The True Ruler, page 11
part #5 of Worlds Apart Series
Darden rode her hard, releasing the last of his pent up anger. Cassie kept pace with him. Her mind’s barrier was down, allowing him access to her physically and telepathically. She could have uttered words of love, which could have been meaningless, but one cannot manufacture emotions passed between soul mates.
The rapture she was denied earlier came upon her at the same time Darden fractured. True soul mates climaxed together. The sharing of the experience made love’s pinnacle that much more intense. They both cried out, unconcerned about the people gathered in the common room. Thank goodness they were in the bedroom farthest from the house’s epicenter.
She was truly joined with Darden. It was a perfect moment in time. There were more secrets she kept well hidden, even from Darden. Once he learned the truth, would they ever be like this again?
He could watch Cassie’s face when she climaxed again and again. It was a sight he would never tire of. During her orgasm, Darden knew she was beyond happy and safe.
Twice today, he worried for her safety. First in the restaurant and again this evening when no one could reach her telepathically. Darden finally realized the horror Tarsea experienced when Alex fell off the telepathic radar.
In Alex’s case, it was because she was pregnant. In Cassie’s, it was the manipulation of a crystal. Koel’s sister, Tarah, had gone through a similar experience when she was held captive by Jeryl Jarlyn to ensure Koel and JoAnna consummated their relationship.
He behaved poorly when they were reunited. Darden thought by dominating her physically, Cassie might behave differently in the future. Although he had watched the relationship between Tarsea and Alex, he never caught on how Alex had always been able to get the upper hand when Tarsea tried to control her. Now he knew the truth. Soul mates were partners—one didn’t dominate the other. There seemed to be symmetry in each of the relationships.
Tolfer was someone who needed to nurture and Candy was convinced she needed no one. When Candy broke down, it was Tolfer who lifted her up. At first, they seemed like unlikely partners, but in the end they were perfect for each other. His own twin had given up on women when Shirl entered his life. Starc had lived in Darden’s shadow and needed a mate who equaled the strength that lay dormant within him. The two were inseparable and Shirl’s telepathic powers were magnified with Starc by her side. Koel helped to balance the terribly powerful abilities JoAnna possessed by entering her mind. Now he needed to find out why he and Cassie were soul mates. What did he have to offer the girl he held and, in fact, helped to raise?
“Cassie, when you left my side this afternoon and interceded with that man, my heart stopped,” Darden said. “All I could think about was how I could live if I ever lost you.”
She let out a long, loud sigh. “That was really your first thought?” Cassie asked. “Not if I could be injured or that my life might be tragically cut short? Although we’ve seen each other off and on for the past eight years, I really have not been a part of your life.”
Instead of expressing the terror he felt when she was in mortal danger, Darden had said the first thing that entered his head. Surely, she could feel the emotions that spilled into their shared link during and after the event. She had become the axis to his world.
“How can you say that?” Darden asked. “Cassie, I have been celibate for eight years waiting for you to grow up.”
Cassie lifted her head and gave him a look indicating she thought he had lost his mind. “How are you going to keep living without me? You were celibate for eight years. It’s all about you. Do you have an inkling about what I have been through the last eight years, including the time when we were in the penal colony and you would barely touch me in fear of what you would unleash? I don’t care what my grandfather thinks or does. Get out!”
He lay there flabbergasted. Was she really kicking him out of their bed? When he did not comply with her order, Cassie wriggled out of his embrace and got up from the bed. She stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. How had things deteriorated so badly, so quickly? He used to be so smooth with women and now the most important person in his life locked herself in the bathroom to get away from him.
Darden got up and approached the bathroom door. He turned the doorknob to find she had, indeed, locked the door. His little girl was having a temper tantrum. Well, he had the maturity to wait her out. This was not the first time her emotions got the best of her.
When Cassie finally opened the door, she was fully dressed. Her hair was a tousled mess and her lips were swollen, signs she had just been well loved. He did not believe he had ever seen a sexier woman.
“I am not having a temper tantrum, you Neanderthal,” Cassie said as she pushed passed him.
“With everything I am feeling, that is what you picked up through our channel?” Darden asked incredulously.
Things had spun out of control. He was not sure what really set Cassie off, but he was not leaving and neither was she. Darden placed his hands on her upper arms to stop from leaving their bedroom. He needed to talk to her and calm her down.
“Don’t touch me,” Cassie cried out. “I think you have proven you are physically stronger than me enough for one night!”
“Are you going to run back to Daddy in the penal colony?” Darden taunted her. He was frustrated he could not control Cassie.
If she was going to act like a child, he was going to treat her like one. He tried to figure out what Cassie’s next move would be. Her life had centered around Benko Jarlyn for too long.
“No, I am going to run to Granddaddy,” Cassie spit out. “My grandmother wants him dead and my father wants him overthrown. It’s time I see for myself what type of condition he is in and if he is worth saving. The best way I can do that is to live with him. I don’t need to be babysat by you or my friends. It may have escaped your notice, but I am a powerful mind control telepath in my own right. I know my father told you about the man I killed prior to meeting you. It was unintentional, but it gave us an idea of how powerful I would become and that was before I made love to you. Excuse me, before we had sex. I don’t know if what we did the last two nights could be classified as making love.”
