by Delia Roan
“It’s funny. Not funny ha-ha, but funny weird. I got used to Mel worrying over me. It’s different now that I have to worry over her. Maybe it’s my turn to grow up now.”
“My lord?” Yaldir approached.
Kovos stood, and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Yaldir!”
“Likewise,” Yaldir said. “And you too, Lady Jenna.”
“Thank you for your help, Yaldir. You bailed me out of a bad situation.”
Yaldir blushed. “It was nothing, my lady. Merely my duty.”
Jenna smiled. “Bet you never thought your duty would involve keeping a lunkhead like Kovos in line.”
It wasn’t acceptable for an honor guard to laugh at his lord, so Yaldir didn’t laugh, but his mouth did quirk, and his cough did have a certain amused quality to it. “Exactly so, my lady.”
“Did you need something?” Kovos asked, settling back with his plate. “Or are you just here to insult me to my face?”
Yaldir hesitated. “I have a strange message for you. About four bells ago, a Cadam patrol received a recording from an emergency evacuation vessel stranded in space. The speaker is human.”
Jenna sprang to her feet, her face pale. “What? Are you sure?”
Yaldir nodded. “I heard the distress signal. Her language is as yours. She claims she must speak with Lord Kovos immediately.”
“Did she say why?” Kovos asked.
“No, my lord, but she asked for you by name.”
“By name? Did she give hers?”
“The recording said her name didn’t matter, but to call her gah-ro-feeld.” He pronounced the strange word carefully.
Jenna dropped her plate, and both Ennoi men turned in surprise.
“Jenna?”
“Mel!” Jenna inhaled sharply. “I-it’s a stupid joke, but that’s what I call Mel. Garfield. My sister. She’s alive! Can I talk to her?”
“No, my lady. It is merely a recording set to loop. We have tried establishing contact with the ship, but it appears their communication devices are non-operational.”
Kovos turned to Yaldir. “Send a rescue ship immediately.”
Yaldir bowed. “I dispatched one as soon as word of the message arrived. I know Cadam Ennoi do not leave pleas for help unanswered.”
“Good man. Inform me once they have established contact with the vessel.”
Once Yaldir left, Jenna stood. “She’s alive. Or was.”
“She is alive,” Kovos assured her. “And we will have her back safely.”
Jenna brushed down her gown. “Can we leave now, Kovos?”
“Of course, my moonsong. We can go wherever you wish.”
He took her by the hand.
“I want to go home and wait for Mel,” she said. “Back to Cadam.”
Kovos’s heart leapt. Home. “As you wish.”
“I meant to the palace, of course,” Jenna said. “But maybe someday we can rebuild Braddrak? It’s very beautiful there.”
“It is. I will build you a palace.”
“I don’t want a palace.” Jenna looked at him through her eyelashes. “I just want a house big enough for the two of us. And, I mean, I don’t know if it’s possible, but maybe some children?”
He couldn’t bear it. He pulled her into his arms, and found her mouth with his. He promised her everything in that kiss. Everything she could ever ask for, he would give her. From the way she wrapped her arms around him, he knew she only asked for one thing: him.
Good, because all he really wanted, he already held in his arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
NEARLY ONE YEAR LATER
Jenna Harlock Il’Cadam Ar’Haron stared up the slope in horror. A few loose pebbles clattered down from above, and she recoiled from the sight. She clutched her round belly with one hand, and the other sought out the comfort of her honor guard.
“Leave me,” she gasped. “I-I can’t do it!”
Cyndrae tipped her head at her friend. “You are being dramatic. We can stop here and you can catch your breath.”
Taking Jenna by the arm, Cyndrae lowered her onto a rock. Jenna sat with a grunt. The Ennoi woman turned to her daughter.
“Thedi, go up to the house and tell Lord Kovos we have arrived and shall be up shortly.”
“Yes, Mama!” Thedi raced up the slope.
“You,” Cyndrae said to the Haron servants who followed behind, “take the basket and set up.”
With a bow, the servants left, taking with them the picnic baskets and bundles they carried.
“Now, you sit. When you are feeling up to it, we will continue onward.”
Jenna sighed. “Thank you, Cyndrae.” She patted her belly. “I swear this baby is stealing every bit of energy I have left.”
