Intergalactic Love Page 11

  “Rea, please don’t cry—”

  “Don’t tell me not to cry Darion. Who are you? How are you able to just...do that?” she asked, her chest had begun to heave with sobs and hiccups. “And now I’m all confused. I don’t know whether to continue backing you or just...let you be punished,” she mumbled.

  “Rea, I’d never experienced such an intense want for another being in my life before you. So yes, I acted rashly when I had him killed. I wanted you and was willing to cut down anyone in my way and bring you home with me. I am not proud of what I did. I regret it, I regret many of my actions regarding you. I would do so many things differently if I could. That man, the one who committed those crimes...it wasn’t me. Not me as I am now. You’ve made me better Rea, ever since I brought you here. You’ve changed me and cured me,” I told her. I hoped she saw the honesty and earnestness in my eyes. “I kept the murder from you, because I didn’t want you to think less of me than you no doubt already had. I wanted to spare you this pain Rea,” I said.

  “I...I looked like an idiot,” she said, her voice wavering as she sniffed. All I could do was stand there helplessly and watch until her tears dried up.

  “Rea please, tell me I didn’t ruin this?” I asked, nearly begging. If I lost her, then none of it was worth fighting for.

  “I don’t know...” she said in a low voice. She walked past me then and hurried into our bedroom. She slammed the door behind her and I figured it would be her bedroom for a while, or until she decided to leave me. With an immense sigh, I collected myself as much as I could. I was due to meet with the High Council. They would be declaring the investigation into the events that took place on Mars Colony no doubt and what led to Rea’s being brought to Radon. Slowly, I walked out towards the private drive. There, a glider awaited me. Nye was already inside of it. I avoided the eye contact of all my guards. I wouldn’t know how to handle skepticism in their gazes. I hoped for trust from all that I governed over. But in the light of what was taking place, I was unsure I had much trust.

  “Has Madame Rea returned to the palace yet?” Nye asked once the glider began moving.

  “Yes. She came back just moments ago,” I mumbled. “It seems that the embassy let her go without much resistance,” I added.

  “It helps greatly that she chose to return on her own. That she stays willingly for you,” he said approvingly.

  “I’m sure...” I murmured. “Tell me, what are we walking into now?” I glanced at him briefly. The way his lips pressed together said it all.

  “The High Council...will be declaring the investigation, there is no getting around that. Though, we can still hope that they might choose to take a lenient position,” Nye said.

  “Of course...there’s always hope,” I sighed. I hoped Rea would come around. I hoped I hadn’t hurt her irrevocably. “What of Moody and Tars?” I asked as the thought struck me.

  “I’ve made contact with both. We can count on them to back you. They don’t want to add to the mess any more than we do,” Nye said. “They know ‘nothing’ of the honor killing and will stand firm in that report.”

  “Good...very well,” I said with a nod. Even though I’d been preoccupied with Rea as of late, it was good to know that they were still loyal friends.

  “You must prepare yourself for what will happen next Chief, as well as prepare Madame Rea. The two of you will scarcely have peace once the trial has been officially called,” Nye said in a low tone.

  “I do not wish to think on that now. I rather take this as it comes,” I told him. He nodded and remained silent for the rest of the ride, but I felt the heaviness of all he had said.

  Chapter 2

  Rea

  I COULDN’T HELP BUT watch the news as I wallowed. Of course, it didn’t make things better in the slightest. The ice cream was so much colder as I ate it while watching Darion get criticized heavily on TV. Not only that, but people were calling me weak, saying that I was perhaps deluded, or suffered from ‘captor sympathy’, their term for Stockholm’s. The channel would be getting access to the High Council hearing which would start in a matter of minutes. My phone rang and I almost ignored it. I wondered who’d be calling me anyway. Everyone I knew was busy with trial.

  I glanced at the phone and saw it was Mia calling. I gasped and jumped to answer it. “Mia?” I said.

  “Hey, thank God you answered,” she said in relief. “The news is just getting to us over here on Mars...what’s going on?” she asked.

