Predator

Chapter 54

Alex had gone to the Main Hall of the Palace to oversee the decorations for the coming ceremony. Servants and staff were scrambling around setting up floral arrangements and preparing a meal fit for the occasion. She had put aside her fear of her destined demise and focused on the warm feeling of seeing her beloved child’s bonding.

As the thought of her son entered her mind, she glanced around the room trying to spot him amongst her mates and sons. ‘Where is that boy of mine? You’d think he would be here getting things together quickly so he can get down to the mating portion of the event.’

Finding no sign of the child in question, she closed her eyes and stretched out her senses to pinpoint his location. Her conscience drifted through the palace and the surrounding grounds in an instant. Ronon’s essence was still nowhere to be found but something unusual did catch her notice.

‘There is a blank area in the palace. What the hell is this?’ She gave a small mental push against the black spot within the brightness of its surroundings and met resistance. ‘This is a mental barrier. Who the fuck is erecting mental barriers in my house? Wait a second, isn’t this Ian’s new quarters?’

She marshaled her full telepathic abilities and began to push against the shield. The barrier held against her mental nudges. Aggravated with her failure, she had decided to the use the full force of her power to smash the shield when a sharp kick to her abdomen broke her concentration.

“Ow!” Her hand went to her belly instantly thinking something was wrong. Another kick within her struck her hand and she gasped in surprise. “Oh!”

Tyr noticed his mate leaning heavily against the wall holding her abdomen and rushed to her side. “Baby, what is it?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped her to the couch. “Is something wrong?”

“I have no idea.” She answered in a worried tone. He situated her on the leather couch and sat beside her. “I felt like someone punched me in the stomach. It was very unsettling.”

“Let me feel.” She placed her hands by her sides while Tyr carefully laid a hand on her belly. He held her gently with both hands and moved them across her silk-covered stomach. A huge smile formed on his face when he felt the punch she was referring to. “Alex, your baby is kicking!”

“She’s kicking me?” She asked incredulously. “What do mean she is kicking me?”

His eyes lit up when he felt it again and he smiled at his mate’s worried expression. “It is a perfectly natural occurrence. You do not need to concern yourself with it. There is nothing wrong. Give me your hand.” He took her by the wrist and placed her palm on the side of her large stomach. “Do you feel that?”

“Yes.” She whispered and shakily nodded her head.

“That is your little one, Alex.” He smiled at the look of awe on her face and saw a single tear roll down her cheek. “That is Dawn and she is trying to get your attention. She is an active little one. I guess she takes after her mother.”

“Yeah but she hits like her father.” Alex flinched slightly from the next kick. “How long does this go on for?”

“All the way to the end of your pregnancy, love, and believe me, you hit harder than Riddick could possibly dream.” Tyr laughed heartily at her mixed expression of amusement and annoyance. “Gentlemen, would you like to come over here and feel the First Daughter of the Royal Family kicking in Alex’s belly?”

“She’s kicking?” Duncan said excitedly as he ran over followed closely by the others present. He placed his hand on the spot Tyr indicated and gasped when he felt the tiny bump against his palm. “Oh my God, this is amazing.”

“Move it, Highlander, and let the rest of us in there.” Ares said as he nudged Duncan aside and took his place. A look of genuine amazement entered his features and he smiled from ear to ear. “He is right. This is unbelievable.”

One by one, the rest of her mates and sons touched Alex’s stomach and expressed sheer joy when they felt Dawn kick against their touch. They were fawning all over her and the annoyance she felt earlier quickly disappeared. A grin was etched on her face as she marveled at the wonder of the life within her body.

“Where is Richard?” She asked as she glanced around the room. “He needs to feel this. It is an experience he is supposed to share with me.”

“I don’t know, baby.” Rhade said as he looked around the hall. “I haven’t seen him since we were all in the nursery earlier. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Ronon since Riddick called him away for a little discussion after we left the nursery.”

