A Grim Holiday (Tornians Book 1.5) (4 page)

“It is another tradition?” He asked, his fingers trailing up her side, gently grazing the swell of her breast.

“Yeah.” Her breast immediately tightened at his light touch. “They’ll brush their teeth in record time.” She reminded him breathlessly.

“Then we’d better get dressed before they return.” Grim tried to hide his grin when he pulled his hand away but the shocked look on Lisa’s face made it impossible.

“Oh you…” Lisa sputtered, her hand lightly swatting his massive chest. “You did that on purpose!”

“Did what my Lisa?” Chuckling Grim leaned back, sliding his hands behind his head.

“You know what.” She said moving to stand beside the bed. With hands on her hips she turned to face him, unconcerned with her nakedness.

Grim’s laughter drifted away his eyes greedily traveling over her naked form, his body instantly responding to her beauty.

Lisa smiled smugly as the sheet tented over Grim’s hips. Turning her back on him, she walked away.

“Lisa!” Grim surged out of bed after her.

Looking over her shoulder Lisa let out a surprised squeak then laughed and sprinted for the cleansing room. She nearly made it but just inside the doorway Grim caught up with her and swinging into his arms, he kicked the door closed.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“It’s beautiful mommy.” Carly carefully held up the green sun catcher Dagan had made. The early morning light making it sparkle.

“Make sure you tell Dagan that when you see him today.” Lisa said snuggling into Grim’s side on the couch. She didn’t know who had enjoyed the gifts more, the girls or Grim. With every squeal of pleasure, with every hug of thanks, Grim’s smile had grown. Lisa didn’t think she’d ever seen him this happy before.

“I will.” Carly’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Can we hang it in my window now?”

“In a little bit, Montfort is on his way up with first meal.”

“Okay.” Carefully Carly puts the sun catcher back in its protective box then turned to whisper to Miki.

“So?” Lisa asked turning her attention back to Grim, knowing he would understand the question.

“It is a wonderful thing my Lisa, your Holiday. The joy in our daughters eyes…” Grim voice trailed off looking at them. “It is what we have been trying to save yet somehow during the struggle to survive we have forgotten what we were trying to save, the simple joy of living, of seeing our offspring safe and happy.” Lisa was about to reply when Grim’s comm rang.

“What is it?” Grim demanded impatient with the interruption.

“Majesty, Warrior Ull is requesting permission to transfer to the surface.” Commander Junius informed him.

“He has permission Commander. Make sure he is escorted directly to Luanda.”

“Yes Majesty.”

“Ull?” Lisa looked at Grim questioningly. Ull hadn’t been on the list of males invited to meet the women. He hadn’t even submitted a request.

“It’s not what you think my Lisa.” Grim looked at her knowing where her thoughts had gone. “Ull is not interested in one of the females.”

“What?” She stiffened. “Why not?”

Grim smiled at his Lisa’s perceived insult to her fellow females but it faded as he thought of Ull. “Because they have already found him lacking.”

“But Grim…” Lisa’s heart immediately went out to Ull. “That was different.”

“His pride will not allow him to approach one of them now, my Lisa.”

Tornian pride, it was something Lisa had come to understand, it really wasn’t that different than that of Earth males, once injured it was difficult to repair. “Then why is he coming?” Grim’s silence made Lisa uneasy. “Grim?”

“He is coming to speak with you my Lisa.”

“With me?” Lisa looked at him confused.

“Yes,” Grim looked to the girls and lowered his voice. “It has been decided that the Searcher will return to Earth.”

“Grim!” Lisa can’t keep the shock out of her voice or the hurt from her eyes.

“It is not what you think my Lisa.” His eyes pleaded with hers for understanding, when she said nothing he continued “Another Ganglian ship had been found in the Kaliszian Empire. It contained females from Earth, only females.”

Lisa slumped back against the couch at the thought of more women suffering as Kim had. For it was the Ganglians that had captured Kim, raping her. If not for Wray she would have died. If not for Kim, the Tornians wouldn’t have found Earth, Grim wouldn’t have found her.

“It’s not what you think my Lisa.” He said again, knowing what she feared. “They haven’t been abused.” He saw the relief that instantly filled her eye. “The Ganglians have heard that the females from Earth are breeding compatible with Tornians. That there are those that will pay a great deal to obtain one.” The relief fades away.

“They are taking them to sell.”

“Yes,” Grim nodded stiffly. “And they are taking whomever they find with no regard to whether they are protected or not. We cannot allow this.”

“What are you planning?” Looking at his Lisa, seeing belief in her eyes. Her belief in him, it was something he cherished.

“Ull has spoken with both Abby and Kim, seeking their advice on the best way to make contact with your people. Now he seeks yours.”

