The Revenge of Excalibur (13 page)

She let her eyes roam over his sculpted chest and muscular arm. She wanted to stay hidden away in their little cave, but she had responsibilities now. The prisoners needed to be returned home. Some type of government needed to be put in place, and she had to see how her father was doing.

The temptation was too much, and she slowly stroked her Shalit's chiseled chest.
Is he really mine?
The sparkling diamond in her grandmother's weeding ring caught her attention.
What kind of future do I really have with him? He can go anywhere he wants. Now that his breeding lust has been satisfied, there isn't any reason for him to stick around.
She bit her lip. She wanted a future with him, but not out here.

“Excalibur, did you mean what you said about going back to Earth?” Pam lightly brushed the hairs on his chest.

“Could Earth be more beautiful than what I see right now?” he answered, gently stoking her arm, causing her skin to break out in goosebumps.

“You know what I mean,” she retorted, tweaking his nipple, causing him to groan in pain, or pleasure. Pam wasn't sure.

Excalibur leaned up on one elbow, his smoldering silver eyes slowly traveling from her lips to her nipples. After a few minutes of causal appraisal, he said, “Yes, little one, I do. But, only if you agree to accompany me.”

Pan started breathing again, her face lighting up with joy.
Oh Lordy. Mum will faint when she gets a look at my monster of a man. Father will probably make him shave, and get a job.
She almost started laughing, she was so happy. Then, her face clouded over.

“We can't leave until I see my father, er, Arthur. I need to talk to him. And we still have a mess to clean up at Bindkall Prison.” Pam gazed up at this Shalit, who made her feel complete. “You know, on Earth, it's customary to have two names, first and last. We'll have to come up with a suitable name for you.”

He stared off, pondering, idly circling her nipple with the tip of his fingertip, making Pam squirm. “I believe they use three names on your Earth. What do you call it when you are done eating, completely sated?”

“Well, I say I'm full,” Pam answered breathlessly, arching her back, wanting more than a caressing finger on her aching nipple.

He gazed down at her with a grin. “Then that is my name. I shall be called Cal Ber Folly.”

Pam stopped squirming, shaking her head. “No. I don't like that. You are anything but a Folly, my hunky man. Think of another name.”

“But I like that name. Maybe I pronounced the last name wrong. I will spell it for you, C A L - B E R - F O L E Y.”

Pam moaned as he flicked her hardened nipple with his tongue. “Oh, oh, um, Foley is a very common last name on Earth. It also refers to sound dubbing or a recording system in Hollywood.”

He lifted his head, curious. “What is sound dubbing, or Hollywood?

Pam giggled. “We're going to have so much fun, Cal. Now, come here.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a long, hungry kiss. Cal pulled away, giving her a grin that turned her into a puddle of warm goo.
Oh, how I love this man.

Since Excalibur could read her mind, he knew just what she wanted. He slowly kissed his way to her ear, where he flicked his tongue in and out several times. He grinned against her ear as she moaned loudly, squirming underneath him. He was enjoying himself immensely as he stroked her soft skin, and kissed his way to her erect nipples. Feeling skin instead of fur, having fingers instead of paws to stroke and fondle, and a tongue to lick and suckle were intoxicating sensations. He wanted to stay here forever, but he knew he had work to do.

He traveled slowly, licking and kissing along the way, until he arrived at her protruding, engorged nipple. He sucked it into his mouth, running his tongue over the sensitive tip. Pam twisted her hands in his hair, panting. He gave a gentle nip, before proceeding down her body until he arrived at her belly button.

He was fascinated with this part of her body, and he found it drove her crazy with passion when stimulated in just the right way. Running his tongue slowly around the rim of her naval, he slid his hand between her legs, feeling her warm wetness. He could feel she was close, but he had one more surprise for her. Something he hadn't done yet.

Licking and sucking her belly button, he slid his fingers in and out of her warm, wet entrance, faster and harder, then, he mentally pushed her pleasure center. Pam screamed, her body quivering and shuddering in orgasmic pleasure. Excalibur looked down at her convulsing body, smiling broadly. His job was done.