“What discussion? What did Richard need to say to Ronon that he couldn’t say earlier?” Her brow furrowed. Her tone implied she did not expect an answer to the question and none was given. She glanced over the mass of people moving about in search of a glimpse of her missing mate and son. “Where the hell is Ian?”

“Ioan.” She called to her First’s son. “Where is your father?”

“I do not know, mother.” He knelt beside her and covered her hand with his. “I have not seen him since Riddick collected you from his quarters.”

‘Ian?’ She called out telepathically. ‘Richard?’ She received no response. ‘Ronon?’ Her mental summons went unanswered. She could not detect their presence anywhere within her domain. ‘Where are they? If anything has happened to them, I don’t know what I would do.’

‘The mental barrier around Ian’s quarters…’ Alex drifted off in thought and wondered why her mate would shield his chambers, let alone his mind, against her telepathic ability. ‘Ian, my love, why are you hiding from me?’ Alex knew she could break through the shield if she used her full abilities but hesitated against it.

‘He does not wish to speak to me…or see me.’ Her heart broke with the thoughts that ran through her mind. Ian had never been far from her side especially when she needed him. Her moods were normally mercurial and even more so with the pregnancy. Insecurity flooded her from his rejection and anger was quick to follow.

‘I don’t know why you have forsaken me, Ian, but the only place Riddick and Ronon could be and escape my detection is in there.’ She used her conflicted emotions to fuel her strength and focused her will against the barrier. ‘I want my mate and my son! Let me in!’

“What are you doing here?” Alex’s attention was immediately drawn to Kyra’s shocked and angry tone. She opened her eyes and glanced at the young woman who was running across the hall towards the man in the doorway. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Kyra, stop!” Alex teleported across the room and appeared in her path. “Calm down, honey.” She grabbed the young woman’s shoulders and stooped down to look her in the eyes.

“He is not a threat.” She watched Kyra’s eyes dart from her face to the man behind her until her stance relaxed. “Go about your business and leave him to me. You have a ceremony to get ready for.”

“Okay.” She shot a deadly glare at the man Alex was shielding before her brow furrowed and her eyes turned curious. “Speaking of the ceremony, where is Ronon?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. He is around here somewhere. Why don’t you go knock on Ian’s door and see if he knows where he is?” She watched the young woman nod and run off in search of her missing love. After Kyra disappeared from sight, Alex slowly turned around and smirked at the man before her. “How are you doing, Vaako?”

His head lowered to the point where she thought he had bowed to her. “I am well, my Lady.” His eyes glanced slightly upwards at her rounded stomach before they stared at the ground. “Are you well, Mistress?”

“Are you referring to this, Vaako?” She asked with a slight laugh as she gently ran her hands over her belly. “I am pregnant, Vaako. I am carrying Riddick’s baby within me.” She registered the look of confusion on his down turned face and curiosity ran through her mind. “Someone gave birth to you, Vaako. This is how humans reproduce. Didn’t any of the Necromongers reproduce?”

“No, my Lady. We replenished our ranks through the conversions.” He said quietly.

“You were married, Vaako.” She looked at him with wide eyes and a sense of foreboding flooded her system. “What purpose did Dame Vaako serve to you if not to reproduce?”

“She was intended to be used as an outlet for sexual tension and to help me rise to power.” His voice sounded so clinical it made Alex flinch in revulsion. “If you were given the right to take a Dame, it was considered a gift of stature.”

“We have some things to discuss, Vaako.” She patted his shoulder and felt him tense beneath her touch. “You have nothing to fear from me. I only want to help you.”

“I have heard talk amongst your people that you left behind on Achilles.” He said with hesitation. He was clearly conflicted about addressing his Lady in such a casual and presumptuous manner. “They refer to you as the Protector of Life and the Creator but one of them said that the Angel of Death destroyed my fellow Necromongers in the Nietzchean space. They said you did it effortlessly.”

