Acting Out (10 page)

One corner of his lips pulled up in a parody of a smile. “I
think it would be best for both of us if we weren’t seen together again after
this night. It will be difficult enough to convince Korian that nothing
untoward happened here, and I do not wish to face my king on the challenge
field. However, I would not be too sure about him wanting you to leave. I have
seen the look in his eyes when he looks upon you, too, and I have heard the
unspoken threat should I cross the line with you. Do not give up hope, Jessica.
Any warrior worth his blade would fight even the stars to keep you close.” He
reached out to brush away the tear trailing down her cheek. “I will leave from
here so that you may return to the party alone. If anyone asks, tell them that
you were resting your eyes after the onset of a headache. Farewell, Jessica
MacGregor. May the stars shine down upon you with their blessing all your
days.”

Jessica watched the warrior leave without a backward glance
and collapsed on the bed to grieve the death of her friendship with bitter
tears. Zandar was just the kind of man she had always dreamed of falling for,
but instead, her heart chose to fall for a king with sinful lips and commitment
issues. Maybe she would let them erase her memory when she went home after all.
At least it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

Jessica thought the party would never end. It had taken all
of her prodigious acting skills to walk back in there as if nothing had
happened and laugh, flirt, and talk with the nobles for several more hours
until the party broke up. By the time she made it back to the king’s compound,
it was well past midnight and her head was pounding behind her eyes, her
stomach was a quivering mess, and she felt waves of dizziness wash over her
with each step. She really wanted to head straight to her room, put on fuzzy
pajamas, and cuddle in the bed with her
bimbop
, but she knew she had to
see Korian. It would be best for him to hear about the night’s events directly
from her first, because she had no faith that Rox’Ana would keep her word.

As she entered the compound and began to walk down the corridor
toward Korian’s rooms, Jessica sighed and reached up to undo the clasp in her
hair causing her thick, red waves to cascade over her shoulders. She felt some
relief from the pressure in her head, but the stress of the past few weeks was
beginning to take its toll. She was exhausted, anxious, and her stomach was
queasy from the rich, expensive foods at all the parties she had attended. She
would kill right now for a mug of hot tea and a few crackers.

When she finally reached Korian’s rooms, she pressed a
finger to the sensor and announced, “Jessica MacGregor to see King Korian.”

Moments later, the door panel slid open and she walked
slowly inside. She was not looking forward to this meeting at all, and her
dragging footsteps gave proof of it. She made her way through the sitting room,
past his bedroom, and emerged into the back room that was surrounded by one-way
solar panel windows that allowed prodigious light from the moon, stars, and
surrounding planets to illuminate the tall, broad warrior that stared silently
out at the quiet landscape of his compound. She hovered in the doorway,
drinking in the sight of the man that had come to mean so much to her in such a
short span of time. How would she be able to leave in two weeks’ time and never
see him again?

She stepped further into the room and called softly,
“Korian? Do you have a moment to talk? Something happened tonight, and I need
to explain-“

“No, you do not need to offer me explanations. I already
know what has occurred this night,” he cut her off, his voice cold and dripping
with ice. Turning away from the window, his face was in shadows as he added,
“You gave me fair warning during our first meeting. It is my fault that I chose
to ignore it and believe that you had come to care for me above all others.”

Jessica sucked in a shocked breath and her skin turned
clammy with nerves. “You don’t understand, Korian! Please, just give me a
chance to explain,” she pleaded with him, her feet reluctantly closing the gap
between them.

His arms crossed over his thickly muscled chest as he
replied, “As I said, there is no need to explain. I have already heard the
entirety of your adventures this night, and I fail to see where there could be
more I need to hear about it.” When she stared at him dumbfounded, he called
out, “Command, replay the last transmission from Nikesus Bal’Forte.”

The computerized system replied, “Affirmative. Replaying
transmission.”

