Kidnapping Keela (9 page)

Just the thought of some male kissing those sensual lips or running his hands over this soft, velvety skin made him rage with anger. Every nerve in his body screamed out to him to claim her, to take her as his own and make her scream out his name when he brought her to a climax. He knew instinctively that sex with her would be something special. He had loved Morika, but in all those years she had never managed to make his blood surge the way this bewitching blond did. And yet they had not once been intimate at all. The very sight of her; the innocent touch of her hand on his arm; even the way she had glared at him angrily - these were all more arousing than anything he had ever felt before.

Damn it! Damn it!
he cursed into the silence.

Once he reached the stable one of the stable boys rushed up to him.

“My Lord.”

“Saddle Kondorr!”

“Yes, Your Highness. Straight away, Your Highness!” the boy answered breathlessly, rushing back into the stable.

In less than ten minutes he returned with a noble, black pergamo. The animal snorted joyfully when it saw its master and his grey horn lit up in blue - a sign of joy in these animals. Marruk patted him on his mighty neck and swung up into the saddle. A brief squeeze with his thighs was enough and the animal tore away at break-neck speed.

***

They knocked on the door of Amber’s chambers. It took a while, but then her friend opened the door and looked apprehensively out into the hall. When she saw Keela her expression relaxed.
 

“May we come in?” asked Keela.

Amber nodded, looking curiously at the queen. They entered the chamber which differed only slightly from hers, except that this one had a distinctively masculine feel to it. The chainmail shirt hanging over the chair confirmed Keela’s presumption that these must be Berka’s chambers. She wondered how much had already happened between Amber and Berka, but her friend’s expression gave away nothing that may or may not have happened. At least she did not look as if anyone had done her any harm. That was the most important thing.
 

Keela and Moreena sat down on the couch and Amber sat opposite, cross-legged.

“Wouldn’t you like to introduce us?” asked Moreena, smiling.

“Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners?” said Keela meekly. “This is my friend, Amber, who, like me, was abducted from earth and sold with me as a slave on Xevus3. Amber, this is the queen, um … Moreena.”

“Oh!” said Amber and put her hand up to her mouth. “I’m pleased ... um ... to make your acquaintance, Your Highness. Please excuse me, I had no … I didn’t think …”

Moreena sat down and rolled her eyes.

“Please don’t make such a fuss. I feel honoured to be meeting you both. Please call me Moreena and please relax.”

“Ohhh-kay,” said Amber tentatively, glancing helplessly at Keela. Keela shrugged her shoulders, smiling.

“Berka told me that there was a …
misunderstanding
between the two of you.” said Moreena, looking intensely at Amber.

Amber snorted.

“
Misunderstanding
? – Oh yes, you
could
call it that. That’s very good! – Misunderstanding!”

Moreena raised an eyebrow.

“So what did the wayward boy do to anger you so much?”

“Oh, nothing that I couldn’t
handle
. He just declared that he would claim me and that I was now his mate. – Well, I then made my view of the matter
clear
.”

Whilst talking Amber had folded her arms and assumed a look of defiance.

Moreena smiled.

“And
how
did you make your viewpoint
clear
?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Amber put on an innocent expression before grinning wickedly.

“I took his dagger and put it in a somewhat sensitive place, threatening to amputate something that may be important to him. Clearly the afore-mentioned body part was more important to him than a further attempt to … claim me.”

Moreena laughed. She laughed so heartily that Keela and Amber could not help joining in until they all shed tears of laughter.

Chapter 6

Y-Quadrant, Karrx7

Royal Palace of the Arr’Carthian

23
^rd
day in the month of Jakus in the year 7067

Federation Time

Marruk jumped as the pain shot through his head like needles. He winced and put his hands in front of his aching eyes. His tongue felt twice as big as usual and furry, and he could have drunk a bucket of water - if he only had one to hand.

There it was again: that damn knocking at the door, and this time more impatiently than before. Could he not be left in peace with his hangover? What could be so damn urgent that it could not wait a few more hours?

