Predator

Chapter 40

“Riddick.” Alex whispered as she stared into her mate’s goggle-covered eyes. “You’re here.”

“Yeah, Baby, It’s me.” He glanced up at the blazing sunlight and looked back down at his restrained wife. “Give us a little cloud cover so I can look at you.” Satisfied with the lower light level she had produced, he removed his goggles and stared into his wife’s terrified eyes. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“No I haven’t I just…”

“Be quiet, Alex.” He said in a frustrated tone. She closed her mouth and waited for him to continue. “I’ve been running all over the fucking universe trying to catch up to you these past few days and I finally track you down to Achilles only to find you had left right when I arrived.” He leaned his face close to hers and drew in her scent. “And what else do I find there? Rhade walking around sexually satisfied and flaunting it because he fucked you again.”

“Richard…”

“Alex, I said be quiet and I meant it.” His voice sounded more distracted this time and when she looked up into his face she knew the reason. His eyes focused on the tiny water droplets that covered her skin and he couldn’t resist running his tongue between her breasts. “Damn, you are so beautiful. I missed your skin, your hair, your eyes, and your touch. I felt like I was going fucking crazy without you.” He ran his tongue over her nipple until she gasped and arched her back straining for more contact.

“Mom!” Ronon had seen someone pin his mother bodily to the stone from a distance and swam as quickly as possible over to her with Kyra close behind. When he got closer he saw that it was Riddick but was still prepared to come to his mother’s aid if she wanted it. “Are you alright?”

“Answer him, Alex.” Riddick commanded his dazed wife.

“I’m fine, Baby.” She rasped out. “Why don’t you and Kyra keep yourselves occupied while I talk with Richard?”

“You heard her, boy. Get the hell out of here and let me handle my mate.” Riddick heard a growl emit from Ronon and dismissed his attempt to intimidate him away from his mother. He glanced back at the couple and arched his eyebrow. “Kyra, are you naked in there?”

“Yes, Riddick, and I would appreciate it if you would stop looking?” She ducked behind Ronon and grasped on to his shoulders to stay above water.

“Why are you swimming naked with Rhade’s kid?” He grated out of clenched teeth.

“Richard.” He turned his attention back to his mate that was pinned beneath him and he got lost in her eyes. “She’s happy. Leave them alone and deal with me.” She heard him growl deep within his chest and she turned to her son. “Go have a nice time, Ronon. I’ll join the both of you a little later.”

“As you wish, Alex, but we’ll just be on the other side of the lake if you need me.” He began to swim away with Kyra still holding on to his shoulders.

“Hey, Riddick?” He turned towards the young girl that he still felt a responsibility for. “Try to behave please.” He glared at the young woman when she giggled as Ronon's strong arms and legs swam them away from the immediate area.

“Richard, don’t take your anger towards me and direct it on to Ronon.” He looked down into her tear-filled eyes and his heart softened with her pain. “He is not to blame in any of this. He is an innocent that I wronged as well when I kept my true identity hidden from him. Maybe someday he will resent me for it like the rest of you do but currently he is so excited to learn all about me that he can’t find it in him to be angry.”

“We’ll talk about Ronon and Kyra later. I’m more concerned with us.” He ran his eyes down her naked body and visibly shuddered when he saw her hard nipples. He closed his eyes and tried to will away his straining erection but failed miserably. His silver orbs bore into her and she shivered with the knowledge that she just officially became his prey.

“I know we need to talk about everything that has happened between us but I can’t do it right now.” She felt his hand slip between their bodies and his knuckles pressed into her pubic bone as he freed his cock from the confines of his pants. “I have to take you. I gotta be inside your body now.”

“Richard…” She gasped as she felt him rub the head of his erection over her clit and she began to squirm beneath him until he stilled her hips with his hands. “I don’t…”

“Alex, I’m gonna do this whether we have settled our differences or not. I need to fuck you.” He held her gaze with a stern look that was edged with desperation and she nodded her head giving in to his hold over her body. “That’s my Princess, now spread your legs and let me in.”

