Living among the Stars (Sky Riders #2) (4 page)

              “Just one more,” he told himself and poured another glassful. Repeating the process again, he put the bottle back in its place and closed the door. Now, he should be able to handle the little spitfire waiting for him in the food room.

              Leaving his office feeling more confident than when he entered, he walked into the food room only to find it empty. Where the hell was everyone?

              “Kelly? Marta?” he called out. No answer. “Marta!” This time he shouted louder. He heard running footsteps coming up the stairs that lead down to the storage room beneath the food room.

              “I am here, Commander!” Marta came through the door huffing and puffing as she carried an arm full of fresh vegetables.

              “Where is Kelly?” He looked around Marta to see if Kelly was coming up the stairs behind his cook.

              Marta looked around the food room the same as he did. “I do not know. She was here when I went to the vegetables.” She dumped her bundle on the center counter where the food was prepared.

              He growled loudly, startling Marta, then left in search of his mate. Why couldn’t she just do as he asked? Did she really feel the need to be so headstrong? As he passed through the hallways of his home, several of his staff and guards greeted him with smiling faces which he returned with only a grunt. He shouldn’t take his anger out on his people but until he found Kelly he no one else to vent on.

              “Where the hell is she?” He stopped in the middle of a hallway unsure which way to go. He had searched everywhere he could think of and still no Kelly.

             
What if Zol’tsa managed to sneak back onto Qetera and kidnap Kelly,
his mind shouted out to him. This made his body go into the Rage.

              The Rage was a protective instinct in a Qeteran male when he found his true life mate. It was part of the bond he would form once he fully mated with her and her his. If a male were unable to protect his mate, the Rage would take over and all thoughts and actions would become highly dangerous for anyone in close proximity. It was hard to control the Rage as it forced its way to the surface and took over. He had seen other males have similar reactions when they could not locate their mates or they were taken from them.

              He could hear his blood rushing through his veins as his anger and worry grew. His eyes narrowed to slits as he focused on finding Kelly. His sense of smell sharpened as he drew in the air around him to find any trace of her scent. Nothing!

              Now he was beginning to panic. He trotted through the hallway looking back and forth. He nearly ran over one of the housekeepers in his haste to find Kelly and had to catch her before she hit the ground.

              “Forgive me, Commander! I didn’t….” the housekeeper froze when she saw the look in her employer’s eyes. She knew that look and the reason why he had it.

              “Have you seen my mate?” He held her by her upper arms and squeezed to make his question clear.

              “If you are talking about the female with the light colored hair, she went out the door that leads to the cliffs.”

              That’s all he needed to hear. He took off at a dead run and didn’t stop until burst through door. This area outside his home was not the safest place to be mainly because of the dangerous drop-offs. This area was only generally used if the house was under attack or some kind of repairs needed to be done on the part of the house that dangled over the valley. One of his guards had been killed a few years before when he foolishly came out here after having too much to drink and slipped on the loose gravel, sending him over the edge.

              Thoughts of Kelly’s broken body filled his head as he worked his way carefully down the incline. He was just about to call out her name when he got a glimpse of that strange colored hair blowing in the wind.

              He found her sitting on top of a small boulder away from the edge of the cliff.  She hadn’t noticed him yet and he was glad for it. He needed to get himself under control before he approached her.

              His movement must have alerted her to his presence. She turned her head to find him staring her down. Her eyes widened in surprise and she drew in her bottom lip to clamp it between her pearly white teeth. She watched him as he approached her then stood up on a boulder.

              “Why did you leave the food room? I told you I would be back.” Okay, his anger wasn’t so much under control. 

              “I was finished eating, so I left. What’s the big deal?” She put her hands on her hips.

              “The big deal is, you will do as I say.”

              “I will not! I don’t belong to you!” she shouted at him.

              “You are mine and will do as I say or else.” He could smell her anger as well as his own as they squared off with each other.

              “Or else what? You’ll take me back to Yhadell?” She was baiting him to see how far she could push him. “That’s what I want anyway!”

              He couldn’t let her think his threat was empty. “Or else I will lock you in the room and only let you out when I am with you!” It was a bit extreme, but he needed to make sure she was safe at all times and with her wandering off alone in a place she wasn’t familiar with didn’t sit right with him.