The door was opened and shut again. The little whooshing sound of the door shut closed, caused another pain attack in his head and he winced again. That damn Moiwan rum. He knew what would happen if he drank that hooch but at the time he had not cared. He just wanted to forget this damn image of that woman.
 

“Damn it!” he complained sullenly. “Leave me alone! Piss off, all of you!”

“Son! We need to talk!” came his father’s stern voice.

Marruk, brought up to always show his father, the king, the necessary respect, sat up quickly, only to groan in pain. The quick movement had not been a good idea, and just to add to it, he now felt sick. He listened as his father pulled up a chair and sat down next to his bed.

“What?” asked Marruk, trying to at least open his eyes slightly without being overwhelmed by the pain.

“
What
? That’s precisely what I wanted to ask
you
!
What
happened yesterday that made you leave the reception and not return until late into the night, blind drunk?”

“I wasn’t in the mood. And besides, the little one left the reception anyway.”

“Because you unsettled her. My goodness, the poor child thought that at any moment and in any place some male could turn up and simply snap her up and claim her without her agreeing to it. What were you thinking, portraying our whole race as if we were no different from wild animals? Your mother had to take the matter in hand to calm the girl.”

“Perhaps I expressed myself a little unfortunately,” admitted Marruk, gritting his teeth. “But
basically
I didn’t say anything that was incorrect. I …”

“Silence! You messed up. And yet you know how important these women are for our race. They are not only compatible to our race, they are also extraordinarily pretty, healthy and intelligent. If we could get more women from her planet to bond with our men then we would have really gained something. I don’t want you to ruin this for me. You mother has decided, and I agree with her, that Keela should live with you and Solima until she has found a suitable mate. You will take care of her and protect her - with your life, if necessary. I had hoped that you would claim her for yourself but unfortunately you seem to have been struck blind. At least Berka is ahead of you, for once. He’s claimed this Amber for himself.”

Marruk laughed bitterly.

“And what does the
happy,
chosen woman have to say about that?” he asked derisively.

“She’s still somewhat unsure, as women sometimes are, but they will be happy, I assure you. I have eyes in my head. I know who belongs together when I see it.” The king looked his son directly in the eye. “And I can see that Keela belongs to you. Don’t make the mistake of pushing your mate into the arms of another. If you don’t claim her someone will come along at some time who won’t hesitate for so long.
Think
about my words.”

Marruk turned his eyes away. His head still hurt but that was now a background pain. He felt like a wild animal trapped in a corner. He did not want Keela. He did not want
any
woman. It was better like that. But he also did not want anyone else to lay his dirty fingers on her. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

“Tomorrow you will depart with Solima and Keela,” said the king decisively, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I can’t force you into happiness, boy. But I advise you not to make a mistake that you will regret for the rest of your life. And think of Solima. She needs a mother. She already dotes on Keela. – All the best, son.”

With these words the king left Marruk alone. This time he closed the door quietly behind him.

***

Keela and Amber were sitting together in Keela’s chamber drinking tajaka, an icey-cold fruit cocktail made of various fruit juices and wine with herbs. The alcohol content was very low and the drink was very refreshing. The temperature on this planet was very warm but not as unbearably hot as on the desert planet. But it was warmer than the women were used to.

“I wish we could stay here and didn’t have to go our separate ways,” said Keela, looking at her friend who had been largely silent since coming to her room to bid her farewell.

“I’m sure we’ll see one another again. After all, Berka and Marruk are brothers,” answered Amber calmly.

“Will it … Is it bothering you a lot that you’re going with Berka? I know he’s forcing himself on you. At least I don’t have
that
problem with Marruk. He doesn’t seem to be interested in me at all. He’s just to take care of me.”

Hypocrite. You’d like to have this problem with Marruk. Who are you trying to fool?

Amber looked up from her glass and a little smile played around her lips.

“To be honest I’m very attracted to Berka. I’m just against this
Neanderthal mentality
! I’m not a possession that you can
claim
. He’s first got to … deserve me.”

“
Have you …? I mean, have you and he …,”
 
began Keela
awkwardly.

