by Shae Mills
Chelan smiled. “I guess it is possible that I am on their hit list too, hey?”
“Right now they have little idea. But as a precaution, you will not leave my arms or this stronghold for over a month.”
Chelan heeded his warning, his stern features betraying his concern. Then she relaxed, her eyes sparkling. “Last night was the best night of my life.”
Korba smiled and then laid his head down on her taut stomach. “Mine, too.” And he kissed her satin skin.
Chelan squirmed. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Am I pregnant?”
Korba’s hand pressed gently into her abdomen. “Yes, you are, my Lady.”
“Boy or girl?”
Korba chuckled. “Are we getting picky?”
Chelan shook her head. “Not at all. I just wanted to know whether my handsome, blonde son is getting a sister or a brother.”
Korba took a deep breath. “He is getting a little sister.”
Chelan’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Korba sat up. “What is that look for?”
“You surprise me, my Lord.”
“Why, you assume as Emperor I would want a son?”
Chelan looked about her. “Yes… I guess.”
“You forget, my Lady. In our culture, men and woman are equal.”
“But where one can succeed to the throne by the knife as you did with Talon, you cannot tell me that the physical deficit of strength is not a liability.”
Korba raised his brows. “Can be a liability. I got to Talon because of my people and what they accomplished for me. If I had chosen not to fight him, some of my more elite men could have taken him out for me. An Emperor or a Warlord can only be as good as those he keeps close to him… or her. But you are right. All things considered, physical strength is definitely an advantage if one is to occupy the throne.”
Chelan was quiet for a time. “So, you can manipulate the gender too, a feat I have yet to understand. Why a girl?”
Korba straightened. “You are my mate once again, in every way. Therefore, I desire that our firstborn inherit the throne, if worthy.”
Chelan eyed him suspiciously. “If worthy… Any child of yours would be more than worthy. But you just said that strength is a factor, so you have just confused me.”
Korba smiled. “Well, it is up to you also, my Lady. But as my mate, if you permit Jason to call me Father, I will train and hone him for the Empire. I will consider him our firstborn.”
Chelan flew from the bed and clutched him fiercely. “Oh god, I love you!” Then she stared into his eyes. “Do you think he can—I mean, his genetics?”
Korba nodded. “From all that I have seen, yes. As Emperor, he would be allowed to have a few more deficits than a Warlord.” Then he hugged her tight for a long time. “I will love both our children with all my heart, my Lady. But you must remember—this is not a panacea. Jason’s new status makes him even more of a target.”
Chelan drew back, her eyes alight with love. “But look who he has for a father and a guardian. No child could ask for more.”
Korba’s finger traced along her face. “And look who he has for a mother. Who, child or man, could ask for more.”
Chelan kissed him gently, their lips igniting yet another flame between them. But Korba pulled her away. “You must eat first,” he ordered in an authoritative whisper.
Chelan fell back into the pillows. Then she watched as he drew his knife and began peeling various Iceanean fruits that seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Where will he stay?”
Korba glanced at her. “Who, Jason?”
“Yes.”
“It is still best that he stay with Marri. She has been his primary caregiver over these years.”
“But isn’t that a security risk?”
Korba chopped the fruit into a bowl and handed it to her. “No, I will have them moved to Fremma’s suite, across the corridor.”
Chelan ate her first piece of fruit and then put the bowl down. Korba looked at her as he wiped the blade of his knife. “What is it, my Lady?”
Chelan swallowed the fruit, an unpalatable lump forming in her throat. Her heavy eyes looked up at him. “I am okay,” she whispered. “I guess the mention of Fremma’s name jarred the past for me.”
Korba looked down and shoved his blade into his boot none too gently. Then he stared off into space for a long time. It was the first time he too had allowed all that had happened to intrude into his mind. Finally, he looked back at the very still woman. “We all lost so much.”
“Fremma would have been happy for us.”
Korba nodded. “He sacrificed everything for us, Chelan, as did Dar.”
