Predator

Chapter 49

Ronon sat staring at the monitor in silent shock. He watched the now accessible file of the events following Duncan’s Dark Quickening with tears flowing down his cheeks. He began to shake in anguish as he saw his mother’s beaten body defiled by the lowest form of scum who happened upon her in that alley. After several long excruciating hours, when it was finally over, he dropped his head to rest on his arms on the table.

Athena watched in silence as the young Lord tried to keep himself from throwing up in revulsion. It took several minutes before Ronon forced the nausea away and kept the contents of his stomach down. He drew in deep ragged breaths and released heartbreaking sobs. The Goddess was positive he was on the verge of hyperventilating until he suddenly threw back his head and screamed at the top of his lungs in agony.

“Ronon!” Kyra heard her love’s desolate cry when she entered the temple and ran to the antechamber with Riddick right behind her. “Ronon!” As soon as she came up behind him, he threw himself on his knees before her and wrapped his arms around her legs. “Baby, what is it?” She ran her hands over his head desperately trying to comfort him. “Ronon…”

“There.” He pointed weakly at the monitor behind him and returned his arm to her legs. He was holding her so tightly she couldn’t move without falling over. “Its all there. I got the answers out of him and the file is unlocked. Everything he did to her and allowed to happen to her is there for anyone to read.”

“Shh baby. It’s okay.” She rubbed his neck and back in an effort to calm him enough to ease his grip. She glanced up at Athena and looked at her curiously. “What the hell happened here?”

“I told him the only way to get the archive unlocked was to ask the Creator or Lord Duncan.” She swallowed heavily as Riddick took a seat at the monitor and restarted the playback. “He got the answers from Lord Duncan.”

“He has witnessed the tragedy and seen the betrayal the Creator experienced at Lord Duncan’s hands.” Her emerald eyes looked sympathetically at the distraught Ronon and glanced back up to Kyra. “I think it would be best if we moved him to the main chamber so he can catch his breath. Will you assist me, my Lady?”

“Yeah.” She nodded in surprise of the Goddess’ use of a Royal title in reference to her. She grasped Ronon’s head gently between her palms and tilted his head back to look in his tortured eyes. “Baby, I need you to come with me and Athena to the outer chamber. Okay?” He nodded his head and she helped him to his feet as Athena transported them out of the room.

“My Lord!” Athena grabbed his other arm to help Kyra steady him as his grief began to overwhelm him once again. “I think you should sit before you fall, Lord Ronon.” The two of them walked him over to some steps that led to the tombs. “Lady Kyra, please sit and take care of him while I check on Lord Riddick.”

Kyra sat down and Ronon flopped down beside her. “Come here, Ronon.” His energy had left him after this trauma and he laid his head down on her lap as he stretched out his body on the cold marble floor. “It is going to be okay, baby.”

“It was so horrible.” He whispered. “To the casual observer, they had a fantasy romance and a beautiful love but in truth it was so tragic.” He glanced up at her face for a split second and she cringed inwardly at the despair in his eyes. “You were right, you know?”

“About what, baby?”

“She was supposed to be the prize at the end of the Gathering but she chose him before it was even close to finishing. She had loved his kinsman, Connor Macleod, but he had closed himself off emotionally and would not reciprocate her feelings. She knew he shut off his feelings because of his long traumatic life. She knew deep down he really loved her but she needed a heart.”

“When Duncan was a child, she immediately knew he was the one for her. He was passionate in life even when he tired of it.” He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. “Duncan was destined for her. He gave her a heart…a connection to humanity and she gave him a love that would last through the ages. A part of that heart dies every time someone she loves dies.”

“The loss of Ritchie Ryan, Duncan’s apprentice, almost killed her. She was as attached to the boy as he was. He left her after he was tricked into beheading him. He ran away from his guilt and disappeared for a year. She could have found him if she wished. Knowing Alex, she probably knew where he was all along but left him to his misery to reconcile it on his own. He came back to fulfill a prophecy and she helped him defeat that evil. She never questioned him about his absence.”

