Acting Out (8 page)

The days were passing too quickly for Korian. For three
years, his life had ground to halt at the death of his father, and each
subsequent day as the premature king of T’Kala had seemed as if were a
lifetime. A full two weeks of Jessica’s conscripted time with him was already
gone, and it seemed to have lasted only a heartbeat’s worth of time. They were
both so busy and pulled in so many different directions during the day that
they barely had time to speak or even to review her findings about the general
mood of the nobles. But at night, they more than made up for their time apart.
Since that evening when he had awakened her from her slumber, they had not
spent another night separate from each other. Either she was waiting for him,
asleep or awake, in his bed, or he sought her out in hers.

Even though their passion for each other’s bodies burned
hotly, he had come to enjoy her company afterward, as well. He thrilled at the
feeling of having her in his arms, her head tipped back to laugh, or to see her
eyes narrow with righteous anger when recounting Rox’Ana’s actions from the
day. He simply enjoyed her company. She was quick-tempered, to be sure, but it
melted away as quickly as it came. Her whole body became animated with her
moods whether she was teasing him into laughter with her suggestive wit as she
pressed herself against him, or she was punching his arm with mock fury for suggesting
she snored. He observed that she was a very tactile female, constantly seeking
to touch or be touched, and he found it both endearing and addictive. If she
wasn’t stroking, petting, and trailing her fingers over some part of him, then
she was cuddling and lavishing attention on her besotted companion. Even the
animals of T’Kala were not safe from falling under her spell.

Such were his thoughts that day as he met with Mikael to go
over their battle strategy, review the repairs on
The Ax’Sandre
, and
discuss the deployment of battleships to patrol their airspace. He couldn’t
seem to concentrate as Mikael outlined the plans for their new squadron of
battle bots, because he was replaying in his mind the night before when Jessica
had sunk to her knees in front of him to take his shaft deep into her mouth
until he had been forced to drag her to the bed and mount her from behind.

“Korian!” Mikael’s voice cracked like a whip across his
ears. The young king startled and pinned the captain of fleet with a peeved
glare. “You are not hearing anything I am saying to you today. I would ask you
what has you so distracted from matters of planetary security, but I feel I
must already know the cause.”

The king sighed and rubbed his face wearily. “I am sure you
are all too familiar with this feeling,” he conceded. “I knew Jessica MacGregor
would be too tempting to resist, and I have been proven correct. It seems that
my
cockar
guides my actions more than mind does these days.”

His friend laughed merrily and slapped his liege heartily on
the shoulder. “Get used to it, my king. It will not change once you have taken
her for your lifemate, but at least it does get easier to bear.”

Korian’s head shot up at Mikael’s words, and a flash of
panic gripped his throat. “I cannot claim her for my lifemate, Mikael. Look at
how divided my concentration is now at the time when I need it the most. I am
being attacked from within by my own people and am anticipating another from
enemies outside our skies. I cannot afford the time to properly woo and take
care of another for longer than a month.” His voice was strained as he added,
“Besides, most warriors do not take a lifemate until they are much older.”

Mikael’s eerily pale green eyes narrowed and he crossed his
arms in defense across his massive chest. “I am only ten years older than you,
Korian, and this old man just kicked your ass a week ago. Also, you are not
like most warriors. You are the king, and it is expected for you marry and
produce an heir or two. What difference if it is now or ten years from now?”

Korian pushed back from his desk and stood to his feet to
pace. “I only met her for the first time a little over a month ago, and then
that was only a glimpse as she walked out the door as I was walking in. It is
true that I have come to care for her quickly in the ensuing weeks, but is that
enough time to determine if we can spend the rest of our lives together in the
same harmony? And what if Jessica does not wish to be a queen of an entire race
of strangers? Do you not think that is too much to ask of anyone? How is that
fair to her, to ask her to stay here, when I have already taken her from
everything and everyone she knows and holds dear?” Korian shook his head in the
negative. “No, Mikael. I cannot ask that of my
thalia
. I can only enjoy
her company while she is here, and send her back home when it is time. It is
what is best for her.”

