Raife: An Aquadomina Novel (17 page)

“Wildehaven will not stand for this.” Meric growled out. “You said the
incident in the Gathering pool was forgotten, then this…” He glowered at her
across the room.

Sophie sighed. She was all dressed for the ball and dealing with an
enraged mate had not been on her list of things to do tonight. She knew that
the Wildehurst longboats had been close. She had been given daily updates on
their location. Sophie had been hoping that the time to get here would cool
Meric’s anger. That had been a futile dream that was washing away under the
angry waves of his words. It was obvious the first thing Meric did was seek her
out. Thoughts of diplomacy and calmly sitting down to talk were flitting away.
Meric was yelling out words like betrayal, sabotage, and war. It was Raife who
got him to cease his tirade.

“You will not stand before The Chosen and speak this way.” He snapped at
Meric. “Calm yourself.” Her guard had taken up points around her. Garritt
behind her, Willem, Connor and Stefan behind him. Meric’s men were stationed
behind him. Lusca, Kaerius, Aqilus and Buinen. She knew the men generally got
on well, she had seen them trying to drink each other under the table at
Terragale, Norhurst and Wildehaven. It was just a matter of getting past the
fact that she had given sanctuary to Meric’s mate, however unwittingly, and
move on in their alliance. Words were starting to fly around the room that were
not conducive of good relations.

“Gentlemen, enough.” She didn’t have to yell or raise her voice. Silence
met her words.

Sophie looked at Meric and “saw” the pain and hurt. She knew she could
put her hand on his arm to calm him down, but that seemed unfair. He needed to
vent his feelings before he exploded in a far worse way.

“Raife.” Sophie spoke softly so those around her would quiet down to hear
her words. “Try to put yourself in Meric’s place.” She looked at him, her eyes
drinking in the sight of him in his military dress uniform. “How would you feel
if the positions were reversed?” With Raife chewing on that thought, she turned
to Meric. “I did not give Adina sanctuary on purpose. I didn’t even know she
was onboard the Castrum until we were well away from Wildehaven.” When Meric
looked excited and opened his mouth, she hurried to add, “However, once she had
requested it…I couldn’t refuse her sanctuary.”

That caused the excited look to change to anger again and Sophie knew
this was going to be a long night. “Then you have declared—”

“I have declared nothing.” She stood up suddenly tired of all the
arguing. “Our alliance stands with what was decided in Wildehaven.” She went to
move around her guard. “You are keeping me from my own party and I have had
enough.” She swept the layered skirts of her pale silver ball gown around and
walked toward the door. Glancing back over her shoulder. “I know the reasons
for Adina leaving Wildehurst, do you?” At Meric’s puzzled look and continued
silence she snorted, “That is what I thought.” At the door, she turned to
glance at Meric, “Just because I have agreed to give Adina sanctuary it doesn’t
mean that I could not also give that same status to another…say her bull headed
mate.”

Sophie opened the doors and threw down the gauntlet that she knew he
wouldn’t be able to resist picking up, “That is if you think you are man enough
to entice her back to your side?”

With those words, she swept out the door calling behind her, “Raife. I
believe we have an announcement to make. How about you make an honest woman out
of me?” Laughing she hurried toward the balcony and the Aquavi. Raife and her
guard right behind her. “Meric, you better not be late for my wedding. I
believe there might be a certain guest you are interested in who will also be
attending.”

At the balcony, she turned in time to see a determined look cross Meric’s
face. She was giving him the access and opportunity to make things right with
Adina. With a nod at her he suddenly laughed, “I best get my gear off the
Elxenhelm
”. His friends were slapping
him on the back and teasing him good-naturedly.

“PAC, please inform Viella that we will need a room made ready for a
guest.”

Making her way onto the Aquavi, she turned at the light touch on her
elbow. “I love you!” Sophie looked into Raife’s eyes and saw the emotion
burning there. Moving into his embrace, she hugged him as tight as she dared.
Her hair was in one of Allie’s creative coif’s for the celebration/wedding, a
delicate tiara nestled artfully on her head. She didn’t want to mess up her
hair, not to mention the corseted ball gown, stockings and slippers she was
wearing were not made to be handled roughly either.