She obeyed his command and wrapped her legs around his waist. She wailed his name when he thrust into her tight heat to the hilt. She whimpered nonsensical words as he stilled within her and kissed every inch of her skin that he could reach. “Richard, please…”

When he heard her plea, he pulled back and saw as well as felt her pure need and desire; he drove into her dripping wet core like a madman. She gripped his biceps as he pushed her knees to her shoulders to open her up completely to his penetration and a passionate cry tore from her lips with every thrust off his hips.

She clawed at his arms for purchase as he pounded into her mercilessly and he couldn’t tear his eyes off of her thrashing about in absolute rapture. “Alex, look at me!” She opened her eyes and when he came into focus, she could see his silver eyes looking straight through her. “Cum with me, Baby.”

“Richard…oh…” She felt his power connect with hers through his own will and the feeling of him inside of her intensified a hundred fold. Her inner walls quivered around his thrusting cock and she tensed up as her orgasm began to sweep through her. “Richard!!!” She convulsed with her climax and pulled him along with her.

“Alex!!!” His body jerked uncontrollably with his release and long jets of cum filled her waiting body. He collapsed on top of her physically and emotionally spent pinning her beneath him. “Damn, Baby…I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, my love?” She caressed his back as she held his head against her shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to work you over so hard right now but after I smelled you and Rhade in your quarters I just had to reclaim you.” He nuzzled his face into her neck and she could feel his hot breath against her skin. “I’m so sorry…for everything. Did I hurt you?”

“No, love. You didn’t hurt me.” She felt a tremor run through his body and pass into hers. “Let me help you relax, okay?” He nodded his head against her neck and she mentally removed his clothing. “There is a stone over there closer to the waterfall. Let’s move to that one and get a nice massage, okay?”

He nodded again and rose up off of her. He held his hand out to help her up and the dove into the water. The two of them swam beneath the surface to the stone and Riddick pulled himself up. “Give me your hand, Baby.” He gently pulled her out of the water and they sat next to each other with the water pounding down on their shoulders. “Alex, I’m sorry I hit you. I know its no excuse but I was just so scared that you hurt the baby by ultimately helping me.”

“I understand, Richard, and I know I overreacted horribly but I just couldn’t control my anger either.” He sounded so desolate and alone that she tried for levity not realizing that she was about to turn the conversation into something even more painful for him. “I am told that I have our daughter to thank for that.”

He stiffened beside her and choked out in harsh whisper. “I guess I’m going to be your killer after all, huh?” He shook his head back and forth and covered his face with his large hands to hide his tears. “I fell in love for the first time in my life with a woman I was hired to kill.”

“I end up marrying you within days of our first meeting and you gave me a wonderful son from our bonding. Not long after that I asked you to carry my next baby inside of your body and my daughter ends up being the prophesied child that will end your reign as the Phoenix.”

“I can’t believe this is happening to me.” She tried to pry his hands from his face but he would not allow his emotional breakdown to be seen. He still had his pride and did not want his mate to think him weak. “It seems that no matter how much I try to change I will always be a fucking killer but this time I will murder the only thing I’ve ever loved.”

“Richard, please look at me.” He still refused to move his hands so she straddled his lap and pulled his head to her chest. He moved his hands to her back and buried his face against her breasts to seek solace in her embrace. “Shhh.” She shushed him and tried to comfort him as much as he would allow. “Honey, everything will be okay. I promise you.”

“How can you promise me everything will be okay?” He grabbed her shoulders and pulled his tear-covered face back to look up at her. “How can you promise me anything? Nothing will ever be okay again if I don’t have you by my side forever.”

“We will still be together, remember? You can go with me and we can spend all of eternity together. I will always be by your side, Richard.”

