Wray (41 page)

“Wray?” she asked, frowning when he reached
over to connect her safety belt.

“Yes?” he asked.

“We can’t leave Curador isn’t here yet.” The
eyes that met hers had her stomach clenching.

“Curador won’t be traveling to Tornian.” He
told her.

“What! What do you mean? I
need
him
Wray.”

“Kim.” Wray framed her face with his hands,
holding her steady. He knew how much she liked the elderly Healer
knew this was going to devastate her. “Curador is now in the hands
of the Goddess.”

“What?”

“When he didn’t arrive at the proper time
Veron went to get him. He found him in his resting chamber. He went
to the Goddess during his rest.”

“I… what…”

“I am sorry Kim.”

“Veron is sure?” Kim asked, her eyes
beginning to fill.

“Yes, my Kim.”

“I…”

“Sire, I have just heard about Curador.”
Yakar walked up to Wray, his eyes traveling over Kim. “Would you
like me to calm the Empress?”

Wray felt Kim instantly stiffen as she pulled
away from him. “Get away from me!” she spat at Yakar.

“No Yakar.” Wray immediately said. “The
Empress doesn’t need ‘calmed’.”

“With all respect Emperor, it appears she
does.”

“You
dare
to question me?” Wray rose
so he towered over the Healer. “
Dare
to tell me how to deal
with my
Empress
!”

“Sire as her Healer it is my duty to make
sure she is well cared for.”

“You will
never
be my Healer, Yakar!”
Kim unfastened her safety belt and rose to confront the male.
“
Never!
Now get out of my sight!” Every male present
stiffened at the Empress’ order, their eyes moving to Yakar,
wondering if he would obey, wondering if the Emperor would support
her.

“The Empress gave you an order Yakar.” Wray
growled, his eyes hard. “Obey it or perish on my blade.” Wray
gripped the hilt of the sword he had been carrying since Kim’s
abduction.

“I… Yes, Majesty.” Yakar stuttered, backing
away. This was not going as they had planned.

Wray waited until Yakar had exited the
shuttle, knowing he would be on the next one before turning back to
Kim.

“Sit Kim.” He said, helping her refasten the
belt when she did.

“He doesn’t come anywhere near me Wray. I
don’t trust him.”

“I know Kim. We will find another
Healer.”

“Promise me Wray. Promise, he doesn’t touch
me.”

“My vow Kim.” He told her, his eyes steady.
“He will not touch you.”

“Alright.” She said finally relaxing back in
her seat. “Do we need to stay? To see to Curador?” She asked her
thoughts returning to the gruff old Healer. “He had no family to
see to him.”

Wray felt his heart contract and his pride in
his Empress expand even further. For her to care about Curador like
this, to care about how he was cared for in death said a great deal
about the kind of Empress she would be. And every male present
realized it.

“Lord Reeve’s warriors will see to it
Kim.”

“Will they do enough?”

“The males he has treated will see to it
Empress.” Caitir’s lyrical voice had every head turning in her
direction. “Healer Curador helped many when others wouldn’t, they
will give him the honor he deserves.”

“Alright.” Kim said, nodding to Caitir before
looking back to Wray.

“Let’s go home.” She said and taking his
hand, faced forward; knowing she could meet whatever challenges lay
ahead as long as Wray was with her.

Kim’s thoughts returned to the present as
Destiny released her breast. Looking down, she found her daughter
asleep with the faintest dribble running down her chin.

“Finally got your fill there did you little
one?” Kim whispered, leaning down to nuzzle the top of her head as
she fixed her top. Reaching for the cloth on her shoulder, she
wiped Destiny’s chin.

“She asleep?” the deep voice had her lifting
her head to find Wray stepping onto the patio.

“Just.” She said, tipping her face up as he
leaned down to kiss her.

“I was hoping I’d get back before she
was.”

“Then she never would have gone down.” Kim
told him smiling. “She’s a manno’s girl.”

“She is, isn’t she.” Wray said and Kim just
rolled her eyes as a huge grin broke across his face.

“As if there were ever any doubt, the way you
spoil her.”

“She is mine. Of course, I’m going to spoil
her.”

“Remember that when she becomes a teenager
and starts looking at young males.”

“
That
is
never
going to
happen!” Wray roared and his denial had Destiny jerking in Kim’s
arms, her little lips pursing before she snuggled deeper, into the
safety of her mother’s arms and went back to her dreams.