She stormed out of the room, yet again, slamming the door to dramatize her exit. He heard another door slam. Cassie had not bothered to say goodbye to Alex or Candy who were somewhere in the house. The guards stationed outside the structure would make sure she got to The Palace safely. If Darden followed, he would only aggravate her more. He continued to stand there stupefied by what occurred.
There was a knock on the door and Alex entered. “What happened?”
After things were squared away with Cassie, they had to move into his apartment. There were too many people residing in this household. Starc and Shirl, who temporarily used his apartment, would have to find another place to live.
“We had a fight,” Darden responded. “Mind your own business, Alex.”
“Maybe you should put on some clothes, Romeo,” Alex said. “You better figure out what you did to piss her off and what you are going to do to fix it.”
Darden reached for the sheets that covered the floor at the end of the bed. He wrapped them around his waist. If Tarsea was behind Alex, the last thing Darden wanted to deal with was Alex’s incensed mate.
“What did I do?” Darden asked. “Maybe it was what Cassie did and this is all her fault.”
“No,” Alex answered calmly. “It’s always the guy’s fault. Figure out how you are going to make this right.”
Alex turned and left him to discover on his own what really drove Cassie away. Replaying their argument in his memory, he smacked himself in the head. Cassie was right—he was a selfish son of a bitch. He concentrated on himself and how their relationship affected him. He did not spend enough time focusing on everything Cassie had been through or how she might feel. It was not Cassie’s fault they met when she was a child. It was not Cassie’s fault that he ignored her attempts at flirtation and acted like her brother instead of her suitor. He complained about being celibate, but she had desired a physical relationship a couple of years ago. He made the choice for both of them – and out of fear no less - to keep their relationship platonic.
Tonight his soul mate did not whine like a spoiled brat. No, she was a furious woman and he had responded to her like the arrogant, overbearing male she accused him of being. Alex was right. He needed to figure out how to fix this and fix it fast. The prospect of Cassie under Jeryl Jarlyn’s guardianship scared him to death.
Chapter 12
What was wrong with her? So Darden looked at their relationship concerning how it affected him. She had done the same thing. For years, Benko and Darden had directed her life and she fought them tooth and nail the only way she could - emotionally.
She finally had what she wanted, a sexual relationship with Darden. So why had she reacted so dramatically? She realized that acting like a spoiled brat was like pulling a favorite blanket around her, it was a defense mechanism. Was what he said so wrong? If something happened to Darden, wouldn’t her first thoughts be if she would be able to survive without him?
“I have changed my mind,” Cassie informed the two guards who marched no more than three feet behind her.
The two men exchanged glances. “The Prime Ruler was advised you were moving in with him,” the taller of two informed her. “Your grandfather will be disappointed with your change of plans. Various announcements were communicated through the communal pathways. An official proclamation is scheduled tomorrow during the Prime Council session announcing you are his heir.”
Her grandfather had wasted no time indoctrinating her into his life once she advised him through their familial link of her hasty decision. Any way she looked at it, she was stuck. Her rash behavior sealed her fate for the time being. She’ll have to look for an opportunity to free herself of the obligation she now had to her grandfather.
When she left the Childers’s home, Cassie had closed off all her telepathic channels, which was how she missed the announcement of what was planned for tomorrow. Conversations assaulted her mind as the shield went down. Cassie staggered as the onslaught made her dizzy.
The two Palace Guards quickly came on either side of Cassie and steadied her. She was quickly becoming a mess. All she wanted was Darden, and her stupidity made that impossible for the time being.
She reached out to him telepathically. “I’m so sorry, Darden,” she shared through their channel. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Cassie waited for Darden’s reply. As far as she knew, he did not have the capability to turn off telepathic transmissions. The longer she waited, the more she became concerned over his silence. Had she done permanent damage to their relationship? Couples fought all the time and still managed to stay together.
“I apologize, as well,” Darden finally communicated. She felt his apprehension through their channel, even at this distance. Cassie believed he felt like he was walking on eggshells where she was concerned. “Come back home, baby.”
How she wished she could. Cassie had backed herself into a corner and knew she could only go forward. She would have to find another way to be with Darden. She needed to concentrate on building a relationship with Jeryl Jarlyn. Once things were squared away with her grandfather, she could return to her soul mate.
“The Prime Council is accepting me as his heir tomorrow. My grandfather is expecting me tonight,” Cassie admitted. “It would draw unwanted attention in the communal channels if I try to back out now. There is already too much focus on me as it stands. It would be dangerous if the populace thought me impulsive. And the last thing I want is to draw anyone’s attention to my friends, Tarsea’s network, or expose Solfa.”
“It appears you have thought this through,” Darden said. “I cannot argue with a single point you raised. Your grandfather knows what we are to each other. He will want to know how I enhance your powers.”