“I don’t want to be forced to leave our children because of some prophecy.” He moved one hand to palm her cheek and kissed her lightly on her parted lips. “I know we will be together in that dimension you created but I want it to be on our time. When we are finished watching our children grow, fall in love, and get married just like we did. I want it to be when we are done.”

“Alex, I know you think you were not meant to live this long in human form but I feel like that is more by your choice. You are tired of fighting against your power and your human emotions that drove you to commit the atrocities of your past. As it stands right now, your power has been divided amongst the five of us. You don’t have to worry about becoming the Angel of Death anymore.”

“Richard, have you forgotten that I recently wiped out legions of Necromongers on a whim?” Tears formed in her eyes and she grabbed his hands that held her face trying to wrench them away. “I watched as long as I could trying not to get involved in that manner but in the end I broke my promise to you and killed thousands!”

“You did that as an act of redemption and I understand that now. I’m sorry that I didn’t put it together before when you tried to explain but when it comes to you I have blinders on. I only see what I want to see and that was making sure my wife and child were safe. Alex, I was so angry at first because I thought that through your lust for vengeance you could have cost me the lives of you and our little girl. The only things in this world that I live for are you, Dorian, and that baby.”

“Richard, I love you more than life itself and that is why I know I have to leave this plane of existence when my time comes. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you, the others, or my children because of my power making another sun go nova or snuffing out its light all together. I can’t risk it.”

“I don’t agree.” He kissed her hard on the mouth and focused deep into the abyss of her eyes. “Hold up your tits for me.”

“What?”

“Offer your tits to me so I can suck your nipples.” She obeyed her mate’s wishes immediately and held her breasts up to his mouth as an offering. “I can control you.” His lips brushed against the hard tip when he spoke and he quickly bit down on it drawing a sharp gasp from Alex. “Your body is mine.” He bit the other nipple and gave it a pull before he let it pop free from his teeth.

“Your mind is mine.” He moved to the first breast and sucked down on the supple flesh on top of it drawing the blood to just beneath the surface of her skin and left his mark on her. His hand slipped down to ply her clit and she threw her head back as he overwhelmed her senses. “Your soul belongs to me.” She shuddered as another orgasm shook her to the core of her being and she collapsed against his chest.

“Alex.” He whispered in her ear in that voice of his that made her wet all by itself.

“Yes…Richard?”

“I am your anchor to life and you know it. You can fight this prophecy and stay with your family but only if you don’t give up. I know I didn’t marry a coward who takes the easy way out. Please don’t prove me wrong. Stay with me.”

“My love…”

“No. I don’t want an answer right now. I want to take my mate to our bed and show her how much I love her.” He stood up while she wrapped her arms around his neck and swept her legs up to carry her into the water. Her face stayed nestled beneath his chin and he held her tight to his body as he navigated the lake. “You okay, Baby?”

She nodded her head against his chest but did not say a word.

When he got them closer to shore, Ronon and Kyra saw them and got concerned when they saw how withdrawn and fragile Alex appeared to be. “What is wrong with her?” Ronon moved towards them, glanced at his mother’s shaking body in Riddick’s arms, and turned hard eyes to her mate. “What did you do?”

“Your mother and I have had our talk and I am taking her to our quarters.” He kept walking despite the fact that her son tried to block his path. “Ronon, if your father wants to be a part of her life then you better tell him that he needs to move in here with the rest of her mates because I will not allow her to have 2 homes.”

“Excuse me?” He said in confusion.

“I’m telling you plain and simple that you and Rhade need to move into the palace because Alex is not leaving my sight again. You are her son and a part of this family.” He stopped and looked back at the shocked expression on his face. “Go get your father, bring him home, and tell him he officially needs to get in line with the rest of us for a chance of bedding your mother. Kyra, why don’t you go with him? I think you’ll enjoy the teleportation process.” Riddick turned back towards the palace and yelled over his shoulder. “And keep your fucking clothes on until we have a chance to talk about this, Jack.”

