Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RENIKK

W ords cannot describe the bliss of mating my sholani. Her passion, her gentle touch, her open heart… all make me think about the male I am, and how I can be better, do better, for her.

I came to Earth on assignment, to keep her safe from those who tried to kidnap her in the past. Many attempts, most of which remain unknown to her on her father’s orders. I’ve hidden enough from her. No longer.

“Do you know why I was assigned to guard you, Raven?” I ask as we walk to her home in the early morning hours.

“My father doesn’t trust me,” she says rather casually.

“He doesn’t trust those would harm you. He is a parent concerned about his youngling. I cannot fault him this.”

“Good point, but still, he treats me as if I’m a child because I’m blind. And a woman. I’m more than my gender and inability to see. I wish he understood that, like you do.”

“As Earth’s chief negotiator, he has much pull with the Galactic Alliance, and yet he does not trust his own people with your safety.”

“You’re talking about when someone tried to kidnap me when I was twenty. And then again four years ago.”

“There were more than two attempts, sholani.”

She says nothing, which causes the tips of my horns to twist. I do not like scaring her like this, but she deserves the full truth.

“I will not abandon you or leave you prone. I am your sholan. Do you know what that means?”

“Like a boyfriend.”

“Much more. The gods fated us for one another. You are the one I’ve waited for my entire life. The one who will give my life true meaning. The sun is brighter, the sound of the wind rustling through trees crisper, and the scent of grass richer than before. I see my own destiny with a clarity I’ve never had, all because of you.” I stop and run my hands down her arms. Her face shines when I touch her and I can’t imagine not having her in my life. “You, Raven, are mine… if you will have me.”

“Are you sure about me, Ren?”

I hold her face in my hands. “I love you, Raven. You are the one for me. The only one, but I will not force you. I know humans do not share our beliefs. If you are not ready to accept me as your sholan, I ask that you do not reject me outright. That you give me time to prove myself.”

“That’s the weird part,” she whispers. “I don’t need time.” She places my hand over her heart. “Something’s shifted in me, because of you. At first, I thought it was lust, but it’s more. This ache to always be with you, to talk to you, to simply be with you.”

Pure joy moves through me. “Then why do I sense you are uncertain of me, of us?”

“Because you, my dear shadow, are taking a round-about path to my house. Something is bothering you. The question is what?”

“Your father…” I exhale a deep breath. “When he discovers I’ve been with you, or even that you know of my existence, he will have me assigned elsewhere. That will not deter me, as I will disobey any orders, defy any person who tries to keep me from you. But your father has the means to hide you from me. While I would never give up looking for you, my sholani, he’d essentially make you a prisoner just to keep you safe from me. I will not do that to you.”

“He can’t think you’d hurt me or he never would have hired you.”

“I pose a different type of threat, not to you, but to him. This is what has kept me all these months from telling you I’m your sholan.”

“Then we don’t tell him,” Raven says adamantly. “And we only talk to one another when no one’s around to see us.”

“For how long?” I shake my head. “This is no way to live, as if I’m ashamed of my mate. I can no longer hide in the shadows, especially now that I’ve claimed you.”

“Just for a little while, until I figure out how to tell my dad in a way that he doesn’t do anything rash. He’s a negotiator. Staying calm in a crisis is one of his strengths. If I approach him correctly, we can figure this out.”

Except I’ve seen her father stressed when it comes to her. He will not take this lightly.

“We cannot delay telling him. The local authorities took your statement and mine when they arrested your cousin and his accomplice. They will share what happened with your father. Due to his position, anything that involves you is automatically reported to him. He may already know.”

She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. “You’re right. No more hiding. All these months I could have been talking with you, getting to know you. I will handle my father.”

I believe she will try, but if she fails, I will lose her. I refuse to let that happen.

RAVEN

“Where have you been all night?” my father demands the moment I walk through the front door of our brownstone. Ren has fallen back several steps for now, to maintain the appearance that I don’t know of his existence. To keep this from blowing up in my face, I need to start this conversation with my dad in a calm and rational state of mind.

