“It is said that the true queen feels the castle accepting her,” Sebastian explained, opening a large wooden door and drawing Lexi through it. “You have felt this.”
“I have felt this,” Lexi admitted, laughing softly at the immediate look of happiness that came to Sebastian’s handsome face.
He drew her toward him and kissed her lips tenderly, humming with pleasure as she melted against him. He released her with reluctance, knowing he had to make good on his promise to help her find her friends. Walking over to the control panel to the right of the doorway, he reached out and pulled back the comfortable command chair. He tugged at Lexi’s hand and positioned her in front of the panel then waved his right hand over the board. It immediately lit up with power.
Lexi sat down slowly, pulling the small tech unit she always carried from her belt as she did so. She called up the information on Millie’s ship, set it on the control board, and waited while Sebastian readied the panel to receive the information.
“Bryden, I have the signature of a ship that should be arriving soon,” he spoke into the communication device attached to the top of the panel. Bryden’s tired face appeared on the screen in an instant.
“Friend or foe?” Bryden asked without hesitation.
“Friend,” Lexi spoke up. “The ship contains a group of scientists from my home world. They’ve been in transit for more than five years.”
“How long is that in our time, Sebastian?” Bryden asked, activating sensors on the panel before him as he initiated the search technology to be displayed before him.
“I estimate that one year of Lexi’s world is equal to four vidans of our world,” Sebastian said, calculating the time frame quickly.
“ Vidans ?” Lexi questioned.
“One vidan is the span of time needed before a crop is matured enough to be harvested,” Sebastian explained. “We measure our time by the harvesting of our crops. Four harvests make up our rotation of time.”
Lexi nodded, grateful for the explanation. She really appreciated the fact that Sebastian didn’t make her feel ignorant in her lack of understanding of their world or laugh at her questions. He was going to be a good husband. He was going to be an understanding and helpful father. She did a quick calculation of her own and estimated that a pregnancy would span a little more than three vidans or so.
Blushing lightly because of her thoughts, she had to fight to focus on the task at hand. Pregnancy was not something she should be thinking about yet. Or maybe she should. She and Sebastian hadn’t exactly been taking care to prevent it from happening each time they had made love.
Looking up at the man who held her heart, she saw the concentration on his face as he spoke with Bryden. He was really a wonderful man. He took his responsibilities very seriously, and he truly loved his family, his warriors, and his people. Lexi had no doubt that he loved her with the same depth of caring.
Sebastian turned to face her then, smiling softly at her and sending Lexi’s heart racing. Goodness, but she loved him. She reached up and caressed his cheek lightly, loving that she had surprised him with her sudden need to touch him.
“Have to touch you,” she whispered, letting out a shriek of surprise when he lunged at her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and hefted her up into his arms to claim her mouth passionately.
Lexi stopped laughing at once, moaning into Sebastian’s mouth as she tasted him. She loved how he tasted. His kisses were addictive. She loved the way he was both gentle and urgent. It was exactly how she felt about being with him.
They heard a throat clearing and the deep chuckle that accompanied it. It sufficiently cleared away the haze of need from their minds. Sebastian pulled away slightly, looking into Lexi’s violet eyes and sighing softly as he did his best to control his desire for his woman.
“Did you need me to do something for you, brother?” Bryden’s voice called out to them, humor tinging his words. “You can contact me later if this is not a good time. It is obvious that you need to spend time with your life mate.” He hesitated a moment, enjoying the state of his brother. “It is refreshing to see my king so out of control. Tristen will enjoy this information, as well.”
Sebastian growled softly. “You are not too old to be taken to task, Bryden,” he told him, his voice holding all the power of his position as king.
“Do what you must, big brother,” Bryden taunted him. “You will have to come to my suite to carry through on your threat, though I do not think you will want to leave your queen in order to do that.”
“You overstep your bounds, Bryden,” Sebastian warned him as he lowered Lexi so that she stood before him, taking care that her footing was solid before he reluctantly released his hold on her. He kissed her lips one last time before turning to face the screen that held the image of his brother’s smiling face.
“I apologize for my indiscretion,” Bryden said sincerely, bowing his head slightly, his golden eyes reflecting the humor that he could not contain. He grew serious as he looked at the two of them. “I am happy that you have found love.” He spoke the words quietly, but they were heartfelt, nonetheless.
Sebastian smiled at his brother, realizing suddenly that although Bryden looked tired, he also looked happy. He did not believe that Bryden’s happiness was due to his support of the love that Sebastian had found with Lexi. No. He believed that Bryden might have taken the first step in wooing Lady Francie. He hoped that Bryden had put aside his hesitation and had done exactly that.
“Are you experiencing happiness because of your own destined life mate, Bryden?” he questioned quietly.
“Mayhap,” Bryden answered, sitting up straighter in his chair and facing the screen with pride.
“That is very good, brother.”
Bryden nodded, his golden eyes flashing with the rush of magic that raced through him. It was telling. Sebastian knew that the increase in Bryden’s magic had to be the direct result of having found Francie.
“I would suggest that you give me the information you have so that I may begin the search for the missing ship while you and your queen spend some time together,” Bryden said, smiling.
