Fawks (Dragons of Kratak Book 4) by Ruth Anne Scott (21)

“Because I knew you were strong and would be able to help me help the others,” I said. “And I don't know if I could have saved this many without your help. So, thank you.”

“I think anyone would have done the same thing,” she said with a shrug.

“I don't know about that.” And that was the truth. “I don't now that anyone could have. But listen it's going to be a long trip back home. Perhaps you should get some rest?”

“I can try,” she said. But she made no movement towards the bunks to lay down. Instead, she just stared straight ahead. “But I don't think it'll be possible.”

“Just try,” I said to her. “I promise you, you're safe now. Nothing will hurt you.”

She gave me a half smile. “I wish I could believe you, but I have a bad history of men lying to me. So I apologize if I don't fully trust you yet.”

I wished she could believe me too, but me arguing the point wouldn't help. I'd have to prove it to her somehow. Prove it to all of them. But in the end, as long as they were safe and we made it back to Earth, I'd succeeded. At least a little bit.

I prayed that Tarkonil would be proud with what I'd accomplished, even if I didn't save them all.

There was still so much work to do though. I sighed, feeling my own eyes growing heavy. So many more people to save.

But we'd save them all. And then we'd take down the men who'd enslaved them to begin with. I swore that on the graves of my ancestors.

Book 3 – Protection

Chapter One

Riley

There was no way I could sleep. Not only was I trying to come to grips with being abducted in the first place, I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it had been alien beings who'd taken me. Aliens – like, from another planet. The more I ran that thought through my mind, the more unreal it seemed to me. Alien abductions were just an urban legend – right?

Yeah, that's what I'd always thought. I'd always believed that alien abduction stories were told by those people looking for some media attention. Or people who'd done way too much crystal meth and were seeing things.

But as I stared out the window at – well – outer space, there was no denying it. Not anymore. I was in an alien craft, piloted by an alien being – who'd just rescued me from alien abductors. It was overwhelming and it continued to make my head spin.

My heart raced every time I looked at the stars hurtling by and thought about where we were. Honestly, I'd never cared for flying in a regular airplane, but being in a space ship? In outer space? It induced a level of anxiety I never thought I could reach. I suppose I broke a personal record – go me.

I tried to focus on other things. Tried to focus on the other women who were in the craft with me. Make sure they were okay – or as okay as they could be given the circumstances. Anything to help distract me from the reality of what was happening. And some of the time, it worked. Some of the time, I was able to push it to the back of my mind because there were so many other things going on.

But in those moments where it came rushing back to the forefront of my brain, I still couldn't believe I was even there. And it filled me with a terror I'd never known before. But at the same time, it filled me with a sense of awe. Granted, it was a few grains of sand in a beach of fear, but – I was in space. Aboard an alien space craft. I had to admit, as terrifying as it was, it was sort of cool at the same time.

I turned from the women to our host and pilot. He'd said his name was Jendrish. What was he exactly? He kept talking about us as if we were so vastly different than him. Yeah, there were a few differences, but he looked human-enough to me. Yet, he referred to us as humans, implying he was something else. But what was he then?

It was too much for me to wrap my head around. All I wanted to do was sleep. But I was too wired to even do that.

“Are you okay, Riley?” a female voice spoke up from behind me.

It was a girl named Charlotte – a sweet, southern belle with curly red hair and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen who was all of about sixteen. She was one of the ones we'd saved. One of many. But there were others like her we'd had no choice but to leave behind. We couldn't save everybody. And that was a thought that continued to weigh heavily on me. I didn't know what was going to happen to them with any certainty, but I knew whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. The guilt was a lancing pain in my heart.

“Yeah, I'm just trying to take it all in, that's all,” I said.

“I know, right?” she said, standing beside me and looking out the window.

All of the wonders of the galaxy were out there. It was beautiful. Breathtaking. And just so damn unreal. We stood in silence for a few moments, just taking in the scene before us. Charlotte looked as awestruck and terrified as I felt.

“It's hard to believe this is real, but I'm seeing it with my own eyes,” she said. “I'm not crazy, am I?”

Her question was a serious one, and I couldn't blame her. I'd asked myself the same question about a billion times already.

“If you are, I suppose that I am too,” I said.

“At least I'm not alone in my insanity then.”

We shared a laugh over that, but the laughter wasn't all that heartfelt or long-lasting. It almost felt like we were trying to force some levity into the situation. After our laughter died, we fell quiet once more. The others were asleep, and I knew Charlotte and I should be too. We needed some rest after everything that had happened. But sleep was more than a little hard to come by at the moment – for obvious reasons.

“What do you think of him?” Charlotte asked me. “Jendrish? The alien guy. Do you trust him?”

I sighed. “I honestly don't know what to think. I mean, he seems sincere,” I said, keeping my voice low. “And he did risk his own life to save us. But to be perfectly honest, I have to wonder why he'd do such a thing. Why risk his own life to save a bunch of women he didn't know? I had the really unsettling thought that maybe, this was just another trap, you know? How would we know any different?”

“Yeah, I guess we wouldn't. And I hope you're wrong about that. I hope this isn't another trap,” Charlotte said softly. “He seems like a pretty decent guy.”

I cringed at her description of him. “But is a guy at all? I mean, is he even human?”

“No,” he responded. “I'm not human. To answer your question.”

We both jumped at the sound of the voice behind us. It was Jendrish. We hadn't even heard him walk up. He moved so quietly – like he walked on air.

“Jesus Christ,” I said, my hand over my heart. “I didn't hear you walk up. I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense by what – ”

“None taken,” he said, stepping up beside me.

He was smiling, and I had to admit, his smile seemed kind enough. His eyes were a vivid blue and seemed without malice or guile. I liked to think that I was a pretty good judge of character. I just didn't know if that sound judgment extended to alien beings or not. I supposed I was going to find out.

Though, I had to take back what I said about Charlotte having the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. That title would actually belong to Jendrish. Except his eyes weren't a normal human blue – they looked more like the blue of the sea in a picture from some exotic locale. A deep, rich blue with specks of cerulean mixed in.

“I'm not human,” he said. “I'm an Optorion male. It's just another description. Nothing more, nothing less.”

His hair was sleek and silky, falling down around his face and highlighting the paleness of his skin, which seemed to further bring out the blue in his eyes. He was beautiful, that was for certain. There was an almost ethereal quality about him. But I knew from hard earned experience that beautiful men were often the most dangerous men. Mike had been very good looking – though not as ethereal as Jendrish – and he knew how to use that appeal to his best, and my worst, advantage.

I didn't doubt that Jendrish knew he was handsome too. I just wondered if he used his good looks to manipulate women the way Mike had. Like I'd said, I didn't pick up on any guile on his part, but then, when it came to those gorgeous men, they were often able to hide their darker side. They didn't advertise that they were manipulative assholes and you only found out when it was too late.

“I'm going to get some rest,” Charlotte said softly, excusing herself.

I thought she probably felt a little uneasy in his presence. And after all we'd been through, I didn't blame her. I wasn't exactly the picture of comfort in the presence of a man who looked a lot like the men who'd abducted me. But – he'd given me no reason to not trust him. Quite the contrary, in fact. He'd gone out of his way to show me that he could be trusted – he had risked life and limb to save us, after all.

“Good idea, Charlotte,” I said. “I'll join you in a bit.”

Jendrish leaned against the wall next to the window and smiled as he looked at the vastness of space beyond. “Did you ever think you'd see something as magnificent as the universe in all its glory?”

“Not in a million years,” I said. “I've actually only flown in a plane once – when I first moved out to San Francisco. Scariest experience of my life. Well, at the time, at least.”

Jendrish was quiet, as if he expected me to say more. But I wasn't one to talk about myself, not even with those I might consider friends. And I hardly knew this man. I wasn't about to unload my entire life story onto him. He continued to look at me, an inscrutable expression on his face. It was as if he were trying to see into me, trying to figure out what made me tick.

Little did he know, I'd spent a lifetime crafting high, thick walls that were pretty impenetrable. Nobody saw anything in me that I didn't want them to see. I didn't reveal anything I didn't want revealed. When it came to protecting one's self, I was a master.

An awkward silence descended between us and when he continued to not say anything, I decided to shift the tables a bit and see if I could get him anything.

“What made you do what you did?” I asked.

He turned his gaze from the stars outside the ship to me, his brow furrowed. “You mean rescuing you?”

I nodded, and he looked down at his hands. He looked somewhat nervous, perhaps a little uncertain. I expected a lie – just because I'd found that most men can't look you in the eyes when they're lying. But he turned his gaze back to mine and held it steady before he answered.

“Because that's the type of person I am,” he said. “I was raised in a diplomatic family and joined the Royal Guard to protect and to serve the people of Optorio. And what I witnessed inside the building where you were being held – it was shocking. Deplorable. That's not the planet I fought for. Not anymore.”

Funnily enough, I almost wanted to believe him. He sounded sincere. He sounded genuine. But it almost sounded too good, too perfect.

“A diplomatic family?” I asked. “What does that mean?”

“My father was a diplomat on Optorio and I grew up in an environment where we talked openly about relations with other species and civilizations. My father often took me to meetings with diplomats from other worlds. He even took me to diplomatic sessions offworld. It gave me the opportunity to meet others out there – people outside of my own species. It gave me an opportunity to learn to appreciate those who aren't like me. My father always wanted me to remember that any decisions our planet made affected the universe around us. Honestly, he wanted me to go into politics instead of the military. I think he was a little disappointed.”

Jendrish looked away for a split second, as if to collect his thoughts. His smile was gone though, and had been replaced with a much more serious expression.

“Your father, where is he now?” I asked.

“He's dead,” Jendrish said solemnly. “He passed away not that long ago.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” I said quietly. “And your mother?”

Jendrish closed his eyes before speaking and when he did, I could hear the pain and raw emotion in his voice.

“She died during childbirth – which is why I'm an only child.”

He too was alone in this world, just like me. Just like the rest of us who'd been taken. Without even thinking about it, I reached out and stroked his arm, gently.

“I'm sorry, Jendrish,” I said.

“And you?” he asked, turning toward me. “What about you? What do you do down on Earth?”

What do I do? As in a career? I felt ashamed to answer him, to admit that I was basically nothing but a worthless waitress at a cafe – so I didn't admit to that part. Instead, I focused on the more positive aspect of my existence, such as it was.

“I'm in school,” I said. “Trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“Oh? What are you studying?” he asked.

“Criminal justice,” I said quickly. “I'm not sure what I want to do with it yet exactly. But I do know that I want to stop the bad people from doing shit like this, you know?”

Jendrish cocked his head and got a faraway look on his face. It was as if he were listening to somebody speaking – somebody apparently, only he could hear.

“Oh, criminal justice – as in, you want to be a judge?”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” I laughed. “Maybe a police officer. Perhaps a criminal prosecutor. I haven't decided which route I want to take yet. But I still have some time before I have to decide. Though honestly, I don't know that I could meet all of the physical requirements to be a cop, so law might be the better option for me anyway. ”

“And why couldn't you?” he asked, tilting his head to the side in a curious manner. “Meet these – physical requirements?”

“Because look at me,” I said, pointing to my curvy physique. “I'm a little out of shape, and not sure I'd pass the trials.”

He nodded as if he understood. “That is something you can train for though, correct?”

I shrugged. “I suppose so,” I replied. “I just don't know if I can do it.”

“Why not?”

His question was the definition of simple, but for some reason, in that moment, it resonated with me. I always assumed there'd be no time to do any hardcore training – I hardly had time to sleep as it was, much less work out and get into top shape for the police academy. But that wasn't something I wanted to explain to him. I thought it was venturing too far into the personal territory and that was the last place I wanted to go.

Before I could come up with a good response though, he spoke again. “Honestly, after everything I saw from you tonight, I believe you would make a very fine police officer. I think those women in there would agree with me as well.”

I could feel the heat in my cheeks and knew I was blushing a deep shade of red. I wasn't one who took compliments very well – and no one had ever really said such a thing to me before. Honestly, I didn't believe I could actually do it. And since no one told me otherwise, it just sort of became fact in my head. I had always prided myself on not needing a cheering section, but in truth, not having one, not having that person who stood behind you and said, “you can do it,” made me believe I couldn't actually do it. Without somebody to reverse my own hypercritical self-evaluation, I'd always just assumed that I couldn't.

“Thank you,” was all I could mutter. “I think I'm going to try and sleep now.”

That last part was a lie. Honestly, I just needed to step away from Jendrish. I didn't know how to deal with compliments, especially coming from somebody I didn't know. I still wasn't sure I could trust him yet.

I wanted to like him so badly. Wanted to believe that he really was the genuinely good guy he came across as. But my ability to read people was all skewed, because once upon a time, I'd thought Mike was a good guy too. So, not only was I not sure I could trust Jendrish, I honestly wasn't sure I could trust myself, either.

“Good night, Riley,” he said, his voice like an echo floating on the currents of air behind me. “Sleep well.”

Chapter Two

The other women were curled up together, sharing a few blankets between them. Most all of them were huddled close together, perhaps partly for comfort, perhaps partly for safety and the feeling of security.

As I walked back through the room, stepping over and around the sleeping forms, I could see that only a couple were actually sleeping, judging by the looks of it. Others stared at me – a few of them like I was an alien myself – as I entered. Their eyes were wide, some of them red and puffy from crying, most all of them unable to sleep.

Not that I could blame them – I was in the same boat as they were. All of this was terrifying and strange. And not all of them had the sense of wonder I had in looking out the window and seeing the vastness of the universe all around us.

But my heart was filled with sympathy for them. Everybody was exhausted, terrified, and emotionally wrung out from the ordeal. I wished I could convince them all to get some sleep. According to Jendrish, we were in for a long trip home, but I knew that sleep seemed impossible. Our minds were too busy trying to process it all and the horrors of what we'd experienced were all still too fresh.

Charlotte stared back at me from the floor, her big, blue eyes wide. “What did he say?” she whispered.

I joined her on the floor and gave her a small smile. “What do you mean?”

“What did you guys talk about? Did he tell you why he saved us?”

“He did,” I said with a sigh.

“And?”

“And he said that he rescued us all because it was the right thing to do.”

Charlotte looked at me with eyes that were narrowed and an expression that could only be described as – skeptical. Sadly, you met very few knights in shining armor these days. Chivalry and the idea of doing something good just for the sake of doing it seemed like antiquated concepts. Ideals that were long outdated.

Anymore, most men simply wanted something from women like us. It was beyond difficult to believe that somebody like Jendrish would just come sweeping in to rescue a horde of helpless women out of the goodness of their hearts. At least, it was beyond difficult to believe for a skeptic like me since tough times seemed to the norm. I didn't run across very many altruistic men.

“Huh. You know?” Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow. “I almost believe him too. He's just so convincing and believable.”

Sadly, I believed him too. Or at least, I wanted to believe. But what did I know? Though I was good at reading people in general, I'd always had some seriously bad blind spots when it came to reading men. That was why I'd let myself fall for a sadistic, manipulative asshole like Mike in the first place – which is one reason my whole life was a goddamn train wreck.

And it was most certainly why I could never fully and truly trust men.

My eyes were growing heavy, but there was no way I wanted to sleep. I felt the need to keep watch, just in case this were all a trap of some sort. I couldn’t adequately explain why, but I felt an overwhelming responsibility to these women. I felt like it was my job to keep them safe.

It was ridiculous, of course. There was no way I could do anything to ensure their safety. Despite that though, I still carried around that burden of responsibility on my own shoulders.

“So tell me about yourself, Charlotte?” I asked, just to break the tension inherent in the silence between us. “Do you have any family? A boyfriend back home, maybe?”

Charlotte was quiet for a few moments before looking at me and simply answering, “No.”

“None of the above?” I asked.

“Nope,” she said. “It's just me.”

I found that hard to believe. A pretty, peppy Southern girl like her didn't have a boyfriend? Impossible.

She continued. “My father abused me growing up, my mom walked out on us when I was three. I have an older brother, but he turned out just like dad and I cut my losses years ago,” she said, the bitterness in her voice apparent. “And men? Screw them. I can't bring myself to think about sleeping with a man after the shit my father did to me.”

I could hear the emotion in her voice long before I saw the tears. She didn't have to go into too much detail, I knew exactly what she meant. Not that I'd experienced anything like that in my own background. Back when they were alive, things had been pretty good. But then they'd died and my life had fallen to shit. Not to the level Charlotte was talking about perhaps, but I'd been around enough to know the awful things people did to one another. It was as disheartening as it was disgusting.

“I'm sorry, Charlotte,” I said, holding her hand and giving it a good squeeze. “I'm so sorry.”

She wiped away the tears and put a smile on her sweet face. Despite everything going on, she managed to keep smiling. Only now that she'd shared a bit about herself, I knew it was an act. A protective device. It was like she wore her smile like an invisibility cloak – that magnificent smile masked the real darkness that lurked just beneath the surface. That was something I could relate to very, very well. I knew that deep down, this woman – like so many of us – had been hurt by the ones we loved the most. The ones who were supposed to care for us.

“What about you?” she asked me. “I'd like to hear about your life, Riley – and stop thinking about mine for a bit, if that's okay?”

I barked a dry, sarcastic laugh. “My story isn't a whole lot better, I'm afraid,” I said. “Given some of the similarities, I tend to think that it wouldn't take your mind off your life all that much.”

“I get that we're all like that,” she said. “All of us have been tossed aside, used, abused, degraded, and humiliated. But that's okay. It really is. Because we're also survivors, Riley. So tell me, what did you survive?”

Though young, this girl was wise beyond her years. She'd probably seen and experienced so much, and had been forced to grow up too fast. When I looked into her eyes, I could see that although they remained bright and shiny, there was a darkness lurking beneath the surface. A haunted look. It was just the sort of thing a girl her age should never have to experience.

As I looked at her, I felt a lump form in my throat. My life and everything that had happened in it, wasn't something I'd talked about to anyone before. It was never conversational fodder. But if I were to actually open up and talk about it, this would probably be the time and place. Hell, we were like a built in support group for all the lonely women of the world – right here in outer space.

I opened my mouth to speak and then closed it again without saying a word. I looked at Charlotte who sat patiently and waited for me to say something. To invite her into my life. To share my own experiences with her so that maybe, she would not feel so all alone. I didn't share my life with anybody. It wasn't there business or their concern.

Ninety-nine percent of the people probably couldn't relate. But looking into Charlotte's eyes, I knew she'd been where I was – just as I'd known that Charlotte was in a place where she wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of sharing either. She'd gone out on a limb by sharing what she'd shared with me. And now she was looking for a little reciprocation from me.

“Well, my parents died when I was young,” I said. “A car accident. I was raised by my aunt and uncle, but they were a bit – delusional. They were strict. Really tough on me at times.”

They were actually religious zealots who felt the need to control every little thing I did. And if I didn't obey or I dared use the wrong word in their presence, I was punished harshly for it. But that seemed to be more information than I needed to give. Delusional about covered it, because they were. They thought they could control every aspect of my life and being – and somehow turn me into a Godly person. Which was something that always struck me as a bit odd and hypocritical given that the their idea of Godliness had nothing to do with actual Christianity as most people know it.

But I didn't know Charlotte's religious beliefs and didn't want to offend her or get into a sensitive subject with her right then, so I avoided that bit. Besides, she wanted to know my story and my story didn't officially begin until after I left their household.

