Daughter Of Ethos: Divine Justice Book 4

by L M Lacee

  Peyton smiled as she tried to pout. ‘Hope they were rude to your Mama.’

  Hope nodded and spooned another forkful of food in her mouth. Esther said. ‘Yes dearle, now hush.’

  Netta covered a giggle, making Hope’s eyes swing to her. Noticing Netta reached out and smoothed the hair on Hope’s head, the startled expression left Hope’s eyes to be replaced with wonder.

  Netta then placed some more food on her plate and told her. ‘Knife likes carrot, it is this one.’ Realizing by her blank look she did not understand and showed her the pieces of carrot.

  Hope’s eyes rounded more as she took a piece of carrot in her hand and looked at Knife. Who slowly moved closer and with his lips nipped the food gently from her fingers.

  Hope quickly looked at Netta, who praised her. ‘Wonderful, that was great, you may share your food with Knife, just remember to eat as well.’

  ‘Yes Auntie Netta.’ Whispered Hope as she fed Knife some of her meat.

  Knife grinned and rubbed his head on Hope’s red cheek, transforming her look into bliss. Netta and Peyton heard them both sigh at the contact.

  FORTY-NINE:

  Melody looked the winged male over and sighed quietly. He was impressive, more so since he had showered and received medical treatment. She felt the tingles of desire as her body yearned for his; they had not diminished since the first time she had spoken to him in the shuttle bay. Could she do this, it was so big and just so life changing.

  She heard Peyton’s voice in her mind as she said. Take the leap of faith. It’s what you do now. For once, let your heart rule your head. It is okay to let go.

  Melody thought over what she said and then for one of the few times in her adult life she let go. Just released the hold on her emotions and accepted her fate. He stood there, his legs spread and arms folded and his wings… his glorious wings unfolded in his agitation. Bronze and gold sparkling in the light as he waited, the ultimate tactician.

  Esther nudged Darby and whispered. ‘Now is the time to put all that study you indulged in about their race to good use.’

  Raising her eyebrows, she asked. ‘What?’

  ‘Help your sister get her mate.’

  ‘Oh… oh, I can do that.’

  Darby stepped between the couple, a small militant Warrior and demanded. ‘There will be negotiated terms, a mutual surrender.’ She turned to Melody and winked, then whispered. ‘I did some reading of their mating rites from the past. This is a major for the Warmaster, so agree.’

  Melody nearly choked on her laugh as she said. ‘Agreed.’

  As he uncrossed his arms and withheld his grin, Coraan thought, so my little warrior will surrender. To obtain my goal, I must surrender as well. Clever, equal footing. His voice boomed out, sending shivers along her skin. ‘Agreed.’

  Melody swallowed and asked Darby. ‘What’s next?’

  Darby asked them both. ‘So now we negotiate.’

  ‘Yes.’ They both agreed.

  Darby asked as she looked at the amused Rose. ‘Rose you in?’

  Rose jumped over the table in one leap. ‘Yep, you betcha, my office now.’

  Her mate Malchol looked stunned as he said. ‘I did not know you could do that?’

  She smirked as she sashayed to the exit. ‘Well let us just say, there is much you still do not know about me, my one.’

  He growled. ‘Do not take all day and night, my one.’

  She grinned. ‘As you will, my love.’

  There was smattering of laughter at the byplay, Melody grinned as she marched from the room after Rose. Coraan watched her go, and then his wings trembled as he said to no one in particular. ‘What do I do now?’

  Sedeen entering and taking in the situation at a glance said. ‘Now my winged friend, you negotiate a treaty.’

  ‘I want to mate?’

  ‘And this is part of it. You can do this.’ Harm told him as he clapped him on the shoulder, to Sedeen he winked and said, ‘Maybe we should help the male out.’

  Peyton said. ‘Superb idea, I’ll speak for Melody.’

  Esther stood up. ‘I will speak for my girl.’

  ‘But I wanted to?’

  Darby said. ‘As if we would let you.’

  ‘What is wrong with me?’

  ‘Really, the list is too long, forgetful female.’

  ‘Oh, that seems harsh.’

  Esther started walking from the dining room, halfway there she turned back to Coraan saying. ‘Come winged male, who thinks he is good enough for my girl, come.’

