“Computer, call the nurse, please,” she said in a voice that sounded weak and unfamiliar.
“She will attend to you soon, ma’am,” came the reply.
Kara then lay back against the pillows and gazed at the gold bracelet on her wrist. The runes etched on her skin weren’t burning anymore.
The nurse came in a few minutes later, holding a tab in her hand. “Ms. Frost, how are you feeling?” she said.
“Fine... How long have I been here?” Kara asked anxiously.
“You were brought in about a week ago,” she said. “You have suffered a slight head trauma so you might feel a bit dizzy and have headaches for a while. Fortunately, the wounds on your back have started to heal.”
“Who brought me here?” Kara asked, speaking fast now.
“You were brought in by the Vllar crew. The captain of the ship himself made sure you were transported here safely.”
“Was there someone else? Another woman maybe? Is she okay?” Kara asked, her eyes wide with apprehension.
“Ma’am, you need to calm down. Yes, you were brought in with another woman. All I know is that she was an Argarian and she was sent home two days ago. It’s time for your medication,” the nurse added and took out a box.
“I’m sorry, but one last thing... Have you heard from Commander Arazor? The Vllar Commander?” Kara asked cautiously.
The nurse shook her head. “No, Ma’am.”
Kara’s stomach knotted as the nurse pressed a cold metallic device into her arm and administered the drug. “When can I leave here?”
“The doctor will be able to tell you that, ma’am,” the nurse replied curtly.
Soon after the nurse left, Kara lay in the silence of the room, feeling lonelier than ever. Where was Arazor? She took out her comm-pad that lay at her side and sent a quick message to her co-worker, asking him if he had heard from the commander. She got his reply almost immediately.
Hey, Kara! I’m glad you are okay. You were on one hell of a mission. No, I haven’t heard from the Vllar Commander, but you were brought in on a different ship. The Starship 7071 got your distress call as they were passing by Dragua. Their crew rescued you and Nariya Dyadjin. I have no idea where the Commander is. He wasn’t on that ship. You get well soon, girl. See you!
Kara turned off her comm-pad and took a deep breath. Her head was pounding again. She had no idea how to reach Arazor. Once she got back to work, she’d have access to the system again and might be able to contact him. Soon, exhaustion took over. She lay back and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
***
Two weeks later, the doctor gave her the green light to leave the sick bay and return to work. Her co-workers were happy to welcome her back. As soon as she was in her office, she settled in with her console and fired up her system’s holographic screen. A list appeared, outlining the pending tasks she had missed. She had a message from Nariya and another one from the Ambassador. But nothing from Arazor...
She tried sending a message to Arazor’s ship, the one they had travelled on together, but all communication with the ship was lost. She even tried tracking his ship, but, unsurprisingly, the signal was blocked. Then, as the last straw, she contacted the offices of the Elite Galactic Force at Agrion. They told her they hadn’t heard from him, but that he was last seen on the Klai ship before it blew up. Kara’s heart sank. The Klai leader was dead. Arazor was listed as missing.
Her stomach knotted terribly and she tried to fight back the tears that were burning behind her eyes. Unconsciously, she rubbed the band on her wrist. She opened Nariya’s message as a means to distract herself. It was two days old.
Hello, Kara. I am really sorry for putting you through such an ordeal. It’s all my fault. I should have listened to you. I didn’t know Rezurn would turn out to be such a bastard. Kara, I owe you. You and the Commander came all the way across the galaxy to save me. Tell me how I can repay you. Ask me anything, Kara. And get well soon! T.C. Nariya.
Kara tried to steady herself before she replied.
Nariya... I forgive you. You are my friend and it’s not entirely your fault. And, about the Commander, he is missing. He never made it back. I will see you soon. T.C. Kara.
Kara turned off the comm-screen and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down her face. She was devastated by the fact that Arazor was missing. He wasn’t coming back–she could see that–and there was no way she could track him.
That night she dreamt of him. She woke up shivering and cried herself back to sleep. In the days that followed, even in her office, she remained quiet and distracted.