“I have been called all of those names you mentioned, Vaako. I am the Creator of all things and became the Protector of Life after it was born. I have also killed many races and people in my long life.” She peered into his mind for a brief moment when he was about to respond but stopped himself. She picked up on one thought in the forefront of his thoughts. “The death I deliver will not take you to the Underverse. That place is and always was a lie.”

“When death comes to my people, they go to one of two places. The Elysian Fields is for those who did well with their lives. Tartarus is for the condemned.” She could see him shudder with the knowledge that he had dedicated his life to a lie and felt sympathy for the young man. “When I deliver death to a person, they are condemned to a life of torment and suffering for all eternity. It makes Tartarus look like a paradise.”

“All of the Necromongers you killed in the Nietzchean system are in this place of torment you speak of?” He asked. “Dame Vaako is spending eternity in this place?”

“Yes.” She said simply and gauged his reaction. “Does this bother you?”

To her surprise, his answer was very simple and straightforward. “No, my Lady.”

“I see.” Her eyes narrowed and studied the young man before her. “You just accept everything at face value. If your superiors justify their actions, you do not question them or any orders you are given that are reprehensible. Your whole life has been programmed into you and I think it is disgusting.”

“Necromongers follow the orders of our Lord…and our Lady to the letter. It is all I know, my Lady.”

“Tell me, Vaako, why have you come here?” She asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

His brow furrowed and she watched his eyes dart around while he sought his answer. “I came here because you said I could.”

“But I did not order you to.” She smiled at his discomfort and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Relax. I am not berating you for your decision. I am applauding it. Somewhere inside your head, you are rebelling against your conversion. It is a start for me to work with and I am happy you are here.”

~*~

Ian’s eyes snapped open when he felt his mate nudge against his barrier. It held up to her initial prodding but she had increased the pressure after a few moments had passed. ‘Alexandra, my love, please stay out. I’m not ready to face you yet.’ His silent pleas were answered when she halted her attempts.

He rushed through his placement of his mental blocks knowing full well that his mate would not be denied. She would keep hammering against his shield until her superior mental abilities shattered it to nothing.

He hurried into the bedchambers and found Riddick meditating. “Riddick, my friend, how are you progressing with the blocks?”

“I’m almost done.” He said slowly before he cracked open his eyes and looked serenely at Ian. “I think that will do it. They are subtle enough that she will not notice them if she scans my mind. It should be sufficient enough unless she gets real determined and strips through the layers of my mind.”

“That is good. We need to check on the boy.” Ian turned to the gym with Riddick right behind him. “He has to have his blocks in place as fast as possible.”

“Why?” Riddick asked concerned. “What is going on, Ian?”

“Alexandra has detected the presence of my barrier and is trying to break through. Something distracted her for a moment but I have no doubts that she will continue once that has been taken care of.”

“She has more experience using our powers than I do.” They stood in the entrance of Ian’s gym and he whispered to Riddick to avoid distracting Ronon. “She will get in.”

“Ronon.” Riddick whispered to the young man in deep meditation while he sat on the floor. “Son, how are those blocks coming? We are running out of time.”

“I need just a minute more to finish it.” He said in a daze. “Why are we running out of time?”

“Well for one, you are mating Kyra in a couple of hours.” He saw a small smile grace Ronon’s lips with that bit of news. “There is also the fact that your mother is trying to break through Ian’s barrier to see what we are up to.”

The smile faded fast and his brow furrowed in deep concentration for a minute longer until finally his eyes opened. “I did it. I don’t believe for a second that she can get through my blocks unless she is willing to fry my mind.”

Ian looked up at the ceiling and his eyes darted to the surrounding walls of his room. “She is trying to break in again and this time I don’t think it will hold.” They could feel the pressure in the air around them when Alexandra’s power surrounded Ian’s barrier and threatened to crush it. A second felt like an eternity as they waited for the walls to crumble and suddenly it stopped. “She broke off her attempt.”

“Why would she do that?” Ronon asked. “She doesn’t let anything go until she gets her way.”