“Then the whole ordeal with Connor came about. It was hard for her to see him again. By the Progenitor, she loved him so.” He shook his head as he quieted his sobs and laid his forearm across his eyes. “Out of the 2 Macleods, Connor probably would have been a better choice as a mate. Her telepathy and empathy is difficult to control in human form. He kept a tight grip on his feelings and it would have spared her a lot of pain.”

“After she watched Duncan take his head, she ran away. We read that part in the archives before but what we didn’t know is what transpired after he found her. It was sealed because it pertained to the Dark Quickening events. He found her at Connor’s grave. He told me that she was delusional with her grief. Alex looked at Duncan and saw Connor instead. She told him what Duncan had done to her in that alley and assured him that she loved him still. She asked Connor not to be cross with his kinsman. She forgave him all his faults.”

“That is what love is supposed to be about, isn’t it?” She smiled as she asked the question but was genuinely curious. “People who care about each other are supposed to look past the faults and love what is on the inside, right?”

“Of course it is but Duncan had no faults until he met my mother. She created his race and, as a result of the Immortals’ lengthy lives, she is directly responsible for their faults.” He looked at the marble likeness of his beloved mother and spoke with no emotion in his voice whatsoever.

“Alex was selfish when she created the Olympians and the Immortals for her own gain. She needed people in her life that she could consider equals. She had this grand scheme to create an heir for the Phoenix in her mind way back then and she condemned 2 races to a living hell.”

“That is being a little harsh on her, don’t you think?”

“No.” He said quietly. “The Phoenix is the Protector of Life. After life was created, she was not supposed to interfere in the natural course of it. She specifically made these 2 races of beings to use for her own future plans. The rest of them be damned after she got what she needed.”

“You are going through the full range of emotions after a trauma, aren’t you, kid? Have you forgotten the fact that if she didn’t interfere in the natural course of life, a lot of us wouldn’t be here?” Riddick said through a throat tight with overwhelming pain. “You never would’ve been born. I know seeing that hurt you, Ronon, but you can’t blame Alex for the end result. You’re angry right now because you don’t want to be the cause of her ruin.”

“I don’t know if I blame her, Riddick.” He rose up from Kyra’s lap and held his head in his hands. “I don’t know anything anymore. I thought her life with Duncan was magical and that ended up being farther from the truth than I could possibly imagine.”

“Her life with Duncan was magical and it always will be. They loved each other from the moment they first met and, nothing either one of them ever did or will do to each other, will ever change that.” Riddick sat beside Ronon on the stairs and Kyra took the opportunity to slip away to the archive chamber. “Can you actually fault her for trying to find some peace and love in her life? She was alone for centuries before she made Ian.”

“Why couldn’t he have been enough for her?” Ronon whispered as he looked up into Riddick’s silver eyes. “Did she have any idea how many lives she affected after she bound herself in humanity?” Tears formed in his eyes and his deep voice hitched when he saw his pain mirrored in Riddick. “How will I live with myself if she makes me fulfill this prophecy?”

“Ronon, I can’t answer those questions for you.” Riddick found himself getting overrun with his own feelings on the matter. “Why don’t you ask your father?” He said tiredly.

“Riddick, my father worships the ground Alex walks on.”

“So do I.”

“Yes but you question her actions at every turn if you don’t agree with them. I need to talk to you about this. My father would never question his mate no matter how much he might hate what she’s doing or going to do.” The young Lord stood up and paced around the statue of his mother. “He is not the traditional Nietzchean like Anasazi. Tyr stands up to her too because of his old-fashioned beliefs. My father will give his life for her but he would never disobey her wishes.”

“I don’t know how I could possibly help you through this, Ronon. I don’t know how to help myself.” Riddick rubbed his stubbled head in slight frustration. “I am having a hard enough time dealing with the knowledge that it is my daughter who will be the recipient of my wife’s essence.”

“She will be if I give it to her!” Ronon threw his hands in the air as he walked around his mother’s statue staring at it. “I have learned some things since I met her. She is the Creator and Protector of Life. That, in and of itself, is amazing but she is a flawed being. She is the strongest being ever in existence. How is it possible that she could be so weak to let those—those atrocities happen to her?”

“Are you blaming her for getting raped, Ronon?” They both turned to see Kyra standing in the doorway of the archives with tears running down her face. “You think she was weak and just allowed the attacks to take place?”

