Raife: An Aquadomina Novel (12 page)

 
“Sophie, please sweetheart I know
you are angry. Just talk to me. Let me know you are okay.” He glared at the
beaten man on the floor. “Getting shot with a nero-destabalizer is extremely
painful and I will go mad if I don’t hear your voice. You can keep the doors
locked, just say something.”

Raife had woken to find his brother in the Aquavi with them. This was
surprising enough, but when Sophie had thrown herself across him thinking he
was in danger…she had been shot. He had lost his mind completely seeing her
writhing on the bed and by the time he had been dragged off Gerr’ar the man was
as unconscious as Sophie. Dragging him into the outer chamber, Raife had turned
on his brother. Grabbing some nearby pants, he pulled them on.

“What are you doing here?!” It was against all of their plans for his
brother or any of his men to be anywhere near Sophie. “You said you would
wait—”

“We have waited.” His brother countered, “You were supposed to deliver
her to us. With Ri’Carn blackmailing, bribing and bedding his way around the
Kingdoms to get control of her, you know what that means. To control The Chosen
is to control the world, and that is his aim. With or without our help, she
won’t survive if he ends up her Consort. My people are getting restless and
someone might just take Ri’Carn up on that pardon.”

Raife snarled, “You haven’t—?”

“I haven’t done anything yet. We need
her
to end the misery that damn Deviant law is causing. We come back to your
mission brother.” His brother was impassioned in his hatred for that law, “If
you could get close enough, and she was like the previous Chosen you were
supposed to kill her outright. It looked to me like you got pretty close.”

Raife saw red and charged his brother, knocking him over one of the
seats. They were wrestling and punching each other when Yor’en was pushed out
of the private chamber where he stood in the doorway and they slammed shut.
Raife groaned and cursed some more. Sophie was awake…and he could guess that
she had just locked them out. Knocking his brother off of him, and lashing out
with a well-placed kick he stormed over to the doors. Trying to get in using
the console, he was denied access. It was just like he thought.

“PAC, please inform Sophie I would like to see her.” Raife ground out.

“Request does not compute.” The computer bit back. “Please restate
request.”

“You damn machine, you know who I’m talking about. I need to talk to
Sophie.” He was desperately pounding on the door.

“There is no person on board with that name.” The computer snapped back
at him, “If Commander Raife is speaking of
The
Chosen
. Then he should address his request as such.”

He was getting schooled by her computer. “The Chosen, please ask The
Chosen to let me in.” He paced back in forth in the small space in front of the
doors.

“The Chosen has said to ask you to go to a place called hell.” The Computer
sounded all too happy to tell him.

“Tell her I don’t know this place, but if she will see me I can explain.”
He knew he sounded desperate and didn’t care. His brother and his men were
making their way into chairs to watch how this played out.

“She said that she would not believe a word out of your mouth even if you
were full of a truth serum.”

Raife hit his head against the doors, “She is a truth serum. She can see
people and will know I have no more secrets if she would just see me.” Raife
turned to his brother, “That is why she didn’t scream or react violently to
you. She has the ability we heard about in the history texts. She knows a
person by looking at them.” He glared at Gerr’ar, “And you shot her!”

“I didn’t mean to. I thought she was going for a weapon.” Gerr’ar
stammered trying to say something to alleviate Raife’s anger. “I’m sorry. That
is all I can say.”

They were interrupted by the computer, “The Chosen doesn’t trust herself
right now. I wonder what could have caused that.” The modulated voice dripped
sarcasm.

“Ouch!” His brother had walked over and laid a tentative hand on his
shoulder. “I’m sorry Raife. I can see that we have made a mess of things.”

Raife had to keep trying, “Tell The Chosen that I know she is hurt and
angry, I just need to see her.” He was close to begging and he never begged.

“The Chosen has advised me to tell you that if you say one more word, the
Aquavi will be cleansed in the outer chamber without the benefit of surfacing.”

The other males looked panicked. “Is that possible?” Yor’en gasped, “Can
she do that?”

“Yes.” Raife slid down the door to sit at the base of it. “She won’t do
it. She is too kindhearted. She will at least surface and let us off. I am
assuming after you boarded you sent your vessel to wait nearby?” His brother
just nodded helplessly.

