CALLEY (RIBUS 7 Book 3) (40 page)

Dar smiled at her as he switched to his mother tongue. “From day one, my Lady.”

His deep voice speaking Iceanean melted every cell in her body. She looked down, her mind roaming through the past. Dar had always cared for her or overseen her well-being. Even when she was with Korba, Dar had never been far away. Then, suddenly, the realization hit her. She stared into his beautiful azure eyes, their full intensity now attained.

Dar cocked his head. “What is it?”

She regarded him suspiciously. “You
knew
when Jim was assaulting me, didn’t you.”

Dar shook out his hair and took a deep breath. “Yes, both times.”

Chelan hesitated. “I did not tell you about the first time.”

Dar briefly touched her cheek. “You did not have to.”

“You were monitoring his place, weren’t you?”

Dar finally grinned slyly. “And his phone, his car, his work, his family, and his friends.”

Chelan shook her head slowly, then she squinted at him. “How did you get into the building and past the security?”

Dar raised his brows. “You dare to question the ability of an Imperial Warlord to skirt Earth security?”

Chelan went to speak but then decided to reword her response. “It was just that you were always so prompt.”

Dar finally chuckled. “I had one of the other condos in the building. I could trace Jim anywhere, and whenever he was with you at his place, I simply arrived at mine.”

“Did you suspect he would try to force me?”

Dar shrugged. “I know you and your effect on men. I also know enough about the men of Earth not to put anything past them. Your simple presence in their domain is incendiary. And I have not forgotten your effect on Ticees. Where you are concerned, I trust no man.”

Chelan smiled but then her mouth went dry. She turned away from him to get dressed but he reached for her, halting her retreat into the tent.

“Come here, Chelan. Do not shy away from me with unspoken thoughts. You have been among your own too long. You forget how well I read you.” He pulled her to him and held her firmly.

Chelan chewed at her lip, trying to speak, but the mere effort drained her. She twisted out of his grasp and defensively pulled a blanket over her naked body. Dar reached for her again and drew her into his chest. He held her head to his heart. “Talk to me, pretty lady.”

Chelan closed her eyes. “Then you heard it when he…”

“It is okay, Chelan.”

“No, it is not,” she breathed. “The day I walked in on Fremma and Lena—I remember it as if it happened yesterday. It tore my heart out. I would never want that to happen to anyone else.”

Dar stroked her quaking back. “I survived, Chelan. Besides, you were not a willing participant.”

She shook her head. “But you could not have known that at the time. You must have thought that I wanted him.”

Dar felt his emotions fester. “If I had known he was taking you without your consent, I would have killed him on the spot.”

Chelan fought valiantly against the pain swelling in her chest. Finally, she pushed back from him and stared into his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“Because I knew that you needed your time on Earth, away from the Empire.”

Chelan shook her head at him and traced his lips with her fingertips. “No, I needed
you
so much more.” She hesitated, and then her chin began to quiver. “Ending up in bed with him was disgusting. And whether I was willing or not, I never wanted you to witness it. I feel so ashamed. I feel so unworthy of you.”

“Oh no, pretty lady. Don’t say that. The hardest thing about what he did to you, Chelan, was
how
he did it. If you had actually wanted him, and if he had made love to you the way you deserved, then it would have been okay.” He lifted her chin up and looked deep into her grievous eyes. “Chelan, you were not fully aware of the lengths he would go. He duped you. You just assumed that after all these years he had grown into a man of integrity. And he was in a position of trust. You assumed a relationship like ours. But he used you. He drugged you. It was not your fault.”

Chelan slumped against him. “But still, you had to listen to it all.”

“Oh, my Lady. It is done and it is over.” And he squeezed her hard, rocking her gently. But Dar’s heart had been split by the whole ordeal. It had never been so hard to witness anything. Because she had never struggled, and because of the earlier banter between her and Jim, he had assumed that their bonding was a natural progression to their evening. When Jim had taken her to her room, Dar had wanted to turn off all the monitoring equipment. But he had continued to listen to them out of fear for her safety, and it had torn through him like a dagger. Just as he had not been able to bear sharing her with Korba and Fremma, he could not share her with the men of Earth.

