Alien Interludes (25 page)

“Enough.” Tara’s soft voice shocked them both, but not as much as the feeling of her tiny frame worming between them. They fel back, though neither released his stare on the other man.

Yuder grabbed Tara’s arm with the intent to put her behind him, away from his outraged son. She resisted.

“No, Yuder. Clajak would not put his hands on me. Would you, my emperor?”

A smal bit of reason flickered in the younger man’s eyes. “I do not harm women, no matter what their offenses against me may be.” Yuder sensed rather than saw Tara flinch a little, but she gave up no ground. “Clajak, I lost Jessica’s father only a little over a year ago. Your Matara has given me her blessing to be happy again. Is she wrong in this?”

As confusion dampened some of Clajak’s anger, Yuder marveled at his beloved’s tactics. She was drawing the onus of the issue to herself and away from his sense of betrayal.

“Mataras should be happy. The mother of my mate in particular deserves a joyous life. You should have someone who cares for you.” Finaly Clajak released Yuder from his glare. “But why him? He had a woman! My mother!”

“I know. He talks to me about her al the time, as I talk about Aaron. He truly does stil love her, Clajak. Nothing has changed where she’s concerned.”

“But … clanning is for life.” The fury was slowly deflating as Clajak struggled. Watching his son try to grasp the situation, Yuder had a sudden flash of insight.

He never got over Irdis’ death. I knew he held guilt for a long time because he was supposed to accompany her that day, but I thought he had dealt with it. If he’d been there, he’d have died
too. Does he not know this?

Sympathy didn’t come to Yuder often, but he felt it now. And it horrified him to think that Clajak might stil be under the cloud of that long-ago tragedy. His emperor, his child, was a great leader with strong wil and character. He was also hurting in a way Yuder knew al too wel.

“My son,” he said, and Clajak’s tortured gaze found him again. “Her death was not in any way your fault. You couldn’t have saved Irdis any more than I could. You know who kiled her.”

“And those traitors are dead,” the young emperor spat out. “I cut the mastermind into pieces myself.”

“Indeed you did,” Yuder growled, his senses growing excited at the memory. “I watched you do it. I have never been prouder of you than I was at that moment.”

“But it didn’t bring her back, did it?” Now al the anger was gone, replaced by misery.

“No.” A heavy weight settled in Yuder’s stomach. He noticed Tara was now standing aside, no longer worried they would tear each other apart.

“I was supposed to be with her that day!” Clajak suddenly cried out.

“Even if you had gone as planned, it would have changed nothing except added your death to my grief. Do you think Irdis wanted your lifeless body at her side? Or maimed like Zarl? Do you hold your mother in so little esteem that you believe she would have wanted you on that ship when it crashed?”

“No.” A whisper. “She would be horrified at the thought.”

“You were her world, my son. More so than I or Tidro or Zarl were. And if she knew you were in such pain because of her, she would be grief stricken. She only ever wanted your happiness.”

“And yours,” Clajak said. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “She would be ful of joy for you, my father; that you have found someone worthy to share your life with again.” He opened his eyes to look at Tara. “And you are worthy of such a great man, my Matara’s mother. Stil, you must understand this is hard for me.”

“I know, sweetheart.” Tara offered him a teary smile. “I wouldn’t hurt you or my daughters for al the universe. But I love Yuder. I tried to deny it, but I can’t. So here we are.” Clajak nodded. “I need time to absorb this.” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “I can’t promise I’l ever be at peace with it. But for my mother and for you two, I’l try.”

“Thank you.”

The emperor drew himself up and bowed his head to each of them. “My apologies for my actions. I hope you wil forgive my temper.”

“No apologies are necessary.” Tara took his hand. “It’s not been easy on anyone, however good a face we put on it. My share of guilt has been huge as wel.” Clajak looked at her for a moment. Then he bent down from his greater height to press his forehead to Tara’s, the traditional greeting from son to mother. “Do not trouble yourself over my heart’s refusal to move on. You are stil my beloved’s mother and my Earth Mom.”

Tara laughed at that, and they were good again. Clajak straightened to face Yuder.

