My feelings for Leo be damned.
Leo leads me to my audience with Drake. We exit the elevator at the ground floor and exit the building. On the outside, the building we emerged from looks like a glittering metal cube, surrounded by a veneer of crumbling stone work. The Apotheosis Chamber must have been important enough to the people who built this place to insulate it from whatever calamity reshaped Kartak.
Haven is a strange place. It's the Tulani Clan's stronghold. It lies in the shadows of the Great Archway. It must have been quite a sight when it was first built. A smooth stone arc over the city, and a landmark visible for many klicks. But the centuries have left their mark. The archway is pockmarked with broken stonework, exposing its metal skeleton. A strange leafless ivy creeps halfway up its length.
The weapons protruding from it at regular intervals are clearly a new addition. Some look light infantry guns; others look like they were salvaged off a battleship. I wonder how quickly they can man those stations at the apex of the arch. Without my goggles to tell me, I would guess it reaches nearly a third of a klick high.
The stronghold is similar to the New Bazaar in many ways. There are crumbling ancient towers that have had their lower levels repaired and reinforced, to make them livable. Smaller buildings crowd their base. Clearly built in this era.
My audience is to be held on the steps of an ancient building. It's made of red stone, with a slanted copper roof and fancifully decorated peaks. I've seen a building like it before, when I worked for another more successful Merchant Prince. He was proud to have had his home, removed stone by stone from his House's ancestral home, and rebuilt in his newly built orbital station. It was an impressive mark of his wealth.
Of course, this one had felt the weight of Kartak's history. Its peak show visible damage and its stonework is marked with the signs of many battles. But in this world, it bestows a sense of grandeur. At the least I was impressed.
A great stairway leads up to the entrance of the building to three great arched doorways. Drake held audience in front of the doorways under the night sky. He sits on a tall wooden chair, his golden spear held like a royal scepter. Around him stood what must be his greatest warriors, watching our approach. Each of them is a magnificent specimen. Though, I'm sure Leo is stronger than any of them.
Leo stops us at the bottom of the stairway. Drake stands up and motions for us to approach. “Astrid, come. I would speak with you face to face. Your fated mate must stay at the steps.” He puts a sarcastic emphasis on fated mate.
I put my back up at his tone, offended that he would doubt Leo. Even though I have my own doubts. How dare he question Leo after all he's done for me?
The warrior on his left, a powerfully built one, his skin a dark blue, places a chair before Drake. Drake motions for me to take a seat and I do.
“How do you feel? Have you recovered well?”
“Yes,” I say. I sense that he is trying to feel me out, knowing that none but his people are meant to survive the Apotheosis Chamber. “I think that should be obvious by me having merely survived, yeah?”
He harrumphs and a wisp of smoke drifts from his nostrils. “Yes, I will admit. I was surprised you survived the Chamber.”
He leans forward in his chair, his face mere inches from mine. “I see that you are not a woman that wants to play games. If you want to be direct, let us be direct. Tell me, do you believe you are my brother's fated mate?”
I look back down the stairs at Leo. He is standing there, defiantly, not allowing his place at the bottom of the stairs reduce his stature. Even from up here he looks more impressive than Drake or any of his warriors. I look back at Drake. I see a grim smile on his face. As if he senses my doubts. I need to play this right, for me and for Leo.
“I won't lie to you. I see you are a wise ruler. You would see through any lie. I doubted it at first. The whole concept of fated mates sounded silly to me.” I see his warriors react to this. Shaking their head and grumbling among themselves.
“But, I know now that we were fated to be with each other. When he kissed me, a fire spread through my body that awakened me. In a way, I felt like I had never lived before. When he took me, and loved me, I felt like I had been reborn. I felt like I had found my place in the world. With my mate.”
I dare not look back at Leo. But I know how he must look. Hearing me say that I know I am his fated mate. His heart will be shattered when I tell him that I do not truly believe it. That I am only saying this to save him. And I am doing this to save Rhea, and find a way to get off Kartak with its riches. The Tulani Clan are my best chance at that. And I know just the lure to get them to help me.
