Untamable Lover (Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 2) (12 page)

Gods, the rush of energy that had coursed through his veins still made him weak with want and brought back memories of another drug, one not nearly as potent. He shook his head. Even after months of not using any heroin, he still craved the high. Too bad the drug no longer worked on his body.

Changed from human to freak almost a year ago, he’d been initiated into this band of Gossum by his prior boss, Ashton. Too bad the old chump hadn’t pleased their touchy god, Zedron. Ashton had met an untimely end, one Ram intended to avoid. If the replication worked, he’d be fine.

The scent of stale earth mixed with the sulfur from the chemicals he’d used to create the serum. Beakers lined the tables, surrounded by paper cups and empty vodka bottles from last night’s celebration. Obtaining the Panthera’s blood before they killed her was crucial. Since the Lemurians disintegrated so quickly once dead, he had to steal the vital fluid before they died. 

He chuckled at the memory of the Panthera struggling beneath one of his brood’s grasp. The scent of fear had infiltrated into his brain, intensifying his desire for the kill. He’d obtained the blood before the lust broke free. Score one for his team.

“My lord?” Jakar peered through the open door at the top of the stairs. The light from the kitchen encircled his head like a halo, backlighting his face into a mask of shadows. Ram snickered. An angel his first lieutenant was not.

“Jakar, c’mon down. You’re the next contestant on The Price of Your Life.” Giddiness overwhelmed Ram’s senses, and he clapped his hands together. The sound absorbed into the dirt walls in an uncanny fashion. 

Jakar took a couple of tentative steps. “You seem…happy, my lord.”

“Oh, yes.” Ram accentuated the word and it came out in a long hiss. “As my first lieutenant, I’m giving you an…opportunity. Please, come.” He waved his hand in the air.

“As you wish, my lord.” Jakar descended the stairs. His thin build and short stature belied the strength and stamina he possessed. He fought with astonishing speed and agility. Ram couldn’t ask for a better sidekick. 

“This,” Ram brushed his hand over the plastic containers filled with serum, “is the key to our success.”

Jakar sucked in an audible breath. “Is this—” he glanced at Ram, “
all
serum?”

“I knew there was a reason I made you my first lieutenant.” Ram chuckled and placed his arm over his comrade’s shoulder.

“How did you make so much?” 

“I copied the blood cells and—”

Jakar’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“…uh, never mind.” Ram pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Since Gossum were culled from the derelict portion of human society, he often forgot the average “Joe” hadn’t had his medical training. Jakar would never understand all the jargon. “Suffice it to say, there is enough for the entire brood.”

“Noeh and his kind don’t stand a chance.” Jakar looked at Ram. “Have you tried it yet?”

“What do you think?” Ram raised an eyebrow. 

“Show me.” Jakar’s body trembled, his eyes brightened.

“I’d rather you experience the serum for yourself.” Ram picked a syringe off the table. He flicked the needle’s tip with his finger. Droplets of liquid flew through the air. “Here. Enjoy.”

Without waiting for a response, Ram jabbed the needle into Jakar’s shoulder and pressed the plunger. 

Jakar didn’t flinch. When the vial was empty, Ram tossed the syringe onto the table. The plastic container bounced a few times before coming to rest next to a pair of pliers.

Jakar’s face reddened. His tongue snaked out of his mouth, snapping in the air like a whip. “It burns. My blood—what have you done?”

“Feels wonderful, doesn’t it? Try to shift.” Ram stepped back, giving his first lieutenant the maximum amount of space in the middle of the room.

Jakar keeled over, his hand covering his abdomen. His face contorted into a mask of pain. “You didn’t say it would hurt.” 

A smile tugged at the corner of Ram’s mouth. “I rather like it that way.” 

On his hands and knees, Jakar’s body arched. Rapid breaths expended from his lungs. Saliva dripped from his mouth onto the dirt floor, the small drops darkening the surface.

His feet and hands transformed into paws. Serrated teeth enlarged into canines. His chest expanded and his waist shrunk. The khaki pants and dark polo shirt he wore disappeared under his skin. 

A thrill ran along Ram’s arms. “You’re an ugly son of a bitch, you know that?” 

Jakar snarled and circled Ram. Where the Panthera had dark black coats covering their skin, his first lieutenant was as hairless as a newborn babe. 