“Have you remembered some of the things we did the night of the
Gathering?” Sophie moved against him to whisper in his ear, “I think we should
try a few of those moves again.”

Raife groaned loudly, “You are cruel to bring that up when we have the
celebration to get through.” His mouth was moving against her ear, his breath
hot against her skin.

“Just giving you a reason to hurry through your vows.” She teased.

“And you say I’m incorrigible!” Raife gave her behind a swat, “PAC get us
to the damn celebration, the fastest route available.”

Sophie lurched into her seat when the computer warned of the launch of
the Aquavi. Getting her restraint fastened, she laughed when the vehicle dove
and shot off at incredible speed. Then it dawned on her, the computer had
complied with Raife!

“PAC, you complied with someone other than The Chosen.” She laughed
harder when the computer responded.

“I am programmed to know the best interest of The Chosen. Getting to the
celebration venue quickly
is
for the
best.” Everyone’s laughter rang around the Aquavi.

When they arrived, there were vehicles and people everywhere. Sophie
stood next to Raife to exit the Aquavi. The guard made a box around both of them.
Raife was now part of her “sandwich”. She laughed up at him. “Are you ready?”
Raife squeezed her hand and nodded to the guard to open the doors. Together
they faced the crowd of well-wishers. Together they would forge the future of
Aquadomina.

Another book written and another “About the Author” to try to write. I
honestly think this is the hardest part! What could I possibly tell you about
myself that you would find at all interesting…here goes an attempt?

I am in my forties, which is why I write all of my heroines about the
same age. I think that my generation has reached a certain age and we are under
appreciated in media. Just because a person is over forty doesn’t mean they should
be defined by that number. I know woman in their seventies and eighties that
are still sexual (yes, I said it…) and intelligent and vital. Why limit our
experiences in life by what someone else says we should or shouldn’t be doing?

I have been married for twenty-three years to my wonderful, patient and
edit happy husband. We have two daughters, four Shih Tzu’s and a bird. Both of
my daughters are in college locally so empty nest syndrome hasn’t hit me yet.
(Knock on wood.)

If you enjoyed Raife, my other books are listed below and can be found on
my website also. Drop me a question or join the mailing list for news and
updates.

Thanks

Stormy

www.stormymcknight.com

Coming in August 2015

Knadyn

(A Terraneu Novel, Book Six)

Chapter One

Knadyn was going on another mission to Earth to check the equipment that
previous teams from Terraneu had placed there. It amazed him how fast time had
gone by. Had it really been three years since the CEMPS had been destroyed and
their attempts at cleaning Earth’s atmosphere had begun? That was six missions
and countless cloaked scanners, probes, and equipment ago. All of it left on
Earth for the sole purpose of trying to undo the damage his mad Uncle Knuan had
done with his Cloaked Electromagnetic Pulse Satellite or CEMPS.

The last mission he had taken to Earth was six months ago. The purpose of
that operation had been to release the new probes his Uncle Kneus and Cousin
Knalech had created. The probes were set to search for hot spots, detect a
damaged nuclear core and transport that core into preset co-ordinates. The
Earth’s Sun is the place they had chosen to dispose of the nuclear cores. The
scans they had done over the years had shown almost half of the five hundred
nuclear facilities in some form of a meltdown. It was no wonder the planet was
an irradiated mess. His sister had almost lost her mate, Marcael on a mission
to Earth and four of his men had died. It was from that point on that the
councils of Terraneu had decided against any extended stays on Earth. They were
sending equipment and trying their best to fix the damage, but they were not
staying on Earth for the six months between active portals.

