Wray (20 page)

“Of course!” Wray couldn’t believe she would
think he would lie about
that
! “Goddess
,
Kim! I would not lie to you about that! Adana died
nearly fourteen years ago. She was on an outing and ingested a Skua
berry. They are poisonous.” Wray told her before she could ask.
“She died within minutes.”

“And Van?” She forced herself to ask,
refusing to let his obvious pain stop her. She had let
him
distract her before and hadn’t asked the questions
she should have.

“Was also the truth… but not the whole
truth.” He admitted.

“What’s the whole truth?”

“Van was not alone when his transport was
swept off that bridge. His older brother Tora was with him.”

“You had two male offspring… both from
Adana?” Kim whispered.

“Yes. Tora was nearly three years older than
Van. They were returning from the Etruria Region when the accident
occurred. The Guard traveling with them chose to save Tora first,
even though Tora protested, and to come back for Van. The transport
was swept away before they could return to him.”

“Tora witnessed this?”

“Yes, and he blames himself for his brother’s
death.”

“Why? There was nothing he could have done to
prevent it.”

“He blames himself because he is my first
male, meaning he is the future Emperor of the Tornian Empire. That
is why the Guard rescued him first even though he protested. Tora
had always been a stronger swimmer than Van and believes he could
have survived if Van had been taken first.”

“Would he have?”

“No. It took
three
full-grown Tornian
males to get Tora to safety, at thirteen Tora would never have
survived.”

“And he doesn’t want to believe that.”

“No.”

Kim was about to ask another question when
the cover of the unit started to rise, signaling the unit was done.
Sitting up, she looked at her hands, the faint scars were gone,
replaced with perfectly smooth, pale skin. “Wow.”

“The unit found no other damage
,
Kim.” Wray told her, relieved at the findings.
“Come
,
let me take you to our rooms so you
can cleanse and eat. We can talk more there.” At her slow nod, Wray
lifted her off the bed.

Kim tipped her head back and closed her eyes,
letting the water from the cleansing unit flow down her back,
soaking her hair. Wray had shown her how to operate it, then left
so he could order them a meal.

She’d been surprised at how stark Wray’s
chambers were. The main living area, what he called the common
area, contained a large couch, several chairs and a table strewn
with papers. It contained no color, had no rugs or pillows to
soften the sharp edges. It had none of the luxury she would have
expected an Emperor’s chamber to have and the resting chamber
hadn’t been any different containing only a large bed and a single
chair.

So when Wray had led her to the cleansing
chamber, she’d been prepared for how austere it was but the water
was hot and there was plenty of it and for the moment that was all
that mattered to her. She needed time to digest everything that had
happened.

Her trust in Wray had been severely shaken,
something she hadn’t thought possible after the way he’d cared for
her, after how gentle and understanding he’d been. But he’d lied to
her about who he really was and if he could lie to her about
something so basic what else would he lie to her about…

‘
Unless you’re going to be
perfect
,
Kimmy
,
you can’t expect someone else to be.’
She
remembered her mother telling her that once after a friend had
failed to keep a promise.
‘There might be a reason Sarah
couldn’t come.’
her mother had said and there had been, Sarah
had fallen off her bike and broken her arm. Could Wray have just as
valid a reason for not telling her he was the Emperor?

There was only one way to find out. Stepping
out of the cleansing unit, she froze, her eyes traveling to the
counter where a clean, royal blue shirt lay. Her eyes went to the
closed door. Wray had thought to bring her a clean shirt, knowing
she wouldn’t want to wear the one she'd been attacked in. She'd
said some very hurtful things to him in that cave, things they both
knew were untrue and still he made sure she was cared for.

That had to mean something… didn’t it… she
needed to find out.

Wray sat at the desk he’d cleared. Several
trays of food before him as he'd ordered a little bit of
everything, not knowing what Kim would like and waited. He couldn’t
lose her, he couldn’t. Their time in the cave had shown him how
different his life could be when he loved the female he would be
Joined with, when she loved him. In the harsh conditions of that
cave, he’d discovered a happiness he’d never known was possible.
He’d learned that something as simple as a touch could convey so
much whether it was by a hand or a pair of lips and he knew he
didn’t want to live without it now.

Kim was such an amazing creature. She had
been terribly abused, but she hadn’t let it break or destroy her,
as it would have a Tornian female. She had fought back against the
Ganglians, had fought back against her fears and had even fought
against him when she thought he was wrong and he had been wrong. He
should have immediately told her who he was when she’d woken. He
should have admitted to his deceit when she had gotten upset about
him not telling her he’d cleansed her but he hadn’t.

He'd deceived
himself
by believing it
wouldn’t matter to her… his lie… because he hadn’t wanted to seem
less in her eyes. Now he looked worse. Now she questioned
everything
he said and done.

He had to correct this. He would correct
this! Even if it took the rest of his life.

The sound of the cleansing room door opening
had Wray standing. He started to move to her side, but the sight of
her wearing his House color had him pausing. Goddess, he’d never
seen anything more beautiful than his Kim. She wore his House color
as if she’d been born for it.

Kim lets her eyes run over Wray as he moved
towards her. He had changed while she'd been in the cleansing unit.
He was now wearing clean black pants, shiny boots and a shirt the
same color as hers, but on him it was stretched tight across his
massive shoulders and only managed to cover part of his beautiful
chest.

“Kim…” he started to tell her just how
beautiful she looked when the outer door opened and Veron strode
in. Kim took a startled step back.

“Majesty
,
I have
news…” Veron started.

“Did I give you permission to
enter
,
Captain?!! Wray
demanded
,
hating the way Kim shrunk back
in fear.

