by S. E. Smith
“Who am I? What am I?” She asked in a small, whispered voice filled with fear and confusion. She turned to look at her parents with pleading eyes. “Mom, where did I come from?”
Chapter 14
Later that evening, Ristèard watched Ricki from across the room, unable to pull his gaze away from her pale face. She smiled at her father when he reached over and took the empty plate she was holding, out of her hands. He had immediately ordered a meal for her, feeling a sense of remorse that he hadn’t thought of it earlier.
A part of him wanted to order everyone out of his office. Everyone, that is, but Ricki. A primitive part of him wanted to be alone with her and he resented having to share her attentions, even with her parents, which confused him even more.
“They are confusing, aren’t they?” Ajaska asked, holding out a glass of liquor.
Ristèard absently nodded as he took the offered drink. Downing it in one swallow, he held it out for more. He ignored Ajaska’s chuckle as the smart-ass Kassisan Ambassador poured more of the dark green liquid into his glass.
“Who is she?” Ristèard asked, raising the small chalice of potent liquor to his lips again.
“If I had to guess, I would say she is part Glacian. I’ve met their Ambassador a few times. Her eyes are the same color as his. Their star system just recently joined the Alliance council. They are a tough bunch of bastards. They are ruled by a Coalition with a group of directors. Ambassador Rime was recently appointed as a representative to the Alliance,” Ajaska commented, studying Ricki with a frown. “What I would like to know is how in the hell a Glacian ended up on Earth and no one knew about it.”
“Probably the same way the Kor d’lurs did,” Ristèard muttered, staring at where Marvin and Martin stood in silence. “I think they may know more than they are letting on.”
*.*.*
Ajaska looked at Ristèard in surprise before he turned his attention back to the two tall, silent men standing near the fireplace. They had refused to remain behind on Kassis when he had stated his plans to kidnap Ricki back. His first thought had been because they were so protective of Walter and Nema, now he wondered if it had more to do with Ricki.
He glanced over to where Jarmen was standing in front of the window looking down over the city, or appeared to be looking down over it. Jarmen was, in fact, hacking into Ristèard’s computer system. Taking a sip of his drink, Ajaska gazed to where Ricki was quietly talking to her parents. Nema sat next to her daughter, tightly holding Ricki’s slender hand in her smaller one.
“I should… Thank you for your assistance earlier,” Ristèard suddenly said, draining his drink after the unusual words.
“But,” Ajaska prompted.
Ristèard glanced at Ajaska’s amused face. “But, I want you to know that Ricki will not be returning to Kassis with you.”
Ajaska leaned back against the wall next to him and studied Ristèard. The man was not much older than Jazin. In many ways, he saw the same types of characteristics in Ristèard that he saw in his own sons.
He could see the pride, fierce determination, and the need to feel complete in the Grand Ruler that he saw in his sons before they found their mates. He reluctantly admitted, he felt the same way himself as the image of a dark-haired Russian beauty formed in his mind.
Ajaska doubted that Ristèard was even aware that every time he looked at Ricki, his face softened and his eyes lost the hard, cold distance or that his face softened with… love. The Grand Ruler of Elipdios was in love with the delicate half human/half Glacian woman he had kidnapped.
*.*.*
It was well after midnight by the time everyone finally called it a night. Ristèard had ordered one of the guards at the door to escort her and her parents to the living quarters where they would be staying. He assured them that those that remained in the palace were loyal only to him when her dad grumbled that he would prefer to return to Ajaska’s warship with her and her mom.
Ristèard had stubbornly refused her dad’s request. It wasn’t until he threatened to send her parents back alone, that her dad reluctantly agreed to spend one night here. Ricki knew her dad was just trying to be protective of her and her mom, but he also understood the importance of helping to save an entire planet of people.
The guard had shown her to one set of rooms while her parents had been given the quarters across the hallway. The quarters were elegantly decorated, but in a slightly masculine theme. The thick, black walls shimmered with the threads of gold, illuminating the large living area.
