by S. E. Smith
“Madas!” he panted, fiercely fighting the tingling that had swept up his spine.
She rose once more, coming down on his shaft and driving him all the way to her womb. He felt her tighten around him and the sudden release of her orgasm. The pulsing intensified around his cock, spiraling in wave after wave, running over the ridges on the tip of his cock.
Her cry mixed with his as the pressure became too much for him to control and his orgasm held him locked to her as firmly as her body did. Her eyes closed, as his hips jerked in rhythm with his pulsing release. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she came again—their climaxes feeding each other.
She opened her eyes to stare into his. He felt like he was soaring through the stars. Her lips parted as she fought to take in a breath.
“I love you, Gril,” she whispered.
His heart warmed when he heard the quiver in her voice. He wrapped his hand around her nape. Drawing her closer, he paused a breath away from her lips.
“I love you more, my beautiful mate,” he murmured before capturing her lips to show her the depth of his feelings and the conviction behind his declaration.
19
Early the next morning, Madas stood next to the pool and sighed. Gril was concerned about her. Last night had been beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. She had given him everything he could dream of—and yet, he could not do the same, even though he wanted to.
After they had made love in the pool, they had emerged and made love again on the soft pallet of moss by the fire. Afterward, he had held her as she had fallen into an exhausted sleep. Less than an hour later, she had awakened sobbing uncontrollably and calling for L’eon before falling back into a fitful sleep.
Now, he could see dark circles under her eyes, and guilt poured through him that he had left the small lizard to die. At the time, his most urgent thought was to protect Madas.
“I’m afraid, Gril, to return to my village,” she suddenly said, turning to look at him. “I think we should go to your ship.”
Gril hesitated a moment before he walked over to her. He pulled her into his arms and held her with the gentleness of someone holding the most precious and fragile treasure in the universe. For him, that was exactly what she was.
“I am missing a critical component for my ship. Without it, I cannot fly,” he quietly confessed.
She leaned back and looked at him with confusion. “But I returned the part. You have everything now,” she said.
He shook his head. “I am missing a power crystal. Without it, the circuit board is useless and the starboard engine of my ship will not run,” he explained.
“If your ship doesn’t work, we could go….,” her gaze turned in the direction they had come from before her voice faded.
“The path up to the plateau is gone and I have no desire to face the night crawlers again—or the Goddess’s Stronghold, if you must know,” he reminded her.
Her eyes filled with tears and she bowed her head. “I’m afraid,” she repeated.
Gril lifted her chin so she would look him in the eye. “I’m hoping there is a trader or merchant there who may have the part I need,” he began. “You said that traders came to do business with your people—which by the way breaks a few rules, but if they have the power crystal, I may have to look the other way. It is possible they have a power crystal. Besides, you wanted to get your father’s research and some of your belongings. I won’t let anything happen to you, Madas. I swear on my life as a Tearnat warrior. I will protect you until my last breath,” he vowed.
She shook her head. “You don’t understand, Gril. It isn’t me that I’m afraid for—it’s you. They may kill you before you even have a chance to speak,” she cautioned in a wavering voice.
He ran his thumb along against her trembling bottom lip and shook his head. He had never run from a fight and he would fight to the death for Madas. Her clan was different, but they still fell under the rule of the House of Royalty and he was the royal heir.
“It is time that your clan met me—and finds out who I am and what I am capable of doing both for them—and to them if necessary,” he replied in a voice that had grown hard.
Madas’s eyes widened with surprise. She stared back at him for several seconds before she nodded. A tiny, uneven smile curved her lips.
“Alright, but…,” she paused and took in a deep breath.
“But…,” he repeated.
“If I’m right, I’m never going to let you forget that I warned you,” she teasingly promised.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he retorted.
On the outskirts of the village:
* * *
Cardin shot the Tearnat a hostile glare. He was getting tired of being pushed around. For the last two days, they had searched for signs of Madas and the male that the Tearnat wanted, and found nothing. He had finally decided he’d had enough, and he tightened the circle they had been traveling in until they were within view of the village.
“I should have slit your throat two days ago when I knew you lied to me,” the Tearnat hissed.
“I told you yesterday that trying to find Madas in the forest is like trying to find a parasite on the backend of a night crawler! If you want to find her, then the village is the place to do it. She has to return! Even she can’t survive forever out in the forest alone. She will return and if the male you are looking for is still alive, he’ll be with her. You said yourself that his ship can’t fly. Where else would he get the parts he needs? He’ll have to come as well,” Cardin snapped.
The Tearnat eyed him with malice for a moment before her expression became suddenly shrewd. Cardin didn’t know if he should be relieved or more apprehensive than he already was. He didn’t trust the pale-skinned Tearnat not to kill him in plain view of the village.
He had been stunned when he realized that the Tearnat wasn’t a member of the village wearing a disguise to conceal their identity. Madas had accumulated her fair share of enemies over the past few years. In fact, he wouldn’t have put it past Queen Tima to order the death of her own daughter. What he had not expected was to see the pale Tearnat of myth standing in front of him.