“Kyra…”

“No, Ronon. I don’t care how powerful Alex is, she is still just a woman who wanted to be loved. I read it all.” She walked into the room and stood in front of Alex’s likeness. “Duncan tricked her into believing he was okay. She trusted him because she loved him. She weakened herself through her mates and children!”

“Do you have any idea how much pain and suffering she has gone through just in the name of love?” She yelled hysterically. “She searched for the person who she thought loved her and found horror at the end of that journey!” Her eyes darted to Riddick’s for a split second before she turned back to the statue. “If she has any faults at all, it is that she would give anything for her loved ones. It would be that she trusts them too much!”

“Jack!” Riddick said sternly to take her tirade off of Ronon and put it where it belonged. “What is behind this, baby?”

“You don’t get to call me baby anymore! I was a kid when we met. I am not a fucking child any longer! They made sure of that.” Her lower lip began to tremble when she looked at Ronon and pointed at Riddick. “I was twelve when he walked out of my life. He thought Imam and I would be better off if he wasn’t around but I couldn’t live with that.”

“I went looking for him. He was the only person I loved and trusted in my whole life. I couldn’t just let him go.” Tears ran unnoticed down her face and her hands kept fisting at her sides. “You see, Ronon, I could pass for a boy for a while when I was that young but I ended up being an early bloomer. The mercs I signed up with discovered my secret and they passed me around between them for the year I was onboard. Does that make me weak? Did I allow it to happen?”

She did not wait for a response from Ronon and paid no attention to Riddick, as he broke down into tears. Her eyes remained fixed on Alex’s sad expression even in silent repose in marble. “When my tears and screams didn’t get me a moment free of pain, I closed off my emotions. I didn’t want to feel anymore.” She pointed at the stone statue. “Aren’t you at all amazed that Alex can still feel anything after everything she’s been through?”

“I couldn’t imagine living as long as she has, with all the pain she’s experienced, and still be able to give a shit about anyone or anything.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took an unsteady breath. “You think she used the Olympians and Immortals for her own selfish needs and disposed of the ones she didn’t find a use for. I think the Olympians had it easy. They were worshipped for centuries and she gave them a chance for a future. We know how that ended up. They betrayed her.”

“The Immortals were a slightly different story but can you fault her for wanting other beings in her life that she could identify with? She was lonely and afraid of being different amongst the people she safeguarded. I think she was entitled to a few allowances for herself.”

“Look at this statue of her!” She indicated it with two upturned palms. “She looks miserable. Do you have any concept of the length of her life? I do! I spent 5 years of my life being sold to sex traders and it felt like an eternity! She has lived for an eternity as a prisoner to her pain and sacred duty! Don’t you dare accuse her of weakness or flaws! Alex has died thousands of times in defense of her family or humanity! How long do you think you would want to live if you went through half of the shit she has?”

“My love, I am so sorry.” Ronon came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I am sorry for the life that was forced on you and for doubting my mother. You are right in your assumptions. She deserves what happiness she can create for herself. I guess I am just upset that I will not get a chance to have her in my life for as long as I want.”

“She hasn’t given up yet, Ronon.” Kyra turned in his arms to face him. “She has all of us trying to find a way for her to stay with us. You shouldn’t give up hope that we will find the answer to her salvation. You are the Phoenix’s son. You were born with the power cosmic within you and, all of sudden, you are afraid to use it. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you had Athena teleport me to the palace.”

“You’re right. I don’t want to use the power she gave me when I know now the reason I was given it. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“You are her son.” Riddick said in a booming voice that startled the young couple. “You are a Lord of Ariana and you have a birthright. It would be an insult to your mother to reject your power. I know you have the weight of her future survival on your shoulders but do not doubt for one second that she loves you. No matter what happens, she will always love you.”

“Jack…” Riddick turned his watery eyes to his young charge. “I thought I was doing right by you when I left. I told you in Crematoria what my frame of mind was. I didn’t want to bring any more trouble down on yours and Imam’s heads. You had already been through so much horror for a girl your age and I did not want to be the cause of any more.”