“Not unless something distracts her.” Riddick turned his worried eyes to Ian. “We’ve been holed up in here completely cut off from her. What if something has happened and she was trying to call us for help?” Riddick didn’t wait for an answer. He rushed to the door, tore it open, and startled Kyra. “Jack?”

“Riddick, you scared the shit out of me!” She held her hand over her chest and tried to calm her pounding heart. “Where the hell have you been? Have you been locked away in here all this time? Alex is going ballistic trying to find you.”

“Is she okay?” He grabbed her by the shoulders and his eyes were wild with fright. “Has something happened to her?”

“Yeah something has happened to her!” Kyra shrugged off his grip on her and unleashed her infamous temper. “Your daughter has made her presence known and is kicking! She has been trying to find you so you can feel your baby, you idiot!”

Riddick didn’t need to hear another word. A smile split his face as he turned to look at the men behind him. “My baby is kicking.” He had a look of awe on his face as he vanished in a flash of light.

Kyra turned her attention to Ronon and crossed her arms over her chest. “And what have the three of you been up to in here?” She chastised him with a stern look on her face. “We have a ceremony to get ready for and you’re holed up in here with the guys doing who knows what.”

“Baby, it isn’t like that.” Ronon said as he stared at his boots to avoid her penetrating glare.

“Then how was it exactly?” She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.

“Lady Kyra, I am the one who deserves your wrath not Ronon.” Ian stepped forward and tried to take the brunt of anger away from the young man. “Riddick and I had some family business to discuss and called Ronon when we were done. We just wanted to wish him well and give him our congratulations on your pending nuptials.”

“Well that is very considerate of you, Ian.” She looked at him skeptically. “But I think you should prepare yourself for Alex’s wrath instead. She has been looking for you as well.” She grabbed Ronon’s hand and pulled him along with her as she turned to leave. “I would hurry along if I was you, Ian. You know how Alex can get when she’s hormonal.”

~*~

As Riddick rematerialized in the Main Hall, he excitedly glanced around the room looking for his mate. He noticed her mates standing together with their backs towards him. Their tension was evident in the way they held themselves and he could vaguely hear their angry whispers.

“Tyr!” He walked up to the others and they glanced quickly over the shoulders before turning back around. The Nietzchean faced him and grasped forearms with Riddick. “What is going on? Where is Alex?”

“Riddick, my friend, where have you been?” Tyr asked. “Alex was so upset when she couldn’t find you.”

“I had some matters to attend to with Ian. Where is she and what is wrong with the others? They look pissed off.”

“We have an unexpected visitor and I don’t think any of us welcome his intrusion into our home.” Tyr’s voice dripped with malice as he glanced over his shoulder for a second. “Rhade and Alexandra seem to be the only ones that don’t have a problem with it.”

“Who the fuck is it?” Riddick asked and tried to get a glimpse of the visitor but the others blocked his view.

“Someone you know and have had dealings with.” Tyr held out his hand and indicated the way for Riddick. “Go see for yourself who invades our home.”

Riddick pushed his way through the others and saw his wife with a hand on her stomach. She appeared to be on the verge of exhaustion but kept a smile on her face as she conversed with Vaako.

“I am glad that you decided to take me up on my offer and visit, Vaako.” Alexandra said sincerely and shifted her body in clear discomfort.

“I was unsure if I should even presume to come to your home world even if invited, my Lady.” Vaako kept his head lowered and his eyes trained on the ground in an act of obedience. “I did not feel it was appropriate unless you or Lord Riddick sent for me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Vaako. I invited you here and you don’t need to wait around until we call for you.” She leaned heavily against the doorjamb and took in his subservient posture. “Vaako, Riddick and I might be your Lord and Lady for now but that does not make you our slave that only jumps when called upon.”

“That is not the Necromonger way, my Lady.” He whispered as he continued to stare at the ground. “We do as our Lord commands or suffer our last days.”

“Vaako, I am not a Necromonger and neither is Riddick. I did not destroy the whole of your people when I had the chance.” She was definitely getting frustrated trying to work through Vaako’s programmed mentality. “I gave all of you the option of returning to your old lives and worked endlessly to achieve that task. I presented you the same option. I know you were very young when you were converted and don’t remember your old life.”