  Coraan looked after her and said. ‘I think I am frightened.’

  Everyone laughed, even more so when Harm said to Sedeen ‘You have this brother, go with my blessing.’

  Sedeen growled. ‘I hate you right now.’ Looking at the confused Coraan, he slapped him on the shoulder saying. ‘Come my winged friend, let us go into battle for your mate. I truly hope you are as good at tactics as has been reported.’

  Together the males, one winged, one not, left following the compact figure of Esther. Karen grinned as she said. ‘She will eat them alive, that poor male has no idea?’

  Marlo asked. ‘Coraan?’

  Karen shook her head. ‘No, I mean Sedeen.’

  Peyton said. ‘So true. I need coffee.’ She stood in preparation to wiggle out from the table, when Amelia said. ‘I have it Peyton, food and coffee.’ She placed a tray in front of her. ‘Darby here is one for you too?’

  ‘Thank you Amelia, remind us to up your pay.’

  Peyton asked. ‘We pay her?’

  ‘Yes.’ Darby growled, wondering what she was saying, she knew they paid everyone.

  ‘Not enough, she is amazing.’

  Amelia blushed and sat as Jorge placed a tray on the table for her, she looked up and smiled at him. Peyton looked at Hope, who was now sitting next to Heather and opposite Patty. Together they were encouraging her to try different foods.

  ‘Well, young lady, have you met your brother and new grandparents?’

  ‘Yes.’ She said shyly. ‘Rayvan told me I was his big sister, and that Draykin was ours too.’

  ‘This is true, Draykin is as much a brother as Rayvan.’

  ‘Grandpa said I can call him Grandpa and that Keylan and me, have lots of grandpas and grandmas now.’

  ‘You do and they are all nice like Grandpa Marlo and Grammies Esther and Brenda.’

  Mama Peyton, cried Bacon, Mama Peyton, where is Mama Melody.

  Peyton looked down at a woebegone Bacon and said. ‘Mmm!’

  Brenda said, ‘Really Peyton, Bacon darling, come to Grammie Brenda. I will explain what is happening with Mama.’

  Peyton demanded. ‘What did I say?’

  ‘It’s what you didn’t say.’ Replied Darby.

  ‘I don’t get it, Melody and you told me not to say things to them.’

  ‘You told Knife, she was cut badly.’

  Netta said as she came back with a tray of food. ‘She said what now?’

  ‘Hush Knife girl. You were not awake.’ Peyton told her as she said to Darby. ‘He could see her, when he asked if she was alright. I had to say something, he gave me the look and don’t say he didn’t, you weren’t there, Comp girl.’

  ‘I am not talking to you anymore about this.’ Darby growled at her.

  Netta said. ‘Well, I may have words.’

  Looking at her Marlo stated. ‘No you don’t. Let us leave it where it lies.’ He nodded slightly to Peyton, showing she might be making light of it, but she was upset. Netta nodded and changed the subject as she took a seat, asking Marlo and Brenda if they had met Jax. When they said they had not, she introduced them while they ate their meals. Then they talked about what they achieved on their missions. They all grinned when Jorge told them about the Opposition Minister and the throat punch.

  Healer Heddro arrived, and they introduced him to Brenda and Marlo, they discussed food for Hope and Keylan. He advised them that both girls would need a protein formula for the next two luneras.
Keylan would be five luneras old by then and should have graduated to soft food. He and Brenda worked out a suitable menu for Hope, which Brenda declared she would see to.

  Peyton showed them the blanket she had appropriated and told them she wanted to have Rose purchase the blanket or something similar. Netta agreed as she stroked the blanket and said she needed to talk to someone about possible manufacturing the material. Because she would not mind an adult sized blanket from the same material this was met with agreement from the adults there.

  FIFTY:

  After a long frustrating thirty mins for Coraan and thirty embarrassing mins for Melody. The couple escaped from the negotiation table and ran to Melody’s stateroom as though the desouls themselves were after them.

  Once inside, she apologized as she drew her jacket off and threw it over a chair in her lounge. ‘I am sorry but enough was enough.’

  As Coraan locked the door and came to stand before her, he agreed. ‘I agree.’