“Chelan,” he whispered. “When you told him to stop, I thought of intervening. But you were not in distress that I could hear. I thought it was consensual up until that point, and then it was too late. From that moment on, I had to make a judgment call. My constant interference would not have gone unnoticed. I had to allow it.”

“I am still so sorry, Dar. I feel as though I soiled myself. I feel—”

Dar put a finger to her lips. “Shhh. I know you well enough, Chelan, to know that no matter what I say, you will always be sorry. But it is over. He is gone. And now we are one. By Earth values, you are just as pure to me as the day I laid eyes on you. You will always be my innocent beauty no matter who takes you.”

Chelan’s fingers played over his chest. “You should have told me who you were. We could have had each other so much sooner.”

“I was honest, Chelan. I wanted you to have your time on Earth.”

“Why?” she said, beseeching him.

“Because then and only then can you truly evaluate your life in the Empire and your role within it. You have walked both worlds now, after having experienced both societies, seeing their beauty and their brutality. Only now can you make a fair choice.”

“What choice? What are you talking about?”

Dar’s voice was soft and low. “Chelan, I protect you, I desire you, and I love you. You are no longer an abducted woman. And therefore you have a choice, one I must grant you.” He hesitated. “In Canada, I wanted you so badly, but I withdrew from you months ago because you tempted me. And I know you felt the pull. Our connection, despite my ruse, was undeniable. If I pressed the relationship, I knew, we would have made love. And I knew that if we made love, I would make love to you as you deserved, as I wanted to, and as we did that night so long ago. But just like last night, I knew that if we did, I would be discovered. I wanted you to be on your own, to experience Earth in its entirety and in a new light. Now you can make an informed choice.”

Chelan shook her head in confusion. “I still don’t understand. You wanted me to compare the men of Earth with you? Jim is a slimeball! I had hoped he had matured, but he was worse than when I left all those years ago.”

“No, I am not talking just about the men of Earth. I know there are good men here. I have worked with many. I wanted you to experience the whole Earth scenario—your relationship with Will and Marion, the job opportunities in remote sensing and the technology Earth has. I wanted you to know where exactly you belonged, be it here on Earth or within the Empire.”

He paused for a long while, giving her time to absorb everything he had just said. Then he took a deep breath and held it. “I wanted you to figure that out first so that you could make one final decision.”

Chelan waited for him to continue, every muscle in her body tightening.

Dar closed his eyes momentarily and then began again. “You may stay here on Earth, with me by your side. Or you may return to the Empire with me.” Dar paused. “Or you may return to the Empire and Korba, without me.”

Chelan was staggered. She didn’t know where to begin. “You would stay here?”

“Yes, my Lady. I would give it all up for you in a heartbeat. I have already given up my ship and my command. I would take the drugs to reduce my eye color for a lifetime if it allowed me to remain by your side forever.”

Chelan sat very still. “But… I
want
to return,” she uttered cautiously.

“Then you have two choices.”

Chelan felt panicked. “And if I return to Korba…”

“Then I return to RIBUS 8 and my missions.”

Chelan’s eyes burned. “You would leave me again?”

Dar nodded. “I would have to, my Lady. I cannot share you.”

Chelan’s breathing became erratic. “But you could have shared me with Jim. You let us—”

Dar grabbed her, his pain surfacing. “I had no choice! Do you think I enjoyed it?”

Chelan gasped. “I told you I did not mean to hurt you! I never wanted the man. I never thought he would stoop so low.”

Dar crushed her to him. “It does not matter. It is over with Jim. But I will not witness anything like it again.”

Chelan pushed back from him, her heart pounding. “So, if I return with you…”

Dar looked at her with grim determination. “Then you are mine, not Korba’s and not Fremma’s.”

Chelan’s jaw dropped. “Then you not only demand fidelity, you challenge the Let.”

Dar nodded.

Chelan shook her head hard. “When you were teaching me your ways, you said there could be many. You said your ways could work for me or against me. You encouraged me to seek the arms of others.”

