Before the Fire Read online

  James had planned to stay on for another week or two, but ended up leaving with his parents, having received word of troubles at one of his estates by courier. He departed with the vow that he would return for the marquess’s nuptials, as well as for the Blackmore heir’s christening. He didn’t know it yet, but he, along with Alex, was to be named godfather.

  The Blakes were the last ones to make their leave. Lady Julia hugged Melea fondly and thanked her profusely for all the great sparring she’d given her. She made her promise to return the soonest. After embracing Kane and chiding her soundly on the topic of giving her grandchild his rest, she made her way toward the Blake coach, the viscount at her heels.

  The remaining four—Kane, George, Alex, and Melea—shared a leisurely luncheon together. Alex tried to put on a good face, to act as though he wasn’t the least bit frightened, but everyone knew that he was. He told Melea he had a special license in his pocket and made her swear they’d marry the moment she returned. She almost cried when he admitted he’d had the license since the day after they had met.

  When the foursome gathered together all of the sealed packages of dandelions and managed to sneak them from the mansion and into the clearing of the forest, they knew the time was at hand. Kane took out her laser-c and established contact with Commander Linder. She looked at the Warrior Woman and nodded.

  Melea took her place amidst the dandelions. She smiled at Alex, who was almost in tears. George patted him on the back. He couldn’t begin to imagine how he felt.

  Kane forced her gaze from Alex to Melea. She kissed her best friend on the cheek, silently thanking her before continuing. At Melea’s nod, she spoke into the communicator, having established only auditory contact at Linder’s command. He said it was necessary to reserve as much fero-nitrum as possible. “Linder, we are ready to engage.”

  His voice came through the laser-c. “Commander Linder, Chief NASA Director, Colony Houston, preparing to transport Melea, Warrior Woman of NASA, Colony Houston. Standby for transport.”

  Alex closed his eyes for a brief moment against the sense of loss gnawing at his belly. He opened them to a series of whirling, bell-like sounds accompanying a charge of energy he’d come to recognize. George laid his hand on his shoulder.

  And then it happened.

  Or more to the point, nothing happened.

  “What the hell is going on?” Melea growled. “I’ve prepared myself emotionally to transport, now do it Linder!”

  “By the goddesses!” the male voice in the communicator wailed. “It’s blown some sort of circuitry. Disengaging transport, Melea. Kane! Don’t go anywhere—we need to talk!”

  Alex let out his breath. George listened intently.

  Kane stepped into the dandelion ring and gave Melea her hand, telling her without words to leave it and follow. “Yes, Linder, what is it?”

  “By mighty Vegas, I’ve no idea how long it will take to fix this goddamned mess!”

  “How long does Egis have?”

  “Several months still. There are no signs of deterioration.”

  Kane nodded, though her commander couldn’t see her to know it. Realizing that, she spoke aloud. “Linder, we cannot risk another blown attempt. If we run out of fero-nitrum, the kabitross will never get there. I will check in with you once a week until you’re certain the technicians have fixed it. But by the moons of Jupitor, make certain it is fixed before we attempt another transport!”

  “What is your reading?”

  Kane checked her fero-nitrum level before responding. “Thirty kalis.”

  “Christ.”

  Melea spoke next. “Mine is less than that since we’ve been using my laser-c to make contact with you these past months. Linder, Kane is right. The next attempt is all or nothing.”

  “All or nothing,” he repeated, a man in anguish of losing a grandson. “All or nothing.”

  “I better disengage the communicator, Linder.” Kane kept her voice forceful to pull him from self-pity and worry and to get him to refocus. “I will check in every two weeks instead of every week. Until then…”

  “Yes,” Linder said forlornly. “May the goddesses bless you both.”

  “May the goddesses bless you,” they repeated.

  Kane disengaged. She took a deep breath, then turned to her husband. “What now?”

  George cleared his throat. He hadn’t expected this hitch in their well-formed plans. “For starters we take the dandelions back to the estate.”

  “And then?”