“You mean, have I slept with him? No! But he has kissed me,” answered Amber and her enraptured look said more than a thousand words.
 

She put her glass down on the table in front of her and folded her hands in her lap. Keela was watching her very closely. Amber bit nervously upon her lower lip and seemed to be thinking hard before looking directly at Keela.

“I think I love him,” she declared to Keela’s amazement. “It’s taking more and more will power to resist his advances and I don’t only mean because I’m smaller than him. It’s just that I’m finding it harder and harder not to be carried away by his passion. Just his touch, and …” She shuddered.

“If you feel that way why are you resisting him? He clearly feels something for you, too.”

“I can’t … I don’t know. I … somehow I can’t deal with the thought of never going home again. If I got the chance to fly home then I’d take it. But if I give my heart to someone here, how can I ever leave?”

Amber’s voice sounded strained and Keela was not sure what she should say. She basically felt the same. She felt attracted to Marruk but she could not of course deal with the idea of staying here forever and never seeing her home and friends. Perhaps it was good that Marruk was not making any sign of claiming her, because if he did she would probably give in.

***

Y-Quadrant, Karrx7

Royal Palace of the Arr’Carthian

24
^th
day of the month of Jakus in the year 7067

Federation Time

“Is it far to your house,” asked Keela.

Solima, who was holding Keela’s hand as they left the palace, shook her head.

“With the glider it may take three hours. On foot it would take two or three weeks.”

“Glider? Is that something like a car?”

“A car? What’s a car?”

Keela laughed.

“I see, we’re not going to get very far like this,” she said. “I just need to wait until I’ve seen this glider.”

She winked at Solima and they both started giggling.

Marruk, who was walking a few meters ahead of them, turned to the left and Keela and Solima followed him. A few servants were following on behind with the luggage. Solima had insisted that Keela should take a large selection of dresses because there was no clothes maker in Marruk’s house. Keela had never owned so many dresses in her whole life as were now packed into numerous trunks being carried behind her. It was like in that old film,
Suddenly a Princess
. Everything still seemed so unreal to her.
 

They reached an out-buliding with a wide gate which was opened by a guard at Marruk’s command. Solima stood still, so Keela did the same and they waited until a servant drove a glider out, stopping it next to Marruk. The glider looked like an over-sized sledge with a glass roof. It was as wide as a jeep but twice as long. Through the glass Keela could see that there were three rows of seats inside. Behind them was a closed compartment for the luggage. They waited for the servants to load the trunks and step aside. Then Marruk opened the side door that opened automatically at the push of a button. Solima hopped about excitedly and was the first to climb into the glider. Keela followed her. Marruk got into the vehicle last.

In front of Marruk was the cockpit that consisted of a dozen buttons, a few levers and some dials. She watched Marruk operate a few of the buttons and levers before the glider was set in motion. To her surprise they rose above the ground after just a few meters. She had not expected the vehicle to fly. They flew along the length of the palace and passed the large, semi-circular balcony upon which the royal couple was standing to wave them off. Solima and Keela waved back then Marruk accelerated the glider so quickly that it pressed Keela back into her seat and she uttered a small cry.

Marruk turned his head and grinned at her mischievously.

“Really, father, you’re flying like a racemokus again,” Solima scolded, but she was laughing at the same time.

After a while Keela relaxed and began to enjoy the flight. She looked out of the window at the huge forests below them. They were flying just a few meters above the summit of the trees, and where the forest was less dense they could occasionally see various animals: some looked like those on earth, so there was a kind of deer and wild boar. But there were also animals that Keela had never seen before, for example one that moved on six legs and had a round, furry body, whilst the long neck and head were bald. Solima explained that this was a racemokus, which she had jokingly compared her father to earlier. These animals could reach a high speed within seconds, which sounded impossible to Keela, because the animal that she had seen moved extremely awkwardly. But half an hour later she witnessed such a sudden start when she saw another of these animals. One minute it was standing, grazing, in a small clearing and then, quicker than Keela could look, it was up and away.