Predator

Chapter 46 – Rhade’s Week

‘Those arrogant bastards! How dare they treat him that way?’ Kyra strode through the corridors of the palace with an angry scowl on her face. She was incensed at the treatment Ronon received from his new brothers. ‘I should have kicked their asses myself!’ As she turned down the hallway that led to her room, she had a thought that didn’t sit well with her at all. ‘This is my fault. They did this to him because of me.’

She opened the door to her suites to find Ronon pacing the room like a caged animal. ‘He is pissed.’ She closed the door softly behind her and edged a little closer to the irate Nietzchean. “Ronon, are you okay?”

“No!” He snapped as he continued to pace back and forth like a jungle cat. “Those 2 inferior males have the audacity to call me my mother’s future murderer! They are trying to make me look bad so you won’t claim me as your mate!”

“There is nothing they can say or do to make me think differently about you.” She spoke calmly in an effort to ease his distress. “I think you are a beautiful man, a strong warrior, and a gentle soul. I will never believe anything else and neither will Alex.”

He turned on her suddenly and looked down into her eyes. “Do you think I will be my mother’s murderer?” His chest was heaving in anger and his hazel eyes pierced her very soul with their torment. “Do you, Kyra?”

“No.” She whispered with sincerity. “Alex has given you an ability to release her power from her human body. She has given you the responsibility to pass the Phoenix on to her heir. The destiny that they were talking about, and rubbing your nose in, will never come to pass without you.” She cupped his bearded cheek in her palm and smiled up at him. “Their future will never exist without you. They will be nothing without you.”

His breathing evened out and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Why did Alex appoint me this duty?” He placed his hand over hers and closed his eyes for a moment. “I barely know her. All my life I knew something wasn’t right about my supposed mother, Andrea. I didn’t feel a connection to her and, now that I find the reason for that, I find that I am destined to end my real mother’s life. I don’t understand why she gave me this responsibility.”

“Why don’t you go to the archives and find out?” They both looked at the door to find Riddick standing there. He looked run down and haggard. “I think you will find all the answers you need about Alex there.”

“What are you doing here, Riddick?” Kyra turned to face him and instinctually placed Ronon behind her. He was already hurting and she wanted to protect him from any further pain. “I thought you were tired and wanted to sleep?”

“I’m about to drop from exhaustion, Kyra, but I felt a great disturbance in the force.” He laughed at his own joke but stopped abruptly at the confused looks on the 2 young people’s faces. “Sorry. Just making a reference to an old movie.” He waved them off and moved sluggishly to the sofa. “I sensed the hostility in the gym and it wasn’t Dorian’s after Alex managed to unleash his anger. Sit.”

Kyra took Ronon’s hand and they both sat on the far end away from Riddick. “I saw her training session with him in my head.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It was impressive the way she manipulated him to lose it like that.” His eyes snapped open and his silver gaze pierced Ronon. “Even more impressive is the way Brandon and Jesse manipulated you into losing it. You seem so calm most of the time that I almost forget you are Nietzchean.”

“Riddick…” Kyra said in warning.

“No, it is okay.” Ronon placed his hand on her forearm to stop her while he stared at the large man. “You are correct. I let them get to me. They are competing against me for Kyra’s attentions and they used my insecurity about Alex to do it.”

“They did a good job too. You have to remember that those 2 have known each other for what passes as their lifetimes. You are still an outsider to them that they view as a threat. Whether it is your relationship with Kyra or the fact that your mother holds you close to her heart, they seriously dislike you being here. It will take a while for them to accept you as one of them. It seemed like a lifetime had passed before her mates accepted me as a part of her life.”

“I know the 2 of you are getting close and it is something that they can’t deal with. An outsider getting the girl doesn’t sit well with them.” Riddick smirked at him. “I have to admit that when I found out what your appointed destiny was I didn’t like you. You were going to take the only thing I truly loved in my life away from me and I couldn’t deal with that thought. Your Mom was very wise to hide you from the others.”