“I still plan to keep the extent of our physical relationship from my grandfather,” Cassie said. She couldn’t put the words sex and grandfather in the same sentence. It would be hard enough to admit to her father when they were reunited.
“That is for the best, I suppose,” Darden responded. “Sleep well. I will see you in the morning.”
Cassie turned off access to all channels but the soul mate, the warrior, and the link she shared with her friends. The volume of conversations was drastically reduced. Her mind could now rest.
The Palace came into view and Cassie was surprised by the anxiety growing inside her. She was alone. This was the first time she entered her grandfather’s lair without one of her friends or Darden by her side.
A woman dressed in what Cassie believed was a maid’s uniform was present to greet her. Rather than taking the stairs, the woman led her to a hidden elevator. They rode to the fourth floor in silence. Her maid had not bothered to introduce herself.
Cassie walked down the hall that led to Jeryl Jarlyn’s private living area. They passed her grandfather’s greeting room, his private office, and finally stopped in front of the last room on the right side of the hallway. The woman opened the door and Cassie followed.
The room was filled with vases of violet and dark purple roses. She wondered if the city had a single rose blossom on any of the bushes. A delicate aroma scented the room. With so many flowers, Cassie was surprised the room was not overpowered by a cloying sweet smell.
“My name is Flora,” the maid said. Cassie was not sure if she was serious about her name. Flora did not respond to the questioning look Cassie cast in her direction. The maid obviously did not grasp the irony of her name to the environment.
“Thank you, Flora,” Cassie finally said.
“The clothing designed for you is in the closet, as is new sleepwear,” Flora shared with her. “There are various toiletries in the restroom. If you would like a different scent, please ask. I serve at your pleasure.”
Cassie had taken care of herself and her father as long as she could remember. It was odd to have someone dedicated to seeing to her every need. Leenea and Alex tried to fawn over her earlier, but Cassie did not want them to bother. If something was done for the group’s benefit she partook, but she did not want anyone troubling themselves solely on her behalf.
“Thank you,” Cassie replied. “I am tired and plan to go to bed.”
“I will wake you at eight,” Flora said. “It will give you an hour to prepare for breakfast with your grandfather and the ceremony will take place at eleven. Everyone is very excited.”
It was odd having the adoration of perfect strangers. She grew up hearing all sorts of terrible things about her grandfather and his government. Since her arrival, all the people she encountered appeared happy. Naturally, they were ignorant of what was being done to corrupt their brains and their inability to make their own decisions.
The room was decorated with cream and mauve colors. Despite the turmoil shredding her nerves, her surroundings started to relax her. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. Maybe a good night’s sleep would help her control her emotions and help her think straight.
Cassie removed her clothing and slipped on a nightshirt she found in one of the drawers. The satin felt decadent against her skin. Normally, she showered at night, but she did not want to wash Darden’s touch from her naked body.
She crawled into bed. Cassie touched the vacant pillow next to her head. How she wanted Darden to be beside her. A chill ran down her spine. What if she could never be with Darden again?
A very loud squawk came from outside her window. Cassie opened one eye and glared at the bird that woke her from a sound sleep. She had dreamt of Darden. They were back in the penal colony and sharing a hut. Her dream had just gotten steamy when the damned bird announced its presence.
The bed next to her was stone cold. Her erotic romp with Darden had only been a dream. She was unsure what time it was, but the sun had barely risen. Liking to sleep in, Cassie had not seen many dawns. She rose from her bed and looked out the window.
Very little stirred on the nearly deserted street in front of The Palace. The pavement was wet from a light rain. A more violent storm would have disturbed her sleep before the bird had. She opened the window and took the fresh morning air into her lungs.
Cassie went to the closet and stared at the volume of different outfits hanging from a variety of hangers. It appeared no parallel dimension had come up with a better way to store clothing. She didn’t have a clue what to wear. Flora would arrive at eight and recommend the correct outfit.
As she had not showered the night before, Cassie decided she’d bathe. She removed her nightshirt and stood in the corner of the shower and avoided the water until it was the perfect temperature. She adjusted the showerhead to stream water in a massaging flow. The water pounded on her tight shoulder muscles. It felt wonderful, just what she needed.
Cassie poured shampoo into her palm. The lavender scent filled the stall. It was her favorite fragrance and she was pleased the hair conditioner was similarly scented. A lilac enhanced body wash was in the third bottle.
When she finished bathing, Cassie wrapped herself in a bath sheet. It was the largest towel she had seen not meant for the beach. The cushy towel was warm and embraced her body. She could easily get used to starting her day in this fashion.
Cassie grabbed another towel and secured her dripping wet hair. She would deal with working out any tangles later. Right now, she wanted to crawl back into bed. There was something decadent about sliding her towel-clad body between the silk sheets.
She tried to open one communal channel at a time and listened for Darden to share something. She didn’t want to wake him. If he had as bad a night as she had, he would still be asleep. The damned bird woke her hours before she planned to rise. Cassie got more static than conversations through the pathways.
