I cock my eyebrow at him. Too many people are around us for me to disgrace him with the words he recently told me about him most likely having the blood of an Earthling in him.
The men leave us as I’ve requested and I eye my father. “I wanted no one else to know about this. But it is you they want, Father. I was told if I tried to defend you it would hurt me. Now I need you to reach back in your mind and think about anyone you may have done wrong to. In their eyes, at least.”
The fact my father takes a seat and taps his finger to his brow as his fingers go from one to two to three tells me he has, at least, three people he can think of right off hand.
“Fantastic! There’s a list, Father?” I walk away from him and go back outside.
I need air. Lots and lots of fresh air.
What has he pulled down on us all with his ways?
With long strides, I go back to the communication building and try to contact the palace once again. I need more answers.
Someone answers my call from the communicator. “Kerr?”
The voice is Caleb’s and my heart just stopped. “Caleb.”
“Kerr, it’s good to hear your voice. I wish things were better.”
“Caleb, can you tell me anything? Anything at all, friend. Brother.”
“When you come back, come unarmed. Leave your father in the ship and allow us to deal with him. No one else has to be hurt. No one else has to die.”
The silence between us is deafening. “Caleb, why?”
“The one he did the evil deed to will explain everything to you upon your arrival. As long as you do not attempt to defend your father. That person needs to know you stand with them, against your father, Kerr. And I am telling you to do it. You will not be sorry if you place your faith in the one who has taken over the rule of Euthenia,” Caleb’s voice is strong and full of truth.
Yet this is my father we are talking about.
“I don’t know if I can do it without knowing who has taken over. Who am I placing so much trust in? Who want’s my father dead? A name is all I ask.”
“And that is all I cannot give you, Kerr. You must trust what I am telling you. Leave your father on the ship alone or with those who stand with him. We will deal with him and those people alone and no others need to be hurt. Your life will be back to normal before you know it. Only a better normal than before.”
My heart is pounding. My body is sweating and I have no idea what to do.
“Is there nothing else you can tell me, Caleb?”
“I have been told there is a secret weapon which will be unleashed. I have no idea what it is. I have been told it has been programmed for the utter destruction of the King and all who defend him.”
“Any idea when this will take place?” I ask as I run my hand over my face.
“Sometime after you land here, Kerr. So once you land get the fuck off that ship as quick as you can. Get all who you care about off the ships and as far away from them as possible. But make sure your father is secured somewhere inside your ship. I’m pretty sure anyone who is left in the ship will be trying to help him and they will meet their end as well.”
“Thank you, Caleb. Seems I have a big decision to make.”
“Please make the right one and come home to us, Brother.”
The connection ends, and I am left once again with an empty feeling inside me.
Am I to blindly follow one I do not know and turn against my own father?
“Kerr,” Kataline’s sweet voice comes from behind me.
I look down at the floor. “How much of that did you hear, Kataline?”
“Most of it,” she tells me. “Kerr, you know what you have to do.”
I spin around and face her. Anger flashes inside me as I throw my hands into the air and shout, “How can you stand there and say that so damn easily? You carry our child. Tell me how you would see it if she was asked to turn her back on me, her own father and let me die!”
Kataline’s hands cover her face. I feel horrible immediately. But she is acting as if it’s so easy to turn your back on one you’ve only known to have loved you your whole life.
I take her hands from her face and kiss her palms. Tears flow down her reddened cheeks. “I am sorry, Kerr.”
“You speak in voices which are not your own and talk of killing my father, Wife. In your sleep, you do this. And now there is a person who has taken over the rule of our planet who also wants my father dead. A man I have grown to love and trust with all my heart. A man who also knows my father well and was treated like a son by him has asked me to incarcerate my father and leave the ship so he can be destroyed.”
Kataline blinks at me without speaking. Then she shakes her head. “I talk in voices which are not my own? I talk of killing your father? Kerr, you have to help me. I’ve kept the voices in my head from you. But if they’re coming out when I sleep then you know what’s going on inside me. If you don’t help me, I am sure to kill him.”
“You’ve done much better today, Baby,” I say and run my hands over her shoulders. “Maybe that’s over.”
She nods. “I haven’t heard a word in my head since we left the ship. Perhaps it is. But we still have the problem of once we get to your planet, don’t we?”
With a nod, I place my arm around her shoulders and head back to the ship. “We do. And now we must go.”
As we walk onto the ship Kataline’s body goes tense and I can feel it. She leans against me as though she feels weak. Her breath goes in deep and she seems to be trying to catch it.
I stop her as her hand runs to the back of her neck and she rubs it. Pulling her hair up I run my hand where she did. I can feel each vertebra, but nothing out of the ordinary.