Yuder bowed his head, relieved that at least Clajak was restored to his good sense where Tara was concerned. “I am truly sorry for any pain I caused you by not speaking of this sooner.” Clajak gave him a bitter sounding chuckle. “It wouldn’t have gone any better if you had.” The Dramok’s brow furrowed again. A kaleidoscope of emotions struggled on his face. Finaly he shrugged.

Yuder thought his son would leave then, but instead Clajak startled him by gently pressing his knuckles to the elder Kalquorian’s cheek. “Be happy, my father. My feelings are my own burden, not yours.

Don’t let them taint what you’ve found.”

Yuder gazed into his pain-filed eyes. Then he returned the father-son greeting of hand to cheek. “I won’t. I hope you find the peace your heart deserves, my son.” Clajak gave him a sharp nod. With another bow to Tara, he left her quarters.

“Wil he be al right?” Tara asked after a few seconds.

Yuder went to her, puling her tight to his body. “I hope so.” He looked down into her dear, sweet face and couldn’t hold back a smile. “To my knowledge, no one has ever calmed Clajak from a ful blown rage so easily. You are a wonder, my love.”

“I have a daughter who erupts just as quickly.” She shook her head and laughed. “Bevau and Egilka must have their hands ful with that pair!”

“Speaking of getting one’s hands ful,” Yuder growled, sliding his down to cup the delightful mounds of her buttocks.

“Mmm.” She snuggled close, rubbing against him.

He took her right there, on the hide-covered floor, first filing the wet warmth of her female sheath with more force than he’d dared before. His blood was up from the confrontation with Clajak, making arousal as brutal as when he’d been a young man. Tara responded with delighted moans, her fingernails scratching thin trails on his chest, her thighs closing around his hips to pul him ever harder into her. He’d never seen her so frenzied, and Yuder possessed her with strength as his civilized self succumbed to lust.

She came screaming, her hair whipping as her head tossed from side to side. Yuder snarled as he fought to not give in to the coaxing pul of her sleeve. His animal side, the part of him that lived for battle and sex, was being unleashed in the face of this wild woman who thrust her groin to his, as if demanding the surrender of al the seed he would ever produce.

Giving in to the bestial force within him, Yuder puled free of his lover and turned her over onto her bely. He pinned her beneath, his larger cock homing in on that tighter passageway.

“Gently, Yuder.” Tara’s quiet voice somehow broke through the roar of lust filing his head. Just in time, he remembered he had never taken her this way before. With effort, he gathered his control once more.

“You wil grant me
laxan
? It is not offensive to you?”

She peered at him over her shoulder, her eyes bright with excitement. “I like the penetration of the smaler one there. Just be careful with me, al right?”

“Always,” he affirmed. He stroked up and down her back, kissed the nape of her neck tenderly. “Relax, my love. And tel me at once if it is too much.” The nearby table held a carved box of cleansing wipes. He paused long enough to use one on his smaler penis since it had already invaded her rear entrance. Moving slowly, tenderly, he cleaved to his beloved.

Tara caught her breath a couple of times, and he paused at each occurrence, asking if she was al right, if he should stop. Each time, she whispered, “No, no, it’s so good. I never imagined – don’t stop, Yuder. Please don’t stop.”

By the ancestors, he loved this woman with al his being.

When she had accepted al of him, when he was fuly enclosed within her tight warmth, Yuder leaned down to blanket her slight body with his. He lay there, kissing the tiny cup of her ear, his chest brushing her upper back and shoulders as she took long breaths. “I love you so much. Ask me for anything, and I wil find a way to give it to you.”

“I have al I could wish for. I want for nothing.”

Yuder closed his eyes with feeling. He had loved Irdis beyond reason, and her death had made him a terror to be around for two years afterward. But he had been clanned to her when he was young, and in the foly of youth he hadn’t fuly appreciated her. Now he was older and wiser from bitter experience. He knew how lucky he was to have found love again with Tara, and he was filed with gratitude.

I will never take her for granted, and may I be struck down if I do.

With that thought uppermost in his mind, Yuder made slow, tender love to Tara, feeling with every fiber of his being the sweet, warm fluids that escaped her, the trembling of her flesh surrounding his, the quickening of her breath as he drove her steadily to pleasure. Her sighs became whimpers, her whimpers grew to moans, her moans exploded into wild cries. He served her with al the care she deserved, insisting she climax thrice before finaly alowing his aching loins their release.