  She turned to find him standing close to her and swallowed nervously before asking. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

  His voice lowered and became downright sexy when he stated. ‘We still have not negotiated the terms of our surrender.’

  She wanted to shout, to hell with the terms, let’s just get it on the only thing stopping her was she could hear Peyton’s voice in her head saying how rude that would sound. She was also not if she was brave enough to instigate the next phase of their bonding. So she nodded and said. ‘I see, and this is important to you?’

  Coraan drifted closer to her, while he told her in all seriousness. ‘I am a Warmaster.’

  ‘Well yeah, and I am a Commander.’

  Coraan inclined his head. ‘We have much to discover about each other.’

  ‘We do, but Heather says that is half the fun of being mated.’

  Cocking his head to the side, he asked. ‘And what is the other half?’

  Melody shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’

  By this time he was almost touching her, she could feel the heat from his body and her hands wanted to explore all that enticing skin on display. It was then she realized her male had virtually no clothes on, and she had far too many.

  Clearing her throat, which did nothing to help the huskiness of her voice, she said. ‘One thing we will have to correct immediately, is your penchant for a lack of clothing.’

  Coraan smiled as he said. ‘Once more I find I agree with you, just as long as we can discuss your penchant for wearing too many clothes.’

  ‘Oh, well okay, we can talk about that.’

  Coraan leaned down and took her mouth in a kiss that seared her heart and imprinted his essence onto her needar. Not once in his long life had Coraan ever kissed another living person, but after he had explained his desire for his little warrior. Healer Dinas had given him a tablet and showed him how to access a tutorial on the mating habits of Terrans. Coraan found it not only enlightening, but very informative.

  As Melody responded with enthusiasm and wrapped her arms around his neck, he was thankful to Dinas and whoever designed the tutorial. He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up and without breaking contact with her delicious mouth started walking toward her bedroom.

  He stumbled when she seemed to take control of the kiss and was doing all manner of impossible but enjoyable things with her tongue. Which had not been on the tutorial, he felt he should stop her and start the kiss again, perhaps his Melody had not studied the tutorial? Then she slid her tongue around his and the blood emptied from his brain, taking with it any thought of stopping her assault on his senses. Coraan felt every nerve in his body wake up and pay attention to what was happening. When she withdrew her lips from his, he almost whimpered in desperation but then she started nibbling on his chin.

  He knew there was not a male who could resist the invitation from his mate to explore other methods of surrender. So with an accuracy Melody admired and without breaking contact, he lowered their bodies down to the bed just as she found his lips again. He decided his species had been missing out by not indulging in this delightful mating habit of kissing.

  It was the last thought he had other than how to please his Warmistress for many hours.

  FIFTY-ONE:

  ‘Good stars, I thought they would break far earlier than they did.’ Rose commented as she, Esther and Sedeen walked back to the diner.

  Esther grinned. ‘As did I, or at least I was sure Melody would, but she hung in there longer than I predicted.’

  Rose complimented Sedeen when she said. ‘Sedeen, I thought you telling him how many times a weken he should tell Melody she was adored, was a nice touch.’.

  Bowing, he grinned. ‘I thank you, but the award goes to Lady Esther for telling them how many times a weken they should make love. And that Melody should not allow Coraan to dictate when and where.’

  Esther patted her hair. ‘Yes well, I was becoming desperate.’

  Darby jumped up from her seat as Esther, Rose, and Sedeen arrived back in the diner. ‘What happened, you have only been gone for thirty mins. I assumed it would take longer.’

  She was concerned they had been so quick she had read that the negotiations for the Draygonissia could take hours, if not days, especially for a Warmaster.

  Sedeen took a seat next to Harm as he said. ‘Negotiations broke down.’

  Darby bit her bottom lip and asked. ‘Oh dearle, should we try to get them back to the table?’

  Rose and Sedeen laughed as Esther said. ‘No Darby, they will manage well on their own. I think they understood where to go from what was discussed already.’

  ‘Well, if you think that is best.’

  ‘Oh we do, we definitely do!’ Murmured Rose as she took a seat next to her mate and avoided Heather’s knowing eyes.

  After another two hours, Hope’s eyes were drooping and Rayvan was yawning. Keylan was fast asleep on Marlo’s shoulder, as he handed her to Peyton he said.

