Untamable Lover (Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 2) (10 page)

She stilled next to him. In the spur of the moment, her hands had landed on his biceps. He wanted her to run her fingers all over his body and light up more than his nerves. Her beautiful brown eyes danced with a liquid fire he wanted to devour.

She pulled back, and he released her. 

Confusion blurred his mind. Where did these thoughts come from? He’d never noticed Aramie before. She was one of his warriors, nothing more, yet he couldn’t deny his attraction to her.

“Aramie.” After weeks of non-use, his vocal cords made her name sound rough and sensual.

“Demir.” She bowed her head. 

Her allegiance floored him. 

Gaetan cleared his throat. “How do you feel?”

Demir pulled his focus away from his second in command. A part of him didn’t want to, and a sense of unease rippled through his gut. The reason for his primal reaction to her was something he didn’t want to contemplate. 

He peered at the Keep’s haelen. The old Stiyaha leaned on his cane. Amber reflected from the stick’s tip where a large sunstone glinted under his palm.

Demir rubbed the stubble of his goatee and ran his hand through his hair. The strands fell around his shoulders, almost to his biceps. No one had cut it while he’d been in his coma. That was fine. He liked the feel of his hair on his skin. As a Panthera, physical sensations were heightened, especially touch.

“I’m fine. Seems the blue crystal works.” 

 Gaetan gave a quick nod in response.

Demir stretched his arms over his head, enjoying how his muscles responded to his command. The sensation was so freeing, so powerful. As he relaxed, his need for information burned in his chest. He frowned and focused on Gaetan. “Tell me. What happened?” 

A slow smile pulled at Gaetan’s mouth, and he pointed at Aramie. 

Demir glanced at her. Memories of their conversations in his room invaded his mind. “You took over the Pride.”

She focused on him and raised her chin. “
You
are Pride leader.” 

He studied her. The red barrette in her hair caught his attention. It was the only bit of color he’d ever seen her wear. He’d never paid much attention to the bauble before, but its brightness brought out the redness in her lips. For a brief instant, he wanted to ravish them. 

She dropped her gaze and bit her lip.

In the short time he’d known her, he’d learned enough to know she hid something. She’d looked devastated for a moment, but it wasn’t fatigue in her eyes, it was something much worse. He placed his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “Who died?” 

Chapter Seventeen

Zedron took a sip of muldoberry wine from his favorite glass. He traced his finger over the long stem, enjoying its smooth elegance. With a quick swirl, the sweet bouquet wafted into the air, comforting and relaxing him. He placed the edge of the glass against his lips and downed the last swallow.
Now, this is the true nectar of the gods.
He chuckled to himself.

The afternoon sun beat down on the trees, heating his home to a stifling level. The muggy air caused him to break out in a sweat. He pursed his lips. There was no relief from the relentless heat except at night. Until then, he’d have to tough it out. His shirt clung to his back, the wetness cooling him off, but this was one of his better shirts, and he refused to ruin it with sweat stains. Time to change.

After placing the empty glass on the table next to his beloved armchair, he headed upstairs. The wooden stairway creaked under his feet. In his bedroom, he ripped off his dirty shirt and tossed it into the hamper. Carine would wash his clothes later. A smile tugged at his lips. The more work he made for her, the better. A bowl of water sat on his dresser, along with a rag. She’d anticipated his needs. Maybe she’d work out after all. 

He placed the small towel in the water, wrung it out, and wiped his torso. The precious, cool water was not to be taken lightly. Lemuria had a diminishing supply of the valuable liquid, and the rainy season became shorter every year. This was the reason Earth was so coveted. To win the war for the blue planet’s water would be an important victory. He inhaled, a new determination forming in his gut. After pulling a fresh shirt from his drawer, he redressed. 

The smell of smoke wafted through the window. Even through the Elita tree branches, a soft glow burned in the distance.
Fire.
Adrenaline shot through him. This was his chance to pad his generous coffers. Others would need a loan to rebuild, and he had the funds to help out those poor souls. Their loss was his gain.