              “You wouldn’t dare!” she fired back.

              She left him no choice. As quick as lightening, he reached out and jerked her forward. He threw her over his shoulder then made his way back inside.

              “Oh my God! Put me down! This is ridiculous! I am a grown woman and can take care of myself! I don’t need you or anyone else looking out for me.” She pounded on his back with her small fists. Her feet kicked furiously as she tried to get herself free, but it was no use. She was no match for his strength.

              He strode through the hallways and up the stairs with her screaming and shouting at him the entire way. Guards stepped to the side as they walked past but said nothing. Two housekeepers back into an open room giggling and whispering.

              He kicked open the door to their room then kicked it closed again and locked it. The room was darker since the day was coming to an end but still enough light to see by. He dumped her unceremoniously on the sofa then stood over her as she scrambled to right herself. For as small as she was compared to him, he was surprised by how quickly she could move. Before he knew it, she was standing up on the couch and in his face.

              “How dare you! That’s twice in one day you’ve treated me like a sack of potatoes!” She jabbed him in the chest with each word she spit out.

              He was going to let her vent out her anger then he would set her straight. He would make her realize that she belonged to him and that she needed to be protected until the threat of an escaped prisoner was resolved.

              “You got that, big guy?”

              Her face was flushed and she was breathing heavy causing her breasts to rise and fall. He glanced down at the globes he so wanted to see and touch. A wave of pure lust engulfed him as he stared at the delicate skin. Her lips were puffy from her biting and licking them in a way that was a total turn on for him. If he didn’t get out of there soon, he would do something he would come to regret.

              He straightened up until he was at his full height. Kelly seemed to back down a little as he towered over her but not enough to make him want to stay in the room with her.

              “You will remain in this room unless I come to escort you.”

              “I will not! I am a police officer and can take care of myself. You have no right to keep me locked in this room.”

              For the time being, he gave up the fight. He didn’t want to argue with her or continue to make her upset. He was only doing what he thought was best for her safety. Those deep brown eyes never left his face as she balanced herself on the cushions of the sofa.

              “I will be back later,” he stated then turned to leave the room. As he strode to the door, he could hear her mumbling quietly behind him.

              “Don’t bother on my account!”

              He shut the door quietly behind him. He needed someplace quiet to think and where he wouldn’t be disturbed. Outside the sky was almost completely dark as he stood scanning the sky.

             
Serelath?
He used his mind to call his dragon.

             
Yes?
The dragon answered
.

              Can you come to me? I need to have some peace.

             
The sound of flapping wings overhead made him tilt his head back. Serelath had been close by when he called out for him and was there within seconds of his request. Serelath landed hard, sending small tremors running under the ground.

             
Thank you for coming, my old friend.
He pulled his body up on Serelath’s back then gave him the sign he was ready. In one swift and graceful movement they were soaring high up into the night air passing over the peaks of his mountains.

Chapter 4

              When he arrived back on Lephus, there weren’t very many people to greet him. Those that remained of the Lephusans were few and weak. How in the hell was he ever going to be able to build up enough soldiers to continue with his dead leader’s work?

              Zol’tsa looked around at the upturned faces of the women and old people watching him. After being away for several weeks, it felt wonderful to return to his home planet. He had a lot of work to do and needed to find able bodied men who would be willing to follow and work for his cause. He had a long road ahead, but he was determined to succeed.

              His first objective was to search Ruehar’s belongings and see what he could find out about the world his former ruler had purchases females from. There had to be males on that distant planet who would be willing to join his cause for the right price. Luckily he knew where Ruehar stored the gold he gathered as he took over a planet or ran across a stray ship.

              Before Ruehar perished in the battle, he had been in the process of building another transport to send to Earth. By now it should be just about ready. He was eager to begin his own reign as leader of Lephus, but he would not make the same mistakes Ruehar made.

              His leader had been so engrossed with gaining females that he never bothered to look at the entire picture. Sure they were desperate for females, but also for able bodied males whether Lephusan or not. They were not a pure race, rather a race made up of several different ones. For the most part, the residents of Lephus were the rejects from other planets that no one wanted or had been exiled.