Raife had never felt such agony as he felt at the thought of Sophie
hurting. When he had heard his brother was facing judgment for Deviance, he had
been angry at the system, but nothing like this. When he was informed he was
being placed in service as a guard and had to leave the home he loved…he had
not hurt like this. He had walked away from the green fields, gardens and trees
he had lovingly worked on to train for a warriors life. He had accepted and
embraced his new life and never once felt this bad.

Then it snapped into place. Something he hadn’t let himself see in the
last few days. He couldn’t be Sophie’s Commander and her lover at the same
time. A Commander wouldn’t have been caught off guard as he had been. A newbie
Protectorate wouldn’t have either. He was acting like a lovesick schoolboy—it
hit him like a ton of bricks. He loved Sophie. He loved her compassion, courage
and determination…the list was endless. He loved her and she needed him whether
she wanted to admit it or not.

“PAC. I know you are attuned to The Chosen, to Sophie as no other can be.
I am begging you…as much as you know her, please turn on the intercom and let
her hear my voice. She needs me and you know it.” He waited to see if his
speech would be heard by the computer or just ignored.

“Agreed.” PAC hesitated, “However, if The Chosen orders the docking doors
opened and the outer chamber cleansed, I will comply. No matter how good you
think you are for her.”

“Sophie, please sweetheart I know you are angry. Just talk to me. Let me
know you are okay. Getting shot with a nero-destabalizer is extremely painful
and I will go mad if I don’t hear your voice. You can keep the doors locked,
just say something.”

Sophie held her breath. Raife sounded so sad and desperate and she
couldn’t stand it.
 
Her inner voice
chimed in.
It is as he said. You will see
any lies he tries to tell.

Double damn! She didn’t want to open the door, but she was afraid not to
at the same time. She was still raging mad at all the lies and duplicity, but
she needed to know where the Deviant population stood on matters.

“PAC.” She hesitated. “Open the doors.” She hadn’t been able to get the
dress on and had been standing at the foot of the bed, still in her underwear.
Raife fell back at the suddenness of the doors opening and just lay there on
the ground looking up at her from the floor.

“Sophie.” He sighed. “I am so sorry sweetheart.”

Sophie could feel her composure slipping. Her lip started trembling and
tears were pooled in her eyes. “Raife…” She began but couldn’t finish.

He rolled over and jumped up, “PAC close doors.” The doors shut again and
Sophie watched as her hand lifted and slapped him faintly across the face.

“That is for the lies.” Then she jumped into his arms and held on tight
as tears soaked his chest. Looking up at him, she could see that there was
something he was hiding. “What are you hiding now?” She tried to step back. “I
can see it…” She was struggling hard against him.

“I can’t be your Commander anymore.” Raife rasped out, holding her
tightly against him.

“What?” Sophie stopped struggling, “No Raife—” he stunned her into
silence with his next words.

“I can’t be your Commander, because I love you.” He kissed the remaining
tears on her lashes and cheeks. “I love you and am your Chosen Consort. To be
yours until the end of days.” Sophie didn’t know what he had just said, but
something inside her unfolded at the words. She had the sudden urge to repeat
them to him.

“I accept you as my Chosen Consort and will be yours until the end of
days.” Sophie could see the flecks in Raife’s eyes flashing and then they were
kissing. She didn’t need to draw breath because Raife was breathing for her.
She was suddenly pushed against a wall, she didn’t know or care which one.
Raife was in front of her and he was all she needed. His pants were the only
thing he was wearing and they hit the ground quickly enough. She drew her knee
to latch her heel against his thigh. Pressing herself against him in
invitation.

“Sophie.” He groaned, kissing the skin of her neck and face. “Forgive
me.”

Laughing Sophie kissed him harder, “Talk later.” She wiggled out of her
underwear and moved against him urgently. “Make up sex now.”

“As my Chosen commands.” The way he said it sent a thrill of excitement
to her very core. Then he was pressing against her and she could feel the swell
of his arousal enter her. She groaned at the feel of him. So perfect and
amazingly tight. He swelled until it bordered on painful. Then he was flexing
his hips and driving her against the wall and she didn’t care if there was a
slight tinge of pain. The pleasure was too much.

Locking both legs around him, she pushed against him to draw him deeper
and harder. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him feverishly then moved
her fingers in his scalp, and to rake down his back. Writhing against him to
add to his pleasure and hers, Sophie didn’t have long before she could feel him
tensing under her fingers. After the spray of his release, she felt the sponge
like feeling of him absorbing her spasms.

