LOGINShare
The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 4]
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56He hadn't seen her again until it was over until the city was in ruins and the palace itself was leveled to the ground. The underground city had been hit; Mitch must have known that Logan would try to send his family there. As he made his way to the ruins of the temple, he hoped and prayed that Ellis had disregarded his directions.
So many had perished. So much had been lost.
The Goddess lay back and propped her head on her hands as she looked up at the stars. "Perhaps someday, I'll show you Ellis's memories of it. She never told you the entire story of what she went through that day. I'll just say that she made me proud again for being so brave and resourceful."
His mind was drawn back to the moment he had found Ellis in the rubble of the temple, his relief at finding her safe so deep and intense that he couldn't even form a proper prayer of gratitude.
He had wanted to give her a shake when she told him of sending Laurel and the babies away in the escape
Related chapters
The King's Brightest Star Short Scene: Solace
Technology had advanced, but Ellis and Cristine still waited for the day when they could travel to their timelines and see their parents for one last time. To ensure them that they weren’t in a hopeless state, dead or have run away from home.But the technology never allowed it. There were basic rules of the planet that couldn’t be breached.So, they plotted.Cristine had used all her free time to learn how to operate Zothean ships. She was adept at aeronautics and engineering and negotiation, so Ellis and Logan had leaned heavily on her in their negotiations. It could be said that the Empire was in a time of peace under their rule.One day, Cristine came up with the idea.“These jumpers travel to the universes all the time without breaking the fragment of the universe. The only rule is to not meet yourself or members of your own family after you have been pronounced dead, right?” she asked.Ellis nodded. “Yes,
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 1: New Home Across the Universe
Ellis sat under the blistering heat of the sun, basking in its glow, and wondered why she felt that way. She had set out her supplies.An unsent message to her parents telling them she was moving far away.Check.Her suitcase filled with all the stuff she had in her room.Check.A backpack filled with food for the journey.Check.All her identification and paperwork.Check.The beauty of the sun shining over the sea had always comforted her soul. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them. On the horizon, the sun was setting, painting the sky red. The purple filtered through, making the clouds dance in the fiery sky above. Closing her eye, she savored the sound of the waves and the cries of the seagulls, the scent of salt permeating through her senses. She felt mildly sticky but didn't pay much attention to it.She had felt the happiest here since she was bo
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 2: Flipping the Celestial Bird
"Ah, alien abduction. I would laugh but my head is killing me." She waited for the other to reply."It's not a joke," Nadia deadpanned.A small smile cracked on Ellis's lips and she nodded. "So, what happens next? Do I get anally probed and my chest cut open to see what is inside? Is a lobotomy due?" Well, this is what the people who were kidnapped by aliens said, right? Not that she believed in it. "Can I leave after that?"Nadia's smile didn't falter as she shook her head. "Sorry. You can't leave." At that point, Ellis was sure that the smile was plastered on the woman's face. If she truly were an alien, it would be comparable to the white-faced monsters people often fantasized about."So, what do I do after the probing?" Ellis asked blandly. This joke was getting sour quickly."We've retrieved you because you are a perfect genetic match for the Emperor of EN-4396. Therefore, you are going to become the new Empress."Sure, little old
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 3: Coming to Terms With an Alien Abduction
The first thing she saw when she awoke again was Nadia's face. Another round of palpitations plagued her. Her senses seemed to be drowned underneath water and she was staring at this other human's face who had little sympathy for her."Deep breaths," Nadia commanded. "Come on, breathe through it!"Though the voice sounded faraway, Ellis followed it. After a few minutes, she felt her racing heartbeat slow to a near-normal pace."Why me?" she asked finally. "Out of all other people in these universes, why was I picked to be the Empress? Surely, the Emperor would prefer to marry someone of his own race."As awkward as it sounded coming out of her mouth, she knew it was not derogatory. Marrying another species wasn't the norm when she was on Earth, so she couldn't see why it would be so anywhere else."Well, Zothea, the planet you will be living in most of the year, is actually much more advanced than humans. They found species that are gen
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 4: The Race That Found the Miracle Cure
Nadia shook her head. "No, he's a Zothean. And Nin is not biologically compatible with Zotheans," she informed, her voice filled with sarcasm.'Sorry, Miss Attitude. You look old enough to know none of this makes sense. Don't give me shit for not knowing the reproductive compatibility of aliens.'"I'll show you what he looks like." She tapped on the pad and a man's image projected into the room."He has anthropomorphic features," Ellis evaluated. Not too shabby. The man had wild hair on top of his head, looking like he had rolled on the ground prior to taking this picture. Moreover, it was an odd shade of yellow. If she were an art major, she could have pointed out the exact shade. It didn't look bleached, though. It seemed to be naturally silky."The quality of these pictures is great," she commented with great awe. Then she noticed the golden spots on his pale skin. And his skin was rather pale."Yeah, they look very human. A few mino
