Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
The door alert chimes and Tarak steps in, making his way to me without hesitation. He clears his throat. “Something serious has happened, and you need to know.”
“Know what?” I glance at him and his expression gives me pause. “Tarak?” When he is still silent, I demand, “Speak!”
He crosses his arms. “There is surveillance video from the planet Fonquin. The Ocretions have discovered that Taisha escaped Romon-3 and was engaged in a mission. They have demanded her return and are threatening aggressions if we do not comply, and also demanding a bounty as apology.”
I jump to my feet and roar. “No!”
He raises his hands. “The king has called his council. But it is a diplomatic nightmare, and one that needs to be addressed immediately. He’s sent for Taisha and you are required…” He breaks off, as I’m already grabbing my satchel and touching the door console.
“Hurry,” I snap.” There is no time to waste. We must speak to the king.”
There is no way I will let them send Taisha back. Stars, I’ll fight them all myself if I need to, but there is no way I’m sending that precious human back to the monsters she’s worked so hard to defeat.
* * *
Drayk
I rush into the packed council room in the palace. Zander sits at the head of the long oval table. A giant Zandian crystal adorns the center of the table, casting rainbows around the room. The group of advisors and top warriors are already in their seats. There is such a hum of energy in the room that it feels as if lightning crackles along my spine.
Taisha stands against the wall of windows, Mirelle at her side. I want to run to her, drop to my knees and remedy this horrible gulf between us. But now is not the time. None of that matters if she’s sent back to her slave owner.
“We have an urgent situation.” King Zander’s voice rings out across the chamber. “The Ocretions demand the return of their former slave, Taisha, along with a bounty of crystals and stein. They discovered that she escaped when holo of her surfaced from the mission on Fonquin. If we do not comply within two planet rotations, they will take next steps.”
“What steps?” Dr. Daneth asks. His mate sits beside him, pale.
“They have not made it clear. They are playing coy. But they indicated that it will involve both military and diplomatic maneuvers. Possibly everything short of a planetary attack,” Master Seke responds.
“Should we give her back?” A younger, unmated warrior speaks up from where he stands in the corner. “Appease them. Then they will leave us alone, yes?”
Zander frowns at him. “You speak out of turn. Remove yourself from this council room.”
He’s lucky Zander threw him out, because I was about to tear his tongue out with my bare hands.
“Forgive me, my lord.” I cannot stop myself from speaking out of turn as well. I don’t care what ramifications it has on my career. Still, I try to sound as level-headed and unemotional as I can. “It seems to me any concessions will be seen as a sign of utter weakness and forced capitulation.” I flick a glance around the table.
It’s Zander’s top advisors who matter most. Erick, his ambassador and political advisor, Dr. Daneth, Master Seke, Lium his engineer. The older males who counseled his father. The ones who raised him to be king after Zandia was invaded. The ones who led him to take back our planet.
“Giving her back may mollify them short term,” Master Erick speaks.
I want to smash his face in, even though I know he’s reasoning through the situation.
“But if we continue bringing humans onto our planet, this will happen again and again.”
I clench my fists at my side, forcing myself to draw in a slow breath. “If we comply with their demands, they will look to Zandia for every missing human in the galaxy. They may demand the barcodes on every human here. We have over one hundred beings who were meant to be exterminated on one of their death ships. If they find out we freed them, it could begin a war,” I say, referring to the rescue of Lamira’s sister, Lily, which resulted in the human army that fought by our side for Zandia.
“Your advice is hardly unbiased in this situation, Captain Drayk,” Lium says drily.
I force my fists to unclench. “I do not deny that I wish to claim Taisha as my mate.”
For the first time since I came in, she meets my eyes. Her gaze is wary. Wounded.
It guts me.
I hold her gaze as I continue to speak. “I made a terrible mistake in not petitioning for her immediately. A mistake I hope to rectify.” I swallow against the tight band in my throat. “So I don’t know if she’ll even have me. But this isn’t about protecting the human I hope to make my mate.” I look around at the council members who have taken human mates—King Zander, Master Seke, Doctor Daneth, Captain Rok. “It’s not about protecting one human on Zandia. It’s about protecting all of our mates. All humans we harbor here. Humans who have contributed greatly to our planet.”