A long, plush black and gold couch and two matching chairs were placed before the fireplace. Just like in the office, it was large enough for her to stand in. A low fire burned in it, heating the room to a comfortable level. Her eyes tiredly swept over the room. So much had happened over the last few days that she felt like she had run a marathon.
Deciding her exploration of the rooms could wait until the next day when she wasn’t so exhausted, she decided to find the closest bed and crash. Turning on the woven carpet covering the polished black floors, she walked down the long hallway. She noticed that several of the doors were closed while one was left open.
Ricki paused in the entrance to the massive bedroom. In the center was a large bed. From the ceiling, thick curtains hung down around it. They were tied back at the moment and the covers of the bed were turned down, as if to invite a willing occupant to climb in and rest.
Her eyes lit on the long, blue nightgown and robe that were laid out across the foot of the bed. Relief washed through her. Crossing over to the bed, she picked up the beautiful, blue silk material. It actually shimmered in the low light of the room.
She glanced around again, looking to see if there was a bathroom in the room or if it was detached. A sigh of relief escaped her when she saw the lit room to the side. Deciding that a nice hot shower would definitely help her sleep, she grabbed the matching robe off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.
A short time later, a clean and relaxed Ricki sat on the small bench, brushing her hair and thinking about everything that had happened earlier in the day. From what she had discovered, Ajaska, Jarmen, Marvin, Martin, and her parents had arrived just as the coup d'état started. Ajaska and Jarmen had heard the sound of fighting in the council room and burst through the doors.
Glancing at her hands, she set the brush she was using down on the vanity table in front of her. Lifting her right hand, she thought about what had happened earlier in Ristèard’s office. Focusing, she thought of Emera again and the ice coming from the ancient Empress’ hands.
A shiver escaped Ricki when she saw tiny crystals forming on the tips of her fingers. The more she concentrated, the more the ice formed until she had a small spear protruding from the ends. Her hand froze suddenly as the door behind her opened. A surprised gasp parted her lips when she saw Ristèard’s reflection in the mirror of the vanity. He silently stood in the doorway, staring back at her with an intensity that shook her.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she murmured in a husky voice, clenching her fist as the icy blade dissolved into a mist. She turned on the small seat until she was facing him. Rising from the padded bench, she self-consciously raised a hand to pull the robe close over the low neckline of the nightgown. “Is everything alright?”
Her worried eyes flashed over him. His hair was damp, as if he also had just showered, and he wore only a pair of soft pants that hung low on his hips. She tried not to stare at his body, but it was impossible with him wearing so little.
His body was like sculptured marble, smooth, taut, yet so soft looking that it made her want to run her hands over it. The blue color of his skin appeared to shimmer with silver, almost the way the black stone of the palace rippled with gold when she ran her fingers across it. A part of her wondered if she touched him, if the silver threads would dance across his skin.
She drew in a breath when he nodded and stepped into the room. Her body felt like someone had lit a torch inside it. She chided herself for think
ing such outrageous thoughts when it was obvious he was exhausted and had probably just come to make sure she was alright after her earlier collapse. Giving herself a mental kick in the butt, she forced herself to focus on the reason he was there and not his body.
“As right as it can be at the moment,” he replied in a weary voice. “The council has been dissolved.”
“That tends to happen when you kill most of them,” she replied, dryly. “What are your plans now?”
“I have sent Harald and Emyr to take control of the zones until a replacement for each one can be made,” he said, pausing when he was just a few steps from her. “They may not be necessary if a solution isn’t found soon. Ajaska has assigned Jarmen to look at the current shields and see if anything can be done. He has also brought another supply of crystals.”
“What are you not telling me?” Ricki asked, tilting her head. “I can see it in your eyes. Something is wrong.”
“The crystals the Kassisans have are breaking down much faster than we anticipated,” he murmured. “There is no way they can keep up with the demand, even if they tripled their production.”
