Page 3 of The Champion
We didn’t have foolish fantasies about one person fulfilling all our erotic needs for the rest of our lives. I didn’t need or want Freya Aurelius to fall in love with me. All I wanted was a taste of her for a night or two.
If I could get past my wounded pride from the times that she rejected me in the past, I might find a way to seduce her at the next summit.
Satisfied with my plan, I began jogging, eager to get home to see if I had received a new message from Freya, the most annoying and fascinating woman I knew.
CHAPTER 1
Falling
The Northlands – July 2467
Freya
It was still dark outside. The dimmed light in my suite came from the projection in front of me where I scrolled through fourteen years of correspondence between Victor Xavier and me.
I had been barely sixteen when we met at the first summit for future leaders, hosted by the Motherlands.
Victor had been eighteen and the leader of the French delegation. My first impression of him as vain and proud had been confirmed when he made a scene after losing to me in a game of chess.
It was a memory that often came up at summits when my four fellow delegation members liked to tease Victor.
My scrolling slowed as I went over old messages about practical matters. His English was flawless in writing except for one line where he spelled coming with two m’s. I had gone over our correspondence a million times and what was funny was that in my mind I added a French accent to Victor’s words when I read them.
The first two years, our correspondence had been to the point and practical. Holly from the Motherlands had always been part of the conversation as the three of us were responsible for all coordination relating to the summits.
After the third year, where the summit had been held here in the Northlands, Victor’s tone with me had turned curt. It was because of my rejection of him that year.
Turning my head, I looked to my bed where my friend Linea was sleeping. This year she was coming with us to the summit as a substitute for my cousin Aubri, who was going through a difficult pregnancy with twins. In a few hours I would have to wake up Linea and we would fly to France for the fourteenth summit between our three nations.
Nervous energy mixed with excitement in my body. The weeklong summits were my favorite time of the year.
Memories took me back to the first summit we held here in the Northlands eleven years ago, back to when it had been Victor in my bed.
The Northlands, July 2456
After a long day of negotiations with the other delegations, I was tired after our late-night briefing with my father, Khan.
Walking back to my suite, I let myself in and stopped in shock when I saw Victor sitting on my four-poster bed, his back propped against my headboard, his legs stretched out, and his ankles crossed.
“Bonsoir.”
“Victor, what are you doing here? You can’t be in my suite. How did you get past the guards? If someone sees you…”
“Oui, I know. Your protectors will hurt me.” With a roll of his eyes, he patted the bed and softened his voice. “Come closer. I figured we needed some alone time.”
My heart was beating fast. I was never alone with men who weren’t one of my protectors. Trying to seem relaxed and unaffected by his presence, I repeated my question, “Again, how did you get past the guards?”
Victor grinned. “Celeste distracted them. Nmen are sexually starved beasts and she’s generously feeding their needs.”
My eyes widened. “She’s having sex with two men at once?”
Victor shrugged. “Two isn’t that many.”
I fiddled with my hands. “Maybe not to a French person, but these are Nmen.”
As I wasn’t moving, Victor got off the bed and came to stand in front of me. He wasn’t as tall as the men in my family, but I still had to lean my neck back to meet his eyes.
“You’re inexperienced, Freya, but that’s not your fault.” Taking my hand, he lifted it and kissed the back while looking deep into my eyes. “I’ll be gentle with you, I promise.”