“I never had anyone in my life that ever gave a shit about me. It never entered my mind that you would try to follow me.” He walked up to her and their pain-filled eyes met. “You know if I would have known, I would have come for you. There is no way I would have left you to that fate. The only thing that kept me going while I was gone was the thought that you were safe. I didn’t know. I’m sorry, baby girl.”

“I’m sorry too, Riddick.” She sniffled and threw herself into his chest. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed the top of her head. “I was young and foolish. I didn’t want to lose you and I had no idea of the dangers that lie in wait out there. I just know I didn’t want to go through the rest of my life without you in it.”

“It appears to me, my love, that you won’t have to.” Ronon said with a smile as he watched the healing of 2 hearts before him. “I guess my mother’s meddling in the affairs of mortals does have its benefits.”

“You can say that again, junior.” Riddick smiled at him over Kyra’s head. “By the way Ronon, what did Brandon do to merit being blasted through the door of the temple?”

“My nephew was being an ass.” Athena answered for him when Ronon refused to respond. “He came in here baiting Lord Ronon into a fight and got what he deserved.”

“I’ll say.” Riddick gave Kyra one last squeeze before they turned to look at the embarrassed Ronon. “That was quite the show of power. You know that you are not destined to be one of the Guardians, right?”

“Yes.” Ronon said as he lowered his gaze to the floor. “I know what I am destined to do.”

“No, kid, I don’t think you do.” Riddick said as he moved to stand before him. “That is not the only reason she gave you that power.” He placed his hand on the young Lord’s shoulder until he looked up at him. “You see I know Alex’s mind. I can picture her thoughts as easily as I can my own and I know what she planned for your future.”

“I thought it was to release the Phoenix from her body to inhabit your daughter’s.”

“Hmm. I thought you were smarter than that, Ronon.” Riddick grinned as he turned to the statue of his mate. “You just kicked the shit out of the God of War’s heir. It was damn funny to see the look on his face too especially after Kyra decked his ass.”

“You hit him?” He asked her with wide eyes. “Why?”

“He had the audacity to mess with my man.” She smirked at him as he shook his head in surprise.

“Thank you.” He smiled at her lovingly before he turned his attention to Riddick, who was still staring at the marble likeness of his mate. “Well, Riddick, what is my future?”

“Her 6 boys are the Guardians of my daughter, the future Protector of Life. You, Ronon, were given this big ass boost in power to become the Balance of Judgment. You will be my daughter’s warrior.” Riddick turned slowly to stare at the look of shock on Ronon’s face. “You get to decide who lives and who dies. You will keep her from becoming the Angel of Death that your people fear so much.”

“Doesn’t that make me the Angel of Death?”

“No. It means you safeguard the universe at large from ever seeing the Angel of Death again. Ronon, there are evils out there that need to be eradicated whether we like it or not. Alex knew that but it tore at her being to do it even if it was justified. She killed a lot of people out of vengeance or anger. That is what made her the Angel of Death. She doesn’t want to see that pain in Dawn. She has to remain pure and untouched by those feelings to be the true Protector. You are her right hand. You will be her sword of justice.”

“I guess I should consider that an honor.” Ronon replied quietly as he stared at the floor again. “She has left me a great duty.”

“She has indeed and it is because she trusts you with that responsibility.” He slapped Ronon’s arm and smirked at him when he glanced up at him. “Now don’t fuck it up.”

~*~

Alex had been aware of everything that Ronon was doing when she sensed his unease. She telepathically eavesdropped into his discussion with Duncan and broke down into tears at the memories that resurfaced. She kissed Rhade goodbye after telling him she would see him again when their next scheduled week came around. When she sensed her son’s return to the temple, she followed him.

She phased her body in between dimensions so that she could not be seen as she watched her son break down in front of Athena. She smiled proudly when he swatted Brandon aside like an insect. Tears filled her eyes when he watched the archive on the screen. Nietzcheans are emotional creatures and Ronon was torn apart by the horrific images that passed before his eyes. Her heart broke when his was torn asunder and he wailed in torment.

She witnessed the arrival of her mate and Ronon’s future mate. Alex listened from her position as Ronon, lost in turmoil, accused her of being weak. He faulted her for not having the strength to fight off her defilers. His misery was quickly replaced by anger and he stated that she was flawed. She was said to be callous of her treatment of the Olympians and Immortals.