“My forever beloved. My Matara,” he whispered to his trembling mate when he was able to speak again.

j

An Improper Proposal

Lindsey was aware of her clan’s exchanged looks of amusement as she bounced impatiently in front of the closed hatch of their shuttle. They’d landed only moments before. Wel, the three men could make fun al they liked. She’d waited patiently for months to see her mother again, years for her sister Jessica. She wasn’t about to pretend she wasn’t excited, not for the sake of decorum, not for the sake of new in-laws both royal and not, not for any reason at al.

It was less than a second from the time her Dramok Bacoj hit the button to the time the hatch slid smoothly open. It felt like forever. But at last Lindsey was looking out across the docking bay of the Imperial Home.

Her first impression was of the long line of the red uniforms of the Royal Guard. In front of them stood the smal bunches of Kalquorian clans that included her mates’ parents, along with her mother standing with her boyfriend or mate or whatever they caled it here. Lindsey felt a smal pang to see Mom with another man not her father, but her thril to be with Tara again queled that quickly. Lastly, up front and grinning her head off was her sister Jessica. Standing before her clanmates and children, the youngest McInness was stunning in a long purple gown.

Even better was the fact Jessica was little concerned with appearances too. She came running towards the shuttle at ful speed, skirt flapping wildly behind her, screaming her sibling’s name in a long, drawn out shriek: “Liiiindseeeeey!”

And the elder sister, so not interested in descending regaly at Bacoj’s side with Japohn and Vax trailing after, flew out of the shuttle. Lindsey flung her arms wide as she screamed too, a wordless shout of triumph and joy. The women met in an almost violent colision. The air filed with their sobs and laughter, arms holding tight and lips peppering kisses on each others’ faces like lovers too long separated. Had either been able to see or hear anything beyond the woman before her, she would have noticed the sea of smiles and ripple of chuckles as the onlookers witnessed this happy and longed-for reunion. Even members of the Royal Guard, that group of stoic, deadly Nobeks ever poised to take a death blow for members of the Imperial Family, registered amusement at the wild display.

At the same instant, Lindsey and Jessica realized one important ingredient was missing. They searched their mother out. “Mom!” came the chorus, and Tara’s smile spread wider across her elfin face even as tears poured from her eyes. She went to them and was absorbed into the ecstatic embrace. Spontaneous applause broke out from the rest of the assembled, excepting the Royal Guard.

For Lindsey, an emptiness in her heart was filed at last. Now she had her clan and was restored to the sister and mother she had missed so greatly. Only the absence of her father, dead from a crash on Earth, kept the reunion from being perfect. Somehow she thought perhaps he was able to see them al together like this, and the thought made her smile harder and laugh louder.

At last the three women settled down enough for their men to approach. Lindsey’s clan bowed deeply to Jessica’s. “It is our honor to greet the Emperors and Empress of Kalquor,” Bacoj said for the rest, his long wavy hair swinging forward for an instant to cover his striking face. His sensuous lips trembled and his wide eyes were bright, betraying contained laughter.

Emperor Clajak gave him an unguarded smile. From the many communications she and Jessica had shared, Lindsey knew that at least two of her sister’s mates, Clajak and Bevau, didn’t worry too much about ceremony.

The Imperial Dramok underscored that assessment with his words. “And it is an honor to meet our brothers, whose bravery saved many a life on Earth, including our beloved Empress’ mother and sister.

This is the last formal greeting we wil exchange, Bacoj, Vax, and Japohn. From now on, we are family. Welcome home, my brothers. And welcome home, my sister Lindsey.” Lindsey grinned at him, pretending not to notice her mates’ furiously blushing faces. They had indeed been heroes on her home planet, to Earther and Kalquorian alike, but al three men were too modest to be comfortable with the praise.

“Hi Clajak, Bevau, Egilka. So nice to see you in person finaly. Is this my niece and nephew?”

A boy stepped forward. He was smal when one compared him to the Kalquorian adults surrounding him, but by Earther standards he was long and lanky for a three year old. “Helo Aunt Lindsey,” he lisped, looking up at her through rumpled black curls. “You recognized me!”