“Come on Cyprian. You figured out what I was up to. If you weren’t a good guy, everyone would be screwed.”
“Hardly. Before I became a general, I was being trained by my sire to be an interrogator. I can recognize when people are lying or leaving out the truth. When I was half your size, I knew how to get answers out of full grown males. And though I refused to follow in my father’s footsteps, my mere presence has scared more than a few warriors into spilling what they know. But never once did you breakdown and betray what you knew. That’s impressive.”
“Thanks.” Riley gave him a small smile, then rested her cheek against his bare chest. “I just don’t understand. Why me? Why does everything have to be a struggle? I wouldn’t mind it so much if I could put a checkmark in the win column. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t seem to be my lot in life.”
Cyprian cupped Riley’s cheeks and lifted her face so she had to look up at him.
“That’s going to change,” he promised. Cyprian felt Riley’s pain as if it were his own.
“I believe you. Thank you for coming to my rescue.” Riley gave him a genuine smile.
The way she said the words, Cyprian knew Riley wasn’t just thanking him for rescuing her from Distraho.
Cyprian wrapped his arms around Riley and lowered his lips to hers. He never truly understood the meaning behind the gesture, when he witnessed the human females kissed their warriors. He’d shake his head at the public display of affection. But now Cyprian knew it wasn’t just a precursor to more erotic acts. With the one kiss, a host of emotions were shared, which words could never convey.
Riley
“Vintor is still not answering,” Cyprian said as he grabbed his clothing.
Riley was distracted by watching the giant man strap on his kilt. He wasn’t just drop dead sexy, he was amazing. She smiled as she touched her lips. Riley looked up from his broad muscular chest to see the scowl on his face. He was concerned about his friend.
“They’re probably still at the coliseum,” she offered.
“Let’s check the suite. I don’t want to contact Aculus before conferring with him.”
“I can’t wait to see June and Ion again,” Riley said happily as they left the hotel room.
Riley wasn’t willing to dwell on the possibility that she might not see them again, considering the daunting task ahead. With Cyprian by her side, she was filled with hope. Cyprian turned her world around, and now Riley felt almost invincible.
This is going to work. Things will be back to normal soon.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind then she laughed.
“What?” Cyprian asked, his brow arching.
“I just told myself things would be back to normal soon,” Riley chuckled again. “But what the hell is normal anymore?”
“That is a rather ambitious aspiration considering…” Cyprian finished his comment by eyeing her hair and tattoos.
“Thanks, smart ass. I was thinking something sympathetic and touching might come out of your mouth. But, oh no, you just had to get a dig in about my hair and tattoos.” Riley bumped her hip into him.
“Don’t forget the piercings, Little Manx.”
Riley couldn’t help but laugh at the rotten man. He’d effectively put a halt to her spiraling train of thought with his ornery comments.
“You were right, your sense of humor is a little twisted. For all you know, I’m very normal for a human female.”
“I’ve only met three other human females, but I’m still thinking no, Little Manx.”
“Hey buddy, you’re pushing it,” Riley declared as she pinched his side.
Cyprian jumped back with a hearty chuckle.
“I like your warrior’s ink. Mine is all black, but yours is full of color. You are a moving piece of art.”
“Fine, you’re forgiven.”
As they walked, Riley smiled at the way Cyprian distracted her from the stress of the world. But her thoughts still reverted to the whole question of normal. Her last version of normal revolved around the human colony. The Miran Sona had gone through the effort of taking her, so they probably wanted her and June back. Where Riley could’ve managed at the boring colony before; after meeting Cyprian, New Earth felt as appealing as prison. Everything in her life had changed, and there was no turning back time.
“So, after all this, will June and I be going back to the colony?”
Cyprian stopped and turned to Riley. There was a crease in his brow.
“Let’s discuss it when this is over,” he insisted.
Riley frowned. Being a slave wasn’t the illustrious future Riley had envisioned for herself. But belonging to Cyprian had filled a void. She wanted to be free, but not free of him. She suddenly felt like she was drifting in limbo and it frightened her more than the threat of death.