by C. Baely
“See if you can put some sense into his stubborn head.” Bretat nodded, her straining voice indicating the limit of her patience.
Irina walked past the great Pradorian guard holding the Berekut in his hand, which still waved its long tendrils as if an unfelt wind were affecting them. She approached Archail with quick, silent steps.
Archail prepared to push Irina away, but then Sara spoke. “Please Archail, if you love me at all, listen to what she has to say.”
Irina leaned close to him. Speaking softly into his ear, she whispered something to him that caused his expression to become darker, although it looked more thoughtful than troubled. Archail still didn’t look entirely persuaded, but then he turned to Sara and looked into her eyes. Finally, nodding at her as if they shared a secret, he smiled warmly and quietly returned back to his seat. Before seating himself again, he said in a calm voice, “Let the ceremony begin.”
Bretat stared at him in confusion for a second before immediately turning to the guard. “One hundred lashes.”
The Pradorian raised the Berekut, and Sara tensed in anticipation. As he swung it down, its sharp tendrils sliced the air with a menacing sound. When they landed on Sara’s soft skin, they cut through it like butter. Blood spilled from the wounds before Sara realized what had happened. Another ripping sound followed, and another, and another, until her ears were deaf to the sound. Her eyes remained fixed on the one thing that mattered most to her, the eyes of the man she loved. She now knew without doubt that he loved her too.
* * *
Later, after the testing ceremony had reached its conclusion, the council withdrew with pleased and contented expressions on their faces. Irina and Dar escorted them back to the central hall where the Pradorian people waited for the results of the ceremony to be announced. Bretat proudly informed the crowd that their leader now had a life-mate, and her name was Sara of Prador. She then called forth Irina and Dar to recount how they had witnessed the bravery of their leader’s new life-mate. Following this, another announcement was made to the people of Prador. It informed them that it was possible once more for Pradorian females to bear children, because a cure had finally been discovered.
A great celebration was arranged in the square, so the Pradorians and Earthling females could celebrate their leader’s newfound happiness and the bright future awaiting them. The jubilations lasted throughout the night and into the early morning hours.
* * *
In the Palladium bedroom, the newly mated couple lay in their bed listening to the sounds of celebrations outside through the open balcony.
Sara’s body was now entirely healed from every cut and bruise, and there was no evidence of her long and torturous ordeal.
“So tell me, little one, how did you persuade the Council to go through with the ceremony with you as my prospective life mate?”
Sara looked up into his passion-filled eyes and smiled mischievously. “I simply told them the truth.”
“And what was this profound truth that you informed them of?” Archail smiled down at her as he leaned even closer to leave a kiss on her light-pink cheek.
Sara looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before raising her eyebrows. “I told them that I loved you and that I would do anything I needed to in order to be with you.”
Archail’s thick brows rose in astonishment, but at the same time, he smiled warmly down at her as he drew a small path with his fingers down her soft cheek. He then let his palm rest on her neck against the rising pulse of her heartbeat. “Did that persuade them?”
“No,” Sara admitted with sincerity. “They said my feelings for you, noble as they were, carried no real importance to them.”
“So, what happened next?”
“Dar and Irina then intervened and informed them of all your actions since my arrival, including how your feelings were not so different from mine…” Sara paused, blushing even deeper, uncomfortable with the admission, because he still hadn’t said anything to her about his feelings.
Archail brought his free hand to her face. Placing a long finger under her chin, he turned her head slowly toward him. “Sara, I never had the chance to tell you how I feel, but I will now devote the rest of my life to showing you just how deep my feelings run for you. Eternity on this world is not enough time for us to be together, because my feelings for you reach beyond this meager material existence.” As he spoke, he leaned forward to marry his lips with hers for one of the most tender kisses he’d ever given her.
Her breath rushed out at the honest expression of his feelings, and a sense of completion spread throughout her soul. Knowing that her feelings were returned with the same intensity, she smiled up at him and held his hand gently in her own smaller one. “I knew you had feelings for me, but I couldn’t be sure how deep they ran until this very moment,” she admitted with a warm smile.
“I had no right to speak of them before.” Archail had relaxed, now that she was near him again, although he looked down at her mischievously. “What did they say after Dar and Irina’s intervention?”