You need to get over him, Kara! Stop crying. You wanted to get away from him... Now he’s gone!
But why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? His intense gray eyes haunted her. She wasn’t eating–she had lost a lot of weight. She refused to take off their band. It was ironic. Back on Earth, she had made a vow that she would never fall for any man again, ever. All she had wanted was to start a new life, alone. And here she was, messed up all over again.
Chapter Nine
A month had passed since Kara had returned from her mission. It was just another regular day at work. Kara took a sip of bitter coffee as she listlessly surveyed her tasks and started working on schedules and reports. At the end of the morning, she got up to meet with Ambassador Erzhun, who had summoned her in his office. She hadn’t seen him yet since her return because he had been away. Kara walked down to Erzhun’s office and the system announced her arrival as she entered.
Erzhun Dyadjin was seated at the head of the huge oval table with his comm-pad open in front of him. He was checking the data on the holographic screen that flashed before him, mulling over several reports he had received that day. Kara almost hid a smile. His long, silvery-white hair tied back gracefully and the very subtle lines of age on his skin reminded her of some elf lord she had read about in an ancient book when she was young.
“Ms. Frost.” Erzhun gestured gently for her to take a seat. “Welcome back. I hope you have recovered well.”
Kara took a seat opposite him. “Ambassador, thank you,” she said quietly as she forced a courteous smile on her lips. “I’m doing okay.”
“You must have heard that the Klai leader has been reported dead,” Erzhun said. He looked closely at Kara, who simply nodded. “Kara, I want to thank you for bringing my daughter back. It was no easy feat and I am grateful for what you and Commander Arazor did.”
“Sir, it was my duty,” she said, looking away, her eyes fixed on some invisible spot on the table. A lump had formed in her throat when he had mentioned Arazor’s name.
“Well, I talked to the Vllar Commander almost an hour ago,” Erzhun said and paused. “His king is happy with our alliance.”
“Arazor...?” Kara looked up, her eyes wide. “He... He’s alive? How?”
“He told me he had followed the Klai leader to his ship and stopped him from escaping that day. He himself had a narrow escape as the enemy ship blew up. Well, I must say, he got lucky. Right after he got away, he ran into a couple of other Klai, who held him captive for months. He managed to escape them, then had to take a de-tour to shake them off.”
“Oh...” Kara was too astounded to respond.
“And, now, with the help of our forces, they have managed to drive the Klai out of Agrion,” Erzhun said with pride.
“This is good news. I’m glad,” Kara said, still unable to believe that Arazor was alive.
“Kara, the Commander left a private message for you. He said it was urgent. I’m sending it over to you,” Erzhun said as he tapped in a few commands on his comm-pad. “What do you plan to do about your marriage? I am assuming you are still his wife?”
Kara slowly nodded as she looked up. “I don’t know... According to his law, he couldn’t end it right away. I–I’ll have to talk to him about it.”
“Hmm... Usually, the Vllar mate for life. They cannot end the bond that has been formed between the mates.”
�
�Yes, he said something along those lines,” Kara said, looking at the runes on her wrist.
“Kara...” Erzhun looked her straight in the eye. “From what I’ve heard, the Vllar mating custom is ancient and magical. If the male chooses to end the bond with his life mate, then he has to pay a price. I’m afraid it is quite a grave price since he must choose to go against the powerful magic that binds him to his mate.”
“What’s the price?” Kara asked.
“Well, he cannot choose another mate ever again and, eventually, the magic takes its toll and kills him.”
Kara felt her eyes burning again. She wanted to see Vllar and talk to him herself. But why hadn’t he contacted her directly? Why had he sent her a message through the Ambassador instead? Didn’t he want to see her? Was she still just a human to him?
“I’m sorry, Ambassador,” Kara said quietly. “I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do about this whole situation.”
Erzhun looked at her. Her face had become gaunt with dark circles beneath her eyes, and her skin looked so pale.
