Not Quite Terran Part 4 (Scifi Alien Romance) (2 page)

Another brief conversation with her guards. “I realize you guys are necessary, but everyone else remains out here.”

“Jhoari?”

She glanced at the group again. Diplomats? Yes. The calmest representatives of their races? Yes. Protective as hell toward females to the point of violence? Yes.

The federation had chosen well, men who wouldn’t dare harm a woman despite any frustration or anger about her behavior. Which meant heated arguments during negotiations were acceptable because she wouldn’t be injured.

“You heard me. You guys and that’s it.”

“As you wish.” A softly murmured order to one of the other men was issued, and a round of whispers passed from male to male.

Then she was striding forward, back straight and confidence filling her every step. It didn’t matter that she was shaking on the inside, that each step felt as if she were going to her death because she really would like to be anywhere but this small room.

A commotion followed in her steps, and she recognized Advisor Takkol’s loud voice booming and arguing with her guards as he demanded to be granted entrance. Concern marred the faces of the men before her and she managed to keep her smile in place by pure will alone. She pretended she hadn’t just royally pissed off one of her staff.

Her staff.
Her
staff. That’s right. He worked for her and not the other way around. Not that she felt as if she knew enough to go things alone, but she could start throwing her weight around and make a few demands.

Halfway to her appointed seat, Rebecca stopped once again and spoke to Rasu. “Is Karru’s presence in Palia absolutely necessary? Can any other handle things as well as he could?”

“Jhoari?”

“I’m getting really tired of that title,” she grumbled. “Can anyone else do that job? Does he love it so much that he would want to be away from me to handle the problem?”

The male’s response was immediate. “There are many who could. And while I cannot speak for the Jhoari-consort, I can tell you if I had a sweet one, I would want to be nowhere else but at her side.”

Somehow, instinctually, she knew Karru felt the same way. So why did she allow others to dictate how her relationship and life with Karru would go?

“I want one of you, or one of those you trust, to contact him and tell him that I don’t want our people to suffer, but if there is someone who can handle the job without him, I want his ass here. Tell him,” she licked her lips and hesitated. “Tell him I need him.”

“Immediately, Jhoari.”

At least it wasn’t “as you wish.”

With that, she pasted her smile back in place and strode toward the small group waiting for her. If Karru were able to leave in the next few zentics…

“Apologies, sirs, I find myself wishing for my husband and was inquiring after him.”

The representative in the center immediately spoke up. “He has left you? Without protection?”

Rebecca shook her head. This male’s race valued females and honor in nearly equal measure. “He assured my protection before departing by assigning his most trusted males to remain at my side. It was honor that drew him to our homeland so he could attend to our people.”

That earned her a brief nod in approval.

“Hus-band? That is not a term included in the history and language files for Palia.” The Rwaddi spoke up. A race that believed in female empowerment and strength.

“No,” she shook her head. “It wouldn’t be. It is a Terran custom and ceremony. While I now wear the robes of Palia, I was raised Terran. As soon as he returns, I shall demand our lives be tied together.”

“That is the type of ruler you are?”

Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy to navigate as she thought. Revering women and being subjugated by them were two different things and this visit was pressing the point.

Another shake of her head. “No, it is the type of lover I am. I cannot be parted from my heart any more than I can be denied air.”

That earned her a round of nods and she released the breath she’d been holding. Okay, maybe she could do this.

The softest of touches to her elbow had her glancing over her shoulder and she tilted her head back so her guard could murmur in her ear. “Jhoari-consort will be here by morning.”

“Excellent.”

“Jhoari G'Zeri?”

“Apologies,” she tilted her head to the side slightly. “I’ve just been informed Karru will be on the station tomorrow morning.”

“We are gratified to hear this. Perhaps these talks may be delayed until you two are reunited?” That was the Eluvax testing her dedication.

“I would prefer to come to some sort of agreement, if possible. Our joining celebration can also celebrate Palia’s joining of the federation. If that is acceptable?”