“I was seventeen years old when I ran away,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I'd met a guy on the internet and he seemed like a really great guy. Kind of a Prince Charming type. We talked on the phone and he promised me the world, as they often do. But he seemed like everything I'd ever wanted in a man. Or at least, what I imagined I wanted in a man. But Mike wasn't the man I'd gotten to know online. He was much different in real life and he certainly wasn't a Prince Charming type after all. The things he did to me... ”

I trailed off, unable to continue. I hated crying in front of anyone, and yet, there I was, in tears. Just thinking back on everything that had happened, everything Mike had done to me filled me with more emotion than I could deal with at the moment. I remembered how it started off with the mental abuse – the tear downs, the insults, the demands. And then when I talked back or stood up for myself, the abuse turned physical. It started small at first and always seemed like accidents. But eventually I couldn't lie to myself anymore. Mike was beating me.

“Shhh, I'm sorry, honey,” Charlotte said as she wrapped her arms around me. “I shouldn't have asked.”

“It's fine,” I said, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “I mean, we've all been to hell and back, right? That's why we're here.”

“It sounds like it,” she said softly.

“And we're survivors, like you said. And we're going to keep on surviving, right?”

“That's right, honey,” she said, smiling back at me with tears in her blue eyes. “We're going to keep on surviving.”

Chapter Three

Jendrish

I checked the controls and made sure the proper course was laid in before heading to bed myself. We were on track to reach Earth quicker than I had initially thought, and I'd need to start figuring out a plan. Earth was a large planet, and I had no idea where any of these women came from. And even less of an idea of where they needed to be returned. I needed some answers. But I also didn't want to disturb any of the women right now. They needed to rest.

As did I. But I couldn't manage to shut my brain off, no matter how hard I tried.

How could my people do that to other living beings? Humans may be different from us, but they weren't all that different. Had my father been alive, I knew he'd have been with me. He would have joined my outrage and disgust. And I would like to believe he would have been with me in taking action to right that terrible wrong.

But going against my own people like that put a target on my back, I was sure. But there's no way I could have let that go on. Like Tarkonil, I couldn't sit by and do nothing, say nothing when such an egregiously horrible practice was taking place on my home world. We were better than that.

Or at least, at one time, I thought we were.

I clicked over to the surveillance camera to check on the women. Most of them were sleeping, but I could hear a voice. Somebody back there was talking. It was the young girl I'd heard called Charlotte – at least, that's what I thought some of the other human women called her – and Riley speaking with one another. They were speaking softly, but my sensors picked them up all the same.

And what I heard them saying – let's just say, I wasn't likely to be all that surprised by anything after what I'd seen earlier. But to hear their stories, to know the suffering they went through – it hurt me more than I could explain. No one deserved to go through that. Nobody should have to endure what they'd had to endure.

I listened until the conversation stopped, feeling even more determined to help give these women their lives back. Once it grew quiet and they stopped talking, I shut off the cameras and considered laying down when my sensors alerted me to someone standing outside my cock pit door.

Turning on the camera, I saw Riley standing there. Just standing there, as if she was considering knocking but hadn't quite worked up the nerve to do it just yet. She pushed her hair behind her ear and stared at my door before shaking her head and turning around, as if to leave. I quickly punched the button and spoke to her through the computer system.

“Is everything okay, Riley?” I asked. “Did you need to see me?”

She stopped dead in her tracks, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong. But she turned to the camera once more, without meaning to I was sure, and hesitated before speaking.

“It's okay,” she said. “I just can't sleep so I'm walking around. I – I wasn't sure where this door led.”

I pressed another button and the door opened with a soft whooshing sound.

“I can't sleep either,” I said. “Care for some company?”

“I – uhh, well... ” She trailed off, scratching her head and looking around as if she was trying to find a way out of a sudden predicament. “Sure. I guess so.”

“You don't have to,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “You can continue wandering the ship all night, if you'd prefer. You're welcome to go anywhere you'd like.”

But she surprised me by walking in and taking a seat next to me instead. She stared down at the controls in front of her before she turned and looked out the large window that gave her a dramatic view of the galaxy. Her eyes grew wide and she reached out, grabbing my hand as if to steady herself. Her skin was warm and soft. It was smooth and had a pleasant feel. Riley quickly pulled her hand away as she realized what she'd done.

“I'm sorry, I – ”

“It's okay, I understand,” I said.

Part of me wanted to ask her about what I'd heard, about this man named Mike who had hurt her. But I could tell that she wouldn't be okay with me knowing that. I didn't know her well, but because of my upbringing and the lessons of my father, I was rather adept at reading people and getting to their true thoughts and motivations. And I could tell that Riley wasn't the type to open up to just anyone. She seemed very closed off and guarded with her personal information. So, for her to know that I'd listened in would do little to build up trust between us.

“When do you think we'll be home?” she asked me, her voice cracking.

She was staring down at the controls again, her hands trembling. It was as if she was too afraid to look outside all of the sudden.

“Hopefully within a few hours or so,” I said. “But the hard part will be figuring out where to go once I get near Earth. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Not really,” she said, smiling sheepishly. “I mean, I don't know the first thing about space ships and landing them.”

“Oh, landing isn't too big of an issue, it's trying to get everyone home,” I said. “Your planet is a vast place, and I wouldn't know where to go. I don't know where the others are from.”

“I live in Sapphire Bay, California,” she said. “But the others – well – they come from all over.”

Bells began ringing in my head. I wasn't sure why Sapphire Bay sounded so familiar to me, but it did. I filed it away in the back of my mind to figure out where I'd heard of it before, but it was not likely Riley would know.

“Can you get that information for me, please?” I asked. “And I can punch in their locations and find them. It looks like I'm going to have to take them all home one-by-one?”

“Won't that take forever?”

“It might take some time, sure,” I said. “But it will be worth it, knowing that everyone got home safely.”

She looked at me again, her eyes sparkling as she tried to hide a smile. “You really are too much, you know that?”

“Too much what?” I cocked my head to the side, confused at her phrasing.

I was pretty well-versed in English. Our biosystems had been uploaded with the language as soon as we'd made contact with the first human – Paige. But I was lost as to what she meant by her statement. And that was when it hit me – that was where I'd heard of Sapphire Bay. Paige and Baz!

“Never mind, it's just a saying,” she said. “So if I get all of their hometowns, we can take them home?”

“Yes,” he said. “That's the plan.”

“And me? You can take me home too?”

“Yes, of course,” I said.

In fact, I might have to stick around Sapphire Bay and meet our former king. I admired Bazarok for everything he'd done, he would always be a hero in my eyes. And when he'd abdicated the throne, I was sad for our planet – but ultimately, happy for him. I knew it wasn't what he wanted from his life. He wanted to do more with his life. And that was something I could respect. In human parlance, as long as I was in the neighborhood, I couldn't wait to reach out to him once we'd landed. Perhaps he could help me figure out what to do next. Help me come up with a plan of action.

But the first thing I needed to do was make sure that I got everyone home, safely.

Chapter Four

Earth was in sight, and I let everyone know that we would be home soon. They stood, excitedly, looking out the windows and stared down at their planet. I heard the murmurs of excitement – as well as a few expressions of fear – from those who hadn't looked out the windows before. This was a view of a lifetime for all of them, as space travel wasn't as common for them. Riley stood with me at the back of the crowd, smiling and shaking her head.

“I can't believe it. We're almost home,” she said softly. “And it looks exactly like it does in pictures. It's just so beautiful from up here.”

A small smile touched the corners of my mouth as I looked at her. The view wasn't nearly as beautiful as she was – the thought seemingly came out of nowhere and surprised me. For a human, Riley had a beauty I could appreciate. What surprised me though, was that I found myself attracted to her and that the attraction was as strong as it was. Though I'd learned to appreciate other cultures and species, mostly thanks to my father, I never really thought I'd find myself genuinely attracted to somebody who wasn't Optorion.

But there it was.

I bit back my observation though. Not only did I feel uncertain about sharing my feelings, I wasn't sure that she'd appreciate me giving voice to it. Not with everything going on and not with everything she'd been through.

“We're going home, Riley!” Charlotte cried, tears running down her cheeks. “We're actually going home.”

Charlotte rushed over to us, and surprised me by hugging me tightly. She clung to me with a ferocity inspired by a fear that she was never going to see home again.

“Thank you, Jendrish.”

“You're very welcome,” I said with an uncomfortable laugh.

My cheeks were flushed and my face felt hot as I hugged her back, to be polite. Riley was smiling wide, as if she were enjoying my discomfort. I wasn't typically one for physical displays of emotion. But humans were different. They were far more – expressive – than my people were. I cleared my throat and carefully disengaged myself from the girl without being rude.

“I've entered the coordinates of your homes into my ship's command system, and it's plotting the best route to get all of you home as quickly as possible.”

Once Charlotte pulled away, Riley took my arm, pulling my attention back to her. Her green eyes were sparkling and her smile was mesmerizing. I felt my heart flip flop in my chest as I looked at her. What was wrong with me? All I could think about was how good it was to see her laughing and see that she appeared to be happy for the first time in days. Truly happy.

“Really, thank you, Jendrish,” she said.

“Are you going to hug me too?” I asked.

“Do you want me too?”

I shrugged, hiding my red cheeks from her. The idea of her flesh touching mine, her body pressed to mine – even something as simple and innocent as a hug – made my heart race and my mouth dry.

“It was really only a comment made in jest. You don't – ” I said, but it was too late.

Riley threw her arms around me and hugged me, though not as tightly as Charlotte had. It was just a friendly hug, but what she did next was what excited me the most. Her lips brushed against my cheek, softly and sent a bolt of electricity through my body.

“You're amazing. Jendrish,” she said. “You actually give me hope that there are good men out there. Even if – well – you know.”

But as soon as she said it, she pulled back and rushed off to join the others, as if she hadn't intended to say any of it. Or perhaps, felt badly that she'd made the comment knowing I was – well – an alien, and not a human man. I wasn't sure what it was, but how quickly she'd rushed away from me filled me with questions and uncertainty.

But I could still feel the tingling of where her soft lips pressed against my cheek. Her breath had been warm and I imagined that I could still feel it caressing my skin. I could only stare at her though, as others were gathered around her, everybody staring at the Earth as we approached. We'd come close enough that we could start making out the individual land masses that made up their planet.

Soon, we'd be in their atmosphere and not long after that, soaring through their skies. And one-by-one, these women would get home safe and sound. I was honor-bound to see to it. Including Riley – it was a thought that filled me with some small sense of regret and longing. But soon, she'd been home and I'd return to my mission. Once I'd spoken to Baz and figured out what else I could do.

There was a sound coming from my control room, a loud buzzing.

“There is an incoming message that might interest you,” Ozul, my AI biosystem informed me. “Shall I read it to you?”

“No,” I said, drawing strange looks from a few women. “I'm on my way.”

I excused myself to check, mainly to get myself away from the group of people – and to prevent myself from standing there staring at Riley any longer. The message had not been intended specifically for me, but it was about me – which caught me off guard.

By Order of the Regent Council, Jendrish Milorean, diplomat and former member of the Royal Guard has been found guilty of crimes against Optorio and is now wanted dead or alive. It had my photo, my description, everything.

It was a memo that had gone out privately. But Ozul intercepted it and submitted it to me. And now I knew. I sat back in my seat and felt my heart hammering in my chest for something other than Riley for the first time in a while.

Crimes against Optorio. Wow. I was wanted and there was a reward being offered for my capture – and they didn't care if I was returned whole or in pieces. They just wanted my body. Even if the pack of bounty hunters I was absolutely positive were searching for me at that moment returned me to the Regents alive, I knew that wasn't a condition that would last for very long.

I just stared blankly at the message for a little while. Who had authorized this? Who had distributed the memo?

“Ozul” I said. “Can you find the origin of this bulletin? Who authored it?”

My biosystem was silent for a moment as he sorted through the data. “The source is unfortunately, anonymous,” he said. “It would appear that whoever wants you dead does not want to attach their name to it.”

The bulleting was meant to go out to a select few, but because I had Ozul digging through everything where my name appeared, he'd turned it up. I had to be careful now. Very careful.

“There is an addendum to the original memo,” Ozul said. “And you probably won't like this very much.”

“What is it?” I asked.

Another message popped up on the screen and I felt my heart sink.

Subject may be headed to Earth.

As if wanting me dead wasn't bad enough on its own. But they now knew where I was headed, which meant that every bounty hunter in the system would be converging on Earth looking for me. Which meant I'd have to lay low for a while, stay undercover. I was even looking at the very real possibility that I may not ever be able to return to the place I called home.

It was a realization that rocked me to my core. Not only that, but I felt so very alone in that moment. But, I would never take any of it back. I wouldn't change a thing – even if it meant never setting foot on Optorion soil again. I'd done what was right, and if they'd see me dead because of it, so be it.

But there was still a part of me that felt so betrayed by it all, knowing that I fought so hard for my people all these years and tried to do the best I could for Optorio. And this was what I got out of it.

My heart was breaking in that moment and I had no idea what to do.

Chapter Five

Riley

I offered to be last to be offloaded, to let the others go home before me. And with each successive drop-off, my own excitement grew, making the soft flutter in my stomach turn into a raging torrent of nerves. I was getting closer and closer to my home – a place I really doubted I was ever going to see again.

Yet, the idea of being home didn't entirely fill me with joy. At least, not as much as I expected it too. I was scared, honestly. As I thought about it, I realized that it was fear dulling my joy. I was afraid of being alone and of going to work and of everything I did – all of those things that were normal and I took for granted before I'd been taken.

What if they found me again? What if they didn't like being denied their prize and sought me out once again? What if they took me again?

I was terrified to go home to my empty apartment, but knew I couldn't stay aboard the ship either. And there was no way in hell was I going back. Not after everything they'd done to us. After everything they'd subjected us to. Just the thought of going back filled me with a sense of dread more powerful than anything I'd ever felt before.

Despite my ill will toward some of his people, I could still see that Jendrish was different than the others. Not only that, he seemed different from other men entirely – at least, the men I'd been exposed to. Unlike them, he made me feel safe. It was entirely foreign to me and something I wasn't used to. It was crazy, but as hard as I tried to fight against it, I really didn't want to leave his side.

No one had ever protected me like that before – not like he had. No one had ever stepped in to save me before. And nobody had ever risked their life for me. Jendrish gave me hope that maybe not all men were like my ex. And a small voice whispered in the back of my mind that knowing not all men were like Mike, perhaps I could love again – one day. Maybe this whole experience – as shitty and terrifying as it had been – was to teach me that I could feel safe with other men.

“We're here,” he said.

He didn't have to tell me that, however. I already knew. I could tell by the landscape that we were in the forests outside of my small town. He picked a spot in the forest, well away from the prying eyes of the residents of Sapphire Bay.

I was home and should be happy, but I wasn't. Not entirely

“Where are you going now?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I don't know. I need to lay low and not draw attention to myself for a while. I'll use the time to figure out what my next steps will be. So, I'll probably find somewhere to hide out for a bit.”

“Are there people after you?” I asked.

He looked at me evenly for a moment, as if he were trying to decide how honest he should be with me. I hoped that he would be entirely honest and not try to spare my feelings or protect me – or whatever half-assed rationalizations men used when they weren't being honest.

“Yes, but it's okay. It's nothing to worry about really,” he said. I could tell he was trying to downplay it all.

“Do you have any family?” I asked. “Friends? Somewhere you can go?”

“Not really. My family is dead,” he said. “The only other person I trusted is dead too. Except for Ozul, I'm on my own right now.”

Oh how I knew that feeling. I knew it well.

“Well, if you need a place to crash for a few days, you can always stay with me.”

I'd said it before I had time to stop and think about it. I lived in a studio apartment. It was literally just a kitchen and a bed. Where would he sleep? What was I thinking? But as he turned to me, I knew I couldn't take it back. The look in his eyes – sadness being replaced by hope – there was no way I could turn him away now. Not after all he'd done for me.

“I don't want to be a burden to you,” he said. “Not after everything you've been through already.”

“It's not a problem, Jendrish,” I said, doubling down on my offer. “In fact, if I may be honest – I'm scared of being alone right now. After all that happened, I'm terrified they'll come back and grab me again. And maybe I don't make it out alive next time.”

Jendrish reached out and stroked my cheek softly before pulling it away as if he never meant to touch me. Not that I minded. His touch was calming. Reassuring.

“I don't ever want you to be scared again,” he said.

“Then you can stay with me. Face it – we need each other right now. You have nowhere to go, I'm scared of being alone. It all works out, doesn't it?”

“Maybe so,” he said, mostly muttering to himself. “The former king of Optorio actually lives in Sapphire Bay, so I was thinking I might reach out to him – ”

“It's too late to do that today,” I said. “Maybe in the morning?”

“Maybe so,” he said.

“Then come on,” I said, motioning for him to follow me off the ship. “It's settled. You can spend at least one night with me until you talk to your former king and come up with a plan.”

Jendrish hesitated, but eventually he rushed to catch up with me. “Are you sure this isn't a problem?” he asked me again.

I sighed, starting to lose my patience with him for asking again and again. “I said it isn't. I'm not one of those people who merely say things to be polite, Jendrish. If I didn't want you there, I wouldn't have offered it as an option.”

And that was true. Not only was I scared, but how could I leave him alone? After all that he'd done for us? To just send him on his way, alone and with nowhere to go – and with people after him? No, I couldn't imagine doing that. And besides, I really would feel safer with him around. As much as I hated to admit it, in the short time I'd known him, I'd come to enjoy having Jendrish around. Not only did he make me feel safe, it was nice having him to talk to.

He wasn't bad on the eyes either, but that was beside the point. It wasn't like we were going to sleep together. I had a floor. We would work something out, I was sure of it.

Chapter Six

“Care for something to drink?” I asked, staring into my fridge and realizing I didn't have much.

It was pretty bare, but at least there was a bottle of cheap wine. It was just something I'd bought at one point to help de-stress, but it was never opened. Tonight seemed like the perfect night for it, so I pulled it out and opened that baby up.

“Sure, what do you have?” Jendrish asked, standing literally on top of me since my kitchen was so small.

If he was offended by the size of my apartment, he didn't say anything. I knew he came from a family with money – he just had that air about him – and was probably used to more luxurious accommodations.

“Some cheap ass wine,” I mumbled. “And water. From the tap.”

I poured myself a glass of wine and waited for a response from Jendrish. “Wine sounds great actually,” he said. “I've never had Earthling wine before, so this will be new for me.”

“Don't get too excited. It has a screw-on cap.”

“What's that mean?” he asked me.

“It means it's cheap and probably terrible.”

“Then why drink it?”

“Because it gets the job done,” I said with a laugh. “It'll get us drunk, I mean. Or tipsy since I have no intention of getting wasted tonight – though I admit, it is tempting.”

Jendrish just smiled, as if he didn't understand any of what I'd just said, but he was going along with it anyway. I had to wonder if they had alcohol on his planet? Had he ever been drunk before?

I'd soon learned that no, Jendrish had never been drunk before, and in fact, had never tried alcohol. And the “Earthling wine”, as he called it, had an effect on him. It brought out a sillier, goofier side of him. And I had to admit, it was adorable as hell.

He was sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed, staring at the drink in his hand. I was laying on the bed, facing him and laughing as he talked about the strange way his head felt.