  “Well...Darion might be a psychopath,” I mumbled.

  “Please don’t say that. You’re living with him,” she said.

  “His explanation for everything? He was so in love and didn’t know how to handle his emotions. But he’s not a child!” I took another spoonful of ice cream and sat back against the pillows. The TV showed Darion arriving at the council building. He, Nye, and his guards were getting out.

  “Did he really kidnap you? And he killed for you?” she asked.

  “Yes, he did. One second I was walking to go get wallowing food, the next I woke up in his bed with a wedding ring on my finger. Then I found out that he also had poor Gavin killed just for going out with me,” I sighed.

  “Well, you know Darion is Radonian. Sure, they have laws influenced by Earth to change social norms. But they had archaic ways before the alliance,” she said.

  “You’re defending him?” I asked, mystified. “Wasn’t Gavin your friend?”

  “Of course he was. I went to his funeral. It was sad what happened.” She paused and took a deep breath. “But you should’ve known what you were getting involved with when you started with Darion,” she said.

  “I didn’t know he had a hidden caveman mentality,” I murmured.

  “Are you coming home?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. Since he brought me here, he’s been great, the Darion I was falling for on Mars. And yeah he kidnapped me, but I forgave him and I fell for him again. I love him. We got married the right way, believe it or not. He set up this whole weekend...we said vows and everything,” I said, my tone a little wistful. “He said he’s changed since all the things he did on Mars, and that I've changed him...but I don’t know if I can handle all this,” I said honestly.

  “Well, you stuck with him this far right?” she asked. “It wasn’t for nothing,” she added.

  “No. It wasn’t for nothing,” I agreed.

  “At least you know without a doubt that you’re the one for him. He’s proved his feelings to you,” she mumbled.

  “What would you do?” I asked.

  “For the man I love and am married to? We all make mistakes Rea; he’s dealing with the consequences of his now. But when the dust settles, where do you want to be? With him, no matter what happens? Even if he was imprisoned? Or do you want to be without him?” she asked. My heart squeezed. I missed Mia so much, it brought tears to my eyes.

  “We have to visit each other...or you can move to Radon you know. I miss you...” I said, sniffling. She chuckled.

  “We’ll set something up, we have to spend two weeks with each other at least twice a year, four times would be better though,” she laughed. “But hey if you set me up with that guy Moody, who knows?” she joked. “In all seriousness though, the first time I see Darion, I’m slapping him for Gavin,” she added.

  “Did Gavin have family?” I asked her. Reality had come back some.

  “No, he was an orphan and moved to Mars Colony to work and start a life...” she sighed. “He had a lot of friends though, he’s missed,” she added.

  “This sucks...”

  “Just remember that shock and hurt can’t last forever. Happiness does though, if you let it. Either way, your apartment is still here and I’ll have a bottle of tequila waiting if you decide to come back,” she said.

  “Thanks Mia, I love you,” I said.

  “Love you too girl.” We ended the call and I felt a bit of a weight off my shoulders. It was good to have the support of a friend, and she'd helped to c
larify my thoughts. At the end of the day, no matter what, I did love Darion and wanted to be with him. Plus, I’d been through a lot to stay by his side and he had certainly done a lot for me too. I shouldn’t give up when he needed me the most.

  I closed the ice cream carton and watched as the news reported what was going on in that council building. It was a standard courtroom set-up. Darion stood with several judges surrounding him.

  “Chief Darion, evidence has been revealed of your wrongdoings while on Mars Colony,” said a councilwoman. She looked like an old English teacher. She had a hawkish nose, white hair pulled up into a bun, and a piercing gaze.

  “As is our duty, we must declare a full investigation into the crimes you are being accused of by Earth’s embassy and our civil sector. The crimes are as follows; forgery of marital documents, class one abduction, and class one murder also known as honor killing,” said another council member. Darion’s face was solemn and unflappable while the charges were read. I could hear the mutters of the witnesses gathered. They were military personnel and other Radonian government officials. My heart was in my throat.