“Looking for something, Kerr?” she asks.
“I’ve just been thinking you might have some type of device which has been placed in you.” I take her hand and keep walking.
“What makes you think that?” She runs her arm around my waist and leans into me as if she’s feeling weak.
“Did you start to feel bad when we got on the ship?”
She nods and looks down. “My head is beginning to hurt again.”
With a sigh, I say, “When we get to Euthenia a medic can run you through a scanner and find anything that’s wrong or has been placed inside you. We can get you all fixed up when we get there.”
She smiles and squeezes me. “Finally, a plan.”
For her, yes. For my father, no.
CHAPTER 5
Kataline
Little by little after I returned to the ship, the pain is coming back in my head and now the sounds of voices are seeping in. Kerr is sleeping next to me.
He was holding me tightly to him and I fell asleep easily. I suppose he got uncomfortable while we slept and he moved away from me. I think that’s when the voices began.
There’s something about Kerr and his touch that keeps the craziness at bay. But he’s sleeping fitfully, upset about his father no doubt.
The King is a man with many secrets I am sure. There is probably a very good reason whoever it is that’s taken over Euthenia wants him dead.
I can’t help wondering why I do, though. I think he’s arrogant, egotistical, a control freak, and a pompous ass. But I don’t wish him dead.
But some part of me does. The part I’m not completely aware of. The part that has me doing things I never knew I was capable of. The part I have no real control over.
I sit up on the bed and look over at the pink drink on the table and hold out my hand. It comes to it and I hold out my other hand and the little glass that sat beside it comes into that one.
After taking a small shot of the liquid which quells the pain in my head. I try something new. Sending the empty glass back to the table and it goes right back with ease. The pink drink filled decanter is heavier though and I’m unsure about it.
I concentrate on it and it lifts out of my hand. As I look to where I want it to go, it makes its way back to the table. It’s amazing
to me that I can do this.
What’s more amazing is I never knew it before. Kerr tosses violently and his hand hits my side as he does. He’s mumbling and his face is pinched.
I lean over and kiss his cheek. His eyes fly open.
“What are you doing!” he asks in a harsh tone.
“Kissing my sweet husband. Do you know where he went?” I ask as I run my hand over his cheek.
He blinks a few times then shakes his head. “Sorry. I was dreaming. And nothing nice.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask as I lean back and pull him to me, cradling him to my chest and stroking his hair.
“I don’t know what to do Kataline. I have to protect my father. But in doing that I’ll be putting my life on the line and I have you and our baby to consider now. It’s just too difficult to know what the right thing is to do.” His hand runs over my stomach in gentle trails.
“I wish I had the answer.” I leave a kiss on top of his head.
“I wish you did too. I wish someone had the right answer.” He sits up and looks at me. “What if I dropped my father off on another planet? I wonder if that would get us back home with no bloodshed.”
“I’m not sure, Kerr. You said they told you not to defend him. That is a form of defending him. It’s hiding him away. That might be considered treason to whoever the new ruler is.” I take his hand and kiss his knuckles. “You should talk to your father about trying to plead for mercy.”
“It doesn’t sound like he’ll be given that chance. I was told to make sure he couldn’t leave the ship after all.” His fingers trail over my collarbone then up to my lips and he traces the cupid’s bow of my top lip. “Damn it, woman, you take my attention from all things, including my father’s predicament.”
I smile and pull his finger between my lips and suck it. His eyes light up and he tosses the blanket back and reveals his excitement for me.
My fingertips touch the tip of his erection and I lick my lips then look up at him. He gives me a nod of approval and I lean down to taste my Prince.
My mouth glides over the massive member as it fills my mouth entirely. His moan of pleasure has my insides quivering. Moisture pools inside me as I pull him into my mouth as far as I can then push myself to take him all in.
His hand on the back of my head presses a bit and I push him past the back of my throat. His moan grows louder and his hands run through my hair and he fists it as the moan turns into a low and steady growl.
I wrap both hands around it, to move up and down him as I make long, slow strokes, taking him in deeper than ever before. The way he feels in my mouth is a mixture of hard and silky and it intoxicates me.
He moves my head faster and I taste a little bit of him as he starts to climax. But he pulls me away from him before that happens. I’m nearly breathless with excitement when he pulls me up and tosses me to my hands and knees.
His long fingers grip my hips and he holds me still while he thrusts his hard and long cock into me. I moan as he fills me entirely. “You like that, Baby?” he asks with a snarl to his deep voice. “You like how I stretch you to fit me?”
“Um hm….” I moan as he moves in and out with slow, but deep strokes.