He'd only had one glass. I, on the other hand, had two. And I was feeling it, just a little. Enough so that I let my guard down with him. I found myself playing with his soft, silky hair, running my hands through it as we talked – and I told him more personal things than I had ever told anybody before.

“You live alone, I take it?” he asked me.

“Why? Because my apartment is small?” I asked, laughing and pretending to be insulted at the same time.

“No, umm well, there's nothing wrong with a small home. I actually think it's less wasteful than living in a large space, but – ” He mumbled, and I could tell he was feeling like an ass, like he was worried that he'd offended me.

I took his face in my hands and turned him to look at me, holding onto his chin. “It was a joke, Jendrish,” I said. “Yes, I live alone. It's just me, which is why I was so scared of coming home without you.”

“Understood,” he said.

But I didn't hear his words, instead I stared at those lips – they looked so soft, pink, and luscious. I just wanted to press my own lips to them and see if they really were as soft as they looked.

I was staring at him, upside down, so my eyes were looking right at his mouth. I tried to adjust to stare him in the eyes, but before I could do that, his hands were also in my hair. He pulled me closer – just close enough to feel his breath against my face.

I was the one who closed the distance, pressing my lips to his. We kissed like that for a couple minutes, his hands in my hair, until he pulled away. We were both breathless, and he started to apologize, but I wasn't having it.

“Come here,” I said, sitting up and motioning for him to join me on the bed.

“You want me to join you?” he asked.

“Yes, come here and kiss me, you fool,” I said with a laugh.

He smiled, a bright smile that lit up his entire face.

“So you liked it?”

“Of course I did,” I said. “I must have, since I'm asking for more, right?”

He climbed into the bed with me, lying on his side. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him again, this time pressing my tongue past those sensual lips. My whole body was on edge, I felt tingly and warm. Jendrish embraced me, holding my face in his hands and stroked my cheeks as we made out. He was nothing but a gentleman and kept his hands in the appropriate places at all times – but my body ached for more. I felt a fire spring up deep and low within me – a fire I hadn't felt in a long, long time. And it was beginning to really burn.

It had been so long since I'd been with a man that I felt a little hesitant and scared. And I'd never been with a man so kind and generous as Jendrish. I was never the one initiating in the past, but this time, I took the plunge. Perhaps it was the wine or the adrenaline from everything that had happened so far, but I wanted this.

Reaching down, I stroked him through his pants, causing him to jump. “Just checking to see if you're built like us humans,” I teased.

He cocked his head and seemed to be listening to that faraway voice only he could hear again. He'd told me that when he did that, he was actually consulting with Ozul – what he called his artificially intelligent biosystem. I wasn't sure what that was, but I gathered that it was like having a Google in your head that fed you information.

Which made me think that he was – in that moment – consulting Ozul to see if we actually would be sexually compatible. I smiled and shook my head.

“I am built very similarly to your human male,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Ozul assures me that we should have no difficulties – ”

“Good.” I kissed him again, this time more passionately as I let my hands wander all over his body. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my breasts. “Touch me, Jendrish.”

And he did. Once he got started, he was touching me and kissing me like never before. He was so soft and sweet as he slowly undressed me. He took his time, as if savoring every moment, knowing there was no rush. I undressed him, discovering he wasn't wearing jeans and a shirt but rather a suit that hugged his body – sort of like a wetsuit, but different.

He gave me a nervous smile. “Sorry,” he said, as he hurried out of his bodysuit.

Once it was off, I stared at his pale chest, which was dotted with a smidgeon of dark hair that glimmered blue in the light. I ran my fingers through it, causing him to shudder beneath my touch. He was solid, well-toned and muscled without going over that line into being a bodybuilding fanatic.

I wrapped my legs around him as we kissed, our tongues dancing and swirling together. I touched every inch of his magnificent, naked body. I pressed my lower body into him, feeling him grow harder as our bodies touched one another. With one hand, I guided him into me and we both gasped as our bodies joined together.

Rolling over on top of me, Jendrish took control, making love to me as I'd always dreamed of being made love to. It was slow, sweet, and with every thrust of himself deeper into me, that fire deep between my thighs grew hotter and brighter. He was large and thick and he filled me up completely. I bit my lip and stifled a gasp as he moved, burying himself deep within me.

Having Jendrish inside of me felt surreal and magical. It was a whole new and different experience, being with a man that cared so much for my pleasure, who enjoyed watching as I climaxed over and over again, and who after climaxing himself, laid down beside me, holding me close.

He kissed my face – even with the sweat dripping from me. His arms were wrapped around my naked body, my head resting on his chest. I heard his heart beating fast, as we both came down from the experience, our bodies returning to normal slowly.

And unlike just about every time I'd ever had sex with a man, this time I didn't feel dirty or cheapened by it.

Neither one of us said a word, we didn't have to. He stroked my hair until I finally managed to fall asleep, the first time in what felt like eternity, safe and warm in his embrace.

ooo000ooo

The next morning, I was the first to wake up. The sun was filtering through my blinds, nearly blinding me with its light. I stared at the clock – it was already after ten. My head ached from the alcohol, and as I stared down at Jendrish's naked body, I remembered vividly the details of the night before.

My first reaction was normally panic – fear that I'd made some kind of horrible mistake. But this time, I felt none of that. As I sat up to look at the clock, Jendrish reached for me, his eyes still closed. And once he touched me, he motioned for me to lay back down with him.

I did. He rolled over to embrace me more fully, still seemingly asleep. I stared at his face, his eyes closed and peaceful, and I couldn't help but smile. I reached out and touched his cheek, as if I needed to see if he was real. He was too beautiful to be real, almost like a work of art with his pale skin, dark hair and chiseled features. Yet there he was, in the flesh, and we'd had sex the night before.

Remembering that and all we'd done – from having him in my mouth, in my hand, deep inside of me, having his firm body on top of mine with my legs wrapped around his waist – having him taking me a little harder and deeper from behind – it all coalesced in my head and forced the color into my cheeks. I felt like my body was on fire and yet, all I could do was smile.

As I lay there, I reflected on things in my life. Specifically, the feeling that often came with sex – the dirty, guilty feeling – wasn't there. And it felt nice to just snuggle close to him, without feeling bad or hurt. No man had ever made me feel that way before. And yet, there we were. It almost felt too perfect, like I was holding my breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop – which I knew should frighten me. But for whatever reason, it didn't. Not at all.

“Everything okay?” he mumbled, his eyes opening just a peep.

Once he saw me, a small smile appeared on his face. A tired, still half-asleep smile that was so cute, I had to kiss him right away. And he kissed me back.

“Yes, everything is great, actually,” I said, curling up even closer to him.

“Can we stay like this all day?” he asked.

“I'd love that actually.” It surprised me to say it, but I would. I wanted nothing more than to lounge in bed with him all day, talking, cuddling, kissing and making love.

“Then lets do it,” he said, closing his eyes again, but not before he planted a kiss to the tip of my nose.

“Yes, lets,” I said, letting him wrap his warm body around mine.

For the first time in a long time, I not only felt safe, but at peace. I felt like I belonged. Who'd have thought it would take me being saved by an alien – someone who's not even human – to finally feel a connection with another living being?

I wasn't sure how or why this was happening to me, but I didn't want to question it too much, afraid I could chase all the good feelings away.

And God knew, I needed them at that point in my life.

Chapter Seven

Jendrish

I wasn't lying when I'd said I wanted to stay in bed with her all day. But I also knew I had work to do. So, I compromised and we stayed in bed most of the day. And then we discussed going to meet Bazarok. Using the information Tarkonil had fed into Ozul, I put in a call to him and he agreed to meet me. We would go over to his place.

Riley wanted to join me at the meeting. And honestly, I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could, so I didn't object.

“So Bazarok is the former king?” she asked as we walked over to Bazarok's home, which wasn't too far away.

Sapphire Bay was a smaller town, but I had to admit, it had its charm. The salty air from the sea called to me, reminding me of home – which only made me homesick and angry that I might not see it again.

“Well, kind of. I don't know if he was ever officially crowned before abdicating the throne,” I said. “It's hard to explain.”

“But he did it for this Paige woman? That's sweet.”

“Well – from what I understand, he didn't abdicate just for her. He really never wanted to be king anyway.”

“Why?”

“That I can't answer, but perhaps he can?” I said.

Her questions were adorable. I loved being able to share some of my history and culture with her – and she seemed genuinely interested. She had a lot of questions and I was trying to explain it to her the best way I could with the information I had. But even I didn't know exactly why Baz had opted to give up the throne. If it were just for Paige, that I could understand. But even before she came along, he'd had no interest in it.

“We're going to meet a king of another planet, living right here in Sapphire Bay,” Riley said, shaking her head in disbelief. “You know, if it weren't for the fact that I experienced so much other wonky stuff, I'd probably call you crazy.”

“Maybe I am?” I said with a wink.

Riley grabbed ahold of my arm, latching herself to it – and to me – with a smile. “Maybe we all are,” she said. “But I like your kind of crazy.”

There was a weird sensation in my belly – that of warmth and so much more. Never before had I experienced these weird sensations, and I had to admit, it seemed like Riley was the cause of it. Even before we'd made love, I'd been having fleeting thoughts about kissing and touching her. But until she came on to me, I wasn't sure it was appropriate to attempt to indulge those feelings. Now that it was, I just wanted to keep her close to me at all time.

Perhaps Baz had the right idea. Settling down here with a human didn't sound too terrible – even though I missed my home. After all, I'd likely end up dead if I ever tried to go back.

But the other women, my conscious reminded me. Can you really let that go?

But I'm also only one person. Can I really stop it?

Of course, that was why I was meeting with Baz, hoping he could help me stop it all. Now I had a conflict of interest, however, as I stared at Riley. I wanted to stay with her and not fight this battle. It was such a tough call and I hoped that Baz might offer some answers. Because in that moment, I had none.

ooo000ooo

Meeting a man I idolized, in the flesh and up close in his own home, was almost too much to handle. Sure, I'd been around Bazarok before, but never alone. And never in such a personal meeting. I honestly don't know if he even knew my name.

But when he opened the door, he greeted me with, “Jendrish! Welcome! And who is this young lady?”

“Riley,” she said, reaching out her hand. “My name is Riley.”

He shook her hand, but gave me a sideways glance as if to ask if we were together. I wasn't sure if we were or not, so I didn't dare make assumptions. I gave him a small smile and tried to deflect the conversation.

“She's one of the women I rescued on my mission, my lord,” I said. “The one our late friend, Tarkonil, told you about, I believe?”

“Yes, come inside,” Baz said. “And stop with the my lord stuff. I'm just plain ol' Baz.”

We followed him inside and he shut the door behind us, locking it. He looked at Riley, giving her a sympathetic once over as if it pained him to hear about what had happened to all of them. I liked to think he would help us, even though he insisted to Tarkonil that he wanted to stay out of it. I knew him better than that. He was a good man, a man with a heart. And maybe bringing Riley here would make him realize that these victims needed to be saved and this needed to stop.

“I'm so sorry to hear about Tarkonil,” he said. “He was a dear friend and it breaks my heart that I couldn't do more to save him.”

I knew he meant it too. “I hardly knew him, but he was a friend of my father's, so I trust him to be a good man.”

“He was,” Baz said. “Very much so. I hate to see what our planet has come to and I know it pained Tarkonil to the very core of him.”

I nodded. “It did. He became almost obsessed with trying to prove the Regents were involved in what's going on and bring them down.”

“And it cost him his life.”

I gave him a grim smile. “Yes, it did.”

We all stood in silence for a moment before Baz nodded. “Well, let's go have a seat on the deck,” he said.

Riley took my hand and we followed him through the house, out onto his back deck. I thought it was beautiful. Tall, soaring trees seemed to cover the world out there – and it blended with the aroma of the ocean, creating a very pleasing scent.

“You have a beautiful home,” Riley said.

“Thank you,” he replied. “Though, I can't take credit for it. Paige is the one who decorates and makes this house what it is. Please, sit.”

He had arranged the chairs on his desk so that we were facing one another in a small semi-circle. He'd also thoughtfully arranged food and drink on a small table in the center of our little meeting spot.

“I'm sorry Paige isn't here to meet you,” he said. “She had a lot to do at her club today.”

Riley cocked her head. “Which club is that?”

“The Mahogany Tavern,” Baz replied.

Comprehension – or perhaps just familiarity – crossed her features. “I've been there before,” she said. “I had no idea your wife was the owner.”

Baz nodded, beaming proudly. “She is the owner,” he said. “She's really made something of herself – and her club, I have to say.”

Riley took a can of soda from the table and opened it. Not being familiar with human food and drink, I leaned back in my seat without taking one. Riley though, giggled and handed me one.

“Dr. Pepper,” she said. “At the very least, give it a try.”

I looked at her skeptically, but raised the can to my lips. Baz was watching me very closely, probably waiting to gauge my reaction. The bubbles in the drink tickled my nose, but it had a good flavor. I held the can and looked for at it for a bit. The soda, as she'd called it, had been very good. Different than anything I'd had before, but good.

“I like it,” I said.

“It's become one of my favorites too,” Baz said as he leaned back in his seat. “So, what can I help you with today, Jendrish?”

“To be perfectly honest, I don't know anymore,” I said.

“Well, what do you want to have happen?”

“I want what Tarkonil wanted,” I said simply. “I want to make Optorio a world to be proud of again.”

“So what is stopping you?” he asked.

“There is but one of me,” I replied. “And the Regents have an army.”

“Sometimes, the smallest fighting forces are the most effective,” Baz said. “Especially those with absolutely nothing left to lose.”

“Nothing left to lose?”

I cocked my head and looked at him. He smiled and took a drink of his soda. Birds chirped in the trees all around us. As beautiful as Optorio was, this place was extraordinary. I snuck a peek over at Riley, who was trying to be discrete about her presence, and was hanging on every word of our conversation.

“I still have a connection with Anjol, my biosystem,” Baz said. “I never closed the link. He told me that there was a death notice out for you. Though, you should take heart in the fact that bringing you in alive is worth a little bit more than bringing you back dead.”

I sighed. “Yeah, that wasn't expected.”

“It's not fair,” Riley finally chimed in. “He saved our lives and now he can't go home?”

A rueful grin touched Baz's lips. “It's because he saved your lives that he can't,” he said. “He made some powerful enemies by doing that.”

“So, what should I do?” I asked.

“You're going to have to cut out that corruption,” Baz said, all trace of warmth gone. “You're going to have to break the power of the Regents. Destroy the Council. And then establish something in its place to govern Optorio.”

“Oh, is that all?” I asked, my words dripping with sarcasm.

I looked up and something had caught Baz's attention. Though he appeared to still be focused on us, I could see that his eyes were focused on something behind me – something in the forest.

“Don't turn around,” he saids softly.

The urge to turn and look was very strong and I had to actively fight it. I looked over at Riley and saw that she was having the same internal battle.

“It looks like that bounty on your head must be a good one,” Baz said. “I count a pair of those lowlives in forest back there.”

My heart started to race and I felt the familiar tension in my body I would get as I readied for battle. Baz stood up and walked inside the house, leaving Riley and I staring at each other.

“I'm scared, Jendrish,” she said, her voice cracking.

“Don't worry,” I replied. “Just act like everything is normal.”

Her laughter was more of a dry, barking sound – and definitely not the laughter of somebody who genuinely found something funny.

“Normal,” she said. “Nothing in my life has been normal in a good, long while.”

I nodded. “I know. And I'm sorry for that. I truly am.”

Baz re-emerged fom the house and set another tray down on top of the table – actually, on top of the tray already there. It was covered by a napkin, and I looked at it questioningly. Baz nodded and tipped me a wink and I had the feeling that there was something beneath the napkin would make the coming fight a little more even.

“Riley,” Baz said. “I wonder if you'd be so kind as to go in the house and see about putting on some coffee?

She looked at him, an expression of offense upon her face before she realized what he was actually asking – go inside, stay inside, and keep her head down. Without another word she stood up, and excused herself, disappearing into the house.

“They still out there?” I asked.

“Yeah, they're creeping closer though.”

“We're going to need to question one of them,” I noted.

“Of course,” he replied.

“On the count of three,” Baz said.

I nodded and began mentally preparing myself for the coming fight. It had been a little while since I’d last seen combat – or had been involved in any sort of a fight. But I was well trained and I was ready.

Three...

I cleared my throat and tried to clear my mind.

Two...

I was doing this for Riley. I was doing this to help keep her safe.

One...

I reached and yanked the napkin on the tray Baz had carried out. And sure enough, there were two weapons of Optorion design sitting there. Picking up the first gun, I spun and fired – blindly, of course. I had no idea where the assassins were. I was simply hoping to draw them out long enough for Baz to get a good shot.

But no shot came. These assassins were ridiculously patient. I snuck a peek at Baz, and he was a little uneasy too, not knowing what was going on.

“Come,” Baz said.

I followed him down the stairs and into the meadow that spanned the distance from his deck to the forest beyond. Holding our weapons out in front of us, we walked slowly toward the forest with no idea where they were.

The sound of a twig snapping underfoot drew my attention quickly. Gun raised, I spun and saw one of my would-be assassins – and he was holding Riley, a gun to her head. My heart lurched and my stomach seemed to be folding in on itself. I looked over at Baz and saw that he was angry, his face darkening.

“Let her go,” I said.

“I'll do that,” the first assassin said. “But you'll be coming with me.”

The second assassin appeared and held a gun pointed at Baz. “You scum are the worst of the worst,” Baz hissed. “Have you no shame? No pride?”

“I like getting paid,” the first assassin said. “There's so little of that on Optorio as it is, that you need to take advantage of things when you can.”

“And you're part of the problem on Optorio,” I said. “Work with me. I want to bring down the Regents and make it a better world for all of us.”

The two men shared a look and then burst out into laughter. “Now, why would we do that?” the second assassin said. “We like getting paid and the Regents pay a lot more than anybody else.”

“So, let's have you put down your guns,” the first assassin said. “Drop 'em on the ground and then we'll let your girl and the cowardly king here go on about their business.”

“Fine,” I replied. “Just don't hurt them. Either of them.”

“You have my word.”

I was just about to toss the gun away when I saw Riley spring into action. She drove the her elbow back into the midsection of her captor at the same time she brought the heel of her foot down on the top of his. The man screamed and cursed, his hold on her loosening up slightly.

Just enough, actually.

Riley threw herself to the ground and I raised my weapon again, squeezing off a shot without hesitation. The assassin grunted and then fell as my shot took him square in the chest. He dropped immediately, dead before he hit the ground.

The second assassin turned and looked at his dying partner – a big mistake. With the lapse in concentration, Baz reached out and seized the man by the neck, giving it a vicious twist. I heard the snap from where I stood. The man fell to the ground, as lifeless as his partner.

Riley was on her knees, looking at the two bodies and then back at us. Tears stood in her eyes and her lower lip quivered.

“They will keep coming,” Baz said. “This was just the first of them.”

I moved over and dropped to my knees, pulling Riley to me in a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around me and held on tight, sobbing into my chest. Baz was angry. He looked like he would have relished the chance to kill both men all over again.

“What can I do?” I asked Baz.

“You need to end this,” he said. “One way or another, you need to take the fight to the Regents. Bring them down once and for all.”

“I'm one man.”

“Sometimes, that's enough,” he replied softly. “But I still have friends there. You will have some support. You have my word.”

“Thank you,” I said.