“Why? I thought the crystals were the same?” Ricki asked, confused.
“So did we, until further analysis,” Ristèard admitted. “They are close, but the oxide materials are slightly different. The metal is unlike anything we have seen before, and not found naturally on either planet.”
“Alien,” Ricki murmured, thinking of the vault in her dream. “Emera said she wanted to see it one more time.”
“Emera?” Ristèard asked, puzzled.
Ricki released a nervous chuckle and tucked her hair behind her ear. “When I was unconscious, I was dreaming about Emera,” she confessed. “I swore it felt like I was there. Star had a similar dream. I know I just fainted due to low Blood sugar, but everything seemed so real. Emera went to the maze that was on the tapestry hanging on the wall. At the end of it is a set of huge doors with the same engravings that are on the door to your office, but on a much larger scale. I think your ancestors knew that the best place to keep the key to the maze was right in front of everyone.”
“What was in the vault?” Ristèard asked with a frown. “Is it the Blood Stones?”
Ricki shook her head in regret. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “Like most dreams, I woke up before I could see what was inside. In the morning, I want to take a closer look at both the tapestry and the doors,” she added. “I think that is where we might find the answers you are seeking.”
Ristèard stared down into her eyes, losing himself in them. He followed her slender fingers as she tucked her hair behind her ear again. Reaching out, he touched the silky, white-gold strands. Unable to resist, he slid his fingers through the silky waves until he cupped the back of her head, pulling her gently toward him.
“Ristèard,” she whispered, sliding her hands up between them.
He paused, but didn’t let her go. “One kiss,” he murmured. “I want to know.”
Ricki’s eyes darkened at the deep, rough emotion in his voice. “What do you want to know?” She asked, relaxing her hands and splaying her fingers across his bare chest.
“If the fire is still there,” he whispered before he captured her lips with his.
Ricki could have told him the fire was not only there, it was bloody out of control whenever he touched her. The cool façade she tried to hide behind evaporated just like the ice from her fingers.
For once, she didn’t even think about analyzing the kiss. She didn’t think about whether the man kissing her would be a good fit for her. All she could think of was how great it felt and the feel of his hands on her body.
A long sigh escaped her when he continued to kiss her. Sliding her hands up his chest, she wound them around his neck so she could press herself closer. She didn’t understand why, but everything about this felt… right.
She moaned when he broke the kiss to run his lips down along her jaw to her throat. Tilting her head to the side, she shivered at the warm, moist touch of his lips against her sensitive skin. Her right hand curled around the back of his head, pressing him closer to her.
“Don’t stop,” she demanded in a husky whisper.
His low growl against her neck and the feel of his arms tightening around her was her answer. Ricki ran her left hand down over his shoulder, caressing his taut skin. It felt hot to her touch. She was shocked when a low cry of frustration escaped her when he pulled back.
“Say yes, Ricki,” Ristèard demanded.
Ricki turned dazed eyes to him. “Yes to what?” She asked in a husky voice.
“Yes, to us,” Ristèard said, slipping his hand up to cup her breast. “I need you tonight.”
Rational thought nudged at Ricki, but she pushed it away. She was tired of always being rational, logical, calm, and in control. For one night, she wanted to be wild and free. Raising a trembling hand to touch his cheek, she pushed away the doubt. They were both adults. One night. One night, because she had no idea what would happen after it.
“Yes,” she whispered, staring up into his eyes.
Chapter 15
Ristèard gently lifted Ricki into his arms and turned back toward the door leading to his bedroom. He had ordered the guard to take her to his living quarters. He had already planned to keep her there, but in the bedroom next to his before he ever kidnapped her. That was why the room had been prepared already for her arrival.
He knew he was attracted to her from the few encounters back on Kassis, but he never expected the overwhelming feelings that flooded him. He knew he was lost the moment she hit him on the head with her shoe. She had captured his heart with her defiance even as she hugged the tree in terror of heights.