“You have a few years to prepare, I’m just
warning you, if all she has to do is cry and you give her what she
wants she’s going to expect it.”

“There is nothing that she could possibly
want that I won’t give her.”

Kim just shook her head. “Don’t say I didn’t
warn you.” She then changed the subject. “So what did Callen have
to tell you?” Her gaze sharpened when instead of replying Wray sat
down next to her. “Wray.”

“I don’t want to upset you my Kim but I know
you are going to want to know.”

“Know what?”

“Lord Callen and Tora have been working on
solving all the problems on Vesta caused by Reeve.”

“Yes. What have they found?” Kim knew Callen
was carefully screening the warriors that Reeve had left behind
when he came to Tornian for the Joining Ceremony for the females
from Earth. Several, Callen had deemed unworthy of
his
new
House, House Nizer.

“Curador.” Wray said, watching her
intently.

“Curador?” Kim frowned at him, then looked
down at Destiny. She still missed that male, even though she’d only
known him for a few days. She knew her pregnancy would have been
less stressful for both of them if he had been with her and he
would have
loved
Destiny.

“After comments made by several warriors that
Callen deemed worthy, he began to doubt that Curador passed
naturally in his sleep as Reeve informed us.”

“What?” Kim whispered.

Wray’s silently watched his Kim process what
he was saying. What it meant and before his eyes, she turned from
the soft, caring female he knew she was, into the Empress who would
want answers.

Ever since the arrival of the other females
Kim had come into her own. Having the support of those females,
being able to interact with them, had given her the confidence she
needed to
be
the Empress.

“Tell me!” She demanded.

“Several males made comments about how they
overheard Reeve and Yakar speaking of how they couldn’t allow
Curador to be your Healer.”

“They ended him because of me.” Kim
whispered.

“No Kim.” Wray leaned forward, taking her
hand. “They ended him because they were unworthy.”

“But…”

“No!” Wray refused to let her think that.
“Curador would never want you to think that. He was a truly fit and
worthy male. A Healer that touched many lives. We will honor that
and make sure everyone else knows it too.”

“He would have loved Destiny….” She said,
returning the soft, caring female he knew.

“He would have and we will tell her about
him.”

“Yes.” Kim whispered, looking down at her
daughter saw she was awake. “Well hello there my beautiful girl.”
She said smiling.

Destiny cooed at her then her eyes went to
her manno and she started wiggling in Kim’s arms, reaching out for
her manno.

Wray immediately leaned over, answering his
daughter’s demand to lift her high above his head. He gently
tickled her and was rewarded with bubbly laughter.

“Remember what happened last time you did
that after she just ate.” Kim warned, smiling.

Wray did and quickly lowered Destiny into his
arms. He had no desire to find his face covered with his daughter’s
meal again. “You wouldn’t do that to your manno now would you
Destiny.” He cooed at her.

Destiny answered him with a happy baby burp
filled with bubbles and Wray realized he had just missed a repeat
performance. Taking the cloth from Kim, he wiped Destiny’s
mouth.

“Do you have to go back soon?” Kim asked,
watching him tend their daughter.

“No. General Rayner will be arriving after
last meal, remember? Until then, I’m all yours.”

“Really?” Kim’s eyes began to shine at the
thought of what they could do with that time.

“Really.” Wray said his eyes full of
promise.

Rising Kim held out her hand. “Let’s take our
daughter for a walk in the gardens,” she said. “After that she’ll
be ready for her nap and we can take one too.”

Looking at his Kim, Wray knew that unlike
Destiny, their ‘nap’ would involve little to no sleeping. Rising,
he tucked Destiny securely in one arm, wrapped his other around his
Kim, and led them into the garden.

Far above, the Goddess looked down on the
Emperor and Empress and smiled. She had chosen well. Soon the great
infection will be no more and her mistake would be corrected.

“Come…”

Looking away from the scene below the Goddess
turned to her mate, the only being she had ever loved.

“Come.” He said again holding out his hand.
“Let us also go ‘nap.'”

The Goddess’ lips twitched at the promise in
her mate's eyes and took his hand. She was really going to enjoy
this ‘nap.'

Michelle has always loved to read and writing
is just a natural extension of this for her. Growing up she always
loved to extend the stories of books she'd read just to see where
the characters went. Happily married and the mother of two, who are
nearly out of the house, she's found she has time to write again.
You can reach her at
[email protected]
or her website at
http://www.mkeidem.com
she'd
love to hear your comments.

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