I had no idea what else to say. Or where to start. Or what to do. Yes, I'd been in the military, but I wasn't a tactician. I was a soldier.

“Jendrish, listen to me,” Baz said. “These assassins will keep coming. You have to cut the rot out of the fruit. Take control of Optorio back from the greedy and the corrupt. Give it back to the people.”

I nodded. “I will. I don't know how, but I will.”

I kissed Riley on the top of her head and didn't know how I was going to keep that promise – but was determined to try.

Book 4 – Silver Lining

Chapter One

Jendrish

I knew Baz was right. I really had no other option than to confront the Regent Council with what I knew and find a way to take them down. Or else, I'd always be living in fear of another assassin coming after me. Or worse, coming after Riley. And even worse than that, if I failed to act, I would forever be haunted by the knowledge that I turned my back on a crime against people. That I did nothing while the Regents turned women like Riley into sex slaves.

I would never be able to live with myself if I turned away.

I was quiet, deep in thought while sitting at Riley's place. She was there with me, her head resting in my lap as she stared up at me with eyes that were wide. I idly stroked her hair, not knowing what to do. She was worried. Scared. Not that I blamed her. I was worried too. Going back to Optorio would mean starting an all-out war. In order to get the Regent Council ousted from power, I'd need backup. I'd have to call on former brothers of mine, as well as Baz's supporters, to help fight. It was a fight that would more than likely leading to some deaths. Maybe even a lot of deaths.

Maybe even my own.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked me, staring up at me with eyes that were haunted.

I stroked her face with the tips of my fingers, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled. She made me happy – even when the weight of the world felt like it had settled down upon my shoulders. Leaving her behind wouldn't be easy and I knew she wouldn't like it. But to guarantee she'd always be safe – as well as other women like her – I had to do this. I had to fight.

“I'm just thinking. Trying to come up with a plan,” I said.

She sat up abruptly, her face darkening with emotion. “So you really are going back?”

She bit her lip and twirled a strand of her dark hair as she waited for an answer.

“I have to, Riley. There really is no other choice. I'm sorry – ”

She cut my words off with a kiss. It was a kiss full of passion. Emotion. Worry.

“Don't ever be sorry for doing the right thing, Jendrish,” she said. “I'm just scared for you, that's all.”

Because she cared about me. How this woman – who'd been abused by so many men in her life – could care this much for me was amazing beyond words to me. I wasn't even sure I was worthy of it. In fact, I knew I probably wasn't. But I couldn't deny the fact that I loved it. Because I felt the same for her.

She got up from the bed and went over to her closet, grabbing a backpack.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I'm packing,” she said calmly.

“Packing?” I cocked my head and asked. “Are you going to be staying with a friend? That is actually probably the best, given all that's happening – ”

She shot me a look that made me stop speaking. “No, I'm going with you, silly,” she said. “I'm not letting you go into this fight alone.”

“Riley,” I said, standing up and going to her, “you need to stay here, where it's safer for you. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't know how this is all going to play out, but no matter what happens, I want – no, I need – to know that you are safe.”

She dropped the backpack on the bed before taking my hands in hers. She stood across from me, holding my hands and staring deep into my eyes.

“Where you go, I go,” she said. “I know this is crazy given the fact that we haven't known each other long, but our fates are now intertwined. We're bonded together. And I'm not leaving your side, no matter what.”

I wanted to argue and opened my mouth to say so, but Riley wasn't having any of it. She shook her head and gave me a withering look, as if she knew what I was going to say. She probably did. Not much got by her.

The idea of leaving her behind hurt, of course. But the idea of losing her forever if things got bad – and I expected that they would – hurt me even more. It wasn't expected, nor was it even rational, but I was falling for her. She filled my heart with emotions I'd never before experienced. And there was no way I could lose her or risk her being hurt.

I tried to tell her that. Tried to convey what she meant to me and what it would do to me if something happened to her.

“And I feel the same way,” she argued. “I care about you, Jendrish. More than I can possibly explain. More than I even understand myself. But I can't wait here, always wondering what happened to you. I'd rather die beside you than live the rest of my life here without you. Without knowing what happened to you.”

My heart ached to hear those words because I knew I couldn't argue with that. In her shoes, I'd feel the same way. I did feel the same way. And to know she felt that strongly about me was amazing beyond words. But of course, it was bittersweet as well.

“Where you go, I go,” she said one last time, throwing some clothes into a bag. “So let's make a plan and be smart about it, because you're not going to talk me out of it. You're not going to get rid of me, Jendrish, so get that idea out of your head right now.”

Her strong spirit is what drew me to her in the first place. She had an aura about her that projected strength and fire. And now, it was keeping her with me – even though I fought to make her stay home where it was safe. As humans say, you have to take the good with the bad.

Since I knew there was no way to win this argument, I decided my only course of action was to protect her at all costs. No matter what, I would protect her. And I'd keep protecting her, making sure she would return home safely once more.

I did it once, I would do it again. Perhaps it was foolish to make such a vow, but I made it anyway. Because living a life without Riley, I was learning, was not a life I wanted to live.

“Okay then. If there really is no way to talk you out of this – ”

“There isn't.” she said and gave me a lopsided grin.

“Well, I'm going to reach out to some of my former Royal Guardsmen and ask for their help,” I said. “When we were part of the Guard, our honor and code meant something to us. So I have to believe that many of these men will help me. And there are a lot of them.”

“Enough to overthrow the bad guys?” Riley asked.

I couldn't help but laugh at her use of the word, “Bad guys”. It was such a – human concept.

“I hope so,” I said. “But this is going to be bad, Riley. It will likely come down to an all-out war. The Regent Council, or as you call them “The bad guys” are not going to want to relinquish their power or control. And they very likely will not go down without a fight, I'm afraid. Some of the former Guardsmen have since become the private army of the Regents.”

“I'm not afraid, Jendrish.”

“I never said you were.”

“Good. Because I'm not,” she said. “And while you're doing that, I can free the other women still being held captive.”

“I don't know – ”

She shot me another one of her looks that said I wasn't going to win this argument. I wondered if this was going to be a common theme in our relationship.

“We'll see, Riley. We'll take it step-by-step,” I said, not willing to concede the point entirely. “If it appears safe, you can free the other women.”

But even as I said it, I knew that Riley had her mind made up already. And nothing I said was going to dissuade her. She was going to free those women because like me, she knew she had to do the right thing. Even if it killed her.

I'd just have to make sure that didn't happen.

ooo000ooo

“We'll be ready for your return, Jendrish,” Vink said. “I'll have the army ready to go to battle as well as having the proper procedures in place to arrest those involved.”

“Thank you, Vink. I knew I could count on you,” I said, overcome with a sense of relief about how easy that part had been.

Of course, I knew it was going to be relatively simple. I knew my fellow Guards would be on my side. And like me, they too were sick and tired of seeing our home being destroyed by the greedy and the corrupt. But once they heard about the women being sold into bondage – and talked to Riley – it was just a matter of us getting there and arresting the Regent Council.

Riley was beside me, holding my hand the entire time. I kissed her hand after I disconnected the transmission from Vink, smiling at her.

“Well, so far, so good,” I said.

“Sounds like everything will be just fine.”

Yeah, if only it would all be that easy. I knew it wasn't going to be. But I didn't want to focus on what could go wrong right now. We had to get to the ship and be on our way. Time was of the essence, as they said.

My pulse was racing as I prepared the ship for takeoff, knowing that once we were in the air, we would be an easy target. I had a feeling there were ships in orbit waiting for us. But there was no other way I could get back to Optorio. I glanced over at Riley who sat calmly in the seat next to mine. She seemed to be handling this better than I thought.

“For somebody who doesn't like flying, let alone space travel,” I said, “you seem to be dealing with this all quite well.”

She looked at me and only then did I see the fear in her eyes. “I'm screaming on the inside.”

“Don't worry, Riley,” I said. “This is the simple bit. Once we're in the air, it will be smooth sailing.”

I hoped.

However, as soon as we were in the air again, she was clinging tightly to me while trying to stifle her whimpers.

“I hate flying,” she reminded me.

She knew this and yet she stayed with me anyway. That said a lot. She had courage and strength in abundance. The ship shimmied and shook as we got airborne and seemed to labor a bit as we shot up through the sky, rocketing toward open space. It took a few moments for her to calm down and open her eyes again after takeoff, and even then, she remained quiet.

“Are you scared?” I asked, just to get her talking.

I expected her to lie to me, to say she wasn't. Because my girl liked to act tough. But instead, she turned to me and said, “A little.”

“A little?” I asked, feeling proud that she admitted to even that much.

“Okay,” she said with a shaky laugh, “maybe more than a little. But it's okay. I've been through a lot and I always manage to survive.”

“Let's keep it that way,” I said softly.

“At least, if we explode, it will be quick,” she said. “Silver linings, right?”

Silver linings? I cocked my head and accessed Ozul to give me the meaning.

“Silver linings is a human colloquialism,” Ozul responded. “It means finding the best in a bad situation.”

I wanted to ask her again if she were sure this was the right thing to do – if this was what she really wanted to do – but as I shot her a sideways glance, I saw her smiling at me, giving me an adoring look that said I already had an answer. She wasn't going to leave my side. And I wasn't going to leave hers.

“What?” I said, feeling a bit sheepish after noticing her staring at me.

“Can't I admire you? You're just so – beautiful.”

“As are you,” I said.

“No I'm not. Not like you or your people,” she said. “You all look like works of art. You are all so pretty and chiseled and pale – ”

I looked at her with a gaze that was full of meaning. “Why do you think people from my planet were kidnapping and importing women from your planet?”

She shrugged.

“Because to us, you're the epitome of beauty,” I said. “And to me, you're the most beautiful of them all.”

She blushed. “Good point about the kidnapping, I suppose. I hadn't thought of it like that.”

“And the rest still stands as well. You are an exquisite creature, Riley,” I said. “And I feel so incredibly fortunate to have you by my side.”

Riley was smiling from ear-to-ear, though she also looked away as if she was slightly uncomfortable by the attention, her cheeks turning a vivid shade of red. From what I knew of her past – which was admittedly little – I could see why she might be uncomfortable being the center of attention. But a girl like Riley deserved to hear those things. She deserved to be cherished. Worshipped. And I was going to make sure she heard them – every single day – as long as she was by my side. However long that might be.

One could hope for forever, but that was a silly statement. Nobody lived forever. And considering we were going into a fight that was going to get bad, forever might not be that long anyway. And after we won, I wasn't sure what the future might hold. But for now, I was going to make sure Riley knew just how special she was to me.

Chapter Two

Riley

The attention Jendrish lavished upon me struck me as strange. Weird. Uncomfortable. I'd never had someone look at me the way he did. Never had somebody dote on me the way he did. And given the fact that he was so generous and caring – and that he was utterly gorgeous – it meant the world to me. To know that he saw a beautiful woman – or as he put it, an exquisite creature – when he looked at me, even though I felt like there was no way I could compare to the women on his home planet meant a lot to me. It meant the world. And that to me, was an amazing feeling.

But it still felt weird, and I had a hard time accepting the compliments. It wasn't something I encountered in my everyday life and I'd probably never get used to them. Of course, I took pains to avoid putting myself in social situations where it might even be possible, but that was beside the point. My own life experience had sort of soured me on things like social settings and boyfriends.

But it wasn't just my dating life that had been so difficult. Unlike many children, I never had doting parents who told me I was perfect or parents who praised me for anything, really. My aunt and uncle only found reasons to nitpick and nag me. They found reasons to tear me down rather than build me up. They only found what was wrong and hurled insults at me in order to try to get me to change. They called it tough love. But looking back on it, I see it for what it was – abuse.

I came out of childhood broken, feeling like I was never good enough. And then, of course, there was Mike. Most would say that Mike was a direct product of my childhood. That if not for the abuse I'd suffered and the damage it had done to my self-esteem, then I never would have been suckered in by somebody like him.

But Jendrish – he was different in so many ways. He was good. Truly good. In a world where nothing ever felt black and white, but we were literally surrounded by shades of gray, Jendrish was the pure good in the world. Perhaps it was just getting caught up in the emotions inherent in the early stages of a relationship. Maybe I had him on a pedestal a bit too high. But after everything he risked to save us – and everything he risked now to save others – I think I had every right to see him as a white knight. As a hero.

And he was my hero.

I reached out and took his hand in mine. He smiled at me.

“You know, I couldn't help but notice that we have the entire ship to ourselves,” he said. “Unlike last time, that is.”

He was right. We were alone. On this big, old ship in the middle of outer space with nothing to do but stare at the stars as they passed us by.

“Whatever are we going to do to pass the time?” I teased, nibbling my lip as I gave him my best bedroom eyes.

Jendrish pressed a few buttons and the lights on the control panel dimmed ever so slightly.

“Ozul,” I said.

A series of beeps and chirps sounded as the biosystem came online. “How may I be of assistance?”

“You can fly the ship,” I said. “Just don't hit anything this time.”

“Very good,” he said. “And if you recall events correctly, it was you that hit the docking pod. Not –

“That will be all, Ozul,” I smiled at her. “Well, now that Ozul is the flight commander, I think we should find out how we're going to pass the time.”

He took my hand, pulled me over to his seat and I literally fell into his lap. I straddled him, staring into his eyes. It seemed amazing to me that in the vast ocean of space, with the stars and the universe spread out all around us – wonders very few people on Earth ever dreamed of seeing – all I could do was stare into his eyes.

Jendrish kissed me, and I kissed him back. His lips and face were so soft, I wanted to kiss him all over – so, I let myself do just that. From his lips to his cheeks to the tip of his nose – and he moved lower, kissing my neck and collarbone before working the buttons off my shirt, exposing my breasts. He took one in each hand, massaging the nipples with his fingers.

“It's amazing to me that two people from two different worlds so far apart – ” he started.

“Are so different and yet so much the same,” she finished. “And are so highly compatible.”

He nodded his head. “Yes. Exactly that.”

I felt him growing hard against me, and I wanted nothing more than to make love with him again, right then and there. I worked at his pants, removing them, as he did the same for me. And I straddled him once more, naked this time, and let him slip inside of me. I moved slowly at first, rocking my hips up and down, back and forth, taking him deeper and deeper inside of me. I kissed and touched and explored even more of his body and felt the heat between my thighs building into an intense inferno.

This time I was completely sober, so I made sure to enjoy every second of him.

The seat shook and rattled. I assumed it was from our lovemaking, but then the entire ship shook again – this time, more violently – making me fall backward. But Jendrish caught me before I hit the control panel.

“What the hell?” I asked.

“I don't know what that was,” he said, holding onto me as we both waited to see if it would happen again.

The panel lit up and started making noises. He motioned for me to get up, and hurried to get dressed again as he started pulling up different cameras on the touch screen.

“Ozul,” he said. “Tell me what you see out there.”

“What is it?” I asked, pulling my clothes on as well, just in case. Though I was sad we weren't able to finish, I was still very turned on – which might have been a little inappropriate given the circumstances.

“The ship took a glancing shot,” Ozul said. “There is little damage to be worried about. I am attempting to identify the vessel.”

“There's someone tracking us,” he said. “I believe they hit us with something. We must get away, fast. Ozul, I'm taking back flight command.”

“Don't hit anything this time.”

I grinned and shook my head. The one thing about our AI biosystems is that they were imbued with their own personalities. Mine happened to be a smartass.

“Hit us with something? Like what?”

“A warning shot more than likely. Nothing serious,” he muttered. “Thankfully, their ship is smaller than ours, and we're better armored, so we have the upper hand. It doesn't appear to have caused any damage that isn't just cosmetic at this point. We might have a dent or too, but that's the least of our worries. Buckle up, Riley, just in case.”

I did as I was told, putting on the safety harness and watched as Jendrish controlled the ship, causing us to make a sharp turn that would have sent me flying had I not listened to his advice.

The ship shook again.

“That one hurt,” he said, cringing as he examined the damage in one of the screens on his command board.. “But it's still only cosmetic damage. No mechanical issues. They're just trying to get our attention.”

“I'd say it worked.”

“We're still faster than them,” he muttered, pushing down on a lever. “Especially now.”

I felt the ship lurch forward. It was as if we were on a roller coaster that suddenly took off. The stars outside were spiraling out of control, or rather, we were the ones spiraling as we sped through space. Jendrish was pleased with himself as he continued watching for any sign of the ship in his sensors.

“Ozul, are you picking anything up on the long range sensors?”

“You appear to have outrun them,” he said. “And avoided colliding with anything. Congratulations.”

“We outran them, this time,” he said, growing more serious. “But there will be more where that came from. Especially the closer we get to Optorio.”

“So what you're saying is this is only the beginning?” I said. “And more people will be trying to shoot us down?”

“Exactly,” he said. “Sorry you came along now?”

“Hell no,” I said.

Great. Just great. I was screaming and tearing my hair out – on the inside. I would never let Jendrish see that. Especially after I'd made such a monumental production out of coming to begin with. I knew we were likely going into a war zone, but I guessed that I never realized exactly what that meant or that we'd literally be chased down and shot at by our enemies. Suddenly, I found myself very afraid.

Jendrish sat down next to me, his hair sticking to his face from a layer of sweat – both from making love to me and from the excitement of the chase.

“I'm sorry we were so rudely interrupted,” he said, kissing my hand.

“Shit happens. There will always be a next time.”

“I sure hope so, Riley. I really, really hope so.”

Chapter Three

Jendrish

The ship that had followed us was one from my planet – a bounty hunter. Probably a bounty hunter sent out by the Regent Council. It was far out there, meaning they were searching far and wide for me. They were afraid, and were on notice. Even worse, they seemed to have an idea that I was coming. Which meant the closer we got, the more likely we'd run into even more danger – ships that were larger, faster and armed with heavier weapons.

I glanced over at Riley who'd fallen asleep in her seat. I should sleep, but every time I thought about it, I'd remember that we could be attacked at any time. I needed to be alert to keep us out of harm's way because it wasn't just my life on the line there, but also Riley's. And there was no way I'd let anything happen to her if I could help it. She was my responsibility now.

What I found a little unsettling was that they knew my ship and they were possibly expecting me to come back. It made me wonder if one of my brothers had informed the Regents to betray me. It also meant that the war was already started.

I decided to reach out to Vink again, to see how things were going on the ground. I brought up the communication panel and hailed him.

“Hey there,” I said, leaning back in my seat as Vink's face appeared on-screen. “So I was just shot at by a bounty hunter. So, I'm guessing they're out in full force and the Regents know I'm on my way, huh?”

“Oh yeah,” Vink laughed. “I was a little concerned with how you were going to get into the air space around Optorio. They're screening it, but I have some contacts in air traffic control that are going to look the other way when your ship nears. Not that it'll keep the others from attacking once they recognize you, but hopefully that'll buy you some more time.”

“I appreciate it, Vink.”

“I appreciate you risking your life to come back and fight for this. You know you could have just told us and left it to us, right?”

I sighed. “No, I couldn't. I started this, I need to finish it. It's my responsibility to take down the Regent Council. Besides, I'll relish the feeling of seeing those pieces of filth handcuffed and taken away to their cells. After what I saw – I just can't sit out. I need to do something about it.”

“And that's why you're a great leader, Jendrish. Always have been.”

