beautiful eyes at him. “Don’t patronize me. Don’t think you’re cleverer than me.”
“Don’t what? Cleverer?” He shrugged then covered his mouth with his hand to hide his grin. “I do understand you.”
“Don’t ‘Princess’ me either, then do what you want.” She pointed at him. He shook his head then looked down at the floor.
“We’ll discuss this after all of these survivors have been evacuated.” Val’s tone was authoritative. He could see his change in tone made her reconsider her bossiness. “To ease your mind, we’ve already located a safe area on the other side of Tallusia to set up.” He followed her to where she moved to her desk. She flitted all over the place, so full of energy. “They’re preparing a camp now.” She stopped to look at him. He almost bumped into her. Her eyes wide with surprise. “This group will be transported there along with others we rescue.”
“So there’s a place Realmist didn’t bomb.” Zalora threw her coat over the back of a chair then grinned up at him. “I’m shocked they left a spot untouched.” She shook her head. Beautiful curls moved all around her head and shoulders. “It’s just all so unbearable.” She took a piece of paper a child handed her then praised the child for his artwork.
Val’s predator instinct caused him to thoroughly study his surroundings. He examined her and the others in the room. As he looked over the entire facility from where he stood, he deducted a few conclusions. It looked as if their shelter had been constructed for storm rescue. They’d lined the wall with supplies. Despite his taking in his surroundings, he closely watched Zalora. She fascinated him more every second. Under her bulky jacket was a delicate but perfectly portioned woman. She was dressed in a white snug work shirt. It was smudged with dirt stains. Her brown trousers nicely molded her thighs and hips. Her tall boots came up to her knees. Everything about her was impressive. Even dressed for labor she looked like a princess.
I should recognize a princess when I see one. I have twelve sisters, more cousins and aunts. He smiled to himself. Zalora’s full breasts filled out her shirt, revealing pert nipples beneath. They looked perfect in size for him to cup in his hands. Exhaling a long breath, he shifted positions to lean against the wall. Val had to concentrate to control his straying thoughts as well as growing libido. Never had he had difficulty with his emotions or reactions to a woman. Certainly his disciplined self never thought of these things under circumstances such as this one. He was a serious soldier. All work, no play. He could hear Kade tease him. Zalora walked closer to him as she sorted through her desk. The top of her head came to his mid-chest. She’s a tiny thing. I’ll have to be careful with her when I’m on top of her. He quickly shifted positions again to avoid the line of thinking. Get a grip. I’m thinking of having sex with her with all these people around. Damn, she bothers me. He ran his hand through his hair, agitated.
Suddenly, her scent surrounded him. It invaded his mind. Floral mixed with the smell of woman warmed by labor. He inhaled slowly. He savored her aroma. It filled his lungs, making his pulse quicken. His mouth filled with a spicy taste as his canines lengthened. Possessiveness washed over him with such power it took all he had not to press himself against her. He straightened his posture again to lean on his other shoulder.
Damn, I taste my fucking mating hormone. Recognition of what was happening to him assaulted his senses, making him feel a myriad of emotions. In the middle of a fucking war, I want to fuck, now. No, I want to mate. Val’s body stilled. He was stunned by this sudden revelation. Afraid to move, he clenched his hands. He could feel his nails pierce his palms as he struggled to maintain control. His beast stirred beneath his skin, making his hair on his arms tingle. If I’m not careful I’m gonna turn into my beast right here, drop on all fours, and scare the fucking hell out of everyone. He wiped the back of his mouth with his hand.
“Are you listening to me?” She stopped in front of him.
“Yes, I’m listening. There aren’t many untouched spots left.” He gritted his teeth, making his head hurt. “The Realmist concentrated on larger areas of population. So, yes there’re a few undamaged areas.” She turned to find where a child was crying out then back at him. “Your cold lands they seemed to have avoided.” His voice changed, and it was even hard to talk without growling. He knew she could probably tell he was gritting his teeth because of his clenched jaw. Hopefully, she’d attribute his behavior as anger toward the Realmist.
“Yes, no one lives there. But I’m guessing it’s where you’ve set up camp?” She put her hands on her hips as she waited for him to answer. He relaxed his expression as best he could without showing his teeth.
“Yes, it was the best place to build a hospital with temporary housing.”
“On ice?”