Sebastian turned to face Lexi, reaching out and tenderly touching her head. He caressed the length of her silky hair, concerned when he felt the drying blood on the back of her head. He needed to finish what needed to be done so he could take care of her.
“We need the ship’s signature code, Lexi,” he told her gently.
Lexi nodded, picking up the tech unit from the control board and offering it to Sebastian. He took it and connected it to the port on the control panel that would upload the information they needed. Once that was done, Lexi entered the code to unlock the device, searched for the information on the ship New Beginnings , and verified that the ship’s code was to be uploaded. The unit flashed blue as it accepted her codes, indicating that the information would be copied to the destined device.
“I have it,” Bryden said within a heartbeat.
“Millie Easton is the scientist who is leading the expedition,” Lexi told Bryden. “They left Earth more than five years ago. We’ve had no communication with them until roughly six months ago—two vidans by your measurement.”
“What did their communication tell you?” Bryden asked. “Were you given their location?”
“No. Millie’s message was brief. All it said was that their mission had been delayed because they had to help the men of Vilkas who had been forced to into the caverns of Abidem to mine for Mulvane crystals. They had been enslaved by a race called the Malacons.”
“They are the allies of the Gorin,” Sebastian said, his voice deep with anger. “Were they able to help them, Lexi?”
“Millie’s message indicated that they had,” Lexi said, reaching out and taking Sebastian’s hand in hers in an effort to calm him. “Their trip brought them to Vilkas where they had set up a new home for themselves. She informed us that it had taken them time to repair their ship.”
“Why did they need
to leave Vilkas?” Bryden asked, concentrating on initiating the search for the ship with the information Lexi had uploaded.
“They had become aware of an impending attack,” Lexi told them. “Millie said that they had escaped with many casualties and injuries. She asked me to make contact with the people of Altavesta and ask for asylum for her and the people that she now counts as her family.”
“They will be welcomed here,” Sebastian said without hesitation.
“ New Beginnings is a pretty big science vessel. I’m not sure how many are onboard.” Lexi looked at Sebastian, worried that the amount of people might be too many for him to accept into his world.
“It does not matter the number of people,” Sebastian told her, his voice firm. “They will be welcomed and protected.”
“Will their presence deplete the resources of Altavesta?” Lexi asked him worriedly. She knew first-hand how difficult it was to survive on a world that was quickly losing the ability to sustain itself or its inhabitants.
“Altavesta has perpetuating resources and fertile soils,” he told her. “We also have an open trade policy with the worlds that we protect. No one world is held in higher esteem or importance. We work together to ensure that everyone has food, water, and fuel. Technology is also shared and made better by that sharing. The people that will arrive with your scientists will be welcomed here. I am certain that they will become an integral part of our community—just as you and your family already have, my love.”
Lexi reached out and took Sebastian’s hand in hers, drawing it toward her mouth to kiss his open palm before resting her cheek in the cradle of his hand. She closed her eyes and sighed as his goodness and sincere feelings filled her.
“Thank you,” she whispered. She knew the words weren’t enough, but it was all that she could offer at the moment.
“You are most welcome, wife,” he whispered back, sensing her feelings like a gentle caress to his soul.
He turned to face the display screen and saw that his brother was looking at him in a way that reminded Sebastian of the time they had been young men. He saw pride in Bryden’s eyes. He also saw the deep love that his brother had for him. Sebastian could not help but smile and nod in recognition of his brother’s support.
“I will notify you when I am able to locate the ship,” Bryden promised.
“Thank you for your help, Bryden,” Lexi said quietly, unable to keep the concern from her voice.
“You are most welcome, my queen.”
“We need to check on our ship, Sebastian,” Lexi reminded him. “It needs to be refueled and some minor repairs need to be made. My sisters and I will be able to make the repairs, but our fuel reserves have been depleted.”
Sebastian nodded. “Bryden, I will go with you in the morning to evaluate what needs to be done on Lexi’s ship,” he told his brother.
“I’ll go,” Lexi interrupted him.
Sebastian hesitated, his need to care for her warring with his understanding that she was capable of protecting herself and her family. She was able to fight beside him with skill and strength and help others with her knowledge and her tender heart, but that did not alleviate his fear.
He had nearly lost her today. She had been on the brink of death with blood seeping from the back of her head. Were it not for Callie, he would not have her sitting so vital and strong before him now.
Seeing her beautiful eyes looking up at him with obvious love and strength, he knew that he could not allow his own fears to keep her from being the person that she was or deny her the role she was destined to play.
“Lexi will go with you in the morning,” Sebastian said, never taking his eyes from hers. “See to it that Torin sends a contingent of warriors to accompany you both. We need to make certain that everyone is safe until we can find our way around the weaknesses of our shields.”
“It will be done,” Bryden told him. “I have already begun to reconfigure the shields with the suggestions that Lady Bree has offered.”
“Bree gave you suggestions?” Lexi asked, surprised.