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 5: When Your Husband-to-be Looks Like a Anthro-Cat
"Well, what about you? Did you have a husband?" Ellis asked. This time she was polite. She started to sympathize."I did. They call them mates here. Mine died so I went back into the pool. It will take a long time to find someone new, though." Nadia's voice was tight as she replied.Ellis quieted down. "I'm sorry to hear that. But can I ask why it will take a long time?"Nadia's jaws tightened visibly. "I'm not a high priority. You, on the other hand, would be. Don't ask me why. I don't make the rules. If you refuse the Emperor, you'll be quickly matched with someone else."Ellis nodded. She'll find some way around it when she reached Zothea. For now, she needed only that information. She could deal with everything else as it came to her."How long will it take for us to get to the Emperor's planet?"There was silence. "We reached when you fainted. We transferred you to another room." She looked around and explained. "They
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 6: Getting Over a Dancing Tail
Laurel pointed to the man flanking on the left of the emperor. His hair was grey instead of yellow with golden eyes. Through the tight suit that the men wore, she could see that they were muscular."That one is my mate, Dorian. He's cute, isn't he?" she exclaimed. Ellis gave the man a glance and wondered which part of him was cute. He looked like a cat, a terribly scarred and abused cat. Well, she thought. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder."And the one on the other side is Leo, Logan's younger brother."Seeing her distracted, Logan inched closer. Ellis saw the movement and her eyes snapped towards him. Behind him, something moved and she stared to make sense of it. The shock hit her like a punch to her gut.A very long tail danced behind his head, the visible bits showing the color of his hair and the golden spots on his skin on it. A tail... the man she was supposed to marry had a tail.This was definitely not a smal
The King's Brightest Star Chapter 7: Committing a Crime Over Dinner
Ellis wanted to retreat but Logan and the two others stood behind her, effectively cutting off her escape route. The room had gone eerily silent as if they were waiting for something to happen.Without warning, she felt two firm arms grasp her and suspend her in the air. She closed her eyes, mortification coloring her cheeks as she hoped the ground would open up and swallow her.Why was she being treated like Simba from The Lion King? Sorry, she hadn't signed up for this. She'd long been an adult and being cradled and shown off like a newborn was the last thing she wanted with her life.Apart from being the Empress of an alien solar system, that is.She clutched at the arms that held her by her ribcage to make sure she wouldn't fall."Empress Ellis has arrived!" Logan's voice boomed. The room erupted into noise, the creatures banging the tables and shouting her name in unison.When Logan set her back on he
Latest chapter
The King's Brightest Star Short Scene: Solace
Technology had advanced, but Ellis and Cristine still waited for the day when they could travel to their timelines and see their parents for one last time. To ensure them that they weren’t in a hopeless state, dead or have run away from home.But the technology never allowed it. There were basic rules of the planet that couldn’t be breached.So, they plotted.Cristine had used all her free time to learn how to operate Zothean ships. She was adept at aeronautics and engineering and negotiation, so Ellis and Logan had leaned heavily on her in their negotiations. It could be said that the Empire was in a time of peace under their rule.One day, Cristine came up with the idea.“These jumpers travel to the universes all the time without breaking the fragment of the universe. The only rule is to not meet yourself or members of your own family after you have been pronounced dead, right?” she asked.Ellis nodded. “Yes,
The King's Brightest Star The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 4]
He hadn't seen her again until it was over until the city was in ruins and the palace itself was leveled to the ground. The underground city had been hit; Mitch must have known that Logan would try to send his family there. As he made his way to the ruins of the temple, he hoped and prayed that Ellis had disregarded his directions.So many had perished. So much had been lost.The Goddess lay back and propped her head on her hands as she looked up at the stars. "Perhaps someday, I'll show you Ellis's memories of it. She never told you the entire story of what she went through that day. I'll just say that she made me proud again for being so brave and resourceful."His mind was drawn back to the moment he had found Ellis in the rubble of the temple, his relief at finding her safe so deep and intense that he couldn't even form a proper prayer of gratitude.He had wanted to give her a shake when she told him of sending Laurel and the babies away in the escape
The King's Brightest Star The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 3]
Isabella drove out the Council members and the cameras, her manner so brisk and officious that no one dared question her, and shut the door firmly. She sat down beside Logan and drew him into her arms, just as she had done when he was a little boy and hurting from his parents' neglect. He was too large now to snuggle into her as he once had done, so he laid his head on top of hers and wrapped his tail around her arm."It can't have been him," he said. "It can't."She pulled back to look up into his face. Her eyes were soft with compassion. She said nothing. She didn't have to.Logan buried his hands in his hair and tugged. The pain was the only thing that felt real. But Isabella gently reached up and tugged his hands away. He wanted to scream, to attack something with his claws and shred it to bits. The pain was swelling within him to the point where he thought he might burst if he couldn't let it out in some way.Isabella pulled him back into her arms an