“You do not have to take my word for it.” I sweep my eyes across his warriors, addressing them as well as their King. “I have survived the Apotheosis Chamber. Only one outsider has ever survived the Chamber. She was your first Queen. Now I am the second.”
I see irritation building on Drake's face, as his men begin to nod in agreement. “You've all received the prophecy of your fated mate. You all thought, until now, that finding your fated mate was an impossible dream. You despaired. You though that for you, your fated mate was a mere fantasy. But for your fathers and mothers, and theirs before them, it was reality!”
“You know the madness such despair can bring. It's what drove Leo from you.” I look down at him, standing motionless, bravely awaiting his judgment. His life is in my hands. I owe it to him to save him. “But when he found me, his fated mate, he risked everything to save me.”
“I say do not judge him harshly, for he has brought your clan hope. In exile, he found me, and he brought me here to show you that there is still hope for your people. I came to this world with another woman. A woman held in the clutches of the Void Seekers. Search in your souls, remember the prophecy you long ago dismissed as nothing but fantasy. She could be one of your fated mates. The same forces that brought me here, to be with Leo, brought Rhea to Kartak.”
“If you allow her to die, one of you could lose your fated mate before you lay eyes on her and feel her sweet embrace. Do not let doubt stop you from finding out if your dream can truly come true.”
I look back at Leo. He is looking up at me now, a look of admiration on his face. My stomach flutters, knowing I have made him proud. “Some of you may think, that there's only two of us. What about the rest of you? What about your women?”
“I understand your doubt, and I have an answer for you. Rhea can send a signal into the stars and summon a spaceship from our people. Where we come from is an expanse of thousands of planets, inhabited by trillions of people. They will flock here in the millions, seeking knowledge and trade.”
I gesture to the sky above us filled with twinkling stars. “That is where you will find your fated mates. In the stars. As Leo found his, so will you.”
20
LEO
I sit at our elders’ table, my mate by my side. I look at her proudly. Where there was only despair, she has planted the seeds of hope. Drake sits at the head of the table, looking at the empty seat across his. The place for his fated mate. His Queen. Thought to sit forever empty. His warriors sit in their seats around the great table. Each next to an empty seat, ready to be filled.
The mood in the dining hall is celebratory. This is the first time the dining hall has been used since the crowning of my brother. An occasion I did not witness.
What is left of the Tulani in Haven are all here. Three of our youngest, two women and one man, play drums and the flute. My old Second Sword, Bakal, broke out his finest treasure for the occasion. A case of strong brown liquor from ancient times. Unlike any liquor brewed in this broken age. He leans across the table, filling mine and Astrid's cup. He toasts to our fortune and the coming fortune of our clan.
I drink from the cup, enjoying the fire of the drink spreading across my tongue and down my stomach. Astrid drinks hers, trying to match me, and grimaces, coughing and laughing at her foolishness.
There has never been so much
happiness in this hall in my lifetime. I have never felt so much happiness in my heart. All because of a gift from the stars, in the shape of the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on.
I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close to me and we share a deep kiss. The men at the table bang their knife hilts on the table and cheer us on. All through this my brother remains silent, brooding in his own thoughts.
I release Astrid and turn to Drake, my tongue loosened by the strong drink. “Brother, will you not drink? Do you find no reason to celebrate?”
He looks back at me, his brow wrinkled in thought. “I see no reason for celebration. We have accomplished nothing. For all I know, this is merely false hope.”
He pushes back his chair and walks behind my chair. He leans in close to my ear, so only I can hear him. “I spared you because your woman gave our warriors hope where none existed before. I threw this celebration because our people need a reason to celebrate.” He looks past me at Astrid, being goaded on to drink by a warrior woman who's too young to have fought by my side. “I do not believe she's your fated mate. She's too weak and soft to survive Kartak on her own. But I will not deny our people this small hope, however fleeting it will be.”