  George turned to Alex. He lifted a brow questioningly. Alex wasted no time.

  Swinging Melea up into his arms, the marquess kissed her soundly on the lips. “You, my love, promised me a marriage the moment you returned. So far as I’m concerned, that moment is now. What have you to say to that my little shrew?”

  She thumped him on the chest. “Fine. Let us file for permanent companionship then.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “I’m ready to become your marching-ette.”

  “Marchioness,” he growled.

  She waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever.”

  * * * * *

  Two hours later, the Marquess and Marchioness of Asherby said their goodbyes and set off for their two week honeymoon at one of Alex’s estates not even a day’s full drive away.

  Tired and weary from the wide range of emotions he’d been forced to experience this past sennight, Alex plopped onto his bed and sighed.

  Then he smiled.

  He might be exhausted, but he couldn’t possibly be too tired to have a hell of a good wedding night, three o’clock in the morning or no. He bolted upright, discarded his attire in record speed, then jumped on the bed and waited, fully erect, for his marchioness to join him.

  She did.

  Alex thought he’d died and gone to a lecherous pervert’s heaven. Eyes round and cock nigh to bursting, he stammered out, “Wh-What’s th-that?”

  Melea climbed on top of him with that cat-that-ate-the-canary smile he’d come to adore. “We call it shepra…”

  * * * * *

  Kane handed her cat over to a passing maid with instructions to feed and bathe Sir Scruffy. Exhausted, she closed the door and joined her husband in their bed. She kissed him lightly on the lips, then laid her head on his chest and purred her contentment.

  George ran his large fingers through his wife’s hair as he contemplated all the outrageous things that had happened these past two days. It was enough to give a man a megrim. Not that he could have megrims anymore. Damn, but he was going to have to come up with a new trick or two. Luckily, he was ever a resourceful man.

  “Kane,” he rasped out, “I am in pain.”

  She took him serious for a moment. She raised her head to look at him. “What’s wrong, my love?”

  He shook his head as if the matter was grave indeed. “Swelling of the extremities.”

  “Eh?”

  He pulled the bedcovers down and proceeded to show his wife the swollen extremity in question. She clutched her hand to her naked bosom with faux concern. Batting her eyelashes, she regarded her husband. A husband whose lusty appetites could put a zilch to shame. “Oh Sir Long Cock, whatever can I do to lessen your agony?”

  He grabbed the back of her head and nudged her gently toward his painfully erect manhood. “Kiss him and make him feel better, wench.”

  She did.

  George put his hands behind his back and enjoyed every moment of her pampering. He sucked in his breath as she sucked on his scrotum. “Oh Kane that feels wonderful.”

  Kane massaged his sac with her lips and tongue for a few moments more, then raised her head and took the length of his cock into her mouth. She took him all the way in, deep-throating him with a powerful downward sucking motion.

  “Christ.” George twined his fingers through her hair and guided her face up and down the length of him. “You’re so good at this,” he said thickly. “Remove your chemise. I want to fondle you whilst you suck on me.”

  Kane threw him
a seductive look as she obeyed. George raised his hands and played with her nipples while his wife resumed her sucking, quickening her pace to enable his orgasm.

  George gritted his teeth, loving it. “Take all of him into your mouth, sweetheart. Suck on all of him.”

  Kane deep-throated him again, over and over, knowing how partial her husband was to the sensation. She grew more aroused when she watched his head drop back onto the pillows, his eyes closed as his taut stomach muscles contracted and his impressively large cock stood up stiffly, wanting more.

  “Kane,” he murmured without opening his eyes.

  She picked up the pace again, knowing he was ready to orgasm, wanting to feel his release. She sucked him faster and faster, glorying in the sounds of his labored breathing, loving her power over him.

  “Oh god.” George’s body went rigid as he palmed the back of Kane’s head and held her securely while she sucked on him. Rearing his muscle-hard buttocks upward, he slammed home three more times, then growled in satisfaction as he climaxed in her mouth.