That is why he was going through for a few hours today. The data they had
just received back from the probe was promising. The radiation levels were much
lower and some human activity was being detected. The Earth humans were on the
move according to their information. His mission was to make sure that their
equipment remained undetected. They didn’t want the native population to get
any of their technology. It hadn’t been decided yet if any further contact
between Terraneu and Earth would be allowed. The policy as it stood was to fix
the planet and let the human population of Earth evolve as fate saw fit. Not
everyone on the female council had liked this decision, but it was agreed upon
in the end that it was best for Terraneu to limit their contact with Earth.

So here he stood on the port pad, ready to go to Earth in what might be
the final contact with that world. If the equipment showed all nuclear hot
spots were eliminated, and the atmosphere was returning to normal levels then
their involvement in Earth would be at an end. He thought it was somewhat sad
considering it was women from Earth that had saved Terraneu. Some of his
favorite memories from childhood were the stories his mother told him of Earth.
How she had lived there and traveled through the portal by accident. His father
would get embarrassed at the part where he had thought she was a primate. How
anyone looking at his mother could mistake her for that was amazing. In his
father’s defense however, she had been clothed in some strange Earth coat, boot
and hat so his mistake was understandable. They had fallen in love with each
other and chose to be mated. His brother Knacayn, sister Brennae and himself
had been born shortly thereafter.

Thinking of his sister brought a smile to his face. Thinking of her poor
mate made him laugh out loud. That poor fellow didn’t know what had hit him.
First Marcael had fallen in love with his sister, and all that entailed. He was
a special kind of male to be able to put up with the involvement of her family.
Knadyn knew he was too protective of his sister, but her happiness was his
primary concern. It was a good thing Marcael was so good for her. Now Marcael
was running around Terraneu like a crazed man. You would think that there
hadn’t been any pregnant women before; by the way he was acting.

Knadyn knew that he would savor the look on Marcael’s face when he
learned he was going to be a father for a very long time. It had been devious
of his sister to announce it at the celebration dance six months ago. Marcael
didn’t even have the dignity of fainting in the privacy of their living
quarters. He had gone face down in the grass of the park at the peak of the
dancing. In Marcael’s defense, you do not hear that your mate is pregnant with
twins…and twins…every day. Brennae was pregnant with two sets of identical
twins according to his Aunt Gwen. One set boys…and one set girls. He was going
to be an uncle to two nephews and two nieces.

His laughter
rang out again. If he remembered correctly Marcael’s exact response, muttered
with his face in the grass mind you so there is some room for error:
 
“What is it with your family that you can’t
just have one baby?” His Uncle Kneus had responded that he and Gwen only had
one (so far) thank you very much.

Shortly thereafter, his sister and her mate had been cuddling all over
the park, and then disappeared. So Marcael had to have gotten over his shock.
It was disgusting really the affection all the mated couples had for each
other. Knadyn stubbornly refused to believe there was any jealousy behind that
thought either. He was happily single and he meant to stay that way for a while
longer. Even Knacayn, his identical twin, wasn’t ready to settle down so it
wasn’t as if he was some kind of anomaly. He just hadn’t found the perfect mate
yet.

“Be safe Knadyn.” His mother yelled.

“We will wait for the code to activate the port pad.” His Uncle Kneus
reminded him. “Check the equipment and get back here as fast as you can.”

Knadyn looked at the group of males behind him on the port pad and rolled
his eyes emphatically. They all laughed at his exasperated look.

“This isn’t our first away mission.” Knadyn called out, “We know what we
are doing.”

His father had a way of putting things in perspective though, “You are
the leader this time Knadyn. It is your duty to see to the safety of your men
and the success of your mission.” His father’s warm gaze washed over him, “I
know you are prepared and can handle any situation, just don’t let your guard
down for any reason. Earth is still a very dangerous world.”

Knadyn stiffened his spine. He had been acting like this was going to be
too easy. He needed to take his father’s advice and get serious. “I understand
father, I won’t let you down.” He turned to the others going with him, then
back to his Uncle Kneus. “We are ready.”

With those words, the port pad was activated and his team was on their
way to Earth. It was a shock to realize later that on the one hand he had been
ready. Then again, on the other hand he hadn’t been ready at all.