“Carine!” He ran back the way he’d come, his feet pounding the stairs with the force of his urgency. “Carine!”

“What is it?” She appeared from the bathroom, a cleaning rag in her hand. 

“There’s a fire. I need to go…assess the damages…help the underserved.” 

Despite all the technology his race possessed, they hadn’t figured out a way to tackle the fires that plagued the planet with anything better than water and a bit of talmet powder. The water reserves dwindled more each time a fire erupted. There was still enough for several more years, but eventually they’d run out, and Lemuria would become a desert, forcing the Lemurians to seek shelter on other planets. The need to secure Earth’s water spurned him on. 

He gripped Carine’s arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll return shortly.”

The lines around her eyes tightened as she studied him. Her defiance radiated from her body in waves. “Of course,
master
.”

He raced out the door and ran along the platform connecting his treehouse home to the network of other homes in the area, crossing pathways and stairways along the way. The smoke thickened, and the horrible stench of burning leaves and wood eased into his lungs with every breath. A wracking cough burst from his lips, but he didn’t stop. His need to see the flames, and the damage it would do, drove him forward. 

As he approached, Lemurians fleeing the scene raced by, making it difficult for him to proceed. He pushed his way past a young mother, her hand gripped tightly around her daughter’s hand. The young girl squealed in pain as he stepped on her foot. He didn’t stop to apologize, his need to arrive spurning him onward. 

Arriving at the scene, he slowed. Flames engulfed several trees, the hungry blaze reaching and trying to devour unscathed leaves in nearby branches. Standing on a large platform, several Lemurians held a long hose and worked together to put out the flames. Precious water spewed from the tube’s end, dampening the fire, preventing it from spreading. In the middle of the group—Veromé.

He wore a black, insulating suit and a pair of protective eyewear, but his brown hair hung loose around his shoulders. His body shook from the force of the water pouring through the hose. Of course Veromé would help, that was his style, at least in public. Zedron’s jaw popped, as it did sometimes when he clenched his teeth. He seethed inside, his breaths ragged.

Males and females alike worked in teams to battle the flames. A male he didn’t know shoved a large bag of talmet powder into his hands. “Here, throw this into the fire. Anything it touches will become non-flammable.” 

Zedron gripped the heavy bag, his arms straining from the weight. He pursed his lips. “I’m not here to fight the fire. I’m here to assess the damages.”

The male raked his gaze over Zedron’s body, appraising him. His lip pulled up at the corner. “Put out the flames. Assess the loss later.” 

Zedron’s face heated. For him to help in this mundane way was beneath him. He raised his chin. “I’ll help with the hose.” He dropped the bag, and before the other man could respond, he headed for the platform—the one with Veromé.

He grabbed a protective coat and glasses from a nearby pile and put them on. His heart pounded. He’d never fought in a fire before, and a mixture of excitement and fear flooded his system. 

He slipped unnoticed behind Veromé and gripped the hose. The moment his hands connected with the line, the water’s power vibrated up his arms. His biceps strained from the force.

Standing behind his one-time best friend, he observed how the male moved. Veromé’s physical strength and determination radiated from his feat. Zedron’s stomach hardened. He wanted to throttle his rival, bring him down, and make him pay for stealing Alora. His grip on the hose tightened.

Despite the intensity of the flames, the group’s efforts against the fire brought success. The contained fire would burn itself out in a matter of minutes. Cheers from the crowd of civilian firefighters rose into the air. 

A young woman approached, her mouth pursed, eyes determined. “Turning off the hose in five, four, three, two, one,” she ordered. 

The line slackened, the power of the water reduced to a trickle. 

Veromé’s shoulders visibly relaxed and a loud whoop burst from his lips. The male in front of him slapped Veromé on the shoulder in a good-natured jab. Veromé turned to face Zedron. His smile faltered, his laugh subsided. 

Zedron’s lip curled at the corner, and his heart rate picked up. “My, my, aren’t you glad to see me.” He raised an eyebrow. “The feeling is mutual.”

“What are you doing here?” Veromé’s face was a mask, his rage only evident in the tic in his jaw.

