Cassandra's Challenge (57 page)

“KYLE!!!!” Lucas cuts his brother off, stepping
between the two men. When Marat told him his brother was here, he’d
thought they’d get to catch up, not walk into him insulting
Cassie.

“Kyle, you don’t know what you’re talking
about!” Lucas shoots a worried look over his shoulder to their
father. While William’s face is impassive, his eyes are blazing,
his fists, clenching and unclenching.

“Get him out of here Lucas.”

“Dad, he just doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“Let
Dadrian
fill him in.” The Admiral
looks at his son. “Don’t come back, Kyle.” Turning he leaves his
sons.

“What the
fuck
are you thinking Kyle!”
Lucas runs a hand threw his hair.

“What are
you
thinking! This woman is
ruining our father and you’re just standing there letting it
happen!”

“Cassandra isn’t doing any such thing.”

“Cassandra! Don’t you call her Your Highness!
Fuck! She’s gotten to you too.” Kyle turns away disgusted.

“She saved my life Kyle.” Kyle’s eyes shoot to
his brother’s. “It cost her family theirs.”

“That doesn’t change anything.” But doubt
flickers through his eyes.

“You don’t know everything.”

“And whose fault is that!?!”

“It’s dad’s call.” Lucas stares down his
brother.

“Right, like she has nothing to do with it.”

“I don’t know what Dadrian’s been telling you.
Actually I don’t understand why you even listen to him. But he
doesn’t know
anything
. He’s just repeating rumors he’s
heard, stirring things up. It’s something he’s always been good
at.”

“At least he has the courtesy to let me know my
father and brother are staying in the palace. I didn’t even know
you were back on planet.

“We’ve been here less the two days!”

“I should have been told!” Turning Kyle leaves
the wing.

Entering their suite William hears Cassandra and
Victoria laughing over first meal. The sound makes him pause. He
doesn’t want to bring Kyle’s ugly allegations into that room.
Taking a deep breath he forces back his rage then walks down the
hallway.

“Admiral!” Victoria is out of her chair, a wide
smile on her face.

“Good morning.” He swings her up into his arms.
“You seem pretty happy this morning.”

“I am! Look!” She pulls at her shirt. “I’m
wearing my new clothes!”

“You look very nice.” He sets her back in her
chair.

“Sorry I had to leave.” He leans over to give
Cassandra a quick kiss.

“That’s okay.” Looking in his eyes she can tell
he’s upset. “You need to eat.”

Sitting down between the two, he lifts the cover
off his plate. “So what are you going to do today?” He asks
Victoria.

“Amina and I are going to play until Kia and
Pazel get here, then we get to look at the rest of our
clothes.”

“That will be fun.”

“Yeah. You two have to be in gatherings all
day.”

“That’s right then we have a meal with the
King.” Cassandra turns to Tori. “So you’re not going anywhere
without Javiera or Lucas. Right?”

“Right.” Tori nods.

“That’s good Tori.” The Admiral tells her. “We
don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know.” Tori looks to her Aunt. “I’m done can
I go over to Amina’s?”

“Let me call over, see if their up yet.” After
talking to Javiera, Cassandra turns to Tori. “Go wash up and I’ll
walk you over, I need to talk to Javiera.”

“Okay.”

Sitting down Cassandra puts a hand on William’s
arm, she feels the need to touch him. “What’s wrong?”

He should have known he couldn’t fool her. “Kyle
was downstairs.”

“Kyle? Your Kyle?”

“Yes.”

“And this is a problem because…” She waits,
hoping she’s wrong.

“He’s upset that he wasn’t been informed we were
on planet.”

“He should have been, I’m sorry, I should have
realized.” She’d forgotten about Kyle with everything else going
on. To forget about William’s family is inexcusable.

“No. This isn’t on you.”

“He should have been included. If all he hears
are Valerian’s rumors he’ll be upset.”

“He’s getting his information from Dadrian.”

“Dadrian….”

“I’m ready.” Tori comes skipping out of her
room. Cassandra looks at William knowing the conversation is over
for now. Giving him a hard kiss she rises.

“Let’s go kiddo.”

“Bye Admiral.”

“Bye Tori.”