Chelan took in a deep and wavering breath, caught totally unprepared for the grief that hit her. And Korba was not immune to the blow. He fell back into the pillows, one arm flung above his head. Chelan looked down at his chest, and her fingers traced each and every diminishing scar from its beginning to its end.
Finally, Korba’s gaze shifted to her, her soft touch distracting him from his pain.
She cocked her head at him as she continued to paint over his bronze flesh. “I see the surface,” she whispered. “What happened beneath?”
A wry smile touched his lips. “Let’s see if I can remember at least part of the list. There were the two lacerations to the liver, a collapsed left lung, a ruptured spleen, three intestinal punctures, one lacerated kidney… Ah, he did, however, somehow miss my pancreas—must have been an off day—but he managed a small hole in my left ventricle. And of course, the nerve damage near my spine. That is most of it, if my memory serves me correctly.”
Chelan shook her head slowly in amazement. “How did you survive? And to top it all, you stood there unattended for so long! They did not take you to Stose until after Talon died.”
Korba thought for a moment. “I remember my uniform feeling greasy even though I felt no pain. There was too much blood around to attribute to Talon alone, so I realized that I had to stem my own flow. I had no idea how badly I was wounded, but I knew the immediate threat was bleeding to death. My men also had no idea. As long as I was standing, they did nothing. I took the time to slow my heart and calm myself. It was shortly after Talon died that the pain hit, along with the shock.”
Chelan shook her head in disbelief. “Genetics?”
Korba’s lip quirked. “Actually, it was grim determination. I had a lot to live for, and I could not take my eyes off her even though she was tending to my enemy rather than to me.”
Chelan cringed. “I did not know it was you.”
“Well, it didn’t matter. After I saw what you tried to do to Lethiason, I was glad to get out of there. I knew you would succeed where Talon had not.”
Chelan gave his chest a slap, and then she kissed him briefly. She smiled and then nodded to the room beyond them. “Did you notice my little addition?”
Korba smiled. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Is that where you intend to keep me when I am bad?”
Chelan laughed. “I hadn’t thought of that, but I will keep it in mind.”
Korba took her soft hand in his. “Don’t you think the bed is a little small?”
Chelan’s eyes sparkled and hugged a blanket to her chest. “I just thought that once Jason got used to me, he could spend some nights here.”
Korba toyed with a lock of her hair. “Oh, you did, did you?”
“I know that it is best that he stay with Marri for now, but once in a while, he could have a sleepover.”
Korba sat up and nipped at her ear. “And what, my fair lady, are we supposed to do when the inevitable desire hits?”
Chelan grinned and pushed him forcefully back to the bed. “Then we close his door,” she told him smartly.
Korba chuckled. “I had hoped it would be something as simple as that.”
Chelan smiled and rose off the bed. She extended a hand to him and led him to the en suite. “I need a long soak,” she whispered. “With you, of
course.”
A contented rumble emanated from his chest.
*****
And so the day continued, each exploring the other while they caught up on the past. Though parts were painful for both, they had each other now, and each would help the other toward healing. As evening approached, they ate, and then Chelan began to undress. But Korba stopped her. “I thought we were going to bed?” she murmured.
Korba smiled at her. “I have something for you first.”
Chelan looked up at him expectantly. He nodded to a point behind her. Chelan whirled around to find Marri standing at the door, a small bundle draped over her arms.
The warrior nodded. “I am sorry, my Lord. I could not keep him awake any longer. He had such a busy day.”
Chelan cupped her hand over her mouth.
Korba smiled. “That is okay, Marri. I know it is late.” And he took Jason from her. “I will page you in the morning when he is ready.”
Marri nodded and smiled. “Good night, My Lord.” She turned to Chelan. “My Lady.”
Chelan nodded. “Thank you, Marri.”
Marri smiled warmly. “It is good to have you back, my Lady.” And then she left.
Chelan followed Korba to the new room and watched as he laid their son down. Then Chelan sat on the bed beside Jason, and he stirred. His eyes flickered open, and he gave her a lopsided smile. His little voice was quiet. “Are you going to stay with Korba?”
Chelan ran her fingers through his beautiful hair. “Yes, I am. Is that okay?”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “Can I call Korba my dad now?”
