Prime Deliverance (Katieran Prime Series (Book Five)) (9 page)

He lifted her in his arms as he stood and carried her to the bed. Gently he laid her down. He stepped back to unhook his shirt when his Comm Link went off.
Kitana!
What had he been ready to do?
“Forgive me.” He hurried out of her room sporting a very stiff member.

That damn man!
She was getting sick and tired of him getting her sexually charged and then abandoning her. Pain lanced through her heart at the same time that her body ached for release. She punched the pillow beside her with her fist. “I can’t do this anymore.” She wasn’t perfect, but she deserved more than this. She started to cry and didn’t stop. She cried until she fell into a restless sleep.

*****

TarAK wanted to hit something, anything. He had tasted paradise, held it within his hands only to have it ripped from him. Would he get another chance with AriELa? He doubted it. He pushed her away too many times.

He had been fighting his attraction to her all these years. He tried to force himself to feel more for Cassie than what was actually there. He only now realized what he felt for AriELa was more than a fleeting attraction. What helped him come to this realization was hearing the Prime Leader KadEN speaking with the Kiljorn High Council about the mating ceremony. One in which AriELa had yet to agree to. The Kiljorn Leader gave him an angry stare the moment he stepped into the room but kept talking to the council members.

“Prime Commander, I am reporting in.” TarAK stood at attention before the Katieran Prime Commander KydEL. That was who had called him on his Comm Link when he was with AriELa. He had just enough time to go to his suite and take a quick shower.

“I will be going with the research team on their expedition to the outer Lunas. I want you to remain with Prima AriELa and Miss Carreli.”

“Yes, sir. How long will you be gone?”

“I am giving the expedition no more than eight hours to complete their task. We can make several trips if necessary.”

TarAK turned to walk back out of room. He felt a presence behind him. He stopped walking and waited for the person behind him to catch up. He turned to see that it was the Kiljorn Prime Leader KadEN.

“Sir?” TarAK asked, hating to show any kind of respect to the male who was after his female.

KadEN walked around TarAK, circling him. He leaned down and took a whiff of air. “I could have you executed for touching her.”

TarAK knew exactly who he was talking about. “I’m her security liaison.”

KadEN stopped to stand in front of him. “I can provide her with all the security she would ever need. I can also give her the status that is due her, a palace to live in, and anything else she could ever want for.”

TarAK fought the growl rising up within him. “You can, that is true. However, that is only if she accepts your offer of mating.”

KadEN laughed, “You think she would
not
choose me?”

“It is still her choice to make.”

“It is her choice. However, I won’t stand idly by while she has her emotions played with,” the Prime Leader said angrily.

TarAK growled. “Neither will I. I have seen the way you look at the Earth female, Miss Carreli. I won’t have AriELa commit herself to mating a male that cannot remain faithful to her.”

Both males stood face-to-face, eye-to-eye. Neither backing down. KadEN had to admire the young security liaison for having the strength to stand up to a Prime. “Then we are both in agreement as far as Prima AriELa is concerned. She will be allowed to make her choice without manipulation.”

“Agreed.” TarAK nodded.

Chapter Ten

AriELa wanted to go home to Katiera. It was really awkward having the Kiljorn Prime Leader and his people trying to woo her with TarAK watching it all. She was pissed at him and she was sad. She couldn’t go anywhere until her cousins returned. They should have been back by now.

She was awake but Lindsey wasn’t. She had come in late and was still asleep. The bell to the suite went off. She answered it finding TarAK standing there with a worried expression on his face.

“What is it?” she asked making room for him to walk inside.

“Where is Miss Carreli?”

“Sleeping. What is going on?” Something in his eyes made her heart beat faster with fear.

“The Morins have attacked the Katieran Transport carrying a ship full of Earth females. I need to have you and Miss Carreli in the same room while we await word from Prime Commander KydEL,” TarAK explained. AriELa ran to the door of Lindsey’s bedroom and pounded on it.

“What’s going on?” Lindsey asked as she came out of her bedroom looking extremely tired.