Pam lay there, gasping and panting. That had been the most wonderful, powerful orgasm she'd ever experienced.
No wonder Mum flipped over Arthur. How could any mere, mortal man compare with someone like Arthur or Cal? I'm hooked, no doubt about it.
Her eyes traveled his lean body, resting on his throbbing, enlarged organ.
Oh my. Why does it look bigger than before?
She licked her lips, anticipating.

That's all it took. Excalibur wrapped his arm around her waist, flipping her over onto her hands and knees. He spread her legs apart with his knees, taking in the sight of her quivering, wet folds. He reached between them, and slowly dipped his index finger into her warm opening, then withdrew it, sucking his finger.
Ambrosia,
he thought as the salty, tangy flavor tantalized his taste buds. The nectar men fought wars over, lost empires to. He never understood that concept, until now. He would die for his Pamela. Whatever she wanted, was hers.

Pam was looking over her shoulder at him, beautiful sapphire eyes questioning. He gently pushed her down on her elbows. She was presented to him in a manner he was accustomed. He gripped his enlarged breeding organ, and slowly teased her with it, sliding the tip of it back and forth from her beckoning opening to her nub. He moved back and forth, until he felt her pushing against him, begging for more.

In his old breeding form, they bred, and it was over. He never experienced these titillating sensations, and he meant to savor every last one. As Pam squirmed more and more, he slowly, teasingly inserted the head of his organ into her dripping opening, but only a few inches, then withdrew. He did this several times, rotating his hips as he did. Each time he could feel Pam's muscles clenching at him, trying to draw him in farther. But he resisted the temptation, groaning in pleasure. Such exquisite pain.

Pam whimpered, and the breeding lust consumed him. No longer able to control himself, he gripped her hips, thrusting deeply into her, over and over, faster and faster. Pam was moaning, crying out, begging for him to go faster, harder, and it propelled him on, until they both cried out in pleasure. His body convulsed with his release, spurting his seed inside her. Panting, spent, he collapsed onto his side, drawing Pam into a tight embrace. She mumbled a few times before drifting into a peaceful sleep.

Before he allowed himself to follow suit, he mentally scanned their area, making sure they were safe. All he felt were the native little Koodah that reminded him of his previous breeding form. They were copulating like crazy from the passion emanating from the small cave, even though it wasn't their season yet. Excalibur fell asleep with a smile, knowing he had the best of both worlds.

The twin brains in the hold of
Weesa
flashed blues and reds, quivering and pulsating. They had just disconnected their mental link from the new couple.

*Such passion, such virility,* Olso said, *Who knew Shalits would make such consummate lovers?*

*Mother,* Emeara scolded, *we need to think about Daisy's welfare. She is having enough trouble assimilating to her new circumstances, without being reminded of what she has left behind. Her love for Arthur was just as passionate as Pamela and Excalibur's. We have other business to attend to rather than spying on their emotions.*

*As you wish, daughter,* Olso said, giving a heavy sigh.

Hands hanging between her knees, head bowed, Tig sat on the steps leading up to the regal thrones where her friend, and Queen, used to reign.
How can my best friend be gone?
She wrung her hands, fighting the tears.
Cigsbah! Such a tragedy.
With her children gone, and Daisy being the last member of the royal family, that left no one else to rule the kingdom but two Humans.

Tig had fought hard when the rebels showed up. Her body bore the evidence, with bruises and several broken ribs. Even with her valiant efforts, the children died. One by one, their teenage and young adult bodies were blasted by the Ultilears, the renegades cheering as Arthur's spawn fell across the palace steps, their young blood seeping into the marble. The attack happened so fast, before she responded, the children were already slain.

Seeing the rebel aiming at Arthur, Tig had tried throwing herself in front of him, but he mentally pushed her back, saving her life. Unfortunately, it'd been too late for him, and he took the full brunt of the beam. The force-fields Arthur had placed under her and Pohat's skins were the only reason they were still alive.