“But I remembered some things about Alex that made me change my mind about you. Your Mom did this to you. You didn’t have a choice in the matter. I also know after watching your interaction with her that you never would have agreed to your destiny if she gave you the option.” Riddick looked introspective for a moment as he filed through his memories and looked back up at Ronon. “I read the archives after I mated with your mother. I read it in great detail but I was searching for something in particular. I failed to register the horrific things she has gone through in her long life that justify wanting to end her existence someday. Go read it, Ronon. Maybe you will understand why she has entrusted that power to you.”

“She is trying to find a way around it now, isn’t she?” Kyra asked with more than a hint of concern in her voice. She had grown attached to the Majestrix and did not want to see her new sister die. “She isn’t going to let this happen, is she?”

“She’s trying, Kyra, but that is no guarantee. She put this plan into motion a long time ago and her grand designs are not easily fucked with. When she makes up her mind to do something, she places safeguards up so no one can derail her plans. It just so happens that sometimes her safeguards prevent her from stopping them if she changes her mind. That would mean she made a mistake. The Creator isn’t supposed to make mistakes.” He rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. “Go to the temple on the far side of the lake. Athena will let you in since you are family now. If she gives you any shit about letting Kyra enter just be tough with her and you’ll earn her respect. She is the Goddess of War and looks fondly on people with enough balls to stand up to her.”

He stood up rubbing his eyes and tiredly made his way to the door. “Ronon, Kyra is right.” He said as he grabbed the knob and opened the door. “Alex heaped this responsibility on you without your knowledge or agreement. It wasn’t fair but she trusts you. It is probably why she caters to you so much. She’s trying to alleviate her guilt. I know she loves you tremendously. She risked a lot keeping your existence a secret from the rest of us.”

“You saw how we overreacted to the news. Make no mistake about her feelings towards you.” Riddick turned to look over his shoulder at the young man and found they both had tears in their eyes. “She didn’t exile you and your father from her life because of your duty. She did it because she was afraid that her mates would try to kill you and she hid you to protect you. She looked at you when you were born and forgot all about the prophecy you were destined to fulfill. She just saw her son and felt a mother’s love for her son. Go read the archives, Ronon.”

“I will, Riddick.” He said with tears streaming down his face. “Thank you.”

He nodded in return. “You’re welcome. Make sure this shit with the other 2 doesn’t go too far. These boys are bull-headed and they will keep trying until something happens. She won’t like it.” Ronon nodded his head and Kyra lowered her eyes in shame. “Kyra, go with him and get him started reading. Give me a couple of hours to sleep and come see me.” He looked at her with a deep sadness. “I really need to talk about some things and Alex isn’t available.”

“Sure, Riddick.” She smiled at him before he turned and quietly left. Her brow furrowed when her door closed and her smile faded. “He is really upset.”

“I don’t think he is handling being apart from her real well. I couldn’t imagine being separated from my mate while she is carrying my child.” He grabbed Kyra’s hand and looked down into her eyes. “I can sense his unease is no longer about me.”

“That is a plus.”

“In regards to us it is but that means he is struggling with something that is tearing him apart inside. Riddick is a strong man and he looks like he has aged considerably in the past couple of days. He is hurting badly.” He started towards the door and pulled her along behind him. “Let’s go check out the archive and then you need to return to his side as he asked. He needs you.”

~*~

Rhade carried his exhausted mate to bed and covered her up with a blanket. She was completely spent when she returned from the gym. He sat next to her slumbering form and stroked her hair. He was worried about her aversion to eating and she seemed to be burning through her energy to the point of complete exhaustion.

‘Damnit, Alex. I know this is frightening you but do you have to be so stubborn? You are going to hurt your child out of fear.’ He continued to stroke her long hair while he stared at her haggard appearance. Her eyes had dark circles under them. Her muscles were more finely etched due to weight loss. ‘I can’t sit here and let her do this.’

