He tightened his grip around Alyssandra. “Annalecia has been weakening for some time. If you do not assume the throne, both your mother and Tador will slowly die.”
She shook her head against the words, as if her denial could change the circumstances. “But what about the Second Princess or the Third or any of the sixteen?” A tinge of desperation darkened her voice.
He swallowed hard against his pain. “Unfortunately, others have tried to take the burden from Annalecia, but so far every mating has failed.” He shook his head to remove Lianna’s sightless eyes from his mind. “She has allowed her hope to dwindle to the point that no one but her blood daughter could take over from her without dire consequences.”
The Princess stiffened within his embrace. “What kind of dire consequences?”
“She would die as would Tador.” Brushing a beaded braid out of her face, he continued. “She held out hope for too long, as did we all. By the time the other mated royal couples were tried, none of the princesses and some of the princes…”
She wrenched out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around herself in a protective gesture. “None of the princesses and some of the princes what, Stone?” She pierced him with a stare that would brook no argument.
He knew if he told her, she might refuse to take the risk of the ceremony, but he also knew he couldn’t keep it from her. She was strong enough to undergo the ascension—he would bet his life on it, and in fact, he was, as he knew firsthand from witnessing Lianna’s attempt to ascend. “None of them survived the ascension.”
Expressions chased across her features until she scrubbed her hands over her face, slightly smearing the kohl lining her eyes. “What makes everyone so sure
I’ll
survive?”
Stone reached for her, but stopped before touching her. He needed to let her assimilate this in her own way. “You are the blood descendent of the true queen and you have already begun to come into your powers. None of the others’ powers appeared until the ascension began. Please believe me, Alyssandra. I would never allow you to go into the ceremony tent if I had any doubts about your ability to successfully complete the ascension.”
Her expression turned tender and she reached up to cup his cheek in her palm. “I’m sorry, Stone. I just realized, the royal couples who died were all friends of yours. It must’ve been difficult for you. Were you there when they…”
Stone closed his eyes and took a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. When he opened his eyes, the understanding in her soft lavender gaze almost broke him. “I knew all of them, but I only participated in one of the ceremonies—I was one of the twenty Klatch that would lend their essence. Lianna was a close friend, and I saw her die, along with her betrothed. I knew she wasn’t strong enough for the ascension, but I didn’t try hard enough to dissuade her.”
“Did she have a choice? I mean, could she have said no?”
His brow furrowed. “Of course. No one is forced to ascend. It is always a conscious choice to accept both the risk and the responsibility involved.”
“Then Lianna could’ve said no. You can’t be responsible for the world, Stone. Everyone has to make their own choices—including me.” She dropped her arms to her sides and stepped back. “When do I have to decide?”
His heart squeezed inside his chest. Not only would Tador perish, but he would lose Alyssandra if she chose not to go through with the ceremony. He was the only prince powerful enough to supply the new queen with energy. Yet, he couldn’t imagine sharing his life or his bed with anyone but the woman standing before him. Taking a deep breath, he told her the truth, although his heart begged him to lie. “You can choose to decline at any time before our mating inside the ceremony tent.” His voice sounded distant and flat.
Alyssandra nodded. “Thank you for telling me. Even though it’s not what you want. I have to decide this on my own—I don’t want to be pushed into it and then resent you later. And Stone,” she placed a tentative hand on his arm. “Any risk I willingly choose to take is my responsibility, not yours.”
He pulled her back into his arms and laid a simple kiss on her forehead. “I would never wish to force you into anything, beloved. You must embrace this choice willingly or not at all. You must be true to yourself.”
Even if it rips me to shreds
.
She raised a tentative hand to trace his face with her fingers. A slow exploration, as if she saw him for the first time.
As her fingers left a feathery hot path across his face, his heart squeezed inside his chest. He’d spent so many years with the sole purpose of finding her, now that she was here, he felt like an awkward teenager. Just like he did before his own coming-of-age ceremony.
The smell of the ceremony tent from all those years ago still blazed inside his memory. He remembered the twenty Klatch women who had instructed him in the ways of pleasuring a woman. He remembered the hours spent buried between lush thighs and lips and the pungent scent of sex that had clung to him for weeks.
At the time, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven, but now, looking back, he knew the pleasures of the flesh were nothing compared with the act with a true lover. Looking into Alyssandra’s misty eyes, he wanted nothing more than to make slow love to her and join their bodies as one. His cock stiffened against her stomach and she smiled up at him.
“He’s just as impatient as I am.” She laughed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before pressing herself against him.