She sobbed some more, burying her head in her hands. The only man she ever loved had saved her life.

How dare they attack my friends? Weesa/Daisy
told her about Bindkall Prison, and the twelve leaders who instigated the rebellion. And the inhumane treatment to which Daisy and Arthur had been subjected. No wonder she died, and Arthur was such a mess. Tig knew their names now. No matter how well-connected they were, how famous, they would pay for what they did.

Of course, there were only eleven now, since the Shalit, called Treas, killed General Mayo.
Imagine that. Shalits on the loose again
.
But they aren't the enemy now; they're supposed to be our friends.
Tig shook her head, confused with the turn of events.

Tig examined her black and blue knuckles, curling them into painful fists. There was one thing she wasn't confused about, revenge.
Maybe I will ask this Pamela and her Shalit if they want to join me in my crusade. I am itching for a fight.
Tig sadly shook her head.
No, Pamela is the Queen now.
What a strange twist of fate. “Here's a story for the bards,” muttered Tig. “Father and daughter; King and Queen.”

“What?” asked Tobah, sniffling, and wiping her nose. She sat a few feet away from Tig, doing her own share of crying over the news Tig just relayed to her.

Tig looked up, sighing. “Just thinking out loud. I said we now have a King and Queen, who are father and daughter.”

The both sat in mourning, mentally linked. After so many years of being friends, they weren't even aware of their mental connection. Tig glanced over at Tobah. “You know, I never wanted to go to Earth. I felt it was beneath me to spend my life waiting for a Human, who was supposed to be our savior.”

Tobah nodded her head. “I felt the same way. I had heard so many stories about Earthlings, and how they had the same intelligence level as a Tethian. But then I met Daisy, and you, and I loved it on Earth.”

Tig snickered. “We lived for generations on their planet, and they never knew.” They burst out laughing. Tig gazed at her remaining friend, becoming somber. “Daisy loved being the Lady of the Lake.” She sighed, shoulders slumping. “I'm going to miss her so much.”

“Me, too.” Tobah peered down at her hands, studying her nails, then ran her hand through her short, blue hair. “Who knew we would end up changing, though. I feel like a Tethian with all this hair.”

Tig grimaced. “I am tired of being stared at everywhere I go.”

“I feel so guilty about leaving Daisy when the roof of the cave started falling in,” Tobah said softly. “She almost died.”

“It was not your fault, Tobah. Daisy ordered us to leave. We had no choice.”

Tobah glanced over at her life-long friend. “Are you in love with Arthur?”

Tig stared at her, not surprised she asked. When Arthur first showed up, carrying Daisy to safety, she hated him. He'd been so overbearing. While Daisy recuperated from her injuries, she'd been assigned to watch over him, and she came to know him. She saw a side of him that he never allowed to show publically.

One day, while watching Daisy and Arthur together, the love they shared, she realized she'd fallen in love with him. She wanted Arthur to look at her the way he looked at Daisy. It made Tig feel dirty and guilty. Daisy had never been so full of life, so in love. Each child they birthed only brought Daisy and Arthur closer together. She hated seeing them so full of joy and love. But she swallowed her pride, and buried her love.

Now, Daisy was gone, just a brain in a metal, silver ship.
Can I finally declare my love for Arthur? Can I do that to my friend?

She gave a slight nod. “Yes, yes, I am. What good will my feeling do me?
Weesa
told me Arthur may never recover. Even if he did manage to wake up from his coma, they expect him to be like a newborn child. He would have to learn everything all over again. Those two Ultilear beams really scrambled his memories. Daisy said she has been unable to make a mental link with him since they were captured.”

Tobah scooted over, giving her friend a hug. “Do not worry, Tig. If anyone can help Arthur, it will be Panth and his sister. Tethians are renowned for their expertise in healing the mind. Arthur also trusts him.”