‘Ian?’ Rhade reached out tentatively to the cosmic mate of his wife.

‘What is it, Rhade?’ Ian replied with a hint of underlying sarcasm.

‘May I bother you for a moment to have someone bring some food to my quarters? I’m afraid I am having a problem with Alexandra.’

‘What kind of problem?’ The sarcasm faded from his mental voice and was quickly replaced with concern.

‘She has managed to avoid eating anything since her morning sickness started and it is beginning to show in her appearance. Her body has fed on the minute amount of fat cells in her system and will soon begin on her muscle if she doesn’t eat something soon.’ Rhade paused for a second to release a deep sigh. ‘She is scared, Ian.’

‘I had a feeling this would happen. She can handle wars and dying but the slightest sense of mortality scares the hell out of her. I will have someone bring a light meal up to you immediately.’ Ian was straightforward in regards to the emotions he siphoned from his mate but Rhade could sense his concern in the tone of the voice that echoed in his mind. ‘Have you contacted Riddick?’

‘I was just about to but decided to call you first. I didn’t want him to detour to the kitchen to fetch her food before he came here. You know he will try to as soon as I tell him she hasn’t eaten all day.’

‘Yes I suspect that is exactly what he will try to do unless you tell him you already took care of it. Good thinking, Rhade, and please keep me informed on her health.’

‘I will, Ian. You are going to have your hands full next week and I did want you to have a heads up on the situation. Thank you and I’m sorry I disturbed you. Besides Riddick and Alex, I can’t speak to anyone else telepathically and I didn’t want to leave her side.’

‘You did the right thing. A servant should be there shortly. Call me if there are anymore difficulties that arise.’

‘I will.’ Rhade closed the connection to Alex’s First and took a deep breath before he made the next call. ‘Riddick.’

‘Yeah?’ He sounded groggy to Rhade and he had a sinking feeling that he would be making another call to Ian soon. ‘Rhade, is something wrong with Alex?’

‘I need you to come to my quarters. We need to have a talk.’

‘What is it?’ He sounded panicked as he rushed to dress and ran out of their chambers to get to his mate. ‘Is she okay?’

‘She is fine for now, my friend, but I need to address some concerns with you.’

‘I’m almost there.’ A few seconds later, a large disturbed Furyan came running into Rhade’s bedchambers and looked down at his wife with a heaving chest. Rhade raised a finger to his lips to hush him and ushered him into the sitting room. “What is wrong with her?”

“She is starving herself.” He looked over Riddick’s form and saw similar aspects in his appearance. ‘Ian?’

‘Yes, Rhade?’

‘I need you to come to my chambers. We have a problem.’

‘I’m on my way.’ A flash of light heralded Ian’s arrival and he looked at Rhade in concern. “What is it?”

“Look at him.” He indicated Riddick with a tilt of his head and Ian glanced over his exhausted state of being. “Now go look at her but be quiet.”

“What is this about, Rhade?” Riddick asked as he watched Ian move to the doorway to glance in at his mate. Her First took a sharp intake of breath and turned back to Riddick. “Will you 2 tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Riddick, sit down before you fall down. I’ll explain what I know is going on with her and what I think is going on with you.” The 3 men sat so they could face each other and Rhade glanced at Ian before he turned to Riddick. “Alex has not eaten since she started getting sick. She is absolutely terrified about the morning sickness and thinks if she avoids eating she will be spared the effects.”

“I have a servant on the way with food now, Riddick.” Ian glanced into the tired silver eyes that stared at him. “You can wake her in a moment and get her to eat.”

“Okay. I know she’s scared. I can feel it coursing through my entire body every time she is hit with it. She is broadcasting it in panoramic color and I can’t focus on anything but her when it hits me.” He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his eyes. “What do you think is going on with me, Rhade?”