“Yes, the ice is solid and under it is solid ground. Plus, it’s easy to defend.” He looked down at the floor, attempting to avoid eye contact. No doubt his eyes were changing, glowing bright amber with vertical pupils. “The large Realmist ships left after our ships arrived. But, they left behind some fighter ships within your atmosphere. We’re dealing with those now. Some Realmist troops have landed, too, which brings new concerns.” Zalora frowned up at him. She pushed her hair back from her face, gathering some curls in her hand. She seemed to study him as she pulled her hair together, twisting it as to subdue her curls. When she let go, they bounced free as if they were elastic. Again, floral, feminine scent exploded around him, making him gasp. He held his breath to minimize some of its effect on him.
“Sit down, relax.” She motioned to another chair near her desk. “You seem tense. Do you feel okay?”
“I’m okay,” he gr
owled.
“Did you just growl?” Her eyes were wide.
“No, I don’t think so.” He looked down at his hands. He could feel her staring at him for a moment. Then she busied herself again.
“I’m sorry for being irritable with you earlier. I appreciate your world coming to our rescue. My father has always spoken highly of your king as well as your military leader. I can’t remember their names at the moment.” Her lovely smile made his heart jump. The sensation was so intense he nearly clutched his chest. His entire body reacted to her, making all of his muscles tense. Quickly, he sat down to hide even more evidence of her effect on him. Now I know exactly what Kade meant about our flight suits being too tight.
“Xihirah’s at war against these Realmists. We’re determined to stop them.” He straddled his chair, resting his arms on its back. “We never thought they’d attack so far out in our galaxy. Especially Tallusia. This world’s so peaceful, and you stay to yourselves.” His communicator beeped. He hit a button.
“Captain.”
“Yes.”
“Pilot Kilson here.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve arrived with my loaddisk at the last coordinates you sent.”
“Very good, I’ll be out with our first group. You’re to take them to the Med-Vac camp. Is it up and running?”
“Yes, sir, it’s fully operational.”
“Excellent. Our first group will be out shortly.” Val ended their communication. “Okay, let’s get our first group to the ship as quickly as possible.” Val stood up, pushed his chair out of his way, then walked to the room’s center. “Listen please.” He held up his right hand. The room silenced at his command. He made eye contact with the adults in the audience. “Anyone who’s injured or ill, we’ll be taking first. There’s a medical crew waiting at the camp which has already been prepared. I’ll wait at the door for your first group to be ready.” He nodded toward Zalora. “Send at least four adults with each group.” He turned then walked down the hall.
* * * *
“Anya, I want you to gather up our first group as he instructed. You’ll be going with them.” Zalora nodded toward the closest group of children sitting on their cots.
“But, Zalora, I want to stay with you.” Anya helped line the children up. They carried their few belongings. Some cried softly as they waited to leave. Anya was tender with them.
“I need you to go to the Med-Vac camp to make sure things are okay. The children trust you. I trust you, too, to look out for them. Cora will stay with me until our last group leaves. I need one of you there. ” Zalora patted Anya on her arm. “I’ll be there shortly to help you.”
“Okay.” Anya started to prepare her bag to leave. “I’m really torn about leaving you. But, I’ll look out for these children. Can we trust the Xihirians?” Anya looked to where the soldier had walked out of the room. She frowned, making her eyes narrow. “This solider, Val, he’s so big, powerful-looking. It’s really intimidating.”
“One reason why you need to go so you can comfort these children.” Zalora looked down at the child clinging to her waist. “Yes, my father always spoke well of Xihirah. They’re fine warriors as well as honorable people. They have the most powerful military in our Fiaxe Universe. They’ll protect us. Being powerful only helps them protect us. I trust them.” Zalora hugged Anya.
“Can you read this man’s emotions?” Cora joined them to listen closer.
“No, he’s unreadable.” Zalora shook her head, looking in the direction he’d gone. “But some humanoids are.” She shrugged. “Xihirians are very different. They’re shifters, so their minds no doubt work differently.”
“You still trust them even though you can’t read them?” Cora made an unpleasant face. “He shifts into a beast? A flesh-eating beast with claws and giant teeth. He’s dangerous. I’ve heard tales of their fierceness.”
“Yes, I suppose he does shift into some sort of beast. They’re different, fierce. We’re different, too. Everyone can be dangerous. You know what I mean?”
“I suppose. But we’re not animals.” Anya shook her head.