To her surprise, Kyra stood up for her with great conviction. She humbled her son and, by comparing her pain with Alex’s, made him realize he was in error with his assumptions. The young woman was wise beyond her years and owed it to the horror of her past. Alex watched the tearful exchange between her mate and his charge that heralded their long-awaited healing.

She listened intently as Riddick revealed the full purpose of Ronon’s existence to him. She was not entirely sure why she didn’t alleviate her son’s guilt before and explain everything to him. As she pondered the question, she arrived at the notion that it was her pregnancy that clouded her thoughts and realized how unfair it was to leave him in the dark.

Ronon was disturbed at the thought of becoming the new Angel of Death until Riddick explained the difference. She smiled at her mate’s ability to sift through her mind and discern the true nature of Ronon’s future. The 3 of them were joking now and she laughed quietly to herself when she heard their conversation.

Tensions’ running lighter in the temple, she decided now was a good time to make an appearance. She needed to spend some time with Riddick to calm her daughter within her. She also had to ask him which mate she was scheduled to be with now that her week with Rhade had ended. She teleported to the front stairs of the temple and phased her body back into this plane of existence.

After taking a deep breath, she ascended the stairs and stood in the temple’s entrance. “Richard?” The four people within turned their attention to her and she gave them a second to work past the shock of seeing her there. “Well this is where everyone disappeared to. Athena, have you ever had so many guests at once?”

“I have not, my Lady, but it has been a welcomed intrusion.” She bowed her head as Alexandra passed by her and went to her mate.

“It is a comfort to know that you have not been inconvenienced.” She stood before her husband and smiled lovingly at him. “Hello, my love. I have greatly missed staring into those eyes.”

He wrapped her in his arms and lifted her up when he stood at full height. “Hi, gorgeous. I missed every part of you.” His embrace tightened and he nuzzled into her neck. “What are you doing up, baby?”

“My week with Rhade has ended and I need to know who I am supposed to be with next.” She pulled back slightly and stared into his eyes. “Have you come to a decision on the order?”

“Yeah. The guys didn’t like it but I chose the chronological order of your matings.” He gazed into her eyes and lost himself for a moment before he continued. “Ian is waiting for you now.” Both of them were oblivious to the nervous exchange of glances between Athena and Ronon. “I don’t think you should keep him waiting. He’s bound to be getting antsy.”

“Too bad for him it was decreed that I am allowed to spend time with you each day.” She pulled his head towards her and kissed him deeply enough to steal his breath away. “I am also given time to spend with my sons. I need to continue Dorian’s training.” She turned her head towards Ronon and smirked. “Come to think of it, you are due for yours as well.”

“Alex, I was trained from birth in the arts of battle.” Ronon replied to her. “I don’t believe there is anything else for you to teach me.”

“Then you would be wrong, Ronon.” Riddick answered. “There are methods of combat that she excels at that no one has ever seen before. You could learn more than you thought possible from her.”

“There is also the matter of your power, Ronon. I have to instruct you on the full capabilities of your inherited gifts.” She smiled lovingly at her son before she turned back to Riddick. “Meet me in the gym in an hour so we can begin your training.”

“You better make that two hours.” Riddick said with a smile before they teleported away.

“I can’t wait to see this.” Kyra said with a glint in her eyes. “I love to watch you work out but going against her is definitely a sight to behold.”

“I think I’m looking forward to it too.” He smiled for a moment before he reflected back on something. He turned to Athena with a grimace. “I won’t be able to question Ian if she is going to be with him.”

“My Lord, if you think for one moment that she wasn’t aware of your interrogation of Lord Duncan than you don’t know your mother very well.” Athena graced him with a knowing smile. “She knows all and sees all especially when it comes to her family.”

“Are you saying that she witnessed and heard everything we did and said here?” He asked in a slightly panicked voice. “She heard me accuse her of weakness and say she was a flawed being?”

“Of course she did, my Lord.” Athena smiled brightly as Ronon blanched. “She heard every word.” She patted his cheek lightly and cocked her head at him. “Don’t be late for your training session with your mother. You don’t want her to come looking for you.” She teleported out of the room laughing at the panic-stricken look on his face.

~*~