His hips touch my ass when he moves into me and it tingles with energy where he touches it. Everywhere he touches me sends sparks shooting through me.
The slapping of our bodies fills my ears as he thrusts harder and harder into me. Little eruptions begin inside me and get harder and harder until I’m screaming his name and falling apart around him.
With one loud groan, he slams into me one last time and sends his heated juices into me. Our panting is now all I can hear as we both catch our breaths.
He eases me down and lays beside me. His hand runs over my back. “I love you, Kataline.”
“I will always love you, Kerr.”
I roll over to lie on my back and turn my head to look at my husband. His eyes are clear and full of love. The worry in them over his father is gone. For now, anyway.
How I wish I could help him. Take away his pain and anguish over his father. I close my eyes as a pain stabs my brain and the voice which is always the loudest fills my head.
“You will do as I tell you to, Kataline. You will kill the King!”
“Please stop,” I murmur.
Kerr’s hand moves over my temple. “Shh. Rest, Baby.”
“You will kill the King on my command!” the voice tells me. “Or you will be destroyed, Kataline. I have the power to destroy you.”
Perhaps I should allow that.
Perhaps I should be destroyed.
CHAPTER 6
Kerr
With Kataline sleeping somewhat peacefully, I leave her locked in our room and go to talk to my father. We have limited time to figure out what can be done.
The days have past and we are but one day out from Euthenia. In the courtroom, I see Bet setting out a decanter of fresh spirits. Safe to drink I hope since Father hasn’t been around to spike them.
“Hello, Bet. Nice to see you here.”
“How is she doing, Sire,” Bet asks. Her eyes are dark and drooping. Her face so worn and worried.
“We have a plan for when we get back on Euthenia to have her scanned and then we’ll know what can be done to help her. The poor thing is under attack in her mind. It’s pretty awful, but I have her sleeping now.” I pour myself a drink and go and sit, looking out the window until my father decides to join me.
The soft sounds of his feet padding across the floor have me looking back and he’s there, wearing a white robe and looking as tired as a man with the weight of the universe on his shoulders.
“Kerr, what has you out of your room?” he asks.
“You and what we should do to save you.” I take a sip and find my hand is shaking a little. I take another sip to try to steady my nerves.
“I think I’ve come to a conclusion, Kerr.” He pours himself a drink and takes a seat on the overstuffed chair he likes so much more than the others for some odd reason.
“I hope it’s something I can agree with, Father.”
He nods and looks up at the ceiling. “I think I will take what I have coming to me.”
My heart stops. “No. Father, your death will settle nothing. Whoever this new ruler is cannot be allowed to take over and kill you. That’s just not acceptable.”
“Kerr, I am no innocent man.” His words do not surprise me.
My father is a secretive man. I had no idea he even had a brother until I was ten years old. His bloodline was not a thing to be talked about as if just not speaking of it made him one hundred percent Euthenian.
Not that it even matters to me or my mother and we should’ve been the only to care. It was more of a thing he wanted to hide away from all. For no good reason, save he doesn’t like to be looked down on for any reason.
“So what have you done that is so awful you deserve to die for it?” I take another drink and look at my father who is looking everywhere but at me.
“I’d rather you never know, Son. It’s best for you just to know, no matter who it is who has taken over my reign, they must know what I’ve done that’s so awful. The fact they have not told all as of yet tells me they may never tell and that would be best.” He gets up and stands in front of the large window.
I sigh and go to stand beside him. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I say, “I cannot let you die just because of something you did. No matter what it was. There is nothing you have done which is so heinous you should die for it.”
He turns to me and sorrow fills his eyes. “I have done something that heinous, Son. I will accept my punishment like a man. I will not hide behind you. If you learn anything from this, learn no bad deed goes unpunished.”
I shake my head. “No. I won’t let you just take what one cares to dish out. I simply won’t, Father.”
“You must. I will have it no other way.” His hand claps on my shoulder. “Bet told me the news a little while ago. You impr
egnated the Earth woman. Do you think that was wise, Kerr?”
“She is my wife. What would be unwise about such a wonderful thing?” I walk away from him as I truly hate this part of him.
“She is going mad, Son. Her genetics are faulty. You know we don’t breed people who have faulty genetics. It’s not how we got to be the people we are today.” He follows me and presses his hand to my back. “You could end it before she gets too far along. You know that, right?”
“Do not suggest that again, Father.” I walk away from him again and go sit down. “I don’t think there is any real problem with Kataline’s genetics. I think she’s been implanted by her people with something which they have activated inside her to perform these great feats.”
Given To The Alien: A SciFi (Science Fiction) Alien Romance (The Euthenian Battle Book 3) Page 4