His older friend shook his head in disgust. “You have no
idea how much like Katsuko you sound right now. It is a good thing that I got
to her first and helped her see the error of her thinking. Perhaps Jessica
MacGregor will do the same for you. I hope, at least, that you are taking
precautions to keep your seed from taking root in her womb if you are planning
to make her return to Earth?”

Korian paled and he braced his weight against the desk when
his legs suddenly turned to jelly. “I had not thought that far ahead, to be
honest.” Shaking his thoughts clear, he shored up his spine with confidence.
“It should not be a concern, though. Females only achieve fertility twice a
year, and the odds of her conceiving in one month’s time are so low as to be
negligible.”

An evil smile curled Mikael’s lips and his laughter was
harsh and biting. “Did you not read the dossier I gave you on human biology before
I agreed to the mission you assigned me? T’Kalan females may only be fertile
twice a year, but human females have a fertility cycle every 28 to 31 days,
Korian. There is a reason why humans on Earth number in the billions and
struggle with overpopulation.”

Korian felt as if he had been sucker punched by his words.
His knees trembled and he collapsed in his chair, all pretense at false bravado
having dissipated. “I confess that I only skimmed your report as I did not
think it pertinent at the time.” Korian tuned out his friend’s fierce growl of
reprimand, his thoughts too consumed with the thought of Jessica’s stomach
rounded with his child. “Did I not read in your ship’s logs that Mahoney has a
device implanted in her uterus that prevents conception? Perhaps Jessica has
one of these, as well,” he offered the thought as a lifeline.

“It is only because you are my king that I do not challenge
you for daring to mention my lifemate’s reproductive organs,” his old friend
glowered at him. “If you had read the entire medical log, just as you should
have read my initial report, you would have seen that Jessica MacGregor had
been taking an injected medication that some human females use to prevent seed
from taking root. According to
mina
, the injection lasts for three
cycles at a time before another one is required. However, the corrective
treatment she received on the ship after her capture eradicated the drug from
her system, along with any other foreign chemicals, in order to return her body
to pristine condition. If you have not been taking precaution yourself by using
an inhibitor, it is entirely possible that she already carries your heir.”

Korian felt lightheaded at his pronouncement and held his
hand up to stay his captain from continuing on in this vein. It had simply not
occurred to him to worry about such a thing, though it should have. He had been
so swept up in his feelings of jealousy and lust that he hadn’t even paused to
consider the consequences of his actions for both himself and Jessica. Her
health and safety were his responsibility under T’Kalan law for the 30 days he
claimed her as his captive, and he had played fast and loose with her body in
neglecting to discuss the possibility of conception with her. It was his fault
that she no longer had access to her own methods of prevention, therefore, the
burden had fallen on him to ensure her wishes were respected and that she was
protected from any unwanted pregnancy. He ignored the flash of pain that seared
through his heart at the thought that she may not want his child, but now was
not the time to reflect on that thought. He had failed his
thalia
, and
he owed her recompense.

“What do I do now, Mikael?” he croaked, his throat having
dried into dust. “How long do we wait until we know for sure whether she has
conceived or not?”

His friend’s harsh expression softened into one of pity. “I
am not altogether sure, my king. I can consult their human database for
answers, but it may be better to ask Katsuko first.” The warrior and his king
exchanged an uncertain look before Mikael added, “On second thought, perhaps it
would be best to keep my lifemate out of this until we know for certain whether
or not there is anything to be worried about. I will ask
mina
to
research this subject and report her findings back to you. It also may not be a
bad idea to have her perform a scan on Jessica to see if it can detect any
changes in her hormonal structure.”

Korian thought he would pass out from lack of oxygen in his
lungs. He ran his hands through his unruly black locks and heaved a defeated
sigh. “Let me speak with Jessica first before you contact Officer Ax’Sandre. I
am sure she still has her hands full with the repairs and restocking of her
medical ward onboard the ship. I will see if Jessica will consent to a scan
after I have explained our situation to her.”