“You both sound as bad as Realmist. Don’t allow ignorance to make you fearful of the very thing which is helping you.” Zalora gathered items in a bag for a waiting child. “We’re different, too. There are Tallusians who possess great powers. Some say there’re evil. They’re called sorcerers because of their differences. Besides, as I told you, Father called for these Xihirians. They came to help us. They’re all we have.” Zalora looked directly at each woman. “Father knows their king. He spoke highly of him as well as his son, their military leader. They’re here to help. Shifting has nothing to do with anything, which matters. They can either use their power to help us or not, or hurt us. We have to trust they’ll help us.”
“I guess you’re right. They’re all we have.” Anya put her hair into a ponytail. “I’ll be waiting for you. You’d better not make me wait long. I’ll be so worried.” Anya finished packing her bag. Without another word, she led her group down the corridor. The rest of the children were occupied while they waited. Some were dozing off to sleep. Others were eating, coloring, or reading.
“Princess Zalora, our next transport will be soon.” Val called to her as he entered to central room. Stunned at hearing her title, she looked around quickly. Others looked his way. He was imposing standing at the room’s entrance. He made the huge room seem small. A shiver rode down her spine as she watched his muscles move beneath his flight suit. He was like a powerful animal. As he walked toward her, a warm sensation washed from her head to her feet, making her stomach flip. Her palms were moist, and she wiped them on her pants.
“Yes.” Her voice caught in her throat making her sound hoarse.
“The other battleship is sending their loaddisk, too. It’ll speed up this evacuation. The Realmist have landed all over Tallusia. We believe they’re searching for something to have landed. This also makes things more dangerous. We must move this along.”
“What could they be searching for?”
“We don’t know.” He shook his head. “But let’s get our next group identified then lined up at the door. We need to leave. Now.” He motioned for the other adults to come in his direction.
“Oh, that quick?” Zalora started to help more little ones collect their things. Several children gathered around her.
“Yes.” He nodded. There was cool intelligence in his eyes. He was definitely a man of authority. His hair was cut short in a typical military style. His bangs were longer. They hung down onto his forehead. She liked how they could fall into his eyes. His silky black hair with his amber eyes against sun-tanned skin made him incredibly striking. His eyes seemed to change frequently, which was curious to her. When he was close, Zalora found herself feeling nervous, like a schoolgirl. Her heart raced.
She wanted to know more about him and was tempted to question him more. Blowing a curl out of her face, she observed him, admiring his arms, leg muscles flexing under his uniform when he moved. Another wave of heat passed over her, making her perspire more. He’s very powerful. She admired his backside, too. He wore his uniform like a second skin. In his groin area, it was almost too revealing, making her feel suddenly faint. I really have to concentrate on surviving, not his gorgeous body. Perspiration rolled down her back. I shouldn’t be looking there anyway. I need to get myself together. Stop looking at this man at all. My world’s under attack, and I’m having hot flashes over a man. This is what happens when I surround myself with children all the time. My first exposure to a handsome man and I’m mesmerized. I’m crazed. “I just don’t know about myself sometimes.”
“Did you say something?” He looked at her. His eyes examined her from head to toe.
“No, it’s nothing.” She continued packing up the last group. I think he’s looking at me a lot, too. She quickened her pace, feeling more nervous. “The children almost look like they’re going on a field trip. Instead they’re evacuating from their dest
royed city.”
A little girl tugged on Zalora’s pants. “What’s ’vacuating?”
“You’re going on a trip out of the city.” She patted her head. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“Are you ’vacuating, too?” She looked up at her with sleepy eyes.
“Yes, I’ll be going, too.” Zalora smiled. “Don’t worry.”
“I’m going to wait by the door for your next group.” Val tapped her on her arm. His touch sent a pleasant vibration through her. “Send them as soon as they’re ready to go.” He turned, leaving her staring after him.
* * * *
Within the next four hours, another ship arrived to take their last group. “I’m going with this group.” Zalora gathered her things together, stuffing her bag.
“No.” Val stopped in front of her. “You’re not. You’re to go with me to my battleship to speak to your father. We’re in communication with him. He’s waiting to talk to you.”
“Can’t I talk to him from our Med-Vac camp?” She grabbed her coat and bag as if she was going to leave anyway. “I anticipated going with this group.” Her hair bounced around her head, her face was flushed. She was a spitfire filled with determination.
“No.” He shook his head. “It needs to be done from our ship in orbit.” He looked up. “I told you earlier you would be going with me.” He helped other adults out the door, handing them off to two crewmembers who meet them. Val closed the doors behind them, closing her inside with him.