“Have you been sleeping well?”
She shook her head as she stared at her hands.
“You want my advice? Take a break. Go to your husband. And come back to work when you feel like it,” he said, firmly but gently.
“But sir... I have pending tasks... And–and what if he doesn’t want to see me?”
“He definitely wants to see you, Kara. Go to Agrion. You are dismissed,” Erzhun said in a business-like tone.
“Ye–yes, Sir,” Kara said and she got up to leave.
Her heart thrummed in her chest. She almost ran back to her office to see what the message was about. What if he didn’t want to see her again? What if he had already ended the bond? With trembling hands, she opened the message.
Kara, I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you sooner. I had to take a long de-tour to shake off the Klai. I wanted to make absolutely certain that you received this message. That’s why I’m sending this message through the Ambassador.
Kara, in the short time I have known you, you have somehow changed me in ways that I, myself, cannot explain. You are a brave woman with a selfless heart. Even though you are broken, you put others before you. I didn’t see this side of you initially, but once I did, I realized that maybe it was destiny that brought us together. Kara, you may not believe me, but I know you are my true mate. The bond we share is stronger than any I have ever known. I can feel it to the core of my being. And I am unlikely to come across someone like you ever again. I never thought humans had anything like this in them. And yet there you were, risking your life for me.
Kara, I would love to keep you as my bride, but if you still wish to end our bond, I will do it right away.
Think about it and let me know.
Arazor.
A deluge of tears spilled down her face as she listened to his deep, quiet voice. Oh, Arazor. He was ready to give up his life for her freedom. She could not leave him. She already owed him her life, so how could she end the bond and sentence him to death? She went to her chambers to pack up. Yes, she would go to him... before she lost him forever.
***
Arazor stood at the arched pavilion of his chambers and gazed at the lush green of the mountainside. He loved the scent of the woods. He took a deep breath. A slight wind blew and whipped his shoulder-length dark blonde hair and created ripples in the light robes he wore. A waterfall sang a song of its own in the distance as native birds flew here and there. The warm, pale afternoon light filtered in through the trellis above, creating dappled patterns on the ivory-tinted marble floor. It was one of the most peaceful places on Agrion, yet, still, Arazor’s heart was restless.
He gazed at the runes etched on his wrist once again and his chest constricted. If only she knew how he ached for her. Kara had not replied to his message. He wondered why she chose to ignore it. He knew she had no love for him in her heart. She had made that clear when she said she wouldn’t want him even if given a choice. Then why had she come back from the rover for him? She could have left with Nariya. Why did she stay? How he wished she would feel the bond that was theirs, the one that he felt so strongly.
Taking a deep breath, he looked out at the afternoon sky filled with hues of dusty blue, pink and gold. She had never wanted him. He had seen that her heart was deeply wounded and he wished he could heal her. If only she would let him. If only she could see how he felt about her. But that seemed a fantasy, a mere dream... Men like him lead lonely lives. Maybe the other men of his race didn’t feel that way. Maybe something was wrong with him, so much so that he felt such strong emotions toward this particular human. This woman who made him lose his mind. She had made him question things he had never bothered to notice before. Everything about her unnerved him and he had wanted to get away from her because of it. And now, when she was so far away from him, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She had the softest brown eyes–as clear as the morning light. Her flawless ivory skin, her long dark hair that fell down in waves about her, perfect breasts, slender waist, and softly rounded hips...
He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw at the thought. He needed a drink. He was about to turn when one of his servants entered through the balcony doors from his bedroom.
Arazor turned and gazed at the servant standing behind him. “My lord, you have a visitor,” he said hesitatingly.
“Who is it? I don’t want to see anyone at this hour. Tell him to meet me at my office tomorrow,” Arazor said coldly.
“Er… my lord? She claims to be your... um... wife,” the servant said cautiously.
“What?” Arazor said, startled.
“She... uh, showed me her band... It’s similar to the one you wear, my lord,” the servant said.
“Send her in,” Arazor said. “And get me a drink!”