A familiar male voice began to speak. “My king, as you
requested, I have observed and followed your guest, Jessica MacGregor, during
tonight’s event. Miss MacGregor arrived at the home of Rox’Ana Ful’Tera at
approximately two hours prior to sunsdown. She circulated with the guests,
engaging in conversation, and ate little at dinner and drank only water after
refusing the wine. At approximately one hour after sunsdown, Miss MacGregor
engaged Rox’Ana Ful’Tera in conversation moments before Zandar Nic’Omar arrived
as an invited guest. I was unable to hear the entirety of their discussion, but
I did manage to overhear the delegate offer use of her home should Miss
MacGregor and Zandar Nic’Omar wish to spend some time together alone. I was
also close enough to hear Zandar Nic’Omar mention something about sharing their
bodies with each other before Miss MacGregor pulled him to a secluded corner to
continue the conversation. Moments later, the two of them disappeared from the party
room together. At this time, I tried to follow them, but was waylaid by Rox’Ana
Ful’Tera and ordered to circulate with the wine goblets. It was several more
moments before I was able to break free and pursue them down the hallway of her
home. It was at this time that I heard their voices coming from a locked room,
and I made haste to retrieve the delegate with a fabricated story about hearing
cries for help. She could not easily refuse my request for investigation
without revealing her own culpability, so we made our way together through the
rooms.”

There was a pause in the transmission, as if the speaker was
preparing himself to reveal exceptionally bad news. Jessica felt the blood
drain from her face as she was pierced with the steely resolve of her lover.
The duplicitous waiter finally picked up his tale. “Upon entry into the private
chambers of Rox’Ana Ful’Tera, we discovered Zandar Nic’Omar laying upon the bed
with Jessica MacGregor sitting astride him as they embraced and kissed. While
their clothing was still on their bodies, the latches were undone on his shirt
and one of them was undone on her dress. Neither of them wore shoes, and their
general appearance was one of dishevelment. They separated quickly before
explaining their presence in the delegate’s rooms, and then Jessica MacGregor
proceeded to insist on complete secrecy from the both of us before allowing us
to leave. Within a half an hour, Miss MacGregor returned to the party and
continued on as she had before by conversing and socializing with the guests,
but Zandar Nic’Omar did not return with her. She left the residence of the
delegate alone approximately three and a half hours after sunsdown to return to
your compound. End report.”

The silence that fell between them was thick and heavy with
accusation. Jessica couldn’t speak, her mouth too dry and her throat like
sandpaper in the face of Korian’s cold stare. Her hand was shaking as she
lifted it toward him with entreaty, but he stepped back sharply to prevent her
from touching him.

“Korian, please,” she croaked, her eyes steadily brimming
with tears. “You have to let me explain.”

Korian slashed his hand through the air to silence her, his
cold resolve finally melting under the heat of his rage. “I have no desire to
hear your excuses, Jessica. Because of your actions, I will be forced to issue
a Warrior Challenge to Zandar Nic’Omar and fight for my honor until one of us
is unable to rise or concedes defeat.”

True fear arced through her body as Zandar’s words echoed in
her ears and images of Korian lying in a pool of blood while Zandar stood over
top of him made her knees buckle. She staggered over to the wall to brace
herself and furiously scrubbed away the tears streaming down her face. “No,
Korian, please! If you will just listen to me, I can explain what really
happened-“

“How long have you been sharing your body with him,
Jessica?” Before she could answer, he shook his head and continued, “No need to
answer that. I find I do not wish to truly know the answer, but perhaps it may
be important in this matter. Does Zandar Nic’Omar know that you may be carrying
my youngling in your womb? Or perhaps you are carrying his babe now instead.”

Jessica felt the stirrings of her temper finally coming to
her rescue and she firmed up her spine and planted her feet until she was
standing defiantly before her pig-headed lover. “I have
never
shared my
body with Zandar, which you would know if you gave me a chance to explain. And
as for being pregnant? You won’t have to worry about that, either. I take shots
to prevent that from happening, and I had one only a week before I was taken.
They last for three months before I need another one, so there’s no need to
worry about that score,” she sneered, her fair skin heating with her anger.