Tig's nose wrinkled in repugnance, thinking about the smelly, hairy male sitting next to Arthur's bed. Having never met a Tethian before, she didn't trust him. “Sharing a cell does not a friendship make.”

“Oh, Tig,” Tobah said, patting her hand. “Were we not in the same predicament? We were trapped in a cave on Earth for many years. Yet, we developed a lifelong friendship of love and trust.”

Tig gave her an unbelieving look. Unlike Tig, Tobah had been around Tethians before, and she knew them to be intelligent and telepathically powerful beings. By nature, they weren't aggressive, but if they were attacked, or one of their family members was in danger, they became fierce and formidable.

Tobah leaned her elbows on her knees, peering down at the floor, shifting her feet back and forth. “I need to tell you something. Remember when I went to Teth, oh, about fifteen years ago?” Tig nodded. “Do you know why I went?” Tig shook her head. “Arthur received several disquieting reports from interstellar ships about some strange readings from the planet. Arthur sent me to investigate. He was concerned because the readings were similar to Husken Silver. He wanted me to determine the cause of the radiation. I searched for several weeks, but was hindered by the inhospitable terrain and a severe wind storm. I never found the source, but I knew the area the radiation was emanating from.”

Tobah looked at Tig, tears forming in her eyes again. “I filed my report about what I suspected, intending to go back to Teth, but never did. Somehow, one of the leaders from the rebels obtained a copy. They understood what Arthur feared; whatever the radiation was could be used as a powerful weapon against him.

“Do you see? Everything that has happened is my fault. If I had never filed that report, Daisy would not be a brain in a ship and Arthur would not be lying in his bed, unconscious.” She buried her head in her hands and started weeping again.

Tig pulled her into her arms, rocking her back and forth, trying to comfort her. Tobah always felt responsible for everything that happened. She even felt remorseful over the Russians who had died in the cavern on Earth. From what Tig had observed, Humans weren't very smart.
Why keep sending their people to a certain death?
The Russians had no idea what happened to their crews, but they kept sending more. Out of the few Earthlings she'd met, Tig liked the Russians the best. They were a lot like her, tough, disciplined, and ruthless.

Tig pulled away, staring into Tobah's blue eyes. “If anyone is to blame, it is Arthur.”

Tobah blinked at her in surprise, shaking her head. “No, this is my fault.”

“Arthur read the reports, the same as us, about the unrest and dissension among some of the nobles, but he chose to ignore them. You performed your duty, as you were ordered, nothing more, nothing less. I swear to you, the eleven remaining rebel leaders will pay. I will hunt them down, and make them suffer as they made Daisy suffer.”

Tobah stared into Tig's steely-blue eyes, jaws clenched in anger, and shivered.
Which would be worse; being absorbed by a Shalit, being torn apart by an Ultilear, or dying at the hands of Tig?
She didn't know, and she didn't want to find out.

Tobah dried her eyes. “When do we get to meet this Pamela?”

Tig shrugged. “I do not know. Daisy told me she is off somewhere with her Shalit.” She shook her head. “Can you imagine having control over a Shalit? Cigsbah! Just knowing they really exist is enough to make me want to go hide in the cave on Earth again.” She shuddered.

“We are only scared of them because of the tales we were told as children. I never really believed them. I always thought they used the Shalits as an excuse for our expedition to stay on Earth for so long. Besides, Tig, where could you hide? They are also referred to as the Planet Destroyers, remember?”

“Of course, I remember. Not only do we have the Shalits, we now have the Others to fear. This is all too confusing right now for me to handle.” Tig peered around the room, her eyes landing on the thrones. “So much has changed since Arthur arrived on Calen. I have had to make some major changes on my perception of the world.”

“As have I.” Tobah looked thoughtful. “Arthur has done so much for Calen since he became King. He even saved our lives on more than one occasion. Yet, he was blind to the hard feelings toward him and Daisy. He even forgave the four men we brought in who were trying to stir up the populace with their lies. Arthur dismissed them, saying you could not please everyone. That attitude almost got him killed.”