She reached out a hand and tilted up his chin to look in his wandering eyes. “I invited you to come here so you could see what life is really like when the shroud of the converted is not hanging over you. If you like what you see and decide to have the conversion reversed, I will gladly do it for you.”

He hesitantly met her gaze and saw the sincerity in her black eyes. “What if I do not have a home to return to? What will become of me then?”

“You can do whatever you want. It isn’t a decision you have to make right away. There are still a lot of Necromongers that decided against the reversal. You can continue to lead them and integrate them into my armada.” She smiled at the conundrum standing before her. He was deadly and childlike at the same time. “You can remain here on Ariana if it is your wish.”

“You would let me stay here?” He asked astonished and received a nod as a reply. “I don’t know what to say.” His eyes caught movement over her shoulder and immediately his head lowered again in subservience. “My Lord, I apologize for the intrusion but my Lady said I should come when all the unconverted were returned to their home worlds.”

“Well if your Lady gave you those instructions then I see no problem, Vaako.” Riddick wrapped his arm around Alex’s shoulders and protectively pulled her into his side. She glanced up at him with a furrowed brow and he felt her tense against him. “Are the rest of your kind still on Achilles?”

“Yes, my Lord.” Vaako replied and bowed a little lower.

“That is enough!” Alexandra bellowed and pulled free from Riddick. Vaako visibly recoiled from her anger. “I did not ask you to come here to bow to us! I asked you to come here to experience life.”

“I apologize if I angered you, my Lady.”

“Vaako, stop it.” She grabbed his shoulders and looked into his dark eyes once again. “If you decide to stay this way that is your choice but I will not have you bow to me. You are one of my creations. Your race, the one you were born of, is one I was supposed to protect from the Necromongers and I failed your people. I want to make it up to you at least.”

“I do not understand.”

“Well we will work on that later. If I am unavailable, I have the perfect teacher to show you the things I’ve done in my life. She has the time and the patience to show you things that will help you understand. As you can see I am very pregnant right now and I get tired really fast carrying this little one around.” Her hands went to her stomach and she let out an exhausted sigh. “Like now for instance.”

Her legs began to buckle and Vaako beat Riddick to her side before she fell to the ground. “My Lady, are you alright?” He asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“I am about to drop, Vaako, but I will be fine. I just need to sit down for a while.”

“Baby, come on.” Riddick took her from Vaako’s grasp and helped her over to the couch. “Sit down and rest for a bit. You’ve been going at it for a few hours now.”

“How would you know?” She snapped and turned sad eyes to him. “You haven’t been around. Your daughter started kicking and you weren’t even here to feel it. I looked everywhere for you. I called to you so you could experience it with me but you were nowhere to be found.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I was caught up talking to Ian and we got carried away.” He smoothed her hair back from her face and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Believe me I wanted to be here for that and I will when she does it again. I promise.”

“Uh huh. We are not done talking about your little disappearing act yet. We have a ceremony to prepare for so it will have to wait until we retire to our quarters.” The look she gave him told him exactly how much explaining he had to look forward to later. “Vaako, my son is taking a mate in an hour and I would like you to be in attendance.”

“As you wish, my Lady.” He nodded with a look of curiosity on his face. “If you don’t mind my asking, what is a mate?”

“It is how my people bond a man and woman. I think we all need to go get ready for this thing.” She stood up slowly and held her aching back. “I cannot believe I can get thrown through concrete walls and not experience as much discomfort as I am feeling from this child.”

She caught a glimpse of Ian out of the corner of her eye and turned to pierce him with her black gaze. A long silent moment passed between them before she addressed him. “Ian, we have a visitor. Would you please set him up with some quarters and new attire for his stay here?” She said in a calm manner but the energy that sparked in her eyes gave away her true underlying anger.

“As you wish, my love.” He said quietly.