“You had better be right, forest scum. Notify me the moment the female returns. If the male is not with her, I want to interrogate her myself,” the Tearnat ordered.
“Will I still get the credits?” he asked.
He nervously swallowed when the Tearnat smiled. Not for the first time he wondered if he was making a huge mistake. His gaze flashed to the card in the Tearnat’s hand. The number of credits displayed on it caused him to push his doubts aside.
“More than you could ever dream of,” the Tearnat responded.
Cardin returned the smile, his eyes locked on the card. “I can dream of a lot,” he lightly retorted even as he took a step away. “I will alert you the moment I see Madas.”
“You’d better, forest scum. You’d better.”
The Tearnat’s hushed threat engulfed Cardin in a cold sweat. He had seen what the Tearnat did to one of the Night Shadows that had attacked them. Blood and guts had coated the forest floor and surrounding foliage. The Tearnat had shown no hesitation during the killing blow, but the stranger had chosen to slice open the abdomen, ensuring the hairless beast died a very slow, brutal death, while the Tearnat happily watched.
Only when Cardin was close enough to the village to see others walking by did he break into a run. Once he reached his home, he locked himself inside. Sinking to the floor, he stared blindly across the ornate room.
“What have I done?” he whispered.
Madas paused in the shadows near the baker’s shop. Life appeared to be going on as normal. She pressed her back against the side of the building and looked at Gril. He was gazing out at the village with an expression of interest rather than concern.
“This is like stepping back in time,” he said in awe.
“Surely we are not that far behind,” she said.
He looked at her and
smiled. “You have no idea,” he replied with a shake of his head.
She frowned and turned to study the village where she had spent her entire life, trying to see it through Gril’s eyes. They had traders from other worlds arriving, but never directly to the village. A few selected merchants had been given permission to journey to a delivery spot set up west of the village.
Of course, she had been curious and followed them. They traveled on large motorized crafts and pulled a train of carts behind them. Their ships were square and bulky, unlike Gril’s ship.
“Regardless, don’t forget that you are in danger while you are here. Perhaps we should wait until nightfall. It will be easier to sneak into my home,” she fretted.
Gril reached over and touched her chin. “Have you thought about just walking out, holding my hand?” he suggested.
She opened her mouth to make a sarcastic remark, thought about what he suggested, then reluctantly grinned. What would happen if she just strolled into the village with Gril? She chuckled and shook her head.
“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve returned with something unusual. I wish L’eon were here. He would get a kick out of seeing Mother’s face,” she said as her smile faded.
Gril pressed a kiss to her lips. “He would have enjoyed this very much,” he replied.
She slipped her hand into his, gave him a critical look, and laughed. “You look like you’ve been in a battle,” she remarked.
Gril grinned. “I have. There was this very scary female who damn near put my balls in my throat and tried to kill me with a rock,” he reminded her.
Madas felt her cheeks warm. “I’m sure you deserved every moment,” she quipped in return.
“Only the moments when she healed me with her tender touch,” he countered.
“This is going to work, isn’t it?” she whispered.
He squeezed her hand and pulled her out from between the buildings. “We’ll never know until we try,” he said.
Madas held her spear in one hand and gripped Gril’s hand with the other. She kept her head held high and plastered a fake smile on her lips. One thing she had learned over the years—don’t let anyone know that you are vulnerable.
She nodded her head in greeting as she passed the opened-mouth baker who had been talking to the blacksmith. The blacksmith dropped the hammer on his foot, released a loud curse, and began to hop around on his uninjured foot. Gril’s soft laugh was infectious and she relaxed.
“Greetings,” Gril said with a majestic bow of his head.
“I think you’ve done this before,” she remarked under her breath.
He shot her an amused look. “Perhaps once or twice,” he acknowledged.
“Greetings, Joren,” Madas called out.
Madas fought a grin when her brother turned and almost fell over. His mouth dropped open and he stared at her as if seeing a ghost before his eyes shifted to Gril. He paled. His gaze moved down to their joined hands before jerking back to her face.
“Madas! Where…? When…? How…? Mother… Mother sent Cardin, Goroff, and Orden to find you,” Joren stuttered.
Her lips twisted in derision. “If that is the best Mother could do, then she must not be too interested in finding me,” she sarcastically retorted.
His gaze moved to Gril. “Are you going to eat us?” he choked out.
Gril laughed. “I’m afraid you are not my type,” he replied with an amused expression.
“Come on. You have to excuse Joren. I think his egg was dropped before he hatched,” she muttered.
Madas gingerly guided Gril around her gawking brother. Given the size of the crowd around them now, word of her return and Gril’s presence was quickly spreading. She guided Gril through the onlookers toward the large home shared by her family.
She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the long covered corridor that led to the inner courtyard. Her relief quickly faded when she saw her mother waiting for her. Her steps slowed until Gril was the one guiding her.
