The Marine's Queen (41 page)

“
Joe agreed to the marriage?”

“
He’s going to be my king.”

* * * *

It mirrored his dream. When she should have said she loved him, she hadn’t.

Drant waited until the door closed behind Callie before speaking. “You seem to be important to the queen. Is she important to you?”

Care, Joe warned himself. “She’s kind to me, sir. You know I want to protect her.”

“
Kind?” Drant guffawed. “She practically threatened me if I didn’t let her keep you. I thought you and I had agreed you were to avoid involving yourself here?”

“
Keep me, sir?” Joe latched onto the words.

“
She believes you’re her marine. We both know you belong to the Galactic Military, body and soul.”

“
Yes, sir.” But she’d asked him to marry her.

“
Her situation is precarious with the discovery of crystallized iron on Crevan Four. Every thief and scoundrel in the universe wants a part of it.”

“
Yes, sir.” Joe’s empty stomach roiled as he thought of what Callie had already faced and that worse might yet come at her.

“
Giroux is the only planet in this area that belongs to the Galactic Alliance. It’s not cost effective to maintain a large military presence here, and Crevan isn’t even in our patrol patterns.”

“
You’ll abandon her?” Joe found the strength to push himself up straighter.

“
I didn’t say that, soldier.”

Anger, an emotion that had been beaten out of him before age five, startled Joe as it smoldered in his chest. “She needs protection.”

“
She claims to need you as her personal guard.”

Joe’s anger sputtered. “I can protect her.”

“
Perhaps. I might be able to sell it to the ministry. But I can’t convince them to let you marry her and have children together. I’ve seen your personal record, Joe. You’re an intelligent man. I’ve already explained to you what a relationship between the two of you would do to her. Marriage is unthinkable.”

“
Yes, sir,” Joe said around a tight throat.

Drant looked satisfied if not quite pleased. “Let’s call the queen back in here and tell her that you and your remaining men will be her guards. I’ll have them brought here from the troop transport ship.”

* * * *

Callie ushered the Reverent into the bedroom with her. Drant turned his back and looked out the window. She picked up Joe’s hand. “Jak will witness for us.”

“
What’s going on, Callie?”

“
We’re getting married.” Tonight she would sleep soundly at last, pillowing her head on his smooth chest.

Drant turned back to them. “If I could speak to you in private for a moment, your highness.”

“
As soon as I finish here. Please begin, Reverend. The short version.”

“
Joe, do you pledge your troth to Queen Callie Adell?’

Joe looked at the man as if he couldn’t understand a word. He shook his head and then looked at Callie with naked pain in his usually guarded eyes. “I will not.”

* * * *

Callie entertained the military officers at dinner, hiding her injured pride and broken heart. Joe didn’t want to marry her. She couldn’t even remember what had happened after his negative response.

“
We’re leaving tonight, your highness. The area around your city is secure. Hadrason is still about, but most of his miners have been rounded up.” Drant had been very kind and not mentioned the arrangement with Joe other than to say he was giving him temporary assignment as her guard.

Edow explained more details of the security precautions. She nodded politely but heard none of it. The other marines would be returned to Giroux in a little more than week. Already Riba and the others planned a huge welcome.

The meal stretched on until Callie’s head pounded. Finally the two men took their leave, Edow’s sympathetic look telling her he’d heard of the afternoon’s debacle.

“
I’ll push for the marines’ permanent assignment to you,” Drant said as he kissed her hand with an old fashioned gallantry. “Perhaps in time, if my superiors become accustomed to their existence among us, you can proceed with other things.”

Callie stared after the general as he stalked out of the room. What did that mean? What had the general and Joe discussed? Was Drant saying he could approve of her marrying Joe but not at this time? Had Joe’s negative answer been an order from the general?

She marched to her bedroom. She hadn’t thought she could ever face Joe again after the embarrassment of his rejection, but now she couldn’t get there fast enough. The door bounced off the wall when she threw it open.

Joe stared at her but not with surprise. Of course, his exceptional hearing would have let him know she was coming. His short hair stuck up in all directions, and his blue eyes glowed warm with recent sleep. He looked beautiful and desirable.

If she hadn’t been so angry, she would have jumped on him. “What did Drant say to you?”

“
About what?”

“
Joe, don’t try to play a game of wits with me. Why won’t you marry me?”

“
The general told me it wouldn’t be allowed.” Joe looked down at his hands folded on his lap. “Why did you want to marry me?”

“
I’m asking the questions here, marine. Would you have said yes if he hadn’t told you that?”

“
I want to make sure you’re safe. I don’t have to marry you to do that.”

“
If we get married, they can’t take you away.”

Joe looked up at her. “Nothing will happen to you. I promise. On my life, I promise.”

“
I’m worried about what will happen to you,” Callie cried in frustration. He was denser that the crystallized iron that had brought her so much grief. Couldn’t he understand anything without it being spelled out for him?

