She closed her helmet and then turned to lead the way. She knew what that meant and even though her heart said to, she couldn't refuse him. If he wanted to run, then they would run. She wouldn't risk the sun damaging his eyes by making him walk.
"Keep between us. Lyran fighters are waiting outside to cover us."
Amerii walked back out into the corridor, her eyes on Van for a moment where he walked between her and the Varkan officer. She would see him back safe. She wouldn't let anything happen to him.
Never.
* * * *
Amerii walked into the infirmary, smiled politely at the nurses, and went into the small room where they were holding Van. Holding was the right word. They'd had to restrain him to stop him from trying to leave the bed. He was nowhere near ready for duty again, even if he insisted that he was.
She snuck into the room, as quiet as she could so she didn't wake him. He looked better today. Many of the cuts were now healed, the swelling had disappeared, and his skin had a little more colour, or at least as much as she had come to expect of it. It had been four days since the Wraiths had captured him.
The Lyran fighters had escorted them back to the complex and had then returned to blanket bomb the North Sector. She had gone with Van to his vessel, but not before her captain had taken her aside.
It seemed she had finally impressed him and that he was recommending her for a long overdue promotion. His apology had been so sincere that she hadn't been able to speak for several minutes and had only been able to salute him.
He had also given her leave to remain by Van's side until he recovered. She was grateful for it but even if he had refused, she would have gone anyway.
She sat beside Van on the black covers of his bed and stroked the hair from his face. The monitors above him showed him as stable now. A red gauge read ninety-seven. Apparently, it meant he was close to being completely healed.
She gave a shy glance at her wrist and the marks on it. In the shuttle en route to the ship, she had fed Van. The Varkan officer who had rescued him with her had told her that even a small amount of her blood would help increase Van's healing speed.
She had given him all she could without passing out.
"What are you thinking?” a drowsy voice said, the sound of it warming her right down to the marrow of her bones.
"About you,” she said and looked into Van's eyes.
Their dark red irises still spoke of fatigue. She smiled and caressed his cheek. His hand came up and claimed hers, bringing it down to his chest.
"I wish you would not worry so."
He could say that a million times and it wouldn't change a thing. She would always worry about him.
"I'm not the only one who worries,” she said and moved closer so she was sitting near his ribs. He rested one arm across her lap, holding her hand with his other. “Regis is en route."
Van rolled his eyes and sighed.
"He claimed it was so Sophia could see me as planned, but I think it's for your sake that he's coming. Sophia said he was packing the moment he heard you were injured."
Even though Van looked unimpressed, she could see that Regis's concern had touched him.
"I didn't tell him,” she whispered, afraid to raise her voice now. His gaze shifted to her throat, to the marks hidden beneath the collar of her tight blue and black flight suit. “I thought it was best you told him and it was done face to face."
"Have you told anyone?"
She nodded.
"My captain knows. Your crew knows. And when you were ... while you were sleeping ... I contacted my parents."
His hand tensed against hers. “And?"
She smiled at the tremble in his voice. Her fearless Varkan was afraid of the one thing in the universe that she would always be able to protect him from—her parents.
"My father wishes to know if all Varkans claim their women first and ask for their hand after."
"Is that a bad response?” he said.
"He wished to meet you. I told him that he already had. My mother reminded him about a certain young Varkan who had spent half the night talking to his daughter. He remembered you rather vividly then. It seems he has heard all kinds of positive things about you. Regis has been talking to my uncle, Sebastian, and in turn, he has been telling my father. It sounds rather like a plot to me."
Van frowned. “Regis."
"You didn't happen to mention why you wanted to learn love, did you?"
He shook his head. “He also noticed that I had spent a long time talking to you though."
"You'll have to thank him for the groundwork on my father. It seems he approves of you and will be looking forward to discussing tactics with you at our wedding."
"When we return to Lyra?"
She shook her head this time and patted his hand. “He's on his way here. We're already heading to Varka Prime where the ceremony will take place. Regis will meet us halfway and we will transfer to his ship. You'll have around six days to prepare to meet my father. Will it be enough? I had always read that Varkans were fearless..."
His eyes narrowed into a glare.
"I do not fear your family,” he said with a grim expression.
"That's the spirit.” She smiled even though he frowned at her.
"How did your captain find out?"
Pulling the collar of her blue and black flight suit down, she touched the marks on her throat. “I showed him these."
Van's eyes brightened, sending a flush of heat through her.
"Hungry?” Amerii whispered, her own and different form of hunger rising. He looked at the door and she glanced there. Before she could stop to consider how naughty the thoughts crossing her mind were, she was at the door and locking it. She crossed the room back to Van and moved to kneel on bed. He groaned when she straddled him.
His eyes followed her hand and she lowered the fastening of her flight suit to just past her breasts. She pulled the collar of it to one side to expose her neck.
He pulled her down to him, his grip on her waist firm and his tongue caressing her throat. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him, sighing out her breath.
"Are you well enough for this?” she whispered, afraid that she might hurt him.