“Sophie.” He gasped staggered back, taking her with him to fall back onto
the bed. “I will never let anything happen to you. I am yours and you are
mine.” He turned so she was half pinned under him. “You have to know that I
never would have hurt you or betrayed you. No matter what my stupid brother
thought.”

“I can hear that.” Came from the other side of the door. Sophie’s face
flamed with embarrassment at the realization that they had heard her and Raife.
Why hadn’t PAC done a privacy setting on this room? Sometimes she wondered if
the computer didn’t have its own agenda.

Ignoring the men in the outer chamber, she trailed a finger over Raife’s
cheek. “I know you wouldn’t have hurt me. There were to many opportunities for
you to hand me over to the Deviants or kill me.” She turned into his chest and
hugged him closer. “I was just hurt when I saw that you recognized them and
then getting shot didn’t help.”

There was a smacking sound and a loud groan from the other side of the
door and Sophie could have sworn she heard the word, “idiot” muttered.

Laughing softly Sophie kissed Raife’s chest her mouth grazing against his
nipple. He groaned and leaned into her.

“I hate to break—” One of the males went to speak but was interrupted by
PAC.

“I hate to break this up but The Castrum is closing in on this position.”

“PAC, hold on any action against the vessels in this location.” She
sighed up at Raife, “Tell your brother to have his men stand down, or the
Castrum will open fire on them.”

“Already done.” A voice yelled from the other room. “Are we going to get
a chance to talk?”

“No.” Raife barked out, his irritation with his brother still on the
surface.

“Yes.” Sophie called at the same time. Then kissed his chin when he
looked at her in consternation. “I need to know where I stand with them.”
Rolling over on top of Raife, she gave him a quick kiss. “Time to get me
cleaned and dressed lazy bones. I can’t seem to get into those dresses without
help.” She scooted down his body, which had him looking at her with heavy
lidded eyes.

“That was cruel.” He went to reach for her and she grabbed his hands
instead.

“State business calls my love.” She went to pull him to standing but he
pulled her onto his lap.

“Do you mean it Sophie?” He was searching her face for some sign, “Do you
mean it that you love me? After everything that you just went through because
of me?”

“Raife, why do you think I said the vow of the Chosen Consort back to
you?” She laughed happily, “Of course I love you.”

“How—”

“We get it…you love him. He loves you. We are under a lot of pressure
here with the Castrum right out the doorway.”

“I am going to kill my brother!” Raife spun and set her on the bed.
Sophie jumped up and chased him.

“No. We are going to get clean.” She slapped his butt playfully. “This
way Chosen Consort. Your woman has spoken.” She hurried to run into the shower
with Raife chasing her.

“I’ll show—”

“Honestly you two! Hurry up.” His brother’s voice called out.

When Raife growled in frustration she laughed, “Let me…PAC?”

“Yes Chosen?”

“Please dock with the Castrum and have the men from the outer chamber
escorted
to the meeting room there.”

“Docking procedures under way. Guard informed of incoming “guests” to the
Castrum.”

“Thank you PAC.” She turned into Raife and smiled, “There all taken care
of.”

“You are so very wicked sometimes.” They both held on tight to support
rails located in the shower. At the yelps of surprise and sound of men bouncing
off walls coming from the other room they both laughed. Then she heard the
familiar voices of her guard taking command in the other room. Hurrying to get
clean she rushed through her shower and then into the private bedroom.

“Real life awaits out there.” She sighed unhappily.

“No Sophie. Real life is what we committed to here.” Raife insisted, “Out
there is yet to be what we make of it.”

“That is why I love you so much.” Sophie turned to grab a clean dress.

“Because I say such wise and poetic things?” Raife helped her pull the
dress down her body, his fingers lingering on her curves here and there.

“No.” She teased holding up her corset. “Because you can get this on me.”

Raife pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I’ll have you know that
tying a corset is a very helpful skill.” He turned her suddenly and took up the
corset. “Untying one.” His fingers trailed against her neck to move her hair.
“Now that is a
necessary
skill.” His
breath blew across her skin causing gooseflesh to rise.

“Umm.” Sophie swallowed hard. “That it is.”

“Your
guests
are waiting in the
meeting room.” PAC interrupted and then added, “Things are tense between them
and the guard. You might want to hurry.”

“We are coming.” Sophie called out. Grabbing Raife’s hand she held tight
as they walked together to the meeting room of the Castrum.