He leans closer to me. I can feel the heat from the fire that burns in his belly hot on my ear. “Know this. When your deception is revealed. I will have no mercy for you. I will judge you harshly, and deliver your punishment with my spear, which was our father's before it was mine.” I take note that he did not acknowledge that the spear was passed onto to me before it became his.
Bakal, sensing the tension between us, offers Drake a drink. He takes it with a fake laugh, throws the liquor back, and slams the empty cup down on the table. “Bakal. I am weary. I order you to drink my share and keep this celebration going long into the day. We go to battle tomorrow.”
21
ASTRID
I lean heavily on the wall as Leo fumbles with the key to the guest apartment. “This used to be my apartments.” He chuckles drunkenly. “My brother turned it into a guest room. And now here I am again.”
I laugh. It's hard to tell whether he thinks what his brother did was funny or if he's upset. But I'm too drunk to think too hard about it. All I know is my plan worked, and I'm damn proud of myself. Rhea would be too.
I stood up before an alien King and sold them a crazy story about fate and love and the stars. And I convinced them so good that they are going to send us out with a war party to rescue Rhea. She is going to think I'm fucking amazing when I tell her this story. I bet she's going to tell me it's just like in one of her stupid stories.
He finally gets the door to the apartment open. He swings it in, letting me stumble in first, and he follows me in. I strut to the center of the room, proud of myself, and turn around spreading my arms out. “Was I amazing or what?”
Leo beams at me, his eyes shining gold in the low light. “You were just like Queen Naruni in the stories my mother told me as a child. Except more beautiful.”
“Queen you say? I like the sound of that.” I turn around and look at my sexy alien lover. I sit down on the bed and cross my legs, pulling my skirt up to show off my thigh. “Your Queen demands that you take off your shirt!”
He grins at me and slowly lifts his shirt over his head. His body is so defined; he doesn't even have to flex for me to see every muscle on his body. “Hmm... yeah. That's exactly what your queen likes. Tell me, do you work out?”
He laughs at my dumb joke. There's no way that it makes any sense to him. But he laughs anyway. He really knows how to get on my good side. “Now, your Queen demands that you take off your pants.”
He does that thing with the waist of his pants that I've still not figured out and loosens it. “Nice and slow. Your Queen wants you to give her a show.” I prop the pillows high at the head of the bed and lean back against it, crossing my arms behind my head. I watch him slowly taking off his pants. “Yeah, nice and slow. That's what your Queen likes.” I feel myself getting wet. I watch his eyes follow my hand as I slowly lift the edge of my skirt to my stomach, and slide my fingers into my panties. I gasp as I slip a finger inside myself and slide it up and around my lips, spreading my wetness. I can't believe I'm doing this. But I've never been this drunk around a man so sexy before. And right now, I'm in a playful mood.
I see Leo's cock hardening, pressing against his underwear. I take my hand out of my panties, my finger glistening with my wetness. I gesture for him to approach me and let him lick my juices off my finger. His long tongue curls around my finger, licking up every last bit of my wetness.
I push back against his chest, making some room between him and the bed. I sit on the edge of the bed, grab onto the sides of his underwear. I yank it down, watching his massive cock spring free.
His cock bounces in front of me. I lick my lips, as I hear my alien purring. “Tell me, does he model? I swear I've seen your cock's likeness before. At the Hard Times at Calista 7 Station? That wasn't you?” He laughs again humoring me.
“No, you are right. Your cock is way bigger.” I grab his shaft at its base and feel the ridges. “Tell me, are all Tulani dicks so big, or is it just you?”
“No.” He grins at me proudly. I remember that grin. It's that special grin a man gets when you tell him his cock is big. I guess it's a universal sort of language. “The average is five ridges. I have eight.”
“Hmm... so that's how you boys measure.” I lean forward a give him a wet kiss on the tip of his cock. I feel it twitch in my hand and I hear his purring deepen.