Out of the five males, four flashed her their versions of a smile while the fifth narrowed his ten eyes and gave her a speculative look. “You are so sure of yourself? That the federation will want you?”

The truth? They wanted
each other
that much. They wanted Palia weapons and access to the planets for other independently negotiated trade. Palia wanted access to the various stations and planets scattered throughout the universe in order to search for females.

“I believe the goals of the federation and Palia intersect quite heavily in several areas and it would benefit us both to reach a solid agreement.” It was time for her to show them she had a backbone and wasn’t just a pretty little thing. “In truth, the federation needs Palia more than we need you. So the question becomes are you so sure?”

* * *

Karru woke her with the soft brush of a flower across her face. The delicate petal combined with the sweet scent drew her from sleep, and she carefully raised her lids to meet his gaze.

A sleepy smile parted her lips and she immediately reached for him. She cupped his cheek, and enjoyed the feel of his skin beneath hers.

“You came.” It still surprised her when he appeared. Knowing he was returning was different than seeing him before her.

“Of course. When I was told you wanted me, I immediately returned.”

She stiffened for a moment, doubts assaulting her. Everything that happened was always at her request, order, or command. “You didn’t… You want to be here, right? You’re not here because they made you?”

His response was instantaneous. He discarded the flower and brushed her hand aside before cradling her face in his palms, ensuring she focused on him. “I never want to be anywhere but at your side. I went because you wanted me to go.”

She shook her head. “No, they told me you absolutely had to go.”

“Who?”

Advisor Takkol
. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve taken care of the problem.”

Karru grinned. “Takkol, then. I heard what you did. His words are still ringing in my ears.”

She snorted. “Aw, he went crying home to daddy.” She shook her head. “He sent you away because he thought he could manipulate me and when he couldn’t—and I caught him at his game—he went back to you. Nice.”

“He is going to cause you problems.” She recognized the warning in his tone.

“No, he’s going to cause
us
problems. I don’t want to be away from you, and I’ll be damned if I do this alone.”

“I don’t want to be without you as well, but the Jhoari-consort does not rule.”

She shrugged. “And the Jhoari doesn’t get married or, apparently, strip power from manipulative assholes. I did both.”

His grin was infectious and she mimicked his smile. “That was his primary concern as he yelled at me.”

That
had her pushing his hands away and rising from the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“I am going to kick that man’s ass. How dare he talk to you like that?” The fucker.

Rebecca was intent on finding her robe—she’d walked out in pajamas
one
time and suddenly she was saddled with a robe—so she could hunt Takkol. It wasn’t until she had one arm through the hole that Karru’s laughter broke into her concentration. “What?”

“You do not need to fight my battles for me, sweet one. I used one of your Terran customs and eliminated the annoyance.”

She furrowed her brow. “What did you do?”

“I hung up.”

Rebecca giggled, imagining the massive, proud male having his rant cut off mid-yell. Oh, she wished she’d been there. Then again, that would’ve given him the chance to try and talk to her again.

She allowed the fabric to drop to the ground and she went back to him, sliding into his embrace and holding him close. “I missed you.”

He pressed a kiss to her head. “And I missed you.”

She sank into him, reveling in his nearness and touch. This is what she had been missing, his calming influence and the pleasure that came with his nearness. “I won’t let them separate us again. If you want to go somewhere—if you need to go somewhere—we can talk about it. I won’t allow them to divide and conquer us.”

“Divide and conquer?”

“It’s a Terran saying.”

Karru hummed. “Is that like Terran customs? Such as hus-bands and wedd-ings?”

Rebecca scrunched her nose. “Oh. Yeah, that. You see…”

He continued to hold her and carefully sat on the bed, carrying her with him until they were both laid out on the large soft surface. “What other decrees have you made while I was gone?”