Hearing Vink give me such glowing praise meant a lot – especially considering the fact that he outranked me. He was my mentor, but eventually he'd retired from active service and let me take over his position – a position many thought I was too young for. But he'd believed in me, always had. And that's why he was the first person I'd called.

I knew him well enough to know that he'd help me fight this battle, that he'd listen and take what I said seriously. And once I had him, I knew the others would follow. He was one of the most respected members of the Guard – ever. He was held in high esteem by everybody. And what he said carried a lot of weight.

At one time, being a member of the Royal Guard was such an honor, one bestowed upon only those with a strong moral compass, one who'd fight for what was right even when everyone else in the universe was doing it wrong. Once Baz stepped down, we were disbanded, but it didn't mean we weren't still brothers or that our mission to do the right thing had been pushed aside. We merely stepped back until we were needed again, I realized.

And this time, I was the one leading. Vink was listening and working with me, following my commands. Something I never thought possible, even after he'd retired and I'd taken up his post.

“Thank you,” I said. “I learned from the best.”

And I meant it too.

ooo000ooo

Vink promised that he'd do everything he could to keep us off the radars on Optorio and allow us a free run in to land. And he'd done an amazing job at it. I didn't know how he'd done it or how many favors he'd had to call in, but we were able to get closer to the planet than I thought we would before someone noticed us and recognized my ship – and then attempt to blow us out of the sky.

I noticed that we'd picked up a tail. He was a little ways behind us, so I tried to speed up to lose him. But as we approached Optorio, air traffic got to be heavier and we could only move so fast.

Trying to blend into the heavy air traffic was also a benefit though. As the Regent Council wouldn't want to accidentally shoot down cargo ships or those carrying passengers into Optorio. It was risky, sure, because it meant that I was hiding in plain sight, and if there was any chance they could get my ship away from the others, they were going to blow us into a million little pieces.

“Fasten your seat belt, Riley,” I said, doing the same. “It's about to get a little bit ugly.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?' she asked after buckling up.

“Not really. Just keep an eye out and let me know if you see any big guns pointed our way.”

It was meant to be a joke, but Riley's eyes widened and she turned her head this way and that, keeping a tight lookout for big guns. She watched out the window, even though I knew she was deathly afraid of heights and flying. But she was a fighter, that one. And I admired that a lot. More than I could accurately convey.

Our ship shook.

“Were we shot?” Riley asked.

“Shot? No. The ship following us – they rear ended us.” I murmured and shook my head. “But we should be fine, just need to keep a good distance away – Get that piece of garbage out of the way already!”

There was a ship moving at a snail's pace in front of us, giving the ship behind us ample opportunity to rear end us again. If I thought the first bump had been an accident or coincidental, that was immediately thrown out after the second. It was intentional.

Riley laughed. Yes, in the middle of all this, she managed to laugh.

“What's so funny?” I asked her.

“I never knew road rage was an intergalactic problem.”

The ship in front of us stopped, letting other ships travel past us. That's when I saw it and realized what was happening.

The ship in front of us wasn't just a slow mover. The pilot in that lead ship was doing it on purpose just to slow me down. We were trapped between two larger ships and the roadway was clearing out.

“Dammit,” I said, swerving fast to the right, around the ship and into the oncoming flight path. I accelerated quickly, but there were fewer ships around us now. And that's when the sirens went off. Sirens alerting people to leave the air space. Which meant we were in big trouble.

I pushed down on the wheel and we rushed downward, toward Optorio, with ships still tailing us. We shook again, this time the lights flickered as I cursed.

So close. So fucking close.

Another vibration shook the ship and the lights around us flickered ominously. The control panel lit up, beeping and screaming at me, as if I didn't already know we were shot and damaged. Cameras showed the repair mechanism getting to work, but a blast blew it sky high, taking out any chance of getting the damage fixed. We'd have to land, and fast.

I sped up, plunging downward toward the ground. Riley was screeching, a sound of fear I never wanted to hear from her lips – but this was going to keep us alive hopefully. So I continued falling toward the planet, barely missing several more shots as we continued to dive straight toward the ground.

“Jendrish, are you okay up there?” That was Vink, hailing me on the communication screen.

“We're being shot at,” I said through gritted teeth. “Just trying to land as quickly as possible.”

The line cracked before going out. I never heard what else he had to say.

But Optorio was in sight, and I hurried and straightened out my ship, aiming for a landing strip that Vink had mentioned in an earlier call. It's the area his friends worked at, and any friend of Vink was a friend of mine right that moment. The ships behind us were still on our tail, but I was a Royal Guard. I knew how to outfly most people – including those employed by the Regent Council obviously.

“Prepare for landing,” I screeched, pulling on the lever to help us touch ground. As we did so, the entire ship shook violently and there were some sounds like metal grinding on metal that didn't sound good. Not at all.

I pulled the brakes and we stopped, suddenly. I set the ship down with a hard thud and we hurried to exit the ship, and I tossed Riley a weapon. “Just worry about protecting yourself. And don't you dare try to be a hero,” I said. 'There's time for that later.”

She nodded, and I opened the hatch to leave the ship, looking around as I exited. I didn't let Riley come out at first, not before I checked for enemies. And that's when I saw them.

An army of men, marching toward us. Weapons drawn. My blood ran cold for a moment thinking the worst. But then I saw the ray of sunlight streaming through the dark clouds that hung over my head.

“Alright. We're in business,” I said, feeling my heart race. “He did it. Vink did it.”

“What? What is it?” Riley asked, coming out of the ship against my orders.

“It's them,” I said, tears forming in my eyes.

“It's who?” she asked.

“My brothers. They're here, Riley. They're here to help us.”

Chapter Four

Riley

As Jendrish's men approached, so did the enemy. And a pitched, raging battle broke out in front of my very eyes.

“Get back in the ship, Riley,” Jendrish yelled at me as he ran toward the battle raging on in front of him. I turned, ready to retreat as he'd told me to, but that was when I realized where we were at.

We were near where I'd escaped. The building where I – and so many others – had been held captive. I recognized the back entry of the building, just barely. And better yet, everyone was distracted and running around fighting with one another. Nobody noticed me – or if they had, they'd decided that I wasn't worth the time or energy to fight. Which was just fine with me. Better than fine, actually.

I decided to make a run for it. I rushed away from the battle, giving one last worried look back at Jendrish. He was locked in a fight with a large man who had red and black hair, muscles bulging out from everywhere, and a face that looked – mean.

“Please, keep him safe,” I prayed to myself. Please, just please let him be okay.

The door to where I had been kept opened and I made a quick dash for it. Someone had stepped out to join the fight, and I hit them over the head with my weapon, knocking them out. His body slumped to the ground and I had to resist the urge to kill him right then and there. Taking a deep breath, I rushed inside and found that the cages were still full of women. Even more than the last time. Women of all races and species. And yet, the all had one thing in common – they looked terrified. My heart broke for them.

Jendrish had given me a device to use to deactivate the electronic security on the cells. I pulled it from my pocket and placed it against the locks. I looked around as the women began chittering excitedly, calling to me, begging to be let out. One-by-one, the cell doors opened. No one had come out yet to stop me – and for that I was relieved and thankful

The women came pouring out of the cells – just a massive wave of humanity. They all clustered in the corridor, unsure of what to do next.

“Come on,” I said, motioning for them to leave.

I wasn't entirely sure where we were going to go, but we had to leave here. We couldn't stay or somebody would eventually find us and then things would get really, really bad. There were just so many women there and I wasn't sure if we could hide everybody or not.

But on the spur of the moment, I decided that at least we could try to board the damaged ship Jendrish and I had gotten there in. Perhaps close it up and keep us there and keep us safe until the battle was over. Because the cold, harsh reality was that if Jendrish and his men didn't win this, we weren't getting home regardless. And if they did, we'd be safe.

The door to the cells opened, and I saw a familiar face that turned my insides to liquid. My hands trembled as he shouted at me.

“Run!” I yelled to the women. “Go outside toward the big ship with the open doors. Climb aboard, now!”

They listened, especially once they saw the guard coming toward me, lurching down the hallway. I held the weapon Jendrish had given me and pointed it at the man. Seeing me with the weapon in my hand, the man's smile faltered slightly, but he stopped dead in his tracks. Which was the desired result.

“You'd think you'd have tightened security since the last time I was here,” I said.

“Oh, we have,” he said, smiling at me. “No one is getting off the planet alive. You can run outside, but you're not going anywhere. Or at least, not very far, anyway. I can promise you that.”

“Maybe you're right,” I said. “But I also know most of us would rather die trying to escape than be stuck here in a goddamn cage a minute longer.”

I held the gun steady, even as I struggled with my nerves. I couldn't tremble. I couldn't show him weakness or fear. And to shoot and be accurate about it, I needed to do it with a steady hand. I looked the man in the face and saw a small, cruel smile touching his lips. Despite the revulsion and hatred that flowed through my body for him, I was finding it difficult to actually pull the trigger. I tried to force myself to just squeeze it, but I couldn't. I was having a hard time making that ultimate decision.

But if I didn't shoot him, he was certain to alert others and bring a lot of armed men down on our heads. I had to remind myself – this was a man who willingly held us against our will and sold us to others for sex. He didn't deserve to live. But still, making that choice was a lot harder than I thought it would be. And the longer I stood there debating with myself, the more I could tell he doubted my ability to actually follow through and pull the trigger.

I remembered Nicole, the first women I'd gotten to know, and the first one I lost as she was dragged from the cell and sold to the highest bidder. She hadn't gone quietly or easily, kicking, hitting, biting, and screaming the entire time. She was a tough lady. As I thought about her, I got to wondering – was she even alive anymore? Would I ever find out? Or would her fate forever be a mystery?

She was gone – possibly even dead – and it was all because of the man standing right before me. Well, him and others like him.

“Oh, you'll die alright,” he said. “But not before I fuck you personally.”

As his words echoed in my ears, I was suddenly filled with a dark, abiding rage. I hated this man with my entire being and I wanted him dead. Without thinking, the rage took over and I pulled back on the trigger. A loud burst caused a few of the women to scream, but then silence descended over us all. I stared at the remnants of the guard, who now had a big, gaping hole in his head. His hair was singed and a pool of blue blood seeped out all over the floor around him.

“Oh God, I killed him,” I said, trembling as I looked at the fallen man.

“He deserved to die,” a woman said, reaching out to me. “Let's go, sweetie.”

Taking a deep breath, my body still shaking, I followed her and before I knew it, I was in the lead once more, guiding the women to the ship. Outside, chaos reigned. Men were everywhere fighting with each other. Bodies littered the ground and blood seemed to soak the dirt. I tried to find Jendrish in the flurry of battle, but I couldn't make out any faces.

Only a few men remained at all – most had already fallen. Which didn't look good at all.

Once the others were secured on the ship, I ran back out. I screamed for Jendrish, calling out for him over and over again. But there was no answer. Now, only a few men remained, all of them dead or dying. I searched their faces, turning over the dead, afraid of what I might find.

But there was no Jendrish. None whatsoever.

Did that mean he'd captured? Was he chasing somebody else down? Where had he gone?

“JENDRISH!” I screeched, falling to my knees, tears rushing to my eyes.

I knew I shouldn't be yelling – not with the enemy so close by. But my heart was breaking thinking of all the terrible things they might have done to him. I came with him because the idea of never seeing him again hurt too much. And yet, there I was, faced with that same possibility even though I came with him anyway. Not only that, but I had a ship full of women that I was responsible for.

“Are you Riley?” a male's voice called out from behind me.

“Yes, I am,” I said, tightening my grip on my weapons as I turned and stared apprehensively.

“Jendrish has been looking for you,” he said. “Come with me, please.”

I looked toward the ship full of women and wondered – was this man to be trusted?

“We've won, Riley,” he said. “We're arresting the Regent Council now. Everyone is safe.”

I still wasn't sure if I should believe him or not. Didn't know if I should go with him or not. Or whether this was just some trap. And I stood there frozen in fear.

“My name is Vink,” he said again. “I'm a friend of Jendrish's.”

As soon as I heard the name, I recognized it. From the call Jendrish made the other night on the ship, while I was asleep. I woke up to him talking to someone, someone who was helping him.

Someone named Vink. And the more he spoke, the more I recognized the voice. A wave of relief swept through me and I loosened my grip on my weapon.

“We've won,” he said again, smiling even wider. “And Jendrish is alive and well, I promise you.”

“Can you make sure they're safe?” I said, pointing to the ship behind me. “I can't leave them without knowing they're guarded.”

Vink nodded. “Of course.”

He sent several men over, men that reminded me more of Jendrish than the guards we were fighting against. I couldn't be sure this wasn't a trap, however, but I had little choice. I followed the strange man, hoping I'd made the right decision.

Chapter Five

Jendrish

I was covered in blood from head to toe – some of it my own, most of it belonging to my enemy. We'd taken out the Regents' guards, but it had been bloody and terrible. It was about as bad as I'd been expecting it to be. But my men had acted bravely and fought fiercely. Now we were walking toward the building that housed the chambers where the Regents were said to be meeting. They were in for a very unpleasant surprise.

They'd locked themselves inside their chambers, hoping to protect themselves from us if the battle had turned in our favor and not theirs. But little did they know, we had people on the inside. People with keys. People who secretly hated them as much as we did. Our support network went far and wide – which was how we managed to win this war once and for all.

And now, these bastards were going down and I was going to personally handcuff them all. Or kill the ones who refused to give themselves up.

I should have been celebrating, but my mind kept drifting back to Riley, which sent a wave of worry and fear through me. Where was she? Was she okay? Had she fallen? I'd lost sight of her during the battle – she'd run off and not toward the ship like I'd told her. After that, I couldn't find her, and I feared the worst. She was a tough woman and had been through so much. And she was only one person against so many.

The doors to the Council chambers opened with a swish, and the Regents were sitting at the front, their eyes wide with surprise and not an inconsiderable amount of fear as we walked in. I was the first to step inside, and I made the announcement.

“For crimes against other living beings, I, put you under arrest,” I intoned. “You will be tried by a High Court, but trust me, I will push for the harshest sentence possible.”

On Optorio, the death penalty was rare, but not outlawed. In cases of intergalactic law – such as this one, where women were being abducted from systems all over the galaxy – it was very likely they'd all be sentenced to death. And as I made my announcement placing them under arrest, I believe they knew it.

I personally handcuffed all of them and felt an enormous wave of satisfaction in doing it. That satisfaction only deepened as I watched them all being taken away. Again, I should be celebrating, but Vink had yet to return with Riley and I was starting to fear the worst.

That's when I heard her voice call out to me, “Jendrish!”

I turned and Riley ran toward me, a wide smile on her face. We embraced, clinging to each other tightly, the moment she reached me. But then I remembered the blood covering nearly every inch of me and stepped away. She wouldn't have it though, and pulled me closer once more, kissing me in front of everyone. Not that I minded. In fact, I was proud of her, proud of what we had, and I wanted to kiss her just as badly.

Someone cleared their throat not too far from us.

“We have another guest,” Vink said.

I turned and saw our former king – Bazarok – the man who said he'd never step foot back on this planet, striding into the Council chambers. He walked toward me, hand outstretched to shake. He gave me a broad smile as I shook his hand. And when he spoke, he sent my brain spinning. I was overcome with gratitude and felt a little weird about being in the spotlight, as he personally thanked me for restoring peace to the planet.

“It's my pleasure, sir. But really, the credit belongs to the troops. They're the ones who made this all happen,” I said, resisting the urge to bow since he wasn't technically our king. Not yet at least. I looked up at him, hopeful. “Does this mean you're coming back to claim the throne?”

“No, not at all,” he said. “I meant it when I said I wasn't interested in the throne. Instead, I'm here to set up a new government since the previous one is now in prison for serious crimes. There are some serious flaws with allowing one small group to amass and hold all the power. There must be a middle ground – one that truly represents the people. ”

A new government. Of course. Not that I should be surprised, but I was disappointed that Baz was serious about not returning. We needed leadership like him, someone to be the strength and moral compass for the government so things like this never happened again. But I knew it was just a dream. Baz was never coming back – there would be no king.

“Everyone get cleaned up and join me in the Great Hall,” Baz said. “We need to talk this out and get a move-on, my wife and I have a baby on the way.”

“Sir, I didn't know you were expecting,” I said.

“We're not. We can't have children with humans, not naturally,” I said. “We've chosen to adopt a little boy instead.”

“Congratulations,” I said. “That's great news.”

Bazarok was happy, I could see it in his eyes and in the glow about him. And I couldn't blame him for seeking out his own happiness, wherever he found it. I glanced over at Riley and smiled, feeling happy myself. Now that we'd stopped the slave trade, I could forge ahead with a future that included her. Hopefully, a long, long future of love and happiness.

Or so I could hope.

Chapter Six

Bazarok called the meeting to order, and the room instantly grew silent. Riley was tending to the women, as she wasn't officially one of us since she was a human, and therefore was not privy to internal governmental matters. But my Royal Guardsmen were present – including Vink who sat beside me.

“It's so great being back together again,” he said.

“Isn't it?”

I had to admit, I loved being part of the Royal Guard and it was something I missed dearly. These men had quite literally risked their lives today. Some of them had given their lives. And they'd all done it for something they could have ignored. But they didn't. And that's exactly the type of men we were. That's exactly the type of men this government needed.

“We are, of course, going to elect a new council, from those most loyal to Optorio. From those most dedicated to it,” Baz said. “And I can't think of anyone more loyal than those seated here today. But first, a few changes I'd like to propose. I want to reinstate the Royal Guard. We need an army with a strong moral compass to help run the affairs of our planet – and to help those who need it most.”

“But I guess we need to re-name it since we no longer have a king,” someone whispered nearby. The person they were talking to agreed and chuckled softly.

Baz heard them and smiled. “On the contrary. I've decided that in addition to a council, we are going to elect one person to act as king. The king will serve as the check against the Council and the Council will serve as the check against the king. Power is distributed and cannot be amassed by just one person.”

The crowd gasped and people started chatting amongst themselves. This was huge news. Bazarok might not be king, but someone would be. The idea of having someone loyal and moral on the throne was a nice thought, but we'd have to be careful in choosing them, of course. I glanced over at Vink and smiled, already knowing we had an excellent candidate for such a position.

“Of course, they will have to work with the council,” Bazarok continued once the chamber settled down. “This king will not be a dictator and will not have the final authority. But he will be a strong figurehead who can help keep the systems in check. The Royal Guard will also be present to support this king and to make sure no one group has too much power. With all of these positions, I want you to think carefully before making any decisions or nominations. Let's pick people who are strong, moral, virtuous, and who will do what's right by Optorio. I want you all to take this very seriously and select men from among you who you believe are worthy.”

Baz fell silent again and looked out over the chamber as we all talked amongst ourselves. I didn't need any more time to make my decision. I already knew who I was putting up for the king's position. Vink deserved it more than anybody else in this chamber.

“Do we have any nominations for the king?” Baz asked.

The room went silent as people perhaps, suddenly seemed to timid to speak out loud. On the other side of the coin, I was glad to not see the room descend into the chaos of people talking and screaming over one another. Efficient and orderly is always for the best.

“Yes, Jendrish?” Baz asked.

“I'd like to nominate Vink,” I said as I stood up. “He has always been the most loyal member of the guard, and someone I trust to always put the needs of the people first. He is the most qualified man for this job.”

“Very well,” Baz said.

Vink stood up, and I assumed he was ready to accept, but instead shocked me to the core when he opened his mouth and replied.