  ‘Now I am thinking it is time for little ones to be in bed.’

  Peyton yawned. ‘I’m going... I’m going.’ They all looked at her. ‘Oh, yeah, the young ones. I knew that.’

  There were several snorts of disbelief, and she was even sure Jax made a similar sound. Refusing to comment, she rounded up her children and made her goodbyes. They made a sweet pic, the baby Keylan in her mother’s arms as she held Hope’s hand while Rayvan’s hand was securely wrapped in his big sisters.

  Two guards and two Prowlers escorted them as they made their way from the diner.

  ‘A pic to remember.’ Brenda said softly as Darby and several others snapped one. It was well into late afternoon by now, Darby yawned as she saw Draykin’s eyes droop. ‘Come on my boy, we are going to bed. Mama needs a nap.’

  They had been up before what would have been first rising at home. ‘Mama, me nap?’

  ‘Yep, let’s go, Honor, are you coming too?’

  Yes, I find I am exhausted, who will take Bacon?

  Netta said. ‘I will, he can stay with us.’

  Darby waved as she said. ‘See you all later.’

  After she and Draykin had left, Hawk looked at Marlo. ‘We are pleased you are here.’

  Brenda smiled. ‘We missed you and when Darby asked Esther to comm and tell us that things were not good, we came as quickly as we could.’

  Hawk looked at Karen. ‘I feel I have made life harder than it needed to be.’

  Marlo nodded. ‘That is a possibility, but I think the attack we can lay at someone else’s feet can we not. We will have to do something about that. You realize this?’

  Hawk agreed. ‘I do, we all do.’

  Marlo sighed. ‘My Brenda speaks truth, we missed you and it was silent at home.’ He looked at Netta. ‘So Melody has a mate, what do you think that means for Peyton?’

  ‘I think she already knew Melody would not be going off world again, like she has been. She needs to be home, to head up the Tochos. Her mating will just make it so they have a good excu
se now for her to stay home.’

  Brenda asked her. ‘You think her Warmaster will be happy to stay at home?’

  Netta shrugged. ‘No idea, what do you all think?’

  Hawk answered. ‘Yes very.’

  She frowned at him. ‘How can you be so certain?’

  He smiled at her. ‘Because it is what we all aspire to do.’

  She looked at Karen who had an interested look in her eyes and back at Marlo and Brenda. ‘Oh... Oh yeah! I get that. You as well, Heather and Harm, will you not come out again?’

  Heather replied. ‘I am still undecided if this will be the last time. I want to stay at home, but I feel things are not finished yet.’

  Harm murmured. ‘So we change again.’

  ‘We are evolving are we not?’ Brenda pointed out.

  ‘Is it not what Stars do? Isn’t that what the Star Child said we would do?’ Heather sighed as she looked at Netta to see the same sadness in her eyes that she felt in her heart.

  ‘Yes my treasure it was.’ Harm agreed as he took her hand in his. No one felt like saying anything more and slowly they all departed to their cabins. Marlo and Brenda were the last to leave. She leaned over and kissed his cheek saying ‘Thank you my love.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘For making this happen.’

  ‘Ahh, sweet female, you make my hearts grow every day and still I feel your sadness.’

  ‘It is nothing.’ Brenda said as she rose from the table.

  Marlo reached for her hand forcing her to turn and look at him. ‘It is something, share with me. Remember you said no secrets.’

  Brenda nodded a tender look in her eyes. ‘You are right, no secrets. It is just… it is just I have never had a child of my own and seeing Peyton and Darby with theirs. I sometimes wish I could give you and myself that, it would have been wonderful.’

  He was surprised by her confession, it was the last thing he would have thought she would say. In fact it was the furthest thing from his mind, and when Brenda said. ‘You would have made a wonderful Papa, my Marlo.’ He automatically replied from his heart as her pain became his. ‘As you will make a wonderful Mama, my Brenda.’ He kissed her soundly then held her to him. She snuggled into his chest and listened to his hearts beat as his voice rumbled. ‘Sometimes life throws us unexpected surprises. Do not give up my Brenda, against all the odds we found each other. We live in extraordinary times. So do not give up hope.’