“Witch.” He growled low in his throat before touching his lips to her shy smile. He traced his tongue over her full bottom lip, seeking entrance. When she opened for him, he delved inside, his tongue mimicking driving his hard cock into her waiting warmth. Energy sparked and flowed between them like a circuit opened wide and looping back on itself. She responded eagerly, her small hands dipping beneath his shirt to trace and explore him. The scent of her arousal rose around him, filling his nostrils and hardening him further.
When she moaned against his mouth, he traced the exposed bottom curve of her breasts and slipped his hands under her shirt to cup the ripe globes in his palms. She arched into him, offering herself, her mound pressed tight against him. He rolled her nipples between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. The aroma of her juices rose stronger around him and it was his turn to moan. As if their minds were one, he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing her slick slit against his aching cock through their clothes while he anchored her back against the stone railing of the veranda. Their mouths still fused together, he pumped against her, driving both of them closer to the release they sought.
When her breathing reached a choppy fevered pitch, he reached between them and into the leg of her half shorts to thumb her clit, sending her over the edge. When his hand encountered not a wiry thatch of curls, but a smoothly shaven mound, slick with her juices, his control shattered as well. Hot seed spurted from his cock, soaking his breeches. He had just enough control left to lift her higher, so her exposed pussy would not accidentally touch any of his essence that seeped through the cloth.
“Mmmm,” she hummed against his neck. “Come to bed with me, Stone. Let me fall asleep in your arms.”
He hugged her tighter, turned and walked toward the bed, gently lowering her until she sat on its edge. “I have to change my breeches. And I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to open ourselves to such blatant temptation.”
Her lavender gaze locked with his. “Please, Stone…” she whispered. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. And I know you’d never do anything to hurt me.”
Looking down at her, disheveled and sexy, her lips still swollen from his kisses, he couldn’t deny her anything. He nodded and stepped toward the door. After murmuring some instructions to the servant standing watch outside, he received a pair of replacement breeches and donned them before joining her.
Her lips curved and mischief danced in her eyes as she stripped off her shirt and shorts to stand before him naked. His eyes were immediately drawn to her smooth mound and his cock surged to life once more. “With such a sexual society, I thought everyone here would sleep naked.” Her last word was obscured by a large yawn.
She needed rest more than he needed to soak another pair of breeches. He bit back a scowl as he remembered Grayson’s earlier comment. His cock must’ve understood because it softened slightly against the confines of his breeches.
“We do,” he said as he pulled back the covers allowing her to slip underneath. “But until we don’t have to worry about my essence harming you, I think it’s wise to keep a barrier between us.”
Patting the bed beside her, she said, “I see your point, he does tend to have a mind of his own.” She gave a pointed look toward Stone’s crotch.
Taking a tight reign on his control, he slid next to her, pulling her against him, spoon-style, and closed his eyes as contentment settled around him. She placed his arm close against her chest, so he cupped her breast. When he heard her happy sigh, he kissed her hair and let sleep take him.
Sela paced in front of the small cell where she’d kept Shawn’s mother, Natasha, incarcerated for the past twenty-three years. The simple room had been made in the corner of a basement and consisted of bars placed diagonally across one corner. It contained only a bed, a chair, a small shower stall and toilet and a small bookshelf stacked tight with books—the only thing Sela had allowed her.
How has she survived like this for so long?
Natasha closed the book she’d been reading and looked up. “What can I do for you, Sela?” she said as if she were the one with all the control. The calm tone of her voice irritated Sela, as it always did.
“Why haven’t you died yet, bitch?” Sela ground her teeth and paced back and forth in front of the cell, her high heel clicks echoing around the basement.
“Because I have a duty to the princess and to my son.” Her open, assessing gaze burned through Sela and she berated herself when she looked away. This woman had infuriated her for over two decades and now her damned son was starting to do the same.
“Your son doesn’t even know you exist,” she snapped. She stopped pacing and grasped two of the cell bars in her hands, Natasha’s calm gaze sparking her temper higher. “We have always told him his Klatch mother abandoned him. And that the Klatch are a sect good for nothing but extermination. We’re going to have him mate with the princess so we can breed a race of slaves we can siphon energy from. Then we’re going to overthrow the imposter king and queen and take Tador back. What do you think of that?” Sela studied her, hoping for some sign of fear or better yet, hopelessness. But as usual, there was none. Only a serene calmness.