“I…” Veron gave Wray a surprised look. He had
never before needed permission to enter the Emperor’s rooms.
Suddenly he saw the small female that the Emperor seemed so
enamored with shrinking back in fear. “My apolog
i
es
,
Majesty, I did not
realize the female would be with you.”

“
Kim.
” Wray growled at Veron. “She is
not
a female
, Captain, she is your
Empress, and
you
will address her as such or you will suffer my wrath.”

Kim silently cursed herself for letting fear
make her take a step back. Damn it! She wasn't going to be afraid
every damn time a male entered the room. She hadn’t been when she
was on Earth and while she knew what happened to her would forever
change
her, she wouldn’t let it
rule
her. She wasn’t
Lucan’s daughters.

About to step forward, Wray's words stopped
her and she gave him a shocked look. He’d said that before… that
she was his Empress… but she hadn’t really believed him. He
couldn’t seriously mean to make
her
his Empress… could he?
She was just Kim Teel… a girl from Earth. One who, until a few
weeks ago, hadn’t even known there was life on other planets. One
who had never heard of a people called Tornians and now he wanted
her to stand at his side and help
rule
them? Had he lost his
mind
?

Veron was just as shocked. Wray couldn’t
really mean to take a non-Tornian as his Empress… Could he?

What if she couldn’t present offspring?

What if the offspring were unfit?

What would happen to Tora, if she
did
present a fit male?

It had been hundreds of years since an
Emperor had taken a second Empress and that had only been because
the first Empress had died before giving him males. If this female
was able to present fit males, it could tear House Vasteri
apart.

Wray watched the disbelief spread across his
friend’s face. He knew what he was thinking. What he was worried
about, but he would make this work because he wasn’t going to give
up Kim. He would name Tora Emperor first.

“Kim.” Wray turned to her, held out his hand
and waited.

Kim just looked at him for a long moment,
then suddenly realized what he was wanting. He was asking her, by
holding out that hand, to
acknowledge
that
she
was
his Empress.

Could she?

Could she take that hand when there were
still so many unanswered questions between them?

Could she not and live with shaming him in
front of one of his warriors?

She knew she could never do
it
to Wray. No matter
what
still stood between them, slowly she slipped her hand in his.

Wray wanted to roar when Kim slipped her hand
into his. He wanted to ignore Veron and pull Kim into his arms. He
knew what it had taken for her to place her hand in his. The
courage it had taken, especially with so much still unresolved
between them, but she had done it and it gave him hope. Hope that
she could still forgive him and accept him as her male.

“Kim,” Wray pulled her close as he turned
back to Veron
,
“this is Captain Veron. He
is not only one of my Captains but he also a trusted advisor and
friend.”

“Captain.” Kim acknowledged the male, giving
him a slight nod. She didn’t realize how regal she looked to him,
standing there in the Emperor’s shirt. She
was
an
Empress.

“Veron, I present to you my Empress, Kim
Teel. She is the only female I have ever loved and the only one I
will never give up.”

“M... Majesty.” Veron stuttered, trying to
hide his shock. Males were never allowed to directly address
another male’s female, not even the Empress. For Wray to allow him
to do so was a great honor. Putting an arm across his chest, he
bowed.

“You said you had news.” Wray said, pulling
Veron’s attention back to him.

“Yes, sire,” Veron instantly came to
attention. “General Rayner has found evidence that the Zaludians
have been illegally mining on Pontus.”

“Which would explain why they wanted the
Jerboaians.”

“Yes
,
sire
,
and why they would come to aid of
the Ganglians, if they were supplying them with miners.”

“Rayner will be staying to investigate?”

“Yes
,
Majesty.”

“Good, notify him that I want to be kept
informed. This is now a personal matter that concerns the
Emperor.”

“Yes
,
Majesty.”

Wray was about to continue when Kim’s stomach
growled softly reminding him that he had yet to feed her. “That’s
all for now
,
Captain. Set a course for
Vesta.”

“Yes
,
Majesty.” With
an arm across his chest, Veron bowed and left the room.

Following Veron, Wray pressed several buttons
on the control panel next to the door then turned back to her. “The
door is now sealed
,
Kim, no one will be
able to enter without permission.”

“Thank you.” She said softly.

“There is no need to thank me. It is my
greatest honor to protect you. Come,” he said leading her to the
table. “I had food brought for you.”

Kim sat down in the chair Wray had pulled out
for her and looked at the overflowing platters of food before her.
Nothing looked familiar and she started to wish she had a nutrient
bar, at least then she would know how it tasted. Taking a deep
breath, she reached for what might be a strip of bacon.

“That is a rashtar.” He told her, watching as
she took a small bite and chewed.

“It’s not bad.” She said. “It kind of tastes
like bacon on Earth.”

“Is that good?” Wray asked.

“Yes. I like bacon. What is that?” she asked,
pointing to a small roundish purple thing with black specks on it.
It reminded her of a plum, well a weird looking plum.

“That is called mansikka, it is sweet and
juicy.”

Taking a small bite Kim hummed her enjoyment,
surprised to find it tasted like a strawberry, her favorite
fruit.

“You like the mansikka.” Wray said, stating
the obvious.

“Very much.” She said, popping the rest of it
in her mouth.

“I will make sure you always have it.”

Sitting back Kim watched him silently for
several seconds and found she wanted answers more than food. “Why
lie
,
Wray?” she asked quietly.

Wray sucked in a sharp breath. She had caught
him off guard. He had hoped he would have more time to figure out
the best way to explain it to her. He should have known better. His
Kim faced things head on. She was strong and brave and he needed to
be just as brave to tell her the truth.

“I lied to you because I wanted to know how
you would react to me.” He said watching her expression
closely.

“I don’t understand.” Kim said, frowning
slightly.