“Yes, my lord,” the servant said and shuffled inside.
***
Kara’s heart raced as she followed the servant inside Arazor’s chambers. For a moment, she was awestruck by the exotic grandeur of the ornate ivory walls, the huge bed at the center, and the giant arched windows along one wall. The domed ceiling was painted intricately. A huge chandelier hung from its recesses. She gently pulled her crimson silk gown up as she stepped over the threshold of the walk-in window and outside onto the large balcony.
Arazor stood with his back to her. She paused and looked at him for a second. The strong muscles of his back beneath the thin fabric of his gray robes made her heart skip a beat. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward.
Arazor turned. His intense gray gaze locked onto hers and made her halt. His handsome features were the same as before but something seemed to have changed. They seemed to have softened.
“Arazor...,” she said softly. A myriad of emotions flitted across those stormy gray eyes and all she could do was gaze back at him.
The servant shuffled behind them as he brought wine and glasses and placed them on the white table near them. Arazor tilted his head to one side and, with a gesture of his hand, the servant disappeared.
“Arazor... I got your message,” she said. He silently moved past her and poured the dark wine in two glasses. Then he stood close to her and handed her a glass. He took a swig from his own.
“Kara, why have you come here?” he asked her in a cold voice.
“I... I told you, I got your message. I..,” she began.
“And you didn’t care to reply,” Arazor cut her off. He was suddenly mad at her.
“Arazor... I’m sorry. I thought you were dead! And these past few weeks have been excruciatingly hard for me. And you! You were ready to let me go and die a lonely miserable death?” she said with such force that it ignited the fiery spirit within her. The kind of passion he loved to see in her. She took a sip of wine to calm herself. “When I got your message, I set off right away. I wanted to see you in person.” She looked up to him. “I came back because I want to be with you... Arazor, I love you.”
His intense gaze bore
into hers. “Do you have any idea how I have ached for you?” he said through clenched teeth as he grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. Cupping her chin with one hand, he gazed deep into her eyes. “What spell have you cast upon me, woman?” His eyes softened into a darker gray. He had missed her intoxicating scent so much.
And before Kara could say anything, he claimed her mouth with such fervent passion that the glass slipped from her hand and crashed to her floor. His dexterous tongue invaded her mouth, ravaging hers, claiming her as his own, as his hand caressed her slender back, holding her close. Kara wrapped her arms around his strong neck, her fingers tangling his hair as she kissed him back with a fervent need. A need born out of years of loneliness and bitter endings.
The afternoon sun glinted off her long hair as the soft wind embraced them. It was long after when they pulled apart. He still held her close and gazed at her with a warmth she had never seen before. Kara gently ran a finger across the dark rune-like markings on his temples, tracing them all the way down the side of his neck.
The simple touch of her fingers set fire to his blood. “Oh, Kara, I have missed you so much,” he said in a low, deep voice. He kissed her again and took her breath away. She could feel his arousal against her as he suddenly picked her up and strode inside. She clung to him, taking in his heady scent as desire welled, deep and unguarded, inside her belly. She wanted him now.
Arazor gently set her down once they were inside the bedchamber. He turned her around, her back against his chest as he pulled her close, one hand cupping her chin, tipping her head back as he kissed her neck. Then he peeled off her dress and it softly slid to the floor, revealing her naked beauty. He gently rubbed her neck as his gaze swept over her ivory shoulders, and then he saw the scars from her lashes and felt a tug in his heart.
He ran his fingers along her spine, and, in a swift movement, he pulled her close, her back colliding into his hard chest. He kissed her neck again as one hand crept down her belly between her legs, making her moan as his fingers worked on her clit and the wet warmth below. He quickly turned her around and gazed at her perfectly shaped breasts, slender waist, and the curves of her softly rounded hips. Turning her in his arms, she faced him and he gasped, gazing into those beautiful eyes. “Kara... You are a beautiful woman...”
The Prince’s Virgin Page 39