Sela’d made sure she had just enough food to survive, and she knew the woman masturbated to keep up her sexual energy. Despite her best efforts to break the princess’s nanny, she’d been unsuccessful. Instead of sunken cheeks and drawn skin, the woman looked healthy and fit, her long dark hair flowing around her in a cascade of sable, her annoying lavender eyes cool and assessing. The same damned eyes as the little bitch she’d raised from an infant. The same ungrateful bitch who’d escaped with the prince.
Natasha shrugged as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “The Princess’s betrothed will come for her. As for Shawn, he’ll eventually realize his true path. It’s in his blood.” She placed the book back on the bookshelf and stood, stretching as if just waking up from a relaxing nap. “Besides, once he comes into his full powers and realizes he is more powerful than the Cunts, he will not have to work hard to overthrow your hold.”
Sela ground her teeth. She would never admit to Natasha that the prince had already rescued Alyssa. If Natasha thought the princess was safe, she’d turn her powers on Sela in an instant. The only insurance Sela had was the threat of harming Shawn or Alyssa. “Your son has already attained all the powers he’ll ever get. All your hopes and optimism are for nothing. The only future you have is being a food supply for our Cunt warriors.”
“We shall see, Sela. You may have denied Shawn a coming-of-age ceremony, but the Klatch blood in him will prevail. And be careful what you wish for. I don’t think your so-called warriors could handle me.” A smile curved the corners of her lips and she began to do stretching exercises, ignoring Sela completely.
W
hen Natasha heard the door slam behind Sela, she stopped stretching and looked to make sure the Cunt was gone.
There has to be some reason why she’s suddenly so upset right before her supposed victory! Now we will see, Sela.
Natasha sat on her cot cross-legged and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to relax. When all thoughts were gone, her mind at peace, she allowed herself to reach out, seeking, until she brushed against Alyssandra’s thoughts.
She could tell from the distant connection and the contentment of the young woman’s thoughts while she slept, that the princess had been recovered. Natasha forced her lips not to curve in triumph. It wouldn’t do to have the guards report her actions and warn Sela.
Next, she reached out her thoughts to Shawn. She’d kept in touch mentally for twenty-three years. Shawn thought of her as his voice of conscience, not his mother, but it had been enough to keep a watchful eye on him.
I know you think you’ll be fathering a new nation, my son. But the Klatch were not made to be cattle for the vampire
Cunts. Soon, very soon, I will show you the world of your heritage.
A short knock sounded on her door and Alyssa opened it to find her parents standing in the doorway smiling at her.
“Good morning.” She blinked, afraid she’d imagined them and they would disappear at any moment. But when she opened her eyes again, they were still there. She fidgeted with the doorknob still held in her hand as silence fell between them.
Both Annalecia and Darius seemed nervous, as if they wanted to reach out and touch her, but weren’t sure if it was welcome. For a long uncomfortable moment, they all just stared at each other. Finally, Alyssa laughed, pushing aside her hesitance and hugged each of her parents in turn—each holding her tight as if they expected someone to try and take her from them again. “I hope you both don’t mind, but I’ve lived without true parents long enough. I plan on taking every opportunity I can to make up for lost time.”
“What did I tell you, Darius? She’s very straightforward, just like you. There was no reason to be nervous.”
The king laughed. “No doubt she’s also a beautiful charmer like her mother. I’ll have to be extra careful or you’ll both have me wrapped around your fingers soon enough.”
Now that the ice was broken, Darius yanked playfully on one of the Klatch braids scattered throughout her hair. “Alyssandra, we thought you might like to have some breakfast with us before your mother begins your lessons.”
Alyssa’s stomach growled and they all laughed. “Breakfast sounds great, I’m obviously starving.” She followed them down the hall, her father leading her with a gentle hand on her lower back. “You mentioned lessons. What lessons?”
“Well, I suppose you’d call them ‘queen lessons.’ There are several things you need to learn before the ascension. Things you would’ve learned as you grew up if…” Annalecia trailed off, her lips thinning into a tight line as if she were afraid to say the words.
“If I hadn’t been taken?” Alyssa smiled to assure her parents she hadn’t taken any offense.
“Yes, exactly.” The queen smiled gratefully and grabbed Alyssa’s hand.
They entered the dining room and sat around the table, which was already laden with food, only some of which Alyssa recognized from her previous meal with her parents. She took a seat in between them. “Do you think my first lesson could be on what the heck all these foods are? I was so excited to meet you both yesterday that I don’t think I tasted a thing.”
Darius laughed and picked up his glass. “Of course. I’d forgotten that several Tador foods aren’t available on earth. You’re in for a real treat, daughter. Even though Klatch tend to stay trim due to the way we use energy, we really know how to eat.” He raised his glass in a toast. “To my beautiful daughter and her growling stomach.”