              In order to build what he was dreaming of he couldn’t be picky. He needed to take what was offered to him or pay for it at the right price. At this point, he had no idea of the extent of Ruehar’s gold stash but that was about to change.

              “I, Captain Zol’tsa, am now your leader. As you all know by now, Ruehar and his ship fell in the battle against the Qeterans. For this, I swear to enact revenge. There are not many of us left, so there is a need to find others who are willing to support our cause. I need any abled bodied males to come forward who can direct a transport or ship. I know that Ruehar left a few behind.” He waited for those males to step forward when he called for them. One by one each man moved through the crowd gathered on the landing pad where he waited. By the time, all those able to work a ship came forward he had a hand full of males.

              “Didn’t expect there to be so little,” he said as he looked over those standing before him. A couple was beyond the age for participating in a battle, but he couldn’t be choosy at this point. “Within the next couple of days I want to send out ships to scout the universe for those who may wish to join us! The transport that is being built will be finished and sent to Earth to gather more females and males this time. We will succeed this time and replenish our world.”

              A weak cheer went up from the crowd. At least they didn’t reject him as their new leader. He could only imagine what they all thought when word reached Lephus that Ruehar had been killed. Without someone to step forward and take control, they were all doomed to die on the miserable planet they lived on.

              “I would also like to relocate us to a new home. A home that has so many more things that we can benefit from. It is a smaller place but well suited to fit our needs. By the end of the next solar week, I plan to have everyone relocated to Napra.” Whispers raced through the people when he revealed the name of their new home.

              Napra was a small moon that orbited a giant planet in their galaxy, Epsilon. He had never been there until yesterday when he flew his ship to the moon to scout it out for a future home. The moon itself was uninhabited by intelligent life but offered everything else they would need to start a new life. The mountains he flew over would provide great cover from those who were nosy enough to visit. The air was breathable and at the right pressure in order for them to survive, as well as plenty of vegetation and trees to build new homes.

              He even landed his ship in a clearing by a river that was rushing down from the great mountain tops. The water on the planet needed to be suitable in order to do anything on the moon. Using his survival kit is his ship, he scooped up some of the clear water and put it in the long cylinder tube. Next, he added a couple of drops of the water clarifying solution that was a vital part of every survival kit. He swirled the tube then waited for it to turn any other color. If it remains clear, the water is drinkable. He waited extra-long just to make sure the drops were still good and didn’t provide a false reading. Satisfied with the results, he headed to Lephus.

              “What can we do to prepare for our exodus?” someone in the crowd called out to him.

              It felt good to have someone asking him what to do. For so long he had taken orders from Ruehar and followed them without a flaw. Now it was his turn to give out the orders.

              “Go home and pack up your belongings. The first wave will leave here in three days. Those with any kind of building skills will be on that first ship. I have a location where I want to rebuild our home and I am positive you will love it.” He smiled at the upturned faces gazing at him as if were some kind of a god.

              He stood and watched as the crowd began to leave the area. Many were talking and chatting with excitement while some didn’t say a word. The few small children they had were running and jumping enthusiastically as they thought about the adventure they were about to embark on.

             
Yes
, he smiled smugly to himself
, this was definitely the right move
. He would be able to make Napra a kingdom of his own.

*******

              This was bullshit! Kelly paced back and forth in the bedroom until her bare feet started to hurt. The big ape had actually left and locked her in the room! As soon as he left she had searched the rooms for another exit but didn’t find out. Her only other choice would be to jump of the balcony! In a way, it did make her feel more secure knowing that no one could get into the room any other way unlike what had happened at Maggie’s.

              That was the one time she felt utterly powerless to protect herself or her friends. The man who had tackled her pinned her to the floor with all of his weight then secured her hands behind her back. The man made the one mistake of using a piece of rope to tie her hands. With her skinny wrists and maneuvering she knew she would be able to get out of the rope in no time. She just had to wait for the right time so that none of them got killed.

              But, being locked in this damn room was going to be a problem. Picking locks was not exactly her thing and was her weakest skill. Unfortunately, the door to their rooms had a computerized lock which was activated by Kharis’ fingerprint.