“There is no way we could have known those men knew who the leaders were,” Tig said defensively.

“Arthur and Daisy should have known. I find it very unlikely that he did not scan their minds, but he chose to ignore what he read. No, he made a bad decision.”

Tig sighed dejectedly. “His favorite saying was, 'I'm only Human.' I guess that proved to be true.”

Tobah stood, and climbed the three stairs to the Queen's throne. She slowly walked around the chair, trailing her hand over the armrest, the back, and the other armrest. She stopped, staring intently down at Tig. “You know, we have some difficult times in front of us. A silver ship as Queen, no matter how fantastic, will not sit well with most of our people. They will tolerate the novelty for a while, but eventually, they will start asking questions.”

Tig nodded her head. “I concur. Even though Daisy decreed Pamela as Queen, in Arthur's stead, she is not from our world. Quite a few of our people will not want a stranger for Queen, and the idea will be less palatable for the Eilsels.”

“And do not forget Teth. From what Daisy told you, the Tethians seem to be the only race agreeable to the arrangement.”

“Well, she did rescue one of their leaders from Bindkall Prison. I am sure that won her some favor.”

Tobah sat on the Queen's throne, lost in thought, as Tig sat on the step, staring off into space. They were silent for several minutes before Tobah quietly asked, “Tig, you do not have to answer, but would you marry Arthur, if you were asked?” She heard the emphatic *Yes!* in Tig's mind.

Tig turned, gazing at Tobah with uncertainty. “That would depend on if our people would accept me as Queen, would it not?”

Tobah stepped behind Tig, placing her hands on her shoulders. “You are highly regarded by our people. You would be their first choice.”

Tobah let her mind flow into Tig's, feeling the heartache her friend tried hiding, the heartbreak over losing Daisy. But, her biggest sorrow was the fear of losing Arthur, before she had a chance to hold him in her arms.

*Pamela is calling from Lear,*
Weesa
mentally interrupted them. *She wishes to see her father. I will guide her teleportation into the throne room, so you will have a chance to meet each other.*

As Tig and Tobah stood, facing the doorway, two people appeared in front of them. With tight lips, narrowed eyes, and hands on hips, Tig studied them. The male was decidedly handsome, tall, with broad shoulders, but he had too much hair on his face. She shuddered.
How would it feel kissing a man with all that hair around his mouth? It would be like kissing a Koodah. Cigsbah.

He was wearing a bright, white tunic under a gold, metal link shirt. On his back, held by a thong, was a silver sword. Tig's eyes widened. She knew that sword.

Tig shifted her gaze to the female, her breath catching in her throat. Arthur's daughter was stunningly beautiful, almost comparable to Daisy. Her deep, sapphire blue eyes were accented by long, curly, raven black hair framing her heart-shaped face. Titling her head to gaze adoringly at the giant beside her, Tig noticed a strange zig-zag silver streak flashing in the new Queen's hair. The Earthling was tall, too, taller than Tig or Tobah, but she looked small compared to the Shalit.

So, this is Arthur's unknown daughter, Pamela, and her Shalit, Excalibur
. Tig had to admit, they made a striking couple.

Tig bowed. “Welcome to Calen, my Queen. I am Tig, and this is Tobah,” she said, nodding toward her friend, who also bowed her head in greeting. “We are, er, were guards and advisors to Daisy and Arthur.”

“Please, just call me Pam or Pamela. And, this is Cal,” she said, beaming with love at her Shalit.

“Daisy informed us you are Queen until Arthur recovers,” Tig said brusquely. “We accept Daisy's decree, as you are Arthur's daughter. Unfortunately, many on Calen and Eilsel will not accept your leadership. You are not of their worlds, and are a stranger to them.”

Pam's smile turned to a frown.” “What are you trying to say, Tig?” She didn't like Tig's tone of voice.

Tig bowed again. “I meant no disrespect, my Queen. I am the Queen's advisor. It is my duty to inform you of such matters.”