“So it is true—you have returned with a pale Tearnat by your side,” her mother sneered.
Madas lifted her chin and returned her mother’s haughty glare with one of her own. Her hand tightened on her spear. Her mother had brought more than her brothers and sisters along with her for this greeting—she had brought some of the seasoned warriors and several of the Councilmen—those whose loyalty she had ensured through her various deals.
“I am Prince Gril Tal Mod from the Royal House of Tearraid,” Gril introduced himself, releasing her hand and stepping forward.
“I am aware of who you are,” her mother coldly replied.
Shock hit Madas at Gril’s introduction. Prince!! It seemed he had withheld a very important piece of information! Then she realized she had not only stolen from a royal of the Sand Tearnat, but possibly—in the loosest interpretation—may have almost killed him once or twice. The third thing that struck her was that her mother knew who he was—while Madas had never heard of him before.
“We need to speak,” Gril stated in a voice that was just as hard as her mother’s. He wielded an air of authority just as easily as her mother did. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed before now, but Madas certainly didn’t miss the fury in her mother’s eyes. She was surprised when her mother looked away first.
“We will adjourn to the council arena—alone,” Tima replied.
Madas watched her mother turn. The crowd standing around her parted. Gril started forward and she followed. She kept her gaze focused on Gril and ignored the curious looks of the others as she passed through them.
Speeding up, she walked beside Gril. “Did you forget to tell me something?” she hissed under her breath.
He glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. “That you are beautiful when you are protective?” he murmured.
She shot him a glare. “Prince? Royal House? Even as far removed as we are here, I’ve heard stories of the Royal House. Father used to tell me tales about it when I was a child. I thought he was making them up!” she growled.
Gril reached out, gripped her hand, and turned her to face him. “Does it matter?” he asked.
“No.”
Her response came without thinking. No, it didn’t matter. He squeezed her hand and began walking again. They walked in silence toward the Council arena where her mother had disappeared into. For once, Madas was actually looking forward to confronting her mother.
Cardin broke from the crowd and hurried out of the compound. He had slipped in when he heard the excited announcement from one of his father’s workers that Madas had returned with a pale Tearnat in tow. He glanced both ways before stepping into the shadows.
He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one had followed him. The loud hum of excitement resonated through the air. He turned the corner at the end of the building and jerked to a stop when the Tearnat he had met suddenly appeared out of the tree line.
“She has returned?” the Tearnat demanded.
Cardin wiped the sweat from his brow. “Yes—with the pale Tearnat male that you seek,” he hoarsely replied. “You didn’t tell me that he was a prince of the Royal House.”
“Keep me informed,” the Tearnat ordered.
A shiver ran through Cardin when the other Tearnat stepped back into the woods and disappeared. There was only one other person he knew who could do that—Madas. He stepped back several feet before he turned and fled. The doubts he had before suddenly manifested into a sense of dread that he was in way over his head—and that this situation could very well cost him his life.
Tima stood facing Gril and her daughter. She angrily rolled the string of beads in her hand. If she could have gotten away with it, she would have wrapped the strand around Madas’s neck and strangled her for her impertinence. This was a moment she had worked very hard to avoid.
“What are you doing in the forest? The protective treaty specifically states that no members of the desert clan are allowed,” Tima stated.
“Yo
u knew about them?” Madas demanded.
Her mother sent her a derisive glare. “Silence, Madas. I will deal with you later,” she snarled.
Tima paled when she heard Gril growl. He stepped forward, putting his large body between Tima and Madas. There was no mistaking the protective stance he had taken.
“Be careful how you speak to my mate, Queen Tima, lest I have to remind you that even the clan of the Forest is under the governance of the Royal House,” Gril coldly informed her.
Tima lifted her chin. “You broke the treaty,” she said.
Gril’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “I suggest that you read Article XVII and focus on the fine print. The treaty states that any member of the Royal House or an appointee may visit should the need arise to provide protection, guidance, conduct relevant government business, or to enforce Tearnat laws. No action will be taken without the proper introduction of the visiting member to the ruling family of the Forest clan. I introduced myself to Madas—and now to you,” he calmly responded.
Tima’s fingers curled around the beads until they dug into her palm. “Regardless, there is no need for your presence here. We do not need your protection nor your guidance, and no Tearnat laws have been broken,” she said.
“You forgot relevant government business,” he pointed out.
Her gaze moved from Gril to Madas. Understanding dawned, and her rage grew until she could barely contain it. His protective posture could only mean one thing.
“It is forbidden,” she said, returning her gaze to him. “A prince or princess of the Royal House can only take a member of the High House of Commons as their mate. Madas is a princess of the Forest clan. This disqualifies her from being eligible.”
“While you may call yourself a queen here, you were not born to the Royal House. Your position was given to you. You are a leader of the High House of Commons. Madas may be a princess here, but according to Tearnat laws…,” he began.