“They asked me what I was willing to do for you.” A small chill ran down her spine on recalling the cold stares of the council members. “I told them how I had lived a life of unsuitable mating and how its tortures will persist for as long as my memory does. I also told them if that was the life they intended for you to have, then they had no understanding of justice or kindness. I told them that seeing as a cure has been found for the Pradorians now, you should be free to choose your own life-mate because your duty to your people is more than completed. I said I was willing to participate in the testing ceremony and prove myself worthy of being your life-mate. I also said that even if I passed the test, you would have the opportunity to refuse me if you didn’t want to join your life with mine for any reason.” Sara now smiled broadly up at him and returned his soft embrace as he pulled her close to him.
“I see. I also see that the immortality serum Irina gave you worked fast on your body.” He looked down at her and smiled broadly.
“You knew, didn’t you?”
“I knew from the moment I approached you in the ceremonial chamber,” he admitted with a grin.
“You are a devil.” Sara laughed as he pinched her breast softly.
Archail looked down at her, moving slightly closer, allowing all his love to show in his bright-yellow eyes. He tenderly cupped her cheek.
“By the way, was it necessary to bite me twice?” Sara asked, seemingly annoyed at him for the two marks he had left on her small shoulders.
“In all the things you discussed with Irina, did she not tell you how we life-mate, and how you must carry the royal mark?” Archail’s eyes filled with satisfaction and pride for his mate.
“She neglected to inform me of all the details,” she said, blood rising in her cheeks as she recalled what had transpired between them some time ago.
“Well, I am glad she did not. It gave me the chance to show you with every part of my body and soul.” Archail seemed sincere and happier than she had seen him before.
She looked up at him. “Archail?”
“Yes, what is it, my little one?”
“I’ve wanted to ask you something for a long time, but I never got the chance before.”
“You can ask me anything, my little one.” His eyes grew dark and serious. “I would never hide anything from you, not now, and never again.”
“Why did you choose dead women from Earth instead of young, healthy ones?”
Archail smiled down at her, planting a soft kiss on her swollen lips. “We had no right to interfere with someone’s life in the middle of its existence, with a future still open ahead of them. With women like you, who had died, we concluded that you had closed the circle of your lives on that planet. Good or bad, you had lived it to its conclusion and were ready to leave. Your experiences and closure from that life should have made the transition to the next easier. Do you understand?” He looked down at her thoughtfully as he waited for her r
esponse.
“I suppose. I guess it’s better to take someone who has lived a full life and died, rather than someone who has been torn away from their loved ones.” Sara smiled up at him broadly, understanding even more now how sensitive her great Pradorian was and how much he respected life.
“That is an eloquent way of putting it, but yes, I see you understand our motivations.” Archail then leaned forward to claim another kiss, but Sara surprised him by turning away. “What is it, little one?” he asked, somewhat alarmed at her reaction.
“Why is it that I never really feared you, even from the first moment I saw you?”
Archail smiled down at her, drawing a soft stroking finger down her long neck. “Because we asked the Restorians to mentally program you to instinctively accept our world, so you would not fear our appearances.”
“That’s horrible, Archail,” she snapped, while pulling slightly away from him.
He laughed again, gently, and pulled her closer to him. “Yes, but look at us now. We are perfectly matched, almost made for each other.”
Sara sighed with satisfaction at his gentle loving words and lifted her eyes to gaze into his. “I was wondering. How come you were so certain it was me who needed to be returned, rather than Orora or any of the other women?”
Archail bent again to plant a soft kiss upon her waiting lips before he spoke just inches away from her face. “Because your scent was the first one I picked up. From the moment when you ran from the clearing, I knew that you were mine. Only mine and forever mine.”
“But I told you I could never have children. Isn’t that important, both to you and your people?”
Archail looked thoughtful. “Yes, our people have craved to see children again for so long, and I am no exception to this.” He paused for a second as if considering something. “But if that were the price of being with you, my little one, I would happily pay it. However, considering how much obicon you eat, I doubt it will be an issue.”
“The obicon fruit? What does that have to do with it?” Sara asked, a little confused.
“Of course, you are still so unfamiliar with our world. Obicon is renowned throughout the galaxy for its fertility-boosting properties.”
Joyous laughter flowed through her.
He then claimed her soft mouth again, asking more of her, demanding more of her, needing more of her for as long as she would have him.
About the Authors
Christine Kapsabeli, age 42 and married with two children currently lives in Greece. She has lived there now for 18 years though she was born in Australia. Christine has always had a love for romance novels, especially if it added elements of science fiction.
Kristie Bormann, age 26 and also married with two children currently lives in the United States. She was born and has lived here her entire life. Kristie has had an interest in reading romance novels for over five years now, though she loves fantasy and science fiction as well.