  Chapter 3

  Darion

  LEAVING THE COUNCIL building was intricate work. The media swarmed and my guards were in a game of push and shove with them to get me out of the building. All I registered was the marble pattern on the polished ground and the myriad of questions. How could you kidnap your wife Chief Darion? How are you dealing with the possibility of her leaving you? What will you do if you are ejected from rule? Is it true you committed an honor killing? Are you regretful of any of your actions? These were all the same questions I was reticent to ask myself, and which were floating about heavily in the center of my chest. Returning home would be no different, Rea wouldn’t forgive me for all that I’d done.

  Nye said, “Chief, we must prepare for what you should say to the public. You should give a speech once and for all, until the close of the investigation. I believe Madame Rea should also speak.”

  “Of course, what would you suggest is the best plan of action?” I asked.

  “You must be personal. Be vague about your actions on Mars, but tell them that you had done things you aren’t proud of. Say that you love your wife and hope for privacy in this time of strife. Convey that you are first and foremost Radonian and through whatever may happen, you will continue to lead the Radonian people justly.”

  “Good, you set up a private conference and arrange for only the more civilized news media to attend...I will speak with Rea about giving a statement as well,” I said. Nye nodded, he seemed hopeful. If there was a plan of action, he’d always have a positive outlook.

  When we returned to the palace, I was hurried inside. The head of my personal guard, Naylan, advised that I remain in the private wing for safety. The public side of the palace was still open for the time being.

  Once I was alone, I steeled myself then went in search of Rea. There was evidence she had been in our room. The sheets on the bed were mussed and the television was on. I turned it off and pressed the button to close the wall panels over it. The shower was running, so I figured she was inside. The water shut off a second later, so I remained in the room to speak with her. She emerged a moment later, in a thin sweater and pajama shorts. Her hair hung in damp curls around her shoulders.

  “Hey...” she said when she saw me. I stood up from the chaise facing the fireplace and walked over to her. She didn’t stop me, that was as good a sign as any.

  “Did you watch...?” I asked her.

  “Yes, it’s happening I guess. How are you holding up?” She studied my expression as she waited for my response.

  “I’m not sure yet, it depends on you,” I told her. “I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I did. But...without you with me Rea, this makes no sense.” I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands.

  “I’m not leaving Darion...I’ll stand by you,” she said. The relief that flooded through me was dizzying. I took a knee and bent my head. I needed a moment to breathe. Rea’s arms surrounded me and she nestled my head against her stomach, under her breasts. I held onto her waist and we stayed like that for a decent while.

  “Do you feel better now?” she asked eventually. I nodded, then got to my feet and took a deep breath.

  “We should talk about what will happen next,” I said.

  “Yeah...we should,” she sighed. She led me over to the bed and she sat down, cross legged. I chose to pace around it rather than sit.

  “Nye told me that I should make a statement to the public, he suggested you say something also,” I told her. Her brows furrowed. “What are you going to say?”

  “Nye advised me to be vague, but somewhat truthful,” I said.

  “Vague and truthful?” she asked, seeming confused. “That’s like...lying the truth,” she said. I smirked, but continued pacing.

  “I will assure them that I’m still their leader. But also, express that I had some personal failings while on Mars...”

  “Okay, then I’ll say that I stand by you and express that the people should also, no matter what happens,” she said. “I also want to go public with the recording I got of Saphia. When would be the most strategic time to do so?” she asked.

  “I haven’t heard it, what did she say?”

  Rea went to go retrieve the recording. She played it for me, start to finish. “If we play it, I think the bit at the end should be cut out...what do you think?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure whether what you got from her will help our cause anymore. The charges have become something more entirely. The tape would only appeal to those who hadn’t agreed with how I dealt with the blight,” I said.

  “So my recording will go to waste,” she said, disappointed.

  “You played it for the embassy,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, but they can’t do anything with it either. I just want to help out more than the little I felt I’ve done,” she sighed.