“Excellent. Vaako, go with Ian to your quarters. He will instruct you on what you should wear to the festivities.” She looked around at the others and smiled. “I’m going to get a quick nap and I’ll see you all back here in an hour.” She teleported away in a burst of flames and left Riddick behind to make his own way.

“Someone is in the dog house.” Ares said in a singsong voice and pointed at the embarrassed Furyan.

“Oh fuck off, Ares.” Riddick snapped and vanished from the hall.

~*~

When Riddick appeared in his room, he walked into the bedroom searching for Alex. ‘She said she wanted a nap. Where the hell is she?’ He thought as he found the bed empty. He went to enter the bathing room and was surprised when an energy field barred his path.

“Alex, baby, what the hell is this?” He called out to her when he spotted her lounging in the pool.

“I thought that would be obvious, my love. It is an energy barrier designed to give me some privacy.” She turned her head towards him as she spoke. She had a mocking tone to her voice and her eyes still crackled with her ambient power. “I guess you could take that as a sign that I wish to be alone and undisturbed.”

“Baby, come on. That isn’t fair.” His face looked almost vulnerable and his voice took on a pleading tone. “I told you that I was sorry for not being around when the baby started kicking. I promise you…”

“Don’t start promising anything that you can’t deliver, Richard. You promised me you would be with me through every step of this pregnancy and you missed out on a vital parental moment.” Her mood changed again. She was upset and began to cry. “I called for you and you didn’t answer. What if something horrible had happened and you weren’t there to protect your mate and child?”

“You were hidden away behind a mental barrier with Ian and Ronon, keeping things from me, and betrayed your previous promise.” He felt guilty for not being there even though the meeting with Ian and Ronon was vital to their future. He could see her body shudder with her sobs and wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. “I can’t believe you weren’t there.” She cried softly.

He made his decision to infiltrate her privacy so he could comfort his love but, when he tried to teleport into the room, he found himself propelled across the bedroom. “Who do you think you are mated to?” She said sadly as he rose to his feet and returned to the shield.

“I can make a barrier that makes Ian’s look like tissue paper. It surrounds the whole room.” She sunk lower into the warm water and stared at the shimmering surface. She did not want to hurt her mate physically or emotionally but she was overwhelmed with desolation. “So unless you feel like inflicting more damage to yourself, I would stop trying to enter here and leave me be. It is apparently something you excel at.”

He flinched when he heard her whispered accusation. “I’m not going anywhere, Alexandra.” He said with sincerity as he sat down on the floor just beyond the shield. “I’m sitting right here in case you need me.” His voice cracked with emotion. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

She heard the pain in his voice and it prompted more tears to flow uncontrollably from her flickering eyes. He heard her quiet sobs and it tore at his heart. They did not exchange any more words as they sat in their respective misery. Riddick watched her through the shield and Alex stared at the water. They did not move from their positions until 15 minutes before the ceremony was to begin.

He watched his pregnant wife carefully climb the stairs to exit the pool. He rose to his feet when she almost slipped on the last step. She quietly walked over to the bench to retrieve a towel and awkwardly tried to dry her body. He could feel her frustration at her inability to accomplish such a simple act.

“Baby, do you want my help with that?” He asked her in a soft tone trying to defuse her hormonal temper.

“No, Riddick, I do not want your help with this!” She snapped loudly and he took notice of her use of his surname. She sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped as she dropped the energy barrier. “Unfortunately, I need your help with this because it appears to be beyond my ability to accomplish on my own.”

He cautiously approached her and took the towel from her shaking hands. He moved around to her back and slowly ran the soft cloth over her flesh. He could feel some of her tension bleed out of her with his soothing ministrations. After he dried her still perfect ass and luscious legs, he moved to stand before her.

He glanced up at her through his eyelashes and noticed she kept her sparking eyes cast downwards at the ground. He moved the towel from her delicate neck, down to her full breasts, and reverently over her stomach. Her breath hitched from the emotion she felt from him as he touched his daughter and she averted her gaze off to her side.