“Don't get ahead of yourself big guy.” I press my hand against his hard abs and push him back, making more room for myself. I lift up my skirts and push my panties down slowly past my wide hips. I let them fall at my feet and step out of them. I see his eyes carefully following my panties. I'm getting wetter just watching him watch me.
I grab my shirt by the hem and lift it up slowly, lingering before revealing my breasts. I watch his cock twitch again, anticipating my nakedness. I don't want to be too cruel, so I strip off my shirt, letting my breasts bounce free. I drop my shirt on top of my panties.
“Leo, tell me, my handsome alien lover. What kind of alien are you?” I turn around, slowly bend over, arching my back as I lift the back of my skirt to reveal my ass. “An ass man? Or...” I let my skirts slip back, stand up, turn around and squeeze my breasts together with my arms, “a breast man?”
His purring becomes a rumble as he grabs me by the waist and pulls me into him. His cock presses hard against my stomach. “Enough teasing. Let me show you what kind of man I am.”
He kisses me deeply, one hand squeezing my ass and the other squeezing my breast. He licks my lips, skips past my neck and goes directly to my breasts. He kisses my breast and licks my nipple, curling his tongue around it as it hardens. I gasp as he nibbles on it and then soothes it with a gentle lick. I feel so wet and so hot. I reach down between my legs to relieve my tension but he grabs my hand and holds it behind me. “No, you do not get to cheat. I am in control now.”
I giggle as he turns me around, still holding my arm behind me and bends me over the bed. “You wanted to know what I like?”
He puts his knee between my legs and uses it to spread them open. I arch my back, lifting my ass into the air, displaying myself proudly. “I've never before seen an ass like yours. So soft and thick, with such wide hips.”
I watch him behind me as he grabs my ass cheeks and squeezes. Appreciating the pink imprint he leaves with his hands on my butt cheeks. I wiggle my ass at him, trying to tempt him. I want him inside me so badly. But he's determined to tease me back.
He drops to a squat behind me, bringing his face level with my ass. Any other time, I'd be too embarrassed to do this. But I'm drunk as fuck and he's a big blue alien, so I think this is a good time as any to stop caring.
He kisses the insides of my thigh, nips me on my cheeks, and licks his way down to my pussy. He plants a kiss on my lips, and licks between t
hem. I shiver with pleasure and groan loudly. “I can't take it anymore. I want you inside me so badly.”
He stands up slowly and his cock comes to rest under my pussy. I feel it's hardness beneath me, it's tip reaching to my belly. He pulls back and nudges the tip against my entrance. I gasp and press back on him, till he is inside me. He grabs me by the hips and begins thrusting into me, slowly working his way deeper inside me.
My groans turn into screams of pleasure as he enters me fully. I feel so full inside. I can barely breathe. Waves of pleasure spread from my pussy through my body with every thrust.
My climax comes suddenly and my pussy spasms around his cock as he roars and fills me with his seed. I scream in pleasure as I press my ass into him, trying to milk every last bit of his seed out of his cock.
My legs are ready to give up on me, so I drop to the bed and pull myself up so I can rest my head on the pillows. He lays down next to me, pulls me into his body and lets his wet cock soften against my leg.
I breathe deeply, enjoying the lasting sensation of my orgasm. I twitch against him as pulses of pleasure flow out from my pussy through my body. He rubs my arm gently and kisses me on the back of my neck, my ears, and my shoulders.
“I do not know what I have done to deserve such a gift from the heavens.” He squeezes me against him and puts his hand on my hips. “I can hardly imagine the joy of seeing the swell of your belly. To know that you carry the first child to be born to our clan in a generation.”
He nuzzles my neck and purrs against my back. I lay there, letting him hold me, briefly shocked out of my drunken pleasure. He expects me to bear him a child. Why didn't I realize this? Of course he does. He thinks I'm his fated mate. And I never told him. Kanesia is massively overpopulated. The children of commoners are sterilized at birth to control the population.
Renegade Leo: A Scifi Alien Shifter Romance (Shifter Kings of Kartak Book 1) Page 8