“He’s going to make contact? Let the people on Earth know what is happening?”

“It is the only way to protect your females my Lisa.”

Lisa just looked at Grim her mind racing. To let the people of Earth know that there really was life out there. That they weren’t alone in the Universe. There would be those that would welcome the knowledge and those that would want to destroy them. What could she possibly know that would help? Her eyes shot to Grim as a thought struck.

“What my Lisa?”

“I might know someone….”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

“No.” The angry whisper from Carly pulled Lisa’s attention away from Grim to see her oldest grab Miki’s arm. “I say we wait.”

“No!” Miki argued back her little chin jutting out stubbornly. “I don’t want to!”

“Girls what’s going on?” Lisa demanded.

She wasn’t sure what she was seeing on their faces but she was shocked when Miki ripped her arm away from her sister and crawled under the tree. Miki rarely defied Carly. She looked to Grim questioningly but she can tell he was just as confused as she was.

Miki’s little butt backed out from under the tree and in her hands was a package Lisa had never seen before. Slowly Miki walked to Grim, Carly trailing close behind.

“Daddy died.” Her words, spoken with such an innocent heartfelt voice had Lisa’s heart stopping. “He was a good daddy.” Sad little eyes looked at Grim.

“He was Miki.” Grim said gruffly. He had never met the male, but Mark had to have been a very good male for these three to still love him so much.

“We don’t want another daddy.” She went on to say. “Daddy was daddy. You aren’t daddy, you are Grim.” Grim’s throat tightened with emotion, finding he couldn’t speak at the thought of this little one finding him lacking and nodded jerkily.

“We don’t want to call you Grim anymore.” Grim’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Daddy was daddy.” Miki said again. “That’s what we called him. We want to call you manno.” Two sets of hopeful eyes looked at Grim waiting for his response. “Can we?” She asked tentatively, her little eyes full of hope.

Grim didn’t even try to stop the tears that filled his eyes. These two precious creatures wanted to call
him
manno….

“Yes little ones,” his voice broke as he scooped them up into his arms, holding them close. “I would be honored for you to call me manno.”

“Then this is for you manno.” Miki told him her little face beaming up at him. “From me and Carly.”

“It is?” Setting one on each leg, he wrapped a protective arm around each before he took the package from Miki.

“We made it for you.” She told him proudly.

“We did not Miki!” Carly huffed out. “Padma helped, so did Dagan and Gahan.”

“Well yeah but…”

“Girls, that’s enough, let Grim open it.” Lisa said gently stopping the argument before it escalated.

Grim carefully unwrapped the gift, not knowing what to expect. It was obvious they had wrapped it themselves from the amount of tape used. Looking to Lisa, he could see she too had no idea what it was.

Lying inside the paper was something that stilled Grim’s heart.

“Do you like it manno?” Miki asked, lifting it up. “It’s our thumb prints. See.” She put her thumb on one. “Padma had us put our thumbs in clay then she took it to Gahan and Dagan and they put them in glass. See, Carly’s is green and mine…”

“Is blue.” Grim finished for her and she beamed that he remembered her favorite color.

“Yeah, then Padma wove the necklace and put them on it.” She explained. “So we’re always with you no matter where you go. Padma said once our sister was bigger we can add her to it too.”

Grim looked from the gift in his hand to his daughters, seeing the necklaces they always wore. Lisa had told him before that the strangely shaped metal that hung from them was Mark’s thumbprint, done before he died, so he would always be with them. Now they want to give a piece of themselves to him, something beyond calling him Manno, so they would always be together. A male had never been so blessed.

“Here, let me help you.” Lisa said softly. Standing she took the necklace and stepped behind the couch. Slipping it over his head, she adjusted the length to where he indicated he wanted it. It hung perfectly in the opening of his shirt, easily seen by all.

Wrapping his arms around the girls he pulled them close. “Thank you Miki. Thank you Carly.” Grim said kissing each one’s forehead. “I will cherish it always.”

“You’re welcome manno!” They chorused happily, proudly looking at their gift as it lay against his massive chest, each thumbprint sparkling in the early morning light.

“Sire, first meal is here.” Montfort announced standing just outside the open door.

“Yea!” The girls quickly kissed Grim then jumped from his lap eager to tell Montfort about all their gifts.

Rising Grim nodded to Montfort to enter and turned to find Lisa at his side. Leaning down he gave her a heartfelt kiss. “Thank you my Lisa,” He murmured against her lip. “For your Holiday. For
everything
you have blessed me with but mostly for loving me.”

“I always will Grim.” And after one more kiss they turn and join their girls.

About the Author

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.

Additional Books

Cassandra’s Challenge: The Imperial Series
, Book 1

Grim

Victoria’s Challenge: The Imperial Series, Book 2