“It seems we can change, but are still without hair. What a pity.” Ram tsked.

On unsteady feet, Jakar took a tentative step forward. His front legs shook, and he stumbled. A soft gasp escaped his lips as his chin connected with the dirt floor. He shook his head and righted himself once again.

Jakar changed back, his clothes reforming on to his body as if he’d never removed them. He rolled his shoulders, as if shaking away the last of the pain. “This will take some time to get used to. How long will this skill last before it wears off?”

Ram raised an eyebrow. “If the shield power I stole from that female Dren, Melissa, is any indication, I’d guess a couple of weeks.”

“Excellent. Shall I distribute the rest of the serum to the brood?”

Ram nodded. “Once you’ve completed the task, take them outside for a little run. They’ll need time to practice with their new form.”

“As you command, my lord.” Jakar bowed. He scooped up the syringes and ran up the stairs.

Alone in the basement, Ram rubbed his chin, the old habit engrained in his memory even though the beard was long gone. “I shall win this war for you, Zedron.” 

Once he’d won, Earth would become a slave planet. Ram looked forward to shackling the humans, forcing them to bend to his will. This would give him the chance to prove to Sheri he wasn’t a failure.
Ah, Sheri. 

He pulled his wallet from his back pocket. The leather had survived his tumble into the river, but the contents, not so much. With careful fingers, he pulled out the water-damaged picture and stroked his ex-wife’s grainy image. “Not much longer, my love, not much longer.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Demir stood outside the carved wooden double doors of the king’s Throne room, Aramie at his side. Cool air drifted along the corridor, and the smell of the morning repast made his stomach rumble. A trip to the Grand Hall after this meeting was on his agenda. First, though, he had to eat some crow. 

Apologizing to Noeh and Melissa was not something he could put off. He’d been a world-class ass to both of them. Hell, he’d tried to steal the crown and the queen. Such a great guy, huh?

He glanced at Aramie. She held her head high and squared her shoulders. Her lips were still reddened and plump from their kiss, and his lips tingled at the memory. She wouldn’t meet his gaze, but she gnawed her bottom lip with her teeth.
She’s more nervous than I am.
 

He hadn’t wanted to strip her of her role. She was damn good at leading the Pride under his direction, but he’d had no choice. He couldn’t show mercy. She’d broken one of the old laws. He should’ve punished her more, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“You ready?” he asked.

She gave a curt nod. “Whenever you are.”

His knuckles rapped against the worn grain of the old oak door.

Footsteps approached on the other side. The double doors opened wide, creating their own draft. Aramie’s perfume raced by, tickling his nose.

Jax, Noeh’s personal attendant, and one of the Jixies in the Keep, stared at Demir. His eyes widened, his mouth rounded, and his little body shook. “Y-you’re awake? Oh, my.” He turned his back and peered into the room. “Oh, Your Majesty, you won’t believe who’s here. Oh, my, no, you won’t. It’s Demir, it’s really him. He’s alive. Well, I mean…he was always alive, but now he’s awake…and Aramie is here, too.”

A moment of silence, then Noeh’s deep chuckle emanated from within the room. “Yes, Gaetan mentioned something along those lines. Please let them in, Jax.” 

Jax stepped aside, his body shaking with nervous energy. As Demir walked by, Jax tracked him with large, round eyes full of wonder.

Two wooden statues of ancient Stiyaha warriors guarded the entryway. Cuffs surrounded their forearms and short swords dangled from their waists. The figures looked menacing and signified the strength and power the Stiyaha possessed. Carved centuries ago, the aged wood still smelled of oak from the constant polishing they received.

Noeh sat in his ornate wooden chair at the back of the room, Melissa and their son, Anlon, by his side. Per Alora’s and Veromé’s decree, the Stiyaha King was the leader of all the Lemurian species.

“Your Majesty.” Demir bent on one knee and bowed his head. Aramie followed suit and kneeled beside him.

“Demir, Aramie, rise. It is good to see you again.” The old chair creaked as Noeh rose from his seat. The King stood well over six and a half feet tall and had the typical muscular Stiyaha build. He wore the traditional black slacks and white button-down shirt that all the warriors wore, tailored by the Jixies. The sunstone ring on his middle finger set him apart as king along with the gold crown coiled around his head. His unique marking circled his right eye—three straight, black lines over his eyebrow connected by a thin line around his eye to two swirls over his cheek. 