“No, I don't accept, and here's why.” he pointed to me. “This young man right here has more years left in him than I do. And even being younger, he's a better man than I ever was or ever will be. If we're looking for somebody with a strong moral compass and fortitude for days, this is your man.”

“That's not true, Vink – ”

“Alas, it is true. It's very true. Look what you've done. Jendrish,” he said. “Look at all you've accomplished – even while you were far away from home and all alone. This is a result of your hard work and dedication. We merely followed your lead.”

“I agree,” Baz said, smiling me. “Since Vink has declined, that only leaves Jendrish as a nominee at the moment. Do we have any other nominations?”

I remained rooted to my seat, stunned but somewhat excited by the prospect too. I wanted to decline the nomination as well, but in my heart, I also wanted this. I loved my home, I loved fighting for the people. To be able to hold the throne, to protect and serve the planet I loved, was something I'd always dreamed of. And there it was, moments away from my dream becoming reality and I couldn't find the words to decline the nomination, I was literally speechless.

There were no other nominations. When they called it to a vote, every single person voted for me. It was unanimous – except for my vote because I was still stunned.

“Then may I present to you, King Jendrish,” Bazarok said, calling me to the front.

My legs felt like noodles as I made my way to the front. Bazarok hugged me and whispered, “You were the only person I trust with this position, Jendrish. Thank you for your dedication.”

I was still in shock, my mind was fuzzy. But then it hit me. And when it did, it felt like I'd been kicked in the midsection so hard, it took every ounce of fight out of me.

Riley.

If I were king, I'd have to stay here. I'd have to live here.

The idea of having to choose between my planet and the woman I was falling for gutted me. It absolutely tore me apart. But there I was – on the verge of having to make that very decision whether I liked it or not.

Chapter Seven

Riley

Now that the battle was over and it was safe to explore, I walked around with a few of the women we'd freed. The first place I walked to was a beach, which was so odd to see, given that the water was red instead of blue. One of the Royal Guards explained that it had to do with the mineral content and that it was safe for humans to swim in. Bazarok himself had this very same question when he brought his wife there, and extensive research went into the subject to provide him with an answer.

Still, it was so weird to dip my toes into red sea water. Yet, I was the first one to do so, walking out and letting the cool water lap at my feet. I smiled, since it reminded me a lot of Sapphire Bay. It was similar, but oh so different too. It was neat being there though, I had to admit. I'd hardly ever had the chance to travel my own country – and yet, there I was, walking along the beaches of another planet.

“Are there any sea creatures to be afraid of?” I asked. “Like sharks or jellyfish?”

“Just my fellow aliens, I'm afraid.” It wasn't the guard who answered, however. It was Jendrish.

I turned as quickly as possible, so happy to see him. And as soon as he saw me, he smiled. He was no longer covered in blood, and while he had some wounds here and there, they were mostly shallow cuts and scratches. Nothing major – for which, I was eternally grateful.

He walked out toward me, joining me in the water. He was smiling, but there was also something else behind those eyes of his. Something I couldn't place.

“The minerals are healing to us,” he said, cupping some of the water and letting it soak through his bandages.

Jendrish didn't look me in the eyes, nor did he run to me and kiss me as I'd hoped. He was a little stand-offish. A little aloof. There was something wrong – I just didn't know what. I went to him, pulling him into a tight embrace and breathed his scent, a smell I'd never grow tired of.

“I'm just glad you're okay,” I said, kissing the side of his head.

“And I'm glad you're okay,” he said.

He took my face in his hands and examined it carefully, as if he was making sure I wasn't hurt. Somehow, I managed to get out without a single scratch. Of course, I hadn't been in the middle of a wicked, pitched fight like him.

He turned to the guard and said, “May we have a moment alone? Just me and Riley, please?”

The guard nodded and left, taking the others further down on the beach. I wrapped my arms around Jendrish's neck, holding him close.

“What's wrong, sweetie?” I asked, stroking his silky hair away from his face.

“I have some news. Some unexpected news, actually,” he said. “Can we take a walk?”

We made our way back to the shore, my anxiety ratcheting up with every step. I had no idea what was going on, what was going through his mind, or what was wrong. And it worried me tremendously. Jendrish walked me toward a palace overlooking the beach. But we didn't go inside, instead, he took me through a small gate which found us surrounded by trees and exotic flowers, the likes of which I'd never seen before.

The sweet smell was delightful and made me feel good, but the fear of what Jendrish was about to tell me crippled me with fear, making it hard to enjoy the beauty around me. He took my hand in his and walked me through the gardens.

Jendrish blurted out – seemingly randomly – the news he'd been holding inside. He spoke quickly, as if to get it off his tongue and off his heart. Nothing like ripping the Band-Aid off fast.

“My people have asked me to be their king,” he said.

Turning toward him, I gasped, my eyes wide. “That's amazing news, Jendrish. Congratulations, sweetheart. I know how much you want to serve your people. That sounds like the perfect opportunity to do so.”

Yet, he still didn't look happy. Not at all.

“What am I missing?” I asked.

“I don't know what to do, Riley. I've never felt so strongly about any woman before, I think I might be falling in love with you – ”

“I already know I love you, Jendrish.”

Those words brought joy to his eyes for a split second, before he wiped it away, returning to a solemn expression. “And that's what's killing me. I want to be with you, more than anything in the world, I do – ”

“Are you ending things?” I asked, feeling my heart drop into my chest.

“If I'm to be king, I would have to stay here, on Optorio. I couldn't return with you to Earth.”

“Where you go, I go, Jendrish. I meant that.”

“But that would mean – are you willing to do that, Riley? Leave Earth and all you know behind for this far-off planet?”

“Live here, you mean?” I asked.

It was such a serious question, one that should require more time to think. But what did I have back on Earth? I had no family, a dead end job, no friends. Here – well, I had Jendrish. And a chance at a new start, a start unlike any I could've dreamed up for myself. The possibilities were endless, even as scary as they were.

He nodded, not looking me in the eye. I took his chin in my hands and made him meet my gaze. “Yes, yes, Jendrish. I would. In a heartbeat. And you wanna know why? Because I love you and I'm not ashamed to say that,” I said. “I have nothing on Earth that kills me to leave behind. But the idea of leaving you destroys me. Besides, look at this place. It's like a work of art. And I'd get to live here, on this planet?”

“And in this palace,” he said, pointing to the house behind us.

“Here? Really?” I asked, my eyes growing wide. “This is your home?”

“It is now, as king,” he said.

The home was larger than my entire apartment building. A lot fancier too. And it overlooked the beach and the gardens. “I'd be overjoyed to stay here with you, Jendrish. You have no idea how amazing this would be for me.”

The sadness in his eyes dissipated and was replaced by hope and excitement. This was happening. This was possible.

“I love you, Riley,” he said, kissing me before I could say anything else.

One thing led to another, as our kisses turned more passionate, and he started undressing me right there in the royal gardens.

“Are you sure we can do this here?” I laughed.

“It's our home, Riley. “It's completely private and safe,” he said softly, stroking my face. “But if you don't want to – ”

“Well, if you say so.” I unzipped his suit, as I was becoming a real pro at this, and let it fall around us. I let him finish undressing me too.

Jendrish laid me down on the softest ground he could find and cradled my head in his hands as we made love. The sounds of the waves nearby only added to the surreal nature of it all, as he kissed me deeply, penetrating me and taking me as his own. He moved inside of me like the waves rolled over the ocean. He was deep and his thrusting sent bolts of electricity up every nerve ending in my body.

I was his, and he was mine.

And this was my home now.

Or rather – our home.

Together, we rode out the pleasure, climaxing together as he repeated yet again, “I love you, Riley.”

And never before had I believed a man when he said those words, even during sex. But this time was different.

This time was real.

Book 5 – Rebels

Chapter One

Jendrish

The night air was cool and the twin moons of Optorio were mostly obscured by clouds. The world around us was gloomy and dim – perfect conditions for our raiding party. We moved silently and swiftly down the alleyway between two old warehouses. We'd gotten a tip that some of the rebels had been staging operations from a warehouse in one of the older districts in Tochasea – the capitol city on Optorio.

We moved quietly down the alley in a single file formation. Vink, my most trusted friend and commander led the column while I followed closely behind. Another dozen of our finest warriors followed me, their footsteps so soft and quiet, it sounded like nothing more than the soft whisper of a breeze.

Vink held up a hand to halt the column and we all stopped, taking a knee in unison. The Guard was a well run, well disciplined machine and I'd always been proud of my time serving with my brothers. We hunkered down in the darkness as I watched Vink switch on the imaging goggles attached to his helmet – the imaging goggles, or im-go's, as we called them – allowed him to essentially see in the dark and detect the heat signatures of beings inside of buildings.

The rebels were rogue elements of the now disbanded and imprisoned Regent Council. I'd banded together with some of my brothers from the old Royal Guard – an elite unit of warriors tasked with protecting the king and royal family. Once the Regents came to power though, they saw no use for the Guard and had disbanded them.

Some had found employment on the staff of one Regent or another. They had families to feed so I took no issue with them taking money to do a job. My issue was with the Regents who were paying blood wages on the backs of the Optorion people.

In the wake of King Bazarok's abdication, the Regent Council had been appointed to rule our world. They were supposed to make life better and more prosperous for everybody. Instead, they only benefitted themselves. They grew rich and fat while the everyday Optorion struggled to survive.

The deprivation of our people and the decline of what had been one of our planetary system's shining beacons of civilizations had been terrible to witness. And I'd felt entirely powerless to do anything about it. I'd see it every single day, saw the people starving, saw the desperation in their eyes, but didn't think I could make a difference.

That was, until one of my father's old friends came by. Tarkonil was a member of the Regent Council and one of former King Bazarok's oldest and most trusted friends. More importantly, he looked around Optorio and saw what I saw. He was impacted by it in much the same way I was. But unlike me, he had sought to do something about it.

He'd started collecting information about the various criminal enterprises the Regents were engaged in and was determined to bring them all down. It was an endeavor that ultimately claimed his life – a wrong I was determined to set right. Good men like Tarkonil should not be sacrificed and then forgotten as the world moved forward without them.

I vowed that once my rule was firmly in place and all elements of the Regents had been wiped away like the blot on our society they were, that I would memorialize Tarkonil. I would ensure that nobody ever forgot him or the sacrifice he made to give our world back to us.

“You okay?”

I looked up, shaken out of my reverie by the sound of Vink's voice. He was looking back at me, a look of mild amusement blended with concern upon his face. He wasn't necessarily concerned about me, he was more concerned with focus – or lack thereof – putting our squad in jeopardy. And rightly so.

“Fine,” I said in a low voice. “I'm fine.”

“You know you can hang back,” Vink said. “There's no need for you to go in there. You're the king. You have nothing to prove.”

I shook my head. “I have everything to prove.”

“No. You don't,” Vink said. “I've told you before that I'd rather you not take part in these raids. They're dangerous enough without having to worry about saving your ass on top of it.”

I grinned at him. “I'll be just fine,” I said. “I'm a Guardsman, remember?”

His gave me a lopsided grin in return. “Yeah, you used to be,” he said. “Now, you're just some fancy, candy-assed Royal.”

“Don't make me shoot you.”

“Would you actually do that yourself?” he asked. “Or have one of your staff do it for you?”

“Oh, I'd do it myself,” I said. “And take great pleasure in doing so.”

Vink chuckled softly. “We've got four bodies in that building dead ahead,” he said softly into his comm device. “Endryl, you take Alpha squad through the east entrance. I'll lead Bravo through the front. Move out.”

Endryl and six of the other Guardsmen moved silently around us, moving through the shadows toward their designated entry point. Vink looked at me.

“And you're sure the biosystems net is still inactive?” he asked. “The last thing we need is to walk into a heavily armed group who knew we were coming.”

I nodded. “It's inactive,” I said. “And the details of our raids are being kept off of all systems as a secondary precaution. Only those who need to know the details know them. You deliver the briefings yourself.”

He nodded as well. “I do. My only concern is what's happening with the information before it gets to me. After what happened over in – ”

I held up my hand to cut him off because I knew where he was going. A couple of weeks back, before I'd had the biosystems net disabled, we'd walked into a buzzsaw. The rebels knew we were coming and had staged an ambush. We lost almost a dozen men. Good men.

Obviously, there was a mole working in my administration and he'd fed key information to the rebels.

Since then, I'd disabled the biosystems net. Our artificially intelligent biosystems were something the people of Optorio relied on. An achievement we were proud of. Before the reign of the Regent Council, everybody had access to the implants necessary to engage with their very own biosystem computer. Once the Regents took over, the restricted access to the biosystem net to only those within the Council or those they deemed necessary to the functioning of the government.

Normal, everyday citizens had been banned from the net.

To people like Riley – or anybody not from Optorio, really – people used to living without an implanted biosystem, it was difficult to explain what it meant. We were so used to having it, that we keenly felt its absence. As I hunkered down in that alley, I was very aware that Ozul, my biosystem companion, was not there with me. They became a part of us. And not having them was almost like missing a limb. Or at least, one of our senses.

It was something I'd vowed to change once I took control. The biosystem net was something every citizen contributed to and every citizen had a right to, as far as I was concerned. The biosystem was for the people – and by the people. It wasn't for the ruling class or the elites of our planet.

But given recent events, I'd had to suspend the net once more. Only those I deemed critical had access to their implants and the system. It had sparked outrage of course, but I was doing all I could to assure them that it was a temporary measure. That once all elements of the Regents had been erased, life would go back to normal and everybody would have access to the biosystem net once more.

My assurances did little to quell the unease of the people. And I couldn't necessarily blame them. They had suffered mightily beneath the boot of the Regents.

“It's disabled Vink,” I said. “The only people who know we're coming are those on this mission with us right now.”

He nodded, but I could still see the unease in his eyes. He was concerned for his men – a trait I admired greatly and something that made him an excellent commander.

“Well then,” he said. “Let's get to it, shall we?”

“Indeed.”

He gave me a grin as a nearly crazed light shined in his eyes. Vink lived for moments like this. He was at his best when he was in the middle of the action. He'd once told me he never felt more alive than when he was in the middle of a fight. Of course, given the lack of conflict Optorio had engaged in, those moments were few and far between for Vink – so he tended to really relish them.

He keyed the comm device on his wrist. “Alpha squad, are you in position?”

“Affirmative, sir,” came the hushed reply. “Awaiting your command.”

“Stand by,” Vink said and turned to us. “Let's get into position.”

As one, we stood and moved to the doorway we'd be entering through. I stood with half the remaining squad on one side of the door, while Vink and the rest stood on the other. I knelt down and placed a sonic charge at the base of the door and then looked up at Vink, giving him a curt nod.

“Alpha squad,” he whispered into his comm device. “Set off your charge on my mark. Three... two... one... ”

There was a bright flash followed by a low rumble and then the door simply disintegrated into a small pile of ash. The squad was through the doorway before the last of the ash had even fallen, weapons at the ready.

Pinned between the Alpha and Bravo squad who had entered through the other door were two men and a woman I didn't recognize – but judging by the look of pure hatred and the weapons in their hands, they were without a doubt, Regent rebels. A number of tables were spread around the room and were filled with weapons and what looked like explosive devices. Clearly, the tip we'd received had panned out well.

“Place your weapons on the ground,” Vink said. “And put your hands in the air. By order of the authority of the lawful crown of Optorio, you are to be detained and questioned.”

The atmosphere in the room was filled with a malevolent sense of foreboding. It felt charged. Expectant. It felt like the air just before a particularly wicked storm broke. As I scanned the room, something felt off to me. Something wasn't right.

And then it hit me.

“Vink,” I said. “Where's the fourth?”

He shot me a look. “What?”

“When you scanned the building, you picked up four bodies in here,” I said. “There are only three here. Where's the fourth?”

As if in response to my question, a hidden door in the back wall of the room came crashing open. A man dressed in black from head to toe rushed out, his weapon at the ready and trained on Vink. Moving without thinking, I stepped in front, shoving Vink out of the way just as the man opened up. As Vink fell to the ground, blue lasers erupted from the gunman's weapon, catching me in the chest and stomach. It felt like hammer blows to my body, but with a crackling sound filling my ears and the smell of something burning filling my nose, I stood my ground and returned fire.

As my lasers pierced his body in multiple places, I heard the sound of gunfire behind me. Apparently, the other three in the room decided that they weren't going down without a fight. The gunman dropped to the ground and was still. I fell to a knee, trying to catch my breath. My body ached from where his shots hit me. Thankfully, I was wearing my sonic body armor – the very thing I'd argued against but Vink had insisted I wear.

“Are you okay?” Vink said, taking a knee beside me.

I nodded, still struggling to catch my breath. “Fine,” I gasped. “I'm fine.”

Vink looked behind us and then turned his attention back to me. “I told you that you need to stop coming on these raids,” he admonished me. “You're going to get yourself killed out here. This is no place for a king.”

I gave him a lopsided grin as my breath slowly began coming back to me. “I was a Guardsman first,” I said. “I do about as well out of the action as you do.”

“You have bigger responsibilities now,” he said. “You're a king.”

“A king who has no desire to send others to fight my battles,” I said. “I will not send others to do that which I'm unwilling to do.”

Vink looked at me and sighed – but I could see the respect behind his eyes. He may not like it, but he had to understand and respect it. We were Guardsmen. Getting into the fight was what we did. And king or not, it was what I intended to continue doing.

Vink helped me to my feet and scanned the room, looking for any other threats. The rest of the Guardsmen had formed a protective circle around me. Not that they needed to. Everybody in the room who could have been a threat was dead.

“Doesn't look like we're going to have anybody to interrogate,” I said.

Vink sighed. “They gave us no choice.”

I nodded. “I know,” I replied. “I just want to put an end to these rebels. And to do that, we need information.”

“At least all of these weapons are out of circulation,” Vink said.

I nodded. “There is that.”

I turned and looked down at the bodies of the rebels. They hadn't stood a chance and yet, despite that, they'd tried to fight their way out. These people were committed, I at least had to give them that. Of course, they were committed to killing me and seizing control of Optorio, which lessened my sympathy for them tremendously.

“Okay, that's it,” Vink said. “Let's get somebody out here to clean this up and pack it in.”

The rest of our squad got to work and I walked out of the building with Vink. We were silent for a few moments before he turned to me.

“I'm glad you're okay,” he said. “But seriously, we need to talk about you participating in these raids.”

I shook my head. “I'm going to keep participating,” I said. “It's my duty.”

“It's your duty to keep yourself safe,” he replied. “For Optorio's sake. Do you really want this planet to fall back into the hands of the Regents?”

“Of course not,” I said. “But nor do I want to be seen as the type of king who is unwilling to get his hands dirty. The kind of king who believes he's above anybody else. I can't ask these men – I can't ask you – to risk everything, while I risk nothing.”

He sighed again. “I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?”

I shook my head. “No, you're really not.”

“Fine,” he replied. “But we are going to be taking extra precautions next time.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to cut me off.

“As the mission commander,” Vink said. “It's my way or no way at all. King or not, I have an entire squad to worry about.”

He had me there and I knew it. There was nothing I could say. Oh sure, I could pull rank – I was the king after all – but it would do me no good and would only alienate my most trusted ally.

“Fine,” I said. “We will do things your way.”

He nodded, satisfied. Or at least, as satisfied as he could be given the fact that I refused to be left behind.