“Soon,” Cyndrae replied. “Enjoy these last few days. Cherish them. Afterward, you will spend your life with a portion of your heart running free in the world.”
They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the scenery of Braddrak. Now that she didn’t have to face the climb, Jenna enjoyed the sun warming her skin, and the gentle breeze rustling the leaves above. Insects buzzed in the air and birds twittered from the trees.
“I can’t believe it’s been a year,” Jenna murmured. “Since our picnic. Since the… Since Lithyon.”
“Nearly a year, my lady.”
“Do… Do you think Lithyon is okay?”
“She will land on her feet. She always does.”
“Yeah, but a prison planet…”
Cyndrae took a deep breath. “Jenna, you cannot feel responsible for her choices. She knew the risks she faced.”
Jenna dug the toe of her boot into the dirt. “Yes, but…”
“No buts,” Cyndrae interrupted. “As your honor guard, I will state your actions were honorable. You did the right thing. Lithyon did not.”
Jenna squeezed Cyndrae’s hand. “I’m glad we can talk like this now.”
“Much has changed,” Cyndrae replied, squeezing back.
“And much hasn’t,” Jenna said. “I still feel like I’m bumbling through this.”
“You do so with me beside you. Here comes another loyal heart.” Cyndrae pointed up the slope.
Jenna shielded her eyes to peer into the shadows of the trees. She felt a jolt of pride and happiness when she spotted her husband striding down the hillside. He wore his dark hair in a simple braid, and at some point during the day, he’d stripped off his shirt, and now wore only loose pants and his heavy work boots. Dirt streaked his red and blue scales, but when he saw Jenna, he broke into a grin.
Grumbling, Jenna rose to her feet, just in time to be swept into his arms and into a kiss. He tasted like sweat and mud, but Jenna took a moment to savor the sensation. Pretty soon, the bump between them would be replaced by a baby in her arms.
It won’t just be the two of us, she thought.
“I am glad Thedi told me you were down here,” he said, once they broke apart, “My obnoxious brother would make gagging noises at that display.”
Jenna giggled. “Then let’s be sure to do it again in front of him.”
“Let’s go.” Kovos picked Jenna up and cradled her as he climbed the slope to the top of the hill. Jenna laid her head on his chest, and listened to the comforting rumble of his hearts. Cyndrae followed behind, keeping her distance to give the lovebirds their privacy.
“You’re a mess,” Jenna said. She wrinkled her nose. Pregnancy had enhanced her senses. “And you stink.”
“I choose to rush to your side like a dutiful husband instead of washing up. A perfect wife would not chastise me for my noble sacrifice.” He winked, a human gesture he’d learned from Jenna.
Jenna giggled. “You don’t have a perfect wife. You have me, silly.”
“You suit me just fine,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I would not toil so hard for a wife who was less than perfect for me.”
“How’s the house coming
along?” Jenna asked.
“Good,” Kovos replied. “Once we lay the flooring on the main level, the artists will begin the decorative mosaics. We should be done our part by tomorrow.”
“That soon?”
“If all goes well,” Kovos replied, “we should be able to host our own Alignment party in our new home.”
He crested the hill and popped his wife back on her feet. Jenna looked across the clearing to the construction. When she’d asked Kovos for a house on Braddrak, she’d assumed she would get a cottage where they could escape from the troubles of palace life. A few bedrooms, a living space, and maybe a fire pit to ward off the chill of nights.
Instead, Kovos had built her a mansion. To Jenna, the stone walls resembled the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia more than a rustic log cabin, but Kovos assured her that by Ennoi standards it was intimate and cozy. He wanted enough room to host guests, since Dovena would not stay away once her first grandchild was born.
Jenna smiled at the shining white building. “It’s beautiful.”
“I will show you what we accomplished since your last visit,” Kovos said. “First we must eat.”
He gestured toward an open pavilion set up a short distance away, overlooking the forest below. Haron and Cadam servants bustled around a table, where Jenna and Kovos’s friends and family sat.
As Jenna approached, Yaldir shot to his feet. Like Kovos, he wore work clothes, but he’d scrubbed his arms clean. Beside her, Kovos muttered in irritation. Jenna bit back a smile. Since meeting his own Avowed, Yaldir took great pride in standing beside Kovos to show his lord that, yet again, he was the taller of the two.