Chelan glanced up at the giant Warlord. Korba smiled warmly and nodded. Chelan looked down into Jason’s azure eyes as he squinted at her. “Yes, you can.”
He smiled again. “Goodie! I get the Emperor for my dad.” And he rolled over and fell fast asleep.
Chelan pulled a sheet over him and then stood up, her tears welling. Korba’s strong arms surrounded her. He stared down into her misty eyes. “Oh, oh. Mom is happy again.”
Chelan laughed and grabbed him around the neck. “I love you so much,” she whispered.
“And I love you, my Lady, with all my heart, body, and soul.”
Chelan lingered in his arms and then looked back at the sleeping boy. “He is so perfect.”
Korba kissed her head. “Yes, he is.”
“He is going to break many a heart when he grows up.”
Korba rested his cheek on her head while he squeezed her tight. “He will follow in Dar’s footsteps.”
Chelan’s eyes lit. “When it is time for him to be tutored in the art of love, I wonder what lucky lady will get to teach him to love as much and as well as either of his dads?”
Korba chuckled lightly. “I doubt any lady will.”
“Why do you say that?”
Korba nodded at him. “I can’t imagine any woman meeting his mother’s stringent criteria. I am afraid that the poor boy is going to have to learn everything on his own.”
And they both laughed. Then Chelan stared at her son awhile longer. Finally, Korba pulled her from his room and closed the door. Chelan looked up at him. “Did he know he was coming here?”
“Yes.”
“You think of everything, my Lord.”
Korba took a deep breath. “I give you the Empire, my Lady, and all that is contained within it. All I want in return is your happiness.”
“All I want is you.”
“You already have that.”
Chelan became very serious. She took him by the hands. “I want you to promise me three things.”
Korba looked deep into her dark eyes. “Yes?” he whispered.
Chelan squeezed his hands tight. “First, that you will never leave me again, ever. If you choose to go on a mission, no matter how sensitive or volatile, you will take me along.”
Korba nodded. He raised her hands and kissed her fingers. “Granted.”
“Second,” she whispered. “I want you to come home to me here each and every night. If for some reason you must be elsewhere, then you will summon me. We will not be apart, even for an evening.”
Korba squinted at her. “There are duties—”
Chelan put a finger to his lips. “Fremma used to take me to the training fields with him when necessary. I survived the warfare and the cold quite well. What I did not survive was being left by you.”
Painful memories trickled into Korba’s disciplined mind. But this time, he did not harness them and shove them away: he heeded them. He kissed her sweet mouth tenderly. “Granted.”
Chelan smiled and then began pushing him back toward the bed. When he had been forced to sit, she knelt before him, her voice soft and low. “And third…” she began. She reached for his jacket and undid it. “Each and every night, when you return here to me, I want our love to come first, above any stresses or crises.” With his jacket gone, she reached for his boots. “And part of that love will be what only I have given you and what only I can take.”
Korba’s smile left him, and his heart nearly stopped. “And what is that, my Lady?”
Chelan hesitated and then she released him from his pants. When he sat naked before her, she smiled seductively. “I want you to allow me to drink of you each and every night, an act by which we will reaffirm our unique and special bond.”
Korba’s eyes widened. “You present a special and unique problem where the Breeders are concerned, my Lady,” he uttered breathlessly.
Chelan pushed him back to the bed. “Nothing will be spilled. Nothing will be lost.”
Korba stared at the alien beauty who was his forever. He felt her reach for him, and his body heat kindled. “Your wish is granted, my Lady.” And he closed his eyes.
Chelan smiled to herself. Her life was complete. She had Korba—the galaxy’s most powerful man—and she had the Empire. More important than all that, she had her son and a new life within her. And nothing would take any of it away from her again.
She looked down at Korba, and her heart swelled. But eclipsing the rest, what she treasured most was his love, and each night he would relinquish all to give her exactly that: his undying love and devotion, and with it, the essence that was his and now hers alone. In turn, she would give him everything she had within her heart, body, and soul. They would be one from this day forth, until eternity.