“You could do one thing that would help me though,” I said.

He cocked his head and looked at me. “What's that?”

“Make sure all of the bad guys are accounted for so they don't sneak up behind me,” I said and laughed.

He looked at me and then a slow smile spread across his face. His laughter soon followed and he clapped me on the shoulder.

“I'll do my best next time,” he said.

Chapter Two

Riley

“Thank you, Ynora,” I said. “Everything looks absolutely perfect.”

Ynora smiled. “You're welcome, m'lady.”

I stood on the balcony just off of our chambers and looked at the table she'd arranged for us. The sky was finally clearing and the twin moons of Optorio were shining down, casting the world in a sparkling, silvery light. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was the perfect ambiance for the night of romance I was planning.

It had been eight months since we came to Optorio and Jendrish assumed the throne. And in those eight months, it seemed like I had barely seen him. I knew that he was being kept incredibly busy. I couldn't pretend to know everything that went into being a king, but I knew that the commitment of time was enormous.

Obviously, since we barely got to spend any time together.

Which was why, I made sure he carved a little bit of time out of his schedule every now and then – time for us. Time where he didn't have to worry about affairs of state or anything else. Time when we could simply focus on each other.

Looking forward to those shared times was one of the few things keeping me sane. I had very little to do and really was the proverbial stranger in a strange land. Though most of the people of Optorio were very gracious and welcoming, I couldn't help but notice how many stares I got. Some were curious, some were openly hostile. Though there were many different alien species mingling around in the marketplaces, Optorion society was decidedly – homogenous.

Strangers tended to stand out. It felt like perhaps because I was with Jendrish and everybody knew it, I tended to stand out even more. And I got the distinct impression that some people simply did not approve of the fact that their king was with a human. Jendrish liked to say that I was being too sensitive, that Optorion society was open and welcoming. But he didn't see the looks I got. Didn't feel the cold shoulders I sometimes felt.

I hoped that one day, I would feel welcomed. That I could make Optorio feel like a home. But I wasn't sure how far off that day was. Or if it would ever arrive.

Still, I had Jendrish. And I had managed to develop a few close friendships. That's what got me through most days. That's what helped keep me sane and keep me from feeling like I'd made a horrible mistake – the most horrible mistake of my life.

But now that I was on an entirely different planet, there was no easy fix for that kind of mistake.

I cared for Jendrish. A lot. It was crazy given how little time we'd actually known one another, but there was something about him that I'd never found in another man I'd been with. At least, in no human man I'd ever been with. After a particularly bad and abusive relationship, I'd thought that I'd closed myself off to love. At least until I had my house in order and was well on my way toward achieving my goals. But Jendrish had fallen out of the sky and into my life – literally – and had changed a great deal about my thinking. And my life.

As thankful as I was to have him in my life and to be a part of his, it didn't change the fact that I was lonely. I wandered around the halls of this amazing palace, studied the art and culture of the Optorion people, spent a lot of time on that strange, yet beautiful beach just outside – but I did all of those things alone. I wanted to share these new and amazing experiences with Jendrish, but his duties kept him away from me most of the time.

“Are you okay, m'lady?”

I turned and gave a small start. I'd been so lost in my head, thinking about all of my problems, that I nearly having forgotten that Ynora was still there.

“Sorry, Ynora,” I said, giving her a weak smile. “Just sort of caught up in my head again.”

She smiled and nodded as if she understood. And given the amount of time she spent with me, she probably did. Ynora was about the closest thing I had to a best friend on Optorio. She was part of the household staff, but she was more than that to me. She took care of me. Looked after me. Was always there to be a sounding board or to offer up some insight or piece of wisdom.

I'd spent a lot of time with Ynora and genuinely enjoyed her company. She was very smart, witty, easy to talk to, and like seemingly all Optorion women – absolutely gorgeous. She was tall and trim, her body lithe and athletic. She had that Optorion pale skin and hair that was a soft, violet color and fell nearly to her waist. I had to admit that I felt like a bit of an ugly duckling next to her. But she never made me feel anything less than beautiful, always going on about how beautiful I was – though I didn't necessarily believe her, it still made me feel a bit better.

“What is troubling you, m'lady?” she asked.

I looked at her and grinned. “The fact that you keep calling me m'lady,” I said. “It's Riley. And I'd feel a whole lot better if you'd just call me that.”

I saw a spot of color rise in her cheeks. “But that isn't proper. You're to be queen and calling you by your given name is a little too – familiar.”

“You're my friend, Ynora,” I said. “You can't be too familiar with a friend. Call me Riley. Please?”

“I will do my best. But I make no promises,” she said and smiled. “Now, what's really troubling you?”

I shrugged. “The usual,” I replied. “Just missing Jendrish. He's gone so much – it's silly. I know he's busy and has many duties that take up his time and attention... ”

She nodded. “He does have much to do as a king,” she said softly. “But, pardon me for speaking out of turn, but I believe one of those duties should be attending to you. Making sure you're taken care of and not feeling so alone.”

I gave her a grateful smile. “Sometimes I feel like such a needy girl.”

“You are not though,” Ynora replied. “I can't imagine he understands what it must be like for you. You're so far away from your home. On a new world entirely. This has to be so strange and so powerfully overwhelming for you.”

“It is,” I admitted. “I try to be strong though. Try to not make it a big deal. He's got enough to worry about right now. But yeah, it's hard. Not that I had much of a life back on Earth, but at least I was in familiar surroundings. Among familiar people.”

“You should let him see that. You must not feel the need to be strong, m'la – Riley,” she said and smiled as she caught herself. “Make him understand how difficult this is for you.”

“I'm not so sure it would change much,” I said. “He's so focused on being the king.”

“I can tell that he's a good man,” she said. “And from what I have seen, I know he will be a good king. I don't know him very well on a personal level, but I can see that he cares for you. I can tell that he wants to make you happy. I have no doubts that if he knew how much you're struggling, that he would do everything in his power to make it right.”

I sighed. “I just don't want to be a bother.”

“If he truly loves you, nothing you can say or do would be a bother, Riley.”

I looked at her and Ynora favored me with a kind, compassionate expression. She was so good to me. I crossed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. At first she was a little stiff and hesitant but then gradually warmed up and embraced me in return. One thing I'd learned in my time on Optorio was that they were not an overly demonstrative of physically affectionate people. They weren't the kind of people who seemed particularly fond of PDA's. But I was going to change that – at least, among the people I felt were part of my inner circle.

Eventually, I stepped back and wiped away the tears that had welled in my eyes. I wasn't much for crying or letting myself feel – or appear – vulnerable, but I felt like I could be myself around Ynora. I felt like I could let down my guard and it would be okay.

“I feel so fortunate to have you in my life, Ynora,” I said. “Thank you for being such a good friend to me.”

She smiled. “No thanks is necessary, Riley,” she said. “I value your friendship as well. Very much so.”

The door to our chambers opened and Jendrish walked in. He was limping and wincing as he walked, but he smiled at us.

“Am I interrupting?” he asked.

Ynora blushed and bowed her head. “Of course not, your Majesty,” she said. “I was just leaving.”

She shot me a meaningful look – one I interpreted to mean that she thought I should talk to him about everything we'd talked about. But I was worried about Jendrish in that moment. He looked tired and he looked injured. But the fact that he was able to walk in under his own power told me it probably wasn't too serious.

I gave Ynora a small smile and a nod. If it seemed appropriate, I would bring it up. Maybe. She departed the room without another word, softly closing the door behind her. I looked at Jendrish and smiled, all of the warm feelings I got whenever I saw him flooding my body. It had been eight months, but I still got butterflies in my stomach when I saw him. He was a genuinely beautiful man.

“Welcome home,” I said and smiled.

He returned my smile and looked at me. And then his eyes shifted to the table I'd had set up.

“What's all this?” he asked.

“I took the liberty of putting together a small, intimate dinner,” I said. “Just for the two of us.”

He gave me a smile filled with warmth and even a hint of gratitude. “It looks wonderful,” he said. “Thank you.”

Unable to stop myself, I rushed over and threw my arms around Jendrish and squeezed him tight. He winced and groaned softly, making me take a step back. He gave me a weak smile, but I could see the pain in his features.

“Rough day at the office?” I asked.

Chapter Three

Jendrish

“And you didn't think to mention this to me – why?”

Riley stood before me, her arms crossed, and an expression on her face that was both concerned and angry all at the same time. Humans were so emotive and expressive – it was something I was still getting used to.

“I didn't want you to worry.”

And that was the truth. I knew that telling Riley that I was participating in the raids would only upset and concern her. They were dangerous. I knew that and I assumed the risks going in. Nobody, not Vink and not even Riley were going to prevent me from taking part in the raids I ordered.

I winced as I took a seat at the table she had prepared and looked at the lavish feast she'd laid out. Riley had obviously gone to a lot of trouble to put this together – a fact that I appreciated. But as I looked at her, still standing in the same spot, arms still crossed, jaw set, and eyes narrowed, I wasn’t sure I was going to get a chance to indulge in our intimate little dinner.

“This looks wonderful,” I said, smiling and trying to shift the conversation. “I appreciate you going to all of this trouble.”

She sighed and sat down at the table across from me. Grabbing the bottle of wine, she poured a glass for me and then for herself.

“I thought we could use a little alone time,” she said.

I picked up my glass and raised it to her – the light blue fluid inside sparkling in the candlelight. “I think you're right.”

She raised her glass in return, but didn't smile. “Don't think I'm not still pissed, Jendrish,” she said. “You're not getting out of this that easily.”

I took a sip of my drink and smiled. I figured she wasn't going to let it drop that easily – but I'd hoped she would.

“There is really nothing to be concerned with, Riley,” I said. “I'm fine. I promise you.”

“Then why did you look like you were going to scream like a little girl when I hugged you?”

My grin was rueful. “A few bumps and bruises. Nothing more.”

“What happened?” she asked and leaned back in her seat.

Riley took a sip of her wine and I could tell by the look in her eye that she wasn't going to let up until she got the story out of me. I was tired, sore, and hungry – and looking at a feast that included all of my favorites spread out before me, I grew even hungrier. But until she was satisfied, I knew there would be no partaking in such a fine meal.

So I filled her in on the details of the evening's raid. At least, most of the details. I left out the part about being ambushed by one of the rebels in hiding. I downplayed it as simply getting hit during the firefight. I tried to assure her that it wasn't a big deal. Because truthfully, it wasn't. When I was done speaking, I took a sip of my wine and could see the look of shock on her face.

“So, you're telling me that you got shot?” she asked. “Going on some stupid raid you didn't tell me about?”

I shrugged. “To be honest, I did not think it a big deal, Riley,” I said. “Most of the time, nothing happens. The rebels give up without a single shot fired.”

“Most of the time?” she pressed. “And how many of these things have you gone on?”

I shrugged again. “I do not know. A few.”

She shook her head and her face darkened with anger. “And you never once thought to tell me that you were running around out there in the middle of the night, putting yourself in harm's way?”

I sighed. “What good would telling you serve?” I asked. “You would only worry.”

“And apparently with good reason,” she said, her voice rising. “Don't you think I have a right to know?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but then closed it again. I didn't know what to say to that. I was a soldier and I did my job. I wasn't somebody who was used to relationships and having to be answerable to somebody.

“If we're going to be together and I'm going to be your queen, Jendrish,” she said, “you can't shut me out. You can't make decisions like these on your own. And you certainly can't go running off and throw yourself into the middle of a battle. Not only do I need you, but you're a king and your people need you.”

I set my wine glass back down. “As I told Vink, I am a king, yes. But I have no desire to be a king who thinks himself above the common soldier,” I said. “I refuse to be a king who is unwilling to make the same sacrifices I would ask of others.”

“That's not the way this works, Jendrish,” she said. “As the king of Optorio, you have an obligation to your people. And that obligation can only be met if, you know, you're alive.”

I stood up and walked away from the table, standing at the railing of our chamber's balcony with my back to Riley. I felt myself growing upset and I needed to calm down. I did not like it when Vink questioned my reasoning for participating in the raids and I did not like it now that Riley was doing it as well. I did not enjoy the feeling of being told what to do or how to rule.

In my brief time on the throne, far too many people thought to impose their views upon me. Far too many people thought they knew better and wanted to have their say in how I ruled. It didn't sit well with me at all. I was young and inexperienced, yes, but I had a vision and my own thoughts on what was best for Optorio.

“You need not lecture me on my obligations,” I said, my voice cold. “I know all too well what my obligations are.”

I didn't hear her move, but she was suddenly standing behind me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my neck. I winced as she squeezed me and she let me go with a quickly murmured word of apology. Instead, she leaned against the railing next to me. I looked at her and saw that there really was nothing but love and concern in her eyes.

She reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I'm sorry, Jendrish,” she said softly. “I know it's not my place. I'm just worried about you. You're all I have here and if something ever happened to you – ”

Hoping it wasn't too awkward, I pulled her into a tight embrace – I was still getting used to the human concept of physical expressions of affection.

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I said. “You need not worry.”

“You can't promise that,” she said.

She was right, I couldn't. “I am taking every precaution. At Vink's insistence, I am wearing a state of the art body armor. I am the last one through the door and I am very well protected.”

“Fat lot of good that did you tonight,” she said. “You got yourself shot, Jendrish.”

“And yet, here I stand,” he replied. “As you say, none the worse for wear.”

Her laughter was soft, but I could tell that the icy demeanor she'd had earlier was melting. She wasn't happy with the fact that I was going out on the raids, but I thought that she was at least beginning to accept my need to do so. At least, I hoped she was beginning to accept it.

“I am sorry I did not tell you before,” I said. “I honestly did not think about it. I was trained to be a soldier and to do my job. But I understand now that I have to take you into account as well. And I will do my best to be more conscious of that fact.”

“Thank you,” she said and looked up at me. “And I'm sorry for yelling at you about it. I was just so worried. When I saw you in pain, I – ”

I leaned down and kissed her. The last of her anger melted away as I felt her body begin to heat up. Her hands ran up and down my body as we kissed and I pulled her tighter to me – wincing as I did so. We broke our embrace and laughed. This was going to be difficult. But she stirred that fire within me and I felt my need for her rising.

“We just need to go a little – slower,” I said, grinning from ear to ear.

“We can do that.”

She stepped forward and kissed me again, her hands working at my belt. I felt myself growing stiff as she reached down and took hold of me, drawing out a soft moan of pleasure. She moved her hand up and down, squeezing me tight. Being with her was so different than being with an Optorion woman. Unlike humans, we weren't quite as focused on the sensual pleasures of the body. It was more – businesslike, I supposed you could say.

Mating was for procreation, not for recreation. But Riley was teaching me something entirely new – something entirely different. And I had to admit, I was enjoying it immensely.

“I fear dinner is going to get cold,” I said, my breath somewhat ragged.

“Then we'll eat it cold,” she purred. “Later.”

I leaned down and kissed her again. She melted into my arms, so I picked her up and carried her back across the balcony and into our bed chambers. I was suddenly perfectly content with eating dinner cold.

Chapter Four

Veshna

“It pains me to see you in this – place – father,” I said.

He sighed and shook his head, looking grim. It wasn't an expression I was accustomed to seeing on his face. My father, Varnu Morkata, had been an important man. A powerful man. As the Premier of Optorio's Regent Council, he was in essence, the de facto king. All decisions ran through him. Oh, they took a vote on matters for the sake of appearances, but the Council easily bent to his wishes.

But then Jendrish and his soldiers had arrived and upset everything. Worst of all, he'd upset my own plans.

“It pains me to be here, son,” my father replied.

In the months he'd been in prison, he'd withered. He had always been a large, vibrant, and vital man. But now, he was shrunken. Smaller. Weaker. That vibrancy that marked who he was had dissipated. And it made me sick to look at. He wasn't fit to lead our House, let alone lead Optorio.

Most who didn't know him defined him by his seemingly good nature and compassion. Those who knew him though, knew a very different Varnu. He was am ambitious man with a dark, cruel side. He was marked by his greed as well as his unusual taste in foods – and women.

It had been his idea to begin importing women from offworld to force into the sex trade. Personally, I'd been skeptical of it at first. After all, what Optorion man desired alien women? Other than Bazarok, the former king who abdicated his throne, that was. Though, I supposed he'd piqued the interests and desires of other Optorion men. He'd made them wonder what it would be like to be with an alien women. My father had simply taken advantage of that interest.

And it had proved to be one of the most lucrative businesses my family had ever engaged in. My father had accrued a fortune. And fortunately for him, I'd been smart enough to think ahead and hide that fortune in various financial institutions on Optorio and offworld. Though Jendrish and his goons had seized the assets of my family – and those of the other Regents – the bulk of the Morkata fortune was still intact.

And would be put to good use.

“I've spoken with your defender,” I said. “He is not – optimistic about your chances of release.”

He gave me a rueful grin. “I would be far more surprised to hear him say there was a chance of it, to be honest.”

I looked around the small, windowless room. It was white. Everything was white. The walls, chairs, tables, bed – it was all a bright white. Brighter, given that the walls seemed to glow with an inner light. It was nearly blinding.

This was where my father spent all day, every day. He – and the other Regents – had been denied access to the outside world. In his decree, Jendrish had declared them all a danger to Optorio. Enemies of the state. He expressed his belief that confederates of the Regents would seek to free them. And for those reasons, he was confining them to these solitary isolation cells within the capitol's prison building.

Personally, I thought it was unnecessarily cruel. To deny them access to fresh air. The nighttime sky. The nourishment the ocean provided – I thought it was just another way of punishing the Regents even more harshly.

Still, having my father locked away for the rest of his life served my purposes. And it saved me from having to develop a convoluted plan to assassinate him and put the blame on somebody else. I was a man who appreciated simplicity. With my father being kept in the capitol prison, he was locked away and out of my hair.

I would have to deal with him once and for all eventually. The last thing I wanted or needed was for him to find his way out of the prison and upset my plans all over again. He was going to have to die in time. But that time could wait.

For now, I wanted to placate him, make him believe I was still on his side, and that I was working for his release. For now, I had to play the part of the dutiful son who was working hard to restore honor and dignity to the family name. I had to appear contrite, willing to bend the knee to Jendrish and do whatever I could to ingratiate myself to him.

House Morkata had been removed from all official government offices, but I was working hard to retain a place in the new Optorion Congress that Jendrish was attempting to build. He was the king and would have final say in all matters, but as a member of the Congress, I could do what I did best – work behind the scenes, accrue power and influence, and bide my time.

Though my family might be barred from the upper echelons of government functions under Jendrish's rule, kings came and went. If my work behind the scenes paid the dividends I was trying to cultivate, once Jendrish's reign came to an end, I would find a far friendlier face upon the throne.

And when the time came and the conditions were right, that friendlier face would be replaced with another face on the throne – mine.

When I was king, I would disband the Congress and go back to having a royal family ruling Optorio. The way it had always been. The way it should always be. The way it would be again. There was no need for a Congress. No need for a Council. One man could – and should – keep order on this planet. And I would see that Optorio returned to the way it should be.

“Have you spoken with any of the others?” he asked.

I looked around the room, aware that the authorities could be monitoring our conversation. Ordinarily, prisoners were offered a measure of privacy – especially when they were with their family – but with a rebellion in full swing, and Jendrish clearly intent to wipe it out, one could never be too safe. I knew I had to take care with my words.