“The Katieran Transport carrying another shipment of Earth refugees is under attack by the Morins,” TarAK explained. “The two of you must remain in your suite until we are given the all clear.” TarAK gently steered AriELa back to the center of the room. She was starting to shake.

She felt Lindsey squeeze her hand. She needed to say something. “Kyd and Syd are on the Kiljorn Transport which is on the way to intercede with the Morins.”

Lindsey asked her, “What about Jaxon and Kat?”

“They are on board the transport as well. They do not understand the danger they are going into. The Morins are evil. They cannot be reasoned with. All they care about is taking what they want and leaving destruction in their path.”

AriELa hadn’t meant to but she started talking about when the Morins had attacked her family. “I was fourteen. My father and mother were bringing me to Katiera to visit with my aunt and cousins when our ship was attacked.” Tears were coming down AriELa’s face without her realizing it. She was staring into space as if she was seeing it all over again right before her. “I lost everything that day.”

TarAK wanted to kill something. It tore him apart inside to watch AriELa relive the death of her family. He had thought she was too young and traumatized to recall the event. But it was a day he would recall for the rest of his life.

He had still been in warrior training, but his father allowed him to come on the rescue team to search for the escape pod. TarAK felt a desperate need to find her. Up until that day she had always been a happy and adventurous child. After the attack, she became reserved and quiet.

He stood there helpless, watching as AriELa relived those painful moments and it was almost more than a male could take. He would give anything to protect her from those painful memories. There had been reports that her father might have lived, but they searched and could find no such evidence. He hated the feeling of helplessness he felt. Time seemed to stand still as they all awaited news.

*****

Morin Leader Krosis walked to the docking bay where several of his shuttles had just landed. He waited for the air to pressurize. He watched as his warriors dragged reluctant females from the shuttle.

They were smaller than their own females. Different sizes and hair color. What fascinated him the most were their eyes. They did not have the gold center irises like Katierans did, or the solid yellow eyes like his own people. These strange females had small black centers to their eyes.

He walked up to his second in command. “How many were we able to take?”

“Twenty-two, but two of them died from injuries incurred when we took them. They struggled and had to be restrained. Their bodies are much more fragile and from what I can see, do not repair as quickly.”

“That leaves only twenty to breed with viable males. What about male specimens?”

“We were not able to acquire any males.”

He punched his second in command in the face making the male bleed. “You failed me. What good are having the females if we have so few males to breed with them? Find me males,” he ordered. Then he walked around the group of frightened females looking them over. “Strip them,” he ordered his Lieutenants, who happily complied.

Before any of the females had time to resist, their flimsy clothing was torn from their bodies. The light shone brightly against one female’s hair. It was light colored, almost white. Krosis walked up to her, looking over her pale skin. She trembled before him, which made him aroused. She lifted her bright blue eyes in fear.

“Take this one to more personal chambers and bind her.”

“No!” the female cried out in vain.

*****

AriELa waited impatiently on the landing pad on the top of the Kiljorn Prime building. There had been a huge battle in space between the Morins, the Katierans and the Kiljorns. Now her cousin was arriving back here and she couldn’t wait to see him. Lindsey and TarAK stood on either side of her. She couldn’t help but feel comforted by TarAK’s presence.

The moment SydEL stepped out of the shuttle, she ran and threw herself into his arms. Tears were running down her cheeks. She could have lost both her cousins to the enemy that took her parents from her.

“I am fine. We are all fine,” SydEL reassured her.

“I heard about the battle. Kyd was injured?” AriELa asked anxiously.

“It is true. But we have Dr. Morris to thank. If not for her skills, we would have lost him.”

AriELa gave Kat a huge hug. “Thank you, Kat, for saving my cousin.”

“It was nothing really. I was just glad to be of help.”

AriELa was surprised when she scented Syd’s scent markings on Kat. She squealed, “You are mated!” She turned to give Syd another hug and verify his scent.

“We must celebrate. I shall ask Prime Leader KadEN to throw a banquet on your behalf,” AriELa stated.