Mikael grinned and rocked back on his heels, his glee at his
king’s predicament obvious. “Whatever you say, my king. I can only imagine the
panic you must feel right now, but just think on this as you wallow in your own
guilt and fear. Imagine the thought of a small girl child with your black hair
and her mother’s dark blue eyes or a tiny warrior with shocking red hair and
pale lavender eyes.” Korian felt another punch to his guts as the image formed
in his mind. Mikael continued, “I know that feeling, my king. I feel it every
time I imagine the young that Katsuko and I will someday have together. I envy
your anxiety in this moment, Korian. Do not screw this up.”

Korian simply nodded and watched in a daze as Mikael gathered
up his warrior blade and stalked out the door. The whirlwind of chaos that was
blowing through his mind would not allow him to order his thoughts, and he was
still sitting at his desk two hours later. He tried to formulate a plan on how
to broach the topic with her, but his treacherous mind just kept conjuring
images of Jessica, her belly big with his youngling and her breasts full and
swollen with milk.

He reached down to his crotch to adjust his swollen shaft
into a more comfortable position and moaned, “The stars take me. I am in so
much trouble.”

The following evening, Jessica found herself engaged in
another tedious gathering at the home of Rox’Ana Ful’Tera. The noblewoman had
been relentless in her promise to squire her about P’Hartha, but this was the
first time that she had hosted a gathering in her own home. Jessica recognized
many of the delegates from the contentious meeting a few weeks ago, but only
the ones that she determined were sympathetic to Rox’Ana’s schemes to wrest
control from the warrior king were present. The T’Kalan delegates were
courteous and effusive in their praises of her, and it took all of Jessica’s
acting skills to smile, laugh, and engage in the sly and cutting remarks the
nobles aimed at their king. She despised the rich and elite nobles, and she
wanted to throttle her hostess and her smug daughter with every word that
dripped from their lips like venom.

It would have been easier to bear if she had been able to
spend the last night wrapped around Korian’s body. She was disappointed when he
had sent word via transmission that he was unable to return to the compound
until the early morning hours, and didn’t wish to disturb her rest by visiting
her room. She had consoled herself with his assertion that he would see her the
next evening when she returned home, and indicated he had something important
to discuss with her. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation, and she couldn’t
help but to imagine increasingly unlikely scenarios for what he had to say. She
ruthlessly squashed the stray thought that he might even confess to having
feelings for her and ask her to stay on T’Kala for an extended amount of time.
She refused to let herself even think of the possibility. Mostly.

Jessica excused herself from yet another grasping nobleman
who had not so subtly propositioned her and headed toward the waiter that was
offering goblets of
zala
berry wine. She accepted the offer of the drink
gratefully and took a small sip. She blanched at the bittersweet taste against
her tongue and regretfully returned it to the waiter and requested a glass of
the fruit-infused water instead. Over the course of the last few weeks, she had
lost her taste for the rich T’Kalan wine, and found herself parched for water,
especially when a nasty headache began to brew in her skull much as it was
doing now.

Just as the waiter returned to hand her a glass of the clear
liquid, her erstwhile hostess showed up at her elbow. “Jessica, I trust you are
enjoying yourself? I imagine that our gatherings are much closer to what you
are used to on your home world than being in the midst of sweaty warriors who
use their blades to do their talking for them.”

Jessica clenched her jaw, but forced her lips to stretch in
an answering smile. “You have no idea how familiar this all seems to me,” she
replied lightly, careful to keep the dripping sarcasm from her tone. Casting
her gaze over the gathering, she searched for something to change the subject.
Her eyes landed on Par’Nisis, the vain and shallow daughter of her hostess. The
girl was indeed beautiful, but her lack of personality tarnished her appeal in
Jessica’s eyes. “I see that your daughter seems to have recovered nicely from
her disappointment over the failed marriage contract. I was sorry to hear that
your attempts to see her settled into a prosperous and advantageous match were
denied by the Council. It doesn’t seem fair that she should be punished for
seeking a husband off-world when so many of the warriors do the same.”