"Stop worrying so much,” he muttered and she did when he kissed her, his mouth warm against hers, his kiss persuasive and electrifying.
Returning the kiss, her lips caressing his and her hands pressing into his shoulders, she thought about her future now.
She was sure that when she reached Varka Prime, she wouldn't want to leave it again. She would want to remain there with Sophia and her family, and with Van.
Her father's wedding gift had been leave from duty and she intended to spend it on Varka Prime. He had given it to her when she had admitted how frightened she had been on the battlefield against the Wraiths, and how horrifying the sight of death was.
She had almost asked her father to discharge her.
Before she could voice that request, he had told her of his first experience in close combat, and how scared he had been on seeing death for the first time and being injured.
It had made her realise that he had grown from his experience, and he had found a way to deal with the things that happened in war. It had changed him, but for the better. He had become stronger, and she knew that she could become stronger too.
Instead of asking him to discharge her, she had requested a transfer to one of the ships that would remain in Varkan space assisting the rebuilding of the base station on Varka Two. Van would be heavily involved in the project and it would mean that they could spend time together and she wouldn't have to give up her dream of becoming a captain. Perhaps she would even make it to the rank of general one day.
Her father had granted her request and had told her that she was strong, even when she doubted it. She was like her mother.
That had made her smile. She had always thought she was like her father, always seeing him as the stronger one out of her parents. Now she could
see that she was like them both.
Her strength and resolve had come from both of them. She was a good soldier and she knew that she could make something of herself, could help her fellow soldiers and could make a difference just as her parents had. With Van at her side, she believed that she was strong enough to make the rank of captain.
But first there was the matter of getting married.
It had been her request to have the wedding on Varka Prime. She hoped that once they were there, Regis would grant Van time away from his duties and they could spend their leave together on the planet.
She pulled back and stared into Van's eyes.
"Van?"
"Amerii?"
"When we're married ... what will my gift be?"
He smiled as though he knew the answer that she wanted. She wanted what Sophia and Regis had. She wanted the gift that Regis had given Sophia.
"The only gift I can give that is worthy of you,” Van whispered and pulled her back down to him. He kissed her throat and then her ear. He whispered into it, “Eternity."
Her eyes closed on hearing that word and she smiled.
Soon the kiss he placed on her throat would be one that would last forever and give her a gift beyond her imagination.
A gift that she wanted above all others.
Van.
For all eternity.
"Amerii,” Van husked against her throat, kissing up it towards her jaw. She smiled lazily and held his mouth against her.
"Yes, my love?” she whispered and dipped her head to kiss his neck.
He took a deep breath.
"I love you.” There was a tremble to his voice that made the usual echo that laced it even stronger.
Amerii stopped and pulled back, a blush on her cheeks. “You do?"
Van nodded, a nervous look in his eyes that was quickly chased away by hunger when her hands came to rest against his chest.
"I love you too.” She leaned forwards, kissing him again and feeling light and hot inside. He loved her. She had seen it all in his eyes. He had realised his dream of feeling love. He had changed himself for her. Her stomach flipped and jigged, her heart thumping against her ribs. “How does it feel?"
He swallowed hard, pushed her off him and smiled into her eyes.
She smiled back at him. He was so handsome and he was all hers.
His smile widened.
"Like I am flying and falling at the same time."
Her smile widened too on hearing her description of love on his lips. She knew that feeling well.
With a sigh, she leaned down again and kissed him, whispering against his lips, “Like flying and falling."
But more than that.
It was flying and falling.
And knowing that Van would always catch her.
Always.
The End
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About the Author
Felicity Heaton is a great believer in love at first sight and the romantic ideal. Having grown up reading extensively, she developed a deep love of classical literature, ranking Jane Eyre, North & South, and Persuasion amongst her all time favourite reads. The most romantic moment of her life was when her husband got down on bended knee on the steps of Sacré Coeur, Paris, at night in front of several hundred spectators and proposed. She was too drunk on love, and subsequently champagne, to care about the audience. All she could see was the man that she loved. A writer of emotion and life, she always strives to touch a chord of familiarity in her readers and give them characters they can love and a read to remember.
Check out her stories:
www.felicityheaton.co.uk
Stories in the Daughters of Lyra series:
Heart of an Emperor—out June 7th 2009
Princess Sophia, one of the beautiful and strong daughters of Lyra, has had it with the never-ending row of suitors that her father, King Sebastian Lyra I, has lined up for her. When the latest suitor turns out to be the emperor of Varka, a species known for their lack of emotions, nocturnal lifestyle and bloodlust, Sophia wants little to do with him.
But when she greets the emperor and his two attendants, Sophia realises that a Varkan makes her heart beat like no other man before him and might just win her after all. Only, it isn't the emperor who was caught her eye.