“Easy, cousin. It is not official yet.” He looked apologetically at Kat.

“Syd is my mate, but let’s wait until we get back to Katiera before we have a banquet. That way, the whole family will be there.”

“Okay,” AriELa said. “Where are Kyd and Jaxon?”

“Let’s go to my suite and I will fill you in on all that has happened,” Syd said, kissing her cheek.

AriELa tried not to show her disappointment when TarAK left her with her cousin. She understood that he was giving her time to spend with her family, but she missed him. He was sort of her rock during the stressful time.

*****

It wasn’t too much longer after Syd returned to Kiljor that they were ready to head home to Katiera. KadEN came to see them off. Though he spoke to her, his eyes never strayed far from Lindsey. She suspected something was going on between the two of them, but they were both trying hard to ignore it.

AriELa knew all about denying her feelings. She was constantly fighting her attraction to TarAK. She wished she didn’t know what his kisses were like or how good it felt to be touched by him. It made her even more aware of him physically. She was so confused over her feelings for him and her duty to her people. It was times like this that she wished her mother were there for her to talk to.

AriELa watched Kiljor fade away the further into space the shuttle took them. It was a lovely planet, but it didn’t feel like home to her. KadEN asked her to come back and spend more time there. She promised to think about it but right now, she was looking forward to spending time with her family. If things progressed with KadEN, she would be moving to Kiljor permanently. This might be the last time all of her family was together on Katiera.

During the trip back to Katiera, AriELa remained mostly in her sleeping quarters. She ate her meals with her cousin or by herself. She was grateful the day they finally reached her beloved Katiera.

*****

AriELa’s Aunt SandELa was happy to have them all home safe and sound. When SydEL told her about his and Kat’s mating, her aunt’s face lit up. Every conversation revolved around planning the ceremony.

AriELa helped her aunt plan Kat and SydEL’s official mating ceremony. It was small for a Prime mating, but it was perfect for Kat and Syd. It was held on a large balcony at night with just the Prime family and their friends. TarAK was there as well, but he kept his distance for the most part.

She noticed that Lindsey was taking a walk along the shore. She thought this would be a good time to find out what was going on with Lindsey and KadEN.

“May I join you?” AriELa asked, coming up to her from behind.

Lindsey nodded but didn’t say anything.

“I feel like you’ve been avoiding me,” AriELa told her.

“I didn’t mean to. It’s just that…I didn’t know how to tell you. I was afraid it would hurt our friendship.”

AriELa already knew what she was going to say before she said it. She wasn’t bothered by it in the least.
Shouldn’t she be?
“Tell me what?” When Lindsey looked at her with eyes full of guilt and misery, she took pity on her. Sometimes a person couldn’t help whom they had feelings for. Sometimes it just…happened.

“You have feelings for KadEN?” Lindsey just nodded. “I suspected as much. Does he have feelings for you as well?”

“I don’t know. He kissed me when we were on Kiljor but then, he said he was going to mate you anyway.”

“The alliance between our nations is important. He is under a lot of pressure to make sure it happens.”

“I get that. I was just thrown off guard. Nothing happened other than that one kiss.”

“Sometimes one kiss is all it takes.” AriELa looked off in the distance. She could still feel TarAK’s lips on her, his hands caressing her body. She felt so empty inside without him.

“I am supposed to be going back to Kiljor soon. I haven’t officially accepted the offer of mating, and the Kiljorns would like me to spend more time there. I would like for you to come back with me.”

“Even after I told you that KadEN and I kissed?”

AriELa nodded, “The two of you need to resolve whatever this is going on between you. If I do accept the mating offer, you will probably want to come back to Katiera. It may be too uncomfortable for you to witness our official mating and I would have to insist on it. Though I do not love KadEN, I have kind feelings for him. We will be committing ourselves to one another and that is serious. We Katierans do not share our mates.”

Lindsey nodded sadly, “I understand and I would feel the same if I were in your shoes. When were you planning on going back?”