“Do you trust me?” She nodded. “Then take one hand off the wall. Reach as high as you can and grab your tail. I’ll pull you up. You’ll be safe in my arms in a few seconds.”
His strength must be almost gone as well. AJ hesitated, shaking with fatigue. His eyes bored into hers, steady as a rock.
“I love you, Tajina. Trust me.”
AJ took a deep breath. “I do trust you. And I love you, too,” she whispered. Tightening every muscle in her body, she pushed off and lunged.
The fingers of her right hand closed around the thick fur, clenched tight. Straining, she reached up, and wrapped her other fist around it. Without the support of her hands, her legs gave way, leaving AJ dangling in the shaft, her entire weight borne by his outstretched arm.
She saw his biceps bulge as he strained to lift her. One painful millimeter at a time, he pulled until the iron grip of his other hand locked around her wrist.
“Now!” His shout rang out. Two dozen hands yanked his legs backward. Seconds later, AJ found herself on solid ground, crushed in his arms.
“You said you love me.” Hot blood poured over her from his wound, torn open by the jagged stone around the skylight. “Show me, Tajina. Kiss me again. Now.”
His lips claimed hers, hotter than his blood. She lost herself in the kiss, surrendering her soul as she’d surrendered her body.
Chapter Seventeen
AJ’s heart pounded in her chest. Her mouth was dry. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since she first set foot in the kingdom of Petra, yet, in truth, it had been less than a year. Once again she stood in front of the Citadel, watching preparations unfold for the ceremony that would take place in the square when darkness fell.
A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the last ceremony she’d attended there. She’d been the guest of honor – if that term could be used to describe the humiliating punishment she’d endured at the hands of Thelo, the high priest charged with keeping the harlots in line.
There were no harlots in Petra now. Only female citizens, women free to choose their mates. Many of them had been prisoners alongside her in the Lyceum. Now some tended flocks of animals or sold goods in the market. Others worked in the bakery or the winery, sometimes performing the same tasks they’d done as harlots during the daylight hours. But after their work was done, they were free to do as they pleased, enjoying the company of whatever suitor caught their fancy.
Some of the women married men they met and fell in love with at the Lyceum. Most of the seraphs remained with their former masters. Though they hadn’t chosen their mates freely, raising children together had forged a deep bond, one that grew into love and respect. Although AJ could never have accepted such an arrangement, she knew that for thousands of years, civilizations had flourished under the concept.
Thelo disappeared on the night of Liberation, the name the free citizens of Petra gave to their revolt. Some said he’d fled deep into the mountains with a few loyal followers. Others swore they watched him drown when he tried to cross the raging waters loaded down with treasures stolen from the Citadel. In either case, he was gone and, with him, went the public spectacle of women stripped naked and paddled for the amusement of strange men.
Although they were now free, many of the women in Petra willingly draped themselves across the laps of their husbands to be spanked. Once she’d have been horrified. Now she understood.
All those weeks away from Kaden, she’d fantasized about lying across his iron-hard thighs again, feeling his hand ignite the burn on her ass that led to a smoldering heat deep inside her – a heat he quenched with his fingers and his tongue and his thick, hard cock.
She was starved for the touch and taste of him. Once he knew she was safe, he’d left to escort Dianna home to New Atlantis. Before he went, they’d shared a few stolen moments on the mountaintop above the Citadel, made all the sweeter by the knowledge that neither of them knew when they’d be together again.
She’d had her own journey to undertake – the long trip by caravan back to Alexandria then home to Earth through the portal. Ever the soldier, AJ was determined to deliver her report in person before resigning her commission.
Being here tonight was her surprise for Kaden, just one of the surprises she had in store for him. When the deep thrumming of the drums drew near, she moved to the back of the square, where she’d be hidden by the crowd.
Instead of a shrouded female prisoner, tonight the drums heralded the arrival of the newly elected governor of Petra. AJ’s heart swelled with pride as Kaden strode toward the platform.
He looked even more handsome than she remembered. Tall, bronzed, long dark hair held back by a woven gold band across his forehead like the one she’d worn as a harlot. It was the talk of the marketplace. Everyone knew he’d worn it as a symbol that the new governor served at the pleasure of his masters – the free citizens of Petra. He’d chosen both males and females as members of his council. His exploits on the night of Liberation had risen to the stuff of legend. He’d be a fair and just governor, a great leader for the newly formed republic.
Kaden charged up the steps to the platform and stood before the cheering throng. His remarks were brief but heartfelt. Praise for his fellow citizens, promises of assistance in rebuilding the homes and shops destroyed by the flood, ending with his vision of a future of peace and prosperity for all. Touches of humor endeared him to the crowd.
He made his way slowly back to the Citadel, stopping every few feet to shake a hand or clasp someone in a warm embrace. She drank in the sight of him a few moments longer then stole away.
* * *
Kaden’s eyes searched the crowd as he made his way back to the Citadel. His heart sank. There was no female head rising above the others. No warm golden eyes met his.
He hadn’t heard a word from AJ. They’d reluctantly gone their separate ways on the night of Liberation, both knowing they had duties to perform before they could be together again.
His took nearly two months: escorting Dianna back to the loving arms of their family in New Atlantis then staying for a visit with his parents and sisters. In his absence, his sister Althea had assumed his duties as second in command to their father, Kristos. Already she exhibited the traits of a born leader. Kaden felt certain she’d be governor one day. He was happy to leave his beloved island in her capable hands.
His mother bade him a tearful farewell when he told her he was returning to Petra.
“Come back soon, my love – and bring her with you. I want grandchildren to play with before I’m too old to enjoy them.”