“Lady Jenna, please, take my seat,” Yaldir said, holding out his chair.
“Thank you, Yaldir.”
Jenna sat, and Kovos pulled a chair beside her. Cyndrae claimed a seat between her daughter and Arthon, who eyed her warily.
“Am I about to be poisoned again, Cyndrae?” While Arthon had forgiven her, the failed assassination attempt had become a long running joke between the two.
“I assure you, my lord, not this time,” Cyndrae replied with a twinkle in her eye. “At least, not by my hand. Lady Jenna has attempted to recreate a human dish, and while my lady has many talents, I fear cooking may not be among them.”
“Hey! I’m trying! This baby is craving Chicago style deep dish.” She took a hearty bite of the pizza she’d spent all morning baking. Her mouth drooped. “This ain’t Angelo’s double cheese fest.”
Arthon poked at the strange food in front of Jenna. “Is it meant to be lumpy?”
“Your cheese doesn’t melt.” Jenna threw the slice down in disgust, and crossed her arms. “And you don’t have tomatoes. Or oregano. Or pepperoni. Or Angelo to weave his magic over the dough, for that matter.”
“It is called peez-cha,” explained Cyndrae. “It is supposed to be a human staple. One of the basic food groups, according to Lady Melissa.”
Arthon pushed aside the slice and wiped his fingers on a napkin. “Is your sister coming for the Alignment?”
“Yes,” said Jenna. “Jahle’s gotta check on the terraformers first. They’ll be arriving in a day or two.”
“And Rebecca and Verdan?”
“They’re visiting Verdan’s brother for the Alignment.”
“Ziyk is quite pleased. He’s taken a liking to his niece.” Kovos placed a plate piled with Ennoi foods in front of Jenna. “Here, eat these.”
“Oh, you’re a treasure,” Jenna said, tucking in with gusto.
As she ate, Jenna kept half an ear on the conversation, listening to her husband and friends discuss their work on the Braddrak house. The conversation meandered from construction, to politics, and then to a local sporting event.
The words were inconsequential, but to Jenna they meant the world. Her queen persona served her well when she faced Ennoi dignitaries, or when she interacted with the Haron and Cadam public. However, she didn’t have to hide from these people. She didn’t have to put on a mask and pretend she was someone she was not.
Sated, she sat back, her arms folded over her belly. Despite the ache in her lower back, she grinned. Over a year ago, she couldn’t have imagined feeling so safe or comfortable with anyone. A year ago, she couldn’t have imagined being in love so deeply.
“What,” Kovos murmured in her ear, “has you smiling in such a manner?”
“You,” she whispered back. “You’re building me a house. A house!”
“Not merely a house but a home, moonsong.”
“A home.” She cupped Kovos’s face, and gazed into his eyes. “You traveled across the stars to Earth to save me, and then I traveled all the way to Cadam to be with you. It took a million miles for me to find my home.”
“Welcome home, moonsong.”
Kovos leaned in and kissed her. Jenna wrapped her arms around his neck. Beside them, Arthon set to groaning and grumbling about public displays of affection, but neither Jenna nor Kovos cared.
It’s funny how things work out.
She nestled into his arms, until she was surrounded by the thud of his heartbeat and the laughter of her friends and family.
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The adventure continues in THE ALIEN TRAITOR: JAHLE! Coming soon!
She was his prisoner, and now he’s hers.
Once they give into their passion, they realize they are meant to be together. Except… they’re supposed to be enemies, right?
An Ennoi man is born twice: Once when his mother speaks his name, and again when his soul mate moans his name in passion. Follow some of the galaxy’s hunkiest alien warlords as they discover love with their human mates. The Ennoi value love and honor. They treat their women with respect and kindness. No abusive “alphaholes”, no cheating. Just the transformative power of love -- and lust!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When Delia Roan’s not daydreaming about other worlds, she bakes, paints and drinks more caffeine than is healthy. Delia and her own Avowed mate live in Canada, where they are outnumbered by children and pets.
If you want to learn more about Delia’s work, email her at: [email protected]
Visit her site: www.deliaroan.com
Or come chat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deliaroanauthor/