He’s at the top of the stairs, which means he hasn’t come down for breakfast or coffee, despite the late hour. Has he been up all night waiting for me to return or did he only discover me missing this morning?

“The party ran late,” I say, debating how to tell him about Ren and me. We spent an additional hour walking around this morning, discussing our future and I’m on overload right now, but there’s no avoiding this conversation.

Each stair creaks as my father descends. He’s taking his time, and he’s not talking to me. I guess he’s communicating with Ren silently, to convince him to leave without making me aware.

But I’m aware. Very aware of everything that’s been happening.

I step back until I’m standing beside Ren. The moment I grip Ren’s hand, my father stops mid-staircase. “We’ll wait for you in the living room,” I say, leading Renikk in.

Thumping up the steps, then another set of feet, rushing down with my father. Both parents. Good. I hope.

“Raven, dear,” Mom says before reaching the bottom step. “I didn’t hear you come home last night. How was the party?”

“Aside from Noah’s friend trying to kill me, and Noah not lifting a finger to stop him, fine.”

A gasp echoes through the foyer and then my mom’s arms wrap around me. “The police told us about Noah. I haven’t talked to my sister yet. I wanted to hear from you first. She’ll be crushed when she learns Noah’s hanging with a bad crowd.”

“He is the bad crowd, Meredith,” Dad says. “A criminal who tried to harm our little girl. I’m not bailing him out.”

“We’ll discuss that later, Charles. Raven’s likely shaken.”

“I’m fine.” I lean back into Ren and realize just how not shaken I am. Not with my shadow there for me. “Mom, this is Renikk. I’m guessing you’ve already met him. Unless Dad’s kept him a secret from you, too.”

“I um… know about him, dear.”

“Good, then we won’t have to go through this twice.”

“Warrior Qeelin, thank you for saving our daughter,” my father’s stern voice carries from the foyer a moment before the front door creaks open and a cool breeze reaches us. “I will tell the Galactic Alliance you’ve performed admirably, despite your inability to prevent the danger without revealing your presence to my daughter.”

And there’s the scorn I was waiting for.

“I didn’t give him a choice,” I speak up loudly so my voice carries to the foyer and there’s no doubt as to my position on this matter. “And you will not reprimand him in any way.”

“He did not fulfill his duties as defined.”

“He saved me. Which is why you won’t remove him from his duties or say anything negative about him to his people that would cause them to recall him.”

“Why would you think?—”

“I know what happens when people don’t follow your orders to the letter. You get rid of them.”

“In my line of work, I have to trust those who work for me, Raven. I won’t compromise, especially when it comes to my family’s safety.”

“You won’t compromise? That’s funny given what you do for a living. But I’m not looking for a compromise. There’s no need.”

“What are you saying?” Dad asks.

“Renikk and I are involved,” I raise our clasped hands.

“How involved?” my dad asks, his tone, betraying his displeasure.

“He’s my sholan. A zyanthan term for husband.”

My dad pounds his way toward us. “You’re married?”

“That’s wonderful,” my mother says, as she hugs me. “He’s a fine man, sweetie. We’re so happy for you, aren’t we, Charles?”

“No, we’re not. Warrior Qeelin, you’re dismissed. Permanently. Return to the Galactic Alliance. I will keep this matter to myself and provide them a glowing account of your service here if you never go near my daughter again.”

“You can’t blackmail him into leaving,” I say.

“Either he leaves now willingly, under my terms, or I can have a squadron of soldiers here in ten minutes to remove him.”

“And if he defies you?”

“He can’t. Because if he does, I’ll break off Earth’s relations with the Galactic Alliance.”

“You can’t,” I object. “We need the Galactic Alliance more than they need us.”

“You don’t know half of what happens between Earth and the rest of the universe, Raven,” my dad says in that authoritarian way that hints of hidden information. “The Galactic Alliance needs us more than they’ll admit. Earth is rich with titanium and vanadium, two elements the Zyanthans need and can’t find elsewhere. Isn’t that right, Warrior?”