She smiled and shook her head as she watched him disappear into the trees. “That son of a bitch.”

“Why did he call you Jack?”

“It is a long story that I’ll tell you sometime.” She turned and jumped into his arms. “You get to come home!” She leaned forward and placed a kiss across his lips. “I think everything is going to turn out fine.”

“You think so?”

“Riddick said you are part of the family. Everything will be fine.” She kissed him again and this time he participated by slipping his tongue in her mouth to glide against hers. They were both breathless when they parted and Ronon moaned when Kyra slid down his body brushing against his erection in the process. “I, uh, think we should get dressed and go get your father.”

“I agree.” He cleared his throat and they walked up on to the shore to retrieve their clothing. “Kyra, will you do me the honor of eating dinner with me in the gardens tonight?”

“I’d love to.” She took his offered hand and looked at him skeptically. “Okay, how do we do this?”

“Just hold on to my hand.” He flashed her a brilliant smile and traced her palm with a fingertip. “You are going to love this.” With a flash, they were gone.

~*~

Once again the residents of the palace cleared a path for the large man who carried their slumbering ruler in his arms to pass unobstructed in the corridors. A flash of light caught his eye and he heard some familiar words spoken behind him. “Where are you off to with my wife, killer?”

“To our room.” Riddick smiled when he answered Ares.

“Is she home to stay?” This was probably the first time Riddick had heard such trepidation in Ares’ voice.

“She isn’t going anywhere if I have anything to say about it.”

“Forgive me for saying so but that didn’t work out too well last time when she left us, Riddick. My sons and I would like to know that she is going to be here and not run off the minute she wakes up.”

“She isn’t going anywhere.”

“What about Rhade?” Ares followed him down the hall and kept the pace Riddick set to get her to their bed. “Won’t she leave to go to him?”

“Nope. I just sent Ronon to bring him here.”

“You have got to be fucking with me?”

“He is her mate too and they have a son together. He belongs here with her and I won’t risk losing her by keeping them apart.” Riddick stopped outside the doors to his quarters and turned to Ares. “Get use to the idea of a 7th mate including Logan real fast because Rhade is on his way. Now if you’ll excuse us.” He kicked open the door behind him, stepped inside and kicked it closed in the War God’s face.

“Get out, Ian.” Riddick spoke to the shadows as he crossed to the bed and set his wife down in the center.

“Is she alright?” He emerged from the darkness and spoke in a whisper.

“She is fine.” Riddick pulled the blanket up her body and sat beside her staring into her sleeping face. “She’s just tired and needs to get more rest. Vaako told me she worked for over 3 days to reverse the conversions on the Necros. She’s exhausted.”

“And the baby?”

“My daughter is doing fine too despite her mother’s eagerness to overtax her body and push it beyond its limits.” He glanced up at the quiet man who exuded pain and suffering and shook his head. “You’ll get your chance to make it up to her too.”

Ian nodded his head slowly as he stared at the woman he had spent forever with. “I hope she gives me the chance. I went beyond your transgressions and didn’t really have a reason to. She kept a secret. It is so trivial and yet it sent me into a rage. I deserve whatever she does to me.” He turned away from his mate with a tear in his eye and went for the door.

“Ian, you both were wrong but more than that she knows it now. She loves you and she won’t let you torture yourself like this. Please try to keep a handle on your pain no matter how difficult it is for you. I’d like her to get some sleep and you’re putting off enough pain to wake a dead empath.”

“I will do my best, Riddick.” He whispered.

“Oh yeah, would you please have some servants set up some rooms for Rhade and Ronon? They will be here shortly and they will be staying.”

“As you wish.” Ian nodded with his back to Riddick before he quietly left the room.

Riddick pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed next to his mate. He let out a sigh of relief when she naturally sought out his touch even in slumber and snuggled into his chest. He smiled, wrapped his arms securely around her body, and kissed her softly on the top of her head. ‘Mine.’

~*~