“That was before my love for you ran so deep. You know I am different from the rest, Chelan. You can sense it. You know how badly I seek you. We can both feel the power that ignites between us. Even here, with Jason, you felt it.”

“You seek to restrict me, barring me from Korba and Fremma?”

“Yes. Just as you seek to restrict your men. Ultimately, you may choose them. But if you choose me, I want you as my Letted mate. Not implied, as with Korba. A true Let. I seek our child. And the Let aside, I will not tolerate the bonding with another, be it for a child or for pleasure.”

Chelan was stunned. “I... I…” she stammered. “But…”

“But what?”

“But that forces Korba to fight!”

Dar shook his head. “He will not.”

“What do you mean, ‘he will not’? Are you crazy?”

“Because, Chelan, he loves you too much. And he has the Empire. He is the Emperor, yet he still holds the position of Warlord. He loves you too much to take you into battle, yet his ambitions force him to neglect you. Think about it, Chelan. Where is the child he promised you?”

“It will come,” she blurted. “He already offered, but because of the situation, I backed out. He has promised that after his return—”

“After his return will be another delay… another excuse… another war.”

“But the throne needs an heir.”

“The heir can come from anywhere. It does not have to be his blood. Korba was not of Ticees’ blood. An heir must be strong and capable. Any Warlord can supply one.”

“But still, there is no reason to challenge the Let for a child. Fremma offered, and Korba took no issue with it.”

“You know it is more than that!”

“He will still kill you!”

“No, he will not! He will give you what you want as long as it does not interfere with his career or his command. If you want me and my child, he will grant it. It is you who must decide what you want.”

Chelan reeled with disbelief.

Dar took her firmly and forced her to focus on him. “Look, the choice is simple. It is me or it is Korba. If you choose him, then all is as it was, complete with loneliness.” Dar looked down at her slim abdomen and then back to her stricken eyes. “And you will remain barren.”

Chelan began to shake her head, her tears streaming forth, but he continued. “If you choose me, I guarantee that Korba will not retaliate. He would not do that to you. And I will not challenge the throne. I will not leave you, and I will give you a child whenever you ask.”

Chelan shrank from him. “I hear your words, your sincerity, and your confidence. But I fear you do not know Korba as I do. Do you think he will simply give me away? Do you think he will choose another for his bed, or endure a life of celibacy? Dar, your love blinds you. He may very well grant our child and your presence, but he will not lose me.”

Dar hung his head in frustration. “He already chooses the latter, Chelan.” He looked at her hard. “He is already gone most of the time, and he seeks the arms of no other.”

“I know! But he comes back to me. He knows I will always be there for him when he returns.”

Dar suddenly released her and stood, leaving her to shiver against the cool air. He threw on his clothes. “Then all I have strived for is lost, my actions ineffectual.”

Chelan looked down and blinked hard. “Why do you force this?”

Dar whirled around, his voice booming. “Because I want you! Because I want our child! And because if you give yourself totally to Korba, I cannot even have a piece of you without my heart breaking.”

Chelan grabbed the blanket around her and staggered to her feet. “You know that is not true! I know you can adjust. It is your people’s way!” she cried. “And do you think you are the only one torn and bloodied by this? You killed a piece of my heart the night you left me after the Koll. Then you ripped open the rest of my heart when you left after the Empire fell!”

Dar grabbed her, nearly lifting her off her feet. “If my loss pained you so much, why did you stay with Korba?”

Chelan hunched over in his arms, and her voice caught. “Because I did not know I had a choice. Because I didn’t think I had the power or the right to call you back. Because I thought that if I went with you, Korba would kill you. And because I could not hurt him.” She finally went limp and sagged into him. “I let you go because I loved you more than I could ever admit to myself.”

“Oh god, Chelan. I am so sorry.”

“No,” she whimpered. “I am sorry. I should have never let you go. But I honestly thought you wanted to be free of me.”

Dar squeezed her to him and slumped to the ground, taking her with him. “I have always wanted you.” He took his time, trying to get his breath. “This is too hard for you, my Lady. You are correct. I have no right to force you to choose. I know how much you love Korba. All these years I have thought of only myself and my selfish desires.”