She could tell that her veiled barb had hit home when the
noblewoman’s pale pink eyes narrowed with rage. “Yes, my daughter is nothing if
not resilient. I still don’t know how the king managed to catch wind of our
plans, but I am sure he has his spies embedded everywhere,” she replied icily,
her gaze riveted on the young Earthling actress. “I’m sure you hadn’t heard the
full details of what transpired, but apparently the king went behind my back to
paint me as a treasonous revolutionary to the Council, and used my marriage
contract for Par’Nisis as his proof. He claimed I was bribing an official by
offering my daughter as payment. The charges are absolutely absurd, and he has
tarnished my good name before the Council. I will see him pay for his insults
by any means necessary.”

Jessica fought back a shiver at the poison lacing her tone
and the fury that burned in her eyes. For the first time since she had agreed
to this scheme, she felt a frisson of fear skate up her spine. She cleared her
throat and tried to bring their conversation to a more pleasant place. “Still,
it doesn’t look like Par’Nisis will have any trouble securing another mate. She
is quite beautiful, and any man would be lucky to have her for a lifemate,” she
lied through her teeth.

Rox’Ana’s eyes sparkled with undisguised pride. “Oh, yes, we
have already had to field many offers for her hand. However, we are holding out
for the most advantageous match possible. Perhaps she will meet someone during
the gathering to be held after the king’s big meeting with representatives from
the Council at the end of the month.” At Jessica’s look of surprise, the
noblewoman rushed to fill her in. “I see that the king has been too busy to
keep his guest informed, so I will once again step in to fulfill his obligations.
King Korian has invited representatives from the Council that govern all the
planets in the Great Alliance to his home for a convention. I am told that he
hopes to impress upon them the need for their help in preventing another attack
by the Warfarers now that we have been made aware of their stolen cloaking
tech. After the formalities are done, he has planned a huge gala for his guests
to enjoy themselves. As the delegate from the capital city, I was of course
invited to attend.”

Jessica tried not to let the hurt show on her face at the
fact that Korian had neglected to mention this big event to her. Maybe that’s
what he wanted to talk to her about later? That had to be it, and Jessica was
both mollified and a bit disappointed that was all he wanted to discuss. “I
wish you both the best of luck in securing her an excellent match,” she replied
politely, desperately seeking a way to end their conversation. She was relieved
and elated to see Zandar enter the room in answer to her prayers. “Oh, look!”
she exclaimed, catching the attention of her hostess. “I see my friend has
arrived. I didn’t realize that Zandar would be here this evening.”

Rox’Ana smirked. “Well, after seeing how you two hit it off
at the movie premier at the king’s compound, I took it upon myself to invite
him this evening. Zandar is definitely more civilized than most warriors, no
doubt thanks to his connections to his brother-in-law, and it does not hurt
that he is quite easy on the eyes.” Her gaze turned sly as she regarded her
guest. “There is no reason that you shouldn’t enjoy all of T’Kala’s delights,
Jessica. Warriors may be barbarians, but I am told that they are quite
spectacular in bed.”

Jessica felt the heat of her blush creep up in her cheeks at
her hostess’ bold words. She hoped that the clever woman didn’t realize that
her embarrassment stemmed from first-hand knowledge of the claim, and instead
assumed it was because of her supposed interest in Zandar. “I won’t deny being
curious about that, Rox’Ana. There aren’t that many men that look like these
warriors where I come from.”

Her hostess laughed and raised her hand to flag down the
towering warrior. Zandar’s pale brown eyes zeroed in on where she stood and his
face lit up with a pleased smile when he spotted Jessica standing next to her.
“I’m sure the king does not give you the freedom needed to find out for
yourself, so if you and Zandar were to disappear from the party for a time, I
will ensure that word does not make it back to the king.”

Jessica had no time to reply to her scandalous offer before
Zandar was standing before them. He barely spared a glance for his hostess as
he offered her a formal greeting before picking Jessica’s hand up in his own
and pressing a gallant kiss to her palm. “Jessica, I am happy that we could meet
again. I was afraid that our lovely hostess would keep you all to herself for
the duration of your stay here and that I would not have the opportunity to
bask in your loveliness once more.”