“I think your daughter is sharing her mother’s distress with you.” Rhade smirked at Riddick’s wide-eyed look of surprise. “Congratulations, you are the first man in history to literally suffer through a pregnancy with his wife.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Rhade has come to a logical conclusion after taking a look at you, Riddick.” Ian pointed towards the bedroom. “The two of you look like you are drained of all energy and I sense you have been very distressed lately. I think your emotions are running wild just like hers because of the pregnancy. I think your daughter has connected to the both of you and you are sharing this experience with Alexandra.”

“That is fucking great. So I’m going to be walking around here like a hormonal woman crying at any little thing that catches my attention? Ian, I’m just learning how to do deal with emotions!” He was getting upset and his hands started to fist. “How am I supposed to deal with this? I won’t be able to leave my fucking room!”

“Riddick, calm down.” Ian urged the near hysterical man. “I know this is going to be difficult for you too but you have to think of Alexandra first. She needs you to help her through this and I think this is your child’s way of ensuring her mother doesn’t go through this terror alone.”

“She isn’t alone.” Riddick argued. “I would never leave Alex alone to deal with this. I don’t think any of us would.”

“Riddick, she is terrified.” Rhade placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “She was ill earlier before her training session with Dorian. Ronon and I sat with her while she got sick and she told him she was terrified. We have to remember that even though she was born in the dawn of creation and has seen more than anybody in existence, she is still very young when it comes to certain things. Bearing a child like a human is one of those things.”

“Riddick, my mate is the strongest being that ever lived.” Ian said as he scooted forward in his chair and laid a hand on her mate’s forearm. “She has been through more things than you could possibly imagine. I know she is looking forward to giving you this baby from her body but this is one thing she has never experienced. She tried once before and you know how that ended.”

“Tristan killed the baby.” Riddick nodded his head in understanding. “I can’t believe what a fucking idiot I am. She must be scared to death. I need to reassure her every day that nothing will happen to our baby.”

“I am beginning to think she should stay with you until your child is born.” Rhade said as he rubbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair. “She needs you badly right now and I don’t think spending weeks away from you just to satisfy our needs is helping her at all.”

“I don’t agree, Rhade, but I appreciate the consideration.” Riddick smiled up at the Nietzchean. “She needs all of us for a lot of different things but mostly because we balance her out. It would hurt her just as much to be separated from the rest of you.”

“Riddick, you made the stipulation when you presented this week per mate schedule that she is allowed time to spend with the boys.” Riddick nodded at Ian in response. “I am ordering the others to allow time for her to spend with you during these next few weeks. You have to ensure her health because it is obviously affecting yours and I know you are the only one who can force her to do something that she doesn’t want to do.”

“Ian…”

“Don’t argue with me, Riddick. I am still her First and I am insisting on this course of action to ensure the well-being of our mate and your child.” A light knock on the door told Ian that the servant had arrived with a tray of food for his mate. He quietly opened the door, took the tray, and closed it behind him. He walked over to the Furyan and handed him the silver, serving platter. “Go feed her and make sure you eat as well. You look like shit and you need your strength to deal with her.”

“Thanks.” He looked down at the tray and rose to his feet. He couldn’t force himself to look them in the face when he expressed his gratitude. “Rhade, I cannot thank you enough for calling me and I am glad you put this thing together before I thought I was going nuts.”

“You are welcome, Riddick. I might not know you very well but I know our mate. She chose a good man and, as soon as I saw you, I knew you were suffering the same as she is. I could not in good conscience allow it to continue. Go take care of her.”

Riddick nodded his head and disappeared in to the bedroom. He quietly stalked up to her bedside and tears came to his eyes when he saw her frail form. He set the tray down on the free side of the bed and crawled in behind her. She instinctively rolled over to cuddle into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. “Baby, wake up.”

“I don’t want to, Richard.” She mumbled sleepily until she registered whom she was speaking to and her eyes slowly opened. “What are you doing here, baby?”