              Not having anything else to do, she decided to take a shower and go to bed. Everything in this place was new and different and she hoped it would all work like the things back at Etor’s home. The shower was a walk-in one without a door and extended for a good ten feet. Shower heads protruded out the walls and ceiling while a long stone bench stretched across the back wall.

              Stripping off her clothes, she walked into the shower. It automatically turned on which took her by surprise, but how in the world was she supposed to adjust the temperature? There weren’t any knobs to turn or buttons to press.

              “What the hell?” She ran her hands over every stone in the shower and didn’t find a thing. “I need the water warmer, damn it!” As soon as she said the words out loud the water began to feel warmer. “Holy shit! Its voice activated. Warmer,” she said. She was in heaven now that the water was at the temperature she enjoyed.

              She let the water run over her tired body as it poured down from the ceiling. It felt like she was standing beneath a waterfall, only it was warmer. She ran her fingers through her hair to wet it all then reach for a bottle shed assumed was shampoo. Squeezing a drop of blue liquid in her hand she sniffed it to see what it was before she used it. The smell reminded her of Dove soap back home that she used to use. She squeezed more of the shampoo/soap and washed her hair. It felt good to scrub her head even though it had only been a day since she last took a shower. After rinsing her hair, she quickly washed her body then rinsed off. As soon as she stepped out from under the shower head the water went off. Steam filled the bathroom and fogged up the mirror across from the shower. She took one of the fluffy brown towels sitting on a shelf and dried her body. It suddenly dawned on her that she didn’t have any other clothes with her.

              “Wonderful! Just freaking wonderful!” She was left with no choice but to wrap a towel around her and wear it as a sort of dress.

              Back in the bedroom she walked up to the window that faced out over the mountain valley. A big, bright moon was shining in the night sky. Off in the distance and above the mountain peaks, she could see large birds flying and swooping through the sky. She really couldn’t get a good look at them, but she could at least tell they were quite large. She was about to turn away when one of the birds flew closer to the mountain she was on.

              Her eyes widened in shock when she realized it was a dragon! Not Kharis’ dragon, but another one. With the light of the moon, she was able to see that the dragon was a beautiful shade of green. She wished she could see it closer up and feel its scales.
Not going to happen!

              Feeling down, she turned away from the sight and went climbing in the bed. If she had to stay looked in his room then, she was going to take his bed! Let him sleep on the sofa or on the floor for all she cared.

*******

              Kharis headed back to his room after his ride on Serelath and a long talk with his youngest brother. He left Kelly locked in their so he had no worries that she would try to bolt. The call he placed to his brother was a personal one. He wanted to find out how the other two females were taking it being yanked away from the only home they knew so far of Qetera. Vulmar said that Hunter was giving him some trouble and had managed to escape once already, but Lexie, on the other hand, was taking it all in stride.

              Vulmar asked about Kelly and he reluctantly informed his brother that he too was having a hard time with his mate. They talked for a few more minutes then decided to call it a night. He wished his brother well and ended the call.

              He would have to figure out a better way to convince Kelly that she belonged to him now and that her life was with him. He hadn’t meant to be so demanding earlier, but his Rage was trying to surface again.
Why couldn’t she just understand that he was trying to protect her?

******

              Parath glided through the night air as she hunted. It was the perfect night to hunt because the brightness of the moon would make a prey easier to find. It had been several days since she last fed so she would have to find something that would satisfy the knowing hunger that continued to grow. Typically, she enjoyed hunting with the other females but tonight she wanted to be alone for some reason.

              It wasn’t often she went out on her own since she was a young dragon and didn’t have much experience with protecting herself. Females were considered the weaker of the dragons but held in high regard. Females were greatly protected because of their ability to produce numerous eggs at one time. For the most part, a female would mate with a dragon who hadn’t been chosen to be gifted to a Qeteran male. Only those males with the mark would receive a dragon upon their birth and would be raised right alongside the infant.

              Parath felt different though. She had this desire and need to belong to a Qeteran, but she knew it wasn’t possible. The few times she had ventured out on her own, she would fly over the cities the Qeterans lived in hoping to find the one particular being that her mind could join to. It was very rare for a female dragon to connect with a Qeteran, but it was known to happen. The last known pair was over a hundred year ago.