Javiera is opening the door to their suite as
Cassandra closes the exterior one.

“Amina’s back in her room.” She tells Tori, and
she’s gone. Javiera closes the door.

“Javiera?” Cassandra follows her as she walks
down to the common area. “Is everything okay?

“It’s better, thank you for telling
Leander.”

“It was my fault.”

“No. It’s something that Leander and I have been
avoiding.” Javiera sits on one of the couches rubbing her hands
together. “I’ve wanted to have another child for awhile now.
Leander doesn’t.” Javiera looks into Cassandra’s eyes. “I had
problems with Amina. It was recommended that I not conceive
again.”

“He’s worried he’ll lose you.” She grips her
friend’s hand.

“I know, but Cassandra, I have this need, to
have just one more, to give Leander a son. I know he says it
doesn’t matter to him. That he loves Amina. But still…”

“There’s a different connection between a father
and son.” Cassandra finishes.

“Yes. You understand?” Javiera’s shoulders sag
in relief.

“I do. I’m a second child Javiera. My brother
was nine years older. There were things he and dad could talk
about, shared experiences that only they understood. It never meant
he loved me less, it was just a ‘man’ thing. It was special for
both of them.”

“I want Leander to have that.”

“But he wants you more.” She squeezes her hand.
“After my mom died, my father couldn’t look at me.” Javiera’s eyes
widen. “I looked too much like her. It reminded him of everything
he’d lost.” Cassandra’s eyes sadden. “He had to send me to boarding
school so he could heal. I understand that now, I didn’t at nine. I
just knew I’d lost my mother and then my father.”

“I never knew…”

“We worked it out, it took time, but when it’s
family you work it out. That’s what you and Leander have to do. He
loves you Javiera. He’s scared of losing you.”

“I know, but Cassandra, I want this so
badly.”

“Then you need to tell him that, and if you do
decide to conceive again then you need the best doctor on planet,
because Javiera, I don’t want to lose you either.” Hugging they
both wipe their eyes.

“Okay, enough of that.” Javiera leans back to
pull the test out of her pocket. “You’ll get the best results if
it’s done first thing in the morning.” She goes on to explain what
she needs to do.

“Okay, so tomorrow I’ll know.” Cassandra gives
her a wobbly smile.

“It’ll be okay, either way. The Admiral loves
you.”

“I know. I’d better get back. I need to get
ready for the gatherings.” Cassandra stands.

“Do you need help?”

“Maybe tonight, I’ll let you know.”

Finding their suite empty she sighs. She’d hoped
to finish talking about Kyle. He’s family, family stands together.
William is going to suffer over this, his son, his life mate, she
doesn’t want him put in the position where he has to choose.
Realizing she needs to get ready for the first gathering she heads
for the shower.

Lucas enters the ready room to find his father,
Marat and Quinn deep in a conversation about the day’s
security.

“That should cover it Chief. Have your men in
the foyer by 1045.”

“Yes Admiral.”

Lucas waits until Marat leaves. “Dad about
Kyle….” The look in the Admiral’s eyes has Lucas pausing.

“Not now.”

“Dad…”

“NOT NOW!” The rage the Admiral has been trying
to control slips out. “Quinn I’ll be in my suite if you need me.”
Quinn and Lucas watch him leave.

“What was that all about?” Quinn looks at
Lucas.

“Kyle was here earlier. Dadrian’s been filling
him in on how dad is being ‘used’.”

“Kyle listened to that little foabhor?”

“Agreed, but yeah he did. Especially since none
of us bothered to fill him in.” Lucas rubbed his neck. “Fuck Quinn
I think they’d have come to blows if I hadn’t shown up. What Kyle
was saying….Dad told him not to come back.”

“Fuck, no wonder the old man so pissed.”

“Yeah, just what he needed before these
gatherings.”

“Could have been planned that way,” Quinn sits
down to think. “Dadrian has never cared for your father or you for
that matter, to many comparisons. He’s probably sitting back
enjoying all these rumors about how the mighty Admiral has fallen,
and over a woman. Fuck, he knew exactly what he was doing talking
to Kyle!”

Lucas looks at Quinn. “What are we going to do
about it?”