  “You’re helping immensely Rea, trust me,” I told her. “So after we speak to the public, hopefully we will have a degree of peace from the media. The lawyers will want to interview us until they get every nuance of the story from us.”

  “What are you going to do about the murder?” she asked me slowly.

  “No one knows anything about what I did to make it happen. Apart from Moody and Tars, I have their blessed loyalty though. The only other piece is the actual assassin,” I said.

  “The worse he can do is say that you did hire him. So, you should prepare for that. How will you defend it?” she asked.

  “I have to meet with Moody and Tars to find out about the assassin...see what his weakness is,” I mumbled. I glanced at Rea, she was watching me expectantly, with a clear expression. I took a deep breath, it felt good to have her back on my side.

  Chapter 4

  Rea

  AFTER DARION AND I had patched things up, we got down to business. Nye had set up a press conference for us. It was scheduled for mid-morning. He coached me in what were the best things to say. That was while Darion made a late-night visit to Moody and Tars. When he got back he got coached by Nye as well. We all went to bed late.

  “I don’t want to get out of bed,” Darion murmured. The sun was peeking into the room, but it hadn’t fully risen yet. I’d been up for about an hour before he opened his eyes.

  “Me neither...but you know what?” I don’t feel so bad about today. It may go well,” I said.

  “You have a good feeling about what’s to come?” he asked, his tone a bit incredulous.

  “Yes I do,” I turned on my side to face him. He was already looking at me. “Has anyone ever told you that a positive outlook can go a long way?”

  Darion smiled at me. He trailed his finger along the bridge of my nose, then sighed softly. “You just did.”

  “Darion...”

  “Hmm?” His eyebrows lifted as he looked at me expectantly.

  “I’m kind of scared to meet your parents,” I said. He laughed l
oudly.

  “My father is the intense one. I do not want you meeting him,” he said truthfully. “My mother has already expressed a desire to have dinner, just the three of us. Perhaps when this is all over?” he asked me.

  “Of course...I’d like that,” I said. He leaned forward and gave me a soft peck on the lips. He glanced at the clock on the wall across from us.

  “We have a few hours until we must get going...” he said suggestively. That was all he had to do. My whole core woke up and was ready for him. We had this weird magnetic attraction that never went away. Even when I should’ve been mad at him, or appalled by him, I still wanted him. I slid my hand over to his waist, underneath the covers. He was already really hard.

  “You’re naked...” I said, a small smirk on my lips.

  “You know I can’t sleep with anything confining,” he murmured. His arms had come around my waist.

  “I’m glad I don’t fall into that category,” I said. I stroked him under the blanket while he trailed soft kisses up along my shoulder and neck. I felt his cock lengthen even more in my hand.

  “Never,” he said. He slid his hands down around my waist to squeeze my bottom in his hands. He kissed me deeply then and pressed his hips flush with mine. I had to move my hands to his back as he ground against my lower belly. My sex clenched with need and my entire body went flush. His lips slid down to my collar and he slowly slid his body down along mine until his lips were on my lower belly. I spread my legs for him and he pulled me down by my hips. He wrapped my legs around his waist and then grazed his fingers along my folds. I was wet, but not entirely ready for him. He rubbed my clit in quick circles before he slid two fingers into my core. My legs stiffened around him and my breathing picked up. With his free hand, he reached up to push my top up, revealing my breasts. He pinched my nipples, before he leaned down to tease each with his teeth and tongue. All the while his fingers thrust inside me.

  I could never keep quiet or give simple attractive moans. Whenever he touched me, it felt like fire in my veins. I cried out as the orgasm built and built. But just as my belly started to tremble and my legs stiffened even more, he removed his fingers. He straightened, then slowly slid his cock into me. I cried out and gripped the sheets tight. He pushed in deep, touching the very heart of me. He rubbed my clit with his thumb and the orgasm crashed through me. My legs shook around his waist and I cried out his name. He started pounding into me then, hard and fast. He tested my ability for multiple orgasms for the following two hours.