The King's Brightest Star The Lesson Logan Must Learn [Part 2]
He was twelve and Isabella had taken him to the market with her to buy herbs. Logan wandered over to the next stall, which sold jewelry. There was a set of jewels that his eyes kept being drawn back to as he examined the merchant's wares. It was a headband of red-black stones with a matching bracelet and ring.He imagined giving that set to his mate. Would she squeal in delight the way his mother did when his father presented her with jewels? Would she throw her arms around him and press her mouth to his? (The latter Logan thought was a bit disgusting, but Micheal had said humans liked "kissing.")Last night, he'd asked Micheal, his voice low and shy, for this question meant much to him: "Micheal, what will my mate be like?" He knew she'd likely be human. Though Earth had been one of the later additions to the database, the majority of their matches now came from its people."She will be the most beautiful creature you've ever seen," Micheal said, and his eyes t
The King's Brightest Star The Lessons Logan Must Learn [Part 1]
Despite Laurel's reassurances, Ellis didn’t leave Logan’s side until the doctor arrived. Laurel held her, gently stroking Ellis's back, murmuring soft, soothing nonsense."He has it, doesn't he?" Ellis asked the doctor after he'd run his reader over Logan's prone body. Logan's tail twitched at the sound of her voice, but he didn't react otherwise. He mumbled unintelligible words."Yes, Empress, he does," the doctor said. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were kind."Oh, my God," Ellis whispered. Hopelessness set in."There's no reason to panic," the doctor said firmly. "As long as we can keep his fever under control and keep him hydrated, he will be fine. Zotheans rarely die from this."It was all reassurance.Ellis nodded. She knew that. Logan had explained it to her when the outbreak first began, and the talk videos said the same. Just like the human common cold, there was no cure for it, and it simply had to run its course. Bu
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 5]
The king brought Izzy breakfast in bed the next morning. She sat up groggily and accepted a cup of tea. She had to admit being impressed by his courtesy and thoughtfulness. She really needed the tea. She had stayed up late into the night and was no closer to an answer than she had been when she first lay down.She spent the day with the king, taking him to see some of Zothea's museums and cultural institutions. She was pretty sure that it was Drake who was following them all day. Once, she saw him duck behind a tree, and a tail with light hair poked out to the side. The bodyguard knew that Drake wasn't a threat and the king's bodyguard seemed to have decided to ignore him. The king, for his part, seemed to agree with them and didn't question the very large man trying to hide behind fence posts, but it made Izzy's heart ache. If the king was the one she chose, this would be Drake's life, lurking on the periphery of hers.The king was as he described himself: easy to get
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 4]
Drake was already gone when Izzy and Ellis came back to the dining room and her heart ached that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to him, but maybe Micheal and Isabella had decided that Izzy would only get more upset. She gnawed on her tail as they passed through the room to where the king was waiting for her in the hallway outside. He had been seated on a bench and he stood politely when she joined him. Another of his kind stood behind him, his skin as green as the forest leaves."This is my bodyguard," he offered. The bodyguard in question ignored Izzy, but sized up her female bodyguard and apparently wasn't impressed with what he saw."Follow me," Izzy directed. The king walked down the hall beside her and Izzy noticed that she was at least a foot taller than he was.She arrived at her nest room to find that all of Drake's things had been cleaned out already and she felt a piercing ache in her heart. She sat down on a cushion beside her table, despondent.
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 3]
Logan put out an announcement that tonight would be a state dinner and so the temple dining room was packed with people, all of them speculating as to the cause. He and the empress rarely had them and when they did it was usually for a special announcement. The last had been to announce the empress was expecting Prince Edward and the one before that, to announce that Nessie was being appointed to the emperor's Council.Izzy ate mechanically. She wasn't hungry, but Aunt Cristine was right: she had to make sure the baby got what it needed. Drake was alight with excitement and impatient for the meal to end. The entire extended family was seated around the table, all of them wearing their finery. Her mother wore the glow stone tunic she'd worn to her own mating ceremony and Aunt Laurel was dressed in a purple tunic so bright that it hurt the eyes to look at it. Leo kept flirtatiously tickling Cristine's neck with his tail and then looking away innocently whenever she looked up fr
The King's Brightest Star Izzy's Mating [Part 2]
"I saw a doctor less than an hour ago." Izzy unwound her tail from her leg with effort and gnawed on the end of it anxiously.Her father stood and without a word, headed for the door."Daddy, wait, please!" Nessie pleaded. "I'm so sorry! Talk to me.""I can't." Logan's eyes were on the door and his tail lashed in either agitation or anger; she couldn't tell which."Please," Izzy pleaded. "I need to know what you're thinking. Do—do you still love me?""Of course, I do," Logan said tightly. He twisted the doorknob."Don't leave," Izzy begged."Sweetheart, your father just needs a little time," Ellis interjected. "Let him go, and we'll all talk over this later."Goddess, didn't her mother understand that her anxiety was increasing exponentially every moment? She wouldn't survive a wait of a few hours. "Daddy… please.""You want to know what I'm thinking?" Logan turned from the door and marched back to stand in