“Nothing. At least not right now. Right now we
concentrate on finding the traitor. That will go a long way in
explaining things."

Discovering Cassandra wearing only white eadia
turns William’s remaining anger into desire. “That isn’t
appropriate for gatherings.” Walking over he kisses a bare shoulder
while his hands caress her sides.

“No?” Cassandra is more than willing to play if
it keeps that earlier look from his eyes. “I thought it would make
an impression.”

“Oh it would, believe me.” He runs a finger over
the swell of breast her eadai has pushed up. “But I like to be the
only one you leave this kind of impression on.”

“So do I.” Putting a hand behind his neck she
pulls his head down for a deep kiss. As their tongues spare, his
hands sliding under her eadai gripping her bare bottom pulling her
up against him, his desire obvious.

“William.” She gasps tearing her mouth from his.
Wrapping her legs around him she dives back into the kiss.

William is on fire, this passion igniting too
quickly for him to control. Pinning her against a wall he releases
himself, grips her hips and thrusts. She’s hot, wet, already
tightening around him and he wants more, he wants all.

Tearing his mouth away he looks into her face,
it’s flushed, her lips swollen, breathing rapid, but it’s her eyes
that send him over the edge. They’re blazing into his, full of
passion, desire, love, just starting to lose focus.

The orgasm is sudden catching both of them off
guard. Cassandra’s head drops to William’s shoulder as he braces an
arm against the wall to keep them upright.

When they are finally able to move again,
Cassandra looks up at him, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

“What?” He has to know what caused her to
blush.

“I’m
really
liking my new eadai.” Her
blush deepens.

William laughs, a rich, full laugh that relieves
the last of the rage. “So do I.”

Cassandra checks herself in the mirror, Kia did
a wonderful the white pant suit. It was just the look she’d been
wanting. A beaded sleeveless tank just passes the top of the
straight legged pants that hugged her hips and skimmed her toes
enclosed in white heeled boots. Covering it all is a shear long
sleeved jacket that stops at her knees. As she turns beadwork of
the jacket shimmers and flows like a flame in the wind.

She loosely pulled her hair up, exposing her
neck, securing it with matching clips Kia had provided. It gave her
a soft windblown look. Satisfied she goes into the private area.
She needs to get a hold of Quinn.

Finding the bedroom empty after his shower,
William moves to the closet to dress. One of the bags is hanging
empty, wondering what she’s wearing he pulls out a more formal
uniform, not dress but not every day. Checking himself in the
mirror he turns to find Cassandra.

“Tar.” The Colonel answers the comm in the ready
room.

“Colonel, this is Cassandra. I want to thank you
for the Intel you compiled for me on the gatherings.”

“No thanks necessary mam.”

“Well I’m thanking you anyway and want to know
if you could look into something else for me.” She waits.

“What are you looking for?” The Admiral’s right,
Quinn loves this stuff.

“The Battle of Fayal.”

“What about it?” Quinn can’t help but be
interested.

“The captured Regulian ship, what happened to
it? The Admiral said that you got their ship identification codes
because of its capture. What else was learned from the ship? Who
was in charge of translating the Intel? Who did he report too? And
where is he now?” Cassandra fires off what she needs.

“What do you need to know all this for?”

“Because it’s connected, I can’t prove it, yet,
but I know it is.” Quinn hears the conviction in her voice, and
believes her.

“I’ll get started on it for you.”

“Thank you Colonel.”

Disconnecting, her heart skips a beat as William
walks into the room in a uniform she’d never seen. Its grey color
reflected the hints of grey at his temples while deepening his
eyes. On his chest the array of medals he’d earned during his
distinguished career, a career he is jeopardizing for her.

Walking around the comm center she stops in
front of him. “You’re a handsome man William Zafar.” And all hers,
she thinks a smile on her lips as she rests her hands on his
decorated chest.

“You’re my life mate, the most beautiful thing
in my life.” William gently rests his hands on her shoulders as he
softly kisses her.

“Let me look at you.” Cassandra steps back,
slowly turns for him, and waits. “The white tower, the tower of the
House of Knowledge, that’s what you look like.” William can see
what she’s doing. She’s planting the seeds.

“Is it too obvious?” She has her first
doubts.