He knelt before her and gently nudged her legs apart. He kept a steady hand on her waist in case she lost her balance. Once he was sure of her footing, he lightly traced the cloth between her legs. Her eyes fell shut when she felt the gentle caress on her pussy. ‘This is for her.’ He said to himself when he detected the sweet scent of her arousal. ‘Stop thinking about your needs and focus on making her feel better.’

He quashed his desire for her and moved down the front of her legs. “Lets get you seated so I can dry your hair.” He said softly and she glanced up into his soulful eyes. “Okay?” She nodded silently. He wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly helped her over to the table. When he stopped her in front of it, he lifted her up under her arms and placed her on the table. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched him run over to retrieve her hairbrush from the vanity and quickly return to her side. He stood behind her and carefully ran the brush through her long locks. Her head lulled back from his tenderness and raw emotions burned at her tattered nerves. “Why were you hiding from me, Richard? I know you were so don’t try to deny it.”

“Baby, I know this is going to hurt you to hear it but I can’t tell you.” He said as his heart threatened to burst free of his chest when he heard her sniffle. “I’m sorry, Alex, but there are just some things you have to leave to your men to handle without interfering.”

“We had family business to discuss and some things to settle. You are just going to have to trust us to take care of matters while you are carrying Dawn.” He bent down and whispered in her ear. “Do you think you can do that, Alex?” She dropped her head forward and tears fell from her face to roll down her stomach. “Baby, can you trust that we only have your best interests at heart?”

She drew in a shaky breath as a sense of foreboding swept through her thoughts. He waited for what seemed an eternity before she nodded her head. “I love you, Alex.” He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his large arms around her chest.

“I love you too, Richard.” She held on to his forearms and leaned her head back against his chest. “I guess we need to get dressed. We have our children to marry off.”

“Yeah, I guess we do.” He said with a lighter tone in his voice.

She gently urged him to release his grasp and slid down off the table to stand on her feet. She closed her eyes to focus her power and, in a flash, her hair had dried into loose ringlets that cascaded down her back. A second later, she was dressed in a sleeveless white silk dress that stopped at her calves. Her double helix adorned her left bicep as usual but she added a solid gold gauntlet to both of her forearms.

“You look like an angel.” He whispered with a serene smile on his face.

“Thank you.” She blushed. “Now it is your turn.” With a snap of her fingers, he was dressed in a white silk shirt and drawstring pants. “I think you can live without the traditional black for just one evening.”

“I guess so if I have to.” He smiled and held his arm out for her. She looped hers through his and he walked them towards the door. “Shall we get our kids hitched, my love?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

~*~

Riddick escorted his Lady into the main hall where everyone was already gathered. He walked her to a raised platform and held on to her arm until she stepped up. He then took his place at Kyra’s side.

Her hair was pulled away from her face but hanging long and curly down her back. She wore a white silk wrap around her breasts and a knee-high skirt that tied at her hip. She took Riddick’s offered arm and smiled up into him. It was the first time he had seen her smile reach her eyes. “You look beautiful, Jack.”

“Thank you, Riddick.” She beamed brightly and turned to look at her intended and his father.

Rhade was dressed in full Alpha attire. He wore a floor-length sleeveless black leather coat that had no buttons. A black leather vest, pants and boots completed his outfit. Ronon wore a brown leather vest, pants, and boots. His eyes were fixed on Kyra and had not moved since she entered his sight.

“I have not been called upon to perform my duties as Majoram Pride’s Matriarch in a very long time. But this isn’t a normal Nietzchean function so I guess I’m allowed a few mistakes.” Her mates, children, and Wielders laughed at the embarrassed look on her face. She caught Vaako’s quizzical expression and smiled at him. “Who presents this woman?”

Riddick cleared his throat and spoke up proudly. “I do.”

Alex smiled at her mate’s smiling face and turned to the groom’s side. “Who presents this man?”

“I do.” Rhade said with a smile that matched Riddick’s.