“Rhade called me. He said you needed me and to get my ass over here.” She opened her mouth to protest but he shushed her with a stern look. “You haven’t been eating, Alex, and it is affecting your health as well as the baby’s. The really interesting part of this is it is affecting my health too.”

“What?”

“Apparently our little girl has decided that I need to share this pregnancy with you beyond the normal parameters that a husband usually does. I don’t get the morning sickness but I am feeling like shit because you haven’t been taking care of yourself. I am also going through some massive mood swings.”

“Dawn is doing this to you?” She traced the circles under his eyes with her fingertips and ran her palm over his cheek. “You look horrible, my love.”

“So do you, baby, and I think that is the point she is trying to make. She knows you are under a lot of stress from the morning sickness and you’re scared of being vulnerable with a human pregnancy.” He kissed her forehead lightly and tightened his embrace on her body. “I know you must be terrified that something might happen to her like what Tristan did to Tyr’s son.”

“Richard…” She sobbed into his chest and began to shake in his arms. “I am…so scared.”

“Shh, baby. I know you are terrified. I have felt it. Ian and Rhade have informed me that they intend to make sure the others know that I am to spend time with you everyday. I will not mate with you but I will take care of you. Shh.” He rocked her back and forth in an effort to calm them both. Her anxiety was hitting him like an anvil. “I promise you nothing will happen to our daughter. We will see her born and watch her grow up together.”

“Do you swear on your life that nothing will happen to our daughter?” She sniffled.

“I swear on my life and my love for you that our daughter will live a long and happy life.” He kissed her gently on her trembling lips and nuzzled his face into her hair. “Of course I cannot make good on that promise without some help from you.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I’m glad you asked.” He released her from his embrace and sat up to retrieve the tray. He placed it on his right and helped prop her up higher on her pillows. “We both need to eat and I don’t want any excuses from you. I know the throwing up your insides thing isn’t an appealing thought but you and Dawn need sustenance. If you deprive yourself of food, it will affect you, Dawn and Tamerlane. You don’t want to hurt your babies just because you can’t handle a little hurling, do you?”

“No.” She pouted. “I don’t want any of us to suffer just because I can’t deal with a human ailment.”

“Good.” He grabbed some fresh fruit from the tray and turned to her with a smile. “Open up for Daddy.” She glanced down at the strawberry in his hand and rolled her eyes as she opened her mouth to accept the fruit. “That’s my girl.”

“Wipe that smug look off your face.” She scowled at him as she chewed and swallowed. “I’m still strong enough to kick your ass.”

~*~

“You did a good thing, Rhade.” Ian said with a smile as they watched Riddick feed their mate from the doorway. “I think they both needed this.”

“I know if she was carrying my child I wouldn’t want to be separated from her.” He mused as he observed Riddick hand feed her another piece of fruit. “The stress she felt must have been overwhelming. He has to be an active part of her life during this critical time even if we are inconvenienced. I think it is the right thing to do.”

“I agree and the others will be told now.” Ian left his mate alone with her husband and turned to walk across the sitting room. “Thank you again for your help.” With that said, Ian disappeared in a flash of light.

~*~

It took a couple of minutes of screaming at Athena before she granted Kyra admittance to the temple with Ronon. The Goddess did not like the idea of allowing a human, that wasn’t a member of the Royal Family, access to the archives of the Creator. Her arguments were quickly dismissed by the demands of the Majestrix’s son. She found Ronon interesting and respected his fire. It reminded her of his mother. She watched the two of them wander the main hall and look at the likenesses of her mates and children.

“Look, Ronon, there is already a statue of you and your father.” Kyra pointed enthusiastically at the alcoves that housed the marble images of Rhade and Ronon. “You look very handsome.”

“The statues were created as soon as your mother bonded with your father.” Athena informed Ronon as he stared at the statue of his mother in the center of the hall. “She used to store some of her power here in her likeness so her human shell would remain as stable as possible. Recently her exiled mate stole some of that energy and attacked her. She lost the child of Lord Tyr that she was carrying within.”