  It occurred to George somewhere in the back of his mind that he had thought to bring his wife to the same heights she had taken him to. He had thought to lick her slippery folds, taste of her flesh, then make love to her all night long.

  The last thought he entertained before falling into a deep, sated sleep was that he’d make it up to her tomorrow.

  Kane looked down at her snoring husband and grinned. Poor baby. He’d had an eventful two days.

  Chapter 39

  The next few months were the happiest of George’s life. He hadn’t thought it possible to improve upon perfection, but he grew to love his wife and cherish their ever-growing friendship more and more with each passing day. The days rolled into weeks, the weeks into months, and before George realized it, his wife was due to deliver his child at any time. And still, the transport had not been fixed.

  At the beginning of December, they had celebrated his thirty-eighth birthday. Kane’s twenty-seventh had followed on the eve of Christmas. Neither of them had wanted a major fuss, so they merely spent the time making love, albeit carefully, and enjoying their last few days of pre-parenthood together.

  Christmas had been an event George wouldn’t soon forget. The villagers had decked out Blackmore with holly, mistletoe, and a few preserved dandelions. Trees were decorated, eggnog was served, and an all around cheerful mood prevailed.

  Much to the family’s surprise and delight, Kane had managed her pregnancy extremely well. There had been only a single incident, however brief, that had caused any concern at all. Sometime in September when the babe began to kick, Kane had become convinced that she was enceinte with a mutant hybrid that wanted to rip her apart. A visit from Lady Julia, Lady Melea, and Old Girty O’Malley had set her to rights, assuring her all was well.

  On the twentieth of January, in the year of our Lord 1777, Girty O’Malley delivered Kane of a healthy baby boy, later christened Alexander James William George Wyndom, the fifth Viscount Brent, heir apparent to the earldom of Blackmore and the dukedom of Browning.

  The people of Blackmore were elated by the news and threw together a celebratory feast in the village the day after his christening to welcome their new lord into their love and safe-keeping. Fearing the cold and wanting to protect his month old son from the elements, the earl opened up his three grand ballrooms to his people, urging them to move the feast inside of the estate where it was warm and snug.

  The liveried servants took turns serving and being served, joining in on the feasting with as much enjoyment as those who lived outside of the mansion. Games were played and dancing served to lighten up an already festive occasion. When George and Old Girty danced an Irish jig together, there wasn’t a dry eye left in the estate. The tears came from laughter, of course, watching the toothless midwife lead the gigantic earl around the floor.

  Aron and Alice MacAllister brought a gift of welcome to little Alexander James, and made certain they again thanked the countess for all she’d done for their own family. Aron had set up shop in the village almost two months past. His finely carved cradles and rocking chairs were quickly becoming all the rage amongst the aristocracy from places as far away as Paris. Alice’s medieval tapestries now donned the walls of many a nobleman’s estate.

  Toward the end of April, Kane announced to a bewildered earl that she was expecting another babe in seven months time. Since Alex and Melea were currently visiting, they were there for the glorious announcement. “That’s wonderful news!” Melea laughed. “We can go through this one together!”

  Kane looked up from the floor where she and her son were sitting on a blanket together and grinned. “You are with child?”

  Melea nodded.

  “Congratulations!”

  George handed Alex a glass of wine and thumped him on the back. “As my wife said, congratulations.”

  Alex smiled broadly, accepting the wine. “I can’t wait. We’ve already ordered a cradle from Aron MacAllister.”

  George nodded thoughtfully. “He does excellent work.”

  Alexander James had his nappy changed by his mummy and papa and was then ushered into the nursery by Bessy for a nap. They had yet to find a governess who George deemed suitable. That two of the applicants had been nuns, never having sinned a day in their lives no doubt, didn’t go unnoticed by Kane. She had teased him mercilessly about it, but George had adamantly defended his actions, stating that he didn’t care to have a holier-than-thou nun about the estate anyway.