“She did, my queen,” Bryden told her, smiling. “When you returned from your mission to find Verrick, she was waiting for Torin in the docking bay. She had quite the battle with him to become involved in the protection of our world. It was wonderful to watch, Sebastian. I wish you had been there. I feared that Torin would choke on his anger.”
Sebastian could not help but laugh softly. He knew that Torin was fighting his need to be with Bree. He also knew that his warrior was doing his damnedest to keep Bree safe. Despite Sebastian’s assurance that Torin was not to blame, his friend was still tortured by the loss of his younger sister. He could see that Torin was fearing the same thing happening to Bree.
“Lady Bree suggested adjusting our shields to have them be able to detect temperature,” Bryden continued. “She told us that the coldness of the Gorin will be their undoing. It was how she sensed their nearness at your encampment.”
Bryden hesitated and adjusted something on his control panel. Satisfied that the system was successful in processing the ever-expanding spiral search for the missing ship, he looked up to face Sebastian once again.
“Torin agreed with her,” he continued. “He said he was able to use his magic to search out the coldness of the Gorin. It was how he became aware that the enemy was surrounding you when you were searching for Verrick.” He remembered Torin’s frustration. “Torin did not want Lady Bree to put herself in the position of sensing the Gorin. He is very protective of her.”
“Yes. He is,” Sebastian agreed.
“She is his life mate,” Bryden said. There was no question in his statement. It was obvious to him that Torin and Lady Bree were meant for each other.
Sebastian nodded, looking at Lexi and relieved to see that she was smiling. “I believe that she is,” he said finally. “I hope that he will not allow his stubbornness to keep him from his happiness.”
“I hope that, as well,” Bryden said quietly, thinking about the quiet warrior. “I will inform you when I locate Lady Millie’s ship.”
“Thank you, brother,” Sebastian said, nodding his head slightly as he terminated the connection.
He turned to face Lexi once again. She stood and disconnected the tech unit from the control panel. He watched as she hooked it to her belt once again.
He passed his hand across the top of the panel, successfully shutting everything down except for the emergency channel that always remained powered up. The connection with Bryden or the security team that was on duty would never be severed.
Taking Lexi’s right hand within his left one and entwining their fingers, he led them into the bedroom that they would share from this night forward. Once he ascertained that the door to the suite was shut and locked securely, he waved his right hand in an arc and placed his shield of protection across the doorway. It was not something he normally did, but it was something that he would always do from this moment on in order to ensure his wife’s safety.
Chapter 28
Lexi saw the shield of magic that protected them and was touched by Sebastian’s thoughtfulness. She had a feeling that he was going to be extremely protective of her. It was kind of sweet.
She looked around the large bedroom and was stunned by its beauty. The bed along the far wall was the largest bed she had ever seen. It was placed directly between two arched windows that glowed with a golden hue. Lexi could see the water through the windows and was stunned by the beauty of the view.
A glass doorway led out to a balcony that held comfortable seats and hanging swings that could easily fit several people. It was obvious to her that Sebastian liked to sit out there and look out over the beauty of his world. Lexi was going to enjoy sharing that space with him.
“You have a beautiful view,” she whispered as she stepped toward the bed and touched the headboard as she looked out the glass doors.
“I most certainly do,” Sebastian agreed, his gaze never leaving his life mate.
&nb
sp; She turned to face him and smiled. He looked happy. That made her happy. She couldn’t hold back the soft sigh that escaped her. Every worry and every moment of loneliness and fear she had ever experienced floated away. She was where she was meant to be, loving the man she was meant to love.
Looking around the bedroom, she was relieved by the comfort of it. It was a room filled with beauty and peace. It gave her a calming feeling. She felt welcomed by the room and sensed Sebastian’s energy drawing her close. Lexi could easily see them sharing this safe haven and experiencing love and laughter here for the rest of their lives.
For a powerful king, Sebastian’s room was quietly elegant and homey. The furniture was made for comfort. There were several overstuffed chairs covered in a beautiful golden brocade. A large couch with comfy cushions also covered in gold and burgundy was set directly in front of the massive stone fireplace. The same type of magical fire burned brightly within it.
“Shouldn’t there be a protective grate in front of the fire?” she asked, concerned.
“It is not needed,” Sebastian told her, touched by her attention to safety. “The magic within it heats but does not burn.”
“I think I’ll feel better if a grate is in place,” she told him with certainty.
“Why, my love?”
“I don’t want our kids to think it’s okay to touch. Not every world has fire that is magic. Real fire will hurt them, Sebastian.”
Sebastian could not hold back the rush of happiness that surged through him and exploded in a curtain of gold and violet around them. Raising children with her was something he wanted. It was obvious to him that she had thought it through and had accepted it as something that she wanted and was ready to accept, as well.
“It shall be done,” he told her gently.
Lexi nodded, impressed once again by the magic of this world. Turning her attention back to the room itself, she had to smile. She didn’t know what she expected to see, but the room was nothing like she had expected a king’s suite to look like. That fact made her know the humble nature of the man who was king. Sebastian’s bedroom was welcoming, comfortable, and made her feel as if she were at home.
Alexa's Warrior Mate (Guardian Warrior Mates, Prophecy of Salvation Book 1) Page 40