“What?” Ronon turned on the Goddess with glaring eyes. “One of her mates killed her baby?”

“He did.” Athena answered with a bowed head. “He was quite unstable after she bonded with him and committed unspeakable horrors. She stripped him of his inherited power and exiled him but he managed to return. He killed Lord Ares and lured Alexandra in to a dimension she created to house those souls that are killed by the Phoenix. She almost died trying to save him.”

“I thought she comes back to life after she’s been slain?” Ronon asked the War Goddess.

“She does but she was birthing Lord Dorian in the gestation dimension at the time of Lord Ares’ death. If she had died there, her son would have died as well. Kortoth is a horrible place, my Lord. It has the ability to turn a person’s power against them and she was mortally wounded when she returned with my brother. She would not allow herself to pass on because of the pain it would inflict on her newborn son. Her healing was slow and painful but she managed it because of her love for Lord Dorian.”

“I was not aware that she tried to carry a child within her body before Riddick’s.” Ronon said quietly while he continued to stare at her statue. “It must have been a horrible loss for her.”

“It was indeed. It drove her mad with grief and she lost control of her dark side.” Ronon and Kyra’s heads both snapped around to stare at her and Athena took a moment before she continued her tale. “It was Tristan’s plan all along. He was the one who hired Lord Riddick to assassinate her but did not expect him to fall in love with her. He had to take matters into his own hands after that.”

“Go on.” Ronon urged.

“He was given dominion over your mother’s darker nature when they mated. He envisioned the two of them ruling the universes together as dark lovers and conquerors.” She glanced at the statue and looked back at the young couple. “He came here and stole her power that was housed in her likeness. Lord Riddick and I were none the wiser that he was here until it was too late.”

“Please come with me.” Athena indicated the chamber that stored the archives with an outstretched hand and they followed her direction. “While she was healing from her wounds, she was impregnated with Lord Tyr’s child. As she lay in bed to regain her strength, Tristan took the opportunity to attack and spirited her away. He sexually violated her when he had her captive and further broke her will. The last thing he did to drive her over the edge was to reach into her womb and extinguish the life of her baby.”

“Oh my God.” Kyra whispered with tears in her eyes.

“He took her away from her mates and waited for her to break down. It didn’t take long. They both returned to the palace and Tristan attacked her mates while the Creator hovered above in her Phoenix form. Her mates devised a plan that she would not hurt her children even in this transformed state and set her sons loose on her. It worked. The boys defeated her and her mates killed Tristan.”

“I need you to understand something, my young Lord.” Athena looked deep into Ronon’s piercing eyes. “She was broken after the boys defeated her. She lost her child and she lost her sacred control over her power. The loss of control scared her the most. Your mother is the Creator and Protector of Life. On several occasions after taking human form, she had either briefly lost control of her power or was forced to kill. She was then branded the Destroyer of Worlds by most and the Angel of Death by the Nietzcheans. Both of those titles kill her soul. Now read the archives and, if you have any questions, call me.”

Athena disappeared from the room in a flash of light and left the two of them alone with tears in their eyes. Ronon slumped down in a chair. “That is why she created me.” He was utterly spent from the tale of his mother’s downfall. “She is afraid she will become the Angel of Death forever.”

“She might be afraid of that, Ronon, but there is no way to know for sure that it will happen.” Kyra sat beside him and gently took his hands. “I know in my heart she will find a way to stay with us and remain stable at the same time. I think the best thing we can do is go through the archives and try to find something that will help her. Okay?”

He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. “All right.” He nodded. “Let’s do this. I refuse to be the deliverer of my mother’s death.” He returned her smile while he dried his eyes. “I want her to be around to watch her grandchildren grow up.”

“Ahh. There is that Nietzchean single-minded thinking that I’ve come to know and love.” She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on his lips. “Always thinking of your bloodline.”

“It was good enough for my mother…twice.” He laughed as he turned to the terminal.

~*~