  The foursome settled in for a quiet luncheon, during which they discussed the topic the Asherbys had come to speak of. “I won’t have it,” Alex stated matter-of-factly. “It was hard enough on me the first time, but now that Melea is enceinte, I shan’t risk her traveling to the future.”

  Kane spooned a helping of mushroom soup up to her lips, nodding thoughtfully. “I don’t blame you. It’s much to risk.”

  Melea sighed. “Then what do we do?”

  “I don’t see any particular reason why we can’t transport the flowers without you going along.”

  Melea nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t either. But without a living body to focus on, what if the transport doesn’t work? We’ll be out of fero-nitrum with no way to save Egis.”

  Kane thought on that for a moment. “Not true. The transport doesn’t require a body, it requires energy, life force if you will.”

  Melea shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  George made eye contact with his wife. “I believe I do.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you referring to the second laser-c, per chance?”

  Kane nodded. “I don’t know why I never thought of it before.”

  Melea smiled as comprehension dawned. “Of course!”

  Alex folded his arms over his chest. “Call me an idiot, but I still don’t get it. Explain, please.”

  Kane shrugged. “We can place Melea’s laser-c in the middle of the dandelion ring in engaged mode. It will produce the needed energy to allow the transport to focus on something.”

  Alex sat up straighter. He fidgeted in his seat. “That will work?”

  “I don’t see why not. It stands as much chance of being transported as a human body does.”

  He expelled a puff of air, then smiled broadly. “Excellent. Now it’s just a question of when.”

  George sighed. “Not any longer.”

  Melea’s eyes grew wide. “You spoke to Linder today?”

  “Yesterday,” Kane corrected her.

  She waved her hand. “And?”

  Kane picked up her cup of tea and sipped from it. Placing it back down, she regarded her best friend. “We attempt to transport tomorrow.”

  * * * * *

  On the day of reckoning, the same foursome gathered the sealed off dandelions together, secreted them from the mansion, and made their way to the same clearing on the outskirts of the village forest.

  Kane placed Melea’s laser-c in the midst of the ring and turned it on engaged mode
. She stepped back, away from the ring, and proceeded to engage her own communicator. “Linder, all is in readiness. Do it just like we said now.”

  “Affirmative. Commander Linder, Chief NASA Director, Houston Colony, preparing to transport kabitross specimen. Standby for transport.”

  George felt knots in his belly clench. He wanted this to work so badly. He wanted this whole bloody business behind them so they’d never have to look back, never have to have this mission looming over their heads and happiness again.

  A moment later, the familiar whirling sounds rose up from Melea’s communicator. A charge of energy was emitted and he knew the time was at hand. Just when he thought it was over and everything was about to be set to rights, he heard the faint sound of his wife’s voice calling out to him. It was a sound he would never forget as long as he had a breath left to breathe. In agony, he looked toward Kane’s standing position.

  The pulsating lights of energy had a lasso around his wife the same as they did the ring of dandelions. He held out his hand. “Kane, no!”

  A single tear slipped down her cheek. She held out her hand to him. “I love you, George.”

  He ran toward her only to be stopped by Melea. “No! You’ll kill her and you both! Do nothing!”

  He kept going.

  Melea whirled him around and forced him to face her. “George, listen to me, goddamn it! If you interrupt the transport once its made a fix you will cause the balance of energy to shift and you will both die!” She grabbed both of his arms and pleased with him. “She’ll find a way home, George. Let her go!”

  Closing his eyes, he nodded his compliance. His heart wrenching painfully, he turned to his wife. “I love you damn it! Come back to me!”

  She smiled wistfully. And then she was gone.

  An eerie quiet ensued.

  George stumbled over to the ring of dandelions and sat down where only a moment ago his wife had been. Laying on the ground was a single flower, a dandelion that must have somehow escaped its sealed container.

  He picked it up and brushed it across his cheek. In that instant, a Pandora’s box of agonizing thoughts were unleashed. What if the transport broke and she couldn’t get back? What if he never saw his wife and unborn child again? What if he was forced to live out the rest of his days as lonely as he’d been before Kane had swept into his life?