Callie slapped her forehead. “I’m an idiot. Joe, I want you to stay with me, not for protection, but because I want you here.”

Joe stared at her with that careful look he had when the conversation nuances challenged him.

She took a deep breath and put it in the open. “I love you, Joe.”

His eyes widened. “You’re grateful.”

“
I am.”

“
You need me.”

“
I do.”

“
You enjoy my lovemaking.”

“
Very much.”

“
Do those things combine to create love?”

How did his mind work? She smiled. “I love you, Joe.”

“
What does love feel like, Callie? Is it strong enough to endure what will happen if you marry me?”

Callie lifted his hand and pressed it against her heart. “Love fills you up, Joe. It’s a pleasant pressure in your chest that can only be appeased by your love’s presence.”

Joe took her other hand and pressed it to his chest. “When I was away from you and thought I would never see you again, I was empty inside. I hoped I would be killed on my next mission.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“
Then I thought it would be enough to protect you and know you were safe.” Joe wiped away one of the tears oozing from the corner of her eye. He inhaled sharply as the elixir hit him. “But I can’t be near you and not touch you. I can’t stand guard by your side during the day and not want to hold you all night.”

“
Joe.”

He placed his finger across her lips. “I don’t know what love is and I’m not sure I’ll ever feel it. I began living when I met you. Don’t be grateful for what I’ve done for you, Callie. You’ve given me my humanity. If there is something beyond love, then that is what I feel for you.”

Her emotions seemed ever ready to spill over since she’d returned to Giroux. She took him in her arms, fighting back sobs of joy.

“
I’ll be your husband if you’ll have me, Callie Adell. At least until they take me from you.”

She smiled against his shoulder. “And I vow they’ll have to fight a war to get you.”

* * * *

They spent their wedding night in their familiar bed. He slept through the night after speaking his vows on shaking legs. Joe woke feeling stronger and very hungry. He watched her sleep, denying his need to food. She curled on her side, facing him. Her unbound hair spread out like a splash of rain on a flower petal. She so seldom wore it loose.

What servant of Unon had granted him this blessing, this mercy, this boon? He could ever repay his debt to her. She’d pulled him from hell and given him heaven.

She stirred and opened her eyes. Her lips curved in welcome. They came together with the smoothness of old lovers and the enthusiasm of first time mates.

Joe tried to watch her orgasm overtake her, but she murmured her love as she neared her peak and sent him over the edge. He held her tight against as they caught their breath.

“
I love you,” she said again.

His penis hardened again. Would the words always have this effect on him? He didn’t say the words back, fearing she would hear his doubt in them. So he showed her how he felt once more, this time holding his release until he could witness hers.

They slept after, though the morning light brightened the room. No one disturbed them. Joe woke hours later, starving, but convinced it was the best day of his life.

* * * *

Joe studied the holographic planet map floating before him while Sontu gave his report. Though confident he could keep Callie safe, he wanted Hadrason found.

“
We’ve searched all the Hadrason Mining sites.” Sontu continued. “I just don’t know where to look next, but I feel he’s still out there, your highness.”

The title startled Joe, and heightened his fear of the dream ending as it must. As soon as the Galactic Counsel heard about his marriage they would come for him.

Joe put aside the worry he could do nothing about. He had to take care of Hadrason before the counsel came for him. “Show me the population schematic again.”

Sontu touched a few symbols on the control board, causing dots and numbers to appear on the rotating globe. “What are you looking for, your highness?”

“
Sontu, call me Joe. Hadrason is a man used to a privileged life. How likely is he to hide in a cave?”

“
Not very.”

“
I’ve never hunted fugitives hiding among civilians before, but there must be a native group giving that bastard refuge. Someone dissatisfied with Callie’s rule or who would benefit if Hadrason gained power here.”

Sontu worked the display again, the globe fading away and a list of names replacing it. “These are our best known dissidents.”

“
Let’s take a closer look at them.” They went to a different set of screens, dividing the list in half and settling down to read. Almost an hour later, the captain called Joe to look at something.

“
This one sounds promising.” Sontu pointed to something on the screen. “They call themselves the Union of Free Miners, but they never work in the mines. We get complaints about them hanging around some of our citizens’ private operations, but they never break any laws. Somehow they always have money and we’ve suspected them of spying.”

“
Geographic location.”

“
Sixty miles south they have a compound.”

“
Mount up the men, Captain. We’re going hunting.”

* * * *

Joe infiltrated their defenses with ease. He could have killed them all. Even the most incompetent pirates offered more challenge than this group.

Sontu held a force of forty soldiers a mile away, waiting for Joe’s scouting report. Three buildings hunched in the gloom under a dozen large oak trees. He focused on the largest one, thinking Hadrason would demand the best surroundings for himself. The murky shadows helped him as the sun dipped low on the horizon.