Korian’s laugh was humorless and harsh. “You are mistaken,
Jessica. That is what I wished to speak with you about this night before I
learned the truth of your actions. All traces of the foreign chemical was
removed from your system during corrective treatment when you boarded the ship.
Unfortunately, I was too distracted by your beauty to take preventative
measures myself, and for that, I am truly sorry.”

Jessica’s adrenaline spiked and her hand unconsciously
hovered over her abdomen. “What? Why wasn’t I told about this? Do you have any
idea what you’ve done? I can’t go back to Earth while carrying an alien baby!
I’m too visible and followed relentlessly by photographers. How am I supposed
to explain this, especially if my memory has been wiped?”

Korian’s lips pulled tight as if he were holding back from
saying what he really wanted to say. “I failed you as your host in regards to
your health and choices in this matter, but I will make it right for you. If
you are indeed carrying a youngling in your womb, you will be provided with the
best care and medical treatments available. If the youngling is determined to
be of my seed, then the child will be claimed as my heir and will have a loving
and fulfilled home here with me. After the babe has been birthed, you will be
given the choice to remain on T’Kala in a home of your choosing or to return to
your planet, but the child will remain in my home with me. If the youngling
should turn out to be of Zandar’s issue, then you will likely be asked to be
his lifemate and become a citizen of T’Kala. Either way, the youngling will not
be allowed to return with you to Earth.”

Jessica clapped a hand over her mouth and swallowed the bile
that crawled up her throat and threatened to bring the contents of her stomach
with it. She shook her head desperately, her mind refusing to believe what she
was hearing. How could the man that had held her so tenderly, laughed and kissed
and touched her body with such passion, be so cold and unfeeling? How could she
have misjudged him so greatly?

When the silence grew thick with strain, he continued,
“Tomorrow, you will report to Officer Ax’Sandre R’Varsel aboard the vessel
where she will conduct a full scan of your body to determine if there are any
signs of conception present in your body. I am unfamiliar with most aspects of
human biology, but perhaps the Officer will have more answers since she is half
human herself. If there are no signs of conception, I will authorize your early
release and commission a team to return you to your home immediately.”

Bitter, angry tears streaked down her face and her entire
body trembled with the sheer amount of emotions bubbling and fighting for supremacy
in her body. She latched on to the anger gratefully, and pulled it around her
like a comfortable old blanket and a shield. “I’ve told you once, and I’ll tell
you again,
King
Korian. You are in no position to dictate what I do with
my own body. You lost any right to demand anything of me the moment you refused
to listen to my side of the story and instead chose to believe every word your
sorry ass spy had to say. You have spied on me, believed the worst of me, and
thrown away every tender feeling I had begun to develop for you through your
own jealousy and stubborn pride. I hope they will keep you warm at night,
Korian. Because I never will again.”

Pivoting on her heel, she stalked from his room and kept her
pace measured and determined until the final door panel closed behind her. Once
she reached the corridor, she ran for her room, sobs wracking her body and her
heart squeezing with pain and betrayal. Once she reached her own rooms, she
grabbed the duffle bag she had replicated onboard the ship and began to stuff
it full of clothing and her toiletries. In another bag, she tossed all of
Little Mahoney’s items and placed her crate on the bed. She bent to scoop up
the distressed animal off the floor where she was whining at Jessica’s feet.
She cradled the
bimbop
to her cheek and allowed it to anxiously lick
away her tears before kissing it gently between its rounded ears and tucking her
carefully inside the carrier.

She scanned her eyes across her room to make sure she had
left nothing behind and her eye caught on the T’Kalan dagger hair pin. She
picked it up in her hand and traced the delicate filigree with a fingertip as
she remembered Korian doing the same. With one last glimpse, she placed it back
on her vanity and turned away.

“Computer,” she called out into the silence of her room.
“Send an urgent transmission to Lieutenant Commander Katsuko Mahoney R’Varsel.”