“I have, yes,” I said. “The festivities are all going ahead as planned.”

He nodded. “I'm pleased to hear that.”

The festivities of course, was a reference to our attacks on Jendrish's troops. I allowed my father to believe that he was still in charge of coordinating our attacks. He sent me regular vid-messages – one of the privileges still allowed to prisoners – that were actually coded messages. Battle plans. Directions on where to attack and how to deploy our fighters.

Most of this vid-messages, I ignored altogether. He wasn't in charge. He never would be in charge again. All of the planning for our rebellion went through me.

“There have been some difficulties with the preparations,” I said. “Vendors not able to meet their obligations. But it's nothing I am unable to handle. The party will go as planned.”

He smiled, but it was one that did not reach his eyes. “I am saddened I will not be able to attend. I would love to see the look on your uncle's face when our plans are revealed to him. I'm sure it will be a joyous occasion.”

“It will be,” I said. “I can guarantee that. It will be something he never forgets.”

I was growing weary of these cloak and dagger games. I was not one who enjoyed the type of subterfuge and coded messages my father was engaging in. I preferred to speak plainly. And I preferred to speak to those who would do as I said rather than those who believed they could issue me orders. If I were to boil down the essence of my weariness, I supposed it would be fair to say that I was growing weary of dealing with my father.

I did it though, because I had to keep up appearances. If I suddenly stopped coming to visit him, some might think something was amiss. Jendrish and his men were a lot of things, but I did not believe that stupid was one of them. They suspected all of the children of the Regents of being involved with the rebellion and I knew that they were watching us all closely.

Because of that, I had to play my role. Had to keep to my usual schedule and manner of doing things. If that meant having a what seemed like a banal conversation with my father about planning a party for some unnamed uncle, so be it.

If there was one thing my father taught me that I valued, it was patience.

“Mother sends her love,” I said. “She wanted me to tell you that she misses you.”

He smiled. My mother genuinely cared for him – despite the fact that she knew of his many indiscretions. She reasoned that these alien woman were able to provide him with something she was not. And for some reason, she was okay with that. Loved him in spite of it.

“She is a good woman, your mother,” he said. “I hope that you are looking after her. And your sister.”

“Of course I am.”

He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know you are. You are a good boy, Veshna. I don't believe I have told you that enough.”

No, he hadn't. But I wasn't going to pick a fight. There were bigger things in play than simply needing my father's approval and validation.

“You are a good father,” I lied. “I have had a happy life. But I must go now. There is much work to be done.”

He nodded. “Of course, of course,” he said. “Please, come back soon. I want to hear all about the preparations for the festivities.”

“Of course, father.”

I stood up and gave him a small smile before turning and walking to the doorway. The guard on the outside pressed a button on the wall and the electro-wall came down with a hiss. After I'd passed, the hiss sounded again as the guard re-activated it.

I left the prison complex and headed for a more important meeting.

Chapter Five

“How is your father holding up?” Kalmor asked.

I shrugged. “He is irrelevant.”

Kalmor was my second in command and my most trusted ally. It would be him by my side when all of my plans came to fruition and I seized the throne of Optorio. He shared my vision and believed, as I did, that Optorio should be a world for Optorions only. He was as offended as I was that Jendrish had chosen an alien – a human – to be the queen of our world.

“That seems rather cold,” he said. “Even coming from you.”

We stood in one of the hidden underground rooms that dotted my family's home. My father had these rooms installed discretely so that he could indulge in some of his rather tasteless hobbies, believing that nobody knew of their existence. But I knew from a young age that knowledge was power and I had endeavored to learn my father's secrets – as well as the secrets of those in positions of power. It was a skill I'd honed and refined, and a skill that had paid off handsomely many times over.

Now that my father was in prison and – if I had anything to say about it – was never coming home, I had begun using the rooms for my own purposes. Which, at the moment, was mapping out my path to the throne.

“For such an ambitious man,” I said, “he thought rather small. He was unwilling to do what is required to achieve the ultimate victory.”

“I don't disagree with that.”

“At heart, my father is a coward,” I said. “And he is unwilling to get his hands dirty. He doesn't have the ruthlessness necessary to rule this world.”

Kalmor nodded, but looked guarded. “Ruthlessness does not seem to be something you're lacking, old friend.”

I grinned at him. “No, it's not,” I said. “But my ruthlessness is only matched by my loyalty. Rest easy, old friend. You are coming to the pinnacle with me.”

He seemed to be somewhat relieved by my words. Though, I did not know why he would have cause for concern in the first place. Kalmor had been my friend since we were children. We were closer than brothers and shared just about everything with one another. If there was one person I wanted by my side, it would be him.

Kalmor eyed me as if he could read my thoughts – and given how long we'd known one another, perhaps we could.

“You've changed, Veshna,” he said. “You've become harder. More – ruthless.”

“I do what is required,” I said. “I become what is necessary. If we are going to reclaim our world from this usurper and his alien whore, there is no other choice.”

Kalmor looked at me evenly. “Are you sure you're doing this for Optorio? For the right reasons?”

I felt my anger rising, but I fought to keep it in check. “What other reason would I be doing all of this for? I want to see Optorio returned to glory. Returned to a place of prominence in this planetary system. Right now, we're being laughed at by those on other worlds. That is intolerable to me. I seek to remedy that.”

Kalmor nodded. “Forgive the impertinence of my question,” he said. “It's just that your father lost his way. He sought to glorify himself. Not our world.”

“I am not my father,” I said, my voice cold.

“No, you are not,” he replied. “You have a vision and a drive that he lacked. As you said, he is no longer relevant.”

I looked at him, hoping this conversation was at an end. I did not like being questioned or having my motives scrutinized. What I was doing – what I was going to do – was all for Optorio.

“So, how are our preparations coming?” I asked.

Kalmor cleared his throat. “On your orders, we've told the Regent cells to scale their attacks. We've convinced them to focus on preparations rather than creating havoc.”

“Good,” I said. “And have the leaders of these cells all fallen into line?”

“For the most part,” he replied. “There are two who I believe will be troublesome. They belong to former Regent Calmoq and former Regent Burtek.”

Fewer than I'd anticipated. Which was good. Very good. Part of my plan depended on giving Jendrish's troops the impression that they'd defeated the rebellion. That they had beaten us into submission. If they believed it, they were more apt to ease the pressure they were putting on us. And if they eased the pressure, it would make it easier for us to move about and get ourselves in the right position to strike.

“And what are we doing about those two?” I asked.

“They're being – removed,” he replied. “Discretely.”

Excellent. I wasn't a fan of executing people who were fighting on the same side. But when they were operating according to their own program rather than falling into line behind me, that was a problem that needed to be dealt with.

I nodded but didn't feel very good about it. “Be sure it's kept quiet,” I said. “The last thing we need is dissension within the ranks.”

We needed soldiers, and the fighters who made up these cells who pledged themselves to the Regents were going to make up our army. They would constitute the new Royal Guard when all of this was said and done. I needed them to be willing to fight and die for me. I needed them to be loyal. And having their leaders executed was not a good way of ensuring that loyalty.

Which was yet another reason having Kalmor by my side was an ideal situation. It gave me a layer of insulation between myself and the terrible things we had to do. Kalmor wasn't connected to a political or high profile family as I was. Which allowed him to be seen as the head of the snake and the one in charge of the rebellion. And that allowed me to move unencumbered behind the scenes. And it allowed me to navigate the bumpy roads of Optorion politics.

All of the behind the scenes work allowed me to accrue both political as well as military power. And when the time came, I was going to need both.

“The coronation is in a week,” Kalmor said. “Will we be ready?”

I nodded. “We have to be. It will be our best opportunity to pull off our little coup. Especially if the Royal Guard believes the rebellion is no longer a threat.”

“What is our plan?”

The details were still a little bit murky, but I was trying to sort it all out on the fly. Jendrish was going to die on his coronation day. Of that, there was no question. The only question was – how. We'd considered and dismissed the idea of snipers. The Guard would be on the lookout and with the technology they had available to them, they would find our shooters faster than we could get the shot off.

Which meant that we had little choice but to make it an up close and personal assassination. It was something that was going to make things far more complex and difficult. But not impossible.

“We have allies within the Royal Palace,” I said. “So far, they've just been feeding us information. But it appears that they will have to take a more active role in the proceedings.”

Kalmor's jaw clenched. “I don't like involving non-fighters,” he said. “Too many variables to account for. They're too unpredictable and may screw it up at the most sensitive moment.”

I'd anticipated his hesitance and merely nodded. “I agree with you,” I said. “Unfortunately, we may not have much of a choice. We can't send snipers. A bomb is out of the question. What's left?”

“Perhaps we can disguise some of our fighters,” he said. “Have them blend in with the crowd and they can take the shot.”

“Anybody connected to the Regents – especially family – are likely going to be barred from the coronation,” I said. “The rebellion is being led by Regent sympathizers. Jendrish and his Guard aren't foolish enough to open the gates for everybody. They have a watch list and you can rest assured that you and I are probably on it. As well as the fighters in these cells.”

He sighed. “Perhaps,” he said. “But perhaps there is another way we can use our contacts inside the palace.”

“I am open to suggestions.”

He shook his head. “I do not know just yet,” he said. “But perhaps they can somehow get us into the palace without the Guard being aware. That way we can strike from the inside ourselves. Cut down the uncertainty and be sure about things.”

“Perhaps,” I conceded. “Let me think on it a while.”

“As will I.”

Chapter Six

Riley

“Your coronation is tomorrow,” I murmured.

He sighed. “Don't remind me. That's the last thing I want to be doing. Who needs silly little ceremonies like that anyway?”

We were laying in bed, and I was resting my head upon his hard, sculpted chest. Optorion skin was soft, but had a different texture than human skin. It was a little rougher – almost like their body was covered in scales. Like a fish – except way less gross and slimy. It was a strange observation, but one I'd made long ago. Not that I was complaining, mind you. Jendrish's skin was a beautiful thing to behold and feel against my own. It was just – a bit of a strange sensation until you got used to it.

“Your people for one,” I said. “People – be they human or Optorion – have a need for ceremonies. For pomp and circumstance.”

“It seems like a waste of time. There is much more I could do if I did not have to attend to the Court,” he grumbled.

“The people need to see you – their king – being crowned,” I said. “You may find it silly, but your people need to believe in something bigger than all of them. They need a face for this world. A face they can look up to and trust. They need to know there is somebody in charge – and that somebody is you.”

Jendrish stared up at the ceiling, his eyes fixed on nothing I could make out. He was simply zoning out. He was there with me physically, but his mind was obviously elsewhere. It had been that way between us for the last few days, actually. I didn't know if he was distracted with the coronation or what, but he just hadn't been present, in the moment with me for some time. It was like there was this wall between us.

And I had no idea how to get through it or break it down.

The fact that it existed in the first place baffled me. From what he'd told me, the rebellion he and his men had been trying so hard to quash, was dying. If not dead already. They hadn't had to go on a raid since the day he'd come home hurt after getting shot – thankfully. He thought that they'd finally managed to turn the tide on the rebellion and they could begin working on building the peace.

And yet, despite that, he still seemed pensive. And entirely distracted.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Fine,” he replied without even turning to look at me. “Everything is fine.”

Yeah, that was convincing. This sudden distance between us left me feeling uneasy. Uncertain. I had no idea what was going through his head. I was fearful of the idea that our little whirlwind romance, born in the midst of a crisis, was nothing more than a passing fancy for him. I feared that he was beginning to wake up and realize that being with me had been a novelty, had been fun, but he was – well – over it now.

There was only one way I was going to know where I stood with him. And that was to speak up. I'd never been shy about voicing my opinions. Back on Earth, people knew me as a girl who didn't take anybody's shit. And yet, when it came to Jendrish, for some reason, I was hesitant. Maybe a little scared.

It had been something I'd felt for a little while now. And it hadn't taken me very long to figure out why. Jendrish was the first man I'd opened my heart to in a long time. I'd sworn off men and relationships after my last one had flamed out so spectacularly. But somehow, some way, Jendrish had broken down my walls and had inserted himself into my thoughts and my heart.

For a while, I'd thought that maybe I had jumped the gun. That maybe, because of the intensity of the situation we'd found ourselves in together had sparked feelings within me that were mere – mirages. That I really didn't feel what I thought I felt.

But no, I truly felt for him what I felt for him. And what I felt for him was love. As much as I wanted to deny it, rationalize it away as something else, I just couldn't. I loved Jendrish. Plain and simple.

Which is what made the uncertainty I was feeling all the more painful. All the more frustrating. I wasn't a girl who liked feeling uncertain or insecure as it was. To know that it was love in my heart for a man I wasn't sure returned the feelings made it all the more terrifying for me.

I didn't want to ask. Was afraid of the answer. But I knew if I didn't ask, didn't try to get some clarification, I was only going to continue tormenting and torturing myself.

“What I meant though,” I started, my voice hesitant, “was are we okay? Is everything okay with us?”

He finally turned to me, his expression no less inscrutable. “Why would you ask?”

I shrugged. “I don't know, I just feel like you've been distant lately.”

He gave me a soft smile. “If I've made you feel that way, I apologize,” he said. “I've been distracted. There has been a lot going on that has demanded my attention. I didn't realize I was not as attentive as I should be.”

It wasn't quite the answer or the reassurance I'd been looking for, but I supposed it had to do. Optorions weren't the most expressive or demonstrative people. Jendrish had come a long way, but he could still sometimes come off a little cold and unfeeling. Not that he meant to, it was just the way of his people. Humans were a lot more – emotional. It was something I knew he struggled with. But we were working on it.

“I understand,” I said. “And I'm sorry if I come off like I'm – needy. I don't mean to be. It's just... ”

I trailed off, not sure I wanted to open up this can of worms. I knew he already had a lot on his plate. The last thing I wanted was to add more to it.

“It's just that what?” he asked.

“It's silly,” I said. “Don't worry about it. I'm just being stupid.”

His laugh was soft. “You are a lot of things, Riley,” he said. “But stupid is not one of them. Please. Tell me what is troubling you.”

I shrugged again. “I don't know,” I said. “Sometimes, I just feel – lonely. Like I don't have any purpose.”

I cringed on the inside, hearing the words come out of my mouth. I sounded like one of those girls – the kind of girl I loathed. Needy. Clingy. Entirely dependent upon somebody else for their identity.

“Lonely?” he asked, rolling over and propping himself up on an arm. “I – I didn't know. You're always surrounded by people. I know you and Ynora are close, I – ”

“Ynora is great.,” I said. “She's been a good friend and I adore her, but she's always busy working and I don't want to bother her. And I don't really have any other friends. I have little to do all day. I wander around aimlessly.”

Jendrish nodded as if he understood. Perhaps he did. “I apologize, Riley,” he said. “I didn't stop to think that you weren't getting enough stimulation. I have been so wrapped up in everything I'm doing that I didn't stop to think about you. That is my failing.”

“It's not a failing, sweetheart,” I said. “We are just two different people with different minds, different needs.”

“What can I do to help?” he asked.

He looked at me earnestly and spoke sincerely. It gave me hope that everything I'd been feeling was wrong. Foolish. It gave me hope that Jendrish truly did care. Did love me like he said he did. The trouble was, I didn't know what he could do to help – other than be around and be with me more than he was. But could I really ask that of him? He had an entire planet to run.

“I really don't know, Jendrish,” I admitted. “I know it's stupid to dump all of this on you and have no answers. I guess, at the root of it all, I just want to spend more time with you. I feel like ever since I came to Optorio, we've seen so little of each other. There is so much I still want to learn about you. So much I need to know.”

“And there is much I still want and need to learn about you, Riley,” he said. “There is still so much about you that is shrouded in mystery. I want to cut through all of that and see to the heart of you.”

He reached out and stroked my cheek and I leaned into his touch. Savored it. I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but love and compassion in them. And I suddenly began to feel guilt over doubting his feelings for me. For doubting him.

“Do you think we'll get there?” I asked.

“That is my hope,” he replied softly. “And I will make you a promise – once the coronation is over and I am confident the rebellion truly is crushed, you and I will go away for a little while. There is much on Optorio I wish to show you. I want to be with you as you experience some of Optorio's wonders for the first time. I wish to be with you as you explore your new home.”

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. “A vacation?” I asked. “You mean, you're going to take me on a vacation?”

He nodded, returning my smile. “I believe that is the human word for it, yes.”

I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. He laughed and awkwardly returned my hug. It was honestly, the best I'd felt since come to Optorio. For perhaps, the first time, I felt optimistic about the future. The idea that I'd made a mistake in coming to Jendrish's home world fled my mind and I had a sense of excitement running through me that I hadn't had before.

“I can't wait to see all Optorio has to offer, Jendrish,” I said. “And I can't wait to see it all with you.”

After a few moments, he pulled back from my embrace and looked me in the eye, his expression suddenly serious.

“There is something I need to ask you, Riley.”

“Uh oh,” I said. “Sounds serious.”

He gave me a half smile – but one that did not quite reach his eyes. Whatever it was he had to ask me certainly seemed serious. A knot formed in my stomach and I waited for the other shoe to drop.

“I wanted to ask you – ”

Jendrish stopped himself, falling silent and I began to see something on his face I'd never seen before – uncertainty. What in the world did he have to feel uncertain about?

“What is it, Jendrish?” I asked.

He sighed. “As a king, I of course, need to produce an heir... ”

A cold feeling settled into the pit of my stomach as I realized exactly where he was going with this. But I didn't think it was even possible. Humans and Optorions, though remarkably similar physically, didn't share enough common biology to allow impregnation. Or at least, that's what I'd been told by Ynora, who was lamenting the fact that she wasn't going to have any little ones to look after for us.

Which meant that he was thinking something else.

“Are you talking about a surrogate?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, actually. I've been speaking with our scientists and they're confident that they've discovered a way for us to produce a child. ”

“So, they've found a way that we can have a – baby?”

He nodded. “Perhaps. It's not certain as of yet, but they're confident they can make it happen.”

I let out a low whistle. Me. A mother. It was something I had never contemplated before. I never thought I was cut out to be a mother, to be quite honest. It wasn't like I'd ever had the best role models in the position growing up. It was a thought that terrified me down to my very core. I was sure that when I looked at him, the panic was plainly written across my face.

“You need not answer now,” he said. “As I said, nothing is for certain yet. But think about it.”

I nodded. “I – I will.”

He looked at me and I saw the mischievous glint in his eye. “There is something that has to happen before that though.”

“Oh? And what is that?”

“You must become my bride.”

My mouth fell open and I couldn't help but gape at him. “A – are you asking me what I think you're asking me?”

He brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen across my forehead. “Not yet,” he replied. “Let's get through the coronation ceremony, so I can give you a proper proposal.”

I wasn't sure what a proper Optorion proposal was, but I knew that I was looking forward to it already. My head was spinning. I'd gone from the depths of despair and uncertainty, to feeling like I was on top of the world in the span of a few hours. Not only was he asking me to be the mother of future Optorion kings, but he was also asking me to be his wife.

At least, he was going to be asking me to be his wife soon enough.

“I love you, Riley,” he said as he leaned in and kissed me.

And for perhaps, the first time since I'd come to Optorion, I believed it. I believed him. Life was coming at me fast and furious and I was having a hard time keeping up with it all. But all of the sudden, though filled with trepidation, I was looking forward to what was coming next.

Chapter Seven