Well, she might as well blurt it all out. “Well, you know that Advisor Takkol is no longer allowed to speak with me or communicate with me.” She wasn’t sure she could kick him to the curb, but she could remove him from her influence. What was an advisor without power? And he’d definitely gone for a power play with all the bullshit negotiations with the federation. “And while I was talking with the federation representatives, I kinda sorta said we were going to be married.” It wasn’t something she’d pulled out of her ass. Not completely anyway. So she rushed through the rest.

“I know that Palia has their own mating ceremony, but I’m the Jhoari and because of my position, they won’t let me mate you and have you be an equal. But you are to me. In some ways you’re better than me with all this crap.” At her mention of “crap” he chuckled. “So I thought ‘fuck ‘em’ and decided a Terran ceremony would suit me better. Because then we
are
equals. Part of the standard federation agreement is that each species acknowledges and recognizes the joining ceremonies and statuses of all other federation races.” She snuggled close and rubbed her cheek on his chest. “Terrans believe in marriage, a lifelong commitment, and that males and females are equal. I signed an interim treaty last night that accepts us as probationary members of the federation without making any concessions on either side. It allows our people to at least explore the universe while we hammer out the details.”

“If that’s in place, I don’t understand how your Terran marriage solves anything.”

This was where her years as an intake officer came into play. She’d spent six years living on technicalities. “
I
am not yet recognized as a Palia citizen. You people stuck a crown on my head and shoved me toward the federation to negotiate on your behalf, but no one has gotten my signature or thumbprint to add me to the station’s list of Palia citizens and remove my Terran designation. Genetically? I’m from Palia. But as far as any governing body outside the few Palia officials on Rilli is concerned, I’m Terran. Our people have accepted me, but I haven’t accepted the crown.”

“But you signed a temporary treaty…”

She lifted her head and propped her chin on his chest so she could meet his gaze. “I signed a temporary treaty as the fiancé of the Jhoari because he was out of town and both Palia
and
the federation recognize that right.”

“Sneaky.”

“Very.” And she wasn’t going to apologize for it. “So if you and I marry in a Terran ceremony because I am Terran, Palia has to accept it and you rule at my side. It’ll set precedent for future generations.”

“Your people won’t like it.”

“
Our
people have had you as their Jhoari for years. If they have a problem with my choice of mate, they’re admitting they don’t want you leading the empire. They’d be calling themselves idiots, and one thing I know is people don’t want to see themselves as stupid.” She wiggled closer. “Some will complain, but it’ll die down and then it’ll be smooth sailing.”

“You don’t know—”

“I know behavior. Any race, any species, would react the same way. They may grumble, but no one will admit they perhaps made a mistake. Except for children, children don’t know any better.”

His gaze searched hers, as if hunting for the truth in her desires. “This is what you want?”

“More than anything. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours. I don’t want others to treat you as if you don’t matter because you’re my
consort
,” she spat the word. “We are equals, Karru, and if tricking the empire into accepting you is what it takes, then that’s what I’ll do. And if they think for one moment they can push me into making a decision that goes against my feelings for you, they will see how quickly I can throw this crown back at them.”

“You’re telling the truth.”

“Of course I am. Before you, I was perfectly fine with my life. It wasn’t fun, and I didn’t have money to throw around, but I lived on my terms. I have absolutely no problem going back to that. With you, I can endure anything. Without you, I can’t even breathe.”

He reached for her, and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. “I feel the same. I am not a male of words. But the distance between us hurt my heart. I do not wish to do that again. The idea that I would be your consort does not disgust me.”

“But—” He didn’t let her finish.

“But the idea that a consort is easily replaceable shatters me. This Terran ceremony would tie us together forever?”

“Yes.” She didn’t bring up the idea of divorce since it wasn’t ever going to happen.

“Then let us discuss when we shall have the ceremony.”

“Can we discuss something else?” She changed her position, carefully sliding her thigh over his, and easing until she was half draped across him. The gentle alteration told her he was affected by her nearness and touch.

His length was hard and firm against her thigh and her body responded to his arousal. Her core warmed, moistening with desire for him, and her nipples pebbled and ached for his touch. His mouth, his hands, she didn’t care. She simply wanted
him
.