“Helping out. Why else would I come here?”

“To find a way to take advantage of someone else’s loss and misery, no doubt.”

Zedron compressed his lips. “You have such a high opinion of me, how charming.” 

“This is ridiculous. I have better things to do.” Veromé turned his back on Zedron and helped another male gather the hose.

Zedron’s face reddened at the blatant dismissal. He clenched his fist, the desire to strike out almost more than he could bear. “Your taste in fine jewelry is, shall we say, a bit suspect. No wonder Alora won’t wear the bracelet you gave her.”

Veromé visibly tensed under his jacket. With a slow turn, he faced Zedron. “What did you say?”

“I think you heard me just fine.” Zedron studied his fingernails and let his grin spread.

“How do you know about the bracelet?” Veromé gripped Zedron’s coat at the neckline. 

Zedron lifted his gaze and placed his hand around Veromé’s wrist. “Let go, or I will have you placed into custody for assault.”

Veromé released him with a shove. “Stay away from Alora. She’s my female, not yours.”

Zedron narrowed his attention on his rival. “Do you know what your mate does at night when you’re not around? Hmmm? Maybe you should find out.”

Zedron didn’t see the punch coming until his head whipped to the side. His jaw ached and the taste of blood filled his mouth. 

“Stop.”

“That’s enough.”

Two males, one on each side of Veromé, had their arms wrapped around Veromé’s biceps, holding him back. 

Zedron wiped his lip. Blood coated his fingers. The pressure in his veins rose along with his temper. He curled his lip. “Better watch yourself, Veromé. This game we play…I
always
win and when I do, Alora will be mine.”

Chapter Eighteen

“Who died?” Demir’s words pierced Aramie’s heart. His coarse hand still held her chin, and his gaze bore into her. Deep pools of brown, his eyes reminded her of rich, dark chocolate. She melted under his scrutiny and couldn’t maintain eye contact any longer. As she pulled away, his fingers trailed along her chin in the process.

“Sidea and Kitani.” Her throat constricted and she couldn’t say another word.

“Tell me.” His voice was as coaxing as it was commanding. 

“I’ll give you two some time alone.” Gaetan rose from his stool and hobbled to the door. “Come to the King’s Chamber when you’re done. Noeh will want know about the stone and that you’ve recovered. I’ll let him know you’re on your way.”

Demir’s eyebrows creased. “We’ll get there when we’re ready.”  

Now that was the leader Aramie remembered. The command in the timbre of his voice sent a chill over her arm. He wasn’t the kind of male who took orders from anyone. He’d ruled his Pride long before she and Sidea had joined them, and long before they’d come to the Keep.

“Take all the time you need.” Gaetan’s eyes sparkled with amusement. He pocketed the blue sunstone in his pants, its brilliance snuffed out like a fire.

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Aramie alone with her Pride leader.

A memory of when she’d first met him surfaced in her mind. She tried to push the image aside but failed.

“Stop struggling. Who are you?” A large male pinned Aramie down on the ground. Dirt rubbed against her cheek and a blackberry bramble scraped her arm. His warm scent of musk and incense filled her senses. 

She struggled anew, unwilling to give an inch to this male that had jumped her in panther form. She and Sidea had tracked the Pride from afar for several days. They were the lone survivors from their own Pride which had been attacked a few weeks ago. 

This wasn’t the first time they’d been on their own. They’d lived for many years by themselves after their mother had abandoned them.

“Let me go.” She kicked out, planting the heel of her boot into his thigh.

He grunted and tightened his grip around her body. His legs closed over hers. She strained against his hold, but couldn’t move. 

Sidea’s cry filled the air.

“I’ve got the other one.” The deep timbre of a male’s voice echoed between the fir trees.

“Release her.” Aramie said through gritted teeth.

Demir laughed. “You trespass on my territory and then threaten me while I hold you down. You are a unique one.” His chuckle reverberated through her back and into her chest setting off all kinds of strange, pleasant sensations. He bent his head close to her ear, and the short hairs on his chin tickled her skin.