Alyssandra spent the next two hours laughing and talking with her parents while she sampled and tried to remember the names of several native Tador foods. In fact, she’d instantly decided to have some of the fleshy blue
ool
at every meal. With a texture like a plum, and a taste like a vanilla milkshake all rolled up in a healthy good-for-her fruit, she couldn’t resist. This was much better than the greasy burgers and fries Debbie always picked up for them on the way home.
Throughout the meal, she began to recognize her parent’s mannerisms and realize where she’d gotten some of her own. Her mother consistently bit her bottom lip when she was embarrassed or thinking and her father shared her same sarcastic sense of humor. Her sense of belonging became stronger as the minutes ticked by. Maybe with enough time, the past twenty-three years would melt away as if they were nothing more than a bad dream.
“Well, ladies. I have to meet with the Klatch Council about surveying the damaged outlying areas. So, I’ll leave you to your lessons.” Darius stood and kissed Alyssa on the cheek and squeezed her shoulder. “It’s so nice to finally have you home where you belong, Alyssandra.” His eyes misted and he turned toward his wife, brushing a gentle kiss over her lips. “Promise me you’ll lie down if you grow tired. There are still a few days until the ascension and you must conserve your energy.”
“Good luck with the council, Darius. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Annalecia squeezed his hand and a look of vulnerability and love passed between them, making Alyssa smile. She hoped she and Stone still looked at each other like that after thirty years together.
Stone professed his love for her freely, while she was still getting used to having a man all to herself. She hoped over time, she could return his feelings and have a relationship like the one she saw before her in her parents.
The king held his wife’s hand for a long moment before stepping away and flashing her a devastating smile that reminded Alyssa of Stone.
She sighed as the dining room door closed behind him. “You can tell how in love you both are. It’s obvious, and wonderful.” Her heart squeezed in her chest and she blinked back tears at witnessing such an intimate moment.
The queen placed a comforting hand on hers. “Your father is stubborn, overbearing, insufferable and he grinds his teeth until I’m tempted to kill him in his sleep.” Her lips quirked up, and amusement danced in her lavender eyes. “But he’s also my best friend and I love him with my entire being. Besides, he overlooks all my annoying habits and loves me anyway.” She shrugged. “I know you and Stone have only known each other for a short time, but there’s already a connection between you. It’s obvious…and wonderful to see the two of you together. Give it time to blossom into something more. I’ve known Stone since he was born—he’s grown into a very good man. One I trust to take care of my only child.”
Alyssa’s cheeks heated and she grinned up at her mother. “Stone sounds a lot like Father—especially the stubborn, overbearing and insufferable part. I don’t think I’ve noticed any teeth grinding yet, though, but I’ll keep watch.”
The women shared a knowing laugh.
“All right.” Alyssa nibbled on another piece of
ool.
“So, tell me everything I need to know to be queen.”
“I think it will take more than a conversation over the remains of breakfast.” Annalecia took her napkin off her lap and laid it on the table next to her plate. “Stone will have to teach you how to control energy, and he and Darius have had many discussions on how to coach you through it. I can tell you how I do it, but I won’t be there when…you have the excess energy to distribute.” The queen took a sip of wine and set the goblet back on the table before continuing. “There’s not really a checklist of things you have to know to become queen—it’s more of an on the job training opportunity. And since you haven’t been around to watch me do the job, I’ll make sure I’m around to answer your questions while
you’re
doing the job.” The queen grinned over at her.
Alyssa thought back to her last energy sharing with Stone and her clit tingled in response and she clenched her thighs together to try and make it stop. Somehow having an erotic reaction while talking to her mother just didn’t go well together.
Annalecia, oblivious to Alyssa’s discomfort, sipped at her coffee—a definite earth import—and studied her daughter. “Let’s see, beyond your symbiosis with the planet, there are several duties that the queen performs, but the symbiosis and the sharing of energy definitely takes most of your time and energy. Things such as meeting with the Klatch Council, helping solve disputes that the council can’t, and making appearances at balls, ceremonies and other events. Of course, the king handles many of those same duties, so there’s nothing you have to do alone. However, since we are a matriarchal society, the people will look to you for strong leadership and vision. Sometimes I think that’s the most difficult part.”
Panic fluttered deep in her belly. “I don’t know anything about solving disputes, or how to act at fancy events. Even with Stone at my side, I’m terrified I’ll make a complete ass of myself. And how do I suddenly develop strong leadership and vision? I don’t think my work history as a bartender exactly prepared me for the throne.”