Alexandra held out her hands, palms up, and the wooden box she showed Kyra earlier appeared. With a nod to the young bride, Alex opened the lid and revealed the 2 gold double helixes within. Ronon arched his eyebrow at his mother and she shrugged. “What? Like I do anything normal.”

Kyra turned to Riddick, kissed him on the cheek, and walked up to Alex. She removed the male helix and turned to Ronon. “Ronon Dex Rhade, out of Alexandra by Telemachus Rhade, I claim you as my one and only mate, husband, and future father of my children.” Ronon flexed his left arm and his eyes lit up as Kyra wrapped the helix around and fastened the clasp.

She turned back to Alex and picked up her helix. She stared into his eyes as she wrapped her helix around her left bicep. “I, Kyra, out of Alexandra by Richard B. Riddick, pledge myself as your one and only mate, wife, and mother of your future children.” She fastened the clasp on her helix and turned a smiling face towards Riddick and Alex. “What?” She asked at their shocked expressions. “Like I do anything normal. I couldn’t think of 2 better parents.”

“We are honored, Kyra.” A tear escaped Alex’s eye as she smiled at her daughter-in-law. “As Matriarch of Majoram Pride, I bless this mating and wish you would kiss your mate now.” Rhade and Tyr crossed their arms over their chests and arched an eyebrow at their mate. “What? I said I had no idea what I was doing and I have to pee. This little one is pressing down like an anvil on my bladder.”

Everyone in attendance, with the exception of Ian and Vaako, laughed at Alex’s uncomfortable expression but cheered and clapped when Ronon swept Kyra up in his arms. “I love you, wife.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed deep into his hazel eyes. “I love you too, husband.”

He took her mouth in a searing kiss that left them both breathless. When Ronon could tear his eyes off his mate, he turned his attention to his mother. She had a bright smile on her face and tears flowing freely down her cheeks. He briefly thought that a time was coming soon where he would never see that smile again. He saw her eyes narrow slightly and shifted his focus back to the moment at hand.

Even though she stood on a raised platform, Ronon could still stare her straight in the eyes. He set Kyra down on her feet beside him and pulled his mother into a tight embrace. “I love you, Alex. I am so happy that I have you in my life. I’ll never allow anything to take you away from me.” He kissed her cheek tenderly and pulled back to gaze in her obsidian eyes.

“I love you too, my precious one.” She could hear how serious this was to him in the tone of his voice and see an almost desperate look in his eyes. She shifted her eyes to Riddick and then to Ian before she turned her attention back to her son. “I think there is something that can take me away from you, Ronon.” She carefully gauged his reaction and registered the worried expression before she smiled at him. “I believe your mate is waiting for you to consummate your bonding.”

He smiled brightly and turned to his wife. “I have been waiting for that my entire lifetime.” He swept Kyra up in his arms and bowed to his family. “If you will excuse us, we have some matters to attend to.” He carried her away from the others and Kyra began to giggle as he teleported them to his chambers.

Alexandra maintained her smile until her son disappeared from the room. A mask of stone slipped into place as she pierced her 2 mates with a glare. She knew something was going on that was far more serious than Riddick had led her to believe. She also knew by looking at them that they would not tell her what it was.

“I am exhausted from all of this day’s activities and I wasn’t capable of taking that nap earlier.” She said to the others as she stared at the floor in thought. “I think I am going to try to sleep for a few hours.” She stepped down off the platform and walked through the crowd. “Vaako.”

“Yes, my Lady?”

“Will you do me the honor of escorting me to my room?”

“Baby, I’ll help you.” Riddick stepped forward with a guarded look in his eyes. “I want to be with you in case you need anything.”

“That’s alright, my love.” She took Vaako’s offered arm and smiled sweetly at her mate. “You should stay and eat. You never know, there might be some more business for you to attend to.” She walked out arm in arm with Vaako and cast a lingering glance at Riddick as he approached Ian.

When she had left the hall, Riddick turned to her First. “I think we have a problem.”

“I think you might be right.”

~*~