Regis, Count of Sagres, is transfixed from the moment he meets Sophia. She pushes him to the brink of surrendering control to his bloodlust with every beautiful glance and smile she throws his way. But would she ever marry a male who doesn't know the meaning of love? Fear of the bloodlust makes Varkans retain an iron grip on their emotions. No Varkan has ever experienced love before, but Regis is willing to surrender control and risk everything to win Sophia. And Sophia will do whatever it takes to make him see that Varkans can love and that she wants no other man in the universe, including triggering his bloodlust and putting the whole palace in danger!
Will Regis's feelings for Sophia be enough to stop him from hurting her and killing the entire palace? Will Sophia be able to love a man that the universe sees as a monster? And will she still love him when she realises the Varkans’ deception?
Heart of a Mercenary—out July 5th 2009
Princess Miali, one of the beautiful and strong daughters of Lyra, is an ambassador for Lyra. Her true identity is kept secret to protect but it's her beauty that puts her in danger when slavers attack her ship while she's in cryo-sleep. When she wakes, she finds herself heading for the markets, her only company the ship's handsome young Minervan doctor. Kosen makes Miali's body react like no man before him, sending her hair floating with her positive emotions and making her wonder if she might just be falling for her captor.
Kosen has been part of Nostra's crew since his two sisters were sold into slavery. His only desire is to gain enough money to buy them back, and Miali's sale will get him just that. But the more time he spends with her, the more he realises that the path he chose was a mistake and the life he's led is a shameful one. When he discovers Miali's secret, he agrees to help her escape, and not just because she promises him the money he needs. Miali fascinates him with her beauty and the way her body reacts to him, and he can't help believing that they might have a chance with each other, and he might have a chance at a better life.
Can Kosen help Miali escape the slaver vessel and the terrible future that awaits her at the markets? Will he be able to save his sisters and change the course of his life? And will Miali be able to convince Kosen to stay with her?
Heart of a Prince—out August 2nd 2009
Princess Renie, one of the beautiful and strong daughters of Lyra, loves nothing more than exploring space with her twin brother, Rezic, but when they venture too close to the Black Zone, the barrier between Vegan space and the rest of the galaxy, things turn from exploration to a fight for their lives. With Rezic injured in a meteorite shower, Renie has no choice but to accept help from a vessel within the Black Zone, even when it turns out to be Vegan! Separated from her brother and taken hostage, to be held for ransom, Renie isn't sure what she's going to do...
Until she meets a man in the cells, the most unusual and gorgeous male she has ever seen, a man who seems to be willing to do anything to protect her and makes her pulse race.
Tres isn't enjoying his stay in the cells. The commander has broken his thermal suit, leaving him cold and weak, and his last chance of leaving the Black Zone has been thwarted. But the galaxy comes to him instead, and she's more beautiful, warm and full of feeling than he'd ever dreamed. When he discovers her and her brother's plight, he vows to help her if she'll help him, and when she touches him, showing him warmth, he wonders how touch can be so forbidden and realises that he'll do anything for her.
When Renie is injured during their escape and Tres is forced to stay behind so Rezic can leave with her, will she ever see him again? Will she be able to convince her father, General Lyra II, to go back into the Black Zone and rescue the man she's fallen in love with? And will she still love Tres when she r
ealises just who he is?
Heart of a Commander—out August 30th 2009
Lieutenant Amerii, one of the beautiful and strong daughters of Lyra, wants nothing more than to prove herself to her captain and the army without her father, Captain Lyra III's, help ... except maybe one thing. Van, Count of Aeris and attendant to Emperor Varka has been on her mind since she met him at her cousin Sophia's wedding, and she wants to see him again.
Charged with the duty of meeting the Varkan first fleet at Varka Two, Amerii is pleasantly surprised when the commander turns out to be Van, and he wants her to be the one to join him on his vessel to sign the contract between Varka and Lyra. When she meets him again, he's more handsome than she remembered, and she resolves to risk the violence of his bloodlust to make him hers.
Van is sure bringing Amerii to his vessel is nothing short of dangerous and his fears are quickly realised. Amerii stirs his blood like no other female and he's been battling his bloodlust since first meeting her, desperate to know what love is and to find a way of controlling himself so he can have her, but his feelings for her are too strong to resist, placing his whole crew in danger.
Can Amerii convince Van that he can love and that he's worthy of becoming her mate? Can Van control his bloodlust enough that he won't hurt Amerii when he bites her? And when Van is taken captive by the Wraiths of Varka Two, how far will Amerii go to rescue the man she loves?
Heart of an Assassin—out September 27th 2009
Princess Natalia, one of the beautiful and strong daughters of Lyra, has spent her whole life on Lyra Five behaving just as a princess should, except for one thing. After her daily duties she sneaks out at night to sing in the bars of Lyra Five, pretending to be someone else. Natalia loves to sing, more than anything else in the galaxy, until the night that Ixion, the handsome commander of the royal assassins, comes to the bar to bring her home.
Ixion is the only man Natalia has dreamed of since she first saw him seven years ago, but she's sure he doesn't notice her and she's determined to change that. But Natalia couldn't be more wrong.
Heart of a Commander [Daughters of Lyra Series] Page 10