Melissa, the queen, had the opposite marking surrounding her left eye. From what he’d heard Aramie say while he was in his coma, the marking was part of the bonding between mates. Melissa seemed so small next to Noeh. As a female Dren, she used to be one of his slaves. Her red hair shone in the light, and her green eyes glittered with happiness. She held the new prince in her lap. 

Guilt stung Demir in the gut. He fought the urge to flinch. In his madness, his obsession over her had driven him to nearly force her to become his concubine. He’d almost crossed the line when he’d confronted her about the pregnancy, but Aramie had stopped him. Good thing she had.

“King Noeh, I offer my sincerest apology.” The words were bitter on his tongue. As much as he really meant them, bowing to another male fought against his alpha tendencies. 

“To what do you refer?” Noeh asked.

Damn.
The male wasn’t going to make this easy for him. Well, that’s what he deserved, wasn’t it?
How’s that crow tasting?
Even his own sarcasm didn’t help the situation.

“I’ve…been an ass, plain and simple. I should’ve trusted you from the start. The gods knew what they were doing when they selected you as the Lemurian king.” He held his head high and focused on Noeh’s blue eyes. The guilt in his gut twisted tighter.

“You saved my life by taking the dart. That makes up for any past transgressions you may have done, real or imagined.” Noeh raised his hand, palm facing outward in the traditional Lemurian greeting. 

Demir smiled. He’d been down this road before. This time, he wouldn’t make the same mistake of challenging the king. Demir approached Noeh and placed his palm against the king’s hand. He put a mild amount of pressure to signify acceptance, then dropped his hand first in deference to the king’s authority.

The king returned to his seat on his throne.

Now, the difficult apology. Demir glanced at Melissa. His chest constricted. He bowed his head to her, but the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He’d apologize, but the shame of his behavior had already ripped out a chunk of his ego. The pain in his chest was still raw.

“Melissa…my queen. I owe you an even bigger apology. I was out of line. You looked so much like Elean—”

“Demir. Please. Enough. Let the past stay in the past.” Her soft words broke him, and his throat tightened, rendering him unable to respond. 

“Aramie, I’m sorry for your loss.” Noeh changed the subject, giving Demir the opportunity to recover his pride.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Aramie choked on her words, the pain evident in her strained voice.

Demir peered at her. The glimmer of a tear caught in her eyelashes, and she blinked. The droplet rolled down her cheek. His hand jerked, and he had the sudden urge to wipe away her tear. He stopped himself and ground his teeth. 

“Sidea was well liked among our kind. She shall be missed. I don’t mean to rush you, but I’d like to hear about the blue sunstone…and Ram. Gaetan filled me in as best he could, but please, tell me what you know of my enemy.” Noeh leaned forward in his chair and took the babe Melissa offered to him. The little guy gripped a handful of Noeh’s shirt in his tiny fist. The king rubbed his son’s back, a slight smile interrupting his serious expression for a moment.

To see Noeh holding his son made Demir still. The king had changed since he’d last seen him. He wasn’t so imposing this way. The babe, too, seemed to be larger than he would’ve expected. Maybe that was due to Noeh’s Stiyaha build. Demir shook his head in wonder.

“Sidea and Kitani patrolled the area while Jonue and I searched for the stone. The crystal was in a small cave under the waterfall. When we resurfaced, the Gossum battled against them.” Aramie held her head high, her eyes focused on the king.

Demir admired her strength and ability to hold herself together. Her toughness under the circumstances made him respect her all the more.

“They were too far away, we couldn’t help them.” Aramie pressed her lips together. She peered at the sunstones in the ceiling before returning her gaze to the king. “Ram emerged from the trees with a couple of his brood. They killed Sidea, but not before they took some of her blood. I saw the vial, and the glint of success in Ram’s eyes.” Aramie’s words grew in intensity until she hissed their enemy’s name. 

Demir pulled in a deep breath as a sense of pride filled him. Despite her pain, she was a warrior through and through.

“He intends to use her powers, just like he did Melissa’s.” Noeh glanced at his queen.

Melissa nodded in agreement. “He’ll attack soon. When he stole my shield power, it only lasted a few weeks before it weakened, and I regained it.”