Jessica’s heart melted at his sincere words, but Mahoney’s
warning echoed in her ears. She would have to find the right moment to let the
warrior down gently and confess to her relationship with the king before he
said or did something they would both regret. “I’m so glad to see you again,
too, Zandar. I’ll have to find a way to thank our hostess for being thoughtful
enough to invite you. Rox’Ana has my best interests at heart, you know. She knows
that we’re friends and hoped that inviting you tonight would be a comfort to me
in the midst of so many unfamiliar faces.”

Zandar’s eyebrow quirked at her careful phrasing, but he
dutifully turned to offer a kiss to the noblewoman’s palm, as well. “Then I
must offer you my sincere gratitude, Rox’Ana Ful’Tera. I am sure that your
thoughtfulness in regards to the king’s guest will be repaid a hundredfold.”

The noblewoman’s laughter was throaty and flirtatious when
she replied, “Oh, I am sure that it will. Please, make yourself at home and
enjoy the refreshments, Zandar Nic’Omar. I must get back to my other guests, so
I will leave the two of you to get better acquainted.”

Jessica avoided Zandar’s knowing gaze as their hostess
sailed off with a sly laugh. Zandar liberated a glass of wine from the
ever-present waiter who hovered nearby, and said dryly, “Not very subtle, is
she?”

She almost choked on her sip of water and had to waive away
the concerned waiter while she coughed and laughed at the same time. When she
finally caught her breath, she wheezed, “I’m glad you saw through her scheme.
She all but told me to sneak out of the party with you so we could hook up.”

Zandar cocked his head in confusion. “What do you mean by
‘hook up’? Is that an Earthling phrase for sharing our bodies with each other?”

Jessica blushed again and darted her eyes around to see who
was listening. She gave the stink eye to the nosy waiter who didn’t seem too
keen on circulating with his drink tray and grabbed Zandar’s arm to drag him to
a quiet corner. “Not so loud, Zandar! The last thing we need is for Korian to
hear gossip circulating about me and you ‘sharing our bodies.’”

Zandar nodded his head gravely. “I understand your fear of
this reaching the king’s ears, but I believe that is what Rox’Ana is counting
on. The Captive Law is sacred among the warriors, and for one warrior to court
and seduce another warrior’s captive is the height of disrespect and would lead
to a challenge by sword. It has not happened for generations, but it is not
entirely unheard of. I suspect that Rox’Ana hopes that I would be foolish
enough to cross the king this way, because it would force King Korian to defend
his honor by issuing a challenge. I am older and a more seasoned warrior than
our king, so it would not be boastful to claim that I would likely come out of
such a battle victorious.”

Jessica’s was stunned at Zandar’s revelation, though she
wasn’t sure why it came as such a shock. Mahoney had tried to warn her about
such a thing several times, and even Korian himself had threatened to challenge
any warrior that dared to touch her. “That sneaky little bitch,” she fumed.
“She’s
still
trying to plot against him, but now she’s trying to use me
and one of his own warriors to further her agenda. Still, this plot seems
farfetched for her, and I don’t doubt that she has other, more nefarious plans
in mind to get rid of her obstacle to the throne.”

“I agree with your assessment, Jessica. I do not see all her
hopes pinned on this scheme alone.” An idea sparked in his eyes and his grin turned
feral as he added, “However, there is no reason not to use her own plans
against her. What do you say that we disappear from the party and do a little
bit of recon while we have the opportunity? Perhaps we will be able to uncover
what else she has hidden behind her eyes.”

Jessica ignored her need to correct him with the English
version of that saying, and instead answered, “That’s not a bad idea, Zandar,
but it could still lead to rumors reaching Korian. What’s to stop him from
issuing a challenge if he doesn’t believe our absence was innocent?”

The huge warrior tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and
began to stroll inconspicuously toward the door panel that led further into
their hostess’ home. “Do not fear, my friend. He is a reasonable and wise young
man, and he will understand the need for our illusion once we explain the
reasoning behind our ruse. I hold my king in high regard and would never do
anything to dishonor him or myself. No matter how badly I may want to.”

Jessica snorted in an unladylike fashion and shot back,
“Let’s hope you’re right, big guy. I would hate to see the results if you are
wrong.”