Tonight, he would claim her as his Empress. His arms tightened protectively around her slender figure. He breathed in the faint scent of the shampoo that she had used to wash her hair. Turning his head, he rubbed his cheek against the soft, silky strands before pressing a kiss to her brow.
Stepping back through the door into his bedroom, he strode over to his massive bed. He carefully lowered her until her bare feet touched the thick carpet covering the polished, stone floor. Wrapping his hand around the nape of her neck, he tilted her head back and kissed her again, this time with a sense of desperation.
This was different. Before, when he fucked a woman, it was just that. He did it to relieve the pressure building inside him, but it always left him unsatisfied. This time, he was actually nervous. He wanted to take his time and explore Ricki. He wanted to bring her so much pleasure that she couldn’t think of anyone other than him.
He slid the hand at her waist briefly between them and tugged loose the small bow that held the silky robe closed. Releasing his grip on her neck, he slid his hand down along her shoulder, taking the robe with him. Bursts of pleasure reverberated through him when he felt her fingers curl against his skin, her nails lightly raking his shoulders, when she felt the air against her bare shoulders.
He broke the kiss, pulling back far enough that her arms slid down his chest. He tenderly pulled on the soft material to remove it from where it had pooled around her elbows. It floated to the floor, almost as if in slow motion, landing in a semi-circle around her ankles.
Ristèard’s hand trembled slightly as he raised it to touch her cheek. Drawing in a deep breath, his eyes captured every detail of her smooth complexion. The contrast between his darker skin and her fair complexion held him mesmerized.
“You are so… beautiful,” he murmured in a husky voice. “I could watch you move all day. When I first saw you in the tent, I couldn’t look away. The human male…,” he started to ask, looking into her eyes. “What is he to you?”
Ricki’s lips quirked at the corner and she raised her eyes to his. “A friend,” she admitted, knowing that is all Stan could ever be now. “Stan is just a friend.”
“Good,” Ristèard grunted with a touch of arrogance. “Then, I will not have to kill him.”
A soft,
lilting chuckle escaped Ricki and she raised her hands to cup his cheeks. “No, you don’t have to kill Stan,” she murmured, running her thumbs back and forth against his cheek. “I see patterns dancing across your skin when I touch you. It is so beautiful.”
Ristèard barely heard her softly spoken words. His eyes closed for a moment as a sharp pain of desire and something else swept through him at her tender touch. Opening his eyes, he gripped the thin straps of her gown and pulled them off her shoulders. Her gown floated down to join her robe.
“So beautiful,” he muttered, lifting his hands to cup both of her breasts in them.
Ricki flushed and trembled when his thumbs ran over her taut nipples. “They are small,” she murmured.
“No, they are perfect,” he corrected her before leaning forward and capturing first one, then the other between his lips and sucking hard on them.
His arms swept out and caught her when her knees gave out and she started to collapse. Sweeping her up into his arms, he gently laid her on his bed. He stepped back just long enough to push the loose-fitting trousers he was wearing down.
“Ristèard,” Ricki whispered. Her eyes widen in shock at his straining cock as she ran her eyes over his aroused body. “You are… beautiful.”
His fists clenched at his side as he stared down at Ricki spread out on his bed. Her golden hair fanned out to one side and partially covered her right breast. Her nipples were pebbled, and a slightly darker color from his lips. His eyes moved down over her flat stomach to the soft curls between her legs. The hair was the same sun-kissed color as her long hair. Her long legs moved restlessly the longer he stared at her. In his mind, he could picture them wrapped around his shoulders as he feasted on her.
“I need you,” he muttered in a guttural voice. “I… I have never felt like this before.”
Ricki’s eyes softened at the sudden vulnerability in his dark silver ones when he looked back at her. He knew he shouldn’t admit such things to her, but something told him that she would understand. The rush of unfamiliar feelings was too much to hold inside him.