“Don’t worry, Alyssandra. Some of it is already in your blood. You were born to be queen, and the universe wouldn’t create you without the needed skills. The rest you can learn as you go—some by learning from your mistakes and some by taking good advice or studying the history of Klatch.” She leaned her elbows on the table and steepled her fingers in front of her lips. “I wanted to bring up appearances because you’ll be expected to attend the presentation ball so we can introduce you to your people, and there is a ceremony involved.”
Alyssa swallowed the lump that formed inside her throat. The thought of being on display in front of all of the Klatch terrified her. What if she disappointed not only her parents and Stone, but all the Klatch people as well? Then another thought occurred to her, arrowing a keep sense of panic through her. “This ceremony, it’s not a sexual ceremony I hope. I don’t think I can do anything sexual in front of a group just yet. I’m having enough trouble adjusting as it is.”
Annalecia laughed. “No, my daughter. For once, believe it or not, it’s not sexual.”
An hour into their “queen lessons,” her mother began to look pale and drawn and had to excuse herself so she could lie down. After Alyssa made sure the queen was comfortably resting, and a guard dispatched to inform her father, Alyssa took the opportunity to explore the grounds around the castle.
When she stepped outside and into the sunshine, she sighed as the warm rays caressed her skin. A gentle breeze kept the day from being too hot and carried the fresh scent of the gardens and the sound of the fountains. The lush grass tickled between her bare toes and she stopped to wiggle them and enjoy the sensation.
Immediately in front of her was the main fountain, which was as big around as a single-family home back on earth. Several Klatch splashed and played in the sparkling blue water, some naked and some dressed, their traditional white Klatch clothes nearly transparent. Off to her right were the baths where she’d met Sasha, and to her left, the gardens.
Sasha had explained the gardens were a large maze made from trees, shrubs, flowers, waterfalls and fountains that contained several intimate alcoves and gazebos. People would use the gardens for solitary walks, a quiet place to read or reflect, and even for rendezvous. The gardens were also home to several species of animal life, some quite different from earth animals from what she’d heard. The description reminded her of a great Alice in Wonderland adventure and she had been dying to explore them ever since she’d learned about them.
Splashing from the main fountain caught her attention and she hesitated. As much as she’d have liked to go toward the main fountain and meet the seemingly friendly people, she wasn’t comfortable joining in their water play. She might be starting to appreciate her sexuality, but she wasn’t comfortable yet beyond Stone and Sasha. She knew no one would force her, but she would feel awkward opting out.
Decided, she turned left toward the gardens to take a relaxing stroll. She slipped inside the maze and past flowering rose bushes, carrying all colors of blooms, their petals opened wide to drink in the golden sunlight. She stopped to sniff and sighed as the sweet aroma filled her senses. She knelt to pick up a handful of multicolored rose petals that had fallen to the ground. She held them to her nose and took a deep breath before dropping them into her pocket.
Farther along, the canopy overhead thickened, filtering the sunlight and casting latticed shadows over the lush ground. Alyssa trailed her fingers over blue feathery leaves of a tree she didn’t recognize and laughed as the scent of cinnamon filled the air. She plucked a blue leaf and added it to her collection before moving on.
The path in front of her forked and she veered to the right, following a small rabbit as it darted away toward the sound of rushing water. Her feet squeaked against the damp grass and her stride faltered when she stepped out onto soft sand. She glanced up and the sight before her stole her breath.
A twelve-foot waterfall flowed lazily over several large white boulders of
balda
to fall into a pool ripe with large koi fish and blue and purple frogs as big as her fist. Delighted, she stepped forward and sat down on large rock to dip her toes into the pond. The cool water lapped around her ankles and she swung her legs back and forth idly as the fish nibbled at her toes and the rich scent of flowering plants and flowing water suffused the air around her.
“Princess Alyssandra, I presume?”
The deep voice startled her and she pushed to standing, automatically assuming a defensive posture as water dripped down her calves to the tops of her feet. The man before her stood just as tall as Stone, his navy tunic loosely laced so crispy black chest hairs were clearly visible. The blue color of the tunic designated him as from one of the royal families.
He had the same wavy dark hair as Stone, but it was pulled back into a ponytail and hung halfway down his back. His face appeared harsh and unforgiving except for his full lips, which almost seemed feminine. But when she looked him up and down, she knew no one would ever accuse him of being anything but a man. His broad shoulders and sculpted muscles were evident, as if he worked at a job where hard physical labor was